I read this today from Oswald Chambers it is very convicting and very true when you think of the parables that Jesus told as well as His encounters that are recorded in scripture. "Have you ever heard the Master say something very difficult to you? If you haven’t, I question whether you have ever heard Him say anything at all. Jesus says a tremendous amount to us that we listen to, but do not actually hear. And once we do hear Him, His words are harsh and unyielding."

The Start....part 2.

TBC (new building)
TBC (pre-2001 new building)

10 years ago today, God had confirmed a clear calling and direction for me to preach,
and serve in full time ministry. It was something that I had struggled with, denied, and even doubted. I remember my dad telling what he had heard Dr. David Jeremiah say over the radio which his father had told him which was something like this "If you can find something else to do other than preach do it." I wondered why would someone say that when most pastors and missionaries stand up and talk about the great commission and the need for ministry? Looking back on it, that piece of advice is good, because it will either confirm God's plan for you one way or another. All believers have a call for their life, the first call is the call to salvation, this is the call that God desires that must be answered, I answered this in December 1989 by receiving Christ as my savior, and placing my trust in Him to save me from my sins. This particular call to preach and serve in full time ministry happened at Topeka Baptist Church, in Topeka, Kansas during the first service in the new building. During this service I was running the powerpoint for the sermon. Pastor Mark Doss preached that morning from Psalms 118:23 and many other passages and as I heard him explain that this new completed building wasn't a place to stop, but that now God expected us to work harder and for people to be sent out the Holy Spirit convicted me. There was so much going on in my personal life already that this was just the icing on the cake, and it was time to surrender. Until that day I had a total 100% self-centered agenda that consisted only of making money and being in a comfort zone. I did not go forward, or even pray in that service. Looking back in it, I wished I would have. I did however go home and pray and do some much needed business with God on that issue. To this day I still pray and surrender to God to do whatever He has for me whether it is as a pastor or a missionary, or a church intern, or church toilet scrubber. A couple of weeks later I moved to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and began preparing for ministry by attending Heartland Baptist Bible College. I still have a copy of that message Pastor Doss preached that day and listen to it at least once a year, as a reminder of keeping the main thing, the main thing. If anyone who is reading this is sensing a call to preach and/or serve full-time ministry talk to your pastor, and gain some insight, and after that if you are still conviced God has placed this on your life, announce it to your church so they can be praying for you and encourage you. Announcing it to the church doesn't make it about just you, it is about God working through you and through the life of His church and His servants.

The Start.

10 years ago I was called to preach, and serve in full time ministry. There was a series of events that led to this call. After I was saved in 1989, I wanted people to know about Christ, but yet never desired to be a pastor or missionary. Growing up, several people told me to think about what bible college to go to. I would laugh at them or just be nice and nod. During my senior year in high school I had applied to Topeka Technical College, with the intent of getting an associates degree in business information systems, then make money. In July 2001 I was finishing up the final paper work to get myself going into the program. Then one warm July day I walked up to the campus and saw furniture laying out on the grass, and a fridge defrosting, and boxes everywhere. When I asked the receptionist what was going on, she explained that the school was closing, and that my file and all it's contents had been shredded. My world felt like it was falling apart. Please read the story below, God used this to get my attention....

Technical college to close
Posted: Saturday, July 07, 2001
By By Keri Bradford
The Capital-Journal
Education America Inc., the parent company of Topeka Technical College, 1620 N.W. Gage, announced Friday that the school is suspending all further enrollment and will be sold or closed after its current students graduate.

The decision was a difficult one, EAI president Jerry Barnett said.

"We have worked for over 16 years to serve students in business and technical fields in the Topeka area," he said.

The college offers associate degree programs in computer programming, electronics, business and legal assisting. It also offers non-degree programs in computer networking and Internet information systems.

"We have a real good history of training kids and sending them to work," said Pedro DeGuzman, EAI vice president and chief operating officer.

The college opened in 1968 as the Electronic Computer Programming Institute in the basement of White Lakes Mall. EAI moved the college to its current location when it affiliated with the school in 1985.

