Thanks Dad

Today, Jared Moore wrote a tribute to his recently departed dad that was very good! It’s here: http://sbcvoices.com/dad-if-i-could-talk-to-you-i-would-say/. 

It struck me as I read it how many of these things I could apply to my father and I was chagrined that I had not thought of all these things. So I'm using some of his headings and adding a couple myself, maybe they'll stir your own thoughts.

Now I know none of our dads were perfect. Some of us had less functional dads than others; some have no earthly father that they know. As sad as that is, I'm grateful for a father that taught me a little about my heavenly Father. And for those with horrible fathers, know that God is everything your earthly father wasn't.

If he wasn't faithful, know the Almighty is. If he wasn't generous, God has lavished His grace upon us. If he wasn't there, then remember, God is our very present help.

But dad, if I could talk to you, I would say. . .

Thank you for reading the Bible in front of me when I was a young boy. I don't remember it clearly, it’s a vague image of the family gathered in the living room. But I know it happened. I have your Bible now and know it wasn't unread.

Thank you for dragging me to church. I didn't often truly enjoy it. But I found that I was loved by folks, and looked at with favor because of the kind of people you and mom are. More importantly, I heard the gospel time after time. And God's word is surely a hammer that shatters the rock hard heart.

Thank you for teaching me that you need Jesus. You admitted to me your faults on occasion. I’m glad I don't have perfection to try to live up to! Your hard-working, stoically suffering, high integrity persona is hard enough. But I know, you knew, you needed Jesus.

Thank you for helping others in private. I know you were a faithful giver. I don't know what all you did for others. But I inherited this someplace! I can't help but think that you were free with your money as you were with the time you gave to others.

Thank you for teaching me the importance of honesty and integrity concerning vocation. You were a hard worker. You seemed to enjoy it for crying out loud! You worked at Randolph AFB as I was growing up and then you'd come home and work. I'm glad you liked to sit and watch football and baseball; otherwise I'd feel guilty about sitting around as much as I do! But also, you were an honest guy. Not just because you handled the church's money and their 'books' with integrity, but you always expected me to tell the truth!

Thank you for serving your country. To know that you were part of the military machine that brought an end to the holocaust, set Europe free and ended the scourge of the Nazi's and others, makes me proud of you. And I hope I too would rise to the occasion if it was required of good men to take up arms.

Thank you for demonstrating humility. Both when you apologized to me once when I was a kid - You weren't doing something right by the family but I didn't really know what you were talking about - but I know you felt bad about it and wanted us to know you did. But also when I stood behind you as a boy, when you walked into your boss’s office to ask off time to take me to the doctor, when I was having way too many doctor visits. I'll never forget that image. You were there in suit and tie, standing at attention in front of your boss's desk, telling him you needed to go a little early to accompany mom and me to my specialist. And the way he looked at you. There was interest in your explanation and what now seems to be a bit of deference on his part. I remember thinking at the time that you were older than him, why was he the boss? But you seemed to command respect and a certain gravitas there as well as at home.

And while I’m not going to thank you for your temper, I’m glad to know there were things that were important to you and you backed them up. I know you wouldn’t abide back-talk, and now that I am grown, makes sense! I know you didn’t want us back-talking or disrespecting mom, too. I’m glad you backed her up as well. I remember you giving a certain uncle some significant grief when he lit up a cigarette after you informed him that smoking was no longer tolerated in our house. Dude! I thought you were going to hit him!

And dad, I bet there are an awful lot of life lessons I learned from you that I don’t even know I did. But I will say, I don’t know that my older brothers share all these views. I think you mellowed with age. I think you were probably harder on them, less reasonable at times, and I think I was probably a tad too much afraid of you growing up. So, I didn’t want to my kids to be afraid of me. Maybe I could have used a bit more of that ‘fear’ factor, but so be it. I do know you were a bit ‘easy’ on your only daughter and to a little boy that hardly seemed fair. But now that I am older I know you were a lot easier on me, the baby of the family, than you were on my siblings. And for that, I am glad!

