Just In Case You Are Having A Bad Day - It Could Be Worse!

HELL? Yes!

Hell has never been a popular topic. Some how we have difficulty reconciling a gracious God and eternal flames. Yet often the seriousness of a problem can be seen in the solution required to deal with the problem. If Hell was not a reality, the Cross would seem like over kill. Even if we believe in Hell, the majority of us don’t picture many people going their. No problem seeing Hitler in Hell. Sadam deserves it in my book, but where there is life there is hope even for him. The truants of history, those who slaughter the innocent, those that commit heinous crimes, yep Hell is the place for them. But Jesus taught that the road to Hell was a WIDE road and the NARROW road went to heaven, (Matt. 7:13-14). You see it is not the quantity of sin nor the quality of sin that causes us to deserve Hell, it is SIN, even one little one, (Rom. 3:10). Along with our disbelief of judgment for the masses has also come a tolerance of other religions that do not believe in Christ as the central and only hope for eternity. (John 14:6). "With increased religious diversity has come an increased emphasis on toleration. In a U.S. News & World Report/PBS poll, 71 percent, including 70 percent of Christians, said Christians should be tolerant of people of other faiths and leave them alone. Only 22 percent (24 percent of them Christians) thought it was a Christian's duty to convert people of other faiths." - (James P. Eckman, The Truth About Worldviews). Well that answers the question of why there is so little being done in the area of Evangelism. I know my tribe spent way to much time in years past trying to "scare" people into the baptistery. My concern is that the backlash to that over emphasis will be a denial of the reality that each person will face at their death. If Hell is not a reality for the lost, then there is no urgency to our message. "The thing that really kills our outreach is our lack of real conviction that when someone steps into eternity, he either goes to Heaven or Hell." -( Quoted by Anne Graham Lotz in the March/April edition of Outreach magazine.) If we continue down this road of walking on egg shells about the lostness of our world our appeal for Christians to be evangelistic might sound something like this, "Let’s pretend that you are someone who might be willing, in theory, at some point, possibly, to consider maybe doing something that, while not "evangelism"-type evangelism, still could be in some way construed as a sort of sharing of hope. Kind of. (Taken from "A Shy Person’s Guide to the Practice of Evangelism" by Steven C. Bonsey. ) Soon the great commission will simply become the great suggestion. OK that is the problem, how about a little hope? Lets try this. As you go through your daily walk with the Father look into the eyes of each person you encounter and see them as He does. If you see evidence that He might be working in a persons life, join Him. Let Him use you! See a need, fill it. Hear a question, do your best to answer it honestly and not like a Bible Scholar. Someone hurting, offer to pray for then right then and there. Listen and listen and listen. Nobody listens today, be a listener. Touch if it is appropriate. Just a light touch to a shoulder a hand can mean so much. This evangelism thing is not nearly as difficult as we have often made it out to be. Most of the time it is just being or making a friend and then watching for God to open a heart for Him to enter.

Putting The "GO" back in the Gospel

"I simply argue that the Cross be raised again at the center of the market place as well as on the steeple of the church. I am recovering the claim that Jesus was not crucified in a Cathedral between two candles, but on a Cross between two thieves; on the town garbage heap; on a crossroads so cosmopolitan that they had to write his title in Hebrew and in Latin and in Greek; at the kind of place where cynics talk smut and thieves curse, and soldiers gamble. Because that is where he died and that is what he died about. And that is where churchmen should be and what churchmen should be about" Scottish theologian George McLeod (1895–1991) Some way and some how, preaching and preachers have to get out of the pulpit. In the same way, those filling pews must rise from their isolation. The power of the ministry of Jesus was His contact with the people He was seeking to touch with His message. I am not going to bash the "seeker" services that are very popular today. I think they have a place in the over all scheme of things. I am not going to bash the time preachers spend in sermon and lesson preparation, it is valuable and needed. I know we live in a busy world and our kids are involved in all sort of activities. But if we are ever to reach the lost in today's world, we are going to have to take the gospel back to the streets, back to where the lost live. Our "come and get it" approach to teaching and preaching today is falling far short of our mission. In a couple weeks we will again be reminded of His death, burial and resurrection in special ways as Easter approaches. There will be dramas that will explore the Passion and stories related to it. We will be reminded again of the awful cost of our salvation. People will show up for that special Sunday that will not be seen again at least until Christmas, but more than likely next Easter. The vast majority of our neighbors will not do anything differently. It will be just another Sunday to them. If they ever come to know Him, we are going to have to take the message to them, they are not coming to us. Oh, we will tell the story to a few who show up once a year, but the vast majority of the lost will stay that way unless we start doing something differently. In the weeks ahead as you hide your eggs, eat loads of those chocolate bunnies and tell stories of the Easter Bunny to all those little ones, don’t forget WHY He came, and WHY He died, and Why He Rose Again.

