Blog in a Fog Pastor

Something New To Me

2011-01-06T21:17:00.002-06:00

In an effort to be more stable at this blogging thing I am trying new things. Right now I am using a wireless keyboard to write this post to an iPad. Pretty cool and way beyond me I must admit. The thought occurs to me that I write very freely in my journal but when I sit down to write something that others will see the words evade me like cockroaches scattering when the lights come on!

No matter how neat the technology it still takes a person with an idea worth sharing taking the time to sit down and write it then having the guts to hit "Publish" so the world can see it.

Sooner or later I am going to have something worth saying but for now I will just have to talk about how cool the technology is that I am NOT using for any grand purpose!

Memorize Philippians!

2011-01-02T09:52:00.002-06:00

Here is another worthy project to aid spiritual growth if you are looking for something worthwhile and helpful. This one has the added appeal of using a Moleskine Notebook which I already favor as my notebook of choice anyway.

This project focuses on memorizing Philippians which I see as a great choice for me personally. I am hoping the joy will rub off on 2011 as I am eager to put 2010 behind me.

Check it out at http://www.facebook.com/memorymoleskine

Blessings!

New Year's Challenge

2011-01-02T09:36:00.002-06:00

I don't know if this qualifies as a New Year's Resolution but I have recently read David Platt's book, Radical: Reclaiming Your Faith From The American Dream, and I have decided to accept his five challenges for the coming year.

If you have not read the book I highly recommend it. This book was definitely one of my top reads in 2010. It's the kind of book that acts like a swift wind to clear the smog of the world and help deliver a clear view for what needs to happen in our lives as believers. At least that was my experience.

Here are the five challenges (with my explanations in parenthesis):

1. Pray for the entire world

2. Read through the entire Word (use a systematic plan)

3. Sacrifice your money for a specific purpose (beyond your regular giving, give up something specific)

4. Spend your time in another context (think mission trip or more, get out of your comfort zone)

5. Commit your life to a multiplying community (whether small group or church, plug in and grow AND grow the group)

For details and the full deal see www.radicalthebook.com

Wanted: A Fresh Word

2010-10-17T21:50:00.005-05:00

Just discovered I have a blog! Ok, so it has been a while. I wonder if anyone comes here anymore. I really need to at least post something interesting every once in a while so folks will know I am alive.

The awesome RobinBryce.com and I went, daughters in tow, to Catalyst in Atlanta the week before last. We came back fired up but also in "seeking mode" as in seeking God's will for how we should be engaged and plugged into ministry, church, work and community.

One of the speakers was Francis Chan, a Catalyst regular staple the last few years. I was struck with wonder at the humility he displayed in conveying what God is doing in his life. Here is a man who has resigned the growing church he planted in Southern California to go to Asia with an open call. The thing that grabbed me was that his humility and his calling are the result of the time he spends in the Word. I need that.

I remember what it used to be like when I spent more time in the Word just letting God speak to me. It was all so fresh. Over the years I have allowed myself to become callous to the freshness of God's Word. The fault lies not in His Word but in my heart. Let me explain.

I have learned a lot through God's Word. Following Christ 32 years plus a college and seminary degree sort of get you more immersed as well. There lies the problem. Now when I come to a passage I am typically aware of the context. I usually remember or have a quick awareness of the main message and I even remember a few Hebrew and Greek words now and then. I typically just jump right in and outline the passage, dig a little in some portion that I think seems the right spot an come up with a fair to good Bible study or message. Please don't get me wrong. I do not for a moment discount Holy Spirit's role in guiding and directing me. He does and I am thankful. The problem really is that I do not allow Him time to speak.

By jumping in armed with what I already know I often circumvent the process of starting with a blank page and letting Him fill it up.

I have lost my curiosity. I use the knowledge as a time saver or short cut to the finish line rather than a head start that will allow me to dig deeper and find the richer and more bountiful teachings of Scripture.

I need the resolve to let Him speak. I need the purposefulness to go before Him and stay in His Word like I am on a great adventure discovering new territory rather than plowing through like a horse headed to the barn.

My plan is to do two things. One, set aside more time to just be in the Word. I don't mean sitting down with a buffet of study Bibles and Logos at hand on the computer. I mean just take the Word, open it and read slowly and aloud if possible. I plan on stopping between the paragraphs or the chapters and making sure I am hearing and understanding. It needs to be like a trip where you are driving and actually do stop to read the historical markers!

Second, in Bible study or message preparation I need to "return to my first love". I need to zero in on the passage and let The Father speak to me before I dig out the study aids. I need to make sure the message is really connecting in my heart before I try to make it connect in others.

I'll keep you posted on how this goes. What about you? Is there anyone else who feels this way or has felt this way and if so what did you do about it?

Today at UHBC

2009-12-06T06:40:00.003-06:00

Today I get to preach the riches of His great grace at University Heights in Huntsville. I can never forget what an honor it is to be called upon to deliver God's message to God's people. Pray that I will make much of The God Man Jesus today and that hearts will be opened and lives changed!

Greater Things at UHBC: The Step of Faith

2009-11-01T21:36:00.002-06:00

We are going through a capital and spiritual emphasis at UHBC in Huntsville, TX, our home church. I have been impressed because it has been one of the best run campaigns I have ever seen. The problem is that it has brought me face to face with a problem I have been putting off for some time.

The answer is not simple but it is easy. I need to take a step of faith. The details of that step my be complex but the bottom line is easy: step out in faith.

So here I sit nice and scared. I am wondering what all God has in store for us over the next few days/weeks/years. Never have I needed more clarity and purpose than now. I may have divided "occupations" but there is no room for a divided heart.

Trying to remember which missionary it was but I am pretty sure it was William Carey who said "Expect great things from God ; attempt great things for God." Not bad advice right about now.

Book Review: The Truth About You: Your Secret To Success, Marcus Buckingham

2009-10-25T19:41:00.001-05:00

I love books that help me get better at anything, especially when they bring out a fresh new perspective that I need to hear. It also helps when they are presented in a way that helps to build the lesson into me rather than simply present the information. Such is Buckingham’s work.

The whole kit comes with a book, 110 pages, a DVD that is integral to working with the book and a follow on notepad to use over the next few weeks in carrying out the observations and action plans described in the book. The book is snappy and light reading. Each concept has a “here’s what you’ve heard, here’s what you really need to do” feel to it. Then it has the instructions on what to do. My suggestion: do what it says.

There are several salient points in the work. Each person who follows the action plans will likely be affected differently. For me it was the idea that I needed to abandon the idea of being a “well rounded person” and get comfortable with my strengths. Then, lead with my strengths and get paid for that knowledge, experience and effectiveness.

I have the fortune of working in both the corporate environment and in the church. The thought of applying an action plan to what I do at church is a little scary. I may need an action plan to implement my action plan. I rate this one worth your time, especially if you are looking for a fresh, simple and effective way to get off center and on track to the success you hope to pursue.

Teenagers Add Fun and Perspective

2009-07-23T20:43:00.002-05:00

Call me crazy but (OK, you were a little too quick with that!), as I was saying, call me crazy but I love having teenagers around. Well, young adults too. We have three extra tonight and the house is full of life. Please understand that our house is typically full of life anyway, especially with our star entertainers Christa and Charissa. Add three more, two Davis kids and Jonathan's fiance Marissa and we have a super sized allotment of fun.

I came home with a few minor but not overwhelming burdens from the day. They quickly melted in laughter and hugs and joking. Not only was I having fun but I was getting a fresh dose of perspective. The other stuff of life just does not compare to this!

Feeling down, burdened or distracted? Go borrow a couple of extra teenagers (or young adults). There, now don't you feel better?

Mistakes I Have Made: No Time For Rest

2009-07-20T11:45:00.003-05:00

One of the problems I am trying to correct is a serious issue that I left undone for a long time. Specifically, I neglected this while I was Pastoring a church. I did not make time for rest. Since January I have been working on this. Recently I have taken time to go to the beach and to go on a Summer hunt in South Texas. The nicest thing about both of these is that I did not have to rush to get back in time to be at my home church. While I realize I had "job responsibilities" my actions still contributed to the unhelpful "more religious but not more spiritual" syndrome.

Another side effect of this was the burden it created in the rest of the schedule. Because so many things were done in rush mode with no margin I managed to teach my children to work that way as well. Many times I see their hastiness, impatience and failure to think things through and realize that I am quite likely the one who fostered that.

To my kids. Get off the "hurry" treadmill and enjoy the down times. Plan for them. Put margin in the schedule.

To my friends I want you to answer the question with me, "Did my schedule and lack of rest contribute to my health problems? (Stroke, seizures, blockage, lack of exercise and poor eating habits leading to obesity)

Pull out your calender and schedule rest. Hurry! Do it now!

Precious In The Sight Of The Lord...

2009-07-02T22:41:00.002-05:00

"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His Saints." So say the words of Psalm 116:15. Tonight a dear Saint of God went home to be with the Lord. That Saint is my Aunt Hazel. I lost most contact with my paternal side of the family for many years. After being reunited to some extent (any distance from that point on was of my own doing) I came to greatly admire my Aunt Hazel.

In a family that had many problems she seemed to be a "burden bearer" who was there to carry the load. She took care of sisters and her Mother and all sorts of others who passed through her life. She was there as an encourager to me welcoming me back into contact with the family. I think she bore many burdens others never knew or knew of.

The point of this is not to tell how difficult she had it in life but what a joy she made it. To me she was always one with a kind word and a joyful spirit. So many thoughts are racing through my mind I cannot possibly put them to keyboard and screen. I hope that God will give me the maturity to be full of joy for the joy she now experiences. The one who I saw as a burden bearer is herself in the presence of the ultimate burden bearer and God of all comfort.

I Choose Change

2009-05-30T09:17:00.002-05:00

Two events have brought the idea of change to the forefront of my life again. The first of those is an event that many of you know about already. In early April as we were returning from vacation I began having pain in my chest and left arm. A couple of days later the cardiologist went in and cleaned out a 99% blockage in my right coronary artery installing a stent to help keep that area from being a problem again.

Medicinally I will likely be on Plavix and Lipitor for the rest of my life. I would love to quit taking those at some point but that may never happen. The whole event has pushed me to make a decision about living healthy.

Honestly this is a decision that should have been made years ago. The truth is I was selfish and undisciplined and allowed my weight to balloon and my body to deteriorate. That all caught up with me quickly. Funny that the procedure took only a few minutes but the lifestyle change to prevent it from happening again takes a lot more time and a lot more effort.

The plain truth is that if I do not change I will be back in bad health and perhaps even facing worse consequences. So far this change has gone well. I realized I cannot diet. My goal is not to lose weight but to change my lifestyle. It is a conscious and intentional change. I am choosing to change.

In my case that means I am eating right and exercising. I like to say I have divorced butter, broken up with sugar, quit seeing sugar and I am only spending limited time with salt and red meat. White processed breads are also being eliminated from the menu as much as possible. Fruit is in as are whole grains. More chicken and fish and olive oil are on the menu. I am not living austerely, just limiting what I eat that will contribute to high cholesterol of the unsavory sort. Interestingly, with many meals I just cut whatever I am served in half and that seems to really help.

Sometimes it is hard. Sometimes I want things I know I don’t need. Sometimes I don’t have full control over what is put in front of me or the choices I can make out of it. Nevertheless it is worth it. It has now been seven weeks and I have lost about 22 pounds. The first 16 came very easy; the last six are being ground out.

The other half of this equation is the exercise component. I have not perfected it yet but I am on the right path. I know I definitely feel better when I exercise. The biggest challenge is MAKING (not finding) time to do it. In addition to the lost weight I received my first round of blood work back last week. The numbers were fantastic!

For fellow strugglers I want to encourage (or scare) you with this. I saw some survey results that said 70% of people with a support group succeeded in changing their lifestyle by losing weight and exercising after a heart attack. On the opposite side 90% of people without a support group failed to change their life style. Let me say that again, 90% failed. Do not try to go it alone. I chose to change my life style and I chose not to go it alone.

Now, let’s go on to a second choice. My company is going through a change…a big change. We have finally eaten something we cannot digest without great change. That change will affect me. I have been in meetings for the last two days in Phoenix with a fantastic group of people who share the same role as I do in various locations in the Western half of this great land. All of us are in the same boat. Change will happen.

At the end of this two days I came away with a new resolve to pursue with greater vigor something I have already been chasing. The choice is simple. During a time of great change you can either wait to see what gets changed, or how you will be changed, or you can decide to be a part of the change. I am not naïve. I know that all the focus and energy in the world MIGHT NOT make a difference. In the end someone else can end up making major choices about me without my input. On the other hand I know that if I choose to change I will more than likely get more say in what happens to me. I choose to have a chance to be part of the change rather than a victim of it.

It is interesting how this kind of decision breeds great clarity of mind and purpose. I know what I need to do to have a seat at the table. If I don’t do anything I might get invited into the room or I might not. Now I know I will be in the room and I might have a place at the table. Choosing to change is a good thing.

I have seen many others in similar circumstances who seem to be paralyzed in fear. They are waiting for something to happen before they decide what to do. I say decide what to do and see what kind of things happen.

Perhaps I will eat these words but at least they are not a detriment to my cholesterol or my blood pressure or my waistline! I choose to change and I like it!

Book Review: "The Noticer" by Andy Andrews

2009-04-27T07:35:00.003-05:00

“Sometimes all a person needs is a little perspective.” That is the tagline on the cover of the book, The Noticer, by Andy Andrews and that is the core value of the books hero, Jones. The story is told from the perspective of Andy, a semi-fictional version of the author.

From the first chapter to the last I was completely captured with the story, something unusual for my own personality type. We first meet Andy as a twenty something homeless and hopeless man living under a seaside pier on the Gulf of Mexico in Alabama. “Jones”, a mysterious man who seems to appear at just the right time throughout the book comes to the crying young man’s rescue by befriending him and pushing him in the right direction of taking charge of his own future and life outcome.

Before you write this off as a fictional version of a “Christian help book” you need to know that the advice delivered could easily be found straight out of the Book of Proverbs. It is not the message of “take charge of your own destiny” as it is “use your head and do your part to cooperate in the life God has given you”.

While the story begins with Andy’s tale of the role Jones played in his own life change it quickly expands to the impact Jones has on many different lives he touches. The mysterious and eccentric man seems to show up at the most needed moment in everyone’s life. Here he saves a marriage, there he saves a life and then restores a purpose in life. He counsels young and old, the driven and the defeated. This book is worth the read and worth passing on.

Go Fish!

2009-03-23T18:37:00.002-05:00

I finally decided that if I was going to be miserable I might as well do it somewhere fun while doing something fun. Despite feeling horrible favorite son Jonathan and I finished his Spring Break with a quick trip to Sabine Lake. We left Friday afternoon and drove to Orange, TX where we checked into a $69.00 Econolodge. Surprisingly, the room was nicer than the Wyndham Hotel in San Antonio we stayed in just a few months ago which, as I recall, was somewhere in the $200 range. I'm not cheap, just frugal. BTW, we chose the Econolodge because the Holiday Inn Express across the street was $120 a night. I'm not cheap, just frugal.

We put in at River Rat Marina. This place is so hard to find even another guide who was putting in there didn't know it was called that! It's really just a boat ramp in a boatyard but it serves it's purpose. The only bad experience of the day happened here when we got out of the car and were immediately swarmed by mosquitoes the size of Volkswagons. After beating off the vermin we met up with our Guide, Captain Adam Jaynes who goes by the handle of Just Fish Guide Service. You can reach him at 409.988.3901 A trip for two without a firm quit'n time will set you back $450.00. In my book that's about right. I've been out with guides before who charged the same and were looking at their watch to make sure they did not get a minute over their promised trip time. I'm not cheap, just frugal so for all of you cheapskates don't forget that if your Guide puts you on the fish you dig a little deeper for a tip.

Adam earned his tip. The last time I fished with a Guide this young I had a bad experience. This trip changed that completely. If I spotted him a couple of years he might be 25. What he lacked in years he made up for in know how. Within a couple of minutes we were in the river and on our way to the Lake in his 22 foot Blazer Bay center console. God provided a beautiful sunrise for a great start.

We heard of a couple of Guides who had fished the day before and brought back a pretty light catch. We were hoping to do better and we did. I have fished by chasing birds before but never like this. Usually we would look for birds feeding then go there and fish. If the fish are also feeding aggressively that will usually be a pretty hot spot for a while. Well, the birds were feeding aggressively but the fish were not. We would move into a spot, catch a couple of fish and it would go dead. Adam wasn't daunted. When the fish quit biting we got moving.

The really fun part was the pattern that developed. We would spot birds (Ok, Adam would spot birds!). We would move there. We would start catching fish. Other boats would see our bent rods and soon we would have two or three boats full of Chorpus Christi fishermen trying to hog their way into our prosperity. Adam would just shake his head, laugh and move.

The only thing better than catching fish is catching fish when other people aren't. We caught fish. I don't know how many we caught altogether but as far as the keep, batter and fry variety we brought home 17 speckled trout and three nice redfish. On a side note we never caught a single trash fish all day. Thanks to some excellent choices in regard to plastics we spent the day hauling in specs and reds.

Now for the additional fun. First, I have never lost a Guide before but there is a first time for everything. At one point Adam went to pull the trolling motor in and the rope broke. Into the drink went one red faced Guide! The trip never got boring because when weren't hauling in fish we were laughing at our slowly drying out Guide. Fishing and a show!

Back at the boat ramp a couple of other boats came in while Adam was cleaning fish. They would pull up, look at the fish, congratulate us, walk away muttering, pull their boats out and go home. All in all Adam provided us with one fine trip!

This Ought To Get Interesting...

2009-03-10T06:05:00.002-05:00

Scientist have found, or at least think they have found, three "God Spots" in the brain. Read about it http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,507605,00.html.

In a Capitol One commercial voice, "What's in your God Spot?"

A Thought About Missional

2009-03-03T05:23:00.002-06:00

Perhaps the difference from just "being in the world" and missional living is intentionality. I think many times we practice the being in the world part but for get the clarifier "but not of the world". "World" of course stands for something a little deeper than the big blue planet we live on. It is mindset, a way of living, a philosophy of life and actions that bear out that philosophy.

I am thinking that true missional living is best defined by Jesus' command for us to "let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matt. 5:16).

How do we let our light shine? May I suggest it is as simple as imitating Jesus? I know we are supposed to live like this always but the truth is we don't. How about a three day challenge? Would you be willing to yield to His Spirit and make the attempt to live like Jesus, let you light shine in the world while not being of the world for three straight days? Would you intentionally live like Jesus for the next three days? I suggest we try an hourly "check-in" with the Father to see how we are doing.

You let me know how it goes with you. I'll let you know how it goes with me.

A Page Well Turned

2009-03-02T21:38:00.002-06:00

Yesterday morning Robin and the girls and I joined University Heights Baptist Church in Huntsville. This is the church that we called home for several years until we went to Pastor Dacus in 2000. We served at Dacus until the end of January this year and have been seeking the Lord's next move for us.

Coming "home" to UHBC was a wonderful experience. While we love our old church family at Dacus we have greatly missed our friends at UHBC. It has felt very funny living in one town but being oriented toward another. Please understand I am not complaining but it is always tough to intentionally leave friends to go to a new place. Now we have managed to do it twice, leaving UHBC for Dacus and then leaving Dacus for UHBC.

One of the most difficult aspects of this has been the eight and a half years that my best friend (next to Robin) and I have been in a holding pattern. We were both working two jobs and going to different churches. Yesterday they came over after church and we cooked backstrap, ate, played and just generally enjoyed hanging out. I know it may sound silly but it was a tremendously contentful day.

Later this week Robin and I will be going to TURBO, a church planting training session done by Bob Roberts church in Keller. Please pray for us as we continue to look for the path God has for us. Several conversations have taken place in the last week that have us excited about the near future.

To our friends and "family" at Dacus we love you and you will never know quite how much it meant to me to be your Pastor. To our friends at UHBC we are so glad and so blessed to be back with you.

All in all it feels like we have turned a new page to a new chapter and it seems to be a page well turned. I like the sound of that.

