"Germy Bugs"

Well, it's 3:2o AM and I'm here typing a blog... why? Because of "germy bugs" as Caleb likes to call them. Last night around 3 am, Caleb came running into our room crying because he had thrown up in his bed and had to again. Well, he only threw up once and then seemed to feel a lot better during the day, though he still didn't have much of an appetite. So, I thought he was all better. But then again tonight around 1:30 AM, the same thing again... he came running to our room again crying because he was sick again. So, right now, he's resting on the couch watching Nemo and trying to go back to sleep while I type this blog (in a different room).

I'm pretty familiar with stomach viruses, especially the 24 hour kind. I probably got one once a year when I was growing up. Seriously, I had them on a regular basis. But I've never seen one like this, where you throw up once... go 24 hours nothing... and then all of a sudden you throw up again. (By the way, if you have weak stomach skip down to the next paragraph). And what really concerns me about this is the nature or consistency of his throw up. Not intending to be too gross... but his didn't look like it came from the stomach, it came from deeper than that... like it should have gone the other way if you know what I mean.

I intend to call the Dr.'s office tomorrow to see if something is going around, and if there is anything to be concerned about. I hate throwing up with a passion, so it breaks my heart to see my little boy hurting like this. I really hope none of the rest of us get it, especially little Taite. Things like this are so much easier to handle when you're able to at least partially communicate with your children.

Can't Judge a Book by its Cover - Literally!!

So, I received this book in the mail today, A New Testment to be specific. It was entitled, "The New Testament: Recovery Version." What was this? I had never heard of it before. So, I read the card that came with it.

"Dear Pastor...
As noted in the preface, the Recovery Version 'embodies extensive research into the meaning of the original text and attempts to express this meaning with English that is to the point, easy to understand, and readable.' Complete with over 9,000 explanatory notes and over 13,000 cross-references, the Recovery Version crystallizes the understanding of the divine revelation possessed by God's people throughout the past centuries."

I thought, "Wow, this sounds pretty good. This must be some new version that really opens up the original languages to the English reader." So, I turned to a very familiar verse John 3:16 and read:
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that everyone who believes into Him would not perish, but would have eternal life."
That sounds pretty good. Whoa... wait a minute. Let's reread that. "that everyone who believes into Him..." Now, what does that mean?

Ok, so now I'm officially suspicious. Where did this "new testament" come from? Who published it? It was distributed by "Bibles for America," but I have never heard of them before. But there is another reference... "Living Stream Ministry" But I've never heard of that before either. But then I got a real big clue. In the front of this "new testament" it is written, "outline, footnotes, charts, and references written by: Witness Lee"

For all of you who do not know, Witness Lee is associated with a cult called "The Local Church," which was founded by Watchman Nee. It sounds thoroughly Christian... even on the website, the statement of faith sounds orthodox and true. But that is because they use the same words but change the meanings. When you really dig into what they really believe, you discover that there are some major problems with their teachings.

For example: The Doctrine of God
Their view: They believe in Modalism (Modalism is the teaching that holds that God is not really 3 distinct persons, but only one person who appears to people in different "modes" at different times).
The Truth: Modalism is heresy. God is indeed One God, but is revealed in 3 distinct persons, and has been since all eternity.

Another example: Doctrine of Jesus
Their view: God as a man; after the resurrection He became the Holy Spirit or the "Lord Spirit"
The Truth: Jesus was the God-Man, but he was still distinct from both God the Father and God the Spirit. Jesus did not turn into the Holy Spirit; He sent the Holy Spirit to His disciples, while even now He Himself is at the right hand of the Father in glory.


G. Richard Fisher, nicely sums it up in his article, "Watching Out for Watchman Nee"
http://www.apologeticsindex.org/n01.html

A few of the problems in Nee's teachings:

Nee outlines no method of Bible study and interpretation and appears to deny evangelical hermeneutics. In his book Spiritual Authority, he sets himself and his elders up as the unquestionable authorities. By all appearances, Nee saw himself not as a servant but as a guru.

One gets the impression from Nee that the Bible was not nearly as important as Christians generally consider it. In his book The Ministry of God's Word, Nee says, "Words alone cannot be considered God's Word." In this book, Nee becomes very philosophical, mystical and incoherent. He says that only as we deliver the Word in terms of the "reality behind it," using what he calls "Holy Spirit memory" and "presenting the pictures as well as speaking the words" will the words be correct; otherwise they are not real.

Nee overemphasizes emotions. In The Ministry of God's Word, he claims that the effectiveness of a preacher's delivery is a product of his emotions. If a preacher does not feel emotionally charged in delivery, "the Spirit is stuck" and the "Spirit is inevitably arrested," Nee says. He continues, "The Spirit flows through the channel of emotion." Then he arrives at a strange conclusion: "Nose in the Scripture stands for feeling. Smelling is a most delicate act, man's feeling is most delicate." Therefore, Nee says, a preacher in speaking needs to "mix feelings with the words spoken, else his words are dead. If our feeling lags behind, our words are stripped of the spirit." To say as Nee does, on page 210, that the Holy Spirit only rides on feeling is dangerous.

