New Year Commitments

Here is some good stuff I came across from Preaching.com

Timothy Satryan of Wilmington First Assembly of God offers ten rules to make 2007 truly a happy new year!

1. Today I will not strike backIf someone is rude; if someone is impatient; if someone is unkind. I will not respond in like manner.

2. Today I will ask God to bless my "enemy"If I come across someone who treats me harshly or unfairly, I will quietly ask God to bless that individual. I understand the "enemy" could be a family member, neighbor, co-worker or stranger.

3. Today I will be careful about what I sayI will carefully choose and guard my words, being certain that I do not spread gossip, slander or malign anyone in any way.

4. Today I will go the extra mileI will find ways to help share the burden of another person. I will find ways to make life more pleasant.

5. Today I will forgiveI will forgive any hurts or injuries that come my way. (I will also work to forgive injuries that have been inflicted upon me in the past)

6. Today I will do something nice for someone, but I will do it secretlyI will reach out anonymously and bless the life of another person.

7. Today I will treat others as I wish to be treatedI will practice the golden rule -- do unto others as you would have them do unto you -- with everyone I encounter.

8. Today I will raise the spirits of someone who is discouragedMy smile, my words, my expression of support, can make the difference to someone who is wrestling with life.

9. Today I will nurture my bodyI will eat less; I will eat only healthy foods; I will thank God for my body.

10. Today I will grow spirituallyI will spend a little more time in prayer today; I will begin reading something spiritual or inspirational today; I will find a quiet place (at some point during this day) and listen to God's voice!

Happy New Year!

Soapbox

Allow me on the final day of 2006 to get on my soapbox just a bit. I was fired up a couple of days ago when I read an article in The Florida Baptist Witness concerning the merge of a Miami church with Fellowship Church in Grapevine, TX. Fellowship's pastor is Ed Young, who is also "pastor" of the Fellowship in Miami, although only by HDTV. In an interview, the mega-church pastor was more than a little revealing about the way he does church and everybody else.

Just a few quotes:

"I don't think a congregational-led church works. I think that's a formula for failure. First of all, it's non-biblical. Secondly, it doesn't work." I'm not sure he's correct on either point. The Bible is not too clear on what is and what is not biblical church polity, and there have been many congregational-led churches that work. By the way when we speak of "congregational led" we mean traditional Baptist polity in which the church votes on various matters. I'm not sure Young has pastored one of these churches in his life to know whether it works or not. He started Fellowship from scratch several years ago.

"The methodology that Baptists have given us is wack . . . it will not work in the local church." Again it doesn't in some but it does in many others. To lump all churches in the same pile is "wack."

"The Baptist thing's not working; we are doing a horrible job . . . Let's face the music. WE have more money, more supplies and we've done a pitiful job in my opinion over the last 20 or 30 years."

He is also critical of the seminaries. "All the young guys, you know the new generation people, they've gone to Rick Warren, they've gone to Bill Hybels and that's where everybody has gotten their great stuff . . . Our seminaries are great for theology, but you know, in a lot of cases, I do the opposite of what I was told in seminary about how to run the church. The opposite." If by opposite he means he runs his church as he sees fit then most likely that is opposite of what he learned in seminary, but does that make what is taught there wrong? In the seminary in which I attended, there was an emphasis upon servant leadership not dictatorship. I prefer the former and to give a congregation ownership of what is going on. That too works. Trusting people is o.k. There are, of course, frustrations when things don't go as fast as you would like, but the congregation usually does what is right, and by the way, a congregation-led church will give a pastor as much authority as he needs to get his job done--especially when that pastor serves faithfully among the people.

When asked about cooperative missions Young said: "I don't think in terms of that right now . . . I've got more, we've got more than we can say grace over right now. We partner with Baptists, but it's mostly ourselves." Young is a denomination in his own right to be sure. He doesn't need cooperative missions, but I wonder how much more effect we could be if guys like him would be more involved in what we're doing around the world.

These are only representative of the comments Young made in the article. I'm just tired of writing.

Young is privileged to pastor a church that has benefited from the urban sprawl of DFW. I wonder if he would have a different outlook is he were elsewhere? Young has a right to his own way of doing church, but it is arrogant to believe his way is the only one that is effective.

By the way, I know the new Fellowship church has someone there who will minister to the people, but where will its "pastor" be? He will be in Grapevine a long way from where he can meet any needs the Miami congregation will have. Have we gotten so far removed from personal ministry that now our pastors are on the big-screen in HD?

Bethlehem

"My message this year is addressed to the world in general and to the Christian world in particular, not to forget Bethlehem." That comes from Bethlehem's mayor, Victor Batarseh, who is urging people to come to Bethlehem at Christmas time. The city has been hard hit with the closing off of Israel to the Palestinians, suicide bombings, etc. The tourism business has greatly suffered [Vines Lines].

Bethlehem is an important location in the Bible. Here are some passages to look at:

• It was the burial place of Rachel [Genesis 35:19].
• In the conquest of the Promised Land, Bethlehem was part of the portion given to Zebulun [Joshua 19:15].
• One of the Judges, Ibzan, was from Bethlehem [Judges 12:8].
• The city is prominent in Ruth. It was the home of Ehimelech and Naomi. She brought Ruth back with her after the death of her husband and sons. Boaz and Ruth had a child there--Obed, the grandfather of David.
• Of course, Bethlehem was the home of David. He was anointed by Samuel at Bethlehem [1 Samuel 16].
• Micah 5:2 gives us the prophecy of the Messiah's birth in Bethlehem.
• That comes true for us in Matthew 1-2, Luke 1-2.

Bethlehem means "House of Bread." I think it is telling that Jesus, the One born in Bethlehem, later said: "I am the bread of life. No one who comes to me will ever be hungry, and no one who believes in Me will ever be thirsty again" [John 6:35].

Let's remember Bethlehem this Christmas season for the greatest gift of all!

Paul's Tomb

The Vatican recently reported that it has found the tomb of the Apostle Paul. You can read the Baptist Press report at:

http://www.bpnews.org/bpnews.asp?ID=24615

This will be an opportunity for Catholics to worship another set of bones, I guess. Whether this is Paul's tomb or not, the fact remains that we don't worship dead men, however great. We worship the living Savior--the Lord Jesus Christ, whom Paul continues to point us to in his writings of the New Testament.

White Christmas

One of the enduring sounds of the season is "White Christmas," the most recorded and biggest selling song of all time. If you're interested, here is the Wikpedia entry on the song.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Christmas_(song)

There have been at least 500 cover versions of the song--that may be a low estimate. Anyway, I never get tired of hearing it. Bing's is my favorite, but I like Clyde McPhatter's too.

Warning

Al Mohler discusses the sad state of Christmas in Great Britian in an interesting entry on his blog today.

http://www.albertmohler.com/blog_read.php?id=842

I pray this never happens in America, but one wonders if we're heading this way.

The Nativity

Last night we saw "The Nativity." I have to say that it captures the beauty and simplicity of the Christmas Story brilliantly. The only disappointing thing was the fact that there was no "heavenly host" singing praise to God when the angel makes the birth announcement to the shepherds. Other than that, no real quibble can be made. The movie helped me to further appreciate the social stigma attached to the pregnancy as well as the "cost" of obedience for Joseph and Mary. I highly recommend this film. It will enhance your Christmas celebration!

Christmas Materialism

I was reading on The Dallas Morning News website a few days ago that according to a 2005 survey for the Center for the American Dream, nearly nine out of ten Americans [87%] believe that Christmas should be more about family instead of giving gifts. Four in five do not believe that it is necessary to spend a lot of money in order to have an enjoyable holiday, and 78% wish the holidays were less materialistic.

I find this fascinating, especially in light of the prediction by experts that Americans will spend over $450-billion this year on gifts. As Beth Teitll of The Boston Globe recently put it: "So who, exactly, is forcing us to rise at 5am on Black Friday, drive to the mall and trample old ladies slowing our path to the pile of discounted DVD players? . . . Is it the work of the other 13% in the survey? Are they so bossy that they're able to force the rest of us to slug it out over Game Boys and max out our credit cards just to avoid their wrath?"

Unfortunately, she is right on. I'm glad that most Americans "wish" the Christmas season was more about family and less about spending, but the reality is that it isn't. Maybe Americans one day will get fed up enough with the hype, spend less, and enjoy this time of year more. I doubt it but the that sugar plum does dance in my head.

Interim

I am looking forward to taking over the duties of interim pastor of Fairview Baptist Church in Greer January 1. This is a bit unusual as I will sort of be the interim for the interim as Dr. Steve Crouse has to move on. Hopefully, the interim won't be too long--we're looking forward to God calling our next pastor in the near rather than far future. However, we want to be patient and wait upon Him. In the meantime, I'll try to hold down the fort.

First MCM Graduate

Today is the first graduation I will attend at NGU. It is historic as we will see the first graduate of our Master of Christian Ministry program "walk." Kenny Moore is pastor of Davidson Street Baptist Church in Clinton, SC. He will always have the distinction of being the first person to graduate with a Master's degree from North Greenville University. Congratulations Kenny!

Pearl Harbor

Today is the 65th anniversary of Pearl Harbor. I was reading this morning that this will be the last official reunion of survivors because of their age and health. It is sad, but time marches on whether we want it to or not. However, our memory of what happened on that day can and must live on. God bless those who were there that day. It is because of their service and sacrifice that we enjoy freedom today!

Hypocrites in the Church

For years I've heard people complain about hypocrites in the church. Well--there are hypocrites in the church. I'm one of them. So are you. I read a good commentary on this subject this week in The Florida Baptist Witness. Art Toalston wrote about Ted Haggard, former pastor of a prominent Colorado church, who confessed immorality and was subsequently terminated by the church. I want to share some quotes from the commentary.

