Do Not Be Grieved

The people of Israel and Judah had done wrong. God warned them time and again through the prophets. They disregarded the instruction of the prophets and found their civilization demolished while they were deported to a foreign country. The Bible tells the truth about people, including the biblical characters. Seventy years later, Ezra is leading the people of God in worship. The festivals and celebrations of Leviticus 23 were being reinstituted. Reflecting on this new day, the people of God began to weep concerning the sin that brought them sorrow. It didn't stop there. The worship leader began to encourage the repentant. Do not be grieved!

How often we find ourselves mourning over the past. The people of God on the other hand, are not limited by their past. In his encouragement to these worshippers, Ezra declared a truth that is magnificent in its scope and encouraging in its declaration:

The Joy of the Lord is Your Strength! Hallelujah! Nehemiah 8:10 declares it so. Thousands of years into their future, the people of God in the 21^st century need to hold on to the truth of Scripture. Do NOT be grieved. Don't let circumstances, trouble, or heartache keep you down. The joy of the Lord is your strength! As the Psalmist so skillfully wrote:

    ⁵    For his anger is but for a moment,

and his favor is for a lifetime.

        Weeping may tarry for the night,

but joy comes with the morning. (Psalm 30:5)

Do not be grieved, the Joy of the Lord is YOUR strength

How to Prosper

It's been 10 years since the turn of the century. Technology continues to advance, the Church is growing around the world, and wars and rumors of wars continue to be a part of everyday life. Today in Church, the message was on "The Practical Teachings of Jesus". The Sermon on the Mt. is a magnificent set of Scriptures which have challenged the Church to live the high standard of Jesus. What is so striking about chapter 6, on which the sermon is based, is that Jesus asks us to do our religious tasks….with the right motives. I don't have any need to re-preach the sermon, yet upon reflection I am being reminded by Scripture that Jesus's definition of prosperity is SO VERY DIFFERENT from ours. Ours is $$ based, there is no question. Jesus said it all in Matthew 6:21 (hint…hold your curser over the Scripture reference will pop up! Cool, huh). The evangelical/Pentecostal wing of Christianity has suffered over the past 30 years concerning what it means to prosper. Just yesterday I saw a chapter title in a book advertisement on how to learn grammar (for students who are studying Hebrew and don't remember their English grammar) that was a play on words….the chapter title? Name it and Claim it! Lol seriously, this book is now available for your purchase at www.zondervan.com

This confusion is due in part to the Church not paying attention to Jesus' definition of prosperity in Matthew 6:21. Prosperity has to do with joy and the abundant life. According to Jesus it means having your eyes on what has eternal value, not temporary value. 400 years before the birth of Jesus, there was someone else who was struggling with the definition of prosperity. Nehemiah had grown up in Persia, the descendent of Jewish parents who were deported from the southern kingdom of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar. Nehemiah 1 records the magnificent prayer that he prayed when God opened up a door of opportunity to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. (Nehemiah 1:1-11). In the next chapter however, Nehemiah chronicles the trouble that Sanballat, Geshem and Tobiah threw his direction in his lofty task of rebuilding Jerusalem. In the midst of this struggle, Nehemiah records a phrase that gets to our illusive definition. It's not a definition as much as a description. To the threats and accusing questions of his detractors, Nehemiah declares "The God of heaven will make us prosper" (Nehemiah 2:20).

Here is the point. God wants prosperity for His people, as in freedom from guilt, anxiety and worry. Prospering means participating with God in His purposes and discovering the joy of the Lord. We prosper when we set our hearts in the right place and discover the joy of ministry. A lot has changed since 400 BC. One thing has not changed. The God of heaven will make us prosper….as we follow HIS purpose.

Jesus Said to Wait

The disciples learned a lot from Jesus. In fact John said: John 20:30 (ESV)

³⁰ Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; The disciples were able to remember much of what Jesus said and taught because of help from the Holy Spirit. In the book of John, Jesus Himself referred to the person and work of the Holy Spirit after He would ascend back to heaven. (John 16:4-15) What I noticed as I was reading the book of Acts a few years ago intrigued me. Luke records in this book that Jesus gave specific instructions to His disciples, even though He said go and make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20). Jesus said to wait. Wait for what? Wait for power. Jesus knew that the disciples would not be able to reach the world without help. He promised to send help, and Help came. Help came in the Person of the Holy Spirit. Here are the words that Lukerecords concerning Jesus' instruction:

⁴ And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "you heard from me; ⁵ for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

So…what's the point? If Jesus told His disciples, who had heard Him teach so much to wait….for the promise of the Father….which He had taught them about….then what are WE WAITING FOR?

Scripturally, if we are going to follow what the Lord said, we should WAIT until we are endued with power from on high. The power of the Holy Spirit is not optional equipment or an upgrade package. It is absolutely essential for ministry. Consider these Scriptures: Acts 2:1-4, 10:44-46, and then consider Matthew 28:19-20. The task of making disciples REQUIRES the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said "Greater works than these shall you do because I go to my Father"…it's now time.

What are you waiting for?

Help with the Beatitudes

The Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes within are quite well known among Christian circles. The problem is, Christians are by and large "ignoring" them. Jesus intended to teach the content of the beatitudes. Matthew 5 says that he "sat down to teach". I see within this passage another problem. There is a respect problem with today's modern Christian. They don't "respect Jesus" like they used to. Maybe its because the information overload has conveyed to us so many options. By default, the Savior of the world has taken a back seat. I had the privilege yesterday of preaching at Bethel in Ft. Worth. At the close of the service, we asked for people to stand in response to the question: "Do you need help with the Beatitudes"….just about everyone stood up. We do need help. We need God's help. That's why He sent the Spirit! In addition, the Jesus's instruction as to salt and light in the passage that follows helps to illustrate WHY we need to pay attention to the Beatitudes. Matthew 5:13-16. As I continued to think about the message, this afternoon and into the night hours, I thought I'd put together some Scriptures that would provide HELP with the Beatitudes. I know I still need help meeting the standard that Jesus put down. I believe the Holy Spirit helps us to live up to that standard. Here are some passages that I have discovered helpful, it's obviously not exhaustive, but should get us started.

