The purpose of trials

None of us like it when life gets tough. When finances get tight or a relationship sours or a loved one gets a bad prognosis ... we try to pray it away. We can't imagine how going through such trying circumstances can be a sign of God's favor or God's sovereign reign over His creation.

Yet, throughout Scripture, we read that times of trouble are a good thing. In my Bible reading this morning, I was reminded that God often uses undesirable life circumstances to test our faith... - to see if we are truly children of God on our way to Heaven or whether we are on our way to a Christ-less Hell.

After all, you don't want to get it wrong. Imagine the horror of thinking you are on your way to Heaven and only a moment after closing your eyes in death opening them in torment in Hell. Imagine it hitting you like a ton of bricks that this will be your plight for ever and ever and ever. It will never, ever end. Jesus warned that many will experience this very thing! (Matthew 7:21-23).

So, how do you know that you are saved? How do you know that you have a genuine relationship with God and that your eternal destination is Heaven?

Trials are what God uses to give us certainty of our eternal destination!

God sends difficulties into our life to test us. How we respond says a lot about who we really are on the inside.

When your life gets tough, what's you knee-jerk reaction? What do you do for consolation? Is your natural response to find comfort in spending time with Him in prayer and reading His Word? Or do you find some other thing to bring some sort of inner peace?

What is your response to God? Do you find it natural to say "Your will be done, Lord" or do you naturally question Him and His motives? Do you ignore Him or get angry at Him?

Of course, even the most devout of Christians will have struggles. For a time, they may experience some undesirable mindsets and behaviors. However, they will eventually find their comfort in God like a moth is drawn to a light at night.

Yes, trials are our friends. They are God's gift to us to test the genuineness of our faith. They are intended to comfort our hearts (while not necessarily in this life) with the assurance that we are truly children of God. It is certainly possible for us to experience peace and joy in the midst of trials but ultimately, those trials give us comfort in the fact that we are headed to Heaven.

1 Peter 1:6-7 - "So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold - though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world." (New Living Translation)

A pastor's heart

If a pastor takes his job as seriously as God's Word instructs, he realizes that he has a massive weight resting firmly upon His shoulders. Not only is he responsible to pursue personal holiness (1 Peter 1:15-16), he is also responsible for his family's spiritual well-being (1 Timothy 3:4-5) as well as his congregation's (as is noted by Hebrews 13:17 cited below).

To add to this weight, we are told in James 3:1 (in regard to the teaching aspect of pastoring): "Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness." In other words, "You'd better be sure that you have studied God's Word, know what it says and accurately convey what it says to God's people as you show them how it works in your own life."

To further add to this weight, every pastor who leads a congregation finds that the folks he leads struggle with temptation and sin just as he does. Often, they (like he) go through times when they are apathetic to the things of God. Often, they (like he) resist being corrected when in a condition of sinfulness. Etc., etc., etc.

Yet, all of this and more being true, a godly pastor's heart craves to see folks become more like Jesus. He wants to see men and women, boys and girls live in such a way that God is free to bless them and use them for His divine purposes. He wants the folks he leads to stand before the Lord on the Day of Judgment and hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant," and know that he played a small part in getting that person fit for Heaven.

And so He speaks God's Word to them. He preaches from God's Word. He instructs from God's Word. He counsels from God's Word. His job is to get people fit for here and Heaven.

As long as He is appealing to the authority found in God's Word, the following instruction is a must for things to go well with a church family...

"Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit." (Hebrews 13:17 - New Living Translation)

Approaching an Unapproachable God

In the Old Testament, God made it clear that because He was holy and all of humanity were sinners, they could not come near Him. If they did so without His beckoning, they would do so at the expense of their own life.

In Exodus 19, God made it clear that when He descended upon Mount Sinai to give the Law, the people weren't even to touch the mountain. If they did, they would die.
In Leviticus 16, God made it clear that anyone who entered the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle/temple would die (unless they were the High Priest and only on the Day of Atonement and only if they came with the blood of a sacrifice).
In 2 Samuel 6, God showed how serious He was about that which was Holy. As the Ark of the Covenant was being improperly transported, it became unstable and a man named Uzzah reach out to touch that which was holy and associated with God. God killed him.

The holiness of God, simply put, demands that we cannot come near God. As sinners, approaching God means that we would do so at the expense of our own life.

Yet, in eternity past, God determined that He would remedy this problem at the expense of the life of His Son. He sent Jesus to be born of a virgin with the ultimate purpose of dying on the cross as the ultimate and final sacrifice for sin.

Therefore, anyone who places their trust in Jesus (and not themselves) to make them right in the eyes of a Holy God are declared forgiven (our sin debt is paid) and righteous (Jesus' perfect righteousness is credited to us). Thus, we can approach a Holy God because Jesus has made us holy (Colossians 3:12).

But, not only can we approach God, we can do so with great confidence. Unlike the High Priest who approached God with a sense of solemnity and great fear, we can approach Him in fellowship with confidence in our right standing with Him because of Jesus.

"Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)

Yet, it's one thing to realize that we can approach a Holy God. It's quite another to actually spend time in His presence in Bible reading, prayer and living with a conscience awareness of His presence.

Will you take advantage of this incredible privilege today ... and tomorrow ...?

Kim: "I'm thankful for breast cancer."

