Pastor John

Merry Christmas

2008-12-09T22:27:00.002-05:00

Just thought I should let you know I'll be taking a little time away from the blog thing. You should see some new postings after Christmas. From my family to yours - Merry Christmas and May God Bless you and yours in the new year!

Pastor John

Color

2008-11-17T08:35:00.003-05:00

I was privileged to behold one of the most brilliant rainbows I have ever seen the other day while I was sitting in my deer stand. I was situated under a pine tree in the rain and was thinking how much fun I was having in the wind and rain when all of a sudden the sun dropped low enough on the horizon to illuminate the ground under the clouds. The most vibrant orange struck my eyes from the color in the leaves and the contrast of the dark clouds above. In an instant, a rainbow formed. The rainbow was a massive rainbow with a twin counterpart that wasn't quite as bright, but was still beautiful. Friends of mine from church saw the twin bows from as far as 20 miles away. It was huge. As the sun finished its course toward sunset, the rainbow intensified in an ebbing and flowing brilliance that is not soon to be compared. I was awe struck and amazed at the beauty of it and could not help but thank God for the color he placed in nature. I think part of the reason the color was so bright was because of the dark clouds that had been pouring rain. There's no doubt in my mind that God's blessing shines the brightest when we're in our darkest hour. There's probably another lesson in that, but you'll have to figure that one out!

Election Day

2008-11-04T13:53:00.003-05:00

The Bible says, "This is the day the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it". You might wonder, "Even election day?" The answer is yes! Every day is a gift from God and especially days like election day. So many people come to an election day with anxiety or fear mixed with excitement and expectation. There is much that depends on this day because the outcome of it will set the tone for our country for many years to come.

With all that depends on today, you need to know this, too! Every day is a gift from God and every day presents opportunities that have potential to shape your future. But for the providential care of Almighty God, we might waste everyday and opportunity that He gives to us. The point to this little story is this: God has clearly brought us to this point and he will cearly superintend the events of this election and guide us toward the final consumation of the age. This is the day the Lord has made; regardless of wins the election, we can rejoice and be glad in the day! Be sure to VOTE!

The Day Before Election

2008-11-02T21:20:00.003-05:00

Tuesday is the BIG day! It's the day we get to vote for the next president of the USA. How cool is that? We actually get to have a say in who serves us. There is great debate over the person who will hold the most influential position in our country and arguably the world. Let me give my two cents about what a Christian should look for in a candidate.

First, the candidate must be a person of integrity. I know that seems impossible with politicians, but there are some out there. The best way to determine if the person is a person of integrity is to check his voting record with his past election promises. See if the two match and if not why not.

Second, the candidate must be a person of character / morals. There really is a debate over what constitutes morals. Some say that homsexuality is acceptable morality while others do not agree. Some say that abortion isn't a matter of terminating a human life and others disagree. The kind of morality the candidate possesses is of the utmost importance. In fact, in my opinion, it is the morality of the person that is the single greatest indicator of what kind of leader s/he would be.

Third, the candidate should be above board in his business dealings and professional relationships. We need to know where a person's allegiance rests. The associations a person keeps indicates a great deal about where that candidate's interests are, his sympathies rest and his loyalties lie.

Tuesday is the big day. Let's make it count.

The Privilege to Vote

2008-10-28T10:48:00.003-04:00

Since we live in a society with representative government and since our society prides itself on the practice of religious liberty, we as Christians need desperately to vote and vote our values at election time. Many Christians around the world do not have the luxury of expressing their faith or their convictions in the public arena. We do. Many Christians around the world would love to have an opportunity to be heard and to know that their right to practice their convictions in the public arena are protected.

Christians are to be Christ-like in every area of life. They are to represent their Lord in their speech, attitudes and conduct. We should never compartmentalize our faith and relegate it to something on Sunday. Rather, we should live out our faith on a day in and day out basis. That daily living out of faith should be experienced every election day when we vote. Let me give you some examples. If we believe that life is sacred, we should vote against abortion, federal funding of abortion clinics, euthanasia, assisted suicide. If we believe that life is sacred, we should vote for candidates who uphold the sanctity of life and we should vote against candidates who do not uphold the sanctity of human life. If we believe that marriage is between a man and a woman, we should vote for those who uphold that traditional view and vote against those who do not. If we beleive that homosexuality is a perversion of God's plan for humanity, then we should oppose the attempts of politicians and activists to force their agenda on our society. We should vote our values. I hope this November 4th, you'll not leave your faith at home. I hope you'll vote your values!

Religious Liberty

2008-10-27T08:52:00.004-04:00

Most Christians I know are unaware of the battle for religious liberty that was fought by our forefathers in the faith and the role that battle played in the formation of our own country. The simple version of the story carries us back to the days of dispute between the Pope of Rome and those dissenters who did not agree with corruption of the Roman Church. What was set in motion was a series of events that set that the church of Rome against governmental authorities and those in the church who were vocal in their disagreement with the church's policies. The Roman Church utilized force to implement its policies and silence those who were in disagreement.

As you can imagine, force didn't calm anything, but, instead, fanned the flames. The Roman Church burned people alive for translating the Bible into the language of the people. The Roman Church seized property and confiscated possession and imprisioned people when they attempted to worship God according to their own convictions. Depending upon the alliances, governments would often times participate in the enforcement of the church's policies. In an atmosphere of oppression, the religious liberty of thousands of people was squashed and the morale of the people was broken.

Enter the Ana-baptists, puritans, seperatists and others. These are the folks who refused to bow the knee to the Pope of Rome and worship in a way that was against their convictions and conscience. Those who refused to allow their religious liberty to be taken were either treated harshly or banished or allowed to leave to go to the colonies that would eventually become the United States of America. The very foundation of this country has its roots in the fight to preserve religious liberty. I would encourage you to vote this election according to your values and not allow a secular and increasingly pagan society keep you from the polls because you're Chrisitan. You have a right to vote and a right to be heard as a Christian. Exercise that privilege that was purchased with the blood of our forefathers. Vote November 4th.

Reaching People Involves LOVING People

2008-10-21T21:00:00.003-04:00

One of the most familiar Greek terms for love is agape. Agape is defined as a love of choice or goodwill. When God penned John 3:16, he used agape to describe the kind of love he demonstrated for humanity by sending his son to live, die and rise again. God chose to love us when we were unworthy of his love. In the same way that God chose to love us when we didn't deserve his love, Christian people should extend love, genuine love, to those who do not deserve our love.

This love of choice begins with choosing to love other Christians. Jesus prayed for the unity of the body so that the outside world would see the love we have for one another and know that God is real. How else could a group a people from such economic, racial and social diversity come together and experience unity unless God had done a work in their lives. Unfortunately, most churches are known more for their business meetings or habits of running off preachers than they are for loving one another and their communities. Once Christian people have begun to practice agape for one another, they should turn their attention outward and demonstrate love of choice for those unloved by society. The church is only limited by its own creativity or fear when it comes to loving the unloved of society.

Reaching People Involves LEARNING About People

2008-10-20T21:54:00.003-04:00

I've been a people watcher since I was a child. My mother used to drag the whole family to the shopping malls within 150 miles of our home and she would shop until we got tired. Daddy would sit with us and we would watch people. He would tell us how to watch people without looking like we were watching people. I know now that I'm a father he was just trying to get us to be still and quiet.... We were so good at watching people, we even made the front page of the lifestyle section of the Charlotte Observer by sitting on the floor of the mall surrounded by mountains of bags and packages. I don't remember exactly, but the caption said something to the effect of the Helms family watching people. I say all of this to let you know, I'm a people watcher.

Here's what I've learned from people as it relates to reaching them with the Gospel:
1. People what to be respected.
- There may have been a day in this country when you could knock on someone's door unannounced and expect them to stop what they were doing and give you a solid hearing of the Gospel. That day is gone! Most people live at such break-neck speed that you must have an appointment in order to meet with them. Some have said they will continue to knock on doors with no invitation. I prefer to respect a person's home and schedule enough to make an appointment.
2. People will listen to you if they are respected by you.
- Once a person sees that you respect his time, his privacy, his beliefs (even if they are wrong), his opinions (even if they are different from yours) then and only then will he give you the respect that is necessary for an honest hearing of the Gospel. Think about it and decide: Would you a Jehovah's Witness the time of day if he imposed himself on you in the middle of a family function or would you be more likely to listen to someone (even a Jehovah's Witness) if they asked for a time to meet?
3. People are creatures of habit and they do what they want to do.
- There was a day in this country when folks were expected to come to church on Sunday. That day is gone! People feel no sense of obligation or duty to their church anymore. Mind you, I'm talking about church people. If we can't get church people to come but half time, what in the world do you think lost people think about church? They see us as irrelevant and disconnected from their lives. They are playing soccer, participating in the bowling league, serving in civic clubs and doing life independently of the church. By the way, one of the reasons we can't get church folks to church like we used to is because they are busy doing the same kinds of things! So what do you do? Maybe we ought to stop trying to gather the church all the time and we ought to start intentionally scattering the church into the civic clubs, ball leagues and other functions that people participate in. Instead of expecting lost people to come to us, maybe we ought to think about new and innovative ways to do what Jesus commanded us to do and that is to go and meet them where they are.
4. People change when they meet God through Jesus Christ.
- Once a person is respected and you earn the right to share Jesus with that person, God changes him or her. Instead of spending every minute living for himself / herself, God initiates the transformation process that we call sanctification in the church and what we call life change in the world. People can change with the help of God. Most people don't know they need God's help and that is the privilege of the church - to help people see how God desires to help them.

Reaching People with the Gospel

2008-10-20T09:47:00.003-04:00

In Luke 14:23 Jesus spoke of a servant who was sent into the "highways and hedges" to compel people to come to a wedding feast. That story underscores the importance of reaching out to people rather than expecting people to show up just because we have an event scheduled. The mentality of most church folks seems to be that of, "we've built it now they can come". Jesus never commanded us to build, but to go, compel, preach and share. Reaching people with the Gospel, then, supposes that a Christian engages people where they are. Here are some thoughts on how to do that....

What would it be like if instead of starting a new Sunday School Class, we advertised a bible study at Shoney's on Thursday nights for anyone interested?

What would it be like if instead of participating in a church softball league with a bunch of other Christians, we got together a team of Christian men and sponsored a team in the industrial league?

What would it be like if instead of starting our own little leagues, we trained men and women how to lead little league football, soccer, baseball and basketball teams with an eye toward sharing the Gospel and being salt and light?

What would it be like if instead of spending millions of dollars on a family life center to gather the church together, again, the church bought every family a membership at the YMCA?

How 'bout this? Instead of spending all that money on brotherhood meals and women's groups meals, what if we took that money and paid the entry fee for a few trained evangelists into hunting clubs, country clubs, quilting clubs and the like?

Here's the point - We spend a lot of money talking about evangelism and not doing evangelism. Why not spend that money to strategically place Christian people in places where non-christian people hang out so that the Gospel might be shared and souls saved?

Receiving God's Love

2008-10-14T10:26:00.002-04:00

I was blessed this past Sunday with multiplying Hershey's Bars. On Wednesday night I was tell a story about a teenaged crush I had on a particular young lady. I was in seventh grade and she was in eighth. I liked her greatly and overheard her one day say that she liked Hershey's Bars. So....I went to the store and bought one, but could not muster the courage to give it to her as an expression of my undying love. So, I kept the thing for days until I finally decided I had better give it to her before it melted. When I approached her, I simply placed the candy bar on her desk and said, "Here! This is for you." She smiled and ate the candy bar without so much as a thank you (let alone an expression of mutual attraction)!

The point to the story is this. I didn't know how to express my love to her and she didn't know how to receive my love. The moral of the story is this: God knows how to express his love for his children. His children need to learn how to receive His love so they don't miss out on the kindness of God. Why not practice receiving God's love, today?

I'm Baaaack......

2008-10-13T08:25:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the absence from the blog, but I've been unusually busy for the last several days. Here's a thought to be pondered. Are you led by God's Spirit? Romans 8: 14 makes the strong statement that those who are being led by the Spirit are children of God. The opposite is implied - if you are NOT led by the Spirit, then you are not the child of God. The New Testament bears this truth in many other fashions, perhaps none so striking as the Pharisees and their religiosity. Though they knew the law, they didn't do it because they were unable to do so. When a person meets God that person comes under the influence of God's Spirit. He is led by, empowered by and controled by the Holy Spirit. When the Spirit is absent or void from a person's life, that person is led by external influences (the world, demonic influence, etc...) or internal influences (attitudes, fleshly desire, etc...). The child of God, on the other hand, has crucified the flesh and denied the world and pursues only the Lord. What happens in this pursuit is truly a God-Thing! The Spirit creates within a person the desire to do what God wants done. The Spirit creates within a person the momentum to get that thing that God wants done, done. The Spirit influences a person so that in the process of doing the thing that God wants done that person knows what to do and how to do it. Every day of a Christian's life should be spent surrendering to the Holy Spirit. Have you surrendered, today?

Church Outside the Box

2008-09-23T21:55:00.004-04:00

The "Church Box" (the common way of doing church in the south) typically looks like this: Sunday morning Bible Study (aka Sunday School); Morning Worship (usually at 11am with various worship elements); Discipleship Training or Training Union (more Bible study for church members in the early afternoon); and, evening worship service (usually immediately after the training union thing). Of course there are hybrids of this format, but the format is universal enough to recognize the Church Box that so many of us are accustomed. The "Church Box" way of doing church keeps us busy and wearied by so much religious activity. What would church outside of the box look like?

Imagine with me a different way of doing church in which the small group is the emphasis. Rather than fill our Sundays with activities that busy us, Sunday would be the time to gather the small groups into a single worship experience. The church would offer ever how many services were needed in order to accomodate the small groups of the church. For instance, if there were 600 people in small groups and the sanctuary would only hold 200, then three services would be needed. The services would be the same, but offered at three different times. While these services were taking place, children's classes would be offered. Once the three offerings of the same service were completed, that would conclude the activities for the day and give people an opportunity for a true "sabbath" experience - one where families got to visit with one another and worshippers could re-focus and refresh themselves for the upcoming week.

Once the day of worship was completed, small groups would meet all around the community at different times in order to accomplish two main things. The first of the main things would be Bible study. Small groups provide the perfect opportunity for people to learn from God's Word. The second of the main things would be service. Small groups provide the perfect blend of accountability and flexibility in order to get people out of the building and into the marketplace with the Gospel. Of course, small group leaders would be integral for the success of this type of "Church Box". The small group leader would initiate visits, follow-up with class members and lead the way in creating more small groups. Of course, in the midst of the week, the church would offer a worship experience.

In this "Church Box" there are not centralized activities that constitute church. Rather, there is flexibility and accountability in order to mobilize the volunteer base. Everyone would attend at least one worship service (pick the one that is most convenient because on Sunday they are all three the same); everyone would participate in a small group (pick the one closest to you and most important to you); and, everyone would find meaningful avenues of service through their small group (no more pew packers and non-participating members!). How cool would it be if every member of church was in at least one worship experience a week, one bible study a week and involved in some type of service at least once a week? That wouldn't be just cool, that would be church outside the box!

Small Groups Yield Big Results

2008-09-23T08:41:00.003-04:00

Every church that takes seriously the Great Commission of the Lord to make disciples has to wrestle with the concept of maintaining unity and fellowship in the wake of a growing church. To state that another way, as the church becomes larger, leaders often struggle with how to maintain closeness and identity. The simple answer is in the small group. Unfortunately, most churches fill there calendars with endless meetings and schedule never-ending activities and usually work the same people to the bone in an effort to maintain their schedules. A much simpler approach would be to entrust faithful men and women with leadership in small groups.

These leaders become the influencers of the church and communicate the truths of scripture, the needs of the body and the schedule of events. When these three things are done through the small group, the worship services are free from endless announcements, the church is streamlined so as to promote effectiveness and people get to know one another around the two key components of discipleship - learning / studying and doing. If a church expects every member to participate in small group and every member avails himself of that opportunity, the spiritual climate of the church will change and change for the better. Souls will be saved. Lives will be transformed. God will be glorified.

Thinking about Bible Study and Fellowship

2008-09-22T09:43:00.003-04:00

Perhaps the greatest binding force in the life of the church is the shared belief we have in the teachings of the Bible. People from diverse backgrounds and different perspectives often enjoy warm and abiding fellowship in church because they share common belief. Since Christians are united around Christ, it makes sense to build fellowship units in the church around the Bible - hence the importance of Bible Study.

When people engage one another around the study of Scripture, there is supernatural bonding that takes place. The Holy Spirit, who wrote Scripture and indwells every beleiver, manifests himself in such a way as to promote openness and honesty in the students. That transparency, then, promotes fellowship and intimacy among those in the study. Ultimately, they gain knoweldge and community and, from that, the power they need to live as Christians in a world that is marked by darkness. Bible study is the backbone of the church. Have you been in bible study with others this week?

What Color is God?

2008-09-17T08:08:00.004-04:00

I was walking my second son into his class yesterday and he was telling me about some of the people in his class. He's beginning to notice that people are different shades of color and he was wondering why. He told me about the little brown girl and the red boy. He told me about the white boy and the yellow girl. And then he asked me the question I pose to you: What color is God?

I don't know about you, but I've heard this question before and seen the answers people give to it. God is white and if you don't beleive it, look at the picture of Jesus on the wall at the church. He's got fair skin, light brown hair and blue eyes. That works if you're in a white church. Others might say God is black and if you don't believe it, look at the picture of Jesus on the wall at the church. He's got dark skin, dark, curly hair and black eyes. That works if you're in a black church. On it goes. I've seen portrayals of God as an old white man with the big white beard. I've seen images of Jesus stained with blood. I've even seen Native American depictions of God. So....what color is God?

Admittedly, I often miss such teachable moments, but praise God I didn't miss this one. When he asked me what color God was, I didn't miss a beat and told him that God is the creator of color and that he is a little bit of every color. That's why in the Bible (Revelation 5:9-10) people of every color from every nation, tribe and language group will gather in heaven and praise God. So...what color do you think God is?

The Shema and Thunderstorms

2008-09-16T08:31:00.003-04:00

The Shema (pronounced: she-ma) is the Hebrew word for hear or listen. It is the first word of that famous passage in Deuteronomy where the Lord says, "Hear O Israel, the Lord your God is one..." (Deut. 6:4-9). It is in this passage where the Lord commands His people to speak to their children about the Lord when they go out, when they come in, when they lie down and when they rise up. In short, they were to speak to their children about the Lord all the time. The passage is still sound for today and those who wish to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Parents should teach their children about the Lord.

So...we're at my oldest son's first football game. (He made an amazing tackle at the very beginnig of the game and made his old man proud and roused the whole stand with his amazing athletic ability.) About six plays or so into the game the thunderstorm that had been off in the distance made it's way to the field where we were playing and promptly shut down our football experience for the day. Once the game was finally called and rescheduled the collective whine of every 7 and 8 year old boy could be heard over the thunder. "Why can't we play?" "It's just rain?" "We shouldn't have to stop?" etc.... I saw parents dragging children away. I saw parents and children running for their lives to escape the rain. I saw all manner of response to the calling of the game (not to mention every manner of response to the calling in the game).

What I didn't see a lot of was a Deuteronomy 6 response to the calling of the game. Admittedly, it was until we were well away from the field and the press of the moment that I realized the Deuteronomy 6 potential of our precipitious fortune. So what's the point? The point is to LISTEN. God speaks to us from His Word. God speaks to us by His Spirit. God speaks to us through His creation. God speaks! Are we listening? Better yet...are we teaching our children to listen?

Shrimping for Jesus

2008-09-15T11:39:00.005-04:00

I had the wonderful privilege of participating in a shrimping expedition sponsored by IronMan Outdoors Ministry. You can check out their website at www.ironmanoutdoors.org. There were 11 guys from various places around the southeastern US who converged on Charleston Harbor and Bulls Bay for two days of outstanding shrimping. Other than catching almost a four boat limit on shrimp, we enjoyed God's creation and fellowship with one another. We shrimped the harbor on Friday night. Can I tell you how beautiful the full moon reflecting on the undulating waves of the harbor was? There was a steady breeze that kept the skitters at bay and we thoroughly enjoyed seeing the lights of the Battery in Charleston off in the distance. We shrimped Bulls Bay on Saturday and saw porpoises, shrimp, fish, thunderstorms in the distance and shrimp trawls in the sea. We had a wonderful trip.

