Count Your Blessings

The hymn Count Your Blessings was written by Johnson Oatman Jr. in 1897. Oatman looked up to his father dearly. It was said that his father had the best singing voice in town. As Oatman grew, he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps and to bless others with his musical abilities. However, he did not possess the vocal talents of his father. It wasn’t until he was much older that he realized where his musical abilities were. At 36, he came to understand that he did indeed have a talent for music. He could write songs for other Christians to sing. Johnson Oatman wrote an average of over two hundred gospel songs and hymns a year for over a period of twenty-five years. He wrote over five thousand hymns and songs in his lifetime. Although he was not a great singer or preacher, he expressed his own unique talent in writing hymns. Through his sermons in songs, Johnson Oatman has reached millions of people that he could never have reached from the pulpit.

God truly gives us so many blessings each and every single day. The timeless hymn, Count Your Blessings, reminds us to stop and give thanks for all God has done in our lives. Count Your Blessings is a wonderful song to sing any day of the year as a reminder of the many blessings of God, even during hardships. It is especially appropriate, as we reflect upon our Heavenly Father’s many blessings during this Thanksgiving season.

On September 20^th I flew to Missouri to help with the Culture/Language Acquisition Practicum at the Missionary Training Center. I was there for 7 weeks and had a great time reconnecting with friends and meeting some of the new students. I returned November 8^th and have been playing “catch up” ever since. When I got back, a lot of people said that they missed me. I really think that it was my computer skills that they missed the most. J

In Christ,

Bob

Hurricane Preparation

I wanted to give you a quick update before we lose power here in Florida. If you have not already heard, there is a Cat 5 hurricane headed toward Florida. When hurricane Irma passed through Florida 2 years ago, we were without power for 3.5 days.

As far as hurricanes go, Sanford is in an ideal location if you have to live in hurricane territory. We are far enough inland that hurricanes lose much of their strength before they get here.

The experts are now saying that Dorian might stay in the Atlantic rather than come ashore in Florida. But hurricanes are quite unpredictable. We are hoping that the talking heads are correct, but we are preparing for the worst.

The current projected path of the eye has Dorian skirting Florida.

 

While the eye is the most dangerous part, the effects stretch for hundreds of miles on both sides. Even if Dorian stays in the Atlantic, we will definitely have tropical force winds here in Central Florida. But Lord willing, we won’t have as much damage as we could have.

In Christ,

Bob

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Can You Sleep When the Wind Blows?

Years ago, a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops. As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals.

Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer. “Are you a good farm hand?” the farmer asked him. “Well, I can sleep when the wind blows,” answered the little man.

Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man’s work. Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand’s sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, “Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!” The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, “No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows.”

Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down.

Nothing could blow away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.

Moral: When you’re prepared, spiritually, mentally, and physically, you have nothing to fear. Can you sleep when the wind blows through your life? The hired hand in the story was able to sleep because he had secured the farm against the storm. We secure ourselves against the storms of life by grounding ourselves in the Word of God. We don’t need to understand, we just need to hold His hand to have peace in the middle of storms.

 

A Tale of Two Churches Update

Last month I wrote about a “Tale of Two Churches.” I would like to give you an update on what has taken place.

Sanford Bible Church has been in the process of selling some land which will cover the cost of needed repairs to the church building. On June 7th, we closed on the sale of the last 4 lots. I had some trouble obtaining a master survey of our property which needed to be submitted to the City of Sanford. I was able to obtain that survey and submitted it at 6 pm the day of the closing.

Now that we have sufficient funds in the bank, we have started repairs to the church. We replaced the two A/C units just in time as they were dying. We have contracted with a roofing company to replace the shingles on our roof. We are also looking at some other remodeling projects in the future.

There are several men who take turns preaching at Sanford Bible Church. I love the fact that we share in those duties.

In May, I did a three part series on End Times Apostasy in Christianity. There is so much false teaching and bad doctrine being taught in Christian circles today. This is true even in what once was conservative seminaries and Bible colleges.

On Sunday, I will be concluding a three part series that I called The Gospel Wars. Along with the rampant apostasy we see in Christianity today, we also see the gospel being attacked relentlessly by even conservative Bible teachers.

Fellowship Bible Church of Eldon Missouri was badly damaged by a tornado on May 22, 2019. Until the church can be repaired, they are meeting at a local school.

I have been told that they are in a “hurry up and wait mode” as they are waiting for work to be done. The insurance appraiser told them that they will need a new roof. They are waiting on bids for the roof. With all the building damage in the area, contractors there are very busy and it may take a while for the bids to come in. The insurance company has been helpful and there have been no real problems or issues. Estimates are that it will take a few more months before they can begin meeting in the church once again.

In Christ,

Bob

* * *

The Bible without the Holy Spirit is a sundial by moonlight.

-D.L. Moody

 

A Tale of Two Churches

Charles Dickens wrote the book A Tale of Two Cities. In this month’s newsletter, I would like to tell you about the “Tale of Two Churches.”

In recent months, I have asked prayer for Sanford Bible Church. So I wanted to give you an update.