I wrote the following and posted it on my Facebook page on Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 2013. As of today (11/30/2013), it has received 138 'likes' and 36 comments. I'm so glad that God is using Kim's story to encourage others.

 

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Earlier this afternoon, my family was listening to Christian contemporary radio in our minivan. In between songs the radio host said, “I’d like for some of you to call and tell me what you are thankful for that you never thought you could be thankful for.”

Immediately, Kim told me: “I’m thankful for breast cancer.” Let me tell you two main reasons why she was able to say that with complete sincerity of heart:

First, I have watched my wife intently to see what God was doing in her life and how she would respond. I have noticed that her grappling with the cancer and the radical surgery necessary to eradicate it drove her to her knees. Without a doubt, Kim has struggled with times of discouragement. "Discouragement" is really an understatement but if I had gone through what she's gone through, I would probably not have responded so well. Kim has recently started taking medication to help her manage the discouragement and hopes to be off it soon. But again, if it were me dealing with all she has dealt with in her life, I would probably be taking something, too!

Out of all of this, I have watched Kim rise once again more beautiful and godly than when she entered the valley. A few days ago, she told me: “I feel so close to the Lord right now. I’m enjoying time in His Word and in prayer. I don’t want this to go away.” As I have observed her and listened to her become completely transparent, I love what I see God doing in her life. Even though the breast cancer wasn’t pleasant and the surgery and recovery was even worse, what it has done in her life is incredible. For that, she is thankful to God for the breast cancer.

Second, as we ran up our medical debt with the breast cancer debacle, we approached the end of the year and realized our deductible had been met. Because of that, Kim decided to have a colonoscopy. She had no reason for having that procedure except that she was approaching the age when she would need to get one and since our deductible had been reached, she might as well do it now.

Kim and I went to the Vanderbilt Medical Clinic in Nashville yesterday for the initial visit with the surgeon. They did another scope and took pictures. When I came back into the room, the surgeon held up a picture of the mass inside Kim's body and said that if Kim had not had the colonoscopy, the pre-cancerous mass would almost certainly have become cancer. The surgery required at that point would have been much more radical with long-term unimaginably undesirable effects. It was a great thing that she had the colonoscopy! Why did she have it? Because she had breast cancer!

We have seen God work through the details of this whole thing. We could get stuck in doubt or anger and ask, “God, why do You keep allowing these things to happen?” However, while we’ve asked that question more times than we care to admit, we’ve realized that in our particular situation there is a more appropriate response to our God: “Heavenly Father, THANK YOU for working overtime in the details to get Kim the care she needs well before these problems got out of control.”

Our God is awesome!!! Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Is it possible to live without faith?

This is written in response to an Opinion piece that Professor William Zingrone wrote in The Murray State News (found at http://thenews.org/2013/11/08/zingrone-science-works-whether-or-not-it-is-believed/):
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In a letter he wrote in the Opinion section on November 8, 2013, Professor Zingrone said, “Faith is belief without evidence, and it is the ultimate arbiter of religious claims. In direct contrast, acceptance in science in methods and findings has nothing to do with faith, only evidence.” 

First, I disagree with the Professor’s definition of faith. Faith is not “belief without evidence.” It is the human response to evidence where questions still remain. Faith rests on the truth and fills in the empty spots. For the Christian, faith rests upon the truths of Scripture. God has said it and we believe it ... even if we have lingering questions.

Second, even though he speaks so harshly against faith, Dr. Zingrone is just as much a man of faith as I am. For instance, I assume that he drives to and from work each day. The problem for Professor Zingrone arises when he tries to explain how he can make such a trip if he refuses to acknowledge the merits of faith. In reality, he exercises faith every time another car approaches. He trusts a driver he doesn’t know and has never met to stay on his side of the road. For all he knows, the driver in the other lane could be under the influence of alcohol, high on drugs or simply have a death wish. Yet, Professor Zingrone exercises faith (underline ‘faith’), trusting that the oncoming driver will stay in their own lane … and then stands in judgment of Christians for exercising faith. If he attacks us for not having substantial evidence to exercise faith, I would ask him what evidence he has for trusting the unknown driver in the other lane.

Truth be told, we all collect enough evidence to satisfy our minds and then we use faith to fill in the blanks. The problem is not “faith” as Dr. Zingrone has alleged. The potential problem arises in regard to the object of our faith.

Suppose I prepare to jump from a plane with the intention of parachuting to the ground. I would certainly need to be a person of faith to accomplish such a feat! The parachute would be at the top of the list of items that I would put my trust in. If I didn't have faith that the parachute would open and safely take me to the ground, I wouldn't make the jump! But, suppose that I place my faith in the parachute, make the jump, and then the parachute doesn't deploy. The parachute malfunctioned! Would I hit the ground and die even though I exerted faith? Of course! Why? Because faith is important but equally important is the object that we put our faith in.

Professor Zingrone places his faith in science. I place my faith in God's revealed Word. One of us is right and one of us is wrong. But, let's consider the implications of what I have just said. If Dr. Zingrone is right and I am wrong, it won't matter in a few years. Our bodies will occupy plots in a cemetery and we will simply cease to exist. Yet, if I'm right and he is wrong, he will regret placing his faith in the wrong object for the rest of eternity.

I'm praying that God would enable Dr. Zingrone to seriously consider the claims of Scripture and receive the gift of forgiveness and eternal life before it is too late.

