A Fish Called Grace

Moments of Truth

2012-01-31T13:11:00.000-05:00

Can you imagine spending an entire year studying with John MacArthur? One of the most prominent Bible teachers in America today can be your personal mentor and devotional partner for the next 362 days. The book Moments of Truth, Unleashing God’s Word One Day AT A Time is a classic work from MacArthur’s library.

Day by day this book helps us to focus on a passage of Scripture and John gives a brief “Moment of Truth” that we can use to apply that Scripture to our daily life. I read through this book for the first time a few years ago, and rereading it now has been just as fresh and relevant. There are two other books in the series, so if you find this one as useful as I did, you can purchase the other two—and like me—go back to this one. It will amaze you how much it will speak t your heart that second time through.

Highly recommended. Five Stars!

The Lucado Inspirational Reader

2011-12-13T15:50:00.001-05:00

One of the greatest things about Max’s writings are the way he lures you in with everyday subject matters and issues, and then “Wham” he slams you with biblical application. The Lucado Inspirational Reader does the exact same thing, except, you get whammed on a daily basis instead of every six months or so when he spits out another book. (It’s just not fair that he has so much talent for writing and coming up with this stuff. I mean, really!! )

The book is subtitled Hope and Encouragement for Your Everyday Life. It is certainly filled with both. The format is designed so that instead of a small devotional each day on a 365 calendar, you get the best of Max on particular subjects such as prayer, comfort, purpose, and salvation.

This would make an excellent gift for anyone, or a great treat for yourself.

Available at Amazon… HERE

Disclosure of Material Connection:

I received a free copy of Moments of Truth through BookSneeze. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Poppy, Thanksgiving, and Cold Cornbread Dressings

2011-11-24T01:00:00.001-05:00

Poppy, Thanksgiving, and Cold Cornbread Dressings

When I was a kid, Thanksgiving was the holiday when we traveled to Florida—and a day when I got to eat a whole lot of good food and see all my cousins, many times for the first time in a year.

And a time for leftovers. While everyone else was either glued to the football game or snoring in a recliner, I was seizing my Granny’s cornbread dressing from the fridge and finishing it off cold and in the pan.

But besides being a holiday when I had permission to eat from the pan, thanksgiving was also a word my Poppy always incorporated at the end of his prayers: "And in Jesus' name, with thanksgiving, Amen." I always wondered why he used a word that made me think of pumpkin pie and construction-paper turkeys; but I knew he must have had a good reason.

Years later, I think I now understand. In that one word, he was saying "Thank You for giving." The “You” there, being God. From my Poppy’s example, I see that thanksgiving was more than about family gatherings, turkey dinners, or time off from school and work. It was and is a way of living, a daily act of expressing gratitude to our Maker who first gave to us.

At this time of year, I sit and think about when I last thanked God for giving me anything—let alone His Son, Jesus Christ. I'm ashamed to admit that it has been a while. But I know that I want to make such gratefulness a way of life. I desire to have an attitude of gratitude and an attitude of graciousness.

There's no better thanksgiving wisdom than that found in God's Word, especially Psalm 100. If you open your Bible and take a look at this passage, you'll see a notation under the heading: A

Psalm of Thanksgiving.

1 Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands! 2 Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. 3 Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. 4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. 5 For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations. (NKJV)

Here are some suggestions that can help us live a life of Thanksgiving ...

1) Make a joyful noise to the Lord

2) Serve God joyfully

3) Come to God with a song

4) Give Him the thanksgiving for all of your circumstances, not just the good ones

5) Remember that the Lord is good … His mercy is never-ending … His faith is unchanging

Reflect on these today, and ask the Lord how He can help you practice Thanks living each day of the year.

Mere Christianity

2011-11-21T11:19:00.002-05:00

C. S. Lewis is one of the premier minds in Christendom. An author with a broad reach and large audiences, Lewis is the famed author of The Chronicle Of Narnia series and The Screwtape Letters among others. However, Lewis has written his pièce de résistance with Mere Christianity. Taken from a series of lectures he delivered over the BBC in 1943, Mere Christianity is Lewis’ treatises on the Christian faith, morality, and the problem of evil. Mingling humor and an ascorbic wit along with a rational and starkly contemporary illustration of Nazism, he weaves us through the hardest questions of life, concluding with the needed all humanity has for a righteous and sovereign God.

Mere Christianity is a though provoking book, that takes the reader systematically through the problem of evil. Because the book was originally a set of lectures presented via radio, the book has a pleasant conversational tone. It is almost as if Lewis were in a conversation with you, asking questions and, after waiting on your response, going on to the next thought he wants you to ponder. This particular edition is an easy read at two hundred twenty seven pages; and while the illustrations are dated, one could certainly hear Lewis speaking just as easily about Al Qaeda in Fallujah, as Nazis in Frankfurt. The enemy may be personified in Nazism, but undergirding this is the realization that the true enemy is the falleness of humanity itself.

The basis for Mere Christianity seems to be centered around the failures of mankind’s feeble attempts at achieving the sought after Utopia of modernity. With the onset of the Twentieth Century and the enlightenment of Rationalism, the “civilized world” believed that this fabled Utopian society of Nietzsche and Marx would be realized by century’s end. However; by 1943, two world wars and the daily bombings of London had produced a malaise among the people. In addition, uncertainty in the face of the devastation and atrocities of war left people with little hope. The background of this catastrophe leads to the fallow ground that Lewis would till.

The book, then, is a look at Christianity and the great questions of the faith and faithful. Where is God when Nazi’s commit such heinousness crimes? How can a good God allow an Adolph Hitler to reign? What is a person to believe, and where can they find refuge? The greatness of Mere Christianity is in the answers that Lewis provides. These are answers that still ring true in the Twenty-first Century, when the question is, “Where was God when the world stopped turning, that cool September morn?”

The lectures themselves have been divided into four “books.” Book One deals with human nature and what can be seen of an invisible God in a very visible natural law. Book Two focuses on Christian Belief, while Book Three looks at Christian Behavior. Lastly, Book Four deals with acclimatizing the reader to basic doctrine.

In dealing with the natural law first, Lewis attempts to speak to the reader about the things of God, which we may see but take for granted. For instance, the fact that right and wrong does exist. In fact, humanity has a moral compass that proves that right and wrong exist. This standard is neither something that we have developed nor one that we have evolved in our human endeavors, so it must come from outside of us; namely, from God.

In Book Two C. S. begins to develop thoughts on Christian Beliefs. His philosophical rambling run a little long in the tooth in this section; nevertheless, his points are generally on target. In Book Three he moves to Christian Behavior. This section is much more relevant to the average reader. In fact, his treatment of the Golden Rule is superior. The quote from “Dr. Johnson” that, “People need to be reminded more often than they need to be instructed.” (82) is fabulous. How right that is. The Golden Rule is nothing new, every major religion having a form of it. Of course, Jesus puts His in the positive, whereas all others put it in the negative.

Again, the last section, titled Book Four, deals with specific doctrines of the Christian Faith. In a way, I feel the sentiments of the old RAF Captain, and I feel Lewis’ plight. People do not care about doctrine. They want a personal God. Nevertheless, we must understand what we understand. In that realm, we see the need for doctrines. Lewis puts together a doctrine study with the same wit and humor that captivates the audience and lulls them into a forgetful trance that makes them forget they are indeed studying doctrine.

The book, taken as a whole, is a deep well of influencing argument for the agnostic and atheist, and a primer or refresher course for the believer. As Lewis put in the preface, the book should be seen as an entrance into the halls of Christianity. (XV) Where one goes and what rooms are explored is left up to the reader. Nevertheless, the reader will certainly leave with a more thoughtful view of Christianity and

This book can be an incredibly valuable tool for the minister’s library. It certainly will help a minister develop a “down to earth” philosophy of life and the problem that a life with God can cause. There is a great quote from Kathleen Norris’ in the foreword to the Harper One edition: “Lewis seeks in Mere Christianity to help us see religion with fresh eyes, as a radical faith whose adherents might be likened to an underground group gathering in a war zone, a place where evil seems to have the upper hand, to hear messages of hope from the other side.” C. S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity is one of the rare jewels that come along once a generation, and remain timeless and relevant.

Jesus Loves Me, This I Know

2011-11-07T12:45:00.003-05:00

One of the most encouraging thoughts I have is the Love that Christ has for me. Recently, Patty and I have been on a somewhat emotional roller-coaster. But no matter where we are emotionally, I cannot help but think about what Karl Barth, the Swiss Theolog, said.

When asked by a young seminary student about the most developed theological concept he had yet to surmise, Barth thought for a moment and said, "Jesus loves me, this I know. For the Bible tells me so."

Amen, Karl.

Barth was right. This little statement tells us a theological concept that seminarians could ponder over for years in its complexity...yet so simply put that any three year old can understand it in its simplicity.

No matter what is going on in your life, remember that the Son of God loves you.(John 3:16) He will never leave you, nor forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5) And, He will be with you in every situation. (Matthew 28:18-20)

The Grace Of God

2011-11-07T10:17:00.001-05:00

I have always appreciated Andy Stanley’s writings. He has a way of make a point that is profound, sound very, maybe even overly simplistic. Yet when you think about it, you come back around to the profundity of his thought. Andy does that repeatedly in The Grace Of God. Beginning at the beginning, the story of Adam and Eve, Andy relates through each chapter of his book, and through the Bible, showing the Grace of God each way.

With his carefree and easy going style, Andy has written a book that would be enjoyed by scholar and layman alike. I would highly recommend y’all reading this book, learning more about the gracious God that we serve. I am giving this book five stars, a rating I stingily pass out. I am linking it through to Amazon. This would be a great purchase for yourself or as a Christmas gift.

Tolerating The Intolerant; Why ESPN Is The Real PC Bully

2011-10-12T20:43:00.003-04:00

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This is an opinion piece I wrote for my buddy Dan at Stronger Christian. Please click through and visit his site.

Blessings,

Steve

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This week ESPN, the global sports and entertainment giant, once again showed its idiocy by firing Hank Williams, Jr. over comments he made on FoxNews. Williams compared a golf outing between President Obama and House Speaker Boehner as a similar pairing of Adolph Hitler and Benjamin Netanyahu. The idea of Hitler and a powerful Jew playing golf juxtaposed with a Democratic President and Republican leader is a bit extreme, but certainly not a fireable offence.

But this is the fate of the culture left to the devices of Political Correctness. When the pc crowd "outlawed" the use of certain words and phrases as "bad taste", we merrily went along for the sake of the victims of certain slanders. "Why," we reasoned, "WOULD someone want to hurt the feelings of that small person by calling them a midget? SHOULDN'T we call them vertically challenged?" It seemed sensible at the time. If the label "handicap" was hurtful, why wouldn't we say that they were physically challenged instead? Perhaps it was more fitting to refer to a blind person as sight challenged, and to drop the word retarded from our vocabulary in preference to mentally challenged. My point is not to say that these changes were not compassionate or eagerly received by the individuals affected, but that this opened a door that has allowed the "tolerance at all cost" crowd to gain a strong foothold in the culture. And, it seems apparent that this has become circular in its practicality, as it is becoming increasingly offence to many to be referred to as challenged.

This is in similar vein to the race designation of Black Americans, which progressed from Negro to Colored to Black, and now to African American. Many who fought for the change from Negro to Colored now find the designation Colored offensive itself. Not that I blame them. I have been called Racist (because I don't like Obama) Redneck, (Because I am from the South) a Jesus Freak (Because I am) and White. Despite the fact that I am more .......wellllll.....peachy. I think I should be called a Person of Non-Color. Come to think of it, I'm white in the winter, tan in the summer, blue when I get cold, green when I get sick, and red when I stay in the sun too long. Maybe I'm the one who should be called colored!

The real problem with all of this PC nonsense is that it has opened the door for an Über-tolerance mood in the country. It is intolerant for Hank Jr. to use the words Obama and Hitler in the same sentence. (By the way; shouldn't Netanyahu be the REAL offended person by that comment?!) But it is not intolerant of ESPN to castigate him as some Redneck Hillbilly. It is intolerant of anyone to criticize the President or his policies. You are either a racist (if you're Peachy) or an Uncle Tom (Hello Mr. Cain) if you're Black. It is inconceivable that you just disagree with the man's ideology. And the real point; It is intolerant for a Christian to be intolerant.

Unfortunately though, that is exactly who we are as Believers in Jesus Christ. I don't like it. It doesn't make me happy. But it is THE core truth that all of Christianity rides on. The doctrine is known as The Exclusivity of Christ. You see, it does not matter if Jesus was born of a virgin, or that He lived a perfect life, or that He died for sins, or that He rose from the grave, or that He ascended to Heaven, or that He sent a Helper. If Jesus is not the exclusive way to the Father, none of that matters, because I could simply find someone else to get me there. Jesus said of Himself that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He also said that no one would get to the Father EXCEPT through Him. He, therefore, is exclusive, and we, therefore, are intolerant. We are intolerant of others saying they can get you to heaven. We are intolerant of those who say there are many paths to heaven. And we are intolerant of those who say it does not matter because all good people go to heaven.

In our culture today, Political Correctness has become more than a feel-good, compassionate ride to acceptance. It is the vehicle used by the BHL's to usher in an age of tolerance, where everything is tolerated except intolerance itself. But, these folks are wolves in sheep's clothing, for they have become the ones who are the most intolerant of all. Which is to say that they have become intolerant of everything that disagrees with them. Hank Williams, Jr. may have made a bad analogy, but where has all the tolerance gone? In the end, it seems to me that ESPN is the real PC bully.

Friends

2011-10-07T09:12:00.000-04:00

Ministry can be difficult. It’s very much like being in the military (I can attest to that also) because you start getting Christmas cards from Allied Van Lines. When the moving company knows your first name, you’ve moved around some! It’s not really been that bad, we’ve been here in Cassatt for three years now, and we were in Kentucky for five and in Middle Tennessee for seven. But the names and faces are starting to pile up.

My “best” friend is and probably will always be Tracy Ponder. Trace and I have one of those relationships where I can go for years and not talk to him , yet with the next phone call we are back in rhythm, talking (as Patty says) in our own language. (So does Luke and Will; have their own language that is. Maybe it’s a guy thing.!?. Hey Tracy: Andithadsevemheads! Andlilbittyfeets!)

I have made several really good lifelong friends over the years. Tony Higgins, Kelly Cotton, and John Wynn are all men I could call if I needed and they would be there for me, and they could do the same with me.

There is another name to add to the list; Roy Broughman. God put Roy and me together at a time when we both desperately needed each other. We both needed intellectually stimulating conversations. I love these farmers that that I pastor without equivocation, but a discussion on the ramifications of particular redemption on our soteriological urgency ain’t gonna happen in our conversations. But now Roy is the one with Allied Van Lines in the parsonage driveway. So once again I guess I’ll have to keep my epistemological arguments about open theism to myself. (But I’ll tell you that I don’t like it!)

Roy is headed to the Promised Land…the Land Where God’s Glory Dwells…The Land Of The Shekhinah Glory…otherwise known as Georgia. Maybe God will see fit to put us close together again—preferably before we no longer have a need to discuss eschatology. In the mean time I give to Roy the greatest advice possible: you must learn a few things from my sagely wisdom on all things Georgia.

1) Just say, “Go you silver britches” occasionally in your sermon and you’ll do fine. (i.e. “And in Luke 14:36 Jesus said, ‘For Florida is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill! Go you silver britches.’”)

2) Do not wear anything orange. If you have any orange clothing, burn them at the state line.

3) In Georgia, especially where you are, a “mess” is a good thing. If you hear, “Preacher! We brought you a mess of peanuts,” don’t panic. That’s actually the good ones.

4) No. All of your deacons are not pig farmers. When they gather together each Sunday and talk about their Bush Hogs, they are referring to machinery. A bush hog is not actually a pig, but an extra large mowing device.

5) In South Georgia there is this terrible thing known as “Oyster Stew.” DO NOT BE FOOLED! You will be told it is a tradition. You will be told it is comfort food. You will be told it is delicious. The fact is that it is the equivalent of boiled snot served in that congealed liquid from a can of Vienna sausages. If you are offered oyster stew you must act quickly. Feign a ruptured appendix. Lie on the floor and twitch your right leg and cry out, “Myrtle!” Keep this up until the ambulance arrives. Once you are cleared of the scene, have the EMT’s drop you off at the nearest Texas Roadhouse.

Betty Crocker And Jesus: The Secret Is In The Mix

2011-10-04T15:01:00.002-04:00

The story goes that back in the 50’s, Betty Crocker began to sell cake mixes in the now famous red box. They developed a mix that only required someone to add water and bake. Apparently, it bombed. No one bought this easy-to-use mix. So the company did some market research, and found out that people didn’t buy the cake mix because it seemed too easy. Surely something that just takes water, consumers reasoned, would be dry and tasteless. Also, researchers discovered that people wanted to feel like they had to play their part to make the cake “homemade.” So, armed with this knowledge, Betty Crocker changed the formula to require that an egg and oil be added in addition to the water. And, you guessed it — it was a huge success! As Paul Harvey would say…The rest is history. No, wait…Paul Harvey would say, That was the rest of the story. Right? Hmmmmm??? Anyway…

My take is that many people think that way about our relationship with the Lord—that our relationship with God works like that second cake mix. God does most of the work, but we have to do our part and then we can know that we’re right with Him. The process of salvation is just too dang simple for some people. “Just Add Jesus” makes us uncomfortable. We need to add two freshly cracked good deeds and a ¼ cup of our own sanctification, and then the mix will come out OK. Otherwise, we’re afraid it just won’t work.

