Following Christ

     All people ascribe ultimate value to something. This tendency is known as worship. The object of a person’s worship will determine their religion as they seek to satisfy the universal desire to worship. But, what is the difference between religious folk and those who are truly spiritual? Questions like this are often asked by people who recognize the heart of the matter. They are specifically attempting to discern how you can know that you are not just going through the motions in your spiritual life. I am convinced that the only way to be a spiritual person is to be born again by trusting Jesus Christ for the payment for and forgiveness of sins. Faith in Christ alone is the only hope men have to overcome the death and frailty that all of us experience. Saving faith changes things. It convinces a person that true satisfaction only comes from following Jesus Christ. For most people, following Jesus Christ is a nebulous concept. How can you know that you are truly following Christ?

Contemplating Joseph

Joseph found himself in a very difficult environment. Not many on my Facebook friends list can even begin to imagine what slavery in Egypt was like c.1750 B.C. Nevertheless, he rose above the circumstances because God was with him (Genesis 39:2). His master noticed Joseph's success and entrusted him with all that he had (Genesis 39:3). Today, many of us have been entrusted with opportunities to serve. Some have employers that have entrusted them with resources and responsibilities to make their business profitable. Some have families that depend on them to meet the needs of every-day challenges. Yet, people often struggle to find satisfaction in their lives. Some become tired of the every-day routines. They attack the day by mustering up whatever motivation they can by placing their focus on what is really important to them. Others find themselves geared up and ready to take on whatever the world may throw at them. They seem to have boundless energy. Positivity exudes from their pores. People will experience both of these extremes when they evaluate their success on external circumstances or results. This approach to life fails to take into account all of the variables people have no control over. It also has the potential to place us in a very dangerous course of self-destruction. So what is the right approach?

Acts: The Saga Continues

Some in my "circles" have often commented how we need to get back to basics and become like the "primitive Church". They think that means a simpler form of worship and a clearer connection to God. This sentiment, however pious, often results from misunderstanding the content of Acts. The book of Acts does not give us a detailed account of what the firs century Christians did routinely for corporate worship. Primarily, the focus of this work is to record the testimony of God's faithfulness and power among men in fulfilling his promise of blessing the nations through Abraham. This promise was fulfilled through a message that completely changed the world and the people he used to proclaim it.

Christianity and the Culture Wars

The Church today has inherited much knowledge about God and the doctrines that have become the essential core of truth which defines what Christianity is. This knowledge has been accompanied by the privileges paid for through human suffering and sacrifice. Privileges such as translations of the Bible in a language you can understand. We have heard of times when the church was persecuted. We have also heard of times where many believed the message of the gospel and were transformed by its power. Unfortunately, the cycle of peace and persecution revolves around the church and its faithfulness with which it accomplishes its mission. The cycles just before great persecution came seem to be times when the church appears to be weak in the eyes of the community it is in. The church today has been struggling with the question of culture and how to approach it. Apparent weakness exists on both sides of the argument. The Church in our country seems divided. One of the several factors splintering the churches is the question of how to approach our American culture. What in our culture is acceptable and what must be rejected?

The Gift of Guilt

All people know deep down inside that they have done things that are wrong. People fail morally whether through intentional acts against others or unintentional "mistakes" that result from our own human inadequacies. Sometimes it feels like we can do nothing right. Even worse, sometimes it feels like we have done nothing wrong! This moral failure whether incidental, accidental, or deliberate is what the Bible calls sin. Sin often results in guilty feelings. Some fight hard to hush the cry of a guilty conscience. Could these guilty feelings be a gift from God?

The Relevance of the Christian Pulpit

In chapter 9 of a book titled The Integrated Life, Ken Eldred cited Sherman and Hendricks who found that more than 90% out of a group of 2000 people, regular church attenders, said they never had heard a sermon, read a book, listened to a tape, or been to a seminar that applied biblical principles to every day work issues. He then begins his next paragraph by stating that work is mentioned more than 800 times in the Bible.  How many of those who serve the church from a pulpit consider these everyday work issues when crafting their sermons? How many people reading this blog consider the sermons they hear to be out of touch with or completely irrelevant to their life Monday through Saturday?

