This is a post I did last year. I'm too lazy to write another, so I'm re-posting this 'un. Meanwhile, I'm goin' to Tennessee to see the fambly. Ranulfo will be back soon. Happy Memorial Day!
I am thankful that I live in the U.S.A.,a land of prosperity and freedom. I am fully aware that the freedoms we enjoy here have come at an extremely high price. That price is the life-blood of many a soldier who, in various wars and conflicts, has carried the battle to the enemy in order to keep us safe here.
This is a day that we have set aside to remember with grateful hearts those who have given all to preserve and protect our freedom. We are also mindful of those whose lives are daily on the line as they track down the enemy there so he can't come here. The words 'thank you' seem terribly insufficient, but it's all I have so, THANK YOU!
However, there is another group of freedom fighters that is often overlooked. They are missionaries. The missionary is one who takes the great comission seriously and personally. He hears his Master's call and readily obeys. He immediately begins to downsize and make preparation to leave. He says goodbye to loved ones and friends. He packs his bags, and together with his wife and kids, leaves behind the comfortable familiarity of his homeland to go to an unfamiliar place where they have not asked for him and possibly may be hostile to him.
Many missionaries are working in hostile environments where their lives are constantly in jeopardy. Many of them have died in faraway lands where their bodies lie in unmarked graves. Some of them have been attacked and killed by the very ones to whom they were ministering. Others have succumbed to diseases or other dangers that are inherent to the harsh evironment in which they lived and worked. They are like those of whom the writer of Hebrews says "...the world was not worthy".
While the value and success of a soldier can be more or less easily assessed, the contribution of these unsung heroes cannot be calculated by human reasoning. Only in eternity will we be able to truely assess the value and fruit of the missionary's service. (Rev. 14:13 "...and their works do follow them.')
In the eternal state we shall hear the story of the potentially successful terrorist who, through the preaching of a missionary, surrendered to Christ. We shall rejoice with the one-time political rebel who was transformed by the faithful gospel witness of a missionary, and through the teaching of that missionary, began to preach the good news too. In eternity we will fellowship with many who would have been our enemies, but because of a missionary, they are our brothers in Christ .
As we remember the awsome contribution of those in the armed forces of the U.S.A., let's not forget the soldiers of the cross. When we get to Heaven, we might learn that they contributed more to the preservation of our freedom than the military, without firing a shot.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
BLOG BIRTHDAY
May 10th is my blog's birthday. I was hoping to have made more of an impact on the world thru blogging by the time I had been at it a year, but alas and alack! Nothing earth-shattering has come from this blog...yet. Just wait. One of these days I'll write something that even I will be pleased with. It could happen in year #2. Therefore, you should read this blog every day lest you miss the life-changing event.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
TAGGED YET AGAIN
I was tagged by Marcian to do this Meme which is to consist of 7 things about me that you should know. Wow! That's gonna be hard. There's just not that much to know about me. Anyway, here goes nuthin'.
1. I was born at Presbyterian hospital in Knoxville, Tn. I guess that's why I have always leaned toward Calvinism. That hospital is located very near the campus of the University of Tennessee, so that's probably why I'm so smart.
2. I have only one sibling, a younger brother, with whom, aside from the same parents, I have almost nothing in common.
3. There are a bunch of preachers in my family. My maternal Grandfather was a Methodist preacher, my Dad is a Baptist preacher, my Dad's sister's husband is a Baptist preacher, their oldest son is a Baptist preacher, and my two sons are also B.P.'s . It must be genetic or something.
4. My wife and I were married the 30th of December, 1972. I was 18 and she was 17. She has graciously endured the up's and down's of life with me for over 34 years.
5. We have 9 grandchildren, each of which, is the cutest, smartest, most tallented child I have ever seen.
6. I love pastoring. I love verse-by-verse preaching. I long for the mission field. I wish that I could pastor, be a foreign missionary and train young missionaries, all a the same time. My dream would be to pastor a church near the Mexico-U.S. border where I could work some in Mexico, and have a ministry in that church to help missionaries get prepared to work on the "field".
7. I love old Chevy trucks. I try to not be so interested in 'em, but I'm weak. Every time I think I've gotten victory, one of them seems to follow me home.
1. I was born at Presbyterian hospital in Knoxville, Tn. I guess that's why I have always leaned toward Calvinism. That hospital is located very near the campus of the University of Tennessee, so that's probably why I'm so smart.
2. I have only one sibling, a younger brother, with whom, aside from the same parents, I have almost nothing in common.
3. There are a bunch of preachers in my family. My maternal Grandfather was a Methodist preacher, my Dad is a Baptist preacher, my Dad's sister's husband is a Baptist preacher, their oldest son is a Baptist preacher, and my two sons are also B.P.'s . It must be genetic or something.
4. My wife and I were married the 30th of December, 1972. I was 18 and she was 17. She has graciously endured the up's and down's of life with me for over 34 years.
