Blessed to Be a Blessing

I'd been asked in the past to write serveral devotionals for a church-wide devotional guide that was never published. In that I spent time before God regarding these, I didn't want them to go to waste, so I figured that I would post some.

Verse: 1 Corinthians 12:4–11

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.

Thoughts: In thinking about service, I think about the wonderful blessings that the Lord has bestowed on me. God is ever gracious and wonderful. It’s such an incredible opportunity that we have to serve the King and pass along some of the blessings that we have received. The great thing is that serving can be done in a multitude of ways.

From a gracious smile as new people enter the building to rocking a baby so a mother can attend worship and hear God’s Word, everyone has a valuable gift to add to the service of God while connecting with others.

Every believer has received a gift from the Lord that should be used for His glory. His grace extends to us but never end with us. We are intended to be the channels through whom the blessings of God can flow to others. We are truly blessed to be a blessing.

A Spirit of Love and a Heart for Service

This past weekend, Diana and I have had the pleasure of being invited to help pray for a family that has been called to the mission field. What an incredible few hours it was, fellowshipping with and praying for this wonderful family. This family has been called to a foreign mission field is is currently going through a lot of adjustments, from the sale of their house to preparing for their new lifestyle. It really was an incredible time together.

We all talked for a bit, then formed a circle praying for the family, their call, the family that was meant to buy their house and the people that they will minister to.

Seeing their devotion and obedience to the Lord was such a great inspiration. They were so thankful for the people who showed up to show love and support. I am thankful that God let us be a part of this family's life and let us see the wonderful things that He is doing through His mercy and grace.

Share the Truth

Have you ever wanted to tell everyone about my blog? :)

OK, I'm just kidding, but for those of you who really like it and the ramblings, um... I mean commentary that I post, here is a banner for you to download and use on your site if you want to.

If not, it's OK, too :)

If you would like a banner done for your site, just let me know.

Random Observations

While I was waiting for my oldest son to get out of football practice yesterday, I was watching the various kids as they milled around, looking for their ride home. One young man caught my attention because he was singing a song. He was wandering back and forth singing, "I lie. I cheat. I steal." to himself. It hit me that this boy was programming his moral system. I wondered to myself what it was that made him sing that song. Today, I "Googled" those lyrics and saw that they are associated with a particular wrestler.

I thought to myself, "What a shame that this garbage is being poured into this young man's brain." and that he is repeating it over and over again to himself.

Philippians 4:8 says, "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things."

My kids don't watch wrestling, but as I think more and more about the types of programs that are on the television, I want my children to watch less and less of them.

Stewart's Creek Scrimmage

Today was a busy day, but it was really cool that I had a
chance to take Megan, Matthew and Juliana to watch George's 1st scrimmage. Stewarts Creek played against Seigel Middle.

Although, it was a really long time to have the kids out in the field (Jules will have toys next time.), it was really cool to see G play and get some good hits and a tackle.

Way to go G! Keep up the good work!

Here are a few of the many pictures that I took. One is a picture of George and Matt after the scrimmage. Below is a cool picture of Juliana and Megan watching the action.

Well Done Good and Faithful Servant

My wife just sent me the sad news of the death of Jerry Falwell. While, I may not have always agreed with some of things that he said or did, especially positions that he and the President of Liberty Theological Seminary took on Calvinism and early fathers of the Christian faith, he left his mark on Christendom. To God be all of the glory for his life.

The following is from an AP story released today...

LYNCHBURG, Va. - The Rev. Jerry Falwell, the television evangelist who founded the Moral Majority and used it to mold the religious right into a political force, died Tuesday shortly after being found unconscious in his office at Liberty University. He was 73.

Ron Godwin, the university's executive vice president, said Falwell was found unresponsive late Tuesday morning and taken to Lynchburg General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead about an hour later.

"I had breakfast with him, and he was fine at breakfast," Godwin said. "He went to his office, I went to mine, and they found him unresponsive."

Dr. Carl Moore, Falwell's physician, said the evangelist had a heart rhythm abnormality. He said Falwell was found without a pulse and never regained consciousness.

Falwell had made careful preparations for a transition of his leadership to his two sons, Jerry Falwell, Jr., now vice-chancellor of Liberty University, and Jonathan Falwell, executive the pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church.

One daughter, Jeannie Falwell Savas, Surgeon, Richmond, Va. Godwin said. "He has left instructions for those of us who had to carry on, and we will be faithful to that charge," Godwin said.

Falwell had survived two serious health scares in early 2005. He was hospitalized for two weeks with what was described as a viral infection, then was hospitalized again a few weeks later after going into respiratory arrest. Later that year, doctors found a 70 percent blockage in an artery, which they opened with stents.

"Jerry has been a tower of strength on many of the moral issues which have confronted our nation," fellow evangelist Pat Robertson said Tuesday.

Falwell credited his Moral Majority with getting millions of conservative voters registered, electingRonald Reagan and giving Republicans Senate control in 1980.

"I shudder to think where the country would be right now if the religious right had not evolved," Falwell said when he stepped down as Moral Majority president in 1987.

The fundamentalist church that Falwell started in an abandoned bottling plant in 1956 grew into a religious empire that included the 22,000-member Thomas Road Baptist Church, the "Old Time Gospel Hour" carried on television stations around the country and 7,700-student Liberty University, which began as Lynchburg Baptist College in 1971. He built Christian elementary schools, homes for unwed mothers and a home for alcoholics.

Liberty University's commencement is scheduled for Saturday, with former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich as the featured speaker.

Sen. John McCain, the school commencement speaker last year, said Tuesday that his prayers were with Falwell's family.

"Dr. Falwell was a man of distinguished accomplishment who devoted his life to serving his faith and country," McCain said.

Last year, Falwell marked the 50th anniversary of his church and spoke out on stem cell research, saying he sympathized with people with medical problems, but that any medical research must pass a three-part test: "Is it ethically correct? Is it biblically correct? Is it morally correct?"

Falwell had once opposed mixing preaching with politics, but he changed his view and in 1979, founded the Moral Majority. The political lobbying organization grew to 6.5 million members and raised $69 million as it supported conservative politicians and campaigned against abortion, homosexuality, pornography and bans on school prayer.

Falwell became the face of the religious right, appearing on national magazine covers and on television talk shows. In 1983, U.S. News & World Report named him one of 25 most influential people in America.

In 1984, he sued Hustler magazine for $45 million, charging that he was libeled by an ad parody depicting him as an incestuous drunkard. A federal jury found the fake ad did not libel him, but awarded him $200,000 for emotional distress. That verdict was overturned, however, in a landmark 1988
U.S. Supreme Court decision that held that even pornographic spoofs about a public figure enjoy First Amendment protection.

