Hail to the Chief

It has been an exciting week in our nation. Our country is living new history
in electing Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States. For those who voted for him and those who did not, he is the President… period. For the Democrats and the Republicans, he is the President… period. For the Christian, Muslim, Jew, Hindu, Buddhist, etc… even the Atheist, he is the President… period.
Scripture tells us how we are to respond to our new President. Romans 13:1-7 makes this bold statement, “Be a good citizen. All governments are under God. Insofar as there is peace and order, it's God's order. So live responsibly as a citizen. If you're irresponsible to the state, then you're irresponsible with God, and God will hold you responsible. Duly constituted authorities are only a threat if you're trying to get by with something. Decent citizens should have nothing to fear. Do you want to be on good terms with the government? Be a responsible citizen and you'll get on just fine, the government working to your advantage. But if you're breaking the rules right and left, watch out. The police aren't there just to be admired in their uniforms. God also has an interest in keeping order, and He uses them to do it. That's why you must live responsibly—not just to avoid punishment but also because it's the right way to live. That's also why you pay taxes—so that an orderly way of life can be maintained. Fulfill your obligations as a citizen. Pay your taxes, pay your bills, and respect your leaders.”
The apostle Paul wrote this to the Roman church in an era when the Emperor Nero was on the throne. Nero was a horror of an authority. He was the one who blamed the Christians for everything that went wrong and began a brutal era of killing Christians for sport and pleasure. Could the people respect him? Maybe not much, but Paul advises Christians to live in their society within the bounds of rule, order, and government. Today we can hear these words again afresh. I prayed for President Obama on election- day for his safety. I pray that his policies will be benevolent and for the best possibilities for his Presidency. I pray that our country will come together in reaching agreements that will be sound in judgment and prudent for future generations. Our economy is a wreck and there are those who need to be brought to justice for some of the crimes committed.
Ultimately though, there is free will. Free will allowed Nero to behave like a mad man. Free will enabled someone like Adolf Hitler to terrorize the world. But, free will brought Emperor Constantine to proclaim Christianity the religion of much of the known world. Free will enabled so many great leaders to choose to be the difference maker in helping the citizens each represented. You and I will continue to pay our taxes, obey the laws, and be respectful of our elected and appointed officials. But at the same time, I encourage you to be in prayer for President Obama, our legislators, and our judicial officials. May they use their will and authority to bring this country into line with what God wants for His people. Until next time, Blessings!

Don’t Waste Your Time

Happy New Year! So, what do you have in store for the New Year?
Are you hoping that it will be a better year than last? Usually, when I hear people speak about the New Year, they speak with a tone of hope. They hope that life will be better. They hope that their investments will recover from last year's losses and grow again. They hope that they will enjoy good health. They hope they will be happier. But mostly they are worried that things could only get worse.
Today, I want to be sure that I tell you the most important thing I can for your future in the New Year. 2009 will be another group of days, made up of 365 individual days, 52 weeks, and 8760 hour. Time is the one commodity that we can neither save nor trade. Time is a possession that slips though our lives with each passing second and disappears as quickly as the next second takes its place. It is not to be harvested nor accumulated… it is only to be used. While many of those hours will be consumed with work and sleep what about the rest of the time? Will you spend your time doing something of relevance?
Hebrews 13:13-16 tells us about time and how it is to be used. “… let's go outside, where Jesus is, where the action is—not trying to be privileged insiders, but taking our share in the abuse of Jesus. This "insider world" is not our home. We have our eyes peeled for the City about to come. Let's take our place outside with Jesus, no longer pouring out the sacrificial blood of animals but pouring out sacrificial praises from our lips to God in Jesus' name. Make sure you don't take things for granted and go slack in working for the common good; share what you have with others. God takes particular pleasure in acts of worship—a different kind of "sacrifice"—that take place in kitchen and workplace and on the streets.”
The lesson for us is that our time on this earth is short compared to eternity. We are simply asked to proclaim a God who loves us dearly to everyone we come across. That is how we offer a sacrifice to God though our actions. It isn’t about being good, but proclaiming that God loves us and forgives us in spite of ourselves.
I am reminded of the funeral I attended many years ago. I knew the deceased person and his family pretty well. When the preacher started talking about the life of the dead man, I actually wanted to stand up, ask the preacher to stop, and open the casket… because I was sure that either they had the wrong man in the box or I had wandered into the wrong funeral. The man the preacher was describing was not the man I, nor anyone else remembered with the exception of a few loved ones.
In the movie the Wizard of Oz, when the Wizard gives the Tin Man his heart, the Wizard imparts this bit of truth, “...that a heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others.” These are wise words for such a bumbling Wizard. Many people have loved… their money, their stuff, even their own selves. But for others to love you, you first must demonstrate love to them. Giving time, with a smile, can be worship. At first, it might seem difficult or “sacrificial”, but our time can be a gift to God no matter where we are or where we go. This year, make a difference for God and you will have no worries of ever having a bad year, just another good one!

