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.

Real Church

.

May 9, 2020 is the first day of Phase I North Carolina - Day 1 on the path to recovery, a new beginning. 

Many of my church friends are ready to resume "real church," but I do not believe that Sunday morning at 11:00 am is "real church." In fact, I think I have enjoyed more of what Jesus intended the church to be during the past 8 weeks than during the past 40-50 years.

Since 1960, many of us have worshipped worship more than we have worshipped God. (Yes, I wrote that last sentence correctly.) Instead of worshipping God as our creator and sustainer, we turned the Sunday service into a consumer experience where we expected to be entertained. Instead of giving to God, we expected to receive, and if we did not get what we wanted, we complained. I have been part of the consumer-oriented thinking so I am being critical of myself.

During the past 8 weeks, I have thought about "why" and "what" a lot. Why are we on this earth? What does God want from me? From His church? What must change about the way we do church? 

My 16-page Personal Life Plan has become God's Plan for David and is now summarized in three words:

1. Submission. If I am to follow the Great Commandment (love God with all my being) then I must submit my entire life to God. His will in place of my will in all areas of my life.

2. Service. The 2nd commandment says  I must love my neighbor. If I love my neighbor I will put my neighbor's needs ahead of my wants. I will gladly serve others.

3. Intentionality. Jesus said that I should be in the world, making disciples. God shaped me to carry out His plan and placed me in a specific piece of the world. I must live each day, intentionally focused on this mission.

The Covid19 disruption stopped the world. In my case, the slowdown allowed me to rethink the priorities in my life. I do not know what the new normal will look like in the next few months. My prayer and hope are that we believers will evaluate our relationship with God and intentionally live lives of service to others, in complete submission to God. 

Focus on the Future

Paul has good advice for all of us - focus on the future, and don't let the past keep you from your mission. 

Yet, my brothers, I do not consider myself to have “arrived”, spiritually, nor do I consider myself already perfect. But I keep going on, grasping ever more firmly that purpose for which Christ grasped me. My brothers, I do not consider myself to have fully grasped it even now. But I do concentrate on this: I leave the past behind and with hands outstretched to whatever lies ahead I go straight for the goal—my reward, the honor of being called by God in Christ.

Philippians 3:12-14

Too often we worry about the things we should not have done in the past or about our failure to take action when we know we should have. Our guilt about past actions or inactions keeps us from seeing God's plan for our lives going forward. Today and tomorrow are ahead of us. Let's follow Paul's advice: leave the past behind and go for our calling in Christ. "We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do the work He planned for us long ago." 

Four Lessons in 45 Days

"Stay-at-home." The words even sound harsh. 

For the past 45 days, those of us who live in North Carolina have been inside. Conversations with friends are filled with, "Could you ever have imagined a time like this?" "I can't understand the homework assignment for my middle school son." "I hope I don't run out of toilet paper." 

For an introvert who pretends to be an extrovert, these days at home have been useful with increased time to think and read and pray and complete projects that have been on my To-Do list too many months.

What have I learned during these 45 days?

1. God is sovereign, wise, Holy, and He loves me. I have always believed this, but now God is more real than ever. 
2. His purpose, the "why?"  for my life has not changed: Love God with my total being - totally submissive to His purpose for my life; Love my neighbor - serve others selflessly; Make disciples as I go - live intentionally.
3. God has disrupted the world - stopped us in our tracks; He has given us a clean slate. The old normal for the most part is gone - never to return. I must become more flexible as I create a simple new normal for my life, centered on three character traits - submissive, selfless, and intentional. 
4. Church is much more than Sunday morning. Church is living in the community, (virtually for the time being,) Monday thru Sunday. Church is looking for hurting, needy people and getting as messy as required to show them that Jesus really is the better way. Church is being the hands and feet of Jesus every day, all day. 

45 Days ane Counting

Passion Week

The final days before Jesus’ death are filled with action, intrigue, drama, teaching, compassion, and passion. We know from the Gospels much of what Jesus did and said during the week preceding his crucifixion.

