Satan's Bait

When I was a kid I used to sell fish bait. I caught minnows, crawdads, lizards and worms and sold them for a $1.00 a dozen. I learned that fishermen use different bait for different fish. The same was true with trapping. When I was a kid I would run a trap line up the creek and baited my steel traps with different kinds of bait to catch muskrats and opossums. They would see and smell the bait which enticed them to step into my trap and WHAP! They were caught. Do you know what I did? I killed them, skinned them, and sold their hides. That’s what Satan does. Satan wants to sift you like wheat and he knows just how to bait the hook. He knows just how to set the trap. He uses different bait for different people. What does he use to bait you? Gossip, anger, lust, an illicit affair, pornography, bitterness, greed, revenge, food, possessions, or love of money? It’s sort of like what advertisers do. You sit at home watching a ball game and all the sudden a Pizza Hut commercial comes on your television. The commercial is in beautiful color. Steam is rolling off of the top of the pizza. You can see the pepperoni nestled down in the cheese and it looks so delicious. Without even thinking you say, “Let’s order a pizza!” That’s the way it works. Advertisers depend on it. So does Satan. Some things are very enticing and before you know it you’ve swallowed the bait only to find a hook. A man was riding on an airplane sitting next to an attractive woman. The man propositioned her for one million dollars. She thought about it and agreed to take him up on his offer. After she agreed he said, “I’m sorry, I don’t have a million dollars. How about $10?” She said, “What kind of woman do you think I am?” He said, “That has already been establish, we are just haggling over the price. You’ve heard the statement “Everybody’s got their price.” A lot of people throw away their integrity, their family and their relationship with Jesus for a lot less than a million dollars. James 1.14 ... each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Don't Blame God for Temptations

God may test you and he may allow you to go through trials to strengthen you but he will never tempt you to sin. So when you are tempted don’t blame God. An overweight preacher announced to his staff that he was going on a diet but the very next morning he showed up a church with a dozen donuts and two of them had already been eaten. His secretary said, “I thought you were going on a diet.” He said, “I was but it is not God’s will.” She said, “How do you know?” He said, “Well, I always drive by the bakery and I was so hungry this morning that I prayed ‘God, if its not your will for me to eat any donuts don’t let there be a parking space in front of the bakery.’” He said, “Sure enough, the eighth time around the block there was a place right there in front.” We sometimes blame God for our sins. God asked Adam, “Why did you eat the forbidden fruit?” Adam said, “The woman that you created gave it to me.” People say things like … “I met a woman and the chemistry was between us was so strong that we couldn’t resist it because that’s the way God made us.” “I can’t help being homosexual because that’s the way I was born.” “I can’t control my anger because God made me with a short fuse.” “It’s not my fault that I’m an alcoholic, it’s in my genes.” God didn’t buy that line of reasoning from Adam and he’s not impressed with it today. God is not directly, indirectly or even remotely associated with our sins. James 1.13 When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. It is important to accept full responsibility for our sins. Don't blame God or anybody else. When you sin say, "I am responsible. It was my fault. I repent." Then pray for forgiveness.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer on Temptation

"In our members there is a slumbering inclination toward desire which is both sudden and fierce. With irresistible power, desire seizes mastery over the flesh. All at once a secret, smoldering fire is kindled. The flesh burns and is in flames... At this moment God is quite unreal to us... and only desire for the creature is real... Satan does not here fill us with hatred of God, but with forgetfulness of God. The lust arises and envelops the mind and will of man and deep darkness and the powers of clear discrimination and decision are taken from us and everything within us rises up against the word of God.”

Me and my Guitar

Last year Brian Patterson took up a donation and bought be a nice Fender. They gave it to me on a Monday night UCF Worship at the Campus House. It was a total surprise. I had no idea. When I pulled the guitar out of the case I laughed and smiled. Cory Jackson made the picture above. I was singing a song I wrote called "Country Feeling." I am so grateful to Brian and all who gave money to buy the guitar. I play it every day.

Trophies and Crowns

Shayna is on the All-Star basketball team. She is agile and aggressive. She handles the ball well and is the fastest player on the team. I love to watch her play. After her last tournament she received a trophy. We were there to cheer for her just like we cheered for Amber and Tori when they received their trophies. One day Jesus is going to hand out trophies in the form of crowns. He will give the crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4.8), the crown of life (James 1.12; Revelation 2.10), and the crown of glory (1 Peter 5.4). When our daughters get to heaven Kim and I want to be in the bleachers cheering as Jesus places crowns on their heads.

Fathers in the Waiting Room

A nurse came into a father’s waiting room. She told an expectant father “Your wife just gave birth to twins.” He said, “That’s wonderful but it’s kind of ironic because I play baseball for the Minnesota Twins.” A few minutes later the nurse came back and said to another father “Your wife just gave birth to triplets.” He said, “Isn’t that strange. I work for the 3M Company.” Another father immediately became pale and bolted out of the room. The nurse said, “Where are you going sir? Your wife is in labor right now.” He said, “I know, but I drive a truck for 7Up.”

I love my AA Meetings

I love my AA meetings. When I walk into the clubhouse its kind of like walking into Cheers, where everybody knows your name. Even though I’m early in recovery (I have 3 years, 4 months, and 14 days of sobriety), they call on me just like an old timer. Some of the “real” old timers have over 20 years and speak like statesmen. But I get something from everyone. I learn from the old timers and from the fellow who is there for the first time. They remind me that recovery must remain my highest priority. For me, everything depends on maintaining sobriety so I need to be reminded. I need to hear it over and over again. I need the steps and the traditions and the slogans and the catchy little statements like, “I’m here because I’m not all there,” and “10% is what happened and 90% was my reaction to it,” and “God can’t steer a parked car,” and “one drink is too many and a thousands not enough,” and “But for the grace of God.”

Murder in Church

Andrew Lofton was the pastor for the Christ Temple Apostolic Faith Church in Trotwood Ohio near Dayton. He was shot and killed in the church building by Kenneth Nance, a member of his congregation, during a Wednesday night service on September 16, 1998. Pastor Lofton was a stern-faced man who often preached against sin. On several occasions Nance stood from his seat to challenge the pastor. Nance disagreed with Lofton over various interpretations of Bible passages. One Wednesday night Nance went to church with a Bible in his hand and a pistol in his pocket. Joshua Manor, a neighbor of Nance, said he went to church whistling a gospel tune. He sat through the entire class with his Bible open in his lap, following along as Lofton taught a soul searching Bible lesson on Revelation. After Lofton finished teaching, Nance shot him four times. He stumbled from the pulpit to the floor bleeding. He was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital where he died. Lofton’s wife witnessed the murder. Nance drove his car to the dealership where he purchased it, knowing that he would not be able to make the payments, left the keys in the ignition and walked one mile to the Moraine Police Department where he turned himself in. He was convicted of murder and sent to prison. Nance stated that he murdered pastor Lofton because he disagreed with his interpretation of the Bible. One year after the incident (July 13, 1999) I spoke with the secretary of the church. She said that the church was traumatized by the horrible tragedy but they were carrying on as best as they could. This sad story illustrates the harm that results from quarrels and fights over the Bible. Though we stop short of shooting each other, we murder with hatred. 1 John 3:15 Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him. James 4:1-2 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. Keep your eyes on Jesus and don’t allow arguments to escalate. Let your heart be so full of God’s love that it crowds out every bitter root.

Spiritually United Regardless of Denomination

Our allegiance is not to our denomination but to Jesus. Yes, you assemble with the Baptist (or some other church) and I assemble with the Church of Christ. Yes, there are some differences between our groups but we have more in common than you think. We serve the same Lord. We are in the same body. We will live in the same heaven. What draws us together is the Lord Jesus Christ. His body is spiritually united. It's made up of all Christians, regardless of their denomination. A man dreamed that he was ushered to the gates of hell. He called out “Are there any Church of Christ in there?” Yes. “Are there any Baptist in there?” Yes. Any Catholic? Yes. Then suddenly he was ushered to the gates of heaven. He called out “Are there any Church of Christ in there?” "No." “Are there any Baptist in there?” "No." "Any Catholic?" "No." "Then tell me, who is inside these pearly gates?" And they answered, "Christians! Christians all!"

