rockbridgebaptist.org Blog

There are so many things to write about from the past few weeks! Let me start with the first – Youth ministry – which started up with the beginning of the school year. It was great to have the return of many and our new students coming up. As always, I miss the graduated seniors though.

Our new youth year started out with a bang. We took the first Sunday off to have church by the lake. As I write this I can’t help but think about Jesus setting with His disciples by the Sea of Galilee. They would have looked out at the sparkling lake just like we did; sat in the cool shade of the tree just like we did; and heard the Master speak just as we did through reading the Bible together. It was spectacular. We missed being with you all, but we had a special time of worship by the lake.

We started off with Sunday school under the trees. Piper led the morning session. As we talked, it started to rain and Piper said we should pray that it go away. So we prayed – and, after a few more sprinkles, the rain went away. Of course, I didn’t have enough faith so I moved the group up under the porch. But God is so good beyond what I can think or even imagine (pray that your pastor will have more faith).

The afternoon sessions began with worship songs and then we took a minute to look out over God’s creation….The sun bright on the lake…..The pine trees swaying gently in the breeze… and the sound of the wind chime close at hand. A butterfly floated on the wind. God’s creation…..God’s beautiful handiwork……!! We get in such a hurry that we often miss how great His creation really is. So we talked about the reality of God – from the design of nature from the early chapters of Romans. The heavens declared God’s glory. The earth reflects the wonders of His design. Complexity cries out the creator’s name.

And God was there. He always is, but we get tied up in our problems or our “to do” lists. The stress of living squeezes out what is important in life – Be still and know that He is God. Take some time this week and step outside and feel the warm sun and the cool breeze. Then sing a verse or two of “How Great Thou Art.” That will lift you up!

Please don’t forget to pray for our teens. Ask our Father to reveal Himself to them in ways they will understand. Ask God to bring about transformation in the lives of those who know Him and salvation for those that don’t. Ask Him to bring us more students and to let us disciple all who come. Your prayers change the world. Thanks.

And one last thing – we have a great opportunity to reach several of our former students in the “college and career” age. We’ve had half a dozen or so come back lately seeking some connection to the church. Ask God to show us how to reach these former students and their friends with relevant life changing messages.

God loves you and I’m praying for you,
Pastor Bill

Picture in your mind a wide open field, your eye can stretch to the horizon. The sky looks huge and towering white clouds billow up before you. Bright silver in some places, dark and foreboding in others.
Night falls. Insects and frogs open their concert. A slight breeze blows in cool and refreshing from the hot day. All seems to relax.

In the sky, off in the distance, a rumble. The clouds light up. Then streaks followed by claps. Alternating times of darkness and bright. Fingers of light race from one end of the immense sky to the other. As fast as I can perceive it the lightning races across the heavens.

The night sounds, the quiet rumble, the spectacular paths of light. The cool wind mixed with the heat radiating from the ground.

“Then sings my soul, my savior, God, to Thee…How great thou art. How Great Thou Art.”

The heavens declare the greatness of God; let all creation clap their hands in praise.

On a night like last night, watching the hand of God work through His creation, I am humbled. How magnificent our God is. For God to imagine such a night before creation came into being; to design the atmosphere and the properties of electricity to allow such a show; and then to bring it about. Spectacular!
And yet this God of infinite wisdom and creativity knows my name; numbers my hairs; sent His son to save me; forgives my egregious failures; wipes the tears from my eyes; calls me His son.

We are made to praise Him. He is worthy. Why are we so silent?

What does it mean to be a Christian?

Hhmmm. Sometimes the simplest questions are the hardest. We could answer quickly, “Someone who follows Christ” – but what does that mean? What does it look like? How would we know one if we saw one? How would we know if we are one?

The question gets harder then doesn’t it? Is a Christian someone who says he is? Is a Christian someone who goes to Church or whose family went to church? Is a Christian someone who follows a certain set of rules (and if so, what rules must one obey)?

We could answer, “A Christian is someone who calls on the Lord, in faith.” An example is when, at the crucifixion, the thief asked Jesus, “Lord, remember me.” We are saved by grace alone through faith alone…. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. But my question isn’t just about how to “become” a Christian (Faith/belief/accept), but what does it mean to BE a Christian? Before you read on, I’d like you to think about that question for a second. What does it mean to be a Christian?

