How Should Your Pastor Lead Through Prayer?

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. -Philippians 1:3-5

Pastor Joel Beeke once observed, “The problem is not that we don’t pray, but rather that seldom we truly prayerfully pray in our prayers.” With this is mind, I recently shared with our Fanning the Flame team my vision for my ministry in prayer as your pastor, as Carol’s husband, as Thomas’s father, and (most importantly) a child of God. I wanted to share it with all of our church family and ask that you join me in two ways. First, pray that I grow more and more Christ-like in my prayer life. Second, join me in setting goals for growth in your role as prayer warriors.

My vision is broken down into four areas – personal, family, church, and world…

First, prayer for my heart – my personal life. More important than being a shepherd or teacher is being a son of God. Our Savior exhorts us in John 15:7-8,“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” This abiding is a tarrying, dwelling, waiting, … While prayer can and should happen as I walk along the way, there must a greater regular, deliberate, significant, uninterrupted stopping and abiding in God through prayer.

Next, my prayer with and for my family – my home. The pattern of Christ’s prayers for His bride (the Church) sets the trajectory for my prayers with and for Carol. Likewise, my prayers with and for Thomas are to be guided by the first love and gracious concern of my Heavenly Father for me. My desire is that the Bowman household would grow in its usefulness in prayer. As father and husband, I am to model, instruct, lead, and encourage this effective ministry in my home. Further, visitors in our home should know the sweet fellowship with God through prayer as surely as they know the company of their hosts.

Third, my prayer for the church – prayer with and for the leaders and members of Grace Church of the Islands The Puritan theologian John Owen (1616-1683) once said, “He that is more frequent in his pulpit to his people than he is in his closet for his people is but a sorry watchman.” My first priority in ministry must be prayer for the flock. This “unseen” ministry must not be supplanted by the “seen” demands of each day. My love for the men and women of Grace Church of the Islands must be expressed in my labor upon my knees before God’s throne of grace on their behalf.

Finally, my prayers for the world – particularly those who are ungripped by the Gospel. Pastor Edwin Orr (1912-1987) noted that, “History is silent about revivals that did not begin with prayer. As the apostle Paul described his fervent prayers for Israel, he wrote in Romans 10:1, “Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they might be saved.” This prayer is vital because it is God alone who saves. While missions and evangelism are priority actions of Christians, prayer is the priority. I desire to grow in my intolerable burden for the glory of God and an indomitable hunger for the salvation of souls and for these to be poured out always before God’s throne of grace.

By the Lord’s grace, and with His help, I purpose to develop a greater personal discipline in praying daily, with kingdomfocus, for my heart, my home, my church, and the “ungripped” in my world. Specifically, that I would:

Daily make prayer my first personal appointment at home and in the church study.

Daily pray for the officers and staff (and their families) of Grace Church of the Islands.

Daily pray with and for Carol and Thomas – with them individually and as a family.

Weekly pray through the roll of the church (taking a few families each day)

Weekly provide instruction & encouragement for the flock through literature and examples.

Weekly pray with the office staff and the elders.

Monthly take a day of prayer

Monthly lead, encourage, and participate in the church day of prayer.

Monthly lead elders in extended seasons of prayer

Quarterly preach on the topic of prayer.

Always be more diligent in the organization (journaling) of my prayer life.

Praying With and For You,

Brannon

2/2012

The Return of Daily Grace

The 2012 edition of Daily Grace is hot off the presses! It is an aid for believers and their families in worshiping our Sovereign God in spirit and in truth. It includes daily Bible readings, memory verses, Westminster Shorter Catechism questions and answers, hymns, confessional statements, historical quotes of wisdom and insight, a reading schedule for excellent books, and other worship/study helps.

The daily Bible readings are taken from John A. Battle’s one-year Bible reading plan. They are organized chronologically based on the dates of the events recorded. By using this schedule you will read through the entire Bible in one year. By memorizing the catechism questions and answers, you will learn the entire Westminster Shorter Catechism in two short years.

The Tole Lege entry is a daily reading from a godly book. By following this manageable schedule, we will together read three books and begin a fourth during this quarter. The books are From Embers to a Flame by Harry Reeder, King’s Cross by Tim Keller, Expository Listening by Ken Ramey, and Chosen by God by R. C. Sproul. Copies of the current book and order forms for future books are available in the narthex.

