Keeping the Perspective

You have probably never woke up in the morning with the immediate thought of the trouble awaiting you today. I guess I should not have been surprised, for I left the thoughts of this trouble right beside my pillow last night. A bit of transparency right here...I just preached the midweek service, including the principle of casting our burdens on Him, not keeping or carrying them. EPIC FAIL. Anyway, when I woke up, POW, there it was; an overwhelming cloud of question and uncertainty. As I sought the Lord in prayer this morning, I pleaded for His direction and help through His word. Please continue reading to see the help I received.

I enjoy reading a chapter of Proverbs each day, the one which coincides with the date. [Editor's note: I highly recommend this.] As I read chapter 5, familiar with the contents and already doubting I would receive anything from it, I got sucker-punched. Those wonderful words of verses 15 through 18 reminded me of my lost Perspective.

Have you ever thought about who winds up being the first to suffer, as well as the worst to suffer through your difficulties? I can easily hit the rewind and see that when I physically hurt in my body, I just want to lay down and crash. When I am trying to deal with emotional hurts, I retreat to my "happy place" which is a table for one at Pity's Pub. It seems to me, when anything goes wrong in my life, my wife is the real victim. Is it because I love her less? Is it because she loves me less? Is it her fault that these things came about? Most definitely no, no, and no. If you are nearly as blessed as I am, then you have a wife, or husband, for you ladies, that strives to be supportive, helpful, and loving. I haven't pushed her away on purpose, but today the Lord reminded me that the command is to rejoice with my wife, regardless of what else may be happening in my life.


If God has filled your life with the love of a loyal spouse, understand that
they are going through your trouble with you, if you let them. Solomon
reminds us of the strength of a three-fold cord. Allow the Lord to minister to you by way of that third cord. And don't let the stuff of life interrupt the rejoicing that should always be taking place in your marriage. Through the hard times, keep the right Perspective.

The Kite Principle

My son, Ricky, enjoying  flying a kite in Panama City, FL.

I am not a kite person. I never had one as a child and still have no interest in building or flying an actual kite. My wife, on the other hand, seems to be an avid kite lover. I don't know the history behind Jen and kites. There may be no history at all, but I can assure you that right now there is a kite in the side box of my pick-up truck cap and it is just waiting for the chance to be freed from it's place of bondage and set loose on a glorious journey of the sky and Jen would be the one to suggest it, not me. It also would seem that there is an ideal place for kites to be flown...at the beach. I am a beach person. Our family has had the great pleasure of spending hours, days, and weeks on the sands of several beautiful beaches including Panama City Beach, Virginia Beach, Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island in Florida, Bethany Beach, and our all time favorite, Topsail Island, North Carolina. Now I will not exaggerate and say that we have flown kites at each of these venues, but rest assured, the kite was probably there and/or the idea was brought up by Jen. Needless to say, I have gleaned some knowledge regarding the proper launching and subsequent flying of a kite. I must say that the one instance that sticks out in my mind under the heading of "kite flying" was not completely my doing, but I did have a part in it. One year, at Topsail with family, lots of family, a Superman kite had made the trip with us. (I have come to notice the correlation between the presence of children and kites. That is probably the source of my wife's kite affection-her children.) Without getting into the minutia of getting it into the air, I so remember how high, for how long, and just how awesome a sight it was to see him flying up there. See, we had spent so much time flying this kite that we were able to release the entire ball of string and even let that go, as we tied it to one of the railings of the deck or catwalk. Of the dozen or more people on that trip, each and every person would take a few seconds to look up from a beach chair or look out a window to see where the kite was. If memory serves me, that kite flew for hours and hours without any hand holding the string before we had to reel it back in.

