Weekly Devotion - February 10, 2012

"At the sight of these men Paul

thanked God and was encouraged."

Acts 28:15 NIV

 

Paul, the apostle in scripture, had experienced a rough journey from Caesarea to Rome. He was a prisoner being transported by ship under Roman custody. Strong winds slowed and rerouted his travel. Paul warned the guards that they should spend the winter in port but was ignored. Hurricane-force winds blew against the ship pushing it further south than they intended to go. Then they shipwrecked on Malta.

 

More than three months later, Paul arrived in Rome. Christians in Rome heard Paul was coming and they went out to meet him. "At the sight of these men Paul thanked God and was encouraged."

 

Isn't it good to know that somebody is glad to see you? I've watched the faces of people exiting the terminal into the waiting area of Little Rock National Airport. When he sees the faces of his wife and children his eyes light up. She smiles. The kids jump up and down. That has to make the traveler feel good.

 

I've also watched as a man has nobody to greet him. His steps are a little heavier. His face is downcast. From his body language you can tell he is tired (we all are) and can use some encouragement. Maybe he's home but nobody cares. Maybe he's far from home and missing his family. Maybe it's just another stop along the way trying to make a dollar that's all too soon gone.

 

What if you and I were the encourager today? Isn't there someone at your workplace or school who could use cheering up? Maybe it's a total stranger at Walmart or Target. Think of the impact you can make in someone's life simply by encouraging them with a kind word, a smile, or a good deed!

 

Somebody needs encouragement today. Maybe it's you. I want you to know that God loves, I love you, and you can find strength and hope in the Lord. Pray that God will help you see ways you can encourage others today.

Confidence in God's Word

Our church is almost finished with a verse by verse study of the Book of Daniel. Some of the most widely known stories in the Bible are in this book. Many of you have heard about Daniel being thrown into a lions den. Do you remember the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego being thrown into a fiery furnace? And the term "You can see the handwriting on the wall" came from Daniel.

And Daniel is full of prophetic visions regarding the end of time. Last night in our Bible study we looked at a vision recorded in chapter 11. An angel gave Daniel the meaning of the vision. For Daniel and his contemporaries, all of the vision was future prophecy. But for me and my congregation, some of it has already happened and some is still yet to be. At least that's the way I understand it.

The events prophesied up through verse 35 can be traced in the history of ancient times. Kings from the north battle against kings from the south. The advantage goes one way then another. Daughters are offered in marriage as part of treaties. The Bible and the history books show so much agreement that we believe the prophecy has been fulfilled.

Then starting in verse 36 the angel's message is about events still future to us. History does not record any events that match up to the biblical record. That can mean one of two things. Either the Bible is wrong or the events have not yet occurred. I believe the latter is correct.

I have great confidence that Jesus is returning. I believe just prior to his return there will be a terrible time of persecution - the Great Tribulation. But upon Jesus' return the dead in Christ will rise to be with him forever and the unbelieving dead will rise for eternal judgment. I believe this because the Bible tells us it will happen.

But how can a person have such confidence in scripture? Daniel chapter 11 provides one answer. If the prophecy in the first part of the chapter was fulfilled (remember, the prophecy came and was written down prior to the events occurring) with extreme accuracy, then I can expect the prophecy in the last part of the chapter to also be fulfilled with great accuracy.

Only God could give a vision like that. Only God could know the future. Only God can direct cosmic and human events with such precision. And God will bring to pass the balance of the prophecy in the Bible.

Most importantly, I have confidence in my salvation through Jesus Christ. I know I am a sinner and that my sin breaks off relationship with God. I also know that God loves me (and you) so much that he sent his son Jesus to die on a cross as the sacrifice necessary to cover my sins and make me right with God. And I know that when I (or you) call on the name of Jesus, confessing my sin and repenting of it, I will be forgiven, made right with God, empowered to live this life for him, and assured of an eternal home in heaven with him.

I don't understand everything about end-time prophecy. How all this unfolds may surprise me. But I am confident that God's word is true.

Weekly Devotion - February 3, 2012

"I want men

everywhere to lift up

holy hands in prayer, without anger

or disputing."

1 Timothy 2:8 NIV

Let's spend a couple of minutes thinking about prayer. Specifically, how's your prayer life? Do you pray daily? Often? Do you pray about all things? Or just the "big" things? How long do you normally spend in prayer each day? Have you ever spent an hour in prayer?

I get it! You pray about the uncertainties. You pray about the big decisions. You ask the Lord to bless your day, your food, and your sleep. You want to pray more. You want to pray more effectively.

This verse doesn't answer all our questions nor does it give us a step by step guide to prayer. But look closely at a few of the words: everywhere, holy hands, without anger, without disputing.

None of us are exempt from the need to pray. No matter who you are or where you are, you are to pray. The simple point is that we all need prayer.

Do you take much time to confess your sins when you pray? I'm not talking about a general "forgive me of my sins both known and unknown" kind of confession. Do you talk about your specific sins and your struggles with them when you pray? Are hands are to be holy hands and that's not possible if we don't get serious about confession.

An angry person makes an angry pray-er. Now, I understand that you'll get angry from time to time. Prayer is not supposed to be a venting session with God - although he'll listen. Too often we are angry when we enter the prayer closet and angry when we come out. You must get past your anger and heal.

I wonder what Paul meant when he said we are to pray without disputing. Disputing with who? With God? Surely not! With others? Let's focus on God's grace and goodness in our prayers.

Ask God to help you pray lifting holy hands without anger or disputing.

Weekly Devotion - January 27, 2012

"Those who cling to worthless idols

forfeit the grace that could be theirs."

Jonah 2:8 NIV

 

I was one of those kids who was always in church. My father was a deacon then a pastor. My mother was right there, too. So my sister and I grew up in church. I don't regret that at all. In fact, I think being in church so much as a child has a lot to do with me being a pastor. It's not that way for all kids, but I think it was for me.

 

One advantage of being in church so much was that I heard a lot of stories in sermons. I remember one - I can't remember if my Dad told the story or another preacher did - about a small child who had her hand stuck in a flower vase. Her mother tried everything to get the child's hand free but nothing worked.

 

The mother realized that the child's arm wasn't stuck in the opening but the hand was too big to come through. The little girl was holding her hand in a fist; that's why her had was too big. Her mother tried to get her to open her hand but the little girl insisted that she couldn't. After several minutes the mother was a little edgy and said, "Why can't you open your hand?"

 

The little girl replied, "Because I'll drop the penny I'm holding."

