The Quest

Fasting and Prayer Day 7

2012-01-15T06:43:00.000-08:00

Today is our final day of fasting and prayer. Our focus on this final day will be praying for our families. If you are facing challenges in your home, your marriage, or with your children we are going to pray for God to intervene and bring victory. God wants our homes to be filled with joy and peace not chaos and conflict. Many Christian homes are war zones. Let's pray that God will turn around our homes in 2012. So today we are going to focus on praying for several areas of our home:

1. Pray for our marriages.

2. Pray for our children.

3. Pray for our lost family members.

Fasting and Prayer Day 6

2012-01-14T05:20:00.000-08:00

This is day six of our week of prayer and fasting. Only one more day to go! Today we are going to focus our prayers on our missionaries and global partners. We currently support about 25 different missionaries and global partners around the world. This is a particularly difficult time for missionaries. The escalating cost of living in Europe and in other parts of the world, in addition to the tanking of the economy in the U.S. have confronted missionaries with some major financial challenges. Many are having to come off of the field for lack of support and others are not able to go on the field for the same reason. This is unacceptable! The harvest is great but the laborers are too few. Let's pray for our missionaries in several different ways:

1. Pray for financial provision both personally and ministry wise.

2. Pray for protection.

3. Pray for physical and mental health.

4. Pray for their children.

5. Pray for favor with the governments they minister under.

6. Pray for open doors to share the gospel and plant churches.

7. Pray for God to raise up new missionaries.

"Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you" (Matt.28:19).

Fasting and Prayer Day 5

2012-01-13T05:13:00.000-08:00

We are entering our fifth day of fasting and prayer. Each day we have been focusing on a different area of prayer. Previously we have been praying over individual areas. Today we are going to focus our prayers on our church. There are several major challenges Lifehouse is facing that we need to see a breakthrough in.

1. Pray for relocation. We need to be able to relocate our campus to a bigger and more visible space. We have maxed out every possible inch where we are. We have been searching for another space for five years now with no success. Let's pray that God will help us to find the right place.

"Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give them - to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses" (Joshua 1:2-3).

2. Pray for Pastor Scott. Our worship pastor is battling fifth stage cancer. He needs a miracle. We are believing that God is going to turn this thing around and that Scott is going to be healed!!

"When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill was was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: 'He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases" (Matt.8:16-17).

3. Finances. Since the economy tanked many churches have struggled financially. We are no different. We have had to lay off staff and significantly restrict our budget. Let's pray that God will bless our church financially so that we can do all the things He has given us a vision to do. Let's pray for new tithers, people of means and wealth who will be able to fund the vision, and sacrificial givers.

"Our barns will be filled with every kind of provision. Our sheep will increase by thousands, by tens of thousands in our fields; our oxen will draw heavy loads. There will be no breaching of walls, no going into captivity, no cry of distress in our streets" (Ps.144:13-14)

4. New workers. Let's pray for God to raise up new volunteers in our church to serve. We need volunteers in almost every area of ministry. The Lord has promised to raise up laborers for the harvest field so let's believe that He will.

"Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field" (Matt.9:38).

Fasting and Prayer Day 4

2012-01-12T05:18:00.000-08:00

It's day 4 of our week of prayer and fasting. Today we are going to focus our fasting and prayer on the area of provision. God is a father who loves to meet His children's needs. Whatever you need today God is not only able He is willing. So whether you are facing financial problems, or need a new job, a place to live, or are single and want to find a spouse, or need God's grace to endure a particularly difficult trial, we can trust in God to provide for us according to His great mercy.

Here are some Scriptures that we can pray as we seek God for His provision in our life:

Psalm 37:25
I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread.

Matthew 6:31-32
Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?' For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

Matthew 7:11
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!

Luke 12:7
Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.

2 Corinthians 9:8
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything; you may have an abundance for every good deed;

Philippians 4:19
And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Fasting and Prayer Day 3

2012-01-11T06:29:00.000-08:00

Today is our third day of fasting and prayer together. Today our focus is on physical healing. There are several people in our congregation who are facing grave health crises and need a miracle. While I am thankful for the advance of medical science and the knowledge of doctors and specialists, Jesus is still the Great Physician. So let us pray together that God will bring healing and wholeness to His people who are suffering.

Here are some Scriptures to focus on as we pray for healing:

Isa 53:5.............He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.

Mt 8:17.............He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.

Ps 107:20.........He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.

Prov 3:7............Do not be wise in your own eyes: fear the Lord and depart from evil.

Prov 3:8............It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.

Ex 15:26............I am the Lord who heals you.

Ps 103:3...........Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases...

Ex 23:25...........serve the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you.

Ps 118:17..........I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.

Ps 147:3...........He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Prov 17:22.........A merry heart does good, like a medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.

Mk 16:17...........these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; ...they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.

Jas 5:15............the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

Jas 5:16...........Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.

Mt 8:13............Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.

Fasting and Prayer Day 2

2012-01-10T14:54:00.000-08:00

Today is day number 2 of our week of fasting and prayer. Today we are going to be focusing on praying for revival in our church, community, nation and world. Revival is the renewal of that which was dead. What is dead in your life that needs renewing today? Is it your marriage? Is it your relationship with your children? Is it your job? Remember that God brings dead things back to life!

Here are some Scriptures to pray today for revival.

Ps 85:6
Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?

Psalm 145:4-6, 11-13
4 One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts.
5 They will speak of the glorious splendour of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works.
6 They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds.
11 They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might,
12 so that all men may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendour of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving towards all he has made.

Isa 64:1-3
1 Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you!
2 As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil, come down to make your name known to your enemies and cause the nations to quake before you!
3 For when you did awesome things that we did not expect, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you.

Hab 3:2-6
LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O LORD. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.
3 God came from Teman, the Holy one from Mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens and his praise filled the earth.
4 His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden.
5 Plague went before him; pestilence followed his steps.
6 He stood, and shook the earth; he looked, and made the nations tremble.

Fasting and Prayer Day 1

2012-01-10T14:35:00.000-08:00

This week I want to do a daily devotional to focus our thoughts and prayers for our time of fasting and prayer. Today is the second day of fasting and prayer. Today let us come to the Lord in repentance, humbling ourselves and seeking His great mercy and grace over our lives and families. The Greek word for repentance is (metanoia) and means "a change of mind." There is a vast difference between being sorry for our sins and repenting of our sins. We can be sorry over the consequences of our sin yet still have the same mindset about them. It's not until we change our mind and attitude about our sins that repentance can take place. We must repent of unbiblical thinking patterns and beliefs. Every sin that man commits begins in the mind. If our minds have been changed then our actions will be changed. Change begins in the mind with repentance. To change your life you have to change the way you think about your life. What attitudes and beliefs are you holding onto today that need to be repented of?

Here are some Scriptures we can pray as we humble ourselves before the Lord in repentance today.

“He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy." Proverbs 28:13

To the Corinthian church: "Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death." 2 Corinthians 7:9-10

To the believers in Ephesus: “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent." Revelation 2:5

To the lukewarm church in Laodicea: “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me." Revelation 3:19

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my thoughts; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting." Psalm 139:23-24

Jesus said, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:14

“...unless you repent you will all likewise perish." Luke 13:3, 5

“Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” Acts 2:38

“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord...." Acts 3:19

“Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.” Acts 8:22
“Jesus... said to them, 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” Mark 2:17

“...if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will." 2 Timothy 2:25

“...afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears." Hebrews 12:17

“And the Lord has sent to you all His servants the prophets... but you have not listened nor inclined your ear to hear. They said, ‘Repent now everyone of his evil way and his evil doings... and do not provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands; and I will not harm you.’ Yet you have not listened to Me,' says the Lord, 'that you might provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt." Jeremiah 25:4

“...unless you repent you will all likewise perish." Luke 13:3, 5

“Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,' says the Lord God. 'Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit." Ezekiel 18:30

“In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!'” Matthew 3:1

“Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance." Matthew 3:7-8

“From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:17

“[Jesus] said to them, 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” Matthew 9:12

“Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: 'Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago.'" Matthew 11:20

“ ...these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness..." Acts 17:30

“ Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?" Romans 2:4

“... lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and I shall mourn for many who have sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness, fornication, and lewdness which they have practiced." 2 Corinthians 12:21

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9

“Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth." Revelation 2:16

“I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds."Revelation 2:21

“But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands.... And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts."Revelation 9:20-21

"When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:13-14

Ten Trends to Surface by 2020

2011-12-29T14:14:00.000-08:00

Sam Rainer, local church pastor, writer, and President of Rainer Research, has identified ten trends expected to surface in the American Church by 2020. You can read the article by clicking here.

Interesting to note that Rainer predicts the decline of video venues. I, for one, welcome this trend as video venues have always seemed to me to be a particularly disturbing franchising of certain megachurch celebrity pastors. Frankly, I've always thought video campuses smacked of hubris on the part of megachurch leaders who think no one can preach as well as they can. In fact, I've heard several prominent pastors unequivocally state this. Video venues seem to be a uniquely American religious invention rather than a New Testament one.

I personally don't see how the franchising of pastoral personalities on HD screens squares with the New Testament call to decrease and not consider yourself more highly than others. The very idea promulgated among the megachurch pastors that they are the only ones really gifted to communicate the gospel is odious and offensive to the very nature of the Gospel.

There are several inherent problems with video venues as I see it. One, the incarnational nature of preaching is abrogated in such an atmosphere. People aren't seeing a human pastor in the pulpit they are seeing a bigger-than-life celebrity on the screen. There is no longer an intimate human connection between the audience and the speaker, but a sterile, disembodied voice projected through the medium of technology. This does have a subtle psychological effect on listeners. It is much easier to eschew accountability when you are receiving direction from a person on the screen who doesn't know you, rather than a living, breathing person standing behind a lectern, who is acquainted with your issues and weaknesses. Effective and powerful preaching must be incarnational. The message of the preacher is embodied by the preacher. How can a person on a screen embody a message? The only time you see them is on the screen when they are at their best. Their words are smooth, their manners polished, and their presentation flawless. The danger is that we might get the idea that the Christian life is like that. Rather throughout the Bible preaching tended to be rough around the edges, communicated by less than stellar speakers, and occasionally brilliant. The point is that you can't separate the message from the messenger or you lose a very convincing facet of the Gospel message. Jesus didn't give the gospel to angels to proclaim but to frail and weak men. God has not chosen the noble, the wise or the elite to preach the Gospel, but the base, weak and foolish, so that the wise might be confounded.

Second, if celebrity pastors are intent on having their golden images beamed from every mountain top how can they expect to raise up other pastors? I realize that campus pastors are the proposed answer, but campus pastors for the most part in video venues don't preach or teach. They merely conduct the service. Yet the New Testament is clear that a major part of a pastor's job is preaching and teaching. If celebrity pastors are doing all the preaching and teaching how can the other peon pastors learn to communicate? We have to decide if it is more important for us to extend our fame and celebrity through the proliferation of more and more video venues with a big name pastor on the screen, or is it more important to build the church and advance the Gospel. Ultimately the church grows and the Gospel advances not with celebrity pastors extending their franchises, but with average flesh and blood preachers and pastors who have been equipped properly thereby resulting in the planting of churches and the proliferation of the Gospel.

Finally, video venues reinforce the cult of celebrity that has become part and parcel of the church in the 21st century. If I hear "Insert Celebrity Pastor Name Here said..." one more time I'm going to throw up. Not because I don't have mad respect for what these guys have accomplished but because I really don't care what a big name celebrity pastor said. In many quarters of the church we have elevated the words of a celebrity pastor to the same level as Scripture. I don't know if you've thought about this, but Mr. Big Name Celebrity Pastor could be wrong. Yet because their images are ubiquitous on billboards, conferences, and video screens they seem to be larger than life. Not only is this idolatry it is dangerous for the celebrity pastors. No one can live up to that kind of expectation. Then when they fall we either don't hold them accountable and continue to sit under their damaged ministries, or transfer our allegiance to the next rising star. This cult of celebrity has to stop. Jesus is the only superstar in the church!

I look forward to the day when average pastors and average communicators take their rightful place in the church and are honored instead of slandered. Now I'm not advocating for an average ministry. I believe we need to do the best we can with what gifts we have been given. But if average was so bad God wouldn't have called so many average pastors! It is imperative that Christians realize that the church is not a spiritual Hollywood. God doesn't call stars, He calls servants. Some are extremely gifted and some aren't, but we are all on the same team serving the same Lord, laboring in the same vineyard. God designed it that way. So let's put an end to the cult of celebrity and remember that Jesus is the star not the pastor on the screen!

God Came Near

2011-12-24T18:34:00.000-08:00

Haveyou ever stopped and considered how big the universe is? Itfeels like our earth is all there is but it is really just one small planet ina vast solar system. Our solar system isjust one member of a vast Milky Way Galaxy containing 200-40 billion stars. Thereare 100-200 billion galaxies in our universe. Scientistssay the universe spans a diameter of 150 billion light years and is still expanding.

Nothing shows how insignificant the earth really is compared to the universe like thephoto from the Voyager. This picture shows earth as a dot suspended in a beamof sunlight situated against the backdrop of the Solar System.

Nowthink about this: the Bible tells us that God created the heavens and theearth. God is the one who created theplanets, the stars, the solar systems and the billions of galaxies. Psalm 19 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work ofhis hands.” God transcends Hiscreation. Now the magnitude of theuniverse is staggering, but as big as the universe is God is even bigger. The Creator transcends His creation.

Thereis no way I can relate to that God. Heis too great, too majestic, too powerful, too mind bending to even begin tocomprehend. How in the world is itpossible for me to know a God who intricately designed the universe on such agrand scale? Even if I could know Himwhy would He want to know me? Why wouldthe God who created this vast, astounding universe care about what happens onthis tiny, insignificant planet?

Christmasis the answer! God knew that we couldnever relate to Him, so He decided to relate to us. His love for us was so great that He robedhimself in human flesh, imprisoned Himself in the womb of a virgin, and enteredinto our existence.

Theprophet Isaiah writes of His birth saying, “Thereforethe Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birthto a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isa.7:14). Immanuel means “God with us.” No longer would it be God above us or transcendingus, but God is with us. God became manso that you might know His love, care and concern for you.

Christmasis God’s way of saying, “You are significant, you are loved and you arevaluable. No matter what you’re walkingthrough today God can relate. He hasfelt your pain, understood your sorrow. Even though it may not seem like it He is walking beside you todaythrough it all.

Merry Christmas!

Miracles in Unexpected Places

2011-12-23T13:32:00.000-08:00

A smelly stable is not the place you expect to find a king. Kings are born in palaces not stables. But this was no ordinary baby; this was no ordinary king! Joseph and Mary never expected to find themselves in this kind of place giving birth to their firstborn. I'm sure they had plans to have their family close by them, and to give birth in the comfort of their own home. But then Quirinius decides to enact a tax and Joseph and Mary begin a journey that would change the world. Plan A is out the window, but if Mary goes into labor surely an innkeeper will have mercy upon them and give them warm bedding and a safe place to give birth. But alas Plan B is also thwarted and circumstances conspire to render them to an unlikely and unexpected place: a stable.

Once you mature past the naivety of childhood you understand that life often doesn't work out the way you thought it would. Plan A usually doesn't pan out, which leads to Plan B, C, D and for some: E, F and G. Dreams die, hardships intensify, tragedies assail, and disappointment haunts. Alas your circumstances conspire to render you to an unlikely and unexpected place. As you examine your life this Christmas season you may find yourself in an unexpected place. Maybe you thought your marriage would never fail, but you are on the cusp of a divorce. Maybe you had tenure at your job, but you find yourself unemployed. Maybe you were the picture of health, but a disease has you fighting for your life. Whatever your "unexpected place" it is sacred ground.

There was a reason Jesus was born in a stable. The Old Testament prophets foretold that the Messiah would be born in the city of David. It wasn't mere blind fate that led Joseph and Mary to the stable it was the providential hand of God! From the moment Joseph and Mary left Nazareth God was guiding them to a place they never expected to be. The innkeeper may have seemed curmudgeonly by not giving them a room, but God was ordering their circumstances. All of the events in Joseph and Mary's journey conspired to bring them to the very place where the greatest miracle in human history would occur: God would take the form of man. The stable was an unexpected place, but it was a place of miracles.

If you are in an unexpected place today don't despair, this may very well be your miracle place. The events that have transpired in your life have not caught God by surprise. He often paints His most beautiful pictures on the canvass of utter hopelessness and despair. If you're pining away over the loss of Plan A or B in your life just remember that Plan C was God's intention from the beginning and your unexpected place may produce the greatest miracle of your life!

Book Review on Augustine

2011-12-22T14:22:00.000-08:00

EdwardSmither, Augustine as Mentor: A Model forPreparing Spiritual Leaders. Nashville, TN:
B & H Publishing Group, 2008.Pp.272. $17.99 paperback.

Dr. Ed Smither, assistant professor ofChurch History and Intercultural Studies at Liberty Theological Seminary, hasoffered an informative and unique contribution to the field of Augustinian literaturein his book Augustine as Mentor. Throughout the five chapters and epiloguethat comprise the book, Dr. Smither examines the relationship between mentorsand disciples spanning from the ministry of Jesus to the fourth centurytheological luminary Augustine, Bishop of Hippo. Many trees have been felled and much ink spiltin discussing the nuances of Augustinian theology, but this book is unique in itsfresh approach to the practical ministry of Augustine, both as spiritual leaderand disciple. The pattern of earlyChristian mentoring of spiritual leaders reveals eight principles Smitherdiscusses over the course of the book: Group Context, Mentor as Disciple,Selection, Mentor-Disciple Relationship, Sound Teaching, Modeling and Involvingin Ministry, Releasing Leaders and Resourcing Leaders (Smither, 2008 pp.13-22). These eight principles are shown by theauthor to be a tested and effective means of growing and reproducing disciplesfrom the first century to the twenty-first century.

In chapter one, “Mentoring in the FirstCentury” Smither establishes mentoring as a New Testament principle and thenbriefly discusses how the aforementioned eight mentoring principles were embodiedthrough the ministries of both Jesus and the apostle Paul. In chapter two, “The Mentoring Matrix” theauthor moves from the mentors in the New Testament to four influential mentorsfrom the first few centuries of the church’s existence that provide context forthe life and ministry of Augustine: Cyprian, Pachomius, Basil and Ambrose.

The third chapter, "WhoMentored Augustine” introduces us to the numerous mentors who were mostinfluential in Augustine’s life and ministry. These mentors included Augustine’s mother Monica, his close friendsAlypius, Nebridius and Evodius and church leaders Ambrose, Simplicianus andValeirus, who preceded him as Bishop of Hippo. Chapter four “Augustine’s Approach to Mentoring” elucidates the variousmentoring approaches used by Augustine in his relationship to the clergy. Inchapter five “Augustine’s Thoughts on Mentoring” we discover how Augustineemployed to varying degrees the eight principles of mentoring mentioned inchapter one. Finally in the epilogue“Shepherding Shepherds Today” spiritual leaders are encouraged to seek qualitymentoring relationships through which they can shepherd and be shepherded byothers, thereby strengthening one another and building the church.

There are at least four major strengths ofthe book that are particularly noteworthy. First, the author presents a compelling case for the efficacy of biblicalmentoring in strengthening and building the church. Contrary to prevailing opinion in somequarters of the church, mentoring is not a newfangled twenty-first century ideapropagated by wet-behind-the-ears pastors with un-tucked shirts and sportinggoatees, but a principle rooted in the New Testament and practiced throughoutthe life of the early church. Withoutthe strong mentoring influence of men like Cyprian, Basil, Ambrose, Valerius,and Augustine, the church would have suffered irreparable harm from therepeated blows of heresy, schism, persecution and intellectual attack.

Second, the emphasis on mentoring in agroup context or community is a breath of fresh air and a much needed directivefor many lone ranger Christians who often eschew accountability in a localchurch context. As a local church pastorI am dismayed by the increasing individualism that has permeated evangelicalismover the last sixty years. This bedrockAmerican ideal is

antitheticalto the teaching of scripture and has resulted in a dearth of true biblicalcommunity which abrogates the discipleship process. Smither convincingly shows that truediscipleship and growth in Christ happens primarily in a community context. Particularly thrilling to me was thediscovery that Jesus never mentored anyone privately but always in a groupcontext. Also, the manner in whichAugustine often mentored others during “table talk” (152), reminds me thatmentoring is not a project to get done or task to achieve but an all-encompassingway of life, which demands that I spend unhurried time in community withothers.

Third, what was most inspirational to mewas the warm and insightful portrayal of the pastoral side of Augustine. Much has been written on Augustine the theologianbut rare indeed is the portrait of Augustine the pastor. Augustine’s pastoral nurture and nature areadeptly displayed through accounts of his preaching, teaching, resourcing,writing and visitation, from his days at the monastery at Cassiciacum, to his tenureas Bishop of Hippo. Smither’s portrayalof Augustine’s pastoral ministry convicts me of my own need to view all of lifeas the pastorate, and to show the same love, patience and affection thatAugustine showed not only to his flock and colleagues, but also to his enemies.

Fourth, I was struck by the author’sdepiction of Augustine as not only an erudite mentor but also a humbledisciple. Augustine was clearly one ofthe brightest minds of his time, and his theological acumen unparalleled inWestern Church history. Yet Augustine’sthirst for the knowledge of God was never quenched. Through his interaction and correspondencewith friends and colleagues, most of whom were his intellectual inferior, hesought out opinions and probed thoughts on everything from ministry matters totheological controversies. Augustine’shumility is demonstrated in his words to his congregation, “For you I am abishop, with you I am a Christian” (222). The humble example of such a great spiritual giant as Augustine,challenges me in the context of my own life and ministry, to continue growingand learning as much as I can from everyone I can.

While the book was incredibly rich incontent, fresh in approach, and successful in achieving its aim of establishinga biblical and historical basis for the importance of mentoring spiritualleaders, there were a couple of minor problems I noted. First, toward the end, the book tended to bevery repetitive. Chapter five seemed tobe a recapitulation of chapter four with little new information provided. While I appreciate the extensive research andcopious footnotes provided by the author, the book tended to get a little dryand tedious. Smither is clearly a fineacademician and able researcher, but I felt the author would have been bettersuited in achieving his purpose by taking more time to delve deeper into someof the mentoring methods presented, rather than recapitulate information thathad already been provided.

Second, while the author briefly mentionedthe need for mentoring other spiritual leaders in the twenty-first century in theepilogue, “Shepherding Shepherds Today,” his application was by far the weakestand most disappointing portion of the book. The meticulous manner in which Smither identified and described thevarious mentoring principles employed by early church leaders, and most notablyAugustine, throughout the book, had me anticipating an extended discussion on whatsome of these principles would look like in a twenty-first century ministrycontext. Unfortunately, when that application arrived,it was not a discussion but a general call to mentorship. The book could have been more helpful if additionaltime was spent on fleshing out some of these principles for modern day pastors.

These two minor problems notwithstanding,I thought overall the book was outstanding. Pastors, church leaders and scholars alike, will be enriched by the freshapproach to an often neglected biblical principle, and equipped to begin theprocess of reproducing other leaders, that the church may be built up, andnourished in every way.

EdwardSmither, Augustine as Mentor: A Model forPreparing Spiritual Leaders. Nashville, TN:
B & H Publishing Group, 2008.Pp.272. $17.99 paperback.

Favorite Christmas Traditions

2011-12-22T14:00:00.000-08:00

Every family has their own favorite Christmas traditions that make this time of year special. Our family is no different. Here are a few of my favorite family Christmas traditions:

1. Reading "Twas the Night Before Christmas" the night before Christmas. We usually have a Christmas Eve service so when we come home we read the book before the kids go to bed.

2. Watching "It's A Wonderful Life." Every Christmas Eve Allison and I watch "It's A Wonderful Life" together. It's one of my favorite movies of all-time and makes Christmas very special.

3. Peanut Butter Balls. If you've never had homemade peanut butter balls you haven't lived. Now that I'm considerably lighter than in years past, I have to be careful with them, but you can't eat just one.

4. The Santa Drill. When the kids go to bed, Santa goes into action. We bring out the hidden toys, prepare cookies and milk and anticipate the look on our kid's faces when they see what Santa brought them.

5. The NBA on Christmas Day. What better way to spend Christmas day then watching the NBA!

6. Watching "The Christmas Story." It's a Christmas classic and is usually on for 24 hours over Christmas. So many lines in this movie have become inside lingo for our family.

7. Breakfast Casserole. My wife makes a delicious breakfast casserole on Christmas morning.

8. Christmas Eve service. I love the sacredness and solemnity of Christmas Eve. What better way to spend Christmas then worshiping the Christ child!

9. Opening presents. Guess this one goes without saying, but there is nothing like watching the expression on a child's face when they open presents.

10. Rest and relaxation. After the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season it is nice to be able to take a rest from ministry. We close the church office between Christmas and New Year's and give the staff off. It's a wonderful time of relaxing, resting and renewing.

Update on Where I've Been

2011-12-22T13:40:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to give you an update on what has been happening in my life over the last few months. I'm excited to announce that I have finally started working toward my Master's Degree. With the reading, writing and studying that class requires, in addition to pastoring and being a husband and father, I haven't had much time to write blog posts.

I'm actually enjoying the intense study as I've always had a hunger to learn. Growing up I hated reading. Then when I was converted I developed a passion for reading and since then I've been reading at least two to three books a month. Oh the amazing changes that God has wrought in my life:)

Now that the Christmas holidays are upon us and the semester is done I thought I would maybe write a few posts. So if you read the blog regularly (all three of you), stay tuned...

Have You Given Up on the Bible?

2011-10-13T12:33:00.000-07:00

When is the last time you read your Bible? Today? Yesterday? Last Sunday? Last month? Over the summer? Every year in America 25 million Bibles are sold. The Bible is still the best selling book of all time. Nine out of ten households have at least one Bible. Many have more than one (I probably have 15-20). But every day 700 people quit reading the Bible. Some quit because they find the Bible boring. Some quit because they are too lazy to do anything but lie on the couch. Some quit because they don't understand the Bible. Some quit because they left their's at church and never bother to get it back (it's amazing how many abandoned Bibles you find in church) and some quit because they have given up on faith in general.

Have you quit reading your Bible? We are so blessed as Americans to have free and unrestricted access to the Word of God. We can pick up the Bible and read it at any time. We might have to blow a dust storm off of the cover when we retrieve it from the shelf but at least we have one to read. The sad fact is that while we can read the Bible anytime we want to we don't and we inevitably suffer the consequences as Christians and as a nation. As Christians the Bible is our authoritative rule of faith and conduct. The words of Scripture are God-breathed, without error in its original manuscripts and reveals God's character and nature to human beings. All that God wants us to know about Himself He has given to us in His Word. If we don't read God's Word how can we know God's will? How can we know what God has promised? How can we know what pleases Him? What angers Him? How can we discover our purpose and align ourselves consistently to God's purpose? How can we remain encouraged in our faith? We can't. The Bible to the Christian is the air that we breathe.

Dr. Wesley Stafford, president of Compassion International, aChristian international aid organization, tells a story about an Ethiopianpastor during that country’s Communist period a couple of decades ago. At that time it was illegal to preach Christianity inEthiopia, or even own a Bible. This pastor led services at night in themountains. He had to tear his Bible into pages and distribute them among hiscongregation, asking each person to memorize a portion so that during worshipthe pastor could ask, “Who is Romans 8?” and the church member who hadmemorized that chapter would rise and recite it.

