B. Michael's Blog

ARE YOU SURE THAT YOU’RE OBEYING THE GREAT COMMISSION?

brian.joines@gmail.com (Brian) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 19:55:00 +0000

As Southern Baptists, we pride ourselves on having a solid biblical theology and obeying the Great Commission. However, so many times when I ask our own church members what the Great Commission is, I hear “go into all the world and preach the gospel.” While this is part of our Command, it is not the whole of the Great Commission. Here is the Great Commission:

And Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
- Matthew 28:18-20

While you no doubt have heard this passage preached hundreds of time, it is the Great Imperative for those who claim to be “disciples,” or followers of Jesus, and therefore we would do well to pay great attention to it! In light of this, let’s look a little closer at this passage:

First of all, it is important to understand the grammar of verse nineteen. There are four verbs of importance here: “go,” “make disciples,” “baptizing,” & “teaching.” Because of popular marketing schemes and the structure of the verse in English, most people believe that the main verb here is “go.” This common mistake is detrimental to our understanding of the Great Commission. Let me explain why. The verbs “go,””baptizing,” and “teaching” are all participles of the main verb in this passage: “make disciples.”

If you hear the staff here at First Southern talking a lot about discipleship and making disciples, please know that there is a very good reason why we do. If you get tired of hearing it, don’t get mad at us, take it up with Jesus. He left this command as both His last words on this earth and as our job as his followers until He returns. I’m proud to be a part of a staff that is not concerned with tickling ears (II Timothy 4:3-4) and is concerned with obeying the command of Christ our Lord!

So why is it so important that we keep “make disciples” the main verb of the passage? Because the result is that we evangelize to make converts, but we don’t truly make disciples of the Lord.

Notice that the Great Commission is intrinsically self-replicating: The Command was given to disciples who were to make more disciples by “going,” “baptizing,” and “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” This is an exponential system! God’s design is the best possible.

My brother’s church has a great one-on-one discipleship ministry, and their philosophy is that you have not truly made a disciple (obeyed the Great Commission) until after your disciple has made a disciple! I believe it is time that we up the ante at First Southern and start asking ourselves tough questions and examining ourselves (II Corinthians 13:5) to see whether we are truly making disciples, whether we are obeying the Great Commission, and whether we are even disciples ourselves. Paul tells us that it is good and right to examine yourself often. Let it begin with us.

Pragmatic Theology -- Personal Holiness

brian.joines@gmail.com (Brian) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 01:40:00 +0000

Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
Hebrews 12:3-4

Our pastor recently mentioned in his sermon that “God cares more about your holiness than He does your happiness.” This may come as a shock to some of us. Many people believe that a loving Creator would want His creatures to be happy. Well, He does. God does desire each man, woman, boy, and girl to have real joy. What’s the problem, then?

True, lasting joy is not the same as temporary happiness.

Our idea of happiness is “in-the-moment” and finite. God’s idea of happiness is eternal. True, lasting joy comes from doing exactly what God created us to do: worship. God, being our Creator, made us this way. and He knows that that is best for us. The only way for us to fulfill this purpose in our lives is to be holy, as God is holy (Leviticus 19:2). We find this holiness through the joy of knowing Jesus.

God clearly states that He “is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (II Peter 3:9). This means that God wants you to know the joy of a relationship with Him by repenting of sin and trusting in Christ. Obviously, not everyone will come to know this joy, but for those who know Christ, joy and holiness go hand-in-hand.

We know that God cares so much about your personal holiness that He sent Christ to the cross for you. Jesus went to the point of death, even death on the cross because He wants you to be holy, as He is holy. This is how much Christ cares about your holiness. How much do you care about your own personal holiness? Is it to the point of “shedding your blood,” as the above passage mentions? Let us consider our own holiness, and be a penitent people before a holy God.

Pragmatic Theology -- Is Biblical Truth Being Taught in Your Church & Home?

brian.joines@gmail.com (Brian) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 01:34:00 +0000

This next article in this series of simply practical articles addresses biblical teaching.