Romans 8:1–11

1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 You, however, are not in the flesh …

1 Corinthians 15:20–25

20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.

Acts 2:36–41

36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." 37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" 38 And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself." 40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, "Save yourselves from this crooked generation." 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

Ephesians 4:29–32

29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Galatians 5:16–26

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, …

Acts 4:23–31

23 When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, "Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, 25 who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, " 'Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? 26 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed'— 27 for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. 29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while …

Revelation 2:1–7

1 "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: 'The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 " 'I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. 6 Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise …

Revelation 21:1–8

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." 5 And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." 6 And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life …7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. ⁸ But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."

MAY THE Lord RICHLY bless you as you are SALT and LIGHT FOR HIS HOLY PURPOSES!

He Set Himself to Seek God

Back to School time is always exciting because, like the new year, it's a fresh start. Records are kept at school and so we all try to help the students we know have the best circumstances in which to learn. At SAGU, I teach a course entitled "The Ministry of Teaching" in which we try to help students understand the importance of discipleship in the local church. The local Church is, in my humble opinion, the greatest organization on the face of the earth. Jesus inaugurated it when He said: "I will build My Church and the gates of hell will not stand against it" matthew 16:18. For the church to continue, however, there must be discipleship. Discipleship is simply doing all that is necessary for the next generation and new believers to continue in the faith and replicate that in the lives of others. In the Old Testament, King Uzziah was given an amazing opportunity. At the young age of 16, he became king over Israel. That reminds me about schools and opportunities. Sometimes people who get those opportunities are not up to the challenge. Others, however, are ready to do what they were meant to do. With hard work, dedication, and passion, you can exceed many expectations. That's what Uzziah did. The Scripture tells us that Uzziah made a good decision soon after he became king:

2 Chronicles 26:5 (ESV)

⁵ He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God, and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper.

 

Did you notice the power in that Scripture? His success was tied to his seeking the Lord….

 

It is reminiscent of the words of Jesus:

 

Matthew 6:33 (ESV)

³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

 

Success God's way will always be the right way.

 

 

 

Leave It There!

What a concept! What a condition! The privilege of the believer is that he or she knows that they are connected to the One who is more than able to bear all our burdens and concerns. Consider these Scriptures:

Job 13:15     15"^aThough He slay me, I will hope in Him. Nevertheless I ^bwill argue my ways ¹before Him.

Psalm 55:22     22^aCast ¹your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; ^bHe will never allow •the righteous to ^2cbe shaken.

Psalm 62:8     8^aTrust in Him at all times, O people; ^bPour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.    Selah.

Isaiah 26:3     3"The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect ^apeace, Because he trusts in You.

Isaiah 26:4     4"^aTrust in the Lord forever, For in ¹God the Lord, we have an everlasting ^bRock.

Philippians 4:6 6^aBe anxious for nothing, but in everything by ^bprayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

1 Peter 5:7     7casting all your ^aanxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

 

I'm so glad that ALL our cares and ALL our burdens can be left at the Cross. In 1916, Charles Tindley, an African-American minister wrote the words to this song, may they be a blessing to you today:

If the world from you withhold of its silver and its gold, and you have to get along with meager fare, just remember, in His word, how He feeds the little bird—Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.

If your body suffers pain and your health you can't regain, and your soul is almost sinking in despair; Jesus knows the pain you feel; He can save and He can heal—Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.

When your enemies assail and your heart begins to fail, don't forget that God in heaven answers prayer; He will make a way for you and will lead you safely thru—Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.

When your youthful days are gone and old age is stealing on, and your body bends beneath the weight of care, He will never leave you then; He'll go with you to the end—Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.

Chorus: Leave it there, leave it there; take your burden to the Lord and leave it there. If you trust and never doubt, He will surely bring you out—Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.

 

LEAVE…..IT…….THERE!

 

Kenneth W. Osbeck, Amazing Grace : 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Kregel Publications, 1990), 218.

Ignorance is Bliss….Or Is It?

Here is a saying that is believed by many to be true. If you don't know, how can you care? For example, if you are not aware people are saying negative things about you , then it doesn't affect you….thus, ignorance is bliss, or another popular proverb….what you don't know can't hurt you. Is it really true? Really?

No. Ignorance is a very bad thing. Think of all the ways ignorance causes problems. It is used as a tool to avoid responsibility…i.e. "I didn't know that was a rule". It is used to avoid taking on challenges… "I don't know enough to make a decision". It is also used as an excuse to avoid caring for someone else….. "I didn't know he was in the hospital." Not knowing isn't sin, but it provides the opportunity for sin. It is easy for one to "deliberately forget" as Peter might say. 2 Peter 3:5

Jeremiah put it this way. Jeremiah 17:9 (NLT)

⁹ "The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,

and desperately wicked.

Who really knows how bad it is?

Perhaps this is one reason David prayed for God to "create within me a Clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me" Psalm 51:10

The Scriptures are full of encouragement to learn, seek, discover and long for truth. In fact, Jesus encouraged the disciples that the Holy Spirit would be a guide into all truth. Wow. The Holy Spirit is a Guide into Truth. (John 16:13) No doubt the early Pentecostals insisted that the only true work of the Spirit would draw attention to Christ. Whoa. That's a whole other blogpost.

The world seems to think Christians are anti-intellectual. Maybe we give them reason to think so way too often. The Bible celebrates wisdom, learning, and the search for truth! I read a Proverb today that prompted this thought. It's Proverbs 19:8.

Whoever gets sense loves his own soul;

he who keeps understanding will discover good.

May the Lord bless all your efforts as you "get sense"

The Bible is God’s Word…Scripture List

The Bible is God's Word. This morning in Church I had the privilege of preaching concerning this topic. You can listen to the message here. The Bible is God's word because the of who the Author is, and the Bible is the word of God because of how people in the Bible used it. I quoted several Scriptures this morning that I wanted to make available to people to study so I thought this would be the best way to do it and since this blog turns references into hyperlinks, I'm happy to present these to you. The main point I have to share is the importance of our personal valuing of God's word. It is HIS word, not ours. It commands respect. I cite these verses to allow them to illustrate to us all how MUCH Jesus relied upon the Scripture, referenced it, taught from it, etc. and how the apostles followed His example. May you be blessed to "study to show yourself approved" and dig deeper into this treasure of God's word.

