Leaving Laodicea

Gingrichian Hypocrisy

2012-01-26T06:31:00.000-08:00

To some, Newt Gingrich became a hero in the South Carolina debate when he wittily responded to the debate moderator who had asked Gingrich about his personal life. The issue of course was a bit lewd but it had been reported by Gingrich’s second wife that the former Speaker of the House had asked her if she would like to enter into an “open marriage.” For those unaware, this is a marriage where either party is free to have sex with whomever they like. It was also reported that Gingrich wanted to “add” Calista (now Calista Gingrich) to his second marriage. His (second) wife apparently said no. That marriage was later terminated and he married Calista whom he had been having an affair with for some 6 years.

Whether or not the details of Newt’s supposed proposal are true or not are somewhat irrelevant. The events surrounding their reporting, however, are very relevant to voters and anyone who considers their self a “morals” voter.

I was in Ireland the day of the debate and was flying home the day after. Once I got back to the states this was the top story on all the political talk shows. Needless to say this same discussion had lit up Facebook the way only politics can do. I expected to read some outlandish comments and some really good ones as well. What shocked me was that most of the Christians I know were actually defending Gingrich! I literally could not believe it. I re-read some of the posts to make sure I wasn’t seeing things (I was jet-lagged after all). Unfortunately, I found the same distorted partyism I had read the first time.

I try to avoid getting into politics, especially on my blog, but this issue calls for a Christian response and I want to share reasons why I am appalled at the behavior and demeanor of Newt Gingrich.

First of all, his response to the debate moderator was absolutely brilliant. Newt managed to turn his own misdeeds into a seeming persecution by the liberal media. He even said that the actions of the moderator and his team were as “near despicable” as Newt could imagine. Apparently many of my friends agreed. “Why bring this up in a presidential debate?” is a question many people asked. Well, I can think of several reasons. One reason is that Gingrich has always run his campaign on a foundation of conservative values. I don’t recall any of those values including disposing of your wife for a newer model every few years (Mt 19). Another reason to bring this up is because the campaign process is a way for the American people to vet potential candidates. If this story is true then wouldn’t we want to know that the person running for our highest office has aberrant sexual desires that may be tied to other psychological issues? One other reason is because this was his wife! If he treated the person closest to him (supposedly) in such a thoughtless way, why wouldn’t he do the same to the millions of people in this country that he has never met? These are all legitimate questions.

Secondly, this is the same man who led the charge to impeach Clinton (which was successful in the house but not the Senate) over his behavior with Monica Lewinsky. Gingrich now says that it was not the behavior of President Clinton but the fact that he lied about it under oath that upset him. This is a pretty clever political maneuver but it has consequences. If Gingrich means these words, then he must be saying that an oath of office is more significant than an oath to your wife. In fact, in a recent interview on CNN (email me if you want the link) he says you can judge the former President’s actions (the affair) as a private citizen and not like it or like it. We are forced to conclude that Gingrich “liked” it because he reflected the exact same behavior in his personal life. We need to understand that if we elect Gingrich as President we are electing a man who has absolutely no moral high ground to use as collateral and is appalled at the very notion of being challenged on that issue.

Third, I am disgusted at the hypocrisy of every person who ever castigated President Clinton for his sinful actions but now wants to give Gingrich a pass. If it was a topic worthy of discussion then it is also worthy now. It should not matter if the politician is a Republican or Democrat.
We have got to get as serious about our own morality as we are about our politics. Double standards are a favorite tool of skeptics. We are supposed to be the salt and light. We could make the argument that we are voting on politics and not morals but I’m not sure that our Lord would appreciate that type of secular compartmentalization (Col 3:17).

I thought about writing as a conclusion that Gingrich could not do anything to win my vote but that is not true. There was a time in history when one of our great leaders was caught in an affair and a cover up and his reaction not only vindicated him but also increased his influence as a leader. Psalm 51 expresses that reaction. What Gingrich needs to do is repent. Confess his sin to God and be contrite. I want that for him and for his own good. But wouldn’t it be beautiful to have a leader like that?

- JC3

Final Update

2012-01-19T23:27:00.000-08:00

Last Update January 20, 2012 Thanks for reading these updates. This will be the last one as I am on my way home. Most of what we did the rest of last week was street work and trying to generate interest for the seminar Tuesday night. We have handed out many bibles and a lot of flyers. Speaking of Tuesday night, we finally had the seminar on How We Got The Bible. After some technical difficulties we got the presentation going. The DVD presentation was about 38 minutes long. Then we did questions and answers…. About 24 people showed up. If you don’t count the brethren then we had 10-12 people, some of whom we knew. However, we did have a few people show up that we had never met before. I think we generated some good leads.

The Q&A was eventful. We had lots of questions about canonicity (which books should be in the bible), the Apocrypha, and the Gnostic books. We also had one guy who really tried to give us a hard time. He wanted us to explain everything we said. That may sound like no big deal but let me recount one exchange:Visitor: What are you guys?Us: ChristiansVisitor: What kind of Christians?Us: We’re not affiliated with any organization and our congregations are local and autonomous.Visitor: What do you believe?Us: [explanation of the gospel]Visitor: Are you born again Christians?Us: Yes. That’s the only kind according to John 3.Visitor: No. No. You keep saying Jesus is the Christ. The bible never calls Jesus the Christ or god or anything.Us: Let’s read John 1Visitor: What do you mean by “the Word” (He was referencing John 1)Us: That is a reference to Jesus Christ (we read Jn 1:14)Visitor: No, no. The Word means sound or vibration. This man tried to tie up the entire Q&A period talking about a New Age spirituality. I tried to give him some latitude and be gracious but he became increasingly agitated. Eventually we had to move on if anyone else was going to get to ask questions. Afterword, he told me he knew he was right because he had met Jesus “and really liked the guy.” I gave him my information and hopefully we will be in touch again. We had another man who expressed his frustrations with some of the Irish churches not paying their debts and how it was really causing him a crisis of faith. Hopefully we can help him. We also had another man there named Theophilus who asked a lot of good questions about why some books are part of the canon and some are not. We answered as many questions as we could and are going to be in touch some more. All in all I think it went well. Some leads were generated and I actually got to share the gospel with a few non-believers (praise God for this gift!). Hopefully much will come of this. Wednesday Michael showed me another part of the Island and Thursday night I taught the brethren in Cork before leaving early Friday morning. God willing I will be back in KY on Friday the 20th. I cannot wait to see my family and my church family and friends. Thanks for being interested in the work I have been doing. God bless you and would you say a prayer for my travel? Grace and peace and love, -JC3

Ireland Update January 13, 2012

2012-01-13T05:47:00.000-08:00

Hello all, Sorry it has been a couple of days since I last updated. We have been pretty busy around here. Monday was fairly busy. Michael took me out to see Blarney Castle early in the day. That was amazing, as it is one of the most famous places in the world. In fact, the Discovery Channel listed “kissing the Blarney stone” as one of the 99 things to do before you die. Later that day we did some street evangelism and had a bible study that evening with one of the Christians here in Cork.

Tuesday (the Irish pronounce it choos-day) we started off with a bible study with a couple from the church here and then spent the rest of the day at one of the universities nearby. We were set up with a table of free bibles and literature about the upcoming seminar we are doing.

This was an experience. We managed to give away perhaps a dozen bibles. Unfortunately, we got some resistance too. It is a little strange to have people laugh in your face when you ask if they would like a bible. Some were exceptionally rude but others were nice. Michael made me laugh as we offered a bible to one person and they said, “nah I’m good” to which Michael retorted, “but are you good enough?” Good question, and given the opportunity we would have explained that none of us are goo enough. Thank God for His amazing grace! We stayed at the university till dark and headed back home to the Connolly’s where Ramash is feeding us well. We drove up to Dublin on Wednesday. That is about a 2 ½ hour drive. We spent the entire day there. We went to two museums. One is the Chester Beatty library where several of the oldest papyri of the Bible (P45, P46, and P66 for the textual nerds out there) are housed. Unbelievable!

Following this we walked down to Trinity College (founded 1592) where they keep the Book of Kells, which is one of the great treasures of biblical manuscripts. I could write a great deal about the book but I won’t. If you want to know more “Google that stuff man.” That evening we met with the brethren in Dublin before driving back to Carrigaline where we arrived about midnight. Thursday I taught the brethren at the Connolly’s home. We are still trying to generate a great deal of interest for this seminar on Tuesday. Please pray that we will meet a lot of people and that the word will be spread. Thanks for reading and grace and peace and love to you all. - JC3

Third Update January 9, 2012

2012-01-09T02:34:00.001-08:00

It is Monday morning here. The last several days have been very productive. Saturday we spent time in downtown Cork or “Cork city” as the locals would say. We handed out a lot more bibles that day than we had previously. While we were there I met a religious white supremacist who talked my ear off for over twenty minutes. I think he was trying to convert me. He made me a little uncomfortable at one point by which I mean that I thought he might be insane and violent. But everything worked out ok so that was grand (they say “grand” here instead of “great”). Sunday we drove out to Glenn and Louise’s where the brethren meet for study and worship on Sunday’s. I taught the class period and “preached” to them as well. Louise fed us all a very nice lunch and we visited with the brethren and encouraged each other for a while. We came home yesterday evening and spent time here at the Connolly’s home. They have movie night for their girls every Sunday night. We were joined by one of Ramash’s friends from Kazakhstan who was visiting. All in all, the last few days have been good. We are getting ready to head out to meet some more people now. Blessings and love to you all. - JC3

Second Update January 6, 2012

2012-01-06T03:25:00.000-08:00

Michael’s family is great. Ramash, Michael’s wife is wonderful although she has been feeding us too much. His kids are great too. Ruthie is a very smart 8 year old who loves to read, a habit that is dear to my heart as you all well know. Esfir (Russian for Esther) is 7 years old and very funny. She likes to color. And then there is Sara. Sara is the life of the party. She is only two but she has such personality. I am really enjoying getting to know them all. Yesterday Michael and I spent time in downtown Cork handing out free Bibles and invitations to the seminar we are doing on Jan 17th called How We Got The Bible. It was pretty fun. We handed out hundreds of invitations but only had two people interested in taking a Bible. I can’t say I am all that surprised. I have been trying to give away Bibles since September in the states and haven’t had much more luck.

Last night I taught the brethren here in Cork at Michael and Ramash’s home. The lesson was about Learning to Be Loved By God. The point is that until we truly believe and accept how outrageously that God loves us it is impossible to be the person He wants us to be. Interestingly, of the people who were here, two of us were originally from America, one from Belgium, one from Kazakhstan and two from South Africa. We’re an eclectic bunch. And even though we have so many cultural differences it is beautiful to see how the gospel and our Savior binds all together. I was pretty tired by the time I went to bed but I got some sleep and am ready to go again. Thanks for reading. Much love to you all. JC3

First Update Jan 4th

2012-01-04T17:03:00.000-08:00

First things first: thanks for caring enough about what I’m doing to actually read this. I arrived to the Louisville airport on Monday and breezed through security. I got to my gate and discovered that my flight had been delayed. Instead of leaving at 12:25 Monday afternoon we left at 3PM. Luckily I had time to make it to my connecting flight in Newark. I got to Newark and made the long trip all the way across the airport. When I got to my gate I discovered that we were taking off on time and by 8PM that evening we were in the air headed to Shannon, Ireland. Our flight is considered an overnight flight. It was just a little over 5 hours long (due to the tailwind) but we were fast-forwarding 5 hours to Ireland time. I arrived in Ireland at 6 AM Tuesday morning, quite tired because I was unable to sleep on the plane. Michael Connolly told me I needed to stay up till nighttime if I wanted to beat my jet lag. So, we were off to do a few things to keep my mind and body awake. We went to the cliffs of Moher. JC3

These cliffs are one of the wonders of the world. But we went at 7AM as the dawn was breaking (this is a cold, damp, and dark dawn) and the wind and rain was whipping at us at 140-160 kmh (that’s 80-100 mph)! We stayed out there on the cliff for about three minutes before walking briskly back to the car. (Obviously I didn't take this picture of the cliffs) The weather changes quickly in Ireland and by noon it was sunny and a little warmer. Michael and Glenn (the two brothers who picked me up) took me to Adare Manor. Adare Manor is an 18th century castle. Below and to the right is an actual pic of the castle.

We went in and had some coffee. This was old hat for my Irish friends but we don’t get the opportunity to have coffee in a castle in Kentucky. After leaving the castle we headed back down to Cork, Ireland where Michael and his family live. Ramash, Michael’s wife, made us dinner and I spent some time getting to know her and their three daughters; Ruthie (8), Esvere (7), and Sara (2). I got to talk to Katie that evening at about 6 PM, Ireland time, and later that evening, after being awake for 30 hrs or so I finally, mercifully, hit the sack. Today was a day of preparation as we made arrangements for a seminar we are going to do in Cork on How We Got The Bible. This evening we met with the brethren and I began teaching about discipleship with a lesson on “leaving everything for Jesus.” I will tell you more about the brethren tomorrow. It is 1 AM here and I am tired. Love to you all. JC3

Ireland Evangelism

2011-12-24T14:39:00.000-08:00

I am headed to Ireland in 9 days. I am going to be staying with Michael Connolly and his family. Michael is the minister for a church that meets in Cork. I am greatly looking forward to spreading the gospel with Michael and the fellowship with brethren. I am going to try and start updating this blog again and the trip to Ireland is a good place to start. grace and peace, JC3

Some Thoughts From Perry Hall

2010-05-20T13:32:00.000-07:00

The Gospel is not words, parables, philosophies, or platitudes; although the gospel is told in all those forms. The gospel is flesh, lived in the flesh, suffered and triumphed in the flesh; the purpose to be ultimately imitated by us in our flesh.
That is the real transforming power of the gospel. God did not send a prophet or story teller only. God did not send just a teacher or philosopher. God sent God. The Father sent the Son in a form foreign to Himself to teach us how to live contrary to ourselves. And in living contrary to ourselves, the paradoxical truth is learned that in such living we live truly to ourselves. In denying ourselves we find ourselves. We learn to live like Jesus lived; and to die like Jesus died.
The weakness found in so many Christians’ lives is that the gospel is learned but not led; understood but not undertaken. To truly be a Christian, we must be Christ-like. Power is found in not just telling the story of the woman caught in adultery, but to be that woman, and to be the Christ who forgave her. Supremacy above self is discovered by not just seeing ourselves as the Pharisee who did not wash Jesus’ feet, but to become the woman who covered His feet with her tears. The weakness in so many of us is that we know the gospel story intellectually but fail to see the heart of it. The gospel is not just about knowing who Jesus is, but why Jesus came. It is more than just coming to save me, but encompasses coming to lead me to save others.
Too many Christians live weak lives because they fail to see the power in how the gospel story is told. It is told by being lived; and retold in us by being imitated to where the imitation becomes our reality. We become the gospel.
- Perry Hall

