Quote from Forum Archives on August 24, 2000, 5:31 pm

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

This is a long message containing two things:

1. Larry Davies weekly "Sowing Seeds of Faith" message.
2. A personal testimony of faith by one of the presidential
candidates.

I am not endorsing anyone. If you are not interested in what our
politicians believe, spiritually, please don't bother reading the
second part of the message. I do have it split by ======= for
those who have no interest in such things.

Back to the main focus of the message - our personal testimony.
Baptism is an outward sign to others of what we believe in our
hearts. For the gentlemen in Larry's story this week, they felt
so strongly about demonstrating how their spiritual lives had
been transformed, they wanted to be immersed in a cold creek in
the middle of October.

I have similarly strong convictions about my faith, which is why
I spend so much time putting these messages together. They are
intended to encourage people - sometimes to help us think about
our relationships with other people, but always to think about
our relationship with a Holy, Almighty, Powerful, and Loving
God.

I hope you find a connection of faith in Larry's message today,
and perhaps in the supplemental message as well.

Brother Brian

"Shall We Gather At The River?" Larry Davies

"Larry, we want to be baptized and join the church," said
Rick. His son Coy and friend Buck nodded in agreement with
obvious intensity.

"That's great!" I responded with equal enthusiasm. "I'll
make the arrangements and we can do everything during next week's
worship service."

"No! You don't understand," Rick replied earnestly. "We love
the outdoors and spent most of our lives hunting and fishing in
the woods nearby. There is a creek about a mile from our house
and we want to be baptized in that creek."

"Okay," I said but with less enthusiasm. "You do know that
it's October?"

People from Jerusalem and from every section of Judea and
from all over the Jordan Valley went out to the wilderness to
hear John the Baptist preach. And when they confessed their sins,
he baptized them in the Jordan River. (Matthew 3:5-6)

There is something astonishing and awe-inspiring about a
baptism. I can't really explain it. I just know it to be
true. Ordinary cares and concerns are temporarily forgotten as we
share in the celebration of a momentous human decision blessed by
the power and grace of almighty God.

No one illustrated this better than Jesus: After his
baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were
opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and
settling on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my
beloved son and I am fully pleased with him." (Matthew 3:16-17)

Three men were making life-changing decisions and our church
community was determined to support them in any way possible even
if it meant going to a creek in the middle of the woods on a cold
October Sunday afternoon.

Yet, on the big day, the sun burned bright as if God himself
were smiling on us as fifty some folks following Sunday worship
hopped into a caravan of pick-up trucks and four-wheel drive
vehicles to plow through the mud and debris to the creek
bank. Once there we formed a circle to sing, appropriately
enough: "Shall we gather at the river, where bright angel feet
have trod, with its crystal tide forever flowing by the throne of
God." We all joined hands to pray and then we were ready.

As I stepped into the chilly water my first thoughts were
unfortunately not scriptural... "Whoa, it's cold!"

Rick was first to step into the creek and as he crossed his
arms I placed a handkerchief over his nose and gently lowered him
into the water solemnly saying, "Rick, I baptize you in the name
of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." ...but I
couldn't lift him back up. My feet were slipping in the
mud. "Help!" I cried, imagining the next morning's news
headline: "Baptism leads to Drowning!"

Buck, the next person to be baptized quickly jumped in to
help bring Rick back to the surface. Taking no more chances,
Rick then assisted with Buck and finally together we gently
lowered Rick's son, Coy into the water. As we returned to the
creek bank, the singing resumed: "Yes, we'll gather at the river,
the beautiful, the beautiful river; gather with the saints at the
river that flows by the throne of God."

Our little gathering at the river became a sacred moment in
the lives of three special men and a church that supported and
loved them. Years later, we still talk about that day as one of
the highlights of our ministry. I can't explain it. I only know
it to be true. And with Christ you were raised to a new life
because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ
from the dead. (Colossians 2:12)

Maybe Baptism is God's way of illustrating for us what it
means to have total faith in the grace and power of almighty
God. I don't know about you but it definitely works for me!

===============================================================
NOTE: What follows is a testimony of faith from George W. Bush.
It is not part of this week's devotional message. Read it only
if you are interested in where Bush stands on matters of faith,
apart from politics. Otherwise, don't bother reading it.

---
Brian

===============================================================

I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your
joy may be complete. John 15:1

----- Original Message -----
Subject: Here's a side of G.W. Bush we aren't allowed to see...

Excerpt from "A Charge To Keep" by George W. Bush:

Actually, the seeds of my decision had been planted the year
before, by the Reverend Billy Graham. He visited my family for a
summer weekend in Maine. I saw him preach at the small summer
church, St. Ann's by the Sea. We all had lunch on the patio
overlooking the ocean. One evening my dad asked Billy to answer
questions from a big group of family gathered for the weekend. He
sat by the fire and talked. And what he said sparked a change in
my heart. I don't remember the exact words. It was more the power
of his example. The Lord was so clearly reflected in his gentle
and loving demeanor.

