Parenthood 101

I saw something today that left me rather disturbed.  Seth and I had to run to the local grocery store for a few things this afternoon.  I know that it’s hot everywhere, but it is just sweltering here in Covington.  I think the temperature was 99 with a heat index of 105.  Not the kind of weather you want to spend much time in.  As we get ready to go in the grocery store, a little girl, probably around 9 years old, asks me if I would like to buy a raffle ticket.  Choosing not to waste my money, I politely told her no.  I did notice though, that there were no adults around her.  Seemingly no one there watching her.  I promise you, in today’s times, I try my very best not to let my children out of my sight for one second.  There are simply too many evils lurking around us.  As we finished our shopping and left, there was a young boy now stationed at the exit door.  Again, probably 10 or 11, hawking raffle tickets.  Once again, I politely declined and looked for his parent or guardian.  I saw no one.  Finally, as I was walking across the parking lot, I turned back around to see a woman parked in the fire lane of the grocery store, windows rolled up, air conditioning no doubt running, watching the kids.  Apparently she was their “guardian”.  Can I say how sorry this is?  As a parent, don’t send your kids out in the heat to try and sell raffle tickets if you aren’t willing to get out there with them.  Apparently it was too hot for her to be outside, but not to make her kids be outside.  I found this horrible.  If I am not willing to do something, I should not expect my children to do it.  Children are a gift from God and they should be treated as such.

It's In The Book

Many times we seem to be intimidated to preach about money.  With so many televangelists and crooked “preachers” out there, we seem to be afraid that if we mention money we will be lumped in with them.  I think the question to ask, when considering should we preach about money, is this “Is it in the Bible?”  I was given these statistics the other day and found them quite astounding to be honest.  I have not personally checked these to confirm their accuracy, but the source from which they came was reliable, so I have no reason not to believe them. 

 

Think about these statistics:

16 of 38 parables are about money

There are about 500 verses in the Bible on Prayer.

There are less than 500 verses in the Bible on Faith.

There are more than 2350 verses in the Bible on Money.

I guess this definitely answers the question “Is it in the Bible?”  Yes it is.  It is obvious that it takes money to do the work of God.  I get the feeling that many of the churches that we visit think that all we are concerned with is money.  No, that is not our only concern.  We also need your prayers.  However, we would be foolish to think that it does not take money to accomplish things for the Lord.  We must have money, just like anyone else must have it to live on.  Should we be intimidated and afraid to preach on giving?  I say absolutely not.  If we are to preach the whole counsel of Scripture, than that is a part of it just like any other. 

 

Excited

It’s Thursday and I can report to you that we are quite excited.  Today kicks off a month that we are calling Awesome August at Canaan, our home church.  The church has moved its mid-week services to Thursday night for this entire month.  We will also have revival meeting the third week of the month.  I just know it is going to be great.  I don’t know about you, but my heart yearns for revival.  I know I need it.  I pray that the Lord will send revival to me.  In all honesty, we all could use revival.  The problem is that many of us don’t realize we need it or we just don’t want it.  What a mighty army of believers that could be raised up to reach our world with the Gospel if only true revival would break out across our land.  It would be unseen what could be accomplished for the Lord.  I challenge you today to pray for revival.  Not just in your heart, but in mine as well.

Snakes in the Woodpile

Here is a thought for you today, something to think on.  In Acts 28, after Paul has been shipwrecked and come to shore, he is out gathering sticks for the fire.  As he places the sticks on the fire, a viper comes out and attaches to his arm.  He shakes the viper out and is unharmed, much to the amazement of those around him.  If I may, I would like to make an application with these verses.  How many times do we find in the church, there are snakes there unaware.  You see, Paul would have never known that there was a snake in the woodpile had he not placed them in the heat. Many times, there are snakes in our churches, and it is only when the man of God turns up the heat that they come out.  After the heat, they begin to try and harm the man of God with their mouths.  Think on these things concerning those snakes.