Where to get joy when times get tough

How do you respond when life gets tough? Whether we like it or not, sooner or later, our life will take a turn for the worse. That's not pessimism. That's reality. Someone will get horribly sick. Someone will lose their job. Someone will mistreat us. Someone will die. Something is going to happen that could send us into a tailspin.

So, given that there are certainly mountaintop experiences but th...ere will also be times of trouble, we need to determine how we will respond to those negative circumstances when they come.

The book of Habakkuk helps us to come to a right conclusion in this matter. The prophet Habakkuk began this Old Testament book that bears his name by complaining to God. He knew that because of Judah's sin and their unrepentant heart that God was going to bring the wicked Babylonian army against them. The Israelites would die from battle, famine, and disease.

As Habakkuk looked into the future of his nation, it was dark. He knew that if he relied upon those depressing future circumstances for his joy, he would remain depressed. So, he focused his attention not upon his circumstances but upon His God. As he trusted God, he knew that even in dire circumstances, he would be ok. In fact, he could even have a deep seated joy amid the turmoil.

"Even though the fig trees have no blossoms,
and there are no grapes on the vines;
even though the olive crop fails,
and the fields lie empty and barren;
even though the flocks die in the fields,
and the cattle barns are empty,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD!
I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!
The Sovereign LORD is my strength!
He makes me as surefooted as a deer,
able to tread upon the heights.
(Habakkuk 3:17-19 - New Living Translation)

Jonah, judgment and revival

The four short chapters in the biblical book of Jonah shed incredible light on the state of America. In many ways, America is just like Nineveh.

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, we are a country that used to hide sin in back allies. Now, we parade it down Main Street. We hear that our country has long since passed the 50 million mark for abortions performed within our borders. Infidelity and divorce and pornography and homosexuality affect just about every household. On and on we could go.

I know that we all are sinners, certainly including me. Yet, a true follower of Jesus will do battle with sin and become more like Jesus as the months and years pass. Our nation is headed in the opposite direction. We are straying farther and farther away from a biblical worldview that once was used to write our founding documents.

So, just as God sought to warn Nineveh of His impending judgment, I think we can hear Him speak through Jonah to us, too.

"The LORD gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: 'Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.'" (Jonah 1:1-2)

What was the result? When we read Jonah chapter 3, we see that the people listened to Jonah's warning from the Lord and they repented. Listen to how God responded to their genuine repentance:

"When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened." (Jonah 3:10)

In Jonah chapter 4, we come to understand what God's intention was all along. God sent Jonah to warn Nineveh of His coming judgment so that they would repent. He did not want to bring judgment upon them but they needed to repent and stop their evil ways in order for that to happen.



Draw a circle around yourself.
Commit to pray for revival for everything in the circle.

Listen to Jonah describe the heart of God:

"...I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people." (Jonah 4:2)

It is my conviction that America is already experiencing God's judgment. Yet, I believe that it is possible for God to once again bless us. But, the way that this will happen is the lesson we learn from the book of Jonah. Our nation must repent.

One Christian ministry that is working to this end is Onecry. Consider going to onecry.com and join thousands of other believers who are praying for our nation to turn back.



Celebration vs. a Solemn Assembly

I am still trying to process all that I experienced yesterday at the Kentucky Baptist Convention in Paducah. As I sat with some of my church family and listened to so many reports and participated in some important votes, I couldn’t help but celebrate. Yet, I also came away realizing that the great leaders who spoke struggle just as I do to find a balance in speaking to God’s people.

Here's the struggle:

I celebrated with the guys and gals that stood behind the pulpit and spoke of the successes that they had experienced during the past year. The ministry entities that answer to the Kentucky Baptist Convention reported on growth in attendance, influence, conversions, finances, and so much more. As those reports were given, applause would erupt from the hundreds of messengers. They (we) were excited to hear that things were going so well.

This is such an important aspect of leadership that gets things done. If a leader knows how to lead, he/she is going to lead from a position of hope. He/she is going to celebrate the past and point to a brighter future. That is what motivates and gets people mobilized. Further, it gets people to come back to our meetings. A boring, discouraging Kentucky Baptist Convention or church service will have negative long term effects.

Yet, as the Kentucky Baptist Convention ended yesterday evening, we concluded in prayer and left the sanctuary. In that place, we had worshipped and celebrated all day with our brothers and sisters in Christ. But as we left and went back out into the world, we were reminded as we stepped out of the sanctuary that we are living in very dark days.

Our country is spiraling out of control. Sin that once hid itself in back allies now parades itself down Main Street. Families are being ripped apart by divorce and abuse. Filth permeates our nation’s media. Abortion is being funded by tax dollars and the homosexual agenda is forcing its intolerant policies on those who it deems ‘intolerant.’ Despair is growing over issues like the shaky job market, the increased cost of living, the fear of losing insurance, etc. This list could go on and on.

As Christians, we have been called to be salt (to hold back decay) and yet we see moral decay all around us that is getting worse, not better. We are called to be light (to shine Jesus’ Gospel into a dark world) and yet we see moral darkness growing, not shrinking. Any fair minded person would agree that our nation is in trouble and it is getting more troublesome as time goes by!

As I read through the Old Testament book of Joel this morning, I was reminded that God moves against nations that refuse to submit to Him. A nation that does not pursue righteousness will sooner or later experience His judgment. I think that it is fair to say that America is experiencing God’s judgment right now.

