Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Why we do this

Our entire purpose in coming literally to the other side of the world was to concentrate on finding some of the 700,000 Lingao people here of whichever than 1% know Christ.

We went back to Duowen and quickly found ourselves in trouble as we sort of stumbled upon a military base. Soldiers came running out and we 5 Americans just froze. One soldier told us we needed to turn around in no uncertain terms and a police cruiser followed us back down the mountain into town. From here it seemed like one dead end after another.

We decided to catch the bus and go back to a town we had struck out in earlier in the week as far as finding Lingao. We got there and brought some fruit for lunch (good thing I had a Clif bar for breakfast). We sat down in the street to eat our fruit and a Chinese man came up and gave us 3 cigarettes and tossed some money on the ground (he must have thought we were poor and homeless). After our fruit lunch we headed off into the country side.

We had walked a few miles and were a bit discouraged. The sun was beating down on us and we were hungry, tired, and hot. We pushed on a bit further and left the road to travel on a dirt path about 3 feet wide. We'd been in the path for about 3/4 mile when we heard many voices.

We can upon a house were one large extended family of about 15 Lingao people were just finishing lunch. They invited us in for tea and fed us MORE FRUIT! They were so sweet and friendly and would have given us the shirts off their back.

Katie, Whitney's friend and our translator asked and she was told they'd lived there 50+ years and no Westerner had eer been to their home. She asked if the knew any Buddhist stories and they said no. She then asked for permission to tell one of our stories. The patriarch shushed the family and Katie took off. She told them Ll about Christ. The patriarch said he had never heard that story and that a great peace came over him as she told the story.

We were able to give them a bible in the Lingao tongue as well as a Jesus film in their language. By the time we'd left a family member had already watched part of the movie. Michael prayed a blessing over their house and asked that all of them would come to faith in Christ. Pray that this patriarch accepts Christ because if he does his family of 15 likely will too.

No one had ever told them the story! Hard for us to comprehend with churches on every corner. But if we hasn't come who would have? How many more of this family would have died without ever hearing the story? This was not a "convenient time" to come for many of us and it was certainly expensive in the monetary cost, the vacation time used, the appointments missed, etc... But if not us WHO? If not now WHEN? How many more Lingao must die eternally lost before we take His commission seriously to go to the ends of the earth? That my friends is WHY WE DO THIS! See you soon ...

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Challenge to leaders... Challenge to all


Today I composed an email and sent it to our ministry team as well as several in leadership positions and below are those basic thoughts. Today we went to a village / town called Duowen. As we rode we past some small villages on the bus and even in the larger town of Duowen I kept being impressed by thoughts or shall I say questions that I couldn't escape.

As we passed several of the villages and then walked literally all day among the townspeople, many of which had never seen a "westerner" in real life much less one that took the time to walk their streets, speak to their children, eat the things they eat, and smile as so many took our pictures from cell phones, pointed, and generally smiled back. The first question I could not escape is "If a person is born there, raised there, stays there, and dies there what chance do they have of hearing the gospel?" If the Word of God is true (and we all would agree that it is) that means Jesus really IS the ONLY way to the Father. Then these faces I looked at and eyes I looked into ... Most of them are hopelessly lost. Have you ever had the experience of driving down the road and you thought you knew where you were and where you were going only to find out that you had been headed in the wrong direction? You were lost and you didn't even know you were lost. Things passed you by and you continued on your way only to find that you'd been headed the wrong way ... and maybe you even found out "too late" ... Maybe you missed an appointment or something. The people here are lost and life is passing them by and they are headed in the direction. They think their life is taking them along only to one day reach the end and realize they have been hopelessly lost, didn't know it, but many of them will find that out too late.

That leads me to the second question and here's where it got pretty personal for me. As we rode back from Duowen today I was listening to music on my new iPhone 5 (I know eat your heart out) and had randomly chosen one of my Christian playlists of various artists. The song "Legacy" by Nicole Nordeman came on. I had already been wrestling with the thought what am I doing with my life. Is life about living from the first to the fifteenth and from the fifteenth to the end of the month? Is it simply about hoping you have more money than you do month? Is there more than just praying the sermon is both finished by the time the next worship service begins and that its at least as good as the sermon the week before? Does it consist simply of the pursuit of earthly desires and the "noble" desire to provide for your children better than you had it at their age? I wrestled with the idea of legacy ... The thought of what kind of "spiritual footprint" am I leaving. It's great to pastor a growing church and receive accolades in the association and convention for a "job well done". It's wonderful to be a successful money manager, hospital executive, retired teacher, bank executive, counselor, insurance agent, church staff member, or successful mother or father to your children... All of these are good, even great things to desire to be and achieve but is that all there is? What kind of legacy are you and I leaving spiritually? I'd encourage you to YouTube the song and listen to it but I want to include the lyrics here for you:

"I don't mind if you've got something nice to say about me and I enjoy an accolade like the rest. You could take my picture and hang it in a gallery of all who's who and so-n-so's that used to be the best at such'n'such ... it wouldn't matter much.
"I won't lie, it feels alright to see your name in lights. We all need an 'Atta boy' or 'Atta girl' but in the end I'd like to hang my hat on more besides the temporary trappings of this world.

"I want to leave a legacy. How will they remember me? Did I choose to love? Did I point to You enough to make a mark on things? I want to leave an offering a child of mercy and grace who
blessed your name unapologetically ... and leave that kind of legacy.

"I don't have to look too far or too long awhile to make a lengthly list of all that I enjoy. It's in accumulating trinket and a treasure pile where moth and rust, thieves and such will soon enough destroy.

"Not well traveled, not well read, not well-to-do or well bred ... Just want to hear instead, 'Well Done' good and faithful one..."

What about you? What legacy are you leaving? Please .. PLEASE do not read this and think I'm saying that any of you are not leaving a rich spiritual legacy... In my estimation probably many of you ARE... But Nicole's words ... "How will they remember me? Did I choose to love? Did I point to You enough to make a mark on things? I want to leave an offering a child of mercy and grace who
blessed your name unapologetically ... and leave that kind of legacy."

Did I point to You enough? Wow ... Did I? Did you? Am I? Are you? Time is short and the clock of life is wound but once. We only get one crack at this! But you know if you woke up and are reading this that means its still not too late. The Lord has given you a beautiful blank canvas called "today" and when you reach the end of the day and look back on what once was a blank canvas of a day filled with hope, time, promise... My prayer for you is to be able to say I did my best today to leave a legacy.

Know that I love each of you and have a unique relationship with each of you I'm sending this to. Each of you are spiritual leaders in the church and are looked up to by so many. Lets live in such a way that if those following after us were to examine closely what decisions drove our life, what creeds we lived by, that they would know as Nicole says that we were children of mercy and grace and blessed His name unapologetically. Lets live in such a way that those we touch, that we interact with daily be it on a mission trip, across the office, or in our neighborhood would know the love of God simply because it had been extended to them by the life we lived before them; by the mercy and grace we showed them.

Bro T

Monday, October 22, 2012

Thom Rainer and 10 Things Pastor's Don't Like

One of the premier researchers in Christian life today is a man by the name of Dr. Thom Rainer. He is President and CEO of Lifeway Christian Resources. I like reading much of what he writes and he writes a blog called "Pastor to pastor". In today's blog the title "10 Things Pastors Don't Like About Pastoring" caught my attention. I decided to read the ten items and add a little of my own commentary to what he says. You can read the original blog at http://www.thomrainer.com/2012/10/ten-things-pastors-dont-like-about-pastoring.php

10. Dealing with Budgets and Finance - this doesn't bother me like it once did. I think this is primarily because so many of Eastwood practice faithful stewardship and we all have the same sense that our resources are not ours but the Lords.

