Train Up A Child

We planted a pair of fruit trees this week in our yard. It will be a few years before we see any fruit from them but we will water them, fertilize them, weed them and watch them as they grow. We will certainly tend these trees with the expectation of one day enjoying the fruit from years of invested labor. Right now they are tender and vulnerable. We will have to make sure that when the strong winds blow that we anchor them down and protect them from damage. If any insects infest them we will have to apply the proper treatment to fend them off. There will be times when we have to get the pruners out and prune them so their branches will be productive. A lot of work goes into raising a tree from a sappling to a full fledged tree bearing optimal fruit. If we leave them alone and put little or no effort into raising them they may eventually produce a small amount of fruit. But if we want to see the greatest yield from these trees we must make the effort on a regular basis to see to it that the trees are cared for.

The same can be said for raising children. Boy does it take a lot of work! If we desire to see our children grow into godly spiritually productive children, then we the parents must put in the effort to make it so. A child left to himself will most likely grow up to be spiritually unfruitful. Oh, there may be some good that comes out of their lives. They may even grow up to be pretty good people. Training children to grow up to serve God and bear spiritual fruit, however, takes effort.

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” - 3 John 4

From time to time I want to feature one of our missionary families. This week I want to introduce you to the Peter Chamberland family. This family serves with the Rock of Ages Ministries.

I have known Peter and Crystal since 2004. As a missionary in Ghana our prison ministry outreach began to explode. We were preaching weekly in the prison as well as tending to nearly 200 prisoners doing bible correspondence courses. The work load was becoming too much for us to handle so we called on the Rock of Ages Prison Ministry to come to see what they could do to help. A team of five men, Peter included, came for about a week and surveyed the country's prisons. When all was said and done they had agreed to pray about taking over our ministry and expanding to the rest of the country. Over the next several years Peter led teams on short term trips to Ghana and other neighboring countries.

He continues to travel extensively overseeing the prison work in many countries. Our church started supporting Peter's family in 2008. 

March Madness Bracket Time

Its that time of year again when we get to show just how little we really know about predicting the outcome of anything. March Madness has arrived. Its that time of year when many of us sit down and put to paper our predictions for who is going to win the NCAA basketball championship. Along the way we fill out predictions for every single game throughout the tournament. That means we start with 64 teams, then down to 32, to 16, to 8, to four, then 2, and finally the championship team. A few days ago (before the games actually started) I felt real good about my picks. I was fairly certain I was going to have a higher than average winning percentage. Unfortunately they started playing the games and I once again was proven to be pretty dumb concerning college basketball. I cannot count how many times I have shouted "unbelievable" at the television.

Its really the same way in the spiritual realm. How often do we presume to tell God what we think is going to (or should) happen. We have no way of knowing the future concerning the day to day happenings of our life. Sure God has revealed some biblical prophecy. We can know the certainty of those events. But even with revealed prophecy our understanding of the details is often shrouded in mystery and shadows. God has not chosen to reveal everything to us, only what we need to know.

While we may get frustrated with the teams we pick for playing poorly or coaches making bad decisions, we need not worry about what God is doing in this world. He has it all under control, even if He has not filled you in on all the details.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." - Isa 55:8-9

"The secret things belong unto the Lord our God..." - Deut 29:29

(By the way, I predict Louisville over Indiana in the championship, 77-72)

Here is Haley's biography of another one of our church members, Clifton Ward.

A retired Naval Master Chief, Cliff has been with us nearly six years now, and currently serves as our church's "greeter and seater" as he likes to say. A true gentleman, Cliff makes sure all of our visitors and members feel welcome; visits with them, as well as helping with seating arrangements. "I like the friendship, fellowship, and preaching. He (Pastor Taylor) is very Bible specific. He preaches with conviction, but it really comes from his heart," he said about The Church At Katy. 
Every year, when given the opportunity, Cliff likes to freshwater fish when he is visiting in Georgia. A wonderful friend, and Godly man, Mr. Cliff is one of my favorite people at The Church At Katy. He always greets me warmly with a smile and a firm handshake. I like to think of him as an adopted grandfather; he's just got a way about him that makes you smile and feel good about yourself, like all great grandfathers do. 

Too Good to be True

The weather has been tremendous here in Katy this week. Low humidity, temps in the 70's, no rain. Days like this are few here in Texas so we enjoy them while we can. Soon it will be brutally hot and humid. As I watch the weather report from across the nation I am once again reminded why we left Chicago and never moved back! The weather! By normal standards the winter was fairly mild up north. When winter finally hit, however, it hit with a vengeance. By my count three fairly heavy snowstorms hit and left some areas virtually shut down for a few days. I kept watching the weather forecasts and thinking to myself, "When is it going to hit?" Having lived there for many years I knew winter had to show its ugly head sooner or later. The mild winter had to be "Too good to be true."

