veritas

Why I hate religion and love Jesus and His Church!

2012-01-24T15:59:00.002-07:00

The video here is a poem about the difference between religion and Christianity. It makes me wince at times because the critique of religion comes close to home. The video tries to make us think more Biblically about Jesus and the gospel.

The video does bash religion, and it doesn't spare the church from the same. The author's purpose is to preach about Jesus. He also shows how easy and terrible it is to confuse Biblical Christianity with religion.

As a believer, I am thrilled that so many people are talking about Jesus and the Bible. At last count, the video itself has been viewed over a million times. And because of this, the news has interviewed the writer.

This video reminds me that sometimes "church" is too much like religion and not enough like Jesus. I am challenged by that. As a pastor of church, I understand how easy it is to be merely "religious".

God is the God of truth. When a critique of religion and "church" steps on my toes, that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Believers should understand that the problem of mere religion in our churches and in our life is not the true nature of church.

Jesus founded the church. He didn't have "being religious" in mind when He began it. But even a church that follows Jesus struggles with being like Him. The church is made of people, and the truth is that being the church requires grace, truth, and power from God.

The good news is that Jesus can save us by grace through faith. God calls us together as a family, and the church is actually the Body of Christ. God has a plan for the church, and it isn't being "religious", it is to be like Jesus and minister in a fallen world.

The problem is churches are messy because we are human. Believers still struggle with sin. It is not easy to be like Jesus. The goal to become like Jesus and live a life worthy of such a calling requires a complete transformation. That is impossible without God. The battle is within our human nature (called the flesh in the Bible), and also there is the pressure to conform to culture. It is a spiritual struggle. Satan is alive and well and he visits churches too (Acts 5:1-11).

One thing is certain. God wants people to hear the gospel and talk about Jesus. Many people who probably wouldn't read the Bible or go to church are thinking about Jesus because of this popular video.

As a result, the author has a media stage to share the gospel. He is encouraging people to start looking into the gospel, and thinking about Jesus. This is very good. God wants people to look into Jesus and His truth.

God's plan is to transform people, and that is what church is all about. It is really all about him. The difference between CHURCH and RELIGION is truth and the presence of Jesus in us. The true purpose of the church isn't about us. When God by his grace and power God uses us, people will be talking about JESUS and the GOSPEL. That is the mission of the church according to Jesus.

I saw this post by Tim Keller's which highlights the difference between the gospel and "religion". May God help us not to miss any opportunity to talk to others about Jesus. It sure looks like many are interested.

RELIGION: I obey-therefore I’m accepted

THE GOSPEL: I’m accepted-therefore I obey.

RELIGION: Motivation is based on fear and insecurity

THE GOSPEL: Motivation is based on grateful joy.

RELIGION: I obey God in order to get things from God

THE GOSPEL: I obey God to get to God-to delight and resemble Him.

RELIGION: When circumstances in my life go wrong, I am angry at God or my self, since I believe, like Job’s friends that anyone who is good deserves a comfortable life

THE GOSPEL: When circumstances in my life go wrong, I struggle but I know all my punishment fell on Jesus and that while he may allow this for my training, he will exercise his Fatherly love within my trial.

RELIGION: When I am criticized I am furious or devastated because it is critical that I think of myself as a ‘good person’. Threats to that self-image must be destroyed at all costs

THE GOSPEL: When I am criticized I struggle, but it is not critical for me to think of myself as a ‘good person.’ My identity is not built on my record or my performance but on God’s love for me in Christ. I can take criticism.

RELIGION: My prayer life consists largely of petition and it only heats up when I am in a time of need. My main purpose in prayer is control of the environment

THE GOSPEL: My prayer life consists of generous stretches of praise and adoration. My main purpose is fellowship with Him.

RELIGION: My self-view swings between two poles. If and when I am living up to my standards, I feel confident, but then I am prone to be proud and unsympathetic to failing people. If and when I am not living up to standards, I feel insecure and inadequate. I’m not confident. I feel like a failure

THE GOSPEL: My self-view is not based on a view of my self as a moral achiever. In Christ I am “simul iustus et peccator”-simultaneously sinful and yet accepted in Christ. I am so bad he had to die for me and I am so loved he was glad to die for me. This leads me to deeper and deeper humility and confidence at the same time. Neither swaggering nor sniveling.

RELIGION: My identity and self-worth are based mainly on how hard I work. Or how moral I am, and so I must look down on those I perceive as lazy or immoral. I disdain and feel superior to ‘the other

THE GOSPEL: My identity and self-worth are centered on the one who died for His enemies, who was excluded from the city for me. I am saved by sheer grace. So I can’t look down on those who believe or practice something different from me. Only by grace I am what I am. I’ve no inner need to win arguments.

RELIGION: Since I look to my own pedigree or performance for my spiritual acceptability, my heart manufactures idols. It may be my talents, my moral record, my personal discipline, my social status, etc. I absolutely have to have them so they serve as my main hope, meaning, happiness, security, and significance, whatever I may say I believe about God

THE GOSPEL: I have many good things in my life-family, work, spiritual disciplines, etc. But none of these good things are ultimate things to me. None of them are things I absolutely have to have, so there is a limit to how much anxiety, bitterness, and despondency they can inflict on me when they are threatened and lost.

2011-12-14T11:57:00.001-07:00

5 ways to keep Christ in Christmas . . .

1.	Pray for the lost and unreached people of the world. Many are in darkness and need the light of truth. Pray for our missionaries and pray about going on mission this year.

2.	Encourage kids to give a "special gift" to Jesus for His birthday—one that only He knows about. It could be spending more time talking to Him, being kind to a new friend at school or trying harder to include a younger sibling.

3.	Set a good example by always saying "Merry Christmas" in response to "Happy Holidays" while doing your Christmas shopping.

4.	Try not to pass up the Salvation Army^® buckets—even if it's just a handful of loose change. You might even sign up to volunteer ringing the bell.

5.	Start Christmas morning by thanking God for the gift of His son, Jesus. Read a portion of the Christmas Story from the Bible every day. Take turns reading the story.

Blessing Others

2011-11-02T16:52:00.000-07:00

The LORD bless you and keep you;

the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;

the LORD turn his face towards you and give you peace.”’

“So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”

(Numbers 6:24-27)

Blessing others is a good work. Try making a habit of saying "please, you go first, and thank you" with friends or strangers. Blessing is contagious. Others catch on to it, and relationships take on a different "atmosphere".

The work of blessing is priestly. If you are a believer in Christ, then it is for you. Every believer in Jesus has been designated God's priest.

The apostle Peter wrote: "... for you are a chosen people. You are a kingdom of priests, God’s holy nation, his very own possession. This is so you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. “Once you were not a people; now you are the people of God. Once you received none of God’s mercy; now you have received his mercy.”

In the name of the LORD.

Blessing others was a commandment in the Tanach, or Old Testament. The Aaronic blessing date back to the time of Moses, and it has spread across the ages and span of the world. The blessing is open to everyone, because it is based on divine grace.

The blessing is revelational and relational. The LORD bless you. The name LORD is God's name Yahweh. The priests bless the people with the name of the LORD and "so they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them."

A threefold blessing.

The LORD "bless you and keep you"- the blessings include spiritual and material good.

The apostle James asked, "Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?" (James 2:15, 16)

'blessing' is more than words. God's blessing can come through us when the blessing is more than words.

The LORD "make his face shine upon you".

The disciple John say the face of Jesus shine 2 times, once when Jesus was transfigured on the mountain, and later the resurrected Lord appeared to John from heaven while he was exiled on Patmos.

The pharisee Saul saw Jesus and the shine of his presence blinded him.

Moses requested to see God's glory, and God had to cover him while he passed by, or he would see God and die.

May his face shine upon you denotes God's pleasure and favor. God is not looking at us in anger or condemnation, though our sins deserve his righteous judgment. God's face shine upon you is by pure grace.

The LORD "turn is face upon you and give you peace" is God turning toward us. Salvation is by grace through faith. God turns to those who respond to him in faith. God's blessing of salvation is contingent upon our faith. Faith includes repentance and trust, acceptance and it always involves commitment of our soul.

The blessing comes when we share the greatest news with everyone who will hear it and believe.

The blessing of peace comes between us. The Son of Jesus, who is our great high priest, has redeemed us with his own blood.

Bless others. Tell what the Lord has done for you. Tell them about Jesus

Jesus film project.

2011-09-21T12:25:00.001-07:00

there is a wonder and wildness to life

2011-07-28T05:54:00.000-07:00

I read the following on the blog John Piper wrote some time ago.

On October 22, 1976, Clyde Kilby, who is now with Christ in Heaven, gave an unforgettable lecture. His plea was that we stop being unamazed by the strange glory of ordinary things. He ended that lecture in 1976 with a list of resolutions. As a tribute to my teacher and a blessing to your soul, I offer them for your joy.

1. At least once every day I shall look steadily up at the sky and remember that I, a consciousness with a conscience, am on a planet traveling in space with wonderfully mysterious things above and about me.

2. Instead of the accustomed idea of a mindless and endless evolutionary change to which we can neither add nor subtract, I shall suppose the universe guided by an Intelligence which, as Aristotle said of Greek drama, requires a beginning, a middle, and an end. I think this will save me from the cynicism expressed by Bertrand Russell before his death when he said: "There is darkness without, and when I die there will be darkness within. There is no splendor, no vastness anywhere, only triviality for a moment, and then nothing."

3. I shall not fall into the falsehood that this day, or any day, is merely another ambiguous and plodding twenty-four hours, but rather a unique event, filled, if I so wish, with worthy potentialities. I shall not be fool enough to suppose that trouble and pain are wholly evil parentheses in my existence, but just as likely ladders to be climbed toward moral and spiritual manhood.

4. I shall not turn my life into a thin, straight line which prefers abstractions to reality. I shall know what I am doing when I abstract, which of course I shall often have to do.

5. I shall not demean my own uniqueness by envy of others. I shall stop boring into myself to discover what psychological or social categories I might belong to. Mostly I shall simply forget about myself and do my work.

6. I shall open my eyes and ears. Once every day I shall simply stare at a tree, a flower, a cloud, or a person. I shall not then be concerned at all to ask what they are but simply be glad that they are. I shall joyfully allow them the mystery of what Lewis calls their "divine, magical, terrifying and ecstatic" existence.

7. I shall sometimes look back at the freshness of vision I had in childhood and try, at least for a little while, to be, in the words of Lewis Carroll, the "child of the pure unclouded brow, and dreaming eyes of wonder."

8. I shall follow Darwin's advice and turn frequently to imaginative things such as good literature and good music, preferably, as Lewis suggests, an old book and timeless music.

9. I shall not allow the devilish onrush of this century to usurp all my energies but will instead, as Charles Williams suggested, "fulfill the moment as the moment." I shall try to live well just now because the only time that exists is now.

10. Even if I turn out to be wrong, I shall bet my life on the assumption that this world is not idiotic, neither run by an absentee landlord, but that today, this very day, some stroke is being added to the cosmic canvas that in due course I shall understand with joy as a stroke made by the architect who calls himself Alpha and Omega.

Prayer Walking

2011-05-18T10:14:00.000-07:00

And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. - Matthew 4:18

Jesus is God and he walked everywhere He went, probably about 2 m.p.h. Our world flies by our car window and we hardly notice. Going is all about traffic and wishing we had the road to ourselves.

Jesus walking was more than traveling to somewhere. The journey itself was the plan. Walking along the sea of Galilee, it doesn't say where Jesus was going because the walk was so he could see, so He could pray and invite and teach and help.

It is really hard to see people at all, let alone notice them or interact when we are moving along in the crazy traffic of Phoenix. We cannot avoid commuting and driving, but I do believe that God wants us to get out of our cars and do some walking.

Some of us have been prayer walking in neighborhoods and parks lately. It has been eye opening and important. We start to see people and notice needs and opportunities. And while we walk, we are speaking to God. It is healthy and good.

We are called to follow Jesus. I am learning that involves getting on airplanes and going to new places and sharing the gospel, and it is also for me, about slowing down and walking and praying and conversations and divine appointments.

Abide in Jesus' Word

2011-05-12T07:10:00.000-07:00

Haven't written lately because of good reasons and some not so good. There's been great things going on like mobilizing to share the gospel person to person in an outreach campaign. And just a few weeks ago, I was in Africa helping train pastors and encourage missionaries.

The not so good reasons for my silence include the fact that I don't multi-task very well, we are undergoing a learning curve from downsizing our church staff, and we had to move out of our home for financial hardship reasons, and I won't even go into all the gory details of the past year trying to salvage that situation.

In thinking about a title for this blog, Jesus words about abiding came to mind. Abide in my Word, Jesus taught. I have memorized his word and study them every week. But only a few times in my life have I had a brush with "darkness" in this area of my walk.

What I mean is my mind's attention and imagination is usually resting and growing with delight in God's Word. Even in "dry spells" my heart and mind are protected, so to speak, by assurance of the things "once taught".

Recently, I had a draining and discomforting challenge in regards to "abiding" in the Word. What I am reminded is that ideas are powerful and false ideas and false teaching are very dangerous.

Many years ago in Colorado, a "brother" whom I had just met and I we were talking about Jesus. It seemed all good, until he suddenly remarked something negative about my "studying theology" at seminary. The conversation went so quickly to his words, which I shall never forget, "Jesus never claimed to be "God", he is the son of God."

Turns out the man was a member of a cult known as "The Way". But his words, for some strange reason, deeply troubled me for weeks. I got to one point one Sunday morning that I said to Jesus, "I don't believe I am deceived about who you are." I told Jesus I trusted him, and would simply trust him and stop allowing the doubt planted by this man's words to stay in my consideration or imagination.

Actually this was spiritual warfare. I knew it to, and from that point until today, my faith has found a resting place. One of our Baptist hymns says,

'my faith has found a resting place not in device nor creed
it is enough that Jesus died, and that he died for me.'

To be honest, it is the Word of God that is my only resting place, but the voices of the departed believers who wrote hymns, creeds, and sermons, greatly encourage me through their words, creeds and biography that faithfully sustain the same chords of truth over the centuries.

So recently there was another arrow that found its way into my mind, shot by events that will remain anonymous. The strange thing is that each of these false ideas came from people considered "friends". In other words, my guard was down.

Jesus warned about false teachers coming into "their midst". There are many kinds of things I suppose, that can wreck a person's faith. Conflict, moral failure, tribulation (trouble), and neglect. Each one of these is part of spiritual warfare, but the most dangerous weapon the enemy uses is falsehood or false ideas.

The importance of truth cannot be overstated or overrated.

Paul spoke of arguments to be undermined and destroyed—those that oppose the knowledge of God. Paul faced a multitude of erroneous ideas and false teachers—and considered that personal attacks were least important. The most dangerous of weapons in Satan's arsenal are his lies. He tried them on Jesus. He overcame Adam and Eve with them, and he has the "world" in his pocket.

Our strategy of warfare is the Word and Spirit-empowered reasoning to tear down barriers erected against the truth. As a pastor, I cannot not stop with the task of demolishing falsehood; our goal was “to take every thought captive to obey Christ”. This remarkable phrase can be rendered “to take as prisoner of war."

(2 Corinthians 10:3-5) We are human, but we don’t wage war with human plans and methods. We use God’s mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the Devil’s strongholds. With these weapons we break down every proud argument that keeps people from knowing God. With these weapons we conquer their rebellious ideas, and we teach them to obey Christ.

Every thought that is in rebellion to God must be made a prisoner of war and be made to submit to the authority of God in Christ Jesus as Lord.

The battle for the hearts and minds of men will be won on the battlefield of ideas. Bad arguments and wrong ideas capture minds and create worldviews, cults, and false religions.

Being a Christian in the world means not doing battle the way the world does battle. By giving true spiritual wisdom, God's goal is that every thought is to be brought into captivity to Christ.

Even though God's truth penetrates all of life, there is only one foundation. It is the foundation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. His personhood, story, purpose and teachings are the rock on which we stand. Faithful soldiers of Christ engage our enemy, Satan, whose false teaching, temptations, and devices we must be familiar with, but also we must guard against.

Ideas are powerful. False ideas can be damning. Jesus said, remain in Me.

I fully intend to remain in Jesus. I am certain his word is truth, and that the faith that has passed down to is faithful and true. Some people say the truth (ideas) are not important. What matters is a "personal" relationship with Jesus. That is a phrase I use all the time, but by it I do not mean a "personal, private' interpretation of the Word of God.

The true Church is One. The Body of Christ stands on the solid Rock. The essential truths upon which our faith rests are not "personal" in one sense. They are corporate, in other words, they are shared together.

True believers are one in Spirit and one in our faith in Jesus. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ. So now with confidence and courage we share the gospel and teach disciples to obey Him and remain in Him, remembering that “the battle is the Lord’s,” and He is already victorious.

Keep going till the whole world hears

2011-03-30T08:41:00.000-07:00

(Matthew 28:19, 20) Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

(Acts 1:8) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

How will the gospel be proclaimed to the ends of the earth? The answer is a disciple will have to travel and teach it, tell it, live it. Matthew 28:19 can be translated "as you go" preach the gospel to everyone. Even though Jesus' command isn't to "go", but to "proclaim and make disciples", "going" is understood to mean being sent out.

It isn't passive. Jesus said "of all nations", meaning every "group" of people.

Acts 1:8 describes God's empowered people that will spread the gospel outward, even to the ends of the earth. The gospel spreads through witnessing, as they go, they will preach and make disciples.

God's power will move them. It moves in us and also through us. The power is God's present Holy Spirit who resides in us, transforms us into witnesses, and leads us to go. That is the pattern of the Spirit's work throughout the book of Acts.

The people of God become the messengers of God's movement and the gospel spreads over the globe to the every people, every tribe or tongue.

1. The idea of "mission" originated with God when he sent His Son to "give his life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45).

2. God "desires all people to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:4) and we are assured that people from "every tribe and language and people and nation" will be present in heaven (Revelation 5:9).

3. Followers of Christ have been entrusted with the message of the gospel (2 Timothy 1:14) and given the mission to make disciples wherever they go (Matt. 28:19-20, Mark 16:14-18, Luke 24:44-49, John 20:19-23, and Acts 1:4-8).

It is God's will that the gospel is proclaimed to every person. It is not God's will for any Christian that the gospel stops with you. Each one is called to make disciples, across the street and around the world.

4. God's people don't need more information. Information and opportunity are available to every believer, from Mozambique to Arizona. What is needed is application. Growing Christians who are also going Christians. Since every believer is God's servant, every member can be a missionary.

I AM is not every man. Jesus is the I AM, there is no other name.

2011-02-25T08:34:00.000-07:00

The apostle Peter wrote: there is no other name given (by God) among men by which we must be saved.

2,000 years ago, Jesus started a movement. The Kingdom of God is in the church. The true church that Jesus began is not a building, religious society, or even a "world religion". The church and Christianity are a relationship with the Living Lord. The message is salvation through new life in Christ by grace through faith. The purpose of the movement is proclaiming the gospel of Christ and making disciples (followers of Jesus Christ) through teaching and example.

The true church is apostolic. Not a line of physical succession, but based upon the Word of God. The New Testament writings are apostolic, meaning that we receive the New Testament as authoritative. It is the Word of God. Jesus is the truth. His word is truth.

Peter, a follower of Jesus of Nazareth, preaching to the Jewish leaders explained how a man lame for 40 years could walk;

(Acts 3:14-16) You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.

The next day, Peter states again at his trial;

(Acts 4:8-12) Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. He is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.’ Salvation is found in no-one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

Reality is Jesus. He is God. His story is true. Jesus has come and He died for every person because sin is real. On the third day, He rose again. Jesus came to save us, to heal us. The problem is sin. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

Sin separates every sinner from God and because of its nature, even from one another and creation, and it leads to death and to life as we know it. Jesus is the answer.

There is no one else, and no other name under heaven given for salvation. His name is Jesus.

There is a movie coming out "I AM" that represents the view that mankind can save itself, that man is the pinnacle of a circle of life.

I hope every believer can understand this spirit of antichrist, which has been in the world and is rising in these last days.

The ideas are not new, but the technology and spiritual momentum of this movement have power. The power is not truth, but deception because the message is popular and a combination of spiritualism, humanism, science and philosophy.

The trailer for the movie is here.

"I AM" is a message. It is part of a global movement, and is in harmony with The Zeitgeist Movement / The Venus Project, which are a one world philosophy of life.

From the website:

The Zeitgeist Movement is not a political movement. It does not recognize nations, governments, races, religions, creeds or class. Our understandings conclude that these are false, outdated distinctions which are far from positive factors for true collective human growth and potential. Their basis is in power division and stratification, not unity and equality, which is our goal. While it is important to understand that everything in life is a natural progression, we must also acknowledge the reality that the human species has the ability to drastically slow and paralyze progress, through social structures which are out of date, dogmatic, and hence out of line with nature itself. The world you see today, full of war, corruption, elitism, pollution, poverty, epidemic disease, human rights abuses, inequality and crime is the result of this paralysis.

My post is not a movie critique, but a pastoral teaching to encourage God's people to be true to Jesus and the faith once delivered, and not be taken in by the spirit of antichrist.

This is not about one movie, or even this particular website. It is about a spirit and philosophy that is antichrist. Apparently, the movement has a great deal of momentum around the world, as one person writes:

Another huge movie that will push the World population to understand that the only Paradise is here, if we share and love and express gratitude instead of competition and challenge. Unity is Love, Love is Unity and unity is Paradise.

Praying in Jesus' name

2011-02-24T08:41:00.000-07:00

repost from Desiring God by John Piper

Here’s what is present when we kneel to pray in Jesus’ name:

1. God the Father on his throne sovereign over the universe, with a welcoming, countenance focused on us.2. God the Son in his high priestly role, standing as advocate before the throne as a Lamb that was slain with perfect righteousness and with all God’s promises purchased fully in his hand interceding for us.3. God the Spirit within us, having already inclined us to pray, poised to guide our prayers, put to death our sins, awaken our faith, illumine God’s word, and produce his fruit.4. The word of God open before us, inspired by God, alive with penetrating power for conviction of sin and indomitable hope, revealing the Father, the Son, and the Spirit to our souls, shaping and guiding our prayers after God’s will.5. Our sin forgiven, but humbling us to need and love our merciful saving God.6. God’s grace like a great rainbow of hope arcing from the throne to our soul.7. Our will captured by these realities, moving words (or only groans) up out of our mind (or only heart) to God with praise and thanks and confession and requests.

Ambition

2011-01-25T16:25:00.000-07:00

(Romans 15:20) It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation.