The next day we walked and talked at Walker's Point, and I
knew I was in the presence of a great man. He was like a magnet;
I felt drawn to seek something different. He didn't lecture or
admonish; he shared warmth and concern. Billy Graham didn't make
you feel guilty; he made you feel loved. Over the course of that
weekend, Reverend Graham planted a mustard seed in my soul, a
seed that grew over the next year.

He led me to the path, and I began walking. And it was the
beginning of a change in my life. I had always been a religious
person, had regularly attended church, even taught Sunday school
and served as an altar boy. But that weekend my faith took on a
new meaning. It was the beginning of a new walk where I would
recommit my heart to Jesus Christ. I was humbled to learn that
God sent His Son to die for a sinner like me. I was comforted to
know that through the Son, I could find God's amazing grace, a
grace that crosses every border, every barrier and is open to
everyone. Through the love of Christ's life, I could understand
the life-changing powers of faith.

When I returned to Midland, I began reading the Bible
regularly. Don Evans talked me into joining him and another
friend, Don Jones, at a men's community Bible study. The group
had first assembled the year before, in spring of 1984, at the
beginning of the downturn in the energy industry. Midland was
hurting. A lot of people were looking for comfort and strength
and direction. A couple of men started the Bible study as a
support group, and it grew. By the time I began attending, in the
fall of 1985, almost 120 men would gather. We met in small
discussion groups of ten or twelve, then joined the larger group
for full meetings. Don Jones picked me up every week for the
meetings. I remember looking forward to them. My interest in
reading the Bible grew stronger and stronger, and the words
became clearer and more meaningful. We studied Acts, the story of
the Apostles building the Christian Church, and next year, the
Gospel of Luke. The preparation for each meeting took several
hours, reading the Scripture passages and thinking through
responses to discussion questions. I took it seriously, with my
usual touch of humor....

Laura and I were active members of the First Methodist
Church of Midland, and we participated in many family programs,
including James Dobson's Focus on the Family series on raising
children. As I studied and learned, Scripture took on greater
meaning, and I gained confidence and understanding in my faith.
I read the Bible regularly. Don Evans gave me the "one-year"
Bible, a Bible divided into 365 daily readings, each one
including a section from the New Testament, the Old Testament,
Psalms, and Proverbs. I read through that Bible every other
year. During the years in between, I pick different chapters to
study at different times. I have also learned the power of
prayer. I pray for guidance. I do not pray for earthly things,
but for heavenly things, for wisdom and patience and
understanding. My faith gives me focus and perspective. It
teaches humility.

But I also recognize that faith can be misinterpreted in the
political process. Faith is an important part of my life. I
believe it is important to live my faith, not flaunt it. America
is a great country because of our religious freedoms. It is
important for any leader to respect the faith of others.

That point was driven home when Laura and I visited Israel in
1998. We had traveled to Rome to spend Thanksgiving with our
daughter, who was attending a school program there, and spent
three days in Israel on the way home. It was an incredible
experience. I remember waking up at the Jerusalem Hilton and
opening the curtains and seeing the Old City before us, the
Jerusalem stone glowing gold.

We visited the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy
Sepulcher. And we went to the Sea of Galilee and stood atop the
hill where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount. It was an
overwhelming feeling to stand in the spot where the most famous
speech in the history of the world was delivered, the spot where
Jesus outlined the character and conduct of a believer and gave
his disciples and the world the beatitudes, the golden rule, and
the Lord's Prayer.

Our delegation included four gentile governors - one
Methodist, two Catholics, and a Mormon - and several
Jewish-American friends. Someone suggested we read Scripture. I
chose to read "Amazing Grace," my favorite hymn. Later that
night we all gathered at a restaurant in Tel Aviv for dinner
before we boarded our middle-of-night flight back to America. We
talked about the wonderful experiences and thanked the guides and
government officials who had introduced us to their country. And
toward the end of the meal, one of our friends rose to share a
story, to tell us how he, a gentile, and his friend, a Jew, had
(unbeknownst to the rest of us) walked down to the Sea of
Galilee, joined hands underwater, and prayed together, on bended
knee. Then out of his mouth came a hymn he had known as a child,
a hymn he hadn't thought about in years. He got every word right:
Now is the time approaching, by prophets long foretold, when all
shall dwell together, One shepherd and one fold. Now Jew and
gentile, meeting, from many a distant shore, around an altar
kneeling, one common Lord adore.

