Thanks!

Well, I don't usually even open forwards, but since this one came from my mother-in-law, I gave her the benefit of the doubt on this one. I think it's worth reading so I pasted it here for today.

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz, the creator of the "Peanuts" comic strip. You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just read the e-mail straight through, and you'll get the point.
1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winner for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.
How did you do?
The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners .
Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with .

The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care. The people who make the largest difference in our churches aren't the big names either. Rick Warren has done wonderful things at his church, but I can't find him anywhere in Camden. I can, however, find greeters who meet 3 and 4 year olds at the door on their way to Sunday school. I can find members who visit nursing homes and hospitals. I see praise team members who stay late and come early to practice and prepare for worship. The list could go on and on, but the point is still the same. YOU make the difference in our church as you work and volunteer to accomplish God's purposes through our church. THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO!

Late...again

Well, I'm late to the office. Here it is, 8:33 on Tuesday morning and believe it or not, my blog is the first thing I'm attending to this morning. Why am I late? Well, the truth is that I just couldn't let Wyatt go. I love that kid, he is absolutely amazing. I wish I could bring him into the office with me and just hang out with him while I work. Of course, the largest problem with that is that I would get nothing done; I would just hold him and stare at him (It's amazing how you can stare at your child for hours on end).

However, all of this talk brings me to an important point in the life of our church and in the life of individual Christians. I have to admit to you that this morning I am a bit off schedule. As a matter of fact, that seems to happen to me a lot lately since Angela and I have been in transition, but I have to move beyond that. You see, just as I wrote about last week in Samurai Christians, discipline is one of the key ingredients in the Christian life.

Somehow, we as Americans have dummed down the Christian life to be nothing more than showing up on Sunday mornings. We have even dummed down the church on many occasions, reducing it to a series of meetings throughout the week with no real commitment outside of those scheduled services (Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, and various meetings of course). Instead of reducing the church to a series of meetings, what if we began to see church involvement as our life...the way that we related to Christ and others, not the country club to which we are a part.

The Normal Christian Life, as Chinese author, Watchman Nee wrote about many years ago, is not the lackadaisical life of many Christians today who warm the pews of our church. The normal Christian life is one of self-sacrifice for the kingdom of God. So, what in the world am I talking about in all of my "jibba jabba" (as Mr. T used to say) this morning? How much time have you spent alone in the Word of God in the past week, or on your knees in prayer? I'm sure that many of you have spent time in your church this week, but how much time have you spent trying to bring others through the doors with you? Have you shared your faith in the last month, year...ever? Where's the discipline and the commitment?

We must tread lightly lest we begin to equate church membership and attendance with commitment. You see, the committed church members aren't just the one's who show up, they are the ones who SHOW OUT for the KOG (Kingdom of God). But remember, showing out will only be possible when you have been disciplined in the little things...look here at what Jesus had to say. Do the small things first, and then watch how they affect the big things in your life. I've got to stop looking at Wyatt some of the time and get busy about the Father's business. What do you need to do...or stop doing?

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What Are Friends For?

You know, I've been pondering all day what to blog about, and then it came to me. I just got off the phone with a friend and I was reminded how much trust we invest in those people closest to us. The book of Proverbs 27:6 says "Faithful are the wounds of a friend." Thats the epitome of trust right there. Good godly friends are so trustworthy that even when they hurt you, it can be a good thing. We need more friends like that.

The Bible talks about friends all the time. David and Jonathan were the closest of friends; (and no, they weren't gay no matter what your college professor might have told you) their relationship serves as an example of what true friendship should be. Jonathan even opposed his father, the king, to protect David when David had done no wrong. Even more amazing, David had such faith in his friend that he was willing to trust Jonathan's commitment even when he opposed his father.

We all need a few friends like that. You know, the kind who will get up out of bed to meet you somewhere in the middle of the night when you need them. But even more important than meeting you in the middle of the night when you need them, they will confront you in the middle of the day when you don't even realize that you need them. You know, that guy who will call you out to your face when its necessary, even when they know it will make you mad. How many people do you love enough to hurt their feelings if it is in their best interest? Better yet, how many people love you enough to hurt your feelings when it needs to happen?

If you can't name friends that close, you need to work to be a better friend and to become a better friend. Cultivate friendship, it's not politics, its love and it is godly. How awesome would God's church be if we were more than brothers and sisters in Christ, but were truly friends to the end?

Samurai Christians

So, it’s time for an off the wall entry. Last night I spent (wasted?) a couple of hours watching The Last Samurai with Tom Cruise. Obviously, recent history has turned me off to Tom Cruise, but I really got caught up in this movie. Well, regardless of all that mess, let me just let you know that these Samurai warriors in the movie were incredibly disciplined. They were people of one thing…discipline. Incidentally, the Samurai comes from a word that originally meant "to serve." The Samurai warrior was disciplined to serve their rulers. Their discipline enabled them to become all that they wanted to be, and all they wanted to be was available to their lord, the emperor.

Strange as it may seem, as I watched the movie, I was struck with the overwhelming sense of conviction that my life is not one of incredible discipline. The apostle Paul says, “So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” The Christian life must be one of discipline. If you are like me, you still have a long way to go.

But, I’ll issue a challenge for you as I have issued for myself. We must pursue discipline. You can be a Christian Samurai (if you like that analogy), but it will not happen without work. A Christian is called to service of his or her Lord above all else as well, but our Lord is intrinsically greater than any earthly ruler. Discipline brings about freedom; especially freedom in Christ when we live in obedience to his authority, allowing his rule to rightly restrain us. Essentially, when we submit wholly to Christ, we experience all that Christ has to offer.

July Sermon Series

No Time better than July to take a deep dip in God's love and mercy. Come join us this week and throughout the month of July for our latest sermon series at Malvern Hill. In Flood, I will help you to explore God's desire to overwhelm you with his love in a flood of his grace. He desires more for you than the parched heart that we tend to settle for, come get washed away with us this week!

Big Word of the Day

I just learned a new word…a big theological term. The word is Aseity, and essentially it means that God does not need us. God created us, not because he needed us, but because he wanted to create us to display his glory. But you know, that aspect of God goes even further than God’s act of creation.
God does not need us even today. God, if he so chose, could bring about the salvation of the world miraculous acts that involve no one but himself. However, God loves us so much that he chooses to use us as his agents for bringing salvation to the world. We are God’s messengers of hope. WOW, for those of you who continue to believe that Christianity is some sort of stiff and stodgy religion, consider the relationship that we share with the Creator of the universe. God desires to redeem the world, and he uses his relationship with us, the redeemed, to carry hope to the world.
I know my readership is small, but I do hope that as you read today, or whenever, that you will be blown away by the opportunities that God graciously gives to his people. For goodness sakes, I sometimes don’t even trust other people to take care of my dog, and God trusts us to deliver his plan to the world. Don’t tell me that Jesus isn’t the most extreme leader the world has ever seen; he has enabled us to carry his message across the globe. He did not and does not need us, but God chooses to use us.

Somebody scream…this is awesome!

How Do We Get There?

I am still so very excited to be a part of everything that is going on at Malvern Hill, but I’m not satisfied with where we are. I have to admit that I am a blog junky. I read blogs for fun and for information. Many of the blogs I read are of other pastors and even church planters. Reading these blogs, I have to admit that I get a little jealous sometimes at the number of people some people are reaching.

I just read about a church that had more than forty people give their lives to Christ this past Sunday. WOW! That assures me that it is possible. God is still working in our day and he desires, just as he always has, to draw sinners unto himself. God is an awesome God, let’s get as many people to him as possible.

How do we get there? We get excited, stay excited, and keep working for our church, sharing the great news of Christ and sharing the story of the exciting things going on at our church. I’m convinced that our greatest responsibility as a church is living out the Great Commission—that means winning people to Jesus, not anything else. Regardless of where we’ve been, where we need to be is winning people to the Lord. So, how do we get there? Open your mouth, practice what you preach, take Jesus to the world and bring the world to Malvern Hill, and then hang on for God’s blessing, it is going to blow you away!

How To Get There

Jerry Clower, one of my favorite comedians of all time, once did a bit entitled, "Where Will You Be, When You Get Where You Are Going?" I think that is a great question for the church to ask itself, but since I know that many churches and church members will not ask themselves that question, please allow me the honor. Church, where will you be when you get where you're going?

If we are not careful, the church will get wherever it is going in its goals and discover that it has gotten nowhere. What a disappointment it would be as a church to look in the mirror 1,2,5,or 10 years down the road and realize that we've been doing nothing but spinning our tires. Its important to realize that the church is going exactly where the money and programs of the church take it. A careful look at the direction of the church will show the destination of the church. Step back, take a look, where is your church headed...where is our church headed?