Without ambition, nothing happens. The status quo for the human race is death, according to Romans 3:23 and 6:23.

(Romans 3:23) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
(Romans 6:23) For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Without ambition, we can be lazy, apathetic, and passive. There will be no desire to do something great, something eternal.

There are 2 kinds of ambition. There is selfish or vain ambition. It's all about me. In the case of Jesus and Peter, Peter means well, but Jesus rebukes Peter for his words and motives are not from God, but are in fact from the devil. (Matthew 16:22-25) Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.” Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

It was Jesus' ambition to save mankind that was at stake. If Jesus saved his own life, our spiritual status quo would be separation from God in death.

Ambition is not the problem, and the absence of ambition can be a big problem. But ambition must be for the right things, for the truth, for God's will and purpose.

The church needs to be ambitious. Churches need planting. Missionaries need to go to the ends of the earth. Sharing the truth and love of God must become our ambition.

May God inspire and call us to greater things. They are yet to come, they still need to be done in this city.

Praying, voting, helping for life

2011-01-21T08:04:00.001-07:00

(Psalms 139:13, 17-18) For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You.

Abortion stops a beating heart. The abortion practice in our world and in this country is a terrible evil.

According to God's story, every human life is more than a miracle. Each and every person is a creation of masterpiece proportions by God who loves, knows, and is near each person. A human being is made in the image of God. A living soul, from conception. The high view of mankind is the basis of morality and a basic tenet of Christianity.

We believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who became a human being, born of a virgin. The scripture teaches that God formed us in our mother's womb, and that we are fearfully (reverently) and wonderfully (miraculous, with awe) made.

Every second of our life, from the moment of conception to death is marked in God's book. Every person on the earth, which we number in the billions, from high to low, rich to poor, healthy to disabled, is a miracle of God, because whether "healthy" or handicapped, God loves us and we are a living soul with potentiality, not only for ourselves, but for the human race, for those who are around us.

Each one needs love and respect. Perhaps the poor and sickly and weak are not able to enjoy the blessing of God's original plan for mankind to be well or whole due to the effects of the "fall" of mankind, see Genesis 3. But they shall live forever nonetheless, and in heaven everyone will be perfect and safe for all eternity.

Perhaps God's will is that the most needy or weakest among us, and we are all "needy" is an opportunity to show the love of God and to become more like Him by giving unconditional, faithful love to those who are not able to take care of themselves.

Indeed, "no man is an island". It is God's will that we love our neighbor has ourself, that believers love with the love of Christ. A self giving, sacrificial love. God's commands and model for family are good and true.

The abortion mentality of our day claims "personal autonomy" and "sexual liberty" but it costs millions of lives. In America, over 40 million human beings have been killed, mercilessly slaughtered in the womb and in some cases, murdered by second attempt.

Whatever happened to the human race?

We who are pro-life must never, ever give up. We must pray. We can vote. We must help share the gospel with every person, we must support the needy with actions, and we must speak the truth in love, no matter the cost.

Saturday marks the anniversary of the ill conceived and grim, costly Supreme Court decision called Roe v. Wade which struck down every law prohibiting or limiting abortion in America. Abortion is a gruesome, ungodly, unjust and deadly act. Precious human life, 40 million innocent killed. Million, with an "M".

God loves people. He created life. In Jesus Christ, there is forgiveness for all sin, and there is hope for every man and baby.

Stay humble

2011-01-08T11:21:00.000-07:00

repost of Rick Warren's post:

Stay humble or you’ll stumble

By Rick Warren

Stay humble or you’ll stumble as a leader. It’s an irrevocable law of ministry – and life for that matter. The Bible says in Proverbs 29:23,“Arrogance will bring your downfall but if you’re humble, you will be respected.” (GNB)
What does it mean to be humble? It’s not denying your strengths. That’s just being phony. That’s false humility. Don’t try to hide what you’re not good at.
Humility means being honest about your weaknesses. When Paul asked God to remove his “thorn in the flesh,” God told Him that His power was made perfect in weakness. You show those you lead the power of God working through you when you come clean about what you’re not good at.
Humility means realizing how much you owe other people. You didn’t get the opportunities you’ve gotten on your own. Others have helped. Don’t forget the many people who shaped you and helped you get were you are. And then don’t forget the people in your life today who make you better. We all stand on the shoulders of other people. Humility means acknowledging those other people.
Humility means being honest about who you are. At one point I thought Paul had an ego trip because he’d write sentences like, “Follow me as I follow Christ.” But it’s not arrogant. It’s honest. He was saying, “At least I’m making an attempt to try to live for the Lord and that’s better than a lot of people are doing.”
Paul could be honest about his strengths because he was also honest about his weaknesses. He wrote at various times, “I come to you in weakness with great fear and trembling … I’m the least of the apostles … the chief of sinners.” He never shied away from his weaknesses.

The God of the Bible

2011-01-05T06:28:00.004-07:00

1 Timothy 4:13-16

Paul wrote to Timothy: "Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you. Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers."

Most Christians are "armchair" students of science and theology. In other words, many believers form some of their opinions based upon television and books. That would be true in my case, I have always had a great interest in the sciences, and so I follow the latest observations, discoveries and theories about the created world with humble interest.

However, as a Christian, my beliefs in and about the Bible do not come from an armchair understanding of the latest television documentary.

What prompted me to write this blog? Recently, 2 fine believers each shared that they understood the Bible was probably rewritten several times by men, and though they believed it, they assumed the Bible is not reliable. These conversations with my friends sort of popped a bubble that I didn't know I lived in.

The need of our day is God's truth. Christians need to get back to the Bible.

God is true. God's Word is truth. Jesus said, "I am the ...truth." (John 14:6) I believe in and faithfully preach the Word of God week in and week out. I passionately encourage God's people to know the Bible, to believe it and obey it.

In a Bible believing church, believers are regularly reminded that God calls His people to give their whole life to follow Jesus Christ. Believers are called share God's Word in a dangerous world filled with sin and enmity toward God. Christians know that people without faith in Jesus Christ are without Jesus Christ, and are utterly lost. The Word teaches that God's will is for all of life is to be lived according to God's truth.

God does not intend for believers to form their convictions based on the latest book or a History channel documentary. This should not be. The truth is at stake. Heaven and hell are at stake, only the truth of Jesus Christ can set men free. Jesus, who is God, is the truth. God's Word is the foundation of everything in my life.

The Bible says believers must be careful not to be taken "captive" to worldly philosophies, man's traditions or anything other than Jesus Christ. Jesus taught us that the Word of God abides forever. He is the living Word of God. The Bible is the sword of God's Spirit.

Christians are not to be "worldly minded". The Bible says the natural man cannot accept the things of God, but the spiritual man discerns truth. The believer has a new life and a renewing mind, according to the truth of the Bible and the Holy Spirit. We have the mind of Christ. Our thoughts are being renewed according to the Word of God.

When believers give tacit approval to the "truth claims" called science, philosophy, and even religion, instead of basing their faith on God's Word, they inevitably end up losing their faith in God and His Word.

Those who have the mind of Christ accept God's Word over the History channel. We believe the Bible, and try to understand and evaluate the world and the messages we hear and think about in light of God's truth. Jesus said, "man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." The Bible is God's Word, and the Holy Spirit is our teacher who illumines the Word.

The Bible declares what is true and all things God has done are true. The Bible says, God numbers the stars and numbers the hairs on our heads. God keeps His Word, he directs the course of history, and reveals Himself personally and individually.

The Bible is reliable, authoritative and life giving. God's Word has been preserved by God. We cannot live without it. God’s truth is absolute, eternal, and essential.

(2 Timothy 3:16-4:5) All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

That is job one for me as your pastor. My faith rests on the living, abiding Word of God.

Page two.
On a related side note: The God of creation is the God of salvation. What is true about the Gospel is equally true about Genesis. Al Mohler has written an excellent discussion on the importance of the creation-evolution debate, which you can read here.

So very grateful

2010-12-30T22:29:00.000-07:00

the following was posted on Desiring God blog:

The Grace of God in Our Circumstances

November 26, 2010 | by: Michael Oh | Category: Commentary

Why You Weren't Born As an Impoverished Child in an Unreached Nation

Have you ever thought about why you were born into your particular circumstances? If you are reading this blog entry you are most likely a Christian whose life has been purchased by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. You are also likely relatively wealthy, at least compared to most people living in the world. If you have the ability to eat three times per day and have shelter over your head, you are better off than many people in the world. If you earn $25,000 per year, you are the richest 10% of the world. You are rich. In fact if you earn $2,200 per year you are the richest 15% of the world. If you reading this you are literate and likely had several years of education. If so you have received more education than hundreds of millions of people around the world. Perhaps you have gone to college, even graduate school.

So why? Why you? Why your particular circumstances? There are people around the world who might be asking the same questions. Wondering why they weren't born in America. Wondering why they can't eat three times per day, why they don't have the luxury of throwing food away. Wondering what it would be like to go to school or attend college or even read. Wondering what a warm bed feels like.

You could have been born as an impoverished child in an unreached nation. Perhaps as a girl born into a Muslim family where you would be forbidden to show anything beyond what can be seen through the eye slits of your veil and could be beaten if you disobeyed even the simplest command of your father. You could have been born in a remote village in Vietnam with little food or education and no opportunity to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You could have been born as a girl in Africa who will eventually be sold by your parents into sexual slavery. That could have been you.

But it's not you. Instead you were born into privileged circumstances. Blessed physically, educationally, financially, and spiritually. Why? Only by the grace of God. What is our response then to such blessing and grace?

Certainly God calls us to be thankful. But too few of us are. We take for granted the blessings that we have received from God. Instead of thanksgiving for what we have received, we complain about and lust after the things that we don't have. We covet what our neighbors have. We idolize material things. We are surrounded by clear, tangible, practical blessings from God that should be so easily recognized and enjoyed. But our eyes and hearts are too often and too easily diverted toward what we don't have by the power and persuasion of advertising and social pressure. Lord, forgive us for our lack of thanksgiving!

And another crucial response to God's blessings and grace in our lives should be to look to share with those in need. Rather than looking at our own circumstances and then the unfortunate circumstances of others and saying, "Thank God I'm not them!" We need to recognize that our circumstances are by the grace of God alone in order that the grace of God might spread from us to others. This is certainly true in care of the global poor. If Christians would simply tithe it is said that the global church would have sufficient funds to solve world poverty. Many Christians in developed nations of the world are growing more and more wealthy. But at the same time as wealth grows, the percentage of giving is decreasing. Giving among Christians was higher during the Great Depression than it is today. That shows that many Christians see offering as more of a tax than an act of worship and a response of thanksgiving.

But even more important is the response of sharing spiritual blessing with the unreached peoples of the world. If you were born into a fundamentalist Islamic family what would youwant Christians in America to do? If you were born into a family of a Shinto priest, how would you want Christians in America to respond? Knowing what you know today, certainly you would want them to share with you about eternal life through the Savior of the world Jesus Christ. Certainly you would want them to bring the Gospel to their nation and teach them about salvation for their souls and about eternal life. Certainly you would want churches and Christians in other nations to sacrifice financially to send missionaries to teach you the Bible, God's Word to this world.

But again, by the grace of God, you weren't born into those circumstances. You were born into your own. So you can ignore what could have been and just continue in the circumstances you have been given by God's grace. Or you can choose to recognize that you are who you are, that you are saved, that you are blessed, that you are undeservedly loved— only by the grace of God— and choose to do all that is in your power to help those in need. To invest the blessing of your education for those who have none. To invest the blessing of your finances to help those who have little or none. To invest your spiritually blessed life to help those around the world who are lost without Christ to hear the good news of Jesus Christ.

Takanori Oba is a young man who was born in Japan, the largest unreached nation of the world. He was born to a father who when he would get drunk took out his anger by beating his son and throwing golf balls at his head. In the evening when his father returned to their apartment Takanori would quickly turn out his light and pretend to be sleeping hoping to avoid a whipping by his father's belt. Perhaps you are thinking, "Thank God that I wasn't born into a life like his." Eventually Takanori and his mother escaped their father and home to start a new life. Years later the grace of God reached down to Takanori Oba and saved his soul. He later became the first graduate of Christ Bible Seminary in Nagoya, Japan where I serve as president. During the second year of his studies he was able to visit his abusive father, seeing him for the first time in over 15 years. When he saw his father, God gave Taka a logic-defying compassion for the man who had caused him such pain.

Why was Takanori born into his circumstances? Was it a curse? No, it was the grace of God. And today Takanori is seeking to share that same grace with the father who abused him. That's what Takanori would have wanted if he were born into his father's circumstances. That's the Golden Rule.

Topic Gratitude

Christmas

2010-12-22T06:50:00.000-07:00

Peace

2010-12-20T07:25:00.000-07:00

It came upon a midnight clear
that glorious song of old
from angels bending near the earth
to touch their harps of gold.

Bethlehem

"Peace on the earth,
good will to men"
from heaven's all gracious King.

The world in solemn stillness lay
to hear the angels sing.

And ye, beneath life’s crushing load,
Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow,

Look now! for glad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing.
O rest beside the weary road,
And hear the angels sing!

For lo! the days are hastening on,
By prophet-bards foretold,
When with the ever circling years
Comes round the age of gold;
When peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendors fling,
And the whole world send back the song
Which now the angels sing.

Noel! Jesus is born.

from "My Utmost"

2010-12-03T07:29:00.000-07:00

NOT BY MIGHT NOR BY POWER

“And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” I Corinthians 2:4

f in preaching the Gospel you substitute your clear knowledge of the way of salvation for confidence in the power of the Gospel, you hinder people getting to Reality. You have to see that while you proclaim your knowledge of the way of salvation, you yourself are rooted and grounded in faith in God. Never rely on the clearness of your exposition, but as you give your exposition see that you are relying on the Holy Spirit. Rely on the certainty of God’s redemptive power, and He will create His own life in souls.

When once you are rooted in Reality, nothing can shake you.

If your faith is in experiences, anything that happens is likely to upset that faith; but nothing can ever upset God or the almighty Reality of Redemption; base your faith on that, and you are as eternally secure as God. When once you get into personal contact with Jesus Christ, you will never be moved again. That is the meaning of sanctification. God puts His disapproval on human experience when we begin to adhere to the conception that sanctification is merely an experience, and forget that sanctification itself has to be sanctified (see John 17:19). I have deliberately to give my sanctified life to God for His service, so that He can use me as His hands and His feet.

First week of Advent: Week of Prayer

2010-12-01T06:01:00.000-07:00

an old Christmas card

It came upon the midnight clear,

That glorious song of old,

From angels bending near the earth,

To touch their harps of gold:

"Peace on the earth, goodwill to men

From heavens all gracious King!"

The world in solemn stillness lay

To hear the angels sing.

Still through the cloven skies they come,

With peaceful wings unfurled;

And still their heavenly music floats

O'er all the weary world:

Above its sad and lowly plains

They bend on hovering wing,

And ever o'er its Babel sounds

The blessed angels sing.

O ye beneath life's crushing load,

Whose forms are bending low,

Pleides, winter stars in view of the shepherds
when angels came to announce the birth
of Jesus, the Son of God.

Who toil along the climbing way

With painful steps and slow;

Look now, for glad and golden hours

Come swiftly on the wing;

Oh rest beside the weary road

And hear the angels sing.

For lo! the days are hastening on,

By prophets seen of old,

When with the ever-circling years

Shall come the time foretold,

When the new heaven and earth shall own

The Prince of Peace, their King,

And the whole world send back the song

Which now the angels sing.

(Galatians 4:3-7) And that’s the way it was with us before Christ came. We were slaves to the spiritual powers of this world. But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. And because you Gentiles have become his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, and now you can call God your dear Father. Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, everything he has belongs to you.

The truth about Christmas must come out. Pray for boldness to share the message of Jesus, for servant heart to serve others, and for our giving to reflect God's heart for a lost and weary world.

Thanksgiving is to God

2010-11-23T07:10:00.000-07:00

We Gather Together

Thanksgiving became a national holiday in 1863. In that year, during the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln made his Thanksgiving Day Proclamation. He asked citizens to “to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise . . . .”

This morning I read a thanksgiving note above from the Old Farmer's Almanac, and I noticed that the editor had misquoted President Lincoln, and left out the heart of Lincoln's proclamation. The email went on about turkey and historic thanksgiving day storms, but there was no mention of GOD.

It remind me of the story of two women window shopping some years ago. The one woman said to her friend, "Look at that, isn't it a shame." pointing toward a manger scene presented in the center of the store window. She continued, "The church is trying to take over Christmas."

President Lincoln wrote in his proclamation about the good things, even though the United States had just ended the Civil War and there was much ruin and distrust. He proposed that Americans should close their business and school to set apart a day to give thanks to God.

It is a shame that Old Farmer's Almanac couldn't or wouldn't risk mentioning God, and replace the heart of thanksgiving with a "...".

So read the words that Lincoln wrote that began our American tradition of thanksgiving, and take time to thank God with your family this Thursday as we gather together.

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed.
Done at the City of Washington, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the Unites States the Eighty-eighth.
By the President: Abraham Lincoln

Thankful to him

2010-11-15T07:55:00.002-07:00

(Psalms 86:12) I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, And will glorify Your name forever.

A few years back at children's summer camp, the camp pastor challenged the children with some simple instructions. If they would follow these, the week would be extraordinary.

He was correct. The week was a great one, the spirits of the kids were harmonious, attentive and open hearted. Several children came to know Christ, others dedicated themselves to discipleship and some felt God tug their heart with a sense of calling into ministry.

The children and adults too, sang from their heart, were eager to hear the Word of God, and were helping each other all week. There were no behavior problems, the camp looked like we hadn't been there throughout the week.

His instructions were very simple. He requested that throughout the week, the children practice 3 things. They were to say "please, you go first, and thank you" every time they could. It caught on, and the different "atmosphere" was really amazing.

The 3 simple "words" were like a continuous personal attitude adjuster. When you live at camp with a hundred people you don't know, you interact all day long. By saying these 3 simple words, each person was regularly receiving grace.

It didn't get old either. Just as soon as you would forget, someone would say, please, you go first. And then the smile and "thank you". It was really fun, and created a camp environment where our hearts were blessed with "common grace" and open to the work of the Holy Spirit and the voice of truth.

The words are actually expressions of grace. Please is a word of humility. Please is used when we are asking for something from someone else, like standing in the chow line at children's camp. Please is not a demand, it recognizes that whatever is received is a favor, not a right.

I think prayer to God and asking in Jesus name really is like saying please. If the person says yes, you are grateful, and if no or wait, there is the second word, 'you go first'. You go first is submissive, it is putting another first.

In prayer, Jesus taught us to pray, "your will be done". In the model for prayer, Jesus taught "thy kingdom come, thy will be done." That was Jesus' prayer throughout his life. In his toughest battle, when he prayed in agony in the garden, he asked, please, let the "cup" pass; yet not my will, but thine be done."

Please and you go first are an attitude that pervaded the life of Jesus. Our prayer life can be transformed, just like the children's camp was. Open hearts, receptivity to the Spirit, and happiness result.

The third word is thank you. Thank you is giving voice to an attitude of the heart. I will give thanks to you with all my heart, and will glorify your Name forever. Saying thank you to one another is very good, but giving thanks to God is most important.

It is not good to give to another what belongs only to God. We should say thank you to one another, we should have an attitude like that. But we never read the words to give thanks with all our heart to a human being. Ultimately, every good and perfect gift comes to us from God, even those that come through other people.

We have to be careful not to mock grace. It is patronizing to thank people, or to give credit to them for what really we should give to God.

Let it all rise to Him.

The Enemy

2010-11-02T09:13:00.001-07:00

For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12)

Jesus defeated sin by taking it on himself and dying on a cross. He is the crucified Lamb.

Jesus defeated death by rising again on the third day. He is the living Savior.

But the battle with Satan rages on, and the lives of all hang in the balance. Jesus spent his whole ministry fighting against Satan. But this battle is ongoing and we are engaged in the battle.

Steve Green wrote a song called The Mission.

There's a call going out
Across the land in every nation
A call to those who swear allegiance to the cross of Christ
A call to true humility, to live our live responsibly
To deepen our devotion to the cross at any price

Let us then be sober, moving only in the Spirit,
As aliens and strangers in a hostile foreign land.
The message we're proclaiming is repentance and forgiveness
The offer of salvation to a dying race of man

To love the Lord our God is the heartbeat of our mission;
The spring from which our service overflows.
Across the street or around the world the mission's still the same:
Proclaim and live the Truth in Jesus' name

As a candle is consumed by the passion of the flame
Spilling light unsparingly throughout a darkened room
Let us burn to know Him deeper
Then our service flaming bright
Will radiate his passions
And blaze with holy light

There is safe place where we find remedy. It is a household that is built on the rock, Jesus Christ. Salvation, truth and grace are God's weapons. The gates of hell will not overcome the Church. (Matthew 16:18)

(Romans 8:37-39) No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This is the ground we stand upon - we take our stand for grace and truth which sets the captives free. Let us stand then.

The Method of Missions

2010-10-27T08:06:00.000-07:00

by Oswald Chambers, My Utmost

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations . . . —Matthew 28:19

Jesus Christ did not say, “Go and save souls” (the salvation of souls is the supernatural work of God), but He said, “Go . . . make disciples of all the nations . . . .” Yet you cannot make disciples unless you are a disciple yourself. When the disciples returned from their first mission, they were filled with joy because even the demons were subject to them. But Jesus said, in effect, “Don’t rejoice in successful service— the great secret of joy is that you have the right relationship with Me” (see Luke 10:17-20). The missionary’s great essential is remaining true to the call of God, and realizing that his one and only purpose is to disciple men and women to Jesus. Remember that there is a passion for souls that does not come from God, but from our desire to make converts to our point of view.

The challenge to the missionary does not come from the fact that people are difficult to bring to salvation, that backsliders are difficult to reclaim, or that there is a barrier of callous indifference. No, the challenge comes from the perspective of the missionary’s own personal relationship with Jesus Christ— “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” (Matthew 9:28). Our Lord unwaveringly asks us that question, and it confronts us in every individual situation we encounter. The one great challenge to us is— do I know my risen Lord? Do I know the power of His indwelling Spirit? Am I wise enough in God’s sight, but foolish enough according to the wisdom of the world, to trust in what Jesus Christ has said? Or am I abandoning the great supernatural position of limitless confidence in Christ Jesus, which is really God’s only call for a missionary? If I follow any other method, I depart altogether from the methods prescribed by our Lord— “All authority has been given to Me . . . .Gotherefore. . .” (Matthew 28:18-19).

