Daniel Garnett's blog

When The Storms Arise!

Storms

While at work today I was taken aback by a sudden change in the weather when things went from being peaceful and calm outside to thundering, lightening and raining like cats and dogs, which I am not sure what all that entails, but suffice it to say that it is not your normal gentle rain.  I was amazed at how quickly the circumstances changed around us and how we were all of a sudden engulfed by one of these summery storms that are famous for popping up during this time of the year in our area.  All was well one moment and storming the next.

Does that sound familiar to you at all?  Isn't that how we can describe life itself.  All can be well one moment and in the next moment we find ourselves plunging head first into a particular set of trials and tribulations we never saw coming our way.  And just like with nature, there are no two storms alike.  Each storm has its own unique twists and turns, but we soon learn that it is how we "weather" the storms that makes us into the people we are today.  I have always preached from the pulpit that trials and tribulations will either push you closer to the Father or driver you away from Him.  In other words, when storms come in our lives there is no neutral ground.  You will move either one way or the other.  It has also been phrased this way: "Trials and tribulations will either make you bitter or better."

Well, an event recently occurred in our family that gave us the opportunity to practice what we preach.  By the way, isn't it interesting how God can place us in situations which give us the opportunity to practice what we preach?  Anyway, on February 14, 2010, I was asked by my previous church in Albany, Georgia to step away from my position as pastor and on March 6 my family and I loaded up our U-Haul and headed back to a place which has become an oasis for us during this time, and that place is Auburn, Alabama where we were reunited with our brothers and sisters in Christ at Lakeview Baptist Church.  If that church sounds at all familiar to you it is because this is the church where I was a seminarian/intern from 2002-2005.  The pastor and deacons learned of our dire situation and quickly opened up one of their missionary houses for us to live in for the time being.  

Now let me answer a couple of questions for you real quick.  First of all, my conscience is clear in the fact that I did nothing morally or biblically wrong to warrant what took place in Albany.  We have almost become accustomed in this day and time to the moral and biblical failures of so many pastors that have disqualified them for ministry.  Thankfully, this is not the case for me and I pray it never will be.  Second of all, I am not going to play the blame game nor start pointing fingers at anyone.  I will be the first to admit that mistakes were made on my part throughout my ministry there (what pastor doesn't make mistakes?), but I am not so certain those mistakes warranted what took place.  What matters to me, however, is that in God's divine providence He allowed this storm to come into our lives and I would not trade it for anything because of what God has done in our lives during this difficult period is simply beyond description.  We can honestly say that God is good during the good times and He is good during the bad times.  His faithfulness never waivers!

There is so much I could share at this point, but allow me to share with you just a few thoughts.  First of all, I am thankful for a loving and faithful wife who has in many ways been stronger in this than I have been.  She has helped me pick up the pieces of the puzzle, keep my eyes on Jesus and press on for the glory of God.  I believe she is everything a pastor is looking for in a faithful pastor's wife.  I also believe a pastor's wife can either make or break a ministry.  Well, God is using her to make mine.

Second of all, what God has done in our lives since that fateful day is simply beyond words, as I mentioned a moment ago.  His presence and His comfort have been, and are, so real to us.  He has allowed us to be surrounded by some of the most godliest people we know who have come alongside of us and helped us carry this burden.  Our church family has been simply amazing as they have opened wide their arms.  And we are so thankful to call Bro. Al our pastor who has ministered to us during this time and whose preaching has simply given us a hunger and thirst to know God in the most intimate of ways.  Now this certainly doesn't mean that everything has been a bed of roses because there have been some difficult days in the past couple of months, but we can honestly say that God has not left nor forsaken us in the least bit.

Third of all, we have been given the opportunity to rest physically, emotionally and spiritually, which has proven to be vital in our lives.  Along those lines, we as a family have been able to love and spend time with one another like we never have before.  Now that things have drastically slowed down for us, we have been able to do things together that we normally have not been able to do due to the demands of ministry.

