"Looking Across the Aisle at 36,000 Feet"

     I am writing this morning's post from Cagyan De Oro, Philippines. I am here on a mission trip for training pastors with Revival or Ruin ministries. I have traveled through several different time zone, have been in 3 different countries, and 4 different planes in arriving safely to the Philippines. I will be here for a little over 2 weeks, which is not very long, unless you have a wife and children you have left behind. After two weeks I will board the plane to travel 'back in time' to get back home. But, one thing will be different on my trip back home, I will travel alone. I will leave the ones (Barry and Ty Carpenter) I traveled with here in the Philippines to serve these people.
     As we were flying here from Detroit, MI to Nagyora, Japan I sat across the aisle from Barry and his son thinking to myself how could he do this? How or why would a man up and sell everything he ever owned to minister to a group of pastors, so they would be more effective in the kingdom of God. I know this is not new or uncommon when it comes to missionaries and the call on their life, but I guess what takes me aback is the fact God has told him to go and has gone! No mission board to support him, no fringe benefits, but simply living on the fact God has called him to minister to the Filipino's and trusting God to provide through other Christian.
He and his son are here now, in another country, 9,000 miles from home, in a culture which is very different from America in every way, yet they are here!
 
What I saw as I was "Gazing Across the Aisle at 36,000 Feet":
1. I saw a man after "God's own heart." Like King David (1 Sam.13:13-14), I see Barry seeking to glorify his Father by pursuing God's heart, which is His people. Our God is a missionary God, one who "seeks to save that which is lost" and I believe this is the very heart of Barry. To send the gospel to the ends of the earth for the glory of God.

2. I saw a man who loves his son (Ty). I sat there and watch Barry converse with his son, I watched the both of them sleep on the plane (which is difficult to do) and Ty lay his head on his father's shoulder. I simply saw a man who seeks after God's glory, but also a father who truly lives out Ephesians 4:4.

3. I saw a man who is "sold out for the Lord." In Luke 18:22, Jesus tells the young rich ruler to sell all his possessions and follow him. You know the story, he went away sorrowful because he had many possessions to give up and follow Christ. In other words, he loved his many possessions  more than he did Christ. Although, God has called Barry to sell everything in order to relocate in the Philippines, I appreciate what he said in his last sermon at PHBC, "God does not always call everyone to sell everything to move to the Philippines, but He does call all of us to either go down into the well (move to Philippines), or to hold the rope (support the move) either way you are going to get "rope burned."

Barry and Ty are now in the Philippines for at least two years, with perhaps a furlough sometime next year. The Lord is using Barry already and I believe is using the Philippines for means of sanctification in many ways to Barry (Barry you know what I mean).
At any rate I write this not to lift Barry up, rather to life our Savior up. I think about how God in Christ calls dead, damned, and depraved sinners to  Himself, saves them by the gospel of His grace, gives them a new life (1 Cor. 5:17) and gives them marching orders. This is exactly what God has done in each and every believers life. If you claim the name of Christ, He has saved you not just to miss hell, but rather to "die to yourself, take up your cross and follow Christ. Daily!
For those of you without Christ, do not think Barry, myself, or any other Christian as one who has it all together. For we are nothing more than fallen men who has has been called to a new life through the power of God in Christ, who are needy of God's grace everyday of our lives. Do you see your need for God's grace in salvation? Call out to him and be ye saved.

I encourage you to pray for Barry and Ty as they minster in the Philippines, for God's glory! Blessings in Christ.

(This blog post was started in the Philippines, but completed at home in the U.S.A., just so there is no confusion)!

"Reasons Why I Might Support Barry Carpenter and Revival or Ruin Ministries"

Reasons Why I Might Support Bro. Barry and Revival or Ruin Ministries 

by Garett Davidson

Garett Davidson is a police officer for Metro Nashville police department. He is married to Brittnee and they have two daughters Morgan, Everleigh with their child (Titus) due in July. Garett currently serves the church at Pleasant Hill as a deacon, where he oversees small groups and helps lead the students small groups.

My thoughts on Bro. Barry Carpenter :

1) I have heard him preach several times, and the preaching contains solid theology and doctrine, as well as a love for God evidenced in a genuine concern for men's souls. 

2) I have personally observed Bro. Barry's personal deportment and character and have not found cause for alarm, though I am often apt to do with men. His humility appears born of his convictions. 

3) I have heard and seen evidenced by others a love or affection for Bro. Barry that is both sincere and in line with my own personal observations, speaking good of his name. 

4) I have observed and seen evidence of Bro. Barry as one who earnestly contends for the faith. Bro. Barry has engaged others in open air debates, formal debates (ex. against Micah), and youtube videos. 

5) Bro. Barry has posted both facebook and other media blogs or posts which reveal both his personal conviction and where his heart and time are dedicated. Such posts, as well as the Revival or Ruin internet page, contain clear insight and absolves doubts regarding the impetus with which he is undertaking this work. 