In the eye of the beholder

2010-10-02T10:06:00.003-07:00

I was reading an essay titled "Even the Rocks", an allusion to (Luke 19:40 - where Jesus says "even the rocks would cry out".

The main question in the essay was a good one. What is God's glory and how can we glorify God in everything we do and say?

The writer's daughter created some whimsical music about love, feeling unnoticed, or other personal feelings. The author was celebrating the accomplishment and wrote about why she thinks that the secular songs bring glory to God.

How can a Christian's "whatever" be done for God's glory. Does this mean always do your best, or does it mean to say "praise the Lord" a lot during the day? Doesn't it really have more to do with our motives and the influence on others that it does with the thousands of activities people do everyday, from brushing teeth to fluffing our pillow? I believe so.

Doing everything for God's glory is to worship, and true worship is always dependent on 2 things: Truth and spirit, at the same time. So what is the glory of God?

The heavens declare the glory of God (Psalm 19:1) and the trees of the fields clap their hands (Isaiah 55:12). Human beings are made in God's image, we are all fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139). Everyone can see these glories of God, but not everyone sees God's glory. It seems God's glory is a beauty seen in the eye of the beholder. It for him who has ears. It comes from him who knows Him.

There is a clear difference between a secular (natural mind - 1 Corinthians 2:14) and spiritual mind (mind of Christ- 1 Corinthians 2:16) and I believe that difference determines whether God gets the glory or not. In fact, they are worlds apart. In the case of art and entertainment, good music may in some general way bring glory to God (Beethoven and B.J. Thomas) but good music does not automatically point to God's glory nor bring hearers near to God.

God can use the lyrics or melody of a secular song to touch a lost person's life. Our gracious and great God is always working on one main thing, to bring people near to Him and share his glory. It is to His glory that people come to know Him. Through the gracious work of the Spirit, God can and does use all kinds of music, even secular music. However, the glory and grace that are given are not inherent in the motive or "glory" or content of the song when the song does not bring the truth of God to bear. I don't just mean "generic" truth, but God's revealed truth in Christ.

A Christian has received a new life. All the old is gone, behold all things are new. The Christian is wired to bring glory to God. Whatever we do, we must do for God's glory. So is there any difference between what is "secular" and "Christian"? Does everything a Christian is and does bring glory to God? Is the only difference in our personal motivation?

I believe the answers are found in truth, and truth is a Person, Jesus Christ. To bring glory to God is the goal of worship. True worship is in spirit and truth. Spirit means more than motive. A believer has receieved by grace, the glory of God. Christ in you, the hope of glory.

We have beheld the glory of God in the face (person) of Christ. Is there any glory that would not find its end in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus has become for us wisdom and glory. The difference between secular and Christian is more than the songwriter's spirit or motive or even God given ability. The glory is not limited to the beauty of the song. The chief end of doing all things for the glory of God is Jesus Christ. And to magnify him is to live and to do so that he is lifted up. He is the message.

The difficulty I have with the essay is how it seems to justify "falling short of the glory" of Jesus Himself. For instance, Christians try to live well, work hard, be good and so on, all for God's glory, but if their life message does not share Jesus, then the "conversation", the creativity, their passion falls short of the greatest glory. Such glory is "Christless", not just because the name "Jesus" does not appear on a CD or every few minutes in a conversation. God glory doesn't always sound religious.

Chris Tomlin sings, "how can I keep from singing your praise, how can I ever say enough, how amazing is your love". God's glory is best glorified when it is shared. We share God's glory when it is not our glory, but the glory of Jesus that is seen. How can everything we say or do be for God's glory? The focus, the end, is Jesus and that it brings glory to God when we use the abilities he gave us to lift up and share Jesus with others.

To do all things for God's glory leads us to magnify the One who is the chief "glory" in our life. Everything we do and say can be done for God's glory, it would seem that Jesus wouldn't be relegated to a chorus we might "do" at church.

serious times

2010-09-02T15:35:00.002-07:00

The Colosseum, capable of seating 50,000 spectators, was a place of death for entertainment. The Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, execution of "criminals". Thousands of Christians were killed here for their bold confession of Jesus and His teaching. Its popularity led to its use in ever more lavish and costly spectacles or "gladiatorial games". The games reached their peak between the 1st century BCE and the 2nd century CE, and they persisted throughout the social and economic crises of the declining Roman state. (Wikipedia, edited)

Psalms 11:3-5 if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?" (4) The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD's throne is in heaven; his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man. (5) The LORD tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.

There is an interesting parallel between godlessness, entertainment and violence. When the foundations (God's truth) is absent (destroyed), sin increases. One of the worst things about the increase of sin is how it changes our view of the meaning and purpose of life, and love grows cold (Matthew 24:12). Lust drives sexuality toward entertainment, and the soul without God seeks pleasure in increasing dark and violent ways.

Ours are the days of the rise and the fall of nations. Our society and many others are descending into the darkness, God can clearly see it and warns us to turn around, to move toward the light of truth and love. Other nations are on the rise, as the gospel shines forth and the people grow in it's blessing and hope.

There is a direct correlation between sin and the fall of society into disintegration, violence, lawlessness and cruelty. People are the losers. The boundaries between good and evil fall one by one, and the conscience and heart grow cold, hard and dark. People are changing into those that God hates. The LORD hates the wicked and those who love violence. But things can change, thanks to God's grace in the gospel.

Pray for revival & salvation - revival isn't a social structure or political movement. It is powerful, personal, and contagious. It means "life again". The life of God powerfully turning a believer's life upside down. Everything changes. The self centered love becomes sacrificial, purposeful and bold. Entertainment and apathy in "religion" is replaced with zeal for truth, for salvation and glory and good.

The times we live in are serious times. The world is getting ready for a harvest. The final stage is set. The return of the King Jesus is at hand. It will be a harvest of good and of evil. When it happens, the key is to be ready.

Matthew 13:36-43 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field." (37) He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. (38) The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, (39) and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels. (40) Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age. (41) The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, (42) and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (43) Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

Share His Love by telling the gospel

2010-08-05T23:30:00.001-07:00

As many as are led by the Spirit, these are the sons of God.

It has been a wonderful visit here in Quelimane, Mozambique. There are too many things to tell about. What stands out best is the love of God. The best way to show the love of God is sharing the gospel with others. Jesus commanded everyone who believes to do this, but I think we kind of "second guess" him. We may thing it is too bold, or that we ourselves might be viewed in a negative light by people who don't want to hear it. Sometimes I hear Christians sort of apologize for the gospel and witnessing.

Bold witnessing, however, is motivated by the love of God. That is the general motivation God gives for witnessing. We are "controlled by the love of Christ", we owe others a debt of the love of God. Such an attitude is a "can do", "whatever it takes" attitude.

Bold witnessing is also motived by "divine appointment" as we are "led of the Spirit". The Father is working in our world, and inviting us to join Him in His work. Blackaby says that responding to God's invitation is the measure of our relationship to God. Obedience will always require some major adjustments on our part and a lot of faith.

Bold witnessing is motivated by God's love and Spirit, and also by clear conviction and confidence. The gospel is very powerful. Maybe deep down, we doubt that the gospel is powerful, just as it is. The story of Jesus is how the love of God provided a Savior who died on the cross and rose again, and His death is complete payment so that eternal life and fellowship with God are absolute and free to all.

I am praying that we won't clam up, that we will be motivated and engaged in sharing the gospel regularly in our church. That God's motivations are renewed in our day. Otherwise, we may be those who say they believe and agree with God, yet rarely witness. We busy our lives with lesser things, and our church activity is little more than religious activity.

What does bold witnessing look like?
There are many here in Mozambique who have never heard the gospel. They live in villages across this nation, and though the work here is going well, there are many places where no one has ever personally come to share the gospel.

I am writing this from Quelimane, Mozambique. Quelimane is near the coast, and to the north is a bay/river without a bridge. Across the river stretching many miles of beach and coconut trees. All along the coast are small villages of people who had not heard nor recieved the gospel.

The people of the shore are fishermen. They are very poor, there are many children, and they love their families. Even though they are very religious, every man, woman, boy and girl here were lost. The religion and traditions are spiritual darkness. There was no knowledge of the light and love of God.

Until recently, they were absolutely unaware of the gospel. Then Jeremiah came.

Jeremiah Johnson visited this beach area during a mission trip during 2009. Jeremiah played soccer one day on the beach with the children and God spoke to Jeremiah. "Who will tell these children about Me?"

So in 2010, Jeremiah returned here with a purpose. He came specifically to share God's love by telling the people the truth about God by sharing the gospel. Jeremiah and his partner Sobrihno Antonio brought soccer balls to play with the people, and they they would share the Word of God.

Now there are believers and new churches in 3 villages where Christ had not been named. The gospel and the Spirit worked powerfully. More than once, people who had never heard the gospel believed and their life was changed, even though it was the first time they had ever heard the gospel.

God brought understanding and the people put their faith in Jesus Christ. One Muslim man shared that after he received the message, he took his Muslim dress back to the mosque and left them there. The gospel is powerful to save. Others have been saved, what a change has begun here. It is wonderful, we are all full of wonder.

In my heart and mind, I pray that we will be obedient to God's call in the life of our church. I pray for God's "motivation" to work powerfully in us. It is what God is doing, it is what He planned. God can use each one of us.

Looking in the mirror

2010-06-24T13:04:00.000-07:00

Matthew 13:1-9 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear."

What Jesus wants them to do is more than "figure out the parable". He wants them to look for themselves in this parable. Jesus identifies patterns in our life and character that shape who we are and whether we know God. The only soil in the parable that is "commended" is the good soil.

There is a distinguishing characteristic that identifies the true believers who know God. Their life bears God's fruit. In other words, their life changes, they obey God, and God's will is done in their life.

James sounded a similar warning.
James 1:22-25 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

Jesus compared several kinds of soils, but the key difference is "fruit" bearing or barreness. Last week I attended our annual convention, and God spoke powerfully to me there. The thing I am concerned with as I come home is fruit. I am asking God for grace that I may obey Him, and follow through with the seeds of His word that were planted.

A great deal depends on what you do with what you are given. Jesus said,
Matthew 7:24-27 "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."

Preaching like the devil

2010-06-07T09:05:00.000-07:00

The following is a well written, thoughtful article on preaching. This article was written by Russell Moore.

Russell D. Moore on the High Stakes of Dull & Evasive Sermons

The devil is a preacher. From the third chapter of the Bible onward, he is opening up God’s Word to people, seeking to interpret it, to apply it, to offer an invitation. So the old Serpent of Eden comes to the primeval woman not with a Black Mass and occult symbols, but with the Word she’d received from her God—with the snake’s peculiar spin on it. Throughout the rest of the canon he does the same, implicitly or explicitly.

Throughout the Old Testament, he preaches peace—just like the angels of Bethlehem do—except he does so when there is no peace. He points God’s people to the particulars of worship commanded by God—sacrifices and offerings and feast-days—just without the preeminent mandates of love, justice, and mercy. Satan even preaches to God—about the proper motives needed for godly discipleship on the part of God’s servants.

In the New Testament, the satanic deception leads the scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees to pore endlessly over biblical texts, just missing the point of Christ Jesus therein. They come to conclusions that have partially biblical foundations—the devil’s messages are always expository; they just intentionally avoid Jesus.

So, the scoffers feel quite comfortable asking how a man from Nazareth could be the Messiah when the coming King is of Bethlehem. They find themselves wondering how the Son of Man can be crucified when the Bible says he lives forever. When Jesus says those who follow him should eat his flesh and drink his blood, there’s little doubt that the Adversary was there to point the crowds to Leviticus’s forbidding of the consumption of human blood. When the satanically inspired crowds crucified Jesus, they did so pointing to biblical texts that called for the execution of blasphemers and insurrectionists (Deut. 21).

When the early Church rockets out of the upper room in Jerusalem, Satan is there, with false teachers, to preach all kinds of things that seem to be straight from God’s Word—from libertinism to legalism to hyper-spirituality to carnality. He never stops preaching.

False Teaching Is Boring

But the devil is boring. That seems like exactly the opposite of what would be true of Satan. We think of the Tempter—and his temptations—as darkly exciting, tantalizing, seemingly irresistible.

But that’s not at all the case. False teaching in the Scripture—and in the ages of the church ever since—is boring. Read the expositions of Job’s counselors—and compare them to the proclamation of God at the end of the book of Job. Read what Balaam was paid to preach compared to what he announced through the power of the Spirit.

Satanic preaching is boring because the goal isn’t to engage people with preaching. It’s to leave the “desires of the flesh” alone, so that the hearers may continue in their captivity to the prince of the power of this air.

For some, dull sermons are themselves a sign of godliness.

After all, doesn’t the Apostle warn us against “lofty speech or wisdom” (1 Cor. 2:1)? But the kind of rhetoric Paul is railing against here isn’t exciting—it’s typical in an era in which Greek rhetoric is everywhere. Paul doesn’t contrast engaging speech with dull speech, but the demonstration of human craft with the “demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (1 Cor. 2:5). Indeed, Paul says his message is a “secret and hidden wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 2:7), the unveiling of an ancient mystery that unlocks the meaning of everything.

Jesus was often poorly received—but he never bored. When he preached, demons shrieked, crowds gasped, and services sometimes ended with attempted executions rather than altar calls. The prophets before him and the apostles after him were just like that, too. They provoked shouts of happiness or warrants for arrest, but they never prompted yawns.

If lost people don’t like your message because they’re hostile to the gospel, you’re in good company. But if you’re boring the people of God with the Word of God, something has gone seriously awry. It may be that you preach just like the devil, and that you don’t even know it.

Hearing from Christ Isn’t Boring

Sometimes preachers bore because they don’t understand the nature of Scripture. The Bible, after all, captures not only the intellect, but also the affections, the conscience, the imagination. That’s why the canon includes stories and parables, poetry and proverbs, letters and visions. Dull preaching often translates the imagination-gripping variety of Scripture into the boring tedium of an academic discourse or the boring banality of a “how-to” manual.

So, if you find yourself translating a Psalm into the structure of a Pauline epistle before you preach it, you’re not letting the Scripture do its work in gripping the hearts of your people. And you don’t understand the meaning of the text—a meaning that’s about more than simply collected ideas.

Not even the most straightforward, rigorously doctrinal passages of Scripture are singularly intellectual. The apostles are visual preachers. Paul speaks of gouging out eyes (Gal. 4:15) and of giving his body over to be burned (1 Cor. 13:3), and he compares himself to a nursing mother (1 Thess. 2:7). James writes of a tongue aflame (James 3:6) and of fattened hearts in a day of slaughter (James 5:5).

The biblical revelation is far from boring. It’s the most exciting, engaging story imaginable, which is why it is aped all over the place in epic, drama, poetry, and song.

Preachers who would rage against boredom can start by learning to listen to the literary power of the text. This means, for one thing, learning to form a moral imagination that can be fired up by the Scriptures. For the sake of your congregation, limit your television and stop surfing the Internet for hours on end. Read some good fiction and some poetry, and listen to stories being told—and thereby shape an imagination that recognizes literary structure, beauty, and coherence.

Confronting the Devil Isn’t Boring

Some preachers bore because they misunderstand the nature of human rebellion. Sermons typically bore because they rest on abstractions at best, or on clichés and platitudes at worst. Abstract ideas can easily be distanced from human sin—and shopworn, recycled slogans are too familiar to threaten. Satan loves such preaching, because it leaves his authority over human rebellion unthreatened.

This is what is too often misunderstood about the “itching ears” preaching of the Apostle Paul’s warning to Timothy (2 Tim. 4:3). What excites the apostate hearers is teaching “to suit their own passions.” What they’re passionate about is their sin, and the myths that support it. They want soothing, lulling, boring teaching—the kind that will leave them alone.

Often sin is left alone less by preachers who approve of sin from the pulpit than by preachers whose sermons are so vague and abstract that the hearers are able to evade the force of the proclamation. Like Saul convincing himself that he had kept God’s command to destroy “all” the property of the Amalekites (1 Sam. 15), all of us are prone to dodging the truth-seeking nature of biblical proclamation. Vague abstractions do not expose the conscience. It is not enough then to say, “Husbands, love your wives”; instead, we must point out what that looks like, with concrete application, and what it doesn’t.

This also means we must recognize that our preaching is always subversive. Every preached word is a salvo in the spiritual warfare against the Evil One. We must then, like the Apostle Paul, learn how not to be “ignorant of his designs” (2 Cor. 2:11).

The prophet Nathan understands that vague abstractions won’t expose King David’s conscience. David, after all, knows that adultery is wrong; he just thinks he’s justified in it, or that it’s not adultery if the king does it, or any other of a thousand possible excuses. Nathan bypasses David’s self-protecting screen by getting him to agree to the wrongness of a man who steals a lamb—and then turns the convicting spotlight right on the monarch as perpetrator.

Jesus does the same thing. He exposes how his hearers are evading the text—by jarring them with the idea of being a brother to a Samaritan, or asking how demons can cast out demons, or showing resurrection-denying Sadducees how their ridicule of resurrection doesn’t square with their own reading of Moses.

The apostles continue this kind of preaching. Peter anticipates his listeners’ love for the covenant with David—and points out that they could dig up David’s rotted corpse if they wanted, showing that the promises belonged to his greater Son. Paul shows the Athenians how they don’t really believe what they say they believe about unknown gods and idol worship.

Piercing the Strongholds

The best way to outwit the Evil One is to anticipate how his powers will seek to counteract your preaching. It’s helpful for me, as I’m preparing to preach, to think of all the ways my own heart seeks to evade the truth of the text. Once, as I was studying to preach on a Beatitude, I realized that I was treating the text exactly the way a liberal would treat a passage forbidding women in the pastorate: “Well, it can’t mean that, what it appears to say, so . . .”

The more you know your people, their struggles and triumphs, and the more you know human nature, the better you’ll know how to preach sermons that can pierce through strongholds and gain attention. That doesn’t guarantee that people will like what you say, but it helps to ensure that they’ll hear it being said.

Also, remember you are speaking for Christ. There’s a passion and a gravity that ought to come with standing in the place of the One who has been granted all authority.

A sermonic information dump—with PowerPoint outline point by sub-point by sub-sub-point—can “safely” distance your people from Christ. A sermon that simply collates and regurgitates what you’ve read in commentaries can make the Word of God a matter of cognition, not submission. A strung-together list of life tips can make it easy for your people to disregard this Word, just as they disregard the weight-loss-plan commercials on television or the flossing ad campaigns they see from the dentist’s chair.

The devil doesn’t mind boring sermons, so long as you allow him to preach, too. He doesn’t mind the Word being heard, as long as it’s the appetites that really enliven his people. And he doesn’t mind the gospel going forward, as long as God’s people hear his accusations of them (and they’re all expository and biblically based!).

But if you grip people with the drama of the gospel of Christ, if you jolt them into seeing the ancient newness of the Word of God, then you’ll have a demonic insurrection on your hands.

You preach verse-by-verse through the text? You do well. The demons, they preach also—and they’re boring.

Russell D. Moore is Dean of the School of Theology and Senior Vice President for Academic Administration at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He is the author of The Kingdom of Christ: The New Evangelical Perspective (Crossway). He is a senior editor of Touchstone.

Now for the rest of the story

2010-05-18T08:50:00.000-07:00

'Radically different' story about Baptists in Haiti emerges By Michael Foust

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following story is based on interviews with Paul Thompson, one of the 10 Baptists held in prison in Haiti.

TWIN FALLS, Idaho (BP)--Paul Thompson reads the media accounts describing the journey of him and nine other jailed Baptist volunteers in Haiti who are all now free, and scratches his head. He was there. What he reads is not what he experienced.

Thompson, pastor of Eastside Baptist Church in Twin Falls, Idaho, was one of those 10 Baptist volunteers who went to Haiti in late January with the goal of taking orphans out of the earthquake-ravaged country and into an orphanage being started in the Dominican Republican. That trip took a disastrous turn Jan. 30 when the 10 were shocked to learn they were being charged with child kidnapping, with allegations swirling that the group had plans to sell the kids into slavery, or worse, to harvest and sell their organs.

Such rumors were false, but it took more than 100 days to finally resolve the matter. Eight of them were freed in February, a ninth one released in March, and the final one -- Laura Silsby -- was let go May 17, more than 100 days after the ordeal began.

The story Thompson tells is far different from what has been described repeatedly in most media accounts.

"It's radically different," Thompson said.

For instance:

-- The 10 Americans did not, as has been alleged in some accounts, go through the streets of Port-au-Prince passing out flyers and going door-to-door looking for children, Thompson said. Instead, the 33 children they were trying to take across the border in a medium-sized bus came from two orphanages, and orphanage workers told them that none of the children had parents.

-- The group was told multiple times before they got to the border that their documentation and paperwork -- the source of the controversy -- was sufficient, Thompson said. A Haitian child services official said as much, as did a Haitian policeman and an orphanage director who has extensive experience transferring orphans from Haiti to the Dominican Republic.

-- The 10 Baptists were arrested in Port-au-Prince, and not at the border. They thought they would go free until UNICEF -- a United Nations agency -- got involved and pressed charges, Thompson says.

-- They were arrested on Jan. 30, and not Jan. 29 as has been reported repeatedly.

Thompson said that ever since he was released from jail Feb. 17 -- after spending 19 days in jail -- he's wanted the group's side of the story told but feared going public would endanger members of the group that were still in prison. Everyone, though, is now free.

Their only goals, Thompson says, were to spread the Gospel and to help children. That latter goal seemed to be on track until that disastrous afternoon of Jan. 30 when they were arrested and their lives were forever changed. Until that afternoon, Thompson says, they saw no "red flags," nothing to make them think, "Wait a minute, something's not feeling good."

THEIR FIRST TRIP INTO HAITI

The group's Haiti story actually began five days prior to their arrest, when they boarded a Greyhound-sized bus at 6 a.m. Jan. 25 for the six-hour drive from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republican to Port-Au-Prince. The closer they got to the earthquake zone, the more destruction they saw, until finally, arriving in Haiti's capital, it quickly became clear they were "in a leveled city." Only a few buildings were left standing, and many of the city's orphanages had moved their children to tent cities.

Before entering Haiti the group had made contact with a handful of orphanages, being told by the orphanage directors that they were overcrowded and had quake orphans who could be moved to the Dominican Republican. But the first orphanage the group went to that day -- despite being crowded and having children who were needing food -- "completely changed" its story when Thompson and the others showed up. The orphanage was receiving food and water from outside agencies based on head count and didn't want to lose any residents, Thompson said.

