The Bitter Sweet of Hope

 Last month I was blessed to have taken just short of a full month off. What a tremendous time! It wasn't to take a vacation, but rather to spend time with the Lord and simply refresh spiritually.During the course of my time off, I had opportunity to truly discover that my soul had become discontented in many areas of my life and ministry. What is frightening is how subtle it can happen to any of us regardless of the time and energy we are putting into ministry or the Word. What I found at the end of the day were two truths that, once realized, gave me the power to mature in Christ. First, any discontentment in our lives always leads back to a failure to trust God in a particular situation. Secondly, our blindness to the subtleness of discontentment may stem from our own unwillingness to deal with tender areas in our life.

While in Georgia on my sabbatical, I went out on the property to pick wild blackberries. I don’t often do this, but I want to share a note with you that I wrote in my journal that evening. I believe it will help you visualize the truths above.

Wednesday 6/20/2012: “Blackberries are a cruel beast, so beautiful, tasty and sweet yet so painful to pick from the bush. Dealing with our inner feelings, our insufficiencies and our attitudes, dealing with our sins can be much like that. At the end of the day, you have a bucket full of delicious berries, but it takes wading through the briars to get there. This week has been slow – I’m afraid it’s my own reluctance to deal with the briars.”

I am reminded of the Psalmist who sang “How sweet are your words to my mouth! From your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.” Guard yourself against discontentment; learn to continually trust God! “God our Savior and….Christ Jesus our hope”

Pastor Barry

Walking Like Christ

As many of you know, I love to hunt. One of the most important aspects of hunting is scouting and being able to read the signs left by whatever game your hunting.

For example, a footprint is extremely important. It tells you what kind of animal it is; concerning a deer, it tells you whether it’s a male or female. A footprint can tell you which direction an animal is traveling; it can tell you their normal route. A footprint is an indication of the animal’s size and maturity.

What about our footprints? What do the footprints of our lives say to those who come behind us?

The psalmist proclaimed in Psalms 85:13 “Righteousness will go before Him and make His footsteps into a way.” He is speaking of the Lord. The Lord, in His righteousness, has created a pathway for His children to follow.

Psalms 119:33 says, “Establish my footsteps in your word, and do not let any iniquity have dominion over me.” Here the psalmist is asking God to guard him against sin and to set the course of his life—his walk— in the Word of God.

I posed the question in last week’s post, “How do we walk like Christ and yet leave the footprints of men?”

The following is my point: How can we be these great spiritual Christians and yet the footprints— the signs left behind as we live our lives— look more like those of men and women of the world.

Again quoting the psalmist, Psalms17:5 says, “My steps have held fast to your paths, my feet have not slipped.” This ought to be the battle cry of our lives every single day! We must guard our walk!

Every believer should consider the parameters of his or her walk. The Word of God defines the parameter of our lives and walk as being distinguished by light and darkness. In Ephesians 5:6-14, the Apostle Paul reveals for us the fruit of walking in the light as goodness, righteousness, and truth. Consistently walking in the light requires real attentiveness to the things of God.

When considering the footprints we leave as God’s children, it is not just the parameters of our walk but it’s the purity of our walk that also matters. I John 1:7 tells us, “If we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

Walking in purity insists that we walk like Christ walked. Not only this, but also identified in this passage is the need to be honest with ourselves about where we are walking. Essential to our Christian purity are two things. The first is the blood of Jesus; this is the real cleansing agent. The second is our confession— our recognition of our sinfulness and the purity that is ours in Christ alone.

When believers leave the footprints of Christ, when we guard the parameters of our lives and the purity of our walk, we can know the peace of walking with Jesus that so many “Christians” are desperate for.

When’s the last time you looked at the footprints you’re leaving behind?

Pastor Barry

The Footprints of Men

It’s that time of year when we begin to sum up the worth of the previous eleven months and sift them like wheat for anything of value. We ask the following question: what has been the fruit of my labors this past year? While I am quite confident that God has used me in the life of others this year and there is measurable fruit to be seen, I must be honest and tell you that I am struggling with some issues that will impact the future.

Of late it seems my mind is constantly full of thoughts concerning our church family and serious subject matter such as biblical parenting, godly prioritization of our lives, proportional giving, and developing leaders for the next generation; however, what I find to be almost consuming me is the subject of church and how we do it in America.

I am much afraid the church is doing nothing more than keeping people busy with “religious” stuff activities designed to build numbers and generate cash flow. I am concerned that we are forfeiting some of the most important things of our faith to make room on the calendar for programs and events.

