Not My Baby

Cooper is about to be 8 months old and she has never been sick until today. Mary Kathryn is taking her to the doctor as I write this blog. I don't believe that you can really know a greater love than the love you have for your own child. The love I have for Cooper is deeper than anything I have ever felt. Just looking at her moves me at my core and it breaks my heart to see my baby girl this way; unable to breath and coughing. If I could take it away I would because I want her to be happy and healthy.

I share this because I am coming off a sermon series called "The Christmas Gift" and I have been engulfed in study and meditation of God's only Son; The Lord Jesus. Naturally I preached from Isaiah 53 one Sunday night for in this passage is a wonderful picture of what Christ went through on our behalf. However, in the middle of this passage is a verse that goes far beyond my comprehension. In verse 10 the Bible tells us that it pleased God to crush Jesus. Pastor or not this verse vexes me. How could it please a father to crush his child? It hurts me to see my little girl get shots, which are for her own good. If I, being her father, hate to see her get hurt for her own good then how much more would it hurt me to see her get hurt for the good of others? Yet that is exactly what God did. He crushed His Son for the good of a lost world.

Therefore, I can't help but praise the name of an Almighty God who loved me that much. For if anyone's well-being depended on me harming my baby girl then

Christmas Leftovers

Like most people at this time of year I have enough food leftover from Christmas to feed an army. We have turkey, ham, dressing, peas, pies, cakes, casseroles, and just in case you want fries with that I have a bag in the freezer. We will all be eating leftovers for a while.

But these are not the Christmas leftovers that I am thinking about today. In addition to all the food that comes along with the Christmas season there also seems to be an attitude that just comes out of us all. We are more generous, kind, giving and gracious. We still have road rage though; lets face it if you can go to Wal-Mart during the Christmas rush and not get upset then you are more than human. But for the most part we are in the "Christmas spirit". My question is why does this attitude only seem to come once a year? Should the Christian not always be generous and giving; year round not simply at Christmas? If Christ is Christmas and He lives within you then the answer to the question is yes. We should be generous, kind, giving, and gracious year round not simply during a particular time of year.

Therefore, my friends I think we should have enough of the Christmas attitude leftover to carry us on in to the New Year. Can you imagine what our communities would be like if Christians treated every day like it was Christmas?

R.I.P. Revisited

Someone left me a comment on the Too Little Too Late post from a few days ago. They said it is not wrong to want someone to rest in peace. I would agree with that statement; it is not wrong to want peace for anyone. However, my question is what good are our wants when a person is gone? Again I am not trying to sound mean or unsympathetic to any family that lost a loved one but if you really wanted a person to rest is peace then you should have talked with them about Jesus before they died. Furthermore, if the person knew Christ then we shouldn't say "rest is peace" for the person in Christ is in peace; absolute peace that we can't even comprehend on this side of heaven.

Too Little, Too Late

Recently a young man from my home town passed away. Needless to say the passing of a 19 year old rocked the small community at its core. However, in the middle of all of this one thing sticks out in my mind and I just can't let it go. On people's e-mails, myspace pages and even window decals people have things like "Rest in Peace". I am not trying to sound insensitive but saying rest in peace now is a little too late if you ask me.

This leads me to a deeper thought. If we really cared if people rested in peace when they die then shouldn't we talk to them about it while they are still alive? I think the answer to that question is yes.

Grace, Grace, God's Grace

I had a professor tell me one time that if you build your ministry on food and fun you will loose it to food and fun. As a new youth pastor I wasn't quite sure what he meant by that, but I certainly do now. The kids that came to my bible studies for the pizza and games left about as quickly as they came. Why you ask. The answer is because they could find more pizza and games out in the world than I could ever offer them at church. I believe this same principle applies to adults as well. There are some who come to church as long as the church has something tangible to offer them but as soon as they can get that same need met out in the world they are gone.

The million dollar question becomes; what can the church offer a person that they can not get in the world? The answer to that question is grace. Jesus Christ died for the ungodly, vile and wretched people of this world so that they could be saved from their sins. Jesus is truely the embodiment of grace for He shows unmerrited favor to people who truely don't deserve it. The Church is the only place to find that. There is no grace in politics or education. There is no grace in the other religions for those systems are based on works and legalism. This explains why many of the Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses are so unhappy. They are trying to earn their way into heaven.

I pray that I always preach grace, not as license for immoral behavior, but as the only hope a person has for forgiveness and eternal life. I also want to show grace, the same grace that God showed to this poor sinner. Only then will my ministry and my church be blessed for we will be offering the only thing that people can't get out in the world.

Revolutionary Love

The wife and I went Christmas shopping today. As you can imgaine I am tired and in need of my chair, the tv and a glass of tea. Today was loud, crowded and stressful. However, in the middle of all the hustle and bustle God revealed something to me. Mary Kathryn was in a store buying a gift while Cooper and I were sitting outside watching the traffic of the mall. I noticed a man who was very ill-mannered in the way he dealt with a store clerk. He was loud, rude and quite frankly a jerk to this woman because they didn't have something in his size. I watched intently to see how the woman would respond to the gentleman. It was quite amazing.

I put myself in her shoes, imagining this man was talking to me that way. In all honesty I would have probably told the man to leave or jump in the creek but this woman very calmly told the man she was sorry and she even directed him to another store that might have his size. She was so sweet. Then a verse came to my mind; Matthew 5:44. Jesus said, "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."

We should do that because Christ did it first. He loved us while we were His enemies. We were sinners and friends of this world yet Christ died for us anyway. I don't know if this clerk was a Christian or not, but I do know she was calm, cool and collective with a man who was very unloveable. I want to be that way; I want to be like Christ. I hope you do too.