Paul wrote elsewhere, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are still in the Christian faith. Test yourselves! Don’t you recognize that you are people in whom Jesus Christ lives? Could it be that you’re failing the test?”

What does that verse mean? Is it saying that if we are Christians, it should be visible in our actions? Verse 9 in Ephesians 2 says: for we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. So, perhaps following Jesus (being a Christian) involves doing good works. How about this verse: If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

What does it mean to be a Christian?

When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25: 35-40.

There’s a big difference between saying we are Christians and having a real faith that reveals itself in our lives. I love being a part of a church that reflects that……….
• Through the apartment ministry, members of Rock Bridge gave evidence of BEING Christians.
• Through the Neighborhood Bible Clubs, members of Rock Bridge gave evidence of BEING Christians.
• Through collections for the Children’s Home or for Rockbridge Elementary, we give evidence of BEING Christians.

God bless you all and thank you. His lord said unto him, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things; I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord”. (Matthew 25:21).

Keep praying. Keep BEING. Keep loving.
Pastor Bill

Sometimes life takes over.

Once I was in Florida standing out in the surf pretending that I was not afraid of the water. Waves were coming and I’d jump into the surf. But once I jumped and the water was over my head. I gulped down some sea water. I began to panic. I wanted to get to shore. I wanted to take a breath. But the waves just kept coming. No matter how much I wanted them to stop – no matter how much I needed them to stop – waves just kept coming.

Life is like that. We run our lives right on the edge – full to the brim. We don’t have much room for margin in our lives. So when something goes a bit off, it cascades. The dominoes of our life start to fall out of place and out of time. We pull our head up and try to breath, but another wave of life washes over us and we sink under again. Another fight, another bill, another call…

As I type this, a guy I work with stepped into my office – the doctor report was not good. The wave washed over his head. I invited him to sit, to pray. But it was too close, too new…too much. A phone call came earlier this morning – marital strife and fight. The wife needs love and the husband needs support – but both are sinking – neither has the strength to reach out to the other. The waves keep coming. …..

Life sometimes takes over.

What do we do? Marital problems, health problems, kid problems, financial problems… Waves of life – they sweep in and knock us off our feet. Let me offer three short suggestions for you to think and pray about.

1) Free up. If we are always running on the edge, we have no margin for things to go wrong. I run late to church and think I have just enough time – but a train is blocking the road. Suddenly my rush becomes a panic. Margin would help this. If my bills equal my income, what happens when the car breaks down or the refrigerator stops working? At work, I have back-to-back meetings some days. If one runs long, it throws the schedule off for everyone around me. What if I built in a bit of margin? Everyone would run smoother and easier. Where can you free up? Build in some time of refreshing. Build in some “emergency fund” money. Plan to arrive early. Take some pressure off by freeing up.

2) Reach out. When we’re lost in the waves, sometimes we just need a calm hand to steady us. That person who lost their job needs a calm voice. That family on the brink of divorce needs a wise word. That person who just got bad news needs to hear words of peace. If you free up, you’ll be able to be that voice. Margin not only cushions you from the waves, but it gives you the ability to reach out to others when they get knocked over and the waves swell over them. Call someone this week. You don’t have to have an answer or wisdom. But just a voice, just a touch, just a ray of hope is all most people need to make it through a day. Free up and then reach out.

3) Call out. Picture this – the waves roll over our heads, we suck down water, we sputter and cough. How do we get help? Someone has to call out for us. You can be that voice. Prayer really does change things. Prayer let Peter get on top of the water when he was sinking. “Lord, save us.” Can you say that prayer? You know lots of people struggling – will you call out on their behalf. Will you seek the merciful hand of God on their behalf? You can make all the difference by calling on the One who can speak peace in any situation. When Jesus calmed the storm, the disciples marveled, “who is this that even the wind and waves obey him?” It is the One who controls jobs and finances, cancer and colds, repairs and reconciliations. All things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all.