Blinded By Delight

2010-04-13T20:35:00.000-07:00

Sin has its’ pleasures. We just have to forego the “pleasures” for the greater good. That’s what it means to be a Christian. How many times have we heard these words?
We seem to have an understanding with God. He puts us in a world filled with “pleasures” and as long as we can avoid them He’ll give us a pretty awesome existence in eternity (whatever that is). In other words, if you have no fun now, you can have a lot of fun later.
Do you see why this seems a little hard to accept for some people? I’ve had many people ask me; doesn’t God want me to be happy? What am I supposed to say? No, God wants you to be miserable. Sure He’s a God of love but…well, um, it’s hard to explain…God works in mysterious ways and all…
The truth is that God does want us to be happy. I’m reminded of passages like this one:
“So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead…you love him (Jesus) even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him, you trust him; and even now you are happy with a glorious, inexpressible joy.” (1 Peter 1:6-8, NLT)
Peter seemed to think that these Christians were very happy people. History tells us that many of these brothers and sisters were so satisfied and content with their new lives in Jesus that they chose death when faced with commands to abandon their faith. To put it mildly; these people were very happy with the lives they were living. Of course they were faced with their share of hardships. As we’ve already noticed these believers were subject to torture, imprisonment, and sometimes murder because of their faith, yet they somehow found joy in their lives.
We seem to think that the better we get at doing this “Christian thing” the less joy (fun) we are going to have. In fact, history tells us that there have been entire movements among Christianity that believed self deprivation was the key to godliness (i.e. the Gnostics, and various other ascetics).
So there seems to be a conflict. Whether we’re willing to admit it or not, many of us have come to believe that Christianity consists mostly of suppressing our desires. Yet, a reading of the N.T. reveals that just the opposite was true in the beginning of the church. So, what is the problem?
C.S. Lewis put it this way; “Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition, when infinite joy is offered to us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in the slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”
Like so many other problems we have created for our self, we just don’t understand the concept of real joy. The reason we continue to struggle in the silliness of sin is not because our desires are too strong. Our desires are too weak.
We need a desire for God that eclipses our lust for sin. Galatians 5:16 tells us that walking by the Spirit leads us to not fulfill the desires of the flesh. In other words, if you want win in the struggle with sin, stop focusing so much on Satan and start concentrating on God.
There is a reason that the Hebrew writer referred to “deceitfulness” of sin. It’s not that sin doesn’t deliver what it promises, because it very often does. The gratification of sensual pleasures, the sudden release of anger, and the satisfaction of pride all deliver the feelings we sometimes crave. If they didn’t, temptation would lose its luster. No, the reason sin is deceitful is because it makes us think we are truly satisfied when we’re really just quieted for the moment. The answer to our problem is right before our eyes; “set your mind on things above, not the things that are on the Earth” (Col 3:1-2). If we can quit settling for the passing pleasure of sin and turn up our desire for the righteousness of God then we can begin to make our life the beacon God planned for it to be.
Sin has its pleasures alright. But sin does not offer the true desire of our heart; to know God, find peace, and be loved in a way that surpasses understanding. To God be the glory, now and forever! Amen.
-JC3

What Would You Do?

2010-03-12T05:38:00.000-08:00

What would you do in such a climate? If secret police ransacked your home and dragged you to your basement as they beat your wife and children, would you reveal the names of the other Christians in your church? It’s a question we need to ask because we need to know the answer. If we wait till we are faced with decisions of this sort, even much less dramatic ones, our devotion will surely come up lacking.

Paul told the Philippians (ch.1) that word of his imprisonment had scattered far and wide. Indeed, we already know that Paul went to prison. The man who had dragged men and woman to prison for their faith in Christ now sat imprisoned for serving the same Master. Paul must have thought of those people as he lived his life in chains, especially the faithful ones – the ones who would not break. Christians who would rather live or even die in prison than to betray their King and His disciples would have given Paul great comfort. Paul’s willingness to do the same gave the church the motivation it needed. In Philippians 1:12-14 he says; “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.”

Had we lived at the time we would be faced with two options when hearing of Paul’s suffering. We could have learned to be quieter. After all, some would say that Paul brought this on his self by going to the synagogue every weekend and antagonizing the Jews. Or we could take courage from men like Paul and determine to be more faithful ourselves. We could finally get up one morning and go tell our neighbors that Jesus died for their sins and that there is hope in His righteousness. It might have cost us our lives, but Jesus said whoever lost their life for His sake would find it.

So what would you do? You may think it’s difficult to answer when you’re not faced with the same situations, but that’s not true.

Examine your level of devotion right now. If it were suddenly illegal to teach the gospel in public would you be in danger of the law? If you were banned from talking about Jesus at work would your job be in danger? If the government banned all Christianity except Sunday and Wednesday assemblies would you have to change anything about your life? If you answer no to any of those questions then you would not be faithful under persecution. Persecution doesn’t make weak people stronger. It makes strong people stronger. If you don’t have enough faith to talk to a friend about Jesus when the worst thing that could happen is them telling you they’re not interested, do you honestly think you’d be faithful when your life is on the line?

If persecution ever comes to this nation there will be much fewer churches. Not just because the buildings will be burned, but because many people will surrender their faith. I would dare say that most congregations (if not all) have some people who will easily quit Jesus if He becomes illegal. This has been the case in every single country where persecution has taken place. The churches get smaller, but they get stronger (obviously, since all the weak people have left).

What about you? If the persecution comes, will you abandon the Lord who redeemed you? You need to know the honest answer to that question, because God already does. And if you don’t figure it out and fix where you’re lacking, you may be in for a surprise on judgment day.

A man once asked Jesus what the most important commandment in the law was, and Jesus said; well, what do you think? The man replied that we need to love God with all of our heart and strength and to love all the people we come in contact with as if they were our very own flesh. Jesus told Him; do this and you will live…..

- JC3

Pursuing Perfection

2009-12-20T20:36:00.000-08:00

What if I told you that my children just aren’t good enough? I’ve told them what I expect but they just won’t do it. I am patient and they break the rules. I give them what they need and they don’t thank me half of the time. I love them but they can’t seem to satisfy my demands. What should I do?
Well, I’ve made a decision. My wife and I are making a will. We are going to hang the will up in our kitchen and just below it we are going to place a small chalkboard with both of our daughters’ names on it. Here’s how we hope to make some progress: if they break a rule, any rule, no matter how small, we are going to wipe their names off the chalkboard. If they get wiped off, they’re out. No inheritance, no longer part of the family. We think that this punishment will make them “tow the line.” If they are constantly terrified of being kicked out of our family surely they will stop breaking the rules and start being obedient, perfectly obedient – all the time.
Now, some of our friends have warned us that this might be a harmful thing to do. One friend actually said that living in the shadow of abandonment will actually cause our children to make more mistakes. She said; “when children live in constant fear of breaking specific rules they tend to focus on those rules that they broke most recently.” She added that; “soon they will break rules they weren’t focused on, because they were trying to perfectly keep the ones they had obsessed over. Now they’ll have a new obsession.” She said; “pretty soon they will realize that perfection is a hopeless pursuit and they will just give up.”
That gave us some pause. We certainly do not want them to give up. Our hope is the opposite - that eventually they will keep all of our rules and be worthy of our inheritance. In fact, the things our friends were telling us really made us slow down and reflect on our new philosophy. But then we realized what hypocrites they were being. You see, our friends are Christians. Here they were telling us not to treat our children with such rigid standards yet look at them! Of course, they don’t treat their children that way. No, they are very loving and compassionate with their children. They forgive them all the time, and sometimes they just overlook mistakes toward a so called “greater good.” This is how they thought all people should raise their children. But then we noticed a glaring inconsistency because this is not how they relate to their God. These same people who told us not to treat our children like they can be perfectly obedient turn around and expect perfect obedience from their self. “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil 2:12) they say. They remind us that God is a jealous God who has never tolerated disobedience and sin (no matter what sin) is disobedience; hence any single sin will get us kicked out of God’s family.
But we reply; think about it: God is a father. We are to imitate God. If this is how God treats us; fear of abandonment, rigid rules, a “little blackboard of righteousness” shouldn’t we imitate it with our own children? Why don’t we kick our kids out of the family every time they fail, if that is what God does?
Do you see where this is going? Every thing I’ve said till now is made up. My wife and I do not treat our children that way. Why? It’s common sense. We don’t disown our children every time they make a mistake because they are our children. The family bond we have supersedes the problems that sometimes arise from our weaknesses and failures. We look at our children and see our family and God does the same thing. Jesus Himself taught us to view God as our Heavenly Father: In the model prayer Jesus prayed; “Our Father who art in Heaven… (Matt 6:9).” In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus made intercession for us, and the first word He said was; “Father” (John 17:1). Then in Romans 1:7 the Apostle Paul greets his brothers and sisters by saying “Grace and Peace from our Father…”
Make no mistake. We are God’s family. He adopted us (Ephesians 1). As family, we have a special relationship with God. He calls us to peace and to freedom. He offers us salvation and fills us with hope. But what do we do?
In every family, the relationship is reciprocal. You do something, I do something. Parents love and nurture and discipline, and children are expected to learn and grow and love. Like a good parent God looks at us as His children. In fact, there is an entire section of scripture that makes this comparison. Hebrews 12:3-11 compares Earthly Fathers with the Heavenly Father. The writer makes many points, but the fundamental truth in the text is that God is working on us. He says that God disciplines (chastens) us when we need it. And boy do we need it? Like family, God doesn’t allow us to just go live and act however we feel at the time. No, we have a family name to think about. We are the children of the King and He expects us to act like it. But gladly for us, we serve a patient King.
But what specifically is my end of the bargain? What do I have to do to make God happy? All of these are legitimate questions that we will address next month. But until then you need to know this; God wants you to go to Heaven. He loves you. He is rooting for you to win. He hurts when you hurt and He’s happy when you are. He knows your birthday, and the things that scare you. God knows all about you because He’s your Father.

The Acting of a Stage Player

2009-11-21T06:43:00.000-08:00

“The acting of a stage player.” That’s the definition of the Bible word “hypocrisy.” Wrestling up images of Broadway and our local theatres, that definition conveys the meaning well. When we think of a hypocrite we imagine those who have lied to us: those who have pretended to be our friends only to betray us later. We may think of politicians and preachers. Especially the ones who have led crusades against things they are later involved in. Like the minister who gets caught in adultery or a homosexual relationship. When we imagine a hypocrite we see someone who has taken advantage of us. Whether they betrayed our confidence or let us down, they are people who have offended our sense of what is right and just.
This is the word Jesus chose to describe the Pharisees. No chapter of the Bible illustrates this better than Matthew 23. In Matthew 23 Jesus tells His disciples to avoid being like the hypocritical Pharisees at any cost. He lists reason after reason why the Pharisees represented everything that was wrong with organized religion. Whether it was their public prayers that they said only for attention, or the way they demanded things from their neighbors that they were unwilling to do themselves, Jesus was clear; do as they say but not as they do.
But this comes as no surprise. Most people know that Jesus clashed with this group of religious elitists. This fact has even given birth to a form of religious slur. If you have ever been called a “Pharisee” or “pharisaical” you probably realized it was not a compliment. If you thought it was, I’m sorry to break it to you, but these days that’s about the worst thing you can be called in religious circles. If somebody slings this arrow at you, you can be sure they meant to tell you something. Likely, what they meant to say is that you’re hypocrite, or a legalist, or a two faced lying jerk…to put it nicely.
I’ve been called a Pharisee before. Perhaps you have. It’s not pleasant but it happens. More often than not the “Pharisee” barb is hurled when someone perceives that you’re making strict rules that (they think) don’t matter. It’s hard to hear a person say this. When you know that if they’d just listen to you they’d realize that what you’re telling them is right. So what do you do?
First; listen to them – they maybe right. As heart breaking as it may be to hear someone insult us for our convictions often the sting is our own conscience telling us they’re right. In Matthew 23:23 Jesus says; "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.” This is the passage that immediately precedes that famous verse about “straining out gnats and swallowing camels.” These two verses stand as a condemnation of the empty religion that is found in many churches today. The saddest truth of all is that many Christians today are a lot more like the Pharisees than they are willing to admit or even realize.
You see the Pharisees started out with good intentions. Men who wanted to preserve the religious traditions and practices of their people should be admired for that. Yet, their desire for being “right” religiously soon gave way to fanatical legalism. They made laws that God had never made and they bound practices that God had never required. Incessant hand washing became a hallmark of the 1st century Pharisees. So much so that on one occasion they accused Jesus’ disciples if eating while unclean. But Jesus did not play around with these zealots. Whether they condemned Him for eating with sinners, or His disciples for healing on the Sabbath, Jesus was quick to remind them that there are some things that are more important than specific rules. In Matthew 23:23 Jesus calls these things the “weightier matters of the law” which (by definition) make them more important. And what were these things? Was it sacrifices or tithing? No. Jesus tells them that justice, mercy and faithfulness are the things they need to focus on.
What does that have to do with us? Have we developed the same culture that the Pharisees did? Are we more concerned about minor things and tedious practices than we are with the over arching themes of God’s character? Have we focused so much on the externals that we have forgotten that being connected with God through Jesus is the primary purpose of our calling?
What would it look like if every one of us awoke with the thought of faithfulness on our mind? What if we rose to a new day and asked God to use us in His service and to grow our faith? And what if He actually did it? Imagine the spiritual revolution that could be started if each of us spent a little more time looking “in the mirror instead” of “out the window.” So how do we begin? Jesus answered that question when He told His disciples and all who we’re listening to “deny self…and follow me.” So maybe we could begin by giving up our efforts to “drag” people to Jesus. Instead, let’s just ask Him to help us follow as closely and as humbly as we can…and keep your eyes open. Because I think that soon you’ll look over your shoulder to see a crowd gathering. True discipleship is unasked faith that needs no stage. That’s the opposite of hypocrisy. That’s the answer.

-JC3

Sorry for my absence

2009-10-16T06:39:00.001-07:00

I have been in a meeting in London, KY all week. I have fallen a little behind on my writing. But I will be back next week. Keep checking.

- JC3

Preaching Today...

2009-09-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

"Micah, His Mother, and Misplaced Faith"

Judges 17 and 18 contains an account of mother and son that seems lifted from a modern newspaper. What lessons can we learn about faith and worship?

"Qualities of Elders"

Contiuing our series on the eldership we will examine some of the qualities required of God's Bishop's

-JC3

What Would You Do?

2009-09-16T14:27:00.000-07:00

Can you imagine going to jail because your neighbors found out you were a Christian? Some wonder if this really happens today…well, it does. In fact, there are many Christians behind bars this very moment for no other reason than their faith.
What would you do in such a climate? If secret police ransacked your home and dragged you to your basement as they beat your wife and children, would you reveal the names of the other Christians in your church? It’s a question we need to ask because we need to know the answer. If we wait till we are faced with decisions of this sort, even much less dramatic ones, our devotion will surely come up lacking.
Paul told the Philippians (ch.1) that word of his imprisonment had scattered far and wide. Indeed, we already know that Paul went to prison. The man who had dragged men and woman to prison for their faith in Christ now sat imprisoned for serving the same Master. Paul must have thought of those people as he lived his life in chains, especially the faithful ones – the ones who would not break. Christians who would rather live or even die in prison than to betray their King and His disciples would have given Paul great comfort. Paul’s willingness to do the same gave the church the motivation it needed. In Philippians 1:12-14 he says; “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.”
Had we lived at the time we would be faced with two options when hearing of Paul’s suffering. We could have learned to be quieter. After all, some would say that Paul brought this on his self by going to the synagogue every weekend and antagonizing the Jews. Or we could take courage from men like Paul and determine to be more faithful ourselves. We could finally get up one morning and go tell our neighbors that Jesus died for their sins and that there is hope in His righteousness. It might have cost us our lives, but Jesus said whoever lost their life for His sake would find it.
So what would you do? You may think it’s difficult to answer when you’re not faced with the same situations, but that’s not true.
Examine your level of devotion right now. If it were suddenly illegal to teach the gospel in public would you be in danger of the law? If you were banned from talking about Jesus at work would your job be in danger? If the government banned all Christianity except Sunday and Wednesday assemblies would you have to change anything about your life? If you answer no to any of those questions then you would not be faithful under persecution. Persecution doesn’t make weak people stronger. It makes strong people stronger. If you don’t have enough faith to talk to a friend about Jesus when the worst thing that could happen is them telling you they’re not interested, do you honestly think you’d be faithful when your life is on the line?
If persecution ever comes to this nation there will be much fewer churches. Not just because the buildings will be burned, but because many people will surrender their faith. I would dare say that most congregations (if not all) have some people who will easily quit Jesus if He becomes illegal. This has been the case in every single country where persecution has taken place. The churches get smaller, but they get stronger (obviously, since all the weak people have left).
What about you? If the persecution comes, will you abandon the Lord who redeemed you? You need to know the honest answer to that question, because God already does. And if you don’t figure it out and fix where you’re lacking, you may be in for a surprise on judgment day.
A man once asked Jesus what the most important commandment in the law was, and Jesus said; well, what do you think? The man replied that we need to love God with all of our heart and strength and to love all the people we come in contact with as if they were our very own flesh. Jesus told Him; do this and you will live…..