But the truth is that the secret is in the simplicity. No works. No deeds. No religion. No rituals. Just add Jesus. Over a billion satisfied customers later, the process still works. Just ask the Philippian jailer. He asked Paul, “What must I do to be saved?” There you go. “What must I DO to be saved?”
Paul gave him the simple secret of a successful mix; “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.” Acts 16:31 (NKJV) emphasis mine.

Camel Stew, Anyone?

2011-09-29T14:32:00.005-04:00

How about this from my daily reading from the Old Testament…

Among the animals, whatever divides the hoof, having cloven hooves and chewing the cud—that you may eat. ⁴ Nevertheless these you shall not eat among those that chew the cud or those that have cloven hooves: the camel, because it chews the cud but does not have cloven hooves, is unclean to you. Leviticus 11:3-5 (NKJV)

*********sigh*************

I so wanted my OT passage today to be like, oh, I don’t know, Psalm 40 maybe?!

LORD, be pleased to deliver me; hurry to help me, LORD. Let those who seek to take my life be disgraced and confounded. Let those who wish me harm be driven back and humiliated. Let those who say to me, "Aha, aha!" be horrified because of their shame. Psalm 40:13-15 (HCSB)

Or Psalm 34…

Oppose my opponents, LORD; fight those who fight me. 2 Take Your shields—large and small—and come to my aid. 3 Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers, and assure me: "I am your deliverance." Psalm 35:1-3 (HCSB)

Nope. I’m in Leviticus.

How does one apply this passage? If I told my folks that they couldn’t eat camel, I doubt I would hear, “Preach, Preacher! Preach!” (I would most likely hear, “Thank you, Jesus!”) And while I have told a few of them to stop smoking Camels, I’ve never told any of them to not eat them. But the Bible says of itself that all Scripture is given for instruction. Hmmmmmmmm

Well, let’s think about this. God didn’t really tell us WHY we couldn’t eat camels. I mean, the fact it has hooves and chews cud is kind of like the “don’t put milk in your meat” thing. Basically, I would say, God wants us to do what He tells us to, even when He doesn’t explain it. We’ve all either heard or said, “Because I said so!” If we are allowed that parental proclivity, so is the Father.

Actually, although the passage doesn’t inherently say this, God didn’t want them to eat these animals because their neighbors did. If the Jews didn’t eat camel, it made it harder for them to fellowship with the pagans next door. Sort of a way to keep them from being influenced by the Baal worshipers in town. It’s a sure sign of danger ahead when the new bride can’t cook camel the way mama did. So the pagan boys might shy away from the Jewess who couldn’t cook a pork chop to save her life.

Well, if nothing else at least I have a new appreciation for the local grocery store’s meat case. We may have chicken feet in Camden, but not camel hump.

Baptism

2011-09-25T13:18:00.002-04:00

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Baptism today. Here are a few pics.

I need to get our baptism pictures updated. (Note to self; get pictures.)

Patty took these from the front pew.

Jesus, Paul Simon, And Mr. Popular

2011-09-25T08:16:00.001-04:00

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Jesus told a parable about a father and his two sons. No. Not that one. I’ll preach about that family in Luke 15 in a few weeks. (I’ll try to get those on the sermon player at the bottom of this blog later.) I’m talking about the father who asked his two sons to go and work in his field. Listen to Jesus.

“But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’ 29 He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. 30 Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said to Him, “The first.”
Jesus said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him.

Jesus tells us a simple story about a man with two sons who asked them to work in his vineyard. The first told his father to go jump in the lake. He absolutely would not waste his time working in a vineyard. The second promised to hustle right over and find the foreman for his assignment. The first regretted his harsh words almost immediately. And he went to the field and found the foreman, punched his time card and put in a sweaty day tending grapes. The second, and presumably younger son, did not show up. We might say he laid-out and went and played TRON with his homeys down at the Video Shack.

Jesus asks his audience which son actually did the will of the father. The unanimous response was the older son, who actually went to work. Jesus then chided the religious elite in the crowd and told them in essence, it’s not how you start, but how you finish.

We don’t know what happened to the younger son. Maybe he got distracted. Maybe he lost his way. Maybe someone attacked him. Maybe someone shot at him. Maybe he got hurt.
I’ve been at this ministry thing for a long time and I’ve been shot at few times, sometimes the Devil is actually the one pulling the trigger! Sometimes we get hurt, lost, distracted. We start off strong. We say to the Father, “I will go.” And we never really fulfill the will of the Father, because things come along. I mean, a 1/3 of the angels started off good, but ended up bad. If the angels can mess up--so can we.
It happens to many believers. It happened to Paul’s apprentice Demas. We don’t know what happened to Demas. He is mentioned three times. Paul calls him Demas my faithful soldier in Philemon, then he reports that Demas is with him in Colossians, and lastly, to Timothy, he says that Demas has forsaken him. We don’t know what made Demas start off so strong and flitter out at the end. Maybe it had to do with the fact that his name means “popular” in the Greek. Who knows. I do know that Gal 5:7 is one of the saddest verses in the whole Bible. Paul writes, ” You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?”

I don’t want my last days to be more bleak than my beginning. And as a pastor, I don’t want any of my flock falling away or forsaking their strong start with years of complacency. I have seen it of course. And so I know the hurt that Paul had in his heart writing of Mr. Popular’s desertion.

If you are my age or older you might remember these words from Paul Simon.

You Just slip out the back, Jack
Make a new plan, Stan
You don't need to be coy, Roy
Just get yourself free
Hop on the bus, Gus
You don't need to discuss much
Just drop off the key, Lee
And get yourself free

Yes, I guess there are Fifty Ways To Leave Your Lover

Patty and I are working hard on 21 years. And I have no plans of leaving her or letting her go out the back. Jack.

But as a pastor, I have seen and experienced many hurtful things.
I was there when Jack, slipped out the back.
I have seen Stan make a new plan.
I’ve heard Roy be coy along with Gus, discussing much in the church parking lot.
I’ve had Lee, trying to break free of his obligations at home and church, drop of his keys.

I’ve seen many start so strong, only to end up getting tripped up. See, there is more than one way to get tripped up, to stumble, and to get lost. Speaking of Luke 15, sheep wander--coins roll away--sons rebel. But do you know how to tell that a sheep is a sheep and not a goat? A goat is happy being lost, but a sheep is miserable.

If you’re miserable today—as you read this, if the only joy in your life is a dish-washing detergent, maybe you’ve left your first lover. Revelation 3 says the church at Ephesus left its first love. They did not lose it. They LEFT their lover.

Yes, there is at least Fifty Ways To Leave Your Lover, probably more. But there is only one way to get back. The older son did the will of the Father. Won’t you ask Him to reveal His will to you today?

The Father stands on the front porch of heaven and cries out, “Come home, little one. And all will be well.”

Technology

2011-09-23T11:24:00.000-04:00

I love little gadgets that have no real purpose other than being cool. (Or scary, as the case may be.)

Take for instance the Live World feature of my blog. Scroll down about half way and you should see a revolving globe on the left side.

It should be showing...YOU!

Where are you? Or at least, where is your Internet port connecting from?

Remember, I'm watching you. lol-out-loud!

Note To The NFL; Stop Whining And Start Working

2011-09-22T09:37:00.000-04:00

The big controversy this week in football has been fake injuries. Fake hand-offs, fake punts, and fake field goals are a part of the game, but faking injury is actually dangerous. Here’s why, in my humble but actuate opinion.

The NFL will be forced into rule changes because of the practice of faking injury to stop the clock. So the most prevalent idea is to make the “injured” player set out the rest of the series or quarter. But this WILL lead to some players not reporting injuries or trying to cover them up so they won’t miss valuable playing time. Then they are more susceptible to further injury. The bottom line is, “If you want to score points by whining, join a European Soccer league!”

Whining has no place in football, and it has no place in the victorious Christian life either. Consider what Paul wrote to the church in Philippi:

But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

For years I’ve heard the above passage of Scripture used to justify telling people that they need to share the Gospel, no matter what their circumstances. That’s a great truth, just not the truth of Paul’s passage here. What Paul is telling us is that we need to stop asking God to change our situation or circumstances, and start praying that God would use the situation or circumstance that we are in to glorify Himself. If we will stop whining and start working, our faithfulness for Him during a crisis or down point in life will cause others to be strengthened and emboldened to fight the good fight.

Good News And Other Stuff

2011-09-21T18:01:00.001-04:00

Revival has been wonderful! Great, great preaching and wonderful music coupled with larger crowds each night have led me to call this one a success. Dearal Rodgers preaches tonight and I can’t-hardly-wait!

Baptism Sunday this morning. Between the revival and getting wet Sunday before I preach, we should have a great service this week. There is nothing finer than getting into that water. I really feel sorry for my Methodist brothers. A wet glove can’t conjure up that feeling.

Got some interesting news this week. You know—when we get down to nothing, God is up to something.

Got some interesting news this week, part deux. Happy and sad at the same time.

I just love being cryptic. More details soon.

New stuff up at sermon.net/beaverdam. The sermon player at the bottom MIGHT be working. It’s hit or miss.

sermon player

2011-09-20T14:35:00.000-04:00

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I guess the sermon player below is having trouble again.

If it doesn't load, you can try the link below.

Steve

http://sermon.net/Beaverdam

Mercy Drops From Heaven

2011-09-20T04:38:00.005-04:00

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Beaverdam Baptist Church has been holding Revival Services this week. We have heard some great preaching from Pastors Roy Broughman and Condy Richardson, and we are looking forward to Craigan Blankenship tonight and Dearal Rodgers tomorrow.

I preached Sunday morning from 2 Kings 4 about us being empty vessels that God could fill. We are blessed; but we still need the Lord. The man of God said to the widow that when one of the vessels got full, to set that vessel aside. The application is strong. When we get satisfied and are convinced that we have enough of God and are full of Him, then He sets us aside. Now I'm not questioning my Baptist heritage. I still believe in eternal security. I'm speaking about blessings not salvation.

The New Testament precedent would be the church at Laodicea. The church said, "We are rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing." Also notice that Jesus stood outside the door of that church. So when we come and cry out to God for more of Him, guess what? We get blessed. Sometimes that comes in the form of a little mercy drop from God. Sometimes it is as simple as a greeting card sent in the mail, the words of a small child, a great sermon that hits home, or even in a voicemail left on a forgotten cell phone. You hear God speak to you through those things, and know that all is still right in the universe.

I am blessed. But I need You Lord. I need more of You. May I never get so satisfied with my stuff, that I get satisfied with You.

Luke The Evangelists

2011-09-19T22:05:00.002-04:00

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Ask the average Christian to name THE evangelist, and they will most likely say Billy Graham. According to denomination, historical knowledge, cultural setting, or theological persuasion, they might say Joel Osteen, Benny Hinn, C.H. Spurgeon, or D.L. Moody. But…ask any seminary student the name of the Evangelists and you’ll surely get Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John as your answer. The original Evangelists, usually with a capital E, are the four Gospel writers. The word Evangel is old English for the Gospel of Christianity, hence the Evangelists are those who wrote that Gospel.

With the case of Luke, the book and name hold special affections for me. First of all, Luke’s telling of the Lord’s story is the first of my memories of the Christian faith. It would be most of ours if we were to think hard on it. My earliest memories are of my sisters teaching me to sing Away In A Manger. Naturally, that whole song is a culmination of the story in Luke 2. Secondly, it was the first Gospel I read in its entirety, as a twelve year old boy. This was not long after I saw Star Wars’ second installment, The Empire Strikes Back, and I thought, “Hey. Luke is in the Bible. Luke is in Star Wars.” The profundity of that thought does not escape me. Thus started my love affair with Luke.

The third reason would be the fact that my son is named Luke. (Hmm. Wonder why?) To me, the name Luke represents the personification of manhood, machismo and the essence of coolness. My Luke was named, by-the-way, more in reference to Cool Hand Luke, than the Luke of the Bible or Luke Skywalker. (Although there was certainly a strong influence from the Evangel and the Jedi.)

My son Luke was the most amazing kid, and is now the most amazing young man. Coming from the bias of all parents, he is the world’s greatest teenager. He is funny, witty, charming, a bit of a Casanova-ladies-man, and, naturally, one of the “popular kids” in High School.

But I believe it was an act of Divine providence that he shares the name of one of the Evangelist. Luke’s heart is that of an evangelist, and his spiritual giftedness is leading people to the Lord. Time after time, from a three year old to a high school freshman, he has come to his dad and told me about his “friend” at school that he has invited to church (most everyone he meets is a friend, hence the quotation marks. He, like Will Rogers, never met a stranger.) Said friend needs a ride, or his/her parents won’t let them come, or lo and behold, there they are on a Wednesday night or Sunday morning looking for their “friend” Luke who invited them. Sometimes they come looking for a meal, others for game time (an AWANA thing,) or occasionally just looking for something to do. But they all come looking for what people need most…someone to care enough to reach out, to be a friend, to say with the simplest of invitations, “I care about you. You are important to me”

As I write this, my eyes misting up with a sanctified pride, I can’t help but wonder…Church; if we were more Lukish, more Markish, more Matthewish, more Johnish, how many more people would come to church and feel like they are important to God, because they were important to His people? I can assure you, there wouldn’t be enough room to hold them.

Well, food for thought I guess.

And to my Boy I say: “Keep ‘em coming, son. There is room at the cross for them all!”

The Disciple's Pledge

2011-09-14T21:16:00.002-04:00

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I am a part of the Kingdom of God
I am a disciple of the King
By His grace I pledge my loyalty
I will not look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be silenced
My past is redeemed, my present is victorious, and my future is secure
I am through will low living, sight walking, smooth knees, and no vision
I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, or popularity
I do not have to be right, recognized, regarded, or rewarded
I live by faith in His word. , walk by His Spirit, and labor by His power
My face is set, and my step is steady,
The road is narrow, but my destination is sure
My companions are few, but my guide is reliable
My purpose is clear, my victory unquestioned
I will not be detoured or delayed
I will not be compromised, lured away, or turned back
I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice
Hesitate at the presence of adversity
Ponder at the pool of popularity
Meander in the maze of mediocrity, or
Negotiate at the table of the enemy
I will not give up, shut up, or let up
I want to be prayed up, and filled up until I am called up to heaven
Either at my death or His appearing
And when I see King Jesus
I want Him to be able to look at me and say
“He is My disciple.”

Sermon.net

2011-09-12T20:09:00.001-04:00

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Preached at The Gathering last night. We had a really good crowd, and all five churches were there, although Bethune Baptist's crowd was smaller. I'm sure it had to due to the fact there were several 9-11 events, including one in Bethune.

Hopefully I'll have some new stuff up at the Sermon.net site this week.

Meanwhile, the older stuff is still there if you haven't listened yet, check it out.

http://www.sermon.net/beaverdam

Priceless

2011-09-09T15:19:00.002-04:00

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Just when things look the darkest, God send a little mercy drop of laughter to brighten your day.

Going into this weekend's game against SC, I needed this.

Thanks, Steveo.

Saved by The Bell

2011-09-08T12:29:00.003-04:00

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Last night Stacy Broughman led a class at the church she called Saved by The Bell. The youth and our youth leaders really enjoyed the talk. It centers on the rights students have in sharing their faith at public schools.

Stacy is the wife of Roy Broughman, pastor at Shamrock Baptist Church. If you are in or around Columbia/Camden SC area, I would suggest asking her to come and speak at your church.

The youth loved it...of course, it helps to have pizza and Little Debbies!

Quick Update

2011-09-06T09:10:00.001-04:00

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It's been an interesting few weeks. Here are some quick updates:

Passed 14k visitors about 2 weeks ago. Thanks again for bothering to read. Many, many folks are still reading the book review on Heaven Is For Real. Go figure.

Great couple of weeks at church. The Adversary is sniffing around BDBC again, but that's OK. It just means that God is moving also.

Start classes again this week. That break was waaaaay to short, but it's the price to pay for those two little letters. d. r. It's funny because there is no way I would ever want to be called anything but "Preacher" or just "Steve". The High Potentate, Doctor Reverend, Exalted Pastor Leigh is a little over the top. I didn't like "Brother Steve" in KY and didn't care much for "Preacher" when I moved here. But Preacher has grown on me. Especially when the kids call me that. "Hey Pweacher." "Good moaning, Pweacher." too cute. Or Maddie (5 years old), who like me loves Cracker Barrel brand cheese. I gave her some one day on a youth trip and now she always asks her mom for "Preacher Cheese." hmm, now that I think about it, I wonder if she wants extra sharp cheddar or more of my jokes.

Patty is pursuing her EdS, so add that to the Lupus, work, and mom duties. I am praying that she can handle it without getting too stressed.

Georgia football is back. Need I say more. The only thing more embarrassing than that game against Boise would be the Power Ranger uniforms. I am a traditionalist. I did/do like the black unies, for special occasion only, and the new helmets were tre' cool, but please Coach, never. ever. EVER! wear those red pajama pants again!

