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The Implications of Baseball Beyond the Diamond

/ Steven Ruff / 1 Comment

Baseball season is finally here. Spring training has begun and opening day is not too far around the corner. There is one central principle that is obvious in the game of baseball: TEAMWORK. Although there are nine players on the field, none work individually. This teamwork can be seen between the coach and the player, teaching the fundamentals of the game. Teamwork can be seen between the catcher and pitcher, selecting the right pitch to get the batter out. Teamwork can be seen between the shortstop and the second baseman working together to turn a double play at first base. If any one player decided to play all the positions by himself, the TEAM would fall apart and lose. A baseball team exhibits the precious quality of unity.

There is a parallel between a baseball team and the church. In the local church, the Lord has brought together diverse people for one common goal. The goal of the church, simply, is to be the hands and feet of Jesus to the world in which we live. The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:10,  “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”  Paul made a reference to being “perfectly joined together”. As a New Testament church, we are to be working together in all that we do. We are to be perfectly joined together. Paul tells us that the results of being joined together will be that we will speak the same things, be free of divisions, and have the same things in mind.

Remember the baseball team? Individual players with specific talents come together to contribute and share their talent with the team. The coach then determines where that talent will be best used for the greater good of the team. In the same way, the Lord has brought individuals together to be part of a team. Each person is gifted uniquely. The Holy Spirit places each one in the area of service that best suits their gifts and talents. When we pull together as a TEAM, and us our gifts and talents for the greater good of the church, we all win.

I have heard coaches say there is one main point to remember in the game of baseball. That point is that you win as a team and you lose as a team. As a pastor, I believe the same thing is true in the church. We will have battles from time to time. We may have periods of ups and downs. The thing to remember is this. Whatever we do, if we work TOGETHER, and commit to remain TOGETHER, we will be victorious.

Tyndale Blog Tour – Free Book Give Away

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Thanks to the good people at Tyndale House Publishers, I have a free copy of Stephen Mansfield’s new book Healing Your Church Hurt; What To Do When You Still Love God But Have Been Wounded By His People to give away. If you would like to read the first chapter of this book, you can do that here. To enter, simply answer the following question in the comment stream below.

In ten words or less, which person from the Bible, excluding Jesus, do you find the most inspiring and why?

The deadline for entry will be midnight on Friday, February 17th. I will pick a winner from all the entries and notify the winner at noon on February 18th. One entry per person please. Good luck.

FIFS : Hosea 3:1-3

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1 Then the Lord said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by a lover and is committing adultery, just like the love of the Lord for the children of Israel, who look to other gods and love the raisin cakes of the pagans. ” 2 So I bought her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver, and one and one-half homers of barley. 3 And I said to her, “You shall stay with me many days; you shall not play the harlot, nor shall you have a man—so, too, will I be toward you.”

Often you will find powerful and challenging stories of God’s dealings with His people in the more obscure and skimmed-over books of the Bible. Such is the case with the book of Hosea. It is one of those books that rarely sees the light of day. It is one of those books where there are likely few, if any, hand-written notes in the margin. It is one of those books that you need the table of contents to find. That being said, the book of Hosea contains, in my opinion, one of the clearest portraits of God’s love to be found anywhere in the Bible. It is the story of God’s man Hosea and his prostitute wife Gomer. God directs Hosea to marry this woman with knowledge of her past and, what she will do in the future. Gomer continues in her ways and finds herself the property of another man who is not her husband. In the beginning of chapter three we find Hosea, again following the voice of God, off to take back his wife. Hosea finds his wife this time on an auction block, for sale, available to anyone with enough money. Imagine the shame in Hosea’s eyes and on his face as he sees his adulterous wife for sale. Imagine the anger swelling up inside of him as he looks upon her and sees what her sins have done. Imagine the whispers and finger pointing of those present at the auction that day. Imagine God demanding this much obedience. So, Hosea pays the price and buys back his wife. Most definitely a story of crazy love.

Hosea’s relationship with Gomer is a symbol of God’s love for the nation of Israel. Time and time again they left the faithful love of God and played the harlot to other gods. However, God remained true. This story is also about us. Hosea bought his wife off the auction block. The word for “bought” in verse three is the word ‘redeem’, which literally means “to purchase with a price”. There was a time in our lives what we were in a similar position to Gomer; enslaved, imprisoned, and held hostage to the power and control of sin. The death of Jesus Christ on the cross for the sins of mankind was the ransom price that it took to free us. He has bought us back. He redeemed us. His blood was the purchase price. How do we respond? Do we seek constant communion with Him in prayer, or do we seek Him only when we can’t handle things ourselves. Do we share His wonderful love with others, or do we hope and count on someone else to do it? Do we follow his direction and guidance in our daily lives, regardless of where he leads, or do we just tell God that we know better?

