More Than Bread Devotional 4/8/08

Jeremiah 1:17-19
17 "Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them. 18 Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land. 19 They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD.

Have you ever been afraid to speak up for Christ? It isn't unusual. I was reading Ray Comfort's book "Out of the Comfort Zone" and he was relating how he had fear everytime he went to hand out a tract. I still find that hard to believe after seeing him preach open air in the street on so many videos. Part of the key to overcoming that fear is just pushing on through. I will tell you that I also find myself in chicken mode far more than I would like to admit. But we have a word to share that gives life to those who hear it. So, don't be terrified; God is with you.

From the Pastor's Desk column for 3/30/08

The idea of humility is often foreign to today's society. I read a story of a pastor in Chicago, who related to an elder friend his struggles with humility. The friend told him to make a sandwich board with the Gospel message on it and to wear it for an entire day everywhere he walked through the downtown and other areas of Chicago. The pastor took the advice to heart and did just that. At the end of the day as he reflected on the humiliation that he had indeed experienced another thought came into his mind. He found himself patting himself on the back mentally as the only "person in Chicago who would be willing to do something like that." Or there was an old joke about humility, they gave me a humble button as a token of my achievement. But they took it back because I wore it. The teaching of Scripture regarding humility is one of the most challenging. It leaves no doubt about a calling of service that Jesus exemplified in his life. There is no doubt about the fact that the Bible calls Christians to a level of commitment in humility and service that can make many downright uncomfortable. Look at the passages in Philippians 2 and John 13 for a couple of radical examples of humility and service. What does this mean in practical terms? It isn't about me. Selfishness is a path that leads nowhere. Jesus Christ displayed a life that was selfless and powerful. We must equip ourselves with this same attitude.
On the opposite side we find pride. Most of us are very acquainted with pride, even if we don't realize or admit it. If we were to do an honest assessment of our lives we would be the first to admit that selfishness is much more abundant that selflessness. In fact, pride is the number one obstacle to a relationship with God. Many people understand the truth of God's Word and the essence of what He desires from them, but they are unwilling to humble themselves to His will and His way. The first sin in history was the sin of pride, when Satan attempted to exalt himself above God. And it continues to be at the root of most if not all of our problems in this life. Take a self-test of your life and see which is the dominant factor. Take an inventory of your spiritual life and see whose will wins out more often. You have a choice to make in life. Will you choose your own way or will you choose God's way?
If you have comments or questions, you can email me at FBCLangdon@gmail.com.

More Than Bread Devotional 4/7/08

1 Timothy 2:20-21
20 In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. 21 If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

Most of us would probably prefer to be the instruments of gold and silver in the Lord's hands. Those are the places of honor and the high profile services. But there is a need for everyone and everything. Sometimes the dirty work of ministry is overlooked as people strive to do that which is more rewarding or appealing. But did you see the end of verse 21? When we are ready to be used, we are ready for "any good work". If we submit to God and His direction, we give up the right to choose how we are used by Him. It isn't an easy thing to do, because sometimes He may choose to use us for work that we wouldn't pick on our own. And sometimes He may choose to use us in a way that is beyond our wildest dreams. But no matter what, we must be willing to be used by Him.

Harpo the Harpy

My sister sent me an email with a link to a You Tube video of Oprah's new "religion".

I have heard about this stuff she is doing now, but I have ignored her for so long that I didn't pay much attention. But two quotes from this guy stood out to me. He quoted Christ who said, "You are the light of the world" but he neglected the rest of that quote. Here it is from Matt. 5:14-16 "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
In other words, the point of the statement isn't to lift us up or promote our status as "lights". It is to tell us that the way we act as "light" is a reflection of our Father (that would be God) and that those who see our "light" would then praise Him

Additionally, regarding life after death he, in his own words, "doesn't give it any thought". It appears he likes to pick and choose his sayings of Jesus, because Jesus gave a lot of thought and teaching about life after death. Including his admonition to us in Luke 12:4-5 - "I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.

This guy is one of those that will deceive many with a false religion and a false sense of security. If you wish to see the video clip I am referencing from you can watch it below. P.S. If the harpy reference above bothers you, please understand that I used it deliberately because it is appropriate and catchy. One of the definitions of a harpy is snatcher. Oprah is attempting to snatch away people who might believe in Christ as Savior and convince them that he is just this guy you know.

More Than Bread Devotional 4/4/08

Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Life is full of changes. Things that we thought would always last may be gone tomorrow. But there is one thing we can count on to always stay the same; Jesus Christ. His love never changes and He is always there for us. The writer in Hebrews was telling us that Jesus will do the same things for us in our life of faith that He did for all of those who came before us in the faith. He is our Solid Rock when all around us is sinking sand. Lean on Him today, and tomorrow, and the next day.

More Than Bread Devotional 4/3/08

Matthew 12:50
"For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."

I was talking with a girl at AWANA about the fact that she was my sister in Christ. She is nine and had a hard time getting her mind around the concept judging from the reaction I got. But we had a good talk about it. This statement from Jesus is a plain truth for us. We who confess His name and do His will are brothers and sisters of Christ and of each other. This is a great comfort when we may be far away from our flesh and blood family. We are never far away from the family of God. And that family links us all together, no matter where we go.

More Than Bread Devotional 4/2/08

Jeremiah 15:19
19 Therefore this is what the LORD says:
"If you repent, I will restore you
that you may serve me;
if you utter worthy, not worthless, words,
you will be my spokesman.
Let this people turn to you,
but you must not turn to them.

We have a duty as believers to speak the truth and to walk worthy of our calling. Jeremiah was struggling here with the difficulty of standing for the truth when all others around him did what they pleased. I think the word here from the Lord applies to us in our day and time as well. We cannot change our message to what people want to hear. We must continue to speak worthy of the Lord and His message and allow people to turn to Him.

More Than Bread Devotional 4/1/08

Psalm 137:8-9
8 O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction,
happy is he who repays you
for what you have done to us-
9 he who seizes your infants
and dashes them against the rocks.

Have you ever gotten really angry over something? You know that it is wrong but you just can't seem to help yourself. I think it helps if we express that anger by telling God how we feel. I am not suggesting taking your anger out on Him. I am saying that you should share your thoughts out loud with Him in prayer. Sure He already knows what you are thinking, but it can be good to just get it out sometimes. And it is certainly better than taking it out on someone unsuspecting. Here, the Psalmist is pouring out his anger and hurt. It is best to let it go. After all, sometimes there just aren't enough rocks. : )

More Than Bread Devotional 3/31/08

Acts 20:36-38
36 When he had said this, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. 37 They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. 38 What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.

I always thought that Paul has gotten a bit of a bad rap sometimes. A lot of people, particularly those who are not Christians think of him as a harsh, judgmental kind of guy. But there are some real heartwarming and affectionate glimpses of Paul in his life. This scene as he leaves Ephesus is a good picture of that. Wherever he went, the people he served grew to love him very much. And really that should be the case for all of us. While it is impossible to please everyone or be liked by everyone, it is still our goal to live peacefully with all. We should always be developing those relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ that will bridge the gap and hold us together, no matter where we go.

More Than Bread Devotional 3/27/08

Acts 19:8-10
8 Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. 9 But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10 This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.

Have you ever talked to someone about God or spiritual things and felt like you were talking to a brick wall? Take heart from the example of Paul. He spent three months speaking in the synagogue and there were people there that just refused to get it. They started talking badly about him and the people who believed his message as well. But Paul continued to speak and to share for two years in the area until all had the message of the Gospel. We are not responsible to make people believe the truth, but we are responsible to share the truth with any who haven't heard.