The Second Greatest Steve Spurrier Joke Ever

2011-08-30T13:40:00.000-04:00

Steve Spurrier comes into the locker room before practice and says to his star receiver, "You’re failing math. If you don’t want to become academically ineligible you’ll have to answer these math questions correctly."

The star receiver agrees and Spurrier asks him "What does 4 plus 4 equal?”
"Eleven” says the athlete. The rest of the team pleads, “give him another chance! give him another chance!”
Spurrier then asks, "What does 2 plus 2 equal?" and the receiver says "Four". The rest of the team yells give him another chance! give him another chance!”

Go You Silver Britches!

2011-08-30T09:25:00.001-04:00

4 days, 10 hours and thirty-five minutes!

How 'bout them dawgs!?

Why God Won’t Go Away

2011-08-29T10:08:00.002-04:00

Atheism is certainly nothing new. In fact, many first century Christians were accused of being atheists because they stopped believing in the pantheistic system of many gods of their culture. The beginning of atheism being the main stream thought in Western Culture began as a philosophic outpouring of the industrial age. The so-called Modern man was too rational and too logical to be bogged down with the superstitious subjects of faith and religion. This full blown cultural shift was brought to bear populously by the Scopes “Monkey” trial and seen its culmination culturally in the Ữber logical Mr. Spock on TV’s Star Trek.

But a cultural shift only lasts so long before it begins to be overrun by the next philosophical upheaval. Modernity was rapidly replaced by post-modernism and the “end of reason” crowd soon told us that “what’s good for you is good for you, and what’s good for me is good for me.” Along with this came a renewed interest in all things spiritual. Not necessarily the religion of your grandparents, but absolutely not the stagnant, cold, unbelieving rationality of your parents either. Gen X began to seek after a new spirituality that was zen and created fung shui.

Coming out of this new postmodern, all things go, mentality, the clerics of atheism began a new atheistic movement, dubbed unoriginally as “New Atheism.” Targeting not just the illogicality of religion, but taking a much nastier turn than the live and let live of old, new atheism pompously touts itself as the only kid on the block. Men such as Richard Dawkins (the scientist, not to be confused with Newkirk on Hogan’s Heroes), Christopher Hitchens, and Sam Harris do battle with the likes of Ravi Zacharias, Alister McGrath, and William Lane Craig, three of the brightest minds in Christian Apologetics.

McGrath’s Book, Why God Won’t Go Away, answers these critics from New Atheism and delivers a resounding blow to an anti-religion fad that is on its way to the junk piles of history. The book would be suitable for someone that is above average in their knowledge of apologetics, but it is really designed for the individual with an even higher understanding than that. Not recommended as casual reading or for the causal theologian…unless you’re suffering from insomnia. But for the pastor or serious Bible student, this would come as highly recommended.

Trust And Obey

2011-08-28T00:05:00.000-04:00

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An eighty year old man had never flown on an airplane. Finally, he worked up the courage to buy a ticket. He flew on a round trip to New York. When he got back his kids asked him how things went. He said, “Well, it was fine. But to tell you the truth, I never really put all my weight on it.”

Many of us do the same thing…spiritually. We claim that we place all of our confidence on God, but we never really put our full weight on Him. We find other things to put our trust in: money, relationships, stuff. Oh, here’s a good one. Many people place their trust in religion. They believe that religion can save them. I once asked a man if he was a Christian. He said, “I grew up in a Christian home.” I said, “Being born in a Christian home no more makes you a Christian than being born in a doughnut shop makes you a cop.” Religion doesn’t save us. Rituals and Rites don’t bring us closer to God,

So only place your trust in one thing. God Himself. Put the full weight of your confidence in the One that deserves your trust. David said, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.” Amen David.

Help Wanted: A Witness

2011-08-27T00:12:00.003-04:00

In Revelation 11 we read about the Two Witnesses.

I wonder....hmmmm............................................................................

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I wonder if God is accepting applications for one of these 2 positions? I could do this job. I would love the benefits.

The Bible says that if any one tries to stop them when they preach, fire comes out of their mouths and devours that person.

This could come in handy.

“Preacher, we wish you wouldn’t preach past 12 o’clock.” Psssssst.

“Preacher, we can’t find any one to teach the seventh grade boys class.” Psssssst.
“Preacher, what in the world were you thinking preaching on tithing? Talking money and sin from the pulpit is a sure-fired way of running people off.” Psssssst.
“Preacher, I make a motion that we paint the baptistery purple & orange with a Tiger Paw in the front.” Psssssst.
“Preacher, the Constitution and By-law says tha” Psssssst.

Also, the Bible says that they could keep it from raining for as long as they wanted. They could turn the water into blood. And, they could cause plagues to strike the earth as often as they want.

Well, maybe I’d better leave this to the experts. I wouldn’t want to accidently start a swine flu epidemic because I overheard someone gossiping in the church parking lot about a fellow member.

Boise State And Underwhelming Football

2011-08-26T23:37:00.002-04:00

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So there has been much discussion about the UGA v Boise State game. No doubt BSU has a great team. I would never consider them overrated; I learned that lesson watching the Football Kick-Off Classic last year. (You know the old joke about a Hookie being a castrated rooster???) The problem that Boise State fans don’t seem to get is that their team may be good, but their competition is not. All this talk about a BCS Championship game appearance is way over the top. Let’s say for arguments sake that BSU defeats UGA. All we will hear from Boise fans will be how they beat a SEC team and how that validates their contention for a BCS birth. But they should not get ahead of themselves.

First of all, as a lifelong, died in the wool, red-blooded, silver britches wearing, Bulldawg fan; let me be the one who says that UGA is not a stand-out SEC team this year (or for the last several, honestly.) Defeating the Bulldogs would be a good notch in their belt, but considering the SEC East Champion Gamecocks were ranked sixth in the conference, beating UGA does not equal being considered a first tier team—or deserving a BCS Championship spot.

BSU fans, it’s time to come down to earth and do a reality check. Yes, your first and last game of the season is always against a high level team and you perform admirably. The reason is because you don’t have the grueling week in and week out schedule. I know you are tied to your conference and I applaud you for scheduling anyone and everyone that will play you. But when the season is over, you will have played no ranked teams. (Maybe one…if TCU is still ranked.) South Carolina will have played five, Georgia will have played five, Alabama will have played seven, Auburn seven, and LSU seven. When Alabama and LSU play each other BSU will play UNLV. When USC plays Auburn, BSU plays Nevada. When UGA plays UF, Boise will be in a bye week coming off Air Force. And when the SEC Championship game has the two best SEC teams knocking each other off again, Boise will be starting to prep for their January bowl game.

Sorry Boise. Playing two ranked teams does not qualify you to jump a one loss SEC, PAC 12, or Big Twelve team. It just doesn’t.

College Will Not Play Nation Anthem Due To Violent Content

2011-08-26T17:42:00.003-04:00

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C'mon man #6

So Goshen College has told us that they will no longer play the Nation Anthem at NCAA home games because the content is too violent. According to college president James E. Brenneman, the song is incongruent with the Mennonite philosophy of passivism, and therefore; they are switching to America the Beautiful instead.

C'mon man! part 1...

Major League baseball has long held that God Bless America could be played in lieu of the Star Spangled Banner. (Not to be confused with Lee Greenwood's God Bless the USA. Kate Smith's lyrics here.) So no prob with switching songs------but because it is TOO VIOLENT!?!?!?!!? Have you ever heard the last stanza of America the Beautiful?

O beautiful for glory-tale
Of liberating strife
When once and twice,
for man's avail
Men lavished precious life!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till selfish gain no longer stain
The banner of the free!

Oh, yeah...the violent content that is so offensive to Mennonite ears??? "The rockets' red glare; the bombs bursting in air" I kid you not. Oh my lord, I need to duct tape my head before it explodes!

C'mon man! part 2

あなたがこれを読み取ることができない場合...その後アメリカの暴力的な過去をありがとう！

Google translate HERE

New Post At Biblical Turbulence

2011-08-22T15:19:00.000-04:00

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A New Post is avaiable at Biblical Turbulence on Divorce and Remarriage.....................

HERE

Presidential

2011-08-19T07:10:00.002-04:00

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OK boys and girls, our word for today is Presidential.

Presidential [prez-i-den-shuhl]: of or pertaining to a president or presidency; or of the nature of a president or to seem president like. via Old French from Late Latin praesidens

Hmmm. Which one of these guys should be under that definition??????????

C'mon, Mr. President, man!
That's a girls bike! What'er you?! Steve Urkel!? All that's missing are streamers from the handle bars and a "ring, ring" bell.

Look at Perry. Red power tie. Hand in pocket. Leg propped. A man's man. Kinda like the Dos Equis guy.

Stick A Fork In Me….

2011-08-16T15:01:00.002-04:00

I’m done! Another semester down! When I graduated from THE Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, I knew that I would eventually pursue a D-Min. (Well, I thought more like a PhD, buttttt… A Doctor of Ministry it is.)

Another semester down, another semester closer to May 2013 and the ultimate “stick-a-fork-in-me." When that day comes, you won’t have to read a post; you’ll hear me woot wooting where ever you are!

In other news, Luke starts school tomorrow as a Sophomore. My baby-boy. Wow! 2014 will be here sooner that May 2013 I think! I am actually ready to be an Empty Nester. Patty and I have never had that and I’m looking forward to traveling a little more, which we could do with just two of us.

I am rapidly approaching 14k hits. Yeah, baby! Spread the word, people. Hit that share button thingy on your FaceBook. I mean, who wouldn’t want to read this stuff?! Plus, the sooner I get to 14k hits a day, the sooner I can start making some money on this thing! Then the traveling can start much sooner. KIDDING! I’m just kidding! Sheez. [It’d take at least a 100k a day to make any real money, anyway!] ha?

Patty is back at work and starting classes for her EdS. (Similar to a D-Min for teachers. It's an Education Specialist for you unrefined folks.) Some states call it 30+; meaning 30 hours over a Masters degree. But it is the same class work as an EdD, just no dissertation either. So we’re both in school together. Again. Oh well. At least this time when we’re done, there’s not much else to pursue.

Unless I finish that MBA……

Marriage For Dummies: Making It Work God’s Way

2011-08-14T09:24:00.003-04:00

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One of my classes for this summer is an advanced class on Biblical Counseling. So we had to “pretend” to write a sermon outline for Ephesians 5:21-33 and then define male headship and wifely submission. So here’s my stab at it:

Marriage For Dummies: Making It Work God’s Way

I. The Role Of Submission

Submission; Not Subservience (Just as Jesus was submissive to the Father, but ever equal with the Father, so the wife should submit to the husband, but remains equal)

21 Submitting to one another in the fear of God. 22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.

II. The Rule Of Sanctification

Servant-Leadership; Following The Savior’s Example

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

III. The Responsibility Of Sacrifice

Sacrificial Love; Leading By Loving (Christ’s love for the church was so great He was willing to die for her. So husbands should put the welfare of wife and family first.)

28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."

IV. The Reciprocity Of Selflessness

Shared Respect; Seeing Christ IN Each Other

32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

"male headship": The husband is ordained by God to be the spiritual leader of the house and family. While it is possible for him to delegate authority to his wife, i.e. paying bills, disciplining the children, etc., he cannot delegate the responsibility. Ultimately, God holds the man responsible for the happiness and spiritual well being of the family.

"female submission" Submission should not be confused with subservience. The wife is to submit to her husband’s decisions, especially on matters that are spiritual in nature. She has a voice and should support her husband by freely advising him as a partner in the marriage and parenting. Ultimately; however, she should support her husband’s decisions.

Yep! That'd preach!

Pastor Tased; Woman Stabbed, Minister of Music On The Run!

2011-08-12T07:22:00.002-04:00

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C'mon Man! #4

The minister of music at New Welcome Baptist Church in St Elmo, Alabama tasered the pastor after the services Sunday. The pastor fired the song-guy and when he handed him his last check...ZZZZZAP! It was downhill from there.

A fight broke out, eventually leading a deacon to stab the song guy's mother in the arm with a pocket knife. This is what happens when you have women deacons! (I'm just saying, I'm just saying!) Arrest warrents have been issued for the song guy and deacon. Talk about the need for some Zen-Calvinism

C'mon Man!

The Devil Didn't Make Me Do That

2011-08-11T13:37:00.002-04:00

A woman once bought a dress that cost $500. She was very concerned about what her husband might say about the extravagance of her purchase. When he came home she showed him how well the dress fit, how the color brought out her eyes, and generally how good she thought she looked in the dress. The then bombshell—$500 bucks! “How in the world could you do something so rash?” he asked. “Well; the Devil made me do it!” she shot back. “Then you should have told him, ‘Get thee behind me, Satan!’” he said. “Well I did.” She told her husband. “And he said, ‘uuuuu-we! It looks good from back here, too!’”

I never ceased to be amazed at the laughs I get from that one every time I tell it. But it does bring up a good point, and that is that many times we Believers want to blame the Devil for every ill fated thing that comes our way. It just isn’t so. In fact, honestly, the Devil probably has a lot less to do with your sin and mine than we would be comfortable admitting to. I have had people confide in me that Satan is responsible for everything from their hay fever allergies to their infidelity. They might pray against the demons of headaches, falling stock prices, and rage, but they will rarely seek to find out if their problems are based on their own sinful nature instead of the Devil's fiery darts.

Adrian Rogers tells about a boy who called his sister a bad word, hit her with a broomstick, and spat on her. His horrified mother snatched him up and gave him a spanking, telling him that the Devil made him do those things. The boy tearfully replied, “The Devil may have made me curse at her and hit her, but spitting on her was all my idea!” That boy had a sound theology.

There are actually three things that cause us to sin; the world, the flesh and the Devil. The world is what the Bible calls the system of this age. It is found in places like 1 John 2:15, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” The word for world there is cosmos and it means "a system." The problem is not that the world (or the system) is evil. Just that the world can cause you to be so busy, that you squeeze out God and place things in the system ahead of God. That's idolatry! The second is the flesh. Not your skin, but the temptations that are inherent to mankind. See Galatians 5:19-21. This is simply us yielding to something that we know we shouldn’t do; like lie, steal, or cheat. Have you thought about the fact that we don’t have to teach our children to lie? It just comes natural, because we are fleshly. The last cause of sin is the Devil. But mostly he is there to provide us the tools to do what we would naturally do anyway. Like that boy, spitting is our own idea. In actuality, if the Devil disappeared tomorrow you'd keep right on sinning.

How do we get victory? 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” Trust in God. Suite up with the whole armor of God. And tell the Devil to pound sand. You have victory in Jesus.

What? Me Worry?

2011-08-11T09:25:00.001-04:00

To borrow a phrase from Sheriff Buford T. Justice, “What da *Heck* is da world com’n to?!”

First, as college football season closes in, we have the bizarre new world we must contend with. A PAC 12? Or, try this one on for size, the Big Ten has 12 teams and the Big 12 has 10 teams! Reports of Clemson coming to the SEC East and Texas A&M to the SEC West!!!!

Madness! Shear madness!

OK, if that’s wasn’t bad enough, news reports are touting the possibility of Bert and Ernie getting married on Sesame Street. Sesame Workshop, the owners of the characters and show say Bert and Ernie are simply “best friends.” For now.

China has an aircraft carrier so they can spread intimidation globally and the roller coaster ride of the stock market gives new meaning to the term Scream Machine. It’s a sorry world. What’s next? Cats living with dogs, water running uphill, an honest politician?!

Well there is one thing that is sure, steady, and reliable.

The Word says,

The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies. Psalm 18:2-3 (NKJV)

What!? Me worry? Nope; the Lord is my Rock!

The POTUS Is My Shepherd

2011-08-10T15:41:00.000-04:00

The POTUS is my Shepherd,

I am in want.

He maketh me lie down on park benches,

He leadeth me beside still factories,

He disturbeth my soul.

Yea, though I walk through I walk through the valley of recession,

I anticipate no recovery;

For he is with me,

His tax and health plan, they discomfort me.

He prepareth a reduction in my salary in the presence of my enemies

He anointeth my small dividends with great losses.

My expenses runneth over.

Surely unemployment and poverty shall be his legacy

All the days of his term.

And we shall dwell in a land mortgaged to China, forever.

Memory Lane And Chunky Steve

2011-08-10T14:50:00.000-04:00

So a friend sent me this picture today. ********sigh************

Makes Fat Pastor look mild by comparison.

Patty laughed and laughed when she saw that old Vaucluse Elementary picture. She said I was "chunky." Whatever that means. I though I was quite debonair. Check out those glasses on Miss Spradley! Some of the people in that picture I haven't seen in over 30 years yet I knew their names on sight and remembered every thing that was important to a fifth grader in 1979. I might not remember what I preached last month, but I'll never forget these kids from the final class of Vaucluse Elementary School!

Go Rocks!

(Of course, I could use some photo shop guru to shave about 15lbs off me or work in this picture of me in my Navy days.)

The Parable Of Practical Atheism

2011-08-09T15:48:00.001-04:00

The first parable in the Bible was not told by Jesus. It was told by Jotham, the son of Gideon and brother of Abimelech. It is found in Judges 9 and concern’s the treachery of Abimelech and the men of Shechem.

