Be Ye NARROW Minded

I once heard a prominant, internationally known evangelist, in a TV interview state that he believed fewer than 10% of church members are truely saved.

His name will not be mentioned here, because he is a very credible person in many areas of theology, and that credibility might be compromised in your mind, especially if you think he is wrong.

I do.

But I think he is close.

Not that it matters what I think.

He is somebody and I am nobody.

Now before you go all defensive on me, consider this: I have some 50 or so readers who have read my blog one or more times.

But there are billions of people in the world, and 50 is a very small percentage.

That make you very special. You are reading my blog.

(If you are NOT reading my blog, this probably means nothing to you.)

The Word of God says:

Mt 7:13 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.

Mt 7:14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Lu 13:24 "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able..."

As a young person, when I heard sermons on this passage, I always thought of it as somehow connected to "walking the narrow street," that is, doing few things wrong, and doing works good enough to merit the favor of God.

In the context of the whole Bible, however, that cannot be correct.

The Word of God teaches that EVERY major character in its pages had a sin flaw.

David was deceitful, lustful, and a virtual murderer (and he didn't even have a computer). Yet God called him a man after His own heart.

Samson was a liar, was lustful, and was disobedient, yet God used his act to bring down the house.

Father Abraham tried to circumvent God's plan and later became a drunkard. Yet God proclaimed his faith to to be the reason he was given mention in the "Hall of Faith" in Hebrews.

These men (and, yes, there were women, too) are illustrations of the doctrine we call the total depravity of man.

Isa 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Mankind is so steeped in the sin nature that it is absolutely impossible to do anything that is suffeciently pleasing to God to make Him change His mind about us. He cannot look upon sin, so how could He possibly see us in a positive light?

Answer: He can't.

Unless.

Unless He, himself, provided the solution to our sin.

Which He did, of course, in Christ.

In order for God to look upon any of us with favor, He must look at us through Christ.

For Him to look at us through Christ, Christ must be in us.

That means we must turn to Him, trusting in the finshed work, and only in the finished work, of Christ at the cross.

Not very many people do that.

Most people who call themselves Christian either believe they must establish certian behavior patterns that please God along with their acceptance of Christ, or that they just aren't so bad that God would hold anything against them.

Many who think they are saved, are really just religious. Religious people were the only ones Jesus castigated.

Jesus told them they would never see the Kingdom of God.

Don't be a religious person.

Some people think they are Christian because they are not Jewish, Islamic, Bhuddist, atheist or something else, therefore they must be Christian, 'cause it's the only thing left.

Many "Christians" only want what "god" can do for them: cure my disease; calm my nerves; change my boss; don't let it rain on my outside wedding; turn the light green at the next intersection so I won't be late for work again and lose my job. They are totally self-centered and selfish. God is their "magic genie of the lamp."

Part of the reason for all of this is that we have made salvation to easy.

(Truth be known, we don't get to make salvation, period. God does.)

But it is not easy. Blood must be shed.

There is absolutely nothing, I mean NOTHING we can do to affect our own salvation. God does it all, or He does not do it at all.

(Is that Calvinistic? I did not get the idea from Calvin, I got it from the Bible, apart from Calvin, not of reading, lest I should boast.)

At the same time, there is something I must do to be saved.

Contradiction! Paradox! Inconsistancy!

Nonsense. If you think that, you are incapable of rational thought. (Sorry. That was a little direct...but true. Therefore I take back my appology.)

If someone offers me a gift and I turn it down, have I received the gift? No.

I have to accept the gift or it is not mine.

To be saved, I must totally and completely (that's both redundant and repetitive), receive the gift of eternal life offered through Christ in an act of committment to Him by the prodding, leading and power of The Holy Spirit.

Anything else does not result in salvation.

If The Holy Spirit does not do the prodding and leading, and if His power does not manifest itself in me at the time of my response to the gospel message, I have simply enjoyed an emotional high based on some etherial reaction to some auditory or other outside experience.

Emotions are fickle and rise and fall.

The Holy Spirit of God is the Third Person of the Trinity, and is not subject to rising and falling, nor is He subject to the whim of my present mood.

He is constant. He is ever-filling.

When I am saved, I get all of Him I am ever going to get, because He is God, and with God it is all or nothing.

All or nothing...that's the key.

To receive the gift, I must give myself to God, through Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, in total, irrevocable committment to Him.

That's not easy. I said it wouldn't be. God said it wouldn't be.

That's why He said, "...narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. "

The "...few who find it" part is why we have arguments in church over hymnal colors, pews or chairs, baptistry murals, whether to allow the sale of product when guest singers, preachers or missionaries come and I don't know what all.

Don't be among the many on the wide path. Get on the narrow path.

Receive God's gift of salvation today.

That is the narrow path.

Best way I know to start the New Year.

R U THIRSTY?

What would you do if you came up beside this?

Looking for Sagacity

My mother used to say, "Joe Scoggins! If you were half as smart as you are smarty, you'd do alright."

Come to think of it, she still says that.

Alas, I have come to the end of my wisdom.

There is a situation in our church with which I do not know how to deal and I seek your insights.

A couple in our church got this idea that we need a picture on the back wall of our baptistry. Not just a painting, but a real artist's mural of the Jordan flowing right into the water and palm trees and landscape and I don't know what all.

They wanted to pay to have an artist come up with a plan and do the work.

Then they went out of town.

While they were gone, the Church Council recommended to the church and the church subsequently approved the project, which was to be turned over to them upon their return.

One Sunday we entered the worship center to see a very ordinary blob of trees and what could have been either a path or a stream and some amaturishly rendered rocks and such.

It seems that one of the deacons knew a friend who liked to paint and could do the job for a lot less than the couple had suggested (remember...they were going to pay for it) and since the church had "approved," went ahead and had it done.

We were all surprised.

Not the least surprised were the couple when they returned from their trip.

They were so surprised that they decided to go to church somewhere else.

Drawing upon all of your collective theologies and psychology, being led by the Holy Spirit, tell my pastor and I what we should do.

The Basics of Christian Living - Lesson 3

This begins lesson three of the "New Members" class that I teach in our church. It is not meant to be a theological course. Rather it is an introduction to some of the basic issues facing a new Christian, one who has not been a member of a church before, or one from our church who wants to know what being a Southern Baptist is all about.

HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE

This could be a quick lesson, because I could say, "Graduate from a Bible College and then go to seminary for a doctorate in Biblical studies."

That would work, but would take time and money.

Most church members just aren't going to do that. The next best thing is to take my course.

What this is, is an overview of study methods along with a modicum of helpful information.

Here is what we will cover in VERY simple terms

1. What is the Bible?
2. Translations
3. Daily bible Readings
4. How much do I need to know?
5. When will I become an expert?
6. What are the key passages?
7. How can I interpret the bible correctly?

1. What is the Bible?

The bible is God's revelation of His love for His creation and His plan for its redemption.

It is called "The Word of God."

The "Word" is both His nature and His promise (as in: I give you my word).

Everything you need to know about God is found in the Word of God. Nothing you need to know about God is NOT found in the Word of God. Anything you THINK you know about God that is not in the Word of God, you just made up.

2. Translations

The Bible was not written in English. The King James (contrary to what you might have been taught) is not the translation that Jesus used.

The Old Testament Bible was written in Hebrew. The New Testament was basically written in Greek.

In order for us to read the Bible (unless, unlike me, you speak Hebrew or Greek), it must be translated into the English language. If you were French, you would read a Bible translated into French (from the Hebrew and Greek texts, not from the King James).

Translating is a tricky business. Idioms (Idia?), triteisms, dialects and regional meanings must be transformed into a form we can understand.

"Why not just translate it word-for word?" I hear you asking.

Can't do that.

Here is what I Corinthians 13 1-3 (from the LOVE chapter) would look like translated word for word:

1. "If in the tongues of men I speak and of angels, but love I have not, I have become brass sounding or cymbal a tinkling. 2. And if I have prophecy and know the mysteries all and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as mountains to remove, love but I have not, nothing I am. 3. And if I dole out all the goods of me, and if I deliver the body of me in order that I shall be burned, love but I have not, nothing I am profited."

Very Yodaesque.

And so, we translate to fit our language and culture.

For instance, let's translate the words, "My watch is running." into French. We could use the formal: "Ma montre fonctionne." (My watch is functioning), or the vernacular: "Ma montre elle marche," (My watch she walks).

