Just Do It -- It's Not Just a Nike Thing!

Having been home for a couple of days, I am about back to normal. Normal with regards to sleep patterns, but hardly normal as to the impact of my second trip to the Nigerian bush. My heart still aches for the people there. Though the Nigerian people as a whole appear to be the happiest people on the earth, many of them do not have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

The tribe which our church has engaged -- the Z people -- consist of approximately 10,000 people. Both researchers and the Z people themselves estimate that 4 out of every 5 in their tribe are Muslims. Converting from Islam is illegal so the ministry there is slow. While we were their over the past couple of weeks, we had a few inquiries from Muslims. Obviously, they had to be careful. But what I witnessed the miraculous power of God's Spirit at work.

What my experience has done for me is to ache for my people -- those who live in my town, my state, my country. As I write, I can see cars pass by our church campus. Many of those driving by hardly recognize that they are passing by a church. It's just another piece of the landscape. I've come to grips again with the fact that buildings don't share the good news -- I must -- we must.

Just like the Z people who don't come to know Jesus Christ will spend an eternity in hell, people in my town who don't know Jesus will spend an eternity in hell. God has called us all to tell the best news ever. Let's just do it!

Nigeria is a long ways from home!

On Sunday afternoon, Kinne Callaway, Pat Hayden, and I left for Nigeria. This marks the fourth trip our church has sponsored since November 2006. Mandeville's First Baptist has become "an engaging church" -- an International Mission Board strategy that targets "unreached people groups" in the world. Our adopted people group, the Z tribe, includes approximately 10,000 people who have little or no Christian witness.

On Thursday we're going out to the bush and will spend three nights living in the village. We'll be accompanied by two Nigerian pastors, Nathaniel and Hosea, who will serve as our interpreters. During the day we'll be encouraging new believers and sharing the gospel with those the Holy Spirit has prepared to hear. Each evening we'll teach discipleship to the believers.

I'm really looking forward to Saturday morning because the Nigerian Baptist football (soccer) team will be coming out to the village. The Nigerian people really love sports and especially soccer, so there will be a crowd. This gives an great opportunity to share the a lot people.

Please pray for us!

Presidential Politics

A few weeks the poll experts told us in Louisiana that our Presidential Primary probably wouldn't matter much. After all, our primary fell after "Super Tuesday" and for all practical purposes, the candidates for the two major political parties for November Presidential Election would have been determined.

However, this Saturday, February 9, still has both party nominations still in play. On the Democrat side, there's Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama. Only a few weeks ago most had declared Clinton the obvious winner. Now Obama's campaign is close, and some say will overtake her for the top spot. Republicans have a clear leader at this time; however, for many, John McCain does not reflect clear conservative values. There are two other major candidates who have at least some chance at winning the Republican nomination. They are Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee.

While our church cannot endorse a candidate in an election, we can offer advice concerning the issues. Furthermore, I can endorse a candidate; however, I must do so without suggesting that our church does. Therefore, I will not be suggesting a candidate or a party to support here. I will tell you that I will be voting on Saturday (I rarely miss elections), and I will be voting on the basis of the convictions I hold.

What are the issues that matter the most? Here are what I consider to be the major issues which help form an opinion for the best candidate: the Iraq War, immigration, tax reform, health care, same-sex marriage, abortion, court appointments. These issues matter. The values that the candidates hold will affect the way they lead.

I am convinced that God led our founding fathers in establishing our form of government. Ours is the longest lasting democratic government in history. Its foundational principles root in an understanding of God's providence. Turning from those foundational principles will threaten, in my view, the strength we've come to enjoy and appreciate.

We must be resolved to stand against a wave of socialism that could change our nation. In order for that to occur, we must exercise the privilege of the ballot each and every time possible. If you are not registered to vote, do so as soon as possible. If you are registered to vote, don't miss your opportunity to exercise your freedom for which others have made the ultimate sacrifice.

We must also become informed as voters. Don't wait for someone to tell you for whom to vote. Find out what the candidates believe. Remember they will lead like they believe. I've found this tool to be helpful found at http:ivotevalues.org. I've also found another link to be useful. It's an eleven part questionnaire that helps you find the candidate that is most like yo in your thinking. You'll find it at hhttp://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/candidate-match-game.htm/

I hope this helps!

I praying for God's divine leadership.