Not The Biblical Patriarch...Isaac Cometh:
Grace, peace, and safety unto you all. Batten down the hatches, "Thar be a storm dead ahead!" I still want to view the inevitable hurricane season as I did...pre-Katrina. However, I do know better when I just stop and think about the possibilities. Thus, supplies are ready, fuel topped off, and flashlights at hand. I even have a few refugees from South Louisiana boarding at my house.
As to the Baptist Mission Center, we have taken appropirate precautions and have adopted the following storm hours:
Today (8/28): The BMC will be open for the day. Our Seminary Extension Classes are on schedule at the moment. Instructor, Dr. Jack West, will contact the students by 3:00 pm, if there is a change.
Wednesday (8/29): Office closed
Thursaday (8/30): Office closed
Friday (8/31): Office will be open to the public during the following hours: 9 am to 4 pm.
As always, our urgent contact numbers: 318-446-4478 (Robert), or 318-229-7096.
Blessings,
Robert Daniel
There is a protections from the storms that come...His name is Jesus: Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall (Matthew 7:24-27 NASB).
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Monday, August 6, 2012
Pastor...What Does That Title Mean To You?
Grace and Peace, dear friends,
A few weeks ago, I introduced a man to speak to a group of preachers and other church leaders at an associational meeting. Years ago, my family and I were members of a church in which he was serving as the senior pastor. As I thought about the relationship that was forged between us during that time, I began to think about the rich and varied meaning of the term...pastor. I thought about what it has meant to me to be a pastor, and I thought about various things I've heard from various people trying to put their perceptions into words.
Typically, we seem to informally make a distinction between emphasizing the traits of people in the role of pastor...as in: "He is more a 'pastor' than a 'preacher'." Implying, I suppose, that the "pastor" type places more emphasis and time on ministry visits and relationship building. The "preacher" type places more emphasis on study and working on sermons. Certainly, both traits are vitally important and are biblically emphasized:
And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-12 NASB).
Here are some other expressions that I've seen or heard:
A few weeks ago, I introduced a man to speak to a group of preachers and other church leaders at an associational meeting. Years ago, my family and I were members of a church in which he was serving as the senior pastor. As I thought about the relationship that was forged between us during that time, I began to think about the rich and varied meaning of the term...pastor. I thought about what it has meant to me to be a pastor, and I thought about various things I've heard from various people trying to put their perceptions into words.
Typically, we seem to informally make a distinction between emphasizing the traits of people in the role of pastor...as in: "He is more a 'pastor' than a 'preacher'." Implying, I suppose, that the "pastor" type places more emphasis and time on ministry visits and relationship building. The "preacher" type places more emphasis on study and working on sermons. Certainly, both traits are vitally important and are biblically emphasized:
And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-12 NASB).
Here are some other expressions that I've seen or heard:
A pastor is someone who carefully provides spiritual
nourishment for people.
A pastor is someone who models God’s love to all people, and
calls the church to live lives defined by the life, death, and resurrection of
Jesus Christ.
A pastor of a church is someone called by god and others to
be a part of a community and to minister with them toward god’s mission in the
world.
A pastor has to be everything to everyone all the time. (ha ha)
Regardless of how well we define the role, there is common agreement that the role of pastor is extremely important to the local church.
When I became a pastor, I was 44 years old and embarking into quite different territory than I could have possibly imagined. I still remember an amazing moment that was so "eye opening" that it is burned into my memory. I was just mingling among the church members and heard Mrs. Billie Faye calling out: "pastor..." and I simply thought she was trying to get her pastors attention...and it hit me...it was me she was calling "pastor!" It was an awesome moment for me to absorb, I was now a man that God and a church had called to be in the role of pastor! To quote the ancient Hebrew..."WOW!" Having held the various pastors in my life in high esteem, and now to be in that same position for others was a notion that I would hold in the greatest sense of humility and fidelity...so help me God.
I once asked on a facebook post: "What is a Director of Missions?" There were numerous replies but there was only one thing that was true of every single reply and that was that the D.O.M. was to be a "pastor to the pastors." I have that role etched into my heart and I want to hold that too, in the greatest sense of humility and fidelity...so help me God. The pastors that I serve associationally, I relate with at the most fundamental levels of the calling of God to be in that amazing role. After all, it's important.
Hey pastor, need a sermon outline? Here is a Question and Answer outline attributed to Dr. John Sullivan. With apologies to Dr. Sullivan for some personalized alterations, here it is:
Title: Is There Anything God Doesn't Know?
Text: Psalm 73:11
> God does not know a sin He does not hate
> God does not know a sinner He does not love
> God does not know a way of forgiveness outside of the Blood of Jesus.
> God does not know a better time to be saved than right now.
Work it out spiritually and search for the Scriptures that will support the points. Then, prayerfully develop the conclusion that will be needed for your audience and let God's Word speak.