The Confession of Faith daily reading is taken from the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF). Each week also introduces a new hymn. Grow in your personal worship by singing God’s truths back to Him. Thirteen hymns are included in this quarter. There are additional song sheets for you to take so everyone in your family worship time can sing along. AND, our choir has recorded the thirteen hymns for you to singalong. Finally, be inspired by On the Shoulders of Giants – Daily quotes from men and women who have gone before us.

I would recommend that each family set aside a regular time each day (perhaps at the breakfast and/or dinner table) for a time together in the Word. Help each other with the memory verses, quiz each other on the catechism, read the daily reading, sing the hymn of the week, discuss the devotional essay, and PRAY together. Use this publication for your family worship and your private worship.

Pick up your copy in the narthex at the church. May God bless you and your family in this new year of His grace and provision.

Growing In Grace with You,

Brannon

1/2012

Are you a “Repairer” and a “Restorer”?

"If you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings." -Isaiah 58:10-12

In the short two years since Debbie and I moved to Savannah and transferred our membership to Grace, we have been amazed that our relatively small congregation is actively engaged in supporting mission work at home and abroad. Grace’s goal is to help fulfill the Great Commission by proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ in all of its fullness and by demonstrating its power through meeting the physical, emotional, and social/cultural needs in our community and worldwide.

The PCA did not have a Mission to North America (MNA) disaster response program until the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina (2005). PCA members, churches and presbyteries organized in great numbers to address the needs of our churches and communities not only along the Gulf Coast, but throughout the country. When disasters occur such as the multiple tornados that touched down in northern GA and southeastern TN last year, churches were in place to respond. In October I joined a team from Grace to assist residents of Ringgold, GA and Apison, TN to rebuild their homes. It was a wonderful experience and gave me an opportunity to work alongside seasoned “Repairers” and “Restorers” from our church. This was not the first time that Grace sent a mission team to north Georgia and, Lord willing, it will not be the last-- work is not finished and plans are underway to reserve accommodations in Dalton for another trip after the first of the year.

For years, Grace actively supported the PCA mission work in Haiti and since the violent earthquake of 2009 that trapped one of our mission teams on the island, much of that support is targeted to the children. Many of our members financially support one or more Haitian children. Last winter, Grace sent a team that visited Mission of Hope to assist MOH to construct new housing--most Haitians are still living in tent cities. More aid is needed and additional teams from Grace will be going to LaGonave and MOH in the near future.

Are you a “Repairer” and a “Restorer”? If not, I urge those of you who can go, to join one of these short-term mission teams. It is a life changing experience. If you are unable to go, please support those who can.

We should also consider joining churches like Grace PCA Church in Dalton, GA that have established facilities to support disaster relief efforts in their communities.

Oh, that My people would listen to Me (God's compassion for Israel)

Psalm 81 NIV 1 Sing for joy to God our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob! 2 Begin the music, strike the tambourine, play the melodious harp and lyre. 3 Sound the ram's horn at the New Moon, and when the moon is full, on the day of our Feast; 4 this is a decree for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob. 5 He established it as a statute for Joseph when he went out against Egypt, where we heard a language we did not understand. 6 He says, "I removed the burden from their shoulders; their hands were set free from the basket. 7 In your distress you called and I rescued you, I answered you out of a thundercloud; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. "Selah" 8 Hear, O my people, and I will warn you-- if you would but listen to me, O Israel! 9 You shall have no foreign god among you; you shall not bow down to an alien god. 10 I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it. 11 "But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me. 12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices. 13 "If my people would but listen to me, if Israel would follow my ways, 14 how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes! 15 Those who hate the LORD would cringe before him, and their punishment would last forever. 16 But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you."

Psalm 81 gives words of comfort for God’s people. Two weeks ago, I attended the “Reformation Worship Conference” at Midway Presbyterian Church in Powder Springs, GA. The first evening’s sermon was “Preaching the Psalms” by Dr. Robert Godfrey.