I love ya dad. I wish you could hear this. And say hi to mom and my big brother Paul. But I imagine the heavenly plane is so far beyond my existence it’s a faint memory to you. So suffice it to say. I've said my thanks, expressed my heart, and I’ll see ya someday, and oh what a day that will be.

So, Why Isn't the Church Reaching my Unsaved Friends?

Today I read a guest blog at http://www.ronedmondson.com/2014/03/why-the-church-isnt-reaching-my-unchurched-friends.html. It was a good, heartfelt, and pointed article. Right on target in many ways. For example, "Fake" IS a real problem. Has been a real problem for 2000 years. But we still need to address it and seek to change it. She admitted that some of the problem was her 'college age' attitude. When I was in college, I found a church (1972) but didn't fit in at all with the campus ministries. (It was more me than them.) And, she admits, the problem is people, both the churched and the unhurched, not how it looks or what it sounds like.

    But I guess I have some questions:

How do you know, from visiting on Sundays whether the people you see aren't the same Monday thru Saturday?

     When you said, "We want to ask questions. Voice our doubts. Explain our struggles. Confess our sins. Confide our fears." I thought, So? Aren't there small groups for that? If you can't talk in their home groups and/or Sunday School groups, there are plenty of churches where you can.

And doing stuff? Do none of these churches have outreach or service oriented activities? I bet some do.

May I suggest a different reason your friends aren't doing church or the church isn't reaching them?

Are you ready?

You aren't reaching them.

Before they are ready for church, they need to be reached by you. And me. And every believer reading this.

The problem is not FAKE. The Problem is LOST. Or for some it is is BACKSLID. (Old fashioned, I know, but I gotta be me. Authentic and all that.)

"There is none that seeketh after God." We must be the vessels God uses to pursue them.

And God does pursue. But He is not anxious, worried, or wringing His hands. In fact, this is the God they don't seek: Rom 1:18 "the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, ... even his eternal power and Godhead; so they are without excuse:

21 Because, ...they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and birds, and beasts, and creeping things. 24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:"

     That was me, before Christ. I imagine it was you too, even if it was a 5 year old version of all that.

Part of the problem with the message of the church now is that we are less willing to speak the truth in love. (Sometimes we do speak it and the world screams "you intolerant bunch of haters." Guess what, Jesus told us that would happen.)

     The truth includes: there are "lost" people. Sinners, objects of God's wrath. There is such a thing as sin. It is wrong. God hates it. You can say you don't care what God thinks but you will answer to Him someday.

But, and this is the glorious truth, God so loved He sent His Son. And by turning from sin and selfishness, and surrender to Jesus Chris we may be saved. We may be indwelled by God Almighty Himself.

     Then, it doesn't matter how old the songs are, how the minister's dress, what color the carpet is, how "real" people may seem to you. You want to praise God for what He has done. If He says, don't forsake fellow-shipping with the Saints, you want to do what He says. When He says, let your light so shine that people may see your good works and glorify God in Heaven, then you want to work for Him.

Its amazing what a saved perspective can do for you.

Then a few other things were posted about how 'authentic today's generation is and how put upon the millennials are etc. 

So I posted this:

     I guess I have a problem seeing the Millenials, Xers etc. as more 'authenic' oriented or more 'put upon' and criticized than my generation. Yes I'm at the tail end of the boomers. But, narrowing it down to my High school college years. We are the ones who faced the military 'face to face' over Viet Nam. Were shot at at Kent State. Ushered in free love and (gasp) psychedlic rock. Drug use skyrocketed with my generation. We led a rebellion and nobody even noticed!

     We thought we INVENTED the whole idea that we wanted to get away from the fake stuff of our parent's generation and get real. In fact I think we coined the phrase "Get real." But then I realised, Every Generation wants authenticity! Nobody ever said, We're gonna be more fake and phony than our parents. As we get older, we may forget our ideals, but we didn't start out that way.

