First Time at an Air Show!

Today, Andrea and I took Caleb to the Cleveland Air Show. Actually, we all went thanks to an old high school friend of Andrea’s, a guy by the name of Brian Collins. Brian is actually on the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels team. And because he is such a nice guy, he gave Andrea and I free V.I.P tickets to the air show.

Today was probably was one of the coolest things I’ve done in a long time… I loved it!... Every minute of it! We were able to see all kinds of airplanes and jets, not only up close, but also in air doing all kinds of terrific stunts. We saw this one plane (the A-10 Thunderbolt, I believe) simulate dropping bombs. And we saw this big rig truck that was powered by 3 jet engines… it could do a quarter mile in like 3.6 seconds!! Freaky! We were even able to see the U.S. Army’s Golden Knights. Wow! How do they jump out of a plane from 12,000 feet, and land with such precision and accuracy??!! Very cool!

But the absolute coolest were of course the Blue Angels. Oh man, they were just terrific… I was almost speechless. All I could say to Andrea after every stunt was “Awesome.” I just don’t know how in the world those guys could do the things they could do. And believe me, I’m not over exaggerating with my response here either. If I had been single and 18-20 years old, I’d probably went over to the booth and enlisted. I really can’t explain it. It made me proud to be an American… proud to have such fine military personnel… and a little envious that I wasn’t directly involved. It was just awesome!! If you’ve never been to an air show, then you need you to see these guys perform… they were amazing. Thanks, Brian so much!! I’ll remember this Labor Day for a long time!

p.s. Caleb was awesome too! Not one time did he throw a fit or get angry… and without a nap from 9 am – 5 pm!! He was frightened a couple of times, but overall he couldn’t have been better. Thank you, Jesus.

Glad Its All Over

Well, it's almost the end of July and all my woes with Kidney Stones are over... for now. (Though I hope for good!) I don't wish those things on anyone. The first procedure wasn't so bad, b/c I was completely knocked out. But the second procedure, where they had to go in and remove the stint... for that I wasn't knocked out, though I wish I had been. That was no fun at all!! But it's all over now, and fully back in the saddle full swing.

I must say that because of this, I have made at least one really huge change in my life. I use to never drink water... I loved Pepsi and Mountain Dew and Dr. Pepper, etc., etc. way too much so I never drank water. Well, that is no longer the case. Besides my coffee in the morning and my glass of milk at night, about all I drink now is water with just a tad of lemon juice. My dad told me that pure lemon juice was good for the kidneys and stuff, so I've learned to like it. So, who knows... maybe haven given up Pop I won't have any more stones. I sure hope so!!

A New Appreciation for Health Care Costs

Just recently I discovered that I have a kidney stone... and let me tell you, these things are no laughing matter! So, of course I had to go see a Dr. and find out how to take care of this thing. The latest and most advanced procedure that he wanted to do was to use some sort of shockwave to break it up so I could pass it. However, the nice little price tag for that procedure was only $12,000!

Now, normally, with conventional medical insurance that would be taken care of, but our family does not have conventional medical insurance b/c we simply can't affor it. We do belong to a group that helps protect us from outragious medical bills, but it's not insurance; technically we're classified as self-pay. So, I didn't want to go that route.

So, I'm going to go with the second option which is much more involved, but is cheaper for some reason (which I really do not understand). They're actually going to go in with a scope and a lazer and bust it up that way, so that I can pass it. It will be done as an outpatient surgery. And here's where I get to the point of this blog. To even schedule the surgery, I have to put down $500 just to bring the lazer to the hospital. Now, fortunately, I think we're going to be able to handle that by the grace of God.

But what about those people who can't come up with $500 on the spot? It really hasn't been that long ago when we couldn't have done that either. What are they suppose to do? Would a guy just have to suffer for months with a kidney stone until he could raise the money to get the lazer?

I don't have any solutions to this health care crisis that we're currently in, but I do have a new appreciation for it. I hope that the leaders of this country that we put so much hope in, will be able to come up with a solution.

Is the Church too Feminine Today?

I was reading a very interesting article yesterday in a certain magazine about missions and church growth, and the article was about the how so many churches are below average when it comes men attending and getting involved. This particular article that I read put forth the idea that our churches have become too feminine and too soft for the typical man. And one does have to question, when so many other religions do not seem to have a problem drawing the masculine side of the population, why are we, as Christians, having such a hard time?

The author of the article mentioned a couple of examples of how we have become too feminine. First, most churches and services seem to be focused toward Grandma and all the ladies, not only in decoration, but also in the style and planning of the typical service.

Second, pastors seem to focus way too much on the soft empathetic side of Christ. Week after week, we present this soft, loving Jesus. What about Jesus' masculine side? Like driving out the money changers from the temple with whips and dying on the cross, taking all the beatings without uttering a word. The author even grieved over the praise songs that are so prevalent... songs he calls "Jesus is my boyfriend" music.

Finally, he mentions how we have subtley changed our terminology to be more feminine. For example the very bold and masculine, "Follow Me!" has become "Come have a personal relationship with Me." Who is that going to draw quicker... the typical man or a lady?

I want to know what you think! Do you think the typical church is too feminine, too soft? How might you make it different? Please Comment... I'm very interested in what you have to say.

Where is this level of devotion today?

Yesterday, while I was studying my Bible in order to teach my students, I learned about a particular faithful Christian named Epaphras. Epaphras was one of the founding members of the church in the city called Colosse (to whom Paul's letter to the Colossians was written).

Colosse was located on a major trade route from the East to the West, therefore it had a steady influx of traders, merchants and travelers from the East. And of course, just like today when people from other cultures come to a new area, they bring with them all of their beliefs, philosophies, schools of thought, and practices, which in this case would have been a lot of Eastern thought like Hinduism, Buddhism, etc. Added to this was the original Gentile (pagan) background and heritage with all it's teachings. Plus there was also a large Jewish community that lived there. Add all of these things together and throw some elements from Gnosticism, and what you get is a city that is fertile ground for every form of religious speculation, heresy, and false teaching imaginable.

