Phil's Musings For People Who Care...Or Don't.

New Song for Harvestfest

2009-10-21T14:16:00.001-07:00

I post this mainly for the worship team, but everyone can enjoy our new song for this Sunday.

Tough call or slam dunk?

2009-10-08T21:24:00.001-07:00

Alright, what do you think of this.I am not going to respond until I hear your opinion...

Too Much Time on my Hands

2009-10-07T15:48:00.001-07:00

For Amy (nobody else will get this)

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Our girls are really advancing in their dance class:

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Absolutely, Mindblowingly Good Stuff

2009-10-02T11:09:00.000-07:00

"I want this church to be a work that God truly blesses. I refuse
to be a program manager of the latest Creative Programs that
will attract Carnal Christians. I’m not here to entertain. I want to
shepherd a flock that hungers and thirsts after reality with God. I
want the living Savior to be at work in our midst in unmistakable
ways. I want to remove every hindrance that would block God’s
hand of blessing and I want to add every quality that would bring
His blessing on His church. As Ezra testified to King Artaxerxes
(8:22), “The hand of our God is favorably disposed to all those
who seek Him….” I want us to be a people that seek God."

-Steven J. Cole

I Guess Tax cuts Are in the Bible

2009-10-02T09:08:00.000-07:00

From my study for next weeks sermon:

You are also to know that you have no authority to impose taxes, tribute or duty on any of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, temple servants or other workers at this house of God.
(Ezra 7:24 NIV)

That is King Artexerxes talking to Ezra as he is preparing to leave for Jerusalem. Here is the commentary by David Guzik:

a. It shall not be lawful to impose tax: To promote the work of the temple in Jerusalem, Artaxerxes commanded that priests and other workers at the temple be given tax-exempt status.

p.s. The sermon is not about taxes, I just thought that was interesting. :)

Well, this is new...

2009-09-29T21:06:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: Check out this survey taken of conservative republicans on the simple true/fals statement: "Human beings, as we know them today, evolved from earlier species of animals."

Notice the paragraph before the results:

Nothing too surprising, but Creationist Republican politicians have mass support, so it may be that in coming years that that position will become the Republican elite norm as the pro-life position has become. The only caution, and hope, is that historically Creationists are generally beaten back by anti-Creationist elite Republicans and conservatives when they manage to force their ideas into the classroom on the local level.
(emphasis mine)

28% of protestants said true, and 58% of Catholics answered true. It just reinforces the fact that Christians increasingly don't belong in any political party. This is from a blog called Secularright.org.

Conservative. Republican. Atheists. They are on the rise.

Seems like athiest conservatives are all the rage now-a-days.

Even though I try to keep it out of the pulpit, I do follow politics (don't do it, it's a disgusting habit)and there are a few blogs that I follow fairly closely every day. It has been great to see what people call the "New Media" (the internet), do real investigative reporting that the news doesn't seem to want to do anymore. A great example is the exposure of ACORN by two college kids with $1500 of their own money. The videos were posted on a new website called Biggovernment.com, and in a matter of days, they almost singlehandedly (Is that a word? Spell check doesn't think so)brought down this organization that people have known for years was full of corruption, but couldn't seem to make anything stick to it.

Another of my favorite blogs is Hotair.com. It has just the right amount of facts and sarcasm that make me come back every day, usually several times to see what the democrats are up to and usually laugh in the process. The main contributor to the site is a guy that goes by the name Allahpundit. In the last few weeks I've learned something new about him: I guess he's an atheist. Here is a quote from the above link:

"..if I were inclined to get on my knees and wish/hope/pray for intervention from either God or Barack Obama, I’d call out for The One (President Obama) too. After all, there’s at least a chance he might show."

"Nor do I understand the snotty, presumptuous accusation that atheists are “filling the void” with money and careers. Personally, I don’t feel any spiritual void, and even if I did, I’d rather not be lectured about it by a guy who has his own media empire and who’ll make more money this year than my entire extended family has made in the past century. What “void” in Beck’s soul is he filling with his fantastically popular show? See how condescending it is to even ask that?"

A few days ago He had a post entitled, Growing Pains star ready to save America from rational thought, a hit on Kirk Cameron, who is an outspoken Christian and Apologist.

That snarky header took me back a little. If you watch the Kirk Cameron video in the link, I don't think you'll get the feeling that Kirk thinks he is on the Enterprise. Instead, it seems like a very rational challenge to people who believe in evolution to look at both sides and then decide what seems the better explanation of origins. Pretty straightforward debate of ideas. However, according to Allahpundit, it's akin to losing your mind, it's so ridiculous. It's not just disagreement, but outright hostility towards the idea which I don't usually get from his site.

I don't say this to denigrate his character, he is who he is and he thinks what he thinks. I am just a little surprised at the combination of two things that I didn't think mixed: conservatism and atheism. I guess it's because for years the word conservative has always been followed by the word values. I assumed they went hand in hand (not to say that Allahpundit doesn't have any values). We were the party of God, for the most part. It was those wascally liberals who said that God was dead, and demanded that prayers not be said and that crosses come down.

It seems that may be changing. There are a growing number of conservative bloggers who claim to be Atheist or Agnostic. Put in a Google search for conservative atheist blogger and see for yourself. This has got me thinking:

First, We need to hold our political leanings loosely. The argument in Christian circles seems to be liberal vs. conservative, but the reality is that both of those can be godless. Although fiscal conservatism seems a whole lot smarter way to live than tax and spend liberalism, that doesn't make it a Christian principle, and it certainly doesn't mean that God hates all ideas that come from a Democrat.

Issues like abortion and evolution have traditionally separated the two camps (at least to most Christians), but today's conservatism may be more defined by immigration, taxes, military strategy, and small vs. big government - none of which are overtly spiritual or Christian issues. Who knows what God's opinion is on those things?

Our best conservative thinkers may have America's best interest in mind, but not necessarily Jesus' kingdom. Our mission in life as a Christian has very little to do with America and everything to do with Jesus.

Think of it this way: when I was in college I traveled with a singing group every summer and we would visit youth camps to counsel, sing, and plug for the school. Most of the time we had to sleep in cabins or tents with the campers. Usually, there was no air conditioning, protection from bugs, or warm showers. Once in a while we would be treated to staying in special quarters where we would be more comfortable and have it significantly better than the campers. Not only air conditioning and warm showers, but refrigerators filled with snacks and Pepsi (I have since been converted to Diet Coke, which I'm convinced is God's favorite). The mission or purpose of why we were there didn't change, we just got treated a little better along the way.

To me, this is like our situation in America. Our mission as a Christian is no different than a Christian living in China, Latin America or the jungle in Peru - we are just privileged to be staying in the deluxe cabin while we are here. For some reason, God has blessed us to live in America, but we must never forget what our mission is while we are here or be fooled into thinking that America's goals are God's goals.

The second thought that comes to mind about this whole thing is that normally smart, very intelligent people become very close minded and hostile at the idea of a God that created the world and will one day judge everyone in it.

What gets me is that these are the same guys that roast liberals for not debating honestly and for name calling rather than looking at the facts, and yet that is what they are doing with Christians. Allahpundit doesn't give any rebuttal to facts, he just points his finger and makes fun.

Hey, isn't there a Bible verse that talks about that?

"So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts."
(Ephesians 4:17-18 NIV)

This kind of thinking should not surprise or even alarm us. It's not that they are stupid, but they have hardened their hearts to God and so they have lost their understanding of the things of God. It really doesn't make sense to them.

I will agree with Allahpundit on one thing, though. Ironically, one of his points is something that Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort teach in the "Way of the Master" series to not do when you are witnessing to someone.

He denies that he has any kind of void in his life that God needs to fill. Christians have been taught that there is a "God-shaped hole" in the human heart that only God can fill and that they will never be satisfied until He fills it.

This is an ineffective way to witness, because many people don't sense that void and are enjoying their life just fine.

Whether we feel a void in our lives or not is irrelevant to the existence of God, or our need for Him. We turn to Christ because there is no other name in Heaven by which we can be saved, and without that salvation we are going to experience the wrath of God against our personal sins. No matter how wonderful our life maybe for these 80 years or so, there is a day of reckoning that is coming that will determine what kind of eternity you will have.

It is better to point people to that day, rather than claim that they need Jesus to make their life better.

Well, that's my two cents; hope you have a great week!

Jehovah's Witness in a nutshell

2009-09-22T21:21:00.001-07:00

When I lived in San Diego, I lived next to a Mormon elder. Very nice guy, and as it turns out, very handy because all the Mormon missionaries would come to his house and he would fix their bikes (which is why I am not a Mormon elder, because I am not very handy).

Because of that, we always had plenty of visits from Mormon missionaries. I would rarely turn them away without at least talking to them for a few minutes and sometimes would even invite them in and we would debate Christianity over lemonade. I enjoyed it because it challenged me to be able to defend my faith, and learn how to debate without being obnoxious. (I'm still obnoxious, just not when I debate someone).

Well, last Saturday there was a whole carload of Jehovah's witnesses unleashed on our neighborhood. I talked to an older man that owns some hearing aid businesses in New Braunfels for about 40 minutes. Again, very nice man and we had a good conversation. Unfortunately, I was very rusty on my Jehovah's witness theology, but I did manage to ask him some questions that he couldn't answer. So, he is coming back this Saturday, I'm sure with reinforcements.

As I have been reading up on their religion, I came across this video and thought it might be helpful if you want a short synopsis of their history and what they believe...

Great new song!

2009-09-18T09:10:00.001-07:00

We are going to learn this song on Sunday, thought I would give you a sneak peek. It rings familiar (slightly ripping off "It is Well") and it resonates with me as I study and prepare to preach on suffering. So much of what happens to us we will never have an answer for, and so the sovereignty of God is important for us to rely on:

It is called All is Well (which is way different than It is Well) by Robin Mark.

I expect all three of you who read this blog to be ready to sing it on Sunday morning.

Watch out, there is a new blogger in town!

2009-09-02T17:22:00.000-07:00

Check it out folks...the world will never be the same!

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Sweetest Name I Know!

2009-08-20T20:40:00.001-07:00

Here are a few quotes by Charles Spurgeon that I will be thinking about every time I preach from now on:

"The motto of a true servant of God must be, "We preach Christ; and Him crucified." A sermon without Christ in it is like a loaf of bread without any flour in it. No Christ in your sermon, sir? Then go home, and never preach again until you have something worth preaching."

"Leave Christ out? O my brethren, better leave the pulpit out altogether. If a man can preach one sermon without mentioning Christ's name in it, it ought to be his last, certainly the last that Christian ought to go to hear him preach."

"A sermon without Christ as it's beginning, middle, and end is a mistake in conception and crime in execution. However grand the language, it will be much ado about nothing if Christ be not there. And I mean by Christ not merely His example and the ethical precepts of His teaching, but His atoning blood, his wondrous satisfaction made for human sin, and the grand doctrine of "believe and live".

"Yes, it is Christ, Christ, Christ, whom we have to preach; and if we leave him out, we leave out the very soul of the Gospel. Christless sermons make merriment for Hell. Christless preachers, Christless Sunday school teachers, Christless class leaders, Christless tract distributors - what are all these doing? They are simply setting the mill to grind without putting any grist into the hopper, all their labor is in vain. If you leave Jesus Christ out, you are simply beating the air, or going to war without any weapon with which you can smite the foe."

A New Respect for Homeschoolers!

2009-08-17T19:46:00.000-07:00

Just for fun...

File Under: Get Ready...It's Coming.

2009-08-14T09:01:00.000-07:00

A principal and an athletic director are being put on trial for praying in the teachers lounge:

"The criminal charges, which carry up to a $5,000 fine and a six-month jail term, originated with a Jan. 28 incident in which Mr. Lay, a deacon at a local Baptist church, asked Mr. Freeman to offer mealtime prayers at a lunch for school employees and booster-club members who had helped with a school field-house project.

Mr. Staver said no students were present at the event, which was held on school property but after school hours.

"He wasn't thinking he was violating an order," he said. "Neither did the athletic director. He was asked to pray and so he did."

Can you see the situation...people are about to eat, and someone says hey would you pray for the food? Sure, no big deal, right? Except when it can result in 6 months in jail.

Read the whole article here.

