As I Travel Thru This Pilgrim Land...

I've moved

2009-12-07T18:14:00.001-06:00

www.thispilgrimland.wordpress.com

After almost 2 years with Blogger I have decided to move to Wordpress. Please follow the address above to find it. Thanks to Blogger for the past 2 years. Again, the new blog may be found at www.thispilgrimland.wordpress.com

-- Post From My iPhone

The Writing on the Wall

2009-12-07T08:34:00.012-06:00

This is a story that happened to me yesterday and that aches my heart. This is a story of regret, confusion, and a certain level of anger. This is a story of how a hunt for a tiny Christmas tree turned into a search for God in a dying world. This is a story of Satan jumping into a car and hitching a ride.

My family and I went to our local Christmas tree farm(Tara Place) this past weekend and bought our Christmas tree for this year. It was a fun experience and the farm we visited goes all out to guarantee that you leave feeling ready for Christmas. Despite that fact though, I still wanted to find a small tree to place on the front porch of our home and to cover with lights. It's just something I thought would be neat. Not wanting to pay for said tree though, I decided just to drive around and see if I could find one out in the woods or off the road somewhere.

I tried to sneak away but I had been out with the boys playing that Sunday afternoon. Naturally, when they saw me getting into my vehicle, saw in hand, their curiosity peaked and I soon had two helpers loaded and ready to go with me. As we drove we talked and laughed and the boys were both big eyed and vocal in helping their dad look for that perfect little tree.

Soon enough, I spotted a group of young pine trees off in a field. I knew that one of these would be perfect and they were in a spot that I knew they were growing wild. All that was left to do now was to turn around and cut it down. How I wish I would have never turned around.

As we looked for a place to turn around, the best place was an area up the road where a gas station used to be. As we reached the road, the boys were both talking about how they had never been to this place before so they were both eagerly investigating the scenery. Then I saw it. As I pulled forward, spray painted on a wall were the words that I wasn't prepared to see. Written in large black spray painted letters was a message to one of our local law enforcement officers. This message which started with an "F" and ended with "you" prefaced the name of the officer. Not knowing what to do, I didn't mention it and just tried to speedily drive past.

Then the question came. My 8 year old son, who still thinks that words like stupid, butt, and hate are "bad" words but who reads so very, very well, asks me, his father, "Dad, why does that wall say F___ you?" There was no stuttering, stammering, or blunting of the word. He read it and said it boldly just as I have heard him read words like mother, tree, zoo, or elephant. This fact told me that he did not know he was saying anything bad but that he was simply reading what had been placed in front of him.

Stunned, I was not sure how to answer his question. The first thought that went through my mind was to answer him that some people in this world were trash and that they take pleasure out of defacing and devaluing people's property and that they don't care how their actions affect others. However, my thoughts were quickly changed to answer my son with a Christian response; one that does not counter evil with evil but that rather expresses the reasoning behind why their mother and I so often remind them that the world needs strong Christian young men and why we are trying to train them to be such. Therefore, I answered him, "because there are people in this world who do not know the love of Christ and who do not allow Christ to be the center of every action they take in life." I explained to my sons, sooner than I would have wanted, that this word was a very bad word and one that a Christian should refrain from using because it is very hurtful and powerful. Both of them verbalized understanding but I know now that this word has been firmly planted within their heads and I am very saddened by this. They not only know now how to read it, but how to use it and the power which it holds.

So what is the Christian father to do now? It's not really reasonable or possible to lay down a new family law that says no more taking the kids anywhere in the world. Nor would it be prudent to force the kids to wear blindfolds from now on when we go in the car. I don't think we could afford to replace all the windows in our car with glass that one cannot see out of. So, what to do then?

For whatever reason, my mind goes to the book of Ezra where we find Ezra preparing his followers to move forward in their journey to Jerusalem. Ezra, knowing the dangers that would lie ahead for them on the journey knew what the best answer was and I take great strength and hope in his example today. Ezra writes the following in chapter 8:

Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods. 22For I was ashamed to ask the king for a band of soldiers and horsemen to protect us against the enemy on our way, since we had told the king, "The hand of our God is for good on all who seek him, and the power of his wrath is against all who forsake him." 23So we fasted and implored our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty.

Fearful and concerned about the safety of those he loves, Ezra's action was to humble himself before God and to plead for the protection that they knew they would need. Ezra recognizes that he could ask the king for their physical protection, but to do so would in a sense make Ezra a hypocrite as he has been preaching about how great and powerful his God is. Ezra was placed at a crossroads in which he had to choose to trust God or to trust man. Ezra chose God and later in Ezra 8 we learn that God answered their humility with the protection they so needed.

As a father, there is nothing more important to me in this world than the spiritual and physical protection of my sons. I can build walls, make rules, place blinders, and block the world all that I want. Yet, without the trust that God will keep his promises and will answer prayers for our children, all these other actions are but vanity. Therefore, I do intend to call my local mayor and city council officers and ask that they cover the graffiti up so someone else will not have this same ordeal. Still, I will trust God that He will not allow this Satanic intervention along our journey yesterday to corrupt my sons. Without this trust, I have no hope about any aspect of their life.

Just as a side note. I happen to be friends with the officer to whom the mentioned graffiti is addressed. I spoke to him about it this morning and he says he knew it was there. He's known it was there for almost 2 years. Why does it take 2 years for someone to get something like this taken off of a publicly visible wall?

The Manhattan Declaration - Exactly Who Are You Aligning Yourself With

2009-12-01T11:28:00.003-06:00

In this day and age of it being considered rude to distinguish oneself as a Christian, but rather a Christ-follower, there is little confusion over why so many are so quick to sign the Manhattan Declaration, a document that declares the position of American Christians on life, marriage, and religious liberty. If you have not read this document that is asking for you to sign it, you can read the document in it's fullness here. While I find the main idea behind this as a good idea, I do see several glaring problems. First, and most glaring, where is the gospel in this document? Second, why does this have to be interlaced with political jabs? Third, has anyone really taken a look at who and what you would be aligning yourself with should you sign this document? I don't think that I could say what needs to be said better than some of the people I enjoy reading. I personally am choosing not to sign it as I do not see any need to put my name on some declaration written by the hands of men when I know that my name has been written in the book of life already with the blood of the spotless lamb. I would not condemn anyone who does decide to sign it but I would caution that some look at the drafters of this document and those who agree the most with it. Signing this paper though will not make you a better Christian.

Please take time to read the following links to educate yourself more on this document:

From Pyromaniacs: 19 Questions for the Signers of the Manhattan Declaration

From Dr. James White: The Troubling Aspects of the Manhattan Declaration

From Al Mohler: Why I did sign the Manhattan Declaration (there is nothing I can argue with in these statements)

Muppets Sing Bohemian Rhapsody

2009-12-01T08:46:00.001-06:00

This video may be the best thing I watched on the internet in all of 2009. The Muppets plus a great song = 4 minutes of pure joy for me. I hope you enjoy it as well.

Something to Behold

2009-11-30T13:38:00.006-06:00

As if I need more reasons to love my wife, I have found another that I feel is worth sharing with the world. I will probably get in trouble for this but what she did was and is so inspiring to me that it will be worth it. Not only has she inspired me by her actions but also by the report she returned from her action. I feel that this is worth sharing.

This is a story that begins with disappointment. Last Sunday night, after returning home from church, our home soon began to have the glorious odor of something from the goodie genre cooking in the oven. Upon my investigation, I found that my wife was cooking bread, banana-nut bread to be exact, and it smelt glorious. I knew that she had been speaking of possibly making a Thanksgiving basket to give to the elderly widows who reside around us but I did not know she intended to do it this soon. Disheartened when told that none was for our family, I told her what a great woman she was and how proud I was to be her husband.

She literally spent hours baking these loaves of bread and my heart went back to my childhood and memories of my mother working away to make and deliver her now famous pound cakes to the sick, bereaved, or just her friends. I thought about how fortunate I was to have such a wife and how useless it would be for me to offer her any help. I am mean with the grill but baking is not my forte. Needless to say, I was happy when she was finished and we could settle in and watch the recorded episode of Amazing Race, her favorite show, from that night.

The next day, for some reason that I don't know, I decided to come home and get my lunch. As I pulled into our driveway I was met by Joy and our infant son Kip. They were leaving to go make their deliveries. At first I wanted to ask if that was not something that all of us should do as a family but I quickly realized that this was her mission and that doing this on her timeline and

to her pleasure would be best. So that she would feel no obligation to stay with me while I ate I told her I would just get something to eat elsewhere, told her I loved her, and returned to my office. I couldn't help but smile as I saw her in my rearview mirror with her baskets pushing the stroller on her way to do her good deed.

As the day progressed I thought several times about how it went for her. I wondered if the women were home, if they were warm and welcoming, and if the baby had behaved. I knew in my heart though that all would go well because I knew the driving force behind her action. I knew that the sole purpose of her action was to glorify God and in her own small (easy for me to say) way let his love shine out of her. What a great woman and what an amazing fruit of the spirit that Christ provides.

As I got home though and asked her how it went, I was not met with a message of happiness but rather one of stark realization. While Joy did report that all of the eight widows she visited were happy for the company and that they enjoyed holding and playing with the baby, she was most overwhelmed by the loneliness and quiet that these ladies live in. None of these ladies live in what we would consider desolate situations. They all have large homes but Joy was shocked by the fact that they only use part of their homes. The rest remains shut off and rarely used. They have these homes but live in apartments they build into their homes. What was most shocking ot her though was the quiet they live in. While so many of us reside in homes that always has the television, the radio, the computer, or some other noisy distraction going, these ladies all lived in utter quiet. Joy commented on how she could hear the clocks all ticking and the appliances shutting on and off in an intrusive fashion. Yet, that is the life these ladies, none of whom live more than a few hundred yards from us, live. Desolate, shut off, and quiet is their lifestyle.

That leads to the reason that I write this. How easily are we caught up in our own lives, forgetting about the ones who need our time the most around us? Some of these ladies are the ones who you shake hands with or hug at church on Sunday, never once thinking about what it is they will be returning home to. How happy they must be to have company and someone to spend time with talking to. I can think of widows I personally know who their own children do not even visit them. However, I cannot judge them because the only time I tend to think about visiting them is if they are sick. What a difference we can make in someone's life though by the most simple of good deeds. While I am sure the bread was an added treat, just our time spent with them would be a gift they must cherish. This is not to be done to make our lives or relationship with God better, but rather to glorify God by making someone else's life better.

I struggled over the weekend to think of scripture that would put the light I see my wife in at this time into words. What I came up with was the following:

Psalm 119:124-128

124Deal with your servant according to your steadfast love, and teach me your statutes. 125I am your servant; give me understanding, that I may know your testimonies! 126It is time for the LORD to act, for your law has been broken. 127Therefore I love your commandments above gold, above fine gold. 128Therefore I consider all your precepts to be right; I hate every false way.

That is my wife - how lucky am I

Pilgrim's Map of the Day

2009-11-30T09:25:00.002-06:00

I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Here's your map of what is catching my eye and heart today.

* First up, sometimes you see something that makes you realize how much detail and work God put into the creation. This video about worms, sea stars, and dead seals did that for me. Just watch and think about this creation that we rarely even see, much less think about. God is amazing. Here's the link (embedding was disabled).

* This makes me sad but no more so when I see other people using Christ and

Christianity in marketing ploys. The picture here is of a body spray (think Axe or Bath & Body Works) that somehow uses the scent of Christ to attract the opposite sex. How sad, but at least you get 20% more Jesus free in each can. I wonder what God must think when he sees such things. Just so you know what the "world" thinks of this, this image was found in "comedy" section of the Huffington Post.

* Along the same thought as the above picture comes this picture found in the Museum of Idolatry. I don't think any words I could use could better sum this up than the words used at the Museum of Idolatry.

"Sassy, Savvy, Saved is the slogan for the website for ChurchGurl's 'christian products' for women. We think they forgot one "S" word.....Slutty."

* This made me laugh because there is so much truth tucked within this satirical video. Sadly, this is what so many want despite the Biblical truths that it will never happen. Nice touch with the "Do right or I might smite" plaque in the house. Trey Morgan offered up a nice reminder also that we Christians are to be in the world, just not of it.

The Purpose Driven Death

2009-11-23T14:21:00.002-06:00

Paul's letter to the Galatians is possibly my favorite of all the epistles. Not only does this letter show us that the gospel was now available for both Jew and Gentile it also reveals to us the curse that was the law (see chapter 3) of God and that living a life in which we strive to justify ourselves by law keeping, or following the curse, is foolishness. Why though? Why is Paul so adamant in this letter regarding the fact that the people in this church he had helped to plant are now, for lack of a better phrase, legalistic slaves. I find Paul's answer to this question in the 21st verse of chapter 2 of Galatians where he writes:

"I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness
were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose."

This statement comes after Paul reminded the Galatian church that his life he lives now, although he remains in the flesh, he lives through his faith that Christ Jesus' blood shed on the cross is enough to cover his sins, past and present. Paul, the man who recognized himself as the foremost of sinners (1 Tim. 1:15), is telling this church and us today that although you find yourself unable to satisfy the burden that is the law of God, have hope. His suggestion is not "try harder." His advise as guided by the Holy Spirit to deliver is not, "do better." No, Paul's advise is to remember that there is ZERO righteousness that comes from working the law. Paul's advise is to remember that we Christians are saved by grace that was poured out on the cross at Calvary.

Paul condemns the Christians of Galatia with, to me, the most disheartening words any lover of Christ could hear. He tells them that because they are seeking to please God through their works of human minds and hands, that Christ's bloody and violent death was for nothing. "...Christ died for no purpose." If it were possible for us to save ourselves, or others for that matter, through being good or even being "Christ-like" (I deplore that term, for who of us can be spotless) then there was no purpose for Christ to have suffered as He did. Paul, in the most resounding and condemning of ways reminds these people that God in human flesh came not to save a people who are just choosing not to listen and act or who have some evil agenda, but rather to save a people who are lost, hopeless, and hell-bound without Him.

As we find ourselves today dwelling in a culture of "purpose driven lives" that are powerlessly staggering to find righteousness and their mission here on Earth let us remember the one and only life that has walked on this soil with any truly righteous purpose. As Thanksgiving quickly approaches, are we thankful for the works of our hands or the works of the nail-driven hands? Are we choosing sides based on our own works and wants or are we allowing ourselves to be rinsed of our own helplessness by the blood flowing from Christ's pierced side? Are we seeing our lives as good enough and pointing others to how great we are or are we reminding ourselves and others of our SHARED wretchedness and need for Christ's redemption?

If we are finding ourselves as being like the Galatians or having a life cached with good works we think we can present to God in our own justification, the call to all of us is to repent. To become dependent on our own works, actions, and ideals, or to strive to make others see how to become more loved or pleasing in the eyes of God is idolatry in it's purest form. We need to repent of this and cast all of our hope and care on Christ. The fruits of this will naturally follow. Let us be Christians who don't condemn one another or even the world but rather Christians who help one another in their sinful and lives. Christ died for a purpose. That purpose was to save us, even in our present state today and because no matter how hard we try, we will sin tomorrow. Christ's purpose was to save you and I from sending ourselves to Hell. To think and teach otherwise, as Paul put it, makes Christ's death pointless and with no purpose.

A Beautiful Surprise

2009-11-17T21:58:00.006-06:00

Below is the sight I walked in on as I came home from work yesterday. I snuck this picture but I cannot think of a more beautiful sight then that of your seven-year-old son taking time to read and study the inerrant word of God. My heart leaps for joy to see him doing this on his own.

I love you Luke.

Pilgrim's Map of the Day

2009-11-17T07:25:00.002-06:00

Welcome to all today. Here is what's catching my eye today and helping me to grow. I hope it does the same for you.

* Apprising Ministries provides a great post on the growing homosexual agenda in today's "evangelicalism." This is a detaile post that I suggest you explore the links embedded in it.

* Chris over at Extreme Theology has some pretty poignant observations regarding organizations that boycott businesses for not saying Christmas but that overlook so much worse sins. GOOD STUFF!!

* Deckchair.com offers up an interesting look at some of the world's most unique golf courses/holes.

* FUNNY!!!

* Finally, Adam Faughn has a great post on the problem with apathy. Very insightful.

Not Ordained?

2009-11-12T16:23:00.007-06:00

Following my post regarding the response from Christians and Christian organizations about the recent health care reform vote in our legislature, I have received several dissenting opinions via e-mail (still can't figure out why people don't just use the comment section on the blog). Most of the response to this vote I read came from an e-mail strand from a friend of mine who happens to be a physician. The heart of this e-mail was his apology to his friends and his deceased father regarding what has happened to health care in the U.S. His father was alive and active in the forming of the Medicare and Medicaid programs in the U.S. Basically he was wondering what response he would have for his father if his father asked him what his generation had done to help the less fortunate of the country. It came off as heartfelt and sincere yet this e-mail combined with the posting I referenced above sparked some very harsh words and what appeared to be anger. I have not responded to those e-mails for the most part, as none of them have necessarily embodied the subject of the original post. That being said, there was one statement made that I found particularly bothersome and that I feel warrants some cleaning up.

The statement I refer to came from an e-mail in which the author felt somehow singled out by the posting. I will take this space to say that the post was written to no one particular person and not one particular group/organization. The statement made though was this: "God does not ordain the President of the United States." Actually, scripture says quite the opposite.

There is a number of text to discuss this matter with. We could discuss Timothy 2:1, 2. We could discuss Paul's instruction to the preacher in Titus 3:1. We also could discuss 1 Peter 2: 13-17 whereby we learn the fruit which comes from doing what I was urging in the post in question. "Fear God. Honour the emperor."

However, for this discussion I believe a look into Romans 13 will serve our purpose. It is in Romans 13 that we find Paul's instruction to the Roman church beginning in verse 1: Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. ²Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. ³For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, ⁴for he is God’s servant for your good."

Allow me to preface the rest of what is to be said by saying that at no point will I say that this passage is pointing us to be completely obedient to the powers of a nation. I am saying unequivocally that Paul, in this writing inspired by the Holy Spirit, is telling us that the leaders that are place in a country at any given time are only there because God placed, or ordained, them to be there. This holds true for the Republican who can't stand Obama as it holds true for the Democrat who deplored George Bush. Should God had not wanted Obama to be the president of this great country, then he would not be the president of this great country. Rather this ordination is a blessing or a curse, time will tell but in the meantime we must look at Paul's instruction further.

If one reads the Epistles or any of the works of the first centruy Christians (Justin Martyr, Tertullian, or Athenagoras) one thing is clear. The first century Christian church, our standard, believed that the official teaching of the church should be that obedience and prayers be offered to the rulers of their nation. Let us not forget the tyranny and persecution which they lived through.

The same holds true with Paul. The people he was writing this letter to were historically rebellious against civil power, believing that the only authority and king of the Jews was God. This affected their obedience to paying taxes and some historical accounts, Barclay's in particular, refers to them as nationalistic, dagger-bearing terrorists. They lashed out not only against the Roman government but even their Jewish brethren who dared pay taxes to the Roman government. Paul found this, as I find the current tone from the American Evangelical movement, to be a complete abandonment of any Christian conduct. Paul was striving to say that being a good citizen, even in first century Jerusalem, and Christianity were to go hand in hand.

Question: Will it be possible for the Christians of this country to totally disassociate themselves with the government? If you live in a society, like it or not, you are part of that society. Without seeking your proper documents and setting up residence under another flag, you are not going to be able to cancel your subscription of being an American. We must forget what benefits that includes. However, as citizens, be you atheist or Christian, it is not reasonable that we would expect to relish in the benefits of our citizenship and not have to fulfill any of our civil duties. God did not and I dare say would not, set His children up to navigate themselves through such a difficult scenario.

Of course, one of the biggest benefits we as citizens should be thankful for is protection. Be it by our military, who we so honor and even pray for in our churches, or animal control protecting us from wild animals, the state provides us security. Let us not forget that the nation we live in, or any nation/state for that matter, is basically a group of people who have agreed to intermingle with one another by properly keeping within the boundaries of certain laws and limits. No more, no less. These restrictions or laws are in place to keep the strong and selfish from dominating the weaker.

That last sentence is what I want to focus on for a moment. Are we as Christians that stronger or the weaker in this country? Are we the fearful or the feared? Ten years ago I would have been confident in stating in a blanket manner that the Christians in America are strong and are confident in Christ's promise that He has not left us with a spirit of fear. Today though, as I read the shouts of fear of the future & uncertainty of the upcoming I see a certain lack of faith in God to carry the faithful through no matter what happens. I see compromise and spite, a deadly combination.

Barclay states that Paul saw the Roman Empire as the "divinely ordained instrument to save the world from chaos. Take away that Empire and the world would disintegrate into flying fragments." Paul knew that it was the Roman Empire itself, as evil and persecuting as it was, that gave the Christian missionary ANY chance in the first century to do his work. In Heaven, souls will be bonded by Christian love. We aren't in Heaven ladies and gentlemen and we are not promised Heaven here on Earth (sorry all you Prosperity Gospel lovers). Therefore, since all of us are not tied by Christian love it is the government, the laws, the customs that bind us together. Just as it was the Roman Empire preventing the world from drifting into lawlessness, despite their morals, the U.S. today does the same thing. Paul knew this and so do we if we search scripture. The nation in which you live, regardless of the leaders and their choices, are an instrument of God. Just as the Prince of Persia was set in place in Isaiah to return the tribe of Judah to their home, he did not know that God knew before he allowed him to become leader that this was why God allowed such a thing (and he may never have), our leaders, to their knowledge or not, are doing some part in fulfilling God's work.

It is our duty as Christians to HELP, not devise plans, protests, civil disobedience against them. Help is up for debate but I will contend at this time that no help we can offer is greater than the prayers of the saints. Paul tells you in no uncertain terms, should we resist, we are literally resisting what God has appointed or ordained. Should we search our hearts in honesty we are going to find that our desire to revolt is based on selfishness, Satan's tool, not Christian beliefs. This is why Paul concluded his passage in Romans 13 by stating: "But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. ⁵Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience."

Pictured below are two picture, one being a group of protesting Christians casting judgment. The second is a group in quiet, peaceful prayer. Ask yourself, which do you think would be more likely to have an audience with your gov't leaders at their discretion. Secondly, ask yourself which group you would want to be associated with. Third, ask yourself which has the Father's ear at the given moment.

Emergent Nutshell

2009-11-10T11:29:00.005-06:00

I speak a great deal about the problem that is the Emergent Church in America. Recently, two of the leaders of the Emergent Church, Tony Jones and Doug Pagitt, held the Christianity 21 conference. Sadly, many attended and were exposed to this trash. Below is a video shot at this conference that sums up the idolatry that these individuals not only believe in and profit from, but that is doing more damage to the landscape of America than any atheist could ever dream of doing. Being missional is one thing, but this goes above and beyond. Notice how they replace the word church with "community."

TransFORM: Missional Community Formation from TransFORM on Vimeo.

Pilgrim's Map of the Day

2009-11-10T00:43:00.007-06:00

Hello to all. Here is what is tweaking my interest and thoughts today.

* Watch the video below to witness both an amusing and terrifing commentary about how the camera/media is able to manipulate human behavior.

*Being a "Red Letter Christian" certainly sounds like a noble thing to be. Sadly though, as Ken Silva of Apprising Ministries points out, this new group naming themselves Red Letter Christians are far from being in line with those exact words from scripture.

