500125Postmaster: send change of address to:Baptist Progress, P.O. Box 2085, Waxahachie, Texas 75168

Official Publication of the Baptist Missionary Association of Texas • September 21, 2011 • Vol. 98 • No. 18

JBC continued on p. 2

The Annual Senior Adult Rally held at First Baptist Church of Jacksonville will be Oct. 18, 2011. The theme for the conference will be “God Blessed America.” Among special guests will be Evangelist Tim Lee.

To escape the world around him, Lee joined the Marine Corps in 1969. After his training, he received orders to serve in southeast Asia. In March of 1971, he was apprehended by the hand of God along an abandoned grassy trail in Quang Nam Province, Vietnam. In that moment, engulfed in smoke, fi re and holy vengeance, a land mine explosion severed two

lower limbs, and placed in a wheelchair for life a young man who was to carry, without legs, a message from God to a nation.

After his call to preach in 1973, and following a year of itinerant evangelistic preaching, Tim Lee pastored for five years in southern Illinois before surrendering to the full-time ministry of evangelism in 1979. The results in the lives of people were almost immediate as the former Marine began to stir and challenge God’s people across the country. People of all ages listened; among them teenagers, the professional person, United

States congressmen and senators, governors, mayors and elected officials. They heard a clear, uncompromising message grounded deep in old fashioned patriotism, righteous living and biblical revival.

Bring your church’s senior adults to the annual rally on Oct. 18. It will be a time of wonderful worship, great fellowship, good eating and making memories to last for a lifetime. See the next issue of Baptist Progress for more details. For information, call First Baptist Church at 903-586-4844 or email reception@fi rstjax.org.

First Baptist Church of Jacksonville to Host Annual Senior Adult RallyOctober 18, 2011

Tim Lee

The 2011 fall enrollment is almost complete. In fact, all enrollment is complete except for dual enrollment which has become a major opportunity for high school students to accumulate some college hours to be used when they graduate from high school. The program is for students who qualify for the advanced college credit. Only students who have college entrance tests scores can take the courses. There are students from the Brook Hill High School in Bullard, Wells High School in Wells and Jacksonville High School enrolled in the dual credit programs.

Our total enrollment for the fall is 455, an increase of 51 over the fall of 2010. There are a total of 249 students who are full-time and 206 who are part-time. The full-time equivalency is 328 which is an increase of

26 over the fall of 2010. The on-campus population of students totals 293. Every available classroom space is being utilized this semester.

There are 15 international students enrolled this semester from 13 countries. The countries represented are: Haiti, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mexico, Zambia, Rwuanda, and Kenya in Africa, Russia, Puerto Rico, Sweden, Cambodia, Brazil, Vietnam and Iran. The international students certainly provide a great deal to the make-up of the campus. Other students learn a great deal from them through their cultural backgrounds. Jacksonville College is blessed to have these folks on our campus. Some of them are on work scholarships. They model a strong work ethic.

Enrollment Increases at Jacksonville CollegeBy DR. EDWIN CRANKPresident, Jacksonville College

(BARNA GROUP)—The digital age is affect ing more than how America communicates. It is also shaping parent-child relationships in striking new ways.

Barna Group recently completed a study about the influence of technology in families, releasing the findings in a new digi ta l repor t , The Family & Technology Report.

T h e r e s e a r c h w a s c o n d u c t e d i n partnership with Orange, which is part of the reThink Group. The innovative study included nationwide interviews among parents and 11- to 17-year-olds from the same households, allowing comparisons between the parents and the tweens and teenagers who reside in the same home.

Highlights from the study included the following five findings:1. Parents are just as dependent on technology as are teens and tweens.

Most people assume that teenagers are

driving the technology gap in families. Yet the research points out that the gap is much smaller than most imagine. In reality, parents are using technology and media to nearly the same degree as their 11- to 17-year-olds.

Parents are more l ikely than their tween and teen offspring to report regular use of cell phones and desktop computers. They are just as likely as their teens and tweens to use laptop computers and tablet-like devices.

How Technology is Influencing Families

Technology continued on p. 5

2 • September 21, 2011From the Editor

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While preaching through a series from the Book of Acts, I became increasingly aware of how far some churches have strayed from the mission given to us by the Lord, “…and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

For example, on the day of Pentecost, just as Jesus had promised, the gift of the Holy Spirit arrived and filled the hearts of the believers gathered in Jerusalem. As the Holy Spirit gave the apostles the ability to speak in the languages of all the people present so every person could hear the Gospel in his own language, some onlookers were amazed. Others , including Pharisees and scribes, accused the apostles of being intoxicated.

When the accusat ions were voiced, the apostle Peter stood and began to explain to those in the crowd what was happening. He stated clearly that the apostles were not drunk with wine, but were filled with the Holy Spirit. Peter preached that what was happening was of God, as it had been foretold by the prophet Joel. Just as Jesus had instructed him in Acts 1:8 and Matthew 28, Peter was being a witness for His Lord!

Notice that Peter did not have to put on a dog and pony show to get people to listen to him. He did not have to use the latest and greatest marketing strategies to win people to Jesus. All Peter had to do was obey.

It is disturbing how so many churches have taken on a corporate model for their ministries. Even more alarming are the ways by which churches measure success. One might say, “If the Sunday school attendance is high, the offerings are big, the worship center or sanctuary is packed for each service, then God is blessing!” I beg to differ!

While attendance and offering numbers might, in some cases, be an indication of God’s blessings, one cannot always assume that is the case. Benny Hinn, a modern-day false prophet, preaches to some pretty big crowds and boy does he rake in the money! Robert Tilton, Jim Bakker, Oral Roberts, Jimmy Swaggart and other high profile preachers claimed

they too were being blessed of God. Of course, an argument could easily be made that the downfall of their ministries proved otherwise.

As I read Scripture, I find nowhere that being a mega-church , b r ing ing in coun t less thousands o f do l l a r s in offerings, building elaborate buildings, using all of the latest

and greatest gimmicks and using the church’s platform as an entertainment and comedy stage define success.

The definition of success I find in Scripture is simply obedience.

Following His resurrection, Jesus told Peter and the other apostles to go back to Jerusalem. They went!

Jesus told them to wai t for the gif t of the Holy Spirit to come and fill them. They waited!

Once the Holy Spirit filled them they were to be His witnesses. They witnessed!

As the apostles preached the Good News of Jesus, the Lord promised souls would be saved. They were!

O n e m i g h t a r g u e t h a t G o d ’s Wo r d emphasizes that 3,000 heard the Gospel and

were saved on the day of Pentecost and therefore numbers matter. Again, I beg to differ. I am persuaded that if only one soul had been saved on the day of Pentecost as the result of the apostles’ obedience to Christ their efforts would have been viewed by the Lord as quite successful.

The church that has the huge building, large attendance and bountiful offerings is not necessarily a picture of success. But when the members of a church, large or small, go and make disciples of others they prove their obedience to the Lord. And, those who obey the Lord are successful and will surely be blessed.

