You happen upon a train wreck. Smoke billows; rail cars sit twisted, distorted, and piled on top of one another; intense heat boils away from the twisted metal; putrid smells fill the air from cargoes spilling and spewing onto the ground and into the air; sounds of sirens echo through the area; and people experience a state of chaos and panic. If you have never seen a train before, would you have a very good idea of what a train was like?

This illustration reminds us that an observer would never know how a train was supposed to look by observing the wreck. We can no more get a clear image of what God’s universe was meant to be by looking at the distorted wreck Satan has made of our world. God’s original plan was one of order. The Holy Spirit brought order out of chaos and made a cosmos in the creation story. By the way, the word cosmos means: an orderly harmonious systematic universe! (Webster’s 9th New Collegiate Dictionary)

Satan’s plan is always to oppose the ways of God. Our world is in the state it is because of two things: Satan’s activity and human depravity. Read Isaiah 14:11-14! I did last night to our men at Man Church. You will notice in your reading all the “I’s” used by Lucifer (Satan). Therefore, Satan’s activity and human depravity are enemies that we must learn to conquer so as to live in submission to our Lord. Kingdom authority… our submission to God will be affected when we give in to the enemy. We develop an I problem.

Satan wants to cause a “train-wreck” in this world and inflict as much damage as he can. There are many people who simply don’t see God for the wreckage around them. They may even question God’s love because they see evil all around them… but take heart, God will help anyone see Him as He should be when they open up their heart to Him by faith. If that is your need today then call upon the Lord for He will hear and help you.

Remember, there is a world more real than the one we see with our eyes presently. Hebrews 11:1-2

Blessings to you… Pastor Jeff

Happy Resurrection Day!

Today is one of the most celebrated days of the year in Christendom. Yes, we celebrate our Lord’s victory over the grave and his annilhation over death. We celebrate on Easter Sunday because we have trusted in Christ, therefore, we too have victory over both of these enemies.

I hope each of you enjoy this day of worship, family, and the remembrance of what Christ has done for all believers. One added thing this year for our family… Georgette baked sugar cookies and decorated them… Emily and I took them to our neighbors and wished them a fantastic Easter day… the blessing was getting to know our neighbors better and hoping for future Divine moments!!! Have a great day and worship well.

Jeff

The word “commitment” is becoming a word that seems to be losing its true difinition in our society these days. Perhaps it’s time we added a prefix to the word… like “almost-commitment,” or “somewhat-commitment,” or even half-way-commitment!”

In his newspaper column called “Market Report,” Bill Barnhart once explained the difference between investors and traders in the stock market. “A trader in a stock,” writes Barnhart, “is making decisions minute-by-minute in the hope of shaving off profits measured in fractions of a dollar… An investor, on the other hand, typically buys or sells a stock based on views about the company and the economy at large.”

In other words, traders are wheelers and dealers. They pursue short-term profits. Traders may have no confidence whatsoever in the companies in which they buy stock but they buy, smelling an immediate payoff. By contrast, investors are in it for the long haul. They “chain themselves to the mast.” Investors commit their money to a stock, believing that over a period of years or even decades the stock will pay strong dividends and stedily grow in value. Investors aren’t flustered by the typical ups and downs of the market because they believe in the quality of the company, its leaders and its product.

In the kingdom of God there are also investors and traders. They come to Christ with very different goals. Traders in the kingdom want God to improve their lot in this world. If following Christ means pain or hardship, they sell out.

But investors in the kingdom stay true to Christ no matter what happens in this world, knowing that eternal dividends await them.

Let’s allow our commitment to Christ and FBC Maumelle be like the Investors!

Jeff

Greetings all,

   I wanted to just touch on a few things in my writting today…

First, I enjoyed the church workday last Saturday. Yes, it was cold, but the fun we had together was so enjoyable. Several people were there to continue to make the remodel on the outside of the building get closer to being finished.

