7 Year Anniversary

Today marks 7 years that I have been pastor of Immanuel Southern Baptist Church in Wagoner, OK.  My first official service was a Wednesday evening.

Me in my office in March 2008

Previous to being a pastor, I was a missionary with the International Mission Board for more than a decade. I had never pastored before coming to ISBC.

Sally & me playing special music one evening

I've learned a great deal about myself in the past 7 years. I've more aware of my weaknesses and weak tendencies. I've learned a great deal about God; that's for sure.  And I've learned a lot about people; Christians, in particular.

Recently donated box trailer

I've seen God work in this small congregation in wonderful ways. I've seen the devil at work here, too. I've seen self-sacrifice of the dedicated and I've seen the self-serving of the worldly.  Some of the nicest things that have ever been said to me have been said in the past 7 years at this church. Some of the worst things that have ever said to me or about me have been said in the same 7 years at this church.

Our beautiful sanctuary

Sometimes, it seems like it is two steps forward - one step back. Yet God has been faithful through all of my time here. We've had some disastrous experiences with youth leaders. We've gone through several song leaders. We have a hard time getting people to work with very young children. We've faced several major crises that have threatened the life of the church. We are currently experiencing a horrific budget shortfall.

Our first VBS

Our most recent VBS

I've seen a few people get mad and leave the church. Usually, they are mad at me (generally blaming me for something) and cause a lot of problems after the leave (but not as many as they caused when they were here).

Falls Creek 2014

Despite the problems, there are many more wonderful victories. We've seen our youth and children's groups grow from 2 or 3 to 25 each! There were weeks at a time when no one drove our church vans; they are being used 3 or 4 times each week! For the first time in the history of our church, we had our own cabin at our children's camp this year taking a total of 31 people from the church (which includes adults). We are about to build a new Children's Ministry Center next month. We are experiencing growth in all areas of Sunday School and have started 4 or 5 new classes in the past several years. Our Vacation Bible School continues to grow. Our Food Pantry Ministry provides over 140,000 meals per year to needy folks from our community. We've seen many saved and baptized as a result of this ministry. In fact, this past Sunday, I baptized 15 people who had been saved through the pantry, VBS, or one of our camps.

Family baptism

As God allows, we will accomplish a lot for His kingdom in the coming years. We plan on ordaining two men to the Gospel Ministry in October. We have a long range plan which includes outreach to the Hispanic community, community education, and perhaps even partnering with an orphanage in the Middle East. As long as our members continue to seek to serve God and His kingdom, He will continue to use us.

I am grateful for the privilege of pastoring this flock. I do not take it lightly, nor do I take it for granted. It is a great responsibility that God has given me. I am grateful that He has seen fit to use me here.  May God (continue to) bless Immanuel Southern Baptist Church!

Half a Century

Most of my classmates have already done it. My wife has already done it. My best friend, too.

I turned 50 years old today.

Half a century.

Egads! (as my Uncle Bill always used to say)

I didn't really want to, but I didn't have much choice in the matter.

3 months old

Mostly, I'm very happy where I am at 50 years old.  I'm in a very happy marriage and we have two stunningly beautiful godly daughters.  I'm the pastor of a thriving church. I drive a  Jeep AND a convertible (just not at the same time). I have a mortgage-free home!

The parts that I'm not too happy about are: I can't get any publisher interested in my novel; I'm over-weight and out of shape; my eyes are bad, and I have less money now than I did when I was 40.

My best friend, Martin Whipple and me at Little Friend Kindergarten in 1969

I have lived 18,300 days.

By God's grace, most of them have been excellent days!  God is so very good to me. Better than I deserve, actually.

First trip to the Great Wall in 1990

I saw on the news last week, where someone had joined the Senior PGA Tour this year. He had turned 50 two weeks prior.

SENIOR PGA Tour. S E N I O R

Sally joined AARP when she turned 50, so I've already been a member for two years. And don't be fooled, I whip out that AARP card at every restaurant, hoping for their discount!

Wedding Day 1992

 Audrey will fly out of our nest in a month. She starts her freshman year at Oklahoma Baptist University August 16.  Emily will start driver's ed in two months.

Many of my classmates are already grandparents. I didn't have my first child until I was 32.