 

Isn't it easy to hold on to something that really has no value or purpose? When we do we become trapped by it. We miss out on some really good things.

 

Anything you cling to more than you do to God is an idol - a worthless idol. You say, "What's the big deal? I love my job. My hobbies help me relax. It's just a silly habit, whats the problem?" Whatever competes with God for your affection robs you of the grace God has for you.

 

God has such great plans for you. He has tremendous blessings just waiting to flow over you. His direction and counsel are flawless. You can hang on to something else or you can reach out for God. Pray that God will help you let go of the worthless and cling to the precious.

Good for Tebow!

Tim Tebow has taken a lot of heat for his Christian stand. Now he is on the virge of getting more criticism. Tebow was contracted to speak at an event hosted by Rod Parsley, a prosperity gospel preacher.

Apparently, Tebow doesn't adhere to that teaching. Neither do I. The Bible says too much about enduring trials and suffering. The prosperity gospel ignores this.

So Tim Tebow is standing firm in his faith. This time he's likely to hear from complaints from a wide variety of folks.

But he's getting admiration from me.

Making Every Connection

I recently flew from Little Rock, Arkansas to Jacksonville, Florida with a connection in Baltimore, Maryland both ways. Southwest Airlines did a good job getting me there and back. The departure from Little Rock was delayed about 90 minutes and the connection in Baltimore was only ten minutes longer so I left Little Rock thinking I would have to sprint through the Baltimore airport. The Southwest folks in Little Rock told me I would have a seat on a later flight from Baltimore to Jacksonville, but that would put my arrival much later. So I was ready to hustle!

As we approached Baltimore the pilot notified us that we would be arriving about ten minutes early. Now my ten minutes to connect became twenty. I was relieved. After deboarding the plane and walking through the jetway into the terminal I checked the video screens for the Jacksonville flight information. It was delayed thirty minutes. Now my twenty minutes became fifty. I had time to relax, stop by the restroom, and enjoy a stroll through the Thurgood Marshall International Airport in Baltimore.

The fifty minutes then shrank to exactly the amount of time it took me to get from the arrival gate to the departure gate. I'm not sure how much that was. I'm convinced that Southwest was holding the departure from Baltimore so that the three of us connecting from Little Rock could make the flight. We took off a few minutes late, but not thirty minutes late. We arrived in Jacksonville right on time. Southwest Airlines did everything they could do to get me from Little Rock to Jacksonville via Baltimore as planned.

That makes me think about the security of my salvation. Once I accept Christ as my Savior he will do everything necessary to make sure I arrive in heaven after I die. Life may be uncertain or difficult along the way but God ultimately works around and through those things for my good and his glory. My salvation depends upon God's grace and my faith in him. His grace provides the means of salvation; my faith simply gets on board.

My journey to Florida and back may not be typical for those who travel by plane. Sometimes travelers miss connections. Sometimes jets have mechanical problems that delay flights. Sometimes weather brings havoc to the flight schedules. Sometimes a passenger waits too long in the restaurant. People miss flights for many reasons. People who place their faith in Jesus Christ for their salvation never miss heaven.

Thank You, Pearces

This has been one of the most refreshing weeks I've had in a long, long time. I am attending the Pastors Conference at First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida. This conference has been on my wish list for several years; I'm so glad I came this year.

The preaching has been great. The workshops have been very useful. The fellowship with other pastors makes me miss my friends back home. If I were to grade the conference, it gets an A+!

Perhaps the most special part is the couple I've met who are housing me for the week. In order to help keep costs down for those who need it, the members of the church who are able open their homes to guys like me. The hotel bill for this conference would have been several hundred dollars. Instead, $0.

Allan and Pat Pearce are a delightful couple. They have been part of FBC JAX since the '70s. They have served their church and the pastors in countless ways. Until this year they were part of the "Ask Me" crew - those folks that point us in the right direction as we try to move from place to place across this big campus.

Another way the Pearces have served, and how they are serving me, is by opening their home to me. Not only that, but they also picked me up at the airport AND let me use one of their cars to go back and forth to the conference each day. That saved another couple hundred dollars. Then I could also talk about the wonderful fellowship around their breakfast table, too!

It might be fun to fly into town, get a shuttle to a downtown hotel, and ride the metro to and from the conference every day. But I would have missed getting to know Allan and Pat.

I admire FBC JAX because of this conference, because of their pastor, but mostly because of the Pearces.
For my new friends, the words to this old gospel song seem appropriate: "If we never meet again this side of heaven I will meet you on that beautiful shore."

Classic (and bad) Case of Proof-texting

Our crew was walking at 5:30 this morning. About 13 minutes in our hardcore trainer began praying. He was thanking God for the pain we were feeling as an indicator of our progress.

Then he began quoting scripture about perseverence and the strength God gives.

Then I just couldn't help myself. From several paces behind him I resorted to a typical pastoral tactic. I proof-texted; I pulled a verse out of context to make my point.

In the dark hours of an early Tuesday morning I shouted: Be still and know that I am God!

Weekly Devotion - January 20, 2012

"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace

as you believe in Him so that you may overflow with hope

by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Romans 15:13 HCSB

"I just hope this works out." She was visibly nervous when she spoke these words. A hint of desperation tinted her voice. The unspoken words were "but I really don't think it will."

I guess we need to understand what the word "hope" means. The common usage of the word indicates wishful thinking. A person has a dream that is out of reach yet they hope to achieve it. This kind of "hope so" mentality is based upon experiences, our own abilities and those of others.

But the biblical usage means confident expectation. Christians have hope not based upon their ability to achieve or anybody else's abilities, but based upon the promise of God. Do you believe God will keep his promises? He has proven himself to be trustworthy, his word proclaims his reliability, so I trust his promises.

I have hope that God will provide for me. I have hope that even in difficult times God is guiding and helping me. I have hope that a person who calls on the name of Jesus for salvation will be saved. I have hope that when this life is over there is an eternal life in heaven awaiting me.

This God of hope fills those who follow him with joy and peace. That means that even when life is not going the way I want it to go I can have an inner sense of satisfaction. Even though the storms may be raging around me I can have a sense of calm. Joy and peace reinforce my hope.

God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are all involved. That means that the fullest essence of God is at work in Christians' lives to help us with what we face now and in the future. That's not "hope so," it's "know so"! Pray that God will give you hope and joy and peace.

