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During a basketball game when I was in school, I was fouled in the act of shooting, but the referee did not blow the whistle. Suddenly I heard this bellowing come from my usually mild-mannered coach. I turned just in time to see him launch a towel over his head way up into the stands.
My coach was so demonstrative that the referee then blew his whistle and give my coach a technical foul. I stood there and watched him support me in the most boisterous way I’d ever seen—all in support of me! As a result, my teammates and I were motivated knowing our coach was standing on our behalf.
I think about that experience when I read multiple places in the Bible where God says He will fight for His people. Moses told the Israelites on the shore of the Red Sea, “The Lord will fight for you” (Exod. 14:14); God assured Gideon he would fight for the people and told him to reduce the number of their army “lest Israel boast over me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me’” (Judges 7:2); David told Saul in reference to Goliath, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from this Philistine” (1 Sam. 17:37).
What an encouragement to know that God is fighting on our behalf! I want you to consider a unique word in the New Testament that shows the depth of God’s advocacy for us.
One such occasion is in John 11:33 and 38. When Jesus sees Mary and others weeping over the death of Lazarus, many translations state He is “deeply moved in his spirit” (v.33). John repeats the same word again of Jesus when He stands before the tomb of Lazarus (v. 38). “Deeply moved” can be somewhat vague and could include a wide range of emotions––sadness, empathy, compassion. However, the word John uses in Greek is not vague at all and describes a very specific emotion: anger.
The Greek word translated “deeply moved” is embrimaomai—I remember this word by thinking, “To be filled to the brim in anger!” The word was used in that day of a horse snorting in anger and refers to a demonstrable expression of anger on the part of someone.
John is telling us that Jesus is so angry regarding the death of Lazarus that He makes a physical sound—a snort or groan not once, but two different times. In fact, Jesus’ short, abrupt statements after each “snort” reveal his emotion, “Where have you laid him?” and “Take away the stone.” I guess it seems out of place to have Jesus “snort,” so translators often say “deeply moved.”
But at whom or what is Jesus angry? Mary or Martha? Lazarus? The Jewish leaders who were present? No. Jesus is angry at sin. He is angry
at death and that it has affected His friend Lazarus. This is a powerful scene because it shows the depth at which God “fights” for us. Jesus is mad at the sin that hinders us from walking closely with Him. He is mad at disease and death that comes from the result of a sin-fallen world.
It meant a great deal to me that day on the basketball court that my coach defended me with such passion and even anger. Knowing I had an advocate like that made me want to play even better. The same is true in our spiritual lives. We have an advocate in Jesus Christ who is praying for us and fighting for us who is angry at the things that enslave us and bring about death.
Jesus says in this same passage that He is the resurrection and the life. One day He will return, consummate His kingdom, and His followers will live for eternity with Him. But until that day, we can also be grateful Jesus is fighting for us in the daily struggles we have against sin. What a strong advocate we have in Jesus who encourages us and enables us to walk with Him.
We live in distressing times. From severe weather to tumultuous politics, from wars to the economy, there’s no shortage of matters out of our direct control that can make life seem especially distressing.
If it’s not outside news and events making us feel distressed, often personal problems and situations press in on us. Worries and fears about personal finances, health issues, relationship problems—these can all feel so overwhelming.
What can Christians do when we feel this way? Corrie Ten Boom famously said, “If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. If you look at God, you’ll be at rest.”
There was a popular worship song in the 1990s by 4Him that talked about in hard and distressing times, getting back to the basics of life. The lyrics say this:
“We’ve turned the page, for a new day has dawned
We’ve re-arranged what is right and what’s wrong
Somehow, we’ve drifted so far from the truth
That we can’t get back home
We need to get back
To the basics of life
A heart that is pure
And a love that is blind
A faith that is fervently grounded in Christ
The hope that endures for all times
These are the basics, we need to get back
To the basics of life”
Those words ring true to this day. Yet how exactly can we get back to the basics?
In my own life, I have learned several ways to better focus on the Lord and get my priorities right. Here are a few ways, with the acronym F-I-N-D.
Focus on Him
Spend time in His Word and prayer.
