Pastor Buddy’s Blog

Journal,

Look closely at the world map. See all the red dots. Some are larger than others. The dots represent the numbers of people who are reading my blog.

The larger dot (Louisiana) represents 100 to 999 visits in the last 24 hours. The smaller dots indicate anywhere from 1 to 99 visits.

 

 

You could click on the map to the right of my blog, just under my picture, and received the larger picture. But I’m showing this particular picture map for a purpose. This map captures a moment in time. It sets forth how ministry can take place from a small office in Pineville, Louisiana, and reach out into all the world. At that point in time, in the past 24 hours, I had received 564 visits to my blog with a total of 1002 pages being reviewed.

Let me draw a bigger picture. Five hundred sixty four visits in the last 24 hours may not seem so great. Guess what. In the past month I’ve had 8,324 visits with 20,426 pages being reviewed. Let’s go one more step. In the past year I’ve had 56,074 visits with 104,882 pages visited. (And what makes this all the more interesting is that my blog visitors are increasing all the while.)

I’ll make a point to all this in a moment. For now just think about it. Yes, most of my visits are from the USA. But also look at Western Europe. Then let your eyes travel to the far east and down to Australia.

Alright already, what is the point in all this…

Yes, there is a point and I hope that you get it.

My point is not to brag on my blog. There are multitudes of blogs that have many times much higher readership that my blog. My point is to simply show how the term ministry has forever changed. In forty plus years in the ministry, never in all those years would I have dreamed of being able to share the gospel with people across the globe that my blog is reaching today.

(And I’m not so naive as to assume that all my visitors are being blessed. But some are. Besides that, I believe the Lord directs the hearts of those that He wishes to visit my blog.)

The issue is that God has made a way for us to reach the world on a level never envisioned in years gone by. Many years ago there was a song which said, ‘Lord, take us back to the old brush arbor days.’ I use to love that song. Not so much any more.

My response now is, ‘Lord, don’t take us back…

…I’ve been there. I’ve preached in church buildings, in brush arbors, in movie theaters, on the streets, in mountain villages, in tents, in schools, in nursing homes, in homes, on creek banks, and just about anywhere You gave me a place to preach. But, Lord, don’t take us back to the old brush arbor days. Just help us to reach the world with the tools that we now have.’

God spoke the prophet Daniel concerning the final days in His redemption plan. Listen:

“Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.”(Daniel 12:3,4 nasb)

There are two things that especially stand out in what Daniel is told.

God said that in the end-time, those who have insight would shine brightly. The insight has to do with turning many people to righteousness. The Geneva Bible explains the insightful ones this way: “He chiefly means the ministers of God’s word, and next all the faithful who instruct the ignorant, and bring them to the true knowledge of God.”

Then we have this, that ‘knowledge will increase.’  

This increasing knowledge has to do with a sudden burst of understanding. The Hebrew word for knowledge [da'ath] is most often used in the Scriptures for ‘wisdom.’ And the word for ‘increase’ speaks to an increase in volume, extent, power, or influence. It often addresses a sudden increase in a multiplication of time, or the idea of swiftness.

We are in a time of redemption history where the ability to reach out into the world has increased on a level that far exceeds anything the Church has ever known. Listen carefully to these statements:

Mar 16:15  “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”

Mat 24:14  “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

Mar 13:20  “Unless the Lord had shortened those days, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days.”

Heb 10:25  “…not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”

It is no secret…

Perhaps doing a blog isn’t something the Lord would have you do. But I do believe that He has something wonderful for you to do. And don’t feel like you are unworthy. Who among us is worthy of anything. God loves to work with people who are acquainted with their own weaknesses and failings. I’ve often said that if I were in God’s place, I would never have called Buddy Martin to the ministry.

Anyway, who knows what the Lord has in store for you.

Listen to this song by Jim Reeves. Let the Lord speak to your heart. And just tell Him that you are available for whatever ministry He would place in your hands…

Be encouraged. Everything is working according to plan. (God’s plan that is.) 

Blessings,

Buddy