The View

A friend of mine, Roger Blackmore, pastors a church in a theatre. He is doing a terrific job. By the way, here's his website.The View:

He reminded me as I was reading his blog about the title of German Evangelist Reinnhard Bonnke's autobiography. It's a great title "Plundering Hell To Populate Heaven."

I thought about Jesus words in Matthew 16:18, that the gates of hell would not prevail against the church. That's exactly what we do when a person comes to know Jesus as Savior. A few weeks ago when one of our teenage guys came to faith and followed Jesus in believer's baptism, our student pastors invaded the battlefield and freed a prisoner. During Children's Camp when several of our children came to Christ, hell was plundered again.

That's why it's so tough doing church at times. That's why we need the power of God's Holy Spirit. That's why the Word of God has to be preached. If we tried doing it in our own strength and with our own wisdom, we would fail.

So pray for every Children's worker, every youth worker, every Sunday morning Bible study worker, every worship leader, every teacher and pastor. We're going into battle... We have our Lord to lead us. The Spirit to empower us. And our God to give the increase!

Now someone lead us in "Onward Christian Soldiers!"

Being the Church: Non-Negotiables

Times have changed.

I can remember meeting every Monday evening, driving to a neighborhood and knocking on doors inviting people to our church and then asking this question, "Do you know if you were to die today if you would go to heaven?" If they said, "No" or showed the slightest bit of interest we would then ask for 2 minutes of their time to show them from the Bible how they could know that they had eternal life. It was a joy for me to do this.

But now 20 years later, we live surrounded by communities that have guards at the gates and it doesn't matter that you're from a church. Even in areas without gates, I can't imagine how a person might react to a stranger walking up to their door and asking if they were ready to die. :-) There are some homes in Osprey, where the question would be answered with a shotgun and the same question.

So our methods of obeying Jesus command to make disciples change from culture to culture, from community to community and from time to time.

Instead of going to stranger's homes and inviting them to Jesus, we invite our neighbors into our homes, get to know them and when God gives an opportunity to tell about the hope that is within us, we lovingly and kindly share that Hope.

But our message is not negotiable. Our message is always that Jesus came into the world to save sinners. That is a non-negotiable.

Being the Church: With Each Other

One of the many lessons I have learned from missionaries is that they know that they are all members of the same team. Missionaries from denominations and groups with differences of opinion over church government, form of baptism and gifts of the Spirit, work, fellowship and pray together because they understand that the enemy is not other believers, but Satan.

I have learned through experience that other pastors in this town are my friends. We may be in the Baptist Army, the Assembly Navy, the Church of God Air Force, the Salvation Army Marines or the Bible Church Coast Guard, but we're in it together.

So it behooves us - how do you like that word, "behooves", there's just something about the way it sounds :-) - to get along within the church. Jesus said that the world would know that we are His disciples by the love we show for one another. One of the best "methods" we have for reaching the hearts and minds of unsaved people is to love our brothers and sisters in Jesus.

So, FBC, Osprey, I love you! I need to say it more often. The love is always there, even if I don't always say it. I'll try to do better.

Being the Church: Relying on God's Plan

We went Prayer Walking this morning. Rather, because of the rain, we prayed in the auditorium and then prayer rode throughout our community.

Our community is so diverse.

• There are mobile homes and 100 yards away there are multi-million dollar homes sitting right on the Bay.
• We have a gated community within a Tiger Wood's drive's distance to some of the last medium income homes.
• We have homes that are being torn down so that the property can be used to build bigger houses and houses that probably ought to be just torn down.

Like I said, a very diverse community is Osprey.. and beautiful... and needy.

So with all our talk about being the church and reading the language and culture of our community, the only way we will ever have an impact on this community is if the Lord gives direction and power to His people to become the church in Osprey.

So we pray! Join us on Monday mornings at 9:00 AM to prayer walk. If you can't be there for that... certainly we can come up with a better time. Or park your car in the lot and walk and pray and listen for God's answer and watch what God does through His empowered people.

The Power of Camp

2 weeks ago our children's ministry got back from Kids MAC (Missionary Adventure Camp). Every morning these 3rd thru 6th graders had a quiet time and were asked to read their Bible.

