Waco Family Baptist Church Blog

Perspective on the Church Nursery

2010-03-22T03:38:00.002-05:00

There seems to be some confusion on what it is to be a Family Integrated Church. I will be the first to admit that FIC means different things to different people. That means that a church who takes the name FIC must define what that means at that particular church. I know that at Waco Family one area that needs consideration is that of the church nursery.

We have all grown up and many of us had our children in the typical church nursery. Some of those nurseries are hi-tech fortresses with beepers, security cameras and armed guards (well maybe not armed...) Because "we've always done it that way" we may have a tendency to just assume that it is the best way and that we are following a model that fits with the Bible (our only certain rule for faith and practice). We do need to question all of our practices. We are not only reformed, we are reforming. This means that we are constantly being shaped to better fit the biblical mold – constantly adapting our practice to match our faith as guided by scripture. (Semper Reformanda)

The best study I've found on the subject of the nursery was done by Dr. Voddie Baucham. You can read his blog from the link on this page. Here are some thoughts I had and a synopsis of my findings in studying the subject.

First, can we admit that churches today are basically anti-family and anti-child/anti-baby (especially anti-baby). Here's what I mean. The typical church takes great pain and pride (and spends great budget dollars) to ensure that there is a separate place for each age group represented by any given family. Emphasis on SEPARATE place. It is not at all uncommon to have a different area of meeting for infants/toddlers, grade school children, middleschoolers, highschoolers, college students, and adults. Even in the small churches that can't take on the burden of all of these groups they ATLEAST have a separate place for the babies (which is why I said "especially anti-baby"). "The family that prays together stays together", but in the typical American church there is no family that prays together – or sings together, or hears the Word of God together. Most churches intentionally segregate families. The majority opinion seems to be that children are disruptive and are not capable of being otherwise. It is thought unreasonable to ask a child of 1-8 years of age (some would say 0-18) to stay in a worship service for 60-90 minutes without a meltdown. (I'll address this thinking, but not now)

Well, that's what happens. Adult Christian people don't want to be bothered by infants and children in church so we exclude them. The next logical question is, "does the Bible speak to the matter?" There is no specific "nursery passage" that we can turn to and get our direction from. Because of this, it is important to say that no reasonable position on the subject should be cause for us to break fellowship over. But at the same time it is important that we weigh the indirect teachings of Scripture to guide us in our practice and obedience.

Passages for the Nursery:

Some suggest that Nehemiah 8 makes the case for a nursery. This is based on the fact that the assembly is stated to include "both men and women and all who could understand ". The assumption is that this is a comprehensive lists of the attenders. It is assumed that there were no children, and therefore we should not include children in our worship services as well. Dr. Baucham has done a superb job at addressing this issue, and I urge you to read his writing addressing these verses (there are 2 parts, so read them both). I know of no other passage that can even be stretched to speak in favor of a nursery (and the Nehemiah passage has to be stretched to do so).

Passages against the Nursery:

As I already stated, there are no "thou shalt not..." passages about the nursery. There are, however, some passage that speak in opposition to such age segregation without a direct command.

First in Deuteronomy 31:12-13 we see an instruction for the teaching of God's law. "Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones,...their children" does explicitly state that this assembly was to include children. Ezra 10:1 speaks of "a very great assembly of men, women, and children". There seems to be more on inclusion than there is on exclusion. Zero places explicitly state that children are left out of the assembly, and here are 2 that explicitly state the opposite. But, you might think, we are New Testament Christians. Did Jesus ever address this issue? Yes He did. In Matthew 19, the people were bringing their children to the worship service (well they were bringing them to Jesus). The disciples said (paraphrased with tongue-firmly-in-check), "Those kids can't come in here. They need to be in the nursery or in children's church." (end of sarcasm) Jesus told them to allow the children to come to Him. Only one chapter earlier, Jesus was teaching and called a child out of the congregation to use as an illustration. I kind of think He probably just picked up the closest one – He definitely didn't send Peter to fetch one from the nursery. The children were not in isolation, but rather they were in the crowd following Jesus.

Similarly, Paul addresses the subject indirectly. Paul says in Ephesians and Colossians, "Children, obey your parents." Paul did not say, "Father's when you pick your children up from the nursery tell them that I said..." Paul's assumption was that the children were in the assembly where the letter was to be read – so he just addresses them directly and specifically. Pauls letters did not include the adult version and the accompanying children's lessons that should correspond.

I'd like to address more on this:

"Age appropriate" worship

What about observing the Lord's table with young children present?

Is there a place for "Jesus Loves Me" and "O Be Careful Little Hands What You Do" ?

What should we do about visitors who expect a nursery?

I must leave that for another time.

Pastor

Worship: God is Love

2009-12-14T17:39:00.004-06:00

Worship: God is Love

God is love. The Bible is very clear on this. 1 John 4:7-8, Romans 5:8, Ephesians 2 and John 3:16 state, along with innumerable other passages, the great love of God. “God is Love,” says 1 John 4:8. The entire book of Romans gives testimony to this truth in its portrayal of God’s death for utterly sinful man. The Psalms are satiated with testimonies of God’s great love. In Romans 5:8 Paul sums up every scriptural teaching on God’s love when he says, “God demonstrates His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” From the very beginning of the book of Genesis to the very end of the book of Revelation, The Bible is soaked with testimony to God’s great love. The fact that God is Love is inseparable from His character. A.W. Pink proclaims the depth of God’s love in his book “The Attributes of God,” where he states, “‘God is love’ (1 John 4:8). It is not simply that God ‘loves,’ but that He is Love itself. Love is not merely one of His attributes, but His very nature” (44). The vastness of such a statement is incomprehensible. The Hymnist Frederick Lehman penned my exact feelings toward God’s love when he said, “The Love of God is greater far than pen or tongue could ever tell; it goes beyond the highest star and reaches to the lowest Hell.” Though its depths are unfathomable and there are none worthy enough to proclaim its greatness, it cannot be emphasized enough. It is the very fabric of this essay. But how can we better understand God’s love? How can we grasp the “great love with which He loved us” (Ephesians 2:5)? This essay will attempt to show you that knowledge of God’s attributes and Man’s nature are prerequisites for an understanding of God’s love and worshiping Him because of it.
21st century Theologians spend tremendous amounts of time thinking about God’s love; however, many of these theologians fall very short in their understanding of love. Most of these men have a Graeco-Roman understanding of what love is. This mythological love is portrayed as a mere emotion, subject to change, not bound to the Human will, but rather to emotional interference. This emotional love is not what we see in scripture. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 is possibly the best definition of love that Scripture gives us. It states, “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” The Dictionary defines an emotion as “A mental state that arises spontaneously rather than through conscious effort and is often accompanied by physiological changes; a feeling.” An emotion, such as joy, may arise spontaneously, unprecedented by the situation, and vanish just as quickly as it appeared. The words Paul uses to define love are not emotions. Patience and kindness do not spontaneously flow from a person’s being. You have to make a conscious effort to be patient or kind. In order to avoid envying, you must compel your mind to be focused on contentment. It is safe to say that all of the adjectives used to describe love require conscious effort, thus we can conclude that love requires conscious effort and is, therefore, not an emotion that arises spontaneously, but an action that is, at times, a struggle. When our science of love is based on Scripture, we are unable to believe that love is an emotion. In light of everything we have read, we must conclude that love is an action, not an emotion. Voddie Baucham, in his book “Family Driven Faith: Doing What it Takes to Raise Sons and Daughters Who Walk With God,” stated, “One of the biggest problems with the Greco-Roman myth is that it does me absolutely no good in non-romantic relationships. The Biblical model fits my relationship with my wife, my daughter, my son, my mother, my neighbor, and my God. In each of these situations I can love as an act of the will accompanied by emotion that leads to action on behalf of its object.” Pastor Baucham’s definition of Love is phenomenal: an act of the will accompanied by emotion that leads to action on behalf of its object. The Theologians who believe that God is a God of romantic love are people who believe in a limited view of God’s love. God’s powerful love is not a limited chemical reaction, but a volitional action accompanied by emotion that leads to action on behalf of its affection. The Graeco-Roman myth of love is merely emotional, and chemical. It’s not a love that lasts. It is not true love.
“Emotional love” many times does not leave room for hate. It gives the idea that love and hate cannot coexist. This assumption has no logical basis whatsoever. The Bible does teach us that hate can exist in isolation, but it also teaches that love always coexists with hatred. John MacArthur, in a sermon entitled “The Love God Hates,” stated, “There can be no love unless there is the antithesis of love, which is hate. Those two emotions are inseparable. For example, if you love someone, you hate whatever it is that would harm that person. If you're a parent, you hate anything that would harm your children. If you're married, you hate anything that would defile or injure your spouse. If you love what is good, then you hate evil. If you love God, you hate Satan. If you love unity, you hate discord.” If MacArthur is correct, and I believe he is, then we must accept that the action of love is always accompanied by the action of hatred. Based on this conclusion we must assume that if God is love, He must hate. This does not at all mean that He is hatred; however, it does mean that God has the ability, even the requirement to hate, and He does exercise His ability.
God is also Righteousness. Everything about Him is perfect. He “is “light (i.e. Righteousness) and in Him there is no darkness (unrighteousness) at all”(1 John 1:5). Not only that, but He cannot even be around Sin. “Our God,” according to Hebrews 12:29, “is a consuming fire.” If He were around sin, or something sinful, He would consume it with His Holiness. His righteousness is so great that He cannot justly be around Sin. He is unfathomably righteous. God’s righteousness is one of the main reasons for His love. However, since He is a consuming fire, He is unable to be around Sin. He cannot treat sin in a loving manner, lest He be unjust. God, because He is righteousness, can have only one attitude towards sin, and that is an attitude of Hatred. If Hatred always accompanies Love, and God is Love, God must hate, and He must, and does hate sin.
The fact that God hates is not a popular subject. The contemporary scholars of our day want us to believe that God does not hate sin. “They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace.”(Jeremiah 6:14) The attitude of God towards evil doers is clear. The Bible constantly describes the relationship between God and a sinner as enmity. Romans 8:7 states, “the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law.” David gives us a glimpse of it in Psalm 5:5, which reads, “The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes; You hate all who do iniquity.” God loves a human person. God created Man and He said that His creation was good. But God Hates all who do iniquity. God’s attitude to the sinful men of this world is clear in Genesis 6:6, which states, “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.” God hates Sin, and he is grieved with Humanity. God hates sin. God is love, God must hate, God hates sin, but more specifically, God hates you. As long as you continue in your sin you are an enemy of God. As long as you are not a child of God, you are hated by Him.
What are we to do with a God that hates us? “I am a man of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth” (Job 40:4). We cannot respond to it. Man’s naturally hedonistic nature cannot accept the fact that God hates him, and Man’s “small account” prevents him from making a plea on his own behalf. Romans 3:10-18 proves this true when it states, “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one. Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive. The venom of asps is under their lips. Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.” What would be our plea? What can you say on behalf of yourself? Has a lie ever proceeded from your mouth? If you have lied, you are a member of the iniquitous party. Have you ever looked at a person with lust? If so, you qualify as an adulterer according to the Sermon on the Mount, and thus you are iniquitous. Have you ever hated in your heart? Has there ever been a grudge you held against a fellow Human being? Christ says that that action makes you worthy of the same fate of a murderer. You say you have obeyed the whole law, but failed in only one point? “Whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it” (James 2). You have broken all of God’s law. You are an Evil-doer. God hates you! Because God loves a righteous person, He must hate all, for all do iniquity, and because God is unwaveringly righteous, His hatred is right, and is a necessary response from a Righteous God. Based on this we can conclude not only that God hates us, for we are unrighteous, but that His hatred is justified, for we are unrighteous.
The book “The Pilgrim’s Progress,” by John Bunyan, tells the story of a man by the name of Christian who journeys from the City of Destruction, where he lives, to the Celestial City, a beautiful place where men never die. At the beginning of the book Bunyan tells of a dream that he has in which he sees a man reading in a book, and being very troubled by what he read. Bunyan states, “As he read, he wept and trembled; and not being able longer to contain, he brake out with a lamentable cry, saying, ‘What shall I do?’” (1). Christian refers to his fear of judgment throughout the book. Each time an enemy tries to divert him from the path he tells them of the judgment of God that he fears and his surety that it will fall on the city of destruction and its inhabitants. He spoke frequently of God’s wrath against his own sin. It would be impossible to articulate Christian’s fear of God’s wrath; However, it is evident that he feared God’s judgment -- and rightly so. Proverbs 1:7 states that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” At first glance, it seems difficult to fear a God who is love. But if we accept the proper definition of Love, and the proper definition of God, fear is a natural response to God, especially because of His judgment. The Bible is very clear on the fact that God judges sinners. We have established that His attitude toward them is disgust, anger, and even as far as hatred. But we have also established that God is love. We know that at the time He created the earth He called his creation good, but after he created man He “saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good” (Genesis 3)
Paul was an apostle with an almost supernatural grasp on the justice of God. The first section of Romans describes God’s justice, who it falls on, and why it falls on them. The first five chapters of Romans are a sort of diagnosis of man. They describe his utterly helpless estate and the hardness of his heart. They go into detail about his righteousness – according to Paul we have none apart from Christ – and God’s response to what the prophet Isaiah calls “filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). Paul also tells us how widespread this condition of sinfulness is when he states “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Paul’s grasp of God’s judgment and his detailed description of God’s actions as a result of that justice become tattooed on the minds of all who read it. But Paul did not preach justice just to preach justice. Paul’s detailed explanation of God’s justice was only to show us what power His love has on us. In Romans 8:35 He asks, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” In Romans 5:8 Paul shows us the power of God’s love when He states, “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Paul so loved the Doctrine of God’s love that he referenced it in each of his 13 epistles. Many of those times Paul used God’s love as a model for human behavior. In Ephesians 5:25 Paul says “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” At the beginning of that chapter Paul exhorts his readers to “Walk in love as Christ has also loved us” (Ephesians 5:1). The great lengths that have been taken to show you God’s justice are not just to drop your jaw; they are to show you God's love.
God is Love? God is Justice? God hates? How can these things all be true at the same time? How can God act in ways that seem so opposite? How can God be a God of Justice, yet still save men and women? This essay attempted to show you the implications of a God who is love. So far, the implications in comparison to the truth of salvation seem very incongruent. How can they all be true? “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:23-26) We all deserve justice, according to verse twenty-three, and this means that we all need redemption. Paul tells us that Jesus became a “propitiation by His blood.” This word propitiation is the word that all of Scripture hangs on. The Love of God, the Justice of God, and the Wrath of God against sin are all found in this word. The wrath of God against Him who knew no sin displays the hatred that God had for sin, the righteousness that made Him uncapable of forgiving and forgetting, the justice of God against sin, and the love that he had for man are all found in this little word propitiation. It is that word that is the starter fluid to flaming words like 2 Corinthians 5:21, which state, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Christ’s blood – His death – is the reason for our life. His death is our “propitiation.” His death served as a shock absorber for the wrath of God. Because Jesus was fully God, He was perfect, and because He was fully man he was able to be made the sacrifice on our behalf. He is our hope, and He is love. The weight of your sin was upon His shoulders and God’s hate – that which you rightly deserved – and God’s justice – that which was reserved for you, which you were “storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath” (Romans 2:6) – has been poured out on Christ. He has drunk the poison of your sin. He has inhaled the toxic fumes of your so-called-righteousness. He has become sin, who knew no sin, that you might become His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). While you were still sinning against Him, God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that you may believe in him, and by that belief receive eternal life (Romans 5:8; John 3:16). God loves you. God is love!