"No doubt, there are hypocrites, imperfect people and even addicts of all kinds within the Christian community. To their credit, however, these individuals have the courage to embrace a faith that challenges their sin and seeks to redeem their lives. Sadly, people outside the faith have no such resource."

"Rarely are addictions to various forms of depravity easily broken. A relationship with Jesus always will prove to be an uplifting, precious addition to the believer's life, and some believers may see their weaknesses and addictions quickly fall away. But for others, struggles with the inner churnings of sin may continue to exist after they have turned to Jesus for salvation . . . And so, it is entirely possible for a believer to be what the world calls a 'hypocrite,' to believe with all of his or her heart that such-and-such behavior is sinful, yet, in a weak moment, commit sin. In the interim, the communion with Jesus increasingly becomes a desperately needed place of refuge after each defeat . . . The believer knows that sooner or later, 'you may be sure that your sin will find you out . . . When that moment of truth and tumult finally comes, the believer's faith in Jesus will provide the grace and fortitude to face even public embarrassment or great personal loss if, ultimately, such tragedy is required in order to attain a long-yearned-for, more complete life of purity with God."

Well said. Toalston goes on to write of the great compassion and forgiveness of our God. "By God's supernatural grace, we gain opportunity to become as fresh as the first day He entered our lives, poised to venture forth again in ever-more-rejuvenating faith."

There's hope for hypocrites! God is full of forgiveness and grace. Yes there are hypocrites in the church, but God is in the business of making all things new--including turning our hypocrisies into opportunities to show his love, mercy, and life-changing power!

The Power of Forgiveness

I recently preached a sermon from Matthew 18:21-35 on the subject of forgiveness. I am struck its power. The power has been seen recently in the terrible tragedy suffered by the Amish in Lancaster County, PA. As much as people were horrified by the murders in the Amish schoohouse, they have been awestruck by willingness of the Amish community to forgive.

"The deep capacity for forgiveness shown by the Amish is a powerful winess for a culture that seeks 'closure' after murders by means of the death penalty, or strives for 'justice' during the sentencing stage of a murder trial through 'impact statements,' in which family members sometimes lash out at those who killed their loved ones. These are natural impulses. The Amish remind us, however, that these human impulse must be tempered with the desire for forgiveness. A gift to those who grieve and those who are culpable, forgiveness is the foundation for peace between individuals, within families and among nations" [America, 23 October 2006].

This from The Roanoke Times [9 November 2006]:

Some people maintain overcoming evil with good can only work with individuals, not nations. Throughout the ages, all nations have reflexively reacted to violence inflicted upon them with a response of more violence . . . But I wonder jut what would happen if the Amish version of shock and awe were ever tried by a nation on the worldwide scene. What if, instead of the reflex of 'might makes right,' some nation would choose an 'invastion' exclusively with peace volunteers, bringing education, medical care and economic aid to suffering people around the world. Would the awe of such compassion in action transform the way nations resolve fear and hatred?

I read recently about Eva Moses Kor, who along with her sister, were treated as guinea pigs at Auschwitz. The sisters were experimented on by Dr. Josef Mengele. They were given several shots of bacteria, and Mengele documented how their bodies would react. They were left for dead, but they didn't die. They were rescued in 1945. Her sister died of cancer in 1993, likely due to those experiments. Eva carried bitterness in her heart for 50 years, but eventually forgave the people who tortured her during the Holocaust. When she forgave she said she got her life back. "I immediately felt that a burden of pain was lifted from my shoulders. I was no longer a victim of the Nazis" ["Freed by Forgiveness," The Indianapolis Star, 11 November 2006].

There is power in forgiveness.

Why must I forgive? God forgave me, and I'm supposed to be like him.

Final Thanksgiving Thought

Before I put my Christmas lights up today and Thanksgiving is a distant memory--here is a final thought:

"This Thanksgiving I'm thankful. That there aren't twice as many Congressmen and half as many doctors. That grass doesn't grow through snow, necessitating winter mowing as well as shoveling. That there are only twenty-four hours available each day for TV programming. That civil servants aren't less civil. That teenagers ultimately will have children who will become teenagers. That I'm not a turkey. That houses still cost more than cars. That the space available for messages on T-shirts and bumpers is limited. That liberated women whose husbands take them for granted don't all scream at the same time. That snow covers the un-raked leaves. That hugs and kisses don't add weight or cause cancer. That record players and radios and TV sets and washers and mixers and lights can be turned off. That no one can turn off the moon and stars." (Christianity Today, 11-17-1978)

A little old, I know but I thought you'd like this from "Vines-Lines." My kids won't know what a record player is, so I guess the above would be o.k. if you replaced it with C.D. player or MP3! You still get the idea...Let me be the first to wish you a blessed upcoming Christmas season!

Warren in Syria

Rick Warren's visit to Syria is generating a lot of news. On the one hand it seems he was often used by the government for proaganda purposes, but on the other hand it seems that he often says what he denies saying. Perhaps it is a little of both. I think preachers should remain in the pulpit and not venture into the realm of meeting with foreign heads of state. Usually the preacher winds up in trouble because he is in a world he really doesn't understand.

For more on Warren's visit:

http://www.bpnews.org/bpnews.asp?ID=24441

Rick--stick with what you do best!

NAMB Survey

I was interested in a recent survey conducted by the North American Mission Board through Zogby that shows that 57% of adults viewed Southern Baptists favorably. Only 17% viewed us unfavorably, but 24% said they were unfamiliar with us. Even in the Western and Eastern parts of the country, half of the respondants viewed the SBC favorably. I think this is good news and shows that many churches are doing good things in their communities. Because nearly 1/4 of those who responded are unfamiliar with us, there is still much work to do to get our good news out.

I found something else interesting in this survey. Because the word "Baptist" may not always appear in a church's name, the research also looked at what the significance of knowing that a particular church is indeed Southern Baptist would have on someone's decision to visit or join that church. The survey found that 31% of respondants said this would positively affect their decision, 25% said it would have a negative impact, but 36% said it would have no effect at all.

We've been told for years by some that the name "Baptist" would have negative impact and should not be in the name of the church. This survey shows that is not necessarily true. I have always believed that church's should be as up-front as possible on what it believes. That starts with the name.

Various Musings

Sorry that I have not written in a while. I'm very much behind with papers to grade and final preparations for the end of the semester to make. We have had some good friends of ours with us this weekend. Ed and Rose Pilarczyk from Graceville, FL were with us. Ed and Rose were among the first to join our church in Florida in 1989 shortly after we arrived. Ed and I were classmates at Florida Baptist Theological College, and they have been friends ever since.

I had the privilege of preaching this past Sunday at our home church--Fairview in Greer. We had a good crowd, the choir was excellent, and I really was blessed by the experience. My text was Matthew 18:21-35, the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant. I rather think that the parable should be entitled, The Parable of the Forgiving God, because we should ask what a text says about God rather than what it says about us. Anyway, I pray the message was used by the Lord.

We heard last night that our former church, Riverside in Ft. Worth, called a pastor last Sunday. May the Lord bless him and that great congregation!

Thanksgiving is ahead. I hope during the long weekend to catch up on a few things I've wanted to write. We'll see. I'm thankful for the Lord's blessings--family, friends, and faith. I can't wait for Lesa's turkey and dressing!

Weekend Musings

Some random thoughts on the weekend.

I preached tonight at Davidson Street Baptist Church in Clinton. Pastor Kenny Moore has a great congregation, and the Lord moved mightily. We had a good time in an old fashioned Sunday night Baptist service--it was a blessing!

Veteran's Day--I'm thankful for the service of our men and women in uniform. I always think of my two grandfathers who served in WWII, my uncles who served in Vietnam, and the many men and women I've pastored who served in the military. God bless them all!

Tis the Season? We were in a store this week and Christmas music was already pumping! Isn't it a bit early for Jingle Bells? Also, as we drove in from Clinton tonight, we saw two houses with Christmas lights on already. Let's get my favorite holiday--Thanksgiving over first!

Congratulations NGU! The football team is 9-2 and hosting the "Victory Bowl" this week. This is apparently the game between the two best Christian college teams each year. We're playing Malone College out of Ohio. I hope we show some good ol' southern hospitality, but also I hope we win!

Weekend Musings

Some random thoughts on the weekend.

I preached tonight at Davidson Street Baptist Church in Clinton. Pastor Kenny Moore has a great congregation, and the Lord moved mightily. We had a good time in an old fashioned Sunday night Baptist service--it was a blessing!

Veteran's Day--I'm thankful for the service of our men and women in uniform. I always think of my two grandfathers who served in WWII, my uncles who served in Vietnam, and the many men and women I've pastored who served in the military. God bless them all!

Tis the Season? We were in a store this week and Christmas music was already pumping! Isn't it a bit early for Jingle Bells? Also, as we drove in from Clinton tonight, we saw two houses with Christmas lights on already. Let's get my favorite holiday--Thanksgiving over first!

Congratulations NGU! The football team is 9-2 and hosting the "Victory Bowl" this week. This is apparently the game between the two best Christian college teams each year. We're playing Malone College out of Ohio. I hope we show some good ol' southern hospitality, but also I hope we win!

Revival in the SBC

I have been greatly encouraged by Dr. Frank Page's emphasis on revival during his short tenure as SBC president. In a recent article, Dr. Page quotes Roy Fish: "For 30 years we have tried to raise baptism numbers among an un-revived people in unrevived churches." This has been a concern of mine for some time as well.

