Spark a Revolution

-10 Thoughts on a Challenging Sunday-

2012-02-12T20:32:00.001-06:00

Here's 10 things that I was reminded of today at REVO to share with you and challenge you with.

1. The same power that was in Jesus as he preached, healed, performed miracles, and equipped disciples is now in us. We are unstoppable!

2. The Word of God is authoritative, powerful, life-changing, and challenging. We need to know it!

2. The same calling and mission in Acts 1:8 that Jesus gave the first New Testament Church is the same mission that the Church has today. We know what to do!

3. Jesus forgiving sins, dying in our place, resurrecting from the dead, and offering salvation is worthy of more excitement and fanfare than anything that ever happens in a stadium or sports arena. We're on the winning team!

4. The Spirit is the same, the message is the same, the God is the same, the power and authority of the Word is the same, the direct access to God through prayer is the same, and the method that God chose to share Jesus with the world is the same today as it was in Acts. We are dangerous!

5. The mission has been communicated and the Spirit has been sent. We don't need anything else!

6. We bear witness to the Gospel of Jesus not out of obligation or guilt but out of excitement, anticipation, jubilation, and obedience. We have to tell people!

7. The calling on followers of Jesus is from our hometown to the ends of the earth. We have to go!

8. Even with below-freezing temperatures outside, worshipping authentically and preaching twice in one day is a workout. We have to wear more deodorant next week!

9. It takes an army of people that are All-In to help REVO be obedient in sparking a revolution of life change through Jesus. We have some incredible volunteers!

10. The Church not only gathers, but also scatters to accomplish the mission and be faithful with the opportunity that we've been entrusted with. We don't go to church, we ARE the church!

Let's be a Dangerous Church!

What Is Church Really All About?

2012-02-08T16:31:00.002-06:00

Growing up I'm sure you learned the rhyme and the hand motions:

Here's the Church,
Here's the steeple,
Open it up
And there's all the people (Insert wiggling fingers here).

The climax of the prose is seeing the people. I think a lot of people, both outside and inside the Church, think that the purpose of the Church is the people. The Church helps them, equips them, teaches them, comforts them, and all that other positive stuff.

However, a byproduct of that line of thought creates a skewed idea of why people initially get involved in a church. People start to ask themselves, "What can this church do for me? What programs do they have for me? My kids? My family? How is attending or being a member here going to benefit me?" The only problem with that is that Church actually becomes all about you.

So what is the Church really all about?

The Church is really not about the people. The Church is about Jesus and His mission.

If a church focuses on elevating Jesus and His mission, it will create a culture of outwardly focused people without an individualistic mindset. Make sure the mission and vision is raised above everything else. Work hard to constantly clarify and simplify the person of Jesus and His mission of the Church.

I link the thought process to the comparison of an Apple product and a PC.

Apple's philosophy of business is to do one thing, promote that one thing, and convince people that it's the best thing they have ever seen and can't live without it.

PC's approach is to try and promote every single thing they offer in one big blitz and hope that one item on a long list seems appealing to the customer.

As a church, we want to take the Apple approach. We want to preach Jesus, elevate Jesus, sing about Jesus, worship Jesus, and communicate that the hope of salvation that you cannot fully live without is found in Jesus.

What do you think?

-Venti House Blend, 2 Creams & 1 Jesus-

2012-01-23T08:13:00.000-06:00

I was standing in line at the coffee shop last week and the girl in front of me ordered a cup of house blend, drip coffee. The barista asked her is she wanted some room at the top of the cup for cream, and her response was incredible!

"No cream for me. I take my coffee like I like my men: strong, dark, and hot."

I literally laughed out loud.

When I approached the counter I became subconscious about what my "Decaf Caramel Latte" was saying about the expectations that I have of my wife, Elizabeth. I don't know about you, but "sweet, fair-skinned, and doesn't give me the jitters" just isn't the romantic pick-up line I would use.

Some people can describe their life and relationship with Jesus the same way they describe their liquid morning elixir. For them, Jesus is simply an additive to their life, just like a pack of splenda or a splash of cream. Life is a little too bitter and bland sometimes, so we add Jesus to it and make it a little more palatable. We love the blessings and assurance we get from Jesus. We even tolerate the sacrifice and selflessness that He calls us to, but only in small doses! We don't want to shake things up too much. It is our life, and we know exactly how we want it to look and taste.

Here's the problem: Jesus isn't an additive to your life. Jesus isn't just a part of your life, he wants to take OVER your life.

What are you pouring into your cup?

-4 Things Leaders Do-

2012-01-18T09:05:00.000-06:00

I have learned that you can do a lot of things well, but in an entrepreneurial setting like a new business or church plant, if you do not have leaders then you are going to be hosed! Here are a few things I've learned during the process.

1. Leaders Delegate
Delegation is about equipping, communicating, and evaluating. If you delegate without doing those 3 things, then you are just dumping tasks on people, not delegating responsibilities. Another key success is to make sure the person you are delegating responsibilities to is competent and capable. If they are not, then your delegation process will be like trying to put a square peg in a round hole; it damages both the peg and the hole.

2. Leaders Develop
Training someone is simply giving them a task to do. Developing someone is giving them a responsibility to own. Training is focused on indoctrination of status quo ideas and methodologies. Developing is about educating so the end result is growth, innovation, and focusing on the future. Do you want volunteers/workers/leaders that just punch the time clock and check off the to-do list? Or do you want people that are constantly thinking about ways to be faster, better, more efficient, and more effective?

3. Leaders Grow
You cannot take people to a place you have never been before. So leaders have to continue to mature and develop in their own life. If not, your leadership capacity hits a ceiling and your ability to lead becomes stagnant. Here is a short, homemade list of leadership levels.
a. Model Leader- A leader that does it all himself. Growth is limited to one person's ability.
b. Leading Leader- Still does the majority of the tasks, but has delegated some less-important things out.
c. Leading Leaders- Delegates responsibilities by leading people, not projects.
d. Leading through Vision- A leader that surrounds himself with leaders who lead leaders. Growth is limitless.

4. Leaders Evaluate
There are no sacred cows in leadership/ministry. If it does not work, then trash it. Two really good reasons to quit doing something and reevaluate are, 1. If you have always done it that way, and, 2. If it is not being effective. Sometimes the prior leads to the latter, yet you will never know these things if you do not take time to evaluate everything you do.

Thoughts?

-A Few Thoughts from Yesterday at REVO-

2012-01-02T07:31:00.001-06:00

We started out 2012 with a few new things at REVO. We moved to a new location to ensure the room for future growth through multiple services, and we started the iMarriage rGroup at 6:00, which is a six week precursor to the launching of our second worship experience! We also started a new teaching series called, "The Empty Chair." I wanted to pass on some of the main points to challenge you and remind you of God's heart for The Empty Chair from Luke 15:1-10.

-Each chair symbolizes a person, and the empty chair stands for the person that is not here in church. It stands for potential, a person disenfranchised with the church, Christianity, and religion.

-Jesus often hung out with people that wouldn't have been sociably acceptable company for the typical religious person. Why? Because Jesus has a heart for people that are far from him and don't know him.

-Jesus makes it clear that the passion and heart of the Father is towards the ones that are lost and far from Him, not the self-righteous, prideful, religious people.

-When Jesus makes the analogy of the lost sheep and the lost coin, it honors the lost, challenges the disciples, and ticks off the religious.

-What causes a party to break out in heaven? When one person that doesn't know Jesus repents of their sin, turns towards God, and starts a relationship with Jesus. Now, shouldn't the church promote, strive for, and celebrate the same thing?

The point of the message was that The Empty Chair is incredibly important to God, and that care and urgency must be matched by the Church and by followers of Jesus. Here are the three ideas I wanted people to remember to support the point of the message:

1. God takes the initiative to go to great lengths to bring back to Himself those who are estranged from Him.
-I love the fact that God pursues us, and I'll never forget that I was once lost and empty and God sent Jesus out to rescue me. That totally flips the ideology that God is some big religious bully waiting on you to mess up so he can laugh at you and expects you to come crawling back to Him after you fail.

2. Reclaiming such people should lead to joyous celebration.
-We celebrate when people's lives are changed! We party at our baptism services! We embrace the "party hard" mentality from this passage, and that's just the way we roll. And honestly, if live change doesn't get you fired up, then you probably aren't going to like REVO.

3. The faithfulness of the majority never excuses us from ignoring anyone who still remains distant from God.
-Regardless of how many people gave their life to Jesus last year, regardless of how many people got baptized, regardless of the incredible stories of life change that we experienced, the mission is not done. The job is not complete. As long as their are empty chairs in this city, we're still going to be relentless about turning our time, energy, and resources to finding the lost sheep and the lost coin.

The first sermon of the new series in a new year in a new location mentioned the most important chair. The thing that God is most passionate about and the idea that jumpstarts the party in heaven, is when the empty chair is no longer empty.

-"Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays?" Jesus Doesn't Care-

2011-12-12T16:26:00.001-06:00

The "Occupy Wall Street" protests are getting a little stale, so it's time to look at another point of tension. It's the hotly debated topic of whether or not retailers and Americans in general should keep "Christ in Christmas." Ground zero of the argument is specifically saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas."

The "Occupy Christmas" protests are a lot more digital than its predecessor, but money is still involved. Most people post their picket signs on facebook or twitter with complaints about others offering no regard to "the real reason for the season." The irony of most of those posts is that the only time most people post something on Facebook about Jesus is when they are complaining about other people not acknowledging Him. Really?? To make it Twitter compatible in 140 characters or less, I'd go with, "Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays? I don't think Jesus cares."

Some shoppers even threaten to boycott stores that say any salutation other than "Merry Christmas." I guess if you want to hit them where it hurts, the best place to aim is their pockets. But before you get the undies on your gingerbread men in a wad, let's think about this from a biblical standpoint.

Whose responsibility is it to tell people about Jesus? Whose responsibility is it to make sure His name is appropriately proclaimed? Whose speech, attitude, actions, and lives are REALLY suppose to be representing Christ?

In Scripture, Jesus said:
Acts 1:8- YOU are to be my witnesses...
Mark 8:29- Who do YOU say that I am?

Jesus never said "Walmart is to be a witness to my name." I can hear people telling Jesus, "some people are saying Happy Holidays and some Winter Solstice and some Happy Kwanza and not even telling people Merry Christmas?!?!" And I could imagine Jesus saying, "I don't care how Hallmark is portraying me on their cards, who do YOU say I am? What is YOUR life conveying to the world about who I am?"

Jesus calls believers to represent Him and make his name famous in the world today. A retailers job is to sell you reasonably well-crafted products at a competitive price. Their mission statement is not Matthew 28:18-20 and purpose statement is not Acts 1:8.

It's not Hallmark's responsibility to tell people about Jesus on their Christmas cards. It's not the job of some retail corporate giant to acknowledge Jesus in their marketing and advertisements. As followers of Jesus, it's OUR responsibility to tell people about Jesus.

So stop freaking out. Step down off the soapbox and enjoy some eggnog. Stop shifting the blame onto secular organizations for not talking about Jesus. Stop posting sappy monologues on Facebook about people taking "Christ out of Christmas."

Stop trying to "Occupy Christmas" and go tell someone about Jesus.

-My Greatest Fear in Leadership-

2011-12-03T08:00:00.000-06:00

Most people I know are scared to fail. I'm not. Am I scared of the dark woods behind my house? Maybe. But I'm not scared of failure.

Many leaders are scared of failure. It clouds the decision making process and sways opinions. The emotion of fear can easily replace the reason of logic. Fear can make you do and say things. Even worse, fear can make you NOT do things and NOT say things.

Being scared to fail can cripple a leader. A fear of failure puts your focus on the rear-view mirror instead of looking out of the windshield. Failure sees obstacles, not opportunities. Failure is so consumed with the risks that the rewards are hardly ever mentioned. Failure can make you satisfied with good, which becomes your greatest hurdle to ever being great.

I'm not scared to fail, but I will tell you what I am scared of. In fact, scared is a mild term for it. Petrified, intimidated, and downright aghast would be more fitting!

My greatest fear is the threat of mediocrity. In my life, church, ministry, family, leadership, everything!

What if my ministry was successful, but not significant?
What if my church had the presence of people, but not the presence of God?
What if I lived an average life and died an average person?

The threat of being mediocre is an incredible motivator. Figure out what your greatest fear is. If it's something lame, then change it. I would hate to look back on my life and realize that something so insignificant and trite as "failure" determined who I was and what I was able to accomplish.

-Asking For A BIG Favor-

2011-11-17T06:57:00.000-06:00

"Secular" Music in Church?

2011-11-08T06:07:00.000-06:00

There exists in the minds of many Christians a tension between things that are “sacred” and things that are “secular.” I do not believe this divide exists biblically. It is more accurate to function under the reality that some things exalt and point to Jesus and some things do not. The question, “Is it permissible for a church to play a secular song in a service?” operates under a false premise. The question should be, “Can playing a song that is not overtly biblical serve to bring glory to God and point people to Jesus?”With that being said, last week at REVO the band covered the song “Grenade” by Bruno Mars. The song was not used as a worship song. The audience was not instructed to stand and participate, and words were not put on the screen for the church to sing along. The song was used as a connection piece that would increase excitement about the launch of a new sermon series, and as an illustration that revealed a relational dynamic in need of Jesus in order to be corrected and made healthy.“Secular” service elements in “sacred” services are often extremely beneficial. Respected teachers in the evangelical community use stories, props, art, and other creative elements to set up, point to, or unpack biblical truth. When removed from the context of the sermon or service for which these elements were planned they may appear to have no relationship to the Gospel, but in context, are used to set up a comparison, illustration, or analogy that will ultimately serve to point people to truth.REVO Church is prepared to push the limits, face criticism, and think outside of established methodologies in order to connect with and point people to Jesus Christ and His life-changing Gospel.

-3 Things Church Planters Need to Know: 3. Find Older People-

2011-07-31T19:47:00.002-05:00

When our team started REVO Church, we were laser focused on our demographic. We moved to Winston-Salem, NC to reach 18-35 year olds. Only 12.2% of people in this age range in NC attend church. HUGE NEED!

We also were focused on reaching people that didn't know Jesus. We weren't interested in starting a church that a bunch of Christians could start coming to. We didn't want to 'swap sheep' with other churches, or inherit a bunch of people that were disgruntled with their current church and wanted to bring their negativity and problems to REVO. We wanted to reach lost people that were disenfranchised with church, Jesus, God, and the Gospel. A strong percentage of our current church meets these 2 criteria, so I'm excited to say we are reaching our goals!

We have a church full of young adults, young leaders, and new Christians. I slowly began to realize that these people were looking for something: a mentor, a coach, a person that would invest in them spiritually and emotionally. Then I figured it out: REVO Church needs older, solid Christians in it!

According to research, 75% of Millennials (born between 1980-2000) would like a leader to come beside them and teach them leadership skills. More than 40% of Millenials currently have a mentor.

So my prayers began to change, and I continue to ask God to send solid, older Christian couples to our church to invest in the lives of our incredible young leaders.

A young church needs solid Christian couples to model what a Godly marriage looks like. A young church needs strong Christian moms and dads that can model how to lead a family. A young church needs people with some experience, that have 'been there, done that' to help young leaders move forward in their life and develop. A young church with new converts needs older believers that have journeyed with God and followed Him for a season to help disciple people just beginning a relationship with God.

REVO's mission statement is 'to spark a revolution of life change through Jesus.' A revolution crosses cultural, racial, social, AND generational lines. A group of young college students in their 20's isn't a revolutionary church, it's a fraternity.

For the church to remain healthy and keep growing, the cycle has to happen.

Lost people come to church.
Church people come to Christ.
New Christians become disciples.
Disciples become disciple makers.

In every step of the cycle, an older generation can come alongside a young church under the vision and leadership of the pastor and have a huge impact on a younger generation and a city full of people in desperate need of the Gospel.

-3 Things Church Planters Need to Know: 2. Avoid 'Ministry Pornography'-

2011-07-28T17:58:00.005-05:00

Everyone loves a good success story. A 'rags-to-riches' story is even better. Yet nothing is more enticing and alluring to a young pastor/church planter than the story of a new church that explodes with growth in a very short period of time. Even though these churches and leaders can be a ministry petri dish that others can study, analyze, and learn from, there is also a danger in becoming too enamored.

Ed Stetzer, the research guru for Lifeway, calls it 'Ministry Pornography.' 'Ministry porn happens when an unrealistic image of another church that most pastors will never have begins to distract them from experiencing the real and wonderful church that God has entrusted them with.' It's so easy to get caught up in a Bride in another location that you lose the passion and feeling for the Bride God has called you to.

Why doesn't my church look as cool as that church does?
Why aren't we growing as fast?
Why don't we have multiple services? Multiple campuses?
Why aren't 100 people giving their life to Christ every time I preach?
Why don't we have as much money?

The questions breed discontent in people's minds and drive a wedge between ministers and the very thing they are called to protect, shepherd, lead, and care for. And when times get tough or things aren't happening the way you wished they would, so many pastors pack up and leave for greener pastures, a 'sexier' Bride that looks more promising and poised for exponential growth.

Don't fall into the trap! The quickest way to lose your joy in the ministry is to start comparing yourself to others. 'Stop striving for the religious version of 'success' in your church. Get over the ministry love affair you have with your favorite big-time leader and keep faithfully pastoring the church God has called you to!'

Next Post, #3: Find Some Old People-

-3 Things Church Planters Need to Know: 1. Develop Leaders-

2011-07-27T13:33:00.006-05:00

A guy planting a new church in North Carolina met with me the other day and asked a great question:

"What do you know now that you wish someone would have emphasized to you at the beginning of your church planting process?"

I could have given him 1,000 things that I've tried, wondered about, succeeded at, failed miserably, or was intrigued by, but I narrowed the answer down to three ideas:

1. Develop Leaders-

Don't approach church planting (or ministry for that matter) with the "Lone Ranger" mentality. Studies show that the average person can have a direct impact and influence on approximately 100 people. A pastor/planter is no different. If his direct realm of personal influence gets any bigger than 100 people, then people/issues/opportunities start falling between the cracks. It's no wonder that the average size of the American evangelical church today is hovering around 89 people. They have one guy that is giving all that he has to his calling, and he's maxed out his pastoral ability. A lack of leadership development often impedes the growth of the church and makes the pastor a "jack of all trades, but master of none." Reproducing yourself as a leader is crucial for church growth and discipleship. Fight the mentality that you have to do everything, be involved in everything, and make all the decisions yourself! A high mark of good leadership is the ability to delegate. A strong leadership legacy is the people you have developed to lead in your place.

Next up, Avoid "Ministry Pornography"-

-Time Management: 1 Question to Ask, 3 Steps to Take-

2011-06-26T15:10:00.002-05:00

How do you manage your time? How do you prioritize everything that you have to do in a day? How do you determine what to say "no" to and what you need to make time for? These are questions that I get asked occasionally, and the answer really comes down to 1 question and 3 steps.

The Question: Is what you are doing with your time making an impact and changing the world?

I think almost everyone would agree that they would like their life to make a difference in the world today. If that's your goal, then what are you doing with your time to accomplish that and see results? Take every event, meeting, and time grabber on your calendar and ask of it the question above. If the answer is yes, then I think it's a great way to spend your time. If not, then I think you're wasting it.

The 3 steps come from Mark 2:1-12.

1. Grab a Corner. The 4 friends woke up and decided the way they would spend their time that day was getting their friend to Jesus. Does the corner that you grab every day have purpose?

2. Tear the Roof Off! The friends were willing to do whatever it took to get their friend to Jesus. Nothing was too expensive, nothing was too time consuming, and nothing was going to stop them. Are you willing to do whatever it takes for your life to make a difference?

3. Life Change. Jesus said the man's sins were forgiven as a result of the faith of his friends. When was the last time you played a part in someone's life change story?

So what are you spending your time on?

-3 things God tells Preachers/Pastors-

2011-06-20T19:19:00.002-05:00

In Jeremiah chapter 1, God tells Jeremiah 3 things before he starts his prophetic ministry that are guidelines for his preaching. I try and strive to apply these things anytime I prepare and preach a message.

1. "Now, I have put My words in your mouth" (vs. 9). Preach the Words of God. Jeremiah's message was powerful because God had given him the words to say and the message to preach. Jeremiah could be confident in the results and authoritative in his proclamation because he knew the message came from God.

2. "Get yourself ready!" (vs. 17). Be prepared. Get ready to deliver the important message from God with clarity, conviction, and authority. Do whatever you need to do to correctly represent the One sending the message. Delivery can help you or hurt you, so use it to your advantage.

3. "They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you" (vs. 19). Ministry is tough. Sometimes when you stand up and preach it feels like you against the world. With Jeremiah, it practically was! It was a tough message, one that no one wanted to hear, but Jeremiah had the confidence that God was in his corner and was holding him up as he proclaimed the message. God told him from the very beginning that Jeremiah's calling would be tough, but promised he wouldn't do it alone.

Preach the Word, prepare like it all depends on you, and know that God has your back. Let's go!

Detox Doctrine: Taking Care of the Poor-

2011-06-02T06:55:00.002-05:00

Q: When along the way in Christianity did we start going away from the idea of taking care of the poor as they did in Acts when it said there was no one in need? And what can we do as a group/church to get back to that?

A: I wrote a blog a while back entitled "Charities are Terrible!" Click HERE to read it before you go on to the answer below.

I think right now we have a great opportunity as the Church to regain our responsibilities of meeting social needs and tackling social justice issues. With a fickle economy, high gas prices, and so much uncertainty in the stock and real estate markets, people are giving less and less of their money away. Charities are having to cut back on paid staff positions and their reach of influence is shrinking due to a lack of funding. This is unfortunate because many people will go unhelped by these charities. This is also fortunate that many people will go unhelped by these charities, because it will allow the Church to step up and meet these needs like it was originally intended. The struggling economy can serve as tool to refocus the church to give more and meet unreached needs.

James 1:27 mentions the importance of looking after orphans and widows, and Jesus's ministry was marked by times he helped people that were in need. REVO's stance is modeled after Jesus's ministry. We want to do more than just provide a meal or a place to stay. We want to invest in the person and help them Move Forward in their life. We want them to know Jesus and begin a relationship with him.

WARNING: Anytime someone asks me what the CHURCH is doing to help meet a need or reach out to a specific group of people, I always have the same response: You tell me what YOU are doing first. So many people think it's a great idea for the church to spend money and give their time, but personally they aren't giving much at all. They throw the responsibility back on the corporate church instead of realizing that THEY ARE the church. When Scripture says that the church ought to take care of needs, it's really referring to the people that make up the church, not some 501(c)(3) with a bank account. In the original text mentioned in the question, the reason the people didn't have a need is because others in the church sold land, gave money, and met these needs personally.

So, what if the church followed YOUR example? What if the church gave, served, and really sacrificed the same percentage of time and money that YOU do personally? Would we be able to look out and make that same statement found in Acts: because of YOUR example and YOU setting the standard for giving, no one has any needs? Are YOU so filled with the grace of God that the overflow of generosity and servanthood in your life motivates others to give more and serve harder?

I'll leave you with a quote from one of Michael Jackson's #1 hits:

I'm Starting With The Man In the Mirror.
I'm Asking Him To Change His Ways
And No Message Could Have Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World
A Better Place Take A Look At Yourself,
And Then Make A Change.

Detox Doctrine: Should Babies be Baptized?

2011-06-01T13:48:00.003-05:00

Q: Should Babies be Baptized?

A: Infant baptism is popular is some religious denominations, but the biblical answer to this is no. I base this on a few criteria that Scripture lays out about the prerequisites for baptism.

1. Before someone is baptized, they need to hear and comprehend the Gospel. Romans 10:14 urgently drives this idea. But don't get too carried away with simply hearing. After all, you can preach a sermon to a baby and they'll hear it, right? #2 goes further.

2. Before someone is baptized, they have to believe the Gospel. Mark 16:15-16 puts the order of belief before baptism. Belief comes from the hearing and comprehension of the Gospel message. Cognitively, I know 5 and 6 year-olds that cannot do that yet, much less infants and toddlers. Also look at Acts 2:41.

3. Before someone is baptized, they have to repent of their sins. Acts 2:38-39 mentions the act of repentance prior to baptism. This passage may also be a stumbling block for the advocated of infant baptism. The word "children" is used in verse 39, and the offer of baptism seems to be extended to babies as well. However, upon further study of the word, the actual meaning is "offspring or descendants," which has nothing to do with age.

4. Before someone is baptized, they must confess Jesus as Lord. I know, I know. I hear it from every mom: My baby is advanced. My baby is already rolling over, crawling, standing, walking, talking, running, eating by herself, saying the alphabet, solving rubics cubes, and doing your tax returns. I get it, you think your kid is better, smarter, and more advanced and special than any other kid. Your parental ego has to be contained!! (Besides, my kid can do all that PLUS more, so there!) Seriously though, Romans 10:9-10 makes it clear that after belief comes confessing with our mouths. A verbal profession of faith is important to your story and the advancement of the Gospel.

Now I know there's a great DVD set going around that can teach your baby to memorize and read books, but until your kid (or anyone person for that matter) can confidently execute the four things mentioned above in Scripture, then I suggest you keep them out of the pool.

Detox Doctrine: Communion

2011-06-01T13:06:00.002-05:00

Q: Growing up, I attended churches that celebrated the "Lord's Supper" every Sunday based on 1 Corinthians 11:23 onward. Why doesn't REVO have a weekly communion?

A: There isn't a hard and fast answer concerning the frequency of communion in churches. Some church's do it every week, other's do it once a month, and others do it quarterly. Since there is no right or wrong way when it comes to the frequency of administering communion in churches today, I'll share with you my thoughts on communion and when we do it at REVO Church.

The taking of communion is an incredibly important act of worship. It's an opportunity to remember the pain and sacrifice of the cross, but also the love and grace of God. I've been a part of churches in the past that simply "tag" communion onto the end of the service. I have to ask myself, when Jesus said "do this in remembrance of me," is that what he had in mind? Taking an extremely significant act of worship and boiling it down to a 5 minute devotional accompanied by stale crackers and a plastic cup of grape juice or wine? I'm not accusing your church of having that mentality or handling it that way, but I sure don't want to be a part of any more superficial Supper's in my life.

When we do communion at REVO Church, I want to dedicate the entire service to it. I want to explain it, analyze it, break it down, and find the emotion and drive behind it. Maybe it's the expositor coming out in me, but I want to find the true power of communion in Scripture and the words and actions of Christ. I want to not only preach it with great boldness, but observe it having understood the true meaning and importance and allow that to help me Move Forward in my relationship with God.

Another reason why REVO doesn't do communion every week is because I'm weary of experiential satiation. Is it possible that we can do something SO often in the life of the Church that it can become totally void of any meaning and significance? Can overexposure do more to dull our senses and mindset about communion than to actually remind us of it's power and hope? I think so.

