One Pastor's Perspective

This past Sunday evening I met with core leaders of Ebenezer Baptist Church.  It was not a top-secret, clandestine meeting of the Rothchild’s of EBC or anything like that.  It was our Sunday evening group.  Sunday evenings have modified at EBC and become more of a small group time where the committed of Ebenezer come out for one more time of study and reflection before we start the week.  And, I like it.

This past week I issued a challenge to them, and I think any serious follower of Christ should take this challenge.  The challenge is this:  WHO ARE YOU POURING INTO?  And WHO IS POURING INTO YOU?

The New Testament models of discipleship, of growing in our relationship with Christ, teach us that we need to surround ourselves with people who will help us grow, and we in turn might help them grow.  This leads us to be honest and open about life, about the issues (both those we have faced AND those we have in front of us), about our successes, about our failures.  Simply, I know there are mistakes I have made in my life.  Where I probably shouldn’t go to the highest mountain and shout them to the universe, if I have a friend who is facing some of the same tough situations, why not be honest about the mistakes I made and help him???

I have a handful of friends that I KNOW I can trust to give me good advice.  To give me perspectives that I might not be able to see as I face problems and issues.  I am thankful for them.  And, in return, sometimes I get to help them.  But they probably help me far more than I return the favor.

It is helpful to see what God is doing in the lives of others… How others deal with His word and how it applies to our lives.  Those different perspectives mean the world to me, and I believe the Holy Spirit works in all of these things to help us grow.  I need others who are in the Word and are willing to help ME in the Word.

SO … Have you found solid followers of Christ to help with this??  WHO ARE YOU POURING INTO??  WHO ARE YOU ALLOWING TO POUR INTO YOU??

In other words:  HOW TO MAKE A LASTING DIFFERENCE IN THIS WORLD …

Legacy.  A piece of our lives that lives on beyond us.  For some, the legacy left will be very good.  For others, not so much.  How is yours developing?

Today I drove to the SC Baptist Convention Building in Columbia for a meeting of the Baptist Foundation of South Carolina, for which I am an ambassador (albeit, not a very good one).  It was a chance to meet a couple of new friends and fellow pastors, to reconnect with some old ones, and to jump back into my role of support for this very vital ministry in our state.  Later today, Diana and I have a meeting here in Columbia with a local attorney who is handling our estate documents (but that is another story for another day).  We were connected with him through the Baptist Foundation and their partnership with Philanthrocorp.  Another neat story.

But imagine my surprise when I realized the highlight of this meeting was the annual awarding of the Dr. Lonnie H. Shull, Jr, Legacy Award, given to a South Carolina Baptist who has exemplified generosity and service to our Lord and our state.  And I can think of NO ONE ELSE for whom this award should be named …

I first met Lonnie Shull soon after I surrendered to ministry, left my job in IT and moved to North Greenville College to finish my BA in preparation for seminary.  I was recommended to Fairview Baptist Church (in Greer) as a youth ministry intern, a job I accepted and fumbled through for 9 months.  Lonnie Shull was then the pastor of Fairview and a tremendous influence on my life.  There are so many stories I could tell … And I would probably goof the details.  When I was called to Fairview, a long-time youth pastor had just left and I was tasked with helping the staff hold the Youth Ministry together.  Honestly, if not for a really great team of adult youth workers and their minister of education, Tommy Comer, Fairview would’ve been in SO MUCH TROUBLE.  But God was at work and things worked out well …

Since I didn’t have a youth pastor with whom to work, Tommy and Lonnie took me under their wings.  They both taught me so much about ministry, about people, about serving on a church staff.  It was the kind of eduction you cannot buy, and it is priceless anyway …  Lonnie would take me to the hospital, on crisis calls.  I remember one time riding with him to the house of a member who had just died.  Seeing him in action was indeed priceless.

Lonnie stayed active in my academic plans and routed me down to New Orleans Seminary when NGU could only accept 22 of my 90 transferable hours from Greenville Tech.  (New Orleans took it all!!  So, in that, he helped me save 2 1/2 years of school time).

