Why Are We Surprised?

The news of the moment includes a downgrade of the USA's sterling credit rating, a plummeting stock market, and soaring gold. Tomorrow's futures on the other world markets reveal a continuing downturn on the world markets. The economists like to call such as this a "correction." That softens the blow of depleted retirement funds, annuities, and the like. The media are having a time with this news; theirs are the only ratings going up right now. Meanwhile, Dummy-crats point their finger at the TEA party; Republicans point theirs at the Dems, hoping for their demise next year; and no one looks under the proverbial skirts to see what the problem really is. So I want to take a look at this from another angle. And I may get it wrong; but I don't think so. . . .

While the problem the world now sees is most certainly an economic problem, there is much more to it than that. I won't spend my words analyzing the entire world. I want to speak about the USA; after all, that is where I write this from.

The problem we now face began in the early part of the 20th century, when (with respect to my Canadian and Latin American friends) "America," as we call it, experienced a radical heart shift away from God. We had just experienced a world wide awakening/revival. Hundreds of thousands around the world had been touched by the Holy Spirit and born into the kingdom of God. Then came what scholars labeled as "modernism." Man suddenly decided he was too rational to allow room for adherance to the word of God as the final authority in the affairs of life. The affairs of life, by the way, include everything, including economics, politics, and world relationships. We began a love affair with what would eventually be called humanism.

Fast-forward past WWII. Men came home from war. The nation was in a rebuilding phase. Many of those men, however, had been stung severely by the hornets of war and had become secretly cynical. They barely had time to breathe before we entered the Korean "Conflict." While men and women maintained in a cultural sense the appearance of godliness, in their homes they took off their masks.  For too many, their religion was only "cloth deep." It was surface tolerance of the Bible at best.The stage was set for yet another heart shift away from God and biblical principles. The boomer generation was born, but not adequately schooled in the things of God. One of the great battles was forming: evolution v creation. Even pastors and preachers began to doubt the literal six-day creation. It showed up in their teaching. The decline in church attendance began to show as pastors inadvertently cast doubt on the veracity of Scripture by advocating a tolerance to the religion of evolution. In the home, where children were still in the innocence of Andy Griffith and other shows, there was less and less emphasis on spiritual things.

The Boomers began to come of age. Vietnam was escalating. The nation would not stand for it. And the Boomers took to the streets. As those young men and women came of age they demonstrated yet a third heart shift away from God. They cast off the shackles of what they called "organized religion." They were anti-organized everything. Time will not allow to discuss the impact of an increasingly secularized education; but this, too, had a major impact on the heart shift of Americans.

When the Boomers began to have children they continued in their now very secular mindset. Less and less showed interest in the things of God. Sunday became "fun" day. More and more protested they needed their rest. Fewer and fewer showed interest in the things of God. Soon, between the Boomers and the subsequent generations, this nation called the United States of America was post-Christian in its outlook. Tolerance was the watchword. The only things is, this tolerance is the epitome of intolerance for those who stand for all things that conservative Christians do. The lines were made clear. For the most part, America now stood in blindness to the things of God. That's no surprise, since dead men can't see. And those who do not know Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior are spiritually dead, blind, and unfeeling to the things of God.

What does this have to do with the economy? Someone is shouting, "It's the economy, stupid!" And so it does--at least, in part.

I heard the late Keith Green say that when a nation turns its back on God, God may strike that nation in three areas: in their economy, their environment, and with their enemies. The USA has experienced all three since the mid-1990's. The economic woes are just the third blow of three slaps to her face. Unless the churches repent and return, we will see worse. Unless the unsaved repent and believe, we will see worse.

In my next post I will tie this opinion to world relations. Meanwhile, we should pray and repent. . . .

How to Deal with Unwanted Text Messages

I got a text message from a number I did not know. It's been going on for too long and I was about to get miffed. But I think the Lord gave me an answer for those unwanted calls/texts.

I am going to share with you the exchange; forgive his language:

Texter: Whats up bud

Me: Nothing, just reading the Revelation of Jesus Christ, given by God for man to know the beginning of the end.

Texter: Thats deep and to think i thought you were just a pretty face
Me: Dude, my feet are the beautiful parts, as Isaiah said: how beautiful are the feet of them who preach good news! & I preach it all I can.

Texter: Wow i think i might have the wrong number because the guy i'm lookin for is ruthless but fine as hell
Me: I'm sure U might, but U were led by the unseen hand of the Lord Jesus Christ, who will lift us out of hell if we turn from sin to Him. Come to 38th Ave Church!

He never responded again. He had been texting every weekend for a month. I felt impressed to witness the next time. It was fun! Try it!

Just sayin'...

The glorious celebration of the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America has come and gone. Friends and family celebrated all over the land. In fact, they were still celebrating at midnight last night where we live. Fireworks thundered around us. The dog trembled beside me; he really dislikes such noises ever since we left South America for the Southern America of the northern hemisphere. I think thunder and lightning, something he had never experienced, has a lot to do with it.

We celebrated at a lake some 90 miles north of here. It's a nice lake, with 28 miles of shoreline. My brother-in-law carried his very nice boat up there. The majority of the family climbed in it and took off for fun on the water. I remained behind to wet a hook with my Daiwa open faced spinning reel; it was the first time since 2002, or maybe '03, that I had been able to use that rig. I think a man can't claim to be a fisherman if he hasn't fished since then  (don't lose that thought; I'll go somewhere with it).

My first cast in 8 years resulted in what I did not want to see: my best spinner bait flying freely across the lake and into the water. Somehow my handsome 2-year-old grandson had managed to get tangled in the line while the pole was sitting by the chair they set him in. And the line subsequently wrapped around the handle. So when I cast the line, the whip action set in motion a freedom my lure could have only enjoyed as it hurtled across the open waters. The bass sat below the surface laughing, no doubt.

Those bass later amused themselves by striking lazily at my attempts to lure them with other spinners. They do that sometimes. They do it often with me. I could almost hear their gurgling laughter below the water...

After an hour of trying different lures, I gave up and went back to the clan who had gathered under the trees where we had set up our picnic. I got there in time to see them run off for round two on the water. More of us stayed behind that time.

And then came the rains. Not just rain. Thunder and lightning. The park ranger made us get into our cars (the boaters had returned--a wise move). My grandson climbed into our car, which he claims as his. His mom's car is hers; my wife's car is hers. But my SUV belongs to Michael; he cries out when he sees it, "MY car!" He sat in my lap, hands wrapped around the steering wheel, steering wildly. I thought his actions reminded me of a taxi driver in Lima.

We were in the car to evade the lighting and rain. That's when I felt it: water, slowly soaking into my lap. You can guess why. I decided I would stand in the rain for awhile... The lightning was preferrable to the sensation of that kind of water.

We were finally driven away from the lake by the storm cells. One would end, but another would form just as quickly. We saw no break in sight.

I went home reminded of two things: sometimes someone is going to pee on you when you least expect it. That's just part of life.

But worse, if you don't fish more than once or twice in a decade, you really aren't a fisherman.

And if you don't win souls any more often than that; neither are you a soul-winner.

I'm just sayin'...

Going with the Gospel

This Sunday Night I will give a charge to a local volunteer group going on mission to the highlands of Peru. This is their second trip to this particular place. The group is composed of more than 50! I tried to persuade them to divide their teams and go 4 times in the year. They love one another's company too much for that, I'm afraid. So they have chosen to go once a year, descending upon the small villages of the Quechua peoples where they will work.

I will share 4 adverbs modifying the word "go" with them. It is a description of the Great Commission, as found in Mt. 28:19, 20; and in Acts 1:8.

I will challenge them to go obediently. This is for the entire church's consumption. The Great Commission is not just for some; it's for all of us.

I will tell the group to go expectantly. We have received the power of the Holy Spirit. We must expect him to go with us--even to be there before us--as we share.

I will teach the group to go courageously. In Acts 4 the disciples prayed for the presence of God to enable them to share the word with boldness. When political and religious figures oppose the preachers, fear can set in. They must be courageous in their witness, even if they face opposition.

And I will teach the church to go concurrently. To answer those who say, "Aren't there enough lost people around us, so that we don't need to go over "there?" I will say to them that we must go beyond our walls locally and internationally as we can. There is not a linear, systematic logic to Acts 1:8. It does not say we should be witnesses in "Jerusalem, THEN Judea, THEN Samaria, THEN the uttermost parts of the world." The conjunction is "AND." It conveys a concurrent action.

Most of all I will tell them to go.

And I will tell it to you now: go. Preach the gospel. Just go.

Praying for our Nation

First it was Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama--among other southern states. This week it was Joplin, Mo and towns in Oklahoma. The heartache is extensive. The death toll continues upward. One woman dropped dead when she learned her father had died in the Joplin storm.

Undoubtedly, many are crying out, "Why us?! What did we do?" The first answer that must be given is that both good things and bad things come to the good and the evil (the righteous and the unrighteous) alike. Many good Christian families were ravaged by these storms. Many morally decent people lost everything. What God will do is show himself through their godly response to the horrible storms and disasters that have now tatooed their lives.

Yes, what is inside of us comes out in the worst of times. If a professing Christ-follower gets squeezed by disaster, like a large-fisted weight lifter may squeeze the juice out of an orange, whatever is in that professing Christ-follower is going to squirt out. If he or she is full of Jesus, then Jesus gets mixed in with the tears and anguish. People around that person see it and marvel at God's peace in that person's life.