Initiate quantity time
Spend more and better time with family and with fellow believers.
Never give into distraction
let’s stop staring at our screens and focus on others.
Do the work of evangelism and missions
Recommit to daily sharing, serving and helping others.
If we do these things and more, with God’s help, we will get back to the basics. Our hearts will not be distressed, but they will be at rest.
“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.”
Ephesians 5:15-16
Brian Hobbs
Oklahoma Baptists Editor
Student Ministry among Oklahoma Baptists EPISODE 45
Dr. Todd Sanders joins Todd and Andy to discuss that state of student ministry and a few key principles for keeping student ministry Gospel-focused.
THE FLOWER FUND
HOW ENDOWMENTS KEEP ON GIVING
If you were visiting some of the Baptist Village Communities (BVC) across our state in recent weeks, you may have noticed a sizable number of residents who appeared to be playing in the dirt.
That may appear to be an odd sight. But, if you took a closer look, you would have noticed these women—and several men—who were, instead, planting an array of colorful flowers of all types and varieties in front of their homes.
This annual event has been a favorite among residents since 2012 and would not be possible without Ruth’s Flower Fund, an endowment named in honor of a woman who had a love for flowers and wanted to share that love with BVC residents.
Ruth’s Flower Fund provides residents with free flowers that they can then plant themselves or have someone plant for them. This event is a great way for the participants to simultaneously socialize, enjoy the great outdoors, and get a little exercise.
Like virtually all endowments, Ruth’s Flower Fund provides a steady stream of income that can last a lifetime and beyond. Any person or any organization can establish an endowment, so long as it benefits a specific 501(c)(3) charitable organization, such as a church or ministry.
What makes endowments such a valuable investment is that your gift can multiply many times over, which maximizes its impact on today’s generation but also future generations, long after your passing. Suppose you place $50,000 into an endowment for a ministry or Kingdom cause you care about deeply. Your gift, assuming a 7.5 percent growth and 4.5 percent annual distribution, would provide $2,250 to that ministry or cause in its first year. However, as that same endowment grows over the next 25 years, distributions also grow to $4,750 per year!
Endowments have been part of WatersEdge’s giving strategy since 1944, when a man named R.A. Lemen donated the first endowed gift for missions in China. Our donors have contributed to endowments for other Kingdom causes, including scholarships for Oklahoma Baptist University students, rent assistance for BVC residents, and assistance to single moms living at the Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children. The list goes on and on.
You see, making investments by way of endowments and other biblically-based giving solutions through WatersEdge is a perfect path for donors who have a strategic vision for the future and who want to see people’s lives transformed through the Gospel.
Here at WatersEdge, we have seen the positive impact endowments have made, and are continuing to make, in the lives of people, churches, and other Kingdom causes in Oklahoma and across our nation. And at the same time, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is being shared and God is being glorified. In the end, that is what truly matters the most!
Robert Kellogg WatersEdge Chief Executive Officer
Like Mom always told me
I grew up in a pretty strict environment. My parents weren’t tyrants, but they had some notions about how kids ought to obey. They used to tell me it was for my own good. As I got older, I realized they were right.
Every year around the end of June, fireworks stands would magically appear around the town where I grew up. I never knew where they had been and when they disappeared after the first few days of July, I never knew where they went. But they were quite the temptation for me while they were around.
Mom had a healthy respect for all things fireworks. When I pestered her enough that she bought me some firecrackers, they always came with a steadfast rule. “Do not be holding a firecracker, lighting it and then throwing it. You put it on the ground. Light it—then run away.” Now, that was not the manliest way to do firecrackers. But that was mom’s rule. Because she was not shy about punishing rule breakers, that’s how I popped firecrackers.
One summer, (I was probably 8 or 9), my older cousin, Larry, came over for a visit. He had a sack full of firecrackers. He dug around in the sack until he found a punk (not somebody who is a jerk but a thing that you used to light firecrackers). I have no idea what those were made of but if you lit one the end of it would glow bright red and you could light fuses with it.
My cousin got his punk and started lighting and throwing firecrackers around the back yard. Obviously he was unaware of mom’s rule. He kept offering me the punk and a firecracker. He would say something like, “Don’t be wimpy. Just light the fuse and then throw the firecracker as far as you could throw it.” I declined.
