My Heroes Have Always Been Missionaries

My heroes have always been missionaries.  I was privileged as a child to sit at the dinner table with my heroes and hear them talk and share their passion with my parents and as I sat there, I could imagine seeing them "leap tall buildings in a single bound."

It was especially exciting to me that my all-time favorite missionary shared my last name.  Missionary Bob Hughes was a distant relative, raised in Center, Texas, just down the road from my dad. He was saved while stationed  with the military in the Philippines.  When he got out, he went back to the Philippines as a missionary and God did an amazing work through him in Cebu City.

God used him to encourage the churches of the Baptist Bible Fellowship to give to missions through the Faith Promise Missions method and one of his most famous sermons was called “I Sat Where They Sat.” It was one of the greatest missions sermons of all time.  I have included a YouTube link so that you can hear it if you’d like to.  https://youtu.be/GrDnnFJRWJs

After only 20 years on the field, he was diagnosed with stomach cancer, and in August of 1976, at the age of 44, the Lord took him Home.

But his impact on world missions was far from done.  I had the privilege of hearing him preach one of his last sermons.  On December 31, 1975, my family and I attended the watch night service at Central Baptist Church in Center, Texas.  Central Baptist was Bob’s home church and also the church that my dad grew up in. Bob had been to Houston earlier in the day and received his chemo treatment.  He was obviously tired and sick, but when he stepped into the pulpit, he was energized in an amazing way.  He preached a powerful message on Ps. 90:12, “So let us number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”  He said that today could be the last day on earth for any of us.  He said that his cancer made that fact more evident to him, but it is no less true for any of us.  He spoke of the urgency of the moment to come to faith in Christ.  He challenged Christians to be a witness to everyone that they meet because you never know when it will be your last chance.  It was a powerful message that touched my heart in a special way.

In August of 1976, at the age of 16, I headed off to Springfield, MO, to attend Baptist Bible College.  On my first day on campus, they held a memorial service for Missionary Bob Hughes in the BBC Fieldhouse.  Thousands of people attended, a number of speakers addressed the impact of the life and ministry of Bob Hughes.  As the service drew close to a conclusion, the pastor of Bob’s sending church said this, “Bob’s passion for souls and his heart for missions challenged us all.  His words still ring in our ears and as Scripture says of faithful Abel, “He being dead yet speaketh…”  At that moment they played an excerpt from “I Sat Where They Sat” of Bob passionately crying out, “Why do you need a call when you have a command? Why do you need to hear a voice when you’ve got a verse?  You want a call, how about this? “There’s a call comes ringing o’er the restless wave, Send the light! Send the light.”

I still get goosebumps just writing this story.  Over 140 people surrendered their lives to the mission field at that memorial service alone and it instilled in me a heart for missions that has never faded.

I have been privileged to preach in the church that Bob started in Cebu City.  On the day that I preached, there were over 4000 people in attendance.  I have been able to visit the Philippines five times and three generations of our family have ministered there.

I pray that as we focus our hearts on the nations over these next few weeks, you will catch just a little bit of the passion that has been handed down to me through these experiences.  

Missions: From Small Beginnings

I started getting an allowance when I was 9 years old.  It came with the understanding that I would clean my room(in response to the EPA declaring it a Superfund Toxic waste site) and fulfill certain other responsibilities around the house.  I believe that the going rate in 1969 was 50c a week and I was happy to have it. I could get a Hostess Suzy-Q for 12c at the White Hen Pantry down the road.  I was rich!

But with my sizable income, my parents also gave me an important lesson.  While I had to work in order to get my allowance, I should always remember that it was God Who made it possible and who provided my needs.  And in order to acknowledge that every penny of that 50 pennies belonged to Him, He asked me to give a portion of it back.  So, at 9 years old, I learned to tithe.  The first nickel of my allowance went in an offering envelope as soon as I got it, and on Sunday I gladly gave it to the Lord.

Two years later, at the age of eleven, we had our first Faith Promise Missions Conference at the church that my dad pastored.  I had always loved missionaries.  When they would come to our church, they would sit at our dinner table and I was in awe.  I remember K.C. Thomas, a native of India, who went back to reach his people for Christ, sitting at our table.  My mother had gone all out and fixed fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans.   The missionary took one chicken leg and a small portion of the other things and began eating.  He completely stripped the chicken leg, gristle, marrow, and all, eating every edible(and a few inedible) part.  My mother was alarmed.  She said, “Bro. Thomas, there is plenty of chicken.  You can have another piece.  You don’t have to do that.”

