A Gospel-Centered Response to Sexual Sin

I found this article to be very helpful in forming my perspective of and response to the popularity and dominance of the homosexual agenda. Our state is in the midst of constitutional debate about marriage. Many parts of the country are further along in that debate than Arkansas is.

The popular opinion and the biblical perspective do not agree. As a follower of Jesus Christ, I must believe the Bible and view the culture through a biblical lens. It might be easier to believe the culture and view the Bible through a cultural lens. But we cannot do that and still profess Christianity.

So even though I know and love people who are homosexual (you know them, too), I need a response that is biblical. Too many of us want to raise the Bible high above our heads and raise our voices even higher. That comes across as condemnation...because it is. We are not called to condemn but to share the gospel.

I'm still working through emotions, beliefs, and responses. Maybe this article will help us maintain a Christ-like perspective toward homosexuality and build redemptive relationships with homosexuals.

http://thegospelcoalition.org/article/the-gospel-for-a-gay-friend/

What's On The News

I'm drinking coffee and waiting for a meeting to start. I have an hour. A TV is on CNN in the corner. Here are the headlines as I've heard them.

• There are germs on airplanes.
• An NBA owner is in trouble for something he said.
• A Swiss bank is in trouble for helping people hide their money.
• The Moore OK tornado struck one year ago.

If there is anything to learn from watching the news this morning, it's that... I don't know. I really don't know what to think.

First, if you put a couple hundred people together in a confined space for even a short period of time there will be germs. So be careful what you touch. Wash your hands.

Second, people say stupid things and ought to be held accountable for it. And we ought not let what others say hurt our feelings so much. He said some offensive things. I hope people don't spend so much time tearing him down that they forget to live up to their God-given opportunities.

Third, should we be surprised when a covert or shady operation is exposed even when we knew that this was exactly what was going on? Let me guess, next week there will be a bank in the Cayman Islands in the news.

Fourth, life is full of unexpected (and expected, for that matter) events that can knock you down...if you let them. By faith, a person can move forward even after terrible losses.

I'm tired of watching the news. I'm going to take a walk and thank God for his blessings.

Q&A on Twitter

Twitter is about followers. I admit that I'd love to have more of them. But today as I scrolled through the posts of those I follow, I was challenged by Charles Lowery (@DrCharlesLowery).

"Sometimes our biggest burdens become our richest rewards."

I immediately wondered what I'm supposed do in the interim. Patience. Prayer. But shouldn't I DO something?

I kept scrolling and found this from Maichael Catt (@MichaelCatt).

" 'A winner never stops trying' - Tom Landry. A prayer warrior never stops pleading and believing."

There's the answer. Why do we always think we must do something and that prayer is not part of the so,etching? Yes, we must do something and praye is ALWAYS part of the something.

We may have to do other tiings, too. Maybe we have to change jobs or locations. Maybe we have to forgive and seek forgiveness. Maybe we have to move from the status quo and change.

But we always must pray.

I have some deep burdens relating to self, family, and church. To see reward I have to persistently plead and believe.

What are your burdens? Are you trying to DO something to make the situation better? Have you prayed?

Follow me on twitter @BobLoyd

Making Adjustments

If you were to look at my resume you would see that golf is one of my hobbies or activities. If you looked at my calendar you would wonder why. If you looked at my scorecard you would really wonder why.

The truth is I don't play much. My slice makes it hard to hide that truth. The first time I played on a real course was when I was in high school. I met a few friends at Bay Ridge in Dardanelle. When it was my turn to tee-off on #1 I put the ball high and long and way right. It was across the trees and across the road. If you've never played Bay Ridge (now John Daly's Lion's Den) then you should know that this shot was worse than you think. If you have played there you are really wondering why I list golf as a hobby.

My birthday was last week. Last year on my birthday I played. I played in a fund-raising tournament with my Dad in the Fall. I was going to Dardanelle to play with him today. But it was raining early this morning in Dardanelle and the chance of rain is 90% for our tee time. I had been on the road for just a few minutes when he called to let me know. He was willing to play in the rain, he said. I figured we'd better reschedule so we'll try again next week.

