The Rabbit Trails!

We Are Not God's Victims

2010-12-14T05:27:00.000-08:00

One question that often comes up when I am sharing my faith with someone or when I am trying to encourage a believer that is going through a difficult time is, “Why does God let bad things happen?” Others take a more oppositional stance saying, “I can never follow a God that would allow (insert bad thing here) to happen.”

It is not wrong to ask the question, “Why does God let bad things happen?” It is an honest question often asked as part of the maturation of a believer or the musings of a skeptic. It is also a question for which we do not have all the answers. Many times, as a pastor, my response is simply, “I don’t know. But I know that He still loves and cares for you even if it is difficult for you to see or feel it.”

We live in a fallen world. The world today is not the orderly creation God created in the beginning. This is not to say that we cannot see God’s order in creation. Certainly the Bible is true when it tells us:

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky proclaims the work of His hands. Day after day they pour our speech; night after night they communicate knowledge.” Psalm 19:1

The order of creation, from the atom to the cosmos, challenges even the most hardened skeptic to consider the thought of a Creator. But it is true that all is not as orderly as it could be. Cancers exist in the body. Food shortages on the earth lead to famines. Earthquakes shake violently and rip open the very earth upon which we stand. Wars abound. Nations fight nations and families are ripped apart. Babies die. Terrorists kill thousands—delusional in their belief that they are doing the work of God. It is not as it was in Eden; creation is not in a state of perfection. Sin destroyed that order and peace.

All of creation is under the curse of the fall. All of creation experiences the pains of our sin which has been passed on to each of us by Adam and Eve. There is no human without sin and there is no sin without consequence. Those consequences multiply and magnify each other so that we no longer experience creation as God designed it in the beginning.

To complicate our understanding, we know that God is sovereign over His creation. We know Him to be omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent. There is nothing to know that He does not already know. The future is to Him just as the past is. He transcends time and space and could, if He desired, change everything so that all would be bliss. But that bliss would come at a cost. The cost would be our free agency to choose and the capacity to love. A robotic life would not be blissful and would be inferior to what He has designed for us.

From time to time, I meet someone who asks the question with an angry tone in the inquiry. Whether the person has experience a painful loss, deep hurt, betrayal or any other of the challenges common to man, the implication is, “God could have done something about this, but He didn’t. Therefore, I will not follow Him or believe in Him.” Such anger is common, but is truly misplaced. This mentality assumes mankind to be the victim of God.

We are not God’s victims. He is not a malevolent being that desires to see our hurt and pain. Quite the opposite is true. He desires to bless us; He desires a loving relationship with us. In fact, the question also demonstrates blindness to a certain reality and truth. The real question should be, “Why does God put up with us?”

We are unfaithful to Him. We betray him on a regular basis with the choices we make in our lives. We deny Him with our silence about Him. We ignore Him except when we realize we need Him (usually as a result of our own sinfulness). We fail to worship Him, commune with Him and give to Him. We are all recipients of his common grace. Through faith in Christ, believers receive a special grace, the forgiveness of our sins; release from the eternal consequence of our sinfulness.

We must never forget that we are not worthy recipients of grace. We must never delude ourselves in thinking that we are inherently good and worthy of some merit. We are not. What difficulties come our way, whatever they may be, are never what we deserve…for we deserve destruction. Instead we get a measure of grace—lots of amazing grace.

One day, those who have placed their faith and trust in Christ, will find everlasting peace in a place filled with perfection as stand in the very presence of God in all of His glory. As Paul writes:

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us. For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation for God’s son’s to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to futility—no willingly, but because of Him who subjected it—in the hope that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage of corruption into the glorious freedom of God’s children. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now. And not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits—we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. Now in this hope we were saved, yet hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with patience.” Romans 8:18-25 HCSB

We struggle today in a groaning creation. We see our own sinfulness and the sin of the world and ask, “Why does God allow anything good to come my way?” But for the common grace of God, none of us could stand. But with the special grace given through faith in Christ, we who believe will one day be set free from this world and its groanings, transformed gloriously into the likeness that God intended for us in Eden. But until then we wait. Patiently. We are not His victims. We are the benefactors of His Son. We wait for our inheritance.

Worldly Advice About Children and Debt

2010-11-22T05:31:00.000-08:00

Last week I was browsing an article from a local magazine, Kin, (December 2010) published by the St. Joseph News-Press. I wish I could find a link to share, but I cannot find it online. In an article dealing with children and debt I found some advice that startled me.

A local CPA was interviewed and offered the following advice, "Kids should get credit cards with low rates at an early age so they understand how they work."

Certainly we need to train our children in the proper stewardship of money, but the better alternative is to teach a child to live independently from credit. Having made mistatkes with debt in my own life, I am convinced we would be better to teach our children lessons about savings, paying with cash, and living within their means than teaching them how to manage credit--teaching them a longer view of life. The pleasures of the moment drive our culture. That should not be the value we teach our children.

Who Will Show Them a Father?

2010-11-16T13:43:00.000-08:00

Ten years ago I had the joy of serving as a youth pastor. I recall one Wednesday evening during a busy week that I had not had significant time to prepare for the evening’s Bible study time. I looked through all the videos in my bookshelf to find an option and came across a video to share with a bunch of seventh and eighth-grade boys. I cringed as I pulled the video from the shelf because I hated the whole “Bible study in a box” approach to ministry. Nevertheless, it was what we were going to do that night.

Next to senior adults, teenagers are often the most difficult and rewarding to minister to, in my opinion. As I started the video, I realized that most of the boys seemed not to be paying any attention to the show. They were squirrely that night. They talked, giggled like girls, and picked on each other. I remember wondering if they were getting anything out of the study.

I don’t recall the title of the video or the plot in the story, but I do recall when I thought the boys had nearly pushed my very last button that something extraordinary happened. In the video, a man speaking to one of the boys in the video said, “the reason you have such a hard time accepting a heavenly Father that loves you is because you have never known the love of a father in your own life.”

The room went silent. In that moment I learned three things. First, junior-high boys can multitask. Secondly, sometimes they ARE listening when you don’t think they are. Third and most importantly, most don’t know the love of a father and it pains them deeply.

My heart breaks for the boys in our culture that have never known their father. Many of them are products of broken marriages with dead-beat dads who were more concerned about their own pleasures than meeting the needs of a spouse and family. A few have lost their fathers through death especially in the youngest of our boys whose fathers have fought overseas. Many are not given the opportunity to see their father due to court arrangements that often unfairly favor the mother. Some, through loose living of their mother do not even know who their father is or which partner of her past might be their father. Others only know their father’s abusive words and hands.

A couple of weeks ago I read a social-networking post of a teenage boy that was nervous because he had found his father and was going to meet him for the first time. I never heard how that meeting turned out as I do not know the young man. I would not be surprised if the boy was more disappointed after the meeting.

Our heavenly Father is not like so many of our earthly fathers. Our heavenly Father never leaves us. He is our provider and protector. He loves us. He never ignores; never abuses. His word it true and His promises are never broken. He forever loves His bride. He is the supreme example of fatherhood for each of us.

My heart breaks for the broken teen-aged boys who do not understand what God has designed and intended for them. I believe God’s heart breaks too. Consider the following Scripture passages that reveal God's heart.

"...(God) helps the fatherless and the widow." Psalm 146:8

“A father of the fatherless and a champion of widows is God in His holy dwelling.” Psalm 68:5

I am blessed to have a father that modeled for me what it meant to provide for and protect his family. I pray that my children are blessed as I strive to be the father God has called me to be to them.

Only a father can teach a boy what it means to be a man. Only a father can correct and guide a boy into the passage of adulthood. A father is the only one that truly teach a boy how to love a woman and be a faithful husband. This is not to depreciate the many, wonderful, single mothers in the world. But no matter how great the mother is, she is not a father.

Certainly boys aren’t the only ones who suffer from an absent father and I am not ignoring the fact that little girls are hurt by absent fathers too. I am also cognizant of the fact that there are many girls and boys that are being raised without a mother. It is my observation though that our boys are being damaged by our fatherless culture more than anyone else.

Knowing that we have so many broken families and fatherless homes, I pray the church will rise to help single mothers by partnering in ministry to them. Our hearts should echo the heart of God in brokeness. No one can replace a father in a boy’s heart but we can provide godly examples for them to look up to and follow. We can show them the love of the Father in us. The church can encourage young men to be the fathers that God has called them to be by demonstrating the way in our own homes. We can show young fathers and boys that real men love God and love others. The expression of love is not weakness but strength. Who will show them a father? Who will show them the Father?

My God Doesn't Need Me to Burn Books

2010-09-13T11:46:00.000-07:00

I serve a big, big God. My God is large enough and powerful enough to speak the universe into existence. My God is above the heavens and wider than the most powerful of telescopes could ever see. There is no one like Him.

There are many others that men have called gods. In ancient times they were called by names such as Ra, Baal, Asherah, and Zeus. Sometimes, they went without names. Sometimes man would name a stupid, carved-out stick as a god. Today, they are given names such as Allah. In any case, they are all worthless and small, and only exist in the minds of those so deceived and deluded to believe in them. Hope is not found in dead idols but, rather, in the Living God through Jesus Christ.

Because my God is real and living I do not have to fear the religion of others, nor do I have to stoop to the point of proving it through ridiculous means. Recently, a so-called pastor from Florida thought he would do God a favor and burn many copies of the Koran. I’m not sure just what he thought he would be proving, but if He knew the God that I know, it would be totally unnecessary. My God does not need those books burned to prove Himself. In fact, He has sent those of us that know Him to be the light of the world, with the Gospel message on our lips wherever our feet should take us.

Fortunately the Florida pastor called it off, but I suspect the FBI and Pentagon had greater influence on that decision than the man’s wisdom did. Unfortunately, it did not stop others from acting as ignorantly and to the glee of an biased, main-stream media looking for any reason to blame Christians for the source of their troubles. (Why else would the media give such inordinate attention to an otherwise unheard of pastor of a 50 member church?)

When others protest my God in Arab-Muslim nations and burn the Bible, I do not get outraged. I do not demand apologies or seek reparations of self-perceived and falsely claimed damages. Why not? Because the burning of books does not diminish my God. The fact is, evil men were the instruments God used to place His own son on the cross. The Bible is His inspired Word—His revelation of Himself to humanity. It is not just another book but I can always print more of them.

Persecution has never slowed the work of my God and His church. In fact, God often used it as a catalyst for growth of His kingdom. He doesn’t need my defense. I’m also confident that the vengeance my Lord will pour out upon them is far more just and severe in its delivery than any speech or demonstration I can pour forth against them. And, He will judge them! But, I pray they would repent and receive forgiveness rather than their just reward in Hell.

In contrast, when a deluded pastor who thinks he’s serving God burns the Koran, the Muslim nations that hate us rise up in great offense. They demand apologies and burn us in effigy. They call it an act of war. They prove the smallness of their god. They prove the inferiority of their faith. When they imprison and slaughter Christians in the name of Allah, they show that their god is so much smaller than my God that there can be no comparison.

It is true that the Scriptures record a Christian book burning. In Acts chapter 19, the account is told of many sorcerers in Ephesus coming to faith in Christ. When the sorcerers became believers they burned their own books as a demonstration of their repentance and new faith in Jesus. They weren’t commanded to burn them nor did they burn the books of anyone else. It is not the same as what the fool in Florida wanted to do. This is not what God has called us for.

My God loves me, desires me, even uses me…in spite of me! I am by my own nature a wretched sinner. Even so, He loved me so much that He veiled Himself in flesh, in the person of His Son, to live a sinless life as a man and accepting the limitations of the flesh. He lived 33 years on this earth to die a cruel death on the cross at the hands of ignorant, sinful men. He died, paying the penalty of sin as a righteous substitute for men that could never acquit themselves of their sin. Three days later God raised Him from the grave that I could live forever if I would simply trust Him. He has forgiven my sin and I have cast myself into His mercy and salvation where He holds me forever in the palm of His hand. He has called me that I might call others to have true, eternal life in Him.

My God is life and to be separated from Him is death. Allah is no god. He is not even dead because he has not existed. He is false and his "words" in the Koran are a lie. Therefore, he can do nothing but lead to death. I do not need to defend my God or demonstrate against something that is not real. (I may need to protect my wife, children and country from people who do not agree with me, but that’s for another blog.) My God has always been my confidence and the palm of his hand secures me from whatever evil may come my way. I have no reason to burn books but every compulsion to give an answer to anyone who asks me for reason for the hope that is in me. His name is Jesus…and He is THE Living God and the One to whom we will all give an answer.

Beck: An Inconsistent Mormon

2010-09-07T11:42:00.000-07:00

For all the comment about Glenn Beck and his astoundingly successful “Restoring Honor” rally in Washington D.C. one glaring truth and inconsistency must be addressed. This involves the inconsistent position of Glenn Beck’s religious organization, the Mormons, and his own ecumenical approach on the stage that day with the introduction of his Black-Robed Regiment.

Glenn Beck is a professing Mormon (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints). Though the group refers to itself as a Christian church, it is largely rejected, and rightly so, as a church with orthodox beliefs. The Jesus of Mormonism is not the Jesus of the Bible and the historic Christian church.

The Mormon faith was brought to us by a man named Joseph Smith. Smith tells us in his own writings that at the age of 14, after struggling to know which church to join, he received a vision from God in which he was told that no church on the face of the earth was true. Joseph Smith wrote in the Pearl of Great Price, Joseph Smith History,

18 My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)—and which I should join.

19 I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: “they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.”

20 He again forbade me to join with any of them; and many other things did he say unto me, which I cannot write at this time. When I came to myself again, I found myself lying on my back, looking up into heaven. When the light had departed, I had no strength; but soon recovering in some degree, I went home. And as I leaned up to the fireplace, mother inquired what the matter was. I replied, “Never mind, all is well—I am well enough off.” I then said to my mother, “I have learned for myself that Presbyterianism is not true.” It seems as though the adversary was aware, at a very early period of my life, that I was destined to prove a disturber and an annoyer of his kingdom; else why should the powers of darkness combine against me? Why the opposition and persecution that arose against me, almost in my infancy?

As a Mormon, Beck has surely read this account and been made familiar with it.

