Sights and Sounds of Christmas

This time of year conjures images of Currier and Ives and Norman Rockwell - a time that was more peaceful. But those images are opposite of what we know today. Some have never known those peaceful times; they have only known the hustle and bustle of the season. Somehow the "peaceful, relaxed and unhurried" doesn't really fit our culture today.

Today we have merchandisers who will not celebrate Christmas, but will celebrate the holidays. We have stores who sell "Holiday Trees," who forbid one organization to 'ring their bells' in front of their stores, who sell "Holiday decorations." All of this in order not to offend anyone. I'm offended!!

Today we have shoppers rushing from store to store to find that perfect gift for their loved ones. We hustle to party after party not wanting to miss an opportunity to visit with co-workers and friends. There isn't anything wrong with parties or finding that perfect gift, but where are the simpler times?

On the other hand we have musicians who are busy making preparations for Christmas performances. For over 25 years I have been among those preparing Christmas musicals for the church. It is often because of those musical performances that I have failed to know the "peaceful, relaxed and unhurried" times.

Isaiah 9:6-7 reads like this in "The Message."

"For a child has been born—for us!
the gift of a son—for us!
He'll take over
the running of the world.
His names will be: Amazing Counselor,
Strong God,
Eternal Father,
Prince of Wholeness.
His ruling authority will grow,
and there'll be no limits to the wholeness he brings."

In spite of the hustle and bustle, in spite of those who are removing "Christ" from "Christmas," in spite of those who are busy preparing and performing musicals, we desperately need to find the "Prince of Wholeness" and the "wholeness He brings."

We need to rediscover that "Amazing Counselor, Strong God, Eternal Father, Prince of Wholeness." This year may you find that peace that comes only through the Prince of Peace; may you find that "wholeness."

Will the Church Ever Learn

I came across this article written by Michael Catt. He is the Pastor of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia. You may recognize the church name; it is the same church that brought us the movies "Facing the Giants" and "Flywheel." Pastor Catt speaks honestly and forthrightly about the church in the 21st century.

Will the Church Ever Learn? :: Michael Catt

Okay, you should be able to tell where this is going by the title. There are “churches” today that have little to do with what the New Testament or Christian history calls the church. Only in America could we have made something so sacred so trivial and irrelevant. If we were in a third world country or living at the time of the Apostle Paul, most of what we call “the church” wouldn’t exist. It would have never been started and it certainly couldn’t have succeeded.

The “Joy Boys” have turned the church into Santa's workshop. Gifts on demand. Money on demand. Cars on demand. Healing on demand. We’ve been good, so God better pay up. We’ve thrown out a few obscure promises we found in the Scriptures (pertaining to Israel and the Old Covenant) and demand God to make them work for us in 2007.

We’ve got more options for churches than any other culture in the world. Find a church that fits YOU. Find a preacher YOU like. Find a church with programs for YOU. Serve as long as it is convenient for YOU. Attend when YOU feel like it. Give YOUR money. After all, ME-church is all about what I like, want, need and feel. It’s God on demand.

Styles have superseded substance. Trivial pursuits have prevailed over Truth. Playing has taken the place of prayer. Happiness is more important than holiness. Self-centeredness is crushing the servant spirit. Christ is Mr. Potato Head—we can make Him look like anything we want. If we don't like the way He looks, we can pull Him apart piece by piece.

Only in this silly, self-centered culture would we be having some of the debates we are having. Worship styles. Translation arguments. Which systematic theology is right? Instead of fighting the devil and storming the gates of hell, we’re fighting among ourselves.

God forbid that someone, some preacher or prophet, should call us back to the basics. The basics aren’t cool. Who wants regular coffee when you can go to Starbucks and get a hundred different flavors all to your liking? Who wants plain vanilla ice cream when you can go to Marble Slab or similar places and mix it up to fit your taste?

Recently a prominent preacher in the Atlanta area said, in effect, if he could rewrite Christian history he would emphasize building relationships more and the gospel less. This is the same arrogance that led him to proclaim in a major Christian magazine that Jesus wouldn’t call Himself a shepherd if He were alive today. I guess the next announcement will be this young buck is looking for a vacancy in the Trinity. How arrogant. How blasphemous. How unbiblical can a guy get before someone calls him on it?

In mid-October, Christianity Today released an article regarding Willow Creek Community Church. While thousands of churches have followed the Willow Creek model, the church is now saying they made a mistake.

Quoting from the article, “Not long ago Willow released its findings from a multiple year qualitative study of its ministry. Basically, they wanted to know what programs and activities of the church were actually helping people mature spiritually and which were not. . . . Bill Hybels, the founding pastor of Willow called the findings ‘earth shaking,’ ‘ground breaking’ and ‘mind blowing.’”

