On fountains and such

There is high drama afoot in Lake City. It seems that the city has built an interactive fountain in the Olustee Park. Additionally, the have built public restrooms for the park. It seems, however, that according to state health regulations a public restroom must be within 200 feet of an interactive fountain. The new restrooms in the park are 280 feet from the fountain and a health department variance has not been granted for the extra distance. So the fountain that cost $80,000 cannot be activated without significant changes.

Two questions beg for attention. One is: why would you build an $80,000 fountain without covering all your bases? The other is: why would we have a state regulation for how close a bathroom has to be to a fountain? I would entitle this drama in Lake City, “Much Ado about Nothing”.

In the Lord’s church we need to make sure that we don’t end up in the same situation. We have been given the daunting task of representing Christ in the public arena, testifying to His power to change lives. We need to be careful to keep our focus on this purpose. If we aren’t careful we can create useless rules and regulations, simply for the purpose of showing our authority. Or we can ignore rules and regulations and find that it thwarts the purpose of our efforts.

Summer slump

Summer is here. Tonight is the last night of our suppers for a while and the summer schedule will be shifting around. We will probably plan some cookouts or special meals and we will be breaking for things like VBS. Summer also means smaller crowds for worship services as families take vacations (and seniors go off on cruises).

Summer is a great time for spiritual discovery! Our youth will have at least three major events this summer where great spiritual themes will be explored. Our children will continue to learn the Bible in Sunday School, about missions in CiA (and Mission Friends) and will be preparing a children's musical.

Summer can be a great time for spiritual discovery for you also. There are tremendous opportunities at every worship service to encounter the Lord of every season through music and message. As you encounter people in our community who seem to need spiritual direction, don't forget to ask them the question: “Have you found a place to worship yet?”

Turning back

Yesterday Carol, Dennis and I went to my parent’s house in Georgia to pick up some things my mother has given Carol. The low fuel light was glowing and I was trying to stretch it to get to Tifton for some of that cheap Georgia gas. Suddenly, traffic stacked up. Without thinking too much, I pulled the truck into the median and headed back to the previous exit and bought gas.

Life is a constant set of choices. We found out later that a watermelon truck that had burned caused the stack up. Would I have run out of gas? Would I have made it? No way to tell, at this point but sitting in the line, wondering if we were going to make it, would have been stress that I don’t need at this stage of my life. There are times to go backwards!

In our spiritual journey, we need to constantly evaluate our progress. The minute we discover that we’ve wandered off track, that we are going a direction not sanctioned by the Lord or we discover that we lack spiritual energy to get through --- we need to go backwards! Our journey should take us --- as fast as we can travel --- back to the place where we know we are in fellowship with the Lord.

Life is a constant set of choices. Do you need to pull onto the median today and get moving back to the source of spiritual power?

They're coming.....

I’m trying hard to keep my ear for Portuguese. My thought is that if I can keep remembering how it sounds and what they are saying, I should be able to speak it – if I ever have that necessity. Yesterday, I watched the afternoon news from Portugal over the Internet. One of the lead stories points out how different cultures can be: it seems sardine fishermen are extremely upset over the quotas and prices that have been set for their trade!

Sardines are important to the Portuguese. We’re not talking about the little sardines in a can. The Portuguese love the larger sardines. Fresh ones. Grilled. I’ll never forget the first time I smelled those fish over the fire – they smell almost like a tire burning. Not one that I enjoyed and not one that would entice me to try them, but the Portuguese have a national obsession over anything that comes out of the ocean and sardines are a favorite.

Can you imagine CNN, Fox or a leading network news show leading off with how sardine fishermen are upset? Only if it were the slowest news day in history!

Countries are different; cultures are different; and, what is important to people is different. Yet, despite all the differences there is one fundamental need: to know Christ and the power of His resurrection.

Different kinds of people are headed our way. They will come from all over the United States and will retire here in our part of north Florida. They will come with all sorts of different accents, attitudes and obsessions. Despite this, they will have the one fundament need: to know Christ and the power of His resurrection. The question is: will Wellborn be faithful to share the message that has changed our lives?

Illegal immigration?