Jesus Final Six Days before His Crucifixion[1]

Saturday marked the end of a grueling ministry for Jesus as he journeyed from Galilee to Jerusalem for the Passover. His encounters with people, miracles, and prediction of his crucifixion during this are detailed in the four gospels, beginning in Matthew 19:1, “When Jesus had finished these sayings, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea ….. The corresponding passages from the other three gospels begin in Mark 10:1, Luke 18:15 and John 10:22.

Saturday. March 28, AD 33.

As he neared the end of his journey to Jerusalem, on Saturday evening, March 28 AD 33, Jesus was honored at a dinner given by a Pharisee. [Matt 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; Luke 7:36-50 and John 12:1-8]

·       Hosted by a Pharisee

·       In the home of Simon, the Leper.

·       Lazarus was present.

·       Martha served.

·       Mary (probably the Mary from whom Jesus removed the evil spirits earlier) anointed His feet with expensive perfume.

Some of the attendees at the banquet complained about Mary “wasting the expensive perfume” on Jesus' feet – “She should have sold the perfume and given the money to feed the poor.” Judas, who was the treasurer of the Apostles voiced these sentiments. The Bible reveals that Judas was skimming money from the treasury for his benefit. Jesus rebuked the disciples and Judas, telling them, “Leave her alone; she has kept it for the day of my burial.  For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.” John 12:7-8'

This incident convinced Judas that Jesus was not the Messiah, and he went to the chief priest to make a deal to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Judas, who had no conscience, returned to the disciples and remained a part of the group through the early evening the following Thursday.

Also, on Saturday, the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus, whom Jesus had earlier raised from the dead.

Prayer

Father, thank you for including the story of Mary anointing Jesus' feet in the Bible. I pray that each of us is reminded of the glory of Jesus when we read this story because he is worthy of everything we claim as our own. Keep us from becoming greedy and inward-focused like Judas. Do not let us deny your Son who is our Savior and Lord.

---

The Disruption is Huge

The coronavirus disruption will be as impactful throughout the world as the parting of the Red Sea was to the Israelites when they exited Egypt in 1486 BC. Devout Jews, 3500 years later, still consider the exodus as the pivotal event in their history.

The possibility that I am right demands we ask, “What is God saying to the entire world?”

His message is clear: Wake up. Follow me.

God is calling believers – those who have trusted Jesus as Savior and Lord to wake up from their apathy and indifference and greed and selfishness and pride return to Him. We (believers) have given lip service to worshipping God; less than 20% of the population of the USA is in church on Sunday, less than 10% read their Bible daily and even fewer live a lifestyle that pleases God.

God uses all things to advance His kingdom, and He will use the coronavirus to grow the kingdom; He is pleading with believers to wake up and follow the commands of Jesus:

• Love God with our entire being by sharing the good news that Jesus satisfied each person’s sin debt by his death on a cross and subsequent resurrection, and 
• Love your neighbors by meeting their needs.

If believers respond to this message from God, the world will witness the greatest revival ever.

God is calling unbelievers to wake up to the good news that Jesus is the way to God. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.” God created a perfect world – until Satan tempted Adam and Eve, and they sinned. Their sin separated them from God, led to their physical death and introduced sin in their children and all future generations. Man cannot solve the sin problem, but God sent Jesus to die for sinners and by believing in Jesus anyone can be saved. The wake-up call from God is worldwide and intended for everybody. Some people will heed the message from God while others ignore the call. Each of us can either follow Jesus or remain asleep in our broken relationship, trying vainly to find the peace that only comes from God.

Looking Forward to a New Normal

I find myself trying to go back to the way life was a month ago.

What if God is saying to believers –

“I don't want your life to be like it was. I am preparing a new normal for you. Stop looking back and look forward to the new normal I have planned for you.”

Until this morning, my daily prayer time has followed the same outline as the past 10 years. Should it be different during this time of social distancing?

