Surrey Hills Baptist Church has a new pastor, Dr. Wendell Lang! I had the privilege of getting to know Pastor Lang in a few briefs moments this past weekend. And what struck me is it feels like we have been serving together in ministry for many years. I believe we have a kindred spirit for the leadership of the local church body. I believe we are going to have a great and long time of service together at Surrey Hills Baptist Church. I believe with all my heart that the days of potential at Surrey Hills are over and we are now entering the days of blessing as God uses us to reach a community with the love of Jesus.
I don’t think these lofty and great things are coming because a man is coming to lead our church as pastor. I believe these are going to be days of great blessings for two reasons.
First, these will be great days because God always blesses those who proclaim the good news of Jesus. One day as Jesus was talking about his future death he said, “…if I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all people to Myself.” John 12:32. I believe this verse has great power and meaning in our day as well. When we do the work of lifting up Jesus today he still draws people. With Dr. Lang as our pastor I know we will lift up Jesus to our community.
Secondly, these will be great days because Dr. Lang has seen the favor of God before. When Joshua and Caleb visited the Promised Land they told the Israelites to get up and go and take the land. They had seen the Promised Land and they knew it was the place God wanted them to be. They knew it was the place for them to be, but more importantly they knew that God was going to do the fighting for them. Joshua and Caleb said, “If the Lord is pleased with us, He will bring us into this land, a land flowing with milk and honey and give it to us…the Lord is with us…” Numbers 14:8-9. Pastor Lang knows that if God is pleased with us His favor will be on us. Pastor Lang has seen it many times before and he knows God can and will do it at Surrey Hills Baptist Church. When Pastor Lang comes and says, “I have seen the Promised Land”, let’s get up and go and take it.
I would ask that you pray at this time for these items as well:
Pray for our new pastor.
Pray for our new pastor’s wife, Pam.
Pray for the quick sell of their home so the transition will be smooth.
Pray for our pastor’s new work and all the challenges that go along with starting over.
Pray for their difficult time of saying goodbye to their former church.
Pray for the reception that they will receive from their new church.
Pray for God’s hand of favor to be upon Surrey Hills Baptist Church.
Pray for a special infilling of the Holy Spirit upon the pastor and the church as we begin a journey.
Pray for the Holy Spirit to prepare the hearts of those in our community to receive the good news of Jesus.
Pray for special divine appointments in the days ahead as we reach people with the love of Jesus in our community.
Pray for the continued focus of our church to be the church outside the walls of our building.
Pray for God’s direction in your life as you seek the place you are to serve in ministry.
As always, serving with you,
Doug Brown
rev.dougbrown@gmail.com
405-317-8076
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Friday, January 8, 2010
Truth is Timeless
I have just finished reading Sarah Palin’s new book Going Rogue and I am half way through with Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography. It struck me as interesting the similarities between the two very distant figures. They both speak of God’s divine providence in their life. They both speak of a calling and direction that people have. Something that is unique and special to all of us. They both speak highly of their family as molding them and encouraging them from a young age.
At one point early in Franklin’s life his father exposed him to many different trades hoping to find one that would fit Benjamin’s life. Franklin’s father knew of Benjamin’s love for books and they both settled on the printing business for Benjamin. It seemed to work out very well. Palin wrote about God placing a desire in each individual that would encourage and lead people to find their place in life.
Another time early in Franklin’s life he led his band of friends to take some stones, that were being used to build a new home, to build a wharf so that they could stand by the lake and fish for minnows. The boys were eventually found out and each was punished by their fathers. Benjamin tried to reason his way out of punishment saying the wharf was of great benefit to the boys and others. Benjamin’s father taught him an important lesson: for something to be good and of use it must also be honest and true. As I read Palin’s account of her life it occurred to me that she always did what she thought was right in her mind not what was expedient. Sounds like a lesson learned and put to use by Franklin.
For something to be good it must be of the truth. That is a lesson from which we can all learn. There is a great need in our world today for truth and honesty and doing the right thing. Jesus said that he was, “the way, the TRUTH, and the life.” When we come to Jesus we gain the truth by being united with him.
As I learned from these two figures, Franklin and Palin, and their similarities I am reminded of the wisdom from Ecclesiastes 1:9 “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” At least from the lessons I have learned from these two figures separated by more than 200 years there seems to be nothing new under the sun. But that is the point of truth, it is timeless.
At one point early in Franklin’s life his father exposed him to many different trades hoping to find one that would fit Benjamin’s life. Franklin’s father knew of Benjamin’s love for books and they both settled on the printing business for Benjamin. It seemed to work out very well. Palin wrote about God placing a desire in each individual that would encourage and lead people to find their place in life.
