By Franklin L. Kirksey
Robertsdale, Ala.
The late British evangelist G. Campbell Morgan observed, “The supreme need in every hour of difficulty and distress is for a fresh vision of God. Seeing Him, all else takes on proper perspective and proportion.”
One passage from Scripture that provides such encouragement to the believer is Hebrews 13:5b–6. Allow me to point out three things from these verses.
First, there is the perpetual attendance of the Lord. Hebrews 13:5b reads, “For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”
We read the following about the one making this promise: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb. 13:8). Psalm 46:1 reads, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
Second, there is the personal alliance with the Lord. Hebrews 13:6a begins, “So we may boldly say: ‘The Lord is my helper. …’”
Psalm 121:1–2 reads, “I will lift up my eyes to the hills — from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.” The psalmist knew the Lord would help him in His own time and way and that His help would be appropriate to his need. It is wonderful to have an Almighty ally!
Third, there is the perfect assurance from the Lord. Hebrews 13:6b reads, “I will not fear. What can man do to me?”
Psalm 118:6-7 reads, “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The Lord is for me among those who help me; Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me.”
Alan Redpath explains, “The help of God does not come to us when we are indifferent. It comes to the man who is depending on God in the thick of the fight. It comes to the one who tarries for the vision in faith. It comes to the one who believes that he who waits upon the Lord shall never be confounded.
“It comes to the one who rests upon the promises of the Word. It comes to the man who lives by faith as if in the actual possession of the answer to his prayer, although the enemy is still around him. It is faith which turns distress into singing.”
Though Samuel was a judge, a prophet and a priest, his strategy was successful against the enemy. He led the Israelites to repent and seek the Lord, resulting in His help in defeating the Philistines. They could have experienced this victory earlier (1 Sam. 4) if they had followed that formula. First Samuel 7:12 reads, “Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, ‘Thus far the Lord has helped us.’”
May we sing with Robert Robinson:
“Here I raise my Ebenezer,
Hither by Thine help I’ve come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.”
May you truly be able to boldly declare, “The Lord is my helper!”
The value of working together
Southern Baptists are all different, and that’s what makes our churches so beautiful.
Our worship styles, languages, customs, service times, preaching proclivities, fall festivals, prayer rooms, summer schedules, theological nuances and snow day policies differ. …
We do have a few rock-solid, no compromise, do or die essentials:
- Jesus saves.
- The Great Commission.
- Our churches are all autonomous.
- And we work together. …
Just imagine how much we disciples could do together if we tried less to be Lone Rangers and worked together.
The proof is our history. The Cooperative Program fuels the greatest modern missionary movement in the world.
Matt Tullos
Tennessee Baptist Mission Board
“How could my face not be changed forever if I am reflecting the love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control so freely given by the Holy Spirit?” said Paul Lawrence, who along with his wife Harriet, wrote, “Going to School in Gaza: Lessons Learned in Thirty Years of Service in the Middle East.” Both served as Southern Baptist representatives among the Palestinian people, first in Gaza and later in Jerusalem and Bethlehem.
Our job as parents is not to instill self-esteem in our children, but to guide them to the foundational truths about who God says they are. The God who breathed everything into existence says that they have inherent dignity and worth and that they are irreplaceable (Luke 12:7, Jer. 1:5).
Pastor Micah Gaston
3Circle Church Midtown
Mobile
Success in evangelism is not contingent on the outcome nor rooted in the result; success is based on the obedience of the messenger. God saves, we share. When success in evangelism is measured by sharing, it liberates Christians from anxiety and frees us to be faithful witnesses.
@DanielDickard
X (formerly Twitter)
“Young adults rarely go somewhere they are not invited. I cannot stress this enough. Train your people to invite every young adult they know — friends, family members, coworkers, college students, gym members, babysitters, etc. Invite every unchurched young adult connected to your members.
Phillip Slaughter
Campus minister in Arkansas
“Donating a kidney was not on my radar. … Whatever God blessed you with is to bless other people. I knew my good health was for more than going to the gym,” said Randal Lyle, senior pastor of Meadowridge Community Baptist Church of Fort Worth, Texas, on donating a kidney to Rudy Kebreau, the church’s next generation and children’s minister.
“When I go into an area that I’m not familiar with, I’ll ask the director of missions at the association what churches (in the area are available to help). … That association is vital,” said David Wells, who directs Texas Baptist Men’s disaster relief efforts.
“We are constantly involved in raising money to make adoption more affordable for families. Anything that we can do to help we believe we should do it. That is where God’s heart is — we’ve got to help the orphans and widows,” said Steven Bell, adoptive parent and pastor of worship and family ministry at Hindman (Kentucky) First Baptist Church of Hindman, Kentucky. Bell won more than $61,000 on Wheel of Fortune in September.
“We earnestly want to build bridges between the generations. We also desire to build bridges between denominations, styles and preferences, knowing that the love and power of our Lord breaks not only every chain, but also every division,” said Keith Erwin of the Grammy-nominated and Dove Award winning southern gospel music group The Erwins.
God is our primary source in the Dixon house, whether I’ve got work or not. He’s going to take care of us, and He’s going to provide for us as long as we continue to put our faith and hope in Him.
Colton Dixon
Singer/songwriter
“Stumbling churches have a similar experience. They stop paying attention to where they are headed and what they are intentionally doing to get there. Then they stumble,” said George Bullard, a strategic thinking mentor for Christian leaders through his ForthTelling Innovation ministry.
“Our songs have always been discipleship set to music. These songs are our prayers and a way of reminding us that God is worthy of all of our worship, the breath in my lungs, and that God is seeking our whole heart to worship Him,” said lead singer Mark Hall of award-winning band Casting Crowns.
“Remember, you don’t have to navigate crisis challenges alone. Pray for wisdom and seek advice from fellow pastors, mentors or communication experts within your church community. They can offer valuable insights and support as you navigate difficult situations online. You are not alone,” said Mark MacDonald, church communication consultant.
What are you chasing and why?
When we chase after earthly things, success, titles, position, money, even leisure, we can never attain enough. None of these earthly treasures will bring the peace and joy our hearts desire. They cannot.
Reaching for these with a longing to find peace, satisfaction and happiness only leads to sorrow, misery and messed up lives. No matter how many highs and triumphs we attain, any satisfaction and pleasure is short lived.
Happiness comes from external circumstances. Happiness is always fleeting. Happiness can be wiped out in a matter of seconds. Joy on the other hand comes from inside, not from external instances.
True joy comes from God above. Only God can give a person joy because God is the creator and possessor of joy. True joy can only belong to one who sets aside all earthly desires for self and follows after the desires of the God of the universe.
It is only when we lay aside our chasing after what we think will bring success and happiness that we can find joy, peace and a greater success than this earth can give.
Things to consider:
- Am I chasing after my dreams or what God created me to be?
- Am I living for one of those fleeting moments of happiness or for those awe-inspiring God moments?
- How many of the items on my calendar this week are to help someone else rise above their apparent circumstances and not about me and my personal life?
- Is accomplishing my goals as pleasing to God as it is to me?
George Yates
Pastor and church health strategist
alsbom.org/blog
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