Al Mohler published a blog article today entitled Is the Abortion Argument Changing?. It’s excellent. At the end, he references a sermon by Russell Moore that makes the argument that Joseph (Jesus’ step-father) was a “single-issue evangelical.”

I’m fairly progressive. I’m quite forward-thinking. But when it comes to the issue of life in relationship to politics, elections, legislation, etc., abortion is still a deal-breaker for me. Am I a narrow-minded single-issue evangelical? Absolutely. Why? Because the whole time we’re focused on…

• The environment.
• Unemployment.
• Taxes.
• Welfare.
• Healthcare.
• The war.
• Foreign relations.
• The economy.
• Defense.
• New energy sources.

God is focused on the innocent. He always has been. He always will be. We can say “just look beyond this one issue.” As far as I’m concerned, that’s like asking the guy who is having a heart attack to focus on his runny nose. We have a problem for which God will surely pour out His wrath. They are ultimately his babies, after all.

And here’s another point: Abortion IS Racism! Read or watch…

I was deeply moved by today’s reading from J. Sidlow Baxter’s devotional, Awake My Heart. He speaks of the mysteries of life, what W. A. Criswell used to call “the imponderables of God.” Baxter mentioned birth, life, personality, human experience, Satan, eternity, etc. All of these are unexplainable. We can begin, but we can never conclude any definition of them.

Baxter goes on, however, to quote an unnamed old Puritan as saying, “Never let what you don’t know disturb your faith in what you do know.” Further, Baxter proclaims that “breaking into all this mystery comes a glorious, transfiguring fact which not all of these problems can discount: it is THE FACT OF CHRIST. He is a certified historical fact; a supremely significant fact; an experientially realized fact….”

We live in a highly skeptical age. To deny this is to prove that one has his proverbial head in the sand. We live in the age of the offensive atheist, exemplified by authors such as Richard Dawkins, who espouses a near hatred of conservative Christianity and writes it off as idiotic nonsense that should be put to an end. In the mix, Christians find themselves wavering and doubting.

So, what do we do with our big questions? I don’t know about you, but I believe God can handle our biggest questions. He has answers. Whether He will provide them or not is within the divine prerogative of God. But in the midst of all of the mysterious, imponderable concepts of spiritual, eternal things lie the rock solid, unbreakable truths of Christianity. In the words of Paul, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” (1 Timothy 3:16)

Cory and I had a nice treat today in visiting with the directors of the Association of Baptist Students at the University of Arkansas. After touring the property, I was impressed with their ability to squeeze so much out of so little. Rather than a state-of-the-art facility, they were “making do” with three older houses, all in need of some repairs. I appreciated so much hearing the hearts of Director Warren Dugas and Associate Director Brad Harris.

Is collegiate ministry “missions?” I believe, absolutely! Let me tell you three reasons why: 1.) College students are a little nuts! When they’re fired up, they’ll charge into the most dangerous countries in the world for the greatest cause on earth… and they’ll raise money to do so. 2.) There are so many places that college students can connect with others who will pull them away from Christ that we have to offer them a ring of friends who will help them remain true to the faith. 3.) One of the greatest missions opportunities that exists today is the reaching of international students from closed nations that are studying in the states. We can reach them, disciple them, and then send them home as missionaries to their own country!

We must soon realize that America is one of the world’s greatest mission fields and college campuses are the central focal point in a cultural war that is being waged every day. You don’t have to worry much about liberalism creeping into your local church, but college students endure an onslaught of insulting propaganda concerning their faith everyday. I know, I suffered it once myself as a Religious Studies major at a state university.

I, for one, will begin standing beside this invaluable ministry. I’ll speak up on their behalf, attempt to raise money, and get involved when and where I can. If one of my fellow brethren from a sister church should happen upon these thoughts, I’d encourage you to do the same. Visit the campus, visit the ABS house, and hear the hearts of its leaders. Students are worth it! You can start be checking out their website here.