The Brevity of Life

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 The most recent reminder of how fragile life can be came to us yesterday. An 8.9 magnitude earthquake, one of the largest ever recorded, struck northern Japan causing widespread destruction of building, bridges, roads, and airports. Tsunami waves resulted in massive damage and a loss of life that is, at this point, still growing. The effects of such waves could be felt as far away as Alaska, Hawaii, and California. As the day went on, more and more information and video began to come out of Japan documenting the devastation. The events of yesterday refreshed our memories to previous disasters. Less than a year and half ago, a major earthquake struck the island nation of Haiti causing deaths in the thousands. In December 2005, an earthquake off the coast of Sumatra caused a tsunami which destroyed cities and claimed tens of thousands of lives. How could we forget the powerful Category 5 Hurricane Katrina that the left the city of New Orleans virtually underwater.

                          

When I see such tragedy, loss of life, and displacement of people from the normal routines of life, I am reminded how fragile our given lives are. Millions of people went to sleep in Japan the night before believing the next day would be just like the previous one. For a great number, that time never come. We are told in scripture, in regards to the assuming of tomorrow, “whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (James 4:14). The psalmist wrote in Psalm 102:11, “My days are like a shadow that lengthens, And I wither away like grass.”

As we reflect on our lives today, let’s be thankful that God has given us this day to make a difference for Him. Let’s be prayerful that God will extend mercy and grace to the families who have lost loved ones and who await word on those missing. Let’s be hopeful as well that God’s love for the people of Japan will be seen and felt through the disaster relief efforts of the various agencies that will be looking to restore some sense of hope, stability, and normalcy.

Worth Repeating

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“Satan has free reign in the hearts and cultures that have rejected or never heard of the hope that can be found in Jesus Christ. He uses godless rulers, government authorities, legal restrictions, and social pressures to maintain his dominion and deprive God of being glorified among the peoples of the world. ‘We know that we are of God, and the whole world is under the sway of the evil one’ (1 John 5:19). If his strategies prove to be vulnerable, his backup plan is to work among God’s people to create indifference and lethargy. Instead of pressing the battle with conscientious urgency, Satan has readily convinced Christians that missions is optional or is the responsibility of only an elite few who have a special mysterious call to serve as missionaries. Regardless, it appears the strategies of our enemy have been immensely successful as we see the realities of a lost world and the formidable barriers to proclaiming the gospel today.”

Dr. Jerry Rankin, from his book Spiritual Warfare and Missions

My Bucket List

/ Steven Ruff / 1 Comment

A couple of years ago a movie hit the theaters titled The Bucket List. This movie was about two cancer patients who, together, started crossing off the list all the things they wanted to do before they died. The movie caused many to begin thinking about the very same thing. The movie caused many to ask the question, if only to themselves, “Why wait until bad news comes to begin doing all the things I want to do?”

I had been giving this kind of thing some thought long before the movie come out. However, like most people I imagine, I began to actually write down those things I would like to do while I still have the opportunity to do so. I am listing my top five below.

1. I want to go to Israel.  

2. I want to tour the White House. I am a history lover. This kind of stuff fascinates me.

3. I want to write a book. I at least have an idea.

4. I want travel to the West Coast on the old Route 66. A great trip for me would be to start on in the east, making and all the stops along the way. A trip down memory lane of early Americana would be refreshing.

5. I want to travel to Rome and stand in the center of the Coliseum. There is so much Christian history linked to this site. It would be an amazing place to visit.

An Endangered Species, I Believe

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It is no secret to anyone that I am a fan of the Peanuts. I have enjoyed watching Charlie Brown and his friends ever since I was a child. Every year on network television, there are several holiday specials built around Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts gang. Last night was the special, “Merry Christmas Charlie Brown”. This may not seem like a big deal and it may not seem like anything important. But, what is important is that within this special that aired on network television in prime-time, was the clear presentation of the true meaning of the Christmas season. I was surprised this show was on television this year. With all the hassle and turmoil over just saying “Merry Christmas” in the stores, I thought for sure that mentioning “Jesus” and “Christ the Lord” on public television would certainly spell the end for this childhood favorite. I have to wonder, in this day intolerance and political correctness, how much longer network television will air a public testimony that the birth of Jesus Christ is the sole reason for Christmas. So, in case you missed it, here is the clip from “Merry Christmas Charlie Brown” that comes straight from Luke 2. Enjoy.