Willow churns out programs like Proctor and Gamble churns out diapers. They measure levels of participation like a business measures the products coming off an assembly line. It’s about nickels, noses and numbers. The more nickels, noses and numbers, obviously the more blessed you are by God. Right? Wrong.

Read carefully what the article says, “Having put all of their eggs into the program-driven church basket you can understand their shock when the research revealed that ‘increasing levels of participation in these sets of activities does NOT predict whether someone’s becoming more of a disciple of Christ. It does NOT predict whether they love God more or they love people more.’” Well, duh!

Hybels calls the study “the wake up call” of his adult life. He admits, “We made a mistake. What we should have done when people crossed the line of faith and became Christians, we should have started telling people and teaching people that they have to take responsibility to become self feeders. We should have gotten people, taught people, how to read their Bible between service, how to do the spiritual practices much more aggressively on their own.” Oh, you mean like lifestyle Christianity, something like the New Testament?

Wow, now there’s a novel thought. We need to get people to pray, seek the Lord, study their Bibles and other basic stuff that is too hip to do in American Christianity. In American Christianity we “seek” God and self satisfaction. While millions long for copies of Scripture around the world, there are churches so hip you don’t have to take your Bible to church. You don’t have to worry about them wanting you to be an intercessor.

The folks at Willow say they want to change the way they do church. Really? Are they going to be able to get all the churches they’ve influenced to change the way they are doing church? Or what they call church? They say they are going to rethink all their old assumptions. Didn’t they learn in school that you never assume anything?

Maybe, just maybe, if they and others were more concerned with teaching the Word without apology, they’d build a stronger church. Not necessarily bigger, but certainly stronger. Their admission can be summed up as a confession to being a “wood, hay and stubble” church. They’ve led tens of thousands to build bigger barns, but they have nothing in the loft but hay. Hay is for horses.

I’d like to suggest they get back to the meat of the Word, the milk of the Word, the Living Water and the Bread of Life. That would be a healthy start for an emaciated church.

The Word

Instead of offering some trivial words that are empty, I thought I would share The Word. I want to share some of my favorite scripture verses with you. Maybe they will offer some comfort to you. Maybe you will want to offer a word of praise for the Father has made available to us as His children. So as we approach the Thanksgiving holidays may our thoughts focus on God's Word.

Lamentations 3:22-23

Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

Zephaniah 3:17

The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing."

Some selected passages from Psalm 103

Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-
who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

Psalm 139:1-6 (NASB)

LORD, You have searched me and known me.
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
You understand my thought from afar.
You scrutinize my path and my lying down,
And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.
Even before there is a word on my tongue,
Behold, O LORD, You know it all.
You have enclosed me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is too high, I cannot attain to it.

1 John 3:1

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

Romans 5:8 (NLT)

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

Psalm 100

Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!
Worship the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing with joy.
Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
He made us, and we are his.
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

Strange Phenomenon/Frightening Phenomenon

A very strange phenomenon has occurred. It is the strangest thing. In the past week my children have turned 20 and 23. I know that is not a strange phenomenon - although there have been times I have wondered about both of them - Ha! (Just kidding, guys)

What is strange is that my children are getting older, and yet their parents haven't. That is a strange phenomenon - don't you agree? How can my children be in their twenties and yet I am still the same robust young man that I have always been? Ha!

Seriously, in the past week my son turned twenty, and my daughter and her husband both had birthdays. It is amazing to me to see how they (son, daughter, and son-in-law) have matured into incredible young adults.

That was brought back to me this week as I read about a recent study about young adults. According to the study, 70 percent of young adults ages 23-30 stopped attending church regularly for at least a year between ages 18-22. "As young people transition from high school into the workforce or college, they are faced with many choices - including whether to continue attending church."

That concerns me on two levels - as a parent and as a leader in a church. First, let me address my concerns as a parent. You spend 18 years training a child, doing everything you can to teach me. You teach them how important the church is - in spite of her many flaws. Yet when they reach the age where they make the choice about church attendance, 70 percent have chosen to not attend.

Being in a position of leadership in a church - that statistic frightens me. It frightens me for several reasons, but let me only talk about two. First, the church has failed to teach these young adults the importance of not only a relationship with God the Father, but also the relationships with other people. Second, the church is in trouble today unless some drastic changes are not made. We are not reaching these young adults. Unless the church recognizes the serious consequences of losing an entire generation, the church will cease to exist. By that, I'm not suggesting that all churches will die, but I do believe that churches that don't make the necessary changes to reach these young adults will die. That is harsh language, but I believe that it is accurate. We must begin the drastic changes to reach these young adults.

On a personal note, let me say how proud I am of the three young adults who have celebrated birthdays this week. They have remained connected to the church, for that I am eternally grateful. I'm grateful that God has blessed me with these three young adults. I am a blessed man. I also eagerly anticipate what impact these three young adults will make in the church of tomorrow.

Trinity

If you haven't seen this - it is one of the most amazing finishes to a football game.

