Good Advice for Men!

Another Last Tribute...Just Found It

One Last Tribute

Need a laugh?

Thanks to my buddy Rick Fairchild for this:

A man was driving down the road and ran out of gas. Just at that moment, a bee flew in his window.

The bee said, 'What seems to be the problem?'

'I'm out of gas,' the man replied.... See More

The bee told the man to wait right there and flew away. Minutes later, the man watched as an entire swarm of bees flew to his car and into his gas tank. After a few minutes, the bees flew out.

'Try it now,' said one bee.

The man turned the ignition key and the car started right up. 'Wow!' the man exclaimed, 'what did you put in my gas tank'?
.
.
.
.
.
The bee answered....bp

It's More than a Holiday Weekend - Finale

Mark Schultz performed this last night in Kansas City with the Kansas City Philharmonic outside Union Station.

Pastor's Impossible Task

Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. --1 Thessalonians 5:14

Because we are the kind of persons we are and because we live in a world such as we do, the shepherd of souls is often forced to work at what would appear to be cross purposes with himself.

For instance, he must encourage the timid and warn the self- confident; and these may at any given time be present in his congregation in almost equal numbers....

Another problem he faces is the presence in the normal Christian assembly of believers in every stage of development, from the newly converted who knows almost nothing about the Christian life to the wise and experienced Christian who seems to know almost everything.

Again, the Christian minister must have a word from God for the teen-aged, the middle-aged and the very aged. He must speak to the scholar as well as to the ignorant; he must bring the living Word to the cultured man and woman and to the vulgarian who reads nothing but the sports page and the comic strip. He must speak to the sad and to the happy, to the tender-minded and to the tough- minded, to those eager to live and to some who secretly wish they could die. And he must do this all in one sermon and in a period of time not exceeding 45 minutes. Surely this requires a Daniel, and Daniels are as scarce in the United States today as in Babylon in 600 B.C. The Set of the Sail, 82-83.

"That's an impossible task, Lord! I again confess myself totally dependent on the Holy Spirit. Enable, I pray, in Jesus' name. Amen." 
A. W. Tozer

It's More than a Holiday Weekend - Part Four

It's More than a Holiday Weekend - Part Three

Who Are You?

“We are defined by our relationship with [God]! In a world that beckons people to define themselves by false and fading identities based on looks, intelligence, wealth, power, or success, this is good news! Unlike worldly definitions of identity, our identity and inheritance in Christ never fades (1 Pet. 1:3-4).”
- Michael R. Emlet

High Fiving - Not As Simple As You Think!

It's More than a Holiday Weekend - Part Two

It's More than a Holiday Weekend - Part One

Every professing Christian is the soldier of Christ. He is bound by his baptism to fight Christ’s battle against sin, the world and the devil. The man that does not do this breaks his vow. He is a spiritual defaulter. He does not fulfill the engagements made for him. The man that does not do this is practically renouncing his Christianity. The very fact that he belongs to a church, attends a Christian place of worship, and calls himself a Christian, is a public declaration that he desires to be reckoned a soldier of Jesus Christ.

~ J.C. Ryle

Banquet Your Faith

Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope. Psalm 119:49

“Banquet your faith upon God’s own word, and whatever your fears or wants, repair to the Bank of Faith with your Father’s note of hand, saying, Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope.”

- Charles Spurgeon

Where Is Your Focus?

If you have a special need today, focus your full attention on the goodness and greatness of your Father rather than on the size of your need. Your need is tiny compared to His ability to meet it.

Bill Patterson

So What Do Health/Wealth/Prosperity Extremists Do With This?

“It is clear from Scripture that suffering is a significant thread that runs through the story of God’s people. In Jesus and because of his resurrection, the saints long for the time when ‘there will be no more death or mourning or crying of pain’ and God ‘will wipe away every tear from their eyes’ (Rev. 21:4). But meanwhile, believers suffer as people united to the Savior, who endured suffering prior to his glory.”
- Michael R. Emlet

In Some Way Or Other, God will Provide

Revelation of the Natural Kind

The stars are God's fingerprints. The sun is a mere smidgen of his radiance. The moon is to remind us that he doesn't sleep at night. The vastness of space proclaims the infinity of his wisdom, while the sand pebble indicates his thoroughness with the puniest details. The lion hints at his fearlessness, the bear at his power, the hawk at his keen insight. And yet, those possess only a tidbit of God's omnipotence and omnipresence. Every tree points toward heaven; every bird has a song to sing; even every moment of wind goes in some direction. There is nothing chaotic about our beautiful designed world. All creation has a message to tell. It says, Listen, there is a God. There is a God!







Brent D. Earles

The Prayer Circle

Midland Ministries Super C Camp

This is the banner for Super C Camp hosted by Midland this summer...four weeks...each week I am overseeing the counselors; weeks 2 and 4 I am also speaking...June 20 thru July 17...Appreciate prayers for Spirit of God to work in hearts/minds of all...and that all weeks would fill....