My life is full of things I need or want or like to do. I try to keep my iCal up to date - I think if you keep a calendar you ought to keep it current. Your calendar ought to serve as a look forward and also a look back. Anyone who must file expense reports understands.

But sometimes you have to make adjustments. Like today. My text to my wife said, "No golf. It's raining. I'll pick up Riley from school." One adjustment seems to bring others.

How do you handle the unexpected changes that come up? In the construction businesses, changes cost money. The lightning delay in Riley's baseball game last week cost us time. The guy who changes lanes in front of you in the interstate can cost time, money, nerves, and lives.

The construction firm uses changes to increase profits. One of the baseball teams (the other one) used the change in schedule to play in the rain. The guy cut off in traffic has to drive defensively. Some choose to drive more aggressively but that's not a good choice.

An unexpected diagnosis from the oncologist, the email from the boss outlining upcoming layoffs, the surprising result of a pregnancy test, the bill to repair a busted water heater, the news that a loved one has suddenly died...

"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7 NIV84).

"Trust in the Lord with all you heart and lean not on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5 NIV84).

We can focus on the circumstances or we can focus on the Lord. I choose to look to Jesus.

Responding to the Emily Letts Video

Dr. Al Mohler wrote an article at his website addressing the "positive abortion story" captured on video by the young woman having the abortion. She considered the procedure to be "birth-like." Mohler says:

"So her abortion was 'as birth-like as it could be,' except for the fact that the entire procedure was intended to terminate the life so that the birth would never take place."

Read Dr. Mohler's full article here.

Not everyone who is pro-abortion is comfortable with the way this video portrays abortion. However, cultural acceptance is growing while the biblical standard remains the same.

Stacks

Admittedly, I've never spent much time in the library. High school and college assignments that drove me to the library were usually more interesting than I first thought but I just didn't put that much effort into research. The card catalogue is very confusing.

Then I started seminary. I built up my own library as each class had required textbooks and other reading. Shelves line the office at church. We have a couple of shelves in the house. My Logos and Kindle apps are heavily loaded. And as I sit at the dining room table typing this post, I can see about thirty books stacked on the table and in the chairs.

These stacks contain books I'm actively using. (Add another thirty or so e-books to the "actively using" list.) A couple are Bible commentaries I'm using for sermon preparation. One is a book on physical health. Most deal with the topic of my recently-abandoned doctoral project: missional living.

I've abandoned the project but not the concept. Mission living is a broad and deep idea that comes from the Bible. It is the true sense of what the church should be based on the missionary nature of God. Jesus said, "As the Father has sent me, I am sending you" (John 20:21). The Father sent the Son on a mission to redeem people from their sins. While Christians cannot die to atone for the sins of others like Jesus did, we still are to be actively pursuing the redemption of the lost by showing them, telling them about, and pointing them to Jesus.

When Jesus was born - an infant to a virgin - God took on human flesh. This is called the Incarnation. What Jesus did to redeem people is missional; how he did it was incarnational - he came to us, he became one of us. So the church is to be people who are engaged in the mission of God through the relationships we have with others.

I'm an introvert so I have few deep relationships and almost all of those are with people who are a lot like me. In order to be missional I have to be intentionally incarnational, too. I have to engage people who are different from me, who I may not naturally be drawn to, but who need a Christian to care enough for them to tell them the Good News. Relationships are the best avenue by which the gospel arrives.

That doesn't me Christians shouldn't express the gospel to total strangers. That doesn't put an end to global mission trips or mission ministry in another part of town. We are to be on mission everywhere to everybody. Where possible, we should leverage relationships and personal encounters for the sake of the mission.

I want to encourage you, if you are a Christian, to accept the call to God's missionary call just as Jesus did and to engage people in personal relationships just as Jesus did for the sake of the mission.

When Troubles Come

Horrible storms passed through our area Sunday night. By now you may know that a tornado touched down in Ferndale, then Mayflower, then Vilonia, then points beyond. Images and video are heart-wrenching.

