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(Guest Editorial by Brother Ritechus N. Dignation)
Churches today sure can get in a mess. The problem is that churches are made up of people and after all, people are human……..sinfully human. In some churches, the problem is worldly members, in other churches, there’s a power struggle, and in some churches, all they do is bicker and squabble and some even split, and it’s usually over nothin’.

One problem that can always be found in every church is unforgiveness. Some folks just can’t get over some penny ante junk and they pass the family feud on down to their kids. It usually ain’t nothing more than like when Aunt Suzy got a bee in her bonnet at cousin Clara ‘cause they happened to wear the same hat to the Sunday-go-to-meetin’ meal, and neither one of ‘em ever got over that cat fight. Then there was that time that Uncle Eb made a sour face over widow Magnolia’s carrot cake. She went and spread lies all over the county about his drinkin’ problem that he never had, but the church near ‘bout threw him out, until no witnesses could be found.

Every preacher would do well to preach on forgiveness once every three months, cause brother, all it takes to get crossed up with folks is puttin’ your mouth in gear before you engage your brain. Job said, “Man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward” and some folks make sparks continually. Ever’body’s gonna offend at some time and ever’body’s gonna get offended eventually. Jesus said that offenses would come, but woe be to those who bring them. Apparently, Jesus is not too happy with folks who go around offending. However, since He gave us a heads up, and promised offenses would come, we should focus on doing the right thing and gettin’ right with God and man after the offense, by doin’ our share of forgivin’.

How dare anyone not forgive another person, especially since God has already forgiven us more than we will ever have to forgive anyone else. Some church members won’t forgive others over one little word spoken out of place, when God has already forgiven them of a boat load of sins. Shame! Unforgiveness hinders, hurts and halts the Spirit of God among His people and has caused many a split in families and churches. Brethren, these things ought not to be. When the Devil tells you that the other person should forgive first, you just ignore the father of lies, forgive, forget, then keep on walkin’ and don’t look back. You will find that you can actually sleep at night and you won’t live in fear of runnin’ into widow Magnolia when you go to town.
A Dose of Reality by Joseph Harris Number 282

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Comments on Current Events in Government, Religion, Culture, and the Family, from a Conservative Biblical Perspective.
Sent free to all who request it at joharris@comcast.net or write to Joseph Harris 77 Neil Road Ellisville, MS 39437. Read Past Editions at www.miniedition.net.
Joseph Harris, has been a college professor and pastor since 1987 and his writings have appeared on Mississippi Baptist, WND, Sword of the Lord, Intellectual Conservative, Conservative Daily News, Canada Free Press, Land of the Free, News America Daily, and the European Union Times.

by Don Burke, Pastor • Breton Creek Baptist Church, Potosi
“Hello, my name is Jessica. Our family is three months behind on our rent and we are about to be kicked out of our house. Can your church help us?” Strangers requesting financial help like this is a common occurrence at our church, and probably at your church, too.

Our church is small and resources are very limited. Constant requests against our limited resources prompted me to comb the Scriptures for God’s guidelines in helping the needy, and I discovered that many modern church practices are not patterned upon the Biblical model.

“Remember (to help) the poor,” Paul admonished in Galatians. 2:10. But this admonition raises two fundamental questions: Who exactly are “the poor” and in what ways should we help them?

Who Are The Poor?
It seems most of us unthinkingly assume that the poor are a homogenous group of individuals or families that vary only in degree of need. However, Scripture, confirmed by personal experience and observations, reveals that this is not the case. Instead, these sources indicate that poverty is better understood as composed of at least four separate groups characterized by the needy’s choices and circumstances.

Those Who Are Poor By Choice — The truth is, some people are actually quite satisfied living in conditions our society labels as poverty; and they remain there not as victims of their circumstances, but by their own choice. Many do not need or want help. And any financial help given to them, if received at all, would not be used to improve this situation they prefer.

A number of Bible passages indicate that a level of poverty is not necessarily as bleak as some people presume. We know that Paul found contentment in such poverty. (Philippians 4:11-12) So living below an arbitrary income level does not mean that a person is not or cannot be content.

Those Who Are Poor Due To Their Choices — This second group is made up of people who remain in poverty due to their routine poor money choices, most often in the form of injudicious spending of money that could inch them away from poverty. This could be the person who chooses to spend money on vices (e.g., gambling, alcohol), or on morally neutral “extras” (e.g. satellite TV, video game gadgetry). He may be spending on more-expensive-than-necessary versions of necessities. Or this could be the lazy or indifferent person who loses his job because he habitually chooses to not get to work on time.

