In the darkened infirmary, the cancer patient, battling a fever as he recovered from surgery, listened as Dr. Kornfeld told his story of conversion from Judaism to Christianity and of his new perspective on suffering. The doctor’s story had shaken the patient. That night, the doctor was savagely assaulted and died of his injuries on the operating table.

            His patient felt an incredible burden laid upon him. All the deprivation, depravity, and dehumanization of the Soviet labor camps, seen through the lens of a Christian’s eyes, led to the crisis. Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s conversion occurred in the crucible of suffering.

            That shouldn’t surprise us. The story of the Incarnation begins in a place of suffering. A very pregnant girl, part of a conquered people, must travel with her husband because the emperor demanded an accurate census for taxes. She gives birth and uses a trough for a crib because no one would give up their bed for a woman in labor. The “man of sorrows” begins life in a sorry situation.

            But, that sorry beginning caused joy so boundless, it spilled from heaven to some shepherds. It was so momentous, a star summoned king-seeking pilgrims. Our Savior isn’t put off by our suffering anymore than he was put off by his own suffering. He uses our suffering for His glory and our good.

            Solzhenitsyn would later write,        

                        But picking my way between life and extinction,
                        Now falling, now scrambling back,
                        I gaze through new eyes at the life I once followed
                        And gazing, I shudder with thanks.

                        It was not my own intellect, not my desiring
                        That illumined each twist in my path
                        But the still, even light of a Higher design,
                        That only with time I could grasp.

                        And now, as I sip with new-found moderation
                        From the lifegiving waters–I see
                        That my faith is restored, O Lord of Creation!
                        I renounced You, but You stood by me.

Your Pastor,
Doug

And when Jesus came to the ruler’s houseand saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him.(Matt. 9:23-24 ESV)

Cynicism is thefuneral dirge of a dead or dying faith. Cynicism is our outward response when we’ve given up hope for any kind of help or healing. It’s movingfrom the fear that no one can help you to the resignation that no onewould help you. It hardens us to the grace and the hope of the gospel.This synagogue ruler’s household has given up. They’ve fallen intodespair afraid that Jesus can’t or won’t help their daughter. And sothey laugh at the promise of life.

If you wonder if you’re suffering from despair consider how you respond to the word of God. When we find ourselves in the midst of our sorrows and God’s word comes to us do we see life offered at the point of death ordo we only see death despite the promise of life?

In Abraham’s despair over Sarah’sinfertility he has a son with Hagar, but God tells him that he will bear a son, and what happens? He falls on his face and laughs. When Sarah,his wife, overhears the angels reading the spiritual ultrasound, anddeclaring her son’s due date she laughs. She considers her womb lifeless and her husband almost dead. How can I have a baby? She can hardly hear the promise of life because all she can see is death.

When Jesus offers life and hope in themidst of our suffering do we laugh? Do we scoff? Or do we desperatelycling to the promise that his touch will make us whole? Take hope in the fact that God didn’t just raise one little girl from the dead, but Heraised His own Son from the dead, so that we might be awakened from oursleep to rise and walk in newness of life.

Dear Friends,

Recently our community group did our once monthly service at a local nursing home. After we finished, one resident, a member of a Springfield Baptist Church, told us, “The Spirit just wasn’t here.” Turns out we had not sung her favorite hymns. I admit her statement bothered me, first that she wasn’t blessed, but secondly that she, and many others I’m afraid, feel that unless the right songs are sung, meaning the ones I like, I haven’t worshiped.

At our state Worship Leadership Conference, Joe Crider, former worship leader at Springfield Second and now at Southern Seminary, shared:

Worship does not lead us into God’s presence, only Jesus can bring us into God’s presence and He did that through His work on the cross.

The real question is not rather whether you’ve worshiped, but whether God has felt worshiped.

We can do nothing to gain the acceptance of God in our worship.

And, quoting Brian Chappell, “Our worship pleases God when we represent His Son through it.”

Pastor Doug preached from this passage last Sunday, "I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols. See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you."  Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you islands, and all who live in them. Let the desert and its towns raise their voices; let the settlements where Kedar lives rejoice. Let the people of Sela sing for joy; let them shout from the mountaintops. Let them give glory to the LORD and proclaim his praise in the islands. (Isa 42:8-12 NIV)

And in the New Testament we read, after Judas had left the table and departed, that Jesus said: "Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once. (John 13:31-32 NIV)

New song or old song, never worship, “Worship”. Worship the Son!

   Singing of Him, Bro. Wayne

To the Saints,

   “And all who believed were together and hadall things in common” (Acts 2:44, ESV)           

   I don’t do this too often because it lessens the impact. But, I think thisis the right time to make an appeal to you, my dear church family. I am askingthose of you who have not done so, to participate in our Community GroupMinistry. I know the reasons given for not participating, and I’m asking thatin spite of your reservations that you at least give it an honest try.  