More than a dozen people are dead. Countless families have lost property. I heard this morning that a man near where I live lost six horses...he has no idea where they are.

The insurance industry will one day tell us the cost of this storm. But the impact is much greater than money. Sometimes it takes a tragedy to realign our thinking.

Matthew 6 is part of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. The Lord spoke about doing religious things for the right reasons. Then he said that what we treasure exposes where our hearts are.

Treasure on earth will rust, decay, and be stolen. If we love worldly things we'll be disappointed and heartbroken. But a desire for godly, heavenly, eternal things will be blessed. Then our treasures will last. Each person has to choose whether to value the temporal or the eternal; you can't value both.

Jesus then said that we ought not worry about the temporal things because God cares for us to an even greater degree than he does the birds in the sky or the grass in the fields.

It's hard not to worry when your home is damaged by a storm. It's hard not to worry when your family has suffered the loss of a loved one. It's hard not to worry when emergency sirens sound in the middle of a storm.

But can we trust God to care for us? Will he be there when we are hurting? Will he comfort us in our sorrow? Will he provide in our great need?

I've found the answer to be YES! And I've found the key to be in Jesus's words recorded in Matthew 6:33. "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." God will take care of your worries.

I've experienced troubles that might have overwhelmed me but I chose to seek the Lord rather than deal in worry. He has always been faithful and I trust he will be now and the next time.

This doesn't erase the sorrow and pain we feel when tragedy strikes. But it helps us deal with it. Each day has plenty of trouble as I see it. God sees it as opportunity to express his love and care for you.

Generations

My morning Bible study included readings from the book of Judges. Two great leaders of Israel had died: Moses, who led them out of Egypt, and Joshua, who led them into the Promised Land.

What next? Have you ever experienced the end of an era in leadership? The affects of the previous leader lingers but diminishes with time.

So it was in Israel. Joshua's contemporaries carried on in the spirit of his leadership. But they soon died, too. Then the writer of Judges records this observation:

"Eventually that entire generation died and was buried. Then another generation grew up that didn't know anything of God or the work he had done for Israel." (Judges 2:10 MSG)

I look at the situation in our world now and wonder where we are in this cycle. My generation is surely further from God than earlier generations. Will the next generation be even further away?

It's not inevitable that every generation slides further away from God. The Great Awakenings are proof that God can move and stir in hearts and bring people to him. In a micro view, I have personally experienced revival that brought me closer to God.

If enough Christians seek to please the Lord, and if enough others come to Christ for transforming salvation, then maybe we can slow the slide away from God or even turn our culture around.

We must keep telling the stories of God's love and goodness to our children. We must keep telling the stories to anyone who will listen. How else will they know?

Consider the great cost of Christians remaining silent.

Hiding

Our dog Lexi loves to get into the trashcan in the bathroom. Because of that, we close the door when we leave the house to keep her out of there. Except sometimes we forget.

Yesterday, we forgot.

Deana found the mess and hollered from the bathroom, "Lexi!"

I was sitting in a chair in the living room. Lexi came quickly and sat beside the chair. She peeked around it toward the bathroom door. She knew what she had done and she knew she was in trouble.

I can't help but think about Adam and Eve. They sinned by not obeying God's instruction to not eat from a particular tree in the Garden of Eden. As soon as they did it they knew they had done something wrong.

Do you remember what they did then? They hid in the bushes. They tried to hide from God.

"Adam, where are you?" God said. Do you really think God did not know where Adam was? Sometimes I know that Riley is somewhere in the house but I have to go room to room calling for him before I find him laying on his bed with earphones in and listening to music. I don't really know why he needs to wear the earphones, I can hear the music just fine and I'm not wearing them.

God didn't have to search the garden to find Adam and Eve. He knew they were hiding. He knew they were hiding in the bushes. He knew which bush they were hiding behind.

God asked, "Where are you?" not so he could learn where Adam was hiding but so Adam could realize that God loved him and wanted to be with him even though he had sinned.