In France things don't run, they walk. Unless you're in Paris, nothing moves faster than a walk in France.

With regard to the Bible, we need a translation that conveys the meaning closest to the meaning of the writer (God).

For some really GOOD discussions of translations and word meanings, may I recommend Better Bibles Blog .

(For the record, every scripture I have ever memorized I memorized in the King James. I do not use that one for general Bible study and/or reading.)

3. Daily Bible Reading

The short of it is: DO IT.

If the Bible is the Word of God (and it is), it is worthy of our daily reading. Whether at a specific time (the best method) or at the most convenient time (dangerous), READ.

Read it ALL (not at once, but over time).

Whether you use a one year plan (challenging) or a five year plan (more reasonable...if you stick with it), GET IT DONE.

The most common way God speaks to us is through His Word. If we do not read it, we cannot hear Him speak.

4. How much do I need to Know?

Answer: As much as God allows you to understand at any given time for your own life.

Don't worry about those passages you don't understand. Read them and keep on going. God will give you their meaning when you are ready. Be more concerned about obeying the parts you DO understand.

5. When will I become an expert.

NEVER. Watch out for people who tell you they are experts on God's Word...they'll lie to you about other things, too.

6. What are the Key Passages?
7. How can I interpret the bible correctly?

The answer is the same for both questions.

In an algebraic equation, if you put the correct integers in the place of the unknowns the formula will work. If you put the wrong values in, no matter how hard you try, the formula will not work.

In God's Word, if you use the right key, the whole thing comes together. If you use the wrong key, none of it will ever properly come together.

The key is John 3:16.

If you spread a liberal dose of John 3:16 over whatever part of God's Word you are reading, you will get the meaning right.

If you do not, you will most exceedingly likely get it wrong.

Remember, it's about His plan for our redemption, from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22. His plan for our redemption is Jesus' death, burrial and resurrection to pay our sin debt.

There are many truths in the Bible, but only one Truth.

There are many stories in the Bible, but only one Story (HIStory)

From "In the beginning God..." to the last "Amen," the Bible is about, and only about, Jesus.

If you miss that, it does not matter what else you get.

If you get that, you've gotten it all.

Get it?

OK...HERE WE GO

With all the sadness and trauma going on in the world at the moment, it is worth reflecting on the death of a very important person which almost went unnoticed last week.

Larry La Prise, the man who wrote "The Hokey Pokey", died peacefully at age 93.

The most traumatic part for his family was getting him into the coffin. ... ... .. . .. . They put his left leg in... And then the trouble started.

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS

A BLESSED CHRIST-FILLED CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!

By Any Other Name

When I was growing up (some say I never have), the main thing "conservative Baptist" preachers preached against was divorce.

Divorce was the universe's worse sin.

Divorced people were spirited away from the mainstream of the church.

There were no "Singles Again" ministries.

The only thing that rivaled divorce in the hirarchy of sin was "unplanned" pregnancy.

Today, by contrast, I hear preaching about divorce, but it no longer holds the lofty position in the world of sin that it once did.

Correct me if I am wrong (I don't really mean that, by the way, 'cause I'm not wrong), but I think homosexuality and abortion have overcome divorce as the most exalted sins.

I don't hear too much about lying, very little about coveting, only a smattering about swearing, almost nothing about failing to honor mother and father.

When is the last time you heard preaching about putting God first in every aspect of your life? Have you heard much about graven images? What about resting? Have you been preached to about that?

Keep your ears open and see whether or not you are admonished not to murder people. Maybe this one seems too obvious.

Jesus had some thoughts about it though. He thought just thinking about it was about as bad as doing it.

The thing is, we tend to have a "sin of the decade." Something that is in vogue for the times.

One preacher preaches about this particular sin and others hear it and want to jump on the band wagon.

The Bible teaches that sin is sin. (Want chapter and verse? OK: Genesis 1:1 - Revelation 22:21)

Yeah, yeah. I know. Some sins are against the body. Some sins are listed first in lists.

But the wages of sin is death.

That's because, according to the Sermon on the Mount, the very thought of sin is enough to qualify as sin.

Sin is any thought, word or deed that is not in the very center of God's will.

One who insists on justifying homosexuality is no more or less lost than one who insists on justifying the stealing of a paper clip or driving over the speed limit (gotcha on that one, didn't I?).

The only solution for any of these or any other sin(s) is repentance and turning to Christ, trusting in His finished work at the cross of calvary and in His resurrection for eternal justification.

Do we really trust Him for paying our sin debt? Or do we just say that we trust Him?

Trust me...you should trust Him.

Tempus Fugets

In January, I will be ## years old.

I cannot believe how time has flown.

Time is wierd.

When one is young, time is forever. It is actually boring. The only time time moves fast is when you are doing something you don't want to stop doing.

Later, time starts evening out. The things you want to do still move through time quickly, but the things you don't want to do seem to as well.

After a certain age, which is heretofore un-defined, all time seems to zip by like a fly discovered open in public.

See, for me, it simply cannot be time for either Christmas or the new year.

There hasn't been enough time.

I cannot yet write 2005 on my checks.

What a blessing it will be when I enter into eternity, where time will be no more.

Not to be bound by time. What a concept!

In fact, I cannot conceptualize it.

I will be able to tie my shoes without worrying that there isn't time to get the job done because I'm late for work.

Only I won't have any shoe laces to tie (will I?). Where is that in the Bible?

God has never been, is not now and never will be bound by time (except maybe the "time" Jesus walked the earth physically).

Maybe "In the beginning...." does not refer to a beginning of things, but the beginning of time as we know it.

Makes sense to me.

Which may or may not be a confirmation of the idea.

(## = 64)

From the Drive-by Christmas Pageant

Three years ago I introduced the idea of a drive-by Christmas diurama to our church.

They accepted the challenge and this year put on their third annual Drive-By Christmas Pageant.

There is a road that passes right by our church grounds. We set up seven scenes on the property so that people could drive by and view the scenes of Christmas.

Here are the results (click on each picture to see it enlarged):

Isaiah's prophecy of the coming Messiah.



Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem.



To be taxed because they were of the house and lineage of David.



There was no room for them in the inn.



Jesus was born in a manger.



He was born to die for our sins.



He rose triumphantly over the tomb.



His salvation is available to anyone.

Drive On By

Tonight begins three nights of our Drive By Christmas Pageant.

We have seven scenes set up on the side of the road beside our worship center.

The scenes are manned by live people and animals.

The first scene is Isaiah, prophesying the coming of Messiah.

The second is Mary and Joseph on their way to Bethlehem. There is a donkey in this scene, whether or not she was really riding one.

In the third scene, we see the tax collector's office with the tax collector collecting taxes (what else?) from Mary and Joseph.

Next comes the inn with a large NO VACANCY sign on it and the innkeeper turning Mary and Joseph away.

After that, the traditional manger scene with Mary, Joseph, the Baby Jesus and assorted wise men, shepherds, sheep, goats, and (new this year) chickens.

Oh, yes, and an angel.

Then a cross. With Jesus on it.

A cross? At Christmas?

Yep.

He was born to die for our sins. Otherwise, He need not have come.

And fianlly, the empty tomb.

There will be Roman soldiers, some on horseback, some "guarding" the tomb.

We'll have a few merchants "selling" (rubber) chickens to the drivers by and a myriad of other people in various crowds.

Each scene has its own audio broadcast to the passing cars. Max McClean reads Isaiah, Christmas carols accompany Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, other manger songs play at the manger and the last scene has the Hallelujah Chorus!

At the end there is a place to turn in and have some refreshments and an evangelism booth for any who might want to learn more about Jesus.

I'll post some pictures.

Pray that all will go well for us.

Wolf Hygene

"Can you get that piece of bone on my left tonsil?"

Internet Radio

Many of you know that I work at a Christian radio station, kingdom dot fm. That is where we can be heard online.

We are a "middle of the road insporational praise and worship" station.

If you like a more Lite Adult Contemporary or Adult Contemporary sound, I have a GREAT place for you to listen online iff (if and only if) you have high speed Internet.

Check it out at http://www.capechristian.com/ and follow the links to listen to the station.

This is one of the most beautifully assembled stations I have ever heard in terms of smoothness and content.

The exciting part is, ANY CHURCH can have a 24 hour per day station of its very own, custom made to reflect your church and your tastes, whether A/C, Southern Gospel, Traditional, Youth, Christian Hit or whatever.

