Christmas Charity

Tis the season to give. I often remark about the incredible lengths our culture has gone to commercialize Christmas. That topic is kind of like the proverbial “beating a dead horse”. But, what about charitable giving? Have you noticed how ubiquitous ads for giving to charities have become near Christmas? I have. It’s everywhere.

Of course, the Salvation Army has been doing this for a long time. Frankly, I find the bell ringing workers really annoying. Lose the bell, please. I also feel sorry for these people. They have to stand outside, no matter what the weather, and ring that bell for hours. I am sure that aren’t getting paid much, not enough to endure that agony. But, a job is a job.

I guess other charities have caught on, because it is no longer just the Salvation Army. Every good charity is asking for your donations. I have heard ads for the following: homeless shelters, food banks, cancer support/research, military personnel, military families, toys for tots, educational programs, chemical dependency groups, oversea orphanages, Angel Tree, and much more. Our church participates in the Lottie Moon Christmas offering for International Missions, and in collecting canned goods for our local food banks.

And the great thing is, people give. I don’t know if it has always been this way, but it seems like these charities are asking and more and more people are giving. It seems to have become part of our culture for families to put charitable giving as a part of their Christmas budget.

This is a good thing, right? I definitely think that generosity is a good thing. It is even a biblical thing. It is a requirement for Christ followers to be generous and seek ways to assist those in need. Yes, I know that some people give just to receive the tax break on their IRS returns. But, I am glad that we live in a generous culture.

But, a couple of things trouble me. I don’t want to discourage people from giving to these worthy causes, but I do want to point out a couple of issues for consideration.
The Bible is pretty clear that giving is not enough. The motivation behind the giving is what counts. God looks at your heart first, and then what is in your hand. Well, don’t people who give demonstrate a good heart? Yes, but the biblical motivation is not just goodness or even concern for our fellow man – it is a recognition of the Lordship of God in our lives. It is also a recognition that all that I have comes from the grace of God. I am afraid that many give to charity, but not from a heart that is honoring God as Lord.

This brings me to another issue. I think that people like to give to charities at this time of year because they think that it is adding to their own intrinsic goodness, or mitigating their own intrinsic badness. I encounter this all the time – people think that they are or have to be good in order to have some type of standing with God.

No one gets into heaven because they gave to charity! God doesn’t analyze the financial books of your life to determine if you can enter His presence. Giving money to charity makes you a good person on a human level, but it does nothing for you on a spiritual level. For all our righteous deeds amount to a pile of filthy, disgusting rags in God’s eyes. We are spiritual wretches, sinners in the hands of an angry God, deserving His condemnation for violating His holy character. Giving to the Salvation Army or collecting canned food cannot erase our spiritual condition. The grace of God through Jesus Christ appropriated by repentance in faith is the requirement for right standing with God.

So, as you consider charitable giving this Christmas , take a moment and check your heart. That’s what God is looking at.

Praise Him For The Incarnation

Praise Him for the incarnation,
for the word made flesh.
I will not sing of shepherds
watching flocks on frosty nights,
or angel choristers.
I will not sing of a stable bare in Bethlehem,
or lowing oxen,
wise men trailing star with gold,
frankincense, and myrrh.
Tonight I will sing praise to the Father
who stood on heaven's threshold
and said farewell to his Son
as he stepped across the stars
to Bethlehem and Jerusalem.
And I will sing praise to the infinite, eternal Son,
who became most finite, a baby
who would one day be executed for my crime.
Praise him in the heavens,
Praise him in the stable,
Praise him in my heart.

writen by Joseph Bayly.

It's God's Fault

I am an avid football watcher and fan, but I do recognize the sports shortcomings.

One thing that drives me crazy is when I see some athletes attempt to show some signal of their faith into the game. Let me clarify. I want genuine Christ followers to play their sports in a way that honors the Lord and shines the light of their faith. What I don't approve of is being fake about this, or trying to shoehorn some demonstration into a situation where it doesn't fit.(See Deon Sanders).
Let me give you an example. As I was watching my beloved Aggies play the evil longhorns on Thanksgiving, I noticed something. Every time that the longhorn punter was about to kick, he made the sign of the cross over himself. Is kicking a punt so dangerous that you have to prepare your soul for eternity? (MLB batters do this a lot, too)

Yesterday, an athlete won the all time knucklehead award for faith and sports. His name is Steve Johnson and he is a wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills. On one play he was wide open in the end zone. The pass sails right to him and hits him in the hands. He dropped it! It happens, even to the best.

But, it's not his fault! It was God's fault. This is what he tweeted after the game:

"I PRAISE YOU 24/7!!!!!! AND THIS HOW YOU DO ME!!!!!" "YOU EXPECT ME TO LEARN FROM THIS??? HOW???!!! ILL NEVER FORGET THIS!! EVER!!! THX THO..."

Wow! This is no joke. He really tweeted this, which means he really thought this. Nice of him to mention his praise and thanks to God while he is blaming God for dropping the pass.

My pastor in college always said, "You can't fix stupid".


"By the mouth of a fool comes a rod for his back." Proverbs 14:3

Sharing Christ Around The Globe - OCC

Imagine a child who has nothing. Christmas comes-- no presents at all. Imagine something worse - a person never knowing the Lord Jesus Christ. Is there a way to address both of those problems? Yes.

It is called Operation Christmas Child. This fall our church has participated with this incredible outreach opportunity with hundreds of other churches. The process is simple. Pack a shoe box with toys and items for a kid in an underprivileged part of the world. That shoe box will be loaded with gospel story in their own language and then the child will get the gift.

It is about more than making a kid smile with a simple gift. It is about giving them the greatest gift of all time - Jesus Christ. Countless souls have been changed by this outreach.

I am thankful that we had the opportunity to be a part of the Great Commission of Jesus Christ. I pray that the boxes that go out will be used by God to bring scores of people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Needing a Savior

All human beings enter the world as sinners and condemned because they are sons and daughters of Adam (Rom. 5:12-19). Sin blinds human beings to their own wickedness and tricks people into thinking that they are righteous. Sin is not merely a matter of peccadilloes or mistakes. Human beings are fiercely rebellious and stubborn, which is captured in the metaphor of being stiff-necked. The sin of human beings is manifested supremely in the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth. All enter into the world spiritually dead toward God and heading toward physical death and judgment. By nature, humans are children of wrath and rotten trees. From birth, they are under the dominion of the old age of the flesh instead of the new age of the Spirit. They are a brood of vipers instead of children of God.

The power and depth of sin function as the backdrop to God's saving promises, for such promises represent astonishing good news, given the devastation that sin inflicts on human beings. With the coming of Jesus Christ, the era of salvation and deliverance has dawned; with the death and resurrection of Jesus, the tyranny of sin and death has ended."

A quote from Magnifying God in Christ by Dr. Thomas Schreiner, page 172.

Vote

I voted! It is my privilege as an American and my responsibility as a Christ follower. My guiding principals in voting are determined by my first allegiance - to God and His Word. Not my pocket book, not my comfort, not my preferences.