Not only did God come to the garden to be with Adam and Eve, he also prepared clothing for them. And he protected them from ever eating from another tree in the garden. They had eaten from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and they were now aware of what they had been protected from. The other tree was the Tree of Life. If they ate from that tree they would live forever.

Imagine living forever but cast out of God's place of perfection. By keeping Adam and Eve from going back into the garden and eating from the Tree of Life, God was making a way for them to return to relationship with him.

Yes, there is a penalty for sin. It is death. It is separation from God.

But there is redemption through death and separation. Jesus' death on the cross and his separation from the Father when he bore all our sins and took the punishment for us. Jesus did not become a sinner but he did become sin. For us.

You can act innocent but the truth is that you are guilty, just like Adam and Eve. And the punishment for sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus. The promise of God is forgiveness and redemption and love when we turn from our ways and toward his.

Following Jesus is the pathway that leads from death to life. If you are on that journey you can be assured that Jesus will deliver you into eternal life. If you are not following Jesus you can begin today. Contact me if you would like to know more about following Jesus from death to life.

What About Me!

Thursday mornings (early mornings) are reserved for exercise. For the past two years a band of up to six people has taken to the road for a brisk walk or run each Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. So the alarm went off at 4:30 and my wife and I sprang from the bed.

I used to hit the snooze but that is dangerous. Do you know that you can hit the snooze button for over an hour? Years ago I discovered this. It may not be the same for all alarm clocks but this is what happened on the one I had. The alarm went off at 6:00. I hit the snooze. It went off at 6:09. I hit the snooze. every nine minutes for 63 minutes the alarm went off and I hit the snooze. After the eighth time (it was 7:03 now) I hit the snooze and waited nine minutes. Of course, I couldn't sleep after all that activity over the last hour. I waited and waited but the alarm never sounded. My clock gave up on me. I guess it had a right to.

But this morning, we jumped from the bed and started the ritual of checking the weather app so we'd know how many layers to put on, then dressing appropriately, then getting a swig of water, then heading out to meet the rest of the group.

What was different about this morning was that we have a guest in our house. He spoke in our church last night and occupied the guest room. Like the wonderful hosts we are, we invited him to get up at 4:30 and walk with us.

Actually, Deana and I had already told the rest of the group we would not be there this morning because of our guest. So we had nothing to do with inviting him to get up much earlier than he was accustomed. I won't name names, but they know who they are!

We walked 2.5 miles and about 2 miles in, Forrest (our leader) asked Jesse (our guest) how he was doing. Forrest had asked once before just to make sure we weren't killing our guest. Jesse's in good shape so he was good.

But I couldn't stand it. "What about me!" I asked. Doesn't anyone care about me? I'm in the worst shape of any of us, so what about me!

Forrest understood and laughed out loud. He and I talk a lot while we walk. Sometimes the spiritual and intellectual aspect of the walks are more beneficial than the physical.

Have you noticed how people are so selfish these days? A team wins the National Championship and a player has to beat down the very institution that is handing out the trophy. A teams earns the right to play in the Super Bowl and a player has to rant about how much better he is than anyone else. A woman gets caught on video hitting another person and says she didn't do it. People stand in line demanding "Where's mine?"

It's as if we all think everyone else owes us something...and we owe nothing to anyone.

Our Sunday Night Bible Study last week focused on 2 Chronicles 7:14 - "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

We talked about steps to revival. Humility is necessary to be right with God. Instead, we seem to be full of pride. Pride takes root and we no longer praise the Lord and love our neighbor. Pride gets right up in the middle of whatever is going on and says, "What about me!" God will not bless those who are proud but he will hear and forgive and heal those who are humble.

How do we get from pride to humility? What is the pathway? It is service. Jesus is the great example of this. In Philippians 2 Paul tells us that Jesus was very humble, demonstrated by his incarnation and earthly ministry. Jesus is the Son of God but he didn't think he was too good to die for our sins.

