Praying the Midnight Oil

My mother has always had some unusual sayings. I guess you could call them "Hazelisms." One that I remember was "well son , I guess you are going to have to burn the midnight oil." Usually she would say something like that to me when I had a test the next day. She meant that I had to stay up late until I got finished.

Lately, the Lord has been waking me in the middle of the night. I have been taking advantage of those times by "praying the midnight oil." You might say that the Lord is "keeping me at the foot of the cross." It is amazing what God brings to mind at 3:30 a.m. Some of my church family comes to mind and I pray for them. Sometimes my house in Georgia comes to mind and I ask God to PLEASE SELL IT! Sometimes my family comes to mind and I pray for their happiness and protection. Sometimes my blessings come to mind and I just lay there and quietly praise the Lord for His faithfulness. Sometimes I rehearse my sermon for the following Sunday as I pray through it. Sometimes I picture the church full of people and pray down each pew. Sometimes I picture the pews empty and pray that God will fill them.

It's amazing what God brings to mind at 3:30 a.m!

Great Day!

Today we celebrated 175 years as a church -- First Baptist Church of Sylacauga, Alabama. Our church started in 1833 in a small frame building.

As Linda Dickson, our History Committee chairperson read the accomplishments of the church through the years, she recounted some of the accomplishments of the former pastors. One president, Dr. Wm. K. Weaver went on to become the president of Mobile College (The University of Mobile.) Dr. A. H. Reid was the president of Howard College (Samford University) where Reid Chapel at the univeristy named for him. I doubt if I will ever be a university president. I am not sure if I will ever be published. I am sure of this...God will do with me what He will. My greatest accomplishment is giving my life to Jesus!

We had a great day of celebration -- TO GOD BE THE GLORY!

The Car Game

I have been feeling very nostagic for some reason. If you have been reading my blog you know that already. Peanuts in a Coke -- c'mon! I can't help it I just love going back in time and remembering the good times.

I grew up out in the country between Piedmont and Gadsden, Alabama. Our driveway was a deadend onto busy highway 278. One of my favorite things to do was to sit on the front porch with my sister, Pat, and play the car game. Here is how it would go. We would sit on the steps or on the "glider" and watch for cars to pass. When we decided to play the game one of us would say, "The next car is mine." We would then watch to see what kind of car fate would give us. Sometimes an old clunker would pass by. If fate gave me the clunker, my sister would laugh. If she got the clunker, I would laugh! The fun thing about the game is that we could not see what was coming. It was a surprise!

Life is like the car game. We simply do not know what is coming next. Sometimes life brings us "clunkers." Other times in our lives we are blessed beyond our wildest imagination. The good news is.....God knows what is coming next. Isn't is great that we can TRUST him with the outcome. In His Word he admonishes us to "walk by faith and not by sight." When I preach/teach this scripture, I always share an incredible truth that God revealed to me one day. Here it is: God's plans for your life are not based on what YOU can see -- His plans for you life are based on what HE already knows!

Jeremiah 29:10-11 says, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." (NKJV)

Simple Pleasures

The older I get the more I am enjoying the simple pleasures of this life. Some to the things that I enjoy might surprise you.

The other day I was heading to the hospital in Alex City, Alabama. The drive is a beautiful one and it was a beautiful day. For some reason it reminded me of when I used to ride my bike for over a mile to Knighten's Crossroads in the summer. I could ride my bike to Jordan's Store and spend 15 cents and get a snack. Now here is where you might be surprised. The snack was a Coke in a bottle and a pack of peanuts. I would open the Coke on that red box bottle opener and yes...I would pour the peanuts into the Coke bottle with the Coke. It was fizz brown bubbles. I would hold it up to my mouth and taste the salt around the top of the glass bottle. For all of you young folks, the Coke bottles were actually made of glass.

I would drink the peanuts into my mouth and munch away! It was great. When I finished this gourmet snack I would turn the bottle upside down and see where the Coca Cola was bottled. It was a real treat if it came from far away. Simple pleasures!

Well you know what I had to do on the way to the hospital. I stopped at the next store and popped open a Coke and put in the peanuts! I was transported back in time. Simple pleasures!

Our walk with God is full of simple pleasures. God wants us to slow down and enjoy HIM! We are so busy with life that if we are not careful we will miss some wonderful blessings.

Take some time today to just enjoy loving our Lord and let Him love on YOU! I promise that He has time for you!

The Problem.....

