On the Brink of Eternity

Text Me

2009-07-16T15:44:00.002-04:00

I recently heard about a teen having a total of 3,000 text messages in one month. That's 3,000 texts either sent or received.

Last night I preached to a roomful of teenagers at Central Church of God. In the middle of my sermon, I laid this line on them:

"God will not text you His plan for your life."

Pretty good, huh?

Mercy!

2009-07-09T13:14:00.004-04:00

I've been kind of lazy lately as my number of blog posts would indicate. But honestly, I either haven't been able to find the time to post, or I haven't had anything to say. I think I'm through posting just for the sake of posting. But I wanted to share a thought today:

"He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities."
~ Psalm 103:10

This single verse of Scripture changes everything, doesn't it?

God has not dealt with us according to our sins. That's mercy. I deserve punishment. Death should be my just reward. I am like the woman brought before Jesus in John 8 .... "caught in the act of adultery." I'm guilty. Caught in the act. Can't hide it. Can't talk my way out of it. He's got me dead to rights.

But like that woman in John 8, He didn't deal with me according to my sins. He didn't reward me according to my iniquities. He extended mercy to a woman caught in the very act of sin. Mercy!

This is not new, is it? We all know about mercy. It's all around us. It's throughout the pages of our Bibles. In fact, maybe we know a little too much of God's mercy. Maybe it's so familiar, we tend to take it for granted. That's an easy place to get to. But it's a dangerous place to be.

When you read the words of Psalm 103:10, what do you do? Do you wanna shout? Fall on your face in praise and thanksgiving? Or is it just another verse in the Bible to you? "Ho hum. That's nice. Now let's move on to something else. Let's get to the good stuff, okay chaplain?"

We need to be in awe of the mercy of God.

Beautiful!

2009-06-30T07:16:00.003-04:00

Alisha Burger became Mrs. James McGinn
June 20, 2009

What a beautiful bride, huh?

We Must be 'In Him'

2009-06-08T08:55:00.002-04:00

"Sin comes when we take a perfectly natural desire or longing or ambition and try desperately to fulfill it without God. Not only is it sin, it is a perverse distortion of the image of the Creator in us. All these good things, and all our security, are rightly found only and completely in Him."
~ Augustine, The Confessions of Saint Augustine

The W-H-A-T in the Sand?!

2009-05-18T14:30:00.003-04:00

A new twist on a worn-out poem. Enjoy.

One night I had a wondrous dream,
One set of footprints there was seen,
The footprints of my precious Lord,
But mine were not along the shore.

But then some stranger prints appeared,
And I asked the Lord, "What have we here?"
Those prints are large and round and neat,
"But Lord they are too big for feet."

"My child," He said in somber tones,
"For miles I carried you alone.
I challenged you to walk in faith,
But you refused and made me wait."

"You disobeyed, you would not grow,
The walk of faith, you would not know.
So I got tired, I got fed up,
and there I dropped you on your butt."

"Because in life, there comes a time,
when one must fight, and one must climb.
When one must rise and take a stand,
or leave their butt prints in the sand."

~ author unknown

Happy Odd Day

2009-05-07T14:18:00.000-04:00

Today is May 7, 2009 ..... or 05/07/09.

Happy Odd Day! A day made especially for guys like me.

The Vitality of Love

2009-05-06T10:00:00.001-04:00

"The day we stop burning with love, people will die of the cold."
~ Unknown

The Constant Call of God

2009-05-05T08:08:00.002-04:00

This is one of my absolute favorite passages of Scripture:

1In the year of King Uzziah's death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.
2Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
3And one called out to another and said, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory."
4And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke.
5Then I said, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."
6Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs.
7He touched my mouth with it and said, "Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven."
8Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I. Send me!"
~ Isaiah 6:1-8

Imagine walking into your church on a Sunday morning and finding the scene Isaiah depicted here. It wasn't just good music or an inspiring sermon Isaiah saw and heard. It was the Lord! It was a scene straight out of the throne room of heaven. What would you do?
I'm guessing we'd all do just what Isaiah did: We'd fall on our faces and cry out, "Woe is me!"

After his sins were purged, Isaiah heard the voice of God, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?"
Most scholars say that this was the of Isaiah's call to ministry. I disagree.

Read it again. This wasn't God calling a man named Isaiah. It was a man named Isaiah hearing the call of God. So what's the difference?
It's simple. This call of God goes forth from His throne all the time. God is constantly calling out for a response from a man willing to go. Isaiah heard it and responded with, "Here am I. Send me!"

Have you heard His constant call? How will you respond?

2009-04-29T09:00:00.002-04:00

Obituary of Common Sense !

Today, we mourn the passing of an old friend by the name of Common Sense.

Common Sense lived a long life, but died from heart failure at the brink of the Millennium. No one really knows how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He selflessly devoted his life to service in schools; hospitals, homes, factories and offices, helping folks get jobs done without fanfare and foolishness.
For decades, petty rules, silly laws and frivolous lawsuits held no power over Common Sense. He was credited with cultivating such valued lessons as to know when to come in from rain, the early bird gets the worm and life isn't always fair.
Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn), reliable parenting strategies (the adults are in charge, not the kids), and it's okay to come in second.
A veteran of the Industrial Revolution, the Great Depression, and the Technological Revolution, Common Sense survived cultural and educational trends including feminism, body piercing, whole language and new math.

But his health declined when he became infected with the "if-it-only-helps-one-person-it's-worth-it" virus. In recent decades, his waning strength proved no match for the ravages of overbearing federal legislation.
He watched in pain as good people became ruled by self-seeking lawyers and enlightened auditors. His health rapidly deteriorated when schools endlessly implemented zero tolerance policies; when reports were heard of six year old boys charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; when a teen was suspended for taking a swig of mouthwash after lunch; when a teacher was fired for reprimanding an unruly student. It declined even further when schools had to get parental consent to administer aspirin to a student but couldn't inform the parent when a female student is pregnant or wants an abortion.

Finally, Common Sense lost his will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband, churches became businesses, criminals received better treatment than victims, and federal judges stuck their noses in everything from Boy Scouts to professional sports.
As the end neared, Common Sense drifted in and out of logic but was kept informed of developments, regarding questionable regulations for asbestos, low-flow toilets, smart guns, the nurturing of Prohibition Laws and mandatory air bags.
Finally, when told that the homeowners association restricted exterior furniture only to that which enhanced property values, he breathed his last.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son Reason. His three stepbrothers survive him: Rights, Tolerance and Whiner.
Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

Refusing Fear

2009-04-27T08:42:00.004-04:00

Have you turned on the news yet this morning? If so, you know there is a new panic sweeping the world: Swine Flu! That and salmonella from eating raw alfalfa sprouts (although I'm not sure why anyone would eat raw alfalfa sprouts to begin with.) But the big concern, the one that has governments issuing travel advisaries and warnings of epidemics and pandemics, is swine flu.

I'm not quite sure quite how we ought to react to the dire warnings I'm hearing this morning. After all, these are the same people who were absolutely certain a few years ago that bird flu was about to ravage the world's population. And do you remember the Y2K panic, and all of the other public scares that have failed to materialize?
It seems to me that we have numerous governmental and other various public agencies and organizations, including the media, who work to keep the public in a state of fear, or at least elevated concern about something all the time. Maybe it's all about headlines, or public funding, or ratings. I don't know.
But I'm making a choice this morning. I'm choosing not to participate in the "Great Swine Flu Panic of 2009". I'm choosing the promise of God that has stood the test of time longer than any of these public fear frenzies.

You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Or of the arrow that flies by day;
Or of the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.

A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not approach you.
~ Psalm 91:5-7

My Earthday Tribute

2009-04-22T08:07:00.010-04:00

It's 'Earthday'.

There's a lot of hype these days concerning the earth and how we can and should maintain it. But there is a danger we tend to fall into. As human beings, we don't seem to be able to keep things in their proper perspectives. In the case of today's "enviro-hysteria", we have fallen into that trap once again. The Apostle Paul described it like this in Romans 1: "Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and creeping things."

The creation should never be our priority. The Creator should. That's the way it was intended to be. The creation is intended to glorify the Creator, God. As God's agents on this earth, we do have a responsibility to care for it. After all, God did give us charge over it all. The Bible says: Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth." (Genesis 1:26)

It's simply a matter of proper perspective. We must keep in mind what the Scripture says in Pslam 24:1, "The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof." It's all His. Not ours.

So here's what I believe Earthday ought to be all about (of course, from God's Word in Genesis 1):

1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.
3Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.
4God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.
5God called the light day, and the darkness He called night And there was evening and there was morning, one day.
6Then God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters."
7God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so.
8God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.
9Then God said, "Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear"; and it was so.
10God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good.
11Then God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them"; and it was so.
12The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good.
13There was evening and there was morning, a third day.
14Then God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years;
15and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth"; and it was so.
16God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also.
17God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth,
18and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good.
19There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.
20Then God said, "Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens."
21God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good.
22God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth."
23There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.
24Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind"; and it was so.
25God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good.

Learning To Be ...

2009-04-21T12:39:00.002-04:00

"... you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."

~ 1 Peter 2:5

"Living stones ... being built up as a spiritual house." How are you fitting in?

What a Week!

2009-04-14T20:30:00.002-04:00

Easter Sunday morning worship service at Charlotte Correctional Center was beyond words. Attendance blew my mind. I've never seen that many inmates on a Sunday morning. Never!
The praise band rocked and I preached as hard as I ever have. What a thrill.

Last night we graduated the current class of inmates in our Father Accountability Program. I'm proud of every one of them. I think they "get it."

We've got Olivia with us this week (Sunday - Thursday.) We're having a ball with her. She's so sweet and an incredibly smart little almost-two-year-old.