In other related news, California is getting ready to release hundreds of inmates because of budget cuts. At least we know the real criminals will still be doing hard time in Florida.

From Desiringgod.org:

2009-08-13T13:48:00.001-07:00

'Nuff said.

Pirate Christian Radio

2009-08-06T11:45:00.000-07:00

As you may have noticed (but not particularly cared), I added a link on the sidebar to Pirate Christian Radio. It intrigued me, so I thought I would listen for a while.

A few observations so far:

Most (if not all) the teachers are Lutherans
They really really like being Lutherans
I don't agree with everything that the Lutherans teach

But, that aside....

It has some good programs about Apologetics (defense of Christianity from false teaching) and good explanation of the Gospel.

I am still determining if it is something that I would listen to long term, but I thought I would throw it out there for you so that you can decide with me.

p.s. If anyone cares to prepare for Sunday, we will be studying 2 Kings 22 @ 23 and it's corresponding passages in 2 Chronicles, or page 983 - 987 in your Daily Bible.

Show Me the Money!

2009-07-30T21:08:00.000-07:00

This is such a great article. Be sure to read the whole thing.

It basically takes a census of the prosperity movement. Who are these people that go to these churches? The study surveyed 35,000 people that are a part of this (largely Pentecostals) and they found that on the average, these people that are told if they will give their money to the church then God will make them wealthy and they will have God's favor, make less per year than other Christian groups!

The results show that Pentecostals have the most high school dropouts, the fewest college graduates, and the fewest post-graduates. But the most interesting thing is that they earn the least annual income of any other Christian tradition polled. This is shocking, considering that a main feature in popular Pentecostalism is the Prosperity Gospel, where church members are promised that God will make them rich beyond their wildest dreams if they tithe generously and believe that they will receive the money.

So do they lack God's favor, or do they lack faith? And what about prosperity proponent Paula White, who, I believe has a church in San Antonio (or at least used to). She and her husband (who she is now divorced from) are millions of dollars in debt. Where is the favor of God?

Answer: There never was favor from God - just manipulation from greedy false teachers! Here is my favorite paragraph in the article:

My point is that while the world howls at the scam artists who fail to deliver on big promises, Christianity has its very own Ponzi scheme that’s alive and well. At least when Bernie Madoff promised big returns he actually delivered (if only for a moment); the prosperity gospel doesn’t even do that much. When Joel Osteen, Ken Copeland, Paula White, or Benny Hinn take your money, you’ll never see it again (unless you happen to glimpse one of their private jets leaving a runway for Bermuda).

I know, I know: Judge not, lest you be judged Pastor Phil! (If I had a dollar for every time that verse is used out of context, I could start a prosperity TV ministry and finally make some SERIOUS money!)

We should be outraged at this in the same way we are outraged at corrupt politicians. Our Senators and Congressmen are supposed to be in Washington for the good of the people, but many times they turn it into what is good for them personally. This is no different, except a lot more is riding on it! Ministers are supposed to be God's voice to the people, rightly interpreting God's Word to deliver God's message and to steer His Church in the right direction. Unfortunately, just like corrupt politicians, they make it into what is good for their bottom line.

C'mon Church! Discern, discern, discern! Don't exchange the Truth of God for a lie.

File Under: "Wake Up American Church!"

2009-07-27T13:08:00.000-07:00

This is a headline from not 20 or 30 years ago, but from today:

"According to the Associated Press, a 33-year-old woman and mother of three has been executed in North Korea on charges of distributing Bibles, which are banned in the communist country, and of allegedly spying for foreign nations. A July 24 report from the Investigative Commission on Crimes against Humanity, quoted by the AP, says that Ri Hyon-ok was executed in the northwestern city of Ryongchon bordering China on June 16, and that her husband, children and parents were sent to a political prison the day after her execution."

Let that sink in...after she was executed, her husband, children and parents were sent to prison!!!! You can be sure that the spying charge is just to make it look more reasonable to the rest of the world, but is trumped up bunk. The whole article is here.

Praise God that there are Christians in the world with this kind of devotion to Jesus. I am writing this as I am sitting outside by my pool on my day off, both of which are things that a Chinese Christian knows nothing about. Put in front of the mirror of this kind of sacrifice, I pale in comparison.

There are people that would say that is a useless exercise in guilt, because I can't help where I was born, and they are right. I can't help that I was born in a free country, but that isn't even the point. I don't feel guilty because I am an American, I feel guilty because I am a lazy American.

There are things that I could do that would show my devotion to Christ and to the Gospel and I don't do them, not because I am afraid of death or prison, but because I never get around to it.

Thank you, Ri Hyon-ok, for the sermon of your life that God used to speak to me today. Far from being tragic or wasted, your life will be used to reach others for Christ all over the world.

Can God use you more powerfully if you are a "good" speaker?

2009-07-17T08:39:00.000-07:00

"Paul was a scholar and an orator of the highest degree; he was not speaking here out of a deep sense of humility, but was saying that when he preached the gospel, he would veil the power of God if he impressed people with the excellency of his speech. Belief in Jesus is a miracle produced only by the effectiveness of redemption, not by impressive speech, nor by wooing and persuading, but only by the sheer unaided power of God. The creative power of redemption comes through the preaching of the gospel, but never because of the personality of the preacher.

Real and effective fasting by a preacher is not fasting from food, but fasting from eloquence, from impressive diction, and from everything else that might hinder the gospel of God being presented. The preacher is there as the representative of God— ". . . as though God were pleading through us . . ." (2 Corinthians 5:20). He is there to present the gospel of God. If it is only because of my preaching that people desire to be better, they will never get close to Jesus Christ. Anything that flatters me in my preaching of the gospel will result in making me a traitor to Jesus, and I prevent the creative power of His redemption from doing its work."

-Oswald Chambers

This is precisely opposite of what you hear from successful preachers (at least the ones that write books and speak at conferences). Your communication skills need to improve to reach more people. Which do you believe?

Sanfords, 2.5

2009-07-14T09:51:00.000-07:00

Ok, time to beat the dead horse again.

Mark Sanford, for all of his shenanigans, is already old news. Unfortunately, I still have a few things to say about it, so we will be stuck in the past for a little while longer.

I think there are three kinds of married people:

1) Those who will have an affair because they want one.
2) Those who will have an affair because they weren't careful or smart.
3) Those who will never have an affair because they were careful and smart.

I really don't have anything to say to the first group. Of course, hardly anyone will admit they are in this group. They will couch it in excuses, but they aren't that hard to spot. It usually surfaces as soon as any kind of discipline comes into play. They view themselves as mistakers rather than sinners. I have learned to not waste too much breath on them after a certain point, because God needs to deal with them and nothing I say is going to help.

The second group is different, Although, once the affair has begun, they automatically jump to the first category if they don't immediately repent of it and break off all ties. Before that happens, however, I believe there is a measure of naivete that exists that makes us vulnerable to adultery. Maybe they truly weren't looking for it, but found themselves in the middle of it anyway. This is why affairs never need to happen and never should happen in the Church. If we are careful and smart - they never would! (except of course the ones in category 1)

Here is what I have learned over the years to do for me. Consequently, I require it of all my staff:

- Never counsel a woman alone unless a female is in the main office. Anytime someone needs to meet with me after hours, my secretary either comes back to the office, or she finds another female to come sit at her desk. For you, this may mean not huddling off in a corner somewhere with a person of the opposite sex having private conversations.

- Never ride in a car alone with a woman. Rarely, I will make an exception to this one, but it is so rare that nothing could ever come of it. Occasionally, it is unavoidable - but it must never be common. Those of you who work in sales or have jobs that require you to travel with members of the opposite sex, need to work something out. All that travel time is time that you spend talking to another woman instead of your wife, and if your marriage communication is typical, it's probably a lot more time than you spend talking to your wife. Out of boredom you start sharing details about thoughts and opinions, life experiences, etc., and that is just not smart or healthy for your marriage.

Those of you who travel and have to meet with women away from home for business, need to bring a friend or wait until you can meet with them in some kind of official capacity when other people you work with are around. Never, never, never meet in a restaurant where it is just the two of you. Why would you ever need to do that?

The usual response to something bad happening out of that is, "Well I would never!" How do you know? What if the other person flatters you and propositions you while you are alone with them? Are you that strong to turn them away and tell them in no uncertain terms that that is innapropriate? Or would you waver, maybe just for a few moments, because it is kind of nice to be wanted in this way....

If you are still adamant that you would be 100% bullet proof in a situation like this, at the very least consider how you would explain that episode to your wife! "Well, we were alone at this restaurant, you see..." yeah, I don't want to have that conversation either. Most men would probably keep it to themselves which is not a good alternative. It's better to stay away from the possibility.

- Never discuss marital problems with a person of the opposite sex.

Don't complain about your wife to them, don't talk about her weaknesses with them, nothing. And don't let them complain to you either. A manipulative person can exploit that in a NY minute.

- Always tell your spouse when a person is flirting with you or sending you "that" message.

This is my favorite. Usually, Amy spots them before I do, but occasionally I get to share the news with her and it's fun to watch her go to work! It also has the added benefit of communicating to her - I'm all yours.

This has probably only happened 3 or 4 times in all my years of ministry (which is amazing because I'm so obviously handsome) but occasionally I will get a look from a woman that tells me, if I wanted to pursue something with them, I could. Telling Amy about it takes it completely out of the realm of possibility because she will definitely be keeping an eye on that person (welcome to the competition for the understatement of the year!).

Look, you may think I am being ridiculous, but Amy never has to worry about me straying. There is a 0% chance I will ever cheat on her, unless I stop doing these things to protect myself and then she would spot that right away. This is for my protection, for my families protection, and for the protection of Jesus' name and reputation.

Pastors, lest you think you might offend someone by suggesting that they are being inappropriate with another person, you need to nip this as soon as you start to see it happening. I am not shy about addressing this with people who go to my church, especially those who volunteer in a ministry. I have had an affair happen in a ministry. Everyone saw the warning signs and nobody wanted to be the one to act judgmental and two families were destroyed (not to mention all of the fallout on the church level).

Now, i just look at it this way: If they accept my gentle rebuke, then they are wiser and the church is safer for it. If they don't, and they get all offended, I just assume they are in the 1st group. And if they are in the first group, I don't care if they are offended because to let them continue just invites more chaos and disruption to the life of the church.

Not convinced? Well, fine. If we are going to look at these kinds of measures as extreme, can we at least do one thing? Can we stop blaming Satan for all the affairs and divorces? And can we stop asking God why we are losing our families and why we are alone and miserable? At this point it's not God or Satan's fault.

When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Don't be deceived, my dear brothers.
(James 1:13-16 NIV)

Sanfords, pt. 2

2009-07-10T19:46:00.000-07:00

I know that I said that I would post a follow up to the Sanford post "tomorrow". What I forgot to tell you is that I subscribe to the "Gap" theory of blogging, that 1 day doesn't have to mean a literal 24 hrs. I also said that I would talk about a biblical way to solve their problem, and maybe stay together, but that is going to have to wait too.

Instead, I want to look at his statement again, because it is very instructive for those of you who are unhappy in your marriage, or in other ways, might be prone to an affair. Take a look:

"South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford said Tuesday that he “crossed lines” with a handful of women other than his mistress - but never had sex with them."

He also said that, “This was a whole lot more than a simple affair, this was a love story,” Sanford said. “A forbidden one, a tragic one, but a love story at the end of the day.”

This is why I'm not a good counselor. I don't have the patience to sit and listen to all of these excuses of why people do terrible things. If there is one thing that this was not - it's a love story. (Did I say that right?) All that we need to know is in those two short paragraphs. I could have saved him the trouble of going through the whole sordid tale.

He said he had crossed the line with a handful of women in addition to his mistress. What does that tell you about him? It tells you that he did not simply fall in love with a forbidden women; all of this happened because he was a chronic cheater! He was testing the water, looking for the one that he wanted to actually sleep with! He was seeking out a relationship, he didn't stumble into one. Anybody with knowledge and proximity to him probably saw this coming for a long time.

I have heard journalists blame it on a midlife crisis, and, you know, it's so tough out there for men. He wants you to believe that he is just a decent man that fell in love with the wrong woman. Unfortunately for him, he told us too many details for us to believe that is true. He was a married man who sought out and would not be denied his adultery.