And this brings me to the point of this post. The Church in Colosse was facing a major crisis, a crisis of Ideas. The church was beginning to be invaded by all these false ways of thinking; they were beginning to be deceived and taken captive by hollow and empty philosophies of men, rather than holding fast to the truth of God. Therefore, one man named Epaphras, took it upon himself to travel to find the Apostle Paul who could hopefully help the church in this time of crisis. This journey that Epaphras set out on was a 1,300 mile journey from Colosse to Rome where Paul was in prison... 1,300 miles!! That's the distance from Lake Erie in Northern Ohio to Miami, FL. And remember this was the ancient days... he didn't have any planes, buses, or even cars. He either walked or rode a horse or camel or something; either way that was one large journey! Why in the world would he do that??

1) Epaphras undoubtedly loved the church of Jesus Christ! Can there be any doubt about this? A man who was willing to sacrifice so much and put himself to such inconvenience... a man so desperate for help from the great Apostle Paul.

2) Epaphras also understood very well the dangers of false teaching to the church. Only someone who was extremely discerning about a situation would go to such lengths to solve the problem. Epaphras was one man who understood well just how important right belief is, and just how dangerous wrong belief is.

As I studied this, I thought about it... Where is this level of devotion and dedication today in the church? We have a hard time getting in a car and driving 5 minutes down the street to come to church to worship. Or we act like it's a big deal to get up at 9am on Sunday morning inorder to worship the Lord who has saved us. If someone mentions a mission trip or service opportunity, we frantically begin searching our brains for some lame excuse of why we can't participate. We will allow anything and everything to come before church. I'm not a legalist, but some of the things that we will allow to keep us from worship and service with the Lord's church does communicate something about the dedication and love in our hearts for our Lord and Savior.

You know, in all serious... (myself included) we really should be utterly ashamed of the laziness and lack of devotion that is so rampant today in the modern church. And for many of us, it's not a laziness toward other things, b/c we're the busiest generation to ever lived. No, then it becomes a matter of proiorities. How different the church would be if more people were like Epaphras! How much greater glory for the Kingdom of God and the spread of the Gospel could there be, if we had just a handful of people like Epaphras! May God break our hearts over our own lack of dedication and devotion to Him... and may He give us hearts that will put Him as the chief priority in our lives.

Why I don't think I could ever pastor my Home Church.

*click image for larger view*

Something that I have often considered in the past was eventually returning to the church that I was brought up in and being it's pastor (years from now). Maybe it's because for several years while I was in Bible college and Seminary, while still attending my home church, I had such a burden for it. I had a tremendous burden to see it prosper and be used of God to greatly glorify His name and His Kingdom in a greater way than ever before. I knew it's people and I saw the tremendous potential that it had. I believe I even had a vision of what the church could be one day.

But as I sit this morning and comtemplate that scenario, I don't think I could ever pastor my home church. And it's not because the people know me too well or because I had a horrible reputation while I was there or left on bad terms or anything like that. No, the reason I don't think I could ever pastor my home church is because it would mean pastoring my own family... my Dad, my siblings, my aunts and uncles, and so on and so forth. And it's not because I don't think they would listen to me or because they don't respect me. On the contrary, I have a very good relationship with just about all my kin, and I believe they do respect me... they've told me before how proud they are of me, and I've had deep, meaningful conversations with many of them.

No, the reason I don't think I could ever pastor my home church is because, I wouldn't want to pastor my own family. I'm learning more and more that ministry is a very, very lonely life. Whether it's wrong or right, the fact of the matter of is, a pastor just can't be as transparent, vulnerable, and open with the things on his heart as he might need to be or want to be with the people in his congregation and town. Too many times, it comes back to haunt you or harm you. He can't share the struggles that he faces; he can't always voice his deep concerns or frustrations. No, in our culture, he's the pastor and everyone holds him to a much higher standard than the rest of the people. Of course, the Bible says that we're all supposed to be striving for the high standard of Christlikeness, but it seems like people expect pastors to have already arrived, and if he fails to live up to it perfectly, then he needs to be sent on his way!

No, my family are some of the very few people in my life that I can be completely open and honest with, be just as vulnerable as anything, and be just as forth coming as I need to be, and I know they will listen to me, be there for me, and continue to love me anyway. At home where I was raised with my closest family members, I'm not Pastor Travis... I'm just Travis. We all probably have people like that in our lives... and I believe that we all need people like that, even us pastors.

A Tribute to One Amazing Mom: My Wife

When so many of her peers are studying for finals and looking forward to the ending of another semester, my wife has a calling that is without end.

When so many of her peers are partying and enjoying days of limited responsibility, my wife has one of highest callings of responsibility known to man.

When so many of her peers are off traveling to exotic places and experiencing new things, my wife is the consistent bedrock of our home, that makes for a happy and secure refuge.

When so many of her peers are being recognized for their outstanding achievements with robes and tassels, my wife is content with the favor and smile of God and the gratitude of two very grateful men in her life…

What does my wife do? She is a Christian Mother!

This post this week is to say thank you to my beautiful wife…
Thank you, Sweetheart for making this house a home… a place that is always warm and inviting and enjoyable.

Thank you, Sweetheart for all the care, nurture, protection, and training you give to our son… an absolutely vital and loving foundation that will serve him well all the days of his life.

Thank you, Sweetheart for the way that you tirelessly keep our home well-organized and clean… a place that is peaceful, relaxing, and always open to friends.

Thank you, Sweetheart for all the sacrifices that you have made in order to be here with me in Northern Ohio in order to be obedient to the call of God on our lives.