What was the answer? What remedy did God give His people to end the judgment? It was a call to acknowledge that things were not OK and to acknowledge that it was because of their sin. God called His people to repentance.

“‘Yet even now,’ declares the LORD, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.’ Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the LORD your God? Blow the trumpet in Zion; consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly; gather the people. Consecrate the congregation; assemble the elders; gather the children, even nursing infants. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber.” (Joel 2:12-16)

What Joel recounts in this text is not a time of celebration. It is a time of brokenness. A time of repentance.

And yet, I realize that as we lead, there needs to be a balance. We should be a people who enjoy celebrating what God has done through us. Yet, we should also experience true brokenness over our country’s condition so much so that we are moved to prayer, fasting and repentance.

I struggle with how to balance these two. How can we as Christian leaders, as churches, as the Kentucky Baptist Convention celebrate the victories God has and is accomplishing through us while acknowledging that times are dark? How do we keep celebrating while encouraging brokenness and repentance in those we lead?

May the Lord give us wisdom in this matter. Time is running out.

Getting away with Kim to the Maple Hill Bed and Breakfast

Our church recently sent Kim and me off for a couple of days at a bed and breakfast. I've never been to a bed and breakfast (they sounded a little too much like a female or elderly thing) but I was fair game. Things have been more than a little rough for Kim and me, especially recently, and we needed some time away.

It took us about an hour and a half to get to Maple Hill Bed and Breakfast in Eddyville, Kentucky. The house was impressive as we approached it (the picture makes it look much smaller than it actually is).

We were greeted at the door by the host who invited us in. She took us on a brief tour of the place so that we could get our bearings. The first room we entered made it clear that this house had plenty of 'atmosphere.'

I usually don't like antiques but this house was done extremely well! It felt like we stepped back into time to a different era. After staying at my first bed and breakfast, I could see what set it apart from a hotel. A hotel provides the necessities but it is strictly focused on providing a place to sleep. 'Atmosphere' isn't their goal. A bed and breakfast strives to provide a place to rest while also giving you an experience, something that leaves you thinking about it long after you've left.

Our church paid for the second floor 'Rose Room' which seems to have been the nicest room. The amenities inside the room were very well thought-out and the view out the windows was breathtaking. Lake Barkley was visible from two of the windows and the bay behind the house was visible from the third window.

Again, Kim and I really don't care much for antiques. Yet, this room was decked out in furniture, rugs, pictures and such from years gone by. The room provided more than just a place to rest. It really felt like we were able to 'get away' from some stress for a couple of days and rejuvenate.

One place that Kim and I enjoyed retreating to when we were spending our time in our Bibles or just spending some time reflecting was on the second floor balcony. This balcony had some rocking chairs and was the private balcony for those in the 'Rose Room.' It overlooked the front of the house and also had a great view of Lake Barkley. (You can see Lake Barkley in the picture to the right.)

Kim and I had some great talks while we were on this two day get-away and some of those conversations happened on this balcony.

Another location that we enjoyed escaping to a couple of times was a dock down on the water. This was a super place to just 'veg.' Kim and I took our Bibles and some study books with us. Sometimes, we were reading and studying. Other times, we were just enjoying the beautiful scenery. All of this just enabled us to de-stress and relax.

The view to the right of this dock is seen in the next picture. This bay area was a little inlet off of Lake Barkley. It was fun just to watch the water flow and listen to the waves splash against the dock.

I don't know what it is about water but it is so therapeutic to just watch and listen. Added to this is the fish that jumped out of the water and the turtles that poked their heads out and watched us. All of this and more made for an extremely relaxing environment where our minds and bodies were able to unwind.

The fact that this bed and breakfast provides such an incredible experience as sitting on this dock is a priceless addition to all that they offer those who come to board with them.

There were many other things we enjoyed about this place. The breakfast was absolutely delicious with the candles on the table and romantic music in the background. The conversation with the hosts was really enjoyable, too. We even found out that we have some friends in common! We also found some roads to walk that provided some breathtaking views of Lake Barkley.

I could keep going but you get the idea. We really enjoyed this place!

We certainly enjoyed our time at the Maple Hill Bed and Breakfast and cannot be more thankful to our church family at the Westside Baptist Church for providing this get-away for us. Kim and I are hoping that this time of R&R will enable us to be more effective as we get back at the business of ministry and all of the other things God has allowed to come our way.

Autumn Colors

The Kentucky sky is staying grey but God is making up for it
with all of the colors on the trees.

How should Christians view divorce?

Divorce is a VERY touchy subject among Christians. Many are affected by it.

Some of you have been divorced and you know the pain that led up to it and followed it. Some of you have had parents or children or some other close relative or friend go through it and you, too, know the pain that surrounds this action.

Regarding the way we as Christians think about divorce, there are many who justify ...a divorce regardless of the limitations set on it in Scripture. There are still others who forbid it for any reason and essentially blacklist anyone who has gone through divorce. Then, there are all of those in the middle of these two extremes.

So, I know the dangers of addressing this issue. It carries a lot of emotion on either side of the aisle.

Yet, as I was reading my daily Bible reading in my “Through the Bible in 6 Months” plan this morning, I came across a very interesting passage. We’ll come to it momentarily.