Our last prayer card as missionaries in West Africa 2002

In my 50 years, I've lived in 28 different houses or apartments, not including the hotels and other temporary housing that we used as missionaries. I've visited 29 different countries on 4 continents and have lived in 6 different countries on 3 different continents. I've officially studied (and passed basic proficiency exams) in 6 foreign languages, although I'm sure I couldn't pass those same tests now.

Tibet 2004

 I've been to the uttermost parts of the earth - and back again.

I have friends LITERALLY all around the world.

Preaching in Ukraine in 2011

I consider myself to be rich. Not with with material possessions or monetary wealth, but with the blessings of family and friends. I may not be where I thought I would be 20 or 30 years ago, but I wouldn't change a thing.

I love my wife. I love my children. I love my church.

Sally and me at the Western Wall in Jerusalem - December 2013

God has blessed me abundantly! If there is  anything good, anything noble at all in my life, it is because God has blessed me with it.

Thank you, Father, for making me the richest man on earth!

Serendipitous Ruminations

There have been several thoughts banging around in this empty head of mine; I need to get them in print. Here they are in no particular order:

• Any attempt to gain revenue by normalizing or legalizing a vice has proved counter-productive in the State of Oklahoma. First it was "Liquor by the drink", then para-mutual horse racing, then Indian casinos, then the lottery. They are looking at legalizing marijuana. What's next legalized prostitution?
• I visited the Jewish Art Museum in Tulsa yesterday. In their holocaust exhibition, they noted that Henry Ford was antisemitic and for a time, place antisemitic literature in the glove box of each new car he sold.
• The birth certificate that the White House presented as Obama's ORIGINAL birth certificate doesn't look anything like my original birth certificate. (He was born two years before me) It does, however, look like a copy of my birth certificate that I got back in the 1980's. We are being lied to.
• I am appalled at the attempt to normalize homosexuality.  Anyone who stands against this abomination is labeled as a homophobe or a bigot.  I have felt more hate directed at me for my views on homosexuality (which are in line with the Bible) than for any of my other opinions. For those who tout tolerance, they aren't very tolerant of me.
• The gun control issue isn't about guns; it's about control. The cities with the highest homicide rates are those with the strictest gun control. I really think they are afraid that they might lose their tyrannical power by allowing us to maintain our 2nd Amendment right. Wait a minute! Isn't that what the 2nd Amendment is all about?
• If it wasn't so pitiful and sad, I would find it hysterically amusing that homosexual "couples", especially lesbian couples, must have one partner who assumes the male role and one who assumes the female role. I've seen numerous "wedding" pictures where one of the women is dressed as a man and the other in a bridal dress. 
• Islam is NOT a religion of peace. It is a religion of hate and violence. Allah is not the same as the One true God of the Bible. It embodies the spirit of the antichrist. 
• I find it interesting that Hollywood's portrayal of lesbians is very very different from reality. Hollywood shows two slim, hot women who are extremely feminine and sensual; Walmart and the news show two obese decidedly butch and unattractive women. Then again, Hollywood has never been good at portraying reality.
• National Democratic politicians scream "racism" at every opportunity, but their own policies and programs are extremely racist, especially against African Americans. Their support of Planned Parenthood has killed more African Americans than the KKK could have ever imagined.
• I don't trust anyone in the current administration. Something is afoot.
• GENERALLY, churches with the words Liberty, Grace, Free, or Abundant are filled with anything but grace. It OFTEN denotes extreme legalism.
• I'll bet that the missing Malaysian Airlines plane is in Pakistan.
• One of the things that irk me most is church people who do something wrong, get caught, then lie about it, usually implicating someone else (often the preacher). Pride is so evil.
• Smokers are generally, some of the most selfish people you will ever meet. There is nothing worse than an angry militant smoker who demands their right to smoke, no matter the place or present company. They don't recognize that their addiction truly makes a slave of them to nicotine. And there is no way to hide it. You can't smoke at home or in the car and then cover it up with perfume; that doesn't work.
• I believe the Return of Jesus is eminent. Possibly by the end of next year.  Are you ready?

40 Years with Jesus

March 18, 1973. First Christian Church, Sapulpa, OK. About 11:50am. Age 8 years, 8 months, 4 days. Salvation given to me through Jesus Christ.