We also have a biblical mandate to love and pray for all of our leaders, even if we didn't vote for them.

Massive Story - The Gospel

An exerpt from Al Mohler's book, He Is Not Silent
When Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 5:21 that "for our sake Hee made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God", he is talking about a cosmological reversal that is beyond anything we can understand. If our people think of the gospel as a small story in which they get to befriend Jesus and walk alone with Him in a garden, if they don't understand what a massive thing their salvation from sin really is, theen we are robbing them of the gospel.

Every time we preach, we need to create dissonance in the minds of our hearers. We need to declare their own wretchedness, our sin, and our powerlessness, and we need to admit frankly that we can't solve this problem. And then we proclaim the gospel. We show our people how God himself did what they were wholly unable to do. We tell them that the problem of sin was only solved when the sinless Son of God died on the cross as a substitute for His people. (page 101)

Massacre at Church

Headlines in many newspapers are recounting the story of a ruthless massacre of a specific group of people in Iraq. Did these people deserve it? Had they broken some laws? What were they doing to provoke such an attack? Nothing but worshiping God. Muslim extremists, terrorist, walked into this church and murdered 58 people simply for being Christian.
Terrible story! What these attackers don't realize is that the "blood of martyrs is the seed of the faith"(Tertullian said that). It just seems to be the way it works. They more they try and stop the spread of the gospel, the more it spreads.

Spend a moment, read this article, and pray for believers in Christ that are being persecuted all over the world.

http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/11/01/2593238/iraqi-christians-mourn-after-church.html

Making a Mormon My Brother

The next two days I will receive extensive training from the Interfaith Evangelism Program sponsored by the SBTC. The emphasis will be learning how to lovingly and effectively share the true gospel with Mormons.

In my life the two most difficult groups to share Christ with are Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses. These two cult-like religions are difficult because they use Christian terminology, but with different meanings. The God, Jesus, and faith that these systems discuss are NOT what is found in the Bible. Most people don't recognize the difference. I have heard statistics that most converts to Mormonism and Jehovah's Witnesses come from Baptist backgrounds. That is extremely troubling and impresses upon me the need to disciple and educate my own church what the Bible actually teaches.

I am also excited to learn some things that can help me in my encounters with people from these groups. The people that I know and have met from these two religions are great people! I have a lot in common with many of them. I also have a responsibility to love them in Christ and share the true gospel with them for the salvation of their souls.

People Need The Lord

A quote from David Platt's book Radical

"A majority of individuals supposedly saved from eternal damnation by the gospel are now sitting back and making excuses for not sharing that gospel with the rest of the world." page 75

Scary Moment

The last part of our trip home from vacation contained one of the scariest moments I have ever had on a plane.
We were on a flight from Tampa to DFW, been in the air for about 15 minutes. Then there was a loud boom, and the plane shuddered. Everyone gasped, but then the plane just kept on course. No one knew what happened.

So, what happened? An engine blew!!!!! The pilots eventually told us that there was an engine failure and we were turning around for Tampa. The fire trucks would be waiting. They had to shut down all air traffic and we actually landed on the takeoff runway because the pilots didn't want to risk circling for the landing strip. Later, while waiting in the terminal, Michelle saw the plane being towed and the back end was charred black.

While in the air, it took me a few minutes to grasp that something was wrong. At that moment I began to pray. I wanted to live, but if God wanted to take me, I was surrendered to His will. Then I thought, should I stand up and shout out the gospel to all these people on the plane? Then I was thankful that my daughters hadn't caught on that something was wrong. They would have panicked.

I thank God for getting us down and home safely. And I also thanked the pilots for doing a great job landing a plane with a blown engine.

At least life is never dull!

Vacation 2010

Last week was vacation time. I intended to blog and stay in touch while on the trip, but was completely unplugged. No phone, no internet. Probably, a blessing in disguise.

We spent 7 days on a cruise through the Caribbean! It was a wonderful trip. While we were only gone 7 days, the travel schedule required me to miss 2 sundays in a row. This is the first time I have ever done that in my pastorate. A break is always a rejuvenating time, but it also reminds me of my love for what God has called me to do, the place the Lord has led me to be, and the people to whom I am called to shepherd. All that to say, I had a great vacation, but I am glad to be back.

The great part about our cruise was the minimal expense. Michelle earned a trip for 2 through her Arbonne business. For minimal cost, we added the girls and turned it into an incredible family vacation. We got to travel the seas, visit a tiny Island called Labadee, Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. There was never a dull moment and we got to spend some incredible time together as a family. What a blessing!

There were many highlights. In the Grand Caymans we got to swim and snorkel with stingrays. The girls absolutely loved it. Petting and feeding these incredible creatures was an awesome experience.

I am thankful to the Lord for my family and the bonding time we got to spend together.

Alcohol and Teens

Last night I attended a very informative meeting sponsored by S.P.A.R.K.(Students & Parents Against Risk to our Kids). This group seeks to raise awareness about many issues that pose risk to teens. They are concerned with all kinds of things from Internet danger, eating related illnesses, drugs, and alcohol. Last night was focused on alcohol and drug use issue among teens in Southlake.

Here are some of my notes:
It doesn't matter how good of a parent you are, and how good your child is, the will be tempted to use drugs and alcohol at some point. It's starts in 7th grade, and only gets more intense from there on up.

One local police officer was present who works with teens every day at the schools. He said that teens are exposed to the temptations of drugs and alcohol in some form EVERY DAY!!!!

Other notes:
- From the police officer, "Friends will make you or break you in high school."

- Most popular drugs: alcohol (number 1), inhalants, prescription meds

- Most common place to use these: at home by far, then at parties.

- All types of kids use alcohol, a quote from the police officer, "If you took all the kids out of the National Honor Society who use, there would be no NHS."

- Parents, you have to give your kids an excuse to say NO to their friends and these temptations.

- The cool thing in Southlake is for parents to host a party, and serve all the kids alcohol. Yes, these wonderful parents take up car keys. But, THIS IS ILLEGAL. It is against the law for you to serve any other kids alcohol. And any kid found with alcohol will receive a minor in possession.

- Penalty for a parent hosting this type of party: $4000 fine, up to 6 months jail, 6 months suspended license.

- If a parent does host one of these parties, and then a kid gets hurt, alcohol poisoning, or drives off and kills someone, that parent is liable.

- Minor in possession, or consumption: $500 fine, 8-40 hours community service, loss of drivers license for 30 days.

- A minor cannot go to a party and be the "designated driver". That is against the law, and they will receive a MIP.

- Other problems that are associate with teen parties where alcohol is present: assault, alcohol poisoning, sexual assault, property damage, drug use, rape.

- New fad, "pharmy party" - kids go to a party, swipe a bottle of prescription medication from their parents cabinet, dump them in a huge bowl like jelly beans, and start popping the pills.

- Most parents just don't know or care about teens and alcohol. S.P.A.R.K. held a conference on eating disorders and Internet dangers and had 400 people attend. At the one on alcohol 22 people came. (including me)

- If parents don't educate their kids about these issues at young age, they will be educated by other kids and peer pressure.