Fellow believers, let’s get back to what really matters – Christ followers telling the lost of the Savior, making them into disciples who go and tell others, repeating the process until Jesus comes to take us home. If we will just obey, the Lord will use us to turn this world in which we live upside down for Him!

The Biblical Definition of Success

EditorialBY JERRY FULTON

Pray for these students as they get settled into classes and acclimated to college life in America. Some of them have come a long way from home and have never been away from their native land.

Looking AheadThe students will have a fall break

holiday on Oct. 14. This will follow four days of mid-term exams. That holiday will be followed by the Thanksgiving holidays

scheduled for Nov. 23-25. It hardly seems possible that the semester is moving along so swiftly.

The various student organizations are involved in various activities. The big event for them this fall is the Fall Festival. This event is coupled with Halloween week and is designed to get children and young people from the neighborhood to come to campus for games, food, and fun. This event has become a great public relations tool. These young people receive

gospel tracts and other opportunities for a Gospel presentation.

Gym ImprovementsThe new bleachers for the Curtis Carroll

Fieldhouse are scheduled to be installed in early October. The east and west walls will be painted before the new bleachers are in place. The improvements along with air conditioning and enclosing the walls a few years ago will certainly enhance the appearance of the fieldhouse.

JBC continued from p. 1

September 21, 2011 • 3Life

What is breast beating? It is as old as humanity itself. It simply signifies one’s feelings in the presence of Almighty God that one is unworthy. Jesus got it right in His story. The man would not even look up to heaven. He continued to strike his breast again, again and again. He confessed he was “the sinner” of all sinners who ever lived. He was not at all confi dent God would even hear him. Jesus says he was wrong in his thinking but right in his breast beating. God did hear him because of his stance of the inward man.

I do not think this man went so far as the self-fl agellation of some esoteric disciples of Christianity. I don’t think he cut himself or gashed himself to have an outward show. I can see him in the great and grand Temple standing somewhere at an unobtrusive place and half speaking aloud, half lip moving his ardent confession to God. Somehow the physical act of bringing his hands to his breasts in abject subservience and submission to a holy God got him caught up in the act.

He knew what he was—beyond a shadow of a doubt. He knew what and who God was—beyond a shadow of a doubt. He had to speak the same thing about himself as God

already knew. Jesus goes so far as to speak the words of absolution regarding this man—and any and every female of humankind who will come to God this way. What a grand word to be spoken: “He went home justifi ed before God!” Isn’t this what it’s all about?

The non-breast beating man in the Temple was quite a contrast to the justifi ed man. He was not justified. He had a good time at the Temple telling God (and I would guess all those in hearing distance around him) how good he was. In fact God was lucky to have this “good” man on His team. After all, he was a fi rst round draft choice of many and he chose to sign on with the God team! His prayer reached no higher than the ceiling if that high. His prayer was with himself, not to God; his conversation did not involve the things of God.

The non-breast beater, the braggart, compared himself with others. He used human standards to say, “I win!” God used a

different standard to say to him, “You lose!” He left the Temple in the same condition he had come; he was self-satisfi ed with his position in the community. He was at ease with being moral and good by his own standards.

What is breast beating? It is coming to see self in utter and abject poverty in the face of God with no resources to get into God’s heaven. It is giving up self-righteousness to rely upon the righteousness of Jesus Christ. It is He who died on the cross to buy

me back from sin. Only by His stripes will I ever be healed; only by His death, burial, and resurrection will I ever be on my way to my home justifi ed. May I beat upon my own breasts like this man to go home with what

my heart desires—justifi cation with God.9 To some who were confi dent of their

own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' 13 "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' 14 "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justifi ed before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

What Is Breast Beating? Luke 18:9-14

Dr. Tony Cleaver has served in the U.S. Military, as a pastor, Religion Department Chair at Jacksonville College and as a counselor. Contact him at jstmcleaver@embarqmail.com, 726 Walnut Drive Killeen TX 76549 or 254-618-5998.

The third week in September is national GMA week. We would like to encourage each GMA group to promote the GMA program and do something special each day geared toward the GMA program (or you could choose a week that works better for your church.) Below we have provided a list of ideas for each day to help promote GMAs in your local community. Choose a theme for your church for GMA week and incorporate the theme into your activities.

Sunday: Have all the GMA girls sit together during the worship service in designated pews. Ask your pastor to recognize the girls and announce that this is GMA week, a special week set aside to promote the GMA program. Ask your music minister to allow a GMA (or the whole group) to sing or play a special during the worship service. Get creative with involving the girls in the service, you could even do a short skit or show a video of your GMA group.

Monday: Designate a special prayer time for each day—possibly 8:00 each evening. On this day, pray for your local GMA group, your church, your pastor and family, and our country. Have each girl call or send a card to a person that has been a special blessing to them this year (a SS teacher, GMA counselor, youth leader, etc.) Read a Psalm from the Bible.

Tuesday: Special prayer time: 8 p.m. Pray for your district GMA, your GMA counselors, your youth minister, and our

country. Use this afternoon to do a good deed for someone—reach out to someone who is sick, elderly, shutin or a friend that is struggling. You could make a phone call, visit them, or send a card, text, or email to let them know you’re praying for them. Read your favorite Bible story!

Wednesday: If this is your regular GMA night, invite a guest speaker and have a special prayer time with your group. Pray for our missions department and all of our missionaries! If this is a regular youth night for your church, host a GMA night for all the girls of the youth. Encourage other girls to join by showing a video and photos of things you have done in the past. Serve snacks and refreshments and do a group activity or team building exercise.

Thursday: Special prayer time: 8 pm. Pray for your state and national GMA, your music minister and any special GMA services you have planned. Encourage another GMA member-maybe someone younger, someone who has been inactive lately, or a girl of GMA age that could join your group! You could send them a text, email or make a special card for them personally and talk to them at school or church when you see them. Read your favorite devotional or inspirational story.

Friday: Have a GMA Bunk-In at your church or someone’s home. Plan lots of fun activities: games, movies, manicures, makeovers, etc! Meet early and order pizza or let the girls

cook together! Take a special time that evening to write our missionaries and do a special prayer for them. You could also have the girls make gift baskets for shut-ins or nursing home patients, bake cookies for shut-ins or sick church members, etc.

Saturday: Rise and shine to a special breakfast! Let the girls help make biscuits, gravy, sausage and eggs! Clean up the church or home you stayed in and head home for a nap and shower! Meet back at the church for a special outing later in the afternoon. During that time, deliver the gift baskets you made and visit with the patients or shut-ins. End the day with a nice meal as a group or invite their moms or dads for a special GMA mother/daughter or father/daughter dinner.

Sunday: Sit together in designated pews again during worship service. Ask to participate in the service again with special music or a recap of your activities this week. Have the girls volunteer for a special service project: help with children’s church or nursery activities.

