Byron Day, BCM/D President and Pastor of Emmanuel Church, Laurel, Md.

Byron Day, BCM/D President and Pastor of Emmanuel Church, Laurel, Md.

Finally spring is near and after shoveling more snow this winter than I can ever remember, I am determined to turn my thoughts to warmer weather. The recent completion of the Winter Olympic Games however caused me to reflect on the sacrifice and training of the Olympians. The dedication, discipline and determination of the Olympic athlete commands great admiration. Those who compete in the Olympics seek the highest honor, the greatest glory.

The athletes who choose to compete in an Olympic event spend their entire lives preparing for this moment. They sacrifice going to the movies or skating with their friends in order to train. They get up at 4 o’clock in the morning to train before school or work. They spend years running miles a day. They eat a restricted diet for years in order to mold their bodies into the best shape. Every athlete denies herself of the pleasures and treasures of life in order to focus her entire life around that one competition. Every athlete runs, sweats, he lifts weights, and he pains, and pushes his body to its very limits.

The athletes who compete in the Olympics exercise great earthly discipline, life changing earthly discipline, for an earthly crown and earthly glory. They run for a gold medal, a sneaker endorsement and their picture on a cereal box.

The Olympic competitor reminds me that we discipline ourselves for a far greater reward than a gold medal. We are striving for a heavenly crown.

The apostle Paul after dealing with his own self-denial when it came to preacher’s rights begins now to grant us a view of his purpose in life. He lets the Corinthians know that there is a method to his madness. There is a reason why he suffers these things, the answer is found in verse I Corinthians 9:25 for an imperishable crown. Paul was striving for a heavenly crown.

Paul answers the question, why? Why do I put myself through all of this pain and suffering? Why do I put up with wild animals, robbers, persecution from Jews, and persecution from Gentiles? Sometimes we may find ourselves asking those types of questions. Why do I continue going out witnessing? Why do I keep teaching Sunday school? Why do I keep singing in the choir? Why do I keeping preaching and teaching? The answer is for an imperishable crown. So keep striving for a heavenly crown because there is a crown reserved for all those who remain faithful and love his appearing.

Byron Day

By Byron Day, BCM/D President and Pastor of Emmanuel Church, Laurel, Md.

When I was a senior in high school I had to take trigonometry. I was pretty good in math, but a lazy student. I only did enough to get by.

So throughout the year I did enough to maintain a C average. By the time finals rolled around and everyone was looking forward to graduation, it dawned on me that if I blew this final I wouldn’t graduate. So I set my mind to work.

In the evenings, I studied hard hour after hour. On the night before the exam, I wouldn’t take any calls from friends, didn’t play with my little brother, didn’t play with the dog, no TV, no radio, no stereo (the thing you listened to before IPods), just trigonometry, just cosine and tangents.

On a break as I was passing the television, my mother asked me to change the channel (we didn’t have a remote) and my response – what page. My family enjoyed a big laugh, but you see I had a mind to work.

Well, I took the test and the day came to pick up our report cards my only concern was one course – trigonometry. I picked up my grades from my teacher who looked at me with this funny grin. He told me that I had received the highest grade on the exam (98 if you must know). I rejoiced greatly (actually a shouted YES!) this all because I had a mind to work.

Recorded in Neh. 4:6 is the response of a people who were facing adversity, mockery and ridicule while engaged in rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. The last phrase reveals that the people had a mind to work. I wonder what would happen if the saints of God would agree to work together for the glory of God and the advancement of His kingdom.

I wonder what would happen if we came together pooled our resources; spiritual, physical, and financial, in full submission to the leading of the Holy Spirit. I wonder what would happen if we laid aside our differences, cultural, economic, racial, and generational in order to fulfill the great commission and the great commandment of our Lord to love one another as He has loved us. Perhaps then we could labor side-by-side and experience together a mighty movement of God. (Sounds like a cooperative program.)

According to the listing in chapter 3, the people worked together regardless of their differences and personal preferences.

The goldsmiths, perfumers, women, political leaders, and priests all worked together to achieve a common goal of building a wall. I wonder what would happen if those who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb had a mind to work together.

By Shannon Baker,BCM/D National Correspondent

TOWSON, Md.—Byron Day, president of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware and senior pastor of Emmanuel Church in Laurel, Md., is glad that somebody connected him to Jesus.

Byron Day

A keynote speaker for the Monday evening session of the Nov. 8-10 annual meeting of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware in Towson, Md., Day asked, “How many non-Christian friends do you have?” He conceded, “We get so used to church folk and people like us, that we don’t even know how to connect with others.”

Pointing to the New Testament story of when Jesus healed Jairus’ daughter, Day noted that people today are looking for their real physical needs to be met.
“They want a personal touch,” he explained.

As Jesus traveled to visit Jairus’ daughter, the crowd gathered around him. Yet, He connected with people one person at a time, including a woman who had had an incurable disease for 12 years.

“Jesus always had time to reach out to the individual,” Day said, explaining the importance of investing in others’ lives. ”We must adopt this concern if we are going to connect with our world.”

Day asserted, “There’s a world out there disconnected because we don’t want to connect with them” because of their illness, skin color or education.
Conversely, Jesus ate with the publicans and the sinners.

“We’ve got to be very careful that we don’t fail to reach out, no matter what,” Day said, stressing that everyone is a sinner. “Let’s do some extraordinary things and step out of our comfort zone.”