1. The deceitfulness of snakes

Paul had no clue that the snake was in the woodpile.  We never know when there are snakes in the church.  They are certainly quiet.  They camouflage in the woods well.  They have no odor or large size to point them out.  You would never know they are there.  They are deceitful.

2. The danger of snakes

They say that typically, a snake is more afraid of you than you are of it.  Most of the time, a snake will not harm you.  However, it will cause you to harm yourself.  How many times have pastors harmed themselves because of fear when they find a snake?  They react too quickly or too harshly in fear of those snakes and they cause great harm to themselves, more harm than the snakes could have caused on their own.

3. The destruction of the snake

In Acts 28, the snake was destroyed when he was cast into the fire.  I believe such may be the end for snakes in the church as well.  Their destruction could be found in the lake of fire.

 

Are You A Practicing Atheist?

This morning, I heard a message that dealt with a sin that so many of us are guilty of, yet we do little to try and hide it.  It is the sin of worry.  Yes, it is a sin to worry.  In this message, the preacher made the following statement that really caught my attention and I thought it might make you think as well.  He said, Many of us are not professing atheist but we are practicing atheist.  We do not say there is no God, we only live like it.  What great truth this is.  We would never say that there is not a God, yet when we worry if He is able to keep His Word, or meet or needs, that is exactly what we are doing.  We become practicing atheists.  May we strive and determine to trust Him.  As my pastor often says, Even when you can’t track Him, trust Him.

 

What Are We Here For?

I am afraid that too many of our modern day churches have lost their direction.  We have lost our clear vision of why we are here, to preach the Gospel.  Often times, it takes someone that you least expect to point us back in the right direction.  Kirk Cameron, former star of the ‘80’s sitcom Growing Pains and now a born again believer, recently spoke at the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting in San Antonio, Texas.  I heard a pastor make mention of this quote the other day and thought I would share it with you.  I think there is a wealth of truth in it.  I am afraid that too many people are dying and going to hell from a church pew because we have stopped preaching the whole counsel of God.  Here is Kirk’s message:

Can I speak to you from my heart for a moment? I realize that, theologically, I’m not worthy to wash your socks. But imagine this scenario with me, if you will: Imagine I’m a “seeker”- I’m a non-Christian, sitting in your church week after week after week listening to you. Am I ever going to hear the message that will save my soul from Hell? Will you ever tell me the truth clearly enough so that I realize that my sin has made me an enemy of God: that I am currently on the path that leads to destruction, with the wrath of God dwelling upon me, and that unless I repent and put my faith in the Savior, I will perish? Or have you decided that it’s better to simply entertain me, and on Sundays I can come to have my “felt needs” met with good music and good advice? Pastor, while I would appreciate that, it’s the ultimate betrayal of my trust in you if you don’t tell me the truth. Will I ever hear the words “repent,” “surrender,” “turn to the Savior,” “be born again”? If you don’t tell me those things, how will I ever know to do it? Please don’t leave it up to the Wednesday night small-group leader. They’re taking their cues from you. You’re leading the flock.

And now I speak to you as a Christian. If you and I fail to teach the whole counsel of God, and we don’t warn sinners to flee from the wrath to come, and run to the love of Christ on the Cross to save their soul, we make a terrible mistake. It doesn’t matter how happy a person is- how much a sinner is enjoying the pleasures of sin for a season- without the righteousness of Christ, he’ll perish on the Day of Judgment. The Bible says, “Riches profit not on the Day of Wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.” You see, that’s how Kirk Cameron realized he needed a Savior. I had riches, but I knew that it was the righteousness of God that I needed in order to be saved from my sin.

How many people left church this past Sunday having been entertained and not exhorted?  How many churches had comedy but no conviction?  I think it is high time we placed our priorities in the right place again, on the preaching of the Word of God.  God’s Word will always get the job done.  As I prepare to plant a church, I need to hear this thought ringing through my mind, Preach the Word.

