Sun, Aug 31st - 10:26PM

I’m sitting here at my computer looking out a window toward the southeast. The clouds are beginning to drift in and cover that part of the sky. From this vantage point, looking out across the pine trees hiding part of the skyline, I’m watching Gustav slowly make its way toward landfall and then across the countryside. Its angle or direction isn’t fully known at this point, but all the computer models, according to the weather channels, promise its arrival.

Like most people, storm talk concerns my family. Strong storms, like the one heading in our direction, usually means uncomfortable living situations when the electricity is lost. They force people to change schedules, to repair damages, to recover from loses, and often have massive cleanup.

Since I’m writing pre-arrival of Gustav, I have no way of knowing what condition surrounds your life in post-Gustav. I pray you have come through unharmed and with little or no damage to your properties.

But as I watch and wait, I can’t help but think of the awesome power of the God of creation. And one can only marvel at the power He unleashes when storm clouds gather. I’m reminded of the story of Jonah in the Old Testament. Without any discussion, I view this as a true story of a disobedient prophet of God.

The three chapter book opens with a warning for all who are disobedient. You can run but you can’t hide. Jonah thought he could do just that. In chapter 1, verse 4, the scripture tells us that after boarding his boat for Tarshish, "... the LORD sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up." Global warming didn’t send the destructive storm, God did.

In Psalms we find that "He calms the storm, So that its waves are still"[107"29]. Later in the Old Testament, Jeremiah proclaimed, "Do you not fear Me?’ says the LORD. ‘Will you not tremble at My presence, Who have placed the sand as the bound of the sea, ...". David wrote in Psalm 89:9, "You rule the raging of the sea; When its waves rise, You still them". And in Joshua, there is the story of God raining down large hailstones from Heaven upon the armies of the five kings who had joined forces against Joshua. The story goes that "There were more who died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword"[Joshua 10:11].

As we watch for the approaching storm, a question arises: "Where is God in the midst of the storm?" Why doesn’t He step out upon the sea as He did for the disciples and say to the sea, "Peace be still"? Why can’t the children of God cry out against the storm and watch it move into a different direction? Perhaps the storm is really God breathing out His wrath upon a people who aren’t repentant! Perhaps God is sending a warning to us so we will get our spiritual houses in order before even greater moments of judgement are hurled our way.

I hear the groaning in some of your spirits! A loving God would never do anything like that to people! Paul wrote in Romans 11:33, "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!" Have you ever considered His unsearchable judgments?

The last storm came and went. There was devastation from the Mississippi Gulf Coast to New Orleans and across our area. What did we learn? That we can rebuild the Casinos further inland so they won’t receive as much damage next time! We quickly rebuild our gambling industry so our people could waste away their money while filling their stomachs with booze.

There was tons of good will and Christian charity given to help storm victims rebuild. Yet, our churches didn’t experience transformed lives. Now, before your respond, let me add that I’m aware of some lives that were definitely changed, but not on a large scale like one would think.

I don’t know if this pending storm is an act of God, but I’m surely aware that if He so chooses, He could have removed it to the furthest sea where it would die without any harm to any one. In the end, now that it’s gone, I pray God’s people to become more committed to His will. While looking out into the now dark night, I pray God’s safety upon His people affected by Gustav!

Mon, Aug 25th - 12:28AM

Amazing Wonder of God’s Love For the World

She and her husband had been married for several years. Soon after their wedding, he became a heavy drinker of alcohol. Before many years he was addicted and became a common drunk.

Her husband was a likeable individual but would never consider becoming a Christian nor was he ever interested in attending church. Neither was he a trouble maker. His life consisted of work and drink. The first thing he did after leaving his job, was get a bottle of whiskey on the way home.

After his wife made a public profession of faith in Jesus as her personal Savior, he was supportive of her decision and her attending church services. Still, he for himself showed no personal interest in following her steps.

When in his deepest state of drunkenness, he did at times abuse his wife. One day, when deeply depressed and emotionally hurting, she sought me out to discuss her situation. I listened intently to her every word.

This wife of many years was thinking about leaving her husband, of giving up all hope of his ever changing his lifestyle. Then, seemingly as an afterthought, she looked at me and said, "I can’t leave my husband even if he hasn’t changed and although sometimes he is abusive. Thinking perhaps she would give an answer such as "it wouldn’t be the right thing to do I asked, "What brings you to this conclusion?"."

What she responded startled me. I had never heard her answer before in my years of ministry. She looked me square in the eyes and said, "I can’t leave him because I love him too much to walk out". And she loved her drunken husband, remaining true to him and being his helpmate, holding his hand the moment he died.

Oh how deep was this wife’s love for her husband! But as wonderful is that real life story, the Bible recounts for us an even greater love.

From Adam’s sin in the garden of Eden, through this present moment, mankind is a fallen race living in a fallen world. John’s gospel reminds us that Jesus never came into the world in order to bring condemnation upon sin. He wrote that "God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved" [3:17]. The reason, wrote John, is because "he who does not believe is condemned already" [v 18].