Changing the Invitation to a General Prayer Time

For years I ended every sermon with a 2-minute explanation of the five-step-plan-of-salvation. It was not very effective. It left the impression that the invitation was only for people who needed to be baptized or for backsliders. Few people came forward. Today we have a prayer time at the end of our Sunday morning services. Matt and the Praise Team sing as the shepherds minister and pray for the people who respond. Many people request prayer for various reasons. Prayer requests are kept confidential. When people come forward to ask for prayer it is an expression of their faith. It’s not a walk of shame. It’s not an admission that they are a backslider. It’s a sign that they are walking with Jesus faithfully and that they depend on him for help. It is a sign that we have a healthy church that cares for people. The shepherds stand at the front and the back and people come to them for prayer. The shepherds also go into the audience and pray for people who lift their hands requesting prayer. Other people join them in praying for people who respond. Little prayer groups of men and women form spontaneously all over the auditorium and the Praise Team keeps on singing over the congregation until everyone is cared for. Then I say "Are there any unspoken needs? Do any of you have something on your heart that you want to pray about?" Every Sunday dozens of people raise their hands and I pray for them and end with a pastoral prayer which covers the entire congregation. I end the service with a benediction. As the people open their hands to receive a blessing from God, I say a benediction like "The Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face to shine upon you and give you peace." Changing our invitation to a general prayer time has made a huge difference in our services. Every Sunday people request prayer and their brothers and sisters lay hands on them and pray. They cry, pray, hug, and wipe away tears. If you cannot find compassion at church where in world can you go? I love what Ken Medima wrote about “The Church”: If this is not a place where my tears are understood, where do I go to cry? If this is not a place where my spirit can take wings, where do I go to fly? If this is not a place where my questions can be asked, where do I go to seek? If this is not a place where my feelings can be heard, where do I go to speak? If this is not a place where you accept me as I am, where do I go to be free? If this is not a place where I can try and learn and grow, where do I go to just be me?” Perhaps you would like to try this approach and change your invitation into a general prayer time. I recommend it. Try it and you'll see that it is effective. On any given Sunday there is a broken heart on every pew. Offering a prayer time gives them an opportunity to express their needs.

Argument from silence

In the past I have used an argument from silence to prove that instruments were not to be used in worship i.e., since the New Testament is silent about instruments in worship they are forbidden. But today I know that silence on the subject of instrumental music in New Testament worship is not intentional, it is incidental. Incidental silence does not prohibit using instruments. The writers of the New Testament did not directly address the subject. Sometimes silence is intentional and can frequently be inferred in the “law sections” of the Bible such as the codified legislation in Leviticus which contains Levitical law and ritual precedents. Another example is where God gave specific instructions in the Law regarding the construction of the temple in Exodus. God told Moses in Exodus 25.9 "Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you." Then God gave Moses a detailed blue print for the temple. Silence in this section of scripture is intentionally prohibitive. Anything not mentioned in the Law was forbidden. But the Bible also contains poetry, history, parables, metaphors, allegories, sermons, apocalyptic and wisdom literature, letters of correspondence, as well as law. Silence in one genre of scripture may mean something very different than silence in another. This point was clear when I surveyed specific books of the New Testament. For example, the book of James is silent on baptism but this does not mean that James was against baptism. Jude makes no mention of communion but this does not mean that Jude prohibits communion. John said "I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face." (3 John 13-14). Incidental silence is not a prohibition it just means that certain issues were not addressed. Ephesians and Colossians are letters of correspondence and silence on the subject of instruments should not be taken as a prohibition against them. No such dogmatic conclusions against instrumental music should be made because instrumental music was not addressed. The Bible is silent on the subjects of church buildings, audio and visual equipment, worship leaders, located preachers, youth ministers, campus ministers, pitch pipes, tuning forks, Sunday school, and indoor pools for baptisms yet we feel free to use them because they accomplish a purpose. Any method that fulfills the purposes of God is permissible so long as it does not violate a clear principle of Scripture. I apply the same rule of interpretation to instrumental music.

KCU

I loved speaking at the chapel service at KCU. I enjoyed visiting with KCU’s president, Dr. Keith Keeran. We talked about the upcoming North American Christian Conference (NCAA) which will be this June. During the first part of my chapel talk I shared my excitement about this historic meeting between the a cappella Churches of Christ and the Christian Church. It will be the largest gathering of our movement since the 1801 Cain Ridge Rival. The division over the instrument will finally end in a happy reunion this summer. I cherish the relationships I am making with Christians in other churches. Amber, Tori and Shayna enjoyed the day. After speaking at the chapel service we went to the rec-center and played ping-pong, pool, racquetball, volley ball, foosball, and air hockey. I bought them t-shirts with the school’s name. It was a great day for the girls and me.

Speaking at KCU

I will be speaking during the chapel service at Kentucky Christian University (KCU) tomorrow. The title of my talk is called The Dating Game. I'm taking my daughters with me. I pray I do a good job speaking.

Winterfest was Great

Winterfest was great! The worship was wonderful, Jeff Walling was fantastic, and our Saturday night worship with George and Matt was incredible. The kids loved it and so did we. Sloane Williamson and Charity Baker were baptized into Christ!

Family Trip to Gatlinburg for Winterfest

Kim, the girls and I will be headed for Gatlinburg for Winterfest in the morning. George has 65 people going this year - I think its a record for Norway. Amber and Tori are riding the bus while Kim, Shayna and I will drive down in mom's car - which is more dependable than any of ours. Two of my cars are broke down. Anyway, I hope to sing praises and worship with my family and friends. 10,000 people will be assembled in the name of Jesus. I should be a great time.

My Sermons Online

Audio recordings of my sermons are now avaliable online in two places: 1.The first is on our website www.norwayave.org/members - Go to the bottom of the page and follow the instructions to download them to your computer. 2. The second place is iTunes. For those who have iTunes, just search for 'Jeff Garrett' in the music store and subscribe to our Podcast. It will update everyweek with his new lesson. Below are the easy 1,2,3 instructions Rob designed for subscribing to podcast. If you would like more information on either of these options, please email Rob Durst at rob@norwayave.org. Both of these options are completely FREE.

xxx church

xxxchurch.com provides a free program called 3XWatch that runs on your computer and monitors all the internet sites that you visit. Sites deemed morally questionable are emailed to the accountability partners you choose. I have it on both of my computers. I have two accountability partners, my friend Phil Richardson and my wife Kim. If you want to try it you can visit xxxchurch.com and download the 3XWatch program.

The Divorced Woman

A divorced woman was told by her church that there was no hope for her because her marriage had ended. She continued to go to church but doubted that she could be saved and the church no longer allowed her to be involved in certain activities. Jesus did not treat the divorced this way. The woman at the well, in John 4, had been divorced five times and she was shacked up with a man who was not her husband. Yet, Jesus was more inviting to her than he was the religious leaders at the temple. In John 2 he drove the religious leaders out of the temple. Two chapters later he met this woman who had been through multiple divorces and he revealed himself as the Messiah. She went back to her hometown and brought the whole city out to meet him. Jesus not only saved her soul he used her to save an entire city. In this one episode the divorced woman was more fruitful in her evangelism than all 12 of the apostles.

The Spirit and the Word

The Spirit and the word go together. Both are needed. You should not emphasize one to the exclusion of the other. Some may say “We don’t need the word because we have the Spirit to guide us.” They rely on subjective experiences, mysticism, and intuition. It is unwise to rely on your feelings alone because you can feel that something is true and have it be partly or entirely untrue. Others may say, “We don’t need the Spirit because we have the word to guide us.” They rely on will power and self-determination. It is unwise to rely on the word without the Spirit because it is impossible to understand the mind of Christ without the Spirit of God. Don’t reduce your faith to a mechanical, orthodox, perfunctory performance of the word. The word of God is the sword of the Spirit. The Spirit interprets the word. He illuminates the word in your mind. You should never come to the Bible without asking God to open your eyes and teach you. How does God do this? He accomplishes this by his Spirit. So study the word and rely on the Spirit to help you understand and empower you to obey.

Comin' Home

This morning I’ve been playing an old Lynyrd Skynard song called “Comin’ Home.” No one is around so I sing and play it loud. I love that song. It makes me think of where I grew up – Boone County WV. I have so many wonderful memories of growing up there. Today is dad’s birthday. He died six years ago. I know he’s in heaven with Jesus and I will see him again but I miss him now. I would love to have one more conversation with him. I just got off the phone with mom and she is doing well in spite of her health problems. She lives two blocks from Jeanie and Jeanie sees her all the time. I get to work with Jeanie everyday. Dad would be happy that God saved my life and turned me around and that we are together. He would have never moved from Boone County but he would be happy that mom lives in Barboursville. Susan is doing well but she lives so far away. “Comin’ Home” makes me remember how good it was to grow up where I did. Some people make fun of WV but they don’t know the people who live here. If I could have chosen any place in the world to be born it would have been in that little white house on Six Mile. Godly parents. Wonderful sisters. Granny and Pa lived across the creek. I grew up with my cousins and friends in the mountains. When I got older I made new friends at Madison. I remember football, basketball, the Little Coal River Band, and Friday nights at the sands (up Lick Creek by the river). Great friends and a wonderful family. Things have changed but I can always visit. I can always take little mental trips and remember. That’s what I do when I sing Comin’ Home. I think I’ll play it again.

Alexander Campbell on “Who is a Christian?”

