Hypocrisy and Current Events

hypocrisy:

     1. a feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not; especially  :  the false assumption of an appearance of virtue or religion

     2. an act or instance of hypocrisy

The simple definition of the term would be in application - to claim to believe or hold a belief or view, but your actions or words contradict your claims.

I have been reading, watching, and listening to the constant noise regarding the so-called #BlackLivesMatter movement. I have been trying to absorb all I can to try to understand where those protesting (or participating in much more nefarious activities) are coming from. But the more I read, the more I actually look at facts, the more I spend time in prayer for our nation and for those who are involved, I find the more jaded I become. I have been labeled a racist more times than I can count. I have been told that I just cannot understand - after all, I apparently am afflicted with this now dread disease called White Privilege.

Ok - I'm fed up. I'm tire of the labels, and I'm tired of the abject lies and hypocrisy being demonstrated. But as always, I want to take a biblical angle on this, so here goes:

What does the Bible say? It says all people are made in the image of God (Imago Dei). Scripture clearly points to the very reason murder is wrong:we are made in the image of God (Genesis 9:6). Further, Jesus clearly commanded that we LOVE OUR NEIGHBORS. Neighbors in this context is not just literal neighbors who look like us, who live near us, who are parts of the same social circles and do the same activities - or who look like us. Our neighbors are humanity. The easy answer to all the garbage we see would be to "love our neighbors". But that is shunned - why? Oh, because it means actually seeing people of other backgrounds and races, people who don't look or act like us - as having intrinsic value in their very lives.

But let us get back to the hypocrisy that spawned this post:

#BlackLivesMatter is probably one of the most hypocritical movements I've every witnessed. The movement began with the shooting of a young man on the street in Ferguson, Missouri. The immediate response, before his body was even cold, was a media-fueled frenzy over the claim that he was unarmed, and that he was shot in cold blood with his hands in the air shouting "hands up-don't shoot!". Yet when the evidence - the cold, hard facts - came out, the officer was shown to have clearly been clearly justified in the shooting, as his life was threatened by the attack by this young man.

But in response to the shooting, long before any real facts were available, large crowds assembled ostensibly to protest the "wrongful shooting" and in a more broad sense - against the "open season on black men" by law enforcement. Protests led to riots, which led to looting. All behaviors that the core of the black community has tried hard to distance themselves from - chalking such behavior as unfair to label them with. Yet it gave ammunition to those who do indeed still hold racist views of African-Americans.
We have heard cries of "open season" on Black men, over police shootings of black men. Yet the actual statistics show something quite different. Last year, the official numbers show that nearly twice as many Caucasians were killed by police as African-Americans. Yet those claiming to want the truth, continue to absolutely ignore the statistics. Telling lies and repeating lies to gain support for your views is repulsive, no mater who does it. If you want justice, then it must begin with facts.

And now we have, after two high-profile police shootings of black men in two different states, and now police officers are being targeted for murder - police officers that are not even connected to the shootings in question. Indeed, the guilt born by the officers killed this past week was exclusively based on wearing a badge (and having light colored skin).

#BlackLivesMatter - blocking traffic on major roads, delaying medical care for a young girl headed to St. Jude's Children's Hospital in Memphis.

#BlackLivesMatter - spawning, inspiring, and encouraging hate towards Police Officers (even if it really is unintentional).

#BlackLivesMatter - using the label of racist to anyone who points to facts and reality.

#BlackLIvesMatter - conspicuously absent in Chicago where young Black men are murdered every day, by fellow Black males.

#BlackLIvesMatter - conspicuously absent from the abortion clinics all over this nation who have killed more African-Americans than all the wars fought, and police violence taken in this nation's history.

And then we have the politicians who are playing along with this movement, calling for gun bans, stricter gun-control, and other measures that would actually disarm and/or limit access to firearms by law-abiding African-Americans.

Of course, a student of history knows that the earliest gun control legislation in this nation was a response to the freeing of slaves, and was pushed specifically with the intent of keeping guns out of the hands of these freed slaves.

Planned Parenthood, started and built by Margaret Sanger, who had a well-known agenda of eugenics against Blacks. Yet so many in the self-appointed leadership of the Black Community are adamant supporters of...Planned Parenthood, and often are among the biggest supporters of so-called "reproductive choice" (aka - the murder of unborn children). 

We are told that #BlackLivesMatter in such a way that it can't help but be interpreted as ONLY Black Lives Matter. Maybe it isn't intended that way, but when one brings up one of my original points - that ALL lives matter, as we are ALL made in the image of God, the vitriol and anger is unleashed - and the "racist" card gets slammed down.

Indeed, for years, we have heard of the unfairness of being judged by the color of our skin (Dr. Martin Luther King said it beautifully when he said "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

Yet we still see hiring practices and quotas, college admissions, and governmental contract requirements that specifically and very explicitly singling out a particular race for preferential treatment, overriding actual qualifications and merit.



How is this not hypocritical?


What is the answer? - What did Jesus say? LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR - something all but impossible if not for a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

Does "RISEN" Rise to Greatness? A Review

My wife and I were able to have an all-too-rare "date night" last night, and as part of that night out, we chose to see "RISEN", the latest "Christian" film release from Sony Pictures/Columbia/Affirm Films.