Yesterday I wrote that God is saying to us “Stop; wake up; follow me.” If God is talking to us, then the question today is, “What do these commands mean in our current world?

Stop. Usually, God confronts an individual, or a church or a nation. This time,  the entire world has stopped. Quit doing what you're doing. Listen to the still small voice of God. Where are you going? What road are you on? Is it the wrong road?

Wake up. A good analogy would be a coach calling a timeout when his team is behind 20 to 2 in the 1st quarter of a basketball game. He might say to the team, “You are running hard but you aren't following the game plan. You are playing hard but not on the plan.”

Follow me. Continuing our analogy the coach would tell the team, “Follow my coaching. I designed a game plan for you to win. Just follow the plan.

For the believer, our coach is the true, triune God. He planned our life, created us, redeemed us, and adopted us so he has the right to say, Follow me”. 

Follow me means to love God with all your heart soul and mind. It means to share the gospel with believers and unbelievers. It means teach The Bible. It means meeting the needs of the helpless. It means fellowship with one another. It means practice spiritual disciplines.

God's message hasn't changed. Our purpose for being alive has not changed. So, let's get back in the game of life, adapt to the world around and submit to God’s command, “Follow Me.”

Living in a post-Christian, post Covid-19 World

The disruption caused by the coronavirus has changed life for every person on this earth. Unfortunately, we won't know the new normal until 2022.

Here in the West, the new normal culture will be post-Christian and post Covid-19. It is too early to know the context of the new normal, but we do know that the principles for living in a post-Christian, post-Covid-19 culture do not differ from the principles for living in today's culture: 

1. Love, serve and obey God.
2. Love and serve your neighbor. Meet the needs of the helpless.
3. Be a disciple who makes disciples.
4. Love and live in community with fellow believers.
5. Work. Create. Manage the earth.
6. Rest. Refresh. Replenish. Renew.

We are to live a balanced lifestyle that includes each of these imperatives. 

The "how" to live this lifestyle can overwhelm us if we aren't intentional.

We can live intentionally by remembering seven facts: 

1. God is sovereign and always in control.
2. 90% of what God does is through people.
3. 90% of God's will for my life is in the Bible.
4. God has a plan for each person and has placed each of us where he wants us with a specific plan that fits his PLAN of restoring a lost world to Himself..
5. I can't save the world. But I can have an impact where God placed me, in my piece of the world.
6. If every believer works the specific plan designed for him/her, God's PLAN will be accomplished quickly.
7. I must trust God.  

Practical Advice During the Coronavirus Disruption

Life, as we knew it two weeks ago, disappeared. Here are six practical steps we can take to increase our daily effectiveness as we search for a new normal.

1. Extra sleep. Each of us handles stress differently. We all, however, can benefit from extra sleep during periods of crisis. But don't spend all your time sleeping.
2. Establish a regular schedule. We are creatures of habit. As quickly as possible, follow a regular schedule.
3. Schedule time each day for prayer, bible study, and meditation. Quiet time is more important than ever during the coronavirus disruption.
4. Send some time on a meaningful project each day. Most of us have projects we have postponed for a "rainy day." This is a rainy day!
5. Avoid extremes on the Internet. There are always extreme opinions on the Internet. Decide who you want to believe and tune out most of the other noise. Follow the advice of government and health officials. 
6. Listen for God’s voice.

I Believe in Jesus, the Messiah

The coronavirus is a major disruption; the world as we knew it one month ago has forever changed. And we will not know the new normal for several months. We do know that life will never be the same.

A sudden change in life always results from a Significant Emotional Event; we must consider all of life, both the invisible and spiritual and the physical and visible, to understand the meaning of a SEE.

The most important question for each person to ask during this SEE - in the middle of the coronavirus disruption, “What is God saying to me?” Because God is good, perfect, all-knowing, and sovereign, He uses everything visible and invisible to advance His mission–restoring a lost world to Himself. And, he works through people to accomplish His mission.