Nee uses terms imprecisely. One example is his writing about a minister's receiving "revelations" in his "Holy Spirit memory" and those revelations being remembered in us by the Holy Spirit. This sort of metaphysical mumbo jumbo is impossible to understand, since there is no direct scriptural reference to a "Holy Spirit memory."

When a Christian begins to see Nee as a guide in determining the value of other Christian writers, or sees Nee's writings as a key to spirituality, that person is headed for trouble. Nee's presuppositions are suspect in light of the Word of God. His books provide grist for cult groups such as The Way, The Alamo Foundation, the Children of God and other groups. The astute believer should watch out for Watchman Nee.

Merry Tossmas

This is pretty good... Check it out.

http://www.citizenlink.org/Stoplight/A000005834.cfm

Monday Memories - Crossroads Winter Conference 07

What To Do With Santa?

Recently my wife and I have been doing a lot more talking and discussing about what to do with Santa Claus. As good parents wanting the best and most fun for their kids, we want Caleb and Taite to have many fond and very fun memories of Christmas. But at the same time, we're also extremely dedicated Christians, and desire to make sure they understand the real meaning behind Christmas. I guess every Christian parent has to deal with this issue at some point. And right now, our Caleb is at the age where we're going to have to really address it one way or the other. My wife recently wrote a very good blog about this issue from her perspective, to read it just follow this link: http://dreawd.blogspot.com/2007/12/santa.html

Personally, I really do not want to do Santa at all. And the reason may surprise you a little. It's really not about keeping the main thing at Christmas about Jesus... because we're going to do that anyway. The real issue for me is Integrity. The Santa Claus game or legend is not truth. I mean, let's face it... It's a lie. Now, I know that people will say, "but we're just pretending; it's a game." And I would have to say, "To you, it's a game... But to the child that you're convincing of it and even using it as motivational tool for good behavior, it's not pretending... it's real!" And in my opinion thats when pretending becomes deception... and for me, that's the issue.

My Experience
I remember when I was growing up, my parents did the whole Santa Claus thing. I wrote letters to Santa, left cookies and milk out for Santa, I can even remember my mom giving me a Santa-Chore chart to help me keep track of my chores and if I was doing good or not. The more gold stars I had the better! We're talking motivation here!! Now, I didn't like sitting on his lap at the mall or something, somehow I didn't think that was necessary. In my little mind, Santa was like God... He could just see you and He knew instinctively what you wanted. And I remember seriously believing in Santa until I was like 9-10 years old. And I remember even arguing with adults who expressed doubt in Santa. In fact, I believed with all my heart that I had actually seen him one time, and so I would argue with people about his existence. I'd look out my bedroom window on Christmas eve and believe I saw just a glimpse of his sleigh (probably a jet or plane). And so with all of that in my background... Can you even imagine how betrayed and how utterly FOOLISH I felt when I came to understand that it was all FAKE!

One of My Goals as a Parent
Now, taking that experience... look at it from my perspective as a Christian parent who is desperately desiring to teach my children about our great Faith. My parents were Christians and they taught me how to be a Christian, mostly through their actions. But they never aggressively taught me hard-core Christian doctrine from early childhood. Me, on the other hand, one of my goals is to pour out my Faith and all the truth I've learned about God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, Salvation, Sin, the Church, etc, etc... into my children. I want them to be extremely educated in the Christian faith. I want them reading and understanding things in high school that I never even heard of until seminary. I want them memorizing Scripture. I want them knowing the Bible backwards and forwards. I want them being able to recite catechsimal questions that teach systematic theology. I'm serious... I want my kids to be able to keep their youth minister and Sunday School teachers really on their toes, because their Daddy has taught them the truth.

The Dilemma
Now here's the question... How can I teach them so diligently about God and all these important spiritual things one minute and then turn around and lie to them about a jolly man in a red suit coming on Christmas Eve to bring them toys if they're good the next? Honestly, in good conscience... I just can't. I can teach them about the real St. Nick who was a strong believer, but I just can't convince them of something that is a blatant falsehood. I would rather my boys be able to confess to anyone one day that their Daddy never lied to them. And so when I'm teaching them about the real things of life, they won't ever have to stop and question if their Daddy is being serious or just "pretending."

Wordless Wednesday - slip n slide

When It's Too Good to be True...

My Dad use to tell me, "Son, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is (too good to be true that is). Yesterday, I received a cashier's check in the mail for $2800 from some kind of supposed contest or lottery called "Lucky For Life." The $2800 was just the first installment of the $30,000 I had won along with 9 other people. I was immediately suspicious because I have never purchased a lottery ticket and the postage stamp was from Canada.

