Christmas is full of miracles... at least in the scriptures. Luke records some of the most amazing things around the birth of Christ. I encourage you to read the Christmas story beginning with the first chapter in Luke. Often we read the Christmas story beginning in Luke chapter 2 and miss some amazing things.
The angel Gabriel announced to Zechariah that he and Elizabeth were going to have a baby named John, even though they were senior adults! This miracle was a forerunner to the message Mary and Joseph received. Amazingly, Zechariah and Elizabeth were related to Mary and Joseph. Zechariah received this announcement while he was serving his one and only time in the temple offering incense. God's timing is perfect. God used Elizabeth to comfort and encourage Mary, as well as confirm the miraculous message given.
Just as God prepared Zechariah and Elizabeth, as well as Mary and Joseph, for the coming of Jesus; God prepares your heart to receive the Christ child. Have you truly embraced the miracle God wants to do in you? Have you received His most precious gift through His Son?
This Christmas can truly be a miracle for you!
From the Heart,
Pastor BR
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Monday, December 12, 2016
Saturday, November 12, 2016
Temporary
"Temporary Stewards" is a phrase that has been impressed on my mind the last couple of months. There are very deep and important teachings from the scriptures concerning being a steward of all God has blessed us with. While we know we are not "owners" of His gifts to us, we might consider ourselves "permanent" holders. With this idea we tend to use God's blessings more for our benefit than His purpose. Consider your use of time and money for example.
Our view of time leans towards our interests and what we desire to accomplish for ourselves. We use time to our advantage. We script our time to bring us the most personal satisfaction. When asked to give some of our time for serving the needs in the church, we can be very selective and even protective. "My" time or "time for myself" climbs the priority ladder. It is almost as if when we are asked to spend time serving that it is an infringement upon "our time."
Consider the use of money. So many Christians do not honor the Lord in their giving. Using "my money" for "my interests" reflects our spending patterns. The very God who has blessed us with all we have has required that we give ten percent, or a tithe, to the church. So many Christians struggle with this command. Others try to control their money and the church by designating their tithe. In truth, when a tithe is designated it ceases to be a tithe and is really a gift. A gift for a specific purpose or interest. The tithe is to be brought into the storehouse for the ministry needs of the church. Designated giving should be above the tithe. The first ten percent is to be given to the church with no strings or manipulation. God reminds us that those who do not tithe are thieves. They are stealing from God and the church.
A third important area that we are temporary stewards of is the church. We serve the Lord through the church for a limited time in eternity. We are given just a short time in the life of the church to serve her needs and ministries. The church outlasts our lives. We will hand the church off to the next generation of stewards. We do not own the church but the church owns us! We are temporary caretakers of the Bride of Christ. We are to usher her into the future with grace and honor. But too often we see the church as serving us. The church becomes an opportunity for us to display our wants and desires.
In all things we are temporary stewards. It was all here before we arrived and it will remain after we are gone. We temporarily let the church and God's blessings flow through our hands and hearts. We are blessed to be able to touch and see what God is doing throughout all eternity.
Are you a good temporary steward?
From the Heart,
Pastor BR
Our view of time leans towards our interests and what we desire to accomplish for ourselves. We use time to our advantage. We script our time to bring us the most personal satisfaction. When asked to give some of our time for serving the needs in the church, we can be very selective and even protective. "My" time or "time for myself" climbs the priority ladder. It is almost as if when we are asked to spend time serving that it is an infringement upon "our time."
Consider the use of money. So many Christians do not honor the Lord in their giving. Using "my money" for "my interests" reflects our spending patterns. The very God who has blessed us with all we have has required that we give ten percent, or a tithe, to the church. So many Christians struggle with this command. Others try to control their money and the church by designating their tithe. In truth, when a tithe is designated it ceases to be a tithe and is really a gift. A gift for a specific purpose or interest. The tithe is to be brought into the storehouse for the ministry needs of the church. Designated giving should be above the tithe. The first ten percent is to be given to the church with no strings or manipulation. God reminds us that those who do not tithe are thieves. They are stealing from God and the church.
A third important area that we are temporary stewards of is the church. We serve the Lord through the church for a limited time in eternity. We are given just a short time in the life of the church to serve her needs and ministries. The church outlasts our lives. We will hand the church off to the next generation of stewards. We do not own the church but the church owns us! We are temporary caretakers of the Bride of Christ. We are to usher her into the future with grace and honor. But too often we see the church as serving us. The church becomes an opportunity for us to display our wants and desires.
