“Answered prayer!”

We’ve seen a lot of that during our mission to Romania. All of the services and both of the conferences were well-attended and wonderfully filled with God’s grace and truth. Praise be to God!

This morning I visited the village of Belobresca, which is made up of about 300 homes and which is (at least statistically) some 99% dominated by the Romanian Orthodox Church. We toured the large Orthodox cemetery and the tiny Baptist cemetery, as well as the church for which Tom’s mother prayed for over fifty years. The plaque commemorates her faithful petitions to the Lord for an evangelical witness in the community. You’ll see photos of the plaque and the church’s pastor.

We had the joy of distributing food to, and praying with, some of the neediest families among the believers. Some of these sweet sisters and brothers are too ill to attend worship. I fell in love with one precious little girl at one of our stops. I’ll attach that picture too.

I must admit that some of the stories about life here under Communism are almost more than I can take in. Such cruel oppression and hardship marked the people’s lives for so long (many were shot and killed trying to cross the treacherous river right where we’re staying), but the true church grew strong in persevering faith during that same period.

My friend Garry Ellis always says: “Tough times for the country are good times for the gospel.” He’s right. We tend to forget that God’s economy isn’t ours. Our Lord uses every circumstance for our good and His glory.

Thank you for praying for us. I’ve made some new friends who I think will be lifetime partners in ministry and missions. To God be the glory!

“The peace of the Lord Jesus!” I’m learning this familiar greeting among Christian believers here in Romania. That’s better than a “Hi” any day.

I wanted to send home a quick update and a few prayer requests. Tom and I arrived safely via Chicago, Munich, and Timisoara. I included a couple of photos of the Timisoara city center, apparently abounding in new retail activity and construction brought on by an improving economy. The region seems culturally and historically dominated by the Orthodox Church, but also to be experiencing a growing evangelical presence.

I also included a couple of shots of the village where I’m staying. You can see Serbia on the other side of the Danube River.

This morning I was invited for coffee by the mayor of Coronin, whose church family will be coming together with Grace Baptist of Moldova Noua for combined worship tonight at 6:00. I included a picture of the Grace sanctuary which is expected to be full. I’ll be bringing the sermon on forgiveness that I shared during our revival series, so please pray for God’s Spirit to touch many hearts tonight.

Saturday morning at 10:00 I’ll preach for a pastors’ conference, and Saturday evening at 6:00 for a youth conference. Sunday morning at 10:00 I’ll preach for a baptismal service, and Sunday evening (also at 6:00) I’ll preach an evangelistic message for the community.

We are eight hours ahead of Paducah but, if you’re interested, you will be able to access most of the services online at:

www.harulmoldovaveche.ro

Pastor Damian sends his warmest greetings. I send my love to all of you. Thank you for praying bold kingdom prayers for this weekend.

Un Domn. O Credinta. Un Botez. Ephesians 4:5. One Lord. One faith. One baptism.

One Christ!

Sermon audio for Session 4 of the FREE! Revival Series from Galatians 6. Click here to listen or download (Recorded live at First Baptist Paducah on August 24, 2014):

2014.08.24.FREE.RevivalSermon4.CharlesMoore

If you’ve ever walked with a family through the process of legal adoption, or if you’ve been there yourself, you know some of the gut-wrenching twists and turns in the road that generally make adoption extremely difficult: emotionally, spiritually, and financially. But, just like natural childbirth, finally receiving a long-awaited daughter or son often makes the pain of the journey melt away.

All Christians are adopted. If you’re in Christ, you have been legally adopted as a child of God into God’s own family. The Creator of the universe is your Father! The Apostle Paul used the term “adopted as sons” to write to the believers in Rome (Romans 8:15), where they would have understood this within a very  specific context. Under Roman law, if you were an adopted child, you enjoyed the identical legal rights of a child born naturally into the family. An adopted child had the right to the family name of the person who adopted him and the right to an inheritance of the family property.

We read similar language in Galatians 4:4-7. It is because of our adoption as children of God that you and I can cry out to the Lord day or night, “Abba, Father!” “Daddy!” He is ours, and we are His. All the time. Inseparable bonds of love, trust, and fellowship. The miracle of adoption! It means that we matter to God. You and I are somebody now. Not in the sense of human ego but in the gospel sense – we’re now children of the King! This is not a status that should lead to pride – it’s a status that should lead to praise.

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are! First John 3:1. Justification gave us the legal status of forgiven sinners, but adoption gives us the relational status of belonging to a family. God’s family.

But, as wonderful as all of that is, that’s not all. Roman law included specific provisions that only natural children could be estranged or disowned from a family. In the Greco-Roman world, estrangement of a natural son prompted adoption of a new son. Our Lord Jesus, the Father’s natural Son, was estranged from His Father when He became sin for us (Second Corinthians 5:21). What’s my point? Jesus became estranged so that you and I could be adopted!

When Jesus was raised from the dead, Christ’s resurrection was not just a marvelous display of divine power. It was God the Father welcoming God the Son back into the family. And here’s an even more amazing dimension of the truth of adoption: When the Father welcomed Christ back into His family, He welcomed us too! Oh how the good news of the gospel never ends …

You likely already know that Jody and Shannon Stivers are anxiously anticipating the adoption of their little girl, Remie Hope, from China. This Sunday we will celebrate Remie Hope’s third birthday at Swirl’s Frozen Yogurt (5187 Hinkleville Road). If you will stop by and enjoy a frozen treat between 1:00 and 8:00 p.m., half the proceeds will help make this humble prayer an accomplished adoption. Let’s be a big family now, First Baptist Paducah, and wrap our arms of love and support around Jody, Shannon, Carson, Sydney, Hudson, A.J., Harper, Marcella, and Remie Hope.