Upside Down Christmas Video

Check out this video... it is well thought and pretty neat!

4 Words Video

Click on this link to view a neat Christmas Video

4 Words for You

Merry Christmas

Forget Santa… Try An Allegorical Tale Worth Your Time

As we approach Christmas, I want to talk to you about “The Shack.” It is a novel written by William Paul Young. It is a story about a man named Mac. Mac has had his ups and downs in life and after experiencing the death of one of his children, he has become pierced with a deep sadness. As you meet Mac and hear the retelling of his story, you begin to get to know him in a very realistic way. He is a man who is living, yet it is really a zombie like existence. His life has been derailed and he can’t get back on track (some of you know folks like this or even may be in his shoes). The story leads us with Mac to visit a small shack in the woods in the dead of winter after he receives a mysterious note. When he arrives he meets God.
I won’t give away any more of the story, but let me say that this particular book has generated a great deal of buzz. Most who have taken the time to read it, have loved it. Many have passed along copies to friends and loved ones so that others might enjoy it too. One guy named Jerry said on his blog, “I found The Shack to be a fascinating piece of work. I loved it too. I've already given away two copies. I really appreciated Young's images of things like forgiveness, (God) the Father, and the unique relationship of the members of the Trinity. I too was reminded that the Lord Jesus lives in the present more than the past or future, and that's good for me today. It was good to be reminded of God’s desire: "I want all of you and all of every part of you and your day." "Rules and principles are simpler than relationships" was a great reminder, too, of how easily we slip into legalism, judgments. Anyway, I'm impressed with Young's abilities with words, and I'd highly recommend this little volume to anyone who asked.
There are those who are frightened by the book. They are worried that people may take some things literally or accept Young’s story as gospel itself. A number of pastors and theologians have had “a fit” over the book. Even Lifeway book stores pulled it off the shelves temporarily. Fortunately, they put it back! Yes, some of the images and settings might be unsettling. Pastor David Dykes of Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas, endorsed the book but he says, “God the Father is portrayed as a character who goes by the name “Papa.” This image is what gives the 21st Century Pharisees apoplexy! Is God really like this? Is that what the author is saying? Of course not! No more than Jesus is really a powerful, noble lion named Aslan! But you don’t hear many (although there are some) who are criticizing the Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. I recommended “The Shack” to a pastor friend of mine recently and I warned him that for those folks who are wearing their religious underwear too tight, it will definitely cause a theological wedgy!”
I agree with Pastor Dykes. I remember all the hullabaloo about Jesus Christ Superstar, the Passion of the Christ, and other “controversial” Christian forms of entertainment. Ironically, maybe the controversy has helped sales of the book, now over 4 million and who knows how many hand me downs given. The other day when I went to my dental appointment at Dr. Hackbarth’s office in Bridge City, many in the office were in process or had already read the book and they loved it. The depiction of God is unique and different than many have come to think and it is a breath of fresh air. So, I would recommend my readers pick up a copy and don’t let others tell you what to think. Think for yourself and take the chance to see the story not as fact, but look for the allegorical truths woven within the text. I do believe Young has written an important text for anyone to enjoy and provided a place for some to meet the Holy Spirit... in the Shack.

Bridge City on CBS News! Many folks still struggling after IKE

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4636641n

Scared to Check Your Investments?