I can't imagine this scene in heaven. The Triune God is discussing the plan to save lost humanity. The Father might have said, "Son, you will become a man and live among them. You will die for their sins so they can have eternal life." Then Jesus said, "That sounds good for them but what about me!"

No, I can't imagine that. Instead, Jesus humbly took on flesh, bore the cross, and died for our sins.

Just hours before his death, Jesus demonstrated what love and humility look like. He washed his disciples' feet. That was a task reserved for a household servant but the King of Glory did it. The pathway from pride to humility is service.

I need to serve others more and cry out "What about me!" less. Do you?

A Slice of Coffee

His name was Bob Thompson. I knew him through church and work in the 80s. He was retired from IBM and now worked in the warehouse where I was a salesman. We also served as deacons together at our church.

Bob had a sense of humor that tickled me. Dry, sarcastic, witty. He also had two habits I thought were odd fits. He worked in a warehouse that was horribly hot in the summer but at break time he would sit out there to drink coffee and smoke a cigarette.

I always thought, "What a strange way to cool off."

I never took up smoking but I am wild about coffee. That's probably due to Bob and due to the next job I had at a radio station.

Bob's coffee was the strongest stuff I've ever tasted. He would come into the office each morning before anyone else and make it so I don't really know the ratio of coffee to water. But Bob would come in to refill his cup several times a day and hold the pot out like a  waitress at Waffle House asking if anybody wanted a slice. It was that thick!

I looked at the calendar today and noticed that March is all but over. The first quarter of 2014 is gone. Where has the time gone. It seems like a lifetime ago that Bob and I would share a slice of coffee.

During those break times with a cigarette in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other, he often said, "You know, the days just drag by but the weeks and months and years just fly."

In my mid-20s I didn't really understand but shook my head in agreement. I now have many more days behind me than before me and I understand.

Paul encouraged his readers to make the most of every opportunity (Ephesians 5:16 and Colossians 4:5). Seize the day. Redeem the time. However you want to put it, this day will be gone before you know it and you'll have no more chances to make the best of it.

So you better get busy while you still have today.

I Can't Imagine Our World Without God

Browsing Instagram this morning, I found this picture.

Here are the caption and some comments.

The comment from"concede" caught my attention: "Imagine our world without gods."

I suppose that's a reference to the Taliban acting out radical Islam. Perhaps this person thinks all gods are behind all evil. Maybe he thinks the one true God should be lumped together with them.

So what would a world without gods or God be like? I can only answer that through the Christian worldview I hold to.

Some might think the world would be a better place but I believe the world is only as good as it is because of God. The Bible teaches that God created the world, sustains the world, and gives purpose to the world.

Without God, the world would not exist.

Without God continuing to engage with the world, we would cease to exist.

Without God interacting with the world, we would have no purpose.

So, no, I can't imagine our world without God.

Seasons

We are almost a week into Spring. It's chilly outside today. I am amused by the reactions to a change of season or weather that is not normal or what is preferred.

My least favorite season is summer because I prefer cooler temperatures. I can deal with 20 degrees much better than 95 degrees. I prefer a day like today where the high temperature is about 60 and the overnight low is about 40. I could live here for a long, long time.

But I completely understand when someone prefers an upward shift of about 20 or so degrees. I really am not violently opposed to the heat because I pretty much have an inside job. I just wish the switch on my car's AC performed with consistency. I think there is a short in there somewhere.

Griping about seasons is like griping about Mondays. A few years ago a friend posted on Facebook this question: Why would you so despise 15% of your life? That's what Mondays are - 1/7th of your time or about 15%.

God gives us time and seasons but we complain. What sense does that make?

Many want to do away with Mondays but would they gladly give up $15 of a $100 gift? Many want to do away with either winter or summer but would they give up $25 of a $100 gift?

Our time - whether measured in minutes, hours, days, months, seasons, or years - is a gift we are to cherish. In part because of what we can do with that gift, but mostly because of the gift Giver.

When you count your blessings, don't forget to consider the blessing of this day, this season, this time in your life. Be sure to honor God with every gift he gives you.