So, as you can see, I owe that man so much.  But that is NOT where his investment in my ministry ended.  Even though I only served Fairview for 9 months, Lonnie Shull made sure that I applied for their church vocation scholarship.  And, every semester, Fairview paid my tuition.  The folks at Fairview will never know the difference that made to me, to Diana, and to Krissy.  But the legacy didn’t stop there, either!!

Through the years, Lonnie kept up with me.  He encouraged me.  He would always tell me how proud he was of me.  He was a generous man … Yes, generous with money, but generous with so much more.  He continued to pour into me until he could do that no longer.  You see, several years ago, dementia began to take a toll on Lonnie.  The same kind of toll it took on my dad.  In a strange twist of fate, now dementia has taken not only my natural father, but is taking a man who was somewhat of a “father in ministry” to me.  Man, I HATE DEMENITIA.

Today, I got to see his lovely wife, Hazel.  Lonnie was not able to attend the meeting.  She is such a sweet lady and so strong.  My heart breaks for her.  But, I even tell you now like I told her that Lonnie’s legacy IS STILL ACTIVE AND ALIVE.

BECAUSE … I have made it one of my life’s goals to do what Lonnie did to the best of my ability.  I asked God for that a long time ago.  And He has provided.  He has provided men and women over the years who were growing in ministry and God has allowed me to pour in to them.  To stop and have a cup of coffee with them.  To give them chances to share in the pulpit.  To invest in them and their families just as Lonnie invested in me.  I cannot stop this terrible disease from doing what it does.  But I can carry the ball.  It is my turn.  I can live the legacy forward.

My friend Tom Capps (who was also at this meeting) said it best when he said “Lonnie Shull was one of the statesmen of the ministry in SC.  We just don’t have statesmen like him anymore.”  I will probably never live up to it, but I am going to do my best to make sure this legacy continues.

Legacy.  Something handed down from an ancestor to another.  It could be property.  It could be knowledge.  It could be the very thing I write about tonight.

Something happened to me today.  I want to write about it, NOT to toot my own horn, but to give thanks for my mother and father.  Because what happened today was a direct result of their LEGACY to me.  A legacy I have attempted to pass on to my children and hope they will pass on to theirs.

Don’t get your hopes up:  This is probably an insignificant event.  Barely worth reading.  You might want to Facebook and see what people are writing about the Confederate Flag or whatever the hot topic is now.

This afternoon I went to a grocery store after my workout.  There I stood in line with a handful of items.  There were many folks in front of me at the self-checkouts, so I stood.  And waited.  Knowing that I am much quicker than most of them at logging in, scanning my stuff, paying, and exchanging a pleasantry with the attending employee as I take my bags and venture back out into the intense heat.  There was an older lady in front of me and she was hurrying as best she could.  She lifted her debit card to swipe for payment and she dropped it.  And it found its way FAR, FAR to the back of the equipment on the floor.  She looked like she could’ve cried.

I knew what to do.  Why?  Because I was taught to be a gentleman.  A Southern gentleman.  Taught by both my mother and father, from a young age.  When someone needs help, you go out of your way to help.  PERIOD.  She looked at the card and looked back at me with a bewildered look.  I was already putting my stuff on the floor.  She started to bend down and I said “No, ma’am.”  I had to get on all fours and crawl up under the machine.  I grabbed the card with my left hand (you know, the one that will not straighten out yet God has seen fit to help me recover and be able to use it to do all sorts of good stuff).  I handed it to her and she thanked me. Her smile was all the payment I needed.

I really thought nothing of that entire incident until about five hours later.  Then I hit me:  I am that Southern gentleman because I had a mother and father who cared enough about who I would become to teach me to do things like that.  To hold a door for a stranger.  To help someone who needed it without having to be asked.  To do the right thing.  Regardless of race, social status, or any other factor that our world would say separates us.  I am a product of two parents from the South who made sure I obeyed the Golden Rule:  To do unto others as I would like for them to do unto me.  To treat others better than I treat myself.  To love with God’s kind of love.  With the kind of love Jesus showed us when He stretched out His arms and allowed Himself to be nailed to a cross.