5. We have 9 grandchildren, each of which, is the cutest, smartest, most tallented child I have ever seen.
6. I love pastoring. I love verse-by-verse preaching. I long for the mission field. I wish that I could pastor, be a foreign missionary and train young missionaries, all a the same time. My dream would be to pastor a church near the Mexico-U.S. border where I could work some in Mexico, and have a ministry in that church to help missionaries get prepared to work on the "field".
7. I love old Chevy trucks. I try to not be so interested in 'em, but I'm weak. Every time I think I've gotten victory, one of them seems to follow me home.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
NEWS YOU CAN USE!
J. D. Hatfield's book, THE VOICE OF VISION, is now available! Go to his blog and follow the links to order it. J.D. is one of my favorite bloggers and a very gifted writer. I highly recommend both his blog and his book. In my opinion, if you like Tozer and Ravenhill, you'll love Hatfield's writing.
Also I'm registered for the Together for the Gospel conference which will be held at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville, Kentucky, April 15th-17th 2008. I went to the last one in 2006. It was probably the best conference that I have ever had the pleasure of attending. I encourage you to make every possible effort to go. If you want to go, you had better hurry and register! I'm thinking it will fill up fast. BTW If you go, they give you a bunch of free books!
I sure hope they have a blogger fellowship like the last one. I really enjoy getting to meet the people who really make a difference in the world thru their blogging. If you are going, let me know in the comments section.
Also I'm registered for the Together for the Gospel conference which will be held at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville, Kentucky, April 15th-17th 2008. I went to the last one in 2006. It was probably the best conference that I have ever had the pleasure of attending. I encourage you to make every possible effort to go. If you want to go, you had better hurry and register! I'm thinking it will fill up fast. BTW If you go, they give you a bunch of free books!
I sure hope they have a blogger fellowship like the last one. I really enjoy getting to meet the people who really make a difference in the world thru their blogging. If you are going, let me know in the comments section.
Monday, April 30, 2007
IT'S BEEN REALLY DRY IN FLORIDA LATELY
I will admit that I was a little nervous about answering the door, but, as it turns out, he only wanted a drink of water.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
THE HUSBAND STORE
A store that sells husbands has just opened in New York city, where a woman may go to choose a husband. Among the instructions at the entrance is a description of how the store operates. You may visit the store ONLY ONCE!
You may choose any man from a particular floor, or you may choose to go up a floor, but you cannot go back down except to exit the Building! So, a woman goes to the Husband Store to find a husband...
On the first floor the sign on the door reads:
Floor 1 - These men have jobs and love the Lord.
The second floor sign reads:
Floor 2 - These men have jobs, love the Lord, and love kids.
The third floor sign reads:
Floor 3 - These men have jobs, love the Lord, love kids, and are extremely good looking.
"Wow," she thinks, but feels compelled to keep going.
She goes to the fourth floor and sign reads:
Floor 4 - These men have jobs, love the Lord, love kids, are drop-dead good looking and help with the housework.
"Oh, mercy me!" she exclaims, "I can hardly stand it!"
Still, she goes to the fifth floor and sign reads:
Floor 5 - These men have jobs, love the Lord, love kids, are drop-dead gorgeous, help with the housework, and have a strong romantic streak.
She is so tempted to stay, but she goes to the sixth floor and the sign reads:
Floor 6 - You are visitor 4,363,012 to this floor. There are no men on this floor.
This floor exists solely as proof that women are impossible to please.
Thank you for shopping at the Husband Store. Watch your step as you exit the building, and have a nice day!
Ht:Free funny jokes blog
You may choose any man from a particular floor, or you may choose to go up a floor, but you cannot go back down except to exit the Building! So, a woman goes to the Husband Store to find a husband...
On the first floor the sign on the door reads:
Floor 1 - These men have jobs and love the Lord.
The second floor sign reads:
Floor 2 - These men have jobs, love the Lord, and love kids.
The third floor sign reads:
Floor 3 - These men have jobs, love the Lord, love kids, and are extremely good looking.
"Wow," she thinks, but feels compelled to keep going.
She goes to the fourth floor and sign reads:
Floor 4 - These men have jobs, love the Lord, love kids, are drop-dead good looking and help with the housework.
"Oh, mercy me!" she exclaims, "I can hardly stand it!"
Still, she goes to the fifth floor and sign reads:
Floor 5 - These men have jobs, love the Lord, love kids, are drop-dead gorgeous, help with the housework, and have a strong romantic streak.
She is so tempted to stay, but she goes to the sixth floor and the sign reads:
Floor 6 - You are visitor 4,363,012 to this floor. There are no men on this floor.
This floor exists solely as proof that women are impossible to please.
Thank you for shopping at the Husband Store. Watch your step as you exit the building, and have a nice day!
Ht:Free funny jokes blog
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
THE MEN WHO WOULD BE KING
A mini-firestorm, it seems, has been ignited by a statement that Dr. Jerry Falwell made concerning limited atonement. As I understand it, Dr. Falwell called the doctrine of limited atonement heresy. In doing so, he implicates all those who believe and teach this doctrine as heretics.
I certainly do not begrudge Dr. Falwell nor Liberty U. the right to believe what they believe and to state it publicly. I agree with Tom Ascol's statement; "I simply regret that they believe it".