But if we profess to follow Christ, but are in fact filled with deception, anger, bitterness, explosive wrath--and the like, then that is what squirts out with our response to disaster and devastation. I would add carefully that some are either thin-skinned or so full of these negative, sinful traits that it flows out rather quickly. Like the recent volcanoes in Iceland, they spew out ash and lava, disrupting things for anyone within miles of them.

While our compatriots suffer these disasters we who are untouched are held responsible to hold them up in prayer. We must pray for the God of peace to unleash His peace in their lives. And we may need to put feet to our prayers when we say, "God bless them!"

 

 

But start with praying...

Pray for Israel

This is Israel's anniversary. While some in the world may rejoice over this news, there are others who are angry, dismayed, and even hostile to their existence. Some protest that Israel "stole" the land on which they now live. Others claim they displaced millions when the new nation of Israel was formed. Those are they ignore the convenient fact that the land was mostly unoccupied until word got out that Jewish people were moving in. Too many are praying for their demise.

Biblically, this was their land, given to them more than 3,000 years ago. Politically, the Jewish people were reinstated into their land in 1948. So whether you look politically or biblically, Israel is a legitimate nation living within their granted territorial borders.

Our position as Christ-followers cannot be clearer than God tells us in Scripture: ours is to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. This is the place to which Christ will one day return. God blesses those who bless Israel. He curses those who will curse it. Pray for Israel. Pray for peace. Pray for their repentance and faith in the Messiah, whose name is Jesus of Nazareth.

Pray for Congress

There is little more important to ask of anyone who reads this, who calls this nation home, than to pray for our Congress. I hope many of you paid close attention to the recent debates over the current fiscal year's budget. You probably recall that, after a few continuing resolutions to avoid a governmental shutdown, we reached a point where they pulled off a "last-minute" deal to "save" the government. Our military were held hostage to the threat of withholding their salary if Dems and Repubs did not reach a deal. Finally, our president appeared with the great announcement that a deal had been reached. All was once more safe. We could breathe easy once more.

As the ink has dried and the dust has settled, one can see the truth of the whole matter. We were played. This was not a Democrat trick; this was not a Republic con. This now appears to be a carefully orchestrated move by both parties to create a win-win situation. Dems won and so did Repubs. Why does that matter? They won, but I believe at our expense. It made both sides look good to their constituents. Repubs could say, "We tried; this was the best deal we could eke out." Dems could say, "We tried to hold ground, but we had to give up a little."

The truth is, no one gave up anything. It was an accounting trick. We were duped. They see you, the voting taxpayer, as gullible.

We must pray for these men and women who now appear to be far more concerned with keeping their jobs than with corralling their lust for a big-dollar government. Pray for a change of heart for each one. God can do what looks impossible. He can turn their hearts as easily as he turns a river this way and that. I believe we can see it happen; but I believe it must begin with those who are Christ-followers. We must lead out in prayer.

Pray for Japan

News reports now place death tolls above 10,000. Some scientists fear catastrophic aftershocks. We must pray for this crushed nation.

Baptist Global Response will help you channel your donations for relief in Japan. See IMB.org for more information.

Pray for Japan

Re: Japanese earthquake/tsunami - Drudge reports the death toll in one area alone will top 1,000.

We must pray and we must put into practice our Christianity and seek to minister to these suffering people. For my brothers who would be tempted to point their fingers and proclaim that this is what happens to a non-Christian society, remember this: Jesus said the rain falls on the just and the unjust alike. Don't cry judgment yet; I still see a log in some eyes....

Newt Gingrich Is Right

This week our president made a serious error. He chose to ignore his constitutional responsibilities because he does not like a law that was duly passed by our United States Congress. The legislature makes laws. The Judicial branch tests those laws' validity, and the executive branch administers those laws. When Mr. Obama chose to declare the Defense of Marriage Act an undefensable law, he chose to usurp both the legislative and judicial branches of our government. Newt Gingrich is correct: this is a clear violation of the presidential powers and responsibilities.

What should Christians do about this? They should do the same that all conscientious citizens should do: they should register their profound disagreement with these actions, which are possibly impeachable offenses. They should take one step beyond the common citizen; they should pray passionately for our legislature and judiciary to reprimand the president for the violation of his role. They should pray for the president to repent of his unconstitutional actions.

If Congress and the judiciary ignore this, they will run the risk of setting a very dangerous precedent. If the president can pick and choose which parts of the law and which laws he will enforce, it will be a short walk across the face of the Constitution to the Bill of Rights.

We already have one Hugo Chavez in our hemisphere. We don't need another.

Do you believe in the power of prayer?

Do you believe in praying? Do you believe in the power of prayer? Better said, do you believe in the power of God who answers prayer? Consider the following humorous story, related as true. It may or may not be. But it points out a fundamental weakness that grips all of us from time to time.

[begin quoted story] TEXAS BEER JOINT SUES CHURCH over LIGHTNING STRIKE !


ONLY IN TEXAS ...

Texas Beer Joint Sues Church In Mt. Vernon, Texas. Drummond's Bar began construction on expansion of their building to increase their business.

In response, the local Baptist Church started a campaign to block the bar from expanding with petitions and prayers. Work progressed right up until the week before the grand reopening when lightning struck the bar and it burned to the ground!

After the bar burning to the ground by a lightning strike, the church folks were rather smug in their outlook, bragging about ??? the power of prayer???, until the bar owner sued the church on the grounds that the church . . ."was ultimately responsible for the demise of his building, either through direct or indirect actions or means."

In its reply to the court, the church vehemently denied all responsibility or any connection to the building's demise.

The judge read through the plaintiff's complaint and the defendant's reply, and at the opening hearing he commented………

"I don't know how I'm going to decide this, but it appears from the paperwork that we have a bar owner who believes in the power of prayer, and an entire church congregation that now does not."

True Story. [end quoted story]

What a story! What about you? Where would stand in this story?

Faith Comes by Hearing

Yesterday (Monday) we loaded up after staff meeting and we headed to Meridian, MS to the evangelism conference. It was a longer trip that I remembered; we got there just in time to hear them dismiss us for lunch. But it was a worthwhile journey.

I stopped on the way in a town with gasoline much cheaper than in our town. To my delight, they offered ethanol-free gasoline. My vehicle despises ethanol. It burns up the plugs and plug wires. To my greater delight I met a man from Yemen. By the way he shook my hand after our conversation, I gathered that touching me was not what he wanted to do. Little did he know that I made a point of taking his hand to establish contact with him. Neither does he know that our evangelism pastor just ordered a supply of tracts in Arabic. I will be back soon to see my new acquaintance.

The next divine encounter was the joy of sitting at the feet of three very good speakers/preachers. My heart was stirred. The men held up a mirror for me to see myself. They held up God's standards. I needed to see it. I was hungry for that. Some may wonder how a preacher can possibly be hungry for preaching; after all, he hears himself each week. That is precisely the problem. We hear ourselves. If you hear yourself long enough you will become the standard by which you measure all others. Elijah fell for that. He told God he was all alone in his work and tired of it. Every preacher needs to sit at the feet of others from time to time. It does not happen often enough, in my opinion.

The more I heard, the more excited I became. Faith truly comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. So be it!

The World, or Something Like It

I am stateside now. I have not seen an international airport for over 9 months. I will travel again, but not to live in another nation.

Still, for me, the world is my parrish, much as it was for John Wesley. I find myself tormented at times over what goes on in the world. I read world newspapers (online, of course) to see what I can see about places that the Lord places on my heart. At other times I find myself rejoicing; God is still at work.

One place that has caught my mind of late, as it should have, is Egypt. I know people there. I can't and won't say who it is I know. But I find myself concerned for them. It's not a safe place these days. In spite of that insecurity, I think the Lord is up to something that will shape the final days before his great appearing.

But for the sake of those who bear the good news, often with great peril to their lives, I would ask you to pray for peace in Egypt. Pray for the safety of those believers who live there. And most of all, pray for the gospel to advance in the face of the current friction.

The Power of the Word of God

I just read the following from Baptist Press. I trust it blesses you as much as it did me.

Chinese woman leads dozens to Christ with 70¢ tract


By Sue Sprenkle

Jan 28, 2011



THAILAND (BP)--No one notices the young Chinese woman silently crying in the back pew. It's the only place she finds solace from her deep depression and fear of death.

She's not even sure why she sits in this church every afternoon; her communist education and Buddhist religion teach against a belief in God. Yet something keeps drawing Lily Wang* here.

She pulls a Bible from the pew. It's not in her native Mandarin, but she flips it open anyway. She learned to read a little Thai after moving to Thailand a few years ago to teach school, but she hasn't learned enough to really understand this.

So many questions cloud her mind that she finally musters enough courage to speak to a man carrying the same book. He brushes past the petite woman and goes about his business. The rejection reinforces everything she's feeling -- no one is interested in her; no one cares.

Distraught and angry, Wang walks to the foot of the cross and screams, "Are you real?

"I don't want to die. I want to live," she cries. "Please give me a way."

Wang storms out of the church, vowing never to return.

HOPE COMES

A few weeks later, Wang is sitting at her desk preparing lessons when a student rushes into her international school's classroom.

"Teacher! Teacher!" the girl exclaims. Wang jumps up, startled and concerned, until she hears, "I found your book."

The student hands her a soiled booklet. She found it in the trashcan on the playground. Wang scrunches her nose against the stench and explains it isn't hers. The girl must throw it back in the trash.