Most of us who have been to camp remember having that time alone with the Lord while we were at camp, but we also remember eventually falling out of the habit after we came back.

One of our young boys left for a trip with his mom just a few days after returning. His mother saw that he had his Bible and asked why he was carrying it along.

The boy replied, "So I can have my quiet time."

That's why our Children's Ministry workers labor so hard. Many of them come to 8:30 service, at 9:45, they teach a Sunday morning Bible Study, then work in the 10:45 Kids Zone. The Bible says that we aren't to slow down or stop our work because our labor is not in vain in the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58)

That's what will happen in the rest of our church as we serve our Lord and Master.

Being the Church: A False Dichotomy

In Southern Baptist history, it was the Foreign Mission Board and the Home Mission Board. That was then morphed into the International Mission Board and the North American Mission Board. We changed the name because of increasing and correct sensitivities about an "us vs. them" dichotomy.

But the dichotomy continued. Somehow the strategies of that allowed us to reach people in Senegal wouldn't work in Sarasota, or so we thought.

But they will work. Jesus gave the same mandate to all of his followers whether they were Peter and John in Jerusalem or Philip in the desert or Paul in Philippi: MAKE DISCIPLES! And they all used the same kind of philosophy.

Meet people where they live, understand their felt need, as God gave opportunity speak to them about Jesus, baptize them as the beginning step towards discipleship and then form a church that would help them continue the same process with others in their culture.

That wasn't a foreign/international mission strategy, it was the Biblical missions strategy. And that's what will work for us right here, right now.

Being the Church: Adapting to the Culture

He was finally ready to make the change. He had been serving in a culture that looked and acted so much different, but finally he was going to take the plunge in order to look like those he was trying to reach.

He had allowed his hair to grow long. Now he was shaving the front half of his head. He was dying the rest of it very black. He hung up the clothing he had always worn and was putting on clothes that set him apart from all of the other full time Christian workers.

Who was he? A Baptist preacher blending into the biker mission field? An older guy trying to appear cool?

Wrong! His name was Hudson Taylor. And it was more than 150 years ago and the place was China. Hudson Taylor was taking a step no other missionary had ever taken. He was going to dress like a Chinese teacher.

He had understood and accepted the call. He had learned the language. He had spent time understanding the culture. Now he was going to adapt his life style to the culture.

He, and others who traveled with him, immediately noticed the differences. Other missionaries would attract an inattentive rabble who just wanted to see a foreigner. Taylor would attract thoughtful listeners. Other missionaries were accosted as they moved through the markets. Taylor was hardly even noticed.

But the most important change was that more poeple were listening and responding to the call of Jesus.

And that was the reasoning behind the change. His clothing and hairstyle - in that culture - was an unnecessary impediment to clearly presenting the Gospel. So he removed it. And people noticed, listened and responded as they had never responded before.

Did Hudson Taylor adapt to the culture in sinful areas? No, he simply began to dress like the people he was trying to reach.

Did Hudson Taylor catch arrows from his own side? Yes, his back was pock-marked from friendly fire.

But was he right? 150 years later, the answer is still a resounding "Yes!" The principles he pioneered are still being used today. Do all missionaries shave the front of their head, grow it long in the back and wear the robe of a Chinese teacher? No! Because those outward adaptations were peculiar to China. But today missionaries do adapt to the culture they are living in to the extent that they can without sinning for the purpose of reaching people with the Gospel.

Do we dare do less? We ought to study the culture in which we minister and adapt. Each area is unique. Osprey is unique and separate from Sarasota, Venice and Nokomis. FBC, Osprey must study that culture in order to remove the unnecessary roadblocks to a clear presentation of the Gospel.

Being the Church: Learning the Language

I'll never forget standing in the lobby of a train station in Timasoara, Romania. I was the lone American. I spoke not a word of the language. I was a visiting pastor in an officially atheist nation. There were some men in impressive military uniforms. It was obvious that I was alone. I hoped it wasn't obvious how uncomfortable and "nervous" - that's man talk for frightened - I was.

And I was alone. I had missed connections with my greeter. And the longer I was in the middle of that crowded room, the more 'nervous' I got. I walked back outside towards the tracks. Still no one. I made sure that I had my passport ready to show anyone who challenged me.

