Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Armageddon

Two weeks ago, our Junior/Senior high class on Wednesday night discussed, briefly, the book of Revelation. I had asked for study ideas and one of their choices was the book of Revelation. As you might expect, they had never read the book, but had heard a great deal about it with most of what they had heard being false. Coincidentally, a few days before the class I found a copy of "The Watchtower" from the Jehovah's Witnesses laying on a table in a restaurant where I was eating. Looking through it, I found a short article on the coming "battle of Armageddon." I was astounded at the misinterpretation and misunderstanding with which the article was written. I read through it and made some notes and then had class with my kids a few days later. Their understanding of Revelation followed the writing found in the article I read. They had heard that there would be a final earthly battle between the forces of God and the armies of man. I was not surprised at this, it seems to be a plot point in many motion pictures over the years.
One of the verses used to predict this battle is in Luke 21:34, 35 - "And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting (drunken nausea), and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth." Unfortunately for the author of the article, verse 32 states "Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled." This tells us that all of the thing written in verses 34-35 would happen in the lifetime of the people Jesus was speaking to.
Another scripture referenced as proof of this "world war" is 2 Peter 3:11,12 - "Seeing then that all of these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?" In verse 10, though, Peter tell us "but the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." What thief warns his victims beforehand? The Bible clearly states that the Second Coming of Christ, described as a surprise, will be accompanied by the destruction of the Universe and all it contains. We will be translated from our earthly bodies into everlasting spiritual forms and we will all go to our eternal reward or punishment.
The author goes on to say that one of the reasons for Armageddon is to destroy those who are polluting the earth, using Revelation 11:18 - "And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth." - to prove his point. This gives the wrong impression of the object of God's anger: not the physical pollution of the earth, but the spiritual pollution of the earth shown by the men in Revelation 9:20 that "repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver , and brass, and stone,and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk." God is always jealous of our worship.
I can study to see through the misinterpretation and misuse of scripture, but our children are not always so lucky. We have an obligation to not only teach them the milk of the word, but to confront unscriptural teachings and help them see through them.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Is discouragement inevitable?

Are you discouraged? Do you get discouraged often? Are there particular people who discourage you, either with their words or their unwillingness to commit or even their spiritual immaturity? I think of the apostle Paul opening his heart in his letters to the churches and to individuals.
This is a man who, after turning his life over to Christ, became what we would call a "super" Christian. He was on fire for the Lord, and nothing could bring him down...or could it.
In I Corinthians 1:11, he states: "For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe's household, that there are contentions among you." Did this hit Paul like a kick in the stomach? He loved the Corinthian church and now he hears that they are dividing themselves. Not over doctrine, but over who baptized whom. This sounds like a schoolyard bragging contest - My dad can beat up your dad! Does he throw in the towel? No! He calmly and lovingly corrects these immature Christians in their understanding of their place in God's kingdom.
Also in I Corinthians, chapter 11, Paul corrects the church in its observance of the Lord's Supper. He rebukes them for the way they are making it a meal and leaving the reason for its observance.
Was he discouraged by these Corinthian Christians? Maybe. Did he write them off? No. He brought to their remembrance the Last Supper and showed them again the reason why they were there on the first day of the week.
Lastly, in II Timothy, chapter 4, Paul laments the loss of his fellow workers, Demas, Crescens and Titus, to the sinful world. This would be discouraging to almost anyone who worked with someone from their conversion on. Paul moves forward with no time to waste on mourning. He is already making plans for further work in the Lord's kingdom.
Do not be discouraged. Press on. Strive for the prize. Run the race.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Try to be consistent and look where it gets you.

I started off with the best of intentions: try to consistently post at this blog. You have only to look at the timeline and see where that got me. Started strong, but allowed other things to grab my attention. I put off posting (I'll get to it later), rationalized it (I don't really have anything to say), and finally gave up any semblance of caring (no one reads it anyway). Then I realized that maybe I put too much pressure on myself. I WILL get to it later, I really did have something to say, and, come to find out, people actually do read it.
This sounds a lot like people in the church. We start out strong after, maybe, public repentance or baptism. We pressure ourselves to attempt "super-christianity". Then, unsurprisingly, we falter and then fall back into old habits, all the while rationalizing our behavior.
Guess what? God gets it. He's seen it all and it is not new to him. Remember, God is love. He loves us when we break promises, when we explain away bad behavior and even when we give up on Him. Luckily, God's love for me does not hinge on my blog entries, or my failed attempts at showing my zeal, or even for my occasional apathy. He loves me no matter what.
That's not to say He is not disappointed in me, or that He will not punish my disobedience. He is faithful in all his promises, including the one that says He will cast out the disobedient from His presence. I can, though, rest assured in the fact that He wants me to succeed in my walk with Him.