In our midweek Bible study last night, we went through a supplementary study on creation and evolution. There were many things I wished I’d had time to cover in the Sunday messages but simply couldn’t. In preparing, I studied areas of science that fascinate me. I wanted to have some basic knowledge on everything from the fossil record to quantum physics (like I said, fascinating!). I was so blessed by the exchange. People asked questions, gave their thoughts, and generally expressed their faith in Scripture as God’s perfect Word.

At the end of the night, I decided to close discussion on the issue. This Sunday, we’ll be moving on to the more personal nature of Genesis, chapter two. I couldn’t help but to add this one thought, however, after reading Job 38. The creation-evolution debate is much like the theological battle that took place between Job and his friends. They reason with one another about the nature of God and God’s world. Then God finally speaks.

What does He say? To summarize the chapter, it is “Were you there when I created the worlds? Then how do you think you know anything?” He goes on to illustrate His majestic and dynamic creative power. Can you make the sun rise? Have you ever seen the center of the earth? Can you make an intricate snowflake? Can you make rain or suspend clouds of water over the earth? Good questions! We can study, we can observe, and I believe we ought to explore the amazing world God created around us. Science is good, until it goes to our heads.

God ultimately settles the argument. We might say in modern vernacular, the buck stops with Him! God, the Creator and only eyewitness of creation, knows exactly what happened in the origin of all things. So at the end of our quantum theories, evolutionary theories, and Big Bang theories, all of which are questioned and debated regularly by men more skilled than I, God sits above the circle of the earth, stretching out the universe like a curtain and calling out, “Seek me and find me with your whole heart!” The debate ultimately ends with worship!

I love VBS week! I love to watch kids having fun. I love to see the people of God in action, doing their thing to accomplish ministry to families. More than anything, I love seeing little ones embrace the story of Jesus as their own. It’s awesome! This year’s VBS has been a blessing to my heart for quite a few reasons.

One is that we’ve started out with about twenty more kids involved than last year. Two is our Associate Pastor, Cory McCaig has done an absolutely awesome job of leading it and teaching the kids. Three, our Associate Pastor has led, not me! Angie and I, for a decade, have always spent our wedding anniversaries at Vacation Bible School, but this year, we get to run away for a night and celebrate our tenth (more on this in the next post).

I’ll have to report later on the results, but through two nights, I’m fired up about attending Avalanche Ranch!

This past Sunday, I began preaching in Genesis with chapter one, verse one. The message started a lengthy commitment to preaching all of the word. I don’t think I’ve ever been as satisfied by a message in all of my ministry. I had studied and prepared for about six weeks for just the first chapter of Genesis. So how was it? Exhilarating!

The choir was tuned up and did an awesome job. Singing Shout to the Lord with them was great. They also sang a favorite of mine, There Are No Orphans of God.  Angie (my wife) and Tamara (the Choir Director) sang Nothing But A Miracle Will Do. These special numbers highly exalted the King, but it was the congregational song How Great Thou Art that moved my heart most deeply. I’d been studying about the magnitude of creation, the vastness of the universe, and the miraculous nature of all that God brought into being. So when we sang “I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy power throughout the universe displayed” I did something rather unorthodox, especially for me. I stood. I stood in reverence and fear of the awesome God we serve. I was overwhelmed emotionally and spiritually. The Spirit of God moved in my heart in that moment, and I stood, raising my hands high toward the God of heaven, not caring what anyone in the auditorium thought! It was unabashed worship, and it ought to be that way all the time!

I can’t wait until Sunday, to move on to the next passage. The Word of God is so inexhaustible, it seems I’ll never preach the unsearchable wisdom of God in this one short lifetime, but I’ll live and die trying!

Last night, the local association officially voted to name Larry Hendren the new Editor of  The Baptist Banner, which will free up that much more time each month for me to spend doing the things that matter. Please keep praying that I’ll have all of my priorities right, spending adequate time in prayer, in study, with people, and with my family. And may God get the glory as we learn to fear Him, love Him, and stand in awe and reverence of Him!

Today was kind of tough… for Momma anyway. We saw our little girl “walk the line” to graduate from Preschool. The theme was What A Wonderful World, which all nineteen graduates sang together. They actually played Pomp and Circumstance as they marched in. She got a diploma and an award for Developing the Most in Confidence throughout the year. We’re so proud!

