Ethiopia Hunger Relief Effort

Dear Westwood Baptist Church Family,

I want to commend you and thank you for your fantastic generosity and compassion demonstrated in our recent Hunger Relief Offering for the Ethiopian believers in Merebete.  Your contributions totaled $5571.61.  This contribution will feed over 200 families as well as give the churches food resources to assist other people in their communities who are suffering, which opens the door for the gospel to be delivered to hurting hearts.  Your amazing response indicates the depth of your compassion and commitment to these fellow believers. Your beautiful heart is showing in amazing ways and I am overwhelmed by your response and I know the churches will be also. 

John and RK left yesterday afternoon to take the money you gave and begin buying and distributing food.  They will return Friday, August 12.  We will take time during our morning worship services on the 14^th for John and RK to report on their trip.  The time they will spend on the ground is more than they will need to distribute food, so they will also be making preparations for the two upcoming trips in October.  Please pray for their safety and their usefulness in the expansion work of the kingdom of God. 

Feeding on His grace and your fellowship,

Rick Dees

God's Passion, Power and Pleasure in Our Humble Attitude

Our attitude toward one another is significant in the eyes of God.  Jesus repeatedly told the disciples to love and serve each other.  Then He demonstrated the command through the greatest of love and service by offering Himself as the sacrificial Lamb of God.

It seems evident that Paul had this thought in mind when he wrote Philippians 2.  Through the truth of God becoming flesh, His sacrificial death and victorious resurrection, Paul teaches the attitudes Christians should live toward each other and the means of doing so.   Let’s first look at the example Paul gives for his command, “Have this mind among yourselves” (Philippians 2:5).

The example is Christ.  Paul says this about Jesus, “who though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped” (v.6).  The front of this verse states that Jesus existed as God, ‘form’ meaning of the same essence.  The last part of this verse affirms the first.  He was so truly God that it was not a consideration in His mind to be concerned with losing any portion of being God by becoming flesh. So at no time did Jesus cease to be fully God, even when He became flesh, the God-man.  An illustration may be helpful in understanding the humility reflected in Jesus becoming flesh.

Suppose Usain Bolt, the fastest human, were to agree to race with me in a three legged race.  In doing so, he would be in company with one of the slowest humans on earth.  In agreeing to tie himself to me, Bolt would be accepting my limitations.  The same is true for Jesus, who by becoming flesh accepted the limitations of flesh for the sake of our redemption.  In doing so, Jesus considered others significance over His own.  Paul’s encouragement to us is to be humble as Christ was humble.  How can we apply this principle to our life?

First, God is at work in you.  This is by the Spirit of God. His aim at working in you is to propel out of you spiritual fruit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control), for His pleasure.  Setting our minds on the pleasure of God rather than our own breaks out into the greatest pleasure we can experience.  It equals the opposite of the above illustration.  When we bind ourselves to Christ, He enables us to live out His passion, by His power, for His pleasure.

In my next post I will share three qualities that move humility closer to becoming habitual.

Defining Pride

Pride is a killer of relationships, especially the relationship between us as believers and Christ.  I need a daily dose of humility and found it today in a quote from Augustine:

“Pride is the craving for undeserved glory.  And this is undeserved glory:  when the soul abandons the One it should cling to for sufficiency and becomes self reliant.” – Augustine, City of God, 14.13.

What are the significant quotes, both of Scripture and others that remind you to rely on God?  Leave yours in the comment box.  Like I said, I need a daily dose so your reminders will be helpful to me and hopefully to others.

What if the Man in the Arena is Wrong?

One of my favorite quotes of all time comes from the late former President Theodore Roosevelt. It is from perhaps his most famous speech, Citizenship in a Republic.


“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face in marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly…”

Everyone imagines themselves as the man in the arena. But, if I am honest I often find that I am the critic. It is a great quote, but what if the critic is right? What if all the labor the ‘man in the arena’ is doing is vain? Does the critic have the right to express that opinion?

Certainly we have a right, or should I say an obligation to express truth. The trouble we find ourselves getting into is how that truth is expressed. Does it profit and build up or does it provoke and tear down? So the question that really needs to be asked is: “How should I express truth?” For the sake of clarification, let me give a couple of definitions, out of many, for criticism:

Critic – 1) one who expresses a reasoned opinion on any matter especially involving a judgment of its value, truth, righteousness, beauty, or technique

Criticize - to consider the merits and demerits of and judge accordingly

Notice the balance in criticism. It measures the merits and demerits of and then judges accordingly. As a Christian, our standard of measure is the Bible, rather than our opinion. This is the first lesson in expressing truth. Express truth from its source. Now, what is the aim of criticism? Paul gives at least three goals of criticism (Ephesians 4:29).

