Pentecost Sunday, May 31, 2020 (when we start gathering on-campus again)

May 11, 2020

Dear Church Family and Friends,

I’m thankful that over the last several weeks we have been able to continue gathering together online and with our Zoom Bible studies. Finally, the time has come for us to re-launch our Sunday morning worship services, which is why I am writing to you today.

The Day of Pentecost, 50 days following the resurrection of Jesus Christ, was the day the New Testament church was born into existence. The believers were all together in the upper room praying when the Holy Spirit descended upon them to indwell them. When they left that room following their baptism with the Spirit, Peter preached a powerful sermon found in Acts 2, at Jerusalem. Three thousand people received Christ that day and were baptized.

Sunday, May 31, 2020, is the celebration of Pentecost on the Christian calendar that many churches follow. Our leadership team believes it is appropriate for us to begin meeting again on that Sunday as a sort of “rebirth” of God’s church to commemorate the first church that began on the Day of Pentecost so long ago.

I want to familiarize you with some of the things necessary for this upcoming day due to the safe-distancing guidelines.

1. We will offer three morning worship services each Sunday morning starting on May 31, 2020. 
2. The first service will be at 8 a.m. and is for those adults without children (recommended for those 65 or older).
3. The second and third services will begin at 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. and are for all ages. 
4. There will be no child care or nurseries for any of the three services during this period of time and families will sit together upstairs in the worship services.
5. Because the 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. services are family-style services we will shorten the time of our worship services to approximately 45 to 50 minutes in length. This will allow us time to get you to your cars safely and for us to sanitize the building before the next service begins.
6. If the number attending any service exceeds the allowable number according to the social distancing requirements, we will direct the overflow to an area that will be specially prepared according to the same protocols as the Worship Center. 
7. Seating in the auditorium will be arranged to provide the required social-distancing guidelines. We will be assisting those in attendance to find seating in the auditorium so that we maintain the distancing requirements. 
8. We ask everyone in attendance to wear a facemask during the service for your safety and that of others, except those that are distanced from the congregation on the platform. Please bring your own mask. We hope to have some masks available, but the supply will be limited so it will be best if you have your own to use each week during this time.
9. Until further notice, Life Groups will not be meeting on campus or in homes; however, some are meeting via online gatherings. For more information go to lmbc.org or contact your group leader or the church office. 
10. Everyone will enter through the front doors of the Worship Center on both levels and we will all exit through the Welcome Center doors after each service ends. Special arrangements can be made for someone that has physical challenges and can be prearranged through the church office.
11. Offerings can be placed in the touchless offering boxes around the walls of the Worship Center or you can use online giving or mail your gifts directly to the church office. 
12. We will continue to offer our online services at 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. for those that do not feel safe enough to come out to the worship gatherings. 
13. We will also continue to offer online Sunday evening events at 6 p.m., as well as an online Wednesday night Bible study at 7 p.m. 
14. There will be hand sanitizing stations in the lobbies of the Worship Center for your use and we will sanitize the worship center after each service.

I know that I have given you a lot of details and it might seem overwhelming at first. We are more than happy to answer any questions you may have, so please feel free to contact the church office at 304-736-7676 between 9 a.m. and noon or 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.

All of these plans are subject to change, but we believe that we have a workable plan to see the “rebirth” of God’s church on May 31st. As we progress through the following months we will make adjustments and changes as the requirements and guidelines allow. My prayer is that by July things will look different with the Coronavirus and some of these restrictions might be adjusted. We will remain flexible and continue moving forward until we get back to a more normal worship pattern.

I want to close by saying thank you for being faithful with your tithes, offerings, and Faith Promise giving. As you can imagine, we have cut back everywhere we can to save on our expenses, but ministry continues on campus and in homes. Missionaries continue to serve around the world even during a pandemic. We provide vital assistance to people in need of food and other life necessities. We are producing more online biblical content than ever and our staff is working hard daily to stay connected with you. Many of you participated in our Easter offering totaling $22,335.00 which is being used to supplement the general giving to help us maintain our responsibilities throughout this time. What a blessing and encouragement this has been.