* Pajama Pages gives us all a quick yet elegant synopsis of exactly what baptism is.

* John Mark Hicks provides us with an excellent answer to the question "Who is Wise & Understanding Among You" (James 3:13). This is a long but fulfilling read.

* Trey Morgan shares a wonderful story of an 8 year old girl telling Satan "Hell no!"

* I found myself becoming physically ill as I watched this video that reveals the heresy known as the Prosperity Gospel and how it is being used in Africa. Please note that just because this is in Africa, you American teachers and followers of this false gospel appear the same way (lost and greedy) as these people in my eyes.

The Prosperity Gospel from The Global Conversation on Vimeo

Mind Controlled

2009-11-09T18:04:00.010-06:00

I find it so disheartening to look around myself today and see the hatred and anger flowing from the mouth, pens, and keyboards of the Christian faith today. It seems not long ago I was posting a similar piece on how many of these same individuals or organizations were reacting to the death of Ted Kennedy. Yet, here we are again, not even three months later, and the same distasteful and putrid ideals and attitudes are creeping back out of these people's dark hearts. Most disturbing is the fact that this is being done in the name of Jesus Christ. Heresy abounds!

Over this past weekend our government here in the great United States of America voted to move forward with legislation that would overhaul the health care system in the United States. The reported motivation behind this is to make health care (access to doctors, medicine, and other assistance) affordable to all those in this country who do not currently have it or who have some form of health care that is inferior to their needs. As with all things, it is much more complicated than that of course, but on the surface, that is the idea. Supposedly we already have such a program in this country, but somehow this system has become messed up and for lack of a better word BROKE, both financially and structurally.

After months of debate, name-calling, and pandering by and to both Democrats and Republicans it now appears that this country is headed toward health care reform. Sadly, the American Christian landscape is filled with groups and individuals who fail to yield to the fact that it is God Himself in control of all things. Sadly, many of these people are willing to cast aside Christ in their lives in order to make their political views known or their displeasure with decisions heard. This is unfortunate to me because so many of these individuals continue to camoflauge themselves in their self-made cloaks of Christianity, giving those of us who truly see God's hand in all things a bad name as well as placing us in a dilemma of having to defend their selfish ambitions. By the way, no more will I be doing that for you, it is time you guys get it together and start relying on Christ.

What I believe is not being seen in this matter is the fact that for whatever reason(s), this country has found itself in a condition that makes it more reminiscent to Iraq than Camelot. Of course the reason given by so many is that this country has turned it's heart from God. I agree! However, at the same time I see that because of this, many today in our borders find themselves similar to the places in the world that we would consider to be God-forsaken. Trust me, in my travels to Israel I have visited places that we are told Biblically that God forsook. Even our worse off are peachy compared to those piles of stone. Yet, despite that our worse off are so well off, can you blame THEM for saying yes when a group walks up saying, "choose me, I will make this better for you. I will make it so your children can get medicine, I will help you find food, I will make your life better." I can't find fault in them for wanting this yet when I hear many of my Christian friends describe the people who voted to put these people in office I hear words like trash, ignorant, stupid, nigger, and worse. I see the groups of men gathered at the backs of churches I attend discussing political matters and feel obligated to turn the other way to avoid those conversations. I get the e-mails depicting these people as anything but children of the one true God in need of His mercy. You people wouldn't know mercy if it hit you in the face and that is why so many of you fail to fathom the fact that you are no better off in the eyes of God than any of these people. You, just as much as them, should be pleading for mercy. I, am pleading for mercy.

We now find ourselves at this crossroad. Seeing the inevitable, I know that many of you will now tuck your tails and run back to begin asking for donations to help you in your "great" Christian causes that are nothing more than thinly veiled political or socio-economic ambitions. Sadly, you will continue to step outside of ANY Biblical authority and bash the current leadership that God saw fit to put in command of the borders in which you reside. Sadly, you will push more and more of the Godless in this country away from the cross, unless they pay and decide to vote, errr, worship with you. Many of you already worship with the people this reform will affect in the most positive sense - would you sign your name to your opinion before handing it to them face-to-face? But ask yourself a question: how many times have you prayed for the people who are so in need of what this leadership is offering? How many times have you asked to God to use you to help provide for them? How many times have you stepped outside of your daily routine or your "JOB" of being a Christian to address the needs that will now be addressed? For the majority who read this, the answer would be few. Yet, you all find time to make funny pictures to e-mail, write books condemning people who are in such lowly states, or even worse, hold assemblies or gatherings in order to all get together and show just how strong you are. I see you as weak today though because while you are all piled together, there is no Christ there. You, just as the God-forsaken are, as you see them too, nothing. No Christ = no life.

Question: Can you possibly live a life for Christ without losing yours? You see, there are people in the world today literally dying for the Christian faith. There are people who if they proclaimed their faith in Christ publicly would be murdered. However, when I search my heart about why I would be against health care reform the only reasons I find to be against it are reasons that affect me and my own wants. I no longer have that right. Yes, can this legislation affect my children's future? Possibly, but I am not a prophet and scripture is silent on this matter. Therefore, in the name of Christ, I keep my mouth shut and look for how God is working in this matter.

In closing, I would like to make one point. In the job that I have one of the benefits is free health insurance for me. That does not include my wife or my three children. In order to insure them the cost is around $750 each month. I am not naive enough to believe that I work in the only company in America where an employee faces this similar financial concern and it is indeed a very painful one. The only way to have more money would be to work another job or for my wife to enter the workforce. This however would take me away from my children even more and should my wife enter the workforce there are "Christians" waiting to crucify her for that. So, let me get this straight: you don't want people in this country to have access to free or affordable health care but at the same time you would agree that in order for everyone to be able to more easily afford it they would have to do things that would put their Christian family at risk. I'm sorry, I can't understand you because you are talking out of both sides of your mouth. I suppose for many of you though, your political affiliations are worth more than the Christians in this country.

Here's my solution: my family and I will see God in everyday that the sun rises. We will look for Him in every problem or unrest that arises. We will trust Him to carry us through no matter what the political landscape looks like. We will pray to Him to not only care for us, but to care for all of his creations. We will honor Him through our agreement that He is the One in control. Should we happen upon some of these people who are so hurting that they would choose the administration they did, we will help them in any way we can, never offering our judgment or condemnation, but rather the gospel of Jesus Christ first and foremost. No letter, bulletin, speech, e-mail, or argument will ever trump or out do that. You have the right to not agree with individuals politically but are your feelings worth your not being in agreement with Christ?

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Pilgrim's Map of the Day

2009-11-06T10:28:00.002-06:00

Here are things that have recently sparked my interest and I find worthy of sharing.

* Jim Martin over at A Place for the God Hungry does a good job of pointing out some people who may have taken a break from humility.

* Michael Hyatt discussed five characteristics of a weak leader.

* Terry Rush from Memorial Drive Church of Christ discusses 7 positive traits he has seen in good elders of the church.

* Watch this video. This female soccer player makes Florida Gators football player Brandon Spikes (infamous this week for his eye gouging incident) look like a big pussy cat. Why are fighting girls so funny to me?

Have a great weekend everyone.

That Sounds About Right

2009-11-06T09:42:00.003-06:00

"Allow me first to apologize for this interruption. I do, like many of you, appreciate the comforts of the everyday routine, the security of the familiar, the tranquility of repetition. I enjoy them as much as any bloke. But in the spirit of commemoration - whereby those important events of the past, usually associated with someone's death or or the end of some awful bloody struggle, are celebrated with a nice holiday - I thought we could mark this November the fifth, a day that is sadly no longer remembered, by taking some time out of our daily lives to sit down and have a little chat.

There are, of course, those who do not want us to speak. I suspect even now orders are being shouted into telephones and men with guns will soon be on their way. Why? Because while the truncheon may be used in lieu of conversation, words will always retain their power. Words offer the means to meaning and for those who will listen, the enunciation of truth. And the truth is, there is something terribly wrong with this country, isn't there?Cruelty and injustice...intolerance and oppression. And where once you had the freedom to object, to think and speak as you saw fit, you now have censors and systems of surveillance, coercing your conformity and soliciting your submission.

How did this happen? Who's to blame? Well certainly there are those who are more responsible than others, and they will be held accountable. But again, truth be told...if you're looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror.

I know why you did it. I know you were afraid. Who wouldn't be? War. Terror. Disease. There were a myriad of problems which conspired to corrupt your reason and rob you of your common sense. Fear got the best of you and in your panic, you turned to the now High Chancellor. He promised you order. He promised you peace. And all he demanded in return was your silent, obedient consent."

- Posted a day later than I meant to. These words and the entire dialogue from the graphic novel V for Vendetta were words that led me as a teenage boy to first think about the world around me and the "powers that be." I just thought that today would be a good day to read and post these words today as we look at the social landscape around us.

While the novel these words came from called for anarchy, I think we should look around us and possibly remember God's promises linked to prayer and reliance on His word. It seems that despite all of the conforming to society that so many of the churches in the U.S. are undergoing, the problem does not seem to be getting better. Maybe some of you should abandon that strategy. Along those same lines, if you are a preacher, please do not take this idea or speech from this novel and try to form a sermon around it. You only have permission to teach the word of God, not graphic novels. This is a blog, not a pulpit.

Good Debate

2009-11-04T10:26:00.004-06:00

I would advise you to take the time needed to watch this debate between two very smart men. The topic is if Christianity is to blame for the problems in the world. The debaters are both very accomplished and have many points that are worth thought. Christopher Hitchens, who is a wonderful crafter of words and whose book Kissinger is one of my all time favorites, takes the stance of the atheist in this debate. Let's just say I liked Hitchens better when he was a socialist. He is now a very militant and agressive atheist publishing at least two books that I know of on the topic. The stance of the Christian in this debate is taken by Dinesh D'Souza and he does an excellent job. He intentionally avoids scripture to make his points and unless I am mistaken, Hitchens actually uses scripture more than D'souza. This vid is 90 minutes long but is a good listen if you are sitting at your desk working or doing otherwise.

Challenge: Listen to how this debate centers around moralism on the side of the atheist. Moralism is not Christianity!!!!

I, Barabbas

2009-11-04T07:58:00.005-06:00

I so enjoy teaching Sunday School. Even more so, I enjoy teaching
pre-teen and teenagers about the wonder and love of Jesus Christ. To see a young person put together the facts that point to their need to be totally reliant on Christ and his crucifixion. I have found it both a gift and privilege to introduce the gospel message in an in depth and studious way to the mentioned age group where I attend church. For a year now, every Wednesday night these children have been asked what does the word gospel mean and what is the gospel message. At the same time, we have been studying the book of Mark, which if you want to study the gospel with kids I would always suggest the fast-paced book of Mark. It is both quick moving and action packed, moving from event to event in a seamless and fast way. I feel fully confident in saying that not only I have grown from this study, but these beautiful and God-fearing young children have come to a deeper and more appreciative idea of Christ Jesus. Their understanding of Him has grown from a childish to an adult and evidence based understanding.

There have been several moments during this study in which the understanding of Christ's love was evident upon these children's faces. This look is normally one of overbearing understanding and glee. Imagine a smile with head nodding mixed with a look of deep thought. This is the look that thrills my soul to see and I believe is the look of the gospel of Christ doing it's promised work. No sparkle, no gimmick, simply the inspired words of the gospel authors.

One such moment happened just last week. Our study has brought us to the 15th chapter of Mark's gospel and Christ's time spent with the Roman governor Pilate. The story brings us to the time in which Pilate, realizing that Christ is unlike any man he has ever encountered, gives the crowd a choice. Choice one, release this man Christ whose charges are based solely on hearsay that he blasphemed and wants to destroy the Jewish temple. Choice two, release one Barabbas, a criminal accused of the charge of murder, taking the life of another person. Of course, the kids in our class know how the story works out. They are aware of the cries of "crucify Him, crucify Him." They are aware of the injustice of how Barabbas, a lowly murderer, is released so that an innocent man could die.

Yet, when asked who in the room was like Barabbas, only myself and a deacon who attends our class raised our hands. When asked what makes them different than Barabbas, the responses were that he killed someone and they have not or would not ever commit such a crime, such a sin. Only when it was shown to them that just as Barabbas was release so Christ could be crucified, they have been released through their belief in Christ for their sins as well. Just as Christ gladly accepted the cross of crucifixion so Barabbas could live, so has He for them as well. I was shocked to see their faces of shock when reminded that because of their sins past, present, and future that they deserve hell. That because Christ and His Father are aware of our ineptitude to live sinless, Christ set us free rather than face death and eternal torment.

To see these children connect their own sins and lives to Barabbas and to see first hand in an example of what Christ did for them was exhilarating. To see their wheels turning and the connection of the gospel to their hearts and minds was beautiful. Thank God for His Holy Word, for His Son Jesus Christ, and for His Gospel. Good news = that despite our sins, Christ has set us free while our sins scream out "crucify him, crucify him."

Duke Basketball Is Losing It's Edge?

2009-10-30T14:24:00.002-05:00

Call me a purist, but I am just not used to seeing an elite program like Duke do things like this. Granted, this is very entertaining and funny, especially Wojo. You have to wonder though, do things like this make Duke lose the edge and mysterious allure that always makes them so intimidating and scary to teams they are facing. We'll see...

Ouch!!!

2009-10-22T16:47:00.000-05:00

This week has been one of the most confusing weeks I have had in some time. Stemming from nothing more significant than the 7-9 year old soccer team I coach, my heart has been severely convicted this week. I suppose some back story would be appropriate.

You see, I have coached my oldest two sons soccer team for the past three years. In those three years, our teams have somewhat dominated the competition we played. I take zero credit for this fact but rather afford it to having a core of four kids who have been superior atheletes to the others their age. For this reason or maybe other reasons, many parents requested this year to have their kids on our team ( an honor) and we ended up with a team of 18 kids. Well, with that many kids it is impossible to dole out equal playing time (a duty that I think is most important) and keep your best players on the field consistently. Needless to say, our ability to win has suffered greatly this year. Therefore, my goal this season has become teaching these kids leadership and sportsmanship as well as more soccer fundamentals.

All was going well until a recent match against team in a nearby town. Quickly after the match started it became obvious to me that the refs, both teenage kids, were not aware of the rules in their entirety. I on the other hand am very much aware as I sat on the rules committee this year. Those are hours of my life I wish I had back.

As the game progressed I kept reminding the ref on my side of the field that the rules were in place to keep these kids from being hurt and that should he continue to not enforce the proper rules, someone would get hurt. Then it happened. This boy said to me that I was wrong about one of the rules when I knew I was completely correct. He proceeded to tell me the rules I was telling him, the rules I helped write, were not the ones he had received.

Deep breath Dave. I asked the kid for a moment as I pulled the PDF of the rules up on my iPhone. As I boiled on the inside all I could think was this kid is calling me a liar to my face. This kid is saying in front of my team that I am trying to cheat. He was saying to these kids who I have been stressing honest, fair play to for months that I don't practice what I preach. I cannot stand for someone to tell me I am wrong when I KNOW I am right. The fact that it was a boy, a young and unlearned boy doing this only made matters worse.

Yet, goodness prevailed from inside me. I showed the young man the proper rule and requested that he apologize to the team and myself. He obliged. We can play ball now right. All of a sudden I saw something from the corner of my eye darting toward me. A woman, dressed in green and with gleaming eyed was sprinting toward me. I stepped backward and suddenly this mad woman was in my face chopping her hands together inches from my mouth saying that I, the person who was in the right, was somehow wrong for calling the referee on his failure. Turns out, this lady was not only an official for the town we were in, but also the referees mother.

I continued to retreat from the lady explaining to her that the boy had apologized and he will tell her he was in the wrong. Finally I simply turned my back to her and she left. I was so angry that I could not tell you what happened the rest of the game other than, as I predicted, one of our players was badly hurt with no whistle or penalty being called.

I am not writing this to show an example of being a Christian or to discuss rules. I am writing this because after this episode and for days after, until I asked my church members to pray for me, I was overcome with a feeling of guilt and pain that I have not experienced in some time. So, I am writing this for advise or thoughts. What should I have done differently? Why did I feel painful guilt? How should I have handled this differently? Your thoughts will be appreciated.

-- Post From My iPhone

Christian Churches in Africa Denounce Children as "Witches"

2009-10-19T09:25:00.005-05:00

I was shocked as I read this story this morning. Saddened by what harm can be done by those who use the gospel of Jesus Christ for their own gain. I ask that you please read the story that I will link below and comment on your feelings here. Also, as you read, notice the section that discusses how many of these churches in question advertise a preaching of the prosperity gospel. Is there any doubt that this story is a fruit of this false prosperity gospel?

Click here to read the story from The Oklahoman.

Pilgrim's Map of the Day

2009-10-15T10:37:00.003-05:00

What is interesting to me today:

Although I don't know if I really agree with all of the ideas posted in this article, I must admit that reading this article about why white America chose Obama I was forced to think about some things that I don't think about too often.

I couldn't pass up posting this funny picture from the Boise State vs. Tulsa game last night:

First off, Ken Silva is the man. Please take the time to read his post over on Apprising Ministries in which through the life of Daniel he easily and simply shows us how to avoid falling victim to the counter Christian movement taking place in the church.
Doug Eaton uses the wonderful tool of irony to point out 10 SIGNS THAT YOU HAVE ENTERED THE POST MODERN ZONE (this is really good stuff).

Christians Don't Get to Trademark Everything

2009-10-13T20:55:00.009-05:00

NOTE: At the end of this posting there will be a link to the presentation discussed

It was a real honor to be asked to present a Continuing Education Lecture at this year's Alabama Alcohol & Drug Abuse Association (AADAA) Fall Retreat. Being asked by my peers and superiors to present in order to help others seeking to better themselves in our field meant two things. First it meant that someone must find me competent enough to share my feeble knowledge base with others, a very unexpected and appreciated compliment. Secondly though, and more frightening, it meant that someone other than myself would be selecting the topic on which I should present. Time would eventually tell that the topic I was to present on was the Biblical foundation in which the original 12 steps (Alcoholics Anonymous) was founded and how to present this to clients as therapists. YIKES!!!!

As I researched this topic and prepared my presentation the one thought that kept nagging me was that there would be, as in any secular field, both atheists and agnostics present during my presentation. Would they attack me despite facts? Will the evidence I present be sufficient to silence or convince them? Will I throw up on them? Where is my passport so I can just blow this off and leave the country?

As I researched and thought though, something became quite obvious to me. Were the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous (more specifically, the Oxford Group from which A.A. became what it did) Christian and raised with a Christian upbringing - YES! Was the Alcoholics Anonymous big book that was originally published and sparked 60+ years of successful recovery from alcoholism a Christian publication or even rooted in Christian teachings - NO!!! While it is undeniable that Bill W., the foremost leader of the A.A. movement, was raised a Christian and that his explanation of clarity revolved around a Christian moment, the truth is that the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous are a work based program, the complete opposite of Biblical Christianity. I suddenly felt a little jipped as I have always kinda believed it was and had read things such as the Recovery Bible and sat through sermons in church that claim such. There are parallels that can be drawn but to state that the Alcoholics Anonymous book is a Christian publication is a farce. I will stop short of pointing out how this is the major issue in the American Christian church today but will say that there is an epidemic of people taking certain ideas, usually their own, and drawing false parallels by taking scripture out of context.

The focus of my presentation then became to get across the point that the founders and authors of the original A.A. program were mostly Christian but that also meant they have Old Testament training as well. As treatment providers in a secular world with secular bosses and ethical standards we must adhere to, there is a way to use Biblical analogies and stories and yet not unethically impose Christian beliefs on our clients. This should be important not only to us as employees of a company, but also due to Biblical instruction to Christians on how to properly honor our employers. Therefore, my mission became to equip those in my audience with Old Testament stories from which 12-step parallels could be drawn and with which one could safely say that it was possible that Bill W. and the 12-step founders knew the stories as many were raised in Christian homes and went to Sunday school in which so many learn such stories. For some reason though, they chose to leave their Christian beliefs out of the original A.A. publication and we have no right to change it.

The importance of being culturally diverse as a treatment provider is often understated but as I aimed to point out, the world's two largest religions, Christian and Muslim, as well as Jews and some historically minded atheists can all agree that the stories of the Old Testament are accurate historical accounts. Just as the story of Solomon is important to a Christian, so it is to a Jew. Just as the story of King David is meaningful to a Christian, so it is to a Muslim. Furthermore, due to historical evidence, atheists cannot deny the fact that these biblical characters, Moses, Abraham, David, or Solomon were real and that their writings are indeed what they are held to be, historical documents. A majority of the separation occurs where the Old Testament ends and the New Testament begins. Therefore, as the treatment provider when you begin discussing the New Testament you alienate all other religions and leave yourself open to accusation of imposing your religion. Now, living in the southeast of the United States, a majority of one's clients will have been raised as Christian and will report in psychosocial evaluations that they adhere to Christian beliefs. However, as professionals we need to have as many tools at our disposal to handle any situation and to not neglect the spiritual side of our clients, regardless of their religion. By understanding the Old Testament parallels, we therefore can relate how these Old Testament characters belief and interaction(s) with God helped them through struggles similar to those faced by the addict today.

Sounds simple enough right? The long and the short of it is that the very atheists and agnostics that I was so concerned about were not problematic at all during my presentation. In fact, not a negative word or comment came from any of them. To both my surprise and disappointment, the majority of opposition I faced in my presentation came from people, two in particular, with Christian beliefs. If you view the presentation (available at the bottom of this posting), you will see that I point out that at step three of the original A.A. 12-steps that all similarity between Christianity and the 12-steps stop due to the fact that from this point forward, the success of the program all becomes about what you, the human, does. This is not Christianity. Christianity is about what has already been done and how the recognition and belief that this prior act will be enough to save you. The 12-step program, while stressing a need for the assistance of A God, not THE God, also is work based and your success as a person in recovery hinges greatly on your acts. That is not Christianity and one could talk for hours about how the separation occurs at the Christian belief that there is one true God.

I will spare the details of their arguments but in the end they simply missed the point. Their arguments were based around the fact that they had witnessed people who work the 12-steps be led straight to the foot of the cross. When faced with how to relate that to the Jew who the cross means nothing to though, there was no response and when shown how offensive such spiritual guidance would be to the Jew or Muslim their response was anger and disdain. Further, when discussing faith based operations that have taken the original 12-step program and manipulated it to have a Christian message it is important to point out that by doing so they are ignoring the request of the original authors to not change or manipulate the message within the original text. I guess though when people have no problem ignoring not adding to the scripture they have no problem doing that with other, less sanctified books as well. Just as we see more of man's philosophy creeping into Christianity today, so we see the same in A.A. Could this explain the declining success rates in both?

In conclusion, at the beginning of my presentation I requested that each person attending the lecture give a 15-30 second synopsis of why they chose to take this course. 72% of the respondents stated that they chose to take it because they really did not know much about A.A. and it's workings. My response after all had finished was to point out that the number one after care program that we as therapists refer our clients to is A.A. or N.A. Yet, in a room full of our peers we will publicly admit that we really know hardly anything about what we are referring these individuals to. This should be troubling to us to say the least and speaks to a level of irresponsibility. Just as I, the Christian, have no authority to speak about something I do not know about or cannot say for certain, it is unethical as a treatment provider to refer someone to care that we really know nothing about. This seems to be a growing trend in both areas and the results are obvious in both areas.

To view the presentation discussed follow the links below. It is divided into two separate parts due to file size constraints in Google docs. Please take the time to review this and leave comments that you may think would improve this presentation.