This pastor also preached frequently at funerals, where theauthorities knew they could catch him. He was frequently beaten and jailed.Finally, the authorities decided to execute him. They rigged up a crudeelectric chair in the center of town, with wires hanging down and loops on themat the end, in which the pastor was to insert his hands. He knelt and theyturned on the switch. The power short-circuited and electricity went out allover town. The authorities were furious, yelled at the electrician to fix thewires and told the pastor he would be executed the next day.

The next morning the pastor was brought out, knelt and hadhis hands inserted in the loops. The switch was pulled, and again, electricitywent out all over town. The authorities said, “Just get out of here!” Thepastor limped off with his bruises and burns, and Stafford, who was there towitness the execution, ran after him. “Where are you going?” he asked thepastor. The pastor responded, “You don’t want to know. I’m going to preach at afuneral.”

“We in the United States will be praying for you and theChristians of Ethiopia,” Stafford said. “And I will be praying for you and theChristians of the United States,” the pastor said. This raised Stafford’scuriosity. “What is your prayer for us Americans?” he asked. The pastor said,“Wes, I have heard that Christians in the United States can meet and praise Godany time they want without any danger, but that sometimes they go a whole daywithout praying. We here in Ethiopia have to pray every minute of every daybecause of the persecution. And Wes, I've also heard that Bibles are plentifulin the United States, and many people have more than one, but that someChristians go a week without reading it. Is what I hear about the United Statestrue?” “Yes, it’s true,” Stafford responded. “It’s true, and we needyour prayers.”

In 2 Kings 22 the story is told of a lost book that brought revival and reform to Israel. When Josiah (the boy king) became the King of Israel the magnificent Temple of Solomon lay in ruins. Not only did the Temple lay in ruins but so did the people's spiritual lives. Josiah decided he was going to restore the Temple to its former glory so he commissioned one of his staff members Shaphan to clean the Temple in preparation for rebuilding. While Shaphan and his crew were cleaning the Temple they discovered a book, but not just any book. It was the Book of the Law that had been lost for many years. When they showed the book to Josiah immediately he called for a public assembly so that the Book of the Law could be read to the people. When the Book of the Law was read the people repented and committed themselves to following the Law. What ensued was the beginning of a great awakening and a national revival.

There is a lost book in America in the 21st century. It is the Bible. But if we will rediscover the Bible in our churches and in our homes we can also have a great awakening and a national revival. So don't give up on your Bible. Read it and it will change your life!

The Best of Israel Tour

2011-10-11T10:52:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to announce that we will be leading a church trip to Israel March 5-12, 2012. This is going to be the trip of a lifetime. Here is the itinerary...

Monday, March 5 - Depart USA to Tel Aviv

Tuesday, March 6 - Arrive Tel Aviv and Overnight in Nazareth.
Today you arrive in Tel Aviv. Be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel in Nazareth for dinner and overnight.

Wednesday, March 7 – Cana, Nazareth Village, Megiddo, Mt. Carmel, Caesarea, Baptism
Begin today by recalling Jesus’ first miracle as you pass through Cana (John 2). Explore the Nazareth Village, a living presentation of the life, times, and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. Visit Megiddo and the Valley of Armageddon (Revelation 16). Look out over the Valley of Jezreel from the heights of Mount Carmel. On this mount, Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18). Visit Caesarea on the Mediterranean Sea, where Paul made his defense before Festus and King Agrippa prior to his final journey to Rome (Acts 25 & 26). Experience a special baptism service at the Yardenit Baptismal site, where the Jordan River exits the Sea of Galilee on its journey southward (Matthew 3). Arrive at the Tiberias hotel for dinner and overnight.

Thursday, March 8 - Sea of Galilee, Capernaum, Mt. of Beatitudes, Boat Ride, Fish Lunch,
Beth Shean, Jordan Valley, Jerusalem
Drive along the shores of the Sea of Galilee, passing the area of Magdala, home of Mary Magdalene. Next travel to Capernaum, and stand in the ruins of the synagogue built atop the remains of the one in which Jesus taught. Visit the peaceful Mount of Beatitudes that overlooks the Sea of Galilee. On this hill, Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7). Cross the Sea of Galilee aboard a Kinnereth Sailing Company boat, and appreciate the special place this lake had in Jesus' ministry. Enjoy a St. Peter's Fish Dinner at the Ein Gev kibbutz. Next it’s on to the magnificent ruins
of Beth Shean where you will tour the impressive excavations of Scythopolis, one of the ten cities of the Decapolis. Drive through the Jordan Valley and on to the city of Jerusalem, where you will stop for dinner and overnight.

Friday, March 9 - Garden Tomb, Gordon's Calvary, Bethlehem.
Today we take time to reflect at the Garden Tomb, celebrating the exhilaration of the resurrection of our Lord, followed by our remembrance of the agony of the cross at Gordon’s Calvary. Cross the border into Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus (Luke 2). Look out on the Shepherd's Fields, where angels spread the Good News. Return to your Jerusalem hotel for dinner and overnight.

Saturday, March 10 – Masada, Dead Sea, Qumran.
Travel along the Dead Sea to the Herodian fortress of Masada. Here, Jewish zealots held out against the Romans encamped below until the walls were breached. In an act of defiance against the anticipated slavery and slaughter, the group committed suicide, denying the Romans their “prize.” Following the visit to Masada, take an opportunity to touch the mineral-laden waters of the Dead Sea, whose buoyancy and medicinal benefits are world-renown. Journey through the Judean Wilderness to Qumran. This settlement, located in the northern area of the Dead Sea is famous for being near the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. Return to your hotel for dinner
and overnight.

Sunday, March 11 - Mt. Olivet, Ascension Site, Gethsemane, Model City, Mt. Zion, Upper Room, King David's Tomb, Caiaphas's House, Old City Tour.
Today stand atop Mt. Olivet (the Mount of Olives), where Jesus ascended into Heaven 40 days after His resurrection (Acts 1). The Chapel of the Ascension marks the traditional site. Pray in the Garden of Gethsemane among Olive Trees in the Kidron Valley across
from the walls of Jerusalem. Better understand the Jerusalem of Jesus’ day with a look at the First Century Model of the City of Jerusalem, now housed at the Israel Museum. Journey to Mt. Zion and stand in the Upper Room, revered as the place of the Last Supper (Mark 14:12-26). View the site of King David’s Tomb. Walk through some of the ancient rooms of Caiaphas' the High Priest's house. Continue your journey through the Old City to the Cardo. This ancient marketplace has ruins that date back to the Judean monarchy among modern shops. Return to your hotel for dinner and overnight.

Monday, March 12 - Depart Tel Aviv to USA, Arrive in USA
Today you will board your international flight back to the USA. Arrive home with memories that will last a lifetime.

OPTIONAL 2-DAY JORDAN / PETRA
EXTENSION ($749.00)
Monday March 12
Amman / Cross at King Hussein Bridge / Visit Petra /Overnight in Amman.

Tuesday March 13
Jerash / Peniel / Mt. Nebo / Return to Amman / Transfer to Amman Airport for Late Night Flight to USA.

Wednesday March 14 Arrive in USA.

As you can see it's going to include all the best that Israel has to offer. The cost is only $3199 a person. If you're interested let me know and I can send you a brochure.

The Goldilocks Syndrome

2011-10-11T10:23:00.000-07:00

You probably remember the nursery tale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. In the story a young girl, Goldilocks is walking in a forest and finds a cottage that is home to a family of bears. But the bears are not home so Goldilocks walks in the house and tries the bear's porridge. One bowl is too hot, another is too cold and the last one is just right. Next she tries to sit in the furniture. One chair is too hard, one is too soft and the other is just right. She repeats this with the beds and falls asleep when the bears return home and find her sleeping in their bed.

This much loved nursery tale is reflective of the state we find the church in today. Goldilocks was a savvy consumer. Everything needed to be just right for her. When everything was just right she fell asleep. It's what I call "The Goldilocks Syndrome." The American Church is sick with the Goldilocks Syndrome.

One of the great dangers facing the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the 21st century is the ubiquitous consumerism run amok in American churches. As Americans we are trained from childhood to be savvy consumers. The very engine that drives the American economy - the Free Market System - relies upon the distribution and consumption of products. The businesses that design the best products for the best prices are rewarded through the ever-increasing consumption of their products and the businesses that are unable to meet demand are punished and go out of business. In a word it's called Capitalism. While Capitalism has made America's economy the strongest in the world it's twin consumerism has had a devastating impact on the church.

Consumerism is king in America. Daily we are inundated with advertisers hawking their wares promising the us the moon stirring up within us desires we didn't even know that we had. Consumerism becomes such a part of our life that we don't even recognize it anymore. After all, we are just doing what we've been taught to do. The problem is when we bring this attitude of consumerism into the church. We treat the church like we do the local grocery store. Wherever I can get the best product for the best price is where I will shop. Today it may be Harris Teeter and next week Giant. For Christians it would be, "We will go to the church that has the best programs for my family," or "We will go to the church with the hottest worship band," or "We will go to the church with the Disneyland Theme Kids Ministry."

The danger in this attitude of consumption is that consumers have the power. The consumers money is king so the in effect the consumer calls the shots. But when we come into the Kingdom of God we don't get to call the shots anymore. The way of the Kingdom calls us to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Jesus. The way of the Kingdom calls us to decrease and Christ to increase. The way of the Kingdom calls us to be faithful and to sacrifice for the sake of others. It means that we don't look for the best deal but we settle in a local church that God has planted us in and use our gifts to build that church.

The fruit of consumerism is a shallow, spiritually anemic Christian. But pastors have to keep the deals coming to keep the seats full so every week we have to do something edgier and more noteworthy than the week before. Enter the dog and pony show. In order to keep the masses coming we need to give the consumer what they want. We need to have the coolest technology so we can show the world that Jesus is cool and that we are not hicks. We need to talk about their potential and make them feel good. We need to baptize their selfish dreams with Christian lingo so they can feel good about their pursuit of the American Dream. We need to dumb down Christian doctrine because consumers don't want to be bothered with how the product is made or what ingredients are in it, they just want the benefits of the product. But you can't shortcut discipleship. Disciples are made not produced.

Pastors are driving themselves to madness trying to compete with one another for the market share of believers in their city. Our church has to be the biggest and best and coolest. So while we are all on the same team, consumerism puts us in competition with one another. So we work to outdo one another and the kingdom suffers. What would happen if we stopped entertaining Christian consumers and focused on spiritual formation? Many churches would empty but would that be a bad thing? Are we supposed to be building crowds or disciples? Jesus lost thousands but it didn't seem to bother Him.

This is an area that we must address as pastors and church leaders if the american church is going to be healthy and fulfill the Great Commission. In his book "The Jesus Way" pastor and author Eugene Peterson, who is a prophet to our generation, writes the following about the consumer church.

The local congregation is the primary place for dealing with the particulars and people we live with. As created and sustained by the Holy Spirit, it is insistently local and personal. Unfortunately, the more popular American church strategies in respect to congregation are not friendly to the local and the personal. The American way with its penchant for catchy slogans and stirring visions denigrates the local, and its programmatic ways of dealing with people erode the personal, replacing intimacies with functions. The North American church at present is conspicuous for replacing the Jesus way with the American Way. For Christians who are serious about following Jesus by understanding and pursuing the ways that Jesus is the Way, this deconstruction of the Christian congregation is particularly distressing and a looming distraction from the Way of Jesus.
A Christian congregation is a company of praying men and women who gather, usually on Sundays, for worship, who then go into the world as salt and light. God’s Holy Spirit calls and forms this people. God means to do something with us, and he means to do it in community. We are in on what God is doing, and we are in on it together.

And here is how we are in on it: we become present to what God intends to do with and for us through worship, become present to the God who is present to us. The operating biblical metaphor regarding worship is sacrifice — we bring ourselves to the altar and let God do with us what he will. We bring ourselves to the Eucharistic table and enter into that grand fourfold shape of the liturgy that shapes us: taking, blessing, breaking, giving — the life of Jesus taken and blessed, broken and distributed. That Eucharistic life now shapes our lives as we give ourselves, Christ in us, to be taken, blessed, broken, and distributed in lives of witness and service, justice and healing.
But that is not the American way. The great American innovation in congregation is to turn it into a consumer enterprise. We Americans have developed a culture of acquisition, an economy that is dependent on wanting more,requiring more. We have a huge advertising industry designed to stir up appetites we didn’t even know we had. We are insatiable.

It didn’t take long for some of our Christian brothers and sisters to develop consumer congregations. If we have a nation of consumers, obviously the quickest and most effective way to get them into our congregations is to identify what they want and offer it to them, satisfy their fantasies, promise them the moon, recast the gospel in consumer terms: entertainment, satisfaction, excitement, adventure, problem solving, whatever. This is the language we Americans grew up on, the language we understand. We are the world’s champion consumers, so why shouldn’t we have state-of-the-art consumer churches?

Given the conditions prevailing in our culture, this is the best and most effective way that has ever been devised for gathering large and prosperous congregations. Americans lead the world in showing how to do it. There is only one thing wrong: this is not the way in which God brings us into conformity with the life of Jesus and sets us on the way of Jesus’ salvation. This is not the way in which we become less and Jesus becomes more. This is not the way in which our sacrificed lives become available to others in justice and service. The cultivation of consumer spirituality is the antithesis of a sacrificial, “deny yourself” congregation. A consumer church is an antichrist church.
We can’t gather a God-fearing, God-worshipping congregation by cultivating a consumer-pleasing, commodity-oriented congregation. When we do, the wheels start falling off the wagon. And they are falling off the wagon. We can’t suppress the Jesus way in order to sell the Jesus truth. The Jesus way and the Jesus truth must be congruent. Only when the Jesus way is organically joined with the Jesus truth do we get the Jesus life.

Prayer for the City

2011-10-08T08:58:00.000-07:00

This morning some dedicated folks from our prayer team at Lifehouse Church participated in a prayer walk. Today we prayed at Granville Gude Park on the lakefront. It was a beautiful morning to drink in the sunshine, smell the fresh air and pray for God to touch our city. There are many hurts to be healed, addictions to be broken and strongholds to be destroyed in our community. As we pray over the city and declare the Lordship of Christ over every principality and power we believe that the Holy Spirit is going to draw people to Jesus. Our prayer walks are kind of like the Air Force that flies over and repeatedly bombs the targets and softens up things for the troops on the ground to go in without much resistance and secure the victory. As we pray we are dropping spiritual bombs over our city.

In Jeremiah 29:7 God tells us to "...seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you...Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper."

We are praying for our community and all the citizens of the Laurel area. We are praying for God to break the chains of drug addiction that affects so many of our citizens. We are praying for people to realize that their incessant pursuit of materialism is a dead end. We are praying for those who have been decimated by the economic recession. We are praying for our young people to turn away from crime and find God's purpose for their life. We are praying for the struggling single mothers who are doing their best to raise their children. We are praying for those who seem to have it all and think they have no need of God. Finally we are praying for the peace and prosperity of Laurel and the surrounding areas.

As we pray God has promised to hear and to answer. We can do a lot of things as a church but until we pray we cannot accomplish anything of any eternal value. So as we go out to pray we plant the seeds of life and believe that God will water the seeds and cause them to grow resulting in a harvest of souls for the Kingdom of God. While it may not look like much happened this morning as we walked around the lake, in reality something significant happened. Seeds were planted that will result in lost people finding Jesus. That's what this morning was all about.

Disappointment with God

2011-10-07T05:52:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been disappointed with God? Have you ever felt like God gave you the short end of the stick? Do you find yourself questioning God's very existence because He hasn't seemed to come through for you according to your particular timetable? If you are struggling with being disappointed in God you are not alone.

Some of the greatest men and women of the Bible also walked through seasons of disappointment. The Old Testament prophets were disappointed that the wicked seemed to prosper and the righteous suffered. John the Baptist was disappointed when he found himself on death row awaiting execution and began to question if Jesus was really even the Messiah. The disciples were disappointed after the crucifixion of Jesus and returned to their former way of life. Disappointment is a natural human reaction to unmet expectations. We have certain expectations of God and if He doesn't meet those expectations we become disappointed with Him.

But what if our disappointment is not the result of some deficiency of character in God but a deficiency of understanding on our part? The Bible tells us in Romans 5:5 that hope never disappoints. So if we are disappointed it means that our hope is misplaced. Far too often we confuse what we are hoping for with what we should be hoping in. We find ourselves hoping in a job promotion, a financial windfall, a prestigious academic degree, a bigger house, a nicer car, ad infinitum. When our hope is based upon such unstable worldly accouterments it is no wonder we get disappointed. In fact if our hope is in those things we are bound to be disappointed.

Our hope must be in Christ and in Christ alone! If our hope rests firmly in Christ then we will never be disappointed. It's fine to hope for those things but we can never hope in them. Christ is the only true rock that can never be moved. If our hope abides in Him and what He has accomplished on our behalf we will not be subject to disappointment.

Far too often we have a faith that is future focused. We are constantly talking about what we are believing God for. But biblical faith is not necessarily rooted in what God is going to do for us but in what God has already done for us. The cross must be the central core of our hope and faith. Jesus defeated the powers of hell and redeemed us through His atoning sacrifice on the cross. When He lifted His voice and cried "It is Finished," it was finished! No other work needed to be done. Everything that we could or would possibly need had been provided. The cross was God's answer to everything.

If God never does anything for me again; if He never answers another prayer or prospers me materially or delivers me from the lion's mouth still I will praise Him because I'm not hoping in what He can do for me, I'm hoping in what He has already done for me. Like Job said, "If He slays me yet will I trust Him." The cross is enough. He has given me everything I need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). My hope and my faith are rooted deeply in Him.

This subtle change in perspective on hope will transform your disappointment into gratefulness. It will catapult you into the future without being subject to the albatross of disappointment hanging around your neck. Are you disappointed with God? Check your hope and change your life!

Thank You Pastors

2011-10-06T07:13:00.000-07:00

I love pastors. My father was a pastor, I am a pastor and my best friends and role models are pastors. October is Pastor Appreciation Month so I thought I would give a shout out to all the pastors who labor so lovingly and sacrificially for the Lord in service to His people. What you do matters! It doesn't matter if you pastor tens or thousands your ministry matters. You might not be prominent but you are significant. You might never make the cover of Christianity Today or Charisma but the details of your ministry are written in the Lord's Book of Remembrance. You might never be invited to speak at the denominational convention or cool Christian conference but you have the inestimable privilege of speaking as God's mouth piece every Sunday. You might never make the list of 100 fastest growing or largest churches or be given the key to your city but when the Chief Shepherd appears He will give you a crown that will never fade.

Pastors, thank you for loving and serving God's people, the sheep of His pasture. Jesus taught that people need shepherds. People don't necessarily need apostles, prophets, evangelists or teachers but they do need shepherds. Shepherds love and care for the sheep. Shepherds give their lives for the sheep. Shepherds, thank you for comforting those who mourn and binding the brokenhearted. Thank you for seeking the wayward, counseling the confused and strengthening the timid. Thank you for the sleepless nights, evenings away from family and mind-numbing fatigue you deal with as a part of your ministry. Thank you for enduring the constant criticism, the pain of betrayal, the bewilderment of watching someone walk away from the faith and the heartbreak of walking with others through terminal disease. Your love and care embodies the very love and concern of the Chief Shepherd.

Pastors thank you for being faithful. Thank you for standing up every week to instruct God's people in the ways of His kingdom. Thank you for the hours of preparation in study and prayer. Thank you for being instant in season and out of season. Thank you for preaching God's Word even when it is unpopular. Thank you for instructing in right doctrine to a generation that has itching ears and doesn't want to hear the truth. Thank you for being a prophetic voice to call people back from the rebellion of the spirit of the anti-christ.

As a pastor It's easy to get caught up in the cultural success trap which equates our success and significance with attendance, buildings and cash. This model of success is reinforced in almost every conference, denominational gathering and leadership book that is published. Yet when we read the New Testament we find the antithesis of this model of success we've been brainwashed to believe. In the Pastoral Epistles not one word is ever mentioned about church size, or number of campuses, or bulging budgets. Instead there is a persistent call to faithfulness and teaching right doctrine. How could we have gotten it so wrong? Pastors, please remember that your call is to be faithful not successful. God determines the outcomes. God causes growth. We are called to faithful to sow the Word. When we get to heaven we might just be surprised at who was really successful here on the earth. We might find out it was not the megachurch pastor we are enamored with but the pastor of the small church in Anytown, USA who faithfully loved, served, preached and persevered.

If you belong to a church let your pastor know how much you love and appreciate their ministry. Write them a note sharing with them the difference their ministry has made in your life. Do something nice for them. Believe me they will appreciate it.

How Far is Too Far When Engaging the Culture

2011-10-05T05:29:00.000-07:00

Should Churches Play "Highway to Hell" to Reach Unbelievers?: MacDonald, Noble, and Driscoll discuss whether church leaders should use secular songs in worship..

Last March pastor and Bible teacher James McDonald had a great idea. Get some well-known pastors from diverse theological and methodological backgrounds in the same room and talk about some of the issues facing the church. Thus the Elephant Room was born. With guests like Mark Driscoll, Perry Noble, Steven Furtick, David Platt and Greg Laurie there was lots of tense conversation about important issues that need to be addressed. I love the idea of brothers coming together to sharpen one another.

In this particular clip Perry Noble, James McDonald and Mark Driscoll discuss how far is too far when seeking to engage the culture. Good stuff.

Three Days in Haiti

2011-10-04T06:20:00.000-07:00

Recently I was invited to go to Haiti with a ministry called Convoy of Hope. Convoy of Hope is a compassion ministry with a driving passion to feed the world. We have been partnering with Convoy of Hope for several years in feeding children around the world and disaster relief. So when I was invited to come with a group of pastors for three days and see the work that was taking place on the ground in Haiti I was all in. We spent our time in Haiti visiting the capital Port-Au-Prince, a city of about three million people. Haiti was ravaged by a major earthquake in January of 2010 and in most places in Port-Au-Prince it looks just like it did the day after the earthquake. Tent cities have been erected everywhere. Thousands of people are still homeless and living in tents wherever they can find to erect one. What little infrastructure the city had was completely destroyed. I've traveled enough to not be shocked by the primitive conditions of third-world cities but these were some of the worst living conditions I've seen. Even before the earthquake Haiti was the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. Since the earthquake things have gotten even worse if that's possible.

One of Haiti's major problems is the number of orphans. Before the earthquake there were 300,000 orphaned children, after the earthquake that number swelled to 600,000. Convoy of Hope took us to several orphanages in which they are providing meals every day. In fact Convoy is feeding over 30,000 orphans in Haiti everyday and over 130,000 around the world. To spend time with these precious kids is to have your heart warmed and torn apart at the same time. It's one thing to see a media report from a distance about such tragedies as Haiti and quite another to look into their eyes, feel their skin against yours, smell their hair and hear their voice. In every orphanage we visited I wanted to bring them all back home with me.

When faced with such overwhelming human suffering and need we can sometimes feel a sort of paralysis set in. There is so much to be done where do we even begin? Fortunately there are ministries like Convoy of Hope that were on the ground in Haiti even before the earthquake ministering to the masses. Convoy actually has a food warehouse in Port-Au-Prince which makes distribution efficient and effective. An amazing testimony of God's provision is that the day before the earthquake the warehouse was freshly stocked with food. So when the earthquake hit Convoy was ready to start distributing food and supplies. The warehouse has been so successful that Convoy is actually building a new 75,000 square feet warehouse to help and feed even more people.

As I reflect on the trip several things stand out to me about this strange and exotic place. First, Haiti is full of everyday heroes. Not only are there ministries like Convoy of Hope on the ground ministering to the daily needs of people but there are others like a woman we were introduced to who directed one of the orphanages. I don't remember her name but just as well because she is the face of the nameless, ordinary, everyday heroes who are doing incredible behind-the-scenes work in Haiti. This woman and her husband were native Haitians and had moved to the U.S. years ago, received an education and her husband had a great job from which he retired. When he retired they decided to take their life savings return to Haiti and build an orphanage. Tragically a few years ago her husband was shot to death in a brutal attack at the orphanage. But her resolve did not weaken. Despite pleas from her children to return to the U.S. she has continued the work she and her husband started. She stated that God had given them the vision to build the orphanage and she was going to continue fulfilling that vision. What sacrifice and perseverance! I'm reminded of the passage in which Jesus said, "The kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force." If Haiti is going to survive it will take the collective effort of many like this brave woman who will persevere through suffering in order to see the kingdom of God established.

Another thing that captured my attention was the stunning beauty of the land. I've never had the opportunity to go to the Caribbean and I've always wanted to see the clear waters and I finally got my chance. Haiti has so many natural resources and its geography is so beautiful it is really stupefying why it is so poor. We took a drive to the top of a mountain and were able to look over the entire city of Port-Au-Prince. It was an awe inspiring view to say the least. While the land is beautiful so are the people we met. They have been subjected to hardship and privation like few of us will ever know yet they remain unbroken and unconquered. Their warm smiles and gracious words reflecting an indomitable spirit infused by grace and lifted through compassion.

One of the particular interests to me was the health of the church in Haiti. It didn't take long to find out that the church is alive and well. Haiti is well known for its voodoo and animistic religion but the church of Jesus Christ is flourishing all over Haiti. During one of our visits to an orphanage we were privileged to be able to look in on a prayer service. Though the Haitians were praying in French we recognized a song they were singing. It was "God Will Make A Way Where There Seems to Be No Way." What a powerful statement of faith. In the midst of their suffering and hardship they were not bowed and defeated. They were jubilant in declaring that God was going to make a way for them. I wonder how many American Christians would be able to sing that song if we were in the same situation?

One of the most poignant moments was our trip to the Valley of Death. This was basically an open field in which many of the 250,000 victims of the earthquake were thrown and buried. Little black crosses signified the unmarked graves of thousands and thousands of people unknown to the majority of the world but known and loved by God. Standing there on those acres of sacred ground I felt grateful for ministries like Convoy of Hope who have dedicated their lives to meeting the needs of hurting people all around the world. In the wake of the earthquake it was sexy for Hollywood celebrities to hold telethons and raise funds for the victims but after a few months it was on to the next thing. Thankfully there are ministries like Convoy who remain committed to the work in Haiti even when the news cameras stop rolling.

Finally it was great to get to hang out with some other pastors for a few days. I love my tribe and it was awesome to get to hear their stories and make some new friends. So while I only spent a couple of days in Haiti what I saw will live on in my heart and consciousness. As a church we will do everything possible to partner with ministries like Convoy of Hope to alleviate suffering and spread the Good News of Jesus Christ to those who need it the most.

Judgment Day?

2011-05-26T15:25:00.000-07:00

It has been a chaotic few weeks. Over the weekend the world was pulsating with chatter over the deranged predictions of "The Rapture" and "Judgment Day" from a senile old man in California broadcasting over a small radio station. Then the terrible killer tornadoes that obliterated the American plains in places like Joplin, Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma. Not to mention President Obama's speech signaling a policy shift in America's dealing with Israel which caused much consternation among Israeli supporters.

The events of the last few days are eerily similar to the predictions Jesus made about the signs of the end times (i.e., false prophets, terrifying natural disasters, struggle over Israel). So while Judgment Day did not come on May 21 (nor will it come on October 21), the fact is that one day Judgment Day will come. With all the "Camping Bashing" and mockery taking place around the world I fear that we have fallen into a dangerous slumber thinking that life and this world will always go on as it has and that judgment will never come.