Rockies

This is a very interesting article about the Colorado Rockies who are playing in the World Series. This article "Rockies Place Their Faith in God, and One Another," is in the New York Times. Whether you are a baseball fan or not, the article emphasizes that some professional players and teams are more interested in character than in talent. The following statement, by reliever Jeremy Affeldt, summarizes well the attitude of the team. “When you have as many people who believe in God as we do, it creates a humbleness about what we do,” Affeldt said. “I don’t see arrogance here, I see confidence. We’re all very humbled about where this franchise has been and where it is now, and we know that what’s happening now is a very special thing.” I'm going to be watching and pulling for the Rockies when they play the Red Sox this World Series.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/23/sports/baseball/23rockies.html

Ray of Hope

My son shared this with me. This is a powerful video.
I hope you enjoy. Have plenty of tissues ready.

Remedy

Here are the lyrics from David Crowder's title song from his new CD.

Here we are
Here we are
The broken and used
Mistreated, abused
Here we are

Here You are
Here You are
The beautiful one
Who came like a Son
Here You are

So we lift up our voices
We open our hands
To cling to the love
That we can’t comprehend

Oh, lift up your voices
And lift up your heads
To sing of the love
That has freed us from sin

He is the one
Who has saved us
He is the one
Who embraced us
He is the one who has come
And is coming again
He’s the remedy

Here we are
Here we are
Bandaged and bruised
Awaiting a cure
Here we are

Here You are
Here You are
Our beautiful King
Bringing relief
Here You are with us

So we lift up our voices
And open our hands
Let go of the things
That have kept us from Him

He is the one
Who has saved us
He is the one
Who forgave us
He is the one who has come
And is coming again
He’s the remedy

Oh, I can’t comprehend
I can’t take it all in
Never understand
Such perfect love come
For the broken and beat
For the wounded and weak
Oh, come fall at His feet
He’s the remedy
He’s the remedy

So sing, sing

You are the one
Who has saved us
You are the one
Who forgave us
You are the one who has come
And is coming again
To make it alright
Oh, to make it alright
You’re the remedy
Oh, in us
You’re the remedy

Let us be the remedy
Let us bring the remedy

Jena

I feel I must express some thoughts concerning Jena, LA. I lived in Jena for 12 years. Although it has been over nine years since I lived there, I recall my time in Jena.

First of all, the events that have occurred in Jena in the last several months have been blown out of proportion. What happened was a school-yard fight - but someone needs to be held accountable for their actions.

Second, Jena is not a racist town. Yes, the town is segregated with whites primarily living in one section of town and African Americans living in another section of town. But show me a town, especially in the south, that isn't just like that. That doesn't make the people of Jena or any other town racist.

Third, I am not condoning the actions of the D.A. Do I feel like the charges were severe? Yes, but the U.S. Attorney for Louisiana explained that the LaSalle Parish D.A. was within his rights to charge the young men like he did. I know the D.A. to be a good man so I don't feel that his actions were racist.

Fourth, the events that have occurred in Jena could have occurred in any town in the south. That doesn't make the events right, but we should be careful to examine our own towns.

Fifth, I believe that the fights that had taken place between the whites and the African Americans were not necessarily racially motivated. They were fights among students. Don't place blame on anyone else, except the young men who were involved in the fights - no matter the color of their skin.

Sixth, I believe that we in the United States should be more open to all people, no matter the color of their skin. God created each of us in His image. God doesn't see what color your skin is, so I shouldn't either. We should strive to be more inclusive in our churches of other races. We should also be more inclusive of other races in our personal lives. How can our churches be accepting of other races when we, the people, don't understand or appreciate the cultures of others?

Worship Evangelism

Sally Morgenthaler several years ago wrote a book entitled "Worship Evangelism." She in recent years has begun to rethink that concept of worship evangelism.

A prevalent attitude began to permeate the church that screamed, "It's all about us." Were these worship-driven churches really attracting the unchurched? That question caused one church to conduct a survey of those who they were really reaching. The church was shocked. They thought their congregation was at least 50 percent unchurched. The real number was 3 percent.

Sally writes: "The contemporary church - including the praise-and-worship church, the worship evangelism church - was in a holy huddle, and I began to talk about it." She continues: "The 100-year-old congregation that's down to 43 members and having a hard time paying the light bill doesn't want to be told that the "answer" is living life with the people in their neighborhoods. Relationships take time, and they need an attendance infusion now."

Sally has now become "convinced that the primary meeting place with our unchurched friends is now outside the church building. Worship must finally become, as Paul reminds us, more life than event (Romans 12:1-2). To this end, we will be focusing on the radically different kind of leadership practices necessary to transform our congregations from destinations to conversations, from services to service, and from organizations to organisms."

If you are interested in reading the full article, it can be found at: www.allelon.org/articles/article.cfm?id=402. She has some interesting observations concerning the church and worship.

