WHAT I'M THANKFUL FOR ON THANKSGIVING '22

From Vision Beyond Borders 2022 calendar, Nov. 24 

 You can celebrate Christmas all year round if you like, but I'd prefer celebrating Thanksgiving all year round. (I'd also celebrate Resurrection Day, Pentecost, Reformation Day, All Saints Day and maybe Groundhog Day all year round, too, but that's for a different blog!) So allow me to start by wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving.

So allow me to mention some things I've been thankful for this year:

• Of course, top of the list is the Triune God: Our gracious Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Because without God, there wouldn't be anything else to put on the list, or a meaning for what's on the list.
• My wife, Rebecca (aka Becky). We celebrated our 39th anniversary this year.
• My church, Northside Baptist Church: for senior pastor Jeremy Couture; for Joel Johnston and Eric Billin, who have filled in while we were looking for a new worship leader, and for Alex Darnall who will be joining us in that role; for my Sunday School class (taught by Jim Myers, Glen Christie, and Tim Schlotterbeck), my men's Bible study, my D-group, and the men's prayer breakfast, and missionary friends Bob Henninger and Rowland Mondal.
• For other friends that have been part of my life, either in-person or on-line (and sometimes off-the-wall?): Richard and Trish Walton and Arlington Avenue Baptist Church, Bill Scott, Mel Brown, Joshua Jacobs, Gary and Amy Wixtrom, James Lawson, Mark Mirza, Kerry Jackson, Kerry Nietz, Donna Fletcher Crow, Steve Sering, Mike Cassady, Dan Schafer, Andrew Horning, Russell Brooksbank, Grady Loy, Lonnie Atkeson, David Patton, David Huddleston, Dave Hope, Tod Moses, Robert Roberg, Dwight Liles, and Monte Baker. (Of course, I'll probably miss someone.)
  
• For other fellowships: a three-time-a-week phone-line men's prayer time; involvement with mission groups Voice of the Martyrs, Child Evangelism Fellowship, Spirit of Martyrdom, Vision Beyond Borders, Medical Ambassadors International/Community Health Evangelism, Ethnos 360 (I'm wearing their T-shirt as I'm typing), World Venture, International Mission Board, and North American Mission Board; Facebook groups Discussion Board for Jesus Music 1969-1989, Female Christian Rock & Metal, Calvinistic Dispensationalists Unite!, and The Daniel Band, and Libertarian Christian Institute and Mere Liberty.
• For my employer, where I've been for 22+ years now.
• For getting familiar with some Christian musicians (always a joy), especially members of Divine Martyr, Reclaim The Day, Undefeated, Hush Harbor, Brave WRSHP, and True Revival.
• For the interviewees on this blog I've dealt with this past year. I have had 51 interviews since starting this blog July '20, and 35 have been since last Thanksgiving. I enjoyed all of them, but some stand out by how much the interviewee blessed me during the process and some by how much the interviewee was blessed by being interviewed. One story about the latter: Usually, I ask for an interview, tell them I'll send questions in a week, send them questions in a week or two or so, in some cases getting the answers without a reminder (though not all). When I contacted Divine Martyr and told Woody Hughes about interviewing them, it was 3-4 days before Woody was checking up on getting the questions! That made my day.
• Last but not least, thank you to anyone who reads this blog. 

Again, happy Thanksgiving.

 

BEING READY

 

One theme that was prominent in the '70's and early '80's in Christian music was the soon return of Christ. One case in point is looking at four albums that came out probably in an 18 month window: "Get Ready" by the Darrell Mansfield Band, "Are You Ready?" by David Meece (pictured above), "Get Yourself Ready" by Nancy Grandquist, and "Make Me Ready" by Farrell & Farrell.

 

All four of these have a title track; Mansfield and the Farrells start off with it, Meece's is the first song on the 2nd side, and Nancy's is the next to last song. (Yes, this is in the day of LPs and Cassettes, when CD's only existed at banks.)

Forty years after listening to these albums I used to have (we got rid of our record player and records before vinyl came back in style), something hit me about these four title tracks - they each have a different emphasis.

 

Mansfield's song issues a wake up call; the rocking lead guitar on the intro helps establish the fact. The singer points out that we need to be aware of the times we live in and ... Ooo-ooo-ooo, GET READY!

Meece takes a different approach with his pop song. While Mansfield's tune has the gentleness of a hell-fire and brimstone street preacher, Meece sounds more like a friend, taking you aside and asking you, "ARE YOU READY?"

But how does one get ready? Or how do you know how you'd answer the question "Are you ready?" This is where the 1981 pair of songs focus.

Nancy Grandquist has been one of my favorite singers since I discovered her "Somebody Special" project in '79. It was years later that I learned she's Apostolic. There are several distinctives in that group, but one that is relevant: they hold that you can lose your salvation. Thus, they'll state as a Christian you need to endure, be vigilant, be sure your heart's right, and GET YOURSELF READY.

 

My memory could be wrong, but I remember Bob Farrell stating he was Baptist; maybe on their live album "Let The Whole World Know?" Or perhaps an interview I heard on the radio? In any event, Farrell & Farrell don't focus as much on our responsibility in our Christian life as on God's working in our life and transforming us. Or to put it in different words, it is Christ dwelling in me and conforming me to His image Who will keep me steady and MAKE ME READY.

As I mentioned, those albums came out two score years ago. Is it my imagination, or is there less focus on the imminent return of Jesus Christ for His church in Christian teaching in general and in Christian music in particular? 

