Little Disciples

[Author’s Note:  May these words be as meaningful to you, the reader as they are to the Writer.]

But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. — Luke 18:16

On Monday I had an opportunity to go to Asheboro and visit Camp Caraway.  Camp Caraway offers an abundance of services and programs, including a conference center, a pastor’s retreat and their boys camp.   The Royal Ambassadors from FBC Hickory send boys to RA camp at Caraway every year.  This summer we will have 10 or so boys go (I don’t have the final count) – these are all boys who have completed 3rd grade and have not graduated 6th grade yet.  Every year they go, every year they come back with exciting stories to tell of the camp.  And Monday I got to see the camp up close and personal for the first time.  In many ways Caraway is growing – they are building a large addition to their conference center.  They have just built a new pastor’s retreat. They have plans to update their indoor recreation center there.  But what pains my heart is that fewer boys are coming to summer camp there than ever before.  The number of boys who attend camp there in the summer have dropped from 1,600 to 900.

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. — Matthew 28:18-20

There have been more than a few boys who have gone to Caraway from FBC Hickory who have made professions of faith there on commitment night.  We have sent them with a good knowledge of the Bible and of missions efforts around the world, and we have sent them there with a bit of the passion that we adults carry around with us for our Lord.  And there the camp counselors would play and lead and teach and the Holy Spirit would work in the boy’s hearts.  I have seen the results of transformed lives come from some of the boys who attended a week long summer camp at Caraway.  I have seen the results of disciple making and that warms my heart.

In our churches today we are given an awesome opportunity.  Many of us find ourselves standing in front of boys and girls of a grammar school age.  There seated before us are open minds and open hearts.  It is our job to fill those minds, to touch those hearts, to make little disciples.  Folks, this is an awesome opportunity and a huge responsibility.  People of a certain age begin to talk of their legacy – what will they leave behind for the next generation.  How about disciple making – and specifically the making of little disciples who will grow into youth disciples, who will grow into adult disciples.  What better legacy can we leave this planet than to bring the little children along in their faith?

Challenge:  support the disciple making efforts at Camp Caraway – there is a link to their website below.  But don’t stop there….go therefore and make disciples of all sizes, beginning with the little children.

Folks, I wish you could feel my heart at this moment – it is full, it is overflowing.  God has given me a big opportunity to help in the process of making little disciples and my passion has been renewed by a brief visit to Caraway.  Those little children that I find myself standing in front of on Wednesday nights at FBC – sometimes they can make me crazy with their abundance of energy that is often misplaced.  But in the end they hear the words, they understand the message, they feel the passion that we try to place in their open minds and open hearts.  They hear and they respond in due time.  We play, we lead, we teach…and the Holy Spirit takes over from there.  Jesus said that the kingdom of God belongs to the little children.   Let us go tell them about it!

Mr. Terry

Please go to:  http://www.caraway.org  and check out the “New Beginnings” page.  It is packed with exciting information about ways you can help Caraway continue making disciples.  Go on…check it out now.

The Lonely Run

Last night I went for a run – not an unusual activity for me, but I went late and I went alone.  I was predisposed earlier and missed the normal 7 pm run from LRU, so I trudged out about 9:15 alone…and my battery on my ipod was dead so I was REALLY alone.  But I wasn’t….a front was coming in, the air was getting cooler, a moderate breeze pushed me along,  lightning flashed in the distance…a few raindrops fell. 

My run last night, while lonely, was filled with the wonder of nature and it was welcome.  It was good to be out at this hour and it was good to enjoy the solitude.  A modern man doesn’t need much these days:  a beautiful lady to kiss, a loyal dog to pet and some moments alone….to enjoy nature and to reflect on the day.  Of course, a modern man needs first and foremost a relationship with his Creator.  Put all these together and peace reigns.

So last night’s run was peaceful and it was fast – I have no witnesses to doubt my speed, so I am claiming a fast run.  And in my mind I was Shorter, I was Salazar, I was Rodgers, I was Meb, I was Hall…..I was Wesley Korir and I was running the Boston Marathon and I was winning.    Yes, it was all fantasy but it was quite glorious. 