Brainstorm with your group what activities fit you and ways you can help promote GMA week. Get together and make t-shirts for GMA week to wear on Wednesday night. Emphasize the week on Facebook or other forms of media the girls look at. Make fl yers and handouts about GMAs to give to other girls not attending GMAs in your church.

National GMA WeekBy JAYNA WILLIAMSNational GMA Promoter

Leave Itto Cleaver

BY DR. TONY CLEAVER

4 • September 21, 2011Family

God's First Institution

BY DR. TRAVIS PLUMLEE

Work is sometimes overwhelming. You go home at the end of the day and feel like a living brain donor. You can’t think another thought. You just want to sit out on the back porch and watch the sprinkler go round and round. Then, the kids start hollering and you are drawn back to the reality that you have children. You have a passing thought of using duct tape on their mouths. Then, you snap back to reality again as you realize you have a ton of chores to get done tonight. That sure won’t leave much time for watching TV or getting on Facebook.

The typical married couple has so many things that can come between you and your spouse. That means i t is incumbent upon al l of us to s tay focused to the task at hand. We are called together as one by our Father to give Him glory through our covenant union. Our God is holy. Our marriage is a fulfillment of His holy purpose in our lives. This requires us to maintain a vigilant focus on the right priorities, the right pursuits and the right passion in our home. We must not let other people and other projects zap the life force out of our marriage. It is easy with so many demands on our time, to start taking our spouse for granted. But we shouldn’t ever put our life mate on hold while we tend to other duties. Marriage has to be priority.

It flows from the top down. Each person in the marriage has to draw on the love, strength, peace etc… from God. Our power flows down from Him to us. We then share this with each other. If we keep our marriage strong, then this love flows down to our children. It is impossible to be the parents you should be if you two have a bad marriage. You can’t give your kids what they need if you are drained and running on empty from an empty marriage. But if God overflows love to our marriage, and our marriage overflows love to our kids, and then our family life overflows love to all around us: we have our priorities straight and life is good.

So what are these home intruders that we must watch out for? Every person and every couple will have a different set of home invaders. These

are things or people that take away time and attention from our marriage. It does not mean they are bad things. Work can be a good thing. Children and ex tended f ami ly a re good things. Going out and having some fun time with friends is a good thing. However, we have to guard how much t ime we spend with these, versus how much t ime we spend wi th each o the r and God. The strength and joy that comes from a good marriage will be d i rec t ly t i ed to how much time you spend t o g e t h e r w i t h e a c h o ther and wi th God. We have to s t r i ke a balance in our l ives. Marriages get into trouble when all the time and pursuits of the week focus on everything else but the marriage. Marr iages have to be nurtured, and taken care of like a garden. How well is your garden growing? See if there are any of these intruders you two need to work on, decrease or remove out of your life.

1. Electronic Media. This is the number one killer right now to family l i fe . Nothing has destroyed family unity, family communication and family cohesiveness in recent decades as much as the electronic media. This would include television, computers, Internet, IPods, music downloads, laptops, and of course, the infamous big 3: texting, talking on the cell phone and Facebook. Some of you may not have any problem with this. Keep reading. You will find something applicable for yourself with other home invaders in future articles in this series. But for many of you, this is ki l l ing your t ime for family and marriage. You don’t have time to do devotions. You don’t have time for a ministry. Your time you spend with God is lacking. You don’t even have fellowship with your spouse because so much of your time is being zapped by these addictive gadgets. And if you are an older person, and not familiar

Don't Mess With Our Marriage

Dr. Travis Plumlee is a full-time professional speaker and leads Family Ark Ministries.He is national board certifi ed as a therapist/specialist in various areas of human behavior.For more information or to contact him, visit www.travisplumlee.com.

with Facebook and texting; you should be aware o f the i r h igh ly add ic t ive nature with many young families today. Couples don’t even ta lk tha t much

anymore . When they do, it isn’t face to face and eye to eye . I t i s often done cell phone to cell phone. This totally breaks down intimacy in communication. Add it up. How many hours a week do you spend on all of these? Until you stop and think about it, you may be unaware of just how much time you do spend. Log i t in next week. You can plop down in front of your computer and not realize that the whole evening is gone. You

spent hours.How did that happen? Satan is a

deceiver and he loves to deceive you into thinking you don’t spend that much time on this stuff. His goal is to destroy our relationships. These can be his tools to accomplish it. Facebook is not evil. Too much time on it, is. Cell phones are not evil - well? Ok. They aren’t. But they can be. If you don’t have time for your kids, a ministry each week and spending alone time with your spouse, maybe you need to examine how much time you spend with this one. It is a true home invader.

There are many more home invaders for you to consider as the l i s t wi l l continue in the next article. Until then, examine yourself . Are my priori t ies straight?

100th AnniversaryFirst Baptist Church

201 Church StreetNew Summerfi eld, Texas

October 8 & 9October 8

Reception from 2 to 4 p.m.

October 910 a.m. to noon - Anniversary service,

Dr. Edwin Crank preaching

12 noon - Meal1:30 p.m. - concert by Heaven’s Harbor

For more information call David Hellwig, pastor, 501-626-0156

September 21, 2011 • 5From the Cover

Parents watch just as much television and movies, use the Internet for as many minutes per day, and spend more time on the telephone and emailing than do their tween- and teen-aged children.

The technology and media-related tasks that young people do more often than their parents are listening to music, texting, and playing video games. Even in these categories, most parents are surprisingly active.

Like other national studies have shown, parents are spending nearly the same amount of time per day as their tween and teen-aged kids consuming media and using various digital technologies. The gap was even smaller among families with parents who are still in their thirties or early forties. In other words, younger parents are even more technology- and media-dependent than older parents. All of this points to the fact that the digital world has influenced all members of the family, not just teens.

2. Most family members, even parents, feel that technology has been a positive influence on their families.

While many assume that families are

fed up with technology, by nearly a two-to-one ratio parents think of technology like computers, cell phones and video game systems as making their family life better rather than worse (32% to 18%). Most describe the influence as neutral (51%). Interestingly, parents are actually even more favorable toward entertainment like music, movies and television than toward technology, saying its influence is more positive than negative by a five-to-one ratio (38% versus 7%). A slim majority of parents feel entertainment is neither good nor bad (55%).

As relatively unconcerned as parents are about technology and media, the students in their home are even more positive about these elements of modern life. Tweens and teens are substantially more l ikely to describe technology’s influence as positive rather than negative ( 4 7 % t o 6 % ) ; s i m i l a r r a t i n g s h o l d true for young people’s view toward entertainment (56% to 2%).

The conclusion is that most families welcome technology and media with open arms, rather than with suspicion. One of the reasons for th is may be tha t many fami l ies use t echnology,

i n c l u d i n g t e l e v i s i o n , m o v i e s a n d video games, as a shared experience. 3 . Very few adul t s or youth take substantial breaks from technology.