Please Accept Me

Have you ever had to plead for something? Have you ever had to really cajole someone into going somewhere with you?
Kids do this all the time, with no shame. "Dad can we please, please, please go to the water park (or fill in the blank with the latest, greatest thing)?"

I think that is how some people present our Lord Jesus. That He is pleading and cajoling people to accept Him. Is Jesus saying, "would you please, please, pretty please, accept me into your heart?"

Listen to this quote from David Platt's book, Radical,

"We have taken the infinitely glorious Son of God, who endured the infinitely terrible wrath of God and who now reigns as the infinitely worthy Lord of all, and we have reduced Him to a poor, puny, Savior who is just begging us to accept Him. Accept Him? Do we really think Jesus needs our acceptance?"

The infinitely worthy Savior doesn't need acceptance, He demands surrender.

Too Common A Converstation

The following is a fictional conversation. It is one that I don't think would go over very well in our church saturated yet passionless Christianity culture. See what you think.

Person 1: So, you are a follower of Christ, a Christian?

Person 2: Yes, I am.

Person 1: Do you pray?

Person 2: Well, not really.

Person 1: Do you read and study the Bible?

Person 2: Well, not really.

Person 1: Have you joined and are you serving in a church?

Person 2: No. Not really?


Commentary:
You can claim to be Christian all you want, but if you don't walk with the Lord in prayer(meals don't count), if you don't walk with the Lord through His word, and if you do not walk with the Lord by serving His church, then are you walking with the Lord? Are you a follower of Christ? Not really.

Church That's Cool vs. Church That's Real

I read a fascinating article in the Wall Street Journal about churches trying to be "cool" to attract young adults.

Here is the link to the article; The Perils of Wannabe Cool Christianity, by Brett McCracken

Here is the bottom line, McCracken says this:

If the evangelical Christian leadership thinks that "cool Christianity" is a sustainable path forward, they are severely mistaken. As a twentysomething, I can say with confidence that when it comes to church, we don't want cool as much as we want real.

If we are interested in Christianity in any sort of serious way, it is not because it's easy or trendy or popular. It's because Jesus himself is appealing, and what he says rings true. It's because the world we inhabit is utterly phony, ephemeral, narcissistic, image-obsessed and sex-drenched—and we want an alternative. It's not because we want more of the same.

Powerful Word

After Jesus' resurrection from the dead he appeared to two disciples who were traveling on the road to Emmaus.(found in Luke 24:13-35) The disciples were saddened by the events of the previous few days because they didn't understand. Jesus anonymously comes alongside them and listened to their contemplations about the events surrounding His crucifixion.

Then Jesus is going to teach them. He is going to show them the truths about what happened, about himself, about who He is and what really happened.

It is at this point that Jesus had a variety of powerful tools in his arsenal to explain and show. He is, afterall, the resurrected Lord. He has conquered the grave and sin and death. He is the God of creation. He could have shown them the power that He exhibited in creating the world. He could have explained what it felt like to be risen from the dead. He could have chosen so many different avenues. But what did He choose?

Look at verse 27, Luke 24:27 "And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself."

Jesus chose to use scripture. Specifically, the Old Testament scripture. He makes an incredibly profound statement. The message of the Old Testament is about Jesus. And, that message, found in scripture, is fully sufficient for explanation and understanding into the person and work of Jesus Christ.

What is true of the Old Testament is also true of the New. And, this is where it comes to hit home for us. We have everything we need to facilitate our relationship with God in His Holy Word. The scriptures are not just a book. If Jesus uses the scriptures the way He did, we would be wise to follow His example.

Follow Jesus

Lord of the Sabbath - Who Is Jesus

The fourth of the ten commandments relates to the Sabbath. God’s people in the Old Testament were required to set aside this one day to honor God as a reminder that every day they were to live in such a way to honor God. I don’t want to talk about Sabbath issues, but want to point out something about the relationship between the Sabbath and Jesus.

Exodus 20:8-11 is the commandment for Sabbath keeping. It is fairly lengthy in comparison to some of the explanations of the other nine commandments. The scripture explains to us the importance and source of the Sabbath. To summarize: the Sabbath is rooted in God’s creation. He created and order this world and the seventh day represents the completion of God’s creation. The Sabbath is created by God for man. The Sabbath is for man to honor God. The Sabbath is not as much about a day as it is about God.

The Sabbath became a huge issue for the Israelites.

Hold that thought: now let me take it another direction.

Who is Jesus? That is really the pivotal issue that differentiates true Christianity from various other religions, doctrines, and systems.

Biblical Christianity is clear that Jesus is THE ETERNAL GOD.
Not everyone holds to that. In fact, other religions all say something about Jesus but stop way short of affirming He is THE ETERNAL GOD.

Islam – Jesus is a prophet
Judaism – Jesus is a good teacher
Mormon Theology – Jesus is divine, a god, but not THE ETERNAL GOD.
Jehovah’s Witnesses – say something very similar to Mormon theology.
Atheism – Jesus was a great man.

How do we determine the answer to the question, who is Jesus? The best approach is to look at what Jesus claimed about himself. Did Jesus claim to be THE ETERNAL GOD?
Now, fast forward to the New Testament and Jesus. The religious leaders hated Jesus. One of the constant confrontations that occur is caused by things that Jesus does on the Sabbath.

One of these incidents occurs in Matthew 12:1-8. Jesus and his disciples did something on the Sabbath and the Pharisees throw a hissy fit. How could Jesus do such a thing? Jesus gives a clear argument and concludes with this statement, Matthew 12:8 For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

The disciples and Pharisees would understand this statement as shockingly clear. Jesus is claiming to be the creator of the Sabbath, the owner of the Sabbath, the One to whom worship is due on the Sabbath. It is not just a claim to divinity, it is a claim to be THE ETERNAL GOD. The 4th commandment is based on THE ETERNAL GOD’S creation of the world. Jesus says, I am He. Jesus never claims to be a separate God. This is an admission that He is the God of the Old Testament. And, He is the God of the New Testament and the God that has always existed. Wow!

How do the Pharisees understand and respond to Jesus? They want to kill him. They don’t want to kill him because he claims to be a good teacher or prophet, or just a divine person. But, because He claimed that He is THE ETERNAL GOD.

Here is what that means for you: You cannot accept Jesus as just a good teacher. You must accept and live your life in such a way that recognizes and honors the truth that Jesus is THE ETERNAL GOD.

An Example To Follow - Dr. Jack MacGorman

Today was the first day of my last year of course work for my DMIN program at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. At the beginning of each semester a guest is brought in to address the entire program. Today it was Dr. Jack MacGorman.

I had Dr. MacGorman for a class on 2 Corinthians when I was working on my masters in 1998. Today, he gave some incredible insights and a fantastic example for me to follow.

Dr. MacGorman is 89 years old. Here are some of the highlights that stuck out to me from today.

Here is a quote from Dr. Mac about his age, "Anyone indebted to God for his mercy and forgiveness as I am needs a long life to say, 'thank You'". Wow! What an incredible perspective and truth.