So you want to know what we are doing now?  Well, thankfully Michelle has been able to continue to stay at home with the girls while I have been working with a wonderful Christian family who owns a private business in Opelika, which is the neighboring city to Auburn.  Time nor space will permit me to describe my job to you right now.  It is very interesting and quite humorous in a sense, but I am certainly enjoying what I am doing.  While I have been working there, we have had the opportunity to see a lost soul come to faith in Christ, and this is a secular business we are talking about.  Therefore, I have been working a secular job and at the same time filling the pulpit for various churches whose pastors have been away.  God has been gracious to open many doors for me to preach the Gospel and for this I am most grateful.

This experience has not been a fun nor easy journey, but it is a journey we are most thankful for and to some degree can attest with Joseph that God works all things together for His good, which Paul declared to us in the book of Romans, but was experienced of Joseph in the book of Genesis.  And for the time being, we are simply taking one day at a time and waiting upon God and what He has for us next.  This has definitely been an exciting journey for us in many ways and we are excited about what God has in store for us because we know that He has plans to prosper us and not to harm us; plans to give us hope and a future (Jer. 29:11).  To God be the glory for great things He has done!

Are Death & Taxes The Only Sure Thing In This Life?

Death & Taxes

It is that time of year again!  It is the time of year when we begin receiving our W-2's, if that is what you receive, and other important documents that are needed as we get ready to prepare our taxes.  Now I fully realize that many of us will wait until April 15 to turn them in, but with the beginning of a new year comes the reminder that taxes will be due soon.  We as a family usually prepare ours as soon as we can with the hopes of receiving a return from the federal and the state, which usually ends up going to pay some much needed bills, such as our hospital bill that we really want to get paid off before we have to use their services again.  Thankfully, our taxes are really not that difficult to prepare due to the fact that I file mine under the umbrella of being self-employed.  And since Michelle is a homemaker, which I am grateful for, we do not have to worry with filing anything on her behalf.  Therefore, I usually end up preparing my own return with the hopes that I have done everything right and the IRS will not choose to audit me.  I try and be as honest as I can when preparing our taxes, but there is always that nagging feeling deep down inside that wonders if I have done something wrong.  But my conscience is clear so far and I believe I have done everything necessary to prepare an honest and forthright return.

With that being said, it often times seems that there are only two sure things in this life - death and taxes.  At least it seems so from my perspective.  Since I am considered "self-employed" I am constantly having to make sure I withhold a certain amount from my paycheck for taxes in order that I might send a quarterly estimated tax payment in.  Therefore, I usually have taxes on my mind when each time I receive a paycheck.  But what about death?  Well, death seems to be on my mind quite often as well since I am a pastor.  We as pastors are confronted regularly as we minister to the people of our church.  Plus the fact that each time we go to the hospital to visit someone we are usually reminded of the reality of death in some form or fashion.  According to where you go to find your answer, somewhere in the neighborhood of 200,000 people die every day throughout the world.  There is no mistaking that death is a reality just like taxes are a reality for us as Americans come the spring of each year.

I am not trying to be morbid here or scare anyone, it just seems like death and taxes are the only sure thing in this life.  But are they?  Are there any other sure things in this life?  If so, are they good or bad because the ones I have just mentioned no one really wants to talk about.  Well, I truly do believe they are a couple of more sure things in this life, at least from my experience.

First of all, I believe the Word of God is a sure thing.  I believe it holds truth for all mankind throughout all ages.  Now you may disagree with me on this point and if so I challenge you to prove to me where the Word of God is false because there have been those who have tried down through the years and have been unable to succeed.  Are you aware that the Bible is the most shoplifted book in the world?  Are you aware that the Bible is the most controversial book in all of humanity?  Are you aware that civilizations have tried to eradicate the Bible from existence but have been unable to succeed?  Are you aware that people have died because they believed so strongly in the Bible?  Mere coincidence?  I don't think so.  The Word of God is a sure thing and will last for all eternity.

Second of all, I believe hope is a sure thing.  But not the hope that the world tries to offer us through bank loans, government overhaul, health care reform, military prowess, law enforcement protection, etc.  No, the hope I am referring to is the hope that can only be found in Jesus Christ.  He is the hope for all mankind.  As a matter of fact, He boldly claimed that we can have life and have it to the full as we believe in Him.  And whereas the Bible has been the most controversial book in all of humanity, we can easily say that Jesus has been the most controversial figure in all humanity.  And, just like with the Bible, there are people who have died because of their faith in Jesus.  Mere coincidence?  I don't think so.  Hope in Jesus is a sure thing, as I have witnessed it for myself time and time again.

