Charles Cavanaugh

“Happy New Year!” We say it to friends or people we meet but don’t know. Hopefully we mean it. We wish good things for those around us and vocalize that wish in a brief, frequently used phrase. It is not a bad thing, but like many other common things it can become trite. How do we avoid this very real possibility? Perhaps one good and positive thing that can come from our celebration of the Christmas and New Year holidays is a reexamination and reevaluation of our more common language, including the way we greet and say goodby to others. Greetings and farewells are largely a matter of habit. They role off our tongues and escape our lips with little involvement of our minds. “How ya doin'”, how’s it goin'”, “hey”, “what’s up” are all simply ways of saying “hello”. We do not usually want to know how someone is or what is happening in their lives. “See ya later”, “take care”, and others are ways of saying goodby. Only the strictest linguist and a few others would know that goodby is a shortened form of God bless you or more literally God be with you. These examples serve to remind us that language is important and that words mean things. In a day when language is used casually, flippantly, and even irreverently, this is important to remember. Those who follow Christ, of all people, should take what they say seriously. Our Lord has commanded us to let our “yes be yes and your no be no” and warned us that we will be justified or condemned by what we say. James warns us of the grave and frightening responsibility of the tongue and commands us to take its use seriously.

If you are still reading, you may be thinking of two questions. The first: “Is this man overdoing it a bit regarding the mere use of words?” The second: “What does this have to do with the New Year?” To the first I say that if words are of primary importance to our Lord, they ought to be no less important to us. We must think about what we say. Our words must be guided by the Scriptures and the Spirit not just in the way we speak of and to others but simply in the way we speak. Our words speak volumes about us and more importantly about our view of God. May the New Year see us using the wisdom of Christ in our speech and giving evidence of our reverence for Him.

To the second question I give this challenge. On the heals of this joyous season, let us be reminded of what it means to genuine bless others. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year should be more than traditional greetings and farewells, as pleasant as they may be. Let us embrace the opportunity to truly wish for and pray for the blessing and grace of Christ upon those God brings into our lives. Let us pray and search for Godly wisdom to turn these holidays into genuine holy days and seek His help in communicating the reality of Christ.

We often hear it said at Christmas, “It’s the thought that counts.” As we say goodby to the old year and embrace the new, may our words and actions betray the holy thoughts and motives of those who love the Lord our God with all our hearts and our neighbors as ourselves.

Charles Cavanaugh

Dear Friends of the Ministry,

I try to keep myself from asking the question, but when seemingly senseless things happen, it is hard not to ask “why?”. 

For fourteen years, I gave my life in exactly the way I dreamed. I was the Pastor and preacher of a local church. Every week was a personal pursuit of a word from God’s Word for God’s people. There were no blue Mondays for this pastor. Monday’s were the start of another week of ministry.

But, it all came to an unexpected and undesired end almost exactly fourteen years after it started. My resignation, which I thought would be only a temporary interruption to the ministry I loved, lead to years of disappointment when door after door closed. The passing of the years did not bring the much-prayed for return to ministry but instead bouncing from this to that and not seeming to land anywhere. If you can bear to “watch the things you gave your life to, broken, And stoop to build ‘em up with worn out tools”. Those words of Kipling became all to personal.

But while the circumstances of life changed, the purposes of God held fast. The vision to change the next generation for Christ was not quenched, nor did it diminish. In fact, it grew. The hope and prayer that God would use the Cavanaugh family to pass on a Gospel vision to the next generation did not just linger. It lived, grew, and flourished.

Ten years ago the years of prayer began to come to fruition as Vision4Living Ministries began. The prayer that we would touch the nations saw fruit as Daniel and Micah travelled the world to make Christ known. The prayer that we would encourage pastors in the work of the ministry has witnessed opportunities such as the annual ministers’ picnic and ongoing opportunities for fellowship and encouragement. The prayer to challenge the next generation of Christians has borne fruit through Vision4Living’s blog and CrossTalk, our weekly podcast. 

The surprising thing to us has been how God has developed the ministry in ways we did not expect. The thing we thought would be the centerpiece of our efforts to change the next generation (Family Leadership Conference) fell by the wayside, while God has chosen to use Passion4Christ Summit to touch about 550 lives directly in the past ten years. Millennials have, in some cases, been introduced to strong Biblical teaching and challenged to see Biblical doctrine as life-changing and life-strengthening. They have also found P4C to be a source of encouragement in their Christian walk. One quiet young man thanked Daniel and me as we were packing up this year. Then he said; “I consider this the start of my year spiritually.” This was one of many encouraging comments which cannot all be shared here. But here is a sampling.