His testimony is something like this. He was born in Nova Scotia in 1920. In his early 20's he desired to go to a prestigious college and get an advanced degree in Liberal Arts. But, he contracted a serious illness and became severely ill. He was in a hospital for months in excruciating pain. While in that hospital he realized that his greatest need was not for a baccalaureate degree from an esteemed university but a Savior to rescue him from his sins.

As he recounted his salvation story he was visibly moved with a sincere gratitude and joy. It seemed like the initial joy of salvation had never diminished in over 65 years!

As I sat there listening to this 89 year old saint testify to the scriptures, the faithfulness of God, with sincere humility it was striking. I have seen lots of elderly people who seem to check out on their faith and desire to work and serve the Lord. Dr. Mac was truly grateful that the Lord had seen fit to give him life, and he was not going to waste that opportunity. He was going to use it to glorify His Lord. I pray that I can follow that same type of example.

He taught on the difference between law and grace from Galatians and it was powerful. Maybe I'll share some more in a later post

Relax, It's Summer

Not hardly! There is always something going on, and I think I like it that way.

Here's a taste of what has been going on:

The other day I walked into the living room to find all of my ladies with an open Bible diligently reading, studying and answering questions in a bible study workbook. I love to see things like that! This summer Michelle has two outreach, discipleship bible studies going on at our house, one for each age group of our girls. It takes a lot of effort, organization, patience, and prayer to disciple and reach out to these girls. I am amazed at her faithfulness to the great commission. My daughters have a great example of what a woman of faith looks like.

I am busy with church and with preparing for my two weeks of seminary study. This summer we are intensivley studying the parables. There is a lot of work that goes into my seminary class. Some of it is more enjoyable than other parts. But, what I thoroughly enjoy is being pushed and challenged to dig deep into God's Word and learn from it and learn how to apply it in my life and ministry. I will be slammed and exhausted at the end of the my summer class, but I am sure that I will have grown and benefited greatly.

Other things: the girls are staying busy this summer doing volleyball stuff, and diving team, violin, piano,lots of reading, and even some math work. We do have a short vacation planned before school starts and I cherish those family times.

It is important for us to make sure that we have appropriate balance in all of these things. Sometimes that is hard to achieve, but I feel like we are on the right track.

I praise God that the life of a Christ follower is never dull!

Great Commission Project

Every day for a week First Baptist fed lunch and shared Christ with about 125 kids. Here is what that looked like.

Churches Serving Churches for the Kingdom

What kind of church would invest significant amounts of time and resources to help another church?

This actually does happen occasionally, and I know of several churches that do this. This last week I got to experience this first hand, and it was amazing.

This last week a team from Northeast Houston Baptist Church came hundreds of miles, used lots of financial resources, and worked hard to serve the people of First Baptist Southlake and our missionfield here in Southlake.

As I was reflecting on what happened last week, I was blown away by the servanthood of NEHBC and this mission team. Why would they do such a thing?

The answer is because they know that they serve more than just their church. They know that every church is about kingdom growth above and beyond anything else. This week NEHBC was used for the advancement of the kingdom of Christ. That took place outside of the boundaries of their own local congregation in Houston to another congregation in Southlake.

Two different local churches, two different geographical locations, two different personalities, but ONE PURPOSE – the spread of the gospel to the glory of Christ.
It is easy for us as individuals to become self centered. It is also easy for churches to do the same thing. But, what the Great Commission requires is a different focus, a kingdom focus. I am thankful for the cooperative effort that took place last week.

There are many people today that have a negative view of churches. If they could have seen what I saw last week, I think their perceptions might change drastically.
I saw a great cooperative adventure between First Baptist and Northeast Houston Baptist. There were so many people from these two churches that worked and served alongside each other for the advancement of a kingdom agenda. Seeing the people of First Baptist work hard for the gospel, and the same thing from those of NEHBC was incredible. That is the work of God.

I am grateful to the Lord for all that NEHBC has meant to me personally, and to this church that God has graciously called me to pastor here in Southlake.

Anything But Jesus

I was flipping through a book that caught my eye at B and N the other day. The title was "Stuff White People Like" by Christian Lander.

Here is one that I zeroed in on:

"White people will often say they are 'spiritual' but not religious. This usually means that they will believe in any religion that doesn't involve Jesus."

Even here in the insulated Bible Belt people are becoming more and more like this. They will go to church, you can talk about God, but don't really be one of those Jesus freaks. Don't be one of those intolerant, radical followers of Jesus.

It's o.k. to say that you have Jesus in your heart as long as you don't really do what He says, or follow His example.

I think this is becoming more and more prevalent even among church goers. Church is o.k. Let's sing about Jesus, just a little. Say a prayer or two, hear a motivational talk from the "lead pastor". But, don't take any of that stuff too seriously. Especially not the rabid way Jesus said we should be to truly follow Him.

Lander's book on this chapter goes on to say, "The most popular choices include Buddhism, Hinduism, Kabbalah,and, to a lesser extent, Scientology. A few even dip into Isalm, but that's much rarer, since you have to make real sacrifices and actually got to a mosque. For the most part, white people go for religions that produce artifacts and furniture that fit into their homes or wardrobe. They are also particularly drawn to religions that do not require a lot of commitment or donations. When a white person tells you, I'm Buddhist/Hindu/Kabbalahist', the best thing to do is ask how they arrived at their religious decision. The are most likely to involve a trip to Thailand or a college class on religions."

Interesting thoughts!

God's Calling and the American Dream

From Dr. Albert Mohler's commencement address at Southern Seminary regarding the calling of a minister of the gospel.

"The American dream does not fit this calling. That dream calls for years of preparation to be followed by formal qualification, decades of professional accomplishment, and a happy retirement. Our hope today must be that these ministers of the Gospel will never retire, for the ministry is never accomplished. They may in due time be redeployed, but never really retired — never ready to rest and merely collect a pension or cash in their retirement accounts and live a life of leisure. They are to serve to the end, learn to the end, teach to the end, and be faithful to the end."

Search For Significance

The pop Christian world has been overly concerned about making people feel good at the exclusion of the rest of the gospel message. There are books, seminars, conferences, churches, preachers, and sermons that all focus on making people feel good in the name of God.

I have an aversion to such pseudo-gospel pop psychology preaching. I think it is dangerous and leads people away from the necessary understanding and response to the complete gospel.

But, contained within the true Gospel of Christ is the truth of significance and value.

Significance and value are not merit based, but it is intrinsic. I am a sinner, God does not value that. But, I am also His creation. You and I are created by God and IN HIS IMAGE. That means that we have an intrinsic value to God. That is one of the reasons He desires to redeem us from our sin.

There is more evidence of significance and value. The cross of Christ. The cross of Christ is God’s wrath being poured out on Jesus because of my sin. I deserved that wrath. Jesus took our punishment. In addition to that, and because of that, the cross is a statement of incredibly profound love. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son.” “This is how we know what love is: Christ laid down His life for us.”