But of course, I have to admit there was a small part of me that was looking at that check for $2800 and thinking "Wow... I could really use that!" I even went online to see if the bank was a legitmate bank. And it was! I mean, even if the rest of it was a scam and not true... $2800 would be just fine with me. :)

But then I called the Bank in Tyler Texas which the cashier's check was from, and sure enough... it was a fake check and it was a big scam. What they want you to do is to deposit that check in your bank account and then call them with your bank information so that they can "wire the rest to you." Right! The truth is as soon as you give them the account information, your money is as good as gone! So, if any of you out there receive a "Lucky For Life" sweepstakes letter saying you've won a lot of money... Don't buy it. It's all a big scam.

p.s. Found this afterwards... a "Rip-off Report"
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/287/RipOff0287601.htm

Newest Item on Christmas List

Today, I went out to lunch with a friend and while we were out he showed me the neatest thing in his car. It was called a Navigon. I have seen items similar like this before, but I never realized how cool they were until I actually saw his work. This incredible piece of technology will absolutely do away with having to stop and ask for directions forever. Not only can you type in an address to get directions, but you can even just ask for things like hotels and restaurants, and it will come up with a whole list, and all you have to do is say take me there and it does. How cool is that? I can't count how many times I have been in a strange city riding all over the place looking for a particular place. And the best thing about it is there are no monthly subscriptions to a satelite service; all the information is right in the machine. You just pay for it once and go. Yep, this is definitely the newest item on my Christmas wish list.

Monday Memories - Meeting a former Colts Player

Last year I had the privilege of meeting Shawn Harper, former NFL Offensive Lineman for the Indianapolis Colts. Shawn is now a Christian Motivational Speaker. He travels all around the country sharing his testimony of how Jesus Christ has saved him and what God can in your life if you let Him. In fact, that is how I was able to meet Shawn. He came to Bellevue, Ohio at the invitation of Touch the Heart Youth Ministries. While there he spoke in several schools and hosted a big youth rally in the park the following Saturday. If you would like you can check out his website at: http://shawnharperministries.org/

Thanksgiving at Grandmother's

For my entire life, we have always gone to my grandmother's for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter for big family gatherings. Of course, I grew up seeing my grandmother a whole lot more than that, seeing as how I only lived like 300 yards from her. Haha. Well, today Caleb and I took the hour and a half trip back to Grandmother's house for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, little Taite was sick so Andrea decided to just stay here at home with him. I hated they weren't with us, but I know it was better for Taite... he slept most of the day.

Below is a picture of my son, Caleb enjoying some of grandmother's good cooking. Her turkey and dressing is the best I've ever eaten. I wish I had entire dish of it to bring home. I did bring Andrea some food for supper. And some very kind people from our church brought her some turkey for lunch which I thought was very sweet of them.




And well, after doing a lot eating, playing, and enjoying all of the family, we were pretty tired. As you can see from the picture below, Caleb got to enjoy a nice little nap on the ride home. It was a good day. I hope everyone had a wonderful thanksgiving day with family and friends!

Joint Thanksgiving Service

Tomorrow night, our church (West End Baptist Church) is going to have a Joint-Thanksgiving service with Everettes Baptist Church. I'm really excited about this and am very glad that Jason (their pastor) and the church body decided to do this with us. I think it's going to be a great time of worship and fellowship as two different local bodies come together to worship and give thanks to our great and loving God for being so good to us.

I think it's really great when churches can come together for worship, service, and fellowship. Sometimes, people (even pastors) can become competitive with other churches. If another church down the road is growing faster, or has a better building, or more programs than their own church, people at times can get envious and bitter. Sometimes they will even become resentful that God seems to be blessing one church more than another. Even at the conventions and things, pastors will at times compare numbers and/or ministies with others, like we're in competition.

But we have to remember, that when the Word of God is our center & authority and the Gospel of Jesus Christ is being accurately presented, then we're not in competition with one another... we're on the same team! And in this day and time, especially in our culture, it takes all kinds of different churches to reach all the different kinds of people. Some people like formal services, others like casual worship. Some people like Southern Gospel, while others like Contemporary Christian. Some people like to dress up in coat and tie, while others like wearing their shorts and sandals. And truly, the Word of God gives freedom in these non-essential areas.

So, I'm very excited about tomorrow night and I hope we have a good turn out of fellow believers who desire to take special time out of their busy lives to praise and thank God for all His wonderful blessings that He has given. And most especially for the precious gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. And I pray that He will indeed be glorified and pleased with our small demonstration of unity tomorrow night.