"But teacher, it must be your book," the girl insists. "It's written in Chinese."

Wang quickly scans the first page. Her heart leaps. The story is about Jesus' death and resurrection. She thanks her student for the book and sits down to read. The booklet, a tract called "Song of a Wanderer," answers every question she whispered in the church. The information is shocking. Her education since childhood taught only evolution, but this booklet claims life started from a complete human form, not a single cell.

"This has to be true," she mutters to herself.

The book opens a new world for Wang as she discovers a Creator-God. She stuffs the booklet in her back pocket and takes it everywhere, spending every spare second reading and rereading.

For weeks, her whole world revolves around the torn book. Finally, Wang decides she needs more. The booklet quotes Scripture throughout; she wants a Bible -- but she has no idea how to find one. In her home country, China, you can't just go out and buy one at the corner bookstore. Wang decides to write to the address on the tract requesting a Bible.

"No matter the cost, I will pay for the Bible," she adds to the letter, fearing the Christians might reject her again.

"I don't really believe anything will happen," she thinks, preparing herself for disappointment. "It will be just like when I prayed in the church -- nothing. God isn't interested."

Wang can't help herself, though. She watches the mail daily, but nothing arrives. Just as she's about to give up hope, a woman speaking Mandarin calls. Southern Cross Project, a Chinese Bible distribution ministry, received her letter. The woman offers to deliver the Bible in person.

Over coffee, Wang learns that as she was screaming at God months ago in the church, some American mission volunteers were distributing Mandarin Bibles and Christian literature packets to Chinese tourists. Somehow, one of these books made it across town to her.

"I'm in God's hands. He does care about me," Wang admits. "I need to accept these teachings."

HOPE SHARED

After her meeting, the teacher rushes home to call her mother in China. She excitedly recounts her new discovery and urges her mother to tell her sister.

"How can I share if I do not understand it myself?" her mother asks.

It hasn't occurred to Wang that her uneducated mother might not understand the tract. It speaks to educated Chinese, those who learned about evolution and were taught to doubt God's existence. Wang wants her family to find the same Creator-God, so, she calls everyday, reading from the tract and talking about God. By the end of the book, her mother and sister also decide to follow Jesus.

The first time Wang visits a Chinese church in her city, she notices everyone gathered around two women. The discussion about God heats up but the two remain stone-faced, unbending in their denial of God's existence.

Wang pulls the precious tract out of her purse and discreetly hands it to the women. They read parts of it together and discuss it with the young teacher. Both ask Jesus into their hearts.

Wang takes the soiled booklet everywhere she goes. Even when she travels to England to work on a master's degree, she slides it into her carry-on. While in Europe, she uses the tract to lead more than 20 people to Christ during her two years of study -- not to mention 20 others in Thailand.

When Wang goes to China for vacation, her childhood best friend, Chen Wu*, notices something different about her. Wang starts to tell Wu about the change in her life but her friend stops her mid-sentence. Wu doesn't want to hear; she thinks God is only for lucky people. Rather than argue, Wang comes up with a compromise.

"If you promise to read this book, I promise not to talk about God until you bring the topic to me," Wang says, inwardly grimacing about leaving her precious, worn-out book in China.

Her friend agrees, not really believing something that looks like a piece of trash really holds answers for her life. It's months before Wu opens the book. But when she does, Wu reads the entire thing in one sitting, then immediately calls Wang. They kneel together -- one in Thailand, the other in China -- and Wang helps her best friend invite Jesus into her heart.

"Isn't it amazing how God uses a piece of trash to call people to Him?" Wang asks her friend about the 70-cent tract. Then she adds, "Now, give me my book back!"

Wu ignores her. She now uses the booklet to tell others in China how her life changed. She's lost count of how many have prayed with her to receive Christ.

--30--

*Name changed. The next Southern Cross project, Jan. 30 to Feb. 6, will be live-blogged at www.mreport.org. You can join six volunteer teams as they pray and distribute packets of Christian literature. To learn how to get involved in the Southern Cross Project, e-mail scptravel@pobox.com. Sue Sprenkle has been travelling the globe for more than a decade as a writer and photographer for the International Mission Board. She currently resides in Southeast Asia.

Copyright (c) 2011 Southern Baptist Convention, Baptist Press

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Nashville, TN 37203

Tel: 615.244.2355

Fax: 615.782.8736

email: bpress@sbc.net

Why Was Jesus Born?

The sound and the fury of the Christmas holiday is mostly over where I live. The cold rains fall slowly outside; the paper from the few gifts we bought has been collected and placed into a bag. Music about Christmas (some carols, some not) caresses the sound waves in the background, muffled by hair dryers as my ladies prepare for our next event--a brunch with family.

With all the activities around us, it is so easy to forget what Christmas is truly about; why exactly Jesus was born. He came to put a stop to things like the murder-suicide just north of us. When Jesus rules, insane acts like this one are dispelled. But it is more than that....

2,000 years ago, about ten miles from Jerusalem, in the tiny town of Bethlehem, a baby was born that would change the world. He was given two names: one was Jesus, meaning Jehovah Saves; the other, Emmanuel, meaning God with us. Both names bring great news and great promise.


God is with us in all of life. He is with us today. He is with us in the hard times; he is with us in the good times.

God is with us in the beginning, in the middle, and in the end of our lives. God with us.

That, neighbor, is what this season is all about.

That is why Jesus was born.

Faith Giving

This one is to the point: we set a missions offering goal in our church of 13 thousand dollars. We surpassed that goal by more than 3 thousand today.

Do you think God will not bless this group for their generous spirit? I tell you that he will give back so much more that they won't know what to do with the blessings!

How Great Is Our God!

I challenge you to give, as well. Give of those blessings so that others may hear. We are not yet where we need to be in sharing the gospel. God is calling out men and women to go; but many cannot because we have not given to our potential.

Be generous today.

Reality Check

I read some amazing headlines today:
"VIDEO: Crazed shoppers stampede at TARGET..."  "Marine stabbed at BEST BUY..." "Shopper arrested after packing gun in belt; knives, 'pepper grenade'..."



I promise you, I was not motivated to go out and join the throngs. A friend said she went to the "other" discount chain that much of America shops, only to see women tussling over toys, cursing one another; men pushing back and forth, battling for position in the aisles. This kind of insanity baffles me beyond words.

It's time for a reality check, ladies and gents. This sense of desperation and anger is not a healthy sign. In the last days, Paul said, perilous times will come. Men will be selfish and godless. They will think more of pleasure than they do of God. They will have a some kind of godliness, but not the kind you get by knowing the Lord Jesus Christ.

This time of the year is supposed to be about the Lord Jesus, first; then it is about showing our families their love. I hope you find that true in your life.

A Tale of Two Pastors

I read today two news articles about two pastors. One has chosen to turn away from the truth, perverting it to fit his life. The other has chosen to teach the truth, letting the truth of God's word sway the men in his community.

Yes, Mr. Swilley, of Conyers, Georgia, has chosen to come out of that proverbial closet. He grew tired of hiding his sin. But instead of repenting and renouncing sin, he has reveled in it. Mr. Swilley's motivation, according to the article, was the death of a student from Rutgers U. He ignores Scriptures like 1 Cor. 6:9, 10. He attributes to God what God attributes to our fallen nature.

Are you not amazed that it is always God's fault when sin overtakes us? I am! David said in Psalm 50:21 that the evil man thinks God is completely like him, because God kept silence while the evil mann sinned. Know this: the day is coming when God will no longer be silent about any sin.

Equally amazing to me is the fact that this man was married for 20 years, or so, and that his former wife still attends and works in the church where this man is allowed to be pastor. Heaven weeps today.

A few hundred miles away, in Jackson, MS, Pastor Dwayne Pickett stands before 5,000 congregants each Sunday to preach the gospel. His church grew from less than 200 to this great number as Pastor Dwayne gave himself to teach the truth of God's word to the men of his community. He taught them that sin was sin, not to be tolerated in one's life. Today, 45% of his church members are men he has won to Christ. Heaven also rejoices today over men like Pastor Dwayne.

What a contrast. One man circumvents the Word to live in sin. The other man proclaims the Word to liberate from sin. It is the best of times, it is the worst of times...

Those Choices We Make

Saturday afternoon the University of Southern Mississippi football team stood tall in Central Florida University's stadium. The Golden Eagles soared away with a big win. The team was beside itself. The coaches were elated.

Sometime later, an undetermined number of those young men made a choice that will live with them for the rest of their lives. They visited a local "club." That is a cover name for a place of raucous behavior. Reports reveal that as many as 1,000 people will visit this "club" on Friday and Saturday nights. It's an accident waiting to happen.

And it did.

But it wasn't an accident.

Three of those young men found themselves at odds with an unidentified individual. For whatever reason (very few of them could be good reasons in a place like that), he wanted to put them in their place. Security personnel sent them out into the parking lot. The unidentified person pulled a gun, aimed it at the three young men and pulled the trigger. One is now paralyzed. One's vocal chords were severed. One was hit in the chest.

Thankfully, all will live. Sadly, all three lives have been changed. One, barring a miracle from the Lord Jesus, may never walk again. One, barring that same miraculous presence, may never speak again.

I pray for the miracles.

I grieve for the young men and their families.

I also grieve for the choice that motivated them to follow their passionate desires and to visit a place like that.

I grieve for the nation that has created the expectation that, if it is fun, it must be okay to do. So choose "fun," whatever form it takes.