-JC3

Preaching Today...

2009-09-13T06:23:00.000-07:00

"Who Is Keeping This World Together"

A common sentiment, especially in America, is that the fate of the world depends on man. Is this Biblical, or is it a symptom of a culture that has forgotten God?

- JC3

3000 Miles Wide And 3 Inches Deep

2009-09-04T11:57:00.000-07:00

70% of Americans believe that “many” religions lead to eternal life. This is the finding of a recent study done by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public life. Though many Americans are very happy with their particular “faith traditions” they refuse to admit that theirs is the only right way. In fact, the study found that 44% of those polled thought their religious group should preserve their faith traditions, but they disagree that “their way” is the only one that leads to eternal life.
Some have praised these findings as evidence of the tolerance and love present in American faith these days, while others are saddened by what they view as apostasy and cowardice.
Several reporters were quick to pick up the story. As I read their takes on the information I was not surprised at their reactions. Just like the majority of Americans who espouse a pluralistic view of religion, the majority of reporters penned words of agreement. Like any good reporter, they tried to remain objective, but much like Adam and Eve hiding in the garden, we are often betrayed, not by our tone, but by the very words we say. One reporter in his summary of the study said; “Some Christians hold strongly to Jesus' words as described in John 14:6: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Others emphasize the wideness of God's grace. (emphasis mine – JC)” If this sounds like an innocent assessment of the facts, perhaps you should read it again. Implied in this statement is that there are two types of believers; one group who “strongly believes” Jesus’ words in John 14:6, and another who “emphasize the wideness of God’s grace.” Is this the truth? Are we willing to agree that we can be shoved in to one of these two categories? If so, which will you choose? Do you “strongly believe” Jesus’ words or do you “emphasize God’s grace?” And if you choose one, why do you exclude the other?
Many of the studies findings were as contradictory as they were shocking. 92% of Americans said they believe in God, while nearly half questioned whether He exists. Still more surprising was the fact that over 20% of the “self described” Atheists said they believed in God, with 8% saying they were “certain of it.”
If you find these results as amazing as I do, you probably have asked yourselves some of the same questions, like; how can this be serious? Do people actually believe this way? And most importantly we ask, what does God think about this?
You are probably not surprised by this study, for we have seen others like it, and we see the evidence of such weakness of faith in our own communities. Yet each time we read new evidence that confirms our concerns we are reminded of some basic shortcomings that Americans have in regards to religion, specifically Christianity. Such as knowledge of the fact that; sometimes you’re wrong! The study (and the subsequent analyses) pointed out that Americans differ sharply on religious convictions yet are willing to accept one another’s beliefs as equally legitimate, yet they didn’t point out that God disagrees with this conclusion. Indeed, since the beginning of time God has had different covenants with man, yet at no time did God permit man to worship “whatever god he chose.” In Exodus 20:3 Jehovah says; “you shall have no other gods before me.” To see how serious He was about this admonition we can look to 1 Kings 9:6-9. In this passage Jehovah warns Solomon of the consequences of serving other gods. He tells Solomon that if it happens, the people will suffer, and soon become a by word. God’s people would literally become an object of scorn because of their disobedience.
So, how do we reconcile Jehovah’s own words with the concept of His grace? Certainly the reporter quoted above thinks that God’s grace could never allow such a punishment. But what does the book say? In Acts 4:12 Peter and John make a statement that faithful Christians have always believed; “…there is salvation in no one else…” speaking of Jesus. What they declared that day we still hold to be true – there is no way to eternal life except through Jesus!
No doubt someone will respond by saying; “that’s just your religion!” Making the point that many religions don’t believe the same thing – and they’re correct. Many religions don’t believe that Jesus is the only way to salvation – but those religions are wrong. Now, some may think that statement to be judgmental and mean, but what’s worse is that many who call themselves Christians would agree with them. Therein lays the problem. In this country we have the freedom to believe what we want and worship what we want and we have abused that freedom. This country as a whole has swallowed this notion of pluralism so anxiously that now most American’s faith is just the way D. Michael Lindsay of Rice University described it; “3000 miles wide, and 3 inches deep.” Meaning it may span across many different “faiths” and beliefs, but it’s has no depth.
So what do we do? How can we rectify a problem that has grown to epidemic proportions? The same way we handle any problem – consult our Maker. We need to look back to the Bible to know God’s will, and to understand His plan. Only then can we make true spiritual progress.
Some may scoff and say this notion is archaic and antiquated, and they might be half right. If by archaic they mean this way of thinking is old, they are certainly correct, because it’s been thousands of years since God first made a covenant with man and He has always demanded obedience to Him above all others. So we can take pride in the age of our system. But more than argue about age we need to debate about truth, and one truth that will never change is this: The Jesus who brought grace in to the world is the same Jesus who said; “I am the way the truth, and the life, no man comes to the Father but by me.”

- JC3

Preaching Today...

2009-08-30T06:17:00.000-07:00

"Loving Correction....Seriously"

How do we react when someone corrects us? It says a great deal more abotu our spiritual maturity than we might like to reveal.

- JC3

Does Religion Make You Nice?

2009-08-27T10:52:00.000-07:00

Is it possible for a person to be an Atheist and still be nice? Is it possible for them to be trustworthy? Most Americans don’t think so. According to a Gallup poll from 2007 most Americans say they would not trust a self described Atheist to run this country. In an article I read recently, written by a man named Paul Bloom, he explored whether there was an actual connection between being religious and being nice.
Bloom points out that the battle between secular humanist’s and those of faith has been raging the last few years with each blaming the other for the world’s ills. Bloom notes Dostoyevsky’s famous quote; “Where there is no God, all is permitted” and a quote from famous Atheist Christopher Hitchens who said; “Religion poisons everything.” The debate over the merits of religion often devolves in to quoting the most heinous pages of the history books in an effort to see whether believers or non believers have a higher body count.
Bloom assumes in his article that people of faith think that religion makes us better and a lack of religion makes us worse. He goes to great length to prove that while it is true that Atheists are more statistically likely to say they feel miserable, that it is actually the fault of the ‘religious communities’ in this country. Bloom’s conclusions come from a belief that community is the only real contribution that religion has made to the world. He cites the Danes and the Swedes as proof of this. He claims that both of these societies are filled with people who continue in the religious traditions of their family without actually believing in God. He points out that they rape and kill one another less than Americans, thus religion doesn’t actually make you nicer. He then decries the ‘treatment’ of Atheists and sums up by saying; “Religion may not poison everything, but it deserves part of the blame for this one.”
This article serves as a good example of what many secularists are trying to do this country, and the world. The dishonesty and ignorance of men like this author and other Atheists has made a serious discussion with them nearly impossible. Bloom’s ‘hit piece’ on religion is a good example of this. Take for example the thesis of his article, namely that some assert that religion makes you nicer. Have you ever heard anyone say this? I hope not! Religion does not make you nice. Christianity does! Ephesians 4:32 says; “be kind to on another…” I realize that the primary application of that passage is dealing with our brethren, but consider Galatians 6:10; “…do good to everyone, especially those of the household of faith.” That passage shows us that kindness or ‘niceness’ should be the disposition of the Christian. But why is that?
Are Christians nice just because their religious? No. In fact, I have met many ‘religious’ people who weren’t very nice. But those who are Christians in the truest sense of the word, those that exemplify Christ in their words and actions are very nice people. We need to remember this fact. Never forget that it was the ‘religious’ Egyptians that enslaved God’s people for so many years. It was the ‘religious’ Athenians that Paul tried to lure out of idolatry. It was the ‘religious’ Jews and Romans that executed Jesus. Being ‘religious’ doesn’t make us any nicer than it makes us righteous. Religion alone is powerless. Until we inject the Son of God into our religion, our faith, then it means nothing. Romans 12:2 says; “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Unless we are ready to do that the best we can hope for is vain, meaningless religion.
One more thing I may say in reference to this article is to beware of deceitfulness among what you read in the media. If you read Bloom’s article you may have realized that his initial question is whether religion makes you nice. If you recall, he uses the Danes and the Swedes to prove that this is not the case. He argued that they did not really believe in God, thus ‘religion’ isn’t really what makes you nice. Did you notice what he did there? He shifts from a discussion of believing in God to religion mid sentence. What Bloom really proves is that the Danes and Swedes are ‘nice’ but by his own assertion they are also religious. They don’t believe in God perhaps, but his argument depends on their being religious. I point all this out to remind you to be careful what you read. There are some who would deceive you.
Above all else we must remember that our faith is in the God of Heaven who sent His Son as a ransom for our sins. We owe a debt we cannot pay, and all God has asked is that we look to Jesus and strive to look like Jesus. If we do that we will be righteous…and ‘nice’ is just part of the package.

-JC3

Preaching Today...

2009-08-23T06:10:00.000-07:00

"Christianity Is Not Convenient"

In a world where anything you want can be picked up in a drive-thru, our taste for God's word has gone A-la carte.

- JC3

Listen To The Words...

2009-08-20T05:41:00.000-07:00

How many names can I use to explain the love of my Jesus,

the life that he gave and so many times will I praise you today.

I lift up my life ‘cause you’re always the same

And my offering to you I bring

Your name is Jesus.

Your name is Jesus.

You’re the Wonderful, Counselor, my Friend.

You’re what I hold on to; I know that you brought me through

All the days of loss, to the cross you knew I’d need a Savior.

How many songs can I sing to proclaim your wondrous love and beauty so great?

What would I say if you brought down the rain and everyday

I walk through the pain my heart would still say…

You’re what I hold on to; I know that you brought me through

All the days of loss, to the cross you knew

I’d need a Savior.

I’d need a Savior

I need you, Savior

-- Among The Thirsty

Preaching Today..

2009-08-16T05:10:00.000-07:00

"Aspiring To Be A Bishop"

This morning's message is really a candid look at why we don't have more shepherds in the Church. And what we can do to remedy that situation.

"Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit"

Tonight we are going to examine a controversial statement of Jesus that has engendered as much confusion these days as it did when He first said it.

"195 Lashes"

2009-08-15T09:54:00.000-07:00

Many who received even a small number of lashes died. The process of “lashing” an individual was horrific. They would rip off the persons clothes, bind their hands where their arms were spread apart and they would “lash” them with a leather whip. This whip would be of varying design, having anywhere between one and several leather thongs, which sometimes had small pieces of metal, stone, or bones in them, so as “bite” on to the flesh when it made contact. In the worst of cases, these whips would rip off big pieces of the individuals flesh leaving them exposed to the elements – often, with little hope of survival. A person could receive 39 of these lashes at any given point. Often a sentence was much lower, but sometimes they received the full mete. The actual limit placed on the Jews was 40 lashes for any one offense, but they self-limited that to 39 so as to ensure that they not exceed 40. Typically a person would receive 26 lashes to the back, and 13 to the chest. It was a punishment that took a long time to recover from…if you ever did.
Who would warrant such a horrible punishment? According to the Jews and even the Romans, there were a variety of offenses that demanded such a punishment - from theft to fornication, even receiving a tattoo. But who would you lash? Try to imagine who you feel is deserving of this punishment. Certainly we can imagine this horrible fate being perpetrated on murderers and rapists, and child abusers, but who else? What about Christians? What about preachers, or Elders? It is hard to imagine in our modern “civilized” culture that anyone would receive such a fate. It is still harder to fathom executing this and worse tortures on a people due to their faith. But this is exactly what happened. Many of our brethren from the early days of Christianity met with this fate and worse. Concerning these lashes, it is interesting to note that they would not often repeat this same punishment to a person. It was deemed severe to perpetrate it again, on an already mangled body. However, not everyone was the recipient of such beneficence.
In 2 Corinthians chapter 11 and verse 24 we read the Apostle Paul’s words; “Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.” The Apostle Paul did not receive 39 stripes, he did not receive 78 stripes, but rather he endured 195 lashes to his body. Can you imagine how mangled his chest and back must have been? This suffering was endured by a man who stands out among heroes - a man whose faith is an inspiration to millions – a man whose death was as brutal as his life. We read in 2 Corinthians 11 that he suffered these lashes, but there is much more in that context. If you read verses 15-31 you will see a man who suffered greatly. Shipwreck, being lost at sea, starvation, dehydration, cold and nakedness, being robbed, being deceived by false brethren and even being stoned were all a part of the Apostle Paul’s life as a Christian. How did he endure such hardship? Why would he endure such suffering? These are both questions that spring up as we read the eleventh chapter of second Corinthians. Let’s consider these questions, for in them, we may just find the secret to perseverance and joy.
How did the Apostle endure such suffering? He answered that question himself in 2 Corinthians 12. In verses 7-10 the Apostles relates an encounter with the Lord concerning what he calls a “thorn in the flesh.” What this thorn was we do not know, however, it was such a nuisance that Paul besought the Lord to remove it. The Lord answered no. Of course He did not just say know. Rather He said; “my grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor 12:9).” Because of this Apostle said in verse 10 that he was no longer going to ask for the removal of this and other problems, in fact he would now take pleasure in his sufferings for Christ’s sake, for when he is weak, then he is strong. This last statement, while it seems a little cryptic, actually holds the answer to our other question.
Why did the Apostle endure such suffering? As the Apostle learned from this encounter with the Lord; when we are weak, then we are strong. That makes little sense unless you understand the power of God. As children of God we have the privilege of petitioning our father in Heaven to help us in our time of need. Paul finally understood that in his times of deepest sorrow and hardship, he could turn to God with full faith and trust that the Great Architect of the heavens would hear his prayer and care for Him. I wonder if we forget that we serve this same God. I wonder if we forget that, though Paul was a mountain of a man, he was still just a man - a man…like you and I.
We often think of our devotion to the Lord in terms of what we might give up to prove our love for Him. In our culture, we have such an abundance of possessions that this is a very fitting exercise – but instead of asking yourself; what would I give up, ask yourself this; “What would I take on.” In other words, what would you be willing to suffer for the sake of Christ? In Acts 5:41 we see that some of the other Apostles were beaten for the name of Jesus and it says that they departed; “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.”
What are you willing to suffer? Shame? Beatings? Stoning? What about ridicule from your family or coworkers? What about the modern day leprosy of being labeled “close-minded?” Will you give your life?
If you’re not willing to die for Him, can you really say that you live for Him? The trail from the cross to the present is littered with the martyrs of many generations - thousands of disciples who freely gave it all for Him from whom all blessings flow.

