During the month of November, I have encouraged us to find one thing each day for which we can give thanks to God. It's easy for us to become so familiar with God's blessings in our lives that we become complacent, or worse, develop an attitude of entitlement rather than a heart of thankfulness. None of us, no matter what our current circumstances, should have a problem finding 30 things for which we can express our thanks to God. Each day of November, I will publish a blog with one item found in the scriptures for which we should give thanks. Spend some time reflecting on that item, or any other that God brings to mind for you. Consider what that provision or blessing from God means to you, what your life would be without it, and how you need to demonstrate your thankfulness for it. Pray, thanking God for His goodness in blessing you with that undeserved gift.
I would encourage you to make it part of your meal-time discussion or devotional time as a family each day. Ask each family member what that item means to them or have them share one new item each day for which they would like to give thanks to God.
Some years ago I spent two weeks in Tanzania sharing the gospel and helping to encourage believers and pastors in that east African nation. A young pastor from the country who spoke English as well as his native Swahili, walked for miles every day with me over dirt roads and paths talking with people about Christ. He was married, had two young children, pastored a small church, and was still studying at a Bible college and seminary sponsored by Southern Baptists. His wife suffered from a health issue that we would consider to be minor in nature and could be treated by an OTC medication. But in their country, the medication was not available, nor did they have the money to purchase it if it was. At then end of my time there, I gave a coat, a few ties, and some other clothing to him and paid him for his work as a translator. The money would not have been considered a large sum for us and it certainly would be quickly spent in his economy with the needs of family, school and church.
On the following day, as I prepared to leave, my young pastor friend held out several articles for me - gifts for my wife and three young children. By affluent American standards, they were not much - a wooden stirring spoon for my wife; a colorful piece of silk cloth that would serve as a scarf for my daughter; and two hand-carved wooden whistles for my sons. He had taken some of the money I had given to him in payment for his work and made sacrificial purchases for my family! I could not then or now place any monetary value on those gifts. To place a dollar figure on them would demean them. They were worth more than I could express. He had sacrificed more than I can really understand in order to give to my family. Even today, as I think about the gifts (still in our possession) I experience those deep emotions of gratitude and humility once again. And as I gave those gifts to my family, I tried to explain to them the cost - the sacrifice behind them. I wanted my children to look at those items through the years ahead and be reminded of just how much we have been blessed and how grateful we should be.
As I give thanks to God each day through November, I'm going to pray that God will cultivate within each of us a heart that overflows with thanksgiving. God is good and "His mercies are new every morning."
Pastor Rod
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Do You See Anything?
The simple four word question was asked by an aide of Dr. Howard Carter, a well-known British archaeologist, who at the time, had his head poked into an ancient Egyptian tomb in the middle of mounds of debris left from years of digging by others who had concluded that there was nothing more to be found at that site. But now, after 6 continuous years of digging by Dr. Carter, the question would later seem a bit humorous because he certainly did see something - something beyond imagination. Where others saw only worthless mounds of debris, Carter saw "the glint of gold everywhere." He was looking into the priceless tomb and treasures of King Tutankhamen, the teenaged King of Egypt.
Vision is seeing beyond the immediate. Vision generates encouragement and motivation to move beyond the status quo surroundings and see what God wants to do when we see our world through His lens instead of living with our eyes on the mounds of waste around us created by our feeble attempts at discovering something worth pursuing in life and ministry.
Proverbs 29:18 says, "Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint." In other words, there are no boundaries or direction which serves to move us to the future which God has for us.
Our Vision Team has worked faithfully over the past months in prayer, research, planning, and seeking God's discernment and leading for a clear vision for the church in the years to come. As we near the completion of that work, I'm excited, along with the team, about the mission, values, strategy and mission measures that we believe God has given for us. Those elements will enable us to stay on a simple and clear path as we live each day by our mission statement: Engaging others in my daily path to take their next step with Christ.
The message God gave to Judah through the prophet Zechariah, as the people were charged with rebuilding the temple and the city of Jerusalem after their return from 70 years of exile in Babylon, is His message to us as well. He has a promise, a plan, offers His protection, and will bring His glory to the church and community if we will choose to see His vision and pursue it together.
Let's choose together to look beyond the present and dream a new dream born of God's vision. Let's keep asking one another, "Do you see anything?"
Pastor Rod
Vision is seeing beyond the immediate. Vision generates encouragement and motivation to move beyond the status quo surroundings and see what God wants to do when we see our world through His lens instead of living with our eyes on the mounds of waste around us created by our feeble attempts at discovering something worth pursuing in life and ministry.
Proverbs 29:18 says, "Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint." In other words, there are no boundaries or direction which serves to move us to the future which God has for us.
Our Vision Team has worked faithfully over the past months in prayer, research, planning, and seeking God's discernment and leading for a clear vision for the church in the years to come. As we near the completion of that work, I'm excited, along with the team, about the mission, values, strategy and mission measures that we believe God has given for us. Those elements will enable us to stay on a simple and clear path as we live each day by our mission statement: Engaging others in my daily path to take their next step with Christ.
