What a wonderful Vacation Bible School we had! With countless workers serving under the direction of Dana Christakos, we had 295 students enrolled this week. We saw 23 children make a public decision for salvation, and our total VBS offering for missions was just over $890! To God be the glory! Being still fairly new at this church, I can praise the members of this church for an extraordinary commitment to VBS. We truly had a great week. The SBC “Boomerang Express” theme is outstanding. Our kids learned much and were drawn closer to the Lord Jesus! And we had fun, too.
Archive for June, 2009
VBS Finale
Friday, June 12th, 2009VBS Update
Wednesday, June 10th, 2009We are having a marvelous Daily Vacation Bible School this week at Delaney Street Baptist Church. Everyone has worked hard to prepare, and God is blessing each day. Our attendance is near 250. We have had 15 public professions of faith for salvation through the first three days. The kids are bringing in a generous offering for missions. And they are learning principles, truths and verses from God’s Word. Please pray that God will bless this children abundantly. “For of such is the kingdom of God!”
Vacation Bible School
Friday, June 5th, 2009Our church is holding our daily Vacation Bible School this coming week, Monday through Friday, June 8 to 12, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon daily. I am excited. I believe we are prepared and ready to go.
Years ago, as a young pastor, I did not know what to do with VBS. In those days it seemed to be managed by a few older ladies, with a very modest turnout. Then a veteran pastor suggested to me that the senior pastor should be intimately involved in VBS — that in his case, that was one week of the year which he “gave” himself and his time to the kids of his church. That impressed me, and I adopted his idea.
Our VBS is well organized with quite a number of adults directing and leading it. Our director is Dana Christakos. She has done a marvelous job. I do not “direct” everything, but I am quite involved. Our youth pastor, Curt Amlong, and I will rotate giving the evangelistic message each day. And I will help with the opening and closing assemblies — especially announcing our totals and crowning our “king” and “queen” each day.
Perhaps no other week of the year has the spiritual impact on children which VBS does. And perhaps no other week of the year results in as many salvation decisions as does VBS. Each child is as important as any person — in the eyes of God!
Is it lying?
Monday, June 1st, 2009 Frank Luntz, the political consultant and pollster, often runs focus groups to determine how undecided and independent voters respond to political debates or political advertisements. Last year during the Presidential campaign, he explained on Fox TV that the public always reacts negatively against any candidate who calls his opponent a “liar” or accuses his opponent of “lying.”
I was glad to hear that, and I was not surprised. I have cringed for years when I hear people accuse someone of lying. I have preached from the pulpit that it is not the godly or spiritual thing to do to call someone a liar.
Jesus warned us against “judging” others. That verse is often misinterpreted to mean we can never state the obvious or make judgments of truth regarding someone’s obvious conduct. But when we begin to call someone a “liar,” we truly are “judging” them. Because to call someone a “liar” is to assume that we know their motives, their heart, and their intent. And that is impossible.
Oftentimes a person will state something they “think” is true but which proves to be inaccurate. I have heard people confess, “Well, I lied.” No, they did not lie – if they actually thought what they were saying was true. Sometimes we will say something quickly but mistakenly wrong – without thinking it through. Immediately when the error is drawn to our attention, we say, “Oops! You’re right. I forgot.” Was such a person lying? Hardly.
Too many people are far too quick to call someone a liar. As I understand the definition of lying, a person needs to deliberately and deceitfully and knowingly tell a falsehood. I don’t think a careless mistake, or a misunderstanding, or an accidental misstatement should qualify as a “lie.”
I believe Christian conduct should motivate us to give the other person the benefit of the doubt.
Vietnamese Ministry
Monday, June 1st, 2009Here at Delaney we were delighted to have Dr. Minh Van Lam and his choir from the Vietnamese Baptist Church of Orlando on Sunday evening, May 31. What a wonderful service we had together! Dr. Van Lam’s testimony is powerful. Born in Vietnam, he was raised a Buddhist and served as an officer in the South Vietnamese army. After his conversion to Christ, and after the war, he was wonderfully delivered through prayer from Vietnam — rescued in the Pacific Ocean — as he saw Jeremiah 33:3 fulfilled. We sure were blessed to hear his testimony last night. We pray God’s blessing on the wonderful people of the Vietnamese Baptist Church of Orlando.
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