Day suggested that his listeners consider ways to reach out in their own neighborhoods, to participate in “high-touch” ministries like feeding the homeless, or taking up hobbies intentionally to interact with nonbelievers.

“People are hurting. They are trying everything to fill their need,” Day said. “We’ve got the answer, and we need to give it away.”

By Byron Day, BCMD President and Pastor of Emmanuel Church, Laurel

Byron Day

Joy to the World, the Lord is come
Let earth receive her King,
Let every heart prepare Him room
And heaven and nature sing

Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns
Let men their songs employ
While fields and floods,
rocks, hills, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy

The Christmas seasons of late seem to lack the excitement, anticipation and overall spirit of joy that they once had in our culture. As I consider recent Christmas seasons, it appears that the festive atmosphere they once produced has all but disappeared. I see very little joy, but in its place grumbling and tolerance. I still see people pushing and shoving with merchants rushing to close year end deals. There is also the ever increasing effort to try and take Christ out of Christmas with more retailers opting for the so called politically correct happy holidays.

What concerns me more however is that even among God’s people I see very little joy. I wonder if we too have succumbed to the thought that it’s just another Christmas, a time for shopping, for gift giving, for feasting. Although we know that Christmas is really about the birth of Jesus the Savior of the world, we too have perhaps lost some of the joy of Christmas. We have gotten caught up in the tinsel and forgotten the theology, gotten caught up in the stuff and forgotten the Savior. No wonder we may have lost the joy of Christmas.

Sometimes circumstances rob us of the joy of Christmas. Perhaps we lost a loved one and we miss their presence at this time of year. Or perhaps it hasn’t been a good financial year and you find that you are unable to give as you would like. Perhaps health issues, or family issues have stolen the joy of Christmas.

I am reminded of what the Scripture says in Luke 2:10-11, Then the angel said to them,  “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (NKJV).

My seventh grade English teacher taught me that a noun is a person, place, or thing. In verse 10, joy is a noun. It is a thing that can be acquired and possessed.  We can recapture the joy of Christmas by focusing on the same good news that those shepherds received that night long ago, that unto us is born a Savior which is Christ the Lord.

As we ponder God’s great gift of love in the person of His Son Jesus who gave His life that we might have eternal life, we can recapture the joy of Christmas. As we reflect on God’s faithfulness in sending a redeemer, as we meditate on His promises and His presence we can recapture the joy of Christmas. As we set our minds on the return of the Savior and the life to come we can recapture the joy of Christmas.

Byron Day

By Byron Day, BCM/D President and pastor of Emmanuel Church, Laurel, Md.

It was a clear and cool night, as I delivered the trash can to the curb I looked up at the beautiful stars and a bright full moon, and reflected on the goodness of God. I drank in all the wonderful things that God had done for me throughout the years. He had been faithful in providing food every day, protection from evil every day and many blessings to boot. But most of all, eternal salvation through His Son Jesus Christ.

According to Today in the Word, July, 1990, the first American Thanksgiving didn’t occur in 1621 when a group of Pilgrims shared a feast with a group of friendly Indians. The first recorded Thanksgiving took place in Virginia more than 11 years earlier, and it wasn’t a feast. The winter of 1610 at Jamestown had reduced a group of 409 settlers to 60. The survivors prayed for help, without knowing when or how it might come. When help arrived, in the form of a ship filled with food and supplies from England, a prayer meeting was held to give thanks to God.

The fall season is a time to reflect on the goodness of God. No wonder the pilgrims decided to have a feast that would give thanks to God for bountifully dealing with them.

The Scriptures are full of admonitions to God’s people to be a grateful people and never forget all that they have come from God. But perhaps Psalm 100:4 captures it best.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving.
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him.
And bless His name.

An attitude of gratitude is a mark of developing spiritual maturity. Let’s not wait until Thanksgiving Day, but starting right now let us seek to display a thankful attitude. Since God blesses us every day, let us bless His name every day.

By Byron Day, BCM/D President and Pastor of Emmanuel Church, Laurel, Md.

A little nine year old girl came up to me at the end of service as I was shaking hands with the members as they left and asked, “What do I have to do to be baptized?” A perfect opportunity to share the Gospel had been presented and so we went into my office and I shared with her the good news of God’s love and forgiveness. The fruit was ripe and ready; it was one of those times that God allows you to reap. She listened intently on the edge of her seat and nearly came to tears as we talked about Jesus dying for her sin. Once she prayed to receive Christ as her personal savior a joyful look came over her face.

As I drove home that afternoon I found myself rejuvenated and ready to continue the race. It was as though God was saying, “Thank you for your faithfulness; now as a reward enjoy the fruit of your labor.”

For it had been one of those weeks, when the counseling sessions seemed endless and the burdens and struggles of those you love tear at your heart. The news of the sick and the bereaved had been overwhelming. The unexpected had happened: no, not that member; surely, Lord, that faithful servant of God couldn’t have cancer. The sermon just seemed as though it would never take shape. I had tried to turn my resignation into the Lord, but He refused it and told me to press on.

Then that Sunday came and the Lord allowed me to taste and see that the Lord is good. It was a reminder that my labor was not in vain. It has been several years since that Sunday, but I always remember what the Lord taught me that day about His love, His concern and His perfect timing with encouragement.

Heb. 6:10 says: “For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.”

Servant of God, remember that our God sees your work and knows when and how to say thank you and reward your faithfulness. He will not forget your labor of love which you have shown towards His name, but in due time will allow you to enjoy just a taste of the fruit of your ministry.