JAX Pastors Conference

I've been waiting for a long time. The Jacksonville Pastors Conference is next week. Every year I get the promotional piece in the mail and tell myself that this is the year I'm going. It's just never worked out. Either I didn't have the money or the time. But this year, I'm going! And I'm pretty excited about it. Can you tell?

The church members of First Baptist in Jacksonville, Florida offer their spare bedrooms to guys like me to help reduce the travel expenses. I will be staying with Allen and Pat Pearce. We've emailed back and forth several time and they sound like a delightful, godly couple. Not only have the Pearces offered a comfortable place to stay but they will also pick me up at the airport. That's good hospitality. Pray that I'm a good houseguest!

So the Lord is working through the church in Jacksonville, Florida to help this preacher from Little Rock, Arkansas have a time of rest, study, worship, and encouragement. I am thankful for the excellence in stewardship.

Now I have to think of a nice gift of appreciation to give the Pearces. And I need to think of ways my church and I can impact and influence people for the cause of Christ through hospitality.

Weekly Devotion - January 13, 2012

“But those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint.”

Isaiah 40:31 HCSB

Sometimes I get tired. It doesn’t take much exercise or physical labor before I’m breathing heavily and sweat begins to run down the side of my face. Some men in the church got together last summer and poured a concrete sidewalk connecting two of our buildings. I thought I was going to pass out! My strength was sapped too quickly. I admire those of you who can do that sort of physical work.

I’ve been walking for exercise three mornings each week since the first of the year. I’m being pushed by the two who are walking with me. Sometimes it feels like they are dragging me! But not long after we are through with the exercise my breathing returns to normal. And after a little while longer my legs actually have a little more spring in them. We’ve only been at this for a couple of weeks but we are already walking farther and faster.

These examples of physical tiredness and renewal may help us understand the times when we are spiritually tired or weak. That happens to all of us, doesn’t it? Maybe temptation gets the best of you. Or you have to face a particularly difficult situation regarding your health or a relationship. Sometimes it’s multiple layers of stuff that drag you down.

You may feel like quitting. You might think you’ll never get on top of this. The prophet’s promise is good news for all of us: those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength. These words are so encouraging because I’ve been tired in my spirit before but I’ve been renewed. I’ve fallen but soared again. I’ve gasped for breath but have run again.

If you trust in the Lord you can have renewed strength to get through tough times. Pray that God will help you trust him more and feel that renewal.

Walk before You Work

The last four nights have been good for me. I had the opportunity to lead music in a Bible Conference at Otter Creek First Baptist Church in Little Rock. Since I am a pastor, I don't get the chance to do this much. But I love it.

And I heard four good preachers deliver four good sermons. I love that, too. So it's been a pretty good week!

Gary Hollingsworth is pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Little Rock. He spoke on the topic of living in the will of the Father. One of his points was that our walk with the Lord is more important than our work for the Lord. He was quick to say - and I agree - that our work for the Lord is important. It just doesn't matter if the walk is right.

I believe that good works naturally develop out of a good walk. Nothing gets a person interested in helping others like getting to know the Lord better. As we learn more about Jesus we will soon learn that he was all about helping people. As you turn the pages of the Gospels you can't help but notice how he reached out to touch a blind man's eyes or a crippled man's hand. He had compassion for those whose family members were dying (or already dead!). He cared about the lonely, broken, left out in the crowds.

And could you dare claim that Jesus DID NOT have an incredible relationship with the Father? Of course NOT! Now, we aren't God like Jesus is. But the principle is the same: walk before works, walk leads to works.

One of my points of focus for 2012 is spiritual development. I plan to lead our church to a greater depth in relationship with Christ. What will come of that? I expect we will be more compassionate and will impact more people around us. I expect we'll be more urgent sharing our faith and will see more people come to know Christ as Savior and Lord.

In other words, by focusing on our walk we'll do good works. That will help us reach the goal of "Impacting Eternity at the Cross Road of Life."

Weekly Devotion - January 6, 2012

"You have made my days a mere handbreadth;
the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Each man's life is but a breath."

Psalm 39:5 NIV

Have you ever watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade? Broadcast each year from various spots along the parade route, millions of people get an close-up view of the spectacular. The parade lasts three hours and follows a route from 77th Street to Herald Square in New York City.

Parade watchers line the streets as one by one the floats and bands and balloons pass by. The parade stretches for blocks but a viewer can only see a few presentations at any one point in time. Once the parade has been going for a little while you would not be able to see the beginning or the end; just what's in front of you.

That's the way our lives are: a small part of a long span. Just a breath to God, the psalmist said. That's because God is eternal; we live in a temporal realm. God has no beginning or end but this life does, as evidenced by inscriptions on all the grave markers in the local cemetery.

Rather than trying to limit God to our understanding of time, why not try to see yourself as an eternal being? At least an everlasting being. You see, when this body gives way to death, our soul continues on. We exit the temporal home of this world and enter the eternal realm of God.

What will that look like? I'm not exactly sure but I do know that the Bible gives us wonderful descriptions of heaven and tragic descriptions of hell. Those are the two dwelling places in eternity and every person who has ever been conceived will be in one or the other forever.

Do you know which destination will be yours for eternity? Pray asking God to forgive you of your sins, claiming Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. Contact me if you have questions or would like to talk about salvation.

Bible Reading Plan

I want to challenge you to read the Bible in 2012. Not just a little bit but a lot. In fact, I challenge you to read the entire Bible. Will you take the challenge? Will you join me? No other "resolution" will impact your life as much as this one. I believe this decision will actually empower you to make other changes in your life you've resolved to attempt.

So let's do it! Let me know if you accept the challenge so I can encourage you throughout the year.

Check out this website for some guides if you need help. This is the plan I'll be following. There are lots of resources in print or online...or you could just open your Bible and start reading!

Be sure to listen as you read. I suggest you keep a journal of what you sense God is saying as you read his word.

Alright, let's go!

Both Are Wrong

I read an article this morning about a singer changing the lyrics to a song written by John Lennon during a NYE show on Times Square. According to the article, here are the original and changed lyrics sung by Cee Lo Green.

Instead of singing "Nothing to kill or die for, and no religion too," Green instead sang, "Nothing to kill or die for, and all religion's true."

Two extreme positions on religion. Two wrong positions on religion.

John Lennon missed it by saying there is no religion. In fact, there are thousands of religions. Very few people are actually atheists. Even at the core of atheism is a humanistic idea that they are their own god.