His reply, “Where I live, it is disrespectful to waste anything.  So many are starving who would long to have what we throw away.” That touched my heart. 

Because I was now old enough to mow the lawn, my income had increased dramatically.  I now received a whole dollar a week in allowance. And when the time came to make a Faith Promise, it was explained to us that we were to pray about what God would have us to give to missions, make a commitment by faith, and then trust God to provide it.

I don’t remember the deliberation process, but I do remember that I was convinced that God would have me give $1.00 per week to Missions.  I’d like to say that I had great faith, but it may just have been that I was bad at math. $1.00 allowance minus .10 tithe minus $1.00 for missions equals…hmmm, how is this going to work?  But I made the promise and I prayed.

I was sure that my parents would see my dilemma and increase my allowance, or that God would let me find nickels and dimes along the road on my way to school, or that Ed McMahon would show up at my door with one of those big cardboard checks.  However He did it, I knew that God would provide.

Later that week, our next door neighbor came for a visit.  He and his wife had an 18-month old son.  He worked 9 to 5 and his wife had to leave for work at about 3:30.  She would put their son down for his nap before she left and they needed someone to be there until he got home.  He asked if I would be interested.  They would pay me the whopping sum of $1.35…A DAY!!!!!!!

I started on Thursday, so by the time Sunday rolled around and it was time to give my Faith Promise, I not only was able to give my tithe that had now increased to $.37, but I was able to give a dollar to missions and still have twice what my allowance had been left over.

It taught me a lesson that I have never forgotten.  God will be a debtor to no one.  He cares about missions and He blesses when we step out in faith.

Please understand, this is not a get-rich-quick scheme.  But it is an assurance that we don’t have to be afraid to step out in faith when God lays it on our heart.  I challenge you to consider what God would have you to do to have a part in Missions through Grace Harbor Baptist Church.

Love Your Neighbor

We are living in strange times.  We have more communication options available to us than any other generation in history.  We can speak in real time to people on the other side of the planet, yet we struggle to communicate with our own family members. We carry around small devices that allow us to express our feelings to the entire world, yet they often isolate us from others who are within arms reach. Thus the paradox, we are more connected than ever before, yet we find ourselves more lonely than Tom Hanks in Castaway.

During Jesus’ earthly ministry, He continually addressed this issue with the Pharisees. NOTE: First world problems find their root in human nature and there is nothing new under the sun.

They asked Him what was the greatest commandment of all and He gave them a profound answer.  You see, the Ten Commandments are basically divided into two distinct parts. The first deals with how we treat God and the second deals with how we treat our friends and neighbors.  The Pharisees spent all of their time focusing on the first part and completely ignored the second.  Jesus told them to love God supremely, but that it was very nearly as important to love their neighbors as well.

Loving our neighbors as ourselves will demand something of us, especially in a culture where we hardly know them.  It will demand that we step outside of our cocoon and interact with those around us.  This may be especially tricky if your neighbors are the kind that do things that irritate you, but that is where the fruit of the Spirit comes in.  It’s easy to be loving, peaceful, joyful, long suffering and gentle when people fit well into your little comfort zone.  When they don’t, it requires supernatural fruit that only comes when we are submissive to God’s Spirit.

So, my challenge today is to decide to be neighborly.  Reach out to your neighbor, meet them if you haven’t, and do something kind for them in the name of Jesus.  You never know what might come of one little act of consideration.

Baby Steps

About seven months ago, my life changed drastically.  I became a grandfather, and while I didn't understand before what all of the hoopla was about, now I see why everyone thinks their grand baby is the most special person in the world.  Of course, everyone else is wrong, because my little Olivia is the most beautiful and perfect grandchild that there has ever been.

