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.