The Baptists did receive cooperation late that day at another tent city orphanage, which gave the group approximately six children to take to the Dominican Republic orphanage. The children were placed on the bus but taken off when a Haitian policeman named Leonard -- who Thompson said became a "very helpful ally" -- told the group the orphanage was not a "recognized" orphanage. He also told the group that they needed written permission from an orphanage director in order to cross the border with the children and take them to the Dominican Republican orphanage, New Life Children's Refuge.

"And so we took these kids off our bus, gave them back into the care of the tent-city orphanage," Thompson said. "... We cooperated with every government agency and personnel that we talked to."

The policeman was "the first to tell us that all that is necessary for us is to have written documentation from an orphanage director transferring the custody of the children from his orphanage to New Life Children's Refuge," Thompson said.

Because the first orphanage didn't cooperate and the second one didn't have the proper paperwork, the group decided to go back to the Dominican Republic, where it would regroup, get a smaller bus -- thus making it easier to navigate the streets -- and make phone contact with other orphanages in Port-au-Prince to see if they had children who needed to be housed elsewhere safe. They also asked their three translators, whom they were leaving behind and who had grown up in orphanages, to contact any orphanages they were close to and inquire about children. After a night's sleep in Port-au-Prince, the Baptists drove to Santo Domingo on Jan. 26.

THEIR SECOND TRIP INTO HAITI

The group headed back toward Haiti on Jan. 27, and at the border was surprised when -- without the group's permission -- border guards began loading strangers onto the bus for the trip into Port-au-Prince. Fearing for their safety the Baptists told the guards to take the new passengers off the bus. Yet amidst the chaos and confusion they did allow one man and his assistant to stay. His name was Jean Sainvil, a pastor who -- providentially -- directs orphanages in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. He had never met members of the group, but their shared interests quickly sparked a conversation on the bus about orphanages and needy children.

"He explained who he was and that he was trying to get back to his family in Port-au-Prince to assess more of the damage on the orphanages that he's director of," Thompson said. "... This director, this pastor, confirmed what the policeman told us the day before: that all that's necessary to transfer orphans from orphanage to orphanage is custody transfer, written documentation from the orphanage director. So there's a second confirmation for us that that's the documentation that's required and necessary."

Sainvil told the group that at least one of his orphanages was destroyed and that it would be helpful if he could transfer some of its residents to New Life Children's Refuge in the Dominican Republic. The two sides agreed to meet the next day at Sainvil's. First, though, Sainvil was dropped off at a relative's and the group went to a Christian school compound where they stayed the night.

SEEING ORPHANAGES IN RUINS

The next morning Thompson and the others met up with their translators, one of whom had made contact with an orphanage he grew up in that was overcrowded. When the bus arrived at the orphanage -- located in a mountain village -- the children, about 13 of them, were ready and waiting to board. Following protocol, Silsby got each child's name, birth date and closest living relative, and the children boarded.

Everything appeared to be in order, but when the bus started pulling away one boy began to cry, screaming in Creole that his dad was outside the bus. The bus stopped.

"He was weeping and had tears rolling down his eyes," Thompson said of the boy. "... As soon as we discovered that that kid's dad was outside the bus, we put him back in the custody of his dad."

The fact that a child who had a living parent was at the orphanage underscored the country's desperate situation.

"We had heard," Thompson said, "that this was a common practice -- that an actual parent would take their children to an orphanage and insist that this child has no parents, knowing that that child could be better taken care of at an orphanage."

Silsby then phoned Sainvil, who told her he was not yet ready for them to come to his orphanage. With time on their hands, the group headed to the Dominican Republic embassy in Port-au-Prince to try and obtain a document the Baptists had learned the D.R. requires to transfer orphans into that country.

No one at the consulate, though, had the document. Silsby's wait inside the consulate lasted so long -- at least an hour -- that the Baptists on the bus decided to feed the children.

"There were several delays," Thompson said. "She came out one time and said that the person that is supposed to meet her with the document was on their way."

The person never showed up.

"From this side of things, that kind of dialogue is probably better interpreted as delay tactics, because they didn't have the paperwork," Thompson said. "Nobody had it, and it was not there. These are government agencies telling us the person with the paperwork is on their way. So we waited and waited and waited. Eventually we told them that we have this appointment to meet at the orphanage with Pastor Jean Sainvil. We left the embassy building."

WERE THEY REALLY ORPHANS?

Sainvil's orphanage -- and most of the neighborhood around it -- was destroyed. Despite that, the 20 or so kids from Sainvil's orphanage were dressed and ready, and they boarded the bus one at a time as Sainvil gave Silsby each child's name, birth date and closest living relative.

It would later be learned that none of the children -- not the 20 at Sainvil orphanage and not the 13 at the mountain village -- were orphans. Thompson says now he does not know who was deceiving whom, but that he and the others believed they were receiving children who were orphaned because of the earthquake.

"That's still an unknown for us," Thompson said. "But as far as we knew, these kids that this pastor was giving into our care and our custody had no moms and no dads. We had communicated above board that this is the purpose of this ministry -- it is to only minister to kids that have no moms and no dads. And it was communicated frequently. So somewhere along the way, a deception was communicated to us who these kids were."

With 33 children now in their care, the group headed back to the Dominican Republic embassy to see if the official who supposedly had the necessary document had arrived. The person, though, had not, but Silsby was told the document would be waiting for them at the border.

The group members now faced a dilemma: they did not have the proper documents to cross the border but -- with it now being close to nighttime -- they also did not have a place for them and the children to sleep. Officials with the Christian school compound previously had told Silsby and the others that they would not be allowed to bring children into the facility, but the group felt it had no other choice but to try. Sure enough, though, the school turned the group away. So that night, the 10 Baptists and the 33 children slept on the streets just outside the compound, with military personnel on the compound grounds making it feel at least somewhat safe. Despite that setback, the group was heartened when medical personnel came out of the compound to check on the children.

Thankfully, the area around the compound saw no violence or looting that night.

"Nobody even wandered down the street upon us," Thompson said.

'YOU MIGHT AS WELL GO TO THE BORDER'

Thompson and the others woke up on Jan. 29 after a rough night's sleep intending to obtain not only the Dominican Republic document but also a Haitian document they had learned about.

They spent nearly the entire day looking for both documents -- "going to every government agency we were told to go to" -- while at the same time entertaining and feeding the 33 children. The friendly Haitian policeman they had met during their first day in Haiti assisted them throughout the day, guiding them to the necessary buildings.

The group then attempted to obtain the Haitian document, going to a Port-au-Prince child services office and also a Haitian child services office, but got a similar story each time:

"They would say, 'This is a brand new document, we actually don't have the document' or 'We don't have anyone here to sign the document. You'll have to go to [another] office to get it.'"

The final Haitian government office they visited wasn't any more helpful, and -- in hindsight -- may have helped lead to their arrest. After Silsby showed an official there the documents she had been given by the two orphanages, the person, Thompson said, responded, "This document that you have, you might as well take it to the border and see if they'll let you cross with this document because this other document -- that everyone knows is a new document to have -- nobody has it. And nobody is here to actually produce the document."

So, late that afternoon, the group decided to head to the border.

"We made that decision based off what a government official told us to do," Thompson said. "We felt we made every attempt to be above board with this process."

The bus left Port-au-Prince and got to the border around 6 o'clock.

"As soon we got there, Laura stepped out and she had all the documentations with her," Thompson said. "She was explaining to the border guards, 'Here's the situation, here's where we're going.' ... They felt comfortable that everything she was sharing was on the up and up -- that's the feeling we got. Then there began to be some dialogue amongst themselves in Creole or French about this new document that Haiti was now requiring for transfer of orphans. They were in a bit of an argument, some of the guys saying, 'This is all they need,' and others saying, 'No, they've got to have another document.'"

The border guards called the chief border guard, and Silsby and Thompson went into his office.

"She was telling these guys the same story," Thompson said. "The border guards were listening, the chief border guard's listening. You can tell that he's confused."

The chief border guard made several calls and then got off the phone and broke the bad news: "I cannot let you cross the border." The group, he said, must go back to Port-au-Prince to get the Haitian document that no one could provide.

"He did not arrest us," Thompson said. "So we complied and said, 'OK.'"

But the group now had the same problem it had the night before: 33 kids, with no place to sleep. Desperate, the Baptists made a proposal to the chief border guard: They would stay at the border that night, and the next morning, the bus driver would take Silsby to Port-au-Prince to get the document, with the others staying at the border until she got back. The chief border guard agreed to the plan, and the bus was moved into the gated area.

The Baptists and the border guards -- many of whom had grown up orphans and who appreciated what the Baptists were doing -- then began working together to ready the children for bed. Their sleeping area would be a porch area, with blankets spread out.

"[The border guards] were very grateful and expressing a lot of gratitude to us for what we were doing to help their country," Thompson said. "We got a good sense of reception from them."

Soon, a group of medical personnel showed up who had, somehow, gotten word about the children. These officials ran a medical facility in Haiti five miles from the border and offered to give the children physicals -- including de-worming medication -- the next day. The Baptists agreed. The new plan for Saturday -- OK'd again by the chief border guard -- now had the bus dropping the children off at the medical facility while Silsby went to Port-au-Prince to obtain the document. The Baptists' frustrating predicament now seemed to have a silver lining, and, perhaps, things would fall into place the next day. That hint of optimism soon turned to joy that night when the conversation between the Baptists and the border guards turned spiritual.

'I WANT TO BECOME A CHRISTIAN'

With the children falling to sleep and the group members preparing MREs (meals, ready to eat), the border guards and Baptists practiced their lingual skills -- the border guards' limited English and the Baptists their rough Creole. Out of the blue, one of the border guards, speaking through a translator, told the Baptists, "I want to become a Christian and I want to know how to become a Christian." The Baptists, amazed at what had just been requested, led the man to the Lord.

"Our act of compassion upon his country, God was using that to draw this man to Himself -- I'm sure with a lot of other things," Thompson said. "Because of what just happened we became very satisfied that this was God's ordained moment for this man's life."

The Baptists rejoiced with the man, and the experience made the fact that they were still in Haiti -- and would be sleeping without a bed for a second straight night -- significantly more palatable. It would be their final night sleeping in freedom before being placed in jail.

They awoke the next morning ready to tie up all the loose ends and finally get the proper documents to travel into the Dominican Republic -- where a church group from Idaho awaited -- but soon were told that there had been a change of plans. They would not be allowed to take the children to the medical center, and Silsby would not be allowed to travel to Port-au-Prince alone. Instead, everyone -- the 10 Baptists and the 33 children -- were told to board the bus and travel to Haitian child services, which just happened to be housed in the same building in Port-au-Prince as the police station. They were not given any detailed explanation.

"Our understanding was we were going back to get the documentation," Thompson said. "So we complied."

UNICEF GETS INVOLVED

The bus passed the medical compound en route to Port-au-Prince and arrived at the police station around 8 or 9 o'clock that morning. Ironically, it was one of the buildings the group had been at the day before trying to obtain the Haitian document that officials had been unable to find.

The police escorted Silsby and her translator into an office, leaving behind the other nine Baptists and 33 children in a waiting area. The discussion between the police and Silsby lasted more than an hour, and she exited the meeting optimistic that everything was OK.

"Laura came out of this meeting pretty satisfied that the police were ready to put us back on the bus with the kids and head back to the border because she had produced the documentation from the orphanage directors," Thompson said. "She told them the whole story. We were actually in a building where we had been the day before trying to get documentation. So she was able to say, 'We've already been here, we've tried this. Nobody was here to get this paperwork for us.'"

Yet they weren't allowed to leave the police station just yet because a representative from child services was on her way to the building to meet Silsby. After that -- at least they thought -- they would be good to go.

Finally, the woman arrived, and Silsby and the others knew something could be amiss. The woman was a UNICEF worker who Silsby recognized from previous visits to child services offices. She walked into the building with a group of UNICEF employees, all of them wearing shirts with the UNICEF logo. A "spiritual shift," Thompson said, took place.

Still, though, there was no reason to worry. "You guys are going to be OK," policemen told the team. But the group soon began questioning that logic. The lengthy meeting between the UNICEF woman, Silsby and the police had barely begun when the other UNICEF employees brought cameras and microphones into the waiting area to film video of the kids, talking to them in Creole. The children began crying, and the footage made it into news broadcasts around the world.

"This was a complete setup," Thompson said. "They were beginning to build their case for us as being kidnappers and child traffickers."

Even worse for the Baptists, the UNICEF employees told the children that the 10 were kidnappers who wanted to sell the kids into slavery or sell their organs, Thompson said.

"What those cameras won't show -- which is ironically amazing -- is that these kids were sitting in our laps, crying on our shoulders and they were not running away from us," Thompson said. "We're the very people that the UNICEF people were saying we kidnapped them. There's no policemen that is taking these kids away from us at this point. Nobody's removed us from the kids. We were still in complete care of the kids. They're not even turning to the policemen. For us, that really began to tell us that we were right in the middle of something very spiritually active. For us, it was clear that there was a spiritual battle that we were right smack dab in the middle of."

After the UNICEF cameras left, though, the children calmed down, and the Baptists were allowed to go back to their bus where they got food and water to feed the kids. With the meeting dragging on, the kids ate, and everyone waited for a report from Silsby.

Finally -- about an hour and 45 minutes after it started -- the meeting ended. As if on cue, the UNICEF camera crew once again put microphones in the faces of the kids, who, once again, began crying and screaming. The UNICEF woman -- whose name Thompson still does not know -- then headed to a press conference in an adjacent part of the building, where she announced that the Baptists had just been charged with kidnapping and child trafficking. Thompson watched the press conference, as did some of the children. A policeman actually interpreted the press conference for Thompson. It was a surreal scene.

"He's just standing next to me, he was not acting on the charges that she's telling the press conference about," Thompson said. "And still, no large group of policemen has showed up. Nobody has showed up with handcuffs. We're still taking care of the kids, and she's telling the world we're kidnappers and traffickers.... They're definitely still crying and I'm sure heavy in thought about what was going on. It's hard to know really what these kids are processing in their minds."

Soon, though, the 10 Baptists were arrested, beginning an ordeal that forever changed their lives. That night would be Day 1 of a nearly three-week ordeal for eight of them and a 100-plus-day ordeal for Silsby.
--30--
Michael Foust is an assistant editor of Baptist Press.

The Secret of Appreciating Church

2010-05-07T14:59:00.002-07:00

by Hunter Baker

Like the vast majority of southern kids during the 1970′s and 80′s, I went to church from time to time. My parents took us to an Episcopal church for several years and then sporadically attended Baptist churches after that. For the most part, I was bored. The one outlier was a Sunday school class in middle school with a teacher who talked almost exclusively about the coming Armageddon. He had little difficulty keeping the attention of his group of boys.

Like most people, even those who think they are Christians, I was not one. But when I went to college, I came to understand the Lord. It happened at Florida State University.

Without giving you my testimony, I can just say that it began with the meetings of Intervarsity Christian Fellowship on campus. I experienced worship and teaching, but it wasn’t like church. We didn’t dress up. We met in a room in the student union.

Music varied in quality with students playing any instruments they could, especially during my first year. We sang words from an old overhead projector and shook keys and made noise. Once I learned not to be self-conscious, it was fun.

The teaching wasn’t like the sermons I remembered (or didn’t remember) from church as a kid. Speakers connected with us, reached out to us, talked about very practical things. The persistent theme was the ways being a Christian should affect your life.

But what made it all work was probably less the programming and more the community. I learned to love the students in our chapter. They became like a new family to me. I was so happy to see them. We met as a group and became part of each others lives the rest of the time, too. They were my social group, my worship group, my homework group, my neighbors, my community. We practically colonized one of the apartment complexes near campus. On top of it all, they were the people who supported Ruth and I by attending our wedding, wishing us well, desecrating my car as a honeymoon-mobile, and giving us gifts.

When I left that group, it was hard for me to find a church. Ruth and I tried a number of places, but I was never satisfied. I couldn’t find anything to match what we’d had before at FSU. I looked for the worship experience that would make it worthwhile to attend, but was rarely happy with that. I tried to find a superstar preacher to amaze me with talent and wisdom. But that wasn’t enough. I sampled churches, found them wanting, and discarded them.

In other words, I was spiritually immature. You may hear of individuals who are so disenchanted with the church that they practice Christianity on their own as if they are advanced Christians. I think that’s the wrong interpretation. A failure to find a church and invest yourself in it is a sign of spiritual immaturity.

Here’s what I found. If you go to a church — preferably a Bible-believing one close to where you live so you will be worshipping with your neighbors — and become part of the community, you will discover that church will become delightful to you.

Don’t go with a consumer mindset. Don’t go thinking that you have to be entertained or amazingly taught or lifted into a higher plane by an ultra-talented worship team. Don’t sit back and judge the person teaching Sunday school as though you are Simon Cowell and the teacher is a performer. Pay attention. Look for opportunities to contribute. I am teaching now and have no illusions that I am a great authority on the gospel of John. I am grateful every time the other members of the class help me out.

Just go, week in and week out, and get to know the people in your church. It may take a while, but eventually you will form relationships and the people in your church will become to you what the people in Intervarsity were to me. Then, when you go to church you will be going to a reunion that happens once or twice a week. It will be an occasion for joy.

The secret of the church is not that it is some business to be run or a show designed to catch curious onlookers. The secret of the church is that is a community. It is a place where you belong and where people know you. In other words, it is a lot like the old bar on the television show Cheers. And it helps you to live the Christian life. In the church, you will become aware of what is going on in other people’s lives and they will learn about your life. You will pray with each other and minister to needs. Christianity is not meant to be practiced in isolation.

So, stop shopping for a church. Stop sampling. Don’t fall for all the hype of a Disneyworld experience with a Christian aura around it. Don’t chase after a superstar preacher. You can hear that on your iPod. Feel free to contribute to that ministry. But find a church where you can be part of a community of people who know each other and will help one another live the Christian life, sometimes as helpers and sometimes by being in need and providing an opportunity for others to help.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness...

2010-05-06T08:16:00.001-07:00

There is a time to laugh, and a time to cry. A message on repentance and life by David Wilkerson. The need of our days is not that I or we can change anything, but that God changes me, that He transforms us. That is something God wants to do, I am certain of it. How much do I really desire that.

I think God must be first place and so that is where I can begin to pray, that He will become first, whatever it takes.

Voice of truth

2010-04-29T18:52:00.003-07:00

CBS evening news is doing a report about the "long term, life altering" effects of the recession. Title of the piece is "Children of the recession". The global recession is news, and certainly has impacted millions if not billions of people in their daily life.

The Great Depression.
Sinking home values are the headline, but what about the decaying value of the family, marriage and moral qualities like goodness, chastity, and integrity. These spiritual values have been sinking for a generation, in fact, the bottom has dropped out.

Since the 1920's our nation has gone through several economic storms, but this time is different. The strength of spirit in individuals and community is what gave our forefathers the guidance and direction to survive the storms and emerge on the other side better people.

What will happen when our culture understands that we cannot buy our way into a healthy, happy life. The way in is to trust and obey. Jesus said, I have come that they might have life, and that kind of life which is abundant is His gift. His gift is a new way of life, and a person has to choose life.

The voice of truth says, "See, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. Choose this day whom you will serve." Jesus said, "you cannot serve God and Mammon." Mammon is not a term people use anymore, but we know what it is. It is what most people assume is "the good life" which is material prosperity.

2 Corinthians 4 says that "what is seen is temporary, what is unseen is eternal." The truth, the reality is, that this world is passing away. It's days are numbered, our days are numbered. But the one who does the will of God will abide forever.

Here is what to seek. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all the other things we need will be added. Life is greater than material. C.S. Lewis wrote that we will never be satisfied with material thing because we were created for eternity. The life we were made to live does not come by grabbing everything we can or living to gratify our desires.

Jesus said, whoever wants to save his own life will lose it. These are difficult times. the greater problems are not economic, and they are not medical. I am pursuing a relationship to God and relying on God for the truth and wisdom to live my life and give my life for His kingdom.

Following Jesus requires that we repent of our sin, put our life into God's hands, and follow Him.

There is a lot of pain right now. The economic problems have magnify the pain, but I am praying that it causes us to realize our spiritual bankruptcy and moral freefall away from God.
If a person admits to God and to themselves their spiritual poverty and that we have to live life in the right manner is not resignation and despair. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Andre Crouch sang a simple song a generation ago;

Jesus is the answer, for the world today
Above him there's no other, Jesus is the way.

The world's greatest problem is not political or material. "All we like sheep have gone astray" from God. Time to wake up and hear the truth, and turn to Jesus Christ. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

suffering

2010-04-26T13:48:00.001-07:00

Thought I would share this with you, read today at Mere Comments blog, writer's name Lars Walker.

The doctor told about a little girl whose legs were deformed in some way. They dragged her to the operating table, he said, screaming, “Don’t touch my legs! Don’t touch my legs!”

But, he said, you should have seen her face when they removed her casts some time later, and she was able to stand straight for the first time in her life.

And I thought, “You know, that’s just like me.”

One of the things I’ve always feared (fortunately I’ve avoided it so far) is breaking a limb and needing to have it set. The thought of somebody grabbing the very part of my body that just got hurt, the part that I want most to protect and favor, and giving it a sharp yank, just gives me the willies.

It’s the same way in our spirits. When we’re hurt, our natural instinct is to protect the injured place. To let nothing get near it.

But often the only way to fix it is to hurt it. I think that’s why God so often seems cruel. What looks like sadism to us is actually His practitioner’s hand, manipulating us back into the right place.

This doesn’t solve the Problem of Pain, of course. That's a huge and protean leviathon, almost as hard to master, in its way, as suffering itself.

But I think it may account for some of the pain in our lives.

Now all I have to do is act as if I believe this.

Ouch.

WHAT TO DO UNDER THE CONDITIONS (from My Utmost)

2010-04-13T05:15:00.001-07:00

“Cast thy burden upon the Lord.” Psalm 55:22

We must distinguish between the burden-bearing that is right and the burden-bearing that is wrong. We ought never to bear the burden of sin or of doubt, but there are burdens placed on us by God which He does not intend to lift off, He wants us to roll them back on Him. “Cast that He hath given thee upon the Lord” (r.v. marg.). If we undertake work for God and get out of touch with Him, the sense of responsibility will be overwhelmingly crushing; but if we roll back on God that which He has put upon us, He takes away the sense of responsibility by bringing in the realization of Himself.

