Monday, December 27, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
The Gathering of Men
“The Humility of God the Son in the Incarnation, the Crucifixion,and His Enthronement in Heaven"
December 16, 2010
Scripture Reading: Philippians 2:5-11 – The following outline does not represent an exposition of this passage, but after writing this topically, I realized that we might well have focused ourselves entirely upon Paul’s words in Philippians 2. Hopefully, this outline will be a worthy guide for our meditation on this great virtue of our Heavenly King – humility!
I. The Humility of God the Son in the Incarnation: He was “sent” into His own world to become one of His own creatures and live in the spiritual squalor of human society.
Many times Jesus speaks of being sent. See for example John 7:29; John 17:3; and John 17:18 where He says “You sent me into the world.” The Son was sent by His Father.
A. From what was He sent? He was sent from the glory of His heavenly throne. (John 6:38; John 17:5) What was this glorious existence about?
LOVE – John 17:24 “You loved Me before the foundation of the world.”
A MUTUAL BEHOLDING – Though this is logically understood of the Godhead, we can happily listen to the Son speak of His beholding the Father in John 6:46 – “Not that any man has seen the Father, except the One Who is from God; He has seen the Father.”
THE GREATEST RELATIONAL INTIMACY – John 14:11 “I am in the Father and the Father in Me.” John 17:21 “You, Father, are in Me, and I in Thee.”
A SHARED HOLINESS – Isaiah 6 – “Holy, Holy, Holy”
B. Into what new identity, what new state of being, was He sent? God the Son became a real human – truly Mary’s son.
“He too shared in their humanity” (Hebrews 2:14). “He had to be made like His brothers in every way” (Heb. 2:17). “For we do not have a great high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). “He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since He Himself is subject to weakness” (Heb. 5:2).
See Matthew 4 – His 40 days in the Wilderness – Vs. 2 says, “He became hungry.” vs. 3 says, “The tempter came to Him.” Where did this temptation take place? vs. 1 says it was in the wilderness. In the Bible, the wilderness is the place where our confidence in God, our faith, is tested. Psalm 78:19 says that the people of Israel spoke against God, saying, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?” Vs. vs. 11 says, “Angels came and began to minister to Him.” God the Son was being ministered to as a weary man. And by the way, how did Jesus get to this place of temptation? this wilderness? Vs 1 says He was “led up by the Spirit.” He humbly submitted to the leadership of the Holy Spirit.
C. Into what new environment was He sent? Paul describes the human society into which God the Son came.
Romans 1:21 “they did not honor . . . God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” vs. 25, “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie.” Romans 3:10 says, “There is none righteous; not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one.” And in Romans 5, Paul continues with his description with these words: “helpless,” “sinners,” “enemies” of God! God the Son came into this spiritual squalor!
D. Why was He sent? God the Son came to serve us and to die for us!
In Mark 10:45, Jesus said, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
In Peter’s Pentecostal sermon, Peter says that Christ was “delivered up” for execution by “the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:23). In eternity God willed that His Son should die!
II. The Humility of God the Son in the Crucifixion: He said, “Not my will but Thine be done.”
Did Jesus want to go to the cross for you? What was He thinking on the night before He died? What was He feeling about His impending execution?
The Scripture says that when he arrived in the darkness of the Garden of Gethsemane, He “withdrew about a stone’s throw (from the disciples), and He knelt down and began to pray.” It says He was “in agony”, that He was “distressed to the point of death,” that “He was praying very fervently,” and that “His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.” Three times He asked God the Father to deliver Him from this great suffering. Listen to His prayer: “Abba! Father! All things are possible for Thee; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.”
The Son of God was being sent to the place of cursing – the cross! “For it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree” (Galatians 3:13 where Paul quotes Deuteronomy 21:23). Jesus was being sent by His Father to the place where He would come under all of His Father’s infinite wrath – in my place and in yours. In “agony” He humbly submitted to His Father’s will and endured what you and I deserved.
III. The Humility God the Son in His Enthronement in Heaven: He will be “made subject” to God . . . “that God (the Father) may be all in all.”
1 Corinthians 15:24-28
24 Then the end will come, when He (Christ) hands over the kingdom to God and the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, power, and authority (that is, all earthly powers that oppose God).
25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.
26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.
27 For He has “put everything under His feet” (quote of Psalm 8). Now when He says that “everything” has been put under Him, it is clear that this does not include God Himself, who put everything under Christ.
28 When He has done this, then the Son Himself also will be made subject to the One who put all things under Him, so that God may be all in all.
We must remember that God the Son is in every equal to God the Father and God the Spirit. “In Him all the fullness of deity dwells . . . .” (Colossians 2:9) He is God!
But Paul says here in verse 28 of 1 Corinthians 15 that “the Son Himself also will be made subject” to the Father “that God may be all in all.”
Various interpretations of this verse have been offered. But it seems clear that God the Son will forever exhibit the beauty of the most extraordinary humility within the Godhead! This will be a marvelous facet of His eternal glory before all of the holy angels and before you and me as throughout eternity we will reign over the universe with Him in our own grace-given humility!
