Hate the Sin

Mississippi is in the news. Not like Missouri is at the moment; but we are in the news. We are on a Showtime documentary, L Mississippi: Hate the Sin. I have not seen their work, but I know about it. I was one of the "sin haters" that was filmed. The final product that appeared on Showtime was not what we were led to believe would be produced--not that any of us are surprised. The final product appears to be far less objective than the named director claims. And I am not surprised.

In this post that will be read by a few, I want to reiterate the truth of God's word and hold that truth up to the supposed facts that  L Mississippi: Hate the Sin claims to be true. I also want to explain my purpose in this post, as opposed to something a little more current (like Ferguson, MO): my research did not turn up one positive pro-Christian post about this subject. Christians, thus far, have been largely silent. So let me share my perspective.

First, the feature pastor, Randy Cofield, is given a bad name in the trailer for this documentary, when the film editors skillfully edited his comments to make him look like a madman. Just watch the trailer in the link above and you will see what I mean. Pastor Cofield has a great burden to penetrate lostness--all lostness--with the gospel of Jesus Christ. He is a man of great compassion, but one whose biblical standards do not waiver. So, for Pastor Cofield (and many, many more of us), right is right and wrong is wrong. Please let me go into depth on that premise.

The foundational truth on which I base this premise is found in the Old Testament book of the Psalms. Ps. 119:89 says, "Forever, O Lord, is your word settled in heaven." In case you need that stated in other words, consider this: whatever God says in the Bible stands as permanently established truth. Jesus himself said that not one single stroke of the Law would pass away until all is fulfilled (Mt. 5:18). What God says stands.

So what exactly has God said about sin? He tells those who love the Lord to hate evil (Ps. 97:10). He tells us that our love should be without hypocrisy; that we should abhor that which is evil and cling to that which is good (Ro. 12:9). Guess who gets to decide what is good and what is evil? You go it! God does. Not I; not you; not my preferences, my lifestyle choices; not my wishes and wants; God, the Sovereign, the Most Holy, the Righteous One, gets to determine what is good and evil.

When Pastor Cofield and others (such as I) take a stand against sin and for righteousness, you should not be surprised. And when those who delight in sin and take a stand against righteousness, the Christian community should neither cower in the corner, nor be surprised that they have followed their nature. It is, after all, the nature of the unregenerate heart of man and woman to oppose godly standards. The flesh wars against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh (Gal. 5:17).

If you watch  L Mississippi: Hate the Sin you need to consider that it was produced from the standpoint of those who hate God's righteous standards, no matter what they may pretend to claim in the documentary. You should also be warned that it is advertised as rated TV MA for language and adult themes.

A Journey through the Streets of Arequipa, Peru

It's day 7 of a fast week of ministry in Southern Peru. The city of Arequipa has been my favorite place in all of Peru and all of the years we lived here. Somewhere in this city they have buried my heart, because it was ripped out when I left here many years ago. God has been good and allowed me to return more than once. This is the first time, though, in five years. Things changed in the past five years, too.

First, for some unknown and strange reason, there seems to be much less oxygen to breathe! The first day I trudged up the stairs to my third-floor room I was sucking in a lot of oxygen-deprived air, hoping for some relief for my aching lungs. That's okay; it's normal. Then came days two, three, and four. Hmm..., I thought I would be acclimated by now. The other days have come and gone, including today. The air is still as rarefied as it ever was! Could that have something to do with age?? Surely not I!

Faces have changed. There were still plenty of the same faces in many of the places I went. But there were also very many new faces among the churches I visited. That's a good thing. New faces mean churches are being the church. New faces mean new opportunities to create new friendships. It was an exciting change to experience.

Some of the streets have changed. The city government has revitalized areas once owned by drug lords. I walked down peaceful, lovely, quiet streets that even seven years ago people would not have dared enter. It made for a beautiful experience.

The gospel has spread all across the city. That would also account for changes in the city. People who know Christ are more peaceful and joyful, as a rule. To be sure, there are scores of churchless communities that have cropped up; Arequipa continues to grow at a fast pace. I was glad to see and hear firsthand of the plans to penetrate these unreached communities.

Now I am just a few hours away from my final night of teaching. This last session will be followed by a race to the airport to catch my flights out of Peru. I will miss it again. But I will be more than happy to be back in the field God has given me to work in these days of my life.

After all, that's what drives me. That is what I live for: to please Him.

Let the Little Children Come to Me

I'm cutting into my study time to write this short post. Perhaps it will speak to someone who wrestles with the same truth.

It's VBS time in southern America. If you are not of the typical church culture, that stands for Vacation Bible School, which is a 5-day opportunity churches take to teach children of all ages truths from the Bible. Our church is particularly adept at creative ways of teaching. I admire how our teachers can do so much with so little.

Day 4 of the typical VBS week is evangelism day. Someone, often the pastor, sits down with the older children and shares the truth of the gospel, which has been emphasized all week long in the classroom teaching. The evangelist is there to reap a harvest brought on by all the seed-sowing efforts of those great teachers.

This is where I wrestle. This is where I have always wrestled. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” So we know we can guide these little ones to him. And we can conclude (not assume) that a child can believe. But how do we present the gospel in a clear and meaningful way? How do we avoid making "churchians" versus Christians?

First, I am grateful for the Holy Spirit. It is His work to convict of sin and righteousness and judgment. It is not mine. It is His work to show the children their lostness and illuminate their hearts to understand the gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation.

That being said, I still tremble at the task of child evangelism. I know many, many people who have "believed" as a child, only to repent and truly believe later.