I would urge us who love our blessed convention:

• to stop fighting over Calvinism, church polity, and worship styles and begin to work together to bring revival to our churches. There is much more to unite us than can divide us.
• to renew our revivalistic emphasis, once so strong in our convention but now waning.
• to renew the use of revivals in our churches. For years now we have seen what was once a traditional part of our church ministries being neglected. We are reaping the results of that now. And...
• to humble ourselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways so that God will hear us and heal us, bringing spiritual renewal.

I pray that our president's call for revival will be heeded.

Staff Dismissals

I've been meaning to post on this for a week or so but haven't had time. I was interested in a recent study released by LifeWay that shows that 1300-plus people were dismissed from church staffs in the SBC in 2005. As usual, relational issues top the list of problems that churches have with ministers. I'm wondering when ministers will learn to understand that they are in the people business. At the same time, I wonder when churches will learn the same thing--ministers are people too.

Some other interesting notes from the study. A pastor's lack of administrative skills and sexual misconduct were found among the top ten reasons for dismissal for the first time. I'm not surprised by the latter, and the former seems to be more of a problem than ever in our churches. By the way, administration is not a biblical function of the pastorate. If a pastor lacks that skill, and many do, lay people or other staff gifted in administration should deal with those issues. Allow the pastor to do what he is called and gifted to do: preach, pray, minister, and spiritually lead.

Finally for the first time, disagreement over doctrine is mentioned in the list at number 12. Bob Sheffield, a LifeWay specialist quoted in The Baptist Courier, said that it is difficult to know what that means, but let me hazard a guess--the problem between Calvinists and non-Calvinists. The Calvinists are usually the pastors and the non-Calvinists are usually the churches. I've known of more than one church over the last ten years that has dismissed a pastor after they found out that he had Calvinist leanings. By the way, a prospective pastor owes it to the pastor search committee to fully disclose his theology.

Saturdays

Saturday morning is my favorite of the week. It is the only morning of seven that the household is not stirring around. How wonderful it is to get up early, put the coffee on, leisurely read and move slowly into the day. This morning I was able to read the entirety of 1 Peter in the Greek text, read the paper, and spend at a while catching up on the blogs I've missed during the week. Praise the Lord for Saturday morning!

Methodists and Biblical Authority

Methodists are strongly debating sexuality issues, which are dividing the denomination. Al Mohler has an insightful post that shows that it is not homosexuality that is at the heart of the problem.

http://www.albertmohler.com/blog_read.php?id=806

Integrity and Preachers

I was greatly upset by a story in recent days on Baptist Press. A pastor in Florida lied about his education credentials, and when the truth came to light he had to resign after less than two months in the pulpit. The following story on BP deals with accreditation more than the story in Florida, but it will give you an idea of the issues.

http://www.bpnews.org/bpnews.asp?ID=24242

What is up with the lying on one's resume? From Notre Dame to Radio Shack to West Palm Beach, Florida. By the way, once you lose your integrity it is awfully hard to get it back.

Celebration!

Part of the grand celebration in St. Louis. The improbable has been done! Thank you for a great October!

That's A Winner!

The long wait for Cardinals fans is over. I've been waiting for 24 years--the year I got married, for a repeat performance. Now from the most unlikely of teams, we have it---a World Series champion. The Cards, who no one thought would win, did win game 5 to take the Series from the Detroit Tigers. It was awesome to see the celebration in the new Busch Stadium. Now the monkey is finally off the back--Cards fans can breathe and smile! Now when I think of the Cardinals it won't be just about Gibson, Brock, Ozzie, Sutter, and McGee; I will also think about Albert, Carpenter, Suppan, Weaver, and Eckstein. By the way, Jeff Weaver will never have to pick up the tab in St. Louis the rest of his life!

This takes the sting away from an terrible childhood memory. In 1968, South Elementary School in Kennett gathered as one in the lunch room in front of a small B/W T.V. to watch Bob Gibson toe the rubber for Game 7 against the Tigers. The cheering of exuberant elementary kids turned to tears as we watched our beloved Cards lose that one. The sting of '68 has always been there. Thankfully it is gone! I saw a sign in the stands last night--"Retaliate for '68"--it has been done! One South school alum is glad.

Fall in SC

We're enjoying fall in SC. It is going to be cold tonight--hovering around the freezing mark. It's not Texas!

Bellevue

I've been wondering for several years what would happen to the super-churches when their pastor retires, leaves, or dies. Look no further than Bellevue in Memphis.

http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=24193

Inspirational Dad

I was greatly moved by Rick Reilly's article in this week's Sport's Illustrated. Riley wrote about an inspirational Dad and his son. Patrick Henry Hughes was born with a rare genetic disorder that left him without eyes, and with arms and legs that won't straighten. He has not, however, allowed these challenges to defeat him. He is a gifted musician who plays the trumpet in the University of Louisville marching band. He is able to do so because his Dad, Patrick John Hughes, pushes the wheelchair his son is in.

Dad also pushes his son to classes, sits with him and whispers anything written on the blackboard. Then there is band practice and Dad still has to go to work at 11pm. He gets off at 5am, gets a little sleep, then goes to classes and band with his son.

Dad is quoted as saying: "We still say, Why us? But now it's Why us--how'd we get so lucky?"

That my friend is unconditional love!

I'd urge you to read Reilly's article in the Oct 16 edition of SI.

Students Fighting Back

As I read Saturday's The Greenville News, I was surprised to see a by-line from Burleson, Texas, our former home. It seems high school teachers and students are being taught to fight back if some maniac comes into the classroom intending harm. Apparently amajor in the British Army Reserve has done the training, the first of its kind in America.

Of course, there will be some who will criticize the training. Surely, they say, some child will be killed. But isn't it at least possible that many more children would be saved if they know what to do? Bravo Burleson! Perhaps it is time to turn the tables on the wackos.

Women in Ministry Report

I've finally gotten around to reading a report on women in ministry and Baptist churches. It is just as I surmised--some Baptists loudly proclaim that women should serve as senior pastors, but they are not willing to call them when their pulpits are vacant. The report can be accessed at:

http://www.bwim.info/index.php/html/main/welcome.html

Witherington on the Amish Tragedy

Ben Witherington has written a powerful entry on his blog concerning the Amish tragedy. It is a must read.

http://benwitherington.blogspot.com/

I too have been greatly moved by the spirit of forgiveness shown by the Amish, who no doubt are greatly devestated by what took place. Although they are crushed they are not defeated. May their type of Christianity increase.

Battle of the Bulge and Iraq

I don't get into politics too much on the blog, but a thought hit me recently. I wonder what today's reporters would have said if they had had been looking at the events during the Battle of the Bulge in WWII. You recall that the Germans made one final push in December 1944 to salvage victory in Europe. There were many casualities and for a while it didn't look good for the Allies. The news media of today would have been whining as now, I'm sure. However, we did win that one as I recall.

The same is true in Iraq at the moment. The violence has escalated as the enemy attempts to salvage victory. The media is whining about how badly things are going. I have confidence we're going to win this one too!

Facing the Giants

We got to see "Facing the Giants" over the weekend in Spartanburg. It was a well done picture that sends the message that with God all thing are possible. I was a bit worried at the beginning; the movie starts a bit slow and the acting is sub-par. But as the movie progresses, the actors step up and do a more than decent job. The primary characters are believable and their faith journey inspiring. I left the theatre encouraged and thankful how God is working through the film. By the way, I've been to only one other movie this year where there were as many people in the theatre--"The Ballad of Ricky Bobby." If y0u have a chance to see the movie, by all means do it--you'll be glad you did.

Case of the Missing Remote

Have you ever lost something, and you would not rest until that something was found? It happened to us this weekend when we lost our TiVo remote. It was lost sometime on Saturday afternoon. We looked high and low. We looked under and above. We completely gutted the living room--no remote. We all went to sleep on Saturday night with one question: Where is the remote? All day Sunday. No remote. Sunday night. No remote.

Finally, just after 1am this morning--Lesa found it. It was caught inside her recliner. We had looked. We had put our hands down the filthy back and sides of the recliner [isn't it disgusting how bad those get?] . She didn't find it until early this morning, exhausted from the search, she leaned far enough back in the recliner to feel something strange. She back down on her hands and knees and reached deeply into the leaning recliner--there it was!

How did it get there? Who put it there? I'm blaming the dog. But no matter--the case of the missing remote is solved. All is right in our world. We can surf our channels without getting out of the chair again. PTL!

Vines on Islam

I thought you'd like this from Jerry Vines, who has had lots of experience in dealing with criticism of Islam. I think he can sypathize with the Pope.

POPE "OFFENDS" MUSLIMS

So what else is new?
Pat Robertson tells the truth about Islam and muslims are "outraged."

Franklin Graham tells the truth about Islam and muslims are "irate."

Jerry Falwell tells the truth about Islam and muslims are "angry."

I tell the truth about Islam's founder and muslims are "offended."

Now, the Pope has "offended" the muslims yet again. Pope Benedict XVI, in a speech last week a Germany's Regensburg University, said that the only thing Muhammad brought that was new was "only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." Keep in mind Islam has a standard procedure when they are "offended." They riot in the streets, burn churches, and kill people.

Sister Leonella, a 65-year-old nun was ambushed and shot just days after the Pope's remarks. Their reaction actually proved the point of the quotation the Pope cited. The Pope is trying to distance himself from his remark. He says he was quoting someone else and is "deeply sorry for the reactions in some countries a few passages of my address were considered offensive." (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 9-18)

If a cartoon "offends" them, they riot, burn churches and kill people. The pattern is always the same.

Now, here is the question - were the Pope's statements true? And those of Jerry Falwell, Franklin Graham, Pat Robertson and myself? Any fair-minded reader of Islam's tenets and anyone familiar with Islam's history will have to say, yes. But, we must not "offend" the muslims by telling the truth.

