Author: randymcpheron

“We Are Southern Baptists”
By Randy J. McPheron, Director of Missions of the Rockcastle Association of Kentucky Baptists

I tell people that I am a Baptist because of the Bible, and I am a Southern Baptist because of the Cooperative Program. In a day when there are few denominational loyalists I’d like to explain why I am a Southern Baptist, and as long as these things remain true I will not be anything else.
1. Southern Baptists are a people of Conviction

The SBC readily affirms the inerrancy of the Scripture. We are a people who believe the Bible. We affirm what the Bible teaches about morality. God is a moral God and He demands that we live morally pure lives. In a day where many religions and church attendees are abandoning morals I am grateful to be part of a denomination that upholds biblical morality. Southern Baptists defend traditional marriage, fight for the unborn, condemn gambling, social drinking and vices that entrap and destroy lives. Southern Baptists preach the Gospel, not a watered down half truth. We believe that righteousness is only possible through faith in Jesus Christ alone! It is by grace that we are saved! We believe that the power of God to save is the power of God to keep. I personally cannot be a member of a church that doesn’t preach and teach eternal security. Jesus taught eternal security and any church that doesn’t teach it is erring from Scripture. If it were possible to lose our salvation, all of us would. We believe that baptism is sacred but that it is not regenerational. We believe that a person must repent in order to be saved. There is nothing we can do to save ourselves. Through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ we are made right with God. Someone asked, “If you moved to an area where there are no Southern Baptist Churches, what would you do?” I would start one!

2. Southern Baptists are a people of Cooperation

Rockcastle Baptist Association churches understand that “A Rockcastle Baptist is a Southern Baptist.” We operate under the biblical notion that New Testament churches work together to accomplish what none of us can do alone. New Testament churches shared mutual love and concern for one another, assisted one another, and prayed for each other. Through the Cooperative Program thousands of Baptist churches are able to accomplish greater things for God. We support nearly 10,000 missionaries worldwide through the International Mission Board and the North American Mission Board. We support seminaries, colleges, hospitals, children’s homes not to mention thousands of ministries. I am excited about the mission work of our local Baptist Association. Through our twenty-one member churches we are organizing our own Disaster Relief Ministry. Rockcastle Baptist Association Disaster Relief Director Ed Tucker and myself plan to visit the churches to enlist volunteers for this missions ministry. Ed is a faithful member of the Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church. We are working with the Kentucky Baptist Convention to help our churches to become prepared and ready to respond in case disaster strikes. 2016 promises to be a year of even greater involvement in missions! We are enlisting volunteers for missions outreach in Nicaragua. Last year reported 800 professions of faith! To God be the glory! We are hosting the Kentucky Baptist Convention Evangelism Team for one of a handful of Life Tour events across the state. The event will be held on March 10 at FBC Mt. Vernon and will feature a free “power lunch” to the community. Chuck McAlister will share a brief gospel presentation and give opportunity for attendees to respond. Following lunch the KBC Evangelism Team will offer evangelism training to our churches and pastors. This will be one of the greatest opportunities afforded to our association this year. Please pray for a great harvest.

3. Southern Baptists are a people of Commitment

Southern Baptists are bound by a commitment to the Great Commission. Acts 1:8 and Matthew 28 are at the core of our heart and soul. We are compelled to tell the world about our Savior. Together we can do more, win more, go farther than we can by ourselves. As long as there is a Bible there will be a Southern Baptist. As long as there is an unreached people group there will be missions.

David Jeremiah recently shared this… “Many of us remember Neil Diamond singing the song, ‘He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother’ back in the eighties, but the saying originated in 1924. The story was told of an older boy carrying his little brother on his back as he trudged down the road. Someone driving by stopped and asked if they needed a ride. The older boy responded, ‘He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother.’ These homeless boys were trying to get to Boys Town in Omaha, Nebraska. As the story became known, the phrase was eventually adopted as the motto for Boys Town, which still assists children and families today.”

God expects us to care for one another and to bear one another’s burdens. Southern Baptist brothers and sisters must continue to be committed. We must be faithful to the Savior, committed to one another and to reaching the world with the Good News of Jesus Christ!

(This article was written for the February newsletter- The Vision, a publication of the Rockcastle Association of Kentucky Baptists)

“I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.”