In closing, let us behold our gloriously humble King! And may the Holy Spirit help us to become more like Him today!
“The Humility of God the Son in the Incarnation, the Crucifixion,and His Enthronement in Heaven"
December 16, 2010
Scripture Reading: Philippians 2:5-11 – The following outline does not represent an exposition of this passage, but after writing this topically, I realized that we might well have focused ourselves entirely upon Paul’s words in Philippians 2. Hopefully, this outline will be a worthy guide for our meditation on this great virtue of our Heavenly King – humility!
I. The Humility of God the Son in the Incarnation: He was “sent” into His own world to become one of His own creatures and live in the spiritual squalor of human society.
Many times Jesus speaks of being sent. See for example John 7:29; John 17:3; and John 17:18 where He says “You sent me into the world.” The Son was sent by His Father.
A. From what was He sent? He was sent from the glory of His heavenly throne. (John 6:38; John 17:5) What was this glorious existence about?
LOVE – John 17:24 “You loved Me before the foundation of the world.”
A MUTUAL BEHOLDING – Though this is logically understood of the Godhead, we can happily listen to the Son speak of His beholding the Father in John 6:46 – “Not that any man has seen the Father, except the One Who is from God; He has seen the Father.”
THE GREATEST RELATIONAL INTIMACY – John 14:11 “I am in the Father and the Father in Me.” John 17:21 “You, Father, are in Me, and I in Thee.”
A SHARED HOLINESS – Isaiah 6 – “Holy, Holy, Holy”
B. Into what new identity, what new state of being, was He sent? God the Son became a real human – truly Mary’s son.
“He too shared in their humanity” (Hebrews 2:14). “He had to be made like His brothers in every way” (Heb. 2:17). “For we do not have a great high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). “He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since He Himself is subject to weakness” (Heb. 5:2).
See Matthew 4 – His 40 days in the Wilderness – Vs. 2 says, “He became hungry.” vs. 3 says, “The tempter came to Him.” Where did this temptation take place? vs. 1 says it was in the wilderness. In the Bible, the wilderness is the place where our confidence in God, our faith, is tested. Psalm 78:19 says that the people of Israel spoke against God, saying, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?” Vs. vs. 11 says, “Angels came and began to minister to Him.” God the Son was being ministered to as a weary man. And by the way, how did Jesus get to this place of temptation? this wilderness? Vs 1 says He was “led up by the Spirit.” He humbly submitted to the leadership of the Holy Spirit.
C. Into what new environment was He sent? Paul describes the human society into which God the Son came.
Romans 1:21 “they did not honor . . . God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” vs. 25, “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie.” Romans 3:10 says, “There is none righteous; not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one.” And in Romans 5, Paul continues with his description with these words: “helpless,” “sinners,” “enemies” of God! God the Son came into this spiritual squalor!
D. Why was He sent? God the Son came to serve us and to die for us!
In Mark 10:45, Jesus said, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
In Peter’s Pentecostal sermon, Peter says that Christ was “delivered up” for execution by “the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:23). In eternity God willed that His Son should die!
II. The Humility of God the Son in the Crucifixion: He said, “Not my will but Thine be done.”
Did Jesus want to go to the cross for you? What was He thinking on the night before He died? What was He feeling about His impending execution?
The Scripture says that when he arrived in the darkness of the Garden of Gethsemane, He “withdrew about a stone’s throw (from the disciples), and He knelt down and began to pray.” It says He was “in agony”, that He was “distressed to the point of death,” that “He was praying very fervently,” and that “His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.” Three times He asked God the Father to deliver Him from this great suffering. Listen to His prayer: “Abba! Father! All things are possible for Thee; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.”
The Son of God was being sent to the place of cursing – the cross! “For it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree” (Galatians 3:13 where Paul quotes Deuteronomy 21:23). Jesus was being sent by His Father to the place where He would come under all of His Father’s infinite wrath – in my place and in yours. In “agony” He humbly submitted to His Father’s will and endured what you and I deserved.
III. The Humility God the Son in His Enthronement in Heaven: He will be “made subject” to God . . . “that God (the Father) may be all in all.”
1 Corinthians 15:24-28
24 Then the end will come, when He (Christ) hands over the kingdom to God and the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, power, and authority (that is, all earthly powers that oppose God).
25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.
26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.
27 For He has “put everything under His feet” (quote of Psalm 8). Now when He says that “everything” has been put under Him, it is clear that this does not include God Himself, who put everything under Christ.
28 When He has done this, then the Son Himself also will be made subject to the One who put all things under Him, so that God may be all in all.
We must remember that God the Son is in every equal to God the Father and God the Spirit. “In Him all the fullness of deity dwells . . . .” (Colossians 2:9) He is God!
But Paul says here in verse 28 of 1 Corinthians 15 that “the Son Himself also will be made subject” to the Father “that God may be all in all.”
Various interpretations of this verse have been offered. But it seems clear that God the Son will forever exhibit the beauty of the most extraordinary humility within the Godhead! This will be a marvelous facet of His eternal glory before all of the holy angels and before you and me as throughout eternity we will reign over the universe with Him in our own grace-given humility!