Chuck Fixes Economy, Film at 11

2009-01-31T13:07:00.002-06:00

What really scares me about both Congress and the President Obamistration is not just what they will do but the reasoning they take to get there. Pass the Prozac because every time I hear one of our vaunted representatives speak I instinctively reach for my wallet with one hand and grab hold of something to help stabilize myself for the epileptic seizure that I am about to have. (Yes, I understand Prozac is not for epilepsy, that's why I take Lamictal and Keppra. I just figure the additional chaser could not hurt.)

With that in mind here are three things that could be done right now in hopes of "stimulating the economy" that would be vastly better than what I have heard so far. So, let's make me emperor for a day and here I go.

First, stop pouring money into companies and pour it into the people. They will in turn pour it into the economy. How could this be done? Let's try this. Americans are sitting on boatloads (used to be shiploads) of money in IRA's, 401k's and other retirement plans. Let's let people withdraw tax free an amount equal to the taxes they paid last year. But that's not fair to the poor you say. The "poor" did not really pay into the tax system anyway. We would be giving back to those who have. They would in turn pour that money back into the economy. Even if they did not spend it they would be depositing it in banks and other financial institutions who need more capital. Seems to me that would be a good idea since the first thing we did was to...give financial institutions more capital!

Two things might be seen as wrong with this part of the plan. The first would be those who whine that this would decrease the assets of the government. Hmmm. The government is in debt not because it takes in too little in taxes but because the geniuses in Congress spend too much. Let's ask two different former presidents what happens when taxes are lower and people have more money to spend: John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan both proved that lower taxes mean more revenue for the government. The key is stopping Congress' insatiable appetite for spending. The second objection would be that this would decrease Americans assets for retirement and create another potential future disaster. True, this is a risk we would take. My point is that given the more disastrous courses we are about to take on this future risk is much more palatable.

Economic stimulus: problem solved.

Now to save the huge companies that are in danger of failing. The reality is that government funds are going to be used for this. While that is a bad idea why don't we at least look for the right way to do it. Let's deal with the Big 3 automakers first. Ford, Chrysler and GM are in trouble for two reasons: people, for whatever reason, like Toyotas, Nissans and BMW's better and the American companies have the built in "legacy cost" of pension plans and health insurance for retired workers. The actual cost to make the vehicles is really the same. Nissan manufactures trucks in Smyrna, TN at the same basic cost that Detroit does. Right now we are bailing out the companies with the peoples money. My plan is to bail out the people instead. Let's let the government take over these lopsided pension plans and honor those obligations. It would be a decreasing obligation for the taxpayers as the retirees will not live forever. Meanwhile, without the legacy costs the Big 3 should be more competitive. This will, in effect, give these 3 a chance to "reboot". No more pie in the sky pension benefits. Set up a nice 401k and decent health and dental and let's roll! Roll out competitive cars that is. If we are going to "save" these companies let's do it to the benefit of the workers, with a decreasing cost to the public and in a way that forces the Big 3 to either get in the game or fold.

The financial mess: since I work in that industry I am limited in my ability to comment. I will stick with this: people need to go to jail. By the way, the "evil" Executives at these companies should be last in the perp line. The front belongs to those who love being in front of the cameras so much. That's right, let's fill jail cells with the Congressmen who were supposed to be overseeing Fannie and Freddie in the first place. Hint: if you do not know who the suspects are just turn on the news. The people bloviating the loudest about going after Wall Street are the same crowd that was asleep at the wheel in the first place.

Now to my third item which will unfortunately fall on deaf ears. I would implement a new tax system. This is very complicated so pay attention. Ten percent: if it is good enough for God it is good enough for the government. The whine and cheese crowd won't like this. I can hear the refrain, "But we would not have enough money to pay for our existing programs!" Exactly! Here's an idea: cut programs. Goodness! How evil I must be to suggest that bridges to nowhere, studying the sex habits of Japanese quail and (you can't make this stuff up) millions of dollars for sex education as part of the economic stimulus package should cut!

There, I have just done a better job of fixing the country than the foolhardy flock of failures in D.C. I hereby resign. I suggest I be replaced by Larry, Curly and Mo. Surely three stooges would be better than the 636 we have now. (House, Senate and President)

Now if I could just fix myself!

Layoffs

2009-01-15T05:43:00.002-06:00

The troubled economy hits a little closer to home when the layoffs affect those who are close tou you. I ask you to pray for those who are experiencing difficulties right now. Ten of my coworkers experienced this last Friday. Three in particular are especially hurtful to me as they have small children at home and with so many companies in the financial services industry laying off, restructuring and downsizing job prospects are not what they normally are.

We serve a great King and so far the friends I have talked to remain positive. A little dose of that positivity could do us good. Perhaps today would be a day to remember that even with the crushing losses in the stock market the situation in our economy is not near as bad as it has been before. Specifically I want to discourage us from thinking this is the worst economy we have seen or comparing this to the great depression or even the debacles of the early and late 1970's.

We have just recently moved to unemployment rates that are significantly higher than the historical average. Remember that we have had much higher rates many times in our past. In the great depression unemployment hit somewhere above 25%!

Let's pause to remember that we are still a nation of abundant blessings and our God will see His people through these times. Blessings today.

Clean Out The Garage!

2009-01-03T22:00:00.002-06:00

I am infamous for my somewhat cluttered garage. Ok. The truth is my garage was declared an EPA Superfund cleanup site several years ago. I have recently decided to clean in based on the following story.

It seems an elderly Doctor passed away and his family found a $4.3 million dollar 1937 Bugatti race car in the garage. While I am pretty sure I would remember if I had parked one of those in my garage I think I will clean it out anyway just in case. I then plan to move on to the garages of my richest relatives.

One problem. My richest relatives are people that Jeff Foxworthy talks about. When my richest relatives got a new house I went over to help take the wheels off. I just might be a redneck!

Living "Like"Jesus?

2009-01-03T09:33:00.002-06:00

I read a story about a Pastor who decided to "live like Jesus" for a year. I admire the devotion and I definitely think this would be a wake up call for any of us who tried this.

Still, I have two thoughts. One, don't I already have enough things to do to be living like Jesus without adding Jewish dietary laws? Second, he decided to vote for Barack Obama because he felt he was most like Christ. Maybe he should have followed the "letter of the law" in being like Jesus: Jesus did not vote.

What do you think?

Welcome 2009

2009-01-01T12:08:00.002-06:00

I guess I am glad 2008 has finally come to an end. There were some exciting changes for us but also a few really big bummers.

The biggest change came in the area of my work. I am now the Market Sales Manager for Houston. It sounds a lot more impressive than it really is but it is definitely a step in the right direction. I am really enjoying leading others and coaching them toward success.

Robin's ministry is going well. I even get to get in on the fun with a cruise in April where we will do a "He Says, She Says" marriage session!

Several sad moments happenned along the way. We lost Robin's Grandmother Strickland and her Uncle Junior Mize. I delivered my resignation at Dacus Church early in December and we will be leaving at the end of January. A volatile and down stock market along the way did not help though it pales in comparison to the other events.

Fun was had with trips to Gulf Shores AL and San Antonio/New Braunfels. Not quite the Yellowstone and Florida trips of last year but fun nevertheless.

2009 looks like sunrise right now. Between my new role at the firm and a new ministry venture there is a fearful excitement. The prospect of a transfer for Jonathan to University of Mobile also exists.

We never know what is around the corner but we do know we serve a God who is faithful and has been there before.

Blessings to all!

Abiding

2008-11-06T05:32:00.000-06:00

No fun missing Wednesday nights, especially just to be sick! :>(

Anyway, I stopped by 1 John 2:15-17 this morning. I thought a Word for me might be a good Word for you as well.

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

Two things came to mind. The first was when I asked myself the question, "What is it I love about the world?"

The second was the connection I noticed between doing the will of God and "abiding" forever. I understand doing the will of God and I suspect you do to. What I found interesting was the use of the word "abide". The word is used 61 times in the New Testament, almost always by John aka "The Disciple whom Jesus loved". He uses it as a replacement word for "live" but think about how it means so much more. It is to stay with Jesus, to dwell, to belong, to experience everything there is in Jesus and with Jesus.

May you do the will of God today and may you abide with Him forever.

Catalyst Day 1

2008-10-08T21:09:00.003-05:00

Wow! I am tired. Catalyst Day 1 was fantastic. We started this morning in the Prelab session with Reggie Joiner. There was a mixup on tickets so we got in a few minutes late and I had to step out for a call but the parts I did get were great.

Having so much fun we skipped lunch, a dangerous precedent indeed!

Afternoon labs were all good. We start out with an hour of worship. Yes, you really can stand that long, even with a bad back. Then Robin and I split up for most of the afternoon. We went to one lab together and did the other three separately. The first lab I went to was with Scot McKnight, author of The Blue Parakeet. He did a great job pushing for the idea that we quit reading the Bible in several limited ways (looking for laws we like to follow while ignoring the rest, just counting promises and blessings, magical code schemes, etc...). Instead we need to become part of the story. Immerse ourselves in it and let it jump out in 3D. Probably not going to read the book unless they send it to me free but the "Blue Parakeet" story is funny and cool at the same time.

Robin and I joined up again on the second afternoon lab. This was my favorite. John Burke is Pastor of Gateway Community Church in Austin. He has written a book on one of the major themes of his church, "No Perfect People Allowed". The ministry he describes is phenominal! They are reaching people many would consider unreachable. One of his biggest points was that real ministry is messy. The lost people who come to his church or into one of their small groups are not just rough around the edges they are the edges! Many churches would be very uncomfortable ministering to people who may not accept Christ for several years (if ever) and who may not change overnight.

He looked at 1 Corinthians 3:6-9 and pointed out how easy it is to forget that God causes the growth, not us. Three points:

1) Create a church culture of grace giving acceptance. (He pointed out that the "tolerance mantra" of today is a cheap substitute for Biblical grace)

2)Create a culture of authenticity.

3) Create a culture of intentional growth. The other motto at their church is "Come as you are but don't stay that way".

Something about the way the Spirit spoke to me made that time worth the trip to Atlanta.

Third session I went to hear Reggie McNeal. He is awesome but if you want to get his full message you better buy his books. He had 7 points under the theme of "Being a Great Leader". He took the first 45 minutes covering the first one and listed the other six in the final five minutes. I do not believe you could fall asleep with Reggie at the helm even with the aid of anesthesia. Awesome communicator but he needs to be his own conference!

Last afternoon session I went to hear Mark Batterton of National Community Church in Washington D.C. I just finished his book, "Wild Goose Chase" and his presentation was from part of the book. Good stuff.

We did dinner with some church planters then on to the evening session. We both went to hear Jud Wilhite and Matt Foster. Jud is Pastor of Central Christian in Las Vegas NV. 12,000 people attend their campuses every weekend. Wow! Together they have written a book called "Deadly Viper Character Assasins". Robin read it and it was very good.

Tomorrow the main event starts. Todays meetings typically have several hundred people each and a total attendance of about 2ooo or more. Tomorrow we move to the Arena and there will be about 12,000 in there. Great music and a fantastic lineup of speakers.

Planning on lunch with Missional Network and then dinner with blog idol Kevin Bussey. He will hate that title!

Fake versus Authentic

2008-09-19T12:53:00.002-05:00

Apparently someone back in 1990 faked the discovery of a supposedly 4th Century cross in order to stop the construction of a liquor store. The truth has now been discovered and the cross is made from metal originating in the 19th Century. Read about it here.

Why do "well intentioned?" people try to pull stuff like this? Don't they realize that when the truth comes out their cause, and the cause of Christ, will be damaged more than any liquor store could do. What would Jesus do? I suspect if the liqour store got built he would be there establishing a relationship with lost people who needed Him.

This also brings to mind the real challenge Christ Followers face. Much of the time I think we tend to be fake in living out our Christian faith. Just be the real deal, honest in your convictions, quick to admit your failures, always putting the focus on Jesus and His cross rather than ourselves. That kind of authenticity draws people to the Master.

Bad Chuck

2008-09-18T07:00:00.000-05:00

I try to be a good Christ Follower. The problem is I consistently have to deal with a stumbling block that seems to trip me up at nearly every turn. That stumbling block is me. I guess to be accurate it is the sin nature of the old Chuck that I have to battle constantly.

This week it appeared in the form of glee. Let me explain. It probably started with an attitude of frustration. After three days of minor inconveniences from hurricane Ike I had let myself fall in the pit of self pity. Ok, I did not fall in; I jumped in. That attitude put me in the mood to be set up big time.

I then heard about the arrest of a man I know. He has for many years been a dramatic example of the life lived in opposition to God. He is angry and mean spirited. He is very outspoken in his anti-Christian beliefs. He started his own misguided religion. He is an all around trouble maker. This time his actions were also illegal and he got arrested. My first response? Glee.

Please don’t try to rationalize this for me. Yes, he got what he deserved. Yes, he had it coming. Yes, it is good to see justice done. Yet I know in my heart I did not have a righteous anger but a mean spirited glee over this man’s misfortune. From the outside my satisfaction may have looked righteous but on the inside I knew it was rotten.

You know what else? It was hard for me to repent. Sure, the words of repentance came easy but the conviction of repentance was more difficult to find. This kind of repentance requires that special honesty of the heart that reveals to a man just how wicked and dark his own heart can be. Then I found my way to Psalm 32.

Psalm 32 has always been a favorite. I was reminded of the joy found in God’s forgiveness. I was reminded that the life filled with unconfessed sin is in fact a life where all the joy and vitality is sucked right out of us. I chose the confession and forgiveness route.

Maybe you are struggling today with unconfessed sin. It’s not worth it. It is especially not worth it if that sin is a bitterness, anger or disappointment over another person. You are more likely hurting yourself more than them and I can assure you that any satisfaction you get from striking back will be short lived and leave you feeling emptier than before.

Pull to the side of the path this morning and spend a moment at the rock called 1 John 1:9. “If we confess our sins God is faithful to cleanse us and forgive us of all unrighteousness.”

Blessings and Unity

2008-09-09T07:11:00.000-05:00

Wandered into 1 Corinthians this morning. You know, the letter from Paul to a troubled church. I made it through the first 17 verses. See if you can relate.

This church was in trouble because of divisions yet Paul did not start there. He first confirmed that they were a people who had been gifted and blessed by God (chapter 1 verse 7). Sometimes I wonder if there is a connection between giftedness and division, like, the more gifted someone is the more likely there will be a temptation to be divided, or divisive. Then he pointed out the problem: divisions among believers. Verse 10 is the key verse. Paul gives three quick commands:

Speak the same thing
Let no divisions exist
Be completely joined together

To speak the same thing is tough for us because we sometimes think the Constitution is more important than the Bible. Freedom of speech may be a good idea for government but it is a foreign concept to the Bible's description of obedience. To say the same thing honestly requires us to mentally acknowledge it, the first step to making it the true pattern of our hearts.

Now the second two have two important things in common. First, they are both very clear. Second, they both are possible to do even though they may seem impossible to imagine. In other words I don't believe God puts commands in the Bible that we cannot obey through the power of His Holy Spirit. That means both of these require us to make a willful choice.

It is then possible for us to CHOOSE not to be divided. I noticed as I read on that the divisions they experienced were at least in part because they lined up under different "spiritual banners". In this case they seemed to be trying to "one up" one another by claiming their way or their teacher was the spiritually superior way. Like many of us they were running a spiritual fake, hiding behind a spiritual shell in order to pursue a simple thing: their own will.

This brings us to the last command. "Have no divisions" is the negative command while "be completely joined together" is the positive. This idea is something hard for us to understand. Be completely joined together. Speak together, think together, stay together, work together, be together. Can we really CHOOSE to be united? I have to trust that it would not be in Scripture if God did not intend for us to do it. So here is our crisis of belief. We must choose one way or another whether we believe God and whether we will obey His command to be united. Choosing God and unity will require we drop our own selfish desires, no matter how "spiritual" they sound, and simply yield to the will of the Master. His will is for us to be one.

God's Word On Words

2008-09-05T06:54:00.000-05:00

Ephesians 4:29-32 29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

The Lord reminds me today that words mean things, choose them and use them carefully. If I am correct God tells us in Scripture to reign in our speech, tell the truth and put away gossip, slander and grumbling much more often than he has to tell us to put off murder and adultery. I find it interesting that God's frustration with the people of Israel during the Exodus seems to have been over their lack of faith and their grumbling. It was so bad God wanted to let them die and start over.

Today would be a good day for all of us to watch our speech. Take care in what you say and how you say it as you go to work, relate to your family and interact with your brother and sister Christ Followers at church. I am praying for God to cleanse my tongue today. How about you?

Hope vs. Expectations

2008-08-28T06:37:00.001-05:00

Proverbs 10:28 The hope of the righteous will be gladness, But the expectation of the wicked will perish.

Hope is something firm, expectations are more shifting, more dangerous and more prone to being misplaced. The natural pull is for us to have certain expectations. We expect our mate to do or be something, we expect our jobs to be fulfilling and financially rewarding. We expect our church to be a place where we can "be fed". We may even have expectations of God. I notice that more often than not my expectations are prone to being just that, MY expectations.

Here is the painful truth for me: just because I expect it does not mean God has to do it. When our expectations are not met we become disappointed. A good way to avoid that might just be to ground ourselves in what God says we can hope in rather than in what we think we have a right to expect. What can we "hope" in? Only in what the Bible tells us and in the dreams God gives us. And of course "in Christ who is our hope" (1 Tim. 1:1).

May your hope bring gladness your way today.

Blessings in Christ alone

2008-08-27T06:35:00.000-05:00

Colossians 3:1-2 1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

A few Sunday afternoons ago several of us went to Red's house to shoot clays. At one point Lane Wilson set the targets so that they would come two at a time, one low and fast and the other high and slow. I fire an over and under so I only have two shots. The temptation for me was that if I missed the lower clay, the harder of the two for me to hit, I would waste my second shot on a target that was now even harder to hit. When I would do that I would almost always miss and then I would be left empty watching the second clay come to a gentle landing right in front of me. I needed to forget thr first failure, look up and see the new thing I needed to do.

Two things come to mind. The first is that I often expend my time and energy chasing the last failure rather than focusing on the priority at hand. I have to sit down and actually write out the priorities in order to remind myself of what is truly important. If I have ten things to do and time for only five someone is going to be disappointed. Life somehow works out where the five least important will disappoint the greatest number of people! The right thing to do is to focus on the five that are most important and deal with the consequences as they come.

The other teaching is the one straight from Scripture. As a Christ Follower I am to set myself up to focus on a different set of priorities, His. My focus, like yours, is to be on Him and His Kingdom. How easy it is to let our focus be on the obstacles rather than the goal. I find I have to empty myself daily in order to see what the King has for me.

Blessings in Christ Alone

Deny Self

2008-08-26T06:32:00.000-05:00

Mark 8:34 34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

I find it easy to get confused. In the journey of serving the Lord I sometimes get off track by focusing on my needs, my will, my agenda, basically, on what I want. If others don't do things my way and on my time schedule I get frustrated. That's usually when I get so frustrated I want to say "I'm done!" or to use a C.S. Lewis line, "Hang it all!" I have to realize when my focus is not on Him and what He wants then I am confused. Actually, I am more than confused; I am willfully disobedient.

Perhaps you are like me. Jesus has a simple answer for our confusion: deny self or die to self (drop what we want), take up our cross (His will for us) and follow Him (live as He lived). By the way, dropping what we want does not mean that we don't ever get what we want; He gives us dreams for a reason. It just means we hold more tightly to Him than we do the dream.

Blessed day; stand in Christ alone.

From Gulf Shores Alabama

2008-08-21T20:02:00.001-05:00

I keep having this vision that I will suddenly wake up one morning and be a consistent blogger with lots of entertaining and informative and inspiring things to say. So far it has not happened.
Just so you will know we are on vacation this week in Gulf Shores Alabama. This used to be called the “Redneck Riviera” but it is now a photocopy of Pensacola or Destin but without as much traffic. I may be wrong about the traffic as we are here at the end of the summer and I suspect most vacationers have already returned home to prepare for the onslaught of the beginning of school. In addition some people are staying away as Tropical Storm/Hurricane/Tropical Storm Faye decides whether she is coming here or not.

Our condo is on the “Little Lagoon” here so we have our own fishing pier. There is also a small pool right downstairs from us. The main attraction, however, is the Gulf right across the street. There is a vacant lot right in front of us so we can see the ocean clearly.

