Praise Him in the Storm

Tornadoes hit our area.
We have hurricane threats in Southwest Florida nearly every season. I never say this publicly, but I fear tornadoes much more. Tornadoes were a regular part of the weather pattern in Mississippi, where we lived for almost 10 years. They are unpredictable, stealthy and deadly.

Join me in praying for opportunities to turn this sudden tornado tragedy into a witness for the Lord.

Much like tornadoes, the threats of unchecked temptation pops up like an isolated thunderstorm – unpredictable, stealthy – and that temptation leads to sin. We can sometimes see and hear the warnings that a personal tornado is coming if we give in to that temptation, and we choose to ignore it. Unfortunately, the damage can be devastating for our lives, our homes, our families: people that we love and care about – all because we ignored the warnings. Ask the Lord today to show you areas of your life where temptation could lead sin, confess it to Him, and ask him daily to deliver you from it.

In other news…
I am so excited to see God at work in our PEOPLE.
I talked to one friend, who sent me his friend who was asking serious questions about the Lord. And, I talked to four prospect families who are new to the area and praying about joining McGregor.
We’re gearing up a comprehensive evangelism strategy to launch soon. It’ll be so exciting because I love seeing new “soul winners” head out into the harvest fields – and the fields are white in our “Jerusalem.” Shawn Bergen, our new Minister of Evangelism, is already working hard on the details.
Pray with me (as I hope you already are!!!) about a new Preschool Ministry Director and a Single Adult pastor. It’s unbelievable that so much goes
on behind the scenes to make Preschool Ministry and Singles Ministry happen, and we’ve been praying for quite awhile for just the right people to take the lead in those ministries. God may be about to answer both of these prayers!

Pray for two people I have come to love and appreciate who serve on our staff - Hank Garner and Dawn O'Neal.
Both a super ministers here at McGregor, but beyond that, God has brought them together for an even greater purpose -
to begin a life together as husband and wife. They will be getting married on October 6.
I love to see God's BIG picture. Yes, God brought both of them here to serve with us, but also to find each other for a lifetime.
That is a blessing to me in a huge way.

The winds of change are blowing at McGregor. I am excited even as I deal with the personal side of the change - it knocks me out of my comfort zone.

God is good -- all the time...

Be blessed in Jesus.

rp

Until He Comes or Calls Us Home...

I don't like to travel. I love to serve the Lord, so sometimes I have to.
I'm one of the Trustees of the International Mission Board of our convention and we're meeting in Ashville.
We have 5200 missionaries around the world. Awesome
At this Trustee meeting, we have invited over 2000 recently retired missionaries to come to Ashville North Carolina so we could worship together and share our appreciation for their service.
I am so humbled to be around these incredible people who have literally given their entire life to go all over the World to tell people about Jesus. They have sacrificed so much for the sake of the Gospel. They are my heroes.
Last night, after the worship service, one of the retired missionary couples (I can't remember their names) was heading to their hotel and had a terrible accident. He was seriously injured and she was killed.
Unbelievable. So disheartening. Until I am reminded by the Lord, that they gave their life to get people ready to die - and they were so ready.
It just reminds me of why I do what I do. God called me to give my life to sharing Jesus in the local church.
We are all missionaries where God has called us to serve. Some of you are missionaries at your office, or school, or plant, or neighborhood - or wherever you are called to serve or work. Your calling is as much from God as is mine or any missionary. We are to share Jesus at any time and with anybody.
Pray for God to use you to lead others to Christ.
Pray for the family of this missionary couple so devastated by this accident.
Pray for all our missionaries as they minister all around the world.
Pray for God to use YOU in the same way.

rp

To Everything There is a Season

My parents always told me that the only things that never change are death and taxes. That includes church.

Recently, we shared with our folks about a change in our worship schedule. Many, many people have shared with me how excited they are about the new schedule.
For me, it's change -- a change in what I've been used to for a LONG time. I have really wrestled with this one.