In closing, let us behold our gloriously humble King! And may the Holy Spirit help us to become more like Him today!
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Merry Christmas from the Wood Family
Rod and Bec in China
Dear friends,
We join all of you in giving thanks to our Lord for becoming
one of us and for suffering the death that we deserved so that
we could be forgiven of all of our sins and so that we could
know Him and experience His love forever and ever! We give
praise to Him!
We also give thanks to Him for our family. We are including
pictures of them below.
May the Lord bless each of you and your families with a very
special time of worship this Christmas.
In His great love,
Rod and Bec
Jake and Ashley in Ruston with (left to right) Mary Page (8), Norah Catherine (1 month), Elizabeth (10), and Myles (6)
Jim and Amelia in Denver with Josiah (2) and
Rebecca Blythe (4 months)
John and Kelly in Miami with Lucy Bea (almost 2)
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
The Mission Foundation Letter
Happy Thanksgiving, friends!
Today some of you are traveling while others are preparing to host friends and family. Tomorrow all of you (with the exception of our friends in other countries) will be gathering around a table for a special time of giving thanks. Someone will be asked to say a prayer of thanksgiving, and everyone will proceed to enjoy the abundance God has provided. Hopefully, as we eat and drink, we will do so in a state of emotional and mental connectedness with our God Who is with us, our God who is watching, listening, and ever working within us and around us. May we be counted among those who are truly givers of thanks!
Genuine thanksgiving is one of the primary manifestations of our redemption. When we fell into sin against God in the Garden of Eden, Paul says that we “did not honor him as God, or give thanks.” We became ungrateful creatures! We refused to give thanks to our God Who had given us our very existence and had provided so perfectly for us. But Paul says that “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Jesus suffered the death that we ungrateful men and women deserved so that we might be forgiven and that we might be restored from our ingratitude and become a part of a new community that is alive with ongoing, loving communication with our dear Heavenly Father!
How do we cultivate this new spirit of thanksgiving that we have received by the grace of our Redeemer? There are of course a number of things that might be mentioned, but may I suggest two.
First, prolonged meditation on the Psalms. Meditating on the Psalms in stillness before the Lord will energize your soul. As you quietly ponder words of the psalms, you will be filled with desire to give thanks to God. You will also be enabled to express your thanksgiving by taking up the language of the Psalms on your own lips. In the Psalms, the Lord has blessed us with a means of communicating our gratitude to Him in ways that are beautiful and are full of meaning. This beauty of expression will bring joy to your heart and will of course be a delight to God as you pray in private and when you pray with others (for example tomorrow in your season of prayer before your meal.) Your meditations on the Psalms will also guide your heart into thanksgiving that is much broader in its content as you thank God for the many, many physical, emotional, mental, social, and spiritual blessings that He has showered on you. As I write this note to you, I give thanks to God for the Psalms!
Then secondly, I think of the hymn-writer’s words, “Count your many blessings; name them one by one.” In your prayers tonight or tomorrow morning, how long will you name your blessings before God? How long could you? May I suggest that you try doing what the hymn writer said. Just start counting them out before the Lord. When you kneel, sit, or stand before Him, at first you will find that you are able to name your blessings rapidly one after another. But at some point those flowing prayers of thanksgiving will slow to something of a trickle and at last give way to silence. But if you will wait and think and listen, suddenly your heart will begin to recall other blessings, and sometimes you will realize that there are whole categories of blessing for which you had not previously been careful to regularly give thanks. So let’s count our blessings out before the Lord.
Well, I hope that you will find these two suggestions to be helpful. I also hope and pray that believing families all over our country will remember to give thanks to the Lord not just on Thanksgiving Day but every day for everything. I hope they remember to reverently thank God for His provision when they pick up their breakfast at the drive-through window at McDonald’s on Friday. May we be those people who are constantly, lovingly, and thoughtfully giving thanks to God for every single blessing.
Giving thanks to Him most of all for His forgiveness of my sins,
Rodney
Happy Thanksgiving, friends!
Today some of you are traveling while others are preparing to host friends and family. Tomorrow all of you (with the exception of our friends in other countries) will be gathering around a table for a special time of giving thanks. Someone will be asked to say a prayer of thanksgiving, and everyone will proceed to enjoy the abundance God has provided. Hopefully, as we eat and drink, we will do so in a state of emotional and mental connectedness with our God Who is with us, our God who is watching, listening, and ever working within us and around us. May we be counted among those who are truly givers of thanks!
Genuine thanksgiving is one of the primary manifestations of our redemption. When we fell into sin against God in the Garden of Eden, Paul says that we “did not honor him as God, or give thanks.” We became ungrateful creatures! We refused to give thanks to our God Who had given us our very existence and had provided so perfectly for us. But Paul says that “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Jesus suffered the death that we ungrateful men and women deserved so that we might be forgiven and that we might be restored from our ingratitude and become a part of a new community that is alive with ongoing, loving communication with our dear Heavenly Father!