The thing I like about IronMan Outdoors is this: They do what God made them to do and glorify God through out the whole process. These are men who love to hunt and enjoy the creation. I know a lot of guys who hunt and fish, but they never acknowledge God in the pursuit of game or outdoor recreation. These guys at IronMan are great at taking men into the adventure of wilderness and pointing them (not beating them up, mind you) toward God. Truly, I experienced an adventure (I nearly sunk a man's boat!!!!!!!) and I experienced God. What more could a guy want?

Young Minds and the Power of Words

2008-09-09T10:24:00.003-04:00

My oldest son is playing recreation leauge football. He'll be 8 in a couple of weeks. Last night at the practice, the coach told the defensive line to do whatever they had to do in order to stop that football. So...when the quarterback yelled hike, my son took off for this player and when he got right to him jumped up in the air, kicked him in the stomach, grabbed his facemask and threw him to the ground. I've never seen anything like it! In a strange way, I was proud. We corrected him and let him know that he couldn't kick anyone in the stomach to which he replied, "The coach said do whatever to stop the ball." With more experience, my son will be able to stop the ball in the appropriate way.

Could you imagine what the church would be like if all God's children took Him at His Word and did what he said. It's true! We might have people getting kicked in the stomach, but with the experience gained from engaging in the game of life, we could become a mighty force for the Kingdom. SO...Let's get out there and do whatever it takes to stop the devil (minus kicking people, of course)!

Acts of God and Prayer

2008-09-08T10:31:00.003-04:00

On your homeowners policy you probably have an exception or stipulation concerning what insurance companies call acts of God. These are things like tornados, hurricanes, floods, etc... There really is no way an insurance company can categorize acts of God as anything other than what they are - Acts of God. Isn't it interesting that in the wake of so many storms that people debate whether or not God is responsible for the devestating effects that lie in the wake. Theologically we could say that the world is fallen and under the curse of sin and these things happen. This is true. We could also say that God sends or allows these things as punishment for sin or in His providential care He knows what is best to reveal his glory and bring people to himself. All of these are true. The question I've always pondered, though, is how to pray when threatened by hurricanes.

Right, wrong or indifferent, this is how I pray when faced with acts of God. I pray that God would be glorified. Regardless of the outcome and the effects of the storm, my prayer is that God receives the glory for it. I pray that God would diminish the storm (not send it to Mexico or Texas) and that its effects would be minimal and the loss of life would be minimal. I pray that God would teach us humility and create within us as a people a dependence upon him. Finally, I pray that God would walk through the storm with the people that even in the midst of calamity, folks might know that God is with them. How 'bout you....How do you pray when faced with acts of God?

Lives and Levees

2008-09-02T09:06:00.003-04:00

With all of the news focused on Gustav, my wife and I have been reliving our memories of surviving Katrina. While we didn't live in the city and were blessed to be on the weakest side of Katrina, the damage was significant and the memories still create emotional responses from us that still surprise us. Katrina was a life changing experience and has left a permanent mark on us as a family. Our prayers go out to the thousands who will be affected by Gustav.

I was watching the news last night and heard a reporter's interview with a FEMA representative. The FEMA guy said that one levee was being topped by water and that it was beginning to leak water through it. Usually when a levee is topped and begins to leak it is only a matter of time before it breaks. When conditions are normal the levees look fine and give the false impression that all is well and they can hold. When the pressure is turned on, though, the true nature of the levee is revealed. Such is the case with us Christians.

Christians are notorious for putting up facades and fronts that communicate to everyone who sees that things are fine when, often times, things are not fine. It is only a matter of time and pressure before whatever weaknesses you possess come to light. The New Testament has a great deal to say about being sincere, genuine and without hypocrisy (which literally means masking something or covering it up). As Christians we shouldn't attempt to hide or cover up our frustrations, faliures and fears. Rather, we should carry them to the Lord and allow him to help us. We can also carry them to faithful brothers and sisters who can also help us shoulder the load. Just like the national guard reinforcing those weakened levees, we can find reinforcement for our souls from God and God's people.

The Bible and Worship

2008-08-28T08:58:00.003-04:00

This may seem strange, but the Bible isn't to be worshipped. It is a tool to help us worship. Some commit what has been termed bible-alatry (a termed coined to communicate the sometimes unhealthy focus on a particular interpretation of the Bible) and worship what they think the Bible says instead of actually doing what the Bible really says. I have an aunt who used to tell me that you should never place anything on top of a Bible - not even another Bible! While I am all about honoring God's Word and giving due reverence to the Word of God, I have to say that I think there is a disconnect.

The Bible is God's Word. I believe it is without error and is profitable for our instruction and correction and is the self-disclosure of God to us. It should be read, memorized, studied, shared, distributed and whatever else is within the parameter of getting it out to people and then in to people. This is the disconnect. Most Christian people have Bibles and most do NOT read them. In reading the Bible, a reader comes face to face with the Author of the Bible. The reader learns about Him and comes to understand the love He has for creation and, in particular, humanity. It is in the Bible that we get the clearest picture of God and His plan for us. When we gather to meet with the Lord or when we set a time to meet with Him personally, you had better beleive that your worship experience will be much more meaningful and powerful if you come to it having been informed about the God you worship. One of the criticisms we see in the New Testament about the religious people is that they had zeal without knowledge. Isn't it a shame that we all we have learned and particularly all that we have revealed to us in the Bible, religious people can still be criticized for having zeal without knowledge? Have you read your Bible, today?

Motorcycles and Worship

2008-08-27T10:40:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was a great rainy day. The temperature stayed in the mid to upper seventies and the rain stayed at a constant drizzle for most of the day. SO...when the boys got home and finished their homework we hit the trail to go "mud-doggin'" (my 2 year old's pronunciation of "mud-boggin'). We had a blast and we were wet and filthy dirty when we got done! So what does that have to do with worship?

Worship is giving praise to God and honoring him as the supreme being and part of what that means is that we worship him as Creator and Sustainer. He created rain. Rain; therefore, is good and we should enjoy it. He sends rain to make crops grow which in turn sustain us in our lives; therefore, rain is good. My aunt passed away a few years ago after loosing her battle with ovarian cancer. She was known to say on a regular basis of rainy days, "Don't run from the rain. Feel the rain." In other words, experience the rain. In experiencing the rain, you can not help but experience the One who made the rain, the One who sent the rain and the One who wants you to enjoy the rain. Be sure I told the boys about the God who sends rain. The benefit to riding your ATV's on a rainy day is this: You get to thank God for washing your bike at the end of the day!

Children and Worship

2008-08-26T10:37:00.003-04:00

In Matthew 18 Jesus astonished those standing around him when he took a child and said to the people if you want to become great you have to become like a child. There is at least one instance in the Jesus' life when he rebukes his disciples for not allowing children to come to him. It is in the that episode that he says, "Suffer the little children to come unto me." In contemporary English that means, "Let the children come to me." Those are good words for church leaders to hear. Let the children come to Jesus.

In our church we have activities, bible studies and worship experiences planned for children during the "Big Church" service. Our workers do a wonderful job of communicating the truths of the Scripture to the children in their own language and in meaningful ways so that the children experience God in a world that is friendly to them. There is something to be said for bringing children into the "Big Church" service, too. One of things that has troubled me for the last few years is the fact that compartmentalize the church into age groups and keep the groups separated from one another during their whole worship experience. Often we speak of Children's Church, the Youth Service, the Seniors' Class, etc...

At some point we have to realize (and then plan accordingly) that the church is made up of children, youth, adults, seniors etc... These individual groups are not churches unto themselves and neither are they factions within one church, but they are one and we are the church. Titus 2 has some amazing insight into inter-generational aspects about church; but, back to the children. I realize that some small children cause disturbances in church and I also realize that some older children (and even grown-ups) create disturbances in church. If we introduce our children to the "Big Church" at an early age, I can only see positive results for them and the church. I once heard an old preacher say this: The crying of the children isn't nearly as bothersome to me as the snoring of the saints!" What do you think?

Images and Worship

2008-08-25T08:36:00.003-04:00

The debate over art in worship has been in full swing for centuries. One has only to look at the ornate cathedrals of the eastern church or visit a Roman Catholic church to see a likeness of Jesus on the cross in order to experience art in places of worship. On my desk are two likenesses given to me by my sister. One is a likeness of Jesus carved into some kind of tree indigenous to Honduras. The other is a letter opener carved out of mahogany with a lion for a handle. This piece came from Africa. I'm just sitting here looking at those two things and I also have a portrait of the church I'm currently serving from one hundred years ago. There are all kinds of things in my office and around our church (from banners in the sanctuary to posters in the kids' classrooms) that constitute image in worship.

The question is whether or not decoration enhances or detracts from the worship experience. A sanctified common sense goes a long way in determining what is appropriate and what is not. I remember as a kid hearing about the lady who made a motion in the church business meeting to cover the pews in a leopard skin pattern. She didn't stay at the church long after that. Maybe that's a bit flashy for a house of worship, but one thing is for sure - most churches are no where close to being excessive in their adornment. Is there anyone else out there who is tired of the off white, labratory-styled hallways and sanctuaries?

Images depicting the stories of Scripture are often displayed in stained glass against plain white walls. More times than not, though, churches are just blah and provide nothing more than a sterile environment in which to meet God. I have a friend who serves in a church that has an art gallery in it. They took one of the unused Sunday School rooms and turned it into an art gallery for local college students (and church members) to display their religious art. The gallery is a wonderful addition to the church and a great outreach tool. I've been in churches where every hallway depicted some story of Scripture (from Daniel in the lion's den to Jesus' ascension). I think art / image in worship is great as long as it is tastefully done and points people to the great God we serve. What do you think?

Fasting and Prayer: Tools of Worship

2008-08-21T08:37:00.003-04:00

Perhaps the biggest indictment against American Christians is the busyness that keeps us from spending time with God. I've never been on an international mission trip, but I have many friends from different parts of the world and I have many friends who have traveled to different parts of the world and the stories they tell of people spending hours (yes hours!) in worship is vastly different from my own experiences. I've heard stories of people walking for days just to hear someone read the Bible. I've heard of people sitting for hours in the underground church of China taking notes and studying the Scriptures through the night. Here at home I've heard gripes and complaints when the service slides past noon and I've seen people with Tourette Syndrome-like movements shake a watch until the whole congregation can see it. There seems to be a profound difference. We are too busy for God and certainly too busy to spend time with him.

Enter fasting and prayer. Fasting and prayer are two spiritual practices the church has utilized for centuries and in recent days the two have fallen on hard times. Fundamental to the practice is the very simple fact that in order to fast and prayer, one has to dedicate the all-important time necessary for the practice. We have no problem spending a couple of hours deciding where to eat, eating and hanging out, but if we take that same time slot and fill it with things like bible reading, prayer and meditation, then we suddenly don't have time. The truth is, we make time for what is important to us. When we fast and pray, we are saying with our attitude and action that our relationship with God is important and he is worthy of my most precious commodity - TIME.

As you walk with the Lord, you might consider giving up a meal a day or every meal one day a week and dedicate that time to the Lord. We spend about 56 hours a week sleeping, 40 to 60 hours a week (or more) working, depending on your recreational habits another 20 or so hours playing and 20 or more hours a week eating. Don't you know God would speak to you if you spent one day's allotment for food (between two and six hours) in prayer and meditation with Him? Our problem isn't lack of knowledge about God. Our problem is that we don't really know the God we all know about. By spending some time fasting and praying, we can get to know the God who desires to make himself known to us. I hope you'll take the time to rekindle your relationship with the Lord, this week!

Worship Takes Work III

2008-08-20T09:22:00.003-04:00

When I left off last time, I was talking about being open to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Just yesterday my oldest son was talking with me about what it means to be a Christian. He asked, "Are we Jewish?" I told him we were not Jewish and that to be a Christian meant to believe in / follow Jesus. Once we established what it meant to be a Christian I began to talk with him about the role of the Holy Spirit. I told him that when a person becomes a Christian, the Holy Spirit comes to live in that person and he (the Holy Spirit) helps the Christian live like a Christian should live. I encouraged my son to learn how to listen to the Holy Spirit.

When we worship (and remember worship isn't limited to singing a few songs at 11am on Sunday morning...) we need to know how to listen to the Holy Spirit. The very best way to know how to listen to the Holy Spirit is to practice listening to Him on an everyday basis. When you feel led or sense that or have an awareness that you should or should not do something, that is a pretty good indication for the Christian that the Holy Spirit is speaking to you. I experienced the awareness of the Holy Spirit this week and when I didn't immediately act on it, I missed the opportunity God was giving me to bless somebody. I missed two other opportunities because I was "too busy" to slow down enough to do what I knew the Lord was telling me to do. In this case, I finally arranged my schedule and did what the Lord was telling me through the Holy Spirit and the person was blessed and so was I.

The Holy Spirit leads us in truth. He reveals more of Jesus to us. He comes along side of us in this journey of faith. The coolest part of learning to listen to the Holy Spirit is to realize that he does not desire to hide himself from you or conceal what it is he wants you to know. He is in the business of revealing himself to you so you may know God more fully and understand his will more clearly. If you want to be a worshipper, then just slow down for a few minutes today and listen to the Holy Spirit. He'll speak to you if you'll listen!

Thank You For Your Prayers

2008-08-19T08:53:00.004-04:00

Thank you for praying for us while my wife was in the hospital. She was able to come home Sunday afternoon. Please continue to pray for us as she recovers from surgery. I'll resume my blog on preparing to worship tomorrow. Thanks!

Prayer Request Continued

2008-08-11T20:51:00.002-04:00

Thanks for your prayers. If you think of us, remember my son who will have a minor procedure in the morning to remove the tubes that were placed in his ears two years ago. My wife will have to undergo another procedure on Wednesday morning. It looks like the Helms family is spending as much time in the hospitals as the doctors! We appreciate your prayers and I look forward to writing some other blogs in the near future. Thanks....

Prayer Request

2008-08-10T16:24:00.003-04:00

Please pray for my wife. She has been hospitalized for several days because of complications with a surgery. She is doing well and will probably be in the hospital for a few more days. Your prayers are greatly appreciated. More to come later...

Worship Takes Work II

2008-08-06T15:30:00.006-04:00

While there are many practical things a Christian can do in order to prepare a time and place to worship, there are some spiritual things that must me done in order to prepare for worship, too. Recently I've been teaching through the Psalms of Ascent on Sunday night. The Psalms of Ascent are Psalms 120-134. There are several interesting discussions about there origin and purpose and their use. One theory maintains that worshippers coming to the temple utilized these psalms to prepare their hearts to meet with the living God. Tradition holds that the worshipper would stand on one of the fifteen steps and recite one of the psalms. The worshipper would repeat this pattern for all fifteen steps and psalms. If that theory is correct, I would imagine that the worshipper would be ready to worship by the time he got inside the temple. In the same way these worshippers prepared themselves to meet with God, there are some very practical things (and spiritual things) we can do in order to prepare ourselves to meet with God.

Having a time of prayer prior to a worship experience (whether that experience be in a church worship service or in a personal / private time of worship) can be instrumental in helping the worshipper to focus on God. You might think of this as tuning in to God. Each week before our morning Bible study time, we have a time of prayer dedicated to help us prepare to worship. In addition to the prayer time, you might consider singing one or two of your favorite worship songs as on offering to the Lord. Remember, you don't have to be a gifted singer, just a joyful noise maker. Finally, simply making yourself available to the leading of the Holy Spirit prior to and during a worship service makes all the difference in the world. How many times have church goers come to church expecting the same ole thing and never once consider that God might want to do something today? Make sure you're not missing the leading of the Spirit in your worship experiences.

Worship Takes Work

2008-08-05T11:08:00.003-04:00

Each week I spend a considerable amount of time with our music guy planning the worship service at the church. We give every aspect of the service attention because we want everything we do to please God and to invite others into God's presence. It takes a great deal of time and energy to plan the services each week, but the investment is well worth the sweat when Sunday rolls around. When we've sought the Lord and allowed his Spirit to guide us in all that we plan, there is a special anointing that comes when the actual service begins to unfold. We have seen God do some extraordinary things that I think would have been impaired had we not planned and sought the Lord in advance.

In the same way we give time and energy to the worship service each week, every Christian who desires to live in the presence of God must give some attention to the work of worship. Let me share some practical things that must be done in order to worship God on a regular basis. First, you have to dedicate yourself to meeting with the Lord on a regular basis and that means scheduling time to worship. The important will always give way to the urgent and the problem is that most of us see everything as urgent and neglect what is important. Set a time and stick to it. Pick a place where you can meet with the Lord. It is good to go on retreats and into the remote desert places where you can meet with God, but it will be rare that you'll be able to drop what you're doing everyday to run up to the smokey mountains to meet with God. Pick a place in your home or yard and go there regularly to meet with the Lord. Just a couple of more things. If you like music, take along some of your favorite worship music and sing it to the Lord. Take it along and listen to it while you meditate on the Word. Always take your Bible. It is in the Word that God reveals himself and it is in his presence that you worship. Take the time, make the investment and do the work that is necessary for worship. Blessings!

The Importance of Rest

2008-08-04T09:01:00.003-04:00

I've heard some say that Americans live to work and folks in many other countries work to live. That is a whimsical way of saying that we tend to be work-a-holics. Maybe the reason for our obession with work is theological.... When Adam and Eve sinned, God cursed the ground and told Adam that he would live from the ground, but by his own sweat. Sin has a way of twisting our desires in order to create within us unhealthy levels of desire. I know some people who are so engrossed in their work that they spend over 80 hours a week at work and leave little time for their family, God or personal rest. May the reason for our obession with work is jealousy... We live in nice houses, but someone always has a nicer house. We drive nice cars, but someone always has a nicer car. Whether we realize it or not, we live in constant competition with the Joneses (whoever they may be). We want more so we work more. The irony of that is that with the added work comes decreased time to enjoy the things you work for. Maybe the reason for our obession is the erroneous beleif that rest equates laziness... Afterall, if a man will not work, he shouldn't eat! True, but whoever said taking a break was bad or made one lazy? The simple truth is that we need rest.

If you study the Gospels you'll find that Jesus was one of the busiest people, ever! He constantly had people around him. He constantly had work to do. Someone was always asking him for something. People constantly wanted to see him or be near him. Jesus couldn't even spend time in prayer with the Father unless it was the wee hours of the morning. If you take a close look at the Gospels you'll find 6 or 7 times or so where Jesus seemingly drops from existence and can't be found. I don't mean that he disappeared or anything metaphysically spiritual. I simply mean that he would pull away from the crowd and demands of his work and he would rest. He would spend time with the Father. He would pray. He would be still. He would be in solitude. He would rest. Since Jesus is our example and we should honor him by becoming like him, maybe we could find some creative ways in which to pull away from the crowd and rest. Who's up for a nap?

On Second Thought....

2008-07-28T15:30:00.006-04:00

Well....We're back from KY and I've learned a few things about taking young kids on mission trips in the heart of the appalachian region of the country. I thought I would share my lessons learned in a numbered list. Blessings!

1. Be prepared for ANYTHING
2. Plan to add hours on your travel time (We must have stopped for potty breaks 1000 times!)
3. Make sure your housing is fitting for children.
4. Make sure your mission trip partners are prepared for children on the trip.
5. Plan for those "down-time" moments that turn children from cute little ones to curiosity driven adventure seekers.
6. Have a back up plan in case the plan doesn't work.
7. Pack healthy snacks / drinks totally devoid of any caffeine or sugar.
8. NO chewing gum of anykind in any place (unless you want it stuck in your car's interior)
9. Make sure your mission work is age appropriate for the children you take.
10. Make sure you have plenty of adult supervision for those times when children are working or playing.
11. Make sure you have adequately discussed each person's role and responsibilities while on the trip.
12. Make sure you discuss these things before you leave to go on your trip.
13. Take some cash. You never know when you might need the green stuff instead of plastic...
14. In as much as it depends up YOU, live at peace with all mission team members (especially those younger members in your own family).
15. There simply is no substitute for going on mission. You experience things while doing missions that you can never learn about in a Sunday School class or training seminar.
16. NEVER assume that "it will just work out". God is in the planning, too.
17. If it is at all possible, go together, stay together and return together with your group.
18. Flexibility is required in all things mission.
19. Adequate rest is necessary for a productive and safe trip. Go to bed at a reasonable hour.
20. DO a mission trip with your family! I'd do it again...

