A confession (well, sort of)

6 Aug

This morning in my devotional reading, Provers 28:5 was the focal verse:

Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the LORD understand it fully.

The devotional illustration talked about how those who seek a relationship with God should have a deeper understanding of justice and do not have the “luxury” of ignoring wrongdoing.  That we also should understand there will be a FULL accounting for every sin committed by every person, even if that doesn’t seem to happen on this earth, it WILL happen at the end of time.  And the sins of those who know Jesus Christ will be paid.  And for those who do not know Him, they will pay themselves.

For me, this brought back something that has been on my heart for a few days now.  Once again, I am reminded that when I go to Honduras for 10 days it kind of resets my bearings.  When I go and worship in sweltering churches with tons of people who are just FILLED with the joy of the Lord and happy to be there, and then return to the good ol’ USA, I am reminded of how different we really are.  We are a very selfish culture.  Honestly, it grieves my heart because I believe it grieves the heart of God.  But that is another blog for another day (and probably for an anonymous site, to protect me from death).

Reading this devotional entry today reminds me of why I value honesty.  I really appreciate it when someone is honest with me, but when I find that they haven’t been honest, I struggle with that relationship.  I struggle to trust someone who is not honest.  Lately, as I have prayed about this in my heart and life, God has reminded ME that 1) DAVID WIKE is a pretty selfish guy too.  And 2) Where some around me might have flaws that really bother me, DAVID WIKE has flaws too!!

WAITAMINUTE … I AM NOT PERFECT????  Is THAT what God just said to me??  (I hope my Ebenezerites don’t find out … Because they will run me off for sure!!)

Big Faith Required

4 Aug

I love the picture of Moses and the Children of Israel, painted by Marty Massey last night in our church business meeting.  Twelve spies were sent in to the Promised Land to give a report.  TEN of them came back and said “NO WAY!!  There are GIANTS in this land and we cannot take it!”  And Joshua and Caleb came back and said “GOD GIVES US THIS LAND!!”  And Moses was there with a tremendously difficult choice to make…

If you play the odds, you go with the 10.  If 10 of 12 men say NO WAY, then it makes the most sense to keep on walking.  All logic and understanding dictate that you follow the ten.  It makes sense.  It would keep the people happy, right??

HOWEVER … There is a variable present in life that we often overlook.  GOD was at work!!  God had already promised this land to Israel.  He was in the details and the Children of Israel were in a place where BIG FAITH would be required.  And had they not had big faith, they might still be wandering in the wilderness.

We are very much like the Children of Israel in a lot of ways.  In fact, when I look at what Moses faced, I’d like to think I can relate to him probably better than most people.  Moses would’ve been a great Baptist pastor.  He had people on his right and people on his left second-guessing decisions, direction, and every move the Children of Israel made.  Moses did make mistakes, but for the most part he followed God’s leadership.  He dealt with unhappy people and had to fight human logic with a call to faith in God (and he had to do that WITHOUT Proverbs 3:5-6 to quote constantly in his heart).  He constantly lived in a place and time when BIG FAITH was REQUIRED.

Now we Ebenezerites find ourselves in that same place.  Plans are being made and discussed.  And I wonder how much faith we will exercise??  How much will we lean on our own understanding?  How much will we follow HIS lead in such a big decision?

I’ve got nothing

22 Jul

It is 5:08am local time, Limon, Colon, Honduras.  I am sitting on the back porch of the clinic.  I seem to be the only one up right now, using the peace and quiet to prepare for a pastor’s conference today.  Yesterday we did a clinic at Plan de Flores, and it was a big one.  Saw at least 200 patients.  But that has nothing to do with the upcoming conference.  And the truth is, I’ve got nothing.

That statement could be a theme for our team this year.  We brought 39 people:  a medical team, children’s ministry team, women’s ministry team, and we have been moving fast and working hard.  I know everyone is tired.  We go until the job is done.  The youth on this trip are remarkable.  But, the truth is, when left to our own devices, we really all have nothing.

I look at this pastor’s conference and think “What in the WORLD could I possibly have to say to 20 or so pastors that could make a difference in their lives?”  I really do believe the devil is good at reminding us of our weaknesses.  Of our irrelevance.  And he might be right if it were all up to me.  But, it’s not.

I wonder if the devil uses that line on other Ebenezerites … Well, I don’t really wonder that because I know he does.  He tells us we are not good enough to serve God … Not good enough to go when God calls.  He tells us over and over again that we’ve really got nothing.