How do we cultivate this new spirit of thanksgiving that we have received by the grace of our Redeemer? There are of course a number of things that might be mentioned, but may I suggest two.
First, prolonged meditation on the Psalms. Meditating on the Psalms in stillness before the Lord will energize your soul. As you quietly ponder words of the psalms, you will be filled with desire to give thanks to God. You will also be enabled to express your thanksgiving by taking up the language of the Psalms on your own lips. In the Psalms, the Lord has blessed us with a means of communicating our gratitude to Him in ways that are beautiful and are full of meaning. This beauty of expression will bring joy to your heart and will of course be a delight to God as you pray in private and when you pray with others (for example tomorrow in your season of prayer before your meal.) Your meditations on the Psalms will also guide your heart into thanksgiving that is much broader in its content as you thank God for the many, many physical, emotional, mental, social, and spiritual blessings that He has showered on you. As I write this note to you, I give thanks to God for the Psalms!
Then secondly, I think of the hymn-writer’s words, “Count your many blessings; name them one by one.” In your prayers tonight or tomorrow morning, how long will you name your blessings before God? How long could you? May I suggest that you try doing what the hymn writer said. Just start counting them out before the Lord. When you kneel, sit, or stand before Him, at first you will find that you are able to name your blessings rapidly one after another. But at some point those flowing prayers of thanksgiving will slow to something of a trickle and at last give way to silence. But if you will wait and think and listen, suddenly your heart will begin to recall other blessings, and sometimes you will realize that there are whole categories of blessing for which you had not previously been careful to regularly give thanks. So let’s count our blessings out before the Lord.
Well, I hope that you will find these two suggestions to be helpful. I also hope and pray that believing families all over our country will remember to give thanks to the Lord not just on Thanksgiving Day but every day for everything. I hope they remember to reverently thank God for His provision when they pick up their breakfast at the drive-through window at McDonald’s on Friday. May we be those people who are constantly, lovingly, and thoughtfully giving thanks to God for every single blessing.
Giving thanks to Him most of all for His forgiveness of my sins,
Rodney
Monday, November 8, 2010
Rebecca Blythe Wood, Born August 10, 2010 in Denver
Rebecca Blythe Wood was born on August 10, 2010. She and Granddaddy had a good time in Denver!
NORAH CATHERINE WOOD, BORN FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2010
,+and+Mary+Page.jpg)
My granddaughter Norah Catherine Wood and I enjoyed our first moment just a few hours after she was born. Her older sister Mary Page is looking on with happy, happy eyes. Ashley and Jake now have four children -- Elizabeth (10), Mary Page (8), Jacob Myles, Jr. (6), and Norah Catherine (3 days!). I give thanks to our Lord for each of them.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
The Mission Foundation Letter, October 26, 2010
P. O. Box 46358
Baton Rouge, LA 70895
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Dear friends,
What a great weekend we had up in the mountains of Colorado at Camp Idrahaji with Pastor Walt Rogers and the men of Harvest Bible Church! The deep bond of brotherhood among those men and the strong love relationship between them and their pastor was more beautiful than the mountains that surrounded us.
On Friday evening, we began our study of the life of Joseph by first looking at the extraordinarily difficult environment in which this young seventeen-year-old received his dreams. As one man has said, Joseph’s family wasn’t exactly the Brady Bunch! Incest, rape, murder, looting, favoritism, jealousy, hatred, and the death of his mother when he was only twelve: this was Joseph’s family experience. Yet Genesis 37:5 says, “Then Joseph had a dream.” Through Joseph’s experience, we received an important reminder that I now pass on to you: whatever your life situation has been or now is, no matter how difficult, God has purposes for your life that He will reveal to you as you trust in Him and listen to Him. This is true not only for young men like Joseph, but for you, no matter what your age may be.
Then on Saturday we continued our study as we considered all of the great challenges and temptations that Joseph faced – things that could have prevented him from fulfilling the dreams that God gave him:
• jealousy and open hostility from his brothers,
• distress as he cried out for mercy to his brothers who had thrown him down into a dry cistern,
• displacement, both geographical and vocational, as he was sold and taken down to Egypt as a slave,
• seduction “day after day” by Potiphar’s wife,
• wrongful accusation of sexually assaulting this woman whose advances he spurned,
• despair during his lengthy time in prison, and
• bitterness which could have poisoned his soul when the cupbearer, whose dream he had interpreted, forgot about him and put in no good word for him to Pharoah for two full years.
Joseph overcame all of these things because, as the Scripture says, “The Lord was with Joseph” (even as He promised to be with you and me “always”).
But then came what was arguably his most difficult temptation – revenge! Joseph was no longer in prison: he was in the palace as vice-regent of Egypt. Revenge was his for the taking. Instead, when he at last revealed his identity to his brothers, he said these mercy-filled words to them: “Please come near to me.” And as they came near, Joseph declared his solid confidence in the sovereignty of God: “It was not you but God who sent me here (to Egypt).” Three times he said to them, “God sent me. God sent me. God sent me.” Years later, in his final conversation with them, he said, “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.”