   Some of you are nervous about being aroundnew people. You are quite selective in your circle of friends and you areconcerned about being uncomfortable. Some of you are scared of letting anyoneinto the fortress that is your life. For any number of reasons, you hold folksat “arm’s length.”

   But remember, the fellowship of the churchis not about your comfort. You are part of this body, not primarily for yourcomfort, but to both receive and give the ministry of grace. You are to be aliving demonstration that the cross is bigger than your comfort or preference.All of us have benefited from the same grace. Let’s encourage one another inthat grace. Let’s put into practice what we claim to believe.

   For those who are participating, thank you.Pray for the Lord to make you a useful instrument in his hands.

   For all of you, I give thanks every day. Maythe Lord bless his church.

  “A newcommandment I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you,you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are mydisciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35, ESV)         

Your Pastor,
Rev. Douglas R. Shivers

To the Saints,

This week we witnessed three deaths (of course there were many more, but at the moment, I’m aware of three): Amy Winehouse, a talented, yet troubled artist,John Stott, a leading light of the evangelical movement in Europe and beyond, and Opal Copeland, a member of our church whose life of faithfulness stalked the century mark. As I considered each of their lives I was struck by three common realities that we share with each of them.

Death is inevitable. No lifestyle, medical procedure, or belief system can reverse the physical effects of Adam’s fall. Even those that experienced the miraculous healing of Jesus still died.

Death is not final. Regardless of our faithfulness or lack of faith, our existence does not end at our last breath. We will continue on in one of two destinations–Heaven or Hell.

Death has brought us life. Our life, our hope, our comfort, our motivation for living is found in the death (and resurrection!) of Jesus.

“God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by His blood, much more shall we be saved by Him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by His life.” (Romans5:8-10)

Pastor Mat

Dear Friends,

     My purpose in writing this month is to hopefully build your enthusiasm for what is happening in August. 100 years ago, beginning July 15, 1911, with a Revival Service sponsored by a committee from East Avenue Baptist (today’s National Heights Baptist) that gathered 44 conversions to Christ, began the process that on  August 14, 1911 found the Seventh Baptist Church organized with 38 charter members. Sandy Wingo has determined from census records that the great majority of these charter members were employed by the railroad. A picture of the church taken around 4-5 years later pictured 165 men, women, and children.

      The years that followed were sometimes lean, especially through the depression years, but the church saw growth, particularly through the 50’s and 60’s to a high of over 400 averaged in Sunday School in the late 60’s.

     The decline of the Commercial street business district, the surrounding neighborhoods and again the railroad mirrored our slippage to the point in 2000 when we believe we were providentially given the opportunity to relocate to a more advantageous location.

     Somewhere around 4500 people have called Boulevard their church over these 100 years. Of our 400 current members, 228 (57%) have joined in the 10+ years since we moved from 1722 N. National. Part of belonging to a group is having a sense of where we’ve come from. God’s grace has been upon this fellowship in so many ways. God’s Word has been faithfully preached from this church over the years, ministry and mission work done, and praise offered up to our Lord weekly.

     We plan to celebrate that with a concert and reception Sat. evening the 13th and with services and dinner on the grounds Sun. the 14th. Former pastors Richard Eakins and Ken Mathes plan to be with us.  Plan to be with us as we celebrate what God has done with His people through the years as we look forward to what He continues to accomplish among us.                             

Singing of Him, Bro. Wayne

To the Saints,

            Once again in the past week we’ve been confronted with natural disaster and in it’s wake, human suffering. This time it’s much closer to home. Have you noticed that disasters closer to us geographically also feel closer emotionally? Most ofus have been in Joplin at some time. Several of us have friends, family, or atleast acquaintances there.

            Several have already asked things like “Where was God when . . .?” Of course, suchquestions often come out of deep anguish and are not the best to try and give along theological explanation. But, for the saints of God, there are answers wemust embrace, even if they’re hard to understand:

I form light and createdarkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the LORD, who does all these things.  (Isaiah 45:7 ESV)

            Living faithfully under a hard providence isn’t easy, but it is our calling. We shouldn’t worry too much about defending the Lord. He knows what he’s doing, even when I don’t.