Further, Brigham Young, the second prophet of the Mormons, succeeding Joseph Smith at his death, wrote,

"Should you ask why we differ from other Christians, as they are called, it is simply because they are not Christians as the New Testament defines Christianity" (Journal of Discourses 10:230).

Orson Pratt, an early leader of the Mormons and an member of the original Quorum of Twelve Apostles, a select group of the highest leaders in the LDS organization, proclaimed:

"Both Catholics and Protestants are nothing less than the 'whore of Babylon' whom the Lord denounces by the mouth of John the Revelator as having corrupted all the earth by their fornications and wickedness. Any person who shall be so corrupt as to receive a holy ordinance of the Gospel from the ministers of any of these apostate churches will be sent down to hell with them, unless they repent" (The Seer, p. 255).

The foundation of Mormonism was Joseph Smith’s belief that all churches except his are apostate.

The Mormons believe that Joseph Smith is a true prophet. In fact, members of the church must publicly affirm that they believe in Jesus Christ and affirm their belief that Joseph Smith was a true prophet.

If the organization that Glenn Beck affirms as a church is true, then his public display of ecumenical zeal, commendations for the faith of those who do not share his faith, and praise for non-LDS churches around the nation should be an abomination to the Mormons. If he truly rejects the position of the Mormon churches and the opinions of Joseph Smith, then he should not be a member of the Latter-Day Saints organization either.

The display at Beck’s rally with the hundreds of clergy from around the United States as his backdrop would have been an abhorrent scene to Joseph Smith. Yet Beck proposes this to be the reason for hope in America—the unity of Christians. The only unity Joseph Smith ever called for in Christendom was to see all churches repent and become believers in Mormon doctrine. The message of Beck would not have resonated with Joseph Smith.

Further complicating Beck’s cause is the unfulfilled prophecies of his prophet, Joseph Smith. In his lifetime, Smith prophecied that Jesus Christ would return before he was 85 years old. Smith never lived to be 85 and Christ did not return. Among many other unfulfilled prophecies of Smith was the British involvement in the civil war. In fact, he predicted that all nations would be involved in the war. History teaches the British never intervened in the civil war and it did not precipitate the first world war.

There are far more problems in all of this than this blog-entry has time to deal with, but it is clear from Scripture that the Mormons have obvious problems here. The Mormons attest to the King James Version of the Bible so I will quote from it in regard to the prophets: “When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously…” Deuteronomy 18:22

Joseph Smith was a false prophet, yet the Mormons continue to believe Smith and Beck with them. Joseph Smith is a fraud and so is the religion he founded. Beck’s speech and display leaves discerning minds with more questions than answers.

How can Beck believe that hope for change in America is found in faith and its churches, when the churches he espouses as our houses of hope are by his own faith founders’ accounts apostate and whores? Does Beck not really believe what his religious organization and those it reveres teaches?

Does Beck agree with his own church?

If he doesn’t agree with his own church, why would he stay with them?

Let me say that Beck is partly right. America’s hope will spring forth from the churches which boldly and rightly preach from the Word of God and when we place our faith in God. He is not right that the pulpit should be used for preaching right government. Rather, the pulpit should be used for preaching the right Christ.

It may begin to sound like a Beck-bashing blog here, but it should not be so. Like most conservative Mormons, I agree with Beck on a host of political and social issues. Like most Mormons I know, Beck has life marked by charity and good works. Beck has a lot of things right just not the most important thing.

He is just not right on this most important matter of faith. He said it was all “about going to a church or mosque or synagogue—just so you believe.” That is not a Christian position or a Mormon position either. The Christian knows that salvation is found in faith rightly placed in Christ alone. He is the only One that brings real hope and change.

I wish Beck would be true to whatever he believes. If he really believes Mormonism, then live it completely, openly and consistently. I will not deny him that right. But if he does not agree with them and embraces the fundamental, orthodox doctrine of so many of the churches represented in the Black-Robed Regiment, then leave the LDS.

The church should be a beacon of hope for a lost and dying world, and its members should be sounding forth the Gospel loud and clear. But not everything that calls itself a church is a church and Beck’s Black-Robed Regiment is confusing on many fronts.

The Curious Man: Glenn Beck

2010-09-01T10:51:00.000-07:00

I enjoy the sport of national politics. Sometimes the news cycle gives us the equivalent of a junior-high volleyball game with little or no game to watch. Other days are like watching the most competitive of serious rugby games—an aggressive, even bloody sport.

In each sport there are stand-out and even controversial players. Whether it is a Dennis Rodman or Albert Pujols, accolades or condemnations fly at them and against them, and often times they receive both depending on the persuasions of the various speakers.

Perhaps the greatest lighting rod in American life today and its national conversation is Glenn Beck. Beck is a curiosity. He is a man tackling serious issues on radio, television, internet and print; leading rallies of upwards to half a million people. He is a comedian and entertainer. He is an emotional man with great passion and love for the nation. He has also marketed himself very, very well. His television show is one of the most boycotted amongst advertisers, yet his afternoon show on Fox News channel garners more viewers than all of his cable competitors in the same time-slot combined, and garners more viewers than most of Fox News Channel’s evening lineup. He is a master at so many things. But what is he?

He is certainly a media phenomenon. 300,000-500,000 people attended his recent rally at the Lincoln Memorial. Three million people view his show each day on Fox. He has a nationally syndicated radio show and six books in print. His following is sometimes nearly cult-like. He has been praised by Libertarians, Republicans, Independents and even some moderate Democrats. He has been indicted by the same. (The only ones who have never had anything good to say about him are the liberal-progressives.)

He is a nationalist and patriot that loves his country. Perhaps it would actually be more accurate so say that he loves the principles upon which this nation was founded and desires to see a return to them. He hates communism, socialism, and Marxism. He detests the attempts by some to make us into the type of nation U.S.S.R once was. Though he has essentially no formal post-secondary education, he is an ardent student of our nation’s founders. He is an intelligent man. Yet, in Beck’s mind, there is a conspiracy around every corner of American life. (Could it be?)

He is a powerful political figure. His friendship with Sarah Palin is enough to thrill many neo-cons, excite soccer moms and cause Democrats to start foaming at the mouth. The White House is scared of Beck. Beck’s investigations into Van Jones and other White House appointees have caused them to be wary of him. Indeed, the whole Shirley Sherrod debacle a few weeks ago exploded out of control when the White House got word that Beck was going to air her then “inflammatory remarks.” The irony is that Beck never aired it and the remarks were out of context. Nonetheless, Sherrod was wrongly fired that day, and Beck demonstrated his political influence over the most powerful office in the world without doing one thing.

Though he is not a religious leader, in his rally in Washington D.C., he took to the podium and called America back to God. He called Americans to prayer and charity—to faith in God. In doing so, he drew wide condemnation and praise. Many Christians around the country embraced his challenge. Evangelical leaders widely condemned his message of revival because of his beliefs as a Mormon and their belief that he lacks standing to issue such a challenge in a credible manner. Meanwhile, others praised him as God’s anointed prophet to the nation. Liberals decried his speech because he is not liberal and they hate everything he ever does or says. (Curiously, if the same message had been preached by an evangelical Christian, only a few Christian leaders would have argued about it.)

Whether you agree with Beck or not, he is a curious creature in American life. Some may argue he is simply an entertainer. Beck once described himself as a “rodeo clown.” Novelist Stephen King prefers to call him “Satan’s mentally challenged younger brother.”

Without a doubt, there is not a more interesting and curious man in public life today than Glenn Beck. Only the future will tell if he will be a great political leader far into the future or just another fad. But like him or not, he makes the game fun to watch.

My Desire for 2010

2009-12-31T18:43:00.001-08:00

I'm not one to make New Year's Resolutions. I never keep them more than a couple of days when I do, and what I resolve to do is usually the same thing I resolve to do the next year as well. Resolutions end up being a frustrating cycle of personal disappointments which usually find their source in my unwillingness to find the proper personal discipline to follow through.

With that said, there are some things I desire for the new year. Some of these things will require work on my part. Other will require prayer on my part and the work of others. All of them will require my God to strengthen me and enable others. Whatever the case, my desires for 2010 are as follows:

1. I desire to walk more closely with my Lord, Jesus Christ. Of all things, this is most important. He came, lived, suffered, died and rose from the grave for me. I owe all that I am to Him and Him alone. He desires me to be conformed to His image and I desire that continued transformation. Let there be more of Him and less of me.

2. I desire to love my wife and children more than I do today, and to be to them a greater husband and father. I am undeserving of their love and affections and thank God for the blessing of each of them.

3. I desire to love my church with an even greater love. New Harvest is very dear to me and I desire to see it grow and blossom as the church draws closer to the One who is the very Foundation of the church.

4. Though it has never been so, I desire to see a world free of conflict and war. I acknowledge that this will only truly happen when Christ returns but I desire to see it. I desire to see His return!!

5. I desire to see a nation that is not afraid to fight the battles that are necessary, right and just when necessary. I desire to see us do the things necessary to ensure the freedom and liberty of my children so that they may share the in the blessings that my parents, grandparents and I have enjoyed. This will require radical changes in our current government and leadership.

6. I desire to see those in our public life that would further bankrupt our nation removed from office and replaced by those who desire true reform. We have bankrupted our country financially and morally. I desire to see a political reformation in this country that dramatically takes us back to nearer what the founder's intended us to be. Political reformation will never change the heart of society, only Christ does that and we must proclaim His word. But in this country, we are governed by the people and for the people. We must do our part to direct the affairs of this nation. We must be willing to do what is necessary with our prayers, our letters, our voices, our influence and our ballots. That is the system God has given us to work with in this nation.

But above all, I will endeavor to be reminded that God is sovereign over the affairs of men; that nothing escapes His sight or power. I will not allow that to be an excuse for complacency or apathy, but appreciate the mystery of the interplay between His sovereignty and the free-agency given to me. I will continue to trust Him with my salvation, my family, His church, this nation, and all the other affairs of this world as I do my best to be obedient to Him.

To God alone be all the glory in 2010!

Our National Security Cannot Afford Political Correctness

2009-11-10T10:36:00.000-08:00

This week, Terrorist Nidal Malik Hasan shot and killed 13 people at Ft. Hood and injured many more. At the time of the incident it was unclear what had motivated this assault and there were many more questions than answers. At the risk of being called a racist, I confess that I immediately considered the carnage to be a logical outcome of radical Islam by a man with an Islamic name.

Now, I understand that we cannot convict a man for having a name that sounds like it could be used by an Islamic extremist, but I must also think that I am not the only one who considered the relationship between Hasan and radical Islam. I wondered to myself why the media was so quiet about even suggesting a relationship. It seems like it took days for someone to publicly ask the question in the media about the possibility of Hasan being a terrorist. Why?

The answer is "political correctness." No one wanted to suggest that a man might be a terrorist just because he shot people and had a Muslim name. The media was afraid to broach the subject even after it was reported by some that Hasan had shouted a Muslim phrase as he began shooting. It seems the media wasn't alone. Even the military and FBI dropped the ball.

According to news reports today, Hasan warned Army doctors that Muslim soldiers should be released from duty as conscientious objectors to the war on terror. Fox News reported that he had warned the doctors of the possibility of suicide bombings and other terrorist response from Muslims in the military if they were to be convinced that it is what Allah wanted for them.

Classmates of Hasan saw many warning signs. One classmate reportedly heard Hasan say, "I'm a Muslim first," and that he held Shariah law above the U.S. Constitution.

Add to that the reports that the FBI had been aware of Hasan for nearly a year and the problem is even greater. According to ABC news, the FBI had been aware of Hasan's attempts to contact Al-Quaida and his visits by 9/11 hijackers. Yet, for whatever reason, Hasan was promoted to Major and left alone to commit his vile acts against our military men and women.

What were they thinking? How could this be? One Air Force doctor is quoted by Fox News with the disturbing answer. He says, "The issue here is that there's a political correctness climate in the military. They don't want to say anything because it would be considered questioning somebody's religious belief, or they're afraid of an Equal Opportunity lawsuit."

Political correctness is deadly. We have reason to be suspect of any man or woman with a Muslim background, especially one that is in communication with known terrorists and terror groups. Why was he even allowed to walk freely, much more serve in our military with such KNOWN affiliations? Common sense demands action with such information. Political Correctness defies common sense.

For the record, I support racial and even religious profiling when it is likely such profiling will protect our country, my neighbors and my children. If you suspect that someone in Buchanan County claiming to be a Baptist pastor is a potential terrorist, I hope officials question me. I want the man who is the terrorist to be caught. There is no harm in that kind of profiling. Whether it is a black man in a gang-infested inner city area, an Russian man in place ruled by the Russian mafia, an Hispanic in an area over-run by illegal immigration, or a man in the military with a Muslim name, we should not be afraid to ask questions.

When we elevate political correctness to the point that it allows thugs like Hasan to engage in his acts of terror, we say that we value the civil rights of a few people over the national security of us all. That is a danger.

President Barack Hussein Obama said, the day of the shooting, "We must not rush to judgment." With the information available to him and those serving in the Army and Justice Department under him, I really wish someone would have used some judgment. Lives would have been saved by asking a few politically incorrect questions and using a pair of ordinary handcuffs.

For more on this see:
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/fort-hood-shooter-contact-al-qaeda-terrorists-officials/story?id=9030873
or
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,573547,00.html

What if He says, "Follow Me?"

2009-10-12T11:03:00.000-07:00

Imagine if Jesus had chosen to come in 1977 instead of 2000 years ago. Certainly many things would be different. He probably would not have walked around the Sea of Galilee. Rather, He would have ridden in a car. Perhaps the disciples would have traveled together in a large van, or taken public transportation together.

Communication would be very different as well. Mary and Martha would have used a cell phone to call John or Peter about Lazarus. Fox News and CNN would have carried the crucifixion of Christ on live TV and Fox would have reported the resurrection of Christ while CNN explained it away in a joint effort with National Geographic. Years later, the Gospels would be recorded on blogs instead of scrolls and Paul could have emailed his letters to the churches.

Yes, many things would have been different. But, I believe many things would have been the same. The message would be no different. Jesus would have said things like, "Whoever does the will of My Father in heaven, that person is My brother and sister and mother." (Matt. 12:50) Or, he would have said, "I am the way, the truth and life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6) He would have said, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

Likely, Jesus would have also offered the simple command, "Follow Me!"