My prayer as we head into 2012 is that God will grant me wisdom as to how we can become a people who live for Jesus as a result of what’s welling up on the inside rather than what we have been corralled into from the outside. I pray that we would find a way to deprogram our lives from traditional thinking and become relational ministers in every aspect of our lives, reshaping our thinking in regards to Bible study, worship and missions. I study the Bible because it is where I learn of God, not because I need to be ready for class. I worship because Jesus is living in me and I need to express to God my gratitude. I don’t go on a mission trip; I am continually on mission for Jesus Christ.

I have a great desire to see the physical church look less like the church of America and more like the synagogue we read about in the word. Rather than a place we gather for an hour or two and act spiritual, it becomes a hub for educating, equipping, engaging believers, and ultimately exalting God.

In addition to training ourselves to think differently, a greater struggle will be to mesh what we have begun in the pre-school and academy with this thinking. How do we meet the need for great academics and child care while not ushering people into the same busy lifestyle and mindset of the world?

My question is simply: how do we walk more like Christ and not have the footprint of men?

I pray you have a blessed Christmas and New Year!

In His Service,
Pastor Barry

Is It Enough?

Our mission trip to Peru has proven, once again, to be the highlight of my year thus far. Unless, you have been a part of going on an international mission trip, it’s hard to comprehend all that runs through one’s mind and heart. As we served in Carabyallo and the surrounding areas this year, one predominate question nagged me: “Is the work we are doing in the lives of the children at Glencoe (or wherever you go to church) and surrounding community enough to secure future generations for God’s Kingdom work?”

After serving in impoverished areas such as we have many, Americans express guilt for being an American and having so much. I do not; I am so proud to be an American and praise God for His sovereignty that would allow for me to be such. However, I do feel shame over the fact that the Body of Christ in America has lost its passion to share the good news of Jesus Christ. We have traded the pursuit of God for the pursuit of the American dream. This has impacted our children as well.

There is no shame or sin in being successful in the American culture; however, we must not fail to honor God with the material possessions He has blessed us with. As well, we must not fail to train up the next generation of Christian leaders. My heart is that Glencoe would be a body of believers committed to sacrificially investing in the lives of children.

Glencoe needs to focus on rearing a generation of leaders with a strong Christian worldview and the ability to excel in every facet of life. I pray you will consider being a part the many different opportunities and ministries that already exist to reach children. Pray about how you and I can effectively mentor future Kingdom leaders.
Pastor Barry

R.E.A.L. Discipleship

Real discipleship—do we even know what that means today? I am much afraid that our understanding of discipleship is very distorted when held up in the light of God’s Word. Listening to someone teach about “true” discipleship today is akin to sitting through a time management course. Our understanding of discipleship consists of learning how to arrange all the things that are really important to us so as to free up some volunteer time for the church.

Recently I have wrestled with the confusion that we instill into the lives of Christians as pastors and church leaders. People today are extremely busy with all the things we deem as important in life; there are those things of the world and then there are those things of the church. I am convinced that, more times than not, all we do is bombard the lives of our church members with more stuff. We have forfeited teaching the church about real discipleship and have merely offered them business rather than teaching them how to turn away from the things of this world and turn to the things of God. We call ourselves successful if we can get folks more involved in religious activity than worldly activity. In reality, all we have done is confuse and stress everybody. For the believer to ever accomplish real discipleship, he or she must learn to relinquish every aspect of life.

The Bible’s proclamation that we were “bought for a price” is not just a noble idea or a metaphor; we must come to the realization that we are God’s possession. Without fail throughout the Word of God, when Jesus Christ calls one to Himself and forgiveness of sin is realized. At that time, a new heart is received; that heart now beats for God; that heart longs for God. If not, it is not Jesus who has possessed us! Do you long for God? Let’s be REAL disciples of Christ and Relinquish Every Aspect of Life to Him.

Pastor Barry

Do I Love Church…Or Do I Love The Lord’s Church?

I really enjoyed this months Brotherhood meeting. We had twenty men in attendance, a good crowd considering we haven’t met in a while. After dinner during our time in the word I asked the men a pointed question: Do you love the church? There is so much confusion today over why the church exists. One of the greatest tragedies of believers today is the mindset that the church of the Lord Jesus Christ somehow exists for the individual’s gratification. We act as though the ministries of the church should be developed in such a way as to make our lives easier. This philosophy of church is a shadow of the world around us. Think about it; it's how we feel about the government, about McDonald’s, about our health club. For these entities that mindset is great, but when it concerns the church of the Lord Jesus this is simply un-biblical.

