(Mat 27:52 NIV) The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.(Mat 27:53 NIV) They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
It is good to be ministering with the Monterey Church of Christ. Please click on this web site to learn more about the church: http://www.montereychurchofchrist.org/
For the morning sermon we talked about the miracle of the holy ones raised to life from Matthew 27:52-53. In the evening service we continued our series on 1 Kings. We talked about the temple and the riches therein.
This past week we did the following things:
On Wednesday night we are continuing the series called The Real Master and Commander (http://www.wallingondvd.com/) with the teenagers. We take a temporary break this week for Spring Break. We start back up on March 24.
Alex and Andy turned in their zoo projects on Wednesday. The judging will be announced at the next zoo class on April 14th.
The end of last week there was something different that happened. Nothing! It was a pleasure to be around the house more and to minister with my family. The boys and I went to visit some over the weekend but that was it.
Some prayer requests:
Crystal and the boys are homeschooling. Pray for the boys in their schooling. Pray for the Monterey School as well: http://mhs.cpsbla.us/
Some upcoming events to keep in prayer:
1. Pray for the preaching and teaching at the Monterey Church of Christ for 2010. Pray that we will see souls saved and Christians challenged and encouraged.
2. Basketball season for Alex and Andy continues through the end of March. The next game is March 22nd.
3. This week the Monterey School is having Spring Break. Hopefully we can have some outings with the teens. Planning to go to New Era Church's youth revival tonight.
4. Softball and baseball games resume in Monterey on March 18. We plan on attending several.
5. March 20 is Go Fly a Kite Day in Vidalia for children. Maybe we will attend and fly a kite.
6. On March 24-27 a group from the church and Alex, Andy, Otto and myself will be going to the Tulsa Workshop (http://tulsaisww.com/).
7. April 2nd is Zach and Zane's 6th birthday.
8. April 4th is Easter Sunday.
9. April 6 through 8, Crystal is attending a BethNuah Retreat in Plano Texas. (http://www.bethnuahministries.com/) Pray that this will be a time of refreshing for her.
10. April 10th is the Catfish Festival in Winnsboro, Louisiana. Maybe we will attend and eat some catfish.
Lord, establish [us] in life
And Lord, establish [us] in faith
And Lord, establish [us] in virtue
And Lord, be to [us] a very present help in times of trouble
And Lord, help [us] to trust in you with a whole heart, to lean not on [our] own understanding, but in all [our] ways to know you, that you may make [our] paths straight.
I found this story from a man named Steven: "I had a cousin, about a year older than myself. She was diagnosed with Childhood Onset Rheumatoid Arthritis (a very virulent form of the disease) when she was only ten. In the summers I used to go and stay a week or two with her family near the South Carolina mountains to be company for her. We gained a closeness that never seemed to leave the relationship over the years. She was among the most honest people I’ve ever known.
I recall talking to her in the months before she died (it was becoming apparent that this was the case). We were both in our forties. In the conversation the subject of faith, God, heaven, etc. came up. She spoke with great tenderness about God. I remember asking her, “How is that you’ve been in pain and crippled for 35 years and yet speak so kindly of God?”
Her answer was very enlightening: ”I haven’t always felt this way about God,” she said. “There was a time when I would wake up in the morning and curse God.” But then her voice lowered and she added meekly, “That was before I knew He was good.”
(1 Pet 2:3 NIV) now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Yesterday an older woman in the church made a statement: "I wasn't that involved in the church when I was younger. Now I am older and I can't be as involved as I would like. I think we need to honor those women who are doing so much in the church."
Think about it; what would happen to the church if the women did not serve? In most cases (and it is no different here) the church would have to close down.
I don't know where I got this quote but it is good: "Women have strengths that amaze men. They carry children. They carry burdens but they hold happiness, love and joy. They smile when they want to scream. They sing when they want to cry. They cry when they are happy and laugh when they are nervous. They fight for what they believe in. They stand against injustice. They don't take 'no' for an answer when they believe there is a better solution. They go without new shoes so their children can have them. They go to the doctor with a frightened friend. They love unconditionally. They cry when their children excel and cheer when their friends get awards. They are happy when they hear about a birth or a new marriage. Their hearts break when a friend dies. They have sorrow at the loss of a family member, yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left. They know that a hug and a kiss can heal a broken heart. Women come in all sizes, in all colors and shapes. They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you to show how much they care about you. The heart of the woman is what makes the world spin. Women do more than just give birth. They bring joy and hope. They give compassion and ideals. They give moral support to their family and friends. Women have a lot to say and a lot to give- let's not forget to remind them how amazing they are."
