Spending Time With My Son

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The sitter called me this morning and was not feeling well. This created for me an opportunity to spend the day with my youngest son. He’s around 2 1/2 years old and he is quite the card! I decided to wear my cap today so he decided that he needed to wear his cap as well. I wanted to go for a drive and show him some countryside and he obliged. He’s such an easy-going kid…most of the time.

The picture that is attached to this post is at the Dairy Queen. I thought to myself, “Self, what say ye take your Son to Dairy Queen?” Then I answered myself, “Self, I say that we ought to go!” So off we went. It’s kind of hard to choose what foods to pick for your Son when he is not picky at all. So I thought to myself, “Why not get him the popcorn chicken and tater tots.” So I ordered his meal with a small Sprite to boot. Then it hit me…like a lead balloon…he doesn’t like tater tots!!

So, now that I know he doesn’t like tater tots, I’m going to buy a whole freezer full of tater tots so I can have something to eat! “Joy of joys,” I thought to myself. Now I know what some of you might be thinking, “This guy is whacked in his head!” Well, to be honest with you, I have been whacked in the head by my Son’s head, by a football, and by some applesauce. I admit, I am a little whacked!

Here’s the moral of the story: Enjoy the time that you have with your Son or your Daughter; take every opportunity to have that time because once that time is gone there is no getting it back.

NO MORE FOOD!

I just cannot fathom how much food my two boys actually eat. It matters not what you put in front of them…they eat it. Then after they eat what is in front of them they want more. Do little boys have tapeworms? Are they just that hungry all of the time or do they actually overindulge? Is it right that we just keep giving them food and more food and more food when they say they want it?

Well, after doing some research, we are supposed to give them more and more food. I thought you only had to purchase groceries once a year for them, but it turns out that they actually should eat more than 3-5 times per day. You know, it’s the metabolism stuff that you hear about. If I ate 3-5 meals a day doctors say that I would actually kick-start my metabolism and possibly lose some weight, too. Moreover, if your child is seven or two like my two boys, you need to teach them good eating habits. Before too long they will be on their own choosing their own food that they want to eat. It may be healthy or it may not be so healthy but with proper training, they will learn to eat well.

Did I eat this much when I was their age? Yes…and no! As they grow, there will be days that they will eat like there is no tomorrow and there will be other days where they eat as little as possible. Whatever the case may be, educating them to eat well is the key. Keep fresh fruit and vegetables for them to snack. Eat sensible meals that have some kind of chicken, beef, or turkey (yeah, yeah, yeah! I know, there are people out there that don’t think the meat part is all that good for children; but we live in Texas! We eat meat!). Allow your children to try something new and if they don’t like it they don’t have to eat it. For instance, my seven-year-old tried a piece of Brussels sprout. I was shocked and amazed that he liked it! He actually liked it! Now I’m not the only one in my home that will eat Brussels sprout.

All-in-all, my boys are eating us out of house and home. We just took their door from their room, cut it in little pieces, made stew out of it, added some vegetables and they loved it. Next week we’re going to have to give them siding from the house to eat. I figure that I’ll grill it, put a nice scald on it and it will be fine with some Sweet Baby Ray’s…

Revival . . . we hope . . .

I have had the great opportunity, by God’s grace, to be in a preaching and teaching ministry for 28 years. It seems like such a short amount of time . . . at times . . . at other times it seems like I’ve been in ministry forever (obviously forever is quite a lot longer than I’ve even been alive). And one of the things that the churches of which I’ve been a part have prayed for revival. We prayed, the revival services came, and then we went out being the same people as before — or so it seemed. But how can a church really have revival? What needs to take place for true revival to actually happen to a group of people who claim to be God’s people? Here are a few thoughts that I have about this very thing.