"After careful consideration, we have determined that due to economic and regulatory conditions, we could no longer be successful in the market," Barnett said.

"Being a private school, we're 100 percent tuition driven," DeGuzman said. "We've struggled with low enrollment for years."

Though the building's lease expires at the end of 2001, DeGuzman said enrolled students will continue to receive full service.

"We are working with the Kansas Board of Regents to ensure that all students currently enrolled have the opportunity to complete their education," Barnett said.

The last class will graduate in October 2002.

Keri Bradford can be reached at (785) 295-1277 or kbradford@cjonline.com.

Is This What it Has Come to Now?

Is this what it has come to? Have we lost faith in the gospel? Don't get me wrong, I am all for making the message of the gospel understandable. SEE VIDEOS BELOW. This stuff is WAY OVER THE TOP. Methods still matter to God. I don't want to sound like a legalist and say that church needs to look and be what we know it was in the 1950s or the 1800s. On the other side of this I don't want to say that we need to re-invent the church, so anything goes either....








Church needs to be the way GOD WANTS IT TO BE. Think on these verses.

"But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." (John 4:23-24)

"For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." (Philippians 3:3)

Fellowships, Associations, and Denominations?

Heard from Dr. Harley Howard this evening that there are 33,000 different denominations. This is surprising and alarming. It is surprising that more people are trying to be cute and come up with something different, and appealing. To quote Dr. Paul Chappell, "You don't need to re-invent the church, just go to the book of Acts and reproduce the church." It is alarming because not everyone can be right either. By no means am I a "Baptist brider", just because someone has the gospel doesn't mean that they are teaching, and practicing correct doctrine. This is not a time for churches and pastors to entertain people or "pet" them while they sin. It is a time for us to hold to the truth and follow and practice, 2 Timothy 2:15 "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

-On a personal note many denominations have helped great missionaries accomplish God's will, across the globe, but at what costs? Many denominations, fellowships, and associations have controlled and destroyed the lives of churches, pastors, and missionaries. This is a fact that needs to be brought out, studied, and thought through. Let's follow the word of God, not the traditions of men. I am an independent, or more accurately an unaffiliated Baptist, but first and foremost a follower and believer of Jesus Christ. I am what I am because of what the Bible teaches not because of anyone else. I have many friends that aren't Baptist or any denomination so this isn't intended to throw rocks, just want everyone to think about where they are and why. You have to decide for yourself what doctrine to hold to. Before that though you must have a true, real relationship with Jesus Christ. I just don't want people to follow others without conferring with the Word of God.

-As this is being thrown out there, we live in an age where we need to cooperate and work towards seeing the gospel taken out to the lost world, (see Philippians 1:27). In conclusion there must be BALANCE. Be willing to work with others, balanced by the scripture.

A new title

"For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake." (II Corinthians 4:5)

I have decided to change the name of this blog to "A Higher Cause". I have called this blog the journey, but it is "A Higher Cause" that really drives someone following Jesus Christ, not necessarily the journey itself. While the journey is important it is the higher cause that motivates us, and causes us to check ourselves.

The Impact of Missions Trips

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Matthew 6:19-21)

It was ten years ago last month that I had the privilege to take a missions trip to Guatemala and do work for a seminary that was under construction. You can the see in the picture above, the "retaining wall" at the top of the hill. Our particular group constructed a portion of it. Little did I know how God was at work and that 5 months later I would surrender to preach/christian service and go to Bible College. God did so much before, during, and after that trip. Today that seminary appears to be up and running, training men and women to start churches, and serve in existing ones throughout that area in Guatemala.

Fishing for Souls?