Before I begin, I want to admit that I tend to watch films that are labeled as "Christian" with a very narrow lens.  There have been way too many films labeled as such, that are more worldly and even heretical than anything remotely biblical.

On to the review!

Risen, directed by Kevin Reynolds and screenplay by Kevin Reynolds and Paul Aiello (who also wrote the story), stars Joseph Fiennes as "Clavius" (mostly identified as "Tribute" in the film), a Roman Centurion with a special position in Pontius Pilate's service. 

The film centers around Clavius and his primary task of trying to solve the disappearance of the body of Jesus. Many of the early comments on this film labeled it as a First-Century "CSI".  While this is somewhat of a stretch, the concept does ring somewhat true.

Plot (Warning, some spoilers):

The film opens with Clavius walking in the desert and stumbling into a small home. There he is given food and water, and begins to tell the homeowner his story - beginning with a battle battle to put down a Jewish uprising. After the bloody, but successful mission, he returns to Jerusalem. But before he can even get cleaned up, he is summoned by Pilate to deal with a situation revolving around this "King of the Jews" that had stirred up trouble. He explains to Clavius that he had no choice but to have him crucified. Pilate sends Clavius to supervise the death of the three men crucified, with a special emphasis on this "trouble" in Jesus/Yeshua. But of course, the confirmation of their death is not enough, and the Jewish leaders who are always a threat, demand that he set a seal on the tomb to prevent the theft of the body by the disciples. Thus begins the primary journey for Clavius.

After setting guard, the two begin drinking (the excuse being that they had been up two days with no rest). The next time we see them, they have fled, and the High Priest (Caiaphas) is protesting that the disciples have indeed "stolen the body", and the two guards have fled to the temple for "sanctuary".

So begins Clavius' journey to "solve this crime". Of course, he doesn't find the rotting corpse of this Hebrew - despite turning over every fresh grave in the area and arresting and questioning many, including some close to Jesus. But Clavius does find Jesus -

Clavius is an adherent of Mars, and thus several times we hear him pay homage to Mars, and to leave alms for him at an idol. Yet the film is about a journey - from concrete doubt, to curious investigator, to eye-witness of Jesus.

The Good: The film is encouraging from a Christian point of view. I has no nudity or profanity. The film mixes in biblical quotes that help the story along and remind the viewer (if they have any knowledge at all of the Gospels and first chapter of Acts) of the biblical basis.

The Bad: The film does have significant violence, though there is not a whole lot of direct gore in sight. There are also the typical liberties taken with characters and story plot. There is also the matter of an unidentified Roman Centurion being included in the group of disciples who witness Jesus' ascension.

Also - the disciple Bartholomew is asked why he followed Jesus. Later, when Jesus heals a leaper, he turns to Clavius and says "THIS is why".  Is this trying to say that he followed Jesus ONLY because of miracles?

The film portray some interesting depictions  of Gospel passages (particularly from John 21) as well as basically a reenactment of Acts 1. The  disciples are acted out in a way that was kind of uncomfortable for me at first take - yet it all made sense after having some time to process what I had seen. They were being portrayed quite honestly - as I can imagine the roller coaster of emotions they had experienced, to be met by their Savior alive - It really puts a point to the biblical account of them being accused of being drunk! Also - a hint of what was to come came in the scene as Clavius returned to Jerusalem - an earthquake!

My wife, Diana, commented that she really liked the portrayal of Jesus (played by Cliff Curtis), as he not only looked more culturally realistic, but the actor showed such a "peace" in his look/gaze. I tend to agree with that summary! She also did not care for the Clavius character, as she felt he was depicted as too stoic. With that, I did not so much concur.

So - if you are still reading this, you are probably now wanting me to cut to the chase - is the film good or bad? Is it worthy to go see? Should Christians rush out and support the movie?  I might disappoint you here. I will summarize this with this: Risen, while an admitted fictional story revolving around a historical and biblical true story (the resurrection of Jesus). I rather enjoyed the gospel account scenes sprinkled in, from the disciples returning to Galilee and their fishing boats (and the fishless night), as well as the questioning by Jesus of Peter ("do you love me?"). I also got goose bumps when the Jesus character, while walking towards the horizon, tells them that they will be his witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria..." (Acts 1:8)

I will admit, I overall liked this film. I was actually imporessed that it was more "biblical" as an admitted fictional story, than many movies billed as Bible-based "true" stories. The liberties taken are far less Bible-bending than most. I believe this would be a safe movie to take a Sunday School or youth group to, and I would highly advise using it as a launch pad to digging in to the Scripture passages that are portrayed - and discern if they were actually portrayed in a reasonable and biblically-correct way.

Also of interest, contrary to many films in this genera, there is no "ask Jesus into your heart" emotion-rending scene. I give this film bonus points for this!

What IS The Gospel?

We hear a lot in this nation the term "Gospel". Those of us in ministry focus a great deal on the term - yet so many have such a limited understanding of what the Gospel REALLY is.

The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 1:16 "it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."

In a nutshell, the Gospel is the power of God for salvation - It is the outpouring of God's Grace and mercy towards sinners. It is the testimony of the miracle wrought by God in Jesus Christ - who, as John 1:1 clearly indicates has existed alongside God the Father from the foundation of the World (without beginning or end). This Jesus who "emptied Himself" to take on flesh, to dwell among mankind (Philippians 2), who lived without sin (though tempted in all means Hebrews 4:15), and who willingly gave His life for all who would believe.

