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A few weeks ago I shared with you a burden for a friend Jamie (not his real name) who struggles greatly with an addiction to alcohol. You can read more about his needs by clicking here.

As I shared a few weeks ago, one of the saddest things about Jamie’s alcoholism is it’s enabled by other people. He is constantly doing work for people in the community (usually rum shop owners) and instead of money or food, they pay him with shots of rum.

There is a responsibility on Jamie’s part of course because he wants the rum more than food or money, this is why he does jobs for the rum shop owners! However it’s still incredibly sad to see him penniless and starving at the end of the day with no food at home.

The truth is Jamie just needs someone who can give him some guidance…..

This means I must meet both his spiritual, and physical needs.

And in most cases his physical needs should be met first!

This definitely doesn’t mean that Jamie’s lack of food is more important than his eternal soul. Obviously living with Christ for eternity is a far better than a full belly. Yet the most pressing need in his life that moment is taking away his hunger pains. And it’s as I meet his most important immediate need that his heart will be ready to hear the Gospel.

Often in ministry (and missions especially) relationships must be developed over time in order for evangelism and discipleship to take place. Giving someone a tract or a gospel witness can be done quickly, but the deeper one on one process of evangelism takes lots of time.

And few things build a bridge into someone’s life more than taking their own needs seriously

1. By buying them medication
2. Bringing a bag of essential foods (flour, sugar, rice)
3. Making them a meal
4. Checking in on them to see how things are doing
5. And just being there when times are rough

To use an illustration, evangelism is often like planting a garden. It is possible to simply put a seed into the ground and get a crop. But in most cases growth takes things like watering, weeding, cutting back other plants that take it’s nutrients, and fertilizing the soil. In the same way “loving on people” encourages the soil that has already received the Gospel.

Honestly we probably feed the body and the soul at the same time. But and emphasis on feeding the body (meeting their own needs) creates an openness to Christ.

So over sandwiches, pork chops, hamburgers and hot dogs, or fried chicken I’ll explain the Gospel to Jamie. And as his physical hunger is met, he will realize it’s his soul that’s truly starving.

Ministry takes money!!!

There is no getting past this because they expenses of daily ministry (fuel, ministry material, etc) and needs of those around you are definitely going to add up. This is why I’ve had to put a lot of though and prayer into a philosophy of money that’s called “frugal generosity.”

The basic idea goes like this……

I live frugally (simply) myself, so that I can give generously to others

Practically this means I save as much money as possible by being frugal (I prefer that to the word cheap)! Then the savings are organized in a lockbox since I deal mostly with cash. As needs arise for friends or church members the Lord leads me to help, I give out of the savings.

The Lord has greatly used those savings as a ministry to help others! Recently I was able to:

1. Purchase a plane ticked for a friend who couldn’t afford it on his own
2. Pay for a church member to have an infected tooth removed
3. Give out groceries to two family’s without food
4. And bring a friend to the house for Easter weekend for a time of relaxation

The important thing isn’t the giving though

It is the frugality so that I’m able to give

Living in an area where there isn’t a lot of work means many people have great financial needs. Obviously there are too many for me to reach every one of them, but the Lord has burdened me for those who are struggling (particularly close friends, or strong believers). Commonly individuals in great need will approach me to ask for some help (a few dollars, a bag of sugar, a bag of rice).

So my frugality isn’t just about saving money, its goal is to make sure I have something to put in the hands of the needy.

This basic way of living allows my money to become a tool in the hands of the Lord. For many, money is used for their own comfort, but frugality uses money to share the Love of Christ. Obviously this doesn’t mean I cannot have nice things and take care of myself, or I have to help everyone (I can’t). But frugal generosity ensures that money isn’t all about me.

It’s about those who have very little.

The focus of this post isn’t to make myself look good or ask for pity. It is to encourage others to embrace the frugal life, so that they can give away in a generous way.

Image taken from a post entitled “stop being so angry” at https://hassemanmarketing.com/

Last Saturday a man living close to me was having a really bad day

I believe that stress, and lack of money led him to spend the day smoking marijuana and drinking rum. This led to some bizarre actions (He would openly weep about the lack of money one moment, and respond in anger the next).

Saturday evening I heard a commotion outside and saw him standing in the middle of the road. At almost the same moment, a friend came down tell the neighbor to leave my dog alone (I later learned he had been hitting my dog who was securely leashed with a stick). Things calmed down, and then the man came out again loudly cursing me (he claimed my dog bit him, which didn’t happen) and the friend.

My friend responded by coming back down ready to physically attack him…..

thankfully I got out the gate before that happened.

As I approached the neighbor he started to immediately calm down. Within a few moments he apologized for how he acted, and asked me to forgive him.

This experience was a vivid reminder that many of us are walking time bombs!

All of us experience stress in life. Normally that stress is at a manageable level, but occasionally the stress of life begins to overwhelm us. Slowly but surely we become more and more burdened, like a rubber band that has been stretched too tight. And like that rubber band, eventually we will have to snap!

Interestingly, it’s usually a small thing that causes an explosion. My dog can peep his head just over the wall surrounding my house (but not bite anybody). I honestly believe in his inebriated state my neighbor THOUGHT the dog had bitten him, and began hitting the dog with a stick to defend himself. It’s also possible he was just trying to play with the dog. But a small thing may have become violent if I hadn’t come to intervene.

Which is why God calls us to defuse the bomb!

The temptation in situations like this to respond with anger or hostility. But that only makes the situation worse! God only gets the glory as we enter into that volatile situation, and bring peace

1. With a calm (but firm) voice
2. By separating the individuals (I asked my friend to walk away in order to calm the situation)
3. By finding out exactly what is making them so angry, and empathizing
4. By apologizing for what took place (if possible)
5. And by asking them to help calm the situation

Most of all defusing the bomb illustrates the Gospel which brings peace into chaos!

I was angry when I walked out of my gate Saturday since the neighbor had been acting foolish all day, but by the Grace of God, the Holy Spirit calmed my heart as I walked across the road. So as I walked down the steps towards him it wasn’t with a shouting voice, but one filled with concern.