Today I had the help of two great workers. We acted out the gospel message, using as our main prop Evangecube's "Big Cube." It's a great tool, when used right. I quizzed the children at the close to see how many got the message right. Their answers were on target. Their readiness? I'm reluctant to declare them "saved."

I'm persuaded that some who listened today have already come to Jesus. I am equally persuaded that others will come to Jesus in time. But I did not and cannot be so persuasive as to coerce them into the church culture without the inward change that only Christ Jesus brings through the regenerative work of the Holy Spirit.

Some say never evangelize children. I think we need to leave that up to the Holy Spirit--especially in light of Jesus' command mentioned above.

Behold the Lamb!

When John the Baptist saw Jesus as he walked, he looked and exclaimed, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" John watched Jesus as he walked. For three more years Jesus walked. He walked north and he walked south. He walked into cities and walked out of them. Jesus walked away from some disingenuous people, but walked up to many more. 

One day, after about 3 years of healing the ill, giving sight to the blind, opening deaf ears, strengthening weak limbs, and raising the dead, Jesus walked up to the gates of Jerusalem. There a crowd awaited him. There, in the presence of those who should know better than anyone else, Jesus fulfilled yet another prophecy: Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.-- Zech. 9:9

They should have known, those religious leaders of Israel. Those scholars of the Law and the Prophets. Those men of great importance. They should have seen. But they were blind, both by choice and by the god of this world. 

Just a few days later we find Jesus walking once more. He walks up the stairs to an upper room that has been made ready for the last Passover the Lord Jesus will celebrate with his disciples until his return. He teaches, admonishes, warns, and prepares his disciples for the inconceivable. And after a few hours together, hours that puzzled his small band of disciples, Jesus walked down the stairs, out the door, and on to Gethsemane. Gethsemane, the garden with the prophetic name: oil, or olive, press. It was there that the weight of the agony of taking away the sin of the world weighed hard on the Lord Jesus. As the press began its work, Jesus sweat great drops of blood. His soul was pressed. His heart pounded like a hammer squeezing every drop of oil from the olives beneath its head. 

Back and forth Jesus walked from his place of agonizing prayer to the place of the three unfeeling disciples, all bound with ropes of sleep. Not an encouraging word would be found from his three closest friends. Not one look of compassion showed on their faces, limp with the sleep of the hour.

From there, late into the night, Jesus walked to trial after trial, stopping only to be questioned, mocked, beaten, and whipped. Surely those legs must be tired by now. Jesus has walked so many miles. He has not gone the second mile, though that is all he has asked of us. He has gone so much farther. One more walk and for three days his walking will be done.

With a cross as heavy as a large man of his day, Jesus began his walk outside of the gates of Jerusalem. He walked on as far as his legs would carry him. The soldiers compelled another to walk with him. Simon of Cyrene, carry that cross! Jesus, fall in behind him! Onward they walked, the legs of Jesus now heavy with both pain and grief. The cacophony of the crowd is almost indistinguishable. Some are laughing, some are crying. Some are begging for mercy, some are braying like stupid donkeys. 

At a place shaped like a skull the procession ends. Jesus won't walk anymore--not for the next 3 days. In fact, those feet that carried Jesus so many miles are now carefully arranged and fastened to the vertical beam of the cross with such ferocity that no man with half a heart could look on. His hands are equally impaled and Jesus is raised up from the earth. 

In his mind he has to have thought, "I was born for this. This is my destiny." We know one thing he thought: who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame... (Heb. 12:2) In a way that remains a mystery to the human mind, Jesus became sin on that cross, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him. We can throw around the big words: imputed, propitiation, expiation, etc.; we can throw them around, but the mystery will remain in the same darkness that surrounded the cross for 3 hours. 

When Jesus finally came down from the cross, he came down as a corpse. He was dead. No man took his life; he laid it down. He had become the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. God saw the travail of his soul. And God was satisfied. The perfect sacrifice had finally been made for the sin of the world.

Joseph, Nicodemus, and a handful of women hastily prepared the body and buried our Lord Jesus in the tomb of the rich. Don't worry, Joseph! He's just going to borrow it for a few days.

On the first day of the week, early in the morning, an angel of God rolled away the stone. We like to say that the angel rolled the stone away so we could walk in, not so Jesus could walk out; but does it really matter? He has defeated death and if the King of kings wants to walk out, I think it's his prerogative. He doesn't need to, that's for sure. But we beheld him for three years as he walked from place to place. Maybe he wanted to stretch his legs one more time before presenting himself to his father in heaven. 

Behold the Lamb! He was the Lamb who willingly walked to his death so you would be able to walk into life everlasting. 

Take a good look...

Happy New Year

“Happy New Year!” is the call of most of the world in these days. That’s precisely what I want for you and me, as well as for so many that I know around the world. 

We can have a Happy New Year. Let me tell you what will make that possible for you:

It will be happy if we do not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of the scoffers. 

It will be happy if we meditate in God’s precious, wisdom-giving word. 

It will be happy if we ensure that Jesus is Lord in our daily lives. 

We will have a happy new year if we think on whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is just, whatever is lovely, and whatever is of a good report [that eliminates the obsession of some for most of the news broadcasts!!]. 

We will be happy if we place into practice those things which Jesus has both taught and commanded. 

Finally, we will have a happy new year if we give more than we receive. 

All these things are simple principles God gives for true happiness. Make this the happiest year of your life; seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.

I look forward to worshiping the Lord God through Christ Jesus in the coming days, weeks, and months. Ultimately, that will produce the deepest joy and greatest measure of happiness.

Let’s be happy together.

Phil Robertson Was Right

Phil Robertson was right. Period. No need to debate this. What Phil said is what nature teaches. What Phil said is what the word of God teaches. What Phil said is what true Christianity teaches. A&E is Christophobic. If they can call practicing Christians homophobic, we have the equal right to call them Christophobic.

