Prayer Request

I have another prayer request. Sometimes I feel like all I do is ask God to do stuff or to help people or to heal people and stuff like that. First and foremost, I thank God for His Son, Jesus Christ. I thank Him for who He is, what He did, and the unmerited grace and favor He continues to show me. I am, most assuredly, the wretch mentioned in Amazing Grace. Before we make any request to God, we should rejoice in the Lord and thank Him and worship Him. In his epistle written to the Philippians, the Apostle Paul wrote:

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:4-7

So, it is with much thanksgiving to God and with the understanding that not one of us deserves God's grace, that I ask God to help my dear, sweet friend Jean Ray.

Mrs. Jean is a walking, talking testimony to the power and grace of Jesus Christ. I got a message last night that she has "double pneumonia" and won't be able to visit with her friends in the Internet world for a while. There have been so many problems that she and Mr. Ted have had, yet they remain faithful and loving followers of Christ. They may not know it but they are examples to me. I'm inspired by their faith and love. Through all the hardships they've endured, from multiple health problems including so many allergies that it's hard to count them all, to the threat of job loss, to their son Chris' health problems, to almost anything imaginable, I've never once heard them complain.

The only thing I've ever heard from either of them is praise to God for His many blessings. Some days have been harder than others to endure but both of them will greet you with a smile, even on the worst of days. I hope I can be like them when hardships come. I hope that my attitude remains one of thanksgiving to God. I don't hope these things so the world will think more of me but rather so the world will know the hope that Mrs. Jean, Mr. Ted and I have is from a source foreign to many...the grace and peace and hope we have through our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Please join with me in lifting up the Ray family. Please pray that the Lord would continue to show them His lovingkindness and that He would use them as He has for so long, to be the salt and light in a world of darkness.

Mrs. Jean and Mr. Ted, if you read this, please know that my prayers are with you. Also know that I love you both very much and I am inspired by your faith and witness.

The Peace of Christ to You,
Casey

"And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen." Philippians 4:19-20

And Is There Hope For Me

I read something this afternoon that I just had to share. It's a poem by Charles Wesley and it's beautiful. The poem is actually unfinished and it is a prayer that Wesley probably wrote around December 20, 1748. I can't help but pray this prayer for myself. I found the poem in a book (somewhat ironically) entitled The Unpublished Poetry of Charles Wesley.

And Is There Hope For Me

1. And is there Hope for me
In Life's distracting Maze,
And shall I live on Earth to see
A few unruffled Days?
A Man of Sorrows I,
A sufferer from the Womb,
'Twas all my Hope in Peace to die,
And rest within my Tomb

2. How then can I conceive
A Good for me design'd
The greatest God Himself could give,
The Parent of Mankind?
A good by Sovereign Love
To sinless Adam given
His joyous Paradise t'improve,
And turn his Earth to Heaven.

3. God of unbounded Grace,
If yet Thou wilt bestow
On me the Vilest of the Race
Thy choicest Gift below;
My drooping Heart prepare
The blessing to receive
And bid the Child of sad Despair
With Confidence Believe.

4. My new & strange Distress
To Thee I simply own,
Inur'd to Pain I start from Peace
And dread a Good unknown:
My Heart Thou seest it ache
Its dearest Wish t'obtain
And know'st my Fear of measuring back
My steps to Earth again.

5. Assure my trembling Soul
Of they decisive Will
My endless Doubts & Fears controul,
And bid my Heart be still:
Regard thy Servant's Call
And shed thy Love abroad,
The Sign Infallible that all
My Works are wrought in God.

6. Thou, Lord, direct my Ways,
On all my Counsels shine
And lead by thine unerring Grace
This feeble Soul of mine;
Thy Pard'ning Love reveal
In Proof of thy Decree,
And stamp Her with thy Spirit's Seal
The Friend design'd for me.

7. With stedfast Faith & Love
Le me thy Creature take
As a good Angel from above,
Sent down for Jesus' sake.
Not to inthrall my Will
Not to put out my Eyes
But fix my Heart & fire my Zeal
And lift me to the Skies.

8. I have not time to finish: Your Heart will
say Amen to a Prayer in which yourself are
so nearly concerned. L[ondo]n. Tues. N[igh]t.