"Eyes, Front!"

"Eyes Front" is a military marching order. Not a bad way to live the life of an apprentice of Jesus Christ either...consider this from Charles Spurgeon:

“In our Christian pilgrimage it is well, for the most part, to be looking forward. Forward lies the crown—and onward is the goal. Whether it is for hope, for joy, for consolation, or for the inspiring of our love—the future must, after all, be the grand object of the eye of faith.

Looking into the future, the Christian sees sin cast out, the body of sin and death destroyed, the soul made perfect, and fit to be a partaker of eternal glory. Looking further yet, the believer’s enlightened eye can see death’s river passed. He sees himself enter within the pearly gates, hailed as more than conqueror, crowned by the hand of Christ, embraced in the arms of Jesus, glorified with Him, and made to sit together with Him on His throne.”

A Nazarene, a Charismatic, and a Calvinist Walked into a...

Okay, I just found this old Snoopy cartoon hilarious...but it also made me think about what if we substituted the word "baptist," or "Assembly of God," or Pentecostal etc for the word "rabbit"...what would our response be?

Wouldn't it be nice if we could walk hand-in-hand even when we don't see eye-to-eye (without compromising the essentials of the gospel)?

The Gospel Mirrored

"Prayer mirrors the gospel. In the gospel, the Father takes us as we are because of Jesus and gives us his gift of salvation. In prayer, the Father receives us as we are because of Jesus and gives us his gift of help. We look at the inadequacy of our praying and give up, thinking something is wrong with us. God looks at the adequacy of his Son and delights in our sloppy, meandering prayers."

- Paul Miller

Converts to What? - An Important Read

I urge you to make time to read this from ED STETZER


"We worry too much about reaching people," explained a recent "missional" convert. He explained that he had read my book and a few others and he wanted to be more about the mission of God and less about nickels, noses, and numbers. "We have to show the love of Jesus, not just tell people about him." He was a convert to missional but was not as focused on seeing converts to Christ. And he is not alone.

Converts to a Cause

I continue to see movements gaining traction among Christians that do not seem to have many converts. In other words, they have recruits to their cause, but few converts to Christ. And I am concerned. I am concerned that in the name of "fixing the Church" we are not proclaiming the Church's gospel.

You've seen it, too, among others--the emerging church wants to rethink structures; the missional folks want more social justice; the charismatic folks want more of the Spirit; Baptists want to convert the Presbyterians; the house church people want more authentic community; and the Reformed folks just want, well, I am not sure since they never seem happy.

I must confess I have an affinity with some of these groups. But, a change movement that does not produce converts is as useless as a systematic theology text at Joel Osteen's church. Even if and when the cause is important, that is not enough for the church and its mission. Central to our task is to display the glory of God through His redemptive work through the redemption of those far from Christ.

Let's Talk

An argument of sorts has arisen among some friends of mine that helps illustrate the point. Mark Driscoll, in his oh-so-subtle way, said that many in the emerging church "don't have any converts." Dan Kimball has expressed his missional misgivings about missional churches without conversions. Several defenders have responded to the critics. But, the conversation can and should be much broader than "emerging" or "missional" conversations: I have heard it in charismatic, Calvinist, Baptist, and other settings. And, there are always defenders.

But, I believe defending is not the answer. It is never a good thing to be defending our lack of converts to Christ while we are busy converting people to our cause. To me, it is the difference between complaining and creating a new (and better) way.

For example, I have been identified with the missional conversation. I believe the church can and must identify with the missio dei and refocus its agenda around the purpose of God. Yet, I don't want missional to mean attacks on mega and fast growing churches who are reaching people "wrongly," while missional churches are reaching few "rightly." (Now, take that last sentence and replace the word "missional" with the word "reformed"--still works. Now do it with "Baptist"--yep that's 3 for 3. Need I go on?)

Now, I am not willing to say that a lack of converts is a sign of unfaithfulness. But, I am willing to say that too many change movements are not seeing lost people's lives changed. And I think that is the wrong kind of change.

So, my Reformed friends, let's not only read 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John (that is, John Calvin, John MacArthur, and John Piper), let's go plant some more churches. My emerging church friends, let's take a pause from the theological rethink and head into the neighborhood and to tell someone about Jesus. My missional friends, let's speak of justice, but always tell others how God can be both "just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." My house church friends, let's have community, but let's be sure it is focused on redemption. My Baptist friends, let's focus more on convincing pagans than Presbyterians. And, my charismatic friends, let's focus less on getting existing believers to speak in tongues and more on using our tongue to tell others about Jesus.

Now, I know the preceding paragraph will tick some of you off--and, I am trying to be a bit edgy while making a point. But, let me suggest you be less offended at my words and more focused on Jesus' words: Go therefore and make disciples of nations.

If you are passionate about what you believe you will naturally want others to "get it" as you have. For example, you would not be a very good charismatic if you did not want me to be baptized in the Spirit. However, I think it is unhelpful that so many Reformed, emerging, missional, denominational, Baptist, house church, charismatic, and every other kind of Christian spends more energy persuading other believers than they do reaching non-believers.

