God Works For You:

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. (Psalm 121:1–3)

Do you need help? I do. Where do you look for help?

When the psalmist lifted up his eyes to the hills and asked, “From where does my help come?” he answered, “My help comes from the Lord” — not from the hills, but from the God who made the hills. “My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”

So, he reminded himself of two great truths: One is that God is a mighty Creator over all the problems of life; the other is that God never sleeps. “He who keeps you will not slumber.”

God is a tireless worker. He never wearies. Think of God as a worker in your life. Yes, it is amazing. We are prone to think of ourselves as workers in God’s life. But the Bible wants us first to be amazed that God is a worker in our lives: “From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who works for those who wait for him” (Isaiah 64:4).

God is working for us around the clock. He does not take days off and he does not sleep. In fact he is so eager to work for us that he goes around looking for more work to do for people who will trust him: “The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him” (2 Chronicles 16:9).

God loves to show his tireless power and wisdom and goodness by working for people who trust him. The sending of his Son, Jesus, was the main way the Father showed this: “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve” (Mark 10:45). Jesus works for his followers. He serves them. The gospel is not a “help wanted” sign. It is a “help available” sign.

This is what we must believe — really believe — in order to “rejoice always” (1 Thessalonians 5:16) and “[give] thanks always and for everything” (Ephesians 5:20) and have “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7), and “not be anxious about anything” (Philippians 4:6), and hate our lives “in this world” (John 12:25), and “love [our] neighbor as [ourselves]” (Matthew 22:39).

What a truth! What a reality! God is up all night and all day to work for those who wait for him

Tough Question: What To Do When A Homeless Person Asks You For Money?:

The other day I was walking into Walmart and was stopped by a homeless person asking for money. This is a typical encounter in that section of town and it has led to a number of questions both from me and church members. Questions such as, how do we actually serve homeless people? How do we respond when someone looks us in the eyes and asks us for money?

If you live in a city then you probably are asked for money on a regular basis. I know this because as the pastor I am asked from time what we should do when we encounter someone who is homeless who asks us for money.

The fact of the matter is that our hearts should break in compassion for those who are struggling. The Bible is also very clear about helping the poor. We are to have compassion for those who are suffering and show them grace.

Proverbs 14:21Open in Logos Bible Software (if available) says, “He who oppresses the poor taunts his Maker, but he who is gracious to the needy honors Him.”

That said there is a fear on the part of the asked is clear, that the person asking will take the money and go and buy booze or cigarettes. And while it is ok to be wronged by liars in this life and we can accept it is true that we should be wise with our money.

Our calling is clear, we need to be gracious to those who are needy but how do we know that the person asking is actually in need? And how do we know if they will use our money the right way?

There is another fear and that is that when I am giving money to someone who is homeless I may be helping them for a day or two but I am not helping them with their relationship with the Lord.

All that to say here is what I do.

I do not give any money to strangers. But I will offer food and will always share the Gospel.

When someone asks me for money, and I have time to stop (which really is more often than we realize or want to admit), I usually say something like this, “I’m so sorry I do not have any money to give you but I would love to buy you something to eat” I would say that over the years this has eliminated about 80% who simply wanted cash and weren’t actually hungry or had a specific need.

Then, When I go and get them food I will ask if they mind if I share with them about my love for Christ and I will take a few minutes to share the Gospel with them and leave them with a tract I wrote.

I can’t remember one time where I bought someone food and they didn’t let me share the Gospel with them.

Personally, I have a problem with giving money to strangers, not knowing how they will spend it, and more importantly, I have a real problem with helping someone with a physical need but not then talking to them about their spiritual condition which is in far greater danger. I mean is there anything more tragic than living a terrible life on earth only to move on to a much more terrible reality for eternity in hell?

Of course, this is not a biblical mandate and therefore I only offer it as advice. There are other things you can do, like partner with Christian homeless shelters. I know of people who prepare bags they keep in their car (filled with water bottles, snacks and tracts) or you can do whatever the Lord places on your heart, but I encourage you to carry tracts with you and to be ready and willing to share the Gospel every time the Lord gives you an opportunity (which again, is more often than we realize or want to admit).

May God give us a heart of compassion for the physical needs of the people he puts in our path and most of all that our hearts would break for the souls who will spend eternity in hell.

A Six Part Play

Recently, I finished reading through the Gospel of Luke in my quiet time and I was struck by Jesus's words in Luke 24:27, "And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself." The entire Bible points to Jesus Christ. As I meditated on this truth I began to sketch out the various parts of the Bible and I began to see the Bible as one complex story or a play which takes place in six parts.

Act 1: God Creates Everything Good (Genesis 1-2):
God created everything good, and Adam and Eve enjoyed a perfect relationship with each other and with God. Their worship and service to God were perfect and completely satisfying.

