Herald to the Unloved and the Unwanted:

Herald to the Unloved and the Unwanted:

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 

Luke 2:8-15 (KJV)

As Christians, we all know the story. Christmas was last month so why write about it now? The question comes up, “Why did the Lord chose shepherds to announce the birth of our King too?” It would make more sense to announce the birth of Jesus, the Son of God, to the Kings of the land. To the religious leaders of the temple. Why shepherds?

At the time, shepherds were the lowest of the low when it came to society's standards. Because of their job, they would have to be in the fields for weeks and even months at a time. Therefore the religious authorities consider shepherds ceremonial unclean. They were not even considered lower class. They were the bottom class of all classes. Because of their job they could not participate in Jewish traditions or the 613 laws of the Sanhedrin, better known as the Mosaic Law. Shepherds could not even testify in court because they were considered thieves and untrustworthy. They were the unloved, the unwanted, the rejected, the outcasts of society.

How often as Christians or not, do we feel unwanted, unloved, rejected and turned away as an outcast? It hurts especially when the rejection comes from one(s) we love and trust. Rejection from a friend or when even you find yourself rejected by the very church you needed help from. As Uncle Si would say, “That is rejection, Jack!”

These shepherds did not just experience it. They had to live with it day after day. We too see it daily, if we would just open our eyes and hearts. I see it every time I go to Walmart. The sales clerk, checking out hundreds of people a day with few if any acknowledging their name. Which could be easily read on their name badge. Lonely souls at a bar trying to drown their misery and pull up joy for a fleeting moment. I see it in the eyes of others in a crowd. Their eyes tell of the sadness dwelling inside. Feelings of doubt, rejection and just feeling unloved. While trying their best just to fit in the now.

So why did the Lord chose the shepherds to announce or “Herald” the coming of our King?

That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." 

Romans 10:9-13 (NIV)

Notice in verse 13. The word “Everyone.” Jesus came for everyone. Not just the ones who think they have their act together. Not the ones of authority over others. Everyone. That means you and that means me.

Jesus said to them, “I assure you: In the Messianic Age, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on 12 thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses, brothers or sisters, father or mother, children, or fields because of My name will receive 100 times more and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

Matt 19:28-30 (HCSB)

This is a warning that we all must come to grips with. The first will be last. We all want to be first. First in charge. First to finish the race. First in line to receive. We want to be number one which is the exact opposite of the 1^st Commandment. Being last is hard. Being unloved and unwanted by others is very hard to deal with. I like what Pastor Rick Warren once said, “ I fear God's disapproval more than I fear yours or society's.”

Christian-BE BOLD! Teach, Preach and Reach <><

Post Easter Week

Post Easter Week:

Jesus is knocking on your door.

Well Easter has come and gone this year. Last week, prior to Easter Sunday, my mailbox was filled with invitations from churches all over town asking us to come to their special Easter Sunday service. A few days after, it seems all things are just as they were. Like it will be another year until they, the churches, seem to get excited about going to church again. Sad commentary I know.

I was please today though. One church, actually from out-of-town, sent a card re-inviting us to church for their series on Joseph. I am impressed. Someone was thinking outside the box. Or is it that someone out there really cares about delivering the Good News about Jesus?

I know from experience that most churches have very little money to spend on advertising. But is it really advertising? We are not selling Christ or widgets. It is called OUTREACH! What did Jesus tell us before He ascended back to Heaven?

Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matt 28:18-20 (NLT)

The key word here is “GO.” Yes, it costs money for printing materials and mailing not to mention the work involved in creating such postcards, newsletters and flyers. I was once a member of a very large church in town. Even before I became a member I had seen their yearly budget sheet. Out of nearly a half a million dollar a year operating budget, all they ever budgeted for new member ministry was 150 dollars. It was that way from 2004 through 2012. Surprisingly most churches are like that. After utilities, insurance and labor costs there is not much left over. Sounds like a sad business model. Therein lies the rub. Too many churches are ran as if they were a business. Looking to stay within budget. They even pat themselves on the back for doing so. Is that what Jesus told us to do?

Imagine for a moment that you or I or especially the church had to give a report to Jesus. We would tell him that we are keeping the doors open. The lights on. Working on getting our Sunday School attendance numbers up. Attendance is down, but we are working on that. What does Jesus tell us?

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Matt 6:21 (KJV)

If that verse does not gut you like it does me. I do not know what to tell you. That verse applies to us individually and should be the role model for all churches to follow. Sadly they do not. Sadly we do not. We are all guilty before God no matter how hard we try otherwise. That's the point and why we need Jesus.

We can treat each Sunday as if it is Easter Sunday. Why not? For that matter we should treat each day as if it were Easter Sunday. Jesus took my punishment. Paid my fine. Fulfilled my penalty for the law.

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:23 (KJV)

We need to teach God's Word among ourselves first!

Before we as a church can share Jesus with others, we must first be able to share Christ among ourselves. Encourage one another during the week. With a phone call or a text message. Perhaps an email or a post on FaceBook. Yes, prayer is first. The power of prayer has no limits. This I know from personal experience.

The time is long overdue for ACTION. The same action churches use before Easter Sunday need to be continuous week after week. Just last week a friend and brother in Christ came by my house. He was visiting all the homes in the neighborhood. He is now at a different church as am I. The difference, he is out there for Jesus. Doing it. Action!  

Teach, Preach and Reach! 

Revival, Revitalization, Revolution:

Revival, Revitalization, Revolution:

We hear these terms often in Christian circles. We need revival. We need revitalization within our souls, our neighborhoods and within our churches. But the word “revolution” seems to take a back seat to the action needed for such change.

Such words and such action was treasonous within the 13 colonies which would later become our Nation. Our founders believed in limited governmental control and faith in God-given potential of the American people. Our Declaration of Independence was and still is a radical idea. Tested and executed daily. That all men are created equal. Not some but all! Sound familiar?