     So why aren't we reaching the millenials 'as a church.'? Because that's never been how we reached people. The people saved at large 'church events' without having had an individual planting the seed, are not the majority of the rank and file members of the Church Triumphant (in heaven) or the Church Militant (still here). Its made up of people who knew a believer, and were evangelised. Maybe they didn't become a Christian when they first heard, but the seed was planted and watered and some blessed soul got to reap the harvest.

     Faking it and inauthenticity has been a problem forever. As believers we DO need to address it. But acting like it's new or the 16 year olds of the world invented it is really ridiculous. We should Be real to people. And allow people to Be Real to us and still love and accept them. But we also need to Be Real before God and not try to massage His word into something acceptable to the wicked human heart.

The Gospel is offensive because it calls people Sinners. And even Authentic Millenials can recoil at the horrid thought that maybe they aren't as special and precious as our schools told them they were. Everyday. Ad Nauseum.

Important Questions From Ministers and Churches

Thom Raller of Lifeway fame, has shared a few of his favorite Questions that he has received. I think they deserve a hearing... or viewing.

· Who is the worst pastor in the United States?

· Is it illegal to kill a bad deacon?

· Should I be concerned if most of the members are complaining about the length of my sermons?

· Should we report our church split as a new church start?

· Can you give me a list of all the churches in America that are either growing or not growing?

· Would you please recommend me to serve as pastor of one of the largest 100 churches that don’t currently have a pastor?

· Our church had 210 in average worship attendance a year ago. Today the attendance is 640. Is that good?

· Would you serve as a reference on my resume? I’m sorry about what I said about you on that blog.

· My wife does not like my sermons. Can you help me?

· Our church has run off seven pastors in the past eight years. Do you think we have a problem?

To that I would add some that have come my way:

• What if my church doesn't notice when I say something heretical?

• Our church had 110 a year ago, now its at 55, should I be concerned?

• Is giving people a free breakfast on Sundays and a $5 gas card at the end of the service a good way to build the Kingdom?

• What other kind of job can a pastor get if he gets fired?

• Is it true some people pray for More funerals?

To this I would also add, love your church, love your pastor, talk to him not about him, and accept him as a frail creature of dust, desperately in need of God's wisdom.

The Christian and the Fourth of July (In the USA)

Three basic Statements:

We must not to equate Patriotism for the USA with patriotism for the Kingdom of God. ----One we were born or sworn into with relatively little expense. The other we were born into by the blood of the Lamb of God.

We must not confuse our country’s founders depending on God’s blessings for America-with the idea we are God’s chosen people. -We are a great country because God shed His grace on us.

We must not confuse the role of the church in the world with the role of government. ----Just because the government has taken over some of our responsibilities doesn’t mean the church should give up its role in the world as defender of the poor, champion for the oppressed, messengers of peace, and most importantly, messengers of the gospel of Jesus Christ

Rom 13:1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and

those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct,

but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval,

4 for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.

5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. 8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

Rev 13:1 And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads.

What do these have in common? They are both descriptions of earthly government. One passage describes what government should do and the Christian’s response. The other what government will one day become. And believe me, the enemy has been practicing for this day in countries around the world. I’m not at all suggesting that it is here, but just keep in mind what it will one day become.

So when we celebrate Independence Day, let’s remember from what we were set free; The tyranny of King George. The tyranny of a government.
And yes, we replaced the British government with a better government. Our founders worked hard, and put their lives on the line to institute a better government and they sought the wisdom of God to do it. And I believe God blessed them. But remember, that doesn’t make our government perfect. That doesn’t mean government is good or bad. It’s like a fire. A fire is good when it’s in the fireplace on a cold night. A fire is bad when it escapes the fireplace and burns down the house. Can a fire be good? Sure, if we keep it under control! That’s why we vote, that’s why we don’t elect presidents and congressmen for life. For 230 years we have kept in under control, and gotten it back under control when it threatened to break out.

But it’s not the Kingdom of God! Yes we should celebrate our freedoms today and every day. But those freedoms pale before the freedom we have in Christ!

So what is the Christian’s response to Independence day?