Again, I'm not accusing you or your pastor of wrongdoing. I would personally love to know how communion can be incorporated into every weekly service without become lackluster and routine.

Why doesn't REVO have communion every Sunday? Each time we do communion at REVO, I want to take time to explain it, observe it, and worship through the process without simply squeezing it into an already full order of worship.

Detox Doctrine: Homosexuality?

2011-06-01T12:57:00.002-05:00

Q: Can a homosexual be a Christian? And to stir the pot a little more, what if a homosexual person came to Christ, didn’t act on his or her sexual feelings, but was still attracted to members of the same sex?

A: Politics, religion, society, tv, movies, it’s everywhere right now! Homosexuality is a hot button issue. First and foremost, homosexuality is a right vs. wrong issue. Morality is based on God, so right/wrong have no effect on human desires/opinions. Right vs. wrong is not a matter of opinion, it’s a matter of fact. The slippery slope with morality is that many times people think that their opinion actually dictates the standard of morality. When it comes to morality, the standard is not a majority rules conclusion by the general public. God is the dictator of morality. Read Romans 1:25, and don’t exchange the truth of God for a lie and attempt to replace God as the bar-setter for morality.

As far as answering the question from Scripture, the Bible doesn’t condemn homosexual orientation, just homosexual acts. This helps answer one of the most recent arguments of homosexuality: “I was born this way.” How you got there is irrelevant, it’s what you do with it. We are all born sinners, but when we act on our sinful nature, then it becomes a problem. Just because you are genetically disposed to a particular behavior doesn’t make it morally right.

Despite the statement above, don’t try to pin me as a “one sin pony.” Sometimes when Christians make a statement about homosexuality they are denounced as homophobic, intolerant, and sometimes plain out hateful. That’s not me. Remember the real purpose of the Detox series is to show doctrine in light of Scripture, not just personal agendas or opinions. I’m not just picking on one group of people. I’m an equal opportunity repenter. Homosexual acts are condemned in Scripture, just like ALL sexual acts outside of marriage are. It’s sexual immorality.

Here’s a big problem with American culture: we categorize sin. For some reason, we see the sins of another person and think they are a lot worse than ours when in actuality God detests their sins just as much as he detests yours. So don’t think for one minute that your sin is somehow more palatable than someone else’s. Matthew 7:5, don’t be so concerned with the sin of your neighbor that you become de-synthesized by your own sin. Don’t be so busy knocking homosexuality in someone else that you think going home at night and looking at porn on your computer is somehow less offensive to God. What you need to do is stop judging other people and start repenting of the sexual sin in your own life.

As far as the second question goes, I ran across this quote from William Lane Craig in a great little book he wrote:

“A homosexual that is living straight and keeping himself pure ought to be able to stand up and say, ‘I’m a homosexual. But by God’s grace and by the power of the Holy Spirit, I’m living chastely for Christ.’ And I hope that we would have the courage and love to welcome him or her as a brother or sister in Christ.”

Can a homosexual be a Christian? The bible explicitly says that homosexuality is a sin of sexual immorality, which makes it morally wrong. BUT, that doesn’t mean that you can’t find salvation in Jesus or that you’re automatically going to hell, and it doesn’t mean that we don’t want you here at REVO Church. We do. In fact, there are no perfect people allowed at REVO Church.

Detox Doctrine: Why didn't the world end on May 21, 2011?

2011-05-31T21:50:00.003-05:00

Q: Why didn't the world end on May 21, 2011?

A: It's pretty pure and simple: Matthew 24:36. If anyone ever tells you they know the date then do me a favor and slap them for me, because they are calling Jesus a liar. I mean really, this man named Harold Camping from California put up over 2,000 billboards in the US alone, and spent over $100 million worldwide advertising that the end of the world was going to end on May 21, 2011 at 6:00. He did the same thing in 1994, but then he came back and said he did a miscalculation and it’s really in 2012. Now that the May deadline passed, he's already said the exact date is actually in October of 2011.

Answer: Because God said it wouldn’t. And some dude forgot to read his Bible before he started talking.

Detox Doctrine: Is it ok that I'm glad we killed Osama Bin Laden?

2011-05-31T21:45:00.003-05:00

Q: Is is ok that I'm glad we killed Osama Bin Laden?

Check out Matthew 5:46, Matthew 5:21-26.

We are a lot more like Osama Bin Laden than we’d like to think. Again, I know I've mentioned this before, but what is the standard? Osama, or Jesus? Here are some thoughts from a really great article: 1. We should be satisfied that God is just. 2. We should be sad at the reality of destruction and death, and 3. We should be grateful for the grace of God. Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:10 emphasizes that it’s only by the grace of God that I don’t get the same punishment as him. Not because you earned it, not because you’re better than he is, only by the grace of God.

Answer: Find joy in justice, sorrow in the loss of lives that are apart from Jesus, and gratefulness for the grace of God.

Detox Doctrine: Is Interracial Marriage ok?

2011-05-31T21:42:00.002-05:00

Q: Is interracial marriage ok?

A: The most commonly quoted verse from people that say interracial marriage is not ok is this: 2 Corinthians 6:14a. And I say “a” because it’s almost like people stop reading after the first few words. Being unequally yoked means that followers of Christ should not marry people that don’t believe in Christ. Why? You have totally different mentalities. You have totally different sets of morals and standards. You don’t believe in the same thing. For the believer, Jesus is central, for their money, their life, their relationships, everything. And for a person that doesn’t follow Jesus, all of their wants and desires and expectations pull in the opposite direction. But some people take this as “if you’re white, you shouldn’t marry any other person except a white person.” It’s not biblical; in fact, it’s racial and ignorant. You may not want to marry someone of a different race, but don’t blame it on the Bible.

Answer: There’s nothing in Scripture that says you can’t marry someone of a different race than you.

Doctrine Detox: Can you lose your salvation?

2011-05-31T21:38:00.003-05:00

Q: Can you lose your salvation?

A: Here's the short of it: No. To lose something you have to have had it in the first place. If it's true faith, then it will persevere. Scripture will argue that if a person was walking with Jesus and then turns their back on Him, then their faith was not authentic in the first place. You can't lose what you don't have.

Answer: A person can't lost their salvation, but they can have an unauthentic and impersonal relationship with Jesus that will be exposed as preposterous especially during tough times in life.

Detox Doctrine: I'm a Christian, can I drink a beer?

2011-05-31T21:32:00.002-05:00

Q: I'm a Christian, can I drink a beer?

A: I don't drink. I know what the Bible says about drinking.

Sometimes, those two sentences rarely go together, which creates skewed misconceptions and judgmental glares.

Even though many people will claim "it's in there somewhere," nowhere in the Bible will you find a verse that says "thou shalt not drink beer." For some people, that’s the 11th commandment, but the reality is it’s just not there. I can tell you a few things that are in Scripture about drinking. It speaks out against getting drunk and having to much to drink. It also warns against doing anything that will cause someone else to stumble (Romans 14:21), and also to live a life above reproach (1 Timothy 3:1-7).

Answer: Alcohol in moderation under the law is a freedom that people have, as long as it doesn’t become a hindrance to the Gospel or your influence in the community to appropriately represent Jesus.

Detox Doctrine: What is Hell?

2011-05-31T21:27:00.003-05:00

Q: What is hell?

A: This question is important because it has to do with salvation, eternity, and the Gospel. Stephen Hawking, author of "The Grand Design” and “A Brief History of Time” said this a few weeks ago: “The belief in Heaven/hell is a fairytale for people that are afraid of the dark.” It’s obvious the misconceptions surrounding this question just from how we talk about it. I remember hearing a guy tell me back in January “It’s cold as hell out here.” Come on man, if you’re going to cuss, at least do it right! On the other hand, I saw a church sign the other day that said “Think it’s hot hear? What until you get to hell!” Hell is more than just a hot day where you need to turn the A/C on or go out and lay on the beach and get a sun tan.

Hell is a literal place, conscious place. Hell is separation from God. Matthew 10:28, Matthew 25:30. Jesus talked about hell more than any other author or person in the Bible. Notice the descriptions of hell throughout Scripture. Matthew 25 talks about being in deep anguish and weeping. Revelation 20:10- Tormented day and night. It's graphic and intense.

And here's a terrible misconception that I've heard people say: All my buddies will be in hell when they die, so we’ll be sitting down with Satan telling dirty jokes and drinking tequila together. No rules, do whatever we want to do. Unfortunately, that's not a legitimate claim. There will be suffering, and you will know what’s going on. It’s not going to be a marshmallow roast. It’s eternal damnation and separation from God.

So what is hell? A literal place of separation from God that involves eternal punishment. Hell is a place that because of our sins against God, we all deserve to go to and will go to, unless we have been saved by the sacrifice and propitiation of Jesus’s death on the cross.

Detox Doctrine: Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

2011-05-31T21:15:00.003-05:00

Q: Why do bad things happen to good people?

A: First of all, you’re making an assumption that you are “good people,” when in actuality, we are all bad. We are sinners, we have fallen short of the glory of God. It’s another argument that has to do with who is setting the standard. Are you good? Compared to whom? The serial killer in jail? The Taliban? Pedophiles and prostitutes and child abusers? The standard for man is not “as long as I’m better than my neighbor then I’m ok”, it’s “how do I stack up to Jesus?” Romans 3:10-12 makes it clear that no one even comes close to be “good” in the eyes of God. Isaiah 64:6- In fact, your good deeds and acts of righteousness are like filthy rags in the sight of God. Man comes nowhere near the level of the goodness of God. Realize first that there are no “good” people. We are all depraved, sinful, and fallen short of the Glory of God.

Maybe a better question would be “why do good things happen to bad people like us?” Walk through the Gospel with me. Romans 6:23, Romans 10:9, John 3:16. We don’t deserve anything, yet God gave us his best. Why did God do that for me? That ought to be a question that blows your mind.

Another question could be “Why do bad things happen to people that seem to be undeserving of them?” God will do things we don’t understand, but one thing we do need to remember is why God does anything at all. God does things and puts things into action to bring Himself Glory and make His name known. God isn’t there to make you happy, or wealthy, or to make sure you never had a bad day. This gig isn’t about you, it’s all about Him. If we don’t understand it, guess what, that’s ok. God doesn’t have to explain himself to us and get our approval before he does things. Check out Proverbs 3:5-6.

Another thing to remember is that we are not the judge. Everyone will stand accountable for their life here on earth. God is the judge, not you.

So why do bad things happen to good people? Remember first that the standard for good and evil is God, and in his sight no one is good. Secondly, God doesn’t have to get our approval or explain himself to his creation every time he makes a move or something happens. And lastly, this question should honestly confront us with the grace and love and hope of the Gospel more than anything else. Why would God show us any favor and love and allow us to enjoy anything he has made? But despite being an enemy of God and rebelling against him, he gives us another chance at forgiveness and salvation through Jesus.

REVO Text-in Service: Doctrine Questions

2011-05-30T18:00:00.003-05:00

Over the month of May, I asked people to send in their tough Doctrine Questions that weren't answered during our Detox series at REVO Church. On May 29th, the three pastors at REVO fielded the questions that people had emailed, texted, and written on our facebook and twitter pages. The next few posts are the LIVE answers to the questions that were asked.

You can also listen to the podcast of this service my clicking HERE.

Q: What happens when you die?

A: Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:8 that the body and soul separate. Your body stay here on earth and becomes fertilizer, and your soul goes on to the afterlife (heaven or hell, depending on how you answer the question "Who is Jesus?"

As far as the timeline goes, Luke 23:43 records that when Jesus was hanging on the cross and one of the criminals recognized for who he truly was, Jesus told him TODAY you will be with me in heaven. There are a few scenarios that people argue concerning this thought:

1. One popular misconception/thought is purgatory. Souls go to a “holding tank” to be purified by their sins. People on earth pray for their forgiveness and one day, if enough people pray for them they will reach the state of sanctification and be allowed into heaven. The Catholic faith get this from extra-biblical sources in the Apocrypha, so the main thrust behind the concept of purgatory doesn’t even come from the Bible. I'm not comfortable basing my concept of eternity on extra-biblical sources.

2. Some people believe in Soul-Sleep, or an unconscious, sleep state. When you die your soul just goes to sleep. You just kind of cease to exist; you really just turn into nothing. However, the word “sleep’ in Scripture is often used as a synonym for the temporary death that believers in Jesus experience, so people have gotten these concepts confused. 1 Corinthians 15:55-57, death is not the end. It doesn’t just stop. Christ was victorious over death, so that we could have eternal life.

A book was recently published by Rob Bell called "Love Wins." The way he answers this question in the book is that when we die, the Love of God trumps all other rules and regulations, and in the end all will go to heaven regardless of what decisions were made on earth. It's a sketchy form of universalism I suppose. So I guess that brings about another question: Will people have another chance to choose Christ after they die?

The answer is no. Luke 16:24-26 tells the story of the rich man in hell that calls out for help, begs for another chance, and tries to bargain with God. The statement "none may cross" from hell to heaven or back to earth drives home this idea.

So what happens when you die? You don’t go to sleep, you don’t get put in a waiting room (a cosmic DMV of sorts), and you don’t have one more chance to do the right thing. You immediately enter the presence of God as a believer in Jesus or endure eternal punishment and separation from God in Hell.

-3 Thoughts on an AMAZING Baptism Service-

2011-05-01T19:10:00.002-05:00

In his book “Making Vision Stick,” Andy Stanley wrote, “What is celebrated is duplicated.” Today, just 10 weeks after our launch service, REVO Church celebrated the lives that have been changed by Jesus as we baptized 11 people. If the duplication of life change was based solely on how hard we partied and how loud we cheered, we’re in for a crazy ride in the next few months! Here are a few thoughts from today’s baptism service.

-We had a 10-year-old girl and a 60-year-old man get baptized today. I know I’ve said this before, but it’s worth repeating; a revolutionary church crosses social, racial, ethnic, class, and generational lines. A group of 20-year-old white dudes that are all alike isn’t a revolutionary church … that’s called a fraternity.

-I can remember talking with some of the staff from Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC, last year and asking them what is the best way to promote, advertise, and market a church. I was thinking mass mailers, trendy posters, and big feather signs at the front doors. Their response? Life change. When someone’s life gets changed, they tell everyone. When someone has an authentic encounter with Jesus, the natural reaction is to share it. Today was our largest service since the launch, even bigger than Easter last week! I talked with multiple guests today and their response was all the same: I’ve heard about how Jesus has changed lives through this church and I wanted to come see what it was all about. Want to pack out your church? Want to grow exponentially? Preach, teach, and live Jesus, and watch the stories of life change multiply.

-Over half the people that were baptized at REVO Church today came to REVO initially as the result of an invite from a friend. Someone shared with them, invested in them, and took the time to tell them about Jesus and REVO. What started as a vulnerable conversation inviting someone to church resulted in life change! You want to tell me people aren’t receptive to the Gospel? You want to tell me that a simple invite is ineffective? You want to tell me that the vast majority of young people in the world today view God as irrelevant? I’ve got 11 wet, soggy people that would beg to differ. If Jesus, the Gospel, and the Church is as important and life changing as you claim it is, why aren’t you inviting more people to be a part of it?

I’ve got many more stories and thoughts from an amazing day, but I’ll just give you a reminder to close it out.

Just in case you forgot why we do what we do…
Just in case you forgot why we started REVO…
Just in case you forgot why we love big, serve hard, live bold, grow deep, and move forward…

I’ll remind you.

It’s all about life change! REVO Church exists to spark a revolution of life change through Jesus. And when we see life change and see people moving from death to life and start an authentic relationship with God through Jesus, we celebrate.

And I’m usually not one to brag, but REVO does throw a killer party-

-The Sermon Starts in the Parking Lot-

2011-03-14T16:13:00.003-05:00

A friend of mine sent me an audio clip of Pastor Steven Furtick reading a note that a visitor of Elevation Church sent him after attending their Sunday worship experience. The letter was bragging on the volunteers for loving and honoring the guests that come to Elevation Church each and every week. That particular Sunday, Pastor Steven was preaching on “Honor” and the guests felt that the volunteers were really living out the message even before it was spoken.

As a pastor of a church plant, I know that we live and die by our volunteers. There is no way a worship experience could be done with excellence at a new church without countless hours of sacrificial service by an army of volunteers. Yet, what these volunteers do is so much more important than parking cars, cleaning bathrooms, or greeting people at the door. They play an important part in communicating the message that I preach each Sunday. Even though I’m the Teaching Pastor, our volunteers and members preach the message of REVO way before I even step on the stage.

For REVO, the sermon starts in the parking lot.

This Sunday morning around 9:30 when our guests and fellow Revolutionaries start pulling into the parking lot, the sermon entitled ‘Serve Hard’ is already being preached. Rain or shine, freezing or sweating, volunteers enthusiastically scour the parking lot helping people with their bags, unloading kids, and escorting people to the front doors. It’s all part of our Guest Services team, striving to give customer service to our guests that even the finest restaurant or most exclusive club or successful business would be jealous over!

Guest Services preaches the sermon almost an hour before the stage lights go up.

After a warm greeting, people are welcomed to a table covered with pastries, donuts, drinks, and gourmet coffee. Our volunteers are always nearby, willing to help serve people that want to grab a bite to eat and a good cup of coffee before the service starts. It’s our way of making people feel welcome at REVO, taking an approach that blurs the lines between good friend and special guest.

Our hospitality volunteers preach the sermon about 30 minutes before the doors to the auditorium even open.

When parents roll in with strollers full of kids and diapers and bottles of juices labeled with brightly colored nametags, the kid’s volunteers take over. Check-in help, loving on kids, and serving their parents are all part of the atmosphere.

rWorld kids volunteers preach the sermon about 15 minutes before the first chord is even strummed on the guitar.

When people walk into the auditorium, volunteers are waiting to help you get seated. Need to find 4-5 seats all together in an already crowded room? Just follow one of our volunteers. Is loud music not really your thing? Here’s a pair of earplugs. Don’t know what to expect in one of our worship experiences? No worries, we’ve got the answers.

REVO volunteers are preaching the sermon even when there’s still 4 minutes left on the countdown.

I can’t wait to hear Russ Bennett (REVO’s strategy pastor) preach on ‘Serve Hard’ this Sunday. I’m just as excited that our volunteers will be living out our core values way before Russ opens his bible.

So, to our REVO volunteers and Revolutionaries in Winston-Salem, and to pastors and churches everywhere: the next time someone asks you who is preaching this week, you’ll know the answer.

We all are.

-Why Write a Sermon when you can Preach Someone Else's Message?-

2011-03-05T14:30:00.007-06:00

Why write a sermon when you can preach someone else's message, especially if that message is a lot better than any sermon you could come up with?

It's something I'm learning as the pastor of a new church. Sure, I can write sermons that coincide with specific topics, themes, and ideas, but I want my preaching to be a lot more powerful than that.

I don't want to simply pick a topic and write a sermon. I want to preach what God wants me to preach to this church on this day for these people. I'm tired of trying to master that omniscience thing. I'll let God do that. God knows the people, He knows where they are in life, and He knows what they need to hear from His Word. I'll just pray and ask Him to give me the message He wants me to preach. No more guessing, no more trying to be creative, no more relying on my own experience and sermon writing abilities. God, just give me your message. People have been preaching it for thousands of years now and lives continue to be changed. There's no reason for it to stop now.

Unfortunately, I searched iTunes and God doesn't have a podcast. I can't read his blog each week to find out what next week's message at REVO should be. Yet, God is starting to teach me what to do to hear His message.

-Pray like crazy! If you want to know the message, ask God for it. He's not in the business of hiding His will from you. If you seek it out and earnestly want to be His mouthpiece, He'll tell you what to say. The two prayers I pray to God the most about REVO are: 1. What do you want me to say, and 2. Where do you want us to go?

-Don't move until He tells you! A phrase that our leadership team prays almost daily is, "God, we want to be ahead of everyone else, but behind You." When God says go, then go. Until then, wait on Him. Avoid the temptation to plan it yourself. If you try to do it alone, that's exactly what God will let you do . . . do it alone! Doing ministry without God is powerless. I want REVO to be marked by the presence and the power of God, not man.

-Listen when He talks to you! Here's a great quote: "The closer you are to God, the easier it is to hear Him speak." Are you spending time with God? Are you seeking His face daily? Are you listening, or are you doing all the talking? If you really have a desire to hear from God, then do whatever it takes to get with Him. Wake up early, stay up late, fast, pray, read His Word, just do whatever it takes.

-Say whatever He tells you! Knowing what God wants you to do and say doesn't mean squat if you aren't willing to do it and say it. Don't ask for a second opinion, don't ask for clarity, don't ask if God has changed His mind, just do it! Who cares if it sounds crazy, expensive, time consuming, or flat out impossible. God's not interested in your opinion, He's interested in your obedience.

So preach God's message, let Him change lives, and sit back as He starts the revolution.

-The Best Man at the Wedding-

2011-03-02T14:35:00.009-06:00

I've preached weddings, been a groomsmen at a few, and been the best man at one as well. There are a few constants at every wedding I'm in: 1. The reception is always better than the ceremony (honestly, it's hard to compete with a combination like dancing and little BBQ cocktail wieners!), and 2. The rental tuxedo NEVER fits right. Yet, weddings are always a fun occasion and I enjoy seeing two people joined as one to begin the rest of their lives together.

In John 3:29, John the Baptist describes himself as the best man at a wedding with Jesus as the groom and the people as the bride. Today when we think of the best man, we think of planning the bachelor party, getting all of the groomsmen together, and making sure the groom has an unbelievable wedding weekend. In the first century however, the main responsibility of the best man was to bring the bride to the groom on the wedding day. John says when he hears the groom's voice upon uniting with the bride, the best man finds great joy in that his mission is now complete.

As I stood on stage Sunday and preached this passage at REVO Church's launch, I reminded the audience that REVO is the best man in this wedding. REVO is not the savior of this city; Jesus is the savior of Winston-Salem. Lives will be changed through Jesus, not a relevant gathering or a rocking band and funny speaker in a cool venue. Our task is simply this: bring the bride to the groom. We want to bring people to Jesus. And when those people meet Jesus, they become the best man and go out and bring others to the groom. It's a cyclical process, and it starts and ends with Jesus.

I'm pumped up about what God is doing in this city, and I'm confident when I say the best is yet to come. As long as we keep pointing people to Jesus, and continue to decrease as He increases, then a revolution of life change will continue to happen.

Are you ready?

REVO Church Staff Code

2011-03-01T18:37:00.004-06:00

It's important for leaders to set expectations and goals for their staff to work towards. At REVO we formulated a staff code of 18 statements that all of our staff and volunteers live by:

1. We will spend less and do more.
2. We will take educated risks and take them often.
3. We will work smart and work hard.
4. We will be quick to say we messed up and quick to say we are sorry.
5. We will speak up when we can make things better.
6. We will always be looking for ways to improve.
7. We will ask for more responsibility.
8. We will refuse to be idle and complacent.
9. We will give and give big.
10. We will not take this opportunity for granted.
11.We will fight for the vision of our pastors.
12. We will love people when they least expect it and least deserve it.
13. We will go the extra mile.
14. We will do it right and do it big.
15. We will respect, defend, and speak well of each other.
16. We will never settle for 'good enough.'
17. We will serve the hardest and give all the glory to God.
18. We will have an unquenchable thirst to know God and His Word.

We have an amazing staff that is unified around the vision of REVO and moving forward in their relationship with God. I'm grateful to be yoked with such an incredible group of people.

-Praying Over a Wet Altar-

2011-01-17T18:33:00.004-06:00

This Sunday I’m preaching on “Jesus” and we are going to give our first public invitation to respond to the Gospel message. Our launch team has been praying and fasting for the past two weeks that people would experience life change. The anticipation and excitement of the group is contagious. The REVO team is using language like “when people respond to the Gospel message” and not “if.” It’s not a question of “is anyone going to experience life change,” it’s “how many people are going to get their life changed by Jesus on Sunday.” Honestly, the pressure and expectations are stifling.

I’ve got the message planned out and have a good grasp on the text. In fact, I’m in a place right now where I can sit back and say, “I’ve done everything I can possibly do to get myself prepared to preach on Sunday.” The only bad part about that is… life change doesn’t hinge on MY best. In fact, it doesn’t hinge on my ANYTHING.

I hate to break it to you, but Nathan Cline isn’t going to save anyone. My words or stories or exposition of the text will never get you to heaven. I can’t change anyone’s life.

I’m a firm believer that preaching is the most powerful form of communication in the world, because the preacher has the power of the Holy Spirit. Apart from that, I’ve got nothing.

Its just words on a page.

I’m starting to feel like Elijah did in 1 Kings 18. He had a group of people looking at him as he sat before an altar and prayed to God.

God without You, this is just a pile of wood. Wood on a wet, soggy altar.

Yet Elijah never seems to think about the obvious question: What happens if it doesn’t ignite? What happens if the altar just sits there? No smoke, no heat, no flame, just wet wood.

That’s a tough scenario. Scary, in fact. Yet, strangely enough it’s right where I want our ministry to be. I want REVO Church to be dangerously, maybe even recklessly, dependant on God. I want to build up what God is going to do even before He does it. I want to tell people that lives will be changed by Jesus even before the worship experience starts. I want to build up the level of anticipation so much that people are on the edge of their seats as they listen to the story of Jesus and think to themselves, “I wonder how many people are going to step from death into life today?”

And once we’ve created that culture within REVO Church, there’s only one thing left to do:

Pray.

Pray that God shows up and draws people to Himself. Pray that His spirit would soften hardened hearts and that lives would be changed. Pray that God would wreck people’s lives and help them understand their need for a savior.

Because if He doesn’t show up…

Its just words on a page. Words on a wet, soggy, page.

So here’s my prayer, sort of my own version of 1 Kings 18: 36-39:

“God, Let it be known this day that you are God, and I’m just merely your servant. God change lives, draw people to yourself, show up in a BIG way this Sunday, so that REVO Church will know that you are God! And when we see people go from death to life, when we see people that are searching and hopeless find grace and mercy in your Son, may everyone fall down in worship saying ‘The Lord, He is God. The Lord, He is God.’”

Spark a Revolution of Life Change through Jesus. In case you forgot, it’s why we do what we do.

-Planting, Pastoring, and Leading-

2010-07-28T17:46:00.003-05:00

It didn't take me long to realize there is a lot more that I don’t know about leadership and church planting than I do know. Nevertheless, God has taught me some valuable lessons (some the hard way), and my faith and dependence on Him has grown as a result. Here are a few things God has been reminding me of lately about being a pastor, church planter, and leader.

-Be stingy with the vision. God gave it to you, and it’s not up for debate. Don’t let people water it down, tweak it, or critique it. It doesn’t matter if other people think it’s stupid, risky, costly, or impossible. Maybe that’s why God gave you the vision instead of them, because your faith is young and reckless enough to actually believe it's possible. Trust God, and go through with it.

