What Should A Church Expect From It's Members?

The tag line from the old American Express commercials said, “Membership has it’s privileges.”  This is also true for church members.  However, it is also true that “Membership has it’s responsibilities”.  I am sharing this article today, from “Nine Marks Of A Healthy Church”, by Mark Dever, Pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC.

I would ask each church member, “active” and “inactive”, (my personal opinion is that the term "Inactive Member" is an oxymoron)  to prayerfully read this article and consider our own relationship to the church.

A church should expect that its members will:

1. Attend services regularly. Hebrews 10:25 commands Christians not to forsake assembling together. Attending services regularly is one of the basic commitments of membership and one of the basic ways that a church member can grow in the faith, get to know other Christians, and allow the church leaders to shepherd and watch over his life.
   
   
2. Attend communion particularly. Members should strive to be present when Christ’s death is commemorated and the church’s unity is displayed in communion.
   
   
3. Attend members’ (business) meetings consistently (if the church is congregational). This is when the church makes decisions as a church that affect the whole church.
   
   
4. Pray regularly. If your church has a membership directory, consider encouraging members to use it as a prayer list.
   
   
5. Give regularly. The apostle Paul writes, “One who is taught the word must share all good things with the one who teaches” (Gal. 6:6).
   
   
6. Build relationships with other members. Being a member in a local church is like being a hand or an eye (1 Cor. 12:21). You can’t function without all the other parts of the body. Just as a body func
   
   
   tions when each part does its job and works together with all the other members, a local church is built up into maturity in Christ as the members minister in an intimately interrelated way  (Eph. 4:15-16, 1 Cor. 12:12-26). So a church should expect that its members will build relationships with other members.
   
7. Submit to the church’s leaders. The Scripture says, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you” (Heb. 13:17).
   
   
8. Serve as God gives opportunity. God has given spiritual gifts to every member of the body of Christ so that everyone would use his or her gifts to build up the entire body (1 Cor. 12:7). A church should expect that all of its members will serve the whole church as God enables.

(this material has been adapted from Nine Marks of a Healthy Church by Mark Dever, pages 161-163)

How about you?  What does your church mean to you?  Do you take your church membership seriously?  May God speak to all of our hearts through this article!

Prayer Time

The first Thursday in May is designated as the "National Day of Prayer".

While every day should be a national day of prayer, most of us are sadly lacking in our prayer lives.

While I am less than enthusiastic about "Programmed" prayer events, especially those which are easily hijacked by those who have more of a political agenda than spiritual, I do believe that God's people need to band together in prayer. And certainly in these days of increased Christian persecution around the world.  Our nation needs the Salt and Light that only God's people can provide.  Pray for boldness in sharing the Gospel. We will not change the world through the ballot box or by who is in the White House.  We will change the world by sharing the Good News of Christ faithfully and by enthroning Him in Our House!

Here in the West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio Tri-State area, there are a number of National Day of Prayer observances, going on at court houses, city buildings, and other public places. Many are listed on line and in the local papers. Folks who would like to attend those have may options.

At Westmoreland Baptist Church we will be ringing our church bell at noon, in concert with many other churches around the nation, to call our people to prayer.  We do not have a formal program set up, but we will be having a prayer and scripture reading time beginning at 11:45 AM.  The informal time of prayer will be led by deacons Thamer Calhoun and Al Dienes.  All are welcome to attend.  The doors will open at 11:30.

In the mean time, don't let tomorrow be the only day you seriously pray for our nation.  Every day let us pray for our leaders, as the scriptures instruct us to do.

New Ministry In An Old Location

I had driven by it several times. The weathered sign out front says "Valence Street Baptist Church".

It is located in the picturesque Uptown neighborhood of New Orleans.  Located on the corner of busy Magazine Street (with its many eclectic businesses)  and quiet, residential Valence Street.