So give a man a relationship with his Creator, give him a beautiful lady to kiss, give him a dog to hang with, give him some time alone in nature….and give him a dream.   And with these few significant things he is good to go – and go fast.   You, my reader must understand that my running “fast” only exists in my mind.  I run long, I run often, I run consistently…but Terry don’t run fast.  But Terry does relate to this quote from Eric Liddell:

“I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure”

I felt God’s pleasure last night.

Terry

A Planet of Apes

 Come and hear, all you who fear God;
let me tell you what he has done for me.—Psalm 66:16

 

Hello Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

I was talking with a friend the other night and our conversation was somewhat strained – first he told me that monkeys were trainable, but apparently I was not.  Then I was telling him about a favorite movie from my younger days – “Planet of the Apes”.  He asked me what it was about and I had barely beckoned 5 words when he cut me off and said…”No, what is it about?”.  [Hint:  Terry don’t like to be cut off!]  He was not wanting a play by play of the movie, but simply wanted to know what the underlying theme of the movie was.  The underlying theme of “Planet of the Apes” — REALLY?  After many more words were spoken we finally arrived at the underlying theme of the movie – Opression of the Races and their Effects.  Who knew?  I guess I knew that but sometimes I have trouble clearly beckoning the words that I am called to deliver.

   

As a Christian I am called to deliver many words.  I am called to deliver a prayer in public here and there.  I am called to deliver a devotion occasionally at a Baptist Men’s meeting.  I am called to deliver words in a Sunday School lesson for the college class at First Baptist – something I LOVE to do.  And sometimes I am called to deliver a word of testimony – a true story of a personal encounter with my Creator.  When delivering a testimony I never want to have trouble clearly beckoning the words.  I want to communicate what I felt, what I saw, how I was changed by the encounter.  I want to communicate transformation on some level.  An encounter with our Creator should involve a transformation and those around us need to hear of it.  May we always be able to speak those words in an un-Ape like manner!

    

Challenge:  Disciples…let’s not monkey around with our testimony.  Let’s speak clearly of our transforming encounter with the Almighty.  Those around us – Christians, Seekers and non-believers, they are all listening.  And they want to hear the underlying theme of our story.  Let’s speak it clearly and let’s speak it from our hearts….which are still burning within us, right?   Let’s share the warmth of a real and personal encounter with a listening world.

    

What is the moral of this story?  Terry is trainable even if he is slow to learn.   Well, that may be a underlying sub-theme, but the real point is that we disciples have this awesome gift of gab.  We can and we should speak often and clearly of our encounters with Jesus Christ.  Those words can help to encourage another Christian soul, or they may plant a seed in an unbeliever.  There are 14 billion listening ears on this planet (not counting monkeys and apes) and those 14 billion ears need to hear our personal testimony of the transforming love of our savior.  Let’s give it to them!

   

Prayer:  May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart   be pleasing in your sight,

   LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.  Amen!

   

Terry

    

Check out my blog at:https://terrybjohnson.wordpress.com/

 

What Now?

When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them.  Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.  They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” — Luke 24:30-32
 
Hello Fellow Disciples!
 
Back when I ran my first marathon I remember spending so much time and energy focused on that one event – the morning of my run.  My life revolved around that 4 hour goal for about 3 months before the actual race.  I ate, slept and lived “marathon” for that time of training.  Then the day of the Bay Bridge Marathon came, I ran the race, didn’t make my goal, but I did complete my first marathon.  A couple days later after the pain had somewhat subsided I remember thinking….What Now?  My life had somewhat revolved around this marathon and now it was in my past, so what should I do?  I signed up for my next marathon, that’s what I did!
 
But enough about running, trust me – I could talk and type all night about that.  Let’s talk about my first passion – my relationship with my Savior Jesus Christ.  We disciples have just celebrated Easter and the resurrection of Jesus.  For 40 days we have been in a time of Lent, we have read about, prayed about, heard sermons about the final days on Earth of Jesus Christ.  We wept during holy week, we took communion on Maundy Thursday, we remembered what he did for us.  And last Sunday we disciples celebrated the fact that Jesus Christ lives!  What now?
 