The reason that God sent Jesus to the earth and the cross of Calvary is because of His love for lost people. John 3:16 is the single greatest verse in all of the Bible. In that verse we can understand God’s amazing depth of love, His reach of love, and the reason of His love.

See first God’s depth of love. Look for the words "so loved". This is an expressive phrase. It is more than simply "I love you". Many a couple has stood at the marriage altar before a preacher and said to each other, "I love you". Then a few months later, perhaps a few short years go by and they discover that they don’t love each other any longer. A court fight follows. Children are often separated from parents they love and the home is gone in which they felt secure.

There love at the marriage altar wasn’t a "so" love you that troubles and trials could be overcome. I’m aware some difficulties are more than any human love can endure. But God’s love is so deep that He is willing to give His Son for the salvation of people lost in sin. You see, that love is deep enough to cause God to "give" His Son to a cruel death to save sinners.

See second God’s reach of love. Find the word "whoever". That includes you. God’s love reaches out to all lost individuals. I’m aware that some tell us that God reaches out to only the chosen, but I see it being all encompassing to include "whosoever will".

See third God’s reason for love. The human being who has not believed in the name of Jesus is lost. [v 18]. They are hopeless without a Savior. God loved so much that He reaches down to them all.

The song reminds us, "Amazing love, what can it be that a Savior would die for me". Hallelujah God be praised!

Sun, Aug 17th - 8:06PM

While watching the news channels the other night, I couldn’t help but wonder just what are the thoughts of God about the world in its present condition. Looking down from Heaven, He sees thousands of gods to which individuals and peoples of the world bow. He sees the rapist, the murderer, the unfaithful husband or wife, the unfaithful church member, the gambler gambling away the family’s income, the perverted sex habits of many individuals, the drunkards! He must look upon His creation with sadness.

It seems as though the majority of folk in the world, and this is especially true in countries where the gospel of Jesus hasn’t been as openly preached as it has been here in our country, that death has lost its reality. People around them die, but it won’t happen to them. That scary idea seems to grip the minds of many individuals throughout the world.

The result is that multitudes of people are refusing to consider death for themselves and therefore are doing nothing to prepare for their future life. They think membership in a church is sufficient, that there is no need for a personal faith in Jesus Christ.

The apostle Paul gave his personal testimony to the Corinthian church [1 Cor. 15]. In that testimony, Paul emphasized the resurrection of Jesus from the dead as central to anyone’s faith. Yes, it was His sacrificial death on the cross which secured man’s hope for eternal life, but it is the open tomb of Jesus which seals the deal. Paul wrote, "For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep" [1 Cor. 15:3-6].

Paul went on to testify about his calling to the apostleship. And he reminded his readers that their salvation came as the result of someone preaching to them the good news of the love of Jesus. "Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed." [v. 11].

The apostle then takes the negative side of the argument and he wrote, "But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty" [vv 13-14]. He went on in his letter, "And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! . . . If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable" [vv.17, 19]. That is, if Jesus Christ has value in this life only, then those who trust in Him and follow Him are to be pitied above all other people.

His next verse is one of encouragement to his readers of the first century and to believers in this century. There he reminds us, "But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep" [v. 20]. To die as a believer in Jesus Christ, is to gain eternal rest from all of earth’s trials and troubles.

We view the death of friends and loved ones through tears from this side of Heaven. But, according to Psalms116:15, the LORD views it as victory for believers. David wrote, "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His Saints".

The hour is late, it’s time to become serious about Jesus Christ and the study of His Word. It’s time to make sure of one’s personal salvation. It’s time for Christians to live like Christians wherever and everywhere they go.

I would gain more friends by writing that God loves you so much, He will overlook your unfaithfulness to His House of Worship when able to attend. You would like me better if I said God stood with you in that sexual affair, or with you at the gambling table, or didn’t mind you taking booze into your body and being controlled by it. Yes, preachers all over the country would be more popular if they were more concerned with being politically correct than being Biblically correct.

But we as preachers and pastors can’t do that for you. We have first of all a mandate from God to preach the truth of God’s Word, listeners have the responsibility of inhaling or blowing out!

Sun, Aug 10th - 5:20PM

Christian Fellowship Is Focused First Upon Jesus Christ

Baptist folk, as I’m sure is true of other church families, are big on their "fellowships". On one occasion a deacon, who loved to sit on a nail keg at the local gas station on Mondays and criticize his church, once said to me, "Preacher, all you’ll do up there at that church is meet and eat". Well, he was half correct. We did like to gather together and when we did, we generally had some good eating.

Fellowship is a big part of the Christian faith just as it is a big part of most people’s social gatherings. But what makes the Christian fellowship different from the secular world’s gatherings? I was thinking about this a few weeks back and looked into what is the meaning of fellowship.

The dictionary describes this noun as friendliness and companionship based on shared interest. It goes on to say this about fellowship: It is a group of people meeting to pursue a shared interest. This simple definition tells an individual a lot about their Christian faith or lack thereof!

In one of John’s letters the author wrote, "If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin"(1John 1:6-7). Did you note that John referred to fellowship?