Angie handles moments like these with a mothering sadness. Her little girl will never graduate from Preschool again. I, on the other hand, handle things a bit differently. While Mamma shed a few tears, I was frustrated that the camera wasn’t working quite right. For me, it’s just one more step toward adulthood, which is the goal. I know that the time will fly and I’ll be crying at her wedding far too soon. Nevertheless, I tend to look forward to each next occasion while Angie wants to hang on to her little girl.

One thing I know, I’m going to enjoy another graduation someday. I’m not referring to Ella’s High School graduation, though I know I’ll enjoy that too, but the day I “walk the line” at the judgment seat of Christ. On the one hand, I view that day with trepidation - there is so much more to be done here in this life. On the other hand, I can’t wait for the eternal reward God has promised to all who place their faith squarely in Him alone.

Our little baby is all grown up… or at least about to head for kindergarten, but I feel that we have so much work to do. If she’s out of the house by eighteen, then we only have fourteen more years to prepare her heart to be forever sensitive to the Savior’s voice. We want to pray her into the family of God, model a genuine love for Jesus, and watch as she surrenders herself to His will daily. May God so prepare us for our graduation day!

http://www.churchcentral.com/nw/s/template/Article.html/id/24549

Richard Blackaby, in this article, does a great job of related to us that the growth and success of a church largely (almost entirely) depends on the spiritual growth taking place in the heart of the Pastor. It’s so true that we can’t give away what we don’t have. I’ve spent plenty of time being frustrated and discouraged over low numbers in seasons when I’m more about studying church growth than studying God’s Word. But when I really connect with God and spend ample time in prayer, that’s when God seems to really bless the church around me with a fresh season of growth, both spiritually and numerically.

Click here to view “Another Interview With God,” a dynamic flash presentation that clearly explains why not everyone goes to heaven when they die.

Eternal Life

What does God have to say about Himself? If we were to start from scratch and read the Bible for the first time, bringing no previously formed assumptions with us, we’d make certain discoveries very quickly, for instance…

God is Big!

If we started at the beginning of the Bible, we’d discover with the very first phrase that God must be big. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) He formed the vast universe in which we exist. Not too far into your journey through the Bible, you’d also quickly discover that…

God is Holy!

We try to define “holiness” by adding up all the good qualities of mankind, but God is really in a class all by Himself. He’s perfectly free from even the possibility of sin and error. Because we have discovered God’s greatness and holiness and moral perfection, we must certainly be struck by the reality of our own sinfulness. Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

Because God is the holy and just Creator, He must hold every one of His creatures to the same standard, and that standard is defined by His own definition of goodness. So, are you good enough?

The best way to find out is to take God’s test, the Ten Commandments. Have you ever told a lie? Have you ever stolen anything, no matter its value? Have you ever used the Lord’s name in a vain or meaningless way? Have you ever lusted for something or someone you weren’t supposed to have? Then you’ve failed, along with the rest of humanity. Paul went on to state that “the wages (fair payment) of sin is death.” We are dead already because of our sins. Spiritually, we are separated from God and if we die in our present condition, we’ll spend eternity apart from this holy God in hell forever. Why? Because that is the fair sentence for our crimes. However, you would also discover…

God is Love!

The Apostle John said it plainly, “God is love.” (1 John 4:8, 16) That doesn’t simply mean that God loves us, it means that His very nature defines love. To prove that His love is greater than any we could offer, the Bible is clear that God went to the greatest possible extreme to show His love for people by giving His Son, Jesus… “But God commendeth His love toward us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

Even though we’ve failed His “perfection” test for us, He still loves us, and He’s done everything necessary to make a way for us to know Him personally and to enjoy Him for all of eternity in heaven. Our sins have interrupted any possible relationship we might have with God, but Jesus died for our sin, in our place, to pay its penalty. But we aren’t saved automatically. We are expected to respond to all that God has done for us. We also need to discover that…

God is Wise!

We often miss this because when we think of wisdom, we think of the smartest people we know. Truthfully, God’s wisdom trumps ours infinitely. God always has a better plan than we do. This is true in spiritual matters as well.