My Response to the Open Letter by the Alabama Baptist Conference of Directors of Missions

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Below is my response to the recent open letter issued by the Alabama Baptist Conference of Directors of Missions dated November 15, 2010 to the Southern Baptist Convention calling for a slowdown of the Great Commission Resurgence. Their letter can be read in its entirety here.

I would like to begin by saying that in the grand scheme of all things Southern Baptist, I am merely one pastor. I am merely one pastor among thousands across the SBC who day in and day out engage our people in the reality that we have been given a mission and that mission involves people. My love for Christ and a burden for the lost motivate me as a pastor to stand before God’s people and proclaim the only certain cure for darkness is light. I am certain that is your motivation as well. I would be amiss if I did not thank you for your service to the kingdom of God. I want you to know that I appreciate all that you do in a position that I can only assume is challenging at best. Your leadership and guidance on behalf of Alabama Baptists has no doubt been selfless and beneficial.

Your open letter dated November 15, 2010 was a letter to pastors. It was a letter to the local church leader. It was a letter to the local congregation. It was a letter to a denomination of churches that had spent a considerable amount of time (nearly a year) considering a request to evaluate themselves. It was a letter to me as a 38 year old Southern Baptist pastor. Therefore, I would like to respond.

I was in the convention hall in Orlando this past June when the GCRTF recommendations were presented, debated, amended, and accepted by a great majority of the messengers. I, for one, studied both the preliminary and final reports. When asked by Dr. Floyd to do so, I committed to be a prayer partner throughout the entire process. After the year-long build up, after all the articles had been written, after all the interviews had been given, after the almost hour of discussion, and after the final vote, it was clear to me that the messengers present that day sensed a need for change in order for Southern Baptists to have any hope of putting a dent in the fulfillment of the Great Commission. I left Orlando hopeful, optimistic, and more excited than ever about the future of the SBC.

To the best of my ability, I would like to reply to a few of your statements that I feel are especially troubling. As I read the reasoning behind your letter and the letter itself, there were certain words and phrases that I found not only surprising, but discouraging. The phrases, “pull the plug”, “backed into a corner”, “when the GCR comes to pass”, “causes division”, “knows the devastation GCR will have”, “superseded”, and “dismantled” collectively send a message of fear.

First, Tom Stacey, Salem Baptist Association Director of Missions said he “knows the devastation the GCR will have”. I don’t know how this is possible. I believe that any “perceived knowledge” as to how these recommendations will affect any agency in the future is speculation at best. The recommendations that passed in Orlando are just that, recommendations. The adoption of the report of the GCRTF did not change anything, realign anything, create anything, dismantle anything, or decrease any funding on the spot. These recommendations were referred to the respective entities (Executive Committee, NAMB, etc) for study. These were non-binding and no one fully knows what will happen or what the respective agencies and entities will do. It will not be until June of 2011 in Phoenix that we know how the entities respond to the recommendations.

Second, Steve Loggins, president of the Alabama Baptist Conference of Director of Associational Missions said “we all want to see the Gospel go to the ends of the earth, but we can’t abandon what we have here. It doesn’t have to be an either/or, but a both/and.” In all fairness, your letter does not come to the defense of the nations. Two of the recommendations of the GCRTF deal with NAMB having a greater emphasis on church planting in under-served areas of North America. They also ask the IMB to help NAMB with identified people groups located within in North America. I believe the thrust of the recommendations address your concerns: pioneer areas where there are people, but a lack of churches to serve them. You speak of a “both/and”, but one recommendation dealt with the IMB receiving an additional one percent and this was absent from your letter. Instead, you addressed the areas that would affect you and only defended the funding of those areas.

Thirdly, you stated in your letter, “in our understanding, the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force and documents proceeding from the task force essentially have: superseded the Cooperative Program, Southern Baptists main funding for working together.” There were no new funding mechanisms put forward by the GCRTF. The GCRTF did not offer one channel of funding in exchange for another. You mentioned the “documents proceeding from the task force”. On page number nine of the pamphlet entitled Penetrating the Lostness; Embracing a Vision for a Great Commission Resurgence Among Southern Baptists, under Component number three, the following is written, “We reaffirm the definition of the Cooperative Program adopted by action of the 2007 Southern Baptist Convention. We honor and affirm the Cooperative Program as the most effective and efficient means of channeling the sacrificial support of our churches through undesignated giving which funds both the state conventions and the work of the Southern Baptist Convention. We call upon the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention to increase the percentage of their Cooperative Program giving.” Although the GCRTF put forth a category of giving entitled Great Commission Giving in order to recognize all categories of missions giving, the Cooperative Program appears to have remained center stage for cooperative funding. In Orlando, the GCRTF embraced an amendment to their own report that added language of further support and recognition of the Cooperative Program as the main avenue of cooperative missions giving. The wording of the amendment and the willingness of the task force to listen to the messengers should put to rest your fears of the “dismantling” of the Cooperative Program. If nothing else, their spirit of cooperation should at least give you an inclination that their motives as pure.