So you see?  Death and taxes are not the only sure things in this life.  And while I could have added more to this obviously, I just wanted to show you that there is something and someone greater than death and taxes.  Death and taxes is not what it is all about.  If you think so, then I pity you because that has to be a miserable way to live.  There is something and someone greater for you and I to live for and it is my prayer you have found just what I am talking about.

What Are We To Make Of The Devastion In Haiti?

Haiti

No doubt all of us have been perplexed these past couple of days due to the recent events that have taken place in Haiti, which has left hundreds of thousands dead and millions without any kind of shelter.  As a 7.0 earthquake rocked and crumbled the populated city of Port-au-Prince we are once again reminded of the fact that natural disasters, such as this one, often come unpredicted and unannounced and often leave a disaster of biblical proportions behind in its wake.  While we as Americans have had our share of natural disasters, such as earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes and the like, it is almost impossible for us to be able to wrap our minds around the tumultuous events that have taken place in a location that was ill prepared for a 7.0 earthquake.  So what we are to make of the devastation in Haiti?  Better yet, where is God in all of this?  Or, why would God allow such a disaster as this to occur upon the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere?

I believe the first thing we must admit in a situation like this is that we certainly do not have all the answers, if we even have any.  The fact of the matter is we may never know this side of heaven why God would allow something like this to occur among a group of people who are so incapable of handling an event like this..  I mean doesn't He love the people in Haiti?  I, for one, believe He does and just as much as He loves you and me.  And while I hope we would all agree God does love the people of Haiti, at the same time I believe we have to remember that God is not only a God of love, but He is also a God of judgment.  His Word clearly says that He is going to judge all nations before it is all said and done, which rightfully includes America.  So has what happened this week in Haiti a result of God's judgment upon a people who are well versed in religious syncretism, as they are known for mixing various elements of voodooism, sorcery and Catholicism?  I can't answer that question for you and I am by no means wanting to say this event is a result of God's judgment.  

These same questions and observations were being asked of us, as Americans, as we sorted through the rubble after events such as 9-11 and Hurricane Katrina.  Even though we are a few years down the road from both of these occurrences, we have still been unable to rightfully answer the question as to why God would allow something like this to occur?  There is no doubt that many good and God-fearing people have suffered as a result of events such as 9-11, Hurricane Katrina, the tsunami in Asia, and now the earthquake in Haiti. And I believe "why" is a logical question for us as human beings because we are not able to understand exactly why events like these happen.  Didn't Jesus even ask the "why" question when He went to the cross and asked the Father as to why He had forsaken Him?

There are a couple of things I believe we can be reminded of in times like these.  First of all, events like this do take place inevitably as a result of our sin.  When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden God cursed the ground that they walked upon and creation has never been the same since and will never be the same until Jesus comes again to make all things new.  And I believe the closer we get to the return of Christ the more events like the highlighted one we are going to see because Jesus warned us in the gospels that in the last days there would be earthquakes, famines, pestilence and the like.  When God created the heavens and the earth He created them in a state of perfection and that state of perfection was lost when sin came into the world.  The Bible tells us that when sin came into the world that creation was subjected to frustration and is now eagerly awaiting its renewal.

The second and most prominent truth I believe we can be reminded of in times like this is that the only hope for mankind is the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  And perhaps the door for sharing the gospel with the Haitian people has now been opened up like never before in history.  I am grateful for organizations like the Southern Baptist Convention, Samaritan's Purse and World Vision who already have people with their feet on the ground in Haiti seeking to not only meet their physical needs, but at the same time to meet their spiritual needs.  I, for one, am praying that the Haitian people will be able to see the hope there is in Jesus because only He can bring hope in a time like this.

So what can we do?  Well, I believe the first and greatest thing we can do for the Haitian people is pray for them because there is truly nothing like the power of prayer.  Pray not only that their physical needs would be met in such a time of devastation, but also pray that their spiritual needs will be met as they are told of the One who came to pay the price for their sin, your sin and my sin.  We can also give to organizations like the aforementioned.  I encourage you to give to those organizations that, again, are not only going to seek to minister to them physically, but also are going to seek to minister to them spiritually.  One of the things Jesus had a heart for was the poor and so should we, especially in a time like this.  Also, if God gives you the opportunity to go yourself then I pray you will be willing to go and be an ambassador for the Lord Jesus to these hurting people.  I believe it is in times like these that we have the opportunity to see the church of the Lord Jesus Christ do some of its greatest work all for the glory of God.  May this be the case during such a horrific time for the people in Haiti.