It was amazing how the peace I displayed affected him….

1. He immediately put down the cutlass he was carrying (I don’t believe he would do anything with it).
2. Kept repeating the words “your my friend”
3. and held his hand out for me to shake (in that moment I didn’t shake it, but made clear I cared about him)
4. He then told me there would be no more trouble, and left

Later some friends told me the situation went from rage to calmness because I acted like Christ. I’m not sure about that, but know the catalyst of that change was the Holy Spirit’s peace in my heart. As Colossians 3:15 says, “let the peace of God rule in your hearts.” When the peace of the Holy Spirit controls our lives (we rest in God’s sovereignty) we not only keep from being bombs ourselves, but defuse those around us.

Last month a boy and his mother had to move out of their home in the area because the rent was too high. They ended up staying temporarily with a friend while organizing money for a new rental property.

The son is a sweet boy I will call “Billy.” He is very good natured, but also incredibly shy, and speaks with a very quiet voice. When he started coming to church with my friend on Sunday nights I wanted to find a way to minister to him. We met a few times at the house for bible lessons, but his being shy made conversation difficult.

Finally Thursday I invited him to come play with some other friends from the neighborhood the next day (we occasionally have “sports days” on Friday so kids can learn to play as a team. He was VERY excited about doing this with them tomorrow.

The other children were less than enthused….

Not because they didn’t like him, but because they didn’t KNOW him.

Since sports days are about learning to work with others I informed them there were two options. Option A let him come and play with them, or Option B stay home. Understandably they chose Option A 🙂

After starting things Friday I went to get Billy. He spent a few minutes off by himself. but then started to play with the other kids. Of course after a while they were playing together as if they’d known each other for years. After sports he sat down alongside them to feast on mangoes from a nearby tree. One of the kids told me they had to make a kite out of sticks, a plastic bag, and thread for school Monday. I offered to help them make the kites, and she immediately said “bring Billy.”

That’s the moment I knew he was accepted

We all built kites yesterday, and were even able to practice flying them at the local park (while trying out the playground equipment). I finally walked Billy home around 3:00 with a huge smile on his face.

What probably drew me to Billy is he’s like me as a child; quiet, shy, and introverted…..

Someone who just needs a friend.

A big part of the Christian life (and missions in general) is finding that individual who needs a friend, inviting them into the family, and making sure that they are accepted. This process sadly can’t involve every child who needs friendship, but it can bring in an as many as possible.

This afternoon Billy asked me if Jamie (not his real name) could come to our reading help ministry. I promised to let him come once I’d go permission from his mother.

May the family keep expanding!

A friend came over last Friday to spend the long Easter weekend (Friday through Monday) with me, and speak at the church Sunday. Most of the time when friends come to visit I take them around Barrouallie to explain my burden for the people, and we get involved in daily ministry together.

But instead of a time of activity….

The Easter holiday was a time of rest

Those four days became an opportunity to encourage one another

1. With rest
2. fellowship
3. Good food
4. and lots of coffee!

Ministry has a way of wearing you down with spiritually, physically, and emotionally. This is why it’s necessary to take a break for rest and relaxation from time to time. Usually this calls for a place of refuge or reset where you can just be away from everyone else for a few days. For my friend that place of refuge was my house!

I used to question the importance of these breaks, after all there is still work to do! But then I realized it’s hard to minister when your exhausted.

In the past I used to go to America once a year for two-weeks every Christmas. This wasn’t an extended time away, but it allowed me to go through a time of rest and renewal. That usually involved being incredibly lazy for two or three days catching up on my rest, and then starting the work of strategic planning. By day ten I was refreshed, and ready to go back at it!

Of course not all of us can go to America…..

So we go to Barrouallie (the next best thing)!

During the weekend we went through the same basic cycle

• Sleep
• Eat
• Drink Coffee
• Talk about life
• Repeat

I know that sounds incredibly boring and lazy, but for someone used to hustling from one ministry event to another, this is EXACTLY what they need!

The Greek New Testament has a word καταφεύγω (katapheugó) that we translate as “refuge” but is better translated “run to refuge.” The basic idea is a place where you can run for safety or rest. In the Christian life we all need to have a καταφεύγω to run to in times of stress or exhaustion. A place where we can refocus our eyes on the Savior, and draw closer to Him.

Last weekend reminded me how much my friend and I truly needed a time of rest. And it also reminded me there are countless men who need a refuge that offers food, coffee, rest, and encouragement from the Word of God. May the Lord help me keep my door open for those who long for a refuge.

The Lord has given me a great love for Saint Vincent and the people of SVG so I prefer being here to America! But there are a few things about Saint Vincent (and Barrouallie in particular) that make me angry.

Not angry at the people…..

But angry about how Satan has deceived the people.

And at the top of the list that make me angry is Vincentians love of a party culture.

Like everywhere else, the people of SVG are always looking for an excuse to have a party. Of course during that party their life is filled with happiness! But that happiness does not last. The next day they are left depressed (and usually without any money) waiting for the next party.

The sad truth is once the music ends (the party is over) they are in a much worse state than before.

I was recently reminded of that painful truth because Covid mandates have recently been removed here, which opens the door for parties. Over the Easter weekend on Saturday a huge dance party event was held for young adults and teens in a nearby facility.

Then on Sunday videos started coming in (none of which I have watched, or want to watch)

1. Of a girl passed out on the floor while a young man dances over her with his pants down
2. Of another girl rubbing against a young man who has exposed his penis
3. And of another who was so drunk, her friends had to lead her along by the hand so she wouldn’t fall down

As horrific as these videos are, the truly sad thing is things like that have been happening for many years, long before smart-phones allowed them to be recorded and shared. Generations of people have learned the happiness of sin is gone once the music stops.

The Biblical response to this lie of Satan isn’t to remind them of what happens when the music ends (they are aware of that)…..

It is to show them Christ is sweeter than the world.

It is only through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that true happiness can come into a life. He is source of our peace, courage, wisdom, and joy. It is because of Him we can display Godliness in the greatest trial. His strength is what helps us in our weakest moment.

