Approval From Heaven

I am sure all of us would agree that we desperately need a fresh touch from Heaven on our lives, families, local churches and our nation as a whole. As humans we are prone to begin to trust our own strength and leave God out of our life until a crisis occurs. We are taught in Scripture on multiple occasions of the necessity of trusting God in all things. Someone once said, "If the Holy Spirit was removed from our churches today, 90% of them would continue to run business as usual. However, if the Holy Spirit had been removed from the first century church, 90% of what they were doing would have had to cease." This statement causes us to stop and think about what we are doing and how we are doing it. Have we become religious institutions that are designed to run without any heavenly intervention? If so, we must repent and allow the Holy Spirit to redirect our hearts toward God's plan for His church. Jesus died for the church so that the church would seek to mold the world and not be molded by the world. Sadly, the opposite seems to be taking place. We must rise from our sleep and seek the approval of Heaven rather than the approval of man.

In my devotion this morning, Dr. Adam Dooley wrote, "You will never experience the abundance of God's strength until you yield completely to Him. God's commandments are not designed to rob us of blessings--they are meant to unleash them. He not only intends to demonstrate His power through you. He also longs to display it to you." As I read this statement this morning, I lifted my hands to Heaven and said, "Lord, I cannot be the man of God you have called me to be without receiving the abundance of Your strength. Lord, I must surrender myself totally and completely to your Lordship."

Friends, as you go about your daily duties today, be sure to yield yourself completely to the Lord Jesus. Love Him with all of your heart. Serve others with a pure heart and share the story of how He changed your heart. When we live in such a manner, we are free from the approval ratings of earth and we are focused on receiving the approval of our Holy God!

Pastor Brent
Proverbs 30:5

Days of Desperation

Over the course of my lifetime and ministry, I have witnessed many people living through desperate situations. These situations caused individuals, families and congregations to take bold steps to move through the time of desperation. In America we view those who live in desperation as failures. We often fail ourselves to realize that God has a purpose for our situation and that He is capable of bringing much good out of it. Most economists agree that the United States is living through the worst economic downturn since The Great Depression. These days have led many people to the point of desperation. If we only look at our circumstances we may miss what God is trying to teach us through that valley.

In my lifetime I have experienced many "valley" experiences. There were days that Satan wanted me to believe that God had forgotten my name. There were also many times that I was guilty of focusing on my circumstances and not looking for God's divine purpose. The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 63:1, "God, You are my God; I eagerly seek You. I thirst for You; my body faints for You in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water." We can regularly find ourselves in places where there is no water and our souls long for refreshing. It is during those times that we must remain steadfast and solid in our commitment to Christ. He has promised that He would never leave us (Hebrews 13:6) and that He never changes (Malachi 3:6). When Satan tries to remind you of your problems, just take a few moments and remind him of God's promises! Then you'll find yourself on some shoutin' ground! Let's stay strong brothers and sisters! At any moment we could behold the face of the risen Son of God!

Pastor Brent
Proverbs 30:5

Pollen and Showers

A lot of folks (even those much older than I) are saying that this is one of the worst spring pollen seasons ever. No doubt, many have had a difficult time dealing with the pollen (including my family). Several years ago I had taken one of my girls to an allergy specialist for testing. As he was discussing with us about the effects of pollen on the sinuses, he made an interesting statement. He said, "It's not the pollen you can see, it is the microscopic pollen that you cannot seen that causes the most difficulty." That statement really brought to light many misconceptions about what gives us all the sinus trouble in the spring.

Being a pastor, I quickly sought to make a spiritual application from that statement. In our lives, it is easy to spot and recognize the "big sins" that could cause us to stumble. However, it is often the "small stuff" that creeps into our lives that evades the detection of our spiritual radar. That is why it is so important to maintain a healthy and close relationship with the Lord. If not, we can easily become desensitized to the seriousness of avoiding sinful tendencies. It doesn't take long for Satan to con us into believing that our sin is not that serious and it could never lead to anything disastrous.

It is much like the story of the Titanic. Many folks believe that the Titanic hit a massive iceberg that caused it to sink. The reality is that what caused the Titanic to sink was ice that was not visible because it was beneath the surface of the water. My prayer for all of you today is that the Holy Spirit would make us very aware of Satan's tactics. As we walk with the Lord and as He speaks to us, He can help us to be on-guard for what is lurking beneath the surface.

Just as the showers this morning washed away the yellow pollen that we can see, it also washed away the white pollen we cannot see. We need the Lord to shower us with His Word to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
"Showers of blessing, Showers of blessing we need,
Mercy drops 'round us are falling, but for the showers we plead."