Brothers and sisters, we must learn to think and trust like Joseph. As Alexander MacClaren says, “We must learn to look beyond man to God.” We must also learn to love as Joseph loved. The Scripture says he “kissed all his brothers and wept on them.” Is there anyone to whom you should go with such love? May the Holy Spirit fill us with mercy and kindness.
I wish that I had time to write each of you a personal letter. I hope that you don’t mind that instead we rely upon monthly letters such as this one to maintain regular correspondence with you. If you have a moment to send a quick email with some news or prayer requests, we would love to hear from you.
In the Savior,
Rod (for Bec and me)
Baton Rouge, LA 70895
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Dear friends,
What a great weekend we had up in the mountains of Colorado at Camp Idrahaji with Pastor Walt Rogers and the men of Harvest Bible Church! The deep bond of brotherhood among those men and the strong love relationship between them and their pastor was more beautiful than the mountains that surrounded us.
On Friday evening, we began our study of the life of Joseph by first looking at the extraordinarily difficult environment in which this young seventeen-year-old received his dreams. As one man has said, Joseph’s family wasn’t exactly the Brady Bunch! Incest, rape, murder, looting, favoritism, jealousy, hatred, and the death of his mother when he was only twelve: this was Joseph’s family experience. Yet Genesis 37:5 says, “Then Joseph had a dream.” Through Joseph’s experience, we received an important reminder that I now pass on to you: whatever your life situation has been or now is, no matter how difficult, God has purposes for your life that He will reveal to you as you trust in Him and listen to Him. This is true not only for young men like Joseph, but for you, no matter what your age may be.
Then on Saturday we continued our study as we considered all of the great challenges and temptations that Joseph faced – things that could have prevented him from fulfilling the dreams that God gave him:
• jealousy and open hostility from his brothers,
• distress as he cried out for mercy to his brothers who had thrown him down into a dry cistern,
• displacement, both geographical and vocational, as he was sold and taken down to Egypt as a slave,
• seduction “day after day” by Potiphar’s wife,
• wrongful accusation of sexually assaulting this woman whose advances he spurned,
• despair during his lengthy time in prison, and
• bitterness which could have poisoned his soul when the cupbearer, whose dream he had interpreted, forgot about him and put in no good word for him to Pharoah for two full years.
Joseph overcame all of these things because, as the Scripture says, “The Lord was with Joseph” (even as He promised to be with you and me “always”).
But then came what was arguably his most difficult temptation – revenge! Joseph was no longer in prison: he was in the palace as vice-regent of Egypt. Revenge was his for the taking. Instead, when he at last revealed his identity to his brothers, he said these mercy-filled words to them: “Please come near to me.” And as they came near, Joseph declared his solid confidence in the sovereignty of God: “It was not you but God who sent me here (to Egypt).” Three times he said to them, “God sent me. God sent me. God sent me.” Years later, in his final conversation with them, he said, “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.”
Brothers and sisters, we must learn to think and trust like Joseph. As Alexander MacClaren says, “We must learn to look beyond man to God.” We must also learn to love as Joseph loved. The Scripture says he “kissed all his brothers and wept on them.” Is there anyone to whom you should go with such love? May the Holy Spirit fill us with mercy and kindness.
I wish that I had time to write each of you a personal letter. I hope that you don’t mind that instead we rely upon monthly letters such as this one to maintain regular correspondence with you. If you have a moment to send a quick email with some news or prayer requests, we would love to hear from you.
In the Savior,
Rod (for Bec and me)
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
The Mission Foundation Letter, September 23, 2010
Dear friends,
I enjoy all of the seasons, even the hot, humid summer. But I must admit that these cool, dry days of the early fall are really invigorating, especially when we are out for a walk or run. Even more invigorating are the opportunities that God is granting Bec and me in ministry.
Young Women's Bible Study: Yesterday Becky began leading a Bible study for young women in the home of Adria Heroman. As most of you know, Bec has always greatly enjoyed teaching younger women, and she is very much looking forward to the weeks ahead. Would you please take a moment to pray for her and for those who will be in this group?
The Life of Christ: Our Thursday Morning Men's Bible Study is continuing to study "The Life and Ministry of Jesus Christ" by the Navigators. We began to study the life of Christ two years ago and hope to finish by spring.
Colorado Men's Retreat: On October 15th-16th, I will be speaking at a retreat for Harvest Bible Church, a thriving congregation in the small town of Elizabeth, Colorado. HBC is pastored by our dear, long-time friend Rev. Walt Rogers. I am grateful to Walt for inviting me to be with the men of HBC again. I am also very happy that our son Jim, who lives in Denver, is going to be able to join us!
Greenwell Springs Baptist Church Men's Fellowship: On October 19th, I will be speaking at a men's dinner at Greenwell Springs Baptist Church of Baton Rouge. Executive Pastor Sam Raney (who has been a regular participant inour weekly Gathering of Men luncheons) has invited me to serve as their guest speaker. Our son John and I have been speakers at GSBC in the past.