Then Larry came up with an ingenious idea. He would stand right behind me. I would hold a lit punk above my head. He would light a firecracker on said punk and then throw it as far as he could. So, here’s something I could do that made me less wimpy and didn’t exactly break mom’s rule.
I’m not sure how many firecrackers we did that way, but it was great fun—until it happened. I was standing there holding the punk above my head. I heard the hiss of the fuse. I saw a firecracker fly through the air and then there was this most awful explosion on top of my head.
My goofball cousin, Larry, had thrown the firecracker with the wrong hand and was left holding the lit one in his hand. That is until it went off. I will never forget him grabbing the hand that held the exploding firecracker and dancing around yelling, “Oh, my hand. Oh, my hand. I think I blew my fingers off.” At least that’s what I thought he said but I had this ringing in my ear… Of course he was completely oblivious to my situation. I was oblivious as well until… I started smelling smoke.
Then I realized when the firecracker went off above my head, it caught my hair on fire. Now you can run around beating yourself on top of the head only so long. Then you can get on all fours, put the top of your head to the ground, and start rubbing it vigorously for so long. I am not sure when the fire went out. But the burning sensation continued.
Once we figured out Larry’s hand was intact and my head was no longer on fire, we both calmed down. Until I realized I was going to have to explain to my mom why the hair on top of my head was burned off. And since we Ligons have heads big enough for a helicopter landing pad, there was quite the burned area.
We tried to come up with some way to hide this from mom. My goofball cousin suggested that we could just run away. Finally, I decided the best thing was just go turn myself in to my mom. Maybe I was the goofball.
Most of us don’t mind making rules for others to follow. But most of us often struggle following rules others have made for us. But when you know the one making the rules cares about you, really cares about you, like with my mom… like with Jesus… it is always easier to obey.
Joe Ligon
Oklahoma Baptists Sr. Associate Executive Director
Sharing the Gospel as he goes
Tarvoris (Tee) Uzoigwe—known affectionately as “Coach Tee”—loves his job. As Oklahoma Baptists’ evangelism and apologetics ministry partner, Coach Tee gets to share the Gospel everywhere he goes and helps teach others to do the same.
If you had seen Tee as a small boy growing up in Little Rock, Ark., though, you might not have guessed this is where the Lord would have him. Tee grew up in a difficult home with a father who was an alcoholic. He recalls times where his parents would get into arguments, with his father becoming violent.
One day the fighting was so bad that his mother gathered up he and his siblings and uttered a prayer of desperation. “God if you are real, would you save my kids.”
The Lord answered that prayer in the form of a godly Christian couple—John and Betty Hurd. John was the pastor of a Southern Baptist church in Tee’s neighborhood. Betty and another lady in the church reached out to Tee, and he was drawn to their Christlike love.
“As a young child, I was already into the wrong things, like breaking into people’s houses and stealing. But the love that John and Betty showed made a big impact on me,” he said.
Tee recalls the first Sunday they attended church. He didn’t have the right clothes and had not bathed in days, but Betty had a “come as you are” approach. Tee recalls sitting on the front pew with Betty and feeling loved.
He would soon make a profession of faith in the Lord and his heart was changed.
“It took many years for my behavior to change, because I had a long way to go,” Tee said. But the Lord took care of me. When I was a teen, I did not get into the trouble that others my age were. God used basketball as a great focal point for me.”
Coach Tee with his Whispering Hills Baptist Church family in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Tee went on to become a star basketball payer in high school and an All-American basketball player at Henderson State University. The Hurds remained part of Tee’s life, as mentors, even after Tee moved away and became an adult. When it was college senior night, it was Tee’s “Grandparents,” as he called them—the Hurds—who stood with Tee.
He later coached high school sports, where he permanently acquired the name “Coach Tee.”
Tee was called to ministry and served as Baptist Collegiate Ministry (BCM) director at the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff, then as a staff member at Jonesboro, Ark., First. He is a graduate of Southwestern Seminary.
Tee came on staff with Oklahoma Baptists in the summer of last year. He is married to Erica and they have three children. They are members of Mustang, First.