Personal Reflections on the Annual Meeting of the BSCNC

Most of you know that I have spent the last few days in Greensboro, NC meeting with fellow messengers of the Baptist State Convention for the annual meeting. I have never really been that involved with convention matters here in N.C., probably because I am just now beginning my first pastorate in N.C. And because I spent the last 2 years in Northern Ohio I was certainly out of touch. So, for the last few days I have spent a lot of time reading and listening. It was a very interesting convention, and I believe a pretty important one because some major decisions were made. Allow me to list briefly the 4 Major Actions taken by the convention and my personal reaction to them.

1) The convention voted to exclude Myers Park Baptist Church of Charlotte, NC from it's fellowship.
Last year, the convention made the decision that if any church of the Baptist State Convention affirms or blesses homosexual behavior is to be considered "not in friendly cooperation" with the BSC. By their own admission, Myers Park Baptist Church were and are in violoation of the conventions membership policies regarding the issue of homosexuality. The most interesting thing is that this large church of Charlotte with it's approximately 1,900 members contributed less than $250 to the cooperative program of the BSC last year and hasn't sent a messenger to the convention in 8 years. So, why this year? Do they want a little publicity? Are they trying to gather sympathy from the world? Only God knows their motivations. I'm sure this will come out as if we baptists hate homosexuals, which isn't true at all. We welcome, invite, and beg all men and women to come to Christ, and God loves all and saves all that call upon His name. But the Bible also tells us that God loved us too much to leave us the way we were in our sin. The Bible says, "If anyone be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things have passed away, behold all things become new." It is not we who are hating homosexuals... it is really those who choose to deceive them by telling them that God does not care enough for them to deal with their sin.


2) The convention also approved a proposal from our baptist colleges that will give the schools the right to choose their own trustees in exchange for relinquishing the funding they receive from the Baptist State Convention over the next 4 years.
The Baptist colleges of N.C. (Campbell, Wingate, Gardner-Webb, Chowan, and Mars Hill) no longer want any say-so or control from the BSCNC. In the past, we have appointed the trustees to these schools. But apparently our convention leadership has reached the point that they believe we would be better off just to let them go their own way, let them appoint their self-perpetuating boards of trustees, and for us to no longer have any say so. The presidents of these colleges asked the messengers "to please trust us..." that they would continue to appoint trustees from cooperating Baptist churches to their college boards. However, I must admit that I'm a little pessimistic. Maybe because I know very well human nature, and maybe because I've seen the direction that so many other previously Christian colleges and universities have gone. This truly saddens me. I would love to see our Baptist colleges remain under the guidance and direction of the convention, and be places of quality Christian education where solid conservative theology is upheld and taught. But it doesn't appear this will be possible.


3) Another important matter dealt with the severing of the relationship between the Baptist Retirement Homes of N.C. and BSCNC.
The truth of the matter is, through the unethical and illegal procedures of the trustees of the BRH of NC, the relationship between the BRH and the BSCNC has already been severed. There were talks of litigation which I believe we would win hands down since the board of trustees violated their very own constitution and bylaws. However, Scripture is clear that brothers in Christ should be mature enough to handle disputes and differences without sueing one another and bringing reproach to the name of Christ. Personally, I don't know about the spiritual condition of the BRH trustees, but I do know that the leadership of the BSC are Christians, and are deeply convinced that saving face and not doing harm to the name of Christ is far more important than anything else. Therefore, the convention voted to respectfully request the BRH to follow the procedures outlined in the BSCNC by-laws to officially sever the relationship with the convention and to seek to establish a new relationship. It was also approved to make this decision financially beneficial to them for doing this. But personally, I am not going to hold my breath waiting for them to comply with the request. The Baptist Retirement Homes Study Committee did a wonderful job in investigating and reporting to the convention the situation. The findings were very disturbing and sad, and I think a lot of good baptist people would be shocked if they read it, which I do recommend.


4) And finally, the convention also approved the board of director's proposed budgets for 2008 & 2009 and the N.C. Mission Offering allocations for 2008.
The big deal about the NCMO for 2008 is the fact that it doesn't include the WMU-NC. It is a very long and drawn out ordeal, which I won't get into all of it here. But the main issue had to do with the final say-so in the hiring and firing process of WMU-NC staff. Ruby Fulbright, the current president of the WMU-NC said she had it. But according to the BSCNC by-laws, which states that WMU-NC staff are employees of the BSCNC, the truth is, that the Executive-Director Treasurer has the final say-so. Further more, to give up that responsibility would cause the BSCNC to be open and vulnerable to all kinds of serious law suits and ultimately financial disaster. Therefore, the BSCNC position could not be compromised. But yet even so, understanding all the implications of their decision, the WMU-NC executive board still decided they would rather separate themselves and take on all the financial burden, and have therefore asked all the WMU-NC staff to resign from the BSCNC effective Dec.31st 2007. When one cuts through all the politically correct terminology and double talk, one finds that the gist of the matter is this: The WMU-NC executive board decided that they would rather be completely independent of and not be accountable to the BSCNC, and would rather instead be completely free and able to work with other entities like the CBF and the BWA. This is what it all boils down to. They want baptist money, but they do not want any accountability. This is not only wrong, it's unbiblical.