Just remember, you are either growing or dying. There is no in between stage for the church. Some write about the "plateau" stage of growth, but remember that the other side of a plateau is a steep cliff...whew, scary!

What Got You Here Won't Take You There

I'm stealing the title for this blog from another guy who pastors a huge church in Charlotte, Steven Furtick at Elevation Church (www.elevationchurch.org). They are reaching people left and right, its pretty amazing to see all that God has done and is continuing to do in that church in less than two years now (if my math is right).

God is blessing their church and I pray for them regularly, but for now, I just have to give credit where credit is due as it concerns his blog post. He absolutely hit the nail on the head with this one. I read recently that a tree grows and changes as long as it lives, and the same is true for a church. If we are to grow, we must change. Change is inevitable...change is life.

I know that as the new guy on the block here, the young pastor fresh out of the blocks, I might not need to push too hard yet, but I can't help but get excited about what God could do through us if we allow him. But that means that we have to be willing to change, we can't just continue to do everything the same way we have always done things.

Just take me for instance, I'm fresh out of a seven year stint in Youth Ministry. If I tried to do everything as a pastor the way I did as a youth minister, I'm probably going to struggle to be completely relevant to everyone. Even more, if I try to do everything in my pastorate the same way that people pastored 25 years ago, I will absolutely lose my relevance for the current generation. The same is true of our church.

If we are to grow as a church, we absolutely must make a decision about what is most important. Is it most important to keep up with the status quo, or is it most important to reach the world for Jesus Christ. Or, if you would rather, is doing church the same way we did church 20 years ago or even 2 years ago as important as reaching the kid you sit beside in class or the man you share an office with for Christ? I'm hoping that everyone is getting the point here.

Malvern Hill is 75 years old, but one thing is absolutely certain. The things that got us here as a church are not the same things that will get us to the next level. We must continue to bend and flex and do all that we can to apply the Word of God to the church and to the lives of everyone we encounter. Paul was willing to become all things for all people so that he might save some of them...for him that meant going back on his Jewish roots and upbringing. Paul even started worshipping on Sundays instead of Saturdays (woah, this was huge). Are we as willing as Paul to do whatever it takes to reach the world with the gospel?

Stem Cell Research

I know that I have written about Stem cell research here before and I don't want to jump on that train too much again. I don't want to use this as my bully pulpit for politics either, but I would like to direct your attention to a story on www.foxnews.com, Bush Set To Veto Stem Cell Research Bill. The title isn't completely accurate for the president is not opposed to stem cell research, only embryonic stem cell research.

This should be a hot issue for all Christians. Adult stem cells and stem cells taken from amniotic fluid show great promise for future cures for disease (see my post Hopes Falsely Tied to Embryonic Stem Cell Research). Whether you completely agree with our president or not, he needs to be supported in this issue. He is standing firm in his rightly held convictions though they are not popular. I thank our president for standing firm on this issue of serious concern in our world.

Who Rejects JFK?

In his book, The 360 Degree Leader, John Maxwell writes:

Author Bennet Cerf wrote that J. William Stanton, who served many years as a representative from Ohio in the United States Congress, treasured a letter he received from the Chamber of Commerce in Painesville, Ohio, dated 1949. The letter declined Stanton's offer to bring a new congressman as the featured speaker for a fund-raising dinner. The missive reades: "We feel that this year we really need a big-name speaker who'll be a drawing card so we're hoping to bag the head football coach at John Carroll University. Thanks anyhow for suggesting Representative John F. Kennedy." Do you have any idea who that coach might have been? I certainly dont.

And the moral of the story? Potential is what you "ain't done yet." No one knew who John F. Kennedy was because he had not yet become one of the most influential presidents in American History. Obviously if Kennedy knew about this rejection, he did not let it stop him from pursuing his dreams and living up to his potential. In due time, however, John F. Kennedy's potential would be realized.

Now, you probably aren't the next JFK, but who knows, you might be. The important thing for us as Christians, however, is to be certain that we live up to our potential individually and corporately as a church. As I said, for those of you MHBC members out there, this Sunday I'm going to lay out my vision for our church. God has great plans for us, he has given us great big goals and great big jobs to do. We have tons of potential, but right now, thats all it is..."what we ain't done yet." Wouldn't it be great for us to look back on this moment, to look back one day on This Sunday's sermon and say, "we are doing it!"

Hey, don't let rejection hold you down or the past negatively affect the future of your personal life, your business life, or the life of your church. The past is over and the future is yet to be embraced; let's make it happen!

Vision!!

Where there is no prophetic vision, the people cast off restraint...

-Proverbs 29:18a

Though I love the ESV translation of the Bible, some other renderings of this verse are interesting. One translation renders this verse this way, where there is no vision, the people perish. Regardless of how it is translated, one thing stands out about this passage. Without vision, God's people are in a desperate state of affairs.

Based on that logic, we can also say that with vision, there is hope for the people of God. God's vision for the 21st Century is not a hidden vision. God has laid out his vision for his church in the Bible, we need to own it and narrow it down for our particular situations. Though prophecy has ceased, God still speaks through his word and his preachers.

This Sunday, I plan to lay out my vision for Malvern Hill Baptist Church. The vision is nothing new, but it is exciting! God needs not do a new thing, we as God's people need only get on board with God's plan. It will be exciting to see the new things that we will do when we invest in the age old plan that God has developed for his church.

Keep reading this week for more hints about Sundays service!!!

Excellence Does Matter

I am still very excited about Sunday morning's service. My excitement for Malvern Hill seems to grow every day. I am confident that God is going to do a great work through us as we endeavor to lead, learn, worship, and live all aspects of our lives with excellence. God is looking for more than our leftovers, let's all be sure that we give Him our very best. After all, he deserves it, desires it, and demands it!

On another note, I still think its a good thing that I "don't look like a pastor." I am so excited that God is using me to minister to everyone here, even if I don't look the part. Who knows, maybe thats just what Malvern Hill needs, a pastor who doesn't look like a pastor. Invite your friends, maybe thats just the kind of church they have been looking for and never knew existed.

United Methodists Approve Transgendered Pastor

A recent article in Baptist Press carries disturbing news about the approval of a transgendered pastor in the St. John's United Methodist Church in Baltimore Maryland. The article, which can be seen here describes how the pastor underwent an operation a year ago to have her sex changed from female to male. She also legally changed her name from Ann Gordin to Drew Phoenix. On May 25th she was reassigned as pastor of St. John's Church.

Disturbingly, Phoenix, who is supposed to be a beacon of truth based on the Word of God, distorts the sovereignty and foreknowledge of God by saying, "The gender I was assigned at birth has never matched my own true authentic God-given gender identity, how I know myself," Phoenix, 48, said, according to The Baltimore Sun. "Fortunately today God's gift of medical science is enabling me to bring my physical body in alignment with my true gender."

It is worth repeating that the good news of Jesus Christ is the news of transformation, but not gender transformation. Romans 12:2 commands us, "do not conform any longer to the ways of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." The transformation is one of conforming to God's standards, not the world's standards. God is responsible for creation, and the Psalmist makes it very clear that God knew us as He knit us together in the womb. Our God is a God who does not make mistakes, the claim by pop-psychology and liberal theology is that gender is not biological, but that is not the true claim of the Scripture.

Erin Roach, the BP reporter covering this story summarizes the event well. Leaders in the United Methodist Church apparently have no problem with a transgender pastor leading one of their congregations, and in fact, they applauded the pastor's bravery in charting new territory within the denomination. Unfortunatly, Ms. Roach did not go quite far enough, for the heart-breaking issue is that in applauding this sinful action, UMC leaders have spat upon the Word of God.

Mark Tooley, director of a conservative UMC action group has spoken out against this action. "Once again, liberal church elites, presiding over dwindling churches, are making decisions without regard for historic Christian teaching or a wider consensus among the church's membership," Tooley said in a news release May 25. "Rev. Phoenix merits compassion for a lifelong struggle over gender identity issues, as related at the conference. But the church helps no one when it fails to faithfully transmit the Gospel of hope and transformation."

May it be that this situation causes us all to fall to our knees and pray for revival across our land.

Avoiding "Nature-Deficit Disorder" -- It's About Theology, Not Therapy

The post below is copied directly from www.albertmohler.com for your reading enjoyment.