(Rom 16:12 NIV) Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord. Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord. (Rom 16:13 NIV) Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too.
Pray for the faithful Christian women in your life and in your church!
I started this blog to encourage prayer for preachers, elders, and the church. Below I have adapted an article from Clayton King that will jumpstart our praying in these areas:
I was reminded today of how vital prayer is for those God calls to lead His people and His church. Here is what I pray daily for pastors and leaders:
1. I pray that they would love Jesus with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength and that ministry would never become a mistress that steals them from their first love, Jesus Christ.
2. I pray that they love and serve their wife and kids with gracious and glad hearts and that their family loves the church instead of hating it for stealing their daddy or husband away from them.
3. I pray that they would be filled with passion, conviction, and dedication to their calling, their own spiritual growth, and to Jesus Christ.
4. I pray that for confidence and humility: that they would walk in power and authority to lead, all the while kneeling in humility as gentle shepherds who care for people’s souls.
5. I pray for their encouragement in the faith and the ministry and against those who would attack, slander, harm, or speak evil against them.
6. I pray that their sermons would be accurate, true, powerful, convicting, bold, encouraging, creative, and Christ-centered.
7. I pray for their physical and emotional health, that God would guard them from burnout and depression.
8. I pray they would always celebrate other ministers and their successes and never fall prey to envy, jealousy, insecurity, or comparison.
9. I pray for their purity and holiness and against all sinful schemes, scandals, lust, affairs, the love of money, and pride.
10. I pray that when they lay their heads down at night, they fall asleep and stay asleep, and rest both physically and spiritually, knowing that it’s not “their” church or ministry they are leading, but God’s.
11. I pray that they set a pace and create daily habits and rituals that will allow them to have a faithful ministry and one day to finish better than they started.
12. I pray that they take time to have fun, do things they enjoy, waste time investing in a hobby that has nothing to do wtih minsitry, date their wives and play with their kids, read good books and get away often to find peace in solitude.
13. I pray that God raises up people around them to assist them, serve them, honor them, encourage them, pray for them, admonish them, and protect them.
14. I pray that ministry, teaching, preaching, and leading will never become a chore for them, but that it would always be a joy and a blessing to serve the Lord and His people with gladness, and that they would enjoy every aspect of leading, whether easy or hard, for the glory of God.
I pray these things for you if you are a pastor or a leader. I hope you will pray them for one another.
This past week the family watched the movie Up. It is a great movie. Rarely does a movie evoke laughter from children and tears from adults. I especially encourage those who have lost a loved one to watch this movie. (http://adisney.go.com/disneyvideos/animatedfilms/up/main.html)
No, I did not cry, I just had to go to the bathroom to get the trash and have some alone time. No, I did not (well, maybe a little)
In the book, The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome by Tony Attwood, it records Bill Gates as saying, "Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one."
Isn't it amazing how the rules change once we leave high school and change even more once we leave college? The attitudes and social climate that made some great in school does not necessarily translate as success in the working world. The reverse is true. Those that were nerds and outcasts in school suddenly find success in the world after graduation. How can this be?
What about those unfortunable souls who are nerds and outcasts and just stay nerds and outcasts for the rest of their lives? They never seem to get out of their ruts and pitfalls. They don't get any awards for outstanding achievement. All they keep getting is a rough time. Some would be thankful to get any attention at all because they are just ignored. Is there any hope for them?
I think we need to look at our idea of success. Is success being put on Forbes list of the World's Riches People? Is success having your picture in People Magazine? Is success being elected to the highest office? Is success having servants attend to your every whim? Is success having the physical fitness of a person half your age?
I like this definition of success: "Success is being in the center of God's will." My friends, we have to please an audience of One. God created us, and we need to be concerned with what He wants from us. In the end we are going to go before Him and I want Him to say, "'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'"
I have a friend who is always concerned with getting recognition and getting his fair share. If he is overlooked or underappreciated, you are going to hear it from him. Let me say that is a miserable way to live. He believes the world is against him and no one appreciates him. This is not our concern as Christians. The Lord is the One who will lift us up or humble us. We should not be concerned about how this world views us. To be with the "in" crowd or to sit in the "stag" line with no prospects is not the measuring stick. We need to do God's will for our lives and leave the results to Him.