9. Weddings - Does that surprise you? It typically takes up an entire weekend (most pastors have Friday and Saturday as their "off" days) and so there really is no "down time" from church functions from one week to the next. But I'm not really that bothered by weddings though wedding "coordinators" do tend to get under my skin. Most coordinators are friends of the bride with little experience planning and pulling off weddings. I have found that in weddings with coordinators, the rehearsals are usually twice as long as those without simply because it is on-the-job training for the coordinator.

8. Announcements in the worship service - Thank God we don't do this at Eastwood. I think I was "over" making announcements in worship my second week in the pastorate at my first church. I pastored in ACC basketball country and I'd just been watching a game. I came into the evening service and announced that immediately following the service there would be a "demon deacons meeting" in my office. I apologized but looking back one of the men told me later, "Preacher, you had it right the 1st time" (and he was right at least regarding a few).

7. Persistent Critics - I'm convinced if the Apostle Paul were to be called to the average Baptist Church there would be some who did not like his "pastoral style". I expect criticism ... anyone in the Lord's work should. But the thing I think I will never get used to is friendly fire. You expect the enemy to attack, you just don't expect him to use some of the people you are pouring your life into week after week.

6. Anonymous critics - we really don't have a problem with this per se. But occasionally you will have the well-intentioned church member come up and want to let you know what's being said in the parking lot. I appreciate knowing but it does me no good to not know who is saying it. There's no way to put the comments into context without that knowledge. This really doesn't help any pastor I know and serves only to discourage them

5. Counseling - I don't mind this because I have learned to limit counseling appointments to one hour at a time. After that everyone involved is emotionally spent. after an hour if you are not careful in a matter of minutes you can forfeit any ground you gained during the session.

4. Treating spouses like they are paid staff members - Eastwood is incredible in this regard. I have never felt that Jan, or any staff members wife for that matter, was pressured to do anything other than what they felt God had called them to do.

3. Supporters who don't support the pastor publicly - Now this can get under my skin. I think the vast majority of church members in most churches support and love their pastor. But why they sit silently when the pastor is attacked or his motives are questioned is beyond me.

2. Funerals for non-Christians - the thing that makes this so difficult is you want to extend hope to the family and you can through presenting them with the gospel message. But the gospel is of no value to the deceased and so I'm always left feeling like I really could not comfort the family the way they might have needed.

1. Business meetings - to this I say "amen and amen"! To quote a pastor in Dr. Rainer's post, "“Let me know if you come across a pastor that actually likes church business meetings. I want to find the secret to his moments of delusion.” We still have monthly business meetings but I'd be happy with quarterly or even semi-annual meetings but that's another topic for another day.

For the most part I'd say that ministry is an enjoyable and rewarding experience. It has its "moments" as does any calling or profession. There have been days I have wished I were doing something ... anything other than pastoring. But since that 1st day on the job at the Welcome Baptist Church in Anderson, there's never been a day that I doubted whether God had called me to do what I do.

Monday, September 10, 2012

Seeing Jesus like you've never seen Him before

Matthew 14 has always been interesting to me. Verse 22 says that Jesus made His disciples go over to the other side of the Sea and as they traveled they find themselves in a terrible storm, unable to make any headway, literally being tossed around on the sea. Part of the reason I find this so interesting is that the disciples, in being obedient to Jesus, found themselves in a storm. How often do we find ourselves in a storm and immediately assume something must be wrong in our walk with the Lord? Matthew’s account of this event reveals some great truths in coping with the storms you face.

1. Verse 25 says Jesus came walking on the water to His disciples during the “fourth watch”. This would have been between 3:00-6:00 AM. So He literally came to them during the darkest hours of the night. Maybe you are at one of those “dark” places of life. If so, look for the Lord. You may not be making any progress in getting through your storm. It’s at those times He comes in the midst of the storm.

2. When Jesus first appears walking on the water toward His disciples, the bible says the disciples were “troubled” and shouted “It’s a ghost!” I think that’s a gentle way of saying they were freaking out and ready to jump in and swim for shore. They had never seen the Lord walk on water. Oh, they had seen many miracles at this point, but never THIS miracle. Here’s the point … storms have a way of revealing the Savior in a way we have not seen before. The disciples would have never had this experience with Jesus had they not first been in a storm. Maybe in your storm today, the Lord wants to reveal Himself to you in a way you have never seen before.

3. Verse 27 – in announcing who He is to His disciples He says “Be of good cheer”, literally “cheer up”. What a seemingly odd thing to say in the midst of the storm. But then Jesus tells them why they can cheer up. Just after saying “be of good cheer” He proclaims “It is I”. Literally the Greek says “I am”. Jesus is declaring His power over the storm as the great “I am”. In fact as soon as He gets into the boat with the disciples the bible says the “wind ceased”. Whatever your storm is today, Jesus simply says “I am”. I am your peace. I am your joy. I am your deliverer. I am your provider. Then He proclaims “do not be afraid”. One possible translation of this given the tense of the language would be, “Stop fearing, and don’t ever fear again.” Allow Him in the boat with you and watch as He calms the sea around you.

4. I love the fact that Peter asked for permission to join the Lord and actually walked on water, albeit for a short time. But he was the only one who had the faith to get out of the boat in the middle of the storm; the only one willing to place complete faith and trust in Jesus. But verse 30 tells us he sees how the “wind was boisterous” and he begin to sink. In other words when the stop seemed to get worse he took his eyes off of Jesus and put them on the storm. It was then he began to sink. We, like Peter, start out with good intentions but at times our faith falters. That doesn’t mean we have failed or are a failure. We simply need to follow Peter’s example when our faith is weak. He chose to look to Jesus! Maybe you are in a storm and you doubt the Lord’s presence in your life. Or maybe you doubt whether He will help or even can help. Let me remind you He is the only one who can really help. Maybe today the Lord is saying to you, “Take your eyes off of the waves around you and fix your eyes on Me.”

I read a story of a ship that was sinking in the middle of a storm, and the captain called out to the crew and said, “Does anyone here know how to pray?” One man stepped forward and said, “Yes sir, I know how to pray.” The captain said, “Wonderful, you pray while the rest of us put on life jackets … we're one short.” Maybe those around you are jumping ship or looking for their way of escape. Today do what you know to do. Pray, then look for Jesus to show up amidst your storm.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Chick-Fil-A and "tolerance"

I decided to join literally hundreds of other people at Chick-Fil-A this morning in Bowling Green to buy a biscuit and show support for their company. As you likely know Dan Cathey, President of Chick-Fil-A and son of the founder Truett Cathey recently found himself in the middle of a firestorm. It seems that in a recent interview with the state Baptist paper of the North Carolina Baptist Convention Cathey was "guilty" of expressing the principles that drive him personally as well as the direction of the corporation. In the interview he clearly stated that they are not a "Christian business." To claim that he said would run counter to the claims of Christ. He pointed out that "Jesus died for individuals not a corporation ... companies are not lost or saved but individuals are." He goes on to say "But as an organization we can operate on biblical principles. So that is what we claim to be. [We are] based on biblical principles, asking God and pleading with God to give us wisdom on decisions we make about people and the programs and partnerships we have. And He has blessed us."

Cathey went on to explain that the company invests in Christian growth and ministry through its WinShape Foundation (WinShape.com). The name comes from the idea of shaping people to be winners. The foundation began as a college scholarship and expanded to a foster care program, an international ministry, and a conference and retreat center modeled after the Billy Graham Training Center at the Cove. "That morphed into a marriage program in conjunction with national marriage ministries," Cathy added. Some have opposed the company's support of the traditional family. "Well, guilty as charged," said Cathy when asked about the company's position. "We are very much supportive of the family -- the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that. We operate as a family business ... our restaurants are typically led by families; some are single. We want to do anything we possibly can to strengthen families. We are very much committed to that," Cathy emphasized. "We intend to stay the course," he said. "We know that it might not be popular with everyone, but thank the Lord, we live in a country where we can share our values and operate on biblical principles."

