Faith Life

Three ways to live your life on purpose

Purpose; but how do I live a life of purpose?

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans” (Proverbs 16:3 NIV).

Planning is critical in life. Financial planners help us get our financial matters in order and plan for retirement. Doctors help us by establishing a wellness plan when we are sick. Business leaders make plans to bring a profit to the shareholders. Our pastors help us to make plans that will bring honor and glory to God. We plan to accommodate our priorities. A priority is a value, goal, relationship, or cause of leading importance in your life: something for which you live, the shaping value, a commitment that has first claim on you and your resources. In practice we all have priorities, whether we are aware of them or not. They may be consciously chosen or set for us by circumstances. We all pattern our lives toward some end, center our lives around some loyalty or purpose, or base our security on some trusted power.

One of Henry David Thoreau’s most frequently quoted sayings is “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” I first learned of this by watching the 1989 film, Dead Poets Society. Life without a purpose can lead to listlessness and even depression or “quiet desperation.” A life lived on purpose gives your life purpose, direction, and meaning. A person with a purpose is growing, moving toward wholeness and fulfillment. A life without purpose is aimless.

Our purpose as disciples is to make disciples. Matthew 28 contains The Great Commission.

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).

Each of us has been gifted with unique talents which we can use in our evangelism and ministry. Our discipleship plan must discern the intersection of our gifts and interests. This is the sweet spot for each individual ministry. I encourage you to talk to your close friends to discern and/or confirm your gifts.

Discernment of your ministry of discipleship is an enormous task. Below are some ideas to consider in this regard.

Be wise and listen to advice

Remember the lesson of Proverbs 12:15. Surround yourself with Godly people and the Holy Spirit will speak truth through them to you. Pray for discernment and recall the words of Matthew 11:15 when with your friends, “Whoever has ears, let them hear.” According to my good friend Rev. Ted Fine, “The church’s role is to build communities of disciples where social justice and the general welfare of the people are protected by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit at work in the Body.” We are the church universal.

Give it to God

You are not God, and I am not God. The Great Commission is a Godly task. He does not expect for us to do this alone but with Him. The Psalmist wrote in 51:10, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” A clean heart, a right spirit, and a dependence upon God’s providence and grace for assistance will help us to speak words and do works that bring honor to God.

Patience

Luke 2 tells the story of the birth of Christ. The angels announced His birth to the shepherds who then went to see Jesus in the manger. Later, in the same chapter, Mary and Joseph took baby Jesus to the temple to give an offering to God for the birth of their child. The Holy Spirit had revealed to a man named Simeon that he would not see death until he had seen the birth of the Messiah. The Bible does not indicate how long Simeon waited for the birth of Christ, but the fact that it says he would not die until he saw the Savior indicates that he waited some time. Whatever the task is that God has called us to, we need to continue doing the work even if we don’t see the progress we would like to see.

Your purpose as a Christian is the same as mine, to make disciples of Jesus Christ. We are all called into ministry through our baptism and profession of faith in Jesus Christ. Our ministry is a product of our gifts and talents and all ministry helps to equip the body of Christ. Your purpose may or may not call you to pastoral ministry but be assured that your purpose is vital to the body of Christ.

Prayer: Dear God: “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12 KJV).

Todd Shupe is a Vice President with Arnold Forest Products Corp. He is active in several ministries including his Christian blog ToddShupe.com. Todd is the President of the Baton Rouge District of United Methodist Men, Database Coordinator for Gulf South Men, and Board Member of the Kingdom Group. Todd is currently preparing to be a Men’s Ministry Specialist through the General Commission of United Methodist Men.

Faith Life, July 2018

Faith Life, A Life of Service

July 1, 2018July 2, 2018 baton_admin

A Life of Service

by Sharon Holeman

Chaplain Ken Spivey and Healing Place Church Spanish Campus Pastor Fernando Gutierrez serve with the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office.

They were on their way out. Ministry was done for the day, and it was time to go home. Standing in front of the elevator, Ken Spivey was suddenly overwhelmed by a vision from the Lord and began weeping. His friend and fellow pastor who stood beside him raised an eyebrow. “We have to go back,” Spivey said. “What? Why?” replied his friend, weary from the day. “We have to go back,” Spivey repeated, this time with urgency.

Together they returned to the last hospital room they had visited. An elderly man who seemed to be only partially present during their previous conversation was now awake. The two pastors greeted him again as Spivey gently explained, “Your daughter sent us. She is concerned about your spirituality.” “I don’t understand,” the man answered. Speaking with his usual calm and kind tone, Spivey responded: “I’ll go slow.” The gospel message was explained, and upon acceptance from the patient, a prayer of salvation through faith in Jesus was said. Now the night of ministry was indeed done. About three hours later, the man in the hospital bed died.