It is absolutely crucial that we guard our hearts and minds from false truth and the vain philosophies of our generation (Colossians 2:8). If we do not “guard the deposit entrusted” to us, we will lose the next generation to “irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called ‘knowledge’” (I Timothy 6:20). Satan is on the prowl as a roaring lion (I Peter 5:8), and we had better not let any sheep stray or they will be picked off. Postmodernism, biblical liberalism, and legalism are some of the threats to a solid biblical theology and worldview that we face today. The truest and best method of fighting these false truths on the home-front is solid biblical teaching. There are two major battlefields on home soil if you will: our church and our homes.

Biblical teaching in the church:

Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored…
- II Thessalonians 3:1

A traveling evangelist recently showed up to our church on a Sunday morning and asked to speak in the morning worship service. Our pastor denied the gentleman this privilege. This may seem harsh to some, but standing in the pulpit and proclaiming a message to our congregation is not a light matter. We should always guard our pulpit with the utmost diligence. We are greatly blessed with a pastor who is very careful to preach biblical truth and only biblical truth from our pulpit. Just as much care must be taken when we place people in teaching positions in our flock. Sunday School and Bible Study teachers have a huge influence on each of us, and we cannot allow wolves in sheep clothing to be teaching our sheep. Perhaps we should put less effort and energy into pushing John to sing the songs we like and more effort into ensuring that the gospel is clearly preached and proclaimed through the songs, prayers, readings, and preaching each week!

If you teach, preach, or pray publicly, remember what an honor and privilege it is and stand in fear, as we will be judged with greater strictness (James 3:1).

Biblical teaching in the home:

My son, keep my words
and treasure up my commandments with you;
keep my commandments and live;
keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;
bind them on your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
- Proverbs 7:1-3

If you are a follower of Christ, you probably already know the Great Commission: to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:18-20), but you may not apply this command to every aspect of your life. As a qualifier, Christ followed up this command with Acts 1:8: “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Yes, we are to make disciples of our friends, neighbors, countrymen, and even to the ends of the earth…but many times we miss the closest people to home…those who live in our homes! Our first and greatest task as mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, etc… is to ensure that the gospel is proclaimed in our homes and that solid biblical theology is taught in our homes.

But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
- Joshua 24:15

Pragmatic Theology -- The Quiet Time

brian.joines@gmail.com (Brian) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 01:24:00 +0000

Around the office, we joke about what to write in our newsletter articles. Some of us plan out our articles in series that we believe will be helpful to you, our church family. Some of us wait until the deadline, and then write about recent events or things that have been on our heart. I would like to finish out this year’s articles by writing on very practical issues in the Christian’s life. I will begin with the importance of a quiet time. Anyone who has been in Southern Baptist churches for any amount of time has heard a lot about how they should have a quiet time. Although this can be redundant and sometimes naggy…we are blessed to be in a denomination that emphasizes the importance of having a personal relationship with God.

Christianity is set apart from all the other world religions because it is centered on having a RELATIONSHIP with the Holy God! All other religions fall tremendously short because they do not solve the problem of sin and separation with God: they simply give a list of guidelines by which you earn your way to heaven.

Because Christianity is based on a relationship with God…we know how to “practice” our religion. We practice Christianity just like we develop any relationship…by communication. Since the beginning of time, God’s plan for His people is to have a relationship with them. From the garden where they walked with God in the cool of the day (Genesis 3:8), to the wilderness where God dwelt among His people in the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34-35), to the last days in which we live where the curtain has been torn in two (Matthew 27:51) and WE ARE the temple of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us (I Corinthians 6:19-20), God desires a relationship with His Beloved.

And so, for us today, as always, there are two forms of communication with God: incoming and outgoing. With the nation of Israel, incoming communication from God was handled through prophets who delivered God’s messages, and outgoing communication to God was handled by priests who approached God on behalf of the nation. Today, God speaks to us (incoming) through His Word, and we speak to God (outgoing) through prayer. Both forms are approved and commanded by God for us today. This is why it is so important to have a time that you set aside each day to spend working on your relationship with God…i.e. a Quiet Time. All relationships take time and effort invested into communication and conversation…including our all-important relationship with God.

Some might say that having a specific block of time each day is too constraining and even legalistic. I would ask these people to read the accounts of great men and women of faith in the Bible and in our own, rich, Baptist history.

Developing your relationship with God MUST include both of these elements: Scripture intake (reading, studying, memorizing, & meditating) and Prayer. And what is more important when it comes to a conversation with God: talking or listening (of course…true study of God’s Word necessarily drives the redeemed to prayer)??

