New Years Resolutions

Dear friends,


Another New Year is here! For some it will be an awakening that last year’s resolutions were forgotten and for others it will be an opportunity to celebrate goals that have been accomplished. But for everyone it is chance to begin again! As Christians we understand the idea of new beginnings. In salvation God has given us new life and new hope. We know that we don't have to wait until January 1st for a second chance to get things right. By the grace of God, everything can be made right today, right now.

However, celebrating the New Year can help us to refocus our efforts, redirect our thoughts, and remedy lingering weaknesses in our lives, so that we might live more holy lives. To that end, many of us make New Year's resolutions.
I have enjoyed reading My Utmost For His Highest, by Oswald Chambers, as part of my New Year’s preparation. The Scripture for January 1st is Philippians 1:20, “…my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death”. Hi then comments, “It’s as if Paul were saying, ‘My determined purpose is to be my utmost for His highest – my best for His glory.’” And then, when thinking seriously about what it will cost if one obeys this call of Jesus, he declares, “Keep to the point…Shut out every other thought and keep yourself before God in this one thing—my utmost for His highest. I am determined to be absolutely and entirely for Him and Him alone.” Wow! What resolve. And his life proved it!

Matthew Henry, the great Puritan scholar, had great resolve, as well.

"I do in the beginning of this New Year solemnly make a fresh surrender of myself, my whole self, body, soul, and spirit, to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, my Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier, covenanting and promising, not in any strength of my own, for I am very weak, but in the strength of the grace of Jesus Christ, that I will endeavor this year to stand complete in the Will of God."

What resolutions are you going to make this year? Lose weight? (I need to make that one.) Find time? Break habits? Mend fences?

I would like to suggest a few things that we all should be resolved to do in the New Year:
1. Praise God for every new day (Psalm 118:24)

2. Read through the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

3. Pray daily for one another and the church (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

4. Share your faith with at least one new person each week (Romans 10:14)


As you embark on a new beginning, consider Matthew Henry's New Year's prayer:


"Lord grant that this year I may be more holy, and walk more closely than ever in all holy conversation; I earnestly desire to be filled with thy holy thoughts, to be carried out in holy affections, determined by holy aims and intentions, and governed in all my words and actions by holy principles. O that a golden thread of holiness may run through the whole web of this year."
My New Year’s prayer is that I will have an “unstoppable determination for his holiness!" May the Lord grant you the same.
Grace and Peace,


Dayton Birt

The Next Thing

Greetings!



I was encouraged today with a very simple word from the Lord: "Just do the next thing!"



Sometimes the "next thing" is to write a letter, make a phone call, or visit a shut-in. Sometimes, the "next thing" is to stop and pray, read the Word, or write in your journal. Sometimes, the "next thing" is to clean your desk, or the car, or your room (that's usually just for kids, but not always!), or maybe it's to put away the dishes, take the trash out or mow the lawn!. You get the idea, the "next thing" is often times a simple action that seems so insignificant, that it just doesn't appear to be a "God thing", so we brush it off. When in reality if we will simple just do the "next thing", then the next thing is easier to do, and then it's easier to do the next thing, and the next, and the next. Until all those little "next things" make up your whole day!



I was also reminded that if the church would adopt this "do the next thing" attitude, then it could move from feeling overwhelmed with a daunting task and just focus on the "next thing". Actually, this is what Dr Conrad Lowe taught us in the Church Consultation Seminars he taught. I have taken that phase and applied it to my own life and we have repeatedly used it when we do church consultations. We have become overwhelmed with the big picture that we have become paralyzed to do the simply, insignificant, "next thing", so we oftentimes just keep doing what we have always done, hoping to get a different result. They say that is the definition of insanity!



Oswald Chamber's timeless devotional, My Utmost For His Highest has helped me see that this is indeed a spiritual truth that God wants us to learn. Consider these two quotes:



"We look for visions from heaven, for earthquakes and thunders of God's power... and we never dream that all the time God is in the commonplace things and people around us. If we will do the duty that lies nearest, we shall see Him."



"When the Spirit of God comes, He does not give us visions, He tells us to do the most ordinary things conceivable... whenever God comes, the inspiration is to do the most natural, simple things—the things we would never have imagined God was in, and as we do them we find He is there."



Chambers referenced the scene in I Kings where Elijah is running from King Ahab. He is hungry and tired and very depressed. (Ever been there?) In that scene God sends an angel to him who says simply, "Arise and eat" (I Kings 19:5). What was Elijah's "next thing" he needed to do? Get up and eat something! Sometimes just moving forward in the most basic way is all God needs from us. With our obedience comes the solution we are seeking.



I hope this thought will help you or someone else who is feeling overwhelmed and even depressed. What "next thing" is God asking you to do? Get up, do whatever it is, and find Him there.