VACATION: The Blessed Event

2008-07-22T18:14:00.003-04:00

Well....Vacation time has finally arrived and I'm leaving in a matter of a few hours for Kentucky! Oh! Those eastern hills of ole Kentucky....How they call unto me. Those words come from a bluegrass song, but I'm not vacationing in KY for bluegrass. We're going to do mission work with Meridzo ministries in Lynch, KY. They have several mission opportunities for families and we're taking our children and some friends from church to do mission work on vacation. We'll work a little, play a little and hopefully make a large difference for the Kingdom. We're going to be distributing food and painting murals on some of the ministries properties. If you are interested in missions Meridzo offers opportunities for the individual, families, friends, Bible study groups, other church groups, whole churches can even partner with them, etc... In short these guys are doing a great work and anyone or group can participate in it.

We're taking our children to teach them at a young age the importance of giving to others. Most folks use their vacation time to travel and see the world and do things they've always wanted to do. A little R&R is always a good thing, but too much of it can be an expression of selfishness. So...we're trying to teach our kids the importance of both having fun and giving to others. I've asked my church family to consider giving some of their annual vacation days to do the same. It is when we learn the blessing of sacrifice and service that life takes on greater meaning and even our vacation takes on a different meaning. Vacation this year will truly be a blessed event. What will you be doing on your vacation?

Puppy Training and Parenting

2008-07-17T09:30:00.003-04:00

Now that I am a proud dog owner, I'm learning that dogs are like people. They have personalities. They have likes and dislikes. They play. They pout. They run, jump and talk. I can't understand what they say, but they talk. This is just my children! The dog is like that too. (OK! Bad joke!!!!!) Dogs and people do have similarities though, but there is one major difference. Dogs aren't people.

We read in Genesis that God breathed life into Adam and he became a living soul. This distinction separates humanity from all plant and animal life. We are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God and nothing else in creation bears that distinction. Since we as people are endowed with the capacity to think and reason and ultimately know God, we are responsible for teaching others what we have learned. Here is the link between parenting and puppy training. In the same way that God has demonstrated patience with us when we have failed or rebelled, we must do the same in the lives of our children. We write into them lessons and operating systems that will hopefully point them toward God and help them live meaningful lives. This requires patience, repetition, patience, repetition, patience, repetition, patience, repetition, etc.... Aren't you glad that God is a patient God? If not, he would have zapped you long ago! :)

The Preacher, His Family and a Deacon

2008-07-16T09:44:00.004-04:00

I thought you might like to see the family and the new dog - Deacon Winstonias Watertrodder. If the deacon didn't have black hair he would probably look like one of my curly-haired children. In the back is momma and Joshua, followed by Noah (the toothless wonder) David and J.J. The balck fur ball is Deacon.

The website promised that dog ownership would lower my stress level. Can I tell you something....Don't believe everything you read on the internet.........

Responsibility and Little Boys

2008-07-15T09:47:00.004-04:00

Some things in life are like magnets to little boys. Mud puddles, puppies; snakes; frogs; chocolate; and the like function as a magnet to a little boy's insides. These things pull the child to them as though some unseen force were at work. One man I know said that a little boy could be walking straight as an arrow until he comes near a mud puddle, then he curves. In the same way that these things and other things like them pull a little boy toward them, there are other things that push away little boys just the same sides of magnets push away. Clean; cleaning; bath-time; brushing teeth; homework; listening / obeying; and responsibility and the like.

What I've noticed in my children and lived out in my life is that each person is unique and uniquely selfish. We all enjoy doing what we want to do and therefore do what we want a great deal of the time. We do not enjoy doing certain things and therefore we do not do those things as much as is possible. RESPONSIBILITY is one of those things that naturally pushes against us and causes us to do those things we do not necessarily enjoy. RESPONSIBILITY is a learned behavior, that for the christian, is supernaturally enabled by the Holy Spirit.

As we learn RESPONSIBILITY and the benefit that comes from it, we discover that great blessing comes from meaningful work. Work is a good thing that, like everything else, was marred in the fall of man and the subsequent curse. As we work we earn a living that can be used to bless others. Paul said in II Corinthians 9 that you give out of what you have. You can't give something you don't have to give. Responsibility is the safety belt that teaches us how to manage our resources in such a way that God is honored and others are edified. Perhaps the reason for much of our cultural woe is that we have many people who have never learned responsibility...

Rain and Rainbows

2008-07-10T20:21:00.005-04:00

Into everyone's life a little rain must fall. In recent years it seems that it is little rain, indeed. We are in the grip of a fairly substantial drought and have been for a while. When no rain falls we all complain and feel the effects of the drought. When we get rain we complain because we can't do the things we want to do. It really is interesting to watch people's response to this rain or lack of rain thing. I'm a preacher who believes that the weather patterns are still controlled by God and that the actions of his people often times precipitates a climatic response from God. If you would read in II Chronicles 7:14 the great revival passage and then back up several verses into chapter six you would find that Solomon prayed to God and said to him, "If your people do all of these bad things (Helms translation) and you send drought and pestilence and famine and etc..... and your people lift up their hands toward this place and repent and call on your name, then hear from heaven and heal your people." [This is a very condensed version of the prayer. If you would like to read it you can find it in its entirety in II Chronicles 6: 12 - 7:22] It is in the 14th verse of chapter 7 that God gives the great revival promise. If his people will repent and call on him, he'll forgive and heal the land. Have you ever thought that maybe the reason we have the unusual weather patterns is because of the unusual sinfulness of our churches. Yes! Our churches! Read I Peter 4:17 and you'll see that judgment begins with the house of God. Christians are the ones held to the standard of Christian living - NOT LOST PEOPLE! So, have you ever wondered if the reason why we have such unusual weather patterns is because we have such unusually sinfulness in God's house? I have.

I'm reminded of another story from the Old Testament and it concerns Noah and the rainbow. Do you remember why God sent the flood? It is becasue mankind had been exceedingly wicked and God was sorry that he made us [Read Genesis 6:5-8 and following for the whole story]. God struck down sinfulness and only Noah and his family survived. Then comes the rainbow. The rainbow is a sign of the promise made by God to Noah to never destroy the earth by flood again. So...the rainbow is a sign of a good thing, the promise, and a reminder of a bad thing, judgment. Maybe we need to pray for rain and rainbows to help us navigate life with a greater sense of purpose and direction.....

When God Says No

2008-07-10T08:36:00.005-04:00

Recently, I sought the Lord about a particular item I wanted. My prayer went something like this: Lord, I would like to have [this thing] and I have the means to go get it, but I don't know if you want it for me or not. So, would you please give me [this thing] or let me know you don't want me to have it right now. Amen. So...after seeking the counsel of the Lord I promptly went about the necessary avenues through which to secure this thing that I wanted. Everywhere I went I found a dead end. No less than six people, unsolicited mind you and at different times, shared with me why they didn't think I needed this particular thing. Many other things happened to indicate that this was not something I needed to pursue.

So what did I do? Well, the better question would be what am I going to do? I know that God doesn't want me to do this thing that I want to do. I have the means to do it, though. I have to believe that God has my best interest in mind and that he has plans to bless and give me a future and all of that, but I still want the thing. So I find myself in a struggle. Herein is the point to today's story. God's desire for me is better for me than my desire for me. I still want the thing. The choice is to obey God or disobey God. Mind you, there is no verse anywhere in the Bible that says I can't or shouldn't have the thing, but there are countless verses that deal with obedience and the resulting blessing and disobedience and the resulting discipline.

I have a choice in my salvation to walk with the Lord or to walk away from the Lord....to listen to the Lord or not listen to the Lord....to wait and deny myself or go ahead and satisfy my desire....to please the Lord or disappoint the Lord...etc... Such is the life of a saved person. To learn to walk by faith and not by sight and trust the Lord for my delight. How do you handle a no answer from God?

God and Cargo Trailers

2008-07-07T19:57:00.003-04:00

Have you ever heard anyone say, "The devil is in the details."? I know I have. Anytime a Baptist church undertakes anything of significance (for some that is the color of carpet and others that is whether or not to relocate the whole church to a more centralized location) the discussion about the "details" always brings the disagreement and the hearty (but compassionate) discussion. In the last 12 years I've heard heated debate in Baptist churches about everything from water fountains and ice machines to firing the preacher and dissolving the church. What I've noticed is that the devil isn't so much in the details as he is in the people who are discussing the details. Let me tell you what I mean....

A few months ago a group of us from the church went to a disaster relief workers training and we got our certification to represent the Southern Baptist Convention and our church in the wake of a natural disaster. We saw one particular area of ministry that excited everyone who went. The particular unit we liked would require us to buy a jumping house, snowball machine, popcorn machine and some other things like that. Well....God was in the details. If you know anything about a Baptist church, you know that most endeavors require major discussion and votes and all of that in order to get anything rolling let alone accomplished. Well....before we left the training God had already given us a jumping house. We already had some of the other things I mentioned. Someone has pledged a snowball machine and popcorn popper. All we needed was the trailer to house all of the equipment (that which we already possessed and that which is coming). Well....God was in the details. A gentleman in the church purchased a trailer from another member of the church who allowed us to have it at cost. Now, we have the trailer, the jumping house, the other things, a popcorn popper and snowball machine and all of that has been given to the church without so much as announcement let alone a business meeting. Well....God is in the details.

Now let me tell you something. Some people would gripe and complain about that. Some people would say that a group in the church is trying to "take over" and "run" things. Some people would say "you can't do that without a business meeting." I can only imagine what SOME people would say about all that God has done. Well...God is in the details. What I would like to say to some people (if I were to get an opportunity to say anything to those people) would be this: God is in the details. If you'll just learn to pray and wait on Jesus, you might find out that God wants to supply all of your needs according to His riches in glory. God is a good God and worthy of our devotion! You know why? Well....He's in the details!

Snakes and Snails and Puppydog Tails

2008-07-07T09:37:00.002-04:00

I suffer from extreme allergies to animals. I've noticed through the years that my reactions are more severe with certain animals than others. There was even a few times when a person who had been around an animal came into the same room with me that my allergy was triggered and even though I had not even been around the animal, I reacted with swollen eyes and shortness of breath. Other times my reactions weren't so strong - a watery eye, runny nose, itchy hands, etc....

So why am I telling you about my allergies? Well....I'm gettin' a dog! Not just any dog, though. I'm getting a purebred, registred poodle. That's right! A POODLE! Not one of those little annoying kinds of poodles, but a standard poodle (that's the big one)! I learned that poodles have hair and their chemistry is different than other dogs. I even tested the theory. I went and hung out with a couple of standard poodles. I didn't have any breathing or itching issues and so I'm getting a poodle.

I went to pick him out the other day and I chose a solid black poodle. His name is Deacon Winstonias Watertrodder. That's a cool name, don't you think? Anyway, I'll be picking up ole Deacon at the end of the week (to be sure, there will be some pics of ole Deacon and the family on the blog). I'm excited about the dog for a lot of reasons. I read on a website that dogs actually help reduce stress. I'm not sure how that works since they poop everywhere and chew up everything, but we'll see. It is true what they say, little boys are made of snakes and snails and puppydog tails....

Just a Thought about Freedom

2008-07-03T10:35:00.003-04:00

July 4th is one of my favorite holidays. I like it for a lot of reasons just like you! I like the swimming, grilling, eating, swimming, grilling, etc... (you get the point). Anyway, even though there are lots of reasons to celebrate, we have to remember that our freedom isn't free. It comes with a cost. I think about men like my great uncle who fought in WWII and other family members who served in the armed forces and those thousands and thousands of other who currently serve in the armed forces. We're it not for there present service and past sacrifice, we would not have freedom.

In the same way that our armed forces have insured our freedom, the Lord Jesus secured our freedom from sin when he died and rose again. Salvation is freely offered and freely enjoyed in much the same way our freedoms are freely offered and freely enjoyed. Just because I can pretty much go and do what I want to, doesn't mean that I should treat that freedom with contempt or ever think that it is just given. The fact is that in our salvation and in the freedoms we enjoy as American citizens, both were secured with a very high price. My salvation was purchased with the blood of Jesus. My freedoms were purchased with the blood of soldiers. With that knowledge, how can we neglect so great a salvation or neglect such a great country?

Chinese Gossip

2008-07-01T14:32:00.002-04:00

I had lunch today at the local Chinese buffet. It was great. Do you know what b.u.f.f.e.t. stands for? Big Ugly Fat Folks Eating Together. OK! Bad joke, but it does have some truth to it. Just take a look around the next time you're at a buffet.... Anyway, I loaded my plate with my personal favorite combination of Pepper Chicken and General Tso chicken, imitation crab meat wrapped in imitation bacon, Lo Mein (chinese spagetti) and (my personal favoirte) crab rangoon. I just love crab rangoon.

So, there I am eating my eastern delights and a group of people from above the Mason Dixon Line gradually take over the large table located in close proximity to me. I couldn't help but overhear their conversation because they were obviously excited to be there and to see one another and they were clearly celebrating someone's recent marriage. There were a few times they got real quiet and I couldn't tell if they were speaking English or Yankee, but in the interest of preserving their privacy I wouldn't be able to share those parts of the conversation even if I had understood them. Of course, you understand?!

Well, what caught me ear was the discussion about the honeymoon. The question was, "How was your honeymoon? Do you feel different?" The response was, "We've been together for eight years. Joe (the names have been changed to protect the guilty or innocent) said, 'It might have felt different seven years ago, but this is just another day.'" Their conversation went on and they laughed and talked. The dynamic of the group was two younger ladies and two or three older ladies and one older man. I'm not sure what their relationship(s) were and I'm not sure what their spiritual convictions are. What I am sure of is that no one seemed to think anything wrong about the fact that the couple in question had "been together" for eight years and that the honeymoon was "just another day". I guess I kept waiting on someone to say, "You know, missy, it would have been different if you guys had waited to "be together" until after you were married!" That never happened.

I walked away from my usually enjoyable feast of rangoon with a bit of a disillusioned feeling. Have we progressed so far that no one sees anything sacred about marriage or keeping yourself for marriage? Have we become so culturally relevant that we can hear about massive numbers of homosexuals scramble to California in order to have their "marriage" recognized? I wonder about us sometimes..... Of course, I guess my "overhearing" of their gossip and then sharing it on a blog wasn't much different than the couple "being together" before they were supposed to be together. I guess next time I'll just stick to the rangoon and leave the rest alone!

The Facts about Fishing

2008-06-30T10:28:00.002-04:00

I had the opportunity to go fishing this weekend with one of my buddies. We headed up to Southport, NC where we fished the inland streams, creeks, marshes for some trout, flounder and redfish. We had a blast even though we only caught two fish. (Technically, he caught two fish, but I drove the boat and positioned him to catch the fish; so, WE caught the fish!) We had a blast! Even though we caught no fish, we had a blast. So why do we call it fishing instead of blasting?

Because of our meager catch, I have pondered the facts about fishing. Here is what I've come up with:

Fact #1: Fishing really isn't always about catching fish.
Fact #2: Fishing really isn't always about relaxation.
Fact #3: Fishing really isn't always about experiencing the great outdoors.
Fact #4: Fishing really isn't always about hanging out with your friends.
Fact #5: Fishing really isn't always about the equipment (or failure thereof).
Fact #6: Fishing really is always about catching fish.
Fact #7: Fishing really is always about relaxation.
Fact #8: Fishing really is always about experiencing the great outdoors.
Fact #9: Fishing really is always about hanging out with your friends.
Fact #10: Fishing really is always about the equipment (usually, the failure thereof).

Herein rests the paradox of fishing. The purpose, for recreational anglers like myself, is determined by the results of the fishing trip. If we don't catch anything, the first five facts apply. If we catch an amazing amount of fish, the second five facts apply. Either way, you have a blast!

Judgment: A Powerful Thing

2008-06-24T11:31:00.003-04:00

I just got back from court. I was present for a proceeding that took place earlier in the morning in order to represent our church. The particulars aren't important, but what struck me was the importance of the judge. In fact, every single time I've been involved in a court proceeding the importance of the judge is what stands out in my mind more than anything else. Here's why. The judge holds power over people's lives and his decisions change lives. In our court system there have been dishonest judges. There have been renegade judges. There have been abuses of all kinds. The reality remains, though, whether good or bad pure or impure right or wrong, the judge alters the course of individuals.

I think every Christian should attend a court proceeding to observe what takes place. Usually, there is a plantiff and a defendant or some variation thereof and arguments are made and then the judge either decides or sentences based on the decision of the jury. When that life-altering moment for decision comes, the courtroom is filled with gasps, crying, celebration and rejoicing, relief and burden, and so on. That moment of decision is a very emotional time. It should be! That judge's decision is binding and lasting consequence.

Even with all of that power and the reality of the consequences, earthly judges have but a scant portion of the power that belongs to the Righteous Judge who will one day decide the eternal destiny of every human. Just like an earthly judge, the Righteous Judge will base his decision on actions already committed by those who stand before him. Just like those who are found guilty before an earthly judge, those found guilty by the Righteous Judge will face eternal damnation and, unlike the earthly court system, there will be NO appeal! In the same way, those found to be covered by the blood of the Righteous Judge will in no way come under condemnation - double jepordy - becasue their sins will have already been judged and payed by Jesus. Also, that decision can not be overturned. The point: The saved should live in anticipation of giving an account for their lives and the lost should receive Jesus while there is time.

We don't Know what we don't know

2008-06-18T11:54:00.003-04:00

I read an interesting article on the net this morning about 10 new species of flora and fauna that have been identified by a team of super scientists. Apparently, each year these scientists or this particular group of scientists gather information about unknown species and publish their findings. I learned that we have several thousand documented species and millions more that are unknown. Some of their more interesting finds were: a venomous snake; a fruit bat; a deadly jellyfish; and, a toxic pink neon centipede. I guess I just thought we knew of everything and was very surprised to find out I didn't know what I didn't know. Science has much to reveal and the mystery surrounding potential discovery is very exciting.

In the same way that science has much to reveal, the faith that has been once and for all delivered unto the saints has much to reveal and the potential for discovery is very exciting. The Apostle Paul wrote of the unsearchable riches of God's Word. Since the Word is alive (animated by the Holy Spirit), a person can study it devotional, critically and thoroughly and still not exhaust its content. Since we learn both by congnitive process and kinetic process (theory and practice) there is much for each Christian to learn about being led by the Holy Spirit. Even though the story of salvation doesn't change, the story that salvation is writing in each person's life is unfinished and leaves room for discovery.

In Deuteronomy of all places (29:29) we understand that God has not revealed everything to us. Yes! He has revealed everything we need for salvation and Christian living, but He has not revealed everything to us. There are still some mysteries out there. Chief of among them would be God, himself. I know when I was a kid I wanted to be like Indiana Jones (truth be told, I'd like to be like him now, too!). I wanted to go find the hidden treasure and make the world changing discovery. All of that excites me and my imagination. In the Bible, there is a well-spring of knowledge that has yet to be tapped. I really don't know what all I don't know. May God do a work in my heart to create a hunger and thirst for His word and may he grant that my desire and your desire to find truth be exciting on every turn!

Of Motorcycles and Men

2008-06-16T22:38:00.003-04:00

I took a trip to the local Harley Davidson dealership today. Well, it really wasn't local, but I was close enough to it to justify spending the extra change on gas - so I went. I've wanted a motorcycle for years and (for reasons that I'm not sure I can explain) I have not yet purchased one. So, I went by the dealership and found the two models I really like. One is a smaller bike with a smaller price tag (if there is such a thing as a small price tag) and the other is a larger bike with a larger price tag. Money really isn't an issue when you're considering a motorcycle purchase, though. Not that I have more money than I know what to do with it, mind you. But a motorcycle purchase is in no way justifiable by any standard unless you're a single guy with no responsibility. So, the money isn't the issue. The issue is a man thing. Perhaps, it's not even a man thing as much as it is a freedom, control, rebel without a clue, wind in your hair kind of thing. (I fear if I don't hurry and purchase one I'll not have much hair for the wind to get in....)