And what would our response be? Would we say, "Here I am! I'll go wherever you lead me, no matter what the cost?" Would we offer ourselves unconditionally to Him?

Or would we offer the following? "Lord, I'll be happy to go with You. Let me just look at the calendar and see what nights I have free. The kids have sports practices every evening, so I can't really do much during the week. And, of course, we have a camping trip with the neighbors and the tickets to the big game this weekend, so we'll have to work around those things too. Not to mention the fact that I've got a big project at work that's going to take extra time somewhere here too. Can we wait until next week so that maybe the schedule would be a little easier?"

Perhaps we would say, "Jesus, that's sounds like an exciting adventure. I'll go with you! Let me just make sure the lawn is mowed, the flowers are all planted. It's going to be a nice weekend, so let me just get a few honey-do's knocked off this weekend before we go. Alright?" Jesus might respond, "Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head." (Luke 9:58)

Others of us might say, "You know, I would love to follow You, Jesus. But, truth is, I can't right now. Mom is sick, and I've pretty much put life on hold right now. She's really in her last days, and, well, you know, someone's got to take care of her. Heaven knows my ungrateful, deadbeat siblings won't do anything. I'll try to make it to church on Sunday, but I really can't even promise that right now." Jesus responds, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and spread the news of the kingdom of God!" (Luke 9:60)

Yet others will say, "I'm humbled by this invitation. It would be an honor. But, I'm not sure what my family's going to think. My neighbors are going to think I've flipped my rocker! Better give me some time to let it all sink in and help my family understand before I go. They're going to need some time to prepare for this and get things in order. I don't want them to think I don't care what they think! It's going to be hard to leave all this stuff behind too!" Jesus might text them back saying, "No 1 who puts his hand 2 the plow and looks back is fit 4 the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:62)

If Jesus were to say to us today, "Follow Me," He wouldn't be referencing His Twitter account. Instead, He would be telling us to give up everything: our desires, our selfish ambitions, the things that take our attention from Him, our time, our money, our all!

The truth is, Jesus IS telling us to follow Him today. He calls us to believe. He doesn't call us to follow for an hour a week, but he calls us to give all our time to him. All of our heart should belong to Him. He gave us everything on the cross of Calvary to the entirety of our being should be given to Him. Eternal life is not found in things we say about Jesus with our lips, but what we have done with Him in our hearts. Have we earnestly given Him everything, and followed Him in faith, or have we offered lip service? He's not asking us to make Him Lord for He already is Lord. He just calls us to recognize that in our own lives. We are not to be the Lord of our life, He is!

Paul might have posted the following status on his Facebook, "You are not your own, for you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and spirit which belong to God!" (I Cor. 6:19b-20) YOU were bought at a price. Not one hour of your week. Not just your sins. Not just your tithe. YOU...ALL of YOU. When He says, "Follow Me," he's calling you to a lifelong journey behind Him and beneath Him. It's the safest and best place to be. Really!

The 24 Laws of Lostology

2009-10-05T11:02:00.000-07:00

I came across this several years ago. It is a great little piece. Hopefully the author and publisher do not mind me sharing it. It is excerpted from John Kramp's book, Out of Their Faces and Into Their Shoes (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, Publishers, 1995), 185.

The 24 Laws of Lostology

1. Being lost can be fun.

2. No one gets lost on purpose.

3. It is easy to get lost.

4. You can be lost and not know it.

5. You cannot force people to admit they are lost.

6. Admitting you are lost is the first step in the right direction.

7. When you are lost, you are out of control.

8. Just because you are lost does not mean you are stupid.

9. It is tough to trust a stranger.

10. People ask for directions without revealing their true emotions.

11. Directions are always confusing.

12. Unnecessary details make directions more confusing.

13. A search reveals your values.

14. Searches are always costly.

15. Love pays whatever a search costs.

16. A search becomes your consuming priority.

17. A search is also lost-centered, not searcher-centered.

18. A search is urgent because the lost are in danger.

19. Coordinate resources to maximize the search.

20. Discouragement threatens a successful search.

21. Waiting is part of the search.

22. Successful searches do not always have happy endings.

23. If you are searching, the lost may find you.
24. Always celebrate when the lost are found.

A Mother's Sacrifice

2009-10-02T09:22:00.000-07:00

Few people understand sacrifice the way mothers do.

For nine months they carry expectantly the bundles of joy that will born to them. Even from those earliest days of a child's life (and yes, it is a life) a mother makes sacrifices for that pre-born baby. Her lifestyle changes, her eating habits change. She may stop working or going out as often to get more rest. Sometimes a difficult pregancy may require even extra sacrifices. Some mothers diagnosed with cancer will refuse chemotherapy during pregnancy for the sake of the baby.

Once a baby has been born, a mother will adapt her schedule to feed, bathe, and watch the child as he begins to crawl, toddle and get in to trouble. Not to discount the roles that dads may play, but few make the kind of sacrifices a mom does. Countless hours of sleep are lost because mom is still awake at night making sure the dishes are washed, clothes are folded and house straightened up after everyone else has gone to bed.

Over the years I have seen some remarkable mothers. I've watched mothers who would not eat just to see their children fed. Others would wear worn out clothes, so that their children would have shoes on their feet and school clothes in the fall. If you've ever seen a hungry child on TV you will often find a hungrier mother near that child if the child was not already orphaned. Sacrifice is a single-mom working three jobs--just trying to hold things together and shopping at four different stores with four children in tow just to find the best deals.

I have seen mothers in hospitals. Crying and praying over their children who were sick. Many were missing significant time from work and feeling the financial hardships. They were not going to leave their child to a nurse/doctor their child did not know.

Mothers will sacrificially protect their children. Recently, as a firefighter, I responded to an accident in which a drunk driver struck a vehicle with a mother and her children onboard. Instinctively, the mother turned her vehicle into the oncoming car so that the brunt of the collision would occur at the driver side of the vehicle, away from her children. Instinctive maternal sacrifice!

I've watched mothers sacrifice their career ambitions to home-school their children. Others take extra work to send their children to private schools and provide better opportunities. One mother I know now has school aged children and is just now going back to school, while her kids are in school, to get her degree. I applaud that sacrifice.

Sometimes we devalue the word "sacrifice" when we make it synonymous with inconvenience. There is a difference. Mothers who miss meals so that their children might eat are not inconvenienced, they are making sacrifices. A soldier (a mother's son) who dies on the battlefield is not inconvenienced...his life is given as a sacrifice, whether you agree with the cause or not. We find the ultimate sacrifice in Jesus. The cross was not an inconvenience.

So, should it surprise anyone that so many mothers are insulted when First Lady Michelle Obama referred on Wednesday to her upcoming trip to Denmark to pitch Chicago's Olympic bid a "sacrifice" for the kids. Not just on behalf of her kids, but kids in Chicago and the United States.

What does this say about her perspective of the world? An all-expense paid trip to Denmark aboard one of the largest "private" jets in the world isn't something everyone experiences. True enough, she wasn't by herself. She had to sit next to Oprah Winfrey. (Admittedly, that would be torture enough for me) Her husband the president would join her later aboard the largest private jet in the world. Most women I know would call that a vacation!!! No laundry to do. No dishes to wash. No finances to be concerned about. I'm sure most women would have settled just for the first-class flight in which every need was catered too!

And the disturbing point of this is simply this: if this is her perspective of the world, how can she possibly understand what it means to be an ordinary mom working her best to hold things together? It hearkens back to her husband's campaign gaffe of talking about the increased cost of arugula at the grocery store. (How many ordinary moms have priced arugula lately? How many of your local grocery stores actually carry the exotic lettuce?) They want to tell us they know what's best for us? They want to tell us they understand the needs and desires of regular people?

The only sacrifice in this trip came on the backs of American tax-payers and working moms. One Fox News guest referred to this as a Billy Mays Chicago pitch by Obama. One talking head estimated the trip cost $10,000,000. And what did we get? I'm sure our kids will appreciate the gesture as they pay the debt off in the future as I'm sure it was placed on our national tab. Whatever sacrifice she thought she was making was a sacrifice of the hard work and taxes of working moms across the country. We should hang our heads in shame.

Read Byron York's Editorial here:
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Michelle-Obama-Its-a-sacrifice-to-travel-to-Europe-to-pitch-for-the-Olympics--For-Oprah-and-the-president-too--But-were-doing-it-for-the-kids-62928957.html

My Response to the President's Address to our Children

2009-09-08T11:28:00.001-07:00

Today, the president spoke to hundreds of thousands of our public school children. Perhaps the most notable thing about the speech was that it was rather non-eventful. Certainly liberals will use the speech as proof that conservatives and others that do not trust the president are just living in "silly season." Silly as they make think us, I still object and respond with the following ponderings.

First, would the president's address have been as "policy-neutral" as it was delivered if those living in "silly season" had not spoken out? I think not. We saw Arne Duncan, the federal education secretary, retract the suggested lesson plans asking students how "they could help the president" and other topics. One spokesman downplayed the changes as just correcting a label and idea that was "inartfully worded." If there had been no outcry, there would have been no changes. Only a handful of people can know for certain what the presidential speech writers were cooking up ahead of time, but I suggest the evidence we've seen points to something less than a speech that was politically neutral.

Second, it is important to note that the U.S. Department of Education is way out line (and accordng to some, outside the law) in handing down lesson plans to local schools. The federal government is not to be interfering with public schools in such manner. I would be one to argue that the proper role of government is to have no role. Education should be governed locally and by the individual states, as it was for the first 200 years of our nation. But, I'm a realist and understand that such a large bureacracy is not going to go away. However, it should be held at bay.

Thirdly, I'm not objected to our students hearing the president. Inevitably our children should know who he is and hear him. I believe all of us should listen to our president. (The Bible tells to also pray for him) Opportunities like this address give us an opportunity to engage the policy and legislative ideas our country is wrestling over. I just don't believe those discussions belong in the classrooms of our nation's public schools which are led by teachers who may not hold the same perspectives of the parents of the children in those classrooms. It is my responsibillity as a parent to shape the values and ideas of my children, not a teacher, school administrator, bureaucrat, or politician. The best thing Obama could have done, which would have earned him the respect of even conservatives, would have been to offer the speech in prime-time for families to watch together at home.

Fourthly, I realize that two-thirds of high school students will be eligible to vote in the next election. We do not need our classrooms to be opened to one-sided presentations by a future political candidate. Many will say that I am again in "silly season" but I recognize that as a former student and a former teacher, that it is very easy to shape the minds of young people in discussions guided by a teacher determined to persuade a student to their point of view. Junior high and high school students are ill-equipped to counter the arguments and opinions of many of their teachers. Innocent or not, the president's speech opens our classrooms to such political invasions.

Lastly, the proper response of schools should have been to not show the speech, but offer an opportunity for parents to watch it with their children and discuss it together, or simply provide a web-link for parents to access it themselves. Many local schools in my area have done that. The school my children attend, St. Joseph Christian School, though private, offered a link through email that parents could view it with their children. Mid-Buchanan R-V, the public school my wife and I both serve, wisely did the same. Both of these schools are to be commended for a wise, family-honoring decision.

The issue is not the content of the message as it was ultimately delivered. Each of us want our kids to wash their hands, listen to their teachers, etc. The problem is that we cannot trust our president to always act in such a manner on his own, nor can we trust presidents of the future to do the same. It is a bad precedent to set. It does not matter whether the president is one I agree with or not, but it is proper for us to leave the potential for such one-sided political discussions out of the school house.

When One Member is Hurt or Missing it Affects the Whole Body

2009-09-04T11:23:00.000-07:00

"For the body is not one member, but many....And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it;..." I Cor. 12:14; 26a NASB

Last weekend, while working outside with my children splitting and stacking firewood, I cut the end of my right middle finger off. In one freak instant, a piece of wood I was splitting twisted in the splitter and with my hand on the side of it, instantly turned my hand 90 degrees and in between the log and the splitter rail. In that moment 28 tons of hydraulic pressure came bearing down on the end of my finger. I felt no immediate pain, but when my leather glove came off and I saw the mangled mess of my finger, my whole body reacted.

On the way to the hospital (my wife driving) the pain became intense. It felt as though my finger were still being smashed beneath the log. I began to have a hotflash followed by the darkening of everything. I was going into shock. As a firefighter and first responder I have treated patients experiencing shock, but had never before experienced it myself. My blood pressure was dropping.

I wasn't bothered by the sight, but the pain was excruciating. I was able to make it to the triage desk in the ER and fell into the chair. (I didn't have to wait in line.) They quickly got me in a bed in the ER and the doctors and nurses came and sewed the end of my finger back on and did as fine a job as anyone would have, I think.

Since then, my finger has been splinted and bandaged. At times it has throbbed, tingled and just plain hurt. However, even when it doesn't hurt, things are different. I can't type well...it is hard to reach the "i" key on the keyboard, though I have been able to learn to use other fingers to reach for keys. God has given talent as a musician but I cannot play the instruments I enjoy again yet. Everyday tasks are more difficult because I had an injury to the end of my finger. Some tasks, such as bearing down on a screwdriver or wrench are still impossible.

This got me thinking about the body of Christ...His church. We are all members, and every member is important. When even the body part that seems so small is removed, injured, or missing it affects us all. Great trauma in the church causes shock...and an inability to function. This is why we are to esteem others higher than ourselves, to look after and care for one another in godly love so that there will be divisions or amputations. When one small part of the church is unable to function properly, it affects the entire organism...the body. We must all work with great diligence together using our gifts and talents for His service.

I was also reminded at the amazing repair work God has allowed our bodies to accomplish through the healing processes. The tissues are repaired, infections are fought off, etc. We are to be the healing balms for the body of Christ as well. We are to help the injured and weak body members to become stronger.

The experience with my finger this week has reminded me that Christ's body needs each of its members. Are you causing trauma to the body? Are you a weak member? Are you helping others in the body by strengthening them and helping them in their weaknesses?

Just a rabbit trail worth exploring...

Memories to Last a Lifetime

2009-07-18T21:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, was a day my eight-year-old son will remember for the rest of his life. At least, that is what numerous dads and grandpas I know have said. A church member and dad told me this yesterday. A church member and grandpa told me this the day before yesterday. The guy at the funeral home where I preached a funeral today told me this. But most importantly, my son told me this yesterday, when he said, "Dad, this was one of the best days ever!"

Yes, it was. I agree.