To: My Dearest Wife:
Let no one ever despise your youth for you are an amazing mother! I know I cannot give you everything you deserve, or always understand you in the ways you would like me to, but I can promise that I will love you all the seasons of my life and be thankful for the joys of sharing this life with you. Ever how many children the good Lord decides to give us, I am absolutely positive that one day all of them will gladly rise up and call you blessed! Truly, charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised!

Oh Lord, Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.

From your loving husband,
Travis

Technology Is Sometimes A Great Blessing

I know it's been a good while since I've posted a blog. I guess it's because I do so much writing in my calling to the ministry like, writing several Bible lessons a week, newsletters, important letters, devotionals, etc... so much so that to sit down and do more in my spare time is sometimes not exactly what I want to do. But this morning, I'm in the mood to do it.

I've just finished listening to one of the great Bible teachers of our day, Dr. John MacArthur, pastor of Grace Community Church. He has a international radio ministry called "Grace to You." Now, I can't get his particular program on any radio station around here, but I can go online and listen to the current one or any archived program I want to. And what is so cool is that it hasn't been that long ago when that was not possible. I mean how many believers in Christ would have loved to be discipled and taught by one of the greatest Bible teachers of our time, but couldn't because the technology was simply not there. Not too many years ago, the only people who would have been blessed by his exposition of God's word would have been the ones sitting in his church week after week. But now, believers all over the world can benefit from it with simply a computer and an internet connection. I know there are some who are very suspicious about technology and who are very afraid of the evil that it might bring. But just as any technology can be used for great evil, it can also be used for great good as well. So, I praise God and thank Him for such advancements.

If you would like to listen to Dr. MacArthur, just go to...
www.gty.org and click on the "broadcasts" tab, or just go to...
http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/grace_to_you/

No Ordinary Execution

Mood: Joyful and Grateful

Tomorrow is Good Friday. Tomorrow, all over the world, born again disciples of Jesus Christ will remember more so than usual the incredible price that was paid for our forgiveness. We will spend extra time in prayer and worship, remembering and worshiping our beloved Savior who willingly allowed Himself to undergo one of the cruelest, most grusome forms of execution ever devised by wicked men. And He willingly did so for one reason, because it was the Father's will to redeem a special people for Himself. Praise, and honor, and power and glory be to our God forevermore, and to His beloved Son, Jesus the Christ, who is no longer dead but is alive forevermore, seated at the right hand of God!

Last Sunday, I taught a lesson to my class from Luke 23:32-49 about the crucifixion of our Lord and Savior. And as I studied that passage, one thing truth became abundantly clear... that this execution of "a condemned criminal" was unlike any other execution before. This type of thing had been done before; this was nothing new. And yet there was something different about this one... there was something special about it. What was it? It wasn't the mood of the soldiers, it wasn't the crowds of the people, it wasn't the Roman Governor who sentenced him... No, it was the condemned Himself! This was no ordinary execution because this was no mere man being put to death; it was none other than the Son of God... God the Son, incarnate in human flesh! And there are 3 sources of testimony that testify to the proof of His divinity.

First, God the Son (Jesus Himself) testified to His own divinity...
a. by an incredible offer of forgiveness (vs.33-34)
b. by an incredible promise of eternal life (vs.39-43)
c. by an incredible power over his own death. (vs.46)
Jesus had just underwent one of the cruelest, most gruesome forms of punishment ever devised by wicked man… He had been scourged to the point that his chest and back would have looked like ground hamburger… much of his beard had been plucked from face… and great thorns had been pressed down into his scalp causing a great profusion of blood. The word of God says that He was completely unrecognizable! But yet even after enduring all of this horrible, horrible suffering for us… Jesus was able to look on his enemies and those spitting and mocking him… he was able to look at them with compassion… and breathe a prayer of forgiveness for them.
What man could have done that? Jesus testified to His own divinity by his compassion.

But Jesus testified to His divinity by an incredible promise of eternal life…Was he mad? Insane? He was on the cross… How in the world could he talk of paradise? B/c He knew who He was… and He knew why He was there… and He knew where He was headed. What unbelievable confidence and composure, in such agony?!

But if those two were not enough, Jesus finally testified to His own divinity by a real display of power… a power that He had over His own life… b/c here Jesus did something here that no other man in the world can do… he was master over his own death. No one killed Jesus, no one murdered or took his life; He laid it down of His own accord... And 3 days later He took it up again! (Ref: John 10:17-18)

Second, God the Father testified to His Son's divinity...
a. Through the fulfilling of prophecy… prophecies such as:
-he’d be crucified between 2 thieves (Is.53:12)
-his garments would be divided and gambled for (Ps.22:18)
-he would be surrounded and ridiculed by his enemies (Ps.22:7-8)
-he would commend his spirit to the Father (Ps.31:5)
Only the almighty, all-powerful, all-knowing God who is in complete control could announce with such accuracy the sufferings of the Messiah. And by doing so, Scripture proves that Jesus is the Messiah sent from God the Father. God the Father also testified through the creation itself. From 12 noon to 3pm, there was an unnatural darkness over the land. (Luke 22:53). And finally, God the Father testified to Jesus' divinity through the ripping of the Temple Veil from top to bottom, symbolizing the doing away with the old sacrificial system (Matt 27:51). God was testifying to the world that there was no access to Him through Jesus Christ. No more would a veil separate man from God. Now, every person has unbelievable access into the very throne room of heaven through Jesus Christ. As John 14:6 says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the Father but by Me (Jesus)."