The case was depicted in the 1996 movie "The People v. Larry Flynt."

With Falwell's high profile came frequent criticism, even from fellow ministers. The Rev. Billy Graham once rebuked him for political sermonizing on "non-moral issues."

Falwell quit the Moral Majority in 1987, saying he was tired of being "a lightning rod" and wanted to devote his time to his ministry and Liberty University. But he remained outspoken and continued to draw criticism for his remarks.

Days after Sept. 11, 2001, Falwell essentially blamed feminists, gays, lesbians and liberal groups for bringing on the terrorist attacks. He later apologized.

In 1999, he told an evangelical conference that the Antichrist was a male Jew who was probably already alive. Falwell later apologized for the remark but not for holding the belief. A month later, his National Liberty Journal warned parents that Tinky Winky, a purple, purse-toting character on television's "Teletubbies" show, was a gay role model and morally damaging to children.

Falwell was re-energized after family values proved important in the 2004 presidential election. He formed the Faith and Values Coalition as the "21st Century resurrection of the Moral Majority," to seek anti-abortion judges, a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and more conservative elected officials.

The big, blue-eyed preacher with a booming voice started his independent Baptist church with 35 members. From his living room, he began broadcasting his message of salvation and raising the donations that helped his ministry grow.

"He was one of the first to come up with ways to use television to expand his ministry," said Robert Alley, a retired University of Richmond religion professor who studied and criticized Falwell's career.

In 1987, Falwell took over the PTL (Praise the Lord) ministry in South Carolina after Jim Bakker's troubles. Falwell slid fully clothed down a theme park water slide after donors met his fund-raising goal to help rescue the rival ministry. He gave it up seven months later after learning the depth of PTL's financial problems.

Largely because of the Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart scandals, donations to Falwell's ministry dropped from $135 million in 1986 to less than $100 million the following year. Hundreds of workers were laid off and viewers of his television show dwindled.

Liberty University was $73 million in debt and on the verge of bankruptcy, and his "Old Time Gospel Hour" was $16 million in debt.

By the mid-1990s, two local businessmen with long ties to Falwell began overseeing the finances and helped get companies to forgive debts or write them off as losses.

Falwell devoted much of his time keeping his university afloat. He dreamed that Liberty would grow to 50,000 students and be to fundamentalist Christians what Notre Dame is to Roman Catholics and Brigham Young University is to Mormons. He was an avid sports fan who arrived at Liberty basketball games to the cheers of students.

Falwell's father and his grandfather were militant atheists, he wrote in his autobiography. He said his father made a fortune off his businesses — including bootlegging during Prohibition.

As a student, Falwell was a star athlete and a prankster who was barred from giving his high school valedictorian's speech after he was caught using counterfeit lunch tickets his senior year.

He ran with a gang of juvenile delinquents before becoming a born-again Christian at age 19. He turned down an offer to play professional baseball and transferred from Lynchburg College to Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Mo.

"My heart was burning to serve Christ," he once said in an interview. "I knew nothing would ever be the same again."

The day before he died, Falwell had been up on the Liberty campus hillside chatting with students, Godwin said. He was talking about plans for the future that day and over breakfast Tuesday morning, he said.

"Dr. Falwell was a giant of faith and a visionary leader," Godwin said. He "has always been a man of great optimism and great faith."

Falwell is survived by his wife, Macel, and three children, Jerry, Jonathan and Jeannie.

The River Is Rising

I recently read an article that talks about Willow Creek's "Vision for Multiplied Impact". Below is an interesting quote from the article that goes along with some of the things that I and others have been saying.

I hope that this is the beginning of a turning for some of the seeker-sensitive churches.

I've made mention before that I used to be a huge Petra fan and subsequently a Greg X Volz fan. Today my tastes are a little different. I can still listen to some of the "old" music, but lean more towards praise and worship music. Anyway, I digress (what else is new?). I can remember when Greg went solo and released The River Is Rising, I really liked the title cut. Reading this article brought this song to mind.

The second idea Hybels unfolded was to rethink how they coach Christ followers as they pursue a fully surrendered life.

A survey conducted among Willow Creek attendants had revealed "mind-blowing" results, as Hybels put it. It asked how satisfied attendants were with how Willow Creek serves them at various stages in their spiritual development. Pre-Christians, or people who are still seeking and exploring Christianity, rated Willow Creek "very high." Ratings dropped slightly among new Christians but were still "fantastic." Adolescent Christians rated the church as good. But fully devoted followers of Christ indicated less satisfaction, saying they are not sure the church is helping them as much at this stage in their life.

"We want more of the deep truths of God," they said, according to Hybels.

Hmmm... I don't know what a "pre-Christian" is but; yes, the river is rising and it's barely beginning to rain.

A Game of Tag

Hmmm... so I've been tagged. This is relatively new to me, but it looks like a cool way to get to know others and have them know you. I was "tagged" by my wonderful wife.

The rules are that each player starts with seven random facts about themselves. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about the seven facts and rules. You need to chose seven people to tag and list their names. . I'm not sure that I know seven people who have not been tagged, but we'll see :)

Anyway...

Random Facts :

#1- My wife, Diana is my best friend :)

#2- I went to 4 different elementary schools, 2 different middle schools and 2 different high schools

#3- In 2005, over twenty years after I became a Christian, I stopped in to visit the people who introduced me to Jesus to thank them.

#4- I grew up as an only child, but have 2 brothers and a sister. I've never met one of my brothers.

#5- I've seen a bullfight in Madrid, Spain. (I didn't like it.)

#6- I used to be a Disc Jockey. Yes, that kind of DJ

#7- I started playing the saxophone when I was 9 years old

I guess that's about it!

Today, May 12, 2007 is National Fibromyalgia Awareness Day. Fibro-ma-what?!?! Fibromyalgia is a condition that affects a large number of people, including myself, but is not widely known or understood, even among the medical professionals.

Fibromyalgia or FMS is a chronic pain illness characterized by widespread musculoskeletal aches, pain, and stiffness, soft tissue tenderness, general fatigue, and sleep disturbances. The most common sites of pain include the neck, back, shoulders, pelvic girdle, and hands, but any body part can be affected. Fibromyalgia patients experience a range of symptoms of varying intensities that wax and wane over time.