Soli Deo Gloria,
Michael Gill

Is God A Control Freak?

2009-09-11T20:57:00.004-05:00

Is God a Control Freak?

Not long ago I overheard a conversation between a few friends of mine. They were having a very heated discussion. I don't remember all of the details of the conversation, but I do remember one of them saying, "God is not a control freak!" I vaguely remember hearing, "God wouldn't do that to anyone" or something like that, but I remember "God is not a control freak" as clear as if it were being said right now.

This statement kept me awake at night for some time. I constantly played the words over and over in my head with different emphasis on the words. "God is not a control freak." "God is NOT a control freak." I decided to write a blog post questioning the reliability of this statement. Here goes:

"God is NOT a control freak!"

My first thought at hearing this statement is obviously "DUH!" I immediately push statements like these aside thinking that they are so obvious that I need not bother thinking about them. But God put these words in my head quite frequently. After about a week of hearing them repeated in my head I decided to make an enthymeme of the argument. I wrote:

Enthymeme:

Claim: God is not a control freak

Reason: (blank)

I hit a wall right here. I couldn't find a reason for the life of me. I knew that every good argument required a claim with reasons, so if I couldn't find a reason then this argument was foolish. The warrant was obvious:

Control Freaks are Bad.

But still, without a reason I knew that this was no argument. After a while of trying to find a reason for this statement I decided to look at the psychological definition of a control freak. Wikipedia explained:

In psychology-related slang, control freak is a derogatory term for a person who attempts to dictate how everything around them is done...In some cases, the control freak sees their constant intervention as beneficial or even necessary; this can be caused by feelings of superiority, believing that others are incapable of handling matters properly, or the fear that things will go wrong if they don't attend to every detail. In other cases, they may simply enjoy the feeling of power it gives them so much that they automatically try to gain control of everything around them.

I read this definition alot. I was covinced that the "God is not a control freak" argument was stupid. It was a pseudo-argument -- a claim with no reason. So, after finding that this argument was stupid, I looked at the other side of the argument by examining every sentence of the definition:

1.In psychology-related slang, control freak is a derogatory term for a person who attempts to dictate how everything around them is done...

Now y'all are smart people. You know that God doesn't attempt to do anything, so obviously God does not attempt to dictate how everything is done. He's God. He is in control of everything. I have had alot of people who do not agree with my position ask me "If God Controls everything, why are we held responsible for our sins?" The 1689 talks about God's control and I'll quote that at the end of the article.

2In some cases, the control freak sees their constant intervention as beneficial or even necessary;

I feel like an idiot saying this. It seems so obvious. God's constant intervention is necessary! If God desn( plan, inervene, or allow somethng to happen then it wont happen! R.C.Sproul can putit mor eloquenty than I. I would encourage you to watch his videos entitled Chosen By God. They're on YouTube.

3...this can be caused by feelings of superiority, believing that others are incapable of handling matters properly, or the fear that things will go wrong if they don't attend to every detail.

"Who is like the LORD our God...?"(Psalm 113:5) God's superiority is mentioned throughout the Bible. He sits on the Throne, finished salvation, and does control everything! his intervention is necessary, and other people are absolutely incapable of handling matters properly and if God doesn't do them, they Will not be done. it's not that they won't be done correctly, it's that they won't be done. Everything requires God's intervention. He must intervene, or things won't happen. God could stop pain all together, could end evil, and do a lot of things that He doesn't do. I don't know all of the things that God does stop, but I do know that Some people have a problem with this. To those I would say that God is not required to employ His power on behalf of man and whatever He does or doesn't do He does (or doesn't do) for His glory. He deserves every ounce of it, and will get Glory. Moving on.

4.In other cases, they may simply enjoy the feeling of power it gives them so much that they automatically try to gain control of everything around them.

God orchestrates everything to his desire. He does what makes Him happy, what brings Him Glory, and He is absolutely deserving of it. He doesn't try to gain control, I say again. He is in control of everything.

When I accidentally posted the rough draft of this article, a good friend of ours named Steve Hackett comented and said this: "God is not a control freak, He is control. I agree completely. So before you stat telling everyone that Michael Gill said that God was a control freak you hadbetter remember that I believe that God is control. Also, don't twist my words into meaning that control is god. that's not true. God is love. Is love God? God is Justice. Is justice God? God's attributes make him what He is. We must worship God in His fullness (as much as we are able to grasp his fullness). If we woship one attribute of God we are commiting idoatry, which is our first sin.

Finnaly, some of you may ask, "If God is in absolute control, how can we be blamed for sin?" or "If God is in control, isn't He responsble for sin?" This is where I hand the rest of this article over to the 1689 and the Bible:

"God hath decreed in himself, from all eternity, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely and unchangeably, all things, whatsoever comes to pass; yet so as thereby is God neither the author of sin nor hath fellowship with any therein; nor is violence offered to the will of the creature, nor yet is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established; in which appears His wisdom in disposing all things, and power and faithfulness in accomplishing His decree."

Isa. 46:10 - "I declare the end from the beginning, and from long ago what is not yet done, saying: My plan will take place, and I will do all My will."

Eph. 1:11 - also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,

Heb. 6:17 - In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the
unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath,

Rom. 9:15,18 - For He says to Moses, "I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION." ... So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.

James 1:13 - Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone."

1 John 1:5 - This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.

Acts 4:27,28 - For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur.

John 19:11 - Jesus answered, "You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin."

Num. 23:19 - "God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? "

Eph. 1:3-5 - Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will...

I learned something that brought my sin into plain view

2009-08-20T15:18:00.002-05:00

My family made a trek to Houston this past week. We enjoy visiting friends there, but I also enjoy the drive to and from. We are a family who have spent much time in a vehicle over the years, and it has become a special time for me. I truly believe that my family, only by God’s grace, is very different from the “average” family in the U.S. My children love one another and love Stacy and I and they love the Lord Jesus. Early on, I realized that car-travel was a great opportunity for teaching – through conversations, and carefully chosen audio material(audio books, sermons, interviews, etc.) So when we were going to be in the car for 5hours I carefully chose the material we would listen to.

One thing I have learned over the years is that we do need some variety in what we listen to. A comedy relief is greatly appreciated from time to time, and in view of the fact that it was Sunday – which meant we’d already heard a long sermon – we needed something as a break. I chose NPR Car-Talk. We have listened to this program before, and really enjoy the automotive information mixed with the antics and humor of “Click and Clack, the tappet brothers”. So I downloaded a couple of these episodes to my player so that we could play it in the car.

