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Fresh Oil New Wine 2015 Friendship Healing Living It Out In Real Time The Big Event The Life of Faith The Mysteries of God Through The Looking Glass

Let It Go.

CSLContemplate, if you will, this quote by the late C.S. Lewis…

“Everyone thinks forgiveness is a lovely idea until they have something to forgive.”

Why do we find forgiveness to be such a difficult thing? Does it come from our need to be right? Is it born of our desire to “one-up” someone who has wronged us? What is it about a lack of forgiveness that makes us feel superior?

A friend once said that, “It was easy for me to be unforgiving until I was the one needing forgiveness”. In Matthew 18, Jesus is painfully clear what judgment awaits the person who does not forgive “from the heart”.

Unforgiveness is like being locked in a prison cell, with the keys sitting within your reach. Forgiveness unlocks the doors, and sets ALL of the prisoners free.

Is holding on to unforgiveness against the one who has wronged you worth sacrificing true joy?

Let it go, and find the freedom God has waiting for you.

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Making The Monster

"Frankenstein's monster (Boris Karloff)" by Universal Studios - Dr. Macro. Licensed under Public Domain via Commons
“Frankenstein’s monster (Boris Karloff)” by Universal Studios – Dr. Macro. Licensed under Public Domain via Commons
I thought this week, since most Americans are in some way, form, or fashion recognizing Halloween this Saturday, I would talk a little about… Monsters.

Well, one monster in particular…

Frankenstein’s monster.

Since it first appeared in 1818, Mary Shelley’s classic monster story Frankenstein has undergone dozens of re-tellings, from the horrifying to the comical. The common version is of a scientist named Victor Frankenstein who robs body parts from various cadavers with the intention of re-animating dead tissue. When faced with the hideousness of the monster he brings to life, he rejects it, only for the monster to embark upon a murderous rampage, killing those closest to Victor, including his beloved fiancée. But even as Victor pursues the monster to remote regions of the world, he is unable to kill his creation.

A pretty far-fetched tale, right?

Or IS it…

The tongue has the power of life and death,
    and those who love it will eat its fruit. ~ Proverbs 18:21

While we may not be digging up graves in the middle of the night, we in the church have been inadvertently creating monsters for a long time. While Jesus came to offer us life and freedom, through our own words, we create monsters out of the very people He came to save.

Don’t believe me? Let me ask you…

When was the last time you called someone “stupid”?

Worthless.

Loser.

Moron.

Jerk.

“That’s pretty harsh, Pastor. I don’t call people those kinds of things.”

Ok. How about…

Difficult.

Unlikable.

Disagreeable.

Unfriendly.

While people often do things or act in ways that we may not agree with, does that always constitute who they are as a person?

What about you? Just because you have a bad day, or a traumatic experience, should you be relegated to playing that role for the rest of your life? Sure, there are moments that define us, and there are actions and events we cannot change. However, for the most part, the majority of the things that we experience are moments in time that are soon forgotten, not life-defining events. The fact is, we never know what a person is truly going through at any given time.

Is that person who sits in front of you at church, that you call unfriendly, simply a person with a quiet or shy personality?

Is the child or teenager that you see as unruly actually a victim of abuse or neglect, and simply needing positive attention?

Is that difficult person merely more passionate or committed to the task than you are? Does that person simply have a different definition of success, or “set the bar higher” than the average person?

Does that weirdo raising his hands during worship simply love Jesus more than you do?

I’ll be the first to admit: Friendships and relationships take effort, and getting outside of our circle of influence requires us to step into the unknown and often uncomfortable places. Honestly, in many cases, it is not that a person is __________ (insert negative adjective here). It’s that we’re too lazy to take the time to find out who that person really is. It’s just easier to slap a label on someone than it is to learn what makes them tick. The problem with that is that words have power, and the more a disparaging word is spoken over a person, the more they begin to believe that is who they are. I have counseled good people who have gotten derailed from their true identity because they began to believe a lie that was spoken over them. Yes, we are responsible for our own actions and attitudes, and I am not giving a pass to bad behavior. However, when a person is beaten over the head with words of worthlessness and defeat, it doesn’t take long before those words hit their target (the mind), and they begin to believe a lie. Once that happens, the “monster” comes to life.