Finally I felt a tap on my shoulder. Never have I been so thankful for spirit of recognition one Christian has for another Christian!!! The Pastor welcomed me with a great Romanian bear hug. I was safe because someone who knew the language and the culture was with me.

When a missionary begins the process of going to a mission field. As we wrote yesterday, you must be certain of the call.

But after that begins the slow, arduous process of learning the language. And as you learn the language, you learn the culture.

I have discovered that the best way to learn the language is the total submersion method. Speak nothing but the language for 8-10 hours a day. Don't allow English to be spoken. And I ought to know. In High School, I failed german, Spanish and French. When confronted in Bible college with the necessity of learn a dead language - koine Greek, I freaked. But I took turbo Greek. I took 1 year in the summer. 3 months, 4 hours a day of trying to parse, translate and understand the language of the NT. But it worked.

How will you and I learn the language of the people surrounding us? How will learn the language of those we are trying to reach? It will be when we spend time around them. Listening to them... Learning their language.

By the way, this is what Paul did in Acts 18, when he walked around Athens, took in the culture and established a point of contact with them: the shrine to the unknown god.

That's why we learn the language of our culture. Not so we can be like them, but so we can establish a point of contact where we understand them and they understand us.

Being the Church: Being Certain of the Call

Craig Williams was ordained to the ministry this past Sunday morning. When he arrived on the campus of Southeastern Seminary, he believed God would have him finish his education and then return to Florida to be on the staff of a church.

But God had different plans.

• God put on both Craig's and Shannon's heart the idea of starting a church. So they began to think of where. They thought the southeast United States.
• The folks from Pennsylvania caught wind of Craig's desire to start a church. They asked him to think about Pennsylvania. He knew this wasn't God's idea but he told them he'd pray about it.
• Then God spoke to Craig about Pennsylvania. Their hearts were turned towards a community near Hershey that has 80% unchurched people. So they started that process.
• As the Bible says, "then the word of the Lord came again", and they saw in Scripture how God sent people out in teams: Paul and Barnabas; Paul and Timothy; the Disciples going out 2 by 2. And they prayed about a team.
• God began speaking to others: The Snyders talked about going... another family... several single people...

What had started as a desire to be equipped as a church staff person ended up being a team church planting ministry in Hershey, PA.

This is not strange or extra-Biblical. Paul saw in a dream that a man was calling him to come to Macedonia and help him. The first 'man' Paul reached turned out to be a woman business owner named Dorcas. So although God doesn't change, He clearly allows and plans changes in direction as we seek and obey Him.

What's my point?

If we are going to be the church God wants us to be in Osprey. It must begin with a clear call to BE the church in THAT community.

FBC, Osprey, has been called of God to be the church in our community. God clearly knew that our sleepy fishing town made up of blue collar workers was going to change into more of a retirement center with multi-million dollar houses being constructed for people who will live here 6-9 months a year.

Does that change in our neighborhood change our call? No, it means that we are supernaturally placed here in this community, at this time, on this major road to help people know the real God.

The first step to being a missionary church, a church called by God to help people become disciples of Jesus, is to know, understand and accept the call to Osprey, Florida.

"Dear Lord, thank you for placing us here. Thank you for giving us this wonderful community to be our mission field. We accept your call."

Thoughts on Being the Church

When I was at Philadelphia College of Bible, my next door neighbor ws Darcy. He was from Brazil and although he had been in the states for only a short time, he had an excellent command of the English language. But he hadn't quite gotten the use of idioms and code words.

On Friday night late we were sitting around the hall. We started talking about "Pink Bellies" Darcy asked what they were. The rest of the guys on the floor communicated telepathically that we were going to give Darcy a "Pink Belly".

For those who don't know, a pink belly is when you hold someone down and slap their stomach - not punch - until their stomach turns pink. It's a guy thing, okay. So don't get on me.

We asked Darcy if he would like one. He immediately became suspicious and rightly so. One of us came up with the idea of saying, "If you don't trust us, look it up in the dictionary." Of course, there was no definition of the 2 words so he looked at pink and looked up belly. It seemed innocuous, so he agreed.

Immediately we grabbed him, held him down and slapped his belly until it was more red than pink.

