Testing

Am in the process of giving my 6-10 p.m. Old Testament class at William Carey a test on the prophets. Not the first one is appreciative of having to take a test. I say that in jest as not many folks I know, myself included, like to take tests. But that is the harsh reality of academic life in that it requires testing. Most of my students will pass with flying colors as my test are not that difficult.
A more grim aspect of testing is the tests that life throws at us. They may come in the form of a doctor visit or a relationship we are in but testing in life is inescapable. It may be the reason why teachers, preachers and parents seem to push so much. It’s not because we don’t like you or want you to feel miserable, it’s due to the fact that we know you will face all kind of situations in your life that will test you to the core of your character. We are simply trying to prepare you for what awaits you in life. So when you are facing that next test, whether it’s math or a religion class, be glad someone cares enough to at least try to see to it that you are prepared for life. And please remember that God always loves you but don’t forget he loved a fella named Job as well.

Thanksgiving

We are just a few days out of the Thanksgiving holiday. We have much to be thankful for. We may not have everything we want but for the most part we have our basic needs being meet. So may I suggest that instead of focusing on what we don’t have let’s instead be grateful for what we do have. Be grateful for those around you who love and at times puts up with you.
Remember, no matter what, God loves you and with that final thought you have much to give thanks for. Happy Thanksgiving

Beginnings and Endings

Another school year has rolled around and all the fresh faces are taking their places in our Jones County Schools this morning. It’s a new beginning for many and for our seniors it is the end of their high school careers. But the sad reality is that everything comes to an end.
For some moms this morning was a bitter sweet experience because they saw their baby go off to school for the first time and realized that he or she is growing up. Well its inevitable that he or she is growing up and some day move will away and start a life of their own. But its pretty hard to handle as a parent. I know that with my children I constantly worry about them and wonder if they are warm enough, have enough money, have food…..well you get the picture. The cold hard fact is they grow up and move on to start their life.
This is also true for churches as well. Our youth minister Blake Brown has resigned to start his own brand of ministry. You see Blake has a heart for what he and I call un-traditional peoples. It’s not that they are any less value to society or the church than others it just that they are….different. Many of the students and adults that he wished to minister too would not feel comfortable in most churches and a lot of churches would not be very comfortable with them. So he is taking a big step of faith and moving to start a ministry within the context that he feels God calling him too. While we can get mad at people for not being as accepting as we think they should be a better response is to be thankful Blake has a heart for people and wishes to meet their ministry needs. So I ask that each of us pray for Blake and his family as they begin this new endeavor and end their work at MMBC.
May God be glorified in all things

Sonshine?

Plutarch said, “The measure of a man is way he bears up under misfortune” Its easy to maintain our sense of character when all is well isn’t it. But let things get a little tough and you will begin to see what a person is really made of. That’s why those of us who profess to being Christians need to be aware that there are people around us that really watch us in times of our difficulity. So I ask each of us, when it gets tough what does my speech, actions or attitudes really say about my faith. James reminds us that we should not be surprized at the tough times but rather endure them with joy. We can only do that when we seek to find what God is trying to accomplish in our life during those times. So let’s be careful of our self when we experience troubles and let others see Jesus in us.

I have to admit I’ve gotten lazy at adding to this blog. Maybe it’s not so much lazy as busy. Funerals, hospital visits, church services to prepare for and so on. It makes me understand that if we are not careful we can become so busy doing church stuff that we forget why we do it. There is an old saying I recall, “do not be so heavenly minded that you are no earthly good for God.”

Let’s work hard as we come to the holiday season to remember we have much to be thankful for and celebrate the birth of Christ not just in your home but in your heart as well.

I Choose You

John Wooden said, “There is a choice you have to make in everything you do. So keep in mind that in the end, the choice you make, makes you.” We have all made wrong choices in our lives. Some are not so huge a mistake that we can not overcome them but some folks make those that follow and haunt them for the rest of their lives. The real problem in the choices we make are that the bottom line is we have no one to blame but self. But it’s hard to hold self accountable when there are so many ready avenues for scapegoats. Reality tells us that when we make a mistake we have two options; 1) blame it on someone else, 2) act like it doesn’t matter.
We do #1 [blame others] and we make of our self a martyr, maybe someone others will pity and overlook our indiscretion. Or we can take #2 [don’t care] and try to fool all into believing that in spite of our predicament all is well in our world. While some will pity us or fall for our act, in the end they see through our facade and see us for what we really are. Its tough when people really know who you are.
Spiritually speaking, even though we may have made many wrong choices there is always someone who truly loves us in spite of our self. Jesus said, “You did not choose me but I choose you.” Isn’t it great that God loves us no matter what. We may not be in position to receive His blessings because of where we are in our lives but nonetheless He loves us. So next time you’re about to have one of those pity parties because you’ve blown it again, remember that God has chosen you and loves you. And by the way…….let’s work on making better choices.