Welcome to summer 2007 and the latest diagnosis of a problem among the younger set -- "nature-deficit disorder." A generation of children is growing up without much contact with nature, or the outdoor world in general.
Leave it to Americans to explain this problem in therapeutic terms. The invention of "nature-deficit disorder" implies that the issue is basically one of psychology and therapy. But, in this case, the problem is kids who have little contact with the outdoor world. The therapeutic intervention is fairly simple -- turn off the Nintendo, the television, and the computer and send the kids outdoors.
Two years ago, Richard Louv addressed this problem in his book, Last Child in the Woods [see my review here]. "Our society is teaching young people to avoid direct experience in nature," Louv explained "That lesson is delivered in schools, families, even organizations devoted to the outdoors, and codified into the legal and regulatory structures of many of our communities."
More to the point, many parents allow their kids to stay indoors all day, with what precious free time many kids enjoy devoted to digital entertainment and electronic appliances. A generation of boys now knows more about video games than the local woods. Both girls and boys seem perplexed when confronted with nature and many know the outdoors only through participation in athletic or sporting activities on courts or playing fields. They never wander in the woods or sit by a creek watching tadpoles. What they know of nature they get from the Discovery Channel.
Today, a report in The Guardian [London] indicates that British children are experiencing the same alientation from nature. Stephen Moss writes:
Nowadays, not only has children's time become more pressured, but they are also expected to use it constructively: every pastime must have a purpose. But if everything in a child's life is organised, interactive and based on supervised "experiences", then there isn't much room left for spontaneous, unmediated activities such as fishing for tiddlers, building a den or simply mooching around aimlessly on the nearest bit of waste ground.
As Moss explains, "We have therefore severely restricted our children's access to the natural world, with serious consequences for their health and wellbeing."
There is a great loss here, and not just to a child's sense of wellbeing or knowledge of nature. Christians celebrate the fact that God created the cosmos as a display of His glory. A child who experiences the sense of wonder in the face of creation is learning, not only about nature, but about the glory of God.
Put simply, the child is not going to have that experience while sitting in front of a digital screen. No video game can replace the wonder of a mountain sunset, a cascading river, or a spider's web covered with morning dew. As the Psalmist declared, "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork" [Psalm 19:1].
In the closing chapters of the Book of Job, God speaks to Job about His Lordship over all the earth. The Creator exults in goats, donkeys, wild oxen, ostriches, and hawks. The Creator expresses His good pleasure in the fact that the "majestic snorting" of the horse is terrifying and in the eagle's ability to set its nest so far above the ground.
Children (and adults) who have no contact with the outdoor world are robbed of devotional knowledge, not just of natural interests.
The secular world increasingly sees "nature-deficit disorder" as a therapeutic problem. Christians should see it as a theological problem. Don't let the summer pass without spending some serious time in the natural world -- and teach your kids to see the supernatural meaning of nature all around them.
_________________
After warning against letting kids sit for hours in front of the television screen, let me suggest a couple of resources that are more than worthy of your time with the kids. Both of these series will captivate both children and adults, and the impression they leave is amazing. Christian parents can use both of these series to start great conversations with their children and to reach a deeper understanding of the glory of God in creation.
Blue Planet is an incredible BBC series that takes viewers into amazing underwater worlds most human beings will never see. Planet Earth, also a project of the BBC, does the same for the entire planet. Together, these two series redefine nature documentaries. Both offer great opportunties for parents to teach and explain the significance of creation to their children.

Sad Day For Public Education

World Net Daily, along with other outlets, is reporting on a forum held in a Boulder, Colorado high school that directed teenagers to 'Have sex, do drugs,' speaker tells students'Men with men, women and women, whatever combination you would like.' Nowhere in this secular presentation was abstinence even suggested. As a matter of fact, it seems as though even so called "safe sex" through the use of condoms was laughed at by the presenters at this high school.

There is really no need for me to say much about this, for anyone who knows my I believe that my opinion is already understood, but I do encourage all of you to read the article linked to above. It is pitiful.

Romans 1 says that God will give blatent sinners over to their sinful desires, I wonder if America is experiencing the wrath of God today.

Christianity...A Religion of Extremes

In his book, Orthodoxy (written around the turn of the Twentieth Century), G.K. Chesterton makes some claims about Christianity that are worth repeating today. In a church culture that seeks often to soften the edges of Christianity to make it more viable to an increasingly unchurched culture, Chesterton's views seem radical, but maybe it is this perspective that could resound as a fresh sound to secular America.

Rather than try to explain away the paradoxes that exist in Christianity, why not embrace them radically and excitedly. Christ and his religion is not one for the weak at heart, for it was Christ who introduced a new morality. Christianity has divided the criminal from the crime. "The Crimiinal we must forgive unto seventy time seven. The crime we must not forgive at all." It is this paradox in Christianity that makes it possible for Christians to speak truthfully about loving a sinner and at the same time hating the sin of which that person is a part.

So, though you are a sinner, I will love you and forgive you as often as you sin, but I will never erase the wrongness of your sin. In other words, I will love you excessively and hate your sin with a passion, and I will do it all in the glorious name of Christ so that you might experience His love and grace.

So, to those of you who may read this with utter disdain for Christianity, or to those who may know someone in that place in life I say this: "Let us love you for who you are even as we hate the sin that has made you to hate us." Give Christ a chance, He will love you more than you have ever been loved before and will fight with His own life against the sin that has enslaved you! What a God...What a Savior!

Traditional to Transformational

I just read an article that really sparked my attention. Well, actually it wasn't the entire article, but just part of one sentence in the article. A pastor, in describing the process of his church over the past 18 years said this, "we've taken the church rom traditional to typical to transformational." That's a great statement!

Everything in life runs in processes. For churches, and any organization really, if processes do not grow and change, then the end result is not health, but death. Many people argue over whether churches should be traditional or contemporary, but who can argue over whether a church should or should not be transformational. The gospel transforms lives and "be transformed" is the command of Romans 12:2, therefore, in discussions over worship style and church structure, I would like to suggest a new vocabulary today.

Let us no longer ask if our churches are contemporary or traditional, let us instead ask if our churches are performing or transforming. If we are merely performing because that is the way we have always performed, then rest assured we are not transforming our world for Christ. If instead we focus on the transforming nature of the gospel and the need for all to be transformed, I wonder how our churches would change to reach the world for Christ!

I'm Back

I have discovered that having a child is a huge experience. For those of you out there who already have a child, this is nothing new, but for me it was mind-blowing. Wyatt is the greatest gift the Lord has ever given to me and Angela, but he is also the most challenging responsibility. But, having finally caught up on some of my sleep and having made it to my office at a decent time today, I am able to attend to my blog for the first time in quite a while. Hopefully, I am back to a pattern.

I am thankful for the few readers that I do have, and for those of you from Malvern Hill, stay tuned because this blog is going to be a great place for you to connect with your new pastor. I look forward to leading you and to growing together in the Lord. I know that God has great things in store for us. It is our responsibility now to be certain that we live our vision to the world around us so that Malvern Hill does continue to become a place where people feel can comfortably belong to a community of believers and excitedly become a more devoted follower of Christ!

I'm Back

I know, its been a while since my last post, but there have been quite a few things going on in my life. Most importantly, my first child, Wyatt Connor Thompson, was born on Sunday, May 13. It is amazing how much a person can love another person who has really done nothing to deserve it. I am convinced that having a child and loving that child is about as close to understanding God's grace toward human beings as we can possibly get. When I look into Wyatt's eyes, I have nothing but unbridled love for that child.

Where, you may ask, is the grace in loving your own child? If we understand grace to be the giving of an undeserved gift, then it becomes clear. Wyatt has done nothing to earn or deserve my love. As a matter of fact, he has done much to the contrary to earn my derision. He has deprived me of sleep, personal financial gain, and some degree of freedom. Most horrific of his offenses is the pain through which he put Angela, my wife. For all intensive purposes, Wyatt should have earned my scourn, but instead I love him in a way that I can not really explain. God is so amazing to give us such wonderful gifts and to love us though we are unloveable.

Full Time Pastor, Part Time Christian

In the Spring edition of Leadership Journal.net available through Christianity Today, pastor Craig Groeschel has written a transparent article about many of the struggles he faced as a young pastor and the temptation for pastors to become professionals. In his own words, he became a full time pastor but only a part time follower of Jesus Christ.

He bought the lie that many pastors buy, that they are called to be super-human showing no weakness. This is not the biblical picture of Christian leadership, this is the Americanized macho-facade to which many ministers for the past twenty-five years or so have clung.

Groeschel recounts the comments of one of his misguided seminary professors: "People think they want their pastors to be normal, everyday people," he told our class, "but they really don't. They want to see you as better than the average person. Church members want to believe your marriage is always strong, your faith never falters, and you are virtually without sin."