A debate is raging in our country over illegal immigration and its effects on us. Protests over the last couple of weeks have raised the level of debate, especially as it relates to illegal workers from the south – whether Mexico or other Central American countries. The illegals say that justice demands that they be allowed access to the freedoms American citizens enjoy. The President and Congress seem stymied by what to do about it all.

Carol and I can testify that immigration is a difficult process in America. Hoops have to be jumped through; a good bit of money has to be paid; but those steps have to be done in order to be recognized as a citizen of the United States.

There is a citizenship far superior to US citizenship. The basis for becoming a citizen of that place cost far more than US citizenship and was far more complicated. Every person in the world begins as an alien to this citizenship – and as the Scripture says, is “without hope and without God in the world.” But Christ Jesus stepped into our hopeless and broke it – by having his own body shattered on the Cross of Calvary. Now, those of us who have accepted His sacrificial work on the Cross have access to the Father by the Spirit. Now we have been granted a new status, not on the basis of our labor, but on the basis of His sacrifice. Now we are considered citizens – citizens of heaven. (Eph. 2:12-20; Phil. 2:19)

Personal Holiness

In recent years the writer that God has used in my life, more than any other, is Oswald Chambers. An unknown Baptist teacher, God raised his ministry to prominence only after his death.

I hadn’t read Oswald in a while until this morning…then I remembered why. I love Oswald – yet I flee from Oswald – because the Lord uses him to point out those things that most preachers are too nice to say.

In my reading today, Oswald quoted the old Scottish preacher Robert Murry McCheyne – and desired to have his words engraved on his heart – “The greatest need for my people is my personal holiness.” An exaggeration, true. The greatest need of every person is his or her own personal holiness – yet…. The people of God rarely reach a level not illustrated before them in the lives of their leaders. Sunday School teachers – The greatest need for your class is your personal holiness. Deacons - The greatest need for your families is your personal holiness. Pastor – The greatest need for Wellborn Baptist Church is your personal holiness.

God grant us an overcoming walk with Jesus as He makes us holy even as He is holy.

The Seven Statements from the Cross

Seven in the Scripture often represents completeness or perfection. Numbers of biblical scholars have noted the fact that Christ, hanging on the Cross, dying for our sins, has seven things to say.

1. “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34) This is the essence of what Christ’s sacrifice is all about. Romans 5:8 tells us that this sacrifice is God’s way of telling us of His love – even while we were lost in sin.
2. "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:43) Comfort for a thief; comfort for us. The moment of death is an entrance into the presence of the Lord – for those who have trusted in Him. The thief is one of the greatest illustrations that works are not necessary to salvation.
3. "Dear woman, here is your son, ... Here is your mother." (John 19:26-27) Suffering and in agony, Jesus does not forget the needs of his mother. Sometimes believers get so wrapped up in service to the Lord that they forget to take care of the needs of their families. In the ultimate moment of sacrifice, our Example did not forget.
4. "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Mark 15:34) Christ, in his humanity, feels the loneliness of a soul judged in hell. Feeling this sense of separation, he comforts himself by quoting the Scripture (Psalm 22:1). The feeling is only a feeling: Father, Son and Spirit are united in confronting man’s sin.
5. "I am thirsty." (John 19:28) How often have you heard, “Oh, but Jesus was God. He can’t understand how I feel”? Even at the moment of His greatest sacrifice, Christ’s understanding of our condition is revealed. He was thirsty – and said so.
6. "It is finished." (John 19:30) It stands completed! Everything necessary accomplished. Salvation’s sacrifice realized.
7. "Father, into your hands I commit My spirit." (Luke 23:46) In the final moments of life, there is only One who is “able to keep that which I’ve committed to Him against that day”.

Seven sayings. Seven moments in time. Seven markers for Christian faith. My prayer is that this quick review of the seven statements will help you prepare for both Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday.

Way to go, Gators!