I grieve for the expectation that we must sow those wild oats, as they were once called. So choose to sow those wild oats.

Those choices we make have consequences. Many of the consequences are good. Some are bad. Some lead to tragedy.

Pray for these three unnamed (by me) young men. Pray for the next choice to be one that brings them under the care of the Great Shepherd.

Life, or Something Like It

Amazingly, keeping up with current news and doing things like blogging is becoming more and more challenging. I find myself occupied with a great calling. And it is great.

This past Sunday was a very stirring time for me, personally. I listened to an "M" to Oaxaca, Mexico challenge us to reach the lost with the gospel so that all nations may glorify God. His words carried great authority, far more than he realized in the moment (he had told me he was not good at public speaking). The conviction of the Holy Spirit swept over our congregation.

Then Sunday night I shared from Mt. 24. If I could preach on the return of Christ each week and keep it fresh, I would. The greatest news we can share is that Christ came, that he died for us, that we can be redeemed and forgiven in His name; but also that he is coming again. As the hymn says it, the skies will roll back like a scroll and Jesus will step from eternity into time once again.

Then came last night--Monday. What is special about Mondays? Nothing, really; but last night we saw fruit from our outreach ministry, called "Beyond Our Walls." Close to ten of us went beyond our walls and we were able to share the gospel. My associate pastor for youth has a great group he calls his E-Team. They converge on one of the two university campuses and witness to the students there. Last night one of those students repented and believed the gospel. I mention him because I am acquainted with him. What are the chances that our E-Team would find one out of 16,000 that I have seen and spoken with in another town? It was a divine encounter. Before the team left him, the young man was giving his life to Christ. My heart soared when I heard the great news. I was a half mile away with another team when this encounter took place. I thought I heard thunderous praise from the angels in heaven...

One more now stands with arms outstretched, hands raised towards heaven, singing hallelujahs to the King of kings.

And now we are looking at Tuesday. Aside from enjoying the presence of the Lord, I find that life goes on. Dishes are still staring back at me in the sink. The dog still stinks and needs grooming. And I ran out of Oreos, an all-important staple in this household's daily life. Now THAT comes close to a crisis...

A Thought for Ministers of the Gospel

A friend sent me the following from Charles Spurgeon's historic and holy works. Nothing more needs to be said than is said below:

Excerpted from INCENSE AND LIGHT, March 11, 1883


I desire, in the third place, to show SOME SPECIAL PRACTICAL CONNECTION BETWEEN THE INCENSE AND THE LAMP. Let us read the text again: "And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it." So, then, there should be prayer especially at the dressing of the lamps: that is to say, when preparing our minds for that ministry by which we enlighten the people among whom we dwell we should be specially earnest in prayer.

Preparation for preaching and teaching is most important: God's work is not to be done carelessly as boys shoot arrows at random in their play. We must prepare both by reading and pleading: we must, like the apostles, give ourselves to the word of God and prayer. We are told by ancient Rabbis that when the priest who was appointed for that office went into the holy place he took with him the golden snuffers and the golden snuff dishes, and a vessel full of pure olive oil and by the help of these be attended to the trimming of the golden lamp. There were seven lamps on the candelabra:

some of these might have gone quite out during the night; he would have to take away whatever of snuff remained, wipe out the lamp, place a new wick, fill up with fresh oil, and then kindle the flame anew. In another lamp it may be the light was still burning but feebly: he might have simply to snuff it, take away the "the superfluity of naughtiness" in the golden snuff dish and make all things clean and right. Sometimes the light might be burning well and nothing was needed but to replenish it with oil. Thus all was set in order for another day. The like was done in the evening. In the process of trimming lamps there is a measure of offense: snuffs do not give forth a very dainty perfume, and the smear and smelt of oil are not altogether of sweet savor; therefore, before he trimmed the lamps, the priest kindled the incense. No snuff would then be offensive, for the overpowering fragrance of the incense killed it all and prevented the prevalence of any odour unfit for the house of God. When we go into our studies to try and trim our lamps let us remember that our first business is to pray. Alas, we have much of smoking wick about us; much negligence, much ignorance, many mistakes and errors; and thereby we shall grieve the Lord if Jesus is not called in to cover all. When we are preparing in secret to serve the Lord in public we shall make poor work of it if we do not beforehand draw near to God in prayer. We need that our garments should be made to smell of myrrh and aloes and cassia by being covered with the merit of Jesus, or else we shall offend even while engaged in the holy act of preparing to spread abroad the light of divine truth. You have to trim your lamps, brethren, and sisters, when you go into the Sunday-school - at least, I hope you do. I hope you do not run into your class with anything which first comes to hand: if you do not snuff your candles and fill your lamps with fresh oil your children will sit in darkness before a lamp which does not shine. No, there ought to be careful preparation, according as your time and ability will allow, and above all the pouring in of the holy oil of the Holy Spirit, by fresh fellowship with Jesus. In that process one of the chief elements is prayer. Dr. Adam Clarke used to say to young ministers, "Study yourselves dead, and then pray yourselves alive again"; and that is an excellent rule. Work in your study as if it all depended upon you, and then go forth and speak, trusting in God because all depends upon him.

Remember that the chief part of all study of God's word must be prayer.

This is the boring-rod and the powder by which we burst open the great rocks of truth. "To have prayed well is to have studied well," said Martin Luther, and so most certainly it is; therefore let none of us when we dress the lamp forget the incense.

The Secret to Greater Strength

I shared with a group from our church today. The thoughts motivated me so much that I wanted to share them with those few who may read this blog.

Isaiah 40:31- But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.


I want to show you one of the secrets to finishing well. I think this is one thing that may occupy the minds of all present. I know it is in my mind almost every week. I want to finish well. I want stay the course, to keep the right focus, and finish well.

I think we can apply this to three parts of the Christian life:

1. Spring – mount up with wings as eagles. These are the warrior years. We have the passion of the greatest of the birds. We soar high and far. No challenge is too great. We are ready to charge forward in the strength of the Lord.

2. Summer – run, and not be weary. These are the working years. As we look forward we realize not much is left. As we look backward, we see where God has brought us. And we want to take advantage of every single day while we can. So we set a pace that lets us work hard and steady in the kingdom of God.

3. Winter – walk, and not faint. These are the wisdom years. We have learned to pace ourselves. We measure each step carefully, but do not fail in it. We see the Great City not far ahead and we want to reach it without growing tired of the life Christ has given us to live.

The operative promise is to renew our strength. The Hebrew word for “renew” means, “To replace with something better.” God takes away one kind of strength and replaces it with another.

The Lord has a lot to say about strength. Let me remind you of a text I preached in 2008 while furloughing here: Ps. 84:7 - They go from strength to strength, appearing in Zion before God. God wonderfully and miraculously gives you the kind of strength you need for each day and each situation and each stage of your life.

One kind of strength is praise – God inhabits the praises of his people.

Another kind of strength is grace – Be strong in the grace that is in the Lord Jesus.

Another kind of strength is God’s word itself (compared to meat, manna, and milk).

This is all conditional. There is a process. I want to show you the secret: you have to wait upon the Lord. For these things to happen, we must wait on the Lord. How do you wait on the Lord?

You look for him. I don’t mean necessarily “search for him,” though sometimes you have to do that, too. I mean you keep an eye peeled for him. I was given lookout detail more than once when I we went to sea. I would stand on the wing of the bridge on the ship with binoculars and look for small craft that may escape radar as we put out to sea. Sometimes we would scan the skies for low-flying spy planes while out at sea. The thing that both had in common was that we had to keep our eyes open. Waiting on the Lord implies you keep your eyes open, looking for him.

Waiting on the Lord means to wait eagerly. How excited are you about meeting with the Lord? You should be waiting eagerly.

Waiting on the Lord means to wait expectantly. It means to hope for his coming. Now I am not speaking about the second coming, though I wait for that. I am speaking about when I pray I expect that God will show up. When I come here to worship on Sundays and Wednesdays, I expect God to show up. If you don’t come here expecting God to show up, you will probably miss him when he does.

Do you remember Elisha’s waiting for Elijah to be taken? Elijah told Elisha he would have that double portion of strength (spirit) if he saw Elijah being taken away from him. So Elisha looked expectantly. He looked eagerly. They tried to distract him on the one side. They tried to distract him on the other. But Elisha persevered. They tried discouragement when distraction did not work. But Elisha persevered. Soon Elisha saw the chariot of fire, drawn by horses of fire. Behind it was a whirlwind. Before anyone knew it, Elijah was gone. But there stood Elisha, watching the whole thing. He saw it because he looked for it. He waited for it.

You and I will be renewed if we wait eagerly and expectantly. That, good friend, is the secret to greater strength.

Trying to Remember What I Forgot

Today I took a drive in a part of the country I have not seen for decades. When I was a boy my grandfather would drive me up and down those roads. Sometimes it would be a trip to "the big city." Other times it would be a drive to visit a church member (he was a pastor), or a cousin. Sometimes it would be his route to one of the few small towns in this part of rural Mississippi. He had one town for shoes, one for farm supplies, and another for the basic supplies. You only went to town when it was needed. You only went on a Saturday, except for emergencies. You NEVER went on Sundays, except to go to church if church was in town.

The back roads held so many forgotten, buried, but great memories. There were the stores we would sometimes visit. They always held promise of a 6 ounce Coke and some kind of candy bar. Never far away was the RC Cola and the Moon Pie if we wanted a change from the ever popular Coke.