11 Innovations in the Local Church

It has been a couple of weeks since my last post. I try to write when I have something to say - that isn't very often. I'm in the process of reading a new book: "Eleven Innovations in the Local Church." The book is a written by three men who have been involved in church growth - Elmer Towns, Ed Stetzer, and Warren Bird.

I have only been reading the book a few days, but it appears to be an interesting read. In the first of the 11 innovations, the authors talk about "the organic church." They quote Neil Cole, the author of "The Organic Church." Neil says: "the world is in interested in Jesus; it is His wife (the church) that they do not want to spend time with." Another great quote from Neil is: "Attendance on Sundays does not transform lives; Jesus within their hearts is what changes people."

Neil Cole makes some excellent points. For too long the church has emphasized attendance and not Jesus. Attendance is a measurement for the church, because those in attendance are people. People are important, but not more important than Jesus.

I still believe in the local church. Christ loves His bride. The problem is that "the bride" hasn't been faithful in it's "marriage" to the Savior.

I will try to share additional thoughts from the book in the next week or so. Thanks for reading these thoughts - the couple of you who do.

Pastors & Wives

I came across some interesting statistics that our youth guy shared with me. My understanding is these come from Barna Research group and was sponsored by Focus on the Family.

PASTORS
- Fifteen hundred pastors leave the ministry each month due to moral failure, spiritual burnout, or contention in their churches.
- Fifty percent of pastor's marriages will end in divorce.
- Eighty percent of pastors and eighty-four percent of their spouses feel unqualified and discouraged in their role as pastors.
- Fifty percent of pastors are so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if they could, but have no other way of making a living.
- Eighty percent of seminary and Bible school graduates who enter the ministry will leave the ministry within the first five years.
- Seventy percent of pastors constantly fight depression.
- Almost forty percent polled said they have had an extra-marital affair since beginning their ministry.
- Seventy percent said the only time they spend studying the Word is when they are preparing their sermons.

PASTORS' WIVES
- Eighty percent of pastor's spouses feel their spouse is overworked.
- Eighty percent of pastor's spouses wish their spouse would choose another profession.
- The majority of pastor's spouses surveyed said that the most destructive event that has occurred in their marriage and family was the day they entered the ministry.

If they 'stats' are adequate then no wonder our churches are in conflict and/or struggling. What does this say about the state of our minister's and their families?

Churches in Conflict

Churches are in the news, but not with good news. I read yesterday about a Tennessee pastor who is being accused of the church paying for his daughter's wedding reception. There are some other accusations that have come to the surface, but that were proven false. Then last night on our local news station there was a story of a pastor who had resigned his church because money mismanagement.

I am not accusing either one of these ministers of anything. I think it is sad when churches are the news, instead of sharing the news - the Good News. What concerns me is churches are in conflict around the country. It is not just these two ministers, or these two churches, churches as a whole are experiencing conflict.

This week in our Bible Study we are studying Acts 20. In this passage, the Apostle Paul is speaking with a group of leaders from the church in Ephesus. Paul says to these leaders: "Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers." The apostle literally says: "Pay attention to what is happening in your lives."

As leaders we must guard our hearts and lives, because Satan is a devouring lion who is seeking someone to destroy. If he can destroy the witness of one Christian then he is successful. If he can destroy a pastor or church leader then he has caused serious damage to a local church, a ministry, and to the Kingdom of God.

Later in that same passage Paul says: "So be on your guard!" As leaders we must not just "keep watch over the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers;" we must first "keep watch over yourselves." The writer of Proverbs 4:23 puts it like this: "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." In The New Living Translation that verse reads like this: "Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life."

We must be men and women of integrity or we will never be able to reach the world for Christ. We must guard our hearts.

Keith Green

July 28, 2007 marked the 25th anniversary of the untimely death of Keith Green. Keith was a Christian musician and songwriter who died in a plane crash, which also took the lives of his two oldest children and nine others.

There are two reasons for writing about Keith twenty-five years after his death. One, I read recently about his wife, Melody, who is releasing some of Keith's songs. Because of new technologies, she is releasing some of Keith's songs that have never been made public. She will be releasing the music on itunes.

The second, and the most important of the two, is a quote from Keith. It is worth pondering. Keith said: "I repent of ever having recorded one single song, and ever having performed one concert, if my music, and more importantly, my life has not provoked you into godly jealousy or to sell out more completely to Jesus!"

Those are words worth reading and re-reading. But more importantly, we should, like Keith, be able to say that our lives provoked others to sell out more completely to Jesus."

Worship Leaders Conference

This week I volunteered at the National Worship Leader's Conference that was held in Austin. The conference, which featured several top worship leaders and speakers, had an attendance of over 1500 people from all over the U.S.
Some of the musicians for the week were Jeremy Riddle, Mac Powell, Fernando Ortega, Philips, Craig and Dean, GB5, Jeff Deyo, and Ana Laura to name a few. Some of the speakers who spoke this week were Scotty Smith, Marcus Witt, Steve Berger and Francis Chan.