Third, God the Spirit testified to the divinity of Jesus...
a. Through a condemned criminal…
b. Through a pagan soldier…
c. Through the crowds of people…
+What do we see from all three of these?
We see the genuine recognition that Jesus was someone unlike anyone else. The condemned criminal recognized Jesus as Messiah and asked to be remembered when He came in His Kingdom. The pagan soldier, who would have been very use to watching men die on the cross, was terribly fearful after seeing the way Jesus died, and even confessed out loud that this man was of divine origin. The crowds of people normally would have enjoyed and celebrated at the execution of criminals deserving to die. I’m reminded of times no so long ago in our own country when they had public hangings… people would gather in the cold and rain, they would sing hymns, sometimes sermons were preached… and they were not coming to mourn over convicted criminals, they were coming to watch a deserving man die for what he had done. But at this particular execution, when it was all said and done, they didn’t celebrate or rejoice, but the Bible says they mourned greatly as Jesus’ death. And we know that this was the Spirit of God testifying through these people b/c the Scriptures tell us that no one recognizes and confesses Jesus without the work of the Spirit of God in their hearts. (References: 1 John 4:2-3; 1 Cor.12:3; 2 Cor.2:14) It doesn’t necessarily mean that all became genuine believers and followers (though it is very possible that many did… after all about a month and a half later 3000 people would be saved after one sermon!!) So, we don’t know…but we do know that the Spirit of God was active in showing people who Jesus was.

What was so special... so different about this particular execution? This one was unlike any other because on this particular day, Jesus the Christ, the very Son of God fulfilled the redemptive plan of God by purchasing salvation for every chosen child of God. All praise and honor and glory and power be unto Him forever and ever! Amen!!

Being a Dad

Mood: Content




One of the things my little boy likes to do every now and then is to watch teletubbies. Personally, I hate the teletubbies... there are so many other things I would rather be doing than watching teletubbies. But sometimes I sit down and I watch teletubbies. Why? B/c Caleb likes to watch teletubbies. This what it means to be a Dad... sometimes you have to sacrifice. Sure there are plenty of things that I enjoy and that I'd rather be doing, but I sacrifice what I want for time with Caleb.

This is probably one of the most important things we can do as Dads is to spend time with our kids. They don't need a lot of fancy toys and every new thing that comes out on the market. They need us... they need our time, our attention, our encouragement, our affirmation of them, and our love.

As a pastor, that is one thing that I'm always concerned about in the back of my mind. I don't want to get so focused on ministry and being busy with church stuff or ministering to other people that my own family gets neglected. I think that happens way too often, and its the biggest reason PK's (preacher's kids) grow up resenting their Dad, despising the church, and rebelling against God. That's why I'm like a Nazi when it comes to my calendar; I'm super organized when it comes to my time. I have an average week on my palm with usual activities blocked off to keep me on track. I have Bible study time, exercising time, ministry time, I even have "me time"... but I also have plenty of family time. I just absolutely refuse to get so busy that I do nothing but run around like a chicken with its head cut off being busy in ministry. That would be detrimental to me and to my family.... and ultimately to the church as well.

Being a dad means A LOT of sacrifice... it means doing things you don't particularly enjoy. For sure being a Dad has been the most challenging and the most enlightening thing I have ever experienced... but it has also been the most enjoyable experience as well... and I wouldn't trade it for anything!

Oh yeah... We also enjoy playing video games :)

America's Top Medical Researchers: "We are blind and intend to stay that way!"

Mood: Not Surprised

This post is a paraphrased-republishing of an artical found in World Magazine.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) have revealed that the U.S. suffers from a huge data gap concerning the negative emotional fallout of abortions upon women-- fallout that pro-abortion groups have long claimed does not exist.

After a 25 year study in New Zealand, researchers released in January a study that showed a strong link between abortion and severe mental illness. Upon hearing of this study, U.S. Rep. Mark Souder of Indiana, wrote to the NIH asking whether "any studies of comparable rigor" had been published on U.S. women...." NIH wrote back, saying they were "not aware of any similar data sets that currently exist in the United States." NIH also told Souder that the New Zealand study is not wholly applicable to American women because of cultural differences and that the NIH has no post-abortion studies of U.S. women in the making for the near or foreseeable future.

Heritage Foundation scholar Patrick Fagan said NIH's admission shows that America's top medical researchers have already made up their minds on abortion - and not based on science.
"The NIH letter says, we have no good data, we cannot compare with anybody else's data and we don't have any specific suggestions for acquiring this data. In other words, we are blind and intend to stay blind."

Hindu Extremists: Haters of People Doing Good.

Mood: Prayerful



After weeks of hiding underground, Emmanuel Ministries leader Samuel Thomas was arrested in New Delhi on March 16th. This man and his father, Bishop M.A. Thomas, has done nothing but good for the people of India. Operating 13 orphanages, 65 schools, and dozens of ministries to leper colonies in Rajasthan alone, the ministry targets and helps the "untouchables" as well as other outcasts in the region.

But Hindu extremists in the northern state of Rajasthan would rather see all these helpless orphans return to the poverty- stricken streets. Angered by the message of hope that the ministry brings to Hinduism's lowest members of the caste system, the extremists are sending death threats, arresting ministry officials, even burning down facilities in an orchestrated wave of terror.

Just recently I received an email concerning the arrest of Samuel Thomas described like this: "Five or six men, one of whom claimed to be the station house officer of the police station in Kota, Rajasthan state, tried to push Thomas into a car. One of them then put a firearm to the face of one of the lawyers and warned them not to resist the arrest. The officers neglected to follow proper procedure--showing neither their identity cards nor an arrest warrant."

From his office underground, M.A. Thomas writes, "I really have no idea where this will go or how this will end. But we, the believers in India, will always sing 'because He lives, I can face tomorrow.'"

Pray God will protect Dr. Thomas, giving him calm faith and the opportunity to be a witness of the keeping power of his Savior.
Pray God will protect the Christian school and orphanage in Kota, Rajasthan.
Pray the prayers and written protests of Christians worldwide will force the Indian government to release Dr. Thomas and allow the E.M.I. facility to remain open.
Pray that these Hindu extremeists will be driven to their knees from the guilt of their sins.
Pray that even these Satan-inspired, hate-filled men will be granted genuine repentance and faith in the only Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

For more information about this see the March 25 edition of World Magazine.

