Will You Refuse or Respond to God's Call?

Judges 5

Uncle Sam Wants You is among the most iconic of military recruiting posters. It dates back to the First World War. There have been many calls to arms throughout history. One occurred in the 12th Century B.C. during the the period known as Judges in the Bible. Barak called upon his countrymen to come and join the battle against their enemy. Some refused and some responded. The Song of Deborah recorded the battle with its heroes and zeroes.

The tribe Ruben refused the call. There was much second guessing in their ranks. They were victims of paralysis through analysis. Ruben was indecisive and did not share in the victory.

Gilead had chosen to remain on the other side of the Jordan when Joshua went in to take the country but they were required to help in the conquest on the other side of the Jordan (Joshua 1:12–15). The years had passed and because of the natural barrier between them, (the Jordan River) fellowship seemed to have grown cold. They refused the call.

Dan did not have the overcoming faith to take the land that God had promised. The Amorites had driven Dan into the mountain country. Their faith was weak and they missed the blessing.

Asher lived by the coast and worked with commerce, boats, trade. The enemies of Barak and Deborah were their customers. When God had called him to battle he stayed and did “business as usual.” They had no vision for the work of the Lord.

The harshest words were against Meroz: “'Curse Meroz,' said the angel of the LORD. 'Curse its people bitterly, because they did not come to help the LORD, to help the LORD against the mighty.'” (Judges 5:23)

Failure to participate is considered an abomination. God expects His people to become involved in his work. Non-involvement is unacceptable.

There is praise for those respond: “Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves.” (Judges 5:2)

An important theme in Deborah's song of Victory is the willingness of the leaders and people. They did not hesitate as the others did. Zebulun and Napthali will always be remembered as the tribes that risked their lives for God.

God uses those who respond. God will only use a person to the extent of their surrender but God will get his work accomplished.

Are you a refuser or a responder? Will you be indecisive? Uncaring? Unfaithful? Too busy? Will the kingdom advance in your presence while you miss the blessing?

When the princes in Israel take the lead,

when the people willingly offer themselves

praise the LORD!

Judges 5:2

The Birth of Baptist Temple

Lizzy Elkins

Nellie (Johnson) Taylor

On a sultry spring Sunday afternoon in 1906 the some fifty-three thousand souls of San Antonio confined themselves to the ordinary things people did in those days. Some took streetcar rides out to San Pedro Springs, or strolled along the sidewalks downtown to watch the horse and buggy traffic, sprinkled with a few noisy autos bumping over the chug holes in the mesquite block pavements of Commerce and Houston streets. Streetcars clanged in the relative quiet of a city accustomed to Latin leisure.

The everlasting, but half-forgotten Alamo dozed in the warm sun, and farther east of downtown, another ancient little building built of caliche squatted on its corner at North and Water streets and waited for a momentous meeting of a group of devoted young Baptists to arrive.

All was in readiness inside the little house that faced south on North Street and bore the number of 301. The cool parlor was crowded with all the chairs of the house in anticipation of the fifteen or twenty visitors from First Baptist Church and the mothers and their children who had been invited to attend the special Sunday School that would eventually grow into Pegues Memorial Baptist Church and then to San Antonio’s second largest Baptist Church, Baptist Temple.

The piano stood in a corner and the quick-moving, attractive little woman took a final glance about her parlor to make sure all was ready as the hour approached and noted the palm leaf fans were in place on the chairs. She made several hasty trips to the open door and peered into the glaring sun-washed, unpaved street and onto the porch to see if her visitors were nearing.

Her face lit up when she saw two mothers with their children dressed in their Sunday best walking along the dusty street toward the house. Her blue eyes danced and her laughter rocketed out to them as she greeted her visitors. Soon the joy of Mrs. Elizabeth “Lizzy” Elkins was complete as a few buggies pulled up and hitching blocks were dropped at the curb and happy young people trooped up onto the porch.

Within a short time other young men in their high-buttoned coats, narrow trousers and toothpick shoes, and young ladies with their skirts lifted just enough to prevent them from dragging in the dust, stepped onto the porch. Some of the young men carried stacks of paperback hymnals. Soon Robert O. Huff, president of the Baptist Young People’s Union over at First Baptist Church, accompanied by his young wife, Carrie, and her sister Miss Nellie Johnson with her violin arrived. Carrie was to play the piano while Nellie played the violin to accompany those who would sing the hymns.