Great Weekend

We had a great weekend this past weekend.  I enjoyed the privilege of preaching twice on Sunday and had a great time.  I always enjoy meeting new people in the churches that we visit and this past weekend was no exception.  We met some wonderful people, many of whom said they would be praying for our family.  What a great blessing.  We pray that if it be the Lord’s will, these churches would take us on as part of their missionary family.  If not, the Lord’s will be done.

 

On a side note, also this weekend Seth had a close encounter with a table at the restaurant we ate at Sunday.  It resulted in his first black eye.  I think he was kinda proud of it to be honest with you.  It didn’t seem to bother him to much after he got over the initial shock.  That is one tough kid…

 

Is There A Need?

Yes, there is a need.  A need for what you may ask?  A need for missionaries in the United States.  Recently, we met a young lady in a Bible belt state.  This young lady was probably in her early to mid 20’s and had grown up in a northern state.  After some time getting to know her, Seth enjoyed her company as a friend and they had a great time playing together.  As he is so prone to do, he decided it was time to preach and sing.  He wanted to sing Jesus Loves Me and asked this young lady to sing along.  She told him she did not know that song and had never heard it.  I was shocked.  However, it reminded me that there are people all around us that do not know the saving grace of Christ.  There are people that live in the south, in the Bible belt, that have never even heard Jesus Loves Me.  We must be busy.  I am afraid that so many times we concentrate on the rest of the world, and there is a great need there, but we are losing our own country.  Let’s determine that our own neighbors and fellow citizens will not be left out on the Gospel message.  Let’s do our part to take it to them as well as the rest of the world.

Have A Great Weekend

It’s Saturday afternoon and we hope everyone is having a great weekend.  We are in NC and are looking forward to some great meetings tomorrow.  Pray for us as we will be in Harmony, NC tomorrow morning and Apex, NC tomorrow night.  Please help us pray that the Lord would use us to be a great blessing to these churches and that we will effectively share the burden with them that the Lord has placed on our hearts.  We are excited about the opportunity to share our vision for southern Louisiana with churches and are always excited to see how the Lord works.  We are praying that you all have a great Lord’s day and the blessings will abound and many souls will be saved.

 

How Far We Have Come

Don’t know how many of you saw this today, but for the first time in our nation’s history, a Hindu led the opening prayer for the United States Senate.  This is from a nation claims to be “One Nation Under God.”  Certainly, you would agree that the same God that this nation was founded upon is not the deity supreme that Rajan Zed was praying to.  Hindu is a polytheistic religion, having gods in everything, be from the sky to the earth to the ants.  This is not my God.  My God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the one who hung the moon and stars in the sky.  My God is the one who created the sky, earth, and ants.  I do realize that one of the most beautiful aspects of our nation is the right to pray to whom we choose.  If Mr. Zed wants to pray and meditate upon the earth, so be it, that is his choice.  However, for us to claim to be a Christian nation and allow this sort of thing is a travesty.  I can only wonder how our forefathers, the men who sacrificed so much for us to have this great country, would feel about this sort of thing.  I am almost certain that it would not have happened without more of an outrage than there was.  My, how far our great country has come.   

The Greatest Gift

It has been a lot of fun this week to watch how excited Seth gets about going to Bible School each night.  It’s also a wake up call, because it just shows me how he’s growing up so fast.  It seems not long ago we were bringing him home from the hospital, now he’s going to his very own Bible School class.  Even last night he won the quiet seat award.  Wow, they grow up so fast.  As I watch him, I am reminded of a visit I made this past Saturday morning.  I talked with a man that was a single parent, a father trying to raise a 10 year old boy own his own.  I told him of how impressive that was and that no doubt there was a lot of love in his heart for that young man.  The dad told me of how every day, each decision revolves around what is best for that young boy of his. I could tell he meant it.  I tried my best to tell him that the greatest gift he could give that young boy was a Godly heritage.  You see, we can buy our children all the toys and clothes this world has to offer, and what good is it. I watch Seth get a new toy and many times he is just as happy with the box as he is the toy.  These things are all temporary.  However, the greatest gift I can pass on to my children is a Godly heritage, to be the kind of dad that causes a true love for Christ to build in their lives.  No, I cannot save them.  I can though, play a great part in whether or not they get saved.  The greatest gift I can give my children is for me to live a Christ honoring life, and then try my best to pass that on to them.