Cathy's comments ignited an outbreak of posturing centered on the choice: ban or boycott? The mayor of Boston playing to a portion of his constituents, basically said the values of Chick-Fil-A and their president did not reflect the values of Bostonians and Chick-Fil-A need not open any more stores in their city. Let's see, Boston has 67 strip clubs, 19 abortion clinics, 1000's of confirmed child abuse - neglect cases annually and yet there is no need to place an emphasis on "family values"? Are you kidding me? He was but one of many politicians posturing for cameras expressed similar sentiments. Meanwhile, calls for boycotts erupted on Facebook, Twitter and various other places where boycotts get organized these days.

On July 23, the Jim Henson Company, makers of children's shows such as "The Muppets," "Sid the Science Kid," "Dinosaur Train," and "Pajanimals" announced it would not partner with Chick-fil-A again in the future. The Jim Henson Company, at various times, has supplied the toys for the restaurant's kids' meals. Their statement said in part, "The Jim Henson Company has celebrated and embraced diversity and inclusiveness for over fifty years and we have notified Chick-Fil-A that we do not wish to partner with them on any future endeavors," a statement read. "Lisa Henson, our CEO is personally a strong supporter of gay marriage and has directed us to donate the payment we received from Chick-Fil-A to GLAAD [Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation]."

Here's the rub for me. The Henson Company, various politicians, and other organizations have all come out against Chick-Fil-A under the guise of "inclusiveness" and "diversity". Those who hold to a pro-family biblical-based position on the family are quickly branded as bigots. Correct me if I'm wrong here but it seems to me that if anyone could claim diversity and inclusiveness it would be Dan Cathey. Nowhere in the interview did he say that he would not hire or serve those who practiced lifestyles other than what he believed in. He simply espoused the Christian principles that his now $4 billion annual revenue business was formed on. Why is it that those who preach "tolerance" are only "tolerant" of those who hold to the same position they do? Those who disagreed with him, quickly branded Cathey a homophobe, bigot, and worse.

Fast forward to today. Former Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee decided to ask Christians to support Chick-Fil-A and their pro-family position by going to their restaurants today and purchasing from them. My assistant simply put on her Facebook page this morning "Ready for breakfast at Chick-fil-A". That's it! Not a word about anyone's "agenda". She quickly was chastised on her page by someone she knows that is in a homosexual relationship and has several adopted children. She was told, "You know Chick-Fil-A donated over 5 million dollars to lobby for legislation that would prevent homosexuals from adopting children? My family thanks you for your support." When I called this individual's hand on this and pointed out that he likely bought brands like Levis and McDonalds specifically because they support homosexual rights, that my assistant, I, and others had a similar right to support companies that held values similar to ours. Her "friend" quickly said, "Giving money to a company that supports hate groups is supporting hate groups. Bigotry and discrimination wrapped in prayer and scripture is still bigotry and discrimination." So now an organization that gives college scholarships to employees and others, and has a foster-child program among many other benevolent programs is a "hate group"? And where is the discrimination? Again, Cathey never said he would not consider hiring or even feeding homosexuals. Maybe a better perspective of this situation might be that sinful behavior wrapped in the cloak of political correctness is still sinful behavior. Maybe I need to make some buttons that say "Right wing, non-politically correct Christian and proud of it" ... I'm just sayin'!



Sunday, July 8, 2012

Dealing with stressors

An article on the Gannett Health Services website (affiliated with Cornell University) on the topic of “stress management” caught my attention. They admit that the story they use to illustrate their point is one that’s been shared in many places and the original source is unknown. They also point, correctly I think, it’s a story many resonate with.

The story is … A lecturer, when explaining stress management to a class, raised a glass of water and asked, “How heavy is this glass of water?” Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g. The lecturer replied, “The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it.”

“If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.”
He continued, “And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on. As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the demands of life.”

So what burdens are you carrying today that you might need to “put down” for a while? I can’t help but think of 1 Peter 5:6-7 here: “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

Back in 2005 I received an email that I think has some great “perspectives” that might help with handling whatever stressful situations we are facing. Maybe they will put a smile on your face and lighten your load just a bit. Here’s that sage advice:
> Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue. (Maybe a little crass but truth nonetheless).
> Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them. (This is one I’ve often remembered … after it was too late).
> Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
> Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their maker.
> Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.
> Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance. (Or sing, or walk in the rain. The poignant part of this sentence is the phrase “get up”. Too often the world has gotten us down!)
> Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late. (When you are young you had the ability to sleep late but never the time. The older you get, you have some time to sleep late, but can’t).
> The second mouse gets the cheese.
> When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
> Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
> You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
> We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.
> A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour. (In my life God is the author of my “detours” and if I get too consumed with the fact I’m not on the path I think I should be, I miss the scenery that the Lord wanted to point out in sending me on the detour in the first place).

I’ll be honest … right now is a pretty stressful period, and not just for me I’m sure. We face stressors at work, homes, school, with family and friends; stressors of all shapes and sizes. Here’s my list of practical things to help with stress.
1. Spend some time with the Lord. James 4:8 promises if we “draw near to God” that He will “draw near” to us.

2. Take your days off and all your vacation.

3. Ask yourself of all the things you are worried with today, how many will really matter 5 years from now.

4. Spend time with your family and friends. I have been at many bedsides as saints have passed from this life to the next and I have never once heard someone say, “I wish I’d spent more time at work!”

5. Count your blessings. The devil is really good at pointing out the things we “don’t have” but he blinds us to all of the blessings we do possess. Stop, look, and honestly examine how often you are blessed.

6. Did I say “spend time with the Lord?”

Knowing that no life is ever free of stress I’m praying for you (and me) that God will consistently give us proper perspective when life throws us a curve!

Monday, June 25, 2012

Difficulties

Thom Rainer believes part of his calling as President of Lifeway Resources is to encourage pastors. He often blogs about issues that pastors face, and he typically “nails it” and I think that’s why so much of what he writes speaks to me. Today his post asked “What specific part of being a pastor is the most difficult for you? Here are my five tough challenges for pastors.” Here are the 5 things Rainer, who has pastored 4 churches of varying sizes, says present challenges to most pastors. The first five points are his but the comments are mine. I’ve added a few of my own “difficulties I face” at the end.

1. Responding graciously to someone right before you preach. I’ve often told the folks I pastor that I typically am not available before worship begins. I learned the hard way that the devil will use hallway conversations to get me “fired up” and on more than one occasion I found myself then preaching “in the flesh”. So knowing this tendency of mine I avoid conversations before worship begins as a safeguard to keeping my attitude right and staying in the Spirit.

2. Knowing what do with a staff member who is not making a vital contribution to the church. This is one of the toughest aspects of pastoring a multi-staff church, especially if your temperament leans toward conflict avoidance. Some pastors I’m sure have abused the power of the pastorate by letting staff members “go” when there was really no justification. As a result churches tend to make it very difficult for a pastor to deal with an unproductive or disloyal staff member. Unfortunately, the end result is that when the pastor can’t “take it anymore” he moves to a different ministry setting and the church ends up keeping the unproductive staff member. It ends up being a loss for everyone. The pastor leaves maybe before his work there was over. The church loses on many fronts. And the unproductive staff member loses because without accountability, there is no motivation to improve.

3. Loving a person in the church when that person is your critic. I know I want to be Christ-like and love people the way the Lord loves me … without conditions. These “critics” typically either throw stones anonymously so as to not have to take ownership of their comments. And the problem, at least for me, is that whether anonymous or not, criticism of the pastor often wounds the pastor’s family. This is the reason it’s hard to love those who are critics.

4. Preparing more than one quality sermon a week. For 19 years I prepared what I hoped were 3 quality sermons a week. The last year I have given over the Wednesday evening service to another staff member which has made it somewhat easier to prepare messages. But there’s the constant tension of making sure your sermons are constantly improving.

5. Doing the funeral of a person who was not a Christian. There have been times families wanted me to preach their loved one into heaven. I will often ask family members if their loved one was a Christian and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard “I don’t know”. But the amazing thing is the number of times they don’t know because they never asked or shared the gospel.

