Watch Your Step!

I have had several occasions in my life that should have taught me the importance attributed to the "watch your step" concept.  Sadly, I sometimes forget the lessons that I thought I had painfully learned and I get the privilege of learning them afresh.

Once when I was in my pre-teen days, I was walking along a sidewalk without really paying attention to where I was going.  I was unaware of utility work that was going on and I fell down the hole that had been opened to get to the pipes below the sidewalk.  The result was that I took all of the skin off the back of my arm from the wrist to the elbow.  Interestingly, my dad never considered suing the city, but he did teach me a lesson in the first aid he provided to me.  After his treatment of peroxide, alcohol, merthiolate, and iodine my injury healed.  I have often told him that it was afraid not to heal.

A little over a week ago, I again learned the importance of watching your step.  While descending a ladder in the church auditorium, I thought I was at the bottom of the ladder and stepped off.  Unfortunately, I was not at the bottom and this resulted in me losing my balance and falling against the wall.  The end of this story is that I broke three ribs due to my own carelessness.

It is crucial for us to diligently watch our steps.  The Bible tells us that God will direct the steps of those that look to Him for guidance, "The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way." (Psalms 37:23).  None of us will follow the Lord by accident, it is a purposeful decision that requires daily dedication.

We must be perpetually alert to watching our step for there are many that would encourage us to go in destructive ways, "Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment:" (Exodus 23:2).  Our steps will reveal our character much clearer than our words, "Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God." (III John 11).

Perhaps the greatest danger to our steps comes when we think that there is no one that will see us and we will not be discovered, "For at the window of my house I looked through my casement, And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding, Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house," (Proverbs 7:6-8).  This chapter is devoted to the one who tries to satisfy his passion in secrecy, but it leads to his destruction.

We must watch our step because it impacts our own relationship with God.  We must watch our step because our path does influence others.  We must watch our step because our actions will either bring joy or pain to those that we love.  We must watch our step because Jesus deserves our best and our total devotion.

"Watch Your Step!"

Help Lord! I'm Leaking!

The past few days have led me to recall a great truth that I first learned in Bible College.  Dr. Kenneth Dean, as he was teaching the second year Greek class, stated an intriguing truth about this familiar verse:  "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;" (Ephesians 5:18).  He said that the verb construction of this verse should be understood that being filled with the Spirit is on ongoing, continuous process.

I can't speak for anyone else, but I realize that if I am not being constantly filled with the Spirit, I will soon be empty and dry of God's presence and power.  Scripture teaches us that we have the treasure of God contained in earthen vessels.  Earthen vessels, at least mine, are often cracked and the only way to keep them filled is to continue pouring a fresh supply into them.

Why are our earthen vessels leaking?  Sometimes it is the weights of life or the sin which so easily besets us, "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1-2).  It could be the difficulties and tragedies of life that cause us to become distracted from our relationship with the Lord.  We may even find ourselves so disappointed in others that we lose our joy and purpose through a time of despair.  Perhaps we have been praying diligently for a certain thing, yet God did not answer our prayer in the way we desired.  Regardless of the cause of our Spiritual seepage, we must remember that "......for the joy of the LORD is your strength." (Nehemiah 8:10).

If I allow sin to gain a foothold in my life, I leak.  If I doubt the promises of God, I leak.  If I try to solve problems by myself without casting my cares upon the Lord, I leak.  If I let the struggles and heartaches of life overcome my being, I leak.

Although, if I remember the source of my help and come to the Lord in brokenness and faith, He is my source of spiritual supply.  Even though my earthen vessel is often cracked and leaking, His ability to fill me is more than adequate to overcome my shortcomings.

If you feel like you are leaking and growing dry in your relationship with Jesus.  Join me in crying out "Help Lord!  I'm leaking!"

Anybody Here Seen My Old Friend....Commitment?

I have been musing for some time about the current weaknesses in the "organized" church.  One of the primary areas of apparent weakness in American Christianity seems to be in our level of true commitment.