When he could finally could get up, he walked over to the dictionary and promptly threw it in the trash.

Darcy discovered that you can know the language of someone, but language is also determined by culture and shared experiences. You have to study not just the dictionary but also the community.

It is the same thing with being the church in Sarasota county. Believers may speak English just like our neighbors and friends do. But too often we have been saved so long and insulated in our church communities so long that we have forgotten or never learned the idioms and real meanings of words that our unsaved friends are using.

If we at FBC, Osprey are going to impact our friends and neighbors with the wonderful story of Jesus, we must approach it like a missionary appreoaches their new field. They study not only the language, but the culture. And in doing both, they can find the intersection at which they can introduce that culture to Jesus.

We have to apply the never changing message of Jesus to the always changing culture of our world. And to do that, it means we don't become isolated from people, we become interactive with those we want to share Jesus with.

The CP and Cooperative Ministry

The inspiration for this comes from my best friend in the ministry who started me thinking about this when we were talking about the SBC Presidential race. His statement was "It's not about the Cooperative Program, it's about cooperative ministry."

And he is exactly right right.

Cooperative Ministry is the hall mark of Southern Baptist Life.

We have mottos that have almost reached cliche status about them:

• "We do better together than we can do seperately"
• "All Baptists are independent, some just choose to cooperate"

That attitude would answer some of the problems that ail us.

• Cooperative ministry would help 4 pointers and 5 pointers enjoy ministry together.
• Cooperative ministry would deal with whom we can associate on the mission field.
• Cooperative ministry would increase how much and where we give through the Cooperative Program.
• Cooperative ministry would stop the power games, the name calling, the status seeking.
• Cooperative ministry would make us into Baptists again.

None of us are ever going to agree with what the rest of us are doing or not doing. But cooperative ministry might just be the balm that would heal us.

Food and the SBC

It's not like it's a secret... I like to eat. I am not gluttonous (I don't think) but I enjoy good food.

But I especially enjoyed meals at the convention. Wayne Briant, Don McGlothlin and I stayed at the same hotel, traveled together and ate together. So meal time conversations were lively.

But at each meal, something else happened. Our servers - and I believe politeness is taught in North Carolina schools - were not just great at their job. But they got served also. We took opportunities to share the Gospel with them. Sometimes, they were polite but non-responsive. On Wednesday night we were eating Chicken Wings. Our server was a terrific young lady who Wayne Briant led to the Lord. I was reminded of Acts 16:4: A woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God, was listening. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was spoken by Paul.

She had been searching. She was ready. And when Wayne asked her if she would like to pray she said she would. And there in a crowded sports bar, with televisions showing the World Cup game, a young woman was born again.

I remembered that there was something more important than food... and the enjoyment lasts much longer.

Winners

As a life long sports fan, I am always wanting to know "who won?" As I write this, I am watching Milwaukee and Cincinnati engage in a great pitchers battle. I'll probably have to leave - or go to sleep - before the game is over. But I will want to know who won.

So I have been thinking about who "won" in this convention.

• The Messengers won! More people were involved. More people made their way to the microphones to speak.
• The bloggers won! I'm not talking about this, but about these weblogs that wrote about this convention. http://kerussocharis.blogspot.com/ http://www.sbcoutpost.com/ http://www.joethorn.net/ and others
• The Cooperative Program won! All week long leaders, preachers, messengers were talking about the importance of churches using the Cooperative Program as the means to fund world wide missions within the SBC.
• Younger Leaders won! We may look back and realize that this year a new, younger group of inerrantists began to take over leadership from the Godly men who brought our denomination from the slow death of liberalism.
• Smaller Churches won! Mega churches have a role to play in our convention. But this year, smaller churches discovered that they make up the majority of convention churches. Smaller church give proportionately a higher percentage of their offerings to make our denomination work.
• The Southern Baptist Convention won! We dealt with real substantive issues with passion but without seeming rancor. We came to decisions - even some I disagreed with - but we did it collectively.

Over the past 5 years, I have given myself to church, association and state denominational work. I have disdained the importance of the national denomination. This convention brought me back.

So for the last winner... I won!

Future SBC Issues

Although I am going to write more about winners in the SBC convention, one of the real winners in this convention has been the Cooperative Program.

