Vision News

Grace of God to us!

I am reading again a book by Miles J. Stanford called The Green Letters.  It has some wonderful truths that I wanted to share with you.  The following is found on page 21. 

There being no cause in the creature why grace should be shown, the creature must be brought off from trying to give cause to God for His care. 

He has been accepted in Christ, who is his standing!

He is not on probation.

As to his life past, it does not exist before God: he died at the cross, and Christ is his life.

Grace, once bestowed, is not withdrawn: for God knew all the human exigencies beforehand; His action was independent of them, not dependent on them.

To believe, and to consent to be loved while unworthy, is the great secret.

To refuse to make resolutions and vows; for that is to trust in the flesh.

To expect to be blessed though realizing more and more lack of worth.

To rely on God’s chastening (child training) hand as a mark of His kindness.

To hope to be better (hence acceptable) is to fail to see yourself in Christ only.

To be disappointed with yourself is to have believed in yourself.

To be discouraged is unbelief-as to God’s purpose and plan of blessing for you.

To be proud, is to be blind! for we have no standing before God, in ourselves.

The lack of Divine blessing, therefore, comes from unbelief, and not from failure of devotion.

To preach devotion first, and blessing second, is to reverse God’s order, and preach law not grace.  The Law made man’s blessing depend on devotion; Grace confers undeserved, unconditional blessing: our devotion may follow but does not always do so-in proper measure.

Have we been afraid to believe God?  Have some even been afraid to allow others to really believe Him?  

September 16 2006 | General | No Comments »

First Baptist Church, Long Beach, California

God gave Betty and me the most wonderful privilege of spending the last few days at the First Baptist Church of Long Beach California.  We were invited by Pastor Luis Parada, the Spanish pastor, to speak to 133 couples at their annual marriage retreat for the Spanish ministry.  It was a wonderful time in a beautiful Marriot Hotel in Palm Springs. While we were there 3 people I believe accepted Jesus Christ and two were baptized.  It was a very blessed time.

On Wednesday night before leaving for the Marriage Retreat I had the privilege of preaching to a combined service of the English and Spanish church.  I preached and translated my own message. 

Then on Sunday at 10 AM I preached to the English Church and from there at 11:50 AM I spoke to a Spanish Adult Sunday School class.  At 1:50 PM I spoke to the Spanish Church.  Brother Parada announced that they had 1245 people in attendance in the Spanish ministry that morning.  I believe 16 made professions of faith and 9 were baptized between the morning and evening service.

At 3 Brother Parada took us to lunch and by 5 PM we were back at the church to preach to the English Service and then at 7 PM to the Spanish Church.  It was a long and tiring day but it was a great privilege and blessing.  The church is a one of the kind church.  I really love how God is using them.

God also tremendously blessed the Vision Baptist Church in our absence.  Missionary Kevin Hall preached!  I have heard nothing but how wonderful he did.  In the evening service Trent Cornwell preached and was also greatly used.  The attendance was 84 for the Sunday morning service.  God is so good to us and I do not have words to express the thanks that I feel to God or the wonderful people that He has allowed me to work with.

September 12 2006 | General and Pastor's Trip | No Comments »

John Wooden

I got the following in one of those email forwards but since it came from my friend Pastor Joel Logan I took the time to read it.  I thought it might have a lesson for you

Coach John Wooden

On the 21st of the month, the best man I know will do what he always does on the 21st of the month. He’ll sit down and pen a love letter to his best girl. He’ll say how much he misses her and loves her and can’t wait to see her again.

   

Then he’ll fold it once, slide it in a little envelope and walk into     his bedroom. He’ll go to the stack of love letters sitting there on her pillow, untie the yellow ribbon, place the new one on top and tie the ribbon again. The stack will be 180 letters high then, because the 21st will be 15 years to the day since Nellie, his beloved wife of 53 years, died.

   

In her memory, he sleeps only on his half of the bed, only on his pillow, only on top of the sheets, never between; with just the old bedspread they shared to keep him warm.

   

There’s never been a finer man in American sports than John Wooden, or     a finer coach. He won 10 NCAA basketball championships at UCLA, the last in 1975. Nobody has ever come within six of him.