I am finding a problem in the church today. I am not only speaking of the church I pastor, but the church worldwide. We have become the church that John wrote about in Revelation 2: the church at Ephesus. John records the words of Jesus: "I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name's sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless I have this againse you, that you have left your first love." (Revelation 2:2-4 -- NKJV)

The problem is -- we simply do not love Jesus as we should. We love our church buildings, we love our youth, we love our senior adults, we love our programs but honestly -- DO WE LOVE JESUS MORE THAN THESE?

I believe it is time for a old fashioned love story to unfold in the church. It is time for our hearts to race and our palms to sweat because we are so in love with Jesus. (Debbie still makes my heart race!) We should be so excited as we gather together as blood bought children of God, that our gathering is contagious to the world outside the walls of the church.

The great evangelist Vance Havner once said: "We have left our love for Christ, and when love for Christ dies, love for each other, for the Bible, for souls, dies."

Please join me in praying for the church. Let's pray that we all fall madly in love with Jesus Christ all over again. Let's pray for a giddiness, an innocence, a hunger and thirst for Jesus Christ!

Shoveling in the Pits

When I was a junior in high school I took a summer job working with a construction company. The company I worked for was the contractor of choice for Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company in Gadsden, Alabama. My father worked there for 32 years. I will never forget my first day on the job in and around that tire plant. My foreman took me out behind the plant and showed me two giant concrete pits. He gave me a shovel and said, “Clean these out.” It was the sewerage treatment plant. I wanted to turn around and run as fast as I could toward the gates, but I knew that I had to keep this job if I was going to get a better car. I shoveled until I thought my arms would fall off. Because of the nature of the work, every bone in my body ached. Shoveling over and over and over again was sheer drudgery. The stench was horrible. When it came time to go home I was worn out. I could barely move. I worked myself into exhaustion.

Fast forward a few years! After I became a Christian I wanted so much to please God. I worked and worked and I just became tired. Since I went into the ministry and particularly after I became a pastor I have found myself physically exhausted. However, since I have allowed Jesus to become my life there is a huge difference in my life. I have a supernatural energy that comes from my relationship with my heavenly Father through Jesus, His Son. There is purpose to what I do because it is Him doing it through me. I am humbled that my Lord wants to come live inside me.

Jesus wants to come live inside you, too. He does not want to just dwell there. He is a God of action. He wants to live through you and give your life purpose and hope. If you are tired of the “sheer drudgery” of living why not ask Jesus to come live through you right now?

If you are interested in getting out of that pit and inviting Jesus to become your life, do not hesitate to leave a comment with your contact information.

God loves me!

I want to make sure that everyone knows THAT I KNOW THAT GOD LOVES ME. After my friend and brother in Christ, Kevin Maples, left a comment on my blog I decided to go back and read it again!

After reading the blog again I realized that I was vague about my strong feelings.

God has been so faithful to me through 24 years of ministry. He has been faithful! HE LOVES ME!!!

The Joy that Radiates the Love of God

The other day I ran across a great quote from Samuel Chadwick. I want to share it with you on The Branch!

Spirit filled souls are ablaze for God. They love with a love that glows. They serve with a faith that kindles. They serve with a devotion that consumes. They hate sin with fierceness that burns. They rejoice with a joy that radiates. Love is perfected in the fire of God.

~Samuel Chadwick~

I have been thinking about the love of God alot lately. We moved to First Baptist Church Sylacauga in September, 2007. When we came this direction we knew that we would need to buy a house here in Sylacauga. We lived in our lake house for a while but it was just too far away to accomodate the busy lifestyle of the pastorate. Therefore, we stepped out on faith and with the help of Alabama Trust Bank, and bought the house in which we are now living. Because our house in Georgia is still for sale (10 months now) we have been under the strain of paying for a house in which we do not live -- the upkeep of the property and recently our insurance was canceled because the house is sitting empty. The situation with the house and some other things we have been going through are difficult situations.

The devil loves difficult situations. He loves to get into our thinking and change the way we think. I have the thought that God does not love me on more than one occasion! Surely if God loves me He will sell the house! Yet, the house has not sold. Satan would have me believe that God would display his love for us by selling the house. Not so. My passion for the call to the ministry is not based on houses and lands. My call is forever.

I am praying for a life described in the Chadwick quote. Ablaze, glowing, showing the UNCONDITIONAL LOVE of God -- to hate sin with a fierceness -- to have a joy that radiates with an understanding that going through trials will only give God an opportunity to 'SHINE.'

The Wall

This blog is not a spiritual one -- just a great memory.......it is a true story from my life.