The 12-Steps and the Holy Bible part 1 ppt

The 12-steps and the Holy Bible part 2 ppt

Al Mohler - Why Moralism is Not the Gospel

2009-10-05T09:42:00.002-05:00

Take time to read the post that is linked below. Too busy to read it, click the link and click listen at the top of the posting. Al Mohler hits this right on the head and this needs to be spread QUICKLY. The church is losing to morality. Please read this, here's a quick quote:

"We sin against Christ and we misrepresent the Gospel when we suggest to sinners that what God demands of them is moral improvement in accordance with the Law. Moralism makes sense to sinners, for it is but an expansion of what we have been taught from our earliest days. But moralism is not the Gospel, and it will not save. The only gospel that saves is the Gospel of Christ. As Paul reminded the Galatians, "But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons." [Gal. 4:4-5]

Here's the link: Al Mohler - Why Moralism is Not the Gospel - And Why so Many Christian Think it Is.

Lynn High School vs. Hackleburg High School Post-Game Referee Attack

2009-10-05T08:44:00.003-05:00

If you are not from this part of the world, this probably will not matter to you. There are quite a few from this area though who do read this and I thought you might enjoy the footage of what sparked the "riot" following the 10/02/09 Hackleburg High School football game. This video is great and filled with music and keys to watch. Why would someone attack a referee with a stadium seat????

Praising Him for What He has Done Already

2009-09-14T23:55:00.003-05:00

This past Sunday marked the 7th annual Friends and Family Day at Kingsville Church of Christ. This is typically a joyous occasion in which old friends reunite and family members return home. The members of this small church always go above and beyond in setting this annual September worship service up and it is just a great time all around. Filled with praise, fellowship, and God's word it is easy to recognize the Lord's presence at this annual worship service. Our church went from having only 20 in attendance the previous Wednesday night to bordering on maximum capacity at this time of worship Sunday. It was great.

This year the elders of the Kingsville Church of Christ decided to allow the many young men in our congregation lead the worship service. While I relish getting to hear our normal preachers at Kingsville and initially voiced that opinion I also looked forward to getting to serve with the many other Christian men of Kingsville who I love and admire. While we devoted most of this service to songs of praise and Psalms of praise, the speaking portion was divided into three sections in which myself and two other men would briefly speak on three different subjects: Praising God for what He has done, praising God for what He is doing, and praising God for what He is going to do.

When asked which portion I would like to speak on I quickly jumped at the opportunity to talk about what God has done. I would like to share my thoughts that I spoke below. I hope you can find something in this that you can stop and quickly thank God for. Let us remember that there would be no hope for us today without what God has already done.

I Praise Him For What He Has Done

I praise you God for choosing me to be able to see your merciful love.

I praise you God for choosing me to be snatched from the bondage of sin and agony more than one time in my life.

I praise you God for placing me in the midst of Christians who have been redeemed from the same snares.

I praise you God for your law which so perfectly and painfully reveals our sins to us.

I praise you God for allowing us to survive the sins and horrible deeds that we have committed in order to be able to share your love with others.

I praise you God for your apostles and for giving us the account of their sacrifices shouldered so that we may understand what living in your service truly means.

I praise you God for Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaiah, David, and Solomon and for giving us the chance to learn from their mistakes and triumphs.

I praise you God for giving me time on this beautiful planet Earth that you created for us.

I praise you God for husbands and wives and your beautifully flawless system of marriage.

I praise you God for your system of children and parents and your perfect creations that you allow us to take credit for as parents.

I praise you God for those Christian men and women who have come and gone before us and for the wisdom, guidance, and Christian work ethic you led them to impart upon us.

I praise you God for your bride the church and for those who You have personally called out to be her living body.

I praise you God for the elders and deacons who have led your church for so many years before today and for the wonderful system of leadership you authored for your church.

I praise you God for the giving us the gift of the Lord’s Supper in which we remember Your Son’s death.

I praise you God for the gift of prayer in which we can communicate openly and freely with your might.

I praise you God for the gift of baptism in which through the combination of the water and your Holy Word, our sins are washed away.

Praise you God, Praise you Father, Praise you Almighty Creator.

I praise you God for the life your Son lived, shedding his deity to put on a rotting human flesh.

I praise you God for the life Christ lived and the message of hope which He brought to this Earth while being despised and hated by those who believed they knew anything of the fullness of your love.

I praise you God for allowing Christ to be betrayed.

I praise you God for allowing Christ to endure a mockery called a trial before Pilate.

I praise you God for His stripes, His torment, His torn flesh, and total abandonment by the very mankind who He came to save.

I praise you God for the cross, the nails which pierced Christ’s flesh and bone, the bloody crown of thorns, and the utter distress which Christ felt as He paid a price for my, for our sins, a debt He did not owe.

I praise you God for “It is finished.”

I praise you God for rolling the stone away and for Christ’s final defeat of Satan as he ripped the bonds of death away.

I praise you God for the Great Commission.

I praise you God for your gospel and I praise you God for letting us so proudly proclaim In you and Your Son’s Holy names that no man can have any hope, any knowledge, any peace without the pure and true gospel.

These are but a few things that you have done Father, thank you.

Praise God.

In Response to Burleson Church of Christ Preachers Commentaries

2009-09-11T12:00:00.011-05:00

Over the past month or so I have sporadically placed the three-part commentary of Todd Clippard, preacher of Burleson Church of Christ on my blog. This commentary was written in response to an assault on what Mr. Clippard feels is his style of worship. The assault was one in which the people who posted it were so proud of that they posted it on YouTube (if you would like to see the video, click here). Seeing many of the responses posted on this blog to Mr. Clippard's commentaries, it would appear that many believe that he is on the attack when he is so obviously defending his style of worship and beliefs. At the heart of his argument I see a statement that although he does not speak in tongues, work miracles, or prance to girly semi-erotic praise songs in his worship, this does not make his faith in Christ dead or dry as the video states.

In fairness, I thought it would be a good idea to post one of the commentaries posted by a member of this community in which the commentaries were published. These commentaries were posted in the local newspaper the Journal Record . The published response below is written by on Bobby Barnes, Jr from Winfield, AL and although Mr. Clippard's commentaries in the paper were paid, this was a freely published letter to the editor. Please read below and then my response to this commentary will follow.

Who's right or who's wrong?

I have read both (note that this letter was written prior to the publication of the third commentary by Mr. Clippard) letters to the paper. Are you the pastor of Burleson Church of Christ? If by chance you are, I'm truly concerned. Not one time have you encouraged people or even mentioned Christ. The only time I saw where Christ was mentioned was in the name of your church. Rm. 6:23: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life thru Jesus Christ our Lord.

Isn't it our duty as Christians to lead people to Christ, not all this finger pointing and religious beliefs? Who's right or who's wrong? That's not gonna get anyone to heaven. John 3:3: Jesus answered and said unto him, except a man be born again, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. That, I hope, we both agree on. I encourage everyone to love you no matter your commandments. John 15:12: Jesus said: This is my commandments that we love one another, as I have loved you.

Sir, why are you watching these testimonies on youtube? Some interest, maybe? I truly encourage you to turn it off. It would give you a lot more time to win people to Christ, instead of all this negativism. We will never prove who's right or wrong.

Sir, we have teenagers, adults, mothers, and dads committing suicide, teen pregnancies, drug overdose, people killing people. The list goes on and on. That should be our number one goal as Christians to lead the lost to Christ. Make a difference in people's lives, not all this religious stuff.

If you don't agree with the RAMP, be thankful that they are leading our people to Christ, no matter what church you go to. Rm. 10:13: For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. It didn't say that I had to belong to Church of Christ or Pentecostal, or any other denomination.

When I was 13 years old, the Church of Christ and Pentecostals organized a debate over who's right or wrong. That building was full of mad religious people. No one ever decided who was right or wrong. It lasted a week. What is so sad, not one sinner was led to Christ. Not even an invitation on either side. What a waste of time.

People need to hear about Christ. Would you please put all religious beliefs away? Help me and others win the lost.

P.S. By the way, my father is a Pentecostal preacher, has been all my life. Never have I seen him roll around in the floor or act the way you accuse Pentecostals.

Barnes, Bobby. (2009, August 19). Who's right or who's wrong?. Journal Record. p. 4A.

So, there you have it. That is the response to a man attempting to defend his understanding of scripture and the proof it points out. For starters, let me say that I am in agreement with Mr. Barnes. Style of worship or "religion" as he puts it will not save a single person. He states that Christ needs to be our focus but he needs to take it one step further and state that only teaching Christ crucified will save anyone.

Allow me to deconstruct some of what Mr. Barnes has said though. For starters, you state that you are truly concerned over the fact that Mr. Clippard is the preacher of Burleson Church of Christ. On what grounds do you base this "concern?" Have you sat through his sermons to see if he is proclaiming Christ crucified as the scriptures laid out? Is your argument based out of ignorance? You base your argument off of his response to a video that attacked his beliefs yet you fail to point out that in the video there is only one mention of Christ and it is based off of what the boy speaking "believes." Not what scripture says. There will be an upcoming post further discussing the video and the flaws within but allow me to say this. This boy states that he "believes" that there is a generation that "wants to have an encounter with Jesus Christ and Him crucified" so that they may be "set free." This is in direct conflict with scripture and without delving into man's "desire" to follow Christ, I will say that the life of a Christian is not one that scripture defines as freedom. As a matter of fact, the passage you cite Mr. Barnes (Romans 6:23) is the close of a discussion by Paul about being SLAVES to righteousness.

Mr. Barnes asks "isn't it our duty to lead people to Christ?" No, it is not a duty, it should be a naturally flowing work through faith. To look at it as a duty begins a cycle of "look what I am doing for you Jesus, I deserve your blood." This eliminates grace and sets up a belief that somehow we are good enough or deserving of God's forgiveness given through Christ's blood alone. You point out that Mr. Clippard's "finger-pointing" will not get anyone to heaven and you may be correct. It can however give someone the opportunity to evaluate what they are being taught and to possibly "test the spirits" (1 John 4:1) that are inducing their emotions. If you're just there for the show then you are not a sheep and the leaders bringing you in are not shepherds, they are goat-herders.

I also find it funny that you reference John 3:3 to back your point but fail to mention that your system of belief is one that only believes that water baptism is nothing more than an outward sign of your conversion when Christ so clearly explains otherwise just two verses down in John 3:5. How can you, as you say hope to agree on something when you clearly ignore scripture regarding the gift of baptism and it's power.

I could go on but I will end with this. Mr. Barnes points out that our number one "goal" as Christians should be to lead the lost to Christ. This is is the core of the disagreement as I see it. When Mr. Clippard and myself for that matter read scripture, we see how to lead the lost to Christ. It is not through "testimony," irreverent and disorderly worship, and false miracles. The lost can only be led to Christ through the teaching of God's holy and sacred text. Watch the video again and count the number of times that the phrase "I believe" is uttered. For that matter, log onto the RAMP website and listen for that phrase or for "God told me." Where sir is the scriptural authority to teach in this fashion? Where sir is the scriptural authority to take liberty with worship style? Where sir is the scriptural authority for female preaching? If you will look you will find none. I often use the term sola scriptura which means by scripture alone. The bottom line is that some believe that God's word is not the true and final revelation and some do. Those who do look to the scripture for permission and for true liberty, finding what God wants our lives to be. The others feel bound by the scripture and look at scripture as a barrier to overcome in order to become more "free." The Bible is no more and no less than the story of Jesus Christ and God's love for an undeserving and rebellious mankind. Everything we need to know about God is revealed there. Everything we need to know about ourselves is revealed there. To some this for some reason is too hard to accept and just as John warned about in the books of 1 and 2 John, they strive to change it to make it more pleasing to sinful man. If you are going to stand in a pulpit and teach scripture gives permission to teach but one thing, Jesus Christ crucified. That does not mean a fleeting mention of this sacrifice but rather a bold and loud proclamation of the love involved. I implore you to take a look at what Mr. Clippard is discussing and research this yourself. Do you see liberties being taken that are not permissible in scripture. When you answer that question you will have the answer to your letter's title. Who's right and who's wrong.

In respect of open and clear dialogue, I ask that if you choose to respond to this, especially if you are local, have the backbone to post your name rather than hiding behind a moniker of Anonymous or some other made up nickname. If no one can see who is saying what then you are really truly saying nothing and add nothing to this conversation. "Anonymous" postings will not be placed on this particular discussion. Thanks in advance.

Observe Them

2009-09-10T09:44:00.005-05:00

The following is similar to a previous posting of mine entitled Keep My Commandments but I feel compelled to share. One of my co-workers and I often discuss the Bible and he often comes and just sits down in my office and asks, "what are you studying right now." These conversations are often very refreshing and lead both of us to deeper thought and understanding of both scripture and one another. I truly cherish these conversations.

One such conversation took place yesterday and he was discussing how he had been studying the book of Matthew lately. He pointed out a scripture, one that most Christians know by heart, the great commission, Matthew 28:18-20. He pointed out how one word had caught his eye in his latest studies and that word was in verse 20 in the phrase "teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." My co-worker believed that the word observe and obey were the same word and that Jesus was telling his disciples to teach people to obey everything that he had commanded his 12 disciples. He then took me to Matthew 10:5-15 in which Jesus sends out the 12 apostles to speak only to the Jews, showing the power that Jesus had bestowed upon them. In verse 8 of this passage, Jesus instructs the 12 "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons." My dear friend and co-worker was asking why in Matthew 28 would Christ instruct the 12 to teach others to obey his commandments, one of which was to do the things in Matthew 10:8 if those spiritual gifts were no longer able to be used today. This is a good question but one that can be easily dismissed upon further Bible study.

The word that my co-worker was confused with was the word "observe" in Matthew 28:20. This word observe that Christ used when speaking to the 12 in Matthew 28 is not synonymous with the word obey. Christ is not telling his 12 apostles to teach people to obey all the He had commanded and therefore is not teaching people to obey his commandment to do the miraculous spiritual gifts listed in Matthew 10.

The word observe used by Christ in this passage is the Greek word Tereo. The literal meaning of this word is "to attend to carefully, to guard, to take care of, to observe, or to keep one in the state in which it is in." That is not the same as obey. So the question then becomes what was Christ instructing his apostles to do here? Now that we have the original meaning of Christ's speaking, it is quite simple.

Christ is telling his 12 to teach people to keep what Christ commanded them safe. Do not allow it to be molested and twisted to meet the needs, wants, and desires of man. This would include false doctrine, taking away from Christ's words, and adding to Christ's words (the latter seeming to be the biggest problem in today's Christianity). Sadly, neither they nor we modern day Christian are doing too good a job of this. Fortunately, Christ only says to teach others to guard the truth of His words. As a survey of the New Testament shows us, it took less than one century for this problem to erupt and Christ's reasoning for his instruction to the 12 to become evident (read Galatians, 1 John, or 2 John to see this problem being addressed). John goes as far in 1 and 2 John to call people who fail to teach others only to observe the simple teachings of Christ as the Antichrist(s).

Is your Biblical teaching in line with Christ's instruction to his 12 apostles. Are you teaching others to simply hold sacred the words of Christ or are you teaching people to lead legalistic and completely obedient lives. Only one of those options is in line with Christ's teaching. Are we teaching people to accept Christ's love or to try and earn it? Sadly, I believe that a majority are teaching people to earn it. This is nothing more than fleeting vanity. May God help us to become Christians who teach others to guard Christ's teaching from corruption and selfishness.

Pilgrim's Map of the Day

2009-09-09T08:13:00.002-05:00

Here is some of what is catching my eye today:

* My good friend Matt Thigpen has written a very thoughtful piece asking if your religion is a Wii religion.

* Keith Brenton has an excellent post that really sums up exactly what preachers should be preaching.

* Pay Attention to This:

Local Church of Christ Preacher Boldly Questions Relevant Church Part 3

2009-09-08T07:26:00.002-05:00

Below is the third and final installment of Todd Clippard's three-part commentary on the relevant church movement taking place in Hamilton, AL at this time. I would encourage you to leave your comments regarding this matter and to review comments left on this blog regarding the two prior commentaries. There is an obvious disconnect somewhere. Enjoy:

Pentecostal Finger Pointing Part III

This marks the third and final installment of our series comparing the practices of present-day charismatics with Bible teaching. Modern day charismatics are without question a sincere and zealous bunch. Though they have only been in existence since the turn of the 20th century, their adherents worldwide now number more than 600 million. However, success in gaining adherents is not the standard of correctness (Matt. 24:11), also one would have to conclude that Muslims and Hindus were more correct as each has more than a billion adherents.

We have repeatedly and conclusively shown how the practice of modern charismatics stands in stark contrast and violation to 1 Corinthians 14, which written (was) by the apostle Paul to regulate the practice of genuine spiritual gifts. We conclude our examination by comparing their practices against three passages in this great chapter.

In 1 Corinthians 14:32 the inspired apostle penned, "the spirit of the prophets are subject to the prophets." In contrast to the obvious lack of control and discipline seen among modern-day charismatic practice, Paul noted that the exercise of spiritual gifts was not beyond the control of the one who possessed the gifts. But we again note the lack of self control and discipline as these modern-day practitioners jump around, jerk, twitch, roll on the ground, holler and babble "uncontrollably." One would have to be completely ignorant of the Scriptures to believe that the assemblies of the first century church in any way resembled what is seen today.

In 1 Corinthians 14:37 we read, "Let your women keep in silence in the churches, for it is not permitted for them to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says." Moreover, "the law" here invoked cannot be that of Moses, for there is no specific condemnation of this practice in the Mosaic Law. So, to what law does Paul here refer? It is the law of the creation order. Paul repeated this law in 1 Timothy 2:8-14 in forbidding women to take a leading role in the public teaching of the church. Yet in practice, do we see silence among the women of these groups? Hardly! Modern day charismatics and 1 Corinthians 14:37 - once again in violation of the Bible!

Finally, in 1 Corinthians 14:40 we read, "Let all things be done decently and in order." I watched an online video of RAMP attendees taking off their shoes and socks, then dancing around twirling their socks over their heads as the band parodied a popular rock and roll song. This one is a no-brainer... Pentecostals and 1 Corinthians 14:40 - as far apart as east is from west!

1 Corinthians 13:8-10 is the definitive passage teaching that spiritual gifts are no longer present today. But to be honest, if miraculous spiritual gifts did exist today, and one wanted to know how to exercise them according to the Scriptures, he would be no closer to the truth if he were to practice the very opposite of what modern-day charismatics teach and practice!

An old adage among churches of Christ is "do Bible things in Bible ways and call Bible things by Bible names." Our only desire is to practice Christianity as it is revealed in the New Testament and teach others to do the same. The Bible only makes Christians. Nothing more, nothing less. To be Christians only is our prayer and purpose.

Clippard, Todd. (2009, August 15). Pentecostal Finger Pointing Part III. Journal Record. p.3

BLAH!!!!

2009-08-31T22:00:00.001-05:00

The title of this post was the sound I made today as I checked my e-mail and read through some of the Christian publications I receive. As I read many of these publications, thoughts and reactions regarding the death and subsequent memorials for Senator Ted Kennedy this past weekend abounded. I was more than ashamed to be this closely linked to such people. Condemnation, a lack of mercy, and vehement spite were all more than obvious in the lines of these writings. All for who? A dead man that your judgment or knowledge of the truth will not do any good for now was your target.

Was he a murderer? So was Paul the great apostle. Did he commt adultery? So did the great King David? Was he a "bleeding heart" liberal? Peter was viewed as such by the Christians in Jerusalem following his teaching of the gospel to the Gentiles. Am I stating that Ted Kennedy was as great or righteous as these men, certainly not. I am saying that by casting your judgment on this man you are placing yourself on the same level as the Pharisees who plotted and crucified the Lord Jesus Christ. Congratulations, you win the piety of the week award.

These people claim to be living and walking in truth and light but their judgment on this man proves differently. To cast judgment on this man's sins is to claim that you yourself are spotless. Are you? If you answered yes you are in direct denial of the fact that the Bible repeatedly tells us we are full of sin. Are your sins that much less than his or just less publicized? You celebrated Ronald Reagan at his death with no word of his divorce and remarriage yet you literally spit on the grave of Ted Kennedy. Trust me, I agree more politically with Reagan but since when do our political beliefs dictate how we represent the bride of Christ?

Can we call a sin a sin? Yes we can, but not like this. We have the right to use the law of God to point out man's sins when working hand in hand with the gospel. Nowhere in scripture are we given a post-humous license to point out the sins of others though. Last I checked, it is not possible to teach the gospel to a dead man. So then the question as to why to expose and relish in his sins publically or privately is felt needed or appropriate needs to be answered. I personally don't have that answer but I feel shame for being included in a group of people who believe they do. I thought I was only supposed to feel shame as a Christian from those outside the church.

As I type this I think of mistakes I have made in the past and people who may only know me from instances in which my sinful nature was rearing it's head. I wonder if I died today what judgment those people who barely know me would pass upon me and my soul's eternal resting place. Yet, even when thinking about the shadiest and lowest places I have been I can't imagine any of those people celebrating my death or damning my loved ones for memoralizing me. Yet, that is what "Christians" have done today. No wonder Christ preferred to hang out with what the public and most pious Jews cast away as trash.

Has any bill that Ted Kennedy passed ever affected my Christian life in a negative way? Possibly, I don't really know. More importantly though, has my Christian life ever affected Ted Kennedy's? I can answer definitley no. I have never ministered to him. I have never prayed for him. Therefore, my time and right to allow scripture to judge his sins has expired because I have no hope of using God's word to save his soul, if it needed saving. If you have prayed for him or did personaly minister the truth to him, God bless you and have faith that the seed you planted did not go without reaping of some sort. If you didn't, time's up. Just as you are incapable of saving yourself or a dead man, your judgment on this dead man will bring you no closer to God.

Local Church of Christ Preacher Boldly Questions Relevant Church Part 2

2009-08-20T13:36:00.003-05:00

As promised in his previous commentary, Burleson Church of Christ preacher Todd Clippard has had published parts 2 and 3 of his thoughts on the relevant church movement in Hamilton, AL. Here is part 2:

Last week, I noted how modern-day Pentecostals were once satisfied to leave everyone else alone to their own practices, but that now a militant and belligerent attitude pervades among them, especially the younger generation. Now they point a finger at us and mock us as if we should be ashamed for not acting like fools during our worship assemblies. By way of reminder, there is nothing unkind or unbiblical about examining someone's teaching and practice in light of the Bible. I welcome such comparisons and questions. Furthermore, I made no accusations against the RAMP that cannot be verified by watching their own videos on YouTube.

As 1 Corinthians 14 is given to regulate the exercise of genuine spiritual gifts, (which in no way resembles the foolishness of practices seen today), it was noted how their practices violated 1 Corintians 14:22-23. This week we continue to compare their practices in light of what the Bible teaches.

Consider the practice of "speaking in tongues" during their assemblies. In the first century (when real tongue-speaking took place), this practice was regulated by 1 Corinthians 14:27-28....

"27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpet. 28 But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God." NKJV

How often have we seen the modern-day babblers all "speaking" at the same time? Pentecostals violate this Bible text in three ways: (1)it is more than two or three, (2) it is never in turn, and (3)I have yet to see the first interpreter. Pentecostal practice and 1 Corinthians 14:27-28 - - three strikes and you're out.