The message God gave to Judah through the prophet Zechariah, as the people were charged with rebuilding the temple and the city of Jerusalem after their return from 70 years of exile in Babylon, is His message to us as well. He has a promise, a plan, offers His protection, and will bring His glory to the church and community if we will choose to see His vision and pursue it together.
Let's choose together to look beyond the present and dream a new dream born of God's vision. Let's keep asking one another, "Do you see anything?"
Pastor Rod
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
God Continues to Provide
God is faithful, and we continue to see the evidence of His faithfulness in our fellowship. We have prayed for the right person to lead the critical area of our preschool and children's ministries. After many months of prayer, searching, and patiently waiting on God's direction, He has provided in an incredible fashion. Some of our staff and leadership met Dr. Jim Dempsey several years ago while attending a family ministry conference. He was attending because, like us, he has a heart for equipping families and homes to be the primary faith-training centers in the lives of our children. That's the ministry path that he, as Minister for Preschool and Children, and other staff members of First Baptist Church, Keller, Texas were pursuing together, and the path that we have been developing at AMBC. This past year, Jim's name was mentioned to us by one of our seminary professors who knew we were searching for someone in this position. I spoke with him at that time but we were not in a position to bring him to the staff in a full-time capacity. We agreed to continue to pray for one another in the days ahead. Jim and I did not speak again until months later when I received a call from him to ask if we had filled the position, and if not, would we be open to praying about the possibility of him joining us in a part-time capacity? I was thrilled about the possibility of that arrangement, so we scheduled a time to visit.
Some weeks later Jim and Gail came to Austin to spend some time in conversation and prayer with us. God had been expanding their vision for ministry and family. Jim is a speaker and leader for conferences through our state convention and for some national family ministry organizations. He has also written articles for those publications and is working on the details of publication of a recently completed book. By moving to Austin and joining us in ministry, Jim can provide some excellent, experienced leadership for us and have time to expand his ministry beyond the local church in consulting, writing and speaking. At the same time, he and Gail will be able to live closer to their daughters and their families in Austin and San Antonio.
We are looking forward to Jim joining us in ministry in November as Associate Pastor for Family Ministry. Please pray for Jim and Gail as they sell their home in Keller and leave a church family where they have worshiped and served for many years. For them, the move is bittersweet. It's tough to leave longtime friends and successful church ministry. But the sweetness is found in the fact that they believe, as do we, that God has opened a wider door of ministry for the Dempsey's and AMBC.
And... there's still more to God's provisions related to children and family ministries at AMBC. We have also prayed for the resources and plan needed to upgrade our preschool play area. The need and desire have been there for us, but not the necessary finances. But again, as we have prayed and waited, God has faithfully provided. We've not solicited gifts for this need, but some have been faithfully praying for the resources. Last week a man and his wife gave me a check to be used for the makeover of our preschool playground. The gift should be adequate to provide a cover for shade in the Texas sun, new fencing, and more. And what about the design for the makeover? Well, it "just so happens" that Jim Dempsey spent years before full-time ministry as the co-founder and co-owner of a very successful worldwide business which designs and builds playgrounds for children. He has already made measurements and is beginning to work on some plans.
Isn't God good? And His faithfulness is unquestionable. If we will pray, trust, and wait for God's faithful provisions, He will never disappoint. In fact, He will supply beyond our imagination.
Pastor Rod
Some weeks later Jim and Gail came to Austin to spend some time in conversation and prayer with us. God had been expanding their vision for ministry and family. Jim is a speaker and leader for conferences through our state convention and for some national family ministry organizations. He has also written articles for those publications and is working on the details of publication of a recently completed book. By moving to Austin and joining us in ministry, Jim can provide some excellent, experienced leadership for us and have time to expand his ministry beyond the local church in consulting, writing and speaking. At the same time, he and Gail will be able to live closer to their daughters and their families in Austin and San Antonio.
We are looking forward to Jim joining us in ministry in November as Associate Pastor for Family Ministry. Please pray for Jim and Gail as they sell their home in Keller and leave a church family where they have worshiped and served for many years. For them, the move is bittersweet. It's tough to leave longtime friends and successful church ministry. But the sweetness is found in the fact that they believe, as do we, that God has opened a wider door of ministry for the Dempsey's and AMBC.
And... there's still more to God's provisions related to children and family ministries at AMBC. We have also prayed for the resources and plan needed to upgrade our preschool play area. The need and desire have been there for us, but not the necessary finances. But again, as we have prayed and waited, God has faithfully provided. We've not solicited gifts for this need, but some have been faithfully praying for the resources. Last week a man and his wife gave me a check to be used for the makeover of our preschool playground. The gift should be adequate to provide a cover for shade in the Texas sun, new fencing, and more. And what about the design for the makeover? Well, it "just so happens" that Jim Dempsey spent years before full-time ministry as the co-founder and co-owner of a very successful worldwide business which designs and builds playgrounds for children. He has already made measurements and is beginning to work on some plans.
Isn't God good? And His faithfulness is unquestionable. If we will pray, trust, and wait for God's faithful provisions, He will never disappoint. In fact, He will supply beyond our imagination.
Pastor Rod
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