Anyway, I'm standing in there with all of these motorcycles and all of the motorcycle dudes and dudettes and I'm feeling pretty out of place and I'm very self-conscious about the whole thing - you know, with me being a baptist preacher and everything. So this cool salesman approaches me and asks me how he can be of service and I tell him I'm in the market for a bike. I'm shopping around considering my options and all that kind of stuff and I wait for him to give me the sales pitch about why I should buy a Harley instead of a Yahmaha. Instead of the sales pitch, though, the guy just looks at me with his perfectly styled bed-head hair. It was really uncomfortable there for a minute. Then this guy surprised the fire out of me. He began to tell me how he had sold his salon - yes, he was a hair stylist! - and came to work for Harley Davidson. So he goes on about his personal journey to employment at Harley and shares his history of riding bikes and he closes his presentation with the assertion that buying a Harley is not at all about the motorcycle. It's about the people, he said.

Well, call me crazy, but I think the Harley salesman has some pretty good theology! What he was selling me was not a motorcycle. I can buy any kind of motorcycle I want. There may even be some better, mechanically more sound bikes than a Harley, but that's not what matters. What matters is the people. He was selling me community. All of the statistics scream that people in the 21st century are starving to death for relationship which is found in community with other people. Church is supposed to be first and foremost a community of Christ-followers. People united around a common goal / purpose and intent on helping one another experience that goal / purpose. In the same way that HOG's (short for Harley Owners Group) come together for the common goal of promoting the freedom of the open road and all that motorcycling involves, the church is for the Chrisitan. I started thinking on the way home from that experience that maybe if the church would emphasize community instead of trying to "sell" people on Jesus, then maybe people would experience Jesus and His love and they would just want to be a part of that.

I probably could have come up with some more comparisons on my trip home if I had been riding my new motorcycle. If a hairstylist can become a harley salesman, surely I baptist preacher can be a harley rider! I've just got to come up with a legitimate way to take up a love offering to pay for my bike!

Motivation and Mountain Air

2008-06-16T10:07:00.002-04:00

This past week I was scheduled for a speaking engagement in the upstate of South Carolina. When my responsibilities were over, my wife and I took a trip up the Blueridge Parkway. I'm not sure how far we traveled on the parkway, but I know that it was more than 60 miles. It took us several hours to make the trip. Susan slept and I enjoyed the view and squeeling of the tires! We had beautiful weather (we were in the high 60's on the parkway) and great views. We even stopped at a place called the Graveyard Ridge. The sign said that a powerful natural disaster took place and uprooted an entire forest. The debris left in the wake of that storm eventually decayed until the remnants of the forest looked like tombstones across the mountain. Sometime in the early 20's, though, a fire burned it all down. We hiked about 2 miles or so around in that. We had a wonderful time.

What I've found to be most interesting, though, is my renewed desire to get to work. I've had a higher level of motivation since returning from that short trip. I'm not sure if it was the mountain air or just the down time, but I'm sure something good happened to help recharge me. There are about six or seven times in the Gospel accounts of Jesus' life where he just disappears. Well, let me tell what I mean. I don't mean that he vanishes like a ghost or something. What I mean is that Jesus would just go off to another place. Nobody would know where he was and he would stay gone for a little while and then come back. He would slip off in the evening to pray. He would take a walk and spend time with the Father. It seems to me, if the Creator of the universe needed some time away, those of us who are created could probably use a little R&R, too!

The Two-Edged Sword of Reward

2008-06-04T12:14:00.002-04:00

My oldest son received a reading award today at his school for reading a set amount of books in a certain time period. I was very proud of his achievement and happy to be there to see him receive his certificate and frisbee. He was happy to get the frisbee. This award was particularly special because of the amount of work he had to do in a short time in order to qualify for the award. His mother and I are beaming with pride.

There were several awards given today and many children went home with the spoils of victory that come from hard work and dedication. I couldn't help but notice, though, that there were more children who went home with nothing than there were children who received awards. That got me to wondering about the whole concept of awarding those who achieve and giving nothing to those who do not acheive in the specified methods. Certainly, I understand that achievement should be noted and I do believe that rewarding one for achieving can be a powerful encourager to further success. I'm also thinking that repeated failure to award might be more powerful and do more harm that awarding acheivement does good.

My other son is playing tee ball in a league where no score is kept and no one is gotten out and parents clutter the field of play. The league leader told us all of this up front and made the comment that if we were there to win a game, then we were in the wrong league. The purpose of the league is to teach children team work, fundamentals of the game and things of that sort. So...after the first game, all the kids wanted to know who won. You should have heard the parents trying to explain who everyone was a winner and no one was a loser. It was interesting.

This concept of there being a winner and a loser and the idea of awarding those achieve and doing nothing for those who do not acheive is etched in our collective pschy. What might be better, though, is if we could teach every child to do his personal best and to compete with himself, then everyone would truly be a winner. There would never be a kid left out. There would never be a kid ridiculed for not excelling. Every person would be free to become his or her personal best and that is all any of us should hope for.

The Power of Play

2008-06-03T11:18:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was my second son's end of the year "fun day"! Can I tell you how fun it was? They had inflatables. They had waterslides. They had snowcones. They had popcorn. We had FUN! The most fun, though, was the large number of water guns David's teacher brought for the kids. She bought the guns from some dollar store and they amounted to nothing more than huge syringes that would suck up the water and expell it under pressure at a very high rate of speed. The kids couldn't really use them to the maximum level because they were strong enough. That's really why the parents stepped in. We only wanted to show them how to use the water guns.

The next thing I know I'm involved in a major water battle that envy any sailor. People were falling. Water was flying. We were all laughing. At one point, one parent remarked, "You know what the sad thing is? She bought those water guns for the kids and not one kid has a water gun!" That was ok, though, because they had the inflatables. Of course, as in any battle, there was collateral damage - those who did NOT want to get wet, but did. You can't always retrieve a bullet once it has been fired and you can't always predict exactly where your water bombs may land. They did come from the dollar store! All in all, I had as much fun shooting water guns at people yesterday as I've had in a long time.

The result of all this fun.... I was thoroughly tired when I got home last night. I was refreshed and de-stressed (if there is such a thing). I benefited greatly from the day. It reminded me of the Jeffersons episode where George and Wheezy fought each other and the neighbors with those enormous orange q-tip looking things. When that battle was over, they were de-stressed (if there is such a thing) and their relationships were strengthened. One man even told me when it was over, that I should write into our church's constitution a provision that requires the entire church family to fire upon one another with water guns after every vote that is note a unanimous vote. I'm seriously considering it. Maybe we could even use the baptistry as a reloading station?

The Peace of God and Birds

2008-06-02T21:52:00.003-04:00

The peace of God is something that almost transcends our ability to reason. In our clearest moments, we understand the peace of God as the absence of confusion / chaos. God's peace is more than that, though. God's peace is an abiding reality of living in His presence and expressing that reality by faith. The peace of God, then, is the absence of confusion and in the positive is the abiding reality of his presence with us.

Recently I acquired a pair of keets or two parakeets (whichever you prefer....) and I've learned a great deal about the peace of God from them. The previous owners doubtless cared for them because them seem healthy and vibrant. I already had in my possession a larger cage and this past weekend I transferred them from the smaller cage to the larger cage. They seem to enjoy it. I initially named them Pete and Re-Pete, but I found out that one is a girl. Now I call them Green Pete and Girl Pete. They like their names.

I really enjoy sitting on the porch where I keep the birds and I gain great joy by watching them. It is surprising, really. I never expected two birds to bring anything of substance into my life, but they have. By watching them, I've been reminded of Jesus' teaching that he cares for the sparrows so that not one falls to the ground without his knowledge. I think of his discourse on discipleship when I look at those birds and I hear Jesus saying, "The foxes have holes and the birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no where to lay his head..." There is something about those birds that points me to the Creator. Exactly what it is, I do not know. That it is, I'm certain.

It could be simply that I take time to sit with my new bird family each day and in that time with the birds I still myself and experience peace - both the absence of chaos and the abiding reality of His presence. I do feel a bit guilty, though, because it took me getting two birds before I would sit down long enough to meditate upon the loftier things of life rather than just allow my mind to atrophy in front of the silver screen. Could it be that we might all learn a lesson from Green and Girl? Be still and know that He is God...

The Power of Poetry

2008-05-29T10:31:00.006-04:00

Roses are Red
Violets are blue

Ok, so maybe this isn't the most powerful poetry ever written, but, by and by, poetry is powerful. The poet takes a sampling of words and arranges them in an order known only to himself and then shares that piece of his soul with others when they read his work. What's cool about poetry is that when it is read, it can mean various things to the readers who read it while never losing its original meaning. I like to read poetry and I like to write poetry. I thought I would share a poem or two with you today.

Birth of Perseverance

Contentment is fleeting;

Greed never fills;

Spirit breathes life;

Money breeds ills.

Sin corrodes character;

Christ renews within;

Perseverance is born of struggle.

By it, we overcome in the end!

Selfish Creatures All Are We

We know to live by faith, not sight

that shows our frailty, not our might.

Selfish creatures all are we;

trusting self for victory;

When death to self secures the fight.

Roses Are Red

Roses are red;

Violets are blue;

God made them all;

And God made you.

The Boy's Heart Needs Adventure

2008-05-28T13:10:00.002-04:00

My wife and I took our two oldest boys to see the new Indiana Jones flick last night. We had a blast! The movie, though not the best Indy movie, was good and filled with excitement. I enjoyed watching my 7 year old son as he watched the silver screen. Many times, he was perched on the edge of his seat as the story unfolded before his eyes. Believe me, there were plenty of things for a young boy to see. There were some bad Russian soldiers, a not-so-likeable double or triple agent, ancient graves, indian warriors, sand pits, blow guns, a cool dude on a motorcycle, a crazy man and that wonderful bullwhip Dr. Jones is known for.

As I watched him watch the movie I was transported back in time to the dark ages when I was 7 and seated by my grandfather at the very first silver screen appearance of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. I'll never forget watching the scene where Jones is trapped in the room with the ceiling closing in on him and the lady hesitantly placing her hand in the bug-infested goo to pull the release level to free them. You'll remember that she did stop the ceiling from descending only to walk in the room to touch the same booby trap that started it all over again. The most memorable part of that scene is Jones reaching back under the closing door just in the nick of time to snatch his famed fedora from certain death. I remember two foreign gentlemen seated in front of me and they just laughed and laughed and laughed and discussed with great animation the fact that Jones risked his arm for that hat!

We had a great time that night and I had a great night last night. All the way home we heard our 7 year old talk about the whip and what he was going to do when he got his whip. In fact, he woke up this morning asking me where he could get one of those whips. I would say his heart was captivated by what he saw last night just exactly like my heart was captivated by what I saw so many years ago. A boy needs adventure. There is something about the ordinary, mundane, culturized behavior that errodes the soul of a boy and a man. God made men like this. We were made with this desire to subdue the earth and rule the world and have the pretty girl at our sides while we do this. When this desire, this manly desire, is redeemed and harnessed by the Holy Spirit, God has a weapon far greater than anything Indiana Jones ever faced! He has a group of men against whom the gates of hell can NOT prevail. May God help us Chrisitan men recover a sense of adventure in the things of the faith!

Remembering is Good

2008-05-27T08:21:00.003-04:00

This Memorial Day was more memorable than others. I got to go fishing with a friend (he let me drive his boat). I got to hang out with family and friends over some freshly grilled chicken, steak and shrimp. I was able to load my wife's car for the school activities she is coordinating today (that wasn't so much fun....). I took a hot shower, laid down in a comfortable bed with a nice fan overhead to cool me. I slept worry free until I had to wake up this morning to go to work. And , most probably, today, I will travel over 100 miles without having to stop in at any checkpoints or explain where I'm going or why I'm going there. All of these things are possible because of the men and women of the armed forces both past and present who have secured my liberties with their sacrificies and lives.
The Bible teaches us in Romans 13 and other places that God has ordained the government to help maintain order in his creation. When we live like we are supposed to live, we have no fear of the governement. When we govern ourselves like we are supposed to govern ourselves (namely, when we look for the interests of the multitude rather than self-serving agendas), we have God's blessing.
For me the image of a verteran is an old, white-haired man sitting on a front porch sipping coffee. The reason for this image in my mind is because that old, white-haired man was my great uncle. In truth, he was more like a grandfather than a great uncle. He fought in WWII and rarely spoke of the things he endured. When he died, he left a great deal of his earthly possessions to me, but none of them was and is more special than the little metal lockbox I found hidden away in the attic. When I finally got in it, I found snapshots of Hitler and his armies, German medals, love letters and many other personal items that told me a story about a man I knew, but didn't know.
As I've pieced together some of those things to gain a clearer understanding of who he was and what his life entailed, I've concluded that he sacrificed and endured extreme hardship in order to secure our freedom as Americans. He and countles others like him are the reason why we enjoy the quality of life and style of life that we enjoy. Without him and his generation and without those brave men and women serving currently around the world, we would not know the peace that we enjoy. When I remember my uncle, I'm overwhelmed with gratitude for his sacrifice and I'm spurred on to show gratitude to those currently serving. Remembering is good - if it helps us to never forget and if it motivates us to action.

The Zoo: Elephants, Tigers and Kangaroos!

2008-05-20T22:21:00.008-04:00

I went to the zoo today for the umpteenth time with my second son. Number 2 enjoyed himself in a grand fashion. I'm still undecided as to which he enjoyed more - the zoo or the ride to and from with his buddies! All the way there, those three four year old children laughed, yelled, screamed, cried, talked, screamed, touched, slapped, picked, screamed, asked questions (1,000,000 questions), told stories, screamed, pretended to be animals, talked, screamed (did I mention SCREAMED?)!!!!! In short, they had a wonderful time enroute to the zoo.

Once we arrived, we proceeded to visit the different animals. We found the Grizzly bears out and about even though they were a bit thin. We did see one sea lion where there are normally six or eight or so. We saw myriads of birds and snakes and the like. The gorillas would not come out to play so we didn't see not one gorilla. For that matter, I didn't see any tigers, hippo's, rhino's (I don't think they have one), one snake that was very well camoflauged, or very many monkeys. In fact, the monkeys were few in number and very quiet compared to other visits. The lion was asleep, the Baboons were more intent on "cleaning" one another than doing anything spectacular, the flamingos stunk and the meerkats were fun. All in all, we had a very nice day at the zoo even though I didn't get to see some of the animals I wanted to see and even though some that I saw were kind of mellowed out. Then we headed home.

All the way home, those three four year old children laughed, yelled, screamed, cried, talked, screamed, touched, slapped, picked, screamed, asked questions (1,000,000 questions), told stories, screamed, pretended to be animals, talked, screamed (did I mentioned SCREAMED?)!!!!! In short, they had a wonderful time on the way to the house! In truth, so did I and the other two dads who were with me. I'm not sure if they have come to understand what I now know to be true or if they already knew it and were waiting on me to catch up - namely, anytime a class of four year old children goes to the zoo, it's really more like the zoo comes to the see the animals.........

Thanks teachers for all you do to teach our children on a daily basis!

Of People and Pigs

2008-05-19T11:15:00.003-04:00

This past weekend I set out to accomplish one of the oldest and most noble of culinary traditions, namely, cookin' a hog. In the modern era this centuries old practice has been modified and enhanced with propane bottles, heat measuring devices, state of the art grills and more, but I, alas, am one who believes in the old ways - those time tested and mother-approved ways. I like to cook a hog with wood coals over the span of about 12 hours. Let me share with you, then, my hog-cookin' odessy.
It all started with a desire to serve some of the finest people in our church family - the senior adults. Each month those over 60 congregate for fellowship, food and fun and let me tell you they have all three in abundance every month. I absolutely mope around for days if I don't get to attend their monthly meetings. So....this month was the designated time for me to do something special for those special people. What could be more special than a slow-cooked hog bursting with flavor and fat for the discerning BBQ connoisseur? At roughly midnight on the night before the celebration, my friend and I started the fire to offer our burnt offering for the Lord. At approximately 1am the wind began to disperse our fire on the ground, the roof of the church and the soft shell of the camper we were supposed to nap in. Needless to say, we drowned the fire with the water hose and at 1:30am found ourselves standing around a cold fire barrel with 70lbs of cold pork.
Anyway...the short version of the story is that we get the pig cooked and the time for eating arrives. I honestly did not know that Senior Adults could eat that much! For that matter, I didn't know that children and other aged adults could eat that much. We consumed that hog with a vengeance. Now it was good. It was flavored just right and sauced just right and it ate just right. We were happier than a pig in slop! If you ever want to learn a lot about somebody, watch 'em eat! I learned that there is more in common between people and pigs than I ever knew.......

Life: The Christian's Work

2008-05-08T11:30:00.004-04:00

The greatest gift given to men is eternal life in Christ Jesus the Lord. The second greatest gift given to men is abundant life in Christ Jesus the Lord. In John 10 Jesus tells us that he has come to give us life and that more abundant. In other words, Jesus came, died and rose again in order to secure our eternal life, but also in order to give us a fulfilled life in the here and now. He has come that our lives might be full and purposeful. With that being said, the Christian's life is not to be one of leisure. We are given a fulfilled life in part because we have a purpose to fulfill.

Each Christian who desires to follow Jesus will wrestle with the reality of his or her purpose. Ultimately, our purpose is to glorify God. By experiencing the power of salvation and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, Jesus empowers us to live in a fallen world in a way that honors him. To put that another way, we Christian people are to live in such a way that others see God in us. Observers will spy his love, compassion, grace, mercy and many other characteristics through his children who accurately reflect them / Him. In the everyday life experience, the Christian can reflect the glory of God to those around him. Whether at work or play at home or the marketplace, the Christian has a responsibility to live for the Lord.

Church is the primary means God provides for his children to serve him. The New Testament is simply overflowing with statements about the importance of the church and the importance of church in the lives of individual Christians (see Matthew 16; I Corinthians 12; Ephesians 4; I John 2; and I Timothy). The bottom line for this blog is that the christian needs the church in order to best accomplish God's work. Working for the Lord through his church is one of the greatest blessings any Christian can experience. Let's get to work!

Heaven: The Christian's Reward

2008-05-07T11:43:00.003-04:00

Heaven must be a wonderful place - everyone wants to go but no one wants to die! It is true that heaven is a wonderful place. First, heaven is a wonderful place because that is where God dwells. Second, heaven is a wonderful place because that is where the redeemed of the ages reside. Third, heaven is a wonderful place because there is no sin there. Fourth, heaven is a wonderful place because it lasts forever and ever. Fifth, heaven is a wonderful place because it is where we finish our work and start our worship. Heaven is a wonderful place.

Are you going to heaven?

If you don't know, send me an email and let's talk....

Friends

2008-05-05T21:46:00.004-04:00

It is true that there is no friend like an old friend. Of course, it is equally true that there is no friend like a new friend. Both old and new friends have much to offer. Old friends provide stability, familiarity and a proven track record. New friends provide excitement, the unknown and freshness. Both have their place in the regular course of life stages. While I enjoy meeting new people, I particularly enjoy hanging out with my old friends.

Old friends can be separated by distance and time and have no trouble picking up where they left off. Old friends can finish your sentence for you and not offend you. Old friends can love you like no other and they can make you madder than anyone. Friends are certainly a commodity to be highly prized. When you find a good one, stick with him / her because you'll not likely find very many more like that!

Death: The Christian's Graduation

2008-05-05T12:02:00.004-04:00

As you study salvation, you see different components. For instance, God's election and predestination, though not widely discussed in Christian circles because of its potentially divise nature, regeneration and justification and glorification and sanctification and even other components are clearly expressed in scripture. One component of salvation that is clearly expressed in scripture and experienced by all people is death. Consider these verses:

Psalm 116:15 - Precious in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His godly ones.

1 Corinthians 15:50 - Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

1 Corinthians 15:56-57 - The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:38-39 - For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 Thessalonians 4:16 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first.

All of these verses indicate a dignity for death that moves from finality to but a transition from this existence into an eternal existence. In truth, the Bible communicates that all people possess immortality. Everyone will live forever! This life, then, isn't about attaining sinless perfection or some kind of mystical bliss! This life is really about determining your eternal destination - Heaven or Hell. For those who reject Jesus, they possess their immortality in a place of torment and punishment. For the Christian, though, his / her immortality is spent in the presence of God.

When a Christian dies, s/he passes from life unto life, fellowship unto fellowship and blessing unto blessing. When I die, I will leave the abundant life that God has given to each Christian to take full possession of the eternal life that belongs to each Christian. When I die, I leave the imperfect fellowship I have with God through Christ and the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit to become the recipient of unhindered fellowship with God in a sinless environment (heaven) where I will behold the face of God. When I die, I leave the temporal blessings of this life to take full possession of those eternal blessings God has for his children. Death, then, from a Christian perspective can only be understood as graduating from one level to another.