The symptoms of Fibromyalgia include:

Pain:
The pain of FM is profound, widespread and chronic. It knows no boundaries, migrating to all parts of the body and varying in intensity. FM pain has been described as deep muscular aching, throbbing, twitching, stabbing and shooting pain. Neurological complaints such as numbness, tingling and burning are often present and add to the discomfort of the patient. The severity of the pain and stiffness is often worse in the morning. Aggravating factors that affect pain include cold/humid weather, non-restorative sleep, physical and mental fatigue, excessive physical activity, physical inactivity, anxiety and stress.

Fatigue:
In today's world many people complain of fatigue; however, the fatigue of FM is much more than being tired. It is an all-encompassing exhaustion that interferes with even the simplest daily activities. It feels like every drop of energy has been drained from the body, which at times can leave the patient with a limited ability to function both mentally and physically.

Sleep Problems:
Many fibromyalgia patients have an associated sleep disorder that prevents them from getting deep, restful, restorative sleep. Medical researchers have documented specific and distinctive abnormalities in the stage 4 deep sleep of FM patients. During sleep, individuals with FM are constantly interrupted by bursts of awake-like brain activity, limiting the amount of time they spend in deep sleep.

Other Symptoms:
Additional symptoms may include: irritable bowel and bladder, headaches and migraines, restless legs syndrome (periodic limb movement disorder), impaired memory and concentration, skin sensitivities and rashes, dry eyes and mouth, anxiety, depression, ringing in the ears, dizziness, vision problems, Raynaud's Syndrome, neurological symptoms, and impaired coordination.

I once read an incredible analogy of what having Fibro means; it's called the Spoon Theory. Although it's written by a lady with Lupus, but the theory still appies to all fibro sufferers. It is worth a look at it.

Adolescent Antics

The following is a quote from a website that I read called Slice of Laodicea. Let me say again, that this quote is NOT mine. I clarify that it's not mine because I've had material mistakenly attributed to me in the past due to a lack of research and a misplaced desire for confrontation from my accuser.

That being said, I do agree with the quote:)

"Hey! Mr. Wilson!"

There seems to be a plethora of pastors that are content playing the "Dennis the Menace" of the church, quoting every relevant song or reality show they can, while running around with a slingshot in their backpocket, content to be the proverbial "bad boy" to garner the praise of he world. Where does all of that lead those who are looking for the Truth? Read on and see.

There are telling trends in ministry today that can be witnessed on the new, revolutionary church websites. Without doubt, a church website is the church’s face to the world. But what happens when the face is crossing its eyes and sticking its tongue out? I have written before about the cultural infantilism that is becoming the hallmark of the the last several generations. If it is sickening in society at large, it is impossible to adequately describe its catastrophic impact on the office of the ministry.

In I Corinthians 13:11, the Apostle Paul very clearly indicates that normal physical maturity demands that childish things be put away as boy grows into man. Such a concept is now discarded by many grown men who toddle down the streets of America in sports jerseys with giant, 64-ounce sippy cups filled with soda, pacifying their constant need for oral gratification. The archetypal American, 50-100 pounds overweight, enthroned in his Stratolounger before his plasma TV with two remote controls, his Ipod, his cellphone, a bag of chips and a beer is really living out a toddler’s fantasy of instant and constant gratification. He has never grown up and told himself, “no.” He has refused even the most basic self-discipline that comes with maturity. He has failed to graduate to manhood. We have a nation full of these.

Pastors in the new, relevant churches today mirror the culture. One church website featured a pastors’ bio page where the “Executive Pastor” boasted that his favorite movie was “Snatch” with Brad Pitt. He thought it was a great movie once you got past the “493 F-bombs” in it. The image desired by some of these pastors seems to be a cross between college techno-geek and dissolute frat boy, with spiked, sometimes two-toned hair, funky glasses and faded, dirty looking t-shirts. They take pains to list the bands they like, the fast food, the TV shows, video games and favorite action movies. That would be unremarkable if we were talking about an adolescent’s MySpace site. Instead, we are referring to a church website where these are supposed to be men—shepherds–who are mature enough to lead others within a local church. The same church website referenced above allowed each of the pastoral staff to answer a question about who they thought would win in a battle between Superman and Batman. It is a crisis of maturity that nearly defies belief.

There is a reason that there is such immaturity among these pastors today. Rather than take Scripture’s admonitions seriously about those who should be in the office of pastor/elder in the first place, churches are watching the world around them and taking their cues. The blind are leading the blind in a very real way today. Those who follow these men have the leadership they want. The vulgarity and coarseness, the obsession with Hollywood movies and television, the refusal to grow up into men of dignity and wisdom are all symptoms of a church that has been defined and modeled after the world and its system. Awash in materialism and hedonism, our country no longer produces men and women of character. This should not be the case, however, within the true church of Jesus Christ. The milk of the Word is to be replaced in time with the meat of the Word that produces maturity. Boys should ultimately put away childish things and become men with physical and spiritual strength. In our effeminized culture, we are turning out men who can do nothing but attend to their own emotional and physical cravings. They are taught to feel and emote, but not to stand in adversity. These are the girly men who now lead many emerging churches. They refuse to believe and defend sound doctrine and would rather spend hours blogging about “community”, posturing as intellectuals and inventing meaningless pomo (postmodern) jargon.

Where is all of this leading? If the pastors are overgrown adolescents who are more interested in exuding a cool image than preaching Christ crucified, where does this take those looking for answers? Quite frankly, many are being misled. In the same fashion that a 3-year-old is unequipped to sit in a cockpit and fly an airplane, these “pastors” are unequipped to lead the church of Jesus Christ. The result is a flourishing of false doctrine, the spreading of carnality and ultimately, the loss of souls for all eternity. The new hip pastors are failing to keep the wolves out of the flock, and in some cases, are the wolves themselves. True shepherds are passionate about the spiritual well-being of their flocks, not the latest Hollywood flick or video game. Rather than imitating and embracing the pagan culture in the name of relevance, true shepherds will warn from the Bible that “friendship with the world is enmity with God.” (James 4:4) They will be men of gravity, sobriety and moral excellence, as the Scriptures instruct pastors to be. (I Timothy, chapter 3)

A young minister who ultimately died at the age of 30, was frequently found walking the fields of Scotland weeping and praying over the names on his church rolls. He pleaded with God to save each and every one of those entrusted to him. He lived a blameless life and preached the whole counsel of God without fear and without an eye to the cultural trends. He did this because he had utter confidence in the Word of God and its sufficiency to meet every human need. These are his words to fellow pastors, just before he died.