(Praise God I've never had a seminary professor suggest such blatent displays of misleading conduct.)

For many pastors they truly believe, "If they know I'm not perfect, they won't love me or they won't listen." But, as pastors, we need to all be reminded of the apsotle Paul who showed his weakness to all who would read his letters. How could he be so bold?

Paul knew that it was not his power or perfection that brough about salvation and spread the gospel of Jesus Christ, it was the power of the Holy Spirit. Pastors, we are not to be professionals, as John Piper has written, we are to be sold out men of God first...pastors second. When we lose our walk with the Lord, we lose our ability to communicate His message effectively and with integrity.

Groeschel should be commended for writing with such honesty and with such wisdom about the scenario in which many other pastors find themselves.

Pastors...be honest!

The Religion of Atheism

Well, one of my favorite Blog Patrollers, David, sent me a link to an article from religion news blog that reports on the rise of "militant atheism" in Europe. Oddly enough, Albert Mohler reported on his blog today the substance from a recent The Los Angeles Times article on the rise of secularism and the decline of Christianity in recent years in Western Europe.

Its awful to see the former bastion of Christianity that was Western Europe beginning to be dominated by secularist ideals, but it is ironic to see this form of "militant atheism." With all due respec to the author of the religion blog article, I prefer to use the term "evangelical atheism," for that is really their goal. They may use militant measures to advance their agenda, but make no mistake about it, their aim is to win converts.

Bob Dylan once wrote, "You're gonna serve somebody. It may be the devil or it may be the Lord, but you're gonna serve somebody." That is absolutely the truth. In their attempts to abolish religion, atheists set up a religious system of their own. The only question for atheists is, which god will they serve? It may be the latest philosophical guru or Freud, or even themselves, but regardless of who they serve, the fact remains that they will worship something or someone, and isn't that the basis of religion? Good try guys, but you'll have to do better than that to abolish religion.

It should really come as no shock to Christians that people set up idols for themselves, this has been the case since the beginning of time. Further, it has not been that long since Nietzsche declared God dead. But, the apostle Paul warned us of these things to come in Romans 1. Men have indeed become lovers of themselves and haters of God, but do not be discouraged.

God is still alive, God is still working, and God will have His way! God Be Praised!

China Forcing Abortions?

According to a report on NPR , dozens of women have recently been forced to have abortions in China. This is an alarming trend to which all Christians should pay attention.

Even more alarming is the claim by some even here in the United States that the birth rate should be reduced because the rising population is a contributor to global warming. Though, as I have always said, Christians should take an active role in protecting the environment, we should never seek to protect part of God's creation by destroying the crowning jewel of creation...human beings. It was God who commanded Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply, who are we to negate God's commands? After all, God created man and woman in His image, not the earth!

Nancy Pelosi on the Partial Birth Abortion Ruling

I have copied a posting in its entirety from www.dennyburk.com.

Here is how the law defines partial birth abortion:

“An abortion in which a physician delivers an unborn child’s body until only the head remains inside the womb, punctures the back of the child’s skull with a Sharp instrument, and sucks the child’s brains out before completing delivery of the dead infant.”


Here is what Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi says about partial birth abortion:

“This is about a procedure that any parent would want her daughter to have access to if she needed it. And to frame it as an abortion issue is doing a disservice to medicine and to our young women and our country. So I hope we can get the focus back on the fact that this Supreme Court is deciding what medical procedures are necessary for child-bearing women.”


The scary thing about this statement is that I get the feeling that Pelosi actually believes it. It doesn’t make her any less culpable for her views. It just means that she is that much farther down the road of suppressing the truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18).

Nevertheless, I am amazed that more people cannot see how morally retrograde it is to defend the legalization of partial birth abortion. How can you totally overlook the humanity of the baby in the womb (in this case partially out of the womb) and claim that the abortion issue is merely a “women’s health” issue?

As long as there are people who think like Nancy Pelosi (and there are many), the pro-life battle to win hearts and mind goes on. I intend to be a part of it, and I hope you will too.

Liberal Mindset Trumps Love for Life

Check this out from www.redstate.com. It seems that for Harry Reid, it is much more important to be accepted as a liberal than it is to stand up for life. The major question for me is which Harry Reid is the real Harry Reid.


Harry Reid a hypocrite?

By Charles Bird Posted in Policy — Comments (2) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
In other news, the sun rose in the East this morning. - Moe Lane
This is a "dog bites man" story, but it bears noting anyway. Jonathan Adler, remarking on Senator Harry Reid's regret that Samuel Alito is Supreme Court justice:
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) was among those who denounced yesterday's Supreme Court ruling upholding the Federal Partial Birth Abortion Act. Commenting on the decision, Reid said "A lot of us wish that Alito weren't there and O'Connor were there," indicating his desire that there has been a fifth vote to invalidate the statute, as Justice O'Connor had provided the fifth vote to invalidate Nebraska's partial-birth abortion ban in Stenberg v. Carhart.
What is curious about Reid's statement, as NPR and some news outlets have noted, is not Reid's criticism of Alito -- Reid opposed Alito's confirmation -- but the fact that Reid supported, and voted for, the federal statute upheld in yesterday's decision. Reid was one of 17 Senate Democrats voting in favor of the bill in 2003. Reid also voted in favor of a ban on partial-birth abortion in 1999 (see here) and, as indicated in this "Meet the Press" interview, Reid was one of only two Democratic Senators to vote against a resolution reaffirming Senate support for the holding of Roe v. Wade.
So, despite his repeated support of legislative restrictions on abortion, Reid's latest comment suggests that he believes the Supreme Court's decision was regrettable and wrongly decided, and that a law that he supported is unconstitutional. To me, the latter is of greater concern. Call me old fashioned, but I believe that if a member of the Senate believes a law is unconstitutional, he or she should vote against it.
It truly is a shame that such an inept and dishonest politician is Senate Majority Leader.

Simply, Jesus.

I grow more and more convinced every day that certain things about Jesus were much more simple than we give Him credit for. After all, it was Jesus who reduced the 613 commandments that the Jewish leaders had derived from the Old Testament into two commandments,
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"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." -Matthew 22:37-39 ESV
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That was not the only thing that Jesus simplified. In John 13, Jesus gave a new commandment. It is exciting to discover that this commandment was not a burdensome weight laid against His disciples, but was rather a joyous opportunity to show the world that they were His. In John 13:35, Jesus tells His disciples that the world will know who they are by the way they interact with one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
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I often wonder if the opposite of that is true. I wonder if sometimes our churches are paralyzed because the message we send to the culture by not loving one another as we should is that we do not look much like Jesus's people at all. Jesus did not say that we need jerseys to be identified as members of his team, we need to love each other so that the world will know! Maybe when we start loving each other as we should, people will recognize the God who loves us and loves them and will want to be a part of Christ's church...it's so crazy it just might work!

More on the Abortion Ruling

Because I know some of you might not follow the links I post in here, I have decided to paste the full article from Dr. Al Mohler's blog in my post today. You can read his blog at www.albertmohler.com.

In an historic 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court has affirmed the government's right to ban the partial birth abortion procedure. The Court reversed the rulings of six lower courts that had struck down the ban. The measure had been passed by Congress and signed into law by President Bush in 2003.
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Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote the majority opinion. Kennedy has succeeded retired Justice Sandra Day O'Connor as the most frequent "swing" vote among the nine justices. Kennedy also wrote the majority opinion in the 1992 Planned Parenthood v. Casey decision -- a decision that basically affirmed the Court's infamous 1973 decision legalizing abortion, Roe v. Wade.
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The decision handed down Wednesday, Gonzales v. Carhart [see full text of decision and opinions here] was a stunning blow to pro-abortion forces because it represented the first time a specific abortion procedure had been successfully banned.
A closer look at the majority opinion reveals even more. Justice Kennedy acknowledged that, for many, even the most common abortion procedure is "a procedure itself laden with the power to devalue human life." This is rather amazing language in itself, but Justice Kennedy then argued that the partial birth procedure "implicates additional ethical and moral concerns that justify a special prohibition."
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The explicit inclusion of this moral language marks a great achievement in this decision. So is the decision's acknowledgement that "it seems unexceptionable to conclude some women come to regret their choice to abort the infant life they once created and sustained."
Then, follow the progression of this argument:
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In a decision so fraught with emotional consequence some doctors may prefer not to disclose precise details of the means that will be used, confining themselves to the required statement of risks the procedure entails. From one standpoint this ought not to be surprising. Any number of patients facing imminent surgical procedures would prefer not to hear all details, lest the usual anxiety preceding invasive medical procedures become the more intense. This is likely the case with the abortion procedures here in issue. . . .
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It is, however, precisely this lack of information concerning the way in which the fetus will be killed that is of legitimate concern to the State. . . . The State has an interest in ensuring so grave a choice is well informed. It is self-evident that a mother who comes to regret her choice to abort must struggle with grief more anguished and sorrow more profound when she learns, only after the event, what she once did not know: that she allowed a doctor to pierce the skull and vacuum the fast-developing brain of her unborn child, a child assuming the human form.
Justice Samuel Alito and Chief Justice John Roberts joined in Kennedy's opinion. Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas joined the decision, but issued a separate concurring opinion that included this bold assertion: [T]he Court's abortion jurisprudence, including Casey and Roe v. Wade . . . has no basis in the Constitution."
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In an angry dissent, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg declared the majority decision to be "alarming." Most remarkably, she attacked the majority's concern for the emotional health of mothers (due to the unique bond between mother and child) to be "discredited."
Here is her statement:
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This way of thinking reflects ancient notions about women's place in the family and under the Constitution--ideas that have long since been discredited.
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The acknowledgement of a unique bond between mother and child, born or unborn, is an "ancient" notion long since "discredited?"
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Justices John Paul Stevens, David Souter, and Stephen Breyer joined Ginsburg in her dissenting opinion.
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April 18, 2007 will go down in history as a landmark day in the struggle to recover human dignity and the sanctity of human life. This ruling is an important step toward that recovery -- and we still have a very long way to go. There is reason to believe that this decision may be even more important than might first appear. After all, the majority opinion does recognize that for many citizens, any abortion is "a procedure laden with the power to devalue human life."

