A General Lack of Respect

March 30, 2008 marked opening day in Major League Baseball here in the states. As is customary, our president threw out the first pitch. This time it was a special inaugural pitch, the first pitch to be tossed from the mound of the Washington Nationals' new baseball stadium.

Unfortunately, the whole scene became a mockery. George W. Bush was booed by thousands of fans. What should have been a celebration of America's greatest pastime instead was a political statement. It was a general lack of respect for the highest office in our land. I don't want to mince any words here. The fact that the president was booed really bothers me.

I know we are in a very unpopular war right now. I know a lot of people blame George Bush. I don't want to be over there, either. I want all of our service men and women to come home just as much as you do. I know the economy is in straits. I know gas prices are at all-time highs. I would like to see some changes, too. But you don't boo the president. You don't disrespect the office of the president.

What is happening these days in the political realm is a microcosm of the moral slide and ignorance of our population as a whole. The apostle Peter once wrote, "...the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries" (2 Pet. 2:9-10).

I think it is interesting that Peter describes those who conduct themselves with a fleshly mind as those who "despise authority," who are "self-willed," and who "are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries." I believe the point is that there are a good number of people in our land who don't want to be governed at all. The only master they desire is the one in the mirror. They make no sacrifices for the country, but they want all the freedom. They are never satisfied, and they always cry for change.

Whether you agree with the president or not is not the thrust of this article. It is about allegiance to a cause, respect for authority, and couth. America is only going to stay great if Americans will demand that they themselves be great. The same is true for the church. Do you respect your elders, even when you don't agree with them? Do you honor the Bible, even when there are some things with which you struggle? Do you obey the elders, even when you know their faults?

If we cannot respect authority, we cannot be ruled. If we cannot be ruled, we cannot have Jesus Christ.

"Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work." ~ Titus 3:1

592+!

Let me begin by apologizing to everybody about the fact that I have not been able to update my blog in some time. First it was the flu, then it was our big day that was coming up.

This last Sunday we had our "Coming Home Sunday." I had been busy trying to invite everyone I knew to worship. The whole congregation had a big part in this successful day.

When the count was tallied, it was 591 in attendance. But actually, the count was taken early and more than 20 came in afterwards. I also attempted to have everyone fill out a registration card and list number of antendees on each card. That total ended up being 592, but I know of a few families and individuals who were there that never filled out a card. So my best estimate was somewhere just over 600.

This was a great day for us, to say the least. Since I have been at Pulaski St. this is the largest number we have seen. Now, I know numbers are not everything, but 600 souls is better than 500, and 500 is better than 400. So we are happy to know that each person was able to hear the gospel and hopefully it will bring fruit if we are patient and do our work.

The longer I preach the more I realize it is all about souls. I have always known this, but this truth is confirmed to me time and again. For those of you who work full time in the kingdom, I want to encourage you not to worry too much about housekeeping. Get out there and win some souls for Christ. I am speaking to myself as well. The more time we spend spreading the word about the truth and the church, while inviting people to worship, the more we can do for the cause of Christ.

I am very thankful for 592+! God deserves all of the glory. He is the only reason why we met. He is the only reason why we do anything.

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen." ` Ephesians 3:20-21

"I'm Stumped!"

Don't you wish you had the confidence you once had when you were a child? I mean, the confidence in yourself - that good feeling that you had about yourself and your abilities? Kids often have no problem going on a ego trip. When we are older, however, and we consider all of the mistakes we have made, we seldom feel good about ourselves. If fact, we can find fault in just about every area of our lives.

Tonight at the dinner table we were playing the question game. This is a good game to play with the family. It will bring laughs and help you to share your thoughts and feelings with your family members. The rules are simple: Somebody poses a question for each person to answer. You are required to think about your true feelings and answer honestly. One question was, "If you could be any cartoon character, who would you be and why?" (I said, Superman, for obvious reasons...although he is more of a hero than a cartoon character, but still...).

When it was my turn to ask a question, I said, "If you could change any one thing about yourself, what would it be?" It was Luke's turn to answer first. What did this 6 year-old say? He thought for a minute, then finally said, "I'm stumped!" Oh, to be six again! To feel that good about yourself! He wouldn't change anything! I wonder what we could accomplish if we could have that kind of confidence?

At first I thought my son could not be more arrogant, then I thought about the implications of his statement. When you are without sin, you can feel that good. I guess he was right. If I had no sins in my life, I wouldn't want to change anything either. What could be better than to be without sin? "I'm stumped!"

"Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:" ~ 1 Pet. 2:22

Leap Day

It is amazing what one extra day can mean. February 29th, 2008 was one of those extra days. If you had an extra day, what would you do with it? I guess if you don't know, then you already blew it. Leap day has come and gone.

This was an extraordinary leap day for me. Besides the regular phone calls, a funeral in the rain, and other work, I had two good friends of mine call me about life changing decisions they had decided to make. One is confidential, and I cannot share it. I can only say that I love my friend and appreciate everything he does and I am confident he will continue to do.

The second friend I can discuss. My friend Wayne Snider decided to become a Christian today. After years of encouragement, love, and patient example from his family and friends, Wayne put Christ on in baptism. He recognized God's longsuffering on his behalf and was thankful. He wasn't going to allow his extra day, one among many, to be wasted.

People sometimes wonder why others do not make the commitment to become a Christian sooner. Why not when they first hear the good news? Why not once they are convinced it is the right thing to do? Why not, when they are tempting the possibility of a tomorrow never realized? I have learned that these questions have no specific answer. Each person must make the decision in their own way. While today is the only day that we have, it may be that today some are simply not ready.