The Wall

When I was growing up I attended a small country school called Roy Webb School; grades one through nine. I can remember playing in the cotton fields that were next to the school. As a matter of fact we actually had “cotton picking days” when school would let out so the kids could pick cotton on their family farms. My uncle Willie Johnson owned the property next to the school so I picked cotton in that field on more than one occasion. I can remember dragging the bag on the ground through the rows of cotton trying desperately to get to the shade tree at the end of the row. I can’t remember how much money I earned, I just remember that it was not much. After all, I was only in the 2nd or 3rd grade.

The cotton fields completely surrounded the school grounds so I always found myself wandering down to the field during recess or P.E. A couple of buddies and I experimented with “rabbit tobacco,” built forts from the pine straw, and slid down the red clay bank. What memories?!!

One of my strongest memories from that time in my life was “the wall.” There was a walkway leading from the building where our classrooms were located. One of the true tests of “manhood” was if you could stand on the wall and jump off. I remember the first time someone dared me to jump. I walked over to the wall and stood there. I held my breath………and then I “chickened out.” Some of the boys made fun of me for being afraid, some of the girls just giggled! The next time someone dared me I went through the same routine but this time – I DID IT! I jumped. It was great! The feeling was great! Everyone cheered and I felt like such a man.

About 30 years later, I visited the school. The fields were still there. Everything looked the same. Well, not everything. I went down the hall remembering the smells, looking into the rooms and them I remembered the wall. I stepped out the door to the walkway and went looking for “THE WALL.” As I walked down the steps the memories rushed back to me. There is a distinctive feeling that comes when I think about it right now.

I found “the wall.” It was about three feet tall! I went to the wall, took one step and the rest is history. I did not get the same exhilarating feeling but the memories were great…memories of the day when I conquered – THE WALL!

My Reminder Article

Sharon told me that there was not room for my article in our church newsletter because there are so many senior portraits. I am posting it here for those from FBC-Sylacauga who reads my blog --

Dear Church Family,

I saw something beautiful last night in the church service. At the end of the service, God impressed on me to call forward a young man who has been visiting our church. He has been having some health problems. It was such a beautiful sight to see the “body of Christ” lavish their prayers and love on this young man. Most people do not even know him but were willing to come to the altar and pray for him! Thanks to the body for being the body. When one member of the body of Christ hurts we all suffer. I am sure that this young man will never forget the night at First Baptist when the saints of God went to the throne of God on his behalf. God is so good!

A few important reminders –

• Pastor’s Book Club – check the web site or call the office for details.
  
• 175th Anniversary – May 25th – a great day of celebration
  
• Sunday’s In the Park – an awesome time of fellowship and OUTREACH to the community. One Sunday night per month during the summer.

I will be starting to preach through the book on Nehemiah on Sunday mornings. I hope you will join us!

Thanks for all of the food, cards, phone cards and visits as I have recovered from my surgery. Each expression of love has brightened my day in some way!

Did you know…..you can view our services on the church web site? www.sylacaugafbc.org

I am in much prayer and study at this point of my ministry with you. I believe that we are at a crossroads – please be in prayer and seek God with me. The most important thing that can happen here is for us to be the instrument of God’s will!

Galatians 2:20,
Brother T

A Tribute to Hazel

Everytime I tried to call my mother today the phone was busy. When I finally got in touch with her tonight she informed me that she had been very busy today. She said that she and the Senior Choir sung in the service today at her church -- First Baptist Church of Piedmont, Alabama. Afterwards she went to my sister, Charlotte's house for lunch where she spent the afternoon. I started trying to call late in the afternoon and the phone line was busy everytime. When I talked to her tonight she said that my brother and sisters were checking in for Mother's Day. She was full of news. She's always full of news.

Recently, when I was visiting her I asked her why she stayed so busy. I wanted to encourage her to slow down some. She will be 91 in June. I will always remember what she said. "Well son, I just keep going because if I stop, I will get there." I think I know what she meant -- don't give up! Don't stop. I told her that she is like the Energizer Bunny -- she just keeps going and going!

A tribute....

I thought she was weak, she was really strong.
I thought she was old fashioned she was really wise.

I thought she was pretty, she thought she was plain.

My mother is the best cook, the strongest willed, best looking 91 year old woman I know. She loves the Lord, loves to read, loves to paint, loves to sew, loves to work with her hands, loves to garden, loves her church, loves her kids, and loves the outdoors!

She taught me how to make banana sandwiches, tomato gravy, biscuits, dressing, fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, salmon patties.

She was not afraid to try to do anything. She was not always about women's work -- I never knew if a wall would be moved or if one would be added. She protected me and prayed for me when a tornado went over our house. She built a BBQ Pit out of salvaged bricks. She cared for me and her mother in law. She birthed 5 kids. She raised 5 and buried one. I don't think she ever got over it. I know she didn't. She never talked about it.