Also in light of already having heard a sermon and that I have been encouraged and strengthened through it, I downloaded a few episodes of Dr. Albert Mohler’s radio program. I handpicked discussions on feminism, men’s and women’s issues, and parenting. I think these types of discussions are important right now in my family. I have a young man and young woman living here who are being shaped in how they will relate to a spouse and children and how they will make decisions about who to marry, submission, leadership, and the when/how related to children. They are already active in reading and forming their own opinions in these matters. They ask my input regularly, and I do my best to help them have a biblical view of the world with Christ as the center.

Moving toward the thing that I learned that changed my mind, I’ll give you a hint – Alissa and I had talked a couple of times in the past about birth control. She was reading a book that talked about it, and we had discussed the morality questions/concerns of it. Until the past few years, my view has been the same as that of the world around me. I never thought of birth control as having a moral or biblical answer – If God has given us this technology, then we can use it…like open-heart surgery or chemotherapy. I do see now that the same logic could be applied to creating children to be used as parts for others or to abortion for convenience sake. I guess I never really thought through the topic – maybe afraid of what I would come to believe.

When I mentioned to the family that we would listen to a program that discussed birth control, Alissa said, “Birth control is a form of abortion and I’m against it.” Now if you don’t know Alissa, let me tell you that she is very “opinionated” and as she has grown up I’ve tried to help her make sure that her stronger opinions be based on fact and truth, and preferably biblical/Theological issues. I try to steer toward holding opinions loosely when possible – so as to not alienate others. (If you know me, you know that I’m not very good at this myself. If I truly believe something, I think you should believe it too – even if it is the Ford/Chevy debate – Chevy’s better.)

I told Alissa that the “Morning-After-Pills” were definitely abortion and hence sin, but other methods were not abortion. I went into detail about the barrier methods and how they could not be considered abortion. We believe that life begins at conception, and we weaken our arguments based on that belief if we call barrier methods “abortion and murder” because they prevent conception from taking place. That is the definition of Contraception – preventing conception. We also talked about Judah’s sons and daughter-in-law and how Onan “wasted his seed on the ground” and God was “displeased”. This was a good discussion, but came before we heard from Dr. Mohler.

We listened to The Albert Mohler Program “The Changing Minds on Contraception” (available for free download). The program was addressed to how the Christian’s mind has changed on the subject – but particularly focused on the birth-control pill. Dr. Mohler pointed out that many adopt the view of the culture, but some are now re-evaluating the issue with new facts. He likened the issue to a thick legal document that you may agree to without actually reading the details (like the software license agreement that you see when installing computer programs). He said that many Christians agreed to the pill without actually knowing what it was and how it worked. Now, many are learning those details and are changing their mind on this method of preventing birth.

One man called in to disagree. I think his argument was one that some of you may have, so I want to address it here. He argued that God has given us the wisdom to know when we should (and should not) bring a baby into the world, and there is nothing wrong in using that wisdom to make the best decision for our lives. He agreed that “abortion is wrong…once the egg and the semen interact it is a person”, and I think the guy was confused about the specifics that were being talked about – I think if it were explained in more plain terms that he would agree with the statements made by Dr. Mohler. Dr. Mohler stated that once the sperm and egg unite, they cease to become 2 and are now human life – then anything that would stop that life is not “contraception”(preventing conception) but is an early abortion. I want to say that in my terms so that it is clear. Contraception prevents sperm and egg from uniting, and that is the definition of the word contra- caption. Once the sperm and egg have joined, we call that conception – the fertilization of a human ovum by a sperm – and Christians call that human life created by God and the intentional ending of that life is murder (abortion is just a “nice” term for murder).

Dr. Mohler distinguished the difference in the words “contraception” and “birth control”. We must realize that these words are used interchangeably by some, but the details may have a great effect on how you view one form or another from a biblical perspective. Abortion is in fact “birth control” – it prevents the birth of a living person. Abstinence is also “birth control” – preventing the birth by preventing the conception. Abortion is clearly wrong according to scripture and should be practiced by no Christian, and Abstinence is clearly useful according to scripture and should be practiced by all Christians at different points in their life and always by some. Now for the thing that I learned – it changed my mind about birth control pills.

I learned that certain forms of birth control (IUD, Norplant, and oral contraception/pill) can cause the destruction of fertilized ovum (human life) either as their primary means or as a secondary (backup) means of preventing birth. I learned that there is a chance that a couple who use these methods will actually be causing miscarriage – and since that is an intentional function of these methods, it is actually early abortion. Studies reveal that early abortions are the method of birth control from the pill 4-15% of the time.

I had to tell Alissa that I was incorrect in assuming that "the pill" was not a form of abortion. Apparently she had already read of the data contained in this radio program - that I was hearing for the first time. We had to have more discussion about this subject.

I was devastated by the chance that early in our marriage we used some of these forms of birth control – thinking they were contraception. I have had to go to God in repentance for this specifically. (I have also changed my mind about all contraception as my world-view has become more biblical/Christian, but the prospect that we may have caused the death of a child must be dealt with.) I would challenge you to look up the facts on this issue for yourself. I will provide some links to resources that will help in your study. Then I would ask you, What is the acceptable percentage for a chance that you would destroy a person’s life? If it’s only 4% chance is it worth taking? Is there a tolerance level that you can live with when it comes to human life? These things weigh heavily on my heart – I hope they do with you as well.

Links:
http://www.albertmohler.com/radio_show.php?cdate=2009-08-14
http://www.prolife.com/BIRTHCNT.html
http://www.epm.org/artman2/publish/prolife_birth_control_pill/A_Longer_Condensation_of_Does_The_Birth_Control_Pill_Cause_Abortions.shtml
http://www.abortionfacts.com/learn/birth_control.asp

Pastor

True Woman | Mary Kassian

2009-08-14T15:34:00.001-05:00

True Woman | Mary Kassian

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First Put On Your Own Oxygen Mask, Then You Will Be Able To Assist Others

2009-07-26T22:28:00.004-05:00

Driving home and searching the radio stations randomly is a lot like playing Russian Roulette. Tonight I found a live one.

Leeza Gibbons has a radio program! There must be some parachute clause in the contract of all Entertainment Tonight hosts that entitles them to a radio talking music show. First John Tesh, and now Leeza. She plays music and between songs enlightens the world with her wisdom. Tonight she had a guest join in the conversation via phone - how exciting. Leeza was joined by Cheryl Seban, author of "What Is Your Self-Worth: A Woman's Guide to Validation". Dr. Seban's stated goal is to help women connect with their own innate value, connect to their unique authentic selves, recognize and validate their contributions to the world. I listened, and I learned some things.

Before I go any further, let me state my position on women. Read carefully, because I am a middle-aged conservative Baptist pastor - that group that has been accused lately of being part of "global mistreatment of women". So you should listen to my view on women before you read further. I'll include here my view on race and racism as well, because it's all related in my view. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. There is not even a true classification of race - there are different ethnicities, but we are all of the Adamic race (Adam is the father of every person, and Noah is our father as well). And there is absolutely no difference in value between male and female.

Let me clarify one caveat. There is a difference between men and women. I remember a talk with my dad, then a high school biology class. Anyone who says there is no difference is a complete idiot. There are physical differences, emotional differences, social differences, and role distinctions. The "women's liberation" movement (should be the "women's domination" movement) is on a course to eliminate these distinctions. I truly believe that the line would be, "we don't hate men, we just really love women." The problem I have with the direction of our world toward women is that it does not help women find their true "Validation" in being women. Rather, it tries to make women INTO men. The logic seems to be that somehow by emasculating men that women move up in the world. That's stupid. It's like me saying when I'm injured that if I injure you, then I won't be injured. Shouldn't we value men AND women - equally. I'm not denying abuse and those who would oppress women, but the answer is not found in women ceasing to be womanly. OK. How did I get on that trail. Back on task.

So proceeding with a belief that women and men are equal in value and both created in the image of God, I would like to address the topic of Self-Worth from a non-gender-specific point of view.

The main point that Dr. Seban brought out was that self-worth is like an oxygen mask on an airplane. She said that you are instructed when you board a plane that in the event of a loss in cabin pressure, you should secure your own mask first - then you'll be able to assist others. The inference was that you should build your own self-worth, then you could help others. If you have a low self-image, you will live out the low expectations that you have set for yourself in life. Leeza was completely in agreement, because (as I learned tonight) she wrote a book entitled "Take Your Oxygen First". This may have just been an opportunity to plug her book on the show.

Well, I think that the air mask word picture is about the most poorly constructed argument for self-worth I've ever heard. I'm imagining the author, educated and completely confident in self, going through life with one of those ridiculous looking masks on all of the time.

In this analogy, I see that the oxygen represents self-thoughts of value and worth. The thing breaks down for me in continued thought. You see, if I'm on a plane and the mask appears I will put on my mask first and then try to assist others. I will then pray a prayer and cry (I'm a big chicken at heart and have an acute fear of dying on a plane). Let's say for the sake of argument that I die - then the oxygen did me absolutely no good. Even if it sustained my life for a few moments or hours, it failed me where I really needed it (perhaps I really needed a parachute). So that line of thinking leads to the conclusion that the "Self-Worth" gospel that is being sold is itself-worth-less.

Let's consider that I don't die on that plane, but land safely and am reunited with my friends and family. Then, I'd look pretty silly showing up at work the following week still wearing the mask. I could get one of those tanks on a dolly to pull with me, and people could ask what it was for and I could tell them my story of how this mask saved my life. I might be able to get some of them to get a mask for themselves as well - I could help them put it on. But this line of thought is stupid (I know that some people are offended by the word stupid, but just get over it. It's stupid)

So I hate the picture of the mask as a self-validation tool, but I want to really stretch to use the comparison as charitably as possible - giving the benefit of the doubt. If my self-thoughts can be truly healing...if they can really have a lasting effect on my life, then they must make a real change. No thinking can help me, especially self-validating thinking, if I must continually be priming the pump. I mean if I have to constantly be refilling the "self-worth" bucket with new and better thoughts and deeper thoughts - because the ones from yesterday don't work any more. Remember Al Franken (before he became a politician) did a skit in which he played Stuart. He would sit in front of a mirror and say "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and dog-gone-it, people like me." He would have to repeat these self-thoughts because, as the skit made it clear, they were not true and he needed to be continually indoctrinated (brainwashed) to believe it. That is a caricature of what is being preached by Dr. Seban, Leeza, and today's world of philosophy. Keep blowing up the balloon, and keep ignoring the holes that are in it - if you can blow fast enough it will inflate. Well, that's just hot air.

There is a basic problem. People are worthless. There, I said it. People are of no value at all. Apparently, a great number of effort has gone into calculating the worth of a human body (breaking down all of the elements etc). The total value, less the skin, is valued at less than $1. The skin was valued at the market rate for cowhide totalling 3.50 - for a grand total of $4.50. I personally believe this to be inflated and the actual value to be much less. But even in life, people are liars, cheaters, selfish, thieves, murderers...you get the picture. Even the best people in all of history are (using a bible word - I am a preacher) sinners. And sin is a condition that renders people - the whole Adamic race, men and women alike - Worthless.

