“Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves. When our dreams have come true because we dreamed too little. When we arrive safely because we have sailed too close to the shore. Disturb us, Lord.”
Sir Francis Drake
I pray that I allow God to work in my life the way He wants and never become to complacent. I want to dream great dreams for Him. I want to get out into the deep. Vision Baptist Church needs people that believe God and will dream as well as does your church.
I invite you to check out Vision News and see the new look. You can also get the latest sermons preached at Vision on a player right on the page
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Praying for God to revive His church
Vision Baptist Church has invited Lou Rossi to come and preach a revival from January 13-17. We are bathing this time in prayer. We need God to do a great work and I ask you to be praying for us. Please come and visit and bring your friends with you. To get the latest updates be sure and check out Vision News regularly.
Here are some great quotes about revival by Stephen Olford. Please pray that God work in our church--Vision Baptist Church and send revival.
Whether it be in the personal life, or in the church life, or on the mission field, we need revival--we need revival urgently--we need revival desperately!
Revival is the manifestation of the glory, power, and blessing of the Son of God among His people.
Revival is ultimately Christ Himself, seen, felt, heard, living, active, moving in and through His body on earth.
Revival is not some emotion or worked-up excitement; it is rather an invasion from heaven which brings to man a conscious awareness of God.
Will you pray 'Revive me!' and then open your being to the Spirit of Revival? Do not rest until you have been restored to the fullness of the blessing that God is waiting to pour out in your life!
Revival is that strange and sovereign work of God in which He visits His own people--restoring, reanimating, and releasing them into the fullness of His blessing.
When God breaks into a life or a community, nothing else matters save the person of Jesus, the glory of Jesus, the name of Jesus.
The Ordinary Pastor
taken from here
Some pastors, mightily endowed by God, are a remarkable gift to the church. They love their people, they handle Scripture well, they see many conversions, their ministries span generations, they understand their culture yet refuse to be domesticated by it, they are theologically robust and personally disciplined. ... Most of us, however, serve in more modest patches. Most pastors will not regularly preach to thousands, let alone tens of thousands. They will not write influential books, they will not supervise large staffs, and they will never see more than modest growth. They will plug away at their care for the aged, at their visitation, at their counseling, at their Bible studies and preaching. Some will work with so little support that they will prepare their own bulletins. They cannot possibly discern whether the constraints of their own sphere of service owe more to the specific challenges of the local situation or to their own shortcomings. Once in a while they will cast a wistful eye on “successful” ministries. Many of them will attend the conferences sponsored by the revered masters, and come away with a slightly discordant combination of, on the one hand, gratitude and encouragement, and, on the other, jealousy, feelings of inadequacy, and guilt.
Most of us—let us be frank—are ordinary pastors.
Dad was one of them. This little book is a modest attempt to let the voice and ministry of one ordinary pastor be heard, for such servants have much to teach us.
* * *
Tom Carson never rose very far in denominational structures, but hundreds of people ... testify how much he loved them. He never wrote a book, but he loved the Book. He was never wealthy or powerful, but he kept growing as a Christian: yesterday's grace was never enough. He was not a far-sighted visionary, but he looked forward to eternity. He was not a gifted administrator, but there is no text that says “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you are good administrators.” His journals have many, many entries bathed in tears of contrition, but his children and grandchildren remember his laughter. Only rarely did he break through his pattern of reserve and speak deeply and intimately with his children, but he modeled Christian virtues to them. He much preferred to avoid controversy than to stir things up, but his own commitments to historic confessionalism were unyielding, and in ethics he was a man of principle. His own ecclesiastical circles were rather small and narrow, but his reading was correspondingly large and expansive. He was not very good at putting people down, except on his prayer lists.
When he died, there were no crowds outside the hospital, no editorial comments in the papers, no announcements on the television, no mention in Parliament, no attention paid by the nation. In his hospital room there was no one by his bedside. There was only the quiet hiss of oxygen, vainly venting because he had stopped breathing and would never need it again.