My life is better than I could have ever imagined.

Sunday's Coming!

2009-04-09T10:30:00.000-04:00

What if ...?

2009-04-06T17:45:00.002-04:00

Holy Week and here's what's on my mind:

"And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins."
~1 Corinthians 15:17

Gonna be quite an Easter message.

How to Get a God-Sized Job Done

2009-03-31T10:23:00.004-04:00

I have many favorite characters in Scripture. Actually, I'm not sure you can have more than one "favorite" anything, can you? So there are many that I admire greatly and find inspiration from. But there is one guy who captures my imagination maybe more than any other. His name was Bezalel. We don't know much about him at all. But what the Bible does tell us, I like.

After Moses had led the people of Israel out of Egypt, they camped at the base of Mount Sinai. That's where God called Moses to come up and receive from Him ordinances and laws for the people of God to obey. And it's where God gave Moses instructions for building the Tabernacle, the place where God Himself would dwell among the people. God's instructions were intricate and required precision workmanship. It was a huge undertaking for people who had only known hard labor as slaves for four hundred thirty years. Frankly, they didn't have the skills or the know-how to accomplish the task God had given to them. They'd been making bricks in Egypt their whole lives. But brick-making wasn't going to be part of this job. What were they to do?

That's where my guy, Bezalel, comes in. Exodus 31 says: Now the Lord spoke to Moses saying, "See, I have called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. And I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship, to make artistic designs for work in gold, in silver, and in bronze, and in the cutting of stones for settings, and in the carving of wood, that he may work in all kinds of craftsmanship.

God gave His people a job to do. Then He gave a man the wisdom, and the skills and ability to do the job. They didn't know how to do it. And God knew that. But that didn't stop the plan of God. God just took an old brickmaker and turned him into a skilled craftsman able to produce the beautifully intricate work that He wanted done.

He'll do the same in us.

"And for this purpose I also labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me." ~ Colossians 1:29

Holiness

2009-03-26T16:08:00.000-04:00

"Every man is as holy as he really wants to be."
~ A.W. Tozer

The Measure of Greatness - Part 2

2009-03-19T18:50:00.003-04:00

Another thought on the perceived greatness of "great men":

"The cemeteries of the world are filled with indispensible men"
~ Charles DeGaulle

Heaven Smiled Sunday

2009-03-17T08:36:00.006-04:00

One of the things I enjoy most in my ministry is a class I facilitate each Monday evening in the prison called Father Accountability. Father Accountability is a 13-week class designed to enhance parenting skills and to encourage men to step up and be the dads God designed them to be. Because the majority of the inmates in the class have never had a dad in their own lives, it can be a challenging endeavor to simply get them to see that fatherlessness is not the norm and that being a good father to their children is not 'mission impossible' for them.

Week 8 of our 13-week journey together is always special and a lot of fun for all of us. On week 8, we move our class meeting to Sunday afternoon and invite the children of the inmates in the class to come and spend the afternoon with their dads. We call it "PlayDay", and that's exactly what we do: We play. From board games to cards to reading to our children, for one afternoon the surroundings are pushed into the background and its just families enjoying time with one another.

This past Sunday was PlayDay for the current group of dads in the class. As the families arrived there were the typical hugs and kisses as some greeted children they hadn't seen in up to two years. As the families settled in for the afternoon together there were smiling faces all around.
But I noticed one inmate, Derrick, seemed a bit reticent. He was worried his teenage son may not come. Maybe no one would bother to bring him. Or maybe he wouldn't even want to come. While others laughed and played, Derrick waited.

Thankfully, Derrick's son did come. An hour late. As they shared time together I found myself wondering what Derrick was thinking. I hoped the visit was going well.
When our time ended and the visitors filed out, the inmates thanked me repeatedly for arranging the afternoon for them. A few said it was the best time they could remember having with their children. Ever.

Last evening in class, Derrick shared a little bit about his visit with his son. It was hard at first. Awkward. But it went well. So well that his son has asked to be included on Derrick's regular visiting list.
Then Derrick said that as our PlayDay came to an end, he did something he'd never done before: He hugged his boy. He reached out and drew his son close, and hugged him. He said that was awkward, too. But it felt good. He felt like a father.

Something powerful happened here this past Sunday. A father hugged his son for the very first time. A son experienced the loving embrace of a dad who has missed most of his life.
And I think I know God well enough to say He smiled Sunday.

The Measure of Greatness

2009-03-16T17:52:00.005-04:00

As everything in our society is seemingly shaken to its core, we are finding out the truth about many who were believed to be "great men." From powerful politicians to well-to-do financiers, from the financial titans of Wall Street to the titans of the auto industry in Detroit the measure of all men is being taken. They're being exposed. And they are being found lacking.

Abimelech was one of Israel's leaders during the time of the judges. The Bible says he ruled over Israel for three years. During his reign, it looked like Abimelech was a great success. He maneuvered his way to power and defended his throne with stunning success. He exhibited strong leadership characteristics. Everything seemed to go his way. Despite his success, there was one thing that was always against him: God.

God was against Abimelech because of the way he achieved his successes. He used and abused, and even murdered to get where he was. He schemed to gain power, and schemed even harder to keep it. And God was not pleased. In fact, God brought about the end of Abimelech in a shocking way. The Bible says a woman dropped a millstone from the top of a roof onto his head and crushed his skull.
He wasn't killed by a mighty warrior or a skilled soldier in the line of duty. He was killed by a woman with a millstone and an attitude. Indeed, it was God who repaid the wickedness of this seemingly great man.

The story has always been the same. If God is not pleased, if He does not approve of our lives, all of our "success" is destined to fail. We may have the approval of those around us. We may even have some proclaiming us to be great.
But the only opinion that matters is God's.

Doing Your Best

2009-03-11T08:38:00.006-04:00

In Mark 14, just a few days before His arrest and crucifixion, Jesus sat at dinner at the home of a man named Simon in the town of Bethany. As they reclined at the table, the Bible says a woman entered carrying a bottle of costly perfume. Without a word, she approached the Lord, broke the bottle opened, and poured the fragrant oils over Jesus' head.

To some gathered there, it seemed such a waste. "It could have been sold for almost a year's wages, and the money could have benefitted the poor." (How often we find ourselves surrounded by a crowd that always finds fault in what's done for the Lord. People haven't changed.)

When Jesus heard their criticism, He told them to leave the woman alone. She'd done something for the Lord. Her heart was right. Her motivations were pure. The poor weren't going anywhere; they should have been taking care of them anyways.
Then Jesus said: "She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial."

"She has done what she could." What a wonderful thing to have Jesus say. She gave it all she had. She did her best. She held nothing back.
It seemed like such a small thing. A little act of kindness. She hadn't preached a great sermon, or laid healing hands on the sick. She hadn't performed mighty miracles. She hadn't called down fire like Elijah, or stood up to the injustices around her as the prophets had. But she'd done what she could.

That's all the Lord ever asks of any of us. Just do what you can. If you can't preach, then don't. If you're not a great Bible teacher, that's okay. Just do what you can. Give it your all. Do your best for Him. And one day, when you stand before Him, you'll hear Him say of you, "Well done! You did what you could."

He Sighed

2009-03-10T09:08:00.007-04:00

This is a re-post, but it's been on my mind again. Enjoy.

They brought to Him one who was deaf and spoke with difficulty, and they implored Him to lay His hand on him. Jesus took him aside from the crowd, by himself, and put His fingers into his ears, and after spitting, He touched his tongue with the saliva; and looking up to heaven with a deep sigh, He said to him, "Ephphatha!" that is, "Be opened!" And his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was removed, and he began speaking plainly.
~ Mark 7:32-35

I have a very vivid imagination that tends to work overtime as I read the gospel accounts of the life of Jesus. I like to put myself right there where the action is. I'm in the crowd, right up near the front so I won't miss anything. I try to imagine the scene, see the looks of the faces, and hear the words being spoken and the murmur of the crowds. Sometimes I can even feel the mood of the people around Jesus - wonder, awe, excitement, hurt, despair, and yes, even anger.

I've put myself on the scene in Mark 7 before. I've been there as they brought the man who was deaf and struggled to speak with any clarity. I've felt that man's trepidation and the deep desire of those who brought him to Jesus to see him healed. They knew Jesus could. It was His season of miracles.
When Jesus took the man by the arm and led him away from the crowd, in my mind, I went with them. Jesus put His fingers in the man's ears (Without washing his hands?) and then spit and touched the man's tongue with the saliva (Oooo! Gross, huh?) I'd seen this scene all before.
But there is something here that I had never seen until today.
"... and looking up to heaven with a deep sigh, ..." With a deep sigh? I'd missed that before. Jesus let out a deep sigh, then He prayed and healed the man.

Now I know what it usually means when I sigh deeply. Usually it means I'm angry and beginning to lose patience with something or someone. Sometimes a deep, exaggerated sigh let's everyone know how superior I am to everyone else and how gracious I'm being to even give the little people the time of day. I sigh when I don't like something, don't agree with something, or decide to dig in my heels and be stubborn about something.

But I don't think Jesus' sigh was anything like my sighs. His was the sigh of a Creator who's creation was broken. It was a somewhat sad, maybe a bit mournful, even a little frustrated kind of sigh. A sigh that said, "It's not supposed to be like this. This isn't what My creation is supposed to look like."

I wonder how often Jesus looks at our lives and sighs that same kind of sigh. Even as He makes intercession with the Father for us, I can almost hear it. How often He must look at us with all of our issues, and the baggage we drag around with us, and say, "It's not supposed to be like that. I didn't make him like that."People in the midst of the pain of separation and divorce. Lonely people. Sick people. Addicted. Homeless. Helpless. Prisoners. People hurting and causing so much hurt for others. It wasn't supposed to be like that.
I think we all illicit a sigh from our Savior every now and again.

