Why Wouldn't You?

This post will seem a little self-serving, but it needs to be said, regardless of my role in the related subject.

Politics, have you ever seen a politician turn down more endorsements? Bad example, I know it happens sometimes. Have you ever seen a charitable organization turn down more money? Have you ever known of a team that turns away more fans? How about a battalion of soldiers trying to take a town or a hill, ever heard of them turning down reinforcements? Of course not. Why not? These are all achievements that cannot be done alone; or at the very least, could be accomplished better with more help. So, welcome the endorsements, receive the unanticipated funds, give the fans a t-shirt and a big foam #1 hand thingy, and let the reinforcements roll in!

Now, why is it that in the white fields of the harvest of the Master, new churches are looked upon by many (not all) as danger and a threat, rather than reinforcements? If churches are laboring together to take a city and make as many disciples as possible, why not rejoice in more help? New churches in unreached areas are great! New churches in the Pacific Northwest, New England, or Canada are great too! New churches in major metropolitan areas, especially LA, NY, Chicago, Miami, and Atlanta are great too! New churches in rural towns, not so much. NIMBY.

Yes, I am planting a new church in my rural town.Yes, it has a lot of other churches. Yes, it has lots of believers. Yes, it has more unbelievers. Yes, our church is aiming for unbelievers. The Road is going to bring God much glory, by bringing many people to God; that's the means to the end. The end: glorify God, the means: make disciples from people who are not Christians.

Why is competition a focus, instead of kingdom advance?

Ministry Spotlight

Brian Stewart began Simple Message Ministries in 2007 after 13 years in law enforcement when God radically changed the direction of his life. You can read his story on their website, so I won't go over it all here.

Brian was at our church on Wed night filling us in on what God has been doing through their ministry to law enforcement officers. I was reminded again what a unique and much needed ministry that he carries out, and wanted to share it with you, so that maybe you would want to take part in this work.

I don't know of another ministry just like his. He simply travels around with his wife and four children (under 5 yrs old) in tow, to many states here in the southeast. He goes to different law enforcement agencies unannounced, and gains permission to speak to the officers/deputies at shift change (6 AM). With his background as a deputy and a Georgia State Trooper, he gets in places with ease, sharing war stories and identifying with these officers having been there, done that. Most of these places he gets into, we can never get into ourselves. As the chaplain to our Tift County Sheriff's Office, it has taken me several years to become trusted and accepted, because I am not one of them; and it takes him about 10 minutes.


In addition to sharing the gospel with them, he leaves them free law enforcement New Testaments to put in the squad room and give out to other officers and personnel. And he puts out a daily email devotion tailored to law enforcement, and currently has over 700 officers in several states, and three countries receiving and replying to. He also speaks at Law Enforcement Appreciation banquets (which he has done for me) and services for churches and other organizations.

He comes from an independent Baptist background, but he ministers to all. He focuses on the main thing--the gospel, and does that well. His greatest desire is that the law enforcement community is reached with the gospel, and so he quit everything and began to do that.

The law enforcement community has high rates of divorce, alcoholism, stress, and suicide; and 21 years lower life expectancy that the general population. They are a young, relatively unchurched, and needy segment of our society. They put their lives on the line for us, and we should do everything we can to let them know about the One who gave His life for them!

So I commend him to your service. Pray for this ministry, that the seeds of the gospel will bring forth a harvest in due season. Pray that God continues to provide for their family. And if you have a need for this ministry, please don't hesitate to contact him. You can find him on Facebook here.

Brevity and Urgency

This week in Tifton, we were all reminded again of two truths: brevity and urgency. Wednesday afternoon, a Tifton Police Officer, named Terry Adams died as a result of injuries sustained in a crash between his patrol motorcycle and a truck that pulled out in front of him as he responded to a call. You can see more about it here at the Officer Down Memorial Page. As the chaplain of the Tift County Sheriff's Office, I was thankful that it wasn't one of my deputies. But as anyone in law enforcement knows, it really affects us all when a fellow officer is killed in the line of duty.

As I reflected on it all, I thought about how quickly life can be taken from us. I was riding with a deputy who had just talked with Terry that morning, and we just shared in shock that he was really gone, just like that. None of us are immune to tragedy. And I drove a little more carefully that day. I thought of his wife and family trying to explain to his four children about the fact that their father would not be coming back. James says life is like a vapor. John Piper says, "Don't waste it." How about you? Are you living as though you are bulletproof? Are you prepared to go today should today be your appointment with death?

Secondly, I thought of the unique opportunity and urgency that those believers like me who work with law enforcement have, and must keep in their minds. These public servants put their lives on the line everyday for us, and we rarely give them a thought, unless we think that we are about to get a ticket. They are a unique group in our society, and hard to reach with the gospel. But we are called to make in roads of faith into their lives best we can. If you have the privilege of having an officer/deputy in your life, please don't take it lightly. Please remember that those that don't have the Son, don't have life.

So, first of all, pray with me. Pray for the Adams family. The funeral is Monday. Pray that officers and deputies will be touched with a sense of their own mortality; and touched by the Holy Spirit, and shown their need for Christ. Pray for opportunities to minister the gospel during this full police funeral. Pray regularly for the law enforcement personnel in your town/county. Serve them as they serve you. Talk to your local agency about ways you can show your support. We have people in our church that randomly do acts of service for the entire Sheriff's Office, and for that I am grateful. It makes the gospel real to them, and my job as a chaplain much easier. And finally, be bold with the gospel of the Greatest Treasure in the universe! Time is short, and the harvest is white and in need of laborers!