Mark 12:10
Haven't you read this scripture: " 'The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone;
Luke 4:21
and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."
John 2:22
After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.
John 7:38
Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."
John 7:42
Does not the Scripture say that the Christ will come from David's family and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?"
John 10:35
If he called them 'gods,' to whom the word of God came—and the Scripture cannot be broken—
John 13:18
"I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture: 'He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me.'


John 17:12
While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.
John 19:24
"Let's not tear it," they said to one another. "Let's decide by lot who will get it." This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said, "They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing." So this is what the soldiers did.
John 19:28
Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty."
John 19:36
These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken,"
John 19:37
and, as another scripture says, "They will look on the one they have pierced."
John 20:9
(They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)
Acts 1:16
and said, "Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the mouth of David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus—
Acts 8:32
The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: "He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
Acts 8:35
Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
Romans 4:3
What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."


Romans 9:17
For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."
Romans 10:11
As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame."
Romans 11:2
God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don't you know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel:
Galatians 3:8
The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you."
Galatians 3:16
The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed," meaning one person, who is Christ.
Galatians 3:22
But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.
Galatians 4:30
But what does the Scripture say? "Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman's son."
1 Timothy 4:13
Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.
1 Timothy 5:18
For the Scripture says, "Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain," and "The worker deserves his wages."
2 Timothy 3:16
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
James 2:8
If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right.
James 2:23
And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend.
James 4:5
Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?
James 4:6
But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."
1 Peter 2:6
For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."
2 Peter 1:20
Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation.

What if they found Noah’s ark and no one cared?

The news yesterday was that they did! It's pretty amazing. They may or may have not, but that's the nature of archaeology. It didn't take even 24 hours for critics to begin dismissing the notion. That is also no surprise. The inference alone is too great:

1. They found Noah's ark

2. Genesis is telling the truth

3. Man IS a sinner and introduced sin into the human race

4. Man needs a Savior

5. God promised to send One.

The problem, however, is the logical inference the other direction:

1. Biblical illiteracy
   
2. Leads to Biblical apathy
   
3. Leads to doubt
   
4. Leads to not believing
   

Today, out of my 1408 friends on facebook, most of whom are Christians, I posted the news about the ark discovery, the link that it has with the Black Sea expedition by Robert Ballard (who found the Titanic) and 3 "liked" it, and 1 commented.

I know that all my friends didn't see the link, and I also know that they are in no way obligated to like or comment on it. One of the by-products of our "always on" culture is that information and its uniqueness by default is subject to skepticism, apathy, and doubt.

It did give me pause…………..

I am growing increasingly concerned that the Christian culture, that is to say even the Evangelical, Charismatic, Pentecostal culture is cultivating a corporate "apathy" about the Bible.

They know where to check all the blocks

They know the way to be saved

They know the right language

But the love of Scripture is missing.

The Bible says:

Romans 10:17 (ESV)

¹⁷ So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Even the Psalmist in the Old Testament understood the value of Scripture:

Psalm 119:97 (ESV)

⁹⁷ Oh how I love your law!

It is my meditation all the day.

Maybe I'm an alarmist, but I don't think so. I'm afraid that our:

familiarity with the basic stories of the Bible

poor preparation for church work

dispassionate presentations of Scripture

have worked to take away the value of God's word in the minds of believers.

So where is the hope? The word of God! Peter anticipated these issues while writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit

2 Peter 3:1–5 (ESV)

This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, ² that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, ³ knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. ⁴ They will say, "Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation." ⁵ For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God,

In fact, he introduced this book with the following declaration on the the wonders of Scripture. 2 Peter 1:16–21 (ESV)

¹⁶ For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. ¹⁷ For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased," ¹⁸ we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. ¹⁹ And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, ²⁰ knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. ²¹ For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

The words of Jesus are most important to consider at this point. And then consider what to do about creating a culture where the word of God is valued.

Mark 13:31 (ESV)

³¹ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Satan’s Snares

There is a wonder in God's word that goes far when combined with music. I'm personally thankful for songwriters who were motivated out of their love for God and His word, which helped to provide the Church with singing. Harvey Cox, professor of theology at Harvard stated in his book, Fire From Heaven that Pentecostals have always been at home singing their theology rather than writing about it. How true. Yesterday a phrase came to mind as I was thinking about church life, the challenge of reaching out to a pluralistic and post-modern culture, and the literal aging of the church. It would seem upon reflection that all churches in Western culture are in the fight of their life to stay alive. The church- going population has decreased, new generations of believers are rather ambivalent about faithful local church attendance (though in an odd way nevertheless committed to Christ), and the siren song of secular media threatens to drown out the voice of God. Except of course, we have the BEST NEWS IN THE WORLD! What's the phrase? It comes from a salvation history song entitled "O I Want to See Him"…here goes. "Satan's snares may vex my soul, turn my thoughts aside, but my Lord goes ahead, leads what ee'r be tide". Hallelujah and amen. As bleak as things look with the natural eye, God's church is marching on. In 2 Corinthians 2, the apostle Paul challenges the Corinthians to exceed expectations in terms of forgiveness. He concludes with 2 Corinthians 2:11 where he acknowledges being aware of the realities of Spiritual warfare. There is a Devil. Yet, the Church is the Bride of Christ, His glorious treasure and the apple of His eye. He has promised to build it, empower it and use it for His glory. I'm convinced that we are living in a time that has the potential to be the Church's finest hour. All we need to do is take our eyes off the negative voice of the world, face up to the enemy, and put our trust in the One who can be trusted. O! I want to See Him!