“The trees once went forth to anoint a king over them. And they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us!’But the olive tree said to them, ‘Should I cease giving my oil, with which they honor God and men, and go to sway over trees?’ “Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come and reign over us!’ But the fig tree said to them, ‘Should I cease my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to sway over trees?’ “Then the trees said to the vine, ‘You come and reign over us!’ But the vine said to them, ‘Should I cease my new wine, which cheers both God and men, and go to sway over trees?’ “Then all the trees said to the bramble, ‘You come and reign over us!’ And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in truth you anoint me as king over you, then come and take shelter in my shade; but if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon!’ Judges 9:8-15 (NKJV)

Here's the story in a nutshell:

Abimelech was Gideon's son through a concubine that lived in Shechem. His name means son of the king and I have a feeling that he took his name to heart! After Gideon died, Abimelech killed 69 of Gideon's 71 sons (leaving, of course, himself and one other; Jotham who had escaped) and set himself up as king. All of this was done with the help of the men of Shechem. When Jotham heard about his half-brother's treachery, he called on the men of Shechem and told them the above parable. Basically he said to them, "Why would you bunch of "trees" submit to a thorn bush (bramble)? You're bigger, better, more powerful, and more spiritual than this guy. You know that God is our only King." He then predicted that the men of Shechem and Abimelech would burn each other up, which they did.

The problem really started with the practical atheism of the men of Shechem. What do I mean by practical atheism? Simple. That means that even though a person gives lip service to the fact that God exists, they live their lives as if He doesn't. They will say, “We believe in God.” Then they won’t go to church, acknowledge His Sovereignty in their lives, curse His name, and refuse to give Him glory. They claim to be Believers, but they live practically like they were atheists.

The men of Shechem claimed that they believed in God, but they dishonored Him by making Abimelech king. They said that Jehovah was their God, but they built a temple to Baal. They said what was politically expedient, but they lived whichever way made life easy.

Hmmmm. How many of us fall into the same trap?
We claim a devotion to God, but do we live as practical atheists?
Do we care more about our trips to the Lake on Sunday?
Do we tithe as though we believe that Malachi 3:8 is in the Bible, or do we just say we believe it and keep our first fruits?
Here’s one for you…Do we believe in the sanctity if human life, or do we just give lip service and vote pro-choice candidates into office because, after all; “It’s the economy, stupid preacher?"

It’s not the economy. Hey, my stocks have taken the same hit as yours. The question is, do we send Mr. Brambles to Washington, or will we send those who take a stand for what is right, no matter the cost? Will we live openly for God? Or will we just live like practical atheists?

Twice Lost; Always Lost

2011-08-05T13:24:00.005-04:00

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The doctrine of perseverance is about as Baptist as they come. I knew nothing of particular redemption (Ephesians 1:3-6), predestination (Romans 8:29-30), or preeminence (Colossians 1:18 ), when I was a boy, but bless God I knew all about the doctrine of perseverance.

Of course I wouldn't have known to call it perseverance. To me it was simply known as, "Once saved; always saved."

When I got older, people started telling me that you could actually lose your salvation. Some said, "Just sin one time and 'zap'; you're back on your way to Hell." Others said, "Oh no, no, no! You have to mess up big-time for God to send you to Hell." All the while I'm thinking that must be a miserable way to live. Always looking over your shoulder like that. Viewing God as this Big, Cosmic Meanie with a switch waiting eagerly for you to botch it up again.

So, being that I am so withdrawn and innocent and all, I would ask them politely and with no malice, how they could be such meatheads and think about God in that way. Now there were always Scriptural "proofs" that were offered to verify their points. Always taken out of context or viewed 180* out-of-phase from what the authors intended. There are certainly too many to mention in one post, but here are two of the biggies:

Mark 13:13; And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. (KJV)

The critic says, "Aha. See. You have to endure to the end in order to be saved." But he is looking at it completely backwards. Those who endure (Hupomeno: to preserve: under misfortunes and trials to hold fast to one's faith) to the end (Telos: always of the end of some act or state, but not of the end of a period of time) the same (Houtos: literally; this man) is saved. (Sozo: to deliver from the penalties of the Messianic judgment) The "shall be" in the King James is not in the Greek manuscripts. It was added by the translators to smooth out the transition from Greek to English. This clause can be rendered, as I have done, with the verb "is" or as the translators of the NASB have done with the clause "will be."

The literal word-for-word Greek is: And be hated of all for my sake * : but endure unto end, same saved .

Here is that same passage in the King Steve Version:

Those who hold fast to the end of their state is the saved man.

Or, put in another order, "those who are saved will endure to the end." I'm not saved because I endure until the end; I will endure to the end precisely because I am saved!

Then there is Hebrews 6. The detractors of perseverance absolutely love Hebrews 6. Hebrews 6. Hebrews 6. Hebrews 6. Lord have mercy, that's all I hear in this debate from Armenians is Hebrews 6. Show them any passage that relates to perseverance and they'll inevitably go to Hebrews 6. Well let's quickly look at that.

For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. Hebrews 6:4-6 (NKJV)

The best part about this passage when speaking to an Armenian is the point blank rejection of being able to lose your salvation. First of all, the writer tells us from the beginning that he is speaking of impossibilities. But even beyond that, even if the Armenian is correct and you COULD lose your salvation, this verse plainly says that you couldn't be saved again!

Get this down: Your only choice is Once Saved; Always Saved; or Twice Lost; Always Lost. See it there? If they fall away...it is impossible...to renew them again to repentance! Why? Because the writer of Hebrews will tell us shortly that, "Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many," (9:28) and Peter said, "For Christ also suffered once for sins." (1 Peter 3:18) He says that if you lose your salvation, the only way to get it back is for Jesus to die on the cross again. That's absurd! Which is his point. For IT. IS. IMPOSSIBLE.

"So Hotshot, what is he talking about, then?" you ask. In this passage he is describing people who have tasted the heavenly gift, but not bought it. To borrow an illustration from Adrian Rogers, let's say you go to Kroger and they have those little cheese cubes out for you to sample. You grab one and it just melts in your mouth and you say, "That's the BEST cheese I've ever had. Give me a couple of pounds and wrap it up." And you take your package up to the register and the girl rings it up and says, "$25 please." After you stuff your eyeballs back in your skull, you tell her "No thank you. Why, there is no way I'd pay $12.50 a pound for cheese." You tasted it. It was heavenly. You liked the way it smelled, the texture, the sensation, and how it rolled on your tongue. But when it came down to brass tacks, you were unwilling to pay the cost. That's what he means here. (Read more about the passage from John MacArthur HERE.)

The real proof text, though, comes from Romans 8. Here Paul lays it out so succinctly that it defies argument. Once you are saved, ya stay that way.

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 838-39 (NKJV)

Nothing, and he means nothing, can separate us from God. Not even ourselves. Why, you ask? It's because of what the perseverance is in. Or, better stated...Who the perseverance is in. Notice I never called this the Perseverance of the Saints. That is because it is not. I can't persevere. And neither can you. Old Jacobus Arminius got that part right. We continue to fail, to fall short, and not meet God's standards. That is why this doctrine is the Perseverance of the Savior. He preserves us. Listen again to the last part of vs 39... (Nothing can) separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. Did you see it this time? The love of God which is in...Jesus. The salvation is not in me. The perseverance is not in me. It's all in Him. "I am putting you in the Father's hand," Jesus tells us, "and nothing can take you out of the Father's hand." Death can't. Life can't. Good angels can't. Demons can't. Nothing in your future can. Nothing from your past can. Nothing in heaven can. Nothing in Hell can. There is nothing that God has ever created that can, not even you. You are God's child now, and you will always be His child. What a wonderful way to live.

New Sermons

2011-08-04T10:54:00.000-04:00

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Three new messages are up at my Sermon.net site, or at the bottom of this page.

My Prime Rib

2011-08-04T09:57:00.000-04:00

I love Solomon. First of all, he was a hopeless romantic. Consider my favorite passage from the Song of Songs:

1 How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, you are beautiful! Your eyes behind your veil are like doves. Your hair is like a flock of goats streaming down Mount Gilead.

2 Your teeth are white like newly sheared sheep just coming from their bath. Each one has a twin, and none of them is missing.

3 Your lips are like red silk thread, and your mouth is lovely. Your cheeks behind your veil are like slices of a pomegranate.

4 Your neck is like David's tower, built with rows of stones. A thousand shields hang on its walls; each shield belongs to a strong soldier.

5 Your breasts are like two fawns, like twins of a gazelle, feeding among the lilies.

6 Until the day dawns and the shadows disappear, I will go to that mountain of myrrh and to that hill of incense.

7 My darling, everything about you is beautiful, and there is nothing at all wrong with you.

Solomon certainly loved him some Shulamite woman. Long neck and all. (After all, there is nothing wrong with her at all. And as a bonus, she has all of her teeth!)

But Solomon was also the wisest guy who ever lived. Combine the two and you have someone who really knows his stuff when it comes to romantic love. I also love the fact that Solomon was carnivorous!

Consider what he wrote in Proverbs 15:17;

A bowl of vegetables with someone you love is better than steak with someone you hate. (NLT)

Solomon knew that a vegetarian diet was lame-o. But he would rather eat his peas with Mrs. Solomon than have a Porterhouse with a business associate. Listen again, this time from the CEV;

A simple meal with love is better than a feast where there is hatred.

Solomon and I share something else in common. (I’ll let you decide if I mean wisdom, romanticism, or a love of red meat.) Obviously, I mean that we both have something that makes life worth living. And today marks year number 21. Twenty-one years of waking up next to my sweetie-pie, my snookie-lumps, my prime rib, my good thing.

And so, once again this August 4th, I give a little extra praise to God; for knowing the make-up of my DNA and for completing my life by giving to me the same gift He gave so long ago to Adam-- bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh, and an eternal mate for my soul.

Happy Anniversary Patty Dawn Anderson Leigh. You complete me.

Back To School Bash

2011-08-03T23:13:00.001-04:00

Tonight we had a back-to-school bash at church. What a great success! We had a great turn-out and the kids had an incredible time.

Our Men’s Ministry grilled hot dogs and made chili and I made baked beans.

We had games set up and then the kids lined up for school supplies. At the end we “raffled”off the remaining supplies. Each of the thirty or so kids got a ticket and we systematically called out each number. The younger ones really got a kick out of “winning.”

The line into the Fellowship Hall streeeeeetched out down the building. We had prepared for 50 so we had to run out and get more food. A BIG thanks to Trey at IGA for donating some last minute hot dogs and buns!

All I all, it was a great evening at Beaverdam!

Spiderman No More!

2011-08-03T00:53:00.004-04:00

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Spiderman No More!
C'Mon Man! #3

Why can't our superheroes be left alone. Why the insistence on making our comic book marvels politically correct? When DC made Green Lantern an African American, I didn't balk. In Brightest day and darkest night has nothing to do with skin color. If a black man is wearing the green tights, I've got no beef.

When Superman renounced his US Citizenship; however, I cried foul. There was no defensible plot line except playing to the overtly anti-American overseas audience. When Captain America was no longer called Captain America in places like Japan and Germany...well...OK. The Japs and Krauts get a pass on that one! I wouldn't go see a movie called Captain Viet Cong, either.

But making Spiderman a "half-black half-Hispanic" possibly gay, neurotic, teenager is just wayyyyyyy over the top. C'mon man!? If y'all want to kill off Peter Parker and replace him with a Hispanic Pedro Gonzales, I'm fine with that. Or, a Jewish Paul Horowitz. Knock youself out! But playing to the p/c stuff to that degree is simply insulting.

I stoped reading comic books when I was about 14-15. And my son doesn't read them for several reasons (mostly because he enjoys reading novels and the fact that I can't afford them. I'd have to mortgage the parsonage to keep him comic books.) But if I/we did, rest assured it wouldn't be any of that p/c crap.

I say again: C'mon man!

No, no! C'mon, Stan! For real!?

When It's Peach Picking Time In Georgia

2011-08-02T12:59:00.001-04:00

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I heard a story about a boy that used to climb down a tree near his bedroom window in order to escape punishment. One night he over heard his father tell his mother that he was going to cut down the tree, because it had stopped producing fruit. The panicked boy spent all night with a bushel of peaches and a tube of superglue, and the next morning the tree was full of peaches. He then listen for his father to come in with the morning paper and ran downstairs to the breakfast table to see if his plan had worked. Sure enough, the father said, “I can’t believe it, that old tree is full of peaches.” Then, looking right at his son, he exclaimed, “It’s a miracle!” Getting nervous, the boy said, “Why do you say that dad?” His father smiled and answered, “Because it’s a pear tree!”

The one thing about a tree...it is known by its fruit. A peach tree doesn’t grow cherries and a pear tree doesn’t grow apples. Fruit reflects the character of the Tree that produces it. Umm...and a Believer’s character is reflected by the fruit he produces. The Bible often refers to men as trees. (See Daniel 4) And Paul compares certain characteristics of the victorious Christian life with fruit:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Galations 5:22-23 (NKJV)

Makes some sense, uh? The Bible asks are we (God's fruit trees) producing love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self -control?

Do we focus on these nine “fruits?” Are they present in our life? Do we bear them all? Do we love, have joy, and are we at peace? Are we longsuffering? Are we kind, good, and faithful?Do we exhibit gentleness, and self -control?

Let us allow the Holy Spirit to fertilize our lives and till the fallow ground of our hearts so we will bear much of these fruits.

Food for thought.

True Wealth

2011-08-02T00:05:00.000-04:00

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I recently read an article about a pastor who was preaching in view of a call. As he got up to approach the pulpit, the chairman of the pulpit committee told him to notice an elderly lady sitting on the front row. She was dressed rather shabbily with several patched holes in her dress, and the leather of her shoes had begun to separate from the soles. The preacher later remarked about his distress for her, and wondered if she was in need of financial assistance.

Then the story was told. She and her husband were sheep farmers and lived in a small cabin and owned an old, but reliable truck. One day oil was discovered on their ranch. Contracts were signed and wells put up. However, before the first royalty checks arrived the husband died. Between her grief and timidity, the woman chased off the lawyers and never signed any additional papers. The wells continue to go up, and she continued to refuse the papers, and so the royalty checks kept amassing; never cashed. She was a millionaire on paper, but a pauper in existence.

Likewise, I am convinced that too many of us that call upon the name of Jesus live in want because we have chased away the Holy Spirit. It is not always intentional, but it is a reality. How do we grieve (chase away) the Spirit? Perhaps we are like the farmer's wife and we are too timid. The Bible says that we are not given a spirit of timidity, but of power, of love, and of self-discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7) Many believers don't accept what God has in store for them. Or, even sadder, they won't accept the challenge that God gives them.

The inverse is also true, however. Some seek position and prominence in the church. This also grieves the Spirit. The Lord does not like a haughty spirit, or one who is puffed up. In-other-words, full of themselves. (See Proverbs 6:17) When a Believer seeks prominence, instead of allowing God to call them to some task, they are running ahead of God. This comes through most obviously, to me anyway, in some men who have an "itch to preach." No, you have an itch to be scratched. If you stand before God's people to deliver God's words, you better make sure you have been called. Many good intentioned men have taken churches down roads of irreparable harm because they felt an itch, which could have been scratched by teaching a Sunday School class.

All in all, though, the basic idea is that we are missing out because we grieve the Spirit. I cannot help but think about so many Believers that are this way. Jesus said that we have not because we ask not. (Or that when we ask, it is of the wrong spirit.) We are millionaires in the heavenlies, yet we live like spiritual paupers on earth. That is the whole point of victorious Christian living. Instead of us feeling empty, and tired, and bankrupt, we should be freed to live like the victors that we are. Life will not always be easy; we will not always have our wants fulfilled; but we can be victorious in the life that we lead! If we will seek His will, His face, and suplant our desires with His.

Very Punny

2011-07-29T19:58:00.006-04:00

It is said that the ability to make and understand puns is considered to be the highest level of language development. Below are the 10 first place winners in the International Pun Contest.

1. A vulture boards an airplane, carrying two dead raccoons. The stewardess looks at him and says, "I'm sorry, sir, only one carrion allowed per passenger."

2. Atheism is a non-prophet organization.

3. Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly, so they lit a fire in the craft. Unsurprisingly it sank, proving once again that you can't have your kayak and heat it too.

4. Two hydrogen atoms meet. One says, "I've lost my electron." The other says, "Are you sure?" The first replies "Yes, I'm positive."

5. Did you hear about the Buddhist who refused Novocain during a root canal? His goal: transcend dental medication.

6. A group of chess enthusiasts checked into a hotel and were standing in the lobby discussing their recent tournament victories. After about an hour, the manager came out of the office and asked them to disperse. "But why?", they asked, as they moved off. "Because," he said, "I can't stand chess-nuts boasting in an open foyer."

7. A woman delivers a set of identical twins and decides to give them up for adoption. One of them goes to a family in Egypt and is named "Ahmal." The other goes to a family in Spain ; they name him "Juan." Years later, Juan sends a picture of himself to his birth mother. Upon receiving the picture, she tells her husband that she wishes she also had a picture of Ahmal. Her husband responds, "They're twins! If you've seen Juan, you've seen Ahmal."