Fun for us has consisted of lots of swimming and even more reading. The kids have all begged for more trips to the local bookstore for more supplies. It’s hard to tell a kid they are reading too much so off we go.

We have also golfed once and are about to go again. There are a lot of expensive highly rated courses in the area and if we come back we might try one of those but we played the muni course at Gulf Shores State Park. Forty four bucks including cart is a great deal. It is a wide open course with little water. It’s a great vacation course for the high handicappers (like us!). We lost 5 balls between the three of us. I shot 95 and happened to come out the winner.

I learned an important lesson while here; iphones can’t swim. Thanks to the good folk at the ATT store I am now back up and running on the new 16gig 3g model. I hated the destruction of the old one, especially since I was going to try to sell it on Ebay but that’s what I get for being greedy.

Another lesson: Quiet Times with God seem much more real when overlooking a beautiful sunrise over water. It’s either that or the lack of pressure to quit and get to work on time.
Anyway, we are off to golf, more swimming and reading. We are going to keep an eye on the weather as we may have to bug out a day early thanks to Faye.

Update: We just received word of the passing of Robin’s Uncle, K.T. “Junior” Mize. He has struggled against cancer for the last two years.

Catch Up

2008-08-15T07:55:00.002-05:00

I just realized I never got around to finishing writing about the prayer conference and the fire for blogging from it has faded. Oh well. Let's hope the impact has not.

Waking up tired from late nights watching the Olympics is worth it.

Excited about several opportunities for change. Please pray for us as we face potential decisions at work.

Our Youth are having a retreat this weekend. They will be learning and pursuing Holiness.

I'm not a fan of the health and wealth positive thinking gospel but I am glad that Mega-Church Co-Pastor Victoria Osteen has been cleared of assault accusations and holds no bitterness toward the accuser.

We are heading for an end of Summer vacation at Gulf Shores AL this coming week. Aaaahhh. It's been a long Summer with a lot of seemingly endless hard work. I am not sure how we would have made it if not for a Sabbatical from the church in July.

I am reading George Barna's Revolution, or rather listening to it on my iPhone. It is well worth the purchase price...at almost any price.

Tuesday AM At The Prayer Conference

2008-08-05T13:35:00.003-05:00

The music is being done by a young couple from Champion Forest Church here in Houston. They are very good at taking favorite old hymns and making them sound like they were written this century. That was tacky. The worship is great.

Dr. T. W. Hunt is the main speaker. He spoke on Spiritual Blindness. He likes to chase rabbits and confesses as much. Nevertheless he is spot on in his teachings. He identified much of the worlds systems of thought that we wrestle against. His answers were very poignant and powerful from Scriptures.

More later as I especially had a great experience in a break out session with Jay Johnston of Lifeway.

Blogging From Prayer Conference in Spring TX

2008-08-04T23:10:00.000-05:00

Monday night started the Prayer and Discipleship Conference at Spring Baptist Church in Spring TX. Opening speakers were Mark Estep, Pastor of the Host Church and Frank Page, immediate Past President of the Southern Baptist Convention and our former Pastor from Seminary days.

It was the first time I have heard Mark Estep and he delivered a very straightforward Biblical message on Brokenness To Become One With Christ from 2 Corinthians 12:5-10. Several major points stood out to me. One was the idea that brokenness is a process to bring brokenness to our lives more than an event. We tend to focus on the major event (death, illness, divorce, etc...) while ignoring the process of what God is doing in our lives.

The second point as I heard it was an assurance that brokenness will be accompanied by pain. While that may seem like telling someone day is light and dark is night I think it is important to remind of the truth that there is not a shortcut to brokenness.

Third, God always has a purpose in brokenness. I think that IS the point.

Last (at least that I wrote down) was the result of brokenness will be a closer walk with God. That after all, is the ultimate purpose we should aim for in discipleship. It was a good word.

Frank Page followed with his usual brand of homespun self deprecating humor. It's hard to find a prominent Pastor who is more authentic than Frank. His message was powerful and practical answering the question, "Why do we need to be persistent in prayer?" His texts were from Luke 11 and Luke 18, both teachings of Jesus about the importance of being persistent in prayer.

His first point carried a two fist punch: Persistence assures us of an answer to prayer and puts us in the position to hear. Ouch. It's not just begging God again and again but perhaps, at least in my life, praying again and again until I am ready to hear. Ouch.

Second, persistence unlocks the storehouse of God's blessing. This was a very encouraging reminder that sought to convey the idea that we often leave much of God's true blessings on the table because we do not continue to seek Him and His will.

Third, persistence in prayer brings us what we need. Both passages speak of meeting a need, not a want. It brought to mind the time as a teenage Christian that a Bible Study Leader convinced me that if I would go march around a new truck seven times and claim it I would receive it. I marched and I claimed and I did not get it and I also did not need it. I thank God I was cured of the "name it claim it" mentality early on in my walk.

Four and five were that persistence will make us strong and enable us to overcome our adversaries. (My addition: remember who the real adversaries are!)

Last and second in emphasis only to his first point was that persistence will ensure our faith in the coming again of our Lord Jesus Christ. Hmmm, interesting concept. Obedience in prayer reinforcing solid hope and Biblical theology. Good idea.

Robin went with me and we had a good discussion on the way home. I think the first result for me was the way I returned to prayer about a specific subject this morning that I had previously dropped either due to laziness or discouragement. My advice. Set aside a few extra moments today and spend it in honest, authentic prayer with The Father.

At The Chick Thing

2008-08-02T08:40:00.002-05:00

I went to a Chick Thing. My wife, the aspiring Christian author, received an invite to go to a get together of authors in The Woodlands. I went along. I learned something about the "division of authorship". It was billed as a meeting of 40 authors. I don't know how many there actually were but there were four men. Add myself and a handful of other men and I was trapped in a largely estrogen laden environment.

I had a good time. The host church, Wood's Edge, has a coffee shop at the front. One of the men writes Christian Westerns so I sat down with a ten dollar Western and a three dollar cup of coffee. (You get to keep the mug.)

It was time to go before I knew it and I had made it about a third of the way through the novel. Since I did not have my reading glasses I thought that was pretty good. I also made an additional observation about men versus women and coffee shop tables. They had those little tables in the foyer that are about the size of the platter we use for the Thanksgiving turkey. They had four chairs around each table. Now, I was sitting by myself and it was just perfect. If another man had come in and sat across the table from me that would have been ok too as long as we just kept our cups on the table. If you get up it would be ok to put your book on the table but no laying the book on the table while reading allowed. That's just sort of unwritten man rule in this kind of situation. If a third man had come in it would be cups only and we would have to move a chair out of the way and make sure we were forming a perfect three point triangle. If another guy showed up he could sit by himself.

I observed what was happening at another table. Same size table. Six women. Every single one had at least one elbow if not two on the table. They were cramped in like sardines in a can. They were happy. Go figure.

On Turning 43

2008-07-28T06:52:00.001-05:00

First, let me cut to the chase. Turning 43 feels just like being 42. That should be good news for those of you dreading another year on the lifespan. Second, this is the first time I can remember when I have had absolutely no regrets about a birthday. Sure, I took time to be a little introspective but I must have decided in advance I was looking for reasons to rejoice. Whether by intent or by accident I somehow managed to only think about the great blessings I have experienced at the hand of my loving Father.

At some point I decided to divide my life up like a football game. A friend reminded me of this on his blog as he talked about reorienting his gameplan to adjust for changes. For me I am looking at four quarters and overtime if necessary. When I first thought of this I started to base it off of a lifespan of 80 years, twenty years per quarter. Now I have decided to make the lifespan 100 years and thereby give each quarter 25 years. I did this because I figure eighty is attainable for me and 100 is probably out of my reach so the optimistic path is to shoot for the 100 mark. Please do not take time to stop and analyse this line of thinking. It's my birthday; please allow me my delusions. Besides modern meds may keep me going and going and going.

My first quarter was pretty easy. Get born, have fun, grow up. Cool deal. There may have been some traumatic experiences along the way but I choose to look at the wonderful things of life instead. I think I was able to do that since I came equipped with the best Mother on the face of the earth! I managed to finish University and then a three year Masters degree in theology. Better than that I got married to Robin (Woman 2.0!) and then was blessed with child number one, Jonathan, otherwise know as the "test child". The first quarter ended pretty well as I started my first full time Pastorate after Seminary. This was actually my second Pastorate as I had served the Lord in a small church during my last year of college at East Texas Baptist.

The second quarter started rough. A little over two years of what I was not expecting to be a cross cultural experience. Don't get me wrong. There were some wonderful people there but it was like nothing I had ever seen or experienced. There had been severe division and only a short interim between the previous Pastor and my arrival. Still, the church grew. Perhaps it got better because I did over thirty funerals in a little over two years.

The second quarter really began to pick up when we went to Pastor Emmanuel Baptist Church in Henderson, TX. For me it was the best thing that could possibly happenned in ministry. The Lord blessed that time greatly. However after three years all was turned to dust as I self destructed, revealing both wounds and weaknesses I had harbored and hidden for years. In addition to my fall I lost my natural Father immediately preceding this time. Honestly, I was ticked off because he died before I could tell him how utterly disgusted I was with him for ruining his life and beating my Mother and I down. I pause here to thank God for my Step-Father who is my real Dad. Dad, if you are reading this you did a great job!

It is miraculous to me that you can get your tail kicked so fiercly at the beginning of the second quarter and come back so strong halfway through. I am not saying I am strong though I hope that I am. I am talking about the way God works things for His glory to pick us up and "set our feet on solid ground". I have worked for Bank of America almost thirteen years. I have Pastored Dacus Baptist Church for eight. I have been incredibly blessed with a wife who stayed with when she did not have to and has grown to be a Godly teacher and influencer of women all over. As soon as her book is published I will be glad to be known as "Robin's husband". Additionally I managed to squirrel my way into having the three greatest kids in the world. Jonathan is called to lead and is musically gifted. Christa may start getting calls any day from comedians Chonda Pierce or Mark Lowery (sp?) as they look for new material. Then the caboose is Charissa, my Lil' Hunting Buddy and dangerous sidekick.

What does the future hold? I have no idea. Robin and I sense God's leading in a certain direction. God has put a burden on our hearts. An old dream has been dusted off and is being refitted for the 21st Century. Will it come to pass? Only the Father knows. The whole thing could end in a moments notice; not everyone gets to play all four quarters. Until that happens my desire is a passion for Jesus and a desire to keep running, passing, tackling and blocking until He pulls me from the game. This one thing I know; I have complete confidence in His game plan.

Southern Baptist Convention: What Are It?

2008-06-17T21:34:00.009-05:00

Last week we were at the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) Annual Meeting in Indianappolis, Indiana. Baptists can be a different lot to understand so I thought I might try to explain what an Annual Meeting is and what it does.

For those of you not familiar with Southern Baptists it is important to remember that we are a "bottom up" organization. In other words we have no "governing authority" as far as a denomination goes. Each local church is a seperate entity and governs itself. Each church calls it's own ministry staff, each minister is ordained by a local church, not the denomination. Each church sets it's own budget and gives to the work of the SBC as it sees fit. The denomination of "Southern Baptists" is made up of those churches who wish to cooperate with each other. Churches can join or remove themselves and the Convention itself can vote to "dis-fellowship" a church.

This "Convention" is merely a gathering together for the purpose of joining in and doing such things as mission work, evangelism and education. To make a long story short when the "Convention" meets it has no authority to force any church to do anything. Most of the meeting is built around three or four main business functions. First, reports from various "Boards" and "Agencies" of the SBC like the International Mission Board, the North American Mission Board and six Seminaries just to name a few. The SBC exercises oversight of these entities by electing the Trustees for each one.

As an example of how this works well consider that the International Mission Board is the sending agency that deploys over 5,000 SBC Missionaries across the world. My church and the one down the street could hardly be able to send one. Together we fund a massive force.

A second portion of the meeting is the election of officers for the SBC. They serve one year terms and have fairly innocuous authority. The one exception is the President who leads in selecting the Committee which nominates Trustees for each entity. These nominations are rarely if ever opposed so the President effectively picks the people who will pick the Trustees.

The third important activity that makes up the meeting is the introduction of motions and resolutions from the floor. Motions are typically referred to one or more of the agencies to which they apply. In reality this means that we hardly ever actually get to vote on anything. One could get up and make a motion that we call day "day" and night "night" and it would be referred to some Board of Trustees. Every single motion this year was either ruled out of order or referred to one of the entities. Even if a motion is referred to the Trustees they are under no legal or constitutional duty to respond to it. Go figure.

Resolutions are different. They are statements of position or attitude that reflect the will of the Messengers at the Annual Meeting of the SBC. For example there is always a Resolution commending the host city for allowing us to meet and bring millions of dollars of revenue to local businesses. Most of the Resolutions, however, deal with matters of greater importance than thanking the city. For example this year we passed a motion condemning the California Supreme Court ruling allowing recognition of same sex marriage. Two years ago a motion was passed to condemn the use of alcohol. These resolutions represent the feeling of the people at the Convention at that time. It is important to understand that they have absolutely no binding authority on any individual church. If the SBC passed a resolution saying that all carpet in church should be blue it would have no authority over our church. We could have yellow carpet or stone tile or bare concrete.

I know it may sound convoluted but it is similar to the old saying about democracy, "It's the worst form of government in the world...except for all the others!"

I guess one way to describe all this is that Southern Baptists practice "freedom of church" and cooperation for missions and ministry. More to follow...

Memorial Day 2008

2008-05-26T10:22:00.004-05:00

We pause today to remember those brave men and women who have given their lives in service for this country. As Chuck Colson says we are citizens of two kingdoms, the Kingdom of God and the United States of America. We should never get the two confused. We should also never forget that it by the grace and rich blessing of the eternal King that we get to enjoy the fruits of freedom in the second. That freedom has been preserved time again through the selfless sacrifice of the sailor, the flyer, the soldier and the marine.

To those families who are grieving the loss of a loved one today may we say thank you for your tremendous sacrifice. We bear you pain as ours and we acclaim honor to your fallen hero.

To those whose sons and daughters, husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters are serving at this moment we pray for their safety and security this day and in the days to come.

To those who serve this day. Thank you for your service to our country. We are both proud of and thankful for you.

May God bless you, may God bless America and may a revival of the King of Kings sweep our land.

PS to Rich: Go Air Force!

Where Is FEMA When You Need Them?

2008-05-19T21:18:00.003-05:00

FEMA would, of course, be the Federal Emergency Milk Administration. Obviously both Congress and the Bush Administration have failed to protect us against this kind of disaster!

What disaster you say? 14 TONS of Oreo cookies spilled onto an Illinois highway. Read about the tragedy here.

Names of the cookies are not being release pending notification of their respective packaging.

Sorry for trying to MILK this story for all it's worth!

Short Book Review, Confessions Of A Pastor

2008-05-19T07:26:00.003-05:00

I just finished reading Craig Groeshel's Confessions Of A Pastor. Wow. It's a short book with a big fist. Here is the basic premise. Craig confesses to 10 different challenges he faces in his life. It is authenticity to the tenth power. The purpose is to let people know of the humanity of the Pastor. Just because you are a spiritual leader does not mean that you always have your "stuff" together.

As I read the book I found myself agreeing that most of the challenges he face are issues that have been a struggle for me as well. Reading all ten will definitely remove any Pastor from the pedestal. Most spiritual leaders could benefit from this book as an example of the tremendous power of taking off the mask and being real with people.

At one point he tells the story of a Seminary Professor who told him that he should NOT drop his guard with people but should seek to maintain the "Pastoral Mystique". If that is your plan then let me know how it works out for you. While no one ever said that to me I can definitely identify with the spirit of that comment.

I am not going to tell you what all ten are; you will have to check that out for yourself. Here is my word of warning. If you are under someone else's spiritual leadership, your Pastor for example, you have a choice to make. You can either read the book or not read it. If you choose to read it be prepared to understand more about that leader. Therein lies the danger. If you are not a person of grace I suggest you skip the book. It will lower your opinion of your spiritual leader and you will be even more miserable than you already are right now.

If, however, you choose to read the book with an open and grace filled heart I believe you will finish with an understanding of your leader and an appreciation for them as well.I add a tip for spiritual leaders who read this book. I breezed through several chapters as I would most books. Suddenly I came to a chapter that literally took me over a week to read. The chapter wasn't too long; the subject was too close to home. That's when you know Craig is in your mailbox.

Wrestling With God And Man

2008-05-13T00:20:00.003-05:00

I have always had a problem with the term "wrestling with God". I think I know why. In my heart and mind I know that every time I have done it I was only doing it to avoid doing something I already knew in my heart was the right thing to do. Got it?

So why do we wrestle with God? We know Him to be full of grace and mercy and love for His people. We know He loves us better than we can love ourselves. Yet we wrestle.

I know the answer is simple: we are frail creatures of dust, following in the footsteps of Adam and even the Apostle Paul..."the good that I know to do I do not do...". The problem is that answer is not good enough.

Chalking it up to my weakness and a sin nature sounds and feels like a cop out. Rather, I need to see that it is a grievous sin before God to be puffed up with pride and pursue my own agenda while he waits for me to quit squirming and do the right thing.

Wrestling with man is often the same exercise in futility. I have been reading the blogs of several prominent Southern Baptist bloggers. For several years there has been a running war of words over the direction/policies/actions related to our Convention, especially our International Mission Board. I know that many things we do in life could stand the scrutiny of a little more light but I tire of the time and energy that is being spent dickering with each other. I feel some of it is necessary but overall it seems to be dirtying up our witness to planet earth.

I am not condemning others for in this matter I am chief of sinners. Move over Paul, I think I have outdone in my heart whatever evil you ever contemplated.

Lord, help me to be more in love with you and those who do not know you than I am with my reputation, my love for self and most especially my wicked affection for always having to be right.

That's Gonna Leave A Mark!

2008-05-03T18:58:00.000-05:00

Denominational Depression

2008-04-23T14:11:00.003-05:00

I just got through reading a post on Ed Stetzer's blog regarding the "Official" decline of Southern Baptists. Let me say first that I by no means think we Southern Baptists are the only ones going to heaven. The old joke is that the Pastor of ______________ Denomination Church was telling a Baptist Pastor that he believed his own denomination was the only true church and hence the only ones who were really going to heaven. The Baptist Pastor replied, "I am more closed minded than that. I don't believe half of our are going!"

I am, however, deeply grateful to be a Baptist Christian. I love the freedom and autonomy every church has and the lack of a denominational hierarchy telling us what to do. Our unity and growth in the past has been built around our mutual zeal for missions and evangelism. The problem, to quote an old seminary Professor, is that "what we are doing isn't working".

We are now baptizing fewer people, the only means I know of to measure the harvest of new believers. Our churches (people) grow older and entire generations are missing. If you believe Reggie McNeal many of our churches will not have enough money or staff to run their existing ministries within the next 1-2 decades. We might as well admit that currently we are a denomination in decline.

I once thought that God would somehow use the SBC to reach the world and usher in a revival like none ever known. Now I find myself praying for that revival with the selfish tinge of self preservation, or denominational preservation.

Ultimately it is not just about saving a denomination. God can and will raise up others. It is about missed opportunities. Opportunities not for the glory of a group of churches but for the glory of seeing those who do not know Christ come to Him for life everlasting. I feel like we have let victory slip through our hands.

How about you?

Those Pesky Obscure Passages

2008-03-10T14:34:00.002-05:00

If you can overcome the depression caused by watching and listening to your average presidential candidate then you may be able to catch the real benefit of said candidate: to say such stupid things that you will wallow in riotous laughter.

Enter Barak Obama. In speaking in support of homosexual rights this little gem made it's way from his lips, “If people find that controversial, then I would just refer them to the Sermon on the Mount, which, I think, is, in my mind, more central than an obscure passage in Romans...”

Ok, I am not laughing; I am gasping in startled bewilderment. I am going to give a pass to the press' actions in this by not asking what they would be doing if he had misquoted the Koran or the New York Times in such a distorted way. I will point out that this comment was greeted in the mainstream media with the sound of a thousand crickets chirping on a moonlit night.