The piece below was written by Alexander Campbell and was published in the Millennial Harbinger in 1837. The title of the article is “Any Christians Among Protestant Parties”, or, “The Lunenburg Letter”.* It is my favorite piece of writing by Campbell because it shows where his heart was. I am not a fan of his debates or the debates that followed his own by people who were argumentative and divisive. But I love this piece. This is where my heart is and I love Campbell for writing it. He was not sectarian. Alexander Campbell writes … I observe, that if there be no Christians in the Protestant sects, there are certainly none among the Romanists, none among the Jews, Turks, Pagans; and therefore no Christians in the world except ourselves, or such of us as keep, or strive to keep, all the commandments of Jesus. Therefore, for many centuries there has been no church of Christ, no Christians in the world; and the promises concerning the everlasting kingdom of Messiah have failed, and the gates of hell have prevailed against his church! This cannot be; and therefore there are Christians among the sects. But who is a Christian? I answer, Every one that believes in his heart that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, the son of God; repents of his sins, and obeys him in all things according to his measure of knowledge of his will. … Paul speaks of "carnal" Christians, of "weak" and "strong" Christians; and the Lord Jesus admits that some of the good and honest-hearted bring forth only thirty fold, while others bring forth sixty, and some a hundred fold increase of the fruits of righteousness. But every one is wont to condemn others in that in which he is more intelligent than they; while, on the other hand, he is condemned for his Pharisaism or his immodesty and rash judgment of others, by those that excel in the things in which he is deficient. I cannot, therefore, make any one duty the standard of Christian state or character, not even immersion into the name of the father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and in my heart regard all that have been sprinkled in infancy without their own knowledge and consent, as aliens from Christ and the well-grounded hope of heaven. "Salvation was of the Jews," acknowledged the Messiah; and yet he said of a foreigner, an alien from the commonwealth of Israel, a Syro-Phenician, "I have not found so great faith--no, not in Israel." Should I find a Pedobaptist more intelligent in the Christian Scriptures, more spiritually-minded and more devoted to the Lord than a Baptist, or one immersed on a profession of the ancient faith, I could not hesitate a moment in giving the preference of my heart to him that loveth most. Did I act otherwise, I would be a pure sectarian, a Pharisee among Christians. … And should I see a sectarian Baptist or a Pedobaptist more spiritually-minded, more generally conformed to the requisitions of the Messiah, than one who precisely acquiesces with me in the theory or practice of immersion as I teach, doubtless the former rather than the latter, would have my cordial approbation and love as a Christian. So I judge, and so I feel. It is the image of Christ the Christian looks for and loves; and this does not consist in being exact in a few items, but in general devotion to the whole truth as far as known." _______________________________________ The post above consists of five different sections that I have taken from Campbell’s letter but you can read the entire letter, as well as the correspondence at http://www.bible.acu.edu/stone-campbell/Etexts/lun16.html

Christ Esteem

Raymond Corsini tells a story about a counseling session he had with an inmate in a prison. He had one session with this man and did not see him again. Four years later, as this inmate was being released, he came to say goodbye. The inmate said “Dr. Corsini, I want to thank you for changing my life.” Corsini, who barely remembered him because he had only one session with him said, “How did I change your life?” The man said, “You told me that I was intelligent. All my life I’ve been told that I was stupid. That’s all I heard when I was growing up. But since you’ve told me the truth my life has change. I now have my GED, I’m being released from prison and I have hope for a bright future.”* Some psychologists teach that what people need is healthy self esteem. I believe self esteem is important but not sufficient. What we really need is Christ esteem.** When you have Christ esteem your search for self esteem ends because you know Jesus loves you and accepts you. His death on the cross proves that you are important to him. ____________________________ *Corsini, R., Wedding, D (2005). Current Psychotherapies 7th ed. Brooks/Cole ** Matzat, D (1991). Christ-Esteem. Harvest House Publishers. Eugene, OR

The First Marriage

A little girl went to Sunday school and heard the creation story. She couldn’t wait to get home to tell her Mom. She said “Mom, the teacher taught us about how God made the first man and the first woman. The man was lonely because he didn’t have anybody to talk to so God made him go to sleep and he pulled out his brain and made a woman. In Genesis 2 God put Adam under heavy aesthesia and performed the first surgery. He took a rib from Adam’s side. I think it’s worth noting that he did not take a bone from his foot or a bone from his head. He took a rib from his side (to me that represented her equality). God took Adam’s rib and he closed up the place with flesh and with the rib he made woman. Then he brought her to the Adam and he named her. He had already given names to all the animals and now he named her. Can you imagine what it was like for Adam to meet Eve for the first time? He had been alone for who knows how long. He had never seen a woman before. Never! He went to sleep and woke up and suddenly saw a beautiful woman. She was stunning and she didn’t have a stitch of clothes on! Genesis 2.23 The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,’ for she was taken out of man." Now when you read 2.23 you might get the impression that Adam calmly and clinically said “This is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh … .” No! That was not the way he said it. It was not calm or clinical. He was excited. The first 3 words of v.23 “This is now” is actually a Hebrew exclamation--it was a shout and none of our English translations captures the significance of that word. The Living Bible comes close. The LB says “This is it!!! What Adam said was not “now” but WOW! EUREKA!! YABA DABA DOO!! Adam was overwhelmed. God saved the best for last. 2.24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. 25 The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame. The first marriage was picture perfect. They were totally transparent. They had nothing to hide and nothing to fear. Honest, open, and innocent.

Jesus Makes Us One

There are many walls that can divide us from other Christians such as denominational affiliation, doctrinal disagreements, age, gender, ethnic background, political persuasion, and socio-economic status. The love of Jesus Christ is stifled when we allow these barriers to separate us. Jesus tore down all of these dividing walls of hostility when died on the cross. Ephesians 2.14 says “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.” When, by faith, we stand together at the foot of his cross we are overwhelmed by his love. All arguments cease, all hostility ends, all we see is Jesus suffering for our sins. Together we stand amazed by his love and grace. Together we say “Jesus is Lord”.

Faithful to the End

We tend to focus on King David’s failures and sin but God said David was faithful all the days of his life – with one exception. 1 Kings 15.5 For David had done what was right in the eyes of the LORD and had not failed to keep any of the LORD's commands all the days of his life—except in the case of Uriah the Hittite. I think we are going to have to apologize to David when we get to heaven because we focus on his failures. God didn't. Not many heroes of the Old Testament were faithful right up until the end of their life. Saul started out very humble but he ended up paranoid, jealous, and demon possessed. Solomon started out good but his womanizing lead him astray and the nation turned to idolatry. Hezekiah was a good king and the Lord extended his life 15 years but he didn’t use those years productively. Eli was a good prophet but he failed to discipline his sons and he died in disgrace. But David was faithful right up until the end. That’s what I want to do – I want to be faithful to the end. I don’t want to do anything else to humiliate Christ or to fail Kim and my girls or embarrass the church. I want to be faithful to the end. That’s what we all want so that when we come to the end of our life we can say with Paul – 2 Timothy 4.7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Brendan is doing well

Father, Thank you! Brendan is doing well. Thank you Lord! Help him to heal completely. Bless George and Dana. In Jesus name. Amen!

A Prayer for Brendan

Father, Please be with Brendan as he goes into surgery in the morning. Guide the doctors as they perform the heart catherization. Please give George and Dana comfort and strength. Heal him Father. Make him better. In Jesus name, Amen!

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Have you ever watched the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on Spike TV? Strong fighters slug it out in a chain-linked octagon. There’s nothing fake about it. It’s a hard-hitting sport. There are four champions in UFC: Heavyweight - Andrei Arlovski; Light Heavyweight - Chuck Liddell; Middleweight - Rich Franklin; and Welterweight - Matt Hughes. These guys are courageous and strong. I watched Rich Franklin, a former school teacher from Cincinnati Ohio, win three fights last night - he’s tough! There are some Ultimate Fighting Champions in the Bible. They are called David’s mighty men of valor. As impressive as the fighters are in UFC, they do not compare the exploits of David’s motley crew. David and his men were warriors - the toughest men who ever lived. 2 Kings 23.8 These are the names of David's mighty men: Josheb-Basshebeth, a Tahkemonite, was chief of the Three; he raised his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed in one encounter. 9 Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty men, he was with David when they taunted the Philistines gathered at Pas Dammim for battle. Then the men of Israel retreated, 10 but he stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day. The troops returned to Eleazar, but only to strip the dead. 11 Next to him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils, Israel's troops fled from them. 12 But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the LORD brought about a great victory. 13 During harvest time, three of the thirty chief men came down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. 14 At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. 15 David longed for water and said, "Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!" 16 So the three mighty men broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out before the LORD. 17 "Far be it from me, O LORD, to do this!" he said. "Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?" And David would not drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty men. 18 Abishai the brother of Joab son of Zeruiah was chief of the Three. He raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed, and so he became as famous as the Three. 19 Was he not held in greater honor than the Three? He became their commander, even though he was not included among them. 20 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, who performed great exploits. He struck down two of Moab's best men. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. 21 And he struck down a huge Egyptian. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear. 22 Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty men. 23 He was held in greater honor than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard.