I look forward to seeing many of you for the first time since this all began about eight weeks ago. It will feel different for a while, but I believe God is going to do something great through all of this.

With Love For You,

David Lemming

A Word From The Wise (i.e., Solomon)...

“Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise!” (Proverbs 6:6 NLT) 

I don't think too many of the people I know would consider themselves lazy. Most of us are so busy we don't have time to be lazy. Either extreme (laziness or busyness) has negative consequences for our lives. The greatest struggle for many is taking time away from busyness to rest and refresh their bodies, souls and minds. Busyness comes easy for lots of us...while rest is much harder. Somewhere between the two extremes (laziness or busyness) is a balance that is healthy for every aspect of our lives. It is not laziness when we set aside periods to be alone with our families, take periodic vacations, turn off our cell phones for awhile, stay away from social media for a time, have a regular scheduled date with our spouses, do some fun things with our kids, and other similar types of things we need to do in moderation to just relax. It seems to me that the lazy person fails to say “yes" to the priorities he “ought to get done.” The (overly) busy person, however, fails to say “no” to the things that conflict with right (!!) priorities. I tend toward being too busy, so I’m still a work in progress. The thing is...it’s OK to rest! God built it into the whole universe when He created everything in six days and "rested" on the seventh! We have to develop a rhythm to life that lets us find appropriate periods for both work and rest. Actually, sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is...sleep!

A Word From The Wise (i.e., Solomon)...

“Deceit fills hearts that are plotting evil; joy fills hearts that are planning peace!” (Proverbs 12:20 NLT) 

God is the greatest Peacemaker ever!! He sacrificed His Son so we can have peace with Him. When we work for peace in our relationships we are acting like God! Stirring up trouble comes naturally! Working at peace comes supernaturally! It's something we need God's help to do! Peace takes "planning" so we can avoid things that cause trouble, as well as finding ways to bring peace where trouble already exists. But, joy fills the hearts of those that work for peace! Joy (this is more than an emotion) is an inner contentedness and confidence that you have done the right thing. Not everybody will let you live at peace with them (Romans 12:18), but we should try whenever possible. Living in a strife filled world is taking its toll on most of us. Being a peacemaker or peacekeeper can also be trying, but it's worth the effort. Work for peace with others seeking their good above your own. Try to understand the feelings of others. Say things to others that show you are "planning peace" with them and not conflict. Don't raise tensions by ignoring people or discounting the importance of their feelings. People need us to lead in making peace and we can do it!! We have to "plan" for peace in our relationships! Our efforts will go a long way at bringing "joy" into our lives!

A Word From The Wise (i.e., Solomon)...

“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” (Proverbs 4:23 NLT) 

What is in our hearts eventually comes out through our words, actions and associations (Matt. 15:19) We have to "guard" our hearts against evil influences and not let them be instructed/influenced by unrighteousness. As our "hearts" go, so go our lives. For me, I have to watch what I see, what I hear, where I go, who has influence in my life, what counsel I'm given, what music plays in my head, what movies I go see, what TV shows I watch, etc. (As you watch your food intake to be healthy, you have to watch your "heart" intake to be holy.) I can't avoid all these things all the time, but I have to "guard" my heart as much as possible to keep evil from getting more ingrained in me. Where evil is already ingrained, I have to "guard" my heart by replacing "bad programming" with "good programming" through scripture, worship, prayer, church gatherings, Christian friendships, etc. This is not a one-time event, but a process for all of us. The technical, biblical term for this "process" is sanctification ("set apart from/to"). We are being "set apart" from some things and we are being "set apart" to others! This is an important aspect of the "process" for how Christlikeness is developed in our lives.

Think about it...

Think about it...when right doctrine no longer matters to us, then the true God no longer matters to us.

