Taking On the New Mantle

This past Saturday,I went to a Men's Prayer Breakfast and heard Bro. Vince Massa preach a message on the mantle of God from 1 Kings 19:

(1 Kings 19:19) "So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him."

Elijah cast his mantle on Elisha as a sign of transferring the mantle of prophetic ministry from Elijah to Elisha. God calls men to preach and gives them a ministry to fulfill. There are times that the mantle of ministry changes. A man might go to or from a pastoral ministry to that of an evangelist or vice-versa.

It was a particularly special message to me because the next day, Sunday, I became the Senior Pastor of Fellowship Baptist Church. I took up a new mantle of ministry which God had prepared for me, prepared the people and myself for.

I look forward to exercising the ministry associated with this new mantle. As you may be seeking God's will for ministry, know that God has that mantle of ministry prepared for you in His time.

Remember: "Where God guides, He provides."

A Stronghold in the Day of Trouble

"The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him." Nahum 1:7

The Lord is good. He, by his very character, is good. Goodness does not just characterize God, but he is good. God's goodness is not just a saying, but he is good!

God is a stronghold in the day of trouble. A stronghold is a refuge, a fortified place. When we are in trouble, we can run to our refuge, our fortified place - the Lord. He will protect us. The Lord is our castle. We can run to the tower of the castle and find help.

A stronghold is also a defense. He will defend us against the onslaught of Satan, the World and the flesh. When we get overwhelmed, overcome and weary, we can run to our Stronghold for defense.

The Lord knows those that trust in Him. When we run to Him as our Stronghold, we never have to worry about being refused entrance. The Lord always knows us, and the "guard" will always let us in. We never have to show a pass, or identification. We can always go right in. We have constant and immediate access!

Those who struggle with a sinful stronghold in their life need to forsake their sinful habits we call strongholds and run to the Lord as their stronghold. Trading their sinful stronghold for the Stronghold of the Lord will result in tremendous blessing!

The Goodness of God

Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually. (Psalm 52:1)

Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? (Romans 2:4)


I was recently reminded of a preacher I knew in North Carolina in my college days. When he shook hands, his greeting always included the statement "Ain't God good!". Now, the grammar might not be the best, but the theology is good! So many people fail to look at the goodness of God.

Some people are so proud that they think that all they have or do are simply a result of their own brute strength and ability. They think that their efforts have gotten them position, wealth, etc. Even many who name the name of Christ fall into this trap. They do not realize that everything they have comes from the Lord. It is understandable for a lost man to ignore the Lord and his goodness, but how can Christians become so proud and self-absorbed as to forget the goodness of the Lord?

The mighty man (the man of strength) will often boast of his abilities and his sheer strength. How can we think that we have some great strength that did not come from the Lord? It is the Lord who gives us strength to do anything!

A person can get so proud and busy that he does not recognize that God is good. He does not realize that all blessings come from the Lord. God's goodness is everlasting and long suffering. His goodness is there even when we do not recognize it. It will be there when everything else is gone. As John Bishop says: "God is good all the time!"

Let us never forget the goodness of God.

Successful Missions Conference

I praise the Lord for His goodness toward us! Last evening we closed out the 2010 Southeast Bible Baptist Church missions conference. I believe it to be the best missions conference we have had in a long time. The Spirit of God moved in a mighty way in our midst. The hearts of our people were touched. The messages were right on target. Our spirits were stirred and our hearts set on fire with a renewed vision and burden for world evangelism. We even exceeded our Faith Promise goal! Amen!

I believe that great things are ahead for us, and even though the conference has ended, may the spirit of the conference continue! Let the Spirit of God continue to move in our midst and the vision we have continue for years to come.

Missions Is...

What is missions? Is it traveling across oceans, continents and jungles to share the Gospel with ignorant tribesmen? Is it living in a grass hut, eating locusts and honey like John the Baptist? Is it withstanding horrible disease and sickness? It may be all of these, but much more!

Is missions living way above your means in a mansion while the people you are trying to reach live in squalor? Is it accumulating tons of support just because you can? Is it draining struggling churches here in the States of much needed funds, while you sit and read novels and watch TV? I think not - it is much more.