“Thank you for being passionate about encouraging young adults in their journey to serve Christ.”

“Thank you so much for everything you do to make this weekend happen! It is such a true and deep blessing.”

“P4C has been a blessing and encouragement and challenge to me in so many ways . . .”

And this one was directed specifically towards the mens’ breakout.

“Micah I also greatly remember your talk to the men Thursday morning and how our relationship with God is like keeping our bedroom clean and how it is so easy to say ‘Oh I’ll let it go this time’, but then you keep saying that and all the sudden your relationship is a wreck.”

These gracious comments represent what Vision4Living and Passion4Christ have meant and now mean to others. We say with the Psalmist; “This is the LORD’S doing; it is marvelous in our eyes” (Ps. 118:23). We trust that the work of the Gospel in our lives over the past thirty-eight years is now bearing fruit, and our prayer is that it will bear fruit in the generations to come. If it is so, it will be because the God of all grace is ministering His grace to us and through us. This is the vision of Vision4Living.

Will you prayerfully consider these “Reasons to Give” and share with us financially in the work of God’s grace in the coming year? It is as you stand with us that we can continue the work of touching the next generation for Christ. This last comment expresses our heart so well.

“Dear P4C Staff and Volunteers,

. . . I am so encouraged by the legacy of faithfulness this retreat represents ~ thank you for actively and passionately pursuing Christ and for intentionally challenging others to do the same.

May the Lord continue to strengthen you to fulfill what He has called you to do. Run the race with perseverance to win the prize, so that you may lay it at the feet of our King. He is being glorified by your lives, and may you finish strong and full of joy. ~ all for Him.”

May the Lord be pleased to make it so!

Serving with you,

Charles Cavanaugh

A friend and sister in Christ just posted that her family was being airlifted from Puerto Rico in the aftermath of the most recent devastating hurricane. This after nearly losing one of her children and while recovering from another recent hurricane. By God’s grace, they left deprivation and chaos behind for the safety of family in the U.S. Others, Christians and not, will not fair so well. We have witnessed the incredible and frightening visitations of disaster over the past weeks, wondering why so many have suffered and so many others of us have not.

Disasters of the kind we have been witnessing recently always leave us with questions. Unbelievers find reasons to doubt the goodness, wisdom, and even the existence of the God of Scripture. How can a good God allow such things to happen to innocent people? If God is all powerful, why doesn’t He prevent such tragedies?

While many are more comfortable with believing in a capricious, erratic God or no God at all, we who are tethered to Scripture know that a Godless world is by no means a safer or more sensible place. The power of human reason to explain natural disaster, dismiss human sin, and ignore the reality of God does nothing to answer man’s hard questions or relieve his uncertainties. That is why humans often make a God of nature or fancy themselves as God. In any case, confusion reigns. In the wake of Christ’s birth, those in power did all they could to hold on to it and remove whatever or whomever was a threat. The order to kill all babies born at about the time Jesus was born seemed a senseless tragedy with unbearable and unexplainable consequences. Couldn’t God have, shouldn’t God have prevented it.

But this was not something that caught our God off guard. In fact, it was an event that our sovereign Lord predicted and planned for His purposes. What seem to be senseless acts and uncontrollable disasters do not leave God wringing his hands. Is it any surprise that the ways of God are mysterious and even disturbing to us? We rightly and understandably hurt when we watch our fellow human beings suffer. We want to help if we can and applaud those who do. Our emotions are stirred, and it is at this point that we often get in trouble. In a culture which lives life and makes decisions and evaluations based on feeling, we can feel right at home with a theology of feeling. But while we must not dismiss our feelings, we cannot be ruled by them. To do so is to court another kind of disaster; one with far greater and more serious consequences than hurricanes and earthquakes. For if we follow our feelings, we are sure to embrace a faulty view of God and life. Our God-given faith ties us securely to the reality of Christ and the rock of God’s unchanging word. We are sure to see many more disasters. In the book of Revelation, disaster upon disaster strikes, leaving earth’s inhabitants reeling in anger and pain. The unbelieving do not take these troubles as a call to repent of their sins and turn to Christ. To the contrary, they shake their fist at God and refuse to repent and acknowledge Him as Lord of all. But the faithful endure to the end, trusting God to work all things for their good and His glory.

