Preoccupation with Revelation

Just the other day, I saw an article in the newspaper about the new "Left Behind" video game. Now, I have to admit that I have not seen this game, much less played it (nor do I really care to), but I was dumbfounded to learn that a key part of the game has players attempt to "convert" the "heathen" or to kill them. Despite the protestations on the part of the game's developer that this killing is self-defense, it does seem mystifying to me that an ostensibly "Christian" game would have contestants killing anyone. What is even more mystifying to me is the fact that people would go so far as to pay good money for this game. Is the preoccupation with the book of Revelation and the end times that strong? (Yesterday, I actually spoke to a man on the phone who chided me for not preaching on Revelation--btw, he was not a member of the congregation! His thinking was that we are living in the last days, when so much of Revelation is being fulfilled before our very eyes, so why wouldn't I be preaching on Revelation. People need to be aware of what's going on, he said.)

Surely, it is a ploy of the devil to get us sidetracked with peripheral and less significant issues like end-times prophecy and the apocalypse so that we overlook the important things like receiving and resting upon Christ alone for our salvation and like keeping His commandments. This is not to suggest that the book of Revelation is not important. It is a part of God's inspired and inerrant Word and, for that reason, is very important. But it is a book that is quite difficult to understand. While it's main point is crystal clear--i.e., Jesus wins in the end!--the particulars of what it says are open to much debate. It is easy to be so preoccupied with deciphering the less clear points of the book of Revelation that we miss the clear points of the gospel.

When I hear so much emphasis on end-times prophecy, I can't help but think of the words of the "men...in white robes" (Acts 1:10-11), who said to the disciples as they were "gazing into heaven" after Jesus had ascended before their eyes: "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven?" The point seems to be obvious: get on with it. Jesus had just said to these men: "It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:7-8). Get on with keeping the Lord's commands, get on with living the Christian life, be concerned with what He has clearly said in His Word rather than with gazing into the heavens and discerning the times or the seasons.

If only the church would heed and understand!

The Christmas spirit

A good friend recently reminded me of the following words in one of my all-time favorite books, Knowing God, by J.I. Packer. I thought I'd heed my friend's example and pass them along to you (see Knowing God, chapter 5, pages 63-4 in my edition). Enjoy!

"We see now what it meant for the Son of God to empty himself and become poor. It meant a laying aside of glory (the real kenosis); a voluntary restraint of power; an acceptance of hardship, isolation, ill-treatment, malice and misunderstanding; finally, a death that involved such agony--spiritual even more than physical--that his mind nearly broke under the prospect of it. (See Lk 12:50 and the Gethsemane story.) It meant love to the uttermost for unlovely human beings, that they through his poverty might become rich. The Christmas message [emphasis added] is that there is hope for a ruined humanity--hope of pardon, hope of peace with God, hope of glory--because at the Father's will Jesus Christ became poor and was born in a stable so that thirty years later he might hang on a cross. It is the most wonderful message that the world has ever heard, or will hear.

"We talk glibly of the 'Christmas spirit,' rarely meaning more by this than sentimental jollity on a family basis. But what we have said makes it clear that the phrase should in fact carry a tremendous weight of meaning. It ought to mean the reproducing in human lives of the temper of him who for our sakes became poor at the first Christmas. And the Christmas spirit itself ought to be the mark of every Christian all the year round.

"It is our shame and disgrace today that so many Christians--I will be more specific: so many of the soundest and most orthodox Christians--go through this world in the spirit of the priest and the Levite in our Lord's parable, seeing human needs all around them, but (after a pious wish, and perhaps a prayer, that God might meet those needs) averting their eyes and passing by on the other side. That is not the Christmas spirit. Nor is it the spirit of those Christians--alas, they are many--whose ambition in life seems limited to building a nice middle-class Christian home, and making nice middle-class Christian friends, and bringing up their children in nice middle-class Christian ways, and who leave the submiddle-class sections of the community, Christian and non-Christian, to get on by themselves.

"The Christmas spirit does not shine out in the Christian snob. For the Christmas spirit is the spirit of those who, like their Master, live their whole lives on the principle of making themselves poor--spending and being spent--to enrich their fellow humans, giving time, trouble, care and concern, to do good to others--and not just their own friends--in whatever way there seems need.

"There are not as many who show this spirit as there should be. If God in mercy revives us, one of the things he will do will be to work more of this spirit in our hearts and lives. If we desire spiritual quickening for ourselves individually, one step we should take is to seek to cultivate this spirit. 'You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich' (2 Cor 8:9). 'Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus' (Phil 2:5). 'I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart' (Ps 119:32 KJV)."

Convicting words! I pray that this Christmas spirit will shine out in us all, for His glory!

More Thoughts on Islam

Just this morning I came across an old article written by Dr. Ravi Zacharias just after 9/11, entitled "Steadying the Soul While the Heart Is Breaking." I was struck by something he recounts in that article and was reminded of the DVD that I mentioned previously by something else he says. I wanted to share both with you this morning.

Dr. Zacharias recounts the answer given by a Middle Eastern leader to the question, "When will the terrorists killing stop in your part of the world?" The answer: "When they love their children more than they hate us." It's a profoundly insightful reply, isn't it? What does it say about a culture, a religion, that is driven by hate to so completely disregard life, their own and ours? How can the "God" of such a culture or religion be even close to the same God that we worship, the God of the Bible (even if we just look at Genesis 1-16)?

The other comment that Dr. Zacharias makes that so reminds me of the DVD deals with why these terrorists and others like them prey upon the West:

"Distributed liberty will always be vulnerable to the heinous acts of wicked men and women. That, by the way, is the very reason the Christian and the Christian faith will always be vulnerable to abuse by those who seek to attack it. America, which could only have been framed from a Christian worldview, cannot make anti-blasphemy laws, but Muslim nations and states can and do. There is a difference and we had better be absolutely clear about it. The Christian cannot legitimately impose his faith across a land. But at the same time we are given a unique privilege. In America no one need fear preaching the Gospel and inviting men and women to trust in Jesus Christ. The same cannot be said in many Islamic nations today. It is a fundamental difference in our commitment to freedom. The message of the Gospel is not compulsion but freedom. In this lies a crossover between our politics and our faith. Just as the Christian is vulnerable to all kinds of mockery and abuse in the academy and the public square, because there is no compulsion, so also the same possibilities exist for democracy to be abused in a religiously pluralistic society. Is it because democracy and Christianity are identical? Not necessarily. But it is because of a fundamental tenet of self-determination shared by both. With that essential fact, we will always be open to plunder, disrespect, and attack by those who are determined to mock it. It is the price of freedom."

Radical Islam DVD

A friend recently loaned me a DVD of the new movie on radical Islam, Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West, and I watched it last night. I must say that I think it was quite sobering, even though many of the things that were said in it were not new to me. Having lived overseas in an international community for three years at the beginning of the Conflict in Iraq, I was exposed to a lot of what the film portrayed. For instance, in the building where I lived, there actually were muslims who ran around outside celebrating and cheering after 9/11, rejoicing that tragedy had struck the U.S.! I was astounded.

In spite of this exposure, much of the film's footage, especially of the violence and hatred spewed forth by the religious leaders (the imams or ayatollah) in religious contexts was shocking. On one occasion, a local ayatollah even pulled out a sword while he was preaching and began waving it about as though he were using it as a weapon to accomplish what he was asking his hearers to do: i.e., kill Americans and other "westerners."

Among the most provocative features of the movie were the links it made between radical Islam and pre-WWII Naziism, on the one hand, and between U.S./Western reaction to Islam and the U.S./Western reaction to pre-WWII Naziism, on the other. Is there a WWIII on the horizon? If history teaches us anything at all, there would certainly seem to be (humanly speaking, that is).

The main difference, of course, between Naziism and radical Islam is that the latter is doing what they are doing according to the "will of God." As these ayatollah spewed forth their lies, encouraging their listeners to kill Americans and westerners (even other muslims who disagree with them), all under the guise of the will of God, I couldn't help but think of what the Bible says about Satan, namely, that "he was a murderer from the beginning" and the "father of lies" (John 8:44) and, yet, masquerades as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14). How thankful I am that Jesus Christ, the anticipated seed of the woman, has crushed the head of the serpent once and for all and will, yet, gain the victory! It's only a matter of time.

More of Geneva

Yesterday, I posted some long-awaited photos of Geneva...pictures of St. Peter's and (a sideways picture) of Calvin's Auditorium.

Today, I wanted to post a picture of a small chapel inside St. Peter's that is absolutely beautiful and distinguished by the vivid colors and the motto of the Reformation written across the back wall above the pulpit: "Post tenebras lux" (after darkness, light). This motto also became the motto of the city of Geneva, because of the close identification of Geneva with the Protestant Reformation. Indeed, many today still regard the city of Geneva as the "Protestant Rome."