Missions, in the minds of some people, are either one of the above scenarios. I contend that missions is much more than giving up the comforts and living in grass huts. Missions is definitely not getting rich at another's expense. Nor is missions laziness.

Missions is partnering together with brethren of like faith and practice to reach the lost with the Gospel. This partnering is striving to reach the world with the Gospel through Faith Promise giving, supporting and sending missionaries to various corners of the globe. It is being sent to reach the lost.

Missions is also partnering with those who seek to start churches in the unreached neighborhoods of our towns and cities here in the United States. There are men who seek to and are currently starting churches all across America who could not do so without the partnership of the brethren.

Missions is partnering together as a local church body to reach our neighborhood, our town, our Jerusalem with the Gospel. If we do not partner together, our community will not be reached! We must strive together for the "furtherance of the Gospel".

Missions is catching the vision of lost souls dying without Christ, and doing our part to reach all that we can. We must partner together with others to reach the world, our nation and our community with the Gospel. This involves praying, giving and going. We must do all we can because our time is short!

Dangers of the new addictive behaviors

I got this via email. Very interesting.

THE DANGERS OF SOCIAL NETWORKING

The following is by Dr. Ron Williams (hesed@kconline.org) and is reprinted from the Hephzibah Happenings, http://www.hephzibahhouse.org with permission of the author.

These messages may be copied in their entirety to help Christians in the rearing of their children for God, strengthening their family, and their marriage. They are not to be changed in any manner or to be sold. This header must be on any copy. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the author.

"And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him" (Colossians 3:17).

A grief-stricken and broken-hearted father approached me after a church service in which I had preached. He asked if he could share with me concerning his son, so I could possibly use the story as a warning to other parents and young people.

Like many other parents, he and his wife thought little or nothing of the computer in their son's bedroom, nor of his closed bedroom door, nor of his countless hours online.

It was only when he turned 18 that they discovered he had been heavily involved with occultic website and with personalities on chat rooms and blogs that had won his interest and ultimate allegiance. These distraught parents were helpless to prevent him from leaving their Christian home and consort with his new "friends" he had made on the web.

This young man was a graduate of a Christian school, and a member of a faithful family that was a regular part of a fundamental, independent Baptist church. He is now a part of a "gothic" circle of friends, dressing in black clothes, having disdained his Christian legacy. He has turned a deaf ear to the appeals of his parents to repent and come back to the truths he had been taught during his plastic and formative years.

The Modern Monster

The god of this world has a myriad of seductive and alluring temptations available today, and our young people are especially vulnerable. One of the most prominent and ubiquitous temptations is the internet. Decades ago, young hearts were warned against pool halls, dance halls, motion pictures, card playing, etc. As morally dangerous as these things were, they pale in significance as compared to the insidious dangers a teenager faces via his computer. What was only available in unsavory places before and after WWI I, is now available to a twelve-year old in his bedroom by the click of a mouse.

Absent Parents

Modern families are not a cohesive unit as they once were. The stresses and pressures on the modern home are multi-faceted. Mothers have left their homes, husband and children for a career in the work place; what precious time left over in her life is inadequate for her to be a successful wife and mother (Mark 3:25). Fathers are stressed to the limit in their vocation. To succeed and to maintain their position leaves them stretched to also be a husband and protective father. Much unsupervised free time for dependent children is a dangerous factor, as their lower nature tempts them into relationships, entertainment and activities, deleterious to their character and soul. Cell phones, texting and the internet are a spiritual minefield for naive youngsters.

Peer Dependence

A Christian young person should aspire to stand alone for the Lord like Daniel of old, rather than seeking his affirmation, identity and security from his peers (Psalm 1:1). Social networking is about "self," whereas ministry is about "others." Because of its great popularity, networking has become a powerful magnet for young hearts. A youngster not involved would think he is missing out on what seems to him "everyone is doing."

It's All About Me

Narcissus was a character of Greek mythology renown for his beauty. He disdained others, caring only for himself. He fell in love with his own reflection in a pool, and not being willing to stop gazing at his own beauty, perished there, becoming a narcissus flower. His name has come to be synonymous with self-love and self-admiration. This proclivity with self seems to be a driving force behind the involvement of many youngsters in social networking: "it's all about me." By way of contrast, Scripture tells us to deny self, take up our cross and follow Christ (Mark 8:34 ).