    

Ten Questions To Ask At The Start Of 2010!

2010

With the start of a new year can come the start of a new beginning for us as we put another year behind us, with all of its highlights and lowlights, and look forward to new things to come in the new year.  This is the time of year when we set goals for ourselves and resolve to improve in some areas in our life that we feel the need to improve upon.  Some of these goals and resolutions we are able to keep and achieve throughout the year and some of them we are not, but I believe goals and resolutions can be a tool to help us strive to accomplish feats that can improve the quality of our lives.  This is true in the physical realm as well in the spiritual realm.  There is always the need for us to take the time to reevaluate who we are, what we are doing, and where we are heading.  A new year gives us the chance to do just that.

            With that in mind, I want to share something with you I received in the mail the other day from Lakeview Baptist Church out of Auburn, Alabama, which is the church I was on staff for three years while I worked on and completed my Master’s degree, that they had included in their recent newsletter.  As a matter of fact, when I received the newsletter in the mail and saw this particular item in there I immediately copied it off to hand out to the folks at Beacon Baptist Church this past Sunday morning.  This particular piece of information is entitled, “Ten Questions To Ask At The Start Of A New Year.”  I hope that you will not only read and think upon these questions, but that at some point in the near future you will answer them.  I believe these questions can be of great service to us as we begin 2010.

Ten Questions To Ask At The Start Of A New Year

            Once, when the people of God had become careless in their relationship with Him, the Lord rebuked them through the prophet Haggai.  “Consider your ways!” (Haggai1:5) He declared, urging them to reflect on some of the things happening to them, and to evaluate their slipshod spirituality in light of what God had told them.  Even the most faithful to God occasionally need to pause and think about the direction of their lives.  It’s so easy to bump along from one busy week to another without ever stopping to ponder where we’re going and what we should be doing.  The beginning of a new year is an ideal time to stop, look up, and get our bearings.  To that end, here are some questions to ask prayerfully in the presence of God:

 

1.       What’s one thing you could do this year to increase your enjoyment of God?

2.       What’s the most humanly impossible thing you will ask God to do this year?

3.       What’s the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your family life this year?

4.       In which spiritual discipline do you most want to make progress this year, and what will you do about it?

5.       What is the single biggest time-waster in your life, and what will you do about it this year?

6.       What is the most helpful new way you could strengthen your church?

7.       For whose salvation will you pray most fervently for this year?

8.       What’s the most important way you will, by God’s grace, try to make this year different from last year?

9.       What one thing could you do to improve your prayer life this year?

10.   What single thing that you plan to do this year will matter most in ten years?  In eternity?

Be Aware Of The "Martha Syndrome" During The Christmas Season!

The Christmas Cross

Perhaps all of us, at one point or another, have been inflicted with what has been deemed as the "Martha Syndrome" during the Christmas season.  And if you are not sure what the "Martha Syndrome" is, then take a look at what we read in Luke 10:40 - "Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made" (NIV).  So what is the "Martha Syndrome?'  Well, I would define the "Martha Syndrome" as one who allows the urgent to overtake the important.  Or, one who lets relationship succumb to service.  The person who has this syndrome is the person who has become so distracted with what they believe must be done that they fail to focus on what is more important.

Have you ever gone through the Christmas season participating in all of the parties and events and family gatherings that the season has to offer us only to sit down and relax after all is said and done and begin to wonder why we did what we did and to get a sense that we missed out on something really important?  Perhaps all of us have experienced that a time or two in our lives.  At least I know I have.  I have allowed myself to get so caught up in the "stuff" of Christmas that I forgot to sit at the feet of the One who made Christmas possible for us in the first place.  It is easy to do so and I simply want to caution us against allowing this syndrome to creep into our lives throughout the remainder of the Christmas season.  Martha, while she was no doubt doing something good, missed out on what was best in her life as she busied herself with all kinds of preparations due to the special guest she had in her house.  I believe we are often guilty of substituting the best for something good, especially around the Christmas season.  We get so consumed by what we think must be done in order to have a wonderful Christmas that we forget a wonderful Christmas is only to be had as we take the time to reflect upon the real meaning of the season.