For those around you, will you seriously take steps this month to free up? Will you this week write a list of people to whom you will reach out? And today – right now – will you call out to the Lord for some folks you know who are struggling? I don’t understand it, but God has chosen to wait until we ask before He reaches into some situations. Be that voice.

What if it’s you that is reeling right now, being hit by waves? Hopefully one of your family will be praying for you even as you read this. Perhaps you’ll get a call or a visit this week from someone reaching out for you. But those 3 things above are for you too. Drop some stuff to free up. Reach out to Spiritual family to hold you up. And call out to Jesus.

There was a song out some time back with a line that said,

Sometimes He calms the storm with a whispered peace be still;
He can settle any sea, but it doesn’t mean He will;
Sometimes He holds us close and let’s the wind and waves go wild;
Sometimes He calms the storm and other times He calms His child.

I’m fighting the waves with you,
Pastor Bill

How often do you think about God during the day? Sometimes I get to the end of the day and I realize I’ve hardly thought about God. I get so tied up in “the now and in the urgent” that I forget the important. Jesus said we worry about many things, but only one thing is important. God is what matters. He’s the One that controls my boss. He’s the One that controls my work-flow. He’s the One that manages my team. Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” God alone gives me the ability to think and plan and do. Wouldn’t it be wise to stay in touch with Him throughout the day? God’s word reminds us again and again to keep Him first in our thoughts. Paul says to do it “continually” – Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. I Thessalonians 5:16-18

So if it is God’s will for us to keep Him in the forefront of our mind throughout the day, how do we do that? I certainly don’t have all the answers or I wouldn’t be writing this article. But I am trying to draw closer to Jesus on a moment-by-moment basis, to share in His fellowship and to try to carry out the Lord’s prayer – to make “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done.” Here are a couple of things I’m trying to give me a right focus.

1) Praise Him First: When I wake up, before my feet hit the floor, I begin to pray. I ask God for His wisdom and guidance. I begin the day with praise and thanks that God knows me and is always with me. Psalm 139:17-18 “How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, you are still there.”

2) Morning Bible Reading: I find it amazing that when I begin my day reading from His Word, I find application for the day’s passage in my life. It’s like God’s Word is living and active. Hmmm – maybe I read that somewhere before? Putting God’s thoughts in my head in the morning helps me meditate on it throughout the day. Psalm 63:1 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where there is no water.

3) Daylight Fast: Nothing gets my attention quite like my stomach. When it rumbles just a little, I run to satisfy it. So I have tried to use that to remind me of God’s presence. I simply don’t eat during the day once in a while. Skipping one or two meals one day a week helps get control of my desires (discipline) and reminds me throughout the day the He is near. It reminds me to thank Him for living in a land of abundance where hunger is a choice and not a daily inevitability. It reminds me how very good He is. Psalm 34:8 “O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.”

4) Broader Vision: Sometimes my vision gets so narrow. I focus only on my work or my needs or my church. I need to be reminded that God’s plan is bigger. God’s plan encompasses the world. How do we keep from getting so focused on “me and mine”? I try with some newsletters. One I get from “Operation World” is a prayer focus on a different nation each day. As I write this, I’m looking at today’s – the focus is on Sumatra, Indonesia. It says, “The earthquake and tsunami in 2004 killed over 200,000 and rendered 500,000 people homeless. Further tragedies are inevitable. Sumatra is the largest unevangelized island on earth.” The newsletter has challenges for prayer for that nation. It helps remind me that God has a big agenda and a global kingdom. And I can be a part by adding my prayers. My problems and my issues are small – and I serve a great God.

5) Evening Prayer: Toward the end of the day I try to call upon the Lord. This is harder for me – when the pillow calls, I am instantly asleep. Piper is better at remembering and reminding me, “Don’t we need to pray…” (She’s such a good wife.) Evening prayer is a good time to rehearse the day with the Lord, to go back through it all…to remember the times I didn’t do so well, and ask for forgiveness….to ask for wisdom and strength not to make that same error again tomorrow. It’s a time to talk to God about the ones I love and the needs they have….. And to ask for His perfect peace.

May you walk with the Lord and in His fellowship,
Pastor Bill