Let's address for a moment the two major fallacies of his assertion. The Sermon on the Mount is in fact one of the central bodies of the teachings of Jesus recorded in Scripture. A careful reading of it will find our Lord taking quite a few moral stands with no "wiggle room" for alternate interpretations.

A good portion of His message was built on a formula that goes something like this: "You have heard it said...but I say to you..." In most of these cases the "you have heard it said" part referred to a specific Old Testament teaching. The "but I say to you" part was a teaching Jesus was giving people to go beyond the ordinary standard of the law. In each case He did not water down the Old Testament teaching but strengthened it. For example, "Do not murder" became, "Don't even be angry with your brother". "Do not commit adultery" became, "Don't even look at a woman lustfully". Jesus' own statement about His view on Old Testament law was, "I have not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it".

Perhaps the Presidential candidate might want to actually read the Sermon on the Mount before he attempts to wield it. Note to Presidential candidates and the press: Jesus' Sermon on the Mount is found in the Gospel of Matthew, chapters 5 through 7. That's in the new part. Such a reading will reveal that Jesus did not change the Old Testament law, which clearly forbid homosexuality, bestiality and several other important "alitys".

Many a person has appealed to the Sermon on the Mount as an example of how Jesus was a great teacher but few have actually gone the "extra mile" and realized that Jesus was actually serious about the "thou shalts" and the "thou shalt nots". If He really is such a great teacher, and He is, then it's time for us to take His actual teachings seriously.

Now we come to that "obscure passage in Romans". Memo to Paul: apparently your greatest theological treatise has recently been downgraded from "central teachings of Christianity" category to the "obscure passages" category. One of my Seminary professors used to say, "The book of Romans has more theology per square verse than any other book in the Bible". I am inclined to agree.

The only way for Obama's statement to be true is for us to overlook the fact that Paul was perhaps the greatest missionary ever, introducing the Gospel to the Gentiles on two continents, writing thirteen letters in our New Testament including some of the earliest synopsis of the Gospel message and the theological importance of the entire book and the importance of Paul's reference to homosexuality in Romans 1 as he set the tone for the reason Christ needed to die for the salvation of mankind, namely, the sinful depravity of man. Did I mention that the reference to homosexuality was offered as evidence of the depravity of man. Kind of hard to miss that one.

The scary thing is there will me many people, perhaps millions, who would hear this statement and think nothing of it. At first look it would be easy to write Obama off as just an obscure little candidate at the beginning of the 21st Century. Yet this type of drivel is all too common in our post Christian (or post-post Christian) society. Rather than simply condemning ignorance and cursing the darkness let's pray that Obama will get a grip on another teaching of Jesus, "You shall know the truth, and the truth will set you free".

True...

2008-02-17T22:26:00.002-06:00

Sometimes you are the Big Dog, sometimes you are the fire hydrant.

Missions Offering

2007-12-09T10:06:00.000-06:00

For those of you who are strangers to Southern Baptist life we have at least one tradition that is a real keeper. Every year at Christmas we take up an offering for international missions call The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering For Foreign Missions. It is named after a Southern Baptist Missionaty to China who literally gave all for the cause of Christ to reach the people of China. God used her in a tremendous way to reach people and she is revered today for the life she sacrificed for Christ and His Kingdom.

I had some convicting and random thoughts...

Our church set a goal of $3000.00 for the offering this year. We have three Sunday until Christmas and so far we are only 10% of the way. Most people will spend about ten times what they give to the offering on Christmas presents to people which they do not need.

Missionaries are people who will go around the world to share Christ. Many Christians have a hard time going down the street to church services on Sunday.

Unless I upgrade my giving this Christmas I will have spent more food on horse feed and dog food than what I have planned to give to the offering. I think I will upgrade what I plan to give.

If every active family in our little church gave $100.00 we would blow past this offering amount. If I take my family out to eat twice in one month I will likely spend more than $100.00.

Southern Baptist Mission leaders will receive a budget for their areas this year. Their decision boils down to one question: "Which people group will I decide will not have a Christian witness for another year?" Next year they will be asking the same question, perhaps about the same people group.

Southern Baptists have one of the largest missionary prescences in the world, 5,388. If you divide that number by the low number of 42,000 Southern Baptist Churches that is .13 missionaries per church. Is it unrealistic of me to think there is no reason we could not have one person per church called and sent as a missionary?

The greatest missionary ever was not Lottie Moon or the Apostle Paul. The greatest Missionary is Jesus.

Before you buy someone a tie or shirt they will likely not wear think about how those funds could be used by a missionary seeking to do what you and I have not been willing to do.

Just some random thinking.

Missions re-Minder

2007-10-23T07:12:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday we had our annual Associational Meeting. For those of you not familiar with the way Baptists do things "Associations" are local groups of Baptist churches that cooperate together to do mission work in their area and many times beyond. The treat this year was having Dr. Jerry Rankin, President of the Southern Baptist International Mission Board (IMB)as our key speaker. First I would like to say that I felt in everything he said and did that he is a man of integrity and humility. I appreciate that so much.

He began with a statement which, after making it, he could have sat down and let an invitation be given. He said, "Jesus did not give the Great Commission to the IMB to do on behalf of Southern Baptists." He was identifying a common sin in our churches of thinking that once we give our money for missions we have done all we need to do. We do not see the need to go ourselves.

He went on to speak of how the various crisis around the world are opportunities for God to work. He says he has seen God do more in the last 10 years than during his entire missionary life which included 23 years as a church planter in Indonesia and now 14 years as head of the IMB. He suspects that baptisms of new Christians through our work may well top 600,000 this year. We have been used of God to reach 100 new people groups in the last 8 years.

One of the powerful illustrations of the need for more people to "go" and do missions is found in a contrast of the effects of hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the Tsunami that hit Sri Lanka and India a couple of years ago. He pointed out that the twin sisters of destruction had destroyed over 600 church buildings. The tsunami on the other hand killed over 250,000 people in a brief moment of time and destroyed zero evangelical churches. It destroyed no churches because there were none there to destroy.

Of course he gave some examples of the work before us. There are three hundred people groups in Central Asia who have no Good News witness. 1.3 billion people live in isolated geographic or culturally separated areas with no Good News witness.

He used Psalm 67 as an example of how we read verse 1 and ask God to bless us. That verse is often used as a blessing at the end of a worship service. He noted we rarely follow that up with verse 2: "...that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations." Ouch.

He told a funny story of starting as President of the IMB and knowing next to nothing about computers. He did, however, learn of the spell check feature. His program did not recognize the word "unreached". When he clicked on the suggested spellings it offered "unrelated". He applied this to unreached people being unrelated to God. Our task is to help "relate" them.

Somewhere near the end he noted Jesus' perspective on missions from Luke 24:46-47: He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations,..."

His message was especially on target for me in a week when God had already spoken of a need for me and for our church to identify and try to reach an unreached people across the globe.

I wrote down a side note as he was preaching. I remembered that Avery Willis, author of MasterLife discipleship and my seminary professor in church growth, Ebbie Smith and the past two presidents of the IMB, Keith Parks and Jerry Rankin all served in Indonesia. Coincidence?

Shaking The Place

2007-09-27T06:09:00.001-05:00

When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak God’s message with boldness. Acts 4:31

I guess I could simply ask, “Do you have a prayer life that shakes places?” I don’t. The problem with that is not that I do not have a prayer life that shakes, nor even stirs on the typical day. No, the real problem is most of the time I do not even desire that kind of a prayer life. On those rare occasions when I desire it I fail to pursue it. You might say I do not want a “shake the place” prayer life so much as I like the idea of that kind of a prayer life.

The praying that went on in this passage was a heartfelt desire, a “beseech” you kind of request. I would say it is a “begging” kind of prayer. I do not mean that negatively. The place of that prayer is not important. They were “gathered together” or “with one another”. The result of that prayer is the outrageous part.

The place was “shaken”. I looked up the word shaken used here. It means “a motion made by winds, waves and storms” or “shaking something’s contents” or to “overthrow”. Pick your favorite but in each case you will find that the point of “shaken” is that a power beyond our selves kicks in and we are no longer in control.

This kind of prayer is begging God with all our heart until we pray beyond our control. I’m ready for more than the idea of that kind of a prayer life. How about you?

Hidden In The Love Chapter

2007-09-26T07:40:00.000-05:00

1 Corinthians 13:11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.

Browsing through the love chapter I spotted this illustration Paul uses that is often overlooked. An illustration is often a common truth that everyone reading or hearing it can readily understand. Well, almost everyone. Let me tell you about this truth in my life before I get to the punch line.

In my junior year of High School I participated in Close Up. This is a group that learns history together then travels to Washington D.C. to see the real deal, Whitehouse, Congress, Pentagon and assorted beuracracies. I remember being under the mistaken concept that by the questions I asked government would suddenly change and become rational overnight. I also remember being a smart Alec. I would ask questions with a hateful tone and refuse to accept answers to those questions which were complex but I viewed as simple. I also asked questions at the wrong places. This morning I realized that two of the questions I asked were actually good questions just addressed to the wrong people. The one I asked my Representative should have been asked at the Pentagon while the one I asked at the Pentagon should have been asked on Capitol Hill. (I cannot explain why, after 26 years, I woke up this morning and thought about this.)

The truth behind this is I thought, spoke and acted like a child. I have since grown up. That is the same general truth Paul appeals to here. This brings me to my point. Some of us have never grown up. We still think, speak and act as children when maturity should be the order of the day. While childlike faith is commended by Jesus the Bible never commends immature actions.

Now before I finish casting this broad range of stones at others let me admit that I too sometimes slip back into childishness. My thoughts, words and deeds fall short of the maturity mark expected of a follower of Christ. I will endeavor to be a man today. I purpose to let my thoughts, words and actions be those of an adult believer.

How about you?

Blog Fast Over

2007-09-26T07:39:00.000-05:00

Thanks for being patient and coming back.

Open Doors and Opposition

2007-08-28T06:51:00.001-05:00

This year I am reading two devotionals as part of my devotional time with Father. As I once heard Chuck Swindoll describe a book they are both "little books with big fists". One is Henry Blackaby's "Experiencing God Day By Day". The other is Selwyn Hughes "Every Day Light". This morning the two joined forces to nail me on a specific issue, namely, open doors.
Blackaby zeroed in on 1 Corinthians 16:9 "For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries." Hughes followed suit with pointing out that Jesus was always headed to the "next village" (Ex. Luke 9:56), but the "next village" was never His ultimate goal. I quickly recognized my guilt in not looking for the open door, not taking it or taking it grudgingly because of the opposition, not realizing that one open door leads to the next (and it's corresponding opposition) and finally for looking at the "next village" as the goal when in reality it is not the ultimate destination. Four direct hits in two short pages.
I am especially amazed that when the open door comes there seems to always be opposition. Can we be honest for a moment? More often than not I have seen that opposition come from INSIDE the church rather than from the world and it's flawed systems.
I ask you today to join me in looking for the open door. Join me in taking it without grumbling or complaint. Join me in committing to NOT be part of the opposition.
Side note. As I read Acts and the letters of Paul, one of his greatest tests of opposition came in Ephesus. That church became one of the strongest of Paul's church plants and the base of many of His missionary journeys. It was the sight of His longest recorded stay, the longest farewell before His fateful trip to Jerusalem and his strongest support base.

Rise Up And Walk, 07/25/2007

2007-08-26T07:48:00.000-05:00

Following are the rough notes from my sermon this morning. All definitions unless otherwise noted are from Merriam Webster Online Dictionary. I would appreciate any comments/critiques and responses.

Rise Up And Walk: A Different View Of Healing Acts 3:1 - 13

SST: Peter and John put aside their “planned” spiritual mission in order to take advantage of a “God planned” moment of ministry. This resulted in a clear presentation of the Gospel message to a crowd of amazed and willing hearers from which about 5,000 men were brought into a relationship with Jesus.

Introduction: Is there a difference in doing something spiritual as opposed to doing something Godly? My answer is “yes”. The dictionary says “spiritual” means of, relating to, consisting of, or affecting the spirit. Something can affect your spirit without it being of God. In fact, there are many things that we could say are “spiritual” that are actually quite harmful to us. There are things that we do that we think are spiritual but in fact have no positive spiritual impact upon us. There are also those things we do which we falsely think are spiritual.
By contrast, something is Godly when it is “like” God; it is similar to God or to His attributes or character. Something can be Godly when it is “of God”, that is from God or representing His blessing or gifts. Additionally something can be described as Godly when it is in relation to God, for example in receiving something from God or in imitating Godlikeness.
We live in a time in history where there is a great pursuit of the “spiritual” and a limited pursuit of that which is “Godly”. I am told that in some places in the United States there are more New Age bookstores than there are Christian bookstores. Many are seeking to be spiritual, few are seeking to be Godly.
This is only unusual in light of the truth that Christians have feverishly been spreading the truth through books and music, a movement which began in earnest in the 1970’s and has reached fruition in our day and time. The impact of this Christian retail movement has not been lost on the world. Contemporary Christian music is the fastest growing sector of the music industry. A trip to your local bookstore will reveal that in addition to walls and walls of books and CD’s you will find DVD’s, bumper stickers, t-shirts, pictures, trinkets, cards, decorations and a slew of what can only be called “Jesus Junk”. Please understand, I am not opposed to any of these items or to the spread of Christian bookstores. They are a healthy move in the right direction for expanding the Kingdom and the awareness of the Kingdom of God.
I cannot escape, however, the sense that many people shop at these places out of a desire to “be spiritual” rather than with an attitude of humility, seeking to be like our God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day who loved to be seen praying in the marketplace, there is a contingent of us who want to be “seen” as Christian. In that respect we are no different than the church people who attend for the prestige and not the powerful worship of our Creator. We are like the businessman who plays the percentages by joining the biggest church in town. I once had a boss who, upon finding out I am called to minister, told me, “Well, I hope you just the biggest (blankety blank) church in town!”
With that in mind I want to tell you a story from the New Testament book of Acts. It is the fifth book in the New Testament and it details the early days of the church after Jesus’ return to heaven. Our story occurs in chapter 3 and involves two of Jesus’ most prominent disciples, Peter and John:

Acts 3:1 - 13 (NKJV) 1Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; 3who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. 4And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” 5So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. 6Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” 7And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. 8So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God. 9And all the people saw him walking and praising God. 10Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. 11Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon’s, greatly amazed. 12So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go.

TS: Now you probably think that with a story about healing and a title that says, “Rise Up and Walk” this message would be all about healing. Instead I want you to know that it is all about opportunity and obedience. I want to use this text to paint a picture in our minds. This picture will be built around five truths drawn from the sacred text. We will also take time to have a conversation about several important words that will point us in the right direction. This picture is not about how God would have us to be healed though He does desire this. It is about what God would have us do in order to fulfill His purpose for our lives and in doing, offer healing to others.

First, I see in this passage this truth…

1. The best way to live life is found in doing what God has called you to do.

Many people who seek to be “spiritual” are doing it honestly. They truly want to find purpose and meaning in life. That is why we need to understand that if we really want to find purpose in life we need to discover God’s purpose for us and pursue it relentlessly. Peter and John were two guys who had found that purpose and followed it.

They were on the way to the Temple to worship. These two guys were the real thing when it came to being followers of Jesus. There was no hypocrisy here. They were on their way to worship because worship is an important part of who we are. We were created with worship of God in mind. Genesis tells us we were created in the image of God. A beautiful way of expressing God’s desire that we worship Him is found in 1 Chronicles 16:29 where the Word says “Give to the Lord the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!”

Worship of God and God alone is so important that it is the central point of two of the Ten Commandments, “You shall have no other God’s before me” and “You shall make no carved image of anything to worship it”.

Peter and John had a reason to worship, a command to worship and a desire to worship. In effect they were fulfilling what God had called them to do. They were fulfilling a responsibility.

That brings us to our first key word, Responsibility. My definition of responsibility is the action of faithfully fulfilling an obligation.

Peter and John were being responsible by coming to worship. The sacred text says they came at the ninth hour, or at 3:00 PM. In that day there were as many as five prayer times observed during the day. They were being faithful to come and worship through prayer. My point is not that you have to be at church every time the door is open. It is that we are responsible for our own relationship with God.

TS: A funny thing happened as they went to worship. God stopped them! God did so by means of an interruption. That interruption came in the form of a crippled man begging at the entrance to the Temple. This leads to the second truth I draw from this passage, in the words of baseball great Yogi Berra…

2. When you come to a fork in the road, take it!

Peter and John were two of Jesus’ lead disciples. Along with James they had spent more individual time with Jesus that the other disciples. They were part of Jesus’ inner circle. We could definitely say they were busy men. Peter had recently preached about Jesus on a special day called Pentecost and three thousand people had come to know Jesus. Yet here is the truth of Scripture…

When their road forked they took the time to stop for this man. In the midst of their busy schedule and important lives they made themselves available to God for the benefit of one man. Availability is our second key word.

Availability means: the quality or state of being available. Being available means: qualified or willing to do something or to assume a responsibility. It means to be accessible or obtainable.

TS: Now being available is only the first step down the new road they took. The second step was…

They took the opportunity to proclaim the Gospel. We would say they “seized the day”. The word that comes to mind is Usability.

Usability can be described as: convenient and practicable for use.

Something or someone can be available but not usable or even useful.

TS: We have talked about being responsible, available and usable but what happens when the task or the need seems to great?

3. They met the need they could.

They had no money and no ability to help his financial request. They had an Inability. Inability is our next focus word. It means: lack of sufficient power, resources, or capacity. It means being powerless and it can be a pretty depressing word. It is all about our limited nature. There are just some things we cannot do. At the very least there are some things we think we cannot do. Peter and James were up against the wall and the hard place. They were being asked publicly to show the kind of love Jesus was known for and they had nothing that would meet the need they were asked to fill. What they did have was greater…

They did have the power of God flowing through them. What they lacked in financial ability they made up for in Supernatural ability. They literally had a power beyond themselves. They were not limited to what they themselves could do but by the Divine power of God.

The key word here is Supernatural. It means: of or relating to an order of existence beyond the visible observable universe; especially : of or relating to God. Some would describe it as: departing from what is usual or normal especially so as to appear to transcend the laws of nature or attributed to an invisible agent (as a ghost or spirit).

Seeking Supernatural outcomes is a matter of exercising incredible faith. How many of us would even dare to look past the immediate need, and the embarrassment of not being able to meet it, and in faith boldly say, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”

TS: For us, if we are to really have a supernatural impact upon others we must first realize that…

Every person we meet has a spiritual need that we can meet. Awareness.

Awareness is our next conversation word. It means: having or showing realization, perception, or knowledge. It also implies vigilance in observing or alertness in drawing inferences from what one experiences. My way of saying it is that we see what is going on around us. Often this means we see needs others miss.
Jesus showed this kind of compassionate awareness when He looked upon the City of Jerusalem where He would be crucified and said in Matthew 23:37 - 39 (NKJV) 37“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 38See! Your house is left to you desolate; 39for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’” Jesus said that shortly after His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. In other words, just when others were praising Him and just when the disciples were thinking their King had finally arrived He was aware of the vast spiritual vacuum before Him and just what it would cost Him.

4. Their obedience caused an increasing circle of influence for others to glorify God.

Influence is our next conversation word. It means: an emanation of spiritual or moral force or the act or power of producing an effect without apparent exertion of force or direct exercise of command. It can also be described as the power or capacity of causing an effect in indirect or intangible ways.

Peter and John, because of their faithfulness, were now influencing more than just the crippled man. They now had an audience of thousands. If you read through the end of the encounter you will find this simple statement in Scripture from Acts 4:4: “However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.”

5. They shared the Gospel clearly so that those around them could understand and accept.

In other words they shared the Jesus message with simple Clarity. Clarity is our next to last conversation word. It means “the quality or state of being clear or visible”.

For us it means that we need to tell the story of Jesus in a way that is clear and understanding to the world around us, or at least to whoever will listen to us.