As frail humans we see things “imperfectly” (1 Cor. 13:12 NLT), so Christians differ sometimes on the finer points of biblical doctrine. However, showing disinterest in and dislike for doctrine says we don’t think God and His Word are that important! I’d rather a person lovingly disagree with me on a point of doctrine than to say our differences don’t matter. Truth matters and it matters that we seek the truth!

A Word From The Wise (i.e., Solomon)...

“Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” (Proverbs 11:2 NLT) 

This is a tough one and it certainly doesn't come naturally to any of us. Humility is possibly the greatest need of mankind, aside from the need to know Christ in salvation. But, you can't even know Christ until you humble yourself to acknowledge that you are a sinner in need of Christ's help. A number of the Proverbs deal with this subject and it comes up again and again before finishing these thirty-one chapters. Humility is not walking around with drooped shoulders always talking about your past failures or poor performance. That's pseudo-humilty because what it does is draw attention to yourself so people will notice you. Humility doesn't seek out attention! Basically, It means acknowledging that you need God's help and that you can't live without it! True humility also acknowledges that everything you have and everything you are comes from God as His gift to you. The humble person turns any praise or recognition received back to God because He's the One that made it possible anyway. Consider these thoughts: Humility causes us to place ourselves under others so that we can lift them up instead of lifting up ourselves. Humility means even if you get used at times by others, you refuse to use others in a similar manner. Humility won't engage in petty arguments in order to prove the other person wrong and itself right. Humility tries to recognize what other people need and seeks to quietly meet that need when possible. Humility understands a spouse's weaknesses/struggles in order not to aggravate or exploit them. Humility loves others as God loves them even when that love isn't reciprocated. Humility acts as a peacemaker when relationships are difficult and troubled, rather than stirring up more trouble. I could go on like this, but you get the point. The humble person puts the interests of others ahead of his own, especially in his family and among his friends. Solomon says that apart from humility you can't be wise! The reason is because the humble ask for help, which is something the proud will never do! I have to ask God for help every...single...day!

A Word From The Wise (i.e., Solomon)...

“Don’t say, ‘I will get even for this wrong.’ Wait for the LORD to handle the matter.” (‭Proverbs‬ ‭20‬:‭22‬ NLT)

I think the most difficult word in this verse is, "wait." When you've been wounded you don't want to "wait." You want vengeance now! Justice delayed seems like justice denied. The problem we have as fallible human beings is in bringing justice to a situation...justly. Our emotions and motivations too often get skewed when we are hurting. That's why we have to leave justice to the only One that can execute it justly. Besides, if we all got what we "rightly deserved" (justice) we would all be condemned. Let’s remind ourselves that when we want someone to pay for the wrong they did to us, that the measure of justice we desire for them may well be the measure of justice given back to us. Make the choice to leave vengeance to God and "wait" for Him to "handle the matter."

A Word From The Wise (i.e., Solomon)...

“For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies. Nothing you desire can compare with it.” (Proverbs 8:11 NLT)

Acquiring God's wisdom is a lifelong pursuit and more valuable than any other thing you can desire in life. I really like Proverbs 8 because wisdom is personified as a companion of the Lord in all His actions, words and deeds! It's ever present with Him because it's "His" wisdom! Pursuing wisdom in essence means pursuing God! (Another description of wisdom I like is in James 3:17. Don't read that verse unless you are ready to be punched in the gut!) In this chapter wisdom calls out to us, is with Kings that rule well, was with God at the beginning and during creation, gives life to those that find it, etc., etc. Everything God says and does is wise! I'm in need of God's wisdom all the time. Actually, I pray for wisdom all the time. So much of life is confusing apart from God's wisdom. There are still lots of things I don't have figured out yet and I'm waiting on God to give me greater wisdom so I can understand them. What I do know is that operating according to God's wisdom always pays off. That doesn't mean life necessarily gets easier! Sometimes it gets a lot harder because the world we live in rejects God's wisdom. The wisdom of the world is contrary to the wisdom of God...in most every area of life. What having God's wisdom does for us (when we apply it) is give us a sense of direction, confidence and fulfillment...even if everyone else opposes us for doing life God's way. God's wisdom comes through scripture, worship, preaching/teaching, godly counsel, the Holy Spirit's leading, the fear of the Lord, and other similar things! Make God’s wisdom your supreme goal and you’ll soon find yourself seeing the Lord at work everywhere in your life!