Love is value and significance. Therefore, the cross of Christ is proof of value and significance.

God values me and sees me as significant. But, this is not like the self esteem packet that was sent home for my 5th grade daughter from her school(for real). The value and significance that God places on me is not so I can puff out my chest. It is not some type of psycho-therapeutic “I am a great person” message. It is greater than that! The worldly self esteem drives a person to a high mountain so they can shout to the world, “I am great, look at me.” The significance that God sees in me drives me to a high mountain so I can shout, “God is great, look at Him.”
It is humbling, motivating, inspiring, comforting, and convicting to understand from the true gospel that God places significance and value in me and you.

Books I'm Reading

Here is my current reading list. This will change when I get my syllabus for my summer doctoral program.



This book was recommended to me by Peggy Osborne. It is actually a business book on communication. I have just started it, but so far it is fascinating. It is really about effective communication and how to increase the odds that your message will be retained by your audience. How to make your ideas stick.



I have actually avoided this book for a while. It has been recommended by several women and my impression was that it was some sort of "chick-flick" type book. But, I have had several guys recommend it as a very powerful story. So, I think I'll give it a shot.



I have already read this book, but I am working my way through it again. It is basically a book on personality traits. The book gives you a system to ascertain and understand someone's personality and how they best like to communicate and behave. I would love to be able to "read" people better so that I can be better at communicating with them. It is also interesting.

The Value of the Number 1

1, uno, one…a pretty simple number and concept.

I was recently reading the report of the Great Commission Task Force of the Southern Baptist Convention. True, some of it was a bit tedious, but there was some very compelling thoughts as well.

Consider these numbers:
There are 6.8 billion people in the world. Nearly 4 billion of those people have little to no access the gospel of Jesus Christ.
In America there are about 340 million people. A safe estimate is that 258 million of those people are lost.

Those numbers grip me!

Listen to what Ronnie Floyd writes, “To the degree we grasp lostness will be the degree we are willing to do whatever is necessary to penetrate it. If we do not understand lostness intellectually and theologically we will not change nor will we do what must be done to penetrate it. I am convinced we have not only forgotten what it is like to be lost, but we act as if lostness does not exist, there is no real hell, and many times, conduct ourselves as Universalists.”

That is right on! Lostness does exist and to ignore it is the equivalent of depraved indifference.

Imagine I am walking my dog and come around the corner to see an accident. A young boy has been struck by a hit and run driver. The boy is bleeding there in the street with very grave injuries. He is in desperate need of help. I am there, I see it, and I do nothing. If I do nothing that is actually a crime. I can be charged by the law for “depraved indifference”. I saw the situation. I knew the need. I could have called for help, or administered first aid. But, since I did not, that is a crime.

How much of a crime is it to know that according to the words of scripture that there are people who are lost and dying? They are in a grave situation. I know first aid. I know the gospel of their salvation. I am aware of their condition and can do something to help. To do nothing is a crime. It is a crime against those people. It is a crime against God.

The numbers are staggering, but what I need to focus on is a smaller number. It is the number 1. Just one more. I can’t share the gospel with 4 billion people. But, I can share the gospel with one. And then I can share the gospel with just one more. And then, one more, and one more. There is one person who needs someone to stop and render the spiritual aid of the gospel. Am I going to be the 1? Are you going to be the 1?

Stephen Hawking IS An Alien

Stephen Hawking is the premier paragon of anti God atheistic thought. Fairness requires me to mention that he is undoubtedly a brilliant intellectual. Unfortunately he has used his God given intelligence to theorize, write and popularize attacks against God.

Hawking's has postulated various ideas that attempt to show that God's existence has no part in rational thinking. Hawking's has said things like their is no creator, that God is unnecessary, irrelevant, and that we just don't need him.

A recent article has come out in which Hawking says that he believes alien life form exists. His mathematical calculations of the size of the universe lead to the conclusion that the probability of a life sustaining environment exists is extremely high. Basically, Hawkings believes in the existence of aliens.

How ironic? If we look at the complexity of the universe, our world and the intricacies of things like the human body, according to those like Hawking there is still no probability of an intelligent Designer or Creator. But, do some math and aliens exist. Makes perfect sense!(sarcasm intended) God cannot exist, but aliens can! That's brilliant!

I wonder if it is possible to be so intellectual that you actually cease to be rational?

Here is another option. The word 'alien' means 'stranger/foreigner' in one dictionary definition. Hawkings ideas and postulations seem foreign to common sense and rationality. That would make Hawking an alien.

Every Square Inch

"There is no neutral ground in the universe; every square inch, every split second, is claimed by God, and counter-claimed by Satan."

C.S. Lewis

Grab A Tiger By The Tail

The little kids rhyme says this, "Eenie, meenie, minee, mo...my momma told me to pick the very best one, and you are NOT it."

When it comes to Tiger Woods it depends on what you are talking about. I used to be a fan of Tiger, and now I am just fascinated by him.

As Tiger made his return to golf and the mother of all golf tournaments -- The Masters, I have been paying attention. What is undeniable already is the dude can play some golf. He is an incredibly talented golfer! The best ever!

As I watched the coverage yesterday of his first tee shot I listened to the crowd roar with applause and cheer at the sound of his name. And I wondered why? What are they cheering for? Tiger has now become the most notorious serial adulterer of our generation.

I was hoping he would shank his shot and miss the cut. Someone who would so trash his marriage, wife and kids, I have a hard time rooting for.

I have heard a lot of people and commentators say that we should just move on. That his infidelity is his private life. The American people are forgiving. He has done rehab and is trying to keep his family together, and get his life back in line.

So, why don't I feel that way? My pastor from college has always stated something that I think is true. Before restoration can occur in some one's life, their repentance needs to be as notorious as their sin that led to the downfall. I think that is true.

Sure, Tiger has started down the right road. But, he has not had nearly enough time for his repentance to equal the enormity of his scandalous sin. (Besides, it's not repentance if you don't turn to Christ.) Tiger missed about 4 months of golf. It was during the off season, which he doesn't play much anyway. He probably only missed 3-4 tournaments that he would have normally played. That's not enough.

Plenty of people disagree with me, that's fine. But I still hold this principal as true: repentance needs to be as notorious as the sin. He may win the tournament, but he is still a loser.

A Pastor's Big Day

I need help! That is an understatement. I always feel the intense expectation of Easter Sunday. I realize that the Lord has placed in my lap a task that I am incapable of doing. Preaching the gospel. I was awake at 3 a.m., then 4a.m. and then about 5:15 a.m. for good, because of the anticipation of this morning. I have been praying, and realize in all the hustle and bustle I should have been praying more.

So whats the big deal?

The big deal is that Jesus is alive. The big deal is that I truly believe that people's souls will be changed for all eternity today.

There are 3 categories of people that will attend Easter services at churches this morning.

#1 - The soundly save and walking with Christ. My hope and prayer for them is that the service and message from God's Word will be used of the Lord to draw them in worship of Christ, to edify, the encourage, to press them in even closer to Christ. What a glorious opportunity for them.