Of that wonderful and almost indescribable moment when an adopted child is received into his or her new family, adoptive dad Phil deHaan writes: “The biology is not important, for where the genes fall short the heart bridges the gap. The months and years of dreaming of this day have created an overwhelming urge and instinct to cherish and protect. And you rock this child, who looks at you with tender eyes, and you say softly: ‘I love you.’ And that, in my opinion, is the miracle of adoption. It’s a miracle that Christians around the world know too. For every day God looks at us, his adopted children, and whispers those sweet words to us as well.”

The heart bridges the gap. I’ll see you at church and at Swirl’s.

Sermon audio for Session 3 of the FREE! Revival Series from Galatians 6. Click here to listen or download (Recorded live at First Baptist Paducah on August 17, 2014):

2014.08.17.FREE.RevivalSermon3.CharlesMoore

Sermon audio for Session 2 of the FREE! Revival Series from Galatians 5:16-26. Click here to listen or download (Recorded live at First Baptist Paducah on August 10, 2014):

2014.08.10.FREE.RevivalSermon2.CharlesMoore

For thus says the One who is high and lifted up,

who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:

“I dwell in the high and holy place,

and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit,

to revive the spirit of the lowly,

and to revive the heart of the contrite.”

Isaiah 57:15

The Lord God is doing great things in our midst. Not because we planned revival, but because He did. I wish that you could see the church from my perspective, because I’m able to observe so many good things coming together for such a time as this.

We’re becoming renewed in our deep dependence on prayer.

We’re seeing the fruit of our love for the community.

We’re experiencing a re-ignition of gospel passion among our people.

That’s revival. And it’s all the more reason to pursue Christ with all our hearts.

As you pray for First Baptist Paducah and for our ministries to the ends of the earth, I would remind you of some of the distinctive goals of true spiritual revival:

1. Revival is to satisfy God, not me. I humbly seek; He powerfully provides.

2. Revival is to de-emphasize my many “me-centered” attempts to fix my deepest problems. We all fall into prideful self-sufficiency; revival exposes such as the folly that it is.

3. Revival is to position me to draw near the flame of God’s truth so that I might be on fire for Christ. Revival fills me with love for God’s Son
   and God’s Word, to the point that I can’t get enough!

4. Revival is to convince me to love the Lord’s sovereign power and grace again. The simple claims of the gospel that once claimed my highest affections are renewed, even as my soul is re-aligned to a posture of vigorous praise and thanksgiving.

The fruit of revival is changed lives. My life, changed. Forever.

Pray for revival. World history demonstrates that God has sent revival to His people in times of national crisis, in times of conflict and war, and in times of particular economic and social calamity. The Bible describes our Heavenly Father looking throughout the whole earth to “give strong support” to those whose hearts are fully His (Second Chronicles 16:9). As we learned Wednesday evening in our study of “the walls of Jericho”: When God takes up our cause, we’re on the winning team! Revival reminds us whose team we’re really on.

If I might borrow a prayer request from Jonathan Edwards (Some Thoughts Regarding the Present Revival of Religion in New England), I would ask that you pray for me in this specific way: “that I may have more light, humility, and zeal; and that I may be favoured with such measures of the divine Spirit, as a minister of the gospel stands in need of, at such an extraordinary season.”

Thank you for lifting up our church family before Christ’s throne of grace. I’ll see you for prayer Sunday morning at 8:30 in the Carson Foyer.

Sermon audio for Session 1 of the FREE! Revival Series from Galatians 5:1-15. Click here to listen or download (Recorded live at First Baptist Paducah on August 3, 2014):

2014.08.03.FREE.RevivalSermon1.CharlesMoore

Sermon audio for Session 4 of the Engage Series, “A Call to Serve” from John 17. Click here to listen or download (Recorded live at First Baptist Paducah on July 27, 2014): 2014.07.27.Engage.Session4.CharlesMoore

Thanks, from the bottom of my heart, church family! You rocked the block.

Sunday evening was an over-the-top cap-off for what had already been a fantastic FBC week marked by God’s extravagant grace. Many of our children and students were coming off spiritually momentous experiences at their summer camps, and the “Rock the Block” outreach event at Coleman Park was the icing on the cake for all of us.

New friends were made. Old acquaintances were rekindled. Some teachers in our church met former students who they hadn’t seen in years. Sweet.

About 450 people came onto the park grounds and were a part of what we’ll surely remember as a successful (to God be the glory!) attempt to move FBC Paducah beyond the walls of our building. From the basketball court to the spray park to the line dancing to the Frisbees to the softball to the grilled hot dogs to the bands … it was a great night. Thanks to all our students and friends for providing such terrific and inspiring music!

We did not preach the gospel at our first event. That will come in time. Right now we’re prayerfully advancing in our local mission field by building relationships and expressing Christian kindness to our Paducah neighbors and friends (Proverbs 3:3; Luke 6:35; Colossians 3:12).

Believers in the early centuries of the church earned the reputation of extreme kindness to their contemporaries. The Roman emperor Julian, who reigned for a brief period in the mid-fourth century A.D. and who despised Christianity, rather unwittingly paid a glowing compliment to early Christians when he wrote: “As children are coaxed with cake, so have these Christians enticed the poor to join them by kindness. Strangers they have secured by hospitality. By affecting brotherly love, great moral purity, and honoring their dead, they have won the multitude.”

Go ahead and mark your calendars for August 24 and September 21. Lord willing, we’ll “Rock the Block” a couple more times before 2014 draws to a close. Who knows? Maybe in 2015 we’ll rock some other blocks in some other parts of this wonderful community that Christ has given us to love and serve in His name.