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Pastor's Pen -  August 2011

"And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them:" Mark 10:13a

THE BUS MINISTRY (1) THE BEGINNING

I thank God for every ministry at Heritage Baptist Church because each one serves the purpose of evangelizing, exhortation, and edification of God's people. The bus ministry is especially close to my heart because the Lord used this ministry to get me to church and to get me saved. I grew up in a drunkards home and all the mess that goes along with it. I grew up on the child side and saw fighting, drinking and drugging going on and really thought that was normal. I thought everyone had step parents, drank on weekends, cussed in front of their kids, and never went to church. One Saturday people came to visit our house because they were bringing a church bus into the neighborhood to pick up children and we rode the next Sunday morning. That was the beginning of the bus ministry for our family.

In Mark 10:13 the Bible says, "And they brought young children to him,that he should touch them:" Someone had a desire to see children's lives touched by Jesus enough to go out and bring those children to Jesus. Bus workers have that same desire when they bring in kids on the buses Sunday after Sunday so Jesus can touch their life. Johnny and Linda Johnson and the rest of the bus workers were the ones that God used to bring me and my brothers to church and because of that, Jesus did touch my life. I got saved when I was 15 years old, called to preach just before turning 16, was an assistant pastor for 6 years, and now I'm pastoring this church...I would say Jesus has touched my life! The Biblical command has always been for believers to go to unbelievers and bring them to Jesus. Luke 14:23 "And the Lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled." Anyone who was touched by Jesus wanted to get others to him, Mark 2:3 "And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four." Four men sounds like four wheels to me so here we have the first bus ministry! THANK GOD FOR THE BUS MINISTRY!!!

Related Scriptures: Luke 14:23, Mark 2:3

Prayer: Lord, I know you want me to bring people to Jesus and that means people of all ages. Children have no way to come if their parents don't bring them so I want to offer to bring them if their parents can't or won't. I could work on a bus but until then I am going to start bringing my neighbors children with me in my car. If you want me in the bus ministry then I will get in and give my life to bringing children to Jesus so He can touch them.

September 2011

"And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciple rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased." Mark 10:13-14a

THE BUS MINISTRY (2) THE BATTLE

The bus ministry is a wonderful ministry because of the emphasis it puts on bringing children to church where they are able to hear about Jesus Christ. Most bus ministries see many children saved and this is understandable because every week children who have never heard the gospel are presented with the gospel and they trust Christ as their Savior. I would love to tell you that everyone is pro-bus ministry but there are some people that are anti-bus ministry. If you notice the scripture above there were people rebuking others for bringing young children to Jesus and that crowd is still around today. Here are some of the excuses you may hear from the anti-bus ministry crowd:

The cost is too great. They are saying the money used on buses, gas, bus repair, and promotions for the children should be spent in other places. To me there is no greater money spent than money spent to reach souls. Bus ministries never have been a money making tool for churches but God blesses and takes care of churches that invest in children Jesus died for. By the way, when those children grow up, get married, and get a job they are going to go to church somewhere and it may be where they attended when they were a child!

The children mess up the church. I would probably agree with you on that but every child who attends our church will mess up the area they are in. Whether they ride in with parents or ride the bus makes no difference, they are still children. I guess we could ban children altogether from our church or just simply thank God they are there and clean up the pew where they sat after they leave and get ready for the next service.

The children disrupt the church service. If you are bringing children to church for the first time they may have to adjust and learn what we expect out of them at church. Most of the time if your workers are well trained they will sit with the children and supervise them during the service if they get unruly. I would just hope we would be as patient and understanding with possibly lost children acting up in a church service as we are our own children or grandchildren who do the same.

How many of those children really get saved? EVERY ONE OF THEM THAT ASK JESUS TO SAVE THEM! People who say this are implying kids are herded into rooms, told to say a prayer, and counted as a statistic. The truth is the gospel is presented by patient, caring, trained workers who deal with each child individually. Sometimes we plant the Word of God in them for the first time. Sometimes we water and carefully explain the gospel making sure the children understand what the Bible says and the children learn a little more about Jesus. When a child, teen, or adult have the knowledge of salvation and understand it and they accept Jesus by faith to be their Lord and Savior then they are saved!

