Habakkuk 3:17-18

I was reading in the little book of Habakkuk this morning. The book is a dialogue between the prophet and God about God's plan to send Babylon to judge Israel. 3:17-18 caught my attention.

¹⁷ Though the fig tree does not bud and there is no fruit on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, ¹⁸ yet I will triumph in the Lord; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation! Habakkuk 3:17-18 (HCSB)

Economic conditions must never dictate our response to God. We must always praise Him. I'm thankful too that no conditions, good, bad, or otherwise, determines our relationship with Him.

The prophets final words:

Yahweh my Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like those of a deer and enables me to walk on mountain heights! . Habakkuk 3:19 (HCSB)

Amen!

Sam the Sham

I was listening to Elvis Radio Friday on Sirius and the George Klein Show--GK was interviewing Sam the Sham, who did "Wooly Bully," maybe the greatest party song of all time. Anyway, it took me to the summer of 1978 when I was part of a group that opened a show for Sam the Sham and Tony Joe White (wrote Polk Salad Annie). That was a good time!!

Faith and Church Size

Here is a fascinating study by Barna on faith and church size. It might be a little surprising to some. Off the top of my head I might have believed the opposite of the results.

Here's one interesting quote from the Barna report:

Despite the substantial attention focused on Protestant mega-churches, such congregations draw about 9% of adults who frequent a Protestant church. In contrast, 41% of adults attending a Protestant church associate with a congregation of 100 or fewer adults. An additional 23% can be found at churches of 101 to 200 adults, 18% associate with bodies of 201 to 499 adults, and 9% can be found in churches of 500 to 999 adults.

I keep saying we pay way too much attention to the mega church. Most people attend churches much smaller. One primary criticism I've had of the SBC for years is that leadership comes way too often from the large to mega-church when the vast majority of our churches are much smaller.

Fairview Tailgate

Everyone enjoyed the 1st annual Fairview Tailgate last night. Probably folks drove by and asked, 'What is that crazy church doing?' Well, we were having a good time. It's not good to be serious all the time. I'm already looking foward to next year.

Kostenberger on Church Government

Here's a paper I found on Dave Black's blog that will be of interest to some of my readers. Andreas Kostenberger of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary has written a paper on eccesiological issues of interest. I've read part of this and found it interesting. I'll comment on some of the issues a bit later when I've had time to digest it completely.

Choir

Here's the combined choirs of 13 Greer Baptist Association Churches getting ready for last night's 50th anniversary celebration at Fairview. They sounded great, and it was a wonderful night with over 1,000 in attendance.

GBA 50th

Fairview hosted Greer Baptist Association's 50th anniversary last night. I think we probably had over 1,000 in the worship center. I have some pics of the choir but for some reason they won't upload this morning. I'll try that again later, but I did want to particularly mention Richard Blackaby's message. He talked about how the church will be effective in the future.

• We must be on God's agenda and not on our's
• We cannot fear change
• We must invest in young people
• We must equip the saints

I've been hammering on these four points for a while in our church so his message was timely for us. A church that makes a difference cannot be concerned about the latest trends, fads, and books on the market. We can't look at programs or personalities. We must look only to God who has an individual will for each church.

If a church won't change it will die--period. He told the sad story of a church that refused the change to reach the neighborhood around it. They voted to watch themselves die. Sad, but that is exactly what many churches are doing. They's rather die than change.

If we don't invest in young people we will die as well. We're losing young adults at a staggering rate to the world. Dr. Blackaby was especially passionate on this point and it certainly resonated with me. The most important thing in my life is for my two college age kids to be serving God as adults and raising their families as they have been raised.

We must equip the saints, especially to understand what it means to be born again. One statement from last night--We will not get to heaven by raising our hands, praying a simple prayer, or signing a card. We will get to heaven just because we are a member of a Baptist church or any other church. We will get to heaven because we are born again. And born again people act like they are born again. I blogged recently about folks on the church roll who have the false impression they are saved when it is likely they aren't. Christian people don't continually live like the devil--Christian people live like their Lord!

It was a wonderful night of worship. I was honored we were able to host it.

Heaven

This is a good one from "Preaching Now" newsletter that I couldn't resist.

I was shocked, confused, bewildered
As I entered Heaven's door,
Not by the beauty of it all,
Nor the lights or its decor.