From the Pastor's Desk Column for 3/24/08

What is the most important thing in your life? Is it your family? Is it your health? Is it a prized possession? The Bible asks us all the question, “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and yet loses his soul?” So I ask you again, what is the most important thing in your life?
I have a shirt that says, “The main thing is to keep the main thing, the main thing.” Which is a really confusing way of saying that we should keep our priorities straight. Last week I mentioned that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. In other words, it is the “main thing” in Christianity. Paul put it this way in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.”
Yesterday, lots of people celebrated Easter, or as my kids have come to call it “Resurrection Day”. When Christ rose from the dead, it confirmed His message, His ministry and His mission. Because of the truth of the resurrection, we don't have the option of thinking of Christ as just a great teacher or a great man or a good example to follow. He has to be the main thing. Anything less is an insult to Him and to all that He said and did. He said, “The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.”(John 12:25-26)
Back to our original question of the most important thing. I hope you see that the most important thing in life isn't our family or our health or our things at all; it is following Christ.

More Than Bread Devotional 3/26/08

Phillipians 3:15-16
15 All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

I was reading these verses and it reminded me of my fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Rogers. She managed to do something that amazed us even to this day. For that one year of my academic life, I made all "A's" in school. She had a way of motivating and drawing out potential in me that I never really understood at the time and never managed to duplicate at that level in school again(much to my Mom's dismay). Here Paul is encouraging us to live up to what we already have. This seems kind of strange until you realize the implications of it. Just like my teacher was able to get the most out of me by expecting and encouraging the best. Paul is looking to help us get the most we can by encouraging us to do the best we can. Look at his earlier admonition to press toward the goal. And in the next chapter he tells us we can do all things through Christ. Be encouraged. You can do it.

More Than Bread Devotional 3/25/08

Isaiah 58:2-10
2 For day after day they seek me out;
they seem eager to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that does what is right
and has not forsaken the commands of its God.
They ask me for just decisions
and seem eager for God to come near them.
3 'Why have we fasted,' they say,
'and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves,
and you have not noticed?'
"Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please
and exploit all your workers.
4 Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,
and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
and expect your voice to be heard on high.
5 Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
only a day for a man to humble himself?
Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed
and for lying on sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the LORD ?
6 "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
"If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.

I know this is a long one, but hang with me here. I was listening to a sermon by another pastor tonight and this thought struck me. Why is there such a disconnect in our culture between our professed love for God and our obedience of His ways? Or to put it another way, how can we say we love God when we don't keep His commandments? I spent several days witnessing to people at the Sturgis Bike Rally one year. After I shared the gospel with them, many would say, "Oh, yeah I already know that" or "Yeah I have done that"(referring to praying to receive Jesus as Savior and Lord). But the observable lifestyle of the people I was talking to led me to ask one more question. Jesus said, "If you love me you will keep my commandments"; do you keep His commandments? This usually started a great list of excuses on the part of most individuals and a list of unrealized intentions from others. But it gets to the heart of our relationship with God. I heard it said once that people will always find time to do exactly what they want to do, and I have found the same to be true in my life. What about you?

Disappointments

I tried to watch the Razorbacks play today against North Carolina but it was no use. CBS here wasn't going to switch to the game and the internet feed was worthless. In fact, judging by what little I did see in the stops and starts, the feed was much like the Razorback's play in the game. Spotty and frustrating and frequently frozen in place. The audio stream part of the feed held up a little better, but the only thing more frustrating than watching the Hogs lose is having to listen to Billy Packer chime in on the whole thing. For pete's sake, can't CBS find someone better for their "A-list" team? I would rather listen to Dick Vitale yell for 40 minutes of ACC kissing up than to hear Packer do it. Ah well, perhaps next year will be better. It certainly seems like it could be.

Climate change hysteria

Last week I ranted about the Southern Baptist statement on climate change. Today I found more evidence why there is no need to talk about climate change as a human induced phenomena.

Duffy: "Can you tell us about NASA's Aqua satellite, because I understand some of the data we're now getting is quite important in our understanding of how climate works?"

Marohasy: "That's right. The satellite was only launched in 2002 and it enabled the collection of data, not just on temperature but also on cloud formation and water vapour. What all the climate models suggest is that, when you've got warming from additional carbon dioxide, this will result in increased water vapour, so you're going to get a positive feedback. That's what the models have been indicating. What this great data from the NASA Aqua satellite ... (is) actually showing is just the opposite, that with a little bit of warming, weather processes are compensating, so they're actually limiting the greenhouse effect and you're getting a negative rather than a positive feedback."

There are more statements like this one in the article, but I find it fascinating that the base result of the article is this. People who fly off at the handle with minimal facts are usually found to be unintelligent. The global warming crowd hasn't needed a lot of facts and when the facts do show up the reaction is predictable like this quote shows:

Duffy: "The climate is actually, in one way anyway, more robust than was assumed in the climate models?"

Marohasy: "That's right ... These findings actually aren't being disputed by the meteorological community. They're having trouble digesting the findings, they're acknowledging the findings, they're acknowledging that the data from NASA's Aqua satellite is not how the models predict, and I think they're about to recognise that the models really do need to be overhauled and that when they are overhauled they will probably show greatly reduced future warming projected as a consequence of carbon dioxide."

Duffy: "From what you're saying, it sounds like the implications of this could beconsiderable ..."

Marohasy: "That's right, very much so. The policy implications are enormous. The meteorological community at the moment is really just coming to terms with the output from this NASA Aqua satellite and (climate scientist) Roy Spencer's interpretation of them. His work is published, his work is accepted, but I think people are still in shock at this point."

Score one for common sense and level-headed thinking.

From the Pastor's Desk column for 3/17

I heard a joke a couple of weeks ago that the surest way to convert an atheist to Christianity was to challenge him/her to write a book disproving the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Some of my favorite writers have actually come to know Christ as Savior and Lord this very way. It is amazing, but not surprising when you think about it, that the evidence in support of Christ's resurrection is so overwhelming. After all, the very truth and credibility of Christianity itself hinges on this event in human history. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:14-15, “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead.”
So in a real sense, if one could disprove the resurrection of Christ, the whole of Christianity would be proved to be a lie. But be careful. As I said before, many have attempted just such a thing and have found themselves instead changed by the truth. I recently took a college course where the instructor had previously been a skeptic of the resurrection. He mentioned that there are certain facts about the death and resurrection of Christ that most anyone, even skeptics can agree upon. For example, most would agree that Jesus indeed was put to death by the Romans by crucifixion. They would further agree that his disciples claimed to have Christ alive afterwards and spread this message in Jerusalem, which is where the death took place. Most critics will also allow that Paul(Saul) and James, the brother of Jesus who had doubted Him, both started out as antagonists of the teaching of Jesus' resurrection, but were later found to be among the most vocal advocates. Paul, in fact, wrote much of the New Testament that bears witness to Christ's identity and teaching and resurrection. It is Paul who gives us much of the best evidence for Christ's resurrection in his earlier writings, like 1 Corinthians. The other thing that is important to note is those who have attempted to explain away the truth of the resurrection of Christ have been unable to do so(remember what I said at the start of this article?). As I said before, many who have tried instead become convinced that the only reasonable conclusion is that the resurrection did in fact happen. You don't have to take my word for it however. Look into it yourself. God didn't intend for us to believe in Him blindly. You don't need to make a “leap of faith” to know Him. God is big enough to withstand a little scrutiny, if you are willing to consider the fact that He is in fact who He says He is.
As we get ready to celebrate the resurrection this Easter, I encourage you to look into it for yourself if you never have before. If you want to read more, I encourage you to check out some excellent resources online from authors such as Josh McDowell or Lee Strobel or Gary Habermas. These men have done all the hard work of research as skeptics who became believers. If you want to know more or have questions, I am always willing to talk further.