Kimbrough, ST, Jr., Beckerlegge, Oliver A. (eds) The Unpublished Poetry of Charles Wesley, vol. 1, Tennessee: Abingdon Press, 1988. ISBN 068743310


My heart does indeed say "Amen" to this prayer.

I found this book at a local bookstore here in Louisville called The Christian Book Nook. I'd never heard of the book before but I've really been enjoying it lately. I've tried to find subsequent volumes but no store here has them. I'm sure Amazon or one of the other online bookstores has them available. If you've never read anything by or about Charles Wesley, you should. Just pick up a hymn book somewhere and notice how many hymns are credited to him. For all my fellow Baptists, you can even find some of his hymns in our hymnal.

Casey

"be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father" Ephesians 5: 18b-20

Prayer Request & New Blog Site

The appearance, web address, and content of my blog will be changing in the near future. My tech support and marketing genius, Kevin Lester, is moving to Louisville in a couple of days just to help me with the changeover, so it should be exciting and forthcoming.

I'm just kidding. Kevin and Tracey Lester are moving up here (Hooray!) but it's not merely to help me with my blog. That's not the primary reason, anyway. Tracey is going to continue her education here at Southern Seminary in the area of Biblical Counseling. She has a semester under her belt, so she and I both have a long way to go.

Please pray for them. Kevin will be searching for a job once they're here and subsequent to finding one, they will be searching for a residence. They have a place to stay temporarily until Kevin can start "winning some bread." Also pray for their families. Understandably, both the Lesters and the Bookers are sad to see their children move away.

As far as the blog goes, I'm trying to come up with a new name. Kevin, the marketing genius, has given me a whole bunch of suggestions and I'd like to get some more. If you have a suggestion, just leave it in a comment. If you don't know how to leave a comment, just email it to me and I'll post a comment for you.

Here are some of the suggestions Kevin has given me so far:

harpesofheaven.com
younggiftedreformed.com (I like this one but I'm not very gifted...or young.)
caseycannotcomeupwithaname.com (obviously)
foghornleghorn.org (I say, read this boy!)
DrAlisMyBuddy.com (Dr. Al Mohler)
bloggingforjesus.org
myfrienddidthis.com
reachingforthehem.com (read Luke 8: 43-48)
seminaryrocks.org
lookouttheresjesus.com

And probably my 4 favorites so far:

nealismyhero.com
listentothedonkey.com (read 2Peter 2:15-16)
readthisorthegiraffegetsit.com (Giraffes are so jealous.)
electedbyunpopularvote.com

Thanks for the prayers and input!
Casey

Keshia is Awesome

My friends Keshia and Jacob Shatzer are expecting a baby. HOORAY!!! Keshia told me a while back that she was expecting and I couldn't be happier for them. As far as I know, they don't have names picked out so if you know the Shatzers, you may want to suggest some prospective names. I have already recommended the name "Casey" but that got denied pretty quickly.

I suggested it because it's a great name and it had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that it's my name. At this point, before the gender is known, I reasoned that it would be best to use a name that would work whether it's a boy or girl. Casey is actually a male name but with a little finagling on the spelling, it works either way. I suggested this to Keshia but she said that Jacob didn't like bisexual names. I told her that I didn't care what Jacob said, I am not bisexual.

Anyway, please pray for the Shatzers and their soon-to-be-non-bisexually-named baby. They will make wonderful parents and I pray the Lord blesses them with the wisdom, patience, and grace they will need as new parents.

Casey

(The title of this blog was Keshia's suggestion.)

Baptism (part 2)

A couple of months ago I wrote a blog entitled “Baptism (part 1).” I realized the other day that I never followed it up and had therefore, left the topic hanging. This is the second part of what I wanted to say about baptism.


The Roman Catholic church, as well as other "sacramentalist" denominations, believes that baptism is salvific...that is that it provides redemption. In most Protestant or reformed churches, as an effort to get away from this teaching, the pendulum has swung too far in the opposite direction. This has resulted in many churches lowering the importance of baptism. There is confusion in many churches about what baptism is, what it means and how it should be handled. I’m not an expert on the subject by any stretch of the imagination and I’m not trying to get into the denominational debates about who should be baptized and by what mode…that’s for other entries…probably several many other entries. I will, however, offer 3 points about baptism that hopefully help express and explain its importance.