The Shack, Book Review

What a great book! As one who has had the privilege of teaching others theology, I can honestly say that I appreciate what the author was trying to do with this book, namely, to address the pervasive problem of Evil. At its core the premise and the content of this book are well-founded and Scriptural. While the author took great poetic license with the distinctive persons in the Trinity, I considered it tasteful and well done while accentuating in more than one place the same thing the early Church fathers stated at the council of Nicea in 325. That is, there is one essence "ousia", many hypostases, "persons". There is unity in the Godhead, never division. I found the description of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit to all be consistent with Scripture. While I disagreed with the blanket anger toward the institutional church made by the main character, I certainly understand that to be a foundational worldview in the narcissistic world we find ourselves in, and who I believe is the target audience. The initial trauma of the story was troubling to read, but so is Evil in our midst. The descriptions of God's grace, the evil of judging and legalism, and the hope of the future were absolutely fantastic. How a legalistic person who has issue with God can read the scene of the main character being placed as judge over God without questioning their own personal worldview, is beyond me. I am thankful for the widespread readership of this book and it's potential to reach many people who are angry at God and far from the faith. What are the major lessons learned from this book? I see several.


1. God can be trusted
2. God's purposes are perpetually too complex to understand
3. God's love is endless
4. God's enthusiasm for His plan of redemption is paramount
5. The presence of Evil in this world is predicated on the fact that the end of the ages has not yet come.
6. God is present with us.
7. People and sin are the obstacle, not God.
8. Jesus is the absolute only way to heaven.


The only troubling phrase I found theologically in the book came from "Jesus" stating that he seeks to get to people through every means (In a discussion about do all roads lead to the same God). While the book affirmed the centrality of Christ, it left open the possibility that Christ could be found within the pursuits of other world religions. An unlikely notion at best, as other traditions deny the efficacy of Christ (1 Corinthians 15) being fully God and Man, and able by his resurrection to save those that believe.
While I certainly would affirm from Scripture that God is working to reach every lost person there is with the Good News of Christ, I would never affirm participation in other world religions as a vehicle to God any more than participating in the sin nature leads to grace. I'm reminded of Paul's question to the Romans in Chapter 6:
Romans 6:1-2
1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
[1] The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996, c1984. (NIV)


While I certainly agree with the potential of Eugene Peterson's endorsement, I'm inclined to think that this will function much like C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity as an "emotional apologetic" for those struggling with God's love and power vs. their loss.


As C.S. Lewis so rightly observed,


God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains:


His voice is loud and clear in The Shack

Learning is Difficult

Learning is Difficult

I learned something new today. What it is doesn't matter. Was it beneficial? Yes. Am I glad I learned it? Of course I am. Do I want to put forth the effort to learn something else right now? NO. Why? I wonder? It's because learning is difficult. How is this the case, and in what way might one say that learning is difficult? Please let me explain. First, you have to acknowledge that you are ignorant. (Not stupid or dumb, just ignorant). Now, I don't have any problem understanding others as ignorant (without knowledge), in fact, there are times that I prefer to understand a situation resulting from the "lack of knowledge". In fact it was Hosea who said "My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge" (Hosea 4:6). Learning starts there though….like recovery, we have to admit that we have a problem. This is difficult for most of us. Next, we have to want to find a solution. Oh yes many are stuck here. They don't want a solution. Some call it drive, others might think of it as goal-oriented. Whatever your label, you have to "want to" fix it. I don't know the song, but I remember the faculty meeting I was in where a music professor was trying to introduce a song and, since it was written at the turn of the century during the growth of the Pentecostal movement, there was a phrase he didn't understand: "Since I got my 1, 2 fixed"…..one of the other professors was amused at this and said, "that would be "Want to" ….Ohhhhhh! "That makes more sense: "Since I got my "want to" fixed. True that. Here is where learning goes to the next level. First we've admitted we're ignorant, then we get our "want to" fixed, then, well, then it's time to find the answer. Christians can get happy at this point. The biblical language about "seeking" is wonderful (Proverbs 8:17, Jeremiah 29:13, Luke 12:31, Luke 19:10, Colossians 3:1, Hebrews 11:6). It's in the changing of the "want to" and the "seeking" where all the work is. Then finally there is the effort to save it, understand it, and do it. Many times that's fun when the "application" takes place. This is what Milton Gregory meant when he described the powerful tool of "association"…. "the Unknown Must be Explicable in Terms of the Known". Do I intend to learn something else soon? Yes. I'll embrace and face the fact that difficulty is often the pathway to success. In learning, in growing, in life.

A Reformation for the Next Ten Years

During the Reformation, all of society was changing thanks to theological giants like Luther, Calvin, Melanchthon, and Zwingli. Today, with the multiplication of learning, knowledge and technology, theological trends are segmented and individualized. Consider Erickson's statement here:

Theology is now being done in a period characterized by, among other things, a "knowledge explosion." The amount of information is growing so rapidly that mastery of a large area of thought is becoming increasingly difficult. While this is especially true in technological areas, biblical and theological knowledge is also much broader than it once was. The result has been a much greater degree of specialization than was previously the case. In biblical studies, for example, New Testament scholars tend to specialize in the Gospels or in the Pauline writings. Church historians tend to specialize in one period, such as the Reformation. Consequently, research and publication are often in narrower areas and in greater depth.

This means that the systematic theologian will find it increasingly difficult to cover the entire range of doctrines. Systematic theology is further complicated by the fact that it requires a knowledge of all of Scripture and of the development of thought throughout the whole history of the church. Millard J. Erickson, Christian Theology, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House, 1998), 66.

It's come to that. We need to study our Bibles MORE not less. We need to tell the next generation, ( Psalms 78:4, Deuteronomy 6:1-9, John 14:6 ) what a privilege and blessing it is to be a Christian and a servant of God. Don't let the Devil steal your knowledge of God by making Bible study, theology, and the study of doctrines sound boring. Learn what you don't know and discover that God is a God of grace and mercy. (Romans 5:1, 1 John 1:9, Romans 10:9-10) For this generation, and the one that is to come.