#2 - The nominal. There are always people who make an appearance each Christmas and Easter. Some people make jokes at their expense. "See you next year." I don't want to brow beat these people, Christ died for them too. I do pray earnestly that this Easter might be different for them. I hope that the Lord would open their eyes, and that they would get right with God. They are missing out on way too much to continue in the direction they are heading.

#3 - The Lost. Lost people will go to church. Some know they are lost, some think they are saved and they are not. They go to church because it is the cultural thing to do, or they were raised that way, or their spouse makes them. I don't care why. I thank God that they go. I see their eternal destiny before them. I pray for their salvation.

Those three things weigh upon my mind and soul. I want thing to be just right, down to the smallest detail. I want this so that there will be the least distractions to keep people from the stated goal above.

All of that is why I need help? Not your help. The Lord's help.

Lord, do a might work according to Your Will. Pour out yourself in power, strength, grace and mercy. Remove distractions, doubt, the influence of the enemy and the world. May the glory of the true gospel shine in the darkness.

Good Friday

In evil long I took delight
Unawed by shame or fear,
Till a new object struck my sight
And stopped my wild career:
I saw One hanging on a Tree
In agonies and blood
Who fixd His languid eyes on me
As near His Cross I stood.


Sure never till my latest breath
Can I forget that look,
It seemd to charge me with His death,
Though not a word He spoke:
My conscience felt and own'd the guilt,
And plunged me in despair,
I saw my sins His Blood had spilt
And helped to nail Him there.

Alas I knew not what I did
But now my tears are vain,
Where shall my trembling soul be hid?
For I the Lord have slain

A second look He gave which said,
"I freely all forgive;
This blood is for your ransom paid,
I die that thou may live"

Thus while His death my sin displays
In all its blackest hue,
Such is the mystery of grace,
It seals my pardon too.
With pleasing grief, and mournful joy,
My spirit now if fill'd
That I should such a life destroy
Yet live by Him I kill'd

John Newton

A Life of Obedience

I have been reading some classic works by Andrew Murray lately that have been very edifying. Let me share a thought from his little book on Obedience with you.

The beginning of the Bible has the account of Adam and Eve. Here are the elements: a paradise, a tree, and a command to obey. Man chose to disobey and the effects of sin entered the world. Paradise was lost.

Much of the rest of the story of redemption is how paradise is regained. Revelation tells us that paradise contains a tree - the tree of life.

Listen to what Murray writes, "From beginning to end, from Paradise lost to Paradise regained, the law is unchanged: it is obedience that gives access to the tree of life and the favor of God. How was the change effected? The Cross of Christ. From disobedience at the beginning that closed the way to the tree of life, to obedience at the end that gained entrance to it again, that which stands midway between the beginning and the end is the Cross of Christ. Romans 5:19 says, "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous."

What is the command that we are to obey to regain the favor of God? Repent and believe. Mark 1:15 records the words of Jesus' first sermon, "Repent and believe the gospel." Acts 17:30 says, "But now God commands all people everywhere to repent." It is only when you obey the call of Christ to repent and believe, truly believe, that His blood atones for your sin and Paradise is regained.

A Variety of Outreach

One to one witnessing, handing out tracts, passing out invitations to church, prayer walking, putting fliers on doors, door to door surveys, block parties, VBS...
The list goes on of ways outreach can be done. Sure, some are better than others. Some are more effective, some are less efficient. Some are more direct than others. But, one thing is sure, something is almost always better than nothing. Nothing is the worst form of outreach. Nothing is a terrible way to share the gospel. Doing nothing when God says do something, is a sin.
We should care enough about what God says, what God commands, and about the lost world around us to get out there and do something.
Make an effort this week to reach out.

I - Nothing

One of my favorite chapters of the Bible is John 15.

The last several weeks I have been working my way through this chapter and a little book by Andrew Murray called "The True Vine". I have thoroughly enjoyed it.

John 15:5 says, "I am the Vine, you are the branches. If a man abides in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."

Here are some provoking thoughts on these verse.

- I can do nothing. As much as I can raise a man from the dead, can I give myself divine life (A. Murray paraphrase)

- Knowing the truth, that I can do nothing apart from Jesus, results in dependence. It means that my only option is to fully depend on Jesus for everything.

- This does not lead to apathy and resignation. I don't just sit on the couch and do nothing. No. Abiding leads to a fruitful life. A fruitful life is a life lived, a life of action. But the action, the life are lived by the power of the indwelling Spirit who works in and through the one who is abiding in Jesus.

- Abide in Jesus = much fruit
- Apart from Jesus = nothing

At the end A. Murray writes this prayer, "Lord, I gladly accept the arrangement. I-nothing, You-all. My nothingness is my highest blessing, because You are the Vine, that gives and works all. So be it Lord! I nothing, ever waiting on Your Fullness. Lord, reveal to me the glory of this blessed life."

Easter T.V.

(This is a timely repost)

It's getting to be that time of year. As Easter approaches many people try and capitalize on the interest in the holiday. One thing that annoys me is how the media portrays Easter as some controversy about Jesus. Pay attention to some of the major t.v. stations and even some major magazine publications (like Time) in the next several weeks. You will see many shows about Jesus, the Resurrection, or something to do with religion. Most of these shows are more like the "Da Vinci Code" than real journalism.

I have already seen a couple of show titles like "The Real Jesus", "The Fake Jesus" trying to get an audience. I haven't seen all of these shows, but am pretty sure I know what the gist will be. Jesus isn't what the Bible really says He is.

I have seen a few of these done by 20/20 and 60 minutes type t.v. shows in the past. They always have experts on these shows. What is almost humorous is that these so called "experts" are rarely mainstream experts. They almost always represent some fringe element on the liberal side of theological academia. Why? They are more sensational. The more sensational and far fetched the ideas, the better chance of gaining an audience.

The truth of the matter is this: the most reliable and historically credible information about Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection, is the Biblical record. So, before you take some phony "experts" da vinci like conspiracy rubbish about Jesus, go to the real source and see what it has to say.

Mardi Gras and Alcohol

O.k. I am about to open a can of worms and see where it leads.

The subject of alcohol is a hot topic and is like wading into a minefield. Let me proceed cautiously.

First of all, I don't drink alcohol. The last time alcohol entered my system must have been through some cough medicine, maybe. I'll explain why in a bit.

Honestly, I just don't get it! What is so appealing about alcohol.

On my flight to Mardi Gras there was a group of women sitting behind me on the plane. They were on their way to party at Mardi Gras. They were giddy with excitement and chatted together the entire flight. They major topic of discussion and laughs was about all the alcohol they were going to consume. They were absolutely bursting with anticipation about alcohol.

Is it really all that? Maybe it is, and I just don't know. That is not what my eyes witnessed with the thousands of people intoxicated at Mardi Gras. They looked miserable to me.

Alcohol at Mardi Gras is like sand on a beach. It is everywhere, comes in every type imaginable, and can be consumed through many odd different contraptions.