But then He prays ...

Caution: God At Work

2009-03-04T08:26:00.006-05:00

When God begins to deconstruct all that you've come to believe a life in Christ must look like (and trust me, He will) - it is maddeningly exciting and frustratingly beautiful ... all at once.

March .... In Like a Lion

2009-03-02T08:08:00.003-05:00

Snow falling in Charlotte ....
(one of us is way too excited)

Ridding Ourselves of Rules

2009-02-26T08:29:00.003-05:00

"Remember when you said yes to Jesus the first time? You didn't know all the rules, but you knew Jesus. Sadly, the church immediately stepped in and told us we needed to know more than Jesus; we needed to know the rules of the Christian faith, otherwise we might end up in confusion and spiritual anarchy. The church is always worried we might make a mistake!"

"Every time the disciples started establishing rules - no children near Jesus; Don't let the crowd touch Jesus; Don't talk to Samaritan women; Don't let people waste expensive perfumes - Jesus told them to knock it off, and His rebuke was usually followed by a lecture that said, 'You still don't get it! We are not substituting religious rules with our rules. We are substituting religious rules with Me!' Jesus kept saying 'Follow Me,' not 'Follow My rules.'

"So most of us have spent our Christian lives learning what we can't do instead of celebrating what we can do in Jesus"

~ Mike Yaconelli, Dangerous Wonder

How Spoiled Are We?

2009-02-24T14:18:00.001-05:00

This is great ... and makes an awesome point.

If you're under 30, you might not have a clue what this guy is talking about.

Fiscal (Ir)Responsibility

2009-02-23T13:57:00.003-05:00

I just heard on the radio that there is a meeting being convened in the White House today. The subject: Fiscal Responsibility.

This from the people who just spent $800 billion dollars (the largest spending bill in the nation's history.) It's kind of like Rosie O'Donnell holding a meeting on diet and weight loss.

Would Jesus Recognize Our Christianity?

2009-02-21T20:14:00.002-05:00

The most critical issue facing Christians is not abortion, pornography, the disintegration of the family, moral absolutes, MTV, drugs, racism, sexuality, or school prayer. The critical issue today is dullness. We've lost our astonishment.

The Good News is no longer good news, it's okay news. Christianity is no longer life changing, it's life enhancing. Jesus doesn't change people into wild-eyed radicals anymore, He changes them into "nice people."
~Mike Yaconelli - Dangerous Wonder

Is It Really That Easy, Paul?

2009-02-19T15:37:00.004-05:00

"Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus."
~ Romans 6:11

Our home Bible study group now knows somewhat the despair this verse has brought me over the years. I have struggled with these words for about nine years. It's not that I don't believe them to be true. I do.

We've been studying Romans together and last evening we were in Romans 6 when I shared my frustration. If the power of sin has been broken (and it has - see Romans 6:1-10), why do I struggle to do what this verse so clearly tells me to do? Why do I have such a hard time considering myself to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus?
Is it as easy as the Apostle Paul here makes it seem?

After a lively discussion (I hope I didn't hurt any feelings) my struggle continues. I really do believe I'm dead to sin. (After all, that's what the Scriptures say. That's what Romans 6 is all about.)
But it seems I keep returning to the carcass.

The Key to Forgiveness

2009-02-17T14:28:00.004-05:00

Some things I seem to have to learn the hard way. Maybe that's so I learn it well enough to share with others.
Learning the key to real forgiveness has been one of those things.

We know the Scriptures teach us to forgive those who wrong us. And I believe that, most of the time, when we feel we've been wronged we really do desire to forgive. We may be angry for awhile, and we may struggle with some emotional hurdles for a time. But we come to the place (hopefully sooner than later) that we really want to live in obedience to God. So we want to forgive.
Yet so often forgiveness is a monumental struggle, isn't it?

Our problem isn't a lack of desire. And we don't lack the capacity for forgiveness. After all, we have the Spirit of God residing inside of us.
Our problem is that, often without even realizing it, we feel as if we are owed something when we've been wronged. We want some kind of justice; an apology perhaps, or some other kind of emotional repayment that will give us a sense of satisfaction. And when the apology doesn't come we end up harboring unforgiveness.

We say we want to forgive; we say we'd like to move forward. Yet there's always that underlying sense that we need something in order to grant forgiveness.

The truth is that, in most instances, those who have wronged us either don't see that they have, or they lack the capacity to give us what we're holding out for. So what do you do?

Here are three simple steps to true forgiveness:

Make up your mind that the one who wronged you owes you nothing.
Realize this: The apology isn't coming. There will be no justice in this situation.
Forgive anyhow. Without any kind of retribution being exacted, choose to forgive.

If you're struggling with unforgiveness today, ask yourself honestly: What is it that I want in this situation? What am I expecting from that individual? What do I hope happens to give me some satisfaction?

Now realize: It ain't happening! Choose to forgive anyhow.

"Are You Kidding Me?"

2009-02-12T13:37:00.003-05:00

Upon arriving at the prison facility today I found the whole place in an uproar. It seems an inmate leaving the Bible study last evening was so happy he skipped down the hallway leaving black marks on the floor from his state-issued boots.

That's right.
Charlotte Correctional Center is going crazy, threatening lock-downs and all kinds of disciplinary actions, over black scuff marks on the hallway floor leading away from the chapel.

One of the sergeants asked me what I thought we ought to do about it.
My response: "Sarge, if the Bible study is so good it makes a man want to skip all the way back to his block, I think we ought to have more Bible studies."

The Jesus Style

2009-02-11T08:27:00.007-05:00

Do you have a favorite book? One that grabbed you and shook you and ultimately changed the way you live life? (Okay. Besides the Bible.)

Somewhere around the same time I began my ministry at Charlotte Correctional Center, I read a book called The Jesus Style by Gayle Erwin. That book had a profound effect on me. In fact, it helped to shaped the way I do ministry. I've reread it a few times in the years since.
I've also recommended the book to many others over the years, lent my copy to more than a few, and even once began facilitating a class at church based on its content. (We never finished the class. It was interrupted by the events of 9-11.)

The book is, at its core all about servanthood. Jesus came "not to be served, but to serve." He came in such a way as to be accessible to all people. There was nothing intimidating or threatening about Him. He was totally 'others-centered'. These are characteristics very unlike the way we operate today. Even in ministry we often manipulate others to get them to do what we want or to respond the way we want them to. We're very often 'me-centered'.

Well, I've decided its time for a refresher of The Jesus Style in my life and in my ministry. It's time to shake-off complacency, and wrong expectations, and manipulative game playing. It's time to get back to really stretching myself to be living in the style of Christ - unselfish, unintimidating, and accesible to others.
It's time.

PS: The Jesus Style is currently out of print. You can probably find a few copies through Amazon if you're interested.

My Favorite Title of All

2009-02-04T11:24:00.005-05:00

Just to the right of this post is a list of titles, all of which I am known by: "Husband, Father, Grandfather, Preacher, Teacher, Chaplain ...."

Now, I've got a new one: "Papa"

"Papa" is what Olivia has taken to calling me. And I love it!

"Papa" makes me smile. It makes me stand a bit taller and puff my chest out a bit. It gives me a warm, happy feeling all over. "Papa" makes me glad to be alive. It can chase away a month's worth of frustration and aggravation. It makes me want to shout and run and dance and sing - all at once.

When I hear my beautiful little granddaughter say, "Papa," I feel like I could climb the highest mountain peak or swim the widest ocean. But she's not looking for me to do anything like that. She just wants Papa to sit on the floor and play with her. Or to play hide-and-seek. Or chase her around the house. Or read her a book.

Life is good.

What an Opportunity!

2009-02-03T10:25:00.004-05:00

Do we believe God?

That's the measure of all who call themselves 'Christian', isn't it? We're saved "by grace through faith." The just are called to "live by faith." And without faith, the Bible says "it is impossible to please God."
So, do we believe God?

If we truly believe Him, we'll have an entirely different take on the current economic situation facing us. Instead of joining the rest of the world bemoaning how bad things are, we'll begin to see this as our greatest opportunity in decades.

In this economy, we have an opportunity to reach the poor, and those left hurting by the recession that we cannot miss.
With the state cutting prison chaplains positions (announced just this morning), the church has an opportunity to put more godly men and women inside of prisons to be the light of Christ and to minister to the needs of the incarcerated.
With government worried more about bailing out big banks and Wall Street, we have an opportunity to minister to people and help meet their most basic needs.
We have an opportunity to show the world that our God is more than able to provide; and to give us peace and joy in the midst of trying times.
We have the opportunity to be what Jesus called us to be: Salt and Light

Do we really believe God? If so, what an opportunity we have before us.

Working for God

2009-02-02T17:46:00.001-05:00

"If God gives you a watch, are you honoring Him more by asking Him what time it is or by simply consulting the watch?"
~ A.W. Tozer

Not Quite Sure What to Say

2009-01-29T17:38:00.004-05:00

After twelve years ministering to prisoners, I thought I'd seen and heard everything. But here's a new one:

I just received a request from an inmate serving a life sentence. He's been in prison for twenty years. He wants to get engaged (not sure to whom he wants to propose) and is asking me to help him get an engagement ring.
According to his request, he was "told" (I don't know who tells these inmates all this stuff) that I would help out with everything he needs to do.

Hmmm. What's a chaplain to do? I'm not even sure how to answer this one.

Grace A-N-D Truth

2009-01-28T09:22:00.006-05:00

"And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth."
~ John 1:14

As Christians, we are called to model our lives after Jesus Christ. And the gospel teaches us that He was full of both grace and truth. That is a balance that, if we're honest, we struggle mightily to achieve.