The poster child for this group is the Prodigal Son who, due to continual poor money choices, spent himself into abject poverty. The Bible highlights a number of choices which can cause poverty, including laziness (Proverbs 20:13), pursuing pleasures or other “empty pursuits” (Proverbs 21:7; 28:19) and a lack of a diligent work-ethic. (Proverbs 10:4; 21:5)

Those Who Are Poor Due To Short-Term Circumstances — People in this category have the actual or potential ability to provide for themselves (at least to some degree), but that ability is temporarily hindered by some limiting circumstance (e.g., partial disability, a family crisis, corporate downsizing). The young Ruth (after the loss of her first husband) and famine victims are Bible examples of people in this group.

Those Who Are Poor Due To Long-Term Circumstances — The needy in this final group face a permanent or long-term inability that prevents them from providing basic necessities for themselves and/or their families. Bible examples from this group include the 10 lepers, blind Bartimaeus and the lame man at the Gate Beautiful. Widows (if they were too old to remarry) and orphans (if they were too young to support themselves) also belong to this group.

We see that the Bible gives examples of each of the groups often labeled as poor today. But the Scripture’s own concept of poor — those unable to provide their common daily survival needs due to circumstances they can not control — fits the fourth group and probably most cases of the third group. These are the poor that Paul said to remember.

Guidelines For Helping The Poor
Bible guidelines for helping the various groups are found in passages such as Galatians 6:2, 5, I Timothy 5:3-15, Leviticus 19:9-10, 23:22, and Ruth 2. Due to limited space only a summary model from those guidelines is outlined here. (See http://ozarkinspirations.webs.com/Writings/PoorHelp.pdf for a more detailed discussion.)

We must re-examine our understanding of “poor” (poverty, needy) to be sure it matches the Bible’s more limited range of meaning. If a person’s survival is not genuinely in jeopardy, the label of poor may be Biblically unwarranted.

We must understand that those in poverty are not all needy for the same reason. Therefore what is helpful in one situation might not be helpful in another. For example, our default “cure” of giving material help (food, clothes, shelter, etc., or the money to obtain them) to the poor can, at times, compound their problem instead of improving it.

When a person remains in poor circumstances because of his own choices, other people should not be asked to shoulder the financial consequences of his choices.

A person in any type of poverty should provide for himself (and family, if applicable) to whatever degree that his capabilities and circumstances allow.

Those with regular increase from their labors should set aside a margin of that increase to help those in legitimate need. (Whether that margin should exceed one’s government payroll withholdings is a matter he must prayerfully decide in his own heart.)

The Bible’s discussion of providing the poor with material help only mentions the common daily provisions necessary to sustain life (basic food, basic clothing). Any help given above that is not necessarily disallowed, but is not demanded.

Ongoing material help (either short-term or long-term) should be provided only as the needy maintains a genuine effort to proactively address his poverty.

If material help is needed, it should first be sought among one’s own extended family.

If family is unable (or unwilling) to help, the needy can then seek help from the church — specifically, from the local congregation he belongs to and is active in.

At this point the congregation can consider helping, provided that the needy person has earlier invested in the congregation (at least relationally) and the needy has maintained a God-honoring lifestyle (both past and present). Only short-term help is given when the need is due to short-term or partially debilitating circumstances. Long-term help is reserved for more permanent inabilities. Any help must be discontinued when there is reason to suspect it has or will encourage laziness or other ungodly habits, or when it undermines a person’s taking proper financial responsibility for himself.

Conclusion
It seems that much of the modern help for the needy does not conform to aspects of the Biblical model. As a result, the world wrongly sees churches as holy ATM machines where anyone in financial straits just drives in, “pushes all the right buttons,” and help is automatically dispensed.

This view of the church stands in sharp contrast to its intended family nature where a person continually invests himself (relationally and financially) as he is able, then when there is a legitimate need he receives back from those he previously invested in. I must wonder if our practice of constantly giving to those who have not invested themselves in the system has undermined one of the intended draws of the church-family life.

Ministering by these guidelines will not be easy — but it is what God instructs churches to do. Abandoning them for a less demanding and less intrusive approach has caused great misconceptions and misuse of churches’ help. To continue on that easy road will further complicate the ministries for tomorrow’s congregations, overburden today’s resources and hobble many of the poor we wish to help. However, patterning our ministries to the Biblical model will be a benefit to all.

The Meramec Association of the BMA of Missouri has had a great time at Jesus Camp this week in Richwoods, Missouri!

Campers enjoyed delicious food, fellowship, worship in the outdoor tabernacle, an obstacle course including a climbing wall, softball, water games, puppet shows, and many more great times.

Don’t miss the photo gallery!

I Peter 2:9-19

Included in the verses of I Peter 2:9 are the words, “but ye are.” This places every Christian under close scrutiny, or another appropriate word would be a “microscope.” Pulpit commentary stated that “every Christian is bound both by witness for God with a life made fair by communion with Him, and by speech, when speech may be used.” Intelligible Christians will many times have to avow the morals which guide him or her.