Crossroads Church of Ruston: On October 24th, I will be preaching at Crossroads. As always, Bec and I look forward to being up there in Lincoln Parish!
"You shall be my witnesses": A close friend of mine goes out for walks on a local university campus in order to get some exercise, and each time he also talks to whomever he encounters about Jesus. When he sees an individual or a small group, he greets them, engages in friendly conversation, and then politely requests permission to ask them a couple of questions. In every case, they have granted this permission, and he has begun by talking to them about their future beyond this life and what they anticipate. Where will they go? Why do they think they will go there? And so on. No matter what the individual's background or philosophical views may have been, as far as I know (and we do speak very often by phone), all of his efforts to engage people about Jesus and His Gospel have been well received and have led to excellent exchange. Now other men in that community are beginning to go to the campus and do the same thing, and they have great, great stories to share. I hope this will encourage you to talk to people very clearly and directly about Jesus. He is there with you, just as He said He would be. He will use you as He does His work.
In the Savior,
Rod and Bec
P. S. We are very grateful for the financial support of our ministry that has been provided by friends like you. As we enter this final quarter of 2010, we are praying and trusting that our Lord will meet all of our needs. Would you please pray with us?
I enjoy all of the seasons, even the hot, humid summer. But I must admit that these cool, dry days of the early fall are really invigorating, especially when we are out for a walk or run. Even more invigorating are the opportunities that God is granting Bec and me in ministry.
Young Women's Bible Study: Yesterday Becky began leading a Bible study for young women in the home of Adria Heroman. As most of you know, Bec has always greatly enjoyed teaching younger women, and she is very much looking forward to the weeks ahead. Would you please take a moment to pray for her and for those who will be in this group?
The Life of Christ: Our Thursday Morning Men's Bible Study is continuing to study "The Life and Ministry of Jesus Christ" by the Navigators. We began to study the life of Christ two years ago and hope to finish by spring.
Colorado Men's Retreat: On October 15th-16th, I will be speaking at a retreat for Harvest Bible Church, a thriving congregation in the small town of Elizabeth, Colorado. HBC is pastored by our dear, long-time friend Rev. Walt Rogers. I am grateful to Walt for inviting me to be with the men of HBC again. I am also very happy that our son Jim, who lives in Denver, is going to be able to join us!
Greenwell Springs Baptist Church Men's Fellowship: On October 19th, I will be speaking at a men's dinner at Greenwell Springs Baptist Church of Baton Rouge. Executive Pastor Sam Raney (who has been a regular participant inour weekly Gathering of Men luncheons) has invited me to serve as their guest speaker. Our son John and I have been speakers at GSBC in the past.
Crossroads Church of Ruston: On October 24th, I will be preaching at Crossroads. As always, Bec and I look forward to being up there in Lincoln Parish!
"You shall be my witnesses": A close friend of mine goes out for walks on a local university campus in order to get some exercise, and each time he also talks to whomever he encounters about Jesus. When he sees an individual or a small group, he greets them, engages in friendly conversation, and then politely requests permission to ask them a couple of questions. In every case, they have granted this permission, and he has begun by talking to them about their future beyond this life and what they anticipate. Where will they go? Why do they think they will go there? And so on. No matter what the individual's background or philosophical views may have been, as far as I know (and we do speak very often by phone), all of his efforts to engage people about Jesus and His Gospel have been well received and have led to excellent exchange. Now other men in that community are beginning to go to the campus and do the same thing, and they have great, great stories to share. I hope this will encourage you to talk to people very clearly and directly about Jesus. He is there with you, just as He said He would be. He will use you as He does His work.
In the Savior,
Rod and Bec
P. S. We are very grateful for the financial support of our ministry that has been provided by friends like you. As we enter this final quarter of 2010, we are praying and trusting that our Lord will meet all of our needs. Would you please pray with us?
Monday, August 2, 2010
The Mission Foundation Letter, July 30, 2010
Dear friends,
Not very often have I shared family news. But I must tell you that for the past ten days, our house has been full of those great sounds that can only be made by children. We have told Elizabeth (10), Mary Page (8), and Myles (5 ½) that we would love to have them stay with us for the rest of the summer. However, this Sunday they will be headed back to North Louisiana with their momma and daddy. Although the sounds will be gone until their next visit, the memories we’ve made will never leave us.
This month I have had the privilege of preaching at two churches that are at very different points in their history. On July 11th, I was at Plains Presbyterian Church (Zachary, LA), which was founded in 1832, and today is a very thriving church – the largest PCA church in Louisiana. As some of you may remember, I was privileged to serve as their regular pulpit supply minister back in 1995. Those are days that Bec and I greatly treasure. Then on July 25th I preached at All Saints Anglican Church, which is a newly planted church here in Baton Rouge that was worshiping in the living room of a home, although they are anticipating that this Sunday their new location will be ready for occupancy. I am grateful to Pastor Bob Wojohn of The Plains Church and Pastor Mark Turner of All Saints for inviting me to preach.