So many Christians live their lives with this mindset. God blesses and things are going great. A believer in his mind thinks, "Can this good thing last?" He lives his life waiting for the bottom to fall out and for things to turn sour. Even when the sun shines and there are good days he cannot enjoy the blessing because he is waiting for the other shoe to drop.

You know it is true that life is a cycle. There are good times and there are bad times. You need to remember that the bad times never last and they are usually not as bad as we allow our sanctified imagination to make them out to be. Christian, get out of the habit of focusing on what may go wrong and enjoy what good God is doing right now in your life. He loves you and wants the very best for your life. 

"Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." - 1 Cor 2:9

Here is another biographical entry from Haley Simpson.

Marci Simpson is known for her passion for gardening. She grows two types of things: a variety of plants you grow in the ground, and 8 spiritual plants that are currently growing in her home. A wonderful woman and an excellent mother, Marci also homeschools 6 of her 8 children; her two oldest being graduated from high school. She is a genuine servant of God, and a blessing to our church. "We had been looking for a church for about a year and growing discouraged when we decided The Church At Katy was our church," she said, "What attracted me to it was the use of the KJV of the Bible, traditional hymns sang in the services, and the family integration and atmosphere. To me, church is a family event and I like having my kids sit with me during the service."

Ever Stop Worrying?

When our kids are little we stress over every step they take when they are learning to walk. Our hearts stop when we see them going up or down the stairs. Lifting themselves up around the coffee table always makes the heart race.

The first few days of school are always a parent's nightmare. Will they do ok? Will they make good friends? Will they get on the right bus?

Don't get me started on the teen years. Driving - do we ever stop worrying? Dating - Don't want to think about it.

Kim said to me this evening, "Do we ever stop worrying about our kids?" My answer is - NO. While we know that we are supposed to do the best job we can to raise them with a healthy fear of the Lord and leave the rest up to God, we can't help but worry if we did a good enough job. God is trustworthy. He will do His part, it's our part we worry about.

Its kind of like a ship builder who spends years of his life building a sailboat. The day finally comes that he takes the boat down to the ocean for its maiden launch. As he lowers the boat into the water he thinks back to the days in the shop when he was glueing and nailing the boards together. He remembers one day in particular when he was in a hurry and may have taken a short cut. Or he may remember when he skimped on the materials in order to save a little money. Launch time is here now and he has apprehension. Will his little ship stand up to the rough seas?

Thats what it is like for a parent and his child. Life can be rough. Sending your child off to face this old world is scary. There are forces out there that are just plain evil. Your child must face them sooner or later. Only what you have invested in them in time past will help them.

Ever stop worrying - NO!

"Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it." - Pro 22:6 (O Lord let it be true in the life of my children.)

This week I would like to introduce you to another member of our church. Caryn Peng Ho. Here is a short testimony.

My name is Caryn. I got saved when I was 16 years old. After graduating from high school, I had an opportunity to attend Pensacola Christian College where I received most of my Biblical training and became grounded in my faith in Christ. 

I heard about the Church at Katy through a very close friend of mine. Before that, I was serving at a local Chinese church as a pianist. I love Pastor Taylor's messages, the church families, and that it was close to home. This year would be our fifth year at the Church at Katy. My family really loves this church. I have learned how to be a submissive wife, a lovely mother, and an obedient child. There are always something or someone I can learn from. 

Currently, I am serving as the church Treasurer. 

The Heart Beat of God

As a pastor there is no greater joy than to know our church is doing what pleases God. I firmly believe that God is well pleased with a church whose thrust in ministry is to see the gospel of Jesus Christ spread around the globe through the ministry of foreign and local missions. We just completed our fifth annual missions conference. What a blessing it was to be able to spend time with some of God's choicest servants. We shared our conference with two missionary families. One whom I've known for a number of years and one I just recently became acquainted with. My soul was stirred and challenged once again as these missionaries shared their call and burden for their chosen ministries.

John and Esther Shrader, along with their eight children, are on their way to Zambia, Africa. Of course this field is dear to Kim and me because we lived there for a number of years. We know first hand what John and Esther are facing. We know the sacrifices they will have to make to live in that place. It was a sweet time of fellowship with these dear folks. You can see more about their ministry at: www.http://teamzambia.com




Bob and Vicky Taylor are the directors for Heartland Baptist Missions. Their heart is to serve those families who are with their board. There is not enough space on this blog to tell you all that they do and all they need. I will leave you with just a few thoughts about these sweet friends. Bob and Vicky led a team of college students to our ministry in Ghana back in 2005. For ten days they labored and served not only my family but our church family as well. The college kids came prepared to serve and be a blessing. They were taught that by Bob and Vicky. Learn more about their mission at: www.http://heartlandbaptistmissions.org

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth."      
                                                                                3 John 4