Locusts and Wild Honey

Yesterday I promised to post a brief blurb on the speakers slated for next weeks Together for the Gospel conference. Each of these men deserve so much more than a quick mention, but I would like to at least note a few things and point people in their direction.

Mark Dever: I first heard Mark Dever a few years ago at a Baptist Distinctives conference hosted by NOBTS. He presented a paper on “Baptists and Elders.” His presentation convinced me of the Biblical model of congregational church polity led by a plurality of elders. Our church began moving in that direction. We have a ways to go, but we desire to be a deliberate church exhibiting the 9 marks of a Healthy Church for the glory of God. The Nine Marks web site provides a wonderful wealth of resources. Especially, don’t miss the interview series.

I would love to see Mark Dever serve as the next president of the Southern Baptist Convention. I do not know if anyone plans to nominate him or if he would accept, but I’ve heard rumors. If his name does appear on the ticket, I may be prompted to attend Greensboro for no other reason but to cast my vote; well… and to hear Dever speak on “Election, the Gospel and Evangelism” at the Founders Fellowship Breakfast … and to hear the Al Mohler / Paige Patterson debate at the Pastor’s Conference… and… well on second thought, I guess this years SBC boasts several reasons to attend.

Ligon Duncan: I’ve listened to several of Ligon Duncan’s sermons preached at a Founder’s Ministry conference. I can’t seem to find where I downloaded the mp3’s. I thought I found them at the South Woods Baptist Church web site, but I do not see them there this morning. What you can find there is a host of excellent sermons by Phil Newton… but I digress.

C.J. Mahaney: I first heard C.J. Mahaney via mp3 at the Desiring God Conference, Sex and the Supremacy of Christ. Awsome. His book, The Cross Centered Life still sits on my “must read” list. Check out his Sovereign Grace Ministries web site.

Albert Mohler: Just the other day I heard someone accusing Albert Mohler of single handedly spreading Calvinism throughout the Southern Baptist Convention. I do not know if we ought to give him complete credit, but we do owe Dr. Mohler a great debt of gratitude for his work at Southern Seminary, his upholding a high view of scripture, championing conservative causes in a leftward drifting culture, and his rekindling a love for the doctrines of grace among the next generation of Southern Baptist leaders.

John MacArthur: Several years ago, my friend Phil Johnson mailed me a stack of John MacArthur’s books including The Gospel According to Jesus and The Gospel According to the Apostles. These books, along with other God directed influences, drastically transformed my understanding of salvation over the course of a few years. Bookmark the Grace to you web site, buy his books, and subscribe to the GTY podcast.

John Piper: God has used John Piper’s ministry to ignite in my soul an unquenchable desire to spread a passion for the supremacy of Christ over all things for the joy of all peoples. Piper has influenced my thinking probably more than any other person over the last few years. Before the storm, I used to listen to several Piper sermons a week. His Desiring God web site offers a deep well of God besotted material to wet your apatite for an ever increasing all satisfying knowledge of Christ’s magnificent fullness. It will be a joy to hear him in person at T4G..

R.C. Sproul: Theologian and teacher par excellence. Go to Ligonier Ministries.

For the past eight months I have been working 7 days a week in our relief, recovery, and rebuilding efforts in Lakeshore. Dozens of folks have urged me to get away for a while for some time of refreshment. I resisted because of the overwhelming task still before us. Every night, when I lay my head on a pillow to get a few hours of rest, I do so leaving so much undone. Taking time off means that even more phone calls will be left unreturned, dozens of emails unsent, scores of questions unanswered, and hundreds of urgent issues set aside. So, when generous people have urged me to spend some vacation time in Virginia, Wisconsin, Georgia, California, Colorado, New Jersey, and several other places, so far, I graciously have declined. I finally relented when a few folks set before me an irresistible invitation. They knew my weakness and I caved.

Next week, Lord willing, I will fly to Louisville and attend the Together for the Gospel conference. Seven of my favorite pastors, preachers, and theologians will speak. The schedule includes, Mark Dever, Ligon Duncan, C.J. Mahaney, Albert Mohler, John MacArthur, John Piper, and R.C. Sproul. I hardly can imagine a better line up. Each of these men continue to actively impact my ministry and cultivate my personal growth in grace through their preaching and writings. Tomorrow I will try to post a short blurb on each of these God-centered influences on my life.

Also in Louisville, I plan to hit the TG4 Band of Bloggers fellowship on Wednesday afternoon. A panel discussion with Tim Challies, Justin Taylor, Albert Mohler and Russ Moore focuses on “Blogging and the Glory of Christ.”

Rolling Hills Church and their work in Lakeshore made the local newspaper in Platteville Wisconsin. I posted about their first trip. Their Pastor, Jeff Nettles accompanied them on their second visit along with a fellow Wisconsin pastor, Jeff Skinner. One of their church members, Jamie Dunbar, plans to spend the summer with us as a NAMB intern.

Little Church doing Big Work!

