When our youth minister, Tony Carmody, came into my office and asked me if I knew anything about Bible Bowl, I had a hunch that God was up to something. You see for 5 years I was a player in Bible Bowl and for 5 years I was a coach. I love Bible Bowl and I jumped at the opportunity to get involved.
If you want to know more about Bible Bowl go to: http://www.biblebowl.net/Home.aspx?VSN=BB
We laid our plans and set out to start a Bible Bowl program. When the smoke finally settled, we had 2 players and just 1 coach (me). Not the kind of start I had hoped for but it was a start. We got down to business and had a good experience in Bible Bowl. I want to thank the Carolina Bible Bowl league for all of their help and encouragement. The competition level is high but the attitude is Christ like. I hope to be able to get involved again and maybe get my sons involved.
Now with only one sponsor, this means that this sponsor has to quiz. Quizmastering really has not been my thing. If I could get someone else to do it, that was the ideal. I lack confidence (still do) and I had trouble speaking clearly. Oh well, I know something about this so I have to quiz. But you know, as I quizzed I found that I loved it. By the time of the Roanoke Bible College tournament, I really enjoyed it. I thank everyone for the honor of receiving Favorite Bible Bowl Quizmaster at that tournament! It is a great memory! Like I said, I hope to be able to do it again!
In connection with Bible Bowl, I have to say the following. We need to get teenagers (and everyone) to love, study, and memorize God's Word. The thing that I love about Bible Bowl was that it gave me a love for God's Word and from that a love for God. It also taught me discipline. I know that to many this is like a 4 letter cuss word but this is so lacking in our world. I encourage people to read and study their Bibles everyday. How many do it? They give a variety of excuses and most of them are lame. It all boils down to a lack of discipline. The thing that is most important in my life is my time with the Lord. To hear God speak through his Word to me, and for me to speak to God through prayer is a joy. However, it takes discipline. There are times I don't want to do it but I do it because of discipline.
I do not know how I can make it through without my time with the Lord. The Lord has gotten me through my parent's divorce, church troubles and many other things. I could see how these things would make others bitter and upset with God. Let me say that I have been there! However, the Lord and I worked through a lot of the issues and problems together. A quiet time with the Lord is the most important thing in any Christian's life. How this is neglected in our day!
Something that Jesus said we need to practice and work on. He said it was the most important thing. Look at Mattthew 22:37-39: "Love the Lord your God with all of your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself."
Notice that Jesus said the most important thing was to love God. How can we love God and Jesus Christ if we never spend time with Him and get to know Him? We get to know them through the Bible, God's Word.
As I see it the problem in our day is that we are trying to get people to love the church before they love the Lord. From my experiences, I know that the church will let you down. They will hurt you badly. However, if our priority is to love the Lord first of all, then we can overcome a lot of the things that people do to us. Notice that Jesus did not say that loving our neighbor was first but loving God. We have gotten the cart before the horse.
I appreciate many of the Bible Bowl teams that say, "Just study 30 minutes a day, and that will make a big difference." It will make a difference in competitions, yes, but more importantly it will make a difference in life. If we can get people into the Word for just 30 minutes a day, what a difference that will make in their lives and in their relationship with God. I pray that Bible Bowl will continue to talk about discipline to encourage all to have a personal relationship with God. Yes, discipline seems so unromantic, but it works!
2 Timothy 1:7: For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever (1 John 2:17)
Pray for us because we are having a stressful time dealing with our situation. As of May 25 I have been removed as the preaching minister at the Mount Airy Christian Church! If you want more information please contact me at my new e-mail address: davon.huss@gmail.com
Things being as they are, I have several prayer requests:
1) That we and the church will heal from all of this. Right now we are going through hurts and it is difficult!
2) From these trials God will do His work on us as only he can. May we become better instead of bitter.
3) That the Lord will guide us to a ministry opportunity that will benefit the Kingdom, my family and myself. Right now we are consider several things like an associate position in a larger church, getting more schooling, a chaplaincy position, or maybe another preaching position. We are gun shy about the preaching position but pray that the Lord will give us guidance and discernment.