Maybe you feel like you are overlooked and underappreciated and nobody likes you. That's good. Seek Jesus Christ and your perspective will change. After all the Bible says, "the last will be first, and the first will be last."
We went to the Louisiana Christian Convention this past week. A talk by Phil Claycomb (http://67.214.81.179/) really caused me to think. It was on (Psa 117:1 NIV) Praise the LORD, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples.(Psa 117:2 NIV) For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD.
The Israelites would have sang and quoted this hymn often. There are two ways to view this hymn. One way is in a snide and prideful attitude. "Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever." The us here would refer to just the Israelites. During the time of Jonah we see this being the case. Jonah didn't want the Ninevites to repent because the Lord was just for us. The Israelites liked to flaunt their favored status and considered the Gentiles "dogs," and "low lives."
However, it can be viewed in another way. "For great is his love toward us. The us here would refer to everyone, the Gentiles included. Even though the Gentiles were not in the favored status of the Israelites and they really were not included in the us, the goal is to get them to be in the us. The Israelites were to bless the world with the blessings they had received from the Lord. The idea was really to have those who were outsiders, not part of the us, to one day be included in the us. This was accomplished through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Those who obey the gospel are included in the us no matter their status or race. The Israelites failed to be a light to the Gentiles because of their spiteful and exclusive attitude. Paul says, (Rom 2:24 NIV) As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."
This brings us to the church today. Does the church look down its nose at those who are "outsiders" and say, "For great is his love toward us" or does the church hold out its hands and say to those who are "outsiders" and say, "For great is his love toward us?" It really is a matter of being exclusive or inclusive. Not that we should throw away the entrance manual to the Kingdom, but shouldn't our goal be to include them (the "outsiders") in our us or do we want it to stay our us?
Social labels are hard to deny and even harder to overcome. You most likely remember many of your high school classmates, not by their name, but by their labels: "the pretty girl," "the jock," "the nerd," "the rich kid," "the artist," etc. I was always known as "the pianist." That was a label I proudly wore because there were countless hours of training involved in earning it. But there are other social labels that are not as easy to understand or swallow.
Our son, Alex, has just been diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome. Perhaps you're already familiar with Aspergers, or maybe this will be your first exposure. In short, Aspergers is on the high-functioning end of the Autism spectrum. It has nothing to do with intelligence or opportunities for success. One of the more modern examples of someone with Aspergers is Bill Gates. I don't personally know about Bill Gates' relationship with God (and, by the way, a devoted Christian life is the HIGHEST measure of success any person can acheive), but no one can question his business savvy or financial stability. So Aspergers is not debilitating or a "life sentence" of doom. But there are, and will continue to be, social obstacles for Alex to trudge through in life that others experience almost involuntary.
So you may be asking: Why did you go through all the trouble of getting a diagnosis? Why can't you just love Alex and accept him for who he is? The answer is simple: Davon & I love our boys and we want to do everything within our power to help them navigate the world around them so that God can use their lives and abilities for the purposes He's intended. Without a diagnosis, there is no understanding. Without a diagnosis, there are no resources. If your child was having trouble seeing, would you not take him to the eye doctor? If your child was having trouble reading, would you not seek out a tutor? So this diagnosis, although unpleasant, will hopefully enhance our relationship with our son as well as help us help him.
Now, that being said--- Where do we go from here?
1. Try to understand that, while Alex has some learning challenges, he's actually quite intelligent. Alex is overly sensitive to noise, but he does not have a hearing problem. So speaking to him slower and louder is only going to frustrate the communication process and make you look stupid in his eyes.
2. Alex is very literal. Innuendos, metaphors, cliches, etc. don't make any sense to him. That does not mean he lacks a sense of humor. Watch some of the movies he's made and you'll quickly learn he's actually pretty hilarious! But don't expect him to roar with laughter at what you might consider is an amusing joke or a clever pun.
3. Be prepared to have Alex tell you how it is. Some would say he's "straight up" or "cuts to the chase." Alex doesn't mince words. He means what he says and expects others to talk to him that way as well.
4. Know that Alex's facial expressions might not always reflect what's cranking in his brain. CONTINUE to greet him as you would anyone else. Just be patient with his response time.
5. Allow Davon and me the time and space necessary to coach Alex in social situations. If we're standing at the door with him on Sunday morning as people are leaving and someone greets him, please grant us the 15 seconds it'll take for us to cue him with some appropriate responses. Davon and I make an honest effort to listen intently whether our children are around or not. But please do not be offended if we have to interrupt a conversation to cue Alex... or any of his brothers, for that matter.