Many workers have gone out with high courage and fine impulses, but with no intimate fellowship with Jesus Christ, and before long they are crushed. They do not know what to do with the burden, it produces weariness, and people say - “What an embittered end to such a beginning!”

“Roll thy burden upon the Lord” - you have been bearing it all; deliberately put one end on the shoulders of God. “The government shall be upon His shoulder.” Commit to God “that He hath given thee”; not fling it off, but put it over onto Him and yourself with it, and the burden is lightened by the sense of companionship. Never disassociate yourself from the burden.

He must increase

2010-04-10T07:48:00.000-07:00

Colossians 1:16-19 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through him and for him. (17) And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (18) And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. (19) For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,

From the wonders of the universe to the astounding complexity of a tiny cell, God created the heavens and earth. Multiply these wonders by a billion billions and you still don't exhaust the glory of God's creation.

The prophet Isaiah reminds us to lift up our eyes and see. Much of our life, our eyes are on ourselves, our problems or complaints, our victories and accomplishments. But when we lift up our eyes to God and forget about ourselves, frankly our "stuff" and plans are small and often trivial.

God spoke to Abram and called him to go on a journey by faith with God. He called Jeremiah to be willing to open his mouth and God would speak amazing and powerful things to and through him. He invited Peter and John to follow Him and learn. What an invitation that was.

We are invited by God too, into a relationship with living God. To obey him, follow him and walk in fellowship with God Himself. He speaks to us in the Word, He guides very personally by His Spirit. He restores and empowers our life. It is an ever present, in the here and now kind of life that most people miss.

Too busy to look up and listen. Too afraid to step out in faith. Too entangled in wrong habits or thoughts to hear and obey. It is not complicated or too deep or too high. It is life in the Spirit.

"As many as are led by the Spirit, these are the sons of God."

He has Risen!

2010-04-04T12:37:00.000-07:00

John 10:18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father."

Jesus' death was voluntary. From a human point of view, Jesus was executed, but Jesus suffering and death was actually his own decision. He could have called 10,000 angels, that would have been more than enough to take out an army. Jesus gave his life because it was the Father's will and it was His offering for our sin.

He laid down his life for the sheep because He is the good shepherd.

Jesus' death was for the guilt of man's sin. Jesus resurrection was so that we might live forever. He arose the victor over death, in order to give us life.

This is God's free gift. Hope you will receive Him.

50 years

2010-03-25T19:59:00.000-07:00

All praise rising
all rejoicing
every honor rise to Thee

All the beauty, all the glory
all thanksgiving rise to Thee

All the music, all the singing, all the longing rise to Thee
Through the sorrow and the laughter, all praise rising, Rise to Thee.

It will rise, it will rise to Thee

If there be any peace, any love, if there is any joy, then let them rise
if there be any good, any just, if there is any grace then let it rise
If there is any breath, any song, if there is any life, then let it rise.

Every honor, all the beauty, all the glory, all thanksgiving, all the giving, all the music, all the longing.

Let it rise to Thee. God be praised.

Could this be true of me?

2010-03-04T06:55:00.000-07:00

(from my Utmost)
“But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself.”
Acts 20:24

It is easier to serve God without a vision, easier to work for God without a call, because then you are not bothered by what God requires; common sense is your guide, veneered over with Christian sentiment. You will be more prosperous and successful, more leisure-hearted, if you never realize the call of God. But if once you receive a commission from Jesus Christ, the memory of what God wants will always come like a goad; you will no longer be able to work for Him on the common sense basis.

What do I really count dear? If I have not been gripped by Jesus Christ, I will count service dear, time given to God dear, my life dear unto myself. Paul says he counted his life dear only in order that he might fulfill the ministry he had received; he refused to use his energy for any other thing. Acts 20:24 states Paul’s almost sublime annoyance at being asked to consider himself; he was absolutely indifferent to any consideration other than that of fulfilling the ministry he had received. Practical work may be a competitor against abandonment to God, because practical work is based on this argument - Remember how useful you are here, or - Think how much value you would be in that particular type of work. That attitude does not put Jesus Christ as the Guide as to where we should go, but our judgment as to where we are of most use. Never consider whether you are of use; but ever consider that you are not your own but His.

Praying for you, for telling them

2010-03-01T08:42:00.001-07:00

Matthew 9:36-38 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. (37) Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; (38) therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."

God has begun a prayer movement in our church that

focuses on evangelism, it is called Forty for 5, you can

learn about it or join this group 40 for 5.

Jesus instructed that we pray specifically about evangelism

by praying for believers, that God would change our hearts

so that we would labor in his harvest. This month our church

prays specifically for the Father to raise up laborers.

Praying for you, for telling them.

No way, we are not ashamed

2010-02-11T08:44:00.000-07:00

1 Corinthians 1:18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Doctrinal drift is not a modern problem, it is a spiritual problem. When Paul wrote to Rome and Corinth, he boldly declared the gospel, knowing that some found it foolish or offensive. The same is true in our day. The preaching of the cross of Jesus Christ is still "foolish" in the eyes of the world, but it is still "the power of God", able to save those who believe.

The world is lost, and the message of the gospel will be rejected by many, and accepted by few. Christianity is not a religion of the world. The message of the gospel is exclusive and unique. There is no one like Jesus Christ, and there is no other name by which mankind can ever be saved.

I was thinking lately about all that God has done in our church. God's grace and power have been and are working in us. We have missionaries going out both in our local neighborhood and around the world, sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. God's people continue to gather to fellowship, worship, and grow in their faith. The Word of God is preached and taught and sung and prayed.

There is something to be said for "holding our own". We are not only spreading the "faith" but we are keeping "faith". The passage this Sunday says, "You should think of us as Christ's servants, who have been put in charge of God's secret truths. The one thing required of such servants is that they be faithful to their master." 1 Corinthians 4:1-2.

That stands in utter contrast to the news about the direction some churches are going. "Liberal Protestantism, in its determined policy of accommodation with the secular world, has succeeded in making itself dispensable."

In other words, many churches are dying. They are dying because they have nothing to offer. They have rejected the truth of God and replaced it with their own wisdom.

To that, the words of song writer Carmen come to mind.

No way, we are not ashamed of the gospel of His name.

A wonderful, wonderful day.

2010-02-02T16:06:00.000-07:00

Jeremiah Johnson is sharing the gospel through sports evangelism with the people along the shore in central Mozambique. Pray for Jeremiah and for the Moniga people, for God to open doors and hearts for his word, and for Jeremiah's life and witness there. Psalms 113:3-8 From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised! The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens! Who is like the LORD our God, who is seated on high, who looks far down on the heavens and the earth? He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people.

Teach me to pray - favorites re-posted

2010-01-20T07:08:00.001-07:00

(1 Samuel 12:16) “Now then, stand still and see this great thing the LORD is about to do before your eyes!

Learning how to pray and learning to pray are 2 different needs in life. There was a time the disciples asked Jesus, Lord teach us to pray. Jesus understood their question, and He taught them a model prayer we call the Lord's prayer.

We need to learn how to pray, but we also need to pray. That is, in our daily life we ask God, "teach me to pray, God" and we mean, help me learn to trust you more, fill my life with your life, help me walk with you moment by moment, and keep me in tune with your will and ways. Teach me to pray, because I often live my days with little thought of you. I often rely on my own measley resource to try to do your will. Many days are spent pursuing the wrong things, many opportunities are missed because I was out of tune with you.

So in 1 Samuel chapter 12 this verse has 3 wonderful truths.

1. Stand still. "Don't just do something, stand there." God's way goes against the grain of our ways. We rely on our selves when we need to rely on God. We do it so often and naturally, that our lives are prayerless, and our prayers are powerless. In order for God's will to be done, we have to stop doing our own. That often means, stop! Stand still.

2. See. God is at work in our world, in the big and the little things. And for the most part, we miss it. When Jesus prayed for Jerusalem, which was busy with Passover preparations and the hub bub of their daily lives, He said, "You did not recognize the time of your visitation." I read about the "terrible pain of missing the obvious" in an article recently. The writer pointed out that our difficulty seeing "God" was not because of God. His wonders and power are on display all around us. The problem lies with us, our eyes are blind because we think we can see. We all live this way, it seems we must make up our own mind, develop our own plans, and choose our own goals; and we cannot see what God is doing, which often is because we do not hear what He is saying.

3. The last part of this verse says we need to see what God is about to do. That is the difference between a prayerful life and living life with a few prayers tagged on. What God is about to do cannot be seen or known without God sharing it. The scriptures say, "The Lord confides in those who fear (revere, orient themselves toward, commit themselves to) him." What God is about to do is God's invitation to His people to experience Him and be used by in Him in doing His will.

We say "I know God" but we don't know what He is about to do. The kind of knowing we have is secondary, "I know about God". But knowing God is more personal than just knowing about Him. Knowing and doing the will of God is to experience God. That is what we need.

Teach me to pray Lord, teach me to pray.
This is my heart cry day unto day.
I long to know Thy will and Thy way.
Teach me to pray Lord, teach me to pray.

Living with Thee Lord and Thou in me,
constant abiding this is my plea,
Filled with Thy power boundless and free,
power with men and power with Thee.

Friends of God

2010-01-19T08:25:00.000-07:00

John 15:13-15 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

Jesus invites believers into friendship with God. A friendship with God grows in obedience, and that begins in grace and faith. Friendship with God begins and ends with faith, and saving faith is obedient. Abram was called the friend of God, Abram believed God and he was reckoned righteous unto God. Friendship with God must be grace for neither Abram or the disciples were deserving of it.

Jesus sets forth the requirements of friendship, at the same time, Jesus calls the disciples His friends because He chose them. True friendship is two-way, Jesus calls them to obedience of faith. Servants should obey their master, and Jesus is master.

But now there is something new, Jesus says, I am no longer calling you servants, but friends. Something higher and better is come into their lives that would bind them to Him as He has already bound himself to them.

Now their relationship will be one of friendship. The big change is about to occur, which is Jesus' cross. Because of the cross, God's inviting love is extended beyond the usual bonds of friendship. The disciples had been chosen to follow Jesus for 3 years. Now, even outsiders, sinners, those who were not in their circle will have the same fellowship and friendship with Him. After the cross will come the Spirit.

Anthony Ensolen, professor, wrote: "Now friendship in its highest form, the ancient pagans almost all agree, is founded upon a common vision -- of the Good, as Plato calls it. That is, you are not my friend because of your usefulness to me; Aristotle and Cicero both roundly deny that utility is the bond of true friendship, because once the occasion for the utility disappears, the bond dissolves. You and I rather are friends because together we behold something beyond ourselves, and this something serves to make each of us identify the other's good as his own. All of which is but a natural preamble to the Christian faith. What, after all, does Jesus pray for his disciples, but that they may be one, as he and the Father are one? And what is the bond of unity among Christians, says Saint Paul, if not that Spirit of love that makes of them one body, the mystical body of Christ? It is of the essence of prayer, says Pope Benedict, that it be undertaken in solidarity with one's fellow Christians, for even when we retire to our rooms to pray, we must not think that we are praying alone, but rather in communion with others."

We are called the friends of God. It is a high calling, one worthy of all our energy and heart.

Have you ever been alone with God?

2010-01-12T07:46:00.000-07:00

(from My Utmost)

“When they were alone, He expounded all things to His disciples.” Mark 4:34

Our Solitude with Him. Jesus does not take us alone and expound things to us all the time; He expounds things to us as we can understand them. Other lives are parables. God is making us spell out our own souls. It is slow work, so slow that it takes God all time and eternity to make a man and woman after His own purpose. The only way we can be of use to God is to let Him take us through the crooks and crannies of our own characters. It is astounding how ignorant we are about ourselves! We do not know envy when we see it, or laziness, or pride. Jesus reveals to us all that this body has been harbouring before His grace began to work. How many of us have learned to look in with courage?

We have to get rid of the idea that we understand ourselves; it is the last conceit to go.

The only One Who understands us is God. The greatest curse in spiritual life is conceit. If we have ever had a glimpse of what we are like in the sight of God, we shall never say, “Oh, I am so unworthy,” because we shall know we are, beyond the possibility of stating it. As long as we are not quite sure that we are unworthy, God will keep narrowing us in until He gets us alone. Wherever there is any element of pride or of conceit, Jesus cannot expound a thing. He will take us through the disappointment of a wounded pride of intellect, through disappointment of heart. He will reveal inordinate affections - things over which we never thought He would have to get us alone. We listen to many things in classes, but they are not an exposition to us yet. They will be when God gets us alone over them.

Time to remember

2010-01-05T08:09:00.001-07:00

2009 was an interesting year.

Here are 2 excellent viewpoints about the past year. First, Dr. A. Mohler wrote an interesting top 10 list of noteworthy events on his blog.

One thing seems certain, all things newsworthy are not necessarily worthy of remembrance. The voice of truth tells me a different story. Dr. Mohler's comments remind that the importance of these days is not be in the headlines, but in what is happening in our souls.

Here is a very thoughtful exposition of our days by Dr. Richard Land.

"I think it’s fair to say that fallen human beings, both regenerate and unregenerate, have a far more difficult time dealing with prosperity than they do with want. Here is God’s warning to His people through Moses, recorded in Deuteronomy 6:10-12:

'When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the LORD , who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.'

When you’re in the country of the promised land, enjoying the blessings you did not earn, it’s easier for you to forget the Lord your God. I think this is nowhere more true than in America. In my dad and mom’s generation, in which a majority of people still lived on farms, they understood that if it didn’t rain, the crops didn’t grow. If the boll weevils ate the cotton, they didn’t have a harvest. But those of us in the next generation tend to think that chickens come wrapped in cellophane and milk comes from cardboard cartons, not udders. I was born after WWII, and I have no memory of the Great Depression or anything even remotely like it.
This distance from deprivation is probably even greater for my children than it is for me. We had the Cold War to contend with, the “duck and tuck” drills that were supposedly going to save us from being annihilated by a nuclear attack, and later the Vietnam War. Before the terrorist attacks on 9-11, what have my children had to deal with that is even remotely similar?
I’ve asked my children on numerous occasions, “Exactly what is it that you did to deserve to live in this house and go to this school and live in this neighborhood?” Nothing. They just got lucky. They were conceived of the parents who brought them into the world, and these things came with the package.
I’ve taken my children to see the house in which I grew up. It would fit inside our garage. I grew up in a four-room, frame house with one bathroom. And that wasn’t unusual for the area in which we lived. My brother and I lived in one small bedroom and my parents lived in the other. They were both small bedrooms. My children are unable to contemplate one bathroom or a kitchen and a living room that was also a dining room. And we had no air conditioning in our home until I was fourteen and we lived in sweltering Houston, Texas.

I think it’s important for my children and for your children to know that they wouldn’t have what they have if we hadn’t given it to them (and God hadn’t first given it to us). We need to remind our children, and ourselves, of this when we drink from wells we didn’t dig and live in houses we didn’t build.
We also need to teach our children that when we dig ourselves into problems, we can’t dig ourselves out in our own strength. Two contrasting statements by two of our nation’s foremost leaders provide starkly opposing views of our country’s troubles and how to solve them.

On April 19, 1951, General Douglas MacArthur spoke to a joint session of Congress following his controversial dismissal as Commander in Chief of U.N. forces in Korea. While defending his record, he declared his opposition to war as a means of resolving international conflict, recalling his declaration aboard the battleship Missouri on September 2, 1945, when he formally accepted the surrender of the Japanese empire:
If we will not devise some greater and more equitable system, our Armageddon will be at our door. The problem basically is theological and involves a spiritual recrudescence, an improvement of human character that will synchronize with our almost matchless advances in science, art, literature, and all material and cultural developments of the past two thousand years. It must be of the spirit if we are to save the flesh.

A very different assessment of America’s problems was offered by then President John F. Kennedy, in a speech on nuclear disarmament he gave at American University in Washington, DC, on June 10, 1963:
Let us examine our attitude toward peace itself. Too many of us think it is impossible. Too many think it is unreal. But that is a dangerous, defeatist belief. It leads to the conclusion that war is inevitable--that mankind is doomed--that we are gripped by forces we cannot control. We need not accept that view. Our problems are manmade--therefore, they can be solved by man. And man can be as big as he wants. No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings. Man's reason and spirit have often solved the seemingly unsolvable--and we believe they can do it again.
Humbling ourselves means recognizing that, like MacArthur and not JFK, we cannot fix our own problems. We at the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission recognize we are contending with illnesses of the heart and soul. Our problems are not economic. They are problems of the heart. They are problems of the Spirit. They are problems of the soul. Their remedies are not man-made; they are divinely ordained remedies. God alone can fix the problems that afflict our souls and our communities and our nation.

American pride and apple pie is not going to get us through our national or personal crises. We need not dismiss our historic “can–do” spirit, but we must recognize its limits. To quote an old adage, we need to pray as if it depended upon God and work as if it depended upon us. Without God’s help, those who help themselves will come up short.
We can’t “positive mental attitude” our way out of the problems we face today. We can’t organize our way out of this. We can’t change our way out of this. We can’t work our way out of this. We do not have the resources. We must humble ourselves. We must rely on God."

Amen. You think about that.

Fear not, little flock!

2009-12-31T10:08:00.003-07:00

(I do not have the author to cite, but wanted to share this with you)

“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Luke 12:32

Opposition, if it is intense and sustained enough, can sap people’s resolve and make their goals seem less important than perhaps they thought in the heady beginning. To say the least, no movement in history has managed to thrive through 2000 years of protracted persecution, save one—the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Since their inception, the people of God have suffered physical torture, intellectual ridicule, and social ostracism, yet they have never ceased to strive and grow. It leads to the question: What has infused the Church with such an inextinguishable tenacity? One incomparable promise from their Master, that’s what!

After warning His disciples against spending their lives solely in a chase after worldly goods, Jesus tells them what they ought to prioritize. “Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you” (v. 31). Pursue God’s rule in the world, honor His name, obey His Word, and proclaim His gospel. It would not be an easy task. The world would rage against them, hate them, and even seek to kill them, but Christ tells His disciples, “Fear not.” The Father is committed, willing, and even pleased to finally give them the kingdom. The Lord’s address, “little flock,” reflects the tenderness with which God cared for His people throughout biblical history. The Old Testament speaks often of God the Shepherd caring for His sheep, both with gentleness and with a mighty, ruling arm to dispense reward and recompense (see Isa. 40:10-11; also Ps. 23:1; 28:9; 74:1; 77:20; Jer. 13:17; Zech. 11:11; 13:7). Jesus’ words must have been enormously comforting to the disciples, for they would have known their Shepherd could never fail to deliver what He had promised.

The earliest followers of Christ were in a precarious position. A tiny minority in a hostile pagan culture, they were reviled because of their allegiance to Jesus Christ. Arrested and jailed, hauled before godless kings and governors, hated, ridiculed, and even killed, the Church would not rest until her Lord returned. Two thousand years later, the Lord has not returned, and believers are still in a precarious position. The Church in the West is pilloried in the media, ostracized in the academy, and generally dismissed by the cultural elite. In other parts of the world, Christians are still imprisoned, beaten, tortured, and even killed for their faith. Even so, there is one truth which infuses the battered Church with hope: if the world’s hostility has not changed, then neither has the Father’s promise. Through mockery and derision, insult, slander, and even death, the Father is still pleased to give His people the kingdom. The Church will finally prevail!

Many Christians listen every night to the evening news and see a near hopeless situation. The culture seems bent on careening into every evil it can devise. Abortion is entrenched, homosexuality is all but mainstream, greed, lust, and avarice run unrestrained, and neither reason nor law seem capable of stemming the tide. In such a dark day, Christian pastors must raise their voices not only to condemn sin, but also to hearten God’s people with the promise of final victory. If there is any sure promise in Scripture, it is that the Lord will one day return to establish His glorious reign, and His people will sit and rule at His side. Christ’s Church may be a “little flock,” but they are hardly destined for defeat!

Where the battle's won or lost

2009-12-27T06:28:00.001-07:00

“If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the Lord, ...”
Jeremiah 4:1

(from My Utmost)
The battle is lost or won in the secret places of the will before God, never first in the external world. The Spirit of God apprehends me and I am obliged to get alone with God and fight the battle out before Him. Until this is done, I lose every time. The battle may take one minute or a year, that will depend on me, not on God; but it must be wrestled out alone before God, and I must resolutely go through the hell of a renunciation before God. Nothing has any power over the man who has fought out the battle before God and won there.

If I say, “I will wait till I get into the circumstances and then put God to the test,” I shall find I cannot. I must get the thing settled between myself and God in the secret places of my soul where no stranger intermeddles, and then I can go forth with the certainty that the battle is won. Lose it there, and calamity and disaster and upset are as sure as God’s decree. The reason the battle is not won is because I try to win it in the external world first. Get alone with God, fight it out before Him, settle the matter there once and for all.

In dealing with other people, the line to take is to push them to an issue of will. That is the way abandonment begins. Every now and again, not often, but sometimes, God brings us to a point of climax. That is the Great Divide in the life; from that point we either go towards a more and more dilatory and useless type of Christian life, or we become more and more ablaze for the glory of God; My Utmost for His Highest.

The wonder of Christmas

2009-12-21T11:07:00.000-07:00

Ephesians 3:17-21 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith--that you, being rooted and grounded in love, (18) may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, (19) and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (20) Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, (21) to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Thoughtfulness on Prayer

2009-12-13T08:24:00.000-07:00

“Men ought always to pray, and not to faint.” Luke 18:1

from My Utmost for His Highest - Oswald Chambers
You cannot intercede if you do not believe in the reality of the Redemption; you will turn intercession into futile sympathy with human beings which will only increase their submissive content to being out of touch with God. In intercession you bring the person, or the circumstance that impinges on you before God until you are moved by His attitude towards that person or circumstance. Intercession means filling up “that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ,” and that is why there are so few intercessors. Intercession is put on the line of - “Put yourself in his place.” Never! Try to put yourself in God’s place.

As a worker, be careful to keep pace with the communications of reality from God or you will be crushed. If you know too much, more than God has engineered for you to know, you cannot pray, the condition of the people is so crushing that you cannot get through to reality.

Our work lies in coming into definite contact with God about everything, and we shirk it by becoming active workers. We do the things that can be tabulated but we will not intercede. Intercession is the one thing that has no snares, because it keeps our relationship with God completely open.

The thing to watch in intercession is that no soul is patched up; a soul must get through into contact with the life of God. Think of the number of souls God has brought about our path and we have dropped them! When we pray on the ground of Redemption, God creates something He can create in no other way than through intercessory prayer.