In addition you can air your sermons, your announcements, your points of interest your activities, all as smoothly produced as the one listed above. And at a price that is unbelievably low.

You audience is potentially 6,500,000,000 people! (Well, at least as many as have computers with high speed Internet.)

Talk about outreach! Talk about missions! Talk about The Great Commission!

I'm not a salesman. I just think this is a spectacular concept and the very wave of the future!

If you are interested, contact info@onlineradio.com.

But whether your church is interested or not, give it a listen...you'll be impressed.

The sound is digital, full range, stereo, high band-width, rich quality and very well produced by one of the world's finest producers.

God bless!

Holy Hostility

I heard a story about a man and his wife who, because of her diligence in healthy living (exercise, high-fiber diet, etc.), lived a long, long life.

As life would have it, they died on the same night and went to Heaven, where they met St. Peter at the gate.

He showed them the gorgious mansion that would be theirs for eternity. "How much will this cost me?" asked the man.

"This is heaven," answered St. Peter. "There is no charge."

Then he showed them the great golf course that they could use all day every day and never wait for a foursome to finish ahead of them.

"How much is the green fee?"

St. Peter said, "This is heaven. No charge."

He took them to the buffet. There they saw ever imaginable culinary treat, lobster thermadore, filet mignon and more than could be described.

"How much?"

"This is Heaven...no charge.

"Wait!" cried the man. "Where are the high-fiber foods? Where is the wheat germ? Where is the low-fat stuff?"

"This is Heaven, no need for that. You'll live here forever, no matter what."

At this the man got very angry and red in the face. He jumped up and down on his hat in an obvious rage.

"What's wrong?" asked his perplexed wife.

"What's wrong? I'll tell you what's wrong. If it hadn't been for your stupid health nuttiness, I could have been here ten years ago."

Yeah, for you purists, I know it's theologically off-base, but it was fun.

Maybe our perceptions of Heaven are somewhat skewed by our experience on this earth.

Selah.

SUNDAY PRAISE

Hevenly Father, in this most beautiful season, lead us to Bethlehem.

Lead us to the Christ child.

Lead us to the one born to die for our sins.

Lead us to the one who would rise triumphantly over the grave.

Lead us to the one who would give us our salvation.

Lead us faithfully, joyfully, triumphantly.

Lead us singing and praising the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

O Come, All Ye Faithful
Adeste Fideles

O come, all ye faithful, Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him, Born the King of Angels!
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.

Sing choirs of angels, sing in exultaiton;
O sing, all ye heavenly hosts of heav'n above.
Glory to God - Glory in the highest!
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning;
Jesus, to Thee be the glory giv'n;
Word of the Father, Now in the flesh appearing,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.

Go Jeff!

One of my favorite blogs is "Think Sink ."

You are all good, but in terms of originality and variety, this one is really good!

Jeff is in the running for best blog.

Go over and vote for him.

The voting site is: http://weblogawards.org/2005/12/best_of_the_top_5011000_blogs.php

His site is at http://thinksink.blogspot.com/

Click on the link to the voting page.

You may vote once daily.

Let's take him over the top!!!

Huh 2?

While walking through a cemetary the other day, looking for flowers to give to my wife, I came across this creature. I'm not sure what it is, but if you ever encounter it, give it all the room it wants.



OK. So I made the part about looking for flowers up. I'd still stay away from this guy if I were you.

The Legalist

I was watching the tube (mine still has one). A news reporteress was refering to the results of a local trial. "He was found innocent on all counts," she reported.

NO HE WAS NOT!!

Not one person in this country who has EVER stood trial had EVER been found innocent of any crime whatsoever...EVER!

He/she could only be found guilty or not-guilty.

One is PRESUMED innocent until proven guilty...and that only in a court of law.

You see, it has nothing to do with whether or not the accused actually did the crime.

Someone can commit a crime and be caught red handed, but he/she is guilty of nothing until the charges are proven in a court of law.

The alleged perp is innocent (by presumption) until the end of the trial, at which time a verdict of guilty or not-guilty will be rendered by a jury of his/her peers.

"Guilty" and "Not-guilty" are legal terms.

Application: Did Hussain commit horrible atrocities in Iraq? Yes. Did he gass innocents? He sure did. Did he cut people's hands off who disagreed with him? You betcha. Did he torture and mutilate people. Yep.

Is he guilty of any crimes?

Nope. He has not been found guilty, yet (Let's all pray that he is found guilty and that the appropriate civil penalties are forth coming).

Point is, we often try to apply legal standards to our everyday language when we discuss crimes and their perpetrators.

Someday I will stand before my righteous God and will be found guilty of every sin I have ever committed. He will be right (of course...He is always right).

But then my Advocate (another word for legal counsel) will step in.

He will say, "Father, it's OK. I have already paid for his sins."

He will say that in spite of the fact that I am guilty as charged.

He will say it because, and only because, at a point in my life, I repented and placed my trust in Him and His finished work at the cross of Calvary and believed that He died and rose to pay my sin debt.

(I neither know nor care whether he picked me from some pre-eternal pool or allowed me to absolutely freely choose Christ. It just won't matter. Period. I won't have to strain gnats or swallow camels.)

The Father will then say, "Well done, good and faithful servant. Joe, come on in. I have a place reserved for you." (That is not the KJV rendering of what will take place, but is a pretty good paraphrase.)

Although I have sinned, I will be found, not innocent, but righteous by reason of Jesus.

Huh?

I've heard of a horse with two heads, but this is ridiculous!

Basics of Christian Living Lesson 2

This begins lesson two of the "New Members" class that I teach in our church.
It is not meant to be a theological course. Rather it is an introduction to some of the basic issues facing a new Christian, one who has not been a member of a church before, or one from our church who wants to know what being a Southern Baptist is all about.

Here is the outline of Lesson 2:

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A (SOUTHERN) BAPTIST?

1. Baptist Distinctives
A. Church Autonomy
B. The Baptist Creed - Missions
C. Baptist Faith and Message.
D. The Southern Baptist Convention
1) Convenes once per year
2) The Executive Committee
3) The Boards
4) The Mission

CHURCH AUTONOMY

Let's define an important term: Convention

Last year, a group of baseball managers from the American League met in a large hotel in our area. They held a convention.

convention: the summoning or convening of an assembly b : an assembly of persons met for a common purpose.

The following is from the official web site of the Southern Baptist Convention:

"Isn't a convention a meeting and not a denomination? Technically, the Southern Baptist convention exists for only two days a year, at the annual gathering.
The rest of the year, denominational entities carry out the instructions of the messengers to the Convention. The authority, then, resides with the messengers elected by churches and participating in the two-day meeting. Still, those churches and individuals who identify with this enterprise typically call themselves Southern Baptist."

The point is, we often speak of the Southern Baptist Convention as if it is the name of the headquarters of a large denomination.

Such is NOT the case.

The term "Southern Baptist Convention" applies to, and only, to that group of people (called "messengers")who meet for two days of the year at an appointed place.

(OK, in common usage, the term is sometimes used to refer to the denomination, but that is not correct and leads to incorrect conclusions about who does what.)

The "headquarters" is really the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Let me explain.

When "messengers" from Southern Baptist churches convene for the two days of the year, they bring reports and recommendations from various committees, boards and even individuals. These are discussed and brought to the floor for a vote.

Once the vote is taken, if passed, the orders are given to the Executive Committee to carry out.

For example, Southern Baptists used to only have one curriculum for Sunday School. It was called "The Convention Uniform Lesson Series."

Some years back the messengers at the convention ordered that the Executive Committee develop and provide (ultimately) two other track of curricula.

And so, because of decisions made at the convention when it met, Southern Baptists developed three sets of curricula, "The Convention Uniform Lesson Series," the "Life and Works" series and the "Bible Book" series.

Southern Baptist churches choose which one of these series to use. Or they can choose to use David C. Cook material. Or they can choose something from Zondervan. Or anybody else they want to.

In short, Southern Baptist churches are completely autonomous. Totally. Absolutely.

Instead of the "headquarters" telling the churches what to do, the churches, at convention, tell the "headquarters" what to do.

AGAIN FROM THE WEB SITE:

"Southern Baptists firmly hold to the principle of church autonomy and self-rule. The Southern Baptist Convention does not ordain ministers, assign staff to churches, levy contributions to denominational causes, dictate literature and calendar, or assign persons to churches according to place of residence. These are local church matters."