I'm sure *some of you think I am being too hard on him. You might be thinking words like, judgmental and mean, or uncompassionate. You might post comments like, "judge not lest you be judged," or "People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones." Or maybe even, "The early bird gets the worm." Of course that doesn't have anything to do with anything, so I would soundly rebuke you...but I digress.

Listen, I need you to hear me on this - I am not judging his soul, because I don't know the guy and I can't do that anyway, but I am judging his behavior and calling him on the baloney he's peddling. Our postmodern culture wants to have a qualifier on all truth. "Well, you have to take in to consideration what he was going through and the situation at the time, and if his mother held him too close, or not close enough, blah, blah, blah." In other words, I can't say what he did was wrong, because maybe in his situation it wasn't wrong, or at least it can be explained. People are way more upset that he left the country without handing the reins of power to someone else, than they are about what he did to his wife and family.

You need to understand that doesn't have any basis in Scripture. Jesus (or any of the Bible writers, for that matter) did not deal in relative truth. There is right, and there is wrong, and the Bible gives us enough knowledge to know the difference and the responsibility to do something, or at least say something about it.

The Apostle Paul, in his writings, sometimes came off very abrasive, because he would call out sin and bad behavior when he saw it in the Church...and he would name names!!!! How about that for a church newsletter?

All that to say - it is perfectly alright, and even necessary to point out what this is: a bunch of excuses and rationalizations for sin. That is how the Church stays protected from false teaching, by fiercely defending Truth. It's not judgment, which is God's job - it is discipline, for his sake and for those who would follow his lead.

Okay, so, what do we take away from this and how do we learn from it? Well, I am going to have to finish this "tomorrow" because it is 3 a.m. (don't ask). Suffice it to say, for now, that this situation is completely avoidable and there is no excuse for it. None. Not one.

In the next post, I want to talk about the 3 different kinds of married people and how you can avoid the trap of adultery (in thought or deed!). I know, you are hanging on pins and needles (how do you hang on a pin, anyway?)

*if there are more than two people who read this blog, I can officially use the term, "some".

Thoughts on the Sanfords

2009-06-30T14:55:00.000-07:00

You've heard of Mark Sanford by now, right? He's the Republican governor of South Carolina that admitted to having an affair with a woman in Argentina. He disappeared over Father's Day Weekend (Sorry kids, I can't come to Father's Day dinner...Daddy's busy!). Turns out he was in Argentina with his mistress.

His wife is committed to making the marriage work, but he said this today:

"South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford said Tuesday that he “crossed lines” with a handful of women other than his mistress - but never had sex with them.

The governor said he “never crossed the ultimate line” with anyone but Maria Belen Chapur, the Argentine at the center of a scandal that has derailed his once-promising political career.

“This was a whole lot more than a simple affair, this was a love story,” Sanford said. “A forbidden one, a tragic one, but a love story at the end of the day.”

During an emotional interview at his Statehouse office with The Associated Press on Tuesday, Sanford said Chapur is his soul mate but he’s trying to fall back in love with his wife."

Kids, this is why we don't live life based on feelings. "Gee, I'm going to give it a real college try to love my wife again. Aren't I a swell guy?"

A little tutorial for those of you who have cheated on your spouse... Here is what your wife (or husband) wants to hear: "I'm a schmuck and I am so sorry I traded in real love for a cheap imitation. You are a thousand times the person they are. Please, please, please, forgive me for being an idiot."

How you feel, or the reasons why you did it, are really irrelevant, at least from a Christian standpoint. There is only one right response: It was wrong and I'm sorry and it will never, ever, never, never, ever, never happen again.

Believe it or not, Sanford's is an attitude that I hear a lot when I counsel people who are dealing with similar situations. Often the person who is being cheated on hears this excuse; "Look, I love you (Mark Sanford didn't even do that), but I also love this other person. I didn't mean for it to happen, it just happened and I'm torn about what I should do." (*cough, baloney, *cough)

This is what you get when you base decisions on, not what is right or wrong, but how you feel.

There is a biblical way to handle this, that is not only right, but might well win your spouse back at the same time...and we'll talk about it tomorrow. I know the three of you who read this blog (not at the same time, of course) will not be able to sleep tonight. I apologize.

Michael Jackson

2009-06-29T14:17:00.000-07:00

Copied this from Ray Comfort's blog:

"Yesterday 150,000 people died, including one very well-known celebrity. May this remind us that we all have an appointment to keep. May it also help us to forget that which doesn't matter, and get right with God while we still have time."

Athiest Summer Camp!

2009-06-27T21:27:00.000-07:00

This should be fun...

There’ll be no tent for God at Camp Dawkins!

Britain’s most prominent non-believer is backing its first atheist summer camp for children.

The article is here if you want to be tempted to swear.

p.s. How about a caption contest for the picture? I'll start - "Welcome to Camp 'Brainwash me to Hell!'"

Are Science and God incompatible?

2009-06-26T20:30:00.000-07:00

From the Wall Street Journal Opinion Page Entitled "God and Science Don't Mix:

“J.B.S. Haldane, an evolutionary biologist and a founder of population genetics, understood that science is by necessity an atheistic discipline. As Haldane so aptly described it, one cannot proceed with the process of scientific discovery if one assumes a ‘god, angel, or devil’ will interfere with one’s experiments. God is, of necessity, irrelevant in science.

The rest of the article is here

Another favorite quote:

"Faced with the remarkable success of science to explain the workings of the physical world, many, indeed probably most, scientists understandably react as Haldane did. Namely, they extrapolate the atheism of science to a more general atheism."

This to me misses the point. I don't think anybody argues that science hasn't led us to discover how things work, but it doesn't answer the more important question of why things are. Science is fascinating and exciting, partly because the more we dig, the more complex we find that things are.(I'll never forget making my first exploding plastic 2 liter coke bottle filled with Drain-O and tinfoil...but I digress) It wasn't that many years ago that nobody knew what DNA was. New discoveries reinforce the knowledge that our world is a complex and intricate place that somehow all fits and works together.

That knowledge should, I would think, drive a scientist to ask - how could all this be just an accident? Is there no "why" behind the "how?" How could something so complex be the result of chance? What scientists can't recreate in a lab under controlled conditions, came together randomly in outer space somewhere?

Now, what this has to do with Science, I have no idea:

"Finally, it is worth pointing out that these issues are not purely academic. The current crisis in Iran has laid bare the striking inconsistency between a world built on reason and a world built on religious dogma. Perhaps the most important contribution an honest assessment of the incompatibility between science and religious doctrine can provide is to make it starkly clear that in human affairs -- as well as in the rest of the physical world -- reason is the better guide."

Ok, besides the obvious response that religious dogma and God don't necessarily have anything in common and it certainly doesn't make him not exist - To me, if a person is obsessed with living their life based on reason, they would look for reason in all things. They would think things out to their conclusions and back to their beginnings. And it seems reasonable (dare I use the word?) that they would consistently have that nagging question in the back of their minds - How could this all be an accident? It's just not rational. It's anti-reason, if you ask me (and nobody did). It's the kind of reason that ignores obvious questions and facts. There is no answer to the question "why?" in atheism, and I would think that would bug a scientist most of all.

p.s. If you want to drive an Atheist crazy, in the middle of his argument get a far off look in your eyes and start singing, "We are the Reason." (Actually, now that I think about it, that would drive ME crazy)

Good Quote

2009-06-25T21:50:00.000-07:00

Found this from John MacArthur while I was researching my sermon:

"By the way, do you know that that (holiness) is the only attribute of God in all of the Scripture that is spoken of in repetition three times? Never does the Bible say God is love, love, love. Never does it say God is light, light, light, truth, truth, truth, mercy, mercy, mercy, wrath, wrath, wrath. But it says He's holy, holy, holy. This is an absolute priority, people. It is impossible to understand the fullness of it and yet you must understand as much as the Scripture gives us. The absence of a clear understanding of God's holiness is the reason for our shallowness, it is the reason for our impotence, it is the reason for our selfishness, it is the reason for our weakness, it is the reason for our disobedience. We don't really understand how holy God is that's why we compromise, that's why we are the worst kind of pragmatists who do only what fulfills our desires." –John Mcarthur

Yowsa...good stuff. As we will learn Sunday from Isaiah, understanding the holiness of God is the beginning of intimacy with Him...and the flipside would also be true: to not understand it, is the reason for our distance from Him. His holiness puts everything else in perspective.

Every time the angels repeated Holy, Holy, Holy during Isaiah's vision, he heard, dirty, dirty, dirty...which is what he knew he was, compared to God. Every reminder of God's holiness reminded him of his filthiness.

That revelation gave him a new perspective and set the stage for God to purify him and empower him for the rest of his ministry

The holiness of God was revealed to Isaiah in a vision; The written Word of God is our revelation, and that is where His holiness will be revealed to us. So, get in the Word, and ask God to reveal Himself to you!

Till Sunday...

Love it, memorize it, swallow it.

Two More Reasons People Think Christianity is a Joke

2009-06-23T21:58:00.000-07:00

First, the shameless redefining of holy words that make the Holy Spirit look like a fool:

And then the shameless merchandising of holy practices:

In one sense, these athiests have a straw man argument. Whether it is wrong to package oil and sell it for a profit is irrelevant to the claims of Christianity. It doesn't prove or disprove anything. However, this kind of profiteering is disgusting and way more common than it should be.

As for the guys in the top video...in our search for the touch and moving of the Holy Spirit, we have to be extremely careful what we attribute to God. To throw Biblical words like "anointing" around attached to wierd stuff like this is treating the real touch of God too flippantly.

I get frustrated over the hesitancy of people to say something is not of God just because someone else says it is. There doesn't seem to be too much "testing of the spirits" going on these days. I suspect that there is a spirit involved here, but I don't think it is the Spirit of God. Is this the best God can do? A Pheasant? Please.

To me, this is scary, scary stuff.

Isn't This Inspiring?

2009-06-16T21:13:00.000-07:00

Shoobeedoobeedingdong?

Two words: Cra. Zy.

Love This Quote

2009-06-16T20:47:00.000-07:00

This is about the best I have ever heard this explained...

"You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it."

-Adrian Rogers

He was a preacher who died a couple years ago. Smart guy.

What is the Difference?

2009-05-16T16:24:00.000-07:00

What do you think is the difference between wisdom and discernment? Our group debated this last week, and since we are going to talk about Solomon tomorrow, I want to know what you think.

Is there a difference or are they interchangeable?

Well Said...

2009-05-07T08:16:00.000-07:00

I came across this quote by Matthew Henry while I was working on my sermon this week:

Man's life is not only wasting of itself, but its period may be anticipated by a thousand accidents. When the flower is in its perfection a blasting wind, unseen, unlooked for, passes over it, and it is gone; it hangs the head, drops the leaves, dwindles into the ground again, and the place thereof, which was proud of it, now knows it no more. Such a thing is man: God considers this, and pities him; let him consider it himself, and be humble, dead to this world and thoughtful of another.

I read somewhere that our bodies actually start decaying at age 17! It's all downhill from there, baby! Add to that a million different bizarre accidents could happen to you and take your life before it actually wears out (like a football practice facility falling on your head!)and you have perspective on how short and fragile our lives are. It gives importance to the verse we read last week in our daily readings:

Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
(Psalms 90:12 NIV)

Let's remember that our life on the blue planet is relatively short, so it will give us wisdom to plan for the next life. Well said, Matt!

UPDATE!!!

2009-03-08T20:18:00.001-07:00

This is just too great for words:

The Athiests banner:

The response:

Russian Scholar Says U.S. Will Collapse Next Year

2009-03-04T06:21:00.000-08:00

Why does he think that?

"he said the recent economic turmoil in the U.S. and other "social and cultural phenomena" led him to nail down a specific timeframe for "The End" — when the United States will break up into six autonomous regions and Alaska will revert to Russian control.

Panarin argued that Americans are in moral decline, saying their great psychological stress is evident from school shootings, the size of the prison population and the number of gay men."

Isn't it interesting that an athiest can see the values of morals in our society and the outcomes if we abandon them, but our own "Christian" country can't?

Do Not Do As They Do!

2009-03-03T09:11:00.000-08:00

Just when I think my head is going to explode if I read about one more law or one more offering, I come across this!

The LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'I am the LORD your God. You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices. You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the LORD your God. Keep my decrees and laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them. I am the LORD.
(Leviticus 18:1-5 NIV)

I don't Think I am going to be able to fit this in to my sermon Sunday, but it is a great passage that is begging for a sermon!

How much better off would the church be if we just would just listen to God and take Him at His word!?! We get into trouble in our personal lives because we think we can do just as the world does even though God has warned against it and we get into trouble as a church because we try to think like the world and copy their success instead of seeking out the mind of God!

It is heart breaking to see how carnal and worldly the church is. Is it because we have ignored the simple command of God found in passages like this? This isn't hard to understand - it's not Revelation! It's God saying, "You're going to be in the world, but don't do as they do. Be careful to follow what I have said. Remember - I am the LORD your GOD!" It's as simple as that. Any 3rd grader could exegete those verses.

God tells them to remember that He is the one who will cause them to succeed or fail - not the world, and then He lays this on them:

"Keep my decrees and laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them. I am the LORD."

This means that the man (or church) who obeys the laws will be blessed by them. That's how it works. There isn't a go around on this one. If we do as the world does we will fail. Sure, we have nice buildings now, and sophisticated outreach programs to get people to attend our services, but are we too sophisticated for simple faith and simple obedience? Then, maybe, we are too sophisticated for Jesus.

Of course, a fish figured it out first...that makes sense.

2009-02-25T11:51:00.000-08:00

380. Million. Years.

Sigh.

Yikes!

2009-02-20T21:35:00.000-08:00

I don't know any pastor who doesn't use good material where he can find it, but I've always tried to be very careful not to put myself in the story like I was there or it happened to me. This is why! That's embarrassing...I actually feel for him.

Probably?

2009-02-19T12:14:00.000-08:00

These are the advertisements that an atheist group have purchased to display on the sides of buses somewhere in Europe. Would you like to bank your eternity on the fact that there probably isn't a God?

Idiot #1 - "Hey, some people say that if you point this gun at your head and pull the trigger it will kill you."

Idiot #2 - "Do you think it will kill me?"

Idiot #1 - "Probably not."

Here's a good one...

2009-02-13T17:22:00.000-08:00

My apologies for my absence. I'm afraid that Facebook has been my downfall. I will post this for your perusal. Stuff like this always interests me because they actually ask a pretty good question, but the mob mentality against Christianity reminds me of arguments I would have in the 6th grade: "Oh Yeah? So!Well, you're stupid!" You know- stuff like that. How do we answer this without being equally snarky back at them? Let's see if you can figure it out...Have at it!

UPDATE: Here is someones response

Not bad, but not satisfying enough for me either...the question I have is, although some people inexplicably are spared while others inexplicably die, does that really make the argument that God doesn't exist? At the MOST, we could say that we don't understand or like the way he works and we would not want to serve that kind of God. But to deny his existence would mean that we:

1) Are smart enough to understand everything there is to know about spiritual things. And we can explain how over a billion universes came to be and how this one universe has life, and incredibly complex life at that, but it was all by chance. I guess there are just millions of people who have done the theorems and worked out the mathematical odds on their kitchen tablecloth and know for certain, with no wavering or doubt, that there is absolutely no God. Wouldn't an intelligent honest person have to admit that there is no way to know that for sure? Isn't it, at best, a hunch?

2)We would have to believe there isn't a God, but yet believe that nature can think. This random Cosmic belch that we live on, has the amazing ability, without any design whatsoever, to recognize what needs to change about itself in order for it to survive. It's interesting that they don't claim the changes are by accident, just life itself. Yeah, that makes total sense. Isn't that belief attributing god-like qualities to nature? So, you'll believe in a mother nature kind of god, but not a God that could make mother nature?

3)We would have to believe that there is no meaning to life. No purpose. We are born, we disturb the gravel on earth for about 80 years, and then we die. Is there any thought more depressing than that?

Yes, it may seem that we are taking events that are bound to happen sooner or later, and ascribing them to a God that we have never seen. But the alternative for us is untenable: despite a world around us that points to design, and planning, and creativity, and complexity beyond any man's ability to create - we will stubbornly deny that He exists. We cannot do it. There is just too much evidence to the contrary.

As obvious as it seems to them that there isn't a God, it's just as obvious to us that there is.

And so, we choose to give him credit when good things happen (because the Scriptures tell us to), and we pray to Him for help when bad things happen (because the scriptures tell us to do that, too). We don't fully understand Him. We don't have definitive answers to their statements. But just because we don't have an answer doesn't mean that there isn't one - and someday God will let us in on it all.

Until then, we choose to believe, and trust. People like Heather Macdonald may think it is naive and silly, but I feel comfortable in my belief, because Miss Macdonald has a lot more to lose than I do if I'm right, than if she is.

UPDATE #2 - MORE BY HEATHER MACDONALD

She is responding to all of the uproar over her post. This is part of what she said:

“The bus ads suggest a utilitarian reason for skepticism: you’ll enjoy life more. The only touchstone that I can possibly imagine for deciding whether or not to adopt any particular belief is its truth, in this case: Does the evidence of human experience support the claim that we are attended to by a loving, personal God? Even if the conclusion that we have no ‘Friend’ in the sky leads inevitably to melancholy or dissatisfaction, it is better to live unhappily in truth than happily in delusion, in my view. (As I have written before, however, I am puzzled by the claim that life would be meaningless without God. Schubert wrote some 600 songs, nearly every one of them a gem of lethal beauty and exquisiteness. You want something more?)”
You can read more of her opinions at www.secularright.org

Ray Comfort adds:

Comfort added, "I will donate $10,000 to him, or give it to any children's charity he names. All I ask is that he goes into a studio and gives me 20 minutes on why there is no God and why evolution is scientific. Then I will give 20 minutes on how we can know God exists and why evolution is nothing more than an unsubstantiated and unscientific fairy tale for grownups. Then we both will have 10 minutes to respond.

You can read the rest of his article here.

This is interesting too“The truth is, however, that if you go to South America, you will find a huge number of conversions to Protestant Christianity. If you go to Korea, you will find Christian churches with 100,000 members. If you go to China, you will find 100 million Christians. And if you go to Africa, you’ll find that countries whose populations were only five percent Christian 100 years ago are now 50 percent Christian. These trends have not gone unnoticed by historians, who are startled by them and have attempted to explain them away, and they are the empirical basis for my claim that God is doing very well in this world. What’s important to understand is that the New Atheism is not a triumphant cry of success, but rather a bitter reaction to the success of religion.”

You can read the rest of that article here. This guy debates athiests too.

Yeah, but at least they arent asking them to turn off their TV's!

2008-12-27T22:42:00.000-08:00

Read at the risk of feeling really petty.

Yay for Voices of Reason!

2008-12-20T10:18:00.000-08:00

Except the part about the earth being here 5.5 billion years, of course. But this is nice to hear for a change:

And a very good explanation on a Christian perspective of gay marriage from Rick Warren:

Let's miss the forest for the trees this Christmas!

2008-12-17T11:45:00.000-08:00

OURS: Welch's 2008

New Love or Long Love?

2008-12-16T08:31:00.000-08:00

I read an interesting article on the plane home from New York the other day, that you should check out. Read it here. I know, you may be getting tired of talking about gay marriage, but there is something here I want you to notice.

There is something bigger here than the topic of gay marriage (at least in my mind), that is present both in the article and the video. See if you can spot it. I will come back to it later this week...

Meanwhile, I just had to comment on my trip with Amy to New York this weekend. We had a great time, she was totally surprised, and I'm the husband of the year so the rest of you can stop trying.

As we were walking the streets of Manhattan, I was contemplating how great it was to be able to fulfill a wish that Amy has had for years - to go to New York at Christmas time and see the tree in Rockefeller center. I had looked forward to her response since I bought the tickets over a month ago. I planned the surprise meticulously, trying not to forget any detail that could make it more meaningful for her. Now that we were there, I was loving it.

But what made it even more special was the fact that there were 15 years of memories together walking with us on those streets. There was 15 years of knowledge of what she likes and dislikes, what means the most to her and what she can give or take. Knowledge that a year or even five years of marriage doesn't give you.

New love is exciting and fun, but there was something about the trip that was deeper, more special because of our long love. It's hard to explain. It's hard to give the feeling a name. Part appreciation, part gratitude, part reminiscent, part "make every moment count because we're not promised tomorrow" (something I had no comprehension of 10 years ago). I don't know what to call it, but it was deeeep.

New love gets all the attention, but it's that same love fostered over time that is like a priceless jewel that you have to dig to the middle of the mountain to retrieve. It's a lot of work getting there, and you might be tempted to settle for a lesser jewel along the way, but if you can make it, the reward is exponential.

What about your marriage? What have you done to foster that long love in your own home? What have you done to treasure your spouse(especially you, men - God made your wife to need to feel treasured by you)?

It's really not that hard, once you decide to do it. It doesn't have to be a trip. I just used Amy's likes and dislikes as a springboard to make her feel special. For instance:

--I can deal with a little mess at home, but she likes it clean (no dishes in the sink, floor vacuumed, pillows arranged correctly on the couch, etc.). We used to argue because she felt like she wasn't getting any help and I thought she was being unrealistic about how clean the house should be all the time. Now, when I get home from work, I spend 30 minutes or so swiffering the floor (it's wood), doing the dishes and making the house look like she wants it so that she can walk in and relax instead of feeling like she has to clean. The difference in her response to me has been amazing. So, why didn't I just shut up and do that before? Good question.

--She wants to know that I think about her during the day. I used to say I did, but there was no real proof of that. Now, I try to find ways to let her know. Sometimes I show up at her work with lunch, sometimes it's just a text that says I'm thinking about her. Whatever. You'd be amazed at the power of the words, "I missed you today."

Basically, for Amy, every time I go the extra mile for her I am proving that I love her. Maybe your wife doesn't have those same needs, or maybe she wouldn't feel the same way about those things if you did them. Find out what her "extra mile" is and do whatever you can to fulfill it.

We saw 2 couples get engaged in front of the tree. They cried and everyone applauded- one guy raised his hands in victory when she said yes. It was pretty neat and I'm sure it's something they will never forget, but I couldn't help but wonder if they will make it to appreciate the benefits of a love that lasts.

Don't spend a second of time daydreaming of what it would be like to start over with someone else. YOU be someone else! Change how you relate to and treasure her and become what she has always wanted. You CAN do it, you just may not WANT to or see the NEED to.

Well, I dare you to do it for a month. You just may end up wondering what took you so long.

I didn't see this on the news...

2008-12-10T15:21:00.000-08:00

"Texan Michael E. Schwab said that the woman driving the sedan on U.S Route 281 near San Antonio "was not driving like a Christian" and that "God said ... she needed to be taken off the road,” according to the Bexar County Sheriff's Office.

So, Schwab, 52, of Blooming Grove, Texas, rear-ended the car with his pickup truck — at more than 100 mph, the San Antonio Express-News reports.

Both both drivers suffered only minor injuries in the Friday morning accident.

Though Schwab told deputies "God said she wasn't driving right" and "it was Jesus' will for him to punish the car,” he did not describe the other driver's alleged transgressions of the holy rules of the road. Deputies determined the unidentified 35-year-old woman “had done nothing wrong,” according to a news release.

Schwab was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and his bond was set at $50,000."

I love the comments on the Prop 8 post. Keep em coming and next week I will weigh in with my own thoughts (I know, you won't be able to sleep till then).

For now, here is one more thing, just for fun...

And did you see the preview for the next season of "Dancing With the Stars"?

Anybody still out there?

2008-12-03T11:10:00.000-08:00

I know I have been lax of late, but the blog has fallen onto the shoulder of my chaotic highway. I am going to try to post more again, mainly because I love the back and forth that goes on in the comments. We need to sharpen each other and be sharpened all the time. So with that, I post this gem of blasphemy. (It might take a minute to load):

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

Alright, let's hear your defense of christianity the way you would say it to your gay brother (if you had one, of course)...

I...Can't...Resist...Any...Longer.

2008-10-28T16:50:00.000-07:00

Okay - I have so far resisted talking about politics. I don't like bringing politics into the church. It's not like God is on the Republicans side - there are plenty of corrupt politicians on both sides of the aisle. Championing anyone from the pulpit seems beneath what the pulpit represents.