Sunday, October 9th, Dr. Jeremy Couture at Northside Baptist Church preached on Daniel 5 (Belshazzar's feast, the writing on the wall), and warned against the sin of presumption. We presume that when things take a downward turn, there will be a future upward correction. Politically, when the bad guys gain power, we look forward to the next election to set things right. But are we guaranteed smooth sailing? Is there a point of no return? Will there be a point where the doors protecting the American Church from persecution will collapse?

ARE YOU READY? If not, I suggest you GET READY! GET YOURSELF READY by repenting of sins (including passivity, presumption, and laziness), and seek God's help to MAKE YOU READY.

NOTE: I originally had the photos arranged in a nice 2x2 square on the top, but the pictures disappeared. So I reposted them, but couldn't get them back into the cube. Oh well.

PASTOR APPRECIATION MONTH, PART 1 OF 3 - MY PASTORS.

"All My Rowdy Friends Are Preachers!" L-R Dr. Leroy Thomas (Founder & Professor of Pastoral Studies, Southwestern College), Bob Irvine, Dr. Jeremy Couture, Josh Jacobs, Richard Walton, Dennis King, Bill Scott, Mark Mirza (Common Thread Ministries, Bishop Robert Lyons (hospital chaplain), Gary Stump, James Lawson (cartoonist).

How many of you are aware that October is Pastor Appreciation Month? It's fitting that Pastor Appreciation Month ends with Reformation Day. 

The next three days I will develop the theme. Yes, we need to appreciate the pastors in our lives, starting with the men who are preaching the Word of God from the pulpit. But I also want to honor others who fill that role though not the office. Some may be pastors from the past who are pastoring from heaven through their writings and inspiration. Some are current pastors who have no idea I exist but who inspire me through books or TV/Radio ministries. Some have helped pastor me as a teacher or as a friend.

Today, I'd like to start by thanking the pastors I've had in my life (including youth pastors), which I'll do in chronological order. Some I have comments about, and others I will just mention. All are worthy of honor.

1. Rev. Evans, Fullerton Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). I'm trusting my over 60 year old memory for the church's official name and the pastor who was there when I moved at age 9 from the hicktown of Fullerton, California, to the metropolis of Skull Valley, Arizona. I do remember he had a daughter around my age.
2. Merle Heatwole, Skull Valley Community Church. I may not have his name spelled correctly. 
3. Ken Gordon, Verde Baptist Church, Cottonwood, AZ.
4. Ken Kunneman, Manzanita Baptist Chruch, Kingsman, AZ. I'm not sure I got his name correct. While at that church, I was introduced to cults, and an Anabaptist history view. A year later after returning to Cottonwood, Ken taught an elective on future things at camp, which I attended with Ken Gordon's son Tim (who was two years ahead of me in high school).
5. Denny Leeds (Youth Pastor), Verde Baptist Church. 
6. Henry Atkenson, Verde Baptist Church
7. Jim Woods (Youth Pastor), Verde Baptist Church
8. Joe LoMuscio, Cactus Baptist Church, Phoenix, AZ
9. Jim McCormick, Cactus Baptist Church. When I started attending there, he was an associate pastor, and became senior pastor after Rev. LoMusio took the pastorate at Temple Baptist Church, Fullerton, CA. (NOTE- I walked past Temple Baptist on the way to school before moving to AZ.)
10. Joe Magliato, Sonlight Christian Center, Orange CA. One claim to fame - his wife had a brother named Carman. Yes, that Carman.
11. Mark Cola (College/Career Pastor), Sonlight Christian Center.
12. Roger Hosier, Antioch Baptist Church, Orange, CA. Roger had the honor of marrying Becky and I.
13. Bob Irvine, Bethel Baptist Church, Phoenix, AZ
14. Bill Hackett, Valley Christian Assembly, Phoenix, AZ. 
15. Rodger Buck and 
16. Bob Johnson, Bethel Baptist Church, Valley, NE. Rod, Bob, and I were co-pastors.
17. R. B. Adamson, Victory Baptist Church, Bowling Green, KY.
18. Don Finto, Belmont Church, Nashville, TN.
19. Jerry Badgley, Calvary Church of the Nazarene, Nashville, TN.
20. Dennis King, Stonebrook Baptist Church, Nolensville, TN. If you're familiar with Experiencing God, Henry Blackaby wrote it with Claude King. Claude is Dennis' brother.
21. Mike Wilson, Calvary Chapel, Bowling Green, KY
22. Jeff Adler, Simhat Yeshua Messianic Congregation.
23. Jeff Seward, Horizon Christian Center West, Indianapolis, IN. Becky and I attended Simhat and Horizon at the same time. (Also, while I was sitting under the teaching of Jeff and Jeff, I also had a supervisor at work named Jeff.)
24. Gary Stump, Arlington Avenue Baptist Church, Indianapolis, IN.
25. Bill Scott, Hunter Road Bible Church, Indianapolis, IN
26. Richard Walton, Arlington Avenue Baptist Church, Indianapolis. Richard has the honor (or not) of being my pastor for the longest time - 16 years, not counting serving as an associate under Rev. Stump for a year when I had previously been at Arlington.
27. Tommy Johnston, Castleton Community Church, Indianapolis, IN.
28. Dr. Jeremy Couture, Northside Baptist Church, Indianapolis, where Becky and I currently attend.

I would like to thank each of these men for their leadership and for being a blessing to me, and especially their faithfulness to serving the Lord Jesus Christ.

Does anybody else have a pastor they want to thank?