I guess I would call myself somewhat of a world traveler being that I have been to Kenya, England, Germany, Ecuador and Mexico for various reasons.  One of the interesting things I have noticed in most of these places is that the people do not seem to be a busy as we are here in the United States.  They seem to live in a society where time is not always of the essence and time is not always money, although I believe America is influencing these societies in many ways to become like we are.  And I just happen to believe that business has become one of the downfalls of the church in America today.  We have become so busy that we do not take the time to sit at the feet of Jesus like we used to.  We have substituted, in many ways, godliness for business and we are suffering from it as the church has become a mile wide and an inch deep.  We have allowed ourselves over time to become plagued with the "Martha Syndrome."  I say we need to reverse this trend and become "Mary's" in a Martha world.

Therefore, as you journey throughout the Christmas season of 2009, be careful not to allow yourself to become distracted by all of the "stuff" of Christmas that you forget to sit at the feet of the One who has made Christmas possible.  This is not a holiday we are celebrating.  This is a holy day we are celebrating because Christmas is the day when the very Son of God entered the world as a man just like me and you in order to identify with us and ultimately pay the price for our sins.  The greatest gift of all was born in a lowly stable some 2000 years ago and He is the one who has brought light into a dark world.

My Thoughts On The Allegded Tiger Woods Scandal!

Tiger Woods

The whole Tiger Woods drama started to unfold in my own little world while I was cheering my hardest for Auburn to beat Alabama this past Saturday in the stands of Jordan Hare Stadium amidst some 87,000 like minded fans.  As a matter of fact, I received a text message from ESPN News right after one of Auburn's early touchdown informing me that he had been critically injured in an apparent automobile accident and was rushed to the hospital.  I would say that about 15 minutes later I received another text message from the same source informing me that Tiger had been released from the hospital with minor facial lacerations and no serious injuries.  At that moment there was a feeling inside of me that indicated something was not right about the whole situation.  Why in the world would ESPN send out a text message in one moment saying the most popular athlete in the world had been critically injured in a car accident and almost in the next moment send out another text message saying he only received minor injuries and was heading home?  Something didn't quite add up.  The story then took on another level once I arrived at my parent's house after the Auburn and Alabama game and found out that the whole incident occurred at 2:00 in the morning.  Again, something was not adding up.  There are many of us who now find our curiosity aroused over what possibly could have taken place in the life of arguably the greatest golfer to ever play the game of golf.  Even in the midst of a war, an economic crisis, unrest in our government, growing threats from other nations, etc., most of us still want to know what in the world is going on with the most popular athlete in the world right now.

Between Friday and today we have learned of the possibility that Tiger Woods has had an affair with three different women.  And while the verdict is still out and it remains to be seen what has truly taken place, there is no doubt that something of ill repute has taken place as Tiger has come out publicly and said, "I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all my heart."  Whatever "those transgressions" may be, and they are really none of my business, I am just saddened by the fact that here is another popular figure in our nation, and throughout the world, and a role model to so many of our children and he has been unable to live up to the standards that are placed on those who are in the limelight like Tiger is.

I believe this whole incident goes to show you that popularity and money is unable to even keep the best of the best from falling into the mire of sin and shame in their lives.  And by no means I am here to condemn Tiger Woods because one of the first thoughts that ran across my mind when I found out what really could be going on here is the fact that none of us are exempt from falling into the same trap Tiger has fallen into, that is if what we are hearing today stands true.  As a matter of fact, I hope and pray, first of all, that those on the tour who are his friends and are committed followers of Christ will reach out to him in love and support and show them that Jesus is the only hope for mankind in a world full of turmoil.  Second of all, I hope and pray that Tiger and Elin's marriage will be able to be restored and show the world that even though a husband and/or wife may slip up that love and forgiveness are powerful and can bring healing to a marriage.