Americans’ dependence on—what some might call addiction to—digital technology is apparent in the study’s findings. One out of three parents and nearly half of 11- to 17-year-olds say there are not any specific times when they “make the choice to disconnect from or turn off technology so they can have a break from it.” And those who take such breaks tend to be driven by convenience rather than intentionality. For example, only 10% of parents and 6% of teenagers say they try to take off one day a week from their digital usage.

This reliance translates into some interesting behaviors and habits. Nearly half of both parents and teens said they emailed, texted or talked on the phone while eating in the last week. Two out of five youth and one-third of parents have used two or more screens simultaneously during this t ime period. And half of students and one-fifth of parents have checked email or text messages in bed in the last seven days. The question arises whether families are in control of their technology or being controlled by it. 4. Families experience conflict about technology, but not in predictable ways.

Fi rs t , pa ren t s and the i r ch i ld ren experience conflict about technology, but not frequently. Only about one in every four parents said they had “strong disagreements about the limits on media and technology” on a weekly basis . About the same proportion says that “technology causes tension between me and my parents / kids.” Still, half of parents (49%) worry about technology and media wasting their children’s time, among other things. For their part, one-fifth of youth (21%) say their parents have a “double standard when it comes to technology.” And one-sixth of these tweens and teens (17%) say their parents “bring their work home with them too much,” a habit cer tainly abet ted by pervasive technology.

Second, parents and youth are most disappointed by technology because it is “so expensive to get the latest,” not because of the unwanted content or the isolation it can bring. In fact, only 39% of parents and 27% of tweens and teens say they get frustrated by technology because it “makes it hard

to have conversations.” The conclusion s temming f rom the research i s tha t technology seems to amplify the relational patterns and problems already in place: families that have healthy and frequent conversations find technology aiding that process, while families without such healthy interactions find that technology exacerbates the isolation of its members.

5. Few families have experienced—o r e x p e c t — c h u r c h e s t o a d d r e s s technology.

Most parents and tweens/teens have not heard any kind of teaching in a church, religious setting, or public forum (like a school) about how families can best use media, entertainment or technology. In other words, most families are not getting any coaching or assistance when it comes to integrating technology into their family life. When asked if they would be open to one version of such training—“a Christ ian or faith-based perspective about how to be a good user of entertainment and technology without letting things negatively impact your family relationships”—about two-fifths of parents (42%) and one-third of tweens and teens (33%) expressed interest. The implication is that faith communities could take a leadership role in teaching about the proper use of technology in healthy families. Commentary on the Findings

D a v i d K i n n a m a n , p r e s i d e n t o f Barna Group, expressed the need for the Chr i s t i an communi ty to expand i ts concept of stewardship. “Perhaps technology should be added to discussions about stewardship. Technology is as old as craftman’s tools. But today’s digital and emerging technologies a re in a different class than hundreds of other hobbies or interests because they have come to significantly define the use of time, the development of talent, and the allocation of money.

“ Te c h n o l o g y i s s h a p i n g f a m i l y interactions in unprecedented ways, but we seem to lack a strategic commitment to the stewardship of technology. The Christ ian community needs a bet ter, more hol is t ic unders tanding of how t o m a n a g e e x i s t i n g a n d c o m i n g technological advances. Parents, tweens and teens need more coaching and input in order to face the countless choices they make regarding how technology affects their attention, interests, talents and resources.”

Technology continued on p. 5

Every Sunday Bulletin Service Every Sunday Bulletin Service is now being offered through Baptist Progress!is now being offered through Baptist Progress!

Simply set up your account with Baptist Progress for the number of bulletins you regularly need on Sunday, and they will be shipped right to your door. We have a wide selection offering six bulletin styles in various sizes to fi t the worship style of nearly any church. Extra bulletins are available to add to your regular order for special days such as Easter, Christmas, Mother’s Day, etc. To order or for more information, give us a call at 972-923-0757 or send an e-mail to info@baptistprogress.org.

6 • September 21, 2011BMA of Texas

By JERRY BURNAMANExecutive Director, State Missions

It seems our world is growing darker with sin and the grips of Satan are becoming stronger. Apparently there is a growing antagonism toward Christianity. What are we to do? How can we overcome?

The apostle John wrote in 1 John 5:14 to what he called “my little children:” “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—even our faith.”

Our victory is a result of faith, and we grow in faith as we grow in love. The more we love God the more we want to serve Him and share His love with others—to penetrate the darkness of sin so that sinners may be rescued with the Gospel.

The word overcome is a favorite with John; he uses it in 1 John 2:13-14 with reference to overcoming the devil. Identifi cation with Christ in His victory means we are to be like Him. We should walk in the light “as He is in the light” (John 1:7). By doing so, others will see Jesus in our conduct and conversation and be infl uenced to see the light, trust Jesus and

leave the darkness.Summer has passed, school has begun and

so has a new associational year. Our churches and church plants have made plans for effective ministries to penetrate the darkness in our communities and see life change in people around them. Our church planters request your prayers. Here is a list of our church planters with their contact information to help you pray more intelligently for them.

Gary & Rhonda Southard18366 Hollow Oaks CirclePorter, TX 77365Email: gary@lifequest4u.com

George & Nicole Martinez1693 Nigara Falls BlvdLewisville, TX 75077 Phone (254) 379-1572Email: george.martinez@yahoo.com

Cody & Angela Montandon1305 CastlegarJustin, TX 76247Phone: 817-905-9459

Email: pastorcody@yahoo.com

Tim & Judi Brown4716 Slide RoadKeller, TX 76244Phone: 817-337-9765Email: cafebrown@verizon.net

Joshua & Lucy Kamau5317 Riley Lane, Apt. #3Amarillo, TX 79108Email: kamaujo2000@yahoo.com

Cecil & Sue Linke1712 Grand Canyon WayAllen, TX 75002Phone: 972-678-0277Email: cecil@peopleonajorney.com

Cecil is working with a church planter in his area and we are assisting with training.

Kyle & Erika SearsPO Box 861Hutto, TX 78634Phone: 512-586-3656Email: kyle@resonatecommunity.com

Kyle is coaching a church planter in Georgetown and we are assisting with training.

We are working with two Hispanic Church Planters:

Israel ArendandoMeeting in the facilities of Bethel, Dallas

Arnufol MaldonadoHouston, TX

He has six groups in the greater Houston area that he is working with.

A Personal Note

On August 17 my mother died and the celebration service was at the Macedonia Baptist Church, Etoile, Texas, Saturday, Aug. 20. Many of you sent cards and emails expressing your thoughtfulness. My sisters, Eunice Morton, Maggie Martin and Nancy and I appreciate your thoughtfulness very, very much. Thank you and continue to pray for us.

Penetrating The Darkness

Sunday School 9:45am• Morning Worship 11:00am• Lunch Served After Morning Worship• Old Time Gospel Singing After Meal•

Leggett Baptist Church, established: 1894

Everyone is cordially and prayerfully invited to come and be a part of ongoing historyand ongoing fellowship that gives all the glory and

honor to the Head of the Church, Jesus Christ!