Baptism in itself is not a means of salvation but it is also not merely a symbolic act. It’s more important than we sometimes treat it. It was no accident that one of the last things Jesus told His disciples was to “make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:19 (emphasis added)


All too often in our American individualistic mindset, we tend to think of baptism as a simple symbol of something that happens between a person and God or (even more distressing) the main requirement for a young child to become a member of the church, but there is much more to it than that. It’s more than just a name on a membership roll or just a symbolic expression of being buried with Christ and rising again. The symbolism is part of it but there is much more.


1. Water:
It’s significant that it’s done with water. The first thing on earth was water. In the Genesis account of Creation, the second verse of the Bible says the “Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.” (Genesis 1:2b) Water is a paradox, and it especially was in Biblical times. It’s a paradox in that we can’t live without it, but, at the same time, it can be deadly. When God destroyed the world the first time around, He did so with water. Often in Scripture, the sea represents chaos. It’s not an accident that people are baptized in water and not dirt or covered with a sheet or some other alternative symbolic gesture.


2. Union with Christ:
Secondly a baptism is the church’s announcement or declaration that the person being baptized is in union with Christ in His death, His burial, and His resurrection. The church as a whole, under the authority of Jesus Christ, is declaring to the individual, to the community, and to the principalities and powers that this person is indeed our brother.


3. Repentance:
By participating in baptism, the believer is confessing that he agrees with the judgment of God that he is a sinner and worthy of death and Hell. He admits that he is a sinner in need of a savior and, through faith, knows that his savior is Jesus Christ alone, THE only Savior.


I saw a video once of a kid who was about to be baptized and when it was time for him to enter the waters, he decided to do a cannonball into the baptismal pool and splash water all over the place. The congregation broke out in laughter and the whole service was totally disrupted. While the stunt may have been pretty funny, I seriously doubt it was exactly what Christ had in mind.


The video I saw didn’t show what happened afterward but I hope the pastor or the parents, or all of the above counseled the child and postponed the baptism for a time when the child had a better understanding of just what was taking place. I’m not advocating that anyone seen smiling should be rebuked but baptisms should be conducted with reverence. Any candidate for baptism should be, at least a little bit nervous about the proposition, if he understands exactly what’s going on.


While they should be reverent, baptisms should also be joyous. I’ve heard my pastor describe a joyous baptism service he witnessed in Russia. While the person being baptized was submerged, the congregation began singing a song of celebration and praise. That meant the first thing the baptized person heard when he was resurrected from the water was that song of joy. If I were a songwriter, I’d try to write a hymn specifically for those services.


May the Lord bless us and the Holy Spirit give us all understanding of His truths! Amen

Casey

"Peter said to them 'Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'" Acts 2:38

My Top 10 Events of 2008

I’ve noticed, more this year than in the past, that people love to put together Top 10 Lists at year’s end. Well, I’ve been called many things and you can add copycat to the list because I’m putting my own top 10 out there too. I’ve read and heard several different types of lists that range from the top 10 books of 2008, top 10 world events, top 10 movies, even the top 10 naked celebrities on the cover of magazines…good grief. This world needs Jesus.


Anyway, my top 10 is a more personal list. It’s the Top 10 Events of My Life in 2008. These events aren’t necessarily the most exciting or the most enjoyable events in my life, but they are probably the 10 most important of this past year.


Usually top 10’s are listed descending from 10 to 1 with the last one being the most important, but I don’t really see mine that way. Rather, I’ve arranged them, as best I can remember (as Pop Moultrie used to say, “my memory ain’t what it used to be”) chronologically. There may be a little overlap…so sue me if they’re out of order. I’m just kidding…please don’t sue me. You’d probably win but you wouldn’t win much.


So, here we go:

1. Graduated from the University of West Georgia
That’s right, after many attempts at a college degree, I finally had enough credits to get one. At the ripe old age of 31, only 13 years after graduating high school, I finally finished my undergraduate degree. Hallelujah!

