NO REGRETS!

Have you ever been halfway into a new endeavor and thought, ""What in the world am I doing! This is crazy! If only I'd been content with how things were before I got into this mess!" That's exactly what Joshua was thinking soon after He led the Israelites into the Promised Land. In Joshua 7:7 he cries out to God, "If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan!"

The honeymoon period had been pretty sweet for Joshua. As soon as he assumed leadership of the Hebrew people, God parted the Jordan River (during flood stage, I might add) and Joshua led the people across into the land of Canaan. The buzz in the Israeli camp was, "God is with Joshua just like He was with Moses!" Everyone, including Joshua, was feeling really pumped about it. Even their first battle in the Promised Land was a miraculous victory. God delivered Jericho into Israel's hands and they didn't have to fire an arrow! With a simple shout the walls came tumbling down. At this point, not a single Israeli was regretting the decision to charge into Canaan and take possession of the land of promise. It was all good.

But then came the city of Ai. Joshua's advisor's thought it would be an easy win. But it turned into an absolute disaster for Israel. They were soundly defeated. That's when the remorse hit Joshua. The pain of his regret literally put him face down on the ground. How he wished they had stayed on the other side of the Jordan. Can you hear his thoughts? "It was so easy on that side! Back then there were no battles to fight. Back there we didn't have had to shed tears or blood. If only we had been satisfied to stay in our comfort zone!"

What's interesting is God's response to Joshua. The Lord said, "Get up off your face! You've got business to take care of." Long story, short, God revealed to Joshua that there was sin in the camp and that was the reason they'd been defeated. With this news and renewed hope from the Lord, Joshua pushed through his regret and got back to the task at hand. The result was that Israel got rid of the sin holding them back. They reached a new level of dedication to God and determination to follow His plan.

I've been praying for the 113 people who were baptized into Christ at First Church last weekend. My own experience on the journey tells me that at some point each of them will hit a wall of discouragement, even disillusionment, in their faith. It just happens. And when it does, that's when we need to find renewed hope in Christ. We need to hear God say, "Get up and keep on keeping on!" If we persevere our regrets will fade and God's promises will grow brighter. That's why God tells us in Galatians 6:9, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

Sometimes people regret starting a family. It's hard at times, but in the end, to say it's worth it is a huge understatement. Sometimes people regret beginning to tithe their income to the Lord. It's not easy, but in the end there are no regrets!

Many years ago the young heir to the Borden dairy fortune, Bill Borden, left his life of ease to become a missionary in China. While there he contracted a disease that caused an early death. On his deathbed he penned these words, "No reserve, no retreat, and no regrets."

I want to lean into the life God has called me to! When tempted to retreat, I want to heed God's call to keep charging. At times Joshua may have wished he had been content on the other side where life was comfortable. But in the end he lived a "strong and courageous" life for God's glory. On my deathbed that last thing I want to do is regret failing to "cross the Jordan" when God said go.

TODAY IS THE DAY!

The last 6 months has been a whirlwind! Basically due to an incredible transition in life. In March I wrapped about 12 years of ministry with Heritage Christian Church in Fayetteville, GA and began a new ministry at First Church in Burlington, KY. My wife and children moved from our home in Peachtree City to our new home in Union, KY in May. As wild as it has been, we've seen God's hand in it each step of the way. Still it was crazy enough to keep me away from the blog spot!

But what happened this weekend at First Church was more than enough to get me off the "blogging bench" and back into the game! Over the course of three weekend services 113 people were baptized into Christ. The 14-foot diameter pool on stage was rocking as students, grandparents, men, women, and even entire families plunged into the waters of baptism with Jesus. It's was the closest thing to Acts 2 I've ever experienced! God showed up in a powerful way to lead people to say, TODAY IS THE DAY!

Some of the stories were amazing. One couple told me that their son baptized a buddy who is heading off to college next week...this couple had been praying for their son's friend to accept Christ since he was in 4th grade! I was blown away as entire families stepped into that pool together. It must have been a lot like that in the Bible as Lydia's entire houseld and the Philippian Jailer's whole family were baptized into Christ. The tears, shouts of joy, whoops of praise, high fives and huge hugs among those baptized said it all. God was there and He was changing lives!

For the past month our mantra has been "Don't put off until SOMEDAY what God is calling you to do TODAY." And wow, what a day TODAY has been!