Our group has just returned from nearly two weeks touring Israel and Egypt. This was my second trip to Israel and first to Egypt. I can say that the second time in Israel was better for me than the first. I was not in sensory overload as the first trip… but was able to take more of the places in with respect to Scripture. Also, this trip I was the “teacher” although the land sort of teaches itself. I enjoyed helping our pilgrams have a better understanding of the places where we were as I would read Scriptures and explain its relation with us today.

  I’m proud of our whole group for hanging in there when the days got long or when the steps never seemed to end. We had several older adults who were a blast. They showed their stamina and wit at the same time. They made the trip so much fun for all of us. Nobody got hurt and only a few had any ailments…mostly when we began traveling home.

  There were 18 of us who traveled on to Egypt. We landed in Cairo which has 22 million residents! We had a chance to see the Pyramids (where Tony B. held up the Razorback Flag!!!), we went to Memphis, the Egyptian Museum, and the Christian Churches in the city. I’m glad to have had the chance to go to Cairo.

  The best part of the trip for me however, besides the group and my brother going, was Jerusalem. I love to be in Jerusalem and fill the excitment of this important city. So much has happened here Biblically… and so much will happen there in the future! Beautiful sunsets, perfect temperature’s, and good friends made for many good memories in Jerusalem. If you ever have a chance to go to Israel… Please do. You’ll be glad you did… 

Wow! What a Service! My, how the Lord blessed the worship service this past Sunday!

There was an excitment as 15 people followed the Lord in Believer’s Baptism. The highlight for the church family was the testimony each participant gave to the congregation. They confessed their lostness of the past and their new-found faith in Christ. They shared how they came to repentance for their sins and how they were now washed clean by the blood of Jesus. As each one testified the Spirit spoke to the hearts of those watching… and many were moved to tears, to joy, and some to conviction of their own lostness.

An incredible site for me was watching those who had been baptized earlier remain on the steps leading to the baptistry praising God and having their own service right there. Wow!

God is to be praised for his salvation. God is to be praised for His blessings on the service. There are still more to be baptized following the crusade. They will be shortly… for now, Let’s Testify!!!

The message of the Gospel has started to blow away the chaff. The Christ For Maumelle Crusade has been going just two days yet we are seeing the walls of self-righteousness crumble. Many are wrestling with past “decisions” as they lay their testimonies against the Scriptures. Some have already felt the desperation of their sinful life, God’s conviction and judgment to come, and now have entered by the narrow gate unto life.

The message of the Gospel has started to do something else as well… for the church, it is dividing the sheep from the goats… the wheat from the tares… light from darkness. I have seen this many times in the past during special ministry events like this crusade. When the crusade is over and the tent put away many, who have hidden from the blessedness of the TRUTH, will re-emerge to their religious inaction.

I pray the Holy Spirit will work here in Maumelle to discover all who are playing “Hide and Seek.”

  I went to the funeral of my friend Bill Lynch on Tuesday. He was my friend… and my pastor when God called me to the ministry. The funeral was held at Lovings Baptist Church(Oklahoma) were Bill had been pastor until illness caused him to discontinue his preaching duties. Lovings Baptist Church and several other churches had been the recipient of Bill’s preaching/teaching ministry for many years. He was a man who walked with God… and God walked with Him. He had a great wife in Rosie who kept him straight and partnered with him in ministry.

  Bro. Bill was there for me especially in the early years of my ministry. He didn’t have any degrees from a college or seminary but was about the smartest man in the Bible I knew! I could ask him anything about the Bible, the Church or Pastoring people and he would always give me a good word of wisdom. This wisdom he shared came from hours and hours of studying God’s Word and Prayer. 

  It was good to hear the testimony’s of several people at the service as to Bill’s investment in their lives. I’m sure Bill would have been proud of his three sons leading the service. Bill’s life as a pastor touched 1000’s of lives directly… and now ten’s of thousands through his preacher boys.

  I remember when I surrendered to the ministry and he told me to get a sermon together as soon as I could. Several weeks later I was ready and he had me preach. After I finished preaching that message (The Rich Man and Lazarus) he sat there on the front pew crying. I thought by his actions that was probably my first and last time to preach… but those were tears of joy as he confided with me that he sensed God’s hand and Spirit on me to His Call. Bill helped me to get my first church as a pastor… encouraged me about once a month when I would see him and would get happy when we would drop in on him while we vacationed from our own church.

  I’ll miss Bill. However, I am and will be a better person and pastor because of his influence. I hope to finish the race as well as he did. He was my Elijah and I his Elisha! I can’t wait for the reunion…

Jeff Beshears

I remember the day like it was yesterday… Georgette and I were shopping for a car at Floyd Traylor Honda in Fort Smith. We picked out a 1991 Honda Accord Wagon (I wasn’t the van kind of guy and this was as close as I wanted) because it had room for our expanding family. After test driving the Navy Blue Far Eastern car we knew this was the chariot for us. The usual posturing began with the salesman, as we set down in his closet-sized office preparing for the negotiation of all negotiation’s! In my corner was a Classic Red Sierra pickup truck for trade-in… in the salesman corner was the infamous “manager” who would let the novice salesman know if it was a deal or no deal. Following several tenacious rounds both the salesman and I were weary from the barrage of heavy left’s and right’s applied to each other’s brain. Finally, it came down to the 15th and final round, I heaved my final price and danced in triumph as he went to his corner seeking advice. Then, the old man, the boss, Mr. Floyd Traylor himself came to the center of the ring…and after acknowledging that my grandfather had given him his first job, threw in the towel giving me the TKO! From that day when we drove the Hondanator off the lot it has been part of our family for the past 16 years.