I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark. John 12:46 (NLT)

The key word here is “All.” As author, Rick Santorum writes; “America is not about birthrights, classes, or bloodlines. We are not a tribe or an ethnic group of a civilization with a long written history on this continent. America is an ideal-set of common values that unite us not only as states, but as a people.”

As we now look across our Nation we see those with poor jobs associated within poor neighborhoods. Seemingly trapped within the chains of bondage. The first thing to be lost is HOPE.

Our inner-city churches struggle to stay alive. Fighting the good fight each day. Struggling just as the neighborhoods they serve, just to keep the lights on. This while larger churches sit on the sidelines along open stretches of road with their big campuses of glory. They look more like country clubs than churches to outsiders. These are the churches that rich folks go to. Outreach is done with the signing of a check. Like a mother holding a baby tapping at the window of your car asking for money. You give her a dollar in hopes she will walk away and leave you alone.

Make no mistake, I too am guilty.

The problem with our churches today is the empty pews and empty chairs at church events. We build it and think they will come. That is not what God's Word tells us.

And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15 (NKJV)

Key word here is, “GO.” If God wanted us to build great palaces, entertainment events, elaborate programs and festivals within our “Fellowship Halls,” He would have said so. You think?

Personally I have never heard testimonies from a fellow Christians that he/she was so moved by a Christian concert or church event that he/she immediately gave themselves to Christ. It is always someone who took the time to share the gospel of Christ with them that lead them to repentance and a right relationship with Christ. Events are just that, “Events!” A concert is a concert. A picnic is a picnic.

Crusade after crusade new believers come in droves. Months or years later they are nowhere to be found in fellowship. What happen? Was it lack of followup? Perhaps. Was it lack of more events? More entertainment to keep them in the pews? Or is it the strange unspoken truth that they never accepted Christ's offer of salvation. They never truly repented? Matthew 13:1-23.

I was once a member and even a church staff member to a very large church in my home town. We had wonderful and huge events. They still do. Hundreds come. Few have remain to become members. Many who are members have no idea of the hard work of a few that makes these events possible. Its like going to an “Earth Day” rally the day after. All you see is an empty field with the liter left behind. The truth trampled on. Are these just dry bones or trophies of victory for the evil one?

Revival: An evangelistic meeting intended to reawaken interest in religion.

That's the text book definition of Revival. Dry and sometimes uninviting. To unbelievers this statement runs true. For many a Christian too. We come to church on Sunday morning expecting the choir to inspire our worship when it should be us bringing our worship to inspire all of us at church. We expect the preacher to invigorate us. To motivate us like a football coach at half time of the big game when we are down thirty to nothing. Pushing us to do better. To believe we can win. Except we will not allow the preacher to kick us in the rear to get us moving which we most desperately need. We say things like, “Its the preacher’s job to bring them to Christ. Not mine.” Or, “We pay people to set this up and arrange this or that. So what if we do not pay them enough to make a living? They are here to serve us anyway, right?” I have heard this over and over for the past 7 years. Back when I was in California, I never heard any mordacious statements like these in my church back home. Here in the South, Christians have told me, “You California's have no idea about church and God.” My experiences tells me different.

Revitalization: Bringing again onto activity and prominence.

Again that is the text book definition of Revitalization. Bringing again would be the key words here. Trying to bring back our first love. But without love, what do we have to offer?

If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love. 1 Cor 13:3 (MSG)

Bringing back that which you do not have in the first place is futile. Yet, we expect our preachers to keep banging on the same drum. Calling out for the selfsame thing, a message to a profoundly deaf crowd who call themselves Christians, who claim to have love for others. Just what is futile?

In an article in “On Mission” (onmission.com) magazine, Winter 2013, issue, Pastor Johnny Hunt tells us the story of revitalization for New Hope Church in Mableton, GA. First Baptist Woodstock, which Hunt pastor's, is huge with nearly unlimited resources. It was not always that way. But on the foundation of love, they have grown beyond their dreams. The first step was for the smaller church of 17 members to ask for help from the larger church. Sounds simple enough. Yet, we rarely see it. Pride? If an inner-city church is in the trenches and a larger church away from the battlefield wants to help and serve. It makes sense for these two to get together and make it happen. It is church planting by caring for the church that is already there in the neighborhood serving on the front lines of battle. The seed has been planted. The soil has been tended too. Vinings Lake Church (formally: New Hope) is running 600 most weekends in attendance now. Together we can. Separate we lose. We are commanded to pray for the laborers of the harvest. Matthew 9:37-38

Revolution: A drastic and far-reaching change in ways of thinking and behaving.

I doubt most of you would describe the word, “Revolution” like that above. Yet, that is exactly what happen to form our country, The United States of America. Many in 1776 did not agree with the Revolutionary War against the crown. They still consider themselves British. Subject to the king. Subject to the ascendance of rule. Not looking at themselves as free men under the eyes of God.

“What sorrow awaits you experts in religious law! For you remove the key to knowledge from the people. You don’t enter the Kingdom yourselves, and you prevent others from entering.” Luke 11:52 (NLT)

The Gospel of Matthew was written for the Jews. Deep in Hebrew traditions and heritage. Mark's Gospel is a book of action. Meant for the Romans who saw themselves as men of action. Luke's Gospel was targeted for the Greeks. Ones who put the betterment of man first. Yet Jesus taught them and us to sacrifice for one another not pursue personal perfection. The Gospel of John is seen as the universal Gospel. Showing Christ's deity without question. Radical!

In a world hell-bent for itself, these were revolutionary ideas and beliefs. No wonder Christ appeared to them in His Resurrection.

Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!” John 20:27 (NLT)

This was revolutionary way of believing and thinking. Same as it is today despite our faults and doubts. You may stand on the road and tell everyone you do not believe in trucks. Stand there long enough and you will get run over by one.