Enjoy!

Pictures of Geneva and Christmas Cantata

I know I promised some pictures from my trip to Geneva...so, here are a couple of pictures of St. Peter's, where John Calvin preached, and of Calvin's Auditorium (L'Auditoire), where John Knox preached to the English-speaking refugees and where Calvin lectured during the week.

But, what I really want to tell you about is our Christmas program on Sunday. For those of you who missed it, you missed a wonderful service! Tammy and the choir worked extremely hard to pull this together and it paid off. There was one piece in particular, a rendition of the angels singing "Glory to God in the Highest," that was my favorite. The way the choir sang it made me feel like I was there as a witness to the great throng of angels that attended Christ's first advent. And that made me think of the same throng that will attend Christ's second advent. Oh what a day that will be!

If you see Tammy or a member of the choir, thank them for their hard work. And make sure you don't miss next year's service.

Hip Hop and Christianity?

Okay, one more day until I can begin posting pictures of our trip to Geneva and Edinburgh...but, I promise that I'll get there. I just couldn't pass up the chance to post something that may be a little controversial...

Yesterday, Jacob, our ministerial intern, went to the local Youth for Christ meeting here in Gulfport. They brought in a DJ/rapper who is supposed to be a "Christian" DJ/rapper. The flyer advertising this event shows a picture of this guy with silver teeth, silver rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklace (which, in and of themselves, would not in any way preclude his being a Christian), and with his face contorted in a disdainful sort of way.

The picture evinces pure rebellion and anger (which has more to do with the look on this guy's face and his body language than, perhaps, with his jewelry). This is what I (and our ministerial intern) have a problem with. How can an image or genre of music or artist that conveys rebellion and anger call itself/himself/herself a Christian image/music/artist? Rebellion and anger, even if only an act, doesn't comport with Christianity. It is the opposite of the fruit that is supposed to define a Christian. Christianity doesn't send a message of rebellion and hatred. Can something that does call itself "Christian"?

The meeting at school went on to feature lewd and vulgar dancing by the folks who attended (note, this was the appraisal of a 25 year old, not a 60 year old!), although there was a gospel presentation and, from what I hear, two people professed faith in Jesus Christ.

In the end, what did Youth for Christ teach these young people yesterday? Many things perhaps, but they at least taught these young people that Christianity has nothing to do with the way you live or act. They taught them that you can receive Jesus as Savior without ever receiving Him as Lord of your life. They taught them that you can receive Jesus as Savior and ignore His commands. They taught them that you can receive Jesus as Savior and then remain the "Lord" of your own life, by living the way you please. What's more they also taught them a complete disregard for what the Bible says. After all, it was Jesus who said "if you love me, keep my commandments."

Thoughts?

Back at last!

Well, now, it has been a while since last I blogged! We have just returned from two weeks in Geneva, Switzerland, and in Edinburgh, Scotland. My family and I went over for my graduation last week and decided to spend an extra week (Thanksgiving week) touring Calvin's, Knox's, and Beza's old stomping grounds (Geneva). Over the next few days, I'd like to share some photos with you from the trip. But, first, I just had to share something with you:

A friend told me about my friend and mentor Ligon Duncan rapping at a recent Ligonier Conference with his brother John. I thought I'd share the link with you so you can enjoy the moment! Click here to see "Puff Daddy" Duncan and his brother L.L. Cool J[ohn]! If this link does not work, for some reason, go to "you tube" and search on John and Ligon Duncan; that should bring it up (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfmAksujkGY). Enjoy!

It's good to be back!

Men's Friday Morning Bible Study

This morning, in Bible Study, we finished up Matthew's first chapter, discussing particularly the birth of Christ. We had a great discussion about the humility of Christ in emptying Himself and being subject to the very creatures He created. Imagine the God of this universe subjecting Himself to being cared for as an infant in every way that an infant must be cared for by His parents! Matthew reminds us of this amazing truth by pointing out that Jesus, in fulfillment of the Old Testament, would be called "Immanuel," which means "God with us." Think on that as we prepare for this holiday season.

Camp Hope Tonight

Tonight we had another great evening of fellowship with volunteers from Delaware, New Jersey, Ohio, and Alberta and Ontario, Canada. Many of the folks had been down at least once before. The Canadians are the sixth team that has come down from Word and Deed Ministries! And they will be sending another team in the week after Thanksgiving and then another team in January. What an encouragement to see the commitment of such Christians to the Lord Jesus Christ and His body! The work these folks have been able to get done this week has been amazing. They have kept Lisa Ladner on the run!

It's always a blessing to sing and praise the Lord with these brothers and sisters in Christ.

Men's Friday morning Bible Study

On the day that Martin Luther was born (today in 1483 in Eisleben, Germany), we studied the birth of Christ (specifically, His genealogy) in this morning's Bible study. Sadly, many Christians miss out on some real gems by glossing over the opening verses of Matthew's Gospel. Here are some of the things we discussed this morning:

1. We noted the presence of women, and, in particular, sinful women, in the opening verses of Matthew. We contrasted this with the felt need in the Roman Church to purge Mary of all sin in order, as the thinking goes, to protect the sinlessness of Christ.

2. We noted the presence of Gentile women in the genealogy of Christ.

3. We noted the differences between Matthew's account of the genealogy of Christ and Luke's and discussed some of the likely reasons for this. We pointed out that Matthew mentions the regal lineage of Christ, showing that Jesus is the heir to the throne of David in fulfillment of God's promise to David in 2 Samuel 7 (to establish David's throne forever). And that Luke seems most concerned with tracing Christ's genealogy back to Adam and, thereby, establishing that He is a savior for the entire world, not just for the Jews (whose father was Abraham), and that He is the second and final Adam. (Luke interestingly follows the account of the genealogy, which ends with Adam, with the account of the temptation of Christ, which parallels the prior temptation of Adam.)

4. We talked about Jesus' earthly family and the relationship between Mary and Joseph and whether or not Jesus had brothers and sisters (Matt. 12:47-8; 13:55-6).

5. The genealogies also point to another fact: the historical reality of Jesus' birth and existence on earth. Matthew and Luke wrote their Gospels sometime around the early- to mid-60s A.D. This would mean that there would still have been people alive at the time they wrote of Jesus' genealogy. These folk could have (and surely would have, if there was cause to do so) pointed out errors in these genealogies if there were any. There are complications with our understandings of the genealogies, to be sure. But there don't appear to have been many such in the time when Matthew and Luke wrote them. Interestingly, Eusebius records instance of relatives of Jesus being called before the Roman Emperor Domitian as part of Rome's continuing effort to stamp out the line of David.

That should be enough to get your head spinning for the weekend, if it isn't already!

Harvest Festival

I've just returned from our Harvest Festival out at Camp Hope tonight. What a great night! We had super weather, just right for a bonfire. There were hayrides galore, sack races (there will probably be incriminating photos of yours truly winning the adult's race, which unfortunately may be used against me in the church newsletter!), a pie-baking contest (congratulations to Mary Case, whose Apple Pie won first prize), a chili contest (Gail Theiler was tops here), and a bouncy castle and other games and crafts for the kids (thanks to Cece Vallot for her help in organizing this). It really was a great night. Thanks go to Heather Carter, Lisa Ladner, and Jacob Feigl for their work in making everything possible. If you couldn't come out this year, make it a point to come out next year.

Camp Hope Fall Festival

Tomorrow night we will be hosting our 1st Camp Hope Fall Festival. There will be a hay ride beginning at 4pm, I think, and a host of other activities for the entire family, including pumpkin painting, food, and, Lord willing, a bonfire to enjoy. Please make it a point to come out and join the festivities. It could be the perfect end to a busy day!

Call or email the church office for more information (www.fpcgulfport.org).

Auburn Weekend

Well, this past Friday night and Saturday we packed up the family and headed to the loveliest village on the plains (a.k.a. Auburn, for you neophytes out there!) for the first time since we left the country over four years ago. What a beautiful weekend! The whole way there, as I drove, I looked out my windshield at the spectacular colors of Fall at its peak. The reds, oranges, and yellows, together with the remnant of green in the trees reminded me that we have a spectacular God, who created all this in its beauty and intricacy! And, to think that this is creation in travail. Just wait until the new heavens and the new earth. How grand that sight will be!

We went to the Auburn-Arkansas State game; it was my son's first football game in person. We watched the eagle (Tiger) fly just over our heads (quite a sight really!). But perhaps the most inspirational, for me, was the sound of 87,000 people singing "God bless America." Yes, I know that all were probably not Christians. But it reminded me a little of what heaven will be like, when a great throng, which no man can number, will sing a new song unto the Lord. It won't (for sure) be "God bless America" but singing it on Saturday afternoon made me long for heaven, when we will all sing "worthy is the Lamb to receive glory, honor, riches, and blessing forever!"