Monday, June 27, 2011

As you may have heard, New York is the latest state to legalize homosexual" marriage. Six states in all have fully legalized homosexual "marriage" with several others extending legalized civil unions to the homosexual population.
What to say to this? To rail against it seems futile. I do not live in New York so I cannot vote for or against this measure. I hold no political office and cannot make law or interpret laws that are passed.
What can we say, then? Just this. God's law is superior to man's law in every way. Period. The end. What does God's law state then? In I Corinthians 6:9-10 Paul writes: "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God." These are the words of God given by inspiration to Paul. How many more people would be willing to come to Christ if their sins were overlooked and they could "come as you are" to the Lord? God has a desire for us to be spotless and free from sin. We cannot be in these sins and be pleasing to Him.
How does this description of sin work with homosexual "marriage"? We see through ancient texts and manuscripts that marriage was a religious institution from the very beginning. God himself instituted marriage for his followers from the beginning to display a holy union that was not to be "put asunder" by men.
How then can homosexuals be married? They cannot take something that is holy and make it unholy. No law of man can do that.
How has the Christian failed God then? First, we have failed to emulate God's law in our lives. We have embraced divorce, unfaithfulness and loveless marriages. We have not set the example of what constitutes a Godly marriage.
Secondly, we have attacked homosexuality as a sort of "apex of sinfulness" instead of giving it the same seriousness as the other sins listed in I Corinthians 6. Thievery, drunkenness, covetousness and adulterers all come under the same judgment. Why do we view homosexuality with any greater degree of disgust?
Thirdly, we have not reached out, with Christian love, to the "homosexuals" as a group of people who are living in sin, but can be reached with the same Gospel that brought about our salvation.
More to come...

Monday, May 16, 2011

This past Saturday, I was able to head downtown with a group to participate (for the first time) in a build for Habitat for Humanity. It was an interesting and fulfilling day. Twenty-seven people worked with one goal in mind: to finish a house for someone they didn't know.
Habitat for Humanity has changed its program a lot over the years. In the beginning, they built houses and gave them away, but no longer. You have to apply and pay for the house being built. You have to go through training as a homeowner and show that you have the ability and smarts to be able to manage your finances and keep the house.
This change in program has paid off. The prospective owners are more deserving. They take it more seriously. They have a stake in the house being built. They must put in 250 work-hours to qualify for the house. 50 of those hours have to be spent on a house other than theirs.
The gentleman whose house it was, thanked us profusely throughout the day. He has a full-time job, as does his wife. One of his children is about to graduate from college. He is about to graduate from college, as well. I felt comfortable working for this organization because I saw that they had requirements for rendering assistance.
If you are looking for a great service project for a group of 16 year-olds (minimum age requirement) or a single group or just a church character building project, I can heartily recommend Habitat for Humanity. Just take some Tylenol before you go.

Monday, May 2, 2011

Where do we go from here?

How many times have you heard that question? Typically, you hear it after a goal is achieved by a group and they are now faced with a dilemma: What now? Sometimes it is overheard after a destination is reached after much effort and another leg of the journey is ahead.
Even now, with the death of bin Laden, we hear the same question. So much time and energy to achieve a goal, only to be faced with the question: "Now what?"
I can imagine the apostles standing around after the ascension of Jesus into heaven. "Where do we go from here?" The man they had built their lives around for close to three years was now gone, not to return in their lifetime. They were outcasts among their own people. They were threatened with imprisonment, death by stoning and being cast out of the assembly. Most of them had no homes of their own.
In spite of all this, they persevered. They kept on going. They took the final admonition of Jesus to heart: "Go ye therefore into all the world, making disciples of all the nations, teaching them to observe all the commandments I have given you."
That is where we go from here.