Interestingly enough Jesus said in Matthew 24 that as in the days of Noah so would it be in the days of the coming of the Son of Man. In the days of Noah they were partying, marrying and giving in marriage, going about their normal lives, mocking and making fun of Noah for building an ark when no one even had a concept of what a flood was. I was reminded of this prophecy over the weekend as I watched and listened to people mock and poke fun. While Harold Camping is a seriously deceived, disturbed false prophet let us not be lulled into thinking that judgment will not come. It may not be May 21, October 21, this year, next year or the next ten years. But Judgment Day will come!

In the days of Noah people mocked and poked fun at Noah never believing that judgment was coming until the day the rains poured from the heavens and the subterranean reservoirs beneath the earth ruptured and flooded the earth. When the doors of the ark were shut it was too late. Those who had mocked and thought life would always go on as it had perished in the flood. Jesus warned us that just as judgment happened in the days of Noah it would happen again at the appointed time. So the question is not when Judgment Day is coming but are you ready for Judgment Day?

The doors of the Ark are open for you to enter and save yourself. The cross of Jesus bids you to come and repent of your sins and receive God's offer of salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Don't wait until it's too late. Escape the coming judgment. Harold Camping may have been wrong but Jesus is not!

Success In Ministry

2011-02-15T05:24:00.000-08:00

How do you determine success in ministry? In the West we have ABC's of success: attendance, buildings and cash. If you pastor a megachurch, have more than one campus, speak at conferences, write books and have lots of Twitter followers you are successful. But is American success biblical success?

So many pastors are discouraged because despite their best efforts they just don't measure up to the big boys in the church world. The evangelical subculture reinforces this inferiority complex in every way imaginable. We are told that if you just stop being lazy and work hard enough your church will grow. We are told if you change your music and put young people on the platform your church will grow. We are told that if we will preach to felt needs we will be successful. We are told if you just use social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter and a cutting edge website the church will grow and we will be successful. Many pastors are following the prescription yet still find success elusive. The result is a deep frustration that if not addressed biblically will ultimately result in disillusionment, bitterness and depression.

Men in general have to feel successful if they are going to continue to do something. If men feel they cannot be successful in a relationship they will cease to try. Why bother when I can't be successful? Since most pastors are men could this be the reason we have such a high attrition rate in the ministry? Over 1500 pastors every month leave the ministry. What we need then is a new definition of success. Enter Charles Spurgeon. Spurgeon is one of my hero's. One of my cherished possessions is his book to pastors called "Lectures To My Students." I recently ran across a piece Spurgeon wrote addressing success in ministry. May God use Spurgeon's words to help you see success in a brand new way.

The minister is not responsible for his success. He is responsible for what he preaches; he is accountable for his life and actions; but he is not responsible for other people. If I do but preach God's word, if there never were a soul saved, the King would say, "Well done, good and faithful servant!" If I do but tell my message, if none should listen to it, He would say:—"Thou hast fought the good fight: receive thy crown." You hear the words of the text: "We are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, as well in them that perish, as in them that are saved." This will appear, if I just tell you what a gospel minister is called in the Bible. Sometimes he is called an ambassador. Now, for what is an ambassador responsible? He goes to a country as a plenipotentiary; he carries terms of peace to the conference; he uses all his talents for his master; he tries to show that the war is inimical to the prosperity of the different countries; he endeavours to bring about peace; but the other kings haughtily refuse it. When he comes home does his master say, "Why did not you make peace?" "Why, my Lord," he would say, "I told them the terms; but they said nothing." "Well, then," he will say, "thou hast done thy duty; I am not to condemn thee if the war continues." Again: the minister of the gospel is called a fisherman. Now a fisherman is not responsible for the quantity of fish he catches, but for the way he fishes. That is a mercy for some ministers, I am sure, for they have neither caught fish, nor even attracted any round their nets. They have been spending all their life fishing with most elegant silk lines, and gold and silver hooks; they always use nicely polished phrases; but the fish will not bite for all that, whereas we of a rougher order have put the hook into the jaws of hundreds. However, if we cast the gospel net in the right place, even if we catch none, the Master will find no fault with us. He will say: "Fisherman! didst thou labour? Didst thou throw the net into the sea in the time of storms?" "Yes, my Lord, I did." "What hast thou caught?" "Only one or two." "Well, I could have sent thee a shoal, if it so pleased me; it is not thy fault; I give in my sovereignty where I please; or withhold when I choose; but as for thee, thou hast well laboured, therefore there is thy reward." Sometimes the minister is called a sower. Now, no farmer expects a sower to be responsible for the harvest; all he is responsible for is, does he sow the seed? and does he sow the right seed? If he scatters it on good soil, then he is happy; but if it falls by the way-side, and the fowls of the air devour it, who shall blame the sower? Could he help it? Nay, he did his duty; he scattered the seed broad-cast, and there he left it Who is to blame? Certainly not the sower.

So if a minister comes to heaven with but one sheaf on his shoulder, his Master will say, "O reaper! once a sower! where didst thou gather thy sheaf?" "My Lord, I sowed upon the rock, and it would not grow; only one seed on a chance Sabbath-morning was blown a little awry by the wind, and it fell upon a prepared heart; and this is my one sheaf." "Hallelujah!" the angelic choirs resound, "one sheaf from a rock is more honour to God than a thousand sheaves from a good soil; therefore, let him take his seat as near the throne as yon man, who, stooping beneath his many sheaves, comes from some fertile land, bringing his sheaves with him." I believe that if there are degrees in glory, they will not be in proportion to success, but in proportion to the earnestness of our endeavours. If we mean right, and if with all our heart we strive to do the right thing as ministers if we never see any effect, still shall we receive the crown. But how much more happy is the man who shall have it in heaven said to him: "He shines for ever, because He was wise, and won many souls unto righteousness." It is always my greatest joy to believe, that if I should enter heaven, I shall in future days see heaven's gates open, and in shall fly a cherub, who, looking me in the face, will smilingly pass along to God's throne, and there bow down before Him; and when he has paid his homage and his adoration, he may fly to me, and though unknown, shall clasp my hand, and if there were tears in heaven, surely I should weep, and he would say: "Brother, from Thy lips I heard the word; Thy voice first admonished me of my sin; here I am, and Thou the instrument of my salvation." And as the gates open one after another, still will they come in; souls ransomed, souls ransomed; and for each one of these a star; for each one of these another gem in the diadem of glory; for each one of them another honour, and another note in the song of praise. Blessed be that man that shall die in the Lord, and his works shall follow him; for thus saith the Spirit.

What will become of some good Christians if crowns in heaven are measured in value by the souls that are saved? Some of you will have a crown in heaven without a single star in it. I read a little while ago, a piece upon the starless crown in heaven—a man in heaven with a crown without a star! Not one saved by him! He will sit in heaven as happy as he can be, for sovereign mercy saved him; but oh! to be in heaven without a single star! Mother! what sayest thou to be in heaven without one of thy children to deck thy brow with a star? Minister! what wouldst thou say to be a polished preacher, and yet have no star? Writer! will it well become thee to have written even as gloriously as Milton, if thou shouldst be found in heaven without a star? I am afraid we pay too little regard to this. Men will sit down and write huge folios and tomes, that they may have them put in libraries for ever, and have their names handed down by fame! but how few are looking to win stars for ever in heaven! Toil on; child of God, toil on; for if thou wishest to serve God, thy bread cast upon the waters shall be found after many days. If thou sendest in the feet of the ox or the ass, thou shalt reap a glorious harvest in that day when He comes to gather in His elect. The minister is not responsible for his success.

But yet TO PREACH THE GOSPEL IS HIGH AND SOLEMN WORK. The minister has been very often degraded into a trade. In these days men are taken and made into ministers who would have made good captains at sea, who could have waited well at the counter, but who were never intended for the pulpit. They are selected by man; they are crammed with literature; they are educated up to a certain point; they are turned out ready dressed; and persons call them ministers. I wish them all God-speed, every one of them; for as good Joseph Irons used to say, "God be with many of them, if it be only to make them hold their tongues." Man-made ministers are of no use in this world, and the sooner we get rid of them the better. Their way is this: they prepare their manuscripts very carefully, then read it on the Sunday most sweetly in sotto voce, and so the people go away pleased. But that is not God's way of preaching. If so, I am sufficient to preach for ever. I can buy manuscript sermons for a shilling; that is to say, provided they have been preached fifty times before, but if I use them for the first time the price is a guinea, or more. But that is not the way. Preaching God's word is not what some seem to think, mere child's play—a mere business or trade to be taken up by any one. A man ought to feel first that he has a solemn call to it; next, he ought to know that he really possesses the Spirit of God, and that when he speaks there is an influence upon him that enables him to speak as God would have him, otherwise out of the pulpit he should go directly; he has no right to be there, even if the living is his own property. He has not been called to preach God's truth, and unto him God says: "What hast thou to do, to declare My statutes?"

What is there difficult about preaching God's gospel? Well it must be somewhat hard; for Paul said: "Who is sufficient for these things?" And first I will tell you, it is difficult because it is so hard as not to be warped by your own prejudices in preaching the word. You want to say a stern thing; and your heart says: "Master! in so doing thou wilt condemn thyself;" then the temptation is not to say it. Another trial is, you are afraid of displeasing the rich in your congregations. You think: "If I say such-and-such a thing, so-and-so will be offended; such an one does not approve of that doctrine; I had better leave it out." Or perhaps you will happen to win the applause of the multitude, and you must not say anything that will displease them, for if they cry, "Hosanna" to-day, they will cry, "Crucify, crucify," to-morrow. All these things work on a minister's heart. He is a man, and he feels it. Then comes again the sharp knife of criticism, and the arrows of those who hate him and hate his Lord; and he cannot help feeling it sometimes. He may put on his armour, and cry, "I care not for your malice;" but there were seasons when the archers sorely grieved even Joseph. Then he stands in another danger, lest he should come out and defend himself; for he is a great fool whoever tries to do it. He who lets his detractors alone, and like the eagle cares not for the chattering of the sparrows, or like the lion will not turn aside to rend the snarling jackal—he is the man, and he shall be honoured. But the danger is, we want to set ourselves right. And oh! who is sufficient to steer clear from these rocks of danger? "Who is sufficient for these things?" To stand up, and to proclaim, Sabbath after Sabbath, and week-day after week-day, "the unsearchable riches of Christ."

Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Words of Cheer for Daily Life © 2007 Database WORDsearch Corp.

Joel Osteen 'Homosexuality is a sin'

2011-01-27T14:01:00.000-08:00

Pastor Joel Osteen was on CNN last night being interviewed by Piers Morgan. You can watch the clip by clicking here. I thought Joel Osteen did a much better job this time of defending what he believes and the Bible teaches. I was really disappointed in the way Morgan conducted the interview. With the way he worded the questions it was obvious to everyone with a brain he was just trying to get Joel to give him some sound bites that would make national headlines. Then the brave champion of civil rights journalist could castigate him as a homophobic hate monger. This brand of journalism is disingenuous and just plain disgusting. What was worse was the hubris displayed by Morgan. How many times did Osteen have to say that homosexuality was a sin before he went on to another question?

I wish Osteen would have just told Mr. Morgan to move on to some other topics. When the Pharisees cornered Jesus and questioned Him hoping for some sound bites they could use to portray Him as a blasphemer Jesus didn't even bother to answer their questions. Instead He turned the tables and began to ask them questions and exposed the true motives of their hearts. Wouldn't it have been so cool if Osteen would have started asking Morgan some questions about his faith in God? I would have loved to see him squirm.

I do have a beef with some of our prominent Christian leaders in settings like this. It seems as if they are always trying to apologize for what Scripture teaches. It seems like they always follow up the comment "Homosexuality is a sin" with a "but." Why the "but?" Why not just rest on the Scripture. We don't need to try to assuage people's guilt and condemnation. That's part of the process that God uses in bringing people to repentance. This is an honest question. Why are we so ashamed to say what the Scripture says? Why do we always feel like we have to sugar coat it or apologize for it?

Jesus did say that if we lived righteously men would hate us and persecute us. I just wish that Christian leaders would stop trying to be liked by the world and just speak the truth. Now of course, they should do it in a loving way, but God has given them a voice to speak prophetically to the nation and speak they must.

How to Deal With a Tough Assignment Part 3

2011-01-27T12:42:00.000-08:00

I'm finishing up a series of posts I started a few days ago on "How to Deal with a Tough Assignment." Have you ever been given an assignment by God that you just didn't think you could survive? How do we deal with those tough assignments?

Rely on God’s power.

Ministry is not just hard, ministry is impossible. Paul asks that Corinthians, “Who is adequate for such a task” (2 Cor.2:16)? We can’t do it in our own strength. All the academic degrees and training in the world will not make us effective shepherds. We must rely on God’s power. Paul tells us that our adequacy comes from God (2 Cor.3:4-5). But one of the real temptations we face in ministry is to try to do it in our own power. We begin to believe our own press clippings and begin to rely on our gifts or abilities instead of the Spirit’s power. Again Paul told the Corinthians that he came to them not with wise words and persuasive speech but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power (1 Cor.2:1). At its root ministry is supernatural. We are fighting against demonic powers and Satan is intent on hindering us so we need not expect anything else. We need the power of God to prosecute our ministry.

During a particularly difficult season of Paul’s ministry he prayed that God would remove the thorn in his flesh (2 Cor.12). He prayed three times, yet God didn’t remove the thorn. Instead God told him that His grace was sufficient for him. God’s grace is sufficient for us as pastors and leaders. His grace can conquer every obstacle and overcome every challenge.

When Zerubbabel came to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple, he faced all kinds of challenges and obstacles. One day God sent an angel that told him the mountain would be leveled and the cornerstone would be laid by shouting “Grace to it!” Grace has a way of pulverizing mountains in our life and ministry. What you need is not more leadership training you need more grace training.

Refuse to quit.

With the persecution, suffering and pressures that Paul faced he refused to quit. If anybody deserved to quit, it was Paul. But Paul refused to quit because of his call. In Acts 20:24 Paul tells the Ephesian pastors that suffering and hardship lie ahead in his ministry, but none of these things moved him. His life was worth nothing to him unless he used it for doing the work assigned to him by the Lord Jesus. We have to get to a place also where we have the same attitude as Paul that none of these things move us and that our life is worth nothing unless we complete God’s assignment for us.

Paul refused to quit because he was determined that nothing was going to keep him from his destiny. We must be determined that we are going to fulfill Christ’s purpose for our lives. In Acts 27 Paul faced a storm, shipwreck and snakebite yet he refused to quit. Why? Because Paul had a vision and a call from God that compelled him. In Acts 23:11 the Lord told Paul that just as he had testified about him in Jerusalem he would testify about him in Rome. So while everyone else was panicking in the storm and shipwreck Paul knew he was going to Rome. His destiny was secure.
In Acts 14 Paul is preaching in Lystra and Derbe and is beaten, stoned and his body is carried outside the city gates. If it were me I would have gotten out of there, but Paul got up and went right back into the city. That’s the kind of determination that we need as pastors. We must have the determination that nothing will keep us from our destiny.

Paul refused to quit because he factored in eternity. Ministry is simply not worth it unless we factor in eternity. If there is no heaven and there is no reward then let us eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die. Paul told the Philippians that he did one thing, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Php.3:14-15). Paul kept the goal of eternity in mind his whole ministry.

At the end of his life wasting away in a Roman prison he put pen to paper and wrote his final words, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing” (2 Tim.4:7).

Rest in God’s sovereignty.

As much as we strategize and plan and pray and desire God to move in our ministry and grow the church the fact is that God is sovereign and we must learn to trust in His sovereignty. John the Baptist was a man whose ministry was in fast decline. One day some of John’s disciples came to him and told him that many of his followers were going over to Jesus. John’s reply was, “A man can only receive what’s given him from the Lord” (John 3:27). He had learned to rest in God’s sovereignty. Church growth is God’s business, not ours. It is God who gives the increase (1 Cor.3:7). So we must learn to do the best we can and leave the results with God.

“The horse is prepared for battle but the victory belongs to the Lord” (Prov.21:31).
All we can do is prepare the horse for battle. The victory or success comes from the Lord. If the Lord chooses to bless your church with increasing growth and success then glory to His name. If He chooses to keep you in obscurity and your church doesn’t grow then glory to His name. This should take the pressure off of us as pastors in Christ’s church. Instead of panicking when things don’t go right we can rest in God’s sovereignty. If God is responsible for the results then we have nothing to prove and no one to impress.

How to Deal With a Tough Assignment Part 2

2011-01-25T13:21:00.000-08:00

I'm continuing a series of posts I started the other day on "How to Deal with a Tough Assignment." Contrary to popular opinion God does not call us to a life of ease and popularity. Have you ever noticed how many military metaphors are in the New Testament? But His grace is able to help us to thrive in the midst of the challenges and overcome every obstacle.

So let's take a look at the first principle in dealing with a tough assignment.

We must recognize that suffering is a part of ministry.

From the very outset of his ministry Paul was given a tough assignment. When he was knocked off of his donkey and sent to Damascus God appeared to a prophet named Ananias and said,

“Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’” (Acts 9:10-16).

From the very beginning God let Paul know that his ministry would be one of suffering. There was no honeymoon for Paul. He was thrown straight into the fire. The very first city he preached in he had to escape from in the middle of the night. Paul’s ministry was punctuated by pain. He was constantly criticized and maligned and persecuted. We see the extent of his suffering revealed in 2 Corinthians 11:23-29,

“I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?”

Just as Paul’s ministry was punctuated by pain we need not expect any less. The call to serve as one of God’s leaders in His church is a call to suffer. An unpleasant fact of ministry is that it just plain hurts most of the time. But we are shocked when we find out we have to suffer. We wouldn’t need the Comforter if we were supposed to live in comfort. In 1 Peter 4:1 we are told to prepare to suffer. If we are going to be effective ministers of the Gospel we must learn to live with pain. We must learn to live with betrayal, criticism, barrenness, danger and persecution. This is the life God calls us to.

Paul told Timothy to endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ (2 Tim.2:3). Hardness in the Greek means “to bear evil treatment without resentment.” The life God calls us to is a life of hardness. In 2 Corinthians 2:14 Paul tells us, “But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession…”

The average Roman citizen was unable to see the Roman legions carve out the Empire so the emperors staged elaborate victory parades with the Roman soldiers. It was a time of celebration for the victorious Romans but a time of sorrow for the conquered. The Romans would display the captured enemies during the parade being led along in chains. At the end of the parade they were executed. So the triumphal procession was actually a death march for some. What Paul is saying to us is that Christ has captured us and put us on display in a death march. To some we bring the aroma of life and others of death.

Paul told the Corinthians, “Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies” (2 Cor.4:10). So we suffer so that Christ’s power may flow through us. In our weakness His strength is perfected. Ministry has a way of pressing us to the breaking point. Paul said, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Cor.4:8-9). Notice that Paul said we are “hard pressed.” Do you know how oil is extracted from olives? It is pressed until it breaks and the oil pours forth. That‘s how the anointing comes in our life. We are pressed until we break and then the oil pours forth in our life and ministry.

We need to understand that our assignment is how God shapes us. To God our character is more important than our success. We tend to think the opposite. When God gave Joseph his dream it took 13 years before Joseph saw that dream realized. His character had to be formed. Before Israel could possess Canaan they had to spend 40 years in the wilderness perfecting their character. David spent years tending sheep in obscurity before God promoted to be king. But during those years David was tested and proved by God. Your talent may take you to the top but your character will keep you there. God won’t promote you to a place your character is not prepared to keep you.

To be continued...

Depraved Indifference

2011-01-23T19:35:00.000-08:00

This clip speaks for itself.

Gearing Up for India

2011-01-21T13:44:00.000-08:00

In February I'll be heading back to India to minister with Pastor Barnabas Sajja of Gospel Temple World Prayer Ministries in Gudivada, which is about five hours south of Hyderabad. Our church is sponsoring a three day Pastor's Conference for 200 pastors and I'll also be doing a couple of outdoor meetings. I love India and I love the pastors there. I can't wait to be with them.

I'm taking Allison with me this time and this will be her first missions trip. So we are really excited about that. Please keep us in prayer. For all of our Lifehouse family we will be receiving a special offering on Sunday, February 6 to cover the cost of the pastor's conference. It will only cost the pastor's $15 for three days of food and lodging. So we need to raise $3,000 to cover 200 pastors for the three day conference.

This is an awesome opportunity to invest in the life of a pastor who can make a huge impact in his community. Not only are we touching 200 pastors but in turn these pastors will go back to their churches encouraged and their vision rekindled. So we have the opportunity to impact 200 churches. Imagine the difference 200 churches can make in Southern India. If you would like to sponsor a pastor or several pastors please go to our website at www.lifehousechurch.tv and click on giving and note your gift "India Project."

How to Deal With a Tough Assignment

2011-01-21T13:36:00.000-08:00

Have you ever received a glossy, color brochure in the mail that advertised some resort or hotel and then when you went to the actual place it was nothing like the picture? That’s the way it is sometimes in ministry. When we receive the call to preach we often see only the glossy, color brochures. We envision a good life full of admiration and respect and growing ministries and finances and taking our cities for God. But then when God assigns us to our place of ministry the actual place looks nothing like what we saw in the brochure. Instead of admiration we are jeered, instead of compliments we are criticized, instead of growing ministries we experience barrenness. When ministry is not what we thought it was going to be it is very easy to become disillusioned and disheartened to the point of giving up. In America 80% of pastors quit the ministry within the first five years. Only one out of ten pastors will retire from ministry who start at age 21. There is an epidemic of quitting because we don’t know how to deal with tough assignments.

As pastors we need to understand that we don’t get to choose our assignment, it is chosen for us by God. There are some assignments that God entrusts to us that are tougher than others. This is why it is foolish to try to compare ourselves with others. We all have an assignment from God and every assignment is difficult. But there are some pastors and people who are really struggling with their assignment. Maybe you are discouraged because your church isn’t growing. Maybe you are being attacked and criticized by others. Maybe you are facing family or health challenges. God wants to encourage you today in the assignment He has given you. Over the next few days I want to introduce you to another person in the Bible that was given a very difficult assignment by God. Stay tuned.

2010-12-29T20:15:00.000-08:00

I love reading prayers from the Church Fathers and Reformers. Here is an inspiring prayer from Martin Luther.

"Lord God, thou has appointed me to be a bishop and pastor in thy church. Thou seest how unfit I am to undertake this great and difficult office, and were it not for thy help, I would long since have ruined it all. Therefore I cry unto thee; I will assuredly apply my mouth and my heart to thy service. I desire to teach the people, and I myself would learn and ever more diligently meditate on thy Word. Use thou me as thy instrument, only do not though forsake me, for if I am left alone I shall easily bring it all to destruction. Amen."

New Year's Eve

2010-12-27T12:02:00.001-08:00

This Friday night I will be speaking for my good friend Bishop Steve Smith at Church of the Lord's Harvest Watchnight Service. The festivities begin at 10:00 p.m. After the service there will be food, games and some other neat things happening. So celebrate New Year's Eve in the presence of the Lord. There's a word waiting for you. I'm looking forward to a great time together in the Lord.

5 Non-negotiables for Ministry

2010-12-14T12:12:00.000-08:00

If you think God is calling you into the Gospel ministry here are 5 non-negotiables for a fruitful and successful ministry.

1. Keep your pants on.
Nothing destroys a ministry faster than a sexual scandal. Not only does sexual immorality bring reproach and shame upon the minister's family but also upon the local church. Whatever precautions you need to take to protect your purity DO IT! By all means keep your pants on.

2. Keep your hands out of the offering plate.
I'm continually shocked at the number of pastors I hear of and read about that consider the church their own private bank. Pastors make sure you have the appropriate checks and balances in place so that you aren't even tempted to do anything financially inappropriate. I personally think its a good idea for pastors not to sign any checks or to count any offerings. In a small church this might be unavoidable but do your best to train someone else to handle the counting and signing of checks. In our church I don't even know the combination to the safe and I want to keep it that way. God will honor you if you are circumspect in your handling of church finances.

3. Study hard.
Paul commanded Timothy to study to show himself approved (2 Tim.3:15). If you are going to rightly divide the Word of truth you will need to study, study, study. If you've never had the opportunity to go to seminary or Bible College then invest in some quality biblical study software that can help you make sure you are interpreting the Scriptures correctly. There is nothing more shameful than a pastor who doesn't have a good grasp on biblical doctrine and theology. Your people might know more about science, or history or sports than you do, but no one should know more about the Bible than you. Invest in books, conferences and everything you can so that you keep learning and growing. When you stop growing your ministry is in trouble. Commit to being a life-long learner.

4. Love the people.
A pastor once said, "Ministry would be great if not for the people." But the ministry is people; without the people there would be no ministry. People can be ornery, prickly, stubborn, hard to get along with and just plain mean, but we are still called to love them. But love is not always the syrupy thing the culture thinks it is. Sometimes loving them means bringing correction. Sheep need shepherds and Christians need pastors who will correct them, rebuke them, encourage them and be there for them. God calls you to be on the front lines taking care of His flock. As a pastor your heart is your mightiest weapon. Don't let bitterness and frustration extinguish the fire of love in your heart for God's people. People will fail you but you will fail them too. Remember we are all sheep, some of us are just doubling as shepherds. If you love the people through thick and thin your impact will be great.

5. Do what God tells you to do.
Courage is the currency of leadership. Many pastors are afraid to do what God has called them to do. What will Brother Hickomokai say if I institute this ministry? Or what will Sister Yay-Yay-I-Say do when we play a different kind of music? We must love people but we must not need people to like us. When God called Saul in Acts 9 He told him He was going to send him back to the people He had delivered him from. We can't be effective in ministry until we have been delivered from people. If you need people's approval then you are in the wrong business. Pastor's must be confident about what God has called them to do and be courageous in being obedient to that call. If you do what God has called you to do you will never have to worry about the results.

Why You Should Stay Morally Pure

2010-12-13T20:40:00.000-08:00

In recent years there have been quite a few pastors and leaders who have failed morally. It's always a terrible blight on the church and the Kingdom of God when a man of God engages in sexual immorality. More than one leader has shipwrecked their ministry because they didn't maintain their moral purity. While it is true that God forgives the sin of adultery the shame and loss of trust that ensues is something that often cannot be regained. As the writer of Proverbs says "Can a man scoop fire in his lap and not be burned?"

Randy Alcorn has written a great little article on the consequences of not maintaining moral purity that every pastor, church leader and even secular leader should contemplate and take to heart. May God grant us the grace and strength to walk in integrity and live in purity for a lifetime.

* Grieving the Lord who redeemed me.

* Dragging His sacred name into the mud.

* One day having to look Jesus, the Righteous Judge, in the face and give an account for my actions.

* Following in the footsteps of those whose immorality forfeited or crippled their ministries.

* Inflicting untold hurt on my best friend, my wife.

* Losing my wife's respect and trust.

* Hurting my beloved children.

* Destroying my example and credibility with my children, and nullifying both present and future efforts to teach them to obey God ("Why listen to a man who betrayed Mom and us?").

* If my blindness should continue or my wife be unable to forgive, perhaps losing my wife and my children forever.

* Causing shame to my family ("Why isn't Daddy a pastor any more?").

* Losing self-respect.

* Creating a form of guilt awfully hard to shake. Even though God would forgive me, would I forgive myself?

* Forming memories and flashbacks that could plague future intimacy with my wife.

* Wasting years of ministry training and experience for a long time, maybe permanently.