Great News for Babies From The Supreme Court

Fox News is reporting that the Supreme Court has upheld the partial birth abortion ban act passed by congress in 2003. Click here to read the article reporting this victory for life and justice in the American legal system. The ban focuses on a horrific form of abortion that actually kills babies (not fetuses) by partially birthing them and then ending their life. Often this murder is carried out brutally with scissors or forceps being stabbed into the base of the scull.

This is a great day for unborn children in America!

Who Do We Blame?

Again, as our nation continues to mourn the Virginia Tech tragedy, commentators have heaped reproach upon the university and our culture for the lack of the mention of Jesus Christ in the memorial service, as I wrote about yesterday. I think it is important that we place blame correctly where it lies. We should never depend on our world to proclaim the name of Christ, it is solely the responsibility of Christians.

Though I will admit that I wanted to hear our President, a self-proclaimed evangelical Christian, proclaim the name of Christ and I am disappointed that he did not do that, I am more outraged by the failure of the Lutheran minister to proclaim Christ. As a minister of the gospel, I absolutely want to hear the good news given to these who mourn, but I do believe we are wrong to point fingers at non-Christian representatives of the university who organized the convocation and shared the platform during the memorial service. Christians, and especially any Christian given the special designation as minister must never shy away from proclaiming the name of Christ.

The Saddest Part of The Memorial Service

As I sit watching the VT memorial service, finding it difficult to return to work at the site of such an historic moment of grieving and as I grieve for those who have lost loved ones in this tragedy, I am saddened most by the lack of hope in the memorial service. In a land that gurantees the freedom of religion, I watched a Muslim leader plead to Allah, a Bhuddist quote the Dhali Lama, and a Jewish woman read from the Old Testament, but I found no hope in Jesus Christ mentioned from the Lutheran minister chosen to represent Christianity. The Band played Amazing Grace, but the words were of course left out. WHERE'S THE HOPE? What is this Amazing Grace of which we hear?

There is hope found in no other than in the Lord, Jesus Christ whom Paul assures us has overcome death, hell, and the grave. He is our hope for etenal life as it is promised in John 14. He has gone to prepare a place for us and for all who will look to him for salvation. It is indeed a sad day when, during such a terrible occasion, a Christian minister could and would stand before such a grieving audience and not share with them the hope of Jesus Christ.

In times of grief and in times of joy, Christians have the responsibility to share the good news and hope of Jesus Christ with the world around us. Jesus is not a politically incorrect burden to be avoided in multi-cultural and multi-religious events. Jesus Christ is the hope of our world, it is our privilege to share the gospel (which means the good news) with our world. Christians, do not rob the world of their opportunity of salvation...take the love of Christ. Who can be opposed to being loved, and who loves more than our Savior.

To Virginia Tech and to all who mourn, I offer to you Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World.

AMAZING GRACE

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,That saved a wretch like me....I once was lost but now am found,Was blind, but now, I see.

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T'was Grace that taught...my heart to fear.And Grace, my fears relieved.How precious did that Grace appear...the hour I first believed.

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Through many dangers, toils and snares...we have already come.T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far...and Grace will lead us home.

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The Lord has promised good to me...His word my hope secures.He will my shield and portion be...as long as life endures.

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When we've been here ten thousand years...bright shining as the sun.We've no less days to sing God's praise...then when we've first begun.

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The earth shall soon dissolve like snow, the sun forbear to shine; But God, Who called me here below, shall be forever mine.

SIMPLIFY!!

In their book Simple Church, Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger propose a not so new process for discipleship in the local church. Their remedy for the maladies of the local church? Simplify, stop doing so much! They write:

Many of our churches have become cluttered. S0 cluttered that people have a difficult time encountering the simple and powerful message of Christ. So cluttered that many people are busy doing church instead of being the church.

and...

Perhaps we are losing ground not despite our overabundance of activity but because of it.

Simple Church is a profound book that establishes as statistical fact many of the beliefs that leaders have held about the local church in recent years. The simple truth? Simple churches are vital and growing churches while complicated and unfocused churches are dying. I strongly recommend this quick read to all pastors and church leaders, and anyone who desires to see the Kingdom of God and their local church grow.

Say A Prayer

I suppose there really aren't words to make anything about the tragedy at VT seem any better. However, I know there is a God who can calm all fears and grant a peace beyond our understanding to those who have been affected by this event. I pray that God, in His infiinite wisdom and power will ease the suffering of this event and will, in His care, bring good from such tragedy.

My thoughts and prayers join with the many across our nation and around the world who remember the fallen Hokies.

WOW, The Feminist Response to the UK Abortion Issue

It is a sad state of affairs in our world when abortion is not only allowed, but those who choose not to give an abortion on moral or ethical grounds are subject to criticism from the ultra-feminist left. The bloggers over at Feministing take notice of the refusal by some British doctors to perform abortions with contempt...Read "The Abortion Crisis in the UK." Its funny how a moral issue can be reason for rejoicing among those who value life and reason for protest among those who value their own comfort above all else...

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.
24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. 25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen." Romans 5:18-25 NASU

Doctors Revolt Against Abortions in UK

The British national health agency is concerned over the increasing number of British doctors who refuse to perform abortions for ethical or moral reasons. This could have implications for abortion policy in both the UK and the US. Read more here.

Time for another Knowing God post (incidentally, if you do not own this book, I encourage you to follow the link at the left and order it or pick up a copy somewhere). Near the end of this great book, Packer turns his attention to knowing, discerning, and understanding God’s divine guidance. He warns, rightly, that God’s direction in life is never contrary to God’s divine will given through the written testimony of the Bible. Packer then lists six common pitfalls to following God’s guidance and will.

1. Unwillingness to think. It is a common mistake for Christians and non-Christians to believe that God is going to drop his will in our lap without us having to even think about it. “God made us thinking beings.”
2. Unwillingness to think ahead. Often the wise or right thing can only be ascertained by dwelling on the long-term results of our actions.
3. Unwillingness to take advice. Henry Blackaby reminds us that God speaks through the people around us and the Proverbs tell us “the wise man takes advice” (12:15). According to Packer, “There are always people who know more than us.”
4. Unwillingness to suspect oneself. It’s easy to see faults in others, but often harder to recognize faults in ourselves. As quick as we may be to throw stones at acquaintances who are “feelings” oriented decision makers, we must always scrutinize our own life for emotional decisions that are removed from the scrutiny of God’s Word.
5. Unwillingness to discount personal magnetism. Just because a person has a large personality, does not make that person the mouthpiece of God. The evangelist scandals of the eighties proved that to be true.
6. Unwillingness to wait. God’s timing is always perfect, but often God’s will is only revealed as we need it; not necessarily when we want it. Wait upon the Lord is a repeated message of the Psalms and Isaiah promised that the Lord would renew strength to all who wait upon him.

Maybe you will recognize some of these pitfalls in your life as I did in mine. If so, I hope that this short entry will enable you to scrutinize your life and better discern God’s plan as I pray I has be better enabled me to do the same.