Maranatha!

Proving Christianity is Right

I read this morning on Fox News of a man in Michigan who claims to be a Satanist. This may not sound like anything new; there are plenty of people in our world that are so deluded by their sin that they worship the devil. But the interesting thing about this particular version of devil worship is that it claims not to worship the devil per se but to worship "self." As Fox News reports: "The church doesn't worship Beelzebub, it believes in taking responsibility for your own actions and being your own god." When they interviewed the founder of this "religion," he explained by adding, "I don't care how much fun killing people is...that sort of thing is just not acceptable."

Oh, really! Isn't that interesting? Not only can this guy apparently not see the blatant contradiction in his thinking, he also apparently cannot see that his "religion" gives him absolutely no basis whatsoever for making the claim that he makes.

(1) If everyone is to be their "own god," then that means that everyone is to make their own laws for themselves. You cannot be "your own god" and be subject to following someone else's laws. That someone else would actually be your god and not you yourself. And that means that you cannot have a religion that says: "you are your own god" AND "you must be subject to certain objective laws (like, e.g., not killing people)." This religion is self-defeating; it contradicts itself explicitly.

(2) There is no basis in this guy's religion that allows him to be able to say that "killing people...is just not acceptable." Only the Christian worldview gives him the basis for making that claim (which Christianity actually does, in the 6th commandment). He must "borrow" from the Christian worldview in order to make his claim that murder is wrong. His own worldview does not allow him to say this. So, his comments, rather than commending devil worship, actually prove that Christianity is the only right and true religion.

Think about that!

Reformation Day, 489 years later

As many of you know, on this date in 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the castle church in Wittenberg, Germany. What some of you may not know, however, is that by taking this action, Luther did not intend to overthrow nor to make a sharp break with the Roman Church. He simply wanted to start a dialogue with the church because of what he perceived to be doctrinal and moral corruptions within it. The 95 theses were, thus, 95 points for dialogue with the church. It was the church that excommunicated Luther, deciding, as it would appear, that there would be no such dialogue.

Well, just this morning I was reading over a document that was written about ten years ago by several prominent ministers and theologians in the wake of ECT (Evangelicals and Catholics Together), which offered 7 (not 95, thankfully) points for dialogue between Evangelicals and Roman Catholics. And rather than post these to the door in Wittenberg, I thought the internet will just have to do! Here goes...

RESOLUTIONS for Roman Catholic & Evangelical Dialogue
Drafted by J.I. Packer and Michael Horton
The following statements of evangelical belief are offered as material for dialogue between Roman Catholics and Evangelicals, following from the recent document, "Evangelicals and Catholics Together..."

We...offer this response in a spirit of irenic debate on issues arising from that important joint statement. As that document was crafted to encourage cooperation on the basis of a consensus deemed sufficient for the purpose, though confessionally incomplete, so the following statements seek to identify issues of concern to evangelical Protestants that the thrust of the document raises. What follows is intended to encourage further discussion of the possibilities and problems of acting together.

1. While both Evangelicals and Roman Catholics affirm the ecumenical Creeds [i.e., Apostles' Creed, Nicene Creed, etc.], we do not see this catholic consensus as a sufficient basis for declaring that agreement exists on all the essential elements of the Gospel.

2. The doctrine of justification by grace alone through faith alone because of Christ alone has since the Reformation been acknowledged by mainstream Protestants as "the article by which the church stands or falls," and the tenet that distinguishes a true from a false church. While affirming an indissoluble bond between justification and sanctification, this doctrine insists that justification itself is God's present forensic declaration of pardon and acceptance, and that the righteousness required for this declaration is neither attained by human effort nor infused or worked internally by God in the human soul, but is the righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed to those who believe. The Council of Trent anathematized [i.e., placed under curse] those who embrace this doctrine, and all subsequent magisterial declarations, including those of the Second Vatican Council, continue to bind Roman Catholics to the conviction that this Gospel of free justification by faith alone, apart from works, and the assurance of salvation that springs from it, is not consonant with Roman Catholic teaching. While gladly noting in modern Roman Catholic exposition a growing emphasis on Christ and the biblical promises as objects of faith and trust, we see justification by faith alone as an essential of the Gospel on which radical disagreement continues, and we deny the adequacy of any version of the Gospel that falls short at this point.

3. Furthermore, while rejoicing in our agreement that God in the Gospel offers salvation in Christ to all who will receive it, we radically disagree with the teaching of the Second Vatican Council that unbelievers may be saved by their good works, apart from faith in Christ.

4. The extent of the creedal consensus that binds orthodox Evangelicals and Roman Catholics together warrants the making of common cause on moral and cultural issues in society. Roman Catholics and Evangelicals have every reason to join minds, hearts, and hands when Christian values and behavioral patterns are at stake. Yet it is incorrect to regard such cooperation among Christians as common ecclesial action in fulfilling a common ecclesial mission. The mission of the church as such is primarily the fulfilling of the Great Commission of Christ through the ministry of Word and sacraments, and cultural, moral, political and social concerns in which Christians rightly engage must not be thought to determine the relationship of ecclesial communions, or allowed to become decisive in the setting of their respective agendas.

5. We affirm that Christ's prayer for unity requires vigilant patience and diligence as we seek a greater visible unity. We deny that this prayer refers merely to the spiritual or invisible church. We further affirm that the unity we seek is shaped, bonded, and controlled by the teaching of the canonical Scripture, the written Word of God, comprising the Law and the Gospel in its message of reconciliation with God and new life in Christ. To this Word the church must submit and by it must correct its understandings, so that its unity will be a unity in truth. The Roman Catholic Church claims to be graced with an infallibility that attaches to conciliar declarations and Papal pronouncements ex cathedra, such that these are in principle irreformable, and must be treated as decisive guides to the theological interpretation of the Bible. We deny that the defined doctrines of the church's infallibility, Papal primacy, justification according to [the Council of] Trent, transubstantiation and eucharistic sacrifice, and the immaculate conception and assumption of Mary, can be proved from Scripture, and we cannot accept any form of joint action that appears to imply agreement with them. Also, we deny that visible unity has been or can be achieved where a common confession of the Gospel in all its essential elements is lacking.

6. We affirm that individual Roman Catholics who for whatever reason do not self-consciously assent to the precise definitions of the Roman Catholic Magisterium regarding justification, the sole mediation of Christ, the relation between faith and the sacraments, the divine monergism of the new birth, and similar matters of evangelical conviction, but who think and speak evangelically about these things, are indeed our brothers and sisters in Christ, despite Rome's official position. We perceive that the Roman Catholic Church contains many such believers. We deny, however, that in its present confession it is an acceptable Christian communion, let alone being the mother of the faithful; to whom every believer needs to be related.

7. We affirm that the Great Commission of our Lord requires every Christian and every congregation to be engaged in witness for Christ, and that this is concerned not merely with conversion, but with the catechesis, nurture, and discipline of converts. Therefore, we deny that it is advisable to imply that whether one is in a church where the Word is rightly preached and the sacraments are rightly (that is, biblically) administered is no longer important; and we insist that every Christian, Roman Catholic no less than Protestant, needs regular exposure to accurate, Christ-centered preaching and exposition of the Bible.

Comments?

"O Canada" and Camp Hope

This week we have a large group in town from Canada, part of them are from British Columbia and the other part are from Ontario. Both are here representing Word & Deed Ministries, which is itself based in Ontario. Word & Deed has been a HUGE supporter of ours since the hurricane. In addition to the generous financial support they have given us, they have also prayed for us, written two articles in their widely-circulated newsletter about us, and sent down FIVE teams of volunteers (including the current one) to help us! What an encouragement! And from people we really had no connection with at all before Katrina.

Well, last night (blogger seems not to have been working last night, so my comments had to wait until this morning), we all met together for dinner, Bible study, and singing...and, oh, what singing there was too! For those of you who missed last night, you missed it (profound statement, I realize). The singing was absolutely divine. It was like hanging out in the "suburbs of heaven" for an evening, to borrow a phrase from dear, old Samuel Rutherford. One thing I have to say for our northern brothers and sisters, THEY CAN SING! Okay, I'll give them two things: they can also work! Talk about "Protestant work ethic." What a testimony to the Lord. We look forward to the next Canadian team coming down and, in the meantime, let's practice up on our singing!

Update on downtown church property

I recently was asked to give an update on the status of our downtown church property. So, here goes...