Have you ever considered this: In order for a Christian to enter into the joy of the Lord, he must die. In his crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus plucked the stinger out of death so that its power was removed. Though death brings separation and fear, the end result is our reunion with Jesus. Not only are we reunited with Jesus, but we are reunited with our friends and loved ones who have followed Christ and died in Him. For these reasons, death should not be understood as the end. In more ways than one, death is the beginning. More accurately, though, death is but a graduation service from life to another, from one glory to another and from one blessing to another. Truly, precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his godly ones!

Silence

2008-05-01T09:44:00.003-04:00

We live in a fast-paced world. I live in a fast-paced world. My wife and I have four young children. The oldest is a 7 year old first grader and the youngest is a vibrant 10 mo. old with the loudest voice of any child I've ever heard! There really is little silence in our house. For that matter, there is little silence in our car, in our yard, in our church, in our neighborhood Wal-Mart, in our....well, you get the idea. There is constant motion and commotion with the Helms family. We've even noticed that our house if filled with sound while we sleep. Silence isn't common for me.
The Bible has much to say about silence. The Old Testament is replete with exhortations to silence. "Be still and know that I am God." "He leads me by the still waters; he restoreth my soul." (I've always thouht it interesting that the Lord leads his children to the still waters to restore their souls!) In the Revelation, there is a space of about an hour where silence fills the air of all creation. There are other places where silence is encouraged.
Last night we had four cousins in addition to our four children. That makes 8 unless you count Susan - that makes 9! (If you talk to Susan, she'll say that makes 12 - if you count John!) So, we had two car loads of children. They had eaten their fill of pizza. They had consumed enough Pepsi to jump start the nuclear reactor at Robinson. They were wired and pumped for the long haul! We had a very noisy ride home.
Once we put our children in bed, I took the cousins home to put them to bed. (Their parents were out of town on the ball circuit.) Once the cousins settled down, one by one they dropped off to bed. That gave me about two hours of silence before their mother and brother got home. I took that opportunity to read my Bible and pray. In two hours of silence I got sermon material, prayer time, meditation time on the Word and a host of other spiritual benefits. Truly, the Lord restores my soul by still waters and I have a renewed understanding that He is God and I am not! Silence is a blessing not often enjoyed by parents. Next time you get some silence, don't go to sleep! Sit before the Lord and know that He is God!

Strawberries and Chocolate: Simple Pleasures

2008-04-30T14:21:00.003-04:00

Yesterday the leaders of our church met to interview a prospective staff member. Rather than just sit through an interview, I asked everyone to come with an appetite and we would eat supper (dinner for those with more refined vernacular) and meet. The meal was nothing fancy. In fact, the meal was composed of exclusively left overs from the cottage prayer meeting held the night before (please don't tell on me!). Well, the whole thing wasn't left overs. I did manage to make a special treat: strawberries dipped in white chocolate!

The strawberries were very easy to prepare. I asked my friend the strawberry grower to give me a few berries and he did. I went to the grocery store and bought the chocolate. Thankfully, the chocolate pack had the instructions for fruit dipping printed right on the label. I came back to the church and spent about 30 or 45 minutes making these delicious treats. After they cooled I placed them in the refrigerator and left them to season.

Truly, the strawberry thing took less than an hour. Once they were set to chill in the frig, I turned my attention to preparing the left overs. Can I tell you it took me nearly four hours to get the left overs presentable! Now keep in mind, I didn't just reheat and serve. I re-crafted the left overs into some culinary delights! Instead of left over fried chicken, we had Kickin'-Chicken in Cajun Gravy. Instead of chile, we had chile soup djour. (I'm not certain that one changed that much!) Instead of salad, we had tossed salad (I really did toss it out of the old bowl and put it in another one). I did cook some rice to serve as a bed for the Kickin'-Chicken Cajun gravy. And there you have it. Supper was served!

Admist the servings of the main dishes, I had placed those chocolate covered strawberries. They were exquisite, if I do say so myself. I prepared the table so that it was pleasing to the eye. I was sure that mood music played in the background and I'm sure anyone with a nose could smell the Cajun gravy in the air. Everything was a sensory delight. Guess what everyone talked about, though..... Yep! The chocolate covered strawberries! Guess what everyone snacked on through out the course of the interview. Yep! The chocolate covered strawberries! Guess what everone talked about. Yep! The chocolate covered strawberries! The chocolate covered strawberries were a smashing hit!

Earlier in the afternoon, my oldest son stopped by the kitchen to see what the old man was doing. He's seven. When I showed him the strawberries, his eyes expanded and his taste buds nearly drowned him. He wanted to know if I fried them to get the chocolate to say on them. He was absolutely amazed that the old man could make something that tasted so good and looked so pretty. Apparently, the church leadership was amazed at that, too! I told my son that I would show him how to make some chocolate covered strawberries and then we could eat his and compare. He liked that idea.

Here's what I learned. It is the simple pleasures that elicit the greatest response. The leaders and interviewees were kind and complimented everything, but that raved about the strawberries. My son loves his old man, but he was just speechless about his old man. Can I tell you how well the interview went? We spent nearly four hours sharing with one another and just plain talking from the heart. It was one of the most relaxed, informative and beneficial interviews I've ever been party to. Do you want to guess how much fun I'm going to have with my sons making chocoloate covered strawberries? Who knows what good things will come from that time together. Now maybe the strawberries didn't make the interview that great, but maybe they did!

You might better hurry out to the market and get you some strawberries. Who knows what good things you can experience from the simple pleasure of a strawberry drenched in chocolate?

Rainy Weddings NOT Stormy Marriages

2008-04-28T09:54:00.004-04:00

This past weekend I had the opportunity to conduct a wedding ceremony in the rain. In a dozen years of marrying people, this was my first rainy wedding. To intensify the situation, the ceremony was an outdoor, garden wedding. We were scheduled to start at 4pm and somewhere around 3:15 the sky grew dark, the thunder rolled, the lightning flashed and the rain fell down - and it came down in buckets! While the bride scurried to the safety of the front porch, the groom and attendants and all the entourage that constitutes a wedding ceremony began moving flowers and chairs and all the necessities that a make a wedding so beautiful. Even the harpist could be seen dragging her instrument through puddles to the porch. It was certainly a sight to behold!

Once everyone was situated on the porch and the appointed time arrived, we began the service. I couldn't help but think as I welcomed the people, that a rainy wedding doesn't of necessity make for a stormy marriage. In fact, life has a way of throwing curve balls and you have to be able to roll with them in order to succeed. I've been in wedding ceremonies before where the slightest little ripple in the plan absolutely caused the bride to melt down. Not so with the bride of the rainy wedding. I've also been in wedding ceremonies where the groom was so jittery he couldn't hear himself think for the rattling of his knees. Not so with the rainy wedding groom.

When a couple is centered on Jesus and focused on his purpose for their lives, they have the uncanny ability to keep in perspective everything that life throws at them. In the grand scheme of things a rainy wedding service isn't going to be the end of the world. If you have each other and you're walking in obedience to God's plan for your life, so what if it rains! For that matter, if a couple is walking in obedience, so what if life throws curve ball after curve ball? Ultimately, life is kept in perspective when we focus on Christ and He enables us to overcome by not sweating the small stuff and properly handling the big stuff. I firmly believe that rainy weddings are just a part of life, but stormy marriages are NOT!

Thanks Shane and Amy for allowing me to participate in your wedding and for a great, though wet wedding experience!

Storm Clouds and Rainbows

2008-04-23T21:54:00.005-04:00

The other day I was driving back to my office headed north on highway 15 when I spied a beautiful rainbow set against the dark background of a storm cloud. The cloud was ominous and forboding and reminded me of somthing you would see in a horror movie or something. The rainbow, though faint, was beautiful and very defined. As I approached the church, the rainbow seemed to disappear into the church though my view was somewhat obscured. I initially thought, "That must be a sign!" Then I caught myself speculating what the "sign" could mean. Once I realized I was doing that I stopped and God brought to memory the facts about the rainbow. He gave the rainbow as a sign of the covenant he made with Noah to never destroy the world with water, again.

I was reminded in that stark scene of the trustworthiness of God. Right there in front of me was God showing me what he has revealed in his word and that is that God is with us always - even in the midst of the storm! Not only is God with us in the storm, God provides for us (often times) through the storm. In this case, he provided needed rain. In another more metaphysical state, God provides opportunities for reconcilation in the storms of relationship. He provides abilities to be used in the battle against sin and the devil! He provides any and everything we need to live the Christian life and we owe it to ourselves, our extended family and most of all to God to live purely and holy and walk circumspect in the world.

So I saw this rainbow and thought, "How cool? God is showing himself through his creation!" Then I realized that God wants to show himself through me. the problem with that is that I am often so self-centered and sinful that God can't use me. God wants to be in fellowship with his people! Noah and the very first rainbow are evidence of that! Had God not wanted to have fellowship with his creation, He would have destroyed Noah and his family along with the rest of sinful humanity - but He didn't. Because of the great love He has for us, though, God has made a way for us to enter into salvation. By grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone! That truth is revealed in the same place God revealed the truth about the rainbow - His Word! Could you imagine what kind of crazy things I would have come up with about that rainbow I saw if I didn't know what God's Word said about the rainbow? Wonder how many crazy things you come up with when you fail to know and apply God's Word?

The Pope and the Bible

2008-04-22T08:28:00.003-04:00

Many people - many CHRISTIAN people - live with the erroneous assumption that as long as you go to church you're in good shape. After all, there are vast numbers of people who don't go to church at all. So, their reasoning follows, if you go to church, you must be doing ok. The truth is that it makes a great deal of difference where you go to church. While we were in Louisiana a church was exposed as nothing more than a sex cult! I really don't think any sane person would say it's ok to go to a church that abuses children and women! I don't really know many people who would go to a church where one person (someone like a cult leader) had the finally authority on what was taught and what was done. Well.....there is something to be said about the differences between Roman Catholics and protestants.

The Roman Catholic Church upholds tradition and the magisterium (the teaching office) on the same level as Scripture. In other words, they follow the Bible, their tradition and their teacher. The phrase that rang clear in the Protestant Reformation was Sola Scriptura - Scripture Alone. The Reformers issued that cry because because the Pope was selling indulgences (basically a church sanctioned license to sin) and allowing other things that were not condoned or in some cases even forbidden in Scripture. These reformers turned their attention to what the Bible said and when they read God's Word they saw the error of the church's tradition and the power of the pope.

Many of the reformers were killed by order of the church or the civic authorities in an effort to silence their cry for a return to the Bible. Did you know that the pope is consider infallible in all that he says in an official capacity as far as it relates to doctrine of the church? That doesn't mean that he is infallible in everything he says, but when he speaks ex cathedra or as the teaching authority of the church, what he says is considered infallible. To date, the pope has only used this function twice. First, Pope Pius IX declared the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception in 1854. Basically, he decreed that Mary was conceived in such a way as to be preserved from original sin. In 1950, Pope Pius XII declared the doctrine of the Assumption of Mary. Basically, he decreed that Mary was assumed into heaven. Some maintain that she never died and others hold that she died and was resurrected like Jesus. In both instances, there is no support - ZERO - biblical data to support those claims; yet, they are church teaching.

I want to ask a simple question. Do you submit to the authority of God's Word or do you submit to the teaching of man? At first glance, you may shout that you submit only to God's Word and not the teaching of man, but do you? How many of you read your Bible? Do you know what your Bible says about Mary? Do you know what your Bible says about anything? or Do you take your preacher's word for it? It may be that the reformers purchased the right for us to read God's Word on our own only for us to desire a pope instead of God's Word? Let me encourage you to know what you beleive and why you believe it. If you don't, you'll be open to whatever anyone tells you.

Hello Pope

2008-04-20T16:25:00.002-04:00

I'm not sure if you've been following all the media coverage of the pope's visit to the USA or not, but it has been a big deal. When the head of the Roman Catholic Church crosses the sea to see what's what, that's a big deal to Catholics and many others. I happened to catch a glimpse of Shepherd I landing at Andrews Airforce Base and I also happened to catch a glimpse of it landing in New York just prior to the pope's address to the U.N. What interested me more than anything was the entourage of cardinals, bishops and other professional holy people who greeted, assisted and attended to the needs of the pope. Why would they do all of this?

The pope is considered by Catholics to be the head of the church on earth. He is the vicar of Christ and as such rules over the church in much the same way a monarch would rule over a country. Because of the great power that has been vested in him and the belief that he is the head of the church on earth, the pope receives all of the same treatment as any political ruler or monarch. The Roman Catholic Church derives their understanding of the pope's authority from Matthew 16: 17-19. In this passage Jesus says to Peter, "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will be my church." Our Roman friends interpret that to mean that Peter is the rock upon which Christ will build his church. Nothing could be further from the truth. Most reasonable theologians believe that Jesus is using a play on words to indicate the object of who the church is built upon. The word for Peter in the language of the New Testament means a small rock. The word used for rock in this verse means a large ledge stone. It is commonly understood that the rocks (the word used for Peter) are broken off of THE Rock (the word for ledge stone) and they possess the same characteristics as the larger rock. No wonder Peter said in I Peter 2 that we are living stones being built up as a royal priesthood. One more thought on the pope as the head of the church on earth. Jesus said in Matthew 28: 18 that all authority has been given to him in heaven and on earth. Jesus is the head of the church on earth - not the pope.

Humor: Harmful, Helpful and Just Plain Fun

2008-04-16T09:51:00.002-04:00

"A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones." - Proverbs 17:22
These words are familiar words to Christian people the world over. Most Chrisitans understand that life has some difficulties in it, but in the midst of those difficulties, God has given us an inner joy that sustains us and buoys us over the tumultuous times. Everyone has difficulties, but not everyone has joy to see them through. For those people, someone needs to carry the message of joy to them in song or dramatic presentation or some other form. Sometimes, joy can be carried to another simply in a joke or a funny face.

I tend to be a happy person. I'm not always happy, of course, but for the most part I'm a happy person. In fact, just the other day I was caught by some church friends skipping with my second son to his pre-K program. He wanted to skip; so, I skipped with him. Apparently, much to the amusement of my friends. They now call me skippy. I was in a hospital room once with a friend of mine who had broken his toe. Some elderly lady (I later learned she was like in her 90's) came to visit. My friend had his foot (the one with the broken toe on it) elevated on a pillow sticking out from under the cover. This lady comes in and grabs his broken toe and said, "I heard you broke your toe. How you feelin'?" I nearly fell in the floor laughing! My friend nearly fell in the floor, too, but he wasn't laughing. In fact, we still laugh about that episode, today, and it happened probably 10 or 15 years ago.

When we communicate joy to another whether it be in the form of a joke or simply laughing with someone who is laughing, we need to remember that the final goal simply isn't to make a person laugh. Ephesians 4 teaches us that no unwholesome word is to proceed out of our mouths. It also says that we are to refrain from course talk and silly jesting. That doesn't mean we have to be prudes, but it does mean that our humor should be decidedly different from the humor of the world. I remember sitting in the hospital room just recently with some friends of mine and the janitor came in and told us a dirty joke. I encouraged him to refrain from doing that, but he did it anyway. The sad part of that story is that the guy went on to tell us how he was a deacon at his church and that he just loved the Lord.

Let me offer my own confession. Those who know me know that I love jokes and I like to play jokes on people. On more than one occasion, I've offended others with my antics because they didn't see my jokes as funny. Just recently I had to repent and seek forgiveness from one I inadvertently offended with one of my jokes. If something you think is funny is perceived as questionable or inappropriate by another, you do well to keep your mouth closed and be thought a fool, rather than open it and remove all doubt! Another word to the wise, if in your desire to share joy with another you find that you've offended someone, you do well to seek forgiveness immediately.

There is no doubt that there are a lot of joy-starved folks in the world. A timely word of encouragement, a joke or a good silly situation might be all a person needs to get them through an otherwise dreary day. Wherever you can, allow God's joy to permeate through your personality and practice so that others can catch a glimpse of God's joy. Just make sure your humor is helpful and fun and never harmful.

Image Problem?

2008-04-15T13:31:00.002-04:00

It has been said by many theologians and churchmen that each generation is charged with the responsibility to carry the Gospel to their generation. I’ve heard interesting reasons for why that is, but most of them seem to deal with the symptoms of the problem rather than the root of the problem. For instance, in recent time many church growth experts have poured their research effort into understanding and, then, accommodating the baby boomer. Church services and ministry approaches have been tailored to the unique characteristics and quirky idiosyncrasies of that demographic all with the intent of reaching them with the Gospel. Such holds true for the baby buster generation, generation x’ers and the millenniums. It seems that there is a unique approach to church for each unique age group / demographic, but why? Why is there a need to change the presentations / methodologies for each subsequent generation?

I submit to you that the reason isn’t as much to communicate the timeless truths of the Gospel as it is to defend the timeless truths of the Gospel. With every generation we get a little closer to the return of Christ. And, with every generation we get a little further into the last days. The result of the latter is that each generation begins to re-create God into their own image. Is this not a result of the curse? According to Genesis 1 we were created in the image of God. We were a replica of the Holy God of the universe, but because of sin that image has been broken or scared.

Through out the pages of history mankind has been futile in his effort to recreate that once unsullied image of God contained within every person. As Paul so eloquently stated the fact in Romans 1 and 2 each generation of humanity that has arisen has be content to worship the created rather than the creator. The ultimate expression of that rank sinfulness is to attempt, upon one’s own, to create himself into the image of God. This amounts to nothing more than idolatry. We in the western, civilized world may not carve an image and bow down to it, but we do worship various and sundry things / principles / philosophies / etc… in an attempt to find peace and purpose.

Back to the proposition…The attempt on the part of the church to repackage the Gospel (when it is done from pure motive) isn’t so much an attempt to reach the community or age demographic with the Gospel as much as it is an attempt to rebuke the inherited selfishness found in each generation since Adam with their sin and need of a Savior.

Every generation of humanity, since Adam, has attempted to recreate God into their own image.
In the church growth movement, we have sought to reach each generation with different methodologies that appeal to that generation’s perceived / felt needs, which in fact, are but expressions of their sinful desire to recreate God in their own image. The true church growth movement employs different methodologies in an effort to repackage the Gospel so that it can rebuke that particular generation’s sinful attempt to recreate God in their image by presenting the pure, unadulterated truth of who God is.

Christian and Clutter

2008-04-10T11:50:00.004-04:00

I've spent the morning doing something I abhor! I cleaned and organized my office. I found things I didn't know I had. I found things I wish I didn't have - dust bunnies are vicious creatures! I don't have the worst office in the history of offices, but it was bad enough. The orgnaizational piling system (YES I mean piling system) I've been using finally got out of hand and I couldn't get to my desk without stepping over my piles. It was time to clean. I tried to justify the chaos by saying I've been so busy and I've had so much to do and I've not had time to clean etc.... Does any of that sound familiar to you? I bet it does.

Each of us has a tendency to put off until another day those things that we don't want to do today. The problem with that philosophy, though, is that ultimately another day does come and you eventually have to do what you don't want to do. Procrastinators all are we! We don't like to face the difficult unlovely tasks of everyday life and if we don't like to face the unlovely in the realm of reality I bet we don't like to face the unlovely in the realm of spirituality. Just like reality there are things, often times undesirable things, that we have to address, file, trash, correct, etc... in our spiritual lives. In truth, our ability to manage reality often mirrors our ability to handle the spiritual. Now, it's not a pure science and neither is it a one to one comparison. So...the next time you see your co-worker's desk or your friend's living room, don't automatically assume their spiritual life is just as messy as their carpet or desk.

Having given the disclaimer, though, there is a mirror we see through when we compare our management of day to day things and in our management of our spiritual development. If we are prone to let the stuff pile up, we are probably neglecting spiritual things too. Maybe spring cleaning wasn't just something those gals in funny dresses on the plain used to do. Maybe they understood the importance of a properly ordered life - spiritually and otherwise. During this springtime day, why not take the time to do an inventory of your spiritual condition and, if needed, do a little spring cleaning. I'm sure you'll function a lot better without those spiritual dust bunnies weighing you down! Who knows? You might even need to take this springtime day and clean your house, too!