With that said, I can't help myself a week out from the election, to have some fun with some thoughts about it. So, I present to you....(the anticipation builds)....

"9 Reasons Why an Obama Presidency Might not be the End of the World"

1. It will force us to be less materialistic. Hey, if he taxes more of our income, there won’t be any money left over for those fancy toys that make us prideful (look what I’ve got!) and take time and money away from Kingdom issues! Thanks, Barry! Of course, it might also keep you from buying extras like, food, water, electricity and medicine – but let’s not be glass half-empty people, okay? Consider this verse:

For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.
(1 Timothy 6:10 NLT)

In other words, the love of, and the pursuit of money has been many people’s downfall. Let’s face it, many of us have never had to live at the level of “having nothing but the Lord” financially. We obsess over the next pay raise, the better paying job, paying this or that bill off to give ourselves more room in the budget, it really never ends. And it can seriously, sometimes fatally, affect your spiritual life.

What if all that was taken from you? Do you think you would be more devoted to Christ, or less? Would you have more or less stress? What would you do differently with your life? Would you spend more time with your family? Volunteer more? Enter the ministry? (shoot, if you aren’t going to have any money anyway – why not?)

2. We will be able to eliminate one more name off the list of guys who might be the Antichrist.

I have heard a lot of that rumbling lately, and I heard the same thing when Bill Clinton won the presidency. Sometimes we can’t put things to rest like that until we see the person in action. Turns out Bill just didn’t have any character.
The Bible doesn’t mention any countries that are involved in end times events that resemble America, so it’s doubtful that the Antichrist would come from here. Although, I think Barack is campaigning hard for the job.

3. We can finally drop the illusion that America is a Christian nation.

America may have been founded on Christian principles, but that does not make it a Christian nation. The very definition of democracy and freedom means we cannot declare ourselves to hold any religion above any other. Freedom of religion is great for people who want to be free to worship who they choose, but if I’m not mistaken in the Bible they call that idolatry. Can you imagine God saying in the O.T. that the Israelites could worship whichever god suited their fancy because he wanted them to be free? Ahh, no.

Sure, Christians have benefited from freedom of religion, but so have a bunch of false religions. Isn’t any country that allows the worship of false gods doomed to fail?

Barack Obama is not an exception to the American rule. He is exactly what America has become and what every democracy becomes if you give it enough time. One author said it this way:

“There is a moral law that teaches that if men and women are left to the consequences of their own freely chosen course of action, they will go from bad to worse-unless this tendency is reversed by divine grace.”

That has happened to every democracy that has ever existed and it is happening to us. I look around and I don’t see any reason why God would bless us, except maybe our support for Israel. The author goes on:

“So we read these words of doom, “God…gave them up,” “God gave them up,” God gave them over” (Romans 1:24,26,28 KJV)

There are a lot of things you can call America: Land of Opportunity, Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave, the Shining City on a hill – but, Christian isn’t one of them. We turned that corner a long time ago.

Okay, that was pretty heavy. On a lighter note…

4. With no money to go anywhere, demand for oil will stay low and so will the gas prices!

“Yeah, mom, I lost my job today because of cutbacks and high capital gains taxes on my employer-but, look how cheap gas is!”

5. It will force us to face our fears.

Many of us are scared of what an ultra liberal will do given the presidency and a democratic congress to go along with him. Hey, maybe having to face this will finally let Amy get over her fear of clowns, and Pastor Keith will get over his fear of short people!

6. It will bring the abortion debate back to the forefront where it belongs.

We haven’t had an eager proponent of abortion in the Whitehouse, probably ever. This will be the first time that the president will be making the case on why you shouldn’t restrict abortion in any case or even save babies who have survived abortion.

He will be signing into law and defending legislation that pushes things that a vast majority of Americans won’t support. In fact, he promised Planned Parenthood that it would be his first order of business. It will bring abortion back into the American conversation in a way that it hasn’t been for a long time.

It seems like America has resigned itself to the reality of abortion. Maybe this will make them take another look at it. I’d like to believe that anyway. Okay, everyone start singing…”When you wish upon a star,”…

7. He might overreach and America will swing back the other direction!

Presidents always seem to have this knack of thinking that, because they won, that gives them a blank check to do whatever they want. If he follows through with all he wants to do, the backlash could be huge which would send most Americans running the other direction.

8. It will guarantee that Alaska will be well run, at least for another 4 years!

And finally...

9. It will drive us to our knees, where we should have been all along.

“If there isn’t a revival in this country of some sort…we’re moving toward a state that would be very much like pagan Rome.” - Stephen F. Olford, Stephen Olford center for Biblical preaching.

The Israelites never seemed to get serious about revival until things got really bad for them. They prayed this during one of those times:

Oh, that You would burst from the heavens and come down! How the mountains would quake in Your presence! As fire causes wood to burn and water to boil, Your coming would make the nations tremble. Then Your enemies would learn the reason for Your fame! When You came down long ago, You did awesome deeds beyond our highest expectations. And oh, how the mountains quaked! For since the world began, no ear has heard, and no eye has seen a God like You, who works for those who wait for Him!
(Isaiah 64:1-4 NLT)

This is how God answered them:
The LORD says, "I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help. I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for Me. I said, 'Here I am, here I am!' to a nation that did not call on My name.
(Isaiah 65:1 NLT)

If this is what God is waiting for, let’s get on with the asking, the looking and the calling! If it takes a Barack Obama presidency to make us desperate for it, I say – Bring it on!

Before you start writing angry letters, understand that I don’t want it to happen. I don’t want him to win for all of the same reasons you don’t want him to. But, it may take that to get American Christians to respond.

Have we ever considered the notion that America doesn’t have to survive? (I know that’s heresy). Patriotism is great and all, but it isn't everything. If somewhere down the line, America bites the dust - Christianity will still thrive and grow, don't ya think? Maybe even stronger than it was because persecution will mature it so that it is not lacking anything (think James). I mean, if it makes you feel better, I don't think that's going to happen in the next 4 years, but if he gets a 2nd term, all bets are off. :)

What do you think?

A Reminder...

2008-10-23T11:48:00.000-07:00

I received a survey from an old student of mine from my first youth ministry asking me to answer some questions about how my ministry has changed over the years. I want to share with you some of what I wrote to him:

Question #2
What do you do more, less or differently.

I read the bible more and church growth books less. I pray more and plan less. It’s not to say that I don’t plan, or I am not interested at all in Church growth, but I have come to the realization that a lot of so called programs to grow your church are just good business principles brought into the church to get more people in the seats and grow the church without needing the Holy Spirit’s involvement.

We coax people into the church thinking that if they are there long enough they will change. In reality, they don’t really change, they just become more religious. They come to church and sing the songs and think they are spiritually ok.

I had to take a hard look at the fruit that was coming out of our church and I realized that a lot of what we were doing, we could do WITHOUT the Holy Spirit’s help. The fruit we were producing was not necessarily evident of God’s power in our midst, it was just the natural outcome after effective outreach and good leadership. But it lacked the kind of power that changes people forever. People were pretty much just better versions of themselves(sometimes not even that), instead of being a new creation.

If you have good programs and your service doesn’t put them to sleep, people will come. Numbers will go up and people will get excited (you hope) about the church. But does that mean God has transformed them? Not usually. Why is that? I believe it’s because it’s the result of our effort and not God’s power.

I said it this way in a recent sermon:

“I need to ask your forgiveness as your pastor. I have put methods and creativity before God. I have depended on my ability to say it right –
I will always be creative and I’ll do anything I can to reach some, but nobody is going to be reached by my or your creativity. God reaches people – and if he is not in it we’ve just created a bunch of false converts who worship themselves and are driven by their own needs and wants and not by what will give God the most glory.”

And then I quoted a sermon by another pastor:

“God removes his hand of blessing and power so we have to resort to all sorts of Madison avenue and Steven Spielberg type gimmicks and idolatries because God’s not doing anything so we have to manufacture something to make it look like something’s going on.”

That hit me right between the eyeballs. That’s exactly what my ministries did for years. I thought I was talented enough to pull it off myself. I would create some great event and then say a 30 second prayer beforehand asking God to bless my brilliance. I had success, but it seemed superficial and not in proportion to the work I was putting in.

I try really hard not to do that anymore. I, and the elders of our church, are meeting twice a month just to seek God. Not for direction – just for Him. Because we know if we have Him and His power displayed in our church, the direction will be apparent and the fruit will be obvious.

So I guess you can say I’ve had a sea change in ministry (that is the correct expression, isn’t it? ) I look at it a lot differently than I used to.

That's a good reminder to me as we head into Sunday. Let's pray that it won't be human ingenuity, but God's power that shows up.

We're Baaaacck!

2008-10-14T09:54:00.000-07:00

Hi all!

Sorry about no post last week, but that's just the kind of week that last week was. (How many times can you fit the word week in one sentence? I Win!)

I have something great for you today. As we are all trying to read the Bible for all it's worth, I think you will find this helpful. It is about the study of hermeneutics, which is how we interpret the Bible.

As I have been studying for the "Follow the Leader" series, it has become even more apparent to me how important this is. Because I didn't know the context of the passages and because I didn't know what it meant for them(the people he was speaking to)specifically - I wrongly interpreted the meaning of these texts for years.

It's amazing how knowing context and language peculiarities make difficult passages much more understandable, like the "clear eye" passage in Matthew 6.

Anyway, here is the article. This guy is good to read if you want to explore the rest of his blog as well. He teaches at Asbury Theological Seminary, which a lot of Wesleyans go to.

Have a great week! Don't forget to share your thoughts with the rest of us

For Your Friday

2008-10-03T11:42:00.001-07:00

Hope you had a fantastic week!

Another reason (as if you needed one) for not letting your kids watch MTV

2008-10-01T12:00:00.000-07:00

Apparantly there is a new show on MTV called Sex...with Mom and Dad, where parents have the sex talk with their kids in front of tv cameras. Here is the story.

And just when I thought the world couldn't get any dumber...

Stuff to Ponder

2008-09-30T07:25:00.000-07:00

Here is a quote from Wilbur Rees to make you think:

"I would like to buy $3 worth of God, please - not enough to
explode my soul or disturb my sleep, but just enough to equal a cup of
warm milk or a snooze in the sunshine. I don't want enough of him to make
me love a foreigner or pick beets with a migrant worker. I want ecstasy,
not transformation; I want the warmth of a womb, not a new birth. I want
a pound of the Eternal in a paper sack. I'd like to buy $3 worth of God,
please."

That is a lot different than these words by Charles Spurgeon:

"But I now do from my very soul call upon thy name. Trembling, yet believing, I cast myself wholly upon thee, O Lord. I trust the blood and righteousness of thy dear Son...Lord, save me tonight, for Jesus' sake."

Song of the Week

I remember listening to this song by Delirious after I visited Andrew in the hospital (the guy who overdosed). I was driving home and it hit me how beautiful that name would be to a man so close to death because of his own bad choices.

The whole night seemed to illustrate his situation: It was dark out and it was late so hardly anyone was out on the road. Kind of erie and very lonely. Similarly, he was facing the darkest time of his life, alone in that hospital bed to consider how he had gotten to that place, and what he would say to God if he didn't live through the night. And then the words of the song come through - "Jesus, how sweet the name - the name that saves!

I don't know if Andrew was saved or not. He prayed the prayer, but I haven't seen him since. It will be tragic if he rejects the lifeline that Jesus threw to him that night. I can't imagine being more receptive to God than when we are near death! God had his full attention that night.

Then again, Andrew is not that different from any of us, is he? None of us are that far from death. Knowing how sinful we are, how fragile our lives are, and how fragile the circumstances are in which we live our lives (like the economy!), how sweet that Name should be to us. It should make us tremble and yet leap for joy. Makes it kind of hard to imagine just wanting 3$ worth.

Quote of the Week

2008-09-24T08:48:00.000-07:00

I really have to start notating who says this stuff. I cut and pasted this without the author's name, but it's too good not to share:

It is, of course, a uniquely Christian emphasis that all blessings are in our Lord Jesus Christ. We are not interested in a teaching or theory or rule of life which may be very good in and of itself, and may even say a lot about God the Father. If it does not include Christ, and make him central, we are not interested; it is not Christianity (page 48).