We started in the morning at Cook Road in St. Joseph at the bridge over the 102 river. It was Jonathon and I and a good friend from our church who lives near the Agency Bridge over the Platte River where we would end the day. My friend would take our truck back to our finish point. Our mission was to take our 14 foot jon boat and float/fish/explore the 15 miles of river between Cook Road and Agency. The river moves at about 2-3 miles per hour and we knew, between stops to stretch out, eat, and fish, it would take all day. It did.

We caught no fish...but a fish caught us! Imagine Jonathon's excitement to see a four pound silver carp jump out of the water, hit his dad and fall into the floor of the boat! He'll never forget that!

We had to navigate through trees and rocks, nearly getting stuck a couple of times, wondering how we would make it through. We conquered the challenges!

We saw a family of ducks...a mama duck and her four ducklings and followed them in the river just a few feet behind them for about 200 feet. He thought that was neat. I did too. He thought it was neat to row a boat for the first time.

We talked about the facts of life a little bit for the first time when he wondered why two dragonflies were flying together like somebody glued them that way. He'll never forget that either.

We explored and found old railroad bridges we didn't know about, old bridges that no longer exist...only the concrete pillars remained. We saw others fishing and found some great holes to go back to someday. We found sandbars and beaches few people ever will see. He even got to swim in one of those places.

We reached our goal that evening with no fish but the smelly carp we drug along in our fish basket all day. After working hard to get the boat back in our truck and packing our things up, Jonathon said, "Dad, there are some things we forget when we get older, but I think I'll remember this the rest of my life. Can we do it again sometime?"

When we got home, his first assignment was to get a shower. When he finished in the basement I went down and took mine. As I was coming up the stairs from the basement, I found a note he had sneaked downstairs to place while I was in the shower. It said, "Thank you for taking me fishing in the river in a boat. You rock. I love you. I had fun. Thanks. Your son, Jonathon"

Yesterday was a day I will remember for the rest of my life.

Must you be a white man to be a racist?

2009-05-26T11:43:00.000-07:00

Today, our first black president chose a racist to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court. Yes, I said, "racist." Not only did he choose a racist in choosing Judge Sania Sotomayor for his first Supreme Court pick, but he chose a sexist as well. The American people should be disgusted.

Sotomayor COULD have been a good pick even if I disagreed with her ideology (which I do). Certainly, her upbringing demonstrates the very best that America has to offer. Her story is a rag to riches story that should make us all proud. She proves that race and gender are not barriers to becoming great in our nation. So why then would she make this statement?

Sotomayor: 'I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male'...

It seems she slipped in this statement. Sandra Day O'Connor, Justice Ginsberg used to say that they would hope that a woman and a man doing the same job as a justice could come to the same conclusions based upon the law. Sodomayor does not agree with the other women of the court.

Can you imagine a white man saying, "I would hope that a wise white man with the richness of his experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a Latino (or black, hispanic, etc.) female?"

Undoubtedly, the Democrats will give her a pass on this statement, since race and gender are factors when it comes to the treatment one receives in a Senate confirmation hearing. They give her a pass on the ruling she handed of reverse racism toward Frank Ricci of the NYFD.

We should be outraged. Good men and women died for our right to a free nation that affords us equal opportunity and equal justice under the law. Obama and Sotomayor do not respect such things. God help us!

Only from the child of a church planter

2009-04-09T18:00:00.000-07:00

My son Jonathon, a second grader at St. Joseph Christian School in SJ, MO came home with a handwriting worksheet. He had to write the answer to the following questions in cursive. Only a child of church planter working out of a home office would answer these questions this way:

Question: What is your pastor's name?
Answer: Joe

Question: Where to you see your pastor?
Answer: Home

Question: What does he do to help people in your church?
Answer: Teach people about Jesus

Question: How can you help your pastor?
Answer: Let him study.
***That truly is the best thing he can do on many days....four kids...home office...study can be hard!

I just thought this was good... Hope you were blessed!

The Bronchitis Report Card

2009-03-13T16:07:00.001-07:00

Today, I finally broke down and went to the doctor. My wife will tell you that I must nearly be dead to go to the doctor, so needless to say, I'm not feeling very well. My bronchitis was winning the battle against me. My regular doc was not able to see me so I had to go doctor shopping. Here's the report card from my morning.

St. Joe Urgent Care - A+

I knew one thing for certain. I was not going to go to any place with a Heartland Health label on it. I was determined to drive to Kansas City before I went to Heartland's urgent care. Heartland Health has a monopoly on the health services in this city and I refuse to support them. The only reason we have used them when our children were born was because of my wife's OB/GYN, Dr. Keith Goeking, who is a first-rate Christian doc.

I have had nothing but problems with the hospital for the seven years I have lived here. Don't misunderstand me, they have many great employees and some of their employees are my friends. I just find many of their business practices unethical and even downright crooked.

St. Joe Urgent Care was a blessing! They are housed in the old Heartland Health urgent care at the corner of Mitchell and Belt. Within 10 minutes of my arrival, I had registered as a new patient, and was taken to an exam room. I waited no more than five minutes in the exam room before I was seen by a doctor. This was a first-rate experience. The staff were courteous and professional. I will highly recommend them to anyone needing urgent care services.

South Belt Wal-Mart Pharmacy -D

I think almost as much of Wal-Mart as I do Heartland Health. I'm not really sure why I even chose Wal-Mart pharmacy today since my insurance information is on file at Walgreens and CVS. I suppose I must have had some delirium from my fever.

When I handed my prescription to the lady at the drop-0ff window I was informed that there would be a 40 minute wait. I nearly passed out. Once my color had returned, the cashier told me I could feel free to shop the store while they filled my prescription. I told her that I was sick and probably highly contagious and would prefer to wait for her to fill my prescription. I tried not to cough and sneeze very often while I waited. I only had to stand there for 30 minutes. I was amazed that with six people working behind the pharmacy counter, only three of them acted like they were on payroll. Simply amazing...and terrible.

A Letter From the Boss

2009-02-21T05:51:00.000-08:00

This is not original from me. I received it in an email and thought it was a great illustration. I do not know the original author.

A letter from the Boss:
To All My Valued Employees,

There have been some rumblings around the office about the future of this company, and more specifically, your job. As you know, the economy has changed for the worse and presents many challenges. However, the good news is this: The economy doesn't pose a threat to your job. What does threaten your job however, is the changing political landscape in this country.

However, let me tell you some little tidbits of fact which might help you decide what is in your best interests.

First, while it is easy to spew rhetoric that casts employers against employees, you have to understand that for every business owner there is a Back Story. This back story is often neglected and overshadowed by what you see and hear. Sure, you see me park my Mercedes outside. You've seen my big home at last years Christmas party. I'm sure; all these flashy icons of luxury conjure up some idealized thoughts about my life.

However, what you don't see is the BACK STORY :

I started this company 28 years ago. At that time, I lived in a 300 square foot studio apartment for 3 years. My entire living apartment was converted into an office so I could put forth 100%effort into building a company, which by the way, would eventually employ you.

My diet consisted of Ramen Pride noodles because every dollar I spent went back into this company. I drove a rusty Toyota Corolla with a defective transmission. I didn't have time to date. Often times, I stayed home on weekends, while my friends went out drinking and partying. In fact, I was married to my business -- hard work, discipline, and sacrifice.

Meanwhile, my friends got jobs. They worked 40 hours a week and made a modest $50K a year and spent every dime they earned. They drove flashy cars and lived in expensive homes and wore fancy designer clothes. Instead of hitting the Nordstrom's for the latest hot fashion item, I was trolling through the discount store extracting any clothing item that didn't look like it was birthed in the 70's. My friends refinanced their mortgages and lived a life of luxury. I, however, did not. I put my time, my money, and my life into a business with a vision that eventually, someday, I too, will be able to afford these luxuries my friends supposedly had.

So, while you physically arrive at the office at 9 am, mentally check in at about noon, and then leave at 5 pm, I don't. There is no "off" button for me. When you leave the office, you are done and you have a weekend all to yourself. I unfortunately do not have that freedom. I eat, and breathe this company every minute of the day. There is no rest. There is no weekend. There is no happy hour. Every day this business is attached to my hip like a 1 year old special-needs child. You, of course, only see the fruits of that garden -- the nice house, the Mercedes, the vacations... you never realize the Back Story and the sacrifices I've made.

Now, the economy is falling apart and I, the guy that made all the right decisions and saved his money, have to bailout all the people who didn't. The people that overspent their paychecks suddenly feel entitled to the same luxuries that I earned and sacrificed a decade of my life for.

Yes, business ownership has is benefits but the price I've paid is steep and not without wounds.

Unfortunately, the cost of running this business, and employing you, is starting to eclipse the threshold of marginal benefit and let me tell you why:

I am being taxed to death and the government thinks I don't pay enough. I have state taxes. Federal taxes. Property taxes. Sales and use taxes. Payroll taxes. Workers compensation taxes. Unemployment taxes. Taxes on taxes. I have to hire a tax man to manage all these taxes and then guess what? I have to pay taxes for employing him. Government mandates and regulations and all the accounting that goes with it, now occupy most of my time. On Oct 15th, I wrote a check to the US Treasury for $288,000 for quarterly taxes. You know what my "stimulus" check was? Zero. Nada. Zilch.

The question I have is this: Who is stimulating the economy? Me, the guy who has provided 14 people good paying jobs and serves over 2,200,000 people per year with a flourishing business? Or, the single mother sitting at home pregnant with her fourth child waiting for her next welfare check? Obviously, government feels the latter is the economic stimulus of this country.

The fact is, if I deducted (Read: Stole) 50% of your paycheck you'd quit and you wouldn't work here. I mean, why should you? That's nuts. Who wants to get rewarded for only 50% of their hard work? Well, I agree which is why your job is in jeopardy.

Here is what many of you don't understand ... to stimulate the economy you need to stimulate what runs the economy. Had suddenly government mandated to me that I didn't need to pay taxes, guess what? Instead of depositing that $288,000 into the Washington black-hole, I would have spent it, hired more employees, and generated substantial economic growth. My employees would have enjoyed the wealth of that tax cut in the form of promotions and better salaries. But you can forget it now.

When you have a comatose man on the verge of death, you don't defibrillate and shock his thumb thinking that will bring him back to life, do you? Or, do you defibrillate his heart? Business is at the heart of America and always has been. To restart it, you must stimulate it, not kill it. Suddenly, the power brokers in Washington believe the poor of America are the essential drivers of the American economic engine. Nothing could be further from the truth and this is the type of change you can keep.

So where am I going with all this?

It's quite simple.

If any new taxes are levied on me, or my company, my reaction will be swift and simple. I'll fire you and your coworkers. You can then plead with the government to pay for your mortgage, your SUV, and your child's future. Frankly, it isn't my problem any more.

Then, I will close this company down, move to another country, and retire. You see, I'm done. I'm done with a country that penalizes the productive and gives to the unproductive. My motivation to work and to provide jobs will be destroyed, and with it, will be my citizenship.

So, if you lose your job, it won't be at the hands of the economy; it will be at the hands of a political hurricane that swept through this country, steamrolled the constitution, and will have changed its landscape forever. If that happens, you can find me sitting on a beach, retired, and with no employees to worry about....

Signed, THE BOSS

The First Week--A Report Card for B. Hussein Obama

2009-01-27T17:22:00.000-08:00

Appearance and Presentation--A+

The president has looked dapper, professional and very presidential in all the media shots given us this week. The president wears a suit well and even appeared patriotic this week. It should be noted that he even placed his hand over his heart for the singing of the Star-Spangled Banner and wore a flag lapel pin over his heart. He has certainly come a long way in this area and is to be commended. One would hardly have guessed that he had once belonged to the Church of God-@$#@ America, Jeremiah Wright.

Ability to Perform Jobs Above His Pay-Grade--F

The president told Rick Warren that the question of when life began was above his pay-grade. Perhaps he didn't realize that he was going to have answer that question sometime. Apparently he has chosen a pro-death route to his thinking. (Not that I'm surprised. He actually argued against the version of the Born-Alive protection act in the Illinois legistlature allowing a baby born alive after an attempted abortion to live.) One of his first moves was to allow federal dollars to be given to support "family planning" programs internationally that utilize abortion.

Ability to Spread the Wealth---C

The president would have liked to have had an economincally unstimulating "stimulus" bill before us already. He would like to give tax refunds to people who do not pay any taxes. (How is that a refund?) What he really would like to do is place 95% of Americans on the welfare system. Welfare is money received by you from the government when you have done nothing to earn it or deserve it. It is not dependent upon what you pay in. This is Obama's idea. He would have gotten an "A" in this area, except he hasn't been able to do it yet. He only is talking about it. Unfortunately for him, 46% of the electorate didn't vote for him, and are reminding him of why they didn't.

Ability to Engage in Intelligent Debate and Invite Critical Thinking---F

Obama recently told the GOP that if they want to succeed they need to stop listening to Rush Limbaugh. Interpreted, he is saying, "I can't really argue with a man who makes sense. Air America failed because they can't communicate anything in common sense terms. No liberal can. Therefore, we must encourage people to not listen to people who disagree with me, because I don't have any counterargument for them that makes any sense." Fairness Doctrine anyone?

Ability to Curb Global Warming--A

It is 15 degrees here and this January has been as cold as I remember. I'm thankful that global warming has now ended.

Ability to Pay my Rent and Utility Bill this month--F

My landlord has not received his rent check from the government on my behalf yet......

When I Grow Up

2008-12-20T07:07:00.001-08:00

If you ask my oldest son what he wants to be when he grows up he will answer, "A Fireman," or "A Preacher," and sometimes "A Cement Worker." I understand the fireman and the preacher, but I'm not sure where he gets cement worker from.

My youngest daughter told me she was going to grow up to be a princess. I told her that she was already as pretty as a princess and that she had better start kissing a bunch of frogs because she didn't have royal blood on her own. She didn't get it.

When I was a kid, I wanted to be a doctor when I grew up. I had aspirations of being a heart surgeon. Until my junior year in high school, this was my plan. Then I decided I could not give up music and got my degree in music education. I taught for a few years and then God called into the preaching ministry. The rest is history.

What's the point of my rambling? My son, Jonathon, had class work this week to write what they were thankful to Jesus for. As they celebrated God's gift to us in Jesus, they also were to think about what He had given us. Jonathon's statement was simple and profound in a second-grade way..."Thank you, Jesus, for growing up to die for me."