Conclusion: The focus of this story in the Bible could easily be drawn simply to the man who was healed. My point, however, is that this man is a minor character whose name we never know. God is the main character in this Divine show, providing the power and majesty to change the lives of at least 5003 people that day: the crippled man, the five thousand who started a faith walk with Jesus that day and two obedient disciples whose faith was reinforced because they were:
Responsible in their actions
Available to God when the opportunity cam
Usable in His hands for a good work
Supernatural in their faith
Aware of the real need in the midst of the crowd
Influential by their obedience
Clear in their message

Peter and John get the award for best supporting actors in a life changing reality drama. It is there example I call you to follow today. Are you willing to surrender today to the life God wants you to have? It is not a life that is filled with empty spirituality. It is not a life of selfish pursuit of personal happiness. It is not a life of timid faith. It is not a life of going with the crowd so much as a calling to show the crowd where to go. It is not a life of silence but a life of boldly proclaiming truth even if in a still small voice.
Surrender is our final conversation word for the day. It means to yield to the power, control, or possession of another upon compulsion or demand. To be surrendered means to give up completely or agree to forgo especially in favor of another or to give oneself up into the power of another especially as a prisoner.
Are you willing today to surrender your fruitless pursuit of spirituality in favor of a life surrendered to God and being like Him?

Your Checkbook, For Your Eyes Only?

2007-08-15T14:20:00.000-05:00

I was asked not too long ago to look at the checkbook of one of my friends/church members. I appreciated that they trusted me enough to view what some might think is a very personal matter. It started me thinking, what if we were to carry our monthly bank statement to the prayer closet and ask the Spirit to "search me and try me...". Would it make a difference in where your money goes?

Son, We Need To Talk

2007-08-13T20:40:00.000-05:00

WARNING: If you willfully choose to go to the link that follows you will likely be subject to uncontrollable laughter, possibly even leading to elevated tear duct activity and a slight but joyful pain in one or more of your sides.

At what point does this family stop and think, "This situation might not be the best."?

Those of you who have had adult children return home can at least take some encouragement (or warning) from this story.

I know that we have a problem in this country with families not living together and enjoying the fruits of multi generational interaction but this situation might be just a little too much.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070802/od_nm/italy_mother_dc

Questions? So, how much allowance does he get? How did the police reconcile them with a straight face? Why did the police even try to reconcile them? Does anyone else want to go eat Momma's cooking with me and see if it is really all that bad?

Catchup

2007-08-04T07:44:00.000-05:00

Looks like I fell off the face of the earth for a while. See the last post of the Florida trip and suffice it to say we did the same thing through Sunday. We were there for a wedding that I was doing for one of my friends from work. We had it on the beach and it was beautiful! The cute and happy couple are displayed on the right.

The trip home was a one day deal as one of the sweet Godly women of our church had passed away. Her funeral meant that I really needed to work Monday. The funeral service was a great celebration of a life well lived. In one way it was easy to preach because there was no doubt in my mind about her salvation and the way she lived. On the other hand those funeral services are often hard to preach because the sermon has already been lived.

Yesterday we left for vacation number 2, Yellowstone. We drove a rear end numbing 13 hours to spend the night in the famous Kearney Nebraska. Ok, it may not be famous but it has at least one clean hotel!

We are off to see the "Home School Monument" this morning, otherwise known as Mount Rushmore National Monument. I am praying for an opportunity today to be a good and clear witness for Christ. Last night we asked our waitress how we could pray for her. She seemed grateful. What do you think of that practice?

Vacation Part 1, Day 4 The Joy of Nothingness

2007-07-26T00:10:00.000-05:00

Got up, looked at beach, ate, went to swim at beach, ate, slept, read book, looked at beach, went to swim at beach, went out to eat. Food not as good as beach. Had coffee with Sweetie, looked at beach at night. Read book until I fell asleep.

I think I could get used to the vacation stuff. Is there any way to do this and get paid for it?

Number one son borrowed car to go get new cell phone. Why did we turn around yesterday and get the old one?

Does not matter. Look at beach and be calm.

Vacation, Part 1, Day 3 The Bama Saga

2007-07-25T23:42:00.000-05:00

Today is my Brother Richard's birthday. Received and returned email from him. Prayed for his continued saftey on fulfilling the mission he is on in the field. Go Air Force!

Before leaving we take time to cross Stuckey Bridge over the Chunky River. It was built in the early 1900's and is a great example of a small suspension bridge. Ronnie says the local legend is that they hung a man on the bridge for killing a local judge in the 20's and the bridge has creeked ever since.

We stop at Dunne Falls. This has got to be the most natural creation of man I have ever heard about. There were no Falls. In the late 1800's someone noticed the cliffs and got the idea this would make a great place for a gristmill. They diverted the flow over one or more streams over the "Falls" and created a beautiful three tiered Falls into the Chunky.

As Dr. Seuss would say, "But that is not all." There is an old gristmill at the top of the Falls but it was not originally there. It is actually a mill from Georgia that was moved there and reassembled. We got to see the owner turn the big wheel pn for our enjoyment. Amazing what you can find just a little off the beaten track.

Leaving Enterprise, Mississippi to head through Alabama and on to Destin, FL. Turn around in Quitman, MS to go halfway back to Enterprise to retrive number one son's cell phone. Leave MS and enter the great State of Alabama.

Sweetie learns an interesting little fact about Alabama. All of the two lane highways in good 'ole Bama are 55 MPH. Nice State but in Texas we actually drive. Let's face it, 55 speed limit was the bad answer to the energy crisis of the 70's. Smilin' Jimmy from Plains, GA ain't the President any more so change the number and let my horsepower go!

Arrived, finally, USS Alabama in Mobile. Feelings for State of Alabama renewed after above dissapointment. We did not have time to tour the ship as our progress had been somewhat impeded by above mentioned driving fiasco. Still, we looked around and too a few solemn moments at the Korean and Vietnam memorials.

"You ain't gonna believe this" moment: I picked up a plastic model of the USS Alabama, turned it over and saw "Made in Japan". I'm all for free market forces but it would be nice to see "Made in the USA" on our models of military vessels.

Arrive Destin, Florida, white sand and emerald water. God had his game face on when He created this little slice of beach. Our Condo, paid for by my friend as I am doing the wedding, has a big window and balcony overlooking the beach. We are right on the water. Take the elevator down, through the double doors and you are on the beach. Life is good.

Beginning to think I may be able to relax.

Vacation, Part 1, Day 2 Emotional Rock and Roll

2007-07-24T23:27:00.000-05:00

Someone asked what the difference in part 1 and day 1 is. The "Part 1" stands for the current trip to Florida for one of my buddies' weddings. "Part 2" will be the upcoming family trip to Yellowstone.

Ronnie loves to get up early and cook breakfast. I love Ronnie. After a relaxing morning in the country he takes me to retrieve a chest filled with stuff about my natural Father that my Grandmother had saved.

It was an emotional and difficult/rewarding experience. I did not grow up knowing my Father. My "Dad" is my Step-Father, Bill. Dale was my natural Father and I did not see him from around age 6 to around age 18. I call those the "missing years".

Anyway, you find out some interesting things about someone by combing through their history. My Father was an LSU fan, go figure.

Supper with more kinfolk at a Bar-B-Q restaurant in Waynesboro, MS. Since I did not think my Buddy Kevin McKenzie from McKenzie's Barbecue in Huntsville Texas would find out I went ahead and ordered "pulled pork". There are some things that other parts of the country actually does better than we do it in Texas. Barbecue ain't one of 'em.

Up late debriefing the trunk contents with cousins. They have really helped to sort though the emotional baggage and to fill in the blanks in my missing history.

Vacation Part 1, Day 1 (Sort of)

2007-07-23T23:16:00.000-05:00

Worked a few hours in the morning, the sign of a sickness. The first step to beating the problem is admitting you have one. I have a problem, vacation is the answer.

Now begins the great drive. The first leg is from Huntsville to Enterprise, Mississippi. We arrive about an hour and a half later than we expect. Still, we have a great visit with Cousin Shirley and her husband Ronnie, their grandson Zack and "Harley", a cute and hyper little black dog of questionable heritage who loves my daughters.

We also have in tow for this trip one of Charissa's friends, Laken. We are very nervous about having Laken with us. We are not nervous because she has barely ever been out of Texas before. We are not nervous because she will be so far away from home. We are not nervous that this is the longest she has ever been away from her parents. We are nervous because she is so well behaved we are afraid we will corrupt her and send her home less than the perfect Jewel she is!

Trying to relax but did not sleep well. Why is it that the most difficult battles in life seem to be the battles of the mind. I was battling the idea of relaxing.

Indication or Interpretation?

2007-07-14T09:06:00.000-05:00

When it comes to the Biblical account of creation I have heard well meaning interpretations, especially regarding the literal six days in which God created the earth. Ken Hamm of Answers in Genesis has recently sent out an email asking "Should Christians Divide..."(over this literal six days issue). I find it very interesting regarding some of the issues surrounding our Baptist Faith and Message that we affirm in order to be considered "cooperating" Baptist churches, denominational employees, etc.

My summary of Hamm's statement is that it gives gives two reasons why someone who takes a non-literal six days interpretation is really indicating a lack of belief in the authority of God's inerrant Word.

That issue may be seen in this question. What is the effect on someone affirming the Baptist Faith and Message, including it's statement of Biblical inerrancy, but taking a non-traditional view/interpretation of a portion of Scripture? In the case of the Answers in Genesis statement the argument is framed in these terms: Anyone who believes the Bible to be inerrant must believe that the six days of creation are literal days, not some other reference to "time periods".

I will admit up front that I wholeheartedly affirm a literal interpretation of Scripture and I personally believe the literal six day account of creation. I also believe that organizations like Answers In Genesis and The Institution For Creation Research have done a worthy job in putting up the science to back up the true historical account as we know it in the Bible.

My concern however is that there may be some area for interpretation that would allow for someone to view the days as time periods. For me this is not a Primary Doctrine, like the inerrncy of God's Word or the Deity of Jesus. It is to me an important Secondary Doctrine, something I would not say makes someone else an unbeliever if they disagree with me but someone who I would be wary of full cooperation, at least in certain aspects.

There is the rub. My personal opinion is that I would be wary of full cooperation with someone who did not INTERPRET Scripture the way I do but still claims the Bible as the authoritative and infallible Word of God. The Baptist Faith and Message, however, does not speak specifically to the "days of creation". Therefore, I am in fact cooperating with those who may INTERPRET Scripture differently than I do on this point.

I don't necessarily think that is always healthy but I can live with it. How about you?

News Blues

2007-07-09T17:08:00.000-05:00

Sometimes you read a news story and for some reason it feels like a punch in the gut. With so many tragic and terrible news items every day we have become desensitized to the pain and suffering of others. Read about a murder and you think to yourself, "I'm glad that didn't happen to me/my family." Read about a rape? "Gosh, I need to talk to my daughter about being more careful." Drug overdose, "I'm glad my children would never do anything like that." Then we order our "Fourbucks" coffee and drive on to work/the baseball game/dinner/the movies.

All of a sudden one story comes out of our blind spot and smacks us into a sober awareness. That happened to me today. A twelve year old baby sitter was run over by her employer as he was taking her home. Read about it here: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,288702,00.html I read the story and can't figure out all the details but the police say after they both got out of the truck to investigate something related to the man's horses he got back in and whipped the truck around, striking the girl and killing her. Among other things the police have accused him of driving in an erratic manner. I upgraded my anger when I read the line about the man's actions, or inaction, in not taking the girl to the hospital until 5 am when the accident occurred about 11:30 PM the night before.

I guess this one got to me because I have a 12 year old daughter. As with so many crimes and even accidents this one just seems so senseless, so easily avoidable. I am trying to have compassion on the man who did this. How would Jesus treat him? What would the Master think? Every time I do think about it I see myself in that situation. What would I do? I am so very afraid I would meet recklessness with reckless retribution.

I am glad that God is not that way. I understand the heartfelt passion behind the cry of David, "Against thee and thee only have I sinned!" While I might want to strike out at someone who could do so foolish a thing, accident though it might be, I am at the same time thankful that God is not that way. Otherwise I, along with you, would have been "smited" long ago.

Pray for the family of that young girl. Hold your own children/grandchildren tight tonight or the next time you see them. Praise God for His rich mercy. Reach out to someone no one else seems to want to reach out to in love. Place your anger at the foot of the cross.

Vacation Bible School

2007-07-08T14:31:00.000-05:00

This week is VBS at our church. We have done more advertising this year than I can remember doing before. I hope and pray it will be a huge success. I am praying for not only children to be brought to a relationship with Jesus but also for families to be brought to Him or back to Him, whatever the case may be.

Please pray also that I will not be called on to testify at a trial this week. It would severely hamper my already crowded work schedule and leave it almost impossible to be present for any of the VBS.

Just another thought. VBS is one of the best "come and see" strategies we still use. The challenge today is that we need more "go and tell" strategies. How is your church/ministry getting out of the "inviting" business and into the "going" business?

New SBCOutpost

2007-07-02T11:13:00.000-05:00

The new SBCOUTPOST site is up and running. I think it will be a good sounding board and discussion site for those interested in all things Southern Baptist. The contributors are a variety of younger leaders in the SBC but the folks who comment come from an even broader spectrum. Just reading the conversations on the old site have helped me understand a lot of things related to the direction of our denomination.

Humbled

2007-07-01T21:16:00.000-05:00

It just is not fair. Why should I be called and allowed to teach, proclaim and share God's Word? It is so rewarding I should have to pay to do it. Instead, I get paid again and again. Sometimes the pay come in very unexpected ways.

First, let me help everyone. Never do anything for the pat on the back or the reward you will receive. If you are doing it for the praise of man you are doing it for the wrong reason. This applies to ministry and to just about anything in life. The only "attaboy!" that really counts is the one in heaven.

That's why when someone does go way out of their way to bless you it means so much. Blessings are like that; they tend to gain in value when they are unexpected. That happened to me today.

It came in the form of a one page handwritten letter. It was from someone that Sweetie and I have evidently impacted in our ministry. The words were crafted very carefully to convey both a message of thanks and an explanation for the remainder of the gift. The gift was not large in size but it was a perfect (and practical) tool for the expression of thanksgiving. It is something I can carry nearly every day and use whenever needed. It may not be of huge monetary value but it represented a significant investment on the part of the giver. I am awed and humbled.

It meant so much to me I am challenged to do something out of the ordinary and unexpected for someone else this week. How about you? Who could you bless?

Icehouse Ministry

2007-06-29T11:12:00.000-05:00

Our church building is located on a Farm to market Road that is heavily used by motorcycle riders, especially on weekends. I would say that about a hundred pass by our church every Sunday, maybe more. (I am not pulling that figure out of thin air; it's basis is grounded in the number of people stopping at a new Icehouse a few miles down the road.

We have been burdened to reach out to these people whom God deeply loves. My first (satire) idea was to put up a roadblock and divert them through the church parking lot. I thought about trying to open up our gym as a place to stop and use the restroom or get a cup of cold water. I knew in my heart this would not work. We kept praying and looking.

Several months ago a new place opened up called Drifters Icehouse. We pass it at least every Sunday and every Wednesday on the way to church. Shortly after it opened we drove by around lunch one day and counted somewhere between 80-100 bikes there. We prayed and decided they were not going to come to us so we would go to them. Last Sunday Sweetie and I made our first trip to Drifters for lunch. We left our kids with another couple in the church and headed off to the new experience.

Our goal this first time was just to check things out (we figured we might stand out) and, if possible, to meet the owners and people working there. We did not stand out that much. We were not the only people in a car and most of the people were in our age range. many were dressed in the black and leather trappings of the stereotypical biker but some others were not. The truth is most of the people were from moderately upscale suburbs, white collar jobs during the week, black collar fun on the weekends.

We also met the owners. They were really nice down to earth folk and even hugged us when we left. I had a pastor friend who had a motorcycle ministry back in the 70's and 80's. He is in heaven and unavailable for advice. I do remember him telling me one time that bikers are very in to physical contact. They like hugging. I think he may have been ministering to a slightly different clientele but it seemed true for this crew as well.

To be completely honest I had some humanly concerns about this heavenly ministry. Jesus is THE role model. He hung out with prostitutes and tax gatherers. Most of the people I saw were just ordinary people. Nevertheless I had in my mind the question of what others would think when they saw us there. It is hard to overcome the pull of the flesh toward Christian legalism!

Our ultimate goal is to develop relationships, share the love of Christ and possibly start a Bible Study there before the regular opening time, even if it's just for the staff.

What do you think? What ideas do you have that might work for this ministry?

I Ain't As Used As I Young To Be

2007-06-29T11:01:00.000-05:00

Last week Sweetie and I took a group to Youth Camp. I always said I was not going to be one of those people who could not hang with the youth in anything they did. Now I am one of those people who cannot hang with the youth in everything they do.

I prayed for three things: 1) That God would move in the lives of the kids. He did. 2) That Sweetie and i would come back sane. I did. 3) That our Rec Team would win!!! We did!!! Go Blue Crew!

If you have not been to a Student Life Camp pack up your youth and some earplugs and go. It was a great experience even if we did drive all the way to San Angelo TX to do it. (Directions to San Angelo: Drive about 3/4 the way across Texas than go on another hour.)

Thanks to those of you who prayed.

Anyway, the students and I had a good discussion. They were really impressed with the way the camp used so much multimedia to keep things going in an exciting and supercharged way. Worship times included drama, videos, praise band and speaker. They wanted to know why we could not do more of that in our worship services. I told them if they will come up with the skits we can do it. We were already looking at how to incorporate some videos on a regular basis. My fear is that anything we do will not live up to the professional standards they experienced at camp.

Someone once told me that we do camp the wrong way. We take the kids out and let them worship in a way that is very appealing to them then bring them back to the local church where things are as they were. I can see how that could be a problem but I still think everyone needs a way to worship God corporately in a way that draws them to God best.

What do you think?

San Antonio A Bit Late

2007-06-20T23:27:00.000-05:00

No good reason, just an excuse, but after we returned from San Antonio I had to hit it pretty hard at work in time to take our youth to Student Life Camp in San Angelo (TX). If you ever need to go to San Angelo just drive as far as you think you can across Texas and then go on another hour or so.

Sweetie and I drove home late Wednesday night and made it fine because there was plenty to talk about. A few highlights and a conclusion. We passed several silly resolutions. Why do we have to have a resolution to give our thanks and blessing to the city, the organizers and the people who decided what drinks to stock in the vending machines? It wastes time we could have spent doing something like, I don't know, perhaps debating some of the very timely and worthy issues of our Convention. Wouldn't a simple thank you suffice? Anyone within the Convention should have a grateful attitude about serving anyway. Anyone outside the Convention doesn't know the difference between a Resolution to thank them and a simple thank you. If it has to be formal put it on stationary and let Morris and Frank sign it.

We passed several good resolutions, especially the one regarding child abuse and sexual predators. This resolution was important in my opinion and seems to me to be something "doable" within Southern Baptist Polity. I am nervous about the details of the way names would be added to the list. I have read the online description of the BGCT's list and frankly it scares me. If the SBC does not act in a more careful manner I think it will add injury to shame (shame on us, not shame on the victim). In addressing the issue of "credible charge" of child abuse I heard one person say (not on the Convention floor)that even if someone happened to be falsely accused all they would lose is their career. Excuse me but that sounds like a pretty substantial loss. Destroying someone else adds another crime to the horrible one that has already occurred. It seems to me that a three step approach of 1) Using SBC resources to assist and educate churches on background checks and screening of workers, 2) a list of convicted sex offenders involved in church or ministry positions and 3) support of civil prosecution of churches and their leaders who knowingly and willingly cover up or fail to inform other churches of a convicted molester or rapist if it is within their power to do so.

I know some will legitimately disagree with #2 and say that we already have national and state agencies reporting these but a more narrow parameter of likely suspects is, to me, a more responsible and reasonable approach. Governmentally, we just need to enforce existing laws. Denominationally we need to support efforts like this to help our churches function in the best manner to protect our children. Personally, like many of you, I have to muster a whole bucket load of grace to minister to someone who has committed crimes against children. I can at least understand crimes driven by greed, selfishness, anger and bitterness. Crimes against children and any crime designed purposefully to hurt someone else I have a hard time digesting.

As good as this discussion was and as good as the Resolution is I still wonder whether it does us any good to pass Resolutions at all. My wife has been witnessing to someone she met while in San Antonio at the Convention. I don't know if this person developed their opinion from news media or scuttlebutt but they sent my wife an email asking why "Southern Baptists had refused to take a stand against child abuse". The strange sound you just heard was your jaw hitting the keyboard in front of you. I ask you to pray about making sure your church is doing it's best to do the right thing in protecting children.