My problem with this way of thinking is, I fear that often times, men will allow their own personal motives to govern how they interpret Scripture rather than allowing Scripture to govern their motives. Some men in the world of Christianity are so set on their own self-importance, their own desire for greatness, and their unfaltering dedication to their own sovereignty that they just can't see the doctrines of grace no matter how much Biblical evidence they are shown.
This is the root of the problem, as I see it: Men, even dedicated religious men, will not only reject the doctrines of grace (5 point Calvinism), but will fight them tooth and nail, because these doctrines will remove them from the throne of their own private, self-proclaimed kingdom. They long for place and position. They struggle ceaselessly for notoriety. They want to be catered to by political leaders and feared for their political clout. They want to be thought of as leaders so badly that they find a way to blend their doctrine with their ambitions.
The doctrines of grace will allow no self-exaltation. They will tear the crown from puny man's head and cast it at the feet of the only One who was ever worthy to wear a crown in the first place. The doctrines of grace, rightly understood, will put God high on the throne and a weak and utterly helpless man face down in the dust before God's throne.
To the men who would be king, thinking seriously on the doctrines of grace would be dangerous to their personal sovereignty. Therefore they bitterly oppose Calvinism. They build straw men to misrepresent the beliefs of those who hold to these truths in order to fight the misconceptions rather than the real issues. To fight the real issues would require an honest evaluation of them, and that would be a threat to their private little kingdom.
Have these men ever read this verse? Mat 23:12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. If they have read it, they have not rightly understood it, nor have they applied it personally.
On the other hand, the men of whom I am aware, who hold to the doctrines of grace, are men who have never sought great things for themselves. They are men whose first priority has been to know and honor God. They have studied deeply and passionately to know more about Him so that they could honor Him as He deserves to be honored. This has caused them to have an exalted view of God and His sovereignty while exposing them to the utter depravity of man. They have sought not only to know truth, but to apply it, first in their own lives, then to teach it to others.
These men, by conviction, do not seek for name nor for notoriety. They seek for God and His glory, depending on God alone to give them their place and position in His kingdom. Many of them have come to places of note and are in the public eye, but not because they sought it. They were busy humbling themselves in the sight of God and He has lifted them up.(James4:10) Among these are John MacArthur, Al Mohler, John Piper, R.C Sproul and many others who are our contemporaries. Others from the past who believed, taught and ordered their ministries in light of the doctrines of grace were Spurgeon, Whitfield, Bunyan, and William Carey (who is known as the father of modern missions).
These are the men whose examples I would emulate. As for the men who would be king, we shall see in eternity where their theology and their example lead.
I certainly do not begrudge Dr. Falwell nor Liberty U. the right to believe what they believe and to state it publicly. I agree with Tom Ascol's statement; "I simply regret that they believe it".
My problem with this way of thinking is, I fear that often times, men will allow their own personal motives to govern how they interpret Scripture rather than allowing Scripture to govern their motives. Some men in the world of Christianity are so set on their own self-importance, their own desire for greatness, and their unfaltering dedication to their own sovereignty that they just can't see the doctrines of grace no matter how much Biblical evidence they are shown.
This is the root of the problem, as I see it: Men, even dedicated religious men, will not only reject the doctrines of grace (5 point Calvinism), but will fight them tooth and nail, because these doctrines will remove them from the throne of their own private, self-proclaimed kingdom. They long for place and position. They struggle ceaselessly for notoriety. They want to be catered to by political leaders and feared for their political clout. They want to be thought of as leaders so badly that they find a way to blend their doctrine with their ambitions.
The doctrines of grace will allow no self-exaltation. They will tear the crown from puny man's head and cast it at the feet of the only One who was ever worthy to wear a crown in the first place. The doctrines of grace, rightly understood, will put God high on the throne and a weak and utterly helpless man face down in the dust before God's throne.
To the men who would be king, thinking seriously on the doctrines of grace would be dangerous to their personal sovereignty. Therefore they bitterly oppose Calvinism. They build straw men to misrepresent the beliefs of those who hold to these truths in order to fight the misconceptions rather than the real issues. To fight the real issues would require an honest evaluation of them, and that would be a threat to their private little kingdom.
Have these men ever read this verse? Mat 23:12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. If they have read it, they have not rightly understood it, nor have they applied it personally.
On the other hand, the men of whom I am aware, who hold to the doctrines of grace, are men who have never sought great things for themselves. They are men whose first priority has been to know and honor God. They have studied deeply and passionately to know more about Him so that they could honor Him as He deserves to be honored. This has caused them to have an exalted view of God and His sovereignty while exposing them to the utter depravity of man. They have sought not only to know truth, but to apply it, first in their own lives, then to teach it to others.
These men, by conviction, do not seek for name nor for notoriety. They seek for God and His glory, depending on God alone to give them their place and position in His kingdom. Many of them have come to places of note and are in the public eye, but not because they sought it. They were busy humbling themselves in the sight of God and He has lifted them up.(James4:10) Among these are John MacArthur, Al Mohler, John Piper, R.C Sproul and many others who are our contemporaries. Others from the past who believed, taught and ordered their ministries in light of the doctrines of grace were Spurgeon, Whitfield, Bunyan, and William Carey (who is known as the father of modern missions).