Personally, I think this is a terrible move by the board, and I do not believe that it represents the feelings or thoughts of the thousands and thousands of faithful ladies of the WMU across this convention. I love the WMU; they are extremely hard working and supremely faithful and devoted to the cause of Christ. And nothing would please me more than to see the executive board's decision reversed and the WMU-NC once again realigned with the BSCNC (which by the way has been offered to them) And if I were one of the ladies apart of the WMU, I would be calling for Ruby Fulbright's resignation and a return to the BSCNC. However, if they choose to continue down this road, then I believe we have no choice but to let them go and begin making efforts to establish a new mission education organization within the BSCNC. These are indeed troubling times, but I know the God whom we serve... that He is faithful and true... and I know that we will weather this storm, and I know that in the end the name of Christ will be lifted up and magnified. And I will pray to this end.

Movie Warning: The Golden Compass: Apparently Hostile to Theism and Christianity

I don't know about this personally, because the movie hasn't even came out yet to be viewed by the public, but I thought I would pass this along to any would-be concerned parents or persons.

From OneMillionDads.com:

The Golden Compass is a film from New Line Cinema based on the first book of a series, His Dark Materials, written by English atheist Philip Pullman. It is set to release December 7 in theaters nationwide. From watching the trailer, it's easy to see that the film has a C. S. Lewis/Narnia feel to it, but don't be deceived. Pullman's book trilogy is the story of "a battle against the church and a fight to overthrow God," BBC News reported.

The Guardian, a British newspaper, goes even further to describe the books as "metaphysical fantasies encompassing parallel worlds, the death of God and the fall of man ...." "I don't know whether there's a God or not. Nobody does, no matter what they say," Pullman said in an interview posted on his website.

"One of the [book] series' main themes -- the rejection of organized religion and in particular the abuse of power within the Catholic Church -- is to be watered down," according to the Telegraph, a newspaper in the U.K. "But when the film is released in December the Magisterium will be shown as a critique of all dogmatic organizations, thereby avoiding a religious backlash."

Therefore, without yet seeing the film, OneMillionMoms.com and OneMillionDads.com is alerting Christians to the potential dangers of The Golden Compass. Because of Pullman's clearly articulated anti-Christian motives, we are warning all movie-goers to avoid the film.

Additional resources:- Read "Shedding Light on His Dark Materials" by Kurt Bruner and Jim Ware to explore hidden spiritual themes in Philip Pullman’s popular children’s fantasy series.

My Motto for Life

"By His Grace... For His Glory"

Back in Ohio, when I was a youth pastor, I established this phrase as our youth group's motto to go along with our purpose statement. Later, I found out that Dr. Tom Nettles wrote a book about Baptist history that was entitled "By His grace... For His Glory." (I don't think he'll mind me using his title in this blog).

Since that time, I have come to adopt this as my personal motto for life. I guess because it really does sum up life very accurately. First of all, everything that we are or have is by the wonderful grace of God. Are you living? Are you relatively healthy? Do you have a mind to think with and a body to move around with? Do you have friends and family that love you, and that you love in return? These are just mere drops in the bucket of a vast ocean of God's blessings and provisions, of which He owes us NONE!

I think people often forget this. People have a tendency to WRONGLY think that God owes them something. God doesn't owe us anything! The ONLY thing that we have justly acquired from our Creator is JUDGMENT AND WRATH in HELL!! I know, I know that sounds reallly harsh. But unfortunately, that's the truth. After He lovingly created us and gave us everything we could have ever possibly needed, we rebelled against Him, and said, "NO! We don't want You for our god! We want to be our own god!" As a result, we are all now born spiritually dead, with every aspect our being bound with and contaminated by sin. But thanks be to God again... for He has provided a remedy for our condition, and that is through His only Son, Jesus Christ. By turning from our sinful lifestyles and trusting in Him, the Holy Bible tells us that we can be assured of eternal life in heaven with Him.

And after we have come to know Him as we should, and we begin to study His word... we quickly realize that ALL of life... is for His glory! That is, everything that IS... all of creation... from the smallest plant life to every man, woman, boy, and girl... EVERYTHING was made to bring Jesus Christ praise and glory forever.

Do you know why you exist? To bring Him glory. Do you know why you have been blessed and provided for so abundantly? To bring Him glory. Do you know why you have been blessed with children, your home, breathable air and clean water? Yep, you guessed it... To bring Him glory!

So, the next time you're tempted to gripe and complain... remember this, that in reality you (and me) should be burning alive right now in the fires of hell... and it's only by the grace of God that we're not! Have you surrendered to Christ as Lord and Savior of your life? If so, by His grace, you will never have to endure His wrath. Praise God!! If you have not, it is by God's grace that you're still alive... which means you still have an opportunity to surrender to Him and be saved. Don't wait... Do it today! Then you too will come to fully understand what it means to say, "By His grace... For His glory!"