The Global Warming Resolution: I don't think this Resolution will amount to anything but I voted for it anyway and was glad that a floor motion removed the support for more government funding and research. As if the science behind the Global Warming crowd were not shaky enough let's add a few billion dollars into the kitty. The National Weather Service only chases hurricanes during the warm months of the year, and then not the entirety of each month. That should leave plenty of opportunity to invest a little time and research into the matter. Additionally, it will offer some welcome relief to storm chasing and providing educated guesses to lots of people on TV with big hair and bad suits. I know I am being flippant (and very tacky!) but I just don't buy the whole concept.

The Resolution that did not make it out of Committee but was then brought back to the floor regarding integrity in church membership reporting was an embarrassment. By refusing to pass it we put ourselves in the sad position of voting against telling the truth. Way to go, Brothers and Sisters! The Resolution part of this may be meaningless anyway. Is there anything that would stop the denomination (Executive Committee?) from just reporting the Resident Membership of churches from the ACP rather than the total? At least this would be a step in the right direction. We could even turn it into a 12 step program and Lifeway could market it as a thirteen week Bible Study! I guess I am just not sophisticated enough to understand this.

I think the Resolutions Committee did us a disservice by refusing to bring the Gluttony Resolution to the floor. It would have provided no small amount of entertainment to the Convention. It would have been one of the most Biblically solid Resolutions we have ever passed. It would have served as an additional "non-binding" encouragement for me personally to exercise and lose weight. On second thought it might not be such a good idea because it very well could have destroyed the entire structure of no small number of churches. After all, they would not be able to "form a committee, table it and eat". Snicker, snicker.

One more statement just to get me in trouble with either side of the "aisle". I don't think it mattered one jot, tittle, iota or subscript whether Jim Richards or David Rogers won the 1st VP election. Both were excellent choices from everything I can tell. Neither seems to be off target in anything I have read. Richards' leadership of the SBCT has been noteworthy, especially in missions giving. Our church ha not yet partnered with the SBTC but I suspect it will happen. We are currently still in the BGCT but have bypassed the horrendous funding mechanism of the BGCT and instead designated our contributions on a 50/50 basis. David Rogers seems to be doing a phenomenal job on the overseas mission field. I just don't think there was a "bad vote" offered. If it makes anyone feel better they can put my name on the ballot next year and then people will really have someone to vote against!

This brings me to Ed Stetzer. Use the superlative of your own choosing and it would not be enough to express my praise and thankfulness of this man. I have not heard or read anything from him (I will admit to reading only two books so far) that I would consider off base. As a matter of fact I think most people hear him and they couldn't come up with an argument against whatever he said anyway. God has blessed us with this man, sort of a combination of George Barna, Rick Warren and Peter Wagner. If you don't like one or more of those choices I am sorry but just chalk it up to how messed up I am!

Last thought. There has got to be a better way to do our business. I don't know what it is yet but there has to be a better way. I agree with others that it is time to move from the model of "Olde Tyme" and into the computer, Internet, information age. Even if we maintain a system such as we have we could set something up with "assigned speakers" to motions we know will come up. The "assigned speakers" could state their affirmation or objection to the issue, perhaps even issuing their own pre-convention position papers. Then the debate could be opened up to the floor in normal parliamentary procedure. I love it when I have a good idea!

Enough of my drivel. Get back to work or go spend time with your family. There are any number of pursuits that would be better than reading this!

Thursday Convention Delay

2007-06-15T07:29:00.000-05:00

I apologize that I have not posted anything about Thursday's Convention proceedings. We arrived home around 1 AM or so and I had to be at work early. Aside from not having much time I am still tired. Being tired often leads to things that you might not really intend to say. I'll try to get it going tonight.

Chuck

Wednesday Morning at the SBC

2007-06-13T17:01:00.000-05:00

The report of Morris Chapman from the Executive Committee and the motion passed last night to affirm the Baptist Faith and Message as our statement of doctrinal agreement, accountability or co-operation seemed very understandable to me.

Now after hearing several prominent seminary presidents speak I have been "enlightened" that they do not understand this in the same clear way. Apparently I should have stayed in Seminary longer. I guess you have to have a certain number of letters behind your name before you can understand that the thing which clearly means "this" instead means "that", the exact opposite of "this". Am I right about this? :>) Of course I'm right.

Allow me though to express a small degree of righteous anger. I have heard several people disparage the leadership of the SBC by our President, Frank Page. He has conducted himself with love and respect throughout this entire time. As far as Sweetie and I can tell he has exuded a sincere love for everyone he has addressed, even when they may not have deserved such graceful treatment. I am glad he is my President.

PS: There was another President who addressed the Convention this morning. This one from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. He had a great message but I still wish he would do more to close the security risks at our borders. Nevertheless his stand on right to life issues has been commendable.

Tuesday at the Southern Baptist Convention

2007-06-13T06:43:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the world's largest deliberative body, the Southern Baptist Convention. If anyone could design a more backwards system for making decisions in the 21st Century I can't imagine what it would be. It is mayhem and madness. I love it!

I missed a few things yesterday but Sweetie has been here since Sunday night, taking in the entire Pastor's Conference and all the sessions yesterday (first day of the actual convention). There were many upbeat reports yesterday. God is doing some wonderful things. The International Mission Board report was very encouraging and ended with thousands of us at the altar, praying for God's mission to a lost world. Jerry Rankin put an interesting number into perspective. There are currently an estimated 1.6 billion people around the world who do not have a witness telling them about Jesus. He made the point that there have not been 1.6 billion minutes to pass since Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Wow!

The report on New Orleans Baptist Seminary needed to be bottled and sent to every church in the SBC. God has done a great thing, an awesome thing. The seminary is just about rebuilt. The Lord has provided in that 56 million of the 57 million needed to rebuild the school has been received. I thought we should just take up an offering last night. If all 8500 messengers have $117.34 we would have that million dollars behind us!

One point of contention was debated and hopefully settled in the way that I think it should have been. First, Morris Chapman, our SBC Executive Director gave the Executive Committee report and as part of it was very strong that the Baptist Faith and Message is the only doctrinal statement that we should use as Southern Baptists to determine cooperation with each other. Some people have tried to add all sorts of things "in addition" in order for someone to be considered as co-operating. A motion was later made to affirm the BFM 2000 as our only statement of faith and to encourage the boards, institutions and entities of the SBC to operate accordingly. We will get the official vote tally this morning but from the first glance floor vote it looked like this motion was approved. I think this is a good thing.

I wish there were a way to transport the whole church here and let them see that God is working in so many ways beyond our local churches. Yesterday I was very delighted to be called a Southern Baptist Christian. Of course you can see part of it, both live and archived at

http://www.sbc.net/redirect.asp?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Esbcannualmeeting%2Enet&id=65

Look on the left hand side of the page and click on "Watch the 2007 Annual Meeting".

The Bi-Vocational Tear

2007-06-07T23:58:00.000-05:00

Looks like I will not be going to the Southern Baptist Convention in San Antonio next week. That is one of the drawbacks to bi-vocational ministry; sometimes the "regular" job has it's demands. ("Regular" job implies that the ministry position is somehow "irregular". Hmm. I would like to disagree with the idea that most Pastors I know are "irregular" but unfortunately I don't seem to be able to think of any rebuttal material right now!)

Anyway, my little Sweetie is going to make it so at least one of us will be having a good time next week. I wonder which one?

San Antonio seems like it will be an interesting Convention. For the first time in history, so I have been told, a current International Mission Board Missionary will be nominated to serve as an officer. David Rogers will be nominated and will likely be "running" against Jim Richards, Executive Director of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. I think either one could be a good choice but I am rooting for David. I just think it would be cool. If Jim Richards is elected it will also be a testimony to doing things right. He has led the SBCT to pass along more of Cooperative Program dollars to the Southern Baptist Convention than they retain for SBCT work here in Texas.

There will likely be several interesting revolutions, I mean Resolutions offered. Cooperative Program Support, Questions over the wording and or use of the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, Private Prayer Languages and Gluttony seem to be especially publicity related and have garnered their supporters both right and ultra right.

There will be mixed reports from many agencies. My almamater Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth will have a report that says the once largest Seminary in the world now has about half the students it had when I attended in the late 80's. Other Seminaries will report an increase in enrollment (Southern and Southeastern). One will report renewal from the flood waters, New Orleans.

I pray for unity. I pray for us to not do anything stupid and for us not to say anything stupid that makes us look like schmucks in the media. Perhaps there will be more focus on worship and evangelism this year than politics. Either way Sweetie will tell me when she gets back. I have given her strict husbandly orders NOT to go to a microphone and speak. I'll let you know how that works out!

Death Of A Chicken

2007-06-06T17:16:00.000-05:00

Last night my wife was hostess to a group of ladies she meets with monthly. It is not a serious spiritual event or anything like that they just meet, play games, exchange gifts, fight over gifts and whatever else it is that ladies do when they get together unsupervised.

I have humorously accuse them several times of being some sort of cult group. I don't know why it brings me such delight to do this nor do I understand the consternation it seems to cause the accusees. (That's them what are a bein' called cult memers.) Having never been a cult member myself I assume that real cult members do things like meditate in creepy ways and sacrifice small animals or have a secret handshake.

As far as I can tell they were all quite well behaved last night but we did lose a chicken. Hmmm.

A Military At War

2007-05-24T07:44:00.000-05:00

My Brother Richard is in the sandbox, the affectionate term for the Middle East. We praise God we were able to spend time with him before he left. I cannot imagine the heartache of separation that my Sister in Law and my Nephew and Niece must be experiencing. Our church family prays for them every week; some, I hope, are praying for him every day.

I have always looked up to my Brother. He was always teaching me about sports and life. He taught me to be careful and defend myself when we lived in England where Dad was stationed. He taught me to hit a baseball and how to take a hit from a wild pitch. (He once convinced me that all I had to do when getting hit by a baseball was to think "tennis ball, tennis ball, tennis ball". I did not remain convinced for long!)

I have admired his military service. I am thankful for what he has done for our country. Before he left he described one of the problems of our country. He said, "We are a military at war, not a nation at war". I have to agree. Even though my Brother is there I go about most of my everyday life thinking about good things (discovering the will of the Father and pursuing it) and ordinary things (work, inspection stickers, getting prescriptions refilled). In the "big wars" our nation went to war. There were sacrifices made by all. When it was over the nation then returned to normalcy. As it stands now our nation is in a state of normalcy and our military is at war.

The war in Iraq and Afghanistan is just that, war. I support that war because I believe it to be in the interest of the people of these countries who for too long have been dominated by egotistic dictators who have supported terrorism, the cowards way of waging war against innocent bystanders, women and children. I support that war because I believe it to be in the best interests of the world to keep weapons, especially weapons of mass destruction, out of the hands of the same iron fisted conscience challenged dictators. Despite what latte the bloated unaccountable press says one can simply ask the Kurdish people if Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. I support the war because I believe it to be in the best interests of the United States of America and our close allies in the region. Have we forgotten that we have allies for the sake of standing together against oppression? If we do not stand with our allies we are relieved of our moral character and unfit for duty as the remaining superpower of our world.

When I hear misguided people say that we are not "the world's policeman I cringe at ignorance. First of all when did being a policeman become a negative designation? Second, along with great blessing comes great responsibility. Defending the poor and the helpless is something both the teachings of Jesus and the more liberal people of our day claim is a central goal of their agenda. It defies logic to say that the poor and defenseless should be defended and then protest when they actually are defended. Does our responsibility stop at the border? Does our responsibility stop when the people we help are of a different ethnicity than the majority of U.S. citizens? Somehow I cannot bring myself to make those kind of distinctions.

I am sure there is a substantial amount of criticism that is fairly leveled at those in charge of this war. On the other hand I know that war is not an exact science and that mistakes are how we learn to fight the next battle. If you do not believe that then think about this, it is my understanding that more soldiers were killed TRAINING for D-Day than have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is a great loss when one soldier is killed, but is a greater cost to refuse to do that which we must do.

Do I think my comments will make a difference in America? They will probably not. Yet for those of you reading this today perhaps they will make a difference in the way you think about our country right now. Perhaps on the way to the dry cleaners this morning you will think about the wrinkled uniform of an American soldier slowly making his way through a rough neighborhood in Iraq. On your way to work as you pull through a drive through window remember that the car you are riding in is a far cry from the Humvee that our warriors ride in today. I invite you to change your way of thinking. I invite you to remember those who serve this morning as those who stand between you and the destruction of our way of life. I invite you to remember that we are a nation at war. I invite you to be a nation at war.

The Well Oiled Machine

2007-05-22T16:25:00.000-05:00

Disclaimer: Nothing in the following post is intended to mean that I think or am implying any of the following:
1) That Dacus Baptist Church is perfect.
2) That I have achieved any success in leading the church or that if the church has accomplished anything worthwhile that I had anything to do with it.
3) That there was an additional shooter on the grassy knoll.

I will be attending a special Men's Ministry event at our church building tonight. I had nothing to do with the planning of the event (as I have not had anything to do planning wise with any regularly scheduled or special men's event in more than a year). I can count on one finger the number of times I have been on a hospital visit in the past year and I have been the first member of our church to be there. Our Youth and Children's Ministry is exploding and other than looking at the background checks I can't remember who all is doing what as a part of that ministry.

In Ephesians 4:1 Paul tells us to "Walk in a manner worthy of our calling..." Last time I checked we are all called as Christians to be ministers and to be obedient to the Father's will. Sometimes the Pastor should just get out of the way and let the people do what they are called to do! I have told our people that they do not need my permission to minister. I would much rather deal with the problems of someone getting a little too carried away or going over the line than to deal with a dead church sucking the joy out of life and getting on my last nerve. As Hannibal used to say on The A-Team, "I love it when a plan comes together!"

Survey Says

2007-05-21T09:03:00.000-05:00

Cignet Health Services survey says:

46% turn to faith based healing first.
21% turn to medical care from a Doctor or hospital first.

Hmmm. What do you think that means? How should the church respond?

Graduation Day

2007-05-19T07:20:00.000-05:00

Jonathan,

As your name means you truly are a gift from God. You will never know the deep joy you have brought to the lives of your Godly Mother and I. It started with me talking to you while still in the womb and addressing you as "Junior". Then I ran down the hospital corridor in Fort Worth yelling, "It's a boy, it's a boy!"

I remember the great time we spent together during the time between Seminary graduation and our next assignment in Ladonia Texas. Your Mom worked at General Dynamics so I was Mr. Mom for that time.

The town of Ladonia Texas remembers the little boy who would follow me back and forth with his plastic mower as I mowed the grass at the church parsonage. The church there remembers the cute little boy whom a certain Deacon taught to throw rocks at the cars in the church parking lot! I remember holding you down and nearly fainting as the Doctor stitched you up.

I remember your first day of school in Henderson. Even though your new classroom was only three doors around the corner from my office it seemed like you were a world away. I remember Scooter, the tenacious little weenie dog who was always yours. I remember the first day of home schooling and how I thought we would likely just do it a few years. Today you will graduate with a whole "class" of home schoolers.

I remember soccer, and T-ball, basketball and football. Seems like I remember a broken arm during the football part. (I'm sorry it took me four days to figure out your arm was really broken!) I remember our first Astros game. The Giants beat our Astros 6-3. (Two young players named Biggio and Bagwell scored twice and had three hits. We watched them do that for two decades. We are still watching Biggio do it today!) I remember you catching a bigger fish than me. The picture is still in our house.

I remember you complaining that you had to mow. It was no accident that I was the one who came to pick you up from Youth Camp so you could tell me on the drive home that God had called you to be a Worship Leader. I remember your first guitar. I remember you turning the other cheek, not because you are the Pastor's son but because you are the Father's child.

I remember the smile on your face the day we gave you your truck. I remember the lump in my throat as your Mother and I drove the 15 miles on that rainy night to get you out of the ditch where your truck had landed after you hit the tree. We had no peace in our hearts until we actually saw you and decided you were ok. I remember how proud I was of myself for not yelling at you until the next day! I remember thinking of how thankful I was that I sold the 1966 Red Convertible GTO before you were able to drive! I remember how bad I felt that you were never able to drive it.

I remember the fits you have given your Mother. You realize don't you that when you stir her up I am the one who has to go to the bedroom and get an earful don't you!?

I will remember today. I am so proud of you. You will walk across that stage and your Mom and I will hand you a diploma. We will stop just seven paces away, stand on the tape and someone will take a picture to mark the end of your high school career. Your Mother did a great job and I enjoyed being the "Principal" and bossing her around! You will walk across that stage as a man of integrity, far beyond anything I ever was.

You have run this course of the race well. I am not going to lie to you and tell you that the next leg is easy. College is a joy but at times it is an uphill climb into the face of a cold wind. At times you will feel like giving up. Don't. I am glad that you are going to our Alma mater, East Texas Baptist University. I am sad and terrified that you are going to move away from home in August to do it. (once more, remember whose you are!)

Here is my Fatherly advice. You only get one earthly life, make the most of it; don't leave anything on the table. Trust in God; trust Him with all your heart. Never limit your vision; if He can call you to do it then by His power you can do it! There are two things that last forever, the Word of God and the souls of men; major in both. When you feel like giving up remember to cast all your cares upon Him for He cares for you. Do your best and you will have no regrets. Remember I will come to you any time, any place by any means I can. Just call. Remember prayer IS the relationship with God. Sing every day. See blue skies. Watch great sunsets. Share many sunrises with God. Love the girl you marry more than you love us. Be patient with my grandchildren (when they get here). If the Lord tarries, smile at my funeral and at your Mother's. Always watch Jesus.

Love,
Dad

Something To Crow About

2007-05-18T20:38:00.000-05:00

I am feeling very MANLY (insert Ahhhnold Shwartenegger voice). I slew a giant venomous monster that was crouching and waiting to strike one of my unsuspecting little gifts of God as they innocently went to collect the few meager eggs from our beloved hens that would be their sole source of sustenance for the day! OK, I killed a cottonmouth in the backyard between here and the barn. (Note to country boys who think the city slicker does not know what he is talking about: I know it was a moccasin because a) It tried to bite me b) I made sure by looking it up on the Texas Poisonous Snakes website c) the big triangular head and white mouth were kind of a clue and d) Granny said so when she walked out to make sure I had adequately dispatched yon viper.)

The funny thing about "The Great Snake Incident" is the way we found the snake. After supper we were looking out the back window and saw four crows who kept hopping back and forth as if they were jumping over something. We thought it was strange and so Robin sent me to investigate. There he lay, coiled up and in a foul mood. I guess crows have the same effect on him as the Wal-Mart birds, also known as grackles, have on me. Anyway, he was not very pleasant with me and he didn't seem to understand the concept that my shotgun had a longer range than his fangs.

This has changed my outlook on crows. I used to think that crows were so bad that they were even telling the deer where I was at. Now I find that they are the next best thing to having a cat! Anyway, here is your life lesson. Go find something good about someone or something you don't like or appreciate. Anyone know where I can get a "Hug A Crow" bumper sticker?

Passing Of A Patriot

2007-05-16T14:56:00.000-05:00

The news yesterday recorded the passing of Pastor Jerry Falwell, planter and Pastor of the mega-sized Thomas Road Baptist Church and founder of Liberty University. He is most famous in the news for his leadership in it's prime during the late 70's and 80's but lasting through the current decade, of the "religious right". He founded a group called "The Moral Majority" and brought conservative Christian influences to the political and governmental landscape. While it is hard for many of us to agree with absolutely everything he said or did I found myself agreeing much more than disagreeing. His usefulness to our country came at a time when a fresh breath of morality and values were desperately needed in a country left drifting from the disappointments of the 60's and 70's.

He is less known in the media but admired among fellow believers for his work in founding and growing Thomas Road BC and Liberty University. His most lasting achievements will likely be these two organizations. What many in the public failed to see was his deep love for people, his faithfulness to God and his down to earth attitude. Those who knew him personally (I did not)almost always refer to his kind demeanor, unpretentious nature and individual concern for those around him. His humility came through in his own admission that some of the things he said were a little over the top. Unlike many other public figures when he realized this he was usually quick with a PUBLIC admission.

