Tag Archives: Christianity

by | March 19, 2015 · 9:41 am

Pre-Salvation Counseling?

Pre-Marital Counseling

Have you ever given pre-marital advice? Have you ever sat down with a young couple, stars in their eyes, and tried to break them up? No? Then maybe you don’t know what real marriage counseling is all about.

Honestly, one of the things I try to do before I marry a couple is to break them up. OK, no, I don’t go into a counselling session with the intent on making them run out of the room crying and screaming at each other. But what I do try to do is bring to the surface issues that might cause problems down the road which will ultimately lead to major problems, even divorce. Believe me, a lot of people could have been spared a lot pain and heartache had they been asked some serious questions before they tied the knot.

So, if you want me to conduct your wedding, you must endure at least four hours of me trying to find out if you are aware of what’s ahead.

Salvation Counseling 

Much like the syrupy-sweet lovers who want to jump into marriage without even considering what comes after the honeymoon phase, many are led into believing that becoming a Christian is the answer to all their problems. Because of many one-stop, Vegas-like “wedding chapels” we call “worship centers,” scores of people have been drawn into a relationship with Jesus – but without the “pre-marital” counseling.

Reality check: Following Jesus will not be easy. As a matter of fact, it might even result in a life of pain and suffering, of hunger and want. This relationship may even cost you your life.

And when [Jesus] had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, “Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” – Mark 8:34

Oh, make no mistake about it, entering into an eternity-long relationship with Jesus is totally worth it! Just make sure you know what you’re getting into.

See the Movie

This Friday (March 20) Do You Believe? will come out in theaters. Please, take my advice, go see this movie! It may prove to be the best spiritual “marriage counseling” you’ve had in a while. Oh, and take someone with you who is lost; you won’t regret it.

 

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by | February 21, 2015 · 3:09 pm

Remembering a Whoop’n

A Whoop’n 

In case you are from a liberal society or background which prohibits whoop’ns, you might not know what I am talking about. Therefore, let me tell you what a “whoop’n” is.

A whoop’n (the abbreviated form of “whipping”) is a spanking, a tail thrashing, a belt to the rear, a switch’n, a “rod of instruction to the seat of discipline.”

Whoop’ns are not abuse. I survived many, and I’m thankful for every one my mom and dad gave me. They administered them in love.

Holy Wood Shed

The reason I am telling you all about “whoop’ns” is because God gave me one four years ago today. Yes, the Lord took me to His heavenly wood shed all because I acted like a hypocrite.

My daughter with Building 429

My daughter with Building 429

You see, four years ago a group called Building 429 came through town and I made of fool of myself in front of God and everybody, including my family and a bunch of guys who love Jesus. I judged them based on what they looked like – the very thing I preached and wrote against on this very website.

If you’d like to read the original story, just click on the link below. You’ll get a laugh out of it.

 “Recovering Legalist Meets Building 429”

But even though I learned a lesson, there are still times when I have to “check myself,” as my wife says. That’s why I call myself a “recovering” legalist.

BTW, they accepted my apology.

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by | February 20, 2015 · 11:42 am

Legalistic Fasting

I thought I’d make today a “flashback Friday.” Back in 2011 I wrote about something that is on a lot of people’s minds right now…fasting. One point I was trying to make back then, and one that is still applicable, is this: fast if you will, but don’t be legalistic about it.

Another point I was trying to make is that we should not be guilted in to doing something that is not entirely biblical. Fasting might be a great thing, but do it according to biblical standards and don’t just take the word of someone promoting a new diet book.

Now, I’m not infallible, so I’d love your feedback. Leave a comment below.

“…if we are hungry enough for God we won’t need anyone to tell us when or how to fast.”

Don’t be legalistic about fasting.

There, I said it. It’s off my chest. I can sleep better, now.

You see, a lot of folks in the Christian community act no differently than the Muslim community during the month of Ramadan. They treat fasting as something necessary to gain favor with God. They think fasting is somehow required to be spiritual. I disagree.

Matthew 6:16 is a verse commonly used way out of context.  In that verse Jesus said, “when you fast.” It was not a command, but a prelude to a command. He said, “Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance.” Jesus wasn’t commanding anyone to fast, only to not be like the hypocrites who make themselves look all pitiful.

When Jesus said “when,” He was speaking on the assumption that fasting was a common practice with those in the audience. However, we must be careful to take note that it was not a command to fast, nor one that gave instructions. All He said was that when you do fast, don’t be as one of those who seek attention from men.