Mr. Cruz misunderstands true Christianity if he thinks true Christianity endorses or accepts homosexuality. True Christianity teaches that ALL sexual behavior outside of marriage is sin. True Christianity teaches that ANY practicing sinner can repent, believe the gospel of Jesus Christ, and be washed and justified (See 1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

Does this mean true Christians are homophobic or that they even hate those who practice same sex? Not at all! A true Christian is compelled by the love of Christ to love and reach out to all. A true Christian loves the practicing sinner enough to warn them that the road they have chosen leads to destruction. To quote Mr. Robertson, The true Christian "would never treat anyone with disrespect just because they are different from me." 

By the way, why did Mr. Cruz and A&E overlook that statement? Could it be that their agenda includes silencing the voices of true Christians from the public arena? 

Let me end as I began: Phil Robertson was right. Period.

Tis the Week before Christmas and Christ Wants Us To Make Him Known

'Tis the week before Christmas. I suspect there will be thousands of blogs, Facebook posts, and Tweets that admonish us to keep Christ in Christmas. I wonder if, while we are scurrying about, making sure we have the right to say "Merry Christmas," and not just "Happy Holidays," or "Season's Greetings," are we also making sure we take the time to share the Christ of Christmas?

Let's be real about this. Much of what we want is the right to our tradition. Much of what I think Christ wants is our passion to make Him known to the world around us. We need to make him known to the one who cuts our hair. We need to make him known to the clerk at the store--that clerk with tired eyes and a heavy-hearted or bored look as she swipes your purchases across her scanner and announces the charges of your latest run through the store. We need to make him known to the busy server at your next restaurant.

We need to make Christ known in hundreds of people groups and hundreds of countries where his name is a rare thought. A simple offering to a missions agency or society, such as the IMB of the SBC will go a long ways in fulfilling that.

We need to make Christ known to our families. Honestly, that can be a daunting task. Some subjects are off limits at our Christmas celebrations. Oddly, Christ is not invited to his own party in some houses. It's as though we say, "Hey, it's Christmas! But don't you dare mention the J-word around here! You may offend someone!" Well, you know what? Make Christ known, anyway; just don't be obnoxious about it.

[Obnoxious...; I like that word. It sounds like you just let off a sudden stench with your mouth. I could go somewhere with that, but don't want to lose the message of this post.]

Yes, it's the week before Christmas. It's a great time to make Christ known. After all, He is the reason all this stuff started in the first place.

I Have Resources; So Do You!

There are 43 thousand of them. They live in the edge of the Amazon in northern Peru. Thirty dollars a month would be the average income for many of them. 

I am speaking of the Aguaruna Tribe. [that's Ah-gwa-ROON-ah for us Gringos]

Next week I will meet some Aguaruna Baptist pastors in Lima, Peru. They will make the sacrifice and pay around $20 to ride the bus and meet me there. These men are coming because I have the blessing of being able to minister to one of their needs. I have resources...

Just like the average Aguaruna family, these pastors (there are 35 of them) have few resources. They also have a limited education. Seminary is the proverbial pipe dream for them. But I have resources....

A pastor from Lima called me several weeks ago. He invited me to participate in a world missions conference in Lima. I consulted with the Lord and with my missions team. The team and the Lord both urged me to accept the conference. In the subsequent phone call, the pastor told me about the Aguaruna pastors' needs. And I thought of my resources...

Maybe it was the Smokehouse Salad from Dickey's that did it. Or maybe it was the high-fiber cereal that morning. But I was stirred. I wiped away tears as I listened to Roy. I groaned in my spirit. 

Roy had a vision. He wanted to place a Thompson Study Bible in the hands of 35 pastors. He wanted to know if I could help find funding for that. I love a man or woman with vision. It excites me. I agreed to try and immediately sent out the word. God gave me everything I prayed for and then some. What excitement rang through my heart at that time. I had resources. Others I knew had resources. God gave me and them the resources.Now I get to share them with others. 

I have other resources, as well. These resources are less tangible than dollar bills. I sense that I am about to be called on to use those intangible resources to train some trainers. This is because God equipped me for times like these.

You see, when God equips you, He does so in order to make you a blessing for others. He did not equip you just for you. You are important for the work of the ministry. I bet you have resources you did not even consider to be resources. But they are. I know they are because, as someone once said, "God don't make no junk." 

Just tell God you want to be used in Christ's Kingdom. Then wait patiently for God to lead you to cash in your resources. 

When God calls on you, enjoy the ride!

Ready to Risk What It Takes?

I am a preacher. I know there are those who would say, "No; that is what you do." It may be something I do, true; but it is who I am. I was called TO BE a preacher. The verb, "to be" is one that declares my identity. So my identity is that of BEING a preacher.

As a preacher, I must take risks. Among the greatest of those, I must risk failure. Yes, preachers fail. Before you begin to go moral in your thought process, let me explain that. Every time I stand to preach I risk failure. If I have not met with God before preaching, I have failed. If I do not connect with my audience, I have failed. So I must risk failure.

But I have discovered that it is possible to take such risks and also be comfortable in doing so. Standing to preach in a plushly carpeted, air-conditioned, soft-seat and well-lit auditorium in America is comfortable. But now I have observed others and discovered I can sit on a nice, tall chair and preach. I can put on my Ked's or Converse, my jeans, my wrinkled shirt, and I can be one of the guys while I preach. I can expound the word of God for 30 minutes, give a brief invitation to respond to the word, shake some hands, shed some tears with broken believers, and then climb in my air-conditioned, leather-seated SUV and drive off to lunch somewhere. Yes, I can be comfortable, even as I risk failure.