Kennedy Space Center Eagles

KSC has quite a few pairs of nesting Bald Eagles. The most famous is a pair that return every year to nest in a pine tree just off Kennedy Parkway North (SR3) about halfway between the VAB and Kennedy Parkway West (SR 405).Every year our photography contractor is employed to mount cameras in the tree before their arrival to try and film them raising their eaglets. Some of the cameras are motion activated and others are remotely activated by personnel usually sitting in a van hundreds of yards away. These are some of their most recent photographs.

Love At Work - Madison Youth In New Orleans

My four boys and I just returned from our spring break. We were looking for something different we could do since their dad was unable to take the time off from work and that opportunity was presented to us a few weeks ago. We spent the last 6 days with The Hilltop Rescue Mission, mucking out houses in the St. Bernard Parrish of Louisiana. The Parrish sits beside Lake Pontchartrain and was one of the areas devastated when the levees broke. FEMA has had 8500 volunteers succeed in mucking out 200 homes. Hilltop Rescue has had 2500 volunteers and has succeeded in mucking out 1800 homes. The St. Bernard Parrish alone had 36,000 homes affected by the flood waters. The need is desperate. So many look at the inefficiency of FEMA and begin to rant as rave and to who is to blame for the lack of progress in these areas. It is not the fault of this president or the one before but of a system that we as Americans have asked for as we looked to the state and federal government to meet our needs. Needs that if not met to the fullest extent of our expectations and our twisted idea of our rights and what is fair cause us to run the courts for just compensation. A system that is forced to cross every ‘t’ and dot every ‘i’ a thousand times before moving forward. Progress is made at a snails pace if progress is made at all. This was a fact that hit me between the eyes while our group worked on Mrs. Gloria’s home in New Orleans. Mrs. Gloria, a widow, is 75 years old. Her only daughter lives in China her only son is still debilitated from cancer and under a doctor’s order not to enter the home. Mucking out her home was such an honor. We were able to find many treasures she thought lost forever including her china covered in mud but unbroken and were able to give her some closer to the home she has lived in for over 30 years. She is unable to enter the home without the aid of a walker. A couch blocked the front entrance and a dryer blocked the back door. The refrigerator had tipped over and lay on its side blocking the entrance to the kitchen. The back yard was blocked with two trees that were uprooted during the flood so the home had remained as it was after the flood until we went in on Monday morning. Mucking a house requires emptying out the contents. Everything must go. Every article no matter how bad the smell! The refrigerators often overturned are the worse. The contents, long spoiled and mixed with the water from the flood, seep through the seal of the door with every movement the appliance makes as it is up-righted and wheeled out of the home. Once the contents of the home are removed the building materials are removed as well. Sheet rock, flooring, cabinets, sinks, and toilets, everything down to the wall studs. The process of mucking out a home can take a day or two but in the case of Mrs. Gloria’s home we spent four days working on the full process due to the two massive trees that had fallen in the back yard. During the entire process our group was watched and photographed by FEMA security guards that sat directly across the street from the property. It was frustrating I believe, even to them, that their hands were tied in so many ways. Nothing could be done without the proper paperwork. Bathroom facilities are a precious commodity in any of these areas and even a simple request for our group to use of their bathrooms was denied because we had to have proper authorization from the proper channels before we could set foot on FEMA controlled property. A clear and simple example of why we are witnessing such a vivid lack of inefficiency in New Orleans. FEMA is the product of a government system we created. Its inefficiency did not happen overnight but over much time. We can not fix this problem today or tomorrow it will take time. Nothing will recover the wasted money or resources poured into the areas along the gulf coast that have been so terribly devastated. Now is not the time to debate the cause or affix blame. It is the time to find the time to get the job done. We freely open up our check books when what they really need is for us to roll up our sleeves. Remember the numbers and who is getting the job done – FEMA has used 8500 volunteers to muck out 200 homes – Hilltop rescue has used 2500 volunteer to muck out 1800 homes – in the St. Bernard Parrish alone 36,000 homes were wiped out by flood waters. Hilltop Rescue needs you to volunteer your time. They provide food and lodging. All you need to do is sign up, up date your tetanus shot and bring a good pair of steel shanked mud boots. It is the easiest thing and the hardest thing you will ever do. Not every home owner is as gracious and appreciative as Mrs. Gloria but all are in need. Help the Gulf Coast find a way to move on to what ever lies ahead. So many questions remain as to the future of the communities wiped out by the flood waters but at the very least help these families find some fragment of hope, closure or whatever they need to find the peace that left them as the flood waters swept through their lives. Hilltop Rescue has a website that can tell you more _www.hilltoprescue.org_ (http://www.hilltoprescue.org/) - our groups activities and the activities of the group that relieved us and are currently in the area can be viewed at _www.madisonstudentministry.com_ (http://www.madisonstudentministry.com/) scroll down the page for daily blogs from week one and two of the Louisiana trip. Picture links are included. Don’t miss the photographs from our last day of week one. We toured the area along the levy where the first breaks occurred. We had heard of a shrimp boat in a subdivision but didn’t really believe it until we saw it for ourselves. Sincerely, LaVern Vivio U-Turn LaVern Clear Channel Nashville, Tn