As a volunteer, my "job" was to pick up some of the "artists" at the airport and take them to the hotel and to transport one back to the airport. Monday night I picked up Marcus Witt at the airport and then took him back Tuesday (after he spoke). Marcus is the pastor of the Spanish congregation at Lakewood church in Houston, the largest Spanish congregation in the world. He is also a musician traveling around the world singing and ministering to thousands of people. He recently sang for 15,000 at the Staple Center in L.A. He also has sung in Mexico and Latin America. Marcus, besides being a gifted speaker and musician, owns the largest Spanish record company in the world.

Marcus spoke from Revelation 4 about and to worship leaders. He had good insight into the scripture. Steve Berger brought a message about character and how we are to fear God. Then today, Francis Chan brought a stirring message from Revelation 3 (primarily). He challenged the church to live what the Word of God teaches. The church, for too long, has been "hearers of the Word" and not "doers of the Word."

It was a very good week, even though I didn't get to attend all the sessions. I was able to make much of the week. I was challenged by the speakers I heard. I was also blessed by some of the finest Christian musicians. It's always good to hear and worship with Philips, Craig and Dean.

Psalm 17

Today I was reading a short commentary on Psalm 17. It is written by one of my favorite authors, Warren Wiersbe. Dr. Wiersbe is the author of the "Be" series; commentaries on several books of the Bible. He presently lives in Lincoln, Nebraska where he is still writing.

Psalm 17 is one of the many psalms written by King David. Dr. Wiersbe says the psalm can be summarized in three words: "hear me, hold me, and hide me." It is the last of those that I want to center my thoughts. David writes in Psalm 17:8: "Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings."

A shadow is not very good protection. It does provide some shade on a hot summer's day, but it doesn't provide protection. But notice that David doesn't ask for any shadow, for he says: "hide me in the shadow of your wings." These are not just any wings, it is the shadow of God's wings; on that you can depend.

Dr. Wiersbe says that these wings were the wings of the cherubim in the Holy of Holies. David was saying, "I'm coming into the Holy of Holies. I'm coming to the very throne of God. Please hide me and hold me and hear me."

The image that David is using is the image of a bird, who provides shelter and protection under it's wing for it's young. Wiersbe says: "God's protection has far greater purposes than helping us avoid pain; it is to make us better servants for Him. God also protects us by guiding us through painful circumstances, not only by helping us escape them."

Deuteronomy 32:27 says: "The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasing arms."

David concludes the psalm in verse 15 by saying: "And I - in righteousness I will see Your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing Your likeness." David found protection and provision for his every need in the "shadow" of God's "wings." That protection and provision came in the presence of the "eternal God," in the Holy of Holies.

Of the World

I have begun reading a new book. I try to always find something to blog about when I'm reading. The new book is: "Comeback Churches -How 300 churches turned around and yours can too."

In the first chapter of the book, while the authors are trying to lay the foundation, I read this sentence. "It's ironic that most evangelical churches are filled with people who live very much like the world but look different from it. It should be exactly the opposite. We should look similar to those in our community but act differently."

Those lines immediately struck a chord with me. I stopped reading further and reread those lines. The authors go on to comment that our church members "engage in the same lifestyles and sins as the unchurched." The church today has ceased to follow biblical commands.

We can't tell the difference between the churched and the unchurched, so how are we as the church supposed to be able to reach the unchurched? The Bible says that we are to be "peculiar" people. We are to live differently so the unchurched can see the difference Christ has made in our lives. When our lifestyles are the same as the unchurched then Christ can't be seen.

Is it any wonder why our churches are not growing? How can the church reach the unchurched when the church acts like the unchurched? She can't!

Evangelical churches need to become just that - 'evangelical.' The world needs to see that we live and act differently; then and only then will they be able to see Jesus and the change that He can make in their lives.

Wedding

I survived! That is my response to the weekend. For those who don't know, Megan and Clay tied the knot this past weekend. What a interesting and stressful time it has been in the past several months. I have tried to keep my mouth shut, which has been a very difficult thing to do. Needless to say, it has been stressful around the house.

The wedding and the reception were beautiful, if I must say so myself. I can say that because I had so little to do with it. The only thing I had to do was show up at the wedding and keep my mouth shut. Everthing went off without a hitch.

One of the good things about the wedding was being able to visit with family and friends that we don't get to see often. I was able to visit with some friends that we haven't seen in several years. One of those was my old roommate from college days. I was able to visit with him, his wife, one of his daughters and his niece. Even though it was a short visit, we enjoyed the time.