   

He won 88 straight games between January 30, 1971, and January 17, 1974. Nobody has come within 42 since.

   

So, sometimes, when the Basketball Madness gets to be too much — too    many players trying to make Sports Center, too few players trying to make assists, too few coaches willing to be mentors, too many freshmen    with out-of-wedlock kids, too few freshmen who will stay in school long     enough to become men — I like to go see Coach Wooden.

   

I visit him in his little condo in Encino, 20 minutes northwest of Los     Angeles, and hear him say things like “Gracious sakes alive!” and tell     stories about teaching “Lewis” the hook shot. Lewis Alcindor, that is…who became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

   

There has never been another coach like Wooden, quiet as an April snow    and square as a game of checkers; loyal to one woman, one school, one  way; walking around campus in his sensible shoes and Jimmy Stewart morals.

   

He’d spend a half hour the first day of practice teaching his men how     to put on a sock. “Wrinkles can lead to blisters,” he’d warn. These huge players would sneak looks at one another and roll their eyes. Eventually, they’d do it right. “Good,” he’d say. “And now for the other foot.”

   

Of the 180 players who played for him, Wooden knows the whereabouts of     172. Of course, it’s not hard when most of them call, checking on his     health, secretly hoping to hear some of his simple life lessons so that     they can write them on the lunch bags of their kids, who will roll their eyes.

   

“Discipline yourself, and others won’t need to,” Coach would say. “Never lie, never cheat, never steal,” and “Earn the right to be proud    and confident.”

   

If you played for him, you played by his rules: Never score without acknowledging a teammate. One word of profanity and you’re done for the    day. Treat your opponent with respect.

   

He believed in hopelessly out-of-date stuff that never did anything but win championships. No dribbling behind the back or through the legs.     ”There’s no need,” he’d say.

   

No UCLA basketball number was retired under his watch. “What about the     fellows who wore that number before? Didn’t they contribute to the team?” he’d say.

   

No long hair, no facial hair. “They take too long to dry, and you could catch cold leaving the gym,” he’d say. That one drove his players     bonkers.

   

One day, All-America center Bill Walton showed up with a full beard.     ”It’s my right,” he insisted. Wooden asked if he believed that strongly.  Walton said he did. “That’s good, Bill,” Coach said. “I admire people who have strong beliefs and stick by them, I really do.  We’re going to miss you.” Walton shaved it right then and there. Now Walton calls once a week to tell Coach he loves him.

   

It’s always too soon when you have to leave the condo and go back out     into the real world, where the rules are so much grayer and the teams     so much worse.

   

As Wooden shows you to the door, you take one last look around. The framed report cards of his great-grandkids, the boxes of jellybeans peeking out from under the favorite wooden chair, the dozens of pictures of Nellie.

   

He’s almost 90 now. You think a little more hunched over than last time. Steps a little smaller. You hope it’s not the last time you see    him. He smiles. “I’m not afraid to die,” he says. “Death is my only chance to be with her again.”

   

Problem is we all still need him here.

   

“There is only one kind of a life that truly wins, and that is the one     that places faith in the hands of the Savior. Until that is done, we are on an aimless course that runs in circles and goes nowhere.   Material possessions, winning scores, and great reputations are    meaningless in the eyes of  the Lord, because He knows what we really    are and that is all that matters.” – John Wooden

 

September 11 2006 | General | No Comments »

A Warning to all those in Christian service

The Atlanta Journal recently carried an article that demands reading by all of us in Christian service.  I went over this article in one of our classes in the training center and I want to give you the link to read the entire article.  Many men and women have fallen prey to Satan’s devices by not watching out for their relationship with the opposite sex.

The Bible tells us how Abraham was a covering for his wife (Genesis 20:16).  She was his protection from other women.  I think that it is worth noting that this article was not written by a Bible thumping preacher but my a secular newspaper.  Please read the article:

NOTE TO SELF: LOOK FOR WARNING SIGNS

• You start comparing your “office spouse” to your real spouse.

• You call your office spouse “Sweetie” or “Honey.”