6. Balancing the tension of being “available” to everyone and being “available” to no one. When I am available to everyone, those are the times my availability to God suffers. So some pastor friends allow the pendulum to swing too far in the other direction and they are available to no one. Thank God for great ministry assistants that protect their pastors time.

7. Knowing when to be “real” and to whom to be “real”. Most pastors know the heartache of being burned by a trusted friend. Jesus was burned by Judas. I’m not saying that all who at some point turn on their pastor / friend are “judases” … just that it is difficult knowing when someone can take my being real with them. We pastors often try, many times because of the high expectations for the office, try and maintain a pretense of spirituality. Unfortunately that keeps most friendships shallow and pastors dealing with the frustration of loneliness.

I’m sure this list crosses over to the laity as well. I’d love to hear what issues / frustrations you deal with on a regular basis. There is something cathartic about being able to put them down and take ownership of these feelings. Thanks for reading my blog.

Monday, June 11, 2012

25 fun things to ponder

1. Is it good if a vacuum really sucks?
2. Why is the third hand on the watch called the second hand?
3. If a word is misspelled in the dictionary, how would we ever know?
4. If Webster wrote the first dictionary, where did he find the words?
5. Why do we say something is out of whack? What is whack?
6. Why does "slow down" and "slow up" mean the same thing?
7. Why does "fat chance" and "slim chance" mean the same thing?
8. Why do "tug" boats push their barges?
9. Why do we sing "Take me out to the ball game" when we are already there?
10. Why are they called " stands" when they are made for sitting?
11. Why is it called "after dark" when it really is "after light"?
12. Doesn't "expecting the unexpected" make the unexpected expected?
13. Why are a "wise man" and a "wise guy" opposites?
14. Why do "overlook" and "oversee" mean opposite things?
15. Why is "phonics" not spelled the way it sounds?
16. If work is so terrific, why do they have to pay you to do it?
17. If all the world is a stage, where is the audience sitting?
18. If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?
19. If you are cross-eyed and have dyslexia, can you read all right?
20. Why do you press harder on the buttons of a remote control when you know the batteries are dead?
21. Why do we put suits in garment bags and garments in a suitcase?
22. Why do we wash bath towels? Aren't we clean when we use them?
23. Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?
24. Christmas - What other time of the year do you sit in front of a dead tree and eat candy out of your socks?
25. Why do we drive on a parkway and park on a driveway?

So what are your favorite "ponderings"?

Sunday, June 10, 2012

"Dangerous people"

I was reading a really good article today on www.churchleaders.com entitled: “Do you know the most dangerous person in your church?” It reminded me of a sermon I preached in February of 2009 entitled “The most dangerous people in the church”. I thought I’d summarize the points the Nebraska church planter made in his article today, then write about the text and points I had in my sermon.

Erik Raymond is the Omaha church planter that penned the article. He makes the case that this “dangerous” person is not who we’d immediately think of. He says it’s not the: unbeliever who doesn’t know the church language, or the Christian who is what he calls doctrinally anemic, or even the “Arminian sniffed out by the Calvinist in 20 seconds flat". In his estimation the most dangerous person in church is the seemingly smart bible guy who is “unteachable”; the guy who might say “Don’t confuse me with the facts, I know what I believe.” Like when my friend Phil Hoskins at his church, Higher Ground Baptist Church in Kingsport, Tn had a large issue before the church and he started speaking to what the bible might say about the issue before them. A man stood up and said something to the effect, “Preacher, we all know you know lots more about the bible than us, so don’t go bringing the bible into it!”

Raymond then gives some “signs” about why this guy (or gal) is dangerous. First, they are dangerous because he is “gospel-eclipsing” meaning he has it all figured out. Whereas the gospel calls us to continue to grow in our understanding, this guy has all the answers before the questions are asked. Second, he’s dangerous because he is “critical”. He likes to Monday morning quarterback (2nd guess) every sermon and decision made by leadership. Third, he is dangerous because his attitude of unteachableness is ultimately divisive. Fourth, he’s dangerous because in his being unteachable and constantly second-guessing leadership he robs leaders of joy (See Hebrews 13:7, 10). The fifth reason he’s dangerous is because he’s a “time waster”. Raymond says he takes the time of the staff wanting to argue what he considers the “finer points” of the gospel message and mandate.

Raymond then gives some very practical advice on how to deal with people like this. He states:
1. Pray for him
2. Minimize his influence
3. Watch him and the sheep – care for him spiritually but be keenly aware of the sheep at large and how he might influence them
4. Lovingly aim to teach him
5. Confront him when necessary

In my sermon I used Matthew 13 where the Lord gives the parable of the “wheat and tares” (weeds). I found the text fell into 4 easy points.

First, where do they come from. Jesus, in verse 39, clearly says the enemy who “sowed them” is the “devil”. Jesus said he sows weeds among the weed to destroy the crop. In Ephesians 6, the Apostle Paul reminds us that are battle is not against “flesh and blood” but rather the enemy is Satan.

Second, I looked at who are the dangerous folk. They in all likelihood are some of the most “religious” among the group. The have religion but not a relationship. Membership but do not know the Master. As Paul said to Timothy, they have “a form of godliness but deny the power thereof.” In other words they are religious, love to be in church on Sundays with their bibles under arm, but are lost. This can be true of laymen and leader alike. I honestly believe at one point I hired a member of my staff at a previous church, that later, by his attitude and actions revealed he was lost.

Third, I considered what their mission might be. Jesus said the devil comes to “steal, kill and destroy” (John 10:10). These folks are being used by the enemy to trip up and tear down. Given time, the weeds will always reveal their true nature.

The fourth thing I pointed out that the text explained was where they work. Jesus said the enemy came “at night” to plant the weed seeds. The devil will always try and take the path of least resistance. He doesn’t want a fight but rather to divide and conquer.

I then concluded with the same thought I want to finish this blog with, namely where should we expect Satan to do his most damaging work. One of the attributes that God has that Satan does not is His omnipresence; God is all places at all times. Satan though has to pick and choose where he will be. Having to pick where he will attack it makes sense to me that Satan will spend most of his time attacking churches that are alive and reaching people with the gospel. Why attack a “dead” church when you have them right where you want them? After all, it’s best to let a sleeping dog lie, right?

The real tragedy of the parable is that in Jesus’ account the tares never have their nature changed to that of wheat. The good news today is that anyone who has the nature of a weed, while there’s still life flowing through their body can be changed by the grace of God and receive a new nature, John 3 Jesus called it being “born-again”.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Secrets Pastors Keep

Thom Rainer in The Christian Post wrote an article entitled “5 Secrets Pastors Refuse To Tell”. This struck a chord with me. Through 21 years of pastoring I’ve heard horror stories and even lived a few myself. There’s the pastor that is very successful in that his church has multiplied through his years of ministry there and in his denomination he’s called a success story. But then if you get inside the façade you hear of feelings of depression and feelings of “What else can I do to earn a living?” That is a question I’ve heard often through the years, “I’d do something else if I only knew how I could support my family”. Sad … but true.

I read today of another pastor who for years kept this secret well; the secret pain he felt, until it became too much to bear. He decided to leave the ministry without a plan. I Heard of another pastor who spoke about fantasizing of how he could get kicked-out of the ministry, without losing his wife, or going to jail. It was then he made his plan to step aside...instead of running. Now to some of the pastors that reads this, I’m sure there will be a little “Been there, felt that” … even if the feeling or thought was only fleeting. To the layman who reads this, you are probably scratching your head thinking “What in the world?” Layman, let me caution you about being too quick to judge these feelings from your pastors, as they are but mere fallible humans as are we all. Pastors keep their secrets for a couple of reasons. One, the fear their ministry will be hurt in the eyes of those they serve with. Or two, as I have experienced on occasion, some laymen just aren’t ready to accept that their pastors have serious “personal issues” they deal with as well.