Of course this doesn’t mean the Christian life is always enjoyable. In fact, the life of sin is guaranteed to be more fun because those who serve the Lord will be attacked by Satan. However in that suffering there will be a true satisfaction that comes from the presence of God. One that doesn’t rely on alcohol, music, or emotion.

What those in the party culture must understand is the world cannot make you truly happy. This happens as Believers approach them after the music ends not with an attitude of condemnation, but love that proclaims the mercy and grace of God.

In a few months carnival will come to Saint Vincent for the first time in three years (it’s been shut down for two years because of Covid). My heart already aches for what will take place in July. At the same time I am thankful that God opens the door for the Gospel to be shared when the music ends.

This morning I went to visit some friends, and almost immediately noticed Jamie (not his real name) had a very sizeable wound under his right eye.

The wound itself broke my heart, but what bothered me more was I knew exactly how it happened……

He had become drunk, and face-down on the ground.

Jamie is a very hard worker, but he’s absolutely addicted to strong rum that can be purchased here cheaply (a small bottle is about seven East Caribbean dollars). Most of the time Jamie is running errands for the owners of local shops who instead of giving him money, give bottles of rum. Because he has a learning disability, it’s easier for people to take advantage of Jamie by giving shots of rum instead of money, so he often goes a day without eating.

Even more heartbreaking the community of Barrouallie is filled with Jamie’s.

These individuals may not struggle mentally like Jamie does, but just like him, their lives revolve around strong rum.

Which brings up the question…..how do we reach people like Jamie?

The first step is understanding rum is not their problem

I visit with Jamie’s mother almost every week so we can pray, and read Scripture together. As you can imagine her heart breaks seeing the affect alcohol has on her son just like me. This pain leads her to confront her son almost daily about not drinking. Occasionally Jamie will stop drinking for a short-period of time (a few weeks) but soon he’s back to spending most of his day at the rum shop.

The point is telling someone to stop drinking is not enough because rum is not the problem!

The HEART is the problem!

The reason Jamie (and so many others) are enslaved by rum is their hearts are far away from God. Even if they DID stop drinking successfully, that won’t change their filthy heart! So instead of focusing on the rum (a symptom of the sin problem) we must focus on their heart relationship with God. Only the Gospel of Christ can truly break their cycle of addiction.

Reaching the Jamie’s of this world isn’t about telling them “stop it!” but about explaining the truths of Scripture in a loving way. Recently I began cooking for Jamie a few times a week. Eventually those meals will lead a time when we can read Scripture and discuss the Gospel on my front porch. Pray for me as I continue to build a stronger relationship with Jamie, and point him to my Saviour.

Because once someone has drank from the fountain of living waters, rum isn’t good enough anymore.

We used to have a visitation team that would go out every Sunday afternoon visiting senior saints. Because they couldn’t physically come to church, we “brought church to them” by singing older gospel songs, sharing from the word, and encouraging their hearts with fellowship.

All of them loved our visits because not many people came to see them, but one was particularly excited when we came. Everyone called her “granny” (not her real name).

She became so excited about our visits she wanted to see us more often!

Because this wasn’t possible (our list of saints to visit keeps us from visiting each one every week) I promised to come see her personally. And so, in early 2017 I started visiting granny on Thursday mornings. We’ve been doing that consistently over the last five years, except for an extended time she spent outside of Barrouallie during the pandemic.

Thursday mornings with Granny have been a great blessing to my heart as she excitedly shared stories of her childhood, read Scripture, and sang some of the older Gospel hymns….and many Sundays I brought her to church (possibly the highlight of her week).

But the pandemic changed that…..

When Covid was strong I told Granny I couldn’t bring her to church because she was almost eighty, and had breathing problems (asthma). Sadly since that day in 2020 she hasn’t come to church. Not because of protocols, but her health and strength has taken a downturn during the pandemic. She used to walk up the steps to her house after church without much of a problem, now it takes all of her strength to come off the porch.

Worse than her physical weakness is Granny’s mental weakness.

During the pandemic she began to forget more and more, then recently she started to adamantly tell me things occurred that never happened! This loss of mental focus is probably due to the fact that she doesn’t leave the house.

It is frustrating to see a woman who a few years ago pre-pandemic had an incredibly strong mind struggle to understand what she said a few moments ago……

But she still knows the truth!

Last week I wrote a short devotional (you can read it here) about my visit with Granny last week. She was angry because being home was incredibly boring, and she wanted to go to church. To brighten her mood I spent lots of time singing older hymns with her. It was amazing to see the smile on her face as I started in on one of her favorite hymns (I know her favorites), and two or three words in, she joined me without missing a single word!

I will miss the Thursday mornings discussing Scripture with Granny on the porch when her mind is strong. But as this dear saint nears the end of her journey I will enjoy Thursday mornings reminding her of the truth she’s temporarily forgotten.

Last Sunday night I was speaking from 1 Timothy 4:1-5 on the subject of Satan’s lies. Two men were there who didn’t know the Lord (one has been consistently coming on Sunday nights, the other came for the first time) so I prayed as the sermon began to close that the Lord would work in their hearts.

My closing challenge was “Satan has right where he wants you” and used the well-known illustration of a painting that depicted Satan playing chess with a man. In the painting Satan is getting ready to take the mans king ending the game (and taking his soul) so it’s named “check mate.” However, a famous chess player studying the painting realized the man had ONE MOVE LEFT! Of course the application of that illustration is Christ’s the only way we can escape Satan’s condemnation.

As I told the story of the chess painting the Holy Spirit was at work…..

But that’s when the drunk man decided to come in.

I believe he had no interest in coming to church, but seeing his friends inside, decide to come in too. But being drunk he became a huge distraction by changing seats three times (eventually sitting on the front row!) and talking very loudly. So I asked him in a kind, but authoritative voice to leave because he was distracting everyone.

Sadly the moment was lost after he left. My unsaved friend talking with me Wednesday night said the Holy Spirit was really working in his heart, but the distraction made him angry about the drunken man interrupting church.