But it was the folks in Heaven
Who made me sputter and gasp—
The thieves, the liars, the sinners,
The alcoholics and the trash.

There stood the kid from seventh grade
Who swiped my lunch money twice.
Next to him was my old neighbor
Who never said anything nice.
Herb, who I always thought
Was rotting away in hell,
Was sitting pretty on cloud nine,
Looking incredibly well.

I nudged Jesus,
"What's the deal?
I would love to hear Your take.
How'd all these sinners get up here?
God must've made a mistake.

"And why's everyone so quiet,
So somber--give me a clue.""
Hush, child," He said, "They're all in shock.
At the thought of seeing you." (from Mikey's Funnies)

Amen or Oh Me?

Church Discipline the Old Fashioned Way!

A Fairview member recently attended one of their old churches and brought back the bulletin. On the back of it is an interesting history note. I'll leave the church and city nameless.

In 1921 the Baptist Ministers' Association issued a resolution urging Baptist young people 'to show disapproval to dancing...by precept and example.' The measure was approved after an incident involving a member of (church name) who danced at a chaperoned event for high school graduates given by Governor and Mrs. Westmorland Davis at the governor's mansion. The woman was dismissed from the choir and told she could not teach Sunday School.

We used to "church" folks for all kinds of reasons. Now we don't do it at all. I wonder if there should be a happy medium?

Just musing...

Wedgwood

Today is the 10th annivesary of the shootings at Wedgwood Baptist Church in Fort Worth. I remember the day well. I was in the hallway waiting on my children at Travis Avenue Baptist Church when we began to hear about a shooting at Wedgwood. Seven people were killed and several were wounded. If you ever want to see how a congregation is to react to tragedy, look at Wedgwood. The church held a special time of observance of the anniversary this past Sunday.

Which Israel?

I was reading Jeremiah 31-32 this morning, which are chapters in which the prophet tells Israel of a future they would have after their time of chastisement for their sins. In 31:31-34, the New Covenant is proclaimed--a covenant not written on tablets of stone but on the heart. Then come verses 35-36:

³⁵ This is what the Lord says: The One who gives the sun for light by day, the fixed order of moon and stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea and makes its waves roar— the Lord of Hosts is His name: ³⁶ If this fixed order departs from My presence— [this is] the Lord’s declaration— then also Israel’s descendants will cease to be a nation before Me forever. Jeremiah 31:35-36 (HCSB)

This passage begs the question, Which Israel? Is the prophecy about the geographical/political nation Israel. Many believe that it is. But what does the New Testament say about Israel? Note Paul's statement: May peace be on all those who follow this standard, and mercy also be on the Israel of God! Galatians 6:16 (HCSB). It is obvious in Galatians that Paul has Christians on his mind. The Church has become the Israel of God.

An important hermeneutical principle when dealing with the Old Testament is that one must sift each passage through the New Testament. Does the New Testament change or at least tweak an idea found in the Old Testament? When one takes the promise of Jeremiah 31 and sifts it through the New Testament grid, it seems that there is a change. Israel is made up of Jews and Gentiles who have professed Christ as Savior.

Israel then will be a nation forever. But she will be nation of priests before God [1 Peter 2:9]. She is the Church of Jesus Christ!

Redemptive Preaching

This is from the recent PreachingNow newsletter.

In his new book Christ-Centered Worship (Baker), Bryan Chapell includes a chapter on sermons that begins with a reminder of the need for expository preaching. Then he continues: "But we need to be clear that the preacher's concern should not only be instructive. God is active in His Word, convicting the heart, renewing the mind, and strengthening the will. This means that preaching is not simply an instructive lecture; it is a redemptive event. If we only think of the sermon as a means of transferring information, then we will prioritize making the message dense with historical facts, moral instruction, and memory retention devices that prepare people for later tests of formal doctrine or factual knowledge. Such tests are rare. And most persons' ability to remember a sermon's content in following days can devastate the ego of a preacher whose primary goal is the congregation's doctrinal or biblical literacy."The needed reordering of priorities will not come by emptying the sermon of biblical content, but by preparing it for spiritual warfare and welfare. Our primary goal is not preparing people for later tests of mind or behavior, but rather humbling and strengthening the wills of God's people within the context of the sermon. Because God is active in His Word, we should preach with the conviction that the Spirit of God will use the truths of His Word as we preach to change hearts now! As hearts change, lives change -- even when sermon specifics are forgotten (Prov. 4:23). ..."The preacher's obligation to transform as well as inform should compel us to ensure that our sermons are an instrument of God's grace as well as a conduit for His truth."