Friday, April 1, 2011

Family Matters Day

If you missed Family Matters Day at Macland last Saturday, you really missed out. Two great speakers and a performance from Cornerstone capped a day that I will remember for quite a while. Every family needed to hear the lessons on Confronting Culture and what we can do to build a hedge around our young people until their faith is as strong as it can be.
I highly recommend Joe Wells from Focus Press and Samantha Spurlock from Saraland, AL as speakers at your congregations youth functions.

Tomorrow a group of 4 men will fly to Grange Hill, Jamaica to visit and strengthen the congregation there. I solicit your prayers on their behalf. They will be speaking at a gospel meeting with the overriding theme of "God's Design for the New Testament Church". Topics like: Elders, Deacons, Evangelism, Worship, Speaking the same thing, Preacher, not pastor will be offered and, hopefully, the local church will be exhorted and others may be brought to Christ through the efforts that week.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Great weekend ahead

Looking forward to a fun and uplifting Saturday program. Joe Wells is coming to share his series on "Confronting Culture". I saw Joe about four years ago at FHU lectureships giving this same series. I was so impressed that I resolved to get him here for a youth function. Four years later, presto!
Samantha Spurlock from Alabama is coming to head up the ladies classes and though I have never heard her speak, obviously, everyone I've talked to says she really turns on the message. She spoke at Jewels at Faulkner and the girls at Macland agree that she is really a good speaker.
Cornerstone will be performing a secular show and representatives from FHU and Faulkner will be on hand to discuss Christian colleges.
Lunch is provided free of charge.
This is not a youth rally. This is a day when families can meet and learn about the challenges facing the youth of this generation and how families and the church can face those challenges head-on.
Please come on out and strengthen your relationship with your parents or young person.
We start at 9 am and will go until 3-3:30 pm.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Excellent day of worship today. In our drive for 300 in attendance, we had our usual Sunday service, ate a common meal afterward, met for a singing service at 1 pm and evening services at 1:30. Strange to be done with services at 2:30, but gave us some time to come home and do a little work around the house.
I try to empathize with those folks who say that they are uninspired by worship services and that they gain little from them. I will say, however, that worship is for God and that we are blessed to be able to worship our Creator every first day of the week. I am always gratified to be uplifted and sometimes rebuked during our period of worship, but my main goal is to give praise to God Almighty. I think that if more people went into worship with a goal-oriented mindset (worshiping God) their end result would be much more in line with what they are looking for: a sense of fulfillment. Instead of picking apart the singing, sing louder and stronger than anyone around you. Instead of wondering if the prayer will ever end, listen more carefully and add your own silent addition to the prayer being offered. Instead of checking the time during the sermon, make a point of looking up each scripture as it is offered. Goal-oriented worship is what I am striving for. How can you improve yours?

Saturday, March 12, 2011

What a day!

Had a fantastic day at Piedmont Road for their annual youth rally. This is their ninth year and they really do a great job with it. I got to hear Chuck Webster speak twice as the keynote speaker and he did a really nice job. I remember Chuck from Freed-Hardeman while I was there back in 1988-1992. The singing was uplifting and all in all it was a special way to spend a beautiful Saturday.
My topic was about temptation and I was grateful for the opportunity to study a subject I don't really study that much. God is with us at all times. God is not everywhere at once, he is everywhere. He wees us when we face temptation and he is with us when we give in or when we are able to withstand the snares of the devil. He will not tempt us but he will allow us to be tempted. Temptation is essential for the Christian. We cannot avoid it completely and when we face it and overcome it, we have a new strength that will allow us to become stronger than we were before.
I may start a little mini-series on temptation for future posts.
Have a great Sunday and be sure to come back.

Friday, March 11, 2011

What next?