But there are some issues that need to be addressed in order to cement this victory.

For example, why should church planters receive a ridiculously small support check while our seminary presidents have chaffeurs and maids? One of the issues that caused the resignation of Bob Reccord from the North American Mission Board was the $50,000 that was used to just make certain that a plane was ready for him.

Or, why should large churches not sacrifice equally with small churches to give to the Cooperative Program. We used to talk about "Equal Sacrifice, not Equal Gifts" But there is no equal sacrifice when a small church that is struggling to pay a pastor a living wage sends 10% to help reach the world and a mega church sends 3%.

As a friend of mine said, the issue is not really about the Cooperative Program, it is about cooperation.

But be happy. The message is clear. Those who would lead us in the Convention must really support the convention.

It Was a Good Day

This is the first National convention I have been to in almost 5 years. I was not at all hopeful concerning its' outcome. I was afraid that we would have a knock down dragout fight that would bring only bad to our denomination.

But that did not happen. We discussed issues... some of them fractious, but with only a minor exception, it was done with great openness and kindness.

Here's some of the highlights and decisions.

• Dr. Frank Page of Taylors, SC was elected as President. He was selected from a field of 3 men who included Dr. Ronnie Floyd and Dr. Jerry Sutton. Much to the surprise of many people, he was chosen on the first ballot.
• A controversial suggestion was made that suggested that all churches give 10% to the Cooperative program. I supported this change, But it was voted down and the wording was that each church give more to Missions causes through the Cooperative Program. I would have rather that the 10% figure had been in the motion. But after much discussion, an obvious majority wanted the general suggestion.
• The WMU was invited to become an entity of the convention. The WMU is an auxiliary which means that it does not officially come underthe control of the Convention. The WMU did not want to change its' status and the motion was defeated.
• This morning a motion was made that an ad hoc committee be formed to investigate the disagreements between the International Board of Missions Board of Trustees and Board of Trustee member Dr. Wade Burleson. The decision was made that the Board of Trustees establish an investigative group that would report back to the National Convention in June, 2007 in San Antonio, TX.

These decisions have created alot of conversation and differences of opinion. But they were handled in a Christian manner.

I will write more about the convention over the next few days. But it was a very good day. I was proud to be a Southern Baptist.

Random Thoughts Before Leaving

There are many questions and issues that face the messengers of the Southern Baptist Convention this week in Greensboro.

• Who will be the President of the convention?
• Will the convention choose to investigate allegations of improprieties made against the IMB Board of Trustees by a Board of Trustees member?

But there are deeper issue that may not be decided but will provide the controversy for the convention.

They are issues concerning the very future of the denomination, the Cooperative Program, our missions outreach, and what being a Southern Baptist is really about.

I have tried to converse with both sides of the controversy.

I have spent time with those who are currently in control of the Convention are men who have brought our convention back from the lingering death of liberalism. Men who saw that the inerrancy of Scripture as a hill on which to die. They fought a battle that was at times very bitter and negative with a lot of bodies strewn across the battlefield.

I have read the blogs of the younger leaders. I find much in what they are saying to be what I believe. These leaders are just as committed to inerrancy. But believe that with the issue of inerrancy settled for the time being, that there are other issue that need to be talked about and dealt with.

That's where the difficulty come into play. Here are some random thoughts.

• I find both groups intelligent, committed to the Lord Jesus and His Word and to the Southern Baptist Convention
• I find them both at times too political and too quick to judge their opponents motives.
• I find that the current powers in the convention too scared of younger leaders to speak with them. I find that the future leaders of our convention too certain of that there is a conspiracy against them.
• I find that the powers that be want to narrow down the parameters of who Southern Baptists are far past the point of the Baptist Faith and Message, 2000 and when confronted by anyone asks questions or differs with them, they are far to quick to assume that the questions come from a weakness on inerrancy.
• But when confronted by anyone with answers different from theirs, I find that many of the younger leaders too quick to assume that the answers are 'talking points' sent to them by Dr. Paige Patterson.
• I find myself in agreement with younger leaders that the decisions by the Board of Trustees for the IMB that changed the stand on a private prayer language and Baptism to be far in excess of the Baptist Faith and Message, 2000.
• I find myself in agreement that the convention has become far too political and bloated with money that fails to get to those serving God both in North America and throughout the world.