Left on our own, we would devise all kinds of religious systems to use as our vehicle to pleasing and appeasing God, but He has a better plan. God’s plan is rebirth! “Jesus answered and said unto Him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5) So how can you be “born again?” God has given us two important words: repent and believe. Turn and trust. We must forsake our own way of salvation and by faith, embrace Jesus’ death as the sacrifice for our sins.

Do you want to receive Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and have the free gift of eternal life today? Acknowledge your own sinfulness and receive Him as your Savior. You can express your heart to Him in a prayer like this… Dear God, I admit my sinfulness and I know that I don’t deserve heaven. But I believe that Your Son Jesus died on the cross and rose again to pay my sin penalty. I receive Him now as my Lord and Savior. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

If you’ve made that commitment, or if you have more questions, please write, call, or visit us soon!

Last night, millions watched the debate between Kelly and Brian Sabient (representing atheism) and Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron (attempting to prove God’s existence without using faith or the Bible). I have reviewed as much of the video as I can stand and have come to some interesting conclusions.

At first, I was disappointed in Ray’s use of Scripture in his opening comments. He had made a commitment to prove God’s existence without the Bible and then proceeded to use the Bible, handing ammunition to his enemies who took full advantage of the moment and exploited his mistake. After much thought and prayer about the matter, I’ve come to the conclusion that Ray had not choice but to use Scripture.

This was his chance to speak to millions of “on the fence” people who might not otherwise have the opportunity to hear the gospel. Further, Ray believes that the Word of God has the supernatural ability to pierce through the hardness of the human heart. And finally, Christianity has made the mistake before of attempting to prove God’s existence without the Bible and our attempts at doing so have failed to convert people or change our surroundings. A convincing argument for a Creator might be fabricated from the witness of nature, but a converting faith is only borne on the wings of God’s inspired revelation of Himself to mankind. What was Ray’s mistake? It was in agreeing not to refer to faith or the Bible to begin with.

The reason I could not stand to watch the entire debate online, stopping the stream early instead, was because of the knot that formed in my stomach as I listened to Kelly blaspheme God in such an extreme way. My heart breaks for her. It is apparent to all who watched that atheism leads to intellectual arrogance and belligerence toward Christians. This rebellious attitude is not only proof of the fall of mankind into sin, left unchecked it always leads to the ultimate end of a soul unable to repent because of the hardening of the heart through the deceitfulness of sin. Should Kelly continue choosing to blaspheme God, she will inevitably push her will beyond the point of ever humbling herself before her Creator. She expressed that she’d rather go to hell than to live in eternity with a God she perceives as unfairly violent toward sinners. I hope this isn’t a self-fulfilling prophecy for her.

The thought that terrifies me the most is that they have become preachers of a false gospel. It isn’t that they question a Creator, it’s that they persuade others to purposely break the command not to blaspheme the Holy Spirit (a misinterpretation of Jesus’ intent, by the way). I’ve encountered the writings of Richard Dawkins and other such rationalists who purport that Christians are guilty of indoctrinating generations of people into believing in a warmonger-god. Yet the skeptics themselves are actively and intentionally recruiting followers to join them in their hate-filled, angry tirade against the very God who bought them with the price of His own dear Son.

At the end of the day, there will be millions who simply will not believe the gospel record. This is nothing new and we cannot naively assume that we’ll ever rid the world of atheism or agnosticism by simply arguing science or Scripture alone. What does seem to be new is the intensity with which atheism belittles people of faith. It is as though the battle lines are being drawn more clearly. The forces of light and darkness are engaged in a more intense form of warfare than at any other time in the recent past. Perhaps we’re moving toward a climax.

Perhaps it is that the day is soon coming when men will make their final choices concerning God and His Son. Should you accept the record of the Bible as inspired and inerrant, as I do, then you’ll discover that the Bible itself predicts the rising intensity of this debate toward the ultimate battle between Jesus and the forces of darkness. Thankfully, we who believe, already have the rest of the story laid out before us, and… Jesus wins!