I had an old song from my teen years come into my mind early this morning.  The song, "Anybody Here Seen My Old Friend John", was written by Dick Holler and first recorded by Dion.  While it was never one of my favorite songs, it still had a melody and message that was intriguing to many teen minds.  The song was a reminder of people that were lost to the present, but their ideals were to live on.

As this tune played in my mind, I had the thought that we seem to have abandoned some very important qualities in recent days that need to be reclaimed.  One of the first traits that came to mind was the concept of commitment. Human nature has always been, at best, flawed and in need of constant spiritual prodding, but the world of today seems to be particularly shallow when it comes to being committed.  Marriages fail when one, or both, spouses no longer feel the need of being faithful to their mate and their vows.  Many churches are struggling spiritually because the membership sees their involvement as being driven by convenience and personal preference.

God has gifted His people to be able to serve ably for the glory of the Lord and the benefit of others, " But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him..... Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular." (I Corinthians 12:18, 27).  He enables us to do what we need to do for His Kingdom, therefore, the breakdown is not with God but it is within us.

The American church seems to want a religion of convenience that allows us to come and go as we please,  live anyway we please, and never be challenged about things that would make us uncomfortable.  I realize that there are a good number of vibrant, evangelistic Bible believing ministries, and I am thankful to God for the work they are doing for God.  Although, I am greatly concerned with many of the "church growth" models that are more specifically designed to entertain the crowds rather that challenging them to follow Jesus with full devotion.

The Lord Jesus showed His commitment to us when He died upon the cross.  This reality should motivate those of us that truly know Him as Savior to devotion, "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." (Matthew 16.24).  Too many "professing" believers have adopted a brand of spirituality that can be controlled by our personal whims and desires.

Jesus came to be our Savior.  Praise the Lord for this great truth!  Those that are serious about their faith see that Jesus is also Lord, and as Lord He is worthy of our commitment, " He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.  If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?  And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?  No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." (Luke 16:10-13).

Anybody here seen my old friend commitment?  I pray that God will enable me to model true commitment to my marriage, my family, my church, and my Savior.  We need a band of people who will be touched by God to exhibit real commitment in a fickle age.

The Roller-Coaster Called Life

Every life has those exhilarating high moments and those times when it seems the bottom has fallen out from under us.  This seems particularly true in the life of a pastor.  The pastor not only deals with the issues of his own life, but he is called upon to share and help with life's details of those that are within his care.

This past week has been a microcosm of the extremes that life presents to us.  Last week my wife and I celebrated our forty-second anniversary of marriage.  Sandy is a special gift of God's grace to me and I could not imagine having anyone else to be the one who completes me.  We also had the joy of traveling to San Antonio, Texas to be present at our oldest son's "Change of Command" ceremony.  It was a wonderful trip and allowed us to spend some quality time with his family.  While we were gone, we received word that we had a death in our church family.  Life seems to be a continuous mixture of laughter, joy, tears, and sorrow.

We find within ministry a constant call to be there with people we love in their intimate moments.  Some need us to rejoice with them in their wonderful times.  Others need advice and compassion to help them through times of sorrow,struggle, failing marriages, sicknesses, and even death.

Over the years, I have had a number of men that have come to me to inform me that they were considering ministry as a "vocation".  My advice to them has always been that if they could do anything else, and feel that they were in the will of God, they should do something different.  On the other hand, there is no calling that is more fulfilling than ministry when it is a calling from God.

Many years ago we made a trip to Six Flags over Georgia, and the "Scream Machine" was at that time the main roller-coaster at that site.  I remember the anxiety as we were strapped into place and the cars began their ascent.  There was a moment when I wondered if we could survive the trip, but after a few minutes we arrived safely at the point of departure.  Since that time, I have ridden a number of roller-coasters that have made the "Scream Machine" seem tame, but they all are a good example of life.

When we begin to leave the loading area, we are unsure about what is ahead, "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." (I Corinthians 13:12).  The only thing that we have to keep us secure is the realization that we are held secure by the promises of God's Word, the comfort of the Holy Spirit, and the Designer of our life, "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2).