Spit in Soup

During the Korean War some military officers rented a house while they were stationed over seas. A little Chinese boy stead in their rented house and served them. He cooked and cleaned and did a great job but they treated him terribly. The officers frequently pulled pranks e.g., they nailed his shoes to the floor, they put a bucket of water over the door and when he opened the door the water fell on him. The little Chinese seemed to take it all in stride and maintained a good attitude. The officers felt sorry for the little boy and apologized. They said “We’ve been playing terrible tricks on you and you have such a good attitude about it all, we want apologize and we are going to stop.” The little Chinese boy said “You mean, no more nail shoes to the floor?’ They said “No more nail shoes to the floor.” He said “No more water over the door?” They said, “No more water over the door.” He said “Okay, no more spit in soup.” Revenge can be so subtle. You can take revenge without anyone knowing about it. Are you spitting in someone’s soup? Romans 12.17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

My Wireless Connection to God

My wireless connection amazes me. No chords. No phone line. No cable. I am wirelessly connected to a network that reaches the world. The signal travels through the air. I can’t see the signal but I know I’m connected because I can search the World Wide Web with a click of the button. Although the signal is invisible I know it is all around me – music, communication, and thousands of pathways to all sorts of information. All I need is the right instrument i.e., the wireless chip in my laptop and be close enough to my wireless router. In a similar way, I have a wireless connection with God. There is spiritual activity all around me. I can’t see it but I can connect with God with the right instrument - my faith in Jesus Christ. There may even be angels watching me type my thoughts as God brings this truth home to my heart. I am constantly connected to the greatest power in the universe. The signal is always strong no matter where I am because my wireless router is the Holy Spirit who lives in me and he keeps me connected. His search engine is better than Google. He even searches the deep things of God and testifies with my Spirit that I am a son.

Open and Transparent

I feel good. When I got home from work tonight I took a nap and slept from 6:30 till now – I’m wide awake! I hope I can get back to sleep. Lots of stuff happened today – it’s all good stuff. But I’m just thinking about my sponsor – Tom J. He knows a lot about living a sober life. He’s just as open with me as I am with him. After our AA meeting, my sponsor and I had lunch at Wendy’s. The conversations we have are open and transparent. I talk about the most personal part of my life – my joys and my struggles, the good and the bad, my confidence and my insecurities. It’s good for me to talk about the things I once kept secret. It’s frees me up to live. Today, by the grace of God, I am 3 years, 3 months, and two days sober. Find someone you can trust and talk to them. You can't be open and transparent with just anyone, they have to be trustworthy. Allow trust to build gradually as you share your stuff. Be open. Be transparent. Talk about your good side and your bad side. Talk about your victories and defeats. Share you successes and failures. As you do this you'll live freer and your heart will be filled with hope for the future.

Church Changes with Time, Culture and Custom

Lynn Mitchell presented the following four church models at the Pepperdine Lectureship in 1988. It describes how church changes with time, culture, and custom. Church A - Following strict observance of the Sabbath day, this church, which called itself a synagogue, gathered on Saturday evening to break bread together. The service began with praise. This included a call to worship and chanting of psalms, with rhythmic body movements and lifted hands. Next came the prayers (again with lifted hands): Group one: 1.) The Yotzer, with Creation as its theme. 2.) The ‘Ahabah, with Love as the theme. Group two: 1.) The Shema or confessional statement. 2.) The 18 Benedictions, led by a member with face turned toward the Ark. Then came the Instruction: Scripture reading and Exposition. Breaking of the Bread: 1.) Bread is blessed and partaken of. 2.) Full fellowship meal. 3.) Cup of Blessing is passed. Church B - Much less formal than Church A. They gathered on the first day of the week for the Lord’s Supper which included a full meal (love feast), along with the blessing of the bread and the wine in memory of Christ. Worship included prayers, songs, prophetic speeches, instructions, glossolalia with accompanying interpretation - all contributed somewhat spontaneously by members of the congregation. Men and women participated by praying and prophesying. The women wore veils and the men wore no head covering. Worship tended to be somewhat unruly, a problem which they had to watch. Church C - The church met at or just before noon on Sunday for one Sunday service of 2 to 4 hours which included lunch. Worship was somewhat informal, but much less rambunctious than Church B. The style resembled a rural democratic gathering. The president called the congregation to worship in praise. He then repeated a song which he knew and the congregation rose and sang it. He then asked a reader to read “the evangelical history” (from the Gospels). Another brother was then called upon to pray in the name of the congregation. The Epistle was read by the president followed by a song. The Lord’s Supper was observed, after remarks concerning its meaning, using one loaf and one cup of wine. The president then called for prayer for the poor and lost (kneeling). The Fellowship (offering) was laid on the table by each worshipper. An invitation was extended was extended to any who had something to edify the congregation. Several read Scripture and spoke. After several more songs selected by the congregation, a motion was made to adjourn. The president pronounced the apostolic benediction and dismissed the congregation. Church D - The church met on Sunday morning at 9:30 for Sunday School (not found in Churches A, B, or C), and then at 10:30 for the general assembly. Their assembly included contemporary music and choruses of praise. Communion was served in silver trays as it was passed from pew to pew. The congregation listened to 30 minute sermon and an invitation was extended. After a closing prayer the congregation was dismissed. Church A is the Jerusalem church in the book of Acts - A.D. 30. Church B is the Corinthian church - A.D. 55. Church C is the church of Alexander Campbell - A.D. 1830. Church D is the typical Church of Christ in North America – 21st Century.

Meditation

When some people hear the word “meditate” they think of Buddhism or Hinduism or New Age mysticism – you know, where you gaze at your navel, empty your mind or achieve an altered state by focusing on a single object and chanting Om. Other people say "I can't meditate. It's too complicated for me." No it isn't. Do you worry? If you know how to worry you know how to meditate. Worry is negative meditation. You take a thought and roll it around and around until it consumes you. That's what meditation is. It's simple! You take God's word and roll it around and around in your head until it consumes you. For me, meditation means to think or reflect on God in a calm and deliberate manner. Like Paul instructed Timothy, Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this (2 Timothy 2.7). When we reflect or meditate on the word of God the Holy Spirit will give us insight. Here’s one simple way to meditate. Take a phrase from the Bible and accent each word as you repeat the sentence over and over. Below are a couple of examples: Phil 4.13 I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength. I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength. I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength. I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength. I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength. I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength. I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength. I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength. I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength. I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength. Psalm 23.1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want Say the same scripture aloud repeatedly accenting one word each time you say the sentence through. With each accented word you will get a little nuance of truth that you have never seen before. Reflect on it and the Lord will give you insight.

Self-Talk

2 Corinthians 10.5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ You can speak about 150 words a minute but you think about 10 times as fast as you talk. According to David Stoop, everyone thinks a minimum of 1500 words a minute. There is an inner dialogue going on in your mind all the time. You are doing it right now. You are talking to yourself. That’s the way you process information, through words and images. The thoughts and images you entertain influence the way you feel and behave. The things you say to yourself are sometimes more powerful than the things you say aloud because you tend edit your thoughts before you speak your mind. If you think depressing thoughts you will feel and act depressed. If you worry and fret you will feel and act anxious. The next time you upset yourself pay attention to your thought-life. Become aware of the mental images you are entertaining. Ask yourself “Is this thought true? Is this image healthy? Is it in harmony with the character of Christ? Is it realistic or exaggerated?” Remember your beliefs are your choice. If you want to think self-defeating, impure, angry, anxious, or depressing thoughts you can. If you want to think true, godly, wholesome, or healthy thoughts you can. Pray over you thought-life and ask God to transform your mind so that your feelings and behavior are in sync with him. Tell God you want to think his thoughts i.e., to think like Jesus right now. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you think about things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable. He will introject thoughts and images that are excellent and praiseworthy and this will give you peace. You can change the way you feel and behave by changing the way you think. The Holy Spirit transforms you by renewing of your mind but you have to be willing to cooperate with him.

Busy

I haven't written in a while. I have been busy with work, school, and fathering. Things are going well. I just wanted to say hi to my fellow bloggers.

For All You've Done (Darlene Zschech)

The Wonderful Names of Jesus

Jesus (Mt. 1:23) Wonderful Counselor (Is. 9:6) Mighty God (Is. 9:6) Everlasting Father (Is. 9:6) Prince of Peace (Is. 9:6) Holy One (Mk1:24) Son of the Highest (Lk 1:32) Immanuel (Mt 1:23) Lamb of God (John 1:29) Prince of Life (Acts 3:15) Lord God Almighty (Rev5:5) God over all (Rom 9:5) Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Rev 22:16) I AM (Jn 8:48) The Word (Jn 1:1) Lord of Lords (Rev 19:16) Advocate (1 Jn 2:1) The Way, The Truth, The Life (Jn 14:6) Lord of All (2 Pet 2:20) Messiah (John 1:41) Son of God (John 1:34) Son of Man (Matthew 9:6) Savior (2 Peter 2:20) Bishop of your souls (1 Peter 2:25) Author and Finisher of our faith (Heb 12:2) Chief Cornerstone (Eph 2:20) Righteous Judge (2 Timothy 4:8) Light of the world (John 8:12) Morning Star (Rev 22:16) Head of the Church (Eph 1:22) Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4 Resurrection and Life (John 11:25) Alpha and Omega (Rev 21:6)

The Names of God

God has many names. The name Jehovah is combined with other names for God in the Old Testament. Each of these names reveal different qualities of God's character and his relationship to us. Eight names from the Old Testament are listed below. Jehovah – Shammah – “God is present with me.” (Ezekial 48:35 35) Jehovah – Rohi(ee) – “God is my shepherd.” (Psalm 23:1) Jehovah – Jireh - “God is my Provider.” (Genesis 22:14) Jehovah – Rophe – “God is my Healer” (Exodus 15:26) Jehovah – Tsidkenu – “God is my Righteousness” (Jer 23:6) Jehovah – (Mac) M’Kaddish – “God is my Sanctification” (Lev 20:8) Jehovah – Shalom – “God is my Peace” (Judges 6:24) Jehovah – Nissi (ee) – “God is my Banner” (Exodus 17:15) The name of God is like a strong tower that you can run to for protection (Proverbs 18.10). His name is powerful and strong. When you call on his name demons scatter and you walk with confidence. Say “You are here. You are my provider. You are my healer. You are my righteousness. You are my holiness. You are my peace. You are my banner!”