Seldom did Jesus use labels…

When He did, it was often in criticism of the religious establishment (see Matthew 12:34). However, for the average “sinner”, His words were life and grace…

Jesus didn’t call Peter a loser or coward after he denied knowing Him in His hour of need. His forgiveness was not only obvious… it was unspoken. He never mentioned the incident (see John 18 & John 21).

Jesus didn’t call the woman caught in adultery a cheater or whore. He challenged those attacking her, and when they backed down, He sent her on her way, unharmed and forgiven (see John 8).

When Jesus saw Zacchaeus in the tree, He didn’t call him a crook or a swindler (he was a tax-collector… an occupation disdained by most people). He simply said, “Come down Zacchaeus… I’m coming to your house.” That encounter became a life-changing experience for Zacchaeus and his whole house (see Luke 19).

So what can you do?

What are those words that you have spoken over someone that have been a curse instead of a blessing?

What was that hurtful thing you said that you don’t think you can come back from?

What were those disparaging remarks that you wish you hadn’t said?

Not sure where to start? If you are guilty of creating a “monster” through your words,  two simple words can start the process of restoration…

I’m sorry.

Ask forgiveness of the person you hurt through your words.

Ask forgiveness from the Father, Whose blood-bought creation you wounded with your words.

Learn to make your first reaction and response to those around you words of life, health, and peace.

Maybe YOU are the monster you created…

Maybe you have spoken curses and negativity over your own life, and are wondering why you are the way you are — why you have low self-esteem. Start now by confessing to your Heavenly Father that you are not those things, that you are who HE says you are (overcomer, victorious, child of the King, etc.), and begin to walk in your true identity.

The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body.
It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire,
and is itself set on fire by hell. ~ James 3:6

We can use our tongues for evil or for good.

We can use our tongues to speak life or to speak death.

If you choose to speak life, you are speaking the language of Heaven — the fountain that flows from the throne of God and brings blessing to the soul, and health to the heart.

However, if you choose to speak words of negativity and death, don’t be too surprised by the misery that comes from the “monsters” you help to create.

Choose LIFE.

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Did you see my touchdown, Daddy?

Recently, my son Dr. Ronnie Phillips, Jr. wrote this blog, and I wanted to share it here today. With the football season in full swing, I thought it was a great time to share this word…

My first love was the sport of football.

I grew up idolizing Deon Sanders, Warrick Dunn, Derrick Brooks, and Coach Bobby Bowden.  I got to meet Coach Bowden as a 12-year-old boy in Orlando at the Southern Baptist Convention in front of 40,000 people. My father was able to arrange this special time for me and I’ll never forget Coach Bowden’s words to me. Crying my eyes out in awe, I said “Coach Bowden you are my hero and I would like to play for you.” He said, “keep your grades up” and then he said in his southern twang, “Boy, why are you crying?” Coach Bowden then said something I have never forgotten: “Boy, what your daddy does is a lot more important than what I do.” I got to meet with Coach Bowden two more times, and my children got to meet him the year before he retired, when he spoke at Abba’s House.

Football teaches you many life lessons, and very few make it past the high school level. I have been running a football league and have coached youth football for the last 9 years. I have had the privilege to coach my boys, win some championships, coach some outstanding players, and share my faith with many people. There is no other sport that compares to football, in my opinion. It is a sport of sacrifice and leadership for the purpose of teamwork.

Football in grassAll three of my boys play football. They are all pretty tough, but my youngest son Ryce (6) plays flag football because he was born with some heart issues, and we are holding him out of contact as long as we can. Last night, he scored a touchdown in his game. He has scored many because flag football offers that opportunity to many kids, but I haven’t seen him play much because I am busy coaching my middle son Reid’s (9) football team, as well as running our local football league. Before Ryce went to bed last night he said, “Did you see my touchdown, Daddy?” I paused and went back to my childhood, and remembered how I cherished the times my dad would get to see me play. My dad didn’t get to coach me or come to practices like many of these over zealous parents do today, but occasionally he would sneak in and be watching (or yelling) from a safe distance. My friends would always say that I played better when he was watching, and they were right. All my boys have asked me questions like that one.  I responded to Ryce’s question last night by saying, “Yeah buddy, I did. You did great!”