World AIDS Day - Baptist Press article

2009-12-01T17:31:00.000-07:00

AIDS: Just another way to die
By Jace A. Williams

To view a video related to this initial story, go to here.

KATSE, Lesotho (BP)--Death and funerals. Prayer for the dying and their families. More death.

It's a way of life for the people known as Basotho who live in the African nation of Lesotho.

"They think HIV/AIDS is just one more way to die," says John Younker, a short-term missionary serving in Lesotho, a country surrounded by South Africa. "When you meet a person in Lesotho, or you meet a person in my village, chances are they have AIDS, or chances are they're HIV-positive."

The nurse at the local clinic estimates more than 400 people out of roughly 750 in the village are HIV-positive, says Younker, who serves in Lesotho through the Georgia Baptist Convention's collegiate ministries in partnership with the International Mission Board.

"They live such a hard life that if you test positive for HIV, it's not a life-shattering, a life-shaking event because [you think], 'Well, I'm going to die in the mines' or 'I'm going to die falling off a horse' or 'I'm going to get in a car accident' or you're going to die of something else," he says.

"Why not AIDS?" asks Drew Hooks, Younker's teammate, also from Georgia.

In this area, someone dies of AIDS every week.

Younker says some of his Basotho friends purposely contract HIV/AIDS because they know their families will get help from the government or an aid organization. Sometimes this sacrifice is all that will keep family members alive for one more year.

In the surrounding villages, more than 65 percent of the population is infected with HIV/AIDS, IMB missionary Alan Dial says. Most will be dead within the next 18 months. That knowledge brings a sense of urgency.

"I know a person sitting there might not be here next week," Babs Dial, Alan's wife, says. Along with her husband, she works to spread the stories of Jesus as quickly as she can before there is another death. "I gather them; he tells them about Jesus," she says.

When people are too sick to walk any farther to hear Alan tell stories of Jesus, Babs gently shoulders their weight to help them the rest of the way.

"There is always someone sick," she says. "... All I can do is pray for them and share about Christ."

She tells of numerous friends who have died from tuberculosis and pneumonia, complications brought on by AIDS.

"Twenty-five percent of the Basotho children are HIV/AIDS orphans," Alan says. Even though most families have very little, they try to absorb these children into their homes, sharing food and clothes.

But life is hard, and it's not uncommon to see a child in a blizzard wrapped in nothing more than a towel.

Roughly 12,000 of these children have HIV themselves.

Alan believes the Basotho people are dying off. A people of more than 2 million, approximately 270,000 Basotho have the virus and about 50 people die every day.

The first known case of AIDS in Lesotho was in 1986. By the early 2000s, the government had declared it a national pandemic.

"The hardest thing for me is to watch the Basotho die day in and day out without being able to get to them [with the Gospel]," Alan says. "Statistically, if nothing changes in Lesotho, the Basotho will cease to exist as a people in less than 26 years."

Some of the Basotho villages are tucked into the mountain ranges, hidden by deep valleys and ravines. The Dials hire guides and rent mountain ponies, sometimes traveling entire days to get to the villages. Pitching tents to sleep in, they spend as many days as they can telling Bible stories.

The Basotho want to know about Jesus, the Dials say. Often some will run after them as they leave the village, asking for one more story.

With tears in her eyes and a loving smile, "Mema Khotso" ("mother of peace"), as Babs is known, leans over a dying man. She prays with him, knowing he doesn't have long to live. Thin, with skin just hanging on his bones, he is in the final stages of HIV/AIDS. Lying on a tarp in the warmth of the sun, he asks Jesus into his heart.

"It can be discouraging when so many die," she says. "But it's also an opportunity to give the Gospel."

"What they really need is a saving relationship with Jesus Christ so they can know what it means to live and not what it means to die," Younker says, "because everyone is on the path to death here."

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-24T06:52:00.000-07:00

Psalms 36:5-9 Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. (6) Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O LORD. (7) How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. (8) They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. (9) For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.

Shield of faith

2009-11-23T07:04:00.000-07:00

Ephesians 6:16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;

From the devotional My Utmost for his Highest, The thing of which we have to beware is not so much damage to our belief in God as damage to our Christian temper. “Therefore take heed to thy spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.” The temper of mind is tremendous in its effects, it is the enemy that penetrates right into the soul and distracts the mind from God.

There are certain tempers of mind in which we never dare indulge; if we do, we find they have distracted us from faith in God, and until we get back to the quiet mood before God, our faith in Him is nil, and our confidence in the flesh and in human ingenuity is the thing that rules.

Beware of “the cares of this world,” because they are the things that produce a wrong temper of soul. It is extraordinary what an enormous power there is in simple things to distract our attention from God. Refuse to be swamped with the cares of this life.

Another thing that distracts us is the lust of vindication. St. Augustine prayed - “O Lord, deliver me from this lust of always vindicating myself.” That temper of mind destroys the soul’s faith in God. “I must explain myself; I must get people to understand.” Our Lord never explained anything; He left mistakes to correct themselves.

Finally refuse the temper of a critical spirit. When we discern that people are not going on spiritually and allow the discernment to turn to criticism, we block our way to God. God never gives us discernment in order that we may criticize, but that we may intercede.

Open the eyes of my heart Lord

2009-11-16T06:47:00.003-07:00

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

True worship is a divine encounter with God. God is real in the lives of believers, people in whose lives God has come in grace and power, people who encounter God in a place just like we have at our church.
True worship is a divine encounter, but a worship service may or may not be. My desire is not so much that I conduct a well organized service, but that God's people encounter the living God when we come together to worship Him.

Open the eyes of my heart Lord, I want to see you - lyrics.

Father God, how can the lyrics become more than words to us? We need you. We need your grace so that we might know you.

What really happened at church yesterday. I had hopes, but it seems like "not so much" happened as I had hoped. Yesterday someone actually overheard part of a conversation in the bathroom during the service.
"I almost fell asleep" said one person. Answered with "I was asleep".

It's not uncommon for church people to say things like, "well, the music was lacking." Or, "the Lord's Supper was special, but usually its not".

Many churches have met in caves, or huddled into homes. No instruments or lighting or video. In more than a few places, the singing was whispered. A guard might posted at the door as a lookout because of opposition. Worship is not about instruments or architecture or performances.

It's ironic, and troubling to me. The church sermon is about encountering the living God, juxtaposed with "plain boredom" in the pew. Maybe the problems are not outside but inside the heart.

Word of God speak. Pour down like rain. Washing my eyes to see, your majesty. To be still and know that you're in the place. Please let me stay and rest, in your holiness. Word of God speak.

It's Monday, and I am thinking about yesterday and next Sunday. Hungry for the living God, or trying to stay awake in the service, we all need your grace. Open the eyes of our hearts Lord, we need to see you. High and lifted up, shining in the light of glory. Pour out your power and love as we sing "holy, holy, holy". I am going to pray harder for sleepy eyes to be opened up to God.

Be of good cheer

2009-10-28T07:43:00.005-07:00

Fall is such a great time of year, it is my favorite season. Cool evenings, warm days, change in the air, slowing down, harvest time, quail hunting season, football games, Thanksgiving gatherings, time for playing with kids, counting our blessings and giving.

What makes life good is the right focus. I am certain that many bad things happen in the fall, just as they do at other times throughout the year. What makes the fall season better is how my focus changes. In other words, the reason for the change is spiritual, not material.

But not merely spiritual. A lot of spiritual things can be very negative and harmful. Things like anger, worry, depression or lust. The secret of a happy life is God's grace and truth. God's word is good news for sinners, help for hurting, strength for the weary, courage for the fearful, and hope of glory for the burned out.

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, (14) I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

There is more to this life than what we can make of it, that is why Jesus came. John 10:10, Jesus said, the thief comes to kill, steal and destroy but I have come that they might have life, and that abundantly. The thief Jesus refers to is Satan. The life that Jesus gives is spiritual life, and it changes the lives of millions throughout the earth. This abundant life is for every person, no matter their circumstances.

I have seen it in the African bush, secular San Francisco, in burned out ex-communists in Ukraine, and in impoverished colonnias of Nogales. There is a life that Jesus brings that is not dependent on what someone else can do or what we own. It brings freedom and a deep strength. Peace, joy, love and endurance.

The opposite is reality without God. Consider King Solomon at a time in his life away from God.
Ecclesiastes 2:3-11 Driven on by my desire for wisdom, I decided to cheer myself up with wine and have a good time. I thought that this might be the best way people can spend their short lives on earth. (4) I accomplished great things. I built myself houses and planted vineyards. (5) I planted gardens and orchards, with all kinds of fruit trees in them; (6) I dug ponds to irrigate them. (7) I bought many slaves, and there were slaves born in my household. I owned more livestock than anyone else who had ever lived in Jerusalem. (8) I also piled up silver and gold from the royal treasuries of the lands I ruled. Men and women sang to entertain me, and I had all the women a man could want. (9) Yes, I was great, greater than anyone else who had ever lived in Jerusalem, and my wisdom never failed me. (10) Anything I wanted, I got. I did not deny myself any pleasure. I was proud of everything I had worked for, and all this was my reward. (11) Then I thought about all that I had done and how hard I had worked doing it, and I realized that it didn't mean a thing. It was like chasing the wind---of no use at all.

He tried it all, and found vanity. Life under the sun without God is vanity. But that isn't God's plan. God is alive, He is with us, and within reach. All it takes is faith. Praying for you to find Him, He is looking for you.

We are the Body

2009-10-24T07:26:00.000-07:00

We ARE the body of Christ. I grew up in a good church, and am a pastor of a good church. One of the struggles I have observed in my life and church since I was young to this day is to learn what church really is.

The following are 3 of the most common misconceptions about the Church.
Church is somewhere to go on Sunday.
Church is on television, listening to a sermon.
Church is a building.

These may be reality, but they are not Biblical. The Church IS the Body of Christ. Since we are the Body of Christ, a question to ask is what does this mean?

Body is a noun, body means life. Body means going and doing.

If Jesus came to our community, what would he do? Where would he go? What would he say? If we are the Body, what is Jesus doing in and through us?

Casting Crowns sings this powerful song:

It's crowded in worship today
As she slips in
Trying to fade into the faces
The girls' teasing laughter is carrying farther than they know
Farther than they know

A traveler is far away from home
he sheds his coat
And quietly sinks into the back row
The weight of their judgmental glances tells him that his chances
Are better out on the road

But if we are the Body
Why aren't His arms reaching
Why aren't His hands healing
Why aren't His words teaching
And if we are the Body
Why aren't His feet going
Why is His love not showing them there is a way

Jesus paid much too high a price
For us to pick and choose who should come
And we are the Body of Christ

We are the Body

2009-10-18T13:40:00.002-07:00

Ephesians 4:11-13 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, (12) to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, (13) until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,

I love my vocation and church. Buy God's grace, I serve the Lord and His people as a pastor-teacher. This morning we studied with our new members how God has shaped us for His purpose. Rick Warren's explains that God has called every member to ministry, and that God has shaped believers lives in several ways.

S - H - A - P - E stands for the words:
Spiritual gifts
Heart - meaning what we care about most
Ability - skills, education, and training
Personality - our unique style and personal attributes, including strengths and weaknesses
Experiences - our life experiences, both the good and the bad things we have been through.

Our "shape" all works together, and God intends to equip each member of the Body to build up the others, so that the Body grows and becomes more like Jesus.

That means that a pastor-teacher can help equip the saints, learning the truth, and to obey Jesus commands. The great resource in the church is the Church. the people of God. Together we can do all things through Christ.

Humility and Honesty

2009-10-15T07:41:00.011-07:00

The following post is a response to a comment left by a reader. This believer takes issue with my essay, Darwin's Dream. I thought it would be helpful for others to read as well.

First, I want to thank you for your thoughtful comments on the essay. You raise good points and your objections made me want to improve the original essay. The following are a few notes that may answer some of your objections and enlist your trust.

Secondly, the purpose and motivation of this particular essay is pastoral in nature. My essay was a written to respond to national news reporting about the discovery of the "missing link" in human evolution. Several reports excitedly predicted this new discovery would turn the world upside down by provide conclusive evidence which should shift our thinking about the meaning of life itself.

My aim of my response is to encourage God's people to faithfulness and second, to offer a pastor's teaching and commentary in matters such as these so as to encourage their faith in God's Word.

There are Christian scientists such as Dembski, Behe, and Kreeft, are creationists. Their writings and books are reasonable and rational arguments for God's existence the Biblical account. The theories of Darwin and of scientist such as Richard Dawkins are not consistent with the Biblical account of creation or the teachings of Christ.

At the same time, there are scientists who have taken up the promotion of atheism and evolution, most notably Richard Dawkins.

As Darwinism's modern bulldog, Dawkins is flabbergasted that the majority of educated Americans believe God created the universe, and according to polls, more than half do not believe the theory of evolution's ideas about origins.

So, when Charlie Gibson of ABC news reported the discovery of the missing link in human evolution, he opined that this discovery was of great importance as it was likely to prove Darwin's theory. He ended his comments, "this discovery was what Charles Darwin dreamed before he died.

Many scientists quietly tolerate religion, as long as "religion keeps it's nose out of their business". In other words, let the religious preach their ideas, but woe to them that stray into the "real" world with their ideas. It seems Dawkins and others have concluded such tolerance may have been a mistake. Religion is effectively hindering the acceptance of the scientific explanations for life.

Most Christians are not students of biology or paleontology or philosophy for that matter, and are unlikely to read or hear rebuttal to the ideas that were set forth as factual and objective truth on national network television news.

In addition, there have been notable examples of fraud in this particular field of "human evolution." However, it is most unlikely that retractions or apologies are offered the news or scientists if such theories proves unreliable or over reached.

Your point is well taken that if my accusation of fraud was to cast doubt on this latest discover, that would be unwarranted, unfair, and dishonest.

The essay was incomplete in this respect. The examples of fraud are here is a link to such information.

As to the affects of these ideas in society, there as Margaret Sanger (founder of Planned Parenthood), and Peter Singer (Princeton ethicist whose ideas are beyond the pale). I was not laying the blame at Darwin's feet, but showing the connection of his ideas to it.

Darwinian utilitarianism has gone to seed, the apples didn't fall far from the tree.

I know a pastor who preached a sound Biblical message from Genesis chapter 1 in his church, teaching clearly a 7 day creation period.

He might have expected questions or even disagreement, but everyone smiled and nodded approvingly. As a follow up message, on Sunday night he specifically addressed issues relating to Darwinism and other scientific dogma.

The response was very different. Many thanked him for the study, and others were offended. The offense seems to have been about the facts of science versus the belief inthe Bible.

Some, perhaps most believers have comparmentalized their faith. The Bible and science are not inherntly at enmity, but this does not require one to accept any or all scientific claims. I believe that scientific inquiry is a noble pursuit with our God given intelligence. It is the sin nature of man that leads toward sin and evil. Science makes a good tool but a terrible master.

Some believers reject so called "evolutionary facts" because they are not Biblical, they are not particularly well studied in science and to argue bits of bones and chemicals is out of their league.

I am grateful that there are a growing number of believers who are experts in their fields in the scienitific community. Their work as scientists is not to advance their faith, but to pursue God's truth in creation.

In the mind of the average believer, there is the nagging suspicion that science must be correct. On the other hand, they believe the Bible is true, and so what results is a sort of parallel universe. God lives in one, and scientific reality lives in the other.

God's truth is not a separate, special reality, and His truth will not be silent. Factual information is important, and sound Biblical teaching is my aim, which in my view, must lead to application not only to my own "personal faith" but to the real world and its ideas.

Second footnote:
Darwin's ideas must have seemed reasonable and rational to him. Darwin "identified" the gaps in his theory and assumed that future exploration, research and study would fill in the gaps. At the same time, as a trained clergyman, he must have understood that his views were inconsistent with Biblical teaching.

Darwin's gaps still exist, most objective observers agree. Hence the magnitude of "discoveries" that somehow fill the gap certainly makes the news.

Finally, my prayer is for the preachers and teachers of God's Word to be true to Him, and not be intimidated or uninformed about current scientific "dogma". God's Word is reliable, and it is the Spirit's sword.

Amen to your faith in God's Word.

Darwin's dream

2009-10-03T08:46:00.007-07:00

The news reports that scientists have "discovered the missing link" in "human evolution". The breaking news reports of such discoveries have proven unreliable in the past, and so the question comes to mind.

How do these "monumental discoveries" become non-newsworthy when they prove to be mistaken and unreliable. The truth is, scientists are not always objective, and the "news" rarely is. But there's more to it. These facts are not facts, but are ideas. And ideas, whether about nature, or other matters are subject to interpretation.

As a matter of fact, ideas are spiritual. Meaning what? Ideas are real but not in the sense of material. They are spiritual. Ideas are abstract and produced by "human beings" or other beings for that matter. The Bible teaches that God is true, and all that is true is true because of Him. The Bible also teaches about the "father of lies, Satan" and that he has been at work since the beginning of human history, ie. Adam, Eve, Cain and Abel.

Human beings develop and adopt ideas, most of which is not original to them. People pick and choose ideas, we all do it. We see it all the time. Scientists are only human.

The latest, greatest news on supposed human origins all smacks of dishonesty and manipulation. The facts are not facts, Ideas have spiritual basis, and the "father of lies" acts and speaks through the minds of man. To an atheist, this sounds like mumbo jumbo I am sure, but let them explain the sordid history of scientific discoveries.

The stories include doctored photographs, faked bones, as well as missed guesses and wrong interpretations. I don't mean to falsely accuse all scientists of such gross misbehavior, nor to ignore that fact that most scientist desire to be objective.

Many scientists don't believe in God or the Bible, but many do. That is not the main point of this blog either. The bottom line is, ideas are spiritual, not driven by only by scientific inquiry and data, but by our sin nature, Satan, or by God's Spirit and Biblical truth.

Back to the news report I heard in CBS last night. The news anchor reflected on Darwin, stating that this newly discovered "missing link" was what Darwin dreamed but didn't find. I thought it would consider this statement. What did Darwin dream about.

Darwin's famous work Origin of Species was published in 1859. What is less well-known is its original and shocking sub-title: The Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Life. The naturalist followed up his culture-shifting work with The Descent of Man in 1871. Here, he extrapolated upon man's relationship with apes by moving from mere physical attributes to psychological and moral traits. Darwin's dream was how to continue man’s evolution. Darwin's ideas were evil:

"With savages, the weak in body or mind are eliminated; and those that survive commonly exhibit a vigorous state of health. We civilised men, on the other hand, do our utmost to check the process of elimination; we build asylums for the imbecile, the maimed, and the sick; we institute poor-laws; and our medical men exert their utmost skill to save the life of every one to the last moment. There is reason to believe that vaccination has preserved thousands, who from a weak constitution would formerly have succumbed to small-pox. Thus the weak members of civilised societies propagate their kind. No one who has attended to the breeding of domestic animals will doubt that this must be highly injurious to the race of man. It is surprising how soon a want of care, or care wrongly directed, leads to the degeneration of a domestic race; but excepting in the case of man himself, hardly any one is so ignorant as to allow his worst animals to breed." - Charles Darwin

Darwin's dream is dangerous, and immoral. The interpretation of bones by scientists goes far beyond science, and so do the ramifications of such ideas about human life are not just published in science texts. Darwin's ideas led to eugenics, abortion, euthanasia and the like. Hitler read Darwin and applied these ideas to his Third Reich.

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the Father except by me." And "I have come that they might have life, and that to fullest." Jesus is alive. Genesis 1 says, God created them in the image of God. Two very different ideas. One is a lie, and God's Word is true. Let his truth bless you today.

Looming Life Questions

2009-09-18T15:01:00.002-07:00

by Dr. Richard Land

(this excerpt of the excellent address by Dr. Land during meetings I attended recently in Nashville, acknowlegments to Baptist Press)

America faces a "gathering storm" related to the value of human life, ERLC President Richard Land said in an address to trustees.

Land warned of the institutionalization of a quality of life ethic in American society. "Actions in our legislative and judicial systems are symptomatic of a moral and spiritual disease," he said, reminding the trustees of Moses' call to the Israelites to "choose life" (Deuteronomy 30:19).

"Unfortunately for about half my life we have far too often chosen the path of death and cursing rather than the path of life and blessing," Land said, warning of the danger of a quality of life ethic totally supplanting a sanctity of human life ethic.

"We need to combat the systems like any good doctor," Land said, "but we need to be treating the source of the disease as well."

The Bible teaches essentialism, that our Creator has conferred on every human being a right to life from conception to natural death, Land said.

This biblical perspective is increasingly being replaced by what ethicists call biographicalism, Land explained, which holds that individuals are defined by their biography. According to this view, he said, individuals forfeit their personhood and value as they lose quality of life, to the degree that they become less productive and less able to care for themselves.

"This storm has been gathering for a long time," Land said, suggesting a quality of life ethic is reflected in much of the machinations behind the proposals related to health care reform.

"Human life is sacred by God's involvement and declaration," Land said. "We are different in nature and design and kind from all the rest of creation. The differences are not differences of degree; they are differences of kind," he continued.

"We are not merely the most advanced life in the animal kingdom; we are the unique creation of God."

This reality should have an impact on all of human life, including ethical, medical, moral and legislative decisions, he insisted.

"We have a biblically appointed task to call Southern Baptists and all people of faith to be the watchmen on the wall in the face of this gathering storm," Land said, citing Ezekiel 3.

"Silence is complicity," he said. "We must speak the Word."

IMAGINATION VS. INSPIRATION

2009-09-14T07:57:00.000-07:00

From My Utmost “The simplicity that is in Christ.” II Corinthians 11:3

Simplicity is the secret of seeing things clearly. A saint does not think clearly for a long while, but a saint ought to see clearly without any difficulty. You cannot think a spiritual muddle clear, you have to obey it clear. In intellectual matters you can think things out, but in spiritual matters you will think yourself into cotton wool. If there is something upon which God has put His pressure, obey in that matter, bring your imagination into captivity to the obedience of Christ with regard to it and everything will become as clear as daylight. The reasoning capacity comes afterwards, but we never see along that line, we see like children; when we try to be wise we see nothing (Matthew 11:25).

The tiniest thing we allow in our lives that is not under the control of the Holy Spirit is quite sufficient to account for spiritual muddle, and all the thinking we like to spend on it will never make it clear. Spiritual muddle is only made plain by obedience. Immediately we obey, we discern. This is humiliating, because when we are muddled we know the reason is in the temper of our mind. When the natural power of vision is devoted to the Holy Spirit, it becomes the power of perceiving God’s will and the whole life is kept in simplicity.

sky's the limit

2009-09-11T21:15:00.001-07:00

Beautiful, amazing, surprising God.