My New Flock

Well, it has been a long time since I posted a blog. I think the last one was in March. Nobody is probably even reading it anymore since I've been so unfaithful to keep it going. And I'm not sure why I'm writing this one except for the reason that I have reached an extremely momentous occasion in my life. And that occasion is, I will soon be moving to a small town in eastern NC where God has given me the privilege of serving as Senior Pastor for the first time in my life.



I can scarcely believe that the Lord God would entrust such an extremely responsible position to me, but the church voted today, and God spoke loud and clear through His people. Normally, a pastor would like to have 3/4 majority or at least 2/3 majority to consider accepting a call to a church. But today 98 members cast a vote, and for the first time in their history, the church voted 100% to call their pastor. I was simply overwhelmed and stunned silent, and I know... I KNOW it is only by the grace of Almighty God that this so. I'm extremly excited to get started in this new ministry, and I believe with all my heart that God has great things in store for our church.

This is a picture of where the church meets.

New Job

Today I had my first day of general security training at Securitas in Charlotte. It was ok... very long and quite redundant since I worked security while I was seminary from 2000-2005. But I guess it was a good refresher. The really weird thing was that while we were sitting there watching all the different videos about general security policies and procedures, all of sudden... THERE I WAS ON THE TV! Yep! That's right, I was in actually in the training video! (HAHA). How funny is that?! Here I am training... and watching me do the job. I thought that was really neat and kind of weird. I wish I could get a copy of it. :)

But anywho, I have one more day of training and then I go to my assigned site for training on that particular post. I'm looking forward to it. I'd rather be working and doing something than just sitting around the house feeling lazy. But I had to blog about it. I'm probably the very first person in security history to be trained by watching himself do the job that he is in fact training for.

A NEW Look!

Because I'm getting a new job with Securitas Security, I had to shave my beard b/c they don't allow facial hair. They don't believe it is professional enough. I definitely didn't want to. Personally, I think I am definitely a beard man, but you have to do what you have to do. What do you think?

Before...




After...

Down By Creek

Yesterday, Clift (Andrea's Dad) and I and Caleb went to the little creek behind their house. For the most part, Caleb loved it. Mostly he just threw rocks in the "e-ow" (water). But then he figured out that it was ok for him to actually get in the water. He really loved that. Normally you wouldn't be doing this in March, but it has been unseasonably warm - in the 80's! Caleb had a great time!

Who's The Real Man?

The other day while I was waiting for dinner to get done I turned on the TV and watched a sitcom called "Yes Dear." Very rarely do I watch this or any other show simply because I just don't watch that much TV unless it happens to be a movie I want to watch. But I caught this one.

The show was all about how Greg was struggling with his manhood. He, nor the others in his family, thought very much about his manhood since he didn't play any tough sports like football, he is kind of weak, and even a little skiddish. He tried doing things to prove his manhood like playing football with "the guys" and climbing a very tall tree to retrieve the football to prove he was brave, and hince a real man. While trying to comfort his brother-in-law, the other guy (forgot his name) stated that Greg probably couldn't help it; that he had inherited a "wuss" gene. To make a long story short, in the end Greg did "prove" his manhood by punching a huge guy in the face to get to his toddler before he ate a peanut candy bar, which he is deathly allergic to.

But the reason, I'm writing about this show is because it is a perfect example of how really twisted and screwed up hollywood is when it comes to values and what is important. Supposely Greg isn't a real man because he doesn't play the tough sports or do the rough and tough manly things, while his brother-in-law is a real man because he does do those things. Even though it is it Greg who (on the show) is working, being responsible, and providing a home for his family, while the brother-in-law is living under Greg's roof like a bum and a moocher. He can't find a good enough job to support his family because he was just a big drinker and partier who goofed off in school and barely graduated. But he is the real man... because he can drink beer and play tough football. He can't stand on his own, support his family, or hold a adequate job, but he is the real man.

Sadly, this is probably the way many in our culture believe. It's no wonder boys are growing up confused and unprepared for life and all it's challenges; they don't even know what being a real man is. My boys will know because I'm going to train them, and it will begin when they are very young... and you can trust it won't be hollywood's definition of manhood that I use!

Want A Better Life - Trying Planting Different Seeds

Galatians 6:7-8

The Lord has warned us; we have no excuse. When we reap evil consequences and heartaches, many times it's because of the decisions that we ourselves have made. Sometimes we think we will be the exception to the rule; that somehow we can do as we please with no adverse effects or negative consequences. But then God's word rings clear once again... "God is not mocked" And so, just as He has said, we reap the consequences of our actions and decisions.