Living a Supernatural Life

Can a person live a supernatural life? If so, how does one experience a supernatural life? God says through Paul that if you change the quality of your thinking you will change the quality of your living. Natural thinking results in natural living. Supernatural thinking, that is, informing your thinking with the propositional truths of Scripture, will result in supernatural living. (Romans 12:2) But how do we get there? Does not everyone fail to meet even the simplest standards?

“The Word in the World” by David F. Wells

“The Word in the World” by David F. Wells

To those who care about the Church and the current personal and corporate spiritual health of our nation.

Back Yard Bible Club: Please Pray for These Little Ones!

"And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise." (Deuteronomy6:6-7 ESV)

My family and I have had the great privilege to serve Christ this week by holding a Back Yard Bible Club at our home. It is much like VBS except that we break up into ministry teams and canvas a broader area in town focusing on strategic locations that reach out to a greater part of our community. I have had the pleasure of having 23-29 kids in my back yard for games, songs, verse memorization, and evangelistic Bible lessons. Please pray for the salvation and edification of children that God brings to our home.

One of my favorite things about this ministry opportunity is that I can involve my entire family. It is a real joy to see my children engage in ministry by loving those who come to their home and sharing their time and space with so many new people. I enjoy seeing them pointing others toward Christ. I also marvel at the intelligence and deep theology some children innocently stumble across. I praise God that he has decided to reveal himself to those who are as little children.

Ultimately, God is the one at work .He is the one who gives the increase through the power of his word and the work of the Holy Spirit. May all the glory and honor be his now and forever more!

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil." (Ephesians6:10-11ESV)

Please pray for us and for the children. I would specifically ask that you would pray for a door of opportunity to open for me to speak with some of the parents and tell them about Jesus Christ and his love for them.

All the World's a Stage

Shakespeare made the phrase used as a title for this post popular in his pastoral comedy As you like it. His observations of the entrances and exits of human existence were common knowledge. However, his interpretation of these demonstrate the futility of such knowledge. Exactly what Shakespeare meant by the world may be debated but if one understands it to mean creation as the backdrop of human existence then his morbid view of human life becomes even more tragic. This view is so tragic because the world is often taken for granted in all of the experiences that men encounter in life. More importantly, the conclusions that someone can arrive at from this stage position men to experience life in a way that is fulfilling and full of hope. What is the general message of the stage of human existence?

Is Theology Science?

     A trend has developed since the scientific revolution which has redefined the meaning of science. Rationalism has confined the entire scope of knowledge which can not be experienced to the realm of human reason. Empiricism has further confined knowledge to the realm of nature by demanding truth to be a verifiable observable experience. Add to this a dash of existentialism wherein defining authenticity of existence is an exercise in of itself and you have the the golem of Postmodernism, today's most prevalent worldview. All of these philosophies have been created by men as a reaction to or a rejection of another. Their principles have been affirmed or denied through general consensus. Theology stands as a stark contrast anchored to moorings long ago relegated to the realm of fantasy and mystique. Is theology really science?  

Should People Fear God?

     The fear of the Lord is a very important ingredient in biblical Christianity. There is no hope of being a Christian without it. Nevertheless, the fear of the Lord is one of the most commonly neglected or minimized concepts in contemporary Christianity. The main reason for this is because it is severely misunderstood. What does it mean to fear God? How is this important in your walk with the Lord?

After Cowpens

I see my children playing in a field once soaked with blood.  Laughter and joy exuberantly skip and leap down a road that was once trod with thunderous blasphemies and violence against human life.  Now the grass grows tall and the children play where the wild turkeys strut and memorials decay.  Cowpens, a battle not wanted yet masterfully planned.  Both sides praying to the same God in the same language yet one side would not win.  One hour and souls hurled into eternity left bodies broken, shattered by the hate that flew intent on death.  One hour and wounded men lay scarred and marred by mettle bound enshrined by epic lore. One hour to walk the one mile loop and let the children enjoy a warm summer day.  A little sprinkle from the clouds then sunshine falls on a wooden silhouette representing a Patriot sniper that set his sights on British brass. The end of the mile comes.  Reflection starts.  I watch the children play and I am glad.  I hope the field once soaked with blood enjoys the innocence that now skips and leaps upon its lay.  Their freedom fearfully forged by those who were willing to die yet did all they could to stand hoping to see their children play.  The freedom now enjoyed is the fruit of hope sown in suffering.

