Response to Henry Blackaby at the BGC Annual Meeting in Denver

Henry Blackaby spoke this morning on God's refining fire in our lives. After his message, Dana Olson of the BGC Prayer First invited the delegates to come forward to pray. Dozens upon dozens (maybe more, but I am not sure because I was close to the stage when I went forward) to cry and confess our sins. Many pleaded for a fresh touch from God. Mr. Blackaby has experienced corporate revival fist-hand. Perhaps it will come to the BGC.

I Heard Henry Blackaby Today

I was able to hear Henry Blackaby speak today at the BGC Annual Meeting in Denver. He said this statement: "If revival in America depended on your prayer life, would God grant it?" Honestly and with shame, I would personally say "no." If revival is going to come, God's people must pray. Have a good evening. Pastor Bryan

I Am in Denver for the BGC Annual Meeting

I flew into Denver, CO for the Baptist General Conference (BGC) Annual Meeting. It is beautiful here. There is still snow on some of the higher mountains. The landscape reminds me of the years I lived in Hawaii. There are mountains in Hawaii (there is no snow on them except on the Big Island).

I love these annual meetings because of the fellowship, corporate prayer, worship and preaching. Henry Blackaby will be speaking tomorrow.

The Perspectives Course Will Be Taught in Omaha

The Perspectives on the World Christian Movement will be taught here in Omaha from August 30 to December 13, 2005 at Christ Community Church. This course will motivate and challenge students to understand God's singular intent to bless all nations.

I have not taken it, but I know people who have. It will truly be life changing. If you are interested, contact LaVern Smith at (402) 734.1551 or at LaVern.Smith@worldteam.org.

The cost $195.00 plus $35.00 for the textbook and Study Guide. There is a $25.00 discount if you register before June 30th.

Have a great day. Pastor Bryan

Good Morning:

Check out this link about the current weather conditions in Omaha: http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=986. I am in my air-conditioned office and the humidity is still getting to me!

Well, the Nebraska Cornhuskers were eliminated yesterday in the College World Series. It was a great baseball game and a great season.

Stay cool and drink lots of water.

Pastor Bryan

Michael Campbell Wins the US Open

Yesterday on Father's Day, I watched 36 year-old New Zealander, Michael Campbell win the US Open. Even though Tiger Woods made a charge, Campbell dug deep and played wonderful golf
on a very difficult course. See...

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/golf/specials/us_open/2005/06/19/fourth.round.ap/index.html
Campbell's career has been characterized by ups and downs. During the broadcast, Campbell was quoted as saying that prior to the Open, he decided that it is time to go to the next level of golf. So he took the time in recent months to refine his game--especially his short game.

There is certainly a lesson for us followers of Jesus. Are we content with an up and down Christian life? Are we content with mediocrity in our relationship with Jesus? Or are we willing to do what it takes to go to the next level of faith? May we all dig deep into God's Word and delight in it. May we be people of prayer who possess a holy urgency to grow deep in the faith.

Playing Golf for God's Glory!

My sermon this Sunday on Father's Day will answer the question: "Can we play golf for God's Glory?" The answer, of course is yes because 1 Corinthians 10.31 says: So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. I love the game of golf and I do want to improve every year. But it is not to be more important that my love for the Lord. The second point of the message is simply: "Remember that golf is just a game". Here are some statements of that point...

Psalm 37.4 says delight yourselves in the Lord. That is command! Isaiah 58.14 says that we will find our joy in the Lord. We are to delight ourselves in the Lord even when that little golf ball refuses to go where we want it. Every golfer will have bad rounds and stretches of weeks where it seems like nothing goes right but it is just a game. ILL--Many years ago, I was with a friend at the Sony Open in Hawaii, and we saw a well-known golf pro hit a bad shot.

It was bad according to his standards. His approach shot to the green wasn't as close to the hole as he visualized. Most of us would be thrilled to be near the green. After he did that, he took his iron and just smashed it on a rock, and then he threw that mangled club into the woods. We were right behind him. I looked where he threw it and I thought, "I wonder if I can fix that!" But he destroyed it.

Well, he lost his temper. And on a professional level, there is a needed intensity in order to compete, but it is still just a game. And there are far more important things in life than golf. ILL--Several years ago after the conclusion of the 1995 Ryder Cup, the American team was beaten by the Europeans. The Americans went in the locker room feeling bad. Then Paul Azinger came into the room.