8. A group of friars were behind on their belfry payments, so they opened up a small florist shop to raise funds. Since everyone liked to buy flowers from the men of God, a rival florist across town thought the competition was unfair. He asked the good fathers to close down, but they would not. He went back and begged the friars to close. They ignored him. So, the rival florist hired Hugh MacTaggart, the roughest and most vicious thug in town to "persuade" the friars to close. Hugh beat up the friars and trashed their store, saying he'd be back if they didn't close up shop. Terrified, they did so, thereby proving that only Hugh can prevent florist friars.

9. Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time, which produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate very little, which made him rather frail and, with his odd diet, he suffered from bad breath. This made him a super-calloused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis.

10. And finally, there was the person who posted ten different puns on his blog, with the hope that at least one of the puns would make them laugh. No pun in ten did.

Christ-Honoring Confidence

2011-07-27T06:18:00.005-04:00

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Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. Psalm 20:7 (NKJV)

Two ducks and a frog were great friends. One year as their pond was drying up they decided they should change locales. The two ducks could easily fly to the next pond over, but what about their friend the frog? The solution to their dilemma was for the two ducks to fly side-by-side with a stick in their beaks. The frog would hold on to the stick with his mouth. All was going well when they flew over an adjacent farm. The farmer saw them and commented, "That's great! I wonder whose idea that was?" The frog said, "It was mine." Indeed, "pride goes before destruction and haughtiness before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18)

When confidence in our abilities and resources changes to pride and then becomes arrogance, there's trouble ahead. So how do we find balance? Simply by remembering that every gift, ability, talent, and resource we have has come from God. There's nothing sinful about recognizing and confessing what God has provided, but the difference between self-confidence and Christ-honoring confidence is found in who gets the credit. A good way to keep this at the forefront of our life is to practice the art of thanksgiving. It's hard to be too self-confident when we acknowledge we are nothing without God. The apostle Paul said I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. That translates into living confidently - as long as your confidence is in Christ.

Extra! Extra! Reread all about it!

2011-07-26T06:09:00.001-04:00

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So I've added to "My Top Five" again. It's funny at this point because I think there are seven posts linked there. errrrr..... HERE. Soon I'll have to change it to a Top Ten. So click through and reread (or just 1st read!) what I think are some of my best posts.

In other news, I passed another milestone this week. My 13,000th visitor. Woot! Woot!

Thanks to everyone who reads these humble little attempts to talk about God, my family, and myself. When Patty asked me to do this three years ago, I figured it would be therapeutic. I never imagined anyone would ever actually read it. That's a lot of pressure. As - hopefully - you can tell, the writing is a little more concise and less rambling than at the beginning.

Blessings everyone! May God richly bless your day!

New Sermons

2011-07-22T07:03:00.000-04:00

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Two new sermons up on http://sermon.net/Beaverdam or from the sermon player at the bottom of this page.

You may have to scroll down or check the archives. The Restored Church was from the Bible Conference I preached at in May 2011 and Jesus The Same from Shamrock's Revival in April 2010.

The Letter Home

2011-07-21T17:16:00.003-04:00

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Dear mom and dad,

Our Scoutmaster Walt told us to write home and let you know we are OK in case you saw the flood on TV. Only one of our tents and two sleeping bags got swept away. Luckily none of us got drowned cause we were up in the mountains looking for Chad when it happened. Oh yeah, please call Chad’s mom and tell her he’s OK. He can’t write because of the cast. I got to ride in one of the search and rescue jeeps. It was neat. We never would have found him if it wasn’t for the lightning. Our scoutmaster Walt got real mad at Chad for going on a hike alone, but Chad said he did tell him. But it was during the fire, so he probably didn’t hear him.

Did you know if you put gas on a fire the gas can will blow up? The wet wood did not burn but one of the tents did. Man, Dave is gonna look weird until his hair grows back. We’ll all be home Saturday if Scoutmaster Walt can get the car fixed. The accident wasn’t his fault. The brakes worked OK when we left. Scoutmaster Walt said with a car that old you have to expect something to break down, that’s probably why he can’t get any insurance. We think it’s a neat car. He doesn’t mind if we get it dirty, and when it’s real hot he lets us ride on the hood.

Guess what? We all got our first aids badges. When Dave jumped in the water and cut his arm on the rocks, we all got to see how a tourniquet works. Wade and I threw up, but Scoutmaster Walt said it was probably just food poisoning from the old leftover chicken. He said they used to get sick that way with the food they ate in prison. I’m so glad he got out and became our Scoutmaster. He said he figured out how to do things better when he was doing time.

I have to go now. We going to town to mail our letters and buy bullets.

Love

Colt

Young Steve

2011-07-16T09:46:00.000-04:00

Ahhh. What a difference 20 years makes. At least I still have my hair!

Circa 1988

2010

VBS Pics

2011-07-14T19:19:00.000-04:00

A few pictures from this years VBS

Rex Brothers And The Braves

2011-07-14T09:05:00.000-04:00

Our trip to Atlanta to see Rex and the Rockies take on the Braves. The Braves won, of course. Rex didn't pitch this night, but we got to see him up close and personal because of our great seats!

Our view from the hotel room

Rex

The view from our seats

It's so hot...

2011-07-12T15:54:00.000-04:00

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It's ‎103*f with a heat index of 115, 74 dew pont and 45% humidity. It's so hot even the Devil's praying for rain!

VBS and Other Fun Stuff

2011-07-12T11:38:00.001-04:00

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VBS started last night, I’ll try to get pictures up later today. This year I am working a shop. (Craft table) which I’ve never done before. I’m usually the Tax Collector, Synagogue Leader, or Joseph from last year. So it’s a nice change of pace.

Other stuff:

Saturday night we went to see a fireworks display that had been delayed due to rain. We stopped at Mickie D’s for ice cream. Luke is a cookies and cream man. He usually gets a chocolate shake at McDonalds, but was hesitant because his last one there wasn’t very good. Soooooo, I encouraged him to try McDonald’s Hydrox Cookie Blizzard thingy. (A McFlurry I think they call it.) All of the sudden everyone is laughing. Apparently, Luke thought I was encourageing him to get a “Crack Rock Blizzard.” I am slowly learning to be less precise. From now on, it’s an Oreo Cookie McFlurry!

As we left the drive thru, I popped in a Bluegrass tape. (OK, to be precise, I turned on the auxiliary unit of our stereo system and played Bluegrass through my MP3 player.) I believe that Luke went into an apoplexy seizure or something. For someone who misses Kentucky so much, you would think he’d like Bluegrass a little more! Nope! Says Luke, “Rednecks call the people who listen to that ‘Rednecks.’”

A Dirty Window Theology

2011-07-11T10:14:00.001-04:00

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Abraham, who, contrary to hope, in hope believed. Romans 4:18 (NKJV)

I heard about a man who swallowed an egg whole. He was heard to comment later that he was afraid to move because he didn’t want the egg to break, and he was afraid to sit still because he thought it might hatch!

This poor old boy didn’t know which way to go! How like us! Many of us are like the chicken man here and me; we suffer from the paralysis of analysis. (At least that’s what Patty accuses me of much of the time.)

This is the opposite of what the Bible says about Abram. In Genesis 12 God called Abram and told him to leave his home. “Go where I tell you.” That’s all that God told Abram. “Leave and I’ll tell you when you get there.” Folks that’s faith. Paul says that Abram, “contrary to hope, in hope believed.”

I read a story about a special needs facility called the Sunshine Home. They specialized in dealing with mentally challenged children and adults. The facility was run by a Christian organization, and the leaders and care givers would constantly tell the residents about the Lord. One of the things they emphasized was the soon return of Jesus. This actually caused a problem for the custodial staff. Every morning the children would get out of bed and run to the windows and press their noses and hands against the windows to look at the sky and see if Jesus was there! This is a Dirty Window Theology. This is a theology that emphasizes hope.

Whenever your situation seems contrary to hope; when it seems like everything is against you, don’t be like the chicken man and be afraid to move, be like the residents of the Sunshine Home; be like Abram who contrary to hope, in hope believed.

Sermon Player

2011-07-09T20:02:00.002-04:00

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For some reason the sermon player at the bottom of the blog is not loading all the time. If it's not there you can access it here.

For My Children

2011-07-09T09:45:00.002-04:00

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LEARNING THE BICYCLE
(for Heather)

The older children pedal past
Stable as little gyros, spinning hard
To supper, bath, and bed, until at last
We also quit, silent and tired
Beside the darkening yard where trees
Now shadow up instead of down.
Their predictable lengths can only tease
Her as, head lowered, she walks her bike alone
Somewhere between her wanting to ride
And her certainty she will always fall.

Tomorrow, though I will run behind,
Arms out to catch her, she’ll tilt and balance wide
Of my reach, till distance makes her small,
Smaller, beyond the place I stop and know
That to teach her I had to follow
And when she learned I had to let her go.

Charles R. Swindoll, The Grace Awakening

2011-07-07T08:30:00.000-04:00

1 month, 28 days, 11 hours and 15 seconds!

Not that I'm counting or anything!

Casey Anthony, Baseball, and Jesus

2011-07-06T18:15:00.005-04:00

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Two things I am thankful for:

1. That until yesterday I really had no idea who or what Casey Anthony was or had done. (Or, apparently…didn’t do.) I am shocked that a jury trial in Orlando State Court has had such an impact on people around the country. I’m glad that I watch FoxNews about once a week and rarely get drug down in the mire of Headline News Syndrome. The one exception being the last six months of a POTUS election. Then I care enough to keep up. Mostly, I feel that there is enough injustice; suffering; sickness; loneliness; and loss here in Cassatt, South Carolina to keep me busy.

2. I am thankful for little boys at Major League baseball games. Three boys sat in front of us at the game last night. We were in the second row from the field, next to the bullpen. (Obviously, they were FRONT row) The sheer delight of having their hero sign a baseball; the wide eyes, the gianormous smiles, the knowing looks shared between best buddies…well folks, that’s kind of the excitement and exhilaration I feel about heaven. Oh, and I can’t forget the really little boy sitting behind us. Question after question had me in stitches. “Daddy, why do they call it a bullpen?” “Daddy, why is he running?” “Daddy, why are those guys dragging a fishing net around the bases?” The exasperated father eventually said to his son that he didn’t need to ask any more questions while the game was being played. The dad then said to his neighbor something about a bad call by the ump. The little boy? “Daddy, why can you talk while they’re playing and I can’t?” Ah. An inquisitive spirit. Me too. “Daddy, why did you create the universe?” “Daddy, why did you send Your Son?” I am thankful for little boys at Major League baseball games.

Mostly, I am thankful for my Lord and Savior. He is the only news worth getting excited about! He’s the only game in town. He is Jesus.

The Declaration Of Independence

2011-07-04T08:29:00.000-04:00

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I believe it is safe to say that the Declaration Of Independence may be the most cited, yet least read document in US history. Have YOU read it lately?

Here it is, verbatim, including capitalization and spelling, by Thomas Jefferson and cohorts. God Bless the USA!

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Talk About The Pot Calling The Kettle Blaaa…ummmmmmmmm

2011-06-29T17:16:00.002-04:00

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So. The POTUS scolded Congress today for taking too much vacation time. Seriously!? Mr. 75 rounds of golf a year. Mr. I’m going to Europe to plug Chicago’s chance for an Olympic bid. Mr. Martha’s Vineyard. Seriously?

This is great! Check out the article here.

And then take a peak here

Talk about the pot calling the kettle blaaa..ummmmmmmm. Maybe another analogy. (I’ve already had a long time “friend” call me a racist because I dared to state my opinion on his policies.) Let’s go with, “Those in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.”

More Southern speak??? How 'bout this....
He’s about as useful as a pogo stick in quicksand.

It’s Not About ME; Rescue From The Life We Thought Would Make Us Happy

2011-06-23T12:31:00.001-04:00

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In It’s Not About ME; Rescue From The Life We Thought Would Make Us Happy, Max has done it again. I absolutely loved this book. This has been my philosophy about ministry ever sense I first read Purpose Driven Life. It’s All About Jesus.

In Max’s easy reading style, he makes the point that we are dependent upon Christ alone for our salvation, success, and our ultimate satisfaction. Max takes on a discovery of why we must always feel like we must add to something that is in fact already complete. Full of vivid illustrations that are easy for the novice and compelling for the advanced theologian, It’s Not About Me is all about us. I loved the way he drives home our need for Christ.

If you know me, you know I have been in love with Max Lucado books ever since I read No Wonder They Call Him The Savior in the early 90’s. This newest book in my collection did not disappoint.

I ordered the book just before we left for vacation. While we were in the Smokies, we visited a discount book store. There was an older gentleman who was walking around and I overheard him asking for the book. We looked and finally found a copy for him. He turned to chapter 8 and told me that he remembered that story and had served on the McCall. “Very cool,” I told him. Very cool indeed.

Five Stars and highly recommended!

Grizzly Adams; The Early Years

2011-06-18T14:40:00.001-04:00

So we are headed home in a few hours. We arrived in Cherokee yesterday. Our trip through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park took several hours after the boys climbed Clingman’s Dome and we checked out a few streams. The boys were “starving” of course. So to avoid a second Donner Party Incident, we stopped at the first place we could find, a great little local dive called Granny’s. Good chow, letmetellya.

All in all it has been a great week. With a few notable exceptions and some anecdotes.

I left my razor at home so I look like Grizzly Adams; The Early Years. While we were walking around Cherokee, I had Indians trying to pay to have their kid's picture taken with me.

The s’mores and hot dogs over the fire were great, but the mosquitoes had just as much fun. I have at least thirty mountain mosquito bites. This is not your average mosquito, they’re hillbilly mosquitoes. There are so big that when they light on your body, they break out an alcohol swab and sterilize before they sting you. These bites are no pin-head sized reddish bumps. They average the size of a dime and a few are whelped up as big as a quarter. I look like I have leprosy. I tried dunking myself in the creek seven times, but I just got waterlogged and a few of the Pentecostal brethren though I was baptizing myself as an apostle. When we were at Burger King I heard some girl say, “awwww. Look at the diseased hillbilly.”

Cherokee, North Carolina has not grown much. If you’ve never been here, it’s just a mile long wide spot in the road with Cherokee Baptist Church at one end and Harrah’s Casino at the other, with a smattering of little souvenir shops in the middle. We came here because we wanted to see Unto These Hills, an outdoor drama about the Cherokee people. I hadn't seen the play in about thirty years. It made more of an impact on me as a teen. The boys renamed the play, "Why It Sucks To Be A White Man." We were surrounded by a Cherokee Choir of the Western Band Cherokee from Oklahoma, and a group of kids from a Jewish Summer Camp. There were times when I could relate to Custer. Shortly after the Army executed Tsali I was thankful that Will was the only one in our party with blond hair and blue eyes. My Great-grandfather was a full-blooded Seminole. That means my grandmother was 1/2, mom is 1/8, I'm like 1/32 or something. Luke would be like 1/132. That fact didn't deter him from asking Will on the way out, "What are you looking at, paleface?"

On our way to the play we saw a theater and I thought it would be neat to see the Green Lantern premiere at midnight. I stopped and asked the guy at the counter if they had any tickets? He told me they did and I ordered five. I asked him if they were expecting a big crowd and he says to me, “Oh yes sir! We’re going to have a big crowd. We’ve already sold seventeen advanced tickets!” (Like I said, not a big town.) There were twenty-two of us in the theater. Nice to know the Cherokee crowd plans ahead. On the way to the movie we decided to get a midnight snack, albeit eleven o'clock. Everything was closed except the casino. We had to turn around to head back to the theater, and I turned into this Bates Motel looking place. The kids were not thrilled. Then someone turned in behind me so I had to go into the depths of what the kids have now dubbed, "Murder Inn." The farther in I drove, the creepier this place got. So, naturally, I rolled down the back windows feigning that I would ask for directions. Again, the kids were less than thrilled. I told them that there were only old people around. "Yes," said Will from the back seat. "This place is where the retired serial killers live."

Now. Back home to the bustling, cosmopolitan Cassatt, South Carolina…USA.

Gatlinburg Day 4

2011-06-15T22:08:00.000-04:00

Patty and I toured the RMS Titanic this afternoon while the kids did NASCAR.

We had lunch with some old friends from Kentucky. It was quite a coincident that we were here at the same time. Thanks to FaceBook, we were able to know that they were at Gatlinburg while we’re in Wear’s Valley. So we did Cici’s pizza together. My how Kaylee has grown these last four years. She will start first grade in the Fall. Unbelievable.

The Kaylee I remember

The Kaylee we lunched with today.

Tomorrow we check out of the cabin and head to Cherokee, North Carolina to see the Indian play Unto These Hills. Then home in time for me to preach on Father’s Day. All-in-all, it’s been a great week so far.