You see, just as God has ordained the law of gravity, which is absolutely universal, impartial, and very predictable so is the law of sowing and reaping. The Word of God says very clearly, "For whatsoever a man sows, that He will also reap." You can't plant corn and harvest navy beans. You can't plant tulips and get rose bushes. And you can't continuously so to your old sinful nature and reap a blessed and favored life from God.

The Word of God is also very clear in that we have a choice of what type of life we're going to reap by what seeds we sow. We can sow to our "flesh" (i.e. our sinful nature) or we can sow to the Spirit (God's Spirit). Sowing to the flesh brings about corruption and destruction, whereas sowing to the Spirit brings about eternal life... not just life in heaven forever, but a better quality of life NOW!

Not satisfied with your life now? Are you experiencing an abnormal amount of suffering, trials, heartaches, and trouble? What type of seeds are you sowing? My mind immediately thinks of a young lady named Brittany, who just recently shaved her head. What a terrible way to live! What an extremely sad situation she has found herself in! Is the media and everyone around her to blame? Or has Brittany spent a large portion of her life sowing bad seeds? "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked. For whatsoever a man (or woman) sows, that he (or she) will also reap."

My heart goes out to her. I pray that she will repent of her sin, turn to God, and find the true joy and peace that only He can give. Then and only then, will the pieces of her shattered life truly be put back together.

DEBT = Financial Bondage!

I never realized before just how bad debt was until we began studying it just recently. I have known plenty of people all my life who lived with debt, and it never seemed to effect anything. But just recently, I have learned just how strongly the Word of God talks about debt.

For example, Romans 13:8 states, "Owe no one anything..."

And Proverbs 22:7 states, "The rich rules over the poor, and the borrow is servant to the lender."

Now, if these two were not enough to convince us what God thinks of having debt, the view of debt given in the Old Testament should leave no doubt. In Deut.28:1-2, 12... one of the rewards for obedience that God promised the people of Israel was they would be free of debt. And conversely, in Deut.28:15, 43-44, Debt was one of the curses for disobedience!

And there's that the whole presumption aspect of debt. You see, when we go into debt over something that we think we simply must have at the moment like a new computer, a new big screen TV, etc... we're presuming that things are going to stay well with our financial situation, and we'll simply pay it off in a few months. But in James 4:13, we're warned against the sin of presumption. We really don't know how we're going to be fairing in 6 months. If God permits, we could be doing well... or we could lose our job, get sick, get in accident, anything can happen. So, we must be very careful in this regard to.

Now, the Bible doesn't say it's a sin to go into debt. It simply discourages it because you become somewhat in bondage. The very smart and Godly people at Crown Financial Ministries state that it's their opinion that it is permissible to borrow for: 1) a home mortgage, 2) your vocation, or 3) your business. But there are things to consider even then... like:
-Will the item purchased produce income or at least go up in value?
-Does the value of the item equal or exceed the amount owed?
-And will the repayment of the new debt put too high a strain on your budget?
All very wise questions.

Personally for me, I understand very practically just how debt is financial slavery. My wife and I don't have the freedom to give sometimes or do the things that we would love to do because of debt. I would love to give more to my church, more to missions, be able to just bless the people we love... but I'm often hindered b/c we simply do not have it to give. I grew up with the understanding that when you recieve your income, first and foremost you give your top 10% to God no matter what... whether your eat or not, that first 10% is God's and to not give it is stealing! Then you pay the people that you owe. And finally, you use the rest to live on or give to help others. One of these days (December 2009) we will be out of debt by the grace and favor of God. Because 1) we have a budget, and 2) we have repayment plan to pay off all our creditors. And then we will be completely free! But until that time, we live under the curse of slavery because of bad choices. If you're reading this, learn from our mistakes. Don't give into the temptation of "have now - pay later." Save your money, learn to live without, and you will be free and blessed because of it.

The Newest Member of our Family: Taite Ezekiel

Just the other day I was talking with a gentlemen who suggested that I introduce my new son on my blog. I guess I hadn't thought about it b/c my wife posts gobs of pictures of both our children on her blog so I didn't see the need. But after thinking about it, I thought... that's a good idea.

So here he is... Taite Ezekiel. He was born on Dec 18th, 2006 measuring 19.5 in long and weighing 6.7 lbs. So, in this picture... he's about 5 weeks old. He's a good baby and we're so thankful to God to have in. In case you're wondering about his name "Taite" means cheerful - b/c he has certainly made us cheerful and happy... and "Ezekiel" means God will strengthen, which is our prayer for our little boy.

So, who does he look like?

I OWN NOTHING.

One of the things that I have the privilege of doing is teaching a Senior High Small Group Bible study on Sunday mornings. Right now, we are doing a study entitled, "Discovering God's Way of Handling Our Finances." This turning out to be a great study; one that I hope all the students are taking seriously. I'm leading the study and yet I'm learning and be reminded of things just like the rest of the students.