This past Sunday we went to North Pointe Christian Church in Statesville where my father in law preaches. There web site is: http://npcchurch.com/index.php It was encouraging and helpful. They talked about giving. It was helpful to me to hear that God will provide for our needs and we do not have to worry about food, clothing,and shelter. We are children of the King and we will not have to beg for bread.
In connection with this, on Sunday night they had a cookout and had a congregation meeting outlining their goals and dreams for the future. They had a ministry fair and had many sign up for various ministries and needs in the church. Rob Paul and I did not attend the meeting but helped to take care of all of the children. We played kickball and carpetball. We made pictures with chalk on the driveway. It was fun!
This past week I went to Roanoke Bible College and participated in the Bible Bowl tournament. It was a so much fun! Also, I got an award for the favorite quizmaster. What an honor! While there I got a chance to visit with old professors and old friends. They gave me some good counsel. It was good to spend time with Keith Wood. We graduated from Roanoke the same year. On Wednesday night we went to South Mills Church of Christ where I ministered as a student at Roanoke. It was a pleasure to see old friends there. It was great to make new friends through Bible Bowl. It is good to see teenagers studying God's Word. Also, I thank God for Rhonda from Concord. She had to endure my rants on the drive up to Roanoke. Thanks for listening Rhonda!
On Thursday night we took a group to the beach. We started out at Jockey's Ridge and then went to the Nags Head beach. It was fun! The Lord has made some beautiful stuff!
On Saturday I took Alex and Andy fishing at Corder's pond. Alex caught two good sized catfish. We cleaned them and ate them Saturday night. It is a pleasure to carry on the tradition of my grandfather (He taught me how to fish). I thank God for his time and attention to me while I grew up! Next Zach and Zane get to fish. Pray that I don't get my hide hooked!
This upcoming week I hope to talk with some people from Hospice. I probably will not get a job with them but I am interested in their work and some day I might be able to minister with them.
Monday night I am doing my regular volunteer work with the hospital. I am interested in hospital chaplaincy. I thank God for Joseph Alexander, the full time hospital chaplain here at Northern Hospital. He has organized a volunteer chaplain program of which I am a part.
This week I am also working on some camp stuff for Alex and Andy's week of camp at Park Springs. I am writing a few devotionals and speaking at a campfire. It has to be done this week because next week we will be gone.
Next week we are going to Indiana to visit with my dad and mom. We are leaving on Saturday and should get there on Saturday night. On Tuesday (July 2), the North American Christian Convention begins in Cincinnatti. Thanks to Bill Griffin at RBC who gave us a free family registration! This should be a great place to network and see more old friends and make some new ones. For more information go to: http://www.nacctheconnectingplace.org/
Also, be in prayer for my dad. He has prostate cancer. He should know this week what his treatment options are. Pray for him, my stepmother Shirley, and their family.
This will be my last listing for a while. With all of our travels next week, I will not get a chance to update this blog during that time. Be in prayer for our travels and hopefully we will know more in a few weeks about a great many of these issues!
What are some of the good things that God will bring out of our difficulties?
Good opportunities. For Christians, adversities turn into opportunities. Hardships give us opportunities to walk in our authority in Christ Jesus (and, putting it the other way around, they give us fresh opportunities to see God's authority at work).
When the devil tries to bury you in bad stuff, that's when you have the chance to bury him deeper than he could ever bury you. As you lean on God's promises and proclaim His faithfulness, you become an overcomer.
The great opportunities for victory arise out of the hardest trials. It's enough to make you want to shout His praises for not sparing you!
I'm glad God allows me the chance to exercise my authority in Christ. He wants me to participate with Him in ruling in the kingdom. That can't happen if He just lets me keep "sitting pretty," free from trials and tribulations.
In the 12th chapter of Acts, we have the record of a prayer that prevailed with God and also brought about great results. In the 5th verse of this chapter, the manner and method of this prayer is described in a few words: "The church was earnestly praying to God for him (Peter)."