So what are the 5 “secrets” Rainer says pastors keep? I’m glad you asked. Here they are with some of his comments and my thoughts.
1. “My marriage is struggling” – I’d add to this “My children are not perfect”. I think there is this need in congregations to for whatever reason hold their minister’s family to a higher standard than everyone else. It’s that “fishbowl” pastors often speak about. I remember one time about 15 years ago my daughter was just being a kid one day at church and an older layman made some statement like, “She ought to know better, she’s the pastors’ daughter”. It was something silly like running in church. I made sure he understood that he needed to give my child the same grace he gave to other kids … grace to simply “be kids”. Rainer says, “Pastors' wives sometimes wonder if their husbands are married to them or to the church. Resentment and marital fights are not uncommon.”

2. “I fear my kids will grow up hating the church” – Our children, as much as we try to shelter them, are often exposed to the “dark side” of church life. They see and hear things that they shouldn’t, maybe said about their mother or father, in a hallway or business meeting. And it is a very real fear pastors have that their kid’s years later will hold all churches / Christians accountable for the hurt they feel.

3. “I let a handful of critics control me” – I recently told our congregation a story about a man who ordered a million frogs and had them shipped to him. When the box arrived, he counted and there were only 500 inside. When he called the company to complain the salesman said, “I’m sorry, but when they were croaking they sounded like a million.” It doesn’t take but a few “vocal croaks” to make life miserable. The sad thing is, often the vast majority love and support their pastor, yet they are not vocal in their support. I thank God for those encouragers He has placed in my life throughout the years.

4. “I often have anger toward the supportive church members who don't defend me to my critics” – I often tell the story of the deacon at my 1st church that in a deacon’s meeting one night poked me in the chest in front of 5 other deacons, and said, “Preacher, if you want to take this out to the parking lot we can settle this right now”. That hurt! But what hurt worse was the fact the other 5 men sat there silently and let him do it.

5. “I’ve thought about quitting several times” – Almost every pastor I know, that I’ve had a relationship with where we could be honest with one another has experienced and expressed this feeling somewhere along the way. As Rainer points out these pastors confess, “The only thing that has stopped me from quitting is the call of God.”

I’m sure pastors could add to this list of 5 things some things they feel they are unable to share for whatever reason. Pastoring is a tough job; it’s not for the faint of heart. Thanks for taking the time to read my blog and for doing what I know you will do … praying for your pastor.

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Leading by faith ...

Vision is defined at www.dictionary.com as “something seen or otherwise perceived”. Tonight we share a vision for a new ministry paradigm at Eastwood that will hopefully allow us to maximize making disciples, capture on a regular basis the excitement that comes when our two campuses come together, and reach more people for Christ. I recognize this is a Baptist Church and “change” for many is a four-letter word; change typically does not come quickly or without great consternation. But for too long I think leaders of the church have abdicated their responsibility to lead, primarily out of fear of the “backlash” they might face for leading courageously. I want to share some principles of leadership that I think will help a church, any church, if the leaders will follow them go forward.

1. Ask God to make you passionate about what you do and believe to be true – often I think pastors see role in the church as a job to fulfill rather than a calling of His will to follow. We should be like Jeremiah in Jeremiah 20:9 “But if I say, ‘I will not mention His word or speak anymore in His name,’ His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.”

2. Lead out of conviction not comfort – there are times that doing what is “right” and what is “easy” are mutually exclusive. As leaders, we should never lead with the motivation to gain the applause or appreciation of man. Paul said in Galatians 1:10 “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (NIV). Proverbs 29:25 puts it this way, “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.” (NIV).

3. Believe it’s unnecessary to have all the “answers” before you obey God’s will – Abraham would be buried today in Ur of the Chaldees had he decided to wait until he had all the answers to follow the Lord. To walk by faith we must first live by faith. I absolutely love Hebrews chapter 11. To look at the long list of people who lived lives of faith and faithfulness. There are two verses at the beginning of the chapter that speak so well to this. Verse 1, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”. And verse 6, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

4. Pray bold prayers for the people you pastor – Time and again we find the church in Acts praying prayers of great boldness. Today we pray prayers of safety. “Lord, please don’t upset the way things are going right now; it’s all running like clockwork”. There’s a lot of churches He needs to “upset the way things are going” as I believe He is upset at how they are going. The early church prayed for conversions whereas we pray for comfort and contentment. We ought to pray to God asking for things that we believe to be His will, that unless He shows up and accomplishes it, it will not happen. This ensures that when it does happen, He gets the glory. As William Carey, the father of the modern day missions movement said, we should “Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God”!

5. See people through the eyes of God – it’s a constant battle to see people the way the Lord sees them, through eyes of love and compassion not condemnation and judgment. This principle alone, if realized, would radically change most churches for the better.

6. Stop trying to be _______ church – God has uniquely gifted and called the people you lead for the time and place you are at. We don’t have to try what’s working someplace else to see if it will "work" here. We simply have to get hold of the heart of God and not let go.

I’m praying that I will be a pastor of faith that leads a people of faith.

Monday, May 21, 2012

Inward or outward focused church?

On www.churchleaders.com Thom Rainer has a very insightful article that because of my job as a pastor, the title caught my attention. In case you don’t know Dr. Rainer is President of Lifeway, which among other things is the publishing arm of the Southern Baptist Convention. He is also one of the premier researchers for churches of all denominations as well as prolific author. The article is entitled “10 Warning Signs of an Inwardly Obsessed Church”. So I decided I’d read the article and see where we (Eastwood Baptist in Bowling Green) are in regards to being inwardly or outwardly focused using his criteria. So here are his 10 warning signs with my comments about Eastwood after.

1. Worship wars – The direction of Eastwood worship was set before I arrived. I think maybe there was a good bit of angst as Eastwood transitioned to a more blended toward the contemporary format but our worship pastor is great about trying to blend in hymns and other styles of music.
2. Prolonged Minutia Meetings – Eastwood only has 3 standing committees (a record for Southern Baptists I believe) and 5 minute business meetings so we are doing great here.
3. Facility Focus – Rainer defines this as “One of the highest priorities in the church is the protection and preservation of rooms, furniture, and other visible parts of the church’s buildings and grounds.” While Eastwood does not meet this definition I think we need to be careful as think about a building for our Plano Campus; it would be easy to take the focus off of reaching people.
4. Program Driven – No church will ever be completely free of “programming” but the point Dr. Rainer makes is that we can’t let the program be the ends rather than the means. For instance we can’t make Bible Study Fellowship classes just about studying the bible. They have to be a door we use to reach people for Christ. Bible study fellowship classes are the means by which this is done.
5. Inwardly Focused Budget – I think we are doing great here. Eastwood was in the Top 10 Churches in the Kentucky Baptist Convention in both total gifts as well as per-capita gifts to the Co-Operative Program. About 20% of what is received this year will go to missions. I received notice last week that out of 40,000 plus SBC churches, Eastwood was in the top 50 in gifts to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American missions.
6. Inordinate Demands For Pastoral Care – Rainer defines this as having “unreasonable demands” for pastoral care. I am blessed with a great staff, which loves to minister to the people of the church.
7. Attitudes of Entitlement – From the most active to the least active I simply don’t sense this attitude of “deserving special treatment”. I’m sure not all pastors can say this, but I’m blessed here at EBC.
8. Greater Concern About Change than the Gospel – Eastwood is incredible in adapting to and embracing change. If the membership believes change will possibly produce a more effective way to reach people for Christ and disciple believers, they have willingly embraced changed in my 7 ½ years as their pastor.
9. Anger and Hostility – I told someone last week that after 7 ½ years I honestly don’t know anyone who is angry with me or the church necessarily. Oh, I’m sure there are some out there but I’ve only reached this length tenure one other time, and by then while the mood was still generally sweet, I knew who was throwing rocks and when to duck.
10. Evangelistic Apathy – Uh oh! I think this could be a major issue for Eastwood. We are strong in giving to missions and even going. Where I think we struggle is in inviting our lost, unchurched, or dechurched friends to church or even sharing the gospel with them ourselves. We have loads of guests each week but I’m not sure how many of them have intentionally been reached by our folks and how many of them are without Christ.

