B.C or A.D.?

The church during the Christmas season is so beautiful and special as we come together to celebrate God's greatest gift to the world... His Son, Jesus Christ. Every year the church celebrates and remembers three distinct events that changed the course of time and all humanity:
The church at the birth of Christ
The church at the cross of Christ
The church at the resurrection of Christ

The birth of Christ split time in half between B.C. and A.D.. B.C. is used to label time "before Christ's" birth. A.D. (anno Domini) or more fully (anno Domini nostril Jesu Christi) "in the year of our Lord Jesus Christ" marks the time after the birth of Christ. The purpose of the B.C./A.D. dating system (developed around 500 A.D. and formally adopted around 800A.D.) was to make the birth of Jesus Christ the dividing point of world history. Jesus Christ is the separation between the "old" and the "new."

Every human heart is divided between B.C. and A.D.. We are either living before accepting Christ (B.C.) or after accepting Christ as our personal Savior and Lord (A.D.). We are reminded in Philippians 2:10-11, "That at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
All eternity is determined by Jesus Christ!

So, are you living in B.C. or A.D.?

From the Heart,
Pastor BR Johnson

Disaster Relief

Last week I had the blessing of a lifetime as I served with Alabama Baptist Disaster Relief in Sumter, South Carolina. I led a chaplain group of six that knocked on over 500 doors and spoke to 244 people. One blessing was be used to lead an 80yr old woman to the Lord!
We train for disaster work praying that we will never need to be called. When a disaster hits, the time to train is past. So we spend the necessary time preparing ourselves to serve when people are devastated. We are able to bring hope in the midst of the crises.
What a blessing to serve with a small group that consisted of a retired truck driver, an electrical engineer that works on the International Space Station, a retired middle school counselor, a school bus driver, and a clinical counselor. Wow what a team! We had not met one another until this week of deployment but God melded our hearts together as we walked the streets sharing Christ!
If you have ever considered serving in disaster relief, I strongly encourage you to get involved. It is missions in crises. One of our group members said it was like being in a revival all week. Serving in disaster relief will remind you of how blessed you really are.
While I pray that there are no more disasters to respond to, I know we are ready when the call comes. The bags are packed and the prayers have been spoken. God will give you a divine appointment in which you can be the hands and feet of Jesus!

From the Heart,
Pastor BR

Blessed

"Blessed" is a great word! "Bless you" said after you sneeze means they are glad you didn't die (true!). "Bless your heart" can mean that something bad has or is going to happen. "Bless their heart" is often said just before something negative is said or has just been said.
Thankfully, the scriptures speak of blessings as a gift from God. "Blessed" is a remarkable statement repeated throughout the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter five. God desires to bless His followers. God wants to pour himself into His believers in such a way that they can face all kinds of trials and tribulations. The blessing of God comes from His character.
"God will bless what honors Him" has been a guiding principle for my life. Everything is measured as to if it honors Him. God's opinions is really the only thing that truly matters. Blessings don't come from just asking but from honoring! The request and the behavior must line up to God's Word in order to experience the full blessing of God.
We are truly blessed in so many ways. Our country is said to be "blessed." We are blessed to live, work, and worship here. But at the moment we cease to honor God, the blessings will diminish. I can say that I truly believe that the blessings are fading away. The further we stray away from the principles of God's Word, the more faded the blessing come.
I pray you are really blessed. Blessed more than just a good feeling but in a true and right standing with God. The most blessed place to be is in His care and under His wing.
Bless You!

Back on Track

Summer break is over and we are back on track. What a great summer we experienced at Santuck! From VBS to Mission Trips, we had a wonderful time of ministry and impact for the Kingdom of God. Many lives were changed and hearts brought back to the Lord.
We jumped into the fall with a wonderful revival that readied our hearts for service. Last Sunday evening we had the largest evangelism training attendance. It was an evangelism blast! I can't wait to experience the results as we utilize our training to share Christ in our community. Our Growth Groups will be starting soon with some outstanding classes. Our Sunday School has expanded with several new classes.
Since February, our Vision Team has been meeting and praying for God's vision for the Church. We have called the church to prayer seeking what God wants for us to be and do. Through the next several weeks we will be sharing what we have discovered. In January I will preach through the vision God has given us. It will be most exciting!
I am looking ahead to great days and pray you will be on the journey with us!