So you can pump up the psyche. Validate the self-image. Put on the oxygen mask. Inflate the balloon - but the task is hopeless. I wish these prophets of the Self-Worth god would be honest enough to admit that when the books are sold and the crowds are gone, and the speaking engagement is done and they are alone in bed at night - they must still feel like they are not doing enough. They must believe that they have not accomplished enough - that they really ARE not enough. I wonder if they are even that honest with themselves. I fear that they can't be for fear that the balloon will deflate too quickly and their life will be seen for what it actually is - Worthless.

Men and women are so worthless, that we are only to be thrown into the fire - like trash. That would be the end of the story for Worth, but there is actually another chapter. It requires a little shift. You see if this story continues - from worthless - where is there left to go? Nowhere. To see the other chapter, we really have to come to this place from an entirely different angle. We can't start with men and women and end up with worth - we are worthless. We must begin with true worth.

Well, the only One of innate value is God. God is self-sustaining, self-validating, self-worthy. (it just occurred to me that when we try to become those things, we are really trying to be gods) One of God's most wonderful attributes (as if we could rank them on a scale) is His grace. God is truly Loving and Gracious. How could you prove that you are Loving and Gracious? What if you directed your love and affections toward the most unloving and worthless? What if you commended your love to those who hated you. That would go beyond loving some who loved you first - beyond extending grace to those who would be able to offer something. This is precisely what God did for we worthless sinners - men and women, all ethnicities, all positions in life.

People incorrectly say, "The bible says 'God helps those who help themselves'", but that's precisely what God did NOT do. He DID NOT help those who helped themselves. He loved/helped/was gracious toward those who COULD NOT help themselves. That is real grace. That is real love. And coming from the only One of real worth...that is Amazing.

Now that we see that an innately infinitely Worthy (Holy) God has set His love upon mankind (worthless as we may be), we understand that there is now an inferred worth. Let me illustrate. I saw some guitar picks on the Internet for sale - used guitar picks. New picks sell for about $0.50-.90. These were selling used for $1k-$1800.00. They were of no real or innate value - nothing inherent, but were valued because they were the possession of Elvis Presley. Something that anyone would pass up at a garage sale as worthless at any price - now has a value because of factors outside itself. Men and Women, people, have worth based on the fact that God has set a price on us. Our value comes from Him, and as I stated earlier, to attempt to claim value from any other source is blasphemous and an act of idolatry.

OK. now lets talk about the price. God did not value mankind in "fair market" terms. Rather, he looked at the pitiful state that we were in (because of sin) and placed the value based on what it would take to repair the damage. An examination of scripture tells us that God found nothing salvageable - this would have to be a completely new creation. The old would have to go away, and the new life (one of value) would have to come in its place. The cost would be high - frankly, more than I would have paid and more than any person would be willing(or able) to give. The cost...The lifeblood of Jesus Christ. And that's what was paid.

There's a whole lot more to this story, maybe you've heard it but you forgot the price or that your value is ONLY through Christ. Maybe you've never heard it. It's found in the Bible - way better than I have explained it here, it's perfectly presented there in God's own Words. I'd love to share more with you if you have questions or want sources sited - just drop me an email or leave a comment here. Don't forget to tell me how to get in touch with you.

And if you are walking around with an oxygen mask on - take it off. It just looks silly.

Pastor

Doctrine and Debate, Preachers and Pew-Sitters

2009-07-15T15:19:00.000-05:00

There has been much talk among my family and friends lately about different views about Bible doctrine, Theology, and salvation (soteriology). I have been greatly encouraged by it, because I think it is a reflection of people desiring to know God deeper. I believe (and hope) that people are not willing to “drink the koolaid” of some religion that will not stand up to thought, debate, and analysis. I think about what God said through the prophet Habakkuk, “My people perish for lack of knowledge.” There are so many weak and feeble ones filling our churches. Many are unsaved people with religion only, but others are true children of God so weak in their new man. My heart breaks for this, and that’s why I love to see thinking studying Christians seeking to know what God said.

This weakness and anemic state of the people does have cause. There is weak and anemic preaching and discipleship from pastors and those in leadership. I know personally the temptation to change the message in order to keep a good paycheck and parsonage. I know the pressure to “lay low” and skip the hard stuff so that you will not become a target for the church power group. I know the desire to have “success” and to bend in order to get it. Many pastors today compromise the Truth for some motivation that holds more weight in their minds than a Holy God and His Word. Maybe they think God won’t mind a few tweaks – just to knock off the rough edges of the Gospel. After all, the true Gospel from the Bible is all “gloom and doom” for most, and offensive to all.

Jeremiah spoke of this attitude among those of his day who were supposed to speak for God. They refined the message in their time too. They went for a more positive approach. They preached “Peace”. What could be a more attractive message – “Peace, Peace”. It would have been a great message to preach, except for one problem. God said “there is no peace.” So when they set out to tweak, they completely changed. When they tried to refine, they actually polluted and corrupted greatly. When they wanted to knock off the rough edges, they actually shattered God’s entire masterpiece. They received truth, but delivered lies. Why would they do that? What would motivate those men to compromise like that? Jeremiah says, “My people love it so.” That was the real root of the problem. The people loved it. If the people had stoned the first “false-speaker”, then I believe there would have been more consideration put into what the next guy said. If the people would only accept sound truth, then there would be no market for the lies peddled by others. I believe that we live in the same kind of world today – with the same people who love it so. I pray for the day when the church will rise up and fire the false-teacher. No matter how much the attendance is up, no matter how pretty, no matter how well spoken, no matter how much fine-sounding philosophy – if it’s not God’s truth, then you’re out of here. This would go hand-in-hand with NOT firing the man of God who is faithful to the Word because the numbers are down, or he’s not as popular as we wished, or some other pragmatic criteria that we construct.

Christian, stop touting the man who rides his Harley on stage at church. Quit praising the guy who brings a fishing boat into the auditorium. Don’t focus on whether the sermon made good use of PowerPoint slides and video clips. Start asking, “Did he say what the Bible says?” Hint: If he’s jumping around the Bible from week to week, be suspicious – is he using the Bible to back up the sermon, or preaching the Word as it is written? Jeff Noblit (one of my new favorite preachers) says that this is the difference in Rick Warren and John MacArthur – well put. Church, demand that your pastor preach expositionally – that is just preach what the text says. Read out of the text the truth that God placed there, don’t read INTO the text the convenient message from me. When the preacher gets finished, you should be able to look at his passage of scripture and see the points he brought out – the outline should come from the Bible.

I know that for many Christians this seems impossible. How can we “call the preacher” on something we are not versed in. That is true, and a part of the problem. The “average” saved person should be growing in how to handle the Word. We should be learning how to read what is there rather than what we “thought it said”. Becoming Bible-Saturated, rather than Bible-Ignorant, would be a great thing for churches…for your church…It would be a great thing for you.

So for all of you who are active, studying and thinking, analyzing and considering; Keep it up! Let’s grow together to bring God glory. And if you’re not…Today would be a good day to start. I’d recommend the Gospel of John – It shows the Deity of Christ. Stop reading the stuff I’ve got to say, and get into the Word –right now.

Pastor

Mount Rushmore Part II

2009-07-14T00:46:00.002-05:00

My own personal Rushmore. So we all have our own Rushmores: writers, books, teachers/preachers, experiences in life...those that have litterally altered the course of your life, changed the way you think and believe, shaped you as a person and as a Christian.

Today I'll share my Rushmore of People. These are actual people that I have known living and breathing. I am not including "hero" type folks who I may have met, but could never drop in on them at their home. So these people are people I know and they also know me. Here goes...

Oh, and I'm not including Moma or Daddy. I have an awesome Mom and Dad, but for the general idea I didn't think it fit. Parents are the single greatest influence in your most formative years. I am more like my Dad and Mom than I even know (though there are areas that I wish I were more so). So they are the hands down on the mountain. So now to the list...

But you know, your wife/husband is right there with your parents. I mean there is no one who knows me better than my wife. There is no one I've changed for or with as much as her. There's no one who is better for me (God made us for one another). So she would be the cornerstone figure - not really fair to name her in the list. That would be too easy. So, for the moment you've been waiting for...

Then I realize that some of them may read this. So I must say that these are in no particular order. Here they are...

OK. I know that there are people who may expect to be in the list and are not. I do not in any way intend to say that this is exhaustive. I could not possibly list every influential person in my life. So the list is incomplete and in no order. On with it...

Papaw (Doc Smith) - My Papaw is more man than I could say in a paragraph or in a book. I have never seen him angry (really), never heard him speak evil of another person. I have heard him speak of Jesus Christ with words that speak of years of walking with him. He has always been free with words of encouragement - not ever empty flattery, but meaningful heart-speak. I'm not going to go on and on, but I could.

John Yates - Brother John was the first person I knew who was young (probably 18-20 when I met him) and sold-out to Jesus. I learned so much about what a young man could be, but that's not why he's listed here. I will be the first to admit that I walked away from all that he stood for. The reason he's here, is because in a very real sense he taught me how to be a critical thinker. Not critical in a negative way, but learning to think purposefully to learn what to believe and what to do. He helped me by teaching me at an early age some foundational doctrines from scripture. God used those things in my life, and I am grateful to John Yates for being one who sowed those seeds.

Stan Wyant - I remember clearly the first time I ever saw Stan. There are many events since then that I have forgotten (and he should too). I remember the first words I heard Stan speak were a commitment to live for Jesus Christ. I knew then that we would be friends, but I had no idea how close or how important Stan would be in my life. Stan's growth in Christ seemed like a rocket shooting past me as I stood still. He is like the big brother I never had. He has said harsh things to me at times, but always from a heart that loved me and sought my best well-being.

Mark Keaton - Mark is quite a man. He restores my faith in a younger generation. In the short time I've known Mark(about a year), he has been an encouragement to me unrivaled by any other. This man calls me "Pastor", respects his pastor, and loves his pastor deeply - and he makes me feel humbled to be his pastor. Mark's humility and love for Jesus Christ go forth from him like radiant light - you can't help but see it. Mark helped light a fire in my son, Michael, to stretch beyond the limits of where I live. This has had a profound effect on the kind of relationship Michael and I have, and has brought me much joy and fulfillment.

President George W. Bush - I don't know him. I just wanted to make you think for a second that I did. I would like to, so if anyone has an opportunity to introduce...you may be on my Rushmore of favorite people.

I made a list, and I'm not mentioning 11 more people who were on the list. There are atleast that many more. This reminds me of the turtle sitting on top of a fence post - you know he didn't get there by himself...he had some help. And while I'm not saying I am somebody or have arrived anywhere, I am saying who I am and where I am is by the grace of God through the help of a bunch of people.

(With the exeption of Pres.Bush) These are not people who will necessarily be heralded in the paper, magazines, or from any large venue stage. They are people you may not know, and if you don't you probably never will. I don't particularly want to promote their fame by naming them in my Rushmore. I have 2 goals in mind. First, this is a method of saying "thank you" to these people who have given of themselves for me. Secondly, I hope to inspire you to put some thought into the course of your life. To prompt you to realize that you didn't get where you are alone - you are not a self-made man/woman. God has worked in your life, and He has used people to shape you. His grace for caring about you at all, but don't write off the willingness of others to love you in ways great and small.