At about 11:45 I saw this one guy stumbling towards me. Around his neck was a plastic looking fishbowl. Inside this rather large fishbowl was some type of pink alcoholic concoction. It had a lanyard around it so that the fishbowl hung at the the guys chest. It had a large straw that reached up to the mouth so they guy could drink from the fishbowl hands free. Human ingenuity is so amazing!

He was blitzed and drunk. He started talking to us, and I think he might have been speaking in tongues. He made no sense, his words were not just slurred, they were barely recognizable. There is no way this guy is going to remember what he did the next day. He probably got sick, killed many brain cells, was in serious danger of alcohol poisoning, and could have been easily taken advantage of. That does not sound like fun to me.

I bet he woke up with a hangover, sobered up, and then laughed with his buddies about how much fun he had, even though he couldn't remember any of it. That is either ridiculous, or I am missing something.

Why do people love alcohol so much? Why does our society worship at the alcohol altar? Seriously, alcohol is a god. It is an idol that people worship.

I'd be willing to compare my sober fun to anyone's alcohol fun. I have had more fun with Christ followers, even doing ministry, that I think far surpasses the "fun" people were having at Mardi Gras. I know that following Christ is not about having fun, but it does have moments that are incredibly fun. I don't just mean humorous, I mean that I have been hysterical with laughter and having an absolute blast. And the best part, I remember all of it.

I don't need alcohol, I have the joy of Christ.
I don't need alcohol to unwind from a tough day, I have the peace of Christ.
I don't need alcohol to liven things up, I have abundant life in Christ.
I don't need alcohol to quench my thirst, I'll just drink water.

It's just not necessary!

Need Antibiotics

Just a blog fyi,
My computer is in bed sick with a terrible cold - I have a virus. My computer is in the shop hopefully getting repaired.

It's amazing how attached we can become to technology. It has been weird navigating through life without my laptop - amazingly I am still alive and making it!

By the way, these jokers that create these viruses need to be caught and have needles slowly inserted underneath their finger nails.

I do have some more blogs coming, so stay tuned.

Tiger's Sex Rehab - Really?

Tiger Woods has been in a sex rehab facility for his addiction to sex for 45 days and is scheduled to go back for more.

In his confession and apology today Tiger talked about his reasoning for his behavior. He said that he felt entitled to it. It seems that his fame, money, and power presented him with easy opportunities to commit adultery.

What is sex rehab? I am sure that some people might have a legitimate addiction, maybe. But, not Tiger Woods. I am not buying it. His reasoning has nothing to do with an addiction. Entitlement and fame are not indicative of an addiction.

What do they do in Tiger's sex rehab? Tell him its wrong. Do they have classes on keeping your pants on? Did he learn ten steps how not to contact a high end prostitute? Did they try and find something that happened in his past that caused him to cheat on his wife and kids? Did they discuss how to avoid hotel rooms with voluptuous women?

Think about the logistics that were required for Tiger to hook up with all these women. It took some serious forethought and planning for him to get in a place where he could have sex with these women. It wasn't that spontaneous. It was calculated and planned. That is not addiction, it is stupidity.

Tiger doesn't need sex rehab, he needs sin rehab. He may be able to alter his behavior, but he cannot change his sinful heart. Strength of will is not going to overcome his sin. A 12 step program will not overcome his sinful nature. Buddhism will not solve his sin problem.

There is only one rehab that will cure Tiger Woods of his addiction to sin. The solution is repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.

Tiger's Post Modern Trouble

Why did Tiger feel compelled to make a confession and apology?

Our culture is one of post modernity. Post modern thought is hard to define, but it seems to be dominated by relativism. Everything is relative. Nothing is certain. There is no truth. There is no objective morality. What is right for you, is right for you, and need not be right for everyone else.

One of the areas of society that has been attacked by post modern thought has been the institution of marriage. All kinds of groups have brought attacks upon the traditional idea of marriage. These attacks are not just about gay marriage. Open marriage, delayed marriage, and even serial promiscuity seem to be no problem anymore. If it feels good, do it. If it is good for you, then it can't be wrong.

So, why did Tiger withdraw from golf, go to rehab, and make an apology? Seriously, did he do anything wrong? Infidelity is not illegal. Yes, he may have broke some minor law by paying for prostitutes, but many think that prostitution should be legal anyway. So he is a serial adulterer, that is not so wrong is it?

Apparently there is something very wrong with what Tiger did. He knew it. If he didn't think it was wrong in his conscience he wouldn't have tried to hide it for so long. I have heard some people say that Tiger's infidelity is not a big deal because there are many other guys on the PGA tour who do the same thing. But, they all keep it secret. They all try to hide it just like Tiger tried. Because they know intuitively that it is wrong. Their shame in hiding their behavior is evidence that somewhere inside they know what they are doing is wrong.

There are exceptions, there always is. Some people are so depraved that they openly engage in all kinds of promiscuity and infidelity with no remorse. But, the norm is that a promiscuous life is not a virtue. Adultery is not viewed as a positive character trait.

The post modern person can try as hard as they want to live a carefree life of relativity. But, for most, it is a losing battle against their God given conscience. Furthermore, it just doesn't work, and they know it.

Romans 2:14-16
For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.

Mardi Gras - Trip Report Pt 1

I have safely returned from the Who Dat? nation. Thanks to all who prayed for me during this short, yet intense trip. Over the next few blogs I plan to give a report of what went on and some of my thoughts about the trip.

Sunday and early Monday were very eventful. It started on Sunday morning as I went with a team from our church to do our monthly nursing home ministry where I preached to them. We then returned to our church and I preached the morning service there. I had to leave as church was ending in order to catch a flight at Love Field that would take me to New Orleans.

There was already another team there from Northeast Houston Baptist Church. They had been there since Saturday and had already been praying and sharing Christ. Pastor Sonny and Jaime D. and the other teammembers are solid, faithful Christ followers. I would eventually meet up with them and Pastor Nathan, Tim, Bill, Blayne and a slew of gospel sharing women from NEHBC. What a great team they are.

I got to the French Quarter at about 4:30 p.m. I spent the next 8.5 hours on the streets praying, observing, handing out gospel fliers, sharing Christ, eating, and lots of walking.

I was really looking forward to being there, but also felt a lot of nervousness and wondered what I would do and say. But, I was trusting the Lord, and that is always a good thing.

There were scores of people everywhere doing all kinds of things. As I walked around I would pray for these people and asked God to do a work in their lives.

As I did this I would attempt to hand out gospel fliers to people. Some would take them. Some would not. I had some people tell me "thanks". I had some people say things that were not gracious.

At one point I handed out a tract to two guys. They stopped and asked me,"what is this?" All of a sudden I have an opportunity to tell them what it is all about. For about 5 minutes I got to share the entire gospel with these two guys. They asked a couple of questions, seemed to be thinking about what I said, and then they left. I may never know this side of heaven what the result of that encounter might be. But, I praise the Lord for the opportunity to dispense the message of Jesus.

Mardi Gras Mission

Tomorrow evening I will embark on my second trip to New Orleans to work the streets during Mardi Gras.