Christian, Do You Know an Atheist?

After reading Dr. Moore's post/review of Dan DeWitt's new book Jesus or Nothing, I pre-ordered the book for delivery to my iPad Kindle app on April 15. I think you should, too.

If you read the article here you might notice toward the end a phrase that caught my attention. It makes me think about my "daily traffic patterns" as Rex Horne calls it. Where do I go each day? Am I traveling safely within a bubble guarded by Christian people and Christian things?

"if you don't have any atheists in your life, you might should wonder why"

I'm sure I pass by people every day who do not believe that God exists. I'm sure a handful of my contacts on social media would claim atheism - if not verbally, at least in practice.

Dr. Moore brings my thoughts back to something I've pondered but never really done much about: Why have I insulated myself from those who need to know the stunning truth of the gospel? All I need to do is look at Jesus' life and I'll see that he didn't stay away from those who held different beliefs than the truth he taught. Jesus didn't avoid skeptics. He didn't feel uncomfortable around them or worry about debates and arguments.

Jesus clearly had a mission. He came to die for the sins of all people, and he came to seek and save those sinners. The mission is clear for Christians: seek out those who need the gospel and tell them the good news! Having purpose - being committed to the mission - goes a long way in bringing Christians like me out of the "safe house" and into the lives of those who live on the dangerous edge of a eternity.

It's one thing to lob volleys over the wall (i.e. post Christian-ese sayings on social media), but it's something altogether different to be a friend to those so far from the salvation Jesus died to provide.

What Deacons Do

Our church faces a leadership situation we've never known. We've lost four of five deacons for various reasons. So we have one and we have one to be ordained.

The number who attend our church is probably not too large for two deacons to serve. That's if we view the ministry of deacons from a biblical perspective. I've learned from my thirty-two years in ministry (and ten more as the preacher's kid) that what the church thinks deacons are supposed to do and what the Bible says they are to do aren't always the same.

To make sure Cross Road moves forward with the healthy biblical perspective, I'm meeting with these two men each week to discuss "The Deacon I Want to Be" by Johnny Hunt. We have met twice and both meetings have been productive. I'm thankful for Bob and Forrest for their willingness to serve and their desire to serve biblically.

I don't know why expectations of many modern churches do not mirror the biblical pattern for deacon ministry. Some of what they should do is neglected. So of what they actually do is not necessarily a responsibility of a deacon.

Maybe the line is blurred between being a man in the church and being a man who serves as a deacon in the church. Every man has responsibilities to serve and minister in a broad range of ways. Building maintenance, yard work, ushering, and member care are things every man can do based on his giftedness. You don't have to be a deacon to mow the yard or paint a classroom or check on a member who is sick.

(Ministry and service are open to everyone in the church. Age, gender, or experience don't really make difference. So anyone can mow the yard or paint a classroom or check on a member who is sick. In a vibrant church, that will be the case.)

The deacon ministry is a calling a man receives from God and is affirmed by the church. These men serve not in the position of deacon but in the ministry of deacon. If we took a survey of deacons and church members, what would they say deacons do? Does that really matter? I guess so but only for the purpose of providing suggestions for improvement and correction and providing a basis for praise and thankfulness.

What really matters is the Bible's description of what deacons do. Unfortunately, God did not give us a definitive list but he did give us guidelines throughout the New Testament, especially in Acts 6. Here are the five things deacons do (taken from "The Deacon I Want to Be.")

1. Handle Church Growth - the necessity of choosing the seven men to serve in Acts 6 was the growth of the church.
2. Protect Church Harmony - the threat of a church split makes the ministry of deacons of utmost importance.
3. Provide for the Needy - the inability of the Apostles to meet the needs of the growing Christian community led to selecting men to serve in this way.
4. Prioritize the Ministry - the Apostles couldn't serve believers and spread the Good News alone: they needed co-laborers.
5. Ensure Gospel Penetration - the result of effective ministry was a greater spread of the Gospel and the further growth of the church.

A growing church must have a biblical deacon ministry; a church must have a biblical deacon ministry in order sustain growth.