But on the other side, all the trumpets sounded. Dad won entrance to the only throne-room that matters, not because he was a good man or a great man—he was, after all, a most ordinary pastor—but because he was a forgiven man. And he heard the voice of him whom he longed to hear saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant; enter into the joy of your Lord.”
Pretty interesting for those of us that will probably never be the pastor of the megachurch or have all the books. Click on the link at the top of the article and read all about it.
Vision Baptist Church
Vision News
Some pastors, mightily endowed by God, are a remarkable gift to the church. They love their people, they handle Scripture well, they see many conversions, their ministries span generations, they understand their culture yet refuse to be domesticated by it, they are theologically robust and personally disciplined. ... Most of us, however, serve in more modest patches. Most pastors will not regularly preach to thousands, let alone tens of thousands. They will not write influential books, they will not supervise large staffs, and they will never see more than modest growth. They will plug away at their care for the aged, at their visitation, at their counseling, at their Bible studies and preaching. Some will work with so little support that they will prepare their own bulletins. They cannot possibly discern whether the constraints of their own sphere of service owe more to the specific challenges of the local situation or to their own shortcomings. Once in a while they will cast a wistful eye on “successful” ministries. Many of them will attend the conferences sponsored by the revered masters, and come away with a slightly discordant combination of, on the one hand, gratitude and encouragement, and, on the other, jealousy, feelings of inadequacy, and guilt.
Most of us—let us be frank—are ordinary pastors.
Dad was one of them. This little book is a modest attempt to let the voice and ministry of one ordinary pastor be heard, for such servants have much to teach us.
* * *
Tom Carson never rose very far in denominational structures, but hundreds of people ... testify how much he loved them. He never wrote a book, but he loved the Book. He was never wealthy or powerful, but he kept growing as a Christian: yesterday's grace was never enough. He was not a far-sighted visionary, but he looked forward to eternity. He was not a gifted administrator, but there is no text that says “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you are good administrators.” His journals have many, many entries bathed in tears of contrition, but his children and grandchildren remember his laughter. Only rarely did he break through his pattern of reserve and speak deeply and intimately with his children, but he modeled Christian virtues to them. He much preferred to avoid controversy than to stir things up, but his own commitments to historic confessionalism were unyielding, and in ethics he was a man of principle. His own ecclesiastical circles were rather small and narrow, but his reading was correspondingly large and expansive. He was not very good at putting people down, except on his prayer lists.
When he died, there were no crowds outside the hospital, no editorial comments in the papers, no announcements on the television, no mention in Parliament, no attention paid by the nation. In his hospital room there was no one by his bedside. There was only the quiet hiss of oxygen, vainly venting because he had stopped breathing and would never need it again.
But on the other side, all the trumpets sounded. Dad won entrance to the only throne-room that matters, not because he was a good man or a great man—he was, after all, a most ordinary pastor—but because he was a forgiven man. And he heard the voice of him whom he longed to hear saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant; enter into the joy of your Lord.”
Pretty interesting for those of us that will probably never be the pastor of the megachurch or have all the books. Click on the link at the top of the article and read all about it.
Vision Baptist Church
Vision News
Monday, December 24, 2007
Beware of the Bunker Mentality
I was sitting listening to a missionary speak in our church recently and something very important dawned on me. As he spoke he showed enthusiasm. I have noticed over the years that when we are not at our church, dealing with our problems we are often able to be grateful and enthusiastic.
But then at home when the bombs are bursting in the air and things are going wrong, people are moving on to new towns and jobs and leaving our church, the bills are piling up it is easy to develop a victim attitude.
I was just sitting here thinking about how good God has been to me and then I got an email from a great family in our church that is planning on moving to another part of the state. Every time I hear that I cringe and hurt--I think you know what I mean. I would never hold up there progress and what they believe God's will to be BUT
I will lose them, I will miss them, Our church will suffer and I don't want them to go. It causes me to start thinking that things aren't going good. It doesn't matter if things are going good or not I tend to focus on the bad things--Do you do that?
I develop a Bunker Mentality. I want to retreat where I can't get hurt again. I would rather not risk loving than lose the love or be hurt.