I’d like to quote another preacher who preached on July the 4^th a while back: Pastor Timothy Dwight began his sermon by referring to what he perceived as a dire secularist threat …

“Doctrines and teachers are rapidly spreading through the world, to engage mankind in an open and professed war against God … The being and providence of God have been repeatedly denied and ridiculed. Christ has been mocked with the grossest insult. Marriage has been degraded to a farce … In the school of public instruction atheism is professedly taught.”[1]

So, Christians should be aware of growing secularism-that’s the religion of worldliness creeping into the church. They should be aware of the growing denial of the existence and providence of God, the growing mockery of Jesus Christ and His church, and the growing instruction in atheism in our society.

Pastor Timothy Dwight was also the president of Yale University and preached this sermon in 1798! And it still rings true today. So what do we do about this description of our world?

First, and this might surprise you-Forsake not the assembly of yourselves together with other believers. (Heb 10:25) Why is this important? First because God said it was important. Why do we see Jesus and Paul frequenting the synagogues and meeting with other believers? Because it’s important.

Some would say that Christians going to church every week just makes Christianity a separate little religion, detached from the world and the reality all around them. That could be true. When a church starts acting like a country club, that’s what you get.

But is that what we are supposed to do at church? Listen to the Confession of Southern Baptists: (BF&M 2001)

The first day of the week is the Lord's Day. It is a Christian institution for regular observance. It commemorates the resurrection of Christ from the dead and should include exercises of worship and spiritual devotion, both public and private. Activities on the Lord's Day should be commensurate with the Christian's conscience under the Lordship of Christ.

You see, this is God’s day. We are to reaffirm and recommit to the Absolute Lordship of Jesus Christ. Now what does this do to make us more of the kind of Church God wants in the world? It brings us closer to the heart of God. Worldly endeavors and entertainment MUST take a backseat to the worship of God!

What is in the heart of God? God seeks to make His Glory known in all the earth! He wants the church to show the world that he is the Holy Righteous Creator and sustainer of the world and that he offers forgiveness and blessing to all who put their trust in Him. When we properly set aside the day of the Lord, we come away more valuable to the world!

Alexis de Tocqueville was commissioned by the French Government to investigate the prison systems in america. He did that and issued a report. But the more famous book he wrote was entitled Democracy in America. He didn't like everything he saw in America. There were things that bothered him about American culture. But, he also wrote this: "I sought for the greatness of the United States in her commodious harbors, her ample rivers, her fertile fields, and boundless forests--and it was not there. I sought for it in her rich mines, her vast world commerce, her public school system, and in her institutions of higher learning--and it was not there. I looked for it in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution--and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great!"

IF the gospel of Jesus Christ is the gospel of peace then we should come away from observing the Lord’s Day together with Peace in the heart, Peace in the Home, Peace in our country, and peace in the world! That’s what properly observing the Lord’s Day is for!

Second, The Church needs to believe in and practice Prayer!

Remember 2 Chron 7:14: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways…”

Is America God’s people called by his name? No, the Church is God’s people called Christians. It’s not the world’s job to pray and seek His face, they don’t understand that. It’s our job: Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.

What are we supposed to do: Humble ourselves before God. Pray to God. Seek God’s face and Repent before God. We don’t talk about seeking God’s face much anymore. The whole idea is a little foreign. To seek God’s face is to endeavor to live our lives as open books before God’s eyes, looking for his pleasing countenance not his rebuke. Looking for guidance from His eyes, and His still small voice. Then when we get before His face we are painfully aware of our sins and we repent.

THEN, Having done all that, we BEGIN to pray. We pray for the church. We pray for our families and loved ones. We PRAY FOR THE LOST. And we pray for our government!

Are we praying for our government God’s way? God’s way is NOT to pray for some harm to come to your President! (As some have suggested.) God’s way is to pray for His welfare, His soul, and that he be led by God. God's way is to pray that we are able to live in peace.

Third, The church needs to Take the Gospel to the world. We REALLY need to do this. There are many ways to do this, but it requires we involve ourselves with the lost. Matt 28:19 AS YOU GO, MAKE DISCIPLES! If you don’t have a lost person to pray for get one. Today! Ask God who it is. Say, “Lord lay some soul upon my heart, and love that soul through me!”