Opportunities in the New Decade

I have been teaching at SAGU for 17 years. Several years back now, our Vice President of Academics, Dr. Paul Brooks, spoke at a Spring in-service where we were trained on the latest technology for use in our University. He said this: "I would like to thank all of you for the effort you have made to "learn" all the new technology over the past decade, just to keep up." Initially I thought, "It's not that much", but as I continued, I discovered how right he was. I started at SAGU on December 7, 1992. It just so happens that I didn't know in 1992 how to use a computer. I had to be shown how to save a file. To this day I am convinced that one of the greatest technological achievements is "Save As". Within months I was saving everything to either a 5 and ¼" or a 3.5" disk. "Look how much you can save on a 3.5!" Then Windows came……. The narrative on the change and implications from that point would threaten the limits of my now ancient 2GB flashdrive. Just 10 years ago, all of western culture was fearful of the unknown…Y2K. If technology has taught us anything it is the power of change and necessity of learning.

In contrast to the accelerated pace of technology, Christianity has not changed. This frustrates some. Methods of course have to, unfortunately in church, like industry and education, the change is about 15 years behind culture. The truth, however, has not changed.

So what's a Christian to do at the close of another decade? Consider these simple facts:

1. The world is larger than it has ever been. There are more Christians AND more lost persons.
   
2. The Bible is now more available than ever, in more languages than ever.
   
3. The Power of the Holy Spirit is available to every Believer for the advancement of the Gospel. (Acts 1:8, Acts2:4, Acts 10:44-46)
   
4. Jesus IS coming back. (1 Thessalonians 4:12-18, 1 Corinthians 15:1-58)
   

We are living in the greatest day yet for God's church! The opportunities are limitless. What a comfort to know this promise of Scripture:

Hebrews 13:8 (NASB95)

8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

What Are You Doing in 2011?

It's that time of year again, to make plans! Last year, using my high speed Bible Software, I set up a Bible reading schedule in the ESV to read the NT, OT, Psalms and Proverbs in 1 year. I made it to July. Driving home from a Christmas event, I mentioned to my family that maybe the thought of reading the Bible in a year is too lofty of a goal that discourages people. Our oldest, Alanna, was quick with an analysis (being the 17 year old senior at Kennedale High School that she is) "You can READ the Bible in a year, but if you STUDY it, it will take longer...." "Ahh! Out of the mouths of High School Seniors the Lord has perfected praise (translation mine). That's the reason I bogged down on my schedule! I'm an underliner and a note-taker. Of course, with Logos 4 that's too easy and fun to do anyway, and their reading plans are customizable, so I simply went back and restarted my plan to read the Bible in 104 weeks instead of 52, checked off what I had already read, and started with 2 Kings 5 on Dec 22! I have been set free from reading the Bible through in a year! Now for all the type A's out there who must read the Bible in a year, may the Lord bless you as you do that.....but as for me and My house, we are going to study the Bible!

I Won a Bible!

I love God's Word. When I graduated from Bowie High School in Arlington, my church gave all the graduates a New American Standard Bible. It was great. I read it often throughout my Bible College years at SAGU. I used it so much, the bonded leather cover began to crack and peel. Then when I graduated from college, that SAME Church gave all the College graduates a NASB....this time the leather was genuine. I carried that Bible proudly, and read it often, marked it up, all the way through Seminary. Somewhere on a guest preaching assignment in 1995, I left that Bible at a church....never to be seen again. I still have the first one, but now NIV was becoming popular so I bought a Thompson Chain Study Bible (my first of many study Bibles) at the Baptist Bookstore on campus for $10 on clearance. I was thrilled with all the helps. If you have cared enough to read this far, you're not surprised at what you've been reading. I was surprised however when I got the email last week that I had won a New American Standard Bible, calfskin, side reference, wide margin Bible in the www.logos.com Great Bible Giveaway. All I had to do was tweet, facebook, blog, put down a comment about it and add the www.bible.logos.com search engine to our Bethel Temple website. I just received it today and it is awesome! I might have never paid $150 for a Bible (although the revelation of God to man is worth that and more) I'm thrilled to have it. It's produced by the Lockman foundation and has a lifetime guaranteee. I intend to keep it and read it for a lifetime. So....you might be wondering....whither the ESV? In my humble opinion, the ESV is going to become the mainstream translation because it's the latest word-for-word translation (as opposed to the dynamic equivalence of the NIV which has been a blessing to the Evangelical/Pentecostal world for the past 25 years.) In a world where information and the Bible is available in every format available (www.logos.com) There is going to be a demand for up-to-date translations that are as close to the original wording as possible. The NASB has served with distinction still, but the ESV takes it to another level. May the Lord bless YOU as you find an understandable version that you will read and study.

Post-Thanksgiving Hallelujahs

As I sit here in the beautiful city of Porum, Oklahoma, I'm thankful for such a wonderful extended family, immediate family, and Church! This morning I had the time, and interest to read through some devotional readings in Logos and saw where Jonathan Edwards had changed church music after he began to pastor the church in Massachusetts (where he was famous for many sermons on grace, such as Romans 5:1-5 and other passages....remember he is most known for Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God) the text stated that he encouraged the singing of the more lively congregational hymns by Isaac Watts. Oh yes, Isaac Watts! I looked down in the description and saw "Joy to the World"....Praise God! Amen! and Hallelujah!!!! Joy to the WORLD! The Lord has come.

I'm not kidding my spirit leaped within me and I praised God. What a joy!, what a wonder, what a relief, when Jesus robed himself in human flesh (Philippians 2:1-11) and carried all our sin. So...black friday notwithstanding, there is JOY to the World because Jesus has come for all of us. One more thing to be thankful for this weekend, one more reason to keep on serving Him this Christmas Season.

A Grateful Heart

I found this great article on gratitude and thought I would share it with you.

Gratitude was such a vital part of Israel's religion that it pervaded most ceremonies and customs. Thank offerings acknowledged blessings from God (Lv 7:12, 13; 22:29; Ps 50:14). Shouts of joy (Ps 42:4), songs of praise (145:7; 149:1), and music and dance (150:3–5) all added to the spirit of thanksgiving in worship. Feasts and festivals were celebrated in remembrance of God's steadfast love throughout their history (Dt 16:9–15; 2 Chr 30:21, 22). King David appointed levitical priests to offer God thanks (1 Chr 16:4). This custom was carried on by the kings Solomon (2 Chr 5:12, 13) and Hezekiah (31:2), and by those who returned from the exile (Neh 11:17; 12:24, 27).