Or, I can risk failure in other ways. I can take up the Pauline mantle and be a missionary to the Gentiles. Or I can take up the Petrine mantle and be a missionary to the Jews. I could even take up the Thomasine mantle and go to India, if church traditions about that are correct. But the risk is far greater. The risk is far more important. Consider the following excellent video from IMB.

There is a big world waiting for you to do what it takes; waiting for you to risk it all.

In case you don't know anything about me and my wife, we did risk it all. Please let me brag, and do it to the glory of the Lord. We were front-line missionaries, appointed in 1988 and who returned in 2010 in obedience to God's call.

We do risk it all. My wife just returned from Chile; I went to a secret location in Asia and ministered to Christ-followers who risked going to jail just by being in the same room with me, as I taught them the word of God. And I am headed to South America in October to challenge Peruvians to go into all the world and to risk it all.

Yes, we risked it all. We risked terrorism. We risked robberies. We risked failing health and major illnesses. We risked persecution. We risked dangers on the road and in the air.

We would risk it again tomorrow if God sent us. The glory of God is worth doing what it takes. The lostness of man and the love of Christ are worth doing what it takes. Are you ready to do that? Are you ready to risk what it takes?

Why I Love America

I love the United States of America. I have lived half my life outside its borders. But I have never lost my love for this nation. I am not a nationalist, mind you; I do not believe we should equate God with America. But I do see God's hand on this nation in a way I have not seen in other nations. The reasons will be clear in the few lines I will paste below; they are a copy of my afternoon message to my great congregation and church. Perhaps they will bless you, as well. Please overlook the formatting. MS Word and Blogspot do not always agree with one another.

I.     I love America because the Founding Fathers had the right vision

A.      I particularly appreciate the wisdom in the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence:

1. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

2. Where did that vision come from?

B.      The founding fathers envisioned a nation with Christ in the center

1. Daniel Webster said, “[T]he Christian religion – its general principles – must ever be regarded among us as the foundation of civil society.”

2. George Washington said, “You do well to wish to learn our arts and ways of life, and above all, the religion of Jesus Christ. These will make you a greater and happier people than you are.”

3. Benjamin Rush said, “I do not believe that the Constitution was the offspring of inspiration, but I am as satisfied that it is as much the work of a Divine Providence as any of the miracles recorded in the Old and New Testament.”

II.   I love America because it was founded with the right virtues

A.      In modern times we have been called first, a post-Christian nation; second, a post-modern society

B.      Our own president has claimed we are not a Christian nation

1. He said on a recent presidential trip to Turkey that Americans “do not consider ourselves a Christian nation.”

2. The truth of the matter is that most who agree with this are ignorant of the facts of the foundation of this nation

3. That is not surprising, given the rabid race to revise our history and remove all vestiges of Christianity from its pages

C.      Please let me quote a few of founding fathers

1.  John Adams said, “[I]t is religion and morality alone which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free constitution is pure virtue.

2. John Quincy Adams said, “There are three points of doctrine the belief of which forms the foundation of all morality. The first is the existence of God; the second is the immortality of the human soul; and the third is a future state of rewards and punishments. Suppose it possible for a man to disbelieve either of these three articles of faith and that man will have no conscience, he will have no other law than that of the tiger or the shark. The laws of man may bind him in chains or may put him to death, but they never can make him wise, virtuous, or happy.”

3. Fisher Ames, who framed the first amendment said, “There are three points of doctrine the belief of which forms the foundation of all morality. The first is the existence of God; the second is the immortality of the human soul; and the third is a future state of rewards and punishments. Suppose it possible for a man to disbelieve either of these three articles of faith and that man will have no conscience, he will have no other law than that of the tiger or the shark. The laws of man may bind him in chains or may put him to death, but they never can make him wise, virtuous, or happy.”

4. Charles Carroll, who signed the Declaration of Independence said, “Without morals a republic cannot subsist any length of time; they therefore who are decrying the Christian religion, whose morality is so sublime & pure, [and] which denounces against the wicked eternal misery, and [which] insured to the good eternal happiness, are undermining the solid foundation of morals, the best security for the duration of free governments.”

III.  I love America because we have the possibility of the right victory

A.      David Barton has ten steps to take back Americafrom the secular humanists

1. Barton said, “There must be two reversals, the first and most obvious one must occur in our national public stance toward God: the Supreme Court's current ban on the acknowledgment of God and the use of His principles in public is a direct challenge to Him and has thus triggered the law of national accountability, subjecting the nation to severe consequences. Therefore, our current national public stand against God must be set aside.”

2. Barton continued, “The second reversal must center on the restoration of the personal benefits derived from living by Godly principles”

B.      Here are some of the steps Barton recommended

1. Pray – if my people who are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray…

2. Teach your children and grandchildren both to pray and the truth of the foundation of this nation

3. Pray devout Christians will run for public office

4. Christians need to be involved in public media

May God give us a little more time before he brings judgment on this nation that I love.

SCOTUS and Their Rulings

Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.

(Jud 1:3)

As I contemplated today’s announced Supreme Court rulings, I could only think of these words, given by Jude in a dark and dangerous time for the church.  I could not continue our study in John tonight—not with the dark news that has wafted across our land like a slowly-thickening smoke that promises a forest fire is on the horizon. I want to give my opinion as to what it likely means for the church and what our response should be.

First, you should know that the actual laws governing marriage in our state have not changed. These rulings did not say that Mississippi or any other state must recognize gay marriage. Mississippi and 29 other states have already passed a binding statement that marriage is between a man and a woman.