-Don’t neglect the spiritual leaders/fathers in your city. There’s a lot to learn from existing churches and pastors in your area. Remember, we’re all on the same team. So many pastors have worked their whole lives to improve the spiritual health of the city and people where you are. Many people have had a heart to see your community reached for the Gospel. Church planters have the incredible opportunity to stand on the shoulders of pastors and churches that have come before us. Honor these pastors and leaders, and build on what they have done.

-There’s no such thing as impossible. The minute you believe that something is impossible in the ministry, then you are limiting God and your faith. When it comes down to it, do you want to have a vision and start a church that you can do on your own? Do you want to have faith in yourself and your own abilities, or do you want to have faith in God? Your ability to have a massive impact on your city for the kingdom of God has a direct connection with your concept of faith, how big you think God really is and what he can do through you.

-We’re not a good as we think we are. Some planters think they are God’s gift to church planting, to preaching, and to their city. I’ve got bad news: we’re not! In fact other than our mom and wife, I doubt anyone is as complimentary and blown away by our abilities as we are. Confidence and pride in what we do are great things to have, but let's don’t be so pompous that we work God out of the entire equation. Let's get up every morning and remind ourselves that unless God moves in our lives and in churches in a mighty and supernatural way, we’re a short time from being out of a job and becoming one of the 4,000+ churches in the US that close each year.

-Surround yourself with people that really love you. I mean people who love you so much they’re not afraid to hurt your feelings or tell you things that you don’t want to hear. I know it’s intoxicating to hear compliments and for people to tell you how great you are, but unfortunately most of that sappy jargon doesn’t help you at all. I don’t want a bunch of “yes” guys blowing sunshine up my dress. I want people who are willing to sit me down and tell me what I did wrong, what I can do better, and help motivate me to be a better husband, dad, pastor, planter, and man of God. These people will help keep you humble when pride starts to sneak in, will sharpen you and make you better, and in the end will love you and stick with you through thick and thin.

-What Scares Me the Most-

2010-07-11T09:28:00.000-05:00

There are a myriad of things that I am not to thrilled about: scary movies, darkness, the unknown, heights, spiders, snakes; you know, the usually phobia’s. Yet, as a pastor none of these things compare to the scariest, most dangerous thing I could ever encounter. It’s a silent killer, and most pastors that are infected with it don’t even know they have it. It rarely shows outward symptoms until it’s almost to late to do anything about it.

The thing in ministry that scares me the most is this: I could one day pastor a church that is growing and successful by all worldly measures, and yet be totally void of the presence of God.

Honestly, REVO has a great group assembled to do ministry in Winston-Salem. We have a very talented team of dynamic speakers, classically trained musicians, and cutting edge thinkers that envision doing ministry outside of the box. We have a children’s director that is focused on teaching and molding children in the safest, cleanest, and most technologically advanced setting that we can provide. By these merits alone we can attract a large number of people and create quite a buzz in the city of Winston-Salem.

So many times churches start replacing the presence of God with the presence of the masses and think that success in ministry hinges on how many lights and smoke machines they have, how loud their sound system is, how cool their venue is, and how trendy their staff’s clothes are. A church can be thriving and healthy by all outward signs, but can be so inwardly focused and self-reliant that God is nowhere to be seen.

God protect me from being a man that is so reliant on myself and my own abilities that I leave you out of the equation. Help me to realize that without the presence of your Spirit my words are meaningless, powerless, and vain. God help your church to be desperate for You.

REVO Church

2010-05-24T19:09:00.002-05:00

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Crucifixion: Was it a Hoax?

2010-04-01T19:43:00.002-05:00

Do you know what the most popular piece of jewelry is in the United States? It’s a cross. Even for people that don’t believe in Jesus, don’t know what it means, or just flat out reject it, it is still the most common item when it comes to pendants and charms. It’s hard to believe that the climax of the events that transpired over the last week of Jesus’ life have been summed up in such an insignificant form.

In order to grasp the true significance of the cross, we have to understand its true meaning.

The cross is not just an image to be viewed or an event to be discussed. The cross represents truth to be believed.

Below you’ll see the real tragedy of the cross: the fact that so many people totally miss what it really means. It’s a shame that such an amazing sacrifice goes so unappreciated and misunderstood. Also below, you’ll see a few of the most common resurrection theories. Part of being a believer is knowing why you believe. Because “that’s what my parents told me” won’t cut it in the scholarly, academic world of Winston-Salem. Read over these theories, critique them, and be able to defend your position with logic and Scripture. If you know why you believe what you believe, then you can articulate it to others in a clear and intelligent way in hopes to help them grasp the truth about the resurrection and ultimately about Jesus.

The Tragedy of the Crucifixion

-Some deny the fact of the cross.

“That they said (in boast), ‘We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Apostle of God’;— But they killed him not, Nor crucified him, But so it was made to appear to them, And those who differ therein are full of doubts, With no (certain) knowledge, But only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not:—Nay, God raised him up Unto Himself; and God Is exalted in power, wise.” Qur’an, 4:157-158

-Most miss the meaning of the cross.

“I could accept Jesus as a martyr, an embodiment of sacrifice, and a divine teacher, but not as the most perfect man ever born. His death on the cross was a great example to the world, but that there was anything like a mysterious or miraculous virtue in it, my heart could not accept.” Gandhi

-We desperately need the truth of the cross.

“The cross is the key. If I lose this key I fumble. The universe will not open to me. But with the key in my hand I know I hold its secret.” E. Stanley Jones

Resurrection Theories
Most Christians believe that Jesus died on the cross and then miraculously returned to life. But some non-Christians have proposed other theories to explain what happened. Several of these resurrection theories originated in ancient times, but others are modern. Here are brief descriptions of the best-known theories:

Stolen Body Theory
Some early opponents of Christianity claimed that the followers of Jesus secretly stole his body from the tomb and then invented the whole story of the resurrection. The Gospel of Matthew mentions this accusation in verses 27:64 and 28:13, and refutes it by saying that the tomb was guarded by Roman soldiers.

This accusation may have even prompted the Romans to enact a new ordinance known as the Edict of Caesar. This ordinance, which is engraved on a marble slab found in Galilee, prescribes the death penalty for anyone convicted of unlawfully removing a body from a tomb. It's possible that this law was enacted because of accusations against the followers of Jesus.

The Stolen Body Theory is one of the oldest and best-known resurrection theories. But there are three good arguments against it. First, a hoax involving so many people would be difficult to pull off. Second, the followers of Jesus would have had no plausible motive for carrying out such a plot. And third, do you really think that 10 of the 11 disciples would die a martyr’s death if they knew the whole thing was a lie?

Missing Body Theory
A more likely possibility is that someone else took the body from the tomb without Jesus' followers knowing about it. In fact, according to John 20:2-16, this is exactly what Mary Magdalene thought when she first discovered that the tomb was empty. This explanation would probably occur to most people who found themselves in a similar situation.

There is a variation of this theory in which everyone goes to the wrong tomb, which happens to be empty. But all forms of the theory have the same basic difficulty, because a missing body, just by itself, probably wouldn't be enough to convince most people that Jesus had returned to life. Still, the evidence strongly suggests that the first visitors to the tomb did find it empty, and this could very well have been the initial step toward the eventual belief in the resurrection.

Swoon Theory
The basic assertion of the Swoon Theory is that Jesus wasn't completely dead when he was removed from the cross. In fact many people have been mistakenly pronounced dead, even by modern doctors. In some cases breathing becomes so shallow and heartbeat so faint that both are very difficult to detect. If modern doctors can be fooled, then so could the Roman soldiers at the cross.

The gospels indicate that Jesus died much sooner than most victims of a crucifixion. According to Mark 15:44, Pontius Pilate was very surprised when he heard that Jesus was already dead. Proponents of the Swoon Theory often argue that this could indicate that he was actually still alive.

Some people have suggested that the early death might have been caused by the wounds that Jesus suffered during his scourging. Also, according to John 19:34, a soldier thrust a spear into his side shortly before he was removed from the cross. Even if he wasn't already dead, this probably would have finished him off.

On the other hand, some scholars think that the story of the spear thrust is a fabrication, purposely invented by the author of John to try to refute the idea that Jesus wasn't completely dead. The other three gospels, which were probably written before John, say nothing at all about a spear thrust. As for the scourging wounds, most experts doubt that they would have been fatal.

In some versions of this theory, Jesus revives for only a short time, just long enough to make a few appearances, and then actually does die. In other versions he makes a full recovery, but soon leaves the country to avoid recapture.
The Swoon Theory is usually regarded as one of the most plausible resurrection theories. But unless new evidence comes to light, it will continue to be based mostly on speculation.

Drugged-Body Theory
This is similar to the Swoon Theory, except that the apparent death on the cross is induced by a drug. Such a possibility does have a scientific basis, because experiments have shown that a plant-derived drug called Reserpine can put mice into a temporary death-like state for several days. This, or some similar drug, might very well have the same effect on a human being.

A detailed account of this theory was given by Hugh J. Schonfield in his book The Passover Plot. The author argues that a death-simulation drug was given to Jesus as part of a plot to allow him to survive the crucifixion.
Although such a scenario is possible, this theory is usually rejected on the grounds that it is too complex and involves too much conjecture.

Twin Theory
There are two main versions of this theory, both based on the idea that Jesus had a twin brother. In one version the twin dies on the cross instead of Jesus, and in the other version the twin appears as an impostor after Jesus dies.
Proponents of these ideas claim to find supporting evidence in certain names which can be translated as "twin". But both versions of the theory are obviously very far-fetched, and it has few supporters.

There are other variations on the idea that a mistake in identity caused someone else to be crucified instead of Jesus. Some early Gnostic writings say that Simon of Cyrene, the man who carried the cross, was also the man who died on it. And a fraudulent book called the Gospel of Barnabas says that Judas Iscariot was the man who was actually crucified. But both of these ideas are just as far-fetched as the twin theory.

Vision Theory
The basic idea of this theory is that the earliest belief in the resurrection was based on illusory visions of a ghostlike apparition of Jesus. In ancient times many people believed that divine beings sometimes used visions as a method of communication. A person who had such a vision knew that it was a vision, but thought that a divine being had created it. Thus, the belief in the resurrection could have originated when some followers of Jesus imagined that he was using visions to communicate with them. Then later, as the message was carried to people in other communities, stories about visions could have gradually evolved into stories of a real physical resurrection.

Supporters of this idea argue that the severe emotional impact of the crucifixion would have made the followers of Jesus susceptible to such visions. Their expectations for him had been so high, and his arrest and execution had occurred so suddenly, that many of them could have found it difficult to accept the reality of what had happened.

Some of his followers could have still been in a state of denial two days later when his tomb was found to be empty. That discovery could have given them hope that he had somehow survived after all. Fervently believing that he actually had survived, they could have had hallucinations in which they saw his ghostly form trying to communicate with them. Others may have seen him in dreams, or simply "felt his presence."

Proponents of this theory often point out that the apostle Paul apparently based his belief in the resurrection on a hallucinatory-like experience. As related in the Book of Acts (9:3-9), Paul was on the road to Damascus when a bright light flashed around him, then he fell to the ground and heard the voice of Jesus. The experience was so traumatic that he was blind for three days.

The letters of Paul are the earliest known Christian writings. Yet he never explicitly says that Jesus was resurrected in bodily form. And in 1Corinthians 15:3-8, he adds his experience on the road to Damascus to the list of other post-resurrection appearances, suggesting that he thought they were all of the same nature.

Another example of a vision of Jesus is found in the re-discovered "Gospel of Mary". One surviving fragment of this work contains a passage in which Mary Magdalene tells the other disciples that Jesus appeared to her in a vision and gave her a special revelation.

Some scholars think that Mary Magdalene may have been the first believer in the resurrection. It is an interesting fact that she plays the biggest role in the stories of the empty tomb and the first post-resurrection appearances of Jesus, yet she is rarely mentioned anywhere else in the gospels. Luke 8:2-3 says that seven demons had been expelled from her, and this could indicate that she was a very emotional person. As already noted, she apparently had at least one vision of Jesus. Perhaps her attachment to him was so strong that she couldn't accept the reality of his death, and she took this vision as proof that he was still alive.
Many people consider some form of the Vision Theory to be the most plausible alternative explanation for what happened.

Hypnosis Theory
Some people have suggested that visions of a risen Jesus could have been caused by post-hypnotic suggestion. This is in line with the theory that Jesus used hypnosis to perform some of his miraculous cures. If he could use hypnosis to cure people, then perhaps he could have also used it to implant a post-hypnotic suggestion into the subconscious of his followers.
Although this scenario is theoretically possible, most people think it is unlikely.

Spiritual Resurrection Theory
Some modern Christians, and even a few theologians, believe in a spiritual (rather than bodily) resurrection of Jesus. According to this view, his human body either vanished or was removed by God, and he reappeared in his eternal spiritual form.
Some scholars think that this was also the original belief of the earliest Christians, and that the idea of a bodily resurrection didn't appear until later. Possible evidence for this can be found in some of the earliest writings, including the letters of Paul and the Gospel of Thomas. Surviving writings of the Gnostics indicate that this group of early Christians may have believed in a spiritual resurrection. In fact the evidence suggests that different groups of early Christians disputed this very matter, and some scholars suspect that several passages in the gospels may have been invented to try to refute the idea that Jesus arose in spiritual form. The best-known example is John 20:24-29, in which Jesus invites the disciple Thomas to touch the wounds made by the nails and the spear thrust. Some scholars doubt that this actually happened, especially since none of the other gospels say anything at all about nails or a spear thrust.
The belief that Jesus returned in a spiritual form is also consistent with the various gospel stories in which he suddenly appears and disappears, or passes through walls, and with the stories in which his followers don't initially recognize him, or are told not to touch him. Many scholars think that these stories are older than the stories in which he invites the disciples to touch him.
Note that the Spiritual Resurrection Theory is fundamentally different from the

Vision Theory. In one case there is an actual spiritual resurrection, whereas in the other case there are only hallucinations.

Passion Week: The Garden of Gethsemane

2010-03-31T21:31:00.007-05:00

Jesus's emotions are running deep by the time he reaches the
Garden of Gethsemane. So what does the savior of the world say when he is alone with His Father? "God, if there was any way that I could get out of this, then
you know I would."

Is this a sign of weakness? Is Jesus scared of a
little pain? Actually, a few bumps and bruises are the last thing on
Jesus's mind. In a moment of raw emotion, Jesus begins to realize
that the punishment that awaits him is the full wrath of a very holy
and just God. And if the possibility of facing the wrath of God
doesn't freak you out then I suggest you read a few verses in
Revelation.

Yet, even though Jesus asks multiple times, he knows there is no exit
strategy. He knows what he has to do. He knows its the will of the
Father. Someone has to take the blame. Someone has to be the one
to pay the price. He is the ultimate sacrifice. Despite doing no wrong,
somehow he is the only one that can accept responsibility if we are to
have a chance.

“The doctrine of the death of Christ is the substance of the gospel.”
-Stephen Charnock

Jesus knew that without him, there is no hope. Without his sacrifice,
there is no salvation. Without the death, there is no Gospel.
Without Good Friday, there is no Easter. And without the cross, there
is no Christianity. You can't blame him for wanting to avoid the
wrath of the Almighty (he was fully human). But he knew that without
his sacrifice, mankind would forever be seperated from God.

So He did it anyway. He did it for you.

God forgive me for sleeping while you are all around me fighting to
save the world.

Forgive me for my passiveness as your heart breaks
for the people that are dying everyday without you.

"The Garden of Gethsemane"

Matthew 26:36-46

Key Theme...Propitiation.

Key Truth..Jesus endured our condemnation.

Key Texts...Romans 3:21-26, Hebrews 2:17, 1 John 2:1-2, 1 John 4:8-10

-Sin arouses the fury, anger, and wrath of God.

-As sinners, we deserve to bear God’s wrath against sin.

-As our substitute, Jesus became the object of God’s fury, anger, and wrath so that we might not experience it.

-Expiation (Our sin is removed) is different from Propitiation (God’s wrath is satisfied.)

“In the Garden...”

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Matthew 26:39

He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” Matthew 26:42

So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. Matthew 26:44

-The cup of the cross is not primarily physical suffering; the cup of the cross is predominantly spiritual suffering.

-Jesus is not a coward about to face Roman soldiers; Jesus is a Savior about to endure divine wrath.

In the hand of the LORD is a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices; he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to its very dregs. Psalm 75:8

Awake, awake! Rise up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of his wrath, you who have drained to its dregs the goblet that makes men stagger. Of all the sons she bore there was none to guide her; of all the sons she reared there was none to take her by the hand. These double calamities have come upon you— who can comfort you?— ruin and destruction, famine and sword— who can console you? Your sons have fainted; they lie at the head of every street, like antelope caught in a net. They are filled with the wrath of the LORD and the rebuke of your God. Therefore hear this, you afflicted one, made drunk, but not with wine. This is what your Sovereign LORD says, your God, who defends his people: “See, I have taken out of your hand the cup that made you stagger; from that cup, the goblet of my wrath, you will never drink again.” Isaiah 51:17-22

This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, said to me: “Take from my hand this cup filled with the wine of my wrath and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it. When they drink it, they will stagger and go mad because of the sword I will send among them.” Jeremiah 25:15-16

This is what the Sovereign LORD says: “You will drink your sister’s cup, a cup large and deep; it will bring scorn and derision, for it holds so much. You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, the cup of ruin and desolation, the cup of your sister Samaria. You will drink it and drain it dry; you will dash it to pieces and tear your breasts. I have spoken,” declares the Sovereign LORD. Ezekiel 23:32-34

You will be filled with shame instead of glory. Now it is your turn! Drink and be exposed! The cup from the LORD’s right hand is coming around to you, and disgrace will cover your glory. Habakkuk 2:16

He, too, will drink of the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. Revelation 14:10

Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. Mix her a double portion from her own cup. Give her as much torture and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself. In her heart she boasts, “I sit as queen; I am not a widow, and I will never mourn.” Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her. Revelation 18:6-8

Passion Week: Jesus Washes the Disciples Feet

2010-03-30T20:38:00.002-05:00

After the meal, Jesus did something that was extremely out of the
social norm. The teacher, leader, and most important person in the
room assumed the least glamorous role: washing the feet of the
disciples. And this wasn't just a quick squirt with a hose. These
disciples had been walking on dusty roads all day. The roads were
often filled with animal waste left by horses and donkey's that were
used for pulling carts and helping with manual labor. And something
tells me that the disciples had probably never had a pedicure either!
So Jesus took the nastiest job that was usually reserved for the hired
servants and did it voluntarily.

As you read about the scene, think about what your response would have
been. Would you be defiant like Peter and try to tell Jesus you
weren't worthy? Would you sit there inquisitively asking why Jesus
was acting so odd? Would you be overcome with emotion as you saw the
man that deserved to be served the most put on the servant's linens
and treat you like the honored guest?

Here is a quote that helps support Jesus's explanation to Peter about
why he is washing their feet.

“The possibility of substitution rests on the identity of the
substitute.” -John Stott

There is nothing Peter (or you) could do to avoid the process. If you
want eternal life, there is only one way to go. If you want the
Father, you have to go through the Son. Substitution does not hinge
on what WE say or do. It hinges on who JESUS was and what he did.

So what was the leadership style that Jesus chose? Servant
leadership. He chose to lead by example. He chose to put others
above himself, even when they didn't deserve it. So, are you being
like Jesus?

-Jesus Washes the Disciples Feet-
John 13:1-17

Key Truth: Eternal Salvation through Christ alone
Key Theme: Servant Leadership

Let me set the scene for you. You have a dimly lit room that has a table for the men to recline at. This table was probably near to the floor and the disciples nasty feet were easily seen. At the door you have a bowl and some towels for the feet to be washed as they come inside. Tonight there was no servant when Jesus and the disciples dined together.

Custom: If no servant was present then the first to arrive was to sit and wash the feet of those who were entering the house one by one. Yet the disciples walked past the bowls and sat down and ate one by one. It is obvious that Jesus was not the first to enter and it is likely he was the last to arrive.
Jesus is the main character in this story. The meal was being served and Jesus got up to wash the feet of his own.

Here is what is significant about Jesus’ precise actions. First he lays aside his outer garments (just as he will lay aside his life.)

He took the towel (he took on the very nature of the servant. -Philippians 2

Then he poured out the water (he poured out His blood for us on the cross).
He washed and dried the feet of the disciples (he completed their cleansing).

Peter asks “Lord are you going to wash my feet?” (It ties to the question ‘are you going to die for me?’)

Jesus says unless I wash your feet then you can have no part of me. (Jesus is saying that unless he dies for them and washes their sins away you can have no part of me and the Father.)

Jesus goes back to culture in Peter’s response. At this point Jesus has finished washing his feet. Peter is clean, he is saved because he believes and Jesus has washed him clean. Jesus then penetrates to the heart of Judas. (Not everyone is clean) Isaiah 29:13-16

Verse 12 When he was finished he put back on his clothes and returned to his place.(It is finished John 19:30) Let me tell you about his place it is pretty awesome Ephesians 1:18-23.

Then he asks the question: DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I HAVE DONE FOR YOU?

Passion Week: The Lord's Supper

2010-03-30T14:07:00.002-05:00

Think about this statement as you study through the last time Jesus ate a meal and had an intimate discussion with his disciples:

“Until you see the cross as that which is done BY you, you will never
appreciate that it was done FOR you.” -John Stott

At the end of the day, we can't play the blame game about who put
Jesus on the cross. It's not Judas' fault for betraying him. It's
not the crowd's fault that was yelling "Crucify Him!" It's not
Pilate's fault for handing him over to the people. It's not the Roman
Centurions' fault for hanging him on the cross and watching him die.

It's YOUR sin that put Jesus on the cross. Its' MY sin that put him
on the cross. Jesus did that for US.

But before his body was broken literally and his blood actually
spilled onto the ground, he used this meal to foreshadow the gruesome
event.

“The Lord’s Supper”

Matthew 26:17-30

Key Theme...Sacrifice.

Key Truth...Jesus died our death.

KeyTexts...1 Corinthians 11:23-26, Exodus 12, Exodus 24, Leviticus 16

-We deserve to die for our sin.

And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” Genesis 2:16-17
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23

-On the cross, Jesus sacrificed Himself and died in our place.

...just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:2
But now [ Jesus] has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Hebrews 9:26

Daddy Christmas Checklist

2009-12-16T19:44:00.003-06:00

As I was thinking about what Leah has been teaching me since she was born, I ran across this "Daddy Christmas Checklist." It was written by Mark Driscoll, the pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington. I've never posted anything written by someone other than myself on my website, but this fatherly advice was so solid I couldn't help but send it.

#1 – Dad needs a plan for the holidays to ensure his family is loved and memories are made. Dad, what’s your plan?

#2 – Dad needs to check the local guides for what’s going on to make fun holiday plans for the family. In Seattle it’s here.

#3 – Dad needs to carve out time for sacred events and experiences to build family traditions that are fun and point to Jesus. Dad, is your calendar ready for December?

#4 – Dad needs to not let the stress of the holidays, including money, cause him to be grumpy with Mom or the kids. Dad, how’s your joy?

#5 – Dad needs to give experiences and not just gifts. Dad, what special memories can you make this holiday season?

#6 – Dad needs to manage the extended family and friends during the holidays. Dad, who or what do you need to say “no” to?

#7 – Dad needs to ensure his family is giving generously during the holidays. Dad, who in need is your family going to adopt and bless?

#8 – Dad needs to schedule a big Christmas daddy date with his daughter. Dad, what’s your big plan for the fancy daddy date?

#9 – Dad needs to schedule guy time with his son. Dad, what are you and your son going to do that is active, outdoors, and fun?

#10 – Dad needs to help Mom get the house decorated. Dad, are you really a big help to Mom with getting things ready?

#11 – Dad needs to ensure some holiday smells and sounds. Dad, is Christmas music on the iPod, is the tree up, and can you smell cookies and cider in your house?

#12 – Dad needs to snuggle up and watch some fun shows with the kids, especially the little ones. Dad, is the DVR set?

#13 – Dad needs to take the family on a drive to see Christmas lights while listening to music and sipping cider. Dad, is it mapped out?

#14 – Dad needs to help Mom get the kids’ rooms decorated. Dad, do the little kids get lights or a small tree in their room?

#15 – Dad needs to read about Jesus and pray over his kids. Dad, how’s your pastoral work going with each of your kids?

#16 – Dad needs to repent of being lazy, selfish, grumpy, or just dumping the holidays on Mom. Dad, are you a servant like Jesus to your family?

-Being a Dad is Awesome-

2009-12-01T12:32:00.005-06:00

Out of all the books I’ve read, all the conferences I’ve gone to, and all the study that I have done in the past 4 months, nothing has taught me about God and his characteristics more than Leah. She can’t even talk yet (unless you count those grunts and groans) and I am already learning a lot from her. Being a dad has really opened up my eyes to a characteristic of God that is often overlooked: God the Father.

Earlier this month I was in Atlanta for a conference for a few days. It was my first time being away from home overnight without Leah since she was born. Don’t get me wrong, it was a great conference, but I was homesick a little bit. Go ahead and say it: - sissy, wimp, softie. I can take it. I couldn’t believe that after only 3 days away that I missed them so much! Yet again Leah sparks for me a connection with God.

In Genesis, when the earth was being created, the pronouns used for the creator are plural (e.g. We will create man in our image). Many scholars say this is an Old Testament reference to the trinity, with Jesus and the Holy Spirit being in community with God even before the world was created. Jesus was with God throughout the events in the Old Testament and saw the good and the bad that the world had to offer.

You see, God made a decision before creation even happened. He decided to send his Son to the earth to save it. He decided that He loved us so much that He wanted to give us a chance at life with Him forever. But in order to do this, He had to send His son out of heaven to the earth. And this trip wasn’t just going to be a long three day weekend. God sent Jesus to the earth for 33 years. He knew that Jesus would suffer hardship. God knew that He was ultimately sending His son to a painful death, to take the blame for something he didn’t do, and to be out of the presence of the Father in heaven.

As I think about that it helps me realize the power of the gospel and the love that God has for us. It helps me realize the sacrifice that Jesus endured and how much God longs for His people to have a relationship with Him.

Over the next few weeks I want to share some things with you about God and His role as a “Father.” Hopefully it will help you realize the true awe and amazement that we should have for the gospel, and be thankful for the opportunity we have to spend eternity with God as a result of His love for us.

Next blogs:
-As a dad, I would do anything to keep Leah out of harm’s way and away from danger.
-As a dad, I would do anything to keep Leah from getting picked on or treated badly.
-As a dad, I can’t figure out why I can’t keep the baby food in Leah’s mouth instead of on her clothes and on me?!

-Forgive . . . and forget?-

2009-09-20T07:52:00.002-05:00

You’ve got 30 seconds to open up your Bible and find the passage where Jesus coined the common idea of “forgive and forget.” Ready, set, go!