In the NT, the object of thanksgiving is the love of God expressed in the redemptive-work of Christ. The apostle Paul thanked God for that gift of grace (1 Cor 1:4; 2 Cor 9:15) and the ability to preach the gospel (2 Cor 2:14; 1 Tm 1:12). Paul thankfully participated in the spiritual gifts (1 Cor 14:18). Gratitude for love and faith among believers pervades his letters (Rom 6:17; Eph 1:15, 16; Phil 1:3–5; Col 1:3, 4; 1 Thes 1:2, 3).

Because the expression of gratitude is tied so closely to the response of faith, Paul encouraged believers to give thanks in all things (Rom 14:6; 1 Thes 5:18). He commanded Christians to pray with thanksgiving (Phil 4:6; Col 4:2) in the name of Christ, who has made all thanksgiving possible (Eph 5:20). In his teaching on how to celebrate the Lord's Supper, Paul specified that Christians should give thanks, just as the Lord "had given thanks" (1 Cor 11:24).

Elwell, Walter A. and Barry J. Beitzel. Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House, 1988.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Search the Bible!

This is the season for giving thanks and one of the things we can thank God for is His word! If you can't get enough of God's word, You should look at this:

Verse:
John 3:16; Jn 3:16; John 3

Keyword:
Salvation, Jesus, Gospel

With Operators:
AND, OR, NOT, “ ”

Online Bible by Logos

Add this to your site!

You can add this search engine to any site or blog by copying their HTML script and pasting it in. Have fun searching!

How Do YOU Study your Bible?

Bible Study has come a LONG way. I remember when I got my first complete Bible. My pastor, Rev. Charles M. Barnes took me (I couldn't have been any older than 8) to the Woodall Bookstore in Waxahachie and bought it for me. I remember when I got my first Bible with a concordance. Iris Watson taught in Children's Church at Bethel in Arlington what a concordance was and how to use it. That Christmas, I received a Bible with a concordance. To say that it changed my life would be an understatement. You can find all the verses on a topic grouped together? Glory to God. Then I was in Bible Quiz with the Assemblies of God for several years as a teen and memorized many books (it involved competition...not spirituality) in KJV. Today I praise God for that experience. I received a New American Standard version from my church when I graduated high school....and then!....I went to SAGU and discovered the Strong's Exhaustive Concordance! Another praise went heavenward. So what? you say?
Today it has all changed. Now, thankfully you can get the word of God just about any way you want it. The Soldier's Bible, the Policeman's Bible, Baby's first Bible, a Bible for every age level and every demographic. May His Name be Praised! Lest I sound too much like an early morning infomercial.....wait....there's more!
Since the advent of the PC, everything has changed. Now concordance searches are instantaneous on every kind of word in any kind of version. Now maps, commentaries and greek and hebrew tools can be utilized instantaneously and produced in a report. Through the use of the PC, a pastor, teacher, or Christian worker can instantaneously keyword search through ALL their library of books.
The internet Bible search engines are amazing in and of themselves. http://www.bible.logos.com/ for example will enable you to concordance search ANY word in ANY version, copy to your word processor and topic search as well.
Now the good people at Logos have won in the Bible software war. I'm happy to tell today you can download Logos for the iphone for free as well as consider the benefits of Logos 4. What they are calling Bible Study, Reimagined is exactly that. No longer just the domain of religious professionals (pastors, teachers, missionaries) Logos has created a software that will literally take discipleship and personal Bible study to the next level. Take it from a person who gets excited about a concordance, you might want to give your personal Bible study habit a look, and see what you can do faster, smarter, and to a much greater depth.

Since we're talking about the Scripture, consider theses Scriptures that urge us to study:

2 Timothy 2:15

Psalms 119:11

2 Peter 1:19-21

Hebrews 4:11-13

May the Lord bless you as you sharpen your saw.

The Values of Church Membership

Church membership has many advantages. Jesus told Peter upon his great confession: "I will build my Church! And the Gates of Hell will not prevail against it!" Matthew 16:18 Let me list just a few of the benefits:

First, we are the local expression of the Body of Christ. God has great plans for His church. He needs members!

Second, we need you. In the Assemblies of God, churches are autonomous, or self-governing. Church membership plays a big role in that to keep us healthy and responsible with the resources God has entrusted us with. The numbers of Church members only makes that relationship stronger.

Third, we are a tremendous support structure. I heard one preacher say, "I was dedicated to Christ in the Church, I was saved in the Church, I got the Baptism in the Holy Spirit in the Church, I met my wife and was married in the Church, I believed God for my healing when sick, at the Church. I laid all my problems down at the Church, We dedicated and taught our children in the Church, I was called to preach in the Church, and the last thing that will happen to me before they put me in the ground….. I'm going to stop one more time by the Church!

As 1 Corinthians 6:15; 1 Corinthians 12-14, and Ephesians 4:11-16 declare we are members of the body of Christ. Membership has responsibilities.

Fourth, the Church constitution and by-laws require that only members can serve as deacons, vote on church business (such as election of deacons and election of a pastor, as well as other church business).

Finally, Scriptures declare that we are being built into a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:9) which God lives by His Spirit.

If you attend Bethel Temple in Ft. Worth, we will be having a Church Membership Sunday December 6, 2009. All you need to do is attend one Sunday morning session on either November 8 and 15, or 22 and make your decision to join our church.

Who are You Bringing With You?