Mixed Thoughts

Our hearts go out to the Winkler family in the death of Matthew. I, along with you, keep asking the question, Why? We may never know. Matthew's grandfather, Wendell Winkler passed away back in October ending a long battle with cancer. Dan Winkler, Matthew's father, and his family are now dealing with death from a different perspective. I will never forget the words of my grand father at the death of one of his son-in-laws, " Parents should not have to bury their children." Grief has now touch this family from two directions. One expected, the other not even imaginable.

Of course the children have lost the most of all. "Father, hold these little ones so very close in the days ahead. Be to them the father they lost and the mother they need, but can not have."

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I found another blog worth taking a look at. Greg Stevenson is now bloging. I don't know Greg but especially appreciated his post of March 24th. Take a look!

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I have been invited back to Touchstone Fellowship to preach again on April 2nd. I am really looking forward to worshipping with these folks again.

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Here is a great article in the area of outreach. Check out the link to Lion's Voice while you are their.

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"Before we can begin to see the cross as something done for us, we have to see it as something done by us." - John Stott

QUESTION FOR THOUGHT

What "Word" pictures did Jesus use to describe what being His disciple would be like?

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE

The wife heard her husband come back into the house not too long after he had left. She said, "Hon, I thought you were going to your lodge meeting." "It was postponed." he replied. "The wife of the Grand Exalted Invincible Supreme Potentate wouldn't let him attend tonight."

Don't Homosexuals Need To Become Heterosexuals?

"Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God." I Cor. 6:9-11 NASB Every time I read these verses I am amazed at the backgrounds of those who were Christians in Corinth. I am sure they were not the only congregation with this mix. Of this list of sins and sinners the one we seem to have the greatest difficulty dealing with today is the sin of homosexuality. Yes it is a sin regardless of how much the world tries to convince us otherwise. I think that maybe the reason this sin is so difficult for us is we have a flawed definition of what repentance is with reference to this sin. The following article is so helpful in understanding what repentance actually is when we speak of homosexuality. "Tim Wilkins was once involved in a homosexual lifestyle. Today he is a Christian and has a ministry (Cross Ministry) to persons struggling with homosexuality. In his most recent newsletter, he writes: "Society in general and churches in particular mistakenly believe freedom from homosexuality is marrying, having 2.3 children and a dog in the back yard. A 2001 secular study on the possibility of change shows the depth of this ingrained 'doctrine'. Dr. Robert Spitzer, a Columbia University professor, interviewed men and women who said they used to be homosexual; I was one of many he questioned. As beneficial as his study was and as much as I appreciate the visibility it gave to change, his study measured heterosexual function of the former homosexual -- again missing the real issue. "But" you ask, "don't homosexuals need to become heterosexuals?" No! Scripture never states nor implies all people must be heterosexual; it does say explicitly, however, that we are to avoid all forms of sexual immorality, which includes homosexuality. With that in mind have we not at times given the impression that homosexuals must "convert" to heterosexuality? Jesus did not say "Go and make heterosexuals"; He said, "Go and make disciples." "But" you ask, "isn't heterosexuality the opposite of homosexuality?" No! The opposite of homosexuality is holiness! The term "former homosexual" is inadequate if not inappropriate. We mistakenly think a person who has found freedom from same-sex attractions is now heterosexual. The former homosexual man or woman may now experience heterosexual feelings, but heterosexuality should never be his or the churches' goal. Heterosexuality is in many cases, but not all, a byproduct of the homosexual's dealing with the primary issues -- a distorted self-image and faulty thinking -- both of which Satan uses to "gain control." The church will do well to remember that singleness is not a sin, immorality is. What all this means is that most of churches' advice to the homosexual misses the mark entirely!"

