Dear Readers,
Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog and to converse. I have made several changes to my blog page out of concern for the security of my family. Due to the threat of online predators, I have removed the name of my home town and all photographs of my family. I love my family and have the desire to show them off. However, in this day and age I have come to the conclusion that it is best not to do so. Furthermore, I love my church and wish to brag on them. Again, I feel that it is best not to do so. I hope to create a personal site, maybe using MySpace or some other service that will only allow "friends" to view the content. While this blog has that capability, I do want to keep it open to visitors, etc.
Along those lines, as a pastor and a parent, I encourage each of you to be aware that the internet is not a 100% safe resource. If you are the parent of a teenager or child, I encourage you to monitor your child's internet activity. Last night, my wife and I saw an Oprah episode in which a teenage boy and a former undercover FBI agent shared horror stories of how Child-porn viewers take advantage of innocent children and teenagers through online communication. Child-porn viewers asked this young boy to do horrible things in front of his internet camera, sending him money and gifts each time. The boy's own mother worked with troubled teens, and had no idea what was happening until it was too late. The FBI agent said that many children have gone missing, while countless others have appeared on the internet in still shots or movies. While many federal agencies are currently busting online predators, they are often slow in following through. The damage is done before these kids can be saved. This is not a danger that is far away, only happening in other states or countries. It can happen in your own back yard. The agent said that most of these predators work in jobs that serve children. They are people from all walks of life.
Not only do predators use the internet for pornography, but scams as well. I encourage you to never give out your personal information to anyone who initiates contact with you. Never respond to lottery notices, or anything that is too good to be true. Please use good judgment when engaging internet resources, opening email, etc.
Monitor the time that you spend on the internet. Satan's best ploy is creating apathy. He does not want you to hate God, but to get you to become indifferent.
The internet can be a valuable resource. I continue to update links to "safe" webstites for Christians. These sites have a plethora of information regarding Bible Study, spirituality, and denomination interests. I hope that you find them helpful. Again, I welcome any suggestions for this blog, and look forward to conversation.
Grace and peace,
Tim
Friday, July 18, 2008
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Vacation Bible School
I am supposed to finish my Sunday Morning sermon right now, but I wanted to gather a few thoughts about this weeks' VBS at First Baptist Church. Still decked out in my lime green T-shirt, VBS is fresh on my mind. VBS is one of the few times that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is mixed with dry ice, whipped cream, styling gel, floating bowling balls, soapy mud and beakers filled with daily challenge bubbles. It is one of the few times that John Newton's Amazing Grace and Chris Rice's Untitled Hymn are sung in the same service. It is one of the few times that THE WORD in church is not "Amen" but "Aha!" It is the only time that our Bible heroes like Jesus and Peter team up with Bible Buddies such as Max, Electra, Sparki, Fizz, and Dewd to teach wonderful truths about God's word.
Jesus gives us the power to be thankful!
Jesus gives us the power to help others!
Jesus gives us the power to be brave!
Jesus gives us the power to live forever!
Jesus gives us the power to tell others about God!
Yes, I love Vacation Bible School, always have, still do and always will. Its a difficult week for many of the workers who work 8-5 jobs and then come straight to church. They rarely leave before 10 PM. My hats off to them! The lives of children are the greatest investment of our time and money. It is the only investment guaranteed a return. At First Baptist, we had many who volunteered their time and money for this wonderful cause. I thank them.
VBS is special because it is another opportunity for God to use our unveiled faces to reflect His glory to others who rarely experience unconditional love. I know all our volunteers met children who needed to see what unconditional love looks like and feels like - hugs, smiles, chocolate pudding, high fives, held hands, and heads bowed in prayer. We never know what many children go home to find. We never know what ordinary life is like for many children. It was nice to break from the ordinary to have a taste of fulfillment, of knowing that we did something to promote the kingdom of God. I hope that it was only a start -for Jesus gives us the power to tell others about God!
Aha! and Amen!
Thursday, July 3, 2008
What's Forever For?
I remember Dr. Robert Smith preaching a sermon by this title at Beeson Divinity School. The title intrigued me. What is "forever" for?
My interest in the eschaton - God's ends, God's goals for his creation and for humanity, the crown of his creation - is no secret. It led me to go forever into debt to pursue two more years of study at Duke!