Lord help me and others who preach Your Word remember this admonition!

Updated NIV

Baptist Press is reporting that there will be major revision of the NIV by 2011. It is ironic that the revision will come on the 400th anniversary of the KJV. The TNIV will be discontinued. The TNIV has been unfairly criticized for its so-called 'gender-inclusive' language. I think if one reads the TNIV without preconceived notions about it, he would find it an o.k. translation. I'm not a fan of dynamic equivalent translations but as they go the TNIV was fine. It was geared toward younger readers and seemed to meet that need.

I know some of the folks involved in putting the TNIV together. They certainly can't be accused of liberalism and bowing to a feminist agenda, however, that doesn't stop those who like to hurl those accusations.

Same Thing No Matter Where You Go

While in Honduras, I was part of an interesting conversation with one of our translators, Omar. Omar is called to ministry and has done some pastoral work and lots of evangelistic work in his country. We were told while there that it was very hard to reach young people in Honduras. When we asked Omar that question, he simply laughed. His response, "It's hard for churches who won't change." Then he began telling us about churches that are willing to change from its traditional music and dress to more contemporary modes of both. Those churches are reaching young people for Christ.

I laughed too beause that's just what we're talking about in America. The bottom line: if a church won't change it will die. Period! It makes no difference if that church is in Honduras or in South Carolina. Traditional churches need to understand that if they won't change, all they can look forward to is a slow death.

Jeremiah 17:5-8

I think we need to hear this word from the Lord.

⁵ This is what the Lord says: Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind, who makes [human] flesh his strength and turns his heart from the Lord. ⁶ He will be like a juniper in the Arabah; he cannot see when good comes but dwells in the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land where no one lives. ⁷ Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence indeed is the Lord. ⁸ He will be like a tree planted by water: it sends its roots out toward a stream, it doesn’t fear when heat comes, and its foliage remains green. It will not worry in a year of drought or cease producing fruit.

Do you trust in yourself or in man or do you trust in God? I think that is a good question for the times in which we live.

One More from Honduras

We flew 1500 miles to eat at Pizza Hut! This is just outside the Tegucigalpa airport. The pizza was pretty good!!

Ministry in Oropoli

Here I am with my fellow pastor, Malcolm Lance. We were helping to weigh people as they entered the medical clinic. Malcom was a great help; he's been in Honduras many times and knows the ropes. He serves at Cathey's Creek Baptist Church in Brevard, NC.

Oropoli, Honduras

This is the great view up the "hill" in Oropoli. You can see for miles. Folks in the U.S. would pay big bucks for a view like this.

Preaching in Honduras

I haven't had time to write much about my Honduras mission trip but it was a great time of ministry. Baptist Medical and Dental Ministries International [BMDMI] has a fruitful ministry that pretty much runs like a well-oiled machine. Here I am preaching under the "Gospel Tent" one morning getting folks ready to go to the medical clinic. We were in Oropoli, Honduras about 2 1/2 hours SE of the capitol. During the week over 24 hundred people were ministered to and heard the gospel.

Jeremiah's World and Ours

I've begun reading Jeremiah in my devotional time and when I got to chatper 2, verses 27-28 jumped off the page:

27 say to a tree: You are my father, and to a stone: You gave birth to me. For they have turned their back to Me and not their face, but in their time of disaster they beg: Rise up and save us! 28 But where are your gods you made for yourself? Let them rise up and save you in your time of disaster if they can, for your gods are as numerous as your cities, Judah. Jeremiah 2:27-28 (HCSB)

Jeremiah's world was not different than ours. How often we serve our idols but when we get in trouble we turn to God and ask that He get us out of it. Yet God asks, "Why can't the idols you serve get you out of trouble?"

Far too often people turn their backs on God, not really giving Him much of a place in their lives. Yet they go to church on Sunday, going through the relgious motions and cry out to God when the heat is turned up in their lives. We shouldn't expect God to come to the rescue; He won't.

God save us from this kind of hypocrisy.