6) Bro. Barry has set himself to the task before him—he is selling everything and making earnest preparation for the mission ahead. Barry has also laid out what his vision is. Barry has demonstrated commitment and vision. At this time he lacks significant support from other churches, some of which had committed to Barry but not yet fulfilled their commitments, but Barry has not allowed his commitment to the work to be stymied. 

7) Bro. Barry has evidenced faith to undertake the work God has placed upon his heart. Barry is selling all belongings except what he can carry over, he is taking his son, he is set to go despite the seeming obstacles before him, he understands and knows the certain risks before him yet has abandoned himself to God's graces and mercies (he appears neither a naïve fool in this nor a charlatan portraying circumstantially-inhuman attributes)---he has both acknowledged the weight and risk of the task ahead with a humble fear which one only continues to undertake having certain faith in the God in whom they have trusted. 

8) Bro. Barry has shown accountability. Previously, Barry has given a presentation and an accounting for what his work entails, requires, and expends. Barry has demonstrated an openness to scrutiny. Additional information is available online. 

9) Bro. Barry has not engaged some fantasy without means. Barry has learning, drive, faithfulness, and experience which, notwithstanding God's providence, speak well to his capability to undertake this mission. 

10) I feel confident that Bro. Barry has in proper view God's glory through the ministry work. The work of training, equipping, discipling, and evangelizing which God will use to draw a people to himself is God glorifying, and this is his mission. 

11) Barry is but a man in a fallen world—he is not perfect. With confidence though, I count him as my brother who is laboring for the sake of the Gospel.

My thoughts on Missions 

1) There will always be a need for well-equipped missionaries until the Lord returns. 

2) There is a lack of well-equipped missionaries and the Lord will return. 

3) The perception of many local churches has become that evangelism/missions is inviting others to church rather than to Christ. This is often accompanied by programs or events where loving Christians meaning well give out things other than the Gospel.

4) There is a disease amongst missionaries consisting of contextualization/syncretism of the Gospel. Missionaries become so method oriented that the Gospel is compromised and converts are nominal at best, rather than born-again, Holy-spirit filled, trophies of God's grace. (See The Sovereign Grace Messenger, Issue 35, “The Cultural Captivity of Evangelical Missions” by Trevor Johnson )

5) A popular method of funding missionaries often includes or can result in not personally knowing the missionary or being in a position to be able to hold them accountable. Money is sent through other organizations or boards. This can result also in a lack of accountability likewise of the church sending the funds. There must be a fine balance where both the church and the missionary are held accountable. The church should not feel proud just because it is giving sums of money away to nondescript missionaries lest they become like a Pharisee who does not involve their heart, use sound judgment, or work with proper motives. We need to know our funds are going to a Paul, not a Judas Iscariot. I would regret even a small sum going to one who uses it to betray the Gospel.

Concerns 

1) Holding the rope for a missionary always includes the possibility of rope-burns. 

2) God is providential. We can never fully know if Barry will succeed or fail within any measure of our own finite understanding. We can trust that God will accomplish his purpose. 

3) God is providential. Barry could succumb to illness or other calamity, or his son, so that the mission work must be abandoned. 

4) Our church could suffer some critical famine that jeopardizes our ability to continue supporting Barry, which could in turn jeopardize the mission work. God is providential. It is a hard argument to fund Barry if we do not even have faith that God will continue to provide for our church.

The questions:

Weighing the evidences, is supporting Bro. Barry Carpenter going to reflect a wise investment/stewardship of resources, through which God will be glorified?

If so: 

Do I have the ability to support Barry's ministry? 

Do I have the desire to support Barry's ministry?

For more information on Dr. Barry Carpenter,  Revival or Ruin Ministries, Bible Expositors Seminary click on link below:

http://www.revivalorruin.com/index.html 

"A Little Bit of My Heart" by Jessica Cleveland

This is a guest blog post by Jessica Cleveland. Jessica is a third year high school English teacher with a passion for writing. I enjoy storytelling and hope that others are blessed through my words. Jessica attends Pleasant Hill Baptist church along with her father (Jerry), mother (Darlene), and brother (Jeremy).

Unless you have a passion about something-- whether it is a sport, giving back to your community, or some other various outlet-- none of the following is likely to make any sense to you.  I haven't written seriously in two years, but I have been fighting the cravings since the New Year started (I really don't know who I am anymore... losing weight, working out, getting married-- what's next year bringing me?!).  So until I can wholeheartedly commit to keeping a faithful blog, this medium will suffice.  People still blog, right? On MySpace?  I'm getting old. 