One crossroad brought back the memories of catching my first bass on an artificial topwater lure. It weighed all of 3 pounds, but what a memory! I was a young teen becoming the Bass Master world champion in that moment. I was so pumped I even bought a membership with Bass Masters so I could have the patch. After all, I had now joined the ranks of great fishermen everywhere.

One bridge crossed a creek where I watched Grandaddy baptize those brave souls who had given their hearts to the Lord in the most recent summer revival. That creek sure was bigger when I was a boy. I can't imagine how it shrank.

The church was called Riverside Baptist, though I have no clue as to why. The river was miles away. It must be from that old Spiritual that said, "Gonna lay down my burdens, down by the riverside, down by the riverside, down by the riverside..." It was an old wooden building, with straight (so they seemed at the time) wood pews, and a series of windows on both sides of the building. Those windows were always open in the spring and summer. There was no air conditioning. There were no electric fans. There were what we called funeral fans--a large, shaped piece of cardboard with a soothing image and an advertisment for local funeral services.

The only water we ever saw in those hot summer mornings and evenings was the glass of ice water sitting on the pulpit, condensation dripping off the cold glass. As my grandfather warmed up in his passionate preaching style, the air grew hotter and the water more tempting. We cringed whenever temptation and coveting entered his message, because there we sat, coveting that cold glass of water. It was always worse whenever he would pause and lift the glass to his lips. The fans would begin to fan at a frenetic pace. A hummingbird would have been proud of the fanning of many of us.

Riverside Baptist holds two strong memories for me, maybe three. I remember my Uncle Simp's prayer for rain (he was really a cousin, but they told us we had to call him Uncle Simp) during a drought. I have not heard many pray like him, before or since. And yes, it rained a few days later. I think Uncle Simp was the only one who brought an umbrella to that prayer meeting.

And I remember Uncle Simp's message on Elijah being fed by the ravens. I was only 9, maybe 10; but the image painted in his word pictures still sits in my mind to this day. There are days when Uncle Simp's words bolster my faith and let me strengthen myself in the Lord.

And then there was the outhouse. I remember the outhouse. I hated that thing. I hated it more for the promise of red wasps than for the other unpleasantries that come with non-plumbed outdoor bathrooms. And no, we did not have corn cobs to use in the outhouse.

This was just the first half of the more-than-one-hour-long ride. But it stirred so many old memories. So many things I wanted to remember peeked over the distant hills in my mind.

One day I will take that same journey again. This time it will be the spiritual roads with their markers that God has impressed on my heart. It will be a good journey, because there are those times that we need to try to remember some things that we have forgotten.

Should Followers of Christ Burn the Quran?

The news around the world is occupied with the promise by some to burn the Quran. It makes headlines on both the internet and television media. In Amercia, it has turned into a war of words. In other countries, the protests are loud and look violent.

The proponents of the book burning claim their motives are fueled by something greater than just the infamous date of 9-11. That would be enough for some out there; but for these folk it is even more sinister. It was not enough that terrorist Muslims attacked our nation. Please let me be clear, in case anyone has a doubt where I stand: may those who perpetrated this burn in hell if they do not repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. May all who attack my nation suffer a terrible fate if they do not repent and believe the gospel! I watched this attack, just as most of you did. I saw the second plane hit the second tower. I saw the live reports as the third plane hit the Pentagon. I was ready to sign up and go fight those illegitimate sons of the devil. I was angry. I still am.

BUT, I was also compelled to find ways to preach Christ to them. As angry as I am, I understand that their root problem is spiritual. They need Jesus. They need to repent and believe the gospel. They need missionaries, not military (this is not a treatise on the justification of wars; this is a spiritual lesson).

So now we get back to the issue. 9-11 was not enough to provoke the book burnings. The Muslim world has had the historical practice of placing a mosque on or near the site of any place they have won a battle. To place a mosque at "Ground Zero" of the WTC is a message to the Muslim world: it says they won. And the Muslim community wants to send that message out.

So the erection of a mosque is an offense. It should be seen as an offense. It should be reported as an offense. But our news media are more interested in reporting sensationalism than they are truth. If the Muslim community proceeds with their plans, if they build this mosque, it will be a slap--no, a kick in America's groin. I would cast my shoes at them for this wretched plan. I would extend to them my left hand.

Is the proper retaliation on our part to burn their sacred writings? While we know those writings are not truth with no mixture of error, as is the Bible, the writings are still sacred to them. So to physically attack their writings is an offense of significant proportion. It would be a serious setback for those seeking to win Muslims to faith in Christ Jesus. It flies in the face of the teachings of Jesus who told us to be wise as serpents, but harmless as doves. It resorts to the very things that they do to believers and to the true Word of God. We should be careful not to imitate their stupid, irrational, and blasphemous behavior.

Lest those who name the name of Christ have forgotten, this is a spiritual battle. I say to those who wish to burn their book: if you spent half as much time on your knees seeking their salvation, and the other half witnessing to them, you would have likely won many of these misguided, lost souls to Christ. If you want to be a true offense to them, send missionary teams into their lands and preach the risen Savior. Win them for Jesus' sake. That is the proper response.

The Big Question in Christian Circles: Is Glenn Beck a Christian?

Americans have been going round and round about Mr. Beck, an active Mormon and very famous talk radio host. Is he or is he not a believer? I can answer this accurately for all who wonder: I don't know.

Mr. Beck has stated emphatically that he is trusting in the atonement of Jesus Christ for his salvation. The trouble is, Evangelical Christianity and Mormonism mean two different things about atonement. Dr. Al Mohler agrees: "You're having the language, but you're not having the definitions here," he noted.

Consider the following: Mormonism teaches that the primary place of atonement by Christ Jesus was in Gethsemane, not at Calvary. The New Testament, however, teaches that the atonement occurred on the cross.

Additionally, in which Jesus does Mr. Beck believe? The Jesus of the Bible? Or does he believe in the Jesus of the Mormon books? The Jesus of the Mormon literature was not conceived by the Holy Spirit; rather, Elohim came down in human form and had sex with Mary. Also, the Jesus of the Mormon literature was a polygamist.

That's not the Jesus of the Bible.

If Mr. Beck, a former Catholic, will answer clearly that he is trusting the full work of Jesus on the cross, not on his having sweat blood in Gethsemane, we can assume a break from the Mormonism that has gripped him for several years. If he will affirm the Jesus of the Bible and publicly disavow the Jesus of Mormon literature, perhaps we can accept his testimony.

Remember this: the devil will say anything to deceive you and dilute the power of the church in this world.

Growing Churches Have Vision

Now that title may be the most understated thing anyone could ever say: growing churches have vision. I can hear some say, "Tell me something I don't know." Well, I can't. Did you know that there is no new thing under the sun? That is what Solomon said, at least. I believe he was a bit wiser than I am. He was also penning God-breathed words, making that statement authoritatively final. So I am afraid that my few readers won't be "wowed" by what I can say.

I do know a few things, though, about vision. These principles are general and apply to external church growth, better known as church planting, as well as internal church growth.

One thing I know is that you must begin with a vision. Starting out without a vision is much like putting the car in drive and not holding the steering wheel. You will go forward, but you don't know where you will end up.

If you are a church planter, a strategist, or a facilitator, someone has likely suggested a vision to you. On church planting teams, the lead strategist generally communicates his or her vision to the rest of the team. Your job is to apply that vision to your ministry; you must build on that vision. But I need you to hear me: you must still develop your own vision to complement the overall vision. The better strategists will empower you and expect you to develop your own vision. The micromanagers will balk at this. They feel too great a need (it's false, of course) to control everything.

HELLO!! You can't control it all, Mr. Micromanager! Leave that level of thinking and move on! Encourage your team to be visionary.

If you are a staff worker, or pastor, your vision is not unique to you, either. The same principles apply on both levels. Find your vision, but let your staff build off of it, so long as it does not contradict your overall vision.

Ministry teams with vision are focused teams. Focused teams get things done.

Growing churches and church planting teams have vision.

Growing Churches in North America

I have moved from growing churches in South America to the challenge of the pastorate in a southern city of the great state of Mississippi. I have enjoyed the first 3 months. I think one would be alarmed if I said anything else.

Seriously, the challenge of preaching God's infallible word each week has been a great blessing for me. I cannot think of anything else I would want to do. I enjoy discipling believers, new and old alike; I enjoy the challenge of "birthing a sermon" to feed God's flock. There is nothing like it. The major differences between the past 20, plus, years and now is the language I use. In Peru it was Spanish, sometimes translated by someone else into Quechua. Here, it is English (though I find the chance to use my Spanish from time to time). Also, the depth of my teaching is different. I spent far more time on the basics in those new churches, with those new believers. Here, I can go deeper into a passage.

The challenge of all challenges is to create a growth attitude in this great church. Do not misunderstand me; they want to grow. Many have said something like, "Just show us what to do so that we can grow."  But what many of you reading this may know is that growing existing churches is often a very difficult thing. There are some relatively easy things I guess I could do. As one writer has said, anyone can grow a church if he wants to put on a better show than the churches around him. I don't want that kind of growth, quite frankly. I am of the school of thought that teaches that God is not in "show business." So we won't have motorcycles cruising down our aisles. We won't drop commandos from the ceiling while an orchestra plays exciting music. We won't be giving away flatscreens and large (or small) sums of cash for those who visit us.