Miracle stories and moments like this flow almost as an unending river when speaking with Spivey about his life of service for Jesus. Called at the age of six, this Texas-raised boy who married the little girl that lived down the street, is more of a servant than most of us dare to let our imaginations ever think we could be. He manages to travel from crisis to crisis with an unexplainable peace that can be nothing other than the spirit of the Lord. He has seen things — and had to minister to others who have seen things — that go unmeasurably beyond the evil of today’s prime time drama shows. When asked how he manages to live and serve in conditions like this, he says without hesitation, “God’s grace.”

Spivey said he feels closest to God when he is serving. “Almost weekly, I will walk by someone, and the Holy Spirit will tell me to go back.” Nine times out of ten the person is receptive, and Spivey’s words of faith are well received.

While it’s exciting to know that God is using you to reach the hurting world, the level of servitude Spivey walks in daily can be exhausting. He frequents hospitals and funeral homes. He listens and counsels with confidentiality, seemingly always on call, and living in response mode. As a public servant, sheriff, pastor and Christian … how does this man, who works as the hands and feet of Christ, bear the price of a life lived in service to others? “It’s cost more for my family than for me,” he says.

Thankfully, he’s been blessed with an amazing wife. Amy, that little girl down the street, grew up surrounded by pastors and ministers, including her father, grandfather and all her uncles. She knew the lifestyle and long hours of ministry. Married for more than 30 years, the Spiveys have a wonderful family. Quality time is precious. That’s the hard part of service. The collateral damage that sometimes happens when we lay aside our life and our priorities to serve others like Jesus. According to Spivey, service can be summed up in one word: others. “It’s cost everything,” he said, “but given everything. I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Ken Spivey is chaplain for the St. Amant Fire Department, Deputy Sheriff/chaplain at Ascension Parish Sherriff’s Office; and associate pastor in the Pastoral Care/Counseling Department at Healing Place.

Sharon Holeman is a writer and photographer living in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She was the project creator, coordinator, and co-author of the book Backyard Miracles-12 American Women, 12 True Stories, 1 Miraculous God. Previously published in Her Glory and Inspire Louisiana. She is a graduate of the University of Texas at San Antonio and The Art Institute of Houston. She is currently attending Bethany College to further her pursuit of the Lord and His Word.

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Faith Life, June 2018

Faith Life, Jack Lynch on the Trinity in your Life

June 1, 2018June 1, 2018 baton_admin

The Trinity IN Your Life

BY: JACK LYNCH

Jack is a teacher at Radio Bible Courses, LTD.

So, what about your Christian life? How do you reconcile what you read in Scripture with the way you live your life in this world? Is there a disconnect? If you want that intimate relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, you cannot deal with the problems of the world in a worldly way.

1 John 2:15 says, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” The world is the world system set in opposition to God. To love the world or the things in the world is to love that which is opposed to God, the One the believer claims to love. If you’re doing these things, then you’re not loving the Father.

How do believers live godly lives? Let’s see how the Trinity can, and should, guide your life.

Having been made in God’s image, and knowing the love that the Father has shown us by sending His Son to die for our sins (in our place and on our behalf), we long to love —and be loved by — our Father. John addresses this in 1 John 4:16: “And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.”

Yes, abiding in God and His love is easy to say but harder to do, since we have a sinful nature. But the Trinity’s ministry in your life will enable a yieldedness to the Spirit, which involves abandoning one’s self-will and living God’s way. Here’s how it works:

Jesus taught that believers receive everlasting life at the very moment they believe in Him … eternal life becomes the present possession of everyone who believes in Him. And Jesus described His role in the present outworking of our eternal life when He said, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10). So, beyond the moment of saving faith, there is a more abundant life in Christ to be lived.

The Father sent the Son away from His side to die for our sins. Then, through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, believers are placed “in Christ,” and are forever identified with Him. The Spirit then empowers believers to live this eternal life they have been given in the here and now. It only makes sense. What would be the point of God giving you eternal life now if all you could do is live the same sinful, unproductive lifestyle?

In Romans 6:4, Paul makes the connection between Jesus and living our eternal life now: “Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Since the proof that Christ died for all sin lies in the fact that He was raised from the dead by the Father, and since we believers were placed “in Christ,” then His death to sin was ours! Believers are no longer “slaves of sin,” but “should walk in newness of life.”

In this victorious life, Christians are empowered by the Spirit to resist sinning, and to accomplish God’s will for him or her. (Romans 6:6 says of believers: “Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him [Christ] … that we should no longer be slaves of sin.”