So, as you can see, I am not bragging on myself.  I merely did the right thing.  The very thing I was taught to do by Don and Janet Wike.  If I am bragging on anyone, it is them.  And they wouldn’t like it one bit!

I love my state.  South Carolina is a large part of my life.  Sure, I would venture over in to northern Georgia or North Carolina at times when I was young, and even made an obligatory trip to Florida a time or two, but South Carolina always had my heart.  There is just something about this state.  Something about that field of blue of a crescent moon and palmetto tree.  I love it.

I didn’t realize how much I loved it until I moved to New Orleans, Louisiana.  Don’t get me wrong:  I love New Orleans, too.  Love the people.  Love the church I served.  LOVE the seminary I attended.  But there was always something about this state.  Living away for three years helped me know even more how much I love this place.

Fast-forward 20 years later.  One of the most heartbreaking tragedies to ever happen in an American church happens in Charleston.  Nine people … Nine CHRISTIANS.  Nine worshippers were gunned down.  The intent of the shooter?  To start a race war.  But, to quote a long time friend of mine who is now a Charleston resident, “He failed.”

What we see now is a revival, of sorts (to quote another good friend who is a Charleston resident).  We see people bonding together.  White, black, purple, green, EVERY COLOR.  LOVING.  We see the families of those who were brutally murdered FORGIVING the murderer.  (I think because they know it will do no good to hold a grudge.)  We see a city … in SC, it is known as the “Holy City” … Instead of falling into anarchy, this great city has pulled together with love, grace, and mercy.  I believe God is glorified in this.  I believe the devil is mad, because his little plan just failed.

Foiled by Charleston.  Foiled by South Carolina.

And, today, I am prouder than ever before to be a son of South Carolina.  Sure, we have our faults.  We are not perfect.  But we are South Carolina.  And that is pretty great in itself.

What makes a church jump from GOOD to GREAT???  Is it the awesome and dynamic pastor???  Not even close.  Is it the superior production value of the music and drama???  Nope.  The wonderful facility???  Nah.  All of these things are good, mind you, but none of these take a church from GOOD to GREAT.

This morning I will cut to the chase.  I am tired.  It is VBS week.  I am WAYYYY over-committed today.  So here it is:  It is a combination of OBEDIENCE TO GOD and the spirit of the PEOPLE.

The people can make or break a church.  The people are what draw others in.  When visitors find a strong sense of family and community, they want to be part.  And (here I am, sliding the REAL TRUTH in) this only works when GOD IS AT THE CENTER.  When HE IS LEADING THE PACK.  When the people are FOLLOWING HIM, HAVING FAITH IN HIM, TRUSTING HIM, TAKING GIANT STEPS AS HE DIRECTS.

The “church” that DOES NOT DO THESE THINGS is nothing more than a club.

The church that DOES these things IS GREAT.  ONLY BECAUSE OUR GOD IS GREAT.

Think about that as you have your next cup of coffee ….

(Drops mic.  Walks into copy room to get yet ANOTHER cup of coffee)

REALLY LIVE IT!!  SERIOUSLY!!

I really do enjoy social media.  It allows me to stay somewhat plugged-in to the lives of so many friends from years gone by AND friends today.  As a pastor, it allows me to celebrate victories and minister in crises that I might not ever know if not for social media.  And, with all of that said …

LIVE YOUR LIFE!!  One of the dangers of social media is it provides a vessel through which we can crawl in and live this false life … We are on dangerous ground when we live more through the persona we’ve created on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram than we do in actual life.  Shades of the Matrix????