I've known some who pride themselves on being 'full of truth.' They wield it like a sledge hammer. Hurt feelings and crushed spirits don't matter to them. Their concern is for "the truth." I've seen their preaching drive some away from the church, and away from the caring arms of the Savior. But their attitude seems to reflect the famous Jack Nicholson line in A Few Good Men: "You can't handle the truth!"

I've known others who's tilt toward grace is such that they're willing to throw out standards and doctrine and priniciples, all in the name of 'grace.' Afterall, they reason, doesn't God's grace extended to us save us? If grace was sufficient for the Apostle Paul, even in his affliction, shouldn't we be careful to cover everything and everyone in such grace?
But grace at the expense of everything else becomes what Bonhoffer called "cheap grace." It's empty and invalid because it lacks any measure of truth to support it.

'Grace and truth' is not an either-or proposition. As followers of Christ, we're called to be filled with both.

Core Values and Principles? Not Mine

2009-01-27T08:27:00.004-05:00

In his first week in office, President Barack Obama signed an executive order effectively banning all torture of enemy combatants taken as prisoners. The order clamps down on any and all harsh interrogation techniques. At the signing, the President said, "Government must adhere to core values and principles."

Two days later, the President signed another executive order. This one lifted the ban on federal funding for international non-governmental agencies that offer abortion services.

I'm wondering about those core values and principles.

Now comes word that the President's $800 billion + economic stimulus proposal includes millions to provide contraceptives. When asked about this rather odd expediture in an economic stimulus bill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi replied, "Well, contraception will help the economy." She went on to say that states are struggling with the costs of children's health care, education and other expenses. So by distributing contraceptives, therby reducing the number of births, the cost to government is reduced. (In other words, our government now sees children as a burden to the state rather than a blessing.)
Anybody want to hazard a guess as to which ethnic or socio-economic groups they plan to distribute these contraceptives to?

Core values and principles?

“Good leaders abhor wrongdoing of all kinds; sound leadership has a moral foundation.” ~Proverbs 16:12 (The Message)

A Radically Different Idea

2009-01-22T14:13:00.002-05:00

This is Pastor Francis Chan at the Catalyst Conference. It's as challenging a message as I've heard in some time.

Faith

2009-01-21T09:02:00.006-05:00

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths."
Proverbs 3:5-6

This verse of Scripture, which most of us can quote, is far from passive. Yet, very often, our interpretation is just that: Passive. Too often, we talk about trusting God with a sense of resignation. It's as if trusting God is like buying lottery tickets. A risky gambit.

But this verse of Scripture, along with the entire Bible, advocates an active trust in God. Obedience and striving and believing and acting on what God's Word says are all part of "Trust in the Lord with all your heart ..."

It's like exercise. (I'm only guessing here. I'm not a big fitness geek.) Wishing and hoping, and even hanging around the fitness equipment doesn't help me get in shape or lose weight. Only when I actively engage in an exercise regimen can I expect the desired result. And only when I actively engage in what thus sayeth the Lord can I expect to see Him truly directing my paths.

When I'm actively trusting Him and He's directing my paths, I'm usually amazed at where I end up.

Ice Fishing

2009-01-21T06:17:00.003-05:00

28 1/2" Northern Pike
Speared while ice fishing
1/19/09
Lake Stella, MN

S-N-O-W!

2009-01-12T10:45:00.003-05:00

In His questioning of Job, the Lord asked specifically: "Have you entered the storehouses of the snow ... which I have reserved for the time of distress, for the day of war and battle?" (Job 38:22-23)

Well, this week I'll do just that. Sharon and I are flying to Minnesota to visit her folks. I know. You're probably asking yourself: Who flys to Minnesota in January?

This morning I looked at the weather forecast for our arrival: It's going to be -6. -6!

Take Your Pick

2009-01-08T13:04:00.003-05:00

"A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on a level with a man who says he is a poached egg - or else he would be the devil of hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God; or else a mad man, or something worse"
~ C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

A New Way?

2009-01-07T09:35:00.002-05:00

I'm revisiting a subject that I've posted about in the past.

I saw a sign along the road the other day advertising a new church in Charlotte. There are currently somewhere around 750 churches in Charlotte, North Carolina. I'm not convinced that we need another one. But the sign said that this new church is "doing church in a brand new way."

I'm not sure what that means. The weekly gathering of the saints that we call church (a misnomer in itself) is supposed to be centered around the Lord Jesus Christ. The body of believers comes together to worship Him, to give Him the praise and glory due His Name, and for the preaching of His Word which helps to conform us to the image of Christ.
It's all about Him.

"Doing church a brand new way" would seem to intimate that coming together to worship and to hear His Word preached isn't quite good enough. People desiring church "in a brand new way" would seem to have an agenda different than worship and Word.

Could it be that "doing church in a brand new way" really means church centered around us rather than Him?

New Stuff We Can Use

2009-01-06T08:26:00.006-05:00

"It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness."
~ Lamentations 3:22-23

What if God's mercy was a one time thing? What if the compassion of the Lord was only good in our lives for a limited time? Have you ever thought about that? I have.

We all like new stuff. Christmas morning is evidence enough of that. But how much of what we got just a few weeks ago is already forgotten? How many things end up in the bottom of a dresser drawer, or in a closet waiting to be dusted off for next spring's yard sale? The 'new' tends to wear off pretty quickly, doesn't it?

Not so with God's lovingkindness. The Bible teaches that His compassion and mercy toward us are "new every morning." Think about that. God gives me (and you) a fresh dose of the thing we need most in our lives each and every day when our feet hit the floor.
You can't wear it out, because it's brand new the very next day. It won't get old; it's always new. There's not an expiration date or a warranty that runs out. Each day, His mercy is new in our lives; new to face the new challenges life will bring our way each day.

Now that's new stuff we can really use.

Discombobulated

2009-01-05T14:00:00.003-05:00

I love the holidays. I really do. I enjoy everything about the season. From Thanksgiving through Christmas and right into the new year you'll find me eating it all up (both literally and figuratively.) But I'm glad it's over, too.

There's something about the regular routine that I miss when we get busy with holiday activities. Both in ministry and home life, nothing is routine about the season. Our work at the prison is amped up to reach as many as possible with the message of Christ at Christmas. And, of course, there are all of the family activities and gatherings with friends and loved ones. I tend to get quite discombobulated through it all. I'm pretty easily distrtacted anyways, so the variation from my regular routine for a month throws me into a mad nasty funk.

But it's over! I'm back in my routine. Back in the office today. Regular schedule. Back to our Bible study group meeting on Wednesday. Back in the pulpit on Thursday. Back to inmates asking all kinds of crazy stuff and looking to me for answers.

Bring on the boring routine!

6...5...4...3...2...1...1?

2008-12-31T09:15:00.002-05:00

The geniuses are at it again. They've decided it's necessary to add one second to the end of 2008. Their explanation? It seems that the technological marvel of man's own making, the atomic clock, is "much more precise than the rotation of the earth" which God set in motion. So to allow the earth to "catch up" to man's ingenuity, one second will be added to the year.

I'm always amused when I hear this kind of drivel. I often marvel at the audacity of mankind in thinking we know better than God, or can create something that trumps the handiwork of the Creator. But I'm not sure God's amused.

"... the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
~ 1 Corinthians 1:25

So tonight, as you ring in 2009 in whatever way you choose, take an extra second to ponder the awesomeness of a God who spoke and all things came into being. And, if you have a spare second, to realize that He holds all of the elements, including time, in the palm of His hand.

"Well, It's Happened Again. And I Wasn't Ready Again."

2008-12-29T09:32:00.005-05:00

This was just a few weeks ago:

"I'd like to ask your permission to ask your daughter to marry me."

Unless you've heard those words come from the mouth of a young man sitting across the table from you, you'll never know the mix of thoughts and emotions that swirl around you. Part of you is thrilled because you believe that this is the young man the Lord has for your daughter. Another part of you wants to reach across the table and choke this clown. Who does he think he is? How dare he even think he's good enough for your little girl.

Then, the phone call I knew would be coming:

"Daddy, I'm engaged! I'm getting married!"

I've already been through this once with Sheila. Now, it's Alisha's turn. You'd think by this time I'd have it all together. No big deal, right? This ought to be old hat to me. But it's not. It's not any easier to hear your second little girl say those words than it was with your first just a few years ago. The memories of their whole lives run through your mind in the fleeting moment those words hit your ear and run through your brain. "I'm getting married!" And just like that, you know that things will never be the same.

Now, the planning begins. A June wedding. In just a few days time, I've been reduced to the old guy with the checkbook. But I really am happy. I'm happy to see my baby girl so happy.

Congratulations Alisha and what's-his-name. I pray your life together is everything you've dreamed of.

A Bailout for Santa

2008-12-24T08:06:00.001-05:00

Found this on Chaplain Anne's blog. An instant classic!

Simply Christmas

2008-12-22T09:21:00.002-05:00

My wife and I were talking about how simple our whole Christmas has been this year. We haven't shopped like we have in past years. We haven't let ourselves get all frazzled about what to get the kids or grandma. There haven't been any "can't miss" parties to rush off to. We've scaled back on the Christmas card list and generally tried to keep it more low-key than it's been over the years.
And you know what? It's been great!

Yesterday, our pastor reminded us of the simplicity of the Christmas message. The angel called it "...good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people." A baby in a manger. The Son of God became a man so that we could become sons and daughters of God. That's it! The good news of Christmas.

Too simple? Maybe. But what God desires of us is even simpler. Just believe.

Emmanuel Indeed!

