I am reading Robert Baker's work on Texas Baptist history entitled, "The Blossoming Desert" in which a most amazing account stands out in my mind. As Christians were faithfully working to spread the gospel across the plains of the new land of Texas there were many great names that arose in the Baptist work. Men like Byars, Burleson, Buckner, and Carroll accomplished much to start churches and schools to expand the Christian witness. They won the souls and support of such great men as Bowie, Travis, and Houston. I admire each of these men but there were many who remain unnamed.
One account is told of a missionary preacher who gave it all for the sake of the gospel. Texas missionaries faced the threats of Indians, bandits, malaria, yellow fever, and countless other trials. Since there were few bridges many creeks and rivers had to be crossed in their missionary efforts. Many times they had the choice of swimming icy creeks during freezing weather or turning back and leaving souls unsaved.
In May, 1849, J.W.D. Creath records the fate of an unnamed preacher who was so determined to preach the gospel at Clarksville that he crossed a frozen creek during an intensely cold winter. Creath's account of the unnamed man,
"He was found dead in an old house by the roadside frozen. He attempted to swim the creek in a buggy. In the effort his horse was drowned, and he fatigued by his exertions to extricate himself from the flood, wet and chilled, turned into this old house, being unable to go further."
I continue to think of the countless unnamed people who have lived with such a burden for the souls of others that they have been willing to extend themselves even unto death so that people would know Jesus. My prayer is that God would continue to send laborers into the harvest who cherish the words of Jesus, "whoever loses his his life for My sake will find it." Although many of us will go unnamed in the books of men we know that our names are written in the Book of Life. When the roll is called up yonder we will be there and hear the great words of our Lord, "well done, good and faithful servant." Let us work to this end.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Saturday, April 21, 2012
The Need For Baptist Churches To Associate
Jimmy Draper once wrote, "America will be reached not with the imposing presence of the superchurch but rather with the association of smaller churches joined together in local Baptist associations to do together what they can never do separately."
The Cooperative Program of the Southern Baptist Convention has been a wonderful tool to expand our missions work across the hills and plains of America as well as the farthest parts of the globe. State Convention efforts have provided a faithful witness all along the ways of Texas. But neither of these can provide the intimate fellowship of a local association of churches. Recently many have developed a mindset that feels our churches can continue to prosper without a local associational relationship.
Let me clarify, by association I do not mean an institutional office residing in a building with a paid staff who develop to perpetuate yet another bureaucracy. I do realize that someone should be responsible for organizing the tasks that I will set forth and possibly some compensation is in order. But at this time I simply wish to communicate three reasons for which associating is necessary.
Local and likeminded churches should cooperate for the sake of missions. We must work together for the sake of starting, supporting, and strengthening churches locally. Local cooperation is necessary for the sake of educating and supporting our local works both prayerfully and financially. No other denominational entity can replace this role. Although conferences and seminaries are wonderful supplemental tools, the laborious journey of church leadership requires local relationships through which pastors and church leaders can sit down and talk to one another and gain from their collective experience and wisdom. In this relationship we should strive to cooperate and not compete. Rejoice in God's hand of blessing upon another brother's work instead of feeling threatened by it. We can combine our resources on the local level to reach our communities for Christ. The nation will only be changed as our states are transformed and our states will only be transformed as our communities are touched by the good news of Jesus and our communities will only be touched as our churches are faithful to God's Word...together.
Local and likeminded churches should be accountable with one another. There should be support for one another as pastors and elders. In this effort we should submit ourselves to one another for the sake of doctrinal accountability. There was a time in Baptist history that our churches worked to maintain doctrinal accountability in not just their individually autonomous church but also the other neighboring churches. If a church member was found to be doctrinally aberrant or just plain mad they were not allowed to simply leave and transfer their letter to a church down the road. They were required to repent and seek reconciliation or their letter was not received because they were not in "good standing" with the sister church they had departed. If a pastor was guilty of the same he was not allowed to escape without some sort of disciplinary measure. In our day many appear to cherish autonomy above accountability but even a surface reading of the circulatory letters which now make up our New Testament will surely correct this flawed thinking. I am suggesting both doctrinal and behavioral accountability through the associating of local churches for this purpose.