Your Duty and Privilege

"It is our duty and our privilege to exhaust our lives for Jesus. We are not to be living specimens of men in fine preservation, but living sacrifices, whose lot is to be consumed."

-Charles Spurgeon

In a way that possibly only Spurgeon could say, the statement above is a beautiful challenge to the Christian life. We are indeed living sacrifices, and as such, should we not live in such a way as to be able to say at the end of our years that we gave it all to and for the glory of God and the cross? When I played football (and when I later coached I did the same) my coaches would often say "leave it all on the field." In other words, at the end of the game, you should go home and pass out--give everything you've got.

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I submit to you today that the Christian life should be the same. At the end of your years, you should not sit back to relax and grow old. Living for Christ means just that, living for Christ not resting for Christ. Make sure that you leave it all on the playing field of your life, holding nothing back and giving all to the Lord as his servant...a living sacrifice. This is your joy and privilege, don't miss the blessing!

Hopes Falsely Tied to Embryonic Stem Cell Research

It appears as though the New York Times will publish at least two stories on stem cells tomorrow (or today, depending on how long it takes me to write this). The first story reports the Stem Cell Bill that was passed by the Senate today (April 11) with less than enough votes to overcome the promised veto by Pres. Bush. Ironically, the article highlites "emotional" discussion from the senate floor by senators who can see diabetes cured through embryonic stem-cell research. Of course, there is no hard evidence to support this theory which posits embryonic stem cell research asthe cure-all miracle elixer.

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You may be wondering why I spoke of irony, well, the irony is that the Times is publishing another article that reports a Study Suggests New Avenue in Diabetes Treatmet. "Thirteen young diabetics in Brazil have been able to stop receiving insulin after being treated with stem cells taken from their own blood, researchers are reporting." In case some of you missed it...they were treated with ADULT stem cells. Of course, no card-toting liberal wants to discuss adult stem cell research because it does not have implications for the abortion debate or the presidential race. We need to wake up here; embryonic stem cell research is a political ploy and too many desperate Americans are being led into false hope on the inflated promises of politicians.

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Why kill babies when adult stem cells show so much promise? Further, if embryonic stem cells are the key, why has the Wake Forest Study been largely ignored in the media and apparently by congress. Face reality; its not about your health or mine, its all about votes and Roe v. Wade. PITIFIUL!!!

Those Are Your Words and Not Mine

I just happened to run across a blog entry on a Wall Street Journal article that ran in 2006 on preachers buying sermons online and then preaching them as their own. I must admit, this sickened me. There is no room for lying behind the pulpit and preaching another man's sermon as my own is nothing short of a lie. The guy at PowerofChange.org did a great job on this. Read his blog for yourself...

Milk Many Cows

Ned Flanders

I've never been a huge fan of The Simpson's, but this Emergent Church guy's expose' on Ned Flanders is nothing short of genius. Well, maybe a little short, but it will definitely cause you to think about the way you view other Christians (and non-Christians for that matter).

Ned Flanders and Me

Loving Your Kids Is A Priority?

A blog posted today on WashingtonPost.com by Leslie Morgan Steiner suggests a crazy concept. Apparently, being a successful woman does not mean merely overcoming the gender gap or the stereotypes of our society. I was shocked (not really) to discover that loving your children puts a strain on a woman's career goals. In Alpha Girls Steiner writes concerning a group of excelling 17 year olds recently reported on by a national newspaper:

What I fear is the fate of these alpha girls once they have children. Years of hard work,
prizes and promotions can't prepare them for the only true enemy to female ambition in
America today: love for their children. For those who think the solution lies in not having
children, another kind of torture awaits them.

In other words, for all of the fuss being made over inequality in the work place, there is a struggle that no feminist seems willing to embrace. The problem for women achieving their career goals is not always the pressures of the outside world caving in on them, but rather the desire to love and nurture their children overriding their ambition to climb the corporate ladder. I'm not sure if she intended it this way, but Steiner's comments definitely lean toward a Christian world view. Just think, there are actually intelligent and educated adults, women even, who are willing to sacrifice their careers to raise their children properly--GREAT!!

If I may add, the one thing that Steiner misses out on is that there are a great number of dads in this world who could have climbed much higher on the corporate ladder if it were not for their love for their children. As shocking as it may seem, this is the biblical model. Paul did not say be an example for your kids by making tons of money, rather he admonished parents to raise their children in the fear of the Lord. It is truly a shame when loving your children more than your job is newsmaking material, but let's just be glad there are some who still do.

See How Crazy We Are...

For anyone out there wondering exactly why us crazy conservatives get a little uncomfortable with liberal theology, here's another link to Al Mohler's blog...enjoy! Beloving vs. Believing

Not Me!

A few years ago I participated in a wedding for one of my closest friends. As we sat "back stage" awaiting the time of the wedding, the groom's father (and best man) handed me an envelope with a check in it "for my time." I, of course, refused to accept the check, but he refused to take it back. The pastor who was officiating the wedding took me aside and taught me a valuable lesson that day. "Sometimes," he said, "People need to give more than we need to receive. Just say thank you, he wants to do this for you."

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I think of that lesson often, and as I read the account of Jesus washing the disciples' feet, I am reminded of it. Peter was obstinate, but Jesus needed to wash Peter's feet so that Peter could understand. Peter, the tough guy, was embarrassed at the thought of being served. "I can do it myself," you can imagine him saying. Jesus, however, knew that Peter needed to learn a lesson. Jesus knew that Peter needed to understand first that service is a pre-requisite for strong leadership. Second, Jesus needed to wash Peter's feet to show Peter how to accept help, guidance, and gifts from the Lord.

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Peter was going to need to rely on the Lord's help for the years to come as he built the church of the Lord. No doubt, this lesson from Jesus enabled Peter to rely more heavily on the Lord as he realized that he did not have to do everything himself...that even strong men need help. Peter learned to lean on the Lord and Jesus knew just how to teach that lesson. I wonder how many of us would sit idly by if the Lord were serving us, or "giving" to us? Americans are known for their individual spirit, we pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, but I think that Christians need to remember that our Lord would stoop to remove those boots...would we let him?

He Won't Die

Many people through the years have speculated as to what it was exactly that caused the twelve disciples (well, minus John) who left Jesus during his crucifixion to be transformed from terrified and spineless to courageous carriers of the gospel who seemed to mock death. Reflecting on Easter, I believe I have at least one answer. Imagine with me as I set the stage:

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As one of the disciples, you are gathered in the upper room on Sunday still mourning the loss of the man whom you believed to be the Son of God. Friday was a horrible day and Saturday was not much better...he was dead; and now this strange news that he is not even in the grave and Mary claiming that he is alive. Add to all of that the searing thought that you could be the next one to die at the rage of the religous leaders. Could things really get any worse? And then, just as it seems the world is about to collapse, through the locked door in walks Jesus.

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It's like the scene out of some movie, only its better because it is for real...HE IS ALIVE! What could make the disciples so bold, I believe it is this experience. They realized suddenly that they were following a man...a God who was not only their Savior, Teacher, Lord and Friend; they were following Jesus Christ and He was (and is) unstoppable...they couldn't even kill Him. It is as clear as day, we have no one to fear because Jesus can not be defeated and we are His!

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Shouldn't we be as bold today?

Definitely a Post-Christian World

You know we are living in a totally post-Christian world when the Pope affirms the existence of a hell as a "real place" and it makes international news. Foxnews.com, reporting on an article in the London Times, headline reads "Pope: Hell Is A Real Place Where Sinners Burn in Everlasting Fire." No one is happy about the existence of hell, but the Bible leaves no doubt about the existence of a place of eternal torment for those who will not repent and believe.

The Good News, of course, is that hell is avoidable. Jesus offers salvation to all who will call on His name. Easter is upon us, let us reflect on the gospel...it is the good news of salvation.

Yet Again

It seems like I do this often, but I have once again posted a link to an article from Albert Mohler's blog. Read and enjoy this piece on tradtional marriage. He says it much better than I would, so no need for me to re-invent the wheel.

Blog

In his book, Blog, Hugh Hewitt traces the recent history of the blogosphere and its impact on society and the mainstream media. Hewitt's book is a must read for pastors and church leaders for its eye-opening insight into the world and impact of the blogosphere. My blog, or yours for that matter, has little impact in the large scope of things, but because of its far-reaching capabilities, leaders (both Christian and secular alike) must be bloggers. Blogging enables a leader to share his vision and ideologies with those in his organization regularly without the necessity of daily meetings. Further, for the church leader, the blog enables the entire church to be involved in the vision of the church as stressed by its leader(s).