Cee Lo Green missed it by saying that all religions are true. If that's the case then anyone can believe anything. That's really the point for Green and those who think like that. Look closely at world religions and you'll see vast differences. Some claim a higher power that must be appeased by good works. Some claim a higher power equivalent to one's self. One claims a higher power that desires a personal relationship with you and even sacrificed himself to atone for our sins. The only way to be right with this God is to trust him, love him, and obey him.

I guess it's true that anyone can believe anything. It's just that believing some things won't make  you right with God. Only faith in Jesus Christ can do that. And without it, a person chooses to perish for eternity. Embrace the truth. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Nobody comes to the Father except through him. Your good works can't save you but his grace can.

Weekly Devotion - December 30, 2011

"For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict."

Luke 21:15 NIV

 

I read a Facebook conversation that took place earlier this week. A friend threw out a question similar to this: How do you witness when you are in a hostile environment? Let me define what is meant by "hostile environment." Most of us are living in safe places when you consider the persecution faced by Christians in other places around the world. But even in America we are facing more hostility to the gospel than has been known in many generations.

 

Hostility takes many forms. One is political correctness. The gospel message is clear that Jesus is the only way to salvation. But that message is offensive to others who claim they have the way or a way. And those who claim there is no way really hate to hear or see a good witness.

 

Another form of hostility is the reaction of someone who feels the conviction of the Holy Spirit. If they have resisted for many years they can recoil when they hear you speak about the Lord. That creates a hostile environment in which to share your faith and live out a close walk with Christ.

 

I am thankful that I don't have to worry about the severe persecution other Christians face daily. I also have great respect for those who do because they are living clearly behind the lines of enemy territory. But we all have to deal with people who are not receptive or even argumentative toward the gospel.

 

Jesus' words in the twenty-first chapter of Luke's gospel were spoken about the end times. Maybe we are in those days; maybe we are very close to his return. His words apply to our times even if his return is not so near.

 

When we speak our words we will likely create problems. When we speak his words we will be much more successful sharing our faith and answering skeptics. Pray asking God to give you the words to say and the boldness to say them when you have opportunities to speak up in a hostile environment.

EBT Prayers

How's your prayer life?

What do you pray for?

Are you getting what you pray for?

I found a key to effective praying tucked into the middle of the book of Daniel. In chapter 9, Daniel confessed his sins and the sins of Israel. He pleaded with God to restore the people as a nation and to restore Jerusalem as a city. Nebuchadnezzar had razed the city and exiled the people a generation earlier.

We don't know how long he prayed but we know that he put all his energy into it. This wasn't a wimpy little prayer spoken hastily as Daniel was hurrying to get to something else. He was spent.

The angel Gabriel appeared to him and told him that God had answered his prayer at the moment Daniel had begun to pray. But God allowed Daniel to keep praying. He allowed Daniel to spend all his energy making the confession and requests.

Here are three keys to prayer that we all need to put into practice. First, pray earnestly. Daniel put his whole being into the prayer. We have lots of room for improvement in this area. Our prayers are quick. Our prayers are shallow. Our heart just isn't in it very much.

Second, pray believing God will answer. We all are familiar with a song Garth Brooks sang that says he thanks God for unanswered prayers. I understand the sentiment but disagree with the theology. God always answers prayers. He either says YES, NO, or WAIT. We just don't like the last two options and blame God of not answering. We ought to pray believing God is going to answer. And then embrace the answer he gives even when it's not what we asked for or expected.

Third, pray trusting God's answer. God is all-powerful so he can do anything he wants to do. God is all-knowing so he knows what the right thing to do is. God is all-loving so he cares so much about us that he wants to do what is best for us. Put that all together and we must conclude that what God does is best. If anything was better he would know about it, want to do, and be able to do it. So trust that what he does is best.

In the financial world, EBT stands for Electronic Benefits Transfer. Sounds like a good illustration of prayer to me. Except in prayer the EBT stands for earnest, believing, and trusting.

Pretty Day to Travel

About as many cars on the road as clouds in the sky.

Nothing a Little Time and Money Can't Fix

It must have been at least 12 years ago when Deana and I stayed in the Hampton Inn in Rogers. It was pretty new. We made it back today. We came to Rogers to spend some time with our son Caleb and his girlfriend Keegan.

The outside of the building looks the same...like any other Hampton Inn. But inside...Wow! We found out that the hotel was remodeled about three years ago at the cost of almost $3M. I have no idea what it looked like four years ago, but the difference between our first visit and this visit is unbelievable. Time and money can fix just about anything.

Just about.

Your life may need a makeover...the kind time and money can't bring. Let me guess, you've spent lots of time and lots of money and nothing is better. And it won't get better.

But there is a resource I can suggest that will make all the difference in the world. I've found Jesus Christ to be a life-changer. And all he really wants from you is for you to give up control of your life and let him take over. Too costly, you say? Not really. Think of what it's been costing you to maintain control? And to fix things when life gets out of control?

Here's what you get. First, you receive unconditional love. God loves you so much that he gave his son Jesus to take the punishment for your sins. The greatest act of love is dying for a friend and Jesus did exactly that for you, friend.

Second,you get forgiveness for your sins. That's why Jesus died. He had to because we are all sinners and sin separates us from God. But in his death, Jesus took care of our sins and you can be forgiven. The guilt will be gone.

Third, you will be redeemed. Redemption is the act of being restored to a right relationship with God. Your sin breaks the relationship. Nothing you do can fix it. But what Jesus did by dying on the cross can fix it. Sinners are redeemed by the blood of Jesus.

Time and money won't remake your life. Only Jesus.

Does Form Matter?

It's been raining all day. Not sure how much rain we've received by the backyard is full. The ditches are running fast.

Seems like I learned at one point that an inch of rain is equivalent to seven inches of snow in total precipitation. If that's true, we would have at least seven inches of snow today, maybe a foot. And I would be thrilled!

So the form of the precipitation makes a difference.

Does the form of a church's ministry or outreach make a difference? Is one kind of ministry just as effective as another? Does one type of outreach impact lostness as much as another?

I think form makes a difference. The popular defense of new methods is that the message cannot change but the methods must. I agree. But not change just for the sake of change. Form or method must change as is necessary to reach people for Christ.

So much has changed just in the 30 years that I've been involved in ministry.Technology today is the stuff of science fiction in the early '80s. Changing almost as rapidly is our culture. People don't view themselves, the world, and God like we did just a generation ago. Some of what has worked will still work. The task of church leadership is to discern what still works and implement new strategies to complement the other. And then to motivate everyone to get involved.

I am praying that I can discern God's will, learn the forms and methods we should employ, and motivate others to get onboard.