That begins to show in my demeanor and attitude in the pulpit and around people. Then people don't understand what is happening but they know that something makes them uncomfortable.
Do you know what I mean? I want a praise and let's go forward attitude. I hope you do. God is in control. He is going to work things out. Lets serve Him with joy in our hearts.
In the Vision News I have to be positive but sometimes it is hard and I just do not feel like it! Have you ever been there?
But then at home when the bombs are bursting in the air and things are going wrong, people are moving on to new towns and jobs and leaving our church, the bills are piling up it is easy to develop a victim attitude.
I was just sitting here thinking about how good God has been to me and then I got an email from a great family in our church that is planning on moving to another part of the state. Every time I hear that I cringe and hurt--I think you know what I mean. I would never hold up there progress and what they believe God's will to be BUT
I will lose them, I will miss them, Our church will suffer and I don't want them to go. It causes me to start thinking that things aren't going good. It doesn't matter if things are going good or not I tend to focus on the bad things--Do you do that?
I develop a Bunker Mentality. I want to retreat where I can't get hurt again. I would rather not risk loving than lose the love or be hurt.
That begins to show in my demeanor and attitude in the pulpit and around people. Then people don't understand what is happening but they know that something makes them uncomfortable.
Do you know what I mean? I want a praise and let's go forward attitude. I hope you do. God is in control. He is going to work things out. Lets serve Him with joy in our hearts.
In the Vision News I have to be positive but sometimes it is hard and I just do not feel like it! Have you ever been there?
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Ramblings from North Africa:
The following comes from an email sent out by project North Africa and Aaron. I want to encourage all of you to get your copy of this book as soon as possible. I have already ordered mine and paid for it over paypal.
One Church-planting team’s first year of minsitry to Muslims
My wife Jillian and I, along with our coworkers Cesar and Mariet Copa from Arequipa, Peru have kept a journal of our experiences over the last year since we arrived in Morocco. This book is unique because it is written from a man AND a woman’s perspective as we ministered to Muslims together.
If you would like your your family and/or your church to know how to better pray for our missions…
If you would like to know what it is like to live and ministry in a Muslim country…
If you would like to know how to witness to the Muslims that you know…
If you know anyone going to minister in Muslim country…
Buy One, GIVE One Free!
For every book YOU buy, we will GIVE a book to a college student. The future of missions lies in the hands of the young people who are preparing themselves in our colleges. Will they consider going to a Muslim country?
It’s up to you!
All profits from the book will go directly into the church planting efforts of Project North Africa!
Order online at our website: www.projectna.com or by mail:
Project North Africa
PO Box 519
Braselton, GA 30517
Checks made payable to “Project North Africa” for $14.95 for the book and $3 for shipping.
Special pricing available for churches or individuals requesting 5 or more books.
This would be the book for you!
Vision Baptist Church
Vision News
One Church-planting team’s first year of minsitry to Muslims
My wife Jillian and I, along with our coworkers Cesar and Mariet Copa from Arequipa, Peru have kept a journal of our experiences over the last year since we arrived in Morocco. This book is unique because it is written from a man AND a woman’s perspective as we ministered to Muslims together.
If you would like your your family and/or your church to know how to better pray for our missions…
If you would like to know what it is like to live and ministry in a Muslim country…
If you would like to know how to witness to the Muslims that you know…
If you know anyone going to minister in Muslim country…
Buy One, GIVE One Free!
For every book YOU buy, we will GIVE a book to a college student. The future of missions lies in the hands of the young people who are preparing themselves in our colleges. Will they consider going to a Muslim country?
It’s up to you!
All profits from the book will go directly into the church planting efforts of Project North Africa!
Order online at our website: www.projectna.com or by mail:
Project North Africa
PO Box 519
Braselton, GA 30517
Checks made payable to “Project North Africa” for $14.95 for the book and $3 for shipping.
Special pricing available for churches or individuals requesting 5 or more books.
This would be the book for you!
Vision Baptist Church
Vision News
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Preach Jesus
You [as preachers] have nothing else to employ as the means of good, except the salvation of Jesus, and there is nothing else worth telling.
