We are at war!

I am a pastor. I am also a 19 year veteran police officer. The events of the past few weeks have weighed on me heavily not only as a cop but also as a pastor. I mourn the loss of my brothers in blue and I hurt for their families who will sit at a dinner table with an empty chair tonight.

Today I attended a memorial service in our city for the fallen officers from Dallas. It was very respectful and an honor however as I listened to the names being called and the prayers offered I could not help but feel uneasy. I was uneasy to the point I was uncomfortable and almost sick. I looked around at all the people and could not help but think this would be the extent of their efforts to cope and deal with the things that have transpired. I thought, is this it? 

Maybe this was compounded by the rage of social media of so many amateur experts offering their sure fire way to solve the problems that plague modern day society. As I read through many I found myself more perplexed, frustrated and heartbroken because none offered any real hope. So in my hypocrisy I took to my computer and this is the result. 

We are at war! Make no mistake about it. The events that have occurred in the past several weeks, even a few years, should be a true wakeup call that there is a horrendous war raging and we are in the middle of it. This war is not one that is cops against the black lives matter movement. This war is not one that is Democrat against Republican. It is not a war for justice in our corrupt government. It is not a war of Americans against radical Islam or ISIS. It is much bigger. This war has just manifested itself in these facets. This war has reared it’s head as racial tension, religious tension and political tension. This war is spiritual. 

My fear is that we have been oblivious to it. The enemy has done well to trick us into fighting it wrong. We take to social media and rant. We march or block roadways. We wave signs with intent to “bring awareness”, whatever that means. We have vigils or rallies or simply just sit on the porch and complain all the while our anger and frustration builds. None of this does much good if any at all. It is because we fight this war wrong. And it is because we do not understand the war we are in.

Ephesians 6:12 says “ For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” 

This war is spiritual and the enemy wants to keep us off the spiritual battlefield and distracted on the battlefield of flesh and blood where we have no hope of victory. Instead the Apostle Paul says to take up the armor of God which are elements of our spiritual defense so that we may withstand in the evil day. Our problem is we exchanged the armor of truth for lies, righteousness for pride, faith for anger, salvation for destruction, the Word of God for our own agenda and the greatest one of all the Gospel is nowhere.

It is time we pull our heads out of the sand of the physical battleground and get our hearts into the spiritual realm. We need to pray, and I don’t mean simply for protection and safety. We need to pray for boldness to confront our enemies with truth. We need to hold fast to our faith knowing that whatever comes our way we have the glory of God to look forward to. We honestly need to open our Bibles and see the God of the Bible and obey His commands and stand on His promises and not some short tweet or Facebook share and be blessed tidbit of misused scripture. 

Lastly we need to be about the Gospel. We call ourselves a “Christian” nation then we need to prove it by being about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is how we fight and win the war we are in. Share the Gospel and live the Gospel. We must stop looking to destroy those that hate us and seek to rescue them from the wrath of God with the Gospel. After all Jesus came to seek and save the lost, Jew and Gentile.

So my encouragement and challenge is to get off the couch or porch, turn off the social media, stop ranting and go to those around you and give them Jesus. Just give them the Gospel, that which the gates of hell will not overcome. 

Giving Thanks to The Father

I opened the church at around 6am as I do every Sunday morning. I spend my time unlocking doors and turning the AC on and other things to have the building ready for when everyone arrives. I am usually alone in this until around 8am. However this morning just after 7am I heard the front door open and my son Garrett walks in. This is odd for him because he rarely gets out of bed that early. He walks up and gives me a hug and tells me "Happy Father's Day dad." I then ask why he is up so early and he informs me that he is headed to Dallas to lead worship at another church.......on father's Day. I tell him to be careful and have a good time and I watch him walk out the door and drive off.

As He drove away my heart swelled and I just realized I had received a wonderful Father's Day gift not only from my son but from my Heavenly Father. Most dads would be upset that their child was choosing to spend the day apart from them on this day. After all it is Father's Day right? Not me. I was over joyed. 