  She, the honda, did her best after 16 years to hold on to her paint, but like her driver began to go bald. Inside her organs were strong but her shoes wore out often…8-9 times! She has been there for us everytime we needed her. She brought children home from the hospital, carried Christmas gifts to Grandma’s house, faithfully raised her trunk to carry the bags and bags of groceries to our house. She endured the cold of winter, heat of summer and loved it when the water hose was turned her way. She has driven fast while everyone laughed… and driven slow while we cried coming home from a funeral. She didn’t mind the french fries between the seats, or the coins lost for years in locations no human would ever find. She was home plate during baseball games and the field-goal during football season. In her early years she was only a city girl, but later learned to find her way to the dusty roads of the country. As a matter of fact it is suspected she has even been hunting!!! She has parked at many houses during her 16 years of tireless service and only a few times was she seperated from us while staying the night with other friends “at the shop.” She has drunk more gas than the Exxon Valdez, been waxed more than most women, and taught two boys how to drive.

  Well, you probably know how the rest of the story is about to go… although I made a promise not to change vehicles until Houston Nutt had a passing game… I have decided to go ahead and do the upgrade anyway! We looked at her cousin “toyota” but my dollars and their yen could not match up very well. However, we did find a nice German born in 2002 that seems to need adoption. 

  So, we say goodbye in  a couple of weeks to an Ol’ Honda…she didn’t die, but just retired! I wonder what kind of memories the German will give us…

Jeff “I really want a Plane” Beshears 

“Everywhere there is apathy. Nobody cares whether that which is preached is true or false. A sermon is a sermon whatever the subject; only, the shorter it is the better.”  Charles Haddon Spurgeon 1888

  Greetings to all of you:

   Spurgeon shared that thought over one-hundred years ago. He was witnessing the church accomadate its culture by devising a brand of Christianity where taking up one’s cross was optional–or even unseemly. Indeed, as John MacArthur Jr. says, many members of the church in the Western world suppose they can best serve God by being as non-confrontive to their world as possible. Having absorbed the world’s values, Christianity in our society is now dying. Subtly but surely, worldliness and self-indulgence are eating away the heart of the church.

  While I stand and look from the shore toward a horizon marked by Pragmatism, Utilitarianism, and Liberalism you might think that I would just throw up my hands and surrender. To the contrary, I see what’s happening in the church and culture today as a great opportunity! The opportunity is: that Truth (preached/taught) will shine its light and expose the falseness within and without.  After this past weekend it has become clearer to me that some people know what the label says, but they don’t know what the ingredients are! Let me encourage each of us to be better students of the Scriptures… to “really” know what God’s Word teaches and what IT doesn’t.

  I look forward to our Christ for Maumelle Crusade. I believe that many will be saved. Have a good day and week.

Dr. Jeff Beshears

We were blessed to have Dr. Marvin Peters guide us through our prayer meeting last night. I want to thank him and the members of FBC for a special time of intercession and Crusade preparation. May God use us to win 100’s to His family! Have a good day. Jeff

Hello Everyone: 

   I’m sure you are estastic and overjoyed to learn that Pastor Jeff has this public venue up and running…”the blog!” Wikipedia says that a blog is:  (a portmanteau of web log)  a website where entries are written in chronological order and commonly displayed in reverse chronological order. “Blog” can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog. Blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject such as food, politics, or local news; some function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs. Most blogs are primarily textual, although some focus on art (artlog), photographs (photoblog), sketchblog, videos (vlog), music (MP3 blog), audio (podcasting),  and are part of a wider network of social media. Micro-blogging is another type of blogging which consists of blogs with very short posts.  

  I think this “blog” can be used beyond a simple diary! As a matter of fact I hope to use this “blog” to encourage both the members of First Baptist Church of Maumelle and those of you who just happen by. I hope this “blog” will also let many people get to know me better… since very little time and attention can be given to each person at a Sunday service. The majority of people see/talk to their pastor only on Sunday thus they only get a small one-sided view of God’s man. I want people to know more about me and what happens between Sundays.  

   We live in a time of unparalled pragmatism, relativism, and “new” ways of ministry. I will from time to time address some of these issues with a barrage of Biblical Truth! It is time to step up our defense against such devilish things that undermine the church and its work in the world. I will, however, throw in some humor, personal stories, family events, etc. so you will have something to talk about at the water fountain!!!  

  My name is Jeff Beshears and I’m blessed with a great family: My wife, Georgette; My sons: Timothy(19), Jonathan (16); My daughter: Emily(11)(if I see a boy near her watch out!). I pastor the First Baptist Church of Maumelle, Arkansas. If you are in the area come by and worship with us. That is it for today… check back at least once a week for updates.