The Father’s love for you sent the Son to die for you so that the Spirit may lead you. Through the Trinity’s work in and for you, you “put to death the deeds of the body.” (Romans 8:13). This is how you live your eternal life now, in Christ and by the Spirit. Galatians 5:16 echoes this: “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”

Never underestimate the effectiveness of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to transform the believer into Christlike living. Romans 6:5 says, “For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.”

Describing Jesus as “the glory of the Lord,” Paul writes of the role of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to accomplish this transformation to Christlike living in 2 Corinthians 3:18: “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

You become like the things to which you give your attention. “Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace!”

Jack Lynch teaches at Radio Bible Courses, Ltd., which was founded by Dr. Nick Kalivoda. The class meets weekly from 9:15-10:00 at Burden Conference Center, 4560 Essen Lane. The class is open to everyone, and offers a Q&A each week. In June Louis Hillard will be teaching from the book of Revelation. Details are available at www.rbcword.org.

Faith Life, June 2018

Faith Life, Isaac Hammond on why he loves being a “CASA” Advocate for children

June 1, 2018June 1, 2018 baton_admin

Called to Serve as a CASA Volunteer

CASA volunteer Isaac Hammond began his journey with Capital Area CASA Association in March of 2017. During the Sunday worship service at Neely United Methodist Church, there was a message about the mission of CASA and the need for volunteers to be advocates for abused children in the community. Hammond, the pastor of the church, said it was then that the Lord placed on his heart a desire to reach out. He is now in his eighth month as a CASA volunteer.

“I feel that I was called to be a CASA volunteer because in my ministry, I deal with a lot of children with issues in their community and homes,” he said. “I have always had a love for working with children whether it is in Sunday school, Vacation Bible School or coaching the youth basketball team. I love to see children succeed in life and go on to be productive citizens in society.”

Hammond says he wanted to help a child who might not have had all the benefits in life that he did. “There might be something they must overcome to reach the goal that God has called for them,” he said. “So I believe if I can do anything to help someone along the way in life, then my living will not be in vain.”

Volunteers often develop a close relationship with their CASA child. “The biggest payoff of all is seeing a smile on a child’s face … displaying the feeling that they are experiencing someone who is sincere with them.”

Hammond encourages others to get involved with CASA. “God calls us to reach out to help those that may be in need of help,” he said. “It’s our job to fulfill the Great Commission to go out into the world and lead people to a successful life and to happiness.”

His religion has played a role in his participation, Hammond added. “It’s our job as Christians to participate in services (such as CASA) that God has created to help society. It’s our job as Christians to be there, to speak up, and to look out for those who cannot do this for themselves.”

Capital Area CASA is always looking for volunteers to step up and be the voices for abused children in East Baton Rouge Parish. Men and African American volunteers are especially needed. To learn more about CASA. visit www.casabr.org call (225) 379-8598. You can also visit the office at 848 Louisiana Avenue in Baton Rouge.

April 2018, Faith Life

Lost at Sea with Deborah Quan

April 1, 2018April 2, 2018 baton_admin

Lost at sea

Deborah stood silently looking over the water, tears slowly gliding down her face. Her hands trembled as she read the letter one last time. Taking a deep breath, she tore the paper into pieces. And then let it go. The words, now scattered, descended into the sea.

The decision had been made. Deborah had chosen to forgive him — for all the hurt feelings she experienced as a child of divorce, for the disappointment of promises not kept, for the ache of missing his presence, for the resentment of responsibilities taken on too young. For all of it. Her head knew about forgiveness, but the pastor’s message that Sunday seemed to be speaking directly to her heart. It was time to absolve her father of mistakes from the past.

Part of Deborah wondered how the wound was still there. It had been, seemingly, a lifetime ago. She was a child of only nine years the day he left. Standing at the ironing board, she heard him tell her mother, “You’re not going to be able to raise these girls without them getting into trouble.” Whatever context that statement may have meant between her parents did not matter. She made up her mind immediately to prove him wrong. She would not get into trouble.

True to her word, Deborah took on the indoor responsibilities at home while her sister took care of the outdoors. They pitched in, allowing their mother to go to work, for the first time since they could remember. Occasional conversations with Dad, now living in a different state with a different wife, felt awkward and strained. Deborah leaned heavily on her faith. She and her sister continued going to church, more frequently than she likes to recall, without their heartbroken mother.