The denomination is an alliance of churches working in friendly cooperation under the heading "Southern Baptist." A Southern Baptist church is about as independent as you can get and still be counted as part of a denomination.

The Baptist Creed - Missions

In 1845, in Augusta, Georgia, a group of representatives (later to be referred to as "messengers") from a group of Baptist churches met to try to devise a way to accomplish the Great Commission.

The average Southern Baptist church has fewer than 300 members. That's total members, not attenders.

A congregation of 100 to 150 attendees could hardly support a missionary's child, let alone the whole missionary family.

After much prayer, the plan God led them to was to pool their resources to support as many missionaries as they could. Because this plan required cooperation among the churches, it became known as The Cooperative Program.

The whole purpose of the Cooperative Program and the Southern Baptist Convention (when it convenes) is to support missions, directly or indirectly.

The mission of southern Baptists is: MISSIONS.

Today, Southern Baptist churches support over 5,000 missionaries in other countries (through the International [formerly Foreign] Missions Board of the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention), over 5,000 missionaries in the United States, and thousands of part-time and volunteer missionaries.

What I have described for you is what is supposed to be. Sadly, many (maybe most) pastors of Southern Baptist churches neither know nor care about this. The result is that our people are ignorant (in the sense of not knowing) what their own church is about.

They think it is about anti-abortion (a good thing, but not what it's about), prayer in schools (a good thing, but not what it's about), getting the right man elected to office (a good thing, but not what it's about), or some other agenda.

But what it is about is The Great Commission: Leading people to christ; leading them to follow Him in believers baptism (by immersion); and making disciples of them in the local community, in the county, in the state, in the nation and around the world.

The mission of Southern Baptists is MISSIONS.

Sunday Praise

God with us. Incarnate.

Son of God. Dayspring.

Wisdom. Desire of nations.

Long expected one. Prince of Peace.

Lord of Hosts. Conqueror.

Everliving God. Wonderful counselor.

Mighty God.

Rod of Jesse. Lion of Judah.

Shepherd. Fortress.

Rock of Salvation. Son of David.

King of all ages. Lord of Glory.


We praise you and await the day of celebration.

O Come, O Come Emmanuel
Latin Hymn
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/o/c/ocomocom.htm

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.

Refrain

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who orderest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go.

Refrain

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory over the grave.

Refrain

O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.

Refrain

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.

Refrain

O come, O come, great Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times once gave the law
In cloud and majesty and awe.

Refrain

O come, Thou Root of Jesse’s tree,
An ensign of Thy people be;
Before Thee rulers silent fall;
All peoples on Thy mercy call.

Refrain

O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace.

I've Been Tagged

Danny Sims, over at The Danny Sims Blog- http://simsdanny.blogspot.com/ , has tagged me.

Here's what he said to do:

1. Delve into your blog archive.
2. Find your 23rd post (or closest to).
3. Find the fifth sentence (or closest to).
4. Post the text of the sentence in your blog along with these instructions. Ponder it for meaning, subtext or hidden agendas…
5. Tag five people to do the same

"The Constitution guarantees us the right to life, liberty and property (not happiness...that's the Declaration of Independence)."

Well, that's it. That's the sentence.

Let's all ponder together.

Ummm. Ummmmm. Ummmmmmmm.

OK, that's enough.

Too much pondering makes my brain hurt.

There is no hidden meaning. It means what it says.

Now for the five others: Uh...any volunteers?

Extreme Ignore Ance

Hurricane Katrina was bearing down on New Orleans.

With a kind of gall that only a politician could muster, the Democrats laid the blame at Presiden Bush's feet. He was at least responsible for the people who were told to evacuate but did not.

They also blamed him for the weakness of the levees, even though they were built long before he became President.

Then there was the economy.

Because of his terrible handling of the economy, including those horrible tax cuts, gas prices were up, the housing boom was ending, the stock market was doomed and the American Dream was fast coming to an end.

Additionally, because of his terrible handling of the war in Iraq, we were about to experience "another Viet Nam," troop morale was bound to fall and the people of Iraq wanted us out NOW. The insurgents were out of control.

All of this "bad news"...all of which could be blamed on George W. Bush.

Tonight I watched ABC news as they reported that New Orleans is about to completely recover from the hurricane, needing only time to finish the job.

They also reported the following: the economy is booming beyond the wildest expectations in spite of Hurricane Katrina (an observaton made by the newscaster); gas prices are at their lowest level in a long time; employment is WAY up; the housing boom has NOT subsided and the American Dream is alive and well.

Suicide bombings in Iraq are way down, the infrastructure of Iraq is way up, as is the morale of the troops.

The new Constitution in Iraq is in place and is beginning to inspire the people.

The military and the police of Iraq are taking on more and more of the responsibility of protecting their country.

All of this was reported tonight by ABC News, to their credit.

Guess whose name was not mentioned even once as having anything to do with any of the good news that they (ABC News) were forced to no longer ignore.

I won't mention his name, but his initials are George W. Bush.

And so it goes.

The Lady of Revelation

I heard two "theologians" discussing The Book of the Revelation.

(That's right...it's not Revelations it is ONE revelation, and that is THE key to figuring it out..the only key.)

One of them proclaimed that the woman mentioned represents (he said "Is") Israel. The other insisted she was (is or will be)the Church.

The discussion got spicy.

Scriptures from both the Old and New Testaments were bandied about.

(As we all know, the one who can quote the most scripture is the winner.)

But they were neck-in-neck. All even up on scripture references. A tie.

So they resorted to reason.

She was pregnant and the church is a virgin, so she could not represent the church. But, came the reply, the context points us to the church, not Israel.

I left the area before I could tell which one won. I suspect they beat each other up and both ended up in jail to cool off. (Not).

So what's the answer? Who IS she, anyway?

I have my own thoughts on the matter, but you could not pry them out of me with a cattle prod. I ain't tellin,' and you ain't guessin'.

Besides...either way it misses the whole point. The whole point!

What does (pardon me, doth) it profit a man if he gain the whole argument and loses the whole point?

See, The Book of the Revelation is not about candle sticks, pregnant ladies, dragons, mysterious numerology, trumpets sounding, who the witnesses are, the beast of the sea, the three angels, the seven plagues or bowls, the woman on the beast, or the fall of Babylon.

Oh,it contains all of those things.

But The Book of the Revelation is about the magnificent, marvellous, wonderful, powerful, beautiful, astonishing, startling, amazing, extraodinary, unusual, surprising, splendid, excellent, brilliant, dazzling, majestic, indescribable King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus.

Knowing who the pregnant woman is might be interesting. It might make me feel smart.

But the next day, I would get up, go to work, do my job, come home, kiss my wife, cook supper and go to bed (after blogging, of course).

In short, it would not make one hill of beans difference in my life. Not one.

But knowing the one about whom The Book of the Revelation is written...that makes all the difference in the world...no, not just in all the world, for all eternity.

So theologians and pseudo-theologians have your fun. Try to figure out the unfigurable. Argue until you are blue in the face (what in the world does that mean, anyway?). Hold your Bull Sessions (Did you ever wonder what the abbreviation of Bull Session stands for?----hint: B.S.---Barbara Streisand).

Puff and pontificate. Look smug. Look intense and sincere.

Pause for dramatic emphasis so we will all understand to what heights your great knowledge has brought us.

As for me...I think I will just cuddle up in the arms of the One who gave His life that I might live and enjoy Him.

Come on up. There's always room for one more.

FOTU

Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."

Someone sent me this and I thought I would pass it on.

I am part of the "Fellowship of the Unashamed." The die has been cast. The decision has been made. I have stepped over the line. I won't look back, let up, slow down back away or be still.

My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I'm finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap giving and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need preeminence, position, promotions, plaudits or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded.

I now live by faith, lean on His presence, love with patience, live by prayer and labor with power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my guide is reliable and my mission is clear.

I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed.

I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won't give up, shut up, let up or slow up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up paid up and spoken up for the cause of Christ.

I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go 'till He comes, give 'till I drop, preach 'till all know and work 'till He stops me.

And when Jesus comes for His own, he will have no problem recognizing me.

My banner is clear: I am a part of the "Fellowship of the Unashamed."

Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."

Sunday Praise

Father, we have just celebrated a time of thanksgiving to you for our country, our freedoms, our bounty and your mercy and love.

Now we come to thank you and to praise you for all of your marvelous creation.

The planet you have given us is so beautiful and so bounteous. So full of the things that sustain the physical life we enjoy.