A Passion to Share the Gospel
Tee’s passion for sharing the Gospel is an outgrowth of how God reached him, amid difficult circumstances, through the Hurds. Tee says often when a person accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, they are on fire with the desire to share the Gospel with others. Unfortunately, that burning sense of urgency to help change a person’s spiritual destiny from eternal death to eternal life often diminishes as time passes.
Satan uses uncertainty with what words to use, fear of rejection and a lack of confidence to douse the fervor of a new believer to witness to others.
Tee firmly believes that practice is a key ingredient in removing those barriers to share the Gospel with others. Just like a musician must practice playing whatever instrument they have chosen to master, Christians must practice the art of witnessing. And time is of the essence.
“There is only one thing we’re not going to be able to do when we are standing in front of God in glory,” Uzoigwe said. “And that’s to do the work of an evangelist. That’s the primary reason we exist.”
“In the morning, I’ll pray for ‘BOB.’ I ask God for Burden, Opportunity and Boldness. I always pray God will give me a burden for lost people, because Jesus looked
upon the multitude and felt compassion. And if I’m not walking in the Spirit, I don’t really have that passion for people. I have more passion for what I desire; what I want in life.
“So, when I pray God would give me a burden for lost people, I start feeling that passion for the lost. And, as I feel that burden, I pray for God to give me a clear opportunity to share the Gospel. I try to take advantage of it. Still, I’m just like anyone else, I’m always scared. I just have to dedicate myself to becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable.
He added, “Proper preparation prevents poor performance. That lessens the anxiety. You need to prepare yourself to witness and allow the Holy Spirit to work in you and give you opportunity and the words to say. If so, you will pass the test.
“I always start a conversation with someone looking for common ground and ask general questions before making the switch from a normal conversation to a spiritual conversation. That’s what most people wanting to share the Gospel have trouble with. When I start a conversation, I’m already building a relationship by asking questions about the person. They don’t have to be hard questions. I just talk about simple subjects such as where they live, their family, education, and job, for instance. That builds trust. Then you can move into spiritual questions about their belief in God and Heaven.”
Tee has even been known to wear T-shirts with thought-provoking, conversation-provoking messages like “Eternity is too long to be wrong.” And “What is the best-selling book of all time?” These conversation starters have led to many professions of faith.
A fisher of men teaching others to fish
“Doing personal evangelism has been a lifelong process for me. I was just like everyone else when I began sharing the Gospel. But God backed me into a corner one day when I surrendered to full-time ministry. I became the leader of the BCM in a small college in Arkansas. When I got there, only three students were coming, and one of them was lost. There were no student leaders; no support.
“Many of the churches who had been supporting the BCM financially had lost confidence in it. I had a very low budget and virtually no students. So, I tried to attract students by offering food for the body, hoping that would lead to an opportunity for the Lord to provide food for their spirits. Eventually, my budget ran out, and when the money ran out, the students ran out, too.
“I learned that whatever you fish with is going to keep them. I had run out of pizza and soft drinks and everyone left, so, I was forced to just share the Gospel since that’s all I had to offer. But, as we all know, the Gospel is not just all, it is everything. Jesus said follow me and I will make you fishers of men, and when I started fishing by using the Gospel, students started getting saved and the ministry began growing.”
Today, Tee is seeing similar growth amid churches in Oklahoma who are getting serious about personal evangelism.
“Sharing the Gospel is an instinct of being born again. It just naturally comes out,” he added. “We cannot let our zeal to witness wane.”