In an article regarding the practice of one of our local charismatic groups, the author and preacher spoke of a service as getting out of control. Worse still, he credited the Holy Spirit for the confusion and lack of control exhibited in the assembly. However, in 1 Corinthians 14:33 we read, "God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all churches of the saints."

Are present-day Pentecostal assemblies noted for confusion or peace? Paul said peacefulness is the sign of the worship assembly of God's people (saints). Yet by their own admission, Pentecostal practice stands in direct violation and contradiction to 1 Corinthians 14:33.

Lord willing, next Saturday there will be a third article in this series of examinations. In the meantime, we welcome your comments and questions.

Clippard, Todd. (2009, August 8). Pentecostal Finger Pointing Part II. Journal Record. p.3

How'd You Not See That One Coming?

2009-08-17T15:50:00.003-05:00

I was fortunate enough to get to eat my lunch today with my wife. We went to a local restaurant and my wife discussed her plans to help our children in their spiritual lives. As we were sitting not far from the cash register, we of course had a view of everyone coming in and out of the restaurant. One such person was with a fairly large group of individuals and I noticed him from both his website and other more personal contact. To maintain some degree of dignity, the person will remain nameless but less just say he claims to be a minister and boasts of the "prophetic edge" that his ministry holds.

After they paid, the large party of people departed the restaurant and my wife and I continued our lunch. About three minutes passed until one of the members of the "prophets" party returned into the restaurant. Looking around, he sheepishly asked, "does anyone in here drive a white Saturn?" A young lady eating alone in the corner stood up and said "I do. Do I need to move from behind you." The man's response was "No, we backed into the front of it."

All I could do was look at my wife and say, "Prophet? You'd think he would have seen that coming and warned somebody." Guess he's just a part-time prophet.

Pilgrim's Map of the Day

2009-08-13T10:08:00.003-05:00

What am I finding interesting and helpful on my journey:

* This is a very thought-provoking article from Extreme Theology's Richard Beck. Read this discussion about The Bait & Switch of Contemporary Christianity.

* Make sure you take time to read this review of John MacArthur's new book The Jesus You Can't Ignore. I bet this is a great book. Also, to fully understand the reasoning this book is needed, read the links you find in the book review.

* If you are a parent, youth minister, or treatment service provider, I would recommend following this link and registering for the August 25th webinar presented by The Partnership for a Drug Free America and The Boys & Girls Club of America. Entitled Parents: You Matter this should be outstanding. It's free and you will receive some really great materials. It's worth a look.

Remember that God is Enough

2009-08-11T10:46:00.002-05:00

I really am blown away by this video that was sent to me today. I am not sure who the speaker is but it sounds an awful lot like John Piper, a wonderful preacher. Take 3 minutes and be enriched by this.

"Will You Tell Them For Me?"

2009-08-10T08:55:00.005-05:00

I was honored with the privilege to speak at the Detroit Church of Christ yesterday. The people there are always so friendly and welcoming to both my family and myself. We enjoyed our visit and look forward to returning in the future.

As I studied for things to speak on last week, it dawned on me that this would be the last sermon that some of the kids would hear there prior to returning to school this week. My wife and I often fear the worldview that is presented to our children at school and I avoid the level of piety to believe that we are the only Christan parents who have these concerns. Long story short, through my studies I realized that a good lesson for both the children returning to school, the adults there, and also myself would be a lesson based around how Christians are given the ability to take Christ anywhere they want with them. We can talk to Christ anytime through prayer and we are shown in scripture how to take full advantage of this precious gift. We looked at Christ's models of prayer given in scripture and how quickly we can recognize our God at anytime.

While I tried to make sure the lesson was aimed at all in attendance, I wanted to make sure the children heard what the Word of God said. So, my first act was to have the school age (college too) children move forward to the front pews. I was able to talk to them and I had some trouble controlling my emotions (nothing new there) as I made eye contact with some of these innocent and beautiful children. Rather the Word of God that I repeated to them made a lasting impression, only God knows. I know that God promises great things if we simply teach the word though so I have faith that those who were there will be the exception when people claim that there is no prayer in school.

This brings me to my reason for posting this entry. After church services last night, I was speaking with one of the mothers whose daughter was to begin her very first day of kindergarten the next day (today). Knowing the emotions that any parent feels over sending their child to school, I asked the mother how she was holding up with this change looming. She expressed some nervousness and we talked about how much faith plays a part in being a parent, no matter what age your child or adult child is. The mother thanked me for the lesson from the morning and asked me if she saw what happened with her daughter during the lesson.

One of the facts that I pointed out during the lesson was that there were going to be children in their school who had never even heard of Jesus just like there are adults in the world who have never heard of Jesus. The mother pointed out to me that after I said this, the little girl tugged on her mom's shoulder and asked, "will you tell them about Jesus for me?" The mother said that this really hit home with her and she realized that while her daughter had been in preschool, it was a Christian pre-school and her daughter has never been around people who did not know of Christ. We then joked about how fun it would be to send a note pinned to her daughter saying, "do you know Jesus?" This sweet little girl and her parents were all in my prayers last night and this morning.

I have thought about the little girl's question several times since hearing it though. "Will you tell them about Jesus for me?" Is this not the same request that Christ made (Matther 28:18-20)? Is our sole purpose as Christians not to tell others about our Savior Christ? Is there a child in my children's school who doesn't know about Christ because I have never sought out the opportunity to tell their parents? We want to complain about the public schools not having Christians in them but then those same complainers are doing absolutely nothing to even try and make one more Christian. Sure, we insulate ourselves with Christian brothers and sisters, relishing in the joy of Christian fellowship, and we care for our very own children, but have you ever thought about what would have happened should God have treated His Son the same way?

What would your answer be if your child, grandchild, or any other loved one who is currently incapable of sharing the gospel came up to you and asked "have you told anyone about Jesus for me?" Would your answer be no? Why?

I see Christ in this dear little girl's question. This little girl represents all the children in the world to me. Both the children and more importantly Christ are asking, "Will you tell them for Me?"

Let the Boys be Boys

2009-08-07T12:59:00.003-05:00

I have come to the point in my life where I actually enjoy sitting and talking to my parents. This seems like such a far cry from not long ago when I would have done anything to avoid them. However, I now cherish the moments I have with them and try to make an effort to just sit and talk with them as often as possible. Such an occasion occurred earlier this week as I went to their house to help my father move beds. They had just purchased the mattress that you can supposedly set a glass of wine on one end and then jump on the other and it won't spill. They wouldn't allow me to do this test though (oh ye of little faith).

After the work was done, we just sat around their table and talked for a while. My father and I discussed what we had done since we had seen each other last and funny enough, we both had attended revivals at separate churches. The revival my father had attended was one in which a great Christian man, Mr. Levi Sides, was the speaker. If you have never heard Levi speak, you should take the time to do so. I have been fortunate enough to not only hear him this year in my own church summer revival, but also at another church just a few weeks ago. I relayed to my father how the last time I heard Levi speak, he shared a story from the pulpit about the relationship that he and my parents had many moons ago. Our conversation then shifted between Levi and his family and my own son's competitive behavior to learn to ride their bikes. Dad then shared a story with me.

My father told me that Levi had told them a story of embarrassment and revelation when they were all much younger. It seems that when Levi's son was a young and small boy, Levi had taken him to a doctor's appointment. While there, Levi's son was very hyper and acting in a manner that was less than pleasing to Levi. He was climbing, jumping, and doing other things that little healthy and active boys tend to do. Opposite of Levi was another man and his son who was about the same age as Levi's son. This other son was sitting there calm and without fidgeting. Levi saw this and wondered to himself what he and his wife had been doing wrong that this boy could be so well behaved when compared to this still child.

Levi's son's activeness continued and at one point Levi pointed out to his son, the other boy and asked if he did not see how well that boy was behaving. Wanting his son to use that child's behavior as a model Levi asked his son to try and be more like the other boy. Upon hearing the conversation between Levi and his son, the father of the other boy chimed in. In a very meek and humble voice he said to Levi, "sir, please let your son continue. Be thankful that your son is able to do those things and that he does not struggle to move." The man then asked his still son to raise his pants legs. There, in Levi's sight were two prosthetic legs. This boy had no leg below either knee. The man continued explaining to Levi how painful it was for his son to move and how the adjustment to the prosthetics was a long and challenging process. The man pointed out to Levi that he should view his son's behavior as indication that God had given him a healthy and lively child to raise.

Levi, left speechless, found the words to apologize to the man and his son and saw his child's actions in a different way from that point forward. Levi saw that while his son's actions needed refining, there was nothing "wrong" with him. Levi realized just how much God had blessed him and how lucky he was to have a son with no health problems. Levi told my father that this was a pivotal moment in his learning to be a father.

I have thought about this story every time I look at my son's this week. I feel so blessed to have been given three boys, all healthy and active (oh are they active). However, I am learning to view God's gifts to me not as indicators of my deserving of blessing, but as proof of my limitations. God tells Moses in Exodus 4 that it is He who gives man his limitations. It takes a special kind of person to raise a handicapped child and my respect for those individuals who raise those children is beyond words. Just as I look at my children as blessings and I learn lessons from being their father, the lessons that must come from being a parent of a special needs child must be infinite. God has given me exactly what He knew I could handle. Imagine how strong He must see the individuals He gives less than healthy children to.

Tonight, when I look at my children, I will strive to not reel them in just because they are "getting on my nerves" with their hyper activity. Unless they are doing something that I see as a danger to themselves or others physically, and more importantly, spiritually, I will let them be the boys that God created them to be. Of course, if they could do all this outside I will be even more thankful.

Welcome

2009-08-04T14:27:00.002-05:00

It would do all well to read the following article posted over at Apprising Ministries today. If you are a Christian, the message that should stand out in this well reasearched and documented writing is welcome to your worse nightmare. It's time to do something....

Click here to read this excellent article about the current state of emergent Christianity.

Is the Gospel Message "Change the World?"

2009-08-03T14:50:00.004-05:00

Has it really come to this point? One of two things have happened. Either the church and it's teachers have so let down their guard of the gospel message that Christians are no longer hearing the true gospel message, or the Chrisitans from these churches are either too blind or faithless to realize the lone thing that the gospel message tells Christians to do. Are we so vain that we think that our great God would leave "world-changing" up to mere humans? Here's a thought, let's leave the "world-changing" up to God Almighty. I am pretty sure He is more than capable.

I write this having encountered a Christian movement over the weekend whose justification for their actions is that they believe that through their actions they are going to "change the world." While that is a noble cause that deserves to be commended, what I found in some of these individuals is a level of judgment and dispicable behavior toward those who don't buy into their idea that their actions are going to change the world. When I pointed out that their backing for their relativly new belief system is not in line with scripture and dwells primarily in Old Covenant teaching, their arguments quicky dwindled and mixed into their diminishing pride I was confronted with a level of arrogance that was both new and odd to me.

So, over the weekend I have silently thought and dwelled in Scripture to find if Christ's gospel message, that which He gave His very Life for, was to "go change the world." I of course know the Great Commission (Matthew 28;18-20) but there is a school of Preterist thought out there who believes that the Great Commission was already fulfilled by those apostles to whom Christ was directly addressing. All that being said though, many who would hold that this passage is meant for those of us today can't get past the verb "GO" issued by Jesus Christ and instead change it to "STAY RIGHT HERE," or, in the worse case scenario, make sure you equip someone else to do it later. Not very world changing.

I could write for days on this topic but will stop here. We as Christians are not instructed to "go change the world," and if taken to the root, that is not the mission of many who claim that as their goal. Driven by either socio-political fears, socio-economic worries, or in the worse case scenario, out right fear, people manipulate the gospel to fit whatever cause it is their current non-gospel matching beliefs need. Sadly, when pressed, these indivduals rely solely on law to back their positions and the gospel and faith in a graceful and crucified Savior is diminished to a sidenote. We are instructed over and over by Christ and in the epistles to do one thing in order to please God - teach the gospel. How did the message change from teach repentance and forgivness of sins to "we gotta change the world?" I have my assumptions but will sit on those for this time. There is nothing Christian about changing the world. Can Christians change the world? Yes, if we get our fears, motives, and dogmas out of the way and allow Christ's gospel message to flow from us. The two greatest commandments as pointed out by Christ are love God, love neighbor. How do you intend to "change the world," when you have yet to even knock on your neighbors door to ask if they know the gospel? Let's leave the world changing up to God. Perhaps we will see more of it if we trust in what the gospel can do and stop trying to force God's hand by our own works.

Local Church of Christ Preacher Boldly Questions Relevant Church

2009-08-01T14:18:00.005-05:00

I can't remember the last time I read my local newspaper in Hamilton, AL and was surprised by something I read. Word tends to travel fast in this small town. However, as I fingered through the Journal Record today, a commentary, placed off to the side of page three took my breath away. Mr. Todd Clippard, pulpit minster of Burleson Church of Christ in Hamilton, AL has apparently had enough of the relevant movement that has taken place in our little small town and he is ready to do something about it. He has provided the readers of this small publication with a scathing commentary about the wool that many feel are being pulled over the eyes of the residents and children of this little town in northwest Alabama. In a hope that more than just the few who read the Journal Record will get to enjoy this writing, I would like to post his commentary below. Feel free to leave comments as I intend to send a link to this posting to Todd Clippard as well. Enjoy some discernment:

Pentecostal Finger Pointing or,

Not All Ramps Lead Upward

I recently watched some YouTube videos of the foolishness that is passed off as worship at the local RAMP. {find the referenced video below} One young man gave his "testimony" how the Lord had set him free, not from sin or some self-destructive lifestyle, but from (and I quote)"the biggest devil of all... dry, dead, religious tradition & bondage." He went on to rant about how "God wants to act normal again, but God can't act normal because he can't find his church that will act normal."

It must be noted that there is nothing unkind or unbiblical in comparing one's religious faith and practice against the teaching of Scripture. I invite comparisons of my faith and practice with the Scriptures. John warned us not to believe every spirit, but to put them to the test since many false teachers were in the world (1 John 4:1). Paul said Jews had "a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge,... being ignorant of God's righteous" (Rom. 10:2-3).

Pentecostals once practiced their traditions privately and were satisfied to leave everyone else alone, though they privately admitted they thought the rest of us were missing out on "real spirituality." But today things are different. There is a belligerent attitude among present charismatics, especially among younger practitioners. Now they openly and loudly point their fingers at us as if we should be ashamed for not acting like fools during our worship assemblies.

While you may find crude or offensive my use of the word "fools," it is actually nicer than Paul's description of those who possessed (unlike today's false practitioners) but misused genuine spiritual gifts. Writing to the Corinthian church in 1 Corinthians 14:22-23, Paul said,

"Therefore tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophesying is not for unbelievers but for those who believe. Therefore, if the whole church comes together in one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those who are uninformed or unbelievers, will they not say that you are out of your minds?"

I find it beyond belief how today's charismatics jump around, holler, dance and roll on the floor, and then accuse the rest of us of failing to act normally! Such practices stand in direct violation of the very laws Paul laid down for the exercise of spiritual gifts. Modern day charismatic practice has been divorced from 1 Corinthians 14:22-23 for irreconcilable differences!

Lord willing, our examination of the Bible in view of modern pentecostalism will continue in a follow-up article next week. Until then, we welcome your questions and comments.

Todd Clippard

Burleson Church of Christ

END

Here is the video that Todd references in his commentary:

Pilgrim's Map of the Day

2009-07-30T09:39:00.003-05:00

Sometimes you see something that you just want to share with others...

* LET'S START WITH THIS CUTE LITTLE FIVE YEAR OLD KID SINGING AND PLAYING JOHNNY CASH'S "FOLSOM PRISON BLUES." I LOVED THIS

* JUST FOR FUN, EVER WONDER WHICH MOVIE MONSTER WAS THE BIGGEST. WELL, SO DID THE GUYS OVER AT GEEKSTIR. ENJOY THIS GRAPH.

What Curses Us?

2009-07-29T14:48:00.002-05:00

I love listening to Walter Martin speak. He was a great speaker and defender of the gospel. Please take ten minutes to enjoy this excerpt in which he aims to point out how liberal theology is infesting American Christianity. Good stuff.

My Thoughts on Michael Vick

2009-07-28T18:04:00.001-05:00

I write the following being fully aware of the fact that no one cares what I think. I am not an expert on football, especially the NFL but I do like to think that I have better than a novice understanding of the game. That being said, allow me to weigh in on not only Michael Vick's reinstatement but also where I think he should end up playing.

I am personally glad to see Michael Vick back able to play in the NFL. What he did and was convicted of was at best reprehinsible and I think that his punishment from the legal system was very much appropriate. He served his time, has lost quite literally millions of dollars (some estimate $100 million) and has ruined his name and reputation. Regarding his reputation, as I did a Google image search on my iPhone for pictures of Vick, while the first page of images was full of him in football action, pages two through four was a huge collection of bloody and fighting dogs with a few of Vick during his court proceedings. I quit looking after that point and was very disheartened.

Quite possibly the saddest consequence to me is the loss of the relationship between Vick and Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank. While Blank has been the epitome of class and compassion during this ongoing scandal, he has verbalized much pain about what Vick's actions did to him personally and how Vick has hurt his business and the Falcons franchise. Blank is on record of having no desire of Vick wearing his team's uniform again.

Despite the pending six game suspension and the stigma that Vick must somehow outgrow, I am glad he has been given a second chance. Honestly, where would any of us be without second, third, and fourth chances? I failed to understand the debate surrounding if Vick deserved to play again when there are players who have committed far worse crimes against humans not only playing, but receiving fan fare. I personally look forward to the opportunity that Vick being on the field will provide. In that event, a door will be opened for me to discuss with my two oldest sons about how wrong cruelty to animals is, how there are consequneces for our actions, the effect that a good, God-fearing man (Tony Dungy) can have on young men, forgivness, and how to react when given a second chance. I just hope he doesn't mess it up.

The debate now centers around which team will take a chance on Michael Vick. While I do not have a crystal ball to say with certainty, I do have an opinion about where he would best fit. That team is the Cincinnati Bengals. What team in recent NFL history has been more maligned with controversy and legal problems? What team has more forgiving fans? Could Vick not learn from sitting behind a classy quarterback like Carson Palmer? Could Vick not learn how to have fun from Chad Johnson (or whatever his name is now)? What could happen with not only Tony Dungy's influence on Vick but Marvin Lewis' as well. Further, could the players on the Bengals not learn some much needed lessons from Vick? Sure, there is no guarantee that Vick will ever be near the same quarterback he once was, but what if he is, or better? Sure, Carson Palmer's contract goes through 2014 but why can't Vick be used in a role other than full-time quarterback. Just imagine the possibilities....

Besides, imagine the fun when the Bengals play their in state rival Cleveland Browns. The Brown's mascot, a big, brown dog.

-- Post From My iPhone

Pilgrim's Map of the Day

2009-07-27T10:24:00.002-05:00

Are the weekend's getting shorter or is it just me? Regardless, here is a pilgrim's map for this sure to be loooong Monday.

* I had a link to this in my e-mail this morning. This was a nice way to start the day as well as pretty fascinating. Enjoy this excellent group:

* Man, I really want to believe Obama's words about his faith are the truth. Let us all continue to pray for him and that his agenda's which step outside of God's alingment will be changed or dropped. Some have called this a "puff piece."

IN AN INTERESTING NOTE, LOOK AT THE DIFFERENCE IN WHICH THE SAME NEWS ORGANIZATION REPORTED ON GEORGE BUSH'S FAITH:

* Have you seen Jill & Kevin's wedding video yet? This is quite possibly the best wedding entrance in the history of all mankind:

Happy Now?

2009-07-25T23:56:00.000-05:00

Will someone please point me to the scripture that gives us liberty to repay sin with sin? There seems to be a trend of such about me and I am really struggling to overcome it at this time. Is there no forgivness in this world anymore? Do I ever present myself as above reproach?

As I grow older I find myself more and more asking forgivness of people that I feel I have wronged in the past. Rather it be from poor decisions or a failed ability to control emotions, I do feel led to request the forgivness of many. By doing so I often feel a tremendous burden lifted from me and sense of sincere peace. After this point, I have met my requirement to be set free from such burdens. At this point it is no longer up to me to convince you to forgive me. The burden now lies with you and until you decide to forgive me, I am still tied to that burden.

Let's say that I intentionally break into your home and steal your jewelry (which, just for clarification, I have never done to anyone). You subsequently call the police and I am apprehended and arrested. You are told you must come to the jail and visit me to get your jewelry back and by doing so you and I have a face-to-face encounter. At this time, I explain to you that I was obviously not thinking clearly and I ask for your forgiveness. The police tell you that with your forgiveness I may be set free from jail. You now have a decision to make: forgive me and set me free or hold on to your bitterness, anger, or confusion and keep me locked away due to that crime.

Of course we are given instruction from Christ about how often to forgive others when he effectively told his Disciples to give out an infinite amount of forgiveness (70 X 7 times are you to forgive). Even to those who may never forgive me for wrongs I may have committed, although it pains me to know such, I have been given peace Christ. My sins as well as all who read this did something worse to Christ than steal jewelry, lose control, say hurtful things, or even be less than a Christian example. Our sins cost Him a brutal and horrifying death in the most inhumane form possible. Left to hang there bloody and naked, this Savior had the strength to look down on those who drove nails through His hands & feet and plead to God for their forgiveness. How petty we truly are that we can't forgive one another for minor infractions that occur during our short and selfish lives?

Nowhere do we have permission to repay sin with sin. Being unforgiving is a sin and a sign of a true lack of faith. I have struggled with it but I try to realize that what ever pain I may suffer on this Earth, it will never compare to that of my Savior. How can we hold grudges as Christians? We can't. Do I want to forgive people for wrongs that befall me? Not always. Then I remember what John wrote about why we should be forgiving in 1 John 2:12: "I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake." My sins have not been forgiven for me, they have been forgiven to bring glory to God and His only Son Jesus Christ. What small portion of glory can I help bring to this loving God by forgiving those who harm me? When wronged personally I now aim to forgive individuals even before I allow anger or hurt grab hold of me. Regarding the small amount of discernment that I attempt to share on this blog, that is not a personal harm to me and if I write something on here about a teaching or false doctrine, I will gladly remove it once those thoughts or teachings are retracted. However, it is not for me to forgive you after that point, that is between you and your Maker. May God help us all to love one another, as flawed as we are, and to forgive one another "for His name's sake."

Pilgrim's Map of the Day

2009-07-25T23:38:00.001-05:00

Been a while: Here's some links for ya -

*Jeremiah Tatum beautifully expresses the need to personally own the gospel in this post.

* Video of quite possibly the best marriage proposal ever...

* Here is a very eye-opening article about the direction the Southern Baptist Convention is taking. Thanks for Apprising Ministries for this article and research.

One Freedom

2009-07-04T16:22:00.004-05:00

So, here is it, the 4th of July 2009. This is a day that Americans celebrate their Independence from a repressive and hurtful monarchy. This is a day that Americans can take a moment to enjoy and appreciate their freedoms that so many citizens on this vast planet Earth do not have. As I attempt to do that, I have never felt more enslaved as a citizen. I cannot even celebrate by shooting fireworks without fearing that I will be disobeying some ordinance. Yes, that is a minor thing but if I were truly "FREE," I would be allowed to show my appreciation in any way I felt necessary and share my joy in any form of my choosing. Wake up Americans!!!! You are not free at all. You are all bound by jobs, taxes, laws, and, even worse, a virtual plethora of self-made bonds. In our "pursuit of happiness," we have tied ourselves so tightly to the constraints of this world that there is likely no escape (outside of death itself, and then you get taxed for dying).