‭‭(Romans‬ ‭1:14-15‬)

Paul was called by God and set apart to preach the Gospel. The Gospel is the Good News about Jesus Christ, the Son of God who was raised from the dead. Paul wrote the Roman Epistle to fully explain the Gospel so that the believers in Rome might be firmly grounded in it.  The Apostle Paul was invested in the church at Rome and desired to see it flourish. His prayers, letters, visits, and tireless ministry to the Christians at Rome was the result of Paul feeling indebted to them. As Christians we are indebted to tell others about Jesus Christ! We must always be ready to share the Good News about Jesus. Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes.” (Romans 1:16). Pray that God will bring someone into your life today and ask Him to help you share Christ with that person. 
Prayer: “Father,  may we embrace the call to preach the Gospel, and may we the church realize that we are set apart by God to preach the Gospel, and may the church today have a sense of being indebted to a lost world and ready to share Christ at all times. In Jesus name. Amen.”

Randy J. McPheron

Jesus said, “Behold, I make all things new.” God has promised to create a new heaven and a new earth. Old things will pass away. There will be no more sorrow. All tears shall be wiped away. There will be no more sickness. All disease and death will be no more. There will be no more sadness. All these things will be gone forever. There will be no more sin. Everything is made new! Those who are saved will live in a new and glorified state in this new creation forever. There will be a new city. It is the holy city, New Jerusalem, the city of God descending out of heaven. Warren Wiersbe writes of this city, “The eternal city is not only the home of the bride; it is the bride! A city is not buildings; it is people.” The city of God is a perfect city. Unlike the major cities of this world the city of God is a holy place. It is also the dwelling place of God. In the Old Testament God dwelt in the Temple. In the New Testament God dwells in His church. In eternity God will dwell with His people in the holy city. The heavenly city is a real place, just as real as where you live. It is a prepared place for a prepared people. The most pertinent question ever asked is, “Do you know for certain that when you die you will go to heaven?”
Prayer: “Lord Jesus, we long for the day when the heavenly city shall come down out of heaven adorned as the bride of Christ, and You make all things new. For the glory of Jesus we pray. Amen.”
Randy J. McPheron

God made known the coming of His Son Jesus to a group of Shepherds who were working and caring for their flocks. It wasn’t to a group of religious people, but to hard working, ordinary Shepherds. Shepherds were tough and courageous, but honest people. Their witness to the events of Christ coming are credible. These men were equivalent to our modern day “cowboy” figure. To the religious world of their day they were social outcasts because they handled sheep, and were considered ceremonially unclean. That God revealed His coming to them is amazing, and what they saw and heard was also amazing! They saw the glory of God. They heard the declaration of the angel announcing Jesus’ birth. They witnessed the heavenly host praising and giving God glory. Then with great haste the Shepherds made their way to see the blessed Savior. These rugged men became bold witnesses of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Prayer: “Dear Lord, thank You for reaching out to common people and revealing Your Gospel and making Yourself known. We praise You God for sending the Savior Christ the Lord. For the glory of Jesus we pray. Amen.”
Randy J. McPheron

Two years ago my wife Lisa and I were attending a church Christmas play event and I noticed some children who were there. For some reason I felt my heart greatly burdened for these children. As we left I spoke to Lisa about my burden and said to her, “We are not going to have another Christmas without ministering to the needs of the children in Rockcastle County.” I said, “Next year things are going to be different.” My wife and I began to pray about this. Lisa also shares a deep love for children. She has dedicated her life to teaching preschoolers. God has given Lisa a unique ministry and gift. She operates Tic Toc Christian Preschool in Mt. Vernon where three, four, and five year old’s not only are trained and prepared for kindergarten, but also learn about Jesus and God’s Word. As we prayed I felt God speaking to my heart and giving the vision for Operation Give Hope. It was clear to me that a Christmas outreach event of this magnitude would require the involvement of many people, and I felt that the Rockcastle Baptist Association would embrace such a ministry. God led me to speak to Katheryn Pope and the Community Mission Team. The previous year Katheryn organized a ministry to provide Christmas shoebox gifts to children in Rockcastle County, similar to that of what Franklin Graham and Samaritan’s Purse does. Clearly, Katheryn has a deep love for children and families in our own community. Katheryn immediately embraced the vision for Operation Give Hope and the Community Mission Team unanimously agreed to provide leadership to the event. We decided that this event would be held as close to Christmas as possible and that we would do our best to not only minister to physical needs but also that we would share the message of the Gospel. Katheryn arranged a meeting for me to speak to the Community Mission Team. I shared with them about Operation Give Hope. The basic plan that I shared was that at this event every child receive a new toy of at least a $20 value. Also, that we collect new or slightly used coats and blankets. I also emphasized that we be intentional about sharing the Gospel with every person that attends. Katheryn and her team expanded the idea and helped to coordinate an association wide effort to provide resources for Operation Give Hope. Our first year we had help from our friends in Alabama through our missions partnership. We also had great support from the association churches. Hundreds attended last year’s event and 12 people trusted Christ as Lord and Savior! We learned a lot and felt God leading us to do it again. This year was our second time to have Operation Give Hope. The Community Mission Team far surpassed any expectations I had of providing leadership. Operation Give Hope is the largest outreach ever attempted in Rockcastle County. God’s hand has been upon it from the beginning. It is a ministry of compassion to the people of Rockcastle County. Through acts of kindness we demonstrate the love of Christ and share hope in Jesus at Christmas time. What better time of year is there to share hope and witness about the Gospel? This year over 600 people came to Operation Give Hope. There were 128 volunteers the day of the event, not counting all those who served in various ways leading up to it. There were 35 professions of faith in Jesus Christ this year! Every person attending received a Bible. The Bibles were provided by the Kentucky Baptist Convention. Teresa Parrett connected us to the Christmas backpacks through the North American Mission Board and in particular ARM (Appalachian Regional Ministries) a division of the North American Mission Board. Southern Baptist churches from different states collected items to fill each backpack. Much love went into filling and providing 600 Christmas backpacks for our outreach event. Baptists working together can accomplish more than we can by ourselves. I tell people that I am a Baptist because I believe the Bible, and I am a Southern Baptist because of the Cooperative Program!  I am grateful to God to be a part of a Baptist Association that is intentional about sharing the Gospel. I am grateful for the way God blessed Operation Give Hope this year and for all those who served, prayed, and gave. We are planning to have Operation Give Hope in 2016 on Saturday December 17. Mark your calendar and start praying now for a great harvest!