Forgiveness and Legalism

I had a conversation with a fellow the other day and he told me something that haunted me in my sleep, followed me to the coffee pot and now it is coming out in this blog. He desired a place of leadership in his church and was denied that privilege by his pastor at the request of some of the membership. The reason given was his past; he had used drugs before he repented and turned his life over to Christ. I am not sure what my face looked like but on the inside I was kicking and screaming and probably throwing things. If there was an award for legalism the pharasees who would not allow this man to serve would win it.

What ever happened to forgiveness? It seems that some have lost the meaning of this word in churches today. We say we forgive a person but many times we continue to hold the offense over their heads. We are called, as followers of Christ to forgive as we have been forgiven. What if Jesus held every sin over your head or mine? We would be doomed!

The Birth of Christ

I preached my first sermon as a Pastor this past Sunday and one of the points from the message still haunts my thoughts. Jesus was born in a manger. I can't get over that. The question that overwhelms me is why; why would The King of Glory come to us that way? Would He have been any less of a Savior if He had been born in a castle? Would His blood have been any less affective if He had been wrapped in a robe? I honestly don't think it would have mattered. So again I ask why did He do it?

In a book I am currently reading the author devotes a section to the reality that God is self-centered; obsessed with Himself. Think about it God does everything for His glory including sending the Messiah to save us from our sins. And what glory He gets from using the meak and humble to do the extraordinary!

I am thankful for the way Christ came to this world. He came as a peasant but He had the authority of a King. He was born around the waste of donkeys and camals but He would wash away the filth and stinch of the sinner. Praise God for the birth of Christ!!

Always At Wal-Mart

Why is it that you always see at least one person you know then you go to Wal-Mart? I guess the answer is "its Wal-Mart". This is the only place I know where you can get your oil changed, your hair cut, and your shopping done all at the same time. Everyone comes to Wal-Mart. This past Sunday I learned that was true. As Mary Karythrn and I were leaving I saw two young men in white shirts, ties, and name tags walking around the parking lot. You guessed it; they were Mormons. I got my wife to pull the car over so I could jump out and talk with these young men. The encounter went well; we exchanged numbers and I vowed to have lunch with them next time I came to Americus.

However, the encounter brought much conviction in my spirit. I realized that these two young men would speak with more people about their faith in one day than the average believer would during the whole year. These two Mormon missionaries are out speaking with people because they are compelled by a works-based system of salvation. But you and I have been born again by the love and grace of Jesus Christ. We know that the fate of those without Christ is eternity in Hell and we remain silent. Heaven help us!

My challenge is simple. I am always at Wal-Mart; looking at HD television you can't afford and passing numerous lost people. Why don't I share? Why dont you? If we really believe people are lost and headed for Hell then the Mormons should have to get in line to talk with people because the Christians are already there preaching the Gospel.

FREEDOM

What slave in his right-mind would be pronounced free and stay behind To work for his former master; No doubt a grievous disaster yet... A prevelant ensnaring of the feeble minded, the super religious and the blinded

Freedom, true freedom is in the recognition that He took a lowly postion... to die To be hung on a Cross for you and I...that we might have a chance A glorious oppourtunity to have the wrath we deserve, poured out from above On His head; He is our defense, left for dead but He arose

My darkness with light exposed and yet there are those who end the story there And go gack to their former master... back to their shackles and slave names But for His fame and instrument, a tool was provided that we with Him could be united Pass me the nails and hammer please; Nail my body to the cursed tree of pain and shame"

"Crucify Him!"... no, no crucify me, this Cross means more than eternity... it's for the present For me to present, not for prestige but for the offensive, deplorable acts of my skin For the evil desires that war within my soul... at any moment I could loose control; I could burst into flames.

Freedom, true freedom is in the recognition that there has to be a daily killing Of self, of I, of me... Every desire and want and need Must be laid at His feet not laid to waste... It is for a tast of holiness and cosecration

So wont you, can you, should you, will you put down the frustration of slavery Of bondage and oppression to taste the sweet flavor of redemption of sacrifice... Of FREEDOM!

JOY

I will rejoice, I have no choice
In the presence of a Holy God
Who invaded my world

Bombs exploding, arrows flying,
I wage war for control of my life
Yet You gently invaded with light
and the darkness fled

I will rejoice, again I say rejoice
with all the saints around Your throne
I will rejoice when alone...because I'm not
When You are all I've got it's still enough

Enough because You are the fullness of life
More in love with me than my wife..as great as she is
as great as I'm not...I fall sometimes

I will dance like David in Your presence
In the nakedness of my depravity I will
dance towards Zion...my home, that great city

Death has no sting, Hell no fury
Jesus is my defender and shield....not my jury
My sins are forgiven...I will rejoice

BIG GOD

What if You were biGGer than my imagination
lArger than my concept of time or space
larger than infinity..but how can a mere maN grasp that place

What if I let YOU out of the box i keep YoU in
BIgger than my ideas, dreams even my hoPes
A GOD too biG to hold...in my hand
but what can mY hand really hold..I..
I can't even hold sand and keep one grain from slipping through

A GoD larger and more precious than the names I call You by
I take You like tYlenol for a headache, like a bAnd-Aid for my scrapes
Scrapes which are my fault anyway

The GOD i project isn't bIG enough to protect
only a god of my sUNday best...but
not the God of peace and rest

But yOu oh Lord are THE GREAT I AM,
not the average god of this average man...cause
You saved mY souL.

Jehovah, Counselor, HeaLer, FrIenD, my RocK, my
Fortress, a Strong Tower for all, Living WaTer...
I need A drink, a taste of yOUr love..of Your excessive grace

In yOur wings I find rest, certainly you are worthy..
of my best and my worst
for I...I am a sinful man

But You are a Big God.