Back online today.

Well, I'm back online today. So I've got a few things to post for later and also some comments to respond to as well. I'm having little time to spend for posting as I'm in the process of candidating for my next place of service. I've been spending more time in prayer and thought as I talk to pastors, pulpit committees, etc. and see what God would have for me. This has proven to be a good challenge to my faith and trust in God. It's a test that I am struggling with. God has seemingly closed many doors for us, but we know that somehow He will provide us with just the right place of service.

What I cannot understand is God's timing. You'd think that when He lays something on your heart in a reasonable amount of time, you accomplish or fulfill that something, but instead, it takes some serious amount of time. During this time, it's a roller coaster ride. But this I know, that when I have found that place, I'll be able to look back and see the hand of God in my life and it is something that I long for. It's then I know that He had it planned all along and that He accomplished much in my life as I waited on Him.

If you are in that waiting time, hold fast to the faith and continue to trust God. His plan is in motion and it will be fulfilled in His time and keep in mind, it's all for our own benefit!

Prayers for the students, faculty, and their families at Virginia Tech

Days like today are ones we all wish never happened. The vicious taking of lives of those Virginia Tech students is hard and difficult to comprehend. People's lives have been changed forever and will not ever be the same. I do hope that you have taken the time to pray for those affected by this tragedy and if you are a pastor or a church member in that area, I pray that you find a way to reach those young college students that have so many questions about this awful event in their lives. We as Christians have an awesome responsibility to help and serve those around us to weep with those who weep, to lift up the fallen, to encourage the weary. May the Lord find us faithful in doing exactly that.

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer, to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear."

1 Peter 3:15

Weekend Thought: When is it too much?

Starting a church can be a difficult task. You hand and mail out fliers. You may make phone calls to invite folks to your new church, but all in all, the amount of folks coming to your newly started church will vary. It could be several families in one weekend, it could be two families in three months. Such a task can be disappointing and difficult at times . For that matter, growing an established church can be a difficult task as well. Some churches try to reinvent themselves; others might operate with the mindset of give-them-what-they-want. It seems to be the trend of churches today that are struggling to bring in new visitors to change their music to more upbeat and contemporary music, to replace all or a portion of their preaching worship services to entertaining dramas and Power Point presentations with movies clips, or to loosen their conservative standards to a come-as-you-are standard. The question is should the church accept this as a nature course of change. I would argue not.

A perfect example of this so called "modernistic church" is seen in the flyer I received today in the mail. As a matter of fact you probably already looked at the picture of it with this post. This particular church promotes a new message series entitled "I love the 80s." The "messages" are entitled "Back to the Future", "Different Strokes", "The A Team", and "The Facts of Life". Some of the things you can expect at this church are "a casual, comfortable atmosphere; a practical, creative message; fun and safe kids ministry; donuts and coffee; and quality nursery." Now some of those things mentioned are good, but why the emphasis on a "casual comfortable atmosphere" or the need to mention "donuts and coffee"? It doesn't seem that the preaching of the Word of God is point worthy for this church.

What is the purpose of church? From my studies and from my own understanding, we go to church to worship God. No where on this flyer did it mentioned the worshiping of God. Truthfully, I find this kind of promotion worldly and only focused on "bringing them in". We live in an entertainment age, where people demand to be entertained. People are even desiring entertainment in the church and some churches are quite happy to give them what they want.

When churches do that, it doesn't breed "quality" Christians. It breeds lukewarm Christians (Revelation 3:14-22) who distort the real thing for something far less in quality. It's more appealing because one doesn't have to be totally committed. They can still have their worldly fun and be a Christian. Jesus warned that you cannot serve two masters and I think we have a lot of Christians trying to do that today.

We do not find in the Bible the early church fathers using entertainment to advanced the Word of God. We find the focus of their ministry the preaching of the Word of God. (1 Corinthians 2:1-5) As it ought to be in our ministries.

I'm not saying that technology is anathema in our churches, but it should never take the place over the preaching of the Word of God. If we have to advertise coffee and donuts to bring them in, our ministries have a problem. We are not to cater to the worldly; nor are we to come down to the muck and mire they live in. We are to lift them up out of that muck and mire and into the fold of God. To show them a different lifestyle, one that changes people, not one that allows them to have it both ways.

You might not agree with me and I understand some people will not. It is my belief that many churches have chosen to mix themselves with the world to gain numbers in the church and that the cause of Christ, the spreading of the Gospel, has been hurt by this. While the Great Commission states that we are to go until all the nations, we are also suppose to teach them the whole counsel of God.

"¹ This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. ² For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, ³ Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, ⁴ Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; ⁵ Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. ⁶ For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, ⁷ Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. ⁸ Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. ⁹ But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.

¹⁰ But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, ¹¹ Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. ¹² Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. ¹³ But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. ¹⁴ But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; ¹⁵ And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶ All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: ¹⁷ That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works."

2 Timothy 3:1-17

Sermon Highlight: Why Won't They Listen? Reaching A Lost Culture

It can be a very difficult task in ministry: reaching the lost with the Gospel of Christ. If the truth be told, we can get discouraged when our pews or Sunday School classes don't grow. Ken Ham, Answers in Genesis Founder, has a message entitled "Why Won't They Listen? Reaching A Lost Culture". I think this message will be a help to you and especially for those of you struggling to reach that lost culture.