So, let's continue conversations about being "missional" or whatever, but let's not do so if it distracts us from the mission. Instead let's talk about these issues but not let them distract us from our main focus--showing and sharing the love of Jesus to a desperately lost world that needs a message of hope.

Showing a Better Way

If you want to convince me (and the body of Christ) to your cause, you must show me it is a better way. You must tell and show something different. You must not just protest what is, but you must show me what should be.

Ivan Illich was once asked if the way to societal change was best through revolution or through reform. He explained it was neither--at least if you wanted long term change. Instead, he said we need to tell an "alternative story" that is so compelling it draws others to the story.

So, tell your alternative story. Show me a way that is passionate about the cause and filled with new converts to Christ. If all you have are criticisms, concerns, or new ideas, but no new converts, that hardly seems a better path or an "alternative story."

So, don't defend your lack of converts, repent of it, weep over it, and resolve to change it.

Ultimate Refuge

“You have offended the infinite God with your sins, but an infinite price has been paid. You ought to be judged for your sins, but the Son of God has already been judged for the sins of the whole world, which He received in Himself. Your sins ought to be punished, but God already punished them in His Son. The wounds from your sins are great, but more precious is the balm of the blood of Christ.

Moses pronounces a curse against you (Deu 27:26), because you have not kept everything that has been written in the book of the law, but Christ has been made a curse for you (Gal 3:13). The handwriting has been written against you in the court of heaven, but Christ’s blood has deleted that (Col 2:14).

Therefore, your passion, O loving Christ, is my ultimate refuge.”

—Johann Gerhard

I Rather Like This

Some Theologians Can Boogie!

This video was shown at New Word Alive 2010 where Wayne Grudem was one of the speakers.
It was originally filmed at a UCCF Relay Conference in January 2008. Grudem's Systematic Theology is weighty in more ways than one; but a phenomenal resource for anyone who seriously wishes to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

This is hilarious:

Too True

I've often said there is better theology in many Peanuts cartoons than in many "Bible" colleges and seminaries...and in this cartoon a sad commentary on today's youth is encased in what was, when first penned, rather funny...in the prisons it used to be the young guys were terrified of the old cons; now it is the older guys who are scared spitless of the young guns...why?...they just don't give a flying rip...and, sadly, that is the status quo for most students...which is why the message of hope will find willing ears if we are gutsy enough to preach the gospel and go for disciples rather than "decisions" brought about by cheesy "invitations" that aren't laced with the fact that God is angry with sinners, will punish sin, but offers forgiveness because of the atoning death of His Son...

The Missing Link in Most "gospel" presentations

Critically important, thanks to KEVIN DEYOUNG

“[I]t is certainly empirically true in history,” writes Richard Lovelace in "Dynamics of Christian Life": 

“that a failure to assert the Trinity and the sacrificial death of Christ has involved a waning of spiritual life in the church, and eventually its extinction” (97). Lovelace goes on to elaborate:

The substitutionary atonement is the heart of the gospel, and it is so because it gives the answer to the problem of guilt, bondage and alienation from God. The earlier this answer can be spelled out in the process of evangelism and nurture, the better. Persons come to Christ initially for a variety of reasons, some of which are eccentric to their principal need for redemption: loneliness, a sense of meaninglessness in the godless life, suffering, fear and so on. Only those are lastingly converted, however, whose eventual motivation is to turn from their sin to God and receive the answer to sin in the work of Jesus Christ: “For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does what is true comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been wrought in God.” (Jn. 3:20-21).

Spiritual life results from fellowship with God. But walking in light is essential to fellowship with the Father and the Son. Believers who are truly established in Christ have experienced the shattering of their spheres of of ignorance and darkness by a growing understanding of the nature of God, their sin and God’s provision of grace in Jesus Christ. This darkness can only be destroyed by the presentation of the preconditions of renewal and by the proclamation of the heart of the gospel in depth. (97-98)

Any denominational or ecclesiastical renewal that is not centered on the gospel of Christ’s sacrificial death for sin is bound to be shallow, short-lived, and, in the end, counterproductive.

A Good Question (in song)

"Gimme dis, gimme dat" sums up all too many of our (my?) prayers. And certainly we can't outask a loving Father who desires to bless His kids...in ways that don't ruin us...

But I've always enjoyed this song from Tree 63...it's several years old now, but thankfully it pops back into my mind fairly often...it did a few moments ago, I looked it up, listened, and share it with you:

Grief Stricken - But God Sustained

Fuji Kim and the Korean Kamp I have spoken at annually for over twenty years are tightly intertwined. Fuji is a dear friend, visited us at our home in New York, and we've always been wrapped up in Jesus and His Gospel.

I rejoiced when Fuji (finally!) wed a few years ago, and rejoiced with the news of their pregnacy, and was stunned when I learned they lost their daughter...

