Revival

The state of Christianity in American churches appears to be in much disarray. Mainline denominations have been in decline for a number of years. Southern Baptists also find themselves in decline these days. Non denominational churches, including Bible churches in the South, seem to have made some gains. At least a portion of those gains have come at the expense of Southern Baptists and other denominations. This is not a new phenomenon. Actually, it parallels events in the early part of the 19th century. W. W. Sweet writes about this period in Baptist life saying, "Baptists admitted in a wintry season in which the love of many had grown cold, while members were being lost to the Methodists alone at a rate of four thousand a year." We may not be losing thousands to the Methodists, but it could be a correct observation to state, "the love of many have grown cold."

In writing of the revival which sparked in the early 19th century, J. Edwin Orr speaks of the revivalism that saved Christianity in Scottland. He says, "These revivals helped counteract an unbelief that kept the gospel from the people by dominating the theological schools and deadening the pulpit ministry. Not only through the revivals was Moderatism overcome, but in district after district, immorality, drunkenness, and profanity dwindled to the disappearing point."

These meanderings of thought bring a question to my mind, "Are we modern day American Christians too sophisticated to expect and experience revival? If so, maybe a revival of epidemic proportions is what is the only and primary hope for an end to the decline in Christianity in America.

Raise the Positives

A strike out in the ninth inning when you are 10 runs ahead is not nearly so serious to a batter as when you are ten runs behind. Negatives are naturally tolerated or dealt with more easily when there is an ample supply of positives. Those who navigate the waters of politics not only measure there approval ratings in the polls but also in the measurement of their positives versus their negatives.

Negatives are a never ending reality in organizations and institutions. When the negatives outweigh the positives in any such organization or institution, it will likely find decline or destruction in its near future. The perceptions of negatives and positives in the Southern Baptist Convention have been leaning toward a deficit in the minds of numerous supporters for several years. As a result, the pundits and cynics have found a willing audience for dialogue.

There seemed to be a new wind blowing at the SBC annual meeting this year. That wind seemed to indicate a genuine desire to raise the positives. The negatives will always be with us, but the balance and strength of negatives and positives can be changed. For generations the SBC has enjoyed multiple positives. In this new wind these positives may be accentuated giving the entire convention a chance to breathe and freely express positive agreement without fear of castigation or criticism. Now is a great time to accentuate the positive rather than the negative.

A Day of Celebration

American stood a little bit taller today. Barack Obama is officially president of the United States. His journey to the White House can bring inspiration to new generations of Americans with the message of hope and opportunity. I didn't vote for him but he is my president because I am an American. I salute the privilege that is ours to arise from any level of society to the highest place of government in our land.

While I celebrate, I am also a bit numb to the financial picture. The 2 million people in Washington were a bit more excited than the millions of investors across our land. My portfolio dropped almost 5% today. It is my retirement and my health savings account that are taking the beating.

Today Obama's rhetoric will turn to action and he will begin the encounter of differing ideas and values. Some of his own rhetoric will be hard to overcome. He campaigned on the promise to get us out of Iraq. Lately his rhetoric matches what President Bush has been working toward for the last 3 or 4 years, to bring our troops home responsibly. Nothing new on this front. Today he vowed to work with clinched fist Muslims. For the good of our nation I pray for him to do well. He will likely encounter attitudes that have driven Bush to take the stands he has taken.

Obama is not a token minority given the job to prove some victory over racism or our past. He is bright and articulate. His charisma exceeds President Clinton and rivals that of President Reagan. If he can bring the same since of confidence to American that Reagan brought following the presidency of Jimmy Carter, perhaps the recession won't be as deep or as long as it threatens to be. He will have his challenges. Israel and Palestine are still at odds. North Korea is again flexing its muscle. Iran is still Iran. And then their are the pirates at sea.

I pray today that God will raise him up to be a great leader. One who leads with integrity, intelligence, courage, and wisdom.

How will he deal with the economic situation? I am no friend of Bush's solutions and Obama's seem to be in the same vein. The borrower is the servant of the lender. Today Americas banks are in debt to their government. Government in the USA is supposed to be servant to the people. If banks are in debt to the government, then they are servants to the lender. Some have suggested buy outs of bad loans by the government leaving the Federal government to hold title to property at the foreclosure on households. The borrower is servant to the lender. The current bailouts are equivalent to massive nationalization of commerce. It will take years to untangle what has been intermingled in the last 4 months.

Oh the privileges of serving as the president of the United States in such a time as this. May God touch Obama with strength, wisdom, and courage.