It was also good to visit with some former church members who have moved to other places. It was good to see some of these former members. We have lost touch with some of them, so the short visit was good. All of these former members are educators who have moved on to bigger and better things.

On a personal note, I must confess that my daughter was a beautiful bride. I already knew what a pretty girl, now young lady, she is, but to be able to walk such a beautiful bride down the aisle was an honor. I also made it though most of the weekend without too many tears.

I also must confess that when I received a text message from her on Father's Day, it brought tears to my eyes. Just knowing that she took time between flights to send me a text, made Father's Day very special. I also got to spend some time with my son Sunday afternoon. Just driving to and from Austin was a special couple of hours with my son.

I am a fortunate man to be able to have two such great children. My wife and I are trully blessed by God.

Friend of God

Jesus, a day before He was to be crucified, met with His disciples. The Gospel of John records those moments in John 14 - 17. It is in that context, following Jesus' teaching about the vine and the branches, where Jesus says: "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." Those are amazing words from our Savior. He changed the relationship with the disciples in that special moment.

Henry Blackaby says: "You did not choose to be a friend of God. This is by invitation only. Only two people in the Old Testament are referred to as being a "friend of God." Abraham walked with God to the extent that God referred to him as His friend (Isaiah 41:8). Moses spoke to God face to face as a man speaks with a friend (Exodus 33:11)."

Phillips, Craig and Dean have recorded a song, "Friend of God," written by Israel Houghton.
The song says:

Who am I that You are mindful of me?
That You hear me when I call
Is it true that You are thinking of me?
How You love me
It’s amazing

Chorus:
I am a friend of God
I am a friend of God
I am a friend of God
He calls me friend

What we need is to have such a special friendship with God - one that is totally devoted to Him - and that we have such an intimate relationship with the Almighty, that God would call us His friend. If you cannot describe yourself as a friend of God, commit yourself to seek after God with all your heart.

Mabel

I have just started reading a new book titled, "The Life You've Always Wanted," by John Ortberg. Ortberg is the Senior Pastor at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in Menlo Park, CA. The subtitle of the book is: "Spiritual Growth for Ordinary People."
In the book Ortberg relates a story from a friend of his. This friend was visiting a nursing home speaking to some of the residents. While moving from wheelchair to wheelchair he met Mabel. He spoke to her and offered her a flower and said: "Happy Mother's Day!" Mabel's response surprised him. She said, "May I give it away?" The man rolled Mabel over to another group of wheelchairs where she proceeded to give the flower to a lady and said, "This is from Jesus."
The man, moved by Mabel's response, began to visit with her two or three times a week. He learned that Mabel was blind, nearly deaf, had cancer that had caused her mouth to droop due to what the cancer had done to her face. He learned that she had been in the nursing home for 25 years, shortly after she had become blind.
Mabel lived on a farm with her Mom. After her Mother passed away, Mabel continued to take care of the farm. But when she became blind she, and unable to care for the farm any longer, she moved into the nursing home. He also learned that she had few visitors, lived in a room with other ladies that were in worst shape than she. The other ladies in Mabel's room, moaned and groaned most the day, every day. But Mabel never complained.
While reading the Bible to her, he would pause while reading, but she would continue to speak the passage by memory. He asked her one day about her life and her response was: "Jesus is all the world to me." Mabel began to sing:

"Jesus is all the world to me, My life, my joy, my all;

He is my strength from day to day,

Without Him I would fall;

When I am sad, to Him I go; No other one can cheer me so;

When I am sad, He makes me glad; He's my friend."

I began to think: here is a lady, obviously afflicted with pain and physical problems who had found her contentment in Christ. Mabel had discovered what the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 4:11: "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." She was content because she had been transformed by her Savior. Nothing in life mattered to her but Jesus.

That reminded me of a man in Jena, LA where I served for 12 years. He lived alone when he suffered a stroke. He laid in his house for a day or two unable to reach anyone, or they reach him. He stayed in the hospital for weeks until they moved him to the nursing home. Every time I visited with him - he couldn't communicate with you - he would just babble. But I noticed something. When we would sing an old hymn he would sing along with us. He knew every word. He couldn't communicate with anyone - but he could still sing about his faith in God.

We might not have understood him, but in his head he do what he was saying and singing.
We need to be like Mabel and others like her who can sing:

"Jesus is all the world to me,

My life, my joy, my all."