More Than Bread Devotional 3/21/08

Isaiah 53:5-6
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

Hundreds of years before Jesus made His long walk to the cross and suffered and died there for us, the prophet Isaiah recorded this message. This entire section of Isaiah tells the story of God's Suffering Servant, whom we have the benefit of knowing as our Lord Jesus Christ. As this weekend brings us a chance to focus on the death and resurrection of Christ, it is good to remember all that He did for us. Through Him we can have peace with God and healing of the relationship that we tear apart with our own choices and actions. We have a message to tell the world. Turn from your own way and follow Jesus.

More Than Bread Devotional 3/20/08

Isaiah 52:10
10 The LORD will lay bare his holy arm
in the sight of all the nations,
and all the ends of the earth will see
the salvation of our God.

This is a great verse. This whole section of Isaiah deals with the coming Messiah. And in a way, this verse actually foresees the Great Commission that Christ gave to us all with the promise that He would be with us. All the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God as we spread the Good News to every nation on earth. As we get ready to celebrate His resurrection this Sunday, let us not forget to spread the news of the real reason for this season as well.

More Than Bread Devotional 3/19/08

Isaiah 38:4-6
4 Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah: 5 "Go and tell Hezekiah, 'This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life. 6 And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city.

This is an interesting passage in the Bible. These verses come right after Hezekiah has prayed desperately to the Lord because Isaiah told him that God said he was going to die. It reminds us that God hears our prayers and responds to us with love. He absolutely cares about everything that you are going through. No thing is too big or too small to talk to Him about. He is always listening.

More Than Bread Devotional 3/18/08

Ezekiel 33:30-32
30 "As for you, son of man, your countrymen are talking together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, saying to each other, 'Come and hear the message that has come from the LORD.' 31 My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. 32 Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice.

As a pastor, I can relate to this passage. Of course, we all can relate to both sides of it. You can certainly recount a time when you heard a message and knew it was true, but failed to put it into practice. The important thing to note here is that we can learn from mistakes of the past. When you hear a message and God is speaking to you, put it into practice. If you don't, then you might as well have been at a concert or a movie. Let God's Word sink in and change you today.

More Than Bread Devotional 3/17/08

Matthew 7:21-23
21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

I was thinking about this today. Many of those people who were shouting "Hosanna" and "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord" to Jesus on Palm Sunday as He entered Jerusalem, were probably a part of the crowd shouting "crucify Him!" later in the week. It isn't enough to simply acknowledge with our lips that Jesus is Lord, we must acknowledge Him with our lives. We must be willing to live our lives with Him as Lord of us and all that we are.

More Than Bread Devotional 3/14/08

Acts 7:2-5
2 To this he replied: "Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran. 3 'Leave your country and your people,' God said, 'and go to the land I will show you.'
4 "So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After the death of his father, God sent him to this land where you are now living. 5 He gave him no inheritance here, not even a foot of ground. But God promised him that he and his descendants after him would possess the land, even though at that time Abraham had no child.

We were talking about Abraham in our Bible study on Thursday night. It is amazing to think that he set out without even knowing where he was going, just based on the Word of God. It is even more amazing as we see just how much he trusted God and His promises, even though many of them never came true during his lifetime. Abraham is held out as an example of faith that we can and should emulate. Where is God asking you to go? What is He asking you to do? He will be faithful to His part. Can you show the same kind of faith in Him that Abraham did?

More Than Bread Devotional 3/13/08

Hebrews 12:26-29
26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." 27 The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our "God is a consuming fire."

Do you ever have those days when everything seems a little shakey? Consider these words from Hebrews. As created things we can sometimes find ourselves shaking and quaking and not firmly planted. But if we place ourselves in God's hands, He will keep us firm in those times. Look at Psalm 94:18 - 18 When I said, "My foot is slipping," your love, O LORD, supported me.
And also at Psalm 94:22 - 22 But the LORD has become my fortress, and my God the rock in whom I take refuge.
God is rock steady and our refuge in those times when we are not. Run to him when you feel the shakes and the quakes in life.

More Than Bread Devotional 3/11/08

1 Corinthians 16:10-11
10 If Timothy comes, see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with you, for he is carrying on the work of the Lord, just as I am. 11 No one, then, should refuse to accept him. Send him on his way in peace so that he may return to me. I am expecting him along with the brothers.

I got to tell you that I really like Timothy. I can really relate to him in a lot of ways. I have been doing a sermon series at church through the book of 1 Timothy, but I hadn't remembered this verse until I read it today. Timothy had some problems with confidence and courage it seems. Paul frequently encourages Timothy in his two letters to him and here we see that he asked other people to help Timothy as well. This is something we can all do for our brothers and sisters. Do you know what your best friends weaknesses are? Do you actively seek to help him/her overcome those things? As believers, we should be quick to help each other in our areas of weakness.

From the Pastor's Desk Column for 3/10

In last week's column, I mentioned the Ten Commandments as an example of God's standard. It is amazing to think that what was once so foundational to our nation and its laws is now cast off and almost unknown. I ran across an interesting story a couple of years ago regarding the symbols of the Ten Commandments at the Supreme Court of the United States. There are six depictions of Moses and/or the Ten Commandments at the Supreme Court building in Washington D.C., but apparently the latest tourist information attempts to pass off most of these representations as references to the Bill of Rights. This is not intended to be a political column, rather I wish to address the trend to move the Ten Commandments out of the public eye.
I saw a man on the street type of video a few years ago that showed more people who could name ten different brands of beer than could name the Ten Commandments. If it weren't so sad, it would be laughable. There has never been a point in human history where God said that these commandments weren't valid. In fact, they still serve a very valid purpose. These commandments show us the character and nature of God. They show that He is holy and just in a way that we simply do not measure up to no matter how hard we try. What we see when we look into the Bible is first and foremost a glimpse at the reality of why we are the way we are. I believe that the Ten Commandments have been pushed from the public eye mainly because they make us uncomfortably aware that we don't measure up to God's standard. In fact there is no way that we ever could. It seems like the most common phrase I hear as a reason for a mistake being made is that, “I'm just human”.
There is one human being in recorded history who never made a mistake. His name is Jesus Christ. He was more than “just human”; He was God incarnate. This is the time of year when we celebrate the fact that He did something for us that we couldn't do for ourselves. He lived a perfect life and then put Himself in our place, on our behalf, before God. Because He didn't break the commandments of God, He was able to take the punishment for breaking them in our place. He paid a debt He didn't owe for you and for me. Next week, we will look at the resurrection of Jesus as the best attested event in human history.

I think I am going to be sick

Since when did the Southern Baptist Convention start listening to Al Gore? I ran across this article that makes me nauseous a few minutes ago about the Southern Baptist Declaration on the Environment and Climate Change. This comes out as spring approaches after some record-breaking snowfall in the Unites States no less. I am just sitting here in stunned disbelief. I have met two of these signatories; I was even a member of one of the churches whose pastor signed this thing. There are plenty of scientists who say that this whole thing is sheer hysteria, and even though I was born in the 70s, I still remember that it wasn't that long ago we were bombarded with the "danger" of a coming ice age. Nevermind that there is good evidence that much of the hysteria is based on bad data from bad data collection methods. What bothers me is that this is unnecessary on the whole. It makes me evermore glad to be a Southern Baptist, since this has no effect whatsoever on my church or any other church that doesn't want to pay it any mind. And shouldn't we be reading our Bibles anyway before we listen to science. God is in control here and He is much bigger than my minivan or hairspray can. This earth isn't going anywhere or doing anything until He says so. Props to Joseph Farah for pointing out Genesis 8:22: "As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease." So put that in your climate change panic case and close it. I will leave you with this to put it in perspective.
Psalm 8:3-4
3 When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?

Do we seriously think ourselves so big now that we can destroy what God has put together? Get real.