From a hard-to-reach kid in a hard neighborhood, to a young man learning to walk with the Lord, to a welltrained evangelist—the Lord has been with Tee every step of the way. He wants others to experience the love and life-change that only Jesus gives—just like Tee himself has experienced.
by Brian Hobbs and Bob Nigh
ACROSS
1 “__, our eye hath seen it” (Ps. 35:21)
4 Governing group
9 “We spend our years as __ that is told” (Ps. 90:9) (2 words)
14 9 Down daily task
15 “Not __ your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness” (1 Peter 2:16)
16 One returned to thank Jesus 17 Anger
18 The Nile has one
Unite
20 Winter storm need 22 Plant fiber
WORDSEARCH
24 Sicilian spewer
25 Self-satisfied
27 __ priest, 67 Across position
31 Italian duke
32 Definitely not cool
33 Flapper’s accessory
34 Caleb, for one
36 Disgust
38 Place of prayer
40 Confront
42 Grasslands
43 Greek philosopher
44 “The wise took __ in their vessels” (Matt. 25:4)
45 “Seest thou a man that is __ in his words” (Prov. 29:20)
47 Dart
51 Black gem
53 “Jesus...went up __ a mountain to pray” (Luke 9:28 niv)
54 Opera solo
55 What Caleb did in the Promised Land
57 Peter’s brother
59 Car make
DOWN
1 Stayed with
2 David’s “tomb is __ this day” (Acts 2:29 niv) (2 words)
3 Graying
4 New Testament book writer
5 Consumer
6 Nada
7 Explosive (Abbr.)
8 Prophet in Acts 11:28
9 “He...sat for __ at the Beautiful gate” (Acts 3:10)
10 Gnashing of __
11 Easter month, sometimes (Abbr.)
12 Lower limb
13 “Sir, come down __ my child die” (John 4:49)
21 Roman ruler
23 “He is of __; ask him” (John 9:23)
25 Paul’s former name
26 Arizona winter hour
28 Wading bird
29 Inflammatory disease
30 Noah’s son
32 “Tell-Tale Heart” writer
35 U.S. Census data (Abbr.)
36 Fall month (Abbr.)
37 Thingamabob
38 A mite, for example
39 __ Spirit
62 Segment
65 The New Testament is one
66 Simon of Cyrene’s son
67 See 27 Across
68 __ Lanka
69 66 Across’s dad bore it for Jesus
70 “My wife well stricken in __” (Luke 1:18)
71 Elephant’s name
40 Choir section
41 Sandy island (var.)
42 Cow sound
43 Oregon winter hour
45 Bunny move
46 “Don’t let anyone deceive you in __” (2 Thess. 2:3 niv) (2 words)
48 Soldiers came to __ Jesus
49 __ Nevada range
50 Pacific state
52 African ground squirrel
56 Talk back
57 Seaweed substance
58 Loch __ monster
59 Spark
60 Mutt
61 Alien’s craft (Abbr.)
63 Compass point
64 Biological instructions carrier (Abbr.)
WORDS
APOLOGETICS
BAPTIST
BASKETBALL
BOLDNESS BURDEN
CHRISTLIKE
COACHTEE
COLLEGIATE COMPASSION
CONVERSATION ETERNITY
EVANGELISM
FISH
GOSPEL HURD
MINISTRY
OKLAHOMA OPPORTUNITY
PASSION
PRACTICE
PREPARATION
SAVED SHARE SHIRTS SURRENDERED WITNESSING
Church NEWS
OKC, PORTLAND AVE
Oklahoma Baptists’ Historical Secretary Bob Nigh, left, presents a certificate on behalf of the Oklahoma Baptist Historical Commission to Harvey Sparks, pastor of Oklahoma City, Portland Avenue, during its 90th anniversary service May 19. Former pastor Walter Mullican was the featured speaker at the event.
MESSENGER ADDS STAFF
The Baptist Messenger has added two staff members.
Brook Daniel is serving as graphic designer, helping lead the layout for the Messenger magazine and other projects. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design from Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Brook is continuing her education through Southwestern Seminary.
TRIBUTE
Mary Bolton, 79, retired “Falls Creek Grocery Store Lady,” died May 3. During the 1980’s and 1990’s, Bolton and her husband Jack lived and worked at Falls Creek.
LeRoy Benjamin Hogue, 93, died May 8. He served the Foreign (Now International) Mission Board in Taiwan, China, Singapore and Indonesia. His first pastorate was at Warren while he was a student at OBU. He also served as pastor at Paruna, Onapa, Grant and Lone Wolf.
Paul Maxey, 90, died May 9. He served as a pastor among Oklahoma’s Muscogee Creek churches and a member of the Indian Falls Creek Board of Directors.