Post a comment to share your Rushmore People. And then maybe give them a call and tell them how much they mean to you.

Pastor

I Can't Sit At The Church!

2009-07-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

OK, now for a random story that I hope will illustrate and make a point in the end. Here goes.

Today I sat in the bathroom. Just sat there. Looking around and observing. I should mention that I’m remodeling – with the help of the boys, and at times Alissa (Stacy has not found the opportunity to get in on the fun). We’ve completely gutted it down to the studs and floor joists – well, we left the tub. I’ve completed the electrical to add outlets to a 1951 bath that didn’t have any. I’ve added hardee backer on 2 of 3 shower walls, and completed the plumbing of the single-handle tub/shower rig. The old setup had no shower, and we’re looking forward to having one in there. I’ve replace the sub-floor – 2 layers of ¾” wafer board. I set the new toilet so that we’d have a second one in the house for now, but I’ll have to pull it and reset after the tile goes in. I still have to put hardee backer on the floor (to go beneath the tile I’ll be laying – first time ever). I have to hang sheetrock, tape, float, sand, texture and paint (most of which I’ve never done before). I have to lay tile in the shower – first time. (Right about now many of you should drop to your knees and pray for Stacy to have the grace to endure this project.)

So I’m sitting in the bathroom, just soaking it all in. I was planning some, figuring , measuring occasionally – but not really “doing” anything. Then I thought, “I wish I could do this at church”. Not gut it and start over – that might have crossed my mind at another church, but not here. I was thinking about the time spent “processing” – just sorting it all out in my mind. I had this picture of me at the church office, feet on the desk, leaning way back in my chair, processing. In my mind, my desk was not cluttered (that’s how you know that this is not based in reality), the office was decorated nicely and apparently all of the “stuff” was done. I had time to dream about what the Lord would do. I was able to think about how we’re doing, and how we need to improve.

(right here I’d insert a sound effect like when a record stops abruptly and the needle scratches to a halt)

I CAN’T SIT AT THE CHURCH! WE DON’T HAVE A CHURCH! There is no office. There is no sanctuary. There is no prayer room, no fellowship hall, no Study. We don’t have a building – we rent from another church and only pay for about 6 hours each week.

Then a smile came. I am so blessed. I could be distracted by an office, a sanctuary, a prayer room, a fellowship hall, and a study. I might start to think that I should be in my office rather than out doing the work of the ministry. I might forget that the sanctuary is just a big room – without God’s people, it’s just a “hay-barn”. I might tend to relegate conversation with God only to the prayer room. (you see where I’m going?)

I was reminded that we don’t have a building, but we do have a CHURCH. May we never forget that Christ did not die to purchase a building, parking lot, and sign out front. The church is the body of Christ, and we are members – hands, feet, ears, eyes. And Christ is the Head. Praise God for the church. No building, big deal. (note to pastors with church buildings: don’t forget the building is not the church, and don’t forget that the building is a tool and a blessing from God.)

I was reminded that we don’t have a sanctuary. We ARE the sanctuary. Holy Spirit God dwelling IN the believer. We really ought to say WOW to that. In me. How can this be? Sola Gratia, Soli Deo Gloria!

I was reminded that Prayer, Study and Fellowship are not real estate terms, they are Bible terms. These are not rooms, but these are the business of the Christian. Pray without ceasing, not just in that room. Study diligently to be a worker who rightly handles scripture; it’s not about a bunch of pretty books on a shelf. Fellowship with other believers – we’ve really got this messed up.

Fellowship has become synonymous with eating and talking about our lives. We get together with Christian people, many times at a “Christ-dedicated” facility, and then we completely leave Christ out of the picture. Conversation is about work, about home or family. We somehow don’t feel comfortable saying, “So how is God challenging you lately?” or “Let me tell you what I was gripped by in the sermon.” Fellowship – seems to be a lost Christian discipline?

Let me encourage you in this. Believer, you are in the church – not the building – the body. You were placed there by God who composed it (1 Cor 12). You need other members of the body. Don’t think you can do it alone – you can’t, no such thing as a Lone-Ranger-Christian. Other members of the body need you. When you aren’t there the body suffers. You probably think you don’t make much of a difference, but the truth is that you do. If the eye is gone, then where is the seeing? If the ear, then where is the hearing? If you’re gone, how will your gift get exercised in the church? No matter how insignificant you think you are in the body, God placed you there and there is not another to “fill in” when you’re out. God doesn’t need you, but by His grace He uses you – what a joy.

I thank God that today I don’t have to focus on building a structure on real estate. Let’s concentrate on the church, and the Savior who died to purchase her.

Pastor

Mount Rushmore...Of a Different Sort

2009-07-02T13:27:00.005-05:00

OK. Now for an idea completely stolen from someone who stole it from ESPN. Word on the street is that ESPN stole the idea from a smaller radio personality. So what you get here is a warmed over hook with brand new content.

MOUNT RUSHMORE:

Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, and Teddy Roosevelt are imortalized in granite in the famous Mount Rushmore sculpture. From 1927 til 1941 hundreds of artists worked to build a memorial honoring four of America's presidents. These presidents weren’t recognized in this way because they were the ‘best’ or ‘most successful’ presidents. Rather their influence has carved and sculpted American society.

So we all have our own personal Rushmore: writers, books, teachers/preachers, experiences in life...things that have litterally altered the course of your life, changed the way you think and believe, shaped you as a person and as a Christian. I want to share one of mine with you. The real Rushmore sculpture cost $1million, but this one is considerably more economical. And just like the real Rushmore, there were no fatalities during the writing of this article. Here goes:

My Mount Rushmore of Authors.

A.W. Tozer. I heard him quoted by so many men I respected that I bought “Pursuing God”. It was on from there. Over the years I have found one or two things that I disagree with, but Tozer is a powerhouse. Thanks to collecting for years and then to Bill Robertson who gave me a huge stack, I have many of Tozer's books. There are a few in the Waco Family lending library. I'd recommend reading some Tozer today.

Warren Wiersbe. His “Be Free”, comments on Galatians, was the first book I ever read completely. It was loaned to me by David Weeks, my pastor at the time in Cleveland, TX. That book, really God’s Word with Wiersbe teaching me through it, changed the course of my life. I have since bought and read nearly all of his “Be” books. I have many that I would consider lending if you're studying a particular book of the bible - let me know.

James MacDonald. Seriously, James’ sermons first, and then his books have had a profound effect on me personally and on my ministry. He is faithful to God's Word. You're not going to get alot of psyco-babel and opinion from James, rather you'll get Biblical principles in a clear way - and sometimes with a little attitude. I love his style of communication, because he's so "Now" as he teaches an ancient book - but he doesn't compromise the truth.

The final "face" for my Rushmore is difficult. There are many I'd like to place here. I want to put Voddie Baucham for his great influence on my life and ministry, but due to the smaller number of books I've read I'll consider others. I want to include Mark Keaton, Stan Wyant, and Brent Freeman, but these men have never written books - I just wanted to send a "shout" out. Enough of that, I'll have to go with the DAILY influence. and it's a double.

John MacArthur/John Calvin. The commentaries that I use regularly in sermon prep are key. The insight and sheer knowledge that is put forth there is a daily influence in my life. I am constantly amazed at how shallow my thinking is until I am challenged by these men. I thank God for deep brothers who help me to grow.

…Totally not mentioned here: God wrote a Book. Mentioning the Bible and it's single author, or the multiple human instruments would engage the duh-factor. I don't mention God and His Word in this list, because God and His Word belong on NO list. God and His infalible, inerrant, and Sufficient Revelation of Himself are so far beyond any other author that it would be an insult to His Holiness to place Him in ANY list. Tozer called God "The Holy". Notice that we even capitolize pronouns when referring to Him. And note that the authors I mentioned above are only in my Mount Rushmore because of their role in helping me to grow in grace and knowledge of God and His Word.

I'd love to hear from you about the authors who have shaped/are shaping you for Christ, so please comment. There are other Rushmores in my life. If you'd like to hear about another, let me know that as well.

Pastor

Worship in the Park with Music from Brad Mount

2009-06-27T22:45:00.003-05:00

Waco Family Baptist Church will have our second annual Worship in the Park, Sunday July 5th at Whitehall Park in Woodway (7600 Fresno Street) .

Brad Mount, brother in Christ and renowned Country Gospel Music Artist, will be leading us in worship and special music. I am happy to say that Brad's love for people and talent in music is only exceeded by his love for his family and his heart for the Lord Jesus Christ. You'll not want to miss the opportunity to meet Brad and to hear his heart through his ministry. www.bradmount.com

We will begin worship at 10:30am followed by lunch at the park. Waco Family will provide hamburgers, and members will be bringing drinks, chips, and desserts. We will play games and have a good time of fellowship til 3:30pm.

Directions: From Hwy 84 get on Santa Fe Drive (toward Lake Waco). Turn left when you see the green sign for Whitehall Park.

A Big Whoo Hoo for the Truth

2009-06-25T10:31:00.005-05:00

Whoo Hoo!

I've never used that exclaimation. I see it used for sports teams, but the TRUTH deserves a big "Whoo Hoo!"

Jesus prayed in John 17 that we would be sanctified by Your (the Father's) Truth, His Word is Truth. I love that.

I read one of the blogs I follow today that has stoked the fire in my belly for the Truth. Check it out at http://blog.harvestbiblefellowship.org/?p=2642&cpage=1#comment-2437. Then come back and finish my comments. I hope you are pumped about the Truth!

Thank you James for this word, but mostly for living out the content. I have been a "follower" of James MacDonald (as he follows Christ) for more years than I care to count - more than 10. The thing that drew me to listen to WITW radio and to buy his books was his faithfulness to the Word. That's the thing that keeps me listening and reading his stuff. It's not about what James MacD has to say, it's about the Word.

I am determined to be that kind of preacher. I want to be known for nothing, but God's Word to be the "star of the show" because it is His revelation of Himself. When I preach, I want people to be able to look into the text and clearly see my outline - not a creation that I imposed on the text, but the points and subpoints that God breathed into the text.

I am fired up today! GO TRUTH! May God sanctify us by His Truth!

Pastor Todd

Hooray! Voddie is on Sermon Audio.

2009-05-05T16:03:00.002-05:00

Dr. Voddie Baucham is now on http://www.sermonaudio.com/. You can get his messages for FREE by visiting www.sermonaudio.com/voddiebaucham. I am listening to the message Healing for Hurting Marriages. Everyone who is married or was married or might one day be married should hear this message. Also you should listen if you know married people or might ever meet married people.

I'm just going to say WOAH! This message is the most plain spoken instruction - taken straight from Scripture - that I have ever heard on the subject of marriage. This must be seen as required teaching for us at Waco Family. Since it's a free download, you can burn it and give it to everyone you know. I can't say strong enough that this is important. I could name names...Tim and Jen, Brent and Lisa, Debbie, Kelly, Tess, Iris, Chad and Becca, Curtis and Tonia, Dennis and Toni, Michelle, the other Michelle, Stacy (especially Me and Stacy), Michael, Alissa, Walker, Trevor...Point made!