What he doesn’t want you and I to remember is that God’s strength is PERFECT in our weakness.  God never calls us to go without providing everything we need to accomplish the mission.  (I hope when you read that line it gives the devil heartburn)  It’s all true!!  And this is why we put on the full armor of God.  This is why we are called to pray for each other and to equip ourselves for every good work that God has called us to do.  We do have the responsibility to take gather the armor and equipment He provides and put it to good use.  But it is all from Him.

So, I might have nothing … But My Lord has EVERYTHING and no weapon formed against us will prosper when we walk with Him!!  Buenos Dias!

God has no price tag

1 Jul

I’ve got to be honest here:  The title, and some of the thoughts I will express this morning were inspired by my Blackaby Spiritual Leadership Network devotional email.  It’s funny, today’s entry continues a thought I was having last night as I stared into the face of a hot grill while preparing supper …

I will be the first to confess that I am not perfect.  I make plenty of mistakes, and you can ask those closest to me and this will be verified.  One shortfall I’ve noticed lately is this:  My tolerance for those who claim the name of Christ and refuse to live for Him is becoming smaller and smaller.  And this is a problem for a pastor.  God and I are working on this.

I know no one is perfect.  I know we all make mistakes.  But this thought is more specific to those who will tell the world “I am a Christian” and/or “I am a member of Ebenezer” and yet they seem to go out of their way to live in ungodly lifestyles.  They never seem to acknowledge God in their lives in any way.  And seem to be very happy with this lifestyle.  Why does this bother me so much??  Because, as a pastor, sometimes I see this and have to come to terms with my own failure to shepherd.  Then God reminds me that I cannot make every decision for every member of God’s family, and my role is to do my best to follow HIM as a man AND as a pastor, and when I do make a mistake, confess it and make it right before Him.

The writer of today’s BSLN devotional hits the heart of this when he wrote “Today, God’s people act as if God must adjust Himself to their tastes and schedules.  We determine what our offering to God will be and assume He will be pleased with it.”  If we become like this, we are NO DIFFERENT from the world.  But “God has NO PRICE TAG.  He does not compromise His standards based on the … gift He receives.”  He is more concerned with our hearts AT ALL TIMES…  In worship, in service, in our offerings …  It is ALL about our hearts!!

Our relationships with God can never be about our comfort or preference.  We need to take a step back and realize how fortunate we are that God even ALLOWS us to have a relationship with Him.  He clearly reveals His terms for the relationship in His word.  And these terms are not a terribly heavy yoke to bear … In fact, they are much more favorable to US than they are to Him.  Why do we always try to redefine these things to our liking??

All Around Us

23 Jun

God is at work all around us … Our job is to find where He is at work at JOIN HIM!!!  That principle from Experiencing God (a GREAT discipleship study written by Henry Blackaby, Richard Blackaby, and Claude King) is one of the TRUEST things I have ever read.  (Is THAT possible???  TRUEST??)

I have watched that consistent principle play out over and over again in my life and in the world around me.  EVEN when I was running from Him.  EVEN when I did not want it to be true.  GOD is at work, and if (and when) we open our eyes and LOOK AROUND, we will see Him.

I see it in a huge way every time I look at Ebenezer.  I see people He is moving to accomplish His purposes.  I see grace, mercy, and love in the lives of Ebenezer.  I see God growing all of us to do what seems impossible and moving us beyond the limits to new heights.  And all of that THRILLS me.  And challenges me as well.

A week of vacation and reflection will give you a fresh “bite” on life … And I am reminded how exciting it is to be a part of this great family of faith.  And challenged to make the right moves in leading this flock on God’s path for us!!

Yes, I am on a VBS high right now … Pray for me and I will pray for you.  And even if you are not a member of Ebenezer, still pray for me and I WILL pray for you too!!  Have a great week!

A TRUE Theocracy

4 Jun

I looked up the definition of “theocracy” today.  It is a nation that is ruled by a religious leader.  But today I make an argument for ANOTHER definition, one that is more fitting and that should be true of EVERY Christian church.  The TRUE Theocracy that I see is a church, ruled by GOD.

We Baptists are a funny lot.  We have a rich history of priesthood of the believer, of resisting government oversight and tyranny, of not being a “credal” people … The list can go on.  Baptist churches are also known for each church being responsible for it’s own direction.  Every Baptist church is a little different from each other.  We each have our quirks and we each govern and operate a little differently.  If you are an old school Dr. Pepper fan, we are PEPPERS to the core!!