Barb and I worshipped with "Touchstone Fellowship" in Lebanon, Tennessee yesterday. This a congregation that began in April of 2003. Most of the group was part of a larger group of members of the C of C in this city that discontinued their contemporary worship service when they moved into a new larger building. Many of these folks felt abandoned and began the only contemporary fellowship of our tribe in Wilson County. There were somewhere between 60 or 70 gathered for worship. Touchstone is looking for a new part-time pulpit minister and I was their to preach or try out, as we call it I hate that term, but I am not sure I know a better description for the process. They are a great group of Christians. They are a bit "older" in general than you might expect a new contemporary group to be. They have a very enthusiastic Youth Group. One young man spoke at communion and I have seldom heard a more spiritual heart felt talk. Discussions in the Bible Class that followed were based on Rick Warren’s book, "The Purpose Driven Life". From the comments made you could tell that this is a group of God’s people that are seeking His image and likeness, and that was so encouraging. This visit with Touchstone just confirms what I have felt for a number of years. Our tribe is going through a sometimes wonderful, and often difficult period of change. At Madison, where we presently worship, that change took place from within, and I might say at a large cost, but a necessary one. At Touchstone, the change took place with a totally new beginning. Don’t ask me which way I think is best, I don’t believe there is a best way. But change must take place or death with be the result. This whole process can been seen in the natural world when that little worm in the cocoon realizes that it is time to move out and up. What was a comfortable abode for a period of time will become a place of death if that metamorphosis doesn’t take place. Life and death are at stake. New life awaits on the other side of the struggle. Wings and freedom are the prize. Anytime we are confined by man made traditions or dogma, our future is bleak. It is TRUTH and TRUTH ALONE that gives freedom. My lesson at Touchstone was based upon the statement of Zechariah to Zerubbabel and the remnant that had return from captivity to rebuild the Temple. "Not by might nor by power, but by my spirit says the Lord of hosts." Zech 4:6. If you are a part of my tribe and in the middle of this struggle, let me assure you that God is at work. And as David told Goliath, "The battle belong to the Lord." I Sam. 17:45-47. This struggle is a matter of spiritual life and death, not only ours, but a world of lost people that live around us. Let me leave you with this thought from my lesson yesterday. "Possibilities are not about God’s ability, but our ability to believe in Him more than our doubts and fears". "Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly, beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." Eph. 3:20,21.

"Elluding God"

In 1981, a Minnesota radio station reported a story about a stolen car in California. Police were staging an intense search for the vehicle and the driver, even to the point of placing announcements on local radio stations to contact the thief. On the front seat of the stolen car sat a box of crackers that, unknown to the thief, were laced with poison. The car owner had intended to use the crackers as rat bait. The police and the owner of the VW Bug were more interested in apprehending the thief to save his life than to recover the car. So often when we run from God, we feel it is to escape his punishment. But what we are actually doing is eluding his rescue.