Praise the Lord, one day the roller-coaster ride will be over.  Those who know Christ as Savior will be able to enjoy eternal happiness and bliss, "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." (Revelation 21:4).

Life may have many unexpected drops and turns, but if we are held by the Spirit of God and the promises of God we shall arrive home safely.  Be certain that your faith is in Christ as Savior rather than your own ability to weather the storms of life.  Jesus alone has the ability to be the author and finisher of our faith!

The Fred Wooten Suit

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of preaching a revival service at a church in Dublin, GA.  In the midst of that message, I remembered someone who had been a special person to me during my early days of ministry.  I suppose that I am often prone to be nostalgic about the folks that God has used in my life, but we are all today a product of what we were molded into from the past.  Let me share a poem I wrote many years ago about a suit that was given to me as a gift from a special individual.

The Fred Wooten Suit

Tis Easter morn and soon our crowd will be tightly pressed

Tradition will require that most present will be finely dressed

Eyes will turn and roam to see the splendid forms of new attire

Though very few eyes will gaze upon my old suit and admire

But this old friend, this faithful suit that is mine

Has a history that will be dear through the ages of time

He was a lumbering giant who walked upon one foot and a memory

He lost the other while in a foreign land serving his nations’ ministry

His voice was coarse, gravelly, and even gruff

But hide the love within?  Never that rough

His eyes often twinkled with mischievous glee

And just as quick could turn and weep with me

Though none of these were really his most important part

The attribute that often moved me most was a loving heart

He seemed to watch over me with the greatest of care

Whatever I thought I needed, he often found a way to share

Once a turkey, next a C.B. radio, and an occasional loaf of bread

His care was so constant; I had to use care when speaking with Fred

The turkey grew and was eaten, and the radio broke

But another moment yet, the thoughts still provoke

Twas a brown plaid suit hanging on the clothing rail

I hesitated to look at it for it wasn’t even on sale

I told him my suits were fine, it wouldn’t hurt to wait

But he’d come to buy his preacher a suit, no debate

I looked at this brown friend of mine and grimaced at the price

He asked if I liked it, said I “something cheaper would be nice”

“Didn’t come to save money” was his stern reply

“Pick up the suit, that’s the one I’m going to buy”

From that day forth this suit of mine had a little extra part

For somewhere in it was a sliver of Fred Wooten’s heart

He bought it for Easter Sunday of 1977

It’s still here and he’s gone on to Heaven

Now prone to unravel and often needing repair

Of today’s fashions, it doesn’t seem to be aware

Yet, each time I put it, on I pause to meditate

How a simple piece of cloth has such love to radiate

So today, please enjoy your new suits and dresses and even boots

But my joy is even fuller when I’m wearing my “Fred Wooten” suit

Tom Vann

I wish that I still owned that suit, but over the years it seemed to shrink (at least that's my story) and I could no longer wear it.  Bro. Fred would never allow me to tell where I got the suit while he was alive, but with his family's permission I shared this poem the Easter after his death.  We all should cherish the people who loved and supported us over the years, and I think it would be good if we could follow their example and invest into the lives of those that we can bless and help.

I Love VBS!

I am approaching my fortieth VBS as a pastor, and it continues to be one of my favorite activities on the church calendar.

I attended several VBS programs as a child at Concord Baptist Church and Tenth Avenue Baptist Church.  In all honesty, I can't say that I really enjoyed them.  The missionary stories were good, but most of the schedule was a bit boring to me.  The highlight of each day was the Kool-Aid and the butter cookies.