Dr. Godfrey showed in Psalm 81 that God has been lovingly calling His people to Himself for a long time. Verses 8, 11, and 13 echo the words “hear” and “listen”. God reminds the people of His past deliverances in verses 6, 7 and 10. God calls His people to LISTEN to Him commanding them that there shall be no other God among them. But Israel would have none of HIM. So He gave them over to their own stubborn hearts. Again, He repeats, “Oh that my people would listen to me that Israel would walk in my ways.” Then, the Father says He would soon subdue their enemies. Haters of the Lord are assured of judgment and destruction. God’s people are fed with the finest of wheat; and with honey from the rock which He alone can give. God alone is the Savior and Provider.

God has always been calling His people to LISTEN to Him. Every week we pray for those who are sick and those who are suffering from adversity, illness, discomfort or loss of employment. The Father says, “Oh, that my people would listen to me.” Are we any different than the Israelites of old? The Father has been calling for a long time - “Oh that my people would listen to me.” God wants to provide; He wants to love His children; He wants fellowship; He wants obedience, and He wants worship.

The whole service from the opening Hymn of Praise: #38 Immortal Invisible God only Wise, Prayer of Confession: Psalm 51, the singing of Psalms of Praise: #51 and #91, New Testament Reading: Acts 2:22-37 and Hymn: #370 Revive Thy Work O LORD, directed our hearts to hear and listen to God. God acted on behalf of His people as they faithfully listened. God revived our hearts. We were spiritually fed and comforted.

And that was only the first evening. Days 2, 3, and 4 were equally abundant with reformed worship and instruction by: Dr W. Robert Godfrey, Dr Hughes Oliphant Old, Dr Steven Lawson, Dr Terry Johnson, Dr Paul Jones, Dr T. David Gordon, Dr Jon D. Payne, and others.

The sermons, seminars, and workshops were recorded and can be heard or downloaded at http://midwaypca.org/resources/sermons-2/. In summary, God speaks “Oh, that my people would listen to me.”

In His service,
Creed
Creed Taylor
Ruling Elder, Grace Church of the Islands
11/2011

Embers to a Flame

Earlier this year many of us attended an exciting 4 part seminar entitled “From Embers to a Flame” . This seminar was sponsored by Briarwood Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, AL and consisted of multiple conference sessions on video. Each session was followed up with lively discussion lead by Pastor Bowman. During our time together we discussed and learned ten major strategies of Church Revitalization.

Several of these strategies are:

   The Ministry of the Word
   Preaching: Foolishness or Faithfulness
   Mission and Vision
   What God Wants You to Be and Do
   Spiritual Formation: The Discipline of Grace
   Growing in the Grace and Knowledge of Jesus Christ
   The Ministry of Prayer
   The Power Plant of the Church

During the seminars we were renewed in both head and heart. We were inspired, encouraged, and excited about God’s work in our hearts and in our Church.

The Church Officers met jointly and began discussing how to put these 10 strategies into practice. After several meetings and many prayers the Session unanimously approved a recommendation from the Officers to engage in “Fanning the Flame” .

Fanning the Flame is a 14 month coaching ministry that is designed to implant the biblical church health principles from Embers to a Flame into the spiritual DNA of our Church. We believe Fanning the Flame (FTF) will help our members, current and future, to achieve and maintain both spiritual vitality and successful discipleship.

The monetary cost for this 14 month program is $16,500. The Officers realize Fanning the Flame is an investment of time, money, and people. As a result we have pledged an additional $15,020 of our own money toward the cost of FTF.

In addition, the Session has selected the following members to form a team for the purpose of implementing FTF:

Larry Balmer	Mary Ellen Calderon	Curtis McDaniel	Tom Taylor
Susan Barry	Brad Durham	Dave Roulo	Louis Watson
Brannon Bowman	Andrew Gibson	Rachel Simons	Nicole Watson
Hal Brodmann	Creed Taylor	Stewart Hill	Lucia Welch

On Saturday, November 5th, we are having a Spiritual Foundations Retreat from 9am-3pm at Grace Church of the Islands. The guest speaker will be Rev. Lynn Downing. Rev. Downing is the Pastor of Church Revitalization at Briarwood Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, AL and an integral part of the Fanning the Flame ministry. This ministry is partnering with our church in the coming months. We are excited about this initiative and how the Lord will use this partnership for His glory among us. We encourage every GCI member (and regular attendee) to put this date on the calendar and make plans to attend, learn, and ask any questions you may have about FTF.