Wednesday September 3, 2008

Ephesians 1:3-13

“3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4. just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5. He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6. to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace 8. which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight 9. He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him 10. with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him 11. also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, 12. to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. (NASB)

Yesterday we spent our devotion time considering our blessing to God. The same verse that speaks of blessing God also speaks to His blessings upon us. There is a slight distinction in the original language of the two words translated as blessing in English. They are from the same root word yet with a major difference. The first is to speak well of someone based on what they have done, this is how we bless God. The second is to speak something into someone’s life that will come to pass. This is the way that God blesses believers.

After preaching the final service of a revival meeting some years ago, the pastor came to me and said, “Brother Gary, our church wants to bless you with this offering.” Their blessing was not merely verbalized but became tangible by giving me something. God’s blessing to us works in similar manner. He has blessed us with spiritual things that make a difference both in the here and now and in the future. As you read through the Scripture above, make a list of the supernatural blessings God has spoken into your life. If you are reading this through our web blog, please post a comment as we have an open discussion.

Tuesday September 2, 2008

Ephesians 1:3

“3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,” (NASB)

Several people have been a great help to me as I have grown from a child to an adolescent and then to early adulthood and now to one whose nest is empty. My parents are right there at the top. They raised me with a continuous exposure to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, were great encouragers, and taught me useful disciplines such as a strong work ethic and financial responsibilities. I speak well of them today. I also speak well of my high school coach because he used the medium of sports to help me develop an abiding sense of hope and in perseverance. These two characteristics have served me well all of my adult life. There are others such as the man who first gave me a job, a Sunday school teacher who was a great model and friend, and several pastors who challenged me to grow in Christ. There is a sense in which my speaking well of them is blessing. To say God is blessed is to speak well of God.

Are you blessing God today? By that question, I do not mean to ask if you are doing things for God. What I do mean to ask is are you taking a little time to remember all He has done for you and in turn speak those things? How do you bless God? You can bless God by singing songs with lyrics that testify of what God has done. You can bless God by continually talking with your family of what God is doing in your life. This week I spoke with a man whose business is seeing prosperous times. He was quick to bless God. Foremost on his mind was the fact that God is the source of his prosperity.

Why not spend the next few minutes blessing God who is worthy of praise. If you are reading this on our blog site, feel free to post some comments listing the blessings you give to God. If you are reading by way of the printed page, then why not make a list of ways that you can speak well of God.

Monday September 1, 2008

Together in Christ

Ephesians 1:1-2

“1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus. 2. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (NASB)

Over the next 12 weeks, we at First Baptist Church of Diana will be seeking the Lord through a study of Ephesians in our LIFE Group ministry. On this blog you will find devotionals that can be considered daily to assist in study and meditation on the great truths God has given us through this blessed book of the New Testament. If you are not a member of FBC but have stumbled onto this website, we welcome you to take this journey with us and believe that God will bless your study in the ministries of the church where you faithfully serve.

My intentions in these devotions are to address one particular theme each day from the section of Ephesians under study in a particular week. We will also have a memory verse each week to serve as a reminder of what God is teaching us through His Word. I invite and encourage you to join in this study as we discover what God wants to do in our lives during these days.

The first two verses of Ephesians clearly identify this literary work as a letter from Paul to believers in the city of Ephesus. Although we are not in Ephesus, I believe we can receive the teachings and admonitions as though he were writing them to us this very day. Upon that foundational understanding of the New Testament, let us consider the title he gives to believers here, “saints.” Paul calls them saints and gives a further description as “faithful in Christ Jesus.” Paul liked to identify Christians as in Christ and spoke about walking “in the spirit.” John preferred to use the term “abiding in Christ” as is found in John 15. Paul was certainly speaking to men and women who had placed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

If you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ, you also qualify for the title saint. A saint by definition is “one who has been set apart.” When a person is saved by Jesus Christ, he is literally set apart from the world. The implication is that this person set apart is more than he was before. There is something special about this person labeled as saint. Some would have you believe a saint is one that has lived some supernatural life and earned the title of saint. The New Testament teaches it is a title bestowed because of the supernatural work Jesus has done in salvation. No one earns the title saint through good living but receives the title through an action of the Living God.

Rejoice in your blessing of sainthood given through the grace and mercy of Almighty God. Rejoice today in the blessing of being set apart through the love of Jesus Christ. Rejoice in the supernatural work that God has done in your life to bring salvation and the freedom that follows.