Why Do Good People do Bad Things?

2008-04-09T12:56:00.006-04:00

We've all heard the question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?", but not many of us have considered why good people do bad things. Before we can answer this question, we have to examine the premise of the question. The basic premise is that there are good people who can do bad things. The Bible debunks that premise in dramatic fashion and in many ways. First the Bible communicates in its direct teaching that there is no such thing as a good person. Romans 3, quoting from the Psalms, gives a running commentary on the status of man. It says things like, "there is no one good, not even one" and "no one seeks after God, not even one". David said in the Psalms (Psalm 51) that he was brought forth in sin and in sin he was conceived. Paul tells us in Romans that all sin (3:23) and we all would rather do wrong than do what's right (rom. 5-7). Jesus refers to people as children of the devil and with a host of other adjectives clearly dispells the myth that there is any one good. There simply is no good person!

When we live with the lie that there are good people, we operate in the fairytale world of knights and dragons and witches and wizards and we constantly wait for the good ones to overcome the bad ones. When one of the "good" ones blows it, then we all feel a sense of betrayal and question the powers that sustain the fairytale world we seek to live in. By leaving the fairytale world behind and coming to grips with the reality that there is no one good, not even one, then we can understand, even if our understanding is limited, how a "good" person could do a bad thing.

As pastor of a church, people have a tendency to create a characiture of me based on the sound bytes or visual images they have of me. Of the congregation members I stand before on a regular basis, very few of them know me in any substantive way. We're all busy and folks don't hang out with the preacher like they used to and the preacher doesn't have time to hang out with everybody like he used to and so we content ourselves with knowing what we want to know about one another. We see what we want to see in one another and so on... Did you know that I, as a pastor, am but one decision from doing some terrible thing? I'm one decision from murder, rape, lying, stealing, etc..... As shocking as that may be to you, you, too, are but one decision from doing the worst thing you could ever think of. Why? Because there is no such thing as "good" people!

So what about the good things people do? Well, here is what you need to understand. I have been forgiven of my sins by Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God. He died on the cross in my place and by the power of God was raised from the dead and because I have turned from sin and toward him, he has saved me from my sin. I'm very grateful for that. In that salvation, the Holy Spirit comes to live in me and among his various works, he restrains the desire to do bad things that occasionally rises within me. So, anything good that I do (or any other person does) is a direct result of God's work in my life as a Christian or the result of God's providential care in the lives of unbelievers. The only good thing in me is Jesus Christ. I'm not some spiritually bi-polar battle ground for the forces of evil and good. I am the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit and he teaches me how to overcome evil in my life and in the world. He is more powerful than any evil force or spirit that could ever tempt or torment me (I John 4:4). So, why do "good" people do bad things?

Usually, a person who does something bad is someone who has willfully rejected Christ Jesus and has no desire to surrender his will unto that of the Lord's or he is someone who has been disobedient and fed the flesh rather than the Spirit. This may come as a surprise to you, but Christian people sin! Inevitably, Christians sin because they yield to temptation and fail to surrender to the leadership of the Holy Spirit. That is all too common an event. When it happens, the offender should repent or turn away from his wrong behavior as soon as possible and ask the Lord to forgive him (I John 1:8-10). When a brother or sister sins those of us who are walking with the Lord should reach out to the errant brother / sister in an effort to encourage and, when necessary, confront or rebuke the errant brother / sister with an eye toward leading them back into fellowship with the Lord (Galatians 6: 1). This is what the Christian life looks like in reality.

Christian people do bad things sometimes. When they do, other Christian people need to grow up and step up to the plate and do what the Bible teaches us to do in confronting, encouraging, rebuking and correcting those who yield to temptation. We should do these things all the while remembering that we ourselves might fall into the same temptation and become the very next "good" person who does a bad thing.

Diapers, Da Bible and Daddy

2008-04-08T10:15:00.003-04:00

In all of Scripture, emphasis is given to the family. Within the family, leadership is given to both husband and wife with final vote casting authority given to the dad. It is in the family unit that the truths of God's Word are to be taught and observed by children and by those who are not immediate family members. It is one thing to teach your child to share, it is another thing for your child to see you share. It is one thing to teach your child to give, it is another thing for your child to see you give. Likewise, it is one thing to profess through marriage and word and deed that you love your wife, it is another for the people around you to witness your love for you wife. What I'm saying is this: It is one thing to say something, it is quite another to put into practice that which you say. In other words, One should practice what he preaches.

The Bible teaches us that Children are a BLESSING from God. Most people read that and immediately think of that cute cuddly little joy-bundle. I have four boys and what I think is diapers, diapers, diapers, diapers, diapers, etc... I didn't realize, until recently, what the blessing of children really is. Jesus taught us that a disciple must be willing to deny himself everyday and take up his cross everyday and follow him everyday. There is a continuing nature to what a disciple does and it continues everyday. Children are an everyday responsibility. Everyday they have to be feed. Everyday they have to be nurtured. Everyday they have to be taught. Everyday they have to be corrected. Everyday they have needs that must be met. And, everyday, every single day, you have to meet those needs. If you're sleepy and want to go to bed, their needs have to be met. If you're hungry, their needs have to be met. If you want to watch the game, their needs have to be met. What I'm saying to you is this: Regardless of what you want, they have to come first.

This is the blessing of children. They teach you to deny the self on an everyday basis. They teach us to place others before ourselves. They teach us what Jesus longed to teach his disciples - self denial. Dad, this concept extends beyond our relationship with our children to the relationship we have with our wives. We are to deny ourselves for their benefit and to meet their needs. By investing in our relationship with our wive, God teaches us, again, in profound ways the benefit of self-denial. I would encourage you to consider the cost of leadership in your home. Either you lead well by example and reap the benefit of it or you lead poorly and reap the consequence of it. Either way there is a cost. Will you pay on the front end by taking the initiative to deny yourself or will you pay on the back end by reaping the consequences of your selfish lifestyle?

Pastors and Trust

2008-04-01T22:23:00.002-04:00

Trust is a thing earned and not demanded. At one point, most people trusted clergy almost without question. Unfortunately, recent days have brought many wolves in sheeps clothing to the forefront of the public's eye and many people have seen the ugliness of impropriety on the part of many preachers. The sex scandals, the financial scandals, the lies, the perversion and all the rest that have been heard of or experienced at the hand of clergy people has had a most distasteful affect upon those clergy who serve with pure motives and clean hands.

There are a number of places in the sacred book that command obedience and submission to our leaders, but I am one who believes that respect is earned and never demanded - even by clergy! There are numerous imperatives that command the saints to be characterized by humility and by regarding others as more important than themselves and commands to do unto others as you would have someone do unto you. With that balance, the clergyman is live in such a way that he respects people and earns their trust.

That bad things have been done by the hands of unscrupulous clergymen is undisputable, but saints should be encouraged to resist the temptation to judge all clergymen by the wiles of those trashy men we've been speaking of. Certainly, any clergyman must conduct himself as a Christian in order to earn the respect of the people he serves, but at the same time the people must be willing to trust him that he might have the opportunity to do what he is supposed to do. This business of church leadership is a two way street between the clergy and the congregation. They must trust him and he must respect them and with that comes an environment conducive for bringing God glory, edifying the saints and evangelizing the lost.

I once met a man who thought it was his job to protect the church from the pastor. Everything the pastor wanted to do was shot down by this guy. Every single time a decision had to be made or a direction had to be set, this guy was found at odds with the pastor. I encouraged him to consider becoming a pastor, himself, since he thought he knew best in every situation and since we true preachers are outnumbered and need all the help we can get. He wasn't interested. He was interested in being in charge. The Bible specifically teaches us that the pastor is in charge and it is he and the elders who oversee the work of the church - not some Bubba who is trippin' out on sometype of power or ego trip.

If clergy and churches would endeavor to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus instead of being content to uphold what they think the Word says, then much ground could be covered with congregation and pastor in step with the other. At some point, congregations must trust their pastor and pastors must trust and respect the people enough to lead them and not drive them. There is a profound difference between leading and driving. The good shepherd knows the difference and the sheep the like it!

Thinking about Leadership and the Bible

2008-04-01T10:07:00.005-04:00

I've been spending a great deal of time of late thinking and talking about church. That is to say, I've been spending a great deal of time talking about how we elected leaders, how we oversee the budget, manage receipts and disbursements, place teachers, offer ministries and on and on... Of those things leadership has been at the top of the list. As someone once said, "Apart from the intervention of God, everything rises and falls on leadership." This is a true statement. Everything rises and falls on leadership and God has intervened by giving us a great deal of information about leaders.

In the Bible, you find all kinds of references to leaders, their character, their selection, their removal or discipline and their purpose. We learn that there are civil leaders, church leaders and family leaders. We learn that there are certain responsibilities for each of these leaders and responsibilities for those in their circles of influence. In other words, leaders are to lead and those who are under their influence are supposed to follow them. Even if the leaders are wrong in their leadership, we who are under their influence / authority are to follow their lead. See Hebrews 13:17; I Peter 4:12-16; Romans 13:1-7. There are other passages that discuss this concept that, to the modern mind seems antiquated, but to the heart of God demonstrates humility.

In that last passage listed above, God's Word gives us some very specific instruction concerning our relationship to the governemental authorities that are in the world. He tells us of first order that those authorities are established by God and that they act on his behalf. He goes on to tell us that we are to submit ourselves to their leadership. This submission is required in the good times as well as in the bad and oppressive times. This concept has led to much discussion and the creation of much history. For instance, during the civil rights era, people like Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr. through their acts of civil disobedience sought to correct governmental injustice in a way that was submissive to the authorities that were oppressing them. The writer of Romans 13 never intended to give license to governments to abuse people and he never expected people to quietly and submissively tolerate blatant injustice when the power to change that rests with the very people who are told to be submissive.

In an election year of a republic form of government like ours, Christian people are duty bound to select men and women for public office who uphold our Christian values. There is a responsibility on the part of those of us who believe to learn what our candidates believe, what their voting history is, where their passions lie and what kind of character they possess. To find in any candidate a lacking in any of these areas is to find sufficient reason for not voting for that person. By the same token, if our investigations of candidates reveals a person with similar convictions and consistent voting patterns and impeccable character, then we have found sufficient reason to vote for that candidate.

I believe that God is working behind the scenes in the '08 election year to direct history toward its final consummation. I believe that as Christians in a representative form of government, we need to lay aside our political affiliations and personal agendas, and vote for the person who best represents our convictions and values. By doing this, we allow God to work through us as he directs history and we get the opportunity to demonstrate our obedience to him. It is a true statement. Apart from the intervention of God, everything rises or falls on leadership. Who are you going to vote for?

Blaze Orange and Believeability

2008-03-31T14:22:00.003-04:00

I'm not even sure believeablity is a word. Maybe credibility would be a better word. Regardless, the point is this: When you wear blaze orange clothes, people notice you, but they don't necessarily beleive you. Today, I over slept. My lateness was compounded by the fact that my car wouldn't start. That it was bad was compounded by the fact that it was cold and raining. All of the above seemed to be aggravated by the fact that the only jacket I had on hand was my blaze orange hunting jacket.

I like my blaze orange hunting jacket. It is simply blinding. It's almost a neon orange. Everywhere that I went today, people noticed me. They saw me. They stared at me. I'm not sure, but I think one little boy pointed at me from the backseat of his mom's car. There was simply no mistaking that I was in the area with this blaze orange blazing away. Now I confess that what I'm about to write is purely speculative. I have no way of veryifying or proving what I'm about to say, but I think the very people who noticed me also judged me and figured me to be some kind of incompetent, back-woods bafoon. One small group of friends even laughed at my ensemble selection of bluejean and orange. The others, though, gave me that all too familiar look down the nose that communicates their perceived superiority to one such as myself. The one decked out with the blaze orange.

What I'm talking about is credibility. Just because a person is visible, famous or in a position of power doesn't necessarily mean s/he is credible. There is no question in my mind that I was visible, but I do wonder what people thought about me in my blaze orange. I doubt anyone would have picked me to offer a theological discussion about the trinity, today. On the other hand, I could have been picked for the buck skinnin' contest. The true is I would have done well in the theological discourse and probably failed miserably in the buck skinnin' contest even though I looked more like a buck skinner than a preacher. Credibility is determined by one's character and ability, not his appearance. The next time you view someone else from down your nose, remember that he might be a buck skinner or a preacher in desguise. We need to view folks like God views folks - from the inside out, not the outside in.

Hair Dryer Lint and Sin

2008-03-26T10:24:00.004-04:00

This morning I was drying my hair in typical pastor fashion when all of a sudden my hair dryer started blowing cool air and then stopped working all together. You must understand the pastor's obsession with his hair to fully appreciate this. There is only a small window of oppotunity that gives the pastor that optimum in Bible-preaching preacher look. I was nearly panicked. After shaking the device and fooling with the plug, the hot wind machine fired up and I acheived that silky fresh look I desired.

Once the commotion had settled, I noticed that the hair dryer had a filter on the back of it designed to catch debris before it entered into the air intake. It was full of lint. I thought it wise after my battle with the huffy dryer to clear that filter of its debris. Let me just tell you, that stuff was gross and hard to get out. It took me nearly 20 minutes to clean out my hair dryer. I found long hair (doubtless, from my wife), curly hair (from my son) short hair (from any number of culprits) and lint. What is lint? All of these things individually and separately congregated in that filter and slowed the air flow to the point of dryer malfunction. And then it hit me!

Hair dryer lint is just like sin. It's gross. It comes in different shapes and sizes and from different sources. It takes a long time to get it out if it ever gets in. And, it will cause you to malfunction if you don't deal with it. The filter on my hair dryer is what saved it from total ruin. I simply removed the filter, cleaned it and replaced it and my hair dryer was off and running! Like that filter, Christian people need to place filters in their lives - an early detection service, if you will. We need to study and learn God's Word so that we know what we're looking for and how to deal with it once we find it. We need to participate in church and get to know some Christian people who can help us in our battle against sin. We need to give ourselves to purity and holiness by taking time periodically to clean our filters. If we do anything less than that, then we miss our opportunity for optimum Christlikeness. Go clean your filter before you blowup your dryer!

Technology and the Truth

2008-03-25T13:56:00.002-04:00

Recently I opened accounts with some online networking sites. No! I didn't log on to those kinds that match people up for relationships. I'm happily married and have a house of full of children; so, I don't need a website to assist me with finding my soulmate. I've already found her. One of them in particular, myspace.com, has a lot of my friends on it and I thought that would be a great place for me to network and meet some new friends and kind of keep of with old friends. So....I signed up and got me an account. All was well until I got a hand full of unsolicited requests for friendship from some pornographic places. I closed my account with myspace.

When I first opened my account, I was intrigued by the responses of my friends and family. Some were shocked. Some were excited. Some were indifferent. Initially, all of my friends who were excited signed up to be my friends and I communicated with a few of them, but, in truth, I found it easier to just talk with them when I saw them or shoot them an email. So...my internet network really wasn't helping me to network that well. As time moved on and I received my unsolicited solicitations, I decided that keeping the account wasn't worth the effort. That's why I closed the account.

I didn't tell you about my friends who were shocked that I would open an account on myspace. Some of my friends were very passionate in their dislike of my decision. Some went so far as to say, "You're a Chrisitan. A Pastor. You should NOT be on myspace." Certainly, there were a few so radical that I think they would prefer I live in a monestary, but most were just shocked that I would even consider the possibility of opening such an account. I thought I might be able to share the Gospel through my account like many of my preacher friends do. I didn't have the time to do that and because of the other things I've told you about, I closed the account. So, here is the question. Can Christians use technology to advance the Gospel even if that same technology is used by the enemy for ungodly purposes? I believe the answer is YES!

Not only is the answer YES, but I think Christian people should be engaging the lost world more aggressively than we are. I had a few friends when I was in New Orleans who would go into the stripper clubs to witness to the people there. They were involved in combat evangelism! There is no other way of describing that kind of witnessing. They would pray forever, study endlessly and when they were right with God and prepared to take on the enemy on his turf, they would go into those places and share the Gospel. Many were saved by their witness. The same idea holds true for technology. The technology is morally neutral - it is neither good nor bad. It simply is. What people do with it, though, is another matter entirely!

What would the cyber world be like (for that matter, what would the real world be like) if all Christians everywhere decided to live out their faith before a watching world? What impact would be felt if every Christian articulated their beliefs in the liquor store instead of buying liquor in the liquor store? The liquor store clerk needs Jesus. Could you imagine, though, what the Christian gossip network would be like if they saw me, the Pastor, coming out of the liquor store? I'll guarentee you, noboday would say, "Pastor John must have been witnessing to that lady behind the counter." They would say, "Oh, dear God! There's the preacher coming out of the liquor store!"

Here's the real question. Is there anyplace off limits for the Gospel. The answer is no. We need to carry the Gospel on to school campuses. Teens can do that when adults can't. We need to carry the Gospel into the prisons. Prinsoners can do that when free people can't. We need to carry the Gospel to drug users and pushers. We need to carry the Gospel to pimps and prostitutes. We need to carry the Gospel to all the nations. We even need to carry the Gospel to the cyber world. Jesus said that we are the light of the world. We need to let the light shine even in the darkest of places. In fact, it is in the darkest of places that the light shines the brightest. Why don't you figure out a way to use technology to share the Gospel and get busy shining your light. In fact, if you come up with any thing creative, send it to me via email. Blessings!

The Cost of Doing What's Right

2008-03-24T10:57:00.003-04:00

There is a cost or costs associated with almost everything. We understand this concept in the market place. If I want to have a new car, then I must be able and willing to pay the seller's price. In that example, I also have to be willing and able to pay for the insurance, taxes and any maintenance. When we leave the marketplace, though, we don't always readily see the costs of what we want or what we do. In the realm of relationships, whether marriage, business or otherwise, there is a different kind of economy that works in determining costs. Cost comes not with money or precious metal, but with things like trust and character.

When you consider the cross and the resurrection, you are contemplating nothing less than God's sovereign plan of redemption. The Scripture is filled with references that indicate that the Father sent the Son. You'll find plenty of places where the Son speaks of offering himself to satisfy God's requirements. Ultimately, God's plan of redemption cost him his only son. Ultimately, Jesus' desire to please the Father and redeem sinful humanity cost him His life. Ultimately, God's plan of salvation cost God more than any one or any group of people could pay.

In the same way, when we attempt to do something the right way - God's Way - it costs us something. This is true in your life as a personal follower of Christ and it is also true of a faith community. Doing life God's way costs us. When a church calls a minister on staff, it costs us. When a church stands against sin, it costs us. When a church stands for the Gospel, it costs us. With all of these things come cost. I would conjecture, though, that not calling ministerial staff, not standing against sin, not standing for the Gospel or not doing life God's way costs us far more than if we choose not to pay the price for doing it his way.

Let me illustrate with the resurrection. The plan of redemption as designed and implemented by God cost Christ his life and the Father his son. That price was not wasted, though. It was invested. I say it was invested because of the resurrection. From our perspective we see the whole story of what God in Christ did for us through his life, death and resurrection. For the people watching the story unfold, they couldn't see the resurrection. They placed their faith in Jesus as the Messiah and it cost them. When he died and they were left alone for those few days, they thought their beleif in the Messiah cost them everything. Truly, if he had stayed dead, their belief probably would have cost them everything - maybe even their lives. But the resurrection happened. All that they thought they had lost during those few days was recovered with interested added. That isn't called a cost. That's called an investment.

For people of faith who look forward to the second coming of Jesus, we have to look at the cost of living the Christian life and recognize it as an investment. It takes faith to do that. Actually, I think we're called to live a life of faith and not sight, anyway! May God help us to see that sacrificing our creature comforts or wants in order to give more to missions isn't an expense. It is an investment. Giving our time in service to God doesn't keep us from doing what we want to do, by faith our service is an investment in what we become. Reading our Bibles doesn't prevent us from reading anything else, it is an investment in our character development. Whatever it is you perceive to be an expense in living the Chrisitan life now is really an investment in what God would have you become. If you don't believe me, live for the Lord and you'll see when Jesus comes back. If you don't believe me, then live for yourself. You'll still see when Jesus comes back. I just hope you have enough faith to see it now while you have time to make an investment!

What's So Good About Friday?