I was reminded of the fact that our Father in heaven is always watching our faithful deeds. He sees what we do for Him, both in private and in the public arena (Matthew 6:4), and rewards us for our faithfulness. Christians are the children of God (Galatians 3:25-27), and we all long for our Father’s approval and affirmation. Thank God we don’t have earn His approval. He loves us, affirms us, approves of us, and is looking on with love in His heart when we serve Him. Sometimes, like Ryce, we wonder if He is watching. I’m here to tell you that He is watching, and He is proud of those who serve Him.

Ronnie preachingI now do what Coach Bowden said was the thing more important than football. I do what my father taught me. I preach the word of God and tell people about Jesus Christ. I believe my dad is the greatest expository preacher of the gospel still left on planet earth, and I have studied many great preachers and theologians. Although I am grown and have a teenager, I still light up when I get a text from my dad after I preach. It is not his style to compliment me directly although he does sometimes. I got a text a few weeks ago from him after I finished preaching on a Wednesday night. He was watching and I didn’t know it. He simply texted, “Masterpiece, son. Excellent!” I guess you never grow out of how that makes you feel.

For those of you who have never experienced the love of a father, you can through Jesus Christ by faith.
God’s love is free (John 3:16). His grace is free (Ephesians 2:8-9).

His approval, however, comes through faith. Abraham had to hold onto the promise of God by faith. He had to be patient with God and eventually offer this promise (Isaac) to God as a sacrifice by faith. Abraham was not perfect, but he was a man of faith that was approved by God. If you need approval from God, accept Him by FAITH, love Him by FAITH, and believe His promises by FAITH.

Romans 4:23-25 (GWT)

But the words “his faith was regarded as the basis of his approval by God” were written not only for him, but also for us. Our faith will be regarded as the basis of our approval by God—each of us who believe in the one who brought Jesus, our Lord, back to life. Jesus, our Lord, was handed over to death because of our failures and was brought back to life so that we could receive God’s approval. ~ Romans 4:23-25

Ryce needed my approval. We ALL need God’s approval. Does the Father see what good you do? You bet He does!

I recently watched the movie Woodlawn about how a city was transformed by the faith of a young chaplain (Hank Erwin), Christian quarterback (Jeff Rutledge), and a dynamic running back (Tony Nathan). Two high schools were transformed by FAITH, two destiny’s were changed by FAITH, and a city was transformed by FAITH. Racism can end by FAITH. Our nation will be great again by FAITH. You can be saved by FAITH! I encourage you to go see Woodlawn and pray for unity in our nation. There truly is only One Way!

…Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” ~ John 14:6

Ronnie and Bobby Bowden
A young Ronnie Phillips and Coach Bobby Bowden.

For more information about Dr. Ronnie Phillips, Jr. and his ministry, please visit www.ronniephillips.org

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Where Does Your Worship Come From?

Today, I want to start by asking a question: Where does your worship come from?

iTunes. Wal-Mart. CD Baby. LifeWay.”

No… Not where do you buy worship music…

“Oh… Hillsong United, Chris Tomlin, Kari Jobe.”

No… Not who is your favorite artist, or composer of your favorite song. I am asking where does your worship come from?

YOUR. Worship.

WorshipWe have long been a culture of labels and titles – worship is no exception. We have the part in the church service we call worship. We have a style of music we call worship. We have made worship more than a conversation or attitude… it has become an industry.

Now, understand that I am not casting aspersions; I am simply asking a question. When you strip away all of the trappings of how we view worship — the music, the sound, the lights, the crowds — and get back to the “heart of worship” (as Matt Redman once said in song), where does your worship come from?

Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand. ~ Psalm 95:6-7

Webster’s defines worship as extravagant respect or admiration for or devotion to an object of esteem.

The Greek word for worship is proskuneó ( προσκυνέω ), meaning, to kiss toward.

In his book, Real Worship,  Warren Wiersbe defines worship as “the believer’s response of all that they are – mind, emotions, will, body – to what God is and says and does“.

So, again with the question… where does YOUR worship come from?

You worship could be prompted by a victory God has brought about in your life. Take Moses for example…

“… I will sing to the Lord,
For He has triumphed gloriously!
The horse and its rider
He has thrown into the sea!
The Lord is my strength and song,
And He has become my salvation;
He is my God, and I will praise Him;
My father’s God, and I will exalt Him. ~ Exodus 15:1-2

This is the song of worship that Moses and the children of Israel lifted up to the Lord when, against impossible odds, they were delivered from Pharaoh and the army of Egypt, when God showed His supernatural might against the enemies of His people.