I am praying for you and keep asking the Lord to give you wisdom in the simple things!



"Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: 'Give careful thought to your ways.'" Haggai 1:5 (NIV)



Blessings!

Dayton

Bishop's Health Update

Dear friends,

First of all, let me say, "thank you," for all the prayers, encouraging cards, calls and emails I received. They were an great encouraged. I received so many that I could not reply to all of them.

I have been set free from "house arrest" and have the doctor's release to drive again. I guess they didn't want me on the road not knowing what lane I was driving in or where I was going! I had to cancel several appointments and travel plans, but I am doing fine. Praise the Lord!

The doctors did diagnose the problem as a "TIA", which is commonly called a minor stroke. That means that the blood (and, therefore, the oxygen loss) flow was only temporarily restricted, so the effect is not serious. The doctors ran numerous tests and took lots (and I do mean lots) of blood to see if they could determine if I had a heart attack or where the restriction or blockage came from. I began to wonder if I would have any blood left in me! But, "thanks be to God", there is no indication of any restriction or blockage anywhere. So, I am very grateful for that. But, this kind of stroke is a warning that something went wrong, so I am disciplining myself by reducing the sodium, sugar and fat in my diet, as well as, exercising more. I will need to monitor my cholesterol and triglyceride levels, as well as, my blood pressure. So, it was a wake up call, to say the least!

I returned to the office on Tuesday and obviously have been trying to dig my way out of the "stuff." But, I am delighted to back in the flow. It has been an extremely busy week but enjoyable. Somethings may have gotten overlooked, so I forgot to do something or follow up on something please remind me. I have had a little memory loss. It's like I know it is there, but I can't seem to pull it out of my brain. Fortunately, it seems to be only very minor things. I can't afford to forget any more than I already do!

As I learn how to take the "easy yoke" of the Lord, He is teaching me every day about His grace and peace. The Lord had prompted my heart with a promise from Isaiah 26:3-4 before all this happened, so I have been in "perfect peace" (shalom, shalom) as my "mind is steadfast because I (he) trust in you (the Lord)." I am sure I will be sharing more of what the Lord has been impressing on my in the days ahead.

Lynn and I both want to express our heart felt appreciation for all your encouragement and prayers. We cherish your friendship and prayers.

Grace and peace,
Dayton Birt

Bishop's Health

Bishop Health

As many of you have heard, I had a episode this past Friday that required me to be hospitalized. What happened is, I apparently had a mini stroke and experienced some disorientation, double vision, and was not aware of how I drove myself to Hopewell.

I left the house about 8am, to travel to Tidewater for a meeting with some pastors. While coming up to a red light, with cars stopped, I lost my concentration and bumped into the car in front of me. Thank the Lord, there was no damage. After getting out and exchanging phone numbers, I went back to the car and just sat there. Finally, the cars behind me honked the horn, so I continued driving down Rt 10 East. I should have gotten on I-95 South but I passed it and then I began having double vision. The cars looked like they were going through the trees and grass in the median to my left, so I tried to follow them. When I began to run of the road, I realized I was making a mistake, so I tried to move over to the right lane, but the cars honked their horn and so I stayed in the far left lane. That is basically the last thing I can remember until I arrived in Hopewell, about 6 miles down the road. In Hopewell, I remember thinking, "If I can just get to the RM Furniture Store maybe someone can help me." I don't know how I got there, but I found myself on the wrong side of the street, stopped, confused and disoriented. I called my wife and said "Something is wrong with me. I am in Hopewell and don't know how I got here." She works for Chesterfield County Fire and EMS, so she put someone else on the phone and they walked me through some instructions and then called the ambulance. The next thing I remember is, I am in the Hopewell Emergency Room. Wow! What an experience!

As I look back on the experience, I believe the Lord was with me keeping me from getting on I-95 or I-295. I would have been driving at a much faster speed and with the disorientation and double vision I experienced, it could have been fatal. I am so grateful for the Lord's protection and supernatural provision.

The doctors have run every conceivable test and have not been able to find out what caused, what they believe was a mini stroke. The doctors released me from the hospital on Sunday, but do not want me to drive until they feel certain I am not a risk for a repeat episode. I hope to be back in the office on Tuesday, Dec 2nd. I will be checking my email from home if you need to get in touch with me.

Obviously, an experience like this shakes you at the core of your being. It makes you reevaluate your priorities and your personal responsibility to care for your own body and mind. Because the doctors believe it was a mini stroke they have focused on my circulatory and neurological system. They have found that my blood pressure was high and that my cholesterol levels were not within a safe range. So, I am having to do some soul searching to decide how I am going to be a good steward of the body the Lord gave me. I am the one responsible for my own health, diet, exercise and a slower pace of life.