Let’s begin with something Jesus said. It began in Matthew 19:3 - “And Pharisees came up to him (Jesus) and tested him by asking, ‘Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?’”

Jesus’ response is worthy of a very in-depth study. Yet, let’s race to Matthew 19:9 where Jesus responds: “And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.”

This is not complicated stuff. It’s not difficult to understand what Jesus said. Very clearly, Jesus said that if a spouse divorces their marriage partner for any reason other than infidelity and marries someone else, they commit adultery. Yet, clearly implied is if a spouse commits adultery, a divorce and remarriage is permitted (not commanded) by Almighty God. (Other matters regarding divorce are given in 1 Corinthians 7.)

Where did Jesus get this? Was He just making this rule up on the fly? As God in the flesh, He certainly could have made up this command. If we investigate the Old Testament, we realize that there is no such law. So, is Jesus creating a new rule or did He get it from somewhere else?

If you look at Jeremiah 3:6-8, you’ll see the answer to these questions.

Jeremiah 3:6-8 “During the reign of King Josiah, the LORD said to me, ‘Have you seen what fickle Israel has done? Like a wife who commits adultery, Israel has worshiped other gods on every hill and under every green tree. I thought, ‘After she has done all this, she will return to me.’ But she did not return, and her faithless sister Judah saw this. She saw that I divorced faithless Israel because of her adultery.’…”

Did you catch that? God divorced an adulterous Israel. He saw His relationship to Israel as a marriage and, because of her spiritual adultery, divorced her.

As God, He defines by His Words and actions what is righteous and holy. That being the case, since God divorced for the cause of adultery, Jesus said it is allowed (not commanded) in marriages.

Therefore, let’s be careful how we relate to those who have gone through a divorce. There are some who have divorced for the cause of adultery and thus took the same steps that God Himself took and permitted. Those folks need our encouragement and not our condemnation.

Regarding how we are to think about those who have gone through divorce for non-biblical reasons, we must also strive to think biblically about life. We must strive for personal holiness and encourage others to also live by God’s guidelines. Yet, we are to saturate our mind and speech with the attitude and words of forgiveness. That’s the message of the cross, right? All of us sin (yes, that means you and me) and since Christ so freely lavishes us with His grace and forgiveness, shouldn't we also lavish it upon others who seek it (the message of Matthew 18:21-35)? Let's refuse to be a self-righteous Pharisee who finds it easy to readily condemn everyone but ourselves.

Sermon (video): Why does Westside Baptist Church exist?

I've been the pastor at Westside Baptist Church in Murray, Kentucky for a little more than 4 months. They are a busy, energetic people who want to live in a way that counts.

So, I have been in much prayer and am beginning to chart the course. But, I made it clear that as a church we must agree upon who God has called us to BE before we can agree upon what He has called us to DO.

This sermon is the first in a series of 5 sermons that will unpack why we as a church exist.

To view the sermon, click here.

Will people die in Heaven?

For those desiring to go a little deeper than the devotional thought I wrote earlier on Heaven and the New Earth, here’s a thought:

If you read Isaiah 65:17-19, you will read about the New Heavens and New Earth. I mentioned (as does the Apostle John in Revelation 21-22) that this is referring to our eternal home (“Heaven”). Yet, if you read the very next verse, Isaiah continues:

“No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the young man shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed.” (Revelation 65:20).

If you’ve had your morning cup of coffee and your brain is awake, you would have read that last verse and scratched your head in bewilderment and said, “What?!” Because, it would seem to say that on the New Earth (“Heaven”), folks will die. In Revelation 21:4 (the chapter that tells us of the New Earth), it says that “death shall be no more.”

So, which is it? Will people die on the New Earth, our eternal home in Heaven? What are we to make of this? Will there be death in Heaven or not?

Well, this is where we need to be thoughtful students of God’s Word and understand how the Old Testament prophets were to be understood by New Testament readers.

Here’s a case in point:

In this morning’s Bible reading, I also read Isaiah 61:1-2. Pay close attention to verse 2:
1 “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;” 

If you notice, verse 1 and the first part of verse 2 is comforting. It’s very positive. Yet, the middle part of verse 2 changes drastically. It moves from talk of healing and comforting to talk of vengeance.

Fast-forward 800 years to a synagogue in Nazareth. Jesus was given a scroll to read out loud in the worship service. Listen to what happened. He found Isaiah 61 and read only one and a half verses. Observe carefully where He stopped reading. Here’s Luke 4:16-21 - 

16 And he (Jesus) came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
18 ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

Did you get that? Jesus found Isaiah 61:1-2 and read it. Yet, He stopped reading mid-verse in verse 2! He read all of the positive stuff and didn’t read about the Lord’s vengeance.

Why? 

Because the first time Jesus came to earth, it was to show God’s love and grace. The second time He comes, He is coming in vengeance as the Tribulation Period starts.

You see, God wrote through Isaiah and made clear what would take place. However, for purposes of His own, He mysteriously concealed the time table. Jesus came to proclaim grace, the year of the Lord’s favor (that appears in the first part of Isaiah 61:2). However, there are at least 2,000 years that separate “the year of the Lord’s favor” and the very next phrase: “the day of the vengeance of our God.”

So, we see that when New Testament readers look at the Old Testament, we realize that while information is presented together, the chronology/time frame is sometimes concealed for God’s own mysterious purposes.