Marketing Life

Mood: Grieved

Tonight I read an article in the USA TODAY that made me quite sad. In fact, it was the cover story and it was entitled, "Egg-doner business booms on campuses." In this article, the writer reports that young women across the country are donating their eggs for both research and adoption, and are getting compensated very well. In California, one campus paper has daily advertisements that read “Egg Donors Needed, $10,000.” The donors are typically female college students between the ages of 18 and 29, who are healthy, attractive, and have above average test scores. The really sad thing is that because many, many college students are so bound up in debt with the cost of living being so high and student loans and tuition rates being the way they are, this probably seems like a very easy solution for large amounts of cash in a relatively short period of time. And with new barbaric and immoral practice of embryonic stem-cell research occurring, which is the using of human life for research and testing, the demand for healthy eggs has only dramatically increased, and is likely only to increase all the more.

To me, this strikes at the very heart and soul of what it means to be a person of moral character and true righteousness. To think that woman-kind has been given the awesome and wonderful gift of helping to create another human life… to have such a marvelous treasure and awe-inspiring ability and potential inside her very body… an unspeakable gift from the Creator Himself to her, only for her to turn around and market it and sell it off to the highest bidder for mere money is extremely grieving and disgraceful. It makes me ashamed to be living in a day, when we’ll use and sacrifice the unborn for our own selfish desires. And if you think that I have this opinion just because I’m a Christian and a pastor, then listen to the statement made by Harvard Business School professor Debora Spar who writes about this growing industry in her new book, The Baby Business, where she says, “We are selling our children.”

I’m a very proud father of a beautiful and smart little boy, named Caleb. He is our only child right now; God willing it won’t be that way for long. But I just can’t imagine selling off my child to the highest bidder to pay off some stupid loan or to pay anything else off for that matter. And what’s a thousand times worse, I can’t imagine harvesting cells, tissues, or anything else from my little boy so that I might live a little longer or live a little healthier. When are people going to wake up and learn that death is INEVITABLE!! For thousands and thousands of years the death rate per person has always been and still is 1:1! Except for two special men in ancient history, whom God decided to take before they actually experienced death, the plain, simple truth that if you’re live now, one day you will die! So, why participate in such a cruel and barbaric practice as sacrificing our children for our own well-being?! Especially when it only postpones the inevitable! But the truth is, even if it did work great, and it had the potential of extending our lives by a 100 years, it still would not be right or even worth the price of sacrificing another human life, that is so precious.

May God have mercy upon us… and may the generations to come be better people than we are.

Outside Author Draws Bad Conclusions

Mood: Tired

Gary North in his essay, The Foreign Policy of 20 Million Would-be Immortals, puts his very limited knowledge concerning Christianity’s teachings about the end times to use and draws, in my opinion, some bad conclusions.

In this essay, North tries the make the case that American “Fundamentalists” strongly support the nation or state of Israel for the sole reason that they do not want to die. And because of the certain passages in the Bible that talk about 2/3 of the Jews being killed in the Great Tribulation that is to come, then American “Fundamentalists” all have this “better you than us” mentality and care nothing for the Jews.

I can’t speak for all Christians… I can’t even speak for all Christians who hold to pretribulational premillenialism, but as for myself allow me to correct some of North’s wrongful conclusions.

1. Genuine Christians are not would-be immortals; we are immortals. Jesus said in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son (Jesus) that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” As genuine believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we have the gift of eternal life now! Therefore, whether I die tomorrow or 50 years from now or I’m taken up into the presence of God by Christ Himself at the rapture, I have life forever more.

2. Genuine Christians do not fear death. As the Apostle Paul stated in the book of Philippians, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain!” You see, those who true followers of Christ do not fear death, b/c death is only the beginning a much, much better life. In fact, many Christians… especially those who are suffering either from persecution or from a disease-ridden body, welcome death and even long for death. They long to put off this old, ragged mortality for the promised, glorified immortality of heaven.

3. Many Christians believe we should stand with Israel b/c they believe they are still God’s chosen people and He is not finished with them yet. In Genesis 12, God made Abraham, the father of the Jewish people, some promises. One of the promises was “I will bless those who bless you… and I will curse those who curse you.” And for many, many Christians, that promise is still in effect today. Therefore, if we as an American nation desire to continue to be somewhat blessed, then we must stand with God’s people. And the truth is, we are a blessed nation. But as a whole, we have turned away from God in so many areas, it is surprising to me that we are still as blessed as we are.

4. If that interpretation of the prophecy concerning 2/3 of the Jews is true, then it will come to pass regardless of what anyone does. I’m not an expert concerning the doctrine of last things. I do believe that my Lord and Savior is returning one day… I do believe there will be a “rapture” of his church (the word might not be in the Bible, but the teaching is!)… and I believe that much of the book of Revelation is still yet to be fulfilled. However, I can’t really speak on that specific prophecy at this time. But there is one thing I do know about prophecy and God’s word… if He says it will happen, it will happen. You can think I’m heartless, cold, or whatever… the Bible is very clear that God is sovereign and completely in control; nothing happens without His divine permission or command. Therefore, if He said 2/3 of the Jewish people will die in the Great Tribulation, then 2/3 of the Jewish people will die. Is that comforting? No! Is that something to rejoice and be happy about? Absolutely not! But God’s word will happen. Any honest person who has taken the time to really study the Bible and see just how many things have come to pass that He said would… would be a true believer. Those who haven’t, and yet still wail against it don’t want to know the truth.

Commitment To Blog?

Mood: Relieved

Lately there's been a lot of things going on that I am very glad are over... at least I hope are over.

So, what's this commitment to blog all aboout? Well, I've been thinking about it. To make sure I don't stay gone in my own little world, I'm going to try to blog at least once a week... probably like every Thursday or Friday. I need to force myself to think through issues, current trends, and world events, and hopefully to give a Biblical perspective... b/c that's who I am. We'll see how it goes. :)

To everyone reading this... God bless and make it a great day!