But the love of God is the greatest and most powerful force in existence. The love of God works on the heart of every man. With time and encouragement, it can conquer.

One day many years ago, a man was baptized and went on his way rejoicing. On leap day, I know a man who had every reason to walk, and leap, and praise God. It was an extraordinary day. I am thankful to God for an extra day I will never forget.

"Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!
For indeed your reward is great in heaven..." ~Luke 6:23

The Chariot Ride

Everybody needs somebody. Once on the road to Gaza a man came upon a chariot. In the chariot he saw a man who was reading from the book of Isaiah. But the man didn't understand what he was reading. So the man in the chariot invited the man on the road to join him in his chariot. Everybody needs somebody.

One of the greatest honors one can ever receive is an invitation into someone else's chariot. Seldom do people allow others to ride with them. On occasion, I have been offered such a ride. I am so thankful to those who have asked me to ride with them. In some small way I hope I have helped to make a difference.

There have also been times when I have invited others into my chariot. I am thankful that they were willing to spend time with me, and could help me understand the truth in a better way. They had to be patient with me. They had to know the truth themselves before they could show it to me. I am so grateful for their influence and the changes and hope that their moments in my chariot brought into my life.

We are all riding in a chariot. But where we may be able to go depends on our willingness from time to time to let others ride with us. God urges us, not only to allow others to ride, but also to overtake chariots who need guidance, faith , and hope. And at the end of our lives, when we get to our desired destination, there will be no doubt in our minds about how we were able to arrive safely. In our hearts we will know what made the difference. It was what we learned on the chariot ride.

Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go near and overtake this chariot." ~ Acts 8:29

Overcoming Addiction

Let's face it, we have problems. While each person may have a specific struggle, we are all tempted by our own desires (James 1:13ff). We can only blame ourselves for our sins. But the good news is that sin and temptation can be defeated.

Wayne Jackson (www.christiancourier.com) wrote recently about how to overcome a certain sexual addiction. He laid down the following solution principles, that can really work for addictions of any kind:

Solutions

There are several things that honest souls need to know, and work seriously on, if they would overcome this problem, or any similar one, and live pure in the sight of Almighty God.

(1) They must cultivate a love for God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30). Love is the motivating power behind faith and obedience (Galatians 5:6). You can only do this by immersing yourself in the Scriptures and coming to appreciate their authority and value in your personal life. When Jesus was tempted (Matthew 4:1ff), he appealed to “it is written” as his shield.

(2) Study a wealth of Bible texts on self-control, temperance, etc. A good concordance, e.g., Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, can provide a list of passages relating to these topics. A comprehensive Bible dictionary, or a dictionary of Bible theology, can be very helpful on these themes as well.

(3) Become convinced that you really can do all things in him who is able and willing to “strengthen” (the idea of putting power into something) you (Philippians 4:13). Develop confidence in the Lord by coming close to him through the study of his Word every day.

(4) Talk to God in prayer. Plead with him to help you overcome this weakness. He loves you and wants to assist you and lift you out of spiritual slavery.

(5) Find a Christian friend (perhaps an elder, deacon, or minister), or a parent with whom you may confidentially talk. Confess your weakness and ask for encouragement as you fight the battle. Friendly confidants can be a powerful and wonderful source of strength.

Everybody has that one thing that is keeping them from wholly serving God and enjoying spiritual peace and hope. Jesus came to remove each and every problem from our lives. But we have to make the decision to follow Him. We must put our trust in Him by whom all things are possible (Matt. 19:26).

"Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, 'One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.'" ~ Mark 10:21

"No!"

There is a word that is probably the most important word in our language. Especially for young people, this word must be used often and with emphasis. It will make the difference. It will keep one pure and save one from years of tears. The word is, "No!"

Joseph had been betrayed by his own family. He had been sold as a slave, but he became ruler over Potiphar's household. Potiphar's wife fell in love with Joseph. She waited until nobody would know, to entice him to have sex with her. Joseph probably could have gotten involved without Potiphar or anyone else but God knowing. But Joseph said, No!"

Ruth had lost her husband. Her mother-in-law told her she could go home and seek another husband. She owed nothing to Naomi. But she loved her mother-in-law. She refused to leave her without help and without hope. Naomi told her to leave and start over. But Ruth said, "No!"

Moses had been saved by Pharaoh's daughter. He was raised in Egypt and enjoyed the finest food, clothes, shelter, and education. When he grew up he was forced to make a choice. In order to continue on the house of Pharaoh, he would have to deny his Hebrew heritage. He would have to give up the one true God for the polytheism of the Egyptians. He could have been rich, powerful, and famous in one of the greatest kingdom's in the world. He could have enjoyed the passing pleasures of sin. But Moses said, "No."

He was entitled a king, but only in jest. He was a servant to all. He was a master teacher. He was a friend to the friendless. He was more powerful than the oceans, yet more humble than the least of men. He was spat upon, and struck with fists. People lied to commit him to his death. He was scourged until his organs were visible. A crown of thorns was twisted into his skull until blood ran down his face. As he hung between two thieves, he was given the opporunity to show his true identity. They said, "Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God! Save yourself!" Here was his chance. He could have condemned his accusers, and every sinful man. He could have eased his father's pain. He could have ended his suffering. But Jesus said, "No!"

"But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people." ~ John 2:24 ESV