The next morning the drunk man (now sober) immediately gave me a hug, and apologized profusely for the way that he had acted last Sunday night. I forgave him because he was truly repentant, and explained the best way to prove he was sorry was showing up sober.

Last Sunday was a painful reminder that Satan hates the church, and will do anything he can to keep people from accepting Christ!

But this hatred of Satan can never keep us from doing the work of God

Because God loves the Church!

These setbacks of Satan are frustrating, but they give opportunities to live out what we preach. People saw my gracious response to the drunk, and willingness to forgive him for his foolish actions. And that made my testimony stronger!

The two men who came last Sunday returned last night with three of their friends! I spoke to all three today who said they really enjoyed the service, and will be coming again.

Satan will always persecute the church because he hates it…..

But he cannot prevail against it.

Over the weekend I finished “Christ-Centered Preaching” by Bryan Chapell. It is an excellent resource on the development, and delivery of sermons that I’d encourage every preacher or missionary to read.

I learned many things from this book….but one of the most important is understanding the difference between what Chapell calls a “be sermon” and “redemptive sermon.”

He explains the difference like this

1. A “be sermon” encourages someone to do something (be confident, be wise)
2. A “Redemptive Sermon” encourages someone to rely on Christ and the Gospel

As I thought about this, it occurred to me that many of the sermons I preach emphasize human works instead of giving God first place. By doing this I inadvertently convey that the Christian life is lived in your own strength!

It’s hard to honor the Lord when hearing a works-based message that says “just try harder!”

Of course I don’t WANT to preach a “be sermon” on Sundays, the problem is it’s hard to know what a “Redemptive sermon actually looks like!

With that in mind, allow me to share some characteristics of a Redemptive sermon (taken from Bryan Chapell’s book)

1. The foundation of the message is a sinful problem we cannot fix (he calls is a fallen focus): I used not wanting to go to church last Sunday morning. As a child when I didn’t want to go to church hearing “God wants us to go” was enough, but as an adult you need something more than that.
2. This sinful problem is cured by a Universal Truth from Scripture: Last weeks was God loves the church, and has chosen to use it
3. The main points of a Redemptive Sermon clarify the truth instead of giving the people something to do: God Loves the Mission of the church (it refocuses us on Him), and God loves the message of the church (it reminds us of Him).
4. The closing a Redemptive Sermon is a challenge to respond to this Universal Truth in faith: The church service reconnects us to our true source of power Jesus Christ by refocusing us on Him, and reminding us of Him.

The sermon could have been better, but you get the idea.

What “Christ-Centered Preaching” helped me understand is people on Sunday don’t need a list of things to accomplish.

They need someone to focus their attention back on the cross.

During March I’ve been trying to lose some excess weight that I gained in January and February (results of the oreos, gatorade, and other goodies in my Christmas barrel)! I’m getting there with the weight loss (need to lose four or five more pounds) but was feeling good about myself.

Until I remembered the hills of Robinhood Road at my parents home……

Last week I wrote an devotional about my original weight loss in 1999, and how it developed a love for running (you can read the post here). That post brought back fond memories of many runs on that old road, but it also convicted me since I haven’t run on Vincentian roads for YEARS!

There are some reasons for this

1. There are a LOT more hills here
2. The heat makes training difficult
3. And one of my running is sure to attract attention, as well as some laughter 🙂
4. The real reason why is I’ve confused being skinny with being healthy

Trust me there is a difference!

Something I’ve noticed while emphasizing weight loss (being skinny) is my weight did go down. However I continued struggling with lack of energy, mental focus, and strength.

On Fridays I sometimes play games like football with children in the community because its a form of ministry, and gives me a good workout. A few weeks ago I found myself sitting on the sidelines instead of interacting with them because my body had NO ENERGY.

That’s when I realized being skinny was not enough….

I had to be healthy.

And to be healthy I had to start training again!

To be honest I’ve known for a long time that training and exercise should be a daily habit. But I kept putting it off because it was going to hurt! This is especially true for the core-exercises (stretching exercises) that would go along with the running itself. But more painful than the exercise is the shame involved.

None of us like to do something challenging, it makes us look foolish or incredibly weak at the beginning. So it’s easier to be skinny and “look healthy” than to struggle my way up a hill that shouldn’t give trouble at all.

So why embrace fitness in the first place?

Because I need to be stronger.

I am not looking forward to the pain (and REALLY not looking forward to the laughter) but with the Lords help I’ll put on my running shoes again. Because success comes as I meet the physical demands of ministry as well as the spiritual.

In February I asked prayer partners to help me raise $500 to bring big print bibles to Saint Vincent.

Not only did I raise over twice that amount (one gift of $1,000) but the first twenty-five are being sent for free!

Salem Baptist Church in Winston Salem, North Carolina (my home church) has sent a shipment of pew Bibles in good condition that should arrive on April 21. The cost of the Bibles and shipping are completely covered by them!

A few weeks ago I shared how this situation taught me it’s okay to ask for help…..

But more than that it reminded me that no need is too big for God.

All of us have “God sized needs” in ministry. These are needs that make raising $500 for Bibles look like spare change. For me, this is raising money for a church van that can be used to transport members to and from church. The cost for one of these will be around $14,000 US.

To be honest this kind of need is overwhelming for me, and cannot be achieved without an extensive furlough. There were plans for a furlough that would raise funds in March 2020, but of course then Covid hit 😦 .

Though a furlough is probably needed, that doesn’t change the fact that I should be sharing my “God-sized” needs along with my smaller needs.

This gives the idea God can meet some smaller things (like raising $500 for Bibles), but isn’t strong enough to provide a church van.

So as of this morning I’m making the church van one of my major goals.

Because God is big enough to supply one.

About a week ago Greg Morse wrote an article entitled “The Subtle Way to Waste Your Life.” In it he challenges readers about being what he calls “a sophisticated sloth.”