I am sharing the details of my experience because I believe as a leader we should model honesty and openness. It may also be a reminder for others to take care of themselves better. We only have one body and when that is gone our work on earth is done. So may we all be reminded, that a lot of people are depending on us - family, friends, co workers, etc. Let's not disappoint them.

Thank you for your prayers. I will keep in touch as things progress.

Bishop Dayton Birt
Redemption Ministries

9/2/08 True Diligence (Part 3)

continued from 8/15/08

2. You will be in control of the situation, rather than have the situation control you.

Solomon says, “The hand of the diligent will rule, but the slack will be put to forced labor”(Proverbs 12:24, NASB). We all would prefer to have control of our own life rather than be controlled by our boss, company or other people around us. And those who are truly diligent not only control their destiny, but also enhance the achievements of those around them. I learned diligence from my father who emigrated from Canada to the United States. He worked extremely hard to be successful in the automotive parts business, eventually going into business for himself and enjoying great success. Later, he sold the business to go into the ministry. Within a few years, he planted a church in the small town of Greensburg, Pa.. When he retired, it was the largest church in the PA Conference. From that church, dozens of men and women went into ministry and many planted churches. Diligence pays off.

3. You will experience true fulfillment.

It seems that a vast majority of people are in a perpetual state of hunger. Not for food, at least, not in America, but for things. No matter what we have, it seems as if it is not enough. Contentment and true fulfillment seem to be as rare as finding gas under $3.00 per gallon! In contrast, Solomon tells us, “The desires of the diligent are fully satisfied” (Proverbs 13:4, NIV). Imagine being so contented and fulfilled that you crave nothing! That is hard for me to fathom. But, that is the kind of fulfillment that is promised to the diligent. On the other hand, Solomon states in contrast, that the lazy or “sluggard craves and gets nothing” (first part of verse 4). Ouch!

Bishop Dayton Birt
Redemption Ministries

8/15/08 True Diligence (Part 2)

It is human nature to follow the path of least resistance. Solomon understood that we need to be motivated to choose diligence over our natural inclination to “go with the flow”. And what is that motivation? Being truly diligence he tells us brings us priceless rewards, while a lack of diligence can produce devastating consequences.

There are a number of rewards for those who are truly diligent:

1. You will gain sure advantage - “The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage” (Proverbs 21:5 NASB).

Think about it, would you rather pursue a project having a strong and unshakable advantage or having a handicap? Solomon assures us that those that are truly diligent (“steadily diligent” AMP) will gain an insurmountable advantage over those who are not. Whether we’re competing against companies, individuals, circumstances or even simply time, diligence will give us a unique advantage (“tend only to plenteousness” AMP). This will result in greater productivity, achievement, wealth and fulfillment.

Bishop Dayton Birt

Redemption Ministries

8/15/08 - The Power of Effecitve Commuication

Friends of Redemption Ministries,

The older I get and the longer I am in ministry (wow, I never thought I would say that!), the more convinced I am, that communication with one another is one of the greatest challenges facing those in the ministry today. Proverbs 16:23 says, "The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, and adds persuasiveness to his lips." Dr Gary Smalley has said that ineffective communication is the number-one problem in relationships.


The recent edition of the Issachar File, which comes from the office of Bishop, James Leggett, reviewed a book that offered "10 Communication Strategies Every Leader Needs to Know." I have include the book brief below. It has some very interesting insights. If you find that the culture in your congregation is not healthy consider Booher's opinion that, "Leaders lead; they take responsibility for the communication culture. Managers maintain; they go with the status quo"

As leaders, we have a responsibility to create a culture of "relational integrity", a term I picked up from Pastor Craig Walker, the new pastor of Living Word Church.

So remember. what you say, and how you say it, can have a life-changing impact on others.

Again, Proverbs speaks so powerfully to that point. "A wholesome tongue is a tree of life" (15:4). The Hebrew word for "wholesome" literally translates to "healing" or "curative". So, a "healing tongue" is like a tree of life! And trees of course, are not only alive, but they provide life to others. Their leaves provide us with oxygen to breath, their fruit provides us with food to eat, and their roots provide stability to our soil. The same could be said of a person who communicates with healing words. His encouraging communication improves not only his life but the lives of those around him.

However, the opposite is also true. Proverbs 15:4 continues, "perverseness therein is a breach of spirit." Perverseness literally means distortion or viciousness. When we communicate in a away that is dishonest or verbally vicious, we run the risk of breaking a person's spirit. When a person's spirit is broken by another, not only does the relationship suffer, but the person can be emotionally scarred forever.

So pastor/ shepherd, servant of Christ, choose your words, and how you frame them, wisely!

Grace and peace.

Bishop Dayton Birt
Redemption Ministries