It is a shame that the movement he started did not penetrate our society more deeply. He condemned homosexuality and the radical agenda of the godless voices of the nation but never seemed to lose his love for sinners in need of God's grace. On the day of his death several organizations which have opposed him throughout the years responded with a seemingly happy attitude about his death. Too bad his message could not change the hatefulness of those who would angrily defend their right to debauchery.

I certainly am not saying he was a saint. I am very uncomfortable with many of the things he said and did and some of the criticism levelled at him was justified. I note however that his attitude about his death was very different than those who opposed him. His last message to his church family was, "I am at peace with death".

Agree or not with his agenda but he lived a life that counted. May we do the same.

The Great Candy Caper

2007-05-15T07:37:00.000-05:00

Texas Man Charged With Stealing $250G Worth of Skittles Candy, read about it here:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,272352,00.html I guess some addictions are irresistible. I wasn’t even aware there was a black market for Skittles. I beseech you to ask yourself, “Do I have a Skittles problem?” Admitting it is the first step in beating the problem.

Please comment if you like, I would especially like to hear from recovering Skittles addicts!

The Mishap of Mistakenism

2007-05-15T07:32:00.000-05:00

Until today “mistakenism” was not a Word. This changes everything! Jesus always had just the right thing to say. Think about it. The words He spoke were very pointed, useful and “with authority” to the people of His day. Still, the skillfulness with which He crafted His words brings them swinging like a powerful punch right in to the 21st Century where they are as useful and straightforward as they were the day He spoke them.

In dealing with the religious legalism of the day, a fatal malady that ends the witness of more churches today than anything else I can list, Jesus spoke these words in Mark 12: 24:

24Jesus answered and said to them, “Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God?

I like how The Message, a modern day paraphrase puts it:

24Jesus said, “You’re way off base, and here’s why: One, you don’t know your Bibles; two, you don’t know how God works

Jesus’ bottom line teaching is that we are often mistaken. There is no question about it. "If you think you ain't, you is"! The interesting part of the teaching is that being mistaken is the symptom but Jesus also identified the disease. We become mistaken when we do not know the Word of God. I am reminded of some other words of Jesus, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that shall proceed from the mouth of God”. The apostle Paul fleshed that out by saying, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” If you are not pursuing the knowledge of His Word, you are setting yourself up for a lifetime of knowing less of Him that He desires. You are being content with dirty water from the puddle when He wants you to drink freely from the fresh, cool spring of His written wellspring.

There are two streams of thought on the last part of this verse. One is that we also don’t know the power of God. Perhaps we should be seeking the power of God in the same way as we are to be seeking the Word of God. That would mean that we need to be seeking the Lord and yielding our lives to Him. The other interpretation I like better, we don’t have the power of God because we do not know His Word. It seems we often suffer from the listlessness of an unfruitful life when God would have us slicing through the deep waters, both calm and storm tossed, to boldly reach the destination of His will.

Happy sailing.

Mother's Day Roundup

2007-05-14T06:42:00.000-05:00

About the only thing you can do to get in trouble on Mother's Day is to forget it or to bad moth someone's Mamma. For someone like me who sort of "looks for trouble" this is a challenge. Like many churches we do the little Mother's Day ritual of giving away corsages to certain Moms. We usually do the oldest Mother, Mother with the most children and the Mother with the youngest child. Yesterday I told the church we were going to do things a little differently. I told them (in jest) that we were going to recognize the most Godly Mother, the Mother with the Godliest children and the Most Improved Mother, someone who was a pretty lousy Mother this time last year but has shown great improvement over the last year. We all had a great laugh and did it the old way. Forgive me for my thoughts but I really could have picked those three out of the people in attendance!

I don't understand high attendance on Mother's Day. I know some of those folks are coming to please their Mothers or because of tradition and I certainly don't mind that some of the people are lost. I guess I am not so confused about Mother's Day as I am about why believers would forsake the church so many other Sundays. Let's have a teach the Pastor day. Please explain one or both of the following Scriptures to me:

Hebrews 10:24-25 24And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
And/Or any portion of 1 Corinthians 12 you want to teach to me.

Both of these Scriptures have implications far beyond mere attendance. Based on your reading: how often, how consistently and why should we be at church?

A Tale of Two Tombs

2007-05-08T06:28:00.000-05:00

Congatulations are in order for Israeli archeologists who have located the tomb of Herod the Great. Herod was the famous ruler of Jerusalem who built the temple which was in use in Jesus' time. He was also the first of a series of infamous Herods who seemed to have a pull toward evil (incest, murder, rejection of the One True God). Read about the find here: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,270575,00.html

This is an important find yet I find it ironic that man continues to pursue dead people rather than the living Lord. The hill on which the tomb has been found is "clearly visible from Jerusalem". Apparently scholars are sure they have the right place, a place that was used to house the corpse of a truly dead person. Maybe they should be focusing on the empty tomb in Jerusalem rather than the tomb of Herod.

Jesus only used his tomb three days. Herod appears to have needed his two thousand years or more. Why not pursue the One whose tomb is empty? It took Herod many years to build the stone temple and the wall around Jerusalem. Today only a portion of that wall remains and the mound on which the temple, destroyed in A.D. 71, stood is home to a Muslim mosque. Jesus said if you destroyed the real temple (Himself) the He would raise it again in three days. He did. Why not seek the King who sits on His royal throne forever? Herod built up the place known in Jesus' time as Jerusalem. Jesus is building a New Jerusalem. It is a place where there will be no more need for dead men's tombs.

What do you think?

Variety Is The Spice Of Life

2007-05-06T20:58:00.000-05:00

This is a followup to my Doctor's visit a few weeks ago. The Dr. ordered an MRI and a new EEG. The EEG showed that my medication seems to be helping. The MRI showed nothing related to the seizures I have been having. It did, however, uncover a different problem. It seems I have an aneurysm in my internal carotid artery. I am scheduled to have an MRA (MRI's brother?) soon and then meet with another neurologist to see if this is something worth worrying about. In the meantime I have forbidden anyone from worrying about it and if it turns out to be challenging news then I will appeal for everyone to refrain from worry in accordance with Philippians 4:7-8.

The health roller coaster is so much fun! The really interesting part is that many people want to know how I "feel" about this. My honest answer is that at first I felt shock, then a little fear. Now, I just don't know how I feel. My Godly wife wanted me to tell some of the other men of the church how I was feeling. We had a Deacon's meeting and I complied. I shared two things. First, I really feel like fishing. Second, I honestly do not know how I feel. They were quite content with both of these feelings. Sweet and Precious was not nearly as content.

Let's face it. This could be something very serious or it could be a total non event. The serious part makes me want to prepare for anything bad that might happen. I reminded her where the will is and where the insurance policies are and who to call for financial help. Trust God and be as prepared as possible. That is the only thing I know I can do.

There have been some positive effects to this. Yesterday I went golfing with my Dad, my son and my brother Richard. Rich is about to be deployed so we were glad to get to spend a day with him. We played a five hour round of golf at a local muni. (Dad's club was booked as we did not know we would get the chance to play until the day before.) I decided that just to be on the safe side of things I would refuse to get angry. I figured that blowing a gasket might be a sure fire way of blowing out a vessel. Anyway, regardless of my reasoning I had a very different time on the course. I played horribly but each time I hit a bad shot, and there were many, I just started laughing. You would be amazed at how much fun I had shooting a terrible score!

The thing that makes this even more amazing is that I am by nature a little on the competitive side. My motto has always been, "It does not matter whether you win or lose, it matters whether I win or lose!" My brother beat me by three strokes and I still had a great time. Three generations were looking at me in wide eyed wonder expecting the usual outbursts, mumblings and Tiger Woods like sulking that usually accompany getting beat. I think my son even asked, "Who are you and what have you done with my Father?'

Anyway, the variety of health situations I have had have spiced things up. Who would have thought that an MRI could lead to a more fun golf game!? Variety really is the spice of life!

Witness or Worry

2007-04-29T16:10:00.000-05:00

A blogging Pastor I know (not me) was invited by a neighbor to a block party the neighbor was hosting. There would be alcoholic beverages involved although the Pastor is personally convicted that he should not drink. (His family has a history of alcoholism.)

This Pastor was really struggling with the decision of whether to attend or not. On the one hand it would be a great opportunity to meet and potentially minister to a boatload (think fish!) of lost people. On the other hand what would others think if they saw him there, or even saw him going there?

I have a definite opinion which I feel is Scripturally based.

What do you think?

A Noah's Ark

2007-04-29T07:47:00.000-05:00

People often ask me questions about science and the Bible. As far as I have seen the Bible never contradicts scientific fact and scientific fact certainly never contradicts the Bible. Our "scientific" assumptions are often wrong and our understanding of the Biblical text is sometimes wrong but the two, when based upon fact, have never yet proven to be in opposition.
One of the questions I get asked is in relation to Noah's ark. Here is a link to a man in the Netherlands who has built a "full scale" replica of the ark: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,269090,00.html
I say full scale because by his own admition the real ark would have been five times this size. This model took two years to build using modern tools. You can understand why it would take Noah a lot longer! First he had to cut his own wood. Then he andd the boys had to do it by hand.
This display are has life size models of many animals. One thing I like to remember is that the Bible does not say that Noah took only adult animals with him. If you allow for the size of the ark and at least some of the animals being young you can easily fit all of them on the ark. If you want to look into this further got to Answers in Genesis at http://www.answersingenesis.org/ or to Institute for Creation Research at http://www.icr.org/.
What do you think?

Man with a Message on a Mission

2007-04-24T16:23:00.000-05:00

My wife and I joined a group of about thirty Pastors and sposes, staff members etc... to hear a challenge from Dr. Bobby Welch, past President of the SBC. It was a powerful and very down home message with a few surprises. At least they were surprises to me.

He took as a text Jeremiah 8:20. The message was very clear and inmpactful. The most meaningful aspect to me was ther down to earth personality of Dr. Welch. Both in his message and at lunch afterwards it was as if you were receiving encouragment from a loving Granfather.

A lot of bloggers have ben hard on Dr. Welch for the "million more" type goal and the bus tour. I think they should lay off and that we should all consider what we can do to be more effective in our ministry of evangelism

God Is In Control

2007-04-15T18:55:00.000-05:00

Many of my friends and family know that I have struggled with petite mal seizures for some time now. This past week I went for my first appointment at the Texas Medical Center in Houston to see a neurologist who specializes in epilepsy. I had some pretty lofty expectations going in to the appointment. My local neurologist and I had been working on this for many months, experimenting with new medications, combinations of medicine and ongoing monitoring. My idea was that at some point we would magically find the medication that worked virtually overnight. I figured since I was seeing a Doctor who dealt with this all the time I would now be on a “fast track” to healing.

In my first meeting with the new neurologist I was in fact very impressed. It was obvious that I was dealing with a man who faces this issue every day and focuses his entire medical career on treating this issue. Unfortunately, along with the expertise comes the reality. He told me two things I did not want to hear. The first was that it would realistically take about six months to evaluate the effectiveness of the first medication. Six months! I had, patient personality that I am, been willing to give it at least six weeks, but six months! I was not a happy camper.

The second thing he told me was that there is the possibility that they would never be able to completely alleviate the seizures. Control yes, eradicate, maybe, maybe not. Suffice it to say that neither of these two pieces of information brought me great comfort. Actually I was pretty dejected (and a little angry).

That evening we had our men’s ministry meeting. We had a guest speaker; I was thankful I was not on the slate this night. The God ordained topic of his Bible Study: “God is in control.”

Yes He is. God may heal me, He may not. If He chooses not to relieve me then this one thing is true, being content in my circumstances means finding joy in the truth that God may not heal but He always strengthens. That’s the kind of thing you can do when you are in control! I’m glad He is in control and I am not.

Guilty As Charged

2007-03-13T18:48:00.000-05:00

I have been judged and found wanting by the scales of justice. Before you cart me off to the Pokey let me explain. Like many other Christians I have read Jesus' command that we "judge not lest we be judged". Also like many other Christians I have reasoned in my heart that there is an exception in there somewhere that allows us to judge people who do and say really dumb things when it comes to the church. Suddenly today I realized I have been intolerant of a lot of people in the church just because they held to a different idea than me.

Here is the admittedly lame thing that happened. A relative I know attends a church that is looking for a new Pastor. They have actually been looking for over a year. I guess since they have a good interim they have grown a little drowsy in their pursuit. The search committee of the church is bringing a man before the church in view of a call this weekend. They have provided a great deal of information about the man including a resume with photo and some verbal testimony of the search committee members. From that information alone several members of the body have already made up their mind about how they will vote on God's will.

That deeply spiritual search for the Lord's will was expressed in this comment. "I'm not going to vote for him, he is not married and he has a beard." I did not make this up. Okay, let's be as open minded as possible on this as we can. The last time I checked Jesus, Son of God, our Savior and model for life, was unmarried and likely had a beard. I'm guessing this means that according to these two characteristics God would not be qualified to serve as the Pastor of the church. I have heard of churches historically battling over the issue of Pastoral celibacy but never have I heard of a problem like this in a Baptist Church. Did I mention that he is engaged to be married? At least he will be more qualified after June!

Forgive me, my sarcasm runneth over. To spare these good folk any further embarrassment let's forget the obscenely ridiculous and focus on the simply ridiculous. The truth is many of us often drag extra-Biblical demands to the table in the search for God's will. It doesn't matter whether it is the amount and position of his facial hair or whether we like or dislike the style of his preaching. None of these have any relation to whether he is called of God and whether that calling is to this particular ministry.

The real issue in a church's search for a Pastor, or in pursuing any other decision, is that we should be seeking God's will, not our own agenda. His will is best found through a passionate and prayerful search, not a checklist of the things we want.

That is why I am now guilty as charged. I felt God's conviction that I also bring other things to the table. Instead of looking at the banquet that God has laid out for me I crowd the table with my own junk food. Just because the things I look for are not as silly (to me) as the one from that sister church does not mean they are any less foul in God's sight. I want to learn to empty myself of everything else and seek His will alone. I am going to pray for that brother who needs to know God's will in regards to his next Pastor.

Sound of the Abundance of Rain

2007-03-12T06:40:00.000-05:00

It's a beautiful Texas morning! Or at least I think it would be if I could see the sky. It's raining today, raining hard. We call it a "frog choker". The sound of the abundance of rain is wonderful and we are very thankful for it.

It rained at church yesterday too. The sky was beautiful outside and on the inside I felt the presence of His Holy Spirit. I am preaching a series on the family. I have received a boatload of complements and requests for copies of the messages. I have mixed feelings about that. On the one hand it is good to know that the Spirit is connecting through me. On the other I am a little frustrated that people seem to respond so well to topical messages I preach rather than more exegetical messages. Since exegesis means "to bring forth" I guess that it what I am doing with the Scriptures I used in my message yesterday, "Raising Godly Children".

The rain however, was not in the message but in the response. Several young people from a local Foster Home Ranch came forward. If you ever want an earnest prayer meeting just take a serious request from a hurting child and go to the Father. I cannot even begin to describe it so I won't except for this. I immediately felt as if heaven was silent, anxiously awaiting the appeal.

In the afternoon we had a wedding. We had decided a couple of Church Council meetings ago to have no activities scheduled for this Sunday night due to Spring Break. Now we know it was a God thing. A fantastic and beautiful young lady in our church got engaged recently and the family decided to have the wedding very quickly (two weeks!) because her brother was going to home on leave from Guantanamo. It was a great wedding. It was the kind of wedding that makes you so full of joy for the couple and happiness for the parents that you just can't help but to heap embarrassing praise on them both.

So with all this joy why was I so down yesterday afternoon? So much movement by the Spirit. So much joy among the family. Yet I was grounded, my wings clipped, leaving me feeling useless and lonely. Perhaps some of it is physical exhaustion. I guess some of it was a shared burden for a Brother in Christ who I love deeply. He was hurting so I hurt too. Maybe some of it is the side effects of the seizure medication I am taking. Some of it has to be spiritual warfare. The thought kept bearing down on me that there is so much more work to do. I know I don't do the saving but I still kept thinking, "I cannot save them all"!

If I were counseling from my own grace filled and loving point of view I would tell myself to "build a bridge and get over it"! Thankfully, God sent someone else to deliver the message. Two Godly friends and my Godly wife would not let me wallow but instead threw a rope of prayer around me and pulled me out of the mud. My wife then took me to visit and hold a new baby that the Lord has blessed one of my Bible Study couples with this last week. There is something about "baby therapy" that is amazing, like smelling salts for the soul. All the darkness was not gone but there was a growing light coming over the horizon.

The sound of the abundance of rain is slowing outside yet the amazing thunder of God continues in the distance. I feel like God has thundered His way through the darkness that clouded my heart, washed me clean and restored my vision. Maybe the light on the horizon is not just the sun. In my heart it reminds me of His love shining through. It may not burn through the clouds immediately but it will burn through the clouds certainly.

I hope you are feeling very "up" today.

My Sloth

2007-03-10T08:05:00.000-06:00

I went to the zoo recently. I saw something called a sloth. I remembered I had been slothful about blogging. Kind of a random thought process don't you think? I have abandoned other blogs and settled on this one (for now). I will try to be more faithful in blogging. So there!

How To Handle Words of Reproof

2007-01-14T15:32:00.000-06:00

I was confronted by a friend and they had me dead to rights. I was guily as charged, I just did not want to admit it. And to think these words should have been easier to swallow than the words of someone I might deem "unacceptable" to correct me. Faithful are the wounds of a friend (Provers). Distasteful are the words of a turkey we don't like (2 Opinions 5:13)!

Anyway, how do we accept correction from others, friend or foe? I find it helpful first of all to try to determine if the correction really is correction or is more in the nature of criticism. If it is criticism I will listen and thank the person for their insight. (Maybe more on that later.) If it seems like the person is genuine, whether I like it or not, I try to ask them more about what they mean. "Could you help me with that? Tell me more about what you mean. When did you see me do that last?" If you get people squarely "on your side", think counselor not crucifier, there is almost no limit to how helpful they can actually be.

Listening to their response to these questions/comments will give you a great insight in where they are coming from. Honestly, even if their words hurt my experience has been that they have found an area where I really do need to improve. Sometimes this is simply because others can see things we cannot. Recently I was in a church committee meeting and several good Christian souls seemed to gang up on another. After the meeting I mentioned it to the "gang of three" and they were all totally unaware that they had done anything offensive in crushing the spirit of the offended one.

One of the benefits of being open to others is that they may have some very real answers to what we need to do to correct the problem. Sometimes the one who spots the problem also has a very good suggestion about how to to fix it. Then again, sometimes they don't! Listen with open mind and a wisdom from the Father.

Always be thankful. Unless the person coming to you is one of the "well intentioned dragons" of the church it probably took some degree of courage to approach you, especially if you are a position of leadership.

I hope this helps. So, take my advice; I'm not using it anyway!

Class Reunion

2006-11-10T07:38:00.000-06:00

I admit I am terrible at keeping up with this Blog thing. The fact is I already know what I think and I am therefore more interested in reading other peoples blogs to see what they are thinking. That means I end up writing mostly about personal expeiences that interest a few of my friends and family and not all you suave current issues types. So today I am going to tell you about the exciting and terrible experience of my 20 year college reunion. It was exciting to see some old friends, though too many did not show. It was terrible to suddenly be faced with the realization that, despite how I feel, I am old enough to go to a 20 year class reunion!
Of course I graduated from college at the age of 10. If that were true I would be in good shape. The truth is I was 21. You do the math. I could have told people it was my wife's reunion and that I am much younger than she is, while this would have been true it would not have been accurate. We graduated together so there was no honest way to avoid it being my 2o year landmark since irresponsible fun ended and reality showed up for a very long stay.
This was all made worse by the fact that we had several conversations with Professors who currently teach at the University regarding my son who will start at the same place next fall. Let's face it, life slips by very quickly. (Side note: A funny thing happened as shortly after we turned in his application for admission we received a call from campus security to let Jonathan know that, based on family history, they would be watching him very closely. This despite the fact that my son is so much straighter of an arrow that I was that he makes his Godly Mother look like a reprobate. Come to think about it, maybe they were calling because of the way SHE acted in college. Hmm, I don't think so.
To my faithful yet disturbed friends and family who read this blog, all three of you, please feel my pain.
The final straw though was that the reunion occured on the opening day of deer season. May I just ask, what kind of a place called EAST TEXAS Baptist University schedules important events on a religious holiday? I think my neighbor shot my buck. Meanwhile our worship leader, who does a great job every Sunday leading us to worship the King of Kings, took a nine pointer and rubbed it in by sending me pictures. This leads me to think email is of the devil and Bo is such a heathen!