Revolution of the heart for Christ must come first before we can even attempt to move into revitalization. Revitalization must come before we can even think of the grace of revival. Revival must come within each of us if we are to go and fulfill the Great Commission.

And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15 (NKJV)

Teach, Preach and Reach!

Johnnyplow.org 

Go and Do by Jay Milbrandt

Go and Do by Jay Milbrandt

This book was not what I expected but glad I read it. Author Jay Milbrandt takes the old idea of go to school. Get good grades. Get a good job. Work twenty years and retire happy. Blows it right out of the water. With a world so caught up with self this book is a relief. The world is a smaller place today. Tribal hills of eastern countries have smart phones while still living in wooden huts. It is not till you have seen the lack of basic needs do we discover how different the world is from the U.S.

The travels from Jay's college days to his service in the Global Justice Program. As a young law student one summer he entered into the Go and Do experience. Forever changing his life and the lives of others.

How often we too want to go and make a difference when it is those experiences that end up making a difference in our lives. Though I may never be able to travel to far away lands, Go and Do made me see the world a little different than when I first began reading the book.

I can relate to how the author put it, “I like doing the little that I can with the little bit that I have.” As Jay shows, just a little bit can make a big difference in someone's life even around the other side of the world.

He opens up with outreach. The basis of the “Great Commission.” Yet outreach can be the hardest action to get fellow Christians to do. At first you feel as if you are doing nothing. Feeling unprepared and thinking you could be doing something better with your time. Not so, as the author points out over and over again that just being present can make all the difference in the world in the lives of others. Beyond what we might expect.

Within the book we go along with Jay Milbrandt on his journey and into the Go and Do experience. We see the hardships. We feel the distress one goes through trying to help to make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate than us. When I say less and mean really less fortunate. Imagine if you could. Being woken in the middle of the night having to run for your lives. Your family scattered to the wind. Death all around you. These are just some of the conditions faced by our brothers and sisters in developing countries. Developed by who? It is always the children who are made to suffer the most.

Rich or poor, we as Christians all have the ability and desire to “Go and Do.” Sure traveling overseas sounds great, but it is not a vacation. We come back with stories of the lives of others. Forever touched deeply by our fundamental interaction.

Many of us dream of “Going” but never “Doing.” Go and Do is a challenge and a dare by the author. To dare to “Go” and get involved in something that helps others which in turn makes us come alive inside. There is the point. To come alive inside. Something corporate America has no desire to fulfill.

Either working globally of locally. Each one of us has been called to “Go and Do.” Just many of us seem to ignore that voice of God calling upon us. Ignoring it for a calling of self-absorbed infatuation with the American lie spawned by corporation after corporation. A world that screams, “Forget about others. Get what you can for yourself.” A world of haves and have-not. The haves seem fleeting standing before God on the day of judgment.

A great call to action and guide book for getting started. I highly recommend reading “Go and Do” by Jay Milbrandt.

Losing Jesus

Losing Jesus:

Lets take a look at the Book of Luke, in chapter 2. Joseph and Mary had lost their son. Lost him in the most unlikely place of all, in the temple. The church.

When Jesus was twelve years old, they attended the festival as usual. After the celebration was over, they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn’t miss him at first, because they assumed he was among the other travelers. But when he didn’t show up that evening, they started looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they couldn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there. Three days later they finally discovered him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions.

Luke 2:42-46 (NLT)

We would think the last place on earth we would lose Jesus is in the church. Yet, that is the very place where most of us lose him. Just a few weeks ago I was in a conversation about all the different churches in town and how many if not most of them where founded by splits of other churches. Not planned church plants. Coming from California I find it hard to understand. We had a hard enough time keeping our church up and running. Planting new churches was a fight with the local planning commission and zoning commission. Not founded by infighting of fellow church members. So to hear a church was founded by splitting off from another church takes me to the edge of understanding.

This is where we lose Jesus. For a time everything is just going fine and well within a church. Then the pastor preaching a service which the message comes from God, and it hits too close to the heart for some members. Without warning someone's feathers get all ruffled up and starts screaming, “Get the torches and pitchforks!” Or time comes to replace the carpet. One group likes green. The other wants blue. Again the Torches and Pitchforks come out. The piano gets moved or the music seems too modern or the choir director tries to appeal to a larger and a more diverse audience. Getting crucified for it when all he is trying to do is please everyone. I hear these stories over and over again. Some churches have such a bad reputation that local neighborhoods will have nothing to do with them. These churches go through pastors like kids go through shoes. Bright and shiny at first will all kinds of ideas and on fire for God. Then crushed when the truth of what they are really part of comes crashing down around the poor new pastor.

Any church staff member can tell you how hard it is. How would you handle having 50, 100, a 1,000 pairs of eyes looking over your work in the smallest detail each week? It can become disheartening and down right depressing. When someone does tell you good job. It is like a cup of water after you have spent days in the desert.

Losing Jesus happens all the time. One time when I was part of the church basketball program as our gym's time keeper. We had a game were the parents were a little too emotional to put it lightly. Two men sat close to me always making sure I heard their comments when our referees did not make a call to their liking. When the night was over I was so grateful that I would never have to deal with those men again. Oops! Just lost Jesus!. Should have been praying for them than counting myself lucky in abandoning them. God was about to teach me a lesson.

Two days later I was with my oldest daughter and her boyfriend. We had stopped at McDonald's for lunch. There was only one person in line when we got there. Who was it? You guessed it. The same man from the basketball game. Talk about God giving me a clear message. It was the father's son who broke the ice. Recognizing me from the game just two nights ago. Sounds like Peter when asked if he was with Christ? To make matters even more obvious there was only one table open for us to sit. Yes you guessed it again. Right next to them. We continued to talk and I learned his brother who was the other man at the game had suffered a stroke. He did not like to speak much and I was wrong just 48 hours ago thinking he was rude to me. You see. I had lost Jesus. We both left with renewed spirits. A lesson well learned.