How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.
- Psalm 119:9

Stockholm Syndrome

brian.joines@gmail.com (Brian) — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 05:44:00 +0000

I found the fourth Lexington artifact!! Two free tickets for me! Question is...who will I take? If you have no idea what this means, sorry, I can't tell you: instruction number seven prohibits it.

Self-control

brian.joines@gmail.com (Brian) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 20:11:00 +0000

Hello Church Family,
This month I’d like to share with you what the Lord has been teaching me. Just recently, I have been burdened by the fact that I have longed for, prayed for, and sought after the virtue of self-control for my whole Christian life. Being disciplined is a great aspiration, but I have never felt that I have totally mastered the art of self-control. I believe this is true for most of us. We long to use our time more wisely for the glory of God, and yet we are pulled in so many directions that it is hard to remain faithful to a regimented schedule. We long to be good stewards of our minds and thoughts by only thinking on things that are true, honorable, just, pure (Philippians 4:8), yet our minds are so easily distracted by the things of this world.

If you study the fruit of self-control in Scripture (yep…it’s a fruit! See Galatians 5:22-23 & II Timothy 1:7), you will see that it is a very popular topic of the New Testament. Pastors, older men, younger men, women, yes all Christians are commanded to be self-controlled. Proverbs 25:28 says “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.” So how do we become more disciplined people?

Paul says in I Corinthians 9:25, “Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.” Then again in I Timothy 4:7-8 he states, “train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”

My encouragement is this: first, pray for God’s help. If self-control truly is a fruit of the Spirit, then you are going to need the Holy Spirit’s help.

Second, declare war on your sin. The fight for self-control in the Believer’s life is a fight against sin (remember, self-control is a command from God). Whether you are aware of it or not, there is a war going on in your body (Romans 7:23). Until we recognize that there is a battle going on and start fighting against sin, sin will continue to hold the front lines with temptation and evil thoughts.

I will leave you with this quote from my professor, Dr. Temple:

Our sensuality is the major battle supply line for our sinful struggle.

Fight the good fight,
Brian

Prayer Templates - Repentance

brian.joines@gmail.com (Brian) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 04:54:00 +0000

I find myself in need of repentance so often. Why I settle for the fleeting pleasures of sin when I have tasted the joy of knowing and savoring Christ, I don't know. But because I know that repentance is needed in all of our lives, I thought this post might be helpful. I did not invent this strategy, saints throughout the ages have been using it to know how to repent before a holy, righteous Father. It is Psalm 32. I can't tell you how many times I have prayed through this Psalm as a means of confession and repentance. Here is the text (ESV):

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.
Selah
I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,"
and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.
Selah
Therefore let everyone who is godly
offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;
surely in the rush of great waters,
they shall not reach him.
You are a hiding place for me;
you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with shouts of deliverance.
Selah
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
or it will not stay near you.
Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD.
Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous,
and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Freedom?!

brian.joines@gmail.com (Brian) — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 20:02:00 +0000

Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God…
- I Peter 2:16

This verse is about our freedom in Christ. Freedom is an interesting topic. People have preached about it, sang about it, wept over it, lectured on it, given it, taken it, used it, abused it, prayed for it, lost it, found it, loved it, and died for it. So how should we as Believers view freedom? The Bible teaches that everyone is a slave to something:

…you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness…
- Romans 6:16b

This is the same passage that tells us that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). But it also tells us that if you have trusted Christ as your Savior, “you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God.” When we were slaves to sin, the result was hell and damnation. Now that we are slaves to God, the result is sanctification and eternal life (Romans 6:22). So what does this mean for us? We should recognize that we, as humans, cannot be left to our own devices to do whatever we think right (Proverbs 21:2). We must entrust ourselves to God our Maker who knows what is best for us.

For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.
- Romans 6:19b

When we do this, we understand that slavery to God is freedom. Freedom is not the ability to choose between good and evil. True freedom is to be set free from slavery to sin and set free to do what is pleasing in the sight of God.

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
- John 8:36

Know this and live.