But WHY would Jesus give His life for us? Because of His great love - and because we all sin and fall short of the Glory of God (Romans 3:23).  We all deserve, even if we might seem to be relatively "moral", nothing but eternal damnation - because the wages, the just payment for sin is - Death (Romans 6:23).

I spent decades of my life with the belief that I could somehow balance out good for bad in my life. If I just did enough stuff that appeared to be the kind of stuff one just "ought" to do - then I would get entry into the "Pearly Gates".

But God...

You see, God doesn't leave folks in ignorance - He grants, through His Holy Spirit knowledge and conviction of sin. He then fulfills His promise to give us a new heart (His), and even a new mind (Ezekiel 36:26). He then regenerates us, granting us (through His Grace), faith unto salvation. The gift of Eternal Life, that is all, totally, and 100% a GIFT of God - that not a one of us could possibly brag or boast of what "we" did... Ephesians 2:8-9

And He did it all for HIS glory.

The Gospel... it isn't just words.  It isn't just a "prayer". It is a very real, tangible, and powerful change in us, brought, empowered, and sustained by the Lord of lords, the King of kings - bought by His own precious blood.

A Day That Will Live In Infamy

Friday is the anniversary of a day that will live in infamy for me. I remember so vividly walking in to the library at Carlisle High School, passing through to the study hall room when Ms. Vanessa Haun, with tears and a shaky voice met me and asked if I had heard about an airplane hitting the World Trade Center.

We quickly got a TV out and hooked up to the cable-just in time to see the 2nd tower hit...

I remember the feeling in the pit of my stomach.  I remember the questions that flooded.  I recall the one know-racist and anti-American student who laughed and celebrated and caused me to come unglued.

And I remember praying. Praying like I had never prayed before. 

I remember watching the towers fall in on themselves.

I remember the initial reports of possible casualties upwards of 50,000 or more. 

I remember the somber "relief" that the number was far lower.

I remember when the third plane hit the Pentagon, which actually was the event that made me feel the most vulnerable, as that represents the center of the military that is our nation's defense...

And then he news of flight 93 going down, with the revelation over the next few days of the heroism exhibited by passengers.

And I remember the sadly brief unity our nation nearly saw. Unity to seek justice. 

Yet somehow, 14 years later, we now have a nation and leadership that won't even call such at tacks "terrorism".  A nation that now is offended by everything, and is afraid of insulting those who practice the religion that is at the core of those attacks in 2001. The religion that has perpetrated ongoing attacks in a smaller scale all around the world since then.

I am no war-monger. Indeed I am tired of the loss of life,with far less of a strategy than we had post 9-11. I grieve for those who gave their lives only to have the near victory surrendered to Islamists who are far worse than the enemies we faced a decade ago.

I am grieved that we have an administration that has chosen the path of evil, the path of surrender to cultists of Satan who are Hell-bent on destroying this nation. Instead, we ratcheted up the entertainment, the prosperity "gospel", and made hollow sales pitches based on unbiblical ideas. And now we have a nation more spiritually dead than ever, so easily offended by the slightest hint of offense. 

I am disgusted that our nation has so rebelled against God that the wholesale slaughter of millions of unborn babies barely stirs more than a minority of citizens, even when confronted with the butchery and profiteering coming from it.

We have become a nation of the offended. The slightest "offense" is grounds for riots and looting. Those in highest office have fostered a spirit of hate for law enforcement, claiming that police have declared an open hunting season on Black men, while actually encouraging the daughter of police officers.

I long for the unity we nearly saw right after the sorrows of 9-11.  Many turned to God and the Bible, giving an open door for genuine Christians an opportunity to live out the Apostle Peter's instructions To "always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you..." (1 Pere 3:15).  An opportunity to draw people together in the Gospel. 

And now in the United States of America,smoke public schools are teaching the "5 Pillars of Islam", while the mention of "Jesus' Name" is forbidden. Where even a school band is barred from playing music the MELODY from a Christian hymn.

Where Christian, biblical values are the enemy, and where those who live in open rebellion against the Word of God are lifted up as brave heroes.

Come Sweet Jesus!

if my people who are called by my name...

We hear 2 Chronicles 7:14 proclaimed as "the answer" to the ills that face the United States today. Sadly, we hear it often taken out of context and with little emphasis placed on the details it states. So, in this post, I will try to shed some real light on what I believe is the REAL problem today, and how we can accurately apply the 2 Chronicles passage to our current situation.

Context
We have to understand how 2 Chronicles 7:14 fits in to God's narrative. The entire chapter is the record of revelation following Solomon's completion of construction of God's Temple as well as the king's home. It is a time of celebration and blessings. After all, is it not an amazing opportunity to be the one given the honor of building God's house?

Thus Solomon finished the house of the LORD and the king’s house. All that Solomon had planned to do in the house of the LORD and in his own house he successfully accomplished.  Then the LORD appeared to Solomon in the night and said to him: “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice. (2 Chronicles 7:11-12)

Warning & Problem
But God didn't want His people (or king) to become filled with pride or complacent. Indeed, as the fully omniscient God, He knew what was to come and gave Solomon the revelation of the appropriate response when the trouble was to come:

When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, (2 Chronicles 7:13)

Notice the first word here: WHEN. Not "if". When God shuts up the heavens (drought), when He commands the locusts to devour the land (famine), and brings pestilence (disease and death).