What about David?

O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise. ~ Psalm 51:15-17

Samuel anointing DavidDavid’s worship came from a variety of places throughout His life, but from few places as dark as this. David had committed adultery with Bathsheba, arranged for her husband Uriah to be killed in battle, then took the pregnant Bathsheba to be his own wife. However, the sin he sought to cover was laid bare when the prophet Nathan showed up and called David out for his sin. Yet, instead of dodging, denying, or blaming anyone else, David immediately owned his sin, and sought forgiveness and redemption. He understood that his sin was a barrier between he and a holy God, and sought the path back into his presence.

Mary…

  Annunciation     …was a teenage girl when she was visited by the angel Gabriel with the good news that she had been chosen to be the mother to the Son of God. Although this news was joyous beyond belief, I cannot help but imagine that Mary also was aware of the societal ramifications of her state: I think the Bible hints at this when it says that her fiancé Joseph wanted to “put her away quietly”. Yet, in spite of any potential negative reactions from those around her, Mary’s worship was unhindered and with abandon to the One who chose her to carry and care for the Savior of the world…


…“My soul magnifies the Lord,

And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation…” ~ Luke 1:46-50

God had called Gideon…

   …to a seemingly impossible task. He and three hundred men, armed with pitchers, torches, and trumpets were going to take on the well-armed army of the Midianites. Gideon had tested God, and God had shown Himself faithful. As a final sign, God told Gideon to sneak into the camp of the enemy. When he did, he overheard a man telling his dream to another man, prophesying the defeat of their army at the hands of Gideon. Judges 7:15 says…

And so it was, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, that he worshiped.

Gideon believed in the promise God had given him. Though he had not seen the victory with his own eyes, Gideon believed in the word of the Lord, and chose to worship in advance of that victory. It was worship inspired by faith.

Horatio Spafford was a successful lawyer and businessman…

   …when the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 destroyed his businesses and ruined him financially. When the economy crashed two years later, he endured additional hardships. Planning on traveling to Europe with his family, business issues caused him to send his family on ahead, and he would later join them. Tragically, the ship carrying his family collided with another ship during the voyage, and all four of his daughters were claimed by the sea. On his own journey across the Atlantic, upon crossing the very spot his children had died, Mr. Spafford penned these words from the deepest places of sorrow…

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to know,a
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain:
It is well, (it is well),
With my soul, (with my soul)
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life,
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul.

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
A song in the night, oh my soul!

At the beginning of this blog, I asked the question:
Where does your worship come from?

I guess a better way to phrase it would be “What inspires you to worship?” What is it that makes you drop to your knees in reverence, desperation, and humility before a Holy God? What events in your life have pointed you to His goodness and grace? Honestly, for all of us as humans, we all have those things that strike a nerve, and for everyone, that thing is different. Some are inspired to worship through victory. Others are driven to worship through desperation. Joy, sorrow, grief, confusion, ecstacy — these are all powerful emotions, and equally powerful motivators. Yet regardless of what motivates us, our worship should share a common thread…

That God alone is worthy to be praised.

That He is the Great I AM – Who was, and is, and is to come.

That only He is holy.

That no one compares to His matchless worth and worthiness.

That, as Matt Redman penned, “It’s all about You, Jesus.”

We live in a fallen world, and we are all on different paths, some more triumphant, and some more tragic. Yet, God never changes. He is the constant and consistent One. And from His throne, He doesn’t demand… He invites. He invites you into His presence to worship Him — in spirit and truth. He invites you to release the song He has put into your inmost being. It’s not the song others sing… it’s the one He gave you. It’s the song that reflects YOUR adoration and YOUR devotion to Him. It is the song specific to who He made you to be. It’s no better and no worse than the song He gave to anyone else — it is simply, uniquely YOURS.

And guess what? He wants to hear it.

But all of our songs of worship have one thing in common… Jesus.

When we will learn to make worship our first response to all of the circumstances of life, and make it a chorus instead of a competition, I believe we will find the grace, peace, joy, and unity that God intended for us to walk in on this journey.

Now… go find your song.  🙂

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Where The Leaves Never Fall

I thought that today, with the colors of fall in full radiance, and winter just around the corner, I would share a poem I wrote for my children some time back. Enjoy.