Lest we forget, there is nothing that we can do to earn the favor of God. His grace is unmerited. His love is not based on the prerequisite of starving one’s self once a year, month, or week. There is nothing wrong with fasting, but there can be serious flaws with our intentions.

False Biblical Examples

It is evil to teach formulas for health, wealth, and happiness based on select passages of Scripture. A good example would be the Prayer of Jabez teaching that says, “Pray this prayer and you will be wealthy.” But examples of fasting in the Bible are also used for exploitation. The first one that comes to mind is the Daniel Fast.

If you remember, in the first chapter of the book of Daniel, Daniel “purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank.” Because of Daniel’s courageous stand, based on his faith in God and the dietary laws given to Moses, God chose to work a miracle and honor the Hebrew children, in turn bringing glory to Himself.

Sadly, there are those who look at what Daniel did and say, “Hey, if I just eat vegetables and water (because meat and wine are obviously evil), then I will be guaranteed health, wealth, and favor.” This is a classic example of misapplication.

True Biblical Examples

When I read the Bible, there are 3 things that seem to be common with true fasting: 1) Desperation, 2) Mourning, and 3) God’s glory. Nowhere do I see it taught that it should be used as a way to become a better person, a more spiritual saint, or a healthier individual. Nowhere do I see it taught that if one did not regularly fast, then that person should be considered spiritually inferior.

What I DO see are examples of people who, when faced with insurmountable trials, impending defeat, or crushing repentance, found food to be the least of their concerns. I think of David when he was praying for his dying son (2 Samuel 12:16 & 17). I think of Nehemiah when he heard of the broken wall (Nehemiah 1:4, 6).  I think of Queen Ester faced with the annihilation of her people (Ester 4:3). I think of Ezra, who, fearing the name of the LORD would be tainted, called the people to a fast before God (Ezra 8:22). These are the common examples.

Too often we take something from Scripture and cheapen it to the point that it becomes a simple 4 or 5-point how-to bestseller. In our slightly inconvenienced world we resort to claiming the only thing truly desperate people had at their disposal. We say, “if you do this, then that will happen.” More often than not, when people in the Bible fasted, it was not because they wanted to – they couldn’t do anything else.

Modern Legalists

Then there are those who like to flaunt the fact that they are disciplined and spiritual – the modern “hypocrite.” They look with derision upon the one who has not fasted once a week. They proudly proclaim “I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess” (Luke 18:12), when in reality their fasting is nothing more than a supposed means to a selfish end. Because of their judgmentalism, they force others to be like them. They create a law to which they hold all others accountable, while in the darkness the truly humble is beating his breast, saying, “God, be merciful to me a sinner.”

One Last Thing.

There is no denying that we probably do not fast enough. As a matter of fact, according to Jesus (Matthew 17:21), many a spiritual battle has been lost because of a lack of fasting and prayer. That is the key – prayer.

Fasting without prayer is nothing more than scheduled Anorexia. The whole point of fasting is to seek the face of God, laying all other allurements aside, such as food (even marital relations – 1 Cor. 7:5). It is not that we need to fast; we need God. If fasting is what it takes, then that is what we should do. But one thing is for sure, if we are hungry enough for God we won’t need anyone to tell us when or how to fast.

Let me know what you think. Do you fast? How long? Why? Results? 

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by | February 11, 2015 · 10:10 am

Not That Bad, Considering

Hype

Folks, I am a die-hard conservative. Want me to prove it?

  • If I were Catholic – which I’m not – I’d nominate President Ronald Reagan for sainthood.
  • I was a registered Republican long before “hanging chads” were even a problem and didn’t like Al Gore (a fellow Tennessean) even when his wife, Tipper, hated rock music.
  • I still wear a vintage, hand-made, limited edition Rush Limbaugh tie every once in a while.
  • In the 80’s one of my heroes was Alex P. Keaton.

So, in other words, when I say I am a conservative, it’s not hype. However, I feel much of the ruckus over President Obama’s comments at the recent National Prayer Breakfast is, in my opinion, not much more than that…hype. To be clear, let’s define hype:

■ noun extravagant or intensive publicity or promotion.
■ verb promote or publicize intensively or extravagantly.*

Oh, don’t misunderstand me! I have many issues with the POTUS and his policies, especially those which undermine our freedom of religious expression in the workplace and the public square. But the way some on my side of the political camp, especially those of the religious persuasion, have attacked Obama for his comments at a multi-faith prayer breakfast seems to be over-the-top – more hype than anything – especially considering the context.