"Facing the Giants"

"Facing the Giants," a film completely produced by a church in Albany, GA, has opened. I hope to see it this week in Spartanburg. I find it interesting that the movie rated PG for its outspoken Christian message. It is unbelievable but true. If it is in your area--go see it.

Germantown Pastor

For some time we 've been splitting churches over music, then it was Calvinism, now it is elder-led vs. congregational led churches. Here's the latest on a Memphis area pastor who recently split his church over the issue and now isn't even Southern Baptist.

http://www.commercialappeal.com


Are you tired of all this? I am.

Byron Nelson

I was sadded to learn of the death yesterday of the great golfer, Bryon Nelson. Lord Byron will be remembered for his accomplishments as a golfer, but many more will remember him for the Christian life that he led. Every time I heard him interviewed, I was impressed with his character. For more on his life:

http://www.wfaa.com


I'm sure he has heard a "Well done" from the Lord.

Founder's Day

Today was Founders Day at NGU. It is the day that the history of the university is celebrated. It was my first official/formal function at the university as the faculty dressed in academic regalia. It was a bit trying to find my place in the recession, but I finally found the person I was to stand behind and all went well. The speaker was Dan Cathy, president/CEO of Chick-fil-A. He did an excellent job, and I was impressed by his company's Christian commitment. As you know part of that commitment is that they are closed on Sunday. I've done my part today--I had chicken for lunch and dinner!

Fairview

Well we finally joined a church last Sunday. We have been visiting churches through the summer, but we finally settled on Fairview Baptist in Greer. Dr. Steve Crouse, campus minister at NGU is the interim. If you'd like to check the place out the web address is:

http://www.fairviewgreer.net/index.php

Insults with Style

You'll like this from "Preaching Now"....

Insults with style

"He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire." (Winston Churchill)

"A modest little person, with much to be modest about." (Winston Churchill)

"I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure." (Clarence Darrow)

"He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary." (William Faulkner, about Ernest Hemingway)

"Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words?" (Ernest Hemingway, about William Faulkner)

"Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading it." (Moses Hadas)

"He can compress the most words into the smallest idea of any man I know." (Abraham Lincoln)

"I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it." (Groucho Marx)

"I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it." (Mark Twain)

"He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends." (Oscar Wilde)

"I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play. Bring a friend . . . if you have one." (George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill)

"Cannot possibly attend first night. Will attend second . . . if there is one." (Winston Churchill, in reply)

Preaching to Felt Needs

Here is an insightful blog post on the danger to preaching to felt needs.

http://www.albertmohler.com/blog_read.php?id=773

IMB Commissioning Service

My family and I had the privilege of attending an International Mission Board Commissioning Service last night at North Spartanburg First Baptist Church. To say that it was inspiring is an understatement. The service from start to finish was a true worship experience. It was gratifying to see one of my former Southwestern students and his wife commissioned. If you have never been to a commissioning service, by all means go to the next one close to you. You really won't be the same.

I was sad that Gordon Fort was not able to attend. He was on the program but was not there. Gordon's wife, Leann, grew up at my last church--Riverside in Ft. Worth. I was hoping to touch base with him but of course was not able to do so. Other than that, it was great night.

Tongues & Baptists

The recent flap over the Dwight McKissic sermon at Southwestern again brings to the forefront the subject of Baptists and tongues, or the politically correct term "private prayer language." That's the term Baptists like to use to make sure they are not getting mixed up with the tongue speakers in Pentecostal/charismatic groups. In essence, that is still what we're talking about. McKissic was highly critical of the International Mission Board of Trustees over its decision to not appoint missionaries who claim to speak in tongues. Are they right in doing so?

The idea of a private prayer language comes from 1 Corinthians 14 where Paul attempts to set in some kind of order the confusion brought out by the use tongues in worship. In 14:2 Paul wrote: "For the person who speaks in [another] language is not speaking to men but to God, since no one understands him; however, he speaks mysteries in the Spirit." In 1 Cor 14:14 Paul writes: "For if I pray in [another] language, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful" [HCSB]. The term translated "another language" in the HCSB is "tongue." Do these verses demand the idea of a private prayer language. In both cases the answer is no. In v. 2 all Paul is saying is that when one speaks in tongues only God can understand him/her [if an interpreter is not present]. In v. 14 the apostle seems to only be saying that when one prays in tongues he/she cannot understand what is being said. Neither of these verses require the idea of a private prayer language.

Clearly in 1 Cor 12-14 tongues are seen by Paul as a spiritual gift. In chapters 12 and 14 he is clear that tongues are to be used to glorify God and build up the church. Spiritual gifts are not individual-centered but corporate-centered. In other words, they are not for the building up of the individual [although they do that] but for the building up of the church. Spiritual gifts are not a "private" matter but a "corporate" matter.

All of our experiences must be examined in light of Scripture. Is there such a thing then as a "private" prayer language? I would like to see an example of it in Scripture to be convinced. I don't find that example. Although I at first was critical of the IMB position, I believe now that the trustees were correct.

Osteen

You'll likely be interested in this report about Joel Osteen's recent Boston visit.

http://www.albertmohler.com/blog_read.php?id=766

This reminds me of his appearance on Larry King in which he danced around the reality of hell.

Preaching and Technology

One of the things mentioned in Al Mohler's take on contemporary preaching [posted recently here] was his concern that the preacher is becoming too enamored with technology. I agree. Based on my experience this summer of being in several different churches for worship, I would say that preachers have become "PowerPoint crazy." It is almost overwhelming when almost everything the preacher says is projected on the screen. People are not as tuned into the preacher when that happens and are more worried about what is going up next. Besides, when too much is projected, you feel like you're in a classroom lecture. I don't want to feel like I'm in school when I'm at church. Also, when too much of the sermon is on PowerPoint, the preacher may feel enslaved to the presentation and not go "off script" should the Spirit demand it.

Not every point and subpoint needs to be projected on the screen. You don't need a lot of animation. I have reminded my preaching class that "less is more." Use technology but don't become a slave to it. Remember the best preaching is still done verbally!

FBC Marietta

I had my first preaching opportunity since coming to South Carolina on Sunday at Marietta First Baptist Church. Lesa and I had a great time in the two morning services. The church has a sweet spirit, and it is obvious that God is blessing that congregation. The church is a bit unusual in that it has a bigger congregation for the earlier service than in the second one. It is also unusual in that both service have the same order of worship. Thanks to Pastor Bennie Durham for giving me the opportunity to fellowship with his great church!

State of Preaching Today

Al Mohler has written a commentary entitled, "The State of Preaching Today." It is well worth the read.

http://www.albertmohler.com/commentary_read.php?cdate=2006-08-28

More SWBTS Chapel

Here's the latest from Baptist Press on the SWBTS chapel service on Tuesday.

http://www.bpnews.org/bpnews.asp?ID=23889

I mentioned to a friend the other day that probably Dwight McKissic spoke as he did because he is used to doing so in his pulpit within the African-American church climate. That is exactly what Bro. McKissic says in the above article:

McKissic had stated in his letter to Patterson, "If addressing the [IMB] policy violated SWBTS chapel protocol, and apparently it did, I deeply apologize for having done so. Please forgive me; I was unaware of this protocol. I was speaking from my faith tradition (National Baptist Convention) and cultural background that encourages addressing unbiblical and discriminatory issues prophetically and publicly. However, I do believe in submission to authority and I will submit to SWBTS protocol in the future to the extent that I am aware of it." He offered to submit an advance manuscript of his message if he is invited again as a chapel speaker [BP].

I don't know if the above statement gives Bro. McKissic a pass. It seems to me he should have been more sensitive to the issue of speaking so strongly against an IMB policy in the chapel at Southwestern and at least given Dr. Patterson the courtesy of a "heads-up" on what he was going to say. That could have prevented this fiasco. Whether one agrees with the IMB policy or not or agrees with Dr. Patterson's stance against tongues or not, a preacher being invited by the president of Southwestern has the obligation to at least give a private warning before releasing a bomb. Bro. McKissic says that he desires to submit to authority. When you preach in another's pulpit, you are under authority. Submission requires giving warning when something super controversial is coming in the sermon.

SWBTS Chapel Service

Well the dust still hasn't really cleared from yesterday's chapel service at Southwestern. Read this from Baptist Press:

http://bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=23882

Read the seminary news release in its entirety at www.swbts.edu

I'll have some reflections of my own on the IMB and "private prayer language" later in the week.

Success in Ministry

You no doubt will benefit from reading Ben Witherington's post on success in ministry. You'll stop to think.

http://benwitherington.blogspot.com/

Plagerism in the Pulpit

I've been thinking some lately about plagerism in the pulpit. A New York Times article recently reported that a pastor had admitted preaching other guys' sermons that he downloaded from the internet. We were visting with friends earlier this summer who believed the same thing about their pastor. We have all borrowed from each other in the homiletical arena, and "there is nothing new under the sun," but when does a preacher cross the line into plagerism?

• When his outline is someone else's and he doesn't give credit
• When one of those cute "turns of the phrase" that is not his is not credited to the one who really turned it
• When another's experience is related as his own [that's also lying!]
• When quotes are lifted from books or sermons without giving credit

I'm sure I'm missing some things here, but this is a start. I tell students when writing papers that if the thought is not your thought footnote. I would say to preachers--If the thought is not really yours give credit. Your credibility and integrity will then never be questioned.

What about background material gained from study? When you simply summarize background material as you explain a text in the sermon, you don't have to give credit. When you define biblical terms, I don't think it is necessary to quote the source; your congregation will assume you looked that definition up anyway. However, if you find something really great that you want to use and you do so word-for-word, give credit.