These are the men whose examples I would emulate. As for the men who would be king, we shall see in eternity where their theology and their example lead.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
NEW BLOGGER AWARD!!!
Daniel at Doulogos has created a new Blogger Award!
It is for bloggers who use their gifts to "build up" God's people through blogging.
I was, at the same time, surprised, honored and humbled to be included in Daniel's list of bloggers that edify (Thanks,Daniel.). If I understand correctly, this award also constitutes a "tag". I am to list some of the bloggers that consistently build me up in my faith by their thoughtful writing.
I would have to say, that Daniel himself, would be high on my list of edifying bloggers. Also both my sons, Steve and Jeremy are a blessing to me on many levels.
Here is a short list of bloggers that I consider to be most helpful to me, personally:
J.D. Hatfield
Pyromaniacs
Dan Phillips
Big Orange Truck
Ray Van Neste
David Kjos
Desiring God Blog
There are many others that I could have named. In fact, every single blog or website on my side bar is a blessing. Read them when you have time. I'm sure you'll agree.
It is for bloggers who use their gifts to "build up" God's people through blogging.
I was, at the same time, surprised, honored and humbled to be included in Daniel's list of bloggers that edify (Thanks,Daniel.). If I understand correctly, this award also constitutes a "tag". I am to list some of the bloggers that consistently build me up in my faith by their thoughtful writing.
I would have to say, that Daniel himself, would be high on my list of edifying bloggers. Also both my sons, Steve and Jeremy are a blessing to me on many levels.
Here is a short list of bloggers that I consider to be most helpful to me, personally:
J.D. Hatfield
Pyromaniacs
Dan Phillips
Big Orange Truck
Ray Van Neste
David Kjos
Desiring God Blog
There are many others that I could have named. In fact, every single blog or website on my side bar is a blessing. Read them when you have time. I'm sure you'll agree.
Saturday, April 07, 2007
NEWS FLASH!!! CHRISTIAN IS 5 YEARS OLD (ALMOST)
It's Christian's birthday, but Conner needs a little attention too.
The Cake.
The birthday boy. His birthday really isn't till Monday, but he said:"Since it's my party today, I'm just gonna go ahead and be 5".
Thursday, March 15, 2007
RECENT FAILURES AND SUCCESSES
The last two weeks have been unusually busy for me. We had our annual Bible conference at the Church, which required much preparation and time. Of course I still had to keep up with all the mowing. Steve and his family were here for the conference and stayed on thru today. They are leaving this morning, and to be honest, I can't hardly stand to see them go. It looks like I'm gonna be a weepy, clingy old man. Anyway, I haven't accomplished some of the things I had hoped I would, but on the other hand there have been some small accomplishments. Here's how I see my failures and accomplishments. I'm sure I'm over-looking some of my most glaring failures, but I've had 53 years of practice at it.
FAILURES:
Started okay, but failed to post reviews of the messages preached in the Bible Conf.
Took some pictures of speakers at the Bible Conf., but failed to post them.
Took pictures of Gordon Cloud during a luncheon with Steve and me, but failed to post them.
Tried to upload a video from You Tube and failed... twice.
Failed to read the blogs that I normally read every day.
Failed...again to make my children and grandchildren know how important they are to me, and how much I love them.
SUCCESSES:
Posted a review of the first message of the Bible Conf.
Uploaded pictures of J.D. Hatfield.
Moderated the conference without preaching before and after each sermon.(Almost)
Convinced Pastor Jimmy Strickland, one of the conference speakers, to help me mow two mornings strait. I might have him come back and preach a whole week this summer.(grin)
Begged, borrowed, dickered, and traded to successfully acquire two Chevy trucks.
FAILURES:
Started okay, but failed to post reviews of the messages preached in the Bible Conf.
Took some pictures of speakers at the Bible Conf., but failed to post them.
Took pictures of Gordon Cloud during a luncheon with Steve and me, but failed to post them.
Tried to upload a video from You Tube and failed... twice.
Failed to read the blogs that I normally read every day.
Failed...again to make my children and grandchildren know how important they are to me, and how much I love them.
SUCCESSES:
Posted a review of the first message of the Bible Conf.
Uploaded pictures of J.D. Hatfield.
Moderated the conference without preaching before and after each sermon.(Almost)
Convinced Pastor Jimmy Strickland, one of the conference speakers, to help me mow two mornings strait. I might have him come back and preach a whole week this summer.(grin)
Begged, borrowed, dickered, and traded to successfully acquire two Chevy trucks.
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Bro. Jim Hatfield and Bro. me
Bro. Jim Hatfield and Bro. Steve WeaverNo, Halloween didn't come early this year. No, these are not production photos of another "Scary Movie" sequel. These are pictures taken last night featuring world famous pastor/writer/blogger, J.D. Hatfield. Bro. Jim graciously consented to allow his picture to be taken with pastor Steve Weaver and yours truly (me). I can't speak for Steve, but I feel that my years of struggle to become successful in ministry has (have?) finally paid off. I am on the pinnacle. There is nowhere to go but down from here.