Context

Like I said in the title of this post, the POTUS’ speech was not that bad, that is, if you consider where he was making the speech, to whom he was speaking, and all that he could have said, but didn’t. Let’s face it, people, Obama was NOT speaking to a singularly Christian audience; there were many faiths in attendance. So, to say that Obama’s remarks regarding humility were only being directed at Christians is a tad bit disingenuous.

Now, I do not agree that there is any moral equivalency between the Crusades and what ISIS is doing in the world. For that matter, I wish more attention would be paid to the fact that the Crusades were, incidentally, a response to earlier Muslim expansion by the sword; much of the Christian “atrocities” were in response to hundreds of years of Muslim “atrocities.” But the general message of Obama’s speech was one that encouraged tolerance across the board. Even though he made comments highlighting the Crusades, he spent even more time addressing killing in other places around the world, such as Nigeria, India, etc.

Obama is the President, not a preacher or theologian. For that matter, he is not even a historian of any degree. His purpose at that prayer breakfast was ecumenical in nature, to encourage well-meaning citizens of all faiths to seek peace, to seek the face of God, and to renounce violence toward others in the name of religion. He was at a MULTI-FAITH prayer breakfast, for crying out loud! What else did those present expect him to say?

Unreported Positives

Just in case you missed it, there were some other things President Obama said that were encouraging. First, whether he ultimately means it or not, he used the term “freedom of religion” in the same sentence as “freedom of speech”!

“There’s wisdom in our founders writing in those documents that help found this nation the notion of freedom of religion, because they understood the need for humility.  They also understood the need to uphold freedom of speech, that there was a connection between freedom of speech and freedom of religion.  For to infringe on one right under the pretext of protecting another is a betrayal of both.”

As believers, we should hold him to these words, especially when it comes to the public expression of faith on public grounds.

Second, the President took the time to specifically mention three Christians who had either been persecuted or sacrificed for their faith: Kenneth Bae, Pastor Saeed Abedini, and Kent Brantly. And what’s more, he even quoted a portion of a letter from Pastor Abedini, still being held captive in Iran: “Nothing is more valuable to the Body of Christ than to see how the Lord is in control, and moves ahead of countries and leadership through united prayer.”

Third, President Obama quoted more from the Bible than any other religious text. For example, at the end of his speech in one paragraph he quoted from both 1 Corinthians 13:12 and Micah 6:8.

“If we are properly humble, if we drop to our knees on occasion, we will acknowledge that we never fully know God’s purpose.  We can never fully fathom His amazing grace.  “We see through a glass, darkly” — grappling with the expanse of His awesome love.  But even with our limits, we can heed that which is required:  To do justice, and love kindness, and walk humbly with our God.”

The fourth encouraging thing might be the most overlooked of all: despite everything else, the President of the United States of America is NOT an atheist. Hallelujah at least for that, right?

Conclusion

So, just to recap all I’ve said, I don’t think it was fair to compare the Christian church of today with the Crusades of 800 years ago, especially in the light of what Islam is doing at this moment. It was also irresponsible to morally equate the Crusades to the 15 centuries-worth of Muslim expansion by the sword. That being said, considering the audience and the context of the event, Obama’s speech wasn’t that bad – especially if you’re an ecumenical, pluralistic, main-stream liberal.

So, my fellow conservatives (of all types), quit making such a big deal about this one prayer breakfast…at least Obama went (which is a lot more than we can say for his church attendance). He even got to hear Darrell Waltrip (NASCAR legend) preach the Gospel.

There’s still hope.

*Catherine Soanes and Angus Stevenson, eds., Concise Oxford English Dictionary (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004).

 

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by | February 3, 2015 · 10:42 pm

It Won’t Be Funny When God Laughs

I had just gotten home from work and let our furry family members outside to relieve themselves, when I sat down on the couch in our living room and turned on the television (I knew the dogs would take a minute). So, since I had some time to spare, I did some quick channel surfing.

In the matter of only a few minutes I encountered enough blasphemy that, had it not been aimed at Christianity, but Islam, heads would be rolling in blood-soaked streets.

One show (“America’s Dumbest…”) featured a gay comedian sitting in a virtual church pew commenting on a stupid driver, saying, “In the name of the Father, the Son, and the holy sh**!” That one shocked me, even from cable television. I changed the channel in disgust.

