Camp Meeting...Old School

Yes it has been a week since my last post. Please accept my apologies. I do appreciate your interest and I hope I did not discourage anyone from checking back regularly. This past week was Camp Meeting at the Eastern Pennsylvania Baptist Fellowship campgrounds. It was a week of great preaching, singing, eating, and fellowshipping in a setting that is a bit of a throw-back to days gone by, including the main preacher for the week, Dr. Tolbert Moore, Pastor Emeritus of the Galilean Baptist Church of Lawrenceville, Georgia.  This is no disparaging comment made to disrespect the age of this esteemed man of God, but at 83 years old, he certainly is a different breed of preacher than that we are accustomed to in this day. And I am thankful for it. Our day lacks the spiritual and scriptural insight of anointed preachers who would not withhold the truth of God's word in an effort to build a name for them self and/or a following for their ministry. We have traded the no-nonsense exposition of the Bible with its practical application, for a warm, buttery, watered-down sample of self-help advise tainted with half of a Bible verse to add a religious spin. We have lost the desire for real improvement in our life, satisfied to feel good about us as we dress up, carry our Bible, and go off to church for Sunday morning service. Dr. Moore's kind of preaching is not only appropriate in this setting, reminding us of the days of Billy Sunday as he would challenge people to "hit the sawdust trail", but necessary in every setting where people are gathered to hear the word of God preached. It is certainly especially enjoyable under the old time tabernacle, but it truly belongs in our pulpits. I am challenged in my spirit to strive to keep the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ as the central theme of my preaching, to keep the main thing the main thing, knowing that is where these great men of God received their power and influence. Romans 1:16 tells us that the gospel is the "power of God, unto salvation".

I am not paying lip service to a man or men. I am confessing the truth of the adage, "There's no school like the old school."  Sadly, these men are fewer and fewer. Born and raised in a day where life was simple and character mattered, they are fading from view regularly. There just aren't many left and I want to glean all that I can from those that remain because what they have to offer is not just valuable, it's priceless. So I thank God for, not just the blessings of His presence in our meetings this past week, and it was sweet, but also for the presence of the man of God, Dr. Tolbert Moore, with nearly 70 years of ministry behind him; years of study, prayer, service, and a lot of funny stories. When I grow up, I would be glad to be just like him. But that's just my Perspective.

Family Devotion

This morning I have a couple firsts. The first first you may pick up on quickly because the blog itself may look different. I am writing this on my phone through the Blogger app and having never used it before, I am not sure how it will turn out. For that reason, I will probably be brief. And please overlook any typos and autospell mistakes. I will come back later and fix any mistakes I missed.
The second first of the day was just wrapped up and I wanted to report it to you. The Wilson family has always had a devotion time. When the kids were younger, Bible reading and prayer as a family was more frequent but as they have grown we have stressed personal Bible reading and devotion. I am always looking for new and exciting ways to incorporate the Bible into our family living and that tends to be challenging as my family gets older. Maybe this new way of "devoting" together will encourage you and your family. Last week I asked Jen to pick up five small spiral bound notebooks. These are 5.5 x 4.25 with 200 sheets. I passed out the notebooks to each family member, along with a pen in the spiral. At the beginning of the week I suggested a scripture reference that we all wrote on the front of a page. For the last week we have been memorizing the verse if we didn't already know it and each of us were to write our personal impressions or thoughts about the verse in our notebooks. This morning we all came together after breakfast and shared what tidbits we wrote in our notebooks. This spurred a great conversation among all of us and allowed each to express their own understanding or what the verse said to them. I am totally excited over the content and participation in this new devotion method. Everyone had personal insights to share and we all gained a greater understanding of the verse because of it. The verse was Romans 3:23 which was a familiar verse to start with and here are some of the thoughts that were shared from my family.
- All of society's religions or rituals are an attempt to approach God or hit the mark of righteousness, and every one of us miss. We fall short.
- Not only do we all sin, but we all fall short in our effort.
- It is not just a matter of "messing up". We are all sinners, truly sinful. Let's not minimize that.
- No one is perfect. We all need healing.
- Although we are all unique creations of God, we are bound by the commonality of our sinfulness.
What a blessing to hear these truths come from the hearts, minds, and mouths of my family. By the way, the back side of each page is for recording the thoughts from every one else. We picked a new scripture for memorization and study this week and I am really looking forward to building on this new special time of family devotion. I encourage you to bring the Bible, its reading and teaching into your family. It certainly does not have to be this way, but I am sure that if you can incorporate the Bible into your family life, there is a much greater chance that your children will incorporate it into their personal life, at least, that's my Perspective.
Now I am heading into the pool with my family. Stay safe and cool today and be sure to check on someone you know could be in danger today because of the extreme weather.