* Forfeiting the effect of years of witnessing to other family members and reinforcing their distrust for ministers. Perhaps contributing to the hardening of their hearts.

* Undermining the faithful example and hard work of other Christians in our community.

* Bringing great pleasure to Satan, the enemy of God and all that is good

* Heaping judgment and endless difficulty on the person with whom I committed adultery.

* Possibly bearing the physical consequences of such diseases as gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia, herpes, and AIDS; perhaps infecting my wife, or in the case of AIDS, even causing her death.

* Possibly causing pregnancy, with the personal and financial implications, including a lifelong reminder of my sin.

* Bringing hurt to my fellow ministers.

* Bringing hurt to my friends, especially those I've led to Christ and discipled.

* Invoking shame and lifelong embarrassment upon myself.

Randy Alcorn "Strategies to Keep from Falling" Leadership, Winter 1988

Christmas @ the Movies

2010-12-09T10:30:00.000-08:00

This week @ Lifehouse we continue our new Christmas series "Christmas @ the Movies." Last week we had a great response to "A Christmas Carol" though I'm still trying to decide if it was the popcorn or the sermon that people really liked. Either way it was a great Sunday and kickoff to our series.

This week we've got more surprises in store as we talk about the Christmas classic "Home Alone." So bring your friends and family to church this weekend. We'll have free concessions, great music and fun for your kids.

Celebrate Christmas with us @ the movies.

Urban Renewal

2010-12-09T09:31:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Urban Meyer, head football coach at University of Florida, unexpectedly stepped down from his lucrative career citing the desire to spend more time with his family. While sports fans and analysts scratch their collective heads in bewilderment over why someone so young (Meyer is 46), successful, and highly paid would walk away from his career, Meyer simply said his family was his priority.

I, for one, applaud Urban Meyer for his decision. In a culture that idolizes fame, wealth, power and individualism to sacrifice one's career for the betterment of his family is indeed a rare occurrence. It is so refreshing to see someone with influence acts with conviction about the importance of marriage and family. During his press conference announcing his resignation he said that he didn't think he would be judged on how many bowl games he had won but on whether or not he was a good father and husband. I think he's on the right track.

Coaching in the modern sports world is a 24/7 profession that leaves little time for building relationships with a spouse and children. Meyer acknowledged that he had never even seen his two college age daughters play sports their entire high school career because he was always gone. Fortunately he woke up and smelled the coffee before it was too late for his other children.

I'm reminded of the words of Jesus asking what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or in other words, what benefit is there if you are rich, famous and the world is your oyster and you lose those closest to you? So many fathers and mothers in our society are far too focused on advancing their personal careers and fulfilling their selfish ambition rather than on developing strong and healthy relationships with their families. Ultimately this kind of self-aggrandizement not only destroys families, it destroys societies. A strong, nurturing, healthy nuclear family is the foundation of all prosperous societies.

In the light of Urban Meyer's courageous decision I think we all need to take a look at our own lives and goals and dreams and ask ourselves what priority our family has in our lives? Would we be willing to sacrifice our careers for them? Would be willing to not take a promotion if it meant keeping us away from our families for extended periods of time? Granted that most people don't have the financial ability to just step away and do nothing like Urban Meyer but we all can examine our motives and ambitions making changes where needed. One thing is for sure, when you are lying on your death bed you are not going to be wishing you spent more time at your office or building your business. You will wish you spent more time with your family.

So kudos to you Urban Meyer. Thank you for realizing your priorities. Thank you for shunning, power, fame and wealth to invest in what really matters, your family.

The Call of a Shepherd

2010-12-07T13:55:00.000-08:00

On the night Jesus was born angels appeared in heaven announcing the news of His glorious birth to shepherds who were keeping watch over their flocks by night. The message to shepherds was to "Go and tell." Two thousand years later God is still calling shepherds to oversee and care for His flock.

Shepherding is an occupation that has been undervalued, marginalized and looked down upon since antiquity. During the days of Joseph the Egyptians detested shepherds. When Joseph brought Jacob, his brothers and their families to Egypt to live with him they were given the land of Goshen so that the Egyptians would not have to mingle with them.

In today's fast paced, tech savvy world shepherds are about as relevant to most people as a television antennae wrapped in aluminum foil. While shepherding may seem hopelessly irrelevant to the culture it is in fact a vital and irreplaceable occupation. God still calls and commissions shepherds to govern and care for His people. In the New Testament God appointed pastors to shepherd His sheep (Eph.4:11). Repeatedly throughout the New Testament we see the vital ministry of shepherding mentioned. The apostle Paul told the Ephesian pastors to shepherd the flock over whom the Holy Spirit had made them overseers. Peter encouraged his fellow pastors to shepherd the church of God willingly and to serve them without any thought of personal gain. Jesus talked about shepherds protecting their flocks from the wolves and laying down their life for their sheep. So it's abundantly clear that shepherding is a necessary and vitally important work.

One day Jesus was walking with His disciples and He saw the masses of people who were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. He had compassion on them and told His disciples to pray that the Lord of the Harvest would raise up laborers (shepherds) for His flock. As important as other ministries are in the church none is more important or foundational then the shepherd. After all Jesus didn't say that the people needed a prophet, or an evangelist or a teacher. They needed a shepherd.

In our day when rebellion against authority and unbiblical notions of individualistic Christianity reign supreme shepherds are often despised and marginalized but we disdain these called ones to our own spiritual peril. God calls shepherds to love us, lead us, care for us, teach us, rebuke us, discipline us and prepare us for the works God wants us to do. If we don't honor the ministry of shepherds the Bible warns us that it will not be to our benefit (Heb.13:17).

Over the past few years much research has been done on the ministry of pastor's in America. Depending on which research you site statistics say that 1500 pastors leave the ministry every month. This is a full blown crisis. If shepherds are really as necessary as the New Testament seems to indicate then losing 1500 every month is unacceptable. If there is no shepherd the sheep will scatter. Satan knows that if he can strike the shepherds through discouragement, unresolved conflict, barrenness and a host of other afflictions he can destroy the church. To our own everlasting shame we have already allowed him to destroy many shepherds and by virtue of their absence many churches. It's true that sometimes shepherds sabotage their own ministry through moral failures or lack of people skills but more often than not good and godly shepherds are driven from their posts by power hungry, rebellious sheep. Until we realize the importance of shepherds in the American church we will continue this vicious cycle of chewing up and spitting out shepherds leaving the flock vulnerable to the predators who lurk in the darkness waiting for just the right time commence their ferocious attack.

If you are a pastor of God's flock I implore you not to quit. Don't let anything drive you from your post. The church desperately needs you. Without faithful, experienced shepherds the local church will not fulfill its biblical purpose and mandate. Churches need to understand that when an experienced shepherd leaves the ministry they are not so easily replaced. There is no substitute for the experience and wisdom of a faithful, seasoned shepherd; one who has counseled in the tough situations, mediated conflict, exercised loving discipline, and ministered comfort in tragedy.

I must admit that I have often been tempted to quit, but by God's grace I have remained at my post. For me it all boils down to the call of God. I have realized that I didn't choose to be a shepherd it was chosen for me. Jesus said in John 15:16 that He has called me and ordained me to bear fruit and that the fruit should remain. If I had called myself to the ministry of shepherding I would have quit a long time ago. But I didn't choose this ministry God chose me for it. Therefore, I can't quit! If you have been chosen by God you can't quit either.

I hear and read a lot of whining from pastors (me included) about how difficult and stressful ministry is. We need to get over that. Lots of people have stressful jobs. Maybe the real problem is your lack of a call. It's the call that propels us through the uncertainties and difficulties of shepherding. It's the call that motivates us to preach, teach and lead when we are discouraged and want to give up. We must keep the call ever before us. Seriously, what would you do if you gave up? It might feel good for a few weeks or months but ultimately if there is a real call upon your life you would be miserable doing anything else. The apostle Paul's words are most applicable here. "Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel"(1 Cor.9:16)! I honestly can't imagine doing anything else with my life. I was born to do this.

God promises to reward faithful shepherds lavishly (1 Pet.5:2). So while I may receive copious criticism and derision as a shepherd here upon this earth when Jesus Christ comes again He promises to reward His pastors with unending glory and honor. Now that's something to live for. So be strong, be faithful and don't give up because your ministry is making a difference in God's economy.

Sermons I'm Listening To

2010-11-23T17:41:00.000-08:00

I love preaching. I love to preach and I love to listen to great preaching. I love the art and craft of preaching. My preaching tastes run the gamut. There are times I want to hear a fiery emotional appeal and at other times I want to hear an intellectually stimulating message that will keep me chewing for days. My iPod is filled with sermons from some of the world's greatest preachers.

Since I love preaching so much I'm always on the lookout for great sermons and recently I've been introduced to a new preacher and a couple of old favorites. If you love clear, concise, anointed and powerful preaching click on the link and listen to the following messages on video.

The Call to Courage by Pastor Crawford Lorritts
The Call to Preach the Gospel Pastor Matt Chandler
Why I Won't Quit Pastor E.V. Hill (in three parts)

Enjoy!

The Power of Perseverance

2010-11-04T12:33:00.000-07:00

Are you being tempted to give up on a dream God put in your heart? Are you tempted to doubt God because your path to success has been blocked by obstacles and circumstances beyond your control? I feel your pain. There is nothing more discouraging or deflating than waiting on a dream or vision that seems to never come to fruition.

When success and accomplishment seem to evade us we often get antsy and start searching for the eject button in our particular situations. We want God to get us out of our situation and right now! We tend to blame our lack of success on our boss, or co-worker our family situation or if you're a pastor the people in your congregation. What we often don't realize is that there is something more important to God than our success, and that is perseverance.

Perseverance teaches us what success never can: character. The formation of a godly character is much more important to God than our worldly notions of success. According to the apostle James perseverance results in being complete and mature lacking nothing (James 1:2-4). Perseverance is not glamorous nor easy but it is necessary. Perseverance is simply "gutting it out." When you want to bail on your marriage God calls you to gut it out. When you want to bail on your job God calls you to gut it out. When you want to bail on your church God calls you to gut it out.

The writer of Hebrews tells us to run the race marked out for us with perseverance (Heb.12:1-3). Each of us has a path specifically marked out for us by God Himself. Our paths are unique in that they encompass our life experiences and circumstances. The path God has marked out for me doesn't look like your path and your path doesn't look like someone else's. This is why it is so dangerous to compare ourselves with others who seem more successful. We will not be judged according to the path marked out for others but for the path marked out specifically for me. That path includes all the elements and circumstances that comprise my life.

In John 21 Jesus and Peter eat breakfast by the fire and Jesus commissions Peter to feed His sheep. Then Jesus prophesies that in the future Peter would be martyred for his faith. Peter had to be somewhat shaken by this news and upon seeing John close by pointed to him and asked Jesus, "What about him?" Jesus responded by telling Peter that what happened to John was none of his business and that Peter was to focus on following Him. In other words Jesus was telling Peter not to worry about the path that God had marked out for John but to focus on his own path.

Our path may be full of potholes and twists and turns but we must "gut it out" and stay the course. To turn aside from the path or to give up on our race because we are discouraged or tired is not an option. Perseverance requires that we "gut it out" and finish our course. The apostle Paul knew what it was like to have a rocky path but at the end of his life he was able to say triumphantly "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith" (2 Tim.4:7). The writer of Hebrews challenges his readers to consider the perseverance of the saints that have gone before so that we would not grow weary and lose heart in our race.

One such hero of perseverance was a pastor by the name of Charles Simeon. Simeon was a pastor in the Church of England from 1782 to 1836 at Trinity Church in Cambridge. He was appointed to his church by a bishop against the will of the people. They opposed him not because he was a bad preacher but because he was an evangelical—he believed the Bible and called for conversion and holiness and world missions.

For 12 years the people refused to let him give the afternoon Sunday sermon. And during that time they boycotted the Sunday morning service and locked their pews so that no one could sit in them. He preached to people in the aisles for 12 years! How did he last?

In this state of things I saw no remedy but faith and patience. The passage of Scripture which subdued and controlled my mind was this, "The servant of the Lord must not strive. It was painful indeed to see the church, with the exception of the aisles, almost forsaken; but I thought that if God would only give a double blessing to the congregation that did attend, there would on the whole be as much good done as if the congregation were doubled and the blessing limited to only half the amount. This comforted me many, many times, when without such a reflection, I should have sunk under my burden. (Charles Simeon, by H.C.G. Moule, p. 39)

Simeon often comforted himself with texts such as Isaiah 30:18, "Blessed are all those who wait for the Lord." It was only the Word that conquered unbelief and faith conquered impatience. Simeon's perseverance resulted in success when God had shaped Him sufficiently. After 12 years of barrenness Simeon's perseverance finally produced a harvest. The church began to grow and Simeon stayed on as pastor for another 44 years. He would become a great force for evangelicalism in the Anglican Church and his influence spread far and wide.

How many of us would gut it out for 12 years when people didn't even want to listen to us. Yet God was shaping and forming him through the experience so that he would bear even more fruit.

So no matter how difficult your situation. No matter how thorny the path, don't give up! Gut it out. Let God's Word conquer unbelief and faith conquer impatience. Success will come but only when perseverance has finished its work!

How to plant a church

2010-10-25T14:55:00.000-07:00

If you're considering planting a church here is some great advice.

Nelson Searcy Coming to Lifehouse

2010-10-07T10:26:00.000-07:00

We will be hosting a live special event for pastors and church leaders on Wednesday, November 10 with Nelson Searcy Founder and Lead Pastor at the Journey in Manhattan. The seminar is called "Maximize: How to Develop Generous Givers in Your Church."

I just completed a year long coaching network with Nelson and it was probably the most insightful and practical information on leading a church I have ever received. His insights and principles on developing givers in your church is absolutely top-notch. If your church is like mine we have struggled financially since the economic recession. But by putting some of Nelson's principles in place we were able to regain our momentum and we are back in the black.

The seminar runs from 9:00 a.m. - Noon and costs only $59.99. You can register by clicking here. We would love to have see on November 10. Register today!

You Have An Assignment

2010-09-23T06:23:00.000-07:00

This morning as I was doing my devotions I came across a powerful passage that really spoke to me and I wanted to share a few things about it.

"For we are God's masterpiece. He created us anew in Christ Jesus so we can do the things He planned for us long ago" (Eph.2:10).

We are God’s ultimate creation. When He created each one of us He had something special in mind. We are not merely an accident of some chemical reactions but were designed by God Himself. While we were being knit in our mother’s womb God had something for us to do. Each one of us has been put on this earth to accomplish something. Everyone’s gifts are not the same, everyone’s passions are not the same. But each of us has an assignment that God wants to accomplish through us.

When we understand our assignment and pursue it, we find purpose and passion and power. When we don’t know what our assignment is we will just meander through life and will seek to find purpose and meaning in a whole host of worldly pursuits that ultimately leave us unfulfilled. When we understand what our assignment is for the Kingdom that purpose and vision for our life protects us from the allure of the kosmos (world system). But those who don’t understand their assignment find the allure of the kosmos irresistible. So we were created to do something. How do we find out what our assignment is?

It begins with passion. Whenever God wants us to do something He awakens a passion in us for it. What are you passionate about? What makes you pound the table and say “This has got to change!” If money were no object what would you do with the rest of your life? Your passion is the first indicator of God’s assignment for your life.

Second are your gifts. What has God gifted you to do? Are you gifted to teach, govern, exhort, encourage, sing, preach, write, help in practical ways, etc? Your gifts and passions will be in alignment. Not everyone has the same gifts but God has given to each of us certain gifts to use for the building of His Kingdom. The Bible describes certain spiritual gifts that the Holy Spirit imparts to us but there are also innate aptitudes and talents that God creates within each one of us. Your spiritual and natural gifts when combined with your passion forms you into a spiritual dynamo.

The final way you determine your assignment is through your circumstances. God uses our present situations to unleash our gifts and passions. You do not live in the city you are in by mistake. God brought you there to fulfill His purpose. The job you have, family you have, history you have all play a huge part in what God’s assignment for your life is. God uses our situations and circumstances to mold us and shape us for His grand purposes. Often people think that our assignment can only be fulfilled when we get out of our current circumstance but what if your situation or circumstance is part of God’s assignment? Our purpose is not about what we can do ten years down the road but what we can do right now in the situation we find ourselves in. God uses our past and present to propel us into our future.

So what is your assignment?

The World's Largest Churches

2010-09-18T12:08:00.000-07:00

If you think Lakewood Church in Houston is big check out the list of the world's largest churches from the folks over at The Leadership Network. The local church is alive and well throughout the world!

You can check out the list here.

2010-09-18T11:58:00.000-07:00

Are you married to the church or are you dating the church? Often we hear all kinds of statistics about the loss of Christian influence in our nation. I am convinced that one of the main reasons for this loss of influence is that we have so many Christians who are just dating the church. What I mean by dating the church is that you just kind of casually attend services without any real involvement or commitment. We don’t really have any passion or excitement for the church we are just casually dating her. We don’t want to settle down with one particular church we want to keep our options open so we go from church to church looking for the next spiritual thrill. Many Christians treat the church like a restaurant. I like the wings at Chili’s but I like the fish tacos at Houlihan’s, and I really like the dessert at the Cheesecake Factory. I like the worship at First Church but I really like the small groups at another church. I like the preaching at Lifehouse but I like the kid’s ministry at the church down the street.

I’m sure you’ve met Christians who are dating the church. You might even be one. Imagine with me a conversation you might have with a Christian who is dating the church.
Christian #1: Are you seeing anyone?
Christian #2: Yeah I’ve been kind of checking out this church on Montgomery Street.
Christian #1: You really like her?
Christian #2: I think so. We’ve had some good times.
Christian #1: How long have you been together?
Christian #2: It’s been a couple of months.
Christian #1: Are you getting serious? Are you going to membership class?
Christian #2: I’ve been thinking about it. Yeah you know she’s really into that.
Christian #1: Is she attractive?
Christian #2: Yeah she has some really attractive qualities about her. She has some hot worship and a nice atmosphere.
Christian #1: So are we talking marriage?
Christian #2: No, no I’m just having fun. I’m still young there are a lot of churches out there. I don’t think I’m ready to settle down yet. To tell you the truth she’s kind of clingy. When we’re together on Sundays she wants to be together for like two hours, she’s like will you get there on time and turn your cell phone off and sign up for a life group and serve. No, I’m not ready for marriage I want to keep my options open.

Now I want to juxtapose that attitude against how Jesus feels about His church. In Ephesians 5:25-32 we read, 25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— 30for we are members of his body. 31"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." 32This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.

The apostle Paul describes Jesus’ relationship to the church as a marriage. The church is called throughout the New Testament the Bride of Christ. Earthly marriage is an imperfect illustration of Christ’s love for the church. Jesus loves the church so much that He gave His life for her. He nourishes and cares for the church. In fact He loves the church so much that He identifies Himself with the church. He is one with her. In Acts 9 Saul is headed to Damascus to arrest Christians when he is knocked off of his donkey and given a vision from heaven. Jesus speaks to Saul and asks him why do you persecute me? He so closely identifies with the church that He asks Saul why he was persecuting Him. Jesus calls the church His body: His hands, feet, eyes, mouth and heart. Now if Jesus loves His church so much shouldn’t we? If Jesus is so committed to His church shouldn’t we?

There are a lot of Christians who are just dating the church but if you truly love Jesus you must love what He loves. He loves His church and so should we. Jesus is passionate about His church and a passion should burn in our heart for the church as well. I know this is a foreign concept to many of you here today. When I speak of passion for the church it’s about as foreign to you as passion for a Laundromat. When Jesus went into the Temple and overturned the tables of the money changers the Scripture was fulfilled which said, “Passion for your house has consumed me” (John 2:17). We are passionate about a lot of things: hobbies, sports, careers, but if we are Christians we need to be passionate about the church.

Paul goes on to say in the text that Jesus will present to Himself a radiant church. Not a broken down, dysfunctional, dying church but a glorious church, a radiant church. A radiant church is a church that is flourishing; a church of significance; a church that is healing broken people and transforming cities. It’s a church that is plundering hell to populate heaven. But to have a radiant church we need to stop dating the church and get married to the church.

1. If we are going to marry the church we need a conviction about the church.

I have spent basically my whole life in church. My mom and dad were converted when I was two years old and since then I’ve been in church 95% of the Sundays in my life. But for years church was just a place to socialize with friends or check out the girls. I didn’t really understand the significance or importance of the church. Even after I came to Christ and was called into church ministry I still didn’t have a proper context of the church. I thought the church was just a stumbling block to the Great Commission. If you really want to reach the world you can’t do it through the church. I mean most churches are so dysfunctional and backwards and inbred that nothing good could ever come out of them.

But as I began to study the Bible and specifically what the New Testament says about the church the Holy Spirit began to show me the significance and importance of the church. As I grew in my theological knowledge my appreciation and love for the church grew into a conviction about the church. You see most people who disparage the church and just don’t think the church is that important are theologically ignorant. You can’t read the New Testament and not develop a passion and love for the church.

As I read the New Testament I saw that Jesus said that there was one thing He was building. He is building His church and that the gates of hell will not prevail against it (Matt.16:18). I discovered that He wasn’t building Chris McMillan ministries or Bible colleges, or para-church ministries; He’s building His church! If we want God’s blessing on our lives we better be building what He’s building. I don’t want to spend my life building something that has no eternal value. I want to build what Jesus is building and He is building His church.

“7I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power. 8Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. 10His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Eph.3:7-11).

We see here that God’s purpose all along was for the church to manifest His wisdom and His plan not just to the human world but to the cosmic world as well. The church is central to God’s plan to reconcile the world to Himself. The church is God’s Plan A and there is no Plan B. The church is the hope of the world. When you see what Jesus says about His church there is no way you can be ambivalent about it.

When David was tending sheep as a young man he was sent to the front lines of battle to bring food to his brothers who were soldiers. The Philistine army had a giant named Goliath who caused the Israelite soldiers to tremble in fright. When David saw the discouragement and fear and apathy among the fighting men he was insulted and said, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the God of Israel?” “Is there not a cause?” I feel like David today. There is a cause that God wants us to give our lives to, the church, the Bride of Christ, the hope of the world. When we have a conviction about the significance and importance of the church we will have no problem marrying her.

2. If we are going to marry the church we need to make a commitment to a specific local church.

In the New Testament the word for church is mentioned about 114 times. Ninety of those times it is in reference to a specific local church. The emphasis in the New Testament is on the local church. God calls us to walk out our salvation in a particular local church. The local church is a crucible in which we grow, and are encouraged and in which we express our gifts. In Psalm 92:13 we read, “He that is planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God.” When we get planted in God’s house we will begin to flourish in every area of our lives.

The New Testament knows nothing of an unchurched Christian. There are many people who call themselves Christians who never darken the door of a church. Listen, you cannot be a true believer if you are not committed to a specific local church. It doesn’t matter what kind of confession or profession you’ve made if you are not connected to the body you cannot live. Recently Oprah Winfrey did a special interview with a former professional female tennis champion at her home in Colorado. During the interview this tennis player walked Oprah out to her backyard that overlooked a beautiful valley and there were snowcapped mountain peaks that loomed in the distance. The tennis player said, “Oprah this is my church.” Wouldn’t it be great if that were the case? Wouldn’t it be great if we could just get on fishing boat or on a golf course or by looking at nature and that be sufficient for our church? We wouldn’t have to be committed or accountable to anyone. No one would ever ask us to serve or use our gifts. We wouldn’t have to put up with certain people who get on our nerves or music that might be out of tune or listen to a pastor drone on and on every week. But that’s not the New Testament idea of a local church.

The most common word for church in the New Testament is ekklesia which means “a gathering.” You often hear Christians say, “Don’t go to church be the church.” That’s faulty biblical thinking. You by yourself are not the church! The church is a gathering of people; the church is a family. If you have just one cow it is a cow but a bunch of cows is called a herd. If you have just one sheep all you have is a sheep but if you have a bunch of sheep you have a flock. If you have just one Christian all you have is a Christian but if you gather a bunch of Christians you get a church. According to Ephesians God saves us for two reasons: to reconcile us to Himself and to reconcile us to one another. We live out that reconciliation in a particular local church. God saved us for community. Over 100 times in the New Testament the words “one another” are used. You can’t have “one another” without one and then another.

Some of you who are dating the church today might be looking for the perfect church before you decide to settle on one. Let me tell you there is no such thing as a perfect church. Churches are made up of people; flawed, dysfunctional people. Yet the amazing thing is that is exactly whom God chooses to use to bring His gospel to the nations. People can come up with all kinds of excuses not to attend church. “Well there are just too many hypocrites in church.” As if that weak excuse is going to somehow release you from any responsibility to be committed to the church. Of course there are hypocrites in the church. There are liars in the church and bigots and adulterers and all manner of people. But we are growing and becoming more and more like Christ until His image is formed in us. By bumping up against imperfect people God works His holiness into your life.

Some people say “Well I want to be a part of the church like the early church.” Oh yeah which one? Maybe you prefer the church in Corinth that had a man sleeping with his stepmother and people suing one another and getting drunk at church dinners and dividing into factions over who was their favorite pastor on staff? Or maybe you prefer the church in Galatia that was so bound by legalism that they were in danger of falling from grace. Or maybe the church in Philippi where two prominent women were locked in an ugly public feud? The point is that no church is perfect and that’s the way God wanted it. He refines us through living together in community.

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

So stop looking for the perfect church and settle down and commit to one.

Here are five signs of a church dater:
1. They are selfish. It’s all about me. What can you do for me? How can you serve me? What can you provide for my family?
2. They attend irregularly. They are the Lily and Poinsettia crowd. They only show up at Easter and Christmas. If they have nothing else to do they show up. If they aren’t tired on Sunday they show up.
3. They are uninvolved. They want all the services provided by the church they just don’t want to be the one providing any of the services. They want a nursery for their infant but don’t want to serve in one. They want a quality kid’s ministry but don’t want to serve in one. The local church is the primary place you express your gifts. They weren’t given to you to use for yourself they were given to you to use for God’s glory and the building of His church.
4. They are independent. They don’t want to get to know people. They don’t want to go to life groups. They like the idea of serving Jesus just not enough to get to know His family. You can’t serve God in isolation.
5. They are critical. They are not committed but they have a comment about everything. They offer no service, no encouragement, no positive feedback only negativity and cynicism.

So I ask you, Are you dating the church or are you ready to settle down and marry the church?

Books Every Pastor Should Read

2010-08-27T12:22:00.000-07:00

I love books. Books are to pastors what hammers, drills and screwdrivers are to carpenters. They are tools that aid us in the effective and fruitful administration of ministry. One thing I see happening among many younger pastors especially in Pentecostal/Charismatic circles is the lack of a solid theological foundation. While leadership principles and best practices should certainly be studied and inculcated by up and coming pastors I fear that we are overemphasizing leadership to the exclusion of strong theology. You have to have both to be a faithful and fruitful minister in the 21st century. With that in mind I've listed 150 books I feel every pastor and aspiring church leader should read.

