Friday, March 27, 2009

Fridays just aren't Fridays without....

Reposting Dr. Turner's blog from the Arkansas Baptist State Convention!

All credit goes to Dr. Emil Turner at the ABSC.  And I've said it before, but I truly believe Arkansas Baptists have one of the best, if not the best, state-wide organizations in the SBC.


| Arkansas Baptist State Convention
$5.20
Posted on Thursday, March 26, 2009
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The bill for the lunches came to $4.80. Charlie could not change the ten dollar bill, so he promised to bring the customer’s change as soon as he could. He forgot. The customer also forgot, and left the cafeteria. Charlie placed the $5.20 beneath the cash drawer to give to the customer when he saw him again. He never did. Months passed and a death in Charlie’s family required a trip home. There was no money for the fare, so Charlie borrowed the $5.20 fully intending to pay it back. But time passed and Charlie forgot.

Charlie Culpepper became a missionary in China. After several years Charlie sought God in a special way, and God reminded him of $5.20. “Lord”, he prayed, “I will give ten times that amount to missions, but I can not confess that to anyone.” Finally, Charlie, in an effort to have peace with God, wrote the president of Baylor, confessing the theft of $5.20 and submitting himself to whatever punishment was required.

Then God sent revival. The great Shantung Revival in northern China began when a missionary named Charlie Culpepper confessed all his sin. Missionaries were revived, people were healed, and thousands were swept into the Kingdom. The revival lasted for years, and God used it to save many before war with Japan and Communism devastated China.

Now, what is in my heart, what is in your heart that hinders God’s work? Have you sinned against someone and tried to cover it with excuses? Is there bitterness? Envy? Resentment? Do you have something you have not paid for? When we are clean, God can use us.

This blog posts every Friday.





turnere.JPGEmil Turner serves as executive director of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention. He and his wife, Mary, have two sons and two grandsons. Turner enjoys fishing and hunting in his spare time.


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