Seriously, though, it was a blessing to meet and fellowship with Bro. Hatfield. My impression of him, from far too short a time together, was:
He is passionate about God.
He is passionate about the Word of God.
He loves the People of God.
If you are not currently reading Voice of Vision you should start now.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Bible Conference Summaries
I haven't had time to post the summaries of the services as I intended, therefore check out my son Steve's excellent summaries of the services thus far. You can access his posts by clicking here.
Monday, March 05, 2007
REVIEW OF 1ST MESSAGE OF THE BIBLE CONFERENCE
We had a wonderful day on Sunday as we began our annual Bible Conference at the Way of Life Baptist Church. We enjoyed some Good singing by the River Jordan Quartet. The singing was great, but the highlight of this gathering was and is the preaching of the Word of God. Our souls were both fed and made hungry for more of God's precious truth.
The first message was by Pastor Jimmy Strickland. He preached from 2Cor. 7:2-16, showing to us the tender, pastoral heart of the apostle Paul as he wrote about how he had commanded the Church at Corinth to exercise Church discipline.
Paul had written to the Corinthians a letter of rebuke (1Corinthians) to correct some serious errors of both doctrine and practice. One very serious moral failure with which Paul dealt was that described in 1Cor. chapter 5. It was an example of gross, open sin that needed to be addressed by the church. However the Corinthians had not dealt with this sin. On the contrary, they were "puffed up" (v.2) and even "glorying" (v.6) in it.
Bro. Strickland helped us to see into Paul's heart as he wrote again to the Corinthians about this matter, only this time, not to rebuke them but to rejoice in the fact that they had received his instruction, obeyed it, and had made this matter right.
Paul had been grieved in his own spirit because he had had to write such a harsh rebuke to them. He didn't want to do it, but he had to do it. Bro. Strickland made the application of this by telling us that very often it would be much easier on a pastor to not have to deal with sin. It would be much easier not to practice Church discipline. It is not something that the pastor just wants to do. He leads his flock to exercise discipline because it is necessary for the spiritual health of the Church.
Also, Bro. Strickland spent a good deal of time dealing with the distinction between "godly sorrow" and "the sorrow of the world"(v.10). Another great theme of this message was the cause and effects of true repentance .
My review doesn't do this excellent message justice. Everyone seemed to agree that this was probably the best treatment of this passage that we had heard. My own personal reaction was:"Shoot! I wish I'da said that!"
I wish I had time to tell you about Bro. Steve Weaver's sermon on Nehemiah ch. 8 and Bro. Howard Estep's message on the Kingdom of God, but I gotta go mow. I'll try to write about the others later today if possible.
The first message was by Pastor Jimmy Strickland. He preached from 2Cor. 7:2-16, showing to us the tender, pastoral heart of the apostle Paul as he wrote about how he had commanded the Church at Corinth to exercise Church discipline.
Paul had written to the Corinthians a letter of rebuke (1Corinthians) to correct some serious errors of both doctrine and practice. One very serious moral failure with which Paul dealt was that described in 1Cor. chapter 5. It was an example of gross, open sin that needed to be addressed by the church. However the Corinthians had not dealt with this sin. On the contrary, they were "puffed up" (v.2) and even "glorying" (v.6) in it.
Bro. Strickland helped us to see into Paul's heart as he wrote again to the Corinthians about this matter, only this time, not to rebuke them but to rejoice in the fact that they had received his instruction, obeyed it, and had made this matter right.
Paul had been grieved in his own spirit because he had had to write such a harsh rebuke to them. He didn't want to do it, but he had to do it. Bro. Strickland made the application of this by telling us that very often it would be much easier on a pastor to not have to deal with sin. It would be much easier not to practice Church discipline. It is not something that the pastor just wants to do. He leads his flock to exercise discipline because it is necessary for the spiritual health of the Church.
Also, Bro. Strickland spent a good deal of time dealing with the distinction between "godly sorrow" and "the sorrow of the world"(v.10). Another great theme of this message was the cause and effects of true repentance .
My review doesn't do this excellent message justice. Everyone seemed to agree that this was probably the best treatment of this passage that we had heard. My own personal reaction was:"Shoot! I wish I'da said that!"
I wish I had time to tell you about Bro. Steve Weaver's sermon on Nehemiah ch. 8 and Bro. Howard Estep's message on the Kingdom of God, but I gotta go mow. I'll try to write about the others later today if possible.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
BIBLE CONFERENCE AT WAY OF LIFE BAPTIST CHURCH
We have a Bible conference beginning this coming Sunday thru Wednesday. The guest speakers will be:
Pastor Steve Weaver from Lenoir City, Tn.
Pastor Jimmy Strickland from Clarksdale, Miss.
Bro. James Shutt from Savannah, Tn.
Bro. Howard Estep from Elizabethton, Tn.
Most of these men are not widely known, but they are faithful preachers of God's Word.