I noticed it first, yesterday when I picked up the book And Are We Yet Alive? This book was written with by Richard Wilkie in the late 80s about his concerns about the United Methodist Church.....one of his concerns was that the church had become to self-centered in their ministry approaches. Some call this "in-ward focused" rather than "outward focused" (one would assume to be the biblical model given John 3:16, Romans 10:9-10, and 1 Peter 1:9)

THEN...I heard the chapel speaker this morning refer to it, Rev. Alton Garrison who happens to be the Assistant General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God where he quoted a study that stated 80% of Evangelicals believe that church is about my needs and my concerns (inward focus)

FINALLY, as I was reading my daily Bible reading (don't be impressed, I'm on April 12th, and I have some catching up to do) In the grand and encouraging passage of 2 Corinthians 4:1-18, specifically in 2 Corinthians 4:13 where the apostle states the overarching objective of his ministry, and what I frankly believe ought to be the ministry of every church:

I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence.

It's that last phrase that caught me...there it is! The mission of the Church! Outreach!
Here it is again:

that HE WHO RAISED THE LORD JESUS WILL RAISE US ALSO WITH JESUS...

AND....

BRING US WITH YOU INTO HIS PRESENCE!

US AND YOU

YOU AND US

Who are You Bringing With You?

Come Now, Let us Reason Together

Jesus was straight up telling the truth in the parable of the sower. Good intentions not withstanding, it is too easy to be affected by the "cares of this life". Matthew 13:22 records Jesus's instruction on sowing seed. Reception of the word is unfruitful unless it is nurtured and cared for in the heart of a person. The pitfall is obvious.... "the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches" choke the word.

So what do you do?

Turn your eyes on Jesus! Look up! Make a decision to intentionally appreciate the love and grace of God. How? With His word.

Consider these encouraging verses: Nehemiah 9:5; Isaiah 1:18; Psalm 95:1; Psalm 96:1-3; 1 Corinthians 15:58. The list could go on and on.

God wants us to know there is something better than carrying the burdens and cares of this world all by ourselves. From Genesis to Revelation, the Scriptures provide hope. There is one thing more:

There is Truth in God's Word.

What a terriffic antidote to "the cares of this life"

Better than Bible Study…

Circumstances can be disappointing. God never disappoints us. Friends may fail us. Jesus never fails. Family members may hurt us, but there is a Friend that sticks closer than a brother. I am so thankful that God has given us His holy word. 1 Peter 1:18-21 captures the essence of all that God has done and IS doing for us. If we were to try to raise families, live above the negativity of this world, build a church, or reach out to others in need all on our own it would be a miserable failure. We cannot do it on our own. For thousands of years the Jewish nation put their trust in the promises of God to bring salvation. One only need to read Jeremiah, Isaiah, Hosea, Nehemiah, or Deuteronomy to see that God's promises for His people are all at the same time ancient and glorious. WE GET TO BE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE EQUATION! 2 Peter 1:19 declares that we have the word of the prophets made MORE CERTAIN. Notice how Peter says "and we would do well to pay attention to it"…He then gives the example…"as to a light shining in a dark place, until the Morning Star arises in your hearts" Wow! God is present when we read the Scripture! God is present when we study the Bible! God is present in every circumstance and situation we face. Look down at your Bible…Look up to the grace of God. He is present to help, mighty to save, and able to fix every situation you find yourself in. As you study your Bible today, consider this quote:

The Bible is the only book whose Author is always present when one reads it.-unknown

Another Great Bible Tool Online!

It's simply amazing to discover the tools available online and through the software at www.logos.com. They have already given us, www.bible.logos.com where you can search the word of God in several versions, copy and paste to your word processor or look up occurrences of phrases in the Bible. Then of course, who could forget the reference tagging language tool that enables you to turn all Scriptures on a web page or blog into hyperlinks like this one 1 Peter 1:3-4. Now for Twitter and other venues where you can turn a Scripture into a short hyperlink, there's ref.ly That's right, no www, no .com or .org or even .edu, just ref.ly . What does it do and why should you care? Click on it and see. When you go to http://Ref.ly and type in a Bible reference like Psalm 91 and then click "Transform" it immediately converts it to a short web address. When the user clicks the "Tweet" button it takes them to their twitter page. When the user clicks the ref.ly address, it immediately takes them to the passage in context and at www.bible.logos.com . Try it. It's fun and amazing at the same time. You can also change the version if you wish. Enjoy discovering more about the wonders of God's word.

Principles for Church Growth….From a Toyota mechanic

My father-in-law worked for Toyota for over 20 years. He is a mechanic's mechanic. The man knows automobiles inside and out. He's also been a member of his local church for well over 40 years. Most, if not all of that time he has been involved in ministry. He's been a youth leader when the church had over 200 members in a town of less than 1000 people. He's been a Sunday School superintendent, board member, and along with his faithful wife, they have supported their church with time, talent, tithe and truckloads of hard work. So what does Dan Hughey have to say about church growth? Plenty. Dan and Marie have faithfully served their church and contributed to the kingdom of God for decades. They have served under pastors who had long tenure, tenuous circumstances, and short experiences. The church has grown, declined, and grown, and declined. What's the insight that requires such an introduction? Simply this: Churches grow when the people of the church have something good to say about the church. Most of us in church know the feeling: there is the sense of emptiness, hurt, frustration and disappointment when attending a church that seems to not have its priorities straight. It may be the pastor, it may be the circumstances the pastor is working with, and it may be the people. One thing is certain…it's disappointing….leaving a church service feeling worse than when you came. No one should have to feel that way, but many do. Naturally, these people cannot speak positively of their church. It's a discussion changer. On the contrary, when things are going well….it's easy to talk about…and enthusiastically endorse what is going on in church. To my insightful father-in-law, it's a game changer. When people can talk positively about their church, the church will grow because the greatest benefit to an organization is word of mouth. For church leaders it's a new way of thinking about Acts 20:28. As James would assert in James 3:8-12, the dangers of our speech and it's inconsistency are lurking. May the challenge of James 3:17-18 be our goal.