First, I believe that true revival comes when the Holy Spirit comes on a people. We have this very thing taking place in Acts 2 and it should come as no surprise to anyone who reads the Scriptures that this is what happened at Pentecost because Jesus Christ had told the disciples that it would (Acts 1:8). The Bible records this event in vivid terms and says:

Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. And tongues, like flames of fire that were divided, appeared to them and rested on each of them. Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages, as the Spirit gave them ability for speech. (Acts 2:2-4, HCSB)

Now the disciples had been with Jesus for a little over three years. There is no doubt in my mind that they needed revival. After all, after being with Jesus for that time they may have become dull of hearing. Do you remember how they were when He died? They heard and listened to what He had said about dying and rising again, but they didn’t believe. Then after the resurrection, they began to understand that Jesus Christ really is the One that He said that He is. But it was at Pentecost that they were filled with the Holy Spirit and they began to speak with the boldness that they never had before. They spoke in tongues (which, according to the Greek langauge, were known languages) as the Holy Spirit gave them the ability. The Holy Spirit came upon His people first and foremost. This is where revival begins.

Second, in order to have revival God’s Word must be preached. We have in Acts 2:14-36 is one of the greatest sermons ever preached. The preacher was none other than Peter the apostle . . . yes . . . the one who denied Jesus Christ three times and heard the rooster crow after he did this. He gave the listeners a history lesson of what the Scriptures said would happen during his day. Then he confronted the men of his day with the truth of Jesus Christ with these words:

Men of Israel, listen to these words: This Jesus the Nazarene was a man pointed out to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through Him, just as you yourselves know. Though He was delivered up according to God’s determined plan and foreknowledge, you used lawless people to nail Him to a cross and kill Him. God raised Him up, ending the pains of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by it. . . . God has resurrected this Jesus. We are all witnesses of this. Therefore, since He has been exalted to the right hand of God and has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit, He has poured out what you both see and hear. For it was not David who ascended into the heavens, but he himself says: The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies Your footstool.’ Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Messiah! (Acts 2:22-24, 32-36, HCSB)

The great thing about the sermon that Peter preached is that he holds nothing back. He tells the “men of Israel” exactly what they needed to hear and it was given him by the Holy Spirit; therefore, it was the Word of God! He spoke of Jesus Christ’s death and of His resurrection. The Gospel — God’s Word unto salvation (cf. Romans 1:16-17). It is this Gospel message that was necessary for those present to hear. They needed His Word to be preached to them.

Third, in order to have revival, you must have confession and repentance of sin. Those in the hearing of Peter’s voice ended up being a changed people. Acts 2 says it like this:

When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles: ‘Brothers, what must we do?“ ‘Repent,’ Peter said to them, ‘and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus the Messiah for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.’ And with many other words he testified and strongly urged them, saying, “Be saved from this corrupt generation.’ (Acts 2:37-40, HCSB)

The people heard the Word of God and they asked what they needed to do to be saved. Now remember this about those in the hearing of the apostles, many of them were religious people. Many of them no doubt were members of a synagogue some where, whether it was First Synagogue  Harmony Synagogue or Second Harmony Synagogue. They knew what the prophets of old said in God’s Word. They heard the news but they didn’t believe until this point ‘as many as the Lord our God’ called. In other words, they believed the message and they were added to the Church that day because of their belief.

Finally, in order to have revival, there needs to be fellowship with other believers. See how Luke records what happens after Pentecost:

So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about 3,000 people were added to them. And they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayers. Then fear came over everyone, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles. Now all the believers were together and had everything in common. So they sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as anyone had a need. And every day they devoted themselves to meeting together int he temple complex, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to them those who were being saved. (Acts 2:41-47, HCSB)

People were baptized! People were added continually being added to the Church. The people gathered together on a regular daily basis and they were about the business of tending to each other and caring for each other. Nothing was hindering their fellowship one with another. They devoted themselves to the teachings of the apostles. They observed the Lord’s Supper from house to house and they communed together in prayer and preaching and practice.

The religious people of the day were revived. This people who were God’s chosen people, Israel, were dulled in their hearing until the Holy Spirit came on them and revived them. They were dead in their trespasses and sins and then they were brought to life in Jesus Christ. Revival — true revival — did not have anything to do with “a feeling” or “an event” but it had to do with the Holy Spirit, with the Word of God, with the people confessing and repenting of their sins, and with fellowship with other believers.

My prayer is that as our Fellowship at First Baptist Church of Leonard will see God work and move among us as we hold our Spring Revival. More than anything, we need revival — true revival. Some have become dull of hearing while others are yet to hear the precious Gospel of Jesus Christ. We need revival.

O Lord, let it begin with me.