Update Covid 19

Beginning in March 2020, I have periodically written my thoughts on when and how society, especially churches, would return to a more active lifestyle. I think I have been on target with most of my predictions:

1. Life after the pandemic will not be the same as life before the pandemic. Trends that were underway one year ago have been accelerated.
2. Covid 19 will not disappear but will be controlled. My three key indicators are average deaths per day, the positive test rate, and the number of people vaccinated. For NC, deaths have declined to 15 per day on a rolling 7-day average and the positive test rate is just under 3%. The number of fully vaccinated people across the nation continues to be lower than desired, about 50%
3. New cases, hospitalizations, and deaths continue to decline nationally although there are occasional outbreaks. 

Churches

1. Normal church attendance (for the 80% of churches already plateaued or declining when the pandemic began) will decrease 25-40% January 2020-Jan 2022.
2. Church closings will accelerate, and the turnover of pastors will increase.
3. The influence of secularism will increase in the western world and Christians will be marginalized. Christians will respond as they have for the past 150 years: some will accommodate the secularists, some will try to legislate morality, and a few will remain true to orthodox beliefs, relying on the Holy Spirit’s guidance and comfort as they live and share the gospel.

New guidelines for Mary and me

1. No international travel until 2022. Revaluate in 1Q22.
2. No domestic air travel until 4Q21. Revaluate in 3Q21. 
3. Minimize contact with unmasked and unvaccinated people indoors. 
4. Minimize contact in large, indoor gatherings. 
5. Wear a mask in all indoor gathers (outside our bubble) unless everyone present is vaccinated. 
6. Avoid contact with unmasked and unvaccinated people in all situations for 7 days prior to any visit with our family members. Reevaluate after vaccinations are available for children under 12 years of age.

Revival

 

I have been thinking about a question someone asked me, “What is the purpose of Monday Night Prayer?” I began a long list of reasons we pray on Monday nights and narrowed the list to one item: we pray for revival. (Synonyms for revival include, renewal, refreshing, restoration, and a return to a lifestyle of following Jesus.)

I am not talking about the week of nightly services that our churches had 50 years ago. Revival happens when church members are led by the Holy Spirit in everyday living – at work, at church, at play. All day. Every day. Everywhere.

When revival happens, the Holy Spirit convicts believers and non-believers so that:

Believers confess sins and ask forgiveness from God and those they have offended.

Non-believers repent and trust Jesus for salvation.

So, tonight we will pray once again for revival. 

While preparing for prayer time this evening, I thought about Bruce Ashford’s challenge to our church last night (May 16, 2021.) Here are a few observations.

 Follow me!

Jesus’ command in John 1 is two simple words, eight letters. The young kids in my neighborhood give one another this command often as they explore my flower beds and all the yards around us. Teenagers on a hike are told by their guide, “Follow Me.” And young college graduates have a mentor who says, “Follow me.” 

When these words are spoken by Jesus in John 1, they have a profound meaning for (his first disciples and) us. We could paraphrase the beginning of the passage in Luke 14 on discipleship as “Guys, here are some of the requirements I was talking about when I said to you, “Follow me.”

1. Love God. This is the first commandment and by far the most important. We must love God more than anyone and more than anything. If we do not, we will not love people as we should, and we will not make disciples as we should. What do we think about the most? What do we enjoy the most? What activities take our “free” time? What do we read? Who do we spend time with? If the honest answer to these questions is not God and prayer and reading the Bible and being with godly people, we need to carefully consider who and what we love the most. (Note: church does not equal God!!!)  

2. You will suffer. Suffering is a part of being a disciple that we want to ignore, but if we are not willing to suffer ridicule and marginalization and even pain, we cannot be the disciple that Jesus wants. 

3. Understand the cost. The cost may be popularity in this life, riches, fame, power, health, relationships, temporary fun. But the inheritance that awaits us is infinitely worth more than the cost. Turning back because the d-cist is too high is an embarrassment to the name and character of Jesus. 

4. Let go. Turn loose of the things you once enjoyed and live a life of full obedience.

After realizing Jesus’ requirements for the job of being a disciple, many refuse to accept His request of “Follow me.” But, if you accept, here are some practical suggestions:

Practical Suggestions

Daily conversation with God. Silence. Listening. Talking.