Fuji and Lisa sent out an email several months ago, summing up what they would say at a memorial service for their daughter...I asked Fuji permission to share it, as I believe the transparent honesty laced with gospel truth is a testimony of God's sustaining grace and may well be of help to others.

Fuji just gave me permission to share; and here it is:

STORY OF IVY KIM

As having married later in life, I was the excited daddy-to-be. Having to bear the literal burden of pregnancy, Lisa was apprehensive yet joyful.

In the 33rd week of pregnancy, Lisa delivered our stillborn child, Ivy. We are quietly  coming to grips with the death as only God’s peace in Jesus can provide.

+++

Around the 30th week of the pregnancy, Lisa began to notice less fetal movement. In a regularly scheduled checkup, on March 16, the nurse-technician reported the normal heartbeat and weight of the baby. Lisa continued to be worried about the diminished movement yet was comforted by the results of the checkup. Online viewpoints diverged--some babies being more active and moving a lot at this stage, others being passive or constrained with less space. Lisa concluded all this as a natural progression.

On return from a trip to Los Angeles for a week, Lisa started a new workweek. On Monday, March 29, having been worried about the condition of the baby with the lack of fetal movement and having weighed the same as before the trip (especially when weight should be increasing), Lisa decided to check with the doctor after work. With previously scheduled checkup on Thursday, Lisa called the Women’s Care unit to possibly change the appointment to that day. The nurse suggested that lack of movement could be normal for some women but if a checkup was desired Lisa could go to the Labor and Delivery triage at Abington. Lisa was still debating about going in for the checkup.

At Abington Hospital, the checkup revealed no heartbeat. She called me at 5:45; a heartbreaking moment. Lisa was admitted to the Labor and Delivery department where I soon joined her.

As we faced the initial shock of losing the baby, the process of preparing for the delivery began. Doctors and nurses visited us Monday evening with prospects for a delivery on Tuesday afternoon. 

Despite infrequent contractions beginning from 3am, Lisa slept through the night. The projected time of delivery had changed to Tuesday evening or even Wednesday. However, with increased pain from contractions, within 5 minutes of administering the epidural, Lisa entered the final part of the delivery. Baby was delivered with less than 15 minutes of labor (3:11pm). After the umbilical cord was cut, the doctor allowed Lisa to hold the baby. Dismay was mixed with amazement--we meet our child yet only the body.

My older brother in Denver and cousin Joanne, without having informed us, had arrived at the hospital during the delivery. As a father of seven and pastor, my brother’s presence, counsel and comfort were timely. In the evening, my aunt and uncle arrived.

For the remainder of the evening, the baby remained with us in the delivery room. After much deliberating, we decided for an autopsy (conducted by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia).

We were also pleasantly surprised by Lisa’s close friend and pastor, Austine Cho (Yuong Sang) who dropped by. His fellowship was good for us especially his prayer and choice of Scripture passage (2 Samuel 12, of David’s loss of his child with Bathsheba).

On Tuesday, the hospital social worker must’ve been from “Touched by an Angel” tv show. She, for some odd reason, guessed that we were believers. Her counsel was filled with gentleness, comfort and biblical truths. She encouraged us, providentially, with the same 2 Samuel 12 passage.

In the 2 Samuel 12 passage, King David was praying and fasting for the healing of his illegitimate child with Bathsheba (former wife of Uriah). After seven days, the child died. David's servants were afraid that telling King David the bad news of the death would trigger a personal breakdown. On hearing the news,

[20] ... "David arose from the earth  and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes. And he went into the house of the LORD  and worshiped. He then went to his own house. And when he asked, they set food before him, and he ate.  [21] Then his servants said to him, “What is this thing that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive; but when the child died, you arose and ate food.”  [22] He said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said,  ‘Who knows whether the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ [23] But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him,  but he will not return to me.”

There is much to be learned from the above, especially about the values that drive believers to act and react unlike the world does (as shown by the baffled servants). But allow Lisa and I to just share a few things from the last few lines that comfort us. The passage rings true with our emotions: Our hearts want to go to Ivy; yet Ivy will not return to us. The passage rings true with our faith in a sovereign God: He allows for death and yet He is gracious. Hence, like David, we trust God and worship. What David longed for in his heart becomes, in the death and resurrection of Jesus, a certainty for believers---"Can I bring her back again?" No. But Jesus' resurrection will be made real for all believers including Ivy, to be resurrected.

As believers in the gospel, we agree with B.B. Warfield: "Today few Calvinists can be found who do not hold . . . that all who die in infancy are the children of God and enter at once into His glory -- not because original sin alone is not deserving of eternal punishment, nor because they are less guilty than others, nor because they die in infancy, but simply because God in His infinite love has chosen them in Christ before the foundation of the world."

In due time, we will go to Ivy; Ivy need not return to us. On that Day, when Jesus fulfills His Kingdom, we shall meet Ivy "in the sweet, by-and-by, we small meet on that beautiful shore." [Hymn, "There's a Land that is Fairer than Day"]

Sometimes We Forget Their are REALLY New Peeps!