You are just in it for the numbers. I don't care if you bring the neighbor's child with you to church in your own car or if you run a bus that is overflowing with a hundred children, just bring kids to church. Each child has an eternal soul that can be won to Jesus. If you give me the option of bringing in 5 children to hear the gospel or bringing in 500 children to hear the gospel, I'll take the 500! I've always been pro-full church rather than pro-empty church anyway. Besides, who are you to tell me what my motives are...it seems like you have your eyes more on numbers than I do!

Really, these excuses are just trivial matters that could be easily fixed with a good trip to the alter! Satan will always try to attack the work of God that is busy about reaching people with the gospel before it is eternally too late. I'm for the bus ministry and all the other ministries of the church that get the gospel to the lost and help saved people grow in the Lord. Let's just keep those buses running!

Related Scriptures: Luke 14:2, 2 Timothy 3:12

Prayer: Lord I love you and love the children you sent your Son to die for. I know there are people that are against the bus ministry but I pray you will show them the great job that is being done to reach souls. Touch their heart and even burden them to work or help the bus ministry. Thank you again for the privilege to pick up un-churched children and bring them to Jesus.

October 2011

"Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.   Mark 10:14b-16

THE BUS MINISTRY (3) THE BLESSING

The bus ministry has always been dear to my heart and always will be. I love children and I believe when a child gets saved the Lord may be letting him bypass a lot of heart ache that an unsaved person will face. Children can get saved before a life of sin scars them for or wrecks their family. The bus ministry is a great way to bring many children to church where they will hear the gospel of Jesus Christ and have the opportunity to get saved. Here are some of the blessings or benefits that come through having a bus ministry.

The laborers that are called. "Therefore he said unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest." Luke 10:2 Having a bus ministry opens a door of service for anyone with a heart for soul-winning or a heart for children. Through the preaching of the Word of God someone will see the need for workers in the bus ministry or any other ministry at the church. Every ministry in the church should compliment each other. For example bus workers bring in the children. Nursery workers keep the bus workers children while they are on the bus. Ushers help children and adults that rode the buses to find the correct class to go to. Sunday school workers teach the children the Bible. Children's church workers have church services for the young children during the adult services. really, everyone that serves the Lord is helping in the bus ministry by being faithful in their place.

The lives that are changed. "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17 The bus ministry is one of the only ministries you can meet someone one day, bring them to church the next morning, see them get saved in a church service,and take them home a new creature in Christ! God is still in the business of changing lives. A bus cam to my house and brought me and my brothers to church. My brother got saved one Sunday morning. Soul-winners came to our house and witnessed to our family and a while later my parents got saved on a Sunday morning. We tarted attending the church and I got saved shortly after on a Sunday night. My youngest brother got saved later and we are all on our way to heaven as a direct result of the bus ministry. I AM A LIFE THAT WAS CHANGED!!! I pastor the Heritage Baptist Church now and we run buses every Sunday bringing children to Jesus. It worked then and it's still working now!

The Lord that is crowned. Everything we do should bring glory and honor to our Lord Jesus Christ. If I know there is something I could do that would please God and make Him happy then I want to do it. "And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: but his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased,..." Mark 10:13-14a If Jesus was "much displeased" at people being rebuked for bringing children to Jesus then He must be much pleased when we bring young children to him. "Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth." Luke 15:10 God himself gets happy when people (young people) get saved so we should do everything in our power bring people to church or go to their homes and tell them about Jesus. What a blessing to work in the bus ministry.

Related Scriptures: Luke 10:2, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Luke 15:10

Prayer: Jesus I want to thank you for sending a bus down to my house and for saving me. I realize the need for the bus ministry and I pray that we will always use this ministry to bring children into your house. Give me a heart for the bus ministry, the bus workers, and the bus children and keep my heart tender. Thank you for all the blessing you have given me through the bus ministry. I love you Lord Jesus.

November 2011

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