The Value Of Pain

Tony Dungy is the head coach of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. Many were expecting his team to be competing in Super Bowl XL, but it wasn't to be. He did, however, speak at the Athletes in Action breakfast on Saturday before the game. After receiving a lengthy standing ovation and paying tribute to Curtis Martin for winning the Athletes in Action Bart Starr Award, Dungy told the hundreds of attendees that he wanted to talk about lessons he had learned from his three sons. Reporters say the room fell silent except for the coach's voice. He spoke first of his middle son, Eric, and his competitive nature that is so focused on athletics that "it's almost a problem." Then he turned to his youngest son, Jordan, whose rare congenital condition makes him insensitive to pain." That sounds like it's good at the beginning, but I promise you it's not," said Coach Dungy. "We've learned some hurts are really necessary for kids. Pain is necessary for kids to find out the difference between what's good and what's harmful." He explained in terms of Jordan's love for his mother's cookies." Cookies are good," the coach continued, "but – in Jordan's mind – if they're good out on the plate, they're even better in the oven. He will go right in the oven when my wife's not looking, reach in, take the rack out, take the pan out, burn his hands – then eat the cookies and burn his tongue and never feel it." With no fear borne of pain, Jordan must be watched constantly. And the lesson from that, Dungy said, is pretty simple. "You get the question all the time, ‘Why does the Lord allow pain in your life? Why do bad things happen to good people? If there is a God of love, why does he allow these hurtful things to happen?' We've learned that a lot of times because of that pain, that little temporary pain, you learn what's harmful. You learn to fear the right things." Pain sometimes lets us know we have a condition that needs to be healed. Pain inside sometimes lets us know that spiritually we're not quite right, and we need to be healed. And that God will send that healing agent right to the spot. Sometimes pain is the only way that will turn us as kids back to the Father." Only then did Coach Dungy speak of his oldest son, James, who took his life three days before Christmas. Of his family's pain. Of lessons they learned. Coach Dungy reminds us all that the only way to overcome heartache and death, discouragement and anguish is to let them turn us back to the Father. When that happens, we have discovered the ultimate value our pain can have.

We Will Miss You Big Boy!

Barb and I lost one of our best friends today. Not the two legged, but the four legged variety. Apollo was a loyal, devoted protector of our family for almost eleven years. Back in the early 90’s Barb and I breed Cane’ Corso Mastiffs. You don’t hear much about the breed because they are not recognized by the AKC or the CCC, but are a rare breed from Italy. Apollo was our personal family dog. He was especially close to Barb. If anyone visited us and Apollo was out of his pen, he would always position himself between our visitors and Barb. He was not aggressive, but very cautious until he was sure the person could be trusted. Apollo’s last days were difficult. His hips were gone and he could hardly get up and down. I knew in my heart of hearts that the best thing for him would be to put him down, but I just could not bring myself to do it. So I am thankful that he passed without a lot of struggle this morning. So we are left with a lot of great memories of his unconditional love and devotion. We will miss you big boy! We will miss you allot.

QUIET THE STONE CONCERT - EXCELLENT!

ACAPPELLA really rocked the house last night. What a special group of young men devoted to the Lord. Durant, a new group also developed by Keith Lancaster, open the program. This is a new group of young people made up mainly of Madison members. They are also so very talented. Our own U-Turn Lavern of WLAC 1510 along with Cory Fleming of the Nashville Kats Arena Football team, and member of the Laverne Church of Christ, hosted last nights program. What a pair! The highlight of the night, as least for me, was when Keith Lancaster was introduced and sang two songs with his group. Boy, did that ever bring back memories. Keith began Acappella back in 1982, and they have gone on to become a leader in the acappella field of music. Barbara Mandrell used to sing a song, "I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool". Well Keith was Acappella when acappella wasn’t cool. We are so blessed at Madison to have Keith as our Worship minister, but last nights performance raised the house! If Acappella comes your way, go see them. You will be blessed. If you would like more information on Acappella and their future concert dates and available music check out their site.

Questions To Ponder

Don't you just love southern English. Ponder is a great southern word. The more up-pidy would spend their time in meditation. I'll stick with my pondering. So here are two question to ponder. Feel free to comment if you like, but most importantly - ponder, or meditate if you must. What are you seeking to do in your life that without God will be impossible? The second is similar, what is your church seeking to do that without God will be impossible?

Ponder This One

"To borrow a simile from Ludwig Wittgenstein, trying to engage the world without a mind shaped to engage the world is like buying several copies of the same newspaper in order to check whether what the paper said is true." - James Emory White, Serious Times You know, some quotes don't need further commentary, just a time to ponder them and let the truth sink in.