I'm not looking to add to the body of deacons today. Maybe not even this year. We'll let the Lord lead us to this. But I am looking to guide the two deacons we have to serve biblically and I'm looking to teach the church what the Bible says deacons do.

When God Begins to Move

Can anyone tell me what it's like when God begins to move? I'm talking about the ver first movement. I've experienced a couple of periods of personal revival and can almost pinpoint the beginnings. Times of corporate revival have been sparse to non-existent in my experience.

What I've experienced is a gentle rumble of awakening that most of us didn't even realize until it was subsiding. It was impossible to put our finger on the starting point.

That's what I want to know. I've studied HOW revival starts. 2 Chronicles 7 says we are to humble, pray, seek, and turn then God will hear, forgive, and heal. Keys found in Acts 1-2 are obedience, prayer, focus, unity, and action. Acts 3:19 says, "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord." Those are a few of the keys to revival; there are many more that tell us HOW revival starts.

Revival is an act of the Holy Spirit. We can't really do much to bring on revival outside of praying and repenting and being obedient. The Spirit rains down upon us stirring our hearts. I long for that.

Sparks of revival glow from time to time and I wonder if I'm doing something to hinder it. Am I not yielding to the Spirit? Am I following some preconceived idea of revival rather than listening to and following the Spirit?

I sense an expectancy among our church. I hear our prayers and desires. I know God does, too. Is revival happening? Is it starting now?

Paul wrote to believers in Philippi, "I will press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me... Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (from Philippians 3:12-13).

Revival is necessary because believers have taken our eyes off the prize. We've run off chasing goals other than that set before us by God.

Will God send revival? I think he will because he wants us to follow him. Will God revive us today? I don't know but I believe it won't happen until the Spirit moves within me and I respond by yielding to his call.

Sometimes I listen to the chimes on the front porch. No sound at first, then a light pinging, then a heavier clang. The wind picking up indicates rain may be coming. Sometimes it doesn't. I hope the wind I'm feeling in my spirit is the refreshing of revival that comes from the Lord.

In Revelation 22, John responded to Jesus' promise to return with the words, "Amen. Come, Lord Jesus." I believe Jesus wants to revive his people today as much as he wants to return to us some day.

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus, and revive us.

A Weighty Opportunity

I'm working on sermons for the Easter season. In some regard, this is an easy task. I will preach about sin, sacrifice, forgiveness, and redemption. I will expect the Spirit to work in me as I prepare and present the messages. And he will work beyond me to impact those who hear the messages. Easter can and should be an expectant time in the church - the whole world talks about Jesus for a few weeks! I understand, as you do, that the talk is not always good but just the mention of his name is powerful. So, let them talk about Jesus!

Easter sermons are also hard to prepare. By hard, I mean that the weight of the preparation is heavy. (I take all sermon prep seriously, by the way.) Some who have never heard the gospel clearly presented will hear these sermons. Some who have rejected the claims and offers of Jesus will hear these sermons. Some who are just attending to fulfill an obligation will hear these sermons. That's not a whole lot different from any other sermon, but this is Easter! How do you tell the Good News in a fresh way that is true to the living word of God? Honestly, many of our regular attenders have heard Easter sermons for decades. I not only want to be compelling to the person who does not know salvation in Christ but also to those who are faithful. The gospel impacts both our eternity and our today.

So I'm deep in thought and prayer anticipating a great work of the Lord. That work will be seen several times. I'll see it as he fills my mind with thoughts. Then he'll guide the thoughts from my mind to my notes. Those in the congregation will sense the work of the Spirit when I stand before them to speak the words. The Spirit will work within them to plant truth deep within them. For some, that truth will sprout at that moment and begin to grow as them embrace what Jesus means to us. Others will have to process the ideas longer but when it clicks they'll move forward with Jesus. Sadly, some will reject the truth the Spirit has brought to them.