How To Raise Godly Children Without Them Knowing What You're Up To

2011-06-14T09:24:00.003-04:00

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How To Raise Godly Children Without Them Knowing What You're Up To:
Ten Suggestions For Biblically Based Parenting

1) Give your children a Biblical foundation and encourage their bent, and trust God when things get hairy. (Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6)

2) Always speak about spiritual things around your children, and let them see you pray. Let them see God in you. (And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:6-9)

3) Remember to distinguish the urgent from the important. That phone call may be urgent, but your children are important. Let them know it! (Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called them to Him and said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Luke 18:15-16)

4) Remember that parenting is a hard job. You are to be a parent, not a bff. Discipline must be a core component of biblical parenting. “Spare the rod and spoil the child?” Yeah, it’s in there! (Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.)

5) Be positive, even in correction. Praise often, even in times of discouragement. Your children will reflect your attitude about them. (Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. Colossians 3:21)

6) Never, ever, ever, think that the school or church has the responsibility of teaching your children! You make sure they have knowledge. Whether about math or about God, you are responsible. (The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother. Proverbs 29:15)

7) Invest in your children your most valuable commodity. Invest your time. A small amount of time now will pay off in huge dividends when they are adults. (Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 19 You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. Deuteronomy 11:18-19)

8) Be a living epistle of what a good, honest, and true marriage looks like. Let your children see how a woman is to love her husband. Let them see how a husband is to cherish his wife. (Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word. Ephesians 5:22-23)

9) Instill in your children a love for and appreciation of the local fellowship of Believers. Raise your children to have a great respect for church and for God’s people. (And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Acts 2:42)

10) The end game of all of this would be naught, if your children do not receive the gift of salvation made possible through Jesus Christ. Insure that you have a right relationship with God. And then place the necessity of salvation before your children often. (Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:3-6)

Hard Rock, Stevie, and Lam Seng

2011-06-13T21:32:00.001-04:00

So our adopted summer son Will made a new bff at Hard Rock Café’. He is here on a work visa from Malaysia. I think his name is Lam Seng Chou, but he has Americanized his name as Chad. He had a very inspiring story, and his life’s dream is to visit every NBA arena and watch a game. That’s cool because I’ve always wanted to visit every MLB stadium and watch a game. So far I put down one on my bucket list.

Hard Rock was good, and Stevie got a souvenir glass and an ice cream Sunday.

Gatlinburg Day 2; Tubin' On The River

2011-06-13T14:45:00.000-04:00

Today is Stevie's birthday, so we're going to her fav place for dinner tonight; Hard Rock Cafe'.

But today was about tubin' on the river. There were several great stories after we picked the kids up. All three nearly "drown" at some point. hardy har har. In actaulity the most harrowing event of the day was getting in and out of the tubes that would get stuck in the shallow water.

Got S'more?

2011-06-13T07:58:00.000-04:00

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Day 1 of the Southern Baptist Convention finds me in Wears Valley, Tennessee. No the SBC isn't meeting in Gatlinburg or even in Knoxville although that is a wonderful idea.

We simply could not afford to fly to Phoenix, so this year I used my standing reservation with Gideon Camp Camden to escape for a few days to the Glorious Smokie Mountains. Patty, Stevie, Luke, and our "adopted summer son" Will and I are staying in a great cabin, just a short 5 minutes from downtown Pigeon Forge.

Last night we had s'mores, and I ain't talking the Pop-Tart kind. Good, old fashioned s'mores with marshmallows sooty and caked in wood chips! Of course, the diabetic dad only had one, as did Patty. But a few hours later, all signs of marshmallows, Hershey bars, and gram crackers were extinct. This was Will's first taste of a s'more, unlike Stevie who being a retired Girl Scout has eaten quite a few.

Ahh. What an oooey-gooey mess. Now that's what I'm talking about!

Today, they all get their fist crack at tubing the Little Pigeon River.

Jesus, My Father, The CIA, And Me

2011-06-06T10:15:00.000-04:00

Jesus, My Father, The CIA, And Me

The title of this book is certainly captivating and intriguing. I was hooked almost immediately thinking about Ian Cron and his growing up in a spy family. It almost had the feel of James Bond or Jason Bourne.

It did not live up to the hype I had assigned to it. As I read the first few chapters, I began to feel like this was going to be a letdown, and it really was. Actually, I knew out of the gate that this book was not going to be what I had envisioned when I read the author’s first chapter confession that this was “a memoir…of sorts.” I did and do appreciate his candor at the fact that everyone brings their own particular point of view and memories to the recollections of their past. Every eye witness remembers slightly different details to accidents, as do we all to church business meetings and family reunions.

But I was hoping for an action tale. A yarn about a spook dad who is converted to Christianity and saves the USA from the Communists and his soul from Hell. Well, that’s what I got from the title, anyway. What I got from the book was a moving story about a boy growing up trying to please an un-pleaseable father. An alcoholic that happened to work for the CIA. A Riches to rags story of what alcoholism can do to a family, and the regrets that accompany words not spoken.

I would caution anyone interested in this book to think more along the lines of “A Boy Called It” as opposed to expecting a Tom Clancy-ish Christian fiction.

The Greatest Steve Spurrier Joke Ever

2011-06-02T12:11:00.001-04:00

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Steve Spurrier gets an invite to the SEC Quarterback's Conference in Atlanta and takes Stephen Garcia with him. While he’s there milling around, he runs into Mark Richt. Steve says, “Hey, Coach. Tell me something. How is it you guys at Georgia always end up with great QB’s? I can’t buy myself a decent thrower.” Richt says, “Hold on minute, Steve. Hey Aaron! Come here for a minute.” Aaron Murray trots over and Richt says, “Aaron. Who is your father’s brother’s nephew?” Without missing a beat, Murray snaps, “Why that’d be me, Coach.” Richt thanks the boy a sends him on his way. He then says to Spurrier, “It’s all about finding the smart ones. A smart qb equals a smart offence.” Steve thanks Richt and walks off.

He soon sees Garcia hanging out with Greg McElroy and calls his qb over. “Stephen, I want you to tell me as quick as you can, who is your father’s brother’s nephew?” Garcia says, “Uhh…Can I get back to you on that coach?” Spurrier slams his visor to the ground and yells at Garcia, “Well make it quick!” Garcia jogs over to McElroy and the ‘Bama qb says, “What was that all about?!” Garcia says, “He wants to know who my father’s brother’s nephew is.” “Oh, that old trick? That’s easy. The answer is, 'It’s me.'” Garcia thanks his friend and runs back to Spurrier. “Well!?” spewed the Old Ball Coach. Garcia says, “I figured it out coach! My father’s brother’s nephew is Greg McElroy!” Spurrier looses it! He turns red, throws his visor, puffs his cheeks, kicks at the air, and then sighs, and says to Garcia, “No…no..no you idiot! It’s Aaron Murray!

A Label I Can Live With

2011-06-02T11:43:00.003-04:00

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“Labels libel,” I said over tacos and Mexican rice. True to form, Tony said, “I don’t know what that means.” I guess not. It isn’t the greatest of syllogisms. But what I mean is that when we label people, we brand them as a category instead of as a unique being. If I say that President Obama is black, I discount his Irish heritage. (Don’t get me started.)

So it is with labels about theological placement. I am perhaps pointing a finger at myself, since I repeatedly offer the unwanted advice that there are only two forms of Theological belief, Arminian and Calvinist. But in saying that I am trying to delineate between to vastly different thoughts, not necessarily labeling people. Ehh. A little bit of a lame excuse, but I still stand justified in my own mind.

So here is my problem with labeling “Calvinists.” There are several labels that are used. Here are a few.

Calvinist: A person who believes in the Doctrines of Grace and follows TULIP for their soteriology.

Reformed Theologian: A person who believes in the Doctrines of Grace and follows TULIP for their soteriology, but doesn’t like being called a Calvinist.

Hyper-Calvinist: A person who believes in the Doctrines of Grace and follows TULIP for their soteriology, but is too lazy to evangelize and so they say that God has chosen and all we need to do is sit back and chill, because no matter what, those who are elect will go to heaven and those who are reprobate will go to hell. Done deal.

Whosoeverwiller: A person who is really a Calvinist, but so vehemently disagrees with the hyper-Calvinist that they cannot bear to be tagged with anything remotely TULIPish, so they hold seminars to decry the evil, vile nature of Calvinism and its secret plan to ruin Christendom.

I don’t really fit any of those labels. And I would imagine neither do most of y'all. What really kicks my mule is when the hypers label me an Arminian (really? ME!?) or the whosoevers label me a hyper (the audacity!) All of this while most Calvinists I know go about their daily life trying to minister, and the hypers and whosoevers want to lump everyone who doesn’t agree with them in the other group.

I personally consider myself A Baptist.

I’m Baptist born and Baptist bred
and when I die, I’ll be Baptist dead

I started going to Baptist churches nine months before I was born, and bless God I’ll be going to a Baptist church when I die. (Never mind that some of our churches have dozen of dead members every Sunday!) I might even call myself an Ữber-Baptist. If they can be hyper, I can be Ữber. No. I like Tony’s description of himself. He told me he was a Traditional Baptist. There ya go! I am a Traditional Baptist.

Now that’s a label I can live with.

Those Evil, Vile, Calvinists

2011-06-01T13:37:00.003-04:00

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So it should come to no surprise to those who know me that my theology is pastorally driven. In other words, I believe that the doctrines of the faith are of critical importance, and that it is the duty of each individual Believer to know the basics of the faith. However, when someone has just suffered a great loss, or they are in pain either emotional or physical, or they are in the middle of a crisis, they don’t really care too much about how theologically sound you are or what your view on particular redemption might be. They want/need to know about a loving God. As I like to tell the church folks, people don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.

And, unfortunately, there are those among us who care more about finding out your doctrinal proclivities ahead of the needs of your heart. That’s one of the reasons I like Rick Warren. He is very practical in theological application. His preaching may not be doctrinally focused, but it is certainly not shallow. Rick has been under a relentless attack from some of the people that I respect the most, theologically anyway. So when I saw that John Piper had interviewed Rick, I thought, “Boy, that will be a doosey.”

The interview is 98 minutes and can be seen here. Warren Interview

That got me to thinking about this Doctrine thing. By “us”, I mean us Baptists. If you're an Arminian, I have all of eternity to show you how wrong you were. But in this life, I choose to minister instead of argue. Again I say as clearly as I can, that in my worldview there are only two choices, Arminian and Calvinist. So if you have never considered this topic or have heard some preacher rant about “those evil, vile, Calvinists,” but honestly have no idea what that actually means, take a fresh look at the Doctrines of Grace.

Jesus, Paul Simon, And Mr. Popular

2011-05-26T14:26:00.004-04:00

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Jesus told a parable about a father and his two sons. No. Not that one. I’ll preach about that family in Luke 15 in a few weeks. (I’ll try to get those on the sermon player at the bottom of this blog later.) I’m talking about the father who asked his two sons to go and work in his field. Listen to Jesus.

“But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’ 29 He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. 30 Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said to Him, “The first.”
Jesus said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him.

Jesus tells us a simple story about a man with two sons who asked them to work in his vineyard. The first told his father to go jump in the lake. He absolutely would not waste his time working in a vineyard. The second promised to hustle right over and find the foreman for his assignment. The first regretted his harsh words almost immediately. And he went to the field and found the foreman, punched his time card and put in a sweaty day tending grapes. The second, and presumably younger son, did not show up. We might say he laid-out and went and played TRON with his homeys down at the Video Shack.

Jesus asks his audience which son actually did the will of the father. The unanimous response was the older son, who actually went to work. Jesus then chided the religious elite in the crowd and told them in essence, it’s not how you start, but how you finish.

We don’t know what happened to the younger son. Maybe he got distracted. Maybe he lost his way. Maybe someone attacked him. Maybe someone shot at him. Maybe he got hurt.
I’ve been at this ministry thing for a long time and I’ve been shot at few times, sometimes the Devil is actually the one pulling the trigger! Sometimes we get hurt, lost, distracted. We start off strong. We say to the Father, “I will go.” And we never really fulfill the will of the Father, because things come along. I mean, a 1/3 of the angels started off good, but ended up bad. If the angels can mess up--so can we.
It happens to many believers. It happened to Paul’s apprentice Demas. We don’t know what happened to Demas. He is mentioned three times. Paul calls him Demas my faithful soldier in Philemon, then he reports that Demas is with him in Colossians, and lastly, to Timothy, he says that Demas has forsaken him. We don’t know what made Demas start off so strong and flitter out at the end. Maybe it had to do with the fact that his name means “popular” in the Greek. Who knows. I do know that Gal 5:7 is one of the saddest verses in the whole Bible. Paul writes, ” You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?”

I don’t want my last days to be more bleak than my beginning. And as a pastor, I don’t want any of my flock falling away or forsaking their strong start with years of complacency. I have seen it of course. And so I know the hurt that Paul had in his heart writing of Mr. Popular’s desertion.

If you are my age or older you might remember these words from Paul Simon.

You Just slip out the back, Jack
Make a new plan, Stan
You don't need to be coy, Roy
Just get yourself free
Hop on the bus, Gus
You don't need to discuss much
Just drop off the key, Lee
And get yourself free

Yes, I guess there are Fifty Ways To Leave Your Lover

Patty and I are working hard on 21 years. And I have no plans of leaving her or letting her go out the back. Jack.

But as a pastor, I have seen and experienced many hurtful things.
I was there when Jack, sliped out the back.
I have seen Stan make a new plan.
I’ve heard Roy be coy along with Gus, discussing much in the church parking lot.
I’ve had Lee, trying to break free, drop of his keys.

I’ve seen many start so strong, only to end up getting tripped up. See, there is more than one way to get tripped up, to stumble, and to get lost. Speaking of Luke 15, sheep wander--coins roll away--sons rebel. But do you know how to tell that a sheep is a sheep and not a goat? A goat is happy being lost, but a sheep is miserable.

If you’re miserable today—as you read this, if the only joy in your life is a dish-washing detergent, maybe you’ve left your first lover. Revelation 3 says the church at Ephesus left its first love, it did not lose it. They LEFT their lover.

Yes, there is at least Fifty Ways To Leave Your Lover, probably more. But there is only one way to get back. The older son did the will of the Father. Won’t you ask Him to reveal His will to you today?

The Father stands on the front porch of heaven and cries out, “Come home, little one. And all will be well.”

The Invisible Rapture

2011-05-25T11:03:00.003-04:00

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Harold Camping didn't get it wrong. Don't believe it? Just ask him, he'll tell you. He now says that the end of the world will be October 21, 2011. He claims that the church was “invisibly raptured.” I guess that I must be invisibly writing this blog post. And many of you invisibly reading it.

It’s pretty cool actually. I have wanted to be invisible ever since I read H. G. Wells’ The Invisible Man when I was in fifth grade. Well, back THEN I thought it would be cool. You could go the store and not pay. No one would call you fat. You could go to which ever head wasn’t busy. (Yes. I called it a head when I was in fifth grade. Probably since I was five. Navy family, you know.)

Now that I think about it as an adult, though, maybe it’s not so cool. Should I preach Sunday morning? An invisible preacher-- preaching to an invisible crowd? Talk about apoplexy! How would I know how many people showed up? The first thing I do on Sunday morning is count. I do that even before I pray. All preachers count. Trust me. You can spot us at football games trying to count the number of people in the other set of stands. (Ministerially speaking, we were just shy of five hundred and two. We actual had two hundred and five, and that IS less than five hundred after all.) Now; however, thinking about going to the women’s head is just creepy and kind of disturbing.

So, I’ll be glad when Jesus comes back on October 21 and we can be seen again and…huh? What’s that? Oh!? Jesus came back invisibly! I see.

Hmph. So much for five hundred in church this Sunday.

Is Barack Obama The Anti-Christ? Mathematical Proof Says “Yes!”

2011-05-25T10:34:00.002-04:00

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Is Barack Obama The Anti-Christ? This week President Obama has called for Israel to recede to her pre-1967 borders, effectively giving the Palestinians (Spelled H.A.M.A.S. and I.R.A.N.) control over Jerusalem. Hmm. I have long postulated that the Beast of Revelation 13:1-8 would in some way bring a wary peace to the war torn region by allowing the Jews and Muslims to have both a Temple and the Mosque of Omar. In order to facilitate this, Israel would have to make large concessions, most notably in my eschatology, military control of Jerusalem. Notice that I did not say governmental control, just military. i.e Israel would maintain her sovereignty over Jerusalem, but the UN or some other equally “Neutral” group would police the city.

Now BHO is making the first overtures in that direction. There is no way, and I mean by that NO WAY, the nation of Israel will give up Jerusalem and the Golan Heights to her enemies. There is a strategic purpose as well as symbolic purpose to owning these two spoils of war. But, with worldwide pressure and a shrinking base of allies, she might give up control of policing the city. Everyone knows this, but just like selling a car, start off with asking for more than you want/know you can get, and “settle” on what you were really wanting all along. Hamas doesn't want control of Jerusalem as much as it wants Israel gone, but they'd settle for this in a New York minute.