Watching her grow has been a reminder to me of all of the wonders of being a first time parent, without the sleep deprivation, and heavy lifting.  Every day it seems that we are passing another milestone. Olivia is experimenting with real food, she is scooting around the floor at breakneck speed, and she is getting her teeth.  She is growing stronger physically and her personality is blossoming on a daily basis.
With every new accomplishment, with every skill that she masters, new challenges are presented.  Olivia's world is growing and the burden falls upon her parents and upon us as her grandparents to prepare her for the adventure ahead.
In many ways, I see my role as a Pastor in much the same way.  I'm not the one who brought this new life into the world, but I get to enjoy seeing and facilitating it's growth. Babies bring with them responsibilities.  They need to be fed, loved, and nurtured. As they grow, they need to be taught the basic things that they will need to become fruitful and responsible adults.
If every time a baby cries you stick a bottle in its mouth, you might be establishing a pattern for a life-long, unhealthy relationship with food.  If a child learns that all they have to do to get their way is to throw a tantrum, he might grow up to be selfish and demanding as an adult.
With young believers, there are some key principles that they need to learn early in their spiritual life so that they avoid some of the pitfalls of older Christians who have become stuck in their ways.
First, a new believer needs to develop a hunger for the Word of God.  My daughter-in-law is choosing to add new food options slowly and gradually into my granddaughter's life.  She decides on what to give her based on her evaluation of how Olivia will be able to chew, swallow and digest it.  These are all new skills that will be vital later on when Olivia can no longer rely on her mother's milk for nourishment. A new believer needs to be challenged with the Word of God, but not choked with the "strong meat" of controversial doctrinal issues.  They need to learn to recognize the face of God through the picture of Him that they find in His Word.
Second, the young believer needs to commit to the process of discipleship.  Discipleship is more than a program or a course of instruction.  Discipleship is the process of growth that brings a young believer to maturity in Christ.  It is dependent on relationships, the believer's relationship with Christ, with the Spirit, and with other believers.  It can't be something that is left to chance.  It must be pursued daily.
Third, the growing believer must understand the concept of stewardship in a biblical sense. A friend of mine defines stewardship as "Trusting in the promises of God, to deploy the gifts and resources of God, to accomplish the mission of God for the glory of God."  I believe that God calls all believers to love and generosity. Once we understand that I belong to Him, everything belongs to Him, and He wants to use us and everything that He has given us to accomplish His will in our lives and in the lives of others, things come into much clearer focus.
Finally, the mature believer must submit himself to the plan of God and find his place of ministry within the context of Christ's body.  Spiritual growth is wasted if it is not implemented in service to God and to others.
When these things are happening in the lives of new believers, their walk with God thrives and so does the church.
I have enjoyed seven months of milestones in the life of my Granddaughter.  I look forward to the next few; her first steps, her first words, when she can hug my neck, etc.  And if the Lord tarries, a long list of other accomplishments and blessings.  
As a Pastor, I look for similar milestones in the life of my people as they grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord.  And from generation to generation, I look forward to seeing what God will do in and through the lives of those that Grace Harbor is reaching today.

It's Been A While

Hey there! It's been a while since I posted to my blog and so many things have changed over that time.  With some of the new technology that is now available, I thought it would be good to start posting here again and sharing just a little bit about what God is doing in my life and ministry.
In 2014, God began to lead our church on a path of renewal and rededication to our task as His church.  Since that time, we have seen a complete transformation as our church changed it's name from Independent Baptist Church to Grace Harbor Baptist Church, totally renovated our facilities, updated our technology and launched out into new platforms for propagating the Gospel and engaging people with the grace of God through the power of God to the glory of God.
God has blessed us in wonderful ways through this transformation and I am so excited to see what He is going to do in the future as we move down this new path.  You can check us out at www.graceharborgrove.com.

The Death of Democracy, Debate and Duck Calls

 

 

The Social Media universe has exploded with reaction to comments made by Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson in a recent issue of GQ when asked about his view of homosexuality.  The melee that has ensued over his thoughts and the decision of the A&E Network to suspend him from the show, reflects a relatively new trend in the public discourse of our society.  While many will identify the problem as ‘political correctness,’ I believe that it goes much deeper than this.

For the last 40 years or so, our culture has been moving in a direction that publicly welcomes and embraces ‘toleration’ of all views, lifestyles, and choices.  That is, all views, lifestyles, and choices except one; a view that embraces self-evident truths, a lifestyle that submits to and is guided by these lasting principles, and choices that are governed, not by the wanton hungers of the moment, but by a recognition of things that are eternal is not to be tolerated.