Sin Chains

Good word from Josh Harris:

"I was sobered this morning reading Judges 16:20 about Samson and his final flirtation with sin: "And he awoke from his sleep and said, 'I will got out as at other times and shake myself free.' But he did not know that the LORD had left him." When we indulge in sin, we often think we'll be able shake it off and walk away unharmed. Don't believe that lie! Fear God and flee temptation today."

Armed Forces Day Tribute

Read about these guys yesterday, saw them on tv this early morning; since today is Armed Forces Day, I post it in honor of active duty troops and veterans. Regardless of your opinion of current wars, don't forget to honor the troops!


And, if you order the cd, half-a-buck goes to vet's organizations:

Shoot the Sacred Cow of "the prayer"

How I detest the question, "Have you prayed the prayer?" No, not the prayer of Jabez (is it not interesting how that "discovery" faded into oblivion?...and thank God it did!)...but when someone is inquiring as to whether or not someone else is a Christian. "Have you prayed the prayer?" 

Ignore the fact "the prayer" is not found in the Word, and is an invention of only a century-plus history...but as David Platt points out in "Radical," "We already have a fairly high view of our morality, so when we add a superstitious prayer, a subsequent dose of church attendance, and obedience to some of the Bible, we feel pretty sure that we will be all right in the end."

Can anyone seriously argue his point...perhaps excluding those who think repentance is not part of the gospel?

If what you just read makes you uncomfortable or even mad, the following will probably require a trip to the ER:

"The danger of spiritual deception is real. As a pastor, I shudder at the thought and lie awake at night when I consider the possibility that scores of people who sit before me on a Sunday morning might think they are saved when they are not.

"Scores of people who have positioned their lives on a religious road that makes grandiose promises at minimal cost. We have been told all that is required is a one-time decision, maybe even mere intellectual assent to Jesus, but after that we need not worry about His commands, His standards, or His glory. We have a ticket to heaven, and we can live however we want on earth. Our sin will be tolerated along the way. Much of modern evangelism today is built on leadin gpeople down this road, and crowds flock to it, but in the ened it is a road built on sinking sand, and it risks disillusioning millions of souls."

This is another great book; and for the second time in less than a week I give it the Hager Money-Back Guarantee. If you purchase it off the link below, read it, and don't think it was worth your money e-mail me and I'll send you a "refund" check. It is a significant book that I more-than-heartily recommend, especially if you tire of the typical "evangelistic" party line. The only other book that has the money-back guarantee is "MARKS OF THE MESSENGER"

 

Hilarious..

Illuminated Atheist

Interesting...

Illuminated Atheist Introduction from Illuminated Atheist on Vimeo.

Confessions of a Hipster

Thanks to ABRAHAM PIPER for this - - - incredibly and accurately hilarious!

God is Big Enough

Can't find Chris Rice's original, but here is a great cover of "Big Enough"...I needed the reminder; perhaps you do also?

Farm Work = Ministry

Eugene Peterson describes the nature of pastoral work:

"Pastoral work consists of modest, daily, assigned work. It is like farm work. Most pastoral work involves routines similar to cleaning out the barn, mucking out the stalls, spreading manure pulling weeds. This is not, any of it, bad work in itself, but if we expected to ride a glistening black stallion in daily parades and then return to the barn where a lackey grooms our steed for us, we will be severely disappointed and end up being horribly resentful"

Should Not "Radical" Be Normative for the Follower of Christ?

I just received the book "Radical" by David Platt. A little while ago my friend (pastor of Frederick Blvd Baptist Church in St Joseph, MO) MICAH FRIES posted the video that follows. Not quite "your best life now" stuff; and Platt, who pastors The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama, is not exactly a thunderous preacher; but neither does he preach in order to get invited back.

The book is next on my list...I may jump to it after watching this two-minute sample of his thoughts:

Too True - Though I Wish It Wasn't

Stumbled upon this; reminds me of the best book I've ever read about marriage, "Men are Like Waffles, Women are Like Spaghetti"...it's ten minutes of hilarity-laced truth:

Sanctified Confidence!

Great stuff from JAMES MACDONALD


I hope you are having a great week. I have been too busy–which in this case was not really avoidable. Up early and in God’s Word, I was reminded of a passage of Scripture from John 11 that always kind of rattles my windows.

He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.” John 11:7-10

There were times in Jesus’ earthly life when He did or said things that made people scratch their heads. Even those closest to Jesus couldn’t figure Him out. One of those times was in John 11:7 when Jesus said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” Their mouths probably dropped open. Judea? Is that really a good idea? “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” But Jesus’ answer showed no fear. “If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”

Jesus’ point was that some people walk in the light and some walk in darkness. If you’re living in the light, you have nothing to fear. Jesus certainly didn’t dodge the bad guys or go shirking around the countryside. Earlier He had consoled the disciples that “No one takes [my life] from me, but I lay it down of my own accord” (John 10:18). He would not leave this world one second early.