This was a wonderful choice my son has made and I owe it all to my Heavenly Father. See my son had chosen to serve our Heavenly Father on this day over me and I am so thankful. My son sees the importance of serving The Lord over man and he knows that I love him dearly however he also knows that it is only a fraction of the Love God has for Him. For a dad that is what I want my kids to know. I do want them to know that I love them but I want them to know that The Lord loves them immeasurably more. 

I also want my children to know the value in serving their Heavenly Father as well. As dads we should desire this for our children. It shows our care for our kids when we desire for them to serve in worshiping The Lord. This is the greatest thing we could desire for our children that they know, love and serve The Lord. And this is a gift from our Heavenly Father. He has made Himself known to my children. He has shown them their sinful nature but also shown them His redemption and glory through Jesus. Thank you Father for this great gift on this day.

As my son drove away I could not help but think of the words in 1 John 4 "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." My heart is overjoyed today. 

Happy Father's Day. 

Something to Remember When Defending Your Christian Faith

   As believers in Christ Jesus as our Savior we are called to share our faith with others. We are not to be ashamed of the Gospel because it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes as the Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 1. However, how we treat those that do not agree with us says a lot about how we view our own position and how much we value the grace and mercy of God. 

   Being in the south and in the preverbal center of the buckle of the Bible belt we are proud Americans and more proud Christians. We will defend our guns, our flag, our children and our freedom ferociously and if anyone says or does the slightest thing to encroach upon those sacred values, we bare our teeth and are ready to strike back with ten times the force. And maybe rightly so. I do agree that there are many things in this world that are well worth entering the octagon and fighting MMA style for but our Faith is one I believe we should handle differently. I am not saying that we should not defend our faith but what I am saying is we need to go about it the right way with the right understanding and in a way that is most advantageous and honoring to God. To do so there are a couple of things we need to remember when defending our faith. 

1. Don't get angry. I see on social media all the time where a "Christian" posts something about daring other "Christians" to post pictures of burning a Koran or killing Muslims or hate talk about atheists. Many "Christians turn to anger when there is the slightest talk infringing upon Christianity. The result  that I see is name calling and demeaning of the one disagreeing. That is not the way to handle things and to my knowledge has never made a non-believer come to faith or even begin to understand the Gospel. What it does is confirm the non-believers convictions that Christians are foolish and arrogant.

   I don't understand why "christians" get so angry when our faith is disagreed with or when we are attacked because of what we believe. It only takes a little reading of the Bible that says that there are those that will disagree. Jesus tells us in Luke 6 that we are to rejoice when people hate us or revile us on account of our faith. He says again in Mark 13 that we will be hated for His name sake. But never once does the Bible tell us to respond in anger. In fact the Bible encourages us to respond in compassion towards the unbeliever. Jesus tells us over and over to love our enemies and those who persecute us. This is a difficult thing to do because so much of our flesh wants to respond in anger when we feel attacked because of our faith.  

   I am reminded of Romans 5:10 that says For while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by His life.  Let that verse sink in. What Paul is saying is we too were enemies or hostile against faith and Christianity and God would be just to respond in anger because of our rebellion, but He doesn't. Instead He responds in great compassion. So much so that He willingly laid down His life so that you might be saved from your rebellion. See you, oh believer, were no different than that one that confronts you and disagrees with you. How you respond, in either anger or compassion, says a lot about how much you value who you are now from what you were and what Christ has done for you.