Work it out spiritually and search for the Scriptures that will support the points. Then, prayerfully develop the conclusion that will be needed for your audience and let God's Word speak.
Blessings,
Robert Daniel
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Grace and Peace:
And ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 1:8).
The first human being walked on the moon on July 20, 1969. He and his crewmates were 240,000 miles from the earth...I didn't find that on google maps, but you can look it up. The United States had invested $24 billion and employed 400,000 workers from some 20,000 private firms.
Joe Shea was the man charged with the task of brining all of those resources together for this historic task. As you can imagine, the challenges were beyond daunting. There were pressures, arguments, and unspeakable dangers inherent in this project, but they had one thing going for them. In the book Apollo, Shea recalled, "We would go out in the parking lot and look up at the moon asd say, 'You really want to go there?'"* The answer was yes.
Our Great Commission for Christ carries a much higher calling than putting a man on the moon. Southern Baptists have a mandate from our Lord that requires an amazing investment of monies, over 10,000 missionaries, and the cooperative efforts of 42,000 Southern Baptist Churches with 16,000,000 members. We will always face problems, challenges, pressures, and even arguments. But if we really believe what we say we believe...if we really do accept the Great Commission...if we really can gaze heavenward and affirm that we really want to take everyone we can with us there...then we can look to Jesus and see the value of our efforts, our time, and our investment. Do we really want to do missions? The answer simply must be YES!
Please Look at this Opportunity:
Celebrate Missions! Thursday, 06.28.12. Come on out to Wilda Baptist Church on St. Clair Rd., just past Gardner, LA, off Hwy 28 W., at 6:30 pm. A Central Louisiana Baptist Association event to help you take notice of the many mission endeavors that are in action from right here in central Louisiana. Who knows? You just might discover a previously uncovered passion for a mission that our Lord has placed "right up your alley." Oh yeah, there's good food and fellowship, too!
Blessings,
Robert Daniel
__________________
*Charles Murray and Catherine Bly Cox, Apollo (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1989), 178.
And ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 1:8).
The first human being walked on the moon on July 20, 1969. He and his crewmates were 240,000 miles from the earth...I didn't find that on google maps, but you can look it up. The United States had invested $24 billion and employed 400,000 workers from some 20,000 private firms.
Joe Shea was the man charged with the task of brining all of those resources together for this historic task. As you can imagine, the challenges were beyond daunting. There were pressures, arguments, and unspeakable dangers inherent in this project, but they had one thing going for them. In the book Apollo, Shea recalled, "We would go out in the parking lot and look up at the moon asd say, 'You really want to go there?'"* The answer was yes.
Our Great Commission for Christ carries a much higher calling than putting a man on the moon. Southern Baptists have a mandate from our Lord that requires an amazing investment of monies, over 10,000 missionaries, and the cooperative efforts of 42,000 Southern Baptist Churches with 16,000,000 members. We will always face problems, challenges, pressures, and even arguments. But if we really believe what we say we believe...if we really do accept the Great Commission...if we really can gaze heavenward and affirm that we really want to take everyone we can with us there...then we can look to Jesus and see the value of our efforts, our time, and our investment. Do we really want to do missions? The answer simply must be YES!
Please Look at this Opportunity:
Celebrate Missions! Thursday, 06.28.12. Come on out to Wilda Baptist Church on St. Clair Rd., just past Gardner, LA, off Hwy 28 W., at 6:30 pm. A Central Louisiana Baptist Association event to help you take notice of the many mission endeavors that are in action from right here in central Louisiana. Who knows? You just might discover a previously uncovered passion for a mission that our Lord has placed "right up your alley." Oh yeah, there's good food and fellowship, too!
Blessings,
Robert Daniel
__________________
*Charles Murray and Catherine Bly Cox, Apollo (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1989), 178.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
The Genius of Baptist Associations
Grace and Peace to You,
In Southern Baptist Church life, there is a fundamental concept of "cooperation." In fact, one of our most common avenues of connection is the missions support mechanism called "The Cooperative Program." Notice in the following text, please, how that principle works at the associational level.
Associations in SBC life are clusters of Baptist churches that work together to accomplish that which cannot be done by a lone congregation for God's Kingdom. Realistically, no one church will reach everyone with the message of the gospel. Working together, churches are more effective in delivering the message of the gospel to the varied people of a given area. In the central Louisiana Parishes, Rapides and Grant, three associations with a total of 92 churches have voluntarily chosen to work together in telling the people who populate these Parishes about the Good News that is the gospel. To come to that point of cooperation, churches have adopted basic principles:
1. Every Person in Central Louisiana Must Hear. So, then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing comes by the word of God (Romans 10:17). We believe that a person who dies without faith in Christ here in central Louisiana will suffer the same eternity apart from God as a person who dies without faith in Christ in some distant country.
