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State
Missionary Rick Lance is executive director of the Alabama Baptist State
Board of Missions. |
Other Recent Blog Entries:
The Caleb Spirit in 2012
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
In my mind, Caleb is the Barnabas of the Old
Testament. When others seemed to lose hope, he offered encouragement to them.
A Year to Remember
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
This can be the most wonderful time of the year if we
allow the Christ of Christmas to guide us through the experience. Rather than
being caught up in the routined frenzy of long lines at stores shopping for
gifts and the endless social gatherings during the season, we can focus on what
is called the Advent.
The Most Wonderful Time
of the Year
Thursday, December 8, 2011
This can be the most wonderful time of the year if we
allow the Christ of Christmas to guide us through the experience. Rather than
being caught up in the routined frenzy of long lines at stores shopping for
gifts and the endless social gatherings during the season, we can focus on what
is called the Advent.
Finishing
Strong
Monday, November 21, 2011
I do not pretend to be a football coach, but I do
believe this "sports experience" translates into our everyday lives, most
notably in our Christian lives. There are times when we have seemingly given our
all and we feel spent, emotionally, physically and even spiritually.
Be
Encouraged!
Thursday, October 28, 2011
In periods of history like the one we now face,
Christians have often done some of their most effective service for Christ. But
in order to be an effective servant, we must find our source of encouragement in
the face of these discouraging situations.
SBC
Today: An Interview
Thursday, October 16, 2011
Managing ourselves means more than controlling the
calendar, staying morally and ethically pure, reading the latest books, keeping
family time balanced, and running things smoothly in one's ministry. I am
convinced this means staying in touch with Lord and with yourself in such a way
that you make the right decisions and lead in the right direction.
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May 2008
When a Barn Becomes a Church
Submitted: Monday, May 19, 2008; 8:14 p.m.
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Those of you familiar with the Jacksonville, Ala., area are most
likely aware of the unique Barn Restaurant located on Highway
21, on the south edge of that university city. For more than
eight years, people enjoyed the environment of having a
delicious meal in the spacious area, which once was a dairy
farmer's barn. The rather imposing silos, which years earlier
were used in handling the needs of dairy farming, are still
present. They are a reminder of what took place on the property
in the past.
There is some bad news to report. If you haven't already heard,
the Barn Restaurant has closed its doors. It no longer is a
place for unique dining. Yet there is some really good news to
share with you. The Barn has become a church. Recently, the
forward-thinking family of faith at FBC Jacksonville purchased
the building for a second campus for church ministry. The
building has now become a place for worship of the Risen Lord.
I was at the first service held at the Barn. It was a Sunday
night and there was an evening meal served, followed by a
celebration worship service. "Think Big" is the theme for the
financial campaign which will seek to cover the costs
accompanied with the purchase of the facility and, the funds
will also be used to upgrade the facilities at the main campus.
I was excited to witness the baptism of two ladies at the
inaugural worship service. They were baptized in an
old-fashioned trough and the people of the church gave the Lord
a standing ovation following their baptism. It was a moving
moment for me personally. I was glad to see a new place for
worship begin with this testimony for the Lord.
Since participating in this unique worship experience, I have
mused over the significance of this occasion. A building
formerly used to feed people physically has been transformed
into one which seeks to nourish people spiritually. A place
where people met to have secular fellowship has now become a
place where spiritual fellowship thrives. This is a remarkable
effort to establish all kinds of ministries to reach all kinds
of people.
The pastor and the church family are to be commended on their
kingdom vision for the future. This unique place will be used to
reach people with the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ. They
will feed those who are "hungering and thirsting for
righteousness." They keep the baptismal trough full of water, so
others can give testimony to their faith in Christ.
I left that night encouraged to the core of my being. I was glad
to be in the house of the Lord, even when it once was a barn,
then a restaurant. In fact, I felt like I was in the middle of a
miracle in the making. A barn had become a church.
America and the Middle East
Submitted: Friday, May 9, 2008; 1:39 p.m.
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Americans of this generation have always been somewhat familiar
with the region of the world called the Middle East. The
historic events during the last several decades have all but
ensured that this nation would be concerned about the volatile
group of nations which comprise that area of the world. Michael
B. Oren, well-known author of several books on the subject of
Middle Eastern history, has added to that inventory with
Power, Faith, and Fantasy: America in the Middle East: 1776 to
the Present.
Oren chose the title because he feels these three words
summarize the fascination and interest that Americans have had
with the Middle East throughout this nation's history. His book
is a historical journey through American history as it relates
to this enchanting area of geography.
He begins the pilgrimage in the Washington Administration as the
young nation had to come to grips with the Barbary Pirates who
created havoc for American trade in Mediterranean coast of North
Africa. This problem became a chronic one for future
administrations. Presidents Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln
were challenged by relationships in this important part of the
world as well, even though their administrations were known for
other more notable events in American history.
In 1902, an American coined the term Middle East to
differentiate from the Far East and the Near East. The name
developed a life of its own and today is almost universally
used. Teddy Roosevelt and his distant cousin FDR had to deal
with the growing prominence and importance of the region. World
War II had a major battle front in North Africa and the fading
Ottoman Empire, which now is basically Turkey, and was an
adversary during the Second World War.
However, with the establishment of the Israel after the war, the
volatile region became even more of a foreign relations
challenge for every president. From Truman to the second Bush
Administration, which now means the War on Terror, the nation's
leaders have confronted colossal difficulties.
Power, Faith and Fantasy represents a relatively readable
approach to these complex issues. Oren is an authority on the
region as is evidenced by being a Senior Fellow at the Shalem
Center. He takes an ostensibly objective approach to the matter
as he fleshes out the story.
For America, power or influence in the Middle East came as a
result of World War II and the demise of colonial European
presence worldwide. Oren also eloquently describes the interest
Americans have in faith or religion as it relates to the region.
Present-day Israel and its former provincial state form have
always held huge interest for American Protestants, Catholics
and Jews. The city of Jerusalem, as a holy place for Christians,
Muslims and Jews illustrates the point quite well.
Oren further contends that Americans have historically held some
fantasy ideas about the Middle East. A Thousand and One
Arabian Nights is a longstanding example of the myth making
concerning the people of the region. The Indiana Jones films
also offer such evidence. However, the fantasy ideas have been
almost eradicated by 9/11 and other terrorist events of recent
decades.
My interest in the Middle East is admittedly seen through
American eyes. Like most evangelicals, the Bible lands are very
special to me. My visits there served only to enhance that
connection. Yes, I did grow up on the Arabian Knights story,
along with King Arthur and other noble accounts of adventure.
Furthermore, I recognize the important influence, or as Oren
calls it "power," that the U.S. has in the Middle East.
Therefore, the book interested me and informed me. It helped me
understand America as well as the Middle East. |