So how about you. When have you lost Jesus? In church when you are trying to focus on the pastor preaching and you get distracted by a child crying thinking their parents should keep that kid quite? At work when someone cracks a joke that rubs you the wrong way? At the store when someone cuts in front of you? At home? Around friends? With family? We seem to lose Jesus just as easy as Joseph and Mary did. Like them, when we lose Jesus. We need to run back and find him immediately.

Teach, Preach and Reach.

Never Give UP!

Never Give Up!

I have nearly finished reading the book, “Trump, Never Give Up.” by who else, Donald Trump. As I look back on my life nearly 62% of my adult life I spent in the Real Estate industry/market. Everyone has their heroes in their particular field of interest. In basketball your hero might be Michael Jordan or Larry Bird. In football maybe Joe Montana or Ken Stabler and so on. Mine is the icon of real estate, Mr. Donald Trump. The man is in the Guinness Book of World Records for biggest financial turnaround in history. He exemplifies the phrase, “Go Big or Go Home.” Great victory takes great risk. To lose it all and then stand up, come back and try again? How many examples of our ancestors in the Bible have gone through much worst? How many Christian Martyrs have taken the ultimate risk and given the ultimate sacrifice? The fact is that whether it be sports, business or life you have to take risks. As my mentor and broker would say, “He who dares, wins.” Thank you, George.

My life has always been about percentages. In real estate, mortgage finance, title and escrow if you made a 100 dollars or 100,000 dollars it was the percentages that told the story. Once you reach 55% the wheels stop turning. It sounds a lot like gambling. You are right. Gambling is all about percentages. At least it should. You invest when the odds are in your favor. We do it every day we drive a car. We invest our lives because the odds are in our favor that we will be able to travel from point A to point B without getting killed or injured. Yet we see auto accidents on the road every day.

What does any of this have to do with Christianity or my life as a Christian? On April 2 is the anniversary of my salvation through Jesus Christ. I was saved April 2, 1995, hence my call sign, BAC4295. Born Again Christian April 2, 1995. Later that day I prayed that God would let me work for the church. In my mind I saw myself using power tools helping to build and fix things in the church. Perhaps help others in building and repairing their lives through Christ. At the time I was long into my Real Estate career. So I figured if I work harder I could make enough money so I could take time off to work more at the church. Problem and trick the devil had for me was the harder I worked the more successful I became. The more successful I became the more money I made. It does not take a lot of head scratching to figure out I focused on the money and not God.

So what would you say are the percentages of me listening to God. Giving up a successful career. Having my wife give up her career which she spent nearly 21 years at the same company. Literally give up our lives because Dad knows in his heart God wants us to leave and start anew? That's what we did in 2005. We left our careers, sold our condo, burned our bridges and left the only home we knew. No family. No job awaited us in Alabama. Just knew God wanted us here. It has been a financial disaster. A spiritual crisis. A humbling of near biblical proportions. But our faith in God is stronger than ever. My wife and both children accepted Christ here in Alabama. Baptized in our church. Forever children of God. What would you calculate the percentages for all that? Perhaps 10,000 to 1? Or perhaps 1,000,000 to 1? To just get up and move over 3,000 miles for what? The unknown? That is how it has been. As a family we face that challenge to, “Never Give Up!” God has carried us through this and will continue. We cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel but we do not need too. Our faith is in God. Are we bullet proof? Absolutely not! Are we scared? Shaking in our boots. Like the song says, “I don't have to be strong enough.”

God has given me a street witnessing ministry. A quest to build an army of witnesses to engage our enemy on the field of battle. To “Go” as it is written.

Then He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. Mark 16:15 (HCSB)

There is no money in ministry. No financial reason for anyone to look at it as a career choice. The percentage of ministers leaving the ministry is at epidemic proportions. The average stay of a pastor at one church has dropped to 18 months or less. Not encouraging. Pastorate is just one part of the body of Christ. For the true church is the Body of Christ. Not four walls and steeple.

The problem with the church is simple. We are not outside those four walls plowing the soil and planting the seed. If I did. If we did! Hundreds of new Christian brothers and sisters would be rushing to our churches. Begging for the bread of life. Our pastors would be preaching daily instead of once or twice on any given Sunday. Our cup would simply run if over. Discouragement within the ministry would fade away. Few would question why churches receive a non-profit status because our society would clearly see the benefits the church is doing for the community. As it was not so long ago.

I think Donald Trump has it right. Never Give Up!

Teach, Preach and Reach

The Journey:

I grew up an atheist. Not by any means focused upon me. I was raised in an environment where it was accepted that knowledge and science had the answers. That we controlled our own destiny. Our actions determined our outcome and nothing was beyond that.

My first experience with the so called “Church” was when I was a young boy. Went with my Uncle's family one Sunday while on vacation in Southern California. Went to Sunday school with my cousins, who had been raised in the church since babies. I was handed a Bible, the first I had ever seen one, then the class was ask to turn to chapter and verse. I had no idea what they were talking about. So I sat there. Soon the other kids realized my lack of biblical fortitude and began to laugh at me. Short story: I never wanted to return to church again. It would be twenty years till my next encounter with the “Church.”

I would be thirty-two years old before I came to Christ. As I rose from the baptismal waters it felt like I was in-cased in a block of marble that suddenly turned to Jello and wash over me and off me.

This day, the eve of Christmas I look back and scan through the notes of my worn Bible, not asking why, but looking forward. Perhaps truly for the first time. The last two years of my life have been the darkest I have known and wish not to know again.