As of today, we have received several "soft" offers to buy our property but, so far, have received no firm offers in writing, such as would allow us to come before the congregation for a decision (which, by the way, will have to happen before the property can be sold). The property is not currently listed for sale, and there are no plans in the works to do so. We have been told that FEMA will be tearing down the small office building behind the sanctuary, since that building is on a separate deed and "qualifies" for this free service. There is no definite time schedule yet as to when this will happen. As far as the main sanctuary, classrooms, and fellowship hall, there are no plans to demolish them at the present time.

If and when we, as a congregation, do decide to sell or to demolish the property, we will be sure to have a special service on site beforehand.

As far as our new property goes, we hope to submit our application to the Corps of Engineers in Mobile sometime within the next few weeks (we are gathering the necessary info they will need). Once we submit this application, we are told that it could be four months before we know anything back from them. Please be in prayer for the church and for this process. And let me know if there are any questions or concerns at any time.

Gulfport Gridiron, Bama Again

For the second week in a row, our speaker at Gridiron was an Alabama man. And for the second week in a row, I can say that, in spite of that fact (which is no small thing, considering the verbal abuse I, as an Auburn man, had to endure both weeks from both speakers!), I have to admit that it was an excellent evening. John Croyle, of Big Oak Ranch, in Gadsden, AL, spoke tonight. John played in the early '70s for Bear Bryant and was part of Alabama's 1973 National Championship team. And his son, Brodie, also played quarterback for Alabama (and, now, the Kansas City Chiefs) from 2003-5.

John spoke passionately and movingly about his work with children at Big Oak Ranch. He told us that our children are themselves looking for a hero and challenged us to be that hero in their lives by living according to three "Ps." They are as follows,

Prepare. John encouraged us to invest our lives in preparing our children for the future. He reminded us that there is no such thing as "self-made men." Everyone got a break somewhere or was helped along the way to become what they are today. Everyone of us had role models or mentors.
Purpose. John also encouraged us to be men whose lives are purpose-driven. We are not to be "wandering generalities" but men who know what we are about and who live accordingly. We need to pass this along to our children.
Passion. The third thing John encouraged us to be is passionate about what we do and about what we believe. He said that one of the distinguishing characteristics of Coach Bryant was that he chose young men to play for him who were motivated men. Coach Bryant, he indicated, was not so much a motivater as a director or steerer of men who were themselves motivated.

John Croyle is an outspoken Christian, who seeks to teach the young men and women he takes in about the transforming love of Jesus Christ. He has "raised" over 1600 children since he opened his ranch. Join me in praying for John's family and ministry.

Playing the Man

This past Sunday in our Inquirer's Class, we looked at the history of the Christian church from Jesus through the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century (insert audible gasps here...yes, we really covered over 1500 years of church history in about 40 minutes!). When we got to the Reformation, we mentioned the influence that John Calvin had upon John Knox, who was in Geneva because of the persecution in England that was initiated by the Roman Catholic Queen, Mary Tudor (a.k.a. "Bloody Mary," the eldest daughter of the notorious Henry VIII).

Upon ascending to the throne in 1553, Mary began to undo many of the reforms that her half-brother Edward VI had initiated. Two prominent "protestant" bishops under Edward, Nicholas Ridley and Hugh Latimer, were arrested by Mary and summarily tried and burned at the stake in Oxford this very week 451 years ago. They were executed because they were seeking to reform the church and to bring it in line with what the Bible has to say.

In the midst of the fire, Latimer turned to Ridley, who was suffering greatly, and said: "Be of good comfort, Mr. Ridley, and play the man! We shall this day light such a candle by God's grace, in England, as I trust never shall be put out."

As it turns out, Hugh Latimer was right. Their martyrdoms only served to intensify the people's zeal for reform in the church. And Mary was "forced" to initiate a series of ferocious attacks on the newly reforming church in which over 200 men, women, and children were killed for their convictions. Mary's tirade began on October 21, 1555.

Biblical Principles of Giving

Since this month is Stewardship Month, I wanted to re-emphasize what the Bible has to say about how we give to the church. Below are 10 principles gleaned from Scripture. They are by no means intended to be exhaustive. There is a lot more that could (and probably should) be said.

1. The Old Testament states that we are to tithe (literally, to give 10% of) our yearly produce each year (Deut. 14:22. Cf. Gen. 14:20; Lev. 27:30-31; Num. 18:21, 24, 26).

2. Failing to give this 10% is unambiguously called "stealing from God" in Malachi 3:8-9.

3. The tithe is to be given to the "storehouse," i.e., to the "house of God" (Malachi 3:10; Nehem. 10:37-9), the main place you are fed spiritually.

4. The tithe is to be used to support those who work full-time in serving the "house of God," to care for widows and orphans and the needy in our community, and to feed and care for the congregation as a whole (Deut. 12:17-18; Deut. 14:22-8).

5. As we move from the Old Testament to the New Testament, we do not see a principle of restriction or of limitation but one of expansion (i.e., prophecy expands to fulfillment; the covenant expands from Jews only to Jews and Gentiles; etc.). Thus, we would expect to find that the OT teaching on the tithe is not restricted or even overturned in the NT but, rather, expanded upon. We would also expect, therefore, 10% should be a minimum amount for the Christian.

6. Jesus states that Christians should tithe as scrupulously as the Pharisees, who even tithed their mint, cumin, and dill (Matt. 23:23), but without ignoring the weightier matters of the law, as the Pharisees did.

7. The NT locates our example in giving in the cross of Jesus Christ. Paul says, in 2 Corinthians 8:9, "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich." If, therefore, we really understand grace and the way in which Christ gave, we should have little difficulty in giving as the Macedonians, who gave "beyond their ability" (2 Cor. 8:3).

8. Tithing should not be a drudgery; it ought to be an offering that proceeds from a joyful heart (Deut. 12:18; Deut. 14:26; 2 Cor. 8:2; 2 Cor. 9:7). This does not mean that it won't cost you; quite obviously, it will. But, as King David once said, how can we offer God a sacrifice that costs us nothing (2 Sam. 24:24).

9. In some of the most astonishing words in Scripture, God commands us to test Him by tithing to see if He will not "open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need" (Mal. 3:10). This is the only time in the Bible where we are encouraged to put the God of this universe to the test! And though this is not a "health and wealth" promise, it is surely financial to some degree.

10. The NT states principially that it is impossible for Christians to out-give God: "Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give....And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work" (2 Cor. 9:6, 8).

Camp Hope Gathering

Tonight we had yet another great time together at Camp Hope amid all the rain. We talked about hope and the relationship between it and true freedom, the freedom we have in Christ alone. What an encouragement to sup with teams of volunteers from Kansas and Virginia and with a few of the homeowners we are helping! The show of support from our brothers and sisters around the country continues to amaze me. We had one homeowner that just couldn't stop thanking us for our help. Pray for her. She has been struggling since the hurricane with a damaged house that has been broken into three times! Pray for her and others like her who need to experience the freedom that is found only in Christ.

Gulfport Gridiron

As much as it agonizes me to admit it, I thoroughly enjoyed tonight's Gridiron Club meeting in Gulfport. Now, before you jump to conclusions, let me be quick to point out that I thoroughly enjoy Gridiron every week. What made tonight so different was that the speaker was an Alabama man. And that is what makes enjoying the evening agonizing! (BTW, for those of you who may not know, I am kidding......well, for the most part anyway!)

Tonight, Jay Barker spoke and did a wonderful job too. Jay, as many of you will remember, played quarterback for Alabama from '91 through '94 (which includes the national championship they won in '92). But, more significant than that for me (which, admittedly, is not saying much for an Auburn fan, because almost anything would be more significant than that!), is that Jay is an outspoken, committed Christian. Tonight, he challenged us as men to strive to be champions in our lives. He used that word (champion) as an acrostic to highlight 8 characteristics that he believes it takes to be a champion. And I wanted to share them with you in order to challenge you as well:

C - Committed to Excellence. A champion is committed; he/she doesn't quit. And he/she always gives their best and expects others to do the same.
H - Humble. A champion is humble. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
A - Attitude. A champion has a winning attitude at all times and always looks for the best in himself/herself and in others.
M - Motivates. A champion motivates others to be and do their best at all times.
P - Prepared. The difference between a champion and a failure is not the will to win but the will to prepare to win. Everyone wants to win.
I - Integrity. Champions operate with integrity in every area of their lives.
O - Opportunities to Serve. A champion doesn't live for himself/herself but looks for opportunities to serve others, to influence others for good, and to make this world a better place.
N - Never Compromises. Champions never compromise their convictions or their families just to get ahead. The divorce courts are full of successfull businessmen and women.

Thanks for the reminder, Jay! I, for one, am thankful for your commitment to Christ, your family, and the church.

The fleetingness of life

With yesterday's plane crash in New York City, we were all once again graphically reminded that life is fleeting. No matter how long we think we may have on this earth, we are never guaranteed a tomorrow. As the psalmist says, "Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow" (Psalm 144:4, NIV). One moment, Cory Lidle, a 34-year old pitcher for the New York Yankees, was on top of the world, playing the game he loves in the playoffs for one of the best baseball teams in the league, and the next moment he is dead and all that is gone.

"All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field....The grass withers and the flowers fall, but [it is] the word of our God [that] stands forever" (Isaiah 40:6b, 8, NIV).

Let us not be so preoccupied with the here and now of our lives that we neglect the things that are really and eternally important, namely, being right with God through faith in Jesus Christ and growing in that faith by growing in our knowledge and understanding of His Word, which alone stands forever.

A Night with Graham Presbyterian Church!

We had yet another great evening together with folks from the Graham Presbyterian Church in Graham, NC. These dear brothers and sisters have truly been an encouragement to our church over the last year. They have supported us with their finances and with their prayers. They have encouraged us with personal letters sent to many of our ladies, oftentimes arriving (providentially) just when they were needed most. They even held a special musical concert at their church earlier in the year to benefit our congregation and the work we are doing through Camp Hope. What a blessing! What a reminder of the unity of Christ's Church and the fellowship we look forward to sharing in heaven with them and many, many like them! Join us in praying that Christ will be praised by the world knowing that we are Christians through this kind of love expressed one for another.

Stewardship and the Reformation

As many of you know, this month at FPC is "stewardship month," the month of the year in which we talk about what the Bible has to say about how we manage the gifts God gives to us. The first four Sundays of this month I will be preaching from Malachi, Dv, and looking at topics that relate to stewardship in general. We've already looked at "Stewardship of our Attitude towards God" and "Stewardship of Church and Family." This Sunday, we'll be talking about the dreaded "M" word (Money, in case you were wondering) in a "Stewardship of our Finances." More to follow on this soon...

For the final Sunday of the month, however, so-called Reformation Sunday, we will switch gears and look at a topic that is particularly related to Reformation theology. And, of course, we will sing "A Mighty Fortress is Our God!"

Speaking of Reformation Sunday, I came across the following quote from the Puritan Richard Baxter on the topic, which I thought you would enjoy:

"Alas! Can we think that the reformation is wrought, when we cast out a few ceremonies, and changed some vestures, and gestures, and forms! Oh no, sirs! It is the converting and saving of souls that is our business. That is the chiefest part of reformation, that doth most good, and tendeth most to the salvation of the people."

Jonathan Edwards' Birthday

Today in 1703, the greatest "American" theologian Jonathan Edwards was born in East Windsor, Connecticut. Edwards is perhaps best known for his sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," which has been read by school children the world over. For me, the two most significant works he wrote were his A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections and Freedom of the Will. And, of course, it is nice to point out that his understanding of the affections was influenced to some degree by his reading of Samuel Rutherford's Survey of the Spiritual AntiChrist. Shortly before his death, Edwards became the third president of Princeton, only to die a month or so later of a smallpox vaccination.

Camp Hope Tonight!

I have just returned from yet another glorious evening at Camp Hope. We looked at that fabulous passage in 1 John 2:1-2 and then sung and prayed together. What a night!

This week, we have one large team of volunteers in from Lexington, NC, folks that are near and dear to our hearts. Most of these men and women have been here before, some as many as five times since the hurricane. Their church, Meadowview Reformed Presbyterian Church, was among the first churches to call me on the phone and pledge their financial support, their prayer support, and streams of volunteers. The first team they sent down arrived the second week after the hurricane. I still remember standing on the front porch of Tim and Libby Murr's house (our base of operations for just about everything at that time) and meeting these guys for the first time. Emotions were still quite raw then. We stood shoulder to shoulder and arm in arm and prayed, giving thanks to the Lord for His Church. Since then they have helped several of our members and others in the community as well to get back into their homes. We are grateful for these brothers and sisters and their tangible expression of God's hesed (Hebrew word often translated "lovingkindness;" it refers to God's covenant love by which He doggedly pursues His people and refuses to let us go).

The Sands of Time Are Sinking

A fantastic conversation I had with a friend today about heaven prompted me to think of this hymn, which will be familiar to some of you. To my shame, we have not yet sung it in worship (some of my friends will be aghast at this!). Though the words to this hymn were written by Anne Cousin, the wife of a Free Church of Scotland minister in the nineteenth century, they are based upon and drawn largely from the Letters of Samuel Rutherford (the man I did my Ph.D. on--now you know why some of my friends will be shocked that we haven't sung it!). Rutherford's last words, as he lay dying in 1661, were reputedly: "Glory, glory dwelleth in Immanuel's land!" I wanted to share the hymn with you as encouragement.

The sands of time are sinking, the dawn of heaven breaks, the summer morn I've sighed for, the fair sweet morn awakes; dark, dark hath been the midnight, but day-spring is at hand, and glory, glory dwelleth in Emmanuel's land.

The King there in his beauty without a veil is seen; it were a well-spent journey though seven deaths lay between: the Lamb with his fair army doth on Mount Zion stand, and glory, glory dwelleth in Emmanuel's land.

O Christ, he is the fountain, the deep sweet well of love! The streams on earth I've tasted, more deep I'll drink above: there to an ocean fulness his mercy doth expand, and glory, glory dwelleth in Emmanuel's land.

The bride eyes not her garment, but her dear bride-groom's face; I will not gaze at glory, but on my King of grace; not at the crown he gifteth, but on his pierced hand: the Lamb is all the glory of Emmanuel's land.

Amen!

Change of seasons, revivals, and revivalists

Recently, my son asked me what my favorite time of the year is. My reply? The Fall, of course. There is nothing quite like the feeling of a cool, crisp breeze after a long, hot summer; it is utterly invigorating!

This started me thinking about revivals (I know my mind works in strange ways!), that special work of God's in which He pours out His Spirit (like a breeze, a la John 3:8) and brings a renewal of religion on more than an individual scale.

And...on this date in 1770, the great Calvinistic revivalist George Whitefield preached his final sermon (and then died the very next morning, September 30, at 56 years old). In his lifetime, Whitefield preached to almost 6 million people! That's about 10% of the world's population at that time or about 2 times the U.S. population today! At one point in his early ministry, Whitefield preached from the front steps of the courthouse in Philadelphia to 78,000 people(without amplification), which may not sound like a lot until we consider that the entire population of Philadelphia at that time was only 25,000! That would be like preaching to 12 million today.

Most of Whitefield's biographers record the time when he first began preaching outdoors in Bristol, England, in a mining community. The first day he preached 200 hardened coal miners came to hear what he had to say. Before he was finished, the blackened faces that stared back at him were streaked with tears. Imagine! hardened coal miners weeping over their sin and the joy of forgiveness in Christ! The next day he preached there were 2000 people; and the next day, 10,000; and the next, 23,000.

Would that the Lord raise up another Whitefield! Would that He work another revival! Join me in praying for this as we enjoy the cool breezes of Fall upon our faces.

George Mueller and Camp Hope

Two-hundred and one years ago yesterday George Mueller, the English minister famous for establishing and maintaining orphanages in Bristol without making any of his needs known to man but only to God in prayer, was born in Germany. Over the course of his lifetime, Mueller raised approximately $7,000,000 (!) to build and maintain these orphanages by praying to the One who owns the cattle on a thousand hills (and everything else too!). I remember reading an account many years ago of an interview that someone conducted with George Mueller in which they asked him how he could handle all the problems and issues that were involved in building and running the orphanages. Mueller replied by citing Psalm 55:22, saying, "I rolled 66 burdens upon the Lord this morning." That was his key.

If you've never read a biography on this man of faith and prayer, I would encourage you to do so. There you will find story upon story of how God answered his prayers visibly and in the nick of time.

That brings me to Camp Hope. I couldn't help but think of Camp Hope when I remembered the life of George Mueller. You can say what you like about the hurricane. But, one thing is for sure, we have seen God answer prayer visibly and in the nick of time. Many times we have had a need for a certain skill on a home we were working on only to pray and have God meet that need in ways that we knew it had to be from Him. Many times we have been stymied in our work only to pray and have God answer in the nick of time. Many times, too, I feel as though we have "rolled 66 burdens upon the Lord." Although I wouldn't pretend that we are in the same league with Mueller, as far as faith or prayer, I was reminded of his life when I thought of Camp Hope.

Please join me in praying for Camp Hope and the folks we help through this ministry.

New Inquirer's Class on Sunday

As many of you know by now, we will be starting an Inquirer's Class during the Sunday school hour beginning this Sunday, October 1. It will be a seven-week course designed to familiarize you with what we believe as a congregation, with the history of our denomination, and with the ways that you can be involved in the future ministry and life of our church. For those of you who are interested, we will be meeting at 10 am in the BVE multi-purpose building. You can call the church office if you would like more information or a class schedule. See you Sunday.

