Danger, Stranger: Trusting in God’s promises
By Bill Russell
Associational missions director, Bibb Baptist Association
The Scriptures refer to believers in Christ as strangers in the sense that we are temporary residents of this world.
We have a better citizenship ahead, but we still live in this world, a dangerous wasteland we are traveling through. Four dangers are included in Hebrews 3.
1. Immature participation. The result of not believing the Lord was the Israelites not going into the promised land. Those 20 years old and up were sentenced to die. No doubt some of their children might have agreed with their parents but they were not condemned. Why? Immaturity. They were not mature enough to know better.
Young believers often fail just because they are young in Christ. The Bible exhorts us to grow in Christ (2 Tim. 4:15).
2. Insidious double-mindedness. Israel wanted to live in two worlds. They wanted to call Yahweh God but yearned after the flesh pots of Egypt.
There are double-minded believers today. They want to be materialistic and spiritual at the same time. They want God’s forgiveness but hold on to grudges. They want God’s love but do not want to love others. There are some who want to live like the world and love God at the same time. John says that is impossible (1 John 2:15).
3. Infectious pessimism. At Kaddesh Barnea, God said to His people: “It’s yours: the promised land, abundant life, victory.” Instead of following God the people said, “We can’t do it.” They really meant, “We don’t know if we can trust God.”
Many today are in danger of living in spiritual poverty because they are infected with “I cannot” — I cannot live for God (read 1 Cor. 10:1); I cannot give (read 2 Cor. 9:7–8); I cannot serve (read Phil. 4:13). The message is clear: You can.
The danger when you say you can’t is that others are also discouraged. That harms the effectiveness of God’s family.
4. Infirming procrastination. Israel wanted to wait and ended up in the wilderness for 40 years. Too many Christians want to delay or dilute their commitment. That is one of Satan’s greatest weapons.
The danger is not that true believers will lose their salvation but that they will lose their power to live the abundant life. The danger is that the Church loses its saltiness and the evangelistic power of living in the power of God’s promises.
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Working together
As Southern Baptists, we are unified by our passion to take the gospel of Christ to those who have never heard.
We work together toward that common goal through the Cooperative Program (CP), Southern Baptists’ unified plan of giving through which cooperating Southern Baptist churches give a percentage of their undesignated receipts in support of their respective state convention and Southern Baptist Convention missions and ministries.
As a child and young adult, my heart was sealed for missions. I felt God’s call on my life while serving at a Baptist camp supported by the CP. Statewide youth events helped me mature spiritually. CP-funded Baptist Student Union ministry in college was one of the greatest discipling influences of my life.
I developed as an associational WMU leader through CP-sponsored events. I also benefitted from CP-subsidized tuition at seminary and CP support as a NAMB missionary. Serving on state convention staffs, I saw firsthand how gifts to the CP meant people had the opportunity to hear and respond to the gospel. I am grateful for the CP and our shared purpose of proclaiming the hope found only in Christ.
—Sandy Wisdom-Martin
EDITOR’S NOTE: Sandy Wisdom-Martin is executive director of national Woman’s Missionary Union.
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Letters to the Editor
I am writing in reference to the article “Blessed are the meek” in the June 20, 2019, issue of The Alabama Baptist.
My question is why is David Platt defending himself for praying for and with the president of the United States? He should be praising God for the opportunity. After all the president made the first move. This should have been applauded.
If the church members and others (social media) had an issue with praying for our elected officials then the problems in that church are much greater than the president showing up uninvited.
Platt should never have published a letter of explanation.
There may have been some resistance but he should have ignored it.
Joseph Bishop
Roanoke, Ala.
EDITOR’S NOTE: On June 2, President Trump made an unexpected visit to McLean Bible Church in Virginia. Pastor David Platt prayed with the president from the stage, which brought both praise and criticism from members of the church and the Christian community at large and prompted a letter of explanation from Platt. Platt addressed the controversy in his Southern Baptist Convention Pastors Conference sermon June 10.