The mark of those who know and follow Christ is their unshakeable faith in Him in spite of life’s disasters and the questions they bring. Whatever life brings, we are called to trust our unfailing God. Those of us who have not yet faced the tragedies we have witnessed may yet do so, but whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. “When darkness seems to hide His face, I rest on His unchanging grace. In every high and stormy gale, My anchor holds within the veil. On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.”

Charles Cavanaugh

It’s good to get away. Whether it’s an extended vacation, a short weekend, or a walk through the park, the change of scenery or break in the routine can be refreshing and rejuvenating. For those who serve in Gospel ministry, this can be extremely important. No matter what position in ministry one may hold, if you take it seriously, there is a burden that goes with the blessing. Being responsible for the souls over which the Lord has made you an overseer is a weighty matter. At Vision4Living we are aware of the blessings and struggles of ministry. Our hearts are grateful for the investment made by the Lord’s shepherds and sensitive to the special challenges they face. It is for this reason that a few years ago we started the annual ministers’ picnic. I must give credit where it is due, and say that it is the brainchild of our son Daniel. It is designed to give ministers and their families an opportunity to have fellowship with other ministers and their families, bear one another’s burdens, relax, and laugh.

That is exactly what we all had the privilege of doing in June. It also gives the Cavanaugh’s an opportunity to find out how we can pray for our brothers and sisters and encourage them in the work of the Lord (the barbecue and baked beans aren’t so bad either). The Lord blessed us with incredible weather, which served as a punctuation mark on a beautiful evening. Ministers and their families came from Evansville and Mt. Vernon, IN and Henderson, KY. It was good for them and us to share some of the blessings and burdens of ministry and to have a time with nothing to do but eat and relax. The ministers’ wives had an opportunity to enjoy fellowship in a way that does not often happen for them. Few people realize the pressures of being the wife of a man who has given his life to ministry, except others who are in the same position. It was a good time for us primarily because we enjoy seeing men and women of God get away, even if it is just for a few hours. We hope the Lord will give us that same privilege next summer. And if you know of a minister in the area who would benefit from such a time (and who enjoys good barbecue), pass his name along to us.

Charles Cavanaugh 

Questions: they often linger, mysteriously, even hauntingly.

Nor is it the unanswered and unanswerable questions that are necessarily the most troubling. It is often, perhaps more often, the questions with answers that stay with us, demanding our attention. Maybe that is why humans often are happier with unanswered questions; questions of life, death, and eternity. 

Recent circumstances in the providence of God have turned my thoughts more in this direction. I recently received a text from my cousin informing me that his mother had died. In the same week, a vibrant Christian sister about my age died after a struggle with terminal illness. Even more recently I found out that my Father has been diagnosed with stage four melanoma. All of these have reminded me of the rhetorical question asked by James in his inspired letter to struggling Christians: “What is your life…?” To which he replies; “It is but a vapor, appearing for a little time, then vanishing.”

I will soon turn sixty-three. Even if I live a relatively long life, most of it is gone. Which leads me back to the question James proposes. It is more than a reminder of the certainty of death, although it is that. It is a soul-searching question about the meaning of life, especially for the child of God. It is as much a question of why and where as it is what. It is a question of purpose, direction, and destiny. How then can we profit from pondering James’ question and applying its answers? 

I urge you to do three things:

First: Embrace the Uncertainty of Life.

Both the surrounding circumstances and the personal conditions of life are uncertain. It is certainly foolish to approach life without plans. But it is just as foolish, perhaps more so, to make plans without God. Everything is predicated upon the active providence of our Lord. Circumstances change, sometimes rapidly and sometimes drastically. This is not abnormal. This is Providential! In like manner, personal conditions of physical, mental, and emotional health as well as financial status can all change, as a quick look at the opening chapters of the book of Job reminds us. If you and I do not embrace this reality, we could become disappointed, frustrated, angry, and even bitter.

Second: Embrace the Brevity of Life.

In August of 1963, my mother began to have labor pains. My Father rushed my sisters and me to our relatives and my mother to the hospital. Soon we were told of the birth of a boy. I had a brother, and, being the only boy, I was naturally excited. But it was only in the next day or two that young Daniel began to have problems and died. My hopes of a brother to share life with were dashed and my nine year old heart was broken. For me, that was an early lesson on the brevity of life. Life’s duration is short, even at its longest. This life’s termination is sure.