- Jim Canada

Time To Let Go

2009-08-06T07:53:00.000-07:00

I once heard a story about an eagle and a sheep. As I recall it went something like this:
A man once stood on the banks of a great northern river and marveled at the power of the frigid water. It was a bitterly cold day but the allure of the falls was too much to keep visitors away. As the man stood there watching the water charge over the rocks, he noticed something floating down the stream. As it moved closer he noticed it was the body of a dead sheep. Just as he realized what it was, an eagle swooped down and landed on the sheep. The sheep briefly went under the water but popped right back above the surface. Amazed at this rare sight, all who stood nearby watched to see what would happen. Certainly the eagle would release and fly to safety, they thought. But it was cold. As the sheep and the eagle grew closer and closer to the falls it became clear that this great bird had no intention of releasing his bounty. Convinced of the strength of his own wings he sank his talons deeper into the now frozen wool of the sheep. As the eagle’s clutch grew tighter the tandem reached the falls and shot over into the open air. The powerful bird began to beat his wings wildly in an effort to glide away with his prey, but it would not be so. The bird seemed to realize his inability to carry this giant load as they quickly approached the sharp rocks below, but it was too late. The eagle had held on for too long and now he could not free himself from the grasp of the sheep’s wool. He was still struggling to release when both eagle and sheep crashed against the icy rocks and perished.
There was a time when the eagle could have let go and flown to safety. If he had seriously considered the dangers of tangling himself with this doomed carcass he could have easily released and lived. But an eagle, despite its’ majesty and pride is just a brute beast. Surely no human would ever be so stubborn. At least that’s what we tell ourselves. But are we really that different from the bird? If we are honest with ourselves I think we can learn some lessons from this story.
First of all; when it’s time to let go…let go. Ephesians 4:22-24 says; “put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires…and put on the new self, created in the likeness of God...”(ESV). We see phrases like this all throughout the New Testament. God is calling us through His Son to let go of the world and conform to the image of Jesus (Rom 12:1-2). When we obey the gospel of Christ it is time to make a change (Rom 6). That is what repentance is all about. Unfortunately, some never let go of the world. They try to balance a godly image with their secret worldliness. We need to understand that no such balance exists. You either serve God, or you serve the devil. No man can have two masters. It doesn’t take much to fool the world. You can lie and deceive and make all your brethren believe that you are producing the fruit of the spirit, but if your heart is not right one day your hypocrisy will be exposed. God is not mocked (Gal 6), whatever you sow, you will reap. So it’s time to let go. It’s time to repent and really mean it. It’s time to turn to God and ask His forgiveness for the deception, the secrets and the lies. Whether this is the first time or thousandth time, it is time to get right with God. Because there is another lesson we see from the story of the sheep and the eagle.
It will soon be too late. In my life I have been unfortunate enough to see Christians who were “managing the clock” with their soul. They were doing just we’ve noticed; pretending to love God, while serving the flesh and hiding their sins. I am ashamed to admit it, but there was a time in my life when this was true of me. Perhaps you’re guilty of “watching the clock.” I mean, have you ever engaged in activities that you knew were wrong? Have you said things that were ungodly or looked at filth on your computer and knew it was a sin? But in the back of your mind you thought; “I have time.” Have you said; I know I need to quit doing these things, I know I’m like a clean pig jumping headlong back into the mud, but I’ve got time to make it right? Well understand this; you don’t have time. You may live long enough to actually make a change (and praise God for that) but the time you have now is not “extra time.” If you do actually live long enough to make it right, and make your faith genuine, then you will sorely regret these days when you ridiculed Jesus with your half-hearted devotion. And what is worse, the damage you are doing to those around you may never be undone. In 2 Chronicles 33 we see the story of an evil king. Manasseh was the son of the great king Hezekiah, but Manasseh led an evil life. He sinned and caused others to sin. However, late in his life Manasseh repented. He came back to the Lord and was righteous, but for his people it was too late. Even his children could not be influenced. The evil in his house and in his country grew worse and worse partly due to the way he had lived his life. The world and its’ lusts are a bloated sheep carcass. At one point or another all of us sink our talons into its wool and puff ourselves up with the pride of its pleasures. But this world is racing toward the falls of utter destruction (2 Peter 3). One day that carcass will crash against the rocks and burst open in destruction. Then only one question will stand between us and eternal glory; did you let go?

It’s time to let go.

-JC3

Listen to the Words...

2009-08-05T08:54:00.000-07:00

Step out on a busy street

See a girl and our eyes meet

Does her best to smile at me

To hide what's underneath

There's a man just to her right -

Black suit and a bright red tie

Too ashamed to tell his wife

He's out of work-

He's buying time

All those people going somewhere

Why have I never cared?

Give me your eyes for just one second

Give me your eyes so I can see

Everything that I keep missing

Give me your love for humanity

Give me your arms for the broken hearted

Ones that are far beyond my reach.

Give me your heart for the ones forgotten

Give me your eyes so I can see

- Brandon Heath

Lying Our Way To Heaven

2009-08-03T09:39:00.000-07:00

There’s an old saying; “You can fool some of the people most of the time, most of the people some of time, but you can never fool all of the people all of the time.” Words of wisdom – that we don’t believe. We are pretty convinced of our deceptive powers. In fact, not only do we think we can fool everyone any time we want to, but we actually think we can fool God. We probably won’t admit that, but it’s true.
In our culture we have made tolerance the highest of virtues. We will tolerate anyone and any behavior except those who are intolerant of certain things. Why do we values tolerance so much? Because were individualists. We speak of “my personal life” “my church” and “my faith.” We hold these things as strictly personal, not allowing anyone access to them and not trying to access anyone else’s. We assure our friends that “though we believe strongly about something, we would never force our opinions on anyone.” And what is the result of this thinking? Hypocrisy! Many of us have become double-minded, hypocritical, flip-floppers because we have insulated ourselves to the point that we never get questioned or held accountable for anything. Because we have built these barriers in our lives, no one ever really knows us (I mean, deep down really knows us) except for maybe a handful of our closest family members and possibly a friend.
We might think; “what’s the big deal?” Who cares if people really know me? You may even like this situation. But is it healthy? Is it spiritually productive? Of course not! It has led to a generation filled with Christians who are living double lives. What’s worse is that we think we’re like Jesus….but we’re not. We’re not even like Peter. But we are like one of the apostles….
In John 12 Jesus had come back to Bethany where He had raised Lazarus from the dead. In fact, the chapter says He is at Martha and Mary, and Lazarus’ house. Martha is busy cooking and preparing things while Jesus and Lazarus and the Apostles are reclined around the table. Imagine yourself relaxed around that table, listening to the great Rabbi teach you things from God and as He speaks you glance for a moment at Lazarus. As you look into his face you recall him walking out of that tomb with the burial wraps still on him. You’re amazed to see him sitting there and you’re reminded that your Master truly is the Son of God. Then, as Jesus is speaking Mary kneels down by his feet and begins to anoint his feet with a precious and very valuable ointment. This heart warming gesture reminds you just how much Mary loves Jesus. But as she does this, one of the Apostles speaks up. In John 12:5-6 we read; “But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples said; “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”
What a legitimate question. Three hundred denarii is a lot of money. Surely Jesus would agree that this valuable ointment could be better used wouldn’t He? No! Jesus replied; “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me” (John 12:7-8). With one stroke of wisdom Jesus reminds Judas (and us) that there are some things more important than even helping the poor. Like honoring and loving God. Why didn’t Judas get that? Why don’t we get that? Well, we skipped over verse 6. John inserts into this story a very telling comment about Judas right after he recorded Judas’ question. Verse 6: “He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.” Wow! That certainly explains why Judas didn’t get it. He was a lying, hypocritical thief who didn’t care at all about the poor. When I read this chapter of John it makes me mad. I get livid that Judas had the nerve to lie and think He could deceive my Savior. And he thought he would get away with it! Then I ask myself; is my anger really just directed toward Judas? Could it be that stories like this bother me because in the back of my mind a sense of guilt whispers to me that sometimes I’m just like Judas? Perhaps you’re wondering the same thing about yourself.
Will we really get away with it? I think we know the answer to that question. Revelation 21:8 and scores of other passages clearly condemn liars and those who think they can deceive the Lord. In Galatians 6 Paul actually says; “do not be deceived, God is not mocked…” We will not escape a life of hypocrisy without making amends.
But there is good news. Judas made the wrong decision when he was eventually over come with guilt, rushing out of the city and committing suicide. This is not what God desires. Peter tells us in 2 Peter 3 that God desires that we fix our mistakes and come back to Him. God wants you. No matter how you have lived or regardless of your secrets He wants to be your Father. But you have to come to Him. Decide to live for Jesus and let us help you because no one sneaks up to the throne of God, and no one lies their way into Heaven.

- JC3

Preaching Today

2009-06-28T06:19:00.000-07:00

"The Miracle on the Mountain"

There is only one miracle that is recorded in all 4 Gospels (aside from the resurrection). It is the feeding of the five thousand. We're going to look at this today and notice some things that are often overlooked, and challenge ourselves to be more generous.

Wish you could be here.

- JC3

Easing Back Into The Saddle

2009-06-14T13:44:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone. Sorry again that my blog has gathered some cobwebs. As I mentioned, I have been recovering from surgery. I am feeling quite a bit better. I am going to try and rev up the frequency of my posting. Thanks for continuing to read and please check back often.

For now, here is a link to a sermon I preached earlier this week in Lexington, KY called "Fixing Our Faith." You can listen to it at their website by clicking here (date of sermon: June 9, 2009).

Until later, Keep the faith.
- JC3

Preaching Today...

2009-06-14T13:34:00.000-07:00

"Right Before His Eyes"

Psalm 73

Psalm 73 is a Psalm written by David's chief musician Asaph. It is a remarkable piece of literature. Asaph begins with v.1 praising God but quickly dives into an account of his struggle with faith. Asaph had observed the prosperity of wicked people and questioned whether serving God was worth it. But his tune quickly changes.

In the second half of the Psalm Asaph praises God and defends his justice and benevolence.

What caused such a change in Asaph? Read Psalm 73 to find out. Or if you like; let me know and I will send you a copy of the sermon.

- JC3

My Necessary Absence

2009-05-26T20:51:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't been around in a while. I had surgery on May 5th. Recovery has been slow with some "hiccups" along the way. Hopefully I am getting back to normal. I am hoping to pick up the blogging frequency. Keep me in your prayers.

Grace and Peace,
JC3

Psalm 25

2009-05-07T15:01:00.000-07:00

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me. Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame; they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.
Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!
Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.
For your name's sake, O Lord, pardon my guilt, for it is great. Who is the man who fears the Lord? Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose. His soul shall abide in well-being, and his offspring shall inherit the land. The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant. My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for he will pluck my feet out of the net.
Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. The troubles of my heart are enlarged; bring me out of my distresses. Consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins.
Consider how many are my foes, and with what violent hatred they hate me. Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me!Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you. May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you.
Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.

Answering Your Questions (Part 2)

2009-04-21T07:39:00.000-07:00

I began last week answering some questions of one of the readers. There were actually 3 questions and we covered the first two. Here is the third:

3.) Why does it say Adam brought sin, when Eve broke the rules first?

The passage referred to is Romans 5:12 which says; "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned."

Several things deserve consideration when answering this question.

"Federal Headship"

First, I want to introduce a term to any who may be unfamiliar with it. "Federal Headhsip" is a term that Theologians like to use in reference to Adam. The idea is, that just like in the human family, the husband is the head of the wife and children, so too, Adam relates to the entire human race. Not that Adam has or had some authority over every human who later lives, but He does have a unique relationship to every human being who has ever lived since all of us (every single one of us) trace our lineage back to his rib.

It is important to point out here, that many in the religious world make what I think is an unwarranted leap when they discuss the "Federal headship of Adam." The idea that is propagated by many is that since Adam is our ultimate ancestor, and the one through whom sin came that we all now inherit a fallen, depraved nature from him. In other words, many people believe that we are born with a compulsion to sin. That we are "sinners from the second we're conceived" as one man put it. I do not believe that to be true. Without getting to far afield from the topic at hand, I will point out that I believe we all answer to God for our own sin (2 Cor 5:10) because we all sin (Ro 3:23) and we all need to be reconciled because we all go away.

Now, I have said all of this simply to make this point: While I believe that some have overextended the implications of Adam's headship, that does not mean there are no implications at all. Adam is God's first created man. He is the one to whom God first calls out in the garden following the sin. And He is guilty. If we can grasp the significance of this relationship between Adam and God, then we can beign to understand one reason that Adam is mentioned as the initiator of sin and not Eve.

A Different Time and Culture

Also, it is important to understand the cultural milieu in which the letter to the Romans is written. Paul's epsitle to the saints in Rome is not written in the post-modern context in which we are reading it. As we read a news story or a journal, or even the Bible we view it, to some degree, through the lenses our teachers and our culture have placed on us. We assume that men and women's opinions and testimonies are all equal...but it has not always been this way. If you can try to imagine a society that just assumes the inferiority of women, even to the point of believing that they are intrisically less intelligent and inferior, then you can picture the first century mindset. Now imagine Paul had said something like this; "now by one woman sin entered the world, and death because of that, since all have sinned." How do you suppose his male readers would have reacted to this statement? I imagine that they would have said things like; "what does that woman's problem have to deal with me." Or; "that explains why women are so ignorant and weak, but what about us men." And before you deny that Christian men could ever be so callous, let me assure you that I have heard "Christian" men say worse things about women in this century.

I am convinced that there is some element of cultural communication to this. However, this is certainly not a stand alone argument. I mean, I do not think that this one point answers the question sufficiently. However, when we coupl it with the understanding of Adam's headship and one other point, it seems to make sense to me.

A distinction with a difference

Go back and read Genesis 3. Do you see any difference in Adam and Eve's mistakes? Do they both break the rules? Yes. Do they both sin? Yes. Is there sin identical? I think not.

The Genesis account says that the serpent was crafty and deceived Eve. What does that mean? If you look at the passage, the devil convinces Eve that what God has said is not true. He assures her that God is just "holding back" from her and Adam. And she falls for it. She takes the bait (temptation) and starts to look at the tree and examine it (lust) and gives in to her desire. But where is Adam during all this? By the time she eats of the fruit he is "right next to her" according to the text. But where has he been during this process of tempptation and deception? We don't know. What we do know is that Eve is deceived and eats, and then she hands a piece to Adam, and what does he do? Does he say; "no, this is wrong?" No! He just eats it. No deception, no struggle, just a blatant diregard for God's order to abstain from that tree.

But the logical question is this; Is one sin worse than another? In one sense no, they both "fall" or create a separation between themselves and God due to their sins. But in another sense, of course there is a difference.

Suppose you won an award from your company because of your long and tireless service to them. Imagine that they gave you a gold watch for 40 years of loyal service. Now imagine two scenarios. In the first scenario your oldest son is showing the watch to your grandchildren because he is overwhelmed with pride. Now maybe you had asked him not to remove it from the box. But he assumes that you are just being a little over protective and takes it out anyway. While showing the watch to your grandkids, one of them tries to get it, and your son pulls it away quickly, losing control and it flies against the wall...and shatters. Soon, your son tells you what happens and you are hurt. He didn't listen, and look what has happened. What's worse is that the company will not replace it, so your son can never fix his own mistake. Now imagine a second scenario. In this scene, your youngest son sees you come home from your retirement party with that same watch. You are beaming with satisfaction over this hard earned accolade, and he watches as you place it in your desk drawer. Several days later you go back to look at it, and it's gone! You search and search for it, but it cannot be found. You are heart broken. Then several days pass and you recieve a receipt in the mail. It's from a pawn shop, and it has your youngest son's name on it. You nearly suffer a heart attack when you realize that your beloved child has committed the ultimate btrayal. He has stolen something that took you a lifetime to earn and sold it! And you realize that he did not even care enough to hide his evil deed from you.