Off Track

You're just going along like life's on rails. Up the hills, around the bends, across the trestles. You don't really have to do much...just ride.

Then something happens. An unexpected turn and you're off track.

You and your boyfriend found out you're pregnant. Maybe he's not even your boyfriend.

Mom calls to tell you that Dad has cancer and it doesn't look good.

Your friend at the Sheriff's Office pulls up in the driveway...your son is in the back seat.

The utility company calls demanding payment...again.

Your boss calls you into her office to explain that the reorganization leaves you unemployed.

We all have a different story but at one time or another, life derails.

Join me in January for a series of messages about life's troubles and God's solutions.

Sitting in Traffic

A nut drove off the road into the ditch. We are first in line waiting for him to get towed.

Off Track

A friend took this picture this morning. I plan to use it as part of an illustration in a sermon about getting off track when trying to follow the Lord. Check back.

Distractions

Riley's school let out at 11:15 today for the Christmas break. A friend came home with him to spend the night. If you would like to help you can come over and spend a couple of hours with them to give me a break. Bring your own Nerf gun because they have already claimed all that Riley has.

On second thought, they'll put them down and pick up another toy any minute. The attention span of 10 year old boys is...wait, what was I talking about?

Have you ever noticed how short the average Christian's attention span is when it comes to really focusing on Jesus? We really get focused for about a month between Thanksgiving and Christmas then again for a week or so around leading up to Easter. Other than that you may well get a "Jesus who?" response from a lot of people when you ask them about their Savior.

What distracts so many Christians away from Jesus? You'd probably get a lot of different answers if you passed through the church pews on any given Sunday. Job. Family. School. Money. Relationship. Uncertainty. Complacency. Indifference.

It's a shame that Christmastime gets all the attention because Jesus really wants to your Lord all year long. And he can do some amazing things in addition to the virgin birth and resurrection.

Christmas is this weekend. Then New Years is here. Would you resolve to keep Jesus in the center of your life all year long? Will you choose to focus upon him rather than the circumstances around you that have been a distraction? Jesus is good for any season. Start with this one and keep it going all...wait, what was I talking about?

Weekly Devotion - December 16, 2011

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

2 Corinthians 12:8 NIV

 

In January 2006 I was digging a ditch to drain water from the church parking lot. It was cold. It was raining. I already had a cold but my dogged determination to clear the parking lot pushed me over the brink. Pneumonia is no fun.

 

My physician took x-rays to confirm his diagnosis. Yes, pneumonia. But he also saw abnormalities in the lymph nodes. We talked about the possibilities. I had never been in a conversation with a doctor about cancer until that day.

 

I wasn't sure how to react. Uncertainty about the future often leads to uncertain actions and reactions today. So it was for me. The one thing I knew to do for sure was to pray. So I prayed. At the time I was also working another job and the commute was a forty-five minute drive. So I prayed a lot.

 

The prayer was typical, I guess, of most people faced with something like this. I prayed for healing. After a few days of praying like this I felt like the Lord told me that this was a selfish prayer; instead, I needed to pray for his will to be done. Believing that God's will is perfect, his power is unstoppable, and his concern for me is off the charts, I began to pray for his will to be done in this situation in my life.

 

That can be a hard prayer to pray. What if God's will is to use me as an example of faithfulness as life ebbs away? What if God's will is to teach me greater dependence upon him by removing my ability to care for myself? What if God's will is to magnify himself instead of me? These are hard questions but totally within the realm of possibility when I realized that my life is intended to bring glory to God rather than to me or anyone else.

 

I now pray for God's grace to help me deal with whatever may come my way. I don't want to avoid the problems because through them I draw near my Lord. Pray that God will show you sufficient grace for everything you face.

Angels and Wolves

Last week Albert Pujols signed a gia-nor-mous contract to play baseball for the LA Angels. This week Chris Paul and Dwight Howard are in the headlines for possible trades in the NBA that will gain them more money and a better chance at winning a championship in years to come. Next week employees will either be elated or mad because they did or didn't get a Christmas bonus that met or did not meet their expectations.

I'll admit it: I work to get paid, too. Most of us are that way. A few people don't need the money. I do.

The question I ask today is not whether a person should be paid or not. Every worker should be paid and should earn that pay. Professional sports stars generate more revenue for their teams than most of us do for our employers. That's why they get paid so much more than I do. Is Albert Pujols more valuable to the Angels than I am to Cross Road? Please don't answer that! But you get my point, don't you?

This afternoon, Arkansas State University will introduce Gus Malzahn as head coach of their football program. Coach Malzahn is coming from Auburn University where he helped the team win the NCAA National Championship last year as the offensive coordinator. He has won Arkansas high school football championships on two levels. He's been successful everywhere he's been. Up until today he has always taken a pretty big pay increase when he's moved from school to school.

But not today. I've read that he will take as much as a $500K cut to come to ASU. That's not a commentary on AU or ASU but it say a lot about Gus Malzahn. There could be more to the story, maybe much more, but based on what I know now I will say that Malzahn cares more about being the head coach of his own program than a highly paid coordinator somewhere else.

I'll guess that within five years he will make another move that will pay him the big bucks. I'm OK with that. I wish him well.

Malzahn is a committed Christian. I hope he is able to impact the lives of the students and athletes in Jonesboro. His predecessor Hugh Freeze did. A consistent Christian witness will do more for the futures of the young men and women at ASU than a winning football program will. What excites me is that they will get both.

Frank's Wig

One day Frank the frog leaped off his lily pad and landed with a big splash in the middle of the pond. Frogs usually don't care much about keeping their heads above water; after all, they live in a pond! But Frank struggled to swim to the shore with his head held high above the water. Ted the turtle laughed at him and Polly the perch just rolled her big eyes at him.

But it didn't phase Frank; he kept reaching with his tiny front legs and swishing with his huge back legs until he made it to the banks of the pond with every hair on his head perfectly dry. That's why he worked so hard to keep his head above water...his hair. Most frogs don't have any hair. As a matter of fact, NO FROGS HAVE HAIR!! Except Frank.

Frank's a little different. He's an individual. He does his own thing. He's like a fish out of water. (Oops, sorry about that.)

Well, it happened like this. There was a little girl fishing from the banks of the pond one day. She came often; usually with her Daddy. The little girl was very pretty. She always wore blue jeans, white sneakers, a pink t-shirt, and a yellow baseball cap. And Kermit the Frog sunglasses. I really think that's why Frank liked to swim close to the bank and watch her. She must have been about 7 years old and she sure loved fishing with her Daddy.