In other words, why not try BEING the person you are on social media?  Yes, DO post about how great your moms and dads are and how much you love them, BUT ALSO TRY TELLING THEM FACE TO FACE!!!  One of the rules I have always tried to hold myself to is this:  I won’t post anything about someone I love that I haven’t told them with my own voice! I think it is encouraging to post how much you love your spouse or significant other for all the world to see … Just be sure you are TELLING them these things as well.

Don’t read this and think I am shouting down social media, because again, I really love it.  But PLEASE, PLEASE do not allow it to become a substitute for REALLY LIVING YOUR LIFE.  If you do, you will regret it in the end.

I have told this story from the pulpit.  But as far as I can tell from researching, I have never written about it in my blog.  And it is too good to miss!

The date was June 28, 2014.  It was a few days after my nephew and his wife welcomed the first great-grandchild into the Wike clan.  Mom and Dad were driving down to Charleston to see her and wanted us to meet them there.  I told Mom approximately what time we would leave Florence and asked her if she was okay getting there.  She assured me she had printed a map from her computer and could find it!!

Diana and I went down I-95 and hit I-26 heading for Charleston.  As usual, I-95 was a circus.  I was stressed to a maximum level when we merged onto I-26.  We merged on and ended up behind a greenish Dodge van that wasn’t even going the speed limit.  And we were stuck behind them!!  And I was not happy.  I probably mumbled something about using the gas pedal instead of the brake pedal.  Then I slowly realized I knew that van …  We drove up beside them to see it was Mom and Dad!!!  We knew Mom was nervous about driving into Charleston, so we made a plan to stop and let me drive them.  I think Mom got into the car with Diana and I drove the van and Dad.

We got there and saw little Molly for the first time.  She was so sweet and precious.  Mom and Dad were in awe of that little one.  It was a great moment to witness, and I am thankful I was there.

A little later, my mind started spinning.  I started thinking about the rate of speed on I-95 (speed limit is 70, but you drive a little faster if you don’t want to be hit from behind) and the same on I-26.  I told my Mom “You know, that was SOOOO lucky that we merged onto I-26 at just the right time to get right behind you guys.  We couldn’t have threaded that needle any better had we been talking on cell phones the whole time.  That was some luck!!”

My mom responded, “No, that wasn’t luck at all.  I knew I would have a hard time finding their house and getting around in Charleston, and I had been praying the whole time ‘Lord, I don’t know how You are going to get us there.  But I am trusting You.’  I am not at all surprised that you showed up.  You were the answer to my prayer.”

WOW!!  That is just how she lived, too.  Complete trust, KNOWING that God would make good and guide her in.  That not only testifies to her faith, but stands as a legacy to me.  I will never forget that day.  God really DOES care and He is at work all around us.  Open your eyes and see!!  Remove the filters and have a little simple faith.  Believe and see that the Lord is GOOD!!!

When God says “Step up!” what will YOU do?

For years, I have been telling my Ebenezer family that God is at work all around us … All we have to do is wake up and look for Him!  This is not only true for Ebenezerites, but is a universal truth.  If you know Christ as Savior, you can count on this truth!  This idea was not originally mine … Henry Blackaby wrote about this in Experiencing God many years ago.  But we know this to be a tried and true principle of Christian life.

I believe there are rare moments in the lives of Christians when God calls us to join Him in extraordinary things.  These are not every day events … Some of them only happen once in a lifetime, if that often.  With all of my heart, I believe God is calling His children at Ebenezer to one of those events RIGHT NOW.  And I wonder how we will respond!

In less than two weeks, I will have been on staff at EBC for TWENTY YEARS.  That is 140 in dog years.  When I came to Ebenezer in June of 1995, people were talking about building a new sanctuary.  We were crowded and needed space.  Ebenezer had been talking about this for YEARS.  For TWO DECADES, we have talked.  We have prayed.  We have raised money.  And here we are!