Is there a difference between those two events? Of course there is! This does not diminish the consequences of both actions. Both cause damage, separation, and hurt the Father's heart. But one is obviously more heinous to us. And while we often claim that sin is sin, and sin separates from God, and we infer that God ranks all sin identically. I think we are missing the point. Just because the result is the same of two different actions doesn't mean that the actions are equally hurtful.

Does this correlate to our discussion? I think it might. God was watching when Adam and Eve committed their wickedness and He was listening as Eve was subtily convinced to sin. I know His heart must have broken when she disobeyed His singular request and bite into that forbidden fruit. And how much more when He saw the first of all his creation take that same fruit, without deception, without justification and sink his teeth in, caring not about the heart of his father.

There is no excuse for Eve's sin. It was wrong. But when we understand these facts about the "sin" story. I think it makes sense that Romans 5 would say; "by one man..."

What are your thoughts?

-JC3

Preaching This Morning...

2009-04-19T06:13:00.000-07:00

"Lessons Learned From A Late Night Trip to The Hospital"

This past week I woke up in the early morning hours in terrible pain. As the pain intensified, I began to question whether I would even stay conscious. I needed to go to the hospital, but I couldn't drive, so my wife took me along with our 3 yr old and 1 yr old daughters to the ER at 2:30 AM. I hope I never feel pain like that again. But, through the experience, God showed me some lessons that I feel compelled to share.

(as always, if you're interested in a copy of the lessons, let me know, and I will get it to you.)

- JC3

Answering Your Questions

2009-04-16T12:40:00.000-07:00

One of the readers left a very interesting question on my post titled "Send Me Your Bible Questions."

When I read through the Genesis creation account, the one thing that stood out to me was that humans were designed for the earth, and the earth for humans. God went to a lot of trouble to create all the magnificent things we see in the material universe and especially on our earth. I have searched in Genesis and I cannot find one mention of death in the Garden of Eden except as a penalty for disobedience. Does this mean that God originally intended for humans to live on earth forever without ever dying? If the first paradise was on earth, why is it now changed to heaven? I also read in Romans 5:12 that it was through the man that sin entered into the world. Why does it blame Adam when it was his wife who ate the fruit first?

Good questions! It seems that there is in fact three questions:

1.) Would Adam and Eve have lived forever, here, if they had not sinned?

2.) Why is paradise now going to be in Heaven and not on Earth?

3.) Why does it say Adam brought sin, when Eve broke the rules first?

I am going to answer the first two right now and tonight, or tommorow I will make a new post about question three (It is a little more involved).

As to question number one, there is no proof positive answer. We could infer from the points you made that God wanted them to live here in pristine harmony and fellowship with Him, and that because of sin there is death, and if there had not been, then they would have existed that way (happy, naked, gardeners) perpetually. But as I said; we could infer that - we don't have to. You see, someone could say that God had a completely different plan, of course that person would have no proof, but that is the problem with giving a definitive answer to this question: there is no proof to be found. It is impossible to know how things could have been, because God has not told us. Which makes it also impossible (and dishonest) to build certain doctrines on our assumptions, which is exactly what one particular religious organization has done.

I do find it interesting though, that in Ephesians 1:3-6, Paul says that God chose us in Christ before the foundations of the world. So God knew this would happen all along. That does not mean that God is somehow responsible, but it does mean that God's intention is never "what could have been." God knew that Adam and Eve would sin, thus separating themselves from Him. So He devised a plan to reconcile man back to Himself in Jesus Christ. We need to never lose sight of that fact.

And to your second question: "why is paradise now going to be in Heaven and not on Earth?" You asked about Paradise on this Earth, but as I said above, there is no proof that God ever intended for Earth to be a paradise in the sense that Heaven is. It may have been God's intention to take us to Heaven all along. And based on the passage I quoted in Ephesians, God certainly had redemption planned before He created the universe. So the question is really about "why Heaven?"

Let me admit from the outset that there is a great deal about Heaven that we do not know. We know that it is a spiritual realm for spiritual bodies (1 Cor 15) and that we will be with God. Also, 2 Peter 3:11 seems to teach that the world here will be dissolved or "burned up" which is what you are referring to, I think, when you say we will be "not here." But, why doesn't God come here, instead of us going there?

I could offer a LOT of scientific evidence that shows that this Earth and our universe are tending toward destruction. That we are using up all of our resources, and that the planet seems to have an expiration date (though we obviously do not know when it is). But I don't think that's really necessary. Because the picture we receive in God's book is that He wants to be with us. This is why God became flesh (Jn 1:1). He wants us to be with Him, in His presence, sharing a fellowship with Him that can only be realized when we're together. This is what makes Jesus life so dramatic - all our hope rests on His shoulders. But thanks be to God, that there is no safer place for our hope.

I hope this helps. Sorry I can't offer clearer answers to these two questions, but some things are just God's "secrets" (Deuteronomy 29:29).

(I will answer your third question soon)

-JC3

Preaching this morning...

2009-04-12T05:51:00.000-07:00

"When The Resurrection Doesn't Matter"

With the resurrection being celebrated by so many people all over the world today, I think we need to stop for a second and be honest with ourselves. The Bible is clear that the resurrection is the most important event in the history of the world, but some of us are living like we don't care. And if that's the case....the resurrection is no benefit at all....

Selfless Ambition Part 2

2009-04-07T18:35:00.000-07:00

(Please read part one below, before reading this post).

In the last entry we figured out that people like me have a problem – Pride. The sad reality about me and many others is that much of my life has been lived in an effort to glorify me. Some times I even thought I was doing God a favor, but I was really serving myself. Selfish ambition is what the good book calls it.

But the question we have been trying to answer is; how do we move from selfish ambition to self-less ambition? Can we just decide to start helping other people, and caring about them? Can I just determine that I am going to be good, and do good, and never mess up? Well, I tried that, and it hasn’t worked.

This is why many people are so terribly miserable...including Christians. Some Christians get up every day and try to do all the right things, and none of the wrong things, and they fail. But they’re convinced that if they just do it a little more perfectly, pretty soon God will work everything out for them. And we think this is noble! But this attitude is far too focused on self. You see, many of us have (or used to have) this idea that we can make ourselves righteous. We may not call it that, but it’s the truth. We believe that Christianity consists of living a life that does all the right things and none of the bad things. We call this righteousness. Then we suppose that we can hand this righteousness to God and say; "here you go Father, I did this for you." It’s a wonderful idea except - that's not really righteousness. That is, to use the words of Paul; "a righteousness of our own." This flaw in this misguided notion is that it assumes that we can make ourselves pure by just doing everything right - but that is not what God wants. If our efforts toward perfection were a realistic method for salvation, then the Law of Moses would have sufficed. But God obviously thought otherwise. Thinking that we can do it all by ourselves is, well, very sad and very lonely. We need to understand, God wants to help us, and more importantly; He can! But we have to change our way of thinking. We have to stop focusing on ourselves and our own perfection and start focusing on God. This is the point of Col 3:1-2. We have to love God enough to admit that He really can do things with our lives that we cannot do by ourselves. Then we need to pray like we believe it. I mean prayers that focus on who God is and what He is capable of, and pleas for Him to make us look more like Him. Then it will happen. Gal 5 tells us that if we "live by the Spirit" then we will begin producing the fruit of the Spirit. Then and only then will we really feel like we are becoming what God wants us to be. The irony is hysterical. We have to quit trying to force the fruit of the Spirit out of ourselves if we want to produce the fruit of the Spirit. You see, what God really wants is for us to seek Him first – “His righteousness” as it says in Mt 6:33. If we point ourselves in God’s direction, and surrender our lives to His will, then He will begin to make something special out of us. Then we will see the fruit of the Spirit in our daily lives.

And before you say; “Jim believes in Calvinistic predestination” (the idea that we have no free will), let me assure you that I do not. I believe that we have to make a decision to follow God. I believe that God has given us the ability to spurn Him or obey Him. I also believe that God wants us to do righteous works, and demands it. But we need to get the order correct. We do not need to “work our way toward God” as though our efforts can ultimately redeem us. Our faith and love for God is our first priority. If we get that right, good and righteous works will be a product of our faith and not the sum of it.

It is time that we face the truth. Many of us (Christians) think we can save ourselves. We may pay lip service to the notion that God helps us, but deep down, we don’t really believe it. In the back of our minds we keep telling ourselves that our salvation is a fight against the balance beam - a race to add weight to the “good side of our life’s scale” faster than we pile it on the “bad side.” Have you ever said; “If I don’t start doing more good stuff then I will be lost” or “I have to win this battle against the devil?” I have. But is this the way God wants it? Understand, I am in no way excusing sin. In fact, I think that any person who truly loves God will “resist the devil” and “confess their sins”, but we also need to admit that many of us have secretly felt like we are on a spiritual island. Like a lone survivor of a horrible accident, we find ourselves on the island of life trying to stay alive. Occasionally we may find things on the island; things to eat, or a piece of plastic to cover ourselves with, but never any people. We’re grateful for the discovery of minor blessings but we spend all of our time alone. We’re scared, we’re hurting, and we’re longing to make contact with someone. We gaze on the horizon, where the waves jump up and touch the sky and we know that just over the way there is someone…if only we could get there. So we build a raft, but it sinks. Then we fashion a canoe, but as we launch out into the waters of the world, it breaks apart on the jagged rocks. So we drag ourselves up out of the water and fall on the beach. We cry out in our anguish; “it’s hopeless.” “I can’t do it.” And far too many of us eventually say; “I give up.” We sit down on the pew - uh, I mean sand, and quit trying. Eventually we become undernourished, soon we are emaciated, and eventually we starve.

But why do we so often lose hope? Why do we feel as though it’s impossible to do what Paul calls; “our reasonable service?” Why do we look out over life’s seas and decide Heaven is too far away – that no matter how hard we try we’ll never get there? Maybe the problem is right there in the question. Maybe we need to stop trying to “get there.” I don’t mean, lose our desire, but…well, let me say it this way:

What if we rewind the picture of our shipwrecked survivor? Suppose we see him coming up out of the water, tattered and despondent over another failed attempt at self rescue. Then he steps on the beach, falls to the sand and screams, at the top of his voice; “help me!” “I need help.” “I can’t do this on my own. I want to go home, but I don’t know how.” Then suddenly he hears a rustle in the tree line. He sees a man walk out of the jungle. The man calls out to him; “do you need some help?” “Great” says our shipwreck victim, “now I’m losing my mind.” But sensing his worries, the mystery man says; “you’re not crazy, I’m here to help.” “But I have been wondering what you were doing” he adds. “I have seen you for some time, building boats and rafts and fighting the sea. You know, that water is like a lion, he wants to devour men. You should not fight him alone. Why don’t we go back to my village and join my people?” The helpful deliverer warns the survivor that it’s a long and dangerous walk on a very small path, but eventually they’ll get back to his house. “Can you make it?” He asks. The tired survivor is weary, worn by his struggles. He has fought and lost many battles. He looks to his new found savior and utters the truest words his lips have ever spoke; “I don’t think I can do it by myself.” His helper grins and looks at him. The words that followed brought a peace the poor trial weary survivor had never felt. “You need not worry” said the mystery deliverer. “I am right here with you, and I have walked this path before.”

The truth is: Jesus wants to help us. Like a veteran guide leading strangers through a dense jungle, our Jesus knows the way. He lived the life that He now calls us to live. He tasted death, and knows what’s on the other side. So why don’t we start trusting Him?

It’s time to let go.

I remember one afternoon at home my oldest daughter was learning to climb. She was big enough to talk, but not quite big enough to scale the chair she was hanging to. I offered her my hand, and said; “Maddy let me help you.” She refused, and quickly fell to the floor. My heart ached for this stubborn little child. And as soon as I knew she was ok, I thought to myself; “if she would just listen, her life would be so much easier.”

And now Jesus stands reaching, waiting, for us to grab his hand. And what will we do?
I refuse to live another day of my life, trying to do it all by myself. I am grabbing His hand….what will you do?

Selfless Ambition

2009-03-31T07:01:00.000-07:00

What does a Christian look like? That's a question we would all answer a little differently. But I want to take a swing at it. When I think about my spirituality and my walk with God I see some deficiencies. It should come as no shock to you that I am not perfect (particularly if you know me well). But I try. I'm like many others who are trying to follow after the Spirit and let God make me what He wants me to be. But sometimes I blow it. I share all this because I think that you may experience the same struggles I do. At times I am confident in my effort to serve and please our God, not because of my own goodness, but His righteousness working in me. I feel confident that I'm pleasing Him and then I read passages like Philippians 2:3-4;

"Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."

I once saw a guy get punched in the stomach so hard that he got sick, pretty gross right? Well, that's how I feel when I read this passage. There's a sort of anxious nausea that flares up every time I hear "Do nothing." You see, "nothing" is a tall order. Because "nothing" means "nothing" and I'm afraid that sometimes I do "something" instead of "nothing." Yet, God is calling me (and you) to put to death selfish ambition. That's what James tells us, and he tells us why, because "where jealousy and selfish ambition exist there will be disorder and every vile practice.(Jas 3:16)" Can that be right? I mean, "every vile practice", really? How is that even possible? It's possible because "selfishness" is the gateway drug in the Pharmacy of sin. Selfishness is the seed that produces a harvest of rebellion.

For most of us, the word selfishness immediately brings to mind our relationship with God. Sometimes in an effort to defend ourselves we reminisce on all the things we've done or not done because we love God, and we feel pretty confident. But these passages that we've noticed actually address selfishness among us and our brethren...and everyone else. We're told that jealousy and selfish ambition are "earthly", "unspiritual", and "demonic" (Jas 3:14,15). But why is this such a big deal? Doesn't selfishness really just affect me? Quite the opposite: Just consider all the things done because of selfishness:

The very first sin resulted from selfishness (Gen 3). The devil decieved Eve, but how did he do it? He appealed to her selfishness; "...your eyes will be opened and you will be like God..." And what was the result? Sin.

David's sin with Bathsheba, lying prophets and priests, idolatry, and murder have all followed from selfishness.

Then we come to the Gospels. Here we read of a beautiful life of a wonderful man. We learn that this man is God. He is loving, righteous and kind. He is meek and helpful. And He is betrayed. One of His own friends turns on him and literally "sells Him"" for thirty pieces of silver. And why? Because of selfishness. The greatest travesty of justice in human history followed and soon darkness covered the land...all because of selfishness.

Friends, this is what selfishness, jealousy, rivalry and envy accomplish. Now, I realize that we don't start with the thought of becoming a traitor. We start by badmouthing a friend to make ourselves look good. We start when we get irritatated at the accomplishments of others, and we start when we constantly compare ourselves and our children to others, to see how we measure up. Why do we do these things? We have a preoccupation with self. Let's face it, we're in love with ourselves. We think we are awesome. I mean, think about yourself for a second; you like all the cool movies, you have an ecclectic taste in music, a great sense of humor, you're very helpful, your a good listener......is this starting to sound like a horoscope? It should, because astrologists make a trade out of appealing to our obsession with ourselves. In fact, our whole society is geared towards rabid individualism. We have made a virtue out of "taking care of number one."