Another time early in Franklin’s life he led his band of friends to take some stones, that were being used to build a new home, to build a wharf so that they could stand by the lake and fish for minnows. The boys were eventually found out and each was punished by their fathers. Benjamin tried to reason his way out of punishment saying the wharf was of great benefit to the boys and others. Benjamin’s father taught him an important lesson: for something to be good and of use it must also be honest and true. As I read Palin’s account of her life it occurred to me that she always did what she thought was right in her mind not what was expedient. Sounds like a lesson learned and put to use by Franklin.
For something to be good it must be of the truth. That is a lesson from which we can all learn. There is a great need in our world today for truth and honesty and doing the right thing. Jesus said that he was, “the way, the TRUTH, and the life.” When we come to Jesus we gain the truth by being united with him.
As I learned from these two figures, Franklin and Palin, and their similarities I am reminded of the wisdom from Ecclesiastes 1:9 “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” At least from the lessons I have learned from these two figures separated by more than 200 years there seems to be nothing new under the sun. But that is the point of truth, it is timeless.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
From Where Have you Come?
Ezekiel 16:22, “In all your detestable practices and your prostitution you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare, kicking about in your blood.” Don’t forget from where you came and more importantly don’t forget who got you to where you are.
One of the easiest things to do when you experience either success or failure is to forget from where you came. Part of this is because we have short memories. Part of this is because we do not think clearly in times of pain or joy. In Ezekiel God used a visual of his chosen people when he found them. He described their condition as being one of an infant lying naked in a field surrounded by their own blood. Not a pretty picture, but God described their condition as such and he said, “I took you from there and made you a great nation.” In their many successes and failures they forgot their beginning.
Why would God want them to remember their meager beginning? It was not because he wanted them to relive pain and suffering, rather it is because he wanted them to remember who brought them from the depths to the heights. There is a popular and familiar saying, “Whatever doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.” That is not true. Whatever makes you look to God is what makes you stronger. One of the problems of joy and pain is we forget who has been with us and we put all of the focus on ourselves.
The truth is no one succeeded or failed on their own. The truth is no one has ever accomplished anything without God allowing it to happen. The Bible makes this clear in many passages: Ecclesiastes 3:11, 14 “He (God) has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end…I know that everything God does will endure forever’ nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does is so that men will revere him.” Paul said, “…everything comes from God.” (1 Cor. 11:12) and James said, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (1:17).
Certainly no one remembered from where he came like Jesus. Paul explains this beautifully for us in Phil. 2:5-8. Jesus humbled himself from the highest of highs to lowest of lows in order to be obedient to God. Jesus remembered from where he came when he said the very food that sustained him was to do what God asked him to do. John 4:34, “’My food,’ said Jesus, ‘is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.’”
So the next time something good or bad happens to you remember from where you came and remember for those of you in Christ Jesus who will always be with you.
One of the easiest things to do when you experience either success or failure is to forget from where you came. Part of this is because we have short memories. Part of this is because we do not think clearly in times of pain or joy. In Ezekiel God used a visual of his chosen people when he found them. He described their condition as being one of an infant lying naked in a field surrounded by their own blood. Not a pretty picture, but God described their condition as such and he said, “I took you from there and made you a great nation.” In their many successes and failures they forgot their beginning.
Why would God want them to remember their meager beginning? It was not because he wanted them to relive pain and suffering, rather it is because he wanted them to remember who brought them from the depths to the heights. There is a popular and familiar saying, “Whatever doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.” That is not true. Whatever makes you look to God is what makes you stronger. One of the problems of joy and pain is we forget who has been with us and we put all of the focus on ourselves.
The truth is no one succeeded or failed on their own. The truth is no one has ever accomplished anything without God allowing it to happen. The Bible makes this clear in many passages: Ecclesiastes 3:11, 14 “He (God) has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end…I know that everything God does will endure forever’ nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does is so that men will revere him.” Paul said, “…everything comes from God.” (1 Cor. 11:12) and James said, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (1:17).
Certainly no one remembered from where he came like Jesus. Paul explains this beautifully for us in Phil. 2:5-8. Jesus humbled himself from the highest of highs to lowest of lows in order to be obedient to God. Jesus remembered from where he came when he said the very food that sustained him was to do what God asked him to do. John 4:34, “’My food,’ said Jesus, ‘is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.’”
So the next time something good or bad happens to you remember from where you came and remember for those of you in Christ Jesus who will always be with you.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)