Well anyway... this is Lesson #1 - I OWN NOTHING! That's right, you and I own nothing, because God in fact owns it all.

1 Chron. 29:11 - "For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours... O Lord."

Ps. 24:1 - "The earth is the Lord's, and all it's fullness, the world and those who dwell therein."

Ps. 50:10 - "For every beast of the forest is Mine and the cattle on a thousand hills."

Haggai 2:8 - "'The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,' says the Lord of hosts."

No where in God's world does it speak about Him transfering ownership to us. No, it still all belongs to Him. We are simply stewards and managers of His resources. Why is this so important to realize and accept this?
1) It will make us do a better job of handling the finances that have been entrusted to us. Far too many people struggle financially today, even though we live in one of the most properous nations on earth. And it's not always because we don't have sufficient income. Most of the time, it's because we haven't learned how to handle what we've been given; i.e. doing it His Way.

2) It will also cause us to have the right perspective and attitude regarding all the finances and resources in our care. What happens when something breaks down or is stolen? Do we get angry and bitter? Does it steal our joy? Our peace? It probably wouldn't if we correctly recognized that it was never OURS to begin with.

When we have the right perspective about all the money and possessions that's in our care, all kinds of decisions (like saving, investing, and spending... and not just giving) will become spiritual decisions. We begin to pray not, "Lord, what should I do with my money?"... But rather, "Lord, what would You have me do with YOUR money."

A GREAT SUPER BOWL!

What a great Super Bowl last night. The Colts beat the Bears 29 to 17! Go COLTS!! But not only was it great in that respect, but it was also a great night for the kingdom of God. Last night Touch the Heart Youth Ministries had our annual Super Bowl Party/Youth Outreach in our town. We had a great turn out of both students and adult volunteers. I believe the final count for students was like 135, which I believe was a record for us. The kids had a lot of fun playing basketball, volleyball, X-Box, cards, etc. Then at half time, our guest speaker testified to the love and saving grace of Almighty God. And when the time came for the students to respond to the truth, there were quite a few who felt led to surrender to Christ... some for the very first time, others in a renewed commitment. Of course, only God knows the sincereity of these public decisions... which time will reveal, but we praise God for what occurred.

Immediate Judgment

One of the worst judgments that God could ever do to man is to remove His Spirit from us. In the book of Romans, Ch.1, the Apostle Paul (under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit) writes that the "wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men..."

But why is His wrath being revealed? Because even though all men know of God, the vast majority do not glorify Him as God nor give thanks to Him. Rather than worshiping and serving Him as Lord, they worship and serve themselves. We hurry about with our lives doing what we want. We don't stop to give Him thanks or credit for the wonderful blessings we enjoy; in fact, we think we deserve them. That's why we get so terribly upset when things go bad. But not only are we not thankful, we also fail to yield ourselves over to Him as Lord. Men don't want another authority in their life; we have too many already. Instead, man is determined to be his own lord, his own king... he will do what he wants, when he wants!

And what is God's immediate action to this at times? Romans 1:24-28 basically tells us that God gives us exactly what we want. Three different times in these verses, the Word of God states, "God gave them over...." But gave them over to what? God gives us over to ourselves! Since we don't want to have anything to do with God, God gives us over to ourselves and allows our depraved hearts to do and go exactly as it desires. And the downward spiral of our wicked hearts set free to do as it wants takes us to unimagined depths of wickedness and depravity. And the results... all kinds of sexual impurities, the degrading of our bodies, unnatural affections, shameful lusts, costly perversions, and absolutely warped thinking.

"Oh dear God, do whatever necessary to keep me in Your will... fill me with guilt, burden me with conviction, lame my physical body, crush my spirit... but never, never take Your Spirit from me. Don't ever, ever leave me to myself. In Jesus' name... Amen."

Back from Winter Conference

Myself along with 3 other adults and 10 students just got back last night from a winter conference in Gatlinburg, TN hosted by Crossroads Worldwide. And boy was it a great conference!

First of all, God blessed every aspect of our trip... from the drive down and back to the hotel rooms to the weather... just everything.

And second, the staff of Crossroads did an absolutely phenominal job as always of hosting a great Christian conference. The worship was awesome and the speakers were powerful!

And lastly, I really believe God did a very special work in the hearts of some of our young people. One young lady was saved... another repented of hard, bitter feelings and recommitted her life to Christ... another repented of being a silent Christian...and others were exposed and challenged to go to a higher level of Christian discipleship.

It was just a wonderful time of fellowship and discipleship with some really great young people!

If any youth pastor out there stumbles onto this blog... let me just say that I STRONGLY recommend the ministry of Crossroads Worldwide founded by Clayton King. I've been going to their events going on 6 years now, and I've never once been disappointed. They're faithful, humble, trustworthy servants of God... and they are a wonderful blessing to the Church in this generation!