Christians Everywhere

This past year I have spoken in a variety of settings (e.g., hospitals, Greenbrier Hotel, schools, performing arts center, Marshall University, recovery counsel mental health agencies) and I have found Christians in all of these settings. Included in my presentation on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a section where I talk about the importance of prayer and people always seem glad that I include it. When you work in your community don't hesitate to talk about Jesus. Most people are not turned off - it turns them on. Yes, you will run into a few people who are hostile toward Christians but most people will recieve you. You will find many Christians in the crowd. Last Friday I spoke at the Recovery Counsel in Pike County Ohio and last night I spoke for the Marshall Universtiy Diabetes Center at Cabell Huntington Hospital. When I asked "How many of you pray?" nearly everyone raised their hand. During breaks many people talked about their involvement in church. Many of them will talk freely about Jesus. It's amazing - there are Christians everywhere. I am very encouraged by this.

My Statement of Faith

1. I believe that God is completely sovereign, all knowing, perfect in holiness, infinite in power, and abounding in love. He has revealed himself to us in three persons; God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Our triune God is one and there is no other god besides him. 2. I believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I believe in his miraculous birth, his perfect life, his all-sufficient atoning death and glorious resurrection.Jesus ascended the highest place. Jesus is the King and kings and Lord of lords. His Kingdom will last forever. One day every living creature will confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father. 3. I believe the Holy Spirit lives in all Christians. The Spirit’s purpose is to glorify Christ in us. The Spirit convicts us of sin and draws us to Jesus. He comforts, guides, and empowers Christians to understand the mind of Christ and obey the will of God. The Spirit distributes spiritual gifts and helps us bear good fruit. 4. I believe the church belongs to Christ. The church is spiritually united as one body with Christ as the head. There are no denominational, geographical, ethic/racial, or gender barriers in the body of Christ. We are all one in Christ and we must make every effort to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 5. I believe that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ. Salvation is a free gift from God to man. It cannot be obtained or maintained by good works. I believe that justification is the saving action of God where he declares sinners righteous by our faith in Jesus Christ. 6. I believe that everyone who confesses the name of the Lord should turn away from sin. Since we have a sinful nature that cannot change and must die, we should repent of sin and obey the Lord. Repenting of sin and obeying the Lord are evidences of our faith, not the basis of our salvation. Our obedience is an expression of our love and gratitude and is empowered by the Holy Spirit. 7. I believe that the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper should be observed faithfully as God intended. Baptism represents identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Lord’s Supper is open to all believers and is a time to commune with the living Christ and his church. The bread represents his body and the wine represents his blood. 8. I believe the Bible is the infallible, authoritative word of God. The Bible is our only standard of truth for all Christian beliefs and practices. 9. I believe that Jesus will return - Since the return of Christ is imminent we should teach the gospel to the lost with urgency. 10. I believe that love for God and people should be our motivation for everything we do. People will know that we are Christians when we love God and people like Jesus Christ loved us. Without love we cannot benefit from any of the beliefs above.

Speaking at the Marshall Diabetes Center

Tomorrow I will be speaking for the Marshall Diabetes Center. My presentation, which will be a Cabell Huntington Hospital, will focus on using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to cope with depression. The audience will be made up of people who are suffering from diabetes. I pray I do well and the people who attend will benefit.

Speaking in Pike County Ohio

This Friday I will be speaking at a mental health agency in Pike County Ohio. I will be speaking/leading a 6 hour workshop on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. I pray that I will do a good job and the participants at the agency will benefit.

Duplicity Spoils Everything

A man took his girlfriend on a picnic. He stopped at Kentucky Fried Chicken and ordered two chicken dinners. When they arrived at the park and opened the bag they found $800 dollars in cash. The cashier had accidentally given them the wrong bag. Instead of getting chicken they got a bag full of money that was suppose to go to the manager to be deposited into the bank. So they drove back to the store and found the KFC manager in tears. When they returned the bag of cash the manager was so relieved. He said, “You are the most honest people I’ve ever met. I’m going to call the newspaper and asked them to take a picture of you and your girlfriend and report this story in the newspaper because you are so honest.” But they said, “No, don’t do that!” The manager asked “Why?” The man explained “The woman I’m with is not my wife.” Duplicity spoils everything. We can be honest in one area of life and, at the same time, be living a lie. Let’s make integrity our goal. Proverbs 11.3 The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.

Five Prayers for the New Year

My new year’s resolutions for 2006 are stated in prayers which cover five areas of life: spiritual, mental, social, physical, and financial. I know that it is impossible for me to do these things by willpower and self-determination. I need God. So here they are: Spiritually – Father, help me walk with my Lord, Jesus Christ. Protect me from the evil one. Keep me from sin. Keep me sober! Fill me with your Holy Spirit so that I am faithful to you in everything. Make me hungry to know and do your will. Mentally – Father, help me to grow, stretch, and learn. Give me insight. Help me to understand. Reveal your will to me. Open my eyes, give me knowledge and wisdom. Help me to improve as a minister, counselor, and professor so that others can see my progress and I will give you the credit. Open doors of opportunity so that I can use the gifts you’ve given me. Socially – Father, strengthen my relationship with Kim and my daughters. Make me a good husband and faithful father. Deepen my relationships with my family and friends. Fill our hearts and homes with your joy. Physically – Father, help me to exercise regularly and stay active. Please keep my family and me healthy. Financially – Father, help me to prosper and be a good steward of everything you give me. It all belongs to you. Help me to use it wisely. In Jesus name, Amen!

The best are capable of the worst and the worst are capable of the best

Don’t be deceived by thinking that you cannot fall into sin. The most celebrated heroes in the Bible were guilty of the worst behavior. Noah got drunk. Abraham lied. Lot committed incest. Judah slept with his daughter-in-law Tamar because he thought she was a prostitute. Moses murdered an Egyptian. David committed adultery. Peter denied Christ. Do you really believe you are incapable of such things? Think again. The same sin nature that lived in these people lives in you. Remember, even the best are capable of the worst. On the other hand, don’t be deceived into thinking that you’ve done something so bad that God can no longer use you. God will forgive you if you place your faith in Jesus Christ. In fact, God will turn your worst failures will be your greatest strengths. The best are capable of the worst and the worst are capable of the best. Both are important to remember. One keeps you humble. The other gives you hope.

Bargaining with God

Leroy demanded a bicycle from his dad. He threw a temper tantrum when his dad said, “Leroy, we don’t have the money to buy you anything you want. Go to your room and write a letter to Jesus.” Leroy went to his room. He pouted and cried. Then he wrote this letter: Dear Jesus, I’ve been a good boy this year and I would appreciate a new bike. Your friend, Leroy He knew this was not true so he ripped up the letter and gave it another try. Dear Jesus, I’ve been an OK boy this year. I want a new bicycle. Yours truly, Leroy Leroy knew this wasn’t totally honest either so he tore it up and tried again. Dear Jesus, I’ve thought a lot about being a good boy this year. Can I have a new bike? Leroy Leroy looked down in his heart (which was what his dad was trying to get him to do) and he crumbled up that letter and trashed it. He was sort of depressed. He went outside and wondered about aimlessly. He finally found himself in front of a Catholic Church - a huge cathedral with a great big cross on top. He wondered in the church and began looking at all the statues. He had never seen so many statues in his life. Suddenly, he grabbed a small statue of Mary and ran home and hid under his bed. Then he wrote this letter. Jesus, I’ve broken most of the 10 commandments, I have shot spit wads in school, tore up my sisters Barbie doll and lots more. I’m desperate. I’ve got your momma. If you ever want to see her again give me a bike. Leroy This story makes me smile. It reminds me of James 4.3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. Do you ever bargain with God? Have you ever promised God that if he will do this you will do that? When you pray make sure you check your motives. When God answers your prayer be sure to accept his answer. If God says “Yes” then give thanks him. If he says “No” give thanks anyway. You might not understand it now but in time you will learn that God knows what is best for you.

The Next Time You Get Frustrated

I’m building an office in my garage. I am no carpenter but I’m doing well on this project. At first I was frustrated because I couldn’t get the concrete nails in my garage floor. The nails busted the concrete. I almost quit. Then I thought “What would Jesus do? He was a carpenter. He would know exactly what to do.” This had a calming affect on me. It seems so trite but it actually made me patient and renewed my resolve to continue. I went back to the hardware and discovered concrete bits and concrete screw nails. They worked like a charm. Since then I’ve made good progress. Inviting the Lord into simple everyday things really helps me. I’m enjoying working and making sure that it’s done right. At each successful point I show Kim what I have accomplished (just like a little boy) and she encourages me by saying things like “That’s good Jeff.” So with the Lord’s help and Kim’s encouragement I am accomplishing something I’ve never done before and I’m proud of it. The next time you get frustrated talk to Jesus about it and then go find someone to encourage you – it really works

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all my fellow bloggers. God bless you and your family.