Social syncretism is doing as a group what one would not likely do on his own. Social networking tempts a youngster to gratuitously "pile on" a victim being attacked on a chat room, blog or website. This victim can be a person, group, institution, clique, etc. Young people are notorious for being ruthless with those out of favor with their particular group. In one tragic example, a thirteen-year old girl committed suicide over cruel remarks being made about her on the web. The author of those disparaging comments turned out to be a married woman who had pretended to be a teenager.

Social syncretism may also be called "herd mentality," a phenomenon in which people abandon reason and even morals to follow the crowd. In a recent experiment at Emory University, one of the professors who authored the study found that brain scans performed as a part of the study showed that disagreeing with a group stimulates pain centers in the brain. These brain scans showed participants did not just whimsically agree to go along with the crowd. Rather, the opinion of the crowd actually changed their perception. In other words, the "herd" alters one's perception of reality.

Most charactered and responsible parents do not need to see this study to know it is dangerous for their child to be involved with uncharactered, foolish and irresponsible peers. They know that "...evil communications corrupt good manners" (1 Corinthians 15:33). These parents instinctively know unsavory friends will contaminate and corrupt their child. Unfortunately, young people do not see this danger, which is why Paul warned about the sinister and insidious danger of this social phenomenon: "Be not deceived" (because many are deceived about the subtle danger of wrong friends, conversations, activities, etc.). Godly parents know that their child will become what their friends are: "As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man."&nbs p; (Proverbs 27:19). The Holy Spirit shows them that evil character is as contagious as a deadly, communicable disease.

The "crowd" can and will alter the moral perception and moral compass of a naive soul not grounded in Scriptures. After a certain amount of exposure and experience with the crowd, it is suddenly okay to text pictures of oneself in various stages of nudity, to discuss lewd, lascivious subjects with a bawdy relish, to aspire to a life of abandon, free of moral restraints, etc. After moral perceptions are altered, it is understandable why loving parents and concerned Pastors are now viewed by the youngster as unreasonable, obstructionist, out of touch and hopelessly old-fashioned. This principle explains why a youngster heretofore happy and content with his family, will become unruly, uncooperative and discontented after involvement with the crowd. This is why a personality that falls out of favor with "the herd" will become an object of scorn and even a "target" to be vilified even though that personality was viewed with favor or at least neutrality, before the whim of the crowd turned against him.

Once Sent, Forever Available

The so-called anonymity the web provides is illusory. Whatever is placed on a blog, chat room, website, etc., is permanently available for an interested person to see. These items can be archived, and can come back to haunt a person many years later. Unguarded, provocative remarks, photographs, videos, etc., have been searched out by Human Resource personnel years after they were put in cyberspace, and they became the unmentioned reason why a person failed to get a job or promotion, or why some lost their positions.

No Thought for Consequences

Young people in particular are very impressionable, vulnerable and naive. Their underdeveloped minds and emotions tempt them to be involved in the "excitement" of social networking. In the privacy of their bedroom, they g ive little or no thought to the consequences of sharing personal information about themselves, their families and their friends, which then can be pieced together by sexual predators, criminals and identity thieves. Some information shared is scandalous, such as "sexting," whereby a cell phone or webcam is used to send images of pubescent youngsters in various stages of nudity. Other images, while not revealing body parts, are highly provocative or sensual, all of which will be available for all to see, now, and in years to come. Dangerous Addiction?

Social networking provides a sense of fulfilment for many that so-called "normal life" does not supply. Interestingly, this is one marker for addiction. This subtle addiction draws many away from responsibility for prolonged periods of time. Far from redeeming the time (Ephesians 5:16), this individual has invested many hours in voyeuristic, spiritually-damaging chats, blogs, sensuality and carnal or foolish conversations that certainly do not conform them to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29), but rather desensitizes their spirit and conscience. Many are driven to spend countless hours on the web, and if for some reason they would not have access to their favorite sites, would experience a sense of emotional loss and cravings similar in intensity to a person's physical cravings for tobacco if he was to quit the habit. This addictive enslavement violates the principles of 1 Corinthians 6:12, "I will not be brought under the power of any." The obsessive compulsion to be actively involved in social networking ceases to be expedient, and becomes a dominating sinful habit pattern.