He is a pro who just recovered from cancer. He told the team: "Guys, this isn so bad. The sun will come up tomorrow. I had cancer." In other words, golf is just a game. It is temporary compared to the glories of eternity. When we die, our clubs stay in the garage or basement.

More Prayer is Needed!

Good Afternoon. Two Wednesdays ago, Harvey Oaks Baptist Church began a prayer time. It is a prayer time for the spiritual state of the church. We want to pray for the power of God to descend on the church. Seven people came to pray yesterday. As they walked into the sanctuary, they picked up a handout which is below.

"Harvey Oaks Baptist Church
Wednesday Morning Prayer (6:30 to 7:30 AM)
June 15, 2005

This morning's Scripture: Psalm 85. Especially notice the prayer in verse 6.

As we pray this morning, let us pray:

That God will send spiritual revival to Harvey Oaks Baptist Church (True spiritual revival will refocus our hearts and lives on the supremacy and greatness of Jesus Christ so that we will be the church that he desires. Someone once defined revival as "a people saturated with God").
That Christ-centered worship will occur each Sunday morning at Harvey Oaks Baptist Church. Psalm 100.2 says: Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.

That the powerful wind of the Holy Spirit will descend on us every Sunday morning so that lives are radically transformed.

That Harvey Oaks Baptist Church will no longer be in a state of plateau (Eight out of ten churches in the United States have plateaued or are declining).

That God will cause many people around in the Omaha area to turn to Jesus for salvation. Pray that they will be fruitful Christians for God's kingdom.

That the remaining unreached people groups around the world will be reached for Jesus Christ.

Thank you for praying this morning. Have a great day as you live for the Lord Jesus.

Our Need For Revival!

Recently, I read in the book, "Breakout Churches" by Thom S. Rainer that eight out of ten churches in America are in a state of decline or have plateaued (Pg. 45). If that is the case, then the American church is in deep trouble. Acts 1.8 and the Great Commission (Matthew 28. 18-20) is not, on the most part being fulfilled by us. What is the answer to this. We must pray! Psalm 85.6 says: "Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?"Brothers and sisters in Jesus, we must pray for a fresh new power from the Holy Spirit. Let us wake up and pray urgently for revival. I will welcome any feedback.

Pastor Bryan

How to Query God

Good Morning. Is it okay to question God? Below is a helpful article by John Piper. Stay strong in Jesus. Pastor Bryan

John Piper

Thoughts on Romans 9:20 - You will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?" 20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, "Why have you made me like this?"

Clearly Paul was displeased with this response to his teaching about God. Does this mean that it's always wrong to ask questions in response to Biblical teaching? I don't think so.

Paul had said some controversial things. Peter admitted that Paul was sometimes hard to understand: "There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures" (2 Peter 3:16). Paul had said that God "has mercy on whom he wills and hardens whom he wills" (Romans 9:18).

The point was: his will decides finally whether we are hard-hearted or not. "Before they were born or do anything good or evil" God had mercy on Jacob and gave Esau over to hardness (Romans 9:11-13).

Someone hears this and objects in verse 19, "Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?" To this Paul responds, "You, a mere human being, have no right to answer back to God."

The word "answer back" (antapokrinomenos) occurs one other time in the New Testament, namely, in Luke 14:5-6. Jesus is showing the lawyers that it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath. He said to them, "'Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?' And they could not answer back (antapokrithenai) to these things."

In what sense could they not "answer back"? They could not show him wrong. They could not legitimately criticize him. They could not truly contradict what he said. So the word "answer back" probably carries the meaning: "answer back with a view to criticizing or disagreeing or correcting."

That, I think, is what displeased Paul in Romans 9:20. This leaves open the possibility that a different kind of question would be acceptable, namely, a humble, teachable question that wants to understand more if possible, but not rebuke or condemn or criticize what has been said.

For example, in Luke 1:31 the angel Gabriel comes to the virgin Mary and says, "Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus." Mary is astounded and baffled. Virgins don't have sons. She could have scoffed and argued. But instead she said, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?" (Luke 1:34). She did not say it can't happen; she asked, "How?" Contrast this with Gabriel's visit to Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist.

The angel comes and tells him, "Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John" (Luke 1:13). But Zechariah knew that "Elizabeth was barren and advanced in years" (Luke 1:7). Different from Mary, his skepticism gave rise to a different question. He said, "How shall I know this?" Not: "How will you do this?" But: "How can I know you'll do it?"

Gabriel did not like this answer. He said, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time" (Luke 1:19-20).

So I conclude that humble, teachable questions about how and why God does what he does are acceptable to God. To Mary God gave a very helpful answer, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you" (Luke 1:35). This did not remove the mystery, but it helped.