When I became a pastor, I determined that VBS would be much different and no child should ever go home complaining that they were bored.  During the early years of my ministry, we wrote much of our own material and we designed a lot of action into the final program each evening.  We had giants a few years, we even designed our own "Teenage Mutant Ninja Vegetables", and we almost always had someone dressed up as the Devil.  Fortunately, we always saw the Devil soundly defeated on the last day of VBS.  I still remember the year that the Devil and I had a boxing match.  When I knocked him out, a little boy wearing cowboy boots got so excited that he left his seat and kicked the Devil in the ribs while he was on the ground.  I wish more of us could hate the Devil that much.  I will always be thankful for Hazel Brewer's labor to fashion and sew our costumes, along with all of our faithful workers that labored every day to put on the best event possible.  I also remember with great thankfulness Jim Strong, Marty Snodgrass, and others who played the part of the giants and the Devil.

During my ministry at Rentz Baptist, I have been in awe at the faithful work of our folks who give their best to make VBS work.  Sherri Knight, Leann Skipper, David Gay, and many others sacrifice their time and talent into this annual outreach program of the church.  I love VBS because it gives us the opportunity to reach children and their families that we may not reach otherwise.  I love VBS because it draws our people together to work for a common goal.  I love VBS because it gives us the opportunity to fulfill our duties according to the Scripture "And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;  And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus."
(Luke 1:17; II Timothy 3:14-15)

I remember a preacher friend of mine telling me that he took his vacation every year during VBS so he wouldn't have to be bothered with it.  I still believe that's a great waste of a good opportunity to impact the life of a child for Jesus.

I still love VBS!

God Can Use Feet of Clay

This Sunday is Father's Day!

Every time I approach this day of recognition, I am filled with gratitude that God allowed me to be a father and I am so grateful for each member of my family.  At the same time, I always wish that I could have been a better dad as my kids grew up.

Although, I am encouraged when I look at Scripture and see that God often used men who undoubtedly had feet of clay.  King David has always been a conundrum of sorts to me.  His life reflected the heights of total devotion to the Lord, and it also revealed the depths of failure when the Lord is not kept in proper focus.  Yet, through it all God declared that David was a man after His own heart, "And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.  Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:" (Acts 13:22-23).  Moses is also an example of a great man of God who suffered moments of indignity and failure, yet there is no doubt that he was used mightily by the Lord.

Throughout my life, I have been blessed by the influence of men who helped to mold my life.  My own father illustrated the necessity of dedicated hard work.  My Granddaddy Vann showed that you can find humor (even if it's sarcastic) in almost every situation.  My Granddaddy Daniels showed love and devotion even in the midst of personal struggles.

I am also thankful for those men that God used to influence my life in spiritual matters.  Charles Faust was the faithful Sunday School teacher that taught my class, even when I was the only student present and encouraged me to trust Christ.  Raymond Hancock, the pastor of Providence Baptist Church, was used by God to challenge me to surrender to God's will and make my life count for the Lord.  God brought Daylon Moore to work with our Youth when I was an angry and confused young man.  Mr. Moore became a mentor, teacher, and father figure at a crucial moment in my life.  I will always be thankful for the investment he made in my life.  Dr. Merle Huffmaster, one of my Bible college professors, was used by God to not only teach me Biblical truths, but he was also a role model for the appropriate pastorate.  Jim Wade, who would become my father-in-law, was also a source of inspiration and served as a wonderful role model.  I am so thankful that he welcomed me into his family and loved me as a son.  He was perhaps one of the most consistent Christians that I ever had the privilege of knowing.  His legacy lives on in our family.

In recent years, God also used a number of other men to help and encourage my life.  Wayne Robertson befriended  me when I was new to the state of Georgia and gave me a number of opportunities to serve the Lord in a broader way.  Wayne Hamrick became a very special friend and example to my life.  His passion for growing Sunday Schools was infectious and his devotion to God's Word, God's work, and God's people was unquestionable.

Some of the men that I have cited lived exemplary lives and others faced times of criticism, yet God used each of them.  It encourages my heart to know that God can take every man and use him, if he is willing to surrender his life under the direction of the Holy Spirit.  We may all realize that we have feet of clay, yet God is willing and able to use our earthen vessels for His glory "For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.  For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us." (II Corinthians 4:5-7).  Praise the Lord!