From my heart,
Pastor BR

Summertime

School is out and summer is here! Have you made any plans?
We look forward to the summer as we anticipate warm days, bright sunshine, blue skies, and fun times. Summer brings travel, exciting places to visit, lazy days on vacation, and family time. Summer also takes things from us like money and energy! Vacations are wonderful to take and you really don't have to spend very much to just get away for a few days. Vacations that put us in debt are not wise to take. Is it the location or who you are spending the time with that is most important? We surely want both to be a wonderful experience. Have you ever taken a vacation with another family only to find that you are so different that no one enjoyed the trip? You made great plans with big ideas of fun but you ended up being miserable!
Families should spend time together making fun memories. I encourage families to protect themselves from the rat-race of jobs, sports, carpooling, and other such demands. While these are often necessary time consumers, they don't have to drain us from what is most important. The family worshipping and serving together.
It may sound like a strange idea, but what if your family decided to make your vacation this year a family mission trip. You looked at your time together as being on mission while enjoying the time away. Sadly, many families drift away from regular church attendance during the summer. Attendance drops as does the giving. Families make choices to use their time and money differently in order to get away for the daily grind. Weekends become time to spend at the lake or the beach rather than in worship. Oddly enough, there are some who give no second thought to dismissing church responsibilities considering themselves to have earned the summer off.
Let me encourage you to spend quality time together as a family and be on mission. And while you are enjoying the summer, be faithful to the Lord in your coming and going and giving.

From My Heart
BR

Romans 6

This year (2015), I am preaching through the book of Romans. What a fantastic detail of the Christian life! This powerful book, written by Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, explains the major doctrines concerning how Christians are to live.
In chapter six we learn that we are to be dead to sin and alive to God. Many Christians live as though they are dead to God and alive to sin! Chapter six opens with a great question, "Shall we continue to sin that grace may abound?" Many have answered "yes" by the way they live. Some background study reveals the art of rationalizing sin. Since our sin brings the grace of God, some believed, then we "help" God by sinning more! God gets to do a greater work because we sin! Others will see more of the grace of God when we sin more. The answer to this rationalization is found in verse two of chapter six, "Certainly not!" Remember that to rationalize is to tell a rational lie.
We are to be dead to sin. We should no longer desire to sin. When we understand what our sin brought upon the savior, we should run from sin. To be true, America has lost the ability to blush. Most Christians in America, it seems, yawn at sin. Christians are the only ones called of God to stand against sin. The lost world is doing what lost people do. The problem is that Christians, by in large, are not doing what we were saved to do. Christians get very angry at the world when sinners behave like sinners. As a Follower of Christ, I must understand that I am responsible for the moral fiber of this country! Government will never return America back to God; only the church can do that. If we don't like the direction we are headed, then Christians need to change the course.
We seem to have lost the heart of David who was broken over sin. Sin stopped David in his tracks. Sin bothered him to the point that he could not go on living until things were made right. Repentance is a lost doctrine in the church. Weeping has been replaced.
What is the result? I believe we are headed towards the day when Christians in America are persecuted for their faith. It will cost us a great deal to attend church. I am by no means an alarmist. I just think that if Christians remain silent then the world will run it's course. I am praying that true followers of Christ will turn this nation back to the Lord through prayer and obedience. May we not excuse sin so casually, but will have a lot more "Certainly not" in our lives. You can't be alive to sin and alive to God at the same time. You MUST die to one and live for the other. I pray you will make the right choice. Die to sin and LIVE for God!

From my heart,

Pastor BR Johnson

The Masters

If you know anything about golf or know someone who knows something about golf, you have heard of The Masters. The first major championship tournament of the season. Held in Augusta, GA., it is an elite tournament with only the best in the world competing. Tickets are very hard to come by.
I have the privilege of attending as my oldest son married into a family that are members. I have been blessed to play Augusta, although I will not post my score. I do not share this information to say that I am someone special. I feel very blessed and undeserving of such opportunities.
To walk the course where so many legends have played is amazing. To swing a club and remind myself of why I am not on the PGA as I compare my shots with those of the best is truly humbling. I remember being on the first tee box feeling like it was a dream, knees weak and shaking. Just the awe of the course grabs you.
Amazing as my experience was, it does not compare to my walk with Christ. Every time I open the scriptures and walk with the truly greats, I feel so unworthy. I compare my life with the True Master (Jesus) and am reminded at how short my life falls. Walking this course of life where Jesus walked just grabs me!
Never forget that The Master has already walked where you trod. You can follow Him and let Him live through you. The Masters tournament is once a year, but walking with The Master is a daily experience!