            Here’spart of prayer I found comforting today:

All-wise God, Thy never-failing providence orders every event, sweetens every fear, reveals evil’s presence lurking in seeming good, brings real good our of seeming evil, makes unsatisfactory what I set my heart upon, to show me what a short-sighted creature I am, and to teach me to live by faith upon they blessed self.  Out of my sorrow and night give me the name Napthtali –  ‘satisfied with favour’ –  help me to love thee as they child, and to walk worthy of my heavenly pedigree.   (Arthur Bennett, The Valley of Vision, Banner of Truth,185)

Your Pastor,
Doug

P.S. - Don’t forget to give faithfully to the Lord’s work here atBoulevard this summer!

    As aresult, we forget. We don’t merely forget Easter. More tragically, weforget the implications of Easter’s ongoing realities in our lives. It’s a form of early onset spiritual Alzheimer’s disease.   

    So what’sthe remedy? How can we we be an Easter people 24/7, 365 days of theyear?There’s no simple answer, but I suggest we start with remembering.Remember God’s words in Deut. 6:12(right after he gave the TenCommandments), “…take care lest you forget the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” Remember 1 Cor.11:23-25, when the Apostle Paul recounts Jesus’ words that as we partake in communion, we do so in remembrance of Christ’s death. In light ofwhat Christ has done for you, remember who you are in Christ 1 Cor.6:11, “But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified inthe name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”   

    Remember God’s words. Remember what God the Father has done for you inChrist the Son. Remember who you are as a completely justified sinner,adopted as a chosen son or daughter of our gracious king. And when youforget, repent and confess your sin, not in a cowering posture, buthumbly and boldly remembering that Christ’s finished atoning andjustifying work for his people (a message we joyfully proclaim to thewhole world) isn’t something we celebrate exclusively on Easter Sunday.   

    And in our remembering, may the Lord by his spirit according to hisword increasingly transform us into a peculiar rejoicing Easter people24/7, 365 days a year.

Adapted from Michael Johnson, “So howwas your Easter?”

Mat Whitaker
Pastor of Discipleship andStudents

A Tale of Two Tales

Tale One

Among the Saxon people of Europe, Eostre, the goddess of spring and fertility reigned. Her sacred animal was the hare, and was acquainted with reproduction. She tossed the hare into the sky creating the constellation Lepus the hare and empowering it, once a year, to bear eggs. From the 16th century on, children in Germany would await the arrival of Oschter Haws, a rabbit that would leave eggs in nests prepared for it, usually in hats. Now the story has been updated. E.B., teenage son of the Easter Bunny has left on a journey to find himself. As E.B. discovers who he really wants to be and who he’s meant to become, everything will lead him and Fred in an epic showdown to try and save Easter. This tale is now available in your local theater.

Tale Two

The God of the universe, to save a sinful mankind, sends his Son, to be born of a virgin, grow up sinless among men, preach, heal, and teach for some 33 years. Then he is betrayed, captured, tried, illegally convicted, beaten, scourged, ridiculed, hauled before the High Priest, a King and a Governor before being sentenced to a horrible death on the cross. Made to carry his own cross to a hill called Golgotha, he is nailed and hung on that cross until he dies of a broken heart, but not before forgiving his tormentors and a thief crucified next to Him and crying “It is finished”. He is laid in a borrowed tomb, sealed and guarded. On the third day some women and his disciples declare they have seen Him and He is no longer there but risen! His defeat of death and his shed blood now provide redemption for all who will believe. This tale (gospel) available at Boulevard Baptist Church April 24th.

He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Rom 4-5

If you need an Easter egg, go for it, but don’t neglect to celebrate and teach the true meaning of Easter this year.     

Singing of Him, Bro. Wayne

To the Saints,

Does the enemy ever tempt you to think that you’re the “only one” who struggles in the Christian life? Do you feel weak and wonder if you can even pray when it seems you’re 
  empty and God may not be listening?

The Lord tells Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  (2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV) Does this apply to prayer? Look at what David Hansen
  says in his book Long Wandering Prayer:

            “We only pray well out of weakness. Heartache propels prayer nicely. But the best prayers come from emptiness."

“When the soul is empty, and we feel nothing at all, we pray best. This prayer is nothing but faith. There we are, walking along, talking to God not feeling His presence at all, not
  sure in any way that anything or anyone divine is present.. .These prayers do not drift into space. They blast off like red-hot shots out of a Roman candle. You don’t feel it.
  You can’t see it or hear it. You may be stumbling forward on a sidewalk pounding on the door of heaven with a grievous burden, and everything is silent from God. Utterly silent.
  No sensible impression encourages you to continue. No tangible phenomenon hints that God hears–or even exists. That is when the prayer is best. That is good prayer.That is
  praying in weakness, out of weakness, through weakness, empowered by the unfelt Spirit of the living God” (133).

Trusting God, praying in faith, may feel very, very weak. But, that’s probably a good thing. He’s sufficient.

Your Pastor,

Doug