Found it yet? No? Wanna know why? You guessed it - its not there! Another myth exposed. It’s amazing how some positive, feel-good phrases in culture today are automatically linked to Scripture, but when you ask someone to identify the biblical reference, the most common answer is, “I’m not sure where the exact verse is, but I know its in there somewhere.”

This may be the verse people are talking about: “I, I am he who blots out your transgression for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins” (Isaiah 43:25).

Now wait a minute . . . isn’t that pretty straight forward? I mean, doesn’t the text say verbatim, ‘I will not remember your sins’? Sure, that’s what the translation says. But remember that sometimes cultural, social, and even grammatical details can be lost in translation. Let’s look at the original text to find out what God is really saying to Isaiah.

The Hebrew word for remember is 'zahkhor.' Despite the English definition meaning ‘recalling something past’, the Hebrew word means ‘actively focusing the mind upon something in the present.’ What God is really saying here is not ‘I can’t remember’, but more along the lines ‘I will choose not to remember.’ God will not focus on your sins in the present day once you ask forgiveness. It’s not that God is incapable of remembering something; He just chooses not to bring it back up. It’s almost like saying, ‘Let’s just act like this didn’t happen and move on.’ God is willing to forgive you of your sins and move on (despite being very aware of your past and the many times you have disobeyed him). Sometimes the grace of God is unexplainable, and we just have to accept it.

That is the amazing thing about the Gospel. When we ask God for forgiveness, he forgives our sins, but he does not forget what we did in the past. If you believe God forgets things, then you have pigeonholed the Creator of the universe as nothing more than a nice guy with short-term memory loss. God chooses to give you grace and mercy and eternal life - NOT because he has forgotten every wrong thing you have ever done, but because He loves you that much. Forgiveness always costs somebody. It’s not like your sins just disappeared into thin air as soon as you said a prayer. Your sins were paid for through a sacrifice that cost God His only Son. Sometimes the grace of God is unexplainable, and we just have to accept it.

Instead of “forgive and forget,” let’s change the motto to “remember and forgive.” Remember what God has done for you. Remember how God forgives you of your sins and separates your transgressions from you. Remember how God has forgiven you, and go and do likewise.

Remember and forgive.

-God Just Wants You to be Happy-

2009-09-10T13:06:00.001-05:00

A lot of preachers have become famous as a result of this message. Many pastors have written books and spoken at conferences proclaiming this message. Many people have been led down the wrong path for believing in this statement. It goes by many names: ‘Prosperity’ Gospel, ‘Health and Wealth’ Gospel, and the name I have given it - the ‘Nothing Like the Gospel at All’ Gospel. As present day society is consumed with materialism, comfort, and never doing without something, this fake Gospel is thriving. This myth is simple: God just wants you to be happy!

If your pastor is preaching this message, then follow these simple steps:
1. Slap him as hard as you can
2. Tell him to preach from Scripture instead of making it up
3. Slap him again and tell him that was from me

Just kidding on steps 1 and 3… but if you can’t already tell, my blood pressure is rising just talking about this. To avoid getting upset and throwing my computer across the room, I’m just going to dive right into Scripture and give some examples and why this is such a bogus claim.

Matthew 10:16 - Behold, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.
Matthew 10:22 - You will be hated for my name’s sake.
Matthew 10:34 - Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.

Wow, what a wonderful message! God really does want us to be happy! It’s so obvious in these verses, but let’s keep going.

-God wants me to have a nice car and a nice house, but yet His own Son didn’t even have a place to lay his head (Matthew 8:20).

-God wants me to live a comfortable, easy life. Yet problems in life result in a stronger faith (James 1:2).

Here’s the truth. God wants you to be happy, but He knows that true joy is only found in Him. God wants you to be comfortable, but He knows the best place for us to be is in the center of His will. God wants you to be prosperous, but the reason He blesses you is so that you can turn around and bless other people.

God doesn’t care about growing your 401(k) as much as he wants your riches in heaven (Mark 10:21). It doesn’t really matter to Him if you live in a penthouse or in the woods (Matthew 3:1). He doesn’t worry if you wear all the latest fashions and eat in the swanky restaurants (Matthew 3:4).

God’s priority is not to make you happy. . . He wants to make you His.

Check out these links:

Elizabeth and I attend Newspring Church here in Anderson, SC. Our pastor, Perry Noble, is going through a series right now called “5 Lies of the Devil.” I thought I would pass on the links to his sermons in case you wanted to check them out. The concept is similar to the blogs I am doing now about the myths some people have concerning Scripture and Christianity.

www.newspring.cc
www.perrynoble.com

5 Lies of the Devil

1. God Will Never Put More on Us Than We Can Handle
2. The Church Just Wants Your Money
3. Just Follow Your Heart
4. My Faith is a Private Issue
5. Come on, It’s Just Sex

-Wool Suits and Shoes That Hurt Your Feet-

2009-08-14T21:37:00.002-05:00

A good show that I have been watching on television lately is called ‘Myth Busters’ and it’s on the Discovery Channel. The two hosts examine myths that are submitted by the viewers. They conduct tests, view all the angles, analyze the results, and determine if the myth is true or just made up. For example, one of the latest shows takes on the myth that if a dog eats chocolate it will die. Having a dog growing up I had always heard that story, but after tests done by the hosts, they proved the myth was false. Chocolate will not hurt a dog. It’s just a myth and no one knows where it originated!

Over the next couple of weeks, I want to try to debunk some myths when it comes to Scripture. I’ve heard some interesting statements lately that have really made me stop and say “What? Where did that come from?”

The first myth deals with the dress code in many churches. Have you ever wondered why so many people dress up to go to church? Why do guys where those wool suits and tight neck ties? They are so hot and uncomfortable! And ladies, those high heels and hose can’t be comfortable! So who started this tradition? Why do we do this?

The explanation you have probably heard is that “we need to give our best to God.” Where did that originate? Is that really what the Bible is talking about? Let’s take a look at Scripture.

In Leviticus 22, God gives Moses strict guidelines for the animals that are considered worthy to be used for sacrificing. God says that animals have to be perfect in order to be sacrificed. The sacrificial animals can only be bulls, sheep, and goats. They have to be male, and cannot have a single blemish. Also they cannot be deformed in any way. Moses instilled into the people of Israel that God only deserves the best.

Now, fast forward to today, and think about the mentality of many church-goers. The subject still applies to sacrifice, but we’re not talking about sacrificing comfort. Do you really think God cares what you wear to church? Now that you know the passage in which the “give God your best” concept is based upon, do you still think God is talking about your best being suits and ties instead of t-shirts and jeans? Yes, we need to give God our best, but God isn’t looking for superficial things on the outside. God examines our hearts. He wants your best when it comes to giving, loving, serving, and worship. God wants a dedicated life, not a matching tie and handkerchief. God wants obedience, not nice dresses and shiny jewelry. God wants authentic worshipers, not impressive looking formal wear!

Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve got nothing against nice clothes (I wear a suit many times when I travel and speak). If you like dressing up and wearing your best clothes to church, then by all means do it. However, dressing up is not a mandate from Scripture. So remember, give God the best in your life, whether you’re wearing flip-flops or wing-tips. God is looking for authentic Christ-followers; as long as you are seeking after Him and giving Him your all, He really doesn’t care if you wear a t-shirt or a tuxedo.

Baby Leah!!

2009-07-09T13:16:00.009-05:00

Just Born! Weighs 6 lbs, 14oz.

In the nursery with dad after her first bath.

Mom, Dad, and Russ Taking Pictures Through the Nursery Window

Little Sleeping Baby

Finally got in the room after Mom and Leah were checked by the doctor.

Uncle Stephen holding Leah for the first time.

Leah in her Hawaiian Dress leaving the Hospital with Mom and Dad.

Why Do People Hate Homosexuality So Much?

2009-07-02T21:47:00.003-05:00

Isn’t it interesting how we categorize sin? For people today, especially Christians, there are certain sins that are far worse than others. You don’t have to ask many people to identify the sin that is most despicable in the eyes of evangelicals before you usually get a strong response. If you haven’t already guessed it, the unforgiveable, terrible, horrible, no good, very bad sin is homosexuality. So what is the basis for that belief? Do we think some sins are worse than others in God’s sight? Does God “rank” sin? Is there one sin that is more heinous than the others? If homosexuality in your eyes is the scarlet letter of wrong doings, you’re probably not going to like what you read next.

Brace yourself . . . here it goes.

You’re a sinner.
God hates sin.
Worse than that, God doesn’t rank sin.
It’s all sin to him.

And if you think your sins are somehow more palatable to God than someone else’s, you’re wrong. The truth is the same for you and the homosexual person you know - without Christ, your seemingly not-so-bad sins get you to the same place that their ugly, socially unacceptable sins get them… hell.

A huge black eye on the face of evangelicals is the fact that the divorce rate for Christians is the same as that of non-Christians. Some studies actually show a higher chance for Christians to get divorced than non-Christians. Yet, we love to overlook that fact and focus on other people’s sins. It’s human nature. We are selfish and live in a society that loves to look at other’s faults instead of our own.

Scripture addresses this in a lot of different ways. In Luke 6:41, Jesus questions why we focus on the faults in other’s lives when our own life is consumed with sin against God? Matthew 7:2 says that if we judge others, then God will use the same measuring stick to judge us. God actually states that he HATES divorce in Malachi 2:16.

I just picked divorce because it’s such a widespread problem among evangelicals, and picked homosexuality because it's such a hot button issue with many Christians today, but the same applies for every sin. Looking at pornography on the internet; being dishonest or unethical in business decisions; putting other things first in your life, over God; the lack of personal holiness; the list keeps going on and on. God doesn’t rank sins, and neither should we. The church has to remain firm in their call to repentance and faith, but must embrace the world with open-arms instead of judgmental hearts. Whenever you want to play the blame game, remember the response of Jesus in John 8:7 - If any one of you is without sin, then you can throw the first stone.

DON'T Tell People About Jesus!!

2009-06-10T21:23:00.002-05:00

I was playing golf the other day and met up with a local man who was by himself, so our group let him jump in and finish the round with us. During our conversation, he found out that I and some of my ministry partners were planting a church in Winston Salem, NC, next year. He seemed to be excited about it, and began to tell us how involved he was in church in Anderson, SC, and how much he loved Jesus. He seemed to be an all around good guy.

Later in the round, our new friend hit a ball in the water. He got mad and threw his club back at his golf cart. He started cursing and even using God’s name in vain. I stopped and thought, “Wait a minute, something’s not right here.”

This man claimed that he was a follower of Jesus, but was losing his temper, cursing, and blaspheming the name of the One he claimed to worship and praise?! As we road to the next hole, I tried to take the perspective of a non-Christian. I thought, “If that is what a Christian is supposed to be, then I’m really not interested. He’s no different than me. If whatever Christ has to offer is going to result in my life looking like that, then no thanks. You can keep your religion.”

At that point, I wanted to go up to the guy and say, “Do me a favor… don’t ever tell anyone that you follow Jesus. It’s really doing more harm to the cause of Christ than it is helping.” I have the same advice to others who want to claim the Christian faith but aren’t willing to live the Christian life:

Just shut up.

Don’t say anything.

You’re ruining it for those who are trying to show Christ to the world with their speech, attitude, and actions.

DISCLAIMER: This does not mean that I am perfect! This does not mean that I don’t blow it sometimes, and say and do things I shouldn’t. Neither is this note an excuse for you not sharing your faith!

Don’t think, “Nathan said I had to be perfect in order to tell people about Jesus, so I’m just not going to say anything.”

Look, if you were perfect, you wouldn’t need Jesus. No one is perfect, but are you striving to be Christ-like? Are you striving to live a life for Him? Does your life - your attitude and actions - help draw people towards Christ, or push people away?

When asked about the Christian faith, Mahatma Gandi once said, “I love your Christ, but I don’t like your Christians. They act nothing like your Christ.” It’s time for Christians to go beyond sharing their faith with their mouth, and seriously live it out with their lives! People are tired of just hearing about Christ from those who claim to follow Him; they want to see someone LIVE like Christ.

-Charities are Terrible!-

2009-05-15T10:04:00.004-05:00

I figured that title would get your attention. There’s no way a guy that lived through Hurricane Katrina could make a statement like that. Charities give resources and meet needs of people around the world, and they have the political and social power to get things done in the community. The reason that I’m not too fond of them is because they are taking our jobs. Let me explain.

I did a little research on the 5 biggest charities in the United States. The top charity in the US is The American Red Cross. Started in 1881 under the leadership of President Garfield, The Red Cross raised over $3.4 billion last year. Included in their purpose statement are phrases like “helping victims of war and disasters… aiming to prevent and relieve suffering around the world… community service aimed at helping the needy… and to support and comfort hurting families.”

The second largest charity is Food for the Poor. They started in 1982 and raised $1.03 billion last year. Included in their purpose and vision is to “spiritually and physically renew impoverished people.”

The third largest charity is World Vision. Raising $976 million last year, their purposes include “working with children, families, and communities to address the problems of poverty and injustice, and to help all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, and gender.”

Another of the biggest charities is Volunteers of America. Raising $860 million last year, it’s one of the older charities, formed in 1896. They want to “help at-risk youth and the elderly, help with prisoner rehabilitation, the homeless, disabled, and recovering addicts.”

Wow, no wonder these charities are thriving. These organizations have great goals and succeed in meeting those goals every year. So why am I so upset? Take a look at those purpose statements again. As I look through Scripture, I see all of these things mentioned as needs that should be addressed and cared for. However, Scripture does not instruct secular organizations to do this. It doesn't instruct people with a lot of money or power to do these things. Scripture puts the responsibility and the privilege of serving others on the shoulders of the Church.

However, with the conception of “non-profit charity organizations”, the church has taken a back seat to helping others and meeting the needs in the community. We have allowed people outside of the church to meet the mandates of loving the “least of these.” In the process, the church has lost their voice in the community and around the world. When we fail to put others ahead of ourselves, we lose the respect of social and political figures as well as many people around the world who are looking for someone to step up and help solve the problems of social injustices everywhere.

Want proof? Take the three largest religious denominational organizations in the world. The combined funds raised by these organizations don’t even get close to what the Red Cross raises in a year. People donate time, money, and resources to organizations that they think are helping people and meeting needs around the world and in the community.

So, have we lost our vision? Have we forgotten the mandates of Scripture for the Church? The only way the church will regain its voice in the community and be known as the loving, serving, outwardly focused organization that it should be is when we decide to take our jobs back from these charity organizations and put more actions with our words. I’d love for charity organizations to become irrelevant because the main people meeting the needs of the community and the world are the followers of Christ.

What do you mean 'don't worry?' Have you seen the news lately?

2009-04-29T15:02:00.002-05:00

The stock market, the housing market, the economy - it seems like everything is going down except the unemployment rate! During these hard economic times, I’ve heard one particular Scripture verse quoted more than any other:

“Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Is Scripture really telling us not to worry? I mean, how can you avoid it? Things are looking tough, but most Christians continue to fearlessly misquote this single verse of Scripture. That’s right, I said misquote.

This verse is a great example of the importance of biblical context. You can’t pull a single verse out of the Bible without examining the other verses before and after it to know its true meaning. This verse is no different. Let’s read Matthew 6:33, the verse right before this famous “don’t worry” quote.

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given unto you.”

Most Christians want to put the cart before the horse when it comes to worrying. We want to enjoy the promises of Scripture when it comes to worry, but we aren’t willing to pay the price. The Bible says that before we can be worry-free about the world and everything around us, we have to be willing to seek God’s will for our lives first. It is only then that we can approach life’s ups and downs with confidence that God is in total control of our lives and everything around us.

Here’s what I think- If you aren’t giving everything over to God, including your life, then there is no verse in Scripture that can calm your nerves. The world is a tough and ruthless place, and apart from Christ there is no hope. Scripture says that Jesus’ burden is light and his yoke is easy. Isn’t it time to stop worrying about the bad news and let God handle it?

I confess . . . I don't do it enough.

2009-04-05T13:08:00.002-05:00

It’s hard to get away with anything these days.

-Baseball players took steroids five years ago. Now they are getting caught and stripped of all their accolades.
-Politicians and pastors have inappropriate sexual relationships with men and women. It blows up in the media and they lose everything.
-Movie stars battle with drugs and addictions until their fan base dries up and their once perfect looks are now ruined by prolonged exposure to their reckless lifestyle.

And it’s not just in today’s world either.

-A King is caught in a lie that leads to murder and adultery (2 Samuel 11).
-A couple is killed on the spot after lying about a bad business deal (Acts 5:1-11).

It’s a sad fact that confession is really a very small part of the Christian life today. But think about the consequences. Hiding or concealing something almost always has a much bigger consequence than confession. Here are some examples of the right thing to do with the situations above.

~Instead of lying about using steroids, Andy Pettite admitted to it after being confronted, and is now back playing for the New York Yankees. His teammate, Roger Clemens, still denies using the performance enhancer. He is out of the game of baseball and has a tarnished reputation despite all of his accomplishments.

~Bill Clinton finally admitted to having an inappropriate relationship with a female intern, and upon asking for forgiveness from his wife and the American people, served the rest of his term as President and left office with a good approval rating.

So, how does this apply to you? Two things are for sure:

1. You are a sinner,
2. The Bible instructs us to seek forgiveness of our sins.

Don’t let sin in your life remain hidden. It will ruin your life, your marriage, and your career, and may cost you everything. Confess your sins, and the Bible says God is faithful and just and will forgive you of your sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness.

“I wish someone would just come clean and admit to using steroids before they got caught. Let’s put some integrity back into the game.” -New Acquired Boston Red Sox Pitcher, John Smoltz

Be on the lookout for these blogs coming up this month:

"Its not good to worry is it? Wrong!"
"The Red Cross is killing the church!"

Will you let my people go now??

2009-03-11T06:55:00.001-05:00

Plague #6 - Anybody got a band-aid?
The sixth plague is full of hidden meaning. Let’s first start with who it affects. This is the first plague that actually brings pain and discomfort to the people themselves. No doubt the plagues are taking a toll on the people. Next, these open wounds make the people symbolically “unclean.” Cleanliness was extremely important to the Egyptians because it showed off their wealth. The third idea to consider is what a sore stood for. A person was said to have sores on their skin because there was sin or impurities in their life. These impurities would “boil” out of the body through the skin, thus giving the sores their name. This was physical evidence that the people were doing the wrong thing by opposing God. Finally, God continues His dominance over the Egyptian gods by taking down Isis, the Egyptian god of medicine and peace. No matter how much the people prayed to Isis, there was no cure to come. Even the Pharaoh’s magicians could not heal the sores on their own bodies, and because of their uncleanness they are unable to stand with the Pharaoh.

Plague #7 - Is it frozen water on fire?
The next plague shows both the power and mercy of God. The power is shown by God sending hail to destroy the crops of the Egyptians. The Egyptian god to fall victim this time is Nut, the goddess of the sky. The scene of ice and fire falling from the sky would portray Nut as angry at the people of Egypt. Now here’s the twist. God allows hail to rain down from the sky and destroy two specific crops: flax and barley. This interesting fact shows the mercy of God. These two crops were not the main source of food for the Egyptians, but helped them make clothing and other luxuries. God gives the people yet another chance to choose Him before he takes away their last source of food.

Plague #8 - Boy, those crickets are hungry!
The plague of the locusts is really a follow-up to the hail. Whatever crops were left and not destroyed by the hail are now being eaten by the locusts, including the immature grains that where not destroyed earlier. God is really hitting the people where it hurts - their stomach! Seth is the Egyptian god of storms and disorder, and this storm of locusts has definitely put the people in disorder. With the food from the river, livestock, and now the fields completely gone, a subtle truth is spreading across the land: Without food, the people of Egypt will die! God begins to show the severity of not following Him, but Pharaoh still rejects Moses’ request.

Plague #9 - It’s getting dark early these days, isn’t it?
For three days, Egypt became dark, and no light was seen by the moon or the sun. The Egyptians worshipped Ra, the god of the sun, more than any other celestial god, and relied on him the most in their lives. God proved that He was even stronger than the mightiest Egyptian god. An unusual aspect of this plague is that it came unannounced. Scholars say that this plague was really just a precursor to the last plague that would ultimately break Pharaoh. The religious impact of their most powerful god being defeated is just as bad as the psychological effect that the constant darkness may have had on the people. They couldn’t escape the darkness. Darkness for Egyptians symbolized judgment and death, which is exactly what was coming to them in the next and final plague.

Plague #10 - And the champ goes down!
Pharaoh was said to be the son of Ra, and was the only earthly god, thus making him the most powerful symbol in all of Egypt. After God beat Pharaoh’s father, Ra, he begins to take notice. Pharaoh then tries to barter with God. “The people may go, but the animals stay.” Since Egypt’s animals were dead, Pharaoh was trying to find his next meal. However, no one barters with God, and Egypt pays the price. All of the firstborn sons of Egypt are slaughtered, including the son of Pharaoh. This massive display of power by God finally makes Pharaoh submit to Moses’ request, albeit temporarily.

God has stripped Egypt of practically everything - their food, their power, their status in the world, and finally, their future success as a nation by killing their baby boys. Their military, work force, and overall status in the male-dominated world of the Old Testament are lost with the death of a generation of males. God stripped down every idol and false belief to prove to the people that He is God.

This isn’t just an Old Testament story. God continues to be a jealous God who alone is worthy of our time, money, honor, praise, and worship. When God’s people build up other things in their lives ahead of Him, the same consequence can happen to us. God will strip us of everything in our lives to make us realize our dependence on Him, but yet so many times when we lose one thing we fall back on another instead of falling to God. Some people live long enough to hit the bottom and turn back to God. Others, like the young generation of Egyptian males, lose everything out of disobedience. Let’s learn from the Old Testament to give God our all in obedience and submission to Him, and trust in Him over all other things.

Is God Random?

2009-02-18T07:35:00.008-06:00

God is described by many names and adjectives: omniscient, omnipresent, holy, just, loving, and many others. When I first read Exodus 7, I thought about another word to describe God: Random! Honestly, look at these plagues! Blood, frogs, dirt, flies, dead cows, sores on the skin? How can you make this stuff up? How do you come up with a list like that? The only thing I could imagine is that this seemingly random list of plagues has a deeper meaning. What if this incredibly random list of inconveniences was, well, anything but random? Let’s take a look at these 10 plagues and find the deeper meaning behind how God used secular culture to demonstrate His ultimate power and authority.

Plague #1 - Is this bottled water, or from the tap?
God instructed Moses to stretch the rod over the Nile River and the water turned to blood. The Nile River is a life source for the people of Egypt, from water to food to transportation. One of the Egyptian gods was Hapi, the god of the Nile River. Egyptians believed that worshipping Hapi would give them a source of continual water and food from the Nile. By turning the water into blood, the fish died and the river became ritualistically unclean. The people could not even be near the bloody water. The one true God starts to prove that He is superior to all other Egyptian gods.

Plague #2 - Don’t touch them, they’ll give you warts!
After Pharaoh refused to release the Israelites, God sends a plague of frogs. Another Egyptian god was Heket, the god of fertility and renewal. An image of Heket has a woman’s body with a frog’s head. The frogs where everywhere: in their clothes, their food, and their homes. The very sign of renewal and survival was making them miserable. Again, God shows His dominance over another false god. The source of everyday life and the hope for renewal were gone for the people. Where else could they turn?

Plague #3 - Let’s see David Copperfield do this one!
Geb was the Egyptian god of the earth. Another name was the dust god. Moses stirs the dusts of the earth, forcing lice and biting bugs to get all over the people and the animals. Had another god of the Egyptians turned his back on the very people that worship him? Or was the God of Israel simply continuing to flex His muscles and prove His position of authority as more than a God among gods? The Pharaoh’s magicians were starting to catch on. After matching wits with God by managing to turn water into blood and make frogs appear out of nowhere, the magicians turned to Pharaoh in defeat and acknowledged that the power behind the third plague was no doubt “the finger of God” (Ex 8:19).

Plague #4 - There’s a fly in my soup.
When looking at pictures of Egyptian gods, Khepri looks a bit odd. It is a man’s body with the head of a black fly.

Coincidence? I don’t think so. Swarms of flies are sent to plague the people of Egypt, and Pharaoh starts to get weary of the plagues. Khepri is the god of creation and rebirth. Pharaoh decides to try to bargain with Moses in exchange for the flies being called off. When the flies leave however, Pharaoh continues to worship the false gods, giving credit to Khepri for taking the flies away and giving them a rebirth or new start, and calls off the deal with Moses.

Plague #5 - Looks like we’re having steak for supper.
After the flies leave, God kills all of the Egyptians’ livestock. Hathor was the god of love and protection. She is also portrayed as having a cow’s ears and horns on a woman's body. In exchange for sacrifice and worship, Hathor would show love to the people by providing them food and labor in the form of animals. The animals also offered bartering power with other countries, earning their allegiance and building Pharaoh’s army. Why do you need an army? For protection, of course. In one swoop, Moses takes away their bartering power, their labor force, their food source (which has become extremely necessary since the fish in the Nile are dead) and consequently the power and purpose of Hathor. Hamburgers anyone?

The theme is obvious in the passage. The plagues are not just about inconveniences and suffering. The main reason for such a display of strength is to establish a hierarchy of power. The hierarchy is this: The God of Israel is the one true God. Period.

Next week, we’ll look at the other five plagues, including God challenging the power of the ultimate authority in Egypt, Pharaoh himself.

-Had Jesus been to Bishopville?-

2009-01-18T13:14:00.004-06:00

The United States is the #1 exporter of cotton in the world. South Carolina is 12th in the nation in producing cotton, and Bishopville, SC, is the hub of the Palmetto State’s operation. It is the home of the unique cotton museum, the historical Cotton Trail, and even has a ‘Cotton Run 5K’ race at the end of the summer! It’s not hard to find out why this place is the Cotton King of SC. Many of the roads in the small town are lined with cotton fields, with the agricultural industry being the main player in the economy and workforce of Bishopville.

If I didn’t know better, I’d say Jesus was standing on the side of the road in Bishopville when he was talking to his followers in John 4:35:

"Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest?' Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest.” (NASB)

Was Jesus telling the disciples that the cotton had come in early? What else would make the fields white?

Let’s look at this verse closer and find out what Jesus was really saying to the disciples.

First of all, let’s remember that Jesus is a great wordsmith. Anything he said was important and loaded with meaning. Jesus was one of those guys that you really had to listen closely and intently to what he was saying. The disciples often misunderstood his parables, and Jesus would have to talk with them later and explain to them what he meant. Many of the stories and illustrations Jesus told had double meanings. He used drawings, the landscape, and other people around him to make application to the kingdom of heaven. This verse in John is no different.

Jesus was no doubt standing in front of a field talking to his disciples. Jesus tells the disciples that the fields are ready to be harvested. Yet, the first part of the verse says that the crop won’t be ready for another four months. What does Jesus know about farming… he was a carpenter’s son, remember? So let’s find the underline meaning in this text.