Then it happened. Summer was almost over and Frank had learned from earlier summers that the kids quit coming to the pond and start going to school. Polly the perch had told him that; but what did she know about school?

So Frank knew he had to make it to shore that day because it might be the last day the little girl came fishing. There he was acting like he was soaking up the warm sunshine while sitting on that rock. But really he was watching her.

Then it happened. Her fishing pole was almost bent double. Her Daddy was excited and trying to help her. As he reached for the fishing pole his arm bumped her yellow baseball cap and knocked it off her head onto the grass. Frank had never seen her without her yellow baseball cap. Now it was on the ground and she was struggling to land the biggest fish she had ever hooked.

But Frank lost track of the fishing when he saw her hair. It had been tucked under her cap all summer long but now it was flopping around on top of her head while the fish was pulling at her pole.

Hair. Nobody in the pond had hair. At first it looked strange but Frank began to think it was beautiful. Especially this little girl's hair. It was long and curly and brown. And it looked like a lot of fun. You know, having that stuff balanced on your head and hanging down on your shoulders and in your eyes and over your ears. Frank wanted some of his own.

There aren't any places at the pond to get hair. Frank spent the next two weeks looking for hair in the pond. There was no hair.

Frank knew he had to be creative so he hopped down the path that led away from the pond. He didn't know what was down the path but he knew there was no hair in the pond. Maybe there would be hair at the other end of the path.

Frank was disappointed to see there was no hair at the end of the path. Instead, there was only something called a barber shop. Discouraged, Frank wanted to go back to the pond. But he told himself that if he came this far he could go a little farther and check out this new place.

As he hopped into the barber shop, Frank saw the little girl with the long, curly, brown hair. He mustered all his courage and made his way toward her. When he got to the barber chair where she was sitting he hopped up to the footrest, then to the seat, next the arm, and finally the headrest. He whispered in her ear, "I'm just a bald frog but I would love to have hair like yours. Can you help me?"

She jumped to her feet and acted like she had seen a ghost. Really she had only HEARD a FROG. Frank didn't understand her reaction so he said, "Excuse me, girl. I'm Frank. Just a frog. No hair. See? Your hair is so pretty. Can you help me get hair like yours?"

She ran away.

Frank figured it was time to take matters into his own hands (if he had hands). He jumped from the chair into a pile of hair clippings he spotted just under the counter in the barber shop. Just next to the hair was a blob of mud that must have been tracked in by someone wearing muddy boots. Frank grabbed the mud and stuck it on his bald head. (I bet that looked funny.) Then he placed a few pieces of the hair in the mud. That's one creative frog! He made himself a wig.

As he hopped back to the pond, very proud of his hair, the other residents of the pond stared. First, in shock; then in amazement; then because they couldn't stop staring...and laughing.

That bald frog has worn that wig every minute since. I'm not sure how it stays on; wet mud on a slick frog head??

But I do know that the wig had 17 sprigs of hair in it. I know because I counted them.

Just like God has counted the hairs on your head. He cares that much about you.

(Originally posted June 16, 2005)

Christmas and Sunday

Christmas is on Sunday. That is so appropriate! Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ. God became flesh and made his dwelling among us. God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son. In the fullness of time, God sent his son. The virgin will be with child and will give birth to son.

Since Christmas is celebrating God coming to earth and since Sunday is the day of the week set aside for corporate worship, it just makes sense that we'll worship together on December 25. Every other day of the week is OK for Christmas, but Sunday is best.

So we are having services on Christmas morning. One service at 10:30. I jokingly told the congregation we'd be done by 1:30! We will but they let me know we better be done WAY before 1:30! I understand.

Why the backlash against having church on Christmas day? Christians gripe when businesses try to say, "Happy Holidays!" in order to not offend anyone. Christians fuss when someone abbreviates the holiday Xmas. To quote a conservative radio talk show host, "That's just symbolism over substance."

People who call themselves "Christian" rail against taking Christ out of the holiday but many refuse to allow Christ prominence in their lives. They want to be called "Christian" but don't really want to be Christ-like.

Which is more important - calling the holiday "Christmas" or having the public call you "Christian" as the people of Antioch did the believers there?

Which is more important - celebrating a secularized version of the December holiday or worshiping with your faith family on the day we celebrate our Savior's birth?

Now, don't think I'm being dogmatic or pushing a point too far. I would like to see Christians gather for a time of corporate worship every Christmas, no matter what day of the week it is. Worshiping with my faith family on Christmas day just makes a lot of sense to me. Christmas is a holy day before it is any other kind of day.

Small Church, Big Church

Churches are not large or small based on numbers or money but based on vision.

I pastor a church with about 150 resident members, about 60 active members, and a budget of about $90,000. Some people would say we are a small church. In fact, I've heard people in our church say we are just a small church. I may have said it myself. Shame on us!

And shame on anyone who would choose to classify a church based on numbers in attendance or the size of the budget.

If a church should not be judged as large or small based on numbers and money, what is an acceptable way to measure the size of a church? I think vision is a good way to determine if a church is large or small. No vision or small vision and the church is a small church. Good vision and the church is big. I'm not saying that vision translates into numbers and dollars. I'm saying that a church no vision is not much of a church and a church with vision is exactly what God intends them to be.

Our church and yours are probably not alike. In some ways, yes. In all ways, no. But one thing we must have to make big impact is big vision. It's the impact a church makes upon lostness in its community and around the world that is important. And a church like ours can make a big impact if our vision is big.

If you pay a lot of attention to numbers and dollars you need a culture shift. We do. Rather than seeing ourselves as a small church, we need to see ourselves as a global missions outpost that trains and sends missionaries into the world. I want every member of Cross Road Baptist Church to be on mission. Some will go far. Some will stay close. But everyone can and should see themselves as missionaries to their community and to the world.

That's big no matter how you look at it.

At the Risk of Ungodliness

"I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God." I've never been in a court room to hear if they really say this or not, but I've seen plenty of TV shows and movies where they did. The court swears in a witness to indicate the serious nature of the truthfulness of the testimony. If a witness lies under oath he can be charged with perjury.

We teach our children to be truthful. We admire anyone who tells the truth, though sometimes we prefer they soften the edges a bit. But then they aren't telling the whole truth! It's either true or false. A story-teller may tell a story and start by saying, "This is a true story," but if he embellishes it at all then it's not true. It may be a good story. It may be a fairly accurate story. It may be a story with no negative consequences. But it's not a true story. Nothing wrong with a tale, just don't call it a true story.