The Glorious Church

In our service at Bethel Temple today the sermon was on The Work of the Church. This was
based on the events surrounding the conversion of Saul the Pharisee to Paul the Apostle. Throughout this chapter, we observed that the Work of the Church includes Miracles….God must be active doing what He does best…miracles. It was an absolute miracle that Saul encountered Christ on the road to Damascus and later became the apostle to the Gentiles. We also discovered that doing the work of God involves risk. God's instructions to Ananias, and then Barnabas's encouragement to the apostles in Jerusalem involved a great deal of risk-taking. Finally, we observed how in Acts 9:31, the church was blessed and MULTIPLIED. It's here that I want to make some further comments. The growth of a church is dependent on relationships and multiplication. The Book of Acts talks about how the excitement concerning the Gospel got everyone's attention. It appears today that the "church" is trying everything but the right thing. Ok, I KNOW that I'm not the expert on Church growth, but in my short time so far here on earth (soon to be 45 years)…I've observed that across denominations, churches too quickly go to a business/leadership model that is marketing driven, rather than God-centered. How so? When I worked on a Ph.D. in Administration (at a Baptist Seminary, which effectively focused on Church administration) fourteen years ago, there was this perpetual temptation to baptize (no pun intended) the secular leadership and management literature and push it on the church. There are some obvious things that fit: conflict resolution, planning, leading, organizing, and supervising. The Church, however is different! As an organism that belongs to Christ, we have One who has promised to "Build My Church" (Matt 16:18). We have gifts from God to help with the load (Ephesians 4:11-16). The growth of the church in Acts was nothing short than monumental. Consider the summary statements after 3000 confessed Christ on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2:42. Then later, the church added more in Acts 4:4 and Acts 6:7. God was at work in the miraculous and the results of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4; 10:44-46). So, what's the point? Human enthusiasm and excitement can only go so far…there must be something real happening for people to want to come to your church. Lives must be changed from encountering Christ. We're thrilled at what God is doing at Bethel Temple. May the Lord bless your church too as you focus on the miraculous, make a commitment to manage risk, and see His blessings. Jesus said it best in Matthew 16:18. Let's "keep in step with the Spirit" and see God work in His church.

The Word of God…New and Living!

I am in a family of readers. Every day you can see one of my family with a book in their hand. Personally, I start a lot of books but have trouble finishing them. I'm currently rejoicing that after 4 years of effort, I've now finished Fellowship of the Ring. There is no telling how long it will take to finish the rest of that tome. If you read this blog at all you understand the author's fascination with technology and the study of God's word. Today I'm happy to announce the addition of a new widget to this blog and also available at www.betheltemple.net . Master Media ministries' One Year Audio Bible is in the New Living Translation which is an absolutely fabulous translation of the Bible. You can buy their MP3 player from the One Year Audio Bible site, or they provide the widget for you to upload the HTML to your blog or website. From here, your user can listen to the day's reading that loads automatically with the golden voice of Tom Dooley. Why is this such a big deal? Everyone doesn't like to read. They may be too busy to read. I'm personally thankful that God inspired the biblical writers to write (See 2 Peter 1:19-21) His revelation, I also am aware that many people just don't like to read. So for them, and for us…(the busy ones)…amid the audio Bible genre, there is this widget. Simply click on this widget, copy the HTML text, and paste it into the HTML of your website or blog. Then your users will have another way to encounter the word of God that is "Living and Active" (Hebrews 4:12)

Unselfish Praying….Gets Answers

Consider it a theory if you will. As I say that I picture the opening music of the old Twilight Zone episodes. When?, How?, and Where? Does God answer prayers? Of course, if we knew that, one of life's greatest mysteries would be solved. When I first began working at SAGU, the president was Dr. Delmer Guynes, a great leader and mentor. Dr. Guynes now serves as the Chaplain at SAGU. One of his hallmark statements is that "you can get more answers to your prayers when you pray unselfishly". Perhaps that is what the author intended in James 5:16 about the prayers of a righteous man being "powerful and effective". I decided to do a search in Logos and came up with these results. I know I haven't searched every possible connection, but this simple glance adds much to the theory of results oriented unselfish praying. Place your curser over these references: Genesis 25:21; 2 Samuel 24:25; 1 Chronicles 5:20; Psalm 4:1; Psalm 17:6; Acts 10:4; 2 Corinthians 1:11;Philemon 22. The Disciple's Prayer that Jesus taught His disciples certainly has unselfish characteristics in it especially when you consider that personal requests are at the tail end of the prayer. (Luke 11:2-4). We do have the confidence that the Lord will take care of us. Christian, let's count our blessings. First, we have been forgiven our sins (Romans 10:9-10). As such, we have the resulting peace of God. (Romans 5:1) and if THAT isn't enough we have the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:4-7). Even in times of trial, we have the assurance of God's help. (Romans 8:26-39) All these burdens have been lifted! We have little to concern ourselves with except to pray unselfishly. May God help us to do what works.

God Specializes In It

The notion that God can do anything is, in itself, amazing. Since the Fall of Man, man has been at odds against God by default. We are, as Romans 3:23 states, "sinners." We have all sinned. God is doing all He can to redeem us back. Having sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins, and not just for our sins, but for the whole world, He daily is doing miracles as men come back into communion with Him. When we read statements like "Nothing is Too Hard for God" and "Nothing is Impossible with God"….we want to believe that is true, but our fallen nature gets in the way. We argue with God. What about the times I asked Him for miracles and received nothing? What about the times I prayed and prayed and prayed, yet still God did not answer? Fair enough questions. James 4:3 suggests one answer might be that we ask from wrong motives. This is understandable considering our faulted sinful stance. It seems from Scripture that God doesn't do everything we ask and He has some kind of Divine standard for answering our prayers that is a mystery to our feeble minds. Those questions, however, should not prevent us from continuing to ask. Consider all the places that God Himself encourages us with the idea that He can do anything AND our prayers make a difference.

Matthew 19:26
Mark 10:27
Luke 1:37
Luke 18:27
Matthew 6:30
Matthew 8:10
Matthew 8:26
Matthew 9:2
Matthew 9:22
Matthew 9:29
Matthew 13:58
Matthew 14:31
Matthew 15:28
Mattew 16:8
This is not an exhaustive list. I do not know the artist but the words are so powerful from Scripture… Got any Rivers? You think are uncrossable Got any Mountains? You can't tunnel through God specializes, in things thought impossible And He can do what no other power can do God must expect us to have faith in what He can do!