We in the United States of America have a glut of food and beverage, we are left in need very rarely. Yet we most assuredly are living in a time of great drought and famine, not of physical food and water, but of the proclamation of the true and full Word of God. The Gospel preached by many today is little more than sugar-coated junk food. If we were to live on a diet consisting of only candy and other junk foods, what would become of our health? (I believe we see that across our culture as well!). For the sake of attractiveness, to "bring them in", and to meet the budget (not to mention the promotion of preacher reputations), the gospel has been compromised and the Word of God watered-down and sugar-coated.

I recently saw this meme posted in social media and thought it described a portion of our issues quite well:

I don't know who this "Ron Smith" is, but I must - at least to this statement - shout AMEN!  I believe many have fallen to a dangerous misunderstanding of the term "edify" in Scripture. The term means to "lift up", but not in the sense of building "self esteem" as has been popular in the pop psychology world for a few decades. Building up often involves conviction, and most assuredly requires genuine truth being spoken.

Appropriate Response
So let us get back to the text at hand - and the centerpiece of God's revealed appropriate response to the WHEN events of famine, drought, and sickness:

...if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Here God gives four simple, clear, and direct mandates to Him "hearing from heaven, forgiving their sin, and healing their land" (and notice the priority list!):

#1 - If God's people will HUMBLE themselves. Some people argue that the writer of Hebrew changed this:

Let us then with confidence draw near the throne of grace... (Hebrews 4:16)

Interpreting this passage as throwing off humility is a huge mistake! Never in scripture are we to forget humility before God's incredible throne. We can only approach Him directly because of Christ's spilled blood. But that does not give us grounds for being flippant or full of ourselves. Indeed, the extreme price Christ paid for our salvation should cause us to have a genuine sense of awe and humility towards our Lord. So many have made God into little more than a great "Sugar Daddy in the sky", most obviously with the "Word of Faith"/Name-it, Claim-It charlatans who unabashedly proclaim that God owes us. But this line of thinking actually extends to many even outside of these heretical moments - to even mainstream, formerly conservative denominations and congregations.

#2 PRAY - Scripture tells us that we are to "pray without ceasing".  Jesus gave a model for prayer to illustrate what our priorities and heart should be when we pray. Yet so many give little more than lip service to prayer. I will be the first to admit that my prayer life isn't what I think it should be. I don't see any way I could ever be truly satisfied with my prayers. Yet it is possible to develop our prayer life, to grow in the maturity level and properly-focused attitude of our prayers. But prayers also necessitate the very next two phrases in God's command:

#3 SEEK my face - What exactly does it mean to "seek God's face"? I means pursuing His will over your own. It means following Christ's commands, not as a begrudging task, but as a genuine outflowing of our Love for Him and our gratitude for what He has done (and continues to do for and through us).

#4 TURN from their wicked ways! Uh, oh. Here we go meddling in people's lives. Another word for "turning from wicked ways (sin) is.... REPENT! How can we expect God to come sweeping in and fixing our issues, wiping away evil corruption, pain, and sorrows, if we are not willing to turn from our sins (which are the major reason we are experiencing the woes of the day)? Shall we call down fire on the evildoers in this world, without calling down that same fire on US when we continue to overlook our own sin? Which brings us back to my initial statement regarding drought, famine, and sickness-

There was a time in the not-so-distant past, where sinners were exhorted powerfully to repent, and to seek God in all things.  Preaching was intended not to give a pat on the back, a wink and a nod, leaving the listener superficially "uplifted and encouraged", but to draw sinners to genuine sorrow and repentance, to lead and exhort the redeemed to walk "worthy of the high calling", and to generally live out Christ's command to love God first and our neighbor second. How in the world have so many who call themselves "Christians" continued to live in hate towards their fellow man, to selectively cry out against certain select sins, while willfully ignoring their own sin? How can we claim to live in a "Christian nation", while systematically endorsing (often through our silence) the atrocities of our times?

How was Hitler able to round up and exterminate millions of Jews? Because many refused to take a stand and proclaim what was right.  How can we sit by and see the ongoing slaughter of millions of unborn babies (approaching 60 million since the Roe v Wade decision of the U.S. Supreme Court)? How have we arrived at a place in this nation where marriage is being redefined beyond the biblical (and natural) order of one man and one woman? Our nation, where our leadership in high offices tell us lies far more often than the truth, wonders at the distrust that overflows, and where seeds of discord have grown to foster race and economic hatred not seen in many decades.

What are churches preaching at teaching that, on a knee-jerk reaction to a perceived injustice results in thousands in a city not just protesting, but going on widespread violent riots, looting form business owners, and causing massive financial destruction? And further, that some who have coopted the title "reverend" or "minister" are given free reign to promote such behavior - yet calling themselves "Christian".

What do we have?  A land in a terrible famine and drought.  A land that due to said famine and drought, are seeing sickness grow like an epidemic ripping apart our society. So yes, some of us truly desire that God would "heal our land". But may we never forget that God commanded us to HUMBLE ourselves, to seek HIS will (face), to PRAY, and to REPENT - literally turning from our sin. This goes to the very Gospel Jesus gave us. The Word of God, not just the convenient, feel-good parts, must be returned to the church house, and the pulpits of every God-fearing, revival seeking congregation across this nation, from the big church on the hill, to the little house church in your neighborhood. Lest we forget:

For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?