But back to my question, “Is Barack Obama the Anti-Christ?” Well, the mathematical proof would suggest yes. Let me explain. In the ancient languages, each alphabet character as a corresponding number. In this, one could spell words with numbers, not just letters. This would be similar to texting, using the old telephone/letter equivalent. i.e. 2 = a,b,c; 3= d,e,f; etc. Revelation 13:18 tells us that the Beast’s number is that of a man, and that this number is six-hundred and sixty six. (666)

So take our current president’s name. Barack. In the Greek language (The language that the Book of the Revelation was written) B=2; A=1; R=100;A=1;C=600; K=20. Add those together and it equals 724. But take away 3 because there is an unholy Trinity, multiply that 3 by 7 because that is the number of years in the Tribulation, subtract 3.5 for the first half of the Great Tribulation, then add back 70 for Daniel’s weeks of years, and divide by half (cause he’s half the man Jesus was) and subtract that all from the original 724. That gives you 650.25. Now take 3 for the Holy Trinity and multiply it times 5 for the number of books in the Pentateuch and a random variable integer of ¾ and you get….wait for it…666. Mathematical proof Ladies and Gentlemen. And Math don’t lie.
OK. So I made that up. But in light of Harold Camping’s new date of October 21, I couldn’t resist.

No, I don’t think BHO is the Anti-Christ. There are too many reasons to mention here, but mainly it is because I do not think the Beast will be an American. Most likely, he will be Italian, although I wouldn’t argue with any European country as his homeland. (See Daniel 9:26)

Nevertheless, that does not negate the fact that our president is making a grave error in his Middle East policy. By siding with Hamas he has broken a cardinal rule of politics and diplomacy—never barter with a terrorist. Once again, the POTUS has shown the world that he is more akin to Jimmy Carter than Ronald Reagan. The only thing these people understand is a firm hand and an unshakable stance. That is why Israel has been so successful in defending her borders, against over whelming opposition. Mr. President, I implore you…do not move away from Israel. Do not kowtow to these terrorist thugs. If anything, give Israel your blessing to continue building settlements in the land that rightfully belongs to her. After all, if taking land by force, especially when you were not the instigator in the hostilities, is wrong, then shouldn’t we give California back to Mexico?

A Waffle House Theology

2011-05-24T13:40:00.003-04:00

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The year would have been 1988, and I was freshly transferred from the Naval Submarine School in Groton, Connecticut to Dam Neck Naval Base in Virginia Beach, Virginia. After completing boot camp in Illinois and then sub school ( which lasted over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays,) I had been North of the Mason Dixon Line for just shy of nine months.

What this means is that I lasted nine months with NO sweet tea, NO warm weather, NO one saying y’all, and most of all, NO grits. North of the Mason Dixon they have a weak-kneed grits resemblance known as cream of wheat. echkk. I tried c.o.w. once. That stuff makes you speak all Hebrew and stuff. Like you have massive amounts of phlegm stuck in your throat. heeackkkkk.

So, it was on a bright, sunny, rather warm February day I got off the plane at Norfolk International Airport. Tagging along was my buddy, Chris Oldenburg, a native of Connecticut, classmate at BESS and soon to be roommate at Dam Neck for SWSA School. For three months Oldie had listened to me complain about negative digits weather, the horrors of Connecticut rudeness, the all around uncouthness of unsweetened ice tea, and the sheer indignity of NO grits. Needless to say people, my heart stopped after seeing a Waffle House sign just outside the gates of Dam Neck. “Stop!” I yelled to our cab driver. “Take us there! Take us there now.” It was two in the afternoon (umm. Fourteen-hundred) and we didn’t need to report for duty until 8 the next morning. “We’re eating some real food. Forget the mess,” I told Oldie. This is where it gets interesting.

I ordered heaven on a platter. Grilled chicken breast on a bun, with hash browns; scattered, covered and smothered; sweet tea, and—of course, a side of grits. Oldie studied the menu for a few minutes. I can still see the perplexed features of his face; brow wrinkled, slight frown, eyes squinting. I am quite sure his fingers were sticking to the syrupy menu as he kept eyeing the short order cook, slightly afraid of the recently released convict who was waiting to cook our food, and the just-shy-of-a-set-of-dentures tattooed woman, waiting to take his order. Ahhh. The best Waffle Houses have convicts cooking the food. The quality of the food is inversely proportional to the amount of time his incarceration ended. And if your waitress has a full set of teeth, be wary. Be very wary.

The classic line of all lines was not delivered by Oldie though. He simply asked her, with a straight face, to bring him a grit also. Her line is the one deserving Hall of Fame recognition. One that was probably much practiced by someone employed so close to a military establishment. With a hilly Virginia accent she drawled, “Sugah. They dun cum buuy theyself.”

******sigh******* Waffle House Theology. Grits do not come by themselves. They come as a group. As a collective. What made me reminisce about this story was thinking about the church. This past week, preaching from Luke 15, I chided the church (us and the church at large) for caring more about the 99 that the 1. Spending more money on the 99. More effort, more energy, more resources. Caring more for the 99 at home than the 1 outside and lost. The church is a collective also. A fellowship of Believers. There is no such thing as a singular grit. There is no such thing as a singular Christian. The word is plural, and the Waffle House Theology is that we need to spend more time remembering that, more time caring about in-reach and out-reach as we do about insuring the comfort of those that never wander. Remembering that grits don't come buuy theyself, and neither do Christians.

WKRP In Cincinnati And The End Of The World

2011-05-20T07:56:00.006-04:00

WARNING!

With Harold Camping's End Of The World happening Saturday, I thought I'd share some other End Of The World predictions, six of the biggest actually, that failed to come true.

1. October 22, 1844
Who: Samuel S. Snow, a preacher in the Millerite movement, led by the Baptist preacher William Miller

How he came by this date: A prophesy in the Book of Daniel states "Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed" (Dan. 8:14). If you convert the days into years, and if you start in the year 457 BC – the year that Artaxerxes I of Persia decreed that that the city government of Jerusalem shall be re-established – then this takes you to 1844. Using the Karaite Jewish calendar, Snow pinned the date down to October 22.

What actually happened: Thousands of people gave away all their possessions, only to be surprised when the world did not come to end, and the day came to be known as "The Great Disappointment." The Millerites splintered into several religious groups, the largest and most mainstream being the Seventh Day Adventists, and the smallest and most unconventional probably being the Branch Davidians. Millerism has also influenced the Bahá'í Faith.

2. December 21, 1954
Who: Dorothy Martin, a Chicago housewife and student of Dianetics, a set of practices developed by science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard.

How she came by this date: Through automatic writing, Martin came in contact with beings from the planet Clarion, who told her that the world would be destroyed by flood and that the faithful would be rescued at midnight by flying saucers (or so she said).

What actually happened: Martin's followers, many of whom quit their jobs and gave away their possessions, gathered in her home to await the aliens. (Martin's husband, a nonbeliever, slept upstairs through the whole thing.) To avoid being burned by the flying saucer, her followers removed all metal from their persons, including zippers and bra straps. Midnight came and went and the group became increasingly agitated. Finally, at 4:45am, Martin said that she received another message from Clarions informing her that God was so impressed by her groups actions that He changed His mind and decided to spare the earth.

The group was infiltrated by a psychologist named Leon Festinger, who used his observations to develop the theory of cognitive dissonance.

3. October or November 1982
Who: Pat Robertson, who in a 1980 broadcast of "The 700 Club" said "I guarantee you by the end of 1982 there is going to be a judgment on the world."

How he came by that date: Robertson has said that God told him about pending disasters on numerous occasions (including a West Coast tsunami in 2006, and a terrorist attack in 2007 – neither occurred). "I have a relatively good track record,” he has said. “Sometimes I miss.”

What actually happened: The world didn't end in 1982, but "WKRP in Cincinnati," did.

4. September 5 - September 27, 1994
Who: Harold Camping (hmmm. Why is that name familiar? Thinking. Thinking.)

How he came by those dates: He interpreted a reference in John 21:1-14 to the disciples being 200 cubits from the shore in the Sea of Galilee as meaning that there would be 2,000 years between the birth and the second coming of Jesus. He estimates that Jesus was born on October 4, 7 BC. He said (then) that he actually could not tell the exact date because of Matthew 24:36.

What actually happened: Nothing. To his followers he explained that what he actually meant to say was that the church age would end in 1994, a truth claim they still believe. Basically, that means that you cannot be saved unless you're a part of Camping's church.

5. 1806
Who: The Prophet Hen of Leeds, a domesticated fowl in Leeds, England, who in 1806 began laying eggs that bore the message "Christ is coming."

How she came by that date: As you will see in the next paragraph, the answer is "the hard way."

What actually happened: Charles Mackay's 1841 book, "Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds," describes it thus:
"Great numbers visited the spot, and examined these wondrous eggs, convinced that the day of judgment was near at hand. Like sailors in a storm, expecting every instant to go to the bottom, the believers suddenly became religious, prayed violently, and flattered themselves that they repented them of their evil courses. But a plain tale soon put them down, and quenched their religion entirely. Some gentlemen, hearing of the matter, went one fine morning, and caught the poor hen in the act of laying one of her miraculous eggs. They soon ascertained beyond doubt that the egg had been inscribed with some corrosive ink, and cruelly forced up again into the bird’s body. At this explanation, those who had prayed, now laughed, and the world wagged as merrily as of yore."

6. September 11, 1988
Who: Edgar C. Whisenant, author of 88 Reasons The World Will End In 1988

How he came by that date: The 88 "proofs" of this were based on a collection of dates and calculations from Biblical and historical factors. When nothing happened by the end of September 13, Whisenant revised his prediction, suggesting the rapture would come at 10:55 AM on September 15. The date was big news, and even TBN got on board, airing taped broadcasts all day of "What to do if you miss the Rapture." (Possibly where The Left Behind series got the idea,) When that failed, he revised it to October 3. Even when that date passed, Whisenant remained undaunted: "The evidence is all over the place that it is going to be in a few weeks anyway," he told Christianity Today.
After his "few weeks" had transpired, Whisenant finally saw his error. He claimed that he had made a slight miscalculation of one year because of a fluke in the Gregorian calendar. Jesus was actually going to return on September 11, 1989!

What actually happened: Turns out he was wrong. ....................................88 times!!!!
Ironically, Whisenant died in May of 2001, just short of a resurgence in interest for his date. Just think, he could have rewritten his book, 2001 Reasons.

Citation: Some of the above information is from The Christian Science Monitor

Gone Camping; Why The World Will Not End This Saturday

2011-05-19T18:42:00.003-04:00

If you’re not privy to the “Good News” of Harold Camping, let me let you in on this little secret.
****The Rapture is this Saturday**** shhhhh. The Millerites are sleeping. Don’t wake them up.

It really isn’t that funny. I’m sure tens of people truly believe in Camping and his end of the world promise. Anyway, He claims with mathematical certainty that the world will end on Saturday, May 21, 2011 at 6:00 pm. I’m not sure about his math, but I am sure that it won’t be Saturday. Anytime someone sets a date, you can be sure that Jesus won’t come back that day. Matthew 24:36 plainly says that, ““But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” So, while I am a literalist, (i.e. NO ONE knows the date) I also like to think that the Father has a calendar open with all these dates circled in red, going, "Won't be then."

Unfortunately, this thing has picked up steam. It has become a world wide affair. Unlike Camping’s last prediction, a 1994 prophecy that the world would end, this one has made it beyond the circes of the loons. A prediction, by the way, his faithful following says was meant to be the “end of the church age,” not the end of the world. This was to be a period when no one can be saved. (Oh, except for new members of Camping’s church, of course. One mustn’t let the coffers dry up!)

But this is the age of social media. And while there are many “end of the world” parties planned, (175,000 people are “attending” one scheduled on facebook) millions of people are intently listening to and reading his ideas, and the word is spreading. An ingenious entrepreneur, who happens to be an atheist, has started Eternal Earth-bound Pets. A service that promises to take care of your pets after you have been raptured. Don’t laugh. He has over 250 customers at $119.99 each. Well, he has gone up to $135 since Camping’s billboards have gone up.

On a more serious note, the Vietnamese government dispersed a crowd of nearly 5,000 Hmong people near the border of Laos, taking some 1,000 into custody as “extremist.” They were waiting for Camping’s Day of the Lord.

All of this, naturally, will culminate in thousands of deceived individuals turning their back on Christianity (no matter how real their true faith was) and millions, maybe even billions of unbelievers saying, “Ha! I knew that Christian faith was bogus.”

Just like William Miller in 1833, Harold Camping will become a scourge to true faith in Jesus Christ, when
this event does not happen. Let us just pray that no new Seventh Day's will pop up as a result.

No He Can’t

2011-05-19T11:44:00.001-04:00

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So I just read No He Can’t: How Barak Obama Is Dismantling Hope And Change. It should come as no surprise to those who read my blog, even sparingly, let alone regularly, that I am no fan of the current administration. Unfortunately for Mr. McCullough, I received his book not long after the killing of UBL. The POTUS is running high right now, even in my book.

Nevertheless, that doesn’t make him infallible, either. Mr. Obama is running on a narrow path, dangling in no-man’s-land, upsetting his base on the far left by not moving fast enough to close Gitmo, end the very unpopular war in Iraq, and move much harder on social imperatives from his campaign promises. Meanwhile, he is also losing the so-called moderate vote by pushing too hard on left leaning policies, such as high taxation to fund social programs, “Obamacare” and the like. And while he has his moment of basking in Conservative glory over the Osama killing, he is fumbling the football faster and more often than a freshman QB in a rainstorm.

This is the Obama of No He Can’t, a slick talker with a penchant for over promising and under delivering. While McCullough points to the absolute pragmatism of Obama’s philosophy, he does hit a home run in speaking about the erosion of all other absolutes in Obama’s worldview, absolute rights, absolute values, and above all, absolute truth.

One thing is for sure; the book is absolutely partisan. If you are a fan of the president or simply wanting an unbiased view, skip this book. If you are a died-in-the-wool Tea-Partier, (what am I saying? Then you’ve most likely already read it!) So, if you are a Conservative looking for some red meat, highly recommended.

Over all, the book was just OK.

The Goodness of God

2011-05-15T17:13:00.002-04:00

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When I agreed to review the book, The Goodness of God by Randy Alcorn I found that it was not at all what I expected. Not knowing much about Alcorn other than he writes fiction, I expected a feel good book based on antidotal stories of Christians who had seen angels and been given winning lotto numbers or some such thing. Boy was I surprised.

Instead what I found was a book that explains what theologians call "The Problem With Evil." Basically, the problem of evil is defines in this manner: "If God is all knowing and all powerful, AND He is a God of love, then there would be no evil in the world. So either God is not all powerful or He is not loving. You can't have it both ways." This is a major topic in apologetics, and let's face it, a major issue with both Believers and non-Believers today.

I was in seminary in 2001 and let me tell you, many people were asking those type of questions on 9/12 of that year. As they still do today. Tornadoes rip through town and the towns are just gone. The Mississippi River floods it bank for three miles, and towns are just gone. Swept away. And people ask, "Why God? Why would you let this happen?"

In this book Alcorn gives some very straight and easy to digest answers. While he does not sugar coat it, he gives answers that are simple enough for most people to grasp. I started to write that I wish I had this book back when I took Apologetics in seminary. But really I am glad that I didn't. Because then I wouldn't be able to realize just how complex and issue Alcorn has tackled, and just how down to earth he has made it sound.

A great book for those with Why questions for God. You can find it here.

War Dogs Take A Bite Out Of Bin Laden

2011-05-06T14:54:00.001-04:00

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I love this picture. It’s a file photo, but it is real. The SEAL’s and other special ops command units are using canines to help with raids. They jump out of the helios and planes with the paratroopers and play certain roles during the mission—sniffing for explosives, combat tracking, and taking out bad guys.

So, they jump while wearing doggles (see pic below) special breathing apparatus, flak jackets, and parachutes when jumping from planes. Most are German Shepherds, but the military has a few Labs and Belgian Malinois as well. Pretty darn cool.

Apparently, rumors say such a hero was with SEAL Team 6 when they got Bin Laden. The Pentagon is being tight lipped about mission details, and rightly so. No need to give the terrorists any idea of how our boys went in and got out. But I do like the idea that Fido here helped bring down Public Enemy #1.

C’mon, Man! #2

2011-04-30T14:21:00.002-04:00

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I am no royal watcher. Let me just say that. I saw the wedding, but only because Patty was watching it, and some of the afterwards carriage rides and such. I dig the pomp and circumstance, mostly because of the traditions and the soldiers all decked out.

But I have to say, Princes Beatrice!? Honey-bunches-of-oats! Even an uncouth, color challenged, redneck, colonial like me… would’ve known better than to wear that hat! EEK!

C’mon, Bea!

It is so bad, it even has its own Facebook page. Now, friends and neighbors, That’s bad.

Of course, Maybe she wasn’t so fashion challenged, after all. Maybe. Just Maybe. It was her way of telling grandma how ticked she was that dear old mummy didn’t get an invite.

You go, girls!

A Conversation With God

2011-04-30T13:36:00.000-04:00

So I just read Alton Gansky’s newest book, A Conversation With God: If You Could Ask God Any Question What Would It Be? First, let me say that I was impressed with the book itself, physically I mean. It is a sturdy book with thick high quality paper. Well worth the suggested retail of $15.99. That may not seem like a big deal to some, but my books are usually put through the ringer. Most of them look like they’ve been rode hard and put up wet. So I appreciate a sturdy book.

But I also can appreciate the style of this book. I’m not sure that I have ever seen a book with this particular approach. I have several books that answer people’s questions about God stuff. But it is always the author’s answer, usually based on Scripture. Gansky takes the approach of answering the questions “from” Jesus, God, John, Paul, Mary Magdalene, or any other Biblical character that might be relevant.

