I’ll just try harder. That’s the mentality of most people who are trying to be good Christians. “Well, I tried and I blew it, so I’ll just try harder.” The problem is that God resists the proud, so the more you think you can handle sin and temptation on your own, the less God will help. But He gives grace to the humble, so when you admit your helplessness, God comes to the rescue and gives grace, which provides strength.

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What is it to be a Christian? Is it that we’ve had a one-time experience of salvation? Or is it that we experience growth in Christ daily, some evidence of change? I know the argument is endless, but I wanted to share this quote from Clyde Crandford’s book Because We Love Him.

Repentance that is not ongoing is not genuine; faith that does not involve surrender is not adequate; a life in which holiness does not develop is not Christian.

You may or may not agree, but I think if nothing else, this statement should serve as a wake-up call for believers. We argue about this issue because we haven’t lived consistently. A life in which we are ever being changed into Christ’s image should be the norm, not the rare exception. How are you changing today?Technorati Tags: discipleship, salvation, repentance, holiness, clyde cranford, growth

Yesterday, in our Tuesday morning Men’s Bible Study, we tackled one of the toughest issues of life - the discipline of purity. We’re currently studying through R. Kent Hughes’ book The Disciplines of a Godly Man (I’d highly recommend it to all men, more on that in a future post). Allow me to allow Hughes to introduce the topic…

“Sensuality is easily the biggest obstacle to godliness among men today and is wreaking havoc in the Church. Godliness and sensuality are mutually exclusive, and those in the grasps of sensuality can never rise to godliness while in its sweaty grip. If we are to “disciples [ourselves] for the purpose of godliness.” (1 Timothy 4:7, NASB), we must begin with the discipline of purity. There has to be some holy heat, some holy sweat!”

One of the issues raised early in our study time was the correlation between purity and church growth. I’ve been reading church growth material for a dozen years now. I’ve read most of the “hot” books on the subject and there is an element that is almost always missing. Most address the need to better market the church, to teach more relevant material on Sundays, and to be more entertaining in our worship styles. Almost none raise the issue of divine blessing.

The question is, will God bless a church with true “growth” when her leaders are compromising their moral integrity on sexual issues? I know that many will point to some large churches that have grown under the leadership of pastors who were later found to have significant behind-the-scenes moral failures. But I’m not really addressing the numerical boastings of megachurches, but rather the actual, visible impact that local churches are having on their communities today.

We live in an age of limitless conferences on church growth, contemporary worship, communicating and preaching in today’s culture, evangelism and missions, etc. We are surrounded by Christian bookstores whose shelves are stocked with all the help one could ask for. Seminary training is a click away and most pastors are a short drive away from some kind of campus or extension center. Our resources abound, but something is amiss. Richard Dawkins and the new atheists seem to be having almost as much impact on culture as the church. Why? Could it be that we’ve lost our sense of awe for a holy God, who demands holiness of us?

Let me close on a practical note. Man (or Woman), if you’re struggling with sexual purity, seek help. Make it known and avail yourself of the church’s assistance. If it’s a potential affair, or a current one, seek an altar of repentance, seek counseling, and scramble to salvage the marriage into which God has sovereignly placed you. If it’s pornography, seek help. Check out pureintimacy.org for some answers. Download a filter and some accountability software and have your spouse block the bad stuff on the TV. Take action now!

One of the most encouraging aspects of our Bible study was the discovery that though men are wired to be visually stimulated, and though our world taunts and bombards us with sensual imagery at every turn, it is still possible to be pure. God has given us the Holy Spirit who will, at our willingness, stand guard over our hearts. He has given us the Scriptures to feed our minds on His thoughts and His will. And He has given us each other as brothers and sisters in a family of faith.

I want the church in America to grow again, to have a real impact, to see a lasting difference made in our surrounding communities. But it will only happen as holy men of God lead the charge!

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!

In this decade, conservative Christianity has lost some great giants of the faith. I was reflecting on the passing of Jack Hyles, long time Pastor of First Baptist Church in Hammond, Indiana. He was an interesting character with a unique leadership style. Far too many young Pastors went to their ministerial deaths trying to imitate his every move. Nonetheless, his impact on the independent Baptist movement and on the kingdom of God in general are immeasurable.

Then I think of W. A. Criswell. He pastored one of the most influential churches in the world, First Baptist Church in Dallas. He once spent almost eighteen years preaching through the entire Bible. His defense of the faith, his exposition of the Scriptures, and his charismatic style made a lasting mark on Baptist life and thought.

Another giant among men who has passed away this decade was Adrian Rogers, Pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, often called the flagship church of the Southern Baptist Convention. Like Criswell, Rogers’ impact upon the nation’s largest non-Catholic denomination was immense, serving as president of the Southern Baptist Convention three terms. His preaching was practical and poignant, but his wisdom in leadership was what elevated him above the average preacher.