I encourage Hugh Hewitt's book, and I encourage all church leaders to start blogging. It's not that difficult, and who knows who you will impact!

Environmentalists?

I know I should probably leave the environmental thing alone, but it really intrigues me. As a Christian, I believe that we have a responsibility to take care of that to which God had entrusted us (I even posted an almost environmental blog a while back). However, global warming has become nothing more than a pseudo-scientific political issue. Many of the "fixes" to global warming provided by the political left leave much to be desired.
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So far, no satisfactory answers have been given as to the proper disposal of the newest left wing savior, the flourescent light bulb. As that has been sinking deep into me, I ran across the article links below which suggests that the Hummer H3 is actually more environmentally friendly than the hybrid Toyota Prius. I would encourage everyone to take time to read the article. It will not cause your gas prices to go down necessarily, but it might erase some of that falsely initiated guilt being pushed by Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth.

http://takeourcountryback.townhall.com/g/e42913a4-c21f-46ee-b018-635c1e717fd4&trackbacks=true#comments

http://www.37signals.com/svn/posts/115-look-beyond-gas-mileage-when-making-an-environmental-choice

How Efficient Are We?

Today, I am attempting my first ever blog entry from my Blackberry, the revolutionary device that makes me more efficient...or does it? I just finished reading "To The Golden Shore," the biography of Adoniram Judson, the first American baptist missionary. I was both inspired and convicted as I read of the life and witness of this great man of God, but it was not only his outstanding faith that blew me away. Adoniram Judson accomplished more in his life than most of us colud ever dream to accomplish, and that was in a day before computers and mass transit. All of this caused me to question what I am doing with the many conveniences placed at my disposal.

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The fact that I now understand is that it is not the device or technology that make a man efficient, but rather the efficient man or woman who takes full advantage of technology. God has blessed us with technology beyond the wildest imagination of thinkers even fifty years ago, but what are we doing for the Kingdom of God with what we have been given? In other words, of what value is this Blackberry if it does not enable me to reach more people for the cause of Christ. And to you as you read this, because of the computer with which you have accessed this page, you have a tool with which you can impact the world for Christ. So, go forth, be efficient with your gadgets and tools of convenience and change your world with the love of Christ.

SC Lawmakers Pass Ultrasound Bill

South Carolina lawmakers in the house of representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill on abortion Wednesday. The bill, which in no way limits abortions, requires all women seeking abortions to first view an ultrasound of the unborn child and have that ultrasound interpreted and explained by a medical professional. Further, expecting mothers must wait at least an hour after the ultrasound before an abortion can be performed.
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Opponents of the bill claim first that it is degrading to believe that a woman seeking an abortion does not know what she is doing, and secondly that it would be painful for those who are victims of rape to have to view the ultrasound. As always, abortion rights activists want the public to believe that less information is more. As conservative Christians continue to be derided as ignorant, non-progressive, and stone-age on issues of morality, it is the radical left abortion rights activists that want less information. Though not the case in every situation, the history of the Christian faith has overwhelmingly been one of education and information. As Christians, we encourage the gaining of knowledge and understanding because we have full confidence that correct information and knowledge is always supportive of our faith and beliefs.

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Though I do not doubt that an ultrasound for a victim of rape will be painful, those instances, as always, are extremely rare cases. I am concerned more for the technicians and doctors who will perform these ultrasounds, count toes and fingers, only to find out later that the beautiful life they experienced on screen was ended. I know that for pro-choice advocates, their concern is that the decision of an expectant mother could be swayed by something other than her own self-centered desires. Heaven forbid someone seeking to end a life should have to look at that life first. Arguments were made last year that deer hunting over the Internet with a mechanized gun and a camera was unethical, and yet abortion rights activists in South Carolina argue for killing children without even looking at them. Shooting a man in the back is always unethical, but somehow the equivalent, when performed on an unborn child is celebrated in some circles...NOT IN MY CIRCLE!!!

Jesus Angered

In the account of Jesus' raising of Lasarus in the Gospel of John, an imprtant phrase is often over looked. In John 11:33, some versions of the Bible translate that Jesus was "troubled", and others that he was "angered" in his spirit. Regardless of the exact word used to translate this verb, the truth remains that Jesus was deeply bothered at this point, bothered to a degree that represents a greater emotion and response than sympathy. Jesus was not bothered because the people were crying or upset, after all he too was moved to tears and "Jesus wept." Jesus' indignation went deeper.

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The anger of our Lord here shows the love he has for his children. Jesus was indignant, not at the people, but at the root cause of all of this. Jesus was angered at the sin that brought about this event and such remorse. It is no accident that this anger is manifest at this time in Jesus life. He was fixing to enter Jerusalem for the very last time; the time for his crucifixion was at hand. Surely, the Lord understood what it was that he had to do, and he had great reason to have anger toward sin.

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In Luke 9:51, we are told that Jesus set his face toward Jerusalem, he knew what had to be done and he was focused on his goal...salvation for us through his death. Jesus must have been incredibly angry at sin by the time that he saw its effects on the people he loved so dearly and in light of the consequence of sin that he would bear just a few days later on the cross. We do not serve a soft Savior, but a Mighty King who was not only angered by sin, he overcame it. Thanks to him we can cry out with the apostle Paul, "O Death, where is your victory, O Death, where is your sting?" It has been erased with the blood of an angry savior on a terrible cross. A Savior who hated sin enough and loved us enough and was obedient enough to do the will of the Father, even when it cost him his own life. What an amazing Savior.

For All You Dad's Out There

Often times I just can't re-say something as well as it has already been said by another person. I've pasted a link to Al Mohler's blog above where he has an excellent commentary on an article written about the influence and role of dad's in the lives of their children. Check it out!

Let’s face reality, spring is upon us. Soon we will set our clocks ahead and begin enjoying more and more of that luxurious warm sun that seemed far away during the winter months. March 17th brings that traditional rite of passage into spring, St. Patrick’s Day. St. Patrick’s Day has become a secular holiday celebrated with huge parties and lots of alcohol, but believe it or not, it has not always been that way.
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In preparation for this article, I did a little research on St. Patrick and the circumstances surrounding the holiday named in his honor. It seems that Patrick was a Catholic bishop who was appointed to Ireland in the Fifth Century. History tells us that during his ministry he won many converts and was widely known for his beliefs. In addition, tradition holds that the shamrock became associated with St. Patrick because he used the three-leafed stem to describe the Trinity to the pagans of Ireland.
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So, I don’t just say happy March to you, I say happy St. Patrick’s Day. Wear your green hats and shamrocks proud. Take time to speak of the Trinity with someone who needs to hear about it and spread the good news of Christ’s love. Take St. Paddy’s Day back to its roots, make it all about the gospel.

Now I See

"He answered, 'whether or not He's a sinner, I don't know. One thing I do know: I was blind, and now I can see!'"

-John 9:25

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What an exclamation. "I was blind, and now I see!" The claim by this formerly blind man resonates with every Christian who has ever lived. It really doesn't matter what anyone else thinks about Jesus, "I know what he has done in my life." One can scarcely read this passage without being reminded of the great hymn by John Newton.

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It's interesting to note that John Newton wrote Amazing Grace following his contemplation on 1 Chronicles 17:16-17: "Kind David...said: 'Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far?..." The amazing thing about grace is not so much that we have been rescued from our spiritual blindness, but that God loves us enough to do it in spite of our sinful lives. We live in opposition to God, having nothing of value in our sinful condition that will add to God in any way, and yet, He sacrificed to give us life.

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The amazing thing about grace is the God who bestows it. John Newton wrote another verse to Amazing Grace, it goes like this: The earth shall soon dissolve like snow, the sun forbear to shine; But God, Who called me here below, shall be forever mine. He is an amazing God who not only saves us from our despicable condition, but actually attaches Himself to us, giving us the right to be called children of God.

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Amazing grace! How sweet the sound! That saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost, but now am found; Was blind but now I see.

The Overlooker of Sin?

"Neither do I condemn you," said Jesus, "God, and from now on do not sin anymore."

So, does the passage above mean that Jesus does not care about sin? Absolutely not, the only means for forgiveness of sins is repentence and faith. It seems that Jesus' condition for this woman was one of repentance, for the term itself means to turn away from your sins. Jesus' command to this woman caught in sin was to repent, for she had already shown dependence upon him for her salvation.

This is a beautiful picture of salvation as the Bible describes it. First, a person must wholly lean on Jesus for he alone is the giver of salvation. In this instance, only Jesus persuaded these men from killing this woman, she had no resolve but him, and Jesus proved to be the Savior that we know him to be. Further, the command of Christ to go and sin no more is the command to repent. We see all the elements of salvation wrapped up in this encounter. Jesus did not condone her sin or allow her sin, he forgave her sins and commanded her to avoid sinning in the future.