First, look at the social aspect of the passage. During Bible times, the field owners often hired people to work their land. Like some lower level manual labor jobs today, the work was hard and the pay was low. The equivalent of the lower class of people in the New Testament was the Samaritans. They were the outcasts, they were socially unaccepted, and were often stuck doing the hard labor jobs no one else wanted to do. So, Samaritans were probably in the field weeding and pruning to keep the crop healthy, even four months before harvest.

Second of all, let’s look at the fashion aspect of the passage (yes I said fashion). Different colors were worn to symbolize different things in Bible times. For example, you’ve probably all heard that purple was the color of royalty. Well, the Samaritans had a certain fashion sense that their people embraced, kind of an outward showing of heritage and culture. Scholars tell us that they all used to wear the same color of clothes. And what color was that? White or off-white. Now you can start to see what Jesus was talking about.

Jesus stops at a field, and tells the disciples to look into the field. Even though the crops are 4 months away from coming in, the fields are white for the harvest. Jesus isn’t talking about cotton or wheat or grain here, but people. So many times when we look into the world we see businesses, restaurants, church buildings, schools, etc. Yet, when Jesus looks out in the world, he only sees people. And not only does he see people, he sees people who need Him. He sees people who need to hear the Gospel. He sees people who are dying everyday without Him. Unfortunately, I think he still sees something else today that he saw while talking with his disciples.

“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” (Matthew 9:37)

Jesus didn’t care about the plants, he cared about the people. Look at the people in the field. They are ready to hear the message of salvation. There are so many people in the field ready to hear about Jesus that it looks white from their light colored clothes. What an awesome image!

My prayer for you this week is that you’ll see your city through Jesus’ eyes. I pray that you will see not just family and coworkers and neighbors and friends, but that you’ll see people who need to hear the life saving message of the Gospel. I pray that when Jesus looks at our lives, he doesn’t have to make the grave statement that even though the harvest is plentiful, the laborers are few.

So the next time you pass a field, think about the people in this world that need to know Christ. The next time you see someone wearing white, let it serve as a reminder that Jesus has called us to proclaim the life-giving message of hope to a dying world that desperately needs to hear of the Savior.

Noah and Snow in New Orleans!

2008-12-11T15:52:00.002-06:00

-I guess you just had to be there-

2008-11-14T09:42:00.002-06:00

Last weekend my wife and I went down to Tallahassee, FL to see the Florida State Seminoles play the Clemson Tigers in football. It was an amazing day for football, with temperatures in the low seventies, a light wind to keep you cool, and not a cloud in the sky. The only thing better than the weather was the game. A victory for Florida State would bring them one step closer to the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship game. After a rough start this season, Clemson needed a win to keep their hopes alive of making it to a bowl game. The crowd was rocking, the hitting was fierce, and the ‘Noles came out on top with a big win!

I tried my best to describe the game and the electrifying atmosphere, but unless you were there, you’ll never quite know what its like. Has that ever happened to you? You try to search your repertoire of vocabulary but just can’t find an adjective strong enough to describe your emotion. I think this was happening to Matthew as he described what Jesus said in Matthew 16:18. Jesus wanted to convey a message to his disciples, but he ended up just having to show them something to drive home the point.

Matthew 16:18- “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not overcome it.”

Jesus was in Caesarea Philippi when he was talking to the disciples in this particular passage. He wanted to convey to them the power that the Christian church would have in spreading the Gospel. As he walked with them, he stopped in front of this cave.

This cave was the site of ancient pagan sacrifice in biblical times. Images of pagan gods that were worshipped by the people were drawn all over the walls. The people would go below the city of Caesarea Philippi to this cave and offer sacrifices to their pagan gods. The way the sacrifices would work is that the people would bring an animal down to the cave and throw it in as deep as they could. The people would then wait and pray that their particular god would accept the sacrifice. If the people saw blood in the water at the bottom of the cave it was a sign that the god had accepted their sacrifice. If they didn’t see red water flowing, their god was unsatisfied with it and they were forced to repeat the ritual. Due to the evil that was represented at this location, it was given the nickname “Gates of Hell,” and still has this name today. Can you see the power of the statement Jesus said beginning to come into focus?

Jesus took the disciples to the most evil, pagan place he could think of in that city. This place was everything that Christianity was not. If there was an antithesis of the message that Christ preached, it was found in the ritualistic worship at “The Gates of Hell.” And it’s at this location that Jesus draws a powerful illustration. He tells his disciples that the church and the Gospel will be so powerful that not even the gates of hell will be able to stop it. I do believe that Jesus was talking about the literal gates of hell in this passage, but his imagery is impossible to ignore. He uses this imagery to challenge the disciples. He basically says, “not even the most evil place in the world that you know of stands a chance at stopping this new Gospel message.” I can imagine the shivers that went down the spines of the disciples as Jesus talked about the power of the Church as he stood in front of such a place of sin and immorality.

It’s one of those “you had to be there” moments. The statement Jesus makes is powerful in and of itself, but because of the location and the significance of the surrounding area, we have the chance to make Scripture come alive to us 2,000 years later. Stay in the Word, and pray that God will reveal Himself to you. He’ll make His Word come alive and continue to strengthen His church.

But did you know that Matthew 16:18 is true for us today as well? Put yourself in the disciples’ shoes. Think of the most evil thing you can think of. Maybe it’s a place. Maybe it’s a person. Maybe it’s an act of violence or images of the anti-Christ as revealed through scripture. Now I want you to apply the same truth that Jesus preached to His disciples to your thoughts. Not even the most twisted and evil thing you can think of stands a chance at stopping the proclamation of the Gospel and the growth of the church. That’s both a reassurance and a challenge. If nothing can stop us, why aren’t we proclaiming? If victory has already been promised to us, what are we waiting on? Let’s be a messenger of the Gospel, and rest assured that God gives us the power through his Word and the promise of boldness as we give hope to the world!

Election Day!

2008-11-03T19:06:00.006-06:00

"We are seeing more and more that the church has fallen in love with the state and that this love affair is killing the church's imagination. The powerful benefits and temptations of running the world's largest superpower has bent the church's identity. Having power at its fingertips, the church often finds 'guiding the course of history' a more alluring goal than following the crucified Christ. Too often the patriotic values of pride and strength triumph over the spiritual values of humility, gentleness, and sacrificial love. We in the church are schizophrenic: we want to be good Christians, but deep down we trust that only the power of the state and its militaries and stock markets can really make a difference in the world."

-Quote from the book, Jesus for President, by Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw

-The big Rock, a little rock, and the church-

2008-10-31T13:38:00.003-05:00

Last week we learned that having at least two people present is a guideline for church discipline and not Wednesday night prayer service. Now let’s go back in the book of Matthew to chapter 16 and look at another verse that is often misunderstood.

Jesus says, “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not overcome it.” Matthew 16:18

This verse is full of interpretation gems that are based in the original Greek text. To start, let’s look at the first part of the verse. Jesus looks at Peter and says that you are “Petros”. Peter’s name translates into “rock.” However, a further look at the Greek language will show that “Petros” really means “small rock, pebble, or stone.” Another thing to remember is that after Peter’s name, we see an “and” in the English Bible. The “and” in English is “kai” in Greek. Again, with further study, “kai” can be translated “and, but, even, or also.”

Then we come to the second phrase of the verse: “And on this rock I will build my church.” Some denominations believe that here Jesus officially appoints Peter to be the head of the church. However, the full scope of biblical teaching shows that Christ is the head of the church (most noted is the passage describing the members of the church as parts of the body, with Christ being the head.) So they can’t be both, can they?

Let’s take a look at the second “rock.” The second rock is petras (note the difference in the first rock, Petros). With the first meaning being “small rock or pebble”, the second means “large rock, large stone, or bedrock.” Because we do not speak the Greek language, there are certain cultural nuances that slip through the cracks. This is one of them. Possibly another translation of the verse could help us grasp its meaning.

Jesus says, "I tell you that you are the (little rock), (but) on this (big rock/foundation) I will build my church."

Jesus may have pointed inward or tapped on his own chest as he referred to himself as being the foundation on which the church would be built on. He was giving credit to who Peter was and what the apostle was going to accomplish in the local church (read the first 11 chapters of Acts). However, Jesus was also setting the record straight about who the most important figure of Christianity and the New Testament church really was.

So even though Peter and Paul played an important part in the building of the early church after the resurrection of Christ, let’s be sure to set the record straight. Peter - and all the rest of us who have come after him - are only small pebbles compared to the foundational importance of Jesus Christ in the early New Testament church, as well as the church today.

Next, let’s look at the last part of this verse and really focus in on the image that Jesus is trying to show when he says "the gates of hell."

Scripture: The No Spin Zone

2008-10-19T18:33:00.003-05:00

I really do think people mean well by it, but you know what they say about the road paved with good intentions. I have been trying to go deeper in my Bible study and really study some of the familiar Bible verses that many Christians (including myself) have recited from memory so often that sometimes the entire meaning is lost. I think one of the most misinterpreted verses in the Bible probably is found in Matthew 18.

“For where two or more are gathered together in My name, I am also there.” Matthew 18:20

When I was a college student in the upstate of South Carolina, a pastor quoted this verse as he stood before the almost empty sanctuary one icy Sunday morning in January. When you think of this verse, you probably tend to think that if you and one of your friends gather to pray, then God promises to be there with you. I’ll have to admit, I thought the same thing until I engaged in some further study.

The most important thing to remember about Scripture meaning is CONTEXT. What does the verse before your focal verse say? What about the chapter before it? If you look in Matthew 18, you’ll realize that verse 20 doesn’t have anything to do with small gatherings at churches or Christians getting together to pray. First of all, would you tell me that when I am reading my Bible and praying in the morning, that God is no where to be found because I don’t have another person with me? Of course not, so let’s look at the context.

Read the passage again, but instead of starting in verse 20, go back to verse 15. This passage is not about worship gatherings, but about church discipline! If a church member is out of line or living a life that does not represent Christ, then God instructs the pastor go with another elder in the church to confront the man about his sin and call him to repentance. Other people are to go with the pastor to act as witnesses to what the two parties say. God is being specific about how to deal with people in the church openly endorsing a lifestyle of sin, not achieving a minimum attendance at prayer meetings before God even pays attention. Can you see how that drastically changes the meaning of the text?

Reciting familiar verses is great, and studying the Bible is something all Christians should be doing. But be sure to be fair to the text. Avoid picking out specific verses and making them mean what you think or want them to mean. Look at the context. Step back and look at the whole picture. God is not as interested in your interpretation as much as He wants to reveal His meaning of Scripture to you.

Next time, we’ll look at Matthew 16:18.

-Bathroom Humor-

2008-10-05T20:59:00.004-05:00

Some people think it’s disgusting, some think it is uncouth and vulgar, but when God uses it, it is powerfully funny.

You are probably familiar with the story of Elijah on Mount Carmel as he goes head-to-head with the worshippers of Baal. If you are unfamiliar with the story, read 1 Kings 18. It’s an incredible narrative that reaches its climax with Elijah mocking the worshippers of Baal and their cries to a false god.

1 Kings 18:27, “At noon, Elijah began to taunt them. ‘Shout louder!’ he said. ‘Surely he (Baal) is a god. Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.’”

Let me break down what Elijah is saying here.

First he says that maybe Baal is in deep thought- In this statement, Elijah points out that Baal may be tied up with other people, and can’t talk to them right now because he is occupied with someone else. Imagine that the people are calling out to Baal, and all they get is a recording that says, “I’m sorry, your call is important to us, so please stay on the line. One of our representatives will answer your call in the order that it was received.” Real impressive, huh?

Next, Elijah mockingly says maybe Baal is busy- Scholars tell us that this statement refers to a god being involved in leisure or pleasure. Baal could have been taking a walk in the woods or maybe an afternoon nap. This is like getting the response: “He’s out of the office this morning, can I have him call you when he gets back in?”

The next phrase in Elijah’s statement is classic: maybe Baal is busy or traveling- For some reason, Elijah says, Baal could have stepped out for a moment. Scholars say that the essence of this ridicule is captured in the crude Latin interpretation of the Hebrew: “Maybe he is using the bathroom.” Maybe he ate something last night for supper that made his stomach upset and he can’t come to you right now. There it is! Biblical bathroom humor at its finest!

And finally, maybe Baal is sleeping and needs to be awakened- This is really the ultimate display of disrespect, ridicule, and mockery. According to historians, the different gods found from the testamental periods through the mythological periods are bound to mortal limitations. These limitations include eating, drinking, and sleeping. Elijah is claiming that the power of Baal is limited by the inability to overcome simple desires and necessities. In verse 27, it says Elijah starts speaking “at noon.” Oh I get it, Baal is probably on his lunch break. Why don’t you try to call him later when he returns?!

God allows Elijah to throw every insult in the book at these idol worshippers. God and Elijah both realize the lack of power that Baal and his worshippers have. The sad but inevitable truth lies in the later part of verse 29: “But there was no response. No one answered, no one paid attention.”

I love God’s sense of humor throughout the Bible. However, one area that God is painfully serious about is the fact that there are no other Gods next to him; and by the looks of this passage, God will go to great measures to prove that. So as we wade through a postmodern world that believes God is in everything, everyone, and can be anything that we want him to be, remember that the one true God will continue to use His people to show that He is the only one worthy of our praise and honor.

Read 1 Kings 18:30-39 - If you think Elijah’s speech mocking Baal was good, check out how God shows his power in setting water on fire!

Here’s a great promise that the one true God’s power over false idols and their followers will one day be dealt with in finality. Philippians 2:9-11: “For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

-Truth and Blackened Shrimp-

2008-09-21T17:19:00.004-05:00

I was eating a plate of blackened shrimp for lunch the other day and struck up a conversation with an older Catholic man named Darren, sitting at the bar beside me. As we talked about football, the weather and other trivial things, soon our conversation arose to a theological level that this particular seafood restaurant may have never experienced. He brought up ‘truth’. Actually he brought up abortion (I’m still trying to figure out how we got from hurricanes and football to abortion). He said this to me: “Nathan, I’m a Catholic and I believe the Bible says that abortion is wrong. But that doesn’t mean others have to believe it.”

The fork clanged loudly on my plate as it fell from my hand.

Immediately my sub-conscious went into overdrive. I started thinking to myself, “Nathan, settle down. Don’t cause a scene in this restaurant. It’s ok. Maybe he said it wrong. Maybe his words got mixed up. Yea, that’s it. Maybe you heard it wrong.”

Nervously pushing the prawns around on my plate, I asked, “I’m sorry, what was that last part you said?”

His reply was simple. “I know its truth for me, but I can’t push my beliefs on other people. It’s not truth for someone who doesn’t read the Bible.”

Uh oh. 10 . . . 9 . . . 8 . . . 7 . . .

“So you say that stuff in the Bible is true only for Christians or people who believe it?” I could feel my blood pressure climbing.

Darren agreed. “Yea, I mean… you believe what you want and I’ll believe what I want, and we’ll be ok.”

6 . . . 5 . . . 4 . . .

“So truth to me is not necessarily truth to you?” I asked nervously.

3 . . . 2 . . . 1

BOOM! First there’s truth, then there’s tolerance, and then we have Postmodernism.

After an eyebrow rose in disbelief, I said, “Could you repeat that last part you just said?”

He said, “Yea, I don’t think there is such a thing as absolute truth.”

In the most Christian way I could, I explained to him his illogical thinking. “You do realize the statement you just said is an absolute truth, don’t you? If the statement ‘there is no such thing as absolute truth’ is always true, then that makes it an absolute truth.”

He laughed and agreed. “I guess you got a point.”

There are a lot of things in the Christian realm of study that we can disagree on: Calvinism vs. Arminianism, Baptist vs. Methodist, McDonalds vs. Burger King, and on and on. However, for the Christian faith there are certain things in which we must be 100% confident.

I chose to call my website “It’s just the way I see it.” You don’t have to agree with everything I say or write. It’s just my opinion. But there are certain subjects that are not up for discussion or debate. One of those is the Bible: the infallible, inerrant, inspired, and absolute truthful Word of God. It’s something upon which we must stand firm. Pastors, we better be preaching from it. Christians, we better be basing our lives on it. Followers of Christ, we better be studying it. Church, we better eat it, drink it, and live it.

What are you willing to stand up for? What are you willing to die for? Better yet, what are you willing to live for? For me, its truth. Without truth, I’ve got nothing. Without truth, there is no hope. Without truth, there is no love. Without truth, there is no life. That truth is in the Word of God. That truth is Jesus Christ.

So Jesus said to those who believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:31-32

Day #5- Hurry Up and Wait-

2008-09-04T17:37:00.005-05:00

Location: Anderson, SC

Day #3- All Clear

2008-09-02T13:54:00.003-05:00

Location: Hartsville, SC

http://edmundkee.blogspot.com
Edmund Kee- Powerplant Engineer for Entergy that stayed to work in New Orleans during the storm.

http://robwilton.blogspot.com
Rob Wilton, pastor of Vintage Church, evacuated to the Northshore of Lake Pontchartrain (50-60 miles North of New Orleans)

http://vintagenola.org
Follow Vintage Church in Uptown New Orleans as they help in the clean-up and minister to the people of New Orleans.

Gustav Makes Landfall

2008-09-01T13:10:00.003-05:00

Location: Hartsville, SC

Gustav: Evacuation Day #1

2008-08-31T16:14:00.003-05:00

From Hartsville, SC.

Obama, McCain, and . . . Rick Warren?

2008-08-28T09:35:00.006-05:00

Rick Warren, the pastor of Saddleback Church in California, held a civic forum at his church that was focused on the presidential election. Both Barack Obama and John McCain came and were asked the exact same questions. It wasn’t a typical debate though. The questions were centered on religion and social justice issues instead of healthcare, VP nominations, and financial and personal security. CNN aired the incredible forum that showed the candidates in a more conversational atmosphere than any other public debate prior.

After the forum, most critics agreed that if they had to pick a winner, then John McCain would probably take the prize. The following day, a reporter claimed that since Barack Obama was on the stage first, John McCain had the chance to hear the questions and have time to formulate an answer along with a rebuttal to Obama’s answer. They claimed that this advantage is the only possible way that John McCain could have won a debate against one of the most talented orators in America. There’s only one thing wrong with that though: Rick Warren told the audience that John McCain was in a separate place in a “cone of silence” and could not hear what was going on in the main auditorium.

The following week, two supports from opposite sides of the aisle went on Larry King Live to discuss the accusations. The Governor representing the Republican Party paid Rick Warren the highest compliment I could think of, and he probably didn’t even know he did it. When Larry King asked whether or not the governor thought Rick Warren had mislead the audience into thinking McCain could not hear the questions, his response was, “I really don’t think you want to start questioning the integrity of Rick Warren. That’s a claim you’ll never win.”

Wow. I can’t think of a better compliment to give a person in ministry. If I had to choose one thing people would say about me now and in 50 years, it would be that.

“Great Sermon!” You can keep it.

“Incredible Speaker.” That’s all a matter of opinion.

“Caring and loving pastor.” That’s nice to hear, but . . .

“Good husband and dad.” Getting warmer, but not quite.

“Nathan is a man of integrity.” Wow, thanks. That means a lot.

Here’s the reality that is true in Rick Warren’s life: Not everyone likes him. Not everyone thinks he is a good speaker, or is a nice guy, or agrees with everything he says and does. However, he has maintained such a high level of integrity and character that even people who don’t like him are hesitant to accuse him of anything that would call into question something that he has said or done.

I hate to admit it, but all of us are in the same boat. There are people who don’t like me. There are people who don’t like my speaking style. There are people who were on my newsletter mailing list two years ago who no longer are receiving it. There may be some of you who disagree with something I have said or done. As I head into full-time ministry, this pattern isn’t going to go away either.

Yet at the end of the day, despite the flattery, compliments, encouragement or criticism, the thing I want to strive for the most is to keep a high level of integrity and character. You may not agree with me, you may not like me, you may never come to the church where I serve, but I hope and pray that my life will reflect the love of Christ and that despite my shortcomings, I can one day be considered a man of Godly character and integrity.

Links of the Week:

Theopedia - An Encyclopedia of Biblical Christianity, www.theopedia.com
The set-up allows for viewers to contribute information on the site about certain subjects, so its no where near infallible, but it is a quick reference tool for Christianity and Biblical Theology.

If you did not get a chance to see the Saddleback Civic Forum, you can view it in its entirety from the CNN website, http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/08/16/warren.forum/index.html#cnnSTCVideo

Ignite Mission is hosting the fourth annual Out of Range Prayer Conference. It will be an incredible weekend of prayer and worship. Charlie Hall will be playing in concert Friday night, with Tony Merida and Rob Wilton speaking throughout the weekend. For more information, or to register for the conference, visit www.outofrange.org

-Caught up in the Act-

2008-08-08T13:10:00.002-05:00

Late last month I went to go see “The Black Knight,” the latest movie in the Batman Series. The flick not only had good action, but there was a story of sorrow and controversy as well. Heath Ledger, who played “the Joker” character, died before the film had finished production. He overdosed on sleeping pills and pain medicine. Reports say that he couldn’t sleep at night because the character he was playing was so dark and menacing. Heath got into the role so much that it almost seemed like the evil from the script penetrated reality. He was consumed by the role, and it ultimately changed his life, resulting in his untimely death.

And that got me thinking . . .

What if believers read what the Bible said that followers of Christ should be, and it began to change their lives? What if a person today was so consumed with the “script” of a true believer’s biblical character traits that it began to penetrate their actual reality? What if in an attempt to become so much like the Christians of the New Testament it drove someone to the brink of submission, and then ultimately to death in Christ? This is my prayer for all of us because it isn’t until we die to ourselves that we can even really see a glimpse of what life is all about.

Probably one of the reasons for the huge interest in the current Batman offering is because Ledger’s untimely death has sparked a paparazzi style of public curiosity. Wouldn’t it be infinitely better if people were equally curious to see the changed lives of believers today who had been transformed by their faith? Then God would be glorified.

But when you’re showing people what Christ has done in your life, do me a favor… don’t charge $10 for the popcorn!

“God , help me to be consumed with your Word. Help me to get so caught up with what you have called me to do that people won’t see me, but you. Help me to die to myself daily so that I can live a life for you. Amen.”

-Good Old South Carolina-

2008-07-29T08:37:00.008-05:00

Just had a take a little time to brag on my home state a little bit. There have been a lot of students coming in to New Orleans from all over the country to work with the MissionLab program, and South Carolina has had her fair share of representation. Marilyn Stewart, a contributing writer for the Times Picayune (local New Orleans newspaper, and the largest newspaper in Louisiana), wrote an article about two of the churches from the Palmetto State that have made a huge impact on the city. Just wanted to share it with you:

Youth Find New Orleans The Right Place To Be

By Marilyn Stewart

Two South Carolina youth teams, in New Orleans recently, discovered the open doors and open hearts that Baptists there describe when they say, “It’s a great time to be a Southern Baptist in New Orleans.”

The slogan carried on the Baptist Association of Greater New Orleans website refers to the new trust and acceptance Southern Baptists are experiencing in the city as a result of volunteers’ work there since Katrina.

West Hartsville Baptist Church students were welcomed into a Catholic sponsored residence for troubled teens to lead a week-long Bible school. Antioch Baptist Church of Edgefield teens found a listening ear as they shared God’s promises of comfort with a contractor who had recently lost a loved one.

Both teams partnered with MissionLab, a ministry of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary that provides hands-on ministry experience by linking church groups to established ministry relationships, including food banks, community centers, senior-adult assisted living facilities, AIDS residences, child-care centers, a correctional unit, a homeless ministry and others.

The ministry options allow a church to custom-fit their mission trip to their team’s size, age and strengths. More than 175 students from 7 South Carolina churches have worked with MissionLab this summer.

The West Hartsville team, the first this year to work at the residential treatment center operated by the Association of Catholic Charities, taught from a curriculum developed by the adult sponsors.

“We didn’t know exactly what we were coming into, so we prayed hard that God would open doors,” sponsor Cathy Hurd said. “And this week has been one of the best opportunities to share Christ that we have ever had.”

West Hartsville also hung sheetrock in a heavily-damaged Lower Ninth Ward home. Team members prayed with the homeowner on the street in front of her home after hearing her story and learning she had lost a friend in the storm.

“The students are seeing that anyone is reachable,” sponsor Anne Braddock said. “The gospel is for everybody, no matter who you are or where you come from.”

The teams’ other ministry projects made a contribution to the rebuilding city.

Antioch’s team cleared brush along a section of the 22 miles of shoreline at the 1300-acre City Park, one of the largest in the nation. Pre-Katrina, the park was home to four golf courses, an amusement park, a botanical garden and a staff of 260. Today, a skeletal staff of 80 depends on volunteers to maintain the grounds.

“This park is beloved by the city,” said Jim Morrison, City Park Volunteer Manager. “We are indebted to MissionLab and all the churches that come through. They give hope to the people.”

Lisa Turner, Antioch sponsor, said Morrison described the park as a place of respite for those without money for vacations and trips away. Similarly, the team helped a homeowner without resources to rebuild.

“She had fallen through the cracks,” Turner said. “She had too much money to qualify for assistance but not enough to rebuild.” The students’ work there opened the door to share their faith with a worker.

Hannah Sterling, MissionLab Ministry Site Coordinator, said that their service to church groups is paid back in full as teams pave the way for those ministering in New Orleans 365 days a year.

“The teams and the work they do gives us an open door to organizations where we are building relationships,” Sterling said. “First, as friends and ultimately, to show them what it means to have a relationship with Jesus Christ.”

To find out more about the MissionLab program, visit www.missionlab.com.

If you would like to sign up for the MissionLab Missiontrack newsletter (another newsletter that I am an editor of that talks about the rebuilding of New Orleans), click on the link below or simply retype the website in your address bar.

http://www.missionlab.com/mtrax.php

-A Full Plate-

2008-07-11T15:49:00.005-05:00

Growing up, I can remember something special about every 4th of July – my dad would cook BBQ and all the fixings for our extended family and friends to come over and enjoy. After slow roasting the pork all day, we would chop the BBQ before supper, and Pops would fry up some sweet hushpuppies. I can still hear those puppies sizzling as they plunge under the hot grease. My mom would be in the house making baked beans, cole slaw, garlic toast, and usually some stir fry vegetables to even out the meal.

As my brother and I would fix our plates, we would pile on the BBQ, hushpuppies, baked beans and grilled Texas toast. When we reached the end of the line, my mom would usually say “You boys need to get some of those vegetables.” However, with some strategic placement and artful food stacking, our response would be that we didn’t have any more room on our plates for veggies.

When I look over my summer, I see a full plate that doesn’t seem to have room for anything else. My work consists of ministering to almost 3,000 students from all over the country that have come down to New Orleans to do relief work through the MissionLab program. Ignite Mission has given me some great opportunities to travel and speak in churches and young adult events. With graduation in December, I’m getting my ducks in a row and filling out all the paperwork to prepare for my last semester. Throw Elizabeth and traveling in the mix and there’s not room for much more. Does that sound anything like your life?