Here's the deal… I am so excited about what this will do for our church's ministry for years to come. More importantly, I absolutely believe God will use this to increase our effectiveness.
Sunday night for several years, has been a tough time to come back to church for many of our young couples and senior adults. And attendance on Sunday evenings has gradually dwindled, even while this service has been a great time of worship and praise for all who came. In many ways, it is my favorite time of worship. I LOVE gathering with the family of God.
In these days of faster-paced, hectic lives and heavy traffic all over our area, so many of our people travel from so far that returning for Sunday night services is tough, and we know that our families with young children have a hard time getting the little ones back to church AND ready for school the next morning.

Our Wednesday schedule has become far better attended by young and old alike.

Our purpose as a church is to reach people and disciple believers. Reaching people is the primary purpose of Sunday morning. Discipling believers has always been the purpose of the second service. For decades, Christians have used the Sunday night service for that purpose. There's no real Biblical reason, it was merely tradition that served the church well for a long time.
Now, the needs of our church family have changed. Our Biblical purpose hasn't changed, but our schedule needs to shift in order to better meet this need to disciple our believers.

I can foresee our Wednesday night service growing for years to come. Hundreds can gather for worship and Bible study and discipleship. We’ll continue to have children’s programs for kids of all ages. I can see many believers gather for that mid-week spiritual feast from the Word of God. What a great way to hear from the Lord and fellowship with the church family in the middle of each week!

Change is beneficial, even if it takes some getting used to.
Many years ago, most church (practically ALL churches) only had one service each week. I'm so glad years ago somebody stood up and said, "let's have a second worship service, especially designed to teach the Bible." So they planned a second service in the evening. Very few could come mid-week. Most members were farmers and worked sun-up until sun-down. But their lifestyle and schedule allowed services Sunday morning and evening. Nothing has changed - really. Only that the lifestyles and schedule of our members lends itself to a second service that is mid-week instead of Sunday night. This will actually INCREASE our effectiveness in doing what God has called us to do - disciple our members through that second service.

As you pray, please pray for our Sunday night services through the rest of this year. We have some AWESOME services planned - you don't want to miss them. Then, after the first of the new year, we will have an incredible, God-anointed service that includes some great praise and worship and Bible teaching aimed at challenging and discipling the believer.

Pray that God will always challenge us to be more effective than ever in reaching people for Jesus and making disciples.
Remember, we do "whatever it takes" to help people become fully devoted followers of Christ.

rp

OK, OK, I know, it's been a while. My bad. I'll do better in the future.

I have always been a big fan of "landmark" moments in life. I've been blessed to have many. The day I was saved, my wedding, the birth of our kids, and many more. Recently, the birth of our grandson who turns ONE on October 20, the wedding of our two oldest to wonderful mates. Kayla continues to provide them.
This one is different. I won't ever forget this one.
Last Friday morning, about 4 am, Lu and I were awakened by a police officer yelling at our front door, "Police, anyone home?"
Frightened yet trusting of officers, we answered and were told that someone had stolen a car, and after a high speed chase, had rammed through the gate of our subdivision, parked accross the street from our house and fled on foot.
That's scary enough but it gets worse. I had left the garage door open and the police were afraid that the theif might be in our garage, or worse, perhaps in our house somewhere.
They came in with several officers and a K-9 officer (dog) and looked in every nook and cranny of our house.

It was my fault and I have changed some long overdue habits about security yet there is a bigger issue here.
In Christ, there really is no such thing as luck or coincidence. God is in total control. I believe that and love believing that. I find peace in trusting my circumstances to my God.
Yet, even though we live our lives rather transparently, it shocked me to the core to think of someone having been in our house.

No real deep spiritual stuff going on here - for me, it's just a reminder that in the good and bad, God is always in control. That's easy most of the time, it was hard last Friday. I like my house, I like my stuff, I love my wife. I'll keep praying for God's protection, according to His will.
By the way, I pray for you too. I want you to be in the center of God's will - in everything. The good times and bad. Even at 4 in the morning.......

rp

A Life Lived for Jesus...