Spiritual Damage

In today's moral environment, the lowest moral denominator among young people is scandalous and outrageous. It ought not to be surprising then, that their conversation and interests are often spiritually detrimental. God wants us to be wise concerning that which is good and simple (inexperien ced) concerning that which is evil (Romans 16:9). Tragically, after hours, days, weeks and months of licentious, risque' chats, blogs and websites, a young person could become "street wise," hardened against the still small voice of the Holy Spirit, and jaded and cynical about life itself! His priorities, interests and moral values will certainly not be those of his Pastor and Sunday School teacher. Could this explain why many teens are detached, palpably bored and disdainful of church services and family altar? Have I Counted the Cost?

Parents need to seriously question the need for their children to have unsupervised access to cell phones and computers. The texting, wrong pictures and doubtful conversations are elements of "liberty" for which most youngsters are not prepared. Some are texting in school and in church services rather than studying or allowing the Lord to speak to them. Privacy and liberty given by a cell phone, computer and car, are for spiritually mature, responsible adults, not immature, hedonistic and irresponsible children. It is already a daunting challenge to reach a child's heart for Christ, restrain them and bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Why would I as a parent want to greatly complicate these challenges by allowing unsupervised, and uncontrolled access to cell phones and computers? To do so in this Satanically-dominated world would be a little like teaching my child to swim while he was wearing concrete shoes! Possible Guidelines

May I suggest some possible ways in which a parent could have some control and supervision in these areas:

1) A computer should never be in a child's bedroom, but rather in the most public place of the house, such as kitchen or other area most frequented by family members. The computer/laptop should never be behind closed doors, and should be so positioned that passers by will readily see what is being viewed on the monitor.<>
2) No computer for children, or any family member, should be allowed that does not have software that can regularly be examined by parent, guardian, or spouse that reveals everything that has been viewed on that computer. Accountability is crucial.

3) Texting has become a mania for many youth. This obsession, for the same moral dangers of the computer, should be inaccessible, or strictly monitored.

4) Software is available to prevent most pornography and other objectionable sites from being accessed. Every computer in a home should be so equipped. These are not "fool proof," that is why vigilance and close supervision of computers is still needed. Blessings vs. Curses

I communicate with my daughter on the mission field via our computer. This is superior to "snail mail," which took weeks, and often never arrived. Access to local and world news from a variety of sources that is almost instantaneous is a marvelous and enjoyable blessing. The ability to find an obscure or popular product "online" at a fair price saves much time and effort. I can research "the teleological suspension of the ethical," sublapsarianism or the varroa destructor mite online without a time-consuming trip to a library. I can be kept informed about groups, missionaries, ministries and Christian organizations via their newsletters. These are up to date and without cost of postage. Some of them are thousands of miles away in third-world countries, and yet I know to pray for a crisis that took place 24 hours ago. Computers provide instant accessibility to information, products and services in an unparalleled way heretofore unavailable to us. We can communicate with friends, strangers, associates and family members instantly, and over thousands of miles with a click of our mouse. Computers are a wonder of our modern age.

Oceans, lakes, rivers and ponds pro vide transportation, commerce, scenic beauty, food and recreation. However, they can also provide tsunamis, floods, sink ships and drown souls.

Guns provide food for the table, hunting, sports, and arm our military. We also use guns for recreational shooting and protection of lives and property. However, no thinking, responsible parent would allow unsupervised, uncontrolled access to his guns for his children.

Similarly, we must recognize that though computer technology is a tremendous help to us, it can be an unmitigated disaster for our children, and even for us as adults. Restraints, controls, supervision and accountability are not just a good idea for our computers and cell phones, they are a necessity. If a righteous man is to regard the life of his beast (Proverbs 12:10), how much more should we zealously look out for ourselves, our spouse and our children?

Happy New Year

I want to wish all of you a Happy New Year! This is my first blog, and am learning. I hope these posts will give you encouragement and strengthen your hands for the great work we are to do for the Lord.