Jacob King is serving as staff writer and helping with other content creation. King recently graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Journalism and Mass Comunications from Oklahoma Baptist University. He is experienced in writing and social media.
Vernell Racy, 65, died May 5. He served as a pastor at Gans, Grace New Beginnings.
Charles Herman Reece, 94, died April 25. He was the long-time lay leader at Oklahoma City, Northwest and the driving force behind the annual Oklahoma City Metro Prayer Breakfast.
Eugene A. Perry, 83, died March 28. He served as pastor of Ashland Church; Konawa, First; Norman, Brookhaven; Lone Grove, First; Tonkawa, First and Westport. He also was an adjunct faculty member for Oklahoma Baptist University.
Bob Pittman died May 17. He retired as pastor at Hanson, and was still serving as their associate pastor.
Kirk Sutton, 78, died May 2. He was a retired pastor in the Central Association.
PASTOR In Focus
MICHAEL STATON Senior Pastor of FBC Mustang Mustang, Oklahoma
Can you share about your ministry background and vocational ministry career— about where you’ve served?
I am completing my 30th year in full-time ministry. My first full-time position started in 1994. My title was Assistant Summer Youth Leader at Emmaus Baptist Church in South Oklahoma City (they wanted to ensure everyone knew I was temporary). They asked me to lead the Youth Ministry until they found someone who would be permanent. Graciously, though, they invited me to stay, and I served as the Youth Minister for four years and then as the Associate Pastor for two and a half years. I will forever be grateful to Emmaus Baptist Church for investing in me, believing in me, and being an amazing church to begin my ministry journey.
I then accepted a call to the First Baptist Church of Mustang in November of 2000. I served as the Associate Pastor for exactly three years and then was called to transition into the role of Senior Pastor. I have been serving in that capacity for the last 21 years. I am so thankful that the Lord has allowed me to serve two great congregations and to minister at First Baptist Mustang for these 24 years.
Who are some Bible teachers and preachers who have shaped your ministry?
We are all shaped by the pastors of the local churches where we were raised. Whether or not we realize it, the ministry and preaching of these men influence us. So, I want to thank the pastors who labored to teach the Word and preach the Gospel I heard Sunday after Sunday.
In terms of the most significant influences on my preaching ministry, three men have most shaped my preaching: Tommy Nelson at Denton Bible church. He was the first pastor I listened to for a significant amount of time who consistently taught verse by verse through books of the Bible. The second would be John Piper at Bethlehem Baptist Church. His passion and ability to combine logic and zeal greatly impacted me. John MacArthur at Grace Community Church has had the most significant influence on my preaching. His clarity and theological precision had an indelible influence on me.
It is also interesting to me that all three of these men went to pastor a church when they were young, and it was the only church they pastored. All three of them devoted their pastoral ministry to one congregation. That was my prayer for my life as well, if the Lord would so choose.
Please share about what the Lord is doing through The Institute and the Ladies Theology Night.
The Institute is a two-year Bible training program for men that we offer at our church. It began in 2018. We have had five graduating classes for a total of 140 graduates. We currently have 80 students studying with us. These men take eight courses over two years. They take two courses on the Old Testament, two on the New Testament, Hermeneutics, the Life of Christ, Personal Evangelism, and the Character of a Leader. We have graduates who completed the program in their 80s, men with seminary degrees who are retired pastors who have graduated, as well as teenagers.
The impact of having so many men in the church who have been trained and equipped is impossible to describe. Not only is the biblical knowledge in our congregation drastically different, but we also have husbands and fathers who are much more competent to lead their families spiritually day by day. Further, because we have now had many teenagers graduate, we are equipping leaders for years to come.
Ladies Night of Theology began about the same time as the Institute. Ladies Night of Theology meets for two hours every two or three months. I teach from 6:30-8:30 p.m. It is a very simple operation. We sing a hymn acapella, I teach for an hour, we take a 10-minute break, and I teach for another hour. I teach systematic theology, biblical theology, and biblical doctrines. It started with about 50 ladies attending and has swelled to 450 ladies from across the state who participate.