This message has so much truth about men and women that is inherent to our humanity and our sin. There is much information about how our relationship to God is and should be (and should not be). "We don't have a marriage problem, we have a worship disorder." So if you are HUMAN, go ahead and give it a listen. And just so I don’t leave anyone out, Deacons should also listen (Now that was a joke. Don’t get upset.)

OK. I download these MP3 messages on my phone and listen whenever I can. You could put them on your iPhone, iPod, iTunes, or burn it to an iCD and listen on your iWalkman. If you’re still on 8-tracks I can’t help you.

Pastor

Al Mohler on Substitution

2009-05-05T15:54:00.001-05:00

WOW! I don’t know where I’ve been. I have heard of Together for the Gospel, but never really knew what it was. I am SO going to the conference in 2010 – Why don’t you plan to go with me?

Dr. Mohler’s message on Substitution is AMAZING. I will be the first to admit that he is so intelligent that I have to listen hard and repeatedly, and I still miss much of the “over my head” stuff. But if you will stick with it and hear the message you’ll learn a little more about the importance (the necessity) of the Substitutionary Atonement doctrines that we teach (and others do not). WOW!

Download Dr. Mohler’s Message now or visit http://www.t4g.org/ and go to the Resources link and then 2008 Audio downloads

Pastor

Invest in Your Children. Take Time for Family Worship.

2009-05-04T00:39:00.001-05:00

Tonight Caleb and I read the story of Noah's Ark in several children's bibles that we had. We both read and enjoyed talking together about the true story. He asked some hard questions. The Jesus Storybook Bible (the one I've been giving out at church - 1 left) pointed to the fact that God knew before the beginning of time that people would go wrong and need a rescuer. It pointed out that God's wrath was poured out, not on His people or on the earth, but on Jesus at Calvary. That's an awesome discussion for your family. The wrath of God was carried out on Calvary on behalf of all who would believe. For all who will not repent and believe in Jesus, God's wrath is still to come.

Afterwards, Caleb asked if next time we could read the story of the brother who was the hunter and the brother who would stay home and fold towels. I'm pretty sure this is Jacob and Esau. I don't know if the towel part is exactly scripture, but he does get the point.

I would encourage you to get your children together tonight - whatever night it is - and read a bible story. David and Goliath, Noah, Baby Moses, Young Samuel, Samson, Gideon, Joshua at Jerico, Moses at the Red Sea, Adam and Eve. The list is virtually endless. And when you are asked, "did this really happen?" You can say, "yes, this is a true story from God's word."

The stories are true, the examples are for our benefit, the lessons are invaluable, and the time is not spent - but invested in the life and eternity of your child. What a priviledge!

Pastor
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

5 Distortions of the Gospel in Our Day

2009-05-02T04:28:00.003-05:00

It's been a while since I've written, and now I come unapologetically with a total cut and paste from another pastor. This was so relavant to our Tuesday study that I wanted to share it in full. Be encouraged that there are pastors cutting it straight and preaching it plain. Pastor

5 Distortions of the Gospel in Our Day
By James MacDonald on May 1, 2009

Our oldest son Luke, sent me a link a while back that quoted A.W. Tozer and James Kennedy (both wonderful Christian leaders in their day). Both men believed that many, if not most, professing believers they encountered around the country were not actually saved. They were deeply troubled by the distortions of the gospel that were the result of trying to get the gospel to more people—well-intentioned, yes, but eternally dangerous for the souls of men and woman who had not heard the whole message.

The article prompted me to look in my files for something I remembered writing a while back. Here it is . . . What gospel have you heard and believed?

Five Distortions of the Gospel in Our Day

1) The Cake Mix Gospel: If we leave out key ingredients our souls will never “rise” to God. We don’t need the message reduced to some irreducible elements, we need the whole gospel. You don’t expect your car to run without all the parts. You don’t expect your body to function without all the organs working properly. You don’t expect a cake to taste right if it’s rushed and readied without the right ingredients. The gospel without repentance is not the gospel. Acts 18:26, And he [Apollos] began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

2) The Cultural Gospel: Skip the postmodern sales job and go for the heart where human need never changes. Understanding the ‘culture’ is much less important than knowing what the Bible says about every human heart separated from God. We don’t need slick sales people giving out the gospel. We need bold, Spirit-filled messengers with a deep heart of compassion for lost people. The gospel without authoritative/binding truth is not the gospel. Acts 17:30, In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.

3) The Cool Gospel: Jesus transcends fashion trends. Marketing Jesus is cheap and powerless. We don’t need to ’spin’ the message, we need to say it. We need to stop shaping Jesus in some misguided effort to make Him appealing. Jesus doesn’t need to be like us; we need to be like Him. The gospel wrapped in stylistic packaging is not the gospel. Revelation 3:17, “Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,’ and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.”

4) The Carnal Gospel: What Jesus can do for me: health, wealth, always happy, never hurting? Jesus solves those issues, but not in the way we may think. He’ll change what you want a lot more than what you have. The selfish gospel that promises things Jesus doesn’t promise is a lie and is sentencing the lost who listen to a shocking surprise in eternity. The gospel of “me before Jesus” is not the gospel. Mark 8:35, “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.”

5) The Careful Gospel: Let’s not upset anybody, just keep ‘em comfortable and coming back; there’s lots of time for folks to figure it out. The gospel of “get them to church, and in time everything will come together as long as we don’t offend them” is a dangerous gospel. Well-intentioned is not enough. The gospel without urgency is not the gospel. 2 Corinthians 6:2, Behold, now is “THE ACCEPTABLE TIME,” behold, now is “THE DAY OF SALVATION.”

Do you understand the implications of a distorted gospel? What horror to imagine many people thinking they are ready to meet God only to find out they never were because they believed a distorted gospel. Matthew 7 predicts just a scene of shocking surprise. Matthew 7:22-23, “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’ Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock.”
...

Me again...
There are many things of God that we will never understand or fully comprehend. There are many Biblical concepts and principles that we may struggle and wrestle with for our entire lives. But what we believe about salvation (soteriology) is THE issue, and we cannot afford to be ignorant on this subject. We must devote ourselves to understanding salvation. Without this, there is no hope or reason in any of the other things we do.

Pastor

The Importance of Math, and understanding "the cross"

2009-04-08T11:48:00.003-05:00

I heard of a young student who was flunking math. His parents sent him to a church school to try to better his grades. His math grades immediately improved, and he seemed to have a passion for study - especially math. When his parents asked why the change he replied, "when I saw that man nailed to the plus-sign I knew these people were serious about math."

This silly story is about a boy who missed the point. It is intended to be funny, but when we think of the multitudes who miss the point of the cross it ceases to be funny and becomes very sad. People all around us every day miss the point of the cross. Let's make sure that we aren't missing it as well.

First of all, let's understand that when we speak of the cross we are not talking about a cross at all. "The cross" is actually a metaphorical expression used by Christians to mean the death of Jesus Christ. The method of death was the instrument of a cross, as prophisied in the Old Testament scripture. Let's not think that when we speak of the cross we speak of a wooden device that was used to put many to death. (Also understand that in the same way when we speak of the blood that we are not refering to some of the specialized bodily fluid that carries needed substances to the body's cells - rather we speak of the life of Christ. His "life's blood"). If Jesus had suffered on the cross yet not died, then there would be no salvation and no hope for mankind.

So the cross is the death of Christ, but it's more than that. The cross is the atoning death of Christ. To atone is to make amends or reparation for wrong done, and the cross is the death of Christ that took the punishment of God for sin. Another word for this is propitiation - absorbing the full impact of the wrath of God against sin. Jesus didn't just die, He died for a reason. The cross is the atoning death of Jesus, and atonement is the first reason for the cross. If we miss atonement, we miss the point.

The cross is the atoning death of Jesus, but there is more. The cross is the substitutionary atoning death of Christ. Substitution is vital to the discussion because it first points out that Christ was not atoning for His own sin. Christ, the fullness of God, never sinned at all therefore had no sin for which to atone. Christ's atoning death was in place of sinners who would repent and believe in Him. Just as Jesus took the place of Barabas on the cross that day, he took my place. He atoned, not for His sin but for mine. If you miss the substitution you miss the point. I hope you can rejoice in Jesus as you Savior who was your personal substitutionary atonement.

There are other aspects of the cross, but these are so important that if we leave them out we lower the meaning and power of it. When we speak of the cross understand that what we mean is the substitutionary atoning death of Jesus Christ. Don't miss the point.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Back to David...

2009-03-30T02:04:00.002-05:00

Once we turn from sin, we confess (1 John 1:9 involves repentance, and if you're leaving out that aspect of "confession" then there's no promise in the verse for you), God forgives our sin (He's faithful and just). Then we can leave that sin with Christ - It's over. The wrath of God for that event in our life was poured out on Calvary - Jesus paid it all. So is it over?

I am reminded of David. He sinned with Bathsheba, and then essentially murdered her husband. He sinned big! Then he was confronted by Nathan in a "Thou art the man" bombshell. Then David repented.

Notice that David didn't repent until he was "cold busted". Don't think that if you are "busted" that there is no repentance for you. Forget what anyone thinks of your motives...forget what you think of your motives. Just know that it's sin and repent. Sometimes you've been lying to yourself about your sin, and getting busted first allows you to come clean with yourself (cause now everybody knows). Then you can confess and repent before God - He knew all along.

Back to David. David's repentance, recorded in Psalm 51, is one of the greatest examples of brokenness over sin ever. This man understood that his sin was against God - never mind all of the other collateral damage - his sin was first and foremost against God (he said against Thee and Thee only). He prayed from a heart of contrition with words that I have prayed along with him so many times. David truly confessed his sin, and God surely forgave his sin and cleansed him from all unrighteousness (that wasn't a new idea when 1 John 1:9 was written, God is unchanging). So was it over for David? In one sense, yes. God's wrath would be postponed with the blood of animals until it was satisfied on Calvary when David's sin was placed on Christ - He who knew no sin became sin for David. So in that sense it was over, but there's another sense.

David's sin had a lasting and terrible effect on him for the rest of his life. David's family was destroyed (they would have had their own Springer marathon). David's sin was paid for and covered by the blood, but he had to live with the consequences for the rest of his life. I'm sure that there were days when David vividly saw how his sin caused him later heartache and grief. But David knew where to take heartache and grief. The psalms are full of examples of how David poured out his heart to God, and he serves as an example to us in that.

So what about my sin...what about your sin...should we put on a smiling face and tell ourselves that we should not be ashamed of our sin? should we pretend it never happened, ignore it and it won't be there? After we confess and repent, after we know that we have received forgiveness from God, we may still be left with scars that stay with us. There may be real hurt and lasting effects of sin in our life. We may still mourn over that sin and all that has come about because of it. But as you mourn, remember that Jesus said the mourner will be comforted. That's not speaking of a pat on the back and a pep talk, but of a healing that can only come through Christ.