I plan on mentioning a sermon once a week that would encourage or challenge all of us. I will be listening to this messages and then recommending them to you. I do not plan on having several out in a week, rather just mentioning one a week. The reason is I know many of you are busy with your ministry, so it would not be a help to you at all recommend several messages a week. Sometimes they will be in the audio format and other times they may be in a written format. I truly hope that these messages will be a help for you.

Weekend Thought: Are you spending too much time in your "Second Life"?

It is quite common for people to want to escape the life that they are living and sadly, many people find their escape in drugs, alcohol, television, music, etc. They are not happy with themselves physically or socially. I've seen this quite often among the teenagers I have encountered as a youth pastor. Some I have been able to help and others I haven't.
Recently, I learned about an online service called Second Life. Second Life is exactly what its name implies. You have the opportunity to create a online "Second Life". You can choose your looks, personality, and much more. There are ways to earn materials and wealth in this "game" and one could easily find themselves draw in by the ideal of a better life. I've read reports of many people spending unreal amounts of time playing Second Life. While I'm sure its designers would say their intentions of this service is meant to be fun, some people have taken this service to the extreme and have made Second Life a huge part of their real life.
The dedication of Second Lifers amazes me. Grant it, I believe a lot of us would love from time to time to escape from our problems and our troubles. Yet when we, as Christians, think this, I believe we have forgotten our real purpose. Our time on Earth is our "Second Life". We are pilgrims in this world, strangers passing through. Eternity ought to be on our minds and not the draw of our "Second Life". I'd be the first one to tell you it's not easy to live life that way. I'd be a fool to say I've got it mastered or it's not a problem for me. It is a struggle and I believe it's one we all will face from time to time.
Yet, what will you do? As servants of the Lord, we are to do our part for the Kingdom of Heaven. We've chosen a road that many do not take. "Many are called, but few are chosen." Am I do what I ought to be doing? Are you?
Blogging is a lot of fun, but if I allow my blogging or anything else take away from that work, I'm spending too much time in my "Second Life". If we together as Christians spend too much time in our "Second Lives", the cause of Christ will suffer. So take some time tonight, tomorrow, or whenever you can, examine your labor and see where you have put in the most effort and time. If your heavy ended on your "Second Life" then it's time to make a few changes.

God bless you and your ministry. I trust that you will continue to stay by the stuff!

Trim the wasted and unprofitable minutes of your life

I cannot tell you how many hours I have lost to aimlessly surfing the web. I click this link and then follow that link and pretty soon I've racked up a bunch of minutes that I wasted. I really don't want to continue to work or surf that way. Being online should be a tool and not a waste of my time. There are many other areas of our lives that we might find ourselves wasting minutes here and there. So here is some very useful tips to help you be more productive. Believe it or not, many people have this problem, but it can be overcome. Read these great tips and more from an article called "How to be more productive" from Wired.

"Tidy Up Your Desk ...

1) Stack the knickknacks and pile up the papers until you actually see your desk's top.

2) Line up books and binders to establish a perimeter for your work area. Keep all extraneous items away from your keyboard and mouse.

3) Hit the Container Store. Magazine holders help isolate clutter. Folder organizers keep lower-priority projects from usurping valuable real estate. A document tray provides a target for paperwork that coworkers might otherwise toss haphazardly onto your desk.

4) Set aside a few minutes daily to clear your desk. If you have to, make it a standing appointment in your calendar...."

Source: Wired

Reading speeches of former Presidents

I studying for a message that I am preaching this Sunday night and came across the farewell speech of President George Washington. It's a good read and quite interesting to hear what our first President wished the Nation to do. Here is a an excerpt of it below and you can read the full speech here.

"As a very important source of strength and security, cherish public credit. One method of preserving it is, to use it as sparingly as possible; avoiding occasions of expense by cultivating peace, but remembering also that timely disbursements to prepare for danger frequently prevent much greater disbursements to repel it; avoiding likewise the accumulation of debt, not only by shunning occasions of expense, but by vigorous exertions in time of peace to discharge the debts, which unavoidable wars may have occasioned, not ungenerously throwing upon posterity the burthen, which we ourselves ought to bear. The execution of these maxims belongs to your representatives, but it is necessary that public opinion should cooperate. To facilitate to them the performance of their duty, it is essential that you should practically bear in mind, that towards the payment of debts there must be Revenue; that to have Revenue there must be taxes; that no taxes can be devised, which are not more or less inconvenient and unpleasant; that the intrinsic embarrassment, inseparable from the selection of the proper objects (which is always a choice of difficulties), ought to be a decisive motive for a candid construction of the conduct of the government in making it, and for a spirit of acquiescence in the measures for obtaining revenue, which the public exigencies may at any time dictate.
Observe good faith and justice towards all Nations; cultivate peace and harmony with all. Religion and Morality enjoin this conduct; and can it be, that good policy does not equally enjoin it? It will be worthy of a free, enlightened, and, at no distant period, a great Nation, to give to mankind the magnanimous and too novel example of a people always guided by an exalted justice and benevolence. Who can doubt, that, in the course of time and things, the fruits of such a plan would richly repay any temporary advantages, which might be lost by a steady adherence to it ? Can it be, that Providence has not connected the permanent felicity of a Nation with its Virtue? The experiment, at least, is recommended by every sentiment which ennobles human nature. Alas! is it rendered impossible by its vices ?"