Before I preach I always ask God to fill my life so that – in return – I can pour into the lives of the people to and with whom I am ministering. Yet, I feel that sometimes when I make that request of God, he says “Where can I put it?” My life is so full with other things that I don’t have room for God to pour into me. Think about this: Is it possible that we can become so busy for God that we forget about God altogether? Is the planning and preparation so intense for VBS that you forget the real reason you are doing it – to lead kids to the Lord? Are your mission trips so consumed with logistics and busy work that the message of Christ gets lost in the work for Christ?

It’s a tough pill to swallow, but it’s a dose I need to take myself. We are about half way through summer, and I invite you to join me in trying something. Let’s push everything off of our plates for a minute, and allow God to pour into us, recharging us, equipping us, reminding us of our true purpose and reason for life – to bring Him glory and proclaim His glory to the entire world. I think if we do that, then whatever else we have on our plates will be put into the proper perspective and we can continue to do the work of the kingdom without forgetting the reason we do it.

1Cor. 15:58, “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

Job 5:8, “As for me, I would seek God, and to God would I commit my cause.”

-Weddings vs. Funerals-

2008-06-16T09:13:00.005-05:00

I had the chance to do my first wedding in May. One of my buddies from Columbia, SC, was getting married and I had the privilege of doing the ceremony. Last week, I was honored to get to help officiate my sister-in-law’s wedding in Hartsville, SC. At the end of the weekend, Elizabeth looked at me and said, “Two down, a couple of hundred more to go.”

(The Cline kids: Stephen, Jessica, Elizabeth, and Nathan)

I told Elizabeth that weddings really weren’t my forte, but that I was looking forward to doing my first funeral. She looked at me like I was crazy. To be honest, I would rather preach a funeral than a wedding any day. Preachers are weird like that though. Think about this . . .

Catherine (my sister in law) was so beautiful on her wedding day. (Elizabeth was a good-looking maid of honor as well!) Catherine and her husband Josh wanted the service to be worship and glorifying to God. I preached from the Word and I trust that God was glorified. But let’s be honest here - the ladies in the audience were probably more concerned with how beautiful the bride was and how sweet the ceremony was than how God sent Jesus to the world to die for our sins. The guys were probably thinking more about the food that was going to be at the reception rather than where they will spend eternity. Unfortunately, I can’t blame them. I mean, the bride and the ceremony is really what the wedding day is all about, right?

But a funeral is a totally different service. It doesn’t matter if you are the family of the deceased or merely a friend of a friend that knows the family - everyone at a funeral is thinking about death. They are thinking about the brevity of life and the longevity of eternity. They are contemplating their own life and what would happen if they died the next day. This type of mindset is fertile ground for the Gospel message, and as a minister of the Gospel, that gives me a sense of excitement and urgency.

Now before you send me any hate mail, I don’t want you to think that I like it when your relatives die! I’m just saying that when a person is thinking about eternity, life after death, and their salvation, it is important for the minister to confront those fears with the hope of Christ and let everyone there know that the gift of God is eternal life. It’s the time to say, “You know what, you are going to die one day as well. And a decision to follow Christ today will determine whether we are celebrating your life in Christ or mourning a life apart from Him.”

Nevertheless, weddings and funerals have a few very important things in common – both are great opportunities to serve people and strengthen your relationship.

I love weddings, but nothing draws us closer to the cross than a funeral. Receptions are fun, but a graveside service could lead someone to make a decision for Christ that will change their life forever. And if a preacher can’t get excited about that, they’re in the wrong profession.

-Who are you Really?-

2008-06-05T08:43:00.003-05:00

Eliot Spitzer rose to power in the state of New York by being a hard-lined Democrat who wanted to fix moral issues that gave his state a bad reputation. The ex-governor is a former New York state chief prosecutor who rose to prominence by cracking down on financial crimes with great valor. He was even given the nickname “Sheriff of Wall Street.” As Attorney General, he broke up prostitution rings and prosecuted moral crimes to the fullest extent.

In early March, Eliot Spitzer resigned as Governor of New York after allegations of his involvement in prostitution were proven true. Shock waves went through state and local governments all over New York. How could this have happened? Of all people, why Eliot? He stood against this kind of thing. How could he put people in jail for prostitution during the day and be involved in that very act at night? Who is Eliot Spitzer - a moral hero cleaning up the state of New York, or a hypocrite? Which identity really belongs to him?

Eliot Spitzer, a father of three, said: "The remorse I feel will always be with me. I am sorry I did not live up to what was expected of me." One of my greatest fears is that one day I will have to say the same thing - not to a courtroom in front of flashing cameras and stunned reporters, but at the seat of judgment in front of the Creator of the world.

When you look at your life as a professing Christian, are you acting like the person you claim to be? Are you the same person Monday-Saturday that you act like on Sunday at church? Do you worship a Savior who loves and forgives, but then you have a hard time loving and forgiving people in your life? You say you trust God to take care of you and always provide for you, but on payday are you cutting your tithe check and giving it to God before anything else? Do you look down on other people with moral failures and shortcomings in life like Eliot Spitzer, but quickly overlook the areas of your own life that need confessing and serious repentance?

I want to make every effort to live a life that matches what the Bible says a Christian should act like. I want to hold myself to the same standards to which I hold others. I want to love and forgive just as Christ loves and forgives me. I desperately want to hear God say, “Well done, good and faithful servant” instead of me issuing a solemn apology like “I am sorry that I did not live up to what was expected of me.” It’s a big task, but with God’s help we can do it. We can live the life he expects us as followers of Christ to live by drawing close to Him, drawing close to His Word, and always remembering that without God’s grace and mercy, we too would be lost and without hope.

Romans 3:23-24: “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”

-Do verses Done-

2008-05-27T08:04:00.007-05:00

***DISCLAIMER*** If you know a Muslim, please don't think you are going to win them to Christ by beating them over the head with your Bible or winning a debate. Even though having a grasp on your theology is important, the most important thing to do is to show them the love of Christ. Showing that you care about them will get your foot in the door to share your faith. Good luck!

Over the last week of May, I am taking a workshop entitled “Jesus and Islam.” One of the main reasons I was interested in the class was to be able to engage Muslims in Christian apologetics surrounding the work and person of Jesus Christ. The Muslim religion is the fastest growing in the world, so knowing what they think about Jesus and being able to refute it biblically and intelligently is no doubt important for all Christians to know.

As I research the nation of Islam, Muslims, and other world religions, I have noticed two main differences in theology between them and Christianity. First and foremost is that Christians worship a living, risen Savior. Jesus Christ died and was resurrected. He is alive today. We don’t have shrines or images of Christ that we worship because we know he is alive at the right hand of the Father in heaven, not a spirit that is trapped in a little wooden idol.

With Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, and all other world religions, their founder/savior is dead. In fact, you can even go to their tombs and see where they were buried. They have idols or other beings that represent their god, because their real god is buried in the ground.

(The Green Dome rises high above the tomb of the Prophet Muhammed)

(Makutabandhana, The cremation site of Buddha's Body)

A second major difference is that Christianity does not focus on the “do” of salvation, but the “done.” Let me explain. Other world religions have a long list of requirements that their followers have to accomplish before they die in hopes of getting into heaven. Some sects believe that a person could die three or four times, reincarnate as another animal or person, before they finally do enough good to get into heaven. It’s all about what man has to “do” in order to be seen as good enough in the eyes of God.

Christianity is quite different. Instead of focusing on what we need to “do” to get to heaven, our faith stands firm on what Christ has already “done” for us. Christ died on the cross as a sacrifice for us. When God looks at man, He sees sin, rebellion, and ultimate damnation as a result of separation from Him. However, when a person accepts the gift and sacrifice of Jesus and what he did for them on the cross, God looks at believers in a totally different way. When he sees us, he doesn’t see sin and shame and death, but sees his Son and the sacrifice he made to pay for our sins. His wrath was taken out on Jesus on the cross so that we could spend eternity with Him in heaven. It’s not about what we do, but what Christ has already done for us.

When you have Christ, your salvation is secure and we have confidence that death is not the end for us or merely a new beginning here on earth, but results in an eternity of celebration and worship of the one true God.

If you are interested in learning more about Islam and their view on Jesus Christ, I recommend the following texts:

("More Than a Prophet" by Caner and Caner)

("Jesus and the Muslim" by Cragg)

-You Can't Fool Me!-

2008-05-07T14:07:00.004-05:00

When I was little, my dad would give Stephen and I some chores to do around the house. We were never too thrilled about doing them, but it seems like anytime the “attitude adjuster” was pulled out of the drawer, a strong desire to promptly obey came over us. I can remember one night, my dad called the house on his way home from work and asked us if we had cleaned up our rooms like he had asked us to do. I said, “Yes sir, I did it as soon as you told me yesterday.” I hadn’t done it yet. (Pops, if this is the first time you are finding this out, sorry about that.)

As soon as I hung up the phone I ran back to my room to see that it looked like a bomb had just gone off or the Fruit of the Loom factory exploded on top of my bed. I had 5 minutes until my dad got home, so it was going to take a shear miracle for this room. I threw open the closet doors and starting throwing toys, books, and dirty clothes inside.

When the door would barely close, I started stuffing underneath the bed. In record time my room appeared to be clean. I walked down the hall and cracked Stephen’s door only to see him shoving dirty socks into his desks drawers. “That a boy Stephen,” I said, “I think we’re going to make it.” When Pops rolled in, we were waiting at the door, shirttails tucked in, hair combed, like two perfect little angels. He instantly knew we were up to something.

Sitting at the dinner table, my dad was commenting on how good our rooms looked. A puzzled look came over my Mom’s face. She knew there was something fishy about the quick clean. She knew that our rooms had been a complete disaster only hours before, and our track record for cleaning was spotty at best. “Let me go look at those rooms.” Stephen and I looked at each other as sheer terror gripped our entire bodies. We tripped over each other trying to beat Mom upstairs, but knew that our judgment was sealed. The first place she looked was Stephen’s room; she went straight to the closet door, and soon she lifted the dust ruffle on the bed. “Clean, huh?” She walked down the hall to my room, but I just stood in front of my door and replied, “Don’t even bother.” We had completely fooled Dad, because he didn’t know where to look and what to look for. When he opened the door and peeked in, he saw some order and cleanliness, which was enough for him. However, Mom was a different story. She knew what clean really was, and she knew all our secrets and shortcuts.

Life is a lot like that. At times, we can fool a lot of people. Our outward appearance and speech can make people think we are dedicated and focused on the right things. We often have the “Dad” approach. Scripture is full of instances where outward actions, speech, and motions have tricked people, but never God. God sees our hearts. God knows all of our shortcuts and secrets. He not only knows what we are doing, but why we are doing it. Often people make the point that God knows all the bad things you do. I would also add that God sees all the good things you do, but more importantly he knows why you are doing it; your real intentions behind it. When you serve people, are you doing it for recognition, or do you really want to help them? I’ll never know, but God does. When you give to the church of your time and money, do you expect to get something back or are you giving out of obedience to Scripture and because God first gave to you? Some of us need to do a little cleaning in our lives. It won’t be long before the Father comes home, and he knows the exact places to look to see if you are truly living a life for Him.

Matt. 6:5- “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.”

Matt. 15:8 – “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;”

Read Acts 5:1-11. The intentions of the Ananias and Sapphira may have fooled the people of the church, but God saw right through their empty actions and dishonesty and made them pay the price.

“We know the truth, not only by the reason, but also by the heart.” -Pascal

-The 'Mine' Stage-

2008-04-25T09:12:00.005-05:00

In-between Sunday school and church, I love to walk by the nursery and talk to all the little babies and toddlers that are playing. I open the door to the baby room and gaze in at the drool-fest and a smile appears on my face. I slowly work my way around to the room with 2-3 year olds, sticking my head in the door to observe them playing with cars, doll houses, and making delicious looking sandwiches cut out of fluorescent colored play-dough. Yummy!

I’ve noticed that different kids learn to talk and say words at different ages, but almost all of the 2 and 3 year old kids have mastered one word: “Mine!” Selfishness does not have to be taught to a young child. In fact, parents have to work hard at teaching phrases like “share your toys” and “let your brother play with that” and “give that back, its not yours.” Nevertheless, their innocence is charming and their selfish ways can be overlooked with one glance at those droopy cheeks and heart-melting smiles. It’s a great site to see before heading into the sanctuary.

The “mine” mindset is prevalent in other buildings throughout the church campus as well. Barna research shows that over half of the conflicts that arise in the church are due to “disagreements based on personal preferences.” Pews vs. chairs, contemporary vs. traditional, projection screens vs. hymnals, blue carpet vs. red carpet; it goes on and on and on. It seems like sometimes we never get over the “mine” stage as we grow older.

Rick Warren made a very blunt and lucid statement in his book, The Purpose Drive Life: “This world is not about you.” I know he isn’t the first one to coin that phrase, but it’s still powerful. Sometimes when I go to church and have to sing songs I don’t know and sit in a room where the A/C is set on 50 degrees and sit on retro brown pew cushions, I have to remind myself: “Nathan, its not about you. This worship thing is not about you. This church idea is not about what you want or how you feel or anything about you. It’s about God. So get over yourself and start acting like it. Period.” These little pep talks I give myself always seem to help me put things in perspective and enter God’s house with the right frame of mind.

So the next time you are walking up to the church doors, give yourself a quick pep-talk with a reminder that everything does not revolve around you. This kind of attitude will make your worship experience even more pleasurable and honorable to the One that truly matters: God.

James 5:9- “Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door.”

“Where 2-3 church members are gathered, there will be 4-5 different opinions.” -Dr. Preston Nix

Can I get those fries supersized?

2008-04-14T08:48:00.003-05:00

Can I get those French Fries Super-sized?

A friend of mine just came back from Israel, and he said one of the most interesting places he visited was a McDonalds. (Boy, he must have had a lousy tour guide). He said when he was ordering, he had the option of getting his fries in small, medium, or ANAK sized. Anak means “giant, or very large” in the Hebrew language. He approached the counter with confidence as he said, “I’ll take a #1 combo meal, ANAK sized!”

I’m taking a Hebrew class on the book of Numbers this semester, and chapter 13 has a great story. The spies come back from the Promised Land, but most of them are reporting that the people there are just too powerful for the Hebrews to overcome. In fact, verse 28 reports the people saying, “the ones who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of ANAK there!” The people of Anak were giants, from the same bloodline as Goliath, and their average height was over 6.5 feet tall. Archaeological records tell us that the average height of an Israelite in Old Testament times was just over 5 feet. Imagine the spies as they went into the Promised Land and saw their enemy standing over 2 feet taller than them, bearing huge weapons and mean scowls on their face. No wonder they were scared when they came back to Moses!

This aspect of the story only makes the two spies who believed they could take the land even more impressive for me. Joshua and Caleb had the faith that God would help them overcome their enemies and fulfill His promise to the people of Israel no matter how daunting the task seemed.

Are you facing situations in your life that seem to be insurmountable? Is God testing your faith? Do you have some ANAK-sized troubles in your life right now? Well, you’re not the first, nor the last. And I challenge you to look back on your life and see how God has provided for you in the past as a way to build you faith for the future. Ask yourself, “God has always looked out for me in the past, so why do I think He is going to stop now?” God rewards our faithfulness in Him, so regardless of our circumstances, let’s follow Him and trust that He will protect us, provide for us, and sustain us in our times of need.

1 John 5:4, “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.”

Is that really true? www.snopes.com
Have you ever gotten an email that you thought was just too good (or to unbelievable) to be true? Before you forward a story over to a friend, this site allows you to check the validity of stories that are circulated across the Internet to make sure they are reputable.

Is the New Testament Accurate? www.greer-heard.com
The Seminary hosted a debate last weekend with the goal of addressing the textual reliability of the New Testament. How can we call the New Testament “infallible” if it was written by imperfect men? What about the supposed changes to the New Testament since the original texts were written? All of these issues are addressed in a riveting debate featuring national renowned scholars from both sides of the spectrum of belief.

COME TO NEW ORLEANS!! www.missionlab.com
This year alone the MissionLab program has hosted over 1,000 youth, college students, and senior adults who have come to the city with one purpose: to serve. Students from all over the country have given up their Spring break to come to New Orleans and work. Adult and senior adult groups have come to the MissionLab program not only to enjoy the sites and sounds of the city, but to help in nursing homes, pass out hygiene packets and bottled water to the homeless, and share the message and hope of Jesus Christ through service.

If you or your church is interested in coming to New Orleans for a life changing experience centered around God’s Word and His mandate for us to go out and proclaim His name, then go to www.missionlab.com for more information, or email me at nathan@missionlab.com. We have almost 3,000 students coming through our summer program, and the staff of Ignite Mission will be leading worship and preaching the Word. Hope to see you soon in the Big Easy!

Seminary 101: Resurrection

2008-03-18T08:22:00.003-05:00

Easter in the Protestant Church centers on the resurrection of Jesus. Yet, the resurrection is one of the most contested issues in the Bible. Let’s look at a couple of explanations that the world gives for explaining how this historical event is nothing but a hoax, and how Christians should refute these ideas.

#1- Swoon Theory: Heinrich Paulus argued that Jesus did not die. He was unconscious when buried, and the cool air of the tomb revived Him and He escaped.
RESPONSE: How did Jesus get out? There was a large stone rolled over the entrance of the tomb, and it was closely guarded. It may be feasible for 3-4 men to roll the stone away from the outside, but not one half-dead man to roll it away from the inside.

#2- Wrong Person Theory: Muslims deny the resurrection of Jesus by way of denying his crucifixion. “That they said in boast, ‘We killed Christ Jesus son of Mary, the Apostle of God;’ but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no certain knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not.” -The Quran 4:157. They claim that God cast a spell over Jesus’ enemies in order to rescue Him, and that Judas Iscariot was crucified instead.
RESPONSE: Jesus’ death on the cross is not a part of history that is debated. It’s not His death upon a cross that is in question, but his resurrection.

#3- Hallucination Theory: When the two ladies came to see Jesus’ body three days after the crucifixion, they started to see a “vision” that was brought on by the psychological stresses that they were dealing with as a result of this public trial and horrific death. They were in a trance when they thought they saw Jesus, with their minds projecting what they wanted to see as real, not reality itself.
RESPONSE: Psychology tells us that hallucinations presuppose expectations; this simply means that in order for the women to have had a vision of a resurrected Jesus, they would have had to have the belief that he was going to rise from the dead. The women and the disciples did not show outward faith in Jesus coming back to life, so their visions or hallucinations would not have portrayed a risen man. Also, a vision or hallucination is by nature a characteristic of an individual, definitely not a mass phenomenon that could have been experienced by over 500 people.

CONCLUSION: Apart from believing that Scripture is infallible, the best way I can think to describe the authenticity of the resurrection is this: the deaths of the 12 disciples. Once Judas was replaced, all of the disciples (except John) died a gruesome, martyrs’ death. The question I ask is this: do you really think they would die for a cause they knew was a lie? If they fabricated this story of Jesus being raised from the dead, don’t you think that when confronted with the threat of torture and death, the lie would be forsaken? The truth is, its hard to imagine a man willing to give his life even for something worthy and true, much less an intentional falsification. The disciples, and many Christians since AD33, were willing to die to proclaim a powerful message of truth to a world that desperately needs to hear it.

“Ask a Kid”
I’ve heard my Dad give this illustration in church, and couldn’t resist sharing it with you.

A pastor called the children to the front of the church one Easter Sunday, and asked them if they knew the real meaning of Easter. Prepared for fantasies of the Easter Bunny and 2 pound solid blocks of milk chocolate in a basket with fake plastic grass, he called on the kids to raise their hands. The first little girl he called on replied, “Jesus died on the cross and was buried in a tomb for 3 days.” The pastor was shocked at the answer, and urged the little girl to finish the story. She responded, “And when Jesus came out 3 days later, he saw his shadow, which means we have 6 more weeks of winter.”

She got the gist of it, I guess. Hope you have a great Easter with family and friends worshipping a risen Savior!

Christianity: Moving or Motionless?

2008-03-05T08:39:00.005-06:00

One of the hot phrases of this election season is “no more politics as usual.” In fact, Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama referred to the past as a “monument” of accomplishments, but that under his presidency he would “focus on the future and moving America” in what he feels is the right direction.

I think if Jesus gave a “state of the church” address, he would say the same thing. Sometimes the church has the tendency to revel in the past. James Welch, a local church pastor here in New Orleans, made the comparison of Christianity being either a “movement” or a “monument.” If you look at Jesus’ life and ministry, he was always on the move. He was never in one place, and always focused on going out and meeting the needs of the community. In my opinion, one of the most audacious things the Church does is plan a “worship service” at a particular time and place, and expect non-Christians to clear their schedule, drop everything they are doing and show up wearing a coat and tie. Jesus never expected people to come to him; his ministry was all about movement. He went out into the community and engaged people where they were, meeting them in their culture, sharing the good news of salvation. Even when he was in the Temple preaching, it was a part of God’s bigger plan to reach the Temple officials and give them the chance to have eternal life through Christ.

So do I have something against church buildings? Absolutely not! I worship in one every Sunday morning. However, when it comes to making disciples and leading people to Christ, let’s step outside the walls and share the good news. Like Pastor James said, let’s avoid being just a monument of buildings in our community and turn Christianity into the powerful movement that Jesus began.

This week, I would like to ask for you to spend some time praying for two church planters here in New Orleans. They are really thinking outside of the box when it comes to preaching and teaching the Word. James at Sojourn uses an art gallery to reach a culture that is consumed with fine arts in the French Quarter Area.

James Welch at Sojourn Church

Rob at Vintage is reaching out to the people of Uptown, New Orleans. Their motto is "focus on being the church instead of just going to church." Both are extremely intentional about taking the church outside of the walls and reaching two communities that have little Christian presence.

Rob Wilton at Vintage Church

Seminary 101: God

2008-02-19T08:27:00.004-06:00

“Alright class, take out your pencils and a sheet of paper. Take good notes, because there may be a quiz on this later . . .”

I’m taking Hebrews exegesis this semester, which is a fancy seminary term that means we are translating the Hebrew Bible into English. I know how to read and write Hebrew, and I’ve noticed that my professor has an odd pronunciation for the word “God” in the Old Testament. In fact, he was pronouncing it totally wrong as far as phonetics goes. So this lowly Hebrew student decided to do a little research before he openly corrected his Hebrew professor (which, mind you, has a Ph.D. in Biblical Hebrew). What I found out has a significant meaning for the words we say today.

The first word that is used for God in the Old Testament is “Elohim” (El-o-heem). It is used in the first chapter of Genesis to describe God. However, if you study the grammar behind this term, you’ll notice that Elohim is plural. Now, I’m not a pluralist (belief in more than one God), but I do believe that this usage of the word is plural on purpose. Scholars believe this proves the idea of the Trinity. God is a triune God, and this plural verb form proves it. He was not alone. He was in the presence of the Trinity. Elohim appears in the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible) over 2,500 times.

Things change when Elohim creates Adam. Elohim means “Creator God,” and once man was created, the creation process was unofficially over. From Adam to Moses, Elohim phases out and YHWH becomes the name for God. YHWH symbolizes a more personal relationship with man, but translates as “God of Israel.” If you’ll notice, YHWH does not have any vowels. In order to help the pronunciation, translators have inserted vowels to make it possible to pronounce: YaHWeH (pronounced Yah-way). The Hebrew letter W is sometimes pronounced as a V, which explains how YAHWEH is sometimes pronounced YAHVAH, which ultimately led to another term for God - Jehovah. Yet, there is a reason why the people of Israel did not have vowels in the name YHWH; it is because they did not ever vocally say YHWH.

After the Ten Commandments, the Israelites looked very seriously upon the sin of taking the Lord God’s name in vain. In fact, they didn’t even want to come CLOSE to saying it in the wrong way. Scholars tell us that facial expressions were a large part of the Hebrew language, and even saying YHWH with a smirk or unholy look on your face was considered blasphemous! The punishment for doing so was 30-60 days of fasting, and the inability to participate in ritualistic ceremonies, which was the main avenue to God in Moses’ day. So how do you avoid using God’s name in vain? Don’t ever pronounce it.

What the Israelites did is take the basic Hebrew letters that made up YHWH, and added different vowels in different places, which phonetically translates to Adonai (ad-o-nie). They pronounced God’s name as Adonai, but this still wasn’t good enough for writing the name of God. When used in writings, Ha-Shem was written out as the word for God, which literally translates as “the name.”

I know this is a lot of information, and it’s pretty tedious, but here is the reason I share this with you: the Israelites considered God so Holy and powerful and were so reliant on Him that they didn’t even feel worthy to say his name. They were afraid they wouldn’t say it right, and that for some reason God would not approve of them. With “Oh My God” and the insertion of “Oh Lord” into regular speech today, it is a huge contrast between the viewpoint of God then and now.

So what is your viewpoint of God? In the time of Moses, that question would be answered by the way you used His name. Do you consider Him holy, loving, and worthy of our praise? If so, then stop and consider what you are really doing when you say His name. Call out to God with a sense of reverence, humbleness, and brokenness; because without this approach, we are not even worthy of saying His name, much less calling out to Him for help.

"You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that takes his name in vain." -Exodus 20:7

What’s going on in New Orleans?

With 45% of the economy in the city of New Orleans based on tourism, we have had a busy couple of months.

--In the college football bowl season, New Orleans made an estimated $400 million off of the New Orleans Bowl in December and the two BCS games played in the city: The Allstate Sugar Bowl on January 7, and the BCS National Championship Game on January 14. The championship game between Ohio State and Louisiana State University was a great success, but also was filled with some interesting irony. Allstate Insurance Company was a primary sponsor of the Sugar Bowl. But after Katrina, Allstate is one of the few insurance companies that are no longer writing claims in New Orleans.

--There was also worry that the opponents playing in the games would cut down on the money spent in the city. Hawaii played in the Sugar Bowl, and many of the fans were not expected to make the long trip. LSU played in the championship game, and many people thought that instead of renting hotels and eating in New Orleans, the Bayou Bengal fans would just drive the hour from Baton Rouge before the game and leave after the final whistle. However, for both weekends, all 32,000 hotel rooms in New Orleans were booked. Both games were sold out and New Orleans was the biggest winner for the bowl season.

--February 14-16 marks the NBA All star game, with an estimated $90 million being earned for the city. Even more important than the money, the NBA draws in a world-wide audience. The NBA all-star game will be translated in 30 different languages and broadcast all around the world. That world-wide exposure for the city will hopefully draw people back to New Orleans.

-To Close for Comfort-

2008-01-18T09:11:00.000-06:00

Elizabeth’s Grandmother and Aunt came into town last weekend, and we had a great time eating, site-seeing, and soaking in the culture of New Orleans. Of course, one of the main things they wanted to do was see some of the devastation still prevalent in the ninth ward neighborhoods. Practically immune to that request from visitors, Elizabeth and I agreed to take them to see some of the worst hit areas.