I pray that my faith family, New Hope Baptist Church and I never forget or neglect the life-changing, world-shaking, unadulterated Gospel. And I commit myself, whoever I serve, to proclaim the full council of God's Word:

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Hard-Learned Advice for the Prospective Young Pastor*

When I went through the Teacher Education program at the University of Central Arkansas (Instrumental Music Education), I was convinced that - upon graduation, I was fully equipped and "ready" to take on the world. After all, I had a mind filled with knowledge, advice from those who had "been there", and a whole semester of pretend teaching (aka - Student Teaching). I had passed the Test (newly renamed the Praxis Testing). I was A Teacher!

Then I entered the real world, where all the knowledge I thought I had garnered was only a tiny bit of what I needed to know. I entered blindsided, beaten, and bruised. It took about 5 years in the band room to finally begin to even pretend reasonably that I had a clue.

So it should not have been a surprise to find that, upon the irresistible (and boy did I try!) call of God to enter pastoral ministry, I would again find myself in the familiar, unfamiliar world of eye-opening misadventure and bruising. While many lessons learned in 14 years of public school band directing has been a great toolbox to draw from, I find myself still in awe of how totally unqualified I often feel, and how broken my heart often is. I was given very little guidance as to the "real world" life of pastoral ministry, even in my otherwise hugely beneficial Seminary work. As a relatively short-term "veteran" of the pastoral ministry pulpit, I offer up the following words of wisdom/advice to the budding "young" (either in age, or to the call itself) pastor.

1. If you can do ANYTHING else other than pastoral ministry - then do THAT! I Heard this sage advice at some point after I began my first pastorate. Too late to benefit me and my own ministry, but not too late for many others who may follow. The long-and-short: If the Lord will allow you peace with the decision to pursue a secular career, avoiding pastoral ministry altogether, then you might rightfully guess that you are not called to pastoral ministry. Pastoral ministry WILL beat you up. Pastoral ministry WILL break your heart. There is a very solid reason that the "job" among the most honorable among all (according to the Bible), is high on the ranks of those jobs filled by men with depression. So - if you are able to walk away from the perceived "call", then do. If you are genuinely called to this avenue - God will not let you have rest.

2. Do NOT try to be a friend to the church members in your care. This is not as sad as it sounds. You should indeed love the sheep as Jesus loves them. But just as I learned early-on in the public school classroom, if you are their "friend", it grows much harder to speak to accountability and discipline. Further, these kinds of friendships rarely turn out well (I can count on one hand the number that I have experienced myself, or have heard other pastors reflect on, that have been long-term positives). Love them. Care for them, but do not befriend them unless you are prepared to be hurt in ways you never thought possible.

3. Don't try this at home. Or better - do everything you can to isolate your pastoral ministry from your family. Protect your family. The unfortunate reality is - pastor's wives (and even children) are often saddled with not only unreasonable expectations, but undo and unfair scrutiny and pressures. As a pastor, you will be called on to advise adults to leave their work AT WORK, so that it does not become a divisive stumbling block in their family - listen to that advice yourself!  Love your wife and children. Be the spiritual head of your household. But do not allow the pressures of pastoral ministry attack your family. Leave them at the church office/behind the pulpit. Love your family, protect your family.

4. NEVER skimp on your time with the Lord. The book of Acts (chapter 6) begins with the calling out of 7 deacons to help take care of the issues, fires, and service needed in that early church - why?  So the pastors/elders could devote themselves to prayer and the "ministry of the Word". As a pastor, you must constantly be filling yourself with the Word of God - both for your own protection, edification, and preparation - just as we try to communicate to our church members, but also (and vitally important to the man trying to serve as an "undershepherd") to being a faithful "Minister of the Word". And when you reflect back on some of the other points of advice prior to this entry, and those following, prayer and the Word of God will help sustain you when you encounter the many tribulations, trials, and temptations that will most certainly come.

5. Find a brother in the ministry, not of your own congregation, who is willing to serve to hold you accountable and for moral support. We can easily forget that the one person in a local church who has no pastor, is the pastor! Yet we are human. We need someone to help us to stay accountable, to lift us up when we are beaten, and to hold our spiritual hand in prayer as we struggle. Remember the truth of the saying "no man is an island".

6. Watch for knives! Its a shame that those called to ministry are not given the miraculous gift of x-ray vision. Be prepared, keep your eyes open, for there will be those who will pat you on the back, give you a great big hug, then plunge a huge knife into your back as soon as you let your guard down. The most likely to do this are not the anti-church people who are openly rebelling against God outside the church, but by those who have been entrusted to your care. The knives will sometimes begin as odd comments, or maybe secretive "behind-closed-doors" meetings that you won't know about until after (if ever). Some people just do not like to hear stuff like Hebrews 13:17 that says to "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you."

Any time there is someone in authority, there will be those (even some with good intentions) who will despite chastisement, who will not appreciate sincere efforts to lead, and who will want it "their way". It is the reality of ministry. 