Local and likeminded churches have a mutual responsibility to one another. We should strengthen one another doctrinally, encourage one another prayerfully, and be available to one another relationally. I know our superchurches have vast resources and in many ways do not feel like they need anyone else for their mission. But what about their responsibilities to other churches? I also know that we all get caught up in the demands of daily responsibilities of studying, preaching, and visiting. But there are thousands around us that we will not reach alone. Let us strengthen each other with encouragement and personal prayer. The kind that can only be accomplished by sitting down with others and locking our hands together with bowed hearts, petitioning that the Kingdom of our God may come on earth as it is in Heaven.
The Cooperative Program of the Southern Baptist Convention has been a wonderful tool to expand our missions work across the hills and plains of America as well as the farthest parts of the globe. State Convention efforts have provided a faithful witness all along the ways of Texas. But neither of these can provide the intimate fellowship of a local association of churches. Recently many have developed a mindset that feels our churches can continue to prosper without a local associational relationship.
Let me clarify, by association I do not mean an institutional office residing in a building with a paid staff who develop to perpetuate yet another bureaucracy. I do realize that someone should be responsible for organizing the tasks that I will set forth and possibly some compensation is in order. But at this time I simply wish to communicate three reasons for which associating is necessary.
Local and likeminded churches should cooperate for the sake of missions. We must work together for the sake of starting, supporting, and strengthening churches locally. Local cooperation is necessary for the sake of educating and supporting our local works both prayerfully and financially. No other denominational entity can replace this role. Although conferences and seminaries are wonderful supplemental tools, the laborious journey of church leadership requires local relationships through which pastors and church leaders can sit down and talk to one another and gain from their collective experience and wisdom. In this relationship we should strive to cooperate and not compete. Rejoice in God's hand of blessing upon another brother's work instead of feeling threatened by it. We can combine our resources on the local level to reach our communities for Christ. The nation will only be changed as our states are transformed and our states will only be transformed as our communities are touched by the good news of Jesus and our communities will only be touched as our churches are faithful to God's Word...together.
Local and likeminded churches should be accountable with one another. There should be support for one another as pastors and elders. In this effort we should submit ourselves to one another for the sake of doctrinal accountability. There was a time in Baptist history that our churches worked to maintain doctrinal accountability in not just their individually autonomous church but also the other neighboring churches. If a church member was found to be doctrinally aberrant or just plain mad they were not allowed to simply leave and transfer their letter to a church down the road. They were required to repent and seek reconciliation or their letter was not received because they were not in "good standing" with the sister church they had departed. If a pastor was guilty of the same he was not allowed to escape without some sort of disciplinary measure. In our day many appear to cherish autonomy above accountability but even a surface reading of the circulatory letters which now make up our New Testament will surely correct this flawed thinking. I am suggesting both doctrinal and behavioral accountability through the associating of local churches for this purpose.
Local and likeminded churches have a mutual responsibility to one another. We should strengthen one another doctrinally, encourage one another prayerfully, and be available to one another relationally. I know our superchurches have vast resources and in many ways do not feel like they need anyone else for their mission. But what about their responsibilities to other churches? I also know that we all get caught up in the demands of daily responsibilities of studying, preaching, and visiting. But there are thousands around us that we will not reach alone. Let us strengthen each other with encouragement and personal prayer. The kind that can only be accomplished by sitting down with others and locking our hands together with bowed hearts, petitioning that the Kingdom of our God may come on earth as it is in Heaven.
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Voice of a Southern Baptist Prophet - B.H. Carroll
Speaking to the SBC in 1888:
"When a tree stops growing it begins to die. When water stops flowing it stagnates, and stagnation is miasma and death. Aggression is true defence. The battles that defend our homes should be fought on the frontier and not around our firesides. You cease to preserve what you have, when you cease to move your fences out. Push out your work...Go...Carry the tidings...Make baptismal witnesses of the resurrection. Push for your life as well as others. Brethren, when God converted me from infidelity, he made me a missionary. My heart is in it. May that heart stop its beatings when it fails to love any man from any shore who is a child of God. In this I have embarked myself, my wife, my children, yea, all that I am and have, and hope to be asking the captain of my salvation to write his name on my brain, and on my hand, and on my heart, and all over me as a possession forever."
"When a tree stops growing it begins to die. When water stops flowing it stagnates, and stagnation is miasma and death. Aggression is true defence. The battles that defend our homes should be fought on the frontier and not around our firesides. You cease to preserve what you have, when you cease to move your fences out. Push out your work...Go...Carry the tidings...Make baptismal witnesses of the resurrection. Push for your life as well as others. Brethren, when God converted me from infidelity, he made me a missionary. My heart is in it. May that heart stop its beatings when it fails to love any man from any shore who is a child of God. In this I have embarked myself, my wife, my children, yea, all that I am and have, and hope to be asking the captain of my salvation to write his name on my brain, and on my hand, and on my heart, and all over me as a possession forever."