Ex Nihilio

brian.joines@gmail.com (Brian) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 19:44:00 +0000

2009 is the year of living by faith in our student ministries at church! One of the things we will be doing this year is studying the Hall of Faith from Hebrews chapter eleven. To give you a peek into this exciting study, I’d like to take you to the first example of faith in the Hall of Faith:

By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

- Hebrews 11:3

This is the first character of the Hall of Faith, but it is not a typical character…it is us! The rest of the characters on the list are Old Testament saints who proved their faith by persevering to the end and keeping their eyes on the prize. So it is interesting that he begins with us. This faith that we have in God creating the universe follows the author’s definition of what faith is:

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

- Hebrews 11:1

Notice that faith is the “conviction of things not seen” in verse one. And then in verse three, we understand that God, who is spirit (John 4:24), and cannot be seen, created everything that is seen simply by speaking words: “Let there be…”
All that is sprang into existence out of what is not. God created everything ex nihilio (latin=out of nothing). We have a Creator who is so powerful that a few words spoke us into being. We must learn to fear God for who he is and what he has done. If a few words are that powerful, imagine what he could do by snapping his fingers!

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

- Matthew 10:28

Baby Asher

brian.joines@gmail.com (Brian) — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 07:26:00 +0000

Travis Asher Tyler

7 lbs. 3 oz.
19 in.

My pastor, mentor, and friend Travis and his wife Becki were just blessed with the arrival of their firstborn "Asher!"

This pic was taken on Asher's daddy's phone, sent to my phone, downloaded to my laptop, then uploaded here...I wish we had all this technology when my niece and nephews were born!

Top Ten Christian Cop-outs

brian.joines@gmail.com (Brian) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 23:22:00 +0000

10. I need to spend more time with my family.
9. If I do that I will be robbing another Christian of a blessing.
8. I don't know enough about the Bible.
7. I don't feel like God's leading me that direction.
6. I've got baseball practice.
5. The New Testament doesn't actually say 10%.
4. My child is sick, so the whole family stayed home.
3. I witness by my actions.
2. I can worship God in the woods.

And the number one Christian Cop-out of all time:

1. I'm praying about it.

The Secret to Power Is Focus

brian.joines@gmail.com (Brian) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 02:19:00 +0000

Feel maxed out?? Phew…I do!

Someone once told me that if you are overwhelmed then you are doing more that God has intended for you to do. The more people I talk to, the more I realize that we in America are spread so thin. We are so busy and overwhelmed with the living out of life that we become enslaved to those daily tasks. This makes us virtually useless in life. This holiday season, we must simplify and focus.

“The secret to power is focus.”

I recently heard a pastor use water to illustrate this point: If you pour a million gallons of water over a plain, you get a swamp. But if you pour a million gallons of water in a canal, you get a river that is capable of powering hydroelectric dams and transporting trade ships for miles.

“The secret to power is focus.”

A friend of mine told me a few days ago that if I could just learn to focus, I would be awesome. Of course, I didn’t know whether to take this as a complement or an insult. But it is so true. You cannot be the best at everything. A jack of all trades can do a lot, but usually cannot do any one thing very well. We would do well to seek the Lord’s will for our lives, find His purpose for us, and cast ourselves to that task without holding back. This may mean saying “no” to some great things because they are not part of God’s purpose for you. The Lord called me to ministry while I was a sophomore in college and He confirmed that call with one verse:

“Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet and declare to my people their iniquities and to the house of Jacob their sins.”
- Isaiah 58:1

Since then, it has been my goal to accomplish this calling to ministry using every fiber of my being. It is a blessing to know exactly what God’s will is for your life! But it is so very hard to figure that out. When I was seeking to know God’s will for my life, I prayed a lot, which is good. But it hit me suddenly one night that if I was going to hear a word from God, it would be through His Word!! God is not trying to hide His will from you. He has given you such great resources to figure it out: First, His Word; Second, intellect; And third, Church. Dig deep into the Word of God, He wrote it for you. Pray for wisdom to discover your purpose. And rely on your fellow church members to see gifts and abilities that God has given you. Say no to good things in order to focus on better things.

May God bless us as we learn how to find and do His will and simplify our lives.

Photos from Bogotá

brian.joines@gmail.com (Brian) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:19:00 +0000

Photos:

picasaweb.google.com/brian.joines/bogot

¡Hola!

brian.joines@gmail.com (Brian) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 03:40:00 +0000

This is a lady from the South side of Bogotá. We visited her a couple days ago in her salon where she is pictured here. Pastor Jacob has been building a relationship with her for a while and we were able to go in a speak with her and give her a copy of my testimony in Spanish that has the gospel in it.