On Sunday, May 6, two other leaders were taken on to heaven. Dr. Lee Roberson, Pastor of the Highland Park Baptist Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee and founder of Tennessee Temple University, went home to be with the Lord. Within an hour of his passing, Dr. Viola Walden also slipped into her eternal home. She had been personal secretary to Dr. John R. Rice since he began The Sword of the Lord. At age 91, she was at her desk at work on the Friday before she died.

God’s timing, sovereignty, and wisdom are all unquestionable attributes. I know that His intention was to take them home, to give them a final rest with the saints. But from our perspective, they seem like missing links in modern Christianity. My great question would be, who will replace them? Who will be the anchors of the church in the next half century? Have we reached the end of an era of Christianity that will never be revived again?

Some would say that the face of Christianity must change. I’ve listened to far too many upstarts criticize the elder leaders among us as “behind the times.” I have a different perspective. Though we’re moving swiftly through the information age with little clue what lies next, we can still rely on twenty centuries of a very faithful pattern. Namely, God has always raised up men who have challenged their generation to think biblically.

Consider Paul, Peter, and Polycarp who faced Rome without trepidation. Think of Athanasius, who stood virtually alone to combat Arianism. Dwell upon the reformers who, with all of their shortcomings theologically, stood against the established church leadership of their times to call Christianity back to sincere and emboldened faithfulness to God’s Word. And think of the evangelistic-missionary age with the Spurgeon’s, Torrey’s, and Moody’s.

Until Jesus comes again, He’ll be building His church out of the stock of saved humanity. He’ll be calling forth leaders to stand in the gap for the land. And they will respond, for Jesus promised it would be so. With all the “missing links” the real question that remains for us is, are we willing to continue the tradition? Will we be surrendered to a life of holiness and passionate, Spirit-filled zeal? To say that the survival of God’s kingdom depends in any way on our abilities would be negligent of the self-sufficiency of God. But to recognize that the future of God’s Kingdom depends upon our availability simply serves to remind us that God has chosen to use people in the redemption of this lost and sinful planet. Will you stand in the gap?

This past Sunday was perhaps the most awesome day of ministry I’ve ever experienced. Like the old gospel song says, “Heaven came down and glory filled my soul.” It wasn’t great planning, great music, or great preaching that made the day great, it was our great God visiting us in a powerful way in response to a whole lot of concerted, passionate praying.

Last Wednesday, our prayer service, which normally consists of calling out some requests, a short pastoral prayer, and a long Bible study, turned into an extended session of a concert of praise. Multiple people were praying out loud for their lost friends and family and giving praise to God for His working in their lives. At the conclusion of our payer, I almost felt that teaching would be an interruption in what God was really doing, and perhaps it was.

Sunday began with an intense prayer circle, seven men gathered together a half hour before Sunday School. We prayed over our time and it was well worth it. Together we asked great things of God. Sunday School itself was right on target as we learned about “serving God with holiness.”

Then the worship hour came and we sang songs to honor the King with a particular emphasis on the Holy Spirit’s role in our lives. The message was all about the power of the Holy Spirit. I left out two illustrations that I later realized would have been detrimental to the point of the message. I felt an anointing more powerful than ever in my ministry. I had boldness to say things without regard to the approval of people.

The invitation came and God did an awesome work. The altar filled with people praying and weeping for the fullness of the Spirit, praying for lost loved ones and other needs. A young man and a young lady received Christ as Savior. The invitation went through three movements as things kept happening. Joy Ewalt, for whom we have been praying for healing from cancer came and testified that God had completely healed her from brain cancer. Tests show that her head is now clear and she gave all the glory to God and the credit to prayer.

We left later than ever before and people continued to attest to God’s working in their lives in a very powerful way. I left church feeling so small, so undeserving, and so grateful that God would allow me to experience such an event.

Sunday afternoon our Deacons gathered for a time of training and we exchanged testimonies of the godly men who have inspired us in the past. I recalled my grandfather’s strong convictions as a Deacon for over a half century of time and the other stalwart men who influenced me throughout my childhood. In the evening service I preached about “The Sanctity of the Womb” where God has performed some great miracles in the lives of John the Baptist, Jeremiah, Paul, and others.

We had prayer for young girls facing this difficult decision to choose life, for women who have had abortions to find the freeing forgiveness of God, and for America to turn a corner on the abortion issue and repent before God. We also had prayer for some couples currently struggling with infertility and for Loving Choices, a local pregnancy support center. We’re also currently praying for healing in the life of one of our Deacons, Nick Gann.