I can't remove the mystery from Romans 9. But there may be more to understand than we have seen and I do not want to discourage you from pressing further up and further in to the heart and mind of God.

Wanting to be teachable with you,
Pastor John

I am back (again)

This blogging stuff takes discipline. It was another beautiful day in Omaha. Five years ago, I could not have imagined living in Omaha. But the Lord brought me (and my family) back home. Have a good night. Pastor Bryan

Back to Blogging

Hi. It has been awhile since I have posted anything. Last Monday, I was at the Master's Golf tournament in Augusta, GA. I met a friend from college and his cousin the day before in Atlanta. What a zoo Augusta was. There were 40,000 people on the course, but what a course it was. I was actually walking at Augusta National. I have watched the Masters for over 20 years, so to actually see the holes and fairways up close was cool. Oh yeah, there was some players there as well practicing including the eventual winner: Tiger Woods.

It is never too late to learn

I have spent the past three days in class at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Boston. Dr. Haddon Robinson has brought in Dr. Don Sunukjian from Talbot Graduate School to teach us the stages of sermon preparation. Some of it was review, but much of it opened up new doors for me. I am being challenged to adjust my 20 year approach to sermon writing. Yes, the day is long and we sit on hard chairs for hours in class, but it is fun to learn new approaches. Dr. Sunukjian will be us for one more half day. Have a great day. Pastor Bryan

I am in Boston

Good Morning. I am in Boston for my two-week residency for a Docter of Ministry degree at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Class actually is delayed by three hours because of a snow storm last night. It was a "nor-easterner!" I am in the class room typing this blog. I made it to school early. My rental car had around six inches of snow on it. The roads were all cleared on the way to school (about 13 miles).

It was good to see my classmates and Dr. Robinson yesterday. A couple of people dropped out of the program for various reasons. This past year went by fast.

I will try to post some more in the next couple of weeks. Have a great day. Pastor Bryan

Reaching People for Jesus

Part of my preparation for my second residency for my Doctor of Ministry degree at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary is the requirement that I read the book, “Culture Shift: Communicating God’s Truth to Our Changing World.” It is written by David W. Henderson and it is the most practical book on how to reach other people for Jesus. If you are wondering why people do not care about your faith and your Jesus, then you will want to read this book. Henderson will go back centuries to explain the forces that have been at work to shape our current attitudes. If you are interested to know why we are self-centered individuals, then get the book.

The book is a wake-up call for Christians to seriously work hard at fulfilling the Great Commission of Jesus. Matthew 5.13 and 14 that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. How can we bring preserving flavor and light to our world? Henderson points out that because our culture has changed, the days of door-to-door evangelism, cold-turkey witnessing and leaving tracts in restaurants are behind us. Americans are individualistic; and they tend to be isolated from others.

Henderson writes, “Our brazen preoccupation with self ripples through every tributary of our culture. It shapes how we do business, how we teach, how we parent, how we vote, how we marry. Not surprisingly, our individualism and self-concern wash over into the way we approach matters of faith. In a supreme act of self-reliance, we decide for God what is true about him and his intentions for us” (pg. 97).

Thus, if each person decides what is “true” about God, then they will have little time or tolerance for those who claim to have the ultimate truth about a relationship with God. Back in the mid 1970’s when I was in high school; some of us after youth group would sometimes drive to the Westroads Mall (in Omaha here) and witness to strangers using “The Four Spiritual Laws”. We found out that most people were willing to listen to us as we nervously shared from the tract.

Now that we are in the 21^st century, many people may not be as open for a total stranger to talk to them about their need for a savior. The problem just isn’t with the Christians sharing about Jesus. Self-absorbed individualism has allowed people to isolate themselves. Thus, the building of meaningful relationships becomes more and more difficult. As a matter of fact, many Americans are not very connected at all with other people. Three out of four Americans do not know the people who live next door to them. One out of seven people do not even know the name of their neighbors (pg. 103).

Henderson puts it this way: “Contrary to what you might see on a map of the United States, America is a land of islands. Disconnected and alone, we have forgotten the benefits of mutuality and life shared” (pg. 103). Of course, there are many “islands” in the church as well. We can see this with the superficiality of relationships and the lack of desire for many to be part of small group of fellow believers. No doubt, being part of a small group can be intimidating, but once relationships are formed and trust is found, then that is when authentic church life can begin.