It had stood in that location since an unknown date (at least unknown to me) in the second half of the 19th century.  It had been designed and built by the noted southern architect, Thomas Sully, who had also designed and constructed many landmark buildings across the south, including the (3rd Street) St. Charles Hotel in New Orleans, the Vicksburg Hotel (in Vicksburg, MS) the Charity Hospital (formerly known as Confederate Veterans Hospital) in Shreveport, and the Caffery Sugar Mill in St. Mary's Parish.

I understand that Valence Street Church  is the second oldest Baptist Church building standing in the Crescent City today.  Although beautifully crafted, inside and out, and full of rich history, it had come very close to closing it's doors forever.  The congregation, which had dwindled to less than a dozen elderly people, could no longer afford to pay the bills and take care of needed maintenance issues, had some tough decisions to make. Faced with  bringing nearly a century and a half of ministry to an ignominious close, they were nearly without hope.

An existing church planter in the New Orleans area had approached the congregation, wishing to take over the building and add it as part of their existing multi campus ministry, but for one reason or another the aged pastor and the small congregation just didn't feel led to move in that direction.

That is when they contacted Jack Hunter, the Missions Director of the Baptist Association of New Orleans. Jack met with the congregation, and they expressed the desire to "sign the property over" to NOBA, if they could feel assured that the Association Administrative Team would make every effort to "replant" and seek to revitalize the dormant ministry in that well known business and residential neighborhood.  Jack discussed possibilities, surveyed the existing facilities, brought in expert contractors for estimates of necessary repairs and updates of HVAC and other systems. (Presently there is no working air conditioning in the building - and that is a MUST in New Orleans, in any season other than winter).  There is also no existing off street parking for the church as it is somewhat land locked in one of New Orleans most well known and vibrant neighborhoods.

Satisfied with Jack's proposals, the title was transferred to NOBA, and the process began to find God's man for such a time as this and for this particular set of challenges and opportunities.

I have long had the opinion that healthy churches (not associations and conventions) plant other churches. This, however, is a bit of a different situation.  I'm sure that the leadership of NOBA is not interested in simply owning church or other ministry properties, but they are looking to be used of God to serve as good stewards of existing properties, helping to locate just the right people to connect and bring new life back to a place where hope has been fading. I thank God that NOBA leaders are looking to do just that.  In the last year they took an existing property that the North American Mission Board had vacated, and thought outside the box enough to use that property as a new ministry, bringing needed doctors and a health clinic to a depressed neighborhood in the city, where they were gravely needed.

My son, Jay Adkins, who serves as pastor of First Baptist Church of Westwego in suburban New Orleans, is also presently serving as the moderator of NOBA, and I have been quite impressed with what he has shared with me regarding the work of NOBA under the capable leadership of Jack Hunter, and the Christ centered progressive thinking of the Administrative Team and many other NOBA pastors.

Last Friday, as Jay was driving me to the Louis Armstrong International Airport for my flight home, he needed to stop by the Valence Street Church property for a quick meeting.  A young couple from out of state were in town to explore the possibilities of becoming the missionaries who would seek to lead in the "restarting" of the old church.  We met the young couple there, along with Jack, and Dr. David Crosby, pastor of First Baptist Church of New Orleans for a quick walk through of the property. The missionary couple had been in town for a couple of days and had already met with much of the NOBA leadership team, now they were actually looking at the church property itself.

As I said earlier, I was just along for the ride, but I thank God for the opportunity I had to be there.  It was good to see the cooperation and leadership of the NOBA organization, as they sought to work for the Lord in bringing new life to a tremendous place of opportunity for ministry.  I was inspired by the young man and his wife, who were seeking the leadership of God and His direction for their lives.  I thrilled at hearing their testimony, and witnessing their willingness to be available for whatever God has in store for them.  While the interested parties took a tour of the facilities, discussing possibilities and the obvious challenges that may lie ahead, I took my own little walkabout, snapping images of the inside and outside of the old building.