7. Preach discipline, but don't expect the church to exercise it willingly. Church discipline as outlined by Jesus, and detailed by the Apostle Paul is really pretty easy to preach and teach on, but is one of the most rejected/ignored concepts in most churches. There is always an excuse. There is always an extenuating circumstance. Someone will not want to hurt a friend or family member's feelings. The Lord wouldn't include clear instructions on the matter, if it were not important! But go in with your eyes open, knowing that there will be huge resistance to discipline.

8. If you are called by a church or denominational work to lead a congregation (especially a very small one) that has been through incredible turmoil and upheaval - think long, and pray harder. How often have we heard the story of a young lady marrying a fellow with the grand and almost altruistic goal of "I thought I could change him"? Very rare is the church that goes through massive turmoil or trouble that the blow up and/or split came out of the blue and was based on nothing. There are reasons that build up to such trouble. Splits rarely actually address the issue. Further, any pastor entering behind such a painful event in a church's history (particularly a young and/or inexperienced pastor) will be put in a nearly no-win situation (nothing is impossible with Christ, don't get me wrong). But starting out in such a position is a significant opportunity to derail and discourage a ministry before it even gets fully launched. It takes a truly gifted person, with a very specific and specialized set of gifts to be able to successfully minister in such situations.

9. Don't "major in the minors". While one can rightly say that 100% of God's Word is important, it gets really easy to be bogged down personally with matters of doctrine, theology, and Christian faith that ultimately detract us from the Gospel and from the genuine "Majors" of the faith. It is easy to get tangled in everything from eschatology (theology of the end times) to the temperature the thermostats are set on. Don't allow the relatively "little" things overcome the most important aspects of doing ministry. Save the hair=splitting details for discussion in spiritually mature contexts. Always speak the truth. Never compromise. But don't get bogged down to the point where you lose the whole focus of the Word of God. 

10. Know that there will be "tares" among the wheat. (Matthew 13:24-30). The sad truth is - there will be unredeemed people who are "members" of any church. It is inevitable. They will sometimes be evident by a lack of any measurable spiritual growth, while at other times their presence will be made keenly obvious by their defiance, disobedience to God's Word, selective acceptance of scripture, an through their own offense at the Word being proclaimed. These will often be chief among troublemakers and is a reminder of why Church Discipline is important - and why we must regularly, boldly, and faithfully:

11. Proclaim the Gospel! Charles Spurgeon once said (paraphrased) that with any Biblical text he would preach, he would start at the text and preach to the cross. All of Scripture, in some way, points to Christ. All of scripture fits into the great Gospel plan of redemption God laid out before the foundation of the world. The Gospel message is timeless, powerful, and the center of all the rest of our purpose, goals, and mission as a local church.

12. There is no "perfect church" - Churches are made up of human beings, with all the failings, issues, troubles, and concerns that come with this sinful flesh. The hope and prayer is that most will be born-again, and in the process of becoming more Christ-like. But in the meantime, remember - if there were a "perfect church", none of us would be qualified to lead it, myself least qualified of all!

Know that - when you are betrayed (not if), that Jesus was betrayed. Know that, when your heart is broken, Jesus wept over Jerusalem... Know that you will be tempted and tried (Remember Jesus). But also cling to the truth that, if Jesus has called you to pastoral ministry, He is there with you. Just be faithful, grow some thick skin, and be true to the Word.

* Garnered from years of service, church membership, and friendships with fellow laborers. No specific individuals where in-mind while writing this, though certainly were I to dwell on it, I could "name-names". But that serves no positive, God-glorifying purpose. I have chosen to forgive and to learn. And honestly, more than likely, even with this advice, you will (as I have time and again) fail to heed it - you will love the people you serve, and will make friends. You will be discouraged, you will be hurt and battered, but the Lord is faithful - and He will sustain you and carry you through. Stay true, run the race, and be faithful.

Where You There?

Jesus was preached...
                               ...were you there?

The Word of God Proclaimed...
                              ...were you there?

God was glorified...
                              ...were you there?

The Holy Spirit was present...
                              ...were you there?

Someone needed to hear your encouragement...
                              ...were you there?

Someone needed a hug...
                              ...were you there?

A young preacher poured his heart out...
                              ...were you there?

A broken heart was mended...
                              ...were you there?

The Lord spoke...
                              ...were you there?

In local churches, brothers and sisters in Christ assembled, sung songs and hymns of praise (Ephesians 5:19),  the Gospel was proclaimed (Acts 15:35), and many who profess the name of Christ were absent.

In a church somewhere - those assembled rejoiced as another soul came to saving faith...

In a local church, a life was changed...

Maybe in YOUR church...
                              ...were you there?

The Gates of Hell Shall Not Prevail...But what about Apathy?

Jesus said in Matthew 16:18

"I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

But what exactly did Jesus mean by that?  The common interpretation is that the church that Jesus built in His earthly ministry would not succumb to Satan's attacks - that His church could not be defeated.  While this is essentially true, it is over simplistic.  Remember the kind of church Jesus planted - the very church that received the Holy Spirit's empowering on the day of Pentecost - it was a true church, a motivated church, a church that was alive as people walked daily with each other in faith, lifting each other up in prayer, words, and unified hearts, minds and worship of the Lord.  The church Jesus planted was not a church focused on "survival" - with hand wringing over how to get bodies in the pews, and offering plates filled with dollars.  It wasn't a church made up of people more concerned with personal comfort, convenience, and preferences. 