"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. (6) whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior."
- Titus 3: 5-6

Super Sunday

The Holy Spirit really ministered to our congregation this morning. I was dealing with a difficult, yet much needed issue in the 11 a.m. service. Jude warned that false teachers would creep into our congregations "unnoticed". That word describes how sly Satan is at sliding his false teachers into local congregations. These false teachers have the capacity to do great harm to the Body of Christ. Jude also warned that false teachers would "turn the grace of God into lewdness." He was facing a culture that had been infiltrated with false teachers that were teaching a doctrine that allowed those who had been saved by God's grace to do as they please without any conviction or judgment for their sins. As Christians, we are grateful for the grace of God, but we must also understand that it is not a license to do as we please, but an exhortation to do only that which pleases God. In our culture today, we must raise up a generation of men who will stand firmly on the truths of God's Word and declare if boldly. God has not called us to cultural relevance, but to radical obedience.

God moved tremendously in this morning's service. I can only imagine how He will speak to hearts tonight. We are having a cardboard testimony service tonight at 6:00 p.m. It is going to be great. To God be ALL the glory.

Pastor Brent
Proverbs 30:5

I Love Saturdays

Saturdays are special days around our house. My family spends time together doing special things that each of us enjoy. I also enjoy Saturdays because it is almost Sunday. The reason I named my blog "Born on Sunday Morning" is because I literally was born on a Sunday morning. I actually plan to write a book by this same title in the coming days. I arrived into this world on March 14, 1971 at 8:17 a.m. in Anniston, Alabama. I often joke with my friends by saying that I got here just in time to take a shower and be on time for Sunday School. The truth is that I didn't go to Sunday School or worship a lot as a child. My Dad worked 7 days a week for much of my childhood, therefore my family was not regularly involved in any church. My folks have always been good, moral people who gave me a good home. However, I shall never forget the day that God spoke to my heart again on a Sunday morning at Edwardsville Baptist Church in Edwardsville, Alabama. On March 15, 1981 God used Brother Burgess Austin to lead me to faith in Jesus Christ. On that Sunday morning I learned what it meant to be born again.

Yes Saturdays are great, but Sundays are my favorite day of the week. It is the Lord's Day! It is the day we celebrate His victory over death, hell and the grave. It is also the day we come together as the local church and corporately worship the Lord Jesus Christ! Tomorrow morning (4-18-10) I am continuing a new series from the Book of Jude. I will be dealing with verse 4 tomorrow. This book is one that has a real message for the church. The title of tomorrow morning's message is "How To Recognize False Teachers". There was no shortage of false teachers in Jude's day and there is no shortage of them today. We must be so in love with the authentic Lord Jesus Christ that we can easily spot a counterfeit. If you live anywhere in the Rome, Georgia area, I invite you to come and worship with us tomorrow at 11 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. If you do not, these messages will be posted to our church website as soon as possible (www.springcreekbaptistchurch.com)

God bless you all. Have a great Saturday and an awesome Sunday.

Pastor Brent
Proverbs 30:5

Just a Word of Encouragement

As most of my church family knows, one of my favorite verses in Scripture is Proverbs 30:5. This verse reads, "Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him." (NKJV) God used this verse to speak to my heart during a difficult time in my life while I was reading through the Proverbs. This verse reminds us of the purity and holiness of God's Word. David wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in Pslams 12: 6-7, "The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. You shall keep them, O Lord, You shall preserve them from this generation forever." (NKJV)

Not only is His Word pure, it is also a shield. Anyone who has ever entered into a battle knows the value of a shield. It can be used to deflect objects that are meant to destroy us. Paul talked about the "shield of faith" which is able to quench all the fiery darts of our enemy, Satan. Thanks be to God for being our shield and our provider.

However, it is important to notice the final part of verse 5. He is a shield to "those who put their trust in Him." The promise of His shielding protection is only available to those who put their trust in Him. This is where faith comes into the picture. Our society is filled with people who will not trust in God, because they cannot see nor touch Him. How do I know He is real? It's all a matter of faith! I believe by faith that Jesus came, lived a sinless life, died on the cross, rose again on the third day, ascended back to the Father forty days later and is soon coming again! Soon and very soon, dear Christian friend, our faith will become sight! "Beloved, now we are the children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is." (1st John 3:2) What a marvelous day it will be when we behold His face!

Pastor Brent
Proverbs 30:5