I think about Philipians 3 where Paul speaks of "forgetting what is behind". I see that we should put the past things in the past and leave them there (this may be a process that is often - re-putting the things behind us). Then antoher part of that is "pressing on toward the mark" of God. We can know healing from that pain when we confess and repent, then put the past in the past, then dive in to what God has for me today. (And all of that "Today" stuff is going to be found in an ancient book that God wrote.)

Pastor

It's Been A While

2009-03-30T01:17:00.003-05:00

It's been a while since I posted, but I'm back. We have had some technical issues. Our internet host went away, so we had to scramble a bit. Now we're hosting our own site, and that makes the geek in me proud. I also changed the blog hosting to Blogger so that we could take advantage of the cool templates. I know that this has been an inconvenience to some (thanks for the phone calls), but I hope that's behind us and now we're off to the races.

OK, the picture. I bought a bike. I'm pumped! I haven't had a motorcycle since...well along time ago...so I'm getting back to it. Yesterday I rode with Caleb (my motorcycle pal he says) for about 2 hours. Then I rode with Alissa for just under 2 hours. I won't always have that kind of time, but it was nice for today.

Also on yesterday, I baptized Curtis and Tonia. They were nervous and excited. I know I baptized Curtis, but I'm pretty sure Tonia baptized herself. We had a house full even with several families out, and heard a wonderful message from Mark Keaton on Propitiation - It is finished. The message, the baptism, and the Lord's supper made the day one of the highlights of my life (yes, my life). I'd love to do that every Sunday.

Mark's message was a great reminder that God hates sin. We tend to forget that. We'd like to make a god in our own image - one who gives a disappointed look at sin, but then overlooks it. May we never forget that God's anger (wrath) burns toward sinners. Scripture is full of examples of this. And I looked for the verse that said, "God changed his policy." But it does not exist. God Still Hates Sin.

We also saw in the message that God's wrath was poured out at Calvary on Jesus Christ. The anger that burned against sin was poured out on Christ in my place and in place of everyone who believes and receives Jesus as Savior and Lord. Praise be to God that "whosoever believeth in Him" will never know the wrath of God because Jesus Christ absorbed that for us on the cross.

That brings me to a question that I received last week. Carlene asked about IITim 2:15. Specifically "not needing to be ashamed". Sometimes we feel ashamed, but does that verse tell us that we should never be ashamed? Well, that verse is not speaking to the shame we may feel over sin, but rather how we handle God's word. But I'd like to address the shame we feel over sin.

I have heard so many say, "Pastor, you don't know what I've done." They feel that thier particular sins from their BC days (before Christ) make them a second-class Christian. Or that God will forgive them, but He will never allow them to forget the aweful life they used to live. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Coming to Christ in Salvation does require repentance (turning from a life of sin to Jesus Christ), and repentance is a regular and normal practice throughout life for the Christian. So let's understand that we should understand God and His Holiness better and better, which will give us an increasing disgust for our own sin. We should repent of that sin and turn away from it. This will not always be seen by others, but each Christian should see a marked difference in the kind of sin, the amount of sin, the frequency of sin, and the ability to live comfortably with sin.
Once we turn from sin, we confess (1 John 1:9 involves repentance, and if you're leaving out that aspect of "confession" then there's no promise in the verse for you), God forgives our sin (He's faithful and just). Then we can leave that sin with Christ - It's over. The wrath of God for that event in our life was poured out on Calvary - Jesus paid it all. So is it over?

more to come...

God's Grace - How Much Will You Take?

2009-02-19T14:11:00.003-06:00

"The god which the vast majority of professing Christians love is looked upon very much like an indulgent old man, who himself has no relish for folly, but leniently winks at the indiscretions of youth. But the Word says, “You hate all who do iniquity (Psalm 5:5). And again, “God is angry with the wicked every day” (Psalm 7:11). But men refuse to believe in this God, and gnash their teeth when His hatred of sin is faithfully pressed upon their attention." - A.W. Pink

Those of us who believe in the God of the Bible as described above know that we have a great need for grace from that God. I have had many conversations over the past weeks and months about God's grace, and not a single person has denied that need. On the contrary, almost everyone has an attitude and accompanying statement that they are indeed thankful for God's Grace. The problem that I have is not the conversation that proceeds from the lips of a Christian to a pastor, but the "conversation" of a Christian in the older sense of the word. Our Conversation, meaning "general behavior", should be worthy of Christ. Phillipians 1:27 commands that conversation (conduct NASB) be worthy of the gospel.

The same Christians who are "grateful for grace" are the very ones who will let their speech be sprinkled with the words of pagans. These recipients of grace have a full grasp on the fact that Jesus paid the price, but seem to miss the explaination of what he purchased with His payment (or don't you know that you were bought with a price - He owns you.) Romans 6 describes the life of every person as slavery - either to sin or to righteousness. How can we profess with our mouth that "Jesus is Lord", and then profess with our life that He has had very little effect on our life.

God's grace is great grace for saving from Hell and to Heaven, but if that is all it is then the Bible lied when it says that we are dead to sin. God's grace is grace for living! I am so glad that God is gracious to me today - because I need that "Living Life Grace" everyday. Though I struggle daily with my flesh, I am thankful that I can see real results of the grace of God in my life.

Caleb, my 10 year old, called me on something the other day. I said something that most people would not even blink at, but he pointed out that it didn't sound like the stuff a Christian should say. I could have barked at him that it is not his place to correct his dad, but his point (though he could not articulate it) was that he was confounded. He wants to be like Jesus and like Dad - but at that moment those two were at odds. He could not figure out how to be like Jesus and like Dad at the same time when Dad wasn't acting like Jesus. When he made this point, I quickly realized what I had said and that it was sin. I repented aloud in front of him and the ones who were present to here the sin. Then I asked each of them to help me be more aware of words that are not Christ honoring by pointing out to me whenever they heard them from me. I believe that this is our job as Christians - to build one another up in the faith.

Don't go too far. We don't want to get out our Evangelical Super Spy Kit and go digging for sin in a brother or sister's life. We also don't want to take our personal convictions about some issue that is "gray" and try to ride herd on the Body of Christ. What we should do, however is to help fellow Christians to be Holy as God is Holy. We have the reponsibility that when we see a brother in sin that we should address it with him - admonish means to correct with a view to change. So if we ask with Cain, "Am I my brother's keeper?", the answer comes from Matthew 18, "Yes, you are."

I am aware that there are many more things that can be said on this matter, and that there must be a balance of Truth in Love. I guess I am just addressing the thing I'm seeing over and over. And I'm putting you on notice - If I consider you my brother, I will come to you with sin in your life. And I expect the same from my brother who loves Christ and me.

Pastor

"The holier a man becomes, the more he mourns over the unholiness which remains in him." -Charles Haddon Spurgeon

"What we mean by salvation is this, deliverance from the love of sin, rescue from the habit of sin, setting free from the desire to sin."-Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Joined Facebook!

2009-02-13T23:34:00.002-06:00

Today I joined facebook. It's really an effort at affirmation. I am on a mission to have more friends than anyone. And yes...it is a competition.

Pastor
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Defending the Faith

2009-02-12T23:54:00.004-06:00

Tonight at our home we talked about defending the faith. The idea was brought up about organizing a "debate" among our children's friends. This debate would be in an effort to discuss differences in beliefs. My church teaches this, but your church teaches that. My parents taught me that while yours taught the opposite. I was reminded of some of my high school days.

I remember having discussions that we thought were so deep and meaningful. In retrospect, they were actually a colossal waste of time and something that I am sure brought shame to the name of Christ. The discussions were full of “my preacher said” and “Brother John taught us”. These statements were fortified with “I think” this way or that. Then seasoned heavily with printed pages of “100 verses from the Bible that shows I’m right” – These pages were usually met with “101 verses from the Bible that prove you’re an idiot.” In the end, I still attended church with my parents and my friends attended with theirs. No one was convinced, and what’s worse no one was convicted.

So we are to defend the faith – I think that’s in the bible in the book of Hey Jude. Doesn’t that mean Pistol-Packin-Preachers and Nuns-with-Guns? No, while that brings up some interesting and scary images, it doesn’t pinpoint the intent of scripture. The problem is that we are not ready to defend the faith. We are not ready to fight for our beliefs. We don’t even know when to fight and when to be silent. I think the biggest problem is that we don’t know what we believe.

What are the most important beliefs? I think that all of my beliefs are important, but the truth is that if you don’t think boudin is good or sushi rocks…I’ll still be your friend (but you really should try both). But there are beliefs that are no-wiggle-room, believe-or-we-can’t-be-friends items. Like “Who is Jesus?” Whatever you say to answer that question, you need to include “He’s God” and “Eternal” and “Sinless” and “Savior”. If you don’t believe that He is the Eternal, Sinless, God-Man, Savior then we can’t be pals. I still love you and will pray for you (now for your salvation), but we are not going to be friends. So what are those beliefs?
Here are some from the top of my head to think about. Are they essentials?

Creation – 6 days, yes literal days
Noah – big boat, animals, flood – really
Mary – Virgin (not just young), great gal but no saint and certainly not diety
Jesus – Second Person of the Trinity who stepped out onto nothing and spoke the worlds into existence. Worker of miracles beginning with making wine from water, continuing in healing sick, restoring lame, and raising the dead. Perfect spotless Lamb of God who saves all who by faith believe in Him, receive him, and repent of their sin. Crucified on Calvary, Died as dead as dead can be, Rose from the Grave bodily and very much alive, Flew into heaven to prepare a place for me, coming again. The one only singular exclusive door into heaven and access to the Father.

Are there other essentials? What are some of your beliefs that are important, but not essential?

A Healthy Christian is a Biblical Evangelist.

2009-02-11T10:26:00.003-06:00

The marching orders of the church, and the task at hand for every Christian, is to make disciples. So a non-evangelizing healthy Chistian is a myth (like a unicorn, or a Liger - Napolean's favorite animal).

So we must be evangelists. Not in the sense of wearing a suit from the 80's and getting our hair to do that big swoop. Not in the sense that we get a RV and learn to say God as a multi-sylabic word, but in the sense that we are telling the gospel message to those around us.

I've heard some pretty sad presentations of the gospel. I've made some! Unclear, or cheap-easy, or complex. Please comment and share some of your worst stories - or maybe your best stories. Maybe it's a good idea to use first names only in your story. Also tell why you think it's a good or bad evangelism story.

Comment and tell what should be part of a Gospel presentation. What are important elements to include. Is there anything that should be left out? Some items to consider: Who is God? What is man? What is Sin? Who is Jesus? What did Jesus do about sin? What is man to do about what Jesus did about sin? Jesus One or Jesus Only? Scripture yes or no?

Pastor

Happy Link-Day

2009-02-05T11:56:00.004-06:00

I'm reading about the Lords Supper, and found this post good reading: Jim Hamilton from Southern Seminary

I hate the song "Jesus, Take the Wheel". But this is a remake of the song with different words that makes me cry (cause I'm laughing so hard) Cletus Take the Reel.

Excellent insight and information from one of my favorite modern preachers, Voddie Baucham.