What hid this realization from me for so long is that I never thought of myself as slothful. I get things done. At times, I’ve worked very hard. No one would have looked at me and said I sleep too much, or that I neglected my studies, or that I put off difficult things indefinitely. But looking back, I have realized in my work life that I have lived too often as a sophisticated sloth.

He describes sophisticated sloth as someone who rejects laziness, but ends up wasting far too much time.

This leads to his sharing four major time-wasters

1. Slow to Begin
2. Quick to Break
3. Open to Interruptions
4. and Puts Off Harder Work

Reading this article is incredibly convicting for me because it shows the difference between being busy, and using our time wisely.

Spending time wisely means focusing on effectiveness and efficiency (getting things done as quickly as possible) instead of activity. It’s one thing to finish a job, it’s another to finish it in a productively focused way. Or as Greg Morse puts it, “How many hours have I wasted ‘getting in the mood’ to start something difficult?“

The word this post brings to my mind is “distracted”, and sadly it describes my life far too much. And while a distracted life isn’t as bad as a lazy life that doesn’t attempt anything, it’s not much better.

A few weeks ago I started preaching through the qualifications of a Pastor, and Deacon in 1 Timothy 3. It just worked out I finished the “Rise and Fall of Mars Hill” podcast while finishing up on last weeks message from 1 Timothy 3:8-15. That podcast was actually a great illustration for the message, because it emphasizes how much of Christian culture places a priority on results above character.

Of course those in the ministry (Pastors or Missionaries) should be successful in achieving results…..

But defining a successful ministry based on results is dangerous!

It’s dangerous because someone can receive a ministry position because of their competency (organizational skills, education, leadership skills, confidence) while their character is overlooked. Obviously competence is a part of being in the ministry, but it must be built upon a foundation of character.

It’s interesting to look at the qualifications of a Pastor in 1 Timothy 3

1. He must be blameless (no unconfessed sins in life)
2. He is faithful to his wife (Sexually pure)
3. He is vigilant (On the lookout, Clear Headed, not lazy mentally)
4. He is sober (focused, disciplined)
5. He is of good behavior (Respectable, has integrity)
6. He is given to hospitality (Cares for Those in Need)
7. He is apt to teach (an excellent teacher)
8. Not a striker, but patient, not a brawler (Doesn’t resort to violent anger)
9. Not greedy of filthy lucre, not covetous (not greedy for money)
10. An integrity from their family life (1 Timothy 3:4-5)
11. An integrity from their maturity (1 Timothy 3:6)
12. An integrity from their reputation (1 Timothy 3:7)

All of this means God cares about your character much more than your competence!

The response for all of us (Pastors and Missionaries especially) is to develop character through a close personal relationship with God. Competency or results can then come not because we are working hard, but the Lord is blessing our commitment to Him.

More importantly, when we care more about results than character, things never end well.

Richard Baxter in his book “The Reformed Pastor” has a quote that describes the need for character well….

“One proud, surly, lordly word, one needless contention, one covetous action, may cut the throat of many a sermon, and blast the fruit of all that you have been doing.”

Charles Spurgeon also points out the importance of character so a minister lives the truth as well as preaching it.

Spurgeon describes as a good preacher but a bad Christian: he “preached so well and lived so badly, that when he was in the pulpit everybody said he ought never to come out again, and when he was out of it they all declared he never ought to enter it again.” (from lectures to my students)

This can be applied to the lives of ministers as well. We can make competency our focus by emphasizing hard work and results, or we can make character our focus by emphasizing study of Scripture and prayer. The true question is what do we invest our time in? Activity, or fellowship with God?

There is nothing wrong with competency and success

But character must come first.

I plan by Thursday this week to finish re-reading “Christ-Centered Preaching” by Bryan Chapell. I’m going over this book again because it gives lots excellent information on preaching.

I am also going over it again because some of my messages in recent months haven’t been as good as they should be.

Oh I had a sermon outline (and even handouts!) but the time and effort put into those sermons just weren’t were it should be. It’s easy to become so busy in ministry that your study time is affected, the end result is a sermon that needs more work 😦

This came to a head a few weeks ago when my sermons fell flat, and I went home angry at myself for not putting in the work….

Thankfully by Monday my attitude changed from anger, to a renewed commitment for excellent preaching

The shame and frustration I felt Sunday night are a natural part of life. Nobody likes to fail! However what we do with that shame makes a huge difference.

Satan wants that shame to fill our hearts with anxiety, fear, or worthlessness (self-pity). This way the shame keeps us from attempting other things because “it will always end this way.” God wants that shame to become a 1,0000 watt flashlight that shines on our weakness (not putting enough time into sermon prep) which leads to confession, and repentance (doing better).

The problem is we often are so crippled by the shame that we aren’t willing to admit the sin that God clearly reveals!

Yes admitting my messages could be better intensified that shame

But the rededication to excellent preaching that followed was worth all the emotional pain.

Last Sunday both messages that came out of my renewed sermon-prep habits were definitely better than the week before! They may not have been excellent, but that’s okay (growth takes time). What matters is getting up after you have fallen.

Tomorrow I will file the paperwork to extend my visa in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines till 2023.

And like every year, I’ll do it with a huge smile on my face because the process is so incredibly simple.

Sadly it seems as if some Countries have used Covid as an opportunity to limit religious freedom. Of course there is a danger with Covid and need for protocols, but at times it seemed as if individuals could go anywhere but church! This isn’t surprising of course because the world will never view church as something important or necessary.

Seeing other Countries limiting religious freedom, it was refreshing to see Saint Vincent and the Grenadines continue to EMBRACE religious freedom.

1. During the pandemic we did shut down evening and mid-week services temporarily for safety, but were only told by the Government services couldn’t be held for two weeks
2. At the height of our Covid crisis the Government asked less than twenty individuals be allowed inside the church building with others gathered outside, but we still regularly had a morning service
3. All of the Schools in Barrouallie begin with a devotional, gospel song, and prayer
4. Renewing a Visa is an expensive process, but at the same time incredibly easy, I can bring back the application with the necessary documents in less than an hour
5. We are allowed to enter prisons and publicly share the Gospel
6. And people in the community gladly receive tracts, even saving them, and re-reading later!

