Marketing Jesus

Amazing! Now there is a whole line of "Jesus" characters for your different passions of life. Here's one. It's called, "I am freedom". There is a whole line of these figures with different "I am" slogans attached. Here are a few of your many choices- "I am freedom", "I am youth", "I am spirit"....

Well, this shouldn't be a surprise that the world would exploit Jesus for money, they always have, but they don't want to respond to his message.

I'm not sure if I'm disgusted or just amused....

Dealing with floods

Psa 11:3 If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do?"

It's raining in Texas! We don't get a lot of rain. In fact we have been in a draught for several years, but when it does rain, wow! Today is a "wow" day. We live in a house that has foundation problems, so rain is not a good thing. Our back patio "leans" toward the house instead of away from it, so when we get the rains of spring I run home to make sure we don't get flooded. We are hoping to fix this, but right now we must deal with it. So, for us, if the foundations are destroyed, what can we do? The answer? get wet!! I am soaked, and have been trying to battle the water and keep it out of our house. Today I won! I haven't always beaten the storms in the past, but it has taught me a lot.

I now understand this verse so clearly.

We may do our best to fight back the floods of sin and wickedness in our cultures, but if the foundations are destroyed, if we have a country and culture that no longer has a moral foundation, what can we do? Many are doing their best to fight back the floods of our culture, and are frustrated by the lack of success. Personally, I am convinced that to win this battle we must deal with it one life at a time. When I am following God there is one life making a difference in the storm. One "house" that didn't get flooded.

I change the culture one changed life at a time. I may not stop the flood, but there are days when I win. When one life is changed, and on that day I fought back the floods and rebuilt the foundation in one more life.

I am not a political person. I have never felt that is the place to put my energies. You can't change culture through law, you can only change it through the heart.

So, today I fought back the flood....maybe tomorrow I will be able to do that in a life....so, getting wet is a small price to pay to win the battle on this day.

Excuse me....but the rain has started up again. I must go fight the battle!

Monday's cartoon

Ask Jesus along for the "ride", and he's going to change things. It's what he does best.

Children say the best things

This morning our granddaughter's Sunday school teacher told me she just loves our granddaughter, Lucy. The teacher asked her, "Do you like your grandparents?" Lucy said, "Yes, I love them...they care more about our happiness than our health. They give us candy when we go to their house." The teacher was laughing about this comment and thought it was great. I do too.

But, Lucy...you're not supposed to give out our secret. And to tell the truth, isn’t that what grandparents are best at? Caring more about their happiness than their health….

Finding God

We all come to a faith in God in different ways. What was it that brought you to faith? What was the thing that made it real for you?

Yes, it's testimony time!

A slippery slope

I just got a call from a friend to let me know that the university I graduated from MANY years ago no longer has "inerrancy" in its doctrinal statement regarding the word of God.

Yes, it is (maybe was?) a Christian university.

This is very troubling to me, because it's a trend I see in the church in general. As the bible says, "If the foundation is destroyed, what can we do?" If we no longer believe the bible is the inerrant word of God then we have destroyed the foundations, and we are heading down a slippery slope that will not end well.

Many of those behind me in the church have abandoned the inerrancy of scripture and have no problems with it. What they don't know is that this has been tried before with disastrous results.

I am one who believes in the inerrancy of the word of God. In fact I dearly love the doctrinal statement of our church that speaks to this in some detail that I won’t go into here. It’s foundational to our faith. What I mean by that is that if we do not have a stable foundation- the bible and it’s inerrancy- then anything goes, any doctrine will work, and any result is ok. In some of the churches we are already seeing this happen. Some of the heresy I have read and heard has amazed me! It’s as if they haven’t even read the bible, but there they are with bible in hand declaring lies about God. How can that happen? Destroy the foundation and you can build any theology you want, and people will follow you.

But be careful…at the end of this slide it gets very wet!

2Ti 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;
2Ti 3:17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

Considering...

Jas 1:2 Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides.
Jas 1:3 You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors.
Jas 1:4 So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.
Jas 1:5 If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it.
Jas 1:6 Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought.

It's early Wednesday, and I'm up...praying....thinking...praying....and my mind comes to these verses. Consider it a sheer gift...or, as another version says, consider it pure joy...so I have been considering. I'm considering that most of us in this culture don't really know how to go through difficult times. We seem to really struggle with any difficulties, any problems or adversities. We don't like difficult times, and yet the bible promises that they will come. God uses these times to refine us, and yet we so hate to be refined. I'm considering that I can't help anyone else through their refining time, other than pray for them, love them and encourage them to trust God.