In all things we are temporary stewards. It was all here before we arrived and it will remain after we are gone. We temporarily let the church and God's blessings flow through our hands and hearts. We are blessed to be able to touch and see what God is doing throughout all eternity.
Are you a good temporary steward?
From the Heart,
Pastor BR
Monday, October 24, 2016
Thankful
It has been a while since I last posted on this blog. My intentions were to be more frequent but life and ministry has been so busy. Glad I am back to posting.
God has been doing so much in my life! Over the past couple of years I have fought many spiritual battles in the ministry. I don't remember being attacked so much by the enemy. Yet, God has proven to be so faithful. Whenever God raises up His vision and purpose upon His people, the enemy tunes up his game. Never doubt that our enemy is the devil, but he uses people. When the enemy has come against me I have had the faithful believers standing with me and holding up my arms! I don't want to "over spiritualize" my journey but I do want encourage believers as they pray for their leaders.
I am excited about the future God has for the church. The vision is way beyond what we can do on our own but not too big for God. God wants His will to be done through His people. We are not here to build our own kingdoms. Our work and service is to bring God all the glory, not ourselves. Whenever a leader stands on truth and vision, he can be the target for so much. I am reminded of Nehemiah. Nehemiah faced so much opposition but never wavered from what God had called him to do. When the wall was halfway completed, the opposition grew stronger but Nehemiah remained faithful. When critics come, I ask myself a question, "What are they doing to build the kingdom of God?" Are their words only "against" and not for what God is doing? "Count the costs" is the cry of scripture. Nehemiah got to see the wall completed in record time. We may or may not see the vision for the church completed but we are still to remain faithful.
I am so thankful that God has given me a new freedom in my preaching. I thank God that He is confirming His vision as He provides for all our needs to accomplish His will and vision. Great days are ahead as we faithfully serve Him.
We have so much to be thankful for! I pray God's blessings on you as you make an eternal impact on the world for the Kingdom!
From The Heart
Pastor BR
God has been doing so much in my life! Over the past couple of years I have fought many spiritual battles in the ministry. I don't remember being attacked so much by the enemy. Yet, God has proven to be so faithful. Whenever God raises up His vision and purpose upon His people, the enemy tunes up his game. Never doubt that our enemy is the devil, but he uses people. When the enemy has come against me I have had the faithful believers standing with me and holding up my arms! I don't want to "over spiritualize" my journey but I do want encourage believers as they pray for their leaders.
I am excited about the future God has for the church. The vision is way beyond what we can do on our own but not too big for God. God wants His will to be done through His people. We are not here to build our own kingdoms. Our work and service is to bring God all the glory, not ourselves. Whenever a leader stands on truth and vision, he can be the target for so much. I am reminded of Nehemiah. Nehemiah faced so much opposition but never wavered from what God had called him to do. When the wall was halfway completed, the opposition grew stronger but Nehemiah remained faithful. When critics come, I ask myself a question, "What are they doing to build the kingdom of God?" Are their words only "against" and not for what God is doing? "Count the costs" is the cry of scripture. Nehemiah got to see the wall completed in record time. We may or may not see the vision for the church completed but we are still to remain faithful.
I am so thankful that God has given me a new freedom in my preaching. I thank God that He is confirming His vision as He provides for all our needs to accomplish His will and vision. Great days are ahead as we faithfully serve Him.
We have so much to be thankful for! I pray God's blessings on you as you make an eternal impact on the world for the Kingdom!
From The Heart
Pastor BR
Monday, July 18, 2016
Almost Over
Summer 2016 is almost over, at least for the church calendar. Already this summer we have had Carpenter's For Christ, Vacation Bible School (VBS), middle school camp, high school mission trip, and this week helping another church with their VBS! We still have Children's Camp and End of Summer Revival.
While it has been very busy, God has been moving. Several children and youth saved this summer, many rededications, new church members, and a stronger fellowship. During all this, our world has seen evil run rampant. Last Sunday we recognized and encouraged all our public servants (Fire and Police) in all our services then fed them dinner. It was a time of showing our appreciation for all they do twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
The greatest movement in our church has been prayer! We have a growing prayer ministry that covers all services and events as well as all requests. It is an amazing thing to have people pouring out their hearts before God as you preach! And the preaching... we are traveling through the book of Acts as the church is born and grows. Growing pains for sure, even persecution! It is a very challenging series. I believe God shows us the pictures of the early church to encourage and correct the church of today. While no church is perfect, we can be better.