Third: Embrace the Priority of Life.

Woven into the text of this exhortation by James is his inspired answer to his question: “What is your life?” We face all the uncertainty of this brief life with one priority: the will of God. Life is not something to be tenaciously held to. Rather it is a valuable gift to be invested. The believer does not spend his or her life nor does he waste it. He invests it. “If the Lord wills….” is not a cliche. It is a way of life. The will of God is not a hard to find lost treasure. It is the path of a disciple. We invest our lives seeking God’s will in the only place God reveals it: in His Word. God’s will is also something that He unfolds in His own good time, as He leads by His Spirit, for “…. as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.” “A man’s heart devises his way, but the LORD directs his steps”(Prov.16:9). He must be the Lord of our plans. Then we invest our life in doing God’s will. We must be doers of the Word and not hearers only. God has revealed His will. It is ours, by His grace, to obey.” “What is your life…?” Its direction, its purpose, its destiny are all in His hands. “Only one life, ’twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.” To this end we labor, that, whether present or absent, we may be pleasing to Him”(2Cor. 5:9).

Charles Cavanaugh 

Three months after the election of 2016, it seems that cooler heads are not necessarily prevailing. We have had time to see our first glimpses of the Trump presidency, hear words of adulation from some, and screams of anger from others. It seems every general election (the ones in which we elect a President) brings new cries and claims from left and right that this is the most important election of our time. While these claims may elicit from us yawns and criticisms of overstatement, it does seem that we live in an era in which every four years brings us the challenge that this election is indeed the most significant yet. Perhaps this is because we are witnessing a culture “civil war” with major battles occurring at the ballot booth. The deep cultural and moral divide only deepens as the stakes escalate. We watch and wait with varying degrees of optimism. As evangelical Christians we hope and pray that our God will have mercy on us, not giving us what we deserve but what we are convinced we need.

I have been among those who have hoped and prayed for certain results in local, state, and national election. I believe there is Biblical warrant to pray for political leaders before as well as after they are elected. As returns have come in I have had the experience of gratitude and even elation. I have also experienced deep disappointment and concern.

This election brought to me a mixed bag of concerns, convictions, and confused and convoluted feelings. I have reminded myself and others that our hope is not in worldly leaders and their agendas. I have recalled this: “For promotion does not come from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: He puts down one, and raises up another”(Ps. 75:6,7). “My hope(whether here or in eternity) is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.” My head is not in the sand however. I voted prayerfully, conscientiously, and convictionally. When Joshua was about to enter the Promised Land with the children of Israel, he had an incredible experience. He was confronted by a man with his sword drawn. On the cusp of warfare, Joshua naturally wondered if the man was friend or foe, and he voiced his concern. The man identified himself, then in the words of a well-known preacher of the recent past said;”I’m not here to take sides. I’m here to take charge.” We who call ourselves evangelical Christians are submitted to and trusting in the “Commander of the Lord’s army”. He is in charge. We are beholden to no man or party. The purposes of our Lord are sure and will come to pass. We must not fret because of evil doers or find unbiblical comfort in those who appear to be on our side. I am, I think, a patriot. But my patriotism is not primary. I am prone to be far too attached to this world and far too satisfied with what it offers. That is why I remind myself that my “citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body, by the power that enables Him to subject all things to Himself. Therefore my brothers(and sisters),… stand fast in the Lord,…”(Phil. 3:20-4:1). Thank God this is not all there is. Let us not therefore think and live as though it is. Let us attempt to live every moment to the glory of God, make every decision with eternity in view, “looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith,…”

The world is searching for genuine joy. They may call it something else or look for it under the guise of fun or pleasure, but the basic need is still the same: joy. And what a time to find and express joy: Christmas, the incarnation. God has stooped to meet man’s greatest need: sinless God for sinful man. While the joy of Christians is unspeakable, our sense of humility is understandable. What would we be without our Lord’s work on our behalf? It is a time to contrast what we deserve with what we enjoy. The wide path to eternal hell and exchanged for the crown of life and eternal glory.

This is the reality of Christmas joy and is expressed so eloquently by H. R. Bramley in his  incarnation poem.