The University of Florida Gators are the national champions of Division 1 men’s college basketball. Proud Florida fans all over the church are over the moon at this unusual phenomenon. Just who are these guys who have brought such pride to Floridian hearts? Let’s see. Al Horford hails from Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic; Adrian Moss from Houston, Texas. Both Corey Brewer and Lee Humphrey are from Tennessee (just like some unknown former Florida hero named Spurrier). Joakim Noah is from New York by way of France. Even the coach is from New York by way of Rhode Island. Only Taurean Green, among the top starters, is from Florida. So, what does this have to do with Wellborn Baptist Church on a Wednesday in April?

Well, in many ways, the Gators serve as a picture of our church. Some of us are native Floridians; some have come from exotic locales like Maine and Rhode Island. Lots are from south Georgia. There are even three from Tennessee, by way of Africa. God has called us from various places at various times to make up the family of faith here at Wellborn. We are as diverse as the basketball Gators.

The question for us is: will we meet with as much success as the Gators? Admittedly our opposition is more formidable than any that Florida faced. Satan and his forces actively wish our destruction. Problem for Satan is that his gates can’t stand up to our assault. Wielding the sword of the Spirit, clothed in the whole armor of God, he can do little against us. We also carry the shield of faith. Interesting fact about the Roman shield: it was designed to link up with other shields so that the legion could press forward as one.

The Question of Lifestyle

Most of you know that I’ve been away visiting my parents – celebrating a significant birthday in my mom’s life. Mom and Dad have a “winter place” here in Largo, Florida in what is called a “manufactured home community”. In their recent newsletter, a columnist used the following words: our very lifestyle is being threatened.

Lifestyle. People have lifestyles – and most of them are more consistent with the sins of man than with the Gospel of Jesus. The task of Wellborn Baptist Church will be to help those who come our direction to evaluate their lifestyles with the biblical lifestyle, the Christian lifestyle.

Problem is, our own lifestyles require the same evaluation. The message of hope is both life giving and a threat. When we come to Jesus, He changes us. At the very same moment, we have a new life with Christ and at the same instant “our very lifestyle is being threatened”. Threatened because it is more consistent with the sins of man than with the Gospel. Maturity in Christ is the ever-changing movement away from our “lifestyle” and into conformity to His character; His love and His direction for our lives.

Feeling Pain

Florida State was knocked out of the NIT last night, falling at the hands of South Carolina’s Gamecocks. That’s right. Those same upstarts from the Palmetto State that took down the mighty Gators two out of three times this year! Do I expect Gator fans to “feel the pain” of FSU partisans? Yeah, right…

All teasing aside, God has called us to share the pain of those around us. Every pain we endure makes us more sensitive to the suffering of others. Within the church, God calls us to takes those painful experiences of life and “bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2).

Outside the church, we have been called to “love our neighbors as ourselves (Luke 10:27)”. This lesson is brought home by the example of a man -- a man whose whole life has seen him despised by another race. Going about his business, he encounters a man from that group – beaten and left for dead. He has the choice to just pass by. After all, a priest and a religious worker from the other group have already done so. But, this Good Samaritan stops and treats the man well.

The power of the gospel is the ability to see the whole world as we see ourselves. The old song says, “The whole world was lost in the darkness of sin; the light of the world is Jesus.” We know that we shared the darkness with every person. Our desire is that they now come to the light. God grant that every negative experience He allows in our lives might become fuel for impacting others.

How’s your water level?

Every day as I come to the office I pass by Lake Lona. I recently heard Dr. Fritz Fountain, who lives on the lakefront, talk about the eccentricities of this particular lake. It seems that Lake Lona is emptying again. There seems to be some flow into the Ichetucknee Basin so that, unless there is a constant flow of rainfall into Lake Lona, its level begins dropping. When it gets really dry, the level shrinks almost to nothing. Since we’ve had little rain lately, the level of Lake Lona is dropping.

Believers in Christ follow the same pattern as Lake Lona. We have been refreshed by the “fountain of living water” (Jeremiah 2). We were thirsty and we came to him and drank. As a result, He promises that streams of living water will flow from deep within us (John 7:37, Holman). To have that flow of life, however, we must continue to drink deeply from the fountain. Committed to His Word, we allow the inflow of truth to remain constant – even as we allow truth to flow out of us to a world parched by sin.

How’s your water level?