You have given us hills and valleys, and the beauty of the heavens.

You have given us your love from before the beginning of time. You have given us days and nights, minutes and hours.

You have given us the love of family and friends, here and in the eternity to come.

You have given us the senses with which we enjoy it all and with which we know your presence.

You have given us brothers and sisters in Christ with whom we can fellowship, meet and worship.

You have given us yourself, a sacrifice enough to pay the awful sin-debt we owed. Thus you have set us free from its grip and replaced that with the gift of eternal life.

For all of that and more, Father, we sing your praises now and forever.

"For the Beauty of the Earth"
by Folliott S. Peirpoint and Conrad Kocher
http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh092.sht

1. For the beauty of the earth,
for the glory of the skies,
for the love which from our birth
over and around us lies;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.

2. For the beauty of each hour
of the day and of the night,
hill and vale, and tree and flower,
sun and moon, and stars of light;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.

3. For the joy of ear and eye,
for the heart and mind's delight,
for the mystic harmony,
linking sense to sound and sight;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.

4. For the joy of human love,
brother, sister, parent, child,
friends on earth and friends above,
for all gentle thoughts and mild;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.

5. For thy church, that evermore
lifteth holy hands above,
offering up on every shore
her pure sacrifice of love;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.

6. For thyself, best Gift Divine,
to the world so freely given,
for that great, great love of thine,
peace on earth, and joy in heaven:
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.

CRAZY NIGHT

I am at the station tonight. We are doing something I have never heard of a Christian radio station doing. we are broadcasting "D" League basketball games live!(The Florida Flame-Development League)

It is very difficult for me to keep up with what is going on, because the announcers are talking VERY fast.

I wonder how the little old ladies who regularly listen to our station are doing with it.

And, of course, we just had the proverbial technical difficulties.

This is so exciting!

The theory to all of this is that thousands of people will see our LARGE banner at the arena and will tune in to find out what we are about. And then lost people, not ever having listened to Christian radio before, will now listen and get saved.

It's a nice idea...we'll see how it plays out.

This is the strangest ministry I'v ever been involved in.

Can any of you beat it?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

In 1620 a group from a small congregation in Holland, outcasts from England, set sail across the Atlantic. They landed at what is now Cape Cod.

To ward off conflict, the ship's passengers and crew drafted a covenant which would bind them together in the presence of a Holy God.

The small congregation was called Pilgrims, the ship was the Mayflower and the agreement was called the Mayflower conpact.

Among its key clauses were these words: "Having undertaken for the glory of God and advancement of the Christian Faith … a voyage to plant the First Colony … [we] solemnly … in the presence of God and of one another, Covenant … ourselves together into a Civil Body Politic. … "

While the Mayflower Compact became one of the most important documents in American history, its religious language causes government schools to often refuse to teach it. But that same language reveals the lengths to which the Pilgrims were willing to go to follow the Lord.

President George Washington, having not understood the concept that government was prohibited by the Constitution from being involved in matters of faith, proclaimed a national day of Thanksgiving to God - not to the Indians(although the Pilgrims were undoubtedly grateful to them for helping them through a devastating winter), and so did every subsequent president.

Abraham Lincoln, also not realizing the error of his Constitutional way, proclaimed a permanent National Holiday of Thanksgiving to God which we celebrate today.

The United States government....a religious holiday....incredible!

Remember our roots.

Remember our heritage.

Remember our Lord.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving.

Random Considerations

If I were a big retailer, and I wanted to make a certain amount of money on something, would it make sense to raise the price really high for a while and then reduce it to the amount I had had in mind from the beginning?

If I told you that my wife bought a new red car, and you told a friend that my wife had bought a new red car, but it turns out that the car was really green, did you lie to your friend?

If I were a time traveling scientist from the far future, visiting in the not-to-distant future, and I dug up a Ford and a Chevy, examined their atomic structure and found them to be very much alike, would I be wrong to conclude that they had common "ancestors?"

If I read "Gone with the Wind" and you ask me what it was about and if I told you it was about fires in Atlanta, would I have interpreted the novel correctly?

If you, having had no training in nuclear physics, bought a nuclear power plant, saying, "I like nuclear power. I've used a lot of nuclear power. Nuclear power is something I have always wanted to be involved in, and I think God is leading me into the field right now," would you then go into the plant and tell the workers with 20 or more years of experience what they should do to run a nuclear power plant properly?

If I were a big gas company and wanted to make $2.30 on a gallon of gas, only the market would not bear that price, might I raise the price to $3.00 for a while so that when I reduced it to $2.30 people would think they were getting a deal?

If I were President of the United States, and "experts" in both parties told me there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and I acted on that information, would it be right to later accuse me of lying to the public in order to start a war?

If I were a scientist and found a similarity between apes and humans in their DNA, would it be logical to assume they had a common ancestor?

If I read some verses of the Bible and formulate a "doctrine" or a "religious philosophy" from them apart from the total context of the Bible, would I be committing a heresy?

If I were to not write an "if" question to match the one about the nuclear power plant for fear of future retribution, would you think less of me?

If I were to write an article asking a lot of "if" questions, would you wonder what I was trying to get at, or could you figure it out and make applications of the principles involved?

Sunday Praise

O God, You who have made everything, our wonderful provider, our gracious Lord and master, we come before you in praise and adoration.

All of creation cries out in praise to you, the grass of the field, the birds of the air, the grain and the beast shout forth your eternal worthiness.

We look forward to the time when you gather in your harvest. We anticipate the sound of the trumpet. We await the establishment of your justice.

For the time of no more tears, the day of sinlessness, the eternity of purity we anxiously pine.

And we offer our joyous thanksgiving for all you are, have been and will be forever in this world and throughout eternity.

Come all creation and sing forth great hymns of thanksgiving and praise.

Come, Ye Thankful People, Come
by Henry Alford
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/c/o/comeytpc.htm

Come, ye thankful people, come, raise the song of harvest home;
All is safely gathered in, ere the winter storms begin.
God our Maker doth provide for our wants to be supplied;
Come to God’s own temple, come, raise the song of harvest home.

All the world is God’s own field, fruit unto His praise to yield;
Wheat and tares together sown unto joy or sorrow grown.
First the blade and then the ear, then the full corn shall appear;
Lord of harvest, grant that we wholesome grain and pure may be.

For the Lord our God shall come, and shall take His harvest home;
From His field shall in that day all offenses purge away,
Giving angels charge at last in the fire the tares to cast;
But the fruitful ears to store in His garner evermore.

Even so, Lord, quickly come, bring Thy final harvest home;
Gather Thou Thy people in, free from sorrow, free from sin,
There, forever purified, in Thy garner to abide;
Come, with all Thine angels come, raise the glorious harvest home.

Feelin' Groofy

"Groofy." That's a combination of "groovey" and "goofy."

I once had a pastor who made up words in his sermons.

One of my favorites was "dirbish."

Don't confuse "dirbish" with Whirling Dervishes.

The Whirling Dervishes trace their origin to the 13th century Ottoman Empire. The Dervishes, also known as the Mevlevi Order, are Sufis, a spiritual offshoot of Islam.


These are Dervishes spinning and whirling in their Islamic ceremony

But "dirbish" is something else again.

You see, "dirbish" is a combination of dirt and rubbish.

It is the slimy, gooey stuff found at the bottom of unwashed garbage cans.

He also used the word, "recipritant."

A "recipritant" is someone who receives the gift of salvation from God through Christ, and gives to Him some spiritual activity.

Do you, or someone you know, use unlikly combinations of words to coin new ones?

You may express your coinage in the comments section of this post.

Don't cleavigate to them...post-a-coin.

GLOBAL WARMING STRIKES AGAIN!

Where Are They?

I am a "war baby."

Born in 1942, my father served in the United States Air Force as director of communications for the South Atlantic corridor.

I remember some things about the times.

Hollywood supported the troops.

They did not say, "We hate the war, but 'we support' the soldiers.

It was pure, and it was simple.

There was ginuine affection pouring out from Hollywood for the young men and women at war for our country.

Remember, Hitler never invaded the United States of America. We fought him and his forces to keep him from taking over Europe.

Japan, though, did attack us.

Many people did not believe we should have entered the war in Europe, and there were quite a few who believed we should have "deplomacized" our way out of war with Japan.

But once we went in, once young men were being killed by the multiple thousands, the country, even Hollywood, got behind the effort.

