Preaching in Recife!

 Having prayer before we left. Tim Marshall drove us to Metro. Thanks Tim for your kindness!

 With Beto and Carlos in the city of Recife on the Atlantic Ocean. This is where our first three services were held.

Jeremy was able to train every day at the park and Carlos and Beto had fun being coaches for the day.

Heading For Brasil 2012

We are on our way to minister to the Lord's people in Brasil. These dear brethren are filled with the joy and the glory of the Lord. I have been so blessed and privileged to have the opportunity to minister to them. Mary, Jeremy and my dear brother and father in the faith Pastor Bill Tipton are going with me. Please pray for us that the Word of the Lord will be powerful and bring many blessings to the church in Brasil.

I will try to post some pics along the way of our journey. God bless everyone back at Berean.

Yours in Christ, Pastor Bob

 This is a picture of Beto and his wife Flavia with Kevin Thompson and me. Beto is one special friend. He has been a balm in Gilead to me.  I praise the Lord for his friendship in Christ.

 Carlos, like Beto has become very special in my life and ministry. Even though we minister very far from each other our hearts are joined by the bond of Calvary love.

 What can I say about my dear brother Pastor Rosther? He is the Spurgeon of South America!! For a young man he has been greatly blessed by the King of Heaven.

 Some of our dear friends after one of the services in Brasilia, the capital of Brasil.

When our friends from Brasil came to visit last year we had such a wonderful time in the Lord. These times of fellowship were like glimpses into the joy we know we will share in eternity with those that love Christ and His gospel.

Spiritual Leadership in the Church 2

In the book of James we have been given a very effective way to distinguish between those who are spiritual leaders and those who are fleshly leaders. A person can be a leader but not be a spiritual leader. Only spiritual leaders should be allowed to minister in any capacity in the Church. Far too often men are ambitious for power in the Church when they do not have the marks or the characteristics of spiritual life.  There will always be those who see themselves as great leaders but may be missing the most important ingredients of all to leadership. Those ingredients are the fruits of the Spirit. Without the Spirit of God operating in a person's life they cannot be a spiritual leader regardless of what they profess or boast. I trust my comments on this passage in James will be a blessing to you all.

Why do we need spiritual leaders today? Here is a list of a few of the more important reasons that I can suggest:

1.      We need spiritual leaders to discern the times in which we live. 1 Chronicles contains a list of those who assisted David in battle against Saul, among whom were men of the children of Issachar, “which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do” (1 Chronicles 12:32). Without spiritual leaders the church is left unguarded and unprotected from the false doctrines and new errors that may arise as cultures change and nations drift away from their Christian heritage.

2.      We need spiritual leaders to alert the church of the presence of wolves in sheep’s clothing. “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock, Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:29-30).

3.     We need spiritual leaders to guard and to guide the flock in times of spiritual storms, trials and difficult times.  (John 10:1-15.)

4.      We need spiritual leaders to feed and nurture the flock. “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood”  (Acts 20:28.)

5.       We need spiritual leaders to stir the church out of its lethargy. “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.  So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (Revelation 3:15-17.)

6.      We need spiritual leaders to defend the faith. “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” (I Peter 3:15.)

God is indeed looking for spiritual leaders that He can thrust into His service. He is looking for people with love and passion for Jesus Christ. They must be people who are willing to spend their lives in tireless devotion to the Master.

Spiritual Leadership in the Church

Just wanted to share some thoughts on spiritual leadership in the church. One of the great needs in the church today is for true spirituality and authentic testimony from those who say they are leaders. My prayer is that these thoughts will bless, convict, and encourage you to be faithful in your walk with the Lord.

Those aspiring to be spiritual leaders in the Lord's work must not forget what Henry Blackaby once said about the importance of leadership: The greatness of an organization will be directly proportional to the greatness of its leader. It is rare for an organization to rise above its leaders. If the leader of a church or organization has serious character defects in his life, it is only a matter of time before someone will have the wisdom and the courage to say, "The Emperor has no clothes."


 

Second video clip of Africa

This is another clip of one of  the services in Port Elizabeth Africa.

This week I will post two clips on leadership. Today was a good day in the House of the Lord. God bless all of our Berean family.

I will be traveling to Brasil soon with Mary and Pastor Tipton to minister to the church in Brasilia with our dear brothers and sisters in Christ under Pastor Roshter's ministry. Please keep us in prayer as we make preparations for that ministry.

Preaching in Africa!

This was at a conference at Port Elizabeth, South Africa. This is one of my favorite places to go. It is at the end of the line. You are on the Indian Ocean and the next stop is Antarctica. It is an absolutely beautiful place. But what is also so special about this place are the many wonderful friends I have made preaching the gospel to these dear people of Africa. Teaching these brothers and sisters in Christ has been a great joy to me. It is my firm conviction that one day the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

During the next few weeks I will be addressing the topic of Spiritual Leadership in the Church. I have some things that are on my heart and will be sharing these insights and thoughts on leadership with our Berean family. Have a great Lord's Day today.