2008-12-17T09:24:00.004-05:00

... and they will call Him "Emmanuel" which mean "God with us."
~ Matthew 1:23

I can't get this short verse out of my mind. Emmanuel. God with us. That's the way God meant for it to be. He's always desired to be 'with us.' The problem has always been on our end. We haven't wanted a God who would be right here. We've been too afraid. Or embarrassed. Or ashamed.

From the time He walked with Adam in the garden, to the day he invited the people of Israel to meet with Him on Mt. Sinai, you can see it. As He called to humankind through His prophets, you can sense it. His heart's desire to be with us.
In Jesus Christ, He is.

He's not God near us. Or God above us. Or even God watching over us. He is "God with us!"

Wherever you may find yourself this Christmas season, may that single thought bring you comfort and joy.

Cotton-Headed-Ninni-Muggins

2008-12-16T08:22:00.000-05:00

A Wise Man Once Said ...

2008-12-15T07:13:00.003-05:00

"It's only when the tide goes out that you learn who's been swimming naked."
~ Warren Buffet

www.santa.com?

2008-12-11T17:32:00.001-05:00

Who Cares?

2008-12-10T09:32:00.002-05:00

This morning I was asked the question I knew was coming. In fact, it eventually comes every year about this time. Why should this year be any different?

The question? "Chaplain, why do we celebrate Christmas on December 25? You know, Jesus wasn't born in December. He was born in April!"
I've also been told with great assurance over the years that He was born in August, September, and May. One went so far as to tell me it was an absolute certainty that Jesus was born on August 22, 4BC. (That young man said he could prove it.)

After giving the inmate my answer this morning, (the same answer I've given every time the question is asked) I was curious. So I Googled the question "When was Jesus born?" Try it. Without exaggeration, there were 1,160,000 results to my query.
Again, the various determinations as to the 'real' exact date of the birth of Christ ranged from early spring to late autumn. And every one (of the nine or ten I purused) worked hard to prove its validity with much intellectual wrangling.

Maybe you're wondering what my answer to the inquiring inmate was? Well, with as much scholarly wisdom as I could possibly muster, I replied, "Who cares?"

That's really how I feel about it. Does it matter? Is there any real benefit to knowing for sure the exact date of His birth? I think not.
What really matters is that He came. He became "Emmanuel." I don't care when. But its vital to me that He did.

I'm afraid that too many who choose to enter the fray of such debates end up missing out on the simple truth: "They shall call His Name, Emmanuel," which translated, means "God with us."

Here's Another Favorite (I can't help myself)

2008-12-08T10:19:00.000-05:00

Baptism

2008-12-04T13:11:00.001-05:00

I will be baptizing fifteen men at Charlotte Correctional Center this evening during our worship service. I'm stoked! It's always a big deal for me.

My All-Time Christmas Favorite

2008-12-03T13:33:00.001-05:00

He Always Comes

2008-12-02T12:42:00.005-05:00

"Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, and after getting into a boat, they started to cross the sea to Capernaum. And it had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them."
~ John 6:16-17

I've been right where the disciples were. In the dark... and wondering where Jesus is. It's a scary place to be. I can't tell you how many times over the years I noticed the darkness all around me, and I've wondered where the Lord is. But I've learned something. He always comes.

There have been times when the darkness has seemed overwhelming and I've wondered if He will. When the doctor said, "Cancer!" the darkness came suddenly, and I wanted Him to be there right then.
There have been other times when the darkness was of my own making. Bad decisions. Carelessness. Sin. I've wrapped myself in darkness like a thick blanket. I had no business expecting Him to come. But still, He always does.

He comes because He's always faithful to His Word. The promise is He'll never leave us or forsake us. So He always comes.

His Story Looks a Lot Like Us

2008-12-01T14:39:00.005-05:00

Typically when we read the Christmas story through Matthew's eyes, we begin with these words: "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise..." But that's verse 18 in Matthew 1. There are seventeen verse that most of us tend to skip to get to the birth. They are verses filled with "so-and-so begat so-and-so" and so on and so forth.

This is where I think we find the real story. Actually, we find a number of stories. Some not-so-nice stories. Here we find the stories of liars and cheaters and schemers who seem to have no regard for the holy. Let me point out a few:

"Judah begat Perez and Zerah by Tamar" (Matthew 1:3) - Tamar was Judah's daughter-in-law. You see, old Judah was a pretty despicable fellow who slept with what he thought was a prostitute while on a business trip. It turned out to be his daughter-in-law who had conspired to deceive him because he had lied to her.

"Salmon begat Boaz by Rahab" (Matthew 1:5) - You remember Rahab, don't you? She wasn't even an Israelite; she was a descendent of the people of Canaan. And she was a prostitute.

"David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urriah" (Matthew 1:6) - Ouch! The biggest mistake in David's life. A scandalous affair in the king's house. Adultery. Murder. And here it is, a glaring reminder of David's treachery.

What's my point? Simply this: The story of Jesus Christ is our story. The family tree is filled with less than reputable folks who'd lived life in the fast lane. Not the kind you'd expect to find at a church social. Yet God included them in the story of His Son. They weren't banished to the obscurity of the Old Testament with the hope that they'd be overlooked or forgotten. They're there in the Savior's story for all to see.
And they look like us.

Never Give Up

2008-11-25T08:22:00.004-05:00

How often do we give up just short of success? Actually, we'll never know, will we?

Here's a story of perseverence from the UK that ought to encourage all of us to keep on trying:

Jockey wins race after 28 years

A Dorset dairy farmer has ended his 28-year losing streak as an amateur jockey by finally winning a race.
Even Anthony Knott's children poked fun at his efforts but the 44-year-old proved them wrong by romping to victory in the 2.30 at Wincanton in Somerset.
After achieving his lifelong ambition riding Wise Men Say, he is planning to retire to concentrate on milking his cows in Sturminster Newton.

Has it Ever Occurred to You?

2008-11-20T13:18:00.001-05:00

"One day it occurred to me that an infinitely wise God might possibly know more than I did."
~ R.A. Torrey

Hudson Isaiah Stover

2008-11-18T08:05:00.003-05:00

Hudson Isaiah Stover

Born Friday, November 14 11:34am

8 lbs 3 oz

20 1/2 inches

Olivia has a baby brother ... and I've got a grandson!

I Found a Really Good Thing

2008-11-10T13:26:00.004-05:00

I have a great wife.

I know. Most guys would probably say the same thing about their wives. Right? ...... Huh? .... Okay .... well.... maybe not.

But my wife is incredible. She always has been. And I'm incredibly proud of her. She was away this weekend helping our oldest daughter, Sheila, prepare for the birth of her second child. She cleaned, and cooked, and chased Olivia around for four days.
She didn't have to do that. But that's how she is. She's loving, and caring, and totally selfless. She's an incredible wife and mother. (I keep using the same word - incredible. But she is.) She's an awesome grandmother. She's a great friend and confidant. And she's the best gift God has ever given to me.

The Bible says in Proverbs 18:22: "He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord." I've found a really, R-E-A-L-L-Y good thing!

A Warning I'm Going to Heed

2008-11-07T17:38:00.003-05:00

Sharon is out of town this weekend, leaving me to fend for myself. I decided to fix a frozen pizza for my dinner this evening. Checking the instructions, I found this:

DO NOT EAT PIZZA WITHOUT COOKING.

I'm just wondering: Is that really a problem with this product? Have they had so many cases of people trying to ingest frozen pizzas that they have to include that warning in bold letters in the instructions?

A Prayer I Might Have Prayed

2008-11-06T17:30:00.001-05:00

A little boy was overheard praying:

"Lord, if You can't make me a good boy, don't worry about it. I'm having a real good time like I am."

I Have a Problem

2008-11-05T12:50:00.010-05:00

I have a problem. I've had it all my life.

My problem is that I'm totally insane about stuff. Not 'room-with-mattress-wallpaper-kind-of' insane. I just get crazy about things. I don't mean to. I definitely don't want to. But I can't seem to help myself.

When my football team loses, it makes me nuts. (And I'm a Buffalo Bills fan. You can imagine the insanity.) Hockey? Same thing. Politics? Makes me lose my mind.
By the same token, I'm obsessed with running my leaf blower, and raking and bagging leaves. I also get a bit irrational if the pantry runs low on certain items. Like today, I know we're down to our last can of diced tomatoes and I can't stand it. (Okay, I know that's just plain odd. I can't help it.) Again, I just get crazy about that kind of stuff.

Sharon says it's passion and that that's what she loves about me. I don't know, though. Of course, there is a good side to this. I'm also crazy passionate when it comes to preaching and teaching God's Word. When inmates say things like "I've never heard anyone preach quite like you do, chaplain. You've just got a way of telling us," I take it as a compliment. I hope it means I'm reaching them. I'll stand on my head for that. (You see. That's just not rational.)

Why can't I just let stuff go? Does it really matter if there are leaves on the lawn for a couple of days, or if our canned goods inventory is off this week?
Does anyone else have this problem?

Go ahead. Laugh if you want to. But think about your own life. What is it that makes you crazy?

The Right Perspective on Election Day & Beyond

2008-11-04T13:58:00.003-05:00

"Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God."
~ Romans 13:1

"I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.
~ 1 Timothy 2:1-2

My Little Bit

2008-11-03T10:08:00.004-05:00

God can do anything He wants to do. Of that I have no doubt.

What amazes me is that He chooses to work through us. Or that he chooses to use the litle bit we have to offer to do "God-sized" things in this world.

In John 6, Jesus fed a crowd of more than five thousand people with just a few fish and a couple of small loaves of bread. Those few loaves of bread and two small fish belonged to a young boy in the crowd. It was his sack lunch. I imagine his mother packed it for him that morning as most moms do - concerned that it provide him enough nutrition and wondering if he would trade what she packed for Twinkies and Ho-Ho's.
But instead of a trade, the little boy made his lunch an offering.