Today was great because we were able to go back up to Monserrate and do some more prayer walking. We also prayer-walked the very center of the city which is where their government buildings are. Their president has done a lot for them and we just prayed fas we walked around that God would bless their government officials that they might see peace. Our prayer is along the lines of Proverbs 21:1 as far as their government is concerned: "The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will."

This morning before going up to Monserrate, we were able to tour the home of Quinta de Bolivar. He was cool back in the day. If you want more info than that then you can google him, lol. It was awesome and had some amazing gardens. Hence the picture.

One of our interpreters, Camila, brought me some more interesting fruit this morning. I don't remember the name of it, however, I do have pictures. It's a fruit that grows down in the lower altitudes where it's hot and they bring them up here to sale. It has a shell that you crack open with your teeth and then you suck out the seed that is covered with a slimy, yet satisfying, fruity stuff. More to come...got to go to bed.

His,
Brian

Back to School

brian.joines@gmail.com (Brian) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 02:54:00 +0000

Hey peeps. Today was really good. This photo is actually from our first full day here, but I really wanted to post it for you. This is Cesar and me on the top of Monserrate. Cesar is one of our interpreters and we grew very close to him that first day. I'm praying that he will come back and hang out with us before the end of the week. He is seeking the truth, but he is not a believer. It's amazing to see how the Holy Spirit is working in his life.

Today we visited one of the major campuses in Bogotá and just prayer-walked the campus. That's why the title is "Back to School." Sharon is a journeyman here in Bogotá (a journeyman is young adult who serves on the mission field for two years), and she took us to the campus and led us around. I am very thankful for her service here.

This picture of all of us is from yesterday when we were on the Ciclovia (the road they closed down for bicycles, etc...I talked about it in yesterdays blog entry).

I am also posting a picture of some interesting fruit that Sharon encouraged me to try. It is called granadilla. It has a harder shell but looks like an orange. You push your thumb into the top of it and crack it open. Once your inside you see this caviar-looking stuff that you suck out. It's very slimy but is very sweet tasting. It's pretty good but is not my favorite fruit that they have down here (I love their fruits down here).

Yesterday I didn't get to post about our experience in southern Bogotá. We were able to visit a church in a very poor area of the city. We prayer-walked the neighborhood and were able to talk to a few people in the neighborhood. I was able to get my testimony translated before we left (which includes the gospel), and I gave away a few of them...God thing!! Pastor Jacob is the pastor of this poor Baptist Church, and he is an amazing light in this very dark part of town. The church needs a lot of work and a lot of prayer. The main thing that I want to tell you about this church is crazy, and there is no way for me to prepare you for it...so I'm just going to tell you. That church rents out it's sanctuary as a parking lot during the week to make some money for the church. Yes...it's true...the sanctuary!!

One of the things that Pastor Jacob does each week is ride his bike to five different "prayer points" around the city where he has built small prayer groups of about ten people who gather together and pray for their community. He rides ridiculous amounts to each of these points. The church is too small to pay him as paid staff and so he has family in the states who send him money for food each month. He is an inspiration to me.

This is a photo of Bobbie, Alex, Matt and me.

End of Another Great Day in Bogotá

brian.joines@gmail.com (Brian) — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 13:44:00 +0000

¡Hola de Bogotá! We had a great day today. We went to church with our missionary, Alex, this morning. It's a house church in the missionary's townhouse complex. We were able to worship in both Spanish and English which was amazing. Alex said that his goal for his church was that 100% of his membership would be active in serving the body and the community. That's a lofty goal. But what amazed me is that the current percentage of members that were actively serving was 50%!!!! If our church had that percentage of workers...wow!! What if only 50% tithed??!!!

I have been very intentional about trying authentic Colombian food so far. I've already had a couple interesting experiences with that! Today at a huge festival where there were over one hundred restaurants with booths a friend and I paid 20,000 Colombian pesos (~ $12) for a huge plate of meat and split it. I immediately dived into what looked like chicken. I found out that it was chiguido. Chiguido is a large rodent down here that is similar to a gigantic guinea pig. Alex, the missionary, doesn't even eat it. I have to say that it was very good. It was like spicy pork! I also found out later that it is endangered and that made me feel bad :).