I like living! As a matter of fact, I love life!!
I’m a “cup is half full” kind of guy. One of my mentors in the ministry told me one time that the key to effective pasturing is to “love Jesus and love people.” I got those cover with change to spare.
But, everyone faces sad times -- including me. In fact, I’m facing a really sad time right now. One of my closest friends here at MBC (or anywhere) passed away Saturday night. Warren Wilkin was one of the greatest Christians, one of the greatest leaders, and one of the sweetest friends I’ve ever known.
I know he is in Heaven and that is a GREAT comfort. His sweet wife knows that. Yet, it’s tough to lose a man of that depth and closeness – anytime.
When I picked up my wife at the airport, when I saw my daughter Sunday afternoon, when I called my dad – all of these moments meant just a little more than ever because I am reminded that in this wonderful “rat race” called LIFE, it’s people and relationships that matter most.
Jesus tells us over and over in the Bible, that God loves us and wants a relationship with us. I preach that all the time. And from time to time, life reminds me of how true that really is.
The last time I saw Warren before he went home to Heaven, we prayed together. I told him how much he meant to me and my family. I rejoice in his homegoing, and in him memory, I’m desiring to establish more relationships with more people as we live each day for Jesus.

rp

Landmarks

All of us have milestones in life. People, events, situations that are "markers" in life for us. Our wedding, the birth of our kids, certainly our salvation, etc. There's a verse in the Old Testament that talks about remembering the "landmarks" in life.
For me, here's a partial list of "landmark" events for me: My salvation, my baptism, my public and significant rededication, my ordination to ministry, my first sermon, my wedding. There are others but those are pretty important events that God used to help shape my life.
ALL THOSE LANDMARKS happened in ONE PLACE - really, one room. Yesterday, on vacation in Spartanburg, my home town, I visited my home church with Heather and Kayla. I opened that back door of the worship center at the First Baptist Church of Spartanburg and stepped inside the sanctuary (that's what we called it back then.)
I stood there - motionless, speechless, - all I could do is just stand there in awe as my heart smiled.
I wasn't in awe of the building or the room, just in awe of how God has blessed me and my family in so many ways.
So much of it is because of commitments and decisions I have made in that room. They have defined my life even until today.
Often, we forget that the decisions we make largely define the course of our life. God chooses to bless us or remove His blessings from us largely because of the decisions we make either to commit to Him or not to. My life has been far from perfect - but I am overwhelmed by His blessings and I am tremendously grateful that I have chosen HIM as the focus of my life - my total focus. His blessings have been worth it by a mile.
Make your choices - for Jesus, in little ways and in big ways. A devotion time each day is a little thing - a life commitment is a big thing - each is a "landmark" that pays big dividends of blessings from Him.

Be blessed today - landmark this day for Christ.

rp

Anyone who knows me (and perhaps even those who don't) knows that family is very important to me.
I pastor a wonderful church family, but my primary responsibility is my own family. I take BOTH very seriously. These last few days have been days where I have had the joy of having my whole family together.
Heather (our oldest), husband Andrew, and grandson Aidan are here from Virginia. Alan (only son) and his wife Brycie are here from Los Angeles. Kayla (youngest) is with us for the whole summer from college. LuAnne and I have all of our family together for a few days. Awesome!
We are at Myrtle Beach - all of us, together, in one house, a very small house, all of us - together!!
It is WONDERFUL.
It simply reminds me of one of God's best blessings - the gift of life, the gift of love, the gift of family.
I grew up in a large church where -- remember this was many years ago -- we used to sing the Doxology every Sunday as the ushers brought the offerings back down the aisle and put them on the Lord's Supper table for everyone to see. I guess the Pastor and church family were thanking God for the offering. I get that.
But for me, I break out in a silent doxology of the heart for this blessing of being with my most precious human blessings - my wife and kids, and now spouses and grandson.
I believe I am one of the most blessed of God men that I know - God is WAY too good to me. I'm reminded of that often - especially these last few days.
Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow.

rp