Davon and I are committed to doing whatever we can to help Alex, Andy, Zach, and Zane hone their skills so that they can lead productive adult lives. It just so happens that Alex's path and methods for getting from Point A to Point B are probably going to be very different from those of his brothers. Aspergers is a label he'll wear for the rest of his life. But we pray it will open doors of opportunity and close those of ignorance.
We would like to ask you to pray for Alex and our family. Here are some specific requests:
1. Alex has been a real trooper for the past 10 years. Pray that he'll finally start to feel a sense of relief as we try to help him navigate the world in a way he can understand.
2. Pray that Davon and I will be surrounded with resources and emotional support so that we can become more understanding and compassionate parents.
3. Pray that Davon and I will be able to maintain a balanced home life where ALL of our boys will get the attention they need.
4. Pray that Alex, Andy, Zach, and Zane will grow even closer as brothers and learn to cherish their differences while remaining loyal to each other.
Most of all, thanks for listening (or reading)
God bless you all!
On my way home from the New Orleans Airport, I stopped at the Port Hudson Battleground (http://www.crt.state.la.us/parks/ipthudson.aspx). I started at the museum and then hiked the trails. It was a beautiful day. I came across an armadillo and watched him burrow along one of the trails. I saw the old earthworks where battles occurred.
Now, I have been to a few battlesites and they always have signs that point to the earthworks. I have never found the earthworks to be that fascinating. They are just piles of dirt. Over the years they have lost their rough edges and distiniguishing features and they look like a mound of dirt I used to play in as a child.
My last stop at Port Hudson was Fort Desperate. Here is a description of this Fort from a site on the interntet (http://pth.thehardyparty.com/ft_desperate/fort_desperate.htm): Colonel Benjamin Johnson was ordered to move his men from their position at the center of the lines to a new position farther to the left, just six days before a massive Union attack took place. When he was given this order, no defensive fortifications existed at the location, and a frantic effort began to construct earthworks in anticipation of a coming assault. The men built a formidable parapet surrounding their camp on three sides. with an exterior trench running alongside it. A fortification in this shape is called a lunette. The ground dropped off steeply all around the wall, giving the fort a natural advantage. Throughout the siege, work continued on the fortifications, mostly at night. Improvements were made, and damage caused by the continuous Union artillery bombardment was repaired.
This description does not do it justice. After all of these years, one can just visualize the Confederates behind the earthworks, guns raised, ready to shoot anything that moved below. The trench is still there and has water in it. If any Union forces tried to assault that fort, they were in for quite a whipping (which they got twice). This is the first earthworks that I have seen that are worthwhile. They have boardwalks around it so one can get a close view. They have an observation tower so that one can see the earthen fort from the air. It looks similar to what it did not longer after the battle was over. It is impressive!!!
To think that the Confederates did this when they were desperate, what could they have done if they had more time? That makes me think, how desperate are we for God? God can do great things through people who are desperate for Him. Look at this Scripture: (Psa 142:5 NIV) I cry to you, O LORD; I say, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living."(Psa 142:6 NIV) Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need; rescue me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me.(Psa 142:7 NIV) Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name. Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me.
From Dr. David Jeremiah's Book Living with Confidence in a Chaotic World:
Bobby Jindal, born and raised a Hindu, converted to Christianity after a careful reading of the Bible. It began a spiritual journey to Christ he describes as "gradual and painful." Young Jindal first picked up the Word with ulterior motives: He wanted to disprove a faith- one he both "admired and despised." This is a familiar old story in Christianity: the skeptic who is converted by following an investigative trail, undermining his own skepticism in the end. Our Bible does a powerful job of defending itself when confronted.
Jindal was expecting to find a pack of myths inside those covers. But something happened as he opened his New Testament. Its pages worked like a mirror. "I saw myself in many of the parables," he says. Jesus seemed to be speaking across the centuries, telling stories written just for him.
His curiosity now in overdrive, Bobby Jindal began to seek out works about the historical accuracy of the Bible. To his own surprise, he found himself convinced that herer were sacred words that he traveled with integrity through 2,000 years- firsthand accounts of the ultimate miracle, God in human form. It was intellectually impossible to deny that Jesus Christ had risen from the dead, then ascended to heaven.
"However," he says, "my perspective remained intellectual and not spiritual." Jindal was shaken by what he found, but he was unwilling to give in to what his mind told him was the real thing. After many hours of counseling with a patient preacher, he finally embraced his new Lord and Savior.