You'll notice that I thought it was important to remember that it was on page 48. It also, in hindsight, might have been helpful to remember what book I was talking about. Anyway, just another good reminder that it is Christ and him crucified that has to be at the center of all of our thinking and teaching.

Since God in His wisdom saw to it that the world would never know Him through human wisdom, He has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it's all nonsense. But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God's weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.
(1 Corinthians 1:21-25 NLT)

If we take Christ and him crucified out of the center, we remove the power and the wisdom of God. It occurs to me that applies to even truth that is taught in church. Good biblical principles are great and helpful for our lives, but the real power of a Christian is in Christ crucified. Any teaching without that as the foundation will always lack the life changing power that we are seeking when we read God's Word.

And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.
(1 Corinthians 2:1-5 NASB)

Again, here, the preaching of Jesus crucified is connected to the power of God. In fact, Paul says that if that was all we ever heard, it would be enough! He backs that up in this passage:

As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world's interest in me has also died. It doesn't matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation. May God's peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God.
(Galatians 6:14-16 NLT)

It is the most important principle we will ever know as a Christian, and, if we want God's peace and mercy, our whole life should be built around it. And, as Bill Oreilly says - that's the memo.

I mean, what else could we tell this guy....

Maybe if He just thought about it for a minute...

Happy Freezing Tuesday!

2008-09-16T07:22:00.000-07:00

Good morning, everyone!

Let me just start by saying my office is colder than Sarah Palin's hometown of Wasilla, Alaska. If you need somewhere to hang raw meat, come on over.

I have a lot of studying to do for Sunday so I can't take a long time here, but I wanted to throw out a couple of thoughts.

One hit me as I was driving down Walnut Ave. last week. A reality dawned on me that I thought might be a broader spiritual principle that applies to others also.

The Count family budget is very, very tight right now. Tighter than it's been in a long time thanks to a couple things. 1. The Pool. (I know you feel reaaallly bad for me right now, don't you?) 2. Amy's change from a salary job, to 100% commission.

As I was driving down Walnut, I was lifting this up to God and praying for Him to supply our needs. Not overly stressed, just relying on Him to get us through - and then it hit me: I couldn't remember the last time I had done that. There hadn't been a need to pray for that because paying our bills hadn't been a problem.

That led me to ask myself a question - Was I really depending upon God when I had more than enough in the same way that I was depending upon Him now? Who was I really trusting in for my daily bread? Was it God or my salary?

In my life, I've found that when I have more than enough I become self-reliant and less God-reliant. The urgency of the need for God's provision isn't there. I hit cruise control and I enjoy the ride. On the other hand, need brings me to my knees and therefore, to God.

It's funny, isn't it, that we try to get to the point where we are comfortable financially and yet that very thing might create distance between us and Him. Is it any wonder that God has to yank everything out from under us from time to time so that we don't forget who we are to depend upon?

And, silly us, as soon as we are knocked down from the top of Sunshine Mountain, we're trying to figure out how to get back up there - even though we might never be as close to Jesus as we were at the bottom.

I consider myself a lot like the rich young ruler. Jesus told him what He should do: Sell everything he had and give it to the poor.* He gave him the opportunity to voluntarily lay it down. Unfortunately, the guy just couldn't do it.

Everyday, each one of us can look around and see ways that we could voluntarily lay it down for Jesus - but the pull of materialism and self-preservation is just too strong. We can't do it. And so God, in His mercy, takes it away from time to time so that we will remember to rely on Him (and probably a host of other reasons).

I have less money right now than I have had in a long time, but ironically, I am more aware of how blessed I am than I was before. Praise God for His superior ways and wisdom!

Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
(Philippians 4:11-13 NLT)

I don't think Paul is asking us to pat him on the back because he was able to be content when he had plenty. It's the fact that even when he had plenty, he knew it was a temporary thing. He knew he would face more times of need and perhaps that is what enabled him to be so spiritually minded and so close to Christ - he was never that far away from needing to totally rely on Jesus just to survive.

The blessing is needing Jesus and Him providing what we need. I wonder if we miss out on that blessing because we never really need anything.

Just a thought...

*incidentally, Jewish scholars don't believe that Jesus was saying that everyone should sell everything and give it to the poor, but he knew it was specifically what the rich young ruler needed to do because of his attachment to his money.

Song of the Week

Just to drive last Sunday's sermon home. I thought about using it in the service, but it seems like we are always short on time.
It's by one of the runner ups from American Idol, either last year, or the year before.
Some people think we could be twins.

A thought before bed

2008-09-10T21:39:00.000-07:00

Hey, I just happened to notice that our last post generated 16 comments. That's great! in fact, all of them have done pretty well, except the post on tithing, which had only four.

Interesting....ehh, I'm sure it's just a coincidence.

Maybe there is a solution. There is a lot of talk going on right now about change. Do you need change in your life? Maybe I can help...(be patient and let them load)

And one more:

Ok, no excuses now, right? With the correct change everyone will be tithing from now on. No need to thank me, it's just my job.

I deleted another post!

2008-09-10T11:16:00.000-07:00

Wonderful = The sunrise, a rainbow, Bluebonnets in the Spring.

Not wonderful = Getting halfway through a blog post and then deleting it by accident.

Sigh.

I'll try again later.

Good Morning!

2008-09-02T08:41:00.000-07:00

Helloooo out there!

Just in case someone is listening in from Christ for the Nations, it was great to see Carmen and Rebecca in service Sunday. They prayed with Amy and I up front and it was greatly appreciated. (or as Wesleyans say - a good time was had by all)

I wanted to give you an insight into what I'm reading right now. I've become a bit of a revival fanatic of late and I went to Amazon.com to see what I could find on the subject. The nice thing about Amazon is that you can buy used books so I took a chance on some three dollar titles to see if I could hit paydirt.

The first book is entitled, "The Ten Greatest Revivals Ever" by Elmer Towns and Douglas Porter. Elmer Towns is a familiar name to me, so I took a chance. The Jury's out so far on the book as a whole (and I always hated giving book reports as a kid anyway), but I took a quote away from the introduction:

"When most people pray for revival, they're probably asking for a wonderful experience at church next Sunday at 11:00 A.M. But revival is more than a Sunday morning experience. When you pray for revival, you're asking God for life-shaking experiences that will cost you plenty.

Revival is agonizing: It so terrorizes you over your sin that you repent deeply. Revival is consuming: It leaves no time for hobbies, for chores around the house, for work, for sleep. Revival wrecks your appointment calender, interrupts TV times, demands your full attention...and wears you out.

Usually when we pray for revival, we're thinking about the bad guys, and we're telling God to "sic 'em" Little do we realize that revival begins with us, the people of God."

That jives with everything I've been learning about true revival. And I'm convinced that it is what has to happen before God will do anything of real significance in our church.

I've been studying for the new sermon series based on the sermon on the mount. It is interesting that the very first thing out of Jesus' mouth is this:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
(Matthew 5:3 NASB)

The Greek word here for poor means to crouch like a cringing begger. One of the meanings for the word Spirit here means our mental disposition. So, if you put the two words together, the ones who inherit the kingdom of God will be those whose attitude or disposition is that of a cringing beggar. Not in a pathetic way, but in a "I'm terrorized over my sin" kind of way.

The next verse:

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
(Matthew 5:4 NASB)

The greek word for mourn means "wail". Also, the word for comforted means, not to soothe, but to "to call near", ie. to invite. So those who wail will be invited to come near to God. He pulls those people closer to Him.

Now, I've always attributed this verse to sadness. If you are going through difficulty, turn to God because he will comfort you. I think we all would say that principle is true, but I don't think it necessarily applies here.

I find it interesting that he doesn't say what the people are wailing about. Wailing is defined in the notes on the verse as "audible grief." These people are clearly struggling, in agony even. Why? There is no context given except the previous verse - Those who are already poor in spirit. Those who are already crouched low because of their recognition of their sin. They not only recognize it, they are despondent over it. How could I have done this to God?

I love the fact that, instead of condemnation, they receive comfort and are drawn near to God. God loves, even rewards, this posture from us! These are the people that will inherit His kingdom! The next verse implies that the humble (the actual word used is mild) will inherit the earth. These verses seem to tie in pretty well together, don't they?

Question: Are will willing to agonize and be terrorized if it means revival will come? I guess the question really is, how bad do we want it? I guess we'll see...

And this is totally off the subject, but wasn't that a killer song at the end of worship Sunday? Wow.

Anyway, have a great week and be sure to share your thoughts with the rest of us.

For What It's Worth...

2008-08-29T07:04:00.001-07:00

A couple of different people have sent me this article from Dutch Sheets in response to the revival in Lakeland, Fl.

I have to be honest, that most of the charismatic movement today makes me very nervous. (If you remember, Dutch Sheets is the guy in the "mess us up" video that we have talked about in earlier posts). Admittingly, I have never been a part of it and it is easy to dismiss things that you have never experienced. So, for that reason, I know that I have to be very careful not to judge something that I don't completely understand. My tendancy is going to be skepticism on this branch of Christianity, but then again I'm skeptical of most of modern Christianity anyway - so they shouldn't feel bad. :)

Additionally, I know that I am not the smartest guy in the room. I certainly can be wrong (I mean, hey, anything's possible) and I have to constantly remind myself that I am supposed to be quick to listen and slow to speak so that I don't embarrass myself or the name of Jesus.

Having said that, let me give a couple thoughts. Number one - I really liked what Dutch had to say. I thought his assessment of the charismatic church in general was very good. I appreciate his humble stance and his desire to remain in the center of God's truth. It's hard to disagree with someone who is accepting full responsibility for something. But let me do it anyway(Ha!)...

Overall, I appreciate the letter: content, tone, direction - everything. With one exception. He did not go near far enough. He said he didn't condemn the Lakeland meetings. It's great that he didn't endorse them (although later he says he endorsed some of it), that's going farther than most other Charismatic leaders would have done - but this meltdown didn't happen because mistakes were made by Todd Bentley or any of the people helping him. I believe it was the inevitable result of something that was never, even a little bit, of God in the first place.

Maybe I don't know enough about it to say that. I apologize if I am going too far - but everything I ever saw looked demonic in nature. The uncontrollable jerking and shaking, Emma the angel, the violent way He (supposedly) healed people, all the things that Pastor Sheets said made him "uneasy". He thinks God was still moving in spite of these things. It seems like a better explanation that fits the context of what was happening is these were counterfeit signs and wonders that the Bible says Satan can perform. (2 Thess. 2:9) What other conclusion can you come to when Todd Bentley is telling people to "believe in the angel (Emma)" if they want to be healed?

Anyway - that's my two cents.

On The Lighter Side

2008-08-26T09:52:00.000-07:00

Many of you have been asking how the pool is going so I thought I would give you the word from our man on the street (or pool). Hey, Owen, how is the progress coming?

It's also precious when the mom realizes what is happening. Sorry, this one is not for the queezy - I didn't know the camera was still on.

Now for the serious stuff...

2008-08-26T06:55:00.000-07:00

Welcome, all gluttons of punishment, to another episode of - "A Spiritual Kick in the Teeth!" (cue themesong) Today we are going to hit you where it hurts. I guess, because we are participating in this blog, we all fancy ourselves to be people that are truly seeking God and are attempting to line up our whole life (not just the convenient parts) under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. This will be a true test to see if that is really true, because nothing probably gauges it better than watching the direction your money goes. Let me take you back to the quote by David Wilkerson that I used on Sunday:

"We are not ready for the coming of Christ! Is this the Church triumphant? Covetous. divorcing, depressed, worldly-minded, grasping for materialism and success, competitive, lukewarm, adulterous, rich and increased with goods, unaware of spiritual blindness and poverty, pleasure-loving, recreation-minded, consumed with sports, politics, and power - is this the Church Jesus is coming for? Simply coping, filled with fear and anxiety, satisfied only to have good health and happiness?"

If your money could speak (and it does, more than you know)would it say that you are materialistic? Would it say that you are rich towards God or yourself? How much money do you spend on pleasure, recreation (schlitterbahn passes, anyone?) and sports in comparison with how much you give to God? If you had a tight month and you had to choose between eating out and going to the movies or tithing, which one would you choose?