Happy Independence Day

 

 "The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more."- John Adams to his wife, Abigail, referencing Independence Day, the day it was approved in Congress.

It is truly a day worth celebrating and I love to celebrate. My wife has made me quite the family tradition lover and there are several things that I relish about this day. I believe it is important to say that we should not lose this day in festivities. This last Memorial Day there were several pictures and posts on social media sites that reminded us that Memorial Day is not just another day to have a cook-out, and I would remind you of that same message for this great day. You have heard it said "Freedom is not free" and therefore can not be taken for granted. Aside from the opportunity that this day affords us to get together with dear friends and share a meal, there are a couple other things that always come to mind and I thought that I would share them. I could not go through this day without rehearsing in my mind The Star Spangled Banner. In my home, I have heard it several times today and it still gives me goose bumps. Another of my holiday favorites is certainly common to a lot of people, and that is the viewing of fireworks. Every year I try to get out to a couple displays, but it never seems to work out. By far, the best show I have seen personally is the "Illuminations" show at Disney's Epcot. One of the best televised/videoed displays, although not in America, would be New Year's in London, 2012.

My church has heard me say several times that a great patriot is a great christian and a great christian is a great patriot. Of course, that is not to say that national pride earns you a ticket to heaven, but to consider the heritage of this great nation and truly appreciate it must bring one to an appreciation of the one true Giver of Liberty. Despite revisionist history, I still believe in the Christian, not religious, not Judeo-Christian, but Christian foundation upon which this country was founded and built. If you struggle with this truth or wish to gain a deeper understanding of this truth, I highly recommend David Barton's website, Wall Builders.

And so on this great day of celebration, I encourage all Americans to stand up for liberty and against all who would threaten or take from us this liberty, but so much the more, I want to encourage God's people today, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free". As a Christian and an American, that has to be my Perspective.

False starts, forgets, and failures

Everybody likes a fresh start. I think of how many sheets of paper I have wasted because I didn't want to jot down a simple piece of information on a used sheet of paper. I have stacks of used yellow legal pads and if you were to peruse the pages of these pads, you would find that most of the pages have writing only on the top 4-6 lines. I am convinced it is that way in life. I play golf, not to be mistaken for, "I am a golfer", and so I am way too familiar with the mulligan, not the stew. We are all big fans of the ever popular "second chance" and I have even been know to invoke the power of the "do-over".

Question, what do the New Year's resolution, a life coach, and religious experience have in common? (Think Jeopardy tune here) Answer, the smaller they are in the rear view mirror, the less impact they have in your life. Nearly all of us, at one time or another, have made an attempt at using one of these methods, or others, of turning over a new leaf, changing something we do not like about our self. And as I said, as we move forward from that time, place, and/or person we lose something. Maybe we change our mind and what we thought was important fades or it was never important enough for us to really commit to. Perhaps it was something that you really wanted to succeed in but you just couldn't get it right and you gave up. As I drove to my office this morning, listening to the radio, I heard these words, "I am redeemed, you set me free" and I began to ponder the permanent nature of the change that Christ made in my life. Granted, there are still a ton of things about me that I do not like and certainly wish to change, but He set me free. Free from what? Good question. Well, Jesus Christ has freed me from the law of sin and death. I don't have to sin and I don't have to die eternally. Of course we know it is appointed unto man once to die, but I know that I have everlasting life because of the only begotten Son of God, John 3:16. That means that He has freed me from the guilt of all that I have messed up in my life, places where I broke the law of God, James 2:10. We celebrate freedom in this country everyday, but on July 4, we really go all out. I can go "all out" everyday as I celebrate my freedom in Christ, because nothing and no one can change that status. It is permanent. No other freedom is.

Think about the permanence in these thoughts.

• John 8:36, If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
• Lamentations 3:22, 23, It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness.
• Psalm 73:26 ...God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever.