Would I have made it through this dark valley of time in my life without Christ? No way. Did I come to Christ for a better life? One of prosperity? One of fun and joy? That's what the world proclaims Christians to be and be living. Nothing could be farther from the truth. No, I came to Christ because of the judgment. I still do. No matter how good a life I could ever try to lead I would come up short on judgment day.

The fact of the matter, I come up short everyday. Something goes wrong I get angry. The opportunity to help someone else passes by me to only realize later I could of helped that person with little effort or cost to my living.

Tonight I am looking forward to going to a Christmas Eve Church Service. Partaking in the Lord's Supper. Unfortunately it is not being held in a church which my family and I are members. Yet, the members there welcome us as family each year. It is a service filled with love. Love not only from above but by those who love Christ. I am blessed this Christmas. -Amen

Me and My Broken Wagon:

The day before Thanksgiving day on my way home from work my car breaks down. Not an uncommon thing. Cars break down all the time. With thousands of parts, nuts and bolts. Gears turning and the wear of the road it's something we have come to expect. When ever your car breaks down it always causes confusion and inconvenience. Especially during the holidays and cold weather. 

So I jack-up the car. Put it up on jack-stands and began to inspect for what I thought was wrong with it. Within minutes I realize this is a job beyond my abilities. That's when the frustration kicks in. Here I have a box load of tools I have gained over the past twenty years. A fairly decent knowledge of auto mechanics. Yet, there I am. Standing in front of a mountain with a shovel and a few spoons. At least that is what it feels like. I have the tools to tear it all apart, but lack the knowledge and experience to finish the job. I have only one choice. Seek help and I know it is going to cost me.

As Christians we face the same thing each day in our Christian Walk. As we read and study the Bible we gain knowledge and I pray, wisdom. We might even go beyond that. Say we attend seminary. We study. We interact with fellow Christians and professors. We write papers and dissertations. We enter into theology and doctoral issues. Really get into the spiritual meat of it.

Yet, each day we know peoples' lives are broken. With all this knowledge more often than most we still stand before others as if standing in front of a mountain with little more than a spoon in hand. We have all the tools we need. Yet, we cannot do it by ourselves.

I was recently asked, “What possibly could be the benefits of fear?” One benefit of fear is to know that we must rely on God. We must seek out help, which begins with prayer. Seeking out help will cost you. First price you will pay is pride. It's hard for a man to be beaten by a machine. A chunk of metal and plastic with wires running here and there. It's even harder for a man to step down from pride and reach up for help.

Is prayer going to fix my car? No, God has given me the first step. To pray and rely on Him. Seek help. It will cost me. God has a purpose in all this. I will let you know how it comes out.

Teach, Preach and Reach. 

Standing at Your Post:

During the Civil War in the year 1861, Sam Watkins, of Company H in the First Tennessee Infantry came upon a little village called Hampshire Crossing in Virginia. Their regiment was ordered to relieve the 3rd Arkansas. When Watkins' regiment arrived they found the guard. In fact they found 11 of them. Some where sitting. Some lying down. Each and everyone at their posts. Each one was frozen solid, dead. Two of them, sentinels, with loaded guns standing in advance of the others hard frozen as monuments of marble. Guns still in their frozen hands. Watkins noted how horrifying it was to see them all with icicles hanging from their faces and hands. As the cold of death approached them. They must have known what was coming, but remained at their post till the end.


The need for “Watchmen” is found throughout the Bible. Within the Old and New Testaments.

As Moses led the people through the desert, they still longed for the cucumbers of Egypt (Num. 11:5). They planted cucumber gardens in Palestine (Is. 1:8); in this text, the “lodge in a garden of cucumbers” refers to a shelter used by watchmen to guard the crops.
Nelson's illustrated manners and customs of the Bible (239). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

The Hebrew landowner seldom visited his fields during the growing season. Instead he hired watchmen to stay in crude lounges (also called “towers”—Mark 12:1), where they protected the crop from beasts, birds, and marauders.
Nelson's illustrated manners and customs of the Bible (256). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

The men of the 3rd Arkansas, did not die in a famous battle. Their names are not published. The location of their graves unknown. Who will remember them? Not history or will their deeds be sung in songs of victory. Who will remember these men?

God will! How many times as Christians have we stood at our post? It might be just opening a door for others at church, a grocery store, a shopping mall or some mundane task. We stay at our post, none the less. From the one who cleans the bathrooms to the pastor preaching from the pulpit. From the janitor to the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Each of us has a task(s). Each of us is part of the body of Christ. One cannot complete the job at hand without the other.

In a world that is “All About Me.” We look down upon others who stand at their posts. Who do the tasks of the mundane. Therefore, ask yourself, Why did Christ come as a servant?

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many. Matt 20:28 (NLT)

Christ remained at His post while others mocked Him. He knew death was coming. He could have called for angels above to release Him. He would have had every right to call upon the complete destruction of man that very moment. He did not. Jesus remained at His post.

Today is Thanksgiving Day. Let us be truly thankful for Christ. Every moment of the day He is at His post. Next to you. Loving you. Seeking you. Can we at least take a moment to seek Him?

Peace be with you.

Teach, Preach and Reach.

Muscular Faith by Ben Patterson

Ben Patterson's new book was not what I expected and I am glad for it. Taking your faith seriously is a 24/7 job. God's first and second commandments absolutely require it. Yet in our day-to-day lives we seem (myself included) to put God's commandments on the back burner of our lives. Then wonder why our lives are more of a roller-coaster ride than the abundant life God wants for us.

My copy of Patterson's book is already filled with highlights and notes. His use of scriptures, personal accounts and life narratives keep your interest from start to finish.

Like the Apostle Paul taught, we need to approach our faith as Ben Patterson so very well describes it with “Vigorous Faith.” We must train. It takes time and commitment. Focusing on the prize means giving up and putting aside self-interest (Self) and truly committing yourself to God. Easier said than done in today's world. It is the world we are fighting against. The world wants to take your attention away from God.