I pray that as Jonathon grows up, he will always cling to that incredible yet simple truth.

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Seeing the Future

2008-12-18T17:01:00.001-08:00

We each have times we look back and think, "Wouldn't it be great if I had known such-and-such was going to happen today." Hindisght is often 20/20 but wouldn't it be great to have 20/20 foresight?

I can think of times when it would be great to have the ability that Hiro Nakamura has on the TV show Heroes. Hiro has the ability to travel back and forth in time simply by thinking and squinting his eyes. He can even freeze time. It would be convenient to go forward and back in time to see what might happen and even correct mistakes in the past. To get "do-overs" in life would be a coveted gift. Unfortunately, that is all fantasy.

I was thinking of this earlier today when the Superintendent of the local public school I drive a bus for called school out early. The forecast was calling for freezing rain to begin after noon. Fearing the coming ice, he rightly decided to cancel. I'm not sure all the things a superintendent has to consider when making such a decision, but those things are above my pay-grade. All I know is that his decision was completely right. Yet...it was wrong. We didn't get any ice until well after 4:00 this afternoon. I contend his decision was prudent, safe and right, though with the ability to go back and get a "do-over" today, he probably would have chosen to remain in school and finish the day. Such is the nature of our lives. We are given the time to choose our paths today, and then must live with the consequences. We only hope and pray our decisions are wise and right.

The Bible teaches that we each must choose. We must choose life over death, right over wrong, good over evil. We must choose Christ over sin and death. We may not know all the details of our lives. We may not all the consequences of our choices today, but we can be certain of one thing: Our destiny and our future with Christ. All who believe in Christ, repenting of their sin and trusting Him will live. All who reject Him will die and eternal death. We are given a choice for which we already know the consequence. We need not travel through time to see it, for the One that sees all has already shown us.

"See I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess...I call Heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life...that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days..." Deut. 20:15-16, 19-20

"Jesus said, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?'" John 11:25-26

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Triumph and Tragedy

2008-11-05T07:56:00.000-08:00

Last night, our nation witnessed the peaceful election of its first black president. Certainly this is a triumph over one of the greatest flaws of our nation's founding. For years, blacks were not considered equal human beings endowed the same inalienable rights from their creator as whites. This was rectified after the civil war in and in subsequent work during the civil rights movement. Certainly, we can be proud that our country saw this election peacefully finished.

At the same time, this election is historic in that the first, true socialist has been elected. Barack Obama is a student of the church of Jeremiah Wright and has been influenced by the Marxist leanings of black liberation theology. He is a believer in socialist ideas such as the redistribution of wealth. He is in favor of socialized medicine. He is more like Castro, Chavez and Lenin than he is Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln.

Additionally, he is a friend of those who hate us and is naive enough to believe that those who hate us can be negotiated with. His relationship with terrorist, Weather Underground member, William Ayers is troubling, and the mainstream media ignored this. I fear that his judgment is not wise and indeed dangerous.

Obama's election is historic. It is almost Shakespearean in its triumph and tragedy.

When Lost in Wal-Mart...

2008-10-04T04:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday evening my wife sent me to my second-least favorite place in the world for a few grocery items, the South Belt Wal-Mart Supercenter in St. Joseph. (My least-favorite place is the larger, North Belt Supercenter) I figured that since there were only few items on the list, no real harm could take place and the visit would be short.

I quickly found all the items (except canning lids, which they didn't have) and was searching for the last item, lemon juice. I traversed each of the long aisles of the grocery section of the store. I went past the lemons in produce, the baking goods, the soda pop, the beer, the milk, the bread, the orange juice, apple juice, cranberry juice, grape juice, mixed juice, fake juice and all of everything else in the store, but still could not find the lemon juice.

After ten-minutes of searching I decided to become a second-rate man and ask for directions. I looked around for a Wal-Mart employee to assist me but could not find one. Then, a couple of minutes into my search for help, I saw a lady wearing a blue shirt, knealing down in an aisle working with items on the shelf. I said, "Ma'am could I get you to help me find an item?" She spun around startled, spoke something in Spanish and I realized this was not a Wal-Mart employee, but one of the Friday night Mexicans in Wal-Mart. (Did I mention the store was filled with people who didn't speak English?) Quickly, I said, "I"m sorry." and she said something back to me, though I have no idea what it was. Looking around, again, I could find no one to help me in the flood of Hispanics. It was like looking for English-speaking customer service in Mexico!

Finally, after searching a couple of more minutes, I saw this long-blonde headed lady with three kids and I figured she probably spoke English. I asked her where she thought I might find lemon juice. She smiled and told me it would be found at the entrance of the produce section at the other end of the store. (I was standing next to the cheese at the time at the back of the store). I said, "Thank you," and merrily went my way towards the lemon juice, and conveniently, the check-out lane.

As I arrived at the produce section again, I saw lemons, limes and little, green lime juice containers. I did not find lemon juice. If I had been a girl, I probably would have started crying. But being a man, though second-rate already, I began searching again...for help.

At the end of aisle four, a revelation came to me. I can call for help. Don't ask me why I have Wal-Mart's phone number in my cell phone, but I do. So I called them.

"Welcome to your South Belt Walmart where...blah, blah, blah blah" the voice said. "How can I help you.

I answered, "Yes, I am at the end of aisle four, searching the store in vain for lemon juice or someone to help me find lemon juice. Could you help me?" The lady started laughing at me.

"Yes, I can" she answered between her cackles. Almost immediately, this little, white-haired lady with a Walmart name tag tapped me on the shoulder. I thought this customer service representative was really good. Help came like magic.

She took me down the juice aisle...nothing. Then, she told me to go down the baking aisle and she went off in another direction. This is when the thought occured to me that the rapture might have just happened and I got left behind. I was searching, again, vainly for lemon juice and the white-haired lady just disappeared. I waited a moment, sure she would return, but she did not.

"What do I do now?" I thought. And then I called customer service again.

"Welcome to your Southbelt..blah, blah blah, how can I help you?" the voice said.

"It's me again," I said. "In Aisle eight, now"

I explained to the voice at the end of the phone that help had come, but I must have scared her away or she must be having medical emergency, because she never came back. The voice told me that she would send someone else. This time a young man came and took me down the juice aisle again.

I thought, "I know how this aisle is going to end..."

But, alas, between the oversized jugs of V-8 splash and some other concoction, none of which resembled lemon juice, were three well-hidden bottles of lemon juice. It was like finding gold. I said, "Thank you." And quickly headed for the check-out counters before I realized I had forgotten something else I needed to search for. I also said, "Adios!" to all my fellow shoppers. None of them replied.

I'm not sure what the moral of the story is...you can figure it out yourself. I was reminded though that when life gives you a lemon you just make lemonade. But, when your wife sends you for lemon juice, call customer service.

Better is One Day in His Courts

2008-09-21T10:18:00.000-07:00

This morning our church met for worship, as we always do, in a rented school building. When I arrived to set-up for our meeting, there were already about 50 cars there. Unfortunately, they were not there for church. To my shock and amazement they were there for a football game!! I was shocked even though I had heard about this earlier in the week. The morning ended up being a morning of some very mixed emotions.

I was a proud pastor. Particularly, I was proud of Andrew, one my elementary-aged members who plays on one of the teams playing today. He chose not to play because he had church today. His parents agreed with his decision, and I am proud of them too, but it does this preacher's heart good to hear of the fortitude and conviction this little man had. A lot of adults could learn much from him.

While I was proud of him, I was also saddened. I was saddened to see so many who have professed faith in Christ and hold memberships in our area churches sitting in the bleachers cheering their children on. I am saddened because our Lord must be saddened that he lost out to a football game on the day He gave us for worship of Him. I am saddened because the children playing the football game are being taught by "Christian" parents that the Lord's day is not as important as football.

While it is easy to point fingers at the coaches and parents for acting in such an anti-Christian manner, I also am saddened because I know many of them probably aren't Christians. That's probably the saddest reality. While they are cheering their children on, they are lost and dying and do not even know it.

Though unplanned, we left the windows open in the small gym of the Mid-Buchanan school and sang to God what the psalmist wrote, "Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere." Perhaps some of those in the bleachers heard it. I wish everyone knew that to be true. I wish everyone out there would come, and taste, to see that the Lord is good.

Random Thoughts on 9/11

2008-09-11T17:04:00.000-07:00

I remember America's second day of infamy. I remember watching live TV when the second plane hit the World Trade Center and a plane slammed into the Pentagon. I will never forget the day I became a patriot.

I had never much thought about our nation's security until that day. Few of us did. But overnight, our world was changed. The pictures of the world's greatest fortress, the Pentagon, was shown with one of its five sides smoldering. The pictures of those World Trade Center survivors emerging from a great ashen cloud will forever be burned into my mind. The fall of two of our greatest buildings and a crater in a Pennsylvania field taught me that heroes live among us.

The firefighters, policemen, servicemen and women in the Pentagon, and ordinary citizens each became heroes. Many of them gave their lives. My generation had not, until that day, ever witnessed such heroism or tragedy.

The flags were displayed, and Congress got along for a few days. The president received 90% approval ratings. Leaders rose from the ashes of ground zero. Rudy Guiliani and George Bush were God's gifts to us in that hour.

I love my country more today than I did September 10, 2001. I understand now why my grandfather desired to serve during WWII having witnessed Pearl Harbor and the atrocities of a mad man. I understand why he was willing to fight in our Army. I begin to understand why he did not speak often of what he saw.

He knew this country was worth fighting for and he knew it was worth costs to preserve freedom, liberty and security for my generation. I know the fight today is necessary to preserve this nation's security for my children. As a patriot in the revolution said, "If there must be conflict, let it be in my day so that my children may have peace."

I thank God for those in our uniform all over the world today. The Taliban, Al Qaida, North Korea, Iran, and hosts of others hate us that cherish liberty, freedom and what America represents. We remember those who have served, have died, have been injured to preserve our nation. May we always pray for them, give thanks for them and become a people and nation worthy of their sacrifice. May we strive to please our Father as we seek his blessing.

I am reminded of the beautiful, yet rarely sung final stanza of our national anthem:

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

May that be our prayer!

A Feminist, Unless...

2008-09-06T09:39:00.001-07:00

The McCain campaign's selection of Sarah Palin is a homerun hit in the baseball game of our national politics. She is smart, conservative, beautiful, conservative, articulate, conservative, charismatic, conservative, and yes, female. Did I mention she is also conservative?

Conservatives have already drawn comparison's between Palin and another conservative woman, Margaret Thatcher. I'm not sure how far that comparison goes, since I have a hard time seeing Thatcher ever gutting a moose in Alaska. But none-the-less, Palin is inspiring. I would think the feminists would be cheering this selection, but oddly, they're not.

Feminists have long argued that women should remove themselves from the oppressive position of a woman staying at home to take care of a family. They have long-viewed a devoted mother as a product of chauvinistic, male tyranny. The feminist believes these things, unless the person is Sarah Palin. The same feminists who call women to shake off the oppression of family and embrace careers level the charge that Palin is not qualified because she is putting career above her family of five children. They are feminists, unless it is not politically expedient for them to be feminists.

The critics have even gone after Palin's pregnant seventeen year-old daughter. Colunist, Froma Harrop wrote, "Palin supporters insist that her out-of-control home life lie will resonate with many American families. Yes, if they're from Mars or perhaps on welfare." Can you imagine a white man saying that? Can you even imagine a liberal saying that about anyone else? Harrop also says that a friend of hers could only see "...that picture of Palin's pregnant 17-year-old looking defiant and stupid as she held mom's fifth baby." Unbelievable!!

This doesn't count the calls some liberals have made for a paternity test for Palin's 5-month-old, Down's syndrome child and accusations that the baby really belongs to Palin's daughter.

I suppose it's OK to say these things if you're a feminist. It would be inconceivable for a conservative to say such things and the ACLU would probably demand money from someone saying these things about a liberal. It is intolerant to say these things unless you are a feminist. Then, I guess, you can abandon your so-called convictions for political expedience and act in a way which is demeaning towards women and families.

Criminal Immigration

2008-08-27T11:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, nearly 600 illegal immigrants were rounded up in an illegal immigration sting in Mississippi.

A pastor and youth pastor were interviewed and the youth pastor (the pastor's son said, "We have kids without dads and pregnant mothers who got their husbands taken away... It was like a horror story. They got handled like they were criminals."

Well...all I know is...THEY ARE CRIMINALS!! This kind of nonsense, mushy, feel-goodism from a so-called "man of the cloth" is enough to drive this preacher mad. The Bible explicitly commands us to respect the government's authority and its laws, unless such laws contradict the Word of God. Our laws regarding immigration do not contradict the Bible. Unless a man or woman comes here legally, they are illegal. Anything illegal is criminal.

God help us if clergy in America cannot respect good laws.

Interestingly, the same article here tells us that their legal, coworkers applauded as ICE officials arrested the illegals. It seems like they understood the situation better than their pastors did.

A Conservative Convention on the Path to Destruction

2008-08-03T15:00:00.000-07:00

I had intended to finish this series of blogs regarding the Missouri Baptist Convention and the internal strife and struggles she has faced in recent years. Today, I want to look into the future of the convention.

The battles of yesterday against the CBF’s liberal theology were won. I know only a few men in convention life today that would be considered moderate and I know of none in the leadership of the Missouri Baptist Convention that do not love the Lord, love His Word, and desire to be faithful to Him. Today’s leaders affirm the inerrancy and trustworthiness of Scripture. It would seem there should be peace and harmony, correct?

Unfortunately, of the men who helped us win the war are not so good at keeping the peace. One moderate friend of mine remarked that once the conservative resurgence was accomplished in Missouri, the conservatives would not be able to stop fighting and would turn on one another. Indeed there have been a number of fights ongoing in convention life. The battles over Calvinist theology and tongues have been seen in our SBC seminaries and now are seen in internet discussion lists and other forums. Splinter fellowships such as the Founders do little to help. Arguments over alcohol moderation versus alcohol abstinence have done little to promote kingdom growth in our convention. At the same time we have fought over the Executive Director, the Missouri Baptist Newspaper and its editor, We have defunded church plants we covenanted to partner with because they are a part of another church planning movement, Acts 29. I’m sure I can think of other battles if given enough time, but I have listed enough of them to illustrate my point.