I heard of a congregation the other day that was so very small that hardly any one came to listen to the preacher. Instead of blaming himself, and preaching better, the minister said he thought he was not doing much good by sermons and prayer-meetings, and therefore he would found a club, and if the fellows came in, and played draughts, that might do them good. What a lot of that sort of thing is now being tried! We are going to convert souls on a new system,—are we? Are we also to have a substitute for bread?—and healthier drink than pure water? . . .
[T]o hope ever to bring sinners to holiness and heaven by any teaching but that which begins and ends in Jesus Christ is a sheer delusion. None other name is given among men whereby they can be saved. If you have to deal with highly learned and educated people, nothing is so good for them as preaching Jesus Christ; and if the people be ignorant and degraded, nothing is better for them than the preaching of Jesus.
A young man said to another the other day, “I am going down to preach at So-and-so, what sort of people are they there? What kind of doctrine will suit them?” Having heard of the question, I gave this advice,—”You preach Jesus Christ, and that will suit them, I am sure, if they are learned people it will suit them; if they are ignorant it will suit them—God blessing it.”
When the great Biblical critic, Bengel, was dying, he sent for a young theological student, to whom he said, “I am low in spirit; say something good to cheer me.” “My dear Sir,” said the student, “I am so insignificant a person, what can I say to a great man like yourself?” “But if you are a student of theology,” said Bengel, “you ought to have a good word to say to a dying man; pray say it without fear.” “Well, Sir,” said he, “What can I say to you, but that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin?” Bengel said, “Give me your hand, young man; that is the very word I wanted.”
A simple gospel text is the word which every man needs who is in fear of divine wrath, and he may be sitting next to you at this moment, or he is in the same house of business with you, and needs that you should tell him about Christ. Do that, and bless his soul. May you all understand the Scriptures in this way, and may God make you a great blessing to those around you.
Charles Spurgeon
That is what Vision Baptist Church is all about. We preach Jesus service after service, That is what we did in Peru. God blesses the preaching of His World. Keep up with all if going on via Vision News
I heard of a congregation the other day that was so very small that hardly any one came to listen to the preacher. Instead of blaming himself, and preaching better, the minister said he thought he was not doing much good by sermons and prayer-meetings, and therefore he would found a club, and if the fellows came in, and played draughts, that might do them good. What a lot of that sort of thing is now being tried! We are going to convert souls on a new system,—are we? Are we also to have a substitute for bread?—and healthier drink than pure water? . . .
[T]o hope ever to bring sinners to holiness and heaven by any teaching but that which begins and ends in Jesus Christ is a sheer delusion. None other name is given among men whereby they can be saved. If you have to deal with highly learned and educated people, nothing is so good for them as preaching Jesus Christ; and if the people be ignorant and degraded, nothing is better for them than the preaching of Jesus.
A young man said to another the other day, “I am going down to preach at So-and-so, what sort of people are they there? What kind of doctrine will suit them?” Having heard of the question, I gave this advice,—”You preach Jesus Christ, and that will suit them, I am sure, if they are learned people it will suit them; if they are ignorant it will suit them—God blessing it.”
When the great Biblical critic, Bengel, was dying, he sent for a young theological student, to whom he said, “I am low in spirit; say something good to cheer me.” “My dear Sir,” said the student, “I am so insignificant a person, what can I say to a great man like yourself?” “But if you are a student of theology,” said Bengel, “you ought to have a good word to say to a dying man; pray say it without fear.” “Well, Sir,” said he, “What can I say to you, but that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin?” Bengel said, “Give me your hand, young man; that is the very word I wanted.”
A simple gospel text is the word which every man needs who is in fear of divine wrath, and he may be sitting next to you at this moment, or he is in the same house of business with you, and needs that you should tell him about Christ. Do that, and bless his soul. May you all understand the Scriptures in this way, and may God make you a great blessing to those around you.
Charles Spurgeon
That is what Vision Baptist Church is all about. We preach Jesus service after service, That is what we did in Peru. God blesses the preaching of His World. Keep up with all if going on via Vision News
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Missionary Agreement Form 14
There is so much to learn from this agreement and I hope that you will go back to the very first post on this subject and follow all of the notes to really understand better how we can serve God on the mission field of the world.