No - Jesus built HIS CHURCH, that was a suffering church.  Not that they desired to suffer, but it was a church based upon the willingness to suffer, sacrifice, and give up all for the sake of Jesus Christ.  It was a church willing to GO (Matthew 28:18-20), to reproduce, to see lives changed through the Gospel.  We see in the church Jesus built, a life of self-sacrifice of joy in sufferings, and strength in weakness.  

No - the church that Jesus builds is impervious to the attacks of Hell because the church, made of of individual, genuinely born-again Christians who are called together in the local context with the purpose of glorifying God - are all focused on Jesus.  They don't "forget their first love" as Jesus wrote to the Ephesian church (Revelation 2:4).  Instead, they are drawn together ever-tighter as they serve together - serving the Lord.

Unfortunately, Satan (represented by the the Gates of Hell) has won victory after victory over churches who have forgotten their "First Love".  While we often focus on the other letters dictated by Christ to the 7 churches in Asia Minor (Revelation 2-3), and what He had against them as being false teachers, false doctrines and such - a very real problem that has exhibited itself in many "churches" over the years and particularly of today, one of the most insidious ways Satan and the Gates of Hell prevail against a church is through the quiet death of "Apathy".  

Apathy doesn't usually develop over night.  Apathy comes when the church becomes "comfortable".  Some of my readers have witnessed formerly alive churches that have built fine facilities, then grew cold in their comfort.  Others have seen congregations evolve as they age - seeming to "retire" from their service to the Lord.  And yet for others, it is simply the excuse that "we just cannot seem to connect with our community any more".  Yet every one of these excuses and patterns are contrary to scripture.  Which Apostle or member of the first church in Jerusalem, or any of the others in the New Testament, are described as "retiring"?  Which character in the New Testament is depicted as having "done his (or her) fair share"?  You won't find any of these - as the Biblical pattern is for those called by God to faith is that they serve with a passion until they day they die!  God NEVER called anyone to serve Him without empowering and enabling them.  When we say "I can't" or "we can't", this really means "I won't" or "we won't"!  And it goes back to pride and our own comfort and preferences.

One of the most convicting passages on this subject comes from the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 

For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I mightwin more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.

How many of us even begin to consider taking on this attitude in serving the Lord?  As a pastor, I would like to say I do - but far too often, I find myself quite negligent in this area.  I have my own "comfort zone", whether it be in where I go, who I speak to, what music I worship with, and so much more. The Lord calls us all out of "comfort".  He pushes for us to get beyond our "preferences".  This world, this nation, and our very neighborhoods are dying - headed straight for those "Gates of Hell" the Church is suppose to stand against!

How may church buildings remain empty 5 or 6 days out of the week?  How many professed Christians assemble together only when "convenient"?  How many people do we encounter daily who, while we can suspect they are "lost", pass on by without us as much as mentioning Christ?

How many of us know people who have abandoned a church because (supposedly) the music wasn't what they liked, or the preacher was too loud (or sweat too much, or wasn't loud enough), or because people were always "in their business"?  Or maybe how many of us have been the one to leave?

Have you ever gotten mad when a preacher suggested you could do more for the Lord?  Maybe it is conviction!  

Word(s) to the church who expect to stand against the Gates of Hell:

• In all parts of your life, remember who you are really serving - Colossians 3:23-24
• You were bought at a price - so glorify God! 1 Corinthians 6:20
• You KNOW what you SHOULD be doing! James 4:17
• Is your faith alive or dead? James 2:14-26
• What are you willing to become if it means souls are saved and lives are changed? 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 

Are you willing to be uncomfortable for the Gospel?  2 Corinthians 11:16-29

What is one soul worth? Romans 9:13

Life means labor for Christ! Philippians 1:19-24

GO! Matthew 28:18-20

It comes back to this: will we make excuses, or will we simply do all that we can to place ourselves between the lost and Hell?  You can if you will take up the full Armor of God, freely provided for you (Ephesians 6).  Exercise your faith.  Start by stepping out IN Faith!  Use all that God has entrusted to you (your faith, your health, your finances, your TIME, your abilities and talents, your gifts, and ALL) to glorify Him.  Worship in Spirit and Truth.  Pray fervently, without ceasing, and seek where He would use YOU!  All He asked is that we be faithful.  There are no bench riders on the Lord's team.

Hate or Love?

It is past-time for those who call themselves "Christians".  Jesus warned those dabbled in following Him of the cost---  

As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:57-62 ESV)

He also made it clear that those that did follow would be hated for His name's sake. 

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians a couple of important truths we will need to remember:

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (1 Corinthians 1:18-25 ESV)

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. (1 Corinthians 2:14, 15 ESV)

What we see in this is that the truth if the Word of God, and in particular- the Gospel- will be opposed by those who "are perishing", that us -those who are who are spiritually lost.  

Further, if the Word of God is objectionable (this includes the inconvenient parts that some want to conveniently ignore or brush away with moral relativism), it is because you are missing the Holy Spirit who is promised to all born-again believers/disciples/followers of Christ.  Don't let the word of discouragement or name calling distract you from the truth - that sharing the Truth of God's Word, warning others of the destruction they are barreling towards - is a sincere act of love, not hate!