This religious freedom is a beautiful thing, but it’s also dangerous because we believe it will always be there

Satan likes to use religious freedom to create passiveness or procrastination when it comes to the Lord’s work saying, “oh you have plenty of time!” But the truth is even here in SVG I have seen the door of religious freedom beginning to close.

Not through government control……

But through the hardness of peoples hearts.

When I first arrived in Saint Vincent six-years ago NOBODY refused a tract. I can remember a church member respond when shock when a man refused hers in 2017 because that had never happened before! But slowly that has changed. Thankfully people aren’t violently against the Gospel, but quite a few will refuse one that’s offered, or start an argument about what Scripture teaches.

This lack of openness to the Gospel begins in the hearts of individuals. But over time culture isn’t satisfied with not listening to the Gospel, they have to silence the Gospel.

The Biblical response to this is to use the open door of ministry that religious freedom gives to us daily. Plow and sow the seed of the Gospel into tender hearts because they won’t be that way forever.

One of the most challenging parts of missions is financial help. When only certain individuals are struggling to pay bills and buy food understanding who to help is easy. But when most people are in this situation, things are less clear. Issues such as lack of consistent work, and not enough jobs to go around means poverty is an issue for many Vincentians.

I would love to financially care for every single family in Barrouallie….but of course I cannot do that

So I focus on helping those who are in “great need”

There are a few requirements for what makes a great need, but one of them is the individuals health is affected. Most people in Saint Vincent goes to a public clinic that’s open once or twice a week and offers free examinations. The only thing you pay for is the medication!

In most cases going to the clinic will take care of the problem. But for more serious health concerns you must visit a private doctor, who is much more expensive. Sadly some individuals don’t have the money to pay the private doctor and allow the serious health problem to continue!

Last week I helped three individuals who were in serious physical need:

1. A two-year old girl who had a chest cold (I could hear her wheezing in her chest) and was sent to a private doctor
2. A girl who feel down and did serious damage to her mouth as well as teeth, and was sent to a private doctor
3. And a man who because of a bike accident had a serious open wound in this side that couldn’t be dealt with at the clinic. I ended up getting him guaze, bandages, peroxide, and antibiotic cream

The important thing isn’t actually my giving, but my stopping to help those in need.

Thankfully the Lord allowed me to give the money that could be spent on visiting the private doctor. But even if I didn’t have it, there were other things that I could have done to help them.

Experiencing these individuals in great need reminded me of the parable of the good Samaritan who stopped to help the man who had been attacked by robbers. You know the story of course! Two religious men saw this person in need and instead of stopping, passed by on the other side. They probably were afraid that the thieves were close by waiting to attack somebody else! Whatever the reason, they ignored the man who was desperately in need of help.

This is convicting because like the religious men we (myself included) often pass by the individual in great need without even trying to help! Often this is because we cannot offer FINANCIAL HELP but there are many other ways to help the needy around us.

1. With a genuine concern
2. With a listening ear, and full attention
3. With an encouraging word from Scripture
4. With a shoulder to cry on

Over the summer missionary Jonathan Archer gave the following definition for missions….

Sitting with the hurting, celebrating with the rejoicing

The more I think about those words, the more powerful they are to me. Especially the part of about sitting with the hurting.

The time will come when I cannot open my wallet and help those in great need (it often does). But in those moments instead of walking on I can sit with them in their suffering, and remind them God will supply all of their needs.

I was recently talking to a Vincentian pastor about how easy it is to just keep doing what you are doing. By this I mean churches and individuals who fall into the habit of continuing to do what they had been doing, even though it wasn’t effective. He explained how a ministry at his church wasn’t working well (“people were just showing up”) so changes were made that ensured it was helping people grow. He looked at me and said. “you have to find something that works.”

Those words spoke deeply to me…..

Because I’ve recently had to give up good ministry practices that just weren’t working

Now there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING wrong with these ministry practices according to Scripture! But over time they had lost some of their effectiveness, and there was a need to temporarily set them aside so something better could begin.

The major ministry is tract distribution which I’ve done almost every morning for years. The thing is there’s still an interest in getting tracts, but it isn’t the most effective way of sharing the Gospel. A lot of times the person will take the tract from me, and then just keep on walking. Yes I did give the Gospel out, but an effective outreach would involve a conversation and relationship development.

As good as tract distribution is it doesn’t lead to many conversations.

In the end I had to ask myself “do I want to have an outreach that is good, or an outreach that is excellent?” Obviously the answer to that question is excellent! But setting aside something I’m used to doing and starting something new is hard work work, and to be honest a bit scary.

This is why when asked to choose between a ministry that’s “just okay” and a ministry that works, we will be tempted to choose the former. But being average falls into the trap of Satan.

Satan understands that he can’t get many Christians to completely reject Christ (those who do probably aren’t Christians in the first place) so instead of encourages them to be average.

• Just go through the motions
• Read the Bible, but don’t apply it
• Go to church, but don’t let it affect your life
• Pray, but don’t spend too much time doing it

Being average is the easy road to take since everyone else seems to be taking it. But we must choose excellence (something that works) so that when Christ returns He will say “well done good and faithful servant”, instead of “thou wicked and slothful servant.” There will be many Christians who when Christ returns will leave many things undone because they chose being average.

It is never easy to give up what we have been doing and do the hard work of creating something that works

But we put the work in, because a ministry that pursues excellence or effectiveness is a form of worship.

Last Saturday I was able by God’s Grace to celebrate my forty-sixth birthday! I was aware Saturday that while 46 isn’t necessarily old, it makes things more difficult physically than in your younger. But Tuesday this week reminded me in a very painful way!

While visiting a friend yesterday I walked down into his yard, and then hit a spot that was slippery. Suddenly my right leg shot out from underneath me and I fell to the ground! There wasn’t much pain after the fall itself so I felt as if everything would be all right. But about 7:00 last night I tried to get out of a chair and couldn’t stand!