I say that now, while our “hearts are still burning” (Luke 24:32) from our recent encounter with our Savior – while all that passion and while all that celebration is still warm in our hearts – we go share it with others.  We go encourage other believers who need a spiritual boost.  We tell our aging parents what Christ has done for us and for them.  We go proclaim this awesome news to the planet – to the saved and to the unsaved.  We have this awesome treasure in our hearts and how dare we keep that to ourselves.  There are 14 billion ears out there ready to hear a word or two from us.   Let’s go!
 
Challenge:  Feel that flame burning in your hearts from your recent encounter with our risen Savior.  Fan the flame….and go proclaim his name!  A dark, troubled, depressed world is eagerly waiting on some Good News.  Let’s go give it to them!
 
Folks my heart is warm and it is FULL.  Jesus Christ has made it so.  I believe there’s a revival that’s about ready to burst forth – let’s go be part of it.  I know you have an abundance of love to share with the folks on this lonely planet.  Let’s wait no longer – let’s start where we are and let’s start now.  Amen!
 
Terry
 
ps:  As a reminder, we have a small group of men who meet at Java Journey in Hickory on Thursday mornings at 6:30 AM.  We gather, we pray, we fellowship.  It’s all simple, but it’s all a time of connection – to each other and to Almighty God.  Join us there!

No Pain, No Gain

“What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked.  They all answered, “Crucify him!” — Matthew 27:22
 
Good Morning Folks:
 
This morning I met my personal trainer over at the gym and he said we are working on our arms today – triceps and biceps.  I am challenged in that area and need some toning up so we lit in to some curls, extensions and pull downs.  At one point I had some weights on an EZ Bar and as I was lying down on the bench to work on my triceps, the weight was more than I realized and I went down faster than expected and almost had a problem.  But the real problem was when I tried to do tricep extensions with those weights in that position – I just could not do them properly – my trainer kept telling me to keep my elbows in while lifting and all the time they wanted to go out.  It was harder to lift them in that position, but that was the point.  In order to achieve results with weight training you have to do stuff that hurts.  No pain, no gain.
 
Folks we are deep in the midst of “holy week” – a week that Christians remember the passion of our savior.  A week that began with a celebration, and ended with one as well.  A week where this man called Jesus was put to trial and was sentenced to death.  A week where his closest friends pretended not to know him.  A week where Jesus agonized.  This “holy week” is a week where we Christians remember that Jesus was beaten and he in fact did die.  There was much  blood, sweat and tears that was sandwiched in between two celebrations.  And the end result of this week was that Jesus came into his own, he fulfilled his purpose.  The end result of holy week is the keystone to Christianity.  This man Jesus, God Incarnate, experienced pain for our gain.
 
And here in the year 2012, I know we modern day disciples look expectantly to Easter morning and the intense celebration that we will have because the death of Jesus was not the end of the story.  But my challenge for us today is that we not look to Easter morning just yet, let’s not celebrate yet because there is much blood, sweat and tears that need to be dealt with before we can celebrate.  We modern day disciples cannot allow ourselves to experience the joy of Easter morning without first having felt the agony and the rejection and the separation.  We disciples have to allow ourselves to be crucified with Christ.  We have to feel the pain of this week before we get the gain of Easter morning.
 
For I am crucified with Christ and yet I live
Not I but Christ that lives within me
His Cross will never ask for more than I can give
For its not my strength but His
There’s no greater sacrifice
For I am crucified with Christ and yet I live
—-from Crucified With Christ, by Phillips, Craig and Dean

 
Challenge:  Please slow down and reflect on the passion of this “holy week”.  Allow yourself to feel the pain that our Savior endured.  And make it personal, because he did it just for you.
 
Folks, I can’t wait to celebrate Easter with many of you!  And I am getting cold chills just now thinking about it.  But we should, no we must allow ourselves to feel his pain and thus to suffer along with him.  And this week as you agonize, as you suffer just a bit, as you feel his rejection – please make it personal.  Please realize that Jesus died just for you!  His Pain is your Gain.  Amen.
 
Terry

Go watch Phillips, Craig and Dean sing this awesome song – Crucified with Christ: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWe9nC_Jybs