It Is Not About The End Of The World

In a recent post entitled, "The Great Reign Robbery", I touched on the problem of seeing the Kingdom of God as a future event and not a present day reality. I want to continue that thought a little more. The Kingdom of God is not about waiting for the end of the world. As I stated in the above mentioned article, I believe that the Kingdom of God is a present reality. Jesus sits on the throne TODAY AND FOREVER! If you and I belong to Him then our lives should give testimony that we are children of royalty. We are not paupers, begging for a handout from the world. We can and should live with the authority of Jesus. Our confidence and assurance should cause us to look at our world with hope. We are here as God’s ambassadors of hope and grace! The letters of the New Testament are filled with exhortations of how we are to live in a depraved world. While our world today has it challenges, it is no where close to the New Testament world’s depravity. Jesus and the Apostles constantly speak of our high and lofty position in Christ. They challenge us to be a positive influence on the people we touch and rub shoulders with. We are a bright shining city on a hill. We are to be "Salty", we are to be "Light" to break up the darkness. We are to be "ready" to tell the hopeless why we are hopeful. It is not about some coming earthly kingdom, it is about the Kingdom we Reign in NOW! There are a whole host of people out there banking on a second chance when the only chance is in the hear and now. What may be almost as sad is that there are a host of Christians that have all but thrown in the towel and believe that a "soon coming Lord" will straighten it all out, and they bide their time waiting for the Lord to return. Their prayers are, "Lord come quickly?" and not "Lord Send Me." "Father forgive our inability to see our position in Christ. Forgive us for not acting like your children. Forgive us for hoarding the grace you have bathed us in. Help us Lord to live like the King’s kids we are."

Learning To Laugh

The following is by Landon Saunders. A critical part of winning is learning to laugh. It takes a long time to learn to laugh – some people say it can take as long as forty years. I know I've laughed a lot more since I've turned forty! I've read that, in some Zen monasteries, the novices are trained in laughing. When they first get out of bed in the morning, they have to stand up immediately, get in this clownish stance, and then laugh as loud and as hard as they can laugh – at themselves. As I read that, I thought, "I don't think I've ever done that." As I thought about it, I couldn't remember whether I had ever laughed immediately upon awakening. I thought, "I'll try it. "Well, the first morning, I forgot! But the next morning I remembered it. And as soon as I woke up, I got up, got into the most ridiculous position possible, and laughed -just as loud and as deep as I could. It felt a little awkward and strange, but it sure woke me up. Afterwards, I walked lightly across the room; I felt lighter all day. Do you ever imagine Jesus and the apostles sitting under an olive tree just busting a gut laughing? Sam started laughing during his prayer once and I stopped and laughed with him. I told him that God just had to be funny because we are made in His image and what is it that we want to do or make someone else do..laugh!I wish you all laughter today. Just start laughing at the oddest places and see what people do

Change

For as long as I can remember my tribe has pretty much functioned in isolation from the rest of the religious world. They did their thing and we did ours. Over the last ten or fifteen years that has been changing and I believe it is a positive change. This direction has not been accepted by the majority, but a few brave souls have realized that if we don’t continue to grow in our understanding and outreach, we are going to die, and rightly so. There are some things that should never change. Those eternal truths from the Father "once for all delivered" to us should never change, but our application to an ever changing culture will, or we will not relate. The Gospel is ever new wine. Holding on to old wineskins is sure to bring disaster and ineffective outreach. We are finally realizing that the mentality that we "arrived" during our heyday back in the 50’s and 60’s was flawed. We who argued then for others to be open minded enough to see the truth, have finally realized that that challenge applied to us as well. Restoration will be our challenge for as long as the world stands. It is strange that we who said that the Reformation movement stop short of its goals, were apart of a Restoration movement that did the very same thing. I listened to a old tape by Rubel Shelly the other day, and he told a story that Tom Warren had shared with him about how isolated we had become. The story went something like this. There is a huge stadium where thousands have gathered to watch the Super Bowl. Cheers, shouts and excitement fill the stadium. At the same time near there is a small back yard ball field with a few people playing nerf football. This small group played as if they were the only game in town, as they ignored what was happening in the stadium. That story is so sad, but so true. That was pretty much a picture of my tribe in that back yard field for so many years. And tragically, there are still many continuing that mind set, but things are changing. There is a fresh wind blowing. More and more I see the shackles falling off. Change will not come without causalities, freedom isn’t free. "Father may we always lean on you and your word. Change us Father and make us like Jesus."