But it should not be this way. God has called us to trade in our selfish ambition for something more noble. Something more useful, and something we humans have struggled with throughout our long and sordid history. Whether it's Cain defensively asking; "Am I my brother's keeper?" Or a husband and wife deciding to deceive the people of God and lie to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5), we have seen far too many examples of selfish ambition. So, what does God want? What does He expect from us? He expects us to be strange...peculiar...different. But not wierd for the sake of wierd. Rather, like a pebble dropped in a pond causing ripples to ebb beyond our sight, God wants a change that seems so small, but leaves evidence long after it happens. He wants us to move from wanting to giving, from having to helping, from selfish to.....self - less. He wants us to begin caring about each other the way we care about ourselves...on second thought...scratch that. He wants us to consider others "more significant than ourselves." But how is that possible? Should we just start to hate ourselves and give all of our stuff away? Or how do we measure this? Should we make a list of everything we want and do for ourselves and a list of what we do for others, making sure the latter is longer than the former? We could do that, but as we will see tomorrow; doing that may actually be a symptom of the problem and not a cure.

Tomorrow we are going to see that a decision to be selfless instead of selfish may be like putting a "Band-aid on a bullet wound."

Please come back tomorrow and check out part 2 of "Selfless Ambition."

-JC3

Preaching This Morning...

2009-03-29T06:11:00.000-07:00

"The Great War"

We are engaged in a spiritual conflict for our souls. Though often discussed, I think this Biblical subject is very misunderstood. Perhaps we have pictured ourselves somewhere in between God and Satan, with each of them tugging us in His direction. This may not be as accurate as we think. In fact I would usggest that this notion is doomed to failure because it relies on our own strength for the victory. If we make this colossal blundder we are heading into battle without the most potent of weapons.....(email me if you would like a copy of the sermon).

My Friends blog.

2009-03-18T19:37:00.000-07:00

My friend Adam has "knocked the cobwebs" off his blog. Adam hasn't posted anything in a while, but if you check out his blog he'll tell you why. Good to have you back Adam. And....congratulations and God speed.

http://captivetochrist.blogspot.com

Book Review

2009-03-16T08:33:00.000-07:00

"There Is A God"

"How the world's most notorious Atheist changed his mind"

By Antony Flew

Some books have cryptic titles – this is not one of those books. A glance at the title and subtitle quickly reveals what this work is all about; Antony Flew’s journey from skeptic to belief in the Divine.
Many of you will quickly recognize the name Antony Flew. He was one part of the famous Warren-Flew debate. In fact, in the book Flew says that that debate was the most attended he ever had with 5000-7000 showing up in interest. (If you have never seen that debate you need to and you can watch it in its entirety at http://www.thebible.net/.)
I enjoyed this book. At just over 200 pages it’s light in the hand, but what it lacks in length it makes up for with depth. I was impressed at how much Flew squeezed into this short work. It is arranged like this:

Part One is called “My Denial of the Divine.”
It is three chapters that focus on Flew’s development as and adolescent through the early years of his career. I found this section of the book deeply satisfying. Getting a glimpse into the development of this powerful mind and his passionate rejection of God was enlightening. Some of the things you read will validate suspicions you may have of those virulent atheists all over the news, but some things will surprise you. I was also enamored with how Flew’s story overlapped with some of the great philosophers of the 20th century. In fact, Flew reveals that he first presented his paper “Theology and Falsification” to Oxfords Socratic club, while CS Lewis was still the Chair. (Theology and Falsification is an important work that shaped his philosophical paradigm and continues to be influential among today’s “New Atheists.” In fact, I just heard Dan Barker use Flew’s reasoning from this work in a recent debate.). And speaking of Socrates, we are well aware of the famous virtue of “following the evidence wherever it may lead.” This becomes the mantra of the book, and really the calling card of Flew’s career. He says that “following the evidence is what has led him to believe in God. In his own words Flew says; “I now believe that the universe was brought into existence by an infinite intelligence. I believe that this universe’s intricate laws manifest what scientists have called the Mind of God. I believe that life and reproduction originate in Divine Source (p.88).” He goes on to add; “this is the world picture, as I see it, that has emerged from modern science.”

Part Two is called; “My Discovery of the Divine.”
This section of the book is more technical than the first, as well it should be, for it contains the evidence that prompted Flew to make a change. Castigated publicly and privately for what Richard Dawkins called Flews’ “tergiversation” (apostasy) the professor makes a sound defense of the critical arguments that point toward intelligence. But this is not the work of science. This book is unique in that it focuses in on where science and philosophy overlap. This is an interesting approach, particularly for those interested in all of the arguments for Deity.
This is a good book, and the appendices are just as good. Roy Varghese wrote the first appendix on; “The New Atheism: A critical Appraisal of Dawkins, Dennett, Wolpert, Harris, and Stenger.” This is an excellent and concise summary of the key issues that are continually skirted by Richard Dawkins and his cronies.
But Appendix B is worth the price of the book. It is a dialogue between noted New Testament scholar and historian N.T. Wright and Antony Flew regarding Jesus with emphasis on the Incarnation and resurrection. This little section was worth the price of the entire book.

This work is part biography, part science, part philosophy, part polemic, but all good, and worth your time.

You can pick it up at http://www.cbd.com/ or at http://www.amazon.com/ ISBN (9780061335297)

- JC3

Preaching Today...

2009-02-28T19:12:00.000-08:00

This morning I am preaching on the Biggest Little Word in The Bible. There is one "tw-letter" word that changes everything. Do you know what it is?

"Boot Camp" - A Book Review

2009-02-26T08:41:00.000-08:00

Imagine Man As God Envisioned. That is the admonition from gospel preacher and author Jason Hardin in his new book. In his I.M.A.G.E project Jason has set out to help men become what God always hoped that man would be. "Boot Camp" is the first book in a series of 5 that Jason is writing. Written from the perspective of a newly enlisted soldier, this book explains what integrity really is.

Jason begins by reminding us that we are engaged in a war. A spiritual war between God and Satan. This is a fact that many have forgotten. Was there a time when the knowledge of this conflict shaped and guided how men lived their lives? Perhaps. But we have tried to rid oursleves of this knowledge because of the great burden it carries with it. But we cannot do that. As the author says so well in his introduction; "You cannot escape this war, because you are it's prize." Remember that!

So how can we win a war like this? Well, if you want to know the answer, go read the book! But I will tell you this; Jason does an excellent job of illustrating the fundamental nature and need for integrity. He reminds us that integrity is not so much a destination as an "ongoing journey." What's the difference? Read the book and you will see.

There are a lot of good things I could say about this book, but for the sake of brevity let me just praise one more aspect that I found truly remarkable - it's versatility.

This is a very versatile book. By that I mean that you could approach it or use it in a lot of different ways. For the person who likes to just sit down and read, Jason's writing style is engaging and will keep you interested. For the diligent student who combs every word, this book will serve as resource on integrity issues that you will come back to time and time again. This book could be used for men's studies or even just your own personal growth. In fact, I think women would like this book as well. But however you choose to use it, I am convinced it will benefit you greatly.

If you cannot tell, I really enjoyed this book. It challenged me, and at times it "pricked my heart." But that's what good books do: they hang on to you even after you lay them down.

Buy this book. Go to this website and purchase it for yourself, your dad, brother, husband, friend, preacher (all preachers love books), or anyone. What better gift for Father's day?

But perhaps your thinking; "my __________ hates to read!" Well, good news; Jason also has an audio version of the book available on his website. Now you have no reason not to pack your bags and head to "Boot Camp." And you'd better hurry - there's a war going on out there!

-JC3

More Popular than Jesus

2009-02-21T19:20:00.000-08:00

According to a recent Harris poll Barak Obama is more popular than Jesus. In fact when asked; "who they admired enough to call a hero" the Americans polled ranked President Obama higher than Martin Luther King Jr, Mother Teresa, Ghandi, even Abraham Lincoln. But higher than Jesus...seriously?
I understand the current popularity of our President. His charisma coupled with promises of hope and change resonate in our times. Faced with a faltering economy, two wars and a sense that the worst is yet to come, many Americans have projected all their hopes and trust onto this man.
But I thought this was a Christian nation. That's what we've been told. We have heard that moniker applied to this nation so often that many have come to beleive it. But it is not true. I have said before and still contend that America is no Christian nation. This most recent Harris poll is just an indication that I am right. Col 3:17 says "whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord." Tell me how a people can honestly say they are doing that, and then when asked who they would consider a hero, Jesus ranks 16th. Jesus doesn't want 16th. In fact, you can't rank Jesus 16th. It's impossible. Jesus is either Lord of your life, consuming not only the top spot but all of your existence, or He is no part of you at all.
Perhaps that sounds harsh. I hope it does. I hope those words elicit some sort of reaction, becasuse Jesus said in Matthew 7 that He was going to tell some people "I never knew you" on the Judgment Day. And get this - those people actually claimed to be serving Jesus. What do you suppose He will say to those who have no time for Him at all?
Is it wrong for Barak Obama to be your hero? Well, that's not really the point. The point is, that we are called to serve Jesus with a whole heart and undying devotion. So if a person comes to us and asks us who we admire enough to call a hero, we should take care how we answer. Jesus is listening and I'm guessing that it will come up again.
So who is your hero?
-JC3

Making Your Bible Reading Count

2009-02-18T07:36:00.000-08:00

Do you have a hard time keeping up with your Bible reading schedule? Do you wish someone would offer a few thoughts about the section you are reading? You should check out one of the blogs that my friend Edwin Crozier authors. It is called "Give Attention To Reading" which is taken from Paul's words to Timothy. Edwin does an excellent job of giving quick and concise thoughts to help make your reading more beneficial. Why not check it out and see what you think? You can find it at: http://giveattentiontoreading.com/

- JC3

They Will Be Talking About You

2009-02-13T15:43:00.000-08:00

Sooner or later you're going to die. That's what happens to all of us. One of these days we will "go the way of all the Earth." This should come as no surprise. What we see in nature and the losses we experience teach us that eventually our life will end. In fact, the knowledge that we will die affects how each of us lives. Some consider the words of Hebrews 9:27; "it is appointed unto man once to die, then comes the judgment" and they live their life as a sacrifice to the Jehovah. Others, ignore the Lord and live only for themselves. Unfortunately, what so many often fail to consider is that, after death........we will be remembered.

When we die we leave behind a host of people who have known us and loved us, and have come to know who we really are. While we're living we don't really consider what others are thinking about us. We know that relationships are fluid. They change and grow from day to day. We may have a fight with a friend or the best time of our life. All these things affect what the people around us are thinking about us right now. But if we were to die, those thoughts would fade away. When people pass away we have a tendency to let go of the most recent experiences and think about who the person was - the things that compose who they really were.

I experienced a good example of this earlier today. I was in the locker room at the gym and overheard two guys talking. One of them began to tell the other that he had received a bad phone call earlier that morning. He explained that a friend of his had passed away. He woke up and felt sick. After going into the other room and getting sick, his wife came to check on him, only to find him dead. The two men in the locker room continued to talk about this man who had passed. As these conversations typically do, it turned quickly to a discussion of memories. This is when the story gets ugly. The man smiled and proceeded to talk about something his late friend loved to share. It was something dear to him that he loved to get laughs with. It was his favorite pornographic magazine. I removed myself from earshot. I'm not going to stay near enough to a conversation like that to be affected (remember: garbage in, garbage out).

But all of this got me thinking. First of all, it broke my heart that this was the one memory that this man wanted to share about his recently departed friend. I immediately became worried about this man's soul. But then another thought crossed my mind. This is the way life works. The actions we take, the jokes we make, our reaction to conflict, all of these things contribute to the memories that our loved ones are left with when we're gone.

We need to be mindful of this. Not for our own glory. Not just to cultivate a legacy of likability. No, there is a much bigger reason. We are going to be judged. 2 Cor 5:10 tells us that when we do finally meet Jesus at the judgment that we will "receive what is due" for whatever we have done in our bodies. And all of those things we have done; the jokes, the words, the thoughts, all of our actions will determine "what is due."

When we go to the judgment our only hope is Jesus. If we are not in Christ (Gal 3) then we have no hope. But just because we were at one time "in the Lord" does not mean we are now (Gal 5:4). We need to live a life that pleases God. Rom 12:1-2 calls us to be something new. Something "transformed." We should be sanctified, holy, and righteous.

When you die, what are people going to say? They will be talking...telling stories. But what will they say? Tears will be shed, and stories told. Will those words be righteous or foolish? We need to carefully consider the answer to that question, because the answer will resonate at the judgment and beyond...

-JC3

Preaching Today

2009-02-08T00:01:00.000-08:00

"Enslaved By Our Free Time"

The Bible is clear that we need to occasionally take time to relax and recreate. But what should we do? When faced with a chance to get away on vacation or just an hour or two to ease our mind, what type of activities should Christians be involved in?

God has not given us a specific list of things to do or not to do, but He has provided us with clear principles to guide these decisions. In this sermon we are going to ask several questions that help us determine what these principles are...

If you'd like a copy of this or any other sermon, just let me know.

Have blessed Lord's day!

-JC3

Clean Jokes

2009-02-03T14:41:00.000-08:00

I love clean jokes. Here are some good ones. (the cornier the better)

What's an 8 letter word with only 1 letter in it?
Envelope

What do you call a snowman with a tan?
A puddle

What are caterpillars afraid of?
Dogerpillars

Here are a couple of my personal favorites:

Two muffins are sitting in the oven, one looks over at the other and says; "man it's hot in here!" The other muffin looks at him and screams; "aaaaagh!!!! a talking muffin!!!!"

Two pretzels were walking down the street and one was a salted....

You know you love em...

-JC3

Send Me Your Bible Questions

2009-01-27T08:48:00.000-08:00

Do you have any questions about the Bible? Maybe there is a passage of scripture you don't quite understand or a supposed contradiction that you would like to figure out. I am doing a series of answering Bible questions in sermons. I would love to have your questions. I will publish the answers to the ones I think would interest the most people, here on the blog. But don't worry, if you want to be anonymous, I will not tell everyone who gave me the question. Thank you!

Amen!

2009-01-23T08:10:00.000-08:00

"Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.
And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”
(Matthew 27:45-54, ESV)

You Need To Check This Out

2009-01-22T13:25:00.000-08:00

John Welch, a good friend of mine is currently in Nigeria. He is going to be there for over 5 weeks and he is keeping a blog during the trip. I have been following the blog since he left and I must say that it is very inspiring. I could detail the many things he has encountered already, but I think you would benefit most from just checking out the blog. Here is the address:

http://johnwelch-africa.blogspot.com/

John is doing a good work over there and I really appreciate him for it. So, if you can, check out his blog, and keep him in your prayers.

-JC3

Listen to our radio program!

2009-01-15T08:45:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone. Just wanted to remind you that I host a live call-in radio program every Friday afternoon from 4:00 - 4:30. If you are in the Somerset/London, KY area you can catch it on 91.5 FM. If you are not local you can tune in on the web. The program will stream live on the radio stations website: http://www.thegospeleagle.com/.

This week my brother in law is going to join me on the program. We would love to have you tune in, and join in!

-JC3

Happy New Year!

2009-01-12T18:53:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! I hope that your having a good new year! Perhaps you think my New Year wishes are bit belated - and you'd be right, but that is the type of year I am already having. The family and I took a week of vacation to end 2008 and we are just starting to catch up...a little. I just wanted to say thanks for reading this blog and I am resolved to post even more often this year, so be sure to check back often!

Also, I have been having an interesting discussion in the comment section of the last two entries with a man about the Bible and homosexuality. Check it out if you get a chance.