I still believe that as of this date, the United States of America is the greatest nation on Earth and I am grateful for the civil liberties that I am afforded. However, I give credit to God for these liberties and opportunities that I so often take for granted, not a current president, not a senator, and not the "founding fathers." God alone deserves the credit and someday His reasoning for choosing this nation, these people, myself and family to enjoy these liberties will be revealed. Until then, all credit goes to Him. It is Christ who is my Independence and in my study of scripture (man I wish I could put "daily" ahead of "study of scripture") I am reminded that since Christ has died for me, everyday of my life is my Independence day. I am free of past sins, free of man's judgment, free of legalism, and free of any dependence on man to learn the will of God. Everyday in my life should be a celebration and recognition of the day in which all mankind was given the unalienable right to receive Independence. Christ set us all free through His willingness to die on the cross.

Sadly, as I sit and evaluate the Christian landscape in America, I see many people proclaiming Christianity who don't seem to be living in the same freedom which I do. These are the people who are tied to a set of ideas that they are no longer living independently. These people have chosen to bind themselves to the thoughts of men and movements that remove all Christian liberty from their lives and who now are afraid to step in their own directions toward Christ without first checking with those who are part of the same ideology. They may no longer feel bound by sin but rather they are bound by ideologies. Conservative or liberal, republican or democrat, nationalist or fascist, the list is long . Of course, these are large ideologies but off hand you can probably think of several small or grass-root ideologies that are around you currently.

It is not my place to say which ideologies are right and which are wrong. They all seem to have one common denominator: In order to be a part of that movement you will have to abandon something you held to be true or, and even worse in my opinion, someone who does not agree with your new thinking. That is fine in all aspects but one. If you are forced to abandon true and sound Biblical teaching in order to fully consider yourself a "devout" member of that ideology, then you are headed for trouble. If you find yourself having to internally argue with yourself over whether scripture really supports those thoughts or beliefs, you are abandoning the Independence given you by Christ. If you catch yourself checking scripture with a man's teaching rather than the opposite, you have tied yourself to an ideology outside of Jesus. If you, as a man of a house, are allowing others to tell you how to run that house, then guess what, you aren't the head of your house, some other man and his ideology is. If you find yourself supporting race over grace, I am praying for you. If you find yourself insulting or hurting the innocent or hear your "leaders" doing likewise, then what you espouse steps out of Christianity and you can deem yourself an ideologue. If you find the only way to support your beliefs lies solely in the life and laws of Moses and not in the life and grace of Christ, turn toward Christ's freedom. Sadly, and most importantly, if you catch yourself wondering if you have done enough for Christ (regardless of who has told you that you might haven't), then you have now swallowed exactly what Satan wants you to and you. Freedom gone.

Paul, once an ideologue who believed that what He was doing would be deemed worthy by God, had staunch words for those who allow themselves to be tied to legalism. He wrote in 2 Corinthians 3: ¹²Since we have such a hope,^"we are very bold, ¹³not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. ¹⁴But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. ¹⁵Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. ¹⁶But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. ¹⁷Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, THERE IS FREEDOM (emphasis added). ¹⁸And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

I thank God that the veil of ideology and Mosaic law has been lifted from my face and that I am so invited to dwell in Christ's gift of freedom that He has bestowed upon me. I thank God that there is no ideology in scripture, only freedom that comes from trusting in God's atoning sacrifice of His son and that I can boldly live my life by the truth that has been placed inside of me by God through His scripture. I need no man to interpret it for me. I need no man to tell me what I have read is right. I am free. Happy Independence day to me and to all my fellow Christians who are trusting not in man and self but in Christ's blood.

Empty Nets

2009-06-13T23:10:00.001-05:00

I was very honored when asked by Matt Thigpen, the minister at Sulligent Church of Christ in Sulligent, AL to speak in the adult/teen class at their Vacation Bible School today. It was a valiant effort by their church and many children, including Ethan & Luke, our two oldest sons, attended. Make sure you make time to visit Matt's blog sometime (www.preacherman05.blogspot.com).

The theme of the VBS centered around Christ's promise to make His followers fishers of men, beginning with His initial meeting of Simon Peter, Andrew, James, & John, & culminating in His issuing of the great commission. It would seem obvious that Christ's intention all along was that all men and women come to know Him.

Conclusion: let's stop worrying about our own salvation, trusting in the promises Christ has made to us, and start asking God to send us opportunities to share the blessed assurance the gospel provides us. Let's try casting our nets on the other side.

-- Post From My iPhone

Freud & Faith by Richard Beck

2009-06-05T09:13:00.006-05:00

Over the past couple of weeks I have been privileged to read Richard Beck's series of writings regarding the psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud and his theories effects on Christian faith in America. These postings are fantastic and I have really enjoyed reading these and contemplating the questions Beck poses. Beck is a professor at Abilene Christian University and operates the blog Experimental Theology. These are well worth your reading.

I am going to post part 5 of this series in its complete form for you to read here and provide links below to the rest of the six-part series. I hope you enjoy:

Freud & Faith: Part 5, The Best Parents in America

We live in an culture, in America at least, that is both child-centric and nurture-obsessed. Interestingly, American Christianity has fully embraced these cultural emphases. American Christianity has made the parental nurture of children its defining witness to the world. This is a strange move to make given Jesus's consistent marginalization of family love. That is, Jesus doesn't place storge (love of family) at the center of his Kingdom vision. Rather, Jesus's focus is on what the Greeks called xenia (love of the stranger/outsider; hospitality). This downplaying of storge in favor of xenia is clearly illustrated in Jesus's teaching. Two examples:

Matthew 5:"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Luke 14:Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

As we reflect on all this, we might ask: Given Jesus's clear and consistent teaching, how did Americans and American Christians come to place so much emphasis on family love?

Some of the answer has to do with Freud.

As noted above, American culture is child-centric. This is a unique cultural stance, historically and globally. Most cultures have tended to place adulthood at the center of culture, especially the elderly. Americans, by contrast, have inverted this widespread emphasis. The elderly in America tend to be marginalized and discounted. The elderly are not deferred to or respected the way they are in other cultures. Rather than respecting old age and wisdom, Americans idolize youthfulness and childhood. The children are our future. They are the prized possessions. Babies are our idols.

Freud was significant in this shift of focus (from Jesus's culture to our own) in that Freud was the first influential thinker to devote significant attention to the role of childhood upon adulthood functioning. Freud's detailed theory of the psychosexual stages of development was unprecedented. Further, Freud detailed the way family relationships between parents, siblings and children can affect development, for good or ill. For Freud, the secret to who I am today is to be found in the past, in the early experiences of family and childhood.

This idea--the child is the father to the man--is so widely held that we fail to note how revolutionary it was when Freud began placing family life under the microscope. True, prior to Freud many acknowledged the importance of childhood. But Freud's analysis and theory revealed just how much could get screwed up during those years. Suddenly, childhood became very, very fragile. Parents could really mess things up. Kids could get ruined very easily.

Overnight, parenthood became a minefield. One had to tread carefully. Kids won't spontaneously recover from bad parenting. Thus, great skill was required. The Better Parenting obsession and industry was born.

Into this mix a uniquely Christian spin was created: Perhaps, in this post-Freudian parenting milieu, Christians could distinguish themselves from "the world" by showing that they love their kids more than anyone else loves their kids. By loving their kids more, by being the best parents in America, Christians might become a witness to the world.

Now, this isn't intrinsically a bad notion. I think it's great that Christians try to be wonderful parents. I know I try. But I think there are some risks to this strategy.

First, it's lopsided. The mass effort to love our kids more and show the world that we are the best parents in America is routinely done at the expense of, well, loving the world. We've replaced xenia with storge. That is, by having Norman Rockwell family meals we often fail to invite the people on the street to our tables. Family life becomes an idol.

Second, by priding ourselves upon being the Best Parents in America we come off as holier-than-thou. That is, on purely pragmatic grounds, the goal of loving our families as a witness to the world just isn't working. We look selfish, self-interested and self-absorbed. Instead of washing the feet of the world we read parenting manuals and pride ourselves on reading bible stories to our kids at night. All good, but annoying to outsiders. We need to do more than this.

In short, Freud was integral in creating new modern emphases, concerns, and neuroses about family and childhood development. We've all, the church included, imbibed these cultural trends. Thus it is important to step back and ask again, "What is the truly counter-cultural move?" How do we, in this post-Freudian climate, embrace robust and healthy families while opening ourselves to lives of hospitality and service to others? How does xenia as well as storge come to typify Christian living?

Because Freud has affected us far more than we've realized.
Posted by Richard Beck

Links to the rest of this Series

Freud & Faith: Part 1, Insight

Freud & Faith: Part 2, Pants

Freud & Faith: Part 3, Sex & Aggression

Freud & Faith: Part 4, The Potty

Freud & Faith: Part 5, The Best Parents in America

Freud & Faith: Part 6, O God, Our Mother & Father

This is Great

2009-06-02T11:37:00.001-05:00

This is great. Bring religion back to school.

James 3

2009-05-30T19:09:00.000-05:00

Sometimes you see something that hits you right between the eyes...

If I Was Dying & Came to Your Church

2009-05-30T18:53:00.002-05:00

This is a great video and exposes the fact that many operations operating under the guise of Christianity in America is not meeting the needs that Christ set His church up for.

Remind Me

2009-05-30T17:40:00.004-05:00

"I love you daddy." As a father of three wonderful and beautiful young boys, two of whom can freely and openly converse with me, there are no more wonderful words to hear than, "I love you daddy." What is often surprising to me when the two oldest ones say it, is that it comes out of the blue, unexpected, and my internal response is "REALLY???" Thank God I am not yet so cynical that my response is "what do you want" (I hear that comes later in their lives). These terms of affection often come from their mouths at the most strange times though. Not when they have received a gift, or have been taken to eat at one of their favorite places, or when I say "I love you" first. They say it as I am setting my stuff down after getting home from work, when I am doing my Bible or other studies, when I am picking up sticks before mowing the grass, or when I am just sitting down to relax in the evening. It catches me off guard - AND I LOVE IT.

You see, I know my children love me. They show it to me in their obedience (most the time), their sharing their daily life with me in the evening, and their asking me to play basketball, cars, or video games with them. I am certain they know that I love them as well based on the works that Christ leads me to do for them. Still, it feels good to hear it and I strive to verbally remind my kids that I love them as well.

As Christians, we need to be reminded of God's love as well. I fear that we are forgetting that in the church today. You see, there is no greater story of love in history that that of Jesus Christ. It is a story of sacrifice, patience, and kindness, all shown out of love. However, I think that Christians have been lulled to sleep by beginning to believe that this story, the gospel, is really only for non-believers. We believe and this belief is confirmed in scripture, that once the gospel message is delivered, it will reveal Christ's love to the non-believer and has the power to save them. The story of Christ's love saves.

Believers need to hear this all the time as well. We need to hear about Christ's love. We need to be fed the constant reminder that the Bible speaks: "I love you." Are we so naive to believe that once baptized and given the gifts promised through baptism that we are then to begin a life of strict law keeping to show God how much we love Him? To quote John Piper, the Baptist minister, from his 6-minute gospel message: "You will never, never, never, never, never, never, never, NEVER, outgrow your need for the gospel." We need to hear Christ saying "I love you."

If you are finding yourself in a congregation where you are not being fed the gospel steadily and truthfully, it may be time to begin asking why. When is the last time you were told from the pulpit that Christ loves you. Are all the lessons you hear law based and you leave telling yourself that you need to do better at that and this but not reminded of the fact that Christ knows/knew we would fall short but loves you anyway? Are you being pointed to your baptism and the love that was shown by allowing you to be washed in the blood of the most precious spotless Lamb of God? Are you being fed the fact that Christ loves you? Jesus loves you!!!! If you are not being fed this steadily, you need to find out why and if you are not given a Biblical response, you may need to find a new church where you can be fed.

Are we led to show our love the Christ? Yes!! Don't forget though that God loved you first. Without His initial love, you would not even have the ability to love Him back. Christ's story of hanging on the cross is the most loud and glorious proclamation to the world that God loves you.

A Blown Opportunity

2009-05-22T10:31:00.002-05:00

When the spotlight is upon us do we trust ourselves or God to lead us to the truth. One of the real challenges that Christians face today, and throughout history for that matter, is answering the question regarding what we believe about other religions and their access to the Heavenly Father. Of course, scripture teaches us that there is but ONE true God and ONE true savior. Why then, when asked by the world how we feel about other religions do we stammer and find ourselves unable to answer the question. Let us all trust in God and the knowledge promised us who dwell in HIs word in order to be prepared to give a proper response when asked such questions. This will prevent us from making the same mistake as T.D. Jakes recently did when he was given an opportuinty to declare the ONE true God. Listen to the following clip and see if you can hear his belief in the inclusionist agenda.

Pilgrim's Map of the Day

2009-05-19T12:39:00.002-05:00

Here's a map for the middle of May:

Over at A Place For the God-Hungry you can read an excellent article debunking the myth of "the perfect family."

Here's a great post containing 18 tips/tricks for memorizing scripture.

A strange place to find an article I agree with, the New York Times recently posted an article addressing what is becoming known as "the-holier-than-thou" effect. Strange how it seems like scripture discussed this 2000 years ago. Oh well, the Times is catching up maybe.

In even a bigger surprise, I found myself really enjoying what President Obama said in his commencement address at Notre Dame this weekend. Here's a good blog post pointing out his better moments.

KEEP My Commandments

2009-05-19T00:16:00.002-05:00

How often do we forget the price that Christ paid for us? How often do we forget that in all actuality, Christ did not spend His time burdening man with laws and statutes but rather He spent His time traveling, healing and teaching love. As I stop and look around the Christian landscape today, both close to me and in distance places, I no longer see Christ in His church but rather I see Moses.

One of the arguments I have recently heard to justify attempting to live and teach a life of legalism came from John 14. In this chapter, Christ makes the comment to His faithful follower Philip "If you love Me, you will keep my commandments (15)." That is what the apostle John saw, heard, and recorded for us. So, there we have it. Christ tells us that in order to show Him we love Him, we must keep His commandments. It is because of this verse that if you look through many Christian's Bibles today, you will find every scripture of law from Genesis to Revelation highlighted, underlined, or posted on their refrigerator. Strangely enough, in these Bibles, the portions that have the red lettering do not have that many highlights. I will allow you to deduct the meaning of that for yourself.

A closer look at the scripture though reveals something interesting. Christ's statement to Philip was not a commandment to follow every law set forth. Did/does Christ's father demand perfect obedience to the law? Yes. Hence the need for a Savior. So what was this Savior's point then?

I contend that people who read this passage as a commandment to strictly adhere to the law are misguided and even worse, victims of flawed, if not irresponsible teaching. I support that statement by pointing to the Greek language that John was first written in. The verb "keep" in John 14:15 is the Greek "Tereo." Both Thayer's and Strong's define this word as meaning to attend to carefully, to take care of, or to guard and believe it is akin to the verb "Theoreo" which means to be a spectator of or to look at or more simply, to see.

So Christ is saying in this verse, see and take care of my commandments. He then makes this point again in v. 21 when he uses the verb "Tereo" in discussing keeping his commandments. Christ was asking Philip to guard his few commandments from what? False doctrine?

To look deeper into John 14, Christ says in verse 15 that if we love Him we will see, guard His commandments and then HE (not we) will ask God to give another Helper (counselor, advocate) to assist us. What does this Helper do?? It leads us to a deeper knowledge/understanding of the commandments? For what??? To be able to guard/keep them??? Why?? v 26 says so that we can better remember them??? For what??? To save souls/fulfill the great commission. We are led to and assisted by the Holy Spirit to guard God's word and pass it on unadulterated so that more souls can be won. Not of our own doing, but wholly of God's. That is the power of God's word. We read and are taught it and we are convicted by the Holy Spirit to have a love for Christ that makes us want to dive deeper into His word at which point we are given the assistance of the Holy Spirit to understand it more so that we can be led to produce fruit through TEACHING THE WORD alone. Christ's law = keep my teachings pure. Instead, we have allowed it to be taken hostage by people who want to use it to make law. Apostasy defined.

Read it, be given understanding, keep it pure, teach it. All this is done through us, not by us. Not my opinion, that is the teaching of Christ.

Quickly think about 2 John 1. Look at what John is rejoicing in (v 4). The fact that they are guarding the word from false doctrine and abiding with one another in love (a fruit of the prior). How do we know this, because John tells us so when he states 'For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward. 9Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, 11for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.

He is happy that they have kept (guarded, taken care of) the true gospel message. That message being the gospel message of Christ. Note, this isn't a one time warning against such and is actually a common theme in the Epistles (Rom. 16:17; Gal. 1:8; Gal. 1:9; 2 Thess. 3:6; 2 Thess. 3:14 to name a few). John goes as far in 3 John to commend their remaining solid in the word and not allowing the Gentiles to add to their teaching. Teach the word, not the law. Guard Christ's words and teachings in their purest forms. I challenge you to make a list of the "commandments" that Christ made. You will find they are few. Perhaps that's the way he wanted it...

God in a Box

2009-05-03T21:39:00.000-05:00

Why is it that in today's world of "anything goes" and "wide-gate" Christianity that we as Christians are afraid to say what God is? By that I mean, why is it that when we tell people in discussions that God has a certain characteristic or feels a certain way about something we are accused of "putting God in a box?" Are the scriptures themselves not God-breathed? Has God not revealed to us everything that we need to know through His scripture? When we talk about a jealous God we may get the response, "that's not my God," even when it is revealed in scripture. When we talk about a vengeful God we may get the response "that's not my God, even when He Himself has told us so. When we talk about a God who frowns upon homosexuality, we get the response "not my God," even though He has revealed so to us. What is your response (not what would you say, but what have you said in past similar situations)? Is it not time to stand up and tell people who make these comments that we serve different a different God from their god???? God put Himself in the box, we simply have to open it and show it to the world.

Worth a Smile

2009-04-23T11:40:00.002-05:00

This video of two guys ordering at Taco Bell via folk song made me smile. The best part is that the guy on the other end actually got the order correct. AMAZING. I hope you enjoy this.

Fast Food Folk Song - Watch more Funny Videos

Pilgrim's Map of the Day

2009-04-14T11:18:00.002-05:00

It's been a while since I have gotten to post a map to share with you guys. I have not found time to check my favorite blogs/sites for some time and to be honest, have felt kinda lost without doing so. As these help to keep me on track, I hope that you will follow these links and hopefully find something that will make your life better today.

* For starters, Ray Comfort has posted a tremendous response to a question regarding our nature to sin from an atheist. Reading this will make you more sound in your understanding of God's grace. Find that response here on his blog Atheist Central.

* The video you are about to watch took place in a "church,"... on Easter Sunday morning.... I present, New Spring "Church" praise band honoring God in worship by playing a cover of AC/DC's "Highway to Hell."

* Trey Morgan has a great blog. He apparently has a wonderful wife as well. I was encouraged as I read her guest-post on Trey's blog as I realized that I myself am married to a real woman. Click here to read this wonderful post.

Full & Robust Wisdom by J. Randal Matheny

2009-04-06T11:27:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite moments of almost each day is when my copy of that days writing from Forthright Magazine comes. It is an assembly of a group of Christians who love scripture and the trust found therein and unabashedly proclaim the scripture. I was very uplifted by the writing contained within it today by J. Randal Matheny. I normally just link to things I find pleasing online but I often wonder how many people follow those links and actually read what is posted. Therefore, I feel that this writing deserves to be posted in its entirety on my site and the link to it can be found within the title below. Please read, process, and enjoy.

Full & Robust Wisdom

by J. Randal Matheny

"It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption." 1 Corinthians 1:30 NIV

Keeping all your options open means losing the one that offers it all. And choosing any other option besides Christ means giving up all that matters.

The minute you claim to be a Paulite or a Peterite or a Selfite, you squeeze Christ out of your faith. No way can you pledge allegiance to a person, system or line of thinking in religion and still be one of Christ's.

Power and eloquence, strength and wisdom, force and knowledge are the twin suns of human ambition. Jews sought a powerful sign, the Greeks panted after a word to make their leg tingle.

Even for today's atomized, individualized buffet of religious preferences, Paul still has much to say in 1 Corinthians. The Way is no pick-and-choose menu. Christ is all there is.

The paradox of such limitation to One means that we get access to all he is. And in him God has packed everything.

God's wisdom is not merely a glib tongue. It fixes all the world's ills and bills.

His wisdom is righteousness: Christ settles up our account.

Our debts with God run beyond trillions. No amount of juggling figures can make the books balance. No human stimulus bill, nor a dozen repeats, can put things on solid footing again. Not even Superman could keep this disaster from happening. Divine intervention became necessary.

His wisdom is holiness: Christ cleans up our mess.

The environmentalists, if they could pluck their heads from the rising oceans and grasp the spiritual, would faint over this pollution. Mankind needs more than a takeover of the automakers to cut the smoky emissions from our sin-producing engines. Human efforts accomplish less to erase our transgression than the symbolic black-out to protest the eco-nuts' latest alleged disaster. With a single swipe, God cleansed the human race.

His wisdom is redemption: Christ releases us from our entanglements.

God's plan of salvation is the biggest buy-back offer ever made. Still going after millenia. Still plenty of funds for more purchases of enslaved humans. His aggressive campaign has not lagged and will go full-steam until the end.

All this available globally, if you believe, are willing to change your life habits and will commit fully by plunging into water to find spiritual cleansing.

With a complete package in this Christ-wisdom, we've no need to go anywhere else. God has put it all in Christ.

Now that's smart!

September 1, 1939

2009-04-03T21:53:00.000-05:00

W.H. Auden was a fantastic poet. His works span the early 20th century and explore many of the themes that puzzled the thought of the international world during a time which was plagued by war. As Auden became a man, his mindset changed from one that believed in socialism to one that believed in Jesus Christ and His teachings about the nature of mankind.
In none of his poems is his struggle and eventual breaking free from secular thought more evident than in his work entitled September 1, 1939. In this poem, Auden, a man in his early thirties and having recently moved to the United States, reveals the thoughts that he experienced as he learned that Adolf Hitler's armies had invaded Poland, triggering what would become known as World War II.
I have always enjoyed reading the words of Auden as one can watch him literally climb over the fence from secular thought to Christian. Please read and enjoy this poem.

I sit in one of the dives
On Fifty-second Street
Uncertain and afraid
As the clever hopes expire
Of a low dishonest decade:
Waves of anger & fear
Circulate over the bright
And darkened lands of the earth,
Obsessing our private lives;
The unmentionable odour of death
Offends the September night.

Accurate scholarship can
Unearth the whole offence
From Luther until now
That has driven a culture mad,
Find what occurred at Linz,
What huge imago made
A psychopathic god:
I and the public know
What all schoolchildren learn,
Those to whom evil is done
Do evil in return.

Exiled Thucydides knew
All that a speech can say
About Democracy,
And what dictators do,
The elderly rubbish they talk
To an apathetic grave;
Analysed all in his book,
The enlightment driven away,
The habit-forming pain,
Mismanagement & grief:
We must suffer them all again.

Into this neutral air
Where blind skyscrapers use
Their full height to proclaim
The strength of Collective Man,
Each language pours its vain
Competitive excuse:
But who can live for long
In an euphoric dream;
Out of the mirror they stare,
Imperialism's face
And the international wrong.