Bro. Tim Thompson, PastorPhone 936-327-5406

Leggett Baptist Church162 Freeman Farm Road

Leggett, Texas

September 25, 2011

117th Homecoming

September 21, 2011 • 7BMA of Texas

8 • September 21, 2011BMA of Texas

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Group Name: FARLEY STREET BAPTIST CHURCH 38 standard rooms reserved- $59.99 14 suites reserved- $69.99

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Group Name: FARLEY STREET BAPTIST CHURCH 25 standard rooms (king) reserved- $69.99 16 standard rooms (queen) reserved- $69.99 10 suites reserved- $79.99

BMA of Texas Annual MeetingHotel Accommodations

November 7-9, 2011

TUESDAY AFTERNOONNOVEMBER 8, 2011

12:30 Registration for WMA Meeting 1:30 Leadership Conference & WMA Annual Meeting Farley Street Baptist Church, Waxahachie 5:00 Registration for Annual Association Meeting 5:30 WMA and Leadership Conference Adjourn

TUESDAY EVENING SESSIONNovember 8, 2011

7:00 Worship & Praise 7:15 Welcome Jerry Fulton, president BMA of Texas 7:25 Jacksonville College Choir Concert 7:55 Praise & Worship 8:05 Introduction of Annual Speaker Special Music 8:10 Annual Message, Dr. Allen Tilley, pastor First Baptist Church, Carthage 8:55 Initial Enrollment Committee Report 9:00 Announcements/Closing Prayer

WEDNESDAY MORNING SESSIONNOVEMBER 9, 2011

9:00 Praise & Worship 9:15 Message Dr. Mike Smith, president-elect Jacksonville College 9:55 Jacksonville College Report10:15 Nominating Committee Report10:20 Election of Nominating Committee10:25 Texas Baptist Home for Children Report10:45 Administrative Committee Report10:55 Election of Administrative Committee11:00 Church Relations Report 11:10 Women’s Missionary Auxiliary Report Cindy Allen, president11:15 Election of Officers11:20 Election of Annual Speaker & Alternate11:25 Miscellaneous Business11:45 Closing Prayer

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON SESSIONNovember 9, 2011

2:00 Praise & Worship 2:10 Concert by Stephen Burnaman & Terri Hathcock 2:40 Baptist Progress Report 2:55 Master’s Builders Report 3:00 State Missions Report 3:20 Baptist Missionary Loan Association Report 3:35 Final Enrollment/Finance Committee Report 3:40 Miscellaneous Business 4:00 Adjourn Closing Prayer

111th BMA of Texas Annual Session

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September 21, 2011 • 9Auxiliaries

By SHARON COLEEditor, Texas WMA

Fanny Crosby was born in New York in 1820. She was a healthy baby until the age of six weeks when a severe eye infection took her sight. Tragedy struck again when her father died of pneumonia when she was eight months old. Her mother had to seek employment as a maid to be able to live, so her grandmother became her constant caretaker. Her grandmother became her eyes, reading to her and helping her to understand the world around her.

She grew up learning Bible stories and committed many of them to memory. With her grandmother’s help she wrote her first poem at the age of eight. She was taught early in life that God always did everything right. Because of this, she never became angry about her blindness.

Fanny’s grandmother helped her to know about the beautiful, fluffy clouds in the sky, even though she could never see them. She learned about the colorful rainbow that God had given and talked about it as though she could really see it. By listening carefully, she could tell the difference between all the birds and bird calls. She learned about all the different flowers just by touching or smelling them. She also learned to love the stories from the Bible. In just a little while, she learned the whole book of Ruth, most of the Psalms, and the book of Proverbs.

She learned to love the Lord Jesus and developed her talent in writing songs and poems about Him. Fanny Crosby became the author of hundreds of songs, many of which are in our hymn books today. Some of them are: Rescue the Perishing, Near the Cross, Blessed Assurance, I Am Thine, O Lord, and many, many more. Over 8,000 poems and songs, secular and religious are credited to her talent.

She applied Phil.4:11 to her life and used her disability to honor God. “Not that I speak in respect of want, for I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content.” Fanny attended the Institute for the Blind learning mostly by memory because her fingers were too calloused from playing the guitar and piano to read Braille. She became an instructor at the institute and had many of her poems published. She led a full life to the age of 95, most of which was spent ministering to others, comforting them and being a blessing. She never became rich in songwriting but did it just because she

loved it. She had a passion for music and for others to know Christ. She believed in taking her problems to the Lord, knowing He would provide.

We need to look at our problems as she did in making them an opportunity to be a blessing to others. Thank God for what you do have instead of what you don’t have. God allows adversity to come only to make us depend on Him and make us stronger. Our reaction to difficulty is a witness to others of our spiritual strength and faith. Fanny believed that Christ wanted her to be content and useful. Just remember God has a purpose and a plan for us and is conditioning us for greater things.

Help! I Have To Give A Program!As a program chairman, attitude is

everything. It’s not just a job, but an opportunity that God has placed in your hands to accomplish His purpose in your life and in the lives of others. Sometimes are you at a loss at what kind of program will interest your ladies? What can you do different as a program chairman to “light a fire” under those who seem to be bored with WMA? The success of any program doesn’t just happen. It begins with prayer and more prayer. Seek the Lord’s guidance in deciding what your audience needs.

No matter what the topic or activity, each program should have a spiritual application. Whether it is your local group of a few ladies or on the district or state level, top priority must be to honor and glorify God. It’s important also to encourage others to develop their talents. Many people don’t know what they can do until they try and are led out of their comfort zone.

Involve as many as possible, considering the needs of those attending. Also be aware that not everyone is a gifted speaker, nor chooses to be, but that timid, quiet one may really be good at drawing and would be thrilled to make posters for advertising. Someone else may be excellent at decorating bulletin boards and tables. People are only going to be as interested and excited as you are.

Questions you might have is where do I look and what materials to use? Begin by choosing a theme such as faith, using God’s faithfulness as an example. Use the Bible’s concordance, topical index and scriptures you already know. Use Missions magazines and even Sunday

Devotional Thoughts: Contentment

Sharon Cole is the editor for the Texas WMA. Contact her at S9Co@aol.com. For more information on the Texas WMA, visit www.texaswma.com.

school literature, tracts or devotional books. The BMA of America Missions Office has literature and videos available upon request. You can email missionaries directly for updated information. Our associational department directors are always willing to come speak on their respective responsibilities and progress of their department. Some of these include the Department of Missions, Texas Baptist Home for Children, Jacksonville College and Seminary, etc.

Program presentation is important. If you choose to use your own ladies, parts can be given by individuals, object lessons, flannelgraph, chalk talks, skits, puppets, visuals, music and poetry. The program chairman in charge must be prepared. Days before the program check with those with whom you have given responsibility. Delegate authority, you can’t; you shouldn’t try to do it all yourself. There are people on the sidelines just waiting to use their talents. They need a blessing too.

Be prompt, start and end at a specific time. Make sure everyone knows what to do and when they are suppose to do it so the program will progress smoothly. Your programs can also be presented to your church on a Sunday or Wednesday night as well as your regular WMA meeting.