What wonderful and powerful truths and a great to do list we find here:
1. We need to give all effort possible to the explaining and distributing of the Divine Word. What are you doing right now to explain the word of God to as many and as many times as you can. What are you doing to get the word of God into their hands. It is alive and powerful. It will do its job.
2. Let's get the Bible to as many people as possible. I am afraid that we do not realize the power of the word. If we but get it to them it will do a work in their lives.
3. Find the crowds and get the Bible to them. Find where the people are--go to them and get the word to them.
At Vision Baptist Church I am motivated to see how to put as much of this as possible to work. Even in America people do not read the Word of God and so much preaching today is philosophy and not Bible. I want to see how I can go about getting the Word into their hearts and lives. Keep up with what God is doing with us over at Vision News.
It becomes us to use all assiduity in explaining and distributing the Divine Word on all occasions, and by every means in our power to excite the attention and the reverence of the natives towards it, as the fountain of eternal truth and the Message of Salvation to men. It is our duty also to distribute, as extensively as possible, the different religious tracts which are published. Considering how much the general diffusion of the knowledge of Christ depends upon a liberal and constant distribution of the Word, and of these tracts, all over the country, we should keep this continually in mind, and watch all opportunities of putting even single tracts into the hands of those persons with whom we occasionally meet. We should endeavour to ascertain where large assemblies of the natives are to be found, that we may attend upon them, and gladden whole villages at once with the tidings of salvation.
What wonderful and powerful truths and a great to do list we find here:
1. We need to give all effort possible to the explaining and distributing of the Divine Word. What are you doing right now to explain the word of God to as many and as many times as you can. What are you doing to get the word of God into their hands. It is alive and powerful. It will do its job.
2. Let's get the Bible to as many people as possible. I am afraid that we do not realize the power of the word. If we but get it to them it will do a work in their lives.
3. Find the crowds and get the Bible to them. Find where the people are--go to them and get the word to them.
At Vision Baptist Church I am motivated to see how to put as much of this as possible to work. Even in America people do not read the Word of God and so much preaching today is philosophy and not Bible. I want to see how I can go about getting the Word into their hearts and lives. Keep up with what God is doing with us over at Vision News.
Monday, December 03, 2007
Missionary Agreement Form 13
Well I have been in South Africa visiting our missionary Kevin Hall and so I have not been able to keep up with these posts but we are back at it. I truly believe that there is a great deal that can be learned from reading, thinking, and studying what these great men did in the past. All of it might not be relevant to your ministry but it can sure help us to do a better job.
Every missionary better believe in the power of the Word of God. We have nothing else to give them. The last thing that they need is the philosophy of the United States. We obviously even as a culture have not done much to promote the name of Jesus Christ and bring our culture to His feet. The prosperity gospel may work in the USA but it has little chance overseas where poverty and death are so rampant. Let us give them the Word.
I high lighted several things that I certainly hope you notice. They had to learn the language no matter what it cost! Do not settle for a half hearted knowledge of the language. You will be studying and learning until the day you die.
Do all in your power to get the gospel to the world and by that I mean the Word of God. We are to study it, teach it, preach it, live it. The Word of God is our life, it is all we have and all we are.
Vision Baptist Church on the Northside of Atlanta is committed to just this truth. We must preach the Bible, verse by verse. We are loving it! It is amazing how the truths of God's Word are already relevant. As we study the Bible these truths apply right now to our society and where we live.
I invite you to follow Vision News to keep up with what God is doing in our church.
Ninthly. It becomes us also to labour with all our might in forwarding translations of the sacred Scriptures in the languages of Hindoostan. The help which God has afforded us already in this work is a loud call to us to "go forward." So far, therefore, as God has qualified us to learn those languages which are necessary, we consider it our bounden duty to apply with unwearied assiduity in acquiring them. We consider the publication of the Divine Word throughout India as an object which we ought never to give up till accomplished, looking to the Fountain of all knowledge and strength to qualify us for this great work, and to carry us through it to the praise of His Holy Name.