I have used outlines of others, quotes from others, etc. in the past--we all have. But I have attempted each time to make sure the proper person gets credit for it. That's only right. If I might twist a verse just a bit--"Give credit to whom credit is due!"

New York SS Teacher

Well much has been said in the press this week about the New York state Sunday School teacher who was "fired" from her ministry in a Baptist church in New York state [I'm glad to say not an SBC church]. Someone asked a question about it during the Wedneday night prayer meeting I attended, and I've read several blog entries. All I can say is that church will have a tough time getting ministry done without the women. If it had not been for women SS teachers in the churches I pastored, we wouldn't have had very many. I shudder to think what my churches would have done if we had to rely on men teachers.

Top 10 for Worship

You might be interested in this Top Ten from Jim Shaddix on worship.

http://www.baptistcourier.com/785.article

Pharaoh's Heart

I've been looking over the latest edition of edition of the New American Commentary: Exodus by Douglas K. Stuart. This is going to be one of the better volumes of the series, no doubt about it. There are many exegetical conundrums in Exodus. One of which is the hardening of Pharaoh's heart, which is found several times in the book [4:21; 9:12; 10:20, 27 just to name a few]. In his Excursus on this matter Stuart wrote in part:

His [Yahweh's] purpose in preventing Pharaoh from giving in too easily and too early was, as
will be seen in subsequent parts of the narrative, to allow himself fully to demonstrate his sovereignty over Pharaoh, the Egyptians, the land of Egypt itself, and the gods to which Pharaoh and the Egyptians trusted. . .The Egyptian Pharaoh was supposed to be a pure person, a divine manifestation of the gods,a nd one whose sovereignty over the people was credentialized in part by the purity of his 'ib [Egyptian for 'heart'] . The idea that Yahweh could do whatever he wanted with Pharaoh's heart, and specifically could "harden" it, therefore, was both an evidence of Yahweh's control of all things including the mightiest monarch of the day and also evidence that Yahweh had done what the Egyptians thought the "gods" would usually do--weigh the heart and decide whether the owner was worthy of eternal life or not. In effect, then, each time Yahweh is decribed as hardening Pharaoh's heart, the alert reader is reminded that Yahweh had, as it were, weighed Pharaoh and found him wanting . . . In terms of the classical theological-philosophical issue of free will versus determination, none of the references to the hardening of Pharaoh's heart is decisive. That is because God's causing Pharaoh to be stubborn is simply not presented in the narrative as a general permanent phenomenon (eternal election or rejection) but rather as an ad hoc action of God, temporary in nature . . . and limited to the special purpose of humiliating the Egyptians and their false religion [149-50].

A cogent discussion of a topic that bothers many folks in church when this subject comes up. By the way, Stuart is best known by many seminary students as the co-author with Gordon Fee of How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth. His work on Exodus, just released by Broadman and Holman, will be well worth the purchase for anyone preaching and teaching in Exodus. I may have more quotes from the commentary later on.

Revivals

Do revivals still work? I believe they will. Is there a time more important than now in America for churches to emphasize revival and spiritual renewal? Read these two articles from Baptist Press.

http://bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=23819

http://bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=23818

The second article above deals with what old fashioned evangelism did in a church that had not had a baptism in TWENTY years! Praise the Lord.

I would pray that churches would have at least one and even more than one revival during the year. We just finished attending the North Greenville Crusade this week at NGU; it was a blessing, and many people were saved. Revivals still work, but they take lots of prayer and lots of preparation.

Christians and Muslims

The Florida Baptist Witness is publishing a series of articles by Dr. Mark Rathel of the Baptist College of Florida comparing Islam and Christianity. The latest can be found at:

http://www.floridabaptistwitness.com/6268.article

I would urge you to read these.

Who does the Atheist thank?

Al Mohler has a recent post on his blog that I found fascinating. Who does the Athiest thank?

http://www.albertmohler.com/blog_read.php?id=741

The Big Hug

Well we got through "The Big Hug." That's the term used at North Greenville University for the last goodbye we parents have to give our kids at their dorm. We had a day full of orientation activities; I appeciate NGU for letting us work our way into letting-go slowly. We've heard from Andrew today, and all seems to be going fairly well. If he can get his Internet running, I think he'll be o.k.

Lesa did pretty well--not too many tears, although I could have missed some when I left her alone. Today has been a bit dreary both in weather and in our overall attitudes, but I know we'll be fine too. We look forward to attending the NGU Crusade this week, so we'll get a first hand look on how things are really going.

We've got to get through another big day on Thursday--Stephanie's first day at Greer High School. I'm sure we'll have another emotional buildup to that. Stay tuned!

College

Well the day has arrived that I've been dreading--taking our son to college. He's only a few miles away really, but it is the thought I guess. What I dread most is my wife's reaction. Andrew is left in his dorm while I have to deal with Lesa! The "Big Hug" is around 4:30 this afternoon. At a faculty meeting yesterday, the Vice-President of Student Services remarked that he was looking forward to that so the parents can leave and "we can get the kids straightened out." Good luck. More on the days activities later.

Sales Tax Weekend

Well it is sales tax exemption weekend in SC. Lesa and Steph are geared up for a "shop till you drop" shopping marathon. I can't wait to see how much money she has "saved" me!

Page Articles

For those who might want to read more on various stances of our new SBC president, the Florida Baptist Witness has some good articles from last week's edition. Access them at:

www.floridabaptistwitness.com

All the hoopla resulting from Page's election is comical. When the rug gets pulled out from under the status quo, it can be quite unsettling.

Alcohol Resolution

I can't imagine that there be any debate among SBC pastors/leaders about the recent resolution on alcohol at the convention. For those interested in what the resolution says read:

http://www.sbc.net/resolutions/amResolution.asp?ID=1156

If I could eliminate all alcohol consumption today, I would. That of course is no possible, but I can keep praying that it would be so. To say that the resolution infringes on our "freedom in Christ" is to pervert that blessed statement.

Membership & Baptism

A church in Oklahoma has decided to table for now discussion about accepting members without baptism. Read the article at:

http://bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=23725

The church's pastor says the concern to change the by-laws was prompted by those who cannot be immersed due to some handicap and those who mistakingly believe that sprinkling is scriptural. I have empathy for the first problem and have myself poured water on a older lady who could not physically get into the baptistry. She greatly desired to be baptized before she died. I have no problem with that. As for the other problem--those who have been sprinkled have not be scripturally baptized, and we should not back up for one moment on that point.

It is a shame that so many of us today want to forget our history.

Page and Women Pastors

Our SBC president, Dr. Frank Page, has been criticized recently for the stance taken in his Ph.D. dissertation embracing women serving as pastors. His dissertation, written in the 80s at Southwestern Seminary, should not be taken as his position today and certainly reflects the climate at Southwestern and other Baptist seminaries at that time. Most professors would have embraced the idea, and it is not unusual at all for students to see things as their profs. Of course, that is the reason James says teachers receive the more strict judgement. We must be careful. Dr. Page is a firm supporter of the Baptist Faith and Message and should be applauded for changing his mind.

By the way, what has happened to Dr. Page makes me glad that there is nothing controversial about "The Reconstruction and Evaluation of the Johannine Text of John Chrysostom."

Alcohol

Daniel Aiken, president of Southeastern Seminary, has written a timely and personal appeal for alcohol abstinence. You need to read it.

http://www.bpnews.org/bpnews.asp?ID=23576

I would simply add Amen!

FBC Taylors

Today we worshiped at First Baptist Church Taylors. Of course, Dr. Frank Paige, new president of the SBC is pastor there. For those who read the blog regularly, you'll know that pratically every church we've attended this summer has been without a pastor. True to form today, we visited FBC and Dr. Paige was on vacation! So although FBC has a pastor, we didn't hear him.

We did, however, hear a splendid message from Dr. Wilson Nelson [not Willie!]. Dr. Nelson served several years as pastor of FBC Greer [one of the pastorless churches we've attended!] and is now serving at North Greenville University. His message from Jeremiah 1:1-10 was timely and certainly could be applied to all as he dealt with God's plan for our lives. Every individual is precious to God, and He desires each to be saved and to serve Him.

Maybe someday we'll attend a church where its pastor will preach! I'm beginning to doubt it.

Ranger Trade

Altough I'm in SC, Andrew and I are still Ranger fans. I'm excited about the trade today for Carlos Lee. I hate we gave up Kevin Mench, but Cordero has been very inconsistent this year. Time will tell, but the Ranger lineup should become much more potent. I've been complaining all year about losing Alfonso Soriano. This may quiet me; we'll see.

Leon Morris

I read this morning of the death earlier this week of NT scholar Leon Morris. He was and will remain one of my favorites. There is nothing that he has written that is not on target. His The Atonement: Its Meaning and Significance is one of the best theologies on the cross you'll ever read. He will likely be best remembered for his work on John's Gospel. I'm sure he's heard a "Well done" from the Lord.

CP Once More

Dr. John Sullivan, Executive Director of the Florida Baptist Convention, comments this week in The Florida Baptist Witness concerning the Cooperative Program. I agree with him that the CP is neither perfect nor foolproof, but it is "the best financial methodology I can find for funding a world mission strategy." He calls the CP a "sacred how" not a "sacred cow." Well said.

http://www.floridabaptistwitness.com/6152.article

Middle East

I read an intersting opinion piece yesterday by Suzanne Fields in The Greenville News concerning the Middle East. In essence, she wrote that while many believe that Israel should show restraint in the current conflict, all their enemies understand is power. There is much here that is worth noting, but I'll only mention the following:

"Ariel Sharon, showing restraint, organized the withdrawl from Gaza as a way to achieve peace through strength, a controversial idea but nevertheless credible. You could call it agressive restraint. All that was wrong with it was that it didn't work and was perceived as weakness by the enemies of Israel.
The only thing Israel got was more rockets on its cities, the elevation of Hamas to power and the kidnapping of its soldiers standing duty in Israeli territory."