All in all I think we are doing great as far as keeping the focus on where it needs to be; on those outside the church. The church is the only organization that I know of that exists to a large part for those outside of the membership. Now I know some of my brothers might take issue with that statement and tell me “No, the primary purpose of the church is to make disciples and give God the glory He is due.” But I believe we have to reach people with the gospel before we can disciple them, and the more people we reach, the more the Father is glorified. Just my thoughts…

Bro Tom

Monday, May 7, 2012

"Normal" pastors

I like to read a blog by a fellow named Ron Edmondson, who Sunday was elected the new senior pastor of Immanuel Baptist church in Lexington. He really has a heart for encouraging pastors and his blog posts often reflect that. I think he uniquely understands some of the as he says “pressures, frustrations, and joys” of serving as a senior pastor because he has walked in those shoes. He recently shared a post entitled 10 ‘secrets’ about many senior pastors” that I wanted to share on my blog. While I don’t know how many pastors read my blogs I know many laymen and women do, and just maybe this will help them understand their pastor a little better. I am putting quotation marks around what he says then adding some comments of my own.

Here are 10 “secrets” about many senior pastors:
1. “Leading from this position is overwhelming at times. We know Christ is ultimately in charge, but we also know it often seems everyone looks to us to have all the answers.” While I’m not sure if this pressure is applied by others, if it’s of pastors own making, or just something inherent in the job, I do think this is very real, at least for the pastors I know.
2. “People tell the senior pastor all kinds of things about what is happening in their life or in the lives of others…many we would rather not know sometimes…and sometimes the weight of others problems we carry is enormous.” There is no way for a pastor to get around this. A large part of ministry is tending the sheep that the Lord allows you to serve. This means knowing when they stray, when they are hurt, when they are absent from the flock, etc…
3. “Most pastors walk with a degree of uncertainty, which keeps us in prayer, but also makes us question our abilities at times. It makes depression common for many senior pastors. (Need a Biblical example…see 1 Kings 19)”. I know firsthand that this is real. There are days that I question, ‘Lord, am I really equipped to do this?’ I usually get the answer that no I am not, but He in me is able to do more than I could think or ask.
4. “Many senior pastors fear the possibility of failing in their role, so they thrive on the encouragement and prayers of others.” This is not unique to pastors as I think we all need encouragement. But the weight of being a spiritual overseer of souls is enormous and encouragement always helps to lighten that load. Just today I received an email letting me know how yesterday’s message spoke to her. Little things like that are such a blessing to pastors.
5. “Sometimes we allow insecurity to cause us to become overprotective of our reputation and our position.” I believe this is tied to #4 above. Because there is this real fear of failure, whether it’s failing God or His people, insecurity has a way of creeping into the man of God’s life. Moses would be a prime example of this. God called him to a task that he didn’t think he could fulfill, and so with a fear of failure he expressed his insecurities to God.
6. “We face the same temptations and occasional spiritual dryness as everyone else. This means we need accountability, but are often afraid to seek it.” The prayers of God’s people help during these times of dryness. I think it often is acutely obvious to both pastor and people when this is going on. And when it is, the people of God praying for the man of God can help overcome this.
7. “Our spouse is sometimes the loneliest person in the church and often feels extreme pressure to live up to unrealistic expectations.” While I can’t speak directly to this having never been the “spouse of a pastor” I do know the pressures are real. I’m grateful to serve a people who have placed no expectations on my wife other than to be my wife and the mother of our kids!
8. “Loneliness can exist for all leaders and many pastors suffer from it.” In my own discussions with other pastors I believe this is true though we seldom own up to it. Many pastors have this real fear of showing any weakness in their spiritual armor. So rather than be transparent about feelings of loneliness, pastors get used to the façade of “I’m okay, thanks for asking.”
9. “We seldom know who we can trust, which is why we become guarded and appear hard to get to know. Most senior pastors have been burned by someone they once trusted.” Man is this ever true. I’m thinking of a time when a staff member (at another church) betrayed my trust just weeks after arriving at our church. This lead to my best friend in the church, a man I’d spent countless hours with at his house, our house, the golf course, etc… leaving the church over this. For several years our friendship was not what it should have been, in fact it never got back to where it was.
10. “We suspect the staff, church leaders and congregation sometimes talks about us behind our back.” This is just human nature I suppose... both to suspect that folks talk about you as well as others. I know “roasted preacher” is served often around Baptist tables on Sunday … but to be honest, when pastors get together we’ve been known to eat a little “roasted layman” on occasion (grin).

Granted, Ron makes the point that not every pastor faces all 10 of these. He also rightfully expresses how we senior pastors find great joy in our work. He makes a point at the end of his post that is worth repeating word for word … here it is: “When I share any post like this, however, I have come to expect a lecture on the need to depend on Christ for these issues, which only further demonstrates my points. Senior pastors are to fully rely on Christ’s strength, as is every other believer. This is just a reminder that we happen to also be like Elijah… ‘a man just like us’.” (James 5:17)

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Dealing with doubts

Dear Church Family,

Have you ever heard something that sounded too good to be true? I’ve often responded to such things with “I’ll believe it when I see it”. An example would be these diet programs where somebody lost 200 pounds in 12 months. If you read the fine print it typically says something like “these results are not typical”. We read that stuff and doubt that it’s true. When it comes to faith and doubting in the life of the Christian, I think we all fall into one of three categories.

There are what I call the “casual believers”. They believe there is a God but they have not surrendered their life to Him. They are the Christmas, Easter believers and attenders. Then there are the “convenient believers”. They will follow Christ as long as it’s convenient. But the first time His claims of Lordship interfere with their plans, they are gone. It’s as if they leverage faith to their benefit. Finally, some are among the “committed believers”. They understand what Paul meant in Galatians 2 when He said he’d been “crucified with Christ”; for them it really is all about Him.


In John 20 we find the disciple named Thomas doubting the resurrection of the Lord. It’s not that he didn’t want to believe, he just needed to see proof before he would or could believe. So maybe you are like Thomas and struggling with doubts, what should you do? Before we look at the answer to that question let me differentiate between doubts and unbelief. Doubt literally means to be undecided or wavering between two opinions. But unbelief is a conscious decision I believe to not believe; to stand against the truth.


To deal with our doubts, first, I think we have to acknowledge the fact we have doubts. Some simply try to ignore them or pretend they aren’t there but that usually will not be sufficient for long. There are various causes or reasons we doubt. For some its intellectualism; they intellectually struggle with what they’ve been taught or believe to be true. For others its emotionalism that produces doubt. They base their faith on their feelings and when their mountain top experiences depart, so does their faith.


Secondly, after admitting our struggles with doubts, we need to turn to God for help. Have you ever considered how many “doubters” there are in the bible? Abraham and Sarah doubted the promise of a child. Moses doubted he was the right man for the job of going to Pharaoh. How many times in the gospels do we read of Jesus saying to the disciples, “Oh ye of little faith”? When we doubt the best thing we can do is be honest with God and bring our doubts to Him.


Back to John 20. Jesus could have busted on Thomas for doubting. He could have said, “I spend 3 years with you and at the first sign of real trouble you doubt?” Jesus doesn’t shame him though, He doesn’t condemn him, He simply meets him where he’s at and comforts him. Maybe what you don’t know is “doubting Thomas” became an incredible Christian taking the gospel to India and ultimately dying a martyrs death for the sake of the gospel. I’m not saying that your doubting could end up in your death for the gospel. But what I want you to see is when you give your doubts to the Lord, maybe it’s not dying for the sake of the gospel but rather living for the sake of the gospel that He calls you to. Something to ponder.