A few other particulars I remember are: just before stepping into the baptistry, Bro Casey said, "Now Ricky, you need to understand something. You can go down into the water a dry sinner and come up a wet sinner; Jesus has to change your heart." I remember one of the church women, as they came by to greet me afterwards said, "Happy Birthday!" I said, "It's not my birthday." She said, "Oh yes it is! It's your 'spiritual birthday'!"

As an 8 year old boy, I didn't understand much about following Jesus. I knew that I loved Him. I knew that I was willing to do whatever it took to be counted among God's children.

I'm not that little boy anymore. Now, at 48 years, 8 months, and 4 days old, I've come a LONG way with Jesus. I haven't been a "good Christian" certainly by my own estimation. In fact, I am dreadfully ashamed to say that I've done my worse sinning since being saved.

However, I've done ALL of my growing since then, too! In my lack of fidelity to God, He has been faithful to me. In my lack of faith, He never changed. I all my weakness, He has been strong.

I don't understand everything there is to know about my salvation, but I know I'm saved. About 10 or 11 years after my salvation, I finally KNEW I was saved. For me, it was the second-most important spiritual event, as I began to realize that my name was written in God's Book of Life and that He didn't use an eraser.

I left the Christian Church denomination while in college over some theological issues that I wasn't able to resolve. However, I spent 18 years of my life in that church and still have wonderful memories and even still some friends who attend there.

The past 40 years have been a wonderfully blessed journey that is simply preparation for the rest of eternity. I don't know how many more years I have on planet Earth, but I know Who will guide me through it.

Thank you, Jesus, for your saving grace!

If you would like to know more information about being saved, please contact me though this blog.

2012 => 2013

Well, 2012 is all but done.

 It's been quite a year for me and my family. God has blessed us immensely. We've had some really great things happen, and some really difficult things happen. But no matter what all has happened, God has been in control.

High points include my older daughter turning 16 and getting her first car and our family in the process of purchasing our own home.

Low points include being betrayed by then gossiped about by people whom I trusted and regarded as friends and the passing of my grandmother.

Fun activities have included being recreation coordinator at children's camp, working with Southern Baptist Disaster Relief in Creek County and New Orleans, and going to Southern China and Hong Kong with a group of pastors from Oklahoma.

I don't know what 2013 holds in store for us, but, I'd recommend storing up a few things like firearms, ammo, and survival resources. The world is falling apart at the seams.

Nevertheless, God is in control.

Thank you for reading RickBoyne.com this year! May God bless you for a Joyous and Healthy New Year!

Childish Name-calling

Over the course of the last couple of years, I have been called some ugly names by some of my real-life friends, my Facebook friends, and certainly from sniper attack trolls on this blog.

Names have included "hater" "jerk" "homophobe" "@sshole" "racist" "idiot" "without compassion" "moron", et al. I've been accused of promoting "hate speech" (when quoting Scripture from the Bible). I've even been accused of not being "Christian-like" when I say that the Bible says something is sin!

It (generally only) happens when I have stood up for God's Truth and traditional values. Some have disagreed with me without insulting me personally; I'm good with that (and that happens ALL THE TIME, esp regarding politics).

Some took offense by what was said and de-friended me; oh well.

Of course, others have flamed me with anonymous comments on this blog.

Call me what you will; it only reaffirms my convictions!

July 1st?

How in the world can it already be July 1?  Where did June go?  Where has 2010 gone?

I often realize how fast my life is going when I turn over each new month on the calendar.  The Bible says,

As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, Or if due to strength, eighty years, Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; For soon it is gone and we fly away. (Psalms 90:10 NASB)

 
I have another birthday this month.  Even if I take the "eighty years due to strength," my life is more than half over.  My children are still young and have their whole lives ahead of them.  I fear the world in which they will live.

So, more than half-way through my life, I need to take an assessment.  Not one for public scrutiny, but one to make sure I'm on track.  My goal, my mission in life is to "Know God and to make Him known."  I think I'm doing that satisfactorily.  But there is room for improvement.

I look at older men and women whom I have respected for many years and wonder if I am to be like them.  Will younger men look up to me and respect me, not necessarily for what I've done, but for what God has made me.

Yes, turning the calendar is a time for reflection.  Are you on track for where you want to be in YOUR life?