First, criticism should be expressed in a way that demonstrates the good fruit of a believer. No rotten words should come from us. Instead what we say should come from a heart that is purified by Christ. Second, the criticism should build up rather than tear down. Third, it should give grace or joy to those who hear it. This last one may be delayed. Joy may not come for a while. Just as discipline does not seem to be good when we are going through it, we are grateful for it in the end.

Do you find yourself critical?  Seek wisdom from God and apply it to your responses.  James gives is the character of the wisdom of God along with the result of the one who applies it.

"But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace" (3:17-18). 

If we apply these characteristics to our criticisms, I am certain both we and those we seek to build up will find much more joy in our living.

Being Light to All

Spurgeon's morning devotional today (see below) is a great reminder of our influence to the world and to each other as believers.  Being light to a lost world is a great responsibility.  We are to live our lives representing Christ as ambassadors.  However, we should never forget to declare with our mouth the gospel by which we live.  Should people see the life that is Christ in us?  Certainly! They should see it consistently. But without an explanation of the hope we have they will only have a model of behavior rather than a model of Christ.  Instead of  "Preach the gospel, and when necessary use words," perhaps we should say, "Preach the gospel, it's always necessary to use words."

Morning and Evening

by Charles Spurgeon

"In the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world."


Philippians 2:15

We use lights to make manifest. A Christian man should so shine in his life, that a person could not live with him a week without knowing the gospel. His conversation should be such that all who are about him should clearly perceive whose he is, and whom he serves; and should see the image of Jesus reflected in his daily actions. Lights are intended for guidance. We are to help those around us who are in the dark. We are to hold forth to them the Word of life. We are to point sinners to the Saviour, and the weary to a divine resting-place. Men sometimes read their Bibles, and fail to understand them; we should be ready, like Philip, to instruct the inquirer in the meaning of God's Word, the way of salvation, and the life of godliness. Lights are also used for warning. On our rocks and shoals a light-house is sure to be erected. Christian men should know that there are many false lights shown everywhere in the world, and therefore the right light is needed. The wreckers of Satan are always abroad, tempting the ungodly to sin under the name of pleasure; they hoist the wrong light, be it ours to put up the true light upon every dangerous rock, to point out every sin, and tell what it leads to, that so we may be clear of the blood of all men, shining as lights in the world. Lights also have a very cheering influence, and so have Christians. A Christian ought to be a comforter, with kind words on his lips, and sympathy in his heart; he should carry sunshine wherever he goes, and diffuse happiness around him.

Gracious Spirit dwell with me;

I myself would gracious be,

And with words that help and heal

Would thy life in mine reveal,

And with actions bold and meek

Would for Christ my Saviour speak.

Thanksgiving 2009

We went to my brother's house in Lindale, Texas to celebrate Thanksgiving this year.  As usual, we had a fantastic time with our family and friends.  Three years ago, the boys and I began a new tradition called the Turkey Bowl.  Following our meal we play a game of touch football.  This year we were able to have a few more players and a little more competition.  For some reason I always have to defend and be defended by my nephew, Cody.  Remember, I am 43 years old and my days of blazing speed and quick acceleration are far in my past.  Cody is 21, in shape, a two time all state safety and carries the nickname 'swole' he picked up in high school because of his muscle tone.  To say the least, I was skunked all day.  Regardless of my wounded pride, we had a tremendous day of fun including a game I could win, "Chubby Bunny."  The game involves stuffing a marshmellow in your mouth and then saying, "Chubby Bunny."  Each round you add a marshmellow.  As you can imagine, the person with the biggest mouth wins.  Steven and I were the last two standing, but I prevailed. With Thanksgiving behind us we now begin preparations for Christmas.  I hope everyone had a Blessed Thanksgiving.

God's Love

God’s love is everlasting. One cannot find its beginning. Even in eternity, we will not discover its end. It is as eternal as the One it proceeds from. His love is boundless, measureless, endless, limitless, infinite, and inexhaustible.

God’s love is inexpressible. No thought can reach it, no tongue can declare it, no pen can express it, no choir can sing its melody, but the blood of Jesus demonstrates it to us.

God’s love is uncontainable and irrepressible. Sin cannot hem it in. Instead, it increases its flow to overflowing. The devil can’t build a stronghold that God’s love cannot dismantle and overwhelm. “To write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry, Nor could the scroll contain the whole tho stretched from sky to sky.”

God’s love is unattainable. No human good can deserve it. No position is worthy to possess it. No power can conquer it and make it its own. It can only be bestowed as a gift.

God’s love is inexhaustible. When you experience His love, you will always want more. As your desire increases you will discover the well never runs dry. All the saints of all time will never in all eternity drain the flow of the living water of God’s love.

God’s love is inescapable. To the ends of the earth His love pursues you. In the lowest depth you cannot hide. At the highest height you cannot evade His love. In the darkest cave the light of His love is brilliant. His love will hunt you down, capture you and will never let you go.