Ebenezer is a committee-led church, and this is written into our constitution.  We rely on different teams to accomplish different tasks and each team is accountable to the church body as a whole for doing their jobs.  When it comes to church government, every member has a vote and a say in every decision.  Through ALL of this, we operate in a very American way!!  But it is time we move to more of a theocratic way…

What I am trying to write here is this:  Any church in this situation should work hard, NOT to make decisions based on our personal preferences, but on what God desires for us!!  EVERY VOTE we cast should be one in which we have sought HIS face about the particular issue, and are willing to vote what HE says is best!!  NOT WHAT WE LIKE OR WANT!  NOT OUR AGENDA, but HIS!!!  If every Baptist church would approach things this way, there would be NO SPLITS … There would be NO UNDERCURRENTS … There would be NO DERISION or DIVISION … And there would be NO FIGHTS over the color of the carpet, or the toilet paper, etc …

So in every decision, big or small, we really should commit to vote GOD’S will and NOT OURS!!  Last night at Ebenezer, I saw this come together in a way that makes me think “God REALLY DOES KNOW WHAT HE IS TALKING ABOUT!!”  More to come on that later, but it is awesome to just take your hand off of the wheel and watch God steer the ship EXACTLY WHERE HE WANTS IT!!

I hope we at Ebenezer are ALWAYS a TRUE THEOCRACY.  Because when we all allow God to work, He accomplishes far more than we ever could!!!

The last quarter

2 Jun

Ok, so the last 27 pounds are proving to be the hardest.  I guess that is always the way it is.  I am at 75 pounds right now and still working hard!  In fact, I am writing this blog because Keith White encouraged me to share it.  The kitchen part of this diet, for the most part, is in a good place.  The workout routine is getting there, and one of the first things of which I am reminded is that it doesn’t need to be a ROUTINE.

I am very much a creature of habit.  I think that is why I migrated towards IT and did so well in it before I surrendered to ministry.  When I talk about comfort zones, I am very much talking to myself FIRST and FOREMOST.  I like consistency and normalcy in everything in my life.

HOWEVER … to keep my metabolism off guard, there HAS to be a level of variance.  The experts around me tell me that if I work myself into a rut in my workout, my body will adjust and will not burn calories efficiently.  They are correct.  I lift weights three days a week and, due to my left arm, I cannot vary that too much.  But I haven’t mastered that by any means, so I am guessing that one is okay.  On days that I lift weights, I do 40 minutes on the elliptical machine as my cardio.  Again, I can vary speed and resistance to help with that.  On my non-workout days, I do speed interval (alternating between walking and running) on the treadmill for 45 minutes.  Again, I can vary the times I run within that workout so it seems to be helping.

AND THEN … Lane Johnson of Anytime and I were talking a few weeks ago about how to help the gut situation I have.  The ol’ gut it getting smaller, but I need to work on it.  I know you cannot target train for fat loss, but what I’ve had going on in that area is not good and has not been.  We talked about the crunch machine, a machine that I can use every day.  Lane challenged me to get to the place where I could do 100 crunches a day.

The first day, I did 40 and thought “NO SWEAT!!”  The next day I did 60.  On day three, I literally could not do ONE.  It was so sore I could barely move.  So I took a day or two off.  That led me to the following Monday, where things seemed to turn a corner.  I was able to do 100 that day but it took forever.  From that point on (it was several weeks ago), I have been able to do 100 a day for six days (I do take Sundays off from workout to allow my body a day to rest.  Plus, there is so much else going on every Sunday that I just can’t pull it off).  In the last couple of weeks I have increased the weight and I constantly vary the number of crunches in a single set.

So, I am still working on all of this.  I have gone from a size 44 in pants to 36.  And I am still working on it.  Slowly, but surely.

Motivation

26 May

One of the most often-asked questions of my quest for fitness is “How do you stay motivated?  What helps you keep it going?”  I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately, and here is a shot at what I think helps me keep going …

1.  It all started with me finally hitting a place where I was SICK OF BEING SO BIG.  I hit an all-time high on the scale, and honestly started thinking about life and how short it might be if I continued on that track.  Life is a huge motivator.

2.  Diana and I are doing this together.  We are eating basically the same foods.  Makes it so much easier to accomplish since we have the same goals in mind.

3.  THE SCALE.  In the 75-ish pounds I have lost to this point, I have had a few setbacks, but not many.  Haven’t hit any hard walls yet, although I’ve come close.  I am finding if I stay true to the plan, eventually the roadblocks come down.

4.  CLOTHES.  It feels really good to be able to walk into a store and buy clothes off the rack THAT FIT.  Not have to order shirts or search for the shirts I like in extra huge sizes.  It is also a great feeling to try on a pair of pants I bought in March because none of my old jeans fit anymore, and now I find that they look just as bad.  And are falling off of me.  (And I am getting rid of my fat clothes this time.  NOT KEEPING THEM as a fall back, because I really do not plan to get that big again.)