Read the Bible. Study it. Meditate on it. Daily. Spend more of your free time reading the Bible than other books or trolling the internet or living in the virtual world.

When you begin to talk and listen to god and read the Bible, God changes you so that: 

You say “Yes” to Nothing. (You say yes before God asks the question.) 

Nothing becomes Something.

You do Something. 

You continue to communicate with God and Read the Bible and God shows you Something New. 

You do Something New 

Keep it going!!

The Secret

Once we become a committed disciple, God supplies all the resources we need to carry out the Somethings he places in front of us!!!

It is more than walking an aisle

In the 1950s, most conservative Baptist churches had revival services, emphasizing the horrors of hell. Unfortunately, in my church, there were no evangelism classes so there was little understanding of inherited sin or that salvation is through faith in Jesus. There was no understanding that faith in Jesus for salvation requires living a life fully surrendered to Jesus.

So, as a 10-year-old boy, I walked the aisle in Pine Bluff AR – Olive Street Baptist Church. I had been in church since I was born, and the pastor assumed that I knew everything I needed to know about salvation; I do not remember him asking any questions.

And I was as lost leaving the church as I was when the service began.

Beginning in my teenage years, I sensed something about my spiritual life was not right. When I was 40, J. Harold Smith, a “hell-fire and brimstone” preacher visited First Baptist-Beaumont TX for our revival. His sermon “Three Decisions” scared me, and I “walked the aisle” once again. There were no questions asked since I was a deacon and a Sunday School teacher.

In my 50s, I was a recovering workaholic with little church activity. I did not pray, nor did I read the Bible. And, I still did not have spiritual peace. When I heard pastors preach on salvation, I would remember walking the aisle as a 10-year-old boy and being rebaptized when I was 40; I assumed the sermon was for someone other than me.

After moving to Raleigh, Mary and I joined Bethlehem Baptist Church in 2006. I resumed my involvement in church and began to “work hard for God.” We became active in Church Renewal Journey, and I still remember my first 6-minute testimony when I said something like, “I accepted Jesus as my Savior when I was 10 years old but did not commit to Him until I was 60.” Nothing in that sentence was true, I was not saved at the age of 10 when I walked the aisle because I never fully committed to Jesus. I was going through the rituals but not a true believer.

 I was 65 years old and still lost.

Finally, in 2016, I fully committed to Jesus as Savior and as my Lord. I told Him “The answer is Yes no matter the question.” I remember the next weekend when I told the small congregation in a church in western North Carolina that I had been a fake all my adult life and had only recently fully committed to Jesus. There was total silence.

I now know that there is an enormous difference between knowing about Jesus and knowing Jesus – the difference between an eternal life with Jesus or an eternal life with Satan.

During the pandemic I spent extra time reading the Bible, praying, and hearing online teaching at multiple churches - McLean Bible Church, David Platt; Long Hollow Baptist Church, Robby Gallaty; Austin Stone Community Church, multiple pastors; Summit Church, JD Greear, and Bethlehem Baptist Church, George Fox. I finally stopped my life and listened to God as He convicted, convinced, and encouraged me in four areas:

    1.   Baptism is important – in the proper sequence and for the right reason.

    2.   Many of my attitudes in the areas of racism, sexism, and classism, and nationalism were sinful. God has forgiven me and emboldened me to speak out when I see injustice.

    3.   Making disciples includes modeling the character of Jesus and verbally sharing the Good News that committing to Jesus is the better way to live, now and forever.

    4.   God is in control, and I do not have to worry about the future.

There is one remaining problem: I was baptized before I was saved. So, at the age of 75, I will be baptized next Sunday morning. I feel awkward and foolish, but that is ok.

I thank God that he never gave up on me, and I thank each person who had a positive influence on my spiritual journey. I have no doubts, today, about salvation and where I will spend eternity. I have contentment and joy that I did not know prior to saying “Yes.” I am still growing. To the best of my ability, I now allow the Holy Spirit to work through me.

 My lifegoal is to finish the plan God created for me long ago.