On a federal level, however, things have changed. If a homosexual couple travels to a state that recognizes homosexual marriage, and if they marry there, then wherever they may choose to live no longer matters, when it comes to recognition on a federal level. So if Joe and John “marry” in Maine, but live in Mississippi, they can now file federal taxes as “married, filing jointly” even if Mississippi does not recognize the marriage on a state level. That was the immediate impact of the demise of the defense of marriage act. It also means all federal employees will receive all federal benefits.

Regarding Proposition 8 for California, the Court sent that ruling back, basically saying it was a state matter. The state judge had overturned the will of the people as unconstitutional. So the will of the people in California has been defeated by judicial fiat to ignore the will people.

That being said, here are some serious implications: one, the judge who wrote the majority opinion for the DOMA ruling has asserted that to disagree with this ruling is to be an enemy of the human race. That means you have been classified and placed into a holocaustic category. Why do I say that? Disease, by implication, is an enemy of the human race; and we eradicate disease. War and famine are enemies of the human race, something else we seek to eradicate. Now the conservative Christian is an enemy of the human race. What will be the outcome?

Look for biblical passages about homosexuality to be classified as hate speech before long. The DOMA ruling states categorically that SCOTUS sees homosexuals as a class of people. They are conferring civil rights upon a chosen, albeit alternate, lifestyle and calling those adherents "a class." What about pedophiles? What about polygamists? If one chosen lifestyle deserves civil protection, what about the others? 

Military Chaplains are about to be in trouble, as well. The military is federally controlled; that includes chaplains. There will be chaplains who will be asked to marry soldiers at the base chapel. They will be on federal territory, under strict federal jurisdiction. The chaplains are federal employees. They will be forced to choose Christ or the government.

The wording of the DOMA ruling implies that SCOTUS sees as inevitable the enactment of marriage for all within a decade. That is what many Christian leaders have concluded. While not federally mandated at this point, don’t be surprised when that happens in the case of homosexual marriage.

The ruling of Prop 8 shows that the will of the people is no longer important in this nation. The deeper implication is that our nation is no longer a republic for the people, by the people, or of the people. We are ruled by the elite few. We are still a representative government; but we have shown that the will of the people can be taken away by the will of the few.

For the American church, we have an opportunity, if we don’t blow it. We can be counter-culture, as was the church in the book of Acts. We can provide a haven of rest for the storm-tossed souls who need Christ. We can show the world what true marriage is like. We can preach Christ and show Him as the Bread of Life that satisfies. 

SCOTUS' rulings today did not change America culturally; they only changed it legally. The cultural change happened far too long ago. It happened while the church slept. So to the church I say, I hope you are awake now.

Welcome to 1984, America!

You asked for it, ladies and gentlemen; now you have it. Your wildest dreams have come true. I refer to the steady, calculated, and unmitigated encroachment of the government upon your freedoms. Your liberties have changed in ways some never dreamed would happen. But when we give the government a free hand, the government is going to do what governments do; it is going to absorb you and your assets so that it can continue to grow.

Via the multiple social programs the government initially offered and that we subsequently demanded, the government has leeched out of the majority the will to live free. By "live free," I mean that the people no longer care if their governments (local, state, and federal) make many decisions for them, or not. As long as the government keeps on giving what I want, I am happy.

But the government is not happy. The government needs more of you and your money. The government fears you; therefore the government must control you. This is an unintended consequence (Or is it?) to what is known as The Patriot Act.  The Patriot Act gave the government broad powers in its attempt to obstruct terrorism. But someone somewhere in that machine called the Federal Government saw an opportunity--a legal opportunity--to broaden its scope and use, misuse, and abuse those mechanisms put into action by The Patriot Act.

The latest revealed action is by the NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden, a professed supporter of Mr. Obama. While some legislators are angry that Snowden blew the whistle on them, others are at least pretending to be dismayed that our government dared to be so far reaching in their ravenous grasp of our personal information. Can I say something really inane? DUH!! What in the world did you think would happen?

And what do you think will happen when medical staff begin to question you about weapons in your home? Or what will happen when you must present your medical records--YOUR PERSONAL HEALTH INFORMATION--to the IRS?

You asked for it, America. You failed to follow the principles that make any nation great. The government cannot and will not govern itself. The government is for the people only if it is by the people and of the people. Ours no longer is. Ours is a government of the few--an oligarchy. And the few fear you will wake up to that. They will, therefore, continue to swallow your rights and mine, unless American citizens lose their appetite for all the superficial junk food the government gives them through its programs.

Welcome to 1984, America!

When Persecution Becomes Personal

The past two weeks have been surreal for most of us in the western hemisphere. We are not accustomed to pressure-cooker bombs at family events. We do not know what to do when sociopaths declare jihad and inflict this kind of mayhem on non-military personnel. We thought we were prepared; April 15th showed us that we were not. For too many, persecution became personal. When that happens, what do we do? How do we handle it?

More important for most who will read this is the Christian perspective. What do Christians do when persecution becomes personal? What response should the Christian give? Make no mistake about it, please; I am an American. But I am a Christ-follower above all else. My worldview is not American. My worldview is Christian. I view the world through the lens of Scripture. I view America through the lens of Scripture. Please let me give you three simple thoughts that will hopefully help you should persecution become personal.

First, recognize reality. The reality is this: we live in the last days. I can hear someone now grunt, "Shades of Tim LaHaye!" Think what you will, but Paul told Timothy in 2 Tim. 3:1-5 that the last days would be filled with perilous times. There will be wars and rumors of wars, according to Jesus. There will be mayhem in many places.