• You go to the movies or to a bar after work with your office spouse.

• You hide details of the relationship from your real spouse.

• You look over your shoulder when you talk to your office spouse.

Cubicle couples
Some colleagues forge workplace relationships that may resemble marriage

By HELENA OLIVIERO
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 08/31/06 Clara DeLay has the perfect spouse.Russell is patient, kind and a great lunch date. Together for 20 years, they talk about kids, office squabbles and life after retirement.

But every weekday at about 5 p.m., the two part ways until they punch the clock again.

They aren’t really husband and wife. Just “office spouses.”

A survey of about 700 workers, released this year by Vault, a media and career research company, has found one in three employees has one.

As men and women spend longer days at the office side by side, they are more likely to bond with the opposite sex. Men and women work on the same projects. They root for each other. They watch each other’s back. And over time, some get close.

Very close. The vast majority of office spouses aren’t romantic, or at least don’t start off that way. But a pseudo-wife or pseudo-husband at work is not your typical colleague. Office spouses don’t just talk shop — they also talk about family woes, bills, and other personal business. They will gladly help make copies, but they will also bring you a cup of coffee just the way you like it — two creamers and an Equal packet.

Some experts say office spouses make people happier on the job and may help them land a promotion. But while many say workplace bonds are natural in today’s coed work environment, some experts believe we are getting too cozy with our cube-mates.

“A lot of office environments are competitive and it’s nice to have somebody rowing the boat with you instead of having someone row the boat in the other direction,” said Tony Jurich, professor of marriage and family therapy at Kansas State University. “But pretty soon, it can be ‘Baby’ and ‘Sweetie’ and you are telling your office spouse about how you love to walk barefoot in the park in the morning dew and you start pushing the boundaries.”

The relationships almost never start in a sexual manner, experts say, but through a bonding experience like staying late together to nail a business proposal. And they typically involve two people who highly respect each other’s work.

“We become attached to someone’s brain and when you love the way someone thinks, you form a connection,” said Tory Johnson, CEO of Women for Hire, a company that holds career fairs across the country.

Jurich said men and women are often drawn to each other because they believe they can complement each other in their jobs — maybe she’s a better writer but he is more creative with ideas. They can also connect over similar experiences in the office.

Laura Waterman of Forest Park misses her ex-office spouse, a relationship that ended when she left her administrative job at a prison.

“He made my job more pleasant,” she said. “He would help me with questions about work, and he would always make sure I was comfortable — he would check to see if I needed anything to eat.”

Noticing she often seemed cold in the office, her former office spouse gave her one of his old jackets she could keep at her desk. She’s single at her new office job, and a bit more lonely.

‘No-sex affairs’Still, office spouses are risky business, some experts say. A constant work buddy of the opposite sex can spark rumors at the office — and jealousy at home.Still, office spouses are risky business, some experts say. A constant work buddy of the opposite sex can spark rumors at the office — and jealousy at home.Going to a movie with an office spouse or BlackBerrying your pal at 2 a.m. when you can’t sleep suggests the office spouse relationship has crossed the line into an inappropriate level of intimacy, according to Johnson.Still, office spouses are risky business, some experts say. A constant work buddy of the opposite sex can spark rumors at the office — and jealousy at home.Going to a movie with an office spouse or BlackBerrying your pal at 2 a.m. when you can’t sleep suggests the office spouse relationship has crossed the line into an inappropriate level of intimacy, according to Johnson.And if the work wife/hubby relationship goes sour, it can be awkward to sit next to him or her. Or worse, you have a needy office spouse clinging to your cubicle, craving attention.Still, office spouses are risky business, some experts say. A constant work buddy of the opposite sex can spark rumors at the office — and jealousy at home.Going to a movie with an office spouse or BlackBerrying your pal at 2 a.m. when you can’t sleep suggests the office spouse relationship has crossed the line into an inappropriate level of intimacy, according to Johnson.And if the work wife/hubby relationship goes sour, it can be awkward to sit next to him or her. Or worse, you have a needy office spouse clinging to your cubicle, craving attention.Instead of looking forward to seeing your office spouse, you end up dreading it.Still, office spouses are risky business, some experts say. A constant work buddy of the opposite sex can spark rumors at the office — and jealousy at home.Going to a movie with an office spouse or BlackBerrying your pal at 2 a.m. when you can’t sleep suggests the office spouse relationship has crossed the line into an inappropriate level of intimacy, according to Johnson.And if the work wife/hubby relationship goes sour, it can be awkward to sit next to him or her. Or worse, you have a needy office spouse clinging to your cubicle, craving attention.Instead of looking forward to seeing your office spouse, you end up dreading it.Francie Dalton, a workplace behavioral expert who lives outside of Baltimore, believes work is for work, and emotional bonding with a colleague should be eschewed.