I'm looking forward to the fall when we will ramp up our efforts towards Vision implementation. God has given the Church an incredible look into the future. It is challenging and exciting, sometimes misunderstood, and often humbling. While some may think that growing big is the vision, they have totally missed it! Growing deeper is our call which leads us to reaching more for the cause of Christ and their salvation. To be a part of a church that seeks to fully follow Christ and then help others follow Him is what the Bible is all about. Surely the circumstances of this world shows us the importance of our mission.
I am looking forward to a deeper walk with Christ! How about you?
From the Heart,
Pastor BR
While it has been very busy, God has been moving. Several children and youth saved this summer, many rededications, new church members, and a stronger fellowship. During all this, our world has seen evil run rampant. Last Sunday we recognized and encouraged all our public servants (Fire and Police) in all our services then fed them dinner. It was a time of showing our appreciation for all they do twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
The greatest movement in our church has been prayer! We have a growing prayer ministry that covers all services and events as well as all requests. It is an amazing thing to have people pouring out their hearts before God as you preach! And the preaching... we are traveling through the book of Acts as the church is born and grows. Growing pains for sure, even persecution! It is a very challenging series. I believe God shows us the pictures of the early church to encourage and correct the church of today. While no church is perfect, we can be better.
I'm looking forward to the fall when we will ramp up our efforts towards Vision implementation. God has given the Church an incredible look into the future. It is challenging and exciting, sometimes misunderstood, and often humbling. While some may think that growing big is the vision, they have totally missed it! Growing deeper is our call which leads us to reaching more for the cause of Christ and their salvation. To be a part of a church that seeks to fully follow Christ and then help others follow Him is what the Bible is all about. Surely the circumstances of this world shows us the importance of our mission.
I am looking forward to a deeper walk with Christ! How about you?
From the Heart,
Pastor BR
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Great and Mighty
"Great and Mighty is the Lord our God, great and mighty is He" is more than just a song! The scriptures teach us of the greatness and power that God has. This power is afforded to us when we trust in Him as our Lord and Savior. In studying Ephesians 1:19-23, we find this power as demonstrated in the exaltation of Christ. This word for "power" is from the Greek word "megathos" from which we get our word "megathon" which measures atomic explosives. Now THAT is power!
This power raised Christ from the dead. When God raised Jesus Christ, He demonstrated three things for us. First, the power to raise Christ shows that God has the power to conquer all the trials and temptations of life. We face trials and often fail but that does not diminish the power of God. We must put that power to work when we walk through the valleys.
Second, The resurrection of Jesus Christ shows that God has the power to give man a new life and power to live the new life. He makes all things in us new!
Third, The power to raise Christ from the dead shows that God has the power to raise men from the dead. The believer will experience the great resurrection power of God and be resurrected from the dead.
Daily we have the opportunity to walk in the power of God. This power will help us accomplish the things God has for us as His children and as His church. We are on Kingdom business with atomic power!
I pray God will be so real to you today and bless you as you faithfully walk in Him!
From the Heart,
Pastor BR
This power raised Christ from the dead. When God raised Jesus Christ, He demonstrated three things for us. First, the power to raise Christ shows that God has the power to conquer all the trials and temptations of life. We face trials and often fail but that does not diminish the power of God. We must put that power to work when we walk through the valleys.
Second, The resurrection of Jesus Christ shows that God has the power to give man a new life and power to live the new life. He makes all things in us new!
Third, The power to raise Christ from the dead shows that God has the power to raise men from the dead. The believer will experience the great resurrection power of God and be resurrected from the dead.
Daily we have the opportunity to walk in the power of God. This power will help us accomplish the things God has for us as His children and as His church. We are on Kingdom business with atomic power!
I pray God will be so real to you today and bless you as you faithfully walk in Him!
From the Heart,
Pastor BR
Monday, March 28, 2016
Helping the Hurting
A knock on the door by policeman at 4am cannot be good news. Many flood victims in Louisiana woke up to such a scenario with little time to gather what was important and get out before the flood waters swallowed their homes. Last week I had the privilege of serving with other Alabama Baptist Disaster Relief Chaplains in Franklington, LA. We prayed with so many who had lost so much. Praise the Lord our team lead some to Christ. We were able to bring hope in a very desperate time. I am grateful that we have the promises and the presence of God to offer those in such need. Please pray for the almost 6,000 families that lost their homes and the lengthy recovery process. Many Disaster Relief teams will be serving in the coming weeks to touch those with the grace of God.
