Send E-mail:
info@gordonmemorialbaptists.orgor send e-mail to a specific staff member here.
Write to:
Gordon Memorial Baptist Association373 Morrow Rd., SE
Calhoun, GA 30701
Phone:
706-629-5139Fax:
706-602-0735
From the Director of Missions
"For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness..."
By the time this letter reaches you our new Associational year may have begun. I'm excited and looking forward to many of the events we have planned for the coming year, but I also carry burdens from our year just past. This past year our emphasis has been upon evangelism. We held our first "specifically targeted" outreach for the county and saw thirty-two pray to be saved. We know that at least three of our churches have gleaned a number of regular attendees as a result of our efforts; however we have yet to see anybaptisms as a direct result of our campaign.
My real concern is that Christ did not call us to just evangelize; he called us to make disciples! My soul cannot rest until we have made every effort to follow through on these who have prayed for Christ to enter their lives and see as many as possible grown into genuine disciples. Pray that we may indeed disciple those that we reach! I'm afraid our country is far too full of people who have made a mouth profession, but have not truly experienced a heart change! I am even more fearful that such professions are inadequate! After all, Romans 10:0 & 10 says it is both a heart and mouth process. And that heart thing is an on-going God thing!
I say that because of the Greek verb tense that is used for "believeth" in verse 10. "Believeth" is not only "present indicative" which indicates the "believing" just keeps on going even more faithfully than the "Energizer Bunny"; it is also "passive" which means the heart is being acted upon rather than doing the action. In other words God is supposed to be continually actively working upon your heart and mine building our belief and trust in Him until that day we stand before Him in glory perfectly righteous in Jesus Christ. If God is not actively growing your faith and trust in him, there is a very real possibility (if not probability) that you have never truly been saved.
Jesus Christ himself declared that we must abide in him for without him "ye can do nothing." (John 15:5) Yet Paul decleared, "I can do all things through Christ which strenghteneth me." (Philippians 4:13)
Which brings me to my second burden. It is one that God has placed upon my heart earlier this past year. It is the burden of how much we do as churches and as God's children in our own power not HIS! And then we wonder why our country is in such a mess and why we seem to be so ineffective in turning the tide. What we desperately need is Holy Spirit infused power. But that comes only to those who are of a contrite and humble spirit. How we need to fall to our knees and confess just how much we've tried to do on our own and how much we truly need HIM! It is the initial step of real revival!
God, through Isaiah, declares, "I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." (Isaiah 57:15)
I don't know about you but I deeply desire a revived spirit and a revived heart! I want a heart that believes unto righteousness. I'm longing for a revival such as our generation has never seen. Last year's burden has become this year's hope and prayer.
Seeking Revival,
Doug