Twisting my knee in the fall had either bruised it, or sprained it slightly, which caused it to swell. This condition (commonly called water on the knee) made my knee stiff so that it couldn’t bend properly. Thankfully after rest, some pain meds, and icy hot my knee is doing much better. But it was a good reminder that a fall which wouldn’t have affected me at all in my younger years has a great affect now.

This and other experiences about things being harder physically than in younger years leads to an important truth…..

You cannot serve God effectively if you aren’t healthy.

Missions involves lots of physical exercise (such as walking) and consistent energy that can do focused work for the entire day. This demands a strong body, mind, and willpower that flow out of a healthy lifestyle. The mistake many ministers (and Christians) make is emphasizing spiritual or mental health (here I refer to the understanding of Doctrine) and ignore their physical health.

They inevitably learn it’s kind of hard to serve the Lord when your tired all of the time.

The Lord in recent years has continually shown me the importance of healthy habits

1. Like getting at least seven hours of sleep
2. Exercising every day
3. Eating on time (you don’t snack between meals)
4. Starting a strength training program
5. And eating lots of fresh vegetables

While the difference didn’t come overnight, i slowly but surely began feeling more energy and focus because of the healty eating, and daily exercise. This allowed me to become more effective in my daily ministry!

Sadly I got of track and gained quite a bit of weight :-). The good news is the Lord is helping me make my physical health important again by once again emphasizing healthy habits.

It is possible to serve the Lord while out of shape but it’s very difficult (trust me I tried). It’s far better to combine spiritual and mental health with physical health.

Tomorow is the last teaching day of my two-week module on the book of Revelation at Baptist Bible College of the Caribbean. It was a wonderful opportunity to connect with students, and take an in-depth look at Scriputures teaching of end-times.

While class has gone very well, Monday and Tuesday this week could have been better. The class just felt “dead” on those days lacking the normal energy, discussion, and interaction. Monday I figured it had to do with students ministering over the weekend at church, but when Tuesday was dead, I knew something was wrong.

It didn’t take me long to figure out the problem……..

I had fallen into the bad habit of sharing truth instead of applying truth

We were slightly behind in the notes so I made an effort to get through as many pages as possible to catch up. The good news is we did cover lots of material on Monday and Tuesday, the bad news is that material made little impact upon the students lives. To put it simply, I impacted the head by giving information, but didn’t impact the heart by applying that information to their daily life.

The result of this teaching style is a head thats filled with Bibical knowledge, but little of it is being lived out. The problem with that is we are called to make disciples who live out the truths of Scripture, and daily become more like Christ. So truth must impact the heart as well as the head.

With that in mind I came home yesterday afternoon and made some changes to the class that ensured their hearts were being ministered to:

1. The remaining notes were streamlined to emphasize the major truth of the passage (removed about eight pages)
2. I sat very close to the students with an open Bible during class, this helps keep their attention, and encourages discussion
3. I purposely added points that could be applied to our current culture
4. And moved at a much slower pace through the material, allowing students to think through the material, and formulate questions
5. Today when class ended students were still debating events surrounding the Great White Throne in loud animated tones which brought a smile to my face.

Sadly the emphasis on ministering to our heads (transfer of truth) and not our hearts (application of truth) continues outside of the classroom. In fact it takes place in many churches, and daily Bible readings! Countless belivers approach the Word of God and observe truth (ministering to their heads) then don’t do the hard work of meditating upon that truth, and applying it to life (ministering to the heart).

There are many answers to this problem, but I personally feel the best one is personal discipleship.

A one on one Bible study with a mature Believer is an excellent way to impact you heart with Scripture. This personal teaching relationship allows them to explain the Word of God carefully, answer questions, and give specific ways you can apply that particular truth to life. It also helps you stop and THINK about Scripture.

I’m grateful that the Lord reminded me this week impacting lives with God’s truth is more important than finishing the notes. And discipleship that affects the heart is far better than material that just impacts the head.

Saturday I finished “Holy Sexuality and the Gospel” by Christopher Yuan. It was an excellent study of God’s sexual standard, particularly as it relates to homosexuals.

One of the biggest takeaways from the book is everyone (homosexuals included) must be approached with an attitude of humility, and love.

Obviously this doesn’t mean we agree with sinful actions, or compromise our convictions! Instead this loving humility doesn’t approach the sinner with an attitude of arrogance that believes we are better than them.

This attitude of love comes from a foundational truth of Doctrine….

We have all failed God

Christopher Yuan does a good job of explaining that each of us were created to glorify God, and have failed miserably by sinning against Him. Though some sins have greater consequences than others, the Lord doesn’t look upon us as “big sinners” or “little sinners.” Just ONE SIN can separate us from Him for eternity!

This truth challenges me to approach sinners not as someone who lives a perfect life, but a fellow sinner who has experienced the grace of God.

This kind of humility keeps me from falling into the extreme of isolating myself from the unsaved (never interacting with them) and compromising myself with the unsaved (adapting to them). Both of these extremes do great damage to a testimony.

1. An Isolation Relationship with the Unsaved gives off the message that I am better than them. It refuses to even have friendships with the unsaved because it could affect their testimony.
2. The Compromising Relationship with the Unsaved does the exact opposite by accepting everything that they do, and never confronting any sin.

Approaching them as a sinner who has experienced God’s Grace avoids both extremes

1. I take the initiative to approach them with the Gospel of Christ
2. I emphasize building a relationship, and taking opportunities that the Holy Spirit gives to clarify the teaching of Scripture
3. I deal with their heart relationship (Salvation) instead of outward sinful actions (drinking, drugs, etc) but make sure they understand these actions dishonor God
4. I give them time to change…..show patience instead of forcing them to accept Christ
5. And I live the Gospel in front of them on a daily basis

Above all things a spirit of loving humility gives Grace to the unsaved…..

Because God continuously gives me Grace .

A few doors down from me is a rum-shop where people gather during the day. I will visit there during the week to pass out tracts, explain Scripture, and build relationships. Everyone there understands I am totally against drinking, especially in the local community where so many are addicted to rum, but I still visit there.