We live in such incredible freedom! The believers in China would LOVE THIS! We can talk to friends about Jesus without being arrested! They may not like it. Your boss might even tell you to stop it. So you do it after you punch out.

This week I was presented with an opportunity to share Christ. I tried to explain it to someone who was confused. Now I’m leaving it in God’s hands.

The strongest argument for the Gospel of Christ is the personal testimony of someone whose life has been changed by it. Charles Bradlaugh, an avowed infidel, once challenged the Rev. H.P. Hughes to a debate. The preacher, who was head of a rescue mission in London, England, accepted the challenge with the condition that he could bring with him 100 men and women who would tell what had happened in their lives since trusting Christ as their Savior. They would be people who once lived in deep sin, some having come from poverty-stricken homes caused by the vices of their parents. Hughes said they would not only tell of their conversion, but would submit to cross-examination by any who doubted their stories. Furthermore, the minister invited his opponent to bring a group of non-believers who could tell how they were helped by their lack of faith. When the appointed day arrived, the preacher came, accompanied by 100 transformed persons. But Bradlaugh never showed up. The result? The meeting turned into a testimony time and many sinners who had gathered to hear the scheduled debate were converted.

When we do a School Supplies drive we should look for opportunities to include the gospel. When we do a coat drive include the gospel. When we have a concert or a special event, include the gospel. Maybe in your Christmas card this year, include the gospel of Jesus Christ. Not just a manger!

Today when you celebrate the Freedoms of America, first thank God for them. Then make very sure that you have Freedom in Christ! Sin puts us in slavery, Jesus can set you free!

[1]^]Dwight’s sermon is reprinted in Political Sermons of the American Founding Era, edited by Ellis Sandoz, pages 1363-1394.

The Church is on the Rock

For years, every summer, My wife, my girls and I spent long hours working on sand castles. We build these big ornate castles with lots of turrets and staircases. And on a few rare occassions people have decided to stomp on them after hours of work. Of course they’re ruined when that happens.

I heard* of a guy who put cinder blocks, and chunks of concrete in the base of his castles. Then when the stompers would show up, their bare feet suddenly met their match. Some people see the church in grave peril from stompers like secularism, humanism, socialism, post-modernity, politics, heresies, or plain old sin. They forget that the church is built upon a Rock (Mt. 16:16), over which the gates of hell (and the original stomper) shall not prevail.

*Original story from Gregory P. Elder

How About Supporting Your OTHER Leaders

While you're praying for your country and your president and the speaker etc. etc. Pray for your pastor and ministers, too. They would really appreciate it.In fact you can pray for ministers that may do things you don't like.
First, you can pray for their salvation. I mean in case you aren't sure. There are some that leave me wondering!
Second, you can pray for those who you think are sincere but sincerely wrong, or nuts!
Third, you can pray for your pastor. Hopefully you think he's at least OK theologically and in his competency.
But how do you pray?
How about a few tips from Paul's little letter to the Ephesians.
Eph 6:19 "And pray for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,"
First the pastor needs the utterance. The words to say. In preaching, counseling, leading his staff, and leading his family. HE needs to know how to communicate the things that are needed. Its hard to be misunderstood when you try so hard to say things correctly. You want those in your office to see your heart, to be comforted or afflicted, whatever is necessary. He needs an unction with his utterance when He is preaching. A sense of knowing not just that he's right theologically, but that he's right for this group of people.
Second, He needs boldness and fearlessness. Again, he needs it not just in preaching but in talking and counseling and in answering the picky people. He needs to be fearless defending the gospel. He must be fearless when he speaks truth to power. He must be fearless when he preaches on sin to the church. He must be fearless even if they are going to vote on his continued emplyment.
Third, he wants to communicate the gospel with clarity. He wants to make it plain. But he needs to hold to the faith cleanly and clearly as well. Pray that he grows in his understanding of the things of God and that he communicates these things in such a way that the door is opened for the work of the Holy Spirit to convict, convince, challenge and change us all.