Not only do we live in the last days, we also live among lost people. Yes, I said that; if you are not a Christ-follower you are still what the Bible calls lost. You are one whom Jesus came to seek and to save. We seem surprised when lost people do not behave like saved people. We become perplexed when we find ourselves passing more and more laws to govern the actions of the lawless. Lawlessness is only the outward behavior of an inward problem. These are the last days; we live among lost people.

Second, respond prayerfully. Acts 12 relates the story of Peter being jailed by one of the King Herods found in the Bible. James had already lost his head; it was a politically popular thing to do, so Peter was to be next. But the church prayed. As should we. Do not be as those who too often say that the only thing they can do is pray. It is still the greatest thing you can do. It may well be that it is not the only thing you can do; but it is the greatest thing. I recall a friend who was kidnapped with her daughter and taken to a remote road outside a city in Peru. She did the one thing she knew to do: she prayed in the heart language of the kidnappers. They suddenly stopped and released her and her daughter. Do not dismiss the power of prayer.

Finally, rest confidently. When Peter was jailed, he did what he could: he went to sleep. As a fisherman, Peter had slept through storms, I am sure. He was in a new kind of storm, though. And he slept. The angel sent by God to rescue Peter had to poke him in the side to wake him from his sleep.

This is what you need to know: God will keep you in the midst of the storm. He may not deliver you from the storm. But he will be with you in the storm. Christian, you win! No matter what, you win!

Do not take my words as platitudes. I have my thoughts about the vicious young men who murdered and maimed so many in Boston. I confess those thoughts are not kind. Personal thoughts notwithstanding, we Christ-followers need to respond as Christ would. Persecution may well become personal for you one day. I hope these words will give you some handles as to the best response.

Looking back to be able to look forward

Early yesterday, I sat in a local hospital to check in for a minor procedure. As I looked down at my watch, contemplating being out before local traffic had even cranked up, I realized that the time and the date carried some real significance for us.

So when we finished with the registration desk, I turned to Pam and asked her if she knew what the day meant for us. She looked with one of those looks wives can give their husbands and slowly said, "Nooo..." I reminded her that 3 years ago on April 9th, at 6:40 CDT, we were in Atlanta, clearing customs to reenter the United States. We had left behind our 20-year careers as missionaries to assume a new career as pastor of the great 38th Avenue Baptist Church, nestled midtown, in a southern city.

Over the past 3 years I have preached and taught more than 800 times. That is just the beginning. I hope to preach and teach more than 150 times a year for then next several years. But that is not an end for me; I look forward to watching God change lives, save souls, and grow Christ-followers into mature men and women.

Even that is not the end I seek. I live to please One and only One. While my ministry is with the people of God and the world at large, my primary audience and source for inspiration is the Lord Jesus Christ.

It took a moment of looking back to be able to look forward. What about you? What spiritual markers dot the paths you have walked that may point you to paths you have yet to walk? Take a look back; it may help you continue to look forward.

The Marriage Debate: A Nation Hangs in the Balance

Yesterday it was Proposition 8 before the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS); today it was DOMA: the Defense of Marriage Act. Pundits from every side of this Rubric's Cube think they have twisted the cube around enough to figure out why the two came so closely together, and what the outcome will be. Someone may well pin the tail on the donkey, too. I mean, with so many opinions floating around in the cybosphere, someone is bound to get it right. Even a blind hog finds an acorn or two.

Many of us are shaking our heads, wondering how we ever got to this point to begin with. Who among us ever dreamed we would face the day when our courts would be asked to redefine marriage? Who among us ever dreamed we would face the day when our courts would be asked to determine something that could be so far-reaching that it actually erodes our first amendment rights?

Do think that is too far-fetched an idea? Well, just ask the couple in New Mexico what happens when you exercise your right to your beliefs.

If DOMA and Prop. 8 are overturned, you can bet some homosexual couple somewhere will find a small church with no apparent resources and will seek to force the pastor to marry them. Then that case will eventually wind its way before the courts and the courts will begin to determine what churches may and may not do. Or perhaps, as some have suggested, they will remove said church's tax exempt status. I could even foresee a scenario where the pastor would be incarcerated for contempt.

I am not alone in my fears. Consider Al Mohler, President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary: Just as urgently, such a decision would put a host of threats to religious liberty into action, threatening the rights of churches, religious institutions, and citizens who are opposed to same-sex marriage on religious grounds.

The issue before SCOTUS, ladies and gentlemen, as Dr. Mohler also said, is nothing less than a blow at the foundation of any society found in this world. If the institution of marriage is allowed to be redefined to permit the wholesale approval of perversion in our society, we will have successfully dealt a moral death blow to the greatest nation of modern history.

To be sure, the justices have voted. If the press is to be believed, the decisions will favor gay marriage. Now they will assign someone to pen the legal justification for their vote. We can only pray that during the next few months of research (done mostly by junior staff) someone will be stirred and come to themselves and return to the Father in Heaven, who will readily forgive and cleanse them of such perversion, and that said person will change their vote before the ruling. May they not be as Judas, who cried too late, "I have betrayed innocent blood!"

Where I've Been...

It's been over 3  months since I posted anything in this blog. I needed the break. I was in cyber-information overload. Good bloggers don't quit. They post more and more. I guess we know what that makes me...

It's time to say something. It's time to catch up. So let me tell you where I've been.

I've been to heaven. Yes, I said heaven. No, not like the little boy who authored a book about heaven. I went like the rest of you do, if you go there. I went in my prayers. I guess I could have and maybe should have said I have been praying a lot. But it sounds better to tell you the focus of my prayers is the throne room. I felt the lightest brush of the hem of our Lord's garment a time or two. I heard the sounds of praise. I sensed the glory of God--albeit from a distance. What a place to be.