The news has gone from bad to worse. Have you looked at your retirement account lately? How about your kids’ college fund? If they are invested in anything associated with the stock market from mutual funds or 401K’s, then it is very likely that you might be too scared to even peek at the numbers. You probably knew a few months ago about how much you had… but since then… it has been all downhill.
It has gotten so bad that you don’t even want to hear a financial report. The latest news is… the market fell again today or if not yet, it will! There is a huge amount of fear and panic that has swept our financial system, including your local banks. People are afraid that their life savings are melting away like the Wicked Witch in the Wizard of Oz.
As I sat and contemplated what to write in this column, I thought, “What can a preacher tell you that can help you in this situation?”
Did you know that the Bible talks about money more than 100 separate times? It’s true.
God believes that we must understand our money and get our priorities in order before we can become the disciples that God wants us to be. Pastor Andy Stanley says, “you cannot wholehearted follow your Savior and remain lost financially. God simply says too much about it.” In other words, if you take Jesus seriously then you know that Jesus says more about money than any other one thing, even salvation. Matthew 6:21 says, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” That is why your heart sinks when you hear your accounts are down. But here is the big problem. Luke 16 claims that we cannot serve two masters, “we cannot serve both God and money.” Do you find it weird that Jesus says this? I would have expected Jesus to say something like, you cannot serve both God and Satan or whatever, but Jesus chose money. Pastor Stanley goes on to say that God knows that the primary competition for our hearts is… our money and our stuff. The trick is to understand and adopt the way God wants us to look at our stuff. When we take God’s view of our stuff, we become free to live with our money and stuff. Again in Luke Jesus explains a parable about money. Jesus tells people that their money and stuff needs to be used on earth in such a manner that it becomes a tool for the kingdom of God. Let your temporary money and stuff be used to have eternal impact.
Think about it. Think about how many wonderful people that you know or have known who gave of their money, time, and stuff to impact the church(es) in your community or even in the world.
I quickly think of the owner of the Chic-fil-A chain, Truitt Cathy. When I was a young pastor in Jonesboro, Georgia, the First Baptist Church of Jonesboro was know as “the church that Truitt built.” He used his resources for the kingdom of God. Today, the restaurant is closed on Sundays and in that Cathy makes a bold statement that he values Sunday, or even his employees, more than money. What if we all took Jesus’ words to heart and realized that all of OUR stuff, including our money, isn’t OUR stuff at all… it’s all His stuff. What if we knew we would change lives by using our stuff for the glory of God and not worrying about hoarding or saving so much, but allow ourselves to be generous with a mind set on eternal things. My goodness, this sounds like a sermon. Well, I guess that’s what a preacher might say and I am one so…

Wow! God Is Big!

Last week I showed a video to our Providence Church youth group. If I had told those young folks that we were getting ready to watch a presentation by a guy named Louie Giglio called “Indescribable”, I am not sure how many would have stuck around. Fortunately, Louie is an entertaining guy and he presents very well to both young and old. His topic was pretty huge. It was a presentation about the solar system, stars, and the universe.

Did you know that our solar system, as big as it seems, isn’t that big at all. If we compared the size of our solar system to the Milky Way Galaxy it would be like the size of a quarter (like the one in your pocket) dropped on the ground with in the continent of North America. So when you see a picture of the galaxy, the solar system is simply a speck in on of the numerous bands in the galaxy. But get this! The Milky Way Galaxy is only one of the billions of galaxies in the “known universe” WOW! Do you feel small or what? Yes, we are very, very, tiny in the vast expanse of the universe. The Hubbell telescope has allowed us to see in deep space and view areas of space that we never ever dreamed.

Now, here’s the cool part. As big as all that there is… is, God knows each and every one of you reading this article (or not) by name. Not only does He know your name, He knows how many hairs are upon your head (or lack thereof). Not only does God know you name and your physical appearance, God knows your heart and mind. Now… as big as the universe is, God has made it because we matter to Him. WOW! That’s pretty amazing isn’t it? God has chosen to be in relationship with human beings. Why might you ask? Because God wants to adopt each and every one of us as His child. That is the message of the gospels, adoption! We have no real right to be with God, but God has chosen us and cleaned us up so that He may take us home with Him and reveal to us His incredible glory.
Genesis 1 says, “God said, ‘Let there be light’.” Later, the gospel of John tells us that when God brought forth this wondrous Creation, Jesus was always a part of the Triune Godhead. John writes, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”

God amazes us by His extreme creation and vastness, yet He amazes us too by the fact that He cares about something so small as each one of us. We think we are big… we think we know… therefore it is hard to imagine that we are so small and that God has not only created the universe but is an active caretaker of the creation. That’s so much of our struggle. God is either too big to care or too small to do anything about our lives. Yes, God is big… bigger than we can imagine, but God does care and God is with each one of us.