What an awesome attitude with which to live your life. As long as I’m seeking to follow the Lord and doing what pleases Him, nothing or nobody can hurt me. I have nothing to fear. I have nothing worry about, nothing!!!

Let’s go for that same confidence and refusal to fear as we follow Christ today! As long as you are in the light, NOTHING can hurt you!!!

Have a great day today, lift up your head. You are a son/daughter of the King and His protection is your birthright!

Who You Listening To?

Great advice for all...but perhaps especially the 20-30 somethings...from MARK BATTERSON

For better or for worse, your destiny is determined by decisions. And it's often big decisions that seem like little decisions, but destiny can turn on a dime.

The decision in I Kings 12:8 was "for worse." It says: "Rehoboam abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him."

Who are you listening to?

I think Rehoboam made the classic mistake many young leaders make. He surrounded himself with "yes men." By surrounding himself with the young men he grew up with he limited his input to those who only knew what he knew. They had only experienced what he experienced. It's so important that you have some people who can speak into your life from a different vantage point. It's so important that you have counselors who have been there and done that. It's so important that you respect those who have made more trips around the sun.

We only make a few major decisions in our lives. We spend the rest of our lives managing those major decisions. This one was catastrophic. This little decision to listen to the wrong voices split the kingdom in two! It led to civil war. And it all sprang from a young leader's arrogance.

I think it's so important that we listen to the voice of innovation but we also need to listen to the voice of wisdom. It's not either/or. It's both/and.

Hard-Gained Wise Words from (Overseas) Mission Field

((Why did I put, in title, (Overseas) Mission Field? Simply because I serve as a (home) missionary. I am so tired of people saying "Why should so many hear twice when so many have never heard?" - the implication being that missionaries are desperately needed (overseas) rather than stateside. Oh, really? When more than half of all professing "Christians" in evangelical churches in this country believe there are other ways to heaven than by Jesus? When the majority of 20-30 something "evangelicals" in this country think homosexuality is okay and church is negotiable? Please...I applaud and honor (and support!) those who are called overseas, but don't you dare tell me we don't need gospel-focused missionaries in this increasingly godless nation we call the US of A))

But the following contains significant insights from an "insignificant" (in some eyes) missionary (this from KEVIN DEYOUNG)

Katie Middlestead is a cool girl. She used to work at our church. For the past several years she has been serving as one of our missionaries with Food for the Hungry in the Philippines. She will finish her work there in the  next month and return to Michigan. I’ve enjoyed her newsletters and really appreciated these two paragraphs from her last newsletter where she reflects on her time overseas. I share them here with her permission.

I didn’t change the world. I didn’t start a revival. I didn’t eradicate poverty. I didn’t cure whole villages of malaria. I didn’t open a school or hospital. I didn’t single handedly share the gospel with an entire temple of Buddhist monks and have them all become believers in Jesus Christ. I didn’t translate the Bible into an obscure language. I didn’t get thrown into jail for my faith and then have an entire nation repent due to my witness. I didn’t bring a physically poor community into self-sufficient prosperity. I didn’t find every single street child a home with a loving family.
I did strive to build relationships. I did walk alongside people as they struggled to live each day. I did value and love those that I worked with and those that I worked for. I did have part of my heart forever planted here. I did constantly learn and grasped that the more you know about a people, the more you understand that you haven’t even begun to figure it out. I did share about Jesus Christ to people who had never heard. I did change from wanting to help “the poor” to acknowledging that we are all poor in one way or another and that we are all walking together. I did allow God to strip away idols and distractions from my life (which is a scary process by the way) to reveal my true heart. I did know more fully that God’s grace is truly sufficient.

Wise words, Katie. God asks for faithfulness, humility, and love. The rest of the work is up to him.

Curious, or Furious?

"How much we ought to hate sin! Instead of loving it, cleaving to it, dallying with it, excusing it, playing with it, we ought to hate it with a deadly hatred. Sin is the great murderer, and thief, and pestilence, and nuisance of this world. Let us make no peace with it. Let us wage a ceaseless warfare against it."

~ J.C. Ryle

You Get What You Expect

Ever had days (or weeks) like this? May I (gently) remind you, that if you are in Christ, He has plans for good, and not for evil?

Secret of Appreciating Church

This is by Hunter Baker via ZACH NIELSON

The secret of the church is not that it is some business to be run or a show designed to catch curious onlookers. The secret of the church is that is a community. It is a place where you belong and where people know you. In other words, it is a lot like the old bar on the television show Cheers. And it helps you to live the Christian life. In the church, you will become aware of what is going on in other people’s lives and they will learn about your life. You will pray with each other and minister to needs. Christianity is not meant to be practiced in isolation.

So, stop shopping for a church. Stop sampling. Don’t fall for all the hype of a Disneyworld experience with a Christian aura around it. Don’t chase after a superstar preacher. You can hear that on your iPod. Feel free to contribute to that ministry. But find a church where you can be part of a community of people who know each other and will help one another live the Christian life, sometimes as helpers and sometimes by being in need and providing an opportunity for others to help.