The goal of our Ladies Night of Theology is to help equip women of all ages to know God’s Word and to know the Lord better. We hope it increases their love for the Lord and desire to follow Him in all things. It was not designed originally to be something beyond our church, but the Lord has seen fit to draw ladies from all over our state to come and study with us. We hope it has an impact on them, and in turn, they will go back and serve their families and their own local congregations in even greater ways.
You have served in several leadership roles among Oklahoma Baptists. How has the Lord blessed you in that?
I have been privileged to serve on the Metro Baptist Network’s finance committee on several occasions, as well as the personnel committee and, most recently, the search committee for our associational mission strategist. In addition, I have had the joy of serving on the Oklahoma Baptist board of directors, the state executive committee, and I was privileged to serve as the Chairman of our Executive Director-Treasurer search committee a couple of years ago. In recent years, I was graciously asked to preach at our state convention’s Pastor’s Conference and Annual Meeting, which was a true privilege for me.
It is always a blessing to serve with other gifted leaders. It is an opportunity to learn from them, strive to encourage other believers, and hopefully impact the way gospel ministry is done. Part of the blessing is learning more about how the Lord is at work and getting to know the fine servants He uses to accomplish his purposes. I feel I have received far more in return than I have been able to give to others.
Why is it important for your church to support the Cooperative Program?
There is beauty and joy in partnering with other churches to do Kingdom work. We must all be reminded that the Kingdom is more extensive than our local address. We want to share our resources so that, as the saying goes, we can do more together than we can alone. Through the Cooperative Program, each local church can have a role in taking the Gospel throughout the world. We can support churches, missionaries, and ministry organizations on the front lines where our feet may never walk. While I hope I am an example of commitment to the local church, I also want never to forget that while God is doing great things at our local church, He is also accomplishing great things throughout our state, nation, and worldwide. I believe partnership in the Cooperative Program helps churches financially partner together and reminds us to be faithful in our prayer support for what our Lord is doing globally.
Gospel Relationships
In elementary school our classrooms were heated by a boiler. It would heat water to the point of steam which would then travel through pipes to a radiator and heat the room. This is literally an “old school” method of heating.
One day our class was allowed to go to the boiler room. I’m not sure why; perhaps we didn’t have any money for field trips. Or maybe we were studying thermodynamics but that’s unlikely since this took place when I was in the second grade.
The boiler was a huge metal tank in which the water was heated. As a closed system, it was impossible to see inside. On the side of the tank there was a temperature gauge. This was the only way to know what was taking place inside the tank.
Our relationships with God and others are a little bit like that gauge. The human heart is unknown except to God. But there is a gauge that tells us whether that human heart is in alignment with His nature. The gauge is our relationships. 1 John 4:19 says, “If anyone says, ‘I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.” And the only thing that changes the heart of a human being is the Gospel.
When a church has a relational problem, it has a Gospel problem. So, what is the Gospel? The Gospel is the “Good News” about everything God has done to relate to us and to bring us back to Himself. It transforms relationships with (1) self; (2) others; and (3) God.
• Am I God-aware? The Gospel comes in the power of the Spirit to direct my focus toward God the Father and the Son.
• Am I self-aware? God-awareness paves the way for self-awareness. Considering His nature, I can see myself clearly for the first time. This brings a new sense of humility.
• Am I others-aware? As the power of sin is being broken in my life, I can now begin to see and value others. Compassion and understanding replace insensitivity and ignorance.
What is needed in today’s churches is an outpouring of relational wisdom grounded in the Gospel. It’s easy to tell if we have it. Just check your relational gauge on the outside of the tank of your heart.
The Nominating Committee of the convention of Oklahoma Baptists invites Oklahoma Baptists from across the state to recommend persons to serve on the various boards and committees. The committee’s nominations will be presented to messengers at the Annual Meeting of Oklahoma Baptists to be held November 11-12.
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Join us throughout the year in praying for our missionaries, serving locally and around the world!
MISSIONARYPrayer Guide
Who & Where Why How to Pray
CrossTimbers is a camp designed to reach and equip children to actively serve others with missional living. Missions education is one of the foundational elements of the camp. Throughout each session of camp, a high priority is placed on Scripture, worship, relationships with camp staff and church sponsors, and opportunities for kids and sponsors to sharpen their skills and prepare to consistently serve God after camp.