“Get your texts from God—your thoughts, your words, from God. In great measure, according to the purity and perfections of the instrument, will be success. It is not great talents God blesses so much as great likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God. A word spoken by you when your conscience is clear, and your heart full of God’s Spirit, is worth ten thousand words spoken in unbelief and sin.”

–Robert Murray M’Cheyne

Happy Birthday!

Today is the birthday of two of my wonderful children.

Megan and Matthew are 11 today!

It seems like not too long ago that they were babies. Diana posted an awesome account of today on her blog, here.

Happy Birthday! You both are such an awesome blessing from God!

Spritual Loopholes

Last Sunday, I had the priviledge of sitting in on a sermon that talked about the loopholes that people try to use with God in explaining away the fact that they've never accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. It was such a refreshing sermon. My 13-year-old son and I sat in and were amazed.

It was funny, the middle schoolers sit in "big church" after Sunday School, so G3 and I sat together. this church offera a traditional and a contemporary worship service. Unbeknownst to us, I picked the traditional, not the contemporary worship, so when they started singing, George turns to me and said, "How do I know the words, there's no screens?" I picked up a hymnal and handed it to him. We laughed.

The sermon started with a basic question that most of us have probably heard before, "Do you know that you have a home in Heaven when you breath your last breath on this side of glory?"

You see, there are things that you need to know. More specifically, what do you know?... and how do you know that it's right?

He went on to say,"If you don't know, I want you to know that you don't know. If you know, I want you to know that you know."

Loophole #1 - My sin is not that bad.
- We all have sinned.
- Your heart gets harder the more that you say, "No" to God.
- Today is the day of salvation.

Loophole#2 - Everybody's doing it.
- They may be sincere, but they are sincerely wrong.
- Life is about choices.
- Anytime God says "Don't do it," He is protecting you.
- Anytime God says,"Yes", He is getting ready to bless you.

Loophole #3 - I didn't know
- You wouldn't walk into an exam unprepared and write, "I don't know" on a blank sheet of paper and turn it in.
- His Word is alive and sharper than any two-edged sword.
- Well, people may say, "I've got free choice." Yes, but you also have full responsibility and accountability.
- God's Word is sure.

Loophole #4 - How can I be sure?
He gave numerous points here about the assurance of our salvation. I'll have to find my notes and post on it.

Loophole #5 - It's no big deal.
- Are you saying that what Jesus did for us on the cross was no big deal?

There was so much more, but I can only write so fast during the sermon... LOL

The Reluctant Listener

A friend of mine recently told me about an article that Mark Driscoll wrote for 9Marks. At first my reaction was "Oh, no.", but after reading the article, I may have a different opinion. In this article, Mr. Driscoll talks about the pros and cons of narrative preaching. He makes some really good points about modern preachers, their sermons and the lack of the mention of Jesus and connecting Him to the sermon.

Let me submit this to you, preacher: your sermons are supposed to be about Jesus. When you preach about victory, do you preach about Jesus’ victory or the
congregation’s? One of our Acts 29 church planters recently visited a very large
church and sat through the sermon. He wanted to give it the benefit of the doubt. But in a 25-minute sermon, the preacher never once said the name of Jesus, and never once gave anything that was close to the gospel. And at the end, the preacher said, "If you would like to go to heaven and have a better life, come forward now." He didn’t tell them about sin, Jesus, the cross, and the resurrection. He just asked them to come forward and then told them that they are all Christians. That is not biblical preaching.

Have you found a way to connect every sermon to Jesus? Are you presenting him as Savior? Biblical preaching is teaching people that Jesus is the hero, and that they don’t have to be.

Now, I'm still a little leary of Mark Driscoll, but articles like this have me listening.

Return to the King

It seems that I've been coming across a lot of articles lately about the man-centered approach of emerging churches.

The church is not a company to be run according to man's opinions or by a popularity survey. The church has one leader, one King of Kings, one head and that is the Lord Jesus.

Current church methods, whether knowingly or not seek to replace the rule of Jesus and God's Word in our lives and are focusing more and more on worldy methods, conforming themselves to the world instead of transforming the world.

I came across this "worship" service at NewSpring, where Perry Noble preaches. I mention him for two reasons; a lot of pastors look up to him as an example of doing things right and secondly, it's a sad example of how some churches cater to the culture. In this instance, one of the singers sings "I've Got Friends In Low Places," which was voted on as one of the songs that they would sing during the service. I pray that they would seek God's face and find that they have a friend in a higher place.

Modern apporaches say that man adds to the church daily through relational methods. Churches are caring what the "unchurched" dislike about the church, then applying the results and statistics to determine how the church should be run. This is not Biblical. The Bible says in Acts 2:47, that the "... LORD added to the church daily such as should be saved."

In Psalm 127:1-2, it says "Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat -- for he grants sleep to those he loves"

Too many churches today are run like corporations with pastors sitting at the top like a CEO. God's Word gives way to cultural relevance, opinion polls and entertainment.

It's time that we realize the fact that the church already has a boss. What it needs are "employees". The Bible says that the fields are ripe for harvest, but the laborers are few. That statement is very evident in some of our "modern" churches.

Clinging to the Feet of Jesus - A Perspective

I just read a great post on my friend, Steve's blog. I left the some of the following as comments, but wanted to post them here, too as it helps to put things in perspective both regarding my life while is also serves to remind me of God's love and the loss and suffering that He endured for me.

God is truly a just and merciful God. He does know loss and it's amazing for me to think about.

I pray that the Lord enables me to be able to cling to His feet and convey the power of the Truth. May He help me to be able to give an answer to anyone who asks about the hope that lies within me.

In thinking about that post and my reply, not a day goes by that God doesn't bring to my attention the fact that He is a loving father. At the end of the end when I come home, I am barraged by 4 wonderful children who come running and cling to me to grab ahold of any part of me that they can; an arm, a neck, a leg or a foot. As this goes on, the littlest one pushes and fights her way through the others until she stands in front of me with upstretched arms for me to pick her up and hold her. What an incredible display of how we should be towards our Heavenly Father.

The 8th Wonder of the World

How does a man in a clean white dress shirt show up for BBQ and leave with a clean white shirt?

A group of us from Sunday School got together for one of our Men's Grub Night. One of the guys with us is a good friend and a very neat eater. He showed up in a white dress shirt and left in a white dress shirt. He didn't even have to roll up his sleeves.

I, on the other hand, left and even my pants had BBQ stains on them. R.L., I acknowledge your BBQ skills!

I know that some may read this and think, what does this have to do with anything? It has to do with a lot - with doing life together. It's a group of guys getting together for some good conversation and good food.