When Amy and I were dating, I loved spending money on her. I couldn't make it fast enough. I would sit in my church office, thinking of creative things to do for her and where to take her and all that. I sacrificed things for myself just so I could see the look on her face when I did something for her. Noone had to tell me to do it, it was my pleasure. I was (and still am!) in love! So, then, why is it like pulling teeth to get Christians (who supposedly love God) to give? Why is it so easy to find an excuse why we "just can't give this month"?

As I continue to think about revival and what brings revival and what keeps it from coming, I can't help but talk about this subject. Because if there is one area that I consistently teach on several times a year, and yet it goes largely unheeded - it's giving. I don't think there is a more taught on, yet ignored, teaching of the Bible. Let me give you a couple things to read:

This is a great article on tithing by a man named Dennis Rupert. Read all of it!

This one is from Keith Drury, one of my college professors. This is not so much on tithing, but on the attitude of giving in general. I love stuff like this, because it isn't just teaching on the subject, but it gives me an example to follow of someone who is trying to do as much as they can to fight materialism in their own life and to give as much as they can to the Kingdom of God.

And while you are reading that,
listen to some music by the Newsboys.

Just a reminder that the mp3's I post on here are legal to download and copy for yourself. Or if you prefer the visual version...go here. Sorry, I couldn't embed the video because embedding was disabled by the person who posted it. It's definitely worth a watch, though.

Happy Reading! Let me know what you think.

This is what we are praying for!!

2008-08-19T13:35:00.000-07:00

I Hope You're Hungry

2008-08-18T23:43:00.000-07:00

I know I'm early, but you just have, have, have to read this article by Dave Wilkerson. Make sure you read and don't skim- it is awesome. It is exactly what we have been talking about.

A Christless Pentecost

We could take weeks disecting the whole thing. Tell me what you think

Song of the Week

Just a reminder of who He is!

Video of the Month!

2008-08-14T21:25:00.000-07:00

Okay, I have to be honest-this just makes me laugh.

Yes, I wasted 15 minutes of my life watching it too and, like you, I feel stupider having viewed it. That being said-I have some questions:

1. Am I the only one in the room that wonders how college age kids don't think this is absolutely retarded?

2. Do you get the feeling that most of those kids were "messed up" before they got to church? Maybe, like, in the parking lot with some rolling papers and munchies?

Anyway, I think this can be useful to us. Obviously, we can have a bunch of knee jerk reactions to it, but what is really wrong with it? If you had to explain it to someone, what would you say?

Take your best shot, but stay conversational - don't get preachy. ie: "This is what is wrong with the church today", etc. Really try to explain why we don't believe this is of God. Make sure you don't make fun of how anybody looked (ahem: worship leader), just stick to the facts. Okay? Alright, let's hear it...

It's Tuesday!

2008-08-12T09:43:00.000-07:00

Good morning, Everyone! Just want to give a shout out to our college peeps who may already be homesick and are looking to this blog to give them a touch of home. Be assured that you are missed, and that your parents are already redecorating your rooms to be used for something else.

Our post today is something for you (and the rest of us)to ponder as you encounter new people, challenges, and worldviews in school. I came across this great post on the web that I want to share with you:

In his book "The Normal Church Life," (An Exposition of the First Epistle of John), P.G. Mathew states, the book of First John deals with four main themes: (1) orthodox doctrine (2) practical personal holiness, (3) the Christian community life of love, and (4) the assurance of Salvation.

This epistle flies in the face of today's secular society because our secular culture hates uncompromising imperatives. Our society has an absolute commitment to moral and philosophical relativism. The surprising thing is that today's churches have become like-minded. Few churches preach orthodox doctrine; even fewer require practical holiness. We hear very little today of sin, repentance, holiness, judgment, or hell. The prevalent view is that mere mental assent to the facts of the gospel constitutes salvation, so that one can accept Jesus as Savior yet continue to live in sin and still expect to be saved! Any call to obedience is labeled as legalism. "Carnal Christianity" has become the norm.

John writes with authority and clarity: "This is love for God: to obey His commands" (1John 5:1, 3). Unlike the "carnal Christian," the one who is born of God will believe sound doctrine, will live to please God and the brethren, and, thus, will enjoy assurance of salvation.

To say you "know God" (1John 2:4), and have fellowship with Him (1 John 1:3), yet not obey Him or grow in holiness, is patent, self-refuting nonsense. If you do not walk in the light of Jesus, you are walking in darkness. If that be the case, you are not living according to the truth (1John 1:6), you are lost because only the truth can set you free (John 8:32), and you have no fellowship at all with God because "in Him is no darkness at all" (1John 1:5). If you claim otherwise, you are deceiving yourself (1John 1:8), and accusing God of being a liar (1John 1:10)... -- Toby Miller

I have no idea who Toby Miller is, but what he says is central to what I have been struggling with for some time. When I started this blog, it was for the purpose of connecting and spurring on those who are hungry and thirsty for deeper fellowship, understanding of the Scriptures, and more of God in general.

I am coming to realize, that is going to be a very small number of people. Most people who call themselves Christians could not pass the test of 1 John. We have sent some of our graduates to Christian colleges like OWU and CFNI (my apologies to any acronyms I have forgotten). My guess would be that 75% of students on those campuses that claim to be Christians, probably aren't.

The worry I have for myself, and for those who just went off to college, and anybody else who rubs shoulders with people who claim to know Christ, is that we will be sucked into the contemporary definition of Christianity that is full of carnality, self-righteousness, selfish ambition and hot air, instead of love for God and His commands, and love for people. Go ahead - read 1st John, and see if most Christians you know would pass the test. See if you pass the test!

We were recently looking for Sunday School teachers for the youth and for two of the kids classes. What do you think the bible's qualification of that leader should be?

Consider Acts chapter 6 when the qualification for SERVING FOOD was to be someone who was full of the Spirit and full of wisdom.

A couple other well known leadership passages are 1 Tim. 3:1-13 and Titus 1:5-9.

Compare those qualifications to our qualification list most of the time:

1. Breathing (this is important, but not required)

2. Willing (again, this is desired, but not necessarily required for leadership)

3. They must at least claim to be a Christian.

4. Not an axe murderer. (We are pretty insistent on this one)

5. Charismatic. (If they are good with people - hey, they must be leadership material!)

We've accepted our list because the need is great, and there is a shortage of qualified candidates, and the ones who are qualified are already doing too much. Thankfully, we scored great teachers and leaders in all three of our classes - but if they had not come forward, what would we have done? We would have been glad just to have someone "cover" the class. After all, we can't afford to be too picky, right?

The list of people who truly "hunger and thirst after righteousness" is scary small. I'm afraid that we have accepted a "norm" for Christianity that is the opposite of the real definition of Christian.

I've said all that to say this (which I hate when people say that, because if that's the case why didn't you skip all that and get to the this right away?). This is what is on my mind this week:

Uno. We can't compare ourselves to other people who claim to be christians to see how we are doing. The people we are comparing ourselves to may not be Christians. They may go to a Christian college, they may listen to Christian music and they may even be studying for the ministry - that doesn't mean they are saved. To look at others for approval instead of God's Word is to accept compromise as a way of life.

Dos. one of the reasons we are in this predicament is because we are basically ignorant of the Bible. We, who claim to be God's children and even ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ probably couldn't quote 10 verses of the Bible if our life depended on it(The 10 commandments and Jesus wept don't count). I used to be an Elvis fan (some would say freak). I could tell you all of his movies and when they were released and a multitude of other facts that noone in their right mind should care about. Some of you are that way about a favorite sports team or TV show. Can you name all 12 of Jesus' disciples? I rest my case.

Three. I wish I was more afraid of offending God than I was offending people. We have to start lifting up and holding each other to a higher standard. That's why I started this blog. So we could learn together, sharpen each other, and, if needed, correct each other (in private, of course).

Only a fool despises a parent's discipline; whoever learns from correction is wise.
(Proverbs 15:5 NLT)

Mockers hate to be corrected, so they stay away from the wise.
(Proverbs 15:12 NLT)

A wise person is hungry for knowledge, while the fool feeds on trash.
(Proverbs 15:14 NLT)

If these verses are true, why do avoid confrontation like the plague? Why are we terrified to confront someone because of the possible repercussions of suggesting to a brother or sister that what they are doing/thinking is wrong? Could it be because they(we) aren't hungry for knowledge, and they(we) despise discipline and they might avoid us so they don't have to answer for their actions? We know they aren't going to receive it well and so we keep our mouth shut. On either end, that's a sad state of affairs for the Church.

So, wherever God may lead you - don't be afraid to be set apart and shine for Him!

Well, that's all for today. I'll post a new song tomorrow (I know you are beside yourself with excitement)and I'll be looking for what you have to add to the discussion!

With Love!!

Phil

Here I Go Again...sort of.

2008-08-06T14:37:00.000-07:00

I am much less irritated now (at least no more than normal) so I am going to give posting another shot.

I'm not going to go back, though, and post what I originally wrote because I have been thinking a lot about what John Miller posted about Joshua from the comments yesterday (Here is the Link).

It's amazing to me how much Jesus is mirrored and foreshadowed in the Old Testament. We alluded to that on Sunday through 2 Timothy:

You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus.
(2 Timothy 3:15 NLT)

Even the O.T. gives us the wisdom we need to become saved because it really tells the story of Jesus, albeit not perfectly or completely.

I was studying the book of Joshua today for Sunday and I found even more through Rahab, when she let down the spies from her window. Take notice of the condition the spies gave her to spare her life when they came back to take the land:

Before they left, the men told her, "We will be bound by the oath we have taken only if you follow these instructions. When we come into the land, you must leave this scarlet rope hanging from the window through which you let us down. And all your family members—your father, mother, brothers, and all your relatives—must be here inside the house. If they go out into the street and are killed, it will not be our fault. But if anyone lays a hand on people inside this house, we will accept the responsibility for their death.
(Joshua 2:17-19 NLT)

Sounds an awful lot like the passover, doesn't it? But instead of blood it is a scarlet rope. She was to hang it from her window (instead of over the door) and when they saw it, her and anyone who was in the house where the scarlet rope hung would be saved. Then the spies hid in the mountains for,(is this significant?)3 days before they went to tell Joshua what had happened. Joshua waited for...anyone? Bueller?... 3 days before he told the Israelites to follow the ark of the covenant into the promised land. In Joshua chapter 1, Joshua had told them to get ready because in, hello, three days they would be leaving for the promised land.

The crossing of the Jordon on dry ground is still another illustration of salvation through Jesus. As the ark went forward across the Jordon,they were to follow it. The waters parted just like they did at the Red Sea, and when they came through the other side God would then defeat their enemies and lead them into their place of rest. It was an illustration of our passage from death to life when we follow Christ.

It really is quite amazing when you think about it. God was writing the story and illustrating it before anyone knew what the plot was. May His name be praised.

I posted a song of the week yesterday (in the lost post) but I've changed it after reading Joshua.

Song of the Week

Click Here! Or else!

This is Bebo Norman. You gotta love anyone with a name like Bebo. This song is going to make it into our worship sets before long. I like it alawt!

And then I came across this video of the song which is, frankly, a little creepy.

I am severly irritated

2008-08-05T13:24:00.000-07:00

I just wrote my whole blog and then clicked the wrong button and lost it all.

If you need me, I'll be in Owen's room jumping off the top bunk.

It is just way too depressing to start over again right after a tragedy of this magnitude,(I'm sure that there has been a case study done somewhere) so I will repost it later when I don't feel like pulling my hair out. Okay, maybe I should pick a different example that takes longer...

A Day late, Again!

2008-07-30T08:28:00.000-07:00

At least I'm not a dollar short! I was trapped at home again yesterday with our kids and Owen takes possession of my laptop once I walk in the door. All I could do was helplessly look on while he watched the same DVD about 40 times.

Anyhoo, today I want to go back to the comment section from last week. The scriptures that Pastor Keith posted are powerful (and I am going to add one verse for good measure):

The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don't participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don't let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.
(Romans 13:12-14 NLT)

First, I'm struck with how many times in scripture that the old us and the new us are compared to outfits that we can take on and off. This isnt the only passage that tells us to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ".

Have you ever found yourself to be picking up those old clothes again? I have. And it looks like I have much to say about what outfit I will put on.