We were able to close on 2 of the 6 lots that we are selling. This last week we used part of the proceeds from that sale to replace 2 a/c units that were nearly 30 years old. We also have contracted to have our roof repaired and re-shingled. That should be done in the next few weeks. We would also like to replace our old pews with chairs. That is on our “to-do” list. Those projects have pretty much depleted the money we received from the sale of those 2 lots. We should be closing on the sale of the other 4 lots at the end of this week. The only snag is that I need to get a survey of the original land the church owned and submit that to the city of Sanford. That task has proven to be a bit of a headache.

That brings me to the tale of the second church. As you know, the Midwest has been hit hard with numerous tornados. One of those tornadoes caused quite a bit of damage to my church in Missouri. Fellowship Bible Church of Eldon Missouri could really use your prayers as they recover from the damage that was done to their building. The basement did not suffer much damage. Once they get things cleaned up a bit, they should be able to meet down there. It will take a while to repair the damage to the upper part of the building and to the sanctuary.

In Christ,

Bob

* * *

I have had more trouble with myself than with any other man.

-D.L. Moody

 

Danger: Vinegar+Bleach!!!

There is an old maxim which says that oil and water do not mix. If you try to mix oil and water, the oil will eventually float to the top. The thought is that there are certain things that just do not go together. I, for one, do not put mustard on ice cream and I don’t put chocolate sauce on hotdogs. But maybe that’s just me.

There are a number of household items that can be dangerous if mixed. For example:

Bleach + Vinegar = Toxic Chlorine Gas. Ammonia + Bleach = Toxic Chloramine Vapors. Rubbing Alcohol + Bleach = Chloroform. Hydrogen Peroxide + Vinegar = Parecetic Acid.

Jesus also warned about not mixing certain things. He said, “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; otherwise the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear results (Mk. 2:21).”

In commenting on this verse, Dr. Kenneth Wuest wrote, “There are those today who attempt to retain the Mosaic law which God set aside at the Cross, and put upon it the patch of grace. It happens as our Lord said, ‘The new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse.’ When the attempt is made to mix law and grace, both lose their true identity and you have the doctrines of the Judaizers in the Galatian heresy.”

Unfortunately, many Bible teachers today insist on mixing law with grace. Mixing vinegar and bleach is not just a bad idea. It is actually dangerous. It is equally dangerous in the spiritual realm to mix law with grace.

Prayer request update:

Sanford Bible Church has 6 lots for sale. We have a buyer for 2 of the lots. The closing date on the sale is May 17^th. This will really help us in making much needed repairs. Thanks so much for praying about this need. Please continue to pray for the sale of the rest of the lots.

In Christ,

Bob

* * *

The Standards of Grace
by J. F. Strombeck

To reject the law as a teacher is not to say that there are no standards set for Christian conduct. Grace also sets standards but these are on a much higher plane. Those of the law are on a high human plane; those of grace on a divine plane. Furthermore, grace supplies that which is needed to live according to these ideals. Of the Holy Spirit, who is a gift of God’s grace, Jesus said, “He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). He is not merely a sign post that points to high ideals. He is a divine Person dwelling in the believer to guide into “all truth.” This is something entirely unknown to the law.

 

His timing is perfect!

We have been praying for a missionary in Brazil who has been lost in the Amazon jungle. He has been missing for 10 days. Yesterday one of the search boats had mechanical trouble and the engine died. In the quiet of the jungle they heard someone yelling for help. It was the lost missionary. Had their engine not died, they probably would have just passed him by.

It makes me wonder why God allowed him to get lost in the first place. From our perspective life's circumstances don’t always make sense.

I am reminded of a story about a little city girl who was visiting the country for the first time. She had never seen the night sky away from all the city lights. She was totally in awe of how bright the stars were in the sky. She gasped and said to her mother, “if the stars look this beautiful on the wrong side of the heavens, how much more beautiful will they look on the right side!”

Down here things don’t always appear the way we think that they should. But every now and then we do get a glimpse of His hand working in the events of our lives.

When I look at my clock, I need to realize that things don’t always appear as they really are. Sometimes my clock runs too slow. Sometimes it runs too fast. I need to take time in His Word and get my clock back into sync with His clock because His timing is perfect!

Stinkin’ Graveclothes

As Easter approaches, we are reminded of the resurrection of our Savior. Paul describes His resurrection as being the "first fruits" for the resurrection of our own bodies (see 1 Cor. 15:20-23). We might say that Jesus was the forerunner or trailblazer for our own resurrection.

Paul gives us a glimpse of what our resurrection will look like in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. He writes, "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord."

The other day, I was wondering what that shout might be at the time Jesus descends from heaven. My mind went to another resurrection scene in which Jesus shouted with a loud voice. In John 11:43 we read that Jesus "cried with a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come forth!'" Then I pictured Jesus descending from heaven with a shout crying, "Believer, come forth!" In verse 44, John tells us that Lazarus came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. You can almost picture him struggling to walk and half blinded by the cloth wrapped around his face. I wonder if the smell of decayed flesh was still present on those wrappings as he stumbled out of the tomb. Then Jesus said to those standing by, "Loose him, and let him go!" I can only imagine the relief to Lazarus as they removed those wrappings from him.