All of the above battles could be great debates or discussions. Not one of them, in my opinion, is enough to divide a convention over. In fact, some of them should be left in seminary cafeterias and internet discussion groups and left out of Executive Board meetings and Nominating Committee meetings. Opinions on these matters should not affect policy, leadership selection, and exclusion from convention life.

I confess that I have not always been a part of the solution. I am quick to take my position and defend it. I have strong opinions on the issues above, but I am determined not to object to a person’s leadership just because they disagree with me on the secondary or tertiary doctrinal issues.

As a case in point, last year saw the creation of a political party in the MBC, under the banner/slogan “Save our Convention. (SOC)” The leaders of this movement rose to counter a perceived monopoly of power held by Roger Moran and those allied with the Missouri Baptist Laymen’s Association (MBLA). To be fair, I supported SOC and its aims. With that said, I was not pleased with what I saw in our convention. Men I came to know in the Conservative Resurgence were fighting one another publicly; men like Gerald Davidson, David McCalpin, and Roger Moran. It was a truly heart-breaking spectacle.

The SOC slate was victorious (by a landslide), but it was not great victory for the convention. We should never have arrived here to begin with.

It has been awhile since I posted, because of an action developing at the time I posted that last blog. The Missouri Baptist Convention has formed a peace committee comprised of the chief personalities in our current battle. They have been meeting together to try to come to an understanding of each other that we might be able to see healing and refocus in our convention life.

Though I am somewhat pessimistic that this will accomplish much for the convention as a whole, I understand it is probably the best and only hope for our convention at this time. I pray for our leadership. I pray for wisdom for the messengers to this year’s convention.

The future of the convention is going to be dependent upon our choices today. I pray we will be wise.

My Testimony of Roger Moran

2008-05-29T10:26:00.000-07:00

1999 was an important year in my life. God had called me to the gospel ministry earlier the previous year and had opened a door for full-time ministry for me. There is no doubt in mind that God called to service at First Baptist Church of Salisbury, MO. He was leading, and I was following Him. I had been serving as the band director for the Westran School District in Huntsville, MO. I left the school with many fine students and a lot of friends, but I left without hesitation knowing God was directing this path. As soon as the school year ended in May, I headed over to Salisbury to start moving things into my church office.

Being green in ministry, I assumed too many things. First, I assumed all Baptists believed the Word of God as I did. Second, I assumed the Convention endorsed men who believed the Word of God as I did. My concept of Missouri Baptist life was to be shaken to its core.

The position I was called to at Salisbury, was the Interim Minister of Music and Youth. The position was "interim" because they had no pastor at the time. Interestingly, I would be starting the same week another man would begin his ministry at the church as an intentional interim pastor. This was a man who was endorsed by the Missouri Baptist Convention to go into churches in conflict and prepare them to call a pastor. The concept is a good concept but to work, it must use men who are in agreement with the Word of God. Once they called a permanent pastor they would evaluate whether they wanted to extend my call.

When I first met the interim, he asked what I thought about groups such as the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. Specifically he asked me if I thought the convention was large to include them. Assuming they believed as I did, I said yes. I have learned that God uses ignorant, green young men to do His will!

Within the first couple of weeks I was at the church the intentional interim pastor asked me why I thought it so important to use the word inerrant, when referring to Scripture. This shocked me. I thought all baptists used it! Over the subsequent weeks, he challenged me on everything from the creation account of Genesis, to the reliability of the book of Daniel (which I was teaching from in our youth study), to the necessity of the virgin birth of Christ, the necessity of a physical resurrection of Christ and so on. I quickly realized that this man at best was ignorant or at worst, a snake. His first sermons were based on Stephen Covey's book, "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People". Not only was the books author a non-Christian (mormon), but I always thought everyone preached from the Bible. The Baptist Faith and Message made it clear that is what Baptists believed. (We were going to have to update that too, but I digress).

I called the Missouri Baptist Convention and asked them why they endorsed such a man for ministry and the only response I got, was that they did not evaluate each man on their doctrine. While I believe this to be a true response, I doubt the purity of their motives in such decision. Those leading the Missouri Baptist Convention were largely liberals/moderates in sympathy with the CBF and other moderate organizations.

One day, the intentional interim gave me some literature to read that was published by another moderate group in the convention, the Mainstream Missouri Baptists. I agreed and took the materials home to peruse. In them I found excoriating articles about a man named Roger Moran. I have always been one to research all the facts so I got in touch with his organization, the Missouri Baptist Layman's Association, and requested their materials. I spoke with Roger personally and explained to him the situation I was in--and, I made a needed friend that day. I read the materials Roger sent me and knew that I could not support this intentional interim.

The interim's goal was simple...find a church that was in conflict, convince them that the problems they had came from a conservative pastor, and lead them into a moderate fellowship such as the Mainstream Baptists. I could not go along with this.

My mid-July, the several conservative members of the church began coming to me privately with concerns about things that were being said by the interim. I told them that as a staff member I was in an awkward place, but did give them materials from Roger to peruse. Additionally I did share my concerns privately with a few leaders of the church. Finally, I told the interim pastor that if he planned to lead the church into the CBF or Mainstream Baptists, I could not support him and didn't believe the church would either when they learned what they represented.

This began the wild and crazy spiral to the end of my ministry at the church in September. I organized a rally for Roger Moran's group for our area assocations. Roger came and spoke along with another friend, Gerald Davidson. The two of them stood side by side and denounced the liberalism in our convention and Roger shared his strategy for a conservative resurgence in the Missouri Baptist Convention. It was a wonderful and refreshing night.

To be fair and open, I did mail an invitation to the rally to the interim pastor and leaders of the church. With no surprise, he was not happy. I remember him asking me, "Who got you involved with Roger Moran?" To his shock, I replied, "You did." He asked me for my resignation, which I refused. I knew that God had called to the church and had not yet released me. I had also done my best to submit to his leadership. Certainly, I could not perfectly submit to him, but I never worked with ill-intent towards him. A few weeks later, he led the church to have me fired. I knew that he had a majority before he brought the motion to the church and had moved my office out of the church while they were still deliberating. When the announcement came, my wife and I prayed for the church with those deacons that told us the vote, literally shook the dust off of our shoes when we left, and never looked back.

But to emphasize the work of God in this, I must again point to Roger. After I left, the church had enough questions about what was going on in the convention that they demanded to hear from representatives of the CBF, Mainstream Baptists, and Roger Moran. When Roger came, the interim pastor excoriated him. It was apparent that Roger's simple explanations of his work was effective. Many of the church's leaders realized what was going on.

As time went on the intentional interim left (I'm not sure if it was forced or not) but the church did call a conservative pastor. Nearly a half-dozen members called me to apologize to me or acknowledge the situation was not handled appropriately. I appreciated their thoughts, but also was assured that God had allowed everything to happen for a reason. He had taken care of my wife and I, I grew through it all, and the church in Salisbury was wiser for it as well.

Roger's strategy for the convention was successful as we purged the liberals from our convention leadership. Missouri has many reasons to be thankful to Roger Moran. I believe he is a man who loves the Lord and loves the Missouri Baptist Convention. I am grateful for his work on behalf of me and many others during those difficult days. We won the war. Sadly though, many are still fighting the battles.

Next: A Conservative Convention on the Path to Destruction

The Missouri Baptist Convention--an ugly resurgence

2008-05-18T21:21:00.000-07:00

In my last post I shared my thoughts (briefly) on the conservative resurgence of the SBC and want to follow through with my thoughts on the conservative resurgence in Missouri.

Without a doubt the conservative resurgence in the SBC left battle wounds in our national convention. The departure of some left-leaning churches into the CBF, though not a massive exodus, still left our convention hurting in its relationships. I believe this was mostly due to the fact that though these churches had left the national convention, that had remained in their various state conventions.

In Southern Baptist Life, each level of denominational work involves an autonomous organization. The National Convention is separate from State Conventions which are separate from local associations which are separate from local churches. Each entity in Southern Baptist life chooses what levels of baptist life they each desire to partner with.

With the exodus of some churches from the SBC, many disgruntled churches remained in the state conventions and local associations affiliated with the SBC. Missouri was one of them. Not only that, but our convention was being run those very moderate churches in a "good-ole-boy" network, just as the SBC had.

In the mid-1990s, the Missouri Convention saw the rise of gifted leader, Roger Moran. Roger was a layman from the St. Louis area concerned the increasing influence of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship in Missouri life and the social and theological liberalism associated with it. As a result of his research and work, he organized a movement under the banner of his organization, the Missouri Baptist Layman's Association (MBLA) which sought to send 1000 conservative messengers each year to the annual meetings of the Missouri Baptist Convention to elect a conservative president.

Presidents have great power since they nominate the nominating committees each year which then nominate those to serve on the various boards of the convention agencies. To effectively change the convention a conservative president would have to be elected three years in a row. Project 1000 met the goals set for itself and the Missouri convention the 21st century with conservative leadership.

If the story ended there, all would be well. Unfortunately, the story didn't end there. Not only did the MBLA fight the CBF, they fought another moderate network, the Mainstream Missouri Baptists. Some of these churches and leaders claimed affiliation with the CBF, but some did not.

Addtionally, the executive director of the convention at the time, Jim Hill, himself a moderate sympathizer, attempted to lead the convention through a massive restructuring effort. In the process he led the convention to adopt changes which affected the powers of our agency boards. As a result, opportunistic board members of the Word and Way (the state convention newspaper at the time), the Baptist Home, Missouri Baptist University, the Missouri Baptist Foundation and Windemere, the Missouri Baptist retreat at the Lake of the Ozarks, voted to make their trustee boards self-perpetuating, therefore, not needing approval of the Missouri Baptist Convention. The convention is in state appeals courts and local circuit courts in costly litigation over these matters even today.

Further, unlike the SBC, the churches and leaders of the Missouri Baptist Convention had a greater familiarity and inter-relatedness to each other by virtue of being more local to one another. The theological feuds had greater impact since the criticisms were not aimed at a church or leader three states away, but instead, in some cases aimed a pastors and leaders down the street. Though the resurgence was successful in its objective of returning the convention to a center-right leaning leadership, it was a bloody battle.

Like the resurgence in the SBC, the resurgence in the MBC was necessary. Unlike the resurgence in the SBC, the MBC resurgence was extremely nasty and the consequences of it are felt yet today. The success of the conservative resurgence in Missouri largely rests on the shoulders of one man; Roger Moran. Without his leadership then, the Missouri Baptist Convention would still be supporting ungodly organizations such as the CBF, Baptist Joint Committee for public affairs and other left-leaning organizations.

Coming next: My testimony of Roger Moran and the influence of the CBF in MBC life.

The Conservative Resurgence Was Necessary

2008-05-13T07:24:00.000-07:00

It is my aim over the next week or so to post on the Conservative Resurgence of the Southern Baptist Convention and Missouri Baptist Convention and look to our current positions as a result of the resurgences. I will also share my opinions of the future of our conventions as well.

By 1960, most of the Christian denominations in the United States had adopted a liberal theology as it relates to the sufficiency and accuracy of Scripture. The liberals denied the inerrancy of the Bible which allowed them to discount portions they disagreed with. In 1961, a commentary was written by a Southern Baptist professor, Dr. Ralph Elliott, which challenged the literal interpretation of Genesis and our ability to trust the book of Genesis as a historical narrative. The publication of this book helped bring to light the liberalism that had crept into the SBC seminaries and denominational leadership.

It became clear to conservatives in the Southern Baptist convention that Elliott was not alone. In fact, Southern Baptist seminaries and colleges were hotbeds of liberalism. Dr. Elliott was fired from his position at Midwestern Theological Seminary in Kansas City. As a result of his firing, Southern Baptist leaders and professors from all over the nation began to stand up and decry Elliott's dismissal largely on the grounds of academic freedom. Their argument was not theologically based as much as it was based on a secular (I would say liberal) philosophy of education. I believe these professors and leaders realized this would be the only argument they could possibly use to defend Elliott before the messengers and laity of the convention.

In 1976, Harold Lindsell wrote his revealing book, "The Battle for the Bible", in which he devoted a chapter to the inroads of liberalism into the Southern Baptist Convention. In it, he cited examples of liberalism in Southern Baptist Life as well as warnings for the conventions future. Many read Lidsell's book, many listened to him, and a ground-swell for change was beginning in the convention.

In 1979, the Southern Baptist Convention met for its annual meeting in Houston, Texas. At this meeting, a convention shattering election took place which saw the election of conservative stalwart, Dr. Adrian Rogers elected as president. A highly motivated conservative voting block assembled to assure the election and ensure that a resurgence of conservative theology would be seen in the convention. As a result of this resurgence, which continued in successive years, liberal professors, agency heads and denominational workers were weeded out of convention life. The Southern Baptist Convention stands today as one of the very few examples of a denominational entity which has successfully reversed the liberal movement.

With the conservative resurgence, their was also a minor exodus of churches from the convention. Disgruntled liberals and moderates (those who may have been conservative but opted for the inclusion of liberal churches/leaders) left the convention to form a new fellowship, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. Over time, this new fellowship would show itself to be the liberal disaster that many in the SBC had perceived the Southern Baptist Convention would become had we not reversed course. The CBF was tolerant of not only leaders/member churches which denied the inerrancy of Scripture, but tolerated such unorthodox positions as the denial of the virgin birth of Christ, the acceptance of universalist soteriology, Sophia worship, as well as unacceptable social positions as relate to abortion, homosexuality and other issues.

The conservative resurgence was accomplished as a political maneuver made possible by the convention's polity. It would not be fair to say that the fight was always fair or clean. It would also not be fair to say there were not political struggles in the process, since the process was political by its very nature. Old power circles were broken in the process and new ones put in place. One good-buddy system replaced another. In that regard, the resurgence was not perfect, but our convention is certainly better as a result of the resurgence.

Though it was not a pretty fight, and not always clean, the conservative resurgence of the SBC was necessary. Without it, we would have followed the path of the Methodists, Lutherans, Presbyterians and Episcopalians. Our debates would not be over the appropriate position of a Christian in regard to alcohol, but we would be fighting about the ordination of homosexual clergy. I praise God that is not the case.