In an article in last week's Florida Baptist Witness, Jim Sibley, a former Baptist represenative in Israel and currently with Criswell College in Dallas, called on Christians to pray for leaders in the Middle East involved in the conflict so they might find a peaceful solution. He said, however, that groups like Hezbollah, motivated by "Satanic forces" will never live at peace with Israel. He is quoted: "The terrorism of Hezbollah must be answered and it must be crused. We should not be no naive as to think they are seeking peace. They are seeking the destruction of Israel."

Read the entire article at: http://www.floridabaptistwitness.com/6166.article.

The Great Math Mystery

I was reading over the weekend one of the great "millennium math problems" has been solved. For six years seven-million dollars in prize money has been unclaimed at the Clay Mathematics Institute in Cambridge, Mass, waiting for someone to solve any of the several problems, the oldest dating back to 1859. It appears, however, that the Poincare conjecture has been proved by a mathematician in Russia. Grigori Perelman's solution has been under scrutiny for four years and appears to hold up.

Now if I could get him to adequately explain the Trinity!

Summer Camps

Al Mohler has an interesting blog this morning about summer camp. It seems fewer kids are going, both to the secular and Christian camps. I hope this downward trend reverses itself. Many a life has been changed at youth camp, including my own children's.

http://www.albertmohler.com/blog_read.php?id=724

Confidants

I read an interesting article yesterday which reported that Americans have fewer confidants--people with whom they confide and discuss important matters than they did 20 years ago. 25% of people surveyed in a study published last month in The American Sociological Review said they had no one to talk to about matters that were important to them.

I have said for years that America is a country with a "privacy-fence" mentality. We just don't get involved in the lives of people around us. Are Christian Americans any better? No.

Take a look around you. Are there people who need you, perhaps just to talk? Loneliness is a terrible disease. Christian fellowship could provide an antidote.

On Growing Old

I got this from Ben Witherington's blog, and I thought you might enjoy it.

The following are comments by men and women over 50 on their creeping decrepitude. As my English Prof at Carolina once said--- 'there are days after 40 when you realize your body is your mortal enemy.'The nice thing about growing senility is you can hide your own Easter eggs, and you can also pray the senility prayer---'Lord grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked, the good fortune to run into the ones I do, and the eyesight to tell the difference.

''My memory's not as sharp as it used to be. Also my memory's not as sharp as it used to be.

''Don't let aging get you down. It's too hard to get up again.

''Don't think of it as hot flashes, think of it as your inner child playing with matches.

''Its scary when your stomnach starts making the same noises as your coffee maker.

''The elderly widow was approached by the undertaker with the question: 'How old was your husband when he died?' She replied 'He was 98, two years older than me.' She then paused and added :' Its hardly worth my going home now is it?

'The elderly gentleman said--- 'I have had bypass surgery, am largely deaf, and have both prostate issues and old age diabetes, and take about 40 different medicines that give me dizzy spells, but thank God I still have my driver's license!'

'These days about half the stuff in my grocery cart says 'For fast relief.'

An elderly widower asked the preacher to arrange to have him be cremated when he died, and have his ashes scattered over Walmart. When the preacher asked why the reply was 'This way I know my offspring will visit me twice a week.'

A news reporter interviewed an 104 year old lady about what was the best thing about being 104. Her reply was 'There's no peer pressure.'

Finally Home!

Well we finally made it back from Texas on Saturday evening. Lesa and I agreed that this was the hardest trip ever. We did 2,000+ miles in four days. We left to close on our house on Wednesday morning, stopping in Vicksburg, MS. We got into Texas on Thursday afternoon, picked up another U-Haul trailer, and headed to the house in Burleson. We packed the trailer on Thursday [by the way, it was 103 degrees in Texas!]. On Friday morning we closed on the house and headed back to SC. I think we stayed in Pearl, MS on Friday night just outside of Jackson. The final leg began early yesterday morning.

We've decided that we might not even want to go to the grocery store for the next six months. Just looking at the van makes us both very ill!

All the business in TX is finished now, I guess. So long Lone Star State. We hardly knew ye.

Visitation

So far we've visited four churches in area, and we've been visited by only two of them. We had a very pleasant visit last night from folks whose church we attended last week. What about the other two churches? Well one of them sent us a letter, telling us that if we wanted a staff member to visit we needed to come again and indicate our desire for a visit on the visitor's card. I guess our visit to them was not indication enough that we were interested. One other church, one of the larger ones in town, has not bothered to contact us at all, although we filled out their visitor's information.

We received further information about the churches that sent visitors, and they're on our "let's go back" list. We would have liked information from the other two, but they've been crossed off that list because they showed no interest in us.

By the way, it is instructive to note that the two churches that sent visitors were also the most "friendly" during our Sunday morning visit. Is there a correlation? I think so. Churches that want people to come back are proactive in greeting new people in worship and are quick to contact them in person during the following week. Churches on the go will grow!

We're taking another step in our church search by going to Sunday School this week. It is there where you usually find out what the church is really all about. We'll keep you posted.

Luke Birth Narrative

As you know, I'm reading through the Greek New Testament in canonical order. I've finished the first two gospels and began Luke this morning. I was struck again, as I read the birth narrative, how simple and beautiful it is. I was stirred again by the words of Gabriel to Mary:

Luke 1:30-33 (HCSB) ³⁰ Then the angel told her: Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹ Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will call His name JESUS. ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. ³³ He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.

I know it's not Christmas yet, but any time of year is right to read about the Incarnation. I praise God the Father today for the coming of His Son!

Passion Narrative in Mark

I noted on David Alan Black's blog the other day his note on the bloodlessness of the Gospel Passion narratives as the reason he didn't care to see Mel Gibson's movie. Of course that film was quite explicit in that area. It happens that I'm reading Mark's account of the crucifixion now in my devotion time, and I must say that I agree with Dr. Black. Mark does not focus on the physical abuse of Jesus. Why? I think perhaps the focus is instead on the obedience of Jesus to face the cross. The key to chapter 14 of Mark, I think, is the Garden scene where Jesus prays and concludes, "Not my will by your will be done." The physical suffering of Jesus is certainly a fact, and "The Passion of the Christ" deals with that in intricate detail. The Gospels, however, have a different focus--Jesus became "obedient unto death, even death on the cross." I too would rather focus on that.

July 4

There is a good commentary on Baptist Press about the faith of the Founding Fathers. Find it at:

http://bpnews.net/bpcolumn.asp?ID=2302

I watched a great move this morning: "The Crossing," dealing with Washington's crossing of the Deleware. If you ever get a chance to see it you should. It was a daring raid that gave Washington a victory he so desperately needed following a string of defeats.

Happy Birthday America!

Our Graduate

I didn't have the opportunity will all the goings on in moving to post a proper picture of our graduate. Andrew will be a freshman at North Greenville University in the fall. He certainly makes his Mom and Dad look good!

House Sale

We are finally selling our house in Texas! The 7 day "out" period was over Thursday, so it looks like the sale will go through. We're supposed to close July 14! One more trip to Texas, but we'll get another good dose of Mexican food, something we're missing here. Thanks for praying about this matter. The Lord's timing is always right!

Populaton Growth

We're living in one of the fastest growing town in South Carolina. According to figures I read yesterday in The Greenville News, Greer is the fourth fastest growing city in the state. Right now our population is just over 21,000, but that is an over 20% increase in five years. When you look around you can see the growth. There are new housing developments everywhere as well as many new businesses. Someone told me yesterday that there are 50% more businesses along the main highway in Greer just in the last two years. Riverside High School is opening a new facility in the fall because of all the growth and Greer High School's building is very new.

This has affected the area churches too. Many of them are growing at record rates. We have not attended a church yet that hasn't benefitted from the growth spurt here. I'm sure that is going to continue for some time.

It is interesting that at last some explanation for the growth is that many folks from up north, who used to retire in Florida, are now retiring in this area of South Carolina. The "tweeners" are now those who retire between Michigan and Florida. The reason seems to be that the population changes in South Florida and the many hurricanes in recent years have caused some to settle in other places. We are also having people who live in Florida relocate here for the same reasons. Interesting.

A Good Word on Christians, Sin, and Homosexuality

You might want to read this from Al Mohler's blog.

http://www.albertmohler.com/blog_read.php?id=706

10 Convictions on Biblical Preaching

In class Monday, I shared with my Introduction to Preaching class 10 convictions I have on biblical preaching. I formulated this list during a Ph.D. seminar and have worked on them a bit since.

• Biblical preaching is grounded in the belief that there is "one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all" [Eph 4:6].
• Biblical preaching lifts up the name of Jesus whose "name is above every name" [Phil 2:9].
• Biblical preaching is empowered by the Holy Spirit, "the Spirit of truth," who testifies of Christ [John 15:26].
• Biblical preaching is done under the conviction that the Scriptures are "God-breathed" and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness" [2 Tim 3:16]. The Scriptures are the primary authority for biblical preaching.
• Biblical preaching should lead people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ [Romans 10:14].
• Biblical preaching should "prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ might be built up" [Eph 4:12].
• Biblical preaching should be done by one called and gifted by God [Rom 12:3-8].
• Biblical preaching should be done by one who lives a life worthy of one called [Eph 4:1].
• Biblical preaching is communicated with the context of the congregation [note the letters of Paul, written to specific congregations].
• Biblical preaching is not determined by sermon "type," but according to biblical content. [Scholars and preaching students cannot agree on definitions such as expository, topical, etc. I would agree with Brown, Fasol, and others that biblical preaching is determined by how closely the sermon is tied to the biblical text.]