More Than Bread Devotional

Malachi 2:17
17 You have wearied the LORD with your words.
"How have we wearied him?" you ask.
By saying, "All who do evil are good in the eyes of the LORD, and he is pleased with them" or "Where is the God of justice?"

We live in a world that tries to blur the lines of right and wrong. In fact, many prefer to make up their own standard of right and wrong based on anything from their personal feelings to a pleasure derivative calculation equation to you name it. The truth is that any system of right and wrong that has no objective basis is doomed to failure. God has provided a standard for us and He has the authority to make it stand. It has proven to be timeless and true. We should be confident to state what is good or evil based on God's standard of judgment without reservation. Be bold to call evil what it is. The God of justice is ever-present and His judgment is coming soon.

More Than Bread Devotional 3/10/08

Genesis 12:6-7
6 Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great
tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the
land. 7 The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I
will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had
appeared to him.

As some of you may already know, my sister Gina is traveling to
Israel this week. I was thinking about the land and nation of Israel
and its reminder to us even today that God is faithful to His
promises. Think about it. He promised Abraham that his offspring
would live there in that place. They have lived there for a long
time and continue to live there to this day. Always remember this
one thing. God is faithful. You can take it to the bank. If you
ever have doubts about His faithfulness, just take a quick glace at
the people of Israel, living today again in the promised land.

More Than Bread 3/7/08

Joel 2:12-13
12 "Even now," declares the LORD,
"return to me with all your heart,
with fasting and weeping and mourning."
13 Rend your heart
and not your garments.
Return to the LORD your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
and he relents from sending calamity.

I have been pondering this idea more and more lately. The thing that God desires most from us isn't the proper words or even the proper actions; it is the proper attitude of our heart that He desires most. You can see it over and over again throughout Scripture. God doesn't want you to just do the right things; He wants you to be right. An outward show with no inward truth will fool a lot of people, but it can never fool God.

The Rehab of Martin Luther

Pope Benedict XVI is a hard one to figure out. I saw a news story today that he has come out and said that Martin Luther was only trying to cleanse the church. Is he really the first Pope to figure this out? I am not a Lutheran, but I have a lot of respect for Martin Luther and what he did. It takes a lot of courage to stand in the face of that much pressure and hold fast to your convictions. Many of us may never know what it means to be challenged in such a manner. Surely his demeanor and his unwillingness to flinch in the face of that pressure should have been enough to give the Catholic church pause before now. There was no doubt that he was sincere and the perspective of time has surely shown that his gripes about indulgences and other issues were legitimate. It was just last July that the Pope said that non-Catholic Christians are "defective". I love my Catholic brothers and sisters, but I cannot in good faith be a part of the Catholic church because some of the teachings are still unScriptural in my assessment. I have had many good discussions with friends who are Catholic and I have taken many a hard look in the Bible myself at the teachings that bother me the most, but I have been unable to reconsile them. In fact, one of those issues has taken another point today. If Pope Bendict XVI is right about Luther now, then Pope Leo X was wrong to excommunicate him then. I know that they wish to limit the scope of Papal infallibility in order to prevent problems, but shouldn't a Pope be in "infallible mode" if you will when he excommunicates someone from the church?

More Than Bread 3/6/08

Deuteronomy 4:1-2
1 Hear now, O Israel, the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you. 2 Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the LORD your God that I give you.

When I read this passage at first I find myself asking, who in the world would add to God's laws? Aren't they comprehensive enough? But if you think about it, the temptation to add to God's commands has existed since the beginning. Remember what Eve did in the garden when the serpent asked her about the fruit? She took the command of God that they couldn't eat from the tree and added that they couldn't even touch it. It is amazing to think that even the simplest commandment of God could get twisted by a simple addition. The Pharisees in Jesus' day had made a career of adding things to what God requires. I think the important lesson for us is to stick to what God says and not get sidetracked by all the things man is tempted to add.

More Than Bread 3/5/08

Deuteronomy 6:4-9
4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

This passage is one that has been foundational to God's relationship with His people for a long time. We know that Jesus referred back to this when he said that to love the Lord with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength and to love our neighbor as ourself were the foundation of the law itself. Some Hebrews actually take this very literally and wear symbols on their hands and foreheads. I think it is very important for us to keep the truth of God's Word before us at every moment. Is it on your mirror? What about your steering wheel? Do you think it would be wise to put the commandments of God in front of us more? I think we could all see a difference in our lives if we focus more on His Word.

From the Pastor's Desk Column for 3/3

I have the privilege this month of supplying the pastor's column for the local paper (Cavalier County Republican) for this month. I will post them here after they are published in the paper if any are interested in reading them. Here is the first column.

Recently, there was a scary scene in the hockey world. A young player named Richard Zednik was cut in the throat by another player's skate in what would surely be seen as a freak incident. The skate cut into his carotid artery and put his life in serious danger. I saw on television that he stated he began to wonder if he would see his four year old daughter ever again. Life is a gift that we often take for granted. It is staggering statistic. 10 out of 10 humans die. We all know that this is true, but we rarely take the time to contemplate our own death. The Bible tells us that there is a day appointed for each of us when we die and then we will face the judgment of God. Have you considered how you would fare in this judgment?
Let's take a look at one of God's well known standards. Have you kept the Ten Commandments? Have you ever told a lie? I don't know of anyone that hasn't. What about theft, have you ever stolen anything, regardless of its value? It is a rare person indeed who has never stolen something. Have you ever used God's name as a curse word? It's called blasphemy and in today's society it seems to be the norm rather than the exception. We have only looked at three of the ten and already most of us are batting 0 for 3. This is the reason that Romans 3:23 says, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” When you stand in God's courtroom on your appointed day, will you be innocent or guilty? The Bible is clear that we are all guilty before God, because none of us could live up to His standard. The Bible is also clear about the consequence of a guilty verdict. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” There is good news here. There is One standing in the courtroom at God's judgment who is willing to take your place. Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins and for yours as well. He offers to stand in our place, if we will let Him. If we acknowledge our guilt before God and repent of doing things our own way, God can forgive us because of Christ's sacrifice. Read the Bible to know God's way of living and do what it says. A new commandment takes its place in your life. 1 John 3:23-24 says, “And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.”
No one knows the hour or the day we will be called from this life to face the judgment of God. But there is no excuse for any of us to go unprepared to face Him on that day. If you have questions or comments, I would be glad to talk to you more.

More Than Bread 3/4/08

Joshua 1:6-9
6 "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

Did you notice how many times Joshua was told by God to be strong and courageous? It comes as part of a promise that God would be with Joshua wherever he went. We have a similar promise from Jesus Christ in Matthew 28:20b-"And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." So I say to you, be strong and courageous. The Lord of Hosts is at our side.

More Than Bread 2/29/08

Psalm 121:1-4
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

I missed getting the devotional yesterday, because I hit the road to go to a friends wedding this weekend. In the process, we drove through a lot of snow and slippery conditions. I am not sure that this promise(not to slip) extends to vehicles. But the promise that God continues to watch over us and does not slumber is always true. No matter what time it is or what you are facing, God is there for you. Call on your everpresent help in your time of need.

More Than Bread 2/27/08

Job 12:2-5
2 "Doubtless you are the people,
and wisdom will die with you!
3 But I have a mind as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.
Who does not know all these things?
4 "I have become a laughingstock to my friends,
though I called upon God and he answered—
a mere laughingstock, though righteous and blameless!
5 Men at ease have contempt for misfortune
as the fate of those whose feet are slipping.

Here Job is replying to one of his "friends" who had basically told him that all of his trouble was self-caused. We of course know that Job had done nothing wrong. Job also knew he had done nothing to bring this on himself. What caught my eye was verse 5. It is easy for us to think less of a person in the midst of trouble when we think they have "brought it on themselves". But it would be much wiser to step back and try to relate. I took a crack at curling for the first time. I learned a valuable lesson in the process. It is easier to watch people on the ice than it is to try and manuver on the ice yourself. I fell a couple of times trying to learn how to balance. I may have even provided a chuckle or two to some of those watching. The lesson from Job is to not look down on the troubles of others, when we are in comfort and ease. We should be willing instead to come alongside and be a support and a help in their time of need.