Begin With The End In Mind

Larry Walter’s childhood dream was to fly but his poor eyesight disqualified him from becoming a pilot in the Air Force. Determined to fulfill his dream, he purchased 45 weather balloons, filled them with helium, and tied them to his lawn chair which was anchored to the bumper of his jeep. In preparation for his flight he strapped on a parachute, took a CB radio to communicate with his friends on the ground, packed some soda, and a BB gun to shoot the balloons when he wanted to come down. Larry planned to float about 100 feet off the ground and come back down after a couple of hours. But things did not go as he planned. When Larry’s friends helped him cut the cords that anchored the lawn chair to his jeep he shot up into the LA sky as if he were fired from a cannon. He leveled off at 16,000 feet (about 3 miles high!). At this altitude he was cold, frightened, and helpless. He was afraid to shoot the balloons because it may unbalance the load. When he drifted into the primary approach corridor of the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) he knew that he was in trouble. A TWA pilot passed Larry and radioed the airport explaining that he had just past a man in a lawn chair with a gun in his lap. Radar confirmed that there was an object floating 16,000 feet above the airport. LAX declared an emergency and dispatched a helicopter. Larry continued to drift toward the Pacific Ocean. The helicopter finally lowered a rescue line and pulled Larry to safety. He was arrested by LAPD for violating LAX airspace. As he was carried away in handcuffs a reporter asked him why he had done it. Larry nonchalantly responded, “A man just can’t sit around.” This story illustrates the futility and danger of taking off without knowing where you are going to land. Many people intend to float through life aimlessly. It’s always a good idea to pray, plan well, and seek advice from people who have experience. Don’t just take off. Begin with the end in mind. ____________________________________________________ This true story, which happened in 1982, was reported by the Associated Press. You can listen to the tape recorded CB conversation between Larry and his friends during his flight at http://www.markbarry.com/lawnchairman.html.

Kisses in a Box

She tried to wrap her dad’s gift but failed. The little girl wasted an entire roll gold Christmas wrapping paper. Her father became angry and disciplined her for being so wasteful. She went to bed crying. On Christmas morning she brought the gold box to her dad. When he opened the box it was empty and his anger flared again. He said, “You wasted all that wrapping paper for nothing. This box is empty!” With tears in her eyes she said “Oh Daddy. It’s not empty. I blew kisses in the box. I filled it up with my love and it’s all for you.” The father embraced his little girl and begged for her forgiveness. For years to come he kept that little gold box under his bed. Every time he was discouraged he would take the box and pull out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child that put it there.

Neil Young

George bought me a Neil Young CD for Christmas. I’m listening to “Down By the River” right now. It takes me back to 1979 in Zip Lilly’s garage where we (The Little Coal River Band) practiced. I remember Bobby, Zip, Pat, Randy, Jeff, Kim, Traci and me – good music, good harmonies, great friends, and rock and roll.

Joe Beam Interview on Focus on the Family

Joe Beam was interviewed by Focus on the Family. His interview was one of the most popular radio shows on Focus during 2005. You can listen to it at http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/focus_on_the_family/. Listen to it. It's great!

Focus on Planting Not Harvesting

Focus on planting not harvesting. Plant the seed of the kingdom and God will make it grow where he wills. It may not grow where you expect it to grow. It may grow in strange places. When it does not grow don’t feel bad, just move on. God may not be drawing that particular person at this time. When you see it spring to life, spend time cultivating it because God is at work. It’s easy to recognize because the person will be asking important questions of life. They will be motivated and interested to hear what you have to say about Jesus. Think differently. Know that evangelism is God’s work. You cannot make it happen if he’s not in it. Salvation is God’s work from start to finish. People cannot come to Jesus unless the Father draws them (John 6.44). God gives faith (Romans 12.3) and grants repentance (2 Timothy 2.25). The Holy Spirit is the true evangelist. The Spirit convicts people of their sin (John 16.8) and prompts them to confess Christ as Lord. This is impossible with the Spirit’s involvement. They cannot reason their way to Jesus. They cannot will it to happen and neither can you. No one can confess Jesus or even understand the things of God without the Holy Spirit because the gospel is spiritually discerned (2 Corinthians 2.6-16). So don’t feel pressure to convict people of sin or convince them of Jesus – that’s not your job. That’s God’s job. This puts a whole new perspective on sharing Christ. It's exciting. It heightens your sensitivity to God. Just plant the seed wherever you go and asked questions like "Where is God moving? Where is God working?" and then step into the flow of his power and do what he's doing. Join him in his work. He's always at work so you must always be looking.

Grading on a Curve

I finished grading exams and papers tonight. I will turn my students' grades in tomorrow. These grades reflect their performance on seven exams, one panel critique, and a 20-25 page theory preference paper. My class is hard but my grading scale is fair. Do you know what God's grading scale is? I will give you a hint. It's pass or fail. That's right! You pass if you are 100% righteous and you fail if you don't meet his perfect standard. Anything below 100% is fail. So, all you need for salvation is 100% obedience in thought, word, and deed to every commandment of scripture so that you are totally sinless. Isn't that good news? "No! That's terrible news" you say. "That's impossible!" Your right, it is impossible but that's God's standard and he doesn't grade on a curve. James 2.10 says For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. How can you be guilty of breaking all of it if you've broke only one? Let me illustrate: Suppose you are in a bucket that is dangling from a tall crane. The bucket is supported by a metal chain that has 1,000 links. How many of those links have to break before you are in trouble? If one link breaks you just as well break them all. If you break one of God's commands you have forever ruined your chance of being justified by law keeping. So, where do you stand? Are you 100% righteous? I am happy because I am 100% righteous. I have perfect obedience in thought, word, and deed to every commandment of scripture and I am totally sinless. "Jeff, that's not true", you say. "I know you. You have a history!" Well, let me explain. I didn't do it. Jesus did it for me. Jesus forgave me and he credited me with the righteousness of God (Roman 3.20-4.1-8). The same is true for you. You are justified by faith and not by works. You are saved because of your position and it has nothing to do with your performance. God made you righteous by your faith in Jesus. God cannot violate his standard of righteousness by grading on a curve. Jesus is the only way. So trust Christ and you pass.

The Password is "Jesus"

How many passwords do you have? Many computer users have to keep track of dozens of passwords for XP software, network accounts, email accounts, IM accounts, blogs, online calendars for scheduling, library accounts, premium websites for online purchasing, online banking, ATM machines, voice messages, and so on. Some people write their passwords on a piece of paper and loose it. When you loose your password it is a hassle. I simplified my life a long time ago. I have about 4 passwords that were assigned to me. For the rest of my accounts I use one word. It’s easy for me to remember. I know that it makes me vulnerable to thieves or snoops but I like to keep life simple. I’m grateful God made it simple. We don’t have to remember different passwords to connect to him. There is only one password. The password is Jesus.

Five Levels of Communication

There are five levels of communication.** 1. Cliché is surface level conversation e.g., exchanges hellos, talking about the weather, church isle chatter. 2. Sharing facts is a little deeper in that you talk about the details of what has happened or what could happen without evaluating it. 3. Sharing opinions is a little risky because of the potential for conflict. 4. Sharing feelings is even more risky because it requires you to be vulnerable and open about your emotion. 5. Transparency is open unguarded communication and requires trust. These levels move from the surface to deep meaningful conversation. We should be able to move in and out of every level naturally, depending on the circumstance and who we are talking to. Can you do this? Some people get stuck at level three and rarely share their feelings. Where do you tend to stay? Is there someone with whom you can be totally honest and transparent? ____________________________________________________ NOTE: The five levels of communication are from John Powell. I cannot remember the name of his book. I either loaned it or lost it but I remember it well because I’ve been using it for years in counseling.

