Deus Misereatur

    It was back in 2001. I had just spent 20 years on active duty in the U.S. Air Force, retired, finished up seminary, and gotten ordained as a Gospel Minister in the Presbyterian Church in America. I was now the pastor of a small-town church in central Mississippi. And there I was, visiting one of my 70+ year old elders and his wife, and he said it. He was talking about the majority folks in our little town who were of a different ethnicity, and he said it looking me in the eye. “Pastor, I don’t think those people are fully human.” Those words and that sentiment haunts me to this day. Therefore, I was glad to see a new 56-page booklet, “ The Canvas of Creation: ABiblical Response to the Heresy of Racial Superiority ” by Drew Poplin, Associate Pastor of First Reformed Presbyterian Church (RPCNA) in Durham, NC. The material is easy to follow, straightforward, biblical, and very useful. The whole manual aims “to equip Christian to think through and respond biblically to t...

Holy Father, who sends sun and rain on the just and the unjust, who provides food for the good and the evil, thank you for your tender mercies enjoyed by so many. O God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, whom the whole heavens adore; let the whole earth also worship, all nations obey you, all tongues confess and bless you; and men, women, girls and boys everywhere love you and serve you in peace through Jesus Christ. We ask this especially for families, neighbors, co-workers, and friends we know (…). Almighty God, we pray for churches in the greater OKC area, especially Central Baptist, Chisolm Creek, Classen Blvd, and Cornerstone Baptist Church. We pray that their work, toil, and patient endurance would flourish; that they would not abandon their first love; and that where any may have fallen into error or compromised with the world, that you would straighten them out and build them up (Revelation 2:1-7). LORD, we beseech you for this congregation, please grant us the grace we need ...

Mighty God, who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy, who says “ I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite ” (Isaiah 57:15). Dwell with us and revive us! O Lord, our Lord, we pray for this congregation, for these churches around Oklahoma City – Beverly Hills Baptist, Bridgepoint, Britton Baptist and Brookwood; and for your church in all places being hammered and hounded and hunted down world over. We profess our love and adoration for you, and we confess that we are saved by your invasive and merciful love. Now, Lord, cause us to become what you have made us: Children of the Living, Holy God, who are no longer wooed by the father of lies, who are no longer caught in the snares of our own lusts and pride, but those who are thoroughly loyal to you. Give us aid and strength to be intentionally healing, caring for and defending the father...

  (I sent this to my congregation today) Family worship is near and dear to my heart. It is something our family has practiced since our oldest kids were little, and Anna and I still follow. Here are two principles and some practicalities to encourage you in taking up family worship. There are two rules-of-thumb: (1) Simplicity; and (2) Persistence.   The first principle to always keep in mind is simplicity. Family Worship is not a seminary class. Instead, it is meant to aid everyone in the home to: (1) glorify and enjoy God; (2) draw near and know God better; and (3) worship God. Here are some practical considerations: (a) The capacities of the family at this moment. Normally (but not always) the older the family members, then the weightier the material. (b) Find the best time of day for your family. Are most of you night owls or morning people? When do most of your bodies begin to wind down and become drowsy? Once you find the time, make it the usual, steady arrangem...

  Lord God, we come to intercede for your Church and world. We ask you to strengthen this congregation that in doing all things without complaining and disputing, we may become increasingly blameless, pure in quality, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation (Philippians 2:14-15). Be pleased to make us even more harmonious and to become more clearly a sign of grace to our fractured and fragmented world. Also, add to this church such as are being saved; and add to us in such a way as will mirror the new heavens and new earth, reflecting the new Jerusalem in which will dwell people from every tribe, tongue, nationality, and economic strata, gathered around your throne exalting you and hearing you say, “ Behold, I am making all things new ” (Revelation 21:1-5)! We ask for your ongoing help, strength, protection, deliverance and sustenance of your Church throughout the world, especially in places where she is being abused and persecuted; but als...

  The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. O God, our hearts are full of thankfulness because we have been richly endowed with your goodness: health, strength, hope, stamina, happiness, sustenance, homes and satisfaction. And even when in your good providence these are withheld from us, we have you, our greatest good and deepest joy! Thank you! Truly, the LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want! He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Give strength, aid, increasing love, durable commitment and unwavering godliness to fill and replenish your church here, as well as Greater Love Missionary Baptist, Liberty, Northeast and Shield of Faith Missionary Baptist churches   and your church throughout the world. O great Shepherd of your people, where there are wolves in sheeps’ clothing in your flock, expose and remove them that your people may be restored. Bring your peop...

Lord God, our Father, we long to see your power, justice and majesty flow into every nook and cranny of creation. Therefore, we pray for your Church and your World. For this congregation we pray: Hold us by your hand so that our feet may never slip. Turn our worries, fears, fretting and woes all into faith in you. Be pleased to continue to add to this your flock such as are being saved; and cause our retired guys coffee, Fall Catechism Classes, men’s and women’s Bible Studies, GriefShare, and Sunday School classes, to aid us in glorifying and enjoying you better, together. Be with your Church all over the earth, including Calvary Missionary Baptist, Christ MB, Christian Life, and Concord Missionary Baptist churches; as well as K.L. Baum, his family, and our Bangladeshi brothers and sisters. Strengthen what is pleasing to you, remove what is foul and festering, heal what is hurting, and provide all that is lacking. We ask your healthful care and sustaining mercy for all who feel the wal...