The half dozen children took the chairs in the center of the room while the adults occupied those against the walls. Mrs. Huff sat at the piano and Miss Johnson tuned her violin and the Sunday School was ready to begin as Mr. Huff, a tall, handsome young attorney, called for God’s guidance in this undertaking for the Kingdom. In the quiet of worship the clop-clop and rattle of a passing horse and buggy drifted into the parlor from the hot sunshine and from the distance could be heard the clanging of a streetcar mingled with the squeal of steel wheels turning at a curve down at Joske’s corner. But none in Mrs. Elkins’ parlor was aware of the outside sounds, nor that this little gathering of devoted young Baptists was establishing a destiny in answer to prayers.

This impromptu Sunday School was the answer to Mrs. Elkins’ prayers.  She combined action with her prayers and had presented her challenge to the Baptist Young People’s Union at First Baptist Church because that church was closer to her home at 301 North Street than her own Central Baptist Church.

Irish good humor and enthusiasm and English determination for the thing she believed in characterized Mrs. Elkins, who stood only five feet three inches tall, but made up for petite size with boundless energy that was directed toward concern for young people whether children or young adults. Her home was open to many ambitious business college students who had come to San Antonio to prepare for careers. Besides offering her home, Mrs. Elkins also devoted much time to the welfare of youth in connection with her work in the Bexar County Juvenile Office. 


An account from Nellie (Johnson) Taylor
From HISTORY OF BAPTIST TEMPLE 1911-1976 By Ralph M. Fritz

Connecting Faith, Heritage and Community

Last night the Baptist Temple staff and a few lay leaders were introduced to a program by the Partners for Sacred Places. This a national network of expert professionals who understand the value of a congregation’s architectural assets, its worth as a faith community, and the significance of its service to the community at large.

We learned, last night, that 93% of urban churches serve as community centers, hosting and/or providing a variety social service programs. Moreover, 81% of the people served by urban congregations are non-members.

The local Presbytery (Baptists would say association) is funding a training program for San Antonio to assist historic houses of worship to remain sustainable through preservation and community development. We were invited to one of eight churches in this cohort.

This intensive training program, called New Dollars/New Partners. gives congregations with older buildings the skills and resources to broaden their base of support. Over a period of one year congregations will learn to speak...

The language of abundance: Asset Based Community Development

The traditional approach to community assistance has been to provide resources from outside the community while ignoring the talent and resources within the community itself. However, real change comes from the inside out. Understanding the relationships, talent base and business and institutional assets that already exist will create a sustainable environment in which a church can thrive.

The language of economy: public value and the economic halo effect

Urban churches provide a quantifiable value to the community. They provide services that would otherwise need to be provided by the government or someone else. Seventy five percent of urban congregations host outside groups, rent free. Urban churches log an average 5300 volunteer hours per year. Remember, 81% of the beneficiaries are people from the community who are not members of the church.

The language of heritage: the case statement

Every congregation has stories to tell of significant ministry during the depression, the civil rights movement, Viet Nam and other important eras. The congregation has a “brand” that has been developed through these ministries. The case statement answers the questions of “Why should I care,” and “Why should I give?”

The language of investment: sources of funding

Most funding for thriving urban churches comes from individual gifts. The congregation will account for 39%, while other individuals account for 24%. These other individuals include former members and people interested in either helping that particular community or preserving that particular building.

Grants, including government, private and corporate, account for 22% of funding. Significant but not as big as individual gifts.

Fund raisers account for a comparatively unimportant 6%, but when viewed as friend raisers, they connect you with potential individual donors.

One source of funding that is not mentioned but can be significant is earned income that goes beyond the fund raiser. Such sources of earned income include space rental (including parking), day care and other services, and sales of books and CDs. For some churches this can produce as much as 40% of their income.

I look forward to the coming year and learning how to better steward the Kingdom resources with which we have been intrusted and using them to help people find spiritual and physical healing in our Lord Jesus.