Being a member of God’s church certainly has privileges. The Apostle Paul shows us many of these privileges. These privileges include the following; as members of the church, we are adopted as sons; we have the forgiveness of sin; we have been given an inheritance, all of which is sealed by the Holy Spirit. What a list of privileges that are ours as members of the body of Christ the church! Just like anything else in life, where there are privileges there are responsibilities. Far too often we like to focus on the advantages of being a part of the church while dismissing the responsibilities. The truth of the matter is you can’t have one without the other, as a child of God privilege is inseparable from responsibility. “To whom much has been given much is required.”

When we begin to understand the love of God toward His church and that we are His children how can we not, in return, love the church? A clear and accurate understanding of why the church exists will help each of us become increasingly passionate about the ministry of the church. My prayer for each of us is that God will grow our love for that which He loved so much that He gave His only begotten Son: the church.

Pastor Barry

Social Networking Safeguards

In regards to ministry and leadership there is not a lot that scares me. However, in recent years the face of social networking has changed dramatically, and, quite frankly, it scares me to death. The insurgence of blogging, Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, and YouTube has forever changed the world. Did you know that Facebook has more than 300 million active users who spend a combined total of 8 billion minutes on Facebook every day? Get this: 58.5 million people visited Myspace last January. I found it staggering that 74% of people between ages 18 and 34 have a Facebook account; 47% of people between the ages of 35 and 44; 41% of people between the ages of 45 and 54 have an account. Social networking is a giant and can serve tremendous good; however, we need to make sure it’s not a Goliath who has come to destroy the lives of our children.

Social networking, even with all the negative possibilities, is not the enemy. The use of these modern technological tools has incredible potential for good. Imagine the world if it had rejected the technology of washing machines, microwaves and the radio. I hate to think of going to the doctor today with the tools of 100 years ago. Advancement is good! Social networking, like anything else in life, demands responsibility. As well, it requires that we understand the environment we are exposing ourselves, families, and ministries to. Social networking is here to stay, but how will we respond to it?

It has become necessary for me to address this issue due to its influx into our lives here at Glencoe Baptist church, the Academy and the Learning Center. Everyday our staff utilizes some aspect of social networking, whether it is the internet, Facebook or other media. Every evening our students and staff are utilizing these same networking abilities to communicate with friends, family, and even co-workers.

We are in the process of developing policies related to social networking. This requires much study and understanding of each of these media areas. I want to encourage our parents to do their own research. While networking and the internet can be fun, as well as provide unlimited education for your children, it is extremely dangerous. Every time your child logs in, there is the potential for him or her to be exposed to pictures, statements, and people who are a grave danger to your children and family.

As Christians we have a responsibility to always reflect Christ. Whether we are walking through the mall, talking on a cell phone, or posting on Facebook or other sites, we cannot escape the call to be holy and righteous. For those who are willing to put the energy into safely using the internet and social networking, I have put together some pointers to help you protect your family:

1. Always follow the legal age for participation.
(Presently none of our academy children can legally use the following networking tools.)
a. Facebook - 13
b. You Tube - 13
c. Myspace - 13
d. Twitter - unsure

2. Never allow your children to access the internet without close supervision.
a. Know who your children are “chatting” with.
b. Know every networking tool and website they are visiting.
c. Know the content (pictures, statements) they are sharing and receiving.

3. Never allow children to set up a computer for their private viewing.
a. Computers should be in a open area of the home— never in a bedroom.
b. Computers should never be password protected from the parents.
c. Install protective software such as Safe Eyes.

4. Never put personal information on the web (i.e. age, gender, address, school).

A few of things stand in the way of you successfully protecting your children from the potential harm they may be exposed to via the internet. First is the unwillingness by parents to sacrifice the time and energy into training and exacting godliness even while participating in social networking. Second is the dangerous notion that my child has rights or deserves privacy. In the shower? Yes! On the internet? Absolutely not! The third may be the most dangerous. It’s the idea that my child has to have all the latest games, clothes, technology, etc. to feel good about themselves and fit into society. Don’t allow these things to stop you from fulfilling your role as a parent.

I know this may sound extreme, but we only have one opportunity to rear our children. For the parents who are striving to rear their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, there is no room for complacency and mediocrity when it comes to social networking. Take the time today to nail down some absolutes when it comes to the internet in your home.

Pastor Barry