1. “The Attributes of God” A.W. Pink
2. “The Bondage of the Will” Martin Luther
3. “The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable?” F.F. Bruce
4. “The Gospel of the Kingdom” George Eldon Ladd
5. “The Next Christendom” Phillip Jenkins
6. “This Present Darkness” Frank Peretti
7. “The Master Plan of Evangelism” Robert Coleman
8. “The Cost of Discipleship” Dietrich Bonhoeffer
9. “Life Together” Dietrich Bonhoeffer
10. “The Divine Conspiracy” Dallas Willard
11. “Basic Christianity” John Stott
12. “Biblical Church Growth” Gary McIntosh
13. “Basic Bible Interpretation” Roy Zuck
14. “Biblical Hermeneutics” Corley, Lemke and Lovejoy
15. “Heresies” Harold O.J. Brown
16. “Early Christian Doctrine” JND Kelly
17. “The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah” Alfred Edersheim
18. “Manners and Customs in the Bible” Victor Matthews
19. “Biblical Eldership” Alexander Strauch
20. “Pastors of Promise” Jack Hayford
21. “The Creative Leader” Ed Young
22. “The Sovereignty of God” A.W. Pink
23. “Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God” J.I. Packer
24. “Knowing God” J.I. Packer
25. “Leading on Empty” Wayne Cordeiro
26. “The Divine Mentor” Wayne Cordeiro
27. “A Shepherd Looks at the 23rd Psalm” Phillip Keller
28. “A Tale of Three Kings” Gene Edwards
29. “Systematic Theology” Wayne Grudem
30. “Preachers and Preaching” Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones
31. “Under the Unpredictable Plant” Eugene Peterson
32. “Lectures to My Students” Charles Spurgeon
33. “Spiritual Leadership” J. Oswald Sanders
34. “Foxe’s Book of Martyrs” John Foxe
35. “Biblical Preaching” Haddon Robison
36. “Anointed Expository Preaching” Stephen Olford
37. “The Pursuit of God” A.W. Tozer
38. “Knowledge of the Holy” A.W. Tozer
39. “Mere Christianity” C.S. Lewis
40. “Competent to Counsel” Jay Adams
41. “Disciplines of a Godly Man” Kent Hughes
42. “The Normal Christian Life” Watchman Nee
43. “The Imitation of Christ” Thomas A Kempis
44. “The Case for Faith” Lee Strobel
45. “The Case for Christ” Lee Strobel
46. “Courageous Leadership” Bill Hybels
47. “Next Generation Leader” Andy Stanley
48. “The Church and the Surprising Offense of God’s Love
Jonathon Leeman
49. “Between Two Worlds” John Stott
50. “Choose the Life” Bill Hull
51. “Sacred Pathways” Gary Thomas
52. “Sacred Marriage” Gary Thomas
53. “Love and Respect” Emerson Eggerichs
54. “Chosen But Free” Norman Geisler
55. “The Pilgrim’s Progress John Bunyan
56. “Awakened by the Spirit” Ron Phillips
57. “Surprised by the Power of the Spirit” Jack Deere
58. “Well-Intentioned Dragons” Marshall Shelly
59. “The Purpose-Driven Church” Rick Warren
60. “The Reformed Pastor” Richard Baxter
61. “The Institutes of the Christian Religion” John Calvin
62. “The Myth of A Christian Nation” Greg Boyd
63. “Christianity’s Dangerous Idea” Alister McGrath
64. “Satan and His Kingdom” Dennis McCallum
65. “Good to Great” Jim Collins
66. “This Present Darkness” Frank Peretti
67. “The Mortification of Sin” John Owen
68. “The Valley of Vision” Arthur Bennet
69. “How to Read the Bible for All It’s Worth Gordon Fee
70. “Life in the Son” Robert Shank
71. “Being Leaders” Aubrey Malphurs
72. “The Life Giving Church” Ted Haggard
73. “Brothers, We Are Not Professionals John Piper
74. “Desiring God” John Piper
75. “Winning With People” John Maxwell
76. “Developing the Leader Within You” John Maxwell
77. “How to Win Friends and Influence People” Dale Carnegie
78. “Jesus and the Victory of God” N.T.Wright
79. “Under the Influence” Kenneth Schmidt
80. “The Story of Christianity” Justo Gonzales
81. “Why We Love the Church” Kevin DeYoung
82. “Emotionally Healthy Spirituality” Peter Scazerro
83. “The Emotionally Healthy Church” Peter Scazerro
84. “Disappointment With God” Phillip Yancey
85. “Wounded Healer” Henri Nouwen
86. “A Theology of the New Testament” George Eldon Ladd
87. “Leading With A Limp” Dan Allender
88. “Theology: The Basics” Alister McGrath
89. “The Doctrine of God” John Frame
90. “Love God With All Your Mind” J.P. Moreland
91. “The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God” D.A. Carson
92. “The Practice of the Presence of God” Brother Lawrence’
93. “Money, Possessions and Eternity” Randy Alcorn
94. “If God is Good” Randy Alcorn
95. “Heaven” Randy Alcorn
96. “Christian Theology” Millard Erickson
97. “The Making of A Man of God” Alan Redpath
98. “Predestination” Peter Thuesen
99. “Evil and the Justice of God” N.T. Wright
100. “The Resurrection of the Son of God” N.T. Wright
101. “Turning Points” Mark Noll
102. “Spiritual Gifts” David Lim
103. “Your Spiritual Gifts Can Help Your Church Grow” Peter Wagner
104. “Living in the Combat Zone” Rick Renner
105. “Dressed to Kill” Rick Renner
106. “Death By Love” Mark Driscoll
107. “Vintage Church” Mark Driscoll
108. “Activate” Nelson Searcy
109. “Emotional Intelligence” Daniel Goleman
110. “Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership” Gary McIntosh
111. “The 12 Essential Skills for Great Preaching” Wayne McDill
112. “Through Gates of Splendor” Elisabeth Elliot
113. “The History of the Church” Eusebius
114. “Confessions” Augustine
115. “The Life and Diary of David Brainerd” Jonathon Edwards
116. “John Wesley: A Biography” Stephen Tomkins
117. “Lectures on Revival” Charles Finney
118. “Jonathon Edwards: A New Biography” Iain Murray
119. “The Forgotten Spurgeon” Iain Murray
120. “With Christ in the School of Prayer” Andrew Murray
121. “The Possibilities of Prayer” E.M. Bounds
122. “The Triumph of the Lamb” Dennis Johnson
123. “The Heart of A Great Pastor” H.B. London
124. “My Utmost for His Highest” Oswald Chambers
125. “The Peace Making Pastor” Alfred Poirier
126. “The Cross of Christ” John Stott
127. “Can Man Live Without God?” Ravi Zacharias
128. “Basics of Biblical Greek Grammar” William Mounce
129. “Five Smooth Stones for Pastoral Work” Eugene Peterson
130. “The Resurrection Factor” Josh McDowell
131. “Inerrancy” Norman Geisler
132. “The Historical Reliability of the Gospels” Craig Blomberg
133. “The Reason for God” Tim Keller
134. “Shepherding the Church” Joseph Stowell
135. “Working the Angles” Eugene Peterson
136. “Biblical Theology in the Life of the Church” Michael Lawrence
137. “Scandalous: The Cross and Resurrection of Jesus” D.A. Carson
138. “Things to Come” Dwight Pentecost
139. “Introducing Christian Doctrine” Millard Erickson
140. “Baptized in the Spirit: A Global Pentecostal Perspective" Frank Macchia
141. “Spirit and Power” William Menzie
142. “Renewal Theology” Rodman Williams
143. “Evidence that Demands A Verdict” Josh McDowell
144. “Effective Pastoring” Bill Lawrence
145. “101 Ways to Reach Your Community” Steve Sjogren
146. “The Five Love Languages” Gary Chapman
147. “Rethinking the Church” James Emery White
148. “The Other Side of Pastoral Ministry” Daniel Brown
149. “Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe” Mark Driscoll
150. “Rethinking the Successful Church” Samuel Rima

Lashed to the Mast

2010-08-26T11:44:00.000-07:00

For all of those pastors who are committed for a lifetime to God's call to shepherd His people there will inevitably come a time when you hit the proverbial wall. Ministry is at the same time glorious and agonizing, exhilirating and exhausting, beautiful and brutal (brutifal as Ed Young would say).

No one can do a lifetime of ministry without at some point hitting the wall. Most would probably refer to hitting the wall as burnout. Statistics prove that many pastors are hitting the wall. Some 1500 pastors leave the ministry each month. Approximately 80% don't make it past the first ten years and only one out of 10 who start in ministry actually retire from ministry. Those are long odds and can be rather disconcerting for those of us in the trenches of local church ministry.

The difference between those who live long and finish strong in ministry and those who don't is their ability to climb over the wall when they hit it and keep on keeping on. One way we climb over that wall is to remember our call.

One of my long distance pastoral mentors is Eugene Peterson. His book called Under the Unpredictable Plant was one of the formative books I read as a young pastor. In his book Working the Angles he uses a wonderful metaphor to describe pastors and their commitment to their ordination vows.

"We are going to ordain you to this ministry and we want your vow that you will stick to it. This is not a temporary job assignment but a way of life that we need lived out in our community. We know that you are launched on the same difficult belief venture in the same dangerous world as we are. We know that your emotions are as fickle as ours, and that your mind can play the same tricks on you as ours. That is why we are going to ordain you and why we are going to exact a vow from you. We know that there are going to be days and months, and maybe even years, when we won't feel like we are believing anything and won't want to hear it from you. And we know that there will be days and weeks and maybe even years when you won't feel like saying it. It doesn't matter. Do it. You are ordained to this ministry, vowed to it. There may be times when we come to you as a committee or delegation and demand that you tell us something else than what we are telling you now. Promise right now that you won't give in to what we demand of you. You are not the minister of our changing desires, or our time-conditioned understanding of our needs, or our secularized hopes for something better. With these vows of ordination we are lashing you fast to the mast of word and sacrament so that you will be unable to respond to the siren voices."

In Greek Mythology the sirens beckoned sailors with their enchanting voices to their ultimate doom. Unless we are lashed to the mast of our calling we will be powerless against the songs of the sirens of our culture. So if you've hit the wall in your current ministry position remember that God hasn't revoked His call and mandate upon your life. Stay lashed to the mast!

Do You Love Me?

2010-08-20T09:49:00.000-07:00

Ministry can be extremely exhausting and discouraging at times. Just when you think you're making great strides and the church is moving forward stuff happens, people leave, attendance and giving drops and the voice of the enemy echoes in your ear, "Just give up and quit." "Who are you to think you can make a difference?" "You will never accomplish what God put in your heart."

If you're like me you've probably heard that voice more than a few times. Honestly there have been a few times I've wanted to quit the ministry (usually every Monday). I've even gone so far as to investigate what vocational options might be available to me outside of professional ministry. But during those dark and desperate moments when the black clouds of my emotions seem to block the rays of hope I often hear a whisper deep in my spirit saying, "Do you love me?" It's not a shout mind you but the still small voice of the Holy Spirit reminding me of my initial commitment to serve Jesus by serving His church.

Let me explain. I grew up in church as a Pastor's Kid. So church is really all I've ever known. But even though I was in church I went through a significant period of rebellion in my late teen years. It wasn't until I was 21 that I had an encounter with Jesus that changed the trajectory of my life. I must confess that having grown up as a PK and seen the underbelly of church life the last thing I wanted to be was a pastor. I fancied myself more as the next Billy Graham or Reinhard Bonnke. But one day while reading the Bible I came across a passage in John 21 that changed my perspective about my calling.

In John 21 the risen Jesus has a conversation on the beach with Peter over a three-piece fish dinner. Peter had just a few weeks before denied that he even knew Jesus after brashly declaring that he would in fact die for Him. Jesus proceeds to ask Peter three times if he loved Him. Each time Jesus said to Peter "If you love me feed my sheep." It was if a laser beam imprinted branded those words into my heart. "Chris, do you love me?" "Then feed my sheep." I wish my response would have been yes but instead I wanted to argue. "But I don't want to, I want to do my own thing." "I want a more glamorous ministry full of perks and privileges and cherry speaking engagements." The more I argued the louder the voice in my heart resonated, "Do you love me?" "Then feed my sheep."

What the Holy Spirit was trying to get across to me was that if I really loved Him and wanted to serve Him then I needed to serve His people not be served by them. Ministry is not about a life of ease and comfort, perks and privileges but about laying down your life to serve God's people through this glorious mystery called the Church.

So when things get difficult and I want to give up and quit I hear the whisper of the Holy Spirit asking "Do you love me?" "Then feed my sheep." We have to do ministry out of love for Jesus and not for any other reason. If we're doing it to be famous or liked or respected or for the perks and privileges we will not last. People are fickle and the ones who praise you today will be ready to stone you tomorrow. You might be famous today and on the Most Wanted List tomorrow. Dealing with sinful, fallen humanity and wrestling with the cultural idols of greed, consumerism and hedonism can sap your spiritual energy and vitality. So we better have the right motivation for ministry.

The right motivation for ministry is love for Jesus. Not love for what my ministry or church can accomplish; not love for preaching, teaching and vision casting; not even love for caring for people, but a strong unwavering love for Jesus. There are many pastors and church leaders that have sacrificed their love for Jesus on the altar of bigger and better ministry. When its all said and done only your love for Jesus will propel you to a lifetime of faithful and fruitful service on the battlefield of ministry. Do you love me?

Controlling Our Borders

2010-07-09T20:43:00.000-07:00

Illegal immigration is quickly becoming one of the biggest "Hot Button" issues in politics. For the most part conservatives seem to abhor anyone different than they are and liberals seem to want to have no kind of restrictions on immigration at all.

I am not about to wade into the deep political waters of immigration in this post but I do want to remind Christians that as believers our perspective should always be molded by Scripture and not by the Republican or Democratic National Committee. As believers we are not Republicans, Democrats, Tea Party, Libertarians, Socialists, Green Party or Independents; we are Christians.

I ran across a prophetic prayer from Walter Brueggeman about this very issue I just had to post.

Jesus—Crucified and risen—draws us into his presence again,
the one who had nowhere to lay his head,
no safe place,
no secure home,
no passport or visa,
no certified citizenship.

We gather around him in our safety, security, and well-being
and we fret about "illegal immigrants."
We fret because they are not like us
and refuse our language.
We worry that there are so many of them
and their crossings do not stop.
We are unsettled because it is our tax
dollars that sustain them and provide services.
We feel the hype about closing borders and heavy fines,
because we imagine that our life is under threat.

And yet, as we know very well,
we, all of us—early or late—are immigrants
from elsewhere;
we are glad for cheap labor
and seasonal workers
who do tomatoes and apples and oranges
to our savoring delight.

And beyond that, even while we are beset by fears
and aware of pragmatic costs,
we know very well that you are the God
who welcomes strangers,
who loves aliens and protects sojourners.

As always we feel the tension and the slippage
between the deep truth of our faith
and the easier settlements of our society.

We do not ask for an easy way out,
but for courage and honesty and faithfulness.
Give us ease in presence of those unlike us;
give us generosity amid demands of those in need,
help us to honor those who trespass
as you forgive our trespasses.

You are the God of all forgiveness.
By your gracious forgiveness transpose us
into agents of your will,
that our habits and inclinations may more closely
follow you majestic lead, that our lives may
joyously conform to your vision of a new world.

We pray in the name of your holy Son, even Jesus.

Powerful and insightful prayer. May the Christians of this nation stop allowing themselves to be hoodwinked by the left and the right and be transformed by the renewing of our minds!

The prayer is from Prayers for a Privileged People by Walter Brueggeman.

Dropping the Pounds

2010-06-18T12:36:00.000-07:00

Well I've hesitated in writing this but since I am close to the end of the journey I thought I'd let the cat out of the bag. Since February I've lost 55 pounds and about 10 inches off of my waist.

At the beginning of the year both Allison and I decided that we needed to make some lifestyle changes when it came to our eating and physical health. From as far back as I can remember I've always loved food and have been a pretty big eater. My favorites were all the things that were unhealthy: cheeseburgers, fries, barbecue, anything fried (I did grow up in the South you know), cake, doughnuts, Italian food, etc.

I've only tried to diet one time in my life. It lasted about 3/4 of a day. So we knew that a diet wasn't for us. In fact, most people who go on a diet end up eventually gaining back the weight they lost. Instead we decided that we were going to completely change the way that we eat and what we eat. We started to eat a lot more vegetables, we rarely eat anything that's fried and we also changed our portions. I said all of that to say that if I can lose weight you can too! I was the poster child for bad eating habits. But I got tired of being fat, of looking horrible in pictures, of being winded when I ran up the stairs and feeling tired all the time. When I came back from India in January I knew I needed to make some changes.

Many people keep asking me how I'm losing so much weight and wondering what diet I'm on. So I just wanted to give those who are interested a little insight into how to drop some pounds.

1. Learn how fat accumulates. The most important thing I did was to learn about how your body gets fat. You gain weight because you consume more calories then you expend. Every person has a certain number of calories needed to maintain their current weight. If you consume less calories then you expend you will lose weight and vice versa. There are 3500 calories in a pound of fat. If you cut your calorie consumption by 500 calories a day over a week's time you will lose one pound. But if you consume 500 more calories then you expend you will gain one pound over a week.

2. Count calories. I count calories in everything I eat. I've set a calorie goal for each day that allows me to lose 2 pounds a week. Once I hit that goal I don't eat anything else. It can be a little burdensome at first to write down everything you eat and calculate calories but after a while you will learn how many calories certain foods have and it will be much easier. There are some great tools online to help with counting calories. The one we used was www.caloriecount.com

3. Exercise. Back in February we bought an Elliptical and it probably one of the best purchases we've ever made. Since my job tends to be pretty sedentary I lacked any kind of regular exercise. You need exercise 2-3 times a week to get your heart rate up so you can burn fat. For the first month of our change I exercised for 30 minutes every day on the Elliptical. When exercising make sure to do something that raises your heart rate. When your heart rate reaches 115 or higher your body starts burning fat.

4. Be careful in restaurants. We tend to eat out and get take out a lot. This can be a killer. Restaurants are not really concerned about cooking healthy and most of the entrees at your favorite eating establishment have a shockingly high caloric content. One of my previous favorites was the Tour of Italy at Olive Garden. But I found out it has 1450 calories. The daily recommended calories consumption for men is 2,000 a day. So you're eating almost all of your calories in one meal, and that doesn't even include the salad and breadsticks.

5. Be persistent. Don't give up if you fall off the truck. It's easy once you give in to temptation to just go back to bad habits. But remember that you aren't on a diet you are making a lifestyle change. So you have a lifetime to get it right.

So since losing my weight I've had to go and buy a whole new wardrobe. I still don't have any suits that fit me anymore. But I'm so excited about feeling good and looking good. This summer will be the first time in many years that I will be able to take off my shirt at the beach without being embarrassed.

Generous Giving

2010-06-18T12:29:00.001-07:00

Are you a generous giver? Do you make it a priority to give to your local church before you give to other ministries and charities? Did you know that it is your responsibility as a believer to give first to your local church?

I'm continually astonished at the naivete that many Christians have about their responsibilities financially in supporting their local church. Some Christians think nothing of giving sacrificially to other ministries and give nothing or very little to the church they attend. Randy Alcorn, the author of several great books on money has written one of the best books in print on Christians and money called "Money, Possessions and Eternity." Here is an excerpt from the book.

Giving should start with your local Bible-believing, Christ-centered church, the spiritual community where you’re fed and to which you’re accountable. In the New Testament, giving was not directed to the Church at large, the universal body of Christ, but to the church, the local Christian assembly. Even gifts that were sent to other places were given through the local church. Whereas the Old Testament temple was a storehouse, the New Testament Church was a clearinghouse, a conduit of gifts to help the needy and reach the lost.
Normally, I think firstfruits, or the tithe, should go to the local church. But I don’t believe in “storehouse tithing” if it means that a church hoards funds or spends them on frills or monuments to ego and prosperity. Freewill giving beyond the tithe also can go to worthy parachurch ministries. For fourteen years I was a local church pastor, and for twelve years I’ve directed a parachurch ministry. I believe that both types of ministry deserve support, but the church should always come first. That’s why we give more to our church than to our ministry.

Our giving should go first to the local church because it’s our primary spiritual community. (“Electronic churches” are a contradiction in terms. They’re media programs—not churches.) No mission boards, youth organizations, or Bible colleges are mentioned in the New Testament. There’s only the local church, which filled all these roles. But history has demonstrated there’s much that local churches have been unable or unwilling to do. Parachurch groups have filled the gap. Many have done a remarkable job. They’ve been servants of Christ and the Church. Others, unfortunately, have competed with churches, draining their resources.

How can a ministry in Chicago or Dallas be accountable to donors living in Idaho or New York? How can supporters evaluate whether parachurch leaders are of reputable character? I hope that most church members see their pastors in real-life situations. But all they know about the parachurch leader is what they’re told. From a distance, parachurch organizations with sharp brochures and attractive spokespeople often outshine the local church, where much of the giving supports mundane activities like paying the utility bills and the salary of a pastor who, though a man of integrity, may be ordinary. The church is small, the faucets leak, and the people are irritating. The custodian wears old overalls and putters about, jangling his mammoth key chain.

People think, I don’t want my money to pay the water or garbage bill; I want it to go 100 percent to evangelism. The television ministers, with their straight teeth and makeup, tell stories of thousands of conversions. Why fiddle with the penny-ante local church when you can send your money to the big boys? So people give their money instead to a parachurch group, apparently without realizing that it too has irritating, ordinary people; garbage bills; and a custodian with old overalls and a jangly key chain.

Paul doesn’t encourage individual believers to give to a needy cause on their own, but instead to give to and through the local church (1 Corinthians 16:2). When the early Christians sold their land and houses, they “brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need” (Acts 4:34-35). They didn’t discern on their own where the funds should go. They entrusted them to spiritually qualified church leaders, who distributed them wisely.

Writing in a.d. 390, John Chrysostom says this about the early church’s giving:

They did not dare to put their offering into the hands of the needy, nor give it with lofty condescension, but they laid it at the feet of the apostles and made them masters and distributors of the gift. What a man needed was then taken from the treasurer of the community, not from the private property of individuals. Thereby the givers did not become arrogant.

Most of the undiscerning giving among Christians today stems from our independence. If we were honest, we might have to say, “I give to this place and that place as I see fit, rather than giving to the church to have it distributed as the spiritual leaders see fit. Why? Because it’s my money and I’ll do with it what I want. Furthermore, I enjoy receiving recognition and ego strokes from those to whom I send my money.”

If believers entrusted the distribution of their God-given funds to qualified local church leaders (I realize that some church leaders aren’t qualified), the worthy parachurch ministries would thrive and the unworthy ones would fade away.

I’m often asked, “But how can I give to my church when I don’t agree with how the money is spent?” Perhaps your church leaders are in a better position to judge this than you are. And if you actually saw some of these other ministries up close, you’d likely find as much or more to disagree with. If the Bible tells me to pay taxes (Romans 13:1-7), and I comply, even though some will be wasted and even used for bad purposes, surely I can give to God even when I don’t feel comfortable with every use of the funds. Of course, I must draw the line somewhere. If my money—God’s money—is going to Bible-denying seminaries and groups that promote immorality, it’s time to speak to my church leaders. If I still cannot in good conscience give regularly and substantially to my church, perhaps it’s time to ask God for help finding a church where I can give as he has directed

It Happened In Church

2010-05-20T13:08:00.000-07:00

You never know what's going to happen in church!! Dude jumped in the baptistry. My favorite part was the guy throwing his coat on the pastor. Classic!

Disclaimer: I can't biblically see how this chaos was born of the Spirit but it was a great show...kind of like the old-fashioned southern tent revivals.

How Can I Know God's Will for My Life?

2010-05-12T10:45:00.000-07:00

One of the most asked questions that Christians have is “How can I know God’s will?” “How can I know what God wants me to do with my life?”

A certain preacher's car broke down on a country road, so he walked to a nearby roadhouse to use the phone. After calling for a tow truck, he spotted his old friend, Frank, drunk and shabbily dressed at the bar.
"What happened to you, Frank?" asked the good reverend. "You used to be rich." Frank told a sad tale of bad investments that had led to his downfall. "Go home," the preacher said. "Open your Bible at random, stick your finger on the page and there will be God's answer." Some time later, the preacher bumped into Frank, who was wearing a Gucci suit, sporting a Rolex watch and had just stepped out of a Mercedes. "Frank." said the preacher, "I am glad to see things really turned around for you." "Yes, preacher, and I owe it all to you," said Frank. "I opened my Bible, put my finger down on the page and there was the answer--Chapter 11."

Fortunately there’s a better way to discern God’s will for our lives than Bible Roulette. One of the most confusing aspects of the Christian life for many people is the will of God. I want to take the mystery out of God’s will for you today. God’s will for your life is not some secret code that you need to crack. God’s will for your life is actually very simple and easy to understand.

We need to know that God doesn’t want us to be unclear about His will. He has promised to reveal to us His will.

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you” (Ps.32:8).

“You guide me with your counsel” (Ps.73:24).

God has plans and a future for His people (Jer.29:11). While Jeremiah was being knit in His womb God had a will and a purpose for His life. You are not an accident waiting to happen. You are loved by God and He has a wonderful plan for your life. The question is, “What is that plan?”

Transitional Sentence: There are three specific aspects of God’s will that we need to examine as we consider God’s will for our life.

1. God’s will of decree.

God’s decreed will is His sovereign will. This simply means that whatever God has ordained to be will be. Everything that God has decreed will come to pass will come to pass. God will always get His way. God’s sovereign will cannot be thwarted or stopped. He is sovereign over peoples, nations, creatures, Satan, angels, over everything in the universe. The Bible speaks of God’s sovereign will in numerous places.

“In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will” (Eph.1:11).

That verse simply tells us that God works out everything according to His will and His purpose. No one can stop it.

"Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that" (James 4:13-15).

This is one of the clearest verses on God’s sovereign will in the Bible. According to James God is in control of our future not us. If we go out to eat this afternoon God willed it. If we live to a ripe old age God willed it. If we die at a young age God willed it. We need to understand that all of our plans and strategies are subject to God’s sovereign will. Nothing in this life happens by chance. It all comes from the Father’s hand. Therefore we need to look to the future with humility because we realize that God controls the future not us.

“In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps” (Prov.16:9).

2. God’s will of desire.

God’s will of desire is what He commands of us; it’s how He wants us to live. Whereas His will of decree is immutable and fixed and cannot be thwarted His will of desire can either be obeyed or disobeyed. His will of desire is explicitly revealed to us in Scripture. So when we ask what is the will of God for my life there are several things that God tells us explicitly are His will.

• It’s God’s will that all people would be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim.2:3; 2 Pet.3:9).
• It’s God’s will that we would know Him and be obedient to Him (1 John 2:15-17; Matthew 7:21).
• It’s God’s will that we would be holy (1 Thess.4:3).
• It’s God’s will that we live morally pure lives (1 Thess.4:3; 1 Cor.6:18).
• It’s God’s will that we would always rejoice (1 Thess.5:16).
• It’s God’s will that we would pray without ceasing (1 Thess.5:17).
• It’s God’s will that we would be thankful in all circumstances (1 Thess.5:18).
• It’s God’s will that we love one another (1 John 4:7-8).
• It’s God’s will that we would be filled with the Spirit (Eph.5:17).
• It’s God’s will that we would be planted in a local church (Ps.92:13; Heb.10:25).
• It’s God’s will that we serve with our gifts and abilities (1 Pet.4:10; Matt.25:14-30).
• It’s God’s will that we give of our resources (Mal.3:10; Prov.3:9).
• It’s God’s will that we evangelize (Matt.28:19; Matt.5:13-16).
• It’s God’s will that you get a job and provide for your family (1 Tim.5:8).
• It’s God’s will that husbands love their wives and wives respect their husbands (Eph.5:25).
• It’s God’s will that you raise godly children (Mal.2:15).