After church we went to the Ciclovilla. That is an amazing thing that Bogotá does where they shut down one side of the largest road in the city every Sunday from 7am to 2pm to allow bicycles and rollerbladers and walkers to exercise.

The café here is amazing! For you peeps who are fellow coffee connoisseurs...just to make you jealous...I had an amazing cubano today!

The weather here is neat because it's always right around 60 degrees. The funny thing is that it is usually comfortably cool but it can instantly become hot because the sun comes out. This weather makes from some great fruit and beautiful vegetation.

Traffic here is loco!! People honk a lot and the rules are totally optional!

Thus far we have spent a lot of time in the higher class areas of town, which are very western. Tomorrow we will be spending the day in the south end of Bogotá which is very poor. Our prayer is that God would keep us safe physically, but that He would break our hearts for this city. May your prayer be the same.

In Christ Alone,
Brian

The Task

brian.joines@gmail.com (Brian) — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 03:45:00 +0000

Today was amazing! We spent most the day on Monserrate. Monserrate is a mountain on the eastern border on Bogotá. Bogotá, as I've mentioned previously, is about 8,500 feet above sea level. Monserrate is 12,000 ft above sea level. You can see the entire city of Bogotá stretched out over the entire valley. Ten million people! I'm going to put a couple pictures up of the city from this perspective, but there is no way it will do it justice.

The reason we went to Monserrate was to take in the gigantic task of reaching such an enormous city. When there are only ten baptist churches to minister to all ten million people in Bogotá, it forces you to trust in God's sovereignty and grace.

This morning, when we were in orientation (where they tell you to try your best to not look like an American, lol), I looked out the window and saw two cute little national girls across the street looking out their window. My first reaction was, "they are so cute." Then I realized that they may never hear the live-saving gospel of Jesus Christ. The task here is huge...impossible actually...at least for us. But we are not alone. Our devotional time on the mountain included reading the great commission where Christ says that all authority has been given to Him and that He will be with us to the end.

Pray for our time here in Bogotá that we could brainstorm about how to reach this massive city one disciple at a time.

Tomorrow's agenda includes visiting our missionary's church...that's exciting. Anyway...here's one of the promised pictures:

We Made It!!

brian.joines@gmail.com (Brian) — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 04:47:00 +0000

We are in Colombia!!! It's been a very long day, but everything has gone very well. We are all very tired, but we are excited to be here and start serving the Colombians.

The plane rides went well. From Atlanta to Bogotá was cool. We were in a 757 which was nice. The airport here in Bogotá was small for an international airport and was very packed but we made it through without any trouble. I got my first stamp in my passport.

Bogotá's temperature felt so nice! It's probably mid-50's. We are 9,000 ft above sea level here. I thought I was out of shape in the states...but you can really feel it here. When I opened my Nalgene, it went psssst because the air here is much thinner. Traffic here is much different. The cars are small and people drive fast.

We met Alex and Mike, the missionaries here. We are excited to work with them. Tomorrow will be very exciting because we will get to go to Monserrate! Pictures to come!!

If you would like to pray for us individually, here are the names of everyone in the photo from left to right:

Alex
Bobbie
Dawna
Brianna
Glenda
Sarah
Matt
Me!

Not pictured (they're out getting us food):

John David
Brittany

His,
Brian

Preparing for Our Trip

brian.joines@gmail.com (Brian) — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 23:07:00 +0000

I will be posting on here about mine and Matt's mission trip to Bogota, Columbia. I wanted to start out this journal with this photo and the funny events preceeding our departure. At this point, I am in the floor of my living room as you see me in the photo. I'm trying to figure out all that I need to pack.

We found out at our informational meeting this past Tuesday night that we will be driving to Nashville, from there flying to Atlanta, and from there flying straight to Bogota. It will make for a long day, I'm sure, but an exciting day.

I just finished registering on the travel.state.gov website to let the Bogota American Embassy know that we're coming. I didn't know this was something you could do, but one of my church members kept on and kept on reminding us until I finally did it today. Thank you Becky.

Up until know, anytime anyone asked what we were going to be doing, we just shrugged our shoulders. But Tuesday's meeting helped us know a lot of that info, too. Matt and I are the only people from First Southern Baptist Church (Floyds Knobs, IN) going. We are joining a team from First Baptist Church (Mt. Washington, KY - Louisville area). We are going to establish a partnership between our individual churches and the only Southern Baptist missionary in Bogota, Alex.