Foundational Truths have not changed:

1.       The spiritual and physical aspects of life are equally important.

2.       God is triune, transcendent, and immanent.

3.       The Bible is true.

4.       God’s timing is not my timing.

5.       Eternal life has already begun.

6.       God is always at work.

7.       Each person has a story.

8.       Jesus established His church.

9.       The devil is real.

10.   Confession and repentance are necessary disciplines in my life.

But the context in which the Foundational Truths apply has changed. God has convicted me …..

God has not been the only thing I worship in life. Although I say that God is number 1 in my life, I have not worshipped Him as I should. I Ignored his command to share the Gospel proactively and courageously with people, unbelievers, and believers, in my everyday world. I have not responded to the needs of the people around me. My ego and arrogance and pride have been stumbling blocks for others.

This post is public, so to anyone who reads this: I believe in Jesus, the Messiah. He died in my place to take the punishment that I deserved for my sins. I serve Jesus.

God created everything – earth and everything on it, including people. He gave humanity the assignment of managing the earth, which includes innovation and conservation and populating the earth with children. But man sinned, breaking the relationship with God the Father.

Through the years, man has tried to restore the broken relationship with religion, or science, or education or power, sex, and drugs. None of man's substitutes for God restored the relationship with God. So, the world we live in today is a broken mess.

Fortunately for mankind, God sent his Son, Jesus, to the world to live a perfect life, suffer a humiliating death as payment for each of our sins and resurrected Jesus from the grave as an assurance to us that He will also restore us to a relationship with Himself if we accept Jesus’ death as payment for our sins, making Jesus our Savior and Lord.

With a restored relationship to God, we have the assurance of eternal life and the daily presence of God.

What is God saying to you during the coronavirus disruption? Listen to Him. 

For some of you, the last few paragraphs may not make sense. Call me, text me, or email me if you want to talk.

(919) 345-1000

dandmashcraft@gmail.com

davidashcaft.blogspot.com

A Fugitive Spares his Rival

Do we really believe what we as Christians say we believe?

God is in control.
Love your enemies.
Pray for those in authority
Be a disciple who makes disciples.

There are times in our lives, just as in the life of King David that we have to demonstrate what we really believe? We either show a heart after God or selfish actions that please ourselves.

David had respect for leaders, such as King Saul and in 2 Samuel 24 spared Saul's life, even though Saul was pursuing David with the intention to kill him. David was even encouraged by his advisers to kill Saul because they thought it  the will of God.

Applications for us:

1. Just because something feels right and your friends say it is right does not make it right.
2. God never tells us to do something that violates the Bible.
3. Sanctify your conscience and listen to it.
4. Trust the Bible

Lessons from Jesus:

1. Jesus spared our lives.
2. Jesus took the initiative to first love us.
3. Jesus humbled himself.
4. Jesus did not fight back against his enemies.
5. Jesus refused to wield His power,

Me + God can do anything. Me - God can do nothing.

We see this principle clearly illustrated in the life of young David, the future king of Israel.

1. When David was anointed  as the future king of Israel, Samuel records, "The Spirit of God came upon David." The same Holy Spirit that enabled David to defeat Goliath lives within believers today.
2. David fought Goliath because Goliath was mocking God not out of arrogance but . There are many causes a believer can adopt, but we should always confront someone who is mocking God.
3. God said that David had a heart that sought God. When confronted with his sin, David always confessed and repented.
4. David was a unique man, shaped by God for his calling.  God also shapes us, and the Holy Spirit enables us to win the spiritual battles against Satan in our lives.
5. David was a youth when he was anointed as king. If we are willing, God can and does use us whether we are young or old, man or woman or any race. The Holy Spirit enables us to successfully accomplish God's plan for our lives.