In Christ,
Louis Watson
Ruling Elder, Grace Church of the Islands
10/2011

Be Still

Earlier this summer, Ponda and I left our busy schedules behind and headed to Saint Augustine Beach in Florida, where with Julianne, Allison and David we spent relaxing time on the beach. We visited historic places like Flagler College, the Lightner Museum, and the Fountain of Youth. We spent time each day sitting on the porch looking over the ocean, eating good food, and enjoying quality time with our family.

As the summer comes to a close and September begins we think of a “new year” in many instances. Numerous activities start and our excitement builds as we plan for new programs. We have a new school year, sports practice, football games, music lessons, bible studies, boy/girl scouts, baseball playoffs…the list could go on forever. Other events may enter our lives such as a new birth, a wedding, aging parents and “our” time becomes less and less. Have you ever said to someone, “I wish I had the time but….”

One commandment from God that many Christians find hard to keep is a verse from Psalm 46: “Be still and know that I am God.” We all have places to go and things to do like answer emails, text messages, phone calls, etc. We can’t even watch the news on TV without reading the headlines as they scroll across the bottom of the screen! Many of us even have multiple shows playing on the same TV screen. We lead such busy lives, or so we think. This can cause us to get out of touch with God. We cannot have a Christ-filled life and share Him with others if we get out of touch with our Lord and Savior.

Sometimes we get into a trap of thinking that life is all up to us - our health, our wisdom, our work. But we should stop and remember that we are all creatures in the hand of God. When we feel powerless and weak, or powerful and strong, we should stop, wait, and remember that when it comes to power, our God Almighty is there for us. Instead of running from our burdens, we must slow down and discuss our troubles with Him. We should be still and remember. It is God, our faithful God, who is in charge of this world. Take time to stop each day and turn to God. Turn to Prayer. Pray the Lord’s Prayer : “… for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory.” Read the strong words of Psalm 23 “I will fear no evil, for thou art with me…”… Psalm 34: “I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.” While on our vacation we walked on the beach and watched seagulls fly above the ocean. As they flapped their wings and soared with the gentle breeze, I was reminded that God’s grace is the air that holds us up. His strength keeps us from falling. His unconditional love is always there for us. Let’s remember God’s commandment, “Be still and know that I am God.”

In Christ,
Louis Watson
Ruling Elder, Grace Church of the Islands
9/2011

Discipline Yourself . . . Without Legalism by Don Whitney

“Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness” - I Timothy 4:7

My wife Caffy and I have a longtime friend who asked me about the book I was writing. When I told her the title was Simplify Your Spiritual Life, she responded abruptly with, “No rules.” “What do you mean?” “There should be no rules for the spiritual life. I try to read in four different places in my Bible every day, but some days I read in only two or three. I don’t want a rule that says I have to read four.”

But the Bible itself gives us some rules about our spirituality. One of them, for example, is in 1 Timothy 4:7, “Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness” (NASB). In obedience to this command, every Christian should pursue intimacy with Christ and the imitation of Christ through the practice of the personal and congregational spiritual disciplines found in Scripture. What we should oppose is measuring this pursuit by rules that aren’t in the Bible.

So while the Scripture commands us to engage in the spiritual disciplines, we don’t want to pursue them legalistically. Legalism is the improper emphasis on works in our relationship to God. It focuses on the manifestations of spirituality that can be measured by number, frequency, duration, amount, and so forth. No one has the authority to force upon themselves or anyone else external measurements of spirituality that have no scriptural basis. Thus, it would be legalistic to tell our friend that she must read four places in the Bible every day, or even that she must read her Bible on a daily basis at all.

The opposite of legalism is license, that is, living as though freedom in Christ means there are no measurable standards of spirituality. License leads a person to presume he can be faithful to the Lord’s word in 1 Timothy 4:7, even if he never reads the Bible again.

The spiritually disciplined Christian life should be lived between these two errors. On the one hand, because of the grace of God experienced through Christ, believers are free from keeping man made rules as a way of keeping the love of God. “Stand fast therefore,” says Galatians 5:1, “in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.”