Ephesians 3:14-21 For this reason I fall on my knees before the Father, (15) from whom every family in heaven and on earth receives its true name. (16) I ask God from the wealth of his glory to give you power through his Spirit to be strong in your inner selves, (17) and I pray that Christ will make his home in your hearts through faith. I pray that you may have your roots and foundation in love, (18) so that you, together with all God's people, may have the power to understand how broad and long, how high and deep, is Christ's love. (19) Yes, may you come to know his love---although it can never be fully known---and so be completely filled with the very nature of God. (20) To him who by means of his power working in us is able to do so much more than we can ever ask for, or even think of: (21) to God be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever! Amen.

Another Baptist pastor's prayer for President Obama

2009-09-02T14:39:00.004-07:00

Heavenly Father,

May you grant your grace and mercy to our president, your wisdom and truth through those who counsel him, and the courage and resolution to guide this country in peace, goodness, and righteousness.

God, help our president to know you and may He seek your help and the instruction of your Eternal Word and the Living Savior Jesus Christ. Lord, help him to listen to the wisdom and grace of your truth, and bring Him into your paths.

Bless him as a father and husband, bless his wife and children. What burdens they face, grant them your grace and help.

God we recognize your sovereignty and guidance in our lives and in this world. You raise up and bring down nations and kingdoms. May your people experience your peace and freedom, but in whatever state may the Church share the gospel of Jesus with the lost world, with boldness, love and grace.

You are our hope Lord.

In Jesus Holy and Wonderful Name,

Amen

every member a missionary

2009-08-27T08:27:00.005-07:00

Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

That's the vision Jesus has for His church. We call it the Great Commission. In our day of supersized everything, including the words we overuse like "awesome" or "greatest", we lose sight of their meaning.

Jesus' vision is great. It is great in ways that nothing else is. It is global in expanse, eternal in result, and it is personal. The great commission is the "heartbeat of God" for this world, for people like you and me.

Jesus' great commission is to love our enemies. To overcome evil with God's truth and good.

Jesus' commission overcomes the social barriers. More than economics or family background, it determines where we live and how we live, and especially, for what do we live.

The needs have never been greater, and the opportunity, well the doors are open all over the world. May we catch the Jesus' vision. May Jesus' command to us, which we call the Great Commission's become the passion of our lives and the life of the church.

Anything less is a total miss. We cannot count our church or our life a success by any measure other than to love the Lord with our whole life, to love others as we love ourselves, and to obey Jesus' command and share the gospel with every person on this earth, in these last days.

Whispering a shout (healthcare from God's perspective)

2009-08-12T11:09:00.006-07:00

There's been a lot of shouting on television lately in town hall meetings across the country. Some of the things said are not so good, but the importance of the questions in this debate are worthy of debate and discussion.

In the 1990's I studied Francis Schaffer's video, "Whatever happened to the human race." It was a watershed moment for me, for God used this video to open my eyes to the direction our world was going.

The focus of the video is the importance and sanctity of human life, and how these are based on the Biblical worldview. It helped me understand the chilling prospects of a future in which modern man had almost "god like powers" but would use them for ungodly, inhumane ends.

Since then, there have been times when I spoke in prophetic terms about such challenges to truth and to the future of the human race, knowing that God is sovereign and would, in the end, bring a forceful stop to a world that had forgotten love and rejected truth.

I am greatly concerned with the current health care debate in our society. My primary reasons have little to with the brief language of the bill that relates to end of life counseling. But it has everything to do with the view from which our society now operates.

I feel a deep grief, not only for the present sins of our society against human life, but where our present course is leading. We live in a world where the human life is devalued, economics is the chief criteria of value, and unbridled personal autonomy is the new god of this world.

Because of world economics and the aging of the world, sheer economics is becoming the driving factor in matters of life and death. The brave new progress is a cruel, albeit, well dressed, well heeled society that is obsessively selfish and utterly unbiblical.

I share these quips and quotes for your consideration. They seem to whisper a shout about our current news and trends.

The Bible teaches that man is made in the image of God and therefore is unique. Remove that teaching, as humanism has done on both sides of the Iron Curtain, and there is no adequate basis for treating people well.
(Francis A. Schaeffer and C. Everette Koop, Whatever Happened to the Human Race?, Ch. 1)

...because the Christian consensus has been put aside, we are faced today with a flood of personal cruelty. As we have noted, the Christian consensus gave great freedoms without leading to chaos -- because society in general functioned within the values given in the Bible, especially the unique value of human life. Now that humanism has taken over, the former freedoms run riot, and individuals, acting on what they are taught, increasingly practice their cruelties without restraint. And why shouldn't they? If the modern humanistic view of man is correct and man is only a product of chance in a universe that has no ultimate values, why should an individual refrain from being cruel to another person, if that person seems to be standing in his or her way?
(Francis A. Schaeffer and C. Everette Koop, Whatever Happened to the Human Race?, Ch. 1)

Modern humanism has an inherent need to manipulate and tinker with the natural processes, including human nature [through genetics], because humanism:

1. Rejects the doctrine of Creation.
2. Therefore rejects the idea that there is anything stable or "given" about human nature.
3. Sees human nature as part of a long, unfolding process of development in which everything is changing.
4. Casts around for some solution to the problem of despair that this determinist-evolutionist vision induces.
5. Can only find a solution in the activity of the human will, which -- in opposition to its own system -- it hopes can transcend the inexorable flow of nature and act upon nature.
6. Therefore encourages manipulation of nature, including tinkering with people, as the only way of escaping from nature's bondage. But this manipulation cannot have any certain criteria to guide it because, with God abolished, the only remaining criterion is nature (which is precisely what humanist man wants to escape from) and nature is both noncruel and cruel.
(Francis A. Schaeffer and C. Everette Koop, Whatever Happened to the Human Race?, Ch. 1)

With nothing higher than human opinion upon which to base judgments and with ethics equaling no ethics, the justification for seeing crime and cruelty as disturbing is destroyed. The very word crime and even the word cruelty lose meaning. There is no final reason on which to forbid anything -- "If nothing is forbidden, then anything is possible."
(Francis A. Schaeffer and C. Everette Koop, Whatever Happened to the Human Race?, Ch. 1)

If man is not made in the image of God, nothing then stands in the way of inhumanity. There is no good reason why mankind should be perceived as special. Human life is cheapened. We can see this in many of the major issues being debated in our society today: abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, the increase of child abuse and violence of all kinds, pornography (and its particular kinds of violence as evidenced in sadomasochism), the routine torture of political prisoners in many parts of the world, the crime explosion, and the random violence which surrounds us.
(Francis A. Schaeffer and C. Everette Koop, Whatever Happened to the Human Race?, Ch. 1)

counting on your friends

2009-08-08T13:21:00.003-07:00

Colossians 3:9-14 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices (10) and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. (11) Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. (12) Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, (13) bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. (14) And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

A Christian friend is a great gift from God. I have come to realize they come in all sizes, shapes and colors. The heart of Christian friendship is not merely the absence of animosity or the normal meanness. Christian friendship is not benign neglect, it is the Lord's life shared together.

That is the richest life indeed. Start with such great things as compassion, humility and kindness, forgiveness and patience, and add to these God's powerlful love.

God's love compels us to act, not neglect. It doesn't create more time in our life, but it leads us to give of ourselves to our friends. God's love calls us higher, it leads us upward to Christlikeness.

This loving friendship is hard to find for it can only be found where Christ reigns in a life.

We all need Christian friendship, not only as a sheltering tree in a careless and shallow world full of struggle, but because we need to grow up in Christ. The great risk of Christian friendship is telling the truth in love. In a way, I hope that every Sunday I am friend to all the church.

I am called and gifted to build up the Body as my friends. I preach every Sunday in the spirit of such friendship. I hope it is received as such, not for my own sake, but that "Christ may be formed in you."

Colossians 1:28-29 We proclaim Him, warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. (29) I labor for this, striving with His strength that works powerfully in me.

Proverbs 27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.

Ephesians 4:25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.

Sunday night in Eutichian style

2009-08-03T18:00:00.003-07:00

Acts 20:7-9 On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight. (8) There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered. (9) And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead.

Now at first glance, this might be a case against Sunday night services, and especially against long speeches or sermons. Be that as it may, there are times when people need to get together on Sunday nights.

If you haven't come to a Sunday night, you have missed some wonderful times with the Lord and His people. These past Sunday nights we have:

worshipped enthusiastically with young leaders
heard great preaching by young and older
listened to moving testimonies
thought about the world around us in new ways
and the Spirit has spoken life changing words to us (literally, I know some whose couse is now set in a new heading of the Spirit's showing)

This Sunday night I pray will be another great time. Ken Collins will share from his experiences in South Africa, talking about unity in one of the most famous places in the world for disunity and disharmony.

And you never know what God might do. Read on,
Acts 20:10-12 But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, "Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him." (11) And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed. (12) And they took the youth away alive, and were not a little comforted.

Every member a missionary

2009-07-26T21:16:00.002-07:00

The Great Commission
Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him — but some of them still doubted!
Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given complete authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28

Knocking on the doors of hearts takes personal commitment and love. God is the One who sends missionaries. God moved people providentially and personally to go and share the gospel.

In Acts, the persecution drove Christians away from Jerusalem, and the Spirit led others like Philip and Paul to go and witness to others.

God is still working. Persecutions have driven believers all over the world. Some have come as refugees, bringing with them a vital faith, humble heart, and the Spirit's power.

This Sunday, 2 of our dear friends will be set apart for the work that God has called them to do. Jim and Susan Oetter are faithful servants in our church, and now God is opening a new field for them.

In months they will be "going" to Mozambique. Come celebrate with us the wonderful call of God in the life of our church and their lives this Sunday night.

holiday

2009-07-18T10:54:00.007-07:00

In England, a vacation is called a "holiday".

I like that and think it goes together with vacation. As I child, my family went on a family vacation for a week each summer. Our favorite destination was in the beautiful, cool outdoors in the Colorado Rocky Mountains.

Looking back on my childhood, a few things stand out in my memory and make me think of my family. The family vacation and the Christmas holiday stand out foremost in my mind as time for happiness, being together, making memories with my family.

So I hope you and your family can go make some good memories together this summer. i have some favorite places to recommend if you like water, mountains, green trees and refreshingly cool weather.

Here a few pictures of my own family vacations for your enjoyment.

missions is not a trip

2009-07-07T08:34:00.003-07:00

And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How welcome are the feet of those who announce the gospel of good things! - Rom 10:15

I am praying for the Lord of harvest to involve more people in His work this year. God has been working in the fields of harvest, and is inviting our church to join Him in His work.

God is opening our eyes to the mission field which within walking distance of our church. Our church and neighborhood has become a crossroads for the nations, and there are many opportunities to minister to people from all walks of life and from all over the world right where we live and worship together.

A missionary once said, God needs to put an ocean between us and our neighbor so that we will go and tell them about Jesus. That is probably true, we often think of missions as a trip to go on, instead of simply serving and telling others about the Savior.

I hope that God will open the eyes and heart of our church even more this year to missions. I believe that every member is called to be a minister and a missionary so that we might witness to our neighbors and to those around the world as God has commanded us to do.

Exciting and great things are happening right now in our neighborhood. Refugeess from many countries are moving into Phoenix, and Royal Palms can be a missionary church by responding to these mission fields.

Missions is not a plane trip. It is loving others and sharing Jesus with them.

good tsunami

2009-06-17T08:14:00.009-07:00

Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: "'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'? Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him." - Matthew 21:42-44

Timing is everything.

In surfing, too early or too late don't work out. It leads to wipe out.

That is also true with God. God's love came in person. The Son of God is God's revelation of Himself.

The wave is a good metaphor. Really big waves are powerful and dangerous.

God is powerful and that makes Him dangerous, but He is very good.

Wipe out on a big wave and its disaster. Reject Christ, total loss.

Remember God loves you. Don't miss it.

Forgiveness

2009-06-13T13:26:00.005-07:00

Winter, spring, summer or fall
All you got to do is call
And I'll be there, yes I will.
You've got a friend.

1 John 4:7-8 Dear friends, we must love each other because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born from God and knows God. The person who doesn't love doesn't know God, because God is love.

Got to see some old friends yesterday. I went to see one of them for the last time, but it was not because we burned a bridge. He is going home soon. He has very little physical strength left.

God is like that. Just call, you've got a friend. I love Him for that. And I love my old friends for that too. Friendship is one of God's great gifts.

How do you keep old friends? Each one has to learn forgiveness. Forgiveness is a very, very powerful thing. With it, you can change the future and let go of the past, no matter what happened. God's gift to us is forgiveness, and through He makes a friend for life.

Forgiveness is the key to friendships that last forever. We are sinners, and no matter how hard we try not to, we sin and hurt other people, even our friends. We do it to God all the time. It would seem to be the end, but its not.

In comes forgiveness, and then, the love grows even stronger and longer than it was before. God forgave my sins in Jesus' name. What a friend we have in Jesus. There is a friend that sticks closer than even a brother.

Open yourself up to God and to others. God's grace is like a river of living water. Everything can change. Friendship can come. Give it a try. You think about that. Amen.

pastor-gardener

2009-06-03T08:38:00.007-07:00

I like the picture above, hoeing in a field that belonged to someone else. It is a parable of my role as a pastor. Below is a scripture passage from 1 Corinthians 3 about "pastoring", the insights of which are a model for my life and ministry as an under shepherder (pastor).

5 What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one.
6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.
7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.
8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.
10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it.
11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
13 each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work.

1. First, I am reminded it is not about me. This truth puts down pastoral pride, but it also removes the burden of "trying to do what only God can do" and fits with point #2.

2. I am reminded I am a steward, not an owner. The field in the picture is a communal garden in Ukraine, and the church is God's field, where he called me to work. Others have worked and are working, but we are not owners. Our place will not remember us, but that is ok, because it is not about us. The Chief Pastor is the Lord Jesus, we are undershepherds and stewards.

3. I am reminded of the hard work in the field. The field is life. God's church is like a field, or like building a home. God builds new people. The corn plants in the picture are fairly young, but much work had already been done. And much work left remained.

4. Greater things are yet to come. The harvest is coming, the plants are growing and God is providing water and sunshine. The greatest thing about pastoring is knowing that greater is yet to come. Changed life. Fruitfulness. Heaven. Greater things are coming.

The fruit of this work is nothing less than the glory of God. Each one is being re-made into Jesus likeness, through the Spirit, the Word, and the ministry of the Body. The fruit in our lives is more precious than golden grain, and the results stretch throughout eternity.

5. The day of testing come. The true value of things is not our decision, but God's First things end up last in His kingdom. The temporary things are like wood or stubble. Temporary doesn't cut it.

What if someone works hard, but the results don't matter at all to God. God save from such an end. God will test the quality. Value has to do with qualities that matter to God. Much of what matters to us is superfluous at best.

The quality of the work is what matters. The end result and the kind of ministry done are one. God sees through the veneer. Quality means motives matter as much as deeds. Quality means love and truth are the keys, not professionalism or popularity.

Quality means grace and truth bring life transformation.

6. Lastly, the harvest is greater than we thought, God needs to call up more workers. Help wanted: laborers. Yes, numbers matter to God. God's harvest is souls, and many more laborers are needed.

Who is sufficient to do God's ministry? God alone is able, and He can use people who are usable. That is the work of prayer and truth. We are called to teach foolish truths. We are called to God's greateness and our diminishment, so he may increase. More love, more power, more of Jesus!

Unstoppable Force and Epaphras

2009-05-30T08:50:00.004-07:00

The gospel which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth; just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, (Colossians 1:6-7)

Nothing can hold back the flood of God's glorious salvation. The gospel is changing the lives of all who believe, and it spreads in our day like a tsunami. To those who reject Christ, the gospel is an intruder, but to those who are being saved, it changes everything in life.

Nothing can stop the gospel, except one thing. God's saving plan involved Epaphras. Where would the gospel go if everyone lived the way I do. He is calling us to go and share the good news with everyone.

In this weekend of prayer for world evangelisation, my prayer is for more laborers for the fields are white unto harvest. My prayer is for my life to be fruitful in Him. As God trims back the fruitful branch that abides in Jesus, God may you trim in my life so that it will be more fruitful.

Charles enjoying a little hoeing on a communal farm in Ukraine, where an atheistic empire once forbade the gospel. That kingdom fell, God reigns!

Day of Prayer for World Evangelization

2009-05-29T08:12:00.002-07:00

Acts 1:7-8 He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by His own authority. (8) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

This Sunday, May 31 marks the Day of Pentecost, when the first fruits of the harvest were given as an offering to God. In 33 A.D. when the disciples were together in the upper room, the Spirit of God descended upon those gathered there, and thus began the Body of Christ and the evangelization of the world.

This Sunday millions of believers will gather in unity to pray for fresh power and bold mission thrust, so that we might fulfill the Lord's Great Commission in our lifetime.

Six students from our church are in Mozambique to share the gospel and spread the Word of God. Please join together this Sunday with us, to pray for them as they serve with our missionaries there.

My best one

2009-05-16T14:01:00.002-07:00

In a couple of weeks, Christie and I will celebrate our 25th anniversary.

I have grown to love her more throughout these 25 years. Our life together has been filled with so much, everything working together for good, for love, for God's plan and purpose.

So many days, rarely apart, and each one with her love and companionship. I feel so blessed. Each day, each year it seems like I learn to love her more and better. Each day unique, but using each of them God has woven our lives together. She and I are one. Love is strong.

So I write this in honor of her and to celebrate and declare how grateful I am for my wife. I thank God for her.

Pentecost

2009-04-30T09:37:00.002-07:00

Recessions

2009-04-30T07:55:00.007-07:00

HEADLINE: Consumers give spark of new hope for econ revival
The Associated Press - ‎14 hours ago‎
WASHINGTON (AP) — Consumers are snapping back to life, kindling springtime hopes...

TRUTH: I know both how to have a little, and I know how to have a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content--whether well-fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:12-13

Contentment comes in 2 ways.

First, I know how because I have learned. Know how comes through experience. "I know how to have a little" is not platitudinal, it was reality. In some ways, most people can relate to this because we all go through times of need, even if, in fact, we still own several cars, a home, a retirement package, and plan to go on a vacation.

That is not Paul's meaning. The apostle had lived through difficult times, imprisonment, shipwreck, beatings, and even penniless.

We might prefer some sort of spiritual shortcut to knowing contentment even in lean times, but really there isn't one. Paul discovered there was a secret there. The secret of being content does mean "getting the knack for it".

This secret was revealed through experience, that there is grace for every need, and you don't know that grace until you need it. I should add, there is grace from God from and through poverty, that is known by having abundance and then having nothing.

You don't know what you got til its gone. Carly Simon's song comes to mind.

Yesterday evening in Bible study, we thought for a few moments about the "rich young man" whom Jesus commanded "go sell everything and give it all away, then come follow Me."

And the rich man walked away from Jesus, unwilling to do that. There was no shortcut from Jesus' plan for this man whom He loved, and Jesus didn't offer a plan B when the rich man decided to walk away. And then He said these words, Matthew 19:23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "I assure you: It will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven!

Jesus words are truth; and I know they apply to our personal life.

Maybe they apply to our current recession. I think about the times we live in, and what is on the minds of Americans. The answer is "the economy". Wealth. Security. Jobs.

But what America needs most is God's salvation to break forth in the lives of people. And maybe what American Christians need is to learn the secret of grace in times of poverty. Perhaps the economic downturn is God's hand, but regardless, He can work in all things for the good of His people.

God wants to train His people to know the grace of contentment, and we should be hopeful about that. We can discover the "secret" Paul wrote about. Our source of life and joy and strength and power is Jesus Christ Himself. The truth will become more than words, we will know it, because God has brought us through.

That's not a bad thing. You think about it.

SBC is making progress in ministry to homosexuals

2009-04-29T15:22:00.000-07:00

By Bob Stith

EDITOR'S NOTE: This monthly column about the issue of homosexuality by various authors is a partnership between Baptist Press and the SBC Task Force on Ministry to Homosexuals.

SOUTHLAKE, Texas (BP)--A recent article in USA Today spoke of the radical difference between younger Christians and the "old guard" regarding homosexuality. (An evangelical's plea: 'Love the sinner,' April 27.) While many of the points certainly merit attention, I am concerned that the unnecessary dichotomy will hinder the discussion. The author of the article spoke of being a Southern Baptist and as such had seen this disparity up close.

When the SBC met in New Orleans in 2001, I made a motion asking the convention to form a task force to "inform, educate and encourage our people to be proactive and redemptive in reaching out to those who struggle with unwanted same-sex attractions."

With dozens of resolutions and motions introduced each year, I truthfully was hoping only to introduce the subject. To my surprise Dr. Jimmy Draper immediately took action on the motion, expressed his belief that this was a very valid need, and promptly organized a Task Force on Ministry to Homosexuals.

That task force is comprised of several leaders of our convention, most of whom would be classified as the "old guard." Actually, I also fit that profile. But there are also representatives from most other demographics as well. Several have been involved in ministry in this area for many years. In 2007, LifeWay provided funding to establish a full-time office to help carry out the mandate.

Through the years I have received nothing but encouragement from SBC leaders. Dr. Richard Land, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, has been a strong supporter and encouragement to me personally. Dr. Frank Page, immediate past president of the SBC, has been a great asset on more than one occasion. He also has extended an invitation to speak at his church. Johnny Hunt, the current SBC president, has an incredible ministry to those struggling with same-sex attractions. Dr. Morris H. Chapman, president of the SBC Executive Committee, attended our first meeting and has had a representative at every meeting since.

The Task Force has always placed the emphasis on being compassionate and redemptive. This was expressed well by Dr. Barrett Duke of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission: "This strategy must include a genuine love for people trapped in the homosexual lifestyle that seeks first to minister and love, not to condemn. The church must find a way to reach homosexual men and women, help them to find their way out of the homosexual lifestyle, and include them as equal participants in the life of the church."

Other leaders have made similar statements. Dr. Draper said, "It is a huge challenge to help the church recognize how to show concern and compassion for homosexuals yet be careful not to compromise Scripture's teaching. I don't know any church that would say we know how to do that perfectly. We have to come to the place where we love them unconditionally without compromise and minister to them."

This is not to say that some evangelical leaders have not made unfortunate statements. Obviously, as Draper said, all of us can improve the way we address the issue.