Do I sound like I have Multiple Personality Disorder? Probably. But I bet that I am probably like many of the estimated 15,000 messengers who are about to descend on Greensboro.

Pray for us!

Great Music, Sad Lives

I am a child of the 1960's in my musical tastes. Maybe, I'll even push it into the early 70's... but since then the musical landscape has gone downhill. I'm sure that fans of Benny Goodman would say the same thing about my music.

But I watched for the ump-teenth time, the VH-1 movie about the Temptations. Talk about music... "My Girl", "Papa Was a Rolling Stone", "Ball of Confusion", "How Sweet It Is", "This Old Heart of Mine" "The Way You Do the Things You Do", and the haunting "Really Going to Miss You"and so many more. Their songs were the sound track of my life. Here's a website http://www.thetemptations.com/

But behind the scenes, the story was so sad. Drugs use by David Ruffin, lung cancer killed Eddie Kendrick, Paul Williams' suicide, and Melvin Franklin's arthritis and diabetes was the sad backdrop. The problems don't destroy the greatness of the music. But the full story reminds us that many people are like that. Their lives are successful on the outside, but on the inside, where they really live, emptiness and sadness prevails.

Watching the movie brought back lots of great memories. The tunes are again stuck in my mind and I'm enjoying every moment.

Church Health Awards

Each years at his Purpose Driven Church Conference, Rick Warren gives out it's Church Health Awards. Here's the various churches who have won this year as well as the criteria. http://www.purposedriven.com/en-US/AboutUs/CHA/ChurchHealthAwards.htm

I've been thinking about the healthiness of Osprey today. There are at least 6 components of a healthy church that I can think of on a hot but beautiful Thursday afternoon:

• Can we be characterized by prayer? Jesus said that God's house was to be a house of prayer. This doesn't mean that we have a prayer meeting. It does mean that bewfore we plan, we pray... before we schedule, we pray. It's not a matter of how often we pray in a service. But the level of prayer we as part of the body of Christ commit to throughout our day.
• Can we be characterized by Worship? Jesus told Satan that we are to worship God only. Are our worship services and our private lives characterized by vibrant, God-focused worship. This is not a matter of the type of songs, but the condition of our hearts when we sing.
• Can we be characterized by Discipleship? Is every part of our lives becoming increasingly under the control of the Holy Spirit of God? Or have we 'container-ized' our lives so that the Holy Spirit doesn't impact our homes, our work, our character and our thoguth life?
• Can we be characterized by Honest, Loving Fellowship? This doesn't deal with how well we get along, it deals with more of how we relate to one another. If we attack instead of communicate... If we cover up rather than deal with with issues... then we don't understand what Biblical fellowship is all about.
• Can we be characterized by Outreach? Do we put flesh on God's love to our unsaved friends and neighbors? Do we see them as projects to evangelize or people whom Jesus loves and wants to spend eternity with?
• Can we be characterized by Service? Jesus modeled the life of a servant. He healed people even though immediately afterwards he would fall asleep in the boat. He would tell the Apostles to take some time off, but then met needs instead of taking a weekend away. The issue was the heart.

These are some ideas I had about the health of a church. So how are we doing?

But because a church is made up of people, this question is better: How healthy am I? How healthy are you?

E Pluribus Unum

In case you didn't know it, that's the motto of the United States. It means, "Out of many, One."

Wouldn't it be nice if that were true nationally? In the midst of the debate concerning immigration with both sides going to oratorical excess, we need to remember that out of many nations, religions and beliefs, one.

Wouldn't it be nice if that were true in churches? Instead of arguing over worship music and paint color and wearing a tie or a flowered shirt, out of many, one.

Wouldn't it be nice in our Southern Baptist Convention? Instead of trying to win the debate, we would be allow for differences within our Baptist beliefs about the non-essentials and out of man, one!

What would it require?

To mix my metaphors it would require allowing the choir to sing in harmony, rather than forcing everyone to sing the the melody.

It would require us to stop yelling at and start talking to.

It would require us to quit name calling.

Simply put, it would require us to act like Jesus, who had 12 incredibly diverse followers and as long as they followed His direction, they could each sing their different parts.