2. We must remember that we save no one. I firmly believe, and scripture supports that God is sovereign in all things, including salvation. This is clear in John 6:44 that says No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws Him. It is God who opens eyes to see, ears to hear and hearts to receive  the truth of the Gospel. We are just called to share it and share it relentlessly. We are often frustrated and angered when people do not see the truth of the Gospel. They are still blinded by the god of this world and it is the God of all things that enables them and us to see. But He does this through believers sharing the Gospel. I tell people all the time that the Christian duty is to continue the unfinished work of Jesus by proclaiming the finished work of Jesus on the Cross. In other words we are to be the mouthpiece of the Gospel and trust in the Holy Spirit to convict, cut to the heart and bring about true belief. Salvation is not our job. It is God's job. Ours is to proclaim what God has done. This takes time and understanding and patience. We are called to make disciples, not converts. Disciple making takes time and commitment. It takes effort to listen and understand and share with others. It takes grace on your part and knowing that God is working in and through you. 

   So what should we do? How should we respond? We are to respond the same way Christ does. With compassion and not anger. With love not violence. With humility and not prideful rebellion. Be firm in your faith but also understanding. Not compromising the truth of the Gospel but open to dialogue. And pray. Pray hard that you would be gracefully firm and pray that their eyes would be opened to see, ears hear and hearts cut with the truth of the Gospel. Remember you were once in their same shoes, hostile toward God but yet He saved even you. 

Consecration

Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow The Lord will do wonders among you.” Joshua 3:5

Easter is just a few days away and is arguably the most prominent Christian day of the year. A day of rejoicing, of reassurance of hope and celebration that we worship a living God. A day that we celebrate the very foundation of our faith and that is that Jesus, The Son of God, took upon Himself the wrath of God for sin, which is death due every saint and He put that death to death forever that we may never taste one drop. A day that we celebrate the Good News that He is Risen! This news, The Gospel, has the power to set people free from the bondage of sin. This Gospel does not make bad people good but make dead men alive. The Gospel is not just good news for the lost to be found but is certainly good news for the believer to live a life worthy of being set free and made alive. But a question looms as we approach Easter. Are you ready? Are you prepared for Easter?

All throughout the Old Testament we see a repetitive command for God’s people in preparation to receive from The Lord. Consecrate yourselves! Prior to the people receiving the Ten Commandments in exodus God ordered that they “Consecrate themselves”. In Joshua as the Israelites prepare to cross the Jordan to take possession of the Promised Land God commanded that they wash and consecrate themselves. These are just a few of the many times that God commanded that His people consecrate themselves prior to Him doing something for or through them.

So what does it mean to consecrate? Simply put it means the setting apart of people, things, times or places as sacred for God to use. To consecrate means to separate yourself from the things that would make you unclean or contaminate your relationship with God. As believers we constantly ask and plead with God to work in our lives and lead and guide and direct us in the path that is not only pleasing to God but also good for us. But so often we do not prepare ourselves for this. We expect God to work yet we are not prepared possibly miss the blessing. So as we approach Easter and are in the midst of Holy Week may we Consecrate Ourselves in preparation for experiencing the wonders of God. Here are a few ways we can do this.

Read! Read the story of the Gospel. Read with the family the crucifixion and death of Jesus and how he willingly went to the Cross on our behalf. Read how he died and was placed in the tomb and rose on the third day. There is no substitute for reading in the Word of God how Jesus was obedient to the point of death on a Cross and overcame for the sake of the elect. For whatever is written in the former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Romans 15:4

Pray! Especially this week pray that God would open eyes to see and ears to hear the Gospel for the first time of people and that he would save them. Also pray that as you read and worship that the Holy Spirit would allow you to experience the Gospel in a new way and that the love of Christ would grow richer in you. Pray that the Spirit would stir your affections for Jesus even more and equip you to be who God has called you to be. Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, Ephesians 6:18

Fast! Take time this week to fast in some way. This is a very biblical way to consecrate yourself. When we fast it is a time of setting something aside in order to focus on a deeper relationship with The Lord. Fasting can be from many things such as food, television, media, even sleep. Take time this week to skip a meal and read and pray and meditate on God’s Word. Turn the television off and read and pray and fellowship with the family about the Gospel. Turn off the media that distracts you and robs you of time in prayer and the Word and enjoy just being with The Lord. So we fasted and implored our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty, Ezra 8:23

Come with eager expectation! Come expecting to receive from The Lord His blessings. We often don’t do this. We should come to Him with humble and honest hearts desiring to experience His grace and mercy in a new light. Expect God to reveal to you something new about His character and His love for you. Commit your way to The Lord; trust in Him and He will act. Psalm 37:5

 As Easter quickly approaches I pray that we are prepared and eagerly await God to move in a mighty way. Consecrate us Lord and may we find more joy in Your salvation!