The four parts of Muscular Faith give you easy reference to go back to. Not a step-by-step process in such but a where to go reference. The style is down to earth writing in my opinion. If you're a new Christian or a tried and true veteran you will enjoy and learn from this book. Yes, we get beat up and pushed back in our life. So many of us wish just to sit in the stands and roar with the crowd. Patterson teaches that is not what we have been called to do. We need to get onto the field and run the race. Before we do. We need to train daily. Focus on the prize. Get our house in order. Push through and realize the “good hard” and the “bad hard.” Keep building in our daily walk with Christ.

This book is well worth reading. An excellent book to give to other Christians. Whether they are new or old. Whether they are struggling with their faith or enjoying life abundantly. It will help them both.

Encouragement Technology:

Technology is a fundamental part of American society. While watching the History Channel's Top 101 Gadgets the cell phone was rated the most influential gadget of all time so far. Last week at the hospital I saw cell phones, smart phones, laptops, netbooks, tablet PCs and to the best of my knowledge there was just three of us carrying a Bible.

With so much technology and communication you would think as a Christian the more opportunities for witnessing for Christ. Just the opposite is happening. Each year we see less baptisms and church membership continues to decline nationwide. How is this possible with so much technology and communication right at our fingertips?

Is it technological etiquette? Is it separation of church and state? How about the separation of church and God?

You Got Prayer! At least that is how I look at it when I send my prayers to others by texting. Yes, texting. Why not? Could you use an encouraging prayer sent to you during the day? I know I need as many prayers as possible. How about you?

It works two-fold. One: we are to pray now and not later. Now just does not fit in my schedule. Prayer is all about the now. Two: It keeps you focused. Focused on the needs of others. Sending prayers via technology lets you remind yourself several times a day about the needs of others. I often review the prayers I have sent during the day and pray again for them.

I wonder what Paul might think of all this technology? Would he like it that we now have audio visual presentations during church. That we chat on our phones and texting 24/7? I am sure he would appreciate how far we have come, but there would be no valid excuse for not carrying a Bible with us at all times. We have pocket Bibles, techno Bibles, audio Bibles and online Bibles. We have more opportunities to share Christ than ever before, but we don't.

Go ahead. Be different and encourage others using today's technology. By phone, text, email or even by an old fashion card or letter. Use technology to share God's Word in today's fast pace world. It might just slow up enough to hear God.

Teach, Preach and Reach.

Earthquakes and Tornadoes:

My wife and I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area during the earthquake of 1989. In California you get used to quakes. They happen weekly. So often you begin to live with it and stop remembering how dangerous they can be. Hey, the boat is leaking! That's OK, not enough to be concerned. The pump will take care of it. That was like the attitude back there in October of 1989. Then the big one hit. Everything changed. News coverage was based in San Francisco. Not because that was the epicenter, but because all roads and bridges out of San Francisco were blocked. The World Series was being played. All eyes were on the Bay Area. So they reported from there. It was devastating. Buildings collapsed, no power and chaos galore. The Bay Area was not the epicenter. It took days until reports from the outlying areas showed the real damage along the fault lines of the earthquake. Nearly 8 days passed until help and organization came into play. The San Francisco Bay Area has over 6 million people. The Quake of 89 should have killed more. Where was God? Right along with us, side-by-side.

April of 2011 here in Alabama. The weather radio in the house went off. Advising us of an incoming storm. I had signed up for weather alerts through my cell phone months before. Every time it began to rain my phone alert would sound off. Not this time. We do not have TV. Radio reception is poor where we live. We checked the internet and saw the predictions of bad weather coming. The bulk of the storm was to hit us by 7 PM. At 7:05 PM it did. Wind and rain beat on the house. Yet this time the cell service went out. The local city sirens went off. They had done that before, but this time was different. The power flickered a bit. Overall it was not bad. Cell phone service returned and we started to receive calls from California asking if we were alright? Then they told us of the tornadoes touching down throughout the state of Alabama.

We went online and found a live feed broadcasting from Birmingham. The devastation was unbelievable. Unlike an earthquake that hits everywhere all at once with no warning. Here was this funnel over a mile wide slowly ripping through the state. Leaving death and destruction in its wake. Multiple tornadoes touched down all over the state. Surrounding our county but not within it. Why were we spared?

Days later thousands remain homeless. Thousands more without power, water or just basic necessities. Like the quake in California. It will take a week or more for help and organization to come. Again the question comes up. Where is God in all this? Still right beside us. In an earlier article I explained there is nothing natural about natural disasters. See: (Weeds in the garden tells us everything)

If there is anything we can learn from these disasters is that we are not prepared. I am gong to die. You are going to die. We are going to die. Could be today. Could be tomorrow. Could be a hundred years from now. The fact is we are going to die. That is the truth. We do not want to hear the truth. We ignore it at times. Deny it most of the time. Thank ourselves lucky when it misses us. The truth is that we are not ready for it. Not physically or spiritually.

I was once told this following story. Back not so long ago in a farming community. Very few had running water or indoor plumbing. It was even rare if one house had the luxury of a radio. If one did. Others relied on them for news and weather warnings. One day such a warning came over the radio. The father told his son to run over to the neighbor's home down the way and tell them a tornado is coming our way. The boy took off. Along the way he saw a bird in a tree. He stopped as some boys do. Then threw a rock at the bird. Missing it. So he decided to wait. The bird came back. He threw another rock striking the bird. The boy went over and picked up the bird. Blood dripping onto his hands. Suddenly in the distance a roar and an explosion echoed through the valley. The little boy could see the home of his neighbors being ripped to pieces. The family there scattered to the wind like rag dolls. The boy quickly ran home. His father had seen, from a distance, the devastation of his neighbor's home. He saw his boy running home. Quickly taking him into his arms. Asking, “Oh son what took you so long? We were so worried about you.” The boy explained that he never made it to the neighbor's home. Then the father saw the blood on the boy's hands. He knelt to his son and ask if the boy was injured. The boy said, “No, father it's the bird's blood.” The father said to the boy, “No, son it is the blood of our neighbors for failing to warn them.”