Is a Christian obligated to tell the truth even when he is not under oath? I think so. We are to reflect the character of God and one of his characteristics is truthfulness. God is absolutely truthful.

So when a Christian tells his side of the story he must do so with integrity by giving the truth the spotlight. Not just the truth that supports his opinion, but all the truth. And if he cares enough to dig for the truth to support his opinion he should also dig for the whole truth.

White lies. Partial truths. One side of the story. Christians can't take part in that. Not at the risk of perjury but ungodliness.

A New ACP

If you are a Southern Baptist minister, you recognize the letters A C P. Every year we must go through the ritual of reporting to our denomination the numerical statistics that capture a snapshot of our churches. The report includes membership, attendance, baptisms, contributions received, money spent on missions and ministers, and a few other things. It's the way we determine that there are 16 million Southern Baptists. In fact, it's the only place you'll find 16 million Southern Baptists.

We call it the Annual Church Profile - the ACP. I said that we "must" do it but that's not really true. Southern Baptists can't be told they must do anything. Sometimes I think that even applies to directives in the Bible. In Arkansas, a little more that 10% of the Southern Baptist churches will not complete the ACP. Not sure if they have something to hide or just don't think it really matters.

At Cross Road we are studying the book of Daniel on Wednesday nights. Tonight's study was in chapter 9 where Daniel prayed a prayer of adoration, confession, and petition in response to what he read in God's word. He was part of the group of Israelites that had been exiled to Babylon (under Persian rule at the time of his prayer). Other Israelites had been scattered to other places. Some had been left back home with nothing to call home.

Daniel was reading pieces of a prophecy from Jeremiah that said the exile was to last 70 years. When Daniel read this he had been in exile about 67 years. The realization that the exile would soon be over led Daniel to consider why they were in exile in the first place. They had turned from God, did not repent, and disobeyed the Lord's commands. So Daniel prayed. He confessed. He pleaded with God to restore the people to their home and make them a nation again.

Here's the pattern of his prayer: adoration, confession, petition - ACP. The prayer is one of the most significant in the Bible and a great pattern for modern Christians to implement. I wonder what might happen if Southern Baptists emphasized more ACP praying than ACP reporting.

I told my church tonight that when next year's ACP is due I will send in a paper about ACP praying. I was just joking. Or was I? Check back in October 2012.

Disclaimers:

-I think the Annual Church Profile has merit.

-A member of CRBC works for the Arkansas Baptist State Convention. Her responsibilities include ACP.

-Adoration, Confession, Petition pattern taken from New American Commentary.

-Counting baptisms, budgets, and buildings is not just a Southern Baptist phenomenon. Maybe your church could use a little ACP praying, too.

Sunday Nights Indicate Good Days

Since mid-June our church has replaced the Sunday night services with other activities. We have Sunday Night Bible Study in a home. Anyone can host the Bible study. We sometimes sing, always eat.

We also have fellowship nights where we get together in our Activities Building for singing, missions studies, Bible studies, and other things. Seems like the folks enjoy hanging out, especially since we moved into the Activities Building.

We have tried to schedule at least two events each month. Only one person has told me that they miss Sunday night church.

Our decision was based on the participation in our evening services. Almost nothing. With only one or two exceptions, the participation in this new format is better. Most people who attended before still attend. But more people are taking part now who rarely came on Sunday evening before. I understand those who miss the other way but if we want to involve more people and disciple more believers we've done the right thing.

What I really want is to have more than one location for Bible studies on Sunday night. Our membership is spread out geographically. I can envision a location in Ferndale, another in Avilla, and maybe another fairly close to the church. We could have the groups meeting two or three weeks during the month and meet all together in the Activities Building once a month.

Not sure what this will look like down the road. We may even change away from this to something that looks like the old pattern. That really doesn't matter. What matters is getting the most people involved in disciple-making Bible study. These are good days at CRBC because we are willing to do things that can impact our effectiveness.

Helping Others

Been making calls today to folks we think might need a little help putting a Thanksgiving meal on the table this week. Our church family donated enough to provide for ten families. Thought we had ten but a couple of them have said they really don't need the help this year. That's a good thing but now I'm looking for more families.

When I talk with them I ask how we can pray for them through the holiday season. Here are some of the responses.

"My health." This person is dealing with infection from a recent surgery.
"My kids." This grandparent is keeping seven of the grandchildren on a temporary basis.
"That people will come to Christ." This person forsakes the assembling of himself with other believers and gets his "church" on TV. (He's not a shut-in.)

So I'm praying for their requests and for other issues the Spirit has impressed me with about them. I want the helping ministry to reach beyond the physical need and touch them spiritually, too.

If we claim to be doing missions ministry, we better be focused on the spiritual needs. If we just offer a cup of cold water it's not missions nor ministry. If we offer it in Jesus' name it's ministry. If we offer it in Jesus' name with the intent of sharing our faith it's missions.

Lots of folks will be helping others over the next few weeks. I hope you'll be involved. And I hope you'll think bigger than just delivering a bag of groceries. Look for opportunities to meet spiritual needs, too.

Timothy+Barnabas School

Deana and I attended the Timothy+Barnabas School held in Branson, MO this week. The school is the effort of Johnny Hunt and many others who intend (and succeed!) to encourage pastors and their wives. we have wanted to go to one of the conferences for years but never got around to it. Glad we did this year.

We made new friends while there. Tim and Katie Marr serve in Rattan, OK at First Baptist Church. I'm looking forward to cultivating a lifelong relationship with them. Deana and I are almost old enough to be their parents (!) but we connected in a special way. This will be a good friendship.

The pastors were encouraged through Johnny Hunt's teaching on growing your church and maximizing your influence. He has a huge heart for pastors and it really shows. The guys I talked with are so encouraged and we are ready to get back to work. It was a time of refreshing that I needed. And the content will help me be a better pastor.

The wives partied all week. Janet Hunt lavished gifts upon them each time they met and as they walked out the meeting room doors. Between the gifts and the shopping Deana did, I was beginning to wonder if there would be room in the car for me to ride home. Beyond the fun and games, the ladies talked about being a Christian woman, wife, mother, and pastor's wife to the church. I can tell that Deana liked the whole thing. She'll be going again whether I do or not!

If you are a pastor you must attend Timothy+Barnabas. Check out the schedule at timothybarnabas.org and get it on your schedule. You will not regret it. And take your wife.

Hey, the music just got louder!