A Word From The Wise (i.e., Solomon)...

“When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away, but the godly have a lasting foundation.” (Proverbs 10:25 NLT)

This section of proverbs covers lots of different subjects within a single chapter. I chose this verse today because I'm reminded that living for God gives us an anchor for our souls that prevents us from being destroyed by the storms of life that inevitably come. Thinking that we can live our whole lives without having troubles and trials is unrealistic and reveals an incomplete Christian worldview. I'd like to live where there aren't any reversals or hardships, but that doesn't come till I reach Heaven. As long as we live in this sin-cursed world there will be tragedies and troubles that come to us all. The "godly" are the ones that seek God and know how to depend on Him in a crisis. They are the ones that turn to His promises when His "plans'' don't make sense. They learn to "trust His heart" (that He loves them) even when they can't "see His hand" (understand what He's doing). The ungodly, however, have no such anchor for the soul. They can see no purpose or plan for anything in their lives. From their perspective, everything is mere happenstance or fate. When trouble comes they have no one to whom they can turn for help and they have no hope in the middle of the messes of their lives. The godly still hurt when life hurts, but they have a hope that transcends this life. We've all had our share of heartaches. God sees us, knows our pain and will love us through everything we have to face! The stronger we grow in faith, the more stable we become so we aren't "whirled away" by the storms blowing all around us!

Buhfai Tham

Sometimes you read or hear something that moves you deeply, but you wonder if it’s really true. I guess a lot of us Americans have become skeptical and jaded by the hype of deceptively spun stories. That’s why when I heard the story I am about to share with you, I had to discover for myself first whether something so beautiful and convicting could really be true. Once I knew the facts, I could not keep it to myself and had to pass it along to you.

To quickly familiarize you with the background of the story that touched me so deeply, it concerns a part of northeast India called Mizoram. In 1894 there were two Scottish missionaries that entered the remote, landlocked, hilly and heavily forested area to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The people living there were an animistic people who had no written language and had never heard of the Gospel. So, the two missionaries developed an alphabet for them and translated parts of the Bible into their language in order to tell them the Good News of Jesus Christ. Today, the people they reached are called the “Mizo,” and the language they speak is known by the same name.

From the work of the two missionaries in 1894 there came one Mizo convert to Christianity that year. Not until five years later, in 1899, were the first two converts baptized from the area. But, by the time other missionaries arrived a few years later in the town of Lunglei, they found 125 believers already there. As the missionaries collectively worked together the result was that most of the Mizo people were converted to Christ within 50 years.

Those early missionaries taught their new converts the need to continue the work of proclaiming the Gospel. Even to this day, Mizo missionaries teach new converts about the importance of evangelizing others. In fact, one of the first two converts baptized by those early missionaries, Khuma, became the first Mizo evangelist of that part of India. He was reported to have gone from house to house with this simple invitation: “Come, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Today, Mizo Christians still consider the task of proclaiming the Gospel to the world their own personal responsibility. (That should really be the mindset of all believers in Jesus Christ.) What makes this story so amazing to me, though, is that the Mizo people financially support their OWN missionaries and evangelists from their OWN resources. That’s an amazing detail when you realize the poverty of the people in Mizo and the incredible generosity they model in missions. To get a feel for the true condition of this part of the world, listen to the words of Rev. Zosangliana Colney, leader of the Mizoram Presbyterian Church. He says that, "Mizoram state is the most backward state in India. And we are the poorest of the poor, but still we can raise funds for the ministry of the Lord." Just so you know, the average income of a person in Mizo is $300 per year, less than one dollar per day.