Mardi Gras in N.O. is one of the largest parties in the world.(Biggest is in Rio De Janeiro). Hundreds of thousands of people will come to NO from all over the states and all over the world. The will drink gallons of alcohol, get wasted, get naked, engage in all kinds of lascivious behavior and sins. (doesn't sound like fun to me)But, these are not the scum of society, they are your neigbhors and co-workers. They are not evil, they are lost and need a Savior.

I will not be partying, I will be doing the work of an evangelist. Lord willing, I will hand out tracts and start conversations in which I can share the message of Christ with anyone I can.

Does this work? Is this effective? Is this just a waste of time? After all, they may not even be sober.

First of all, Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. Well, here they are. Jesus did not come for those who do not need a physician, but for those who are spiritually sick. Well, here they are.

Is it effective? Absolutely yes, from a certain point of view. I have already been convicted of the Lord that I need to be in much prayer about this trip. Me being drawn closer to the Lord - that is effective. I will get the opportunity to share my faith and be obedient to the Great Commission. That is effective in my own life.

But, is it effective in reaching the lost and bringing them to a saving knowledge of Jesus? The answer to that question is maybe.

I think this type of Christ sharing is like shooting a machine gun. You put out a lot of bullets and hope something gets hit. Or, it is like fishing. You make lots of casts and hope to catch something. Or, to use a biblical illustration, it is like sowing seed. Much of that seed might fall on useless ground. But maybe, just maybe, the seed of the gospel of Jesus might just fall on good soil. Soil that comes to faith in Jesus, and yields a bountiful harvest of fruitfulness for the glory of Christ.

I don't know what God might do. Imagine a scenario like this. I put a tract into the hands of a man from Timbuktu. He is drunk, has no idea what's going on. He wakes up the next morning and sobers up. He can't believe what he did the last few nights. He finds a piece of paper stuck in his pocket. He pulls it out and reads it. It is the gospel tract telling him about Jesus Christ. He realizes how deep his sin truly is. The man gets on his knees, repents and places his faith in Christ. Then he goes home and tells his family about Jesus - they come to faith. He goes on to live a life that glorifies God and leads many others to the throne of grace.

Could something like that happen? Absolutely. And since that is a possibility, that is all that matters.

Snow At My House

Heaven and Hell

The great attraction of heaven is the unbroken presence of Christ.

The great pain of hell is the unbroken absence of Christ.

(which includes the eternal torment of hellfire, and is a place where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.)

Tim Tebow Superbowl Ad

With all the hoopla leading up to the superbowl, the debate about Tim Tebow's ad caught my attention. All the pro abortion groups were all over the media complaining in some form or fashion. Even though, they had never seen the ad.

When I saw it during the superbowl I thought it really made all those complaints look foolish. I think the story of Tim and Pam Tebow is compelling and amazing.
Here is the ad, and be sure to go to the Focus on the Family website to see the whole story. It's great.

Don't Forget Being Saved: The Tragic Story of Abraham Shakespeare

Abraham Shakespeare was a humble man of with not much means. He was an assistant truck driver and still lived with his mother in a rural area near Tampa, Florida. He didn’t have much and never really did. An article in the AP writes that he could hardly read and had a criminal record.

His friends reported that they were pleased when they saw Abraham join a local church. He seemed to have a new interest in spiritual things. He was even baptized at the church.

It was shortly after this that Abraham’s life took another turn. He won the lottery. Literally, he purchased and won $30 million dollars from the Florida Lottery. He took the lump sum payment and instantly pocketed $17 million dollars. Whoa!

And that is exactly what everyone who ever knew Abraham thought. They showed up in droves at his door with hands outstretched. He was generous and did give some of his wealth away. He bought a million dollar home and other things.

It was then that Abraham got into a relationship with a swindler named Deedee. She pilfered his money, and then took his life. Abraham went missing and was recently found. He was buried 5ft below ground, in a slab of concrete – dead!

That is not even the most tragic part of this story.

Listen to this quote, “Meanwhile, friends and family puzzled Friday over Shakespeare's rapid rise and fall. Jones said his friend lived a humble life, and just before he bought the winning ticket he joined a church and was baptized. "When he won the lottery," Jones said, "he forgot about being saved."

1 Timothy 6:9
"But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction."

Matthew 13:7; 22
“A sower went out to sow, and some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them…
“As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.”

AP story here.

Here is a link to the story from the NY Daily News

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2010/01/06/2010-01-06_30m_lottery_winner_abraham_shakespeare_feared_murdered_for_his_jackpot.html

It's not a difficult story to find, all you have to do is google search abraham shakespeare.

Southwestern Gets Some Dead Sea Scrolls

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth recently acquired some pieces of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

You can read an article in the Star-Telegram about the acquisition.

The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in the late 1940's in some caves beside the Dead Sea. The writings found were well preserved and contained some of the oldest copies of the OT scriptures ever found.

What is so significant about the scrolls? By the late 1940s we had the Old Testament for a long, long time. But, the majority of copies of the OT text were not nearly as old as the scrolls found in Qumran. What is remarkable is that the Dead Sea Scrolls confirm that what we have is an amazingly accurate copy of the OT.

I can't wait to view them the next time I am down at the Seminary.

Privacy Please, Pt 3

“No church for me, because my faith is private.”

Another way this excuse manifests itself is with church. Some people have quit the church and their reasoning is “my faith is private”. These people are claiming that they can have a private relationship with God and, therefore, do not need to go to church.

People have a plethora of excuses for avoiding church. There are also some wrong reasons for attending church. There are two false ideas that I battle against when it comes to church.

False Idea #1 – Church is my ticket to heaven. This is false, and yet many people buy into this idea. They go to church a lot, but they do so because they think it somehow earns them credit towards heaven. This is patently unbiblical.(Eph. 2:8-10) Salvation is not found on a church attendance chart. Salvation is found only through the blood of Christ. Attending church cannot save anyone.

False Idea #2 – I don’t need church, faith is a private matter. This idea is the other end of the spectrum. People who espouse this idea don’t want to go to church and rationalize it by the claim that “faith is private”. This, too ,is false.

This group of people really don’t want to be inconvenienced with church. It is too much of a chore to get up so early on a Sunday morning and spend a couple of hours worshiping the God who loved them so much that He gave His life for their very soul. They don’t want to be bothered with fellowshipping with other believers who need their help in their walk with Christ. They don’t want to waste time being obedient to God’s command to assemble with His family. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

No! This excuse is one of selfishness, pride, and laziness. It is unbiblical. Church is not optional and your faith is not that private.

It might sound like I am trying to have it both ways. On one side I am saying that just going to church is not good enough. On the other side I am saying that if you don’t go to church that is not good enough. How do I answer that charge?

It is really rather simple. If I have been bought by the blood of Jesus Christ who died for my sins to save my soul; then obeying Him in all matters, including church, is not a chore and it is not a check mark. It becomes a privilege that I can obey my Lord, worship Him among the family of God, and be involved in His service to others.

If your faith is THAT private, it might not exist.