What will we do? Three things that give birth to many other things I can't write about in one posting: we will deepen our love for Jesus, stand firm on his doctrines, and seek to obey all things he has said in that infallible word that gives us his doctrine. Yes, for us it will be love, doctrine, and obedience. What we do in our great church is going to flow from those three foundational values.

Growing churches in North America can be done! God has not withdrawn his presence, yet!

When the Spirit Speaks

Most believers are aware that the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity, speaks to God's people. He speaks to churches and he speaks to individuals. But the important thing is that he speaks. How does the Holy Spirit speak to us? In what ways?

Now I could go to Henry Blackaby's and Claude King's Experiencing God and give you some pretty practical lessons. Those lessons have been made popular with us now for 20 years, or so. Lessons like, God speaks through the Holy Spirit through his word, through prayer, through circumstances, and through others to make his will known to us.

I could write all night about all of that. I want to go a different direction. I want to try to help you, the reader, see that God will speak to you according to how he has made you. Now he will use all of the above to do it. But he has given you a unique personality and wants to speak to you in a way that you will understand him.

God will also speak through the Spirit in accordance with your faith level. There are a number of levels of faith living we can be on. Some are little children. They are newly born again. The Holy Spirit has a way to teach those newly born believers so that they can grow quickly. Some are young men or young women, spiritually speaking. The Holy Spirit will address these accordingly. And some are young adults. The list goes on.

There are things I have learned about the Holy Spirit's voice. Sometimes it is a soft and gentle voice. Its tenderness is unrivaled, even by the greatest of lovers.

Other times the Holy Spirit's voice is like a gentle wind on a summer night. He moves, you feel his presence, and you are refreshed by what he says to you.

There are those times that he speaks as strong as a central plains thunderstorm. When God gave the Ten Commandments his voice was accompanied by thunder and lightning.

Some of you are like me. More often than not, God has had to speak more like a winter storm, blowing his winds across you with such passion as to push you towards his will.

This is what I have learned, though: the longer I walk with the Lord, the better I know his voice.

The question is, when the Holy Spirit speaks, will you be listening?

Pray for Turkey

We who follow Jesus must pray for Turkey. You can read the latest atrocities here, or also here.

We who have traveled to Turkey find the acts mentioned in the two related articles above to be reprehensible, but also surprising. Supposedly, Turkey has been more secular, meaning they ignored to some extent the existence of Christians in that country. Not so any more.

Please join me in praying for those persecuted believers. Do not be surprised when Turkey allies itself with Iran and other anti-Christian countries. The time for the Messiah's return is close. Those final pieces seem to be falling into place.

Jesus is Lord, even over Turkey!

What's Right about America?

Once more we are at the eve of one of the greatest holidays in America. The celebrations may have changed in size and style; but be assured that celebrating our indepence is nothing new. This year we need to stop and remember what made America great. We need to remember what is right about America. We can speak all day about what is wrong and never exhaust the list. I think if we would remember what is right and apply it, perhaps we would discover that what is wrong will steadily fade away.

Sunday I will preach from Proverbs 14:34 - Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. Believe it or not, there are some moments when America has shone brightly in light of righteousness.

With a little research, we can discover that America has the right foundation. The great majority of the founding fathers--especially the most influential of them--believed that the hand of God had guided them to establish this republic. They believed in the fundamental and absolute law of God, above all else. These men were persuaded that all moral law came from God's law and that man was incapable of governing himself apart from God's law.

Many of the men were influenced by the Puritan teachings of the age. Consequently, they believed that, due to the untrustworthy and sinful nature of man, any government needed its checks and balances. This gave rise to the three branches of our government: the executive, legislative, and judicial. They did not trust any single branch to hold and administrate all power.

Where did this foundation come from? Why such a view? It is because most had the right faith. The United States of America, contrary to the current secular-humanist and agnostic viewpoints, was founded with a Judeo-Christian worldview. And to speak frankly, there was more emphasis on the Christian than on the "Judeo." When the Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress, John Adams wrote to his wife and said, "The general principles upon which the Fathers achieved independence were the general principals (sic) of Christianity... I will avow that I believed and now believe that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God."

Alexander Hamilton boldly claimed that two things made America great: 1) Christianity, and 2) a Constitution formed under Christianity (emphasis added).

Yes, America had the right faith.

America also had the right focus. While not stated explicitly in our great documents, there is ample evidence of the desire of man to form a republic for the purpose of the expansion of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That is, America was to be a platform from which men and women went into all the world to preach the gospel. We were, as John Winthrop stated, to be a city set on a hill--a light, if you will, shining in the darkness.

The desire for liberty was strong. Men were weary with the rule of a king. They wanted liberty and they wanted it for all people.

And this nation was to be a nation where one could find a better life. Even today men and women want to come here for a better life. While too many do so illegally, we must understand their desire to live among us. We are, after all, the greatest nation on earth in modern history.

My question is if America can possibly have the right future. We have spurned our Judeo-Christian values. We have so embraced the heresy of complete tolerance that we have cracked and tried to shatter the very foundation that makes America the nation it is.

We can have the right future if we do two things: we must repent of our sin. We must seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness. If we do these two things we will do well. If not, I cannot say what future we may have; probably none.

Signs point to hard times just around the corner. There are those who would see our demise so as to create a new world order. It will happen; the book of Revelation shows us that. But perhaps God will be merciful and allow us a few more years of greatness before that great and horrible day comes on the earth.

Pray for the Persecuted Church

So many of our brothers and sisters around the world pay a high price for following Jesus. Many so-called "faiths" not only reject Christ, but persecute those who follow him. Most recently, I came across the following:

AFGHANISTAN: Urgent Call for Prayer


Source: Open Doors, June 10, 2010

Devastating reports have been released from various news agencies that a member of the Afghan government has called for the public execution of Christian converts from Islam. This is in response to a video broadcast by the Afghan television network Noorin TV, which showed footage of Christian men being baptized and praying. The deputy secretary of the Afghani parliament said, "Those Afghans that appeared in [the footage] should be executed in public." The video clip, along with inflammatory statements against the Christian faith, has repeatedly been broadcast on different television stations.

According to Afghan law, proselytizing is illegal and conversion from Islam is punishable by death. Many Afghan followers of Jesus have been frightened by these events and have gone into hiding while others have fled. Afghan Christians want the world to know about their situation, that in a country where they have few rights and no voice, they want their voice to be heard. They are asking for our prayers. [end quoted story]

This is one of many examples. Iran, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, and a host of other countries have those within them that persecute followers of the Lord Jesus Christ.
 
Pray for the persecuted church. Pray for those believers to stand fast in their suffering. Pray for many to come to Christ as a result of their faithful witness.

Are You Connected?

Today they turned on my phone service in our new home. It supposedly came on at 8 PM, local time. Now how the time managed to be set in such a way is a mystery to me. Almost all things related to this particularly well-known phone company that begins with the letter “A” is a mystery to me. But that is the information they sent me.


So at 3 PM this afternoon I dialed my new number from my office. Sure enough, I got an invalid number notice, along with a fast busy signal. So much for hoping for an early connection.

At 7:30 I looked at our brand new cordless phone, probably made by some outsourced subsidiary of the same company that will be my phone service provider. The phone is modern enough it had, in bold letters, “No Line.” That should have been a clue. But I am not up to speed on all these fancy things that can happen in the US of A. 20 years in Peru dulled my knowledge of technology.

At 8:04 I looked again.

Still no line.

That did not surprise me. I have never known phone companies to get in a hurry. Once we waited a week before someone called to ask what we even called about. By then I had forgotten what I had called about; oh, yes; it was a bad phone connection.

At 9:15, I called my new number, using my trusted cell phone (which is not controlled by this world-famous company). My new number rang and rang. But it never rang in the house.

Mr. Clueless was catching on. “No line” means no signal of any kind is making it into the phone jacks.

So I proceeded to set up my wireless network, making it through 2 steps. Step 3 is registering the service online. But there is no line to go online to.

Along came my latest thoughts. You can have it all in the right order, but be disconnected from God. If you are disconnected from God, you won’t get His signals. You won’t get His messages and calls. You won’t go “online.”

There are many things that can cause a disconnect. You can have a disconnect because of a broken line. You may have allowed your life to be corroded by sin and to chew through that prayer line that keeps you in touch with God.

You may have not used the proper connections. Your prayers must be in the name of Jesus. Sorry, no one else can give you access. He has a monopoly. He paid the bill. He owns the line. You pray in his name, or your prayers are disconnected.

Are you connected? If not, why not?

Get online. You won’t regret it.

Remember! You're in Charge!

Today in our morning worship, one of our men reminded me of something as he prayed for this country many call "America." He said that this country is a republic, and therefore belongs to us. I was particularly moved by that prayer, especially those words. My friend who prayed is exactly right.

America belongs to us.

America does not belong to the Executive Branch, the Legislative Branch, or the Judicial Branch of government. Instead, it is ours. In fact, those three branches of government are ours. Those men and women in power would have you think and believe that they are in charge; but they are not. Folks, they work for you if you are a tax-paying citizen of this country. They are called public servants for a reason.

My friend continued to pray and made the most poignant statement. He said that he was laying his part of the United States of America at the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was declaring that his part of America was under the Lordship of Christ.

I agree. And I laid my piece down again today. My piece is also under the Lordship of Christ.

Remember this: each of us has a part of this great nation. If the followers of the Lord Jesus would do what my dear friend did, what a difference we would see in this nation's activities and life.