Every missionary better believe in the power of the Word of God. We have nothing else to give them. The last thing that they need is the philosophy of the United States. We obviously even as a culture have not done much to promote the name of Jesus Christ and bring our culture to His feet. The prosperity gospel may work in the USA but it has little chance overseas where poverty and death are so rampant. Let us give them the Word.
I high lighted several things that I certainly hope you notice. They had to learn the language no matter what it cost! Do not settle for a half hearted knowledge of the language. You will be studying and learning until the day you die.
Do all in your power to get the gospel to the world and by that I mean the Word of God. We are to study it, teach it, preach it, live it. The Word of God is our life, it is all we have and all we are.
Vision Baptist Church on the Northside of Atlanta is committed to just this truth. We must preach the Bible, verse by verse. We are loving it! It is amazing how the truths of God's Word are already relevant. As we study the Bible these truths apply right now to our society and where we live.
I invite you to follow Vision News to keep up with what God is doing in our church.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Missionary Agreement Form 12
Under the divine blessing, if, in the course of a few years, a number of native churches be thus established, from them the word of God may sound out even to the extremities of India, and numbers of preachers being raised up and sent forth, may form a body of native missionaries, inured to the climate, acquainted with the customs, language, modes of speech and reasoning of the inhabitants; able to become perfectly familiar with them, to enter their houses, to live upon their food, to sleep with them, or under a tree; and who may travel from one end of the country to the other almost without any expense. These churches will be in no immediate danger of falling into errors or disorders, because the whole of their affairs will be constantly superintended by a European missionary.
Though I understand the comment and agree to a point I do believe that we need to so deeply train our people that they will be as trustworthy as us. That means that this can not be a work that is done quickly or lightheartedly. We must commit to real personal, life on life, training. I would hope that the day would come in any country that there are enough men and women who have matured sufficiently that they will not need to be supervised by a European nor an American.
Can we trust God to do such a work in their hears as He has done in ours? Could it be that we need to invest more money in getting good study materials into their hands. Maybe we should spend more time and give them real Bible College training. The problem is obvious and easily understood but should have a solution.
The advantages of this plan are so evident, that to carry it into complete effect ought to be our continued concern. That we may discharge the important obligations of watching over these infant churches when formed, and of urging them to maintain a steady discipline, to hold forth the clear and cheering light of evangelical truth in this region and shadow of death, and to walk in all respects as those who have been called out of the darkness into marvellous light, we should continually go to the Source of all grace and strength; for if, to become the shepherd of one church be a most solemn and weighty charge, what must it be to watch over a number of churches just raised from the state of heathenism, and placed at a distance from each other?
No doubt the infant churches will need our care. Let us just not leave it there.
We have thought it our duty not to change the names of native converts, observing from Scripture that the Apostles did not change those of the first Christians turned from heathenism, as the names Epaphroditus, Phoebe, Fortunatus, Sylvanus, Apollos, Hermes, Junia, Narcissus, etc., prove. Almost all these names are derived from those of heathen gods. We think the great object which Divine Providence has in view in causing the Gospel to be promulgated in the world, is not the changing of the names, the dress, the food, and the innocent usages of mankind, but to produce a moral and divine change in the hearts and conduct of men. It would not be right to perpetuate the names of heathen gods amongst Christians, neither is it necessary or prudent to give a new name to every man after his conversion, as hereby the economy of families, neighbourhoods, etc., would be needlessly disturbed. In other respects, we think it our duty to lead our brethren by example, by mild persuasion, and by opening and illuminating their minds in a gradual way rather than use authoritative means. By this they learn to see the evil of a custom, and then to despise and forsake it; whereas in cases wherein force is used, though they may leave off that which is wrong while in our presence, yet not having seen the evil of it, they are in danger of using hypocrisy, and of doing that out of our presence which they dare not do in it.
Let us never strive for the outward changes that so readily make us look like we have accomplished a great deal. Rather let us work to get the gospel into their hearts and for God to make a permanent change in them.
Vision News
Vision Baptist
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