I've also been to Peru. I went there weekly. Yes, in my prayers. I stood beside stalwart men and women of God. Men like Wayne, Roy, Victor, Tommy, Phil, Don, and my old buddy Manolo; women like Debbie, Beth, Margarita, Lisa, and Amy. People who have given their all to serve the Lord were the objects of my prayers. I went to the great Andes and to the mega-cities of Peru. I rode the streets of Lima, Arequipa, Huaraz, and a host of other places. I stood on the roadsides, looking at village after village that needs the gospel witness.

I've been to Brazil, Mexico, Kansas, Georgia, and Virginia. I have been to several cities in Tennessee and Mississippi. I have been to New Orleans. What joys awaited me there as I prayed for my friends around the world.

I've been to Washington. I wish I could say my prayer travels there were joyful. They are not. I grieve for this once great nation. We gave up greatness for gold and glitter. Our greatness was found in our submission to the Lord Jesus. Now we toss his name about with disdain and mockery. Our greatness was found in our love for life. Now we kill our babies and call pregnancy disease (read all about it in the Affordable Care Act) so that we can force abortive pills on religious groups.

In a moment I will travel again. Our wonderful church family has entrusted us with the great task of praying for their needs. We called that day, "Lord, Move My Mountain!" We promised to pray every day for 30 days for the needs they placed before us. So I, along with my staff and our prayer ministry, try to do just that. I fear we may be praying weakly. But if we have faith even as a mustard seed, oh, the things God will do!

I urge you to get on board this faster-than-sound spiritual ship and take a trip yourself. You will enjoy the ride. And you will discover just how good life really is.

Are Guns Really the Problem?

It has been months since I wrote anything on this blog. I suppose that is due to bloggers' burnout. I can also blame it on my need to focus on our ministries among the 38th Family.

This weekend we who watch sports and news saw the reports of the murder-suicide by one of the Kansas City Chiefs football players. Predictably so, the leftists who seek to eliminate guns from your warm, live fingers began anew their rants and raves about the need to ban guns. Forget the Second Amendment. Forget your right to keep and bear arms. Let's do away with such barbarism and let's make it criminal to own a gun.

A friend wrote in protest of some of the editorializing by the sports commentators--especially Bob Costas. I replied to him (with his name deleted for privacy reasons) in the letter you find below. May you put on your "thinking cap" as you read what I have written:

Greetings:

Sadly, we in America have become so disoriented in our thinking that we mistake the instrument as the culprit in both crimes and endeavors in life. We see the economy move one way or another and we blame or give credit to the government, who is the instrument in the hands of both big and small business. We see a man take a life and we blame the weapon the man used. We have lost our moral compass. We do not understand that it is not the instrument, but the man behind the instrument that perpetrated the act, whether good or bad.

We must see our moral compass as a compass that must point to true north; but it is a compass with a gradually-increasing potential for being weighted on the end that points our intended moral direction. This means that if the compass varies too much to the left or the right it will eventually be so weighted that it points south, not north. And when the moral compass points south it is pointing to degradation and destruction.

We have seen nations that point to the extreme right and we see the degradation that occurs in those nations. Palestine is a case in point. There are too many living there that are content to sacrifice decency for the opportunity to kill Jews. Iran is another example that needs little explanation; but given one of the addressees of your note, I will explain anyway. The extreme Islamists of Iran, led by the Ayatollahs and others, despise any group that is not of their persuasion. This includes other groups of Muslims that some label as “moderate;” this also includes any western nation that does not accept and tolerate the extremists’ passion for world dominance.

We in America have long passed the compass that would be pointing to the left. We are progressively pointing farther and farther to the south—so much so that even moderates appear conservative, when in fact they are often pointing to the left of true north. Our “weighty intelligence and wisdom” pulls us down yet more and more each significant moral event that takes place in each generation.

In order, therefore, to protect your invaluable rights listed in the first ten amendments, there must be a move to clean the needle on the moral compass in America. Self-impressed “sages,” such as Bob Costas and others we could name, only indicate the need for the above-mentioned corrective cleaning.

Respectfully,

Dr. Kevin Shearer, Pastor

38th Ave. Baptist Church

Has Judgment Begun on America?

I have been reading the latest news with interest. I have also been reading blogs, books, and by-lines of people far more capable than I to express an intelligent opinion. Some of those authors have been very positive about this nation's future. Some have been so pessimistic I want to find a cave to hide in--one far, far away from here, lest fire fall from Heaven, or lest I turn into a pillar of salt if I unwittingly look when the fire falls.

Regardless of those authors, there are authors that have gripped me; these men have me riveted on what they have to say. I am referring to the Prophets and historical writers found in the Word of God. They have much to teach us about God's mercy and God's righteous judgment. These men have shown us overarching principles--principles that some choose to ignore when it comes to their opinions about how God operates in the 21st century. After all, they reason, the prophecies and writings refer to Israel, right?

Let me point out first of all that God did not ignore the non-Jewish nations. He states more than once that his cup of wrath is full regarding this nation, or that nation. Sometimes he sent Israel against them so that they would be his arm of punishment. Other times God would allow them to attack Israel to perform a two-fold purpose: one, that attack would fill their cup of rebellion to the top and God would then punish them for that. Two, this would chastise his chosen nation for their ways. In short, no one escaped the righteousness of God. No one.

Fast foward three thousand years. God has not changed. America, though, has changed. America took a decided turn away from biblical principles sometime shortly after the 20th century. God continued to show mercy. God continued to warn America. I believe one reason for this mercy and warning was the fact that for the longest time America was the principal sending nation for foreign missions. And God was pleased with that work by the church.