These are all things that God tells us that are explicitly His will. Notice in this list there is nothing about who we are supposed to marry, what kind of job we are supposed to have, where we are supposed to live, how many kids we are supposed to have, where to go to college, etc., which brings us to the third aspect of God’s will.

3. God’s will of direction.

Here’s where much of the confusion comes in about understanding God’s will. Does God have a specific secret will of direction for our lives that we must figure out before we do anything? The answer is NO! God gives us the freedom to choose our own direction in life.

Many Christians think of God’s will as kind of like a corn maze in that there is a specific path that leads to God’s will and if you don’t find that path you are doomed. Do you happen to remember those choose-your-own-adventure novels? You started on a story and then at a critical juncture you could turn to page 23 if you wanted to get in a car and flee the country but you didn’t realize there was a car bomb so you died in the explosion. You made the wrong choice. That’s the way we tend to view God’s will. We are afraid if we make the wrong choice we will get zapped by God or will not have God’s best.

In addition we have more choices today than any other generation in history. The choices are overwhelming. Fifty years ago there weren’t nearly as many choices and people seemed to be happier. You probably would have worked in the same trade your parents did. You probably would have gone to a local college. You would have probably married a girl or guy from your neighborhood. But today we have zillions of choices. Just go to The Cheesecake Factory and look at the menu if you don’t believe me. So we become fearful of making any choices and ultimately we are paralyzed by our indecision. The result is that we never take a risk and do anything. So let’s take the fear out of finding God’s will of direction.

The truth is that God gives you the freedom to choose who to marry, where to live, what kind of job to have, etc. As long as you are serving Him and not doing anything immoral He doesn’t care where you live or what kind of job you have. God is concerned about our lives but He gives us the freedom to choose what will make us happy and fulfilled.

Finding the right mate for marriage is a prime example of the paralysis of analysis. We have this idea that there is this one person out there somewhere that was made especially for me. If I can’t find that person I’ll never be happy. We are looking for that one perfect soul mate that will complete me. Can I tell you that there is no such thing as a soul mate? The culture has so indoctrinated young people with the notion of romanticism that we are looking for something we won’t find. The Bible never says anything about finding our soul mate before we get married. The Bible says that marriage is good and the marriage bed undefiled. We have made our affection for our mate the most important criterion for marriage when it is actually our commitment to the marriage that is the most important criterion. So stop waiting on Prince Charming and just get married. This principle applies not only to marriage but to careers, where we live, etc.

When we realize that God has given us freedom and we don’t have to find some mystical path to His will we will be relieved of the heavy burden and indecision of making decisions. Having said all of this, I do not mean that we should not seek God for His will. We should but we should be confide

Having said all of this I do not mean that we should not consult or seek God about what to do with our lives. All of these things are important to God. But there is a better way to make important decisions than being paralyzed by fear and obsessing over the future.

“Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matt.6:33).

If we make God’s will our primary focus and concern then all the other things will be added to us. Do you know where I met my wife? Church! Our problem is that we focus on the peripheral issues and not the kingdom. God will give us our hearts desires if we make Him our number one priority (Ps.37:4).

How do we seek first His kingdom?

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Rom.12:1-2).

1. We offer ourselves as living sacrifices. Paul uses the Old Testament language of sacrifice to describe what our attitude. This means that we surrender ourselves to God and His will and purpose for our lives. It means that we give up control of our future. It means that we let go and let God.

2. We no longer are conformed to the world. We stop allowing the culture to shape and mold us into its image. How many of us allow ourselves to be hoodwinked into behaving and living as the culture demands instead of how God demands?

3. We renew our minds which results in transformation. The antidote to being shaped by the culture is to be transformed by renewing our mind. We renew our minds through God’s Word. We gain wisdom to make the right decisions in life by soaking in the Word of God. The reason we make stupid decisions sometimes is because we don’t possess wisdom. Hosea tells us that God’s people perish for lack of knowledge (Hos.4:6). We are warned in all of our getting to get understanding (Prov.4:7). Wisdom comes through a mind and spirit shaped by God’s Word. In the Book of Proverbs wisdom is personified as a woman who cries aloud in the streets. Proverbs has much to say about wisdom and the writer promises that if you seek wisdom you will find it and that wisdom will bring much success. Wisdom is crying for your attention. Do you hear it? Are you willing to embrace it and embody it?

So God’s will is not that mysterious after all. So stop humming and hauling around waiting on a burning bush or fleece. It’s not going to happen. Instead surrender to God gain wisdom and just do something!

Why Doesn't God Heal Everyone?

2010-05-11T19:11:00.000-07:00

I want to begin by telling you a story today. Back in the 1970’s a young college student by the name of Richard was changing channels one day and came across a faith healer on television named Katherine Kuhlman. He was looking for some proof or tangible evidence of God. He was intrigued by what he saw on the television as people were claiming to be healed of all kinds of various ailments.

Three weeks later Kuhlman was in Milwaukee so Richard skipped classes that day and went to the meeting. He was amazed at what he experienced. Hundreds of people came to the platform to testify of healing. One man in particular caught Richard’s attention. This man had come to the meeting on a stretcher because he was so sick. But there he was walking on the stage. Come to find out he was a doctor who had lung cancer and had only been given six months to live but he said God had healed him. The man made such an impression on Richard that he wrote down his name. This was the proof he had been looking for. He floated home after the meeting with his faith at an all-time high.

A few weeks later Richard decided to contact the doctor and tell him how impressed he had been by his healing. So he found the man’s phone number and called him. A woman answered the phone and when Richard asked to speak to the doctor there was a long silence. The woman –the doctor’s wife – said, “My husband is dead.” Richard was devastated. He would say, “The certainty I had staked my life upon died with that phone call.” (Disappointment with God by Phillip Yancey pp.38-40).

Maybe you are devastated and even angry with God because though you have prayed healing has not come to you or your loved one. Healing is one of the great mysteries of the Bible. Anyone that tells you there is a specific formula for healing and all you need to do is a, b and c is one of two things: ignorant or a liar. Healing cannot be reduced down to a simple formula; there are too many variables involved. There are two lies about healing: God always heals and God never heals.

First let’s examine the lie that God never heals. The Bible declares that God is Jehovah Rophe, the Lord our Healer (Ex.15:26). Nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37). On the cross Jesus took up our infirmities and bore our sicknesses and by his stripes we were healed (Isa.53:4-6; Matt.8:17). We believe that healing of every kind was provided for in the atonement. Jesus healed the sick. The seventy were sent out by Jesus with power to heal the sick, and the apostles healed the sick. Now there is a certain theology that states that when the last apostle died that healing died out with him (called Cessationism). But Jesus has delegated His healing ministry to continue through the church. Jesus said that we would lay hands on the sick and see them recover (Mark 16:15). 1 Corinthians 12 speaks of gifts of healings in the church and in James 5:14-16 the sick are told to call for the elders of the church and that the elders would lay hands on them and anoint them with oil and the prayer of faith will save the sick. This means that you need to be connected to a local church under the oversight of pastors if you want to be healed, not following faith healers around. When we pray for healing sometimes it comes immediately. But sometimes healing comes gradually. Remember when Jesus spit in the dirt and put it on the blind man’s eye and he said he could see but people looked like trees walking around and then Jesus laid hands on him again and he could see perfectly (Matt.8:24). But sometimes healing never comes at all, which leads us to our second lie that God always heals.

While physical healing is provided for in the atonement it is not guaranteed. It is appointed for man to die and there is nothing we can do about that except prepare for eternity (Rom.6:23). I’ve known several people who have had diseases and God healed them. We have one in our own congregation. Yet I’ve known many more that God never healed. God is a healer yet many people get sick and never receive healing. You will always have those in the church who have lots of zeal but no wisdom who say things like “If you just believe God will heal you.” “If you just have enough faith God will heal your child.” My wife and I have heard this a few times. The fact is that you can have all the faith in the world and still not get healed. Let me prove this to you biblically. Do you believe that the apostle Paul had faith? Well Paul was sick and didn’t get healed (Gal.4:13-15). Not only that but there were people on Paul’s own staff that were sick and didn’t receive healing: Timothy (1 Tim.5:23), Trophimus (2 Tim.4:20), and Epaphroditus (Php.2:25-30). You can stand in healing lines until your feet get numb; you can be anointed with so much oil that you look like a greased pig at a county fair and still not get healed. The fact is that everyone gets sick and some are healed and others aren’t. It always irks me to hear Pentecostal/Charismatic preachers talk about the fact that they never get sick. Sickness is a part of the fall and we all live in this world and are tainted by it. We cannot escape sickness or disease in this world. One famous preacher said that he hadn’t had an ache or pain in over 30 years because God was His healer. What he didn’t tell his listeners is that he had several open heart surgeries and eventually died of a heart attack. So if God heals why don’t more people receive physical healing?

1. Unconfessed sin.

At its root sickness is the result of sin. Adam and Eve sinned and because of their sin sickness, disease and death corrupted the world. The Bible makes it clear that in some instances people remain sick because they refuse to repent of their sin. Sometimes sickness or disease is a consequence of our sin (i.e., STD’s, Alcoholism, worry, etc). Sometimes God disciplines unrepentant sinners with physical affliction. In James 5:16 we are told to confess our sins to one another that we may be healed. In John 5 Jesus healed a paralyzed man and told him to go and sin no more lest a worse thing come upon him. In Revelation 2:20-23 Jesus speaks to the church in Thyatira tells them that he is going to punish a false prophetess by the name of Jezebel by casting her onto a bed of sickness and those that commit adultery with her He will cause to suffer intensely. So if we don’t want to be afflicted confess your sin.

“If we confess our sin he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

While sin is the original root of sickness personal sin is not always the cause of sickness. In John 9 Jesus and His disciples came across a man born blind. The disciples asked Jesus who sinned that caused this man to be born blind, him or his parents? Jesus said neither but he was born blind so that the glory of God might be displayed. So sometimes sickness doesn’t come because of personal sin but because sin is in the world.

2. People don’t really want to be healed.

Sometimes people aren’t healed because they don’t want to be. In John 5 Jesus encountered a man that had been paralyzed for 38 years. Jesus looked at the man and the first thing He said to him was, “Do you want to be well?” Some people thrive on sickness. Their identity is wrapped up in their sickness. If they were to get healed they wouldn’t know what to do.

3. Lack of faith.

The Bible tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb.11:6). Faith is the currency of the kingdom. Jesus said that faith moves mountains and makes the impossible possible. If we want to be healed we must have faith. When Jesus ministered in His own hometown He could do no miracles there because of their unbelief (Mark 6:5). Unbelief hinders God from doing miracles in your life.

But we must also keep in mind that just because you have faith doesn’t mean that you will be healed. Many people with great faith still remain sick. Yet they continue to trust God anyway. Just because you are sick doesn’t mean you don’t have faith.

4. Demonic power.

Sometimes demonic power keeps people bound in sickness. You see this especially in third world countries where there is pantheism and idol worship. In Luke 13 the Bible tells us that a woman was bent over with a spirit of infirmity. Jesus said that Satan had bound this woman. Paul said that his thorn in the flesh was a messenger of Satan that had been sent to torment him. This doesn’t mean that Satan or his demons possess believers – that is an impossibility – but it does mean that they can afflict with sickness. Job was afflicted with sickness from the enemy. So sometimes we are sick because of demonic power.

5. God’s sovereignty.

Out of all the reasons that people don’t get healed I think this is the most important one. Some people don’t get healed because God chooses not to. Now that may offend our sensibilities but God is sovereign, which means He is in control and calls the shots. Therefore, we have to learn to trust Him even when we don’t understand. Sometimes God chooses to heal people immediately and others He doesn’t.

If there is one thing we need to understand about God it is that more than anything else He wants to be glorified. God doesn’t heal because He feels sorry for us He heals because it brings Him glory. Go back and remember the man born blind in John 9. Jesus said he was born blind so the glory of God could be revealed (i.e., also Lazarus in John 11:3-6). You see we don’t have a whole lot to do with our healing. Yes we must have faith but God decides if and when healing comes. God will always do what brings Him the most glory. Sometimes what brings God the most glory is to withhold healing for a season or permanently!

Now you may ask how can God withholding healing bring Him glory? Because those that suffer bring God glory and honor through their suffering. Through their faithfulness, and perseverance God is glorified.

“…we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Rom.5:3-4).

Someone might say that wouldn’t God healing someone bring Him greater glory than allowing them to suffer? That’s not up to you to decide. Only God can decide what will bring Him glory. The clay cannot say to the potter make me a certain way (Rom.9:21). The clay has no say. The potter does whatever He wants to with the clay.

My dad had a professor in Bible College who told this story. The professor’s mother was a very godly woman and her doctor was an atheist. She prayed and prayed for God to save this doctor even going so far as to say God do whatever it takes to save this man. So she got very sick. She was prayed for in church and by her friends but she didn’t get any better. She was soon hospitalized and declined quickly and to the point that the family was called in. But during this whole time she kept witnessing to this doctor. As she lied there on her death bed worshipping Jesus this doctor came into the room, took her hand and said he wanted to know this Jesus that gave her such peace. She led him to Christ. She didn’t die that night. In fact she got better went home and lived another 10 years. That’s how God brings glory to Himself.

So what happens when healing is delayed or does not come at all? There are three ways we need to respond:

1. Rely on God’s grace. Paul had a thorn in the flesh which I believe was a physical ailment that He prayed for God to remove three times. Each time God’s answer was “My grace is sufficient for you.” His grace is sufficient for you. In your weakness His strength is perfected. We must rely on the power of God’s grace.

2. Look to the future. My favorite verse in the Bible is “And it came to pass.” This life is not all there is. There is life after death and an eternity to look forward to. “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Cor.4:17-18). When I was a young Christian we prayed for a precious woman who had the final stages of cancer. I sensed an impression from the Holy Spirit that God was going to heal this woman. A few months later she died and I remember questioning God. I remember distinctly the Spirit impressing upon me that she was healed now in heaven. Ultimately everyone will be healed!

3. We have to persevere. Those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful creator and continue to do good (1 Pet.4:19). We don’t have to understand everything we are just called to persevere. We must commit ourselves to God and continue to do good whether we are sick or healthy. So don’t stop praying; don’t give up. Keep believing, keep praying and leave the results to God.

So if you are sick today and healing hasn’t come simply pray that God will be glorified in your life. If we suffer with Him we will reign with Him (2 Tim.2:12).

Are You In A Tough Place?

2010-05-05T12:49:00.000-07:00

I ran across this sermon from Homiletics Professor Dr. Harold White and had to share it with you. There are so many who are in tough places right now and need hope. May this bless you and help you to hang in there despite the difficutly of your assignment.

Many pastors become discouraged and dropout.
Paul addressed this problem when he wrote:
"Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." (Galatians 6:9)

Every Christian worker must contend with the weariness that Paul talked about.
It is never easy to work with volunteer help or to operate on freewill offerings.
It is always difficult to try to arouse a sleeping church -- those who are not really committed to God.
It is a draining responsibility to deal with immature saints, and to contend with Satan at the same time.

Not all fields give the same yield.

Some Christian workers have to work in the most discouraging of circumstances.
They are striving to labor with dead congregations that meet in inadequate buildings
located in depressed neighborhoods.
When that's the case, it is difficult to keep going.

It may be that you are in one of those barren situations.
And you are thinking about giving up - about quitting.
Every pastor may feel like that at times.

But don't give up! Don't quit!

We often have to go through hard and discouraging circumstances.
The devil doesn't bother people or churches who are asleep on the job.
But, when we undertake a great work for the Lord,
the devil tries to defeat us by outside opposition or inward discouragement.

This kind of discouragement and the desire to give up are not new.
They lie behind the words of the apostle Paul when he wrote,
"For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order things that are wanting,
and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee." (Titus 1:5)

The Book of Titus has been called a letter to a discouraged pastor.
Paul had sent Titus to Crete on a special assignment to strengthen the churches.
But the work in Crete was hard, and the people were difficult, if not impossible, to work with.

A poet of Paul's day, named Epimenides, said that all Cretans were liars, wicked brutes and lazy gluttons. (Titus 1:12)
The apostle Paul agreed with this assessment.

Even though Titus was a tough preacher, he had grown weary and discouraged in Crete and wanted to quit.
Some think Titus had written to Paul requesting a new assignment to an easier place.

But, Paul refused the request, and wrote back to Titus.
He told Titus that the reasons why he wanted to quit were the very reasons
he was assigned to Crete in the first place.
Crete was a hard place, and God needed a good man there.
Paul's advice to Titus was to stay in Crete and do the work God had placed him there to do.

What Or Where Is Your Crete?

Geographically, Crete is an island in the Mediterranean Sea.

But, it is symbolic of any place or any thing that you would like to get away from.

It represents a hard place, a difficult situation, and an impossible people.

It may be a place of suffering, opposition, and of sorrow.

We all have our Cretes, no matter who we are.
Why did God put Titus in Crete?
Why did Paul encourage him to stay in that hard place and not to quit?
Why does God leave us in the tough places, the hard spots, and the discouraging situations of life?
Why doesn't God get us out and move us on?

There are three reasons why God left Titus in Crete and why he often chooses to leave us in our Crete:
He leaves us in Crete because he loves Crete.

He leaves to us in Crete to develop us.

He leaves us in Crete so we can be His instruments in redemption.
God Loves Crete.

No people in the ancient world had a worse reputation than the people of Crete.
If you were to mention the name Crete in the ancient world,
people would think of dishonesty, overindulgence, intemperance, and lazy. (Titus 1:12)

But, in spite of all of that, God loved Crete and wanted to redeem it.
That's why he left Titus there.

If ever there was a place and a people that you would think would be beyond God's love and concern,
surely it would have been Crete.
But the very presence of Titus in Crete tells us that Crete mattered to God.

There are no people so bad and no situation so hopeless that God does not care for them.
God loves the whole world, and Crete is a vital part of it.

How could God love a place as wicked as Crete?

In her book, One In Seven, Marjorie Slattery tells of a young couple
who visited the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia.
While standing on the gorge they witnessed the awesome sight of a 50 ft. tide,
the highest in the world, come swirling in.

Watching the water pushing, pouring, pounding through the gorge, over the low flats, over the banks,
and over the boulders -- they were left breathless.
When the majestic display of power had spent its force, the girl said quietly,
"Why should the personal affairs of two people like us, even for a moment,
claim the attention of a God of might and majesty like that?"

"Because He is God!" Her companion responded.

Why does God love Crete?

It is not because Cretans are lovable; it is because God is love.
God loved Crete not because of what it was but because of what He is.
His love is not dependent on our character, but upon His character.
Love is the supreme and dominant attribute of God.

Paul declared,
"God commanded His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans5:8)

God loves us not in our goodness, nor in our purity, nor in our righteousness, but in our sinfulness.
The cross of Christ is the supreme demonstration of that love.
That amazing love of God is expressed to us in 25 familiar and beautiful words,
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

The love of God is immeasurable, unmistakable, and unending.
It reaches wherever people are.

So pastor, don't give up!
Christian, don't give up!
Look up!
Look at the love of God!
God loves that hard place where you are, and that's why He put that you there.
Don't give up on Crete until God does.

God Cares About You!

God left Titus in Crete, not only because He cared about Crete, but also because He cared about Titus.
He left Titus there, not in order to punish him, but to perfect him.
It was not to make him miserable, but to make him mature.
God's goal for our lives is not to make us comfortable,
but to make us conform to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ.
God is more concerned about our character than about our comfort.
God is interested in saving our souls, and then He desires to develop a Christlike character in us.
Christian character is not something we inherit or something that is given to us.
It is something we develop.
Through life's experiences and our response to them, character is built.

Troubles and hardships mixed with faith will mold us into the kind of people we ought to be.
Character does not come easily.
It almost always involves suffering on the part of someone.
To give us the strength of steadfastness and patience in our character,
God marches us against tough opponents, against temptation, against public opinion,
and against discouragement

Great churches and great pastors are not made in softness, but in challenge and response to that challenge.
God knows that strong men and women can not develop in easy places.
People who have never had their faith tested do not know whether they have faith.
God wants to make us to be like Christ, and He allows us to stay in hard places to make us better.

James tells us we should be happy, when different kinds of trials and troubles
come our way because these are the means of developing in us
the strength of character that is a necessary part of Christian maturity. (James 1:2-4)

Pressure produces patience, and patience leads to perfection.
When carbon is under the tremendous pressure of tons of earth, a beautiful diamond is produced.
So, God allows our character to be formed under the pressure of our circumstances.

I have lived long enough to thank God for my trials and my troubles.
What seems at times to be been a benediction, with God's help can become the invocation.
What can seem to be the worse thing, can turn out to be the best thing.

So don't give up!

God is making you into the kind of person He wants you to be.
He may be preparing you for greater usefulness in His kingdom.

Don't give up on that discouraging situation.
Often times, it takes a hard place and difficult people to make us into the kind of persons God wants us to be.

God Wants To Use Us!

Finally, God left Titus in Crete because he wanted to use Titus as an instrument to change the world.

Paul told Titus that he was left in Crete to "To set in order" things that were wanting. (Titus 1:5)

The term, set in order, is a medical term that means "to set in the joint."
It describes what a doctor does when you go to him with a broken bone.
Because the parts of the bone are out of the right relationship with one another,
the doctor must pull them back into place, so they can heal properly,
and the limb can be useful once again.
Setting a bone back in place is very painful and unpleasant, but it is a necessary part of healing.

That is part of what God has called us to do.

When we open the doors of our church, it is like opening the doors of a hospital emergency room.
The wounded, the hurting, the bruised and bleeding come in a steady flow.
And I am glad they do!

It is part of our calling to help put broken, shattered lives back together again.
It is difficult, and sometimes unpleasant work, but God has called us to do it, and we must be faithful to our God.

The people of Crete were out of joint with God and out of joint with one another.

God sent Titus to Crete to be a spiritual bone specialist.
He was not sent to Crete for his comfort and ease.
He was not sent there for his own professional advancement.
He was sent there to set things in order in the churches.
Crete could never be right until the church was right,
and the church could never be right until the pastor and members are right.
By that same token, our world will never be right until the church is right.

So, pastor, don't give up!
Christian, stay in there!
Don't resign!

Stay where you are as long as God leaves you there, and God will enable you to set things in order.
Do what God has placed you there to do, and stay with it until God says, "That's enough!"

God uses people to reach people.
We are His instruments in world redemption.

We must not pray that God will take us out of the world, and out of the difficult situations.
We must pray for God to use us where we are.
We must pray for His power to be upon us.

It was a supreme complement to Titus that God should put him in Crete.
A hard place needs a tough pastor, and determined Christians.
Anyone can handle the easy places.
God often sends His best workers to the worse places.

Take that hard place that you are in as a challenge, and as a complement,
then, match it with commitment, and God will bless you.

Knute Rockne, the great Notre Dame football coach use to say, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going."

That is our challenge!

Life is tough, and if you sail its seas long enough; you will run into a storm.
When you do, don't jump ship!
Don't ask to be discharged!
Don't give up!
Don't quit.

Rather, pray for the strength to stay at your post and fulfill your duty,
and God will bless you in due season if we stay faithful to our calling.

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

2010-05-05T11:18:00.000-07:00

I'm continuing my series of posts on questions that people have about God with "Why do bad things happen to good people?"

Many years ago, two prominent movie stars died in separate alcohol-related accidents. William Holden died in a drunken fall, hitting his head on a table; Natalie Wood drowned when she fell into the ocean from her yacht. A friend who was close to both of them, actress Stephanie Powers, was quoted in the newspapers: "Two of my best friends are gone; how can a God who is supposed to be kind and loving allow this to happen?" This is the same question that was being asked after the terrorist attacks on 9/11. It’s the same question that was asked after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans or the earthquake in Haiti. It’s the same question that is asked every time someone loses their job or some kind of tragedy strikes. How can a good God allow bad things to happen to good people?

Allow me to introduce you today to a good man that bad things happened to. If there ever was a good man Job was that man. The Bible tells us that Job was the most righteous man of his generation. Yet bad things happened to him. In one day he lost his wealth, his children and the respect of his wife. How could God allow these bad things to happen to such a righteous man? What we learn from Job is that suffering and tragedy is a part of life.

“Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble” (Job 14:1).

I can tell who in this room is going to have trouble in life. I can tell who bad things are going to happen to. The answer is everyone who is born of a woman. In other words, everyone who is born, rich or poor, black or white is going to have bad things happen in their life. Not only will you have bad things happen your days will be relatively few. In other words you’re going to die. Some are going to die at a ripe old age and some are going to die young. Don’t you feel encouraged? We are asking why bad things happen to good people as if we are shocked at the notion that bad things actually happen. The fact is that bad things happen to everybody. Why are we surprised when bad things happen to good people? Good people or bad people, we are just people and we will all face trouble.

“Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward” (Job 5:7).

“In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

“…through many tribulations we must enter the Kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).

The interesting thing about the Book of Job is that God never explicitly answers Job’s questions about why these bad things happened to him. Job had an opinion about why it happened and his friends certainly had opinions about why it happened. It would have been so easy for God to just give us a clear answer as to why this happened to Job but God remained silent. For 37 chapters Job and his friends accuse God of being unfair and capricious in His dealings with men and God remained silent. Finally in Job 38 God speaks.

Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said: "Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone-while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy” (Job 38:1-7)?

For the next four chapters God Himself puts Job on trial. God never answers Job’s question about why these bad things happened to him but by the end of Job’s interrogation he has come to a new understanding of God’s wisdom. Job finally realized there were some things that he would never know. Notice Job’s response in chapter 42,

“Surely I spoke of things I didn’t understand, things too wonderful for me to know…My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:3-6).

The message of Job cuts against the grain of some popular Christian teaching which says that God’s main concern is to make us happy, healthy and wealthy. God’s main concern is not to make us happy but to make us holy. This reality can be quite disturbing for many people. You see people tend to serve God for what they can get out of Him. It’s nothing more than a shrewd business transaction. If God blesses me and favors me then I’ll serve Him, but if He doesn’t then I won’t. For the most part we are nothing more than religious consumers looking for the best return on our investment. If God makes the cut then I’ll give Him a shot. But when bad things happen and suffering comes we reject Him. Job said “Shall we accept good from God and not trouble” (Job 2:9)? As Job portrays it’s hard to enjoy God sometimes. Yet we still must trust Him. Job was able to say through it all, “Though He slay me yet will I trust Him” (Job 13:11-15). God chooses many times not to give us answers because He doesn’t owe us an explanation. While God doesn’t explicitly answer the question as to why these bad things happened to Job or why bad things happen to good people in general we can gather enough biblical data to sufficiently answer that puzzling question.

Many people play the blame game with God. We blame Him for all the tragedies and bad things that happen in our world. After all, God is the highest authority right? So if He’s making the rules then He’s responsible for all the bad stuff that happens to people. Sounds logical but is it biblical? Is God to blame for all the bad things that happen in this world? The answer I believe is no!

1. Sin is to blame.

This world has been corrupted by sin. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden the Bible tells us that one of the devastating results of their sin was that the earth was cursed (Gen.3:17). In the Garden of Eden everything was perfect. There was no disease or tragedy or pain. It was sin that gave birth to sickness, disease, pain and turmoil. Sin has tainted the entire world and everything and everyone in it.

“Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time” (Rom.8:21-22).

So we might be tempted to sit back this morning and blame Adam and Eve for all the bad things that happen in life, but we would be wrong.