The only one who is widely known is Pastor Steve Weaver. I probably couldn't have gotten him to preach in such an insignificant place as this, but I know stuff on him. He'd better preach good, or I'll tell it. Wait a minute...He knows stuff on me too. Never mind.
Pastor Steve Weaver from Lenoir City, Tn.
Pastor Jimmy Strickland from Clarksdale, Miss.
Bro. James Shutt from Savannah, Tn.
Bro. Howard Estep from Elizabethton, Tn.
Most of these men are not widely known, but they are faithful preachers of God's Word.
The only one who is widely known is Pastor Steve Weaver. I probably couldn't have gotten him to preach in such an insignificant place as this, but I know stuff on him. He'd better preach good, or I'll tell it. Wait a minute...He knows stuff on me too. Never mind.
Monday, February 26, 2007
IT'S MY PARTY
It's my birthday and these guys threw me a surprise party early this morning. We had a delicious meal of grub worms.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
I'M HURT
I was pretty excited about the previous post. I thought it might resonate with some, surprise others, or at least generate a little bit of discussion. However, almost none of the above happened. As a matter of fact, according to my site meter, almost no one even read it. To be honest, that stings a little.
I offer my sincere thanks to the 4 or 5 of you who read it. I know it was long. I too am often guilty of either skimming or just plain not reading over-long posts. I guess I got what I deserved...
Do you feel sorry for me yet? Well, then READ THE STUPID THING!!!
I offer my sincere thanks to the 4 or 5 of you who read it. I know it was long. I too am often guilty of either skimming or just plain not reading over-long posts. I guess I got what I deserved...
Do you feel sorry for me yet? Well, then READ THE STUPID THING!!!
Friday, February 16, 2007
ARE THE HEATHEN HUNGRY FOR THE GOSPEL?
As an Independent Baptist intimately involved in missions, I have heard this assertion made on many occasions: "The people in (you supply the name of the country)are hungry for the Gospel." This claim is most often made in the hope of encouraging people to give financial support to a missionary or to a mission project. The missionary often backs up his claim by showing pictures of people eagerly accepting tracts, or he tells of the numbers of professions of faith he has had in evangelistic outreaches while on the field. Since independent missionaries are always in need of support, he seeks to put an image in the minds of his audience of multitudes of previously un-evangelized people clamoring for the Good News of salvation.
I don't mean to sound cynical here, but I think that the statement mentioned above, if examined by the Scriptures, will be seen to be false. Let me say right up front, that I DO believe:
A) That the Gospel is to be preached to everyone.
B) That Jesus has sheep in every people group and every language group. They are His sheep, and when they hear His voice, they WILL come to Him.
C)That there are times when the Spirit of God begins to work among people, through the faithful preaching of the missionary, so that numbers of people are swept into the Kingdom of God in a very short time.
However, I am compelled to say that both Scripture and my own experience disproves the assumption that unregenerate men are hungry for the Gospel. The Word of God is clear, at least to my understanding, that men in their natural condition are "...dead in trespasses and sins..."(Eph.2:1). The Bible says in Jn.6:44"No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him..." Also in Romans 3:11, Paul quotes Psalm 14:1-3 and 51:1 when he gives this Divine assessment of man in his natural condition: "There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God." Since the Word of God is our final authority, these passages make it abundantly clear that, even though many will be eager to accept a free Gospel tract, their attitude toward God and His Gospel may well be a different matter.
In my own personal experience, I have seen how this false assumption has been perpetuated. In January of 1984 I moved my family to Mexico to work with some veteran missionaries who had been on the field for a long time. They already had a large work going, so we were able to start to work immediately with them. They were good and sincere people. They loved the Mexican people and sacrificed much in order to bring the Gospel to them. I do not criticize them personally, however I am critical of their methods.
Being located in the northern part of Mexico, this work was easily accessible to church groups who wanted to visit a missionary and experience, first hand, what goes on on the mission field. When a group of visitors would come, the lead missionary would plan the time so that there would be very little time for rest. He would always make plans to take them to a village where we had never been before. This wasn't difficult because these remote villages abound in Mexico. He would always take a film, presumably to make it easier to get permission from the village chief, to have a service there. We would go around to all the houses witnessing and inviting the people to the evening service. The missionary would begin the service with a 'thank you' to the jefe for allowing us to have the meeting, and to the people for coming. Then he would start the movie(The Life of Christ or The Burning Hell or something similar). At the mid point of the movie he would stop the projector and tell the people that a pastor from the United States was going to speak to them about the Gospel. The Preacher would step forward and preach in English as the missionary interpreted in Spanish. This was strategic, in that the people wouldn't leave because they wanted to see the rest of the movie. When the preaching was concluded, the missionary would restate the Gospel, then ask:" How many of you want to go to heaven when you die?" Or, "How many of you want to be saved?" Usually a large number would raise their hands, sometimes the whole bunch would.(Even Catholics want to be saved and go to heaven when they die.) They would be divided into groups and be instructed to repeat a prayer after the missionary. To the missionary's credit, he did say,"If you meant that prayer you are saved."