Life Coach...maybe. Woman of God...Absolutely Not!

mood: Emboldened




18 For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. 19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. 20 For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. 21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.
(2 Peter 2:18-21, speaking of the deception of false teachers)

For about 20 minutes tonight I listened to a self-proclaimed prophetess twist, misuse, abuse, and distort the sacred Scriptures (The Holy Bible) in order to raise money for a religious network on cable television. Without hardly missing a beat or taking a breath, she prophesied and promised people the world, if they would only sow their financial “seeds” into their network. I know this kind of thing has been going on, not just for years, but literally since the world began. I guess it still astounds me sometimes at the audacity and the level of brazenness with which these so-called “prophets” stand before the camera and say “Thus saith the Lord!”

It really is terribly, terribly frightening to think about what will be like for them when they stand before the great and awesome Judge of the earth and give account for how they misled, deceived, and took advantage of so many unsuspecting people in the name of the Lord Jesus.
May God be merciful... but I don't think He will.
Matt.7:21-22

What is Love?

mood: reflective

What is Love: From what feels good to What IS Good!
There seems to be a lot of confusion about love today. Even though millions are searching for true and lasting love (evidenced by the billions of dollars internet-dating sites rake in every year), there still seems to be quite a bit confusion about love. When asked on the street, people say everything from passionate feelings deep inside to sex to something so mysterious it can't be put into words. Well, personally... I don't think its something to be confused about; I just think we've been taught a lot of junk by the world and the culture. For example, let's consider some common fallacies regarding love.

3 Common Fallacies About Love... And the Truth about Love from God's Word:

Fallacy #1 - Love is primarily for the fulfillment and comfort of self.
This is so true when it comes to what many people believe about love. In fact, everytime you hear someone talking about how their needs aren't being met in a relationship, they're progating this idea about love. When a guy tells his girlfriend, "If you loved me, you'd do it!" Or when a girl dates the cool jock at school to inflate and raise her own social standing among her peers... regardless of which one is worse... both are primary examples of self-centered and self-focused love.
The Truth - Love is for the glory of God and for the good of others!
1 Peter 4:11 states, "that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ..." This is a universal truth of Scripture, that everything was created for the glory of God... including the concept of love. And Jesus taught us that true love is selfless, giving, and sacrificing; it dies to its own needs for the sake of others. As He stated in John 15:13, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends."

Fallacy #2 - Love is primarily a feeling.
This is probably the majority opinion out there, that love is just a feeling. And I must admit that this seems right because we all have feelings of affection from time to time. But feelings do not define, measure, or govern true love. I have tremendous feelings toward my wife... but if my feelings aren't matched with actions of kindness, respect, and faithfulness, then my feelings don't mean squat!
The Truth - Love is measured and governed by our actions, not by feelings.
In Mark 14:32-36, Jesus was praying in the garden the night before his crucifixion. And the Bible shows us that he prayed with great fervency and prayed that if there was any other way for the Father's plan to be accomplished (the plan of redemption) to do it another way. Jesus was looking forward to the cross... He didn't have warm, fuzzy feelings about being stripped, beaten, and nailed to a cross. He was in tremendous spiritual and emotional agony about what was about to take place! Does that mean He didn't really love us as much as we like to think? Or worse that He didn't really love the Father as much? Were His emotions a good test of His love? Absolutely NOT!! Or was Jesus governed by His emotions; did they lead and direct Him? Absolutely NOT!! If they had, He'd never went to the cross! After all that praying, Jesus still in great emotional agony prayed, "Nevertheless, not my will but Your will be done!" Jesus proved that He loved the Father and us, but going against His emotions and facing death anyway!

Fallacy #3 - Love is out of our control.
It is most likely that many of us propagate this false notion about love without even realizing it. We say things like "I think I'm falling in love..." or "Dude, I'm just madly in love!" Stop and think about it for a second... why in the world do we describe love like falling into a pit or worse like a mental illness? What do these statements and others like it reveal about our attitudes regarding love? That love is out of our control. But why teach that? I believe the answer is because it removes all personal responsibility from our lives. You see, if love is truly some external force that effects us that we have no control over, then we can excuse and justify all kinds of behavior... and not just pre-marital sex, but lying, murder, rape, and many other sins of the flesh have all been justified before by people claiming to be in love. Is this true love? Of course not!
The Truth- Love is completely under our control.
When considering what Jesus Christ did for us... Did God the Father choose to send Christ to die on the cross or was He compelled to by some external force? Did Jesus choose to go to Jerusalem to face His death or was He compelled to by some force? In all of it... in everything God has ever done for us, He did it because He chose to. He chose to create us... He chose to love us even after we rebelled... and He chose to die on a cross in our place.
And that same choice is ours today... I can choose to be kind, loving, and respectful to the people around me, or I can choose to be selfish, mean, and cruel. It's not about being under the control of some mysterious force that causes me to do all kinds of ungodly things without responsibility, its about choosing to put the needs and desires of others above my own in whatever relationship I'm involved with.

Conclusion
Hollywood and MTV shows us a hot, steamy love scene between two people and says "This is love." But God the Father takes His only Son and puts Him on a cross to pay for crimes that He didn't commit and says, "No, this is real love... my love for you." 1 John 4:10-11 states, "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."

Ahh.. Valentine's Day

mood: amused

As I stopped by the grocery today to pick up some roast chicken tonight for dinner, I couldn't help but be amused at all the men in the store scurrying about down the card aisle and around the flower table picking up those last minute valentines for their someone special.

As I thought about this, my first thought was look at us... slaves of our culture! The market says buy cards and flowers, and we buy cards and flowers. We're all wimps!