The site Stacy is using to save our family bags of money, http://www.coupons.com/.
Stacy is finding recipes and "stuff" on Pioneer Woman

The site that Michael has as his home page: John Gill

Alissa's pick of the week: The Rebelution

Caleb is currently watching http://www.ebay.com/ for affordable PS2 deals ($1-5 is his current budget)

Hand to Hand Combat

2009-01-30T23:18:00.002-06:00

Tonight I was involved in Hand-to-Hand combat. It was in my house, and Brent (my deacon) was here with me. I think we put up a good fight!

OK, I have in mind the fact that Calvin uses "hand-to-hand" to refer to our service to Christ as stewards of the mysteries of God. This is the picture that what we receive from God's hand (the Word, the Gospel, the Truth) we place in the hands of others through ministries like personal evangelism (what we did tonight). I also believe that evangelism is combat against Satan. So it was Hand-to-Hand combat.

Stacy and I had Brent and Lisa over for dinner. We also had another man and his wife over who are clearly under the conviction and drawing of the Holy Spirit. We had a good meal and laughed and talked just getting to know them. They are great people!

Some would stop there and declare that we should "live the Gospel in front of them". They would be content to have them see that "Christians are real people who know how to have fun - not too stuffy." Some would never want to offend with actually talking about sin and Hell, Jesus and salvation. They would invite lost people to a "Life Group", or a "Fellowship Meeting" and plan the next time they could live the message without actually speaking the message.

Some would NEVER have people to their home - and especially LOST PEOPLE! Some would be so focussed on their own entertainment, or their own rest after a long day, or on meeting with the same people they meet with every weekend. I know these people, because I used to be one of these (I still have these tendencies). Some would be "happy" that lost people came to church and "hope they come back next week" without ever investing in their lives.

But tonight - only because of what God is doing in me and in Brent - we were involved in actual hand-to-hand combat. We spoke of sin, Hell, Jesus, salvation, the great exchange of Christ's righteousness for our unrighteousness, the futility of working for merit with God, Grace for living. In short, we covered the gamut.

And these guests were not aghast or offended. Quite the contrary. They were hungry to hear the Good News. They were thirsty for Rivers of Living Water. Their own insight was that "this is not something to be rushed into without much thought and consideration." They commented that a rushed or emotional decision for Jesus would probably be temporary. What insight! I assured them that this should be weighed out. I sent them to John's gospel for signs that Jesus is God, not just a man. And I told them that if God was working in them, He would be faithful to continue that work to completion. They did not "say the prayer". They did not "walk the isle" (even though I'm a pastor, we don't have an isle at our house). But I am content that Jesus is working in them. I know that their salvation is coming, and when it does it will not be of me or of Brent - but of God. It is a sweet assurance to know that salvation is His work and not mine.

I am so thankful that God allows me to watch Him work, and to participate in what He does. I could be stuck in myself, but being in Christ is wonderful.

So I invite you to first check yourself. Really! Are you a saint? If you were accused of being a follower of Jesus Christ - that He was your King - is there evidence in your life to convict you of it? Maybe you're not being used by God because you are not His.

Then I encourage each believer to evaluate their life. Is there room for evangelism? Not the bait-and-switch of "Living It" before them for years and then maybe telling them about their sin. Is your home used for your own consumption and entertainment, or is your home a tool used by God to accomplish His purposes. Is your family a weapon for God, or a weapon for the enemy (that's the only 2 options I see in scripture)?

In the meantime, God I praise You for what You're doing in me, through me, and around me. I thank You that you are still in the business of saving souls. And I pray that You quickly bring my new friends to Your salvation. I thank you for allowing me to be a steward of Your mysteries - hand-to-hand.

Todd

God is at Work!

2009-01-25T18:05:00.001-06:00

What a great Lord's day we've had! Our men have met for several weeks praying for our church. One thing we've asked God is that He would send 100 people to Waco Family to stay and be part of our church family.

Two weeks ago we had 9 visitors and thanked God for them. We kept praying. Last week we had 13 visitors (8 first timers) and we were bubbling over. We kept praying. Today we had 18 visitors (11 first timers) and the excitement in our folks is electric!

Now what thrills me even more than that is that God is working in people. We have prayed for dead marriages to see God breathe life into them. We have prayed for lost people who God is dealing with. We are seeing people excited about Bible study and our mid-week study - members, guests, even some lost. God is at work in a tangible way among His people.

I have been in church my whole life. I've been in some of the best churches around. But the things that God is doing - the way He's working - is unlike anything I've ever seen before. It's unlike anything I've heard about.

I wish I were doing something so I could write a book. But the truth is that God is working, not me. I mean I am working, but the results are clearly beyond what I could make happen. I preach and God works. The working of God is so sweet and full that I am left with nothing to pray for but their continuance.

Let's continue to pray that God would use WFBC as a tool to accomplish His work.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Dating...

2009-01-24T21:51:00.001-06:00

My 13 year old daughter is hung up on dating. She has recently read Josh Harris’ book on the subject, and is convinced that dating is an awful tool of Satan. As her father I would not allow dating, so that works for me. But I want her to be more aware of the why’s than just be a screaming protestor. Let me spend some time giving her some answers, and you can listen in.

Dictionary definition: Dating is any social activity performed as a pair or even a group with the aim of each assessing the other's suitability as their partner in an intimate relationship or as a spouse. A form of romantic courtship between two individuals who may or may not expect marriage

My definition based on experience: A Boy and a Girl go alone together for an evening of entertainment. There is usually a certain level of expectation on the part of one or both that the night will include some romance. Young people who would be honest will admit that a “great date” at least involves those nervous feelings of excitement that accompany an infatuation… either with the person or with the idea of a romantic night with someone. Worst cases involve openly sinful behavior.

The real question is one of wisdom in dating, specifically is there any? There is no question that sex in dating is sinful in the sight of God – regardless of how “serious” the relationship. There is also no question that lust is defined in scripture as adultery – sin. So there are certain aspects that are normally present in American dating that are definitely sinful. But the question can be raised about dating with the absence of sex, lust, and any inherently sinful behavior. There we must ask, “Is dating wise?”

A young boy or girl just reaching “dating age” may have thoughts of dating excitement without ever thinking that it will lead to sin. But if you were to speak to an older group (who really used to be younger even if it seems impossible) you would probably hear a very different story. A great majority of adults could tell of how dating led to sin and hurt in their own lives. Emotional attachments that lead to entering into poor marriages, or sex that lead to pregnancy then either to murder (a.k.a. abortion) and the immense emotional and physical damage that it brings…or to teen motherhood and the devastation that occurs and is passed to the next generation when children have children.

A good friend and fellow minister said, “Dating promotes an emotional attachment that they are physically unprepared for.” One of my favorite preachers says that dating (when you are not prepared in every way to marry) is like shopping without money. Either you will leave frustrated, or you will take something that doesn’t belong to you.” DON’T MISS THIS – The wisest man in the bible (Solomon), the strongest man in the bible (Samson), and the Godliest man in the bible (David) all fell into sexual sin. So for those of you who would say, “I can handle it, it will be different with me.” Unless you are wiser than Solomon, stronger than Samson, and more Godly than David – you’re lying to yourself. When you’re ready, get married. Until you can cash the emotional and physical checks you write, stay away!

Voddie Baucham - “Modern American dating is no more than glorified divorce practice. Young people are learning how to give themselves away in exclusive, romantic, highly committed (at times sexual) relationships, only to break up and do it all over again. God never intended for His kids to live like this. And instead of stepping in and doing something, many Christian parents simply view these types of relationships as a normal and necessary part of growing up. Unless your child is wiser than Solomon, stronger than Samson, and more godly than David (all of whom sinned sexually), they are susceptible to sexual sin, and these premature relationships serve as open invitations.” Family Driven Faith (p. 21).

Good quote from Grace Life Church “We believe that dating as it is practiced in our contemporary culture is an unbiblical practice that has led to untold misery among the people of God. Although the Scriptures do not specifically address courtship in every aspect, it does give us countless sound principles by which our young men and women may guide their relationships with the opposite sex and discover God’s will for marriage.”

The thought just dawns on me that I cannot communicate any wisdom to those who do not want it. My fear is that many of our children do not care about the dangers of dating, they just want to satisfy the desires of their heart and their flesh. This is why I would appeal to Fathers who would be Godly leaders in their home to take a firm stand on this issue. Tell your sons “NO” and tell your daughters “NO”. Then tell the wolves that come to your door to devour your young, “NO!” Why would we protect our children against some attacks, yet stand in the driveway and wave as they drive away with a predator (In dating, all teenage boys are predators and some girls).

This is ultimately a Father issue. And Fathers, you will surely be met with resistance. But there is a joy beyond imagination when your children later come to you and thank you for loving them and protecting them.

Philippians 2:3&4, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”

Pastor Todd

First Blog

2009-01-18T22:00:00.000-06:00

Thanks for checking out my new blog. This is my first trek into the social networking realm of the internet. I fear that either no one will ever read what I write (please leave a note to say hello), or that the great evangelical minds of our day will read it use my writings in seminaries as examples of “What Not To Do”. I’m going to swallow my fear and step in here, hoping that this blog will be a way to stay in-touch with Waco Family Baptist Church and those who love us and support our ministry. My prayer is that God will bless this effort.

Today WFBC voted to adopt the Second London Baptist Confession of 1689 as an official doctrinal statement of the church. This is a historic moment in the life of our church. We are marking ourselves as a “Reformed Baptist Church”. We are ascribing to the doctrines of the reformers. I do not wish to be known by the “C” word (if you don’t know what it is, don’t even worry about it) – too often the “C” word is divisive, and that is not honoring to Christ Jesus. Spurgeon said, “I wish to be called nothing but a Christian." "The old truth that Calvin preached, that Augustine preached, that Paul preached, is the truth that I must preach to-day, or else be false to my conscience and my God. I cannot shape the truth; I know of no such thing as paring off the rough edges of a doctrine. John Knox's gospel is my gospel. That which thundered through Scotland must thunder through England again." And I would add that the gospel must thunder through the United States of America as well.

These great doctrines of Grace are in one sense very new to me. I feel an urgency to master the depths of doctrine, a hunger to devour the meaty portions. I see the chasm from where I am to where I need to be becoming more clear to me daily – and more vast. Yet in another sense, these doctrines are very familiar to me. Doctrines like the depravity of man have been taught to me from my youth. And the doctrine of election has been on so many of the pages of Scripture that I’ve read. Though I have misunderstood and under-valued many of these teachings, a foundation was laid in my heart and in my mind before I ever knew it. I am growing to understand salvation with greater depth, but I do allow that God is still working in me and my prayer is that my comprehension of Him and of the gospel will continue to grow until my death.

The 1689 is hard to read for most of us, so there will be a tendency for you to accept it and “Trust the preacher” that it’s a good thing. I urge you to avoid that temptation. I invite you, even beg you, to dive into the document – read it, struggle if you must to understand it (I have to struggle with writing from so long ago), evaluate it according to scripture, learn it and love it. This document is NOT our rule for faith and practice, but it is an effort to summarize the Biblical teachings in a manner that is useful to us in communicating with those around us. Let’s use this tool in our quest to become Biblical theologians who are Gospel saturated.

Todd Gill