During the past couple of weeks at The Gathering of Men, we have been studying the spiritual progress of Peter, “From Fearful to Fearless.” Like Peter when we are prayerless we will become fearful, and that fear will manifest itself in many different ways – anger, worry, regret, depression, and other destructive emotions. In Peter’s case, Jesus called him to pray with Him three times in the Garden of Gethesemane on the night of His betrayal. Each time Peter failed to pray and instead went to sleep. Luke 22:45 says that he and the other disciples were “sleeping from sorrow.” Why? Because Jesus had told them that He was about to be betrayed into the hands of His enemies. So they wept themselves to sleep instead of praying, as Jesus had told them to do. (Have you ever prayerlessly lain in sorrow or worry or confusion until you finally fell asleep?) Then when the time of Peter’s testing came, he was filled with fear, and three times he denied even knowing Jesus at all. But our Lord Jesus is a loving, devoted, restoring Savior. In John 21 we read that, after His resurrection, Jesus called Peter aside from the other disciples and asked him three times, “Do you love Me?” I have tried to imagine the strength of emotion behind Peter’s repeated response, “Yes, Lord, You know that I love you.” Three times Jesus re-issued His call on Peter’s life: “Tend My lambs”, “Shepherd My sheep”, “Tend My sheep.” Now watch Peter’s progress from this point forward:
• Peter devotes himself to prayer. (Acts 1:12-14)
• Peter becomes a wise leader, who gives instructions concerning the selection of the replacement apostle. (Acts 1:15-26)
• Peter is filled with the Spirit. (Acts 2:1-4)
• In the midst of mockery, Peter preaches with great power. (Acts 2:13-14)
• In response to Peter's sermon, 3000 are saved – THREE thousand! (Acts 2:41)
• And Peter stands fearlessly before the authorities. (Acts 4:16-20)
Once prayerless and fearful, Peter became prayerful and fearless. In what ways is fear evidenced in your life? Fear is the emotion that is produced by doubt, by a lack of confidence in God. It is the emotion that took Adam and Eve captive in the Garden. The first step in dealing with fear is to admit that we have it – to call it what it is – and confess that we are simply not trusting God. Then if you and I will draw near to our wise, good, and powerful heavenly Father in prayer, we will not fear, and we will therefore not speak or act in ways that are destructive to others or to ourselves.
May the Lord encourage and strengthen you in your praying,
Rod (for Bec and me)
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
The Mission Foundation Letter, June 22, 2010
Dear friends,
Yesterday the 2010 Session of the Louisiana Legislature came to a close. It was a very challenging year for the senators and representatives as they had to make difficult decisions regarding the budget. Although the session is over, they continue to need your prayers. I hope that you will pray for them and for our governor Bobby Jindal.
As all of you know, in addition to the economic woes that are facing our country as a whole, we have this massive disaster on our coast. Yesterday the Governor participated in a special prayer meeting in the great hall at the Capitol’s entrance known as Memorial Hall. He and others called out to God, asking Him to stop the oil spill, to minister to the needs of those families who are suffering financially, and bring restoration to the environment. May our Lord help us all to pray to Him and truly trust in Him.
Some of you have asked how things went in The Dominican Republic. There are many things I could write about the experiences of the 26 people who participated in this medical/evangelistic mission led by our son Jake and Matt Slate of Crossroads Church of Ruston. However, I will only mention a couple.
First, it was a great joy to see team members who for the first time were having the opportunity to serve the men, women, and children of that island, as they attended to the medical needs of the Dominicans as well as a few Haitians. But I must point out that there was one first-timer who often held my gaze: my ten-year-old granddaughter Elizabeth, who worked daily as her daddy’s truly valuable assistant. I am giving thanks to God, even as I write this letter.
But there was one other experience that I would like to share. I had always wondered whether it might be possible to effectively articulate the Gospel in a language that one does not know. I decided to try. I sat with two Dominican men (a teenager and a former baseball player), who knew almost no English but were willing to read a Gospel tract out loud with me in Spanish. As we would read, they would pause to help me with pronunciations. It created a wonderful dynamic as they became my teachers while I sought to communicate the Gospel to them. When I would come to a word with which I was having difficulty, I would ask, “Ok?” and upon receiving their approving response, I would move on. At the end of each section, I would say, “Comprende?” And they would reply, “Si.” After completing the reading, I called for the translator who then helped me discuss the Gospel with these two men. The conversation was greatly blessed. In fact, the former ballplayer went home and got his wife, who practices voodoo, and brought her back with him, sat her down beside me, and asked me to share the Gospel with her. What a great time I continued to have as I shared the Gospel by reading in Spanish with individuals and groups who lovingly helped me as I stumbled along. I hope that maybe my sharing of this experience will encourage you to consider learning to read a Gospel tract in the language of the country to which you will go on a short-term mission. It will build bridges of love.
Speaking of bridges of love, some have inquired about the Reconciliation Service of Christ Community Church and Crossroads Church of Ruston, LA. Well, brothers and sisters, God’s display of His grace and mercy in and among His people was so great that I can only echo the words of a note I received from my friend Robert Lewis: “This weekend was one of the best of my life. What a praise to our God!”