My mind raced with thoughts of the history of the ministry that had been headquartered on that corner of one of America's great cities - which is also one of America's great mission fields.  Generations come and go. Ministries rise and fall. Churches are born, and sometimes churches die.  But our God is eternal.  His mercy is everlasting, and His Grace is endless.  Tears welled up in my eyes as I thought of a former grand old church coming very close to closing its doors forever, and yet God had put the vision in the heart of its aging pastor and dwindling congregation to "let go, and let God" open a new chapter of ministry and evangelism there.

I share these thoughts today to ask you, our friends, to join us in prayer for this particular revitalization project, and the many other, once vital churches, across our land, who are beginning to face similar situations at those faced by the folks at Valence
Street.  Pray for this young couple - or whomever else God may choose to send there.  Pray for the congregation to whom they will minister, and for the thousands of lost people Uptown, and all over the rest of New Orleans who desperately need to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Lessons Learned Through Missions

Over the past 15 years, it has been my privilege to be involved in several short term mission projects which have included Disaster Relief projects in New York City after 911, in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, and post flood and windstorm projects in Kentucky and West Virginia.  I have also been blessed to be involved in projects with church planters in Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, and Toronto on short term mission projects. Each of these projects has been a growing spiritual experience for those of us who have been involved.

However, the most dramatic and life changing personal mission work I have ever been part of are the 12 short term mission trips I have been blessed to make to the Republic of the Philippines.  Several members of our church, (Darrell Clark, Thamer Calhoun, Rick Gunnell, and Randy, Debbie, & Joey Spurgeon) have also made one or more trips there as part of our Beacon Ministries Teams.  Each of us have gained much from the experience.  Joey even gained a wife!

Many of you have partnered with us financially to help bring the Word of God, and many material resources to faithful Filipino Baptist Church planters, primarily in the Province of Negros Oriental in the Central Visayan area of that Island nation.  While there, we have worked with our Filipino hosts in both urban and very rural settings – in college towns and incredibly poor third world type villages.  We have ministered in Colleges and Public Schools, hospitals, jails, private homes, and churches that range from simple concrete buildings, to “tent churches” and Nippa huts with thatched roofs and dirt floors.

Through the efforts of going and giving from our friends here, we have been part of constructing five church buildings there, improvement projects on those and other buildings.  Furnishing churches with several hundred chairs and other needed items, including audio visual equipment, numerous keyboards, guitars, tape DVD and CD players, and other musical and electronic equipment, hymnals, printed Bible Studies and other print material.  We have been able to conduct two, 2 day Pastor and Church Leader Seminars, helping to better equip more than 120 individuals for various types of ministry.  Over the years we have purchased nearly one and a half tons of premium rice for the churches and their feeding ministries, and above all else we have been blessed to provide them with, and to help distribute more than 3,000 copies of the Word of God, in both English and Cebuano language versions.

There are many ways in which we have been a blessing to those precious pastors, their families, and young congregations.  But they have also been a tremendous blessing to us.  I have learned many lessons from these humble servants of the Lord.  Some are new lessons, others are simply reminders of what we already know.  Some of them include:

• Little is much when God is in it.
• There are Believers in this world who are willing to come together at 4:00 AM for an hour of worship, Bible Study, Prayer and Fellowship before their work and school days begin.
• Faithfulness to God is a quality that does not depend on material blessings
• We should not try to force OUR (extra-biblical) cultural traditions upon believers in other cultures.
• We should learn to do whatever necessary to reach our own culture, even if it involves thinking “outside the box”
• True worship involves, Celebration, Adoration, Contemplation, and Consecration
• The “obstacles” we face here in our ministry are not nearly as tough as those faced by Christians in many other parts of the world
• We have not yet begun to face real persecution – but it IS coming
• Devotion to our God deserves our very best
• We are often far too “comfortable” in our service to the Lord
• Full dependence upon Him, is a freeing experience
• “Marketplace Evangelism” is a Biblical model that still works
• We generally under-utilize our buildings and the other resources with which we have been blessed.
• Every Christian is a herald of Good News
• The joy of the Lord is your strength
• Church planting, is not dependent upon an outside funding agency
• Every community is a potential place of outreach, evangelism, and discipleship activity
• Even if times are hard, and resources are not plentiful, keep on keeping on.
• Lost people are all around us.  Don’t overlook any.