While this is happening, the visitors are walking in the clouds. The pastor is thinking,"Man! I preached and a whole village got saved! That would never happen in the U.S. Just wait till I tell the folks back home about this." He, along with the rest of the group go away with the impression that this is the common, every day experience of missionaries. He goes back home and tells his Church and everyone he knows," In Mexico the people are hungry for the Gospel. We need to get all our resources channeled into this work because they are getting the job done!"
What this poor mistaken pastor doesn't know is, that a few days later, when a rookie missionary like yours truly, would go back to that same village(without films or gringos) to follow up on those professions of faith; it was almost impossible to get even one or two to come together for another preaching session. What happened? They seemed so eager at the first presentation of the Gospel. Why aren't they as enthusiastic now?
There are many minor reasons why they aren't willing to continue in their profession of faith. Some of them, no doubt, only came because of the novelty of the situation. They lived lonely, difficult lives, normally, and this was a welcome diversion from the daily grind. Others probably made a profession of faith simply because it seemed everyone was doing it. Still others, assumed that we were preaching the same thing that they had always heard. After all, we used the same terminology and names that their religion used. However, when they told their priest about what they had heard and done, and found out from him that it was not consistent with the teachings of Roman Catholicism, they abandoned their profession.
Those are minor reasons. The main reason, however, is that they had not been enlightened by the Holy Spirit as to who Jesus really is and what He demands. They had not been convicted of their wretched and hopelessly lost condition. They had not been irresistibly drawn to Him by the Spirit in repentance and surrender to His Lordship. There is no substitute for that. That only comes through faithfully praying for His power and anointing, and by the faithful proclamation of His Gospel, which is "...the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes..."
I don't like to say it like this, but I feel that I must. Both the villagers and the visitors became unwitting participants in the perpetuation of a false assumption. The assumption that it is much easier to "get people saved" in foreign lands. The reason many missionaries encourage this false-hood is financial.It speaks of quick results. That is what we want in our American Churches, and we will pay well for them. The truth is, that even on the foreign mission field, they need the same patient teaching, the same convicting work of the Holy Spirit, the same miracle of grace that so-called 'Gospel hardened' Americans need.
I know this has been a longer than normal post. There are still many things that I could say on this subject, but I guess I had better conclude for now. I want to close this post by sharing with you my reply when people would ask me how the people responded to my ministry on the mission field. I said:"They normally respond to my preaching exactly like Adam and Eve, after they had sinned, responded when they heard the Voice of God in the Garden of Eden: They try to hide in their own religion. Every once-in-a-while, though, He will follow them and call them to Himself."
I don't mean to sound cynical here, but I think that the statement mentioned above, if examined by the Scriptures, will be seen to be false. Let me say right up front, that I DO believe:
A) That the Gospel is to be preached to everyone.
B) That Jesus has sheep in every people group and every language group. They are His sheep, and when they hear His voice, they WILL come to Him.
C)That there are times when the Spirit of God begins to work among people, through the faithful preaching of the missionary, so that numbers of people are swept into the Kingdom of God in a very short time.
However, I am compelled to say that both Scripture and my own experience disproves the assumption that unregenerate men are hungry for the Gospel. The Word of God is clear, at least to my understanding, that men in their natural condition are "...dead in trespasses and sins..."(Eph.2:1). The Bible says in Jn.6:44"No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him..." Also in Romans 3:11, Paul quotes Psalm 14:1-3 and 51:1 when he gives this Divine assessment of man in his natural condition: "There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God." Since the Word of God is our final authority, these passages make it abundantly clear that, even though many will be eager to accept a free Gospel tract, their attitude toward God and His Gospel may well be a different matter.
In my own personal experience, I have seen how this false assumption has been perpetuated. In January of 1984 I moved my family to Mexico to work with some veteran missionaries who had been on the field for a long time. They already had a large work going, so we were able to start to work immediately with them. They were good and sincere people. They loved the Mexican people and sacrificed much in order to bring the Gospel to them. I do not criticize them personally, however I am critical of their methods.
Being located in the northern part of Mexico, this work was easily accessible to church groups who wanted to visit a missionary and experience, first hand, what goes on on the mission field. When a group of visitors would come, the lead missionary would plan the time so that there would be very little time for rest. He would always make plans to take them to a village where we had never been before. This wasn't difficult because these remote villages abound in Mexico. He would always take a film, presumably to make it easier to get permission from the village chief, to have a service there. We would go around to all the houses witnessing and inviting the people to the evening service. The missionary would begin the service with a 'thank you' to the jefe for allowing us to have the meeting, and to the people for coming. Then he would start the movie(The Life of Christ or The Burning Hell or something similar). At the mid point of the movie he would stop the projector and tell the people that a pastor from the United States was going to speak to them about the Gospel. The Preacher would step forward and preach in English as the missionary interpreted in Spanish. This was strategic, in that the people wouldn't leave because they wanted to see the rest of the movie. When the preaching was concluded, the missionary would restate the Gospel, then ask:" How many of you want to go to heaven when you die?" Or, "How many of you want to be saved?" Usually a large number would raise their hands, sometimes the whole bunch would.(Even Catholics want to be saved and go to heaven when they die.) They would be divided into groups and be instructed to repeat a prayer after the missionary. To the missionary's credit, he did say,"If you meant that prayer you are saved."