Faces along the bar
Cling to their average day:
The lights must never go out,
The music must always play,
All the conventions conspire
To make this fort assume
The furniture of home;
Lest we should see where we are,
Lost in a haunted wood,
Children afraid of the night
Who have never been happy or good.

The windiest militant trash
Important Persons shout
Is not so crude as our wish:
What mad Nijinsky wrote
About Diaghilev
Is true of the normal heart;
For the error bred in the bone
Of each woman & each man
Craves what it cannot have,
Not universal love
But to be loved alone.

From the consertative dark
Into the ethical life
The dense commuters come,
Repeating their morning vow;
'I will be true to the wife,
I will concentrate more on my work,'
And helpless governors wake
To resume their compulsory game:
Who can release them now,
Who can reach the dead,
Who can speak for the dumb?

All I have is a voice
To undo the folded lie,
The romantic lie in the brain
Of the sensual man-in-the-street
And the lie of Authority
Whose buildings grope the sky:
There is no such thing as the State
And no one exists alone;
Hunger allows no choice
To the citizen or the police;
We must love one another or die.

Defenseless under the night
Our world in stupor lies;
Yet, dotted everywhere,
Ironic points of light
Flash out wherever the Just
Exchange their messages:
May I, composed like them
Of Eros & of dust,
Beleaguerd by the same
Negation & despair,
Show an affirming flame.

-- Post From My iPhone

Am I Missing Something?

2009-04-02T22:02:00.001-05:00

My wife Joy recently read to me a very brutal and judgmental discussion regarding parents, Christian or otherwise, who choose to send their children to public school. I will take the high road here and avoid any discussion about how disgustingly hypocritical it is for anyone who is a Christian to write such judgmental things about people (one of the comparisons was calling parents, that includes my mom, my wife, me, and just about all of the people I attend church with and the elders and their wives therein, more guilty than Herod). What my wife read to me was militant and oozed with self-righteousness. I could not possibly imagine God looking down on the person who penned this writing in pleasure nor did I hear one word in the writing that could advance the kingdom of God TODAY, when we as adults are called to action.
Wondering if I should feel convicted by what I was read, I went to the only two places I know for trustworthy and Godly answers; scripture and my churches elders. Thank God for those gifts. The answer that has been shared with me was one that has led me to lean even more on the grace of Christ.
One of the verses I often hear when being condemned for having our children in public school is " raise your children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.". Other translations of this verse replace discipline and instruction with the words nurture and admonition. This verse is found in Ephesians 6:4. However, upon just a closer look one finds that this verse is actually quite the dud for someone looking to condemn mothers who choose to have their children publicly schooled.
Why is that? Because the verse is addressed to who? Fathers. The verse reads "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." And yet I never find a verse in scripture that gives me permission as a father to shun that duty or pass it off on my wife, public school, or a tutor. Is it time for me to panic, quit my job, and start spending each day teaching my children phonics? Yikes, but what about the verses that command me as a father to provide for my family? Plus, if I do all this alone, what is the need for a wife?
Then I remembered something that I was missing in my thinking. I remembered Jesus. I remembered the fact that law was nailed to the cross with Christ. I remembered verses that promise that if my wife and I simply believe in Christ and trust God that God qualified my children as holy. I remembered that Christ is the one in control and that the only commandment that Christ left is to preach the word so that others may find Christ.
My prayer is that all across the Christian landscape that we can stop judging one another. We must stop condemning the world. Do what Christ leads you to do and gladly accept the fact that your life is pleasing to God so long as you are trusting in Him. Rejoice in one another's diversity and work together to spread God's word in a way that Christ could smile on. Let's stop patting ourselves on the back, dig for Biblical truth, and preach the word.

-- Post From My iPhone

Jesus on Piety

2009-03-31T11:07:00.005-05:00

A few months ago I posted a writing on being pious. This writing, for whatever reason, has been the source of some contention in my private life and unpopular to say the least. That being said, in the context to which my posting was written I do not budge or retract what I said. It so happens that a fellow Christian brother has been studying the same issue in his private life and has recently written an article discussing what he believes are Christ's views on piety. As followers of Christ (i.e. Christians), I believe that my brother Jim Nowlin has provided a very concise and scripturally backed article discussing whether or not Jesus Himself would have been considered pious enough to enter heaven based on some Christian's standards. Please read and enjoy the following:

Significant confusion exists in the religious world concerning the Holy Bible. Even among those who understand and appreciate God’s revelation, there is much misunderstanding relative to the application of God’s word to real-life situations. The purpose of this study is to consider the teachings of Jesus to help ensure that we properly apply God’s word both in our teaching and in our lives.As the basis of this study, let’s consider the following questions:

Question #1. Did the religious leaders of Jesus' day consider him “pious” enough to serve as one of the leaders in the first century synagogue?

Answer #1. Based on God’s revelation, the answer given by the honest Bible student must be, “Absolutely Not!”

Question #2. Did Jesus concern himself with how this perceived lack of piety would affect the religious leaders who practiced binding both God’s word and the opinions of men as matters of faith?

Answer #2. Again, based on God’s revelation, the answer given by the honest Bible student must be, “Absolutely Not!” To the contrary, Jesus openly condemned those who sinned by binding regulations which were not specified in God’s word. Furthermore, He openly condemned those who acted in such a manner that they would be perceived as pious. Then, He went right on living according to God’s revelation regardless of the consequences. As a result, it is clear that Jesus was not perceived as pious enough by the religious leaders in the first century Jewish world to have been placed in a leadership role in the synagogue. It is also clear that Jesus was not concerned with the religious leaders’ perception of Him.

As evidence of these conclusions, let’s consider the following:

A) Jesus stood firmly against binding man-made regulations and traditions as matters of faith.

1) One of the first century Jewish practices of which Jesus obviously did not approve was the matter of binding man-made regulations such as the “traditions of the elders” as matters of faith. Relative to the matter of “cleanliness,” for example, the religious leaders of Jesus’ day likely referred to passages such as Exodus 19:10-14, Exodus 29:4-17, Exodus 30:18-21, Exodus 40:31-32, Leviticus 1:9-13, Leviticus 6:27, Leviticus 8:6-21, Leviticus 9:14, Leviticus 11:25-40, Leviticus 13:6-58, Leviticus 14:8-47, Leviticus 15:5-27, Leviticus 16:4-28, Leviticus 17:15-16, Leviticus 22:6, Numbers 8:7-21, Numbers 19:7-21, Numbers 31:24, Deuteronomy 21:6, and Deuteronomy 23:11 which require a variety of cleansings and washings in situations prescribed by God’s word, to take the liberty of adding additional required cleansings and washings as matters of faith even though they are not prescribed in Holy Writ. The thought process likely included the rationale that since God’s word indicates the importance of washing in many situations, adding the requirement of additional washings must be even better. One can never be too cautious, they likely surmised, when it comes to making sure one does not sin against God.

The problem lies in the fact that both adding to and taking from God’s word constitute sin (Deuteronomy 4:2, Deuteronomy 12:32, 2 Kings 22:1-2, Revelations 22:18-19). Since Jesus condemned the scribes, Pharisees, and elders of the people for binding more than God’s word binds and openly refused to approve of their practices (Matthew 15:1-20, Mark 7:1-23, Luke 11:37-53, Matthew 23:1-36), He was certainly not considered pious enough to be one of the leaders in the first century synagogue.

2) Another situation in which Jesus encountered the religious leaders’ binding more than God’s word binds is relative to the type of activities in which one could be “lawfully” engaged on the Sabbath. God’s word made it clear that His people were not to “work” on the Sabbath in passages such as Exodus 20:8-11, Exodus 31:14-16, Exodus 35:2-3, Leviticus 23:3, and Numbers 15:32-36. Since God’s word commanded that one not “work” on this specific day of each week, the scribes, Pharisees, and elders of the people devised a list of specific activities in which one could be engaged on the Sabbath along with another list of activities which they considered unlawful on the Sabbath, again just to make sure individuals did not sin against God’s law of the Sabbath. The problem with this thought process is that a proper application of God’s word is the one and only determinant as to what constitutes sin.

Furthermore, God’s revelation itself is the only basis for determining what constitutes “work.” Jesus made a point to effectively condemn their binding more than God binds relative to the Sabbath in Matthew 12:1-8, Luke 6:1-11, and Luke 14:1-6. However, since He violated the traditions of the elders which they considered just as binding as God’s word, He broke God’s law in their eyes. As a result, Jesus was certainly not considered pious enough to be considered for one of the leadership positions in the first century synagogue.

3) Furthermore, the religious leaders in the first century likely considered God’s teaching in such passages as Psalms 1:1-2 and Psalms 26:5 and determined that it was a violation of God’s law for one to associate with “sinners” in any context. Regardless of the fact that this was not God’s teaching in these passages, the religious leaders apparently bound such regulations as matters of faith. Again, their rationale likely included the assumption that it was prudent to be more restrictive than God’s revealed word in order to make sure they did not sin against Him. Furthermore, it clearly does not look good for one of the leaders of God’s people to associate with sinners, right? Jesus condemned these thought processes by disregarding their tradition of binding more than God bound on this subject in passages such as Matthew 9:11, Mark 2:16, Luke 5:27-32, Luke 7:36-50, and Luke 15:1-32. As a result of Jesus’ refusal to abide by man-made laws and traditions as He spent time with the sinners to lead them to the truth of God’s word, He certainly was not considered pious by the religious leaders of His day.

4) As additional evidence that Jesus was not pious enough for the religious leaders of His day, He not only ate with sinners, he likely even drank unfermented wine (“oinos”) during His associations with these individuals. Even though these sinners may have drunk fermented wine or even wine with some type of additional drug in it from time to time, Jesus refused to concern himself with the possibility that some might accuse Him of sin based on passages such as Proverbs 23:20 and Deuteronomy 21:19-20 as a result of such associations. The religious leaders likely indicated that it just did not look good for one who might be considered one of their leaders to place himself in such situations, especially since some might engage in sin in such contexts.The fact that Jesus was condemned in Matthew 11:19 and Luke 7:34 for associating with such indicates that Jesus did not refrain from drinking the unfermented juice of the grape just because some might assume the worst in their attempt to find fault. Undoubtedly, this action by Jesus was one of the reasons the religious leaders of His day perceived that He was less than “pious” enough for them. Again, instead of concerning Himself with their perceptions, Jesus simply continued doing what was right and good based on God’s revealed word regardless of the effects on those who set out to condemn everything He did.

5) As the final example of Jesus’ refusal to support the binding of man-made regulations and traditions as matters of faith, the religious leaders of Jesus’ day likely referred to passages such as the following to prove the importance of fasting in the lives of God’s people: Judges 20:26, 1 Samuel 7:6, 1 Samuel 31:13, 2 Samuel 1:12, 2 Samuel 12:16-23, 1 Kings 21:9-27, 2 Kings 18:6, 1 Chronicles 10:12, 2 Chronicles 20:3, Ezra 8:21-23, Ezra 9:5, Nehemiah 1:4, Nehemiah 9:1, Esther 4:3-16, Esther 9:31, Psalm 35:13, Psalm 69:10, Psalm 109:24, Jeremiah 36:6-9, and Daniel 6:18. As a result of the obvious importance of fasting in the history of God’s people, surely it makes sense for individuals to let their light shine for God’s glory through the fasting process, as rationalized by the scribes, Pharisees, and elders. To the contrary, Jesus taught openly against the practice of “appearing” to be fasting so that others would realize how pious they were in Matthew 6:16-18, Matthew 9:14, and Luke 5:33, regardless of the result. Since Jesus taught against the practice of “putting on a show” so others would see how righteous they were as was the practice of the religious leaders of the day, Jesus was certainly not pious enough in their eyes to ever become one of their leaders.

B) As additional evidence of Jesus’ perceived lack of piety, He stood firmly against the first century practice of teaching one message in public and then espousing contradictory views in private. His teaching was always the same regardless of the audience.

1) Several examples have been provided by the Holy Spirit to indicate that Jesus’ public teaching and private teaching were always one in the same, including Mark 10:2-12 and Luke 12:1-3, and that Jesus condemned individuals who dealt with God’s word in any other manner (Matthew 23:1-36). Please note that since Jesus refused to approve of the scribes’, Pharisees’, and elders’ practice of communicating different “rules” for different audiences, He certainly was not considered pious in their eyes.

C) Furthermore, Jesus refused to even consider the “praise of men” in the process of determining which issues were matters of faith. He made it clear that God’s word is the only determinant of truth regardless of who agrees with it.

1) Jesus made it clear that we should not concern ourselves with the fact that some individuals may agree or disagree with teaching based strictly on God’s revelation. He taught the truth regardless of who might believe or reject it because He understood that God’s word is not determined in the minds of men, but that God’s word is settled in heaven (Psalms 119:89). Jesus did not cater to those who considered the praise of men in the process of determining which issues were matters of faith (Matthew 15:12-14, John 12:42-43). Rather, since He taught simple obedience to God’s word (John 14:15, John 15:14), He was definitely not pious enough to ever become one of the leaders in the first century synagogue.

D) Finally, Jesus clearly refused to even consider the teachings of the religious leaders of His day in His quest to determine the truth based on God’s word.

1) It was clearly the custom of the scribes, Pharisees, and elders of Jesus’ day to quote rabbinic opinions and traditions as an integral part of their public teaching. For example, the thoughts of various rabbis on a given subject were the basis for the most widely respected and utilized scriptural commentary in the first century, the Babylonian Talmud. An example of the Talmud may be found online at

http://www.come-and-hear.com/sotah/sotah_48.html#PARTb.

However, as indicated in Matthew 7:28-29, Mark 1:22, and Matthew 15:7-9, Jesus did not employ this teaching method. He understood that the comments of mere mortals were nothing more than opinions and that God’s word alone is our guide (John 12:48) regardless of human opinions. Since Jesus simply referred to God’s word in His teaching without the confirmation of and agreement with the religious leaders of the day, He certainly was not considered pious by those who might have considered Him for a leadership role in the first century synagogue.

In summary, Jesus was SO not pious enough to be chosen as a leader of God’s people in the first century synagogue that the religious leaders of His day ultimately decided it would be better to have Him killed than to submit to His leadership and authority. Since it is God’s grace in conjunction with our faithful adherence to God’s revelation which keeps us in fellowship with the Creator Of The Universe (1 John 1:7), let’s all continue to pray that today’s religious leaders will stand against binding man-made regulations and traditions as matters of faith, that they will stand against private teaching which contradicts public teaching, that they will refuse to even consider the praise of men in the process of determining which issues constitute matters of faith, and that they will refuse to follow the doctrines and teachings of the religious leaders of the day in the process of determining truth – JUST LIKE JESUS DID. Even though one might consider stating an OPINION in his teaching from time to time, it is our responsibility to make sure we clearly communicate such statements as opinion. We must realize that we cannot bind our opinions as matters of faith and expect to continue in fellowship with our Creator (Deuteronomy 4:2, Deuteronomy 12:32, 2 Kings 22:1-2, Revelations 22:18-19). May God help us simply follow Jesus’ pattern of setting each other apart from the world through the truth of God’s word, since it is God’s word alone which is truth (John 17:17).

A Beautiful Verse: Reflections from Isaiah

2009-03-30T12:03:00.004-05:00

I continue to be enriched and made happy by the slow and steady study of Isaiah that I have undertaken. What a beautiful book and my eyes have been opened to and my mind reminded of some of the most beautiful verses and simple statements of faith that I have ever seen. One such reminder occurred in my preparation for Sunday School this week as I read through Isaiah chapter 26. In verse 12 of this chapter Isaiah makes a most profound yet simple statement of his trust and belief in God when he states: "O LORD, you will ordain peace for us, for you have indeed done for us all our works. (ESV)"

It is important to understand that Isaiah was living his life with the knowledge that God was soon to let loose a combination of enemies on his home land and was the man who personally delivered the message of impending doom and horror that was soon to beset these people. Isaiah knew that God's wrath was upon his people and that there was no escape other than to believe that God was going to care for those who trust in Him. God and God alone allowed Isaiah to be able to stand up and say so boldly "O LORD, you will ordain peace for us, for you have indeed done for us all our works."

How important for us to follow the example of Isaiah and to understand that God works through the Holy Spirit in us who have accepted that gift through baptism the same way that He did Isaiah. I strive so hard to keep, maintain, and understand that only God can ordain or grant me the peace in life to be truly happy. How hard I try to trust in Him to help me understand that even though when I open my eyes I see a world and people who care not for God's will and who laugh at the fact that Christian's believe in a murdered yet risen Savior that He has promised me that everything will be fine. I fight a continuous struggle to give my concerns over to God and to follow what He leads me, and me alone to do. I look at my family and their needs and I do trust that God is guiding me to make the proper decisions and choices for my families spiritual well being and that He will guide me in making sure of my children's spiritual growth. God will, can, and has ordained peace for me. I just have to get out of the way and let Him grant it to me. Easier said than done which is why the second half of this verse rings so loudly.

Isaiah states "for you have indeed done for us all our works." How do I accept the peace that God has to give me? By coming to an understanding and belief in that statement by Isaiah. How do I keep myself from being constantly tormented and worried over the state of my own wretched heart? By understanding that God, through the sacrifice of His son Jesus Christ, has given me a gift that if I simply trust in the fact that Jesus was enough to cover my sins that I am promised a home with Him in Heaven. God has indeed done all of our works for us. I am incapable of living a life that is sinless. We all are. That was the necessity of Christ and why He was punished on the cross. That work alone makes me eligible for salvation and all that is asked of me is that I believe and accept the fact that Christ died for my sins. Christ asked us to believe and be baptized so that we may dwell in His body and have our hearts circumcised. He gives us His Holy Spirit which if we just listen, follow, and trust will lead us to the peace which Isaiah felt. It makes me so sad to see people, friends, and loved ones who don't have this peace simply because they are on a perpetual slide of failure trying to justify themselves and at times making up laws which they feel will give them more peace. We all know these people who believe that if they follow this law, this law, and this law to a tee that it will make them more righteous. Think about those people and their attitudes and ask yourself why they are not at peace. Why are you not at peace?

I want that peace that Isaiah felt. For those of us who have been led to do works that we know were not contrived or meant for any reason other than to glorify God, it is a joyous feeling. How dare we cheapen those moments by taking credit for them ourselves or even worse look at others who have not been led to do the same things and judge them for it. There is no peace in that. There is no God in that. There is only you and your wretchedness or desire to justify yourself for sins in your past.

Should I possibly find myself more holy than the person who does not teach Sunday School? Foolish. Should I possibly find myself more worthy of Christ's forgiveness because I bring my children to church. Foolish. Should I possibly consider myself more righteous because I study my Bible? Foolish. These acts are simply ones to which Christ attached certain promises but make me no more or less worthy of avoiding God's judgment than the person who never does these things. This is a dangerous game and one that Isaiah warned against in earlier chapters of Isaiah. In the same breath, to not accept these promised gifts by doing these things as instructed in scripture is also foolish.

To receive the peace of knowing that God has already provided for us we need look no further than scripture. It is full of scripture letting us loose from law and our own works and binding us to Christ on the cross. Jesus has done all of our works for us already. Imagine a church full of men, women, and children who truly believe and trust in this promise. Imagine a world where this message, the gospel message, is preached without any man made designs, flaws, or self-righteous intentions. To do so in my opinion is to imagine Heaven.

Are Any of Us "Right"

2009-03-17T23:37:00.002-05:00

The following is a response to a gentleman who recently attempted to berate the Church of Christ as proclaiming that they are the only worshippers of God who are going to Heaven. I would love to get some feedback (ammo, lol) in order to further help this man to see that our differences make us more in need of the same Savior.

Charles, you are correct. There are many people these days who worship in the Church of Christ who when approached by someone who challenges their beliefs are unable to defend their faith and choose to say "you are right, no one is wrong." This however does not make you or any other false indoctrination correct but rather points to an obvious and sad failure of the church to successfully and fervently feed their sheep. In the recent history of the Church of Christ there has been a slow yet momentus shift away from true gospel teaching all done in the name of "relevance" and political correctness. Sadly, this is not just a Church of Christ problem and I am sure if you were honest with us you could report a large number in your own congregation who are ignorant when it comes to doctrinal issues. That is not an insult by the way but rather a sad state of the union if you will.

The Church of Christ has gotten away from preaching true gospel teaching in many sections of the world and spends FAR too much time teaching on issues such as instrumental music, why we are right and they are wrong, and many gimmicky lessons taught to grow numbers, not feed sheep. So, in a sense, you are correct.

That being said, you are talking to the wrong people and I may even guess preying on spiritually weak individuals. Should you approach me with your query listed as a question regarding the CofC being the only one's going to heaven I would simply point out to you with scripture why I think that the Church of Christ has it close to true regarding worship matters. Sadly, regarding doctrinal issues, the Church of Christ is lagging behind in teaching it's congregations at this time. I have good news though. There is a rumbling and we are aware that a return to the gospel is the only solution and the only way to squelch men such as yourself.

Here's the facts, we are all sinners in need of a savior (pick your scripture---). None of us can live by law or save ourselves (that includes worship style). Should we begin thinking that we can save ourselves simply by our worship style then we have done no better than the Galatians who thought because they circumcised themselves they had a more direct connection to Jesus. In conclusion, who is wrong? We all are. None of us are going to be able to stand before God and state that at every worship service we attended we did so in Spirit and truth (you cannot deny that). None of us are any less depraved than the other.

The truth regarding what a good or correct church is, is evident in what happens outside the church. That is not to say that the church that teaches people to live the best morally, to have the best marriage, to have the best work relationships, or to be most blessed financially has it right. If you want to know if you are part of a good church, ask yourself how many members leave the doors each Sunday prepared and ready to teach nothing more than Christ crucified to all the world by using God's word to convict and break hearts. I would challenge you to listen to the sermons, not songs, being taught at your church and listen for the true gospel message. Is it being taught? If not, are we brave enough to point it out? Is Jesus being properly extracted from every scripture? If not, find a church where that is happening. It's your duty.

Pop-Pop Pants

2009-03-16T23:42:00.001-05:00

Kip is now getting big enough to start wearing pants. As Joy got Kip ready for church last night, Ethan was paying attention. Ethan proceeded to say that Kip's pants "look like Pop-Pop's pants when he goes to bed.". Apparently my dad likes to hike his pants up before bed. He needs to remember that little boys pay LOTS of attention. Here's Kip in his Pop-Pop pants.

-- Post From My iPhone

Lesson Learned

2009-03-12T18:22:00.003-05:00

How wonderful is our God!!! Just when you find yourself at low points in your life, he allows you to hear something that moves the Holy Spirit within you to discover a detail of life that you may have overlooked before that time. This occurred to me last night and as I think about it this is the second time in this short year that I have had to be reminded of the same lesson. This time with more clarity.

As a man who God has given certain talents and abilities to, I am often asked to lead certain areas of our congregation in worship activities. While I may be better at some than others, I often attempt to throw my hand up to help when needed. This includes activities outside and inside the church building and are moments that I truly relish in as an adult. Many times this leads to me not be able to just sit and worship with my family unless I specifically request to be able to do so. Allow me to add that when those requests are made, there are many men, young and old, who gladly step up and either add to their duties or take those I may wish to abandon at that time so that I may worship with my family. I attempt to extend the same grace as well.