Some thoughts that needed to surface after reading over the Gospels recently:

First of all, don't you wish God had desired for the authors of the Bible to be blessed with artistic abilities so that you could physically see what all of these exciting people looked like?  One of my favorite stories and some of my favorite verses come from the first chapter of John.  I have always loved reading about John the Baptist for some reason.  I'm not sure if it's because he is involved in my favorite Bible story or if it's because he is described as being so fascinatingly odd that I would loved to have simply been part of one of his many crowds that instantly gathered whenever he began to speak.  I try to picture it all unfolding and I can't help but try to imagine what he would have looked like.  I have a strong feeling that he was unkempt; not dirty, but definitely more rugged than the majority of the crowds that followed him.  Other books detailed his habits of surviving off of locusts, honey, and water.  That's it.  (John was "eating clean" before it was cool.)  There were no fatted calves, no fancy feasts; he didn't dine in the homes of the Pharisees... he survived on the bare necessities because, quite simply, he had work to do.  I am fascinated by the fact that he never attempted to appear wealthier than he was or elevate himself as a great prophet or leader.  He didn't have to.  People were naturally drawn to him.  It wasn't about the fame for John.  It wasn't about the recognition, the bewildered stares that he must have received from some; he wasn't looking to shock or entertain anyone.  He was on a divine mission; he was ordained from birth to spread the message about the Son of God's arrival.

Can you imagine what it must have been like to be a part of one of those crowds?  To sit there and listen to this long haired, bearded man in some sort of camel hair and leather outfit talking about a Messiah...  if I had been there, would I have walked on by and called him crazy?  Would I have listened?  Or would I have been like all of the other religious leaders that simply could not wrap their brains around this man and his message? I wonder if John ever grew even the teeniest bit tired of all the questions from those leaders-- their doubting eyes, stern expressions, attempts at trapping him or causing him to trip on his own words.  The book of John describes a specific example of the nitpicking, interrogation, and trick questions John was continuously subjected to:

¹⁹ Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. ²⁰ He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.” ²¹ They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”  He said, “I am not.”  “Are you the Prophet?”  He answered, “No.” ²² Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us.  What do you say about yourself?”  ²³ John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”  ²⁴ Now the Pharisees who had been sent²⁵ questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”  ²⁶ “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. ²⁷ He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” (John 1:19-27, NIV)

I'm sure John's response completely infuriated those who sought to quiet him, but he would not be silenced.  I have this perfect mental picture of the next few verses-- I'm not kidding whenever I tell you that if I ever learn to paint with any amount of talent, I will paint the next scene exactly as I'm about to describe it.  Picture this:  John, unkempt and unshaven, has been speaking for hours on this particular day.  The usual crowds have followed him and are listening intently.  I like to think that at this very moment, there were probably some new (or even old) Pharisees hovering near John, just waiting for him to slip up so that they could end this never-ending source of anger, discomfort, and fear in their eyes.  Suddenly, John stops speaking and an unsettling murmur slowly sweeps the crowd as they all notice that something has obviously caught his attention.  Even the Pharisees and religious leaders area little surprised at his abruptness-- what is this “insane” wilderness man going to do next?  I can see John waiting in stunned silence for a few moments-- moments that probably seemed like an eternity to John-- as he wonders if what he is seeing is real or if he is suffering from the exhaustion of preaching in the blistering heat for hours?  Or perhaps he has simply waited, yearned for and dreamed of this day for so long that he is afraid to accept that he is actually seeing these events unfold before him. John’s heart leaps and his stunned silence is broken:

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God,who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29, NIV)

Is that not the most beautiful thing you have ever read?  Can’t you just see John’s eyes filling with tears of joy upon the realization that his mission is being fulfilled just as he had always known it would be?  I know that there are so many different translations of the Bible, but the greater majority of them end this particular verse with an exclamation point.  I know, leave it to the English major to notice dorky things like punctuation.  I truly think this was by design; John didn’t just shrug it off in front of the crowd with an “I told you so; I’m not crazy” mentality.  No way-- John YELLS it.  “THIS is the ONE!  THAT’S HIM!!!  Don’t you know who this is--can’t you see?  This is the LAMB-- the One who will pay the price for ALL!!!!!!” I can’t help but imagine that John and Jesus had this incredible moment of mutual recognition and a connection after John’s words were spoken, even from a fairly long distance since the scripture notes that Jesus was walking toward him as John was excitedly explaining this man’s identity to the likely bewildered crowds… (Jesus doesn’t actually respond or say anything until he requests to be baptized; you have to flip back to Matthew 3 for the full description of that account).

John continues to describe his first encounter with the Man he had tirelessly awaited for so long (at some point after the baptism):

32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.” (John 1:32-34, NIV)

If that doesn't make your heart fill with awe, I don't know what will.  It doesn't matter how many times I read these verses; every time John finally sees the phsyical evidence --the Messiah-- and comes to this moment of realization that he has been fulfilling his role as God intended in the story of the world's Savior, I feel as if I could literally burst with emotion.  So what's the point of all of this?  Well, on a personal note... John teaches me that I shouldn't be afraid to be that weird one in the crowd; he teaches me to expect and even welcome those taunts and trick questions.  John doesn't focus on those petty things in front of him; his focus lies far across the jeers/lies/rumors/laughs/crowd.  John's eyes are locked on his Savior; the Savior Who is most definitely looking right back at him.