Had he held it back, it would have been enough to nourish him. He may have even had a little bit leftover to share. But somehow, word got to the disciples that this little fella had brought himself some lunch. They in turn told Jesus. And when he offered the little bit he had to the Lord, it became an all-you-can-eat feast for a multitude.

I may not have much to offer. In these difficult economic times, we may feel like we'd better hold on to the little bit we have. But that would be a mistake. God wants us to trust Him enough to give Him what little we have, let Him bless it and break it, and let it become a blessing to everyone around us.

Jesus could have started with nothing and had the same result. He could have spoken a word and created a McDonalds right there beside the Sea of Galilee. He could have made it rain manna like He had for Israel in the wilderness. But He didn't. Instead, a small boy made a small offering - And in Jesus' hands, it made all the difference.

True Treasure

2008-10-30T16:39:00.002-04:00

On October 31, 1517 Martin Luther nailed his famous (or infamous) 95 theses to the door of the church at Wittenburg, Germany. While most of the 95 protested abuses by church leadership and the selling of indulgences, there is one that might be considered the most vital of all. Number 62 of those 95 thesis says simply:

"The true treasure of the church is the most holy gospel of the glory and grace of God."

In this Luther could not have been more right.

Thinking About James

2008-10-29T08:49:00.003-04:00

Been thinking a lot about James. Not James, my daughter's boyfriend (Sorry, man) - but the Epistle of James in the New Testament. Tonight our home Bible study group begins a new study in the Book of James. We'll walk through it together over the next number of Wednesday evenings - verse by verse.

James was the half-brother of Jesus (Matthew 13:55-56). Can you imagine growing up with Jesus as your older brother? No pressure there, right?
But the thing that strikes me about this man named James is the name by which, according to early church tradition, some referred to him: Old Camel Knees. It was said that he spent so much time in prayer that his knees became hard and knobby and calloused, like those of a camel.

Old Camel Knees. Wouldn't it be great to earn such a moniker today? I'm looking forward to our study together.

There Are Thieves In the Prison

2008-10-28T08:19:00.004-04:00

For years, we have made greeting cards for all occassions available in the chaplain's office for the inmates. They've been welcome to come and get cards anytime to send out to family and loved ones. We purchase the cards from a ministry in Missouri and keep a card rack filled - much like a Hallmark store. It's a great ministry tool: Many use "getting a card" as an opportunity to speak with me about all kinds of issues in their lives.

But lately we've had a problem. It began as a nuisance, but has become a real sore spot with me. Somebody is coming in and stealing all of the envelopes that go with the cards. So now we have hundreds of cards with no envelopes.
It has become such a problem that I have had to stop making cards available for the inmates. No more birthday cards for children. No more anniversary cards for wives. No more thank you's or thinking of you's.
I hate having to do that. I hope it's only temporary. It really is hurting me more that it hurts them. (Remember when your parents used to say that before they punished you?)

What baffles me about the whole thing is this: Why steal from someone who is willing to give you whatever you want? Is the mindset of prison 'gameplaying' and manipulation so deeply ingrained in some that they just can't recognize when they don't have to do that to get what they need?

Maybe you're thinking I'm being mean. It's only envelopes, right? Just paper. But there's a principle at stake here. These men are here in this place because of this same mindset. And soon (very soon for some) they'll be getting out of this place. I'm hoping maybe this will help someone to see that they don't have to steal - they just have to ask.

And as soon as I can figure out the solution to "the great envelope dilemma" here at Charlotte Correctional Center I'll make the cards available again.

What a Week!

2008-10-27T10:14:00.004-04:00

Last week will go down in the annals as one of my best weeks in a long, long time. Maybe you missed me during my prolonged absence form the blog scene? (Okay. Maybe not.)

After graduating a group of dads from our Father Accountability Program at the prison on Monday evening, I took the rest of the week off to tend to pressing matters. Our granddaughter, Olivia, spent most of the week with us as her mom and dad were out of town for a conference. Grandpa and Grandma played, and sang, and read more Little Golden Books last week than we have in years. I enjoyed every minute. I'd forgotten how much fun a little one can be. I watched as she tried new things and investigated everything within her reach and line of sight. I laughed as we made games of everything from meal time to nap time. And sans medication, my blood pressure was lower than it's been in years.

After we took Olivia to her other Grandparents' on Thursday, Sharon and I made for the NC mountains on Friday to see our Emily, view the colorful Fall foliage, take in and Appalachian State football game, and enjoy our time together.

All in all, a great week for me!

The Sad Reality in America and in the Church

2008-10-15T14:58:00.001-04:00

"We make men without chests and expect of them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in our midst. We castrate and bid the geldings to be fruitful."
~ C.S. Lewis

A Preacher Moment

2008-10-14T09:07:00.004-04:00

Every now and again a preacher has one of those moments when something comes out of his mouth that amazes everyone. (A bit presumtuous? Perhaps) Here's what I said from the pulpit recently in one of those "preacher moments" that shocked me when it slipped out:

"There is a difference between trusting God - and trusting in my expectations of God."

Good stuff, huh?

A Guaranteed Investment Strategy

2008-10-10T10:24:00.004-04:00

The US and world financial markets are in a crisis not seen since 1929. With our 401K's and other investments losing value by the minute, there would seem to be only a few really safe investments we can make. By investing in these precious commodities, we can be assured of future wealth beyond our imaginations.

What are these rock-solid investment strategies? Your marriage and your children.

Some Things Never Change

2008-10-09T12:12:00.007-04:00

At a time when the financial markets of the United States were crumbling, the government was going deeper in debt to try to prop up the economy and fund it's military, and America was at war with the fate of freedom hanging in the balance, here's what the politicians in Washington were saying:

In the US House of Representatives, Democrats railed against the Republican President and his policies. In a series of violent anti-war speeches, they cried out, "Ought this war to continue? No! Not a day, not another hour. The time has come for the soldiers to come home."

Things may have been even worse in the Senate, where the attacks against the President and his administration were vindictive and personal. Democratic Senators in speeches on the floor called the Republican President "an imbecile," and claimed he was "the weakest man ever placed into high office in this country."

While this may sound like Washington in 2008, it's not. This was Washington in 1862. And the Republican President who was the target of such vitriol? It was Abraham Lincoln.

Some things never change.

What Noah's Blog Might Have Looked Like

2008-10-08T14:06:00.003-04:00

Day 1
Rain.

Day 2
Rain.

Day 3
Rain.

Day 4
Rain.

Day 5
Rain.

Day 6
So I was loading up the last of the animals last week when I walk past my neighbor Roger, the Molech-worshipper. He looks up and says "Hey, looks like rain."
True story.

Day 7
Now wondering if it was wrong to have borrowed Roger’s hedge clippers.

Day 15
It’s been the same every day for the last two weeks, but then last night, our mama elephant gave birth. I’ll put up some pics soon.

Day 18
Note to self: next time I’m on a long cruise and I want to play badminton and I only have one birdie, play below deck. I’m so stupid.

Day 20
I hesitate to write this down, but here goes. . . .
I was working late last night when I felt something bite the back of my neck. Without thinking, I slapped it. Long story short, the new world might have to do without the zhingi-zhingi fly.

Day 25
New Year’s Day. A few resolutions for this year:
- Lose weight (let’s face it, I’m not 300 years old anymore)
- Work out more
- Read the entire Bible (there’s only four chapters in the whole thing, you think I would have done this one already)
-After we land, once a week: date night with the missus.

Day 27
Not to diss my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather, but I’ve been hanging out with animals a lot, too, and I think I would have named some of them differently…

ADAM’S NAME MY VERSION
Rabbit: Hoppity-hoppity
Dog: Rowrf
Bat: EEEEEEEEEE!!!
Duck: Waddle-waddle-flap-flap

Day 31
You guys read this blog. You know I love my wife, right? But I swear, sometimes she just gets on my nerves.
"The roof is leaking, Noah."
"Noah, the sheep are soaking wet because the roof is leaking."
You know what? Sometimes Noah just needs a little Noah Time, okay?

Day 35
Here’s an item from the "you-learn-something-every-day" category: Hippo lovemaking is very, very noisy. Haven’t slept in five days.
P.S. I counted every knot in the cypress wood of the ship: 12,946.

Day 39
Somehow Ham keeps winning at UNO. Does he have a secret stash of Draw 4’s?

Correction: Earlier I wrote that the wood of our ship has 12,946 knots. However, I forgot to include the cover on the top deck. I included that, then recounted the entire thing three more times, just to be sure. We have 14,598 knots.

Day 45
Okay, so when God said he would make it rain forty days and forty nights, I assumed that we would be done after that. Apparently I was wrong.

Day 87
Very, very wrong.

Day 110
The wife says I’m getting paranoid, but I believe the primates are conspiring to mutiny. Can’t talk, more later.

Day 150
We’ve landed on top of some kind of mountain. More later.

Day 190
Sent out a dove, but it came back.

Day 197
This time, the dove came back with an olive branch. Going now to ask the wife if she has any recipes with doves and olives.

Day 204
Sent the dove out again today to bring back some more olives for dinner, but it didn’t come back. So good news is we may be off the boat and onto dry land soon. Bad news: Mrs. Noah’s Greek Dove Souffle is a no-go.

Day 231
So we’re on land now. Yay! Big thanks to everybody who wrote to check on us. BTW, my new e-mail address is noah@mtararat.com. I’ll still post from time to time, to keep you guys up to date. To answer a question that so many of you have asked, no, I don’t have a MySpace page yet.
Man, I could really use a drink.