Faith changes lives. I know, because faith has changed
mine. I could not be governor if I did not believe in a divine
plan that supersedes all human plans. Politics is a fickle
business. Polls change. Today's friend is tomorrow's
adversary. People lavish praise and attention. Many times it is
genuine; sometimes it is not. Yet I build my life on a foundation
that will not shift. My faith frees me. Frees me to put the
problem of the moment in proper perspective. Frees me to make
decisions that others might not like. Frees me to try to do the
right thing, even though it may not poll well...

The death penalty is a difficult issue for supporters as
well as its opponents. I have a reverence for life; my faith
teaches that life is a gift from our Creator. In a perfect world,
life is given by God and only taken by God. I hope someday our
society will respect life, the full spectrum of life, from the
unborn to the elderly. I hope someday unborn children will be
protected by law and welcomed in life. I support the death
penalty because I believe, if administered swiftly and justly,
capital punishment is a deterrent against future violence and
will save other innocent lives. Some advocates of life will
challenge why I oppose abortion yet support the death penalty; to
me, it's the difference between innocence and guilt.

Today, two weeks after Jeb's inauguration, in the church in
downtown Austin, the pastor Mark Craig was telling me that my
reelection as the first Governor to win back-to-back four-year
terms in the history of the state of Texas was a beginning, not
an end.... People are starved for faithfulness. He talked of the
need for honesty in government; he warned that leaders who cheat
on their wives will cheat their country, will cheat their
colleagues, will cheat themselves. The minister said that America
is starved for honest leaders. He told the story of Moses, asked
by God to lead his people to a land of milk and honey. Moses had
a lot of reasons to shirk the task. As the pastor told it,
Moses' basic reaction was, "Sorry, God, I'm busy. I've got a
family. I've got sheep to tend. I've got a life. Who am I that I
should go to Pharaoh, and bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?
The people won't believe me, he protested. I'm not a very good
speaker. Oh, my Lord, send, I pray, some other person," Moses
pleaded. But God did not, and Moses ultimately did his bidding,
leading his people through forty years of wilderness and
wandering, relying on God for strength and direction and
inspiration.

People are "starved for leadership," Pastor Craig said,
"starved for leaders who have ethical and moral courage." It is
not enough to have an ethical compass to know right from wrong,
he argued. America needs leaders who have the moral courage to do
what is right for the right reason. It's not always easy or
convenient for leaders to step forward, he acknowledged;
remember, even Moses had doubts. "He was talking to you," my
mother later said. The pastor was, of course, talking to all of
us, challenging each one of us to make the most of our lives, to
assume the mantle of leadership and responsibility wherever we
find it. He was calling on us to use whatever power we have, in
business, in politics, in our communities, and in our families,
to do good for the right reason. And the sermon spoke directly
to my heart and my life....

There was no magic moment of decision. After talking with
my family during the Christmas holidays, then hearing the rousing
sermon to make most of every moment during my inaugural church
service, I gradually felt more comfortable with the prospect of a
presidential campaign. My family would love me, my faith would
sustain me, no matter what. During the more than half century of
my life, we have seen an unprecedented decay in our American
culture, a decay that has eroded the foundations of our
collective values and moral standards of conduct. Our sense of
personal responsibility has declined dramatically, just as the
role and responsibility of the federal government have increased.
The changing culture blurred the sharp contrast between right and
wrong and created a new standard of conduct: "If it feels good,
do it." And "If you've got a problem, blame somebody else."
Individuals are not responsible for their actions, the new
culture said, we are all victims of forces beyond our control. We
went from a culture of sacrifice and saving to a culture obsessed
with grabbing all the gusto. We went from accepting
responsibility to assigning blame. As government did more and
more, individuals were required to do less and less. The new
culture said if people were poor, the government should feed
them. If someone had no house, the government should provide
one. If criminals are not responsible for their acts, then the
answers are not prisons, but social programs....

For our culture to change, it must change one heart, one
soul, and one conscience at a time. Government can spend money,
but it cannot put hope in our hearts or a sense of purpose in our
lives... But government should welcome the active involvement of
people who are following a religious imperative to love their
neighbors through after-school programs, child care, drug
treatment, maternity group homes, and a range of other
services. Supporting these men and women - the soldiers in the
armies of compassion - is the next bold step of welfare reform,
because I know that changing hearts will change our entire
society.

During the opening months of my presidential campaign, I
have traveled our country and my heart has been warmed. My
experiences have invigorated my faith in the greatness of
Americans. They have reminded me that societies are renewed from
the bottom up, not the top down. Everywhere I go, I see people
of love and faith, taking time to help a neighbor in
need... These people and thousands like them are the heart and
soul and greatness of America. And I want to do my part. I am
running for President because I believe America must seize this
moment, America must lead. We must give our prosperity a greater
purpose, a purpose of peace and freedom and hope. We are a great
nation of good and loving people. And together, we have a charge
to keep.

=====
--
Brian Masinick, "The Mas", mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/
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