Issues become urgent when they affect you, your family, friends, neighbors or your Christian community. Putting faces to issues makes the issue become very personal and important. People tend to be apathetic to injustices that affect society at large. However, when they affect us personally, or our children, grandchildren or others we know, we become concerned and engaged to become activists.

Marriage Is Under the Microscope:
The Word of God affirms the sanctity of the marriage vows. Included in the vows are love, personal commitment, mutual support and fidelity between ONE man and ONE woman. By obeying these Biblical concepts, we teach our children what is morally sound.

The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was enacted in September, 1996 and is a United States Federal Law. It defines marriage as “a legal union of one man and one woman.” The law was passed by both houses of the United States Congress with a large majority. It was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1996.

The DOMA law, in summary, states that no state or any other political subdivision of the United States may recognize “same-sex” relationships. God’s law also states in Genesis 2:21-25, in the marriage of Adam and Eve, “a man and a woman.” He declared “Adam and Eve” not “Adam and Steve.”

Microscopically, we examine the law of the United States and God’s Laws. The President and Vice President of the United States, recently, declared their allegiance to “same-sex marriage.” This is contrary to Federal Law and God’s law. Therefore, we as Christians, must teach our children I Peter 2:9 so that they will know who they are in Christ.

Media and Values Are Under the Microscope:
“But ye are” of I Peter 2:9, puts every Christian under a microscope, and “has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.” Mass Media, whether intentionally or not, is undermining the truths of Christianity.

The media continually promotes non-Christian values including graphic sexual content, profanity, violence and non-functional family lifestyles. They could choose to promote, motivate and inspire but this is seldom the scenario. Family values are attacked through television, computer and the entertainment industry. Their affects are dehumanizing and with excessive sensationalism. They are, of course, in violation of Biblical teachings. For the sake of our Christian families, we must work together to halt the erosion of moral and ethical values.

Gambling is Under the Microscope:
States are desperate again for economic dollars, particularly for the funding of education, and once again gambling is being considered the most likely source of income. Gambling is a menace to our society and further erosion to moral values. This so-called form of pleasure is destructive to “good” government and “good” stewardship.

Those who have faith in God’s Word, should abstain from this practice and pray for those who are victims of this deed. They should seek counseling and be directed into positive and constructive habits. Pastors, church leaders and congregations should preach and teach against commercial gambling, pubic lotteries, casinos, bingo, and other ‘games of chance” as either a source of income, recreation or escape.

Christians are under the Microscope:
I Peter 2:9 states, “but ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” The apostle Peter reminds us of the privileges we have as believers in Christ.

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by Dr. John M. Adams • Executive Director – Moral Action

As 2012 continues to pass, God’s blessings continue to flow here in Smithville. He is still at work changing lives, answering prayers, and drawing people to Himself! We have seen direct answers to prayers in the pass week and we want to thank you for your continued support and interest in the goings on here with our Kingdom work!

During the month of March we had the privilege of seeing the lives of two people changed by God’s grace. Maria Pinzon learned of North Lake church through her son Javier, and has been attending for sometime now. She is originally from Cuba, and moved to Smithville from New Jersey. Since she started attending many questions have been raised for her to seek answers to. Well, on March 18th, she found the answer…JESUS!

Barb Baker,who was saved in January of this year was used by God in this life changing process for Maria. It has been a pleasure to watch God use new Christians, like Barb, to invite others to “come and see” the Jesus who changes lives.

Lisa Roseman has been attending North Lake for over a year. Her daughter, Amanda, was saved in January of this year and their family has been a great encouragement to the ministries of North Lake. Lisa had been dealing with making a decision about following Christ for sometime and on March 21st she knew that it was time that she made her commitment. As tears flowed, she confessed with her mouth that Jesus was her Lord! My wife, Rebekah, and Lisa have been working together for over 2 years now, and have become close. It seems to me that there are no substitutes for personal relationships in the process of someone coming face to face with the truth about Christ. God uses His children to share about their relationship with Him, so that others can begin a relationship with Him as well. Please pray that we continue to do that at North Lake.

We began our summer by taking a group of students to serve Joplin the last week of May. It was a great trip in whichwe were able to cut and deliver wood to Mr. MaCallister, and work on the home of Miss Martin. We were blessed to have the opportunity to serve and I was proud of the young people of North Lake Church for giving their first week of summer vacation to aid others in need.