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In Paul’s teaching about the gifts of the Holy Spirit in Ephesians 6 he told us we should be “praying always.” I’d like you to join me in praying for a different church each week.
Otis Corbitt
Associational missions director, Covington Baptist Association
Do not allow anyone to tell you otherwise — if you serve as a bivocational minister, you are absolutely full time.
Mike Snow
Associational missions director, Bethel Baptist Association
We can lovingly debate what the law should be, but there should be no debate about providing for the needs of the sojourner and sharing Christ with them.
Kaleb Wimberly
Associate pastor, FBC Enterprise
Our lifestyle and our words should not contradict each other.
D. Jay Powell
“Be Inspired: 101 Thoughts for Every Christian Writer”
Hospitality is wrapped up in Christ’s call to love my neighbor.
Anteneshia Sanders
Seminary student, author and hotel employee
Before we start interacting with particular cultural issues, we need to slow down to reflect deeply on our cultural moment as well as on what the Bible teaches. But often, the impulse for us as evangelicals (all the way back to the movement’s beginnings in the early 18th century) is to try to fix things — both issues and people — even before we understand the problem.
Karen Swallow Prior and Joshua Chatraw
“Cultural Engagement: A Crash Course in Contemporary Issues”
Every Christian, every church experiences failure at some point in trying to reach others with the gospel. Maybe it feels like those outweigh the successes, but don’t discount the gains made even in failure. Perhaps that person didn’t respond to your message or outreach, but the seed has been planted.
The important thing to remember is never give up.
Scott Barkley
The Christian Index
I am eternally grateful for the youth pastors in my life, past and present, who have shared the hard parts of life with me. Don’t ever underestimate how large an impact you have on your students even after they’ve left your youth group.
Have the hard conversations with them. Talk about death. Talk about suicide and tragedy. Share your own heartache and pain with them so that they can see you faithfully walk through it.
And most of all, don’t ever stop speaking the truth of God over them. There will be times that they don’t feel like it’s true. There will be times where they are sick of hearing it because the pain is too real, but keep proclaiming it with love and boldness. It will sink into their hearts and minds. Even on their deepest darkest days, they will be able to recite it back and cling to it.
Lauren House
YMLink.org
We will always stand with people across the world who take a stand for their faith.
Mike Pence
U.S. vice president
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From the Twitterverse
@revandyfrazier
A great truth our culture needs to understand… @danielsangi: “Many who aspire to leadership fail because they have never learned to follow.” — J. Oswald Sanders
@whosyour1_
Don’t just pray for your one, you need to also tell them the good news — that they have a Savior and His name is Jesus! #WhosYour1
@jdgreear
Packed house at the Black Church Leadership and Family Conference of the @SBCCP. #bclfc19. Excitement and faith in this room is palpable. God is moving powerfully in this part of our Convention!
@ricklance
While sitting in a doctor’s office, I looked up to an advertisement on a TV monitor and read the quote of the day: “I have had more trouble with myself than any other man.” — Dwight L. Moody. I wonder if they know anything about the man behind the quote.
@Johnbmann
Called to the ministry?
Be prepared:
- To work. A lot.
- To encounter difficult people. A lot.
- To do spiritual warfare. A lot.
- To take difficult stands. A lot.
- To need prayer. A lot.
- To need forgiveness. A lot.
- To know God’s presence. A lot.
@LifeWay
“Though the first several years of Joseph’s life in Egypt must have felt way outside of God’s plan, Joseph’s detour to Egypt was no detour at all. God would use Egypt. … Joseph was right where God wanted him.” — @Kelly_Minter
@baptist21
The longing for things other than Christ has ruined many.
@sendrelief
“When you become a partner in the community, the obstacles to the gospel melt away.” — @vancepitman
@DustyMcLemore
The secret to all spiritual power, all peace and all purity is living in the presence of our Lord!
@kk4me2
When you complain about the church, know that you are the Church. You are the body of Christ and a part of it.
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