C.S. Lewis

I came across an interesting quote from C.S. Lewis. This quote comes from his last sermon, titled "A Slip of the Tongue." Lewis says: "Our temptation is to look eagerly for the minimum that will be accepted. We are in fact very like honest but reluctant taxpayers. We approve of an income tax in principle. We make our returns truthfully. But we dread a rise in the tax. We are very careful to pay no more than is necessary. And we hope - we very ardently hope - that after we have paid it there will still be enough left to live on."
Later Lewis adds these words: "It is not so much of our time and so much of our attention that God demands; it is not even all our time and all our attention; it is ourselves. For each of us the Baptist's (John the Baptist) words are true: 'He must increase and I must decrease.' He will be infinitely merciful to our repeated failure; I know of no promise that He will accept a deliberate compromise. For He has, in the last resort, nothing to give us but Himself; and He can give that only insofar as our self-affirming will retires and makes room for Him in our souls. Let us make up our minds to it; there will be nothing "of our own" left over to live on, no "ordinary life."... He claims all, because He is love and must bless. He cannot bless us unless He has us. When we try to keep within us an area that is our own, we try to keep an area of death. Therefore, in love, He claims all. There's no bargaining with Him."

Future Generations

The Southern Baptist Church Music Conference is meeting this summer in Orlando, Florida. This years conference theme is based on Psalm 102:18, which reads: "Let this be recorded for future generations, so that a people not yet born will praise the Lord." I was immediately struck by the verse. The thought hit me - "what am I doing 'so that a people not yet born will praise the Lord?'"
As a minister am I doing anything that will make an impact on future generations? Not that I am significant, by any means, but am I making an impact on either the church I serve or on an individual that will cause someone not yet born to praise the Lord?
We need to be people who live in two worlds - the present and the future. Obviously we must live in the present, but we also should be seeking to make a difference in and to future generations.
I was reminded of a song by 4Him, entitled "For Future Generations." The lyrics of the chorus are significant for us to consider. "I won’t bend and I won’t break, I won’t water down my faith; I won’t compromise in a world of desperation. What has been I cannot change, But for tomorrow and today, I must be a light for future generations."
That song says it so well. We must be a generation that "won't bend," "break" or "compromise." We must be a "light for future generations."
Are we saying, singing, or writing something that will be recorded "for future generations, that a people not yet born will praise the Lord?"

GROW

Tonight we had GROW, which is a weekly visitation program for our church. Roger and I had made an appointment with a couple that have been visiting our church. The couple have lived in the area about a year. The man has been a pastor of a church in a neighboring state. He resigned that church and the Lord didn't open another pastorate for him.
They have moved to the area to open a ministry to children who are suffering from cancer or have other illnesses. Their ministry is to minister to children through animals.
This couple have four horses, 2 donkeys, 4 dogs, a couple of cats, several goats, and numerous chickens. They plan to have children come to the farm and help feed the animals. The animals are then used as therapy for the children.
It is exciting to visit with a couple who love the Lord and have a plan to minister to children in this way. Everyone is gifted by God in different ways. Our purpose is to allow the gifts that God has given us to minister to others. For this couple it is ministering to children through animals. For others it may not involve children or animals.
This couple has responded to God's call for their lives by being available to what He has for them. We need to be available whenever we sense the call of God on our lives.

Mercy

I have just started reading another book. The book is Max Lucado's newest book entitled, "Every Day Deserves a Chance." This morning I was reading the chapter "Mercy for Shame-Filled Days." Max is writing about the thief on the cross who asked Jesus, "remember me when you enter your kingdom."
Max writes: "What does the thief see now? He sees a son entrust his mother to a friend and honor a friend with his mother. He sees the God who wrote the book on grace. The God who coaxed Adam and Eve out of the bushes, murderous Moses out of the desert. The God who made a place for David, though David made a move on Bathsheba. The God who didn't give up on Elijah, though Elijah gave up on God. This is what the thief sees."
A thought hit me when I read this paragraph - "What a merciful and grace-full God." Yes, He did "write the book on grace." God can use a man who committed murder. He can use a man who commits adultery. Not only is it amazing that God could use Moses and David, but that He has "chosen" to use me.
Why would such a grace-full God choose to use me? What do I have to offer Him? He could have chosen to use anyone, but He chose to use me. I don't have anything to offer Him - but He chooses to use me. God, in His grace, has chosen to work through people that are inadequate, weak, and sinful. But God takes that inadequacy, adds His power, and can use someone like me. That is grace. That is mercy. That is God.
Jesus says in John 15:16: "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last." He has chosen to use us to "bear fruit" that will bring Him honor and glory.
Max continues in that same chapter by saying: the thief "hears the official language of Christ: grace. Undeserved. Unexpected. Grace. "Today you will join me in paradise." God offers us grace, simply because He has chosen to. It's His language - the language of grace.
Not only do we need to hear that language of grace, but we also need to learn to speak the language of grace. What would happen to those around us if we learned to speak the language of grace?