How is it possible that people of such meager means and simple living conditions could ever raise support for the cause of missions? The answer is found in a beautiful phrase that when I first heard it and understood what it meant, moved me deeply in my spirit. It is—"Buhfai Tham." Please, don’t forget that phrase! Even though it means nothing to you at this moment, you’ll soon understand why it is so important.

“Buhfai Tham” simply means a "handful of rice." However, this simple phrase explains the generosity of the Mizo people and their commitment to the cause of missions. Because rice is the main staple of their daily meals, families in the churches of Mizo set aside a “handful of rice” at every meal. When each family collects enough rice they donate it to their local church, which in turn sells it at the market to generate income. In this way they are able to financially support the cause of missions and the spread of the Gospel.

In 1914 when they first began this way of giving to missions they received from the sale of the rice the equivalent of $1.50 in U.S. currency. By the calendar year 2010, they were collecting and selling enough rice to raise the equivalent of $1.5 million dollars and were supporting 1,800 missionaries with their “handfuls of rice.”

In addition, over the years since the “Buhfai Tham” offering was first introduced, the people continued giving creatively by bringing not just rice but portions of their home grown vegetables, firewood, and other resources (all in addition to the tithes they give to their churches). These, too, are sold at the market to further the spread of the Gospel and the planting of churches in India and beyond.

In other words, the task of proclaiming the Gospel became such a central part of the Mizo people’s identity that they were willing to make sacrifices to advance the Gospel in spite of their own poverty. They heard the missionary call in the Great Commission and accepted it as their own personal calling from God. Let me remind you again, even today this area is among the poorest places on the face of the earth. That’s what makes this story so amazingly miraculous and beautiful to me. It also makes it extremely convicting, as well!

One of the leaders in the church in Mizoram said, “There are many ways of serving the Lord. Some people do great things. Some people are great preachers. Some people contribute lots and lots of money. But when we talk about this 'handful of rice,' it is very humble. The service is done in the corner of the kitchen where nobody sees, but God knows and he blesses it.”

A church member involved in the “Buhfai Tham” offerings said, "It is not our richness or our poverty that make us serve the Lord, but our willingness. So we Mizo people say, 'As long as we have something to eat every day, we have something to give to God every day.'"

WOW! What a testimony of commitment to Jesus Christ and the mission He left to His church.

Conversely, we live in the most prosperous nation on the face of the earth! We think nothing of dropping $50 to $100 for an evening with the family at a nice local restaurant, a ballgame or a movie. The fact is, we have more money invested in one or two of our electronic gadgets than many of the people in Mizo will make in income in five, ten or more years. We sometimes spend exorbitant amounts chasing our kids and grandkids from place to place for various “important” events, but too often we can’t find any money to give to the primary cause God left us on earth to accomplish.

When thinking about the “willingness” of the Mizo people to give a “handful of rice,” I think we’d all have to agree that many of us spend way too much time and resources trying to impress people we hardly know with things we don’t really need for reasons we don’t even understand. I mean, if you lived in Mizo today you’d be grateful for a roof over your head, clothes on your back, the rice you had in your storage containers, and you’d be giving a portion of that away to help others hear about Jesus.

How is it that people who have virtually nothing can demonstrate such generosity in advancing the Gospel when those of us who live in the “land of plenty” can’t seem to eek out even a little for the cause most dear to the heart of God? Could it be that we really don’t believe that Jesus is the only way to Heaven and consequently don’t think it’s important to get the message to the ends of the earth? Or, might it be that we have become so self-absorbed that the only people we think about are ourselves? Maybe we just don’t think Jesus meant what He said to us when He left the command to make disciples of all the nations of the earth (Matthew 28:19-20).

I actually don’t know the reason so many Christians give so little to the cause of world missions, but I know for me and my house we will sacrifice for what Jesus called His church to accomplish: The Great Commission! My heart has been stirred to action by the people of Mizo and their “Buhfai Tham” offerings. How about you? Would you take a “handful of your resources” and give them back to God to help our church take the Gospel to places like Mizoram?