She is truly one of the most unique people I have ever met. She is not the perfect mother but she is my mother and I love her!

Playing Tarzan

When I was a kid I loved Saturday mornings. I would get up early to watch cartoons. After Mighty Mouse and some other cartoons, 3 of my favorite shows came on: Tarzan, Roy Rodgers and Skye King.

Many times after the shows went off I would go out to play and re-enact the plot of my favorite show for the day. My sister, Pat, who is a little older than me would join in on the fun. I will never forget the time when we were playing Tarzan.

My grandmother lived in a small house in front of our house. She had a huge tree in her yard. My sister played the part of Jane, the huge oak tree played the part of Tarzan and of course because I was the little brother -- I always had to play the part of "boy." I only had two choices: Boy or Cheetah. (the chimp) My sister always insisted that those were the only two parts that fit for me.

One day really stands out in my memory. Pat ran up to Tarzan (the tree) and wrapped her arms around as far as she could and said, "Oh Tarzan -- thank you for saving me." At this point I noticed something on the tree. It seems that a green snake had slithered up the tree and was just kind of hanging out. I could have stopped her but I didn't. She meant to kiss Tarzan but instead she kissed the snake! It was not what she expected. She screamed and ran home. I remember laughing all the way back to the house! I am laughing right now! That was sweet revenge for not letting me play the part of Tarzan.

You know it's kind of like that in the Christian life. We go about our lives doing what we always do and.....BOOM.....enter the green snake of surprise. We get something that we are not expecting. Life can really through us some curve balls.

How does God want us to react? Does he want us to run screaming? Not really. He knows where the snakes are. He is not surprised at anything that comes our way. We can trust him.

The snake was harmless. He was probably more scared than my sister. Similarly the things in our lives that we allow to paralize us in fear are really harmless when we put our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus. Do you remember that shield of faith in Ephesians 6?

My encouragement to myself and to you today is -- HOLD FORTH THE SHIELD OF FAITH -- we may have to kiss some snakes today!

Locking our Shields of Faith!

This afternoon when I walked out of the doctor's office I was smiling. My doctor said that I should take it easy for another week and then everything should be great. I suspected that was what he was going to say because I have felt so much better over the past couple of days. Praise the Lord. My situation is so minor compared to what some people are going through right now, but I am still so thankful that God has answered prayer concerning my health.

Have you ever experienced a time in your life when you were going through some trial or hard time and all of the sudden it seems like the burden is lifted for a time? I have experienced this alot lately. It is as if a switch has been flipped and the oppression if lifted with the switch. I have come to believe that during those times that a prayer warrior somewhere is praying! I call this "locking shields."

I am teaching a Bible study on Wednesday evenings at 6:00 p.m. at First Baptist of Sylacauga. The study is from Ephesians 6:10-18 -- "The Armor of God." Paul teaches concerning spiritual warfare in the most practical, visual way. He uses the armor of the Roman soldier to illustrate our defense and battle strategy in this spiritual war called the Christian life.

The Roman soldier's shield was designed to lock together with his comrad in arms. The point is: two is better than one -- there is strength in numbers. My point is: someone locked into my shield in prayer! If that person is reading this blog -- THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS!

Feeling Better....Finally!

This morning when I woke up I experienced something very interesting...I woke up for the first time in over a year without pain.

I have been dealing with this pain problem for one year. The strange thing about it is that I had grown to expect it. I would wake up and say "yep -- there it is." It had become such a part of my life that I was sort of used to it. It was there, but I had just conditioned myself to go on -- even if it was hurting.

I have come to realize that the strongholds of Satan are much the same way. Here is how he (Satan) works in our lives. He gradually comes to us with some sort of temptation. We fall for his lies and they become a part of our daily living. (A stronghold) The more we endure them, the more conditioned we become to their presence in our lives. We simply get used to them. As a result of this deception we grow cold in our passion for walking with Jesus and doing ministry. We simply (little by little) quench the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives!

Recently I had surgery to correct my "pain problem." For almost two weeks now I have been in recovery. There have been many days when I hurt more than I did before the surgery. However, this morning I started to realize tha the surgery worked! I noticed the difference in my attitude, energy level and general health. As I walked out of my office this afternoon I was humming a happy tune. My secretary said, "it sure is good to hear you humming a tune again." Pain free is wonderful!

Now when I realize that Jesus has corrected my sin problem and all I really need to do is walk accordingly -- it affects my attitude, energy level and my general health; both physical and especially spiritually! Romans 6 makes something very clear -- sin no longer has dominion (strong hold power) over me! FREEDOM!!!

OUR GOD IS AN AWESOME GOD!
Pastor Tim Childers