One thing I am continually remembering is that we cannot dwell on these now past events in the “remember that day…” sense. Instead we must look forward to the awesome things God can do every time we meet. There is no reason why each worship experience cannot grow in intensity so long as our hunger for God, our commitment to holiness, and the passion of our prayer grows as well.

May God continue to visit us in special ways in our individual lives and every time we meet together, and may He continue to raise up Spirit-filled, Bible-drilled, prayer-skilled warriors for Christ’s Kingdom!

“The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” -Matthew 13:41-43

Jesus is the gentle, compassionate Lamb of God. Angels are those cute little winged cherubs we have displayed on water fountains. But the picture Jesus gives of Himself and His angels is all together different than that to which we are accustomed. We suddenly see a sovereign Jesus, commanding his angels to gather people to judgment and to cast them into the fire for all eternity.

We need to see Jesus in this light, for we need to understand that His ultimate concern is that the holiness and righteousness of God is vindicated for all time. All that offends will be destroyed, all sin will be judged. All iniquity will be eradicated at the throne of God. Thankfully, for believers, their sins have already been judged on the cross, but for most of the world, sin will be punished in an eternal flame. Why? So that the righteous (those made righteous by the blood of Jesus) may shine forth, unhindered by darkness forever.

We must learn to love the righteousness and holiness of God as much as Jesus does. We must hunger for God’s nature and name to be vindicated. At this moment, He is being blasphemed, forgotten, pushed under the rug while men do their evil biddings. But someday He will have the last laugh (literally, read Psalm 2). At last every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. All of mankind will acknowledge Him as Lord in that day. In fact, we should get started now!

“whom having not seen ye love…” -1 Peter 1:8

Isn’t this the epitome of living the Christian life? Most of the time, we define our Christian life in one of two ways. Either we define our faith by our rituals (worship, prayer, quiet time, etc.) or we define it by our restrictions (all of our many rules). Peter defines it as loving the One whom we have not yet seen.

Loving Jesus is always demonstrated by obedience regardless of our feelings, so the ultimate expression of love is a life of holiness. Loving without seeing is the primary expression of our faith, which is not only the medium of our salvation, but the principle by which we life life on a daily basis.

Do you love Jesus? The truth is, you only love Jesus when you are obedient to His will and His commandments. But the bigger question may be, do you define your life by your love for Jesus? You may say “no” to sin because it’s on your list of restrictions. You may say “yes” to religious rituals because they are part of your forte of faith. What if instead, we said “no” to sin because we love Jesus and “yes” to the practice of our faith because we love Jesus?

It’s very difficult to cross this bridge to living by the motivation of loving Jesus. Why? Because we can see our rituals, we can see the world around us and whether we are living a holy life or not. But we cannot see Jesus yet. However, we can love Him and experience Him on a daily basis. Have you experienced Him today? Why not begin by saying, “Jesus, though I can’t see you, I’m going to love you with all of my heart today…”

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; His glory fills the whole earth.” -Isaiah 6:3 (HCSB)

God’s holiness cannot be defined in terms of human goodness for “there is none good, no not one.” Instead, we must realize that God’s holiness speaks of His transcendent perfection. To say that God is holy does not merely mean that He is ultimately moral, but rather that He is completely removed from anything imperfect. His holiness is defined by His separateness.

God’s glory cannot be defined in human terms either. His glory is the outward manifestation of His holiness, His infinite worth. His holiness is the shining radiance, the majestic splendor of His ultimate worthiness. Isaiah said that the whole earth was filled with His glory. All of creation screams that God is holy, transcendent, and set apart. All of His creatures testify of His creative power and genius.

Only human beings fail to bring God glory and one day “every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father.” Have you yet caught the vision of Isaiah concerning our holy and majestic Lord? Only when He is the object of your devotion will He receive glory from your life, and only when He receives glory from your life can you fulfill your God-given purpose for existence. Have you called Him Lord yet? Will you call on Him as Lord today?

“Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways…”—Ezekiel 33:11

God is so holy and so just that He must remain eternally separate from anyone who falls short of His perfection. In fact, as the Creator who gave us live and who spells out His rules through nature, conscience, and Scripture, only to have His creatures break His rules, God certainly has every right to destroy us now, today, without delay. His holiness and justice demand it! But He tarries. Why?

God must punish sin, and He will, but He’s delaying that imminent punishment so that all men may have opportunity to repent and come to faith in His Son. It’s a part of the “common grace” that He bestows on all people. All of us are lost and deserve nothing but hell, but God loves us all and wants to give all of us the opportunity to be saved. The next time you question His right to judge the world, remember His patience, His sacrifice, and His beyond-the-call-of-duty efforts to get the message of Jesus out to all the world through the Bible and His people. He tarries for you and me!