Go back to where we began as we talked about the New Earth and whether or not people would die on it.

First, the New Testament (Revelation) speaks clearly that people will not die on the New Earth. That is to be taken at face value. It's truth with no ambiguity.

Second, we need to read the Isaiah text realizing that in the Old Testament, God sometimes concealed the chronology of events as He spoke through the prophets.

Therefore, it would seem that Isaiah is lumping the Millennial Reign (1,000 years) of Jesus on this earth (Revelation 20:1-6) with the ultimate Reign of Christ on the New Earth (Revelation 21-22). In the Millennial Reign, sinners will still inhabit the earth. People will still die. But, at the end of the Millennial Reign, God will destroy this earth and recreate a brand new one. On that one, there will be no sinners and no one will die.


Hopefully, I’ve explained this sufficiently so that by the time you read this last sentence, you say, “Now, I get it!” rather than “Huh?”

Heaven and the New Earth

As I finished the book of Isaiah this morning, I came across Isaiah 65:17-19 where God says:

“For behold, I create new heavens
and a new earth,
and the former things shall not be remembered
or come into mind.
But be glad and rejoice forever
in that which I create;
for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy,
and her people to be a gladness. ...
I will rejoice in Jerusalem
and be glad in my people;
no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping
and the cry of distress.”

This passage is mirrored in Revelation 21:1-2 where it says:

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”

When I was young, I thought that “Heaven” was somewhere up on the clouds. I even remember a flight I took with my family to South Korea where I looked intently at the clouds from high above them to see if my suspicions were accurate.

Then, I came to realize how silly that notion was. But, I still just couldn’t quite fathom what Heaven would be like. Would it be “out there” somewhere? Would we be floating around with harps in our hands forever? Would it be a long, long, long worship service that would never end … because I’ve been in “worship services” like that here on earth!

It finally hit me that God had clearly told us, in many regards, what Heaven will be like. He did so in Isaiah 65 and Revelation 21-22. He was going to destroy the earth we now reside upon and everything in outer space with a consuming fire. Then, He would completely recreate a new earth with new heavens (the space below and above our present ozone layer).

The place that Jesus said He was going to prepare for us (John 14:1-3) is the New Jerusalem (at least that is my suspicion) that will come down to the New Earth. God will dwell with the saved on a brand new earth that has no sin and no curse. We will be free to live on a new earth and explore whatever we desire in outer space as everything that God created for us moves us to worship and praise Him!

When you come to realize that Heaven is the New Earth, it takes on a whole new meaning! (If you want to dig into this topic, an excellent book that I would heartily recommend is “Heaven” by Randy Alcorn.)

Creation, evolution & human value

From Genesis 1

Isaiah 45:11-12 says: "This is what the LORD says - the Holy One of Israel and your Creator: ... 'I am the one who made the earth and created people to live on it. With my hands I stretched out the heavens. All the stars are at my command.'"

If we aren't careful, we will read over these verses and not see the incredible truths embedded in them. God calls Himself our Creator. He is the One who mad...e us. We belong to Him.

Among many other things, this gives every human being worth. In fact, look at Genesis 1:26-27 where it says: "Then God said, 'Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.' So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." (New Living Translation)

So, it just gets better! God didn't simply create us. He made us to bear His image. That gives us INCREDIBLE worth! Every human being that breathes, regardless of their age, gender, skin color, nationality, intellect, achievements, etc. is a person of incredible worth because they are made in the image of God!

Yet, our nation is methodically stripping us of this truth ... and they are doing it with our nation's children. Don't believe me? Try to talk about the fact that God created us in His image in your local schools.

And, when we strip our nation's intellect and conscience of this truth, we invite a thousand horrors! Why? Because mankind will lose its sense of individual worth. People will no longer be filled with worth simply because they are alive. They will have to find their worth somewhere else.

Eventually, worth will be directly tied into whether or not an individual can produce, whether or not they are a productive member of society. When folks become a burden to society and are not perceived as a person of worth, murder is not completely out of the question.

Don't believe me? Evolution has been taught and embraced for decades. Children have grown up believing it. They have learned that people are not valuable simply because they are human. Is it any coincidence that killing babies in the womb is no longer a major concern for our nation's conscience? When a politician speaks out against abortion, it draws yawns from many folks and others realize they may have just doomed their political future.

And in this culture of death where no one is a person of value simply because they are alive, we are foolish to think it will stop at killing infants. Eventually, when senior citizens or those with handicaps are perceived to be a burden upon society, they will become the next target. Given enough time, those politicians who speak out against these new atrocities will draw yawns from their audience.

And it all begins when we teach our children that they are not created in the image of God and therefore, have incredible worth!

Praying for God's glory and our deliverance

Sometimes the greatest victories in our life come when we have run out of options. When we have nowhere to look but up. Where we have nowhere to go but down on our knees.

That was what happened to King Hezekiah in Isaiah 36-37. Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, sent one of his top military leaders with a massive army to attack Jerusalem and take its inhabitants captive. The Assyrians knew how to do this, too! They could lay a siege around a city so that no one went in and no one came out. Eventually, the inhabitants would run out of food and water. With no food and water, some may resort to consuming their own refuse (see Isaiah 36:12). Still others may even resort to cannibalism (see 2 Kings 6:24-29).