On the other hand, because of the same heart-changing grace of God at work in us “both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13), we sincerely want to discipline ourselves to pursue godliness. And the fact of the matter is that these biblical disciplines (such as Bible intake, prayer, worship, fellowship, stewardship and fasting) can all be measured in one way or another. What matters is why we measure them. If it’s to reassure ourselves of our soul’s condition based on our external performance, then we’re acting like Pharisees.

But if we measure particular aspects of our disciplines in order to simplify our spiritual lives or to hold ourselves accountable to certain goals, then there may be real benefits. So a person might try to read a given number of chapters in the Bible daily in order to avoid deciding every single day how much to read, and/or to keep pace for reading through the Bible in a year.

Not even the most rigorous practice of the spiritual disciplines is legalistic when the motives of our spirituality are what they should be, namely to do all to the glory of God and to pursue Christlikeness.

In Christ,
Don Whitney
7/2011

How to Spend a Day (Any Day) With the Lord

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Ephesians 5:15-17

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God." I Corinthians 10:31

The English Puritan Richard Baxter (1615-1691) wrote about the Christian life as “daily days" of prayer. He encouraged Christians to observe a usual sequence and method to our daily activities and duties in such a way that the details fall into their proper places. This consideration of our day is a summary of his instruction to us.

Measure the time of your sleep appropriately so that you do not waste your precious morning hours sluggishly in your bed. Let the time of your sleep be determined by your health and labor, and not by your lazy pleasure. Let God have your first awaking thoughts; lift up your hearts to Him reverently and thankfully for the rest enjoyed the night before and cast yourself upon Him for the day which follows. Familiarize yourself so consistently to this that your conscience will remind you when common thoughts interrupt this first thought. Think of the mercy of a night’s rest and of how many that have spent that night in Hell; how many in prison; how many in cold, hard lodgings; how many suffering from agonizing pains and sickness, weary of their beds and of their lives. Think of how many souls were that night called from their bodies terrifyingly to appear before God and think how quickly days and nights are rolling on! How speedily your last night and day will come! Observe that which is lacking in the preparedness of your soul for such a time and seek it without delay.

Let prayer by yourself alone (or with your spouse) take place before the collective prayer of the family. If possible let it be first, before any work of the day. Let family worship be performed consistently and at a time when it is most likely for the family to be free of interruptions.

Remember your ultimate purpose, and when you set yourself to your day’s work or approach any activity in the world, let holiness to the Lord be written upon your hearts in all that you do. Do no activity which you cannot credit God for, and truly say that He set you about it, and do nothing in the world for any other ultimate purpose than to please, glorify and enjoy Him (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Follow the tasks of your calling so carefully and diligently. Do so for many reasons. You will show that you are not sluggish and servants to your flesh, and you will further the putting to death of all the fleshly lusts and desires that are fed by ease and idleness. You will keep out idle thoughts from your mind, that swarm in the minds of idle persons. You will not lose precious time, something that idle persons are daily guilty of. You will be in a way of obedience to God when the slothful are in constant sins of omission. You may have more time to spend in holy duties if you follow your occupation diligently. Idle persons have no time for praying and reading because they lose time by loitering at their work. You may expect God’s blessing and comfortable provision for both yourself and your families. It may also encourage the health of your body which will increase it’s competence for the service of your soul.

Place a high value upon your time time, be more careful of not losing it then you would of losing your money. Do not let worthless recreations, idle talk, unprofitable company, or sleep rob you of your precious time. Be more careful to escape that person, action or course of life that would rob you of your time than you would be to escape thieves and robbers. Make sure that you are not merely never idle, but rather that you are using your time in the most profitable way that you can and do not prefer a less profitable way before one of greater profit.