The first thing to notice in this verse is the brief expression "to God." The prayer that has power is the prayer that is offered to God.
But, some will say, "Is not all prayer offered to God?"
No. Very much of so called prayer, both public and private, is not to God. In order for a prayer to really be unto God, there must be a definite and conscious approach to God when we pray. We must have a definite and vivid realization that God is bending over us and listening as we pray. In very much of our prayer, there is really only little thought of God. Our mind is taken up with the thought of what we need and is not occupied with the thought of the mighty and loving Father of whom we are seeking it. Oftentimes, we are neither occupied with the need nor with the One to whom we are praying. Instead, our mind is wandering here and there throughout the world. There is no power in that sort of prayer. But, when we really come into God's presence, really meet Him face to face in the place of prayer, really seek the things that we desire from Him, then there is power.
I went to downtown Mount Airy to get a haircut. My barber was closed on Monday but I needed a haircut badly. I went into a place I haven't been for a while, Floyd's City Barber Shop. This barbershop is the center of tourism here in Mount Airy. It is run by Russell Hiatt (aka Floyd Lawson from the Andy Griffith Show). Russell was the last person in Mount Airy to cut Andy Griffith's hair before he went into the big time. Russell is a wonderful barber but he is getting older now (84 years old) and his place is usually crawling with tourists. Not that I have anything against tourists, it's just that I usually have the boys with me and Russell takes time out with each tourist. Therefore, by the end of the visit the boys are getting restless and cranky and a few hours have passed. However, we know Russell and see him about once every 6 months.
On this Monday I drive up to Russell's and notice that there is no one in there with him. On a typical day he has local retired men in there chewing the fat. (Not much different from the show) Not today! I am delighted with the prospect of being able to talk with Russell without many distractions. He is a great conversationalist and a Christian friend that I admire and trust. Maybe I will have an opportunity to get his insights on my current situation.
As I enter the door, another man comes in with me. He is one of the locals come to chew the fat with Russell. Oh well, at least I can enjoy the slower pace and the conversation. Russell gets up from his chair and limps over to me. He is having some trouble with his hips these days. On this day, Russell is feeling in a good mood and he leads the conversation (a rare occasion, considering the big talkers in there). He asks where I have been for so long. I tell him that I have been taking the boys over to Donna's (his niece) to get their hair cut. He is fine with that and understands. Then he proceeds to tell some of his typical stories. He says, "I am thinking about working another 20 years and then retire. Maybe then I can come back and work part time." (It's a joke, the man is 84 years old). Knowing that I am a preacher he tells the story about the man who had a brother who died and was trying to get a preacher to do his funeral. He tells the preacher, "If you say that my brother was a saint, I will give you $1000." So the preacher gets up at the funeral and says, "We all know this man. He was a drunkard, a womanizer, a cheat, and a liar. But compared to his brother, he was a saint." We all laugh and have a good time.
Of course, not knowing me, the local man wants to know where I preach. I tell him. Then he asks how long I have been there. I tell him 6 years. This goes on for a while and in reality I am telling half truths. I don't want this guy to know that I no longer preach at that church. Why? Because I am growing tired of telling the story and I am growing tired of people's pity. How I wish I could tell Russell and get his opinion without this other fellow standing in the way.
Then something amazing happens. This local man asks Russell, "I know that you have been at the same church, Shelton Church of the Brethren, all of your life. I bet you have seen a lot of preachers in your lifetime." Russell stops cutting on my hair and thinks for a minute. He says, "Yes, I have seen a lot of preachers come and go out there. Some I hated to see go and some I was glad that they went. We had one preacher who was there for over 20 years. He died of cancer several years back. He was a great preacher and I thought a lot of him. Those were some great times in the life of that church too. I remember another preacher that was a good preacher of the Word. I thought he was good for the church but people couldn't get along with his wife so he was gone. I remember another preacher, as a matter of fact our last one, that was from up North. I thought he was a great preacher of the Word. He did a fantastic job from the pulpit and really made the Bible come to life. However, some people thought that he had too much Yankee in him and so he was gone. That last one really hurt me."