With this impending doom, the Assyrian military commander outside the wall was wearing the inhabitants of Jerusalem down with his words. He intended to get them to lose heart by doubting God’s ability to save them. He said:

“Don’t let Hezekiah mislead you by saying, ‘The LORD will rescue us!’ Have the gods of any other nations ever saved their people from the king of Assyria? What happened to the gods of Hamath and Arpad? And what about the gods of Sepharvaim? Did any god rescue Samaria from my power? What god of any nation has ever been able to save its people from my power? So what makes you think that the LORD can rescue Jerusalem from me?” (Isaiah 36:18-20 – New Living Translation)

Hezekiah, the king, had run out of options. He had no military might to fight the vast army outside Jerusalem’s walls. He knew his people were terrified. He also knew that the Assyrian leader in his arrogance would not leave.

So, what was he to do? He inquired of Isaiah, the prophet of the Lord. And then, he sought the Lord for himself! Isaiah 37:14-20 tells us that Hezekiah went to the temple and got alone with God. He poured out his heart and made it clear that God’s glory was on the line. Hezekiah prayed that God would move powerfully so “that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the Lord.” (Isaiah 37:20).

The end result is that God DID move. By the end of Isaiah 37, the Assyrian army had left and Jerusalem experienced peace.

When trials come into our lives, we cannot sit back and simply pray. If there is something we can/should do, then we should do it. A farmer would be foolish if he prayed that God would give him a good harvest if he failed to plant his own field!

Yet, too many of us may have forgotten this powerful tool in our Christian arsenal called prayer. Realize that God is powerful. He delights to hear from His children. We may forego many answers to prayer if we never drop to our knees in prayer.

Why not bring your burdens to the Lord today? And keep praying until the Lord either answers your request or directs you in what adjustments you must make before He provides His answer.

Reflections on my Go Commando Half Marathon Race

I approached the Go Commando Half Marathon in Clarksville, Tennessee on Saturday,

My race bib

October 19, 2013 with primarily one objective in mind ... I wanted to enjoy it. 

I was born in Clarksville, Tennessee. I have tons of fond memories in this city! I remember attending Bible Baptist Church on Golf Club Lane and attending my first school years at their academy. I remember living on Edgehill Drive behind the Dairy Queen. I remember staying with my maternal grandparents two houses down from Bible Baptist Church and my paternal grandparents in the Cumberland Heights area. On and on I could go...
     

This half marathon race route took me down (or near) some of these streets and special locations. So, whether I did it in record time or not, I wanted to just take in the moment.
     

My training for the past few months has left much to be desired. With Kim's major surgery and recovery, I took on some added responsibilities. Running wasn't high enough on the priority list and it got scratched out of most days. (I only ran 3 miles last week and only 2 miles the week before. I should have been averaging around 25-35.)

Start time weather

705 half-marathoners lining up at the Start Line

I woke up race day morning at 4am after getting a little more than 5 hours of sleep. I drove the hour and a half to Clarksville and was relieved that parking wasn't hard to find. I tried to go "jacket-less" but the 50 degree weather was a bit cool. Once the race started, I knew I would elevate my body's temperature but standing around waiting for the race would be extremely uncomfortable so I grabbed my jacket.

I logged the weather details on my phone 6 minutes before the race started. Ordinarily, 53 degree weather is incredible racing weather. I've gone running with shorts and short sleeves in 40-something degree temps before and had an enjoyable run! Ten or so minutes into the run, I've heated up and the cool temps did a great job of keeping me from getting overheated.

Race route

However, look at the radar at the bottom of the picture I took on my phone. The rain to our NW was headed our way! It started to hit almost as soon as the race started. Fifty-three degree weather is incredible. Fifty three and raining is another story!

I lined up with Jamie Mantooth and Chad Beck, two running friends. When the gun fired, we took off. I was glad that Jamie didn't feel obligated to hang out with us slow guys. I wanted to see how well he could do in this race. I never saw him again until somewhere around mile marker 9. At that point, runners in front of us had already hit a turn-around point and were headed back. He was doing well coming up the hill but he told me afterward that his knee had radiated so much pain that he had to stop running around that point. I think he finished in 2 hours and 10 minutes. Incredible time for this VERY hilly race with a knee injury!

Picture taken by Chad's wife
around mile marker 2

Chad and I ran at a much slower pace. My right calf developed some severe pain two weeks before in a 5K race and I didn't want to push it and have to abandon this half marathon race. So, I took it slow and easy. Somewhere around mile marker 4 when we were running through Austin Peay University's campus, we were joined by another runner who stayed with us pretty much the rest of the race. We had a lot of great conversation.

My right calf seemed to tighten up within the first few miles of the race. I mentally massaged it as I ran (runners know how this works). Around miles 8 or 9, it started to give out on me. My body was feeling the effects of the lack of training and running at a slower pace than I usually run. I found myself fighting through every step trying to get to the Finish Line.

As we went over the Cunningham Bridge that spans the Cumberland River on the final mile, Chad told me that he had dedicated his final mile to the glory of God. As he said that, we had almost a breathtaking view of the river below and the beautiful landscape around us. I really needed that because my tank was running on fumes at that point. Within minutes, we both crossed the finish line.