On another note, Easter Sunday was wonderful! The music was very uplifting and the message very challenging. I preached on the idea of having "A Thomas Easter." while Thomas brought his questions to Christ, we can bring our doubts and delays to Christ as well. Thomas was moved from being a "doubter" to being a "declarer" and "devoted." Thomas ended up being a martyr for the Gospel. Be encouraged because we serve a Risen Savior!
I pray God will bless you and your family.
From the Heart,
Pastor BR
On another note, Easter Sunday was wonderful! The music was very uplifting and the message very challenging. I preached on the idea of having "A Thomas Easter." while Thomas brought his questions to Christ, we can bring our doubts and delays to Christ as well. Thomas was moved from being a "doubter" to being a "declarer" and "devoted." Thomas ended up being a martyr for the Gospel. Be encouraged because we serve a Risen Savior!
I pray God will bless you and your family.
From the Heart,
Pastor BR
Monday, February 15, 2016
Evangelism
The world needs more than just the church but the Savior of the church. If the world only experiences the "friendliness" of the church and misses Jesus, then we have failed.
Our emphasis should always be on evangelism and discipleship. We seek for every member to reach one person over the next two years. We know that through our obedience of sharing the faith, our church can double. Each One Reach One is the call upon every follower of Christ. We also know that as we are obedient to this call, we will have to grow our Sunday school and growth group ministries. Leaders will need to be trained and new classes started. How Exciting!
It is sad to know that 103 people a minute die, 6,000 people an hour! Do they know Christ? We want to make sure we reach everyone within our touch with the "Good News." Then we must be willing and organized to help new believers grow in their faith. We must disciple those we reach.
Next Sunday we will talk about the vision for discipleship. It will be very challenging and rewarding as we see the Kingdom of God grow. Our challenge is to follow the scriptures as closely as possible. To live out the gospel on a daily basis.
what about you? Will you remain faithful to the call? Are you "ashamed of the gospel" or do you "glory in the gospel?"
From the Heart,
Pastor BR
Our emphasis should always be on evangelism and discipleship. We seek for every member to reach one person over the next two years. We know that through our obedience of sharing the faith, our church can double. Each One Reach One is the call upon every follower of Christ. We also know that as we are obedient to this call, we will have to grow our Sunday school and growth group ministries. Leaders will need to be trained and new classes started. How Exciting!
It is sad to know that 103 people a minute die, 6,000 people an hour! Do they know Christ? We want to make sure we reach everyone within our touch with the "Good News." Then we must be willing and organized to help new believers grow in their faith. We must disciple those we reach.
Next Sunday we will talk about the vision for discipleship. It will be very challenging and rewarding as we see the Kingdom of God grow. Our challenge is to follow the scriptures as closely as possible. To live out the gospel on a daily basis.
what about you? Will you remain faithful to the call? Are you "ashamed of the gospel" or do you "glory in the gospel?"
From the Heart,
Pastor BR
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
It Has Been A While
My goodness! It has been a while since I have posted to my blog. 2016 has started off as a busy year but I am back. This past year has been a time of intense searching for the vision God has for the church. The difference between the membership of the church and those who are active is very disturbing to me as pastor. I just can't imagine receiving Christ as my Lord and Savior and joining His Bride, the church, and not be active. When I embrace all that God has done for me, it moves me closer to Him.
I am presently preaching through the vision God has laid on our hearts. It is exciting and challenging at the same time. We are mobilizing people to serve the Lord and reach the lost. Great days are ahead as we seek to honor Christ!
I am going to strive to post on my blog more often. I want to share what God is doing. As a matter of fact, this blog post was interrupted for about 45 minutes as I received an anonymous call in which I shared Christ. All I can ask is that you pray for this man that called me.
Blessings to you and your family!
From the Heart,
Pastor BR
I am presently preaching through the vision God has laid on our hearts. It is exciting and challenging at the same time. We are mobilizing people to serve the Lord and reach the lost. Great days are ahead as we seek to honor Christ!
I am going to strive to post on my blog more often. I want to share what God is doing. As a matter of fact, this blog post was interrupted for about 45 minutes as I received an anonymous call in which I shared Christ. All I can ask is that you pray for this man that called me.
Blessings to you and your family!
From the Heart,
Pastor BR
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