Russell doesn't stop there. He goes on like he is preaching a sermon, "Let me say this, some of the leaders in the churches today don't understand and are dumb. They think that preachers grow on trees. Well, they don't. If they get a good one they need to hang onto him. Yes, we can find things wrong with about anybody. This one is too much this or not enough that. If we put all of us under a microscope, we are all found wanting. We are all lacking in some areas. Also, I grow so disgusted, being a long time leader in the church but now retired, in the lack of understanding of what the church is all about. Leadership in the church is not about anything but service. Today's church leaders don't get it. To serve others is truly living. People try to find happiness in this or that, but the only lasting happiness is in serving others. Jesus said that he came to give us abundant life, let me say this plainly, the abundant life is found in service. Serving your fellow man is the only thing that will last in this life and on into eternity."
Well, the hair cut was over. Another man came in for a hair cut. Russell said as I got up from the chair, "It was great having you come in today. When you came in my hip was really bothering me, but it doesn't hurt so much now. I thank you for listening to me. It really was a blessing to me." I paid him and left the shop. I thought about what a missed opportunity. I didn't get a chance to tell Russell about my situation and to get his advice. On closer examination, even though he probably doesn't know it, I did get the answer to my questions. Russell's hip hurt that day but so did my heart. I thank God that I was able to take his mind off of his bad hip and I was able to get some soothing for my troubled heart. I thank God for Russell's counsel even though he doesn't even know what is going on in my life. It is amazing how God works!
Proverbs 25:11- A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.
What are some of the good things that God will bring out of our difficulties?
Good training. Hard times provide us with training. In order to become mature, we need to be trained. We need to get past our tendency to whine and complain about how unfair it all is. We need to get on with the business at hand, learning to respond quickly and obediently to whatever God sends into our lives.
As Joseph Garlington says, sometimes God will say to us: "OK. This is first grade." If we say back to God, "What if I don't like first grade?" He will say, "Then you get to repeat it." I don't know about you, but I want to learn my lessons, learn them well and move on.
The Israelites may never have learned this lesson, although we can learn from their mistakes: "They said to Moses, 'Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt?'" (Exodus 14:11)
Moses responded to them: "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today..." The Lord said to Moses, "Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward" (Exodus 14:13, 15)
In other words, the people of Israel had to stop their pointless complaining and obey what God already had told them to do. The Red Sea parted, and they escaped from the Egyptians. When they stopped complaining and followed orders, their dire straits turned into a wonderful deliverance.
In their case, this lesson didn't stick with them. Forty years later, they were still whining (see Numbers 20). Sad to say, such lessons don't always stick with us either. But maturity training is still one of the best reasons for having trials. It's as if God has put all of us into His heavenly boot camp. Our latest trials are part of the training process.
Isaiah 30:20 encourages us to believe that "though the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore, but your eyes shall see your teachers."
Prayer brings blessings to the church. The history of the Church has always been full of grave difficulties to overcome. The devil hates the Church and seeks in every way to block its progress; by false doctrine, by division, and by inward corruption of life. But, by prayer, a clear way can be made through everything. Prayer will root out heresy, smooth out misunderstanding, sweep away jealousies and animosities, obliterate immoralities, and bring in the full tide of God's reviving grace. History abundantly proves this. In the darkest hour, when the state of the Church has seemed beyond hope, believing men and women have met together and cried to God, and the answer has come.
I was listening to an old tape of a sermon from the North American Christian Convention. The speaker was Timothy Coop and it was 1984. The topic was "The Towel and the Basin." It was based on John 13 where Jesus washed his disciples feet. It was a great sermon and gave many insights.