Pastor Appreciation

October is Pastor Appreciation Month and I am not sure where that came from but it is not a bad idea to be reminded that we should be grateful for those “keeping watch over our souls” as it says in Hebrews 13:17. 

As a custom many people give gifts to their pastors to show their appreciation and some are good gifts and some are well, ok I guess. Most of us have plenty of Bibles. Coffee mugs and gift cards and plaques and cards are all good things to show your pastor that you care but are they the best gift you can give your pastor? Being a Pastor myself I began to think of truly great ways to show a pastor how much he is appreciated for his laboring. Here are, in no particular order, four easy but really meaningful ways someone can show a Pastor that he is loved and appreciated.

1. Pray for your pastor. This is probably the most important one on the list. Your Pastor NEEDS your prayers. Many people have no idea the stress that pastors endure. From preaching prep to counseling to dealing with church issues, it is stressful. Your Pastor needs you to go to the Throne of God on his behalf and plead with God to strengthen and uphold him as he leads you. Pray also for his family. Your pastor’s family also needs your prayers because they too deal with the stresses of his role. And let him know that you are praying for him. This is great encouragement. I have men in my church that constantly let me know that they are praying for me. What a blessing. 2 Cor. 1:11

2. Tell him thank you. Most pastors work extremely hard to prepare sermons each week. They are also pretty much on call 24-7 to go to the hospital when you are sick or answer that phone call late at night. Many that I know also do things that others never know about, like emptying the trash that was forgotten or changing the bulb that was out or unlocking and ensuring that the church is comfortable for everyone’s worship. Although your pastor would probably never ask for it, it is encouraging to hear a thank you. This goes a long way of lifting the spirits of a pastor.  1 Cor. 1:4-9

3. Give feedback. Believe it or not most pastors love to have some feedback from members. Sometimes we wonder if people are really listening because we hear little from members about what we teach or preach about. Now we also know that we are not that great expositors of the Word where all of our listeners questions are answered before they are asked so ask questions. Most true loving pastors love to hear from members about what they teach and preach on. It shows a true interest in the Word of God and the direction of the church. We are not perfect and we do make mistakes and it is the church that is to hold us accountable that we preach and teach correctly. If you have questions, email or call. We don’t mind. Psalm 1:1-2

4. Tell others about what God is doing in and through your church. What pastors love most is when the members of their church get involved in making Jesus famous. Nothing is more encouraging to pastors like seeing the fruit of their teaching and leading through members. We love partners in the Gospel and to partner with us is to just talk about not what your pastor is doing but what God has, is and will do in and through your church. Eph. 4:11-12

Material gifts are great and pastors love them but I bet your pastor would really cherish one of the four mentioned things or something very similar as well. And this just doesn’t have to be in October.

May we not live and die in vain

Wednesdays is a day that our church leadership has set aside and pray specifically for missions. As I sat at my desk early with a cup of coffee and prayed, I could not help but ponder a conversation I had with a young man the day before. He shared with me how he and his family surrendered to The Lord to missions. Not just any missions but he explained that he has a heart for unreached people in closed countries, and in particular Muslim people.