Jesus also forgives our sins, our salvation is dependant completely upon him. He alone can save, and his salvation means trusting in him completely and turning from our sins. Jesus does not overlook our sins, he atoned for them on the cross and commands us to turn from them. Salvation, is of the Lord!

Something to Ponder About Our Good God

What of the problem of evil in our world? How can a Christian affirm the providence of a loving God in the face of such pain and turmoil in the world around us? The answer lies not in our hearts, but rather in the truths of God’s word and is further illustrated in Christian writings and confessions throughout history. 1 John affirms repeatedly that God is love, and in chapter 1 verse 5 the apostle affirms that “God is light and in him is no darkness at all.” And yet, scripture also affirms that God is a just and even angry God. The message of Deuteronomy 4:24 is that “God is a consuming fire.” How then do we reconcile the love of God with the righteous anger and fury of God, or the goodness of God with the evil happenings in our world? Is it indeed possible that a good God can be in total control of all that happens in our sinful and fallen world?

The answer to the last question is an affirmative YES! God is absolutely in control and it is in His total control that Christians can find solace. If God were not in total control, how pitiable would the state of our world be, for in such a situation, the Christian can find no hope, save in the ability of him or herself. The problem with evil is not the problem that most people perceive it to be. The problem of evil is really the problem of coming to grips with man’s completely fallen condition.

The “problem of evil” as it is commonly called is the natural outgrowth of Christians and non-Christians who have come to believe that humanity is not as fallen and sinful as Scripture testifies to. “We deserve good things” is the common misconception, when the truth of the matter is that we deserve nothing but God’s wrath (Romans 3:23, 6:23). The evil that befalls us in our society is nothing more than the working of sinful creatures in rebellion to Holy God; and as sinful and fallen humankind, we deserve nothing less or more than the evil of which are a part.

The greatest conundrum is not “Why does evil occur in our world,” but rather, “Why would God allow us good things?” The answer lies only in an understanding of his infinite grace. We are undeserving of God’s love, yet he freely gives it anyway. Humans tend to define evil in the sense of how it affects humans at the personal level. Evil people are evil because of what they do or how they think in relation to the world in which we live. However, is a parent evil who disciplines his child? Is God, then, evil who might use means in this world to discipline His creatures? He is absolutely not the author of evil, but if I am in need of discipline and God uses an evil man to bash me over the head and get my attention, is God sinful? Absolutely not, I got what I needed; I was disciplined by God, and yet the perpetrator is still guilty of causing me harm. God’s purposes are lived out while the free-will of humanity is in no way hampered.

The man in the illustration above was sinful, but God’s goodness was shown in that he disciplined me. God drew me closer to him through the sinful actions of another independent human agent. This is not an easy truth to grasp for we tend to believe that we are in some way deserving of God’s greatest love and we often define love in a sentimental way rather than in a loving parent kind of way. Some would say, “If you love someone, you will never hurt them.” However, discipline is painful to the person being disciplined, and if you truly love a person at the deepest level, you will be willing to perform discipline so as to train that person to be better.

But what of the evil that is not personal or not so easily reconciled? What of cancer or what of greater evils such as the holocaust? What of a child who is raped or murdered? Where is God in these situations? What has a child done to deserve such an evil act? The answer is of course nothing, but God is still present and in control. We may never understand why these things occur, but God is in control and uses these situations, as wrong as they may be, to bring about his good purposes in His world. God’s presence is seen when the death of a young person brings about revival in an area. God’s love is shown when physical, spiritual, and emotional healing can occur in the life of a child who has been affected by a violent crime. God’s mercy is evident when death brings to an end the suffering of a terminally ill person. God’s grace was shown in the Holocaust as Christians throughout Germany worked to save Jews and to end the evil rule of Hitler. It is in times of greatest pain and evil that the good and the godly of this world stand for the things of God. It is in these times of greatest need that God’s love manifests itself in the greatest of ways. It is often necessary for God’s people to go through the valley of the Shadow of death before they can ever truly know God’s love.

God’s love goes beyond the common understandings of love that we develop. In the Greek language, there are four kinds of love, but only one is worthy of being used to define God’s love. The Greek word storge (storge) is used in reference to a kind of familial or affectionate love. The word philia (filia) refers to love shared between friends. Eros (eros), is the word used in reference to erotic love. However, only agape (agape) is worthy of describing the kind of love that God has for His creation. Agape love is an unconditional kind of love that moves beyond affection, or friendship, or even erotic love. It encompasses all three of those areas, but then goes beyond each one to exemplify a kind of love that will stop at nothing to redeem mankind. God’s love is practically beyond our comprehension. Our only logical response is: “Amen, we stand in awe of your goodness!”

When we turn our heads

"Rescue those being taken off to death, and save those stumbling toward slaughter. If you say, 'But we didn't know about this,' won't He who weighs hearts consider it? Won't He who protects your life know? Won't He repay a person according to his work?"

Proverbs 24:11-12

I have a good friend who often says, "When good men fail to do nothing, evil prevails." Solomon's wise words here speak of inaction, rather than action. It is often in the church to speak of sin as being those things we do that are dishonoring to God, however, it is right to consider those things that we do not do which bring dishonor to our God. I've heard many in older generations pray for forgiveness of sins of "omission and commission;" I wonder if we shouldn't work to be more aware of our sins of omission.

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What is the message for Christians today from Solomon? What we do not do is as important in God's eyes as those things that we do. Just as there are certain things in this world that we should abstain from as Christians, there are certain things that we should never abstain from. JHWH is a God of the down and out, and as God's people we too must be ministers to the down and out, serving as God's hands and feet and not turning our head to the plight of the broken. Be sure, just as God will repay a person for her work, He will surely repay for our lack of compassion and caring in a world that is broken and dying.

Kosher?

It is common among Christians to question why the Old Testament laws concerning dietary restrictions are no longer enforced in the New Covenant. We all understand that God spoke to Peter in a vision and showed Peter that all things were now clean. Specifically, in Acts 10:15 God says, "What God has made clean, you must not call common (or unholy)." But, why has God chosen to do this? Why are we as a part of the New Covenant allowed to enjoy bacon and ham when those of the Old Covenant were not?
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The answer is found in John 4. Jesus, in his exchange with the Woman at the well told her that the time had come when people would worship God in Spirit and in Truth. Until the time of Christ, God was worshipped in specific places with rituals and customs. The Spirit of God took up a residence within the temple where people came to worship. The dietary restrictions were ways that the people honored God with their everyday life...by restricting what they ate. In essence, the dietary and other Old Testament restrictions served as a daily reminder of the God whom they served. However, with the New Covenant (which is Christ), the reminder was no longer necessary just as the Temple was not necessary because the Spirit of God took up its residence within the people of God.
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The ending of dietary restrictions was not a relaxing of the recognition of sacred things in the world. Rather, the end of the dietary restrictions showed an increase in the sacred. No longer was holiness reserved for certain foods and places. With Christ, the people of God were now able to worship God in any place and circumstance. With the New Covenant, it is not that nothing is sacred, but rather that all things can be viewed as sacred and worthy of thanksgiving and praise to God because his Spirit resides within us as a constant reminder of whose we are. What God has now made clean, we must not call common, but rather we should praise him for all the goodness that he gives to us everyday!

What Did God Say?

Genesis 1:26-27 records a unique occurence in the Creation Story. Throughout the account of Creation to this point, God's creative powers have been used in exactly the same way. It was with His voice that God created. The powerful God of the universe needed to do nothing more than speak, and the earth, sky, and all creation came into being. The formula was the same, until verse 26.
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In verse 26, God moves from the "Let there be" formula, to a conversation, presumably with the other members of the Godhead. It is here, in verse 26, where God first establishes the difference between man, the crowning jewel of His creation, and the rest of creation. Rather than merely speaking humans into creation as He had done with all other things, God chooses a different route. "Let us make," He says, "man in our image." It was not good enough for humanity to be created in the same way as everything else, instead God chose to make human beings in a different way; He made humans in His image.
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Genesis 2:7 explains this difference for us. " Then the Lord God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being." God, in his infinite love, holiness, and knowledge, saw fit to make man with His own hands. The Bible says that God, the Great Creator, stepped from heaven to earth and made the very first human being from the dust of the ground. God did not stand back and watch His masterpiece take shape, God got His hands dirty so that we could have life. What an amazing God who would humble Himself to play in the mud for us. The same God who would later clothe Himself in flesh and hang from a cross. What a Savior!