Jesus is coming soon.  The nets are not yet full.  Let’s get busy.

He's A Constant Reminder To Be "Latcherated"

The handsome young man pictured here is Canon Josiah Adkins.  (yep another C.J. Adkins).  Canon discovered America ten years ago today, at Oschner Medical Center in New Orleans.  On that day he was revealed to the world as the second son of Jay and Michelle Adkins, and the third grandson for Linda and I.

Every grandfather who is worth his salt loves his grandchildren and any reader of my blog or follower of my on Facebook or Instagram accounts has probably gathered that I have that characteristic, myself. I adore each of our five grandsons.  Each one so unique and special to me in different ways. Canon has a sweet loving spirit, and is tremendously gifted in musical ability and visual artistic talent. But that, alone is not what makes him so special to me.

Canon holds a special place in my life, and his birthday is always an occasion for celebration, introspection, and thanksgiving for me.  Not just because he was born just after the Thanksgiving holiday, but because of our family's  circumstances accompanying his birth.  Canon and his birthday are an important "marker" for me.

A decade ago, when Canon's birth was imminent ,Linda had flown to New Orleans to be there for the joyous occasion and to help out while Michelle was recovering from the C Section.  Little did Linda realize on that happy Monday, that just two days later, instead of caring for Jay and Michelle's family in the little parsonage on Avenue B in Westwego as planned,  she would be sitting with me in Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital here in Ashland, learning that I had a huge mass in my colon that was malignant.

A week later, my gifted Christian surgeon, Dr. Staten,  removed a three foot section of my intestines, a number of lymph nodes and took samples of my liver for biopsies.  The results of the biopsies and an accompanying MRI were staggering.  My malignancy was extremely aggressive and had metastasized from my colon to the lymph nodes and had invaded my liver with numerous tumors of various sizes. Dr. Staten told us that the malignancy had spread "all through my liver as though someone had sown grass seed".

The diagnosis was sobering.  "Stage Four.  Incurable.  Hopefully manageable for a while with aggressive chemotherapy. Average survival time, 18-22 months."

My friends know the rest of the story, and I will not take the time or space here to go into it again, but I mention it here today to give my Gracious God thanks for the wonderful medical care I received and for his His healing touch on my life.

The story doesn't end there, though.  About the time (according to the average statistics) that I was "supposed to die", at the age of two, Canon experienced an inexplicable fracture of one of the bones in his little leg.  Tests revealed the existence of a non malignant tumor in the bone. At that young age, this little guy had to endure a surgery to remove the tumor and get used to life in a cast and a wheel chair or pint sized walker.  Over the next four years Canon suffered a couple of other fractures to the bone and had a total of four more surgeries on the leg along with several bone grafts.

The little guy had a number of casts, special boots, used a little wheel chair and child sized walker off and on for four of the first six years of his life.  Finally, the doctor at New Orleans Children's Hospital pronounced that Canon's leg was sound.  The final bone graft had "taken" and that Canon could take part in any of  the physical activities that any 6 year old boy might want to do. His tumor has never returned.

One of my favorite stories about Canon involved when he was in the midst of his four year ordeal.  He had been working on some type of art work with crayons on a piece of paper in the family's living room.  With the paper in his hand, he limped into the kitchen where Michelle was working on dinner and called for her attention.

She stopped what she was doing and cast a look his way,  He pretended to be reading from the paper and said, "Our Agent Code is 'Latcherated'!"
""Latcherated?" Michelle said.  "What does that mean?"
 Canon, with a serious look on his face tacitly announced, "Never give up!"
With that, he turned and limped out of the kitchen to go back to his activities.