Sadly, as is my human nature though, there are times when I may come to resent being only one of a few who actually do "step up" when a need that I see is had. Many of you who read this know what I am talking about. These are the thoughts of: "why does he never lead singing," or "I wish they would ask so-and-so to help with the Lord's Supper," or "look, he just sits there when it is so obvious that something is needed." I struggle at times to fight off a begrudging spirit and simply do what is needed and I God often convicts my heart to remember that it is an honor to lead children of God in worship to their Father.

At other times, I have led my willingness to take a role of leadership to lead to piety in my life in which I gain a false sense of security that since I am a worship leader, then I must be a better Christian than so-and-so. I have found that this often leads to embarrassment or even worse, putting a focus on self rather than Christ. Thank God that His word points me to Paul's letter to the Galatians that reminds me that if I am going to take that attitude, then I better follow every letter of the law perfectly from that point forward (listen carefully to Paul's letter to the Galatians my Church of Christ brethren - post upcoming). Christ then convicts me to remember it is only by His grace that I am even allowed to be in that church, at that time, and with that talent. "IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU DAVID!" I hear from His word.

Last night, as I was listening to the devotional delivered by one of the elders of our church, I learned a powerful lesson. The speaker was reflecting on a lesson heard at the Challenge Youth Conference two weekends ago. He took his inspiration from the lessons on Nehemiah's wall and led to a discussion about the walls that make up a house. He discussed that some walls are load bearing, and others are simply there to separate rooms. It was quite a good devotional and spurned me to think on the way home last night about my own life. I began asking myself in my own church, which kind of wall was I? I still don't have the answer to that question but I did have this thought that I want to share.

Each member of each church has a role. I began thinking about the people in my church who I don't see taking an effort to lead others and how I often think myself as better or harder working than them. For that, allow me to repent right now. I am wrong for that! I realized last night that I don't go and visit every member when they are sick, but someone in that church always manages to go. I don't always get around to speaking a kind word to each person who comes in the doors, but someone in the church always manages to. I don't always make sure the power is cut off, the contribution is counted, the doors are locked, the grass is cut, or that a hug is given when needed, but someone does. These are the people who make up the heart of our church. These are the people who always manage to tell me they love me when I may forget to tell them. These are the truly important people. These people bear as many burdens as the worship leaders and they have nothing to do with getting the power point presentation set up correctly.

Each person in the church is an important piece and they all make up what Scripture tells us is the Body of Christ. I will try harder to remember to thank each one of them for what they do and what they mean for the mission that we as a church have.

CYC RAP 2009 - Nerd Up

2009-03-03T21:44:00.007-06:00

What a great weekend we had at the 2009 edition of the Challenge Youth Conference. I plan to post a full recap in the near future but have spent the first two days of this week battling both personal demons as well as sickness.

The beautiful children who comprise the youth group of Kingsville Church of Christ in Detroit, AL put together a rap song while in Gatlinburg this past weekend. I can't wait for it to reach the charts of Contemporary Christian radio. Here is the video of the first ever performance of

STAND ALONE WITH JESUS

CYC Rap, 2009 from Dave Brumley on Vimeo.

As an added bonus, if you would like to add this song to your church hymnal, here are the lyrics:

JORDAN: We went to Gatlinburg, TN on a trip to awesome CYC

SARAH BETH: We pigged out on Ashyln's pickle chips and now we have a pain in our lips

DALTON: So much fun at CYC, so much stuff you have to see

SARAH BETH: WORD!

MEAGAN: (not sure) CYC, I made new friends because Dave made me.

SANTANA: Me & my church family is having fun at CYC, won't you come w/ me and my church family

ASHLYN: It's so much fun at CYC, won't you come & join me

SYLVIA: If you're not ready to stand alone with Jesus, then you're not ready to stand alone at all

NERD UP!!!

To Be Trusted

2009-03-03T02:47:00.005-06:00

I find it funny that after such a short time from posting about how we must not put confidence in man that I reminded of how badly I want others to put confidence in me. Without going into details I will simply say that it was revealed to me today that someone I admire and look to for my own spiritual support had not much more than zero confidence in me. Was I hurt, yes. Was I surprised, yes. Should I have been, no. That does not make it hurt any less. I honestly felt as if someone I loved had died and even worse, that I had killed them. Yet, when I search my heart, I find no fault of my own for this mistrust. I write that awaiting explanation from the person from whom I have lost trust which in turn causes even more angst but at the same time a desire to become more refined spiritually.
Oh to be like Paul who found the confidence to write these words;

1This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy. 3But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4 For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. 5Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God. -

1 Cor. 4:1-5

Reviewing my feelings and how I feel about even people I love lacking trust in me it becomes ever so obvious of how far I must go to reach the goal to be even worthy to proclaim Christ crucfied fearlessly and without reservations as Paul so boldly did. I like to think of myself as a good steward of the gifts that Christ has placed in my life (wife, children, job, youth group, church leadership), yet I continue to want others to see it and believe in me. Why would I care though as long as I know that Christ sees it? As of now, I am not sure. If and when I figure it out, I will share it. Even when you see yourself as nothng more than a sinner, it still hurts when you find that others must see you the same way.

Live Blogging from CYC

2009-02-27T02:47:00.001-06:00

Well, this trip started out with a spirit that I think will last the whole weekend. Dalton, one if the finest young men I know, was not able to ride with us due to a fever and nausea. I quickly got on the phone to try and reach someone else in this area who may have been willing to let Dalton ride with them tomorrow should he get well. Long story short, Ryan Gallagher, the youth minister at Hamilton has an extra seat that was offered to Dalton. I feel that this weekend will have a tone of learning to lean on fellow members if Christ's body in times of need.
Other than that, nothing much to report. This day has been dedicated to travel and we finally settled in to our chalet around 2:00am.
Jason led us in a wonderful devo tonight focusing on materialism and Christ's warning to "Watch Out" for love of things.
Tomorrow will be a fun sight seeing day and the lectures and praise begin tomorrow night. Please pray for us.

-- Post From My iPhone

He Won't Let You Down

2009-02-24T19:19:00.003-06:00

I came to a stark conclusion today. People, including ourselves, let you down. I continually let myself down. I may have the best intentions in the world but I often let myself down. People, regardless of their intentions, let us down. Rather it boils down to original sin or not it doesn't matter because the proof is in the pudding as they say. We set unrealistic expectations. We want what we can't have. We ask too much. We make promises we know will be difficult to keep. We will let one another down. We are covered in flesh and that alone makes us fallible beyond compare.

I say that to say this. There is only one being in my life that I can have 100% confidence in. That being is the one and only true God, the father of Jesus Christ and the giver of the Holy Spirit. I know with all my heart that if I recognize myself as the gutless, dark, and weak human that I am that then He will look down on me in mercy and guide me along still waters. I know that when I find myself in situations that only a wretched man or woman could allow them self to fall into that He will give me the strength, thoughts, and words to be able to place myself back where I can look to Him with a clean heart and without guilt or heartache partake of His son's sacrifice. I know that when I look at my influence on others and where I once felt shame and suffering for my actions, He will give me the opportunities and guidance to be able to scream at the top of my lungs "LOOK AT WHAT THIS GREAT GOD HAS DONE WITH ME."

God is the only thing in my life who has never, and I have faith, will never let me down. He is the sun and the moon. He is the stars and grass. He is the time and the pause. He is the smile of my children and the strength of their hearts. He is my conviction and redemption. He has taken me and made me realize that without Him I am and can do nothing, even today and definitely tomorrow. He is the opener of my eyes to see all men and women as they are and has given me the desire to reach to everyone of them and tell them of Jesus.

He is God. He is Good. He is Holy. He is worthy. He is perfect. He is God.

What A Great Country

2009-02-23T11:45:00.005-06:00

The following is the text of an e-mail I received earlier today and shows that the U.S. truly is the land of opportunity, especially if you are a perverted politician who knows the right people:

The picture you see to your left is one Mr. Mel Reynolds. He is Jesse Jackson's newest staff member. Here's the story linked to him: Jesse Jackson has added former Chicago Democrat Congressman Mel Reynolds to Rainbow/PUSH Coalition's payroll. Reynolds was among the 176 criminals excused in President Clinton's last-minute forgiveness spree. Reynolds received a commutation of his six-and-a-half-year federal sentence for 15 convictions of wire fraud, bank fraud, and lies to the Federal Election Commission. He is more notorious, however, for concurrently serving five years for sleeping with an underage campaign volunteer.
This is a first in American politics: An ex-congressman who had sex with a subordinate...won clemency from a president who had sex with a subordinate...then was hired by a clergyman who had sex with a subordinate!
His new job?
Ready for this??
*****YOUTH COUNSELOR******

GOD BLESS AMERICA

Now, do any of you really wonder why God seems to be slowly but surely lowering his protection from around our nation?

The Means of Grace & Understanding the Baptism of Christ

2009-02-20T10:49:00.003-06:00

The following is a response to someone who challenged my belief that baptism is an important and integral part of the Christian's life and not just something we do to "follow Christ's example." To read the posting that inspired this post click here and read the comment section attached to the bottom. Please bear in mind that I post this here on my blog only to hope to spark discussion that leads to further understanding of Christ's baptism and the means of His grace.

Sarah, I am failing to see what parts of my post that you disagreed with. The very basis of your argument is one that eliminates grace. You are placing the burden of salvation on YOUR belief, not GOD'S election (see Colossians 1:1, "apostles by the will of God.") You cannot make a decision for Christ, God draws you through His word (faith comes by hearing the word of God). Most good Calvinists have a firm grip on the election by God so I don't assume to need to dwell on that point.

I will dwell on the means of grace though. I am sorry but your argument based on two scriptures taken out of context is quite the dangerous position and one that shows only an understanding of the word grace, not the means of grace. Firstly, you state that "I was baptized after being saved, and I did it because Christ did it and I was following his example." I'm sorry, but Christ did not come to this Earth to leave an example; rather he came to die on the cross to pay the debt for mankind, all of whom are wretched sinners born at war with God (assuming you beleieve in original sin).

Perhaps before you go any further you need to ask yourself why was Christ baptized by John the Baptist as we find in Mark 1? Remember, John's baptism was one for the remission of sins: did Christ have sin? Of course not. Jesus' baptism let the whole world know what it did not know before, that there was now a substitute for us because we are incapable of saving ourselves through "religion." It is the groundwork on the road to the cross, not some "example." Jesus came to a man who was unworthy to baptize Him in order to be treated like a sinner (just like someone crucified), and stand in waters with sinners who found John's preaching of repentance so appealing. Jesus, just like in his descent from heaven, came down to mankind's wretched level and was gladly baptized in the waters filled with sin. Jesus became the sinner in His baptism and we become saints through ours. Jesus' baptism made the act of baptsm matter and become a cleansing act to which many Holy promises are attached. It is a gift of Jesus bearing our humanity and wretchedness when we are convicted by the gosepl to see our depravity and are made to humble ourselves as sinners in need of a substitiute - a Savior - because we are unable to save ourselves.

Jesus said he was baptized in order to "fulfill all righteousness." Righteousness = the state of being right with God. We are baptized in order to become right in the sight of God. How could you possibly see Christ's baptism as "an example" when it was so beautifully so much more. Therefore I can denounce your claim that "One isn't baptized to be saved or to 'receive the Holy Spirit, becoming a pare of the kingdom of God...'" because I have scriptural basis to prove such. (Feel free to prove me wrong with scripture) Just as Christ received the Holy Spirit at his baptism, so did I; just as Christ was proclaimed as a child of God at his baptism, so am I; just as Christ's building of his kingdom began at that moment, so was I added to it at the moment of my baptism. These are not my ideas, but scriptural facts.

I know I am going on but I find this very important: you mentioned grace so feverishly but again, do you understand the means of grace or in other words how we as wretched men and women can access God's promises. Through Calvinist theology, the idea of grace has become very acceptable and people have no problem believing that all you must do is believe or say you believe and you are then considered righteous. Of course we would like that because it is pleasing to us and very easily obtianed.

Let's just take Joy's story above and what has dragged us down this corridor. My very comment to Joy that you took exception with was pointing out the elemental means of Christ's grace. There is another phrase for this and it is "visible word." Yes, the word of God does save us but Christ also used the visible word to extend even greater gifts. Could Christ not have saved the man's soul without restoring his sight, yes, by His word alone but Jesus chose to give this man even greater gifts (think about the gospel in context here and the promises attached to baptism). How did Christ go about doing that, not by his word alone but by the visible word. You can see the visible word today in doctrine that believes in the sacramental elements such as bread, fruit of the vine, and even water. Christ gave this man the gifts that only He could give through his visible word (the mud, the spit, the washing in the pool) and then if you continue reading in John 9, the man went out and endured persecution in the name of Christ and proclaimed Christ as his redeemer. It was only after this did Jesus come back and seek the man out (again, not the man seeking Jesus) and Jesus then sought his confession of faith and revealed himself to the man.

I'm sorry Sarah but I fear you missed my point completly. Just to back it up further, do you believe that Christ's blood is what saved us? If so, then you believe in the visible word. The blood that was poured out of Christ was real, an earthly element that probably could be assigned a blood type today. The sweat that he poured was real sweat produced from real human glands. All of these things are the visible word of God. Could God not just speak us into his favor? Of course he could but he has chosen a different course, one that asks that we not only believe in Him, but in the power of his visible word.

I would ask that you reevaluate your questions about baptism that you put in your comment as they are running over with law and sound an awful lot like something the Pharisees would ask. You said that baptism takes away the simplicity of the gift. I ask where in scripture are we ever promised a simple road to righteousness? Did the man's life in John 9 become simpler after receiving the gifts of Christ, yeah, he could see, but he underwent tremendous persecution. What about Paul or Peter? Were their lives simpler after becoming disciples? No, but they enjoyed an inner peace that only came through the receiving of Christ's promises attached to His word as well as His visible word. Yes, Christ's yoke is easy but only if we are willing to truly follow Him and live out his great commission every day.

I hope you don't see my tone as argumentative but I felt the need to clear up what I said because you obviously misunderstood my point. My hope is that none of this takes away from the beauty and sincerity in which Joy has written her original point, a point I feel I should point out that also detracts from any doctrine of simplicity.

Who is This Lucifer? Reflections from a Study of Isaiah

2009-02-17T22:01:00.003-06:00

Ever feel lied to? Ever feel like the people you trust to guide you in the right direction have given you false information? Well, I have and at no time can I remember questioning more about the Biblical truths that I had been taught than when I decided to delve into a deep study of demons in the Bible. This occurred a few years back and there was one thing that stood out to me from everything that I found in this study. There is no Biblical backing for the fact that Satan was a fallen angel. Actually, other than the embodiment of evil, no study of scripture can lead to any true definition or understanding of Satan.

As I have continued in my recent study of the book of Isaiah, I was remined of this fact and of one of the verses that even to this day men use to back the seeming falsehood that Satan was a fallen angel. The verses of course are Isaiah 14:12-15 which read:

“How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! 13 You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ 15 But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit. (ESV - note, KJV reads "O Day Star, son of Dawn" as "Lucifer")

Yes, this would seem like a good description of Satan as we read about him in Revelation 12 and Luke 10 but it is not even discussing him. Men have taken these verses in Isaiah and ignored the context of the writing in order to fit their idea that this chapter must be speaking of Isaiah. How dangerous. How heretic?

Without delving too deep into the study, no, Isaiah 14:12-15 is not describing Satan. Rather, in context, it a taunt that God is instructing the house of Jacob to shout when this prophecy against the king of Babylon is fulfilled. No more, no less. Now, there are many great lessons in this passage but none of them give us an understanding of Satan's fall from grace. Let us all strive to follow the rules of Bible study, especially when teaching those younger in their faith than we. Context is so important and when violated leads to confusion and hurt.

Where Do You Live?

2009-02-16T07:58:00.003-06:00

Gallup just put out a a new map charting the results of their latest poll in religious beliefs in the U.S.

Click here to read the entire stoy from World Net Daily.

An Atheist With a Point

2009-02-07T00:54:00.002-06:00

The embedded video below features Penn Gillette of the comedy/magic duo Penn and Teller. Penn has lived his life as an outspoked atheist and makes no bones about his belief that there is NO GOD (as he proclaims in this video). Although he does ramble on quite a bit in the video, bear with it as he raises a very relevant and introspective question. If you are trying to live out the great commission or inspire others to live it with you, you need to hear what he asks. Enjoy:

Pilgrim's Map of the Day

2009-01-28T10:08:00.002-06:00

*Let's start off today's map with a look at what is being passed off as church in the United States today. This is a tape of Rick Joyner's Morning Star Ministry and is definitely disturbing to watch and should pain our hearts. "Oh how you have fallen Morningstar" - Isaiah

*Of course one of the staples in the recent discussions regarding the decline of the church has been the discussion of music style and choice in worship. Todd Deaver from Bridging the Grace Divide very graciously posted a recent note from Brother Cecil May regarding what May found was an error in reporting May's stance on part of this discussion. From this error, flows one great writing by May that needs to be read by all. Click here to read the posting.

An Appropriate Response

2009-01-27T22:23:00.003-06:00

Richard Mansel of Forthright Magazine wrote and sent out a wonderful article today dealing with the very heart of the discussion of my previous post. I ask all who want to be part of the solution to click and read this article, taking time to study the passages that Mansel bases his editorial on. This is great stuff.

In case you missed the link above, click here.

Titanic

2009-01-26T14:06:00.005-06:00

So, something happened to the Wii at our house this weekend and it would not really work that well. That afternoon, as I sat down with Ethan and Luke I was flipping to the channels hoping to find a good basketball game or cartoons. As we skipped over TNT a picture of the Titanic was on the screen. Ethan, having just recently read a book about the Titanic (I'm so proud of him), said "go back, go back." We then proceeded to sit there and watch the movie Titanic (don't worry, I flipped it during the "love scene" and "drawing scene"). Ethan and Luke were full of questions through the movie and will probably never want to go on a cruise after seeing what happened to that ship.

As I watched, my mind slipped away to an article I have read in the past week and that has become quite the conversation piece on Church of Christ blogs online. In the article I refer to, Bobby Ross Jr. of the Christian Chronicle presented recent statistics regarding the declining numbers in the Church of Christ. If you would like to read it for yourself, which I suggest you do, here's the link. Needless to say, the numbers are alarming and the solution, assuming there is one, is not a simple one. Are we, like the passengers aboard the Titanic, aboard a sinking ship?

Of course the answer to that question is no. We know from scripture (Matt. 16:18) that the church itself will always stand firm, even when faced with the gates of Hell. Therefore, we are not aboard a sinking ship, but there are holes that need filling. As I look at the problem though, I see it is a people problem just like on the Titanic. Was it the iceberg's fault that the Titanic was sent to the depths. No, that's irrational. The iceberg was just there serving whatever purpose God created it to serve. The sinking of the Titanic was the fault of man and the removal of the church in America will be from the hands of man.

The creators of the Titanic thought that they had built something that was beyond reproach. Oh, Church of Christ. How often have we members heard that criticism. Sadly, it is based on fact. There were and are members of the church who continue to believe that we do it perfectly and that all others are inferior. Yet, the church is made up of people and scripture teaches us that there are zero amount of perfect people. We must repent of this attitude and return to being repentant sinners who are attempting to worship God in the way that we have read is most desirable to Him. I believe and trust that God will once again raise his hedge of protection around the American church should this occur.

Even more chaotic though than the sinking of the Titanic in the movie was the reaction of the people and as I scan the landscape of how people are reacting to these declining numbers, I see many similarities.

01 - Those below decks fueling the ship. These people to me represent those in the church now who are fueling the current path the church is taking. These are the ones who are steaming our current course. The gossips, back-biters, unrepentant, and refusing to learn. All they think is that if they get on board the ship and do their job that they will get paid or rewarded someday for it. These people are trying to work their way to some place and are fine with remaining in the murky and burning conditions they find themselves in daily. Not willing to do the study that it would take to improve their condition they find themselves in the same joyous rut day in and day out. Then, the alarm sounds that the time has come to leave that place and seek higher ground. Aboard the ship, some escaped as they realized their condition soon enough, yet some were locked in that place, doomed to perish in the environment that up to that point was just good enough for them. Brothers and sisters, the alarm is sounding.

02 - The watchmen - There are those in the church who are watching and see what is coming. These people are currently out sounding the alarm and telling the church to change course (think Joe Wells). Yet, is it too late. Have we already hit an iceberg that has done too much harm to be able to stay on our course to our desired destination? Of course not, but we are letting water on board. The more compromises we make as a church in the name of relevancy the further from the truth we will become. Fortunately, there are those watching and who see the danger and damage that has already occurred. They cannot fix it though.

03 - The clingers - These are the ones who are simply accepting the fact that things are bad and are going down with the ship. There is a cut scene as the ship fills with water in the movie in which a peasant mother is shown tucking her two children into bed singing a lullaby. That scene used to invoke an emotion of sadness in me but when I saw it Saturday I became quite disgusted. Granted, they may have been part of the people who were locked in their quarters in the hope of saving the others, but how can she not even fight. Instead, seeing the danger that is at hand, chooses to simply go about her routine as if nothing is wrong, giving her children a false sense of security. Are we guilty of this? Are we seeing the danger that is around us and the fact that our churches are losing youth? Are we not tucking them and our members into the same false security that many of us were tucked in to, in the hope that until the ship sinks, they will believe that everything is alright. I have much more to say about this matter but I feel it warrants its own post later in this week.

04 - The jumpers - If you have ever seen this movie, the thought must be etched in your mind of the people jumping off the ship as it capsizes. There is the one guy who jumps from the back and on his way down hits the ship's propeller. I would find it very unlikely that any of these people survived. These people saw that there was a problem that was going to take more than just themselves to fix and decided to jump ship, likely plummeting to an icy grave. This seems to be the current trend among young adults in the church today. They are all aware of the problem as they see it and know that something must be done in order to survive. Sadly, rather than staying and trusting in God to bring them through, they are jumping out of church in the simple hope that they'll land in something better. Hopefully they will survive and we need to learn to recognize and reach out to those people before they jump.

05 - The workers - These people to me are different than those who were working below decks. These were the people who had studied and shown themselves approved enough to be above decks and to lead the ship and its guests in day to day activities. The captain, first mate, musicians, etc... As the time came to evacuate the ship in search of survival, these men (with exceptions) were the ones pointing people to survival and performing a task that they knew would end in their dying. Preachers, elders, deacons, and teachers. These people are you. At this time more than ever, our churches are looking at you and wanting to know how to survive. They know there is a problem so don't try and mask it. Rather, give them the solution. Point them to the life raft of gospel truth and help them aboard teaching them that although it can't be seen at this moment, there is a ship coming. Look, we know we are going to die individually someday, but what will happen to those who came through our doors looking for survival? By accepting Christ crucified and being willing to be one of the elect that God has chosen to shepherd, we have accepted a duty to teach the gospel and to guarantee the safety of as many as we can.

There are other comparisons that can be made but I will avoid those to avoid any appearance of blasphemy. Allow me to say this though, regarding the starlet of the movie, someone gave their life in a horrible way so that she would have survival. She only survived because as the ship was sinking, she kept climbing higher and higher

Out of the many aboard that ship, only a few survived. Does scripture not warn us over and over that only a few shall survive this journey that we are on. No, that is not a call to complacency but rather a call to turn our boats back and rather than worrying about heading into the world, seeing if we cannot pick some of those who are barely surviving back up. The call is not to redesign the framework of the ship, but rather to look at what role human error played and improve on the design that has already been laid before us. The call is not to make more law that condemns other efforts to cross great divides, it is a call to preach Christ crucified as He has told us that He has the power to do anything. The call is to trust God that come what may, He will bring us home in His own way and to be satisfied with the fact that God has allowed us to survive and work with the past and next travellers to insure that no such catastrophe will ever occur again because we took our eyes off of the goal at hand.