2. Every Church in Central Louisiana Must Share in the Task. Multiple approaches are needed and in the providence of God, central Louisiana churches are perfectly positioned and wonderfully diverse in order to relate to the people who occupy this part of our beloved Louisiana.
3. Cooperation is Our Foundation. Working together, churches support the associations ministries and provide for the coordinated efforts that help us do that which can not be done by any single church.
In central Louisiana, three associations have bound themselves together to provide an associational office and a Director of Missions. The Baptist Mission Center is our associational office and it is engaged at the "Front Lines" of the ministry to churches and pastors who are giving their best in sharing the gospel in central Louisiana. We exist to help...whatever form that may take...the churches of central Louisiana. As the Director of Missions, it is my joy to partner with central Louisiana churches, to worship in those churches, and to be of service to each one. Call on me anytime.
Blessings,
Robert Daniel,
Director of Missions
Big Creek, Central Louisiana, and North Rapides Baptist Associations
In Southern Baptist Church life, there is a fundamental concept of "cooperation." In fact, one of our most common avenues of connection is the missions support mechanism called "The Cooperative Program." Notice in the following text, please, how that principle works at the associational level.
Associations in SBC life are clusters of Baptist churches that work together to accomplish that which cannot be done by a lone congregation for God's Kingdom. Realistically, no one church will reach everyone with the message of the gospel. Working together, churches are more effective in delivering the message of the gospel to the varied people of a given area. In the central Louisiana Parishes, Rapides and Grant, three associations with a total of 92 churches have voluntarily chosen to work together in telling the people who populate these Parishes about the Good News that is the gospel. To come to that point of cooperation, churches have adopted basic principles:
1. Every Person in Central Louisiana Must Hear. So, then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing comes by the word of God (Romans 10:17). We believe that a person who dies without faith in Christ here in central Louisiana will suffer the same eternity apart from God as a person who dies without faith in Christ in some distant country.
2. Every Church in Central Louisiana Must Share in the Task. Multiple approaches are needed and in the providence of God, central Louisiana churches are perfectly positioned and wonderfully diverse in order to relate to the people who occupy this part of our beloved Louisiana.
3. Cooperation is Our Foundation. Working together, churches support the associations ministries and provide for the coordinated efforts that help us do that which can not be done by any single church.
In central Louisiana, three associations have bound themselves together to provide an associational office and a Director of Missions. The Baptist Mission Center is our associational office and it is engaged at the "Front Lines" of the ministry to churches and pastors who are giving their best in sharing the gospel in central Louisiana. We exist to help...whatever form that may take...the churches of central Louisiana. As the Director of Missions, it is my joy to partner with central Louisiana churches, to worship in those churches, and to be of service to each one. Call on me anytime.
Blessings,
Robert Daniel,
Director of Missions
Big Creek, Central Louisiana, and North Rapides Baptist Associations
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Grace and Peace to You,
Hope you are having a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. I am excited about the fun part of the weekend...children and grandchildren...lots of great food...and I'm looking forward to the worship that we will share.
Memorial Day is a time to remember those who gave their all in preserving the freedom we enjoy here in America. As we remember not only those who died in battle, it is appropriate that we also honor those who have and those who presently serve in our armed forces. Truly, we owe those men and women far more than we can put into words...or even fully perceive.
Memorial Day, May 28, 2012
The Revolutionary War:
|
5,000
|
The War of 1812:
|
2,000
|
The Mexican War:
|
13,000
|
The War Between the States:
|
700,000
|
The Spanish American War:
|
2,000
|
World War I:
|
116,000
|
World War II:
|
400,000
|
The Korean Conflict:
|
36,000
|
Viet Nam:
|
58,261
|
The Gulf War:
|
382
|
The Iraq War:
|
4,486
|
The Afghan War:
|
1,946
|
Total Service Members Killed:
|
1,339,075
|
May God Bless America...May America be fully given to God.
Blessings,
Robert Daniel
Director of Missions
P.S.: Thanks to my good friend,
"Yogi", for compiling these figures that help us realize just how important Memorial Day is to each citizen of the United States of America
P.S.: Thanks to my good friend,
"Yogi", for compiling these figures that help us realize just how important Memorial Day is to each citizen of the United States of America
Thursday, May 3, 2012
May News from the Association
Grace and Peace,
Two Thousand Twelve has been mighty quick, so far! My-oh-my, there have been conferences and meetings at the LBC level and associational events, galore. Your church has had a full schedule to keep you engaged in your specific field of service. And, no doubt, you have had, as I, plenty of personal and family events.