Reap the harvest and prepare to sow.

Family Devotions; Training the Next Generation to Love the Lord

I had the privilege of opening Proverbs chapter 10 with my family tonight. We will probably be spending a few days in this chapter in Proverbs. I had my oldest daughter put four columns on our dry-erase board. We categorized actions and conditions with their corresponding results for those who fear God and for those who do not. The thing I enjoyed most about this time in God's word is that I am teaching them to look into Scripture with the intent to discern what God really wants us to know. Here is a good example. 

Congress Gets an American President -- For a Day

Congress Gets an American President -- For a Day
Insightful read!

"If what you and I are doing is God's will, it qualifies as a 'great work,'' whether it is cooking dinner for the kids or designing a bridge to span the Amazon River." (Beckett, Mastering Monday, p. 78)

Trusting God Through Suffering; Job's example

The following is an answer to a person's response to an observation I made about his indignation to the use of Christian cliches as an explanation to the tragedy in Joplin MO. I hope it will edify the church. The person who I wrote this to is a professing agnostic who went to a bible college to prepare for ministry. His studies resulted in his agnosticism.

Are you convinced of the truth?

                Many outside of the church today spend their time clinging to ideas that harden their hearts to the message of the gospel. They confuse fleeting emotional experiences with spirituality. In the end all they have upon which to base their opinion is their own knowledge or their faith in someone else’s apparent wisdom. Unfortunately, many inside the church do the same. I can relate because I was likewise deceived well into my twenties. The more I listened to those who had knowledge, the more I was acquainted with differing views, the more sophisticated and ingrained my ideology. However, one day I experienced the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  The simple message of the gospel has the power to transform all people and give them victory over sin. In fact, even in its simplicity, it far surpasses all human knowledge and wisdom. Its limitless quality is part of the reason why its power can be experienced throughout the entire spectrum of human race and culture.  With the rise of world-wide persecution of Christians and differing ideas competing to persuade people regarding what is truth, people need to know why the gospel is so unique. How can we protect ourselves and our children from being deceived by competing ideologies? 

The Colossian Heresy: What can we learn from it?

          I have been reading through and will be beginning an in depth analysis of the letter to the Colossians. One of the issues which good theologians discuss is the nature of false teaching among the Colossians. This discussion is a result of the attempt to find an actual religious movement that fits into the description deduced from Paul's warnings and commandments to the church at Colossae. This discussion is fascinating from an academic perspective and has resulted in a deeper understanding of some of the cultural and religious influences existing during the first decades of Christianity. However, on a practical level, there are universal principles that apply to us today.

Giving Honor to Whom Honor is Due

I graduated May 7th 2011 with a Master of Arts degree in Bible from Bob Jones University. I thank God for the faculty and staff who challenged me and equipped me to pursue God's will. I appreciate your hard work and example of love and Christian character.

I also thank God for the friends that I have made along the way. I appreciate all of your prayers on my behalf. I also appreciated having the privileged to serve God and work with you to advance his kingdom. 

I praise God for my children, some of whom have never known daddy to be anything but a student at BJU.

Besides Christ, I am most indebted to my wonderful and godly wife who was willing to hold the comforts of this world loosely so I could pursue God's will. She is a treasure whose worth is beyond measure. 

The next step will come in its own time. For now we are given rest. Not a rest of idleness or placid tranquility but a rest in the knowledge that God will accomplish all that he has planned for us. Now is the time to rejoice! Not the rejoicing as if something has finished but a rejoicing that comes from delighting in the privilege of service. We are filled with the joy of having been found faithful and willing to go the distance as the Lord guides and directs. It is in Him that we rejoice for He is our strength and salvation.

Romans 11: 33-36