This past Sunday morning, representatives from our New Facility team stood and talked about details concerning the bids that came in to build our new worship center.  They asked the church to pray about increasing their approved total from $2.5 million to $3.1 million.  They talked about how the scope had changed and there are several things that were not in the original plans that need to be done.  (For example, the parking lot absolutely HAS to be repaired.  I think I saw the Von Trapp family escaping from Germany in one of the crevasses that has opened up.)

Anyway, here we are.  I reminded the team a few weeks ago that God is NOT surprised by any of this.  And none of this is more than He can afford.  These ladies and gentlemen have worked hard, prayed non-stop, and thought through this entire process.  And here we are.

God is saying “Step up, Ebenezer!”  Will we?  Pray hard and ask Him what He wants us to do!!

God’s timing is perfect!  But it doesn’t always fit into our plans.  We live in a world where immediate delivery on goods and services is desired and rewarded.  Let’s face it:  We ALL would rather go to the pizza place that can deliver our custom pie in 15 minutes (or less) from order to table.  That place 45 minutes will not see our repeat business no matter how good it might be.  WHY??  Because our society places speed above quality (in many cases).

Personally, after being on my “new way of eating plan” for 17 months now, I would wait an HOUR for the world’s best pizza.  But that is a another story for another day.

God’s timing is PERFECT, in how He answers our prayers and in how He unfolds life before us.  It fits perfectly with His will on earth and works to the good of His kingdom, as well as US!! We don’t always understand that.  We rarely ever like it.  But, we MUST admit it is true.

In the next few weeks, IF you will give your control of situations in life over to God, watch and see how He unfolds everything when the time is right.  You might not see it immediately, but as you look back you probably will.  And it will blow your mind!!

Looking at my blog this morning, I realized it has been almost TWO MONTHS since I posted.  That is not right.  My life has been rather topsy-turvy since November, 2014, but that is no excuse.  This week I will remedy that situation.

There is a thought that I cannot shake.  It came out yesterday in the pulpit at Ebenezer.  it is a truth that has been staring me in the face for years, yet I failed to recognize it.  Until about two months ago.  Seems there is no reason I should have overlooked this truth, but I did.

There are THREE FORCES in the life of every man and woman that seek to pull them away from Christ, that seek to separate them from a relationship with a loving God.  At least, this is how I see it today.  THREE powerful forces.

The first and most obvious is the devil.  Yes, I believe the devil seeks to kill, steal, and destroy (see John 10:10).  He wants nothing more than to annihilate the Kingdom of God.  He is vain enough to believe he can actually do it, too.  But he cannot.  He will seek every opportunity to remind you that YOU are not good enough, that GOD is not strong enough, that he is in charge of things down here.  Or, so he thinks.  For years we have seen him work.  We like to blame him when things go awry.  Sometimes we give him way too much credit.

The second force is the world.  Yes, the devil is the ruler of the kingdom of the air, he is the leader of the world.  But there is a whole world around you that does not serve God or seek to serve Him.  They choose not to believe Him, to believe in sin, to believe in the saving power of Christ.  AND THEY DO NOT WANT YOU TO BELIEVE, EITHER.  There is a lot of truth in that old saying, “Misery loves company.”  They work equally as hard to pull you away from your commitment to God, your relationship with Christ.  And some of those doing this are friends … family … those we love and trust.  Be on your guard, because they can do much damage.

The third force might be surprising, and you might not like my writing this.  You can always stop reading at any time.  But the third force is YOU.  (I suffer from this as well.)  The third force is that earthly nature, with which we are all born. It naturally migrates towards wanting IT’S OWN WAY above God’s way and His will.  And sometimes it will gently pull away from the leadership of God, from the leanings of the Holy Spirit.  And sometimes it will run full-throttle in the opposite direction from God (see the book of Jonah).

In a nutshell, there are things all around your life that will try to pull you away.  But, DO NOT FEAR.  You can overcome this.  Place your hand firmly in His.  Walk with Him everyday.  Believe and KNOW that there is nothing in heaven or earth strong enough to ply yourself from His hand.  He will NOT let you down!!