Act 2: Adam and Eve Sin and All of Creation Falls (Genesis 3):
Adam and Eve chose to rebel against God by disobeying him. At that very instant, Adam and Eve fell, and they took creation down with them. Their perfect relationship with God was broken, as was their relationship with each other. Nothing in creation was as it should have been any longer. Worship and service to God became difficult and people began to try to search for fulfillment in ways other than God.

Act 3: Mankind Tries to Make Things Right and Fails (Genesis 4-Malachi 4):
The rest of the Old Testament records mankind's struggle with sin. At times we see people rebelling against God even more, and at other times we see people trying to make things right with God by trusting in religion, whom their ancestors were, or their higher level of obedience to God than others around them. Of course none of these ways work. But as sad as this part of the story is, it is saturated with hope. God gradually revealed more and more of his plan to provide the one way people could be saved: through Jesus.

Act 4: Jesus Comes to Provide Salvation (Matthew 1-John 21):
Jesus is born, lives a sinless perfectly righteous life, performs miracles to prove he is the Son of God, and teaches about God's kingdom. Jesus is rejected by his own people, arrested and crucified, and then he dies, is buried and rises again. When we trust in Jesus, he takes our sin and pays its penalty and give us his righteousness in its place.

Act 5: The Church Begins the Mission of Sharing the Gospel (Acts 1-Revelation 20)
Jesus returns to his place of glory with the Father, but just before he does, he gives his followers the task to carry on the mission of sharing the gospel. He also promises to send the Holy Spirit, and when he arrives, he empowers the church to boldly proclaim Jesus. The church grows and continues through today.

Acts 6: Jesus Returns and Makes Everything Good Again (Revelation 21-22)
One day, Jesus will return, and when he does, he will make everything right again. Sin and death will finally be done away with and all who have trusted in him will receive new, glorified bodies and live with God forever in the perfect new creation.

That is the story the Bible tells. That is his story.

In The Trenches:

Original Article by Kole Farney

When my mom walked into the room there was dust in the air. Draped over the ceiling fan, filling the curtains, imbedded in the carpet and all over my little brother and sister. It was soot from the cast iron stove—lots of it, strewn all across the living room. They had decided it was fun to throw. She sat them down and told them with white-hot clarity not to get up, and she went out and found my Dad. I’m sure she said something like, “Go in there and see what your children have done!”

That was extreme, but you’ve been there, right? You’re in the thick of it. Your kids are relentless. You are tired. They don’t get it. You may have even been tempted to institute a 6:00 PM bedtime for the foreseeable future! And yet, your deeper desire is to guide your children to Jesus himself, and so you have not given up. Let me encourage you with three reminders:

1. Don’t confuse but be clear with your instruction

Clear parents draw visible lines and create obvious standards for their kids. As a result of consistent application, children learn what to expect from you and what you expect from them.

To me, nothing is more aggravating than moving standards. What if you drive down the highway only to learn that the speed limit was changed to 55 mph overnight without the signs being updated? What if you are stopped by the police? Would you be happy? How were you supposed to know? In the same way, how will your children know if you are inconsistent or muddy with your words or application of discipline?

For example, if you require first-time obedience from a child on Monday and then allow them to ignore you until the second or third attempt on Tuesday—you are confusing them. And if you then quickly re-establish your authority through an outburst of anger on Wednesday because you’re fed up with insubordination, they are now confused and nervous. How will they know which version of you is going to show up?

2. Don’t be harsh but be compassionate in your instruction

Compassionate parents see their children as humans with very little experience and knowledge. So many times, Jesus was said to have compassion on the crowds of needy people who followed him. Do any of your kids follow you needily—to your room, to the kitchen, to the bathroom? Does that frustrate you? Do you want to snap at them sometimes? Are they unreasonable? My boys sometimes express that they are near death with thirst before bed. It is easy to correct these ridiculous words with an obvious, “You’re not going to die,” and then tell them to just go to sleep. However, it may be that they are actually thirsty and are just exaggerating. I can only see it that better way through the eyes of compassion.

Exercising compassion will be difficult if we have unreasonably high standards in place because we will most likely have to compromise to show kindness. On the other hand, we will have equal or greater difficulty showing compassion if we have standards that are too low because we will be overrun with neediness and whining. If we don’t clarify reasonable expectations, children will choose their own, and tempt us toward exasperation.

Compassion remembers the frame of our children like God remembers that we are dust and prone to weakness. They are no different than us and much more inexperienced. Your kindness matters.

3. Don’t give up but continue in your instruction

Continuing parents keep pressing on in difficulty and failure. This is necessary because children will not get it the first time—and you will mess up too. Will their life be difficult? Will they fail? How will they learn to come back to the Lord if you don’t model it for them? How will they develop an attitude of endurance if you quit?