5.  PEOPLE.  People notice.  Some have been encouraging me for months.  Some are just noticing.  Just this week, two different people asked me “Are you losing weight?”  My response:  “A little.”  LOVE IT!!!  All in all, it helps!

6.  I FEEL BETTER.  The more I work out, the more energy I have and the more I am able to do.

And, even if I have a big setback, I KNOW I can do this.  And I know deep down that God wants me to be in good health.  And, honestly, people are much nicer and friendlier when you weigh under a metric ton.

Philippians 4:13 (NIV)  I can do everything through him (Christ) who gives me strength.

A Hard Day turns around

19 May

Yesterday was a hard day for me.  And I KNOW other parents have done the same, but it was a first for me …  (In fact, I told my mom last night that I know how she feels when all of your kids load up within a matter of hours and go far away …)  And that is what we did:  Sent Drew to Brunswick, GA, and then three hours later saw Krissy off to go back to Clemson.  WOW….  Harder than I thought.

Krissy has been doing the Clemson thing ever since the fall of 2009 when she enrolled at Clemson.  She is now living there, graduated last year, and working on getting into PA school.  I’m kind of used to her leaving after 5 years.

Drew is another story.  He has been gone before, and even been far away, but I’ve never packed him off for an entire summer!!  So yesterday morning there was this feeling in the pit of my stomach all morning.  He left after church and drove down to begin his summer with Golden Isle Ministries.  It was a melancholy day until RA recognition service last night.  As I watched the video of their year in review, I saw pictures of RA camp.  It was the picture of our boys “sinking canoes” that brought it all back to me.  That little fellow with his buddies sinking canoes in Lake Chillywater as me and the other dads watched.  It made me think not only of Drew but about Alex Pettigrew and Matthew Andrews, who are serving down at Garden City Retreat Center (not as far away, but gone for the summer just the same).  I thought about these three young men who have been active at Ebenezer since they were babies and how they have grown up hearing about living God’s will and finding your calling.  And it hit me:  Even though I am sad about not seeing Drew every day this summer, he cannot HELP but do this.  He has been training for this moment for his entire life!!!

So … knowing that he is pursuing God’s will REALLY IS greater than feeling sad about his being gone.  Suddenly there was a peace about this I never had before.  Love how God can take even a hard day and turn it around to His glory!!

What our Honduras mission means to me …

3 May

Recently the idea has popped up that a local church doing foreign mission trips is wrong.  Some claim it is a cop out, and we have local needs that need to be addressed, too.  How does that wash with foreign mission projects??

First of all, WE DO HAVE LOCAL NEEDS.  And just as God has called people out to go and serve globally, He calls us to have an impact locally.  And if people are not stepping up to the local needs, that tells me that there are a bunch of people who are NOT listening to God.  I believe that is also true if a Christian is shouting down things that others are doing for the kingdom, just because it is not meeting a need that he or she perceives as more important.  God is big enough to meet all of the needs, and maybe some brothers and sisters need to concentrate their efforts on meeting those local needs instead of complaining about others who are listening to God and walking in other directions.  Ultimately, it is hard for us to judge anyone without knowing exactly what call God has placed in their hearts.

Back to Honduras.  I went to Honduras for the first time in July, 2012.  It was eye-opening to say the least.  And God DEFINITELY used this to move my heart in ministry!!  The things that I saw solidified our need, as a church, to continue this relationship we have with the people of La Ceiba and Limon, Honduras, and the surrounding areas.  The things that meant to most to me were seeing Ebenezerites obey and God work in such a visual way that you cannot deny His hand!!  You could literally SEE Him doing things right before our eyes.  I was also touched and blessed to be able to give away Bibles to people who had never had one of their own.  They treat them like GOLD!!

By the way, if you would like to contribute to the Bible fund, you can mail a check for whatever amount to:

Ebenezer Baptist Church, 524 S Ebenezer Road, Florence, SC  29501….  Put Honduras Bibles on the envelope and the memo line of the check!!  We get the Bibles by the case and each Bible ends up costing a little over $2.  All help is appreciated!!

ANNNNYWAY …  God has used this project to show me perspective and remind me that the North American church needs to have the kind of hunger for Him that our Central American amigos have.  I am praying for that for Ebenezer.  And if you ever have any question about the validity of that or any other mission, give it a chance before you shout it down.  Your life will NEVER be the same.

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