"And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." (Matthew 4:19)

The other day while on patrol at Fellows Lake, I noticed one of our regular fisherman named "Joe". I paid closer attention to what he does because a of message I heard at church by one of our pastors last Sunday night. I noticed how "Joe" fishes everyday sometimes catching NO fish at all. Other days he says he is only catching little ones. Other days he will out fish everyone on the lake, so much to the point others will ask him how he does it. Has I sit here tonight I thought of the verse where Jesus calls for the disciples to be fishers of men. Jesus obviously compared evangelism/soul-winning to fishing. Many times people will turn down the gospel, put it off, or become angry. I know I have given up too easily on people, and even opportunities in the past. The serious fishermen don't give up on fishing. If you watch the fishermen at Fellows Lake they might move around to different spots, or come out at different times, but they still use lures, bait, a pole, and perhaps a boat. They don't change their "fundamentals of fishing" but rather stay with it looking for that next big catch. Tonight I am praying that God will put it into my heart to look for that next soul. Research shows that, on average, adults must hear the Gospel message about seven times before they come to faith in Christ. This means that everyone in our churches is vital to the work of evangelism.

Death of a Church?

Are we called to be community organizers or to give the Gospel, and disciple people? (Matthew 28:18-20)

Normally I usually leave these kinds of situations alone. However after watching this it was difficult to ignore. Why did the Community Baptist Church of Madison Heights, Michigan have to die? Why couldn't it be revived? Did the congregation really not care, or did the leadership just want to create a "hip" new philosophy and name to stand out be different? After watching this it made me realize that in the eyes of God every church has a chance to be revived. So as long the doors are open, God can even bring truth and life into a church that has been overtaken by liberalism, or is dying. All throughout the Bible peoples, and nation were given opportunities of revival. The point is we should never give up on church. We need to pray for our own church, and other churches that are struggling. It is easy to allow a church to become a corporation, or a central base for community organizing, rather than being primarily a shining light of the gospel, acting as a spiritual hospital.

...Sorry folks but on August 5, 2001, I didn't surrender to be a community organizer, but to preach the word, and minister to people, using THE WORD.

Church Voting

Found this and thought the author made several valid points in addressing a critical issue within the church. Realistically none of us want to be told what to do. It goes against our flesh. Church is a Theocracy, well it is supposed to be...

http://www.brandonacox.com/2010/03/09/nineteen-reasons-baptists-should-stop-voting-on-stuff/


Nineteen Reasons Baptists Should Stop Voting on Stuff
by Brandon A. Cox on Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Our church votes on things. I’m not seriously calling for the abolition of voting among churches, just a severe reduction in the practice. I’m a strong believer in the autonomy of the local church, but I’m the first to admit, I don’t like Baptist “business.”
I was once the Pastor of a church in central Arkansas that had battled years of political scheming and the resulting resentment. We once moved an old metal desk out of the auditorium into a side room and I got in huge trouble because the moving of the desk wasn’t voted on! On the basis of this and dozens of other frustrating experiences, here are some reasons I think we should vote not to vote on so much stuff…
1. Voting never brings unity, it actually calls for division. Who is for and who is against?
2. Voting is democratic – government by the people. Church should be theocratic – government by the Holy Spirit.
3. Voting plays right to the flesh and personal preferences. We typically vote what we want or prefer, regardless of what God wants or what leaders are leading us to do.
4. Voting gives equal weight to every member, regardless of investment in ministry.
5. Voting leads us to believe that the majority must be right. According to some presidential elections, that obviously isn’t true (I’ll leave you to sort out which ones make my case).
6. Voting gives the impression that a plurality of approval is the same as unity. It’s not. One deeply hurt family prevents real “unity.”
7. Voting supersedes God’s intended order of leadership within the structure of the local church.
8. Voting risks friendships needlessly.
9. Voting equals leadership by polls. Since when did Jesus ever ask the audience their opinion? Even with His shepherd’s heart, Jesus never polled the sheep to find out which direction to go.
10. Voting doesn’t work too well for Congress!
11. Voting is man-made, there isn’t a single scriptural example. And Mattathias is not an example (Acts 1).
12. Voting keeps us business-minded, not ministry-minded.
13. Voting suggests the church has a political side. It’s the only time we really see power plays within God’s family.
14. Voting is governed by rules but church is governed by relationships.
15. Voting creates confusion and invites the opinions of 15, or 150, or 1500 viewpoints. No real problems are ever solved.
16. Hanging chads.
17. Democrats.
18. Republicans.
19. People were pretty much unanimous to crucify Jesus.

You’ve got to admit, I have at least a dozen good points, right? What’s your vote?