A babe on the breast of a maiden He lies,

Yet sits with the Father on high in the skies,

Before Him their faces the seraphim hide,

While Joseph stands waiting, unscared by His side.

Oh, wonder of wonders, which none can unfold!

The Ancient of Days is an hour or two old,

The Maker of all things is made of the earth,

Man is worshipped by angels, and God comes to birth.

The Word in the bliss of the Godhead remains,

Yet in flesh comes to suffer the keenest of pains,

He is that He was, and forever shall be,

But becomes what He was not for you and for me.

This Christmas remember the most memorable gift, the most remarkable event, the most unspeakable joy.

Merry Christmas,

Charles Cavanaugh

Dear Friends of the Ministry,

We were nearing the end of our time at P4C 2016 when an attendee approached me with some much appreciated words of thanks. I will not quote him verbatim, but he asked a question something like this, “How did this happen? How did your family come to minister together like this?” He added that it was something he would like to do one day. His question was both surprising and humbling. It’s answer is an occasion to give our God thanks and moves me to tears even as I write. How is it that the Cavanaugh family came to minister together as we do?

As I told my brother then, such things do not come together on a whim. They are or should be the fruit of life. As a young man I noticed most young people did not seem to have the same passion and hunger for Christ and His truth as their parents. As I grew older, God gave me the desire and hope to avoid such generational decline. When I entered the pastoral ministry, I longed to have a lasting influence on men and their families. He gave me a wife who shared that desire. We wanted the Cavanaugh family to love Christ together and to show that love for His glory. My prayer and vision was that God would use us to touch the nations, to proclaim His Word, and to touch the next generation for Christ.

The Cavanaugh family is just a small part of what God is doing, but we are grateful to have that part. When I first began to pray about these things, there was no such thing as a blog or podcast. Today we produce “CrossTalk” – a weekly podcast – and maintain a blog on our website. My prayer to touch the nations has witnessed God’s gracious providence in leading Daniel and Micah around the world to minister Christ. Daniel has lead several trips to South America, and since Daniel’s marriage, Micah has continued, leading a trip to Ecuador just last Summer and Summers before that. Many of you have had a part in this, including a trip Pam and I took to Ecuador to lead a Family Leadership Conference a few years back. Micah not only has recently led annual trips to Ecuador, but also serves the Lord in a local church in New Braunfels, TX. God has also placed him strategically in the field of politics and government where he can have an impact for Christ.

The Cavanaugh family as always enjoyed encouraging pastors and their wives, having picnics for local pastors at our home. I have recently had the privilege of teaching a pastoral ministries and leadership class at our church as well. It is our hope that the Lord will open other doors for ministering to men of God. Perhaps the biggest blessing to the Cavanaugh family in all of this is Passion4Christ Summit. It kicks off the Christmas season for us and is the highlight of our year. Our anticipation builds as we look forward to seeing familiar faces and making new friends in Christ. Since 2008, over 500 Christian singles have attended P4C. If we have been allowed by our Lord to have any influence at all, it is that we have encouraged those who have come to carry the reality of Christ and His Gospel effectively to this and the next generation.

One of the great blessings is that Vision4Living is no longer four but five. Daniel’s wife, Michelle, is an answer to prayer, having been raised in a Christ-centered, ministry-minded family. She shares in the vision of the Cavanaugh family to touch and change the next generation for Christ. And part of the fulfillment of that vision is that by God’s grace she will deliver another little Cavanaugh into the Cavanaugh family in February. Michelle’s heart for God and love for people will be used by our Lord to make the Cavanaugh family more complete as she and Daniel raise up a generation to know and love Christ and make Him known to their generation and the generations to come.

As I answered the question of that young man at P4C 2016, I sensed the need to make one thing very clear. The Cavanaugh family is not a special family. We are a very ordinary family. We sin. We have conflict. We have to work through these things as much as you and your family. We need Christ moment by moment and day by day, and we live by His grace. Our hope is that the years to come will find us faithful to Him and to the vision and task of touching and changing the next generation for Him. We ask you to prayerfully consider joining the Cavanaugh family in this work by giving to Vision4Living Ministries during this year’s Reasons to Give Campaign. If you are not able to give, we understand. If you choose not to, may our Lord bless you in whatever way may please Him to use you in the great cause of the Gospel. Christ and His glory are always the Reason to Give. Thank you and thank the Lord for all you mean to us.

To God be the Glory,

Charles Cavanaugh