Still, office spouses are risky business, some experts say. A constant work buddy of the opposite sex can spark rumors at the office — and jealousy at home.Going to a movie with an office spouse or BlackBerrying your pal at 2 a.m. when you can’t sleep suggests the office spouse relationship has crossed the line into an inappropriate level of intimacy, according to Johnson.And if the work wife/hubby relationship goes sour, it can be awkward to sit next to him or her. Or worse, you have a needy office spouse clinging to your cubicle, craving attention.Instead of looking forward to seeing your office spouse, you end up dreading it.Francie Dalton, a workplace behavioral expert who lives outside of Baltimore, believes work is for work, and emotional bonding with a colleague should be eschewed.”Office spouses — this is not smart no matter how you slice it,” said Dalton. “If you are married, it creates a closeness that should only belong in marriage.”

Dalton said she understands employees need to vent, but employees should find off-campus venues like professional organizations to let off some steam.

“When I vent, I am whiny and emotional and not the things I want my future subordinates or future superiors to see,” she said.

Office spouse relationships — even when functional — often run the risk of getting too intimate.

Workers may not even realize they are getting too chummy with their office pal, experts say — the way the character Pam is clueless in the hit TV show “The Office.” Sure, the engaged Pam may just be figuring out she has the hots for Jim, but we’ve seen it brewing over many whispered phone conversations and office pranks.

And even when there’s no sex, office spouses can still be intimate and emotionally attached to each other. Some relationship experts even call these relationships “no-sex affairs.”

“Sometimes office spouses get intimate and it may not involve sex, but you have the two talking about things they wouldn’t even tell their spouse at home or spending a lot of time outside the office talking and they have crossed the line,” Jurich said. Jurich also said even the use of “office spouse” is dangerous in an office setting because the non-spouses might get jealous and it could lead to backbiting and rumors.

DeLay’s office spouse, Russell Douglas of Lithonia, said not everyone understands their relationship.

“Everyone doesn’t understand a man and woman can be good friends,” Douglas said. “They don’t believe you can be that close and nothing sexual is going on. It’s like they think there has to be something to it.”

But he highly values his relationship with DeLay of Stone Mountain, whom he considers a “close friend.”

He said he enjoys getting the “female perspective” on things, including relationships, and a lot of times they simply listen to each other.

“We are not always looking for a solution, but we just want to bounce it off someone and sometimes we are looking for an objective opinion because we might be too close to the situation.”

Positive connectionBut if you fail to keep boundaries or use common sense with your real wife or husband, trouble could be brewing.But if you fail to keep boundaries or use common sense with your real wife or husband, trouble could be brewing.”I don’t know any wife in the world who would like her husband coming home going on and on about how brilliant and fabulous his female co-worker is,” Johnson said.But if you fail to keep boundaries or use common sense with your real wife or husband, trouble could be brewing.”I don’t know any wife in the world who would like her husband coming home going on and on about how brilliant and fabulous his female co-worker is,” Johnson said.But for many, a happy office marriage makes the daily grind more of a pleasure.But if you fail to keep boundaries or use common sense with your real wife or husband, trouble could be brewing.”I don’t know any wife in the world who would like her husband coming home going on and on about how brilliant and fabulous his female co-worker is,” Johnson said.But for many, a happy office marriage makes the daily grind more of a pleasure.For DeLay, her office spouse has made her long career with the government more enriching. She said there’s never been any hint of crossing the line, and that is a key reason of why it’s been an enduring and positive relationship.But if you fail to keep boundaries or use common sense with your real wife or husband, trouble could be brewing.”I don’t know any wife in the world who would like her husband coming home going on and on about how brilliant and fabulous his female co-worker is,” Johnson said.But for many, a happy office marriage makes the daily grind more of a pleasure.For DeLay, her office spouse has made her long career with the government more enriching. She said there’s never been any hint of crossing the line, and that is a key reason of why it’s been an enduring and positive relationship.”I’ve had some major disappointments at work that I would not have survived were it not for the ear, shoulder and calming presence of my office spouse,” she said.