Continuing may mean that you stick it out at the dinner table all evening with the chipmunk-cheeked rebel, or that you nail the word compassion to your forehead because of your tendency toward harshness. It may require repentance that leads you to pick up the pieces of unfulfilled good intentions and start fresh with purpose to be clear and compassionate.

To do this we must consider Christ who loves us to the end, never fails, and teaches us endurance through trials. He hasn’t given up on you and you must keep close to him.

As you go, there will be temptations to rehearse those past and even present failures. These can easily overwhelm and paralyze. In those moments, remember that your parenting failures haven’t surprised Jesus and they haven’t soured him toward you either. He isn’t waiting for you to finally get it together so that he can help you be a good parent. That isn’t how it works. Just as you lean down to help your child out of the mess they’ve created, he is right here, right now, waiting for you to return. Keep coming back to him and you will find strength to continue

Raising Arrows:

Every June I stand with proud parents as their son/daughter walk across the stage and graduate from high school. Every fall my news feed is filled with parents dropping off their child at college for their first semester away. Proud, teary eyed parents, beaming teenagers, decked out dorm rooms, and an air of uncertainty adorn the photos. What will become of these kids who have learned so much yet have so much to learn? They are at a crossroads , and only time will tell which direction their futures will head.

As a dad, I know that in thirteen short years I’ll likely be where these parents stand – with an SUV backed into the crowded parking lot of a college dormitory, unloading cleaning supplies, cute wall decor, and a shaggy rug. However, when I think about my oldest daughter moving out and going to college (or whatever she decides to do after high school), I don’t feel tears welling up as much as excitement. Does that sound strange? Don’t misunderstand me – I will miss her terribly! And I’m so thankful that day isn’t soon. But raising our children in order to launch them is what our mission as parents is all about. I hear many parents today lamenting their children’s departure, as if their stories are ending, when in reality, they’ve only finished the introduction to a masterpiece still being written.

Psalm 127:3-5a says:

Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him. Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior’s hands. How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them!

What is the purpose of an arrow?

To be launched, of course! Arrows are not intended to just sit in the quiver, weighing it down and taking up space. They are carefully crafted for the explicit purpose of being launched. And in the same way, we parents spend years crafting our children into arrows that God can use. We pray, teach, discipline, and love, but all of those things are a means to an end, and the end goal is to launch.

When I think about who my children might become some day and what they might do, I get excited. Perhaps they’ll go to college and grow and stretch their faith in new ways. Perhaps they’ll travel across oceans and share the gospel with people who have never heard. Perhaps they’ll become mamas, patiently, diligently loving their babies day in and day out. Or perhaps they’ll do something completely different because God has a tendency to surprise us.

I know my children will go through trials and setbacks just like we all do, but I believe God will use those times as part of their stories as well. He is in charge of their destinies. Their mommy and I get the privilege of helping shape them and point them in the right direction, and then we just have to let them fly.

Now I know that in a few years when I drop my first baby off at college, there’s a good chance I’ll eat my words and boohoo all the way home. But if instead you see me soon after with a wide smile on my face and a glow in my eyes, you’ll know it’s not because my laundry load got lessened. It’s because after 18 years of crafting my arrow, I just launched her into her purpose.

By faith, I believe she’s going to impact God’s Kingdom, and I can’t wait to see the trajectory He takes her on to do so.

An Open Letter to FBC Stanleyville:

Dear Church Family,

If I can think of one word to describe this next season in the life of our church it would be: CHANGE. Thom Rainer defines change as a simple word with a difficult meaning. Change is all around us whether in the change of the seasons, children graduating, construction or searching for a new Pastor change is inevitable. In this season of change may we all remember these three truths:

1) Trust in God: Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” During this season, we need to trust God. God loves First Baptist Church of Stanleyville more than we love FBC Stanleyville; therefore, we can trust the future of this church into His hands. God knows what He is doing and He can be trusted! When fear of the future and anxiety begins to rise inside of us we need to pause and give it over to God. Philippians 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything (future of our church), but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”.

2) Hard Work: Colossians 3:23, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” Pastor Ed and I are committed to working hard to serve the church during this season. We are committed to taking on extra responsibilities to ensure that the church continues to thrive during this season. We are not going anywhere and we are committed to working hard and doing whatever is needed to ensure the success of FBC Stanleyville! We will work hard on the things we can control and what we cannot control we will trust to God. Psalm 90:17 will be our prayer, “Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!”

3) Thrive NOT Survive: Greater things have yet to come, Greater things are still to be done in this city and in our church. We do not want to survive this season we want to thrive in this season! Our finances are doing well, our church is growing and we have several events on the calendar to help us reach our community with the Gospel. We do not need to hit pause now! Let us continue to strive by God’s grace to gossip the Gospel and reach our neighbors, community and this world with the saving message of Jesus Christ.

I love you and I count it a high and holy blessing to be a part of the family of God at FBC Stanleyville.

Serving Him,

Pastor T Welch