In a perfect world I wouldn’t have to visit a rum-shop to share Christ. But we don’t live in a perfect world! So with the Lord’s help I enter into the darkness with the light of the Gospel.

Not as someone who is better than them….

But a sinner who has received God’s Grace.

Last month I left my car with a christian mechanic to get some basic body work done, and have it repainted. Going into the job I understood something like this would take a while (around two weeks). But extra work for the mechanic along with some complications meant the job took almost three instead!

As the weeks passed my frustration understandably started to rise. Finally the mechanic promised that on Saturday the car would be finished. I left most of my things at the Bible College where I’d been teaching (had stayed up there last week) and went back to Barrouallie Friday excited about getting my car back.

Around 12:30 Saturday I saw the mechanic.

But he wasn’t driving my car….he was walking

The mechanic explained that because it had rained Friday and Saturday he wasn’t able to finish the job. A drop of water could create bubbles or streaks in the paint job. It was a real let-down not to get my car since I’d looked forward to it so much, but I did understand why the job wasn’t finished.

Over the weekend I prayed that the Lord would bring good weather without rain on Monday so the car could get done. But it was pouring rain this morning, and the job was delayed again.

My mood wasn’t very good this morning riding public transportation to the college. It actually got worse because I left my umbrella at the college (planned to use one in my car!). Things weren’t so bad till we neared the road where I needed to get dropped off, and then it REALLY started to rain. By the time I walked up the road to the college, my clothes were completely soaked (thankfully I was able to change into clothes I wore the week before)!

Sadly life isn’t fair sometimes

1. We don’t get what we deserve
2. Things fall through
3. or people let us down

The worst part about these unfair situations is we cannot fix them

There is honestly nothing I, or my mechanic can do to keep the rain away other than praying God would give sunshine! Honestly though the situation is frustrating I don’t blame him, because without the rain on Friday he could have kept the promise to give me the car on Saturday.

So how do we respond to the days when we pray for sun and end up walking in the pouring rain?

Focus on what you can do something about

Frustration has a way of growing to affect every area of our lives. We fixate our minds on that one thing that is unfair, and soon can’t think about anything else

The setbacks with my car made it easy to only focus on not having it. But the Lords help I was able to begin focusing on things that could be achieved.

1. Like teaching on the book of Revelation at the Bible College
2. Going home to finish some projects, and work on Sermon preparation
3. And spend some extra time with the Lord to quiet my restless heart

The Lord calls us to continually lay that thing we cannot fix at His feet (because He can fix it), and then put our attention on His daily calling for our lives. It’s amazing how much less stressful life is when we stop trying to do God’s job!

I’m honestly not sure when I’ll get my car! But thats okay, because God does. And as I do His work for the day, He will work out my car situation for His glory.

This is the inner pocket of the backpack that I daily use in ministry. It’s a good place to store items, but it’s also a good reminder that people will let you down.

As a general rule I don’t carry lots of cash, and when I do, it’s usually kept in my wallet. Once I broke that rule….and lived to regret it. I was going to visit some young people and decided to put my rent inside the inner pocket since the landlords house was on the way to theirs. Because he wasn’t home I decided to simply try again the next day.

The next morning the inner pocket was zipped open……

And the rent money was gone!

After a search of the house to ensure that I did put the money in my bag the only option left was someone stole it.

And sadly I knew exactly who did.

After visiting with the young people the day before a young lady helped me put the books and tracts back inside my backpack. She was someone who always obeyed and never gave me any trouble at all, which was why she was allowed to help me pack the bag. Because she was the only one who touched it, she was the one who stole my rent money.

I immediately went to her house and spoke with the neighbour (a friend of mine) so he would pay attention to whether or not she was spending lots of money. The Lord worked things out that she actually hadn’t gone to school that day so I asked her about the money, and she denied everything. I knew she either took the money, or knew who did because to get to the money you had to open the back part of my backpack, and then zip open another area. Nobody could have done that without my noticing since the backpack is always with me.

To be perfectly honest if it was a few dollars I woudln’t have worried too much about it. But the fact that she had taken rent money (a very good amount) meant something had to be done. I spoke to her school principal and teacher since children buy snacks at school, she would probably try to start spending lots of that money at school. I later had the police come and question her about the money, and the situation was rectified.

This story illustrates the fact that because we all suffer from a sin-nature people will let us down, and we will let them down as well. So we must be prepared for things like that to happen.

This experience though painful helped me develop a biblical response to others sinning against me. It is made up of two parts.

1. Bring to repentance
2. And restore the relationship

A true response to people letting you down MUST have both parts!

Bringing to repentance is necessary because often when others let us down, they don’t see it as a serious problem. Unfortunately for children in Saint Vincent stealing is just a way of life, often it’s learned by watching their own parents steal! As it’s done habitually over time, taking someones money doesn’t bother them anymore. So it’s absolutely necessary to show them it is a serious problem.

This repentance must be done the right way though

1. It cannot be done in anger: I was very calm and spoke in a quiet voice to the young lady about stealing my money
2. You must give them a chance to do the right thing: I made sure to explain to her what would happen if she wasn’t honest. First I’d go to her principal, and then go to the police
3. You give clear and proper warnings: The day after she stole my money I told her that if she hadn’t given back the money after a certain amount of time, I would bring the police.

Bringing to repentance must have the correct goal. Though I was frustrated by my loss of money, it wasn’t about the money. My goal was to break the sinful habit in her heart, and draw her closer to Christ. The purpose must be to rescue her from future judgement of God and consequences of her actions.

Along with bringing to repentance comes restoration.

Restoring the relationship means that the past sins cannot affect the present and future relationship

1. I forgive the individual in my own heart no matter what happens
2. Take ownership of my own mistake in the situation (carrying money in my bag)
3. I continue to minister to her with Gods Word
4. And make sure that know’s i’ve forgiven her

Restoration can take time because they may not believe you’ve forgiven them, or trust needs to be earned again. In these cases it’s important to make things right because it displays the mercy and love of God.

Losing rent money because a child stole it was painful. But it gave an opportunity to display the Holiness of God, as well as His grace in practical ways.