2008-03-21T09:10:00.003-04:00

Today is a special day comemorated the world over. Today is the day we remember the crucifixion. It has always seemed to me that calling today "Good Friday" was a bit inappropriate since what we remember on this day is without question one of the worst things that ever happened. From every external indicator there is no reason why we should think anything good on a day comemorating the execution of God's Son. Rather than having a day off to buy new Easter clothes, you might think we would sit in ashes with black clothes. We don't, though. We comemorate this day with celebration of various kinds. Truly, it seems paradoxical.

When we study the invisible aspects of what transpired on this day so long ago, we still come up with same result - the death of God's Son. We start with God the Father and quickly surmise from explicit Scripture references that the Father SENT the Son into the world to die for the world. We study his character and learn that his holiness, justice and all of the qualities that he possesses to infinity required that the law be satisfied by the shedding of blood. We read of the Son that he desired to come and lay down his life. When we look at the motives of the those who played out this redemptive drama we see them filled with rage and malice. We know that love factors into the divine motive and yet the end result of this day is the death of God's Son.

When we consider the result accomplished by the death of God's Son we can see nothing but goodness, mercy, grace and justice all rolled into one. The righteous law of God required that atonement be made for sin. Blood had to be shed and not just any blood. Hebrews tells us that the blood of bulls and goats just isn't sufficient. The kind of blood that had to be shed was the purest, cleanest, undefiled and most holy blood - the blood of Jesus. It was in his death that the law was satisfied and God's wrath against sin was turned away. It was in the turning away of God's wrath that his mercy and grace flowed freely to us. It was in the whole act of his punishment and death that God's goodness ultimately triumphed. All of these things occured at the expense of God's Son.

There is no question that good has come from Good Friday. There is also no question that a lot of hard and ugly things occurred in order to accomplish that good. Good Friday is a bitter-sweet reality. Our comemoration of it should be similar. In our joy over having a day off and the opportunity to go shopping or whatever it is you do on Good Friday, take some time to meditate upon the reality of Jesus' death. It was in the cross event that the utter sinfulness of mankind was set against the backdrop of God's infinite goodness. Two opposing powers collided that day and good won out! Maybe that's why we call today, Good Friday.

Physical Therapy and Eternity

2008-03-19T23:15:00.003-04:00

Several weeks ago I was diagnosed with degenerative disks in the neck with just a little arthritis to boot. My doctor said, "If you don't want to be a young crippled man, then I suggest physical therapy." So...he wrote me a prescription and off I went with my pain in the neck. I don't particularly like going to the doctor. I don't mind doctors, so much, but I do mind the co-pays, the insurance system that sucks my resources dry and the all the hoop-la I have to endure every single time I go to the doctor - that I DON'T like! Anyway, after putting off this physical therapy thing for as long as possible I finally gave up the fight and went this morning.

I went with great fear because I thought I would end up with some big, ugly woman with a thicker mustache than mine. Thank goodness that didn't happen and Bertha never materialized. I ended up with a very nice therapist who helped me greatly. He went through the whole evaluation thing and we talked about my aches and pains. It seemed to take a very long time to do all of that, but it was only a few minutes. He pushed and pulled on my neck and several times I thought he was going to kill me. Of course, while all of that was going on he was carrying on a polite conversation with me about polite topics. It seemed to take a long time, but it really was only a few minutes.

Once he had finished with the pushing and pulling I found myself alone in an evaluation room waiting for the therapist to return. It seemed like a really long time, but it really was only a few minutes. He emerged from the door with a piece of paper explaining all of the new exercises I am supposed to do in order to strengthen my neck. He went over them with me and we tried a few. Again, this seemed to go on forever, but it was really only a few minutes. He finished the exercise thing and I thought I was done and that I would be on my merry way and that's when he told me what we were going to do, today. He said, "I think your neck muscles are too tense and with some electric stimulation we can fix that." He went on, "something something something something something something something mild electric impluse." That part was the only part that went by fast - too fast! I still don't know what he said.

So....he takes me out to this curtained room that is opened to the main exercise floor. He starts "hookin' me up" and I notice an older gentleman who is obviously watching me with a sly grin on his face. He was working on his shoulder. Apparently, he had had some type of shoulder surgery and was in his rehabilitation phase of recovery. The whole time my therapist is "hookin' me up" the older guy is just watching and gawking. I'm sure it wasn't that long. It was probably only a few minutes, but it seemed like a long time. I finally asked the old guy if he had done this kind of thing before - the kind of thing I was about to go through. He smiled that sly smile and said with an all-knowing and condescending smile, "Yes. I know all 'bout that thing you gettin' ready to do. And in just a few minutes, you'll know all about it too!"

As soon as the guy started the thing I knew I was in trouble. He said you could set it at 30. 30 what, I don't know. He said you could go as high as 30. I made it to 12. Once he got me "hooked up" and made sure I was shooting fire from my mouth he set a timer for 15 minutes. For 15 solid minutes I had 12 whatevers running through my body and let me tell you...even though it was only 15 minutes, it seemed like a very long time. Eternity works a little bit like that. We think we have an idea about eternity, but the truth is that our eternity has already begun. Some of it we've wasted. Some of it we've invested. Some of it we've squandered. Some of it has yet to be, but the most of it is yet to come.

The next time you're dragging around and time seems to crawl along remember that you are already burning eternity. I'm sure it doesn't seem like it, but you are. Everyone will live forever. The question is, "Where will you live forever?" I don't know about you, but as for me, I'm to that place where there is no electronic equipment that I can be hooked up to. I'm going to be with the Lord. You can too if you come to Jesus. I hope you'll consider coming to Jesus, today. Feel free to contact me if you'd like to know more about Jesus. I'm sure it seems like it would take you a long time to talk with me about Jesus, but it really wouldn't take that long. Just a few minutes....

Inerrancy and Ignorance

2008-03-19T16:24:00.001-04:00

Here in the Bible-belt region of the USA there is a phenomenon that occurs in religious circles akin to the culture of the religious in first century Palestine. That phenomenon of which I speak is the ability of church folks to believe in the inerrancy of Scripture while, at the same time, not taking the time to read it, learn it or memorize it. It really is an interesting thing.
You've doubtless read by now that I am committed to the concept of inerrancy. I beleive the Bible is truth, without any mixture of error and that means I trust it. Belief in inerrancy, though, doesn't necessarily mean I practice it. Here's how it works. A Christian person says he believes the Bible is absolutely correct and without error, but he never reads it and really doesn't know what it says. This person's lifestyle then tells the tale about his true conviction. This person may think he knows what the Bible says about life, but, in fact, has never read it and actually bases his worldview on what he thinks the Bible says. This is an interpretation based on ignorance and it is a powerful strong hold to break.
The person who builds his lens for viewing the world on what he thinks something says is akin to someone practicing medicine without a license - he can use the words and might have some skills, but he'll mess you up! These are the people who get confused between what the Bible says and what they've always done. In other words, they equate their tradition with the law and the tradition becomes the thing that is inerrant - not the Bible. Even if someone takes the message of the Bible to them in an effort to correct their erroneous thinking, they'll refuse to hear it and may even become hostile to the messenger. Does this sound familiar? This is exactly what happened to Jesus during his earthly mininstry. They understood inerrancy, but they applied it to the wrong thing. Then, in their ignorance, they become puffed-up, arrogant religious people.
Let me give you another scenario to try an illustrate the point. Say a Christian man who understands and practices inerrancy comes to hold a grudge against a friend for a wrong done to him. He may claim to be an inerrantist and actually use the Bible to defend his right to hold a grudge against this person who wronged him. He might say something like this, "The Bible says, 'Whatever a man sows that shall he also reap.'" He might say something like this, "Well, I know what the Bible says about forgiveness, but even if I forgive him, I'll not forget it!"
In the above example, this person blatantly disregards biblical teaching on a subject in favor of his own warped interpretation or in favor of his own rebellious spirit. Either case, the guy does what he wants rather than what the Bible says. This is called disobedience. One knows the truth, respects the truth and believes the Bible to be true, but disregards it in order to do his own thing. With this comes the conviction of the Holy Spirit, an opportunity to repent and confess and an opportunity to be restored into fellowship with God.
Concerning those who in ignorance uphold tradition or some other thing as inerrant, there is the danger of quenching the Holy Spirit and missing the opportunity for repentance, confession and restoration. This is what happened to the Pharisees and Sadducees. They upheld the wrong thing (be it the law, their opinion or their biases) as inerrant and missed the work of God. Consequently, they crucified the Lord. I wonder how many religious people, today, would do the same thing given the opportunity?
So....what are we to do? It really is a simple matter. As Christian people we are to be guarded against the possibility viewing as inerrant our tradition or opinion. We are to nurture our personal relationship with the Lord Jesus by spending time reading this thing called the Bible and seeking to surrender to its teaching in the power of the Holy Spirit. We are to decrease our level of ignorance by studying the word, spending time in meaningful and authentic fellowship with other beleivers and we are to find simple ways to be genuine in our service to God by meeting others at their point of need - where they live.
An inerrantist can be one of the most arrogant persons you would ever meet. We've all known that kind of inerrantist. The kind of inerrantist that anyone would like to meet and the kind of inerrantist who has the power to change the world and the inerrantist who can passionately share the Gospel without beating people with the Bible, is the guy or gal who simply seeks to surrender his / her life everyday in everyway to the Lord and His Word. Would you join me in being that kind of inerrantist?

Inerrancy and Insecurity

2008-03-18T16:36:00.000-04:00

I remember the first couple of sermons I preached as the pastor. I was terrified. That actually puts it mildly. I was more than terrified. I didn't know how to preach a sermon (even though I never owned up to that). I didn't know how to invite people to respond to the message they had heard. I didn't know how people would respond to me. I didn't know if what I said had any significance or not. I didn't know a lot of things and I was very insecure. Those first few months were very difficult because I longed for guidance and hung on every word my church friends would say. If they liked what I did, then I felt good. If they didn't like what I did, then I worried about my tenure and my reputation and my ability to climb the denominational ladder and so on... To put it mildly, I was insecure and worried about what everybody thought.
When sermon time rolled around (and believe me it rolled around a lot), I would find myself hiding out and begging God to give me a word to share with the people. Sometimes I would get a clear understanding of what that word was and when I shared it, it was like ice cream in the summer - short lived and sweet! Sometimes I would get a sense of what I needed to say and it would come out ok. Other times I would have a clue what I was talking about and it was like the dog days of summer - miserable and never-ending! This cycle went on for about a year and then I learned about something called inerrancy.
I had heard about inerrancy before and even understood what it was, but I had never seen anyone apply it. One of my professors helped me to understand it when he asked this question in class - How do you guys get your sermons? Man, he got some responses. One guy said, "I get mine from my pastor." Another said, "I spend time in prayer and wait on God to speak to me." Another said, "I just read a text and then tell what I want them to know." This kind of thing went on for a while until the professor asked, "Who gets their sermons from the Bible?" Of course, all of us said that we got our sermons from the Bible. But he got us thinking. He went on to teach us that the Bible is the Word that God has for us and for his people. He taught us that if we would preach the Bible and get ourselves out of the way as much as possible that the Bible would speak for itself. Now that's a radical concept!
You know, I don't have to add anything to the Bible. Indeed, I can NOT add anything to the Bible. I don't have the right to take anything away from it; therefore, I am obligated to share all of it. In short, the Bible stands for itself. There are lots of reasons for this and inerrancy is a big one. Inerrancy means the Bible is free from error. I believe that the Bible in its original manuscripts is totally inerrant and the copies that we have are so close to the originals that we can affirm the same for them.
When my professor helped me understand that the Bible doesn't need my help to give it a voice and that it simply needs for me to get out of the way in the preaching of it so its voice can be heard, he set me free from the problem of insecurity that I was living with. When I or any preacher or teacher clearly presents the Bible for what it is, it is amazing at how well spoken, articulate and clear it really is. It's also amazing at how freeing that is to the one who teaches because then the response of the people is focused on the messenger, but it is focused on the message of God's Word. What a confidence builder? What a faith builder? What a courage builder? The Word of God is just that - THE WORD OF GOD!
Who in their right mind thinks they could add to it or take away from it? Who in their right mind would fear what another thinks about it? Who in their right mind would fear what others think of him? If it is the Word of God ( and it is) and the preacher or teacher does his homework in order to clearly present God's Word, then why would any preacher or teacher ever worry / fret / or feel insecure about it? I don't anymore because all I do is share what the Bible says? Don't be in bondage because of insecurity like this guy...

Beware of Wolves in Sheep's Clothes

2008-03-17T16:14:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a wonderful day at church. We celebrated the Lord's Supper that morning and proclaimed the Lord's death for sins and enjoyed a wonderful fellowship with Him and with one another. Later that afternoon, I invited our insurance rep to visit with us to help us better understand our insurance coverages and to gain his insight concerning any potential liabilities our church may be exposed to.
He met with our transportation committee (which has been charged with the task of studying our transportation needs and then making a recommendation to the church based on what they learn) and then he spoke with any church members interested in safeguarding our children's / youth ministry. We had an abbreviated service that evening and spent several minutes discussing a proposed policy manual for use in our church. In short, we spent most of our day discussing the reality of living and ministering in a fallen world.
We had to talk about some difficult things. Our rep talked to us about potential liabilities in transporting children, teens and adults in both church owned transportation and privately owned automobiles. We learned more than we ever wanted to know about that and we'll probably be having a hard time getting anyone else to drive for us..... He talked to us about the numbers of children who are abused and how to watch for the signs of abuse. He talked about our coverages should their ever be an accusation against our church or church workers. He talked to us about very practical safeguards to protect against anything bad happening. Things like never allowing an adult to be alone with a child, placing windows in the doors and instituting a screening process for children's workers that includes an interview, background check and waiting period before service all goes a long way in protecting the church and the children and, in some cases, increases your levels of coverage.
Let me just tell you how difficult it was to talk about these issues. For whatever reason, churches seem to treat as taboo these kinds of things and by not talking about them open themselves to all sorts of bad things. Let me also tell you this: As uncomfortable and difficult as it is to talk about these things, it is infinitely more uncomfortable and difficult to experience some kind of accusation or incident. When I was pastor in Louisiana, our church experienced two separate occasions that were potentially dangerous to individuals and to the church. In one, there was suspected abuse by an older man, but before it could be verified he left the church. In the second, one of the members who worked with the teens was involved in a very public and very sinful scandal. That situation cost our church two or three families who left over the scandal. In addition to that, our church's reputation was more than tarnished and we lost a great deal of influence in our community. As one who has now stood before a church to address an issue that happened and one who has stood before a church to address issues that could happen, I would much rather stand before a group and talk about uncomfortable things that could happen instead of standing before a group that is trying to figure out why a bad thing happened.
If you attend church or have children in church, you owe it to yourselves, your children, your church and our Lord to address these issues before they become issues. Beware of wolves in sheep's clothing.

Tree Stands and Scripture Verses

2008-03-13T21:17:00.000-04:00

I'm what you might call and avid outdoorsman. I love to be outside. In fact, one of the most difficult aspects of my responsibilities as pastor is to stay in my office long enough to study and prepare to teach (Praise God for lap top computers!). I am actually a water fowler. For me, the smell of swamp gas in an early morning sunrise is a little taste of heaven on earth. The sounds, smells and experiences of the outdoors truly testify to the creator and give me occasion for special times of fellowship with God.
Recently I've taken up deer hunting. I don't hunt on a club so I don't hunt with dogs. I still hunt. One of the reasons I've never been much of a deer hunter is because I haven't had the patience to sit in a tree for long periods of time to wait on some deer that may or may not show. Since Susan and I have four little boys who make life interesting and loud, I've found that a few hours in a deer stand is a good thing!
There are so many good things about hunting and having the opportunity to get somewhere alone with the Lord and to have the time to read the Bible and reflect on what it says. There are just so many good things that can come from hunting. The sky seems bluer. The bird songs seem purer. The wind seems fresher. It seems that in the environment God created, his creation becomes crystal clear. This is a hint of what it was like when God created all that is and said it was good. There is a lot of good stuff in the creation.
In the midst of the good, though, there are some bad things. For instance, mosquitos. Need I say more? Even with the great things about hunting there are some not so good things. Not even a week ago while I was hunting hogs in the lowcountry I fell about 10 or 15 feet out of a tree stand. I landed on my feet, but just barely. The recoil from the fall shoot be backward a few feet where I landed flat on my back in the midst of some cypress knees and roots. The whole episode took about 5 seconds, but it seemed to me like five minutes and for the poor guy watching the whole thing unfold, it seemed to him like an hour!
Other than being sore, you know what I remember most about that whole episode? I remember falling and looking at those roots and thinking, "What's the best way for me to fall so I don't get hurt?" In that moment in time everything seemed still and crystal clear. My mind took over and processed things in an instance that I had not even noticed before - things like the roots. I never even saw them until I was falling toward them. Thankfully, I didn't get hurt too bad and the guy who saw the whole thing is doing better, too.
In that accident, time (actually lack of time) brought into sharp focus the things that really mattered. I saw clearly and responded. When we read the Bible, the same kind of thing happens. The Holy Spirit has a way of helping us to see clearly what God has clearly written for us. God has given us His Word and it is very clear. One cannot read the Bible without a sense of urgency. One cannot read the Bible without gaining a sharper focus on reality. On cannot read the Bible without gaining some insight. For the Christian, the Bible speaks to us by helping us to develop the mind of Christ. We learn from him what he would have us know and what he would have us do. The reason he does this is that in the events of life when time is short and consequence is approaching quickly, the mind will take over and show us things we've never noticed before. The Chrisitan's responsibility is to develop the mind of Christ so that the Christian's privilege of divine leadership can be realized.
The Christian man can see the dangers of adultery without having to commit them. The Christian woman can see clearly the dangers of lust without having to commit them. The Christian can overcome doubt and fear because the Bible clearly shows us how to do those things. For the Christian who spends time in the Word, the mind of Christ within you springs into action when the "roots" of life start coming at you fast. In an instant, God will bring to mind a verse (that you probably read in your tree stand) that will help you navigate your way without losing your step. The Bible is clear enough. Why not read it, today?

BBQ and the Bible

2008-03-13T09:38:00.000-04:00

I've had the privilege of living in South Carolina most of my life and anyone who knows anything about South Carolina knows that BBQ means pork. It doesn't mean grilling hamburgers or roasting hotdogs. It doesn't mean anykind of meat on a grill of any kind. BBQ means pork and in the big SC it means pork in a serious way. You need to know that there are differences of opinion about how the pork is to be cooked - charcoal or gas. There are differences of opinion about the sauce to be used - mustard based, tomatoe based or vingear based. There are differences of opinion about a lot of things, but there is no disagreement on this simple fact: BBQ in SC is PORK!
Our church recently started sharing a meal on Wednesday night before church. We're charging each participant a very small fee to cover the cost of the meal and any extra money that is generated will be donated to the American Cancer Society. Everybody loves the concept and the cause we are helping to support. Last night we had BBQ sandwiches and they were good! We didn't have any fixins to speak of. We had some chips and pickles and Little Debbie Cakes for the sweet, but beyond that we didn't have much else. Why would we not have much else, you might ask? It's simple. When you have good BBQ, you don't need anything else. The BBQ is sufficient. Now it's nice to have things like beans and tater salad and various kinds of puddin' and all of that, but all you really need is the BBQ. In fact, last night I heard one of the guys in the kitchen say, "I don't need anything else. Ya'll just leave me down here with a few pounds of this stuff (BBQ) and that's all I'll need." He was saying in his own way, "BBQ is sufficient."
In a similar way, the Bible possesses that same quality as good BBQ - it's all you need. When a Christian takes the Bible and reads it for what it is and surrenders to its teaching, then there is nothing else you need. It's in the Bible that a Christian is going to learn about the importance of church. It's in the Bible that a Christian is going to learn about the importance of personal evangelism. It's in the Bible that a Christian is going to learn all the things he needs to learn in order to live an obedient life before the Lord. In fact, when someone who is not a Christian reads the Bible, he's going to learn everything he needs to know in order to become a Christian. There isn't anything you can add to it to make it any better. It is sufficient.
Now, just like BBQ, a few fixins are ok, but not necessary. For instance, you can benefit a great deal from Bible study with a person who has been studying the Bible longer than you. You can learn from that person's mistakes and gain insight from their experiences. You can surely learn a lot from other Christians. Yet, you don't have to have someone else to help you read the Bible on your own. It's nice to have church tradition to help you in understanding why we do things like we do them when we come togther as a faith community. We can learn a great deal about how to apply the Bible when we study church history and our own particular faith tradition. Yet, your church's tradition can't add to the Bible and if it ever does, you need to be skeptical of it. The point is this: there are all kinds of things that can be helpful and beneficial, but all you really need is a Bible.
I've been in places where people have had BBQ contests. Some lather down their pork with sauces and dry rubs and all kind of seasonings known to man. Others prefer a less is more approach and apply only the bare essentials or nothing at all. If you ever make it to some of these kinds of events, you'll not be there long before you'll hear someone say something like this - we let the meat stand for itself. That's just another way of saying, "BBQ is sufficient." In the same way your taste buds might water and your fat cells might sing upon the taste of some fine Carolina BBQ, let your soul hunger for the meat of God's Word so that your spirit might continually sing His praise. The Bible is enough.