Secondly, it is refreshing hearing the testimony of people who are being challenged and changed by the Word of God as we move through our Romans study. Some of what we covered in the last few weeks is difficult perhaps to understand but God has been good to give us insight of His truths… as one man told me, “this is the first time I’ve understood those verses in my life.” Praise the Lord!

Thirdly, the Sunday Evening Family Worship continues to bring change to our church family. For some it has been an easy transition… yet, for others the adjustment is harder (because now responsibility for some worship/leadership is placed on the leader of the family). In the big picture we see good results that will help our church family.

Last of all, we are approaching the Easter emphasis. I look forward to the excitment Easter brings to everyone. It will be a great celebration for our church family. The week before Easter we will host “Jews for Jesus” as they do a Passover Presentation in our worship service.

Have a great week and remember… “all we do, we do unto the Lord.”

Pastor Jeff

Last night our family enjoyed a wonderful worship experience at our home. We were joined by a couple engaged to be married in May and by a single mom. We had a great time as we broke bread together, got to know each other better as we shared our backgrounds, and ministered to one another through the Word of God and prayer. I trust you enjoyed your “family with family” worship event! 

I’m seeing the benefits of this home ministry as FBCM members share their experiences with me. Many of our members, for the first time, are sitting down at home with their family to study the Scriptures, pray together, and encourage each other in their spiritual walk. Certainly these home worship times will strengthen our church family, inspire us to greater corporate worship, and create better leadership within our body of believers.

I hope you take advantage of our “home worship” events. If you do you will be blessed, grow, and create spiritual memories that you can pass down to the next generations. Blessings to each of you…

Jeff

  Yes, this afternoon I’m gearing up for the first Man Church worship service. As I survey the church it is so apparent that we need this experience as men. I can’t wait to see their expressions as we worship, learn, and serve together. I believe that “over time” it will make a difference for many of our men. If you read this blog… take time to pray for the men and “Man Church.” A good scripture for Man Church is:  Ecclesiastes 4:12, “And one standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer; three is even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.” 

Very soon I’ll be leading our men through a new worship experience called, “Man Church.” My goal is simple… to see men grow into a deeper and more practicle sense of their position and purpose from God. In the beginning we will inject Scripture teaching about: A Man in Christ; His Wife; His Children; His Church; His Career; His Money; His Mission; and A Man in the Marketplace. It will not just be mechanical… but experiential as men are together… in the Word, in Worship, and in Work.

Some years ago one of my favorite men passed away… but before he died his life was changed. I want to share a brief few paragraphs about his life… A Life Changed

It was a tragedy that sent shockwaves around the world. On October 25, 1999, a small plane plummeted to the ground near Mina, South Dakota, killing everyone aboard. Among them was golfing great Payne Stewart.

Just a few months earlier he had captured the U.S. Open in storybook fashion, after a devastating loss in the same tournament the year before. He was back at the top of his game and brimming with confidence. But when he accepted the trophy, he surprised everyone by saying:

“First of all, I have to give thanks to the Lord. If it weren’t for the faith that I have in him, I wouldn’t have been able to have the faith that I had in myself on the golf course.”

Later he added, “I’m proud of the fact that my faith in God is so much stronger, and I’m so much more at peace with myself than I’ve ever been in my life.”

Stewart’s wife, Tracey, recalls, “Many people were amazed at how Payne handled losing the 1998 U.S. Open and winning the 1999 Open with equal measures of grace. Members of the press, and some of his fellow competitors, were intrigued. Something was different about Payne Stewart. Oh, sure, he was still Payne–spontaneous, outspoken, extremely confident, and always wearing his emotions on his sleeve. He still loved a good party, and he’d still tell you what he thought about a subject if you asked him–or even if you didn’t. He still worked hard, played hard, and loved passionately. Yet people who knew Payne well recognized that he had changed somehow for the better. He possessed a deeper, unusual sense of peace… a peace that hadn’t always been there.”