A View From the Big Picture

I came across this today. It was posted to one of the Yahoo Groups that I am a member of. It always helps to see little things like this to make me realize that we are only here for a season. Life is not about you and it's not about me. In the grand scheme of eternity, it won't matter who won what and who hurt whom.

Life is but a vapor. It would help us all to see life through these glasses.

Remember when you were a child, and you found yourself rebelling against your parents in one way or another? You would think you were smart, and then a reality check would set in.

Your parents would say, look at me, are you listening? Look into my eyes. I am the parent, you are the child.

Positioning. Sets the record straight doesn't it?

We knew then we had to line up with their rules or suffer for it. And later on in life, we came to recognize how wise their rules were, and what we had suffered in life when we rebelled against what we knew were the right things to do.

One of the biggest problems in people's spiritual lives today is their focus. It is on everything but Christ. They don't have time for him. They don't have time for His Word, or to praise Him. They seem to only run to him in a hurry with a quick prayer God help me, or thank you for the food and then they are on their way.

Their spiritual discipline is lacking to the degree that when hard times hit, and the storms of life batter them, they are utterly unprepared to face these difficulties with
any degree of spiritual wisdom or guidance. And they are beaten down quickly, and discouraged, and often question God, when in fact, they are the ones who walked away from Him.

They are neglecting the needs of their soul.

Let me tell you something my friends that I have learned over the years. Neglecting your soul is the most harmful thing you can do. It affects every relationship, every decision you make. It sets up a degree of worry, frustration, and depression that you would not feel, if you TRULY believed God was the Father and you were the child and lived by that faith filled hope and decree.

I am a child of the King of Kings, I am beloved, protected, forgiven, full of hope, full of strength in His name, covered by the blood of the Lamb, emboldened by the power and strength of His word, a soldier in the army of God.

Where are your eyes this morning? Are you happy? Do you feel peace? Are you overwhelmed with your life? Do you feel you are drifting without direction and life is making little sense, and you are just not happy with it?

Obviously something you are doing or not doing is not nurturing your soul. Time is an investment. Your relationship with Christ is vital. It serves you eternally, it sets up whether you will be happy or sad. It sets up whether you will enjoy life and invest it well or spend it in regrets and recriminations and self doubt. You have to take it seriously.

You only have this one life. Don't waste it or fill it with regrets or despair. What a waste of your time and precious days. My friends, get on your knees today, take time for God and ask Him to show you how to live successfully and wisely, beyond your own wisdom and understanding.

He will guard you, guide you, strengthen you, love you fervently, embolden you by the power of His might, comfort you and guide you into all truth.

What more could one want?

Then why in the world are you neglecting it?

Amen!

The Lost Coin & The Lost Sheep

Today marked the second week since we felt God calling us to a different church. Last week, we took the "week off" but this week we had a lesson planned for the kids. I told Georgie that we were going to "home church." That evoked a quizzical look from from the kids. That all soon faded as we began.

The lesson was one the parable of the Lost Coin and the parable of the Lost Sheep. We opened with some songs that the kids know, then went into the lesson where the kids were really receptive and asked questions.

We closed in prayer (thanks, Megan!) and had an worksheet activity for the older 3 children and a few coloring pages for Juliana.

We also have a verse to memorize for next week.

I'm not really sure what to say in this post. I was just listening to this song, which give such great insight onto our struggles and how to respond.

I guess right now that... I don't know...












I was sure by now
That You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say "Amen", and it's still raining

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear Your whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as You mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry
You raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can't find You

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The Maker of Heaven and Earth

I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The Maker of Heaven and Earth

I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

God's Loan

This afternoon, our family went to the viewing of Rachel Olerud, a little girl who recently died of cancer. It was an emotional experience for everyone that attended and the line waiting to pay their respects seem to strech on forever, providing a testament to the lives that this little girl touched.

As we approached the podium to sign in, there was a stack of cards printed with a poem called "God's Loan". As I read it, I couldn't help but think of my dear children and how blessed that I am in that God allows me to be a part of these wonderful kids lives.

The poem that was printed was...

God's Loan

"I'll lend to you for a little time,
A child of mine," He said,
"For you to love the while she lives
And mourn for when she's dead."

"It may be six or seven years
Or twenty-two or three, But
will you till I call her back,
Take care of her for me?"

"She'll bring her charms to gladden you
And should her stay be brief,
You'll have these precious memories
As solace for your grief."

"I cannot promise she will stay
Since all from earth return.
But there are lessons taught down there
I want this child to learn."

"I've looked this world over,
In my search for teachers true.
In the crowds that throng
life's land, I have selected you."

"Now will you give her all your
love Not think the labour vain,
Nor hate me when I come to call
To take her back again?"

It seems to me I heard them say,
"Dear Lord, thy will be done.
For all the joys a child shall bring,
The risk of grief we'll run."

"We'll shelter her with tenderness,
We'll love her while we may,
And for the happiness we've known
Forever grateful stay."

"And should the angels call for him
Much sooner than we've planned,
We'll brave the bitter grief that comes
And try to understand."

Source/Author Unknown

"Let the little children come to me and do not forbid them; for such is the Kingdom of God."

- Mark 10:14

Straying from the Gospel

The following article was posted today on World Net Daily. It takes a truthful approach to the Emerging Church and corresponds to what I've said in the past about this dangerous movement.

The late economist Peter Drucker said a few years ago: "Every few hundred years in Western history there occurs a sharp transformation. ... Fifty years later, there is a new world. And the people born then cannot even imagine the world in which their grandparents lived."

I believe we are witnessing a modern effort to transform the church into an institution that experiences broad cultural acceptance. This effort, known as the Emerging Church, is a much-talked about movement that has brought new challenges into the Church of Jesus Christ.

The so-called Emerging Church movement was formed out of frustration with dead and irrelevant evangelicalism. The problem is that it has decided to modernize and re-create the church so as not to offend sinners. This renders virtually meaningless the life-changing message of the Gospel.

John 8:32 tells us: "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." This is not truth that can be modified to fit cultural whims; it is as relevant today as it was when John was inspired by God to write those words around A.D. 70.

However, the website of The Leadership Network, the headquarters of the Emerging (or sometimes Emergent) Church movement, states that their outlook on "truth" offers a "flexible approach to theology whereby individual differences in belief and morality are accepted within reason."

The site further states that members wish to "reanalyze the Bible against the context into which it was written."

This is very dangerous territory.

Such a view opens perilous avenues that enable suggestions that Jesus is not the Christ, that the Bible is not inspired by God Himself and that there are ways to heaven other than through Jesus. Such notions counter the very fabric of the Gospel.