As I prayed for him and the people he might deliver the Gospel to I also could not help but think of all the uproar in the media of Christians being murdered by radical Islamic followers. I thought of the horrific stories of Christians in these difficult places being beheaded and children being persecuted for their faith and their families’ faith. Our culture has developed a hardened attitude towards these radicals. We are appalled at how they could believe and do such things, and don’t get me wrong, what they are doing is wrong and horrific. Our hearts should break for their victims and our knees should be calloused in prayer for those suffering and persecuted. But what about the ones wielding the knife and sword and rifle? Does your heart break for them as well?

We are quick to condemn and blame them for their impure motives but let me offer a different angle on looking at things. Do they know any different? Is it all their fault? Are we as professing Christians across the globe maybe just a little bit responsible as well? The Apostle Paul says in Romans 10:12-15 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing His riches on all who call on Him. "For everyone who calls on the name of The Lord will be saved." How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!"

God commissions believers to continue Christ’s unfinished work by proclaiming the finished work of Christ on the Cross. In other words God commands believers to be instruments of delivery of the life changing Gospel. We are to carry the Good News to people that don’t know it. I would say that these guys we see in the black pajamas don’t know Him. So how do they get to know Him? Look again at the words of Paul. He asks some great questions. How are they to believe unless someone preaches the Gospel to them? How are they to believe unless someone is sent to share truth?

Before we completely write them off as hopeless, let us not forget about the guy that penned the words in Romans. He was a guy that persecuted Christians for their faith in Jesus and God did a mighty work in and through him.

 As I began my day praying for missions may we continue, and I urge you to join me in praying that God would send and save. That the Gospel reach these that we see as lost and wicked and the grace of Jesus redeem and make righteous. May our knees be calloused and our lives be sacrificial to the commission of making disciples of all nations. May we not live and die in vain.

Seeing the beauty through the ugliness of the Cross

I had the opportunity to sit under the preaching of  Tullian Tchividjian  yesterday as he spoke about our need for the gospel every day. When he finished the worship leaders came up and we began to sing a far millibar song. The lyrics go like this. "To see You high and lifted up, shining in the light of your glory. Pour out your power and love, as we sing Holy, Holy, Holy."

As we sang that song and I pondered the words of Tullian I could not help but think of the Cross. All of us were joyfully singing "To see You high and lifted up". I remembered the words of the prophet Isaiah in 52 where it speaks of Jesus high and lifted up yet His appearance was so marred, beyond human resemblance but He will sprinkle many nations and kings will shut their mouths. All at the Cross.

To me it almost seemed absurd that we as believers were joyfully singing those words "To see You high and lifted up". Should we be excited about Jesus being beaten and tortured and lifted up on the Cross? On that day many were shouting very similar words  as Mark 15:13 says "They cried out again Crucify Him". They wanted to see Jesus high and lifted up on the Cross. The majority of the crowd saw Jesus as a fool and did not see Him as who He really was. Because He threatened their self righteousness they eagerly shouted those words and demanded that this Jesus be tortured, beaten, spit upon, mocked and laughed at. The Cross was an ugly death by itself. Combined with it the flogging and mockery and crown of thorns, the picture is horrific. Flesh exposed and torn, nails in wrists and feet and then to he "high and lifted up" on a cross to suffocate to death in agony. This was an ugly death for a guilty man, but Jesus was innocent. 

They shouted out Crucify Him! In other words with clenched fists they screamed, we want to see you high and lifted up. Should this be the cry of the believer? Should we sing with joy about Jesus being pierced and lifted up? Absolutely we should. The cry and shout should not change but the motivation behind cry is completly different. To the believer the cry is not one with clenched fist but open uplifted hands. It is a cry that is filled with tears and conviction of one's own sin and one of longing for overwhelming grace and mercy that only comes from faith in the one that was lifted up that day. It is a cry of worship to the only one that was worthy to endure the ugliness of the Cross on our behalf and overcome the grave. 

To the believer there is great beauty in the ugliness of the Cross. Because Jesus was high and lifted up that day, He is high and lifted up today and Shining in the light of His glory and our only response is to cry Holy, Holy, Holy. 

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18