We cannot take the opposition (or flat-out hate from those accusing us of hate) personally, because it is God and His Word they hate and reject. It's then we must discern if we are casting "pearls before swine" (Matthew 7:6).  At that point, all that's left is to pray for them. But never give up standing for the truth!

Either way - STAND.  Are you ashamed of the Gospel?  Acts 20:27 - don't shrink from proclaiming the whole counsel of God!

If the local church you are connected to compromises the Word of God - "shrinking" from the inconvenient parts of the Word, and they will not repent - it is time to find a church that refuses to compromise.

And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve...but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.  Joshua 24:15

God's Not Dead!

March 21, 2014 will see the initial release of a new movie from PureFlix films called "God's Not Dead".  Is this a movie worth seeing?  Is this a film worthy of a church group making an effort to see it on its opening weekend?

To answer the last question, we need to understand that many movies, particularly films from smaller producers, open on limited screens.  The opening weekend's ticket sales then determine if more screens are added, or if the movie is destined for a short run to DVD.  Many of the recent Christian-themed movies (Facing the Giants, Fireproof, Home Run, Courageous, October Baby, and several others) have all opened in this format.  Some of the above had large enough opening weekends to expand to a full release.  Others did not do so well.  It is all about ticket sales.

So - how does this apply to our local churches and Christians in genre?  Simply - we complain and preach about how the entertainment industry has become so evil, pushing sex, drugs, violence, bad language, and so much more on us - yet far too often, when a film is released that holds to biblical values, we fail to support it (how many go see the latest DeCaprio or Matthew McConaghey on opening day, but not any of the above Christian-themed films?).  If we really want solid entertainment, without the nastiness that Holly wood wants to foist on us, then we must support those efforts.

By the same token, there have been films released over the years, advertised as "Christian", that were anything but.  They  might mention "God", but present such twisted views on scripture, or that bur those supposed Christian themes behind horrible theology or simply under typical Hollywood junk.  This is why many of the Christian film producers now host private screenings for pastors and ministry leaders - that they can see the value in their films, and help to promote them.  Diana and I have been honored to attend several such screenings, and most have been pretty good.

In the case of the screening we attended last night (February 6) of God's Not Dead, from the producers "PureFlix", we found a movie that exceeded every expectation by a mile!  The overall production quality is significantly higher than many of their previous efforts.  That alone should make it at least somewhat more attractive to a broad audience.

The film stars both known and relatively unknown actors.  Kevin Sorbo plays Professor Radisson, a hard-core Atheist philosophy teacher that is far too much like what many young Christians face when entering public institutions of "higher learning".  Sorbo, in my experience, has a somewhat rocky history of acting.  With some of his efforts being rather off-putting, others being first-class.  his performance in God's Not Dead is eerily believable.  He portrays his character in such a way that you can literally feel the internal rage.





Shane Harper plays Josh, a new freshman entering college, who is confronted quickly because of his faith by Professor Radisson.  Josh is
faced with a choice - deny his faith, or stand for it.  His struggle is a very real one faced by millions each year as they enter or continue in college.  Shane is impressive in his acting skills, and also stands as a mostly believable character.







Long-time actor for several Christian film producers, David A.R. White,
who is better known for his lower-budget work, is an entertaining character as Pastor Dave.  I actually expected his role to be more prominent, but the entire film kind of leads you along to know there is "something" up... and boy is there!  I won't ruin it for you the reader!  David also was one of the producers for the film.






The film even includes a couple of scenes involving Willie Robertson (one of which also includes his wife Korie).  While it is somewhat obvious that

the use of the Robertsons was as much a publicity effort as it was a legitimate use - in fact, the first scene with Willie and Korie is almost awkward and "fake".  But the scene does, in a very minor way, help set up the events of later in the movie.



The Newsboys - "old heads" now in the Christian pop/rock genre also make an appearance, both in concert, and in what is one of the minor climaxes of the movie in a dressing room encounter.  Again, these guys are not great actors, but they do fit a part in this film beyond the music.

And there is a slew of others in the film that provide supporting roles that all fit together like a nicely-done puzzle.

But enough of some of the actors...

What about the story and the film?  I won't give away too much more of the basic story line, other than to say that the movie is a well-woven tapestry of stories, all connected by faith (or lack of faith). It takes a serious look at a couple of huge stumbling blocks of faith, the concept of being "unequally yolked together...", with the central theme of the storyline resting on the words of Christ in Matthew 10:32-33  "So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven."

While the acting in this film are above average for the genre, the most encouraging and blessing part of the entire film, is that the Gospel is not hidden, covered up, or significantly sugar-coated.  As is somewhat common in some of these films, the presentation goes a little easy on repentance, but overall - there is no effort at all to conceal the most important message of the film - and that is the need for personally trusting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, without which there is no hope.

My recommendation - MUST SEE!

Unfortunately, at the time of this writing, here in Arkansas, the options for an opening weekend viewing are rather limited.  The movie is opening on 800 screens nationwide, but our options here in the "Natural State" are limited to the very North West corner of the state (Fayetteville, Rogers, Ft. Smith) and North East (Jonesboro).  This decision seems odd, considering that the Little Rock metro area was recently listed as one of the most Bible-oriented cities in the country.  Maybe the producers are hoping for some of the bigger churches to help sponsor an opening.

Click below for the trailer:

God's Not Dead