Survivor

If you were deprived of basic comforts, exposed to the harsh natural elements, if your fate was at the mercy of strangers…who would you become? For 39 days 16 strangers were stranded on a remote island off the coast of Panama. They were forced to live together and use their collective wits to survive in a rugged environment. Day by day, the harsh elements and threatening animals tested the endurance of the survivors. They learned to cooperate, to building shelters, to gather or catch food in a contest for rewards. Those who succeeded in the day-to-day challenges were rewarded with things to make life on the Island more bearable. Those who failed did without. Every three days the survivors attended a Tribal Council. At this meeting, each person secretly voted to send one survivor home. The person with the most votes had to leave their tribe immediately. Week by week, one by one, people were voted off until only two survivors remain. At that point, the seven most recently eliminated survivors returned to form the final Tribal Council and decided who would be the sole survivor—and will win one million dollars! So goes the popular television show Survivor. If you were deprived of familiar surroundings, exposed to a different environment and culture, if your fate was at the mercy of strangers…who would you become? The book of Daniel tells a great story of four survivors. Their names are Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. In 605 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated Jerusalem. The Lord delivered Judah into his hand. He took some of the articles from the temple which he carried off to Babylon and put in the treasure house of his god. He also took the survivors far away – 500 miles back to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring in some of the Israelites from the royal family – they were superior in every way – they were young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king's palace. The Babylonians tried to do three things to the Survivors. 1) They tried to change the way they think - They enrolled in a rigorous education program. The curriculum included the language and literature of the Babylonians. The academic program included mathematics, astronomy, history, and magic. They went to school three years to change the way they think. 2) They tried to change the way they worship – They even changed their names. Their given names revealed their devotion to the true and living God. Daniel (God is my judge), Hananiah (the Lord shows grace), Mishael (Who is like God) and Azariah (The Lord is my help). But Ashpenaz gave them new names: To Daniel he gave the name Belteshazzar (Bel protect his life); to Hananiah he gave the name Shadrach (command of the moon god); to Mishael they gave the name Meshach (Who is like the moon god?); and to Azariah they gave the name Abednego (servant of Nego, the Babylonian god of wisdom). So the name of the God was replaced with the false gods of Babylon. They tried to change the way they worship. 3) They tried to change their lifestyle – 1.5 The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king's table. They tried to force them to eat food that was forbidden. So here were four young survivors – probably teenagers. They lost their family, they lost their home, their school, their temple (place of worship) – they lost their friends and familiar surroundings. They witnessed a foreign army invade their city. Then they are taken captive – they were 500 hundred miles away from home. But they did not compromise their faith even when faced the flames of death Daniel 1.8 But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. Daniel chose not to eat the food because it was not kosher or the meat and wine had been sacrificed to idols. He quietly asked permission to abstain. Daniel said, "Please test us for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance to the others.” At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than all the others. So the guard took away their royal food and the wine and gave them nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Like Daniel and his three friends, your convictions will be tested. That’s why, if you are going to survive, you have to resolve not to defile yourself by compromising your convictions. They worked hard and they did their very best – and it paid off. They graduated at the top of their class. And Daniel was valedictorian. So they entered the king's service. The king found them ten times better than all the others. You may not be valedictorian but the Lord expects you to work hard and do your very best. Remember you represent Jesus Christ to your boss and your teachers. Some time later Nebuchadnezzar started having dreams that troubled him and he could not sleep. So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers (sounds like a Harry Potter movie) and he said to them, “This is what I have firmly decided: If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble. But if you tell me the dream and explain it, you will receive from me gifts and rewards." They said, “There is not a man on earth who can do what the king asks!” This made the king so angry and furious that he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon. When Arioch, the commander of the king's guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact. He asked for more time He went to his friends and urged them to pray and God answered his prayer. So he appear before the king and the king asked Daniel "Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it?" Daniel, “No, I can’t. Nor can anyone else. But there is a God in heaven that can.” And Daniel interpreted his dream. Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel and said, "Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to tell me my dream and interpret it. How did Daniel survive? How did he cope with a temperamental king and the threat of death? He gained support from his friends and he prayed to his God. Can you remember to do that when you are faced with a temperamental boss, or problems at school or work? Some time later King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, ninety feet high and nine feet wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura. Then the herald proclaimed, "This is what you are commanded to do. As soon as you hear the music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold. Daniel 3.16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." They trusted God even when they could not predict the outcome. They said, “God can save us but even if he does not we will not bow down to any other god.” That is inspiring! You can’t be sure what is going to happen in the future. Maybe God will save your marriage, save your job, save your life from cancer – but even if he does not say, “I will trust God even when I can’t predict the outcome. “ Then Nebuchadnezzar ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie them up and throw them into the blazing furnace. The furnace was so hot that the fire killed the soldiers who threw them in. The king leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers "Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?" They replied, "Yes, O king." He said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods." I believe that was Jesus Christ walking in the fire with them. Jesus promised us – I will always be with you. You may have to walk through the flames but he will be with you. Isaiah 43.1 But now, this is what the LORD says — he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. 3 For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!" So they came out of the fire and the king and his advisors saw that the fire unharmed and there was no smell of smoke on them. 28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way." They were survivors and so are you. No matter what you face in life, God will protect you. He will see you through divorce, addiction, unemployment, or whatever you face. You are more than a survivor. You are more the conquerors through Jesus Christ. Praise God who delivers us from all harm and makes us victorious in Christ!

Family Secrets

Everybody has skeletons in their closets. Embarrassing family secrets that no one knows. But in Jesus’ family tree, there are no secrets. Matthew 1.1-17 lists the names of 46 people spanning 2000 years. Behind each name is a story. Some were heroes of faith – like Abraham, Isaac, and David. Some were ordinary people – like Hezron and Aram. Others were evil men – like Manasseh and Abijah. There are also five women listed in Jesus family tree – see if you can spot them in the text below. Matthew 1. 1 A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham: 2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, …. 5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife, … 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. Did you identify five women in the genealogy of Jesus? The most noble were Ruth and Mary. However, three out of the five women mentioned were involved in scandals. Have you read the story of Tamar (Genesis 38) and how her father-in-law got her pregnant? I can’t believe God allowed that story in the Bible. Then there was Rahab (Joshua 2). Do you remember her occupation? She was as an escort. That’s right - a prostitute! And then there was Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11-12) who committed adultery with David. David got her pregnant and had her husband killed to cover it up. God’s work in history was not limited by human failures or sin. Just as God used all kinds of sinful people to bring his Son into the world, he uses all kinds of people today to accomplish his will. Our moral failures cannot stop Jesus.

Donna Hester presented "Iron Apron Strings" at the Norway Avenue Church This Morning

This morning Donna Hester (from ACU) performed "Iron Apron Strings" at our church. The performance segment was a one-woman exploration into the maternal lineage of Jesus - vignettes of Eve, Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, Mary and the mysterious plan of God to use these women as paving stones to the birth of his Son. We saw Donna perform at the Zoe Conference and invited her to Norway Avenue. She is great! Donna is a professor of drama at Abiline Christian University. You should invite her to perform at your church.

Homework Stress

Homework often produces stress for children and parents. The academic requirements for children and teenagers have increased dramatically. Our daughters are in elementary and middle school. They are required to know some things that I did not study until high school and college. Our evenings are filled with extracurricular activities (3 different schedules for 3 basketball teams) and lots of homework. I pray for snow days!

You’re as Happy as Your Saddest Child

When your children are healthy and doing well it is easy to be happy. But when your children are struggling with problems it’s hard to think of anything else. If they are under pressure, confused about their identity, need good friends, or discouraged about their performance in school you feel their pain. Life looses its zest. Everything appears dull. You worry and fret. It’s hard to be excited about anything when a child has a problem. Today, someone said to me “You’re as happy as your saddest child.” That statement resonated with me. It’s so true. I’ve repeated aloud several times today. Lord, bless our children. They face so much. They are just little girls. Fill them you’re your Spirit. Affirm them. Encourage them. Guide them. Comfort them. Send strong angels to protect them. In Jesus name, Amen!

Property Laws of a Toddler

No one taught me to be selfish. I was born selfish. I am sinful by nature and by choice. Now, I don't want to sin. I want to do good but sin is in my members. Even when I try to do good sin trips me up. That's why I have to die to myself so that Jesus can live in me. But it is hard to stay dead. I've been struggling with sin all my life, since I was a toddler. My sinful nature was evident at an early age. Deb Lawrence listed 10 property laws of toddlers** which illustrate this point. 1. If I like it, it's mine. 2. If it's in my hand, it's mine. 3. If I can take it from you, it's mine. 4. If I had it a little while ago, it's mine. 5. If it's mine, it must never appear to be yours in any way. 6. If I'm doing or building something, all the pieces are mine. 7. If it looks just like mine, it's mine. 8. If I saw it first, it's mine. 9. If you are playing with something and you put it down, it automatically becomes mine. 10. If it's broken, it's yours. I've seen these laws at work in the lives of children. I've seen them at work in my own life. Lord Jesus help me. I don't want to be self-centered and selfish, but I am. Help me to die to myself. Live in me! Amen _____________________________________ **Deb Lawrence, Missionary to the Philippines with SEND International, quoted in Prokope, November/December, 1992, p. 3.

Visiting Other Churches

I like to visit other churches when I’m on vacation. This week I visited three different churches. Wednesday night I worshiped at the First Baptist Church in Proctorville. Sunday morning I went to Christ Temple in Huntington and tonight I worshiped with the Jefferson Avenue Church of God. I knew people in each of these churches through my involvement in the community (Mission Tri-State [a ministerial association], school, and AA). Tonight, at Jefferson Avenue, I sat beside one of my friends from AA and we worship God together. It was a great experience and I enjoyed worshiping at all these churches.

Love Jesus More than Your Family

We were watching the Matthew videos. Tori was listening intently when Jesus said, "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10.37). Tori asked, “Daddy, do you love Jesus more than me?” I said, “Yes. If we love Jesus best we will love each other better. Do you understand?” Tori shook her head and said, “When we love Jesus infinity we can love each other 100%.” I said, “That’s exactly what it means.” C.S. Lewis put it like this: "When I learn to love God better than my earthly dearest, I shall love my earthly dearest better than I do now. In so far as I learn to love my earthly dearest at the expense of God or instead of God, I shall be moving towards the state in which I shall not love my earthly dearest at all. When first things are put first, second things are not suppressed but increased."