So stop trying the best ideas on the internet or the latest self improvement plan. Let me encourage you, come to Jesus. That would be no temporary fix or limited time offer. And if you are concerned about the catch because you think you may be prone to false starts, forgets, and failures, yes there is fine print at the bottom of this offer. So if you are skeptical, just scroll down and read the fine print. This isn't about a religious experience. This is about a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. In all the years that I have been a believer, I have had those false starts, forgets, and failures, but because He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother, Proverbs 18:24, He is never in my rear view mirror. He is always right beside me and that's a great perspective.

I John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Boys to Men

I have mentioned how I love to be a daddy. That is only half of the truth. I also love to be a dad. Now that may sound redundant to you, but hear me out, or rather, read me out. See, I am only daddy to two people. You're onto me now, aren't you? Have you figured out that my son does not call me daddy? He calls me dad and I am totally cool with that. Truthfully, I can't remember the last time he did call me daddy. Perhaps it was around the time I realized that I am not raising children, I am raising people. I am not raising a baby boy, or a little boy. I am raising a man. My friend, if you haven't had the privilege of parenting at least one boy and one girl, let me tell you, it is different. Even though books are still being published about the lack of difference, the real life that I live has made that assertion laughable.

I am in the middle of a book, again. I am not a huge reader so I am always "in the middle" of a book. As last time, this is not a book review, nor it is an endorsement of all that the book teaches, but it has shown itself to be insightful and I think with some doctrinal discretion, you could really learn from it. Alright already, the book is Wild at Heart by John Eldredge and it is aptly titled. Through scripture, psychology, and experience, the author rebuilds the machine that once was man, a real man. I'm talking about the kind of man that we used to look up to 30, 40, 50 years ago. There is certainly a ton of stuff that could be said right here about the current state of masculinity in our society, or better stated, the lack of masculinity, but that is for another time. I am more interested in sharing how I have seen my son respond to life as we go and grow together.
                                                                                 

I have watched Ricky drive a car in Disney (here). I have watched him swell with excitement as his Uncle Steve asked, "You wanna fly it?" through a headset and handed over the controls to his airplane, a Piper Cherokee 6, a couple years ago over the hills of North Carolina. This is same uncle that Ricky loves for his practically brand new Corvette. His love for mechanical things and movement, proven by research to develop sooner and stronger in boys than girls, has driven him, no pun intended, into my stored away collection of Automobile magazines that aren't even current. I picked up the subscription from the inaugural issue in like 1986, and collected each monthly issue for the next five years. And this drive shows no sign of slowing. Right now, in fact, literally right now he is probably immersed in the latest library borrow, Need for Speed for the Wii and his latest behind the wheel experience was just two days ago on a friend's boat. Again, the question, "You wanna drive it?" In case you were wondering, here is your answer...

I guess what I want to really say here is, let your boys be boys. That's the only way they will grow to be men, real men. Right now, I am stoked at the thought of filling his life with opportunities to grow into Biblical manhood. In case you are wondering, that is the kind of man that knows what it means to be tough but not mean, strong but not pushy, brave but not stupid, sensitive but not soft, and confident but not arrogant. So we like to camp and grill and eat meat (cooked, let's not get crazy here). We enjoy shooting the bow and arrows and the rifles. But the best part, we like to spend time talking, talking about what he is thinking and what he is feeling, and that's a pretty good bit at eleven years old. Of course, where he does his best thinking and talking seems to be in the woods. Oh I love to be called "Daddy" especially when it comes from real close to me with those beautiful eyes looking up at me, but being called "Dad" has become a call back to what I feel God intended for us men, at least, that's my perspective.

Thanks to Uncle Steve for providing this photo from the day Ricky flew the plane. If you think he looks like he is having the time of his life, it's because he was.

The Power of One

Let me start with the background for this thought. In II Kings 17, the king of Assyria, Shalmaneser, removed the people of Israel from the cities of Samaria and replaced them with Babylonians and others of the surrounding lands. Because these new inhabitants did not fear the Lord, the Lord sent lions among them and slew some of the people. In verse 26, the explanation is offered to the king, "The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and behold, they slay them because they know not the manner of the God of the land." The solution was then offered to the king, "Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence...and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land." And there it is...the challenge to be the one. One man was dispatched to Samaria to make a difference in the midst of all of the people living there. 