Though the battle for the Bible has been won in the SBC, there are those who do not realize that we are no longer in a war with our convention peers. Some look for reasons to fight and they will surely find them. We need to protect our convention from true theological liberalism, but we also need to protect our convention's pendulum from swinging to far to the right, becoming legalists. I believe the SBC is for the most part, on the right course. A few corrections need to be made in the policies of the International Missions Board, but for the most part, we are right where we need to be in SBC life.

Next: The Missouri Baptist Convention: an ugly resurgence

Six Days of Work

2008-05-07T17:36:00.000-07:00

"Six days you shall labor and do all your work..." Exodus 20:9 NKJV

Few people, even unchurched people, have not heard the fourth commandment: "Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy." They know that Christians are taught to take one day of the week to worship God. They know that the Sabbath is a day of rest. They like that part of the commandment.

Very few people realize that the commandment says something about work as well. God has not called us to a life of rest, but rather, a day of rest. He has called us to six days of work.

Now, I know many people that spend their week doing nothing, and work like a dog one day each week to get caught up. They've got it backwards. God commanded us to take a day off, but also called us to work six days.

We often think of work as a negative thing. We forget that God has created us to be workers. When Adam and Eve were placed in the garden of Eden they were placed there to work the garden and keep it (Gen. 2:15) It was only a result of the fall that made work a labor and toil (Gen. 3:14). Today work is exhausting and difficult. That is not the way He created it to be though. Nonetheless, God has still ordained us to do work.

The fourth command is his command to work. A Christian who wastes his time is as poor a steward as one who wastes his money. As I posted previously, laws reveal the law-giver. Our God commands work because He is an active, working God. He is not passive nor lazy. He did not create the universe and then step away from it. He created it and continues to maintain it, preserve it and act within it.

It is God's grace that has given us six days to work. He rightly deserves our praise each and every day. He is worthy of every day being set aside for Him. He is merciful toward us by giving us six days to work in. We deserve none, and He deserves them all. Perhaps the next time we are inclined to complain about work we should remember that God, in His abundant grace has given us six days to get it done. Then, we can come together at the end (or beginning depending on your perspective) of the week on the Lord's day and give him praise for all He has done through our labors.

Name Above All Names

2008-05-04T18:04:00.000-07:00

"Do not misuse the name of the LORD your God..." Exodus 20:7 HCSB

Of the many hats I wear, one of them is that of a school bus driver. It is not the job I always dreamed of, but it is not something I despise either. In fact, there are things about it I enjoy. I enjoy seeing the areas in Southern Buchanan throughout the seasons as the sun comes up early in the morning. I like seeing the deer and turkey (as long as I don't hit them with the bus). I enjoy the students (most of the time).

As the students were loading the bus last week, one student shouted, "Jesus!" Quickly, I looked his way and said, "Where!?" He looked at me, dumbfounded, but understood the point. I told him that he should be careful how he handles that name. I told him that I found it offensive for him to use the name as a thoughtless exclamation point, for His name means something significant.

His name is unlike any other name. The Bible says:

"God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him a name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord." Phil. 2:9

A name represents a person. His name represents my Creator, my Savior, my Redeemer and Friend. He is my Rock, my Fortress, and my ever-present help in time of trouble. I pray to Him, I praise Him and He hears me and even speaks to me through His Word. There is no other One like Him and there is no other name like His.

To keep His name holy, is to keep it unordinary. His name is hallowed. The student on the bus used His name as a thoughtless expression. So have I. So have you. My God is not ordinary...He is holy. May our speech reflect Him that way.

Wright is wrong.

2008-04-28T15:49:00.000-07:00

Today, Jeremiah Wright, the pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago and Barack Obama's pastor spoke to the National Press Club. I'm not sure I have ever been so offended by someone claiming the name of Christ as I was this morning. The Christ of Jeremiah Wright is not the Christ I know, or the Christ of the Bible. Jeremiah Wright is frightening.

I am going to give some commentary to some of his quotes from the press conference.

When asked if he would explain what he meant in a sermon shortly after 9/11 when he said the United States had brought the terrorist attacks on itself when he stated "America's chickens are coming home to roost," Wright replied:

"...to quote the Bible, 'Be not decieved. God is not mocked. For whatsoever you sow, that you also shall reap.' Jesus siad, 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.' You cannot have them do terrorism on other people and expect it never to come back on you. Those are biblical principles, not Jeremiah Wright bombastic, divisive principles."

It is offensive that Wright would consider the U.S. a terrorist nation. Only a nation like this one would allow him to spew his hatred without destroying him. It is more offensive that he would use Scripture out of context to beat our nation with. Perhaps he would find a more tolerant nation in the Muslim nations of the middle east or Africa which we war with? He is either enjoying fifteen minutes of bombastic fame or is incredibly stupid.

Over and over, Wright insisted that the attacks on him were not really attack on him, but instead, attacks on the black church at large.

He said, "...this is not an attack on Jeremiah Wright. It has nothing to do with Senator Obama. It is an attack on the black church launched by people who know nothing of African-American religious tradition."

I know many black Americans. I have attended and enjoyed worship in black churches. They are not filled with hate-mongers like Jeremiah Wright. They do not consider America to be a land run by a terrorist regime. They are patriotic men and women who gather together in the name of Christ. The attacks are not on the black church. The attacks are deservedly on Jeremiah Wright and Barack Obama! If I were a black Christian, I would be highly offended at Wright's assertion that I agree with him.

In the next question, the moderator asked Wright about his relationship with Louis Farrakhan. Wright basically asserted that he didn't agree with Farrakhan on everything but respected his leadership skills. And then, he oddly, stated, "Louis Farrakhan is not my enemy. He did not put me in chains. He did not put me in slavery. And he didn't make me this color."

Who put Jeremiah Wright in chains? Who put him in slavery? I thought our country repented of that about 150 years ago. God made him the color he is. Is he angry about that? Indeed, it is a strange comment.

In the most telling question and response, the moderator asked this question. "Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the father but through me.' Do you believe this? And do you think Islam is a way to salvation?"

Wright replied, "Jesus also said, 'Other sheep have I who are not of this fold.'"

Wright believes Jesus equals Mohammed equals anyone else. He believes many paths lead to heaven. Of course the passage Wright refers to is John 10:16. Jesus is not saying that many paths lead to God, but that the Gospel will save the Jew and Gentile alike, not just the Jews. Wright misses the context completely.

Of course, Wright said many other things in his press conference than these. The real story is not even Jeremiah Wright. The real story is Barack Obama. He has chosen this man as his pastor. He has not left the church in 20 years of hearing this garbage spewed from the pulpit. He still continues his association with him. He is an unacceptable candidate for president of the United States. If Barack Hussein Obama cannot separate himself completely from the hate-mongering Wright then how can we expect him to separate himself from a terrorist state or dangerous regime in the middle east? The prospect should bring all true believers of Christ to their knees in prayer that we will not see Barack Hussein Obama as our next president.

The Right Way to Worship

2008-04-26T06:12:00.000-07:00

"You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them." Exodus 20:4-5a

Most of us do not make idols with our hands that can be manipulated for our purposes. We, as baptists, do not bow down to a crucifix, or statue of Christ. We do not worship golden calves (though we may have sacred cows) and we might argue that we do not worship idols.

An idol, though, is not just a stick or statue. We may not have idols we can see or touch, but we do create idols every time we fashion God into an image created by us. We can create a false image of God through our own creative ideas about who we think God is. Some think God is a god of love but not justice. This is a false image of God. Some think that God does not know the future--open theists. They have created an idol in their mind, because the image they have created does not correspond with the reality of the true God.

God is holy (otherly). Nothing created by the hands or minds of his creation can ever attain to the greatness and majesty of Him. We cannot understand Him and we cannot picture him in our minds. We must worship Him in spirit and truth. God is Spirit and Truth. We should simply take Him at His Word, and worship the One revealed in Scripture.

He Doesn't Want to See Any Other Gods

2008-04-12T19:07:00.000-07:00

"You shall have no other gods before me." Exodus 20:3

I once had a college student tell me, "I think if you are sincere in your religion, it doesn't matter what the name of your god is." This person believed what so many others today believe. They believe that all gods are equal and all religions are the same. Sadly this is a common thought, but a deadly one.

God says, "There is no other god besides Me, a just God and Savior; There is none besides Me." Isaiah 45:21b

God is the ultimate monotheist. He knows He is the only God. Anything else man calls a god is nothing but a dead, dumb idol. God is living, dynamic, vibrant and alone in His glory, splendor and majesty. Nothing carved by human hands or invented in our imaginations can ever compare. A god can be money, power, a career, a family or anything else we devote our lives to. God is a jealous god. He desires us to himself and has no desire to share us with any other. He desires worship for Himself.

He is the only God, the only Savior, and our only hope. He is the only One worthy of our reverence awe and worship. He demands nothing less than our total devotion. God will not settle for second-place.

Further, when He said, "You shall have no other gods before me," He didn't mean to put Him first and all the other gods in subesequent and inferior positions. What He means is, "Don't put any other gods where I can see them." And do you know what? He can see everything!!

I once had someone ask me what my priorities were in life. I answered, "God first, family second, church third, and everything else after that." On the surface that may sound well and good. Today I answer the question differently. I answer it, "God alone." If I have God first and only, then everything else will be right.

A Great Time of Revival

2008-04-10T15:13:00.000-07:00

Last night, our worship team finished up a week of leading worship at Copeland Baptist Church in St. Joseph. We were blessed by the preaching of Bro. Tommy Bolan, pastor of First Baptist Church in Meridianville, Alabama. Our worship pastor, Keith Sisney and the keyboard players, Tony Holcomb and Luann Ridgeway all did an excellent job. The special music sung by Keith and my wife, Angela, added just the right touch to the services. I was challenged each evening I was there and came away renewed in the Lord.

I am always blessed when our churches can work together to serve Him! It is always a joy to meet other brothers and sisters in Christ and work alongside them. I just wish we could see more of that kind of cooperation in Missouri Baptist churches. I believe our Savior is pleased with it. In return, He blessed us!

Laws Reveal the Law-Giver

2008-04-06T04:40:00.000-07:00

This morning I will begin a series of sermons on the ten commandments. We will begin with an introduction and then look at each commandment sequentially over the following 10 weeks (with a break of one week when I am taking vacation for my mom's birthday).

"And God spoke all these words, saying: "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.." Exodus 20:1-2

Moses did not write the ten commandments. Rather, they were written in stone by the finger of our Lord. He did not come up with some arbitrary rules to give us as some sort of cosmic killjoy would. Rather, he gave us rules to reflect Himself, the rule-giver.

He says, "Thou shall not murder," because he values life. Only He has the power to give and take life. (Mathew 10:28)

He says, "Thou shall not bear false witness," because he values truth, and for that matter IS truth. (John 14:6)

He says, "You shall have no other gods before me," because he is a jealous God....the only true One. (Exodus 20:5)

The law reflects the lawgiver.

When we look at our culture and society today we realize that we are governed by a different set of laws. When it comes to abortion, we allow the murder to occur and call it a choice. We live in a culture of death. What does that say about the nature of the ones who make those laws?

We have banned the display of the ten commandments from the courthouse and school house. What does that say about the nature of those make or uphold our laws?

I believe, as we examine our laws we can find that we are truly living in a post-Christian society. The objective standards God has given us are no longer acceptable. We have replaced them with our own, relativistic, inherently contradictory set of laws. For example, murder is only murder depending on the age of the person or the state of development they have reached. Stealing is only stealing depending on how much the person makes that you steal from.

No one has yet sand-blasted the ten commandments from the stone edifice of the Supreme Court building and I hope it does not come to that. I pray that God and His Word would be burned into the heart of every Christian in this nation, that we could once again be the God-honoring nation we once were. I pray that we can become again a nation that honors the Lord and does her best to reflect the laws of the Lawgiver. Is that your hope too?

Hope for Joe

2008-04-05T05:46:00.000-07:00

One of my church members has posted a blog for her brother-in-law, Joe, who is now in a coma following a recent car accident. Please take time to pray for them. You can check the blog here: Hope For Joe

Unaborted Babies Equals Punishment?

2008-03-31T18:12:00.000-07:00

Barack Obama demonstrates not only why he is not fit to lead our country, but that he's incredibly morally challenged as well. I am unashamedly pro-life. God valued the lives of unborn children in the Old Testament days, and He continues to do so.

Exodus 21:22 If men strive [fight] and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit [fetus] departs from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.

Barack Obama believes that girls who get pregnant and are not allowed to have abortions are being "punished" with a baby. I'm not making this up!

Below is a clip from the speach. The statement is made about 2/3 of the way through it. It is nearly unbelievable.

My God teaches that children are blessings not punishments.

Freezin' For Jesus (Cooperatively)

2008-03-23T15:49:00.001-07:00

This morning New Harvest held its first Sunrise Easter Service. It was a joy to begin the day in worship, and to hear so many musicians in the church that God has given special musical talent to. For a small church, we are uniquely blessed with many quality musicians. It is wonderful to see so many of them serving Him with their gifts.

Following our morning service we had breakfast together and then joined a neighboring church, Midway Baptist Church for their community Easter service. Our worship team led the worship time before Pastor Randy Swindler preached. The only thing unusual about it was that the service was held outdoors in the park. The weather was a brisk 40 degrees with a 10-15 mph wind. (Translated: It was COLD!)

But despite the cold there was something about the service that surely must have pleased our Lord. There were no fights about denominational cooperation as found in the Missouri Baptist Convention nowadays. There were no turf wars found from churches wondering if someone would come into "their" area to take "their" people (an anti-Christian notion to begin with). There were no battles over who would get attention.

Instead, we all served together, worshipped together, learned together and froze together. I had to think that this is the kind of thing that brings our risen Lord joy. He reciprocated that joy to us this morning.

He came that our joy may be full (John 15:11). I hope you experienced His joy this today!

I've Just Seen Jesus

2008-03-22T17:02:00.000-07:00

This may be old, but these two nail it!

What Must This Day Have Felt LIke?

2008-03-21T06:16:00.000-07:00

Last night, several from the church met at one of our deacon's homes to watch Mel Gibson's, The Passion of the Christ. I was one of them.

I have viewed the movie at least five times now and am just as moved as I was the first time I watched it in a screening with Mel Gibson several years ago. I still cannot keep my eyes open during the scourging scenes. It is too painful to watch. Yet, it was much worse than Hollywood can reproduce on film 2000 years later.