Obedience over Sacrifice

Israel wanted a king. But their reason for desiring a king was not a good one:  they wanted to be like other nations. Their request to Samuel to anoint a king was a rejection of God, who was their king. Their rejection of God was not something new, their rebellion began right after Moses led the people from Egypt, about 300 years earlier. 1 Samuel 8:6-9.

We (believers who live in the 21st century) are no different from the people who lived 3000 years go. We look at the world around us and either want what the world has to offer, or we want to water down the gospel so that the world will want us. We forget that God called us (believers) to be holy, separate and His special people. 1 Peter 2:9.

As Saul aged, he became arrogant and confident in his own ability and power, and he disobeyed God. Saul forgot that God wants obedience more than sacrifice, 1 Samuel 15:22. Perhaps the saddest words in the Old Testament are found in 1 Samuel 13:13-14. God removed the kingship from Saul. 

How many times has God removed potential blessings from us because we disobeyed him?

Hungary Day 3

It is breakfast on day 3 in Hungary as I write this post.

We arrived during the afternoon on day 1, unpacked and went to bed. Tired but happy and ready for our Superheros Camp.

Yesterday we met the campers, preschoolers ages 4-6. Precious children, full of enthusiasm and eager to learn. Batman was the superhero, but the children learned that Jesus is our SUPERHERO. Teaching, crafts, English, recreation,  Bible study with teachers, visit to Tesco to buy gifts for the homes we begin visiting today and finally to bed about 11:00.

I met a young man about 16 years old and asked him my standard three questions. What are you going to be in 5 years? What do you want your tombstone to say? Where will you be in 150 years? He replied, to the third question, "In heaven, of course!" with no hesitation. That was encouraging.

Same schedule today with the addition of home visits. Cloudy with rain in the forecast.

God is good.

Missions Trip to Hungary

"This is the day the Lord has made.Let us rejoice and be glad in it."

After months of planning and prayers -  

    

     hundreds of texts and calls among team members, 

     multiple deliverers of supplies by Amazon, 

     dozen of trips to that specialty stores for a unique prop, 

     packing and repacking and

     final lesson preparations 

- the team from Bethlehem Baptist Church will begin the journey to Hungary in about 5 hours.

We don't know what God has planned nor exactly what the teachers and students in Hungary are expecting. We do know that we serve a great God who is our Father and has prepared each team member individually and the team collectively to be successful in accomplishing His mission. We will be working with a team from Hungary, some of the team we know some will become new friends. Because He is our spiritual daddy and loves us, He is as excited and happy as we are.

Hungary is six hours ahead of Raleigh. Each day next week will begin with quiet time about 6:00 am Hungary time and end with a devotional about 8:00 pm. In between we will have a camp for preschoolers on Monday thru Friday, activities with their teachers, a closing program on Saturday, visits with parents and family members during the afternoons and other interactions as God provides opportunities.

Pray that we will glorify God. 

Pray for protection from Satan.

Pray that the gospel will be shared simply through our words and our actions.

Pray that our families will be protected during our absence.

Thank God for those who have given.

Thank God for those who will be praying for us.

Pray that this trip will increase our love for God.

Pray that this trip will increase our love for our neighbors everywhere.

Pray that our love for fellow believers will increase.

We claim God's promises as we go:

• Ask and it will be given to you. Search and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened for you. The one who asks will always receive; the one who is searching will always find, and the door is opened to the man who knocks. Matt 7:7.
  
• Whatever you ask the Father in my name, I will do—that the Son may bring glory to the Father. And if you ask me anything in my name, I will grant it. John 14:13.
  
• You don’t get what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And when you do ask he doesn’t give it to you, for you ask in quite the wrong spirit—you only want to satisfy your own desires. James 4:3 

     

We are trusting God with the results.

We Have Seven Children

For the first time in my life I have become addicted to movies. Hallmark movies. Hard to admit this, but it is true.

As Mary and I watched a Hallmark movie the other evening, I realized for the first time that we have a seventh child. That child is about 41 years old.

For the past couple of years, I have explained to others that we have six children - three by birth and three by choice, three men and three women. Each of them is unique and beautiful and we love each of them unconditionally.