There is an old English proverb that says, "Better to light one candle than to curse the darkness." When I read that proverb, immediately the portion of scripture from Matthew 5:14, "Ye are the light of the world" came to mind. Whether we choose to believe it or not, one person can make a difference. And before you say, "Sure, but not this person", let me remind you of what Helen Keller said. “I am only one; but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. I will not refuse to do the something I can do.” I know not one person living with the difficulties or impairments of Helen Keller.  I'll put it this way, the inability to do everything should not keep you from doing something. Be that one. The Bible tells us that these new inhabitants feared the Lord after the priest moved in with them and taught them. Get involved. I would say even if it is with just one person, but that minimizes the effect you could have. Intentionally seek to be a difference maker in the life of someone and then move on to someone else and so on. Having had the opportunity to mentor a young man has brought me to a deeper dependence on the Lord. I realized that I really did not have what he needed so I was forced to seek God for help and direction. Through that time I adopted the words I still pray regularly, "Lord, grant me words and wisdom to make a difference."

And there is the beginning of being the one. If you desire to be a "one", someone who effects positive change in the lives of others, you must follow after the One who is the orchestrator of the greatest change ever, a changed heart. The One through whom "old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new." We can pull from that scripture in II Kings that the best that one person can do is teach/exemplify the word/ways of God to people, not lion tame. Deal at the root and that will change the fruit. I will leave you with one last quote. It is a quote that is often mistakenly attributed to D.L. Moody, but it was actually a very intimate friend of his that said,"It remains to be seen what God will do with a man who gives himself up wholly unto Him." To which D.L. Moody replied, "Well I will be that man." There is power in one. Through a right relationship with God through His son, the Lord Jesus Christ, you can be that one. God help us all to say and mean, "Well I will be that one." I hope you feel that way too, otherwise, it's just my perspective.

Oh yeah, now you're talkin'...

This is not intended to be an actual book review but the book, The Five Love Languages, did so much for me and my family that I would certainly recommend the reading of it by, at the very least, every husband and wife. As I sat on a very comfortable new white wicker chair that is part of a patio furniture set Jen purchased with birthday money, on a wood pergola patio that I designed and built myself over the course of two years, drinking a cup of fresh coffee, reading my Bible with my best friend this morning, my mind flipped back to the pages of that book. We have only been using the pergola for these quiet morning moments for a couple of weeks now and we have really come to enjoy the earlier morning hours, the cool of the day, for not just the library-esque atmosphere for reading, but the uninterrupted peace and quiet where we are able to connect at the beginning of what is always a very busy day. There are, as the book surmises, five basic love languages; quality time, receiving of gifts, acts of service, physical touch, and words of affirmation. I will not attempt a synopsis of the book here, so I will cut to the chase and tell you that at the back of the book is a test to score in order to determine your love language. We all took the test, including our kids. It was a blast finding out what we, in a way, already knew. I ended up being "bilingual", with two equal high scores, as did Jen. I don't think I feel comfortable enough to share the results with you so you will just have to guess or skip it. I will say that it has proven indispensable knowing what Jen's are and her knowing mine. Before the book, I did what I thought expressed my affection for her to the max. What I found out was that my expressions of love to her made me feel good, but didn't really float her boat. They were nice things and I am sure that we all enjoy some of each love language being spoken into our life, but man, when I found out exactly what conveyed to Jen how I really feel about her, it changed everything. And that was a two-way street...bonus!

There is a "Buyer Beware" that should be included with the book. I'll put it this way, "With great power comes great responsibility." By the way, Voltaire is credited with saying that first, but I'm a big Spiderman fan and so I will attribute that line to Stan Lee. Anyway, along with the benefit of you and your spouse possessing the knowledge of just what right buttons to push for each other (great power), there is now the great responsibility to do just that. And believe me, you will be held accountable by the other if you neglect that responsibility. But really, what a joy to now know how to speak (or display) my love for Jen in a way that I am sure she is "getting". Why would anyone not want to be able to do that? In my mind, this book should be a best seller just from the men who say "I guess I just don't understand women." So, back to the pergola patio, chair, coffee, and my wife. I could easily point to each aspect of our morning and slide it under one of the love language headings but what I really came to value was the opportunity we have created to truly express ourselves. What am I saying? First, get the book and read it. Take the test and really get to know each other. Then create the environment for you to comfortably apply what you know. Hey, for us it's a pergola patio in the morning, but for you it may be a new movie and carry-out Chinese food. Whatever or where ever it is, make it a priority. Oh yeah, in case you were really paying attention, we sit close enough in the pergola to hold hands or rub a shoulder. That's pretty important to Jen and I, hint, hint. Now, at the beginning of the summer,  I am already looking for a new environment for the winter because it is so worth it, from my Perspective.