Over these past 10 years, Canon and I have both learned the importance of being "Latcherated".

I am still under the care of Oncologist Dr. Kirti Jain at the Ashland Bellefonte Cancer Center. I have my medi port flushed and lab work eone every three months.  I have scans done now once or twice a year (as opposed to quarterly like we use to do). I see Dr. Jain or his assistant three times a year.  He still resists giving me the status of "Cancer Free", but I remind him on each visit that one day I will, indeed, be cancer free. Only 15% of people with my type of cancer survive for five years, and yet, 10 years later, by God's grace I am still here, working every day, and enjoying watching my (now) FIVE grandsons grow into wonderful young men.

Whenever I see Canon's smiling face, and note how much he has grown, I am reminded of how much God has blessed me with 8 "bonus years" beyond my prognosis.  The tears of joy flow freely, and I thank Him for His blessings to me.

Lord willing, on Monday evening, I'll be taking Canon and his family out to "The Joint" for a belated birthday Barbecue dinner for "my little marker" and will share a special evening with the one who has helped teach me the joy of being  "Latcherated" .

Happy birthday little buddy.  See you Monday!

Are You A Good Soldier?

Next week we celebrate Veteran's Day here in the United States of America. It is a day set aside to honor our men and women who have served in the armed forces of our nation. Originally known as Armistice Day, the holiday was created to remember the Armistice agreement signed between Kaiser Wilhelm's German Army commanders and the leaders of the Allied Forces, which brought an end to World War I. The truce was signed 90 years ago this week on November 11, 1918, on the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month".

In 1954, President Eisenhower signed the proclamation which changed the name of the holiday to Veteran's Day, honoring veterans of all wars - not just World War I.

At this time of year when we recognize and honor those who have served our country in military service, we can also draw parallels between the qualities of a member of the military who serves honorably, and those of us who are "soldiers of the cross". 

In 2 Timothy 2: 3-4  the Apostle Paul writes to the young pastor Timothy. Paul writes, "You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier".

When one thinks about the qualities that make a good soldier - we should apply them to our lifestyle as a disciplined follower of Jesus Christ.

A Good Soldier is a Follower! This implies a relationship. Paul refers to us as being enlisted as soldiers for Jesus Christ. It also implies an soldier's understanding of rank. Each of us have our own place in formation. We understand our tasks. There are some who are under our responsibility and there are those who are over us. This also impliesrule. We understand that in the service, we are called to follow orders. Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15).

A Good Soldier is Faithful. He must exhibit patience. Paul reminds us that we "must endure hardship as a good soldier. That patience comes from understanding ourpriorities. Our first priority is to "please the one who enlisted us". The soldier must thenpractice these principles of honor.

A Good Soldier is Familiar. He is familiar with the sound of the commander's voice. He knows those who outrank him and he follows their orders implicitly. He is also isfamiliar with the use of his weapon. Today's military has many sophisticated weapon systems but in the first century weapons of warfare were pretty basic. So is the equipment for the Christian Soldier. The Bible indicates our weaponry in the spiritual warfare in which we are enlisted. The whole armor of God starts with being gird about with Truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the Gospel footwear, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. (Ephesians 6: 10-18). The Christian Soldier is also familiar with the strategy of the enemy and the strength of his comrades. We must be aware of the enemy and his strategy (2 Cor. 11:14 and 1 Peter 5:8-9). Like the military soldier, the Christian Soldier should be linked closely with his comrades in arms. We work as a unit, and in the heat of battle, no one should ever be left behind.

The Good Soldier is a Fighter. Our first General Order was, "I am an American fighting man. I am prepared to give my life for my country". A good soldier is determined to win the battle. He is driven by his devotion to his country and his commitment to following the orders of his superior officers. He is dedicated to the cause. Are we truly determined, dedicated, and driven in our service to our Lord? He deserves no less!