However, I believe we are moving in the right direction and we can expedite that progress by working together. It is also imperative that we at least investigate what our convention is doing before making polarizing assessments.

I often have been frustrated that more of our churches, associations and state conventions aren't more proactive with this issue. I would love to have more opportunities to speak in those venues. I am heartbroken when I have to tell someone who calls looking for help that there is no ministry in their area. We can and must do better. And we must move more quickly.

But Southern Baptists are moving in the right direction and should be encouraged in that effort.

The USA Today column also indicated that part of the problem is that older Christians don't really have any homosexual friends or close acquaintances. A LifeWay Research poll showed that 66 percent of the general American public said they were personally acquainted with someone with same-sex attractions, while 78 percent of SBC pastors and 68 percent of other church leaders did.

A staff member from the North American Mission Board, who would be considered part of the "old guard," told me of building a relationship with two gay men who lived next door to him. He had visited in their home and had served them dinner in his home. Numerous other SBC leaders have told me similar stories. Unfortunately, in today's climate those instances aren't nearly as "exciting" as the misstatements that make headlines.

Inevitably when this discussion comes up, the question is asked, "Why are you so fixated on homosexuality? What about poverty, disease and other issues?" A reporter recently asked me that very question. I told the reporter that Southern Baptists are among the three largest disaster relief agencies in the U.S. and that after Katrina I saw several newscasts showing the familiar shirts of SBC relief workers in the background.

Again, another column -- or book -- could be written on all that Christians in general and Southern Baptists in particular have done to provide for the poor, the indigent, the orphaned and ill among us. Following several major disasters an atheist wrote a column commenting on that very thing. While he did not and could not share the beliefs of Christians, he expressed admiration and envy at their willingness to step up and serve in those situations.

I am grateful for a convention that listened to a small church pastor and joined in developing this office. I am thankful for all the support we have received. Way to go, Southern Baptists! But at the same time I would encourage you not to dismiss out of hand the challenges the USA Today article presented. We can and must do more.

Many people are losing their minds.

2009-04-29T08:05:00.011-07:00

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 For although we are walking in the flesh, we do not wage war in a fleshly way, since the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments and every high-minded thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

Life with God is a daily battle. Our mind must be continually transformed. Following Jesus moves us out of the mainstream of culture. We are in the world, but we must never become "of the world".

It's a mind control thing.
Spiritual battle is a matter of Biblical truth and power. Spiritual battle is for the heart and mind of the believer. Satan fears what God can do in and through His people. Battles involve struggle, so struggle on, you are on the right track. But don't do it on your own.

Our weapons are not fleshly, but spiritual.
God's resources are power and truth. There is power for your life. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind in the Word of God. Don't give Satan an inch, he won't be satifisfied until he takes a mile.

The battle is spiritual, but not "unreal".
Saan is the antagonist toward God and man. Most people don't believe in him anymore, this corresponds that they don't believe in objective Biblical truth. People believe in themselves and their own ability but that is to his clever advantage. The enemy takes people captive through their own choices. He appeals to their eyes, ears and ego. See 1 John 2: 15-16.

What is this spiritual battle?
It is not magical, Satan is alive and well, but he doesn't wear a red suit. His work comes by way of things people hear, see, read and even study. He is entrenched in the worldly system.

The fruit of Satan's control is misbehavior, self hatred, isolation and lostness. It all leads to death. It leads away from God, as Legion did in the possessed man.

In Jesus day, there was man who was taken over by an evil spirit.
Luk 8:27-33 When He got out on land, a demon-possessed man from the town met Him. For a long time he had worn no clothes and did not stay in a house but in the tombs. (28) When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and said in a loud voice, "What do You have to do with me, Jesus, You Son of the Most High God? I beg You, don't torment me!" (29) For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and although he was guarded, bound by chains and shackles, he would snap the restraints and be driven by the demon into deserted places. (30) "What is your name?" Jesus asked him. "Legion," he said--because many demons had entered him. (31) And they begged Him not to banish them to the abyss. (32) A large herd of pigs was there, feeding on the hillside. The demons begged Him to permit them to enter the pigs, and He gave them permission. (33) The demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.

Legion is no myth. Legion is at work in our day.
Satan's strategy is to gain control of our mind. It follows that he wants to gain control then, of the sources and conduits of information.

Garbage in, garbage out
The battle is for our mind, our attention, our imagination and consequently, our life.

The truth is, people are becoming demon possessed today even as they were in Jesus' day.

Game on.
It would seem we are outnumbered, outmaneuvered and outgunned. Legion is working 24/7, he is in control of many major things in this world, from media to education to governments. People are swept along.

There is hope.
Just a word from Jesus, and the man was free. Jesus said his truth will set man free. Jesus said, I am the Truth. Freedom is our opportunity to follow Jesus, to choose life, to embrace the cross and obey the truth.

The battle is intensifying. Stand firm then.

Walk by the Spirit

2009-04-28T09:40:00.003-07:00

In my last post about twittering, the focus was about walking with God. God doesn't twitter, but He invites us to a walk with Him that is conversational in nature. Just as twitterers briefly post "what they are doing right then" or what they are thinking about, I thought of how God wants His children to "know" Him in a personal way.

We are invited to walk in fellowship with God the Spirit. What would it be like?

I was listening to the radio yesterday and the preacher shared a little postcript that God wanted me to hear.

That is what it is like, God speaks through a variety of means, and we need to go to the Word to make sure what we heard is in line with the Word. If not, then it wasn't God.

In fact, this preacher said that we can hear God speak, not as audible but just as if someone did speak. That has happened to me, and it is again. Been too long though, I don't think I was searching or listening somehow, but I am now.

In fact, I have plans with God for next Monday and Tuesday. I planned a short retreat out of the city, to meet with God. I am looking forward to what He has to say, and I have a lot I need to say too.

Twitter/God

2009-04-27T07:40:00.002-07:00

Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?

What if God used Twitter? What is He doing or thinking right now? That isn't meant to be superfluous. Let me ask you, what do you make of the verses below? Who is inviting whom? To what, for what purpose? How does it work?

Isaiah 48:16-17 Approach Me and listen to this. From the beginning I have not spoken in secret; from the time anything existed, I was there." And now the Lord GOD has sent me and His Spirit. (17) This is what the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel says: I am the LORD your God, who teaches you for your benefit, who leads you in the way you should go.

Romans 8:14 All those led by God's Spirit are God's sons.

Psalm 143:10 Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. May Your gracious Spirit lead me on level ground.

John 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me.

Galatians 5:22-25 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, (23) gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. (24) Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (25) If we live by the Spirit, we must also follow the Spirit.

So what have I been reading?

2009-04-24T16:22:00.002-07:00

Below are the final paragraphs of a talk by Peter Kreeft, professor at Boston University, on moral relativism, briefly edited by me. : )

What is the cause, and cure of moral relativism? The real source of moral relativism is not any argument at all, and therefore its cure is not any refutation of an argument. Neither philosophy nor science nor logic nor common sense nor experience have ever refuted traditional moral absolutism. It is not reason, but the abdication of reason that is the source of moral relativism. Relativism is not rational, it is rationalization. It is not the conclusion of a rational argument. It is the rationalization of a prior action. It is the repudiation of the principle that passions must be evaluated by reason and controlled by will. That is the virtue Plato and Aristotle called self-control. It is not just one of the cardinal virtues, but a necessary ingredient in every virtue. That classical assumption is almost the definition of civilization. But romanticists, existentialists, Freudians, and many others have convinced many people in our culture that it is oppressive and unhealthy and inauthentic. If we embrace the opposite principle, and let passion govern reason, rather than reason govern passion, there is little hope for morality or for civilization.

The cure requires more than an argument

Obviously, the strongest and most attractive of the passions is sexual passion. It is therefore also the most addictive and the most blinding. So, there could hardly be a more powerful undermining of our moral knowledge and our moral life than the sexual revolution. Already, the demand for sexual freedom has overridden one of nature's strongest instincts: motherhood. A million mothers a year in America alone pay hired killers, who are called healers or physicians, to kill their own unborn daughters and sons. How could this happen? Only because abortion is driven by sexual motives. For abortion is backup birth control, and birth control is the demand to have sex without having babies. If the stork brought babies, there'd be no Planned Parenthood.

Marital infidelity is a second example of the power of the sexual revolution to undermine basic moral principles. Suppose there were some other practice, not connected with sex, which had these three documentable results. First, betraying the person you claim to love the most, the person you had pledged your life to, betraying your solemn promise to her or him. Second, thereby abusing the children you had procreated and promised to protect, scarring their souls more infinitely than anything else except direct violent physical abuse, and making it far more difficult for them ever to attain happy lives or marriages. And thirdly, thereby harming, undermining, and perhaps destroying your society's future. Would not such a practice be universally condemned? Yet, that is exactly what infidelity is, and is the number one cause of divorce and it is universally accepted. Betrayal is universally condemned unless it is sexual. Justice, honesty, not doing other harms—these moral principles are affirmed, unless they interfere with sex.

We are designed for joy

The rest of traditional morality is still very widely believed and taught, even in TV sitcoms, soap operas, and Hollywood movies. The driving force of moral relativism seems to be almost exclusively sexual. Why this should be, and what we should do about it, are two further questions that demand much more time and thought than we have available here and now. But if you want a very short guess at an answer to both, here is the best I can do. I think a secularist has only one substitute left for God, only one experience in a desacrilized world that still gives him something like the mystical, self-transcending thrill of ecstasy that God designed all souls to have forever, and to long for until they have it. Unless he is a surfer, that experience has to be sex. We're designed for more than happiness; we're designed for joy. Aquinas writes, with simple logic, "Man cannot live without joy. That is why one deprived of true spiritual joys must spill over to carnal pleasures."
Drugs and alcohol are attractive because they claim to feed the same need. The lack the ontological greatness of sex, but they provide the same semi-mystical thrill: the transcendence of reason and self-consciousness. I do not mean this merely as moral condemnation, but as psychological analysis. In fact, though they sound shocking, I think the addict is closer to the deepest truth than the mere moralist. He is looking for the very best thing in some of the very worst places. His demand for a state in which he transcends morality is very wrong, but it's also very right. For we are designed for something beyond morality, something in which morality will be transformed. Mystical union with God. Sex is a sign and appetizer of that. Moral absolutists must never forget that morality, though absolute, is not ultimate. It is not our Summum Bonum. Sinai is not the Promised Land; Jerusalem is. And in the New Jerusalem, what finally happens as the last chapter of human history is a wedding between the Lamb and His bride. Deprived of this Jerusalem, we must buy into Babylon. If we do not worship God, we will worship idols, for we are by nature worshippers.
Finally, what is the cure? It must be stronger medicine than philosophy, so I can give you only three words in answer to this last and most practical question of all. What we can do about it? What is the cure? These three words are totally unoriginal. They are not my philosophical argument, but God's biblical demands. Repent, fast, and pray. Confess, sacrifice, adore. I know of no other answer, and I can think of nothing else that can save this civilization except Saints.
Please be one.

"The Shack"

2009-04-22T08:59:00.008-07:00

“which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual [thoughts] with spiritual [words.] But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.” (1Co 2:13-14 NAS95)

In as much as I am a pastor, and people have asked, I decided to weigh in on the book, "The Shack" by William Young. The book is a fictional novel that lays out his spiritual journey with God. The Shack is controversial for a variety of reasons which I shall not go into here. There are excellent reviews done by others readily available. You can start here.

I rarely (I am not sure I have ever) write about things like this, remember the "DaVinci Code", the "Last temptation of Christ", or the famous "7 reasons Jesus will return in 1987" or was is 88 reasons for '88? Can't even remember now, but it was all the rage at the time. These kinds of spiritual books and movies are not Biblical but they garner much attention primarily through Christian's reactions to them.

Later on, we hardly remember why we thought at the time they seemed so important. So I decided not to write about "The Shack" book, but instead to write to encourage you seek the Lord harder in His Word. "Harder" as in pressing in, as in "panting" for or "pounding" on the doors of His truth.

So let me state plainly, I haven't read "The Shack" and do not plan to do so. I don't need to. (that sounds bad, I know). But however it sounds, it is true. Sometimes people may feel like they will miss something, and in this case, unless you are thoroughly grounded in the word, you could be misled by this book.

There is a buzz about "books", not that long ago is was "The Secret". Different sort of book I know, but written from a similar ground. Personal experience trumps Biblical truth.

All we really need is Jesus.

I am wonderfully convinced. I believe that all the treasures God has for us are hidden in Christ. I do read Christian books, and reading books can be very helpful. What we need is revelation, and that is what God has provided through His Spirit, in the Word.

I do not mean to sound trite. This article may sound ignorant and uninformed, but perhaps we need to be careful. There is a knowledge of the truth, from whence does it come? Not from being widely read, but by revelation of God.

Below is a copy of verses from the gospel of John. As I read them, the question comes to mind, what kind of man would write this? What had he seen, what did he know? Read it for yourself.

John 1
4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.
5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
6 There came a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him.
8 He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.
9 There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.
11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,
13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Good news! You didn't miss it, even though we cannot go back to 1st century and see the Man.

All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. All the glory. The Word and words of life. It is found in Him. To the end that book reading leads us into the text of the Spirit's letter to us, then we may be helped.

I guess I wonder why anyone would need "The Shack". Some say reading the Shack has changed their life. There are "Shack" small groups and commentaries.

My point of view is not about the "Shack" at all. It is about Jesus, and the words of Paul who wrote that some will be "ever learning, but never having the knowledge of truth."

I read books, I encourage people to read. Be careful what you read, and be careful when you read the Bible. The Biblical Jesus is the life changer. He is still sufficient! All other things (including my opinions) will pass away. : )

Delightful book of Ruth

2009-04-20T13:13:00.002-07:00

Isaiah 64:4 For from days of old they have not heard or perceived by ear, Nor has the eye seen a God besides You, Who acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him.

Come Sunday!

Counter cultural truth

2009-04-16T15:28:00.006-07:00

Counter-cultural Christianity challenges the popular movements in our culture with truth and love. That doesn't sound very controversial, but it is.

Baptist Press story here

In the article cited above, homosexuality is called the "watershed issue" for the modern-day evangelical church. If you disagree with homosexuality you're called a bigot, you're anti-homosexual, you're homophobic."

The Word of God is like a sword or a knife. Weapons are definitely controversial, even spiritual ones.

The Biblical definition of sin is not, "none of us is perfect". God's Law is specific. Jesus preached about sin and wasn't afraid to name it, and He did offend many.

So, to speak the truth in love really is controversial.

Listen to what Jesus says:

John 3:19-21 "This, then, is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. (20) For everyone who practices wicked things hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed. (21) But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God."

The truth wounds, but it also heals.
Tell them about Jesus.

Celebrations

2009-04-12T19:15:00.003-07:00

John 17:4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.

It is wonderful how people who love you and build you up are people who make "much" of you. Moms and dads celebrate children's birthdays and good grades, homeruns and lots of stuff like that. A good friend remembers your joys and your burdens. It's because they love you.

Worship is not religious. It is pure joy and love poured out for the One loved. This weekend, believers at our church made "much" about Jesus, our Savior and Lord.

Good Friday we remembered your passion, today we celebrate your power and life in us. Even our Easter dinner with family and friends is because of and for the Lord.

For many folks this was just another day. Sunday wouldn't be much without celebrating Jesus. I wouldn't have missed this one, not for the whole world. Worship is real, Jesus said it was true in Spirit and truth.

So with much love and grace and joy and power, we friends drew near to Him and near to one another. How can people live without Jesus, how can they live without God's love. How can they feel so at home down here, when there's so much more up above.

It's all about you Jesus. It was our pleasure to honor you and while I am exhausted, I am thankful and am renewed. No matter what, you matter to me. We love you because you first loved us. We remembered it all again this weekend. It was a holy weekned.

Waiting on God in a downturn

2009-04-09T09:20:00.011-07:00

A friend remarked about missing my "posts". I appreciate being invited to conversations, of which my blogging is part.

The reason for the quiet has been intentional - see my previous post called "Quiet".

I have been waiting on the Lord. Ps 27:14 Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.

I continue to pray for revival, so it would be helpful if I describe what I think "revival" is.

Revival begins with recognition. Recognition in the sense of revelation, God speaking to your soul about your condition. It has been called an "awakening". God "awakens" by speaking, we wake up by listening. This might sound "good" but it probably feels like the tide has turned, but not for God. We feel God's conviction about our sins and neglected obedience. We realize, like Isaiah, "Woe is me, I am undone." We might say like Peter did, "Lord, depart from me, I am a sinful man."

An awakening to our condition, to what God sees involves grief and burden. Things start to look "worse". The statistics about the decline of Christianity in America are observable and widely verified, but still the church "sleeps".

For me, there was burden from knowing that much in the Church has losts it fire and passion, but I also held on to the hope that the negative stats were not about "anybody I know", "not about me."

Awakening comes when we realize, it is about "us". It's me, it's me O Lord, standing in need of prayer.

Revival involves repentance.

Barna has discovered that most Christians do not have a Christian worldview. "Christian worldview" may sound like philosophical mumbo jumbo, but it means to know, believe and live in truth. God's Word is truth. Having a Christian worldview means to think "like Jesus". It is absolutely essential.

We need a change of mind. Repentance is required before we will ever see God move powerfully in our life or in our churches. Awakening must come, and then repentance because our thinking has becoming worldly.

Romans 12:2; And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Our goal as the church is to learn to think like Jesus. It's talking about a total transformation of our mind and heart in accord to Biblical truth. It is a total transformation, which means the old stuff "has gotta go".

That is hard. We grew comfortable with the old ways, a new mind and heart requires abandoning habits and patterns. Our eyes are open, we see Jesus, He calls us to a new way. To follow Him.

If we assume we are ok, status quo was not so bad, let's not go overboard or get to radical about Jesus, or so long as it is ok with other people, then maybe I'll consider revival.

All that kind of thinking is what keeps us right where we are. Stuck in lukewarmness.

In the Bible is a different picture. Whenever someone comes to really know God, it is a like a whole new being. The old is gone, all things are become new. It is a personal relationship, but old way is to assume "personal relationship" means "subjective" or "to my own liking and plans".

Enough of that carnal way of thinking, somehow personal relationship got changed into mere religion. Is that what Jesus invited people to? No. Just give me Jesus, no matter what it takes!

Personal relationship according to Jesus.
It means: invasive (that kind of personal) and pervasive (in every part of my personal life).

Revival leads us to a recommitment. A recommitment to discipleship with Jesus. Jesus called us to be disciples. To be a disciple includes making disciples. A disciple learns to think and to live like Jesus. That is the goal. That is what I am praying for.

I continue to wait on the Lord. Let your heart take courage, wait on the Lord. It's time now.

Pray hard.

"Quiet"

2009-03-21T08:31:00.003-07:00

Psa 131:1-3 LORD, I have given up my pride and turned away from my arrogance. I am not concerned with great matters or with subjects too difficult for me. (2) Instead, I am content and at peace. As a child lies quietly in its mother's arms, so my heart is quiet within me. (3) Israel, trust in the LORD now and forever!

I am on a great vacation, not from work or home. A few weeks ago, I decided to fast from television during this season called "lent".

In some ways these past few months have seemed anything but quiet. Medical emergencies in my family and the needs within our church and community have come like a flood.

But there have been times of quiet, whether late night in the hospital or seated here this Saturday morning, recuperating from a cold that came on suddenly this week. So instead of splitting my morning between 2 events at our church, I am sitting at home alone in the quiet.

Psalm 131 teaches that quietness is a choice.

"O Lord, my heart is not proud". Often it is our pride that stands in the way of seeking God and slowing down enough to wait on Him. Pride equates busyness with importance.

"nor are my eyes fixed on things beyond me". Paraphrased: I turned off the television and constant barrage of "news".

"instead, I am content and at peace". Jesus observed that some people are like ground where, "the cares and worries of this life choked out the seed that was planted, and there was never any fruit."

Contentment is not a prize at the end of the rat race, contentment comes from a choice. Matthew 6:33 Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Peace is not the absence of troubles. Peace is a Person. It is received in a relationship with Him. He is a great Pastor, and to the one who trusts and obeys, there is rest!

So why not trust Him and find His very best gifts. One of them is the "quietness" that comes when we repent of our pride, choose to seek Him (which might cut out the television).

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Truth is, we are as close to God as we want to be.

The offer of Psalm 131 still stands:
Mat 11:25-30 At that time Jesus said, "I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to infants. (26) Yes, Father, because this was Your good pleasure. (27) All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son desires to reveal Him. (28) "Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (29) All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. (30) For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Joy in the Lord

2009-03-11T07:15:00.004-07:00

(joy in Ukraine, 2007)

Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, rejoice.

The question comes to mind, what is the Lord always doing, that we should rejoice in?

Luke 15:32 ‘But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’"

In the gospels, the word joy or rejoice is primarily associated with salvation. The lost coin is found, the wayward son comes home, and the straying sheep have been rescued.

In the remainder of the New Testament, the word joy and rejoice includes involves faith, and a choice to focus on God's presence and goodness. Joy is a fruit of God's life within us, when we are full of His life, we are full of joy.

From the Old Testament, joy comes as the fruit of God's blessing at harvest, restoration of relationship and forgiveness, and deliverance from enemies. It is in this sense that Paul writes, "rejoice in the Lord."

These words are a command, so rejoicing in the Lord is a choice. A choice to remember, to hope, to read and meditate on all that God has done in the past. Rejoicing in the Lord is a meditation and remembering exercise, a spiritual discipline.

By God's grace, we can do it. There can be joy always in God's people, if we choose for it to be. To worship and know God is to see Him for who He really is, and to learn and obey Him. Joy is a fruit, to rejoice is a choice. Let us rejoice in Him today.

My Wife

2009-02-16T21:29:00.005-07:00

He who finds a wife finds what is good, and obtains favor from the Lord. Proverbs 18:22

That "he" would be me. God blessed my life with my wife Christie.

Favor is the word raw-tsone’ meaning favor, delight, good will, pleasure. The idea includes something very fine, precious, good, delightful, worthy, and lasting.

Favor from the Lord. God's idea, His plan, His timing, His gift.

My favorite metaphors for my wife.

Apple of my eyes.
One flesh.
My right hand.
Love of my life.
Help mate.
Truest and dearest friend.
Joyful companion.
Closest companion.
Warmth of comfort.
Intimate counselor.
Home is wherever she is.

Marriage is a family, a relationship beloved by God, a picture of His love, and the best is always yet to come. We are growing in His grace together.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone.