The Mid-America Grace Express - Day 3

Day three started good with some early meetings with USDA customers. My second meeting started after my customer apologized for being a bit late since he was at church at a mens meeting! That led to some neat conversations about faith, family and personal lives. Always good to have a surprise meeting with another saint. Knowing each other that way means better business dealings, which is certainly something to be thankful for in this fallen world!

Flew from Kansas City to Denver and was treated to some amazing visual images of God's creation as I drove north from Denver to Ft. Collins (Yeak, its the Rockies...John Denver was right! haha).

Checked in to a nice Hilton Garden Inn and had some Mexican food across the street. Never like eating alone but the food was good!

The Mid-America Grace Express - Day 2

Well day two was somewhat mundane. Had some great meetings with customers in the morning and on my way to the airport hit the Macy's at a near-by mall for some last minute stuff I needed for our upcoming cruise.

Foolishly, I left my expensive GPS in my rental car and discovered that when I landed in Kansas City. Thankfully the rental car agency had recovered it and they were gracious and helpful and agreed to mail it back to my home!

Therefore I got a little lost looking for my hotel in Kansas City but eventually found it. Had dinner in my room and hit the hay.

The Mid-America Grace Express - Day 1

Heading out on a 5-day tour of my USDA customers. I decided to log my interactions and experiences to see how God's grace is evident this week. Yesterday Kim and I had a great morning at church having all three of our children with us (Luke and Devon just back from their trip to Rancho 3M). We are always encouraged when the entire family is together now for church but yesterday was extra special since Devon and Luke were especially impacted by the missions trip and Tori attended Baptism class after church!

Then Kim and I got to have a long lunch near the airport with some old dear friends, Ken and Gerri Young. We met Ken and Gerri when we started in Amway in 1982! Actually Gerri interviewed me for a job at IBM (I took a different position though) in 1980. They are saints too and we really enjoy being with them. They've always been kind, dear people. Ken's 50th high school reunion (Baltimore Poly I think) was this weekend and they contacted us when they got in town.

As I flew to St. Louis, MO for y first USDA meeting, God sat me next to another saint on the airplane. I young mother with her infant son who was in Baltimore with her husband who was interviewing for a job with the Reformed University Fellowship. Her husband was staying in DC while she flew home to St. Louis. I was on the window and she was on the isle so we didn't get to talk much but I did tell her how much I appreciated what she and her husband were doing. As a father to two college-age children going to secular schools, I really appreciate all those who are giving their lives to college ministry!

On the plane I started reading JI Packer's book on Nehemiah, A Passion for Faithfulness. It's a study on building the church. Recommended by our Pastor who is currently preaching through Nehemiah. God is using all of us to build his church on earth. That's our purpose. And Packer is doing an excellent job describing how it looks to do this with our lives.

Finally I checked in to the Hilton Garden in near the St. Louis airport. I beautiful, new clean and comfortable hotel. And I got to eat a nice chicken fettuccine alfredo before heading off to bed for the night.

Etrnity

Eternity - ever thought about it? No beginning and no end. Kind of a mind bender huh? Do you believe in eternity? Do you think you'll go someplace for eternity after you die? Where? How do you know?

If you do believe in eternity, it's important to keep it in mind - after all, if your soul is going to go on for eternity after you die then what's the point of your incredibly short (relative to eternity) time on earth?

The point is...you do have a purpose and your life has a purpose...the question is do you know what it is and are you involved in that purpose every day? God has appointed you a certain number of days on earth to do something. If you are filled with his spirit then his spirit should be directing you every waking moment. If you think about it its an incredible privilege to be participating in the plans of the creator of the universe. Wow. Not sure about all this? Click on the 2 ways to live link....that will explain a lot.

Man-Centeredness disguised as recognition, thanks or honor

This is a link to a previous post. This practice is dangerous enough that the post is worth repeating.

Washington Chrisitan Academy - a new chapter

http://www.washingtonchristian.org/

God's hand is unmistakably at work at WCA. From the fellowship found in this diverse community to the incredible story of our new campus, there is no doubt that God is using WCA to raise up a new generation of believers to impact our world for His glory. Click on the link for a peek into this wonderful place. I hope to publish the amazing history of WCA in a future post.

Facebook | Videos from WCA Band

Wow...I am so proud and grateful for Luke's willingness to use his gifts for the Lord's glory and the edification of others!!

He's singing praises to the King!!!

WHERE IS DR. FALWELL NOW???? DO YOU KNOW?

He woke up yesterday morning like every other day and never expected it would be his last.

What about YOU? When will YOU die? Today? Tomorrow? This Year?

Please ask yourself this question "WHEN I DIE, WILL I GO TO HEAVEN?"
And then ponder the answer. PLEASE, PLEASE ponder the answer.

God has provided a way for EVERYONE to go to Heaven. But.....
We must realize we've sinned against him (we ALL have) and that Jesus' sacrifice paid for those sins. That's all. God is gracious to ALL who believe that.