Leaves1

Where the Leaves Never Fall

  The autumn leaves are tumbling off the trees,
The cooling rains dance across the dying lawns.
North winds whisper that frigid days are coming.
Soon the trees will sway barren in the tomb of winter
Beautiful colors will burn brightly only to crumble away
Returning to die in the ground from which they were birthed

For many fall seasons, I hardly noticed the sadness beneath the beauty
No, the cooling days meant fall afternoons of touchdowns and tackles
Crisp apples and chili dogs and joyful conversations behind tailgates
Yes, children and now grandchildren playing football and soccer
Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years one after another
Church and carols and celebrations hurry onward year after year.

Some seats are now empty of those we’ve loved and lost awhile
Their absence leaves a dull ache and void in our lives.
The autumn of aging took some while others left in the bloom of spring
This latest autumn has awakened me to know that life here has its limits
For me, fall has come with its cold breath to say winter is coming
I ask my soul, “Will winter give way again to Spring and the hope of Easter?”

Yes, my heart believes there will come another spring and summer
To revel with my grandchildren and to see them blossom into adults
To discover and preach with power one more great sermon
To love my wife and share the joys and tears as we have for half a century
To see my children live out their dreams…and God’s sweet will
To see the church rise to her fullest potential for God’s glory

The years have taken their toll on my body, yet I feel His strength
When I stand to give Jesus’ message, my youth manifests
All aches and pains leave and I know His presence
The sweet Holy Ghost kisses me with power from the eternal dimension
For a moment, I sense that ageless, deathless world awaiting us all and I know
Fall and winter will yield to the Savior awaiting us where the leaves never fall.

Leaves2

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Homecoming This Sunday!

My dear friends,

Dr. Ronnie Phillips, Jr. has called all of us to share our testimony, invite an unsaved or unchurched friend, and pray for a powerful Homecoming harvest weekend.  Sunday, October 11 will be a significant day in the life of someone you know if you get them here.

Every LifeGroup, every leader, every deacon, and of course every staff member needs to have someone here this weekend.

The absolute importance of witnessing to children, restoring families, and church impact will all be lifted up this Sunday.

You can make it easy for a friend to come!  How can you do that, you ask?

  1. Don’t just invite them, bring them to church if possible. Encourage your students and children to invite friends, and agree to pick them up them as well.
  2. If you cannot bring them, agree to meet them at a certain time and place on campus. Make it easy for them to get around campus and to feel comfortable here.
  3. Remind them of the free gift book and packet for all guests.
  4. Tell them they do not have to dress up.
  5. Call them Saturday with a quick reminder.
  6. Tell them that they will hear a miraculous story about one of the presidential candidates.
  7. Be enthusiastic about LifeGroups and church.
  8. Pray for them!

I’ll see you and your friends this Sunday!

Love,

Pastor Ron

Homecoming 2015

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Come Home

Homecoming 2015

I wanted to take my blog today to share with you a little about a special event coming up in the life of our church, Abba’s House.

On October 11, we will be celebrating Homecoming at Abba’s House. This will be a time of reconnecting with old friends, making new ones, and reflecting on the heritage of the place we call home.

Our special guest for this celebration will be none other than my dear friend and former colleague Pastor Gaylon Wiley. Pastor Wiley served as Pastor of Education at Central Baptist Church of Hixson/Abba’s House from November 1, 1991 – March 30, 2013.  During this time, he helped train over 1500 soul-winners. He and his team averaged over 200 soul-winners over 32 weeks a year for 10 years.  Only God knows how many people were saved! He is now pastoring Cedar Grove Baptist Church in Lebanon, TN.

Preachers often use the analogy of the pebble being thrown into the water. Although tiny, when it strikes the calm water, the ripples it creates can be seen and felt for a great distance.  Recently, Pastor Wiley had a reunion with a man whose family he had ministered to years back. The father’s name was Rafael, and he had abandoned his family in Canada, and gone back to Texas. Pastor Wiley met Rafael, witnessed to him, and led him in the sinner’s prayer to receive Jesus Christ as his Savior. Rafael went back, reconciled with his wife and 3-year-old son, and got his family back together. Pastor Wiley went on to baptize Rafael and his family. That ripple of influence is still being felt today through the life and work of Rafael’s then 3-year-old son… Republican Presidential Candidate, Senator Ted Cruz (TX).

Click HERE to see the full story about that reunion from WKRN-TV in Nashville.