The thought of being released from those graveclothes brought me full circle back to 1 Corinthians 15. Paul goes on to describe our resurrection saying, "Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality (vv. 51-53)."

When I was younger, I was full of energy and almost felt invincible. Now I have a hard time dragging my aching bones out of bed in the morning to go for my two-mile walk. The thought of exchanging these stinking graveclothes of my fleshly body and putting on immortality certainly does sound appealing.

Last month I mentioned that Sanford Bible Church would like to sell part of their property. We have signed contracts with a real estate broker and have 6 lots on the market. So far there have been a number of inquiries, but no definite buyers yet. We could really use the funds to replace our current air conditioning system which is about 30 years old. Please continue to pray with us about the sale of these lots. Even the sale of just 1 lot would help us fund needed renovations.

In Christ,

Bob

* * *

I never preach a sermon without thinking that possibly the Lord may come before I preach another. -D.L. Moody

 

Preaching to the Choir

A few weeks ago I was talking to the administrator of NTM Homes. I asked him to pray for me, as I would be speaking in chapel on a controversial topic soon. I said that I was a bit nervous because I don't really enjoy controversy. He smiled and said, "That's why we assigned that topic to you!"

I replied, "Oh, thanks a lot!"

Since that was a prayer request in my last letter, I wanted to give you an update on how it went.

For the most part, I was preaching to the choir. Anyone who is a member of Ethnos360, is pretty much lined up on the same side of the controversial fence. I did get a lot of positive feedback from the choir.

This time of the year, we have a number of volunteers working here at NTM Homes. They come from various church backgrounds. I was pretty sure that not everyone would see eye to eye on this topic. So I tried to present it in a way that focused more on the positive than on the negative. The title I gave to the 2-day presentation was "Exploring God's Amazing Grace." Afterwards, several people asked me for my notes. One lady said that the presentation was an eye opener to her. She also said that she had not always presented the gospel as clearly as she could have. I smiled and said, "Yes, me too."

I have enjoyed getting more involved with Sanford Bible Church. But I did not know that one of the qualifications of being an elder was to know something about real-estate. 

Sanford Bible Church owns 10 lots of land. We are only using 2 of those lots currently. The church would like to do some significant renovations. We are looking into the possibility of selling 6 of those lots which would more than cover the costs we anticipate for these renovations. I would certainly appreciate your prayers as we seek to put those lots on the market. We have some contacts and are just beginning the process of putting those lots up for sale.

Gardening here in Florida is crazy? I just picked the last of my tomatoes from my 2018 fall crop. About a month ago, I put the first tomato plant of my 2019 spring crop into a container and set it outside. Right now it has a green, golf-ball sized tomato growing on it. And I am picking ripe strawberries from my hanging baskets. All this while those in the states to the north are shivering. Living in Florida definitely has its perks.

In Christ,

Bob

* * *

Keep the Gospel Clear!

Keep the issue clear:

·       The issue is sin, and Who is going to forgive it.

Keep the direction clear:

·       It is from the Giver to the recipient. The gift of righteousness is given when you believe.

Keep the requirements clear:

·       It is salvation through FAITH. There is nothing more!

 

— Charles Ryrie

Serpents and Doves

When I was teaching at our Missionary Training Center in Missouri, a group of us would get together once a week for “Caffeinated Conversation.” We had a policy: BYOC—Bring Your Own Coffee! We enjoyed discussing such things as hot button theological topics or problem passages in scripture. I missed those discussions after moving to Florida. So I asked a couple of guys here if they would want to do something similar. They did and we meet once a week for “Caffeinated Conversation” but usually without any coffee.

Last week’s discussion focused on how to present a controversial topic without losing your audience. Recently, I was asked to speak on a much debated subject pertaining to a proper understanding of the gospel. There are strong feelings on both sides of the debate and I am pretty sure that both views will be represented in the audience that I will be addressing. I’m also sure that many have never even thought about the topic. Given a situation like this, my tendency is to simply “tell it like it is” and “let the chips fall where they may.” But as we discussed the topic, I kept asking myself, “Do you want to win a debate, or persuade the hearts and minds to consider the truths of God’s Word?”

Years ago, I was given a few words of advice from a mentor of mine in my early Christian days. Borrowing Jesus’ admonition to His disciples, he said that in certain situations, you need to be wise as a serpent yet harmless as a dove.

I would appreciate your prayers on my behalf as I prepare for this message. I definitely need wisdom in how to be both wise and harmless.

I am also kept busy teaching at Sanford Bible Church. We have several men who teach God’s Word there so I do not shoulder the responsibility all by myself. I love the plurality aspect of the ministry there.

By the way, we just got our own domain name. Check us out at: sanfordbiblechurch.org. And “like” us on Facebook. Our page is: facebook.com/SanfordBibleChurch.

In Christ,

Bob

* * *

True faith is man’s weakness leaning on God’s strength.

-D.L. Moody