Good One

This from Ben Witherington's blog:

Conversations Heard at the Water Cooler at work

"So hey what have you been up to lately.

""We'll believe it or not I am into reading."

"Really? Reading what?"

"Well, I am growing my spirituality."

"So, what are you reading?"

"Well I am reading the Bible. And let me tell you, that guy can write!"

New Blog

I don't know if we need another blog, but Albert Mohler has begun one that primarily deals with issues of the Southern Baptist Convention. It is worth a look.

http://www.conventionalthinking.net/

Eastern Time

Another observation about South Carolina. We're simply not used to Eastern time yet. I know there are only 24-hours in the day here, but it seems like 22 or 23. The day goes so fast. Historically I am an early to bed early to rise guy. Here I'm staying up to 11:30 pm and last night even later as we suffered through the NBA playoffs. I suppose we'll get used to prime-time shows starting at 8pm and the news at 11pm, but I remember when we lived in Jacksonville, Fl a few years ago we never really did.

Mavs

To say the least, we are all disappointed in this house over the Mavericks loss to Miami last night. I thought for sure they would come through in Game 6, forcing a deciding game Thursday night. What will we do with out time now? Andrew is especially disappointed. He is a Mavs freak. Even Stephanie got into the act. Now Andrew knows now how I have felt when the St. Louis Cardinals stink in the playoffs. It is a deep pain that no one can describe except the true fan. Sports! We love it and hate it at the same time.

First Impressions

We've been here two weeks. What are my first impression of our new digs? First, the weather has been very good. I am amused when I hear the weather folks on TV say, "It is going to be hot." 90 degrees ain't hot! It has ever rained a couple of times. Imagine that. Second, there is no traffic. Driving to work last week at 7:30am and very few cars to contend with. That is a tremendous blessing. One of my co-workers gave me another route I could take to get to work to miss the major road here in Greer and the "traffic." What traffic?

We visited our second church today. This one is very close to our home. We found out today that they too have an interim pastor. So far we've attended two churches and two interim pastors. Good sevices at both churches. Last week's church is larger than this one, although there was a good sized crowd at today's service. One is more traditional than the other. Don't know yet what God would have us to do. We're going to visit at least one more church before we make a decision on membership.

By the way, Happy Father's Day!

SBC

Everyone around here is excited about Frank Page's election as SBC president. I think there is little question that it was a referendum on the Cooperative Program, especially our convention's leaders support of it. I was a bit surprised there was not a run-off.

Made It!

Well we finally made it to South Carolina! We arrived last Monday afternoon, closed on the house that afternoon, and started moving in. The truck arrived on Wednesday, and we finally saw it pull away Friday. We've been getting out of boxes since, but we mostly live in them. We probably will at least for several more days. Most everything works in the house, only a few minor problems. Of course, we had a problem with the computer and had to get it fixed before blogging could begin again.

Today was a rest and worship day. We attended Fairview Baptist in Greer. It was good to be back in church; we had to miss last Sunday. Fairview runs 400+ and have an interim pastor--Dr. Steve Crouse of North Greenville University. The choir sounded good and the preaching was as well. We enjoyed a visit from a couple of members this afternoon and have been eating the cookies brought to us since!

I begin teaching on Monday morning--a course on 1 Corinthians. The course is a week-long intensive. What a way to start!

If you've prayed for us as we've moved--THANKS! Keep it up. We need the prayers and you need the practice.

Moving

If there is anything worse than moving, I'd like to know what it is. We're packing up the truck as hard as we can go, heading to SC. We'll be in Greer Sunday evening. Musings will take a break until after our move. I don't know when I will start up again, probably late next week. Pray for us! We need it!

Graduation

Last night Andrew graduated from high school! It is difficult for me to believe that he is old enough to do that. The event was held on the campus of TCU. I wonder just when graduation ceremonies became a rock concernt? It was a bit embarassing to hear all the hoots and hollers during the presentation of the colors, and the blow horns were annoying to say the least. But those are small criticisms compared to the absolute joy of seeing our son walk across the stage during this important milestone in his life. Congratulations son!

Memorial Day

I hope today is more to you than just a day off and an opportunity to fire up the grill. Today is the day you and I must take at least a moment and thank God for the men and women who have paid the ultimate price for freedom. My grandfathers were in WWII, and my uncles served in Vietnam. I currently have a first cousin in the military. I thank God for their service as well.

Freedom is not free, and we'd better not forget that.

Executive Committee--CP

The Executive Committee of the SBC is set to recommend several ways that the Cooperative Program can be strengthened during the convention next month. It seems now that the committee may weaken two of the recommendations: one that church's give at least 10% to the CP and that the convention consider electing leaders whose churches give at least 10%.

What is going on here? It seems the Executive Committee is watering down its recommendations in light of the presidential election. Much has been made of Ronnie Floyd's nomination and the fact his church gives a small percentage through the CP. A statement from the committee reads in part that the original recommendations were never intended to create controversy. Perhaps that is so, but this move, if it is approved by the whole committee, will appear to some to be politically motivated--either to help Floyd's election or at the very least make Southern Baptist's appear to be consistent in their thinking. Should Floyd be elected president and CP recommendations which included percentages also be approved, the inconsistency will confuse the churches.

The full committee will vote on these changes in the CP recommendations just prior to the convention in Greensboro.

For more on the Executive Committee's actions:

http://www.floridabaptistwitness.com/5985.article

Page

More on Dr. Frank Page, candidate for SBC president at:

http://bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=23353

There are several other articles posted on the South Carolina Baptist paper's website [The Baptist Courier].

http://www.baptistcourier.com/

I would agree with those who say that his candidacy is a longshot, but Southern Baptist's who want their president to be more supportive of the Cooperative Program certainly have a choice. The more I read about Dr. Page, the more I'm impressed with him. I look forward to visiting his church next month.

6/6/06 Kids

I was reading yesterday about some parents who are worried about their kids being born on June 6----6/6/06. The "0" in there should cause no anxiety for Mom and Dad. The ones who should be worried are the parents born 6/6/66!!

Last Sermon

Well the last sermons were preached yesterday at Riverside. I had blogged earlier that I always struggle with knowing just what to preach on last Sundays. The Lord led me to Ephesians 4:1-16. I challenged the church to "walk worthy of the calling." That calling, of course, is God's call of salvation, explained by Paul in chapters 1-3 of Ephesians.

Basically, the message has two major thoughts. First, walk worthy by keeping the unity of the church [vv. 2-6]. That is done by living right in relation to one another [vv. 2-3]. Unity is important because it is a portrait to the world of the unity of the Trinity [vv. 4-6]. Second, walk worthy by contributing to church growth [vv. 7-16]. God has provided for the growth of the church by giving spiritual gifts to all believers and to the church corporately. The goal of growth is that we all become like Jesus [v. 13]. The result of growth is a mature church that is doctrinally stable [vv. 14-16].

When a pastor leaves, the church is usually challenged in the above two ways--unity and spiritual growth. This message, I believe, is the one God wanted our church to hear on my last day.

I didn't know it until I looked more deeply into my files, but I preached vv. 1-6 of this passage on my last day at Heckscher Drive Baptist Church in Jacksonville, FL ten years ago. This must be an appropriate passage for this occasion.

DaVinci

Well it seems "DaVinci" made about 77 million bucks over the weekend. That's more than my 50-million prediction. What is the attraction? Why would people buy into lies and reject the truth. Here it is my friends. Are you ready? It is simply because if Jesus can be made into mere mortal then human kind does not have to deal with its major problem--sin. If Jesus is not who the Bible claims Him to be, then God holds no sway over us; we ultimately are not accountable to Him.

What is the church's response? Just keep preaching the old old story. The Gospel has overcome all such challenges for two-thousand years. It will overcome this challenge as well.

SC Candidate & Move

I read in Baptist Press that Dr. Frank Page, pastor of FBC Taylors in South Carolina is throwing his hat into the ring for the SBC presidency. I read this with interest because I am going to be moving just a few miles from his church and am planning to visit it as part of our "find a church" process beginning in June. I suppose now he'll be a bit busy the first weekend we're in SC; that's the week of the convention in Greensboro. Dr. Page is a Southwestern man--that's a plus! For those looking for a church giving at least 10% to the CP, his does.

For more on Dr. Page: http://bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=23284.


By the way, I plan to blog on our "find a church" experience as we go. It's been a long time since I've just been a "regular Baptist" looking for a church home. In 1993 we joined Travis Avenue in Ft. Worth after moving to seminary from Florida. We visited three or four churches before joining Travis. When we moved back to Texas in 1999, we just automatically went back to Travis. So it has been 13 years since we looked for a church. It will be fun. FBC Taylors is on our list as is Fairview in Greer. When we visited the area, we noticed Baptist churches everywhere. A good church won't be a problem. Our main criterion, I think, is a good youth group for our 16 year old daughter to blend in with. We want to join a church as soon as the Lord allows so she can get to know some other kids before school starts in August. Enough blog blabbering; I'll keep you informed of our progress once we get to SC.

Reading the GNT

For many years now I have been reading a passage from the Greek New Testament during my devotion time, and I've urged my students to do the same. A few months ago I determined I would read the NT in canonical order [Matthew-Revelation] in Greek. This morning I finished the last four chapters of Revelation. This has been a wonderful spiritual experience, and I plan to begin again tomorrow morning in Matthew 1.