Cultivating Young Hearts

2009-01-22T15:50:00.003-06:00

So, what a nice surprise I received two days ago. My wife Joy informed me that she had been designing and is prepared to start a blog of her own. I always thought she looked at me as a bit of a rube for even having a blog but I guess I was actually influnicing her to do great things (please don't burst that bubble of mine). She is going to focus her blog on her quest to serve God through raising children as a Godly and holy mother. I know it will be great and useful to other Christian parents as she is smart, devoted, and deeply spiritual. Notice I didn't put funny (my wife is not funny even though she really thinks she is). I hope she will use it as an avenue to share the growth of our three sons and I look forward to reading it often.
So, please check it out by clicking this link to her first post that explains her reasoning behind the blog. I am adding a link to my blogroll on the right of this page. The address is cultivatingyounghearts.blogspot.com

Pilgrim's Map of the Day

2009-01-22T07:51:00.002-06:00

It's been a while since I have gotten to get a map up of any substance so I hope you find something in this edition that will span over the holiday season (yes, it's been about 5 weeks since I have gotten to look at my blog reader).

* For starters, I just watched this and this is one of the best pro-life messages I have seen in a long time. Make sure you watch.

* Bad news Israelis. Obama's first call to a foreign leader was to the Palestinian leader. Atlas Shrugs has the story here.

* Pay attention. This is what journalism is and should be about. Just the facts, you decide how you feel.

Piety

2009-01-21T16:31:00.003-06:00

No, the title is not meant to say "pity." The title is Piety. Piety is a sin and please do not fail to remember that. While a real definition is difficult to verbalize, it is something that we need to be on guard for. The best way I can define it is that it is a practice found in a theology that the believer in that practice feels gives them an advantage or more elite status than that of ordinary Christians. Look at what happened to the church at Colossians for an example. These Christians, who even then had allowed false teaching and belief to corrupt them, had come to believe that they held the Christian secret to live a more superior Christian life than that which Paul had left them with. Think, "live your best life now" (sorry Joel Osteen).
The problem with this was, as Paul so elegantly pointed out in this epistle, was that they had come to forget that Jesus Christ had already done all the work for them to receive salvation. Verse 14 states that Christ took away our need to be legalistic about sin when he "nailed it to the cross." How beautiful, how wonderful.
These Christians had become pious and Paul was not afraid to call them out on it. They had come to forget that they (we) were saved by grace and that no work we do on this Earth will change that fact. Notice in verse 18 where Paul discusses the churches asceticism. Webster's defines asceticism as "practicing strict self-denial as a measure of personal and especially spiritual discipline." The Greek translation of this word literally means "laborious." When I hear labor one word comes to mind: work. So Paul is telling me that I can't work my way to heaven. What if I quit my job, home school my children, pray four hours a day, and give all my money to the church. Surely that will make me more special in God's eyes than that other guy down the road who just comes to church and never participates in any of our "purpose driven" or "relevant" activities. No, Paul reminds us that no act we do will make us any less of a sinner in need of God's grace. Even more importantly, no act we as parents do will make our children less of sinners in need of God's grace. Should we attempt and shelter and protect our children from harm? Of course we should. Can we save them? Of course not!!
Gospel. Gospel is the answer. We must stop teaching works or as Paul would have to consistently remind the first century converts we must must stop teaching law. At home, school, church, small groups, wherever it is it must stop and we must be the voice to stop it. Law is not the answer and it leads to piety and unfulfilled, unrepentant, and unwilling Christians. If you preach, great, preach the gospel. If you teach, great, teach the gospel. If you work, great, work through the gospel. If you study, great, study through the gospel. If you parent, great, parent through the gospel. Teach Christ and examine what you and your children are being told at church. If you hear something other than the gospel, find a new church. It is when we step outside of the gospel and the call to discipleship that we become pious Christians who stop acting through faith but rather through law. Being pious does nothing more than to take your mind off the gospel. The more you work to become that perfect Christian with a perfect wife and perfect children who show no appearance of sin the further from the cross you get and the more reliant on the idol of self you become.
Whoever you are and wherever you read this I write this next sentence because I love you and I cringe at the thought of one soul perishing in Hell. You are a sinner and I know it. In the same breath I say that I am a sinner and you had better believe it. Should I ever become pious and believe that I can do enough to be able to consider my sins sanctified by my own action then I may as well put my New Testament away and dwell only in the Old. How do I know these things? Is it because I have done special acts or worked harder than anyone in my church and God has revealed a higher spiritual order to me? No. It is because through the gospel (which is in the Bible) I have come to learn that the most extraordinary thing I can ever ask to be is a Christian. No more, no less. Condemning no one and only focusing on my own sins and my belief that I am saved through Christ's most selfless act is what gives me the assurance and my knowledge that if I trust God, He will bring me home by an act that has already taken place. Christ crucified.

Who is in Your Life? Reflections from a Study of Isaiah

2009-01-19T22:05:00.004-06:00

As one begins to read the book of Isaiah, they are introduced to a story of God's patience being tested to the breaking point. Fed up with the people of Judah, God has made the decision to allow foreign men into their country and to utterly destroy the people of Judah in a hope that they would some day return to Him. This is a decision that had to have troubled God and Isaiah was his messenger to Ahaz, the king of Judah. God sent Isaiah to Ahaz to tell him that yes, hell was coming, but that everything would be fine. At this point, God finds (as if he didn't already know) that Ahaz's trust in God was in word and not need (see Isaiah 7). This refusal of Ahaz to accept the peace that God was attempting to bestow sent God's wrath to a different level and a subsequent worsening of the pain that God was going to allow to be put upon the people of Judah.
As the study of Isaiah goes further we learn that God promises a redeemer to not only the people of Judah, but to all. That redeemer is of course Jesus Christ and no book in the Bible more succinctly sets the table for Christ's coming than Isaiah. Praise God.
There other, less important lessons in this story of Ahaz found in the first part of the book of Isaiah. One of these is one that when I presented it to my Sunday School class of brilliant young adults was debated. That lesson is that when we don't trust God with all aspects of our lives, no matter how small or important it seems to us, that His protection (a.k.a. Christ's intercession for Christians) is lowered from around us and people are allowed into our lives, homes, and affairs that will rip us apart given the chance. Just as God's lowering of protection from around Judah allowed the Assyrians and Syrians to come in and destroy their nation, the same applies to our lives today. When we refuse to trust God with our total care He will remind us that we should (if were lucky).
No more so can this be applied than to the recent financial crisis in our nation. If this hits you wrong, then I am sorry but sometimes we need to be reminded of what our lack of faith is doing to our lives. That being said, if you have/are investing money in the stock market, 401Ks, or other elaborate investments in which you say, here, take my money, do as you please (good or evil) with it for now, and then let me reap the benefits of it later, then you are showing a lack of trust in God and you need to examine your faith (as I do as well). You are essentially saying "God, I know you told me you would care for me but I better follow what the world tells me to do on this one so I can have a happy retirement and send my kids to college." That doesn't sound like trust to me.
We Christians so eagerly and happily hand over differing percentages of our monthly incomes to stock brokers who do God knows what with your money. We fund debauchery!!! When is the last time you checked the faith of the owners of your company that you contribute to keep afloat and get richer. Think for a second about your financial advisers. Have they ever offered to discuss the gospel with you? Have you ever followed up with what foundations, causes, or religious efforts the companies you invest in support? I don't know a great many stock brokers but from what I've seen in their depictions in movies, they aren't the best people in the world. What are you saying to God when you trust someone like that more than Him regarding your financial future? What are you saying to God when you contribute more to a company that is pro-choice (as if you've even checked) than to your church contribution? Need we be reminded that Job rued the day he was born when God lowered his protection from around him?
I am inspired to write this as men close to me have lost millions in recent months. These are holy and good men and when you hear them discuss their losses they do so with a undertone of regret that they may have forgotten what was important. These people that God allowed into their lives have now caused them pain, worry, and heartache and it saddens me to see it. I think to Matthew 25 and I see men's hidden money being spread out to those who already have more than they can count. How sad.
I urge all who read this to evaluate your finances and investments and look at who you are giving your money to. Is it not an idol set up to the god of success and wealth? If not then God bless you for being a good steward of his gifts. If so, look to Jesus' words in the gospel and find in your heart what he expects us wretched sinners to do with the gifts he allows us to receive. Do it before God lowers his protection more. Avoid prosperity gospel and remember that God doesn't want you to be happy financially, He wants you to be happy spiritually. God bless you.

Life Support

2009-01-12T13:51:00.003-06:00

What a great weekend we just had. Our church, along with the help of some others (God bless great elders) hosted Joe Wells of Focus Press as he presented his fantastic seminar for youth and families entitled Confronting Culture. It was a truly great event that a great deal of effort went into both organizing and inviting people of all denominations to attend.

I just deleted a post that I was going to put up after I prayed about it. It started like this "Let me preface what I am going to say next by quoting Paul from Romans 11: 'I magnify my ministry in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them.'"

Instead I am going to put this. God's word is excellent and provides us answers when we don't know where to look or what to say. I was conflicted with feelings of spiritual uplifiting and disappointment this weekend due to a lack of attendance at the seminar this weekend. Not knowing what to say or how to say it I turned to scripture. I was reminded of Romans 11 as I read and especially one verse (Romans 11:18). Paul states, "remember that it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you."

Paul is discussing with the Gentiles the fact that they are being placed in Christ's kingdom but to avoid being proud or thinking they are better than the Jews who had rejected Christ. Paul reminds the Gentiles that the Jews and the bloodline of Christ is what supported and brought forth Christianity and God still loves the remnant who accepted Christ. In other words, Paul was telling them to work with them and love them the same as one another.

It is not I who support the gospel, but the gospel that supports me. God's word will get spread despite what I do but I know that He appreciates the effort that so many of you put in to make this weekend possible. I know that He appreciates those of you who attended and who I can look back on meeting and realize that you are my root. Your desire to come and feast on God's word and Christian fellowship have been a support to me. Thank you.

In conclusion, let us always remember the story of Jesus' visit to Mary and Martha. One sister chose to clean and care for worldly things while the other chose to sit and bask in the glory of God in flesh. To those of you who were asked and dare I say begged to come and support this Christian effort this past weekend, which did you choose? Which of the sisters was pleasing in Christ's eyes? Let us all get behind one another and support each others ministries. Not to make one another happy, but to please a Lord who suffered and died for us.

Happy New Year

2009-01-06T12:37:00.002-06:00

So, it's been well over a month since I last posted. Things have been hectic over the holidays with the new baby and all. I should be posting more often now, hopefully beginning today. I hope all of you have dedicated this new year to coming closer to God than ever before and that we can strive to meet Him together. I have but one resolution in this new year and that is to put Christ at the head of everything in my life. Please pray that I am successful.

Pilgrim's Map of the Day

2008-12-16T07:34:00.004-06:00

Yes, I am aware that it has been quite some time since I've posted anything. All I have to say is newborn + 2 other children. My time has been very precious but I am now back and I hope you find something that brightens your day in today's map.

* First off, who doesn't enjoy a website that shows terrified children. In the spirit of Christmas please follow this link to the Sun Sentinel and their tribute to children who cry when having their picture made with Santa.

* This is great. See if you can name this song. Be patient with it because when you figure it out and see how it was done you will be amazed.

Name This Song - Watch more free videos

* This is actual video from the Auburn press conference introducing Gene Chizik as head coach : ). WOE EAGLE!!!!

Announcing Kip Darcy Brumley

2008-12-02T10:10:00.006-06:00

So, I usually think some about what I write before I begin typing but I am not doing that today. I am primarily making this post today to announce that at 10:32 pm on Nov. 27 (yes, Thanksgiving day), the lovely Joy Alvarado Brumley gave birth to a 7 lb 1 oz happy and healthy baby boy that we have named Kip Darcy Brumley.

To my sons Ethan and Luke: I don't know if you will ever read this and I know I have tried to express this to you in words but I am so proud of both of you. I realize you guys are only 7 and 6 but the way you have handled your new baby brother and shown interest and concern in him already shows me that Kip is very lucky to have both of you as big brothers. Both of you are not only on your way to becoming the leaders that I have talked to you about, but already are great leaders for a baby brother who is going to look up and mimic the two of you. You guys make your mother and I so happy and proud.

To my wife Joy: I love you. I know the fear and health concerns that you have endured with all of your pregnancies but you rarely showed it and have looked to God for courage and strength. Your example of faith is something that I bask in and I feel so lucky that God chose to put us together. I can't think of anyone else I would want to spend my days with. As we embark on a new journey with a new child please remind me to spoil you, care for you, work for you, and to keep my eye on Christ. You mean the world to me and I thank you for bearing the burden that has now become our third happy and healthy son.

Thanksgiving Post - 2008

2008-11-27T10:05:00.003-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. As I prepare to start my day of feasting and spending time with family I thought that I would just make a listing of the people in 2008 who I am thankful for begin a part of my life and stemming growth in me. I thank all of you for who you are.

Joy Brumley - My wife. You have accepted me and deal with me despite my many flaws. You are a wonderful wife and mother and have inspired me to grow spiritually in ways that I can not put into words. As you prepare to deliver our third child this Sunday I have to tell you how amazed I am by you. Thank you for sticking by me and for showing your love to me.
Ethan and Luke Brumley - My sons. The two of you have saved my life by becoming my life. I cannot think of a greater gift than to get to watch the two of you grow. You both are perfect and I tremble at the fact that I get to call you sons.
David Brumley - My father. No other person has taught me more about charity and long suffering than you. Thank you for laying out such an admirable example before me.
Linda Brumley - My mother. Your kindness and willingness to put others before yourself is something that I will never manage to live up to.
The elders of Kingsville Church of Christ - My mentors. Thank all of you for your devotion to God. Thank you for your support in ideas that others and myself want to try to advance the gospel. Your thoughtfulness and desire to follow New Testament principles keeps the gospel burning at our church.
Jason Jarrett - My deacon. Jason, I see the fire that is burning in you and I admire your courage greatly. From your willingness to make the decision to home school to your great ideas to bring groups of Christians together on days other than Sunday or Wednesday, I am impressed. I learn from you and hope to continue growing with you.
Amber Jarrett - My mirror. Your willingness to admit flaws and to look to God for the answers is what true Christianity is about. I have learned much from you this year and you have given me courage to look deeper into my soul for what needs fixing.
Michael Burks - My friend. Michael, thank you for your willingness and ideas in helping out with our youth program at Kingsville. Thank you for your honesty and hope for a better tomorrow. I hope to continue growing with you.
Anthony Lindley - My children's friend. Thank you for the work that you have done teaching my children on Sunday morning. I know that they have learned from you about being a Christian man. You have made a lasting impression on them and on me for your willingness to make and follow-through with tough decisions.
Linda Real - My muscle. Thank you for your strength. I have watched you for years fight for Jesus but I have never seen you fight like I have this year. Your strength is amazing. Thank you for the honor of asking me to eulogize your husband who I loved and miss.
Anita Real - My teacher. Since childhood I have learned from you and John. Your lessons that I have applied in my life have gone much further than what I learned as a child in your Sunday School class. As Christian spouses, parents, leaders, and workers I have known none better. Thank you for the honor of speaking at the funeral of the toughest and greatest Christian's funeral I have ever known.
Will White - My brother. Will, I can not think of anyone who has had a tougher year than you. Still you have managed to navigate 2008 with a smile on your face and hope in your heart. Thank you for your example and friendship.
Matt Thigpen - My past. Matt, I look at you and the life you have chosen and I see the life I wish I had chosen when I was your age. Thank you for your toughness, desire to serve, and love of Christ. Thank you for allowing me to grow with you.
Ryan Gallagher - My missionary. Ryan, you are truly doing the work that Christ set before us. I see the effect of your efforts on our mutual youths and I am amazed and happy that Christ has chosen this road for you at this time. Thank you for being willingness to serve, your great ideas, and for your support in what we are trying to do in this small part of the world.
John Paul - My friend. Thank you for your honesty, desire to change, and what you are doing. You are not only making Max and Emily's world a better place but mine as well. I'm fighting with you.

I am sure I have left people off this list that I need to thank and everyone who I contact each day plays a huge part in me getting to where I want to be. I would be remiss if I did not thank Jesus Christ as well. You love me and that is all I need. Thank you.

Isaiah Chapter 4 - an observation

2008-11-24T08:55:00.003-06:00

I have recently begun a very in depth study of the book of Isaiah and am privileged to be able to have my Sunday School class of young adults help me in this study. We just completed chapter 4 and I'd like to share some of my thoughts on the book of Isaiah up to this point.

When I first started studying chapter 4 I thought to myself that it would be a quick and fast study as it is only six verses long. Two hours in I realized just how wrong I was. While it may be short, this chapter is packed full of thought provoking ideas as well as the introduction of Isaiah's prophecy regarding Jesus the Messiah. I would like to focus on that aspect today.

In chapter 4:2, Isaiah states that a branch of the Lord was coming. This branch was to be Jesus and is a fulfillment of much Old Testament prophecy regarding the Messiah rising from the "tree" of David. Not only is there a branch but it will bear fruit that will bring glory to those still faithful to God. The fruit mentioned here is the gospel. So, the gospel will come from the branch that is Jesus. Later in the chapter the Holy Spirit is also mentioned as something that will come with this branch. So, in Isaiah chapter 4 the people of Judea are told that Jesus Christ is coming with a message and a spirit that will change the world forever.

As the chapter progresses, the love and care of Christ is said to be like the cloud that covered and led the children of Israel while they wandered the desert. This branch that Isaiah foretold is also going to provide a coverage for its people. Verses 5 & 6 tell us that this branch will serve as a canopy that will protect from heat during the day and will protect us from storms and rain.

As I read this my mind went back to the first chapter of Isaiah when he tells the people of Judea that they were making a mistake by taking pride in the oaks of the Gentiles. I would like to focus on just how beautiful and seamless this book of Isaiah is by discussing this matter of the terebinth further.

The terebinth tree is one which provides great shade and was often found in cemeteries in Jerusalem and the surrounding areas. It can be compared to a oak tree. Leafy and strong, the terebinth is a very good tree. Many of the people of Judea had taken to pagan Gentile worship which sometimes took place in cemeteries. Those hearing this message at the time knew what tree Isaiah was speaking of and had indeed taken comfort in the shade that these trees provided. Metaphorically, the shade provided is the level of comfort felt in the beliefs of their religions.

As Isaiah continues in chapter 1 he warns that the people of Judea who had strayed from God were doomed to become like the terebinth tree whose leaves wither away. This is an interesting point to me because he does not say that their beliefs would become like the terebinth whose leaves wither but that they would become so. This makes sense though. If nothing else, what does a shade tree shade? Itself of course and if the leaves of that shade tree fade away then there is no shade to be had but also none to share. The people of Judea were to become totally unprotected as well as unable to protect anyone else (read chapters 2 and 3 to understand how God would make the people of Judea unable to protect themselves). God was to make not only them personally, but their religion totally useless (a tree with no leaves, a garden with no water).

Enter the Messiah in chapter 4. The tree that the people had loved was now useless and how does Isaiah introduce the Messiah? As a new tree, a new branch that grows from what was once the glorious family tree of King David. A tree that not only the people could glory in, but that God Himself could find glory in. This new tree would provide all needs. Jesus would provide shade, protection, and fruit that those who come to that tree can find pride and honor in. The fruit is a gospel message that gives hope to the hopeless. The shade from heat that those of us who venture into the world daily for work experience in gossip, spite, bad words, and persecution. Protection from from the storm and rains that come from the loss of loved ones, the loss of jobs, illnesses. This branch which is Jesus Christ would provide all while at the same time rendering all other trees and beliefs useless (read Romans for more insight on how this happened). What a glorious God we serve and what a blessing it is that we have the book of Isaiah to draw understanding of a Messiah that has come but that at the time was yet to come.

The question then becomes one of introspection. Do I take glory in trees that are not of God? Do I bask in the shade of my worldly status or do I find solace in serving others? Do I sit beneath the shade of God's word daily for reflection or do I spend that time underneath the flickering lights of television? Do I care for my own personal relationship with that branch daily in prayer or do I go long periods of time thinking that without my care and input that tree will still be there when a storm comes? Have you sought Jesus and asked for his protection, love, and fruit or are you following useless matters?

To those who read this and are Christians, please leave comments discussing times in your life that Christ provided you with shade, fruit, or protection.

"You Can't Handle the Truth!"

2008-11-14T11:55:00.002-06:00

Without a doubt, one of the all time most memorable lines from cinema in the past twenty years came from Jack Nicholson in the movie “A Few Good Men.” When pressed in a court martial hearing about the practices of the military Jack Nicholson’s character bellows out “YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!!!” He was referring to the fact that while all of us want to feel that we are safe in this world because our military protects us, this security comes with a price. Sometimes things have to be done that many of us don’t want to know about and would not want to get our “hands dirty” doing. It is a thankless job that is done not for gratitude but for purpose.
In Luke 17, our loving Jesus reminds us that we as Christians have a duty to serve Him and His purpose in our lives. We don’t do this job to receive gratitude from Him, our Master, but for purpose. In verses 7-10 Jesus explains that our life is one to be spent in service (WORK) for Him. Jesus reminds us that this is a thankless work in verse 9 and that we are foolish if we expect payment from Him prior to His needs being met. Even then, we are not worthy of payment because we are simply doing our duty.
This sounds so different than the prosperity gospel that is so prevalent today. Today, and I fear even in the Church of Christ, people are being taught that they simply need to be baptized, come to church, and quit their bad habits and that Jesus will pour His blessing upon them. I call foul! This teaching is not in line with Christ’s teachings. Christ is using the parable in Luke 17 to forewarn us that if we expect to meet Him, it’s time to get to work. Our mission is one of duty, not namesake. If we want to be member’s of Christ’s kingdom, it is time to get to work.
So, the question then arises over why are we not teaching this from our pulpits, mission fields, Christian publications, and Sunday School classes? I fear that the answer is that like Jack Nicholson’s character in “A Few Good Men” we are telling believers and non-believers alike that “You can’t handle the truth.” Are we afraid that if we really tell people what is required of them after baptism that our numbers might drop? Is our faith in Jesus really so weak that we believe we have to withhold the actual truth about the narrow gate in order to get people to accept Him? Have we allowed the gospel to become so sugar-coated with political correctness that our churches are now full of members who will walk out should we tell them they are not doing enough to advance Christ’s mission for us? Where are the men and women who will stand up in love and honor and tell our brothers and sisters we see slipping away from the field of duty that they are hindering Christ’s return? All of us are unworthy but none of us have a right to ignore our mission.
Imagine with me: You are standing at the throne of our loving and most powerful God on Judgment Day. God then inquires from you about not only the community around you and those who are lost but those of your home congregation. God may ask “Why did you not tell Jack and Jill that you thought they could do more to help in spreading the gospel? Why did you not tell them they were disgracing the cross by thinking they had done enough for Christ’s kingdom? Why did you not sew these people I put at your feet?” How will God respond when you answer “I didn’t think they could handle the truth?”

This post and many similar posts regarding Christian's missional call may be found at

www.missionalconversation.wordpress.com