2. Camp Viola
A small group of my friends and I had originally planned to go on a short-term, overseas mission trip last summer. When time ran out and money was short, we decided to make other plans. It worked out by God’s grace that the very week we had planned to travel, there was a day camp in Mountville, Ga. that my aunt Becky and aunt Faye were organizing. They desperately needed help with it so we decided to do that instead. It was a wonderful experience and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Here is a slideshow of pictures from camp.

3. Preacher-Man
Twice this past summer, I had the privilege and honor of preaching. It was a humbling, difficult, and wonderfully fierce and furious experience. I was surprised at how hard it was but how much I thoroughly enjoyed it. The best part was in the preparation. The Holy Spirit does terrific things through the study of Scripture. My prayer is that He used my feeble words to pierce the heart of lost people. I long to do that more.

4. “Take This Job and Shove It”
I did not use Johnny Paycheck’s song title when I quit my job. I find it ironic that a man named Paycheck would be most famous for a song about quitting his job. Anyway, I’d been working at Advance Auto Parts in Newnan for over 6 years and I was glad to be moving on. I had made several good friends there in that amount of time and I was sad to say goodbye to them, but I was excited to take the next step.

5. "Blue Moon of Kentucky"
I’ve only lived in one state in my life up until the summer of 2008. I did have a brief stint in Auburn, Alabama, but it was so short that I don’t even count it. This past year marked the first time I made a major move. Now I live in Louisville, Kentucky and I really like it here. There aren’t any good seafood restaurants and there are a lot of differences between here and home but this town does have a lot of charm and beauty…parts of it anyway. It’s a nice place to live.

6. "We didn’t invent the chicken, just the chicken sandwich."
After about a week of living in Kentucky, I knew I would soon need money. You see, money is required to have food and food is required to keep living. While at the local mall one day, I decided to grab a quick bite for lunch. I chose Chick-fil-A because it’s always been one of my favorite places to eat. After I placed my order, I asked for an application and decided to fill it out while I ate. A couple of days later, I was interviewed and became an official “Trainee.” The rest, as they say, is history. Well, there’s not too much history yet but you get the idea.

7. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
The whole point of finishing my degree, quitting my job, moving to Kentucky, and getting the job at Chick-fil-A was to be here on the campus of the best seminary in the world. It’s an honor and a privilege to be a student here studying under the brilliant faculty and leadership of this institution. I could make this an entire blog but I won’t. For more information about my time here, just scroll down to the blog entry entitled “First Semester of Seminary.” It will give a more detailed explanation.

8. Grace Church Louisville
One of the first Sundays I was in Louisville, my friends Jay & Marsha Sanders invited me to go to their church. I wasn’t sure what to do about finding a church so I was open to going wherever. I went to a couple of churches before going to Grace but once I became a “regular” there, I knew it was the one for me. I later attended membership meetings and liked what I heard. I decided to go through the necessary steps to join Grace. It’s a small, relatively new church plant with a very strong emphasis on evangelism. My pastor, Mark Janke, is one of the best preachers I’ve heard. His exposition of Scripture is spot on and it’s obvious when you hear him preach that the text is not only in his notes, it’s also in his heart. I love my church.

9. President Barack Hussein Obama
Now, this entry doesn’t specifically involve me but it’s a big deal for 2008. I disagree with pretty much every policy decision and every plan our new President has proposed but I think it’s a wonderful thing that America, just 50 years after treating African Americans like lesser beings because of their race, has elected a black man as President. I sincerely hope that God uses this upcoming presidency to further His Gospel…whether it be through free expression of Christian ideals or though crushing persecution. God is sovereign and He will be glorified.

10. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”
This past Thanksgiving, due to my work schedule, I wasn’t able to go home and be with my family. At one point it was looking like the same thing was going to be true of Christmas but, by God’s grace, I was able to be at home for the entire week of Christmas. Thanks to My Dear Aunt Sally’s neighbors Mary & Jim, I was able to fly home on a buddy pass. Round trip ticket: $76. Being at home for Christmas: Priceless. It was so wonderful to spend time with loved ones, both family and friends. It’s amazing how fast a week can go by.


So that’s it, my top 10. Feel free to comment on mine, remind me if I’ve forgotten something that should be in the list, and add your own. I wish everyone a great 2009 and may you see God’s glory in your life as you worship Him.

Casey

"Oh LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth, who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens!" Psalm 8:1