Randy J. McPheron

There are many great questions found in the Bible. Two striking questions are discovered in Luke chapter 10. First, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Of course, there is nothing we “do” to inherit eternal life, Christ did it all!  We are saved by placing our faith in Christ alone! Salvation is by grace! The second question is, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus answered this question by telling us the story about a Good Samaritan. The story illustrates God’s heart for missions. A heart for missions fulfills the second greatest commandment in Scripture; loving our neighbor. Jesus is the Good Samaritan and He has commissioned us to follow His example and minister the Gospel of grace to a world that is lost and broken and dying! Missions is going to people we don’t know, in places which we are unfamiliar, and telling them all we know about Jesus! In order to accomplish this there are three things we must do. 

1. Get your heart right!

“And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,”‭‭ (Luke‬ ‭10:31-33‬)

We must love people the way God loves them. The Samaritan saw the man injured on the road and he had compassion on him. The Priest didn’t care. The Levite didn’t care. It was the Samaritan who cared. The question for each of us is do we care? Do we love people? Jesus loves people and He cares that we are lost, dying and headed for Hell. Jesus demonstrated His love by dying for us. 

David Jeremiah told the story about a man in Woodland, California, lost his wallet and decided it had been thrown in the trash. He climbed into a large garbage dumpster, but the sanitation truck came by while he searched through the debris. Hoisting up the dumpster, the truck poured the trash, including the man, into its giant interior and continued toward the landfill. It took a terrifying hour for the man to climb up through the debris and signal the sanitation engineers. He barely escaped being compacted.

You and I were in the garbage dump of sin and Jesus rescued us. No wonder the songwriter said, “When He reached, He reached way down for me.” People without Jesus are in a garbage dump. God is sending you and me to show them the way out!

2. Get your hands dirty!

“And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.” ‭‭(Luke‬ ‭10:34‬) 

Missions is messy. We must be willing to serve people and minister to their brokenness. Someone wisely said, “Love people use things, not love things use people.” God has equipped us to minister to wounded people. Every person is broken, even those who don’t know it. 

David Brainerd, missionary to Native Americans, was a frail young man, sickly and easily depressed. His work in 1743 and 1744 saw little success. On January 3, 1745, Brainerd set aside the entire day for fasting and prayer, pleading for an outpouring of spiritual power. He claimed our Lord’s promise in John 7, that those who believe in Him will experience rivers of living water flowing from within them. Brainerd began preaching from John 7, and the unfolding year proved very fruitful. Though he passed away at the age of 29, “his story moved his generation—Henry Martyn, William Carey, Adoniram Judson—toward missions. His diary became one of the most powerful Christian books in early American history.” (Source: Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah)

3. Get your money out!

“And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.” ‭‭(Luke‬ ‭10:35‬) 

Ministry that costs nothing is worth nothing! When you give there are three things that will happen. First, God will be pleased. No one is more generous than God and when you give it blesses the heart of God! Second, the recipient of your giving will be blessed. Your gift to missions will provide for a missionary to tell someone about Jesus. This will be a blessing to the missionary and to the person who hears the missionary’s message. Third, you will be blessed. It is more of a blessing to give than to be given to. Also, you cannot out give God! 

Will you be a Good Samaritan to someone this Christmas? If Jesus lives in you then you have all you need to become a Good Samaritan.