That verse can be viewed in the following manner. "If we say that we have the same interest with Jesus, and our lifestyle is sinful, we lie and do not live a lifestyle of truth. But if our lifestyle is in the light who is Jesus Christ, we have the same interests as does Jesus and as do other Christians and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son keeps on cleaning us from all sin."

Gatherings for fellowship are always based upon common interests. A church can have live bodies in the pew on Sunday mornings but have very little fellowship among those in attendance. The real reason behind people’s lack of faithfulness to the Lord’s House when the doors are opened is a lack of common interest with Jesus Who is the center of the Christian’s fellowship.

When we come together in the church building, in the fellowship hall, or on the grounds of the church, the people should gather because of a common interest in what interests Jesus. That fellowship begins with one’s personal fellowship with Him and spreads out to include "one another".

Thus, ours is a fellowship of believers in Jesus Christ. That’s enough to cause us to desire being together for the study of God’s Word, for the preaching services, for our time of prayer, and for our meals together. When a young couple is courting they want to be with each other so strongly that nothing else matters. I’ve even known some guys who attended piano recitals just so they could sit with their girl friend.

Many have turned their interest to liquor, so they meet at parties where it is consumed or meet down at the bar to drink with others. Athletic events has its thousands who sit through rain, sleet, and snow to watch the event of their choice. They huddle together and their common interest lulls them from the reality of time.

Somehow many church members think that an occasional hour on Sundays is all they need to pacify God or to please Him enough so He will accept them when they die. We have church leaders who break covenant with their responsibilities to the Lord and to their church and live lives unacceptable to their mouth profession.

On the other hand, thousands of Christians make their way each week to the House of the Lord because they desire the singleness of heart and general agreement they have with other Christians. They don’t attend because they are made to do so, they don’t crawl out of bed and get to the church house because they have no where else to go or nothing else to get done. They are regular attenders because they have the same interests as does Jesus. They share together because they are driven by their love for God and His love for them.

Become a faithful, regular supporter of your church fellowships. You are drawn together because you first have fellowship with Jesus Christ.

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Sun, Aug 3rd - 5:46PM

Jesus tells the story of the prodical son in Luke 15:11-32. In that story, we discover a younger son desiring his inheritance from his father before his father’s death. There is also an older son in the story.

The younger son is granted his wish and then abandons his home to go and live outside his father’s authority. The older son stays home and no doubt does all the work which lay to his responsibility plus that of the brother who lived a life of sin in a far country.

The details of a parable aren’t always as important to the story teller as is the objective of the illustration. This particular parable has been preached as the son representing a lost person and the father in the story representing the love of God over a repenting sinner. Others have suggested that the son represents a believer who has strayed away from the will of God and, finding themselves wasted and ashamed, repents to the father, who represents God, and is welcomed back into the family fold.

I’ve heard great sermons preached from both points of view. Personally, I’ve always thought of the son as a Christian outside the will of God having repented and been forgiven by our loving God.

But there is a part of the story upon which both sides can agree. The older son who stayed home represents the self-righteous Pharisees and scribes. Note in the same chapter, verses one and two, that the hated tax collectors and sinners are the ones crowding around Jesus. And they weren’t being sent away, but ministered to by the Lord.

The Pharisees and scribes complained about Jesus welcoming these sinners. And that is the action which seems to have prompted this parable.

Who, then, do these religious leaders in the story represent? That seems to be the real focal point for which Jesus uses the illustrate. And we must keep in mind that this is a pre-crucifixion illustration. The post-crucifixion church had not as yet come into existence. So, can we relate this parable to the New Testament church?

In the New Testament church, post-crucifixion era, everyone who comes into the kingdom through faith in Jesus Christ is a minister. Perhaps not the variety which goes full-time on a mission field nor one who serves as pastor or other church staff personnel in a local church, but as a witness to the saving work of Jesus wherever life carries them.

How then can we apply the parable’s principle taught by Jesus to our church age? Since it is directed towards those who are critical of Him trying to reach out to sinners, then we might say that the older son who stayed home and complained to high heaven when the wayward son was welcomed in represents everyone in the church [professional and lay ministers] who have missed the real reason for which Jesus came into the world. That reason was and still is to seek and save the lost.

The question could be raised as to whether our church folk really want some folk in the community becoming a part of the fellowship. As one dear misguided woman once told me, "Go down to where the people with money live, not down", and named a certain road where poor folk lived. She felt it was more important to the church to raise some money rather than seek to reach certain lost people.

There are plenty of folk in the world who would like to carry the blessings of God into a wayward lifestyle. And some do to their own peril. Sometimes they come to their senses and cry out to God in faith. That’s when we need to step up and say, "Welcome to the family of God".

And there are Christians who fall into sin and rebel against their Father in Heaven and cease to follow the will of Jesus. When they repent and turn from their sin, they should be welcomed back into fellowship of the family of God.

While men and women on the battle field of wars are mended and cared far, many of the wounded saints of the Lord are left on the world battlefield to die and are never brought back to reconciliation. Let’s not be like the older son, but wait with the Father, watching for those who are wounded by the world to return home to the Father. Let’s open our arms in celebration.