In this era of diversity and political correctness, we can ill afford to weaken the very foundations of the Gospel.

But the Emerging Church has determined that core doctrine and theology are sometimes roadblocks to converting the lost.

This is the epitome of contradiction.

Further, Emerging Church groups have decided that profanity and vulgar talk from the pulpit and elsewhere is acceptable because it is relevant to the culture. Such teachings counter the biblical teachings that Christians are "new creatures in Christ."

Another problem of the Emerging Church is that its leaders, who no doubt started out with good intentions, have very little theological training. Their emphasis has been on appearances. Many of its leaders have been to "conferences" that tell them how to do things, but they don't know why they are doing them. Thus, they have a little bit of knowledge, but no wisdom.

Dr. James McDonald spoke my feelings when he said: "I resonate deeply with much of the criticism flowing from the Emerging Church against current Western Christianity, but I am deeply grieved to see the emergent remedies accepted so uncritically by those who feel gratified by the accuracy of their critiques."

While I have no problem with the church adapting to the culture, we must ensure that we remain painstakingly true to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and that we remain obedient servants to His truths.

As Jesus stated: "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me …" (John 14:21).

Balaam Rides Again

I read an interesting story from Steve Maxwell this week about his family. They are homeschoolers and people were telling them that they could see a difference in their children. He credits it to not having a television in the house.

The story follows.

This week Joseph and John worked alongside a number of other men pouring the basement floor of our house. The owner of the business doing the concrete work is saved and had asked if our boys could help because he was shorthanded. He said he had also spoken with his men, and they would be careful of their language. It wasn't something I would consider for any real length of time, but for a portion of a day and considering I'd be around some of the time, I agreed.

At one point while I was observing the progress of the work, one of the men spoke with me briefly. He was very complimentary of the boys and asked what we had done to raise boys like that. I said there were three very important aspects in our child raising. First and foremost is the Lord Jesus Christ in their lives. Second, is the Word of God. Third, is that the children don't watch any TV or movies.

He looked at me and said, "Now that is pretty incredible. No TV! It makes sense though." This man is a believer and knows many young men who are believers. He saw something different in our boys. I'm the first to say that we are nothing special. However, removing bad influences from children is very important so as not to quench the Word working in their lives.

Sunday I had another conversation, and it was somewhat similar. I was speaking with a gentleman who has lived a few more years than I have. He expressed his concern regarding how worldly some believers were that he had had contact with the previous week. His heart was deeply grieved about it, and he wondered why our children weren't like that.

I had roughly the same explanation for him. When I attributed credit to the Lord Jesus, being in the Word daily, and NO TV, he started scratching his chin and said that had to be it. He began comparing his now-grown children and evaluating a period of time when he didn't have a TV to later in life when he did. He said he could see a remarkable difference, now that he was thinking about it.

"And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye are passed over Jordan into the land of Canaan; Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places" (Numbers 33:50-52). As I read this passage recently, I noticed how the Lord was very specific in His instructions for when they conquered Canaan. They were to drive out the inhabitants, destroy their pictures, their idols, and places of idol worship.

Pictures are very powerful in how they can influence, and God said the Israelites were to get rid of the pictures. God knew the effect it would have on the Israelites, and that is why the pictures were to be destroyed. Those pictures would have been nothing compared to the sizzle of today's TV programs.

Yet God said destroy them because He wanted to protect His children from being
pulled to the world.

That is why my heart breaks for families who choose to watch TV or movies and
think that it won't harm them. Our world is in love with flesh, and today's
clothing is designed to show off as much as possible. From my discussions with
parents, immodesty is pandemic in the churches. Why is there not an outcry about
it? I'm confident it is because that is what is being portrayed on TV, and since
that is the norm, everyone is willing to accept it. If the immodesty was to go
beyond what was on TV, then there would be an outcry, but as long as it goes no
further, it is accepted.

A while ago, I had another startling reminder of the power of influence. I
had some interactions with a few young, homeschooled adults whom I had not seen
in years. Previously, they had been conservative in their dress and behavior.
Yet, their appearance and actions had now changed drastically, and in my
opinion, was very worldly. How could this be? It is all about the influence in
their lives.

For these young people, it had to do with the others with whom they were
interacting. The change didn't happen overnight, but in time, they had begun to
look like their friends. We can be sure that our children are going to want to
emulate those by whom they are impressed.

TV, subtly but definitively, grabs the hearts of our children. That is one
reason why the TV is such a powerful influence. There is a reason why
advertisers spend billions of dollars for TV ads. They work! They influence the
people who watch the commercials. The same is true regarding the TV shows
themselves. Children identify with certain stars and then want to wear similar
clothes (or unclothes), hair styles, and model their speech and actions. The
parents then wonder what happened to their child. Why does the child no longer
listen to Mom and Dad?

As we travel we meet families who are not worldly, and their lives radiate
the Lord Jesus. I haven't asked every one of them, but for those I've asked,
they don't watch TV or movies. Is it a coincidence? I don't think so. Getting
the Beast out of the home is a wonderful first step, and it will take courage.
With the Beast out, it is important that you are in the Word as a family every
day. Structure your evening around your time in the Word. It will become the
best time of the day.

Be cautious even if you don't watch TV and movies in your family because
vicariously, through friends who do watch it, your children can be pulled to the
world's standards for clothing, entertainment, attitudes, and heart focus. If
you have chosen to eliminate the influence of a TV in your home, but your
children are spending time with those who are following the world's path, they
may still be significantly moved that way as well.

Balaam couldn't curse the Israelites (Numbers 23:11), but he wrecked havoc on
them by suggesting the Moabite woman lure the Israelite men away. "Behold, these
caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass
against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the
congregation of the LORD" (Numbers 31:16). Seeking pleasure did what an army
couldn't do. In Numbers 25 we see that 24,000 Israelites were killed by plague
because they followed after the Moabite women and were led into idolatry.

In the same way today, the children of the King, those who are to reach the
world for Jesus, have been effectively slain or hamstrung so that there is no
power. TV and the worldly, entertainment mindset it promotes such as Super
Bowl games, pizza parties, bowling parties, ski trips, lock-downs, and
movies have won the hearts of God's people. Yes, Balaam rides again.

The other day, the kids were telling me about a problem with the upstairs TV (we have 2; one upstairs and 1 downstairs) and immediately the words, "Great! I was looking to get rid of at least one of the TVs."

Slowly, but surely, we are weaning them off of TV altogether and turn off the one that we do have whenever we can.