I decided I wanted to be able to pick up my Greek New Testament and read from it very early in my academic career. In my first New Testament survey class at Florida Baptist Theological College [now the Baptist College of Florida], Dr. Jerry Corley would read from the GNT at the beginning of each class period. That amazed me! He encouraged us to get into Greek, and if we did we could do the same thing. I started during my Elementary Greek days to take a couple of sentences from the GNT each day and work through it during my devotion time. I used the UBS text along with Kubo's Reader's Lexicon. It was slow and sometimes frustrating, but it was a blessing and worth all the effort. I will always be grateful to Dr. Corley for his example. I have followed his example and begin each of my classes the same way.

I can't wait for tomorrow morning, about 5:30am as I start in Matthew 1!

A Cooperating Baptist

I'm concerned that we are continuing to expand what it means to be a cooperating Southern Baptist. Does it mean to embrace the latest edition of the Baptist Faith & Message? Does it mean to give 10% of your church's undesignated receipts through the Cooperative Program? Does it mean that a trustee decision is embraced even if it is a bad decision? Will it later mean that we must baptize a certain number? Will it later mean I must embrace some theological system like Calvinism or the like?

Just some musings from a country preacher concerned for his beloved SBC.

Modesty in Weddings

Al Mohler has an interesting post today dealing with modest dress in weddings.

http://www.albertmohler.com/blog_read.php?id=653

Women in Ministry

There is a good article in the Baptist Standard concerning women in ministry. In it, the idea of women serving particularly as pastors of Baptist churches is explored. What is interesting in the article is that women who are now studying in some Texas schools [Truett and Logsdon are mentioned] are wondering if they will ever be accepted by the churches.

One statistic in the article is worth sharing: "Of nearly 5700 Baptist General Convention of Texas-affiliated churches, four are led by female senior pastors." That is a telling stat. Conservatives have been criticized by moderates forever on this question, but moderate churches seem to be no more willing to call a woman as pastor than conservative churches. According to the article's author, John Hall, "They [women] like the rhetoric about women being accepted into ministry but do not see any action." If moderates are going to be "true" to their rhetoric, they are going to have to improve on the above statistic. I think they may slightly, but I don't think they will overwhelmingly.

According to Paul Powell, Dean of Truett Seminary, "I don't want to discourage them in any way, but I want them to be realistic that their ministry may not include being the pastor or a church."

Conservative Baptists believe a woman can serve in any position [I'm speaking of staff], but the Bible exempts her from serving as senior pastor; thus a woman cannot be called to that ministry. Moderates believe women can serve as senior pastor but don't call them to their churches. At least conservatives are true to their convictions. When will the moderates be true to theirs?

The article mentioned above is found at:

http://www.baptiststandard.com/postnuke/index.php?module=htmlpages&func=display&pid=4874

SBC Presidency Debate

I'm glad there is a healthy debate in the SBC concerning the upcoming presidential election at the Greensboro convention in June. I've been concerned for many years about the lack of good ol' fashioned Baptist debate for the convention's top spot. I think there should always be a choice. Baptists, I believe, will make the right choice.

What about the issues that have been brought up about Ronnie Floyd. The primary one seems to be the lack of Cooperative Program giving by his church. I do not believe that should be an issue. A certain percentage of CP giving [10% or otherwise] should never be a litmus test for cooperation. Plus there is a question of just how much FBC Springdale gives. The church's percentage giving is low, according to reports, but administrative staff indicate giving to overall missions and SBC causes is much higher. I believe in the CP, but it should NEVER be used to determine whether or not a man is qualified as a cooperating Southern Baptist. Each local church should determine CP giving for itself. The SBC must not infringe upon the autonomy of the local church in this matter.

Paige Patterson has also been criticized for recently endorsing Floyd. Although Dr. Patterson is president of an SBC entity [Southwestern Seminary], he himself is a past president of the convention and an individual Southern Baptist. Since when did an individual Southern Baptist not be allowed to voice his opinion [oh, I forgot, if you are a member of the IMB Board of Trustees! That's another opinion for another day]. I believe Dr. Patterson or any other Southern Baptist has the right to state his/her opinion and endorse any candidate. That's the Baptist way.

I'm gratified that there is debate. For many years the presidential election at the SBC has been a yawner. I'm sorry I'm teaching that week and won't be there to see and hear it all in person. I will be in prayer for the decision.

For more read: http://bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=23243

General Epistles/Revelation Commentaries

Here are my recommended commentaries for the General Epistles and Revelation. Remember, these are my recs, having the busy pastor in mind.

Hebrews
Bruce, F. F. Hebrews. NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1965.

Guthrie, George. Hebrews. NIVAC. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998.

James
Davids, Peter H. The Epistle of James. NIGTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1982.

Moo, Douglas J. The Letter of James. Pillar New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapid: Eerdmans, 2000.

1 & 2 Peter & Jude
Davids, Peter H. The First Epistle of Peter. NICNT Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990.

Green, Michael. The Second Epistle General of Peter and the General Epistle of Jude.
TNTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1987.

Moo, Douglas J. 2 Peter and Jude. NIVAC. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996.

Selwyn, E. G. The First Epistle of St. Peter. 2nd ed. New York: St. Martin's, 1964.

Johannine Epistles
Akin, Daniel L. 1, 2, 3 John. NAC. Nashville: Broadman and Holman, 2001.

Stott, John. The Letters of John. TNTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988.

Revelation
Osborne, Grant R. Revelation. BEC. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2002.

Witherington, Ben. Revelation. NCBC. Cambridge: Press, 2003.

It is difficult to recommend commentaries of Revelation--each one has his/her own view on this book. The above commentaries, however, do a good job of getting at the issues. For a overview of different options in interpreting Revelation see: Pate, C. Marvin, ed. Four Views on the Book of Revelaton. Counterpoints. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998.

Floyd

Reports are circulating that Ronnie Floyd, pastor of FBC Springdale, AR, will be nominated to serve as SBC president at the annual convention in North Carolina in June. Another mega-church pastor serving as SBC president. This is no surprise and just a matter of time. I had thought earlier that Johnny Hunt of FBC Woodstock, GA, would be the next president, but he withdrew from consideration and is planning to nominate Floyd.

I'm not at all against this nomination, although it would be refreshing to see a medium or even large-church pastor be nominated and elected. The mega-church rules, however, and will for the foreseeable future.

Last Sermons

My last sermons at Riverside are coming next Sunday. It is always a bit difficult to determine what your final words to a congregation ought to be. I've always suffered over them a bit. My ministry here has been six-and-a-half years. What can I say that I haven't said? What ought to be said? Perhaps my grandfather was right. When I told him that I was called to ministry 20+ years ago, he gave my good advice. He said to always preach Jesus and Him crucified. You can never go wrong with that subject! I'll let you know later what I've decided on this matter. I've also decided that the subject of final sermons would be a good subject for further investigation. Perhaps something has been written already, but as you know, that never keeps one from killing more trees on the same subject!

A Devoted Church

My sermon yesterday dealt with "A Devoted Church." No matter where a church is; no matter what ostacles a church faces; a devoted church is a church God will bless. From Acts note what practices the church must be devoted to.

• A Devoted Church Is Devoted to Prayer--Prayer brought unity [1:14]; boldness in bearing witness [4:24-31]; God's miraculous work [12:5]; and confirmation of His will [13:3].
• A Devoted Church Is Devoted to Preaching--Other than the Day of Pentecost, you see preaching at the forefront at critical times in Acts [8:4; 11:20; 21:28]. There are two words for preaching that are primarily used in Acts. The first means "to herald." The church is to spread the message of the King far and wide. The second means "to tell good news." The message that Jesus died, rose again, and is exalted is good news. Also, the church must without apology call people to repentance.
• A Devoted Church Is Devoted to Discipleship--"Nothing builds up the church like truth" [John Stott]. You see discipleship throughout Acts [2:42; 4:2; 5:25; 14:22; 15:41; 18:23]. The church must teach theology [what am I to believe?] and ethics [how am I to live?]
• A Devoted Church Is Devoted to Missions--Acts 1:8. Missions must begin at home but also must reach to the end of the earth. When the church is truly on mission, it is closer to the heart of God than at any other time.

The church is to be devoted to the same things God is devoted to. When it is, the gates of hell will not prevail against it!

Mothers

In honor of Mother's Day:

Susannah Wesley was married at age 19 to Samuel Wesley, a minister, and had nineteen children. Samuel was often gone for church meetings and revivals, so she assumed the primary load in raising the children. Two of her sons are well-known to us today: John and Charles Wesley. John launched the Methodist movement and Charles was a celebrated composer and hymn-writer; you would recognize some of his music like "Christ the Lord is Risen Today" and "Hark! the Herald Angels Sing."

Susannah Wesley spent time each day praying for her 19 children. She also took each child aside for a full hour every week to discuss spiritual matters. She also expected each child to be able to read the Book of Genesis by the time he or she was six years child.

Here are her famous 16 rules of raising children:

1. Eating between meals not allowed.
2. As children they are to be in bed by 8 p.m.
3. They are required to take medicine without complaining.
4. Subdue self-will in a child, and those working together with God to save the child's soul.
5. To teach a child to pray as soon as he can speak.
6. Require all to be still during Family Worship.
7. Give them nothing that they cry for, and only that when asked for politely.
8. To prevent lying, punish no fault which is first confessed and repented of.
9. Never allow a sinful act to go unpunished.
10. Never punish a child twice for a single offense.
11. Comment and reward good behavior.
12. Any attempt to please, even if poorly performed, should be commended.
13. Preserve property rights, even in smallest matters.
14. Strictly observe all promises.
15. Require no daughter to work before she can read well.
16. Teach children to fear the rod.

(from Victor Yap; list from http://www.familyofdestiny.com/article_16rules.htm)