What's Your Motive?

2006-10-17T14:04:00.000-05:00

What is your motive? I struggle with understanding how we frail creatures of dust can do some of the things we do and convince ourselves we are doing right. I'm not talking about the issues like murder, adultery or parking in handicapped parking spaces without a sticker. I am talking about the things we do at church and in our denominations. For example, when we judge others by a standard we refuse to hold ourselves to or when we impose additional restrictions on someone that go beyond Scripture and consider them unworthy of service if they do not fulfill our expectations. I believe Jesus referred to that as "teaching as doctrines the commandments of men."

The surprising thing is when we can do something blatantly wrong, obviously hypocritical and oftentimes just plain mean and defend to the death that we were doing it "in the Lord's name" or "for the benefit of the church" or "to protect the institution/denomination". I find it necessary when I get stirred up about something, clench my teeth in anger and haul off to "set somebody straight" to take a moment and ask, "What is my motivation"? "Why am I really doing this"?

From the public comments in relation to the issue at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in the controversy over a private prayer language it would seem that a Godly man, Dr. Dwight McKissic, is being sold down the river for taking a theological stance that is held by other, though not a majority, of Southern Baptists. In advocating acceptance of a private prayer language (as far as I can tell he never proposed that every believer needed one or needed to pursue one) he has run afoul of the powers that be. The unfortunate thing is that "the powers that be" in this case would seem to be men whom many of us have looked to with great admiration for their role in leading our Southern Baptist Convention to throw off the fog of liberal theology and return to a more conservative and wholesome view of the Holy Word.

I pray that all involved in this current fracas would be smitten by God's rich supply of grace. I pray that we would all put down our stones and save them for the real giants. Since the father called me to His ministry (1980) I have never really known an SBC free from contention. I would ask those to whom God has entrusted leadership of our Convention, our SBC entities, our theological discussions and most importantly our missionary efforts, please, show me a Convention, show me a Seminary, show me a Mission Board with hearts set ablaze in passion for Jesus and in prayer and fervency to share Him with a lost world. I pray for that Holy Spirit revival to begin in me.

How My Son Is Getting Even

2006-10-08T17:34:00.000-05:00

My son began the long process of getting even with me this weekend. After years of discipline and reminders like, "Elbows off the table", he now has his revenge. Yesterday we drove on to the campus of East Texas Baptist University, my alma mater, the place where next Fall he will begin his journey away from home. I associate this hallowed place as the place of my youth. This is where my faith grew and I at least made some progress in growing toward the goal of being the minister God wants me to be. Ok, I also associate it with practical jokes like Kool Aid in the fountain on the Quad and welcoming the incoming class of Freshmen girls each year.

As I walked on to the campus I was returning not as a young skull full of mush with my entire exciting future before me. Now I was coming up the hill as a middle aged man about to throw his "baby" to the wolves. It seems like a really short time since I was a student there meeting Jonathan's Mother and now she and I are "the cute old couple" walking across the campus trailing our son as he drinks in the wonder of his soon to be new home.

If he doesn't wipe that silly grin off his face I may smack him! I know the fun that lies ahead of him. I know the challenges, the temptations and the disappointments. I wish I could protect him from some of those, make him cherish the others and convince him that some of the things he thinks are so important right now will be very unimportant in the long run. Yet, I know that is not only misguided and impossible, it is wrong. It's not just that I cannot deliver him from those things but also that I should not. I would be robbing God of the opportunity to create His fullness in my "little boy".

Thanks for listening. I'm going to eat a gallon of Blue Bell and things will be better tomorrow!

AWOL And Ice Cream

2006-09-01T22:16:00.000-05:00

My Granddaddy Mayrant has always been my idol. He was, first of all, the most positive male role model in my early life. He was also a war hero, at least to me, part of “The Greatest Generation”. In World War II he went into the Navy. The United States Navy assigned him to a submarine and he told them flatly that he would serve on anything but a submarine. People from Sweetwater Texas don’t tend to like being under water.

The Navy, not being used to sailors who disobeyed orders, pushed back that he would serve on the submarine. He loved his country but he wasn’t getting on that thing. He is probably the only sailor in history to go AWOL and leave a forwarding address. The Military Police picked him up at home, where he said he would be when they got ready for him, and returned him to the base where he was promptly reassigned to a pocket sized aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. Gambier Bay. He may have wished he took the submarine.

In June 1944 General Douglas MacArthur was busy cashing in on his “I shall return” promise to the people of the Philippines. In order to do that the United States Navy had to locate the Japanese Navy. Locate it they did, not with big carriers and battleships but with Task Force ??, a group of pocket sized carriers and their destroyer escorts. One of those small carriers was the Gambier Bay.

“Finding” the Japanese Navy meant heavy damage to the carrier group. One saving grace was that the Japanese thought they had found a major task force. They literally thought they were firing at Lexington or Yorktown or some other major carrier. This meant the Japanese sent heavy Cruisers, large, heavily armored ships into what they thought was the opportunity to turn the tide of war back in their favor. The difference this made was that the Japanese were firing heavy armor piercing shells that were literally going all the way through the relatively unarmored carriers without exploding. The shells would come through one side of the ship, fly across the hanger bays and exit the opposite side of the ship.

Many of the ships took heavy damage but none more than the Gambier Bay. In a very brief time the call to “Abandon Ship” was sounded and the U.S.S. Gambier Bay became the first, and only, United States Aircraft Carrier ever to be sunk by Naval gunfire. My Granddaddy actually had the advantage of being in the line of communication coming down from the bridge so he heard all the reports the Captain and Staff officers were giving and receiving during the battle.

In addition to his wartime duties he was busy being “industrious”. Granddaddy is a tea-totaler and has been all his life, including the times when “Liberty” would be declared and beer was somehow made available. Each sailor was rationed a certain amount and Granddaddy, having no use for the ale was glad to sell it for cash or other negotiable items, and there were a lot of negotiable items!

In the midst of the battle there was one funny note. He had a small business up and running aboard ship where he would take scrap metal that was not going to be recycled and form it into jewelry. He would sell it to other sailors who found it very useful as either an exotic gift to send home or a nice gift for a local “girlfriend” in some port of call. Just before he was about to abandon ship he remembered his store of jewelry and turned back to see if he could retrieve it. A Japanese shell exploded and hit the place where he had been standing, the blast had occurred under the side of the ship but the section where he had been was gone. He decided two things: to forget the jewelry and to jump into the water.

He describes the time from when he went under the water until he came back to the surface as the longest time of his life. Shells were exploding in the water and he was temporarily deaf when he finally came back to oxygen. It was a bad situation. The life preservers many of the men had on were now useless, as they had taken so much shrapnel, small bits of flying metal. The holes in their life jackets made them take on water and as a result they were weighing the men down more than they were helping them float.

Granddaddy and a few others found a cargo net with small buoys around edges and somehow, a small raft. There was a man who had had most of his legs shot off and they were able to get him on the raft. Miraculously he survived. They rest of the men took turns exchanging places on the small buoys to keep as many of the men alive as possible. Some of the sailors who went into the water that day died from their wounds, some from hypothermia or fatigue, and some from the sharks. Granddaddy does not like to talk about that part of the story.

His rescue, and the rescue of many others is a miracle itself. The men were in the water for a long period of time. Granddaddy told me 68 hours one time though that seems almost unbelievable. Whatever the time was they were rescued by an American Navy vessel whose Captain disobeyed orders. The ship was running silent, no communication and no lights. The Captain later said that he “felt like God wanted him to turn the lights on”. He did and found himself surrounded by hundreds of men in the water. The men of the Gambier Bay were saved!

I am thankful for that because if he had not been saved there would have been no Mom and no me. And of course I would not be able to tell you about the ice cream. Granddaddy was diagnosed as a diabetic many years ago. He went on medication and “Doctors Orders” to avoid sweets. Once again he showed his penchant for disobeying orders and doing things his way. The only problem was that this time he faced a more formidable enemy than the United States Navy; he faced Granny.

She made sure he “towed the line” in many aspects but he was sneaky. They had a barn out back of the house that had electricity run to it. Inside the barn was a deep freezer where they kept all the food they could not store in the inside freezer. Granny did not venture to the barn very often, usually sending Granddaddy to retrieve whatever she wanted to fix for dinner. Here he saw his opportunity.

His favorite treat has always been strawberry ice cream. He would buy strawberry ice cream and hide it in the freezer. He also was wise, and sneaky, so that along with the cream he hid a spoon. He being Granddaddy and I being the only grandchild at the time a second spoon was soon added to the freezer. Yes, Granddaddy taught me to be sneaky, hide things from others and disobey orders you were not willing to follow.

I guess I can forgive him because he also taught me some great lessons about hard work, sacrifice and integrity, ice cream lying strategies not included. Years later he was no longer diabetic and in his seventies we feel like we “saved” him after surgery by hiding Ensure in an ice cream milk shake. The lesson about sneakiness was well learned! He is now eighty six, is not a diabetic and still loves ice cream; you just have to watch him.

Outing My Own Self

2006-08-31T22:40:00.000-05:00

Ok, I don't really like the term either but what do you call it when you unmask yourself. I am no longer going to post anonymously. My name is Chuck Bryce and in the words of the great philosopher and lasagna expert Garfield the Cat, "Big fat hairy deal!". I'm still trying to figure out what to do with this Blog thing so be patient. There are a lot of things I want to say, many things I should say and a whole lot more I should definitely NOT say. Anyone else struggle with taming your own tongue? Hmmm. Guess I must be the only one. Anyway, I am also going to put a suitable photo on here as soon as I: A. Lose 20 pounds, B. Find Katie Couric's Photoshop editor, C. Get a picture with my family standing in front of me or D. Lose 30 pounds.

Batter and Fry, A Story About God’s Provision

2006-08-13T15:11:00.000-05:00

It is too hot to do just about anything outside right now except fish. I have wanted to get in some Biblical recreation (Hey, the disciples were fishermen, right?) for a while now and the lovely and talented Mrs. had been craving fried catfish so this met a couple of legitimate needs. Plus Mother In Law had a new pond we needed to try out so we turned it into a family thing.
The trip was just a few hours worth of fishing squeezed into a trip to East Texas for the funeral of my great uncle. I also had a business meeting scheduled so this fishing was going to be just a few hours one morning.
We cleaned eighteen catfish when we were done. The fish were biting so we pushed our travel time a little close. After cleaning fish I had to shower and get to the bank in time for the meeting. Ever had that experience of feeling like you know something about yourself but you are not able to know whether others know it? I knew my hands still smelled like fish but I wasn’t sure whether people at the bank knew I smelled like fish.
If they knew they did not say anything. After the meeting we were off to the funeral home. Shower and bank meeting aside I still smelled like fish but I am related to these people so they will have to take me like I am. Besides, I think my Uncle Lee Roy probably got a heavenly chuckle about me showing up at his visitation with the fragrant aroma of “Eau de Catfish” about me.
The next day was my Uncle’s funeral and because of our travel arrangements the catfish had to be left at Mother In Law’s. I had a root of bitterness over this. I helped catch it, I helped clean it, now I was not going to get to eat it. In the words of Dolly Parton, “Poor, poor, pitiful me!” For an alleged Man of God I was surprised I was able to nurse that grudge a couple of entire days, mad at no one but at everyone at the same time. I sounded like Job. God has done some wonderful spiritual things this week but I was still focused on my great loss. I missed my fish!
Finally I put my whining aside. The things of God are certainly more important than a mess of catfish anyway. That’s when the lord provided in a most unexpected way. Right out of the blue, well, God’s blue anyway, one of our church friends called and asked a funny question of my wife, “Ya’ll don’t like catfish do you?” Hello, does a one legged duck swim in circles!? The next question was even better, “Would it be alright if we stopped by in a few minutes and brought you some catfish?” If my sweet wife had answered anything other than the positive, Dear Friends, there would have been a rumble in the back pasture. And we don’t even have a back pasture!
I am thankful that I was able to put my sulking little self aside just in time for the Father to deliver a nice little surprise. I am also thankful for a Brother in Christ, Wallace Johnson, for being used by God, not just as a long time Texas Baptist Men’s Builder but also as a fisher and deliverer of fish. It was a great way for the Lord to remind this repentant Preacher that the Father really is the Provider of all. Plus, He not only owns the cattle on a thousand hills He also owns the catfish in a thousand ponds!

My Uncle Lee Roy

2006-08-06T15:40:00.000-05:00

My Uncle Lee Roy closed his eyes in this world this afternoon (08/05) and opened them in the presence of Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. If you have a minute I want to tell you why he was so special to me.
First of all there was an extra familial connection. He is actually my Great Uncle, or, as I like to say, my Great Uncle Squared. He is both the Brother of my Maternal Grandmother and his wife is the Sister of my Maternal Grandfather. The two families of ten plus each lived near one another and the dating pool was limited so the two families ended up having two children marry into the other family. Because of this my Grandparents and My Uncle and Aunt were always very close, even living together for a while as young married couples. Times were often tough after the war. That closeness meant that Lee Roy and Zelma were the kinfolks we saw the most when I was growing up.
Next there was a physical connection. Lee Roy and I always saw eye to eye on everything literally because since the age of about 15 he and I have been the same height. I am roughly 5’4” and before you laugh I have it on good authority that all the doors in heaven are 5’6” and the rest of you better hope that your resurrection bodies get “right sized” on the way to Glory!
Finally there is a spiritual connection. He and Aunt Zelma were some of the earliest and most consistent Christian witnesses that I was around while growing up. During both my college days and my third Pastorate I lived within short driving distance from them. This meant they had the opportunity to be a further great influence on my life. This became particularly important when those days became some of the darkest I have walked through. The self inflicted wounds of living often produce our darkest days.
Even though Uncle Lee knew I had gotten myself into a mess he was never condemning and always patient. He and Zelma loved me and my wife and kids and kept supporting us in prayer and encouragement right through that time. I am so thankful God had him ministering to us in that time!
Some of the memories I have go back to early childhood. Lee was good at making me think he was really mean and tough. He had been teasing me especially hard one day when I needed someone to watch me so I could swim. When Lee offered to watch me he did so with the assurance of, “Don’t worry, I can save you.” My sharp tongued reply was, “I know you can save me but will you?”
Years later when in college I was visiting his house on several acres in Whitehouse, Texas. He had been a little under the weather and his yard needed mowing. I was already going to volunteer to do it when he made a comment about not asking me to do it because he “knew Preachers did not like to work too hard.” He was a master motivator because I remember being mad the whole time I was mowing, edging, raking and everything else I did in order to prove to him that Preachers “certainly did know how to work.”
Lee Roy had made his living in the lumber and construction business. He used those talents in his service to the Lord. He told me one time with just a little pride peeking through that he knew a certain church building was well built because he had measured and cut nearly every board that went into it. There was no selfish pride involved in the way he said it. It was simply the testimony of someone who was proud that they could give their best to something and see the results.
Uncle Lee had lots of “sayings”. He used to say that there were two places a woman did not belong, under the hood of a car or on the golf course. He met my wife Robin, played golf with her and decided there was an exception to the rule. I don’t remember if he ever let her work on his car though!
He also had a great philosophy about work and retirement. He was always frustrated about his lack of length off the tee compared to us “flat bellies”. He used the term “flat belly” for anyone who out drove him as it certainly did not apply to me at any time nor within a decade of any time I played golf with him! His theory was that a man should go to school, graduate and play golf until he turned 65, then go to work. It was sort of a “youth is wasted on the young philosophy”. If he had run for office on that platform I would certainly have voted for him.
One of my funny memories actually involved Uncle Lee and my son, Jonathan. It happened on the golf course and Jonathan was about four or five years old. Lee had insisted that Jonathan ride with him in the golf cart. Jonathan had been watching Uncle Lee operate the golf cart and had quickly figured out that to make the thing “go” you simply mashed on the pedal and turned the wheel. He took the opportunity to demonstrate this when Lee had stepped out of the cart to hit a shot. I was on the other side of the fairway and turned around just in time to see my young son driving Uncle Lee’s cart right toward a pond with my 70 plus year old Uncle chasing him down the fairway.
I honestly am not sure if I could have moved as fast as he did! He caught the cart and hopped in while it was moving and brought the cart to a stop just a foot or two short of the pond. Lee always insisted he was just worried about the cart being lost to Davy Jones’ locker but we all saw right through that. He was teary eyed that evening when Jonathan hugged him goodbye.
I want to tell you one more thing about Uncle Lee and it relates to his devotion to his sweet wife Zelma. Years ago Zelma was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. She has actually been, to my knowledge, very healthy other than this insidious enemy that has robbed so much of the joy of life in the past few years. Lee told me that he was praying and asking God to let him outlive Zelma so that he could take care of her. Until the last few days of his life here he has done just that. I do not know why the Lord chose to answer Lee Roy’s prayer differently than he wanted. I do know that Uncle Lee had enough faith to know that if God chose to say “yes” that would be great and if God chose another route it is because He has a greater glory planned. It is a good and perfect will that will bring glory and honor to the name of Jesus.
The Bible is not completely clear on what people with Jesus now can see or hear of the things on earth. From Jesus’ Lazarus and the rich man story we may gather that people can see us, perhaps hear us but cannot communicate to us. If that is the standard then I hope Uncle Lee can hear this, “I love you and I thank God for you. I thank you for your witness, your friendship and your wisdom. I am glad that you have made it home and I know that you have heard the best words in eternity, Well done my good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of my rest.”

Love,
Charlie

Welcome Friend, Meet Blog in a Fog Pastor

2006-07-23T17:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Blog In A Fog Pastor. I am going to try this anonymously at first, just to see if I can do this. I am a bivocational or "tentmaking" Pastor of a Southern Baptist Church in East Texas not too far from Houston. I am a graduate of East Texas Baptist University in Marshall and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. No, I'm not impressed either. I have been in ministry for twenty something years and have no idea whether I am younger leadership, emergent leadership or just a grumpy old preacher like the ones I used to complain about.

My "other job" is in the financial services industry working for a large corporation. I don't think they are trying to take over the world but I do pray with one eye open at work just in case!

The reason I am starting this blog is that with a family of five (two are teenagers) and two jobs I was finding myself with a little too much time on my hands. Ok, how about everybody else is doing it? (Insert Maxwell Smart voice here.) Would you believe I am trying to vent and improve my writing skills at the same time? (End Maxwell Smart voice, return to East Texas twang.) Ok, the reason is mostly the last one but what Blogger doesn't hope somebody at a publishing house reads their blog and offers them incredible piles of cash to let them publish their yada, yada, bla, blah, blah?

The church I Pastor (six years!) is "High Tech Redneck", meaning that we are in the country but we still found someone to hook up one of those fancy projector thingies and put the hymns and choruses and sometimes the Pastor's sermon notes on a screen that covers the baptistry. We have a wall to wall praise band and praise team with everything from children and youth to Deacons entering their second and sometimes third childhoods. By this do not imply they are childish just fun loving and uncontrollable!

We tell ourselves and anyone who will listen that we are a Spirit led, people driven church that is excited about loving God and reaching people. We say Spirit led because last time I checked the Lord is the head of His church, not yours truly. Besides, would a truly competent person be blogging in a fog? We say people driven because we believe our churches ministry is based on the particular spiritual gifts of the peculiar people God brings into our church.

Don't expect a lot of earthshattering theology in this blog I'm not even sure I can keep it logical, much less "God logical". (Attention wordsmiths, I am aware that's not a proper translation of "theological"; you guys need to chill out a bit!)

One last thing about me. I have recently been diagnosed with a serious health condition that prohibits me from driving, at least for a short period of time. While this does not affect my ability to think or post (I think, Hmmm.) I do plan to use it as a sympathy card and say that you should feel sorry for me and not respond negatively or critically to any of my posts. In other words I only have one feeling so don't hurt it!

Enough about me. My wish for you is that you have a passion for Jesus, a full cup of joy and an eye for the lost around you.

Blog in a Fog Pastor