As we drove up and down the desolate streets, it brought back a flood of memories and emotions from August 29, 2005. Even though I see the destruction everyday, I am suffering from Katrina fatigue, which basically means the destruction is such a normal part of my daily routine now, it goes almost unnoticed as I drive past it every day.

Is it really possible that I can get so used to seeing the destruction that I don’t even notice it anymore? Is it even thinkable that such a horrific and terrible thing in the past can be overlooked due to overexposure?

David warned us of this very thing in the book of Psalms.

In Psalm 1:1, David mentions we should not walk in the counsel of the wicked, stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers.

Notice the progression:

Walking past something seems to be harmless, but when we begin to get used to the presence of sin, we’re in trouble. It’s sort of like a “look but don’t touch” attitude.

The next step is standing. Not only do we walk by, sometimes we stop and talk. It’s harmless right? Just try it one time. We become a little bit more comfortable with the surroundings, and with more exposure comes more acceptance.

Finally, we find ourselves so comfortable and immune to the presence of sin we are sitting among it and participating in it, without realizing that something is wrong. That’s how sin works: Satan will try to get you hooked a little bit at a time until you are so consumed by the desires of the flesh that you can hardly tell what’s right from wrong.

Don’t fall into the trap! Our only hope is to rely on Christ and keep our eyes focused on him as we navigate the waters of sin in the world every day.

-Read the rest of Psalm chapter 1. Note the imagery that David uses, and the ways the he suggests a person can avoid falling into the traps of sin.

1 Peter 5:8 - “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

-Goggles and Eye Drops-

2008-01-08T09:40:00.000-06:00

Anytime I go to my parent’s house, my dad always has a project for my brother and me to help him do. It’s either digging a ditch, adding on to his tool shed, tilling his garden patch to get it ready for spring planting, or some other kind of manual labor. This Christmas break was no different. Pops is building on to his shed in the backyard, and there was a tree that needed to be cut down to make room for the addition. My brother Stephen usually takes care of operating the heavy machinery, but with him busy running his landscaping business in Charlotte, the chainsaw responsibilities fell on my shoulders. I put my safety goggles on and with a few pulls of the cord, the cold-natured engine roared to life.

After putting the tree on the ground, I went upstairs to clean up. Even though I had the goggles on, my eyes were still red and dry from all the sawdust and dirt flying through the air. I turned my head toward the ceiling and dropped some Visine in both eyes, blinking repeatedly to clean the dust out. At the end of the day, with all my fingers and toes still in place, I had no real reason to complain.

The Christian life sometimes calls for some goggles and eye drops. The Bible acts as a pair of goggles, serving as a part of armor that Christians put on everyday. The Word protects us from stumbling in our faith, falling into temptation, and preventing us from making others stumble because of our words and actions.

Yet, even with the best protection and preventive measures, we are not perfect. We will stumble and we will make mistakes. Sometimes the goggles aren’t enough. That’s when we have to use a little Visine. Christ acts as the eye drops that clean us up. He purifies us from the sins and unrighteousness that infect our lives everyday.

With proper protection and a reliance on the mercy and grace of Christ, our lives will bring glory to God despite our shortcomings, and will be a shining example to encourage other Christians in their walk with God.

2 Corinthians 7:1 - Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Read Psalm 91- God is shown as the protector of his people described as a refuge and a fortress.

I hope you all have a great year in 2008. A new year means new resolutions. See how your resolutions compare to the most common in the US.

Top 10 New Years Resolutions

10. Get Organized
9. Volunteer and Donate to Help Others
8. Get a Better Job
7. Get Out of Debt
6. Stop Drinking
5. Enjoy Life More by Starting a New Hobby or Trying Something New
4. Stop Smoking
3. Lose Weight
2. Exercise and be More Physically Active
1. Spend More Time with Family and Friends

-You're a Liberal?-

2007-12-17T15:16:00.000-06:00

With Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama leading the charge for the Democratic Party, and the Republican Party looking very lackluster, I can’t help but to ponder how a Democratic candidate would lead the country. Most of my older Christian friends shutter at the fact that a young adult that claims to be a follower of Christ would even entertain the notion of voting for the blue state donkeys.

“You’re a liberal?” Liberal; another useless title that so many Americans have adopted, yet have no idea what it means. Let me just get down to it: am I a liberal or a conservative? My reply is simply, “yes.” I think that all Americans, even Christians dare I say, should be both. Let’s consult our trusty Webster Dictionary to put an accurate definition on these commonly misrepresented terms.

Conservative means "one that strives to maintain existing views, conditions, institutions, traditions, and norms marked with moderation, caution, and morals. Should that be me? Of course." The things that are working and are positive in the world today should be stood up for and fought to keep.

Now let’s take a look at the often demonized word of liberalism. A liberal is someone who is "open-minded, and not strict to the observance of the orthodox, tradition, or established norm and ways." That is something I always want to be. As my generation struggles to worship freely with guitars as the traditional, more conservative generation digs in their heels, I sometimes remind myself that my new “liberal” forms of worship will one day be traditional. They will be the new norm. And I hope and pray that when that day comes I can avoid the same path that so many others have taken to argue that any other form or style of worship other than my own is now blasphemous and liberal.

The moral of the story is this: we need to be conservative when it comes to holding fast to the morals and great traditions of our faith. Yes, there are certain things worth fighting for. However, let us not be so narrow minded to think that the same traditional ways of worship, evangelism, discipleship, and even life for that matter will always be relevant. Be a liberal in the fact that we are constantly searching for new methods and ideologies that will one day become tradition in the Christian faith as it ushers in a new method of winning people to Christ.

“God, help show me that despite my presuppositions, you can use any person, any method, and any situation to bring you glory and draw people to you. Help my traditions, thoughts, and habits to never overshadow the most effective ways to make an impact on the world in your name. Amen.”

-Christmas time-

2007-12-04T16:53:00.000-06:00

I love Christmas! What I really like about it is giving and receiving Christmas cards. It is neat to open a card and see from whom it was sent. Then I usually say things like, “We’ll that was nice of them!” and “I wonder what they have been up to?” and “Well it is good to hear from those guys.” Unfortunately, sometimes I open it and have to say, “Oops, I forgot to send them a card this year!!” Any way you look at it, Christmas cards are a great part of the season. Elizabeth and I send out a good many Christmas cards. (If you don’t get one from us, I probably don’t have your address, so send it to me!) We usually pick out cards with a crawfish or alligator dressed up in a Santa Claus suit that has a Christmas greeting on the inside with some Cajun flair.

Another exciting thing that I write up during this time of year is my Christmas wish list. I want to make sure old Santa Claus knows exactly what I want this year, and some faux-pas to avoid (including sweaters, handkerchiefs with my initials on them, and hard loaves of fruitcake). My wish list is usually posted proudly on the icebox for all to see and for my wife to tell Santa Claus in case he stops by or calls.

When I stop and think about these two special elements of Christmas, I contemplate my prayer life and talking with God during this special season. I often question the method and style of my praying. I realize there is no distinct style that is “correct” or that God will hear any faster, but our prayer styles often closely compare to the two writing styles above. Are your prayers like a wish list - slowly communicating to God what you want from him, when you want it, how you want it, and what you don’t want him to do? Do you specifically pray for things that you want that will make your life easier, more convenient, or will help you personally? Are you praying to God like he is Santa Claus?

Hopefully, your prayer life is more like a Christmas card or a thank-you note. Hopefully you are expressing to God how much you appreciate his love, mercy and grace in your life. Hopefully when you pray you are realizing the power and impact of simple communication with God. Is God surprised when he hears you talk with Him, maybe saying, “…haven’t heard from them in a while”?

This season, spend some time with your family in prayer, recognizing what God did for us, and continually thanking Him for showering us with blessings. Thank Him also for the difficult times you experienced this year. The Bible says that through these difficult times we grow stronger in our faith, closer to God, and more reliant on His Word… and having those three things on your Christmas list wouldn’t be a bad idea at all!

-Where's the key?-

2007-11-15T22:12:00.000-06:00

Two years ago, my dad and I drove up to our new house in Kenner, LA. We pulled the U-haul into the driveway and walked up to the front door. We went inside, perusing the different rooms and jotting down what handyman work my Dad was planning on doing before he left at the end of the weekend. With a half-page list ready to start and our belongings packed carelessly in the back of the truck, Pops and I walked back out to the rental vehicle to unload. There was just one problem: I accidentally locked the doors of the truck with the keys still dangling in the ignition.

Great.

Pops asked me if I had a “Slim Jim” or “Wedge and Bar” (layman terms for tools to unlock car doors from the outside). I reminded him that they were illegal to own, and with a chuckle that suggested “it wouldn’t surprise me if you had one anyway,” he moved to plan B. We walked inside and got a coat hanger from the closet. 45 minutes later we finally maneuvered the slender metal rod under the latch and popped it open. After a quick high-five, we started unloading the truck, with my dad slipping the key in his front pocket, just in case.

We didn’t have the specific tools to work with, but we got the job done. And Satan works the same way in our lives everyday. We may be trying to avoid the “obvious” sins that we battle with everyday, like lying, gossiping, and other personal areas of struggle, but Satan will use other nonconventional ways to get into our lives. Having a negative attitude towards other people or things is a constant problem in the Church today. Satan will test our patience when we drive, talk with unpleasant people, and then hit us where it hurts the most when we are the weakest. He doesn’t care how the job gets done, as long as he succeeds in pulling us away from a daily relationship with the Father. So watch out, and remember to combat the devil and his schemes by spending time in the Word and praying daily.

“Be of sober mind, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith;” -1 Peter 5:8-9a

“The Threat of Mediocrity"

2007-11-01T09:30:00.000-05:00

There are a lot of “what ifs” in this life. For many, the “what ifs” surround the past, but for me, the “what ifs” surround the future. I think the possibilities of both the present and the future are much more meaningful than the success and failures of the past. One thing about being in school is constantly thinking about why I am going through these tests and papers, and what I am going to end up doing with them. Is it possible that after the hard work and many stressful hours of writing, researching, and bribing my way through school, I could end up in a state of being that scares me more than any boogie man in the dark or incurable health problem? That state is called mediocrity. Plain Jane… Regular Joe, whatever you call it, it’s scary.

So what does that scary state look like? Is it a young and eager pastor trapped in a dead, stubborn, church? Maybe so. I’ve heard it said that 40% of seminary students are no longer in the ministry 5 years after graduation. Maybe this state of mediocrity drives them out. Maybe they got into the kitchen and found out they couldn’t take the heat. Maybe they didn’t belong in the kitchen at all in the first place. Either way, it scares me. The only solution I can think of right now is to bust my tail, try hard, and pray that at the end of the day, I look back and see that I made a difference in someone else’s life. Because at the end of the day, the lack of impact on the world is the only thing scarier to me than mediocrity.

“God, give me the discernment to hear your voice when you speak to me. Also, give me the courage to follow your voice despite my own feelings and opinions. Help me to make a difference in everything I do, whether it is the pastor of a church or the Executive Director of a ministry organization. Whichever one, I can’t do it without you. Help. Amen.”

-Studying is not enough-

2007-10-03T21:11:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite verses in the Bible concerning school and studying is Ecclesiastes 1:18, “For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.” Anytime I don’t feel like studying, I just read this verse and some way, some how my lack of motivation becomes temporarily justified. Regardless, I end up studying anyway to prepare myself for the test. Unfortunately, I have realized several times in the past that studying alone does not guarantee good grades. Good decisions also encourage these letters of congratulations (or condemnation) from the teacher.

Now I will dig deep into my repertoire of experiences to tell a story of which my desire is for you to benefit... AKA I messed up, so listen to this and maybe you won’t make the same mistake!

After a long night of studying for exams at North Greenville College, I felt that I was as ready as I was going to be. Some of my friends wanted go to the gas station down the road for some energy drinks and candy (really anything that would help them stay up later to study). One innocent trip to the gas station turned into a 3-hour social visit to the local Waffle House. After waffles, hash browns, and about $3 worth of quarters put into the jukebox for some after dinner singing, I looked at my watch and realized that my exam started in just a few short hours. At that moment I had an epiphany. I said to myself, “Self, you need to go home and go to bed. You have an important test to take in three hours.” Despite the excellent advice I gave to myself, I chose an alternative route. I decided that since I would only get about 2 hours of sleep if I left immediately, it would be better if I just stayed up and then took the exam. I could sleep after the test, and after some persuasion from my colleagues I decide to officially pull an “all nighter.”

I was confident going into my exam… a confidence that would soon dissipate within the first 30 minutes of the test. I was struggling to focus on the questions; all I could think about were the Elvis songs we sang with the waitresses at the Waffle House only hours before. I ended up passing the class (Yes, I believe in miracles!) and graduating. However, I learned a valuable lesson: Just because you study for a test doesn’t mean that you are going to pass it. There are other elements involved. These would include being alert, getting a good night’s sleep before the test, and APPLYING yourself.

Christians study all the time. People can go to church, go to Sunday School, read their devotions everyday, and do all the things that Christians do. Yet, this is not enough. It’s one thing to learn about Christian truths and how to be more Christ-like; it’s a whole other thing to actually apply them. Christians have to apply the truths they are taught in church and through their own personal studies. If you don’t apply these to your life, then they aren’t doing you any good! Your heart and your life – not just your brain – need to be an example to others. So as you read your Bible everyday, don’t do it just to say you spent time with God and can check devotions off your list. Think about how you can apply the teachings and principles that you are reading in your own life. God will use this to grow you spiritually and mentally, preparing you for the daily “tests” of life. And as for the Waffle House... I would recommend the pecan waffles with extra maple syrup, but just not on the night before exams.

-Spending time in the Word-

“All men die, but not all men truly live.” -Mel Gibson, in Brave Heart.

1. Deuteronomy 26:16-19 shows that keeping God’s commands doesn’t mean just knowing them in your head, but obeying them in your heart.
2. Look in Romans to read about life with the true Spirit- Romans 8:1-17.

-Hiding the Word in your heart-

Memorize these verses as you continue to study the Word of God daily.

1. John 1:12- “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
2. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15- “And he died for all, that those who should live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.”

-A Big Entrance-

2007-10-03T21:10:00.000-05:00

The President came into town last week to view the hurricane damage and to check on the rebuilding efforts in New Orleans, so I drove up to be to the airport when he was flying in. While I was outside, I heard the loudest noise I have ever heard coming towards the runway. I looked up into the sky and saw two fighter jets roaring towards me. They had missiles loaded on both wings and their guns locked and cocked. Right behind the first two jets was a huge airplane descending from the clouds; it was Air Force 1, carrying President Bush to the runway. On both sides of Air Force 1 was a set of fighter jets, with two more jets cruising behind the airplane. While the airplane landed, the six fighter jets circled the airport in formation, ready to eliminate any ground or aerial threat that may want to cause trouble. After the President had landed and stepped into the terminal, the other jets landed to fuel up and prepare for takeoff that afternoon. It was an amazing display of how powerful and intimidating our military is. I thought, “That guy sure knows how to make an entrance, doesn’t he?!”

The noise and mighty display of power made everyone around stop what they were doing and stand in awe. The more I think about it, the more familiar this story sounds. Jesus tells about his second coming in the gospels. He will appear in the sky with power and glory, and angels sounding loud trumpets will make his arrival known. I think of it as similar to what I witnessed at the airport that day, multiplied times 1000! Unlike an arrival from the President, Jesus’ arrival will be swift and unannounced. Because of this, people have to be ready. There will be no time for repentance or bargaining, which makes our daily walk with Christ and witness for Him even more important. For Christians, it is a great day to anticipate. However, for non-Christians, the Bible says it will be a time for mourning, for it is too late for them.
When John the Baptist starting preaching, his message was “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matthew 3:2). Then Jesus came, preaching “The Kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the Good News” (Mark 1:15). Peter and Paul both preached “Repent and be baptized” (Acts). So, are you ready? Or maybe a better question is, are you living like you are ready?

-Spending Time in the Word-
-Read Matthew 24:26-35. Jesus himself talks about what His second coming will be like, both for his followers and for people who have scoffed at His teachings.
-Look at the descriptive phrases throughout the Bible describing what this day will be like: swift, unpredictable, like a thief in the night, like labor pains on a pregnant woman.

-Hiding the Word in your Heart-
After Paul finishes talking to the church at Thessalonica about the second coming, he gives them this advice in 1Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

-Same old, same old-

2007-10-03T21:08:00.000-05:00

Every year, same story - Virgin Mary, Joseph, angels, shepherds, wise men, Jesus, miracle. No doubt you will hear the birth story this year as well, maybe more than once. But let me encourage you to be a student of the Word. Now think about what that means - a student studies, does homework, and interacts with fellow classmates and the teacher. That’s exactly what I mean by being a student of the Word. Christians need to be doing that very thing with the “textbook” that God has given us. The Word of God is alive; treat it that way. Explore what it really means and how God can use it to change your life. The more you study, the more God will show you. However, as Oswald Chambers once said, God isn’t going to show you anything new until you do something with what He has already given you. Here’s a different aspect of the Christmas story to think about . . .

Pick up the story in Matthew 2:11. The 3 Magi have followed the star to Bethlehem and are about to see the newborn king. They see Jesus, present him with gifts, and then they head back to their homeland. Good story, huh? Wait… go back to verse 12. Read it. Notice any peculiar phrases? What about: “they walked a different way”? Now granted, the literal meaning of the text is that the Magi just chose another route to get home. But think about the sequence of events. The Magi came one way, met Jesus, and left another way. The question is: Is that true in your life? Before you were a Christian, you had a certain lifestyle. You walked a certain way. But then you met Jesus - King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Savior of the world. And then, hopefully, you walked a different way. You examined your life, made the changes, put God as your top priority, and walked a different way.

A true encounter with the Savior changes your life. You look at people in a different way, you treat people a different way, and you try to show the same grace and mercy that God has shown you. This holiday season as you hear the birth narrative, think about your life now as a Christian. Are you truly grateful for what God did for you on that first Christmas night? And after meeting Jesus, are you proving that by walking a different way?

-Spending time in the Word-
The birth of Christ was a much anticipated event. Take time this week to read these passages in the Old Testament predicting the birth and arrival of Jesus: Psalm 132:11, Isaiah 9:6-7, Isaiah 16:5, Jeremiah 23:5, Daniel 2:44, Daniel 7:14 and 27, Obadiah 21, and Micah 4:7. So much hype, so much anticipation, so much hope on the birth of one man. Imagine their response when they found out he would be born in a stable, of a virgin, and come from Nazareth. No fanfare, no parties, and no kingly celebrations; just a humble birth for one that was to be the Savior of the world.

-Hiding the Word in your heart-
Memorize these verses as you continue to study the Word of God daily.
Luke 2:11, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”
Psalm 62:2, “He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.”

-Shopping-

2007-10-03T21:06:00.000-05:00

Just like other big cities, New Orleans has its share of shopping destinations. There are 3 malls within 8 miles of our house. But for a unique shopping experience, you have to go downtown. All of the stores throw their doors open, play some music, and invite shoppers in to purchase food, clothes, knickknacks, and anything Cajun. Walking down Canal Street and neighboring streets such as Bourbon, Magazine, and Tchopitoulas (pronounced Chop-a-two-lus) can give the avid shop-a-holic an opportunity to burn some hard earned money.

For me personally, shopping is a national pastime that I do not enjoy. I am the kind of “get what you need and leave” shopper. Elizabeth, on the other hand, is not. She can shop for a couple of hours, not purchase a single thing, and consider it a successful trip. This is the style of shopping that I wish upon no man. I walked into a women’s clothing store with Elizabeth the other day, and the saleswoman looked at me and said, “You can go sit in the back if you want to. That’s usually what all the men do.”

But a neat thing to do downtown is window shop. Mannequins are set up in windows wearing the finest of clothes, matched and coupled to the T. You can just look at the clothes and picture yourself wearing them. This is a big marketing technique that stores use. Put clothes on display that people like, and they will come in the store to look around. Well that’s exactly what happens with me. Elizabeth and I will walk past a window, see some nice clothes on the mannequins, and walk in to check it out. The dummy in the window makes the dummy outside come in and spend some money. It gets me every time!

Christians are a lot like those dummies (don’t get mad yet, just stay with me). Christians are constantly on display. People are watching us - what we look like, how we act, what we say, how we raise our families, and how our lives look different from their lives. God’s goal, and hopefully ours, is for non-Christians to observe the lives and lifestyles of Christians and be interested in what they see. It is then that these “window shoppers” may come into a church or a home wanting to know what Christianity is all about. Setting a good example is not a substitute for witnessing to someone, but it is an opportunity to reflect Christ-like attitudes and actions. Remember this week that you are on display to the world. What are people saying when they pass you in the window?

-Spending time in the Word-

“We should be less concerned with making churches full of people and more concerned with making people full of God.” -David Roozen

1. Read 1 John 1:1-10. This is my favorite passage in the Greek New Testament. It is just full of rich meaning. By walking with God, our witness becomes stronger and more noticeable, along with being easier to share with others.

2. Read Acts 4:13-22. If you have had a genuine conversion experience, you won’t be able to stop telling people about what you have seen and heard about God.

-Hiding the Word in your heart-

Memorize these verses as you continue to learn and study the Word of God daily.

1. [Jesus said] “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” -Acts 1:8

2. “Live such good lives among the pagans that though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.”
-1 Peter 2:12

-Very Good-

2007-10-03T21:05:00.000-05:00

Hanging on the walls in my parents’ house in Anderson are pictures of Charleston scenes, painted by Virginia Ginn. She is an extremely talented artist who happens to be a friend of the family. There are pictures of Rainbow Row, The Battery, and of the black ladies weaving reed baskets downtown. All of the paintings are personally signed by Virginia Ginn with a short note. My mom just loves those paintings, but you can ask her which piece of artwork is her favorite in the entire house, and she won’t point to any of her Charleston prints. She’ll take you to my brother Stephen’s room and show you a design that he drew for a billboard company in Columbia that won an award. She’ll take you to my room and show you a picture of a monkey hanging in a tree that I drew in Middle School. Are any of these created by masterful artists? Not really. Are they even any good? Well, Stephen’s is. So what’s the deal? Why are these sketches her favorite among a house full of beautiful paintings? She loves them so much because her kids made them. No matter what it looked like or how ugly it was, our artwork was always her favorite.

Your Father in heaven is the same way. He owns the whole world (literally), but the most important thing to Him is you. He has everything imaginable, but you are still His favorite. In Genesis 1, God created everything in the world and after it was done, “God saw that it was good” (v. 25). But then He made man. And after He did this, “God saw that it was very good” (v. 31). No matter what you look like, no matter how bad or ugly you may think your life is, you are still God’s favorite and He loves you. If you strive to imitate the life of Christ and make God your top priority, then at the end of the day God can look at the artwork that is your life and say, “it is very good.”

-Spending time in the Word-

“What can you say about a society that thinks God is dead and Elvis is alive?” -Irv Kupcinet

1. Read the Genesis account of creation in chapters 1 and 2. Notice the adjectives that God uses when describing each thing he created.

2. In Psalm 104, you can see the delight that God takes in His creation.

-Hiding the Word in your heart-

Memorize these verses as you continue to study the Word of God daily.

1. “I lift up my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” -Psalm 121:1-2

2. “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the Word of truth.” -2 Timothy 2:15

-America: Blessed or Blessing-

2007-10-03T21:03:00.001-05:00

The phrase is a staple of most speeches by President Bush. You often hear it as a salutation in a conversation or a letter. You can see it on bumper stickers, key chains, and printed on cheap air fresheners hanging from the car’s rearview mirror. It is an especially popular phrase for this time of year. Have you guessed it yet? GOD BLESS AMERICA! Thanks to the President, this phrase has really become a fashionable clause in everyday writing and speech. My problem is, I can’t figure out why people are saying it? I guess it’s just a bi-product of our self-seeking society. In my opinion, shouldn’t it be the other way around?

Biblical precedence shows us that prior to a nation being blessed by God, the nation basically blessed Him. So it makes more sense to me that if America is truly seeking the blessing of God, our motto shouldn’t be God bless America; it should be AMERICA BLESS GOD!

Think about it. Many of the most blessed people in the Bible were not focused on themselves, but on the worship and exaltation of God. It was after this act of worship that God chose to bless a person, city, or nationality of people. If Americans would start putting God first in their lives, focus on worshiping and bringing Him glory, and not be so self-centered, we wouldn’t have to be asking for God’s blessing. God would be pouring blessings on us so fast we wouldn’t have the time or the room to receive all of them. So as you verbalize your thankfulness during this holiday season and are tempted to ask for God’s blessings in your life and family, first ask yourself: What am I doing in my life to bring glory, honor, and blessing to God?

-Spending time in the Word-

“Look to see what God says and how He works in the Scriptures. Make your decisions and evaluate your experiences based on biblical principles.” -Henry Blackaby

1. Read about God’s showers of blessings in Ezekiel 34:26-30

2. Read Psalm 67. The first verse is an outcry for God to bless His people. But look at verse 2 - they ask for blessings not for selfish reasons, but to bring God glory. Now read verses 3-5 - these verses show what the people are going to do in order to receive those blessings. It is a kind of conditional passage - If we do this, then God will look at us in favor. Notice how verse 6 starts with the word “then.” It is AFTER their praise and glory goes up to God that His blessings will come (verses 6 and 7).

-Hiding the Word in your heart-

Memorize these verses as you continue to study the Word of God daily.

1. Psalm 19:4, “Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”

2. 1 Corinthians 9:25, “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

-I'll have a Grande Decaf, please-

2007-10-03T21:01:00.000-05:00

As I’m writing this, I am sitting in a Starbucks Coffee Shop here in New Orleans. It’s amazing how packed it is. It is 3:00 on a Thursday afternoon . . . do these people not have jobs?? They are all probably looking at me thinking the same thing. I’m sitting here drinking a $3.65 cup of coffee, and to be honest, it really doesn’t taste that much different than the cup that I make at home. So what makes people want to come in here? Everyone here is drinking coffee, so we automatically have something in common. Also everyone here is sitting at a table talking with someone; no lone drinkers in the entire shop. There wasn’t an empty table when I walked in, so I asked a girl working on her computer if I could have a seat at her table. As people walk in, the baristas (coffee house language for people who mix the coffee drinks) welcome many of the guests by name and start their order as the smiling customers approach the counter with an almost lackadaisical “I’ll have the usual.” As a minister, future pastor, and even a local church member, I want to figure out what makes this place and atmosphere so different than. . . well. . . the church?

People have written articles about this before, but let me share a few thoughts about it. Why is Starbucks growing by leaps and bounds both in opening new locations and stock prices, but 70% of the churches in America are plateaued or declining? Is it the product? In my opinion, the grace, love, and mercy of Jesus Christ is a lot more alluring than a caramel latte. Is it because coffee is getting more and more popular these days? According to Greer Research, atheism is at an all time low in the 21st century because more and more people in the world are searching for spiritualism and religion than ever before.