Thursday, April 5, 2012

It's not over

Easter Sunday is a reminder to us that it’s not “over”. For some of you reading this I know life is difficult and maybe you feel like you have nowhere to turn, but the fact that you are here reading this is proof that it’s “not over” for you.

In January 2010, Jozef Guzy then 76, a Polish beekeeper had an experience where folks wrongly assumed it was “over” for him. It seems as though he was stung multiple times by his bees and his body went into shock. It was then wrongly assumed that had suffered a heart attack and doctor’s pronounced Jozef dead. Imagine the shock he felt when he awoke locked inside a coffin at a funeral home. Undertaker Darius Charon said, “He was shouting and banging on the coffin … he made enough noise to raise the dead so we couldn't miss him.” They wrongly assumed for Josef Guzy that it was over. Now go back 2000 years to another time and place. As Jesus was removed from the cross and placed in the tomb, followers and critics alike wrongly assumed it was over. Yes, Jesus had died, but it was far from over.

How can we know that Jesus really rose from the dead? I think there are three indisputable sources that serve as evidence of His resurrection.
1. The resurrection was communicated by the angels – As the women arrive to “prepare the body” of Jesus they are greeted by angels, God’s messengers, and are asked why they seek the living among the dead.
2. The resurrection was confirmed by His absence – His tomb was sealed with a large stone and Roman guards were put outside to guard the tomb against His disciples stealing the body and then claiming He arose from the dead. One of the greatest proofs of the resurrection is the fact no one ever produced the corpse of Jesus.
3. The resurrection was certified by His appearances – One might argue that an angel appearance or lack of body is not proof that Jesus arose. But the fact that on multiple occasions and to upwards of 500 people Jesus appeared after His resurrection makes for a compelling argument. If it was a hoax, 2-3 people might try and pull it off but 500? And we know many of those 500 died horribly cruel deaths for believing and affirming that Jesus rose from the dead.

So what does the resurrection mean to you and me? I think we learn 2 very important lessons from this.
1. We know Jesus was more than just a man – One Easter the Wizard of Id comic strip had one ant climbing up the cross to read the sign above Jesus head. Another asked him what it said and he responded, “It says ‘to be continued’”. Without an empty tomb, the cross would lose its meaning.
2. We know we can be forgiven – We all face two major problems: sin and death. Jesus dealt with both of those problems so that we wouldn’t have to. The cross pays for our sin (Hebrews 9:27).
3. We know that death is not the end – The resurrection proves there is life after death.

Pilate offered the Jews on that fateful day to either release Jesus or a notorious criminal named Barabbas. Pilate wrongly assumed it was a no brainer and given the choice they’d choose to release Jesus. But the crowd instead told him to crucify Jesus and give them Barabbas. Imagine being Barabbas in the jail cell. He obviously heard a great commotion and then hears the people start to chant his name. He doesn’t know why they are calling his name but thinks they must be calling for his head. Then he hears the keys rattle in the jail cell door and with trembling knees and faint heart he’s told he’s being taken to Pilate. Once before Pilate, Pilate tells him, “You know you deserve death.” Then after a long pause Pilate exclaims, “You are free to go, this man (pointing at Jesus) is taking your place!”

Now substitute your name for Barabbas. One day the keys of death will rattle at your life’s door. Maybe you are at first frightened by the prospect. You know that you have sinned throughout your life and you deserve whatever comes your way. Then you appear for the Lord God the Righteous Judge and with great trepidation you await your just punishment. But then the Father welcomes you to heaven pointing at His Son and exclaiming “He took your place!” That is true when you know Christ as your Savior. It’s not “over” … the fact you are here shows there’s still time for you to come to Christ!

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Are you lonely?

I googled the word “lonely” today and it shows 328 million hits. Gallup’s research shows that at any given moment 4 of 10 Americans are suffering from feelings of loneliness. Research shows that feelings of loneliness are not healthy. Loneliness is no respecter of persons and each person processes loneliness differently. Some turn to food or drugs, while others turn to wrong relationships. Some become work-a-holics while others become recluses. I started thinking today of all the songs written about these feelings. Whether it’s Paul McCartney asking “Where do all the lonely people come from?” or Elvis singing about the hotel at the “end of lonely street called Heartbreak Hotel”, it’s obvious these feelings abound. It was Albert Einstein that said “It is strange to be known so universally & yet to be so lonely.”

I think there are 4 types of friends. We all have “contact” friends that we say hello to when we pass in the hallway. We have “casual” friends that we share common interests with and can talk about those interests. We have those we call “close” friends that we feel we can be somewhat open with. But if we are really fortunate we have a few that we can call “committed” friends; those who will stand by your side no matter what.

Committed friendships differ from others because of a willingness to sacrifice. When you love someone this way you will sacrifice for their best interests. Friendship that’s not willing to sacrifice for the other is not much a friendship. I love the story I read a few years ago from just outside St. Louis. In April 2004, 9 year old Mak Shulist battled brain cancer. It was deemed “incurable” and it quickly robbed young Mak of his eyesight. The Make-A-Wish foundation decided they would do something for Mak and asked him what he would like. Typically kids request from them things like meeting their favorite celebrity or a trip to Disney World. But nothing prepared them for Mak’s request.

Mak attended Ellisville Elementary school even after his diagnosis. Despite receiving chemotherapy and radiation, little Mak started the 3rd grade that Fall with his friends. So when his health finally failed and the Make-A-Wish Foundation got involved, they were stunned when all Mak asked for was for them to build a rock-climbing wall at his school for his friends. Will Randall, one of his classmates said, “I thought he was going to wish that there was a medicine or something, and he just wished for that and I was like whoa, he's nice.” As Mak’s condition worsened the Foundation hurried to finish the 7 foot wall. From the time they granted his request to the time kids climbed on the wall, only 2 weeks had passed. Thursday April 9, 2004, Ellisville’s principle videotaped students climbing on the wall. Students described on the video what it was like to climb the wall. The video was rushed to Mak’s house and his parents turned the volume up high so they could be assured Mak heard it. The next day, Friday April 9, 2004 Mak died. Michael Stafford, one of Mak's friends said, “'Every time I get on this wall I will think about him and what he did for us.”

The next time you are feeling lonely, remember there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. Remember His friendship is not extended to us because we are worthy of that kind of friendship. In spite of the way we treat Him by our propensity to willingly sin, He loves us and remains committed to His relationship with us. I’m thankful today for the friend I find in Jesus!

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Have courage today

Courage is a middle English word dating back to around 1300. It’s French and Latin derivatives are both rooted in the word “heart”. It’s defined on www.dictionary.com as “the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery”.

Courage is a quality normally reserved for soldiers, firefighters, and police officers. From our earliest days, we are often taught, under the very real guise of caution, to not be courageous. We’re told things like “don't take unnecessary risks… Don't draw attention to yourself in public… Don't talk to strangers… Keep an eye out for suspicious people… Stay safe.” Not that any of those are invalid concerns, but they tend to work against the idea of courage. But as I sit here thinking this afternoon I’m confronted with the thought that being a disciple, a Christ-follower, takes courage, especially in the times in which we live.