But then I thought, "But on the other hand... for many of us, I'm afraid that if we, men, didn't have a special day set aside for it, our poor, deserving wives would never get flowers!" I think I can speak for the male side of the human race when I say... many of us need some prodding and encouragement sometimes to do what's right. So, thanks Hallmark or who's ever responsible. :)

Happy Valentine's Day, Sweetheart!! I love you more than words can say!!

Of Pups and Wolves

mood: reflective

If you had a young pup, would you throw him in a pen full of bigger, meaner dogs... only to come back mangled, beaten, and bruised... just to teach him what it means to be a dog in the real world?

Or would you rather personally love, nurture, and train up your pup until he was big enough and smart enough to face the mean, cruel beasts of the wild on his own and yet not fall prey to them?

As I stand gazing out our second floor apartment window with my most precious possession in my arms (Caleb), I think about this kind of logic when considering putting my son into the public school system. I know all kids are not bad influences, and I know most teachers are probably doing their best, but way too many of the kids today are quite frankly absolutely horrible influences. They're rebellious, mean, vile and absolutely without any morals whatsoever. They have no knowledge of God; muchless a good, healthy fear of Him. Which is quite understandable when most adults do not fear God either. A generation so without the proper raising and guidance that even children as young as 5-6 years old are coming home talking about sex and using words I didn't even know existed until I was atleast in high school.

As a Christian parent absolutely determined and bent on raising my son to know, fear, and love the Lord God with all his heart, I just absolutely refuse to throw my son to the wolves. The sacred Scriptures are clear, God has placed the burden of responsibility for the raising of children on the parents... Not on the school system, the government, Grandma or Grandpa... Not on the village as some politicians like to spout... and Not even on the church or the children and youth pastors. The responsibility falls squarely on the shoulders of the individual parents under God. With that being the case, how in the world could I ever relinquish this incredible responsibility to strangers in the midst of morally decadent society?? Even rats know when to abandon a sinking ship!

Customers Don't Need Explanations, Just Results.

This morning on the way to the high school with a student of mine, I stopped at a particular fast food place to get some little round hash browns. I normally don’t stop for breakfast, but this morning I was unusually hungry so I decided to stop.

I drove up to the window and placed my order, and then turned to my student and asked if he wanted anything. Without asking me if my order was complete, the employee totaled and finalized my order, and said, “That’ll be $0.79 at the second window.” So, I then politely asked, “Can I get another order of hash browns, please?”

And here was where the employee made the mistake… instead of just saying “yes sir” and doing whatever necessary to get me an additional order, the employee came back over the speaker, “I can’t change an order once it’s been completed.” Now, what was I suppose to think from that comment? Can I not get an additional order of hash browns? Have I just sealed my fate regarding this breakfast stop? Just because the register had been totaled, my desire for 2 rather than one was now impossible… because that was the impression that I got. Oh how tempted I was to respond with, “Ok, I’ll just go down the street to your competitor and see if they can fix my order!” But I didn’t; I refrained from that comment. But I did respond back, “Well, just cancel that order and make a new one,” which was my way of saying, “I don’t care how you fix it or what you have to do… I want two orders rather than one so, just do it!”

Upon pulling around to the window, the employee looked at me and said, “that’ll be $1.59 (for 2 orders),” and then proceeded to tell me about how the order couldn’t be changed until I got to the window… something about other cars being in front of me. But again, I didn’t then and I still don’t care where the problem had to be fixed or what computer they had to use or what the procedures are for changing or correcting orders… all I wanted was 2 hash browns instead of one.

As a faithful, paying customer, I neither desire nor need explanations or excuses… I just want what I ordered… period. When I was working in the public arena a few years ago, and it didn’t matter if it was helping someone with an order of food or loading a bag of concrete or gravel, when the customer wanted or needed something, I said, “yes sir” and then did whatever necessary to deliver. And deep down, I think that’s what all of us consumers want… not excuses, not explanations… just results, plain and simple. I don't know... maybe I just think different.

Ok, ok... New Blog

Hi. My wife really wants me to post a new blog b/c I guess its been a little while. The trouble is I've been so busy lately that I haven't really kept up with the news so, I can't comment on current events, and the several things I've been reading and studying about I haven't finished yet... so I can't comment on those either. But there is one thing I can comment about...

I miss my family!!!

Yes, my fantastically gorgeous wife and most wonderful son is away from home this week; they're in N.C. visiting family... and boy do I miss them!! I like a quiet house, but this is too quiet! I come home from working or anywhere and usually (if I time it right) I open the door to "Daddy's home!"... and Caleb running towards me with a big smile. I miss that! I miss seeing my wife's beautiful smile and gorgeous eyes... I miss Caleb grabbing my leg. I miss eating one of my wife's great dinners... I miss Caleb cramming his face with hands. I'm not depressed or anything... I'm just really ready to have my family back home with me.

I'm an extremely blessed man. God has given me a simply beautiful wife, whose heart and spirit is just as beautiful as her appearance, who I adore with every fiber of my being. And God has given me a wonderful little boy, whose smile is the joy of my heart, who I love more than my own life. Yep... God has been more than gracious to me. But most of all, God has given me true LIFE... by the shed blood of His Son, He has offered me complete and total pardon for my sins... and I now rest joyfully in the knowledge that God is my Father and that no matter what happens, I will always be His child.

Good Night.

Was I born at the wrong time?

Of course I know I wasn’t. God is completely sovereign; I was born precisely when He meant me to be born. I guess I’m just bemoaning the speed and busyness of our society today. There never seems to be enough time for quiet reflection and solitude. We’re always so rushed and hurried; if its not one deadline, its three!

I think back to the time of the traveling preachers like Wesley who would travel from town to town on horseback to preach the Gospel. He probably spent hours and hours alone, sitting on his slow-paced horse, reading and meditating on Scripture. No cell phones, no pagers, no deadlines, no rushing from this appointment to this meeting and so on and so forth.

