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."