2. We are to blame.

What Adam and Eve started has been passed on to us. It’s called original sin. It means that everyone who has ever been born into this world has been infected with the sin virus. So we can’t blame all the bad things that happen in this world on Adam and Eve we have to blame ourselves. Human beings are driven by sinful desires and when those sinful desires come to fruition they often hurt other people. When sexual desire comes to fruition women are raped and children are molested. When anger comes to fruition men and women and children are murdered. Is it God’s fault when gang members shoot into a crowd and kill innocent children? No, it’s our fault. We are to blame because we are full of sin! It kills me when I hear people blame God for getting cancer when they smoked three packs of Camel’s a day for 40 years. Or when people blame God for having heart disease when all they ever eat is Fried Chicken and Gravy Biscuits. God is not to blame you are!

This whole question of why bad things happen to good people is skewed. It’s skewed because there are no good people. I can hear some of you right now saying, “Not me pastor, I’m a good person.” “I’ve never killed anyone or committed adultery on my wife so that means I’m a good person.” The answer is no you are not a good person. You are evil, and I am evil. The Bible tells us that the human heart is desperately wicked and deceitful and that we don’t even know our own potential to engage in evil (Jer.17:9). The Bible tells us that no one is righteous; each one of us has turned to his own way and gone astray (Isa.53:1). The Bible tells us that we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom.3:23). Stop believing this hogwash about you being a good person. We think we are good because we measure up pretty well against other people. But others aren’t the measuring stick it is Jesus Christ who is the measuring stick.

But even though we are not good people there is good news. Jesus Christ died on the cross and redeemed us from our sin. If we will accept Him and repent of our sinful ways He will accept us and change our sinful desires and behavior.

3. Free will is to blame.

When God created human beings the Bible tells us that we were created in the image of God. The image of God is expressed in our ability to reason and choose. We call it free will. Now God could have chosen to create a race of robots that had no free will and would do whatever He commanded but God wanted more than robots. He wanted a people that would love and serve Him because they chose to, not because they were forced to. True love and devotion cannot be dictated it must be chosen. All human beings can decide whether or not they want to serve and love God. He doesn’t force anyone to love or serve Him. But we can also choose to do good or evil and God doesn’t stop us from doing either. Sometimes we hear of bad things that happen and we wonder why didn’t God stop that? Think about it for a minute. What if God stopped everyone from doing every bad thing that they planned to do? First of all, how would God do that without interrupting the order of things? At what point would God interrupt the person’s faculties and what means would He use? If God stopped everyone from doing every bad thing they planned then we would no longer be free creatures. We would be robots, the very thing that God purposely chose not to create in the beginning. So the result of free will is that people will do evil, nefarious and unspeakably horrible things.

4. Satan is to blame.

You and I have an enemy and His name is Satan. The name Satan actually means “adversary.” Jesus said that the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy but Jesus has come that we might have an abundant life (John 10:10). Now let me ask you, which one causes bad things? It is Satan. God gets a lot of blame for what Satan does. Satan is alive and well on planet earth and he is very successful. The Bible says that Satan is the “prince of this world,” (Jn.12:31); “The Prince of the Power of the Air, the one who is at work in the hearts of those who are disobedient” (Eph.2:2); and “The god of the world” (2 Cor.4:4). Satan is always looking for an opening, an opportunity to steal, kill and destroy.

In Job Satan presents himself along with the other angels before the throne of God and asks God for permission to attack Job. God had a hedge of protection around Job. While Satan is loose upon the earth he is not in control. God is sovereign and in control. Yet God withdrew His hedge around Job and allowed Satan to attack him. So while God allowed Satan to attack Job, He did not cause those bad things to happen to him. So why didn’t God just say no to Satan? Why does God allow Satan to attack us? If God were good and really loved me He wouldn’t allow Satan to attack me would He? That doesn’t make sense.

It didn’t make sense to Peter either. In Luke 22:31 Jesus tells Peter that Satan desired to have him so that Peter could be sifted like wheat. One translation says that Satan has “begged” to have you. Now I’m sure Peter must have been thinking surely Jesus won’t allow him to. After all I’ve left everything behind to follow Him. But Jesus told Peter that He would allow it but that He would pray for him that his faith would not fail. Jesus then told Peter that when he had been converted to strengthen his brothers. Notice that Jesus used the word “converted.” Jesus was telling Peter that when Satan attacked him he was going to undergo a transformation that would result in a stronger, better and more mature Peter. The test would produce a testimony and make Peter useful for God’s purposes. This experience would enable Peter to strengthen his brothers.

God can take the bad things that happen to us and bring something good out of it. He is the Master of Disaster. In Romans 8:28 we read, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Now notice that God didn’t say that everything that happens to us is good. He says that He can work even the bad things out and bring some good from them.

God uses the tragedies and bad things of life to deepen our relationship with Him and to produce spiritual maturity within us. James 1:2-4 tells us that trials and tribulations produce endurance and spiritual maturity in us so that we become complete and lack nothing. There is great spiritual value in suffering. A few weeks ago I spoke on the subject of suffering (i.e., “God’s Answer to Suffering”) so I won’t rehash all of what I said, but just a couple of quick points of why God uses suffering. God uses suffering to refine us. Suffering has a way of making us holy. Our holiness is most important to God. Secondly, God uses suffering to remind us that we are not in control He is. It helps us to see that we are not the Sovereign over our own lives He is!

We need to understand that God hates tragedies and the proliferation of evil much more than we do. First of all, He sees it on a grander scale. God is moved and heartbroken by the bad things that happen to people. Jesus showed the heart of God when He went to the tomb of Lazarus and wept over it. He was moved by the pain of the people. So if God hates tragedy and the bad things that happen in this world why doesn’t He do something about it? He has done something about evil. He has entered into it and borne it and conquered it. He has experienced the bad things that happen to people. He was subjected to one of the worst things that can happen which was His murder. He entered into our existence and died upon the cross so that He could forever defeat evil. It may seem like evil has the upper hand and has won the day but evil has been defeated. Jesus is victorious and He gives His body on earth, the Church, the commission to bring justice to the oppressed and hope to the hopeless. You see if we are really worried about why bad things happen to people then we need to rise up and start doing what Christ has commanded the church to do. Tragedy, injustice and corruption are the church’s call to rise. When bad things happen it is the church that needs to speak and act, not just go about our lives as if we are unmoved. What are you doing to alleviate suffering and tragedy in this world?

"Quit your worship charades. I can't stand your trivial religious games:
Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings—meetings, meetings, meetings—I can't stand one more! Meetings for this, meetings for that. I hate them! You've worn me out! I'm sick of your religion, religion, religion, while you go right on sinning. When you put on your next prayer-performance, I'll be looking the other way. No matter how long or loud or often you pray, I'll not be listening. And do you know why? Because you've been tearing people to pieces, and your hands are bloody. Go home and wash up. Clean up your act. Sweep your lives clean of your evildoings so I don't have to look at them any longer. Say no to wrong. Learn to do good. Work for justice. Help the down-and-out. Stand up for the homeless. Go to bat for the defenseless” (Isa.1:13-17 MSG).

Is the Bible True?

2010-05-05T11:05:00.000-07:00

If I were to announce to the world today that I have a document in my possession that can answer the major questions we have about life. In this document secret wisdom is revealed that will enable you to live a happy, healthy and prosperous life. In this document mysteries that have perplexed human beings for all of history are answered. There would be a line of people willing to pay any amount of money that would be stretched around the block waiting to get their hands on this document. Major media outlets would be camped out wanting to do an interview. Everyone would want a piece of this document. Now what if I were to tell you that this document is the Bible!

Through the pages of Scripture God has revealed His character, His nature, His attributes, His will, His love and His plan of redemption through Jesus Christ. If you want to meet and get to know the Almighty God who created the heavens and the earth you will encounter Him in the pages of the Bible.

Yet our society either ignores God’s message or tries to neuter the Bible of its importance and supernatural origin through scholarly criticism. It reminds me of a certain minister who was visiting one of his members. The lady of the house was trying to impress him about how devout she was by pointing out the large Bible on the bookshelf and talking in a very reverential way of it as "the Word of God." Her young son interrupted the conversation, "Well, if that’s God’s book, we better send it back to him because we never read it!"

America’s greatest problem is not excessive taxation or crime or corporate greed. America’s greatest problem is that it doesn’t read the Bible. America is a biblically illiterate nation. Even many professing born-again believers hardly know anything about the Bible. Researcher George Barna did a study which revealed that the majority of churchgoing adults reject the accuracy of the Bible, reject the existence of Satan, claim that Jesus sinned, see no need to evangelize, believe that good works are one of the keys to persuading God to forgive their sins, and describe their commitment to Christianity as moderate or even less firm.

Other disturbing findings that document an overall lack of knowledge among church going Christians include the following:
• The most widely known Bible verse among adult and teen believers is “God helps those who help themselves”—which is not actually in the Bible and actually conflicts with the basic message of Scripture.
• Less than one out of every ten believers possess a biblical worldview as the basis for his or her decision-making or behavior.
• When given thirteen basic teachings from the Bible, only 1% of adult believers firmly embraced all thirteen as being biblical perspectives.
We wonder why our nation is in trouble; we wonder why our churches are in trouble; we wonder why our communities and families are in trouble. It’s because we have ignored God’s Word.

“My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children” (Hosea 4:6).

“…You will know the truth and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).

A basic tenet of orthodox Christian teaching is that the Bible is God’s inerrant, infallible and inspired word to mankind and the authoritative rule of faith and conduct.

There are three terms there that are really important for us to understand.
• Inerrant (infallible). Inerrancy means that the Bible is wholly accurate and without error in its original form. We do not have the original manuscripts the Bible was written on. All we have is copies. Because of human transmission copying errors have occurred, but these errors do not alter or significantly change any major doctrine of the Bible.
• Inspiration. Inspiration refers to the means in which the Bible was written. Some people may ask how the Bible can be without error since it was written by men? Though the Bible was written by men it was divinely inspired by God.

“Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us” (2 Tim.3:16 MSG).

Inspiration doesn’t mean that God dictated every word to the writers. Instead He used the writers own personality and words but He moved upon them through the Holy Spirit in such a way as to perfectly record His own thoughts and words.

“Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. 21For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet.1:21).

So the question we grapple with today is how do we know that the Bible really is God’s Word to us? After all it was written by men so how can we be sure it is God’s Word?

I would like to share with you several of the most convincing proofs that the Bible really is God’s Word.

1. It’s unique continuity.

• Written over a 1500 year span; equivalent to over 40 generations.
• Written by over 40 authors from every walk of life including kings, peasants, philosophers, poets, fishermen, etc.
• Written at different times: war, peace, civil unrest, political rebellion.
• Written on three continents: Africa, Asia and Europe.
• Written in three languages: Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic.
• Its subject matter includes hundreds of controversial subjects.
No other book in the world even comes close the Bible in this aspect. Its continuity is seen in the fact that with all the different authors and languages there is a common theme that is woven throughout the Bible and that is God’s plan of redemption through Jesus Christ. It is supernatural in origin because 40 authors writing at different periods in history in completely different places aren’t going to agree with one another. Yet the Bible is remarkable in that the authors all testify about the redemption found in Jesus Christ.

2. Its circulation.
The Bible has been read by more people and published in more languages than any other book. It is still the best-selling book of all time. Recently The British and Foreign Bible Society stated that in order to meet its demands it had to publish 1 copy every 3 seconds day and night.

3. Its scientific accuracy.
The Bible does not purport to be a scientific book. But when it makes statements about science it is true. Consider the following facts:
• The Genesis account of creation states that all human beings descended from a common father and mother. Recent genetic discoveries have led scientists to believe that all human beings descended from a common mother and father.
• During the wilderness journeys of the Israelites God commanded them to wash their pots and pans with running water after they ate. Keep in mind that scientists had no idea bacteria existed until the invention of the microscope. So how could an ancient people know to wash their dishes with running water after they ate? Not only that but think about how medical science has only recently understood the fact that most diseases are caused by microscopic organisms and infection. Yet God commanded the quarantine of certain individuals with diseases and infections. How could the Israelites know this unless God told them?
• In Isaiah 40:22 it says that God sits upon the circle of the earth. Ancient peoples believed the earth was flat. It wasn’t until the 4th century that people believed the earth was round. But 750 years before the birth of Christ the Scripture revealed that the earth was round.
• In Job 26:7 (the oldest book in the Bible) it says that God hangs the earth upon nothing. The ancient Greeks believed that Hercules stood on the back of a giant turtle and held the world up. It wasn’t until 1500 that Copernicus discovered this truth.

4. Its historical accuracy.
The Bible is a book of history. Many people, places and events were mentioned in the Bible. If the Bible is true you would find evidence of these people, places and events. That’s exactly what you find. The weight of archaeological evidence in support of the Bible is staggering. Skeptics have repeatedly tried to dismiss biblical peoples, kings, nations and events only for archaeological discoveries to prove the Bible true. As an example, for many years bible critics postulated that King David was a Jewish legend. There was no record of him in history except from the Bible. Then in 1993 archaeologists digging in Northern Israel found a stone inscription that referred to “The House of David,” and identified David as the King of Israel.

5. Its prophecy.
The Bible is filled with prophecy. While there are other books that have some prophecies the Bible is a book of prophecy. The Bible is also the only book in which every prophecy has been fulfilled just as predicted. Think of the hundreds of prophecies written in the Old Testament that have happened just as the Bible predicted. But let’s just focus for a moment on the prophecies concerning the Messiah. There are over 300 prophecies in the Bible referring to the Messiah. They predict everything about the Messiah’s life from where he would be born to how he would die. Jesus Christ fulfilled every one of these prophecies. A mathematician actually crunched the numbers of the likelihood of this happening by chance. The results were astounding. For one person to just fulfill 8 of these over 300 prophecies would be 1 in 10 to the 17th power. It would be like spreading silver dollars all over the whole state of Texas two feet deep, then painting one of the silver dollars blue. Now place a blindfold over your eyes and drop you in the middle of the state and you picking up that blue silver dollar on the first try is the same probability that one man could fulfill all 300 of those prophecies. It can’t happen. The Bible is supernatural because of its prophecy.

6. Its textual evidence.
No original manuscripts of the Bible are in existence. The earliest mss in existence go back to about the second century. Since the Bible has been copied over and over for hundreds of years how do we know we have the same message that was originally written down? First, there is more mss evidence for the New Testament alone than any other book of antiquity. There are 20,000 mss in existence of the New Testament. The second most mss in existence for any book is 653 for the Iliad, yet no one disputes the authenticity of the Iliad. These mss were written in different languages and at different times yet they all agree with one another. We can be confident that we have the original message preserved because the very earliest mss agree with what we have today. One of the greatest discoveries of the 20th century was the Dead Sea Scrolls found by a Bedouin Shepherd boy in 1947. The scrolls had been preserved in the cave for 1900 years. What archaeologists would find in the Scrolls would set the world on fire. Found in the Scrolls was a complete manuscript of the Book of Isaiah dated to 125 B.C. The Scroll manuscript was 1,000 years older than any other manuscript in possession. What the manuscript revealed was that the Isaiah we had in 1947 was the same as in the ancient manuscript with only a few spelling and grammatical variants.

7. Its survival.
The Bible has survived attack after attack by emperors, political systems and critics. Men have tried to burn it, ban it and discredit it yet it continues to be the best-selling book in the world. Writer H.L. Hastings has said, “The Bible is a hammer that has worn out many anvils.” Voltaire was an 18th century French philosopher and enlightenment writer. He was a virulent atheist who sought to single handedly destroy Christianity. From his Paris words he wrote, “I will go through the forest of the Scripture and girdle all of the trees so that in 100 year Christianity will cease to exist.” One hundred years later the British and Foreign Bible Society would buy Voltaire’s home and make his library a Bible distribution center. Who says God doesn’t have a sense of humor!

In light of all this evidence what do we do? If the Bible is really God’s Word to us then that means what is revealed there is true. If the Bible is really God’s Word we need to rediscover it. In 2 Chronicles 34 we find the story of Josiah the King. Josiah came to the throne when he was only 8 years old. His father Manasseh was one of the wickedest kings of Israel. But Josiah was a reformer. He loved the Lord and he purged Jerusalem of its idols. In the 18th year of his reign he sent his assistants to repair the House of the Lord. While working in the Temple the High Priest found the Book of the Law that hadn’t been read in Jerusalem for many years. The book was immediately sent to Josiah where it was read to him and he tore his clothes in despair over his people’s sin and God’s impending judgment. Josiah called together all of his leaders and went to the House of the Lord and all the men of Jerusalem both great and small gathered to hear the Word of the Lord read to them. When they heard the Law read to them they repented and God sent a great revival to the nation. The same thing that happened in Jerusalem could happen in America if we rediscover the Bible. The Bible is really God’s Word and He wants you to read it so that your life can be transformed!

Does God Exist?

2010-04-16T15:09:00.001-07:00

Last week we started a brand new sermon series called "The God Questions." If you could ask God one question what would it be? That's the question we asked our church and we got some really good responses. We categorized them and came up with five burning questions people want to ask God. We dealt with the first one last week.

Here are some notes from the sermon.

A certain college student attended a philosophy class which had a discussion about God’s existence. The professor presented the following logic: “Has anyone in this class heard God?”Nobody spoke .”Has anyone in this class touched God?”Again, nobody spoke. “Has anyone in this class seen God? “When nobody spoke for the third time, he simply stated, “Then there is no God.” One student thought for a second, and then asked for permission to reply. Curious to hear this bold student’s response, the professor granted it, and the student stood up and asked the following questions of his classmates: “Has anyone in this class heard our professor’s brain?” Silence. “Has anyone in this class touched our professor’s brain?”Absolute silence. “Has anyone in this class seen our professor’s brain?”When nobody in the class dared to speak, the student concluded, “Then, according to our professor’s logic, it must be true that our professor has no brain!”

Over the past 10 years we’ve seen a rebirth of a kind of virulent atheism in the West; a neo-atheism that is intent on driving God from the public consciousness. Atheistic evangelists such as Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris have all written best-sellers with titles like “God is Not Great,” “The God Delusion,” and “Letters to A Christian Nation.” So how do we respond to such ferocious attacks on the existence of God? We respond with truth. Jesus said you will know the truth and the truth will set you free (John 8:32). It is incumbent upon every believer to be able to offer a well reasoned defense of their faith.

“…Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Pet.3:15).

As believers we don’t have to check our brains in at the door. There is this connotation that Christians are simple-minded, uneducated, easily duped and given to superstition. But there are some very good intellectual reasons to believe in God. In fact some of the smartest people who ever lived believed in God (i.e., Copernicus, Galileo, Isaac Newton, Kepler, Descartes, Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Ben Carson, Francis Collins, etc).

Transitional Sentence: Let’s examine some of the evidence for God’s existence.

1. Evidence from Natural Revelation.

“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse” (Rom.1:18-20).

This verse is telling us that what may be known about God has been made plain through His creation and that we have no excuse not to believe in Him. So let’s take a look at some of the natural evidence God has given us.

a. Cosmological Argument (Argument from Creation). The creation itself testifies that God exists. This world didn’t come into existence by itself. The Law of Causation states that everything that begins to exist must have a cause. Nothing exists without a cause. The universe began to exist therefore the universe must have a cause. The cause of the universe must transcend the universe and have great power. The Bible tells us that Yahweh is the Great Uncaused Cause behind the universe (Gen.1:1). Not only did He create the universe and everything in it but He sustains it by the word of His power (Heb.1:3).

b. Teleological Argument (Argument from Design). The design of the universe is so complex that it could not have possibly happened by chance. Since all design implies there is a designer then the universe must have a supremely intelligent being who designed it. The complexity of God’s creation is stunning. Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows his handiwork.” Think about this for a moment.

• Earth is just one small planet in a galaxy called the Milky Way. The Milky Way is just one small galaxy in a universe of billions of galaxies.
• The earth is spinning on its axis right now at over 1,000 miles per hour.
• One second of energy given off by the sun is 97 million times greater than the average electricity used each year in the U.S.
• The nearest star is 4.24 light years from the earth. That’s about 24 trillion miles.
• If the earth were located any farther from sun we would freeze. If it was any closer to the sun we would burn up.
• If the magnetic forces of the earth were weaker or stronger life wouldn’t be able to exist.
• If the earth didn’t tilt on a 23 degree angle there would be no seasons and no crops.
• The human brain is more complex than any computer ever created. It processes more than a million messages a second.
• The human eye can distinguish between 7 million colors. It has automatic focusing and can handle an astounding 1.5 million messages simultaneously.
• In every cell in our body there exists a detailed instruction code similar to a computer program that tells it how to act and what to do called DNA.
• Every minute 50 million cells die in your body and are replenished.
• Your heart will beat 3 billion times in your lifetime.
• A single yeast cell has the same number of components as a Boeing 747.
• Did you know there are 450,000 species of beetles in the world?

In response to the complexity of creation Sir Fredrick Hoyle stated, “The universe arising from nothing is like a tornado sweeping through a junkyard and forming a 747.”

c. The Axiological Argument (Moral Argument). Since all men are aware of an objective moral law, then there must be a supreme moral Law giver. This is evidenced by the fact the humans tend to hold the same things to be morally abhorrent (i.e., rape, murder, molestation, torture, etc). Every human being has a conscience that tells them what is morally right and wrong. The existence of the conscience proves there is a God.

d. The Argument from Human Experience. This argument states that the things we experience as humans proves there is a God. Things like love, sacrifice and beauty. How do we have any concept of beauty if there is no God? Personally, I believe that this is one of the most powerful evidences. Naturalism teaches the survival of the fittest. So if Naturalism is true how do we account for love and sacrifice? How do we account for people who risk their lives to save others? Love and sacrifice exists because God exists. What about all of those whose lives have been changed? The apostle Paul was a radical terrorist. He killed other Christians. Yet his life was completely and totally changed. How do we explain that except for God? How do we explain that people are drug addicts, alcoholics, and the like and their lives are transformed? God must be real because He changes lives. How do we explain the existence and growth of the church if God doesn’t exist? For 2,000 years the church has been attacked and assaulted and many have tried to destroy it, but it is alive and well and growing. How do you explain that if there is no God?

2. Evidence from Special Revelation.

God has not just left His fingerprint upon nature He has given us special revelation concerning His existence in the Bible. The Bible never tries to prove God’s existence it simply states that He is. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Gen.1:1). To the skeptic God says, “The fool has said in his heart there is no God” (Ps.14:1). According to the Bible God has always existed. There has never been a time when God did not exist. The Scripture tells us that He is from everlasting to everlasting (Ps.90:2). He is the Ancient of Days (Dan.7:22). No one created Him He and He is not reliant on anyone else for life and breath. He is self-existent. The Bible is His story. It’s God revealing to us who He is and what He wants from us. It’s a story of God’s power being wrought through miracles and signs and wonders. But God’s greatest revelation was through Jesus Christ.

“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. 3The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being…” (Heb.1-3).

God became man and dwelt among us (Jn.1:14). He lived a sinless life, died on the cross and rose from the dead. He came to save us from our sins and our rebellion. He came to redeem us from our wandering. Through His Holy Spirit He pursues us and woos us as a lover woos his beloved.

In light of all of this evidence there will still be people that say “It’s not enough.” Why doesn’t God just appear to everyone leaving no doubt and be done with it?

In the Old Testament God did just that very thing. He appeared to the Israelites in Egypt delivering them from slavery. He struck Egypt with 10 plagues. He parted the sea and they went across on dry land and He drowned Pharaoh’s army in the midst of the sea. He provided manna everyday for them. He gave them water from the rock. He made sure their clothes and shoes never wore out. He lived with them in the form of a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Nobody had to wonder if God existed back in that time. All they had to do was to look up and there they would see God. But did it make them believe? God was right there and yet they still wanted to go back to Egypt. Did it make them holier? No! It’s remarkable that the only generation that God actually appeared to and lived with all died in the wilderness. So obviously seeing God doesn’t equate into holy or obedient living. If it did all of the Israelites would have crossed over in the Promised Land. God wants us to trust Him, love Him and be obedient to Him from a willing heart. Forced love is no love at all.

God gives us enough evidence to believe yet leaves enough doubt to give us the opportunity to reject Him. God stays hidden so as not to destroy our free will. He gives us space to respond to Him or reject Him. For Him to outright prove His existence and remove all doubt would require people to serve Him out of obligation for fear of being punished rather than love. When we serve Him out of obligation it is mere religion. It does not come from a willing or loving heart. So God hides so that those who are really seeking Him will find Him. That’s why Jeremiah 29:13 says that we will find Him when we seek Him with all of our heart. So if you’re looking there is more than enough evidence. If your heart is shut then there will never be enough evidence. One of these days the Bible tells us that every eye will see Him (Rev.1:7), but until then we have to walk by faith. For those who walk by faith there is a special blessing. Jesus told Thomas that blessed are those who have not seen and believed (John 20:29).

So if God is real; if He really does exist then what are the implications for my life? If God is real that means that He created us and that Jesus died for us. It means that we are not accidents waiting to happen. It means that God has a purpose for our life.

So what do we do?

“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him” (Ps.34:8).

God invites us to taste of Him and see that He is good. He invites us to come to Him and drink the water of life (Isa.55:1). When we drink of that water we will never be thirsty again. God does exist; He is real and He wants you to come to know Him.

So taste and see!

Does Your Church Preach A Pornographic Gospel?

2010-04-08T14:17:00.000-07:00

Recently while preparing for a sermon on the subject of suffering I had an epiphany of sorts. I realized that I was in danger of preaching a pornographic gospel. In pornography the girls aren't real women. All of their blemishes and marks are airbrushed over so that they appear perfect on the glossy pages.

I think many churches might be doing the same thing. We preach a gospel bereft of any pain, blemishes and marks. We airbrush over the trials and tribulations of life in order to present a theologically neutered "Homeboy Jesus" whose greatest desire is to be your best friend, make you rich and make sure nothing bad happens to you. But is this the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Is this the gospel the martyr's were tortured and murdered for?

As I read the Bible I am repeatedly struck with the forgotten subject of suffering. Yet in today's feel good, look good, think positive church culture any mention of suffering is received with about as much enthusiasm as a root canal. Suffering has become the fat cousin that the new church is ashamed of. We have bought this lie that if it doesn't make us happy and its not positive we should avoid it. After all people know life is hard we don't need to remind them in the church.

Yet, much of the Bible is not happy. When I read Psalm 51 or Jeremiah's Lamentations it doesn't make me happy; and it's not supposed to! When I come face to face with my sin and selfishness it doesn't make me happy; and it's not supposed to! There is a forgotten power in mourning and suffering. Jesus was called "A man of sorrows who was familiar with suffering." Jesus said "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." After Saul and Jonathon were slain in battle David commanded the Israelites to lament and mourn them. Imagine going into your church this Sunday and commanding your people to lament and mourn.

I don't want to become unbalanced in this because I believe balance is the key. I preach hope and that God wants to bless us and make us whole and give us joy. But we cannot blithely ignore that God has something very important to say about suffering. As pastors and church leaders we want to find a sermon series that will really touch people right where they are at. We want to meet felt needs. Well the greatest felt need that many people have is what to make of their suffering.

Fortunately God has answered the question of suffering even though you may never hear the answer in your church. God's answer to suffering is perseverance. As we persevere in our trials and tribulations God is growing us and developing us until we become complete and mature in the faith lacking nothing (James 1:2-3). No we cannot escape suffering. Even if we try to ignore it and not talk about it, suffering will continue. We can't fast or praise or even pray our way out of it. We have to outlast it. But the rewards we gain from the suffering are greater than we can imagine.