I am a daddy. I love being a daddy. I have had the opportunity to co-raise three awesome kids; two girls and a boy. One of those girls is 18 years old and so far, a fresh high school graduate. Right now she is out of the country on a mission trip to Grenada where she is using her talents, singing, playing the guitar, and my favorite, sharing the word of God, to make a difference in the lives of the people of that island, but especially a group of children four to six years old. My wife and I have obviously spent a significant amount of time preparing her for now. You know where I am going with this. You see, all of a sudden I realize how much I love kites and flying them, still not the actual ones, but the ones illustrated by our children. There is a huge similarity. There are memories of running and running as hard and fast as I could to try to get that kite up into the breeze. We sure have had our share of changes in the wind with accompanying nose dives. I will never forget the times that I had to quickly wind some string back onto the ball because there was too much slack and the kite began to falter. On the flip side, I have stood and felt the refreshing breath of God blowing in our life and felt as the string began to pull snug in the breeze. Her mother and I have watched as she has pulled away from us, climbing higher on the current of this blessed breeze, sustained by this heavenly wind. I now understand that I can build the kite, make her fit for flying. I tie my string to her, not to hold her down, but to help her fly. Have you ever seen a kite fly without string? Our malls are full of them, kites without ability to fly on their own, blowing wherever the harsh gusts of society choose. These are surface winds. Our desire should be to get them up from the ground and into the air. Isn't it interesting that the term used to parent a child to adulthood is "raise". The Bible uses the phrase "bring them up". So no, it's not by my power that they fly, but they need the string. I thought I needed the string. What I am seeing now is that the string no longer needs to be in my hand. She is on the wind, flying high. She still needs the string, but I don't. I think I'll tie it to something that won't move. By prayer, I will leave her in the care of the Rock that is higher than I, Psalm 61:2. Now I will bask in the awesome sight of my high-flying kite way up in the wind and I will watch as passers-by stop to watch it too. To them it will look like she has no string, but I know she does and I know Who is holding it because I can see it...from my Perspective.


Now for one of the best post scripts ever....

It has been over a year since I wrote this original content above and there have been a couple times I began to question its authenticity. The beginning of this year was rough and I gotta tell you, I wondered if my precious kite would stay airborne. Storm winds blow into our lives and can wreak havoc on a kite that "refuses" to come down. Well, I am thrilled to give you a refreshed view of my kite. My now 19 year old daughter is a missionary on deputation with the Gospel Preachers Association/Mobilization Ministries to raise support so that she can go back to Grenada for a six-month "tour" as a missionary teacher on February 11, 2104, right after her 20th birthday. She will be imbedded in Maranatha Baptist Church, where she will be teaching preschoolers through the week, working with teens on Saturdays, and on Sunday, teaching Sunday school & participating in the services at her home church. Feel free to check out her Facebook page and be sure to "like" it while you're there to receive her updates. In fact, if you feel inclined to join in her "flight", you can go here and donate.

God has amazed us with His ability to add string to the kite, even while it is flying. I've never had to do that before, but I am so glad He has. Now I can't wait to see how much string He has added. Have I mentioned that I love flying kites?

An open letter to BSA Chief Executive. Please share.

Good morning Mr. Brock,

I have just finished reading several pieces of information regarding the conflict that now exists in the leadership ranks of BSA. I am writing to implore you, as well as the full leadership body of BSA to stand strong and resolute upon the moral conviction of this great institution. As a husband, father of a 12 year old contemplating membership, pastor of 60+ families, Life scout from troop 155 of the Parkway District of the Baltimore Area Council, and member of The Order of the Arrow, I am pleading for the consideration of all that should be held masculine and moral in our society. Without a doubt, the BSA had the greatest influence in my life and my Scout Master, Harry Mackey, remains one of the most influential men in my life, even after losing contact some 25 years ago. I am sure that this statement would be repeated across this country and even around the world. You are on the precipice of forever changing the healthy and proper view of the God of this universe, as boys will recite, “On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country…” Is this acceptation of homosexuality really our best as we consider our duty to God? Is it really the best for our country to further emasculate the male gender from which our country has always drawn strength and leadership? And as I recall the words, especially the last, of the Scout Law, how reverent is it to look a Holy and Just God in the face with full knowledge of the Holy Bible and its words, and contradict what He has said is unnatural, Romans 1:24-27?

Mr. Brock, I urge you to look at the mountain of evidence and listen to the encouragement to remain stalwart to the heritage of scouting. We, the people, do not want this type of change. America is still overwhelmingly in support of your organization remaining “straight”. In closing, I am no prophet, nor the son of one, but I can assure you of this. Even though there is a large amount of support from VFW’s and other civic organizations, one of your largest proponents is the church, with BSA recognizing this with more than 75 emblems representing at least 35 religious groups. There will most certainly be a backlash. To change your stand now would change the complexion of Boy Scouts immediately, but worse yet, it will be the ultimate demise of BSA as churches across this country and around the world turn to alternate groups. These groups are already on the rise and they provide scouting-like experiences without the infringement of societal deviations. I am sure you are aware of several of these but I thought I might give a few examples: Royal Rangers, Royal Ambassadors, Pathfinders, Christian Service Brigade, Awana Club, Pioneer Club, ConQuest, Kids 4 Truth, and Master Club, among others. In fact, my church is already on the path to taking youngsters camping in our Master Club program where they will learn and earn badges for cooking, camping, first aid, etc. I am excited to be chaperoning that trip myself. This migration from BSA to other groups will only lessen the influence and promotion of BSA until you sadly fade away or even worse, become the antithesis of who you were thirty-two years ago, as I entered the Calvary Lutheran Church as an eleven year old boy, anxious to learn how to be a man.

Joyfully Serving,

Pastor Rick Wilson

Franklin Baptist Church

2106 Franklin Church Road

Darlington, MD 21034

To know Christ and to make Him known.

Down with excuses

As I started my devotional reading today, I was challenged by the scripture in Exodus 4:1-7.

And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee. And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod. And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it. And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand: That they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee. And the LORD said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow. And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh.

We can give a great many excuses for neglecting our personal witness of Christ in our life, but right here there are three excuse busters. First, we have the call of God on lives. It doesn't matter what people say. It only matters what God has said. Second, he has put something in our hand, as the rod was in Moses'...a Bible. God has equipped us with all that we need to stand and proclaim Him. And third, just as Moses experienced, we have experienced a change in our life that only God could effect. For Moses, it was the healing of leprosy. For you and I, God has provided for the healing of our spiritual leprosy, sin. What else could we ever need? We have the call of God in our life, the word of God in our hand, and the gift of God upon our soul. We have no excuse.
We can give a great many excuses for neglecting our personal witness of Christ in our life, but right here there are three excuse busters. First, we have the call of God on lives. It doesn't matter what people say. It only matters what God has said. Second, he has put something in our hand, as the rod was in Moses'...a Bible. God has equipped us with all that we need to stand and proclaim Him. And third, just as Moses experienced, we have experienced a change in our life that only God could effect. For Moses, it was the healing of leprosy. For you and I, God has provided for the healing of our spiritual leprosy, sin. What else could we ever need? We have the call of God in our life, the word of God in our hand, and the gift of God upon our soul. We have no excuse.


What is keeping you from sharing your faith in Christ with another? In 2 Peter 1:3 we read, "According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:" We have been given everything that we need. I have heard several "misquotings" of the what we know as the Great Commission. Some have said it is the Great Omission and others have referenced it as the Great Suggestion. Both of these should be a prick in our soul. Has personal evangelism been omitted from your life. Do you see the command of Christ as just a good idea, but not necessarily for you? Let's stop making excuses and live from the Perspective of this great verse.

Matthew 28:19, 20  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.

A New Year's Perspective

Happy New Year! Well, it's really not so new, but considering how long it has been since I have blogged, this is new. This year is our fifth year emphasizing a certain theme or focus for the calendar year at Franklin Baptist Church. With the help of my friend, Josh Berg, it is not just my favorite annual thought, but it is also my favorite annual visual. As I have meditated much upon this theme, I have realized a new perspective at work in my heart. That is, am I considering or acknowledging Christ in every aspect of my life? Does His word trump every notion, tradition, and influence in my life?

Today's chronological Bible reading schedule stop had me reading Genesis 12-15, and in the first couple verses of reading I could not help but stop and address a real issue in my life. We are all very familiar with the man Abraham. Many of us even know that he was called "the friend of God". God had many promises the He desired to fulfill in Abraham's life but it all started in Genesis 12:1, "Now the Lord said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee..." and God follows with the first promise of blessing in Abraham's life.

The word for the day is distraction. God knew that for Abraham to be free to obey Him, he needed to be free from distractions. These were God's very first recorded words to Abraham. That is significant. We long for the best God has in store for us. We say that we desire His will for our life. God may not expect you to move away from your home and family but I can assure you that there are some things that He would like to see you distance yourself from. Now, to put that back into context, what am I (or are you) allowing to take the priority in life away from the Lord Jesus Christ? I am painfully easy to distract. A standing "dig" that I hear regularly is "Look, something shiny!" I am finding that I must be intentional about placing Christ upon the throne of my life daily. Without the very distinct realization of distractions in front of me, I would allow tasks, other people, and amusement to usurp the throne of my heart, and anything or anyone other than Christ in that place would surely be a hindrance to God's plan for me. And without starting another whole post, I will say that that is exactly what the enemy wants. I don't have to list the distractions. You know them and more importantly, you know your's. Forsake it today. As you bow before that throne today, make sure it is Christ that wears the crown.