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Dickie

Second Interview With Bill Tipton

This is the second interview with Pastor Tipton. We discussed the importance of biblical Throne Room Worship. I trust this will be a blessing to our Berean Family.

Throne Room Worship

“Behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne…and I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne…stood a Lamb as it had been slain…and they sung a new song, saying…worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory and blessing.” (Rev. 4-5)

Jesus Christ our Lord said, "…true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him" (John 4:23).  One of the most amazing facts about God is that He is seeking a people to worship His Son Jesus Christ.  If you have become a Christian, one of the primary purposes of your salvation is that you might joyfully worship the Son of God.  There is nothing in the Christian life of any greater importance than this.  And yet, how tragic that we find so few Christians who either understand the nature of true spiritual worship or who practice true spiritual worship.  We should ask ourselves right here at this point - is there a true spirit of worship in our hearts and in our churches? 

A. W. Tozer once wrote, “There are today many millions of people who hold ‘right opinions’ probably more than ever before in the history of the church.  Yet, I wonder if there was ever a time when true spiritual worship was at a lower ebb.  To great sections of the church, the art of worship has been lost entirely, and in its place has come that strange and foreign thing called the ‘program.’  This word has been borrowed from the stage and applied with sad wisdom to the type of public service which now passes for worship among us.”

Biblical and spiritual worship is the soul's longing to see the glory and the beauty of Christ.  When worshippers see Christ, they will have the joy of experiencing the presence of Christ.  Worship is at its fullest and richest point when our souls are lost in the wonder of the glory and majesty of God.  Much of what passes for worship today will not produce this. The shallow and superficial services that characterize this present generation are not producing true worshippers or producing great saints.

The great English expositor G. Campbell Morgan, who was the predecessor of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, defined true worship in this way,

“What is worship?  The essential and simple meaning of the word, and therefore the fundamental thought is that of prostration, of bowing down.  Worship suggests that attitude which recognizes the throne…It is a word full of force, which constrains us, and compels us to the attitude of reverence.”

Interview With Pastor Bill Tipton

           This is my first interview with Pastor Bill Tipton. I will have several more to follow. Please keep checking and I will post these interviews with Bill every couple of days. I trust that these interviews will be a great blessing to our Berean family.

            This Sunday I will be bringing the last message on our Stewardship series. I am speaking on Time and Eternity. My text is Mark 8:34-36.

“34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. 36 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? 37 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."

            The text before us was delivered by the Lord Jesus after He called the people and His disciples to Himself.  Jesus had just finished teaching at Caesarea Philippi in Northern Israel in the region of Galilee where He revealed some of the most important information that they had up to that point received, (He was the Christ, and He would suffer and die and be raised from the dead). After leaving that area Jesus gathered the people to Himself and delivered this awesome text. Buried in this text is the concept of eternity. To lose one’s soul is to be lost for eternity.

How do we understand the concept of eternity? How do we as finite creatures, who are trapped in time, understand that though we had a beginning the God of eternity had neither a beginning nor an end?  Time is a little capsule sandwiched between eternity past and eternity future. Who can understand such an awesome concept?  John Cennick, the Welsh evangelist, described man in this fashion, “Man is a silly little fickle creature, shut up in a box of flesh and time, heading down the road towards doom and destruction.”

Dr. R. C. Sproul made one of the most profound statements when he said, “Right now counts forever!” The decisions we make and the actions we perform on a daily basis have eternal consequences. Every word we speak, every thing that we do, and all of our motives will be brought to the judgment seat of Christ.

The main point of this text in Mark’s gospel is that a soul can be lost and that loss is eternal. Who can comprehend it? I often use my imagination and try to create in my mind’s eye what it will be like on the day of Judgment. One poet did the same thing and wrote it down in poetic verse.

I Dreamed that The Great Judgment Morning

I dreamed that the great judgment morning

Had dawned, and the trumpet had blown;

I dreamed that the nations had gathered

To judgment before the white throne;

From the throne came a bright shining angel,

And stood on the land and the sea,

And swore with his hand raised to heaven,

That time was no longer to be.

The rich man was there, but his money

Had melted and vanished away;

A pauper he stood in the judgment,

His debts were too heavy to pay;

The great man was there, but his greatness,

When death came, was left far behind!

The angel that opened the records,

Not a trace of his greatness could find.

The gambler was there and the drunkard,

And the man that had sold them the drink,

With the people who gave him the license,

Together in hell they did sink.

The moral man came to the judgment,

But his self righteous rags would not do;

The men who had crucified Jesus

Had passed off as moral men, too;

The soul that had put off salvation,

“Not tonight; I’ll get saved by and by,

No time now to think of religion!”

At last they had found time to die.

Refrain:

And O, what a weeping and wailing,

As the lost were told of their fate;

They cried for the rocks and the mountains,

They prayed, but their prayer was too late.

                             Bert Shadduck, 1894