By the way that's what Jesus prayed for us about in John 17:20-21:

I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in Me through their message. May they all be one, as You, Father, are in Me and I am in You. May they also be one in Us, so the world may believe You sent Me.

Out of Many, One!

SOMETHING TO PRAISE GOD FOR!

Here's the link for a great story about the Christmas Missions Offering! In the midst of all the upheaval in our convention, there is still much to unite us! (This is taken in its entirety from Baptist Press

http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=23381

"It's a new record that's reaffirming an old commitment. $137,939,677.59 -- that's what Southern Baptists gave to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions in 2005, making it the single most successful year in the offering's history.

The $137.9 million marks a 3.03 percent increase over 2004's $133.9 million Lottie Moon offering, not to mention a 1.28 percent gain over the old record set in 2003 - $136.2 million. More than 5,100 International Mission Board missionaries depend on the annual offering, of which every penny is used to support their work sharing the Gospel around the world.

"This historic level of giving will enable us to send an increasing number of God-called missionary candidates moving toward appointment," IMB President Jerry Rankin said. "It will enable us to push forward in fulfilling the vision of bringing all peoples to saving faith in Jesus Christ. At a time of economic uncertainty, and a year in which massive amounts of funding have been directed toward hurricane relief and recovery, it is gratifying to see God prove His faithfulness through Southern Baptists."

Deja Vu All Over Again

Last week, it was the teenagers going to camp. Today, it's the 3rd-6th graders... It was such a different leaving.

With teenagers, the parents are obviously glad to get rid of them for the next week. With children, parents are secretly glad to get rid of them.

With teenagers, the parents stay glad as they leave. With children, the parents get a little weepy eyed because they understand that this is the first of many goodbyes.

I am praying that the results will be much the same.

• Last week, with teenagers, we had 1 young man come to faith in Christ.
• Another who heard about Jesus for the very first time.
• The teens got home at midnight and 9 hours later were in church... almost awake.
• Then 5 hours after church they were back at church not to watch the video... but to clean the van so the children can go to their camp in a clean van!

That's the difference a week at camp can make. I am praying that come Friday when the Children's Ministry gets back, it will be deja vu all over again.

I'm Going to Greensboro

I've booked my airline... I've reserved my hotel... I've registered as a messenger... Sara has said I ought to go... I'm sitting next to Wayne Briant and in the same hotel... Does that sound like a formula for disaster or not?

Seriously, the issues that confront the Southern Baptist Convention are just too important to watch from 600 miles away. I will be posting each evening from there, so I hope you will visit and find out what's going on in my totally unbiased, humble and accurate view. :)

I have spoken about the Presidential race. I am linking to a good article by Tad Thompson that talks about what both Dr. Ronnie Floyd and Dr. Frank Page believe. Total Truth: A View Towards the SBC in Greensboro: Floyd vs. Page

Please pray for the decisions made by mesengers at the Convention. Pray that those decisions will be godly decisions.

All You Need is Love ...........Not!

John Lennon and Paul McCartney told us, "All you need is love!" They were wrong!

For the last week, we have seen and felt love in the air... and on our cars... and in our houses. If you have never been in Florida, 2 times a year we have love bugs filling the air. They are called love bugs because, well, they fly united... and I don't mean the airline. They descend on us and are slaughtered by the millions by windshields and grilles. That's really when the problems start.

When they are smashed, they leave behind a slimy mess that if left on your car will strip the pain right off. So when the first one is seen, people will put WD-40 on the front of their car, so the nasty little buggers won't stick. I am told that the best removal agent is Baby Shampoo. The car wash across the street has been full almost all hours of the day and night as we have tried... unsuccessfully, for the most part ... to clean love bugs off before they finish on our cars is ruined.

I am told that no one has really studied them because they don't eat vegetation and don't hurt people. They live for 60 hours... a very happy 60 hours... then the male dies and the female drops her eggs onto the ground where they gestate for about 6 months and then it happens again in about 6 months.

They are past their peak now. Slowly they will begin to disappear. Slowly we will again return to normalcy. Slowly we will get back to worrying about hurricanes, the war and whether the D-Rays will ever be a good baseball team.