 

Do you know what time it is?

It's Bible Time! That's right, for the past few nights we have been having Neighborhood Bible Time at Canaan. What an exciting time to see so many boys and girls have an opportunity to hear the Gospel. I have had the privilege to counsel with several young boys. Pray that God would do a work in their hearts and lives. I realize more than ever before the importance of making sure that they are on a solid foundation. I would surely hate to think that I led someone into a false profession. What a tragedy.
I talked with one young man this evening that reminded me of so many people. He was seven years old and had never, ever told a lie. Not even one. He had never disobeyed his parents or his teachers. He was not a sinner. He could not bring himself to admit that he was a sinner. My how that reminds me of so many adults. People everywhere refuse to admit that they need a Saviour. They think their good works are sufficient. They don't cheat or steal. They are good people. They are too proud to recognize themselves as sinners. What we need is for the eyes of man to be opened so that they see themselves as God sees them, wicked and sinful. We are all sinners in need of a Saviour. Until we realize that profound truth, we can never be saved. Pray for Bible Time. It concludes Wednesday night. We're trusting the Lord for great things.

Time at Home

This weekend saw us spending some time at home. We had a meeting scheduled but it had to be rescheduled due to some other things going on. We decided to simply spend the day at our home church. It has been a while since we have been able to do that. Our church is starting Neighborhood Bible Time for the kids this week so it gave us a great chance to help out. Let's pray that many young souls will be saved this week. You never know, we may have the next D.L. Moody or Lee Roberson in this group. What a blessing that would be.

Happy 4th of July

What a great privilege to live in the greatest nation on earth. I saw a poll last night on Fox News that said that only 80% of the people surveyed believe the United States to be the greatest nation in the history of civilization. May I say that I believe that 20% of the people have lost their minds. This is the greatest nation on earth. I fully understand that we have many things wrong with our nation today. We tolerate sin and even condone and promote it. Our freedoms are constantly under attack by liberals and socialists. However, it is still my firm belief that this is the greatest nation on the face of God's earth. God has richly blessed our great country. My prayer is that He will continue to do so. Therefore, as you go about your day, even in spite of the many freedoms we have lost and are losing, thank God for the privilege to live in the greatest nation on earth.

Camp Canaan

A few weeks ago I was privileged to be able to spend the week at Camp Canaan. This is a ministry of our home church, Canaan Baptist. What a wonderful week. We had close to 300 people there, over 200 of them juniors and teenagers. Pastor Chancee Carter of Troutman, NC did the preaching for the week and it was the best I have ever heard him. I believe overall about 10 young people were saved and several surrendered their lives to full time Christian service. If you are looking for a great camp to send your young people to, I would highly recommend Camp Canaan. Next year's dates are already set, June 22-27.

Wow, it's been a long time.

I did not realize just how long it had been since we had posted on the blog. I knew it had been awhile, but I did not realize it had been almost six months. Guess there is much to keep us busy. Just to give you a quick update on some things, Ethan Luke is here and doing great. He is growing like a weed. He is almost 17 pounds now and over 2 feet tall.
Seth is doing a great job as a big brother. He is very loving and kind to Ethan. I think they are going to have a lot of fun together.
Deputation is going well, as the Lord is really blessing. We should be somewhere around 63% of our needed support. The end is getting closer and closer and we are all starting to get a little more excited about getting to the field. I really look forward to starting the work the Lord has called us to.
Well, just a quick update. We'll do more when we get the chance, and we will do our best to make sure it's not another six months before we post again.