Hosanna in the highest! He is risen!

For believers, Easter is the highlight of the year as we celebrate the finished work of Christ on the cross and His glorious resurrection, securing access to the Father for all who believe!

What a glorious thing it is to know of our awesome God's love for us and the sacifice that He willingly made of his precious Son.

Today is the day. Now is the perfect opportunity to communicate the reason for the eternal hope we have with friends and family.

Hosanna in the highest! He is risen!

The Church of Cultural Relevance

A friend of mine just put up this post. It has some really great insight. It ties in with one of my earlier posts on the tendency that some modern churches have towards "fluff" preaching when what we really need is the Word of God.

The Wondrous Cross

Today is Good Friday and as I sit here and think of what happened 2000 years ago, it really makes me think and wonder about this day in history, or should I say HIStory.

It's Spring and traditionally, it's supposed to be warming up, maybe some rain, etc. In direct contradiction to this, it was snowing here today. Yes, snowing! OK, so they were flurries, but still!

Today, the high in Jerusalem was 77°. I know my thoughts don't sound like they are going anywhere, but in thinking about today, I've just starting thinking and wondering what the day was like when they crucified Jesus. I'm talking about more than the weather, but that just added another detail to my thoughts.

From His condemnation to "It is finished," came from the lips of Christ, the day was one of trial, tribulation and torture and yet we call it "good". In God's ultimate love, He willingly layed His life down as a living sacrifice for me... and you. It's hard to think about the events of that day and to think that Jesus went through all of that for me. I was the one who nailed Him to the cross with my sin.

To quote Isaac Watts,

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

His dying crimson, like a robe,
Spreads o’er His body on the tree;
Then I am dead to all the globe,
And all the globe is dead to me.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

I love the "modern" addition as well...

Oh the wonderful cross
Oh the wonderful cross
Bids me come and die
And find that I may truly live

Oh the wonderful cross
Oh the wonderful cross
All who gather here
By grace draw near
And bless Your name

Thank you, Jesus. Thank you for you everlasting love and mercy and grace.

No, Daddy. That's Jesus

Below is a video that my wife introduced me to after receiving it from a friend. It is really awesome and is a must see!

Before listening to this, PLEASE pause the song, "Revolution" that is currently playing by going to the bottom of this page and clicking "pause".

By the way, if you like the "Revolution" song, please see David and Angie Ebensberger's site.

Anyway, I was watching the video with Diana and Jules, my youngest daughter and I said out loud, "That's incredible." She turned to me and smiled and said, "No, Daddy. You're silly. That's not incredible, that's Jesus."

I looked at her bright face and saw her love focused on me.

"Yes, honey, that's Jesus..."

Spiritual Biohazards (AKA worldliness...um, I mean cultural relevance)

In speaking about Church relevancy, John MacArthur in an article in Pulpit Magazine, said

Whole churches have thus deliberately immersed themselves in “the culture”—by which they actually mean “whatever the world loves at the moment.” We now have a new breed of trendy churches whose preachers can rattle off references to every popular icon, every trifling meme, every tasteless fashion, and every vapid trend that captures the fickle fancy of the postmodern secular mind.

Worldly preachers seem to go out of their way to put their carnal expertise on display—even in their sermons. In the name of connecting with “the culture” they want their people to know they have seen all the latest programs on MTV; familiarized themselves with all the key themes of “South Park”; learned the lyrics to countless tracks of gangsta rap and heavy metal music; and watched who-knows-how-many R-rated movies. They seem to know every fad top to bottom, back to front, and inside out. They’ve adopted both the style and the language of the world—including lavish use of language that used to be deemed inappropriate in polite society, much less in the pulpit. They want to fit right in with the world, and they seem to be making themselves quite comfortable there.

Does not the Bible say to “come out from the world and be different” and ”Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind”? If we renew our mind from a sinful life style and transform our mind like the Bible says, how can we let this stuff into our churches today?

Yes, we should be accessable to people. Yes, we should love them. Yes, we need to preach in a language that the world can understand, but no, we don't need to fill our minds with all of the swill that the world has to offer. Whatever happened to abstaining even from the appearance of evil? Instead, we charge headlong into bombarding our conscienceness with all manner of worldy lyrics as well as television and movie references for the sake of being culturally relevant.

By incorporating worldliness, the minister/preacher/pastor renders his vocabulary and his subject matter at times tasteless, indecent, crude, and utterly inappropriate for a minister of Christ.

I'm of the opinion that it is possible to be overexposed to our culture’s dark side. I don’t think anyone can survive full immersion in today’s entertainment environment and remain spiritually healthy. We need to be change agents for the culture, in that we set the styles, etc.

There is another aspect that we should not overlook and that is the people outside the "target audience range" of the church. What does cultural relevancy mean to them? They are part of the culture, but their styles and preferences are overlooked.

Oh well, I guess the majority rules in cases such as these... and here I thought that the Gospel was for everyone, not just rockers or gansta rappers or people who wear shorts and flip flops to church.

The Gospel is for everyone! If we just preach Christ crucified and the full council of God without all of the extra worldly trappings (there's a reason they call them trappings), we could lift Jesus up and He will draw all unto Himself.

The Voice of Truth Tells Me A Different Story

Last night our family sat down to watch Facing the Giants. We had wanted to rent this because our boys like football and movies like Friday Night Lights are a little too over-the-top for kids to watch. Anyway, it turned out to be a great movie. it's a movie of restoration of faith, dependence on God and one of my favorite lines, "If we win, we'll praise Him. If we lose, we'll praise him. "

In doing some digging, I found out that Facing the Giants was essentially made by a church, Sherwood Baptist in Albany, Ga. The movie's $100,000 budget was donated by the church congregation and it was directed and co-written by Sherwood's associate pastor of media ministries Alex Kendrick, who also stars as the football coach. The crew and the cast was mostly made up of volunteers from the church. The money the movie makes will go to a youth recreation facility for the church.

One last thing, the movie's PG rating was given to it by the MPAA because they thought the overt evangelical content of the film might offend some parents. Sheesh...

If you haven't seen it, give your faith a boost and rent it.

Blog of the Day

Well, apparently I won...drumroll, please... (thank you)... a "Blog of the Day" award. I'm not exactly sure how this happened, but I'm a guy, so I'll take an award.

My wife, however, is a bit peeved that I won an award based upon her pain and suffering. (Hey, she got good meds. What more can you ask for?)

So, with that being said, I shall endeavor to uphold the sanctity of this honor that was bestowed upon me.