Is it any wonder why the church is so Biblically ignorant and weak today? Seriously, how much time do we really give to God in quiet study, meditation, and reflection in His word? How much time do we spend praying and interceding for our family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, etc.? We run in circles like there’s no tomorrow… the highest virtue is the ability to multi-task! And for all our rushing around, for all our running around, for all our over-stuffed calendars, are really any better off? I don’t think so.

Well, that’s enough for now… its 7:30 am... so, I’m off to the gym with my cell phone, day planner, and Bible-on-cd... “Lord, help me!”

What if there is no Rapture of the Church prior to the Tribulation?

This is the question that has absolutely consumed me for the last week or so. A very dear friend of mine (and brother in Christ) let me borrow a book that he had read entitled, “The Rapture Question Answered: Plain and Simple.” In this book, the author makes the case that the rapture (the catching away) of all true believers by Jesus Christ at His Second Coming is not prior to the tribulation period, as many scholars teach, but rather is somewhere in the middle of the last half of the 7 year tribulation period. It is a position that he calls “Pre-Wrath” position, a reference to the wrath of God that will occur in the end times.

All my life, I have been taught that the Pretribulational rapture position was the most biblical position because it was based on taking the Bible literally and not symbolically or allegorically. And with End-Times teachings and Prophecy being so hard to begin with, I have never really fully studied it for myself, but just accepted the word of those I trusted to be men of God and good Bible scholars.

Even in seminary, we were taught all about the different positions… postmillennialism verses amillennialism verses historical premillennialism verses dispensational premillennialism…
Post-trib verses Mid-trib verses Pre-trib… But in all my studies, I don’t recall ever once being told about the Pre-Wrath Rapture Position. And I must admit that before reading this book Matthew 24 never made a lot sense to me; I couldn’t figure how it all worked. Because in that teaching, Jesus begins to tell his disciples about the end times. And in that teaching, He talks about different signs in the heavens and the revealing of the man of sin (the Anti-Christ), the great persecution, and the great falling away (the apostasy of the church), but then in the middle He talks about something that sounds like the rapture. Now, like I said, that never made sense to me before, but now it does. In fact, its making more and more sense to me the more I read it.

What if the rapture of the church isn’t at the beginning, but rather near the end? What if we are destined to go through the hour of great testing at the hands of the Anti-Christ (assuming of course we’re still alive when all this happens)? What if all of us who claim to be God’s people will suffer terrible persecution; a persecution so bad that Jesus says this about it. “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.” (Matt.24:21)

And to be honest, it makes sense… if Christians all over the world are suffering persecution right now... being jailed, beaten, tortured, and killed… why then should we think that we here in America will somehow escape all these horrors and more? It is very, very sobering to think about. Will I be strong enough to withstand the persecutions for the name of Christ? What will happen to my family? Will I have to witness unspeakable horrors upon them?

I haven’t come to my own conclusions yet… but it is definitely worth researching and studying! Obviously God wants us to be equipped and prepared… He wants us to know… otherwise why would He have ever given it to us? Is the teaching about the things to come really so hard, complicated, confused, and hidden or have we (man) made it this way? Could it be this plain and simple? If it is… may God’s grace be abundantly with us… b/c we will need it!!

One New Year's Resolution

Well, its that time of year again… a time to reflect back with evaluation on the previous year and a time to look forward with vision and planning for the upcoming year. And as we all know, it’s that time of the year when we make commitments for the new year.

I have never really made New Year’s resolutions before, but this year I will join the thousands of people and make a few. One will definitely be to get more exercise. Since the nature of my career is not strenuous manual labor, it is very easy for me to get out of shape and put on the pounds. So, I have made the commitment to work out at least 3 times a week. And I must say that it’s not simply b/c I want to look better… the real reason and motivation is b/c 1) The Bible says my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and so I should take better care of it. And 2) my family has a history of heart trouble, and I want to be around for Andrea and Caleb as long as possible in God’s will. So, I need to take the necessary steps to make this happen.

But as I think about this, I’m also reminded of something God has said, “Exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.” (1 Timothy 4:7-8) In the Apostle Paul’s day, the gymnasium was the focal point of the city for youths between the ages of 16 and 18. Since athletic ability was highly esteemed, there was usually a gymnasium in every town. The cultic exaltation of the body resulted in a preoccupation with exercise, athletic training, and competition, not unlike our own culture today. Paul was alluding to that cultural reality when he exhorted young Timothy to exercise himself for the goal of godliness. I can hear Paul now, “Timothy, if you’re going to work hard and train, train your inner nature for godliness.”

Is exercise and watching what we eat of any value? Of course, Paul didn’t say it was completely worthless. However, when examined against the entire back drop of eternity, it is of little value and not great value. Why? Well, first, bodily exercise only benefits the body. You may feel better, but running and lifting weights does nothing for your spirit, which must be exercised with “spiritual” disciplines, like studying Scripture, praying, fasting, journaling, attending worship, participating in fellowship with other believers, sharing your faith, so on and so forth. And secondly, bodily exercise is only profitable for this life. These 70-80 years we live in this life, aren’t even a drop in the bucket to eternity! But godliness… training ourselves to be like Christ, as Paul states here, is not only profitable for this life, but also for the life to come.

So, all of you out there who are making resolutions like me to eat better, get some exercise, and regain fitness… don’t forget that exercising ourselves toward godliness is far, far more profitable in the long run. I’ll end this entry with a quote from a great pastor-teacher, John MacArthur…
“It is spiritually immature to preoccupy yourself with your body. Doing so betrays a limited perception of spiritual and eternal realities. It should be (simply a given fact) in the church that Christians are a group of people who are in spiritual training to be conformed to the will of God, not a group of body worshipers.” (page 155-156, The Masters Plan for the Church.)

May God greatly bless all of you this coming new year with His abundant grace and peace.