But, we have a seventh child.

We don't know if our seventh child is a man or a woman, but I think a woman – about 41 years old. We do know that she has our DNA, and she looks like us, and she is a member of our family.

We never saw our seventh child because she went to be with Jesus a month or so after conception. She was in heaven to welcome our parents several years ago. She welcomed her Aunt Margaret; and earlier, she welcomed her Uncle Keith.

And one day, she will welcome Mary and me and her six brothers and sisters and we all will have a good family reunion. She will say to us, “Let me show you around and introduce you to some people you need to meet.”

There is nothing in this world more valuable than a human life. The Bible tells us God made us in his image and likeness. This means that, regardless of race, gender, age, place of birth or socioeconomic status, every human life has intrinsic, unalienable value. From the womb, all the way to the tomb, life is precious. --Ronnie Floyd

Men's Breakfast at Bethlehem Baptist Church

Men come and join us for breakfast for this Saturday @ 7:30 am in the fellowship hall. Brent Sellers from I Am Outreach Ministries will be our guest speaker. He will be sharing and updating us on his ministry to men.

If you would like to support their ministry you may make a contribution on Saturday.

See you bright and early and bring a friend.

Bethlehem Baptist Church

8400 Poole Rd.

Knightdale

(919) 266-2486

Work is Good

Dear Mark, Christina, Melissa, Robbie, Keith and Tiffany -

In a previous letter, I briefly explained the concept of Marketplace ( home, work, church, community.) This letter continues the Marketplace theme with an emphasis on work. 

It's important that we seriously consider work and Marketplace because most of us spend more time at work than on any other responsibility in our Marketplace. I was amused at several comments I received shortly after retiring from NC State. I will paraphrase the comments as this, "Now that you are retired you don't have to work, and you can do anything you want to do, right?" Notice the implication that work is not fun and work is something you can eventually stop. 

Work is Good

I am amused by this question because I have always enjoyed work. Some would say that I'm a workaholic, and if so, that is a negative. I enjoyed my  work experience at Eastex/Temple Eastex/Temple Inland and was sad when that period of my life ended. in retrospect, being asked to resign and then retiring (from Temple Inland) five years later at the age of 50 was a good thing. After I left Temple and went to NC State I learned that there is more to life than making paper.  Work is good. 

Work is a Part of God's Plan 

I believe that Genesis is real and not just a story. God created Adam and Eve and gave them three things to do: populate the earth, work, and rest. Because these commands were given prior to man's sin, they have not been rescinded.  They still apply to us today. Work is good and is a necessary part of God's plan for mankind. Work is creativity, inventiveness, taking care of the earth, sustainability, making s living, providing goods and services for others.

Work is Hard

I also believe that work became much more difficult after Adam sinned. God placed a curse on creation after Adam sinned and told Adam that work would be difficult. I don 't know of too many jobs that are easy. In most parts of the world people have to work long hours and very hard to earn a living. Even in the U.S., many jobs require 9-10 hours per day.

Work should be a Great Place.

Work should be a great place. It  should be a place that provides contentment, satisfaction and encouragement from others. Sadly this is not always the case. Many companies take advantage of their employees both, hourly and salaried, and have expectations beyond which they're willing to pay. I believe that companies who take advantage of employees by expecting long hours without adequate pay are abusing their employees. With the coming labor shortage, companies that take advantage of employees will find themselves without good employees and will either change their management style or go out of business.

Faith and Work and MarketPlace

Much has recently been written about the workplace being the greatest mission field in the world. This makes sense when we consider our Marketplace as being the place God placed us to carry out His command to Go and make disciples. Work is often the component of our MarketPlace where we know the largest number of people and where we spend the most time. It is probably the place where people know us the best. Because I did not understand Marketplace until recently, and because I have a tendency to minimize relationships, I missed many opportunities to meet needs of people working around me and to share the gospel with them.