I am a huge fan of Tiger Woods as a golfer.  I have always had issues with him as far as his personal conduct on and off the golf course.  But as far as his golfing game is concerned, there are certain days when it just seems to be poetry in motion, if you will, as one sits there and watches him play the game.  Will he ever be the same?  I believe that remains to be seen.  But what I am afraid of is that his name is going to be tarnished somewhat for the rest of his career, much like Kobe Bryant's name has been tarnished ever since his incident a few years ago.  That doesn't mean we are going to be standing in condemnation of him, it just means that any time we bring up the name Tiger Woods the first two thoughts in our minds are going to be something like "great golfer" and "moral failure."  But thanks to be God there is forgiveness in Him and when God forgives He forgets and it is my prayer Tiger will turn to the one true and living God in this situation.

There Is Much To Be Thankful For!

Thanksgiving

As we approach the day in which we set aside as a country each year to stop and give thanks for all God has done for us, I often wonder how thankful we are as citizens of this great land for the many blessings He has bestowed upon us.  Even though we may be in the midst of an economic crisis, which some say we are gradually easing our way out of, there is still much to be thankful for.  But it is almost like we have forgotten what it truly means to celebrate a day of "thanksgiving" because we just seem to pass right on over it and start celebrating the Christmas season before the month of November comes to an end.  Now I am not here to say whether this is right or wrong because if you are like my family we already have our Christmas tree up in our living room, thanks to my wife and our two precious girls.  No, I am just here to remind us all that there is much to be thankful for not only as citizens of the United States but also as citizens of the Kingdom of God; the latter being far more important than the former.  The former is temporary, but the latter is eternal.

If you are like me, then there are times in your life when you get more focused on the negative happening in and around you that you fail to recognize and give thanks for all the positives.  Reality is, however, we can still stop and give thanks even when we do face trials and tribulations.  But if we would just stop and take the time to "count our blessings" I believe we would all find that there is truly much to be thankful for.  And perhaps that is just part of our problem in our society today.  How often do we take the time to stop and consider all that we are blessed with in this day and time?  Many of us are unable to enjoy the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays because we are running at such a hectic pace that we are unable to adequately process why we are doing what we are doing.  It has almost become robotic to some degree because we have been programmed on what exactly we are going to be doing and where we are going to be going that we fail to stop and truly reflect on the "reason for the season."  I believe often times the reason we do not sense within our hearts that there is much to be thankful for is because we have failed to slow down and consider all God has done for us.  We as Americans are some the most blessed and prosperous people in the world and it would simply be foolish for us to not stop and give thanks.

I also believe there is another reason we fail to adequately give thanks for all God has blessed us with.  When it comes to giving thanks we often like to consider the "big things" in life for which we can be grateful for and forget about the ordinary things in life which we depend upon day by day in order to exist in this world.  I am speaking of things such as a roof over our head, a bed to lay in, clothes on our back, food to eat, water to drink, a family that loves and supports us, friends we can turn to in time of need, etc.  I guess the point I want to make to all of us, which includes myself, is that there is much to be thankful for today and we don't need to go rushing through another Thanksgiving season without giving thanks unto God for the many blessings He has bestowed upon us.

But don't let one day or one week be the extent of your thanksgiving unto God.  Make it a daily routine in which you give thanks unto Him for something He has blessed you with.  As a matter of fact, I believe the more you do give thanks the more you will see how much there is to be thankful for.  Those who don't give thanks are those who are unable to truly see all there is to be thankful for.  So may we hear the cry of David in 1 Chronicles 16:34 when he says, "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever."  May we join with him this week, and every other week, in giving thanks to the creator God for all He has done because He is worthy of our thanksgiving.

A Day To Remember!

Lydia Grace

The last full weekend in October was definitely a weekend to remember in the life of our family and in the life of our church.  On Sunday morning, October 25, Lydia woke us up around 4:00 a.m. to tell us that she was not feeling well.  And it was only a couple of minutes later when she commenced vomiting and running a high fever.  Now Lydia has no doubt been sick before but Michelle and I could look at her and tell that there was something altogether different about this sickness.  We knew we were dealing with something more than just a common virus.  Not too long after we got Lydia settled back down I got ready for church and went ahead and headed over to the office in order to prepare for the services that day.  I could hardly wait to preach the message the Lord had given me on the subject of vision in the local church, therefore, I was pretty much ready to go by the time I arrived at the church.