Answering a Question

2009-01-05T20:32:00.001-08:00

Recently while I was on vacation, a man by the name of Mark responded to my last blog entry concerning the pro-homosexuality, pseudo-biblical article in Newsweek magazine. Mark asked some questions about the way I interpret the Bible and rather than posting such a lenghty response in the comment section, I offer my response here as a new entry. If you have not read my last entry, or Mark's response, please do before you read this, or some of this response will make very little sense. Hope you all had a good holiday!

Mark,

Let me again say thank you for taking the time to look at my blog and commenting on what you believe to be an error on my part. I will readily admit that I have been wrong in my life many times, and I appreciate those who have pointed out my mistakes so I could fix them. However, in this instance I believe that what I have written is correct and harmonizes with the scriptures. The points you borrowed from the blog you mentioned seem convincing if you yank them out of their immediate contexts, and the context of the whole Bible. But that doesn’t really further the discussion. You asked if I would explain how I interpret the Bible. I will be glad to. In fact, I think once we understand one key teaching from the New Testament, then it will answer most of your questions.
Read Hebrews 9:11-28. In that passage of scripture, the writer explains Jesus’ role in our redemption. He calls Him our High Priest and also our Mediator. In fact, it says He is a mediator of a new covenant. In verse 17 He tells us when this new covenant took effect - following His death. In other words, up until the time of Christ’s death the Law that men were accountable unto was the Law of Moses. That means that anyone desiring to please God during the time from Mt. Sinai to the Cross needed to do so as a Jew under the Old Law. However, that is no longer the case.
In Hebrews chapter 8 (leading up to the passage we already noticed) we find something very interesting: the old was vanishing away. In Hebrews 8:13 (as well as many other passages) we find that Christians are not under the Old Law. Those things were written for our learning, so that we could better understand the way God had interacted with the world throughout time, but we are no longer bound to those things. In fact the entire book of Galatians is about just this point.
So to give you a concise answer; I don’t accept those Old Testament passages as authoritative because we are under a New Law. So that answers your 1st, 2nd, and 4th (remember they were living under the Old Law still, in that passage) points.
As far as your 3rd point is concerned, you probably should have read those scripture references before you typed them, because Luke 12:47 does not say “slaves who don’t follow orders should be whipped.” If you had read that chapter you would have noticed that Jesus was speaking in parables (v.41) and that he was making a point (quite poetically actually) about disobedience and punishment. If you would like to have a discussion about what the Bible actually says about slavery, we can do that, but please stop playing fast and loose with the scriptures.
So that brings us back to the Bible. Romans 1 and 1 Corinthians 6 still indicate that homosexuality is not pleasing to God. The reason I “believe” these passages is because God wrote them, and apparently meant them. And despite what you think, they do not promote prejudice and hate. I do not hate homosexual people. The fact that you wrote such indicates your problem is with something other than the Bible. Homosexuals are practicing a lifestyle that is not right. But that doesn’t mean they are any less of a person or any more evil than their heterosexual counterparts. But we are not called to compare ourselves to those around us. God expects us to measure ourselves against His word, and as we have seen, that word plainly teaches that homosexuality is wrong.
I hope that answers your questions. If not, please feel free to let me know. - JC3

Unnatural Affection

2008-12-15T09:29:00.000-08:00

We hear alot about homosexuality these days. Most recently it was a comedian named Wanda Sykes who "came out" on the Jay Leno show. Last month it was the shocking defeat of same sex marriage in California of all places. And if the New Year ushers in as planned we will certainly hear more about this particular "lifestyle."

We are told by those who support this lifestyle that it is just a part of who makes up that person. Their sexual orientation is just as much a part of them as the color of their skin. Indeed if you go in many museums around this country you will notice exibits that equate the suffering for "gay civil rights" to the horrors suffered by African Americans throughout the sordid history of our country. No one should ever be abusive or hateful to a person for being gay or practicing any behavior, but does the fact that some of the same abuses have been suffered by gays validate their claim that sexual orientation is no different than skin color? Newsweek magazine recently cast their vote.

In the December 15, 2008 issue of Newsweek magazine the publication casts its support for homosexual marriage in a way that shocked many...including me. They appealed to scripture. Newsweak...er, I mean Newsweek, attempted to illustrate that the Bible really has a rather elastic definition of marriage. They reminded us of Abraham' s relationship with his handmaid, David and Solomon's many wives, and they went so far as to claim that the Bible nor Jesus ever actually said that marriage is between one man and one woman.

Yet when I open my Bible I read;
"Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'?" This passage from Matthew 19:4-5 is a quote from Genesis 2. It plainly teaches that marriage is between one man and one woman. And why? The appeal is to creation. Implicit in this passage is the idea that God created two sexes so that one person of each sex could be joined to one person of the other sex. This should remind the Bible student of Romans chapter one. In that passage (vv. 26-27) Paul refers to the sexual relationship between people of the same sex as "unnatural." Why would he say such a thing? Just last week I saw an interview of an actor that I had always been impressed with who said; "I don't understand why people have a problem with same sex couples. It is as natural as the relationship between my wife and I. Their family is no different than my family." That comment reminded me of a conversation that I once had with an acquaintence regarding the subject of same sex parents. I was asked; "what's the difference between same sex and different sex parents?" My answer was simple; "same sex parents can actually produce a child." Take note; I am not saying that couples who adopt are not actually parents, quite the opposite really. I think the husband and wife who adopt a child into their family and love, and raise that child is as close a picture of what God has done for us through Jesus, as we can create on our own. The point I am trying to make is that the same sex couples' inability to produce a child on their own is proof of the unnatural quality of their relationship.

Paul called homosexualtiy unnatural (Rom 1:26) because the union is not natural. In other words if we all decided to be in same sex relationships right now...the human race would cease to exist. In order for "nature" to continue as it has for thousands of years, in order for us to "be frutiful and multiply" their has to be a union between a man and a woman. That is natural.

But, I imagine that the old proverb about the squeaky wheel will prove to be true in regards to this issue. As more states adopt legislation allowing same sex marriage, more states will accept those marriages leading to the day when our country as a whole will accept it. Homosexuals will likely secure the "rights" they are demanding and we will add this to the long list of moral battles lost in this country. But we should never forget that "The Lord is in His holy Temple." The sum of God's word is truth, and there can be no changing that. And despite what Newsweek would lead you to believe, just becuase you have a right, doesn't make you right.

-JC3

Listen up PARENTS!!!!!!!!

2008-12-05T10:28:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone. I wanted to let you guys in on a little tool that has helped me be a better dad. It is called All Pro Dad. It is an organization that focuses on helping men be the kinds of Dads that children deserve. You can go to their website at http://www.allprodad.com/. Go there and check out all the cool resources to help you help your family. Whatever you decide to do, be sure to sign up for their daily email reminders. They will send you a very short email each day with tips to help. It really has been a blessing to me.

Todays was:

Aim Small

"The novice baseball fan believes the more a player hits home runs, the more likely it is that the team will be successful. That's a myth. In fact, between 1995 and 2000, exactly 200 batters hit more than 30 homers in a season, but none of them played on a World Series winning team. The key to victory is getting batters on base and then advancing them. It's known as "small ball" and represents the belief that winning comes 90 feet at a time.The same principle is true in fatherhood. A lot of dads will show up in their child's life occasionally and attempt to hit a home run with lavish gifts or trips. But truthfully, the best fathers are there all the time celebrating "small" victories such as an A on a test or riding a bike without falling once. It's the commitment to moving your relationship with your child forward continuously and incrementally that really makes the difference. Aim small, and ultimately, win big."

And MOMS, don't think I forgot about you. Their sister site is http://www.imom.com/.

Hope this helps you guys and gals as much as it has me.

-JC3

God is in the dock

2008-11-26T20:11:00.000-08:00

C.S. Lewis was one of the great minds of the 20th Century. His insight in the realm of evidences and argumentation is rivaled by few. I recently found a collection of essays on theology and ethics by Lewis at a used bookstore. I had never seen many of these before, but they have proved to be just more evidence of the brilliant mind this man was blessed with. I wanted to share with you a quote from one essay called; "God is in the Dock."

"The ancient man approached God (or even the gods) as the accused person approaches his judge. For the modern man the roles are reversed. He is the judge: God is in the dock. He is quite a kindly judge: if God should have a reasonable defence for being the god who permits war, poverty, and disease, he is ready to listen to it. The trial may even end in God's acquittal. But the important thing is that Man is on the Bench and God is in the Dock."

Perhaps we would all do well to remember another quote. This time from the prophet Habakkuk; "the Lord is in His holy temple, let all the earth keep silence before them."

Happy Thanksgiving!

-JC3

A Thanksgiving Challenge

2008-11-23T10:15:00.000-08:00

This morning I preached a sermon about the Biblical subject of Thanksgiving. Many are often surprised that the Bible has so much to say on the subject. One of the many things we noticed this morning is that family is a blessing from God. A blessing we should be thankful for. I issued a sort of challenge to the brethren here.
In expressing our thankfulness for our family members, one of the best things we can do is simply tell them that we are thankful for them and why. I created a little worksheet like below:

Wife, I am thankful for you because ____________________________
Husband, I am thankful for you because _________________________

Grandpa, I am thankful for you because__________________________
Grandma, I am thankful for you because _________________________

Dad, I am thankful for you because _____________________________
Mom, I am thankful for you because ____________________________

Son, I am thankful for you because______________________________
Daughter, I am thankful for you because _________________________

Brother, I am thankful for you because __________________________
Sister, I am thankful for you because ____________________________

Grandson, I am thankful for you because _________________________
Granddaughter, I am thankful for you because _____________________

Friend, I am thankful for you because ____________________________

_______, I am thankful for you because __________________________

Why don't you try this out? I think you wil be amazed at the response you get. And then stop back by and leave a comment telling me about it.

-JC3

Preaching Today...

2008-11-16T13:10:00.000-08:00

This morning I preached a basic sermon about the Lord's Supper.
People often ask what they should think about, or how they should remember the Lord in this meal. We noticed a number of things that can aid in partaking of this memorial in a "worthy manner."

Tonight I am finishing up "The Works of the Flesh" by looking at the sins of drunkenness and carousing, and the like...

President-Elect Obama

2008-11-06T07:42:00.000-08:00

Tuesday November 4th 2008 was a date that will be remembered forever in the annals of American history. By 11:00 PM it became obvious that the United States of America had elected it's first black president. However, not everyone was pleased about this. Indeed, over 6 million Americans voted to elect Obama's opponent, John McCain. I am not sure who you voted for, but I imagine that most people who read this blog are of a more conservative nature, and likely voted for the GOP nominee. Regardless of who you voted for, if you are a Christian...we need to talk.

Those of you who know me personally can attest to the fact that I am a "died in the wool" conservative (notice I did not say Republican). Because of my convictions I did not vote for Barack Obama (but don't assume that you know who I did vote for, because you'd probably be surprised). I wanted to elect a conservative that believed and supported sound conservative principles. That did not happen. So what do we do?

President-elect Obama will become the 44th President of the United States of America in January provided that we all see that date come to pass. He is going to be your President and my President whether we voted for him or not. Because of that fact we need to understand a few things.

1.) You better treat him with honor and respect.

1 Peter 2:13-17 tells us the attitude that a Christian is supposed to display toward the governing authorities. Verse 13 says to "be subject" and verse 17 says to "honor" them, particularly the one holding the highest office in the land (emperor, king, president, etc...). These two commands "be subject" and "honor" teach us not only to listen to and obey our governing authorities, but we also need to treat them with the respect they deserve. Over the last eight years (especially the last 6) President Bush has been labeled everything from a imbecile to a Nazi war criminal. According to this passage it is a sin for people to treat the President with such disdain. Conservatives, and especially Republicans have decried the harsh treatment of President Bush and called for more respect and kindness. What will we do now? Now that the country has elected a liberal Senator who may not share our values, and will probably do some things we don't like, how will we react? Will we stoop to the same godless behavior of disrespecting and hurling insults at our new President, or will we do what the people of God have always done - set the moral standard and be a beacon of holiness in a world infatuated with sin. This is what God has called us to. That does not mean that we must overlook or support decisions that are made that seem to contradict the will of God, but it does mean that we need to temper our reactions with the knowledge that God expects us to "honor the king" whether he is good or bad.

Some will have a difficult time doing this no doubt. I recall one person saying of Bill Clinton; "I will be subject to him, but that doesn't mean I have to respect him." That is wrong. 1 Peter 2 is clear - we must respect them. I understand that some say "respect" when they mean admire, but what the Bible means by respect is the honor and consideration that goes with the lofty position. We need to manage both; subjection and respect. Many have wondered why God asks us to do this...that brings us to another point....

2.) God appoints our rulers

Has God appointed Barack Obama? In the culture of politcal hatred that we live in, many will be angry with that question. But consider Daniel chapter 4. In this context king Nebuchadnezzar has become very proud and ungodly. If you recall what happens, God punishes this mighty king by making him "like a beast of the field." Why did God do that? Often God would bring down the haughty to show them their true frailty (see: Obadiah). However, in Daniel 4 God tells us exactly why He punished Nebuchadnezzar this way. In verse 25 and verse 32 Nebuchadnezzar is told that "the Most High rules in the kingdoms of men and gives it to whom he will." The point was, for Nebuchadnezzar to realize that his grand position as king of the world's mightiest nation was given to him. God had allowed Nebuchadnezzar to become king. Many have been tempted to point out that: "this was the Old Testament and things are different." Consider Romans 13. The beginning of that chapter tells us how Christians should act toward their governing authorities (the Romans at that time). Verse one plainly states that the "powers that exist have been instituted by God." Whether you take that to mean that God appointed Barack Obama specifically, or that he appointed the system of government in which Obama rose to power, either way, this happened because God caused it to happen. That is what should color our relationship with our new President. The fact that God has "instituted" this brings us to the same sobering conclusion that the Apostle Paul expresses in Romans 13:2, the very next verse, when he says; "Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment."

We have lived through the longest presidential campaign in history. Many of you may have even campaigned very hard for your candidate. But the election is over. Barack Obama has been elected to the highest office in the world, and we are faced with a decision. Will we perpetuate the culture of contempt and disrespect for our leaders, or will we rise above the fray, and show the world a better way - the Christian way? That's change we can believe in!

Preaching Today...

2008-10-26T12:48:00.000-07:00

This morning I preached on "Spiritual Weakness."
Why are some weak spiritually? How can you spot this weakness? and what is our responsibility when this type of weakness is identified?

Tonight:
Galatians - part 18 - works of the flesh
We are going to finish this series.........eventually!

Preaching Today...

2008-10-19T11:19:00.000-07:00

This Morning:

I spoke about "Overcoming Discouragement." There are a lot of situations in our lives that can cause us discouragement. We can liken those feelings and situations to temptation - it is not inherently sinful, but how we react will determine whether or not we please God.

Tonight:

I am preaching part 17 (i think it's 17) in a series on Galatians. We are in chapter 5, discussing the works of the flesh. Tonight we will deal with the sins of idolatry and sorcery.