What will you do with your piece?

Life in Southern America

We left South America for Southern America just over a month ago. We left one style of ministry for one that is more traditional in its scope: the pastorate in a traditional church.

So imagine my surprise when the first people that I am able to evangelize, sitting right in my counseling office, were not Mississippians. They were not even "southern" Americans. They were from Venezuela. And our conversation was not in the rich southern English of Mississippi. It was almost entirely in Spanish. The Bible open in front of me was a Spanish Bible.

I came expectantly, hoping to use my years of work in South America to further the kingdom of God. The joy of seeing my first two to pray to receive Christ, and see them do it in Spanish, was delightful. May God give us dozens more!

The Heart of Worship

It's different, this ministry in the southern United States. The very cultural atmosphere is so distinct than that which was our predominant culture for so many years. While we sang wonderful songs and hymns in this morning's worship, for example, NO ONE showed up with a tamborine. The drums were silent. There was no guitar, trumpet, or sax. It was just piano and organ. My senses, once regularly assailed by such beautiful (but too loud) music, have had to adjust to our more subdued worship styles.

Or, do they? Worship is what I make of it. The intensity of worship does not begin in the sensory canals of my ears. It does not begin with my eyes, hands, feet, or any other part of my body. It does not even begin in my soul--that place of the heart, mind, emotions, and the will.

Worship is a choice, yes; but worship begins in my spirit. "They that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." Some say that "spirit" is properly capitalized: Spirit. Still, THE Spirit speaks to MY spirit and there worship begins.

If worship begins in the Spirit speaking to the spirit of man, then something important needs to be understood: you don't need all the external trappings that we often think are necessary to worship.

Matt Redman learned that lesson several years ago. The result was his song, "The Heart of Worship."

Thanks to Mr. Redman for listening to the Holy Spirit and teaching us via that great song.

Tonight, I choose to worship. I choose to let it begin in my spirit, not in the seat of all those senses that God has also given me to enjoy and relate to this world. If my senses are suddenly surprised by something more akin to what I have grown more accustomed to, wonderful. If not, it does not matter.

It is, after all, all about HIM.

My Car Is too Smart!

In our transition to the United States and a new ministry, we have had to purchase a vehicle; before it is over, we will have purchased two vehicles. The first one we purchased has demonstrated to me the fact we both knew: time and technology did not stop while we were overseas for the past several years. In fact, I discovered that my car is far too smart. Its information center tells the driver so many things that we never figured we would need to know. Because I am easily fascinated with technolgy, I keep mashing the information button to see what it will tell me next. But when the car began to base oil changes, not on mileage, but on engine revolutions, well, that was too much. I am most certainly impressed by these things that are now at least four years old, but new to me.

We should be so easily fascinated by the things of God. Walking in the newness of life is one of those things of which we should never grow weary.

Lose some sophistication; let the Christian life become fascinating--as fascinating as smart cars!

Somewhere in Southern America, end of week one

We are once more in southern America. We have now been here one week. In many ways, life in the northern hemisphere has been the same as it was in South America. In other ways, it is quite different.

Life is faster here. Now, that's not necessarily a criticism; it's more an observation. Everything seems faster. Meals are consumed more quickly. People drive more quickly. People seem to want to do everything more quickly. Why, I would not be surprised if the speed of light was faster. Okay, maybe that's too much. But I hope you get my point.

If there is a criticism about the high velocity living of North Americans in Southern America, it's the stark reality that this kind of living may be good for business, but bad for relationships. We have even adopted a philosophy of quality time, thinking that if we pack more personal attention into five or ten minutes, we have had some kind of significant relationship. It bleeds over into everything we do: doctor's visits, sermons, time with children--everything. The result? We hardly know one another!

I purpose in my heart to avoid high velocity living. Life is simply too good not to enjoy the ride!

Kevin, in southern America

The Second Day Is Not the End

Some 2,000 years ago Jesus died on the cross. No one murdered him. No one took his life. He laid down his life. He willingly gave it as a sacrifice for our sins.

Some of his disciples watched that gruesome scene. They saw their Master, stripped, flayed open by the whips, tufts of hair ripped from his beard, eyes probably swollen from the beatings, welts from the caning. His body endured all that a body can endure. His soul endured far more. His spirit bore the brunt of it all. He bore the wrath of God. He took my punishment. He took yours. And he commended his spirit to the Father and breathed his last.

From the human side, those who saw it saw a corpse. A dead man. Those disciples who were there probably looked for those who were in hiding to deliver the news. Rabbi Jesus is dead. It's over. I don't doubt they sobbed deep, painful sobs. I would not be surprised if some were on their knees in grief. Others may have held their stomachs from that deep pain that comes from such unwanted news. It was unbelievable. Their hope died in that moment. Nothing would ever be the same again.

End day one.

Now comes day two: the second day. It may have been daylight outside; but it was black as midnight in the hearts of that group.

I wonder what they did on the second day. Could they eat? Did they leave that upper room? Was their fear of arrest greater than their grief?

Where was Peter? Did he continue to weep for his denial and broken pride?

Did John go help Mary, Jesus' mother, gather her things and move in to his home?

Were the three Marys that went to the tomb on resurrection morning gathering the spices and fragrances they would need?

Did the more practical ones in the group tell the others something like, "Suck it up, guys! We have to keep moving on." Did the more tenderhearted ones look at them with anger and angst?

Maybe towards the end of the day, which would have been late afternoon, someone finally shrugged off some of that grief and found some of the unleavened bread that had been prepared for the passover.

Maybe others engaged in some "Do you remember when" stories about their time with Jesus.

To their surprise, day two drew to a close. Little did they know in just about 12 hours the middle of day three was going to change their world forever.

I am glad the crucifixion story does not end with day two. There was a day three. And on the third day, Jesus rose from the dead. And he lives.

And because he lives, you can face the fourth day.

The Yard Sale

One thing happens when a family moves: they find out what they really have. Our things looked reasonably nice, tucked away in this cabinet, hidden in that drawer, placed in this room or that one. Then you begin to pack. As you pack you discover things you had even forgotten about. You say, “I wondered I did with that!” And so it goes.


We decided to have a yard sale. Though I am writing this now, the sale is still in the near future: tomorrow morning. Now, to have this sale we had to pull out all these things that were hidden here, there, and everywhere. We had to pull things out into the light, examine them, and decide if they were even worth selling. Some of it was valuable to me; other things, to Pam. But what about Jose Q. Publico (don’t forget where we are!)? We filled the entire front yard (it’s very small, believe me) with items. Much of it is on tables, other things on the ground. Some is hanging, some is shelved. But there it sits. It was a painful process to weed through those things.

Think of your heart. I suspect that the Good Lord would be delighted to have a “yard sale” and de-clutter our hearts. But you may not want him pulling some things out into the light. You may be very comfortable with—even attached to—some of those things he wants you to “sell.” Some of it may embarrass you. Some of it may sadden you. And you might just get a little angry if he touches some of your “stuff.” Yet, to move on it must be done. Let the Lord have a yard sale in your heart. Let him get rid of the clutter so that you can continue on your pilgrimage with him.

Integrity, part 2

Tonight was a historic moment for citizens of the United States. Tonight, your congress sold its soul to socialism. Voting to nationalize healthcare is only the symptom, so hang on to your hats.

The foundations of our republic are seriously cracked. They cracked with the slow, but steady, turn from being a Christian nation to being a Christ-less nation. They cracked when moms and dads found Sunday to be "Fun Day." They cracked when we reached a point when sin and sinful leadership is tolerated and even expected. They cracked when churches began to overlook sinful behavior in the name of love and acceptance at any cost.

Only a self-governed people can tolerate a free republic. By "self-governed" I refer to people who are self-disciplined. I refer to people of integrity. I refer to people who have a moral foundation. That foundation has serious flaws and is in danger of completely crumbling.

Unless America's Christians put away pride, persevere in prayer, seek the face of the Father, and walk away from wickedness--unless that happens and happens soon, this nation will go the way of the few European nations who once stood strong, blessed by their Christian citizens.

Repent, America! Repent, or perish.

Changes

Did you notice the title change? This is by design. My address remains the same for this blog. But my place for publishing will be changed. Our ministry is in transition. We are closing a volume of this journey, opening a new one.

As of April 18th, I will be a pastor in the United States. I will be in the Southern block of those great states, in south Mississippi.

The change is bittersweet. It has been delightful to serve our Lord Jesus in South America. We have done so since 1988, except for a brief return for medical needs at the beginning of the 21st century. So we have plenty of great memories and great hopes that we will see many hundreds of Peruvians and others in heaven one day. Only the Lord knows how many of the thousands that said they believed on the Lord under our ministry truly did. But we have great hopes.

Now it seemed good to the Lord to send us north of the equator once again. And we are excited. It's an exciting time in the world. It's a great time to be an active Christian. I can't wait to be back in the pulpit, equipping believers, challenging the congregation, seeking to evangelize the lost.

So, rejoice with me. But pray with me, too. The change is just now beginning to dawn on us. I look forward to it, but also walk in fear and trepidation.

Counting the Cost?

I wonder if we realize how much of the Bible is plain common sense for every day living? That is one of the things that sometimes we overlook.

One of those common sense teachings is in the Gospel According to Luke. It's Jesus' parable about counting the cost. Now, admittedly and most importantly, it refers to counting the cost to be his disciple. But don't ignore the common sense analogy. You don't go to war against a larger enemy without counting the cost. You don't start a major project without counting the cost. Those are the simple truths that Jesus used to impress the spiritual truth that we must count the cost to be his disciple. More about that in a moment.