God doesn't inflict pain and suffering on us unnecessarily but He does send pain our way in order to grow us. When my children were babies we took them to the doctor to get innoculations. Now watching my kids scream when they got their shots affected me greatly. I cried with them. I hurt with them. But I didn't rescue them from the pain because I knew something they didn't know - that the shots would protect them from future disease and help them to be complete and mature.

It's the same way with God. He doesn't stand by unmoved when we hurt. He's there watching, feeling your pain, but He won't intervene because the pain you are experiencing will protect you against future spiritual disease. Your pain will help you to become mature and complete lacking nothing. There is amazing redemptive potential in suffering. So don't shortcircuit the process God has designed to grow you.

Suffering is nothing to be ashamed of so let's stop with the shenanigans and phobic avoidance of anything smacking of suffering and start preaching the real Gospel. It's only when we preach the real Gospel that real people will really be changed and transformed.

The God Questions

2010-04-08T14:11:00.000-07:00

If you could ask God one question what would it be? That's the question we posed to the people at LifeHouse Church several weeks ago. We got lots of responses so we decided to do a sermon series on those questions.

Over the next few weeks we are going to be answering some of the biggest and most difficult questions people struggle with. Here's our series schedule:

April 11 - Is God Real?
April 18 - Is the Bible True?
April 25 - Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?
May 2 - Why Doesn't God Heal Everyone?
May 9 - How Can I Know God's Purpose for My Life?

Are you or people you know struggling with any of these questions? Well, don't miss the next few weeks at LifeHouse Church. Bring a friend cuz it's going to be life-changing.

Fight for the Church

2010-03-24T11:16:00.000-07:00

Over the past 10 years of pastoral ministry there is one thing I've learned to do...and that is to fight for the health and mission of the church. The fact is that everyone has an agenda for your church. Many of these agendas are selfish and don't benefit the church or the kingdom, but only a few people who are absorbed with themselves and their need for popularity or power. But God calls pastors to lead people onto God's agenda for your church and most often that requires a fight.

Nehemiah was a leader who understood what it meant to fight for God's agenda. While leading the Jews in an effort to rebuild the broken down walls around Jerusalem he faced hostile attacks from his enemies who had other agendas. Nehemiah was constantly harangued, criticized and attacked. The enemy hoped that by intimidating Nehemiah he would give up and quit. But instead of quitting Nehemiah posted a guard and told the men to put a sword in one hand and a hammer in the other. Then he told the workers to "Remember the Lord your God who is awesome and mighty and fight!"

Nehemiah realized that there are some things worth fighting for. I believe with all of my heart that the local church is the hope of the world...when it's working right. The problem is that we have far too many churches that aren't working right. Churches are full of strife, division, political power plays, selfishness, lethargy, apathy and a host of other deeply entrenched diseases that stunt it's potential and growth. If it's true that the local church is the hope of the world then we must fight for the local church.

Pastor J.D. Grear of the Summit Church in Durham, NC writes, Somehow a subtle wimpification-heresy has infiltrated today's American pastor... as in, when people really start to criticize you, or rebel, or try and take over the church, you should just quietly absorb it, take it on the chin, not fight back, and see what happens. Or, if some power brokers in the church really attack you, it may be best just to not defend yourself and humbly quit since real Christians don't fight. Total lies. A good shepherd takes on the wolves that threaten to damage his flock. He fights. It's never in self-defense, of course... but, quite often, what is being most threatened is not the reputation of the pastor but the health of the church... Someone is trying to harm the flock that Jesus purchased with His blood! The local church is Jesus' most expensive investment--so how can we not fight to protect it?

So let's have the courage to stand up and fight for the health and vitality of the local church. Let's dispense with the pursuit of selfish agendas and pursue God's agenda of helping the local church to flourish and fulfill it's God-ordained potential.

Why I Love Sundays

2010-03-24T11:02:00.000-07:00

I've grown up in church. All told, I've spent approximately 1800 Sundays in church. When you spend that much time in one place you better love it..and I do! I love Sundays. It's my favorite day of the week.

Here are some reasons why I love Sundays.

- Sunday is the day that Jesus rose from the grave...
- Sunday is the day we gather to celebrate and worship Jesus corporately...
- Sunday is the day when we are encouraged, edified, strengthened and fed through preaching and teaching from the Bible...
- Sunday is the day when we worship, praise, love, and exalt Jesus together with anointed musicians and singers...
- Sunday is the day when we give of our finances to the Kingdom of God and become even richer...
- Sunday is the day when we pray corporately as a church and together shake in the spiritual realm...
- Sunday is the day when we hear from heaven through specific words, revelations, and prophec...
- Sunday is the day when we pray corporately as a church and together shake in the spiritual realm...
- Sunday is the day when we hear from heaven through specific words, revelations, and prophecies...
- Sunday is the day when we baptize new believers to Christ, bury old demon houses and new Temples of the Spirit...
- Sunday is the day when we see healing miracles and hear about answers to prayer from the adventure week that just ended...
- Sunday is the day when we laugh, are surprised and enjoy life together...
- Sunday is the day when we meet our best friends to hang out and for deep fellowship...
- Sunday is the day we are together with a complete family and all generations...
- Sunday is the day when we meet with different nationalities and experience exciting cultural exchanges....
- Sunday is the day when we cry together and carry each others burdens...
- Sunday is the day when we vision together for the future!

Thanks to Johannes Amritzer @ Mission SOS for the list.

Behind the Scenes With Ed Young, Jr.

2010-02-11T16:14:00.001-08:00

Here's a fascinating look behind the scenes of a regular weekend with Pastor Ed Young, Jr. of Fellowship Church in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. Interesting to see how other pastor's spend their time before speaking.

Drew Brees Shares His Faith

2010-02-09T09:02:00.001-08:00

What a great Super Bowl game. It ended up being the most watched telecast in the history of American television. Although the game didn't turn out like I hoped congrats go out to the victorious New Orleans Saints.

They were able to keep Peyton Manning off the field and controlled the time of possession and got a costly turnover to put the game away. While I've admired Drew Brees and his evident talent and ability I had no idea he was a dedicated and committed believer in Jesus Christ.

Now my respect for him has really increased. Congratulations to Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints. The city of New Orleans sure needed it.

Check out the video with Drew Brees sharing his faith.

Introducing lifehouse church

2010-01-31T17:13:00.000-08:00

We had a big announcement in church yesterday for those of you who weren't able to make it. It was the new name of our church. I've blogged several times over the last few months about the process that went into determining a new name for our church.

Yesterday we finally unveiled the new name and logo to our church. It becomes official as soon as it is ratified in our Vision Meeting on February 21. Excited about the brand new Lifehouse Church.

Tithing Challenge

2010-01-31T16:26:00.000-08:00

So if you braved the elements and were at church today you heard about the tithing challenge. But just in case you weren't able to make it we issued a 90 day tithing challenge to everyone at First Assembly.

Here's the way it works. For the next 90 days commit to tithe 10% of your income to First Assembly. Some are already tithing 10% but many more aren't. In my opinion tithing is one of those basic, rudimentary principles of what it means to be a believer in Jesus.

As believers we are brought out of our isolation and into the family of God. In fact the Bible calls the church "The Household of God." We are no longer individuals living in isolation doing our own thing, God has placed us in a family. In every family each family member has certain obligations and responsibilities. If a family member neglects their responsibilities then the whole family suffers.

So it is with our spiritual family (a.k.a. The Church). We have a responsibility and obligation to give of our resources so that the local church will be able to fulfill it's mission of making disciples for Jesus Christ. Unfortunately many Christians think that their local church has money trees growing somewhere on the property and whenever the church needs money we just go out and pick money off of the tree. I wish that were true, but it isn't.

In fact the way the local church is funded is through the voluntary and generous contributions of it's members. And while we certainly need to thank people for their giving and let them know how appreciative we are, the truth is that it is our responsibility as church members to tithe our income.

I've just finished reading a great book called "Passing the Plate." The book provides the most exhaustive research ever done on American Christian giving habits. Contrary to popular opinion we find that the generosity of Americans is merely a myth. The average Christian in America gives $200 a year for charitable purposes. Now that's not just money given to their church but to all charitable organizations. Is it any wonder that the church is weak and anemic when it faces such funding crises on a regular basis?

The book goes on to state that if every believer in America would give 10% of their income it would mean an extra 46 billion dollars a year that the church could use to reach the world. Do you think 46 billion dollars a year could change the world? It absolutely could. Imagine what we could do! The authors of the book actually do imagine and give a detailed list of what that kind of revenue would mean for the church's mission to the world and it's community.

The sad part of that scenario is that's the way God designed it to be. God never meant for His church to have a funding crisis. But many churches find themselves struggling for every dollar to do ministry. The responsibility lies upon church members to rise up and fulfill their biblical obligations to their storehouse.

I can speak with confidence on this issue because I'm a tither. One of the first things I learned to do when I gave my life to Christ was to tithe and I'm so glad I made that a part of my life at an early age. I could regale you with story after story of God's faithfulness in our finances. The promise of Malachi 3:10 that God would pour out blessings on those who tithe is true.

So if you are struggling with this issue I want to challenge you to go to the next level in your commitment to Christ and His church. Take the 90 day tithing challenge and get ready to see God move in your life!

India Reflections Part 2

2010-01-25T07:44:00.000-08:00

I was in India at the invitation of Pastor Barnabas and Jeevan Sajja of the Gospel Prayer Temple Ministries in Gudivada which is in the Andrah Pradesh state. Pastor Barnabas is truly one of the many unsung heroes of the faith in India.

He has a six acre campus that houses an orphanage, Christian school, Bible College, dormitories, and administration building. His wife Jeevan also oversees a craft training program for young women so that they can learn a trade and start a business. He has planted numerous churches and has personally raised up over 100 pastors who are currently pastoring churches in rural villages in Southern India. Pastor Barbabas told me that he feeds 170 people every single day.

Personally, I can't imagine having to carry the burden of 170 people depending upon me everyday for their meals. But Pastor Barnabas is a man of great faith and action. He is 15 years older than I am but his energy level is that of a 25 year old. Every night he is out somewhere preaching. Just in the seven days that I was there I preached 14 times and was exhausted. He told me that he had basically been preaching every night since he started his ministry in 1976. WOW!

He has such a love for orphans and children. He currently has over 60 kids in the orphanage and he told me he hopes to have that number to 100 by next year. Not only does he provide food and clothing for the orphans, he also pays the college expenses for many of them. He also provides a stipend of $50 a month to over 100 pastors so that they can feed their families. You heard it right, the average Indian pastor in Southern India lives on $50 a month.

He is a man of great vision. He inspired me to believe for bigger things in my own ministry. One thing I love about hanging around third world pastors is the fact that they just don't theorize, talk and blog about ministry (most of them don't have a computer), they actually do it. The whole time I was there I kept being reminded by the Holy Spirit that this is what a New Testament ministry looks like.

Sometimes in the 21st century church we think we have to have all the bells and whistles to keep consumeristic Christians filling the seats but in the third world it's the gospel that draws people in not the programs offered by the church or the cool technology. In many ways it was a relief to go to a place where all you had to do was preach the gospel and people would respond. In America we freak out if we don't have a Disneyworld like kids program and cool graphics for our next sermon series and video announcements, and rightly so because this is what the people come to see, the show! But in the third world people aren't coming for the accouterments they are coming for the gospel.

So here's a tribute to Pastor Barnabas Sajja and the many other pastors in the third world whose names will never appear in Charisma Magazine or on the cover of Christianity Today but who are making an incredible impact through their ministry. Keep up the good work. You are making Jesus famous and hell tremble.

India Reflections Part 1

2010-01-25T07:26:00.000-08:00

Well I'm back from my very first trip to India. My body is tired but my spirit is refreshed. I had an incredible time in this enchanting nation. I fell in love with the Indian people who for the most part are so gentle and kind. In the rural villages that I was in life is very hard but the spirit of the people is very strong.

The beauty of India is undeniable. There is something mystical about the land itself with it's many rice fields and palm trees (I'm always fascinated with palm trees), and the food is incredibly delicious. What I found in India was a people who live in fear evident by the myriad of Hindu Temples whose gods are supposed to protect them. But I also found a thriving church and many heroic pastors who suffer great privation to build Christ's church. I am truly humbled by the great sacrifices that many of these great men and women of God make to fulfill their ministry. While I hope that I was able to share some practical skills to help their churches grow it was I who learned far more from them than they learned from me.

India is a nation with one billion people and less than 10% are Christians but those statistics won't stay that way long. God is raising up a mighty church in India that will bring the gospel to the masses and India will be saved. I have no doubt about that. So to all of my new found friends in India thank you for an unbelievable trip and I can't wait to come back!

India Update

2010-01-19T21:37:00.001-08:00

I'm wrapping up my trip in India. I'll be headed back to the U.S. tomorrow. It's been an unbelievable trip. I've had the opportunity to preach 14 times in 7 days. I'm wore out as we say in the South.

The Pastor's Conference was amazing as well as experiencing life in Southern India. Upon my return to the U.S. I'll be blogging about some of the experiences as well as posting some picutres.

Until then...Vuandanaloo

India Pastor's Conference

2010-01-09T09:20:00.001-08:00

I leave Monday night for my very first trip to India. I am going to be speaking at a pastor's conference and will be doing some ministering at a bible college and at several churches. I'm excited about the opportunity to encourage pastors and see the church strengthened.

God has given me a great love for pastors and especially pastors in the third world who don't have the plethora of resources that we have in the West. The sacrifices that these pastors make and the privations they endure are heroic in every way. I always feel completely unqualified and inadequate to minister to these great men and women of God who build the church under the most difficult of circumstances. They are truly amazing. I love every opportunity I get to speak into their lives and encourage them. In fact I believe that one of the most effective ways to encourage and strengthen churches is to encourage and strengthen pastors. A fired up pastor will lead a fired up church.

Christianity is flourishing and churches are bursting at the seams in the third world and in other parts of the world. There is a great danger though that threatens to wreck the advance of the church and that is the lack of biblically trained pastors. Many pastors are leading churches with hundreds of people yet they don't lack a sufficient systematic theology which opens the door to all kinds of heretical teaching and practices. This is especially the case where there are a lot of animistic beliefs such as Africa.

China is a prime example of the stunning growth of the church. By some estimates the underground church in China numbers almost 100 million. Yet the majority of pastors in China don't even own a Bible. This is prime ground for the enemy to sow seeds of heresy to try to destroy the church and that's exactly what is happening. All kind of crazy beliefs are being taught because of the lack of adequately trained leadership.

In addition to my primary responsibility as a local church pastor I have sensed and continue to sense God calling me to help train and encourage other pastors so that the church can grow and be the strong, flourishing, redemptive places that God intends for them to be. As God continues to open these doors I will continue to walk through them. Can't wait to meet the pastors who are making a difference in India!

Why Plant Churches?

2010-01-09T09:06:00.001-08:00

You hear a lot today about planting churches. Go to any denominational gathering, conference or church leader's gathering and you are likely to hear about church planting. So why is church planting so hot? Is it just a fad or is this emphasis here to stay?

Actually the emphasis on church planting is a return to New Testament practice. Local churches were planted throughout the New Testament. Whenever Paul went to a city he left churches behind. Personally, I love the renewed focus of denominations and networks on planting churches. One day I would love to plant a church myself. One of my personal core values is that I believe the church is the hope of the world. So the more churches being planted the better.

One of the most effective church planters in North America is a man by the name of Tim Keller. He is the pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan. His church is literally planting hundreds of churches each year. I came across an article he wrote about church planting and though I would share it with you. It's probably the best article I have ever read on why we should plant churches.

Here's the link to the article.

IMAGINE

2010-01-01T12:28:00.000-08:00

Each year I like to have a theme for the church to rally around. This year our theme is IMAGINE and comes from Ephesians 3:20 which says,

"Now unto him who is able to do exceeding, abundantly above all that we can ask or IMAGINE..."

God wants to do more than we can even IMAGINE in 2010. Let's take a moment and IMAGINE what 2010 could look like...

IMAGINE the momentum that could be created by seeing every seat filled in every service throughout the year with standing room only...even in the summer time!

IMAGINE the spiritual growth of everyone who attends First Assembly engaging in a daily devotional quiet time with God in which we read through the Bible in one year.

IMAGINE the impact of everyone who attends First Assembly committing to join a life group where they will make vital connections with others and God.

IMAGINE the excitement of seeing 100 people come to faith in Jesus Christ and watching their lives be transformed.

IMAGINE being able to change the world through giving $50,000 to missions projects around the world.

IMAGINE a new name for our church that will more accurately reflect our mission in our community and will give us a more effective identity for the future.

IMAGINE every person who attends First Assembly getting out of the stands and in the game by serving in a ministry.

IMAGINE a bigger church campus that will allow us to have more space for a sanctuary and the upgrading of lighting, sound and kidz area.

IMAGINE 100% of people who attend First Assembly tithing 10% of their income to the church. We could open up avenues of ministry that would literally change lives.

IMAGINE a city-wide outreach that would bless the community while sharing the love of Jesus with them.

These are the things we IMAGINE for 2010 and by God's grace we will see them come to pass.

Goals for 2010

2010-01-01T12:25:00.000-08:00

Well it's the beginning of a brand new year that holds new brand new possibilities. At First Assembly we are believing for bigger and better things.

Here are 10 goals that we are aiming for in 2010:

• The launch of new semester-based life group system.
• 100 salvations.
• Relocation of church campus.
• Change church name.
• Increase number of people serving in ministry.
• Give $50,000 to missions.
• Increase percentage of tithers to 100%.
• Plan and execute a city-wide evangelistic outreach.
• Everyone commit to a daily devotional time with God.
• Fill every seat in every Sunday service throughout the year.

Check This Out

2009-12-20T22:35:00.001-08:00

Wanted to introduce a brand new Christian band to you called PORT 316. If you like Christian music with a little edge to it you will love these guys.

The neat thing is that I grew up with two of these guys. So proud of how God using them. Check them out at www.myspace.com/port316

Top 5 Christmas Movie

2009-12-20T13:47:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas movies. There's nothing quite like watching a Christmas movie with the Christmas Tree lights on, a fire in the fireplace, hot apple cider and all the other lights off. It's even better when you're snowed in like we are this weekend.

So here's my favorite 5 Christmas movies.

1. It's A Wonderful Life.

And it's not even close. They don't make movies like that anymore. George Bailey was such a good yet conflicted man. Someone with big dreams and a thirst for adventure stuck in a small town and small life - so he thought. The last 15 minutes of the movie are among the best in cinematic history as far as I'm concerned. I still almost cry every time I watch it. BTW, did Potter ever get caught for stealing that $8,000?

2. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

I'm a great fan of the Griswold's. I think Christmas Vacation was the best among the Vacation genre. Some of the quotes from the movie are legendary and are often quoted around our house. I often say when I'm really surprised "If I wake up with my head sown to the carpet I wouldn't be more surprised then I am right now." Plus the cast was amazing. The interplay between Clark Griswold and Cousin Eddie is classic. Great fun.

3. The Preacher's Wife

This was an adaptation of the Bishop's Wife which starred Carey Grant. I loved the performances by Courtney Vance, Whitney Houston and Denzel Washington. One reason I really liked this movie was because it took you behind the scenes of a pastor's life and marriage and we discover that it's not always glamorous. Pastors have struggles in their marriages and relationships just like everyone else. But in the end faith carries them through. The soundtrack is off the chain.

4. Jingle All the Way.

The quest for his son's favorite super hero Turbo man sends an ordinary nice guy's (Arnold Scwartzenneger) life into turmoil and chaos. The good news is that we get to ride along. Sinbad as the postman gives a memorable performance. Loved the movie and the scenes of Minneapolis in the winter. Great movie.

5. Home Alone 2

I liked the first Home Alone movie but I thought the second one was even better. Though the plot was a little far-fetched the characters made up for it. Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern as the "Sticky Bandits" were hilarious.

Honorable Mention...

A Christmas Story
Almost made the top five but couldn't displace the aforementioned.

Home Alone
Loved it but wasn't as funny as the second one in my opinion.

The Bishop's Wife
Liked it a lot but liked the adaptation "The Preacher's Wife" better.

A Christmas Carol
The George C. Scott version

Stooged
A little crude and crass but Bill Murray was in his element in the modern day adaptation of a Christmas Carol.

Christmas in Hollis

2009-12-20T13:45:00.001-08:00

One of my guilty pleasures is listening to classic rock and old school rap. My favorite old school rap group was Run DMC. They did a great Christmas rhyme called "Christmas in Hollis." So in honor of the Christmas season groove to the sounds of Run DMC.

The Great Christmas Give-A-Way

2009-12-20T13:01:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the 20 inches of snow on the ground we had to cancel service today. So we weren't able to do our Christmas Give-A-Way for the families we adopted. That's the bad news. The good news is that we are going to do the Give-A-Way at our Christmas Eve service!

We already had a great service planned but this will make it even more exciting. So if you are going to be in town be sure to bring your friends and family with you and let's fill the house and watch God do amazing things this Christmas Eve.

Let It Snow

2009-12-18T16:33:00.000-08:00

The first major winter storm of the year is quickly approaching the D.C./Baltimore corridor. Looks like this might be the biggest snow storm since the 32 inches we got in 2003. Weather forecasters are predicting a snow of maybe 20 inches. It won't be letting up till Sunday morning. I love the snow when it's falling but after it's been on the ground a while it's just annoying.

And another thing, why does it always seem to snow on the weekends? Trying to make the call about church services is always a little tricky. This Sunday is our big Christmas Give-A-Way and visit from Santa Claus. But even if we do have service we don't know if anyone will show up. Kind of takes the steam out of the excitement for Sunday.

So we've been working on some contingency plans and have decided that if we get snowed out Sunday we are going to move the Give-A-Way to our Christmas Eve service. That should be something. Anywho, I'm looking forward to chillaxing tomorrow with lots of comfort food, vegging out on the couch and watching ballgames. Probably will build a snowman with the kids as well. As the old song goes...Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

State Champions

2009-12-16T13:44:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to my high school alma mater the Wallace Rose Hill Bulldogs for winning their second state high school football championship on Saturday. They won the game in overtime 38-37 on a two point conversion. What a great game and a gutsy call by the coaching staff on the two point conversion! Quite an accomplishment after going 2-10 last year. From worst to first.

I only wish we could have won the title when I played in 87. We came so close. If it hadn't of been for that Chester McGlockton and the Whiteville Wolfpack we would have. That loss still hurts. Go dawgs!

Primal Review

2009-12-16T12:54:00.000-08:00

I've been on a reading binge recently and wanted to share some reviews. I just finished Primal by Mark Batterson. He's the author of In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day and The Wild Goose Chase and he's also so the lead pastor at National Community Church in Washington D.C. Mark is a personal long distance mentor of mine (even though I only live a few miles from D.C.) as I've been reading his blog since it began. He is one of a handful of pastors who have really shaped my thinking about the local church.

I loved his two previous books and was eagerly anticipating the third until it was revealed what the book would be about. Honestly I've had about all I can take of the "Church-needs-a-reformation" books. For the past 5 years the market has been flooded with so-called "experts" on what's wrong with the church and I'm just tired of hearing about it. I get it, the church is broken and needs to be fixed, so let's fix it and move on please. The Christian book sellers are beating a dead horse. It's time to dismount. Oh well enough of my ranting and on to the matter at hand.

In light of the former I really wasn't expecting much from Primal except some of the same old tired formulaic arguments and ideas ad nauseum about the desperate need for Christians to return to some kind of spiritual nirvana by rediscovering its ancient roots. But as I began to read Primal I discovered I WAS WRONG!

Batterson happily caught me by surprise with the way that he portrayed the greatest commandment to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. In the book he deals with each of these four topics and shows us how we can love God through them. His approach was fresh, inspiring and much appreciated. Because I am a regular blog reader of his I had already read some of the things he talked about but there was plenty of fresh insight as well. I don't think I will ever look at the great commandment the same way again.

What I love about Batterson is his intellect and curiosity about life. I love the way he weaves spiritual truth into the obscure facts that most people wouldn't think twice about. When you read his books you not only are inspired and encouraged; you get a crash course education in theology, neurology, ornithology, zoology, physics, astronomy, philosophy and Jack Handy. He took a very different path to these four ways to love God then most authors would have and even from what many Christians would be comfortable with. But that's why you have to love him as an author. You have to expect the unexpected (I think that's a core value at the church he pastors). He has a gift for presenting Christianity in a fresh and relevant way that is attractive to people.

He introduced so many new ideas and insights about loving God in this book I can't even remember them all. His chapters on Holy Curiosity, Sweat Equity and Seventy Faces were my personal favorites. If you want to see the Christian faith from a fresh perspective then I challenge you to go get this book. You won't be disappointed!

Here's a short synopsis that the publisher's wrote about Primal...

What would your Christianity look like if it was stripped down to the simplest, rawest, purest faith possible? You would have more, not less. You would have the beginning of a new reformation—in your generation, your church, your own soul. You would have primal Christianity.

This book is an invitation to become part of a reformation movement. It is an invitation to rediscover the compassion, wonder, curiosity, and energy that turned the world upside down two thousand years ago. It is an invitation to be astonished again.

Letter to the Pastors of Uganda

2009-12-10T12:50:00.001-08:00

As you may have heard a law that makes homosexuality punishable by death and imprisonment is being considered in the East African nation of Uganda. While biblical teaching is absolutely and unmistakably clear on the sinfulness of homosexual practice this law is not a good idea. Pastor Rick Warren addresses the pastors and churches in Uganda in this video clip and makes some good points about the potential dangers inherent in this proposed law.

The News of the Future

2009-11-29T18:30:00.000-08:00

Ever wonder what the future will be like? I found an interesting website that predicts what the news headlines will be 20-40 years in the future. Some pretty amazing stuff! Check it out here.

Feed the Hungry Update

2009-11-26T09:35:00.001-08:00

Our Feed the Hungry Thanksgiving Outreach was a huge hit last night. We served about 35-40 people a traditional Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings. We gave away gift cards, Chick Fil-A coupons and clothes.

It is such a blessing to be able to help hurting people. I want to say a huge "Thank You" to everyone from First Assembly who came out to serve. You are AMAZING! It was a beautiful thing to watch the church in action. Thanks for believing in the vision!

ABC 7 News did a great report on our outreach last night. In case you missed it here's the link to the video...

Church Hosts Early Thanksgiving Dinner|ABC 7 News

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Headed to India

2009-11-25T11:33:00.001-08:00

I just sent off my visa application for my trip to India in January. I'll be going to visit Pastor Barnabas Sajja of the Gospel Prayer Temple Ministries in Gudivada. It will be my first trip to India and I'm pumped about it.

I've always wanted to go. Not looking forward to the long flight but know the results will be well worth the discomfort of a long flight. I'm especially looking forward to some authentic Indian food. Anyone have any advice for me since it's my first time in India?

Feed the Hungry

2009-11-25T11:29:00.000-08:00

Our third annual "Feed the Hungry" Thanksgiving Outreach is tonight @ 7:00 p.m. We need all the volunteers to show up about 6:00 p.m. to get ready. Looks like we are going to have around 50 people or so coming to eat. What an opportunity to make a huge difference in someone's life this Thanksgiving season.

We're not only going to be feeding people a traditional Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings, we've got Chick Fil-A coupons to give away and other door prizes. It's gonnna be a great night of outreach and blessing those who need some help this Thanksgiving season.