Rolling Hills Spring Break trip to Lakeshore, MS

~ Jeff Nettles and Jamie Dunbar

A Spring Break trip to Lakeshore, MS proved to be a humbling trip and a learning experience for a team of 20 from Rolling Hills Church and Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. This was the second trip for some (a team went from RHC in January), the first for most of the team – and it was overwhelming. Those who had been down in January noticed progress; but the woods are still full of debris, storm-drowned cars litter the roadsides, and piles of rubble are all that remain of most houses. It has been over six months since hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast, but restoration work along the Gulf still has a long way to go. Most people in Lakeshore have no idea when they will get back into a house. The primary family dwelling is a still FEMA trailer. 100 to 300 people per day still come to the distribution center at the church to get food, clothing, and other necessities; yet Lakeshore Baptist Church is doing what they can to help.

Work for the Platteville team began right after church Sunday, setting up cots for a team from Georgia. Monday morning teams formed for work in homes and at the church site. Some teams laid flooring, some painted, and some wired a house; others hung doors, worked sheet rock, and built a deck. A few workers cleared an area where the new church office will go. Others worked inside the distribution center stocking shelves and helping families find supplies. Water deliveries were unloaded periodically during the week. All these jobs were completed while competing with biting gnats, which were in abundance morning and evening!

There was never a lack of work. When a team finished one job there was always another, with one option being a trip to the sawmill. The portable sawmill, donated by a church in California, allowed teams picked up logs 16 inches or more in diameter at the dump and take them to the mill where a group steadily milled out much-needed lumber.
Lakeshore Baptist Church is diligently helping their community recover from the storm. As Pastor Don Elbourne of LBC talked about Katrina Wednesday evening, his love for his congregation and community was very evident to the teams from Georgia, California and Wisconsin. Pastor Elbourne, who has led LBC for 11 years, has been at the church site continually since the storm hit. He works from a camper on site, getting home to his family a few nights a week, yet he labors on without complaint. So do many others. Lakeshore Baptist is functioning as church office, benevolence headquarters, and general contracting center of operations – literally a funnel for grace and help to the community at large, and the center of activity in town. The church meets in a metal Quonset hut for now; they will eventually build a permanent structure, but their priority is people. They are working on homes of members and non-members while receiving, organizing and stocking goods for the distribution center. The love of Christ is very evident in all of this labor and in the giving and receiving.

While the media has largely moved past Katrina, Christians from all over the country are still coming to serve and help those who lost it all. This encourages the Lakeshore residents and strengthens their hope for the future.

The Spring Break volunteers from Rolling Hills and InterVarsity will not forget this trip or those precious people. Helping a little church serve their town is big work and good work! Working with people who have nothing also puts life and possessions into perspective. Rolling Hills will continue to help Lakeshore over the next two years.

If you’re interested in helping Lakeshore recover, contact Rolling Hills Church.

Lakeshore Baptist Church hosted a big community crawfish boil last night. Pictured above, Daryl “Gator” Lee carts off another helping. In the background, my wife Courtney and JoEll dish up 1,500 pounds of crawfish to church members, locals, and volunteers. The evening served as a welcome respite from the ongoing relief, recovery, and rebuilding efforts. We rejoice in God’s goodness and never ending boundless mercies.

Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits:
Who forgiveth all thine iniquities;
who healeth all thy diseases;
Who redeemeth thy life from destruction;
who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things;
so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

~ Psalm 103:2-5

Saturday morning I posted a quick bullet list of some of the things acomplished last week. I promised pictures; see below. A team of Hebron Baptist teenagers armed with shovels dug trenches in preparation for the Ward’s footers. A framing crew erected the studs for a new house on Lakeshore road. A film crew from NAMB followed us around to document the work and plead for much needed continuing help. They plan to spotlight the ongoing efforts at this years Southern Baptist Convention. A team from Kentucky continued the work on Mrs. Violet Patterson’s home. The New Jersey crew began work on replacing Vic and Tammy Geauthreaux’s house. This just scratches the surface. Lord willing, I’ll post more pictures soon.

People have been begging for updates on the progress being made in our relief and rebuilding efforts in Lakeshore. Here are some of the things we did this past week April 3-8 with the help from volunteer teams from Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, New Jersey, and South Carolina.

• Framed up Richard’s house on Lakeshore Road.
• Put a roof on Angela and Dave’s new house.
• Set the floor beams for Vic and Tammy’s house.
• Worked in Rich and Angie’s house.
• Hung sheet rock in Bulla Peterson’s house.
• Hung and finished sheet rock in the Island’s house.
• Replaced the windows at the Morran’s and sanded sheet rock.
• Ripped off and re roofed the Skinner house.
• Replaced the addition on Violet Patterson’s house.
• Rewired Bubby and Vicki’s house.
• Finished putting up the siding on Butch and Sandy’s house.
• Set a tub in somebody’s house.
• Cleaned the Livingston’s yard.
• Did lot’s of work at Freddy’s house.
• Trimmed the windows in “Aunt Gloria’s house.
• Hosted a film crew from NAMB.
• Painted, installed siding, and hung a door for the church vestibule.
• … and lots more.

I have a flash drive full of pictures from the last 7 days, but I will have to hold off on posting them now. I have a funeral to do this morning and we host an Easter Cantata this afternoon. Five new teams, with nearly 100 volunteers arrive today.