But if you fail to keep boundaries or use common sense with your real wife or husband, trouble could be brewing.”I don’t know any wife in the world who would like her husband coming home going on and on about how brilliant and fabulous his female co-worker is,” Johnson said.But for many, a happy office marriage makes the daily grind more of a pleasure.For DeLay, her office spouse has made her long career with the government more enriching. She said there’s never been any hint of crossing the line, and that is a key reason of why it’s been an enduring and positive relationship.”I’ve had some major disappointments at work that I would not have survived were it not for the ear, shoulder and calming presence of my office spouse,” she said.She can’t imagine working without him nearby. And she probably won’t.

“To be honest, when he told me he was going to retire in a couple years,” she said, “I thought, if he’s leaving, I am leaving too.”

Click here to see the actual article on the Atlanta Journal web site.

You will be asked to answer about 4 questions to get free access to the paper.

By the way don’t miss the comments that others have made about this very important subject at the end of the article.

September 06 2006 | General | No Comments »

THINGS YOU DID NOT LEARN IN SCHOOL

By Bill Gates Sent in by Jo from TN

September 06 2006 | General and Joke | No Comments »

Labor Day Luau

 

Trent and Stephanie Cornwell the Mission’s Mobilizer at Vision Baptist Church along with several of the students and some missionaries hosted a very special day at his house today.  Mark Tolson and Philip Bassham teach Sunday School classes for the age group that they invited and God gave them great success and blessings today.

In total they had 71 people.  They were from several different nationalities such as: Kurdistan, China, and Turkey.  They also came from several different religions: Muslim, Buddhist, and Non-believers. About half of the people that came were from the church but the rest were visitors.

Several missionaries that will be working in that part of the world are really working with Trent, Philip, and Mark to reach people.  I am excited about what God is doing through their lives.  One of the missionary’s wifes had the privilege of leading a young Muslim girl to Christ.  This young lady excitedly went from person to person telling them that she had accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior and was now a Christian.

One of the missoinaries had given her a copy of the Bible and she wanted to ask questions, have discipleship with his wife, and learn how to explain what had happened to her.  I thought that you might like to praise God for what He is doing.

 

 

September 04 2006 | General | No Comments »

Wonderful Labor Day Weekend!

I guess like any pastor I was worried about our Labor Day weekend attendance.  Last month we averaged 81.75 in the morning service.  I asked God to give us 80 in attendance just trying to ask for a miracle.  God blessed by giving us 61 in Sunday School, 78 in the morning service, and 69 for the evening service.  God was very good to us and much better than I ever expected.

The Sunday evening service brought in 13 people to the Spanish service.  That is a tremendous answer to prayer.  Sunday morning in total we had 6 different languages present.  God is allowing us to live our dreams.  He is so good to us.

This week we start our new prayer chain.  It will only be operating several hours on Tuesday but we have asked people to take 15 minute segments and to pray for your requests.  Feel free to send in your prayer requests and they will be given to each one who has taken on this ministry so that they can pray with you.

We were blessed this past week to have Macedonia missionary Jerry Nye drop into our service on Thursday night and then Missionary Steven Baker dropped in on us this Sunday.  I thank God that He has allowed us to be a missionary loving, sending and training church.

Don’t miss all the things that are going on this week: the men’s prayer meeting on Tuesday evening at 7 pm, the Our Generation Missionary Fellowship next Monday evening, the Thursday night service, and much more.  God bless you.

September 04 2006 | General | No Comments »