An Impacting Sentence

Think about this one for a few moments!
"Frustration with your performance, the people you serve or the process needed to complete the task set before you  will never be an acceptable excuse for direct or indirect disobedience to God's call in your life."

Katherine Walden
http://psalm121.ca

A Contemorvant "worship" Service

File under many a truth is said in jest:

"Sunday's Coming" Movie Trailer from North Point Media on Vimeo.

The Cancer in the "church"

I recognize this may bother some, to include some I love. But truth can't be compromised to avoid bothering someone...

The "prosperity gospel" is not the gospel of Jesus Christ. Sacrifice, inconvenience, undergirdded by great joy remain key words of the genuine gospel. Health-and-wealth are not part of His sacrificial atonement. I make no apology if that offends or infuriates. It is truth. We who follow the living Lord do prosper; but not (usually) in tangible, financial, problem-absolving ways.

Here are important words:

During the second panel discussion at T4G2010, Mark Dever asked John MacArthur about his concerns for what is known as the “prosperity gospel” or the “health/wealth gospel.” The discussion followed Al Mohler’s message, “How Does It Happen? Trajectories toward an Adjusted Gospel.” Here’s an excerpt of the exchange:

Mark Dever: I think I heard you say recently in a conversation that you are more concerned about the prosperity “gospel” than you have ever been before, that you see it as an increasing problem. Do you want to talk about that for a moment?

John MacArthur: I think it is a far greater threat than the intellectual issues of modernism and postmodernism, because most people don’t live in those categories. I think it is the single greatest lie being propagated by so-called Christians today, in the sense that it overpowers all other lies.

Promising people they will feel better [therapeutically] will only get them so far. But if you promise them they will get rich—that will trump feeling better every time because you can feel better once you’re rich. I think it is a Satanic doctrine…

It preys on the weak and the weary and the broken and the sad and the poor and the desperate, and it promises them something God will never deliver. Jesus will never deliver. And it is a Ponzi scheme; the guys at the top get rich and everybody else is left in rags shredded everywhere in the name of Jesus Christ. So I think that is the most marketable commodity of all of the trajectories that you were talking about today.

The therapeutic one is always there, but I think we have been through and out the other side of the psychology thing. And I think the people who try to make their ministry some kind of pulpit therapy have probably already changed their approach to that and maybe they have gone off and opted out for the marketing thing.

“The poor you will always have with you,” Jesus said [Matthew 26:11, Mark 14:7, John 12:8]. The desperate are always going to be there. And if you prey on those people, you are going to always have a wide audience.

You can download the entire discussion here.

ANTICIPATION!

“The great hope for Christians, the thing for which we long and to which we look for strength and encouragement, is the day when our King will part the skies and return to establish his glorious kingdom, finally and forever. That glorious moment is when everything in this world will be set right, when justice will finally be done, evil overthrown forever, and righteousness established once and for all.”

- Greg Gilbert

When's The Last Time Abortion Broke You?

What Quizzing SHOULD Be All About

This is a shot from the 2010 Bible Quiz Fellowship National Tournament in Pittsburgh, Pa a few weeks ago. This picture was snapped before the third "stage" quiz (the top three teams compete, but in order to win a team must take two "first" places...so it is more-than-a-bit-tense!).

Don't know who suggested it (UPDATE - I've been informed that Jim Cicchesee of TFC Wis/Minn, coach and director, suggested the prayer), or if it was spontaneous; but obviously the Spirit of God was involved as these 21 teens and coaches gathered together, arms around shoulders, to pray that Christ would be honored during this climactic quiz.

There are many, many things more important than statistics, trophies, and fleeting "fame":

By the way, I have no idea what caused that photographic glitch on the back of my head that looks like a bald spot :)

I'm 63 and I'm Tired

No, I didn't write this...my brother sent it to me...know nothing about the writer, but it is well worth reading...and passing on!

"I'm 63 and I'm Tired"
By Robert A. Hall

I'm 63.  Except for one semester in college when jobs were scarce and a
six-month period when I was between jobs, but job-hunting every day,
I've worked, hard, since I was 18. Despite some health challenges, I
still put in 50-hour weeks, and haven't called in sick in seven or eight
years. I make a good salary, but I didn't inherit my job or my income,
and I worked to get where I am. Given the economy, there's no retirement
in sight, and I'm tired. Very tired.

I'm tired of being told that I have to "spread the wealth" to people who
don't have my work ethic.
I'm tired of being told the government will take the money I earned, by
force if necessary, and give it to people too lazy to earn it.

I'm tired of being told that I have to pay more taxes to "keep people in
their homes."  Sure, if they lost their jobs or got sick, I'm willing to
help. But if they bought McMansions at three times the price of our
paid-off, $250,000 condo, on one-third of my salary, then let the
left-wing Congress-critters who passed Fannie and Freddie and the
Community Reinvestment Act that created the bubble help them with their
own money.