Are you serious about evangelism?

I posted some of these same thoughts at my other blog, but I wanted to place them here as well becuase I think it is very important.
Evangelism is one of those things that we all know we need to do, but many of us put off doing.  I for one have used more excuses than I can remember for why I couldn't talk to someone about Christ.  Well, I am getting sick of my excuses.  Sharing the gospel isn't an optional thing for any of us.  Most of us probably are afraid to share with others.  Maybe we are afraid of saying the wrong thing.  Of course, if you are a believer in Jesus Christ, all you need to do is share how he changed your life.  There is no way you can get that wrong.  I saw a video as a part of my class, where Ray Comfort asked believers if they could overcome their fear of witnessing if they were given $1000 dollars for every person they witnessed to.  What a convicting question.  I have made a couple of adjustments in my life based on what I saw.  First, I decided that I needed to go and put my money where my heart is.  A couple of years ago, I heard about an organization called Gospel for Asia.  They are involved in using native missionaries to share with their people the Gospel of Christ.  For $30/month, you can be involved in sponsoring a pastor who is spreading the Gospel in Asia.  I know that it isn't as heartwarming perhaps as sponsoring a hungry child, but imagine the impact of this kind of sponsorship on the Kingdom of God.  I encourage you to check them out.  But even more than that, I encourage you to share your own story whenever you can.  

More Than Bread 2/26/08

Romans 12:15
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.

This verse really struck a chord with me. I did my first ever funeral as a pastor on Monday. It was for a lady who didn't have much family around and whose children no longer have anything to do with her. I never got to actually talk to her here on this earth, but I got to know a few things about her from some who did. What I noticed though, was that the compassion I felt for her and the family she has that I will never meet took me by surprise. I found myself on several occasions over the weekend, thinking about this woman and praying for her family and grieving the hurt that must be there. It wasn't something I take credit for personally. I believe it was the work of the Holy Spirit, living out this passage in me. While it is true that we can never totally understand and fully experience the joy or the hurt of another person. We are told here that we should share in it, both the joy and the pain.

More Than Bread 2/25/08

2 Corinthians 5:11-15
11 Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. 12 We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. 13 If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

Where do you get your motivation? What is it that makes another Monday exciting? Sharing our faith is something that many are reluctant to do, and I speak from personal experience. But as we understand God better, we cannot get around the fact that we are called to tell the good news to all. Paul says that Christ's love compels us to live for Him and not for ourselves. This is our motivation. Getting up and getting out is a new chance to share the love of Christ with others. We don't have a choice in this. The love of Christ compels(urges, motivates, prods, you get the point) us to go.

More Than Bread 2/22/08

2 Timothy 2:20-21
20 In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. 21 If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

In our house, we use a lot of paper plates. They are easy to microwave stuff on and you don't have to wash them. You just throw them away. But if we are going to entertain and want to impress, we have a whole set of really great dishes that look fabulous. Of course, some of them have never been used(I guess we aren't much on impressing folks). But as I read this passage, I thought about this in a little different light. Most of us, by nature, want to be seen and heard and admired even. And that isn't automatically a bad desire. But wouldn't it be far better to be useful instead of decorative? Don't worry too much about your visibility; work instead on your availability.

More Than Bread 2/21/08

1 Samuel 10:20-22
20 When Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, the tribe of Benjamin was chosen. 21 Then he brought forward the tribe of Benjamin, clan by clan, and Matri's clan was chosen. Finally Saul son of Kish was chosen. But when they looked for him, he was not to be found. 22 So they inquired further of the LORD, "Has the man come here yet?"
And the LORD said, "Yes, he has hidden himself among the baggage."

Have you ever felt like God has called you to do something, but that it was just too much. Maybe that God's request was simply too overwhelming. You are in good company. When Saul was annointed king of Israel, he was a little overwhelmed it would seem. When it was time for him to be introduced as king, he went and hid. This was no small feat, since he was a head taller than everyone else. But notice here that God knew exactly where he was and called him out of hiding. God is like that in other places in the Bible. Just look at Jonah for example. So, if God is calling you to do something. Get to it. Don't try to hide. God will come seeking and He always finds who He is looking for.

More Than Bread 2/20/08

Romans 13:8-10
8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." 10 Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

There are a lot of folks that get confused by the requirements of the law to modern Christianity. We obviously know that the 10 Commandments are still valid but the Bible also says that we can eat whatever we want. How do we draw the line between what is OK under grace and what is still forbidden if you will? I was reading this passage and it summed it up rather nicely. The commandments that God expects us to obey are summed up in one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." It sounds so simple, but it definitely isn't easy. But this is what we are called to do. It's all about love.

More Than Bread 2/19/08

1 Timothy 1:15-17
15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

In modern society there is a big push for self-esteem, or self confidence. And I am not against healthy self-esteem, but I think it is important to have a proper view of ourself and how we stand before God. Most of us wouldn't think to place ourselves in the category of the chief of sinners. In fact, most of us think that we are pretty OK people. But in the light of God's holiness, we get a very different picture. The truth is that we are all undeserving of God's mercy, but He has given us mercy anyway, to display His unlimited patience as an example for others. Are you living your life as an example to others of what God can do?

More Than Bread 2/18/08

Romans 8:26-27
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

I used to teach this principle to youth by using the word Dude, a lot. It is amazing how much of our communication with each other is done with voice inflection, tone, body language and so forth, and how little of it is done with the actual words we use. Our communication with God is much the same. We don't need high-sounding formal prayers to touch God's heart or get His attention. His Spirit searches our hearts and understands us at our innermost level. Even if you don't have the words to express yourself; cry out to God. He is always listening and He always understands. Even if you just say, "Dude!"

Red Letter Christians

Let me start by saying that I generally like Tony Campolo. He spoke at chapel back in the days that I attended John Brown University and I enjoyed listening to him a lot. I even have a few of his books that I enjoy reading. But today, I ran across a column by him posted at the Huffington post about "Red Letter Christians". Now, the first part about defining Biblical Christianity is something I can heartily agree with in most respects. Certainly when it comes to the core of Christianity as the belief that Jesus is God's Son and the only means of salvation and right standing before God, I have no arguments. My problem comes in the application of that to the political realm. His main complaint is with the religious right and their attempts to politicize evangelical views. In an effort to correct this perceived wrong, he and his fellow Red Letter Christians are seeking to take the opposite end of the spectrum and make it the politically correct fold for "true" Christianity.
Seemingly it has never occurred to either of them that Jesus never sought to forge a political party or alliances. In fact, the idea of taking over the government to use its power to "make things right" is foreign to Christ's teaching. Remember it was Christ who said in John 18:36: "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place." The emphasis that Campolo places on trying to create this kingdom in the now is not what Christ had intended. We as Christians should work within government to change things for the better when we can. But we shouldn't do this by bringing to bear the force of government to make everyone be charitable. It is wrong to take other's money to help those in need if we do it by force. He cites the example of Bergen, NJ and the deplorable conditions there, but I would be willing to guess that the conditions have been created by many of the things he is advocating. Simply giving people anything and everything they can possibly need does not make people better. Indeed, a lack of ownership by those same people tends to lead them in the opposite direction. If you want to see what government taking care of every need can do, simply visit a couple of the Reservations our government has set up for Native Americans.
The real truth is that our nation is now invested in taking more and more of the God-given liberty that our founders espoused from the people. The call for universal health care sounds benevolent and good, but it is simply a means to give the government more control over each individual in its sphere of power. Instead of all good things coming from our Creator, the new call is for all good things to come from a kind and generous government. I have a better question for Tony and all of those who agree with him about using the government to usher in the "Kingdom of God" here on earth. What if we took our government back to its original purpose? What if we stopped allowing the government to take 1/3 or more of what most people earn and gave them the ability instead to use that money to personally help others. Once upon a time, hospitals and charities and nursing homes were indeed the province of the church and the Christian community. We have lost our way, by allowing, expecting, or even encouraging the government to take over our responsibility to love our neighbor as ourselves. This call from Christ cannot be fulfilled by a big government solution. It can only be fulfilled by Christians who are determined to personally live out their beliefs working together. The strong arm of government is not the one that God desires to use for His Kingdom work. In an ironic twist, those who I am certain would decry legalism in our Christian life are entirely in favor of "legalism" as a solution to our national woes. He says in the article:

We Red Letter Christians consider ignoring the necessity of legislation to address such careless disregard as more than a disgrace: We call it sinful.