The next program (“The Nightly Show,” one I’d never seen before) featured a pseudo-newscaster commenting on Jesus’ six pack, the one showing while on a crucifix. Then, showing a fat version of Jesus on the cross, the mocking fool insinuated that Christianity would have never taken off like it did had Jesus not been so fit. If that wasn’t enough, he gave a wink to “church ladies” and said something akin to, “You know what I’m talking about.” This was all done, I came to find out, in an effort to keep us from laughing at fat people. Yeah, right.

I highly doubt the above comedians will ever be kidnapped, tortured, beheaded, or burned alive in a cage. Neither will the producers, directors, writers, or advertisers suffer any ill effects; they’ll just get laughs. Unfortunately for them, they may get laughs from God, too.

“He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.” – Psalm 2:4 KJV

“The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.” – Psalm 37:13 KJV

Ironically, I could have let our puppies do their business in the living room – at least they don’t throw their crap at me and expect me to smile.

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by | December 26, 2014 · 5:38 pm

Getting Ready for Resolutions

Resolutions

We have all made them; we’ve all broken them. However, making a resolution is not a bad thing.

I will be sharing some thoughts about making resolutions in an upcoming post, but for now I want to briefly address one resolution I will not make a priority – having a large crowd at church.

Numbers

Numbers are not a bad thing, either – at least not always. But when it comes to growing a church for numbers’ sake, then numbers are a very bad thing.

I pastor a small church which could benefit from a few more in attendance (there’s nothing wrong with wanting to see a church congregation grow). But on the other hand, numbers don’t paint the whole picture (or is that painting by numbers doesn’t give you the best picture?). Actually, many times small numbers may reflect better than thousands on the roll. How is that possible?

In a commentary on Ezekiel 2:5 I found the following:

“Preachers ought not to look to, to reckon upon hearers, but to listen to the Lord alone.—To preach God’s word compensates even in the case of empty churches.—A full church, therefore, is not always a testimony for the preacher, 2 Tim. 4:3.”*

*John Peter Lange et al., A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Ezekiel (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2008), 65.

2 Timothy 4:3 says: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.”

So, a large church could be the result of listener-approved sensationalism and flimsy doctrine. Ever been to one of those, or watched one on television?

Resolution #1

bibleMy number one ministerial resolution (aside from those having to do with my personal walk with Christ and roles as husband and father) will be to “Preach the Word.”

Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. – 2 Timothy 4:2

The last thing I will resolve to do is grow an Oprah-sanctioned, ear-scratching, one-size-fits-all book club. I will preach from the Book, full church or not. That will be my “testimony.” That will be my resolution. Therefore I have “set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed (Isaiah 50:7).”

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by | November 8, 2014 · 10:55 am

Tennessee Taliban?

Yesterday, on Facebook, I read a post comparing conservatives in Tennessee to the Taliban. Yes, the Taliban.

Was it meant in jest? Was it simply sarcasm? Was it some form of sophisticated humor far above my intellectual capabilities? In any case, I did not find it humorous, but offensive. Let me quote to you what the author wrote, but just in case I’m missing something, I won’t name names – since the Taliban might get offended, and you know how that could go.

“Family Values is the Sharia Law of East Tennessee… [Rich and White] are the only two qualities required to hold office here in the Taliban region of East Tennessee.”

church ladyIt’s easy to come down hard on unloving, graceless, legalistic Christians (or at least those who claim to be) when they try to push their beliefs. I mean, if all you ever experience is the literal version of Dana Carvey‘s SNL character Church Lady, then that kind of self-righteous, churchy, hate mongering is easy to condemn.

But in reality, the ones my friend (yes, it’s a friend) were comparing to the Taliban are those who strongly believe abortion is wrong, that wine sales should be confined to the liquor store, and that one shouldn’t have to check his religion at the door when either voting or running for office. The Tennessee “church ladies” were even likened to Taliban because of their supposed hypocritical support for a less-than-godly candidate. But is the Taliban characterization fair? I don’t think so.

With the exception of the insane radical who has no clue what it means to follow Christ (yet claims to be a Christian), even the most conservative of conservatives, even the most severely Independent Fundamental Bapticostalite-type is nothing, NOTHING like the Taliban!

Give me a break!

For example, let’s compare reactions. Last week a Baptist church in my town was savagely vandalized. What did we do? We prayed that justice would be done, that the vandal would be caught, AND that our community could find a way to show him the love of Christ. What would the Taliban have done in the same situation? Well, as a clue, just last week a missionary friend informed us of a couple in his town that was burned alive after being accused of burning some pages from the Koran. The 26 year-old couple, parents of 4, were repeatedly thrown onto a fire as they pleaded their innocence. But hey, those Christians were taught a lesson, weren’t they?