While this is happening, the visitors are walking in the clouds. The pastor is thinking,"Man! I preached and a whole village got saved! That would never happen in the U.S. Just wait till I tell the folks back home about this." He, along with the rest of the group go away with the impression that this is the common, every day experience of missionaries. He goes back home and tells his Church and everyone he knows," In Mexico the people are hungry for the Gospel. We need to get all our resources channeled into this work because they are getting the job done!"
What this poor mistaken pastor doesn't know is, that a few days later, when a rookie missionary like yours truly, would go back to that same village(without films or gringos) to follow up on those professions of faith; it was almost impossible to get even one or two to come together for another preaching session. What happened? They seemed so eager at the first presentation of the Gospel. Why aren't they as enthusiastic now?
There are many minor reasons why they aren't willing to continue in their profession of faith. Some of them, no doubt, only came because of the novelty of the situation. They lived lonely, difficult lives, normally, and this was a welcome diversion from the daily grind. Others probably made a profession of faith simply because it seemed everyone was doing it. Still others, assumed that we were preaching the same thing that they had always heard. After all, we used the same terminology and names that their religion used. However, when they told their priest about what they had heard and done, and found out from him that it was not consistent with the teachings of Roman Catholicism, they abandoned their profession.
Those are minor reasons. The main reason, however, is that they had not been enlightened by the Holy Spirit as to who Jesus really is and what He demands. They had not been convicted of their wretched and hopelessly lost condition. They had not been irresistibly drawn to Him by the Spirit in repentance and surrender to His Lordship. There is no substitute for that. That only comes through faithfully praying for His power and anointing, and by the faithful proclamation of His Gospel, which is "...the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes..."
I don't like to say it like this, but I feel that I must. Both the villagers and the visitors became unwitting participants in the perpetuation of a false assumption. The assumption that it is much easier to "get people saved" in foreign lands. The reason many missionaries encourage this false-hood is financial.It speaks of quick results. That is what we want in our American Churches, and we will pay well for them. The truth is, that even on the foreign mission field, they need the same patient teaching, the same convicting work of the Holy Spirit, the same miracle of grace that so-called 'Gospel hardened' Americans need.
I know this has been a longer than normal post. There are still many things that I could say on this subject, but I guess I had better conclude for now. I want to close this post by sharing with you my reply when people would ask me how the people responded to my ministry on the mission field. I said:"They normally respond to my preaching exactly like Adam and Eve, after they had sinned, responded when they heard the Voice of God in the Garden of Eden: They try to hide in their own religion. Every once-in-a-while, though, He will follow them and call them to Himself."
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
SON OF GEARHEAD, CAN THESE PARTS CRUISE?
...and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of Chevy parts... and lo, they were very rusty.('37 Chevy Service Manual)
Thursday, February 08, 2007
WHY DO I DO LIKE I DO, DO, DO?
I am sure that by now everyone has heard of the arrest of astronaut Lisa Nowak on charges stemming from her cross country trip, allegedly for the purpose of harming a romantic rival.
I talked to a friend, this morning, who is closely involved in the shuttle program and has close contact with the astronauts. He, like everyone close to the case, expressed his shock and surprise at the actions of this young woman saying, " Something must have happened. She must have had a mental crash or something." He went on to tell of the remarkable work that she had done while on her earlier shuttle mission. This, I think, was meant as added evidence that some sort of break down must have occurred that caused her to act in the way she did.
I said,"My response, of course, is from a theological perspective. No matter how well educated and how well trained one is, or how much good one has done for humanity, according to the Bible, we are all sinners by nature." That includes all of us, not just the ones who have acted out publicly. We do bad things because we are bad.
Don't get me wrong. Miss Nowak might really need some psychological help. However, the fact that the possibility of committing unthinkable acts lies within the nature of everyone of us, should not be ignored. The cure for that is not psychological, but spiritual.
It seems that every time the media reports a moral failure in some celebrity or some spiritual or political leader, they report, almost in the same breath, that that person has entered counseling or rehab. This, very often, is nothing more than an attempt to shift the blame from one's moral character to either mental break down or chemical dependency. This is not only blame shifting, but it camouflages the real problem, which is sin.
You can counsel sin. You can suppress sin. You can try to control sin. You can even re-define sin as mental illness, or blame it on some dependency. But the only way to finally and forever deal with sin is to repent of it.
No one asked me for it, but I would give this advice to Miss Nowak or to anyone who has come face-to-face with the reality of their own depravity:
1) Seek Jesus through the the witness of those who know Him or through His Word.
2) Confess her actions as sin and herself a sinner.
3) Repent first of all privately before God, then publicly.
4)Surrender to the Lordship of Christ, trusting Him alone for salvation.
5) Identify herself with a body of faithful followers of Christ where she can be nurtured in the faith.
It is quite possible that, if she did that, she would find little or possibly no need for psychological help.
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