My...My...My...

My.. My… my. That’s what Pastor Ricky Armstrong said after Michael Leach’s message on The Gospel and Creation and that about sums up the reaction to the just completed Miami Pastor’s Conference at Glendale Baptist Church. You can find other reactions to the conference over at Non Nobis Domine, Pure Church and Truth in the Innermost. The conference was like that first slice of grandma’s special secret recipe sweet potato pie. Don’t get me wrong though. This conference wasn’t filled with theological fluff. The brothers brought the noise on what the gospel is, what it isn’t and our mandate to impact and disciple our society with the gospel. These brothers were like the grandmothers of old: taking their time to prepare the family meal just right. From the succulent and tender turkey, chicken and ham to the butter smooth mashed potatoes with that special gravy, to the creamy down home mac and cheese and the no doubt about it spicy collard greens this conference more resembled a grand family reunion than a series of talks about theology.

And you know you can’t have a family reunion without food. The good folks at Glendale Baptist Church fed us and fed us well. One of the important features of this conference are the communal meals we enjoy between the sessions. The saints at Glendale made it possible for us to talk and get to know one another and hear what our Lord is doing to raise up a people focused on His glory and gospel. We had representatives from California to the Caribbean and were encouraged by how the Lord is working to bring reform to our people here and abroad. Along with the food we enjoyed enriching worship, meaningful fellowship, informative side seminars and powerful preaching. And brothers and sisters these brothers preached. I don’t want to take anything away from the multitude of other reformed conferences but mercy me. These brothers preached the gospel with conviction, clarity and passion. It was a Spirit-filled gracious display of God using His servants to declare the treasured truths of His word in ways that drew our hearts and minds to worship, praise, reflect on and glory in the One who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood.

Brothers and sisters God is moving to bring reformation to His people. I thank God for faithful men like Rev. Ricky Armstrong, Ken Jones, Anthony Carter, Michael Leach, Sherard Burns, Michael Horton, Reddit Andrews and Tom Ascol who encouraged our hearts and challenged our minds with the word of God. I also thank the Lord for the seminary students, fellowship of pastors, precious mothers and good brothers and sisters He's raising up for such a time as this. The conference is over but the work goes on. We don’t plan to stop with conferences or confine ourselves to blogs. No, no, no. By the grace and power of our living Lord we hope to have a movement that will cause us to marvel at His work and revival so that years from now we can look back on what He’s done, shake our heads and say my… my… my.

To Him Who Loves Us…
Pastor Lance