PLEASE CONSIDER THIS NOW. You do not know when your heart will beat it's last beat.

Questions? Read this Two ways to live

Workplace ministry: Keep the main thing the main thing!!

It is amazing and a privilege that God is pleased to use us even with all our shortcomings. As Josh Harris points out on a recent blog post here, God certainly does not need us, but he does use us for his purposes. Since he does, we should be fervent in our work for him in the workplace.

In our workplace fellowship this morning we were discussing how often we tend to focus on temporal matters of job difficulty or company problems forgetting that we are here, despite all that stuff, to be used by God to accomplish what HE wants to accomplish. Of course our workplaces have difficulties. But in light of eternity….SO WHAT!

Missionaries in the jungle don’t complain about too much rain, and those of us in the mission field of the workplace need to realize that we’re here for something way beyond today’s business problems.

Os Hillman provides some helpful tools for the workplace missionary here.

What's wrong with a little recognition?

Aren't we exhorted in scripture to honor certain people in the church? So what's wrong with publicly recognizing the good things people do? As I see it, appropriateness is really the point that requires discernment. As I study this subject it seems that God is most concerned with care and respect when he uses the word "honor". Especially of certain groups who are special in terms of their service to the church and the Lord. This would certainly include anyone serving the church like deacons, small group leaders, teachers, volunteers and "doubly" so pastors and elders. We should and indeed are commanded to hold those serving the Lord in the highest regard.

Where I think we need to be very careful especially with our youth, who we are still training, is in recognition, especially public recognition. “Honor” can often times be confused with man-centered public recognition. Similar to the way movie-stars, sports figures and other famous people are often put on display and made the center of attention. This man-centered recognition is not how God's servants are to be honored. We live in a world where pride is celebrated. Self-esteem is promoted. Ego is puffed up and man is central. It is very easy for temptations of pride (envy, judgment, gossip, slander, boasting, and self-righteousness) to seep into the church from a world that “normalizes” these sins.

We need to be very careful that our “honor” is appropriate. Applauding preaching or the offering of worship music are examples I would consider inappropriate. Also, giving people public awards or recognition because of a work of grace in their life, although intended to give glory to God, can too often focus attention on man and create prideful temptations. The value and effect of these practices should always be carefully considered.

As we know, any good work we do is not of us but of God and at best, tainted by our impurity. And any good work we do is not generosity but duty. So publicly recognizing good works or good behavior seems dangerous and unwise. Certainly private communication of works of grace in our youth and even adults can be a source of encouragement or gratitude and I would commend that.

What do you think?

Two Died Too Soon

I was saddened to hear this weekend of two people I new who passed away suddenly and while still relatively young. One, a friend in his mid-forties went to sleep on the couch while watching a ball game and never woke up. The other, a friend and co-worker in his early fifties, was driving in the car with his son, complained of feeling ill, pulled the car over and died of a heart attack.

Neither man to my knowledge had demonstrated any evidence of a saving relationship with the Lord. But, at this point only God knows for sure what their eternal destination is.

Life is truly a vapor. We are here for a little while and then we're gone.

How about you? Do you know for sure what your eternal destination will be? If you're not sure, you can be by recognizing and accepting Jesus' sacrificial death and atonement for your mistakes. If you have not done that, I would urge you to do it today, right now, for you know not when your time will expire.

If you have done that and you are sure where you'll go when you die, then for what purpose were you given this great gift? In light of eternity (a long time indeed) what is it that you are supposed to be doing between now and the time you die? In other words, let's say you've been given another 10 or 20 years to live. Do you think you are just supposed to eat, drink, sleep, work, play and then do that again and again each day until your time comes? Or did God have something more deliberate, more purposeful in mind when he chose to reveal himself to you?

I think we have a purpose. And it certainly has eternity in view. Let's pray that God would reveal it to us this day and each day we live until our time is up.

Don't raise Pharasees

Justin Taylor's blog had recent post on this subject. Which I commend to you. I couldn't agree more.

My kids tell me all the time about the "fakers" they know. Referring to those who's desire to be approved of or grouped in the "godly" group by the authorities (parents, teachers, pastors) in their life causes them to act one way when being observed and another (very different) way when not.

We all expect good behavior and certainly there is a battle going on with the flesh that must be fought. But, in reality, we are all ungodly and won't be completely godly until we pass in to glory.

Teaching our kids that "behavior" increases righteousness is simply legalism. Of course no one would knowingly teach that, but we may very well be teaching that without knowing it by our reaction to and focus on …”behavior”.

We should be reminding our kids daily that we are all wretched sinners whose hearts are deceitful.They should be walking around grieving for the unregenerate kids they know and amazed and grateful that God would condescend to save anyone most especially them. That is the sign of a humble heart that knows no boasting (Eph. 2:8).

Let’s be sure as parents, teachers and pastors that we teach our kids correctly by battling our own judging, prideful hearts that would indicate that behavior is more important than a humble heart that pursues the Savior.