Things have cooled off, though, in the past 20 years. We are slipping away when it comes to sending out men and women to share the gospel. Nations have begun to reject the Americans that try to enter. What happened?

One chief sin that America continues to ignore is that of abortion. Do not think a nation that condones and protects the right to murder babies will escape the judgment of God. The 54 million babies we have slaughtered since 1973 cry out in indictment against this nation. We have had more than one opportunity to stop this. Our courts have protected the murderers from those who would seek to challenge Roe v Wade. After all, that's big business we are speaking of. And what the courts have not been able to protect, Congress and the White House have. We have to protect our living friends, right?

The right to privacy that coaxed the courts to condone murder is the same right to privacy other groups used to protect their sin. So now the sinful deeds of men who love men,  of women who love women, of men who love boys and little girls--these deeds are largely protected under the privacy act. Our latest immoral stand came when the White House declared that these men and women must have the same right to marry as everyone else.

Can anyone else hear the wine of God's wrath reaching the top of the cup?

What has been the result? Take a look at who will run for office this year. Take a good look. The princpal party winners will both disapprove of my words at this point; you may, as well. But we have no choice. We have not even a professing Christian in the mix. To be sure, when it suits him, Mr. Obama professes Christianity. Put his version of Christianity to the light of God's word; you will see that the version he calls Christian is called a false religion when examined with the word of God. It is poisoned with liberation theology, a perfect fit for his healthy dose of anti-colonial socialism that originated in the African continent and was passed on by his supposed father and others that impressed him in earlier years.

Then there is Romney, the Mormon. He, too, would prefer to be called a Christian. But his Christ is another god--not THE God. The Mormon doctrine claims we can all be gods. There are a lot of would-be gods out there; we don't need anymore, thank you very much! Examine Mormonism with the word of God and you will certainly find that their brand of Christianity is false, as well.

Let me get to the point: we have no godly choice for president, not even in the smaller parties. I think the reason for this is that the judgment of God has left us with this choice. How do we want to be punished as a nation? Do we want a post-colonial socialism to take over this nation? Or do we want the plague of materialism--of an amoral capitalism--to further consume us? These seem to be our choices, neither of which are very good.

So let me give you another word for what we must do, America: repent! Repent now and perhaps God's wrath will be stayed for a few more years. Peter wrote, "Now is time for judgment to begin, and it must begin in the house of God." Repent, Christ-follower! Repent, repent, repent!

Not ANOTHER Racial Story!!

This past week we were all shocked with news from First Baptist Church Crystal Springs, Mississippi. So much horrible news about Mississippi has crossed the pages of history. Truly horrible things did take place in this great state. It has taken years and years to heal much of this.

In the blink of an eye, a small group of spiritually blind people cajoled and coerced a pastor to deny an apparently godly couple the right to have a Christian wedding in that church. I pity the pastor. He has been excoriated and denounced ever since the news broke. His feeble attempt to be a peacekeeper has now produced a backlash of tsunami proportions.

To be sure, I believe the pastor thought he was doing what was best for all involved. There comes a time, however, when a pastor must take a stand. When a church member or members make a choice that violates biblical principles, the pastor must always, always side with the Bible. It is unpopular to do so. It can be divisive. It can be painful. It can be costly. But Christ-followers must always be light and salt, especially when faced with such unsavory opinions by spiritually ignorant people.

I choose to pray for FBC, Crystal Springs, Mississippi. I choose also to pray for the pastor. And I choose to pray for the heartbroken couple. Let's not forget that poor community who now finds itself in the national spotlight.

And, as a native of that great state, please forgive us for such a tragic decision.

I Think I'lll Have Some Chicken

I just did a Google search for Chick-fil-A. I discovered news items from every major venue, all the way from the influential New York Times, to lesser-known tabloids and blogs. I have been amazed at the audacity of some as they responded--I'm sorry! Did I say "respond?" I meant REACTED to the chairman's values regarding marriage and family. I should be amazed at the audacity of city mayors who boast that they will do all they can to prevent free enterprise by doing what they can to keep Chick-Fil-A out of their cities.

I should be amazed; but I am not. After all, Christians do not belong to the world order that these guys do. They are born of the Holy Spirit, blessed with a new nature, and promised a new heavenly citizenship at a near-future date.

I do have a few questions for these mayors: What country do you guys come from? You think you have the right to speak freely and work diligently against Judeo-Christian values, and simultaneously hinder those with such values from exercising their own rights? Do you honestly fear the homosexual movement so much that you cowtow to their growlings and ungodly demands for fear of losing your polical clout?

The mutual benefit of the U.S. Constitution's first amendment notwithstanding, an amendment that allows both pro-traditional family people and those who oppose the traditional family to express themselves without governmental interference, this is a moral issue. This is blatantly anti-Christian and anti-traditional family. Christians and those who hold to the morality of the traditional family do not seem to enjoy the right to exist and openly express their values; only those opposed to such values are able to have public opinions and fear no recourse of action against them.

Isn't it interesting that the only time the tolerance card is played is when a Christian, or morally conservative person, tries to express himself? Think about that. If you hold true biblical values you are told to be tolerant. If those who disdain the idea of biblical values speak out against those values, why are they not told to be tolerant, as well? What hypocrisy!

So tomorrow I plan to go to Chick-Fil-A. I plan to enjoy a chicken sandwich offered by a company that holds the same overall values as I do. I plan to urge my fellow believers and others who hold to these same values to indulge in a chicken sandwich as many times as they can in the coming days. If you read this in the coming days and you are near one of these great fast-food restaurants, go have a meal from someone who actually cares about the traditional family in these United States.