Yes, I need the Holy Spirit to fill me and give me power to live, but at least part of it is my decision to take off the old clothes and put on some new ones. For sure, the first passage that Keith quoted from Galatians 5 shows that our choice without God's Spirit empowering us is going to cause us to lose that battle that is constantly going on with our flesh, but am I determined to cooperate with Him?

I particularly like Keith's closing thought - "don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires."

The Greek literally means to not give forethought, care or supply to fulfill a longing that is forbidden.

For me, this is powerful. I have talked about radically amputating things that would cause us to sin. I had to cut off all chances of access to pornography, because if i were to fall to any sin - it would be that one. That meant internet reporting software and filtering of not only the internet but the tv, too. We are careful what movies we go see or rent and it has become such a part of our routine that we don't even think about it any more. We just do it. And the result is that, not only am I protected, but my whole family is too.

But this scripture takes it a step further. It says don't even give forethought of how you would fulfill that longing. It means that as soon as I find myself even thinking about ways that I could work around the blocks that I have put in place to protect me, I am in trouble. The first round of defense is exactly what Keith said - in our heads.

I feel like I am somewhat of a broken record on these things. I keep talking about the same things. But christian leaders are way too passive about it. A combination of the church's inability to hold people in leadership to a higher standard and the ability of people to keep their sin private has led to people teaching others when they themselves have yet to take off their dirty clothes.

God forgive us for being so callous and dismissive of His commands. God help us to put on the shining armor of right living and right THINKING (because the battle for right living starts there).

What do you think?

Sobering Thoughts on a Dolly Morning

2008-07-23T07:07:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

As we prepare to get rained on for the next couple of days, let me rain on your parade a little bit with a meditation that has been kicking my rear end lately. Take a look at this partial list of the sins of the flesh listed in the book of Galatians:

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
(Galatians 5:19-21 NLT)

Okay, Okay, I know that you haven't dusted off your sorcerers hat in a long time, but, if you are like me, some of the other ones nailed you right between the eyes.

*Impure thoughts, anyone? That is still a battle I fight everyday.

*Hostility? Only towards people who drive slow...or fast, and have 25 items in the 20 or less lane at Walmart. Oh yeah, that's everyone in New Braunfels.

*Jealousy? I struggle with jealosy and envy with other ministries who seem to be succeeding more than I am.

*Outbursts of Anger? Hello, I have kids. And my fuse with Amy is way too short.

*Selfish Ambition? As much as I would love to think this isn't true of me...

*dissension, division? This was the problem for the church in Galatia. Every church struggles with it to a point.

Okay, now here is a list of the fruit of the Holy spirit that are suppossed to be evident in our lives:

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
(Galatians 5:22-23 NLT)

Alright. Now, with both lists in mind (and dont shoot me - I don't write the mail, I just deliver it), which list describes you more accurately?

Is that not a humbling revelation? For those of us who teach and lead it has even stronger implications:

Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly.
(James 3:1 NLT)

In the past, I would have said the solution was to "do better" and be more like the second list than the first. But I am realizing that the second list is only reachable through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit in my life. Where is it? Why don't I experience it more fully? Why don't you?

What do you think?

Song of the Week

From the Lead Singer of Mercy Me

Aparrently he has two hymn solo projects out. I love the treatment on this song, so I may pick up the others, too.

Late Post!

2008-07-22T15:34:00.001-07:00

Sorry, I haven't had time to post the usual Tuesday stuff today. And since I am off to a board meeting, it's not going to happen today...

But one thing that you can do is post an encouraging comment to Kathryn and Tina on our Peru mission trip. I am sure they are discouraged because Gina got denied entry into Peru because of some brewhaha between Peru and Panama. The Peruvians don't know what they are missng! So,Gina needs our encouragement, too. You can get all the details and post a comment here:

www.districtmissions.org

See you tomorrow

One for the family in Michigan

2008-07-15T15:55:00.000-07:00

Sydney was baptized on Sunday and I just happen to have the video. This is so her Grandparents can see her, so indulge me on this one...

Another Tuesday!

2008-07-15T09:15:00.000-07:00

Wow, the weeks are going by fast! Our passage study today is James 4:7-10:

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
(James 4:7-10 NIV)

That is the version that I have always known, but the NLT is good too:

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy.
(James 4:7-9 NLT)

This goes along with what the sermon was about on Sunday. So many Christian's loyalty is divided between Christ and the world. So many Christian LEADERS are this way as well. If you want a list of them, look in the mirror. This passage tells us what to do if that has happened to us. Also look up James 1:5-8 (yes, you will have to open your bible)because it directly applies to this and it tells us the result of having divided loyalty.

Remember, the purpose of this is to help us become better disciples of Jesus - not just to give our opinion. So, let's respond from the viewpoint of how it affects us, not how we would preach it to others. I think that will be more helpful.

Song of the Week

To help us focus on the most important things, instead of just good things. As a tip, if you let it play after the song is done, you can hear the previous songs of the week, too (there are a whopping 3 so far). Btw - these are all legal to download too.

An Oldie but a Goodie

That's all for now,

Phil

Watch This Without Crying and I'll Give You a Dollar!

2008-07-10T07:49:00.000-07:00

minus the $.99 handling fee

Happy Tuesday!

2008-07-08T07:34:00.001-07:00

Thanks, Charles and John for participating in last weeks bible passage study. Let's spread the word and get more people involved! Any of you who just stumbled on to this page, feel free to join in. Pretty soon we will all be on a first name basis.

Many people are surprised to find out that Dayspring belongs to a denomination. The Wesleyan church just revised their membership requirements and some of us at church have been discussing it. Today's post will be on that line - on the subject of being set apart. Where do you draw the line between holiness and legalism?

I want you to read this post I found by a Free Methodist pastor (very close to Wesleyan theology and practice). He gives some excellent insight. Tell me what you think...

Open Arms and Cross Bearing

Also, if you are new to the blog, please join in on last Tuesday's conversation. I would provide a link, but why do that when you can just scroll down a couple inches?

Other Worthy Blogs

2008-07-02T07:04:00.000-07:00

There are a couple of blogs that I am sure you are going to want to visit as a favor to your LOVING PASTOR! If you could visit and leave a comment for them, they would think they had just won the Lotto:

Sydney Count's Blog

Bailey Count's Blog

I know that my readership is in the tens, so I would hate to hoard all of those for myself. Thanks for indulging me and my kids need to be noticed.

Great Song of the Week

This has been out for a while but I just heard it for the first time a couple of weeks ago. It made me wish for the day that I will see God face to face.

Glory by Selah

Again, you'll have to download the clip because I am far too cheap to upgrade my account so that you can save 3 minutes and just play it on a web player. Enough with the instant gratification!!

Edit: Scratch that. Instant gratification is back! The player is working now.

It's Tuesday!

2008-07-01T07:56:00.000-07:00

Good morning peeps! (What does that mean anyway?)

It's Bible study time!! Every Tuesday morning I am going to post a passage and, through the comments, we will apply it together. This is just another way for us to push one another on to greater levels of obedience and service to Jesus.

Our very first passage is one that the Gs (General Superintendent) of the Wesleyan Church used in the ordination service at District Conference. It has stuck with me ever since He shared it. I am going to post just a couple verses but i recommend that you read not only the whole chapter, but the previous chapter as well to be able to pull as much meaning out as possible. Here are a couple of good resources for getting as much out of it as possible:

Inductive Bible Study Cheat Sheet

Same idea, different ministry site

There is plenty there to keep you busy for a long time. Too often we glaze over a passage and take the most obvious application (or the one we've always heard) and move on. So, let's take a week and let one passage really sink in, and see what we get from it. ok, here is the passage:

So Elijah went and found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing a field. There were twelve teams of oxen in the field, and Elisha was plowing with the twelfth team. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak across his shoulders and then walked away. Elisha left the oxen standing there, ran after Elijah, and said to him, "First let me go and kiss my father and mother good-bye, and then I will go with you!" Elijah replied, "Go on back, but think about what I have done to you." So Elisha returned to his oxen and slaughtered them. He used the wood from the plow to build a fire to roast their flesh. He passed around the meat to the townspeople, and they all ate. Then he went with Elijah as his assistant.
(1Ki 19:19-21 NLT)

Ok, I'm anxious to hear your comments and applications - I better not hear crickets! I will add my thoughts on Friday.

Great Video

2008-06-27T15:24:00.001-07:00

Starts slow but great at the end. A great reminder. Did I mention it's great?

Picture of the Week

2008-06-26T20:36:00.000-07:00

Wow.

Great Stuff

2008-06-25T09:09:00.000-07:00

One of the challenges I face is to clearly and succinctly explain what someone must do to be saved. It sounds like it should be easy - especially for a pastor! But, haven't you ever started to explain it to someone and realized it was taking far too many words and far too long to explain?
I came across this explanation from J.I. Packer who is a contemporary theologion:

To the question: what must I do to be saved? the old gospel replies: believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. To the further question: what does it mean to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ? its reply is: it means knowing oneself to be a sinner, and Christ to have died for sinners; abandoning all self-righteousness and self-confidence, and casting oneself wholly upon Him for pardon and peace; and exchanging one's natural enmity and rebellion against God for a spirit of grateful submission to the will of Christ through the renewing of one's heart by the Holy Ghost.

And to the further question still: how am I to go about believing on Christ and repenting, if I have no natural ability to do these things? it answers: look to Christ, speak to Christ, cry to Christ, just as you are; confess your sin, your impenitence, your unbelief, and cast yourself on His mercy; ask Him to give you a new heart, working in you true repentance and firm faith; ask Him to take away your evil heart of unbelief and to write His law within you, that you may never henceforth stray from Him. Turn to Him and trust Him as best you can, and pray for grace to turn and trust more thoroughly; use the means of grace expectantly, looking to Christ to draw near to you as you seek to draw near to Him; watch pray read and hear God's Word, worship and commune with God's people, and so continue till you know in yourself beyond doubt that you are indeed a changed being, a penitent believer, and the new heart which you desired has been put within you ("Introductory Essay to John Owen's The Death of Death in the Death of Christ," p. 21).

Let Charles Spurgeon lead you in prayer:
Join with me in prayer at this moment, I entreat you. Join with me while I put words into your mouths, and speak them on your behalf— "Lord, I am guilty, I deserve thy wrath. Lord, I cannot save myself. Lord, I would have a new heart and a right spirit, but what can I do? Lord, I can do nothing, come and work in me to will and to do thy good pleasure.
Thou alone hast power, I know, To save a wretch like me; To whom, or whither should I go If I should run from thee?
But I now do from my very soul call upon thy name. Trembling, yet believing, I cast myself wholly upon thee, O Lord. I trust the blood and righteousness of thy dear Son...Lord, save me tonight, for Jesus' sake." (From Iain Murray, The Forgotten Spurgeon [Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 1973], pp. 101f.)

Great Song of the Week

Michael English has a new cd out. I have only heard one song, but it's great. He still has the pipes, too. http://www.box.net/shared/uy8386dog4

you'll have to download the clip to listen - the player isn't working. I will fix that when I get a brain. If anybody knows how to embed this, I would welcome the tutelage. I said tutelage!

Great Website of the Week

http://dayspringpastor.blogspot.com/

Duh!

Look, I'm a Baby Blogger!

2008-06-24T13:30:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the official blog of the pastor of Dayspring Christian Fellowship. I say official because obviously there are many unofficial Phil sites out there that hang on to my every word and like to pretend they know me. There are so many that google has refused to list any of them because it bogs down their servers! Go ahead, just google me and you will see - there is nothing out there!! Just another testament to how powerful my influence in the blogosphere is.

Ok, so I may be slightly full of it. Actually, I am just a guy that hopes to encourage and be encouraged by people in my own church and maybe a few others. My goal is for us to spur one another on to greater levels of holiness and discipleship for Jesus' sake.

So I will post things that I am reading and learning and I hope that you will do the same (and by you, I mean the 2 or 3 people that will ever stumble on to this blog).

I will post my first thought later tonight (and by tonight, I mean 6 months ago for you reading this). Right now I have to leave the office and clean up the mess that my autistic son made while I was gone with the kitchen sprayer. Actually, I wasn't gone with the sprayer, but...well, you know what I am trying to say.
Be Blessed,

Phil