The Greatest Enemy You Will Ever Face

In his book “Leadership Gold” [Nashville:Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2008] John Maxwell writes, “the toughest person to lead is always yourself.” I have often said and heard from others that “self” is our greatest enemy. Maybe the reason is because by instinct we have a compulsion to protect and serve self. It’s not that we are bad people but we do tend to give self way more credit than it deserves. We coddle it, love it, and even exalt it at times but where does all that get us. Because it doesn’t take long for selfish people to run out of true friends. Our difficulty is that bringing self under control is not an easy task.
Maxwell further went on to write that “Human nature seems to endow us with the ability to size up everybody in the world except ourselves.” We do have this tendency don’t we? We can always see the faults and failures of others easier that those of our own doing. We can tend to be critical and down-right judgmental concerning other peoples behaviors and actions. But in reality we will wrestle with no one else like self. Self will try to always make you love it in-spite of it’s at times flawed characteristics. So maybe its time for us to do some real down-home soul searching and be sure we are not letting self get away with murder while we are critical of the actions of others.
Self. Love it or hate it one thing is always true, you’re stuck with it……but you don’t have to remain unchanged. Let Christ through the ministry of the Holy Spirit begin to change us from a self-interested living person to a Christ-centered living person.

A Night Light Church

This month our church is beginning to serve as a distribution point for the Angel Food Ministries program. Our goal is to help people in our community lower their grocery bill while having an opportunity to minister to them. I have come to realize what I’ve known for a long time that most churches are so inwardly focused that they have very little impact on the community surrounding them. Our church, just like yours, is placed where it is to be a shining light in the community. It’s kinda like an outdoor light that attracts all kinds of life at night. We are to do whatever is necessary to attract people so that we may have the opportunity to share Christ with them. We don’t have to bribe them with gimmickery but we do have to offer something that they feel is of value to them. It is at that point they will most often hear us out as we tell them about a Savior who loves them and died for their sins. This is but one way to reach out into your community. You must find that passion that says this is what God wants me to do and begin the process of seeing it come to life. If you become very passionate about something do all that is within your power, aided by the Holy Spirit, to see it come to life. In John 7:37 Jesus said, “if anyone is thirsty, he should come to Me and drink!” What are you doing to bring them to the living water?
Don’t just talk about what needs to be done. As a famous southern theologian said…..”Getterdun……May God bless you and your respective ministry

Stuff is Stuff

Have you ever noticed that as our families have gotten smaller our homes got bigger. It’s because of the stuff we have to have you know. In our pursuit of happiness we have equated the temporal accumulation of our objects with a sense of wholeness. Now I am not bad mouthing our stuff, just our overt worship of our stuff. The problem lies in the fact that we can never seem to acquire enough stuff. It seems the more we get the more we want and it becomes a never ending cycle. Yet does all our stuff afford us any lasting happiness. Oh that powerboat in the summer is great fun on the weekends when we can get away but all winter long we yearn for the warmth of summer as it sits in dry-dock never the less having us send the payments in to the bank all the while. So while it may offer us some temporary satisfaction it does not promise lasting happiness.
The real story to successful happiness is not found in what we possess but rather in what we can give away. For you never truly possess something unless you are willing and have opportunity to give it to someone else or allow it to be a blessing to them. Why not try to find a way today to be a blessing to others through self, stuff and sharing. Well that’s just my thought on stuff, have I encouraged you to think about your stuff?

A Real Valentine’s Day

We are coming up on a holiday that causes many folks a great deal of grief. What do I get him/her? Should I tell them my real feelings? Am I going overboard or do I need to buy more stuff? The questions can be daunting. The problem I see with Valentine’s Day is that at its core for many people is an issue of self worth. If he/she really loved me they would have…….or Why won’t he/she……? But the reality is that our self worth cannot be found in a holiday, holiday gifts or even those surrounding us.
Pamela Reeve wrote, “Faith is remembering I am God’s priceless treasure when I feel utterly worthless.” [More Stories for the Heart. Ed. Alice Gray. Sisters, OR:Multnomah Publishers, 1997.] So next time you begin to feel like the world doesn’t love you the way you’d like, just remember your worth in the eyes of God. People will disappoint you even when they truly love you, but God never fails in His love for us. That doesn’t mean that he gives us total liberty in life to do whatever, but He loves us none the less.
If you haven’t accepted God’s gift of love, invite Him into your life and see the change a real love can bring.