Saturday Night Fever

I know Lisa put a comment or two about the Saturday cookout in her recent post; but I just had to add my two cents worth to go along with it. I thought the evening was absolutely fantastic! Not only was the food great (thanks to Bob, Tommy, Mary Beth, Linda, Gail, and many others), but the whole atmosphere was simply electric (even without the lightning!). We had so many folks crammed into the dining hall at Camp Hope that the air conditioning couldn't keep up. Heather, Gail, Eva, and Lucy did a wonderful job with the signs, flowers, and decorations. There were old friends and new friends. There were testimonies to what the Lord has done with Camp Hope since its inception a year ago from "the Three Amigos," Larry Vaalburg (and Virginia, his wife), Gorton Marsden, and Bob Mifflin (who took Paul Palmer's place as the third amigo so that Paul could devote more time to overseas missions work), and from Jim Bland, the Coordinator for the PCA's Mission to North America (MNA). And we closed it all out by singing "Amazing Grace" together! What a night!

Oh What A Sweet, Sweet Sound

My phone rings, a long distance area code, a prospective volunteer perhaps. Many times during the day I receive such calls. However, yesterday I answered and the sweet sound I heard was the voice of our injured volunteer. But what he said was even sweeter. He wasn't calling to talk about himself but to inquire about the family that he was helping when he fell. I had wonderful news to tell him, the family was moving into their house that very day. Praise God! What a blessing it has been to meet some of God's servants.

Which brings me to our cookout last evening. Good food, good fellowship and a good drenching rain. We had the pleasure of honoring the first responders to our dire situation. Larry and Virginia Vaalburg, Bob Mifflin and Gordon Marsden were our rock and continued to be our rock for the past year. What a wonderful time we had seeing them all again and being able to look upon their beautiful faces and say, "well done good and faithful servants." There are many more that have given of their time and resources and to them we say a heartfelt thank you.

We look forward to the second year of spreading the Good News through our Camp Hope ministry.



P.S. Paul Palmer was also a first responder and instrumental in starting Camp Hope as well. He was unable to attend as he was in India on mission work. A great big thank you to him!

Latest Camp Hope Newsletter

The September 2006 Camp Hope newsletter is now out and available. I've attached a link below so that you can access a pdf version of it. In this edition, we focus on the first year of Camp Hope's existence and highlight the transition of the administration and operation of it from Heritage Presbytery in Delaware to our church here in Gulfport. It is worth the read.

Please pray for us as we continue to reach out with the good news (that through Jesus Christ, we can know God personally). Pray that the Lord would raise up men and women to volunteer and help us rebuild the homes and lives of our community after the nations greatest natural disaster. For the latest newsletter and other information, see our website at http://www.fpcgulfport.org/GenericPage/DisplayPage.aspx?guid=DF109A64-B1B2-4252-A8F8-13F845248003

So many books, so little time!

I was just perusing a few new books I've just gotten and was feeling a little overwhelmed at my ever-growing "to read" list when I picked up an "oldy but goody," J.I. Packer's Knowing God. I was reminded of how much I have loved this book and how formative it was for me when I first read it. If any of you out there have never read it, I would encourage you to pick it up. Sell all, as they would say, and buy it. Packer is also the author of another of my favorites, a book on the Puritans, entitled (in the U.S.) A Quest for Godliness. Both are well worth the investment (time and money) for you bibliophiles out there.

What a night!

Let me start by saying that if you missed tonight at Camp Hope, you missed a great time! Obviously, it's always good to get together with each other and with brothers and sisters from around the country to share a meal and to meditate on God's Word. But there are certain nights that stand out to me as especially moving, nights when the presence of the Lord is not just a theological conviction but an overwhelmingly evident reality. Tonight was one of these kinds of nights. The singing seriously raised the roof! The testimonies were moving! Men and women from Pennsylvania, Illinois, and, how can I forget, South Carolina, shared how God has been working in their lives and encouraged us to press on in our faith and in our work here. For a while, the effects of living in a sinful world were somewhat tempered and a foretaste of what awaits us in heaven was experienced.

It reminded me of words from that great hymn "For All the Saints:"

"But lo! there breaks a yet more glorious day; The saints triumphant rise in bright array; The King of glory passes on His way. Alleluia, Alleluia!

"From earth’s wide bounds, from ocean’s farthest coast, Through gates of pearl streams in the countless host, And singing to Father, Son and Holy Ghost: Alleluia, Alleluia!"

Amen!

Camp Hope News

Lisa and Heather have recently completed a new Camp Hope brochure that is designed to help raise the awareness of the ongoing need here on the Coast for rebuilding. In the brochure, they recount what one of our newest members said about our Camp Hope ministry during the one-year Katrina Remembrance Service: "They not only rebuild homes; they rebuild lives."

Pray for us. Pray that the Lord will work through us to rebuild lives here on the Coast. There is still much hurt and much pain. There is still a lot to do.

On a related note, I received the latest update on the volunteer who fell and fractured his skull several weeks ago. His wife had this to say about her husband:

"[It] has [been] a good week. He was able to enjoy friends, the lovely weather, and the water garden from the deck. I still monitor him in walking just as a safety factor. He has had some upset stomach episodes again from the balance issue. He has therapy again tomorrow and again on Thursday. He is very tired after therapy. He is enjoying friends' visits but does tire easily. We hope to have our small group in Saturday for soup and a Gulfport recap. Maybe early church will be attempted on Sunday. We'll see what the engery level dictates! Again thanks for all the cards and prayers. We are certain [he] is at the level of recovery because of your prayers and encouragement."

Please continue to pray for them in this.

The Apostle Paul: A Football Fan?

I can't help but think that had college football existed in the Apostle Paul's day, he would more than likely have been an avid fan. Think about how many times Paul uses athletics as a picture of the Christian life (1 Corinthians 9:24-27; 1 Timothy 4:7-8; 2 Timothy 2:5; 4:7; and, though probably not written by Paul but by one of his close companions, Hebrews 12:1-2). Surely this would have been one way that he tried to "become all things to all men so that by all possible means [he] might save some" (1 Cor. 9:22)!

And, here it goes now, had he visited the loveliest village on the plains, I have no doubt but that he would have been an Auburn fan!

September 23 Barbecue

Once more I wanted to make sure everyone marks September 23 on their calendars and plans on being at Camp Hope beginning at 4 pm. If you haven't already, you will soon be receiving invitations in the mail for this special event. Our own Bob Wolford will be cooking the meat and the church will be providing the rest of the meal. So, come on out and enjoy the food and the fellowship and the fun. There will be several special guests to help us celebrate the culmination of Heritage Presbytery's involvement with Camp Hope. Larry and Virginia Vaalburg, Gorton Marsden, Bob Mifflin, and Jim Bland (the Coordinator for Mission to North America) will be in our midst, along with others, so that we can officially show our deep appreciation for the blood, sweat, toil, and tears they have given on our behalf over the last year. And what a year it has been!

We are inviting all the homeowners that we have helped through Camp Hope. So don't forget to come and join us on Saturday, September 23, at 4pm.

Call for Prayer

After returning from presbytery yesterday, where many of us from the Coast were comparing notes and discussing things here, I am more convinced than ever of the need for prayer. There are some really encouraging things happening here on the Coast. But there is a lot of opposition. It seems as though the spiritual forces of evil are arrayed against us all up and down the Coast. The "god of this age" is looking for a foothold and blinding the eyes of people here. We need the Lord to open eyes and hearts to His Word. We need men and women who will commit to pray for us and for the other churches as well each and every day (but I will leave the length of those prayers to you and the Holy Spirit!). Pray that the Word will be preached and that the Lord will build a craving in people for it. Pray that Christ will be seen as victorious and that He will receive all glory and honor in the building up of His church.

The Power of Prayer

Romans 8:28 "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good." Sometimes when bad things happen to good people we wonder why. Some home owners that we have come to know ask that very question. Why? Many felt this way after Hurricane Katrina. Why me? Why the Mississippi Gulf Coast? Let me tell you about a couple volunteering their time here at
Camp Hope. She never said, "Why did God let my husband fall and get injured?" Because she loves God she continues to count her blessings each day and knows that God is in control. As her husband recovers (more on that later) she is encouraged by the support of her new found family in Gulfport. She is still praying for God's blessings on our ministry at First Presbyterian in Gulfport even though she is dealing with her own trials. What a relief it must be for her to know that God is in control of their lives and He has the master plan.