This is a vision trip. That means that most of our time will be spent prayer walking targeted areas in the city and praying for God to open our eyes to specific needs in the city that we can meet with future trips. This might mean sending medical teams or evangelism teams to specific areas, etc...

We have a good itinerary of our trip, but I don't know where any of these places are, of course, save one. The first and last full days we are there, we will be leaving the city (8,000 - 9,000 ft above sea level) and traveling up to Monserrate (10,000 - 12,000 ft). This will give us a good view of the whole city (all 10 million people) so that we can "see the task" (and get some amazing photos, I hope).

If you care enough to read this journal, then please be praying for us (Brian and Matt) and our team from First Baptist, Mt. Washington. Pray for our safety during travel and while we're there. Pray for us to have fervent times of prayer over the city of Bogota. And pray for us to have opportunities to spread the glorious gospel (our main purpose). God Bless.

Brian

That's Right!

brian.joines@gmail.com (Brian) — Mon, 12 May 2008 13:53:00 +0000

Don't send a lame eCard.
Try JibJab Sendables!

I Love My Mom - She's Amazing

brian.joines@gmail.com (Brian) — Mon, 12 May 2008 04:16:00 +0000

Don't send a lame Mother's Day eCard.
Try JibJab Sendables!

A Rubik's Cube, Cold Milk, and Oreos

brian.joines@gmail.com (Brian) — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 04:35:00 +0000

Here I am...sitting in my very nice (I think) house with my laptop (playing Passion music), a Rubik's Cube, and Oreos. I am truly blessed. Many times in my life when stress of school and work piles up, I quickly forget all the blessings in my life...like Oreos (esp. Double Stuf!). It is too easy to find things about which to complain. Honestly, my heart takes comfort in self pity. When I see a big bunch of sorrow piling up I just want to wallow in it. This is a particularly deceitful form of idolatry.

Even when I am faced with the reality of my own sin, I quickly sink from a penitent sorrow to self pity. God forgive my presumptions. Recently I was so encouraged by the words of David in the 32nd Psalm. He begins the chapter with this cry of repentance:

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
- Psalm 32.1-2

But it is the words a few verses down that caught my eye and my heart:

You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance.
- Psalm 32.7

When I feel that all the weight of the world is caving in on me and I have nowhere to turn, I can always look around and be encouraged by my brothers in Christ who have been delivered! We were made to build relationships with those around us and so many times I forget what a great work of sanctification the Lord has wrought in my life through my brother's edification.

New Job/Ministry!

brian.joines@gmail.com (Brian) — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 02:15:00 +0000

You know when someone is only blogging once a month that something is going on in their life...or that they're lazy. I guess my problem is a little of both.

I am doing a lot of new things now. I recently began working part time at my church as the Minister to Young Adults. We've got a lot going on...including Paintball!...and so I've been busy there. But it is also still a couple weeks away from the semester starting so I am taking full advantage of that by playing Guitar Hero III for Wii (Christmas present from my awesome mom).

I miss all of my friends quite a bit because the couple whose house we usually use as a gathering place just had a baby and they are indisposed. So, I must do something about this problem. I will have to make my house a gathering place. The wheels are turning and I believe we will have to compete with Aaron Hawk's pre-semester party. We shall see who prevails...

Blessed Indeed

brian.joines@gmail.com (Brian) — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 13:06:00 +0000

Here I am sitting in the coffee shop where I work thinking about where the Lord has brought me this past year and over the last decade. I am learning more and more that everything that happens to me is for my sanctification. My truck broke down yesterday and yet I had many good friends around me to help me out and a warm church to wait in while I waited for a ride. Not only that, but I have such great bosses that one of them picked me up for work this morning because of my lack of transportation.

But the blessings don't stop there. I was recently brought onto the staff at church. I am now the Minister of College Students and Young Adults. The way the church has encircled around me and supported me has been a great encouragement. This photo shows many of the students whom I have gotten to know and love for over a year and a half now.

As I now look forward to the future, I am excited about serving the Lord by ministering to the young adults in our church and the students at local college campuses.

My Beautiful Latte

brian.joines@gmail.com (Brian) — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:35:00 +0000

This is a Tall Caramel Latte with Cinnamon