Almost Here

The big day is almost here. Tuesday afternoon Wendy goes in for the scheduled C-section and the birth of our second child, Ethan Luke. We are excited about this but know that some big changes are in store as well. We think Seth is excited, but still a little confused about everything that's going on. We know that he will enjoy having his little brother around, it's just going to take him some time to get used to it. I know he can though.
We had another good weekend this past weekend. Hopefully, this is the last weekend that I will have to travel by myself. It certainly was different. I enjoy having my family with me as we travel and meet all the new people the Lord has for us to meet. We will take a couple of weeks at home to begin adjustments and then we will hit the road again. Please be in prayer for us tomorrow and rest assured that just as soon as I am able to post pictures I will.

Great Weekend

I had a great weekend this past Sunday in south Georgia at the Bethel Baptist Church and the Waterloo Baptist Church. I was able to meet many new friends and believe I found some more people that will pray for our family. That is what deputation is all about, find more people who are willing to call out to God on your behalf. It amazes me to think that there may be people all over possibly even this nation who are calling our names out to the Lord. We never know when someone may be praying for us. Isn't that such a blessing? I know many folks bad mouth deputation and complain, but I must praise the Lord for it. He has used it to teach me so many wonderful things. And to think of all the people that we have met, I am so glad I didn't miss this. I have really enjoyed deputation. Now, that's not to say that I won't be thankful when it's over, I will. But in the meantime, I'll just keep on trying to bloom where I'm planted and serving the Lord as faithfully as I can.

Exciting Times

Praise Report:
With several churches having promised to begin support in the month of January, we should be over the 50% mark. This is exciting because we have been praying for this for sometime now. The Lord has answered prayer. I sorta feel like this is some kind of milestone on the deputation trail. The next milestone is 60%. I am praying and I would like for you to pray with us, that we will be there by the end of February. If this happens, we can start getting a little more serious about looking down the road at a date to leave on. I don't know about you, but I choose to believe that God can do it. I know He can. Would you please call upon Him on our behalf and ask Him to provide this? Thank you so much.
In other exciting news, we are only about a week and a half away from the scheduled birth of Ethan Luke Campbell. Wendy is scheduled to have a section on Tuesday, January 30th. The time is almost here. Continue to pray for her in these last few days that the Lord would strengthen here and the baby. We are excited about this addition to the family and looking forward to training this child to serve the Lord. Seth seems to be excited about having a new brother as well. As soon as I can, I will post pictures here for you.
Again, we want to thank you for praying for us as we travel and do the Lord's will for our lives. We have been in some great meetings lately and thank the Lord for it. Please pray that the Lord would continue to bless our labors.

We're Baaack

Wow, I know that it has really been a long time since our last blog. I do apologize for the delay in keeping you updated on us. We praise the Lord for His goodness to us during these past few weeks. The Lord continues to show His faithfulness to us time and time again.
After a busy schedule, we have been able to spend the past few weeks at home for somewhat of a Christmas vacation. This is always a great blessing to be able to do, as we are able to attend Canaan and enjoy the Christmas season there. You don't really know how to appreciate something until it's gone they say. Well, it's true. We certainly appreciate every chance we get to spend some time with our church family and just the chance to attend a service there.
We have had several churches promise to take us on for support starting in January of next year, and that is exciting. We should be close to, if not over, 50% real soon. This is exciting because it is another mileston that we have reached, halfway. Please help us pray that we would get the second half quickly, so that we could be moving real soon.
In family news, Seth is constantly growing and doing things that amaze us. Wendy and the baby are doing well. We are excited about another addition to the family.
Again, thank you for understanding about the delay. I promise to try my best not to let it happen again. It is just so easy to get busy and forget about things and continually put them on the back burner. I am looking forward to using this as a tool in the days ahead to let you know more and more about us and the deputation trail. Until then, God bless and we are looking forward to the days ahead.