Had the Christians in Lookout Valley, Tennessee, been the Taliban, we would have united after our morning prayers, then killed the teenager who destroyed the church. After that, like so often is the case with Muslim mobs, we would have looted, raped, and crucified anyone who looked like an atheist or liberal, then burned our own businesses – just to make a point.

But we didn’t, did we?

photo (32)

The Tennessee Taliban (illustrated by: A. Baker)

And what about that election? What about those dreadfully religious, abortion-regulating votes?

  • You mean those votes cast in a fair election after which no one was shot, beheaded, or blown up by a car bomb?
  • You mean the election to which women were allowed to drive themselves?
  • You mean that election we actually HAD?!

I guess the Tennessee Taliban never got the memo from headquarters. You know, the one that says, “Tyranny good…democracy bad.”

So, what’s my point? It does not further the quest for Christian unity and understanding when we intentionally use blatantly derogatory labels to demonize those with whom we disagree, especially when we agree on far more things than we don’t.

If my interpretation of the reason for using the “Taliban” term was flawed, then I sincerely apologize. I understand, as pointed out by my wife and children, I can blow things way out of context. But, if I was, as I suspect, lumped in with those who kill those with whom they find the least bit of variance, I’m hurt.

Labeling those who were only doing their civic duty, and had they lost would have only complained and whined, as the “Taliban” was an unfortunate use of words. But unlike the Taliban, we will forgive.

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by | October 22, 2014 · 1:46 pm

Kids Spitting and Truth Telling

The following is what I am planning to make the last entry of my new book. Tell me what you think.

“Unexpected Truth”

Every once in a while a bus driver, or anyone for that matter, may find himself saying, “I didn’t see that one coming!” In other words, every once in a while something happens; somebody says something that you would have never imagined. Let me tell you about one of those “once in a while’s.”

Spitting Accusations

Kids are always doing stuff to each other to be aggravating. You have probably witnessed children throwing spit wads, taking items out of another’s book bag, or hiding a child’s shoe right before her stop. No? Well what about spitting on each other?

Oh, yes, children are well-accustomed to spitting on each other, especially boys. Now, they never admit to doing it; they usually blame it on the one kid with no salivary glands. But there was this one time when a boy on my bus accused a girl of spitting on him when she actually didn’t. How do I know that she didn’t? She showed me proof!

So, “Jack” hollered from the back of the bus, “Mr. Baker! ‘Jill’ spit on me!” Before I could rationally respond, another voice came from the back, the voice of the accused, crying, “No I didn’t – he’s lying!” Since I was in the process of driving and there was no place to pull over and deal with the situation, all I could do at the moment was respond with a simple request: “STOP SPITTING!”

A moment passed, then Jill came up to the seat behind me (which is dangerous and against the rules, by the way). “Mr. Baker,” she said in a tone laced with disgust, “I did not spit on Jack; he spit on himself after he spit on the seat.”

“What?” I asked. “He’s spitting on the seat?! That’s gross!”  Incidentally, this is one of those times when I find it appropriate to ask: why do people of any age find enjoyment in recreational spitting? Why waist perfectly good saliva when there’s nothing necessarily nasty to expel from one’s mouth?

Anyway, a moment or two later, Jack came up to share his side of the story. “Mr. Baker, Jill did spit on me! See my shirt? See, this is her spit…she spit on me! See?”

I couldn’t argue with what I saw. There, as plain as the marks on a Dalmatian, were wet spots where something liquidy had collided with his shirt. Somebody had spit on him.

“Jill!” I yelled, “Why did you spit on Jack?” From the back of the bus came an insistent reply, “But I didn’t! He spit on himself just to get me in trouble!”

The Truth Comes Out

Where’s Solomon when you need him? Why can’t school buses be equipped with portable DNA equipment? How was I supposed to determine who spit on whom? How could I prove who needed to be punished with a stern warning and a verbal reprimand? The answer came in a way I never would have dreamed, but I will never forget.

“Mr. Baker…” Jill had made her way back up to the seat behind me, again while I was driving. “Jill, you need to sit down!” I told her.

“But Mr. Baker…” Let me just pause here to try to describe Jill’s way of saying my name. Jill spoke with a slightly non-emotional, matter-of-fact, drawn-out southern drawl. It sounded more like “Miiis-turr Buh-ayyy-kurr…”

“Mr. Baker, I didn’t spit on Jack; he spit on the seats and then on himself to make it look like I did it,” she said. “But I didn’t, and I can prove it.”