The up date on our brother in Christ:
He is home and walking with the assistance of a walker. He will be in out patient therapy twice weekly. His conversation and thinking capacity are both quite good. His wife states, "the power of prayer has brought him back and given him a second chance on life!" Praise be to God!

Friday morning Bible Study

Every Friday morning for quite a few years now, several men from the church and several others from neighboring churches have gathered together to eat breakfast, to study the Bible, and to pray. Before the hurricane, the group met in the church. Since the hurricane, we have been meeting in the home of Crockett Lindsey. I would ask you to pray for this group of men and prayerfully to consider attending the group yourself (if your a man, that is; sorry ladies!). These mornings really are an encouragement to me and to others as well. Each week the group seems to get larger and larger. Lately, it has been hard to find a parking place! If we continue to grow, we may have to find a new meeting place...but, that's a good problem to have...and we'll cross that bridge if and when we get there!

Dates to remember and Camp Hope

We had another great night tonight at Camp Hope, in spite of the good soaking we got (and, boy, did we ever get one). Thanks go to Butch Jordan and Gloria Gillis for preparing the dinner and helping with the clean up! Come join us next week for more of the same.

Here are two dates for you all to remember (well, perhaps only one to remember; I'll let you guess which is which):

1. Today in 1620 the Mayflower set sail from Plymouth, England, bound for the new world! And the rest truly is history.

2. Totally unrelated to that, on September 23, we will be having an open house/cookout at Camp Hope with several special guests. Among these guests, we hope to have a couple of representatives from Heritage Presbytery (the churches who helped us establish and operate Camp Hope over the last year) and Dr. Jim Bland, the Coordinator for Mission to North America (MNA), which was responsible for heading up the disaster relief efforts here on the Coast immediately after the hurricane and for establishing the disaster relief fund that we have all benefited from. You will be hearing more about this very soon.

Camp Hope in Mississippi Magazine

As many of you know by now, our Camp Hope ministry was featured in the most recent edition of Mississippi Magazine (September/October 2006). The short article was part of a larger piece (the cover story) written for the one-year anniversary of Katrina that, according to the title page, takes "a look back at some of the year's most compelling stories of hope and inspiration in our state." Camp Hope's cameo, written by Ann Shivers, can be found on pages 74-5 and is entitled "Keeping the Faith." It chronicles some of the details that came together in September 2005 to lead to the formation of Camp Hope. And, unlike other recent articles on our rebuilding work, this article contains our website address so that folks can find out more about us. Check it out for yourself!

We are honored and grateful to the Lord for our Camp Hope ministry, and we thank the many staff people and volunteers whose sacrifices have enabled us to rebuild our own lives and to show others the love of Christ in such a demonstrable way.

Latest Update on Injured Volunteer

I don't usually do two blogs in one day, but I just received an update on the volunteer who was injured two weeks ago today and wanted to make that available to you. This is what his son had to say just today:

"As for my dad, he continues to make a lot of progress. As far as speech/memory and the mental side of things, while he is still a little slow, much of that has come back to where he is close to normal. Each day he gets further from the accident (which as of today was 2 weeks ago) the brain heals a little bit more and that helps. They did an MRI yesterday to check to make sure there weren't any further issues with his brain, and that came up pretty clean. He asked to do the reading himself, so I think that is a pretty good sign as to where he is with his cognitive
skills, considering this time last week he really wasn't able to read. On the physical side, his balance is still troublesome, which makes walking hard, but he feels, as well as the nurses, that it is getting better. Again, as the brain continues to heal, that should help with his balance as well. While he still is utilizing a walker, as well as some assistance, to walk, it is improving and he is feeling stronger. The physical therapy he is involved with now is pretty intense and long, but has been helping. While he is exhausted at the end of a day, I think he sees the daily progress in himself, which is encouraging.

The hospital staff indicated today that they expect him to be able to go home around Sept 12, which is great news (of course he feels he is ready sooner). The therapists indicated that at that point, they are confident he'll be able to walk up stairs with some assistance (and the rail), and should be able to walk around himself with the use of a walker or cane. That is quite a relief that the house won't need any major alterations. Once he leaves the hospital he will continue to go to therapy on a regular basis, which should help further strengthen his walking.

We are very encouraged by the progress he has made thus far, and grow more optimistic each day as to where he is going. We recognize how fortunate he is and we are that he is doing as well as he is doing.

Thanks to all of you for your prayers and concern. You have no idea how much they mean to him, and to us as a family."

Keep praying!

Fall and Football!

Last night I was able to watch some of the Mississippi State v. South Carolina game on ESPN. Afterwards, I went for a run through my neighborhood. When I walked outside, there was a cool breeze blowing. What an exhilirating run! Fall was in the air. Football and Fall. Fall and Football. Two of my favorite things.

Speaking of Fall and Football, this morning I was honored to be able to give a devotional to the Gulfport High School football team as part of a new FCA they have started on campus there. Please join me in praying for Coach Marcus Wood, the other coaches, and for the impressive young men I was able to meet this morning.

Update on Injured Camp Hope Volunteer

I recently received an update from the family of the volunteer who fell in one of the homes in which we have been working, fracturing his skull and left eye socket. Here is what his son had to say:

"I'm thrilled to say that Dad's condition continues to improve each day. The flight and transfer to the [local] hospital went very smoothly on Friday. Dad was actually able to do some reading for the first time yesterday, and today his conversational skills were much better than at any
other previous point. He is also able to recall recent events better, including parts of the trip (but still not the fall itself). The road is still long, but our optimism and comfort grows each day, which is wonderful. He is clearly in the right spot to continue his healing. The power of prayer has been very clear to me over the last week or so."

Thank you for your prayers. Please continue to pray for this family and for the doctors and nurses who attend to them. Pray the Lord would provide sweet times of fellowship together and continued healing.

Update on progress on property

Many of you have wondered what is happening with the property that we have been talking about acquiring north of the interstate. Well, here's an update...please pass it along. We will be following with a letter to the congregation shortly.

As most of you have probably heard, the property site has been surveyed and determined to be "jurisdictional wetlands." Although we are not quite sure what that means specifically, we do know that it will mean some kind of restrictions will be placed upon us in terms of how much of the property we can develop. From what we have been told, these restrictions should not keep us from going ahead with the property and could disappear altogether in the future once the property is developed and proper drainage is added. We are currently awaiting a meeting with the Corps of Engineers to confirm this and obtain better information. Please be in prayer for this next step and for the process as a whole. Obviously none of us wants to invest the Lord's money in property that will not meet our needs. We will be sure to keep you posted.

Katrina Service Sunday

Last night many of us gathered together to praise the Lord for His gracious provision over the last year since Katrina roared onto the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Moving testimonies were given by Melody Brown, Wray and Lillian Anderson, and Loren and Sally Lohrbach. Melinda Jones and Roddy Russell sang beautiful solos. The choir sang a rousing musical anthem. And the youth played using our new handbells. It was truly a night that wasn't to be missed. The fellowship afterwards (over food and drink provided by the WIC--thank you to Linda Jordan for organizing this!) was the icing on the cake.

Please continue to pray for us. This is obviously a difficult time of the year for many (if not all) of us here. But the Lord has been good to us. It has been evident, as Jeremiah reminds us, that His mercies are indeed "new every morning."

One Year Later

The one year anniversary of Katrina is just around the corner. This coming Sunday, we will be reflecting on the past year and praising God for His faithfulness in providing for us in such visible ways. In the morning, we plan to sing "Our God, Our Help in Ages Past," the very last hymn we sung as a congregation in the sanctuary before Katrina destroyed it. The choir will also be singing the same piece they sung that Sunday before Katrina hit. In the evening, we have invited all the homeowners we have helped through our Camp Hope ministry to come along for a special service designed again to thank the Lord for His overwhelming provision for us and evident goodness to us. I'm sure there will be very few dry eyes in the place. Pray for these services. They will be difficult for many. Pray the Lord will use them mightily in the lives of members of our congregation and community. Pray that He will receive all the glory...for great things He hath done!

Camp Hope Update

I have just returned from another evening at Camp Hope and, after that, from visiting the hospital to see our friend who was injured last week falling from a scaffold. The evening at Camp Hope was again an encouragement to my soul. Two new groups are in this week, one from Canada (another team from Word and Deed Ministries in Ontario, their fourth I think!!!) and one from Smyrna, GA. Volunteers from each team have already formed strong relationships with the homeowners in whose homes they are working. And there was a great spirit in our conversations together tonight.

Please continue to pray for the volunteer who was injured last week. It looks like he'll be flying back home on Friday but still has a lot of recovery to go. Pray that he continues to improve and that he will regain strength quickly and completely. Pray for his family too as they seek to minister to him.