So come home to Abba’s House on October 11. Whether you have been gone for a long time, or have never visited, we want Abba’s House to be a place you can call home. Because no matter where you’ve been, or what you’ve been through, The Father is waiting… and we are too!

For more information, you can visit our website.

You’re welcome at Abba’s House – Come home October 11!

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Are There Sharks Here?

Shark 1

In 1975, the Steven Spielberg – directed mega-hit movie Jaws terrorized theaters all over the world, and life at the beach would never be the same. For years to follow, people thought twice before setting foot in the water. Over the next decade, several sequels followed, with each Jaws being bigger, scarier, and more deadly than the one before. Since then, other filmmakers have followed suit with shark-related thrillers such as Deep Blue Sea, Open Water, and many more. In recent years, one of the biggest weeks annually for The Discovery Channel is the much-hyped Shark Week — a week of programming that focuses primarily on sharks and the study of these deadly beasts.

Recently, Paulette and I were spending a few days in Destin, FL, following a visit with her mother.

great_white_sharkWe were enjoying a day at the beach… umbrella, lounge chairs, perfect weather, and a good book. At one point, I decided to go in the unusually calm and beautifully clear waters for a swim. As I waded in the shallows, I soon noticed a little girl around 7-years-old standing not far away. She had on a sun hat and looked at me somewhat concerned. She called out…

“Are there sharks out here today?!?!”

I was a little taken aback by her question, but soon observed she was quite serious.

I called back, “No, I don’t think so.”

She said to me, “You know they bite children.”

“Yes,” I said, “but I do not see any here”.

She then gave me — the obvious pushover granddaddy type — an order.

“You watch for them while I play,” she said.

“Yes ma’am,” I dutifully replied..

As I splashed around, she never got more than about ten feet away. True to my word, I spent around 45 minutes watching for sharks. As I made my way out of the water, she followed, not wanting to be in the sea without her “shark watcher”.

“Bye!” she called out. “I’ll be back tomorrow!”

Later, as I contemplated the time spent with my new friend, this parallel came to my mind.

Who will watch our kids and grandkids? Who will keep them safe
from the “sharks” in this world we are leaving them?

Think about it… a corrupt culture in moral decline, predators, Islamic terror, drugs, gender confusion, demonic attacks, and unstable family situations. The very places children should feel safe, they often don’t. The very people they should trust to keep them safe, they sometimes can’t.

Who will be there for all their tomorrows?  Who will watch while they grow, play, and learn?

The family should be the first line of protection and nurturing for young minds and hearts. Schools and safe communities should be places where children should be able to go without fear of physical or mental abuse and injury, or immoral and Godless indoctrination.

Yet, may I say that we in the church must be there so that the next generation can discover the beauty of God’s ocean and world while some of us watch for the sharks. We need to help young parents “train up their children in the way they should go” — God’s way — “so that when they are old, they don’t depart from it.”

We need to be the Lifeguards at the pool of society.

We need to be the Shark Watchers on the shark-infested sea of life.

We need to be the Watchmen (and women) on the Wall of a culture filled with predators and pitfalls.

So…

I said to my little friend (whose parents were telling her to leave that poor man alone)…

“Yes dear… if I see you tomorrow, I will watch for the sharks.”

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Seasons Of Life

Looking Glass

I recently heard this interesting thought:

“Some people are in our lives for a season, and some people are in our lives for a reason”.

Actor Harrison Ford once made this observation:

“I have relationships with people I’m working with, based on our combined interest. It doesn’t make the relationship any less sincere, but it does give it a focus that may not last beyond the experience”.

Sometimes, God puts people in our lives that become lifelong friends – those people that are there through thick and thin. Sometimes, they are only there for a short season – a period of time for a specific reason – and then they are gone.

Solomon said:

“To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under Heaven”. ~ Ecclesiastes 3:1

One of the great mysteries of life is having the wisdom to know when a season of life is passing. It’s not a good thing… it’s not a bad thing… it’s just life.

The key to dealing with it is… thankfulness. Being grateful to God for the time He allows us to touch the lives of others, and be touched by them in kind.

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You Can’t Have It Both Ways

The more I watch the news, read stories on the internet, or talk to people, the crazier I see our society becoming. Here are just a few questions that I have been pondering of late…

  • Emanuel AME2We see stories nearly every week of some atheist or anti-religion group up in arms because someone prayed at a school function, sporting event, or city council meeting. We have seen anti-God groups go after every Christian symbol, holiday, and even our own national history with a vengeance, trying to eradicate the Christian “religion” and our Judeo-Christian roots from every corner of public life.