Church Cancels Building Campaign To Focus On Building Men

If you have been reading this blog for very long you know I don’t get excited when the conversation turns to brick and mortal. Church buildings, IMHO, have contributed significantly to our lack of evangelistic emphasis, and caused us to loose our focus on what the church should be about. So, to say the least, when I saw an article about a group that had put a building program on hold, and decided that the greatest need was to build people, I got excited. Here is the story if you would like to take a look. I think that one of the reasons people get excited about buildings is that they become some kind of a monument to our accomplishments. I wish they were built just to function as meeting houses, but we don’t seem to be able just to focus on functionality, it has to be some type of architectural dream. I have been a Christian for forty years and raised in the church before that. In all that time I have seen only one or two cases where large sums of money were raised for missions, that were similar in amounts you hear being poured into church buildings. Now I don’t want to get on a soap box, but does it seem strange to you that we so easily give millions for buildings and hundreds, and sometimes maybe thousands to missions? I am not a doom and gloom sort of guy, but I believe that the Lord will have a lot to say about this disproportionate picture one of these days. Brownsville Community Fellowship Church, knew that building a great church starts first with building up people. If we build them with the focus of Jesus, I believe that they will take His mission to heart, and this imbalance will corrected.

Precious Blood

I am told that there were 1246 animal sacrifices per year in the Old Testament, year after year, after year. This would not count the individual sacrifices for each individual person or family. When Solomon dedicated the Temple there were 22,000 Oxen and 120,000 Sheep slaughtered and offered in sacrifice to God. Old Testament worship was bloody! The Hebrew writer tells us that all of this blood was just a shadow, not the form. He tells us that these sacrifices could not cleans the conscience, they were but a reminder. He then tells us that it was impossible for all of this blood to take away the sin. (Heb. 10:1-4) Two lessons came to mind as I reflected on these verse for a while. First, they give definition to Peter’s statement about the blood of Christ when he calls it "precious" blood. The blood-letting stops at Calvary. "For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified" Heb. 10:14 NASB. Second, God is not in the "remembering sin" business, so why should we be? How many are walking around totally burdened down with their past. Sins and actions that were forgiven years ago, can still entangle us, and cause us to forget who we are in Christ. "And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more. Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin." Heb. 10:17,18 NASB). Thank you Father for your wonderful grace. Help us to believe it is really as good as You say it is.

NOT SO GOOD NEWS...

The following is from the Whittenburg Door Insider. DNA Tests Contradict Mormon's Explanation of "Diversity" Bill Lobdell of The Los Angeles Times reports a seismic event in the lives of millions of Native Americans who have been told by the Mormon church they're "descended from a lost tribe of Israel that reached the New World more than 2,000 years ago" and that by joining the Mormons they could become "white." Modern DNA evidence reveals that their ancestors came from Asia, not the Middle East. For Mormons, this is no minor collision between faith and science. According to Lobdell: "It rattles the very foundations of the 'Book of Mormon,' a 175-year-old transcription that the church regards as literal and without error. According to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, an angel named Moroni led Joseph Smith in 1827 to a divine set of golden plates buried in a hillside near his New York home. "God provided the 22-year-old Smith with a pair of glasses and seer stones that allowed him to translate the 'Reformed Egyptian' writings on the golden plates into the 'Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.' "The book's narrative focuses on a tribe of Jews who sailed from Jerusalem to the New World in 600 BC and split into two main warring factions. "The God-fearing Nephites were 'pure' (the word was officially changed from 'white' in 1981) and 'delightsome.' The idol-worshiping Lamanites received the 'curse of blackness,' turning their skin! dark. "According to the Book of Mormon, by 385 AD the dark-skinned Lamanites had wiped out other Hebrews. The Mormon Church called the victors 'the principal ancestors of the American Indians.' If the Lamanites returned to the church, their skin could once again become white. "The problem is that Mormon leaders cannot acknowledge any factual errors in the Book of Mormon because the prophet Joseph Smith proclaimed it the 'most correct of any book on Earth'..." And we thought Scientology was weird. You can read more of this fascinating stuff right here.