I'm sitting in a Starbucks sipping a decaf Caffe' Americano, downloading some updates, reading the news online, and doing a few social media updates. Not your typical Friday activities for a preacher, at least a preacher my age.

The music is not very loud right now but about three minutes ago it was really loud. I have a theory why the volume fluctuates in places like this. When the volume was loud the crowd was loud. I believe the crowd got loud first then the music bumped up to cover the crowd. Anytime I'm in a place like this you can hear the other conversations but you can't really understand what they are saying. As the crowd noise gets louder, I think the music gets a little louder to maintain that "cover."

It was blaring a while ago! And that seemed to push the crowd noise up. Then about half the people left, the crowd noise diminished, and the music quietened.

People want to stick out. They get louder so everyone can hear them. They act out so everyone will notice them. They attempt what no one else is attempting so they can say they've done what nobody else has done. They want to beat the record and get mentioned in the media.

Nothing much wrong with sticking out. Just make sure you draw attention to Jesus. While Christians are called to fit into God's plan and his will, we are called out to be a witness for him.

Doing What's Right

I'm hearing the same things out of the Penn State sexual abuse situation that you are. You probably have heard more than I have. But what I hear is not good. Just saw a tweet that Penn State may be preparing for Paterno's exit.

So many issues come out of this mess. One is that we must always do what is right even if it is embarrassing or painful.

So what is right? If you meet the requirements of the law are you right? In some cases you are. If the law says the speed limit is 45 mph and you are driving 45 mph you are right. But if the rules say you must report wrong-doing and you do but you don't do anything else that might prevent or protect, are you still right?

I say, no. "Legal" is one step along the way to "right." Ethical action is often a greater action that simply taking the legally required steps. A legalist would say that a coach must report suspected wrong-doing. An ethicist would say that the coach should do more to prevent the wrong-doing from continuing or repeating and to protect those who may have been injured or harmed in some other way by the act.

A pastor is legally required to report cases of abuse that he might learn about through his ministerial position. If I learn about a case of sexual child abuse I have to report it - I've legally met the requirements when I do. Do I have a moral obligation to help the child? I think so.

It seems from what I know about the Penn State situation is that the legal steps were met but no further steps were taken.

Are we such a legalistic culture that we will accept this? You might not think that such a permissive culture as ours could also be legalistic, but that's a fitting description if we are satisfied with simply meeting the legal requirements.

We'll see if there are any moral absolutes left. Or if we care about them.

Off with the Old, On with the New

I've been watching the crew reroofing the church and parsonage. The church building is getting a new metal roof over old shingles and the parsonage gets new shingles. We've had hail damage and insurance is paying for most of it.

The two jobs are different in two ways. The new metal roof on the church is going over the existing shingles. The workmen are putting the sheets of metal in place and screwing them down through the layer of shingles already there. No problem with that. Seems to be a good way to do it. The old surface is completely covered and the new surface is to be water-tight. I imagine that will last a good long time.

But the parsonage is getting a new layer of shingles where a layer already exists. Not the whole roof, just one section. If the whole roof was being shingled then I imagine they would just put a new layer of shingles over the old. But since only part of the roof is getting a new layer, the old layer in the area being worked has to be removed. Otherwise one section would be thicker than the other. I'm trying to think why that would be a bad thing. Not sure you could see the difference from the ground. But the difference would likely cause a problem sealing out water. The roofing material needs to be level so it can join together to do the job.

That gets me to thinking about the church. Sometimes we just apply something new over something old and it works fine. New instrumentation or arrangements of old songs freshens them up and most of the time we enjoy them more. A modern translation of the Bible can be more accurate to the original - but be careful which translation you choose. A new teacher in a class may spark a little more interest and help the learners to, well, learn.

But sometimes we just need to tear off the old and come back with something new. A long-held belief that people new to the community won't like your church needs to be thrown away and replaced with a fresh perspective and willingness to reach out to them. A dogmatic view of the schedule of services can keep a church from making adjustments that may well be the key to growth. Since doing what you've always done will get you what you've alway gotten, maybe it's time to replace the old ways with something fresh, innovative, effective. And the renovation doesn't have to be across the board. Maybe just one or two things need changed. Or maybe everything but one or two things need changed.

Churches ought to assess their effectiveness on a regular basis. Be honest. When something no longer helps you reach your community, it's time to let it go. Put it out to pasture. Pull the plug. Or at least revise it. Irrelevance might be the biggest sin a church commits. A church that is irrelevant to its community is living in a community that is drowning in the high waters of spiritual complacency. Let's do what we must do to stir those waters and rescue the perishing.

The World's a Scary Place

The world can be a pretty scary place. Maybe you noticed some ghosts and ghouls and goblins running around earlier this week.

The real world can be pretty scary, too. Criminals kicked in our front door last week. Several central Arkansas banks have been robbed in the last few days. National news stories tell of a woman who gave birth to twins then killed the infants.

What's even more scary is the vision Daniel had of future (to him) kingdoms that would devour each other ultimately leading to a future (to us) kingdom led by Antichrist - the most devious and powerful and vicious of any earthly leader. That won't be a good time. But it will end swiftly and decisively at the coronation of Jesus Christ, King of kings. He will defeat Antichrist, establish a thousand years of peace on earth, then send Satan to his everlasting punishment.

It's appointed to man once to die, then to face judgment. When I die I want to spend eternity in heaven with Jesus. Is it possible to know that I will? I talked with a man in the VA hospital a few weeks ago about this. He said there is no way to know. A person's only hope is that Jesus chooses to let him in, according to this man. He thinks his eternity is left up to an arbitrary decision. He will die not knowing for sure.

When I pastored a church in north central Arkansas, we took a survey of our community to determine ways we might minister to the people. One of the survey questions asked if they knew for sure they would spend eternity in heaven when they died. The overwhelming response from this heavily Catholic area was, "Oh, I hope so." They didn't know whether they would be in heaven or hell. Their only hope was to do as much good in this life as they could in hopes that the good would outweigh the bad when they faced judgment. A person with this belief will die not knowing for sure.

I know for sure! The Bible says it is possible to know. It's not an arbitrary decision that God makes for us while standing at the pearly gates. It's not a judgment of whether or not good outweighs bad. Instead, Jesus died for my sins so I can be forgiven. If I trust Jesus for my forgiveness and salvation then my name is on the reservation list for heaven. No doubts. No questions. No problems.

You can know for sure, too. But you have to believe the right things about God and salvation. Re-read the previous paragraph to get to the truth. And send me a message if you have questions.

I know. Do you?

I'm not scared. Are you?