Intimacy

Sometimes it takes me a while to get the picture. I'm not naive, but a little slow or thick headed. I think God is trying to tell me something, but I'm a little slow understanding or maybe just stubborn. (Maybe both)
That is what I have been feeling in past couple of days. I have been reading Dr. Stowell's book "Radical Reliance." The author is trying to help the reader grasp the length that God goes to have an intimate relationship with his children. He uses Revelation 3 and other passages to drive home his point.
With that as a background you will understand what I mean when I tell you what I have been studying this past couple of days. It started this week as I prepared for the Adult Sunday School lesson. The lesson for this Sunday was from John 14. What a great chapter! Jesus tells His disciples (and us) theses words: "where I am there you may be." God wants intimacy with us even beyond our time on this earth as we will spend eternity with Him.
The Adult Sunday School lesson for next Sunday is a lesson from John 15. Another great chapter. I spent a few hours studying the lesson yesterday.
Jesus says, "If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit. Apart from Me you can do nothing."
It became obvious to me that God wanted me to learn this lesson of intimacy with the King. He wants me to "remain in Him." When will we learn that "apart from Me (God) you can do nothing?" God wants me (and all of us) to realize how much He loves us and wants to have an intimate relationship with Him.

Indescribable

While listening to Chris Tomlin's song "Indescribable" today I was once again struck by a phrase. On the Passion CD Chris sings the song live and he repeats a phrase over and over again. The phrase says, "You see the depths of my heart and You love me the same. You are an amazing God." I was immediately struck by the awesome, unchanging, unconditional, 'indescribable' love of God.
Being a parent I know something about unconditional love. My (I should say "our") children could do almost (notice that I said "almost") anything and I would still love them. That is different from the way that God loves me - His love is unconditional. Also, I would give my children almost anything they need - if I could afford it. That is different from the way God loves me - His resources are limitless.
That reminds me of another Tomlin song. "How can I keep from singing Your praise. How could I ever say enough, how amazing is Your love. How can I keep from shouting Your name. I know I am loved by the King, and it makes my heart want to sing." Tomlin (and Redman) say what I want to say, but in a much better way. When you realize that you are "loved by the King" that truly makes your "heart want to sing."
To what extent would you go to show your love to someone? God went to the extreme - "God demonstrates His love to us in this. While we were still sinners (enemies) Christ died for us." That is some kind of love. It is in Tomlin's words "indescribable," "amazing," "unchanging," and "unconditional." This week as we celebrate Easter - contemplate how much you are loved.

Revolution

I am in the process of reading "Revolution" by George Barna. Barna is examining the state of the church today. He states that millions of believers have moved beyond the established church and chosen to be the Church instead. I believe Barna is correct that believers are leaving the church. I have seen believers locally leaving the church for many of the same reasons that Barna discusses.
Though I believe that Barna is correct, I struggle with some of his conclusions. I have given my life to the local church - 27 years of full time service. For that reason and many others, I struggle with the book. Throughout my years of serving the local church I have seen many leave the church. Barna believes that these "revolutionaries" are strong believers even though they may not attend church. It is my experience that most people, when not associated with the local church, will cease growing spiritually and will eventually "backslide." It is my belief that a believer needs the local church as much as the church needs these "revolutionaries."
I believe that these "revolutionaries" are vital for the church to be the church. The church needs their spirit, their vibrancy. For the church to be everything that God desires, these "revolutionaries" are needed in the church and the church needs them.
I believe their is hope for future of the church or I would not be able to continue to serve the church. We really do need each other - the revolutionaries and the church. We seriously need to co-exist so that God can be glorified. I don't believe that God is honored by division of any kind. The church and the "revolutionaries" need to make the changes necessary for the two to co-exist and thus bring God glory.

Muldova

The Singing Men of South Texas (SMOST) are planning a trip this fall to Muldova. Muldova is a country that was a part of the former Soviet Union. It is located near Romania.
In preparation for that trip, our director of SMOST, invited a man who teaches at Wayland Baptist Univ. in San Antonio, to speak to us. This man, Bob, has a ministry in Muldova that teaches the Bible in the schools. Even though it is against the law to teach the Bible, his ministry has the permission of the Minister of Education of Muldova, to teach in the schools.
One of the interesting things that I learned about Muldova is that it is a country that is without morality. They do not have any semblance of right and wrong, because of the influence of Communism. As a result, business don't pay the taxes they owe (the country doesn't expect them to), which is 120 %. Obviously, a Christian has a difficult time being a believer and a business owner.
One story that I thought was especially good dealt with one of the Bible classes. Some boys were gambling with their cards and a teacher invited them to watch a video in the Bible class. They attended the class, and afterwards the teacher was looking for them, but they had already left the classroom. The boys, before leaving the room, had left the teacher their playing cards. They had been convicted by the Word of God through the video. Upon hearing about Jesus they had a sense of morality.
In a conversation with my Mom, I wondered how much is the United States like the country of Muldova? We hear in the news, almost daily, about events taking place that make it difficult to believe that someone could have a sense of morality. We hear of a young man who murders and dismembers his girlfriend because she was talking with other men. Have we lost a sense of right and wrong?

Blogging

Can you believe my son hooked me up with a blog? Now I will have to think of something to write.