Before I left to go over to the church, Michelle and I had already decided that she would take her in to see the doctor as soon as his office opened around 11:00 a.m..  Under normal circumstances, Michelle would just have taken her in by herself, but these were not normal circumstances.  Therefore, I asked one of the young ladies in our church if she would drive our van to the doctor's office so that Michelle could sit in the back with Lydia.  Man was this ever a great idea (props to my dad because it was his idea) because Lydia got sick on the way and it would have been a mess had not Michelle been in the back seat right there with her.

Michelle and Lydia arrived at the doctor's office around 10:45 a.m. and they were called back in just a matter of moments.  When Dr. Smith walked into the office and laid eyes on her he knew, just like we did, that something was different about this virus.  He wasn't in the room with her for two minutes before he told Michelle that she needed to get her to the hospital as soon as possible.  Thankfully, Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, which is where the movie "Fireproof" was partially filmed, is just right around the corner from the doctor's office.  So, they all loaded up in the car and rushed off to the hospital and in no time Lydia is admitted on the pediatrics floor.

In the meantime, nothing was going right in the service that day.  It seemed like the devil was trying his best to disrupt the flow in any way that he could.  Therefore, right before I got up to preach I asked the church if we could have a time of prayer and asked people to come to the altar to pray if they felt led to do so.  In my short stint of pastoring, I have never done anything like this before on a Sunday morning.  Right before I was about to pray, a lady in our church walked up to me with her cell phone in her hand and showed me a text she had received about having to take Lydia to the hospital.  Well, you can only imagine what my heart and emotions did when I read that text.  I said a quick prayer with tears streaming down my face and then announced to the church what was going on.  As I stood there in tears, the chairman of deacons and the minister of music came up and laid their hands on me as the chairman of deacons led in a word of prayer.  I thought about leaving and heading to the hospital, but the Spirit of the Lord seemed to say to me that everything is going to be all right and that I needed to preach the message the Lord had given me to share with the church.  And by the grace of God I preached that message on vision and from the comments I received from the people, it was one of the best messages they have ever heard me preach and God really used it to challenge some people that day.  To God be the glory.

Lydia ended up staying in the hospital from Sunday morning through Tuesday night and was diagnosed with viral meningitis.  How she got this we don't know.  The doctors tell us that it happens from time to time in children.  As a matter of fact, the virus that caused her to have this meningitis is the same virus that causes the common cold.  So I guess the moral of the story is never to treat the common cold lightly ever again.  

What a tremendous blessing it was for Lydia and the rest of the family to receive so much love and prayer support from people all across this country and even perhaps around the world.  I can tell you this; I have never experienced anything like what I experienced with my own child that day not knowing what was going to happen to her.  And I can only imagine what these parents are going through who have children who are sick with terminal diseases and there is nothing they can do about it but pray.  And prayer is the answer because we are talking to the One who is the Great Physician.

The Value Of "Revivals" In The Local Church!

Tent Revival

You can call me "old-fashioned," "traditional," "ancient," or whatever you want to call me, but I still believe in the value of holding "revivals" in the local church.  Now I am all for a name change, if one is necessary, because just because we call them "revivals" doesn't necessitate the fact real revival is actually going to occur within the life of the church.  But this is what I tell the dear folks at Beacon Baptist Church: "Just because we have planned a revival and are calling it a revival doesn't necessarily mean revival is going to occur.  But it is our hope and prayer that revival does occur in these meetings we are going to have on the days we have set aside for our church to have revival."  Therefore, if you can come up with a better name, I am all ears.  Nonetheless, each fall and each spring we set aside some days for us to gather together as a body of Christ to hear from a man of God with the hopes that God will use this time to bring revival in the life of our church.

As a matter of fact, I believe we have done a disservice to many of our churches today by not having more of these types of meetings where we meet for "x" number of days in order to encounter God.  There used to be a time when there were two weeks set aside for revivals, although I was never a part of one of those.  I was a part, however, of week long revivals before they were shaved down to Sunday through Wednesday.  Today there are many churches who do not even have Sunday through Wednesday revivals.  I just believe there is great value in the life of a church when you are able to meet for several consecutive days for the purpose of seeking God to do a fresh work among the people.  Why just meet on Sunday's and Wednesday's for church?  Why not have times throughout the year where the church meets for several days in a row?  Doesn't the book of Acts say that the early church met regularly?  If so, I take that to mean more than once or twice a week.