Every Time I Pass A Graveyard

2008-10-16T20:27:00.000-07:00

I have often written about an old preacher whom I used to know. He know longer graces this world with his presence, and we're worse for it. A few years ago his wife passed away, and he shook off his tired old body just a few short months later.
I loved sitting in his living room gazing out the window as he regaled me with stories of what it was like to preach, back when even my grandparents were children. He would tell of bedsheet sermons, hickory stick pointers, and riding his horse to a meeting, and I loved every minute of it. His mind was a paradox. He would bring to life days gone by as he told me every fine detail of some marvelous event. He made sure I learned from the mistakes he made, and he told me stories - and I loved those stories. I tell these stories to others, and I know them well, because I've heard them many times. You see, his mind was a paradox. His memory of details from past experiences was crystal clear and vivid. But he often forgot that he had already told me a story, sometimes even moments earlier. But I never minded. If I didn't hear one new thing that day, it was still time well spent. This veteran preacher loved God, and loved souls, and I loved him.
One day he told me something that changed my life. I would hear him say it many more times, and no matter how often he said it, it always touched my heart. Even as I write this I can recall the way I felt the first time he told me; "how he got ready."
He said; "I used to do Gospel meetings all over this state. Most of them led me out of town, and into places where I knew there would be many people who needed to hear the gospel. So I always prepared myself by going out to this cemetery on the edge of town." As he told me these words he leaned forward to make sure I understood how important this was. I fixed my stare into his clear eyes so he knew that I was listening. He continued by telling me; "I would go out to this cemetery, and go up on this hill that overlooked all those graves." He said; "I would picture how so many of those people must have died without being prepared to meet their God, and I would determine to keep as many people as possible from ending up that way. "
He sad that this routine served as motivation for him for many years and that it pushed him to go on, preaching the gospel, and seeking the lost.
As you can imagine, I was deeply affected by this. I thought about it for the rest of that day, and I still think of it all the time. In fact, I never pass a cemetery without having that same thought, and thinking of him. He reminded me that my teaching and preaching needs a sense of urgency, because for too many, time has already run out...so we have to reach those who still have time. The mission is simple: find the lost, lead them to the cross, and teach them the gospel. He understood just how simple it is; this world has a great need for a savior, and there is a Great Savior for that need. Our job is just to introduce open hearts to an open bible, and let the Lord do His work. That's what my old friend did, and that's what I'm trying to do.
I am a better person because I knew that old man, and though I never told him, I like to think he knew that he changed my life forever. That's the power of a godly life. The power of a godly man - and he was one.
He loved God, and he loved souls, and I loved him.
- JC3

"The Word"

2008-10-10T06:20:00.000-07:00

One of the most intriguing things about the Gospel of John, and the epistles of John, is the way they begin. In John 1:1 we read; "in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God." Then in 1 John 1:1 we also read about the "word of life."

Both of these references are obviously about Jesus, but why does John use them? Why does He call Jesus "the Word?"

Consider what a word does. When I say; bicycle, what do you think of? My guess is that you pictured a transportation device with a seat and two inline wheels, a handlebar, and just to go out on a limb...is it red? My point is, that words convey ideas. They take a picture or a thought that is in one persons mind, and if the right words are used, they place that picture in the other persons mind. So what does this have to do with Jesus?

We know from the book of Ehesians (1:4) and many other N.T. passages that God had planned the "scheme of redmeption" "before the foundations of the world." In essence, God, in God's infinite foreknowledge, saw that it would be necessary to redeem man from his sins. But how could God do this? We know now, that it would take something so monumental and tremendous that it would forever alter the course of human history - God had to become flesh. This is what Jesus did. He, as Deity, added flesh that He might experience life as a man. In Him, God's "idea" of perfection is realized. God had a notion of what it would be like if a man followed Him perfectly. What does it look like to be perfectly pure? What would it be like if every care and concern were cast on the bosom of the Father? What would it look like to always put others before self?

How could God convey this message? He did it in Jesus! Jesus literally becomes a breathing picture of God's idea of perfect holiness and obedience. His life is the example that takes that idea from the mind of God and puts it in our mind...and hearts. In this way, John can most accurately say...Jesus is "the Word."

-JC3

Preaching Today...

2008-10-05T13:14:00.001-07:00

Today I am doing a 2 part series called; "Demoting Jesus" "Common objections to the Deity of Christ."
Augustine said; "Christ is not valued at all unless He is valued above all." Unfortunately many religious groups, including the so-called "Jehovah's Witnesses" deny that Jesus is God. John 1:1 clearly tells us that He is, and a thorough study of the New Testament reveals that this has always been the case.
When studying with people who deny the Deity of Christ you will often hear many of the same objections. My sermons today aim answer those questions biblically in an effort to better understand our Lord.

Some of the objections I address include:
Wasn't Jesus; "begotten?"
Does "firstborn" mean "born first?"
If God can't be tempted, and Jesus was tempted, doesn't that mean Jesus isn't God?
The Subjection of the Son
How Could Jesus be Omniscient if He didn't know the date of the Second Coming?
And other objections...

Would you like this material? It would be very useful when studying with the "Jehovah's Witnesses" if you are ever presented the opportunity.

If you would like any of this material (or the first lesson in this series that illustrated the biblical teaching that Jesus is Jehovah) let me know here, or send me an email.

-JC3

ESV Study Bible

2008-09-17T11:35:00.000-07:00

For all those of you who love the English Standard Version of the Bible, this should serve as exciting news. The new ESV study Bible will be released in October 2008. It is described briefly like this from the website:

2,752 pages, 200-plus full color maps

2 million words, 40 all new illustrations

20,000 notes, Over 50 articles

80,000 cross references, More than 200 charts

The website also says that anyone who purchases a copy of the study Bible will also get free access to the ESV online study Bible.

In my opinion, the best two features of the Bible are the Single Column text format, and the Smyth sewn bindings. If you know much about Bibles you are probably aware that Smyth sewing is the absolute best way to bind a Bible and ensure that it will last a long time. With prices as low as $29.99 (hardcover), this really will be worth more than what you pay for it.

If you want more information on the ESV study Bible, the website also has a blog that has copious amounts of information to keep you geared up for the release.

Can't wait? Me either.

-JC3

Good Question

2008-08-28T11:17:00.000-07:00

I think we can all appreciate the humor in this sign, and no one loves a good wisecrack better than I do. But what if we answered the question??? Obviously, whoever posted the message on that sign meant it as rhetorical humor, but what if we answered it seriously?

How would you answer it?

Maybe you think I am ruining the joke by overanalyzing it, but bear with me and perhaps you will appreciate the spiritual application. The question was asked "why didn't Noah, swat the 2 mosquitos?" The simple answer: God didn't tell Noah to swat the 2 mosquitos. If he had, I imagine Noah would have done just as God asked him to, because that's what Noah typically did. Genesis 6:9 says; "Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation, Noah walked with God." (ESV) Noah is a man of distinction among all men who ever lived. But what did Noah do? He built an ark - because God requested an ark. He used a good wood, gopher wood - because God asked for Gopher wood. He put the animals on the ark - because God wanted the animals on the ark. Noah survived - because He listened to God!

So what does this have to do with me, you and mosquitos? Well, do you listen to God? Do you do what He asks you to, and do only that? Colossians 3:17 says; "whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of (by the authority of - JC3) the Lord Jesus..." Do you do that? When God has asked us to specifically do some things, do you presume to make 'minor adjustments' praticularly in areas of silence? For instance; God has asked us to "sing and make melody in our hearts unto the Lord." Do you sing? Or do you sing and play? God has said "he that believes and is baptized shall be saved." Do you teach that? Or do you teach that a person is saved before they are baptized? God has said that he desires us to live a transformed life. One that is dedicated to Him all the time (Rom 12:1-3). Do you do that? Or do you only serve Him on Sundays, and when it's convenient?

What we are talking about is authority. We need to realize that godly men of all ages: Noah - Abraham - Moses - Daniel - John the Baptist all understood that in order to please God they needed to do what He said. Any 3 year old understands that in order to please their parents, they need to do what they're told. Adults understand it too, unless it comes to religion. But it's time for a change. Why don't we commit right now to open God's word and see what He wants, and do that - and only that? While we still have time.

And the next time somebody jokingly asks; "Why didn't Noah swat the 2 mosquitos?" Maybe you should tell them; "cause Noah didn't whittle on God's end of the stick."

- JC3

The Big Argument: Does God Exist?

2008-08-19T12:01:00.000-07:00

Do you know an Atheist? I bet you do... It's become quite popular these days to call one's self an "Atheist." Men like Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens have lived in the news over the last couple of years. With the release of books like Hitchens' scathing indictment of faith called "God is Not Great" or Dawkins' "The God Delusion" these two men, among some others have been regulars on television lambasting faith...and not just Christianity. To these men faith in any God is unreasonable, though they would have stronger words. Indeed, they go so far as to say that faith in God is dangerous and lends one to all manner of atrocity. These men have succeeded no doubt in toppling many fence straddlers toward the dark side of Atheism partly because their arguments sound as convincing as the spirit in which they make them...but are they? Dawkins in particular seems to convey a sense of certainty with his regal tone, and world-class education that has elevated him as one of the most noted professor at the University of Oxford. He like so many others' says that science can conclusively tell us that the Theory of Evolution explains how we came to be a people. We need not look to the Heavens for a Creator because there is no one there to hear us.

Is this the case?

One of the books that I have found useful on this subject is called The Big Argument: Does God Exist? It is really a collection of 24 essays written by some of the brightest minds in the fields of science, history and philosophy,edited by John Ashton and Michael Westacott. This book seeks to answer the age old question contained in the title; "Does God Exist?" It is divided in to two main sections. Part 1 is made up of 14 essays under the heading: GOD, SCIENCE AND PHILOSOPHY and the second part includes 10 essays concerning: GOD, HISTORY AND THE BIBLE.

What makes this book stand out among others like it is the way the authors have managed to balance a scholarly depth of material while making the concepts very accessible. Some essays are deeper and more involved than others, but overall the book serves well as a “crash course” in apologetics.

In Psalm 19:1 David said; "The Heavens declare the glory of God and the sky above proclaims His handiwork. (ESV)" David expressed in that line one of life's fundamental truths; there is something greater than us at work in our universe. This book will assist you in proving that we didn't creep forth from some geological bowl of primordial soup. But if you want to know the One who put us here personally, there is still but one Book that will satisfy!

The B-I-B-L-E.....that's still the book for me!

Grace and Peace,

JC3

Preaching Today...

2008-08-17T05:48:00.000-07:00

This morning I am preaching on "The Human Condition." There are some things that we all share in common. God created us this way, and in His wisdom He has revealed to us one of our greatest strengths...

Tonight I am continuing a series on Galatians. We are currently in chapter 4.

Grace and Peace,
JC3

Safe with Daddy

2008-08-13T11:57:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week I took a day off. A real day off, not one of those "working at the house days off." We spent most of the day in Danville, KY where my wife's parents live. That afternoon Katie (my wife) and I took our two little girls Madalyn (2) and Olivia (1) to Millenium park. This park is one of the biggest and most well manicured parks I have ever seen. Covering at least 20 acres there are 4 playgrounds, baseball fields, a skate park and a beautiful lake. There is also a very nice pathway cut in to the rolling green hills that the park is situated on.
My favorite part of the park is the lake which is where my oldest daughter and I were sitting on a swing. That is, until the ducks came walking up from the water's edge. Maddy nearly climbed up on my shoulders from fear of these little creatures. It took a second but I calmed her down and we decided to walk across the little bridge and visit one of the other playgrounds. As we walked across the bridge Maddy grabbed my hand tightly. When I looked down at her I noticed she was scanning her surroundings to see if any of those ducks were following us. That's when i did what any father would do...I asked; "Are you ok?" Her answer stunned me.
She said; "I am ok. I was just afraid of those ducks. But I will hold your hand and then they will not get me." I melted. Inside I had one of those moments that only daddies get to have. I was overcome with a sense of purpose, because she was right...I wouldn't let anything happen to her. At the same time I was moved by her unwavering faith.
My daughter reminded me of something that I don't think about as often as I should. What she was really saying to me was that, though there was (in her mind) a serious threat to be aware of, as long as she was close to her father, and could feel his presence, everything would be all right.
As I ponder that thought I am reminded of the words of the 16th Psalm where it is said that in the presence of Jehovah there is "fullness of joy" (v.11). Or Psalm 31 and those beautiful words of refuge wherein it is said "In the cover of your presence you hide them from the plots of men" (v.20 ESV). It's in the words of this Psalmist...or in the words of my daugther that I am reminded of one of my greatest needs as a child of God - to feel the presence of my God. To know that He is near and is mindful of my need for Him. Peter wrote that; "the face of the Lord is on the righteous and his ears are open to their prayers..." reminding us that God is watching us, not in the sense that He is hawkishly watching for any mistake, but that He has His eyes on us, like the doting eyes of a loving Father.
So it is this thought that gives me pause today to take a moment and listen. Not for a still small voice to lead me, but to feel the warmth and love of a God who is watching, and caring...for me.

JC3

The Answer I Needed

2008-08-08T13:10:00.000-07:00

I was reading this passage last night:

"The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever." (Psalm 119:160)

As I pondered this passage I was again moved by the power of this phrase. The words seem to come alive among a sea of phrases so similar. Indeed the 119th Psalm is literally filled with references to the laws (testimonies, promises, words, etc...) of God. As you read it your mind drifts back to an ancient time when a godly man poured out his love for the words of his God.

Then I wondered; "Can I honestly say this is how I feel?" I have been debating this within myself for nearly 20 hours now - and the verdict is out. At times I know I love God with all of my being. I am consumed with a zeal for the Lord that is so hot it nearly sets my clothes ablaze. But at other times my feet begin to slow and my service is less than passionate.

So what can I do?

I need an answer and I need the truth. Not a truth, not some truth, but THE truth. What is the truth? That is a question that has several answers. Jesus said; "I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father but by Me." So Jesus is the truth. No doubt about that.

But let's go back to the words of Psalm 119 again. The Psalmist said; "the sum of thy word is truth..." We seldom glean all the wisdom in these phrases on the first read, so read it again. Notice that it said the "sum of." What he is saying is that the totality, or the complete collection of Jehovah's words equals truth! He did not say; your words are true. That is accurate and related in other places, but here he says, in essence, your words EQUAL truth. So, not only does this little passage allude to an interesting characteristic of Deity, but it answers my original question (What Can I do?).

Get in the book! It may take a little while to find the answer. But if truth is what you want....well, now you know where to get it....

- JC3

Welcome to my little corner of the Blogosphere

2008-08-05T11:32:00.000-07:00

I guess it is inevitable that a person who loves to write and loves to meet new people would end up authoring a blog. Several people have encouraged me to undertake this venture and so I have. My primary motivation for a venue such as this is to discuss sipritual issues. I may comment on political or cultural things from time to time as they intrigue me, but as a rule I am interested in talking about the God we serve, and ways to better know Him.

A word about the title:
I find few things sadder than a Christian who has no fire in their eyes. As disciples of Jesus we are a people that have been 'washed', 'sanctified', and 'justified'. Jesus has done for us what could not be done otherwise - he has made me (and hopefull you as well) special among the world. Not special to another person, but special to God, and often we forget that. We don't completely lose the knowledge of that fact but we let it slip from the presence of our minds. Consequently our zeal to serve Him wanes. Though He has blessed us and we have been given such wonderful care, at times we find ourselves disinterested, apathetic, and unmotivated in serving the Lord. To put it in a word we become - Lukewarm.
This problem of being "neither cold nor hot" is one that was addressed by Jesus in Revelation chapter 3 when He rebuked the church in Laodicea. He condemned them for their attitude of indifference. They were neither "cold nor hot" so He was going to vomit them out of His mouth. This blistering imagery reminds us that our daily walk as a follower of Jesus is an all or nothing commitment.
I decided to call this blog Leaving Laodicea, not because I think we need to leave people or churches who are struggling with being tepid, but I do think we need to, as individuals, refuse to stay in places of mediocre, middle of the road, and unmotivated service to our King, places best described as our own "Laodicea."
Thanks for taking time to check out my thoughts, and please let me know what you think by commenting.

Take Care
JC3