Two cups of decaf and some conversation later, I think I have the solution: atmosphere. When people walk in that door, regardless of age, color, creed, ethnicity, or social status, they are welcomed and asked how they can be served. Do we do that every time someone walks in our church doors? The camaraderie in a coffee shop atmosphere is contagious, but do guests ever feel isolated or ignored in church today? If church members - starting with myself - would reflect the love of Christ to the world like these baristas reflect the love of coffee and fellowship, we would have a serious spiritual awakening on our hands. There is no doubt that this coffee craze will one day slow down, but as long as we are sharing the truth and love of Christ, then the Gospel will never stop changing lives.

-Spending time in the Word-

“I have no objections to churches so long as they do not interfere with God’s work.” -Brooks Atkinson

1. In Romans 12:9-21, Paul talks to the church about a very important aspect of being a body of believers: love.

2. In 2 Corinthians 8:1-15, Paul encourages the church to be generous in their giving and in their Christian attitude.

-Hiding the Word in your heart-

1. I Corinthians 14:26-“When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church.”

2. Ezekiel 36:23- “Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the sovereign Lord, when I show myself holy through you before their eyes.” (emphasis mine)

-Exercise or Ice Cream?-

2007-10-03T20:59:00.000-05:00

There is an ice cream parlor about a mile away from my house; I know . . . how lucky can you get? One of the things that Elizabeth and I like to do is go for a walk down to the ice cream shop, get a cone of our favorite ice cream, and then walk back to the house, licking it the entire way home. It’s funny how it all works out though. Elizabeth never asks, “Do you want to go get some ice cream?” It is always the simple request of, “Let’s go for a little walk, you want to?” This is usually followed up by “Be sure to bring your wallet with some money . . . just in case.” Some people may call it splurging, but Elizabeth and I call it exercise. If there is anything in the world to help get people motivated to exercise, it is ice cream!

Motives are an amazing thing. Sometimes motives can make us do things we do not want to do, try harder to accomplish difficult tasks, or even make enjoyable tasks more pleasant. The Bible often mentions that in many cases motives are more important than the action itself. Sure, you go to church, but why? Yea, you help people, but for what reason? Sure, you tithe each week, but why do you do it? Is it all just lip service, or is it “heart service”? One of the powers of God is to be able to look into your heart and see your motives, not just your actions. This gives God a lucid glimpse of who you are on the inside; for some of us, this can be very intimidating. So the next time you act out your faith, make sure your attitude is in the right place. Don’t go to church to be social, but go to worship authentically and experience God. Don’t help people for the recognition, but help them in order for people to see Jesus in you. Don’t tithe just because the Bible instructs you to do so, but tithe to help further the Kingdom of God. Give your alms to prove your trust and faith that God will provide for your every need. And what about the ice cream? I guess as long as you walk to get it, technically it is still exercise!

-Spending time in the Word-

“The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.” -Ann Landers

1. In Luke 21:1-4, notice that Jesus is not concerned about the amount of money that was given, but the attitude and sacrificial giving behind the offering.

2. Matthew 6:1-18 explains how giving to the needy, praying, and fasting can either be done for selfish reasons and a reward on earth, or done for God, securing an everlasting reward in heaven.

-Hiding the Word in your heart-

Memorize these verses as you continue to study the Word of God daily.

1. “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.” -Jeremiah 17:10

2. “All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord.”
-Proverbs 16:2

3. “God will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.” -1 Corinthians 4:5b

-Accountability-

2007-10-03T20:58:00.000-05:00

Homeless people are a regular site in New Orleans. Many walk the streets of the French Quarter, asking tourists and locals alike if they can help them out with some money. Some want food, some want alcohol, some just sit in the street, and some even hold up funny signs. There was one man sitting by the road the other day with a sign that read, “I need money for beer, please. God bless you.” I thought to myself, “At least he’s being honest.” I don’t look forward to interactions with the beggars; my heartstrings get pulled when I see them and I hand them a couple of dollars. Ten minutes later I see them in the gas station down the road scratching lottery tickets they bought with my 5 bucks. Oh well, I guess it’s the thought that counts.

The other day as I was walking in Uptown New Orleans, a bum was seated on the curb with all his belongings in a rusty, metal grocery cart beside him. His eyes lit up when he saw me approaching; I did my usual routine of pulling a couple of dollars out of my wallet. Before he could even say a word I looked at him and said, “Here you go man, buy you a hot meal with that.” He looked at me like the gift wasn’t sufficient enough for his taste buds. Just as I’m about to put my money back in my wallet in disgust, he speaks up. “I don’t want no money.” I’ll have to admit, I never got that reaction before. “Can you tell me where the Jewish Community Center is?” Surprised, I told him to walk two more blocks to St. Charles Avenue and he would be there. I asked him, “What’s going on at the Jewish Center?” He explained that the center was teaching an adult education class helping people learn how to read. He said, “I got this book that I want to read real bad, but I don’t know how, so they are gonna teach me.” He hunched over his overstuffed grocery cart and amongst the paper bags and tins cans emerged a dirty, worn out, leather-bound Bible. “I wish I knew how to read so I could hear some of the stories in the book. They are good.”

I sat in my car as I watched the rough dressed man push his cart toward St. Charles Avenue. I have never been humbled by a homeless man before, but I guess there’s always a first. I’ve got a college degree, a year away from getting my master’s degree, and have been able to read since I was young. I own countless copies of the Bible and have the freedom to open any one of them up in any translation and read. We all do. But how many days go by that we don’t even spend time with God, not to mention in His Word. That homeless man became an instant accountability partner for me. God has given each of us the ability to read and has given us his Word, but many times we don’t even crack it open until Sunday morning at church. Reading qualifies as a talent and gift that God has given us; and just like other talents, God expects us to use it wisely and for His glory. So tomorrow morning when you wake up, spend a little time in God’s Word. There are people in other countries who risk their life to read God’s Word, and others who have a desire to read it but cannot. We have to be more accountable to God and ourselves with the many gifts and talents He has given us, and be careful not to take even the smallest abilities for granted.

-Spending time in the Word-

1. Matthew 6:1-4 tells of Jesus’ teachings on giving to the needy people around us.
2. James 2:14-26 talks about how deeds show the real level of your faith.

-Hiding the Word in your heart-

Memorize these verses as you continue to learn and study the Word of God daily.

1. James 1:27- “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
2. Hebrews 13:1- “Keep on loving each other as brothers.”

-Man its hot down here-

2007-10-03T20:56:00.000-05:00

The heat is outrageous down here. Right now it is 97 degrees outside, and its only 12 noon. I bet it will be over 100 by three or four this afternoon. It is nice and cool in my office, but I can’t say the same for my car; the air conditioner is broken!! Just my luck. It feels like an oven when you get inside my car, so I roll the windows down as soon as I crank it up. Yet, with the humidity so high here in New Orleans, the air coming through the window at 60 mph feels like a hairdryer blowing out hot, sticky air. Yea, not a pleasurable feeling.

I will have to say though, the radio is working great. I get all the channels, and can crank up the volume as loud as it goes. I also just got new brake pads for my car. I can stop on a dime now without making a single squeal or squeak. In fact, the rest of the car is in pretty good shape considering it is 5 years old. Nevertheless, that A\C being broken is killing me. Despite the great brakes and clear radio reception, I’m still not satisfied. In order for my car to do everything that it was designed to do and be effective, everything has to be working together.

Did you know that the Church has a special design? God has a specific purpose for the Church, and when all the different parts aren’t working together, it becomes a problem. Sure, the discipleship may be working great and you may have just replaced some of the programs, but if certain aspects within the church - such as evangelism or unity - are broken or missing, it messes up the whole system. Every person in the church has a purpose for being there. We all have different strengths that we can use to contribute. Some are leaders, and some are helpers. Some have time, and some have money. Some people are gifted to disciple other Christians and lead Bible studies; some have great personalities and are able to share their faith easily with others; still others have gifts in different areas that fall under outreach, hospitality, or prayer ministries. No matter what your responsibility is, if the whole church isn’t working hard toward the same purpose (God’s purpose), then it really isn’t doing what it was created to do. If one aspect of the purpose is unfulfilled, it can cause the entire church’s ministry to be unappealing and ineffective, much like a hot car on a summer day. In order for the Church to be effective in the calling that God has placed on it, the people have to be willing to put in the work and effort to help the disciple-making process succeed. Only when all the parts of ministry are working together towards a common goal will the Church accomplish its true purpose.

-Spending time in the Word-

1. In Nehemiah 3:1-32, all the citizens of Jerusalem did their part on the huge job of rebuilding the city wall. Some of the rolls were small, and some where very significant. Yet, all the jobs had to be done with everyone working together to successfully complete the task.

2. Acts 6:1-7 shows how the tasks of the church were not all done by the Apostles. Responsibilities were divided up among the members, utilizing each one’s personal gifts and abilities effectively.

-Hiding the Word in your heart-

Memorize these verses as you continue to learn and study the Word of God daily.

1. 1 Corinthians 12:27, “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”
2. 1 Corinthians 3:16, “Didn’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?”

-Well, why don't you show me?-

2007-10-03T20:54:00.000-05:00

I was unlocking my front door and noticed a little green lizard crawling over our doormat. I bent down, picked it up and started playing with it. I was letting it try to bite my finger (I guess you can call me “easily entertained”). My next door neighbor’s little daughter walked up to me and asked what I had cupped in my hand. I told her I caught a little lizard trying to sneak into my house. She didn’t believe me, and I stood amazed at the four-year old girl’s explanation of why lizards can’t live on people’s doormats. She wanted to know what I really had in my hand. I told her it was a little green lizard in my hand, and it really wasn’t living on my doormat; it was just passing through. She still didn’t believe me. I tried to explain to her that lizards could jump from plant to plant and run across the ground. I continued to tell her that if she didn’t study in school and eat her vegetables, the lizards would come in her room at night and nibble on her ears. She was temporarily fooled, but then switched back to her state of disbelief. She finally got tired of my antics and said, “Why don’t you just show me the lizard?”

If you look at the world today, it doesn’t take long to realize that people are asking the same question. Christians posses something - a promise, a hope, a message of eternal life that is given when a person turns their life over to Christ. Christians - and preachers especially - spend their lives trying to teach the truths of the Bible, to share the message of Christ, and to read stories of Jesus’ life in hopes that a non-Christian will one day accept the message and turn to the one true God.

Now don’t get me wrong, I think preaching and teaching and encouraging people to read the Bible is a great thing; but if you ask me, non-Christians are asking a different question. They don’t care how many verses of the Bible you have memorized, how many parables from the Bible you can tell them, or how many different creative ways you use to try to present the gospel message as if we were casting out fishing bait, waiting for them to take the hook. In my opinion, they aren’t asking Christians to tell them or explain anything; they are asking us to show them something. Why don’t you show me? Is Christ really great? Is He everything that we claim He is - Savior, sustainer, comforter, friend, Alpha, Omega, Almighty God, Prince of Peace, ever present help in time of trouble? Christians have an obligation to share their faith with others, but words alone are not enough; we need to show them, by living a life for Christ.

-Spending time in the Word-

“I remind myself every morning: Nothing I say today will teach me anything. So if I am going to learn something, I must do it by observing and listening to people.” -Larry King

1. In James 2:14-26, James explains that faith without deeds is of no use to the world.

2. In Titus 2:1-15, the old and young, men and women, free and slaves were told how they were to act as followers of Christ and representatives of the Church.

-Hiding the Word in your heart-

Memorize these verses as you continue to learn and study the Word of God daily.

1. James 1:22, “Do not be merely listeners to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”

2. Romans 2:13, “For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.”

-Tiger-

2007-10-03T20:52:00.000-05:00

Tiger Woods needs no introduction. Even people who don’t really like golf know who Tiger Woods is. At age 20 he joined the PGA tour and 42 weeks later, he obtained the #1 ranking in the world. In 1997, after winning his first Master’s tournament, winning over $2.06 million from golf events (not counting endorsements), being the “PGA Player of the Year,” “Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year,” and “The Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year,” you would think he would be satisfied. But what did he do in-between the 1997 and 1998 golf seasons? He changed his swing! Now undoubtedly Tiger Woods decided to ignore the popular phrase: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

In 2003, after a record 264 weeks as the #1 ranked player in golf, $40 million in earnings from tournaments (not counting endorsements), and winning 10 Major Championships, everyone looked back on Tiger’s swing change in 1997 and had to admit that he did something right. Strangely enough, Tiger Woods made another swing change between the 2003 and 2004 seasons. When asked why he changed his swing again despite being on the top of the golf world, Tiger responded, “Well, I thought I could become better.”

Being a follower of Christ is a lot like Tiger’s golf game; it is a never-ending process of striving to be the best that you can be. The Bible says that we are to die to ourselves daily, putting on the image of Christ and living our lives with purpose. No matter how long you and I may have been a Christian, there are always parts of our “game” that need to get better – things like spending time in the Word daily, praying and talking with God, sharing our faith with others, and living our lives in a Christ-like way so that others may see the love and grace of Christ in us.

Nike Shoe Company just came out with a new commercial on television. It is raining, and the TV is on in Tiger Wood’s house. His voice says “Rainy days are a good time to watch TV, lounge around, to just take a break and do nothing.” The camera then pans over to the window overlooking Tiger’s backyard. You see Tiger, standing in the pouring rain, hitting golf balls and working on his swing. He says, “The problem is, I don’t have any rainy days.”

There isn’t a day when Christians can stop and not be Christians. Everything that we do and say is scrutinized by the world around us. True Christianity isn’t a religion, it’s a lifestyle. Pursue your relationship with Christ daily, making it stronger and more capable of beating the competition with sin around you. Pray, stay in the Word, die to self daily, and spend time with God to keep your sword sharpened and your spirit ready for the daily grind of life.

-Spending time in the Word-

“When you first read the Bible, it is like a window to a world of the past. However, the more you read, it becomes like a mirror for your own life.” -Dr. Joe McKeever

1. In Philippians 1:20-30, Paul’s purpose for living and suffering was to spread the Word of Christ. What is your real purpose for living?

2. Romans 6:1-23 shows us the advantages of dying to sin and living in Christ. Christians should no longer be a slave to sin, but a slave to righteousness.

-Hiding the Word in your heart-

“When you can be better than good, then good just isn’t good enough.” -Cederick Wilson

Memorize these verses as you continue to learn and study the Word of God daily.

1. I Corinthians 15:58- “Therefore my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

2. Romans 5:20b-21- “But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

-Honeymoon-

2007-10-03T20:48:00.000-05:00

Don’t let that title fool you, this is all G-rated. Tomorrow is my first wedding anniversary, so I thought this story would be appropriate to tell. On our honeymoon, Elizabeth and I went to St. Lucia on one of those “all-inclusive” packages. It was great. When we got there, our bags were taken care of, we had a car waiting on us to take us to the resort, and when we walked in our room we had a butler that was on call 24 hours a day, just to accommodate our every desire. The food… paid for. The snorkeling, sailing, and kayaking… paid for. The spa… paid for. The 18-hole golf course, clubs, and a caddy to carry them for me… paid for. All I had to do was check in, sign the papers, and the whole island seemed like it belonged to us. When they brought the bounty of fresh fruits, breads, and meats to our doorstep, all I had to do was open the door and accept it. And boy I accepted it all right (I bet I gained 10 pounds over that one week!).

Did you know that God has offered you an “all-inclusive” package? He promises you a place where there will be no worries, just paradise in the presence of God. Jesus paid the price already. His blood covered it all. And the only thing you have to do is accept it. With this acceptance comes the assurance of an eternity in this paradise, and all you have to do now is open up your heart and accept the gift. Everything is paid for; now it’s up to you to experience the joys of a life lived for Christ.

The food at this place was incredible - so many choices, so many flavors, and so many rich desserts. But I’ll have to admit, by the end of the week I was starting to crave some normal food. Listen to how drastic this craving really became. On the last night we ate at a steakhouse on the island. Out of the entire complimentary menu of steaks, lamb, and exotic fish, I ordered a hamburger! All of this nice food is already paid for, and for some reason I had to have a grilled patty made from who-knows-what kind of meat. Guess I was missing America a little too much.

God gave you His best. God gave you His only Son as a gift. Free of charge. It’s amazing that after some people take this priceless gift, they soon yearn for the things of the world again. God has offered us a steak, and for some odd reason, we often want a hamburger instead. God has given us the best, but we just settle for what is around us. Try to focus this week on the things God has promised you. Remember the instructions that he gives us as Christians to do, and also things not to do. A life lived for Christ is much more rewarding. I mean, come on, who would want a hamburger when you have a steak?

-Spending time in the Word-
“What we obtain too cheaply we esteem to lightly; it is dearness only that gives everything its value.” -Thomas Paine
1. As you read this popular passage, remember that even though the gift of Christ has been given to us, we still have to accept it and embrace it to have eternal life. –John 3:11-21.
2. Jesus puts into perspective the relationship between God, himself, and the people. It’s amazing how the teachings of Jesus can be simple enough for a child to understand, but so profound that we are still studying it 2,000 years later. –John 15:1-17.

-Hiding the Word in your heart-
“Do not let this Book of Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.” –Joshua 1:8
Memorize these verses as you continue to learn and study the Word of God daily.
1. John 14:6 - “Jesus says, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”
2. Psalm 20:7 - “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”

-Starting Fresh-

2007-10-03T20:45:00.000-05:00

Four days after Katrina hit, I can remember looking at the television thinking that America had forgotten about New Orleans. Looting was picking apart the city, rumors of women getting raped and children getting killed in the French Quarter due to a lack of police presence were rampant. People had no food, no water, and it did not look as if any help was coming. I remember thinking that these scenes were common in third world countries, but in America?? I couldn’t believe my eyes.

Four days after the storm however, a change happened. A new person showed up on the scene. Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré, was put in command of the situation in New Orleans by President Bush. He was given the title of Commander, Joint Task Force Katrina. Nothing happened or was done in that city without first being approved by Gen. Honoré. When things couldn’t have gotten any worse, a proven leader showed up. Gen. Honoré was in charged of training all of the National Guard troops that entered the US army, but had been flown down to New Orleans to reestablish law and order. When he landed at the Louis Armstrong International Airport, he had a meeting with his advisors and the different task force leaders. He sat them down and said this: “I want everyone out of the Superdome and I want everyone out of the Convention Center and moved to a safe place out of the state in 24 hours.” His advisors immediately started telling him how much that would cost and the task force leaders explained to him about the lack of transportation and military personal necessary to accomplish the job. After a few minutes of objections from his staff, Gen. Honoré stood up and interrupted them saying, “I’m sorry, you must not have heard me. I want everyone out of the Superdome and out of the Convention Center and moved to a safer place where they can be taken care of... and now you have 23 hours and 58 minutes to do it!” Guess what happened? In 24 hours, everyone had been moved out of the Superdome and Convention Center and bused to either Houston or Dallas, among other places.

At the close of the Old Testament, there was a 300-year time period in which a fresh word from God seemed almost non-existent. (This is the period between the Old and New Testament.) Some of the followers of God may have thought that they had been forgotten. The world was lost, corruption infiltrated government, and morals and values were being downplayed. But then a new guy showed up… a man who would prove to be a leader, changing the outlook of the future for people all around him and for all generations to come. His name was Jesus. He was sent by God to save the world, and when he entered into the ministry he hit the ground running. He performed miracles, healed people from their illnesses, and gave peace to a troubled world. He was a wise leader who had high expectations of his followers. Ultimately, because of his servant leadership and sacrifice, he not only gave a chance at life to a city, but to an entire world.

This new year is not only a chance for a fresh start, but a new life. A new life in Christ will give you certainty of a new life in heaven. Jesus came to the earth to get things done. As his followers, we need to have the same attitude and servant leadership heart to share the message and bring a world in despair to the only One who can help.

-Spending time in the Word-
Read Mark 10:43-44. How would you describe “servant leadership?” What other places in the Bible can you find cases where Jesus led by being a servant?

-Hiding the Word in your heart-
1. Titus 1:7-“Since a leader is entrusted with God’s work, he must be blameless - not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, and not pursuing dishonest gain.”
2. Hebrews 13:7-“Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.”

-Cafeteria Food-

2007-10-03T20:43:00.000-05:00

Sometimes when Elizabeth gets home late from work and I don’t feel like cooking, we will go to the local Piccadilly Cafeteria. When we go in, we are almost always the only people in the entire establishment under the age of 65. I don’t know what it is about cafeterias and the chronologically advanced that go together so harmoniously. Nevertheless, Elizabeth and I enjoy it. The food is always hot and fresh, it usually tastes pretty good, and there is always a wide selection of meat and veggies to choose from. We walk down the line and say, "I’ll have some of that," and "no spinach for me, thanks," and "Oh course I want a piece of pecan pie! What kind of question is that?" It seems like every time I go inside I pick a different combination of meat, potato, and veggie, but the pecan pie is always on my tray by the time I get to the end of the line.

Unfortunately, many people approach Christianity the same way - "Cafeteria Style Christianity." There are certain aspects of Christianity that we all love and enjoy. We love God’s sweet tea "blessings," His macaroni and cheese "comfort," and His fried chicken "protection." And who could pass up His pecan pie offer of "eternal life." Not too many people go through life unwilling to choose these great offerings.

However, there is another side of Christianity that some people will pass on every time - the Brussels sprouts of "suffering" and the spinach of "sacrifice." And when impatient people have to wait on God’s perfect timing, it feels like eating liver and onions! It’s not always easy to follow those aspects of Christianity, yet Christianity isn’t "buffet style." Not only do we enjoy the blessings of God, but we must also persevere and trust in the Lord even when we are called to give up some things and do other things that are inconvenient for us at the time.
Ultimately God has a plan for your life. Sometimes it’s going to taste good like homemade mashed potatoes; other times, it may entail sacrifice and being out of your comfort zone, like eating pickled beets for the first time. But, just like all these less desirable vegetables, sometimes it’s the suffering and sacrifice that make us stronger and healthier Christians in the end.

-Spending time in the Word-
1. Read Hebrews 10:32-34, and 1 Peter 1:3-9. One sounds better than the other, but both are an important aspect of Christianity that we will face.
2. Read Romans 12:1-8. Find out the difference between a monetary or physical sacrifice, and what God wants from you - a living sacrifice.

-Hiding the Word in your heart-
Memorize these verses as you continue to study the Word of God daily.
1. Hebrews 10:24-"And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds."
2. Proverbs 1:10- "My son, if sinners entice you, do no consent."

-Putting on the Armor-

2007-10-03T20:41:00.000-05:00

I was reading Ephesians 6 today and noticed something unique about the armor of God. Listen to the different parts of armor listed in verses 10-20: belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, sword of Scripture. I did some research and realized that these pieces of the armor aren’t all that soldiers wore. Often soldiers wore metal “socks” around their legs to protect the back of their calves. They also wore a back plate to protect their spine from weapons. Why aren’t these two important parts of the wardrobe mentioned? Was it that Paul ran out of catchy comparisons of Christianity to pair with the armor? I don’t think so. Look again at the list of armor quoted in Ephesians. What do all of these things have in common? They are all frontal armor!

Paul is telling the church at Ephesus how to fight against the devil’s schemes. Even though Satan has already been defeated, he is a strong fighter and desires nothing more than to make you and other believers fall to sin. It is a hard battle that must be fought everyday. The battle with sin is tough, but the pieces of armor show us the strength and reliability of God. I think the meaning behind the frontal armor is this: God does not want us to turn around and run away, but to move forward in faith. God does not mention armor for the back, because we don’t need it. He wants us to go forward in faith, not backward in fear. You can face and defeat all of the temptations that Satan throws your way, as long as you trust God and rely on his strength. Satan will never overcome the church, so stand strong, fight hard, and know that as a Christian you are already on the winning team.

-Spending time in the Word-

“You have all of eternity to enjoy your victories, but only one life to win them.”

1. 1 Peter 5:8-11 shows the characteristic of Satan as a strong fighter, but also the keys to defeating him.

2. In Matthew 16:13-20, Jesus empowers Peter and promises that Satan will never overcome the church.

3. Read for yourself in Ephesians 6:10-20 about the armor of God. Do you see any pieces that aren’t frontal armor?

-Hiding the Word in your heart-

Memorize these verses as you continue to learn and study the Word of God daily.

1. James 5:16 – “Therefore confess yours sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”

2. 2 Corinthians 4:5 – “For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.”

-Hornets or Lakers?-

2007-10-03T20:39:00.000-05:00

I have a mental list in my head of things that I want to do before I die. One of them was accomplished when Elizabeth and I went to the New Orleans Hornets basketball game the other night. We attended five games throughout the season, but the last home game in New Orleans was something I had been anticipating for a long time. One of those special things I wanted to do was to see the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team play. Their star player, Kobe Bryant, is arguably the best player in the NBA right now. I grew up watching the Lakers win multiple championships and dominating the other teams in the NBA. I really wanted to see the team live, and I finally got my chance.

Elizabeth and I showed up at the New Orleans Arena with our black Hornets shirts on, but there were a lot of Lakers fans filing into the arena as well. When the game started, Kobe Bryant took over. By halftime, he had 27 points, finishing with 50 in the game. Every time Kobe would score I would clap and cheer. Luckily there was a Lakers fan behind me so I wasn’t the only one pulling for the visiting team. When Kobe hit a good shot, I would turn around and give my fellow Lakers fan a high-five. The first time she saw me, she was a bit confused. There I was with a Hornets shirt on, pulling for the other team. She looked at me and said, "Whose side are you on?" I told her I lived in New Orleans so I was a Hornets fan by default, but my favorite player was Kobe, so I was really pulling for the Lakers. It was a high scoring, high energy game, with the Lakers winning big by the end of the night.

On the way home, I thought about what the woman asked me: "Whose side are you on?" My shirt would imply I was a Hornet’s fan, but the way I was cheering for the Lakers conflicted with my home team apparel. How many times as Christians do we do the same thing? We wave the flag of Christ and claim to be Christians who love God, but sometimes people look at our actions and ask themselves, "Whose side are they on?" We can get away with pulling for two teams in a sporting event, but in the game of life there is no middle ground. You are either for Christ, or against Him. There is no such thing as half-worldly and half-godly. This week, make sure your actions and attitudes match the person that you claim to be.

-Spending time in the Word-
"If you ever lose your Christian testimony, you probably won’t live long enough to get it back." -Dr. Johnny Hunt
1. Romans 6:15-23 urges us to not be owned by money and followers of the world, but be slaves of righteousness.
2. In Matthew 26:69-75, Peter has been a follower of Christ with his actions, but just as Jesus predicted, his words to others are used to curse the name of Christ.

-Hiding the Word in your heart-
Memorize these verses as you continue to study the Word of God daily.
1. "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other." -Matthew 6:24a
2. "So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth." -Revelation 3:16