Bob Hope went to the "front lines" to entertain. Other entertainers considered it a priviledge to be asked to go with him. Many did, people like Dinah Shore, Betty Grable, Jerry Colona and so many others.

I just watched, with tears, a special on PBS about Hope's trips to give support to our troops.

Radio was replete with actors and actresses encouraging our service personnel on the air...with great passion and fervor.

Those politicians who were against the war, and they existed, kept a pretty low profile. Their comments were often subdued, much more so than today, anyway.

Hollywood would have blasted any politician who spoke too loudly in opposition to the war effort, and that would have meant political death to the speaker.

The United States of America was loved by its own citizens.

We may not always have been right, but we were loved.

Contrast that with today.

Hollywood no longer loves the country that fought the war that kept their freedom to express their art intact.

Not all, but the majority, regularly condemn the war in Iraq. They encourage politicians who speak out against the war.

Because they are communicators with tremendous technical resources, the are able to sway public opinion. When they join with a willing press, also anti-war in the majority, they are very effective in convincing many citizens to be against the war as well.

The result is that phrases like, "I support our troops, but I am against the war," ring hollow.

Fact is, they (Hollywood, the liberal press and liberal anti-war politicians), are treasonous.

When the war on terrorism is "over," (though I really think it will be a simi-permanent struggle), they will have to hang their heads in shame.

I doubt that they will, though.

They seem to have no shame.

Sunday Praise

Heavenly Father, we praise you with all of our being.

We submit ourselves to you, saying take us and make of us whatever will bring glory to your name.

Great provider, we thank you for your graciousness, your love and your mercy.

Fill us with your Spirit to overflowing, so that we will be as gracious toward th0se with whom we come in contact today.

You, O Lord, are our protector when the enemy seeks to come against us.

Lead us not to depend on our own power, but only in yours, for only yours is dependable.

We praise you for providing the eternal Christ as our defender against the adversary.

Make us ever confident that you have given us the victory over Satan so that we need not fear him, but can rest in Christ Jesus, who is his nemesis.

Let us trust not in self, not in possessions, not in wealth, but only in Christ, so that whether we live or die, we live or die to Him.

May we realize your Truth today and be servants in your Kingdom forever.

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
by Martin Luther
http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh110.sht

1. A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper he amid the flood of mortal ills prevaling.
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

2. Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing,
Were not the right man on our side, the man of God's own choosing.
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is he;
Lord Sabbaoth, his name, from age to age the same,
And he must win the battle.

3. And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed his truth to triumph through us.
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure;
One little word shall fell him.

4. That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours, thru him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill; God's truth abideth still;
His kingdom is forever.

The Basics of Christian (cont. 2)

This is the third in my series based on the New Members' class I teach in my church. It is not meant to be a theological course. Rather it is an introduction to some of the basic issues facing a new Christian or one who has not been a member of a church before.

We are still on the section that asks the question, "What does it really mean to be a Christian?"

I. Who is this Jesus? We took a look at S.M. Lockridge's timeless sermon, "He’s My King"

II. What did I do when I accepted him? We looked at the steps taken to become a child of God. (We recognized that all the "doing" is God's.)

Now we will address the question, What if I sin?

I speak for myself (but I suspect this is true for others, too) when I say that I commit sin daily. The reason I know that is several fold.

First, I am a recipient of the "sin gene" so graciously passed on to me by Adam.

Secondly, since any thought or deed that is not in the exact center of God's will for me at a given moment is sin, I must not only admit to sin, I must be in a constant state of repentence...not repentence for salvation, that was pre-salvation, but repentence as a Godly sorrow for the sorry messes I keep getting myself into.

So what do I do about it?

The scriptures that seem to put all of this in perspective for me are:

I John 1:8, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."

This is quite serious, because the truth is a who not a what, and His name is Jesus ("I am the way, the truth and the light..."). So if we say we have no sin, Jesus is not in us.

I John 1:10, "If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us." Uh, I don't think we want to be in a position of calling God a liar.

Ah! But there's the in-between verse that says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

The word, confess comes from the Greek homologco "to speak the same thing." That could be translated agree.

So, if we agree with God that our missing His mark is sin, we can depend on Him to forgive our sin. It is just for Him to do so because His Son, Jesus, paid the price of sin at Calvary.

The same word homologco is used in Romans 10:9. We agree with God that Jesus is Lord. It is also used in Matthew 10:32, "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess before also before my Father."

The answer, then, to our ongoing daily sin, is to be in a constant state of agreeing with God that we are completely dependent upon Him for our salvation, because otherwise our sin would not have been forgiven by Christ's finished work at the cross.

If, like Paul, we die to self and for Christ daily, remain in a constant attitude of prayer and submit to Him every day, we will sin less (although we will never be sinless), and that sin we commit will have been taken care of by the shed blood of Christ.

Next time we will wrap up part one of this six part series.

Be blessed!

Post It Notes

Let me explain.

This is not a heavy blog.

Although I am passionate about Jesus, Lord, Son of God, Creator of all that has been created, focus of worship, I take almost NOTHING else seriously.

I don't take me seriously, I don't take you seriously (don't be offended...it's really better that way).

I try to approach every topic with an understanding that there are at least a few people brighter than I, that we will never agree on everything and that on this blog, the only final authority on any subject is ME. (OK...OK. I know. God is the final authority on everything. See...that's what I mean. Lighten up...OK?)

For this reason I would like to state the rules of this blog.

1. Say anything you like about me, as long as it is designed to make me feel good about myself.

2. Commenters are guests on my site. You will treat them with dignity and respect or your comment(s) will be deleted.

3. I am the final judge about the nature of any particular comment.

4. Humor and GOOD NATURED jabs, jibes and stuff is encouraged, especially if they are directed toward me.

5. No foul language or vulgarity (in its true sense) is allowed. Period. End of everlovin' blue-eyed discussion.

6. These rules are subject to change at my whim.

As a general rule, I write about things with my tongue firmly implanted in my right cheek. Occasionally I get mixed up and implant it in my left cheek, but I usually get it corrected before I finish writing.

If you want something heavier or deeper or more scholarly, go read Pyromaniac or some of Phil's links and commenters.

When I write about Jesus, or when I write a series on a spiritual subject I am a little more serious, but even then I try to make it light enough to make it interesting and fun to read. Unlike some people, I do not claim to either have all the answers or even all of the questions.
My test grades in college proved that.

I teach a "new members'" class. I teach it the same way I write about it. In fact, I wrote what I teach (except for certain parts that I stole).

I really try hard to make each thought as concise as possible while communicating its meaning.

Short.

There are times when I link to other sites for something that really grabs me. "The Science of Creative Writing," by my friend and co-worker, Parker, is one of those. It is outstanding! Read it at Diary of an Insanityfarmer.

Anyway...I hope you get the gist of this blog.

Be nice. Love God through Christ. Come by any time.

I love hearing from you and reading your works.

For those of you who think I should write something spiritual: Praise the Lord!

RU Calling Me Names?

I am a self-proclaimed troublemaker.

I have a sort of "impish" side to me that likes to phrase things in such a way as to make the phrasee think, even challenge him/her self.

Antonio, over at Free Grace Theology has quite a post about faith vs works (or more accurately, faith with works). I recommend it to you, not because I do or do not agree with it, but because it causes one to look closely at the meaning of Grace, salvation and their relationship to works.

Let me suggest an exercise.

Divide a piece of paper into two columns.

On the left list all of the scriptures that have to do with salvation being "free," "a gift," "not of works..." and all the other good things we know.

On the right list all of those scriptures that have to do with putting faith and works together in the "salvation package."

A good source for those scriptures might be http://www.crosswalk.com/, or a good concordance.

When you have finished, feel free to post your results in my comments section (or not).

Be certain to understand the immediate and total context of those scriptures.

Hint: In the end, this will be work. It is a narrow path, and there will be few who find it. It may also be an act of faith. After all, faith without work.....

Are You Sure?

We interrupt this series for a brief word from our writer.

I was challenged today.

The person who challenged me is a friend who is very dedicated to the Lord's work, but does not know how to use the english language.

This friend, in the course of our conversation, proclaimed, "Well I take the Bible completely literally."

Really?

How about you?

Many Christians think there is some kind of virtue in believing that the Bible is to be taken literally in its evry word.

That's because they don't literally mean literally.

But if we are going to communicate with each other, we must agree on what certain words mean. We can't go changing them to mean what we want them to mean when we want them to mean that.