Advertise, depending on the occasion. If nobody knows about the program, they won’t be there to hear it. Make posters and signs; announce it in the church bulletin, orally, by phone, the local newspaper or radio. Always express appreciation to those who participated. Of course, those participating should do it without desire of recognition, but your expression of gratitude goes a long way in getting them to do it again.

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10 • September 21, 2011BMA of Texas

Events Personnel & Positions

Pastor & Staff Changes

Churches in ReviewOCTOBER 2, 201157th Homecoming @ Munn Street, Houston (10910 Munn Street)Bro. Marvin Dennison will bring the message.Good singing, food and fellowshipCall Bro. Leonard Ward at 713-498-5694 or 281-328-3825 for more information.

OCTOBER 2, 2011112th Church Anniversary Celebration @ Simmons Hill, DianaHomecoming with a former pastor @ 11 a.m., lunch from 12 p.m. to 1:15 p.mSinging, short play and Three As One will sing special music @ 1:30 p.m.Concludes with dedication of historical marker in front of church

OCTOBER 11-13, 2011Pastors Oasis @ Chateau on the Lake in Branson, MissouriRegister by September 10, 2011, 501-513-3726tricia@discipleguide.org www.discipleguide.org

NOVEMBER 8-9, 2011 BMA of Texas Annual Meeting @ Farley Street, Waxahachie

NOVEMBER 17-19, 2011National Senior Adult Conference @ Hiltons of Branson, MissouriRegister by October 17, 2011www.discipleguide.org

MARCH 12, 2012Holy Land Tour provided by DiscipleGuideHosted by Kirk and Toni Shelton www.discipleguide.org

APRIL 16-18, 2012BMA of America @ Jackson, Mississippi Convention Center

EVERY THIRD THURSDAYTexas Baptist Home Birth Mom Support GroupThe Oaks Fellowship777 South I35 E, Red OakContact: Megan Baldwin at 972-937-1321

AVAILABLE POSITIONSPASTOR—Anthony Drive, Ennis is seeking a pastor. Submit resume to Anthony Drive Baptist Church, Attn: Pastor Search Committee, PO Box 9, Ennis, Texas 75120 or email editor@baptistprogress.org.

PASTOR—Pleasant Hill, Nacogdoches is seeking a pastor. Send resume to Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, PO Box 632070, Nacogdoches, Texas 75963 or to Pastor Search Committee Chairman Roger Russell at rogerrussell1069@yahoo.com. You may also call Roger Russell at 936-5593022.

PASTOR—College Avenue, Levelland is seeking a pastor. College Avenue is a rural community church seeking the man God has called to be our pastor. Help us fi ll our mission to take the Gospel to our community, our region and our world. If God lays our church on your heart, respond by submitting your resume to Ricky Pace, College Avenue Baptist Church, PO Box 1244, Levelland, Texas 79336 or by email to cabc@nts-online.net. You may call 806-893-1264.

PASTOR—Sardis, Waxahachie (Lone Elm Community), a small, mature congregation, is seeking a bivocational or semi-retired pastor. For more information, contact J.T. Phillips at 817-473-1709.

PASTOR—Pecan, Robert Lee is seeking a bi-vocational pastor. Contact Bill Hood, P.O. Box 724, Robert Lee, Texas 76945 or 325-453-2065.

PASTOR—Myrtle Springs, Quitman is seeking a full-time pastor with educational background of college and seminary. Please visit our church website at http://myrtle-springs.org to view a more detailed job description. After prayerful consideration, please mail resume and a recorded sermon via CD to Myrtle Springs Baptist Church, Attn: Pulpit Committee, 2185 FM 2225, Quitman, Texas 75783.

PASTOR—Lake Highlands, Sulphur Springs is seeking a full-time pastor. After prayerful consideration, send resume and recorded message to LHBC Pulpit Committee, Attn: Brenda Bailey, 903-885-5375, P.O. Box 2091, Sulphur Springs, Texas 75483. Visit http://lakehighlandsbaptistchurch.org for a detailed job description.

MUSIC MINISTER—O’Quinn, Pollok is seeking a bi-vocational music minister. The position will develop into a full-time ministry position as soon as possible. Send resume to 7483 Highway 69 N, Pollok, Texas 75969 or chrisgeorge1980@gmail.com.

JOHN BECK is the new pastor at Clover Hill, Quitman.

DeathG.W. HULLETTFuneral services for longtime BMA pastor G.W. Hullett, 87, of Balch Springs were Sept. 10 at New Hope Funeral Home in Sunnyvale. Bro. Hullett conducted hundreds of revival meetings and served the following churches as pastor: Rosewood, Gilmer; Centra l , Mineola; Cot tage Heights, Kaufman; and Gray’s Prairie, Scurry (33 years). He was a member of First, Crandall at the time of his death where his stepson, Mike Waits is pastor.

Special AnnouncementHOLLY GROVE CEMETERY HOMECOMINGThe annual Holly Grove Cemetery Homecoming will be held Saturday, Oct. 15, 2011. Plan on being there to greet and visit with old friends and family. We will start at 9 a.m.Please bring a basket lunch. There will be a short business meeting at 11:30 a.m. with lunch at noon.Your donations are needed to continue to maintain the cemetery in the manner we are used to seeing it. Due to extreme heat and drought, the cemetery may not be as green as we are used to seeing it, but with the grace of God, it will get better.SEE YOU SATURDAY, OCT. 15, 2011.Donations may also be mailed to Holly Grove Cemetery, P.O. Box 1204, Livingston, Texas 77351

September 4, 2011Church SS Worship AdditionsBeautiful Acres, Scurry 23 43Cedar Creek, Teague 13 41Ebenezer Friendship, Pittsburg 38 42Elwood, Wills Point 43 81Farley Street, Waxahachie 388 501Fellowship, Pittsburg 77 117First, Blooming Grove 250First, Judson 70 123First, New Summerfi eld 41 51Glade Creek, Gilmer 16 31Jackson, Canton 51 67Jackson, Joaquin 73 104Lake Highlands, Sulphur Springs 77 113Merriman Hills, Sherman 22 23New Harmony, Tyler 271 305New Haven, Dallas 23 41 3 by letterNew Hope, Mineola 67 123 1 by statementPilgrim Rest #2, Golden 59 83 1 profession of

faithPine Brook, Tyler 28 80Piney Creek, Kennard 29 45Rosewood, Gilmer 86 153Simmons Hill, Diana 34 40 2 by baptismSuburban Wood, Humble 38 40Temple, Mexia 37 41Tundra, Canton 95 115 3 by letterWoodland, Splendora 55 67