Be thoroughly acquainted with your temptations and the things that may corrupt you -- and watch against them all day long. You should watch especially the most dangerous of the things that corrupt, and those temptations that either your company or business will unavoidably lay before you. Watch against the master sins of unbelief: hypocrisy, selfishness, pride, flesh pleasing and the excessive love of earthly things. Take care against being drawn into earthly mindedness and excessive cares, or covetous designs for rising in the world, under the pretense of diligence in your calling. If you are to trade or deal with others, be vigilant against selfishness and all that smacks of injustice or uncharitableness. In all your dealings with others, watch against the temptation of empty and idle talking. Watch also against those persons who would tempt you to anger. Maintain that modesty and cleanness of speech that the laws of purity require. If you converse with flatterers, be on your guard against swelling pride. If you converse with those that despise and injure you, strengthen yourself against impatient, revengeful pride. At first these things will be very difficult, while sin has any strength in you, but once you have grasped a continual awareness of the poisonous danger of any one of these sins, your heart will readily and easily avoid them.

If any temptation prevails against you and you fall into any sins in addition to habitual failures, immediately lament it and confess it to God; repent quickly whatever the cost. It will certainly cost you more if you continue in sin and remain unrepentant. Do not make light of your habitual failures, but confess them and daily strive against them, taking care not to aggravate them by unrepentance and contempt.

When alone in your occupations, improve the time in practical and beneficial meditations. Meditate upon the infinite goodness and perfections of God; Christ and redemption; Heaven and how unworthy you are of going there and how you deserve eternal misery in Hell.

Eat and drink with moderation and thankfulness for health, not for unprofitable pleasure. Never please your appetite in food or drink when it is prone to be detrimental to your health. Remember the sin of Sodom: Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food and abundance of idleness. (Ezekiel 16:49). The Apostle Paul wept when he mentioned those whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame -- who set their minds on earthly things, being enemies to the cross of Christ (Philippians 3:18-19). O then do not live according to the flesh lest you die (Romans 8:13).

Remember every day the special duties of various relationships: whether as husbands, wives, children, masters, servants, pastors, people, magistrates, subjects. Remember every relationship has its special duty and its advantage for the doing of some good. God requires your faithfulness in this matter as well as in any other duty.

Before returning to sleep, it is wise and necessary to review the actions and mercies of the day past, so that you may be thankful for all the special mercies and humbled for all your sins. This is necessary in order that you might renew your repentance as well as your resolve for obedience, and in order that you may examine yourself to see whether your soul grew better or worse, whether sin goes down and grace goes up and whether you are better prepared for suffering, death and eternity.

May these directions be written upon your mind and be made the daily practice of your life. If sincerely pursued, these will be conductive to the holiness, fruitfulness and quietness of your life and add to you a comfortable and peaceful death.

Thank you, Pastor Baxter, for your timeless counsel.

Your Servant,
Brannon
6/2011

Praying That God Will Shepherd the Shepherds

Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you. Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things. ~Hebrews 13:17-18

In his book, Concerning the True Care of Souls and Genuine Pastoral Ministry (also given the lengthy subtitle “How the Latter Is to Be Ordained and Carried Out in the Church of Christ -- Here You Will Find the Essential Means Whereby We Can Escape from the Present so Deplorable and Pernicious State of Religious Schism and Division and Return to True Unity and Good Christian Order in the Churches, Knowledge Which is Useful Not Only to the Congregations of Christ, But Also to Pastors and Rulers"), Martin Bucher outlines the five main tasks of the care of souls. The Lord has beautifully summarized these tasks in the parable of the sheep pasture in Ezekiel 34:1-16.

These five tasks are:

I.    To lead to Christ our Lord and into his communion those
      who are still estranged from him, whether through
      carnal excess or false worship.

II.   To restore those who had once been brought to Christ and
       into His Church but have been drawn away again through
       the affairs of the flesh or false doctrine.

III.  To assist in the true reformation of those who while
       remaining in the Church of Christ have grievously fallen and
       sinned.

IV.   To re-establish in true Christian strength and health those
       who, while persevering in the fellowship of Christ and not
       doing anything particularly or grossly wrong, have become
       somewhat feeble and sick in the Christian life.

V.    To protect from all offense and falling away and continually
       encourage in all good things those who stay with the flock
       and in Christ's sheep-pen without grievously sinning or
       becoming weak and sick in their Christian walk.

Those who are ordained to the care of souls and pastoral ministry in the church are to serve our Lord Jesus, the chief Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, in His lambs, that is, all those elected to life, in such a way that through their ministry everything is shown an provided that our Lord has promised in His office of Shepherd.