Camp Hope Injury

As some of you may know, one of our Camp Hope volunteers fell from a scaffold and fractured his skull (among other things) on Friday afternoon. He was admitted to the hospital late Friday and has remained there all weekend. He is currently doing really well and doctors are pleased with the recovery he has made thus far. Please pray for him and his family. Pray for a speedy and full recovery, so that they may return to their lives as soon as possible. Because these folks are here sacrificing for our sakes and showing us the love of Christ so tangibly, this injury is especially grievous to us. Please join us in praying for our brother's recovery.

Stirring Things Up

I thought I'd shake things up a bit this morning and see how many of you are actually paying attention! I noticed that in the early, pre-season polls the EXPERTS have Auburn ranked 6th in the nation. Others have put their names behind Auburn as the favorite to win the SEC. Now, I don't want to sound braggadocios, because usually this kind of early hype is the kiss of death. BUT...perhaps I can convice some of you to join me in saying, "War Eagle!"

Newest Member of Staff

We are thrilled to report that Heather Carter is now the newest member of our FPC staff! Heather is a Gulfport native and a covenant child of the congregation. She joins us to work with Lisa Ladner in our Camp Hope ministry. She and Lisa will together be directing all of Camp Hope's efforts, including the important work that Gorton Marsden has been doing so faithfully since the hurricane. If you have come to Camp Hope as a volunteer, you have undoubtedly spoken with or emailed Gorton. He has done a yeoman's job of scheduling volunteers and coaching them all the way up to their arrival in Gulfport. Beginning in September, however, when Heather officially begins her duties (she and her husband Chris still have to get moved in to their house!), Gorton will start handing over the reigns to her. We are extremely grateful to Gorton for his work (quite a bit more will be said on this later) and excited about the future with Heather. Welcome, Heather!

Camp Hope Gathering

Yet again we had another grand evening at Camp Hope together tonight, though it was a little hot and some among us thought there would be steak served for dinner (which there wasn't!). We enjoyed testimonies from local homeowners and from volunteers from Mansfield, OH (from the church where our own Mary Beth used to attend), and Glenside, PA. The message was loud and clear tonight: we are not alone but are part of the BODY of Christ, which transcends race, nationality, denominations, gender, geography, and even time. It was a reminder of what heaven will be like, where there will be men and women from every nation, every tribe, every tongue, and every people, all singing "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain!"

Thanks to FPC Margate/Coral Springs

One of the first phone calls I received after the hurricane was from Rick Phillips, Senior Minister at FPC in Margate/Coral Springs, FL. Rick called me and assured me of their assistance and support. He encouraged me with the news that the congregation would be praying for our congregation and would be collecting an offering to help offset our financial needs. He volunteered an airplane to fly in the necessary food and clothing for members of our congregation and community (which arrived just days later). He even flew down himself to attend my ordination/installation service in Biloxi (and Jay Fontanini came with him)! What an encouragement these brothers and sisters have been to us; what a picture of the love of Christ.

Well, now for the rest of the story...to top it all off, I just received a check in the mail from FPC today. The children who attended their VBS this summer gave sacrificially and opted to send their offering to our church. They raised over $4,300! How thankful we are to you for standing with us over the long haul and for encouraging us with your prayers and your support. To borrow the words of a fellow-churchman, we will be in your debt for at least the first thousand years of eternity! Soli Deo gloria.

Opal Bowden going to ABC

Yesterday, during our worship service, we had the privilege and honor of praying for one of our own, Mrs. Opal Bowden, as she prepares to leave for the mission field this week. Opal is a longtime member of the church, who has wanted for some time to go and teach at the African Bible College in Malawi. Well, now, she has her opportunity! We praise the Lord for His work in Opal's life and are excited for her as she steps out in faith. Pray for Opal. Pray also for her sons, Paul (in Jackson) and Ben (in Biloxi) and their children, as their mother/grandmother will be away from them for a longer time perhaps than ever before. If you would like to support Opal in her work, you can send donations in her name to the African Bible College headquarters in Clinton, MS. Call our church office if you need the address.

New Intern at FPC

I've been waiting on getting a picture before introducing our new ministry intern, Jacob Feigl. You would think that would be a simple matter in this twenty-first century-world of ours. But, alas, after several unsuccessful days, I have decided to wait no more. You will have to tune in to the staff page of our website in the future for a picture and bio on Jacob. For now, allow me to introduce him without the photo!

Jacob comes to us via the Lookout Mountain area. He is a recent graduate of Covenant College (the PCA's denominational university) and is seriously considering studying for the ministry. After spending some time post-Katrina in Slidell, LA, and devoting the topic of his senior project to the recovery efforts there, Jacob was looking for an opportunity to return to the Gulf region and take a more extended part in the recovery and ministry efforts. Please join me in welcoming Jacob to our team. We are thankful to have him with us!

Now, you've been introduced. Stay tuned to the staff page for more...

Melody's Testimony

I said I would share one of the testimonies from last night, well here it is. This is a poem that was written by Alice Talley, a Camp Hope volunteer from the Columbus, MS, area. It describes the life and struggles of Melody Brown, a woman we have been able to help not only physically but spiritually as well and who is now an important part of our congregation. Melody read this poem last night at Camp Hope. She has allowed me to reproduce it here so that you can be encouraged by it as well. Join us in praising God for what He has done and continues to do in Melody's life. Her faith and attitude is an inspiration.


You're unlovable, that's why you're here.
Just do what you're told--you'll have nothing to fear.

At sixteen years, she left on her own,
But where can you go unlovable and alone?

She learned a skill and found she could work
With the mentally challenged, whose love was a perk.

She married a man, but was his love real?
After their child grew, there was the divorce ordeal.

Unlovable--it must still be true.
Her child doesn't come; there's a grandchild now, too.

One by one she watched her loved ones leave,
Whether by choice or by a horrible disease.

When Katrina hit, she felt more alone;
It was three days before she got out of her home.

Though simple kindnesses came now and then,
Sometimes from a stranger, sometimes from a friend

Food and water weren't all she could use;
She herself needed restored much more than her roof.

Her life was hard and emptier each day;
She was attempting to drink her emptiness away.

A call from someone staying at Camp Hope
Was a plea for her help, yet a life-saving rope.

Folks at this camp fix more than broken homes;
By living out God's love, they work to fix souls.

It's more than paint and shingles they lay.
There are heart-burdened prayers for the homeowner's sake.

It's not just washers and dryers they bring.
But the Gospel truth and the love of the King.

She knew the facts, she knew about the cross.
She was confused by the lies; she was hurt by her loss.

Oh! could God love an unlovable one
By the substitutionary killing of His only Son?

Somehow what they said began to take root
As she saw God's love written in sweat and truth.

Her life took a turn for the better that day
When she trusted God's love--when they showed her God's way.

To God be the glory, great things he hath done! I pray this testimony will be as much of a blessing to you as it has been to us. Pray for Melody and for others like her here on the Coast.

Tonight at Camp Hope!

If you missed tonight's gathering at Camp Hope, let me tell you, you missed one of the most incredible evenings we have had together since September! I don't think there was a dry eye in the house as members, volunteers, and friends expressed their thanks to one another and to the Lord for the work of Camp Hope. There was a running debate over who was more blessed by Camp Hope's ministry, the volunteers who come down each week to help us rebuild and reach out to the community or those of us who live here and benefit from the encouragement and support of fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord. Several people shared how God has been working in their lives recently. How sweet those testimonies were! I hope to share one such testimony with you tomorrow. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

FPC Camp Hope Needs

This morning I wanted to give an update on our current needs for those who are interested and able to help:

1. We still need volunteers to sign up to come down to work. Even though we currently have volunteers scheduled into 2007, we do have several empty weeks remaining in 2006.

2. We have money approved to build 3 new bunk houses for office space and additional housing. If you want to send a team here to build one (or more) of these houses, that would be fantastic. It would enable us to house more volunteers more comfortably and to house interns and longer term volunteers in something more spacious than the current facilities.

3. We are looking for interns that are willing to live and work here for periods of up to 2 years. These positions would not just be construction positions but ministry internships in which individuals can be actively involved in leading our mercy ministry efforts.

4. We are also looking for several staff positions in connection with our Camp Hope ministry.

5. We desperately need people who are willing to commit to pray for us on an ongoing basis. We need prayer for our church, the ministries of our church, for Camp Hope's outreach work, for the work of the gospel in the community. If you are willing/able to pray, we would ask you to commit to pray for some amount of time EVERY day for the work here.

If you can help in any of the ways mentioned above, please either email the church office (mblanassa@fpcgulfport.org) or call the office's main telephone number and ask to speak with Mary Beth or Lisa. We have already seen the Lord move in amazing ways here on the Coast over the last year, and we look forward in anticipation of what He will do in the coming year. Pray for us!