In our LBC, we have hosted the Evangelism Conference here in central Louisiana, participated in the Courthouse Prayer meetings, and in the ALPC conference. The evangelism conference also included a feature for our area churches. Fourteen churches agreed to host an area evangelist to conduct a one day "Harvest" event prior to the Conference. The emphasis on "It's Time" for spiritual awakening has drawn many of our area churches into deep times of prayer and Bible study. The ALPC event was well attended and beneficial. Thanks, LBC, for all you do to aid our churches in kingdom work.
Locally, your associational ministry has been fully engaged. We have conducted special events for Sunday School, Senior Adults, Vacation Bible School, and the first of several Missions Celebrations. In addition to the association events, your Director of Missions has been in our churches for forty-five...Sunday, Mid-Week, Revival, and special services. Naturally, there have been specific calls for help with pastor search committee training, ordinations, and various needs that seem to inevitably "pop up."
I want to update you on your associational office here at the Baptist Mission Center. The "Door and Window Project" has been completed and we now have six months of experience for analysis. The electricity bills for the six months reflect a savings of 35%!! Thank you for the effort to keep your associational office in good shape.
Personally, I want to thank our churches for the wonderful reception at the Baptist Mission Center to meet Linda and to honor us with your presence in celebration of our marriage. Further, every church in which she has accompanied me for a visit has been extraordinarily warm and welcoming! You have been a big part of making this Arizona transplant feel welcome! God has been wonderfully gracious to us in our marriage and in Linda's acclimation to central Louisiana. We thank our God for every blessing!
Hope to see you soon! I'll be looking forward to an occasion to worship with you and your congregation real soon! Call on me...I am at your service.
Blessings,
Robert Daniel
Upcoming Schedule:
May 3 - Baptist Mission Center Trustee Meeting
May 6 - Riverview Baptist Church AM service
May 7 - N. Rapides VBS Clinic at Philadelphia Baptist
May 13 - Mother's Day - Open Date
May 15 - NRBA Admin Team
May 17 - CLBA Admin Team
May 18-19 - Louisiana DOM Association Retreat
May 20 - Georgetown Baptist Church AM and PM services
May 27 - Georgetown Baptist Church AM and PM services
June 3 - New Prospect Baptist Church AM and PM services
Open Dates: June 10, and 24.
June 17 - New Orleans for SBC Crossover, D.O.M. meetings, and SBC Annual Meeting.
Two Thousand Twelve has been mighty quick, so far! My-oh-my, there have been conferences and meetings at the LBC level and associational events, galore. Your church has had a full schedule to keep you engaged in your specific field of service. And, no doubt, you have had, as I, plenty of personal and family events.
In our LBC, we have hosted the Evangelism Conference here in central Louisiana, participated in the Courthouse Prayer meetings, and in the ALPC conference. The evangelism conference also included a feature for our area churches. Fourteen churches agreed to host an area evangelist to conduct a one day "Harvest" event prior to the Conference. The emphasis on "It's Time" for spiritual awakening has drawn many of our area churches into deep times of prayer and Bible study. The ALPC event was well attended and beneficial. Thanks, LBC, for all you do to aid our churches in kingdom work.
Locally, your associational ministry has been fully engaged. We have conducted special events for Sunday School, Senior Adults, Vacation Bible School, and the first of several Missions Celebrations. In addition to the association events, your Director of Missions has been in our churches for forty-five...Sunday, Mid-Week, Revival, and special services. Naturally, there have been specific calls for help with pastor search committee training, ordinations, and various needs that seem to inevitably "pop up."
I want to update you on your associational office here at the Baptist Mission Center. The "Door and Window Project" has been completed and we now have six months of experience for analysis. The electricity bills for the six months reflect a savings of 35%!! Thank you for the effort to keep your associational office in good shape.
Personally, I want to thank our churches for the wonderful reception at the Baptist Mission Center to meet Linda and to honor us with your presence in celebration of our marriage. Further, every church in which she has accompanied me for a visit has been extraordinarily warm and welcoming! You have been a big part of making this Arizona transplant feel welcome! God has been wonderfully gracious to us in our marriage and in Linda's acclimation to central Louisiana. We thank our God for every blessing!
Hope to see you soon! I'll be looking forward to an occasion to worship with you and your congregation real soon! Call on me...I am at your service.
Blessings,
Robert Daniel
Upcoming Schedule:
May 3 - Baptist Mission Center Trustee Meeting
May 6 - Riverview Baptist Church AM service
May 7 - N. Rapides VBS Clinic at Philadelphia Baptist
May 13 - Mother's Day - Open Date
May 15 - NRBA Admin Team
May 17 - CLBA Admin Team
May 18-19 - Louisiana DOM Association Retreat
May 20 - Georgetown Baptist Church AM and PM services
May 27 - Georgetown Baptist Church AM and PM services
June 3 - New Prospect Baptist Church AM and PM services
Open Dates: June 10, and 24.
June 17 - New Orleans for SBC Crossover, D.O.M. meetings, and SBC Annual Meeting.
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