Our founding fathers included in the seminal documents of our fledgling nation the concept that some ‘truths’ are fundamental to a free and civilized society.  However, in the centuries since those documents were penned, we have gradually drifted from an understanding of natural law and foundational truth, from a grasp of the necessary interplay between rights and responsibilities, to a hedonistic belief that all truth is relative and that it is cruelty, or worse yet, bigotry to hold men to any standard of form or practice that might in some way inhibit their basest desires.

Some would characterize this trend as an attack on Christianity, and elevate Phil Robertson on the pedestal of martyrdom.  I would suggest that you read the GQ article first.  Yes, he quotes Scripture, but he also simply states that he doesn’t understand why anyone would choose the homosexual lifestyle, and is fairly graphic in his reasoning.  The issue is not Christianity, or even homosexuality, the issue is “Does a public figure have the right to express an opinion that places the burden of truth upon other people?”

Obviously, to the Christian, this is a pivotal and motivating factor in the practice of our faith.  We believe that there is a God and that He has revealed Himself through His Word and that one day all mankind will stand before Him in judgment.  The Bible makes it clear that all have sinned and that every one of us has fallen short of His standard of righteousness.  All sinners will be judged and I find it interesting that the Bible uses the same word to describe gossip that it uses to describe sodomy, it is an” abomination to God.”  The good news is that God has provided a way that we can find forgiveness for our sins and be reconciled to Him through the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ.  Logic tells us that once we have found this path to forgiveness and deliverance from hell that it is cruel and unloving not to share that message with everyone that we meet.  This, however, has the strong potential to offend those who do not wish to acknowledge any choice that they make as sinful.

Furthermore, apart from Judeo-Christian principles of morality, this tendency against any moral restraint is destructive to civilized society.  If toleration of any practice is the goal, then what happens when the pedophile begins asserting his right to pursue happiness and sexual fulfillment with your children?  Our founding fathers understood that base human desires have to be controlled in some way if there is going to be any kind of social order.  The liberty that they sought was the ability to live freely within a framework of commonly accepted social norms that govern the activities of men. 

I spent several years coaching basketball and now I serve as a basketball official.  One fact that governs the game at every level is that you can’t play the game without rules.  When the rules are disregarded the game degenerates into chaos.  Over the past 50 years or so, our culture has systematically dismantled the rules of conduct that were put in place so that all men could live in a free, peaceful, and prosperous society.

I pray that our nation will find its way through this moral morass to a renewed vision of freedom that doesn’t denigrate mankind as subservient to his basest desires.

Maybe it will take a few more Christians taking a stand for the truth of Scripture in the public arena.  Or better yet, a lot more Christians living out the eternal principles of their faith in a loving, caring, passionate way.

What Do We Do First?

 

So if we genuinely want revival to come to our church, our family, our community, and our nation, what should we be doing right now?  Because, you see, we have become a people who love to discuss and debate our problems, but we are seldom willing to make the changes necessary to see those problems resolved.  Most of the time, this reluctance is due to the fact that change pinches.  It costs us something to make real substantive changes, and most of the time we are not willing to make the necessary sacrifices to see change come.

Whether we are talking about race relations, economic policies, political agendas or Oklahoma Football, most of us have a hard time seeing the other side well enough to consider what it will take to bring about change, restoration, unity and peace.

When it come to revival, the other side that needs to be seen is God’s side of the issue.  It is God that is the only source of true revival, and it is God that places in our hearts the desire for it.  However, our flesh has its own desires and fights valiantly to see them met.  We tend to want it both ways.  We want to do what our flesh drives us to do while still enjoying the blessings of a close walk with God.  We want to run as far away from Him and His Word as we desire and then blame Him when He feels distant and aloof.

II Chron. 7:14 asks us to consider things from God’s side.  He has laid down a simple set of instructions along with some very precise promises about the result.  And those instructions simply ask us to put aside the things that drive us to live fleshly lives, like our pride…”humble themselves”…like our self-dependence…”and pray”…like our arrogant self-focus…”and seek my face”…like our tenacious pursuit of the desires of our flesh…”and turn from their wicked ways.”  When we are willing to put these things into practice, then He promises to hear, heal, and forgive. 

We have the tendency to ask God why bad things happen to good people.  The problem is, there are no good people.  We are all sinners, so when we come to Him, we must come to Him in the right spirit and the right attitude so that He can make us righteous.  When that begins to happen among God’s people, then we will see revival.