“Really,” I asked.

“Yessir,” Jill replied. “You see, Jack was eating green candy, and the spit on his shirt was green – mine is not…SEE!”

At that point, just around my right shoulder, came the arm of a little girl. Attached to that arm was a palm, and in that palm was half an ounce of spit – yes, spit! It looked like a blob of clear silicone!

“It wasn’t me that spit, ‘cause my spit is clear, seeeee Mr. Baker?”

I couldn’t argue with her. She proved her point. There was the proof puddled in the palm of her hand, clear as day. I nearly threw up.

Life Lesson

We may not like it, but sometimes the truth is hard to stomach – and nothing like what we expected.

The simple fact is that truth isn’t always pleasant; more often it is nasty. No woman wants to hear the truth when she asks, “Does this dress make me look fat?”  No man wants to hear the truth when he asks, “How did I do with the laundry?” But sometimes the truth has to be told to make a difference. Unfortunately, to play off the words of Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men, many can’t handle the truth.

For example, there is a saying that goes, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Do you know where that saying came from? It comes from Jesus. He said, “If you continue in my word, then you are my disciples indeed; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free” (John 8:31-32). The part that is hard for many to stomach is the part where He says, “If you continue in my word…” In other words, in order to know the truth that will set one free, one must be a follower of Jesus Christ.

Some say that truth is relative, that it changes with the circumstances of life. Others have said that there is no truth, only perception (Gustave Flaubert). However, without truth there can be no lie, no wrong, and no remedy for the spit on some kid’s shirt, not to mention the darkness in our hearts. But when we follow Jesus, we can rest assured there is Truth to know, for He said in John 14:6, “I am the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE…”

Route Suggestions

  • When faced with a tough situation, one that demands you make a wise decision, ask God for help. James 1:5 says, “If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God…”
  • Don’t ask someone to tell you the truth about how you look, how well you’re doing your job, etc., unless you’re willing to hear the truth.
  • Don’t “kill the messenger.” If someone does try to tell the truth, don’t get angry when they say the dress makes you look fat. Just get angry because they weren’t sensitive enough to change the subject.
  • Read the book of John in the Bible. Make a list of the claims that Jesus made. Was He telling the truth? For the atheist or agnostic, that may be a truth too hard to handle, but it can set you free.

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by | September 4, 2014 · 10:14 am

God is Good. Really. (My 600th Post!)

It is a simple song, but the words are hard for many to believe. As a matter of fact, many Christians find themselves doubting the truth of this little song, especially when things aren’t going their way. Are you one of them?

I was.

But God IS good! Despite problems, pain, suffering, disappointments, discouragements, hurt feelings, broken dreams, etc., He is good!

Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. – Psalms 106:1

I could have everything this world offers, but it can’t forgive my sin or give me eternal life. Yet God, because of His great mercy and grace, chooses to not only forgive me of all my sin, redeem me, and give me eternal life, but He is willing to call me His child! He doesn’t have to do this, but He wants to!

If that wasn’t enough, I was blessed to wake up this morning and see a sunrise with my own eyes. I was undeservedly blessed to wake up next to my loving wife, get up out of bed with the full use of all my faculties, and go to work (which is a blessing in and of itself). Even more, I was extravagantly blessed to have a biscuit and coffee for breakfast – the first of three meals in one day!

I don’t deserve any of the blessings I have been given. What I have been given does not mean that I am any more loved or favored than those who have little or nothing. All I know is that I should be thankful for what I have, even what I don’t have. And, no matter what we have or don’t have…because this life is not all that there is…because God gives us hope in His Son, Jesus…

God is GOOD! Really!

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by | August 13, 2014 · 6:00 am

Don’t Be Nice

I have an idea…

Let’s make the Enemy mad. Sound good? Now, keep in mind I said “good,” not “nice.”

Sometimes being too nice is not good.

Doing what is right and godly takes guts; always being nice is for cowards.

Being good may demand being bold and courageous; being nice may keep you huddled in a cave until the bad guys quit looking for you. I say, do what’s right, even when doing what’s wrong is easier. Do what’s holy, but do it in love.

Therefore, with your minds ready for action, be serious and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance. But as the One who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy. – 1 Peter 1:13-16 HCSB

You may make the Devil and his friends angry, but Jesus didn’t die to make us nice…just holy.

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