First I want to point to the historic vote taking place as I write this. What so many do not know is that these men and women who are voting in favor of what is now called "Obamacare" have no clue as to the real cost of the bill. They are ignorant of that fact. In fact, they don't even know everything that is in that bill. That 3,000-page bill. That monstrosity of legislation. Aside from the bill that Obama's own actuary said he cannot calculate, the Congressional Budget Office only sent an estimated cost. Read that again: an estimated cost. The Dems are pushing for a vote on an item for which they have not counted the cost.

Only a fool votes for something or someone they know nothing about.

They are praying for 217 fools today. I am praying for 218 wise men.

Let this battle be a lesson for believers. Although my heart is broken for the United States, the United States, ultimately, is not my home. Heaven is my main home. The United States is just one place in which I and all believers are pilgrims. This is because I have counted the cost. It is wiser to be on the winning side. Jesus is the winning side, no matter what happens in this crazy world we are passing through.

Let's use this image and the subsequent fallout as an illustration of what happens when you do not count the cost. Many will suffer an eternity in hell because the failed to count the cost and "vote" the right way.

Integrity

Where has all their integrity gone? Where is integrity in America? Where is it in Congress?

If you have been listening at all to what is going on in Washington, talk is strong that the healthcare bill is going to be deemed to have passed without even voting on it. How can they do that? By changing the rules in the house. It's insane to think about. Passing a bill without voting on it is chicanery. It is the lowest of integrity.

Integrity is all we have, people. You will not stand before God and be a liar. You will not see his face if you are characterized by duplicity. God hates lying. Hear that: GOD HATES LYING! He is the Spirit of Truth. Lying is counter to God.

Pray that we return to integrity, people. Pray for revival in America; perhaps it's not too late.

Why All the Disasters?

Unless you have been totally isolated in some dark part of the world, or have been held hostage and kept away from all forms of media, or have been in a coma, you know that recently there have been unimaginable natural disasters in the world. The latest of these is to the south of us, in Chile. We have a little first-hand information about that, because one lady who is from Chile is in our home. She was to have returned the night the 8.8 earthquake hit. Now she is a refugee, separated from all her family (all safe, they live well north of Concepcion). With the intermittent communication systems the lady has been able to talk to her family; she has even had to Skype video chats for about 5 minutes each. Each time she comes downstairs our friend tells us another story that her family relays to her about the earthquake.

We all know that this one did not compare with the death and mayhem in Haiti. But it was at least 500 times stronger than the earthquake that destroyed so much in Haiti.

My question may be yours? Why is all this happening? The scientists have given us their answer. The tectonic plates pushed and shifted, creating undue stress that was relieved by the seismic activity. I would be the last to argue that. Anyone who does would be trying to restrain the wind. I think, however, there is another answer that is more profound--though it may not appear to be so in the eyes of some.

A little-noticed verse in Romans 8 teaches us that all creation groans, waiting for redemption. Meditate on that for a moment. When Adam and Eve sinned, setting in motion the curse of sin, it was not just on mankind. The earth was cursed, too. That which was once perfect was now imperfect. That which was called "good" in Genesis 1, is now described as "groaning" in Romans 8.

That original sin had far-reaching consequences. Trees began to grow deformed. Thorns sprang up. Eventually, God placed fear in the animals, because he had given them to us for food (I cannot imagine being a vegetarian, but everyone was at one time).

Your sin and mine also have consequences. I don't know how far-reaching it may be; I think that depends on the sin. But they do have consequences. I believe when nations rebel, there are consequences. When we violate God's moral law, there are consequences. Does this rebellion merit natural disasters of gargantuan proportions? I am not God; I won't answer that here. Further, God did not "tell" me that they did. But I suspect that it should be considered in the realm of probabilities.

Those who find it difficult to believe that God might consider using natural disasters to get our attention are often those who find it difficult to believe that God will punish any sin for anyone. If God tolerates sin, then God is not holy. Then the Bible is a lie. Then Jesus died for nothing. But God is holy. His word is true. Jesus died to deliver both us and this creation that groans more and more.

In light of the horrendous calamity we have witnessed, we should do two things. One, pray for those in the throes of the calamity. Two, consider ourselves, because we are no better than they.

Something Has to Be Said

The primary purpose of this blog is related to all things Christian. But sometimes I just get angry at what I read.

The latest dog and pony show going on in DC right now is "The Healthcare Summit." But you need to know, it does not matter what is said at this summit; Dems have already made up their mind and have their plans in place. Read about it here.

Then write your senator or representative and file a protest over the chicanery and rejection of your wishes. Send a strong message, because something has to be said.

They Won't Take No for an Answer

Barack Hussein Obama, Harry Reid, and Nancy Pelosi don't play nice. In disregard to the overwhleming majority of Americans, this gruesome threesome intend to ram an unwanted healthcare plan down Americans' throats and make the very obese government even fatter. The plan is amazing. They plan to use a filibuster-proof method called "budget reconciliation." Read about it here. It only requires 51 votes in the Senate. There are 51 insane senators that will grovel at the feet of the threesome, in exchange for future (and some immediate) favors. For those less-liberal senators, they can abstain or vote against it, improving their chances to be reelected. In the mind of the liberal, this is a win-win. For America, it is a total loss.

This is not the once-famous character named Fat Albert we are talking about here. But down the road trod the trio, pulling the frightened Democrat party with them, crying, "HEY, HEY, HEY!!", running roughshod over any voter and any citizen who dare to stand against their socialist agenda.

The days of representative government seem over for those sitting in Washington. The days of the oligarchy have arrived.

This is not unlike Israel. Israel's leaders, in Israel's days of rebellion against God, simply chose to reject anything logical and godly. Even when they asked for God's guidance, when the prophets shared the plan, they would call them liars and do what they wanted anyway.

America has rebelled, true. America is ignoring God in many, many ways. More may now call themselves "spiritual," but they follow the wrong spirit. All that is duly noted.

But we don't have to take this kind of thing lying down. We can make those men pay who disregard the will of the people. After all, this is still a government of, for, and by the people. They won't take no for an answer; we can make them pay the fullest consequence of their actions. Write your representatives and senators. Tell them what you will do if they don't take no for an answer.

Do You Have Passion?

I preached for the first time in my life 32 years ago tonight, February 12th. Thirty-two years. I remember where I preached and what I preached. I still have the outline on a yellow and faded sheet of legal paper. It was at least a 12-point outline. Those poor folks!

It's been a great ride. I discovered quickly that preaching was my passion. It's more than a calling. It's a gifting for me. And because it is a gift, there is a level of passion that cannot be easily explained.

The passion a believer has to use his or her spiritual gifts has an underlying secret source of unfailing strength.

First, there is the understanding of just how much Christ paid to save you. Your sins placed Jesus on the cross. Your SIN (singular) placed him there, too. The difference is that your sins are what you did and sometimes do. Your SIN is your nature before knowing Christ. Sadly, too many believers do not understand how sinful sin (forgive the redundancy, please) really is. The one who understands just how much they have really been forgiven tends to have more passion about being with the Lord and serving him.

Then there is the fellowship and worship factor. To the measure a believer seeks the face of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, to that measure will his passion grow. As Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:14, "The Love of Christ compells me..." As you seek the Lord's face, you get lost in his love. As you get lost in his love, your passion increases.

Do you have passion for the Lord and those things that interest him? If so, unleash it! Life is good! Enjoy the ride.

Who's Fault Is It?

In Haiti, some authorities are reporting the death toll at 230,000. They expect this to continue to rise as authorities uncover more bodies and continue to investigate the many private burials that have also occurred. It's nothing short of an inexpressible tragedy.

Meanwhile, strong rains pound the mountains of Peru. Thousands have been left homeless from the northernmost mountain villages, all the way through southern Peru.

It wasn't too long ago that one famous evangelical figure tried to make some kind of correlation between Haiti and their love affair with Voodoo, and this earthquake. Perhaps one could even make a correlation between Peru and the prevalence of shamans and witch doctors here. Perhaps.

But then I read the words of Jesus, who asked the, in Luke 13:1 - 5:

Some present with Jesus reported to him about how Pilate mixed the blood of some Galileans with their sacrifices. Jesus asked them, "Do you think that these Galileans were more sinful than all other Galileans because they suffered like this? I tell you, no. Unless you repent you will also perish. Or do you think the eighteen who died when the tower of Siloam collapsed were more sinful than all others in Jerusalem? I tell you, no. Unless you repent, you will also perish. [somewhat paraphrased by this writer]

Do not miss this. Jesus is saying we are all in the same boat. All of us. Several years ago a prominent man in my home church lost his home to a fire. The preacher who happened to be there that Sunday actually insinuated that this prominent man lost his home to the fire because he had failed to tithe (give a tenth of his possessions). So God took his home. That very week, the preacher's home caught fire and burned. Someone went to him and asked, "What happened? You forget to tithe this month?"

Do not think that we are better than those poor, Haitians. Do not think we are better than those thousands of Peruvians wading through knee-deep (and deeper) mud, whose rivers have swept away their houses.

Do not think you are better than those snow-bound folks on the East Coast of the US, or those in California, fighting their own natural disasters.

You live today because God allowed it. You were blessed with the wonderful mercy of God. So weep with those who weep and rejoice with those whose rejoice.