So where is the outcry from these same individuals when it comes to the tax-payer funded indoctrination of our school children and college students to Islam? If “separation of church and state” is so important, why do we need governmental-appointed positions such as Sharia Czar and Special Envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference? Where is the indignation from anti- religion groups when it comes to the misrepresentation and acceptance of Islam by those in the corridors of power in Washington D.C.?

You can’t have it both ways.

  • For decades, the argument (among others) from pro-abortion groups has been that it is fetal matter — a blob of tissue — not a baby. A baby does not become a real person until it is actually born. Until birth, a fetus does not have a “meaningful life”.

If this is the case, then why is one of the nation’s top abortion providers, Planned Parenthood, currently embroiled in controversy surrounding the harvesting and selling of fetal tissue from aborted babies? If it’s not a person, why harvest these meaningless “blobs of tissue”? At what point, and who, decides that a person’s life has no meaning? What about people who are tragically injured and in a persistent vegetative state… are they no longer worthy of life?

You can’t have it both ways.

  • IMG_1905With the Supreme Court decision to legalize gay marriage in all 50 states, the LGBT community, which has spoken out for decades about discrimination and mistreatment, have finally been granted the “right” to marry the person of their choosing. After years of being denied the right to live their lives however they choose, believe what they want to believe, and love who they want to love, homosexuals and transgender individuals have been granted the ability to do so with the blessing of the United States Supreme Court.

So why is it ok now to vilify and persecute Christians who still oppose same-sex marriage? How is it that people who for years screamed “discrimination” are now discriminating against those who simply (and peacefully) disagree with their lifestyle based on personal religious values? How does a homosexual’s “right” to marriage trump a Christian’s First Amendment right to freedom of religion and freedom of speech?

You can’t have it both ways.

For a society that prides itself on intelligence and logic, we have crossed just about every line of logic and reason in our attempt to be “fair, tolerant, and inclusive.” Science, biology, natural law, and intelligence take a back seat to the ability to “identify” with a person or group. Laws are ignored by those entrusted with upholding the law because those individuals disagree with a certain statute or regulation. Those tasked with protecting and serving the public are forced to operate at a handicap because the very people they are trying to protect are advocating their destruction. We have been told that global warming (“climate change”) is the most pressing issue of our time. Yet recently, arctic ice increased by 1 million square miles in one year (2012 to 2013).

In Romans 1, Paul had this to say about those who choose to ignore and/or disregard the truth…

   The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator — Who is forever praised. Amen.
    Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. ~ Romans 1:18-32

Creation itself testifies of the glory of God, and His handiwork. A society may attempt to dissuade its members from belief in a Holy God. It may try to marginalize God, lumping Him in with fable, folklore, myth, and legend. Yet, the fingerprint of God on Creation is unmistakable and undeniable. In Psalm 19, David declared…

The heavens declare the glory of God;
    the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
    night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
    no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.

Werner Heisenberg, considered to be one of the fathers of Quantum Physics, had this to say about the relationship of science and religion…

“Where no guiding ideals are left to point the way, the scale of values disappears and with it the meaning of our deeds and sufferings, and at the end can lie only negation and despair. Religion is therefore the foundation of ethics, and ethics the presupposition of life.”

CoffeeCreation is not subject to the whims of world leaders, political correctness, or public outcry. Nature cares not a wit about feelings, fairness, or whether or not it offends anyone. The natural laws, written into the DNA of every cell in Creation, are as unchangeable as Jehovah God. Mankind may attempt to suppress all evidence of the goodness of God from society, but the stones, seas, and stars will not cease to cry out. And if nature declares the glory of God, and God is who He says He is, then His Word is true. And if His Word is true, then we cannot help but conclude that He means what He says, and that we must all come to Him in repentance and humility, to find grace and forgiveness. Truly coming to Him in repentance means to turn from our sin, and accept His finished work of salvation through His sacrifice. We cannot come to Him while holding on, in stubborn unrepentance, to the very things He died to redeem us from. You can’t have it both ways.

“The first gulp from the glass of natural sciences will turn you into an atheist, but at the bottom of the glass God is waiting for you.”
~ Werner Heisenberg