If Christians elect to use the government to solve all of these issues that Campolo addresses, then it would be government that would get the glory, if it were to actually succeed(which is doubtful). God doesn't share His glory with anyone or anything. Jesus is not a Republican. Nor is He a Democrat. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

More Than Bread Devotional 2/6/08

2 Peter 1:5-9
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

The Christian life is one of steady progression. We see throughout Scripture the need for personal growth in our relationship with God. Here, Peter outlines for us a general checkup if you will. It isn't so much that things have to appear in your life in this order. But the things mentioned here should be showing up in all of us who call on His name. The positive way to say verse 8 is that if we posses these qualities we will be effective and productive in our Christian life. We can make an impact on those around us as we grow in these things. That's why Peter urges us to make every effort to do so.

More Than Bread

I used to post the devotionals I wrote on this blog back in the days when I filled in for my sister.  I think I am going to start posting more of them here again.  Here is the one for 2/5/08.  It made me think of this blog and my new title for it.

1 Samuel 3:10
The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!"
Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."

Have you ever wanted God to just speak to you? I know that I have had times in life I wished God would just show up and say something, anything really. But as I reflected on this today, I had another question for myself. How often do I stop long enough to listen? In the rush and rumble of everyday life, we can quickly drown out what God might have to say to us. If you are in a time in your life right now where you wish God would just say something, try slowing down to listen. Maybe you won't hear an audible voice, but you will hear Him speak.

Language Lessons

I am not sure whether to laugh or cry at this news.  Apparently, some not so bright people in the south are starting to use the word Canadians to refer to black people.  What am I supposed to do now.  I live near Canada these days, but I am originally from the south.  Are people going to start thinking I am a racist when I talk about Canadians?  I guess this is further proof of the crazy world we live in today.  

I am working on a paper for one of my classes at Liberty and it got me to thinking.  What is it about us that makes us feel as if we need to defend God and His nature.  When the Bible clearly says over and over again that we are not able to understand God's ways completely, why do we feel like we should rush in on some topic that seems incomprehesible and quickly start explaining.  One of these areas is the nature of hell and eternal punishment.  There are many people that are offended by the idea that God can be called merciful and yet allow someone to spend eternity in a place that is undoubtedly the worst place in the universe to be.  Some will go so far as to say that they are unwilling to accept or believe in a God that could do such a thing.  My only answer to that is to say that I may not understand it fully or be able to explain it to that person's liking, but I am not about to try and change what God has told us in no uncertain terms.  I am more than willing to live and let live when there is no clear view or understanding on a subject (there are plenty of them), but I have no desire to do theological backflips and contortions just to make someone feel better either.  If God is the Being that the Bible says He is, and I believe that to be true with good reason, then I am in no position to try and be His PR guy to someone else.  He is big enough and has enough credibilty on His own, without me trying to stand in His defense.  

Circular Reasoning

Maybe it is because of this Philosophy class, but I find myself more than a little annoyed when someone argues in a circle.  You know what I mean.  For instance, I have decided that I like Ron Paul in the Republican Presidential primary.  Actually, it's a caucus here, which I have never done before so it ought to be interesting to say the least.  But when I talk to some people, whom I will not name, it turns out that they can't support him.  Which is fine with me, except that the reason that they can't support him is because he doesn't/won't get enough votes.  When I ask, if it is possible that the reason he doesn't get enough votes is because of this attitude, I inevitably get the brush off.  It just drives me a little crazy that someone who can be otherwise very intelligent and thoughtful can be trapped within such a silly logical loop.  I am one of those people who has voted for the  Constitution party presidential candidate in the past because I stick with my principles before I stick with a party.  My friend thinks I am stubborn for not bowing to practicality and maybe I am stubborn.  But in this case I consider it a good thing.  I truly believe that if I have the priviledge to vote for people who have an influence on our government then I should at least do so with a sense of obligation and conviction to principles that will not bend.  In an election year where Rush Limbaugh has finally said that he might not vote for the Republican nominee for president depending on who it is, I feel vindicated that I have been on the right (pun intended) side of things for the entire time.

I like to read a lot.  I am looking forward to getting a chance to read Vox Day's new book, The Irrational Atheist.  But today, as I was reading his blog I saw a post that detailed arguments from a reader centered partially around Carl Sagan's quote, "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence."  Vox did a wonderful job of highlighting the logical problems in this claim, but I have now heard this phrase twice this week and would like to take a different tack on it.  Since, the extraordinary claim part is undefined let me fill this in for the case of Christianity.  Perhaps the most extraordinary claim that drives many people crazy, indeed it appeared to be the main problem this guy had with it as well, is that it claims to have the exclusive means of pleasing God and entering Heaven.  The gentleman was asking how to choose which religion is right, so I feel this is a fair assumption to make.  Taking this in mind, let's look at a few facts.  Christianity is centered on the person of Jesus Christ and His claims.  He is the one who claimed to be the Way, the Truth and the Life and in fact followed that up by saying that no one could get to Heaven except through Him.  This qualifies as an extraordinary claim.  What kind of extraordinary evidence did He present to back it up?  You can probably guess my answer here; His resurrection from the dead after His crucifixion.  There is a multitude of reasonable evidence to support the claims made by the disciples that Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to them.  This claim would certainly be good evidence that His teachings were true, in fact this evidence could be considered extraordinary since it doesn't happen every day.  I could certainly attempt to reproduce the list of evidence here, but in the interest of time, let me instead point you to the resources that I have used to study and discover much of this for myself.  The works of Josh McDowell are my favorites as he was an atheist who set out to disprove the resurrection as a historical event.  In the process, the data he collected led him to the unthinkable conclusion that the resurrection had indeed happened.  More recently, and part of the inspiration behind this post in fact, I have become aware of the work of Dr. Gary Habermas at Liberty University.  His website gives a lot of great information as well.  I encourage you to look at the facts with a critical mind.  God can withstand scrutiny.  He has given us extraordinary evidence to back His extraordinary claim, because it is the center of the Christian faith.