For some reason God chose to use "the foolishness of preaching" to bring hope to all who will listen to and embrace the gospel. The opportunity to preach the gospel cannot be taken lightly. Nor can the opportunity to hear the gospel. As I and other pastors prepare our messages for the Easter season, you can prepare to embrace these messages. That's a good way to approach Lent. You can read my thoughts on Lent from a couple of years ago here.

The greatest message in the world deserves our greatest attention - whether we deliver the message or hear it.

How to Argue

I just sat at the dining room table at my in-laws' house and listened to them argue. MIL said to me, "See, we still argue." I thought, "It's better than not having your spouse around to argue with."

So are there any rules on how family members should argue with one another. I googled it and found this article at usatoday.com that I thought was pretty good. I'll share the basics but you can read the entire article here  It's not a long article so please go there.

1. Have a plan.
2. Bite your tongue.
3. Avoid the unanswerable.
4. Don't blame, abuse, or punish.
5. Fend of fights.

I've been watching some of the Rocky movies during our snow days. Please, when you argue, don't leave your family member a bloody mess like Rocky and Apollo did to each other. That makes a good movie but not a good home.

Baseball is Back

If you know me or we are connected through social media or you just read my blog for the great insight, you know that I love baseball. I would have been a MLB star had I not taken a ground ball in the nose when I was about 10 years old. And if I hadn't been hit in the back by a wild pitch in Little League. And if I hadn't mis-judged the fly ball and had it hit me in the forehead. Just a little more speed, power, and coordination and I'd be the "Face of MLB."

To fill the void I've coached a little, played a little softball, gone to MLB and MiLB games, cheered from the stands of Tee-ball and Cal Ripken League and now Babe Ruth games, and logged thousands upon thousands of hours watching games on TV.

With all that baseball, I still get giddy when pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training in early February; I still set aside time to read and watch games or highlights of the first game in Spring Training; I still consider Opening Day of the season one of the greatest days of the year; I still get a little sad when the final out of the last game of the World Series is recorded each year.

So strike up the band to play "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" and update the iScore app on the iPad. It's time for baseball!

It's the Economy, Stupid!

Remember those words? James Carville reminded Bill Clinton's election team to focus on the economy leading up to the 1992 Presidential election.

Bush 41 had a 90% approval rating following the ground invasion of Iraq. But economic troubles turned the tide. He soon would have a 64% disapproval rating. The Clinton Campaign won the election in part by constantly resounding, "It's the economy, stupid." The banter deflected the discussion of Bill Clinton's morality (or immorality).

I'm reading articles today of a skirmish in Arizona between those who claim a bill awaiting the governor's signature is protecting religious liberty or encouraging oppression of homosexuals. The bill narrowly passed both chambers of the state legislature; the governor has until Saturday to sign it into law, veto the bill, or let it become law without her signature.

Homosexual America is weighing in. Corporate America is, too, as entities like Microsoft and the NFL hint or outright threaten not to do business in the state if the bill becomes law.

Conservatives are weighing in, too. Rush Limbaugh said the the governor is being "bullied" to allow the homosexual agenda to advance. But not all conservatives agree. John McCain (is he really a conservative?) is urging the governor to veto the bill.

"It's the economy, stupid." I'm concerned that the governor and many others in the state (like three state senators who voted FOR the bill but now oppose it since the economic threats began) will put the economy above religious liberty.

Remember when Southern Baptists boycotted just about everything they (we) considered immoral? Remember the beating administered by the media?

Those who side with the homosexual agenda are, in effect, threatening to boycott the state of Arizona if this bill passes. But where it the outrage?

There is no outrage because the media long ago stopped reporting and turned to social engineering. Admittedly, the conservative media does the same thing.

There is no outrage because the economic boycott furthers the agenda the media supports.

I have no way of knowing what the governor will do but my gut feeling is that she will bow to the economic pressure to support the homosexual agenda. If so, mark it up as another win for the advancement of homosexuality in our culture. That certainly has been the trend lately.

If the threat of economic boycott works in Arizona, expect it to be used more and more.

"It's the economy, stupid!" That seems to be a good argument to deflect attention away from morality.