Churches in Review

, 2011

Churches in ReviewSeptember 11, 2011

Church SS Worship Additions Anthony Drive, Ennis 43 73 1 profession of

faithBeautiful Acres, Scurry 25 44 1 by baptismBrookeland, Brookeland 49 142Cedar Creek, Teague 13 28Davis Street, Sulphur Springs 108 207 1 by letterEbenezer Friendship, Pittsburg 37 44Eighth Avenue, Teague 215 291Elwood, Wills Point 46 96Farley Street, Waxahachie 409 573 2 by letterFirst, Blooming Grove 258First, Judson 78 183First, New Summerfi eld 30 43First, Palmer 64 89Glade Creek, Gilmer 11 27Jackson, Canton 49 69Jackson, Joaquin 75 107Little Flock, Jewett 5 16Little Mound, Big Sandy 41 61 2 by statementMerriman Hills, Sherman 18 26New Haven, Dallas 36 56New Hope, Mineola 91 151Pilgrim Rest #2, Golden 67 105 1 by baptism

1 profession of faith

Pine Brook, Tyler 30 62Piney Creek, Kennard 35 54Security Calvary, Cleveland 25 46Suburban Wood, Humble 42 59Tundra, Canton 95 115 3 by letterWoodland, Splendora 44 98

September 21, 2011 • 11Sunday School Lessons

By GARY HOUSE By GARY HOUSE

Gary House is the writer of the Sunday school lessons for Baptist Progress. He serves as pastor of Tundra Baptist Church in Canton. Contact him at Tundraparson@aol.com.

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Grace When God “Hides” His Face When Friends Fail

DATE: Sept. 25, 2011TEXT: Job 2:1-10LESSON IN BRIEF: When suffering intensifies, God is still working His unseen plan. Place your greatest hurts in the hands of God. Claim the promise of 2 Corinthians 12:9.

Job chapter two is like the second act of the drama – Job’s second test. After God allows Satan to ruin Job, to test Job, and after Job responds in faith, God again challenges Satan, “Now what do you think of My servant Job? With all that you did to him, he still trusts Me!”

What is the Devil up to when life takes a turn for the worse?

This passage reveals:Satan Visits Heaven in Order to Accuse

You (Job 1:9-11 and 2:4-5). “Satan answered the Lord and said, ‘Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. However, put forth Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse You to Your face.’” “Skin for skin” is a way of saying that we love ourselves more than anything or anyone else. Put another way, Satan is saying that Job was will ing to sacrifice his possessions and family to save himself. They didn’t matter to him as much as his own life. So, Satan goes one step further.“God, the reason Job stayed faithful is that You didn’t let me go far enough. Let me touch his skin – his life – and then see if he remains faithful.”

Satan Returns to Earth in Order to Afflict You (verse 7). There are two truths, in verses 1 to 6, that in times of physical suffering are crucial for us to be reminded of. First, so much of what we see happening around us is a very small part of the reality of our lives. There are dimensions to our suffering that we do not see. Second,

Satan Is Still under God’s Authority (verse 6). God is in unquestioned control over what happens. As rebell ious and as malicious as Satan is , he cont inual ly must ask God for permission to act against God’s people. He never even attempts to go beyond what God allows. He can’t. He has no power to do it. The devil would love to do to you what he did to Job. He would love to chew you up, spit you out, and grind you into the ground. However, He can’t lift a finger against you until God gives Him permission! You ought to fall on your knees and thank God for all the times He told the devil, “No.” God and His angels are talking about you and the devil says, “Let me at ‘em” – and God says, “No.” You ought to thank God for that!

But what about the times when God says “Yes”? What about the times when God allows the devil and his demons to strike you? I want you to know that it can be a grueling and painful experience. It can shatter your world and shake your faith, but God will see you through if you’ll just trust Him and hold on. When the devil strikes you, you need to resolve in your heart that you will trust Him through thick and thin, that you will stay devoted to God in good times and bad times, and that you will prove the devil

wrong when he tel ls God you’re just “a fair weathered follower”.

Verse 7-8: “Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. And Job took a potshard to scrape himself while he was sitting among the ashes.” From the top of his head to the bottom of his feet Job is covered with these extremely painful, agonizing, sores. It’s not hard to imagine puss running from the open wounds – that Job’s body is distorted, bloated, discolored, disfigured.

For Job, there is no relief in sight. The only relief he has is to use pieces of broken pottery to scrape the sores. He is condemned to suffer. Job sits in the ashes, a sign of mourning.

He sits in the dust of the street. People probably looked at Job and turned away in disgust.

Verse 9: “Then his wife said to him, ‘Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!’” Literally, she was saying “Job, you’d be better off dead!” The one person Job should have been able to look to for comfort and support in this i l lness, becomes a tool in Satan’s hand – a further humiliation, a part of the test. Mrs. Job has caved into Satan’s attack. She’s no longer looking at God as loving and just. She sees God as unfaithful, detached and uncaring. The promises of God are not true. Have you ever felt this way? “I’ve tried trusting God. But, where is He? How could He allow this to happen? Why doesn’t He put a stop to this?”

Satan Wants Us to Curse God and Die. To complain. To get angry. To be bitter. To stop going to church. To stop reading our Bibles. To stop praying. In chronic illness and suffering, to look only at our immediate circumstances and to doubt God’s love and faithfulness towards us. To doubt God and to turn away from Him. Have you ever felt like quitting? You’re at the bottom of the barrel and you think things can’t get any worse, and then the bottom of the barrel falls out?

Verse 10: “But he said to her, ‘You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?’ In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

In all of this, Job remains faithful. Job passes the second test.

We can maintain our spiritual integrity when suffering. What is integrity? It is the quality or condition of being whole or undivided. How do we hold on to our integrity in times of distress? Trust God’s plan and grace. At the very time Job fe l t God had fo rsaken h im, God was actually giving Job personal, almost microscopic attention. When you think about it, in one sense God was staking His entire divine reputation on how Job would respond to this kind of suffering. Satan had declared before thousands and perhaps millions of heavenly creatures that Job would break and curse God when he suffered enough. God, who is omniscient, knew without a doubt Job would trust Him.

Like us, when Job was suffering, he couldn’t understand the details of God’s plan, he just had to trust that God HAD a plan. He didn’t understand it at first, but that’s what suffering does – it helps us understand that God has a plan. (Jeremiah 23:11). He has your best interest in mind and your suffering has the potential to work to your benefit (Genesis 50:20; 2 Corinthians 12). Like Job, you may never find out what that purpose is until you get to Heaven, but you need to rest assured that God has a purpose for your suffering.

What is God doing when life takes a turn for the worse? He is watching your every step, He is in control of your situation, and He has a purpose for your suffering. And the best thing you can do is trust God, hold on, and don’t let go.

DATE: Oct. 2, 2011TEXT: Job 2:11-13; 4:1-2,7; 16:1-6.LESSON IN BRIEF: Examine the attitudes expressed by these friends. They show us both the wrong way and the right way to help a friend who’s suffering.