The real danger of Joel Osteen

I was reading another blog.  One that I get to about once or twice a month called the Internet Monk.  I first found him a few years back before we moved from Arkansas to South Dakota.  I could relate to some of the questions he raised back then about the Catholic faith.  I am one who studies what I believe and even questions it at times to make sure that what I believe is true.  After all, if it doesn't withstand scrutiny then why believe it?  I enjoy reading there and today in my perusal I ran across a reference to a story that Slate did about Joel Osteen.  I must admit that Mr. Osteen is one of those folks who have caught my attention on many occaisions for his lack of sound theology.  I heard the interview on Larry King where he said he doesn't talk about sin.  I have even taken the time to watch a couple of times when he was on TV.  I must say that I have always considered him dangerous in the sense that he gives enough of the truth to grab people and mislead them.  I think he fits the descriptions given in 2 Timothy of teachers who will say what their audience wants to hear.  There are several warnings in both 1 and 2 Timothy that fit the situation actually.  In any case, this story in Slate is fascinating because it is written by a publication that I am pretty sure no one would classify as religious.  As I have aged and matured, I have been less and less willing to pass judgment on believers whose doctrine didn't match mine completely, but only to the extent that those believers are still teaching the truth about the gospel of Christ.  That all men are sinners (yes, there is that word again), and that the only means of payment for that debt of sin before God is the blood of Jesus Christ who died for us on the cross and then rose from the dead on the third day.  If a "minister" is unwilling to even address sin or its consequences in our relationship with God then it is an automatic nonstarter with me.  Joel Osteen is preaching a gospel that reduces God to a personal assistant, or as the writer in Slate says, "This is a long, long way down the road from the inscrutable, infant-damning theology of this country's Calvinist forebears—it is, rather, a just-in-time economy's vision of salvation, an eerily collapsible spiritual narcissism that downgrades the divine image into the job description for a lifestyle concierge."  I am disturbed by this notion in part because this writer has hit on one of the things that has always bothered me in the health and wealth gospel.  There are certainly verses in the Bible that point to God's desire for us to do well and to be well, but there are plenty more that indicate that this is not the normal state of affairs for everyone.  Jesus said to His disciples that they would have trouble in this world (John 16:33).  Bible doctrine is no good if it isn't true to the whole counsel of Scripture.  I could go on but there are others who have said this much more succinctly.

I changed the name of this blog today.  I took the new name from this passage in 1 Kings 19:11-13:

11 The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by."
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

It is a reminder that God doesn't always speak or even often speak above the noise.  I need a place to put the random thoughts and musings that catch my eye, but don't fit in with the blogging that I do to keep our friends and family updated on life in general.  

I am going to attempt to bring this blog back to life.  And I found the perfect story to start with today.  Ann Coulter has gone and done it now.  She made folks mad once again, now by suggesting that everything would be better off if we were all Christians.  This harkens me back to the statements by some people that equate radical Islam with radical Christianity and suggest that both are equally bad.  The problem with this is that if by radical we are to infer someone who lives their convictions out to their total ends then we would end up on two different ends of the equations.  With radical Islam you have people who are prepared to kill others, themselves as well if needed, to promote/spread their faith.  With radical Christians, you have people who are willing to die(notice the difference here) if needed just to make sure someone has the chance to hear their message.  If Christians were to live a life radically adjusted to be like the life of Christ, they will not walk around killing others.  Instead they will live a life that is at heart self-sacrificing for the benefit of others.  Now don't you think that would indeed make the world a better place?

New York City!!
Now they say that Jewish and Muslim symbols have a secular dimension but that Christian symbols are "purely religious". What pray tell are they talking about? Why a nativity scene of course. Apparently they may not even be sure that the birth of Jesus even happened like that. It was of course something those nutty first century folks exaggerated to no end.
Why is it that we think we know better what happened 2 millennia ago than do the original eyewitnesses? It seems pretty arrogant to me.
This goes along with what I have long held about religious discussions in the public area. Watch yourself and see if you think I am right. Christianity is treated differently in the public marketplace of ideas. I hold that the reason for this is that it is True. I put forward that a religion that is not wholly True is not a threat. Therefore Christianity that is based on historical, truthful, undeniable facts, is a threat like no other to people in certain places.

I picked a good time to get back to blogging. This story on FoxNews' website has one of the most outrageous quotes I have ever seen.
"Judicial selection should be based on principle, not on pigment. The president cheapens the process when he substitutes race for rationality or color for capability," Bond said.
This guy is speaking on behalf of the NAACP. It seems like only yesterday that these folks were screaming about letting minorities into Michigan Law School based on the pigment, race, color or whatever else you want to call it. Why do these people make such patently absurd statements like this? The reason is because they have turned skin color into a political classification rather than a racial one. I have literally seen them say that someone isn't black or Hispanic enough?!? What the heck can you mean by that. More and more they are simply being exposed for what they are; bigots of a different stripe.

The problem is this. If politicians do the right thing and cut social programs for the elderly so that their government won't go in a financial hole. Those same elderly voters will go to the poles and make sure they don't get any more chances to do the right thing.
The solution in Germany to combat this. Give children a vote to counterbalance. This would be extremely laughable if these people weren't dead serious.

This is too funny to let stand without comment. I saw this on Barbara Streisand's webpage, where I had gone to read her sobbing about the movement of the Reagan movie to Showtime.

Regardless of what you think about Grey Davis, we should all be able to agree that we must now stop this attempted hijacking of the democratic process. Impeaching Clinton ...Florida and the 2000 election ... Redistricting in Texas ... now California... What makes the Right Wing think they can just bully and buy their way into power? If we allow this recall to win, we will be setting a dangerous precedent. In this unfair process, a candidate receiving just 30% of the vote could beat Davis, even if the governor receives 49%. Our governor was elected fair and square just a year ago. He deserves the opportunity to serve out his time in office. So get out there on October 7th and vote no on recall !!!

Apparently the "Right Wing" has been bullying those angels in the Democrat party when they have pursued Constitutional and lawful means to a)redress Clinton's perjury and obstruction of the law, b)stop a runaway Florida Supreme Court that tried to change election laws after the election was finished, c)allow lawmakers in Texas doing what lawmakers have always done in redistricting procedures, d)let California citizens exercise their lawful provisions for recalling a governor that more and more people were growing to despise. Thanks for the laughs Barbara.

It has been a time of transition. I started a different blog to keep my ministry partners up to date and neglected this one. However, I am getting so sick of seeing these common sense propositions touted by someone as part of a great "discovery". So I am going to come back to this blog for my commentary on life in general.
Can we by some chance in this country find our way back to the place where we won't be stunned to discover that a)men and women are different, b)kids do better when their parents are paying attention to them, c)insert other commonly held piece of good old common sense here.
It's enought to make you spit.

A must read column by Vox Day at WorldNetDaily today.

I am going to be writing somewhat more frequently for the next month until things get really busy before our move to SD. I am excited this Fourth of July. I am thinking about independence and all that it means. Not just our independence as a nation, but the freedom that God offers us through His Son, Jesus Christ. It is silly for people to say that America is not a Christian nation, because the very notion that has held this nation together has been a deeply rooted truth of the Christian faith. Which is to say that true Freedom and Liberty can only be maintained with proper form and restraint. Our Founders set us up as a nation of laws that restricted our license, doing whatever we want to do, in order to preserve true freedom. For them, license was the antithesis of liberty. We have lost sight of that in our era, aided by a Supreme Court that continues to find new "rights" which amount to nothing more than justifications for the types of "license" our Founding Fathers understood as destruction for freedom and liberty.

I also want to thank John Rabe for his wonderful blog entry on July 2nd which compares the SCOTUS' authority to the Magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church. I had not thought of it in that light before, and I couldn't agree more.

In an effort to remind everybody where government checks come from, Neal Boortz has written this wonderful column.

I went a whole month without writing, but it was a busy month. I traveled to South Dakota with my family, because we have felt God's calling in our lives to go and minister in that part of the country. When we got there, God made himself plainly known, and we found the place of service that He has been preparing for us. It is an exciting time but a busy one. I am going to start a second blog for daily ministry information later this summer and will keep this blog going for musings of other sorts (political, social or otherwise)

This time the brief siesta from writing was intentional. I have been spending more time studying and reading the Word of God, known to some as the Bible. I have been spending less time on the computer and watching TV to accomplish this. It is truly wonderful the things that God has done this past week during this time. My faith has grown by leaps and bounds as I have watched God work and speak in my life and through His Word. I highly recommend pushing things that distract you from focusing on God into the background for a week or even just a day and see what He does in your life.