The Next Time You See A Homeless Person

J.D. Tant was scheduled to preach a revival in Tennessee on Sunday but he arrived the Wednesday before. He was unshaven and dressed in overalls. He looked like a homeless man and no one recognized him. Tant asked people for food and tried to find a place to stay. The church turned him away. On Sunday morning the old bum showed up for church but no one had seen the preacher. As they began the service a man explained to the congregation that Brother Tant had not arrived. Just then, from the back pew, Tant walked down the isle in overalls and said “I was hungry and you did not feed me. I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. I needed clothes and you did not clothe me. I was a stranger and you did not take me in.” At this, he mounted the pulpit to preach his first sermon for the revival. That’s the way Jesus came. He came to his own but they did not receive him. The next time you see a homeless person remember the passage below. Matthew 25.35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' 37 "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' 40 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

One Day at a Time

God told Joshua that he would give Israel the Promised Land little by little. They didn’t take it all at once. Joshua 3.29 But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you. 30 Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land. Live one day at a time. Don’t become overwhelmed. Get your eyes off the entire war and fight your battles one at a time. With each victory you gain confidence. Nothing will be able to stop you because God with you. But you have to do it little by little.

Contrasting Healthy and Unhealthy Churches

My view of the church has changed. I used to think that a true church was one that baptized people for the remission of sins, never used an instrument in worship, observed communion every Sunday, had a plurality of elders and deacons (and refused to call the preacher “pastor”), rejected all five points of Calvinism, and taught a millennial eschatology. I used to think that unless a church could be described by the list above it was not a "true" church. My legalistic 6-item checklist was very sectarian and exclusive. Moreover, the Lord Jesus Christ was missing from all six items! The Bible paints a very different picture of the church. The list below is not intended to be exhaustive, but it does provide some thought-provoking contrasts between healthy and unhealthy churches.** I like to frame my view of the church with the words “healthy and unhealthy” as opposed to “true church and not a church at all.” It just seems to be a more gracious way of viewing churches and does not appear to be as sectarian or exclusive because all churches are unhealthy in some areas and can be nursed back to health. Carefully read the contrasting statements below and reflect on each one. All of the references are from the book of Acts. Healthy Church - Focused on Christ (2:22-36) Unhealthy Church - Focused on church Healthy Church - Relies on the Holy Spirit (2:1-47) Unhealthy Church - Relies on human effort Healthy Church - Based on the Bible (2:42) Unhealthy Church - Based on tradition Healthy Church - Emphasis on grace (15:1-35) Unhealthy Church - Emphasis on works-righteousness Healthy Church - God gets all the credit (2:47) Unhealthy Church - People get the credit. Healthy Church - Faithfully practices the ordinances of baptism (2:41) and communion (2:42) Unhealthy Church - Fails to practice these ordinances or overemphasizes them. Healthy Church - Diversity is encouraged (2:9-11), and there is a respect for individual beliefs and cultural differences Unhealthy Church - Conformity is prized, and individual beliefs & cultural differences are devalued. Healthy Church - Prayer is a priority (4:23-31) Unhealthy Church - Prayer is talked about but not practiced Healthy Church - Communication is clear & direct (15:22-35) Unhealthy Church - Communication is unclear & indirect. Healthy Church - Repentance is stressed (3:19) Unhealthy Church - Repentance is whispered Healthy Church - Members feel empowered (4:31) and share power with one another Unhealthy Church - Members or leaders use power and control over others. Healthy Church - Assemblies are dynamic; Inspiring worship (2:43, 4:23-31) Unhealthy Church - Assemblies are dull, predictable and boring Healthy Church - Thinking and questioning are encouraged (18:26) Unhealthy Church - Thinking and questioning are discouraged. Healthy Church - Obedient to God (4:19) Unhealthy Church - People pleasing Healthy Church - Members trust other members and leaders, or at least they openly express any lack of trust. (5:1-11) Unhealthy Church - Mistrust is evidenced by an undercurrent of unexpressed hostility. Healthy Church - Culturally relevant while remaining doctrinally pure (17:16-34) Unhealthy Church - Fixated on doctrine and uses out-of-date methods. Healthy Church - Goals are clear and specific (1:8) and shared by the members - the church is lead to meet goals. Unhealthy Church - Goals are fuzzy, abstract, and general. Members have unclear personal goals or no goals at all. Healthy Church - Most members feel a sense of inclusion, and excluded members are invited to become more active (2:44) Unhealthy Church - Many members feel excluded and cliques are formed - there is fear of expressing feelings of being left out Healthy Church - The leadership functions are shared by the group; people feel free to initiate activities and be creative (6:1-7). Unhealthy Church - There are power conflicts among members and leaders. Creativity is discourage. Healthy Church - Large group assemblies and small group sharing (20:20) Unhealthy Church - Large group and middle size group only. Small groups are viewed with suspicion. Healthy Church - Sin is confessed (19:18) Unhealthy Church - Sin is hidden and rarely confessed Healthy Church - Members give their money generously 4:32-37) – the leaders are accountable and open in the way they handle funds Unhealthy Church - Members are not charitable - the leaders are secretive and unaccountable. Healthy Church - Organizational structure is functional and flexible (6:1-7). Gift-based ministry. Unhealthy Church - Organizational structure in inflexible and dysfunctional. Haphazard ministry Healthy Church - Needs-oriented evangelism (1:8) Unhealthy Church - Evangelism is rare - few people are saved Healthy Church - Cooperates with other churches in ministry (21:18 & 24:17) Unhealthy Church - Isolates themselves from other churches - exclusive and sectarian. Healthy Church - Cohesion is high; there is a close emotional bond among members. Members share with each other (2:44-45). Unhealthy Church - Division exists; people feel distant from one another. There is a lack of caring and empathy. Healthy Church - Organized ministry for the poor (6:1-7) Unhealthy Church - No organized outreach to the poor Healthy Church - Men and women are free to pray and prophesy (1:14, 2:17, 4:24, 21:9) Unhealthy Church - Women and young girls are excluded from full participation in assemblies & small groups Healthy Church - Loving relationships permeate every aspect of the church ( 20:36-38) Unhealthy Church - Members are distant from each other Healthy Church - Conflict among members or with leaders is recognized, discussed, and often resolved (6:1-8, 15:1-30 & 36-41) Unhealthy Church - Conflict or negative feelings are ignored, denied, or avoided. Healthy Church - Passionate spirituality (18:28) Unhealthy Church - Lack of enthusiasm - low morale Review the distinguishing marks of a healthy church listed above. Don’t view it as a legalistic checklist. View it as a list of inspiring qualities to work toward. No church is perfect. A church can be unhealthy in numerous areas and still be the church of God. Think about the church in Corinth. The Corinthian church was divided (1.10), immoral (5.1-13; 6.12-20), they were suing each other in civil courts of law (6.1-11), they had problems with divorce and remarriage (7.1-40), they were insensitive to weak believers (chapters 8-10), they observed the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner (11.17-34), they were confused about spiritual gifts (12.1-30), their assemblies were chaotic (14.26-39), and their teaching on the resurrection was wrong (15.12-58). Yet, in spite of all of these problems Paul addressed them as the church of God in Corinth (1.2) and said that he always gave thanks for them (1.4). With the security of their salvation affirmed, he gave specific instructions to nurse this church back to health. This view of the church is very different than the prior view I described at the beginning of this post (i.e., the legalistic 6-item (checklist). This current view allows us to be just as grateful as Paul was, even for churches with as many problems as Corinth. We should stop ostracizing unhealthy churches and express gratitude for every church that confesses Jesus Christ is Lord. Think about each statement as it relates to your church. Identify strengths and build on them. Identify weaknesses and take measures to improve those areas. Work to improve the health of your church knowing that your salvation is secure. You are the church of God. One day Jesus will present his church to himself as perfect, without blemish. Until that time we pray and rely on the Holy Spirit as we strive to be all the Lord wants us to be as a church. _____________________ **FOOTNOTE: Where did I get the idea? The list of characteristics of a healthy church is adapted from Cory and Cory’s description of healthy groups in: Cory, Gerald. Theory and Practice of Group Counseling 6th edition. (2001) Wadsworth Press. Belmont CA. As I was preparing to teach a counseling course I was struck by the similarites between healthy and unhealthy groups and healthy and unhealthy churches. I took Cory's list and found relevant passages from Acts that described a healthy church.

The Penthouse or the Outhouse

Sonny Jurgensen was a quarterback for the Washington Redskins. After a very poor performance one Sunday afternoon he was interviewed by some reporters. The reporters were very critical. They talked to him about his slump. They asked him questions like, “Do you think you are all washed up? Do you think you’re going to make it through the season? Who do you think is going to take your place?” They verbally beat him up with their sharp questions. Finally, the crowd left but one reporter lingered. He felt sorry for him and asked “Sonny, how do you stand all this criticism? Doesn’t it just depress you forever? Don’t you just want to quit?” Sonny looked at him and said “No it doesn’t depress me. When I became a quarterback I understood that I will either live in the penthouse or the outhouse but I will seldom live in between.” That is true of all leaders. Some people want to put you in the penthouse. Others would like to have you in the outhouse. To some you are a hero. To others you are the ultimate villain in the plot. You are respected by some and hated by others. But leaders, if they lead the way God wants them to lead, cannot allow themselves to go up and down on the yoyo of popular opinion. It is impossible to lead any worthwhile cause without facing opposition and criticism.