Although Stewart grew up in a Christian home, faith was not the focal point of his life. He was preoccupied–even consumed–with achieving success in the world of professional golf. He accomplished many of his goals. But as time went on, Stewart realized that fame and fortune didn’t bring him the fulfillment he was looking for. As a parent, Payne wanted to give his children the solid values he had been raised with. Friends encouraged him to take a deeper look at his own faith.

Major league baseball player Orel Hershiser gave Payne some inspirational books to read.

“Payne and I started reading devotionals together,” Tracey remembers. “But before long I noticed that he was much farther along than I was. He’d read the Scripture from the devotional every night before he went to bed. He also began reading the Bible. Nobody tried to talk Payne into what he should believe or how he should live out his faith; he simply set out on his own journey with God. The Scriptures themselves were the most powerful influence on Payne’s life.”

Stewart once said, “I’m not a ‘Bible-thumper’–I can’t get up there on a rock and tell you what it all means, because I don’t know. But I’m learning, and I like what I’m learning.”

Tracey explains, “Payne was very much a ‘Christian in process,’ not someone who felt he had arrived spiritually. He never pretended to have the answers and probably didn’t know what some of the questions were. But his faith was genuine, and as he understood the Bible, the issue wasn’t about how much faith he had but whether his faith in Christ was real. And everyone close to Payne knew that his faith was real.”

As his faith grew deeper, Stewart started talking about the difference it had made in his life. At his son Aaron’s suggestion, Payne began wearing a bracelet with the letters WWJD–What Would Jesus Do?–as a testimony to his faith in Christ.

Stewart was wearing that bracelet when he hoisted the winner’s trophy at the 1999 U.S. Open. He was wearing it on the day of the plane crash that took his life. Although most of the jet was completely obliterated by the impact, a few items survived the crash. One of them was Payne’s WWJD bracelet.

Stewart’s memorial service was broadcast live around the world. More than 100 PGA Tour players attended the service–many of them legends in professional golf. In his poignant address, Paul Azinger shared warm memories of special times shared with Payne. But he summed up the heart of the service when he said:

“Payne Stewart has finished the race, he has kept the faith, and now the crown of righteousness is his. Payne Stewart loved life and loved people…. During this past year, everyone who knew Payne Stewart saw a dramatic change in his life. They saw in Payne what the Bible calls a ‘peace which passes all understanding.’ Only God can do that because only God can change a heart….”

Paul continued, “Whoever you are, wherever you are, whatever you have done, if you feel the tug of God’s Spirit on your heart, do not turn away. If, like Payne, you want to know the happiness and peace that only Jesus Christ can bring, I invite you to confess your sins and receive him as your Savior. Regardless of what your life has brought you, His love is enough. And His peace is for real.”

You can experience this peace from God by praying something like this:

“Dear God, I realize that I am a sinner in need of a Savior. I believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins. Please forgive me. Come into my life and bring me peace. Amen.”

Taken from Payne Stewart: The Authorized Biography by Tracey Stewart with Ken Abraham. Copyright ©2000 by Anastasia T. Stewart. Used by permission of Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Please pray that “Man Church” will help raise up Godly Leaders!

Hello Everyone!

  December always seems to be super busy! However, in the midst of our busyness we are all experiencing, I thought I would say a few words about Christmas and the coming year of ministry.

  First of all I’m thankful for our Savior who came to us…God in flesh… to give us hope and salvation from our sin. Truly, this year I have thought much about this and gained a freshness about this truth and my Savior’s love for me and us. Preaching through this Christmas season one can’t help but be reminded of God’s plan for man and all the character’s who played an important role in the divine drama.

  Secondly, I’m thankful for some down time around the Christmas holidays. I can’t wait to have a few days of vacation to spend with the family… especially as they (my children) are getting older. Georgette and I realize we have fewer and fewer of these special times left with our children before they head off into their adulthood. So we will do some of our traditional things around Christmas, enjoy some really good cooking and hopefully see some extended family as well.