I am constantly amazed at the way technology is able to influence our lives. I remember when cell phones were "mobile phones" and were attached to small briefcases that you had to lug around. Now, you can impact almost any aspect of your life with a 3" x 5" piece of glass and plastic. You can post to Facebook and Twitter, check and send e-mail, play some really clever games, watch TV or even a movie, check the weather, surf the Web, listen to music, take pictures or videos, read a book and even make a call to someone (gasp).
I have an app that, when I scan a bar code, allows me to find the item at any online or local vendor and gives me the best possible price. Unthinkable, not 3 years ago.
If you have a cell phone (85% of Americans do), what would you do if it were taken away, never to be replaced? I think some people would actually go through a sort of physical withdrawal. We can't imagine our lives without one of these in our hand, but you know what...we would survive. The same way we survive when the power goes out, the cable goes down, or the car doesn't start. Technology makes our lives easier (it's true) but it is fallible. It can and will disappoint us as will anything made by human hands.
What will not disappoint us? What will never fail and leave us in the dark (no pun intended)?
We know that God never disappoints or fails us. Romans 5:1-5 "Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God though our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our access by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also rejoice in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character , hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us."
What do you put your trust and faith in: things of men or the glory of God.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Stormy skies

I was having lunch with a friend today and while we sat, eating our food, I looked out at the skies and saw some really incredible clouds moving overhead. Dark clouds that could mean nothing other than a torrential downpour. I fully expected to hear the klaxon sirens signifying a tornado sighting. A couple of minutes later...it hit. Seriously strong winds whipped the trees back and forth and sent loose debris careening down the parking lot. Then the rain came. Big fat drops of rain that seemed enough to drench you with one drop. All this lasted...one minute. That's it. One minute. Barely enough time to open your umbrella and get from the car to the doorway. I couldn't believe it! I was prepared to sit the afternoon in a restaurant and wait, but the ferocity didn't live up to the foreboding.
It is like that many times in our Christian walk. We see the clouds and the dark skies over our lives. The wind, by itself, seems to be enough to flatten us. We worry and fret and then... nothing much really happens.
Do you see harsh times as inevitable? Consider the widow in I Kings 17. God told Elijah to go to Zarephath to stay at a widow ladies house. When he arrived, he asked for a little water and some bread because he had been travelling and was hungry. The widow replied that she had almost no supplies and that she was going to bake one last loaf of bread for her and her son and that they would die of starvation soon after. There was a drought in the land and food was scarce. Elijah revealed that if she would make a loaf for him and then one for her and her son, that her supplies would not run out until the drought was lifted. How much worry and dread had this woman endured before the arrival of the prophet...and for good reason. All that worry, however, was for nothing because God provided for her through the prophet Elijah.
Don't let the clouds of fear and doubt paralyze you as a Christian. God will allow nothing to keep you from your service if you will do what He tells you to do. Worry does us no good and much evil - Matthew 6:31-34. Trust in God to help you look to sunnier skies.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Temptation...

My topic for this weekend's rally is "What Can God Do For You: When you face temptation?" I had to do some soul-searching on this topic because I often fall into the same trap as everyone else. I find myself sometimes using God as a last resort instead of a first line of defense.
As mortal beings, we see ourselves as capable of confronting any problem, warding off any disaster and being our own best friend. The Bible tells us otherwise. Job 5:6-7 says "Affliction does not come from the dust, neither does trouble sprout from the ground, for man is born for trouble, as sparks fly upward." and Jeremiah 4:18 affirms "Your ways and your deeds have brought these things to you. This is your evil. How bitter! How it has touched your heart." We are bound to cause ourselves problems, often because we try to take the place of God or replace God with something else.
The Arameans learned the folly of "limiting " God in I Kings 20:28. "Then a man of God came near and spoke to the king of Israel and said, "Thus says the Lord, 'Because the Arameans have said, "The Lord is a god of the mountains, but He is not a god of the valleys"; therefore I will give all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the Lord."
God is the God of all. He will deliver us if we allow it. I Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it."
He loves all mankind. but His people are special to Him. He will provide an escape.
Are you looking for one?

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Youth Rally

A big thank-you to the youth rally organizers at Piedmont Road. I was asked to speak at the rally this upcoming Saturday. The big event begins at 8:30 am and ends at 3 pm. They have a great day planned and you are invited. The theme is "What Can God Do for You?" I will be speaking on "What can God do for you when faced with temptation?" Lunch is provided and I know that this will be a wonderful uplifting experience for all who attend. I hope to see you there.

Piedmont Road Youth Rally

I'm baaaack. Two years and one month later...my latest entry. It took a while for me to realize that a blog may be a way to reach people and I take lessons to heart. Look for regular updates and entries and better communication from this point on.