You like me. You really like me!.. umm... OK, I almost made it through without cracking up.

Kida, family, ahhh...

Today, I had the priviledge of getting off of work at 1:00 to spend some time with my family.
The kids and I played outside for a while. We played ball, I had a chance to play games with Jules.

After playing a while, we decided on pizza for dinner. I took Juliana to "Little Snesars", as Juliana would say, with me. We waved at the "mascot" and had a great time and good conversation. It reminds me that one on one special time is a necessity for parents.

Just a stones throw away...

After having been in pain with a fever for 4 days, Diana conceeds to the idea that we need to go to the emergency room. For those of you that know her, this is not a usual task as she has a really high pain threshold. There were a lot of things that really worried me; the fever, body aches, sore throat; inability to sleep.

Rign around 6:00PM we decided that "yes, it was time", so she told me that she would be back soon.

"Back soon," I relplied. "Where are you going?"

"To the hospital."

"Alone? Oh, no. I'm driving you"

"I'll be OK."

"Ummm, sweetheart, I REALLY want to drive you there."

Luckily, she relented.

When we arrived, the ER was totaly empty so we were seen relatively quicky.
After some IV fluids and an anti-biotic, we were told that Diana had a kidney infection and pharangitis.

All in all a 3 hour tour didn;t turn out that bad; after all, we could've ended up on a deserted island. (I know, bad...very bad)

God is good, all the time!

Whitestone

My wife and I just returned from a wonderful weekend at Whitestone, a Christian Bed & Breakfast in East Tennessee. I have to say that it was such a wonderful experience!

BTW, the picture is from our picnic lunch (more pics are below), which was really cool... fruit, cheese, crackers, huge sandwhiches and a bottle of Sparkling Grape Juice.

Diana and I really had a time to reconnect. I think that sometimes as married couples, we don't know "how" to talk after a while. We talked about each other and the kids. We talked about the wonderful friends that gave us this trip here.

The coolest thing was that we actually had a chance to "talk". We sat up most of the night pouring our hearts out and pouring our souls into each other in a tremendous spirit of affirmation, honesty.

As for the other points, the meals were awesome, with large portions. Heck, after the breakfast appetizer, we left because we knew that neither of us could finish the next course. Dinner was also great. We had backened tuna and there was a roaming violinist who played for the couples.

I couldn't have thought of a better weekend, nor anyone else that I would rather have spent it with.

I love you, Diana!

The Best of Both Worlds

One of the television shows that Juliana likes to watch is Hannah Montana. She really just likes the music.

Today she was so cute. She was walking around the house in her "toasty" (sleeper), wearing black boots and holding a flashlight for a microphone. She was singing the Best of Both Worlds, a song by Hannah Montana.

I feel so blessed that God has given us 4 beautiful children. I am thankful for the little glimpse of Heaven that He gives us in the smiles and joy of our children.

Watching Juliana sing and "rock out the show" without a care in the world was such a precious treat for me. It was my own private performance. She had directed it just for me. What a precious gift!

It makes me think that God delights Himself in us when we delight ourselves in Him.

It really makes me glad to know that I have the best of both worlds.

Is Water Baptism A Part of Salvation?

Is water baptism a part of salvation? This is a discussion that a good friend and I are having. There are basically two answers to this; yes and no.

There is a saying that goes like this, "Give me the Reader's Digest version", which means, the short answer without a long drawn out discussion. The "Reader's Digest" answer is: No

I am one, however, that likes to followup an answer with an explanation, so here we go...

My friend points to Acts 2:38 in the NASB, which says,

Peter [said] to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

I am of the school of thought that says that baptism is the outward sign of our obedience to the Lord and our profession of faith as a Christian and that it is not a component of salvation.

Now, the quote above looks pretty straight forward. I can read that and think, "OK, that's what is says," however, before we conceed that point, we have to interpret scripture in light of scripture.

John MacArthur, in his book, The Crucified Christ, makes an intersting point here...

People say, "Look, Acts 2:38 says, 'Repent, and be baptized . . . .' How do you get around the fact that Peter said you've got to get baptized to be saved?" Well, it's very simple, actually. Luke 18 contains a helpful illustration. Look at verse 18: "And a certain ruler asked Him [Jesus], saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" Now, that's a good question. In fact, it's basically the same question the people asked in Acts 2:37. Skipping down to verse 22b, Jesus answered his question, and said, "Sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven . . . ." Is Jesus saying that salvation is an issue of economics? Is He saying that in order to be saved, a person has to hock everything and then give all the money to the poor? Of course not! Salvation isn't a question of economics. It isn't a question of giving all one's money to the poor. You say, "Well, that's what He said!" No, that's not what He said. Look again at verse 22. After telling this man to sell all that he had and to give the money to the poor, Jesus then said, ". . . and come, follow Me." In other words, Jesus was saying, "There's a barrier in your way, fella. You're never going to know salvation until you give up your one big hang-up - money." You see, Jesus read his heart and knew that this young ruler loved money. And the reason we know that Jesus' analysis was correct is because the guy turned around and went home. He wanted his money more than he wanted eternal life.

The point is this: It's not until you want Jesus Christ more than anything else that the conditions are removed. As long as God knows there's something in the way, He'll point it out. The biggest stumbling block to Jewish conversion was the fear of persecution, being "unsynagogued," and being put out of their whole Jewish world. So Peter says, "I know that's your problem. so that's what you're going to have to get out of the way." They had to be baptized as a public acknowledgment that they were naming the name of Jesus Christ - fully aware of what it was going to cost.

The Word of God, then, does not teach baptismal regeneration. It simply indicates, here in Acts 2:38, that the Jews were to be baptized in response to what had happened in their life. It was to be a public confession of their new union with Christ . . . and it was a high price for them to pay.

It's been argued that the "for" in Acts 2:38 makes baptism a part of the process. Let's go back to the Bible.

There are instances of people being saved without being baptized.

In Luke 23:43, Jesus is dying on the cross,

And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise."

The first question that springs to mind is how can the thief be saved, if baptism is required? He was dying along side of Jesus.

In looking at Acts 10:44-48, Cornelius' household became believers, received the Holy Spirit, and began speaking in tongues, before being baptized in water.

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. And all the circumcised believers who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out upon the Gentiles also. For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered, "Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?" And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days,

This is significant because tongues is a sign-gift given to believers. Also, verse 46 says they were "exalting God." Unbelievers don't praise God. They can't because praise to the true God is a deep spiritual matter that is foreign to the unsaved.

As my friend and I talk more on this subject, I'll keep posting