The goal of GoStudents Network is to inspire, equip, and empower Oklahoma Baptists churches to adopt and conduct youth mission trips with Southern Baptist missionaries, church planters, and ministry leaders. In-state projects are available to any student who has completed at least sixth grade. Out-of-state projects are for students who have completed nineth through twelfth grade and range from North America to around the world.
Pray for Jane Woodhouse as she serves with the International Mission Board as a journeyman. Journeymen are young adults in their 20s, who serve as missionaries for a two-year term. Jane is serving in western Europe. She works with North Africans and Middle Eastern (NAME) peoples. She gets excited when the girls she is discipling get a truth from the Word and are excited about it. She loves seeing them grow in their faith.
Caroline Reel serves with the International Mission Board in Uganda, ministering to Sudanese refugees. She disciples and engages with Sudanese believers, Muslims and nominal Christians to help them know the Lord. Caroline also trains teammates and the local people in Bible storying. She says, “The life experiences and culture of local believers help them know God in different and beautiful ways that enrich my walk with Him, too.
Pray God’s presence would be felt by each camper and staffer.
Pray for camp staff as they plan the theme, curriculum and fun activities.
Pray seeds would be planted in the hearts of campers that they might one day serve God through missions.
Pray students of all ages would develop an awareness of lostness here, near and far.
Pray that through GoStudents Network students will be equipped with training and resources.
Pray students will be obedient if God should call them to the mission field.
Pray for the current church that Jane and her team are hoping to plant in the south of western Europe.
Pray the NAME women would be freed from the bonds of Islam and find freedom in Christ.
Pray the Bible storying project in the Nuba Mountains will faithfully share God’s Word in languages it has never been spoken in before.
Pray Caroline would experience consistent and deepening relationships with her Muslim friends so they see and feel Jesus’ love for them and decide to follow Him.
CrossTimbers
Jane Woodhouse
GoStudents Network
Caroline Reel
7 TRUTHS ON
Perseverance and Prayer
Sunday was Mother’s Day in the United States. My mom went to be with the Lord nearly three years ago, so my “celebrating” was limited to memories. That’s okay, though, because I could rejoice that my mom is with Christ. We prayed for my mom for 47 years before she turned to Christ.
I reflected on what God taught me during those years, and maybe these thoughts will be encouraging to you if you’ve been praying for someone for a long time.
1. It’s easy to keep praying when the burden is deepest. When my heart really broke over my mom, praying wasn’t difficult. Crying out to God in those moments was my only hope, in fact.
2. However, it’s also easy to let that burden wane as the years go by. I wish that weren’t the case, but it was for me. I learned that one of Satan’s subtle strategies is to turn us from praying and believing that God would eventually save our loved ones.
3. God’s timing is not our timing. I knew that fact. I had taught it for years as a pastor. It took personal experience, though, to know its truth. On God’s calendar, the almost five decades of my waiting and praying were hardly any time at all. Mom’s conversion was right on time, in fact.
4. God was working even when I could not see His hand. When Mom became a believer, she had been thinking about that possibility for some time — we just didn’t know it. She kept her thoughts to herself until she was ready, but God was working long before we knew it. In fact, my mom’s turning to Christ started in earnest some eight years before her conversion when she watched my believing dad die trusting Jesus.
5. I should have paid more attention to the “glimpses” of God’s working along the way. Little things like Mom’s asking for prayer for some need or attending church when my nieces were singing should have given me more hope than they did. I encourage you to watch for glimpses, too, if you’ve been praying for someone a long time.
6. Getting others to pray with me was instrumental in my mom’s conversion. In every class I taught as a young professor, I asked students to pray for my parents. No matter where I traveled in the world, I made the same request. I’m convinced God heard these prayers in multiple languages from multiple nations around the world.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written and originally published by chucklawless.com
7. God truly is still transforming souls. He so dramatically saved my mom (and my dad years before) that no one who knew them could deny something life-changing had happened. He’s still doing that, you know — and I pray this post is encouraging to you as you pray for someone over the years.
