Don WiltonI am so glad to be able to write to you again. The Baptist Courier is a special means of ministry to all of us in South Carolina.
Plans seem to be going well for our annual meeting to be held at Taylors First Baptist Church this year. I truly believe this is going to be an extraordinary time of celebration and worship as we gather together in November to discuss the vital business of our convention, as well as to present ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ, who is in charge of the whole thing, anyway. That’s why we make it our business to Keep The Main Thing The Main Thing in everything we do as committed followers of our Savior.
Make this a matter of policy in your church and in your personal life. Needless to say, we fail many times, but we do try to follow this simple, yet profound, rule of purpose in our church in Spartanburg. It simply means that everything we do, programs we adopt, and ministries we continue to do, are all measured in terms of the Lord Jesus Christ. After all, it is His church. We are simply His caretakers.
Here’s how it works. If whatever it is we plan to do does not bring people to the Lord Jesus Christ, then we don’t do it. And if we have a ministry or program we have been doing for a long time, perhaps even decades, which is not bringing people to faith and trust in the Lord Jesus, then we stop doing it. It will amaze you how much more cost-effective it makes the ministries of your church, how much more up-to-date your church will become, how much more focused you will be – regardless of personal preferences and even traditions. Few people who know and love the Lord Jesus will have a problem with a renewed focus on the Lord Jesus Christ.
I am so deeply aware that some of our churches are dealing with a great deal of past hurt and division. All of us experience pain and hurt in our families and in many walks of life. May I encourage you to draw the line? Start fresh. Begin just with prayer for as long as it takes. Be open to forgive and ask for forgiveness. Push the refresh button. Make a decision to GIVE IT AWAY! Watch what the Lord Jesus does. Can you sense the revival?