Don't misunderstand me here because I am not condemning those churches who do not set aside a time for "revivals" or other events.  I just know from personal experience as a pastor that more times than not the people of God are refreshed and revitalized after spending consecutive days with other believers worshiping God and hearing His Word proclaimed.  For instance, our church just got through spending four consecutive days together in "revival" with Bro. Tommy Fountain (Fountain of Joy Ministries), who is an evangelist from north Georgia.  I can honestly say that God used our time together to do a work of revival in our hearts and I don't know if I have ever seen these people as excited about serving the Lord as they are now. And to top it all off, we had the wonderful privilege of seeing two people make professions of faith in Christ.  I believe when the church is revived souls will be saved.    

Maybe what I am talking about is old-fashioned and out-of-date, but I still believe God uses these times together to do a necessary work in the life of the church.  If there is something else we could be doing together as the people of God during the week that will prepare us to be the godly people we need to be out in a lost world, again, I am all ears.  I just long to see the local church thrive in this day and time and I really don't see much of what we are doing allowing the church to thrive.  May God truly send revival to our churches because as Bro. Tommy mentioned, "Before the White House can get right, the church house is going to have to get right."  Amen!!!

It All Came Down To One Word...Prayer!

Prayer

This past week many of us throughout the Mallary Baptist Association had the opportunity to really be fed spiritually through the teaching ministry of Manley Beasley Jr., who is the son of the great Southern Baptist revivalist Manley Beasley Sr.  There is no doubt that God used this humble man to speak to our hearts and bring us to a point to where we all left hungry and thirsty for God to do a fresh and supernatural work among us.  

The topic we asked him to deal with during our time together was on the ministry and the work of the Holy Spirit of God.  I am of the sincere belief that the reason many of our churches throughout the Southern Baptist Convention are plateauing or declining is because we have in many ways neglected the work of the Holy Spirit within the church.  We have become so indoctrinated with programs and strategies in this day and time that I am afraid much of the work we are doing in the church today is being done in the flesh.  We have kind of formed our own idea of church and the way one should be run and have forgotten one key element, that key element being the work of the Holy Spirit.  Therefore, we asked Bro. Manley to come and speak to us concerning the work of the Holy Spirit within the life of the local church.

Interestingly enough, we really didn't talk much about the work of the Holy Spirit.  Each time we sought to discover something fresh and invigorating on the work of the Holy Spirit it just seemed like God kept bringing us back to the work of prayer.  And doesn't it stand to reason God would continue to bring us back to the idea of prayer because it is only through prayer that the Holy Spirit does His work in our lives and in our churches, right?  What do we find the early believers doing when the Holy Spirit came upon them and empowered them to declare the message of Jesus Christ?  We find them praying together.  As a matter of fact, the Bible says they were "constantly in prayer" (Acts 1:14, NIV).  And then we come to one of my favorite verses in all of the book of Acts; "After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken.  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly" (Acts 4:31, emphasis mine).  

Perhaps one of the reasons our churches are hurting so badly in this day and time is because the prayer meeting has been replaced by something else.  Sure, we have replaced the prayer meeting with something spiritual.  It is not like we are wasting our time when we come together in the house of the Lord, but it should definitely sound an alarm for us when we step back and look that for the most part a corporate prayer meeting doesn't exist within our churches today and as a result many of them have become weak and anemic.  It is nothing for us to get a crowd together at the church for some kind of special event, but you schedule a prayer service and the crowd seems to disappear.  

I guess what I am trying to say is that during the five days we spent together as an association seeking to discover more about the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit, we were all eventually brought back to one word...prayer.  When you study the great revivals and great awakenings that have taken place in years gone by, you will always notice a common theme among them all - it all started with a group of people willing to pay the price in prayer.  That leaves me to wonder who there is among us today that is going to be willing to pay the price in prayer in order for God to move mightily upon us once again?  Bro. Manley said during one of our sessions, "There has to be a great revival among God's people before there will ever be a great harvest of lost souls."  And I truly believe God wants to send a great revival among our churches today, it is just a matter of whether or not we are going to be willing to the pay the price in prayer for revival to come.