The Good Soldier is a Finisher. When my father joined the Navy in World War II, his agreed term of service was "for the duration, plus six months". He knew he would not be putting down his arms until the conflict was over. The good soldier has the resolve to finish the work. He has reason to do so. The primary reason is because it is his duty, but another great reason for finishing well is his reward. This is the reward of a job well done. Often medals and ribbons are given the military man for his service and valor. There is a special reward that the Christian Soldier can expect at the end of the war. Paul puts it this way in 2 Timothy 4: 7-8, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge shall give me on that day, and not to me only, but to all those who love His appearing."

Have you enlisted? Are you a Good Soldier for the Lord? The pay may not put you in the top tax bracket, but the retirement plan and benefits are "out of this world"!

I'll be preaching this Sunday morning at Wesmoreland Baptist Church in Huntington, about the "Qualities Of A Good Soldier"..  I'll use these two verses, as well as verses 8-13 to go more in depth to this subject.  If you don't have a home church, let me invite you to worship with us.  We're located at 3401 Hughes Street in Huntington, WV.  

Exercise Your Franchise

Today, all across America, we citizens have the privilege that would make us the envy of millions of people around the globe.  We have the constitutionally protected right to go to the polling place and cast our ballot in free elections, devoid of government oppression or undue influence.

This morning I voted in the Elmwood-Hilltop precinct at the spot in the Charles Russell Elementrary School gymnasium, where I have voted in every election since we moved to Ashland, KY in April, 1980.

No one in power told me who I had to vote for, and unlike in  many totalitarian regimes, I had a choice. With the exception of two or three local offices there were two candidates from which to choose.  In most every case there was even opportunity to write in a candidate's name, if I was dissatisfied with the candidates presented on the ballot.  In my voting lifetime, I have been a registered Democrat, and I have been a registered Republican.  10 years ago, I decided that while I hold very strong political views, that I would not be officially tied to any political party, and I changed my registration to Independent.

I have always made it a practice to vote across party lines, with one exception.  One time (and one time only) I voted a straight party ticket.  There were reasons for how I cast my vote in that election, but as I said, that was only once, and it happened many years ago.

My voting decisions, in the privacy of the voting booth are not based on political or religious affiliations. They are not based on endorsements of a union, or church leader, or business group or PAC. They are not based on personality, charisma, or attractiveness of a candidate.  They are most certainly not made based on the shameful negative attack ads that flood the airwaves and my mailbox insulting my intelligence as an informed voter. My choices are based on a thoughtful and prayerfully considered conclusion based on my biblical world view, and a study of the issues and the candidates stated beliefs and track record.  As an American citizen I consider the economy.  I consider domestic issues.  I consider foreign policy.  I consider local issues, and basic human rights. Again, all as an outgrowth in in concert with my personal faith in Christ, who has called us believers to be salt and light in this world.

I hold dual citizenship.  Temporarily here in the greatest country on Earth and permanently in the Kingdom of God.  They are not the same thing, and they are not mutually exclusive, and I cherish them both.

I do not take my vote lightly, nor the privilege of having this opportunity.  Our founders ordained it.  There had to be course corrections along the way to grant equality among citizens to guarantee the right to vote to all Americans.  It's something that needs eternal vigilance to correct.inequities in voting rights whenever the need arises.

Why?  Because our Constitution grants it.  Because men and women have laid down their lives to purchase those rights, and to preserve them.

I wasn't happy this morning with every choice I had, but I was happy to HAVE a choice and the opportunity to be one guy blessed to have the right to cast my ballot.

If you are registered, I hope you have or will vote today.  If you are not registered, PLEASE, by all means, get to the court house tomorrow as soon as the books open again, and register to vote.

It's a privilege that millions would give their lives to have.

Take a moment to thank God you live in the greatest nation on Earth.  It's the best.  But it can be better.  Exercise your franchise.  Vote!.

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