We as Christians are commanded to warn others of the judgment that is coming. How many who have recently died now face a second death?

Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death.
Rev 20:14 (NLT)

Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. Whoever is victorious will not be harmed by the second death.
Rev 2:11 (NLT)

And then he told them, "Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned."
 Mark 16:15-16 (NLT)

God's Word is tough I know. These are hard words to take right now. They are the truth. There are so many here in our state hurting. Their lives not just turned upside down, but all the way back to zero. Thousands here in Alabama will have to start life all over again because everything they once had is just plain gone. Scattered debris over hundreds of miles. They are alive. Why were they spared?

If there is a clear sign for the need for healing and revival now is the time. Prayer and the simple need to serve others is now before us. Pray that it is not the devil who gathers the harvest.

Teach, Preach and Reach!

Weeds in the Garden Tells Us Everything:

This evening I was sitting outside of church before evening service reading my Bible. (The Evidence Bible, compiled by Ray Comfort) Studying the question on “Why does God allow suffering in the world?” Pastor Comfort suggest studying the soil for a moment. I was outside so I did. As he had stated, “There you will find weeds.” Weeds seem to grow everywhere. Even though you pull them out by the roots they still grow back again. No one plants them. No one cares for them making sure they receive enough water. They just appear. They grow up in the cracks of sidewalks and the streets we drive on. As Brother Ray puts it, “They are a curse.” Why?

And to the man he said, “Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it. It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains. By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.” Gen 3:17-19 (NLT)

Did you see it? Look at the words “the ground is cursed because of you.” We over look it. I never gave it that much thought. Yet, it is the key to the problems of the world.

Pastor Comfort goes on in the lesson noting that we are constantly subject to hurricanes, earth quakes, tsunamis, tornadoes and other what we call natural disasters. According to scripture there is nothing natural about them. Sin entered the world and we and all the earth was cursed. Am I reading it wrong? I do not think so. It makes sense.

Weeds are a curse. Disasters are a curse. Diseases are a curse. Again Brother Ray points out sin and suffering cannot be separated. The Bible tells us that God cursed the Earth because of Adam's transgression. What is Sin?

….for sin is the transgression of the law 1 John 3:4 (KJV)

Therefore we should be reaching out to God instead of pointing the finger at Him accusing Him of wrong doing. Scripture tells us who the real accuser is in Job 1:6, 2:1 and in Zec 3:1 in the New Living Translation of the Bible. Check it out for yourself.

Next time you see a weed in your garden, in your lawn or growing out of the crack of a sidewalk it is a reminder of what is wrong in the world. Sin and suffering cannot be separated.

Putting Pastors in a Box:

I have been accused on many occasions of placing pastors on a pedestal. Your right I have great respect for them. Let me put it this way. If you wake up tomorrow morning and find all the pastors are gone and find yourself still here on earth. I would not want to be you. The day pastors are gone is the day we find ourselves knowing we missed the boat.

Begin to check our history. Let's look at the 18th, 19th and recent 20th centuries. We find pastors and preachers outspoken and in the fight for human rights, our welfare our very right to live free. The moral watchdog of the country came from the pulpit and not from TV, the news desk or Washington D.C. Certainly not from some day time talk show host or even Hollywood. The moral standard came from the church. Did not Jonah preach repentance and the city did. Giving a time of reprieve for the city. This too has been repeated by the likes of Dwight Lyman Moody, Jonathan Edwards, John Wesley, George Whitefield, Charles Haddon Spurgeon and Billy Graham.

Yet today do our pastors and preachers have the opportunity to fight for God as they once did? I say NO. We put them and their families under a microscope each day. When they slip up or make a mistake they quickly come up against fierce opposition. If anyone should be under this type of scrutiny it should be the leaders of our country. Yet another drunk congressman found with a prostitute barely makes headlines anymore. It is unfair to our pastors and preachers to be held to such a high standard when we ourselves could never live up to it.

Example. Could a preacher or pastor be allowed to write a Blog such as this one without offending someone in their congregation and not have their job or livelihood threatened? The answer is no. There is the problem. We do not allow the very ones chosen by God to stand in the gap. The world falling apart around them and we will not allow them to kick us where we need to be kicked to get moving for God? They are allowed to preach to us. They are allowed to teach us. They are allowed to live as an example for us to follow, but few of us ever do.

I know of some pastors who will not even go to a movie theater because they risk being looked at in the wrong way because someone might not approved of the film they are going to watch. Some will not go to popular restaurants because their beverage may be mistaken as the wrong drink of choice. If we demand such perfection of our pastors and preachers should they not expect the same from us? They do, but would never demand it because they love us.

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever!
1 Cor 13:4-8 (NLT)

I am thankful for my pastor. He loves me even though I have consistently let him down time and time again. God forgive me and bless my Pastor. -Amen

The Corporate Church:

It is a little obvious to my readers that I am not a supporter of the modern corporate church model. I am not alone. Authors Thomas White and John M Teats of the book “Franchising McChurch.” Tony and Felicity Dale of the book “the Rabbit and the Elephant, Why small is the new big for today's church.” First we need to clarify what is the modern corporate church model. Just a few short decades ago in fact the corporate buffet of the 90's was a time when corporate America was at its peak. Mega corporations buying out other mega corporations became the primary news feature each night. With that also came to view the birth of the mega-church. The bigger is better attitude for a new generation of Christians. These churches existed long before the media took notice. The push for more came with the media wave of influence. Suddenly the non-profit corporation of the new face of Christianity was looking much like corporate America. That is exactly what happen. We quickly went from seeking redemption to seeking ratings. From worship to entertainment. Growing even bigger today.