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Smoothie Recipe
Although this may seem like a departure from my normal posts I am reminded that the spiritual and the physical are inextricably linked. We are told in Romans 12:1 to "present our bodies a living sacrifice to God." This recipe is one way that has been helping me as well as others to do just that. All of my life I have struggled with bronchitis and even a few bouts with pneumonia. The first year after moving to Stephenville was filled with sinus and respiratory sickness for me and included several rounds of antibiotics. For the last 6 months I have been drinking this smoothie every morning and I have had no sickness at all. The protein provided keeps me full until lunch and I have experienced several health benefits. Since many others have asked for this recipe I thought I would share it on my blog for easy access. I have experimented much with this drink (and have had to choke down some nasty stuff) but I find this mixture to be very filling and tasty.
- small handful of kale leaves (sometimes substitute broccoli)
- small handful of spinach leaves
- small handful of carrot
- 2 tbsp. goji berries
- 2 tbsp. hemp seed
- 1 tsp. bee pollen (start slow and build up)
- 1 tbsp. local honey
- handful of frozen strawberries (sugar free), sometimes I substitute other fruit mixes
- 3/4 banana
- 8 natural almonds
- every other day I mix in 1/2 tsp. of wheatgrass powder (cut back on other veggies a bit because it is strong tasting)
- 8oz hemp milk
- 8oz organic milk
This makes about a 30 oz shake. Enough for 2. Enjoy!
- small handful of kale leaves (sometimes substitute broccoli)
- small handful of spinach leaves
- small handful of carrot
- 2 tbsp. goji berries
- 2 tbsp. hemp seed
- 1 tsp. bee pollen (start slow and build up)
- 1 tbsp. local honey
- handful of frozen strawberries (sugar free), sometimes I substitute other fruit mixes
- 3/4 banana
- 8 natural almonds
- every other day I mix in 1/2 tsp. of wheatgrass powder (cut back on other veggies a bit because it is strong tasting)
- 8oz hemp milk
- 8oz organic milk
This makes about a 30 oz shake. Enough for 2. Enjoy!
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
GateWay East Africa Ministries
April 3, 2012
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Sifa Mungu! Praise God! Here is a list that contains ways that you can be a blessing to the national church leaders in east Africa that are working with GateWay East Africa. We do not keep any money for administrative costs out of these gifts. Each dollar given goes directly to the purpose for which it was given. We ask that you will be praying for us regarding the other expenses needed regarding travel.
- Metal roof including trusses and labor $1,000 each
- Purchase plot of land for new church $600 each
- Purchase Bibles in Kirundi language $7 each
- Sponsor a Pastor for 1 year in Bible College $250
- Bicycle for a Pastor $120 each
- Support one Pastor in Burundi $40 per month
- Rent of land for new church $50 per year
- Hymnal in Kirundi language $5 each
- Purchase a goat for Pastor’s family $35
- Purchase a cow for Pastor’s family $350
God has been increasing the importance of this ministry and the burden of my heart for the people of east Africa. Many others have shared with me that God has been doing the same in their heart. More information will be coming, but for now you can look at GateWay East Africa on Facebook and richmondgoolsby.blogspot.com. We are committed to continuing to plant new churches in this area of the world and to start Bible colleges to train the national leaders. We are also praying about taking a medical team for a trip of medical treatment and evangelism to Burundi in the near future. Please be praying for us and may God bless you as you serve Him.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Richmond Goolsby
“And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these things to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” 2 Timothy 2:2
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
A Prayer From the Valley of Vision
If others deem my faith folly,
my meekness infirmity,
my zeal madness,
my hope delusion,
my actions hypocrisy,
may I rejoice to suffer for Thy name.
As I pursue my heavenly journey by Thy grace,
let me be known as a man with no aim but that of a burning desire for Thee,
and the good and salvation of my fellow men.
my meekness infirmity,
my zeal madness,
my hope delusion,
my actions hypocrisy,
may I rejoice to suffer for Thy name.
As I pursue my heavenly journey by Thy grace,
let me be known as a man with no aim but that of a burning desire for Thee,
and the good and salvation of my fellow men.
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