"Literal" does not mean "almost true," "true in principle," or "virtually true."

Literal means: adhering to fact or to the ordinary construction or primary meaning of a term or expression.

"Joe," I hear you complain, "You can't mean that a rank conservative right winger like yourself doesn't take the Bible literally in every instance! That's...that's...that's herasy!"

Yes I do mean that.

And neither do you.

Wanna bet?

The Bible say Jesus is the Lamb of God.

Literally a four legged creature with wool all over Him.

Is that the Jesus you worship?

The Basics of Christian Living Part One (cont.)

This series comes from a class I teach to new members, new Christians and those who want to review their Christian walk.

This is a continuation of Part One.

II. What did I do when I accepted him?

1. I Recognized Sin in My Personal Life.

This is key.

Until I recognized my personal responsibility for the sin in my life, I could not realize that I needed to be "saved;" saved from sin's hold on my life, saved from sin's consequenses and saved from the practice of sin.

When Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God," it is not being mean or nasty, it is simply stating an absolute truth. (For those who do not believe there is absolute truth I would ask, "Are you absolutely sure there's not?")

Nobody's perfect. We all seem to know that.

But God demands perfection. Absolute, unwavering, perfection, because He is perfect.

So what's a body to do? I simply cannot be perfect...period. And neither can you.

What is sin, anyway?

Sin is missing the mark of perfection that God has placed before us.

So, any thought, any deed, any attitude of ours that is not in the dead center of God's will for me (or you) at any given moment is sin.

And we are all sinners.

Now, the fact that we have lots of company is no consolation. We do not control God with our numbers.

He has said, "The wages of sin is death..." (Romans6:23)

That's everlasting, irreversible, spiritual death.


2. Had a Godly sorrow for my sin

Once I recognized that there was sin in my life, and that sin would separate me from God forever; once I realized that sin comes with a debt that must be paid, I could then experience a Godly sorrow for my sin.

Justice would demand that I bear the responsibility for my sin.

Here's an example:

Suppose I was driving with you as a passenger. Suppose you told me to go faster. Suppose I resisted, but you persisted and I finally sped up. Then suppose an officer of the law pulled us over and started to write a ticket for speeding. Suppose I skillfully explained to him that you had told me to go that fast and so I had an excuse. Do you think he would say, "Oh! OK then. I won't give you the ticket, I'll give it to you passenger who told you to speed?" Of course not. He would hold me responsible, and he would give ME the ticket.

There is a price to responsibility. The price of sin is death. That price WILL be paid.

One way or another, every sin that ever has been committed, is being committed and ever will be committed must be paid for.

Frankly, I cannot afford the payment for sin.

But Jesus, if He is God (and He is), can.

And Romans 6:23 finishes up by saying, "...but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus, our Lord."

Jesus, in one awful eternal moment on Calvary, paid the sin debt that I owed. He did not pay part of the debt, He paid all of the debt.

"For God so loved the world that He gave his only (one and only) begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life."


3. Faced Christ’s claims on my life

Jesus died and rose for me. He did it for you,too. If either of us had been the only one(s) in need of His death, He would have died for us.

Such is His love for us.

When I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior, when I realized that He had done all that needed to be done for me to receive and eternity with God, I "cashed in the claim ticket" He had on me.

To do so, I had to trust in Him and only in Him and His finished work on my behalf at the cross of Calvary for my salvation.

"...while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

4. Believed God raised Him from the dead

Romans 10:9 and 10 says, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth congession is made unto salvation."

It is a matter of both heart and testimony. Believe what Christ has done and agree (confess) with God that Jesus' is Lord.

5. Placed my faith in Him and His finished work at the cross.

Once I placed my faith Him and His finished work at the cross, and yielded my will to His in an act of obedience and submission, He did His work in me. He gave me a new heart, a new attitude and a new direction.

6. Committed to live for Him

Commitment is a difficult thing for us today. Let me illustrate committment for you.

A man climbed the ladder to a high dive at the local swimming pool. "I'm going to dive into the water," he said. But half way up he turned around and went back down the ladder. He was NOT committed to the dive.

Next, he began to climb the ladder again. Again he proclaimed, "I'm going to dive into the water." This time he went out onto the board and began to jump up and down. Then he turned around, climbed back down the ladder. He was NOT committed tot he dive.

Finally, he climbed the ladder, proclaimed his intention, jumped up and down, then leaned forward until his center of gravity was out over the pool. Guess what. He was going in the water. He was committed. There would be no turning back.

Once we commit ourselves to Christ there can be no turning back. No matter what we say, no matter what we think, no matter what we think, if we turn back, we were never committed. With committment THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS TURNING BACK.

When I (and you) became accepted Him, I committed myself to His Lordship. He, in turn, gave me an eternal relationship with the Creator of all that is.

He gave me the promise of a peace that passes understanding. He gave me unconditional love. He gave me joy everlasting. He gave me hope. He gave me strength. He gave me power. He gave me service.

He gave me life.

He'll give it to you, if you want it badly enough to commit to Him. If you'll trust Him. If you'll receive Him.

"To as many as received Him to them gave He the power to become sons of God."

I don't remember who it was who first said it, but here it is in a nutshell:

"The Son of God became the Son of Man so that the sons of men could become the sons of God"

(To be continued)

The Basics of Christian Living Part One

I teach a course at church for new Christians, new church members and anyone who just wants to review some Christian basics. The course is called "The Basics of Christian Living."

This is not a course in theology. It is designed to help Christians know the foundational truths of their faith.

In this series I will share with you the essentials of what I teach. I hope you are blessed by it.

The course is divided into six parts:

1. What does it really mean to be a Christian?

2. What does it mean to be a (Southern) Baptist?

3. How to study the bible.

4. How to have an effective prayer Life

5. Growing in Grace and Giving

6. Share Jesus without Fear.

I will take them one-by one and expound upon each point as needed.

Lesson one includes:


What does it really mean to be a Christian?

I. Who is this Jesus?

My King

A great preacher, who has gone on to be with the Lord, named Shadrack Meshack Lockridge, delivered the most powerful sermon about who Jesus is I have ever heard. If this is the Jesus you know, then rejoice! We know the same Jesus! Here is the very slightly abridged text of his message:

My King was born King. The Bible says he’s a seven-way King.

He’s the King of the Jews…that’s a racial King. He’s a King of Israel…that’s a national King. He’s the King of righteousness. He’s the King of the ages. He’s the King of Heaven. He’s the King of glory. He’s the King of Kings and He’s the Lord of Lords.

Well, I wonder if you know Him. Do you know Him? Don’t try to mislead me. Do you know my King?David said, "The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth His handiwork."

My King is the only one whose limitless love cannot be measured. No far-seeing telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of His shoreless supplies. No barriers can hinder Him from pouring out His blessing.

Well, He’s enduringly strong, He’s entirely sincere, He’s eternally steadfast, He’s immortally graceful. He’s imperially merciful.That’s my King.

He’s God’s Son, He’s the sinner’s savior. He’s the centerpiece of civilization. He stands alone in Himself.He’s august. He’s unique. He’s unparalleled. He’s unprecedented. He’s supreme. He’s preeminent.

Well, He’s the supreme problem of higher criticism. He’s the fundamental doctrine of true theology. He’s the cardinal necessity of spiritual religion. That’s my King.

He’s the miracle of the age. He’s the superlative of everything good that you choose to call Him.

He’s the only one able to supply all of our needs simultaneously. He supplies strength for the weak. He’s available for the tempted and the tried. He sympathizes and He saves. He guards and He guides. He heals the sick. He cleansed the lepers. He forgives sinners. He discharges debtors. He delivers the captives. He defends the feeble. He blesses the young. He serves the unfortunate. He regards the aged. He rewards the diligent and He beautifies the meek.

Do you know Him?

My King is the key of knowledge. He’s the wellspring of wisdom. He’s the doorway of deliverance. He’s the pathway of peace. He’s the roadway of righteousness. He’s the highway of holiness. He’s the gateway of glory. He’s the master of the mighty. He’s the captain of the conquerors. He’s the head of the heroes. He’s the leader of the legislators. He’s the overseer of the overcomers. He’s the governor of governors. He’s the prince of princes. He’s the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

That’s my King!

His office is manifold. His promise is sure. His life is matchless. His goodness is limitless. His mercy is everlasting. His love never changes. His word is enough. His grace is sufficient. His reign is righteous. His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

I wish I could describe Him to you. But he’s indescribable! He’s incomprehensible! He’s invincible! He’s irresistible!