I cannot watch the scenes of my bloodied Jesus falling to the ground as He bears His cross to Calvary's hill. The scenes of the crucified Christ break me.

I am moved by the love of Christ demonstrated as Gibson, artfully shows us the scenes of the Sermon on the Mount and Last Supper interspersed through the crucifixion sequence. "Love those who hate you," and "This is my body" are the themes taught. They are the themes fulfilled when He said, "Father, forgive them," and "I Thirst." He said, "No greater love has any man than this, that one should lay down his life for a friend," and then He prays on the cross, "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit" and then dies.

I am moved today by this portrayal, but what must it have felt like 2000 years ago? What must those three days between His death and resurrection been filled with? When know He is risen! They did not know what would happen. They must have felt defeated. They must have been ashamed and disappointed. All that would change on the first Easter Sunday though.

Perhaps it would be good for each of us to consider Him this weekend. Perhaps it would be good to put ourselves in the shoes of a first century disciple and eye-witness to the last days of Christ. Perhaps if we did, we would live lives more worthy of the One who gave Himself for us...

Does His Pastor Matter?

2008-03-15T15:34:00.000-07:00

This week, Barack Obama, one of the democratic candidates for president, has come under fire because of some statements his pastor has made in the past in sermons. Some of the controversial statements include blaming the U.S. for developing the AIDS virus, comparing the U.S. to terrorist organizations, and praying "God Damn America" from his pulpit. Liberal pundits are crying foul, saying that the statements of Jeremiah Wright, Obama's pastor, should have no bearing on Obama's campaign. They argue that Obama's pastor is not a reflection of the candidate.

Considering that Obama has been a member of Wright's church for 20 years, that Wright married the Obamas, and that Wright baptized his two daughters, it seems that Wright has had great influence on the candidate. It is difficult to imagine that Obama is unaware of his pastor's abhorrent views/statements and associations. It was Wright's church that recognized Louis Farrakhan with a lifetime achievement award.

America should be especially wary of Obama. Our relationships matter. His pastor is no friend of America and is no reflection of the God of the Bible. For twenty years, Obama has been taught by Wright. Most churches fire pastors and members look for another church when they find themselves in such apparent disagreement. Obama and his church did neither. Either Obama is too timid and weak to deal with the issue or he shares tacit agreement with Wright. In either case, he is unfit to lead this country.

An Extra Hour to Serve Him?

2008-03-08T15:56:00.000-08:00

Tonight, we will lose an hour of sleep. My clock will at 7:00 PM become 8:00 PM. I will change them early if for no other reason than to get the kids in bed earlier! But the reality is that I lose an hour of life until the fall when Uncle Sam deems it fit to give it back to me. I suppose that's looking at the glass half-empty isn't it?

I have been challenged and renewed this week. I have asked the Lord to allow me more opportunities to get out in the community. His commission to us was to "Go into all the nations." (Matt 28:19) As a pastor, I love to visit people in their homes and out and about in the community. However, it is difficult and sometimes uncomfortable to do so in the evenings (which is the only time busy people MIGHT be home) because it is dark by 6:00 PM. With the extra hour, God has reminded me that He has given me an extra hour to serve Him. I pray we will all use it for His glory.

I Baptized My Son Tonight

2008-03-02T19:07:00.000-08:00

One of the coolest things I've gotten to do as a pastor occurred tonight. Tonight, I baptized my oldest son, Jonathon. It is the prayer of my wife and I that each of our children grow up to know the Lord personally. Jonathon understands that Jesus died for him and rose again and, in faith, has trusted Jesus as his Savior. Undoubtedly, he will grow to have many more questions. He is young yet, but he knows what it means to live his live for the One who gave His life. He's a seven-year-old with a grown-up answer to the most important question we will ever answer..."Who is Jesus?" Jonathon is not ashamed to tell others. I'm proud of him and I believe his heavenly father is pleased.

I'm Not the Prettiest Angel, but...

2008-03-01T18:03:00.000-08:00

Today, the men and some of our young adults went out with the goal of blessing our community. The project was simple, but a lot of hard work. We were going to clean up a few spots where the limbs had fallen as a result of the terrible ice storms we experienced earlier this winter. The storm was severe and devastating and left a tremendous mess.

As we prepared yesterday, I visited the potential sites for our efforts to get permission from the land owners. The Agency Community Center Board had already given us their blessing to clean up the adjacent park which the church has used many times in its ministry. A elderly couple (retired pastor and church planter and his wife) south of Agency gave the church their blessing to clean up their yard. This left me with one final house to visit: a neighbor lady I had never met whose husband had died six months ago.

This lady also had the worst mess of all of the places we were to clean. Her yard is large and filled with old elm trees. Debris was strewn everywhere. Entire trees and fallen over from the weight of the ice. I knew this was going to be a large job, and I wondered if we could get it done.

Nonetheless, I knew God wanted us to do it and I needed to secure her permission. I knocked on her door, introduced myself to her and asked her if we could help her clean up the mess. She told me she would appreciate any help since her husband had recently passed away. With tears in her eye she added, "My name is Shirley." I told her we would be glad to help and went on my way.

Today we arrived at her house to clean up. I knew we weren't going to have enough people to do very much work on her yard, especially after working all morning on the park and the other couple's yard. When we arrived to clean up, two other families and several teenage boys were already working to clean up the mess. Together with our small group and their help, we were able to get most of the limbs cut and stacked into neat piles that could be taken care of at a later date. We accomplished more than I could have ever imagined. God used us, but He added to us what we would need to honor the work we had committed to Him.

By late afternoon, we were exhausted and were preparing to leave. Shirley spoke with some of the men and boys that had gathered in front of her house and told us again how much she appreciated our work. She told that she had spoken by phone the night before with someone and told them "an angel had visited her." It was obvious she was referring to our short visit the night before, so I joked with her that "God must not make angels as pretty as He used to," but I was also humbled and told her that God knew what she needed. The Greek word for "angel" means "messenger." The members of the church and the neighbors helping were relaying a message from God to her. He said, "I still love you and know what you need." I am just humbled that God would use me as his "angel." He gets the glory!

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven." Matthew 5:16

His Prayer For Us Is Still Needed

2007-04-29T21:37:00.000-07:00

"I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be on ein Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me." John 17:20-21 NKJV

My heart is heavy for the kingom tonight. How sad our Savior must be as he looks through the churches in our nation today. It seems the prayer that Jesus offered for us is still so needed.

I am so often discouraged when I watch the inability of believers to work together as if they are part of one family...one kingdom. Christ has called us to serve Him, not institutions and not ideas. Certainly, he has not called us to serve denominations. It can be argued that He hasn't even called us to serve a church. He has called us to serve Him.

He has sent us, as the Father sent Him, into a world which is dying and going to an eternal Hell. In the meantime, rather than doing the work He bids us do, we spend our time arguing over secondary doctrines, worrying about the attention we might or might not be receiving for our work and hosts of other things which distract us from our calling. Churches work to build empires rather than building the kingdom.

It is true that unity has limits. We must hold fast to those fundamental truths of the Bible. We must believe in the inerrancy and infallibility of the word. We must believe in the diety of Christ (including his virgin birth). We must believe in the substitutionary atonement of the Christ on the cross. We must believe the physical resurrection of our Lord from the grave and His imminent physical return for their to be true unity. Without these fundamentals we have no point of unity.

Some say I am naive, and that is probably true. Some say I just haven't had enough experience or wisdom to get the full picture, and to that I say, "Amen." But it seems painfully obvious to me, that the call of Jesus is not being fulfilled in us because we lack the unity and "one-ness" He desires in us. What blessings are we denying ourselves in our disobedience?

I offer some rabbit trails for us to consider:

Are you serving a church or are you serving Him? If we focus on serving Him we will be in unity with Him and He will bless the church you are a part of.

Are we serving with humility or pride? If we all find ourselves serving in humility we will find ourselves serving under one Lord.

Are we standing firm on the inerrant Word of God and allowing grace to permeate our cooperation with those who may disagree with secondary or tertiary doctrines? If not, we are being driven by our "inerrant opinions," and there is great error in that. When I am right and everyone else is wrong, then I am one with myself, not with them and our Lord. God has not made me inerrant.

Are we standing in the way of the kingdom with our arrogant desires to make a name for ourselves, or are we working for rewards of glory? Are our likes and dislikes what define our ability to be one, or is His plan and program for the Kingdom what marks our service?

I choose to be a Baptist and my heart is burdened today for our state convention. I pray they may be one with Him and then each other. The two go hand in hand.

I am called to pastor in my community, yet it seems impossible for local churches who have a shared belief in the fundamentals of the faith to work together for His glory. No one wants to be perceived as working for the enemy (other Christians). Sadly, this is more epidemic than simply a controversy of crossing denominational lines, for Baptist churches in our county can't even cooperate. Our Savior's heart must be broken as we rejoice over our little empires. Our territorialism shatters the work of the Kingdom.

We should pray, as He prayed, that we may be one. I know the Spirit prays this today. Will you?

The Church is Not the Building

2007-03-28T13:28:00.000-07:00

“The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.” I Cor. 16:19

My children are going to grow up very confused. Our church, a young church does not have its own building yet to meet in so we rent space from the local public school. Every Sunday and nearly every Wednesday for five years we have met there. It is has been a blessing to us, since there is no other building in the 85 square miles of our target area that we could meet in. Additionally, the monthly rent is far less than my wife and I have ever paid for a home we have lived in. God is amazing that way! But, I digress.

Whenever we drive by the school on our regular outings one of my children will blurt out, “I see the church!” in their contest to be the first to say it. What they are unable to understand is that they are wrong on two accounts.

First, the building is a school building, not a church building. Since my wife also works for the school district my children must assume she is probably doing church work all day like their dad. Secondly, and most importantly, the church is the people not a building.

It would seem that we often confuse the church as a building. We often spend more time taking care of buildings than taking care of souls. We often spend more money building and maintaining buildings than we spend on reaching people with the Gospel. In fact, I cannot find one command in Scripture to tell us to devote our time with building buildings.

Old Testament arguments regarding the building of temples are not relevant since we are the temples of the Holy Spirit today. If we use the Old Testament examples of temple building, then we need work to ensure that people who are believers are being built up in Christ, clean and pure. We need to build new temples by bringing the unbelievers into faith in Christ.

The only time the New Testament refers to the church’s charge of building buildings is to the charge of building a spiritual building in I Pet. 2:4-5 in which we are commanded to built together as a spiritual house in which Christ is our chief Cornerstone. We are to be the bricks, mortared together on Christ.

I will be glad when our church has a building to use for ministry. But I hope to spend more time building up a spiritual house than a physical house. The church exists whether members are found in the same room or not. Because my members are working today and spread all over our part of Missouri, we have not ceased to be a church. The church simply needs to gather somewhere together for corporate worship and coordinated ministry. This can be in a house, a school building, a building with a steeple, a tent, or under a tree in an African desert.

Jesus said to “Go into all the world and make disciples…” Matt. 28:19. We are to bring them in. Jesus did not command us to build buildings for all to see. Jesus commanded us to build people through which others can see Him.

Call for Commitment

2007-03-24T15:20:00.000-07:00

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might..." Ecclesiastes 9:10a

The church I pastor is a young church. God called my wife and I five years ago to move to St. Joseph to start this church. The last five years have been the hardest and most rewarding years of my life. We began with a church of just a handful of people. (I could literally count all my members on one hand!) I believe, that unless you have been involved in the work of planting a new church, you cannot appreciate what it means to do it. For sure, people will acknowledge that it is a difficult work, but I wonder if they understand it.

Would most people attend a church without a building? Some would. Most would not. How many would have the willingness to spend thirty minutes of their Saturday afternoons to set up a school gymnasium so they would have a place to meet the following day? How many people would be willing to take on multiple jobs at one time in the church to make sure everything is taken care so the ministry of the church could be as effective as possible?

I have been blessed to have many people given to our ministry by the Lord who are willing to do whatever it takes. I often wondered if we would need new churches if old churches would work as hard as new churches do. What could a church with all the resources of an older church and the energy and commitment of a new church accomplish? Perhaps that could be the challenge of this trail for some.

The Lord does not use lazy people to accomplish His will. Ministry is hard. The Christian walk, in and of itself, is a life defined by complete surrender to the will of Jesus Christ. His words to us to "take up our cross" means literally to die. We are to die to our selfish will and in repentance accept His will for our lives. In so doing, we will find ourselves working very hard. Christ gave everything that we may have His salvation. We must die to our selfish will and be transformed by Him into a working testimony of His grace.

Chasing Rabbits!

2007-03-23T17:47:00.000-07:00

Anyone who has ever taken a bird dog out hunting knows the experience of the rabbit trail. Dogs which have been trained to catch the scent of quail, will at times (though some more than others) find themselves at a nervous point at the scent of a rabbit. It seems my dad's dogs always spent more time hunting rabbits. When it was over, I didn't know who to feel the most sorry for. My dad would get his hopes up for an opportunity to shoot at a covey of quail to find disappointment from his modestly-trained dog's rabbit hunting adventures. Then the dog, which would be all excited to catch the scent of anything, would have several colorful words thrown at it so that it would go away whimpering with its tail now tucked tighty between its legs.

I suspect many of my church members have the same thought of my messages. I study and prepare an outline to guide my preaching time. But, lIke most bird dogs, your preacher (and me) will find a way to step outside the message to preach that little extra point which spontaneously arrives in the midst of a sermon delivery. It is marginally related or totally unrelated to the sermon itself. That extra little point is the rabbit trail. Some preachers are better than others. Some run only one trail during a sermon, though I have met some of my fellow Baptist preachers who will run dozens in one message. (Running rabbit trails usually makes for long hunting days.)

My hope is to give you little rabbit trails related to our spiritual lives. I have friends who blog. They use great big Latin words and have blogs that make Martin Luther's 95 theses (in German) seem like elementary reading. (Calvinists are the worst at this.) They have the art of turning an amazing Scripture passage into something completely mundane. I will probably be just as exciting!

Seriously though, this is a good exercise for me! I can often remember the rabbit trails from a sermon I've heard preached long after I've forgotten what the points of the sermon actually were. And, the preacher's rabbit trail might just be the word you need to hear this day!

Blessings,
Pastor Joe