Voices

2008-10-07T08:30:00.004-04:00

"I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won't follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don't know his voice."
~ John 10:1-5

Shepherding hasn't changed much in 4,000 years. Multiple flocks are still kept in "sheepfolds" at night to protect against predators. A sheepfold is an enclosure made with rocks, or maybe even a cave with only one way in or out. That gate is kept by a porter, or gatekeeper.

Each morning, when it's time to lead the sheep to pasture, the shepherd comes to the gate and calls to his sheep. His sheep know his voice. That is the only voice they will respond to. They will not follow another shepherd. They don't know his voice.

Jesus called Himself the Good Shepherd. The meaning is clear. His sheep know His voice. They follow Him.
But what happens when the sheep can't hear the voice of the shepherd? What happens when there are too many other voices calling to the sheep, competing for their attention? Or when all the noise around the sheep drowns out the shepherd's call?

There seem to be so many other voices screaming at us today; so much noise going on all around us that I fear we miss the voice of the Shepherd as He calls us to follow Him. The danger is especially real in a nation where the constant media barrage is unrelenting, and in a season where politicians keep up their incessant chattering day and night.

With all of the noise in our lives today, how long has it been since you heard the Good Shepherd call you by name? How long since you cut through all of the noise, and all of the various voices calling to you?
His desire is to make you "lie down in green pastures, and lead you beside still waters." Isn't that just what we need?

The Foreverness of Vows

2008-10-06T09:47:00.005-04:00

Yesterday I had the privilege of performing the wedding ceremony of some very dear friends. I never want any wedding I'm asked to be part of to be "just another ceremony." I want it to be a worship service where Jesus is exalted and glorified. And I always want to be certain everyone understands exactly what is taking place. So I always introduce the vows with these words:

"It is very important that you understand the seriousness of what you are about to do. We live in a day when vows have lost the sacredness and significance that they once had. But I assure you God has not changed. God takes our vows very seriously, and we will be held accountable before Him for the way in which we follow through in honoring them. Your vows will be recorded in heaven forever, never to be erased.Let them be the same in each of your hearts today"

Later at the reception, someone said something to me that got me thinking. He said, "My wife and I have only been married since January. But the things you said reminded me of the vows that we took before God. I needed that reminder. And I think it would do everyone well to attend a wedding every few months to be reminded as well."

While I'm certainly not going to advocate attending too many weddings (It's a guy-thing) I do think we need to be reminded from time to time of the seriousness of our vows. God does hear our words. And the words that we speak, and the vows that we vow are indeed recorded in heaven. What we seem to take so lightly, or sometimes even forget completely, is a big deal to God.

Vows are permanent. They are a sacred promise that God expects us to honor.

"For You have heard my vows, O God; You have given me the inheritance of those who fear You name."
~ Psalm 61:5

Almost

2008-10-02T18:12:00.002-04:00

Almost. To me, that is the saddest word in the English language. Almost. Not quite. Nearly. Kind of. But not really. Just almost. Getting close, but not quite achieving.

The rich, young ruler who ran to Jesus in Mark 10 lived a life of 'almost.' He wanted to know how to have eternal life. He'd done alright according to the Law. But Jesus said to him, "One thing you lack, ..." Just one thing. "You've 'almost got it, young man. You're 'almost' there. But not quite."

Rather than a life of almost, I want a life of reckless abandon. I want to pursue after the Lord like a deer panting after a water brook. I don't want 'not quite' on my resume. I'm not interested in anything that just gets close. I won't settle for 'almost' in my life.

Crosses to Crowns

2008-10-01T08:17:00.001-04:00

"There will be no crown wearers in Heaven who were not first cross bearers on earth."
~ Charles Spurgeon

A Strong Tower

2008-09-30T04:57:00.005-04:00

"The name of the Lord is a strong tower;
The righteous runs into it and is safe."
~ Proverbs 18:10

There is a place that we can run to to find safety in the midst of this world's calamity. As I've been sitting here praying this morning, this verse comes to my mind. I'm finding comfort in these words today.

Remember: When this life seems so overwhelming, there is a place that we can run to - a strong tower where we are safe. His name is Jesus.

God Notices

2008-09-25T15:04:00.005-04:00

"The foundation of the Lord's Temple was laid in midspring, in the month of Ziv, during the fourth year of Solomon's reign. The entire building was completed in every detail by midautumn, in the month of Bul, during the eleventh year of his reign. So it took seven years to build the Temple.
Solomon also build a palace for himself, and it took him thirteen years to complete the construction."
~ 1 Kings 6:37 & 7:1

Seven years to build a house for God. Thirteen years to build a house for himself. Do you see a problem? These two verse are found back-to-back in the Scriptures. Obviously, God noticed the amount of time Solomon spent on his own palace and the amount of time he dedicated to God's house.

What are you giving yourself to today?

Experiencing the Love of God?

2008-09-24T08:25:00.003-04:00

As I've been watching the latest meltdown in America, I've been thinking about its meaning. Right now, our financial markets are teetering on the brink of failure. As I look back over the past few years, we've seen our nation suffering through much internal turmoil as well as terrorist attacks and the wars which have ensued. We've seen more than our share of natural disasters including unprecendented hurricane damage, droughts, repeated flooding throughout the midwest and wildfires out west. Now we see the American economy shaken to its very foundations as real estate loses value by the day, the stock market runs up and down like an amusement park thrill ride, fuel prices remain near record highs, and consumer confidence is at an all-time low. What are we to make of all of it?

In Amos 4, the prophet spoke these words to Israel on behalf of the Lord:

"I brought hunger to every city and famine to every town.
But you still would not return to Me," says the Lord.

"I kept rain from falling when your crops needed it most.
I sent rain on one town but withheld it from another.
Rain fell on one field, while another field withered away.
People staggered from town to town looking for water,
But there was never enough.
But you still would not return to Me," says the Lord.

"I struck your farms and vineyards with blight and mildew.
Locusts devoured all your fig and olive trees.
But you still would not return to Me," says the Lord.

"I sent plagues on you like the plagues I sent on Egypt long ago.
I killed your young men in war and led all your horses away.
The stench of death filled the air.
But you still would not return to Me," says the Lord.

"I destroyed some of your cities, as I destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.
Those of you who survived were like charred sticks pulled from a fire.
But you still would not return to Me," says the Lord.

Sound familiar? In all of these disasters, God's desire was for Israel to repent and return to Him. All that God did, He did in love. All of the economic upheavel, the wars, the droughts and other natural disasters were the tools of a merciful God trying desperately to to get His people to turn away from their selfish, sinful ways and come back to Him.

Is it any different today?

Churches & Body Counts

2008-09-23T08:36:00.005-04:00

Jesus Christ established His church to be His representation in the world in which we live. "Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, ..." This is the mission of the church. And in many regards I believe the church is doing a pretty good job.
However, I have noticed a disturbing trend in many churches. Or maybe its not a trend at all. Maybe its not new; maybe its been happening for a long time but I'm just seeing it more clearly over the last few years.
Sometimes it seems in the churches' zeal to do the work of the Lord, corners are being cut. Feelings are being hurt. Good, godly people are being pushed aside in the interest of ministry (or growth, or church politics, or whatever.) Exaggerations are made. Is it too strong to say that, in many cases, lies are told?

The bottom line is this: Far too often, I'm seeing churches that are "on the move for Christ" leaving a body count along the way. While they celebrate their growth, and all they seem to be accomplishing in the name of Jesus, they don't notice the wounded people limping out the back door.
I wonder: Does anybody notice when the people who were such an integral part of God's work in a church body are suddenly gone? Does anybody ever wonder what happened to them?

Amazed

2008-09-19T13:52:00.002-04:00

I'm still amazed by God's grace
I'm amazed that God can use me
I'm amazed that the preached Word, from my lips, can touch hearts
I'm amazed when I see prisoners respond to the Word of the Lord in droves
I'm amazed at how God can break through the hardest of hearts - even mine
I'm amazed at His hand of blessing which never seems to leave my life
I'm amazed that He gave me such an incredible woman to call my wife
I'm amazed at the three beautiful girls He's given us
I'm amazed to see how God is using each of them
I'm amazed by the beauty of God's creation all around me
I'm amazed .....

Huh?

2008-09-18T10:56:00.003-04:00

Here's an example of what a prison chaplain deals with. See if you can follow this:

There is a fella who is a part of the current Father Accountability class I facilitate at the prison. I really want to help him get his life on course. He has begun coming to church on a regular basis and is beginning to show a great interest in the things of the Lord. He has three children. By three different women. Here's where it gets confusing.

He is married to the mother of one of those children. However, they are not together. She has a live-in boyfriend and works as a stripper in a local men's club. He has a girlfriend with whom he has the youngest of his children. But she's married to another man who is currently serving a lengthy prison sentence somewhere. He's currently having problems with girlfriend/mom of third child because she has another boyfriend living with her and his son while he is incarcerated.We haven't even gotten to the third child and her mother yet.
I'm not making this up. I'm not that creative.

Besides beginning to come to church and to show some interest in the things of God, he has begun to come around and seek counsel from me. He's looking to me for answers on how to get all of this straightened out.

It's enough to make my head spin. Most days I just look at him as he sits and shares with me, and with a wrinkled brow, I say, "Huh?"

In Pretense or In Truth, Christ is Proclaimed

2008-09-17T09:25:00.010-04:00

"Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will; the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment.
What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice, yes, and I will rejoice."
~ Philippians 1:15-18

In our home Bible study group, we're studying the Epistle to the Philippian church. Last week we spent some time thinking about these verses. Since then, the Lord has been bringing them back to my mind and I've been thinking about how to apply them in my own life and ministry. Let me explain.