  Thirdly, I look forward with great excitment to our new Church Year. The direction, plans, etc. we have for FBC Maumelle are going to help our faith, discipleship, and growth of our church. I look forward to the new refreshing way we will worship as a church family. The worship, fellowship, and discipleship will all grow this coming year.

  I want to say thanks to all my church family for their prayers and acts of kindness to me and my family this year. May the Lord bless you and your Christmas experience this year!

Jeff

A couple of days before Thanksgiving my Brother-in-law called me to ask if I would be interested in going to the Arkansas/LSU game. Now, what made the decision easier was the fact that he is a pilot and we would be flying to the game! I’m not sure if it was  a record or not but I gave him my answer quicker than a presidential candidate can change their mind on policy. I mean if we are going to fly… and I’m going to be in the cockpit, well of course, I’m going!

Before I get into the game and all the amenities that came with the trip let me tell you about our family Thanksgiving. I told you in my last writing that things were changing because of the passing of family… my grandmother. This year we were at my Sister (in-law…although I’ve just about dropped the in-law part because Lisa is more like a sister…although she is “older”) to celebrate Thanksgiving. We had a wonderful time with all Georgette’s family and my brothers family’s as well. It was so good to see the nephews and nieces… they are all growing up so fast. We had a pleasant meal (at 5:00pm) with more than you could want to eat. We enjoyed visiting and getting caught up on each other’s lives.

Now back to the game… so my brother-in-law, Jeff,  is flying some clients to the game and they have an extra ticket that I get to have. We fly from Fort Smith to Baton Rouge where we are picked up on the tarmac and driven to the stadium. We enjoy the atmosphere before the game, watch as the Razorbacks upset the #1 LSU Tigers in Death Valley, and best of all the tickets were behind the Razorback bench on row 1 between the 40-50 yard line. I was so close that during the game I’m talking to the players, giving them high-5’s and encouraging them to keep playing tough. After we celebrated with them following the 3rd overtime we went back to the airport and flew to New Orleans for our overnight. We had a chance for a delicious dinner that evening and finally some rest. The game wore me out! The following day (saturday) Jeff and I went for some French donuts, for lunch we ate some seafood at a local French quarter restaurant, and by late afternoon were back at the airport to fly his clients home to Fort Smith. Did I mention I love flying? After getting home I gathered the family up and we made our way home to Maumelle. Blessed… The Lord blessed me is all I can say. I’m so thankful for so many things. Thanks, Lord! I give HIM praise for the whole Thanksgiving week.    

Jeff

In just a few days we will be celebrating Thanksgiving Day. I’m sure you are excited for the chance to slow down, see family, eat more than we should, and watch the Cowboys beat the Jets! This year my Grandmother passed on to Heaven…so we start new traditions as we remember the old ones. We will be in a different place for our family gathering, eating at a different time, and trying some different foods. The change is inevidable I suppose.

  I’m a person who loves history…and thinking of the history of my family is no different. The first Thanksgiving I can remember was with just a few people (me, my brother’s, mom, aunt & uncle, grandpa & grandma). I remember my uncle and grandpa fussing about the drumstick. Grandma always made homemade bread, cookies, and cakes. The family would sit down and fill up on all the good foods as a pre-cursor to the Dallas Cowboys game. The bonus of the day would be if it was cold and snowing! Of course the family grew over the years to the point that there was hardly room for everyone to find a place. We would be in bedrooms, living room, etc.. There was a pecking order for the big table! Being the first born had its priveleges.

  Now that chapter has been finished. My family will begin a new way of (doing) thanksgiving this year. I’ll tell you more about it next week.

I hope you have a blessed time this week and weekend. I pray you will have chances to share your faith with family and extend to them the love of Christ. Count your blessings…name them one by one.

Jeff “I’m gonna miss those pinwheels” Beshears             PS: Look for me on CBS at the 50 yard line of the Arkansas/LSU Game!!!!