I'm tired of being told how bad  America  is by left-wing millionaires
like Michael Moore, George Soros and Hollywood Entertainers who live in
luxury because of the opportunities  America  offers. In thirty years,
if they get their way, the United States  will have the economy of
Zimbabwe , the freedom of the press of  China , the crime and violence
of Mexico , the tolerance for Christian people of   Iran , and the
freedom of speech of Venezuela .

I'm tired of being told that Islam is a "Religion of Peace," when every
day I can read dozens of stories of Muslim men killing their sisters,
wives and daughters for their family "honor"; of Muslims rioting over
some slight offense; of Muslims murdering Christian and Jews because
they aren't "believers"; of Muslims burning schools for girls; of
Muslims stoning teenage rape victims to death for "adultery"; of Muslims
mutilating the genitals of little girls; all in the name of Allah,
because the Qur'an and Shari'a law tells them to.

I'm tired of being told that "race doesn't matter" in the post-racial
world of Obama, when it's all that matters in affirmative action jobs,
lower college admission and graduation standards for minorities (harming
them the most), government contract set-asides, tolerance for the ghetto
culture of violence and fatherless children that hurts minorities more
than anyone, and in the appointment of U.S. Senators from Illinois.

I think it's very cool that we have a black president and that a black
child is doing her homework at the desk where Lincoln  wrote the
Emancipation Proclamation. I just wish the black president was Condi
Rice, or someone who believes more in freedom and the individual and
less arrogantly of an all-knowing government.

I'm tired of a news media that thinks Bush's fundraising and inaugural
expenses were obscene, but that think Obama's, at triple the cost, were
wonderful; that thinks Bush exercising daily was a waste of presidential
time, but Obama exercising is a great example for the public to control
weight and stress; that picked over every line of Bush's military
records, but never demanded that Kerry release his; that slammed Palin,
with two years as governor, for being too inexperienced for VP, but
touted Obama with three years as senator as potentially the best
president ever. Wonder why people are dropping their subscriptions or
switching to Fox News?  Get a clue. I didn't vote for Bush in 2000, but
the media and Kerry drove me to his camp in 2004.

I'm tired of being told that out of "tolerance for other cultures" we
must let  Saudi Arabia  use our oil money to fund mosques and madrassa
Islamic schools to preach hate in  America , while no American group is
allowed to fund a church, synagogue or religious school in  Saudi Arabia
to teach love and tolerance.

I'm tired of being told I must lower my living standard to fight global
warming, which no one is allowed to debate. My wife and I live in a
two-bedroom apartment and carpool together five miles to our jobs. We
also own a  three-bedroom condo where our daughter and granddaughter
live. Our carbon footprint is about 5% of Al Gore's, and if you're
greener than Gore, you're green enough.

I'm tired of being told that drug addicts have a disease, and I must
help support and treat them, and pay for the damage they do. Did a giant
germ rush out of a dark alley, grab them, and stuff white powder up
their noses while they tried to fight it off? I don't think Gay people
choose to be Gay, but I damn sure think druggies chose to take drugs.
And I'm tired of harassment from cool people treating me like a freak
when I tell them I never tried marijuana.

I'm tired of illegal aliens being called "undocumented workers,"
especially the ones who aren't working, but are living on welfare or
crime. What's next?  Calling drug dealers, "Undocumented Pharmacists"?
And, no,  I'm not against Hispanics. Most of them are Catholic, and it's
been a few hundred years since Catholics wanted to kill me for my
religion.  I'm willing to fast track for citizenship any Hispanic
person, who can speak English, doesn't have a criminal record and who is
self-supporting without family on welfare, or who serves honorably for
three years in our military.... Those are the citizens we need.

I'm tired of latte liberals and journalists, who would never wear the
uniform of the Republic themselves, or let their entitlement-handicapped
kids near a recruiting station, trashing our military. They and their
kids can sit at home, never having to make split-second decisions under
life and death circumstances, and bad mouth better people than
themselves. Do bad things happen in war?  You bet. Do our troops
sometimes misbehave?  Sure. Does this compare with the atrocities that
were the policy of our enemies for the last fifty years and still are?
Not even close.  So here's the deal. I'll let myself be subjected to all
the humiliation and abuse that was heaped on terrorists at Abu Ghraib or
Gitmo, and the critics can let themselves be subject to captivity by the
Muslims, who tortured and beheaded Daniel Pearl in Pakistan, or the
Muslims who tortured and murdered Marine Lt. Col. William Higgins in
Lebanon, or the Muslims who ran the blood-spattered Al Qaeda torture
rooms our troops found in Iraq, or the Muslims who cut off the heads of
schoolgirls in Indonesia, because the girls were Christian. Then we'll
compare notes. British and American soldiers are the only troops in
history that civilians came to for help and handouts, instead of hiding
from in fear.

I'm tired of people telling me that their party has a corner on virtue
and the other party has a corner on corruption. Read the papers; bums
are bipartisan. And I