For instance, on the question of Eternal Security, we get answers “from” Jesus, God, and Judas Iscariot of all people. When I saw that I was a little concerned; but Gansky doctrinal positions are very sound and sturdy, just like the book. (I really appreciate the physicality of this book, if you couldn’t tell.) Anyway, I was impressed and believe a scholar, pastor, Sunday School teacher, or even a younger student could benefit from having this book on their shelve.

Well worth the money as an investment for a teaching aid for you or for a young Believer just getting off the sincere milk.

The NFL Draft

2011-04-30T07:58:00.001-04:00

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You know a sport is popular when their television show of the transition of armature athletes to professional athletes has more viewers than another sports actual games. Such is football these days, when more people watch the draft than a MLB game.

Some quick notes through the third round. (These are antidotal, and in no way statistically viable. I din't have time to run any standard deviation analyses in all my spare time.)

Looks like Miami has had a big draft so far, with five players taken in those opening rounds. Alabama is my big winner, though, having four go in rounds 1-3, but THREE of those in round one alone! Including Julio Jones to the Falcons. (Darn you Bengals. You could have had Jones two picks earlier and left AJ Green for us.) LSU and North Carolina also had four.

Speaking of which...apparently in the football world the proverb about bad guys finishing last doesn't hold water. UNC had four of its players go after the rules violations they had, AJ Green went #4 overall, and Cam Newton was the Top Pick. This only goes to show that the Universities are the only ones being hurt by the NCAA and their foolish, out-of-date rules. It's time to let colleges pay players a stipend that is fair and equitable. i.e. ALL players get the same money, regardless of team size, player ability, or supposed value to the team. The colleges rake in millions every year from these sports programs, and kids are selling their jerseys to go eat pizza. It doesn't add up, especially when the colleges are left to clean up their mess while the kids are signing huge bonuses with the NFL.

One last thing. Georgia had three go in the first three rounds. AJ to the Bengals at #4. Justin Huston to the Chiefs (Yeah, Dan!) at #70, and Akeem Dent to the Falcons at #91.

What about the Sons of Perdition you ask? Well, speaking of bad guys coming in last....Georgia Tech has had zero players drafted. Bwahahahahahahaha. What a rambling wreck.

Go Dawgs! Beat Tech!

The Beatification Of John Paul II

2011-04-29T16:57:00.004-04:00

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On May 1, 2011 Pope John Paul II will be pounced as "Blessed" by the Roman Catholic Church. This is the second of three steps that will end in him being declared a "saint." Which is immensely different than the process for us lowly Baptists, who call every born-again, regenerated soul a saint. You get saved, and you're a saint. Baptism by immersion is not even required.

I find the whole process interesting and disturbing at the same time. But then again, my expectations are very low for the church that claims Mary as co-redemptrix. So it is no real surprise that I am both mildly amused and severely repulsed by some of this nonsense.

*******Note to Roman Catholics who used to read my blog**********
(I'm quite certain they won't after this post).

While I know the following will offend, it is not meant to. It is my desire that all come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, not co-Lord, co-God, or co-redeemer. Jesus said it as plainly as it can be said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" John 14:6. Mary cannot save you, answer your prayers, or talk Jesus into anything for you.

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Now, back to John Paul. Benedict declared him as venerable, step number 1. This basically means that he lived a heroically virtuous life. I can see that in John Paul. He was an ecumenical wreck, but he did bring many faiths together, reuniting the Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox churches. He had a major hand in bringing down communism in Europe, especially in his home country of Poland. So, yeah, calling him venerable is not a bad thing.

The second step takes place on Sunday. Benedict will pronounce him blessed and he will become what is known as beatified. Once this takes place he will be well on his way to sainthood. The qualification of becoming beatified is that a bona fide miracle must be attributed to the individual. Here is where certain problems come in for me and a whole world of Evangelicals. (Notice that I did not say Protestant. That is because I am not a Protestant. The word comes from "to protest;" as in the Reformers protesting the abuses of the Catholics. I'm not a Protestant because I never protested anything. I am a Baptist. We left a century before Luther!) Anyway, among the festivities of the beatification are things that cause Catholics to worship the individual. As one example (the list is long) the marble slab that covered John Paul's tomb is being sent to his homeland of Poland. Where it will be set up as a shrine, and ultimately where people will flock to offer their reverence...then their adoration...and eventually, their worship.

Step three by-the-way, is the process of canonization, or making the person a saint. Canon is simply the word for measuring stick, like a yard stick. It came to mean a list of things, because the canon was the list of the books of the Bible. Those books that had been canonized, or measured and found to be worthy, were entered into the Bible. So canonization of the saints is adding them to the list. In order to become a Saint, one must have a miracle attributed to that person posthumously. In-other-words, someone prays to the person, after said person is dead, and said person performs a miracle for the someone. It won't take long for someone who has been praying to John P. to get healed of something, and they will give the credit to him instead of Jesus. Sister Teresa already has had two miracles attributed to her since her death.

The main problem I have is the way Roman Catholics attribute God's attributes to people. And dead people at that! This leads to them being elevated above their place as mere servants of God, to a place where they eventually can become, like Mary, co-equal with God. That is a very scary road to walk down, and will always lead to a Second Vatican Council mentality.

C'mon, Man! #1

2011-04-29T14:29:00.002-04:00

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So, DC Comics is keeping pace with Marvel, in a, "Hey, we're not really "American" super heroes. wink. wink." public relations stunt. Marvel has dropped a portion of the title for its upcoming movie about Captain America, releasing the film under the name The First Avenger outside of the US.

Now DC says that in an upcoming Action Comic it will have Superman renounce his US Citizenship in front if the United Nations. C'mon, man! Really?!

So much for Truth, Justice, and the American way. I suppose it's now truth, justice, and the way of corruption and bureaucracy. aka the United Nations. Next I suppose he will start wearing tights colored that wimpy baby-blue of the UN helmets instead of the red and blue of Old Glory, and change the S on his pajama top to an O for Nietzsche’s Overman.

I have one question for the "artists" and PR people at Marvel and DC:
"If the people of other countries won't buy a comic book or movie ticket because the superheroes are "too American," then why on God's green earth are those self-same people fighting to get the chance to own American comic books and to see American movies? Not to mention their desperate attempts to move here.”

I remember my dad telling me how Ford, realizing that the majority of the people buying the T-bird were middle-aged white men, redesigned the car to look like a middle-aged white man's car. Then they wondered why only old women started buying them. In-other-words, don't pay so much attention to what people say...watch what they do.

So...Stan? If you and the folks over at DC keep watering down the Americanized part of our supers, don't be surprised, Mr. Lee, when the only people going to see Wonder Woman, are Taliban women in full length burqas.

President Obama's Birth Certificate

2011-04-27T14:14:00.001-04:00

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I am sooooooooooooo glad that the POTUS released his birth certificate.

Maybe, just maybe, it'll stop the dribble that is taking our collective eye off of the important stuff that people have put aside. Like $4 gasoline and what that will do to our fragile economy. I know it is absolutely hurting MY fragile economy! Of course, it probably won't take the fruit-loops from assuming he's not a natural born citizen. It will just convince them that he's not a natural born citizen that will use the full resources of the US Government to forge a birth certificate. So, I'm expecting a flury of new allegations. Such as...hmmm,

Why is the background and border so seamless, if this was taken from one of those bound books? As the curl would suggest!? Hmmm?!

It sure does look in good shape for a fifty year old document! Mine's only 43 years old and it's got a lot more wear.

In the “This Birth” box there are two mysterious X's above “Twin” and “Triplet.” Is it possible that the POTUS is actually twins or even triplets. No doubt his duplicitous nature makes me wonder. Perhaps it is like in The Prestige movie--twins who live one life, hiding the fact from even their wives. That could explain his "I hate war," vs. "We must send more troops;" "I am a Christian" vs. bowing and scraping in front of the Dali Lama and his fascination with all things Islam; and his ability to take multiple vacations in a single month!

What is the significance of the mysterious penciled in numbers outside of some boxes?

Why, in box 21, does the “Signature of Local Registrar” read Ukelee? Is that a NSA agent's feeble attempt at "Proving" he was born in Hawaii? Hmmmmm???? I ask you! Hmmmm? (Note to the CIA, FBI, and NSA: It is spelled “Ukulele." I'm just saying! Is all.)

And the coup de' grace: If you copy the cert, found here, into MS Paint, why does all the pertinent information appear as a washed out white spaces. HMMMMMM!

Of course, I DO BELIEVE that the man was born in Hawaii. I do believe that he is a Christian. (I DO NOT believe; however, that he is a Believer; a true, regenerate, Christ follower. But most of the population that claims "Christianity" fits in the same category)
But I ask you, what is the point of following the conspiracy theory? Seriously! He is ALREADY the POTUS. So drop the crap and start worrying about important things, like:

Why he is telling us to buy a new car, instead of authorizing more drilling.
Why we are bombing Libya instead of recalling our troops from Iraq.
Why we are spending more money than it is possible for our grandchildren to pay back.
And why we are we so divided as a nation. (Last week I was called a racist by an old friend because I disagree with his policies. This is about ideology, not race. I didn't like Bill Clinton, John Kerry, or Howard Dean and I was just right wing. Now I still don't like the same policies, and I'm a Nazi!?)

So to the right I say: Fight the real battle. The battle of ideas and ideals, and jump off the Trump Band-wagon: it's headed for a cliff.

To the left I say, wake up a smell the coffee. We cannot spend ourselves out of this mess, and it's not racist to say so!

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Easter 2011

2011-04-25T06:59:00.001-04:00

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Our annual Family Easter Picture

New Addition: Podcasting

2011-04-23T07:33:00.001-04:00

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I have added an additional feature to my little old blog here, podcasting.

This is, and will be I'm sure, a learn-as-I-go maneuver, so there may be some rough patches along the way, but......it 'tis better than no podcasting at all.

The player is at the very bottom of the page and at least one has the entire service on it, choir, hymns, announcements, silence while the offering is taken up. I'll get that down to just the sermon soon. Otherwise, enjoy. ha ha. As I like to tell everyone who will still listen, I'd rather hear me preach than anybody else I know!

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Blessings, Y'all.

New Messages

2011-04-23T01:15:00.001-04:00

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I've put a few new messages up at our Sermon.net site.

Shamgar
and
Jonah

are both from Revival at Shamrock Baptist Church. They're a tad on the long side, which is why I'm telling you it was from a Revival.

Why Do They Call It GOOD Friday?

2011-04-22T09:19:00.004-04:00

"Why Do They Call It GOOD Friday?" is a question that both of my girls have asked, and most likely, every thinking Christian has asked at some time or another. The logic is simple really. IF this date (Friday of Passover) is the date Jesus Christ was crucified, then what is so good about that? Shouldn't we call it "Bad Friday," or "Murder Friday," or "StupidSanhedrinBunchOfIdiots Friday?"

The answer, of course, is no. The ancients had it right when they looked at this day as being ultimately a good day. Perhaps even the Ultimate good day. Now I know some of you are shouting at your computer screens right now, "That UGD comes three days later!" Yes, yes. I know. Easter is the culmination of the Christian faith. No resurrection = no Savior; and no Savior = no Christianity.

But think about this for a moment. For us: sinners, rebels, no-good-low-rent-smooth-kneed-sight-walking-low-living-Christ-rejecting folk, there is something marvelous about Friday! Yes, the Lord came out of the tomb on Sunday! Yes, because He did we can look forward to a resurrection ourselves in that last day! Yes, it proves that He is the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings! But none of that would matter...if. it. wasn't. for. Friday. (Whew. I got my preacher on for a minute there.)

See, without the crucifixion, we could not celebrate the resurrection. In-other-words, without Friday, we would have no cause to celebrate Sunday. The Resurrection would have been little more than a historical blip on the radar. An interesting fact, with no redeeming value. The Bible makes this abundantly clear.

First we have redemption through His crucifixion. Paul said, "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace" (Eph. 1:7). The picture of redemption is something being bought back. The price has been paid and it is through the blood of Jesus Christ that God bought us back from the Devil. Peter also reminds us of this when he says, "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold... But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:" (1 Peter 1:18-19).

Second, we have been brought closer to God because of the crucifixion. Again, Paul says, "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ." (Eph 2:13) Good Friday broke down the partition and makes the way possible for us to enter into the very presence of God. Now, friends and neighbors, that's a pretty good day. (Remember that ripped veil? It was what separated the people from God. But that's gone-baby-gone; thanks to Good Friday.)

So, so much more. For instance, we have been sanctified (Heb. 13:12), justified (Romans 5:9), and cleansed (1 John 1:7) because of Good Friday.

But, the third thing I want to show you is that we have reestablished peace with God. Did you know as a no-good-low-rent-smooth-kneed-sight-walking-low-living-Christ-rejecting sinner, God was at war with you? That's right. You and God were enemies. Still are, if you have not accepted Christ as Savior and Lord. But Good Friday allowed there to be peace between mankind and God. Paul said, "and by Him (Jesus) to reconcile all things to Himself, by Himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross." (Col 1:20) He made peace through the blood of His cross, another benefit of a really, really good Friday.

Think about it. Redemption, closeness to God, sanctification, justification, cleansing of our sins, and peace with the Maker, and that just begins to scratch the surface of this day in history.

I kinda-sorta think that makes it one awfully good Friday. How 'bout y'all?

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Hell? Yes!

2011-04-13T20:55:00.001-04:00

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OK. So I know that's a book title, but I've never read the book. I did preach on the parable of the dragnet tonight, from Matthew 13:47-52.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, 48 which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, 50 and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” 51 Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” 52 Then He said to them, “Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.” (NKJV)

Hell is a very real place and very sobering concept. I like to mingle humor into my messages, but not on this one. Charles Haddon Spurgeon said, "No minister should preach on Hell with dry eyes." It is a sobering thought.

I read today where C.S. Lewis' secretary saw a grave stone that read:

"Here lies John Smith, an Atheist. All dressed up and nowhere to go."

Lewis did not chuckle when told about the humorous sight. Said Lewis, "I'm sure Mr. Smith wishes that were true right about now."

Biblical Turbulence

2011-04-02T15:12:00.001-04:00

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I have started and stop writing over at Biblical Turbulence so many times that I've lost count. My bad. Maybe I can do like my buddy Dan over at Navy Christian and get some guest writers. Hmmm. Not a bad idea. Glad I thought of that!

I think that I was/am taking that site too serious, like sometimes I take real live pastor not quite serious enough.

Anyway, I have written on BT again. No promises of if and when the next post will be. I'll let you know here.

Quick Update

2011-03-31T16:16:00.001-04:00

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I passed 9,000 hits last week, and published my 250th post. Both milestones I meant to mention as they happened, but oh, well. The life of a Pastor/D Min student/Husband/Father/Band Club President, I guess.

In other news, I have been diagnosed with gout. Or as it is called here in South Carolina, The Gout. Not sure about that definite article there. I don't think that I have the only gout that there is.

It reminds me of Kentucky, where folks with diabetes had The Sugar. "Did you hear about Brother Steve? He has THE SUGAR." (done, done, DONNNNNE!) "Nope. But I did hear that Preacher Leigh has THE GOUT."
Bless his heart! He has the everything.

Anyway. No biggie. Just the most excruciating pain I have ever had. Ha. I had to get Luke to drive me to the Urgent Care Saturday. My right knee would not bend. So I couldn't even use my imaginary brake on the passenger side.

So, it's Spring Time here in South Carolina. We are surrounded by pine trees. If you're a southerner you know what that means. If you're a Yankee (or from the left coast), you know how people up y'alls way refer to snow? Like inches (or feet if you're far enough north.) Well that's how we refer to pollen.

"We got 3" today."

"That's nothing. I remember the great pollizard of sevemty-tooo. Why, we musta got a foot if we got an inch."

So I said all of that to say this, my sinuses have been on overdrive the last week or so. I hacked and coughed all through my Sunday morning.

The Gout!
The Sugar!
The Pollen!

I'm telling you folks, I'm much too young to feel this old!

For My Fellow Theologs

2011-03-23T20:01:00.003-04:00

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I came across this today, and thought it was very funny.

Here is my take, only altered slightly!

Once I saw this guy on a bridge about to jump.

I said, “Don’t do it!"
He said, “Nobody loves me.”

I said, “God loves you. Do you believe in God?”
He said, “Yes.”

I said, “Are you a Christian or a Jew?"
He said, “A Christian.”

I said, “Me, too! Protestant or Catholic?”
He said, “Protestant.”

I said, “Me, too! What denomination?”
He said, “Baptist.”

I said, “Me, too! Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist?”
He said, “Southern Baptist.”

I said, “Me, too! Southern SBC or Southern CBF?”
He said, “Southern SBC.”

I said, “Me, too! Southern SBC BF&M 1969, or Southern SBC BF&M 2001?”
He said, “Southern SBC BF&M 2001.”

I said, “Me, too! Southern SBC BF&M 2001, Landmark Theology, or Southern SBC BF&M 2001, Reformed Theology?”
He said, “Southern SBC BF&M 2001, Landmark Theology."

I said, “Die, heretic!” And I pushed him over.