The disciple making process is a great endeavor and we covet your prayers. Our LifeGroups have expanded from two to six and we are seeing more and more opportunities come to light. Please pray that God will continue to grant us wisdom in this process and that He would provide/train leaders for the harvest (Luke 10:2).
Bro. Jamie

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The pictures below show the people Bro. Jones writes about in his article. These are examples of what happens when God’s people establish relationships with those around them and show the love of God through service, helpfulness and interest in the lives of others. We should let God use us each day in helping others. Show them God cares and they will listen to you when you tell them about Jesus!

by Chris Polk, Camp Superintendent
Things are starting to get busy in the Garwood area. We had a great time at the Men’s retreat and are looking forward to the work weekends and retreats preceding camp. The campgrounds are in great shape but there are always things to do. We have begun a drainage project that needs to be finished.
Along with some painting. Pressure washing, and just good ole cleaning. There are a dozen or so other odd jobs that we are hoping to see done by
camp week.

Our camp theme and verse may seem, mismatched at first so I’d like to explain my thoughts a little.

“Finishing Strong”

Job 27:6 “My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.”

While Job himself offers plenty of teaching opportunities. “Finishing Strong” is intended to be directed at teaching our youth that we remain faithful to God and His church, regardless of our life circumstances. We could have used 2 Timothy 4:7, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:” but Job also provides a great foundation for teaching this lesson in the present tense. Oh, if we could learn that it’s better to remain faithful through the hard stuff. As opposed to running off to another church or the world every time life gets tough. By being determined to Finish Strong before trials come.

The Harper Family will again be leading the worship services and Bro. Dustin Wisely preaching the word. Most of you have met the Harpers and know their love for the Lord. Dustin has been Youth Pastor since 2008 at First Baptist Church Magnolia, AR. “I train students up to be warriors for the cause of Christ with the ultimate goal of exalting him and revealing his
glory to the world! Whoo! Hoo!” (Dustin’s FB job description)
I expect camp will be a tremendous blessing as always. I’ll have the camp grounds as ready as possible, you bring as many people as possible, and lets all pray for the Lord to move in a mighty way.

May 19, 2012 by Dennis Baker, President

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The 2012 Annual meeting held at Stony Point Missionary Baptist Church, Mineral Point, Missouri on March 3, 2012 was will attended. The program focused on prayer. A passage of Scripture was read and each individual was asked what the text contained that either reminded them of something to thank God for or something that that was an encouragement. Then individuals were selected to pray concerning each item. Officers elected were Dennis Baker, President, Roy Callahan, Secretary/Treasurer, and James Hoffmann and Claude Evans, to help with planning the spring and fall retreats.

The Spring Men’s Retreat held at Camp Garwood on May 4 & 5, 2012 was attended by a total of forty men and young men. The retreat began with a Fish Fry prepared by Lucas Polk and Manuel Spraggs. The theme was “Honoring Women.” Bro. James Hoffmann brought a wonderful devotional that focused on respect for women because they are God’s creation. After the devotion the men shared a picture of the their wife or their girlfriend and shared something about their relationship. Thanks to those men who shared the joy and lessons learned in their marriage relationship. The evening closed with a “Flower Talk.” Each man was given a rose that represented honor and true respect for womanhood, and more importantly motherhood. The flowers were a symbol of a mother’s love. If the individual’s mother has passed away the sight of the flower was to quicken every tender memory of her and strengthen the individual’s efforts to be worthy of her hopes and ambitions for them. If their mother was living, when they got home, they were encouraged to give it to their mother and to tell her that it is in recognition of God’s best gift to a man other than salvation, a mother’s love. They were encouraged to take their mother in their arms and say- thank you for all the sacrifices you have made and the love and care you give me.

The Saturday activities included a great breakfast and a devotional by Brian Whitlock, Skeet Shooting and Turkey Shoot. There were thirty men and young men that took part in the shooting events. The Skeet Shoot consisted of three rounds of three shots per person.

Trophy winners were:
• 1st place Experienced-Larry Jamison (9 of 9)
• 2nd place Experienced-Denver Page (6 of 9)
• 3rd place Experienced-Bobby McMahan (4 of 9)
• 1st place Beginner-Matthew Bolen (8 of 9)
• 2nd place Beginner-Bradley Evans (6 of 9)
• 3rd place Beginner- Drew Burgess (5 of 9)

The Turkey Shoot was three rounds of three shots each at 75 feet, the winners were given a frozen turkey. There was a four-way tie with a perfect score of 30. These four were given one shot at 100 feet and Bobby McMahan was the over all winner and winner of the Skilled Youth.
Eddie Pickens-Amateur Adult, James Eaton-Skilled Adult, and James Shoemaker-Amateur Youth, were also winners.

A special thanks is due Jason Colburn and Kenny McMahan for helping mentor the beginning shooters and insuring that everyone handled their guns safely. Door prizes were given to Jonathan Brown, Jerry Pickens, Jason Colburn, Daniel Burgess, and Bobby Bowls.

Thanks to the individuals and churches who contributed over $750 for the expenses of this retreat.

Continue to pray for the BMA of Missouri Brotherhood as we try to promote Christian fellowship, biblical leadership education, and mentoring for the older men and young men of our churches.