So D. C. what is wrong with that? More are coming to Christ right? With numbers in the thousands you would think so. It is agreeable that a mega-church begins with a congregation of 2,000 or more. Many support congregations of 5,000 to 50,000. On the surface that is something to celebrate. With that comes the sucking sound of small local community churches forced to close their doors for lack of funds to keep the lights on. We see a similar effect on the down town districts of towns and cities when Wal-mart opens its doors. The local mom and pop stores which have been family owned and operated for generations fall like dominoes. Call it an ending of an era. Might want to call it the ending of our neighborhoods as we once knew them.

So what is your problem D.C.? This is a world of progress. The church needs to grow just like the world right? There is the problem. The church conforming to the world when the world needs to conform to the church. Is bigger better? Did not the church grow in the Book of Acts with the same numbers of converts that we are talking about within the mega-church? Yes, I would have to agree, but that is where the similarities begin to separate. How so?

A business owner, an accountant, or even a CEO would look at today's modern church and see little difference between the American Corporate Business model and today's corporate church model. To conform to IRS regulations the hierarchy is the same. Committee members are formed from people within the congregation who's only real experience is with dealing with corporate America. Therefore the result is a church run like an American corporation. Expecting profit and loss. Wait a minute! We are Christians. We are not producing some type of widget or product. We are in a battle that is in fact life or death. How can that be put down on a balance sheet? Does the church have expenses? Absolutely, the bigger the church the more the costs are to operate. Not much head scratching on that. So what is our goal? What is our purpose?

That is where we have taken a wrong turn some where. I agree with Pastor Ray Comfort. (Way of the Master, Living Waters Ministries) Today's modern gospel has become about life enhancement and not about repentance.

Let's talk turkey. Let's get down to brass tax here. Should we dismantle our mega-churches and return to small community churches? No. Let me put it this way. Noah built the boat, but it was God who gave it to him. By doing so saving all of us. We built these mega-churches, but it is God who gave them to us. Is our purpose to save the world? It should be. Seek and save the lost. Sounds simple and with these mega resources we should be more capable of doing just that for God. Are we?

One of the problems with mega-churches is the disconnect problem. Being so big one can easily hide if not be lost in the crowd. Crying out for help among the roar of others. One can easily be left behind. That is the difference between the church in the Book of Acts and today's modern corporate church model. The focus was on the needs of the people and not of one's self. This is extremely hard for us now since we live in a materialism based culture and society. We have become backwards and upside down.

Let us talk about solution then. OK, let's say a mega-church of 2,000 sets a goal of each member witnessing to others for at least 3 new converts each. By the end of the year the church would have a congregation of 6,000. Do it again for the following year and you would have 18,000 members. Sounds great on paper. Witnessing and revival are not the mainstream we are seeing. Keyword here: “Witnessing.” Being a witness for Christ. Simple, straight forward and obeying the Great Commission.

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
Matt 28:19-20 (NLT)

Therefore our focus should be on witnessing for Christ. We need to teach it. We need to practice it. We need lead in doing it.

The goal should not be “Bigger is Better.” The goal should be to witness better and for His Kingdom to become bigger here on earth.

Team up, Set-up and get into the fight. <><

In His Image

In His Image Devotional Bible is first of all a complete Bible. One I can bring to worship, Sunday School, and Bible study. The New Living Translation is my translation. God's Word jumps off the pages for me. Easy to understand and share with others.

The devotional features give you the ability to go step-by-step like traditional devotions if you wish. Let me first point out. This devotional Bible focuses solely on your personal relationship with God. For life application there is a Bible for that. For serious study there is a Bible for that. What good is having all this knowledge without having a personal relationship with God? This devotional helps me focus on what is important. My personal relationship with God growing and getting stronger each day.

Each devotional keeps you on track. Prayer, subject verses, focus on what God is telling you. Closing with prayer and taking time to thank God. In today's hurry up and step on the gas world this course of study works.

There are hundreds of combinations you can put together to learn all the attributes of God. It is learning these attributes of God that help me build and grow stronger in faith.

If there are any drawbacks to this devotional Bible they are minor. I am old school and like to have the words of Jesus in red. I would also like a concordance. With that said the In His Image Devotional Bible is my Bible of choice and will be for years to come.

Leave a Comment:

The other day a fellow Christian Brother came up to me and publicly denounced the writing of one of my Blog articles. This happened at work in front of my co-workers. He told me aloud that I should not be writing stuff like that. I asked him if he liked any of my articles. He said no. Nearly 4 years worth of work shot down in less than 4 seconds. Now that must be a record for Christian encouragement. Could he have come to me in private and told me of his concerns in an effort of Christian correction?


If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back.
Matt 18:15 (NLT)

Well so much for what God has to say about it. It seems we Christians when we get angry we are the last to seek out God's Word. I am guilty of that too. The truth is we do not have it any better than anyone else. After 2,000 years we still have not figured it out have we?

At the end of every one of my articles is a comment link. If you do not like the article take a moment to say so and why. Please, do not be a sissy and not leave your name. Here is an opportunity to stand up and be counted. There is a good chance that I am wrong. My Blog is about my current Christian experience. I am not afraid to write about the good, the bad or the ugly. Like what happen this day.

I believe that censorship is just one more step to Communism. This is the information age. The reality is more dis-information than truth. People do not like the truth. Look in Matthew 23:23-33. This is the only place we find Jesus publicly condemning anyone. Who are they? Ones that should have known better. Ones who should have recognized Jesus immediately. The teachers of the law. Better known as the Pharisees.

Again if you do not like what you see then leave a comment. Start writing your own Blog. Stand up for once and make a difference. Or just sit back and play Monday morning quarterback. There are lots of those. You will not be alone.

Team up, Set-up and get into the fight. <><