Everyone wants courage as evidenced by a wikihow article I found entitled “How to have courage: 5 steps”. The article states these 5 principles lead to courage:
1. Do one little thing outside your comfort zone every day
2. Believe in yourself
3. Create some goals for each day
4. Have a good attitude
5. Don’t hesitate

While these are positive steps that might make you a better person, I’m not sure they get at the idea that God had in mind when in Joshua 1 He told Joshua to “be of good courage”. I like John Piper’s definition of Christian courage. He states, “Christian courage is the willingness to say and do the right thing regardless of the earthly cost”. The bible is filled with saints that serve as examples of this type courage.
Noah – it took courage to build a boat when no one had ever seen rain and he was nowhere near water. It took courage for him to faithfully proclaim God’s coming judgment to a society that mocked him.
David – it took courage to face a giant named Goliath with no visible weapon save a sling and 5 stones. But knowing that God was with him gave him the courage to do so.
Gideon – it took courage to face as Judges 7 says an army “as numerous as locusts … as the sand by the seashore in multitude” with only 300 men and no weapons. Gideon did have the knowledge that “If God is for us, who shall be against us.”
Daniel – it took courage to refuse to eat of the kings table even though “everyone was doing it”.
Esther – it took courage to go before the king without an invitation. To do so was risking sudden death. But she knew God had raised her up “for such a time as this”

So here’s what I’m getting at for you and me. Like Noah let us faithfully do whatever God has called us to, even if that means being ridiculed by those of the world. Like David, whatever “giant” you are facing today, be of good courage for God has said that He will “never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). Like Gideon some of you face huge odds that seemingly are against you today. Remember that God does His best work when we get to the end of ourselves and simply say “God if this is going to happen, it’s going to take You doing it.” Like Daniel, some of you need to stand strong today against the temptation to give in to societal pressures. Do what is right, not necessarily what is popular. Like Esther, some of you need to have the courage today to come before the “King” … not that it takes courage to come to God as He openly invites us into His presence. But you need the courage to come clean with Him and then accept His making you clean through forgiveness. Be courageous today!

Monday, February 27, 2012

Fear of failure

Most of us are afraid of failure. If I think there’s a chance we might fail at something, I have to fight the temptation to not even try. If I asked you to name a great baseball player who would you name? Many might say Hank Aaron for hitting 755 home runs. But Hank also struck out 1,383 times. What about a great NFL quarterback? Joe Montana played in 8 pro bowls and won 4 Super Bowls. But did you realize he threw 1,982 incomplete passes and 139 interceptions … failure.

In the Parable of the Talents found in Matthew 25:14-ff we read of three servants entrusted with “talents” from their master. One of the three became so paralyzed by fear, he buried the talent until the master returned. He’d rather return only what he’d been given than run the risk of losing that talent.

Maybe today you are afraid of failing. You watch people around you succeed and yet you are crippled at the thought of failing to the point you don’t even try. If that describes you, I want to share 4 things with you that will hopefully allow you to move forward from fear; to take risks that honor God.

First, you need to discover that everyone fails … yes everyone! James 3:2 says “For we all stumble in many things.” In his book The Incomplete Book of Failures Stephen Pile shares some things that make this point. Michael Jordan was cut from his middle school basketball team for “lacking talent” and when he played in the NBA he missed 51% of his shots. Albert Einstein had a teacher who said about him, “He is mentally slow, unsociable and adrift forever in his foolish dreams.” How many great men of the bible failed? Abraham lied and failed to have faith in God and His Word. David, well we don’t even need to go there other than to say the name Bathsheba. Here’s the point … everyone fails.

Second, we need to recognize that failure is not final. Psalm 24:16 says, “For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again.” History is filled with people who failed yet got up and kept going. George Washington lost 2/3 of the battles he fought during the Revolutionary War. Billy Graham when asked to preach his first sermon said he actually prepared 4 sermons and preached them all in less than 10 minutes. When it was over he thought “I’m not cut out for this.” Listen, failure is not the worst thing that can happen to a person. In fact God often uses it in our lives to make us more like Him. John Mark who deserted Paul later became useful to Paul in his ministry. How? Because failure was not final.

Third, we should recognize there are some benefits to failure. Romans 8:28 says that “ALL things work together for the good to them that love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Peter failed at just about everything he tried, from walking on the water to denying Jesus. But through it all he found there are benefits in failure. Here are the benefits I find: 1. Failure educates us. Thomas Edison had 10,000 failures before inventing the light bulb. 2. Failure develops our skills. How do you learn to ride a bike? You likely fell but you got back up and on that bike. 3. Failure tends to make us less judgmental. Without our own failures, it becomes easy to look down our noses at those who fail.

Finally, in regards to failure we need to stop comparing ourselves to others. Our society has become so competitive. But I believe success can be defined as doing your best. God defines success by obedience. Failure is when you don’t even try.

So what are you “failing” at right now? Your marriage? Your parenting? Some spiritual or moral failure? Whatever it is I don’t believe that it has to be final, or even the 1 thing that defines your life! Friend, there’s only one failure that is final … failing to respond to God’s offer of forgiveness through His Son. So you’ve fallen … get up, bandage the hurts, and go on with your life learning from your mistakes. Walk faithfully with your God!

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Faith in the middle of the storm

The 30th President of the United States was Calvin Coolidge. Coolidge was known as a man of few words and when he spoke he was often blunt and to the point. On one occasion a female journalist told the President, "Mr. President, I made a $100 bet with another journalist that I could get you to say more than 3 words. Would you care to comment?" Coolidge smiled at the young lady and coolly said, "You lose". That's how he got the nickname he carried with him to his death ... “Silent Cal”.

I tell you that because there are times in our lives when we think of God as “Silent God”. Amidst painful trials I know I’ve often cried out “Why, God? Why me? Where are you?” and to my dismay heaven often seems to be silent.

If there was ever a poster child for suffering and heartache it would have to be Job in the Old Testament. Job was a healthy wealthy family man with 10 children and a load of livestock. He was also a righteous man; the most righteous on earth. Satan goes to God and accuses Him of buying Job’s worship. Satan says if Job was not blessed so much he’d turn on God. God allows Satan to do anything to Job except take his life. In a short period of time Jobs children all die in a storm, all of his livestock is stolen, his wife tells him to “curse God and die”, and his 3 best friends ask him what great sin is in his life that he hasn’t repented of yet. Through it all Job’s faith BENT but it never BROKE.

I think there are 4 insights that we can learn from the life of Job when our life is in turmoil.

#1 – There’s more going on around us than we can see. Job had no idea of the conversation that took place in heaven but as readers of the scriptures we get the benefit of seeing both scenes unfold. It’s kind of like when we are watching a movie, we are only seeing a small slice of what all is happening. The directors make sure we don’t see things like the lights, assistants holding microphones, the studio. What we are seeing is mere snippets of our life. We see some of the present and remember some of the past but God sees the future and what He’s doing in our life.

#2 – God’s desire is for us to have a personal relationship with Him. I love the fact that in the conversation with Satan it’s God who brings up the name of Job. God loves Job and is proud of His creation. I get the sense it’s almost like a grandparent asking if they’ve showed you a picture recently of their grandchild. God knew not only Job’s name but knew his heart as well. When God looks at you or me he doesn’t see us as a social security number or taxpayer id # … He sees us personally and loves us all the same.

#3 – We need to remember that Satan actively assaults God’s servants. When God asks Satan where he’s been he says he’s been “walking to and fro on the earth.” Peter equated him as a lion seeking those he may devour. Satan actively, aggressively, and continually works to get people to doubt there is a God and that He loves them.

#4 – Genuine faith will sustain you through times of trouble. The bible affirms the fact that our faith is often tested. During these times of trials in our lives the type of faith we have is revealed. I think there are 3 types of faith and I’d be less than honest if I didn’t admit that at times each type has been found in my life. First there’s what I call “fair weather faith”. This faith functions best when the sun is shining and everything in life is going the way you think it should. Those with fair weather faith typically turn on and question God at the first sign of trouble. The second type of faith is what I call “foul weather faith.” It’s the opposite of fair weather faith. Rather than praise God only when the sun is signing, they only turn to God when things go south. Here we tend to try and bargain with God, “God if you will do ______, then I will serve You.” Then when things start to go better we forget about the Lord until the next time things go bad. After 9/11 we saw a lot of “foul weather faithers”. They were in church for a few weeks and when things settled down they were gone again. Finally there is “all weather faith.” This faith says “I will praise the Lord no matter what comes my way.” That’s not where Job started but it is where he ended up. In Job 13:15 we read, “Though He (God) slay me, yet will I trust Him.”

So is the sun shining in your life? Are the storm clouds gathering? What kind of faith do you think you have right now? I wish I could tell you mine was always “all weather faith” but alas my faith is a work in progress.

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