I received an email from a good friend, Glenda Duncan, a couple of weeks ago. Glenda is the church treasurer at Antioch Baptist Church in Jasper, Alabama and her husband, Dennis, is one of the deacons. A year ago in June Glenda's nephew, Daniel, died at the age of 5 from a brain tumor. He had just attended VBS at Antioch, where he learned of Peter walking to Jesus on the water, where he was disappointed that the girls defeated the boys for the third consecutive year in the penny drive for the missions offering. Glenda's brother and Daniel's father, Alan Goforth, had no idea that anything was wrong with Daniel. Daniel began vomiting on the Saturday after VBS. Doctors dismissed it as a stomach bug. After a weekend of vomiting and lethargy, Daniel was admitted to the hospital in Jasper where he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. In route to Children's hospital in Birmingham, Daniel slipped into a coma, and died two days later - Wednesday, June 20.
Glenda's email contained a link to an article in Jasper's paper, The Daily Mountain Eagle, on the anniversary of his death. Glenda recalled Daniel comforting a crying classmate at VBS. Daniel's parents recalled Daniel's selflessness and protective instincts for his baby sister, Lauren. Most importantly, they shared their faith, the content of their faith - they would see their son again. "It makes heaven real," Tracie is quoted saying, commenting that her faith gives her the assurance that all is not lost.
The New Testament is quick to point out that humans instinctively believe death has the last word. However, God has the last word. "I am the resurrection and the life," Jesus spoke to Martha, whose brother Lazarus had died four days earlier.
In life, Daniel reflected the glory of God with his arms around a distraught child. In death, Daniel in spired the children of Antioch Baptist to collect $712.00 for Operation Kid to Kid, in pennies! In the resurrection, Daniel will be all that God ever intended him to be, reunitied with his parents, siblings, and family, shaped in the image of Christ, giving God glory forever with a life unbounded by death.
What's forever for? It is for life magnified, enhanced by the God who raises the dead, for the purpose of His glory, the glory that our God can undo death!
"How sweet it is to hold a newborn baby, and feel the pride and joy he gives. But greater still the calm assurance this child can face uncertain days because Jesus lives!" (from Bill and gloria Gaither "Because He Lives" in Baptist Hymnal, 1991, 448)
"When we've been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we've no less days to sing God's praise than when we first begun!" (from "Amazing Grace" in Baptist Hymnal, 1991, 330. Words to final verse anonymous.)
Grace and peace,
Tim
My interest in the eschaton - God's ends, God's goals for his creation and for humanity, the crown of his creation - is no secret. It led me to go forever into debt to pursue two more years of study at Duke!
I received an email from a good friend, Glenda Duncan, a couple of weeks ago. Glenda is the church treasurer at Antioch Baptist Church in Jasper, Alabama and her husband, Dennis, is one of the deacons. A year ago in June Glenda's nephew, Daniel, died at the age of 5 from a brain tumor. He had just attended VBS at Antioch, where he learned of Peter walking to Jesus on the water, where he was disappointed that the girls defeated the boys for the third consecutive year in the penny drive for the missions offering. Glenda's brother and Daniel's father, Alan Goforth, had no idea that anything was wrong with Daniel. Daniel began vomiting on the Saturday after VBS. Doctors dismissed it as a stomach bug. After a weekend of vomiting and lethargy, Daniel was admitted to the hospital in Jasper where he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. In route to Children's hospital in Birmingham, Daniel slipped into a coma, and died two days later - Wednesday, June 20.
Glenda's email contained a link to an article in Jasper's paper, The Daily Mountain Eagle, on the anniversary of his death. Glenda recalled Daniel comforting a crying classmate at VBS. Daniel's parents recalled Daniel's selflessness and protective instincts for his baby sister, Lauren. Most importantly, they shared their faith, the content of their faith - they would see their son again. "It makes heaven real," Tracie is quoted saying, commenting that her faith gives her the assurance that all is not lost.
The New Testament is quick to point out that humans instinctively believe death has the last word. However, God has the last word. "I am the resurrection and the life," Jesus spoke to Martha, whose brother Lazarus had died four days earlier.
In life, Daniel reflected the glory of God with his arms around a distraught child. In death, Daniel in spired the children of Antioch Baptist to collect $712.00 for Operation Kid to Kid, in pennies! In the resurrection, Daniel will be all that God ever intended him to be, reunitied with his parents, siblings, and family, shaped in the image of Christ, giving God glory forever with a life unbounded by death.
What's forever for? It is for life magnified, enhanced by the God who raises the dead, for the purpose of His glory, the glory that our God can undo death!
"How sweet it is to hold a newborn baby, and feel the pride and joy he gives. But greater still the calm assurance this child can face uncertain days because Jesus lives!" (from Bill and gloria Gaither "Because He Lives" in Baptist Hymnal, 1991, 448)
"When we've been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we've no less days to sing God's praise than when we first begun!" (from "Amazing Grace" in Baptist Hymnal, 1991, 330. Words to final verse anonymous.)
Grace and peace,
Tim
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