I’ve come to tell you that the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him, let alone a man explain Him.You can’t get Him out of your mind. You can’t get Him off of your hands. You can’t outlive Him and you can’t live without Him.

Pharisees couldn’t stand Him, but they found they couldn’t stop Him. Pilate couldn’t find any fault in Him. The witnesses couldn’t get their testimonies of agree. Herod couldn’t kill Him. Death couldn’t handle Him and the grave couldn’t hold Him.

That’s My King!

He always has been and He always will be. I’m talking about: He had no predecessor and He’ll have no successor. There was nobody before Him and there will be nobody after Him. You can’t impeach Him AND HE’S NOT GOING TO RESIGN!

We read, "Thine is the Kingdom...and the power…and the glory."

All the power belongs to my King.

We talk about black power and white power and green power, BUT IT’S GOD’S POWER! THINE is the power and the glory!

We’re trying to get prestige and honor and glory for ourselves, but the glory is ALL HIS!

Yes, Thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever and ever and ever…how long is that?…and ever and ever and ever and ever. And when you get through with all of the forevers...then AMEN!

If this is NOT the Jesus you know, get in touch with me. I'd love to introduce you to Him.

I have posted this before, but since it is part of my course, I thought I would post it again.

I get a thrill every time I read it!

Hope you do, too.

More to come!

Sunday Praise

Gracious Father, as I think about the universe and its glory, it causes me to be reminded of your majestic goodness.

As I walk the earth, its mountains and valleys, its forrests and deserts, its seashores and its lakes and rivers, I am awed by its beauty, evidence of your handiwork.

When I remember where I was before your transcending love reached down and pulled me from the mirey clay, when I think about the sacrifice you made for me in the person of your Son, Jesus, at the cross of Calvary, there taking and bearing both the sin and its debt so that I would not have to either know it or pay it, I am speechless.

I do so look forward to His return. Whether I am still walking this planet or hvae left its clutches for an eternity with You, I will forever proclaim, "How great Thou art."


How Great Thou Art
by Stuart K Hine
http://members.tripod.com/~Synergy_2/lyrics/howgrt.html

O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

Whew!

To all of my blogging friends,

Some of you may have thought that I had vanished from the face of the earth.

Nope! I'm here!

As I told you, the radio station has moved.

Many of you have expressed your hope that things are back to normal.

Let me assure you, normal is not what things are back to.

This has been a moving experience in both the literal and figuretive sense of the word.

There are boxes of CDs everywhere! Microphones are missing. Headphones have headed for the great unknown. The Internet at work entertains the idea of not working daily. And "HAL," my self-serving work computer, has decided that this would be a good time to chill out, relax and take frequent naps.

We have two live half-hour programs to do Saturday (tomorrow from this writing), and the poor program personalities will have to share microphones, headphones and, I think, toilets (hopefully not at the same time).

I have to be there to make certain things go "well." Yeah, right.

Another week with no time off.

But there is some good news!

No, I didn't just save money on my car insurance by switching to Geiko (actually we don't have to switch, they are already our insurers). (How do you spell Geiko, anyway?) The good news is:

God is on His throne. He knows what happens next. He is under no obligation to clear it with me first, and if He did, we'd both be disappointed.

Hopefully next week I will be able to get back to regular blogging so that you can enjoy the fruitiness of my labors.

'Till then, thanks for your concerns and interest and thanks for coming by.

In His Name,
Joe

Wilma Radio Update

Some of you remember that I work at a Christian radio station, Kingdom FM, WJYO, in Ft. Myers, Florida. (You can listen online at kingdom.fm [that's kingdom dot fm...not dot com or dot org...dot fm).

We have moved to new studios and it has been a harrowing week.

Just after we made the initial move of equipment, we "welcomed" hurricane Wilma.

She wroke (past tense of wreak) havoc (I just made that up, by the way), in the area and we just got our power back Saturday afternoon.

The actual studio is quite nice with a nice operator's board, wrap around monitors, a new production studio and I don't know what all.

It is now a comfortable environment and everything is within reach of the announcer/operator.

The sorry software we use is prone to decide on its own to make things exciting.

We no longer have satellite service (we'll get it back soon), but the computer keeps insisting that we stay configured to receive signals from the satellite.

This results in the bane of all radio: Dead Air.

When we call support, they insist that WE are making the changes.

Why would we do that when it would only make it harder on us?

Last night I worked well past my stopping time to re-configure the stuff properly, and when I got to work this morning, it had reverted once again to satellite mode.

Back to the drawing board.

I know there is a little box somwhere deep within the bowels of the software that needs to be checked to tell the mindless mess of polypropolene to stay put, but neither we nor support can determine where it is. (Why should they know...they only designed and built the system?)

Anyway, we survived the storm (radiologically speaking) and are once again broadcasting the love of Christ to Southwest Florida and around the globe.

PTL

Sunday Praise

Almighty and most magnificent God, Father of those who love you through Christ, we sing and shout your praise.

We hear the birds of the air, the beasts of the field and forrests, the winds and the waves send forth your praise. They proclaim all that is yours in this universe.

Let us, O most marvelous God, be at peace in the knowledge of your great mercy and grace.

Though all fails about us, though it seems that evil rules and reigns, let us remember that the war was won at the cross of Calvary, and that you shall show the triumph that is yours in Christ.


This Is My Father's World
Words and Music by Maltbie D. Babcock

This is my Father's world, And to my listening ears
All nature sings and round me rings The music of the spheres.
This is my Father's world, I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas, His hand the wonders wrought.

This is my Father's world The birds their carols raise.
The morning light, the lily white, Declare their Maker's praise.
This is my Father's world He shines in all that's fair;
In the rustling grass, I hear Him pass, He speaks to me everywhere.

This is my Father's world, O let me ne'er forget:
That thought the wrong seems oft' so strong, God is the ruler yet.
This is my Father's world, The battle is not done
Jesus who died shall be satisfied, And the earth and heaven be one.
©Public Domain

Is It Legal?

By my actual count, 97.863%* of Christians are legalists and 86.912%* of those would deny it.
Do you deny that you are a legalist?

Are you a part of the 86.912%* of the 97.863%*?

A legalist is a person who thinks that there are some rules he or she can follow, some behavior patterns he or she can exhibit or some thoughts and attitudes he or she can possess that will please God more than those who don't follow those rules, exhibit those behaviors or possess those thoughts and/or attitudes.

Fact: Nothing we do will please God.

Isa 64:6 "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."

If we take this in the context of the whole of scripture we see that from the beginning this has been our problem.

God is perfect; we are not.

God demands perfection; we cannot produce it.

The law reveals our sinfullness and our inability to keep it.

Jesus had (and has) to keep it for us.

Mt 5:17 "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil."

That does not mean that He added something to the law that had been missing, it means, contextually, that He does the keeping of the law on our behalf.

So we can do what we want to do and still enjoy the blessings of God?

Not quite.

Romans 6:14 "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. 15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid."

The whole point is our understanding of who we are in Christ and what He has accomplished on our behalf in His finished work at the cross of Calvary.

He said that we are His friends if we keep His commands. Then He gave us the two we have to keep: Love God and love our neighbors.

If we love God, we will serve Him.

If we love God, we will honor Him.

If we love God, we will focus on Him.

If we love God, we will follow Him.

If we love our neighbors, we will serve them.

If we love our neighbors, we will honor them.

If we love our neighbors, we will point them to God.

If we love our neighbors, we will teach them to follow Him.

When we think our concept of what another should or should not do is right and all others are wrong, we behave as legalists.

When we impose our cultural and societal past on others we behave as legalists.

Remember, the biggest problem the Pharasees had, according to Jesus, was their religiosity, manafested in their legalism.

The Word of God reveals our need for Christ and His redemptive power.

The Holy Spirit reveals our short-comings. He prods us to do the appropriate thing in given circumstances.

Remember Job's four friends? They pontificated about God. They even told some truths about God. But they used those truths to beat Job over the head spiritually, trying to convince Job that he must have done something to deserve what had happened to him. God said He was not pleased with them.

I would not have wanted to be in their shoes.

Want to please God? Let Jesus do the pleasing for you and through you.

Don't fall into the trap of being a legalist. If you do, don't deny it; get out of it.


*The figures used in this post may or may not reflect actual mathematical computations. Probably not.