One insight that resonated with me was when he started to give contemporary parallels to washing feet. He said to the ministers there that they need to wash their elders and other leaders' feet. He said one of the ways that he did that was to have a Bible study with the elders from 6:30 to 7:30 on a weekday morning before all of them went to work. It was a great time of building their relationship with the Lord and also with each other. He said that this was a great way to break down barriers of pride and to build bridges of trust.
Something else that he said also struck a cord with me. He said that we need to mentor our elders. Mentor our elders? Aren't they the spiritual leaders of the church? Don't they know what they are doing? Timothy Coop said that many times they aren't spiritually minded men and they really don't know what they are doing. Let's break this down. On the issue of their spiritual lives, how often do they read their Bibles and pray (not to study for something at the church but just for their own spiritual enrichment)? How is their relationship with their wives and children? Are they so busy doing things at church that they forget that the most important things are their relationship with God and their relationship with their families? I dare say that I took all of these things for granted and just assumed that the elders were doing these things.
On the issue that the elders know what they are doing, this assumption is so often false. Most elders and deacons receive no training for these positions. Most of them simply do and act like the elders and deacons before them. The ones before them may have been completely wrong in their actions and attitudes but they don't know any different so this is how they are. The sad fact of the matter is that most elders and deacons have no idea what they are doing. Sometimes I feel like I don't know what I am doing but at least I have had training in college. Just think of the elders who have had no training beforehand and are not even receiving any training on the job. This must be a frightening thing. I assumed that the leadership was seeking God's face everyday and that they knew what they were doing.
From this I know that I took too much for granted. In my life, I pray and share the Bible with my sons. I pray with my wife. In my past ministry I mentored and did Bible studies with several members in the church. In my past ministry I mentored 2 teenagers through Bible Bowl. I prayed and studied with them. It was a blessing to them and to me and our relationship grew. However, I never did this with any of the elders because I felt like they didn't need it. Some lessons are learned the hard way! The next time I will actively mentor the leadership and not assume so much!
Prayer avails for the conversion of others. There are few converted in this world in any other way than in connection with someone's prayers. I previously thought that no human being had anything to do with my own conversion, for I was not converted in church or Sunday school or in personal conversation with anyone. However, I had forgotten my mother's prayers. Later I learned that one of my college classmates had decided to pray for me until I was saved.
Prayer often avails where everything else fails. How utterly all of Monica's efforts and entreaties failed with her son! But, her prayers prevailed with God, and the immoral youth became Augustine, the might man of God. By prayer, the bitterest enemies of the gospel have become its most valiant defenders, the most wicked the truest sons of God, and the most contemptible women the purest saints. Oh, the power of prayer to reach down, where hope itself seems vain, and lift men and women up into fellowship with and likeness to God! It is simply wonderful! How little we appreciate this marvelous weapon!
My stepfather and mother (Lou and Joann Phillips) have been having physical problems lately. Please pray for them. Below is a portion of a recent e-mail:
Joann (my mother) and I (Lou) travelled to Baylor School of Medicine in Houston on Monday. We started with Dr. Aguilar first, an associate of Dr. Joseph Jankovic, who is head of the Parkinson's clinic there. I was examined, interviewed, tested, bled (ouch), video-taped, and evaluated yesterday by three different doctors for over three hours. Dr. Jankovic has a preliminary opinion, but no definite diagnosis yet. I need to schedule to return for two more days' worth of tests (EMG, MRI, etc.) sometime between next month and my follow up visit in four months.
I will have to schedule physical therapy locally starting in a couple of weeks. This is to keep my muscles from deteriorating any further, since my physical activity has been cut back considerable. Unfortunately, my relative inactivity has caused me to gain some extra weight which I need to lose. I also need to see the doctor for some new symptoms that have developed in the past few weeks, although I am not sure if they are related to the root issue.
I am still able to work and drive, although the symptoms are getting worse. I constantly try to maintain a positive attitude, but some days that is stretched to the limit. I am not discouraged, just frustrated that after ten months of medical treatments we seem no closer to an answer than we were at the beginning.
If you would like to contact my stepfather and mother, send a note to their e-mail at: loujo81@aol.com