In the previous lessons we learned Job lost his fortune, his family and his fi tness, but he didn’t lose his faith. Along comes Job’s three “friends” to comfort him. But they don’t help him. Instead, their words of accusation only add to Job’s torment. “Comfort” means “to be sorry, have pity, show compassion, offer comfort, to ease someone’s suffering.” Since they came to Job with that intention, it’s really too bad they didn’t stick to the plan. These so called friends begin to point the fi nger at Job and say you’re guilty, that’s why you’re suffering. With friends like these, who needs enemies?

How not to Comfort. The vast majority of the book (35 chapters) is given over to the unwise words given by these friends and Job’s response to each one. These three friends basically say the same thing: “Job, you are suffering because you are wicked.”

Eliphaz• is insulting and arrogant, arguing that the innocent don’t suffer,“Who, being innocent, has ever perished?” (Job 4:7). On top of that, he claims to have special religious revelation in Job 4:12: “A word was secretly brought to me; my ears caught a whisper of it.”

Bildad • is heartless in Job 8:4, stating that Job’s children died because of their sin: “When your chil-dren sinned against him, he gave them over to the penalty of their sin.”

Zophar• becomes angry and asks in Job 11:3, “Will no one rebuke you when you mock?” He then is quick to pontifi cate and strongly states that Job’s suffering is linked to his personal sin. It’s easy to be dogmatic when others have problems. It’s easy to forget the importance of timing in our crusade for truth. It’s easy to give explanations instead of encouragement

Much of what the friends said was theologically correct, but they made two fundamental mistakes. If you’re trying to help a hurting friend you must avoid these two errors.

Don’t make false assumptions about why 1. they’re suffering. False assumptions can get you in trouble. False assumptions lead to false conclusions, which lead to wrong actions. Job’s friends’ assumed only bad people suffer. So since Job was suffering, they concluded he was hiding some deep, dark sin. So instead of help-ing him, their words only added to his misery.

Don’t make false claims about God’s will.2. Be careful when anyone starts trying to tell you what God’s will is for your life.

We need to be careful about our conversations because God is listening to everything we say. While we may think we just “have to” say something to someone when they’re suffering, knowing that we’re accountable to God should help us keep a muffl er on our mouths. In Job 42:7, we read of God’s assessment of this trio of tormentors: “After the LORD had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz, the Temanite, ‘I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.”

Job responds in chapter 16: “I’ve already heard all of this. Gentle consolation? Ha! All three of you are the sorriest comforters I’ve ever seen! Will you never be quiet? If our roles were reversed, it’d be really easy to judge you in your suffering. Or, I could offer comfort and solace, strengthening you with words of encouragement. You have the ability to assist me with your words. But instead, you ‘messengers from God’ tell me that this is deserved punishment from God. You might as well assault me, or slap me in the face. I’m suffering more

now than before you came.”How to Comfort a Suffering Friend (2:11-13).

Job’s friends started out doing the right thing. They cried with Job. They put on sackcloth and ashes and sat with him for seven days without saying anything. They could have left and gone home and remained great friends. But when they started talking, they stopped helping. That should be a lesson to us. I want to share six good things to do when you’re trying to help a friend who is hurting. This isn’t ALL you can do, but it’s a start.

Take the time needed1. . Be there for the one who suffers. The three friends were there for seven days and seven nights (the Jewish period of mourning).

Exhibit your emotions2. . Cry with them. When they saw Job in his distress they started to weep. Don’t be afraid to express your emotions. Romans 12:15 says, “Mourn with those who mourn.” One author writes: “We can forget those with whom we have laughed, but we can never forget those with whom we’ve cried.” Pouring dust on the head was a sign of humility. It car-ries with it the idea of looking for ways to enter one’s pain.

Be silent in the face of suffering3. . Sometimes silence is the best response we can have. “No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.” Henri Nouwen, in his book Out of Solitude, writes, “When we honestly ask ourselves which persons in our lives mean the most to us, we often fi nd that it is those who, instead of giving much advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a gentle and tender hand.” We may have some insight, but we don’t have all the answers. Our maxims and cute sayings are not only empty, they can be excruciating. Let’s resist trying to “package” people’s pain.

Listen to them4. . Every hurting person needs a friend who will listen to him or her.

Be sensitive to their physical needs5. . The Bible says in Proverbs 17:17, “There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” When you have a friend who is suffering, stick with them and be sensitive to their physical needs. Watch over them. A person who is grieving or suffering often is so burdened they forget the take care of the simplest physical needs. They may forget to eat, sleep, or take care of their hygiene needs. If you want to help a friend in need, attend to their physical needs.

Pray with them.6. Don’t pray long, drawn out prayers. Don’t use this kind of prayer as an op-portunity to catch up on your prayer life. Just hold their hand, or put your arm around their shoulder and ask God to give them strength and peace “The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous per-son avails much” (James 5:16).

Are there some people in your past who have failed you during your time of need? Don’t become bitter, pray for them. On the night before Jesus was crucifi ed, He knew one of His friends would betray Him, and another would deny him. He knew all of them would desert Him in His time of need. Knowing all this, what did He do? He prayed for them. Job’s wife told him to curse God and die. His friends accused him of wickedness. You need to know that sometimes your friends and family members will fail you.

12 • September 21, 2011BMA of America

Pastors OasisOctober 11-13, 2011Chateau On The Lake, Branson, Missouri

TheWAY of theSHEPHERD

$75 Per Person by the September 10, 2011 deadline. Go to www.DiscipleGuide.org/pastorsoasisfor more information or to register.Room rate $125 per night by calling 1-888-333-5253.

Building a Solid Biblical Foundation

Through age-appropriate Bible lessons and the use of the modern-day language of the New King James Version, the Victory Series builds a solid biblical foundation in the lives of children. To order call 800-333-1442 or go to Discipleguide.org/VictorySeries.

National SeniorAdult Conference

November 17-19, 2011Hiltons of Branson, Missouri

$125 Per Person by October 17, 2011. Register on-line at www.DiscipleGuide.org/nsa or print the form and mail it with your check to the DCM office. Paid registration is non-refundable after the cut-off date.

Make your reservations at the Hilton Convention Center Hotel or the Hilton Promenade by calling1-800-445-8667 or direct at 417-336-5400 by October 17. The parking garage is $8 per day and there is limited free parking. Group rate is $127 per night with up to four in the room.

New Harmony Baptist Church, Tyler, would like to invite all past members and friends to come help celebrate Bro. Robbie and Janice Caldwell’s anniversary of 20 years of service and love at New Harmony Baptist Church, Oct. 9, 2011. Following the morning service which starts at 10 a.m., there will be a covered dish lunch. We are very blessed to have had Bro. Robbie as our pastor for the past 20 years. During this time, our church has grown and expanded. He is a wonderful pastor, leader and friend, always encouraging us to grow spiritually, to increase our missions, reach out to the communities that surrounds us and work with the BMA of Texas and America. If you cannot come but would like to send a card or personal note of encouragement, send it to New Harmony Baptist church, c/o Martha Miller, 10251 FM 724, Tyler, TX 75704.

Church Celebrates Pastor’s Twentieth Anniversary

Bro. Robbie Caldwell