Recently, I had a conversation with someone who was worried about our world and the future that is coming. Be it politics or economics, the world seems like a roller coaster. But it has been before and it will be again. You know, I can’t conceive of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit sitting around pondering what to do with this creation. I believe that there is a plan, a process that must be played out. We call it history. Really it should be called “His story.” But I know that whatever happens, whoever gets elected, whatever happens to the economy, whatever war breaks out… or peace for that matter, I believe that we have a God who can be counted on. I believe we have a God who is big enough to be in charge of the big picture. No matter what happens, we can be confident in God in this life and the next.

God Is More Than Fair

A few weeks ago I read a wonderful book by Pastor Andy Stanley entitled, “Since Nobody’s Perfect… How Good Is Good Enough?” The basic premise of the book is: Good People don’t go to heaven. I believe he is right when he says that most people reject this view. Clearly, there is a disconnect between what it means to hear Jesus’ words about salvation and what we think is fair and good. Stanley goes on to say that many people want God to let good people into heaven, but lack a real understanding of what “goodness” is. For example, when early scientists claimed that the world was round and that the earth orbited the Sun, they were thrown out of the church and placed under house arrest. Also, during the 1960’s an African American woman entered a church sanctuary to join in an all white congregation’s worship service. She arrived about thirty minutes before the service. The deacons were aghast and decided that the “good” thing to do would be to simply turn off the lights and maybe she would leave. When this tactic failed, they finally went to her and asked her to leave. Through the ages, we, as human beings, have struggled mightily with the concept of “goodness.” These are simply two minor examples, I am sure that you can think of so many more failures to be “good.”
So, do you believe Jesus? I have heard people say that they like Jesus. I have heard people say they admired Him. Even when someone said they didn’t believe in Him, I never heard anyone say, “Jesus is a liar.” So the question remains… do you believe Jesus? Do you? In many of Jesus’ confrontations with the religious and “good” people, the Pharisees, Sadducees, Scribes, and law keeping public, He was blunt and to the point about who is heading into the kingdom of God. Matthew 21: 42-45 reveals Jesus viewpoint, “Did you never read in the Scriptures, the stone which the builders rejected, this became the chief corner stone; this came about from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes'? Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it. And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust. When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them.”
These may be hard words to hear. We know many good people who do not accept Christ or even those who claim to be Christians yet they rely upon their own “good lives” by the world’s standards but fail to seek God through the forgiveness of sins. It is hard to hear that not everyone you know or even love may be going to heaven. We may find ourselves wishing God let “good people” in. But if that were the case, what would be good enough? God has standards. But here is the real “Good” news.
God’s standard is more than fair. Going to heaven is not about being good! God does not want to judge anyone by their “goodness.” We would all fail. God wants to judge us by our acceptance of the fact that we cannot and never will be able to live up to God’s standard of righteousness. We cannot depend upon our goodness…we must depend upon God and the grace which is provided only by God. There are no other ways to heaven, no other gods, no buy-ins, no works, nothing except grace alone. Apostle Paul speaks to this when he says in Romans 12, “Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.” Yes, God is more than fair. God accepts everyone who believes in Him. If you didn’t know already… you are His beloved child and God yearns for the day when you stop fooling yourself into thinking that somehow you are “good” with God. God wants true dependence and submission not independence with a self centered view that you, like Adam and Eve, can make your own way in the world. Honestly, I believe this is one of, if not the biggest issue that plagues the modern church. Some good folks somehow think they can create a stairway to heaven with just being “good.” It was a struggle for folks in Jesus’ day and it is in ours as well. It is not about rules and regulations, but relationships. That’s it and that’s Good News!

While We Were Away... Pics from our visit with The Jones Family

Allyson and Hannah

Lydia... Have you been eating chocolate?

Allyson and Abigail

Beth and Allyson cooking up a storm... no wait... please don't!

Abigail has a future as a taxi cab driver (Ned on board)

Cousins Galore! Ned 4, Max 2, Lydia 3, Abigail 9 Hannah 11, Daniel 13