There is a local pastor who's church and ministry has grown to be quite successful. When I first started as the chaplain at Charlotte Correctional Center nearly twelve years ago, he was one of the few local ministers involved at the prison. I knew almost from day one that he didn't like me. I'm not sure why. I think part of it was just my being there as chaplain. He liked to think of himself in that role. Whatever the reason, I appreciated his ministry and made the best of the situation.
After a few years, and with the growth of his church, he moved on from ministry at the prison. That should have been the end of it. I thought we were on okay terms.

Then I heard from some former inmates who attend his church regularly that he had said some rather unflattering things about me from the pulpit. In fact, he once called me "That white devil over there at that prison." (Yes, he is a black pastor.)
I tried not to let that bother me. I even found it kind of funny and made a joke of it.

But then, very recently, I was told that this pastor has refused to have anything to do with a particular former inmate because he was saved under my ministry and baptized by me and remains to this day a very dear friend of mine.

So, what am I supposed to do? I know what I want to do. (Think "laying on of hands" here.) But God's been reminding me of what His Word teaches me to do. (Don't you hate it when He does that?)
It's taken me a few days, but with Paul, I'm rejoicing today. I'm glad this pastor's church is growing. God bless him. I pray that God will continue to bless his ministry and use him mightily.

God Uses the Wildernesses of Life

2008-09-16T10:18:00.004-04:00

"O God, Thou art my God; I shall seek Thee earnestly;
My soul thirsts for Thee, my flesh yearns for Thee,
In a dry and weary land where there is no water."
~ Psalm 63:1-2

David the king penned these words after nearly forty years on the throne in Israel. But he didn't write this from the comfort of his palace overlooking Jerusalem. He wrote these words sitting on a rock in the midst of the wilderness of Judah. When he wrote this Psalm he was a man on the run; a man forced to flee from the palace that was rightly his to hide in the wilderness.
It seems the wilderness re-ignited David's passion for the Lord.

I'm not sure of his spiritual condition before he was forced to flee for his life. But I have an idea. I'm thinking that, after forty years of living a king's life and enjoying all the king's finery, maybe David's tears were a bit dry and his heart was a bit cold. Maybe his passion was somewhat diminished. Living large will do that.

It took the wilderness to stoke his passion once again. It took a desperate situation to make him desperate for the Lord again.

I don't think it was any accident that David was forced to flee. It didn't take God by surprise. It looks to me like it was God's doing. Sometimes we all need to be driven to the wilderness. We need something to shake us up; a problem or a situation to renew our sense of desperation. Sometimes it takes a crisis to re-ignite our passion, and to make us say, "O God, Thou art my God; I shall seek Thee earnestly ..."

A Politician Who Got It

2008-09-12T10:20:00.002-04:00

At a White House reception during Abraham Lincoln's first term, many guests were ushered past the President but not allowed to come too close. An old man, disappointed at not having shaken hands with the President, waved his hat and called out, "Mr. President, I'm up from New York State where we believe that God Almighty and Abraham Lincoln are going to save this country!"

Hearing this remark, Lincoln smiled and nodded. "My friend," he said, "you're half right."

Missing It By a Million Miles

2008-09-11T08:45:00.004-04:00

" ... on the floor of the House of Representatives today, a Democrat congressman, Steve Cohen, from Memphis, said, "If you want change, you want the Democrat Party. Barack Obama was a community organizer like Jesus, who our minister just prayed about. Pontius Pilate was a governor."

Jesus was a "community organizer"? These people are losing their minds.

Son of God. Savior of the world. The Holy One of Israel. Messiah. King of kings and Lord of lords. Word of God. Prince of Peace. Everlasting Father. Alpha and Omega. Bright and Morning Star. The only way to the Father. But "community organizer"? I don't find that one in my Bible.

Jesus Christ transcended the foolishness of this world. To think of Him in terms of this world's political machinations misses who He is by a million miles.

$10 Billion to Discover What I Already Know

2008-09-10T08:26:00.004-04:00

The brand new Hadron Collider was started up by scientists in Europe. This $10 billion dollar scientific marvel will, in the words of the Hadron Collider project leader, "allow us to look forward to a new era of understanding about the origins and evolution of the universe."

They could have just asked me. This much I know for sure: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." ~ Genesis 1:1

I'm thinking that I could have saved them $9,999,999,999.

Getting Beyond Our Circumstances

2008-09-08T15:02:00.004-04:00

While the Apostle Paul sat in prison in Rome he penned these words to the church at Philippi:

"Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, ..."

I'm just wondering how one goes about getting beyond circumstances enough to see imprisonment as advantageous to the gospel rather than the obvious personal discomfort and deprivation he was suffering. That's so foreign to us in our "me first" world and way of thinking, isn't it?

Always Check With the Music Minister

2008-09-04T13:37:00.002-04:00

A preacher was wrapping up his Sunday sermon on temperance. With great emphasis he said, "If I had all the beer in the world, I'd take it and pour it in the river."
Then, with his voice rising, he said, "And if I had all the wine in the world, I'd take it and pour it in the river."
And then finally, shaking his fist in the air, he concluded by saying, "And if I had all the whiskey in the world, I'd take it and dump it in the river."
With that, he completed his sermon and sat down.

The minister of music stood up, and announced with an uncertain smile, "For our closing song, let us sing hymn #365, "Shall We Gather at the River."

"Be Anxious for Nothing ..."

2008-09-04T10:59:00.002-04:00

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God
And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus"
~ Philippians 4:6

This evening I'll be preaching about the choice we have in every situation and in every circumstance that comes our way in life. You can be worry, or you can pray. You can be anxious, or you can pray. But you can't do both. Not at the same time.

But I just realized, I've been a bit anxious this morning about the message tonight. I guess I know what I need to do.

Mind-Numbing

2008-09-03T14:25:00.004-04:00

Sharon and I are starting a Bible study group in our home this evening. Although I want it to be very discussion-oriented, by default I'll be leading the discussion. So I've been studying some and preparing for it. We're going to start with the Apostle Paul's letter to the Philippians.

At the same time, I've been trying to study and prepare for tomorrow evening's worship service at the prison.

The problem is my mind doesn't have that much capacity. Now I feel like I've blown a fuse. I'm not sure I'm prepared for either one. My brain is like Slinky (remember those?) that's gotten all twisted-up.

Prayer Works

2008-09-02T10:42:00.003-04:00

"The effectual fervent prayer of a bunch of inmates availeth much."
~ James 5:16 (Tom Burger Paraphrase)

This past Sunday morning we opened our worship service at the prison in a very different fashion than normal. No Scripture reading. No prayer of dedication for our time of worship together. No music. Instead, I felt prompted to ask the inmates to join me in prayer for those in the path of Hurricane Gustav. At that time Gustav was a category four storm and the forecast called for major destruction and flooding.
We prayed for God's protection for lives and property. We prayed for those evacuating. And then I felt a boldness and began to pray that the Lord would speak to the wind and the waves and weaken the storm before it made landfall.

Apparently, our prayers were answered. While there was some damage and minor flooding, it was nowhere near the "Katrina-sized" catastrophe being predicted.

Today, I'm enjoying the thought that a little church full of prisoners in the southwest corner of Charlotte, North Carolina can pray together and see those prayers answered. The world may not take much notice of what goes on here, but the Lord does!

Have You Heard There's An Election?

2008-08-28T14:00:00.005-04:00

Many Christians seem to be struggling with the candidates the major political parties have put forth for the highest office in the land this year. I've wondered myself. Neither seems to appeal strongly to our values. While they both call themselves Christian, many Christians are left wondering which one will stand on a platform that makes us say "That's my candidate. He thinks like I think." I've given this some thought (and prayer) and here are a few conclusions:

As Christians, we should have far different priorities than others. While they're talking about the economy and jobs and taxes and the candidates' positions on popular issues, we should be looking for the candidate who stands closest to our own values on the issues of life and godliness. Who tells the truth? Who takes unpopular stands because its the right thing to do? Who will stand against the taking of the innocent lives of millions of unborn children? Who will uphold the foundational institution of marriage? These are the kinds of issues God will judge this nation upon.
We're electing a commander-in-chief, not a preacher-in-chief. In Old Testament Israel, which is as close to a God-ordained form of governance as I know of, there was a king and there were priests. The king was never expected to do the work of the priests. In fact, King Saul tried it and God renounced him as king. The role of the priests was religious leadership and the king was charged with moral and ethical civil governance. People didn't look to the king for spiritual leadership and they didn't look to the priests for civil authority.
Rather than looking for the "christian" candidate to lead us, maybe Christians should step into the role of priest the Bible ascribes to us. Are we not a "royal priesthood"? We ought to stop looking to them for any kind of spiritual leadership. Do we really want a politician - any politician - coming to office as the leader of the faith? To me, that idea seems to cheapen faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to a political ideology.

So I'm not watching any conventions or listening to any stump speeches this fall. They won't be talking about the issues that matter to me anyhow. I'm not getting worked-up over this stuff anymore. I'm a preacher, I've got more important things to do with my time. I'll simply pray and ask the Lord to guide me as I choose the one who will guide this nation in a moral path.

What's In A Name?

2008-08-27T08:12:00.003-04:00

Only two colleges existed in the American Colonies in 1701, and both were for the training of preachers: Harvard, and the newly formed Collegiate College of Connecticut. The school originally met in houses, but after a major financial gift from Jeremiah Dummer of London, land was purchased and a campus planned.
In 1718, Cotton Mather contacted a Welsh merchant, Elihu Yale, who's small donation consisted of the proceeds from the sale of 9 bales of goods, along with 417 books and a picture of King George I. Shortly thereafter, the name of the school was changed to Yale College.

By all rights, shouldn't the college have been called Dummer College?