Still underlined in her childhood Bible is Jeremiah 29:11. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord. “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

It is a popular verse, often taken out of context, but not for Deborah. While her young heart may not have realized the significance, she found herself in a type of exile, separated from the home she loved. In fact, over time, she followed the Lord’s instructions to the Israelites. She married, had children, and built a home and a life for herself hundreds of miles away. And just as God promised the Israelites, His word rang true for Deborah. His good plans were fulfilled and she was brought home. The restoration that Deborah longed for with her father was yet to come.

She had tried to maneuver it herself, but after making a phone call, all that would remain was an empty feeling. The surface contact was there, but the depth of love that every daughter longs for with her father always felt forced. Her father had met her children and remained a part of her life throughout the 17 years she was married. He encouraged her the best he could when her husband died of emphysema, even letting his granddaughter live with him during part of that difficult season. But her heart still had an empty segment carved out for the relationship she longed to have with her father.

Years later, after Deborah’s children were grown and she had moved to Florida, her father came to her college graduation. It was during this time in her life, as an adult, that she heard the pastor speak and wrote the heartfelt letter that never got mailed. Despite her effort, not much changed after that day. Seven years passed. Deborah earned her master’s degree and married a wonderful man named Denny. Life went on.

Four years into her marriage, Deborah received a call from her sister. She needed help with their aging mother. Deborah and Denny left Florida the next day, headed for Dallas. Deborah knew her father and his wife were also living in the area, but she did not expect the visit to be so emotional. When they walked into the room, her father wept. It was the first time he met Denny, and he liked him right away. Her father had changed. He was happy. He had re-committed his life to Christ.

The next day, while mom remained in the hospital post-surgery, the rest of the family gathered around the kitchen table. There was something different about this conversation. It was honest and heartfelt. They all seemed to know they were not together on this day by accident – this was a divine time orchestrated for their good. Deborah had not felt like an actual part of the family for so long. She did not want her heart to go another minute without forgiveness. She asked for it and gave it freely. Hugs and tears filled the room as the restoration was for them all – not just Deborah and her father. As a family — a newly bonded family — they grabbed hands and prayed.

Things changed that night. “The Holy Spirit was so thick in the room,” Deborah recalls, tears forming in the corner of eyes. Her heart admittedly came to another understanding too, one she had struggled with for years. “I realized that it didn’t matter who initiates the contact, it is about the relationship.” And this one, that she had longed for since childhood, was finally fulfilled. She had been brought home and restored. The unforgiveness – she had let it go – like unspoken words lost at sea.

Baton Rouge Christian Life Magazine — Deborah’s Childhood bible and mother’s handkerchief

Baton Rouge April 2018 Denny — Deborah’s father

Sharon Holeman is a writer and photographer living in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She was the project creator, coordinator and co-author of the book Backyard Miracles – 12 American Women, 12 True Stories, 1 Miraculous God. Previously published in Her Glory and Inspire Louisiana , she is now penning her first screenplay. Sharon is a graduate of the University of Texas at San Antonio and The Art Institute of Houston. She is currently attending Bethany College to further her pursuit of the Lord and His Word.

Faith Life, January 2018

Love Grows, Love Flows

February 1, 2018February 1, 2018 baton_admin

Love GROWS, LOVE FLOWS

by Jack Fynch

In this month of Valentines, we often think of intimate relationships we have with others. Intimacy in the sense that our society defines it is one thing, but intimacy in the biblical sense is another.

Biblical intimacy has two directions. It is, first of all, vertical. Intimacy grows out of a relationship of love. The Bible teaches us that we are made in God’s image, and that God is love. Thus, God first loved us, and because of this, we are able to love Him (the vertical direction). The second direction is our ability to love others (the horizontal direction).

This is perhaps best expressed in 1 John 4:10-11: “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.¹¹Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”

Here we see both the vertical and the horizontal — God loving us, and us loving one another. The love here expressed is sacrificial in nature. It means doing something good that benefits another, not oneself. Sacrificial love is the foundation for all other concepts in the biblical “love family,” including intimacy.

The above passage expresses God the Father’s love for His creatures through His Son’s death for our sins, and this makes possible our response of love toward God through faith. It is an intimate, personal and spiritual relationship of love with God that is begun at that moment.

Apart from that unique relationship to God (spiritual rebirth), there can be no biblical, spiritual relationship to God and therefore, no biblical, spiritual intimacy with another. First comes the intimate, spiritual relationship with God. That can then be shared with another who is spiritually related to God.

As for the intimate and spiritual relationship that a husband and wife may have in Christ Jesus … it is like nothing else this world can offer.

Jack Lynch is an accomplished Bible teacher for Radio Bible Courses, Ltd., which meets every Sunday at 9:15 a.m. at Burden Conference Center. The public is invited to this amazing study of God’s Word. See the ad below for more details.