Lastly, Stacey said again, “We’re praying [NAMB President] Kevin Ezell will start understanding more and more that these entities and agencies will do some studies before they pull the plug on whatever they are going to pull the plug on. We’re backed into a corner and we are trying to be as gentlemanly as we can.” Who backed you into a corner? Why is there a need to be so defensive? As leaders, we should always evaluate how our ministries are being carried out in order to determine if there if there is a better way to utilize personnel, resources, time, and the Cooperative Program monies that sacrificially flow from the pews of the local congregation. As leaders, evaluation and introspection should not frighten us. At its base level, the GCRTF has asked us all to do that very thing. In all fairness to Dr. Ezell, he has just begun his duties at NAMB. He has stepped into a difficult position. He has been given recommendations from the messengers of the SBC that call for a serious look at how NAMB does business. Please give him some time to understand his office and duties before any assumptions are made. You mention that you hope some studies are done before the plug is pulled on “whatever they are going to pull the plug on.” I would like to remind you that you are a part of “they”. What I mean by that is this. Any final action will be made by messengers who come from the local Baptist church.  The recommendations that were passed in June are the studies you hope that will be done. The GCRTF gave some detail to each entity as to what to “study” to better carry out the Great Commission.

I would like to ask two things of you as an association of directors of missions and as influencers of Baptists nationwide.

First, please let the process work before you make any drastic decisions. I believe that asking for a slow-down on a renewed passion and desire for the fulfillment of the Great Commission is counter-productive and not our place. How dare we ask such a thing?

Second, please keep in mind the nearly six billion lost people throughout the nations when drawing territorial lines. Turf wars are not God-honoring and never advance the gospel. We must never become fixated on our areas so as to miss what God is doing elsewhere.  

Many challenges lay ahead of us as Southern Baptists. We are challenged to put the welfare and future of the nations first. We are challenged to seek the kingdom of God first. We are challenged to seek unity first.  There are going to be issues and positions that we don’t agree on. It is impossible to believe that everyone will always agree on everything.  Although we don’t agree, we have to remember that we serve the same Lord and it will be our ability and willingness to bridge our differences that will determine how long we travel in separate directions hoping to reach the same destination.

Do Not Forget God Today

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Today is a special Thanksgiving edition of Friday is for Scripture.

 1 It is good to give thanks to the LORD, And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; 2 To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, And Your faithfulness every night, 3 On an instrument of ten strings, On the lute, And on the harp, With harmonious sound. 4 For You, LORD, have made me glad through Your work; I will triumph in the works of Your hands.

What a tremendous opening statement. “It is good to give thanks to the Lord”. This particular psalm was assigned to be recited during the weekly temple services on the Sabbath day. As worshippers gathered weekly, they heard this reminder, “it is good to give thanks to the Lord”.  It is in verse two that we are reminded of the frequency of our thanks, “in the morning” and “every night”. What a great reminder for Christians today to make Thanksgiving an attitude instead of a holiday.

I know that Thanksgiving is a busy day. Meals are being prepared, games are being watched, naps are being taken, and sales are being reviewed for Friday. As we gather together today with our families, I want to encourage you to take some time around the table and share what you are most thankful for. Slow down and remember the psalmist’s words, “it is good to give thanks to the Lord”. I am thankful for many things. I thank the Lord for my salvation. For it was first His and He made it available. I am thankful to be Jordan’s dad and Terri’s husband. I am thankful to be the pastor of a congregation of people who love the Lord, the lost, and me. The privilege is mine. As you think about what you are thankful for today, let me mention a few briefly.

1. Food – Today you will eat all you want. You will go back for more, and will likely take some home with you. There will be some today who won’t eat at all. Thank the Lord for what you have.

2. Shelter – We will enjoy houses full of family regardless of the weather outside. We may even say “there is not enough room in here”, while many today don’t adequate or permanent shelter. Thank the Lord for what you have.

3. Family –  Houses will be filled with people today. Children will be running in and out. They won’t be using their inside voices. Someone may say “it is too crowded in here, I’ve got to get outside”. There will be some today separated from their family. There may be some who don’t even know where a family member is. This may be the first holdiday without a spouse. Thank the Lord for what you have.

4. Clean Water – We will have all the safe water we need to wash with, cook with, and drink without having to leave the house. Many today will walk miles for water they know is not safe to drink. What else can they do? Thank the Lord for what you have.

God has blessed us beyond comprehension. Please don’t forget Him today.

Happy Thanksgiving.