Dear friends, is there anyone from whom your heart may have slightly, or greatly, moved away? If so, I pray that today you will call them, write them, go see them: let God’s grace and mercy work in and through you!
Your brother always,
Rod (for my dear Bec and me)
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
The Mission Foundation Letter May 21, 2010: "Ruston Reconciliation Service Tomorrow Night"
Dear friends,
In only a little over 24 hours, I will be privileged to participate in a marvelous display of restored beauty – the beauty of brothers and sisters assembling together in love for one another and in shared adoration of the Savior. Praise be to our infinitely merciful Heavenly Father Who guides His people into mercifulness toward one another and then – oneness!
Fifteen years ago, the people of Ruston saw an ugly, embarrassing rift in Christ Community Church. It was a church that had been planted ten years earlier by close friends who had enthusiastically shared a common vision. It was a church that enjoyed a good reputation with the people of Ruston. But in 1995 there was anger. There was confusion. Some left. Some stayed. All were sad. Within a few years, another church was established – Crossroads Church. Both churches flourished in ways that were quantifiable, but they languished in unresolved conflict. The haze of disharmony hung over their testimony in North-Central Louisiana.
However, one man never gave up hope of reconciliation, although the possibility of any kind of coming together seemed more than remote. Through the years, he remained determined and ever prayerful that the divide would be healed – completely healed. I well remember my doubtfulness in the face of his hopefulness.
But friends, we have a prayer-answering, faithful God! At last this brother's prayers (and the prayers of others) were answered! They were answered through the workings of God's Hand in the heart of a much younger man. This young leader from Crossroads found himself, through no provocation of any man's words, feeling compelled to address the seemingly unaddressable. He reached across the divide and made an appointment with a dear friend from Christ Community, and together these two church leaders took the first step on what would prove to be a lengthy and sometimes challenging journey – one that would ultimately include every man and woman who had been involved in or impacted by the intense strife that severely marred the loveliness of Christ's holy community.
As the number of those involved in the restoration process increased, the reach of the effort went back much farther than the 1995 crisis and much deeper than anyone could have anticipated. It went to the very roots of the discord! While it led to the revealing of long-borne pain, it also brought about the unveiling of long-hidden beautiful scenes in a story that began decades ago. Thanks be to God!
I write these things to you this afternoon for two reasons. First, I have been traveling toward this moment since the day my dear bride, our little son Jake, and I first came to North Louisiana when I was 24 years old, and I cannot describe to you the joy I feel in my heart as the hour nears when my old friend Robert Lewis and I will join with others in leading this reconciliation service tomorrow night, May 22nd, at Christ Community Church. Secondly, I know that many of you have experienced division in your churches and distance in certain personal relationships. I pray that some of you who are reading this letter will pick up the telephone and take the first step in restoring relationships between churches and between individuals. Jesus said, "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." May this be our testimony with all men!
"Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!" (Psalm 133:1)
Your brother always – because we have a good and faithful Father,
Rodney
Monday, April 26, 2010
The Mission Foundation Letter, April 26, 2010
| Dear friends, Since I last wrote to you, the 2010 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature has begun and is in full swing. Like many states, ours is one in which the leaders have the daunting task of properly allocating limited financial resources to the many needs of our people. I hope that you will pray for our legislators and for our governor. It was seventeen years ago that the Lord called me to move to Baton Rouge and, among other things, to minister at the Capitol. After seven years of ministry, members of the legislature invited me to lead them in a weekly Bible study / prayer breakfast. I give thanks to God for allowing me this privilege in service. I also give thanks to Him this morning for all of your prayers which He has gathered into His heart and because of which He has brought forth much good I have said this before, but I want to say again that Louisiana is blessed to have some very devoted followers of Christ in our halls of government. These men and women come from many denominational and social backgrounds. They are Democrats and Republicans. Their political views may differ, but they share a common commitment to Christ, and their love for one another is apparent to all who know them. Jesus said that this brotherly/sisterly love would be our mark as His followers: "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." While love is the principal insignia that is to adorn every disciple, there is a manifestation of that love that seems to speak most strongly of its reality. It is when love is demonstrated through courage. Many of you may know of Rev. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German Lutheran pastor whose great love compelled him to participate in an attempt to assassinate Adolph Hitler. Because of this act of courage, our brother Dietrich was hung at the Flossenburg concentration camp only a very short while before the end of World War II. A few days ago, my friend Ben Jones sent me an article about this brave man who did what he believed to be the right thing. That article included the following words by Rev. Bonhoeffer: If we worry about the dangers that beset us, if we gaze at the road instead of at him who goes before, we are already straying from the path. I believe that Dietrich's words are worthy of our repeated, lingering meditation. My prayer is that you and I will not worry about dangers, that we will not gaze at the road, but that we will look at Him Who promised that He would always go before us. Even now, as I close, I pray this prayer for you and me and for our friends in the legislature. May we not be found "straying from the path!" In the Savior, Rod (for Bec and me) |
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
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