I haven't written in two weeks. It wasn't an intentional hiatus. It was more of a combination of preoccupation with other things and having nothing to say here during that time that has kept me from writing anything. I have been reading a studying a lot. Last night I just finished re-reading a book called "Safely Home" by Randy Alcorn. He has quickly grown to become one of my favorite authors and his books continue to challenge me in my walk with Christ and my faith. He has a website Eternal Perspective Ministries. I have been amazed by his heart for God and at his ability to spur others on through his writings. There are many things that we as Christians can get bogged down with. Our favorite doctrinal dispute, or a sin that so easily besets us, but our Lord calls us to focus on Him. When we do this as we should, those things that bog us down will take care of themselves. I have seen people spend days arguing over Calvinist and Armenian positions, or whether the war in Iraq is a just war. That stuff is not important, it is temporary. What is important is that God loved us so much he sent his Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sin, and that there is no other way to get into God's Presence (Heaven) except that you go through the blood of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. That is Truth and Grace.

Isaiah 40:28-31
28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

Are you feeling a little weary? It's Friday and that helps a lot of people get through the day, but here is better help. God gives strength to the weary. In the New Testament it says, "in our weakness he is strong". So take comfort in the Lord. He gives us strength when we need it most. He never grows weary, and he never runs out of strength.

Today's More Than Bread:
1 Peter 4:7-11
7The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. 8Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. 11If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

With things going the way they are these days, it is sometimes tempting to think that the end is near, and it may well be. However, that is just more reason for us to be diligent. When you speak or when you serve others, be sure to do it in God's strength and with His mind. That takes prayer and lots of it. It also takes a lot of love.

I have seen two different columns today siting one example from Safwan last week as evidence that the Iraqi people don't want to be liberated. First it was Paul Sperry of WorldNetDaily, then Ilana Mercer at the same website, who engaged in this silliness. Listen if you want to voice opposition to the war, fine. That's your perogative. But don't misconstrue the facts. I have read at least a half-dozen accounts of this episode where Iraqis shouted, ""Our blood, our souls, we give to you, Saddam!". Now some of these erstwhile journalist probed deeper and discovered that the scene was being watched by some of Saddam's henchmen. Which simply means these chanters are not idiots. They don't like putting their families in jeopardy needlessly. Some journalist accounts of the same scene mention nothing of the sort, which leads me to conclude that they were a)lazy or b)prejudiced in their reporting. I will be kind and say it was laziness that led them to make this error. But to those who use this as ammo for your opinion columns I say, "Get all of the facts first."

Today's More Than Bread:
John 15:4
Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

Have you been trying to do things for God lately and seem to get nowhere? Sometimes we try and do Godly things under our own power. We plot out how we can "get the job done", and forget that God already knows how the job will be finished. I am not saying that we shouldn't plan ahead, but I am saying that we had better consult the Planner first. There is an old Petra song in my head this morning that says, "Without Him we can do nothing". What are you trying to do without God's help?

Jeff

Here is an interesting little blurb in the news today:

The Dixie Chicks controversy continues with the trio getting some support from former Vice President Al Gore. Gore spoke to a college audience last week on the subject of fewer companies owning more media outlets, and what he sees as the increasing lack of tolerance for opposing views.

According to the Tennessean, Gore used recent attacks on the Dixie Chicks that followed anti-war comments by Natalie Maines as an example. Gore told the audience, "They were made to feel un-American and risked economic retaliation because of what was said. Our democracy has taken a hit," Gore said. "Our best protection is free and open debate."

Record sales have fallen for the Chicks and radio stations across the country banned the trio's music after Maines told a London concert crowd that she was "ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas." Maines later released an apology.


Seems to me that the backlash came mostly from the Dixie Chick's fans and that the radio stations were responding to the public mood, not creating it. I don't know how the brilliant man who created the internet missed that, but it would seem he did. Apparently free and open debate doesn't include room for people to express disagreement with his views.

Gong to continue to post the More Than Bread devotionals here each day as well. I am still filling in writing for my sister. I liked the verses from Romans 12 last night so much, I wrote on them. Here is today's:

Romans 12:1-2
1Therefore, 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.

When I was a kid, I watched Sesame Street. Sometimes they had this segment with a song that went, "One of these things is not like the other, One of these things does not belong." I remember how easy it was to pick out the thing that was out of place. We as Christians should be the same way. When people see our behavior, they should say, "That's different" or "I wonder why they did that". The rest of the 12th chapter of Romans outlines some of the ways we will behave when our lives are transformed according to God's will. Take some time to read it today. And be different.

Making up for lost time. Found a good article about our friends in France at FrontPage magazine. You can read it here.

In another totally different matter, I noticed an article about sex before marriage and the Church of England's stand on it. The more I think about this; the more laughable it is. Essentially, you have these people worrying about whether God's views on sex before marriage are outdated. Like in this quote:

"More generally, it is clear that all the media now present cohabitation uncritically as the practical equivalent of marriage, and in this context it is difficult for the Church, perhaps especially at the local level, to present Christian teaching about marriage in a positive and attractive light," the report says.

In his contribution, Peter Grinyer, a reader in Lingfield parish and a member of the cohabitation working party, continues: "The great majority of people I talked to agreed that there is an urgent need for the Church to come to terms with a changed society, and to provide a new, and what some may consider radical, even heretical, understanding of sexual relationships for the 21st century."

Unless the Church was prepared to reconsider its teaching on sex and permit "the exploration and discovery of sexual intimacy" as an important part of a developing relationship, the Church would have little to say on cohabitation that was of value. And if the Church came to be seen as irrelevant in this area, "this risks demeaning and undermining its whole witness and ministry to society", Mr Grinyer says.


I simply cannot figure out where a group of people who profess belief in a God who is all-knowing, would dare to think that He might not have realized how hard it would be to wait until marriage to have sex when we get a little farther along in the history of the world. Just another way for another church to say that God is one thing and then behave like it's not true. If you really want to undermine your witness and ministry to society, Mr. Grinyer, become just like it. When there is no difference to be seen; there is no reason to change at all. Christ called us to a different kind of life altogether. We are not to do things according to the way the world thinks they should be done. As the prophet Isaiah says,
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the LORD .
"As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts."
-Isaiah 55:8-9

Instead we are called to live in a way that seems a little odd to modern man, especially in the Western world:

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. Do 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.
-Romans 12:1-2

Peter Arnett gets fired for "telling the truth" about the war. What did he say? That the war isn't going well for the U.S., and that plans are off track. Tell me this Peter. Where is Saddam Hussein? If you know the answer to that question, and it is a location on this earth, then you have a beef. If you don't know the answer to that and neither do the Iraqi army, then you are wrong.

It has been my priviledge the last few weekdays to fill in again on my sister's daily devotional e-mail. I am going to start posting them here as well, or ask her to since she writes here too. If you would like to go look at past ones, you can visit her Yahoo group. You can even sign up for the group to receive them daily in your email. With that said, here is today's:

Psalm 63:1
O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.


How much do you seek God? Do you seek him desperately? Earnestly?
If you have been following any of the war coverage, then you have seen a lot of desert lately. David wrote this Psalm while he was in the desert. Sometimes I don't drink as much water as is recommended. I use other liquids to get me by. I think we do the same thing with God sometimes. We need to seek God in a way that acknowledges that we can't survive without Him. Are you trying to make it by without God, or are you seeking Him earnestly for your survival?

I know it is totally unrelated to the news of the day, but it is such a good feeling to pay off debts that are owed. This month has seen my family pay off three separate debts, two credit card balances and a vehicle. The feeling is very liberating and I highly recommend it.

I have been reading some of the war coverage today, and I came upon this thank you letter by Vox Day at WorldNetDaily.