Jamie Mantooth and me
after the Go Commando
Half Marathon Race

After crossing the Finish Line, Chad asked to borrow my phone because his phone had died during the race. I looked around and found a table to lay my jacket on while I took my phone/armband off. However, I didn't realize that the table belonged to the EMS personnel who were manning the first aid station nearby. As I neared the table, I heard one of them speak into their radio, "We may need some back-up." I looked over to realize that they were looking at me! Apparently, I was a little more pooped out than I realized! I decided that I wasn't going to use their table after all!

Afterwards, Katie Mantooth took a picture of Jamie and me before I headed to the car for the long trek back home. Believe it or not, I was much, much more tired that I looked!

But, be that as it may, I finished and got the finisher's medal ... and the memories to go along with it. I'll take a few days to rest and then plan my next challenge.

My Finisher's Medal!

Here are my race stats:
Finished 31 of 38 males (40-44)

Placed 297 of 342 male runners

Placed 544 of 705 overall

Finish time: 2:30:43

Average pace: 11:31/mile

Ecclesiastes and life under the sun

As I read through all twelve chapters of Ecclesiastes this morning, I couldn't help but realize the obvious theme: "Life stinks!" 

Well, those aren't Solomon's exact words. He put it this way: "'Everything is meaningless,' says the Teacher, 'completely meaningless!'" (Ecclesiastes 1:2)

As I read through the book, I saw where he explored every avenue possible to make sense of life and to achieve happiness. He pursued wealth and wisdom, self-indulgent living, wine, sex/relationships, ambitious building projects, accumulating wealth, ... On and on this list could go.

Yet, over and over, he tells the reader that these are dead end roads. They hold out the promise of bringing happiness but in the end, they don't deliver.

You could get pretty discouraged reading this book and quit before the end unless you realized what Solomon was doing as he wrote it. One very clear hint he drops quite often is the phrase "under heaven" or "under the sun." In this short book, he utters those phrases 29 times!

Essentially, Solomon is waving his arms wildly at the reader as he yells: "This life stinks if you live it as an end in itself. If you are looking for happiness only in what you can gain in this life, you'll be left discouraged. Don't look for happiness 'under the sun.' Look over the sun!"

Listen to how Solomon ends the book. "That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad." (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

That's the purpose of life! Live in light of what's over the sun. Realize that we will one day stand before our judge to give an account for our life. If you are saved and this life is filled with nothing but difficulty and disappointment, look toward your Heavenly reward!

Look "over the sun!"

Sermon (video): Running in the Christian Race (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Knowing that one day, each of us will stand before the Lord as He judges us, how should we then live? This sermon digs into the truths of Hebrews 12:1-2 and reveals practical steps that we must take to make the most of this one life that the Lord has entrusted to us.

To view this sermon, simply click here.

Sermon (video): Rewards at the Finish Line (2 Corinthians 5:9-10)

Did you know that ever man, woman, boy and girl who is a child of God will have to stand before Him at the Judgment Seat of Christ? What will it be like and how does this knowledge motivate us to make the most of this one life? Listen to this sermon to discover the answer to these and more questions.

To view the sermon, simply click here.

Reflections on my Karing for Kids 5K Race

This race didn't turn out like I had planned. I didn't take time to do a warm-up mile before the race so my heart had to elevate much too quickly as I took off. I should have known better.

I started off at a 6:52/mile pace but the jolt to my heart rate and the hills slowed me down quickly. I finished the first mile in 7 minutes and 31 seconds. I finished the second mile in 8 minutes and 38 seconds. I ran another .48 miles before I had to stop and averaged an 8 minute 42 second mile for that stretch. 

I had not been getting in all of my training runs recently and so I hadn't rebuilt my mental strength and racing endurance. Somewhere around the 1.25 mile point and then again around the 1.75 point and the 2.25 point, I stopped to walk for 5-10 seconds. I just couldn't push through.

As I look back over my heart rate readings during the race, I was pushing the limits (like I always do). My 5K race heart rate usually gets up to around 185-192bpm and hangs there until I cross the finish line. My mind, as would be expected, tries to shut my body down because it doesn't like my heart beating that fast. Unfortunately, I listened in this race. I only stopped for very short intervals but ... I had to stop a few times. When my calf injury happened, my heart rate went to 196bpm!

I only had .62 miles before the end of the race when a searing pain in my right mid-calf developed. The word "developed" makes it sound like it came on slowly, though, and that would be incorrect. It wasn't gradual. It hit instantly. I tried to keep going but the pain was too intense and I slowed to a walk (actually, it was a hobble). I tried a couple of times to resume running but couldn't.

As I rounded the final turn and I saw the finish line and the crowd cheering for those nearing the finish line, I felt pretty embarrassed. I had experienced injuries while training before but never in a race. Mack Bucy, who finished the race in fourth place overall (pretty impressive!) came running to encourage me along to the finish line.

After finishing (with a time of 30:16 - my slowest time by far!), I went to the pavilion where Russ Shemberger massaged my calf and easily found the trouble spot. His massage felt pretty incredible (Molly Franklin took a picture of me on the massage table. lol). He also told me that I need another pair of shoes (I didn't realize that I've logged almost 500 running miles on these). I also need to do a little better at hydrating during the day.

Hopefully, this doesn't mess up my half marathon in two weeks. I planned to run it MUCH slower than this race but if my calf doesn't heal up, I'm not going to get into an endurance race. I've got some healing and choices to make in the next 13 days.