Billy Bob the Bible Thumpin' Baptist

2008-03-12T08:36:00.001-04:00

I'm very happy to be a Bible-believing, Bible-preaching pastor. Unfortunately, many people have stereotyped the Bible-believing, Bible-preaching pastor as the guy with the evangelist's hair; red-faced and spitting over three pews and opposed to everything. This pic of a Bible-believing, Bible-preaching pastor just isn't correct - it's funny, but not correct. I remember in college we were required to read a book. The book is considered an American classic and it's about a boy's passage into manhood. In it, the main character uses the Lord's name in vain multiple times. So, in typcial higher educational fashion, when we discussed the finer literary points of technique and style, this question arose: Do you think this character used !@#$$%^^ too much or not enough? All of the academic want-to-be's went at it. One said, "I think it was used wonderfully." Another said, "I think it was used too much." The professor replied, "I agree. When I smash my thumb with the hammer I want my !@#$%^^ to mean something." And on and on and on it went. When I raised my objection to the use of the Lord's name because of my faith conviction, the whole class turned on its heel and began assaulting me. One gal said, "You must be one of those Billy Bob, Bible-thumpin' Baptists." From that point forward the whole class proceeded to make fun of me and my faith.
Now it is possible that they could have made fun of me because I was a stereo-typcial red-faced, funny haired characiture of a Christian, but I wasn't. It's possible they could have made fun of me because I was less than academically standard, but I wasn't. I had a high A average at this point in the class. It could have been for many reasons, but the truth is this: I was singled out because I accepted (and still do) the Bible as my authority source for faith and practice. I distinctly remember saying to the class that I was a Christian and as such was offended at the use of the Lord's name in such a base fashion. Besides, I added, the Bible teaches us to never use the Lord's name in that way. That was the clincher! The Bible teaches us to never use the Lord's name in that way. It was that statement that elicited such harsh reaction.
I believe that the Bible is God's revelation to man and that apart from it we could not know what we need to know in order to be saved. Further, the Bible is God's revelation of His expectations for us. As such, it has authority to guide our lives as Christians. In Hebrews 4:12, we learn that the Bible is alive and active; sharper than any two-edged sword; piercing and able to discern the intentions of the heart. The Holy Spirit is the one who enlivens the Bible that it may speak to us about our relationship with Lord and our lifestyle for the Lord. When we come to the Bible or when we hear it taught, we always have one of two choices to make. 1. I will submit to its teaching and surrender my agenda for a biblical one. 2. I will not submit to its teaching and will do what I want.
The Bible has authority to instruct us and hold us accountable and it has power to transform our lives. The Bible does NOT have authority to transform us into the red-faced, funny haired distortion of what so many believe to be a Christian. We are called to walk worthy of our Christian calling. We are called to speak the truth in love. We are called to be distinct from the world. The Bible helps us to do all of this and it helps us to do it winsomely and compassionately when we willingly submit to it. By the way, I had a high A average in that class at the point I shared my conviction. I finished that class with a low C average. My work ethic didn't change and my writing ability / style didn't change. What changed was my professor's view of me. It cost me to live under the authority of what the Bible teaches. If you would live according to the Bible, it will cost you something, too!

2008-03-11T16:23:00.001-04:00

Late Sunday afternoon I came across an article in the online version of the Baptist Press that aroused a strong reaction in me. The article recounted the events of a particular church that had led it to the place of asking the pastor to resign because he thought homosexual couples should be allowed to have their photo in the church directory. I'm really not sure what all the fuss is about since the church, several years ago, began admitting homosexuals as members of their congregation. Truly, does it not seem inconsistent to you to refuse homosexual couples the privilege of having their photo published in the directory if they are members of the church? It seems to me, for consistency's sake, that if a church is going to permit homosexuals membership they should have the courtesy to publish their photos.
Of course, the problem these guys are dealing with really isn't about homosexuals having their photo in the directory. The problem this church is dealing with is an authority issue. I think most Christians acknowledge Jesus as Lord and the Bible as His Holy Word. Certainly, there are those who profess to be Christians who do not beleive this, but they are most definitely in the minority. What has happened in this church is nothing more or less than a classic power struggle. Since they disregarded the proper authority, namely the Lord of the church and his Holy Word, they are divided and vying for position and power to assert themselves on the particular issue of homosexuality.
I believe that Jesus is the head of the church and that he really has all authority in heaven and on earth. I also believe that the Bible is God's Word and as such is our sole authority for faith and practice. In other words, we can only know what God wants us to know and the primary way in which he enlightens our minds is through His Word. Now God speaks through other means, i.e., the Holy Spirit; Christian people; circumstance; etc... Truthfully, God can speak to us any way he wants, but he has chosen to speak to us through His Word. The Word is not silent on homsexuality. From beginning to end, the Bible condemns homosexuality as an abomination. There really is no question as to whether or not homosexuality is a sin - it clearly is a sin! Why? Because the Bible says so.
The problem this church is having is the same problem any church or any Christian has when the Bible is traded from some other authority source. If we make a man, say a pastor or another, our authority source, then we have to live according to what he says. If we make a family or political system our source of authority, then we have to live according to what they / it says. You have to give this pastor kudos for consistency. For those in the church who are ok with homosexuals as members of the church we have to ask the question, "Why the problem with allowing them in the directory?" I'd venture to say, that someone stepped on someone else's toes and challenged the authority source. Now those poor folks are fighting among themselves for control and authority and the Gospel is being tarnished.
When we honor the Bible as God's Word and submit to its teaching as the final authority in matters of faith and practice, then we can eliminate all lot of the contests for power. You'll never have to call for a vote about your pastor's position concerning homosexuals in the church directory because you'll never allow homosexuals to become members in your church! The Bible settles those issues for us. All we need to do is read it and live according to it. Let me encourage you to read your Bible, today. Blessings!

2008-03-10T11:55:00.000-04:00

Well...I made it back from the low country hunt in one piece - well, almost. We were hog huntin' in the swamps off the Pee Dee River in the Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge absolutely removed from civilization. It was all that I hoped it would be and nothing I thought it would be. I prepared for cold weather and it turned out to be hot. I prepared for dry weather and turned out rainy. I prepared for about six hours sleep each night and got only three or four. I prepared for success and shot no hog. All in all I had a blast!
Even though nothing I prepared for happened, I still enjoyed myself. When I left off last time, I was sharing that Christian people should prepare to forgive and receive forgiveness. Just like the hunt, though, you may or may not realize all that you had hoped to realize in living the prepared life. You may find the results of your preparation rewarding and satisfying on the personal side, but unappreciated, unwanted or resisted on another's side. Regardless of how another responds to our forgiveness, we should forgive. Even though I didn't get to bag the trophy boar I had hoped to bag and even though I had a lot items I really didn't need, I still had a wonderful time. Such is the case for those who desire to live for Christ. We might not get everything we want, but we can have a wonderful time because of the hope of our salvation.

2008-03-05T17:06:00.001-05:00

I've been busy the last few days preparing for a hunting trip in the lower part of South Carolina. My excitement level is still very high even though I've had to do a great deal of things I do not enjoy in order to prepare for the hunt. I've had to locate hunting gear. I've had to pack my clothes. I've had to clean my firearms and locate ammunition. I've had to download directions and tie up many lose ends and on and on and on.... When I get to the hunting location, I'll sleep on a thin camper matress. I'll wake up much earlier than normal. I'll endure the elements and many inconveniences and I'll do all of these things in the hope of bagging my game - which may or may not even show up. I go through a great deal of preparation for something that may never even materialize. That is what got me thinking about forgiveness and the problem of pain and suffering.
Many Christian people go through life in similiar fashion to my hunting preparation over the last few days. They spend endless hours fretting over something that happened that they can do nothing about or they spend endless hours expecting the worse case scenario that may never even materialize. The reality of our existence is that pain and suffering are a part of it. We simply can't ignore that or make it disappear, but when it comes to pain and suffering as related to our relationships, we most certainly can do something about that. We can forgive those who have wronged us or seek the forgiveness of those we have wronged. We can endeavor to live in such a way as to minimize the wrong we do and some of the wrong we receive. We can prepare to forgive and receive forgiveness.
In order to become skilled at this disappearing art, we need to practice a few things. We need to practice asking God to forgive us for the wrongs we've committed. We need to offer forgiveness, quickly, to those who wrong us. We need to learn what it means to follow Jesus and then we need to follow him. Let me encourage you to prepare to forgive and let me encourage you to get in the field and realize what God has for us - peace with Himself and others.

2008-03-04T13:26:00.000-05:00

Generally, people think of church as a place where churchy people congregate. We all know churchy people. They're the ones who are usually solemn and grim often joyless and many times holier than thou kinds of people. Truly, these are churchy people - religious people. The true church, though, is composed of men and women who have been redeemed and forgiven of their sin. These people are markedly different than churchy people. These people have a joy that is unmistakable. They are kind and compassionate and consistent. They are followers of Jesus. As followers they learn from Jesus how they are to approach life and then they approach in the same way that Jesus did.
As Christ followers, we reach out to those who are living fully in the consquences of their sin or fully caught up in this sinful world. We do this because this is exactly what Jesus did for us. When he came the first time, he didn't come in reference to judgment, he came to extend grace and forgiveness. There will be a time when he will come in judgment and the invitation of grace will cease, but until that happens we are to reach out to those who are bound up in sin. I imagine that many people feel like church is a judgmental and condemning place, but when church is what is supposed to be (men and women boys and girls who have been redeemed and forgiven of their sin), then church can be one of the most liberating places on the planet. The reason for this is because people can see the transformation that has taken place in others and experience that same transformation for themselves.
The bible calls Christians to love one another, to bear one another's burdens, to forgive one another and on and on we are to give attention to one another. Have you ever considered the possibility that church is a place God has given us to help us with our sin problem? For Christians, we need to recognize that many people are carrying the burden of what they have sown. We need to help them see the invitation of Jesus to a light burden and an easy yoke. We need to help them find the antedote to their sin problem so they might know the freedom we know. We need to get them to Jesus.

2008-03-03T11:38:00.000-05:00

Many of the bad things we experience are the result of living in a fallen and sinful world. We can't help those kinds of things. Sometimes, bad things happen and we are caught up in them by no fault of our own. There are bad things, though, that we sometimes find ourselves in exactly because of the sin we have committed. You know how that goes....You reap what you sow. James tells us in chapter 5 that some of us are sick because we sin. So, in the grand scheme of bad things, there are those bad things that happen as a result of livining in a fallen world and then there are those things that happen because we invite them to happen because of our sinful behavior.
We can not alter the course of those things that are out of our control, i.e., natural disasters; terrorists attacks; violent crime; etc... We CAN alter those bad things that we call consequences by altering our behavior. When we choose to do what God has told us to do, we invite his blessings. When we choose to disregard what God has told us to do, we invite his discipline and confusion follows.
I've had friends who simply couldn't understand why they could never have a meaningful relationship. Yet, they continued to enter into relationships based on physical attraction, greed, convenience and the like. You've known people who have had financial issues and don't know why; yet, they continue to live beyond their means and make poor choices. The point is this: You reap what you sow. Hopefully, you'll take this encouragement to walk in obedience rather than disobedience so that you can live in God's blessing and not his discipline. Share this thought with someone you know who needs to hear it. Blessings!

2008-02-29T08:04:00.000-05:00

I write this post from the 15th floor of my hotel over looking the Atlantic Ocean. Last night when I got here I walked out on the balcony to see what I could see. I saw a flock of seagulls floating on the undulating blue carpet of the sea. I felt a gentle ocean breeze blowing on my face. I observed the sun rise over that same blue carpet turning into a vision of liquid gold. The ripples on the sand washed new with shells and debris indicate the gentle motion of the sea. All of this is at the impulse of the Creator's hand.
I've also seen this same costline ravaged by a grumpy tyrant of a storm named Hugo. In only a few hours time that same dark blue carpet I saw last night was transformed into a dark torrent of water. I've also seen the aftermath of another storm named Katrina. In those gulf waters where I used to fish and experience the same kinds of intimate details of the Creator's work that I experienced here last night I have also experienced her fury. I am absolute amazed that life can change so quickly and what many call Mother Nature in her transitions is but the hand of the Creator shaping and moving His creation.
Here we are, again, with the problem of evil (more specifically: Why do bad things happen to God's people?)...With passages like Psalm 107:25 "He spoke and raised up a stormy wind, Which lifted up the waves of the sea" and verse 27, "He caused the storm to be still, So that the waves of the sea were hushed", how are we to understand our Creator? Does he send both good and bad? That would make Creator inconsistent at best and ill-intentioned at worst. This understanding can't be correct because James tells us that the Creator is "the Father of lights in whom there is no variation and that all good and perfect gifts comes down from Him..."(James 1:17).
Should we blame God for evil or bad things? Certainly not! God would cease to be God if he were inconsistent with himself. We know from Scripture and from life experience that God is good and has, indeed, given us every good and perfect gift. The problem of evil, then, must be laid at someone else's feet. Satan is not the Father of lights and the giver of good and perfect gifts. He is, rather, the Father of lies and the one who seeks to kill, steal and destroy. Yet, this ancient foe is limited by space and time. He is not omnipresent. He does not know everything and though he has power that is real and dangerous, it is limited. So what of natural disasters like a Hugo or Katrina?
The Scripture teaches us that Sin entered the world through Adam in the garden of Eden and from that time through the present, its effects have deepened and broaded so that all of creation is infected by it. Paul says that the whole creation groans unders the weight of sin eagerly awaiting its release (Rom. 8). That being said, we understand that evil is not a created thing handed to us by the Creator as some cosmic balance to existence. Rather, we see that evil is the privation of good, the warping of creation so that God is not responsible for the formation of evil - Satan is. From that day evil entered into our world, God's creation, it has intensified and will continue to do so until the end of time.
Natural disasters, sinful acts and thoughts, terrible behavior, murders and thefts and all the like will continue to exist and intensify because the whole world is careening toward the inevitability of destruction. All the while, the Creator who is merciful and longs to see his creation give him due glory, is doning the hat of Redeemer and plucking sinful beings, one by one, from the inevitable end of sin - death.
So....while I live in a fallen world touched by sin and evil, tainted on every corner, I can still gain assurance of the Creator's plan when I see the simple beauty of a sunrise over the sea or seaguls floating on the sea. I can see his plan in the aftermath of destruction and mayhem. I can see His beauty and experience his grace. I can do all of these things because in the midst of the bad, he has walked with me every step of the way.

2008-02-28T08:48:00.000-05:00

All the discussion about forgiveness and certain circumstances that have taken place in my life in recent time has me pondering this question: Why do bad things happen to God's people? You may wonder why the topic of forgiveness might cause me to wonder this, but forgiveness is intrinsically tied to the reason for our need of forgiveness - namely sin. Most theologians believe that sin was introduced into the world by Satan; thereby, causing the problem of evil in the world. All of humanity since Adam and Eve (with the exception of Jesus) has been infected with this problem of sin - hence the neeed for forgiveness. Once forgiveness is offered (and it has been through the cross of Christ) then why do bad things / sinful things continue to happen?
Because evil is present in the world and increasing in its scope and power, it is only logical to consider that God's people will be caught up in it to varying degrees. Christian people are not immune to the effects of sin. I wish someone would tell my favorite television preachers this. Ultimately, God vanquishes sin and reigns victorious over all creation. In real time, God gives his children whatever they need to endure hardship and overcome temptation that leads to sin. We live in a fallen world and we must wrestle with this question: Why do bad things happen to God's people?

2008-02-26T16:19:00.000-05:00

Often times I've heard people say, "It's better to ask forgiveness than permission." I've even said this from time to time. What that phrase means is to go ahead and do what you want to and you'll probably be able to get out of any unpleasant consequences if you handle yourself properly. The phrase operates on the assumption that forgiveness is offered regardless of what you do. That might seem like a good life philosophy, but reality tells us that consequences are not always forgiven when we do what we want. The Christian faith operates like this: You are forgiven, now you are free to do what God would have you do. Rather than brashly moving forward with our own agenda in the hope that forgiveness may come, we operate out of the forgiveness we've been given through Christ and we are free to do God's will rather than act in bondage to sin. Forgiveness is an already completed reality for the follower of Christ. We are as forgiven as we will ever be and with that knowledge comes great freedom to live the Christian life. Let me encourage you to appropriate God's forgiveness by faith and live in the moment by moment reality of God's forgiveness. You'll be glad you did!

2008-02-25T18:17:00.000-05:00

One important aspect of forgiveness is that it was initiated by God, himself. He didn't have to acknowledge our existence let alone our sinfulness, but he did. He took it upon himself to provide a means for our salvation, i.e. our forgiveness. What would life be like if all Christ followers took that same attitude? What if we initiated forgiveness to those who wronged us? That is exactly what we are to do. We are to take the lead in offering forgiveness to those who have offended. We are never more like Jesus than when we offer forgiveness to someone who has wronged us or to someone who doesn't deserve it. In fact, if we fail to extend forgiveness, we couldn't be more unlike Jesus. Jesus went so far as to say that God would forgive us if forgive others and that he would not forgive us if we did not forgive others (Matthew 6:14-15). Let me encourage you to examine your life. Do you find any grudges against others or an unwillingness to forgive? If you do, take the initiative and go forgive someone. You'll be glad you did. Blessings!

2008-02-23T10:20:00.000-05:00

Forgiveness is something that is special to God and extended to humanity, but what does it mean to forgive? What does it mean for God to forgive and then what does it mean for me or you to forgive? God's forgiveness is intrinsically tied to the cross and any understanding of forgiveness that doesn't take the cross into consideration isn't forgiveness. It is helpful to understand what forgiveness is not in order to gain a better understanding of what forgiveness is. Forgiveness is not ignoring the wrong done. It is not covering up or trying to hide the wrong done. It is not based in sentimentality and it is not self-serving. For God to forgive, sin had to be dealt with in such a way that would not diminsh the reality of who God is and at the same time not ignore the sinfulness of humanity. The cross, then, is the place where God's justice is satisfied and the same place where his love is displayed. God didn't ignore, cover-up, try to hide or give surface treatment to the problem of humanity's sin. He met it and conquered it without denying himself of his Godness or denying the reality of humanity's rebellion. In the act of the cross, Jesus both satisfied God's wrath against sin and manifest God's love to us. We should be moved by the demonstration of love God brought to pass at the cross. He could have just destroyed humanity, but out of his love he redeemed those who were once slaves to sin. No wonder we sing about the wondrous cross?

2008-02-21T12:23:00.000-05:00

I've recently been thinking about forgiveness and what that means for relationships between people. Forgiveness can be defined as letting go. To forgive, then, means to let go of something someone did. That doesn't seem to be so easy, though. If you let go of the wrong that was done, then you let go of any right to bring up that wrong or do you? It seems to me that forgiveness can be accomplished even if consequences of a wrong remain. A person can let go of wrongs committed, but that doesn't mean he has to be best friends with the guy who wronged him. Right? Sounds good until the guy or gal you need to forgive is your husband / wife / mother or father / son or daughter / and so on. To forgive those we are closest to takes the greatest effort. We don't just let it go and then go our separate ways. We let it (whatever it may be) go and then we go on developing the relationship with the one who wronged us. We do that because we love one another or feel some sense of obligation to one another because of our familial relationship. There is a sense of duty or obligation to the person who wronged us. Wouldn't life be grand if everyone felt a sense of duty or obligation to everyone else? If that were the case, there would probably be a whole lot more forgiving going on...