So how do we communicate God’s truth and love to others? Well, there can still be a place for using a gospel tract, but only after a relationship has been established with people. And this requires the investment of work and time. Henderson writes that we must bridge the islands. Pastors must do that on Sunday mornings in the way they communicate God’s Word, and all Christians must do it in the way they form relationships with people who need Jesus.

Henderson urges Christians to put a premium on friendships and relationships. He writes, “A guarded, get-lost society requires that we approach people with the gospel in the context of a relationship” (pg. 113). How are we doing in the relationship building department? As followers of Jesus, we are to work hard at attaining loving and edifying relationships with our brothers and sisters within the church. Plus, we are to establish relationships with the people that God has put into our lives. I will close with one more quote from David Henderson:

“…it is crucial that we befriend non-Christians, winning our way into their distracted hearts and busy schedules. That means spending the kind of time with them that lets us get to know each other; having them over for a cookout, watching their kids play in a high school game; feeding their fish and collecting their mail while they’re on vacation, all while waiting and praying for the opportunity to comfortably and naturally talk about our faith” (pg. 114).

Was Galileo wrong?

I am reading a book by David W. Henderson called "Culture Shift: Communicating God's Truth to Our Changing World". What a wonderful and helpful book. Henderson referred to a saying on a t-shirt that said: "Galileo was wrong. The universe does revolve around me!" I know that my cat believes that, and it is probably reflects (or come close to) the attitude of millions in our self-absorbed nation.

The solution to this "I am the center of the universe" mentality is a passionate love for Jesus. Only he can set us free from ourselves so that we can truly live.

Have a great day. Pastor Bryan

The Words of William Law

Good morning. I want to share the words of William Law (1686-1761). His words correspond well with the second memory verse of the "40 Days of Purpose". E-mail me at bryan@harveyoaksbaptist.org if you know what verse I am referring to. Have a great day.

Pastor Bryan

"Religion is not ours till we live by it, till it is the Religion of our thoughts, words, and actions, till it goes with us into every place, sits uppermost on every occasion, and forms and governs our hopes and fears, our cares and pleasures."

RE: Loving God with All That We Have

Good morning. It is a colder and snowier day in Nebraska. The memory verse at Harvey Oaks Baptist Church this week is Mark 12.30: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. As followers of Jesus, we are to love God with our entire existence. Jesus said that this is the greatest commandment in the Bible. In 1998, the Dean of Chapel at Calvin College, Cornelius Palntinga Jr. said these words about loving God...

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, says our Lord (Matt. 22:37). In other words, you shall love God with everything you have and everything you are. Everything. Every longing, every endowment, each of your intellectual gifts, any athletic talent or computer skill, all capacity for delight, every good thing that has your fingerprints on it-take all this, says Jesus, and refer it to God. Take your longing, and long for God; take your creaturely riches, and endow God; take your eye for beauty and appreciate God. With your heart and soul and mind, with all your needs and splendors, make a full turn toward God."

The Death of Johnny Carson

Do we know and understand the purpose that God has given to us? Ashleigh Brilliant said, “My life has a superb cast but I can’t figure out the plot.” Is our life like that? Life is way too short not to know the reason we exist.

Yesterday, Johnny Carson passed away. He was born in Iowa and raised in Nebraska (just like me). Since then, the news channels have continuously given coverage to his passing. Commentators and friends and colleagues could not say enough how wonderful he was. For example, he was a gentleman, and he was the “king” of late-night and was very generous.

If you asked him what his purpose in life was, he might have said that he was put on earth to entertain people. Perhaps he would say it was to give others an opportunity to succeed on his stage. Many comedians and singers would say that Johnny opened the door for them to greater things.

Did Johnny Carson know that the ultimate purpose in life is to know and serve and glorify Jesus Christ? I don’t know? We certainly cannot rule out a death-bed salvation experience. It was reported that when Rock Hudson passed away, he turned to Jesus for salvation. Maybe, Johnny Carson is with the Lord now because he repented of sins and placed his faith in what Jesus did on the cross for him.

His death reminds us all who follow Jesus that we all have relatives and friends who need Jesus as their Savoir.

Have great day. Pastor Bryan

Re: 40 Days of Purpose

Harvey Oaks Baptist Church is about to begin the 40 Days of Purpose. The kick-off is January 29th with a Soup Supper. It is crucial that we as the followers of Jesus know that life is not about our individual needs and concerns. Life is about God and glorifying him forever. Ultimate joy and satisfaction is found only in Jesus. If you have any questions about this, please e-mail at bryan@harveyoaksbaptist.org. Have a great day. Bryan