Pray for your Elders, your Deacons, and your Pastors. They pray for you continually and desire to be good under shepherds who will “seek out the sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day" (Ezekiiel 34:12) by the power and authority of the great Shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus Christ (Hebrews 13:20).

Your Servant,
Brannon
5/2011

Every Member a Disciple and Discipler

You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. II Timothy 2:1-2

And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. Deuteronomy 6:6-7

German pastor and martyr, Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said, “Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ." This discipleship is ultimately being a lifelong student and follower of Jesus - on His terms and for His glory. This gracious goodness of God is a blessing we both receive and bestow. In short, Christians are to be both disciples and “disciplers" (that is, both students and teachers).

The pattern of II Timothy 2 is a chain of receiving and passing on. We must commit ourselves to being diligent students of God’s Word. A lifetime of learning is a humble mark of men and women who love God’s law and meditate in it day and night(Psalm 1:2). We ought to be reading God’s Word and sitting under the teaching of faithful teachers (contemporary and ancient). Our fervent desire is to “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." (I Peter 3:15).

We are not only to learn, but to teach. One of the sins of the children of Israel in the time of the Judges was the failure to pass on to the next generation the wondrous things of God. Deuteronomy 6 teaches us to teach. It describes an experiential presentation of the gospel of God. As we “walk along the way" we proclaim God’s relevance and reality of our Savior. We live out and teach the things of God to “faithful men" - thus taking our place in this gracious chain of godly instruction.

I press before you a three-point challenge for your consideration and action. Your Elders and Deacons have been challenged in these things and, now, so are you:

     1. What are you reading? We are instructed not only by our contemporaries but by those who have gone before us. Sir Isaac Newton once said, “If I have seen further it is only by standing on the shoulders of giants." Be constantly in the Word and under the instruction of godly teachers and writers.

     2. Who are you leading? Identify those “faithful men" to whom you commit the truths of God. This is not only for their benefit, but also for yours. Hymn-writer and pastor Isaac Watts wrote, “Talking over the things which you have read with your companions fixes them on the mind." Fix these things on your mind and the minds of others.      3. Who are you needing? Identify and initiate relationships with men or women from whom you have a lot to learn. Do not wait for them to approach you with a desire to disciple you. Call them. Invite them to lunch. Listen. Grow.

Let this Easter season be marked by a resurrection of discipleship in our lives. Ask yourselves these three questions. Step out faithfully in this wonderful means of God for our growth in His grace.

“Those who teach by their doctrine must teach by their life, or else they pull down with one hand what they build up with the other." -Matthew Henry

Your Servant,
Brannon

4/2011

Grace Prays

“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed." Luke 5:16

“For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O LORD of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!" Psalm 84:11-12

Prayer is that God provided means of His grace whereby we lay hold of His promises and see them accomplished by His power. How are you doing in this mighty ministry? There exists no power like that of prevailing prayer. You see humble boldness in Abraham’s intercession for Sodom. We learn of endurance through Jacob wrestling with the angel through the night. Moses stood between God and the children of Israel and pled for God’s glory and His mercy. We weep with Hannah in her sorrow and confess our sins as did King David. In the garden, we learn of passionate, personal prayer as our Savior prayed with such intensity that He sweat drops of blood. Passionate prayer prevails powerfully. We, who are weak and powerless in ourselves, experience the power of God as we endure upon our knees. Prayer brings power. Prayer brings fire. Prayer brings rain. Prayer brings life. Prayer brings God.

However, far too many men and women who call themselves “Christians" are effectively prayerless. Sporadic bullets of prayer shot to heaven at convenient or desperate moments comprise the bulk of daily prayer lives. Prayer must not be periodic. It cannot be perfunctory. It is no place for the prideful. God’s purpose is that we would know His power as we pray.

Hudson Taylor (1832-1905), missionary to China, once proclaimed, “The prayer power has never been tried to its full capacity. If we want to see mighty wonders of divine power and grace wrought in the place of weakness, failure and disappointment, let us answer God’s standing challenge, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show Thee great and mighty things which Thou knowest not!’"

Many men and women of GCI have been blessed as we have studied the Embers to a Flame church vitality study. As we were challenged regarding our prayer lives, we were given a four question self-evaluation. As you strive to be the prayer warrior that God desires you to be, ask yourself the following questions about these areas of your lives:

Your Heart: How much time do you invest in daily prayer for your ability to pray? When do you do this?