But what I often see is an anger at God for the refining fires instead of a joy at God's work. We don't like to be refined. We don't want to grow up. So, many continue to be children in their faith....avoiding the refining fires. I watch as the tests and challenges come, and believers scatter to get away from the tests, they run and hide to avoid being affected by anything difficult.

I'm considering that these tests and trials are allowed by a loving God who has a goal in mind. He wants me to be like Christ, he wants me to trust him, he wants me to grow up, he wants me to show the world what God dependence looks like. He will take us out into the wilderness to test us and make us trust him. He will bring us to places where we must depend on him. He does it for our good...because he loves us!

I'm considering....and I'm praying...and I'm watching as I am refined. I'm watching as others are refined. I want to encourage you with James' words from this passage- "don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way."

God is the master refiner. He is in the refining business. He is refining hearts. Don't run away from his refining fires, let them do their work in your life. You will never be the same, and that's a good thing!

Consider it pure joy!

Monday's cartoon

Getting away

It's early Monday, and I'm going to get out of town for the day! I am looking forward to a day out on the motorcycle...a day to get away and clear my head. East Texas, here I come.

I have been asked if I ever get any down time to rest. Here it is....and off I go. I will be smiling all day.

Have a great day!

Spiritual realities

I'm taking a break between services, and to be honest...I think I did a poor job in the first service, but one thing I know- I prayed and asked God to glorify himself through me. That prayer, and that spiritual reality moves mountains...one rock at a time. It's God who works in the spirit even when I think I did poorly in the flesh. I'm so glad I'm not doing this alone....even when I think I failed HE succeeds. Thanks Lord for doing the impossible! The work of God in spiritual realms will be wonderful to see.......and we will......very soon.

Ok, Lord, here I go again. Glorify yourself through me....I won't worry about the results, you do the impossible things...move those rocks!

Hallelujah Nuns

The Turtle Creek Chorale in Dallas presented this version of Handel's Messiah. The presentation is very well done, and fun. Enjoy.

Sermon blogging

My fellow pastor and blogger, Brent, sent me this cartoon. He said he saw it, and thought of me...not sure what that means. Should I be offended? What's the implication here? I guess I need to preach my sermon before I work through it here, huh?

Thanks, Brent! Thanks a lot!

Buying time and looking for caves

Life gets busy! It's Thursday afternoon, and Sunday is coming! It's amazing how busy our lives are these days. I have a sermon to prepare, and have not had time to pray and work on it as I should, as I would like to.....it's been so busy!

But we are in a time and culture that is moving at warp speed. How do you find time to stop, quiet yourself, pray and rest in the Lord? I find that the demands of this life quietly steal away what's most important, and we let them. Now, I must admit that I have not mastered this monster, in fact it's breathing down my neck as I type....so much to do, so little time....

Stealing moments...that's what I need. Time with God. He's waiting for me. He looks forward to our times together, and so do I, but when to get that time?

Matthew reminds me of the invitation...and so I leave you for my cave, I'm going to buy some time, and talk to God.

Mat 11:28 "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
Mat 11:29 "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.
Mat 11:30 "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Jim & Casper go to church, follow-up

Recently I mentioned a book I had just read, "Jim & Casper go to church." One of my fellow pastors, Brent, is sharing some interesting details from his reading of the book. Let me invite you to visit "The diner" and get his thoughts on the book. You can read his thoughts at
The McKinney Diner.

Reading the word

Today I'm reading a passage of scripture I will be teaching from next Sunday. Did you ever read the word and feel that the "fruit" was just out of reach? It's there, but just a little beyond your reach? I'm there. I am working on a passage that is rich, and meaty, but.......what do I do with it?

Years ago, reading Jim Elliott's journals, I discovered him struggling with the same dilemma. As he wrote he was trying to figure out what the passage of scripture meant for him. It's so encouraging for me to read that he struggled and labored over this as he tried to find "fruit" in the passage he was reading.

I think we all do that. There are times when I feel dry, and reading the word gives me no water for my thirst. Now, I know it's there, but I am not "getting it." I know we all go through that because so many have told me they do as well.

For me? I just keep reading. The bible is the book that feeds me. If not this chapter, then maybe the next. In fact, "this chapter" may be meant for another day for me, and I'm just not finding the "fruit" God has for me today. It's there, I just have to keep reading.

2Ti 3:16 Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another--showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way.
2Ti 3:17 Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.