From My Heart,
Pastor BR

Easter

Easter comes every year. I know that is such an obvious observation to consider. While the day called Easter is one time a year, the celebration of Easter should be every Sunday. The first day of the week is given to God in celebration of the resurrection of Christ. As the church gathers each Sunday, we have the wonderful opportunity to worship our resurrected Savior.
Many people attend church on Easter and Christmas only and miss the other fifty chances. When we truly understand the purpose of the cross we would not want to miss the privilege of being in God's presence. The cross is the centerpiece of christianity. It was on the cross that God's plan for man's salvation was completed. God gave us what we need but did not deserve. Through the cross we have complete redemption for all eternity. The wrath of God was forever satisfied for those who trust Him as Savior.
The cross was the statement of God's unconditional love. The love of God and the wrath of God held Jesus on the cross but my sin put Him there. From the beginning of time until the cross, man did not have access to God directly but had to go through a sacrificial system designed by God. But the cross changed everything! The veil was torn from top to bottom, from God to mankind, giving man full access. But not every man. Only the regenerated man. Only the man who puts faith in God.
We must understand that there are more scriptures concerning God not answering prayers than there are that He will. God has put His condition on the relationship. While salvation is available to everyone, it is also the only thing available to a lost man. But when we become a child of God, we have all access to God and His riches in glory.
Therefore, we have many reasons to celebrate Easter each and every Sunday! Don't miss Easter each week, you have a lot to be thankful for.

From the Heart,

Pastor BR

MARRIAGE

It has been a while since I last posted on my blog. I have been busy to say the least! I completed a mission trip to Panama where I was able to train missionaries to carry the gospel into many parts of the world. I then took a few days of R&R in Tennessee attending the National Bird Dog Trials at the Ames Plantation in Grand Junction. It was a wonderful time enjoying God's great beauty!

While I was traveling, I learned of the developments in our great state of Alabama. These developments center on the redefinition of marriage. I was grieved to learn that my state, in what is known as the bible-belt, has abandoned the biblical teachings concerning marriage. I knew this day would probably come but how sad to see it happen so soon.

I stand on the biblical definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman. The Federal Government has opened Pandora's Box by rejecting God's definition of marriage. The states that have followed suit will encounter many different definitions of marriage beyond just the gay/lesbian agenda. I think it is a much bigger issue than just homosexuality.

I fear that the next generation will assume that because something is legal that it is right. Nothing can be further from the truth. Man's laws never correct God's laws. God's laws are eternal no matter what man may decided. Earthly judges are subject to The Judge.

I would guess that in the coming months there will be many statements, debates, rallies, misunderstandings, and even conflicts. While all these things take place, the moral fiber of America is fading. We are no longer a Christian nation if we abandon the very principals from the scriptures by which we were founded. While some would say that we are progressing with "new understanding" and contemporary practices, I would say we are regressing and moving away from wisdom.

I believe the only answer is found in a right relationship with Christ. Christians need to be sharing the gospel like never before so that God can change the hearts of men and women. We will never argue unbelievers into morality. Unbelievers will act like unbelievers. My concern is that Christians are not acting like Christians. There is power in prayer and power in the Gospel. Let our words flow from the Bible. Only God can save America!

Who are You?

In the great book of Romans, Paul gives a description of himself as way of introduction. Paul wants the church at Rome to know who he is. He uses many descriptive words that apply to all believers such as: Bondservant, called of God, separated unto the Gospel, beloved of God, Saint, and so on. These descriptions tell more than Paul's occupation. They describe his life calling. His life matched his resume.
The bible writes our resume. The question of us is, does our life match God's description? What are we really known for?
Too often we try to race after people's opinions of who and what we are to be. I encourage you to run after what God has already deemed you to become. Chase after His idea of who He has made you. God has written your resume.
I pray God's blessings on you as you faithfully serve Him!

From My Heart,
Pastor BR

Released to Serve

"But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code." Romans 7:6 NIV

Released to Serve! We have been released from the law that once bound us to serve through grace. We are no longer bound by the past, but are alive for the future.
We must be pursuing what honors God in order to be blessed by God. I passionately believe that God will bless what honors Him and not just what we like. To seek God's vision for our ministry is an awesome adventure. To seek His will for your daily life is the most exciting journey of all.
Your life can count for greatness in the Kingdom of God here on the earth. God has done everything to release you to serve Him. We all will serve someone. We will either serve ourselves, someone else, or God.
I pray this year will stretch you, ignite you, invigorate you, energize you, and grow you as you serve the Lord. Remember that the past is past. You cannot change yesterday but you can influence tomorrow.

From the heart,

Pastor BR