Your Home: If you are married, how much time do you invest daily praying for your spouse? How much time daily do your invest praying with your spouse and when do you do this? If you have children how much time do you invest in prayer daily for them? How much time do you invest daily praying with them? When do you do this?

Your Church: How much time do you invest daily praying for your leaders? When do you do this? How much time do you invest daily praying for the workers in your local church? How much time do you invest daily praying for the members of your flock? Do you systematically pray for each of your members? How much time do you spend praying for workers needed to minister to your community?

Your World: Your “ungripped" are the people that God, in His providence, has placed in your sphere of influence-(your family members, friends, associates and neighbors). The “ungripped" are all who have not told you that they trust Christ, nor do their lives show the fruit of knowing Him. Have you identified these people by name? Do you maintain a prayer list and regularly pray for them?

I have issued a challenge to the men and women of Grace Church of the Islands. Make prayer your priority. Use the word “J-O-G" to jog your memory to remember this challenge.

Journal - Begin/maintain a prayer journal. Note requests, answers, thoughts… Date the entries. As you pray each day privately, during worship services at church, or with others, make notes to help you diligently continue in prayer and as an opportunity to thank God when you see these prayers answered.

Others - Pursue the fullness of prayer opportunities with others - prayer with your spouse, daily prayer with your children, regular prayer with other believers, a day of prayer.

Get Away - Regularly get away for extended periods to quiet your soul in prayer. Take your Bible, your prayer journal, and a hymnal and withdraw as Christ did to a “lonely place". But, know that it truly isn’t “lonely" because your heavenly Father is there with you.

As we purpose and strive, by the power of God that is at work in us, to grow in our participation in the privilege of prayer, let us look forward to seeing God work mightily among us. There has never been a spiritual awakening and revival in any land that could not be found to have begun by God calling His people into the intimate communication of powerful, prevailing prayer.

Prayerfully,
Brannon

3/2011

Where is Love?

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. I Corinthians 13:4-8

Let me ask you a simple “Valentines” question… Is “love” fundamentally a noun or a verb (biblically speaking)? Just look at the passage above and do the math. When God wanted to define love, He spoke using verbs because love is not defined by feeling but by acting in faith. We respond with love because we have been loved. A solid working definition of love is giving others what they need without having some temporal (selfish) reward as your primary motive.

Love is the very basic fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). Without it, can we truly say we are born again? We have trivialized every great biblical truth in one way or another. We talk about loving one another but we treat it like a mere sentiment. With such a stunted view, who are we kidding when we talk about loving as Christ loved (I John 3:16-17)?

Is love merely enjoying what is fun, finding pleasure in recreation, eating what is tasty, watching what is entertaining, celebrating the company of the like-minded, hanging around with fun companions or sacrificing something you hold as mediocre for what you really want to do? Is this truly love? How about loving someone who has hurt you deeply or betrayed a confidence or turned their back on you? Is there a face which comes to mind if I speak of someone you just can’t bring yourself to love? You say, “I can’t." But the truthful reply would be, “I don’t want to." To love the unlovable, the ugly, the needy, even our enemies (Matthew 5:43-44) - this requires the love of Christ. Simply stated - Christians will love one another - not as the world loves but as Christ has loved us. This type of love is uniquely the possession of Christians.

If true, biblical love is giving others what they need without having some temporal reward as our primary motive, what would the opposite of love be? Hate? The clearest antonym for love would actually be “selfishness". I Corinthians 13:5 explains that love is not selfish. Literally, the phrase indicates that godly love does not pursue or seek after one’s self. Selfishness runs contrary to biblical love. Christ reminds us of this perfectly when He says, “Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." Self-sacrifice, not selfishness, is the distinguishing characteristic of biblical love.

Consider the deliberate act of God’s love in I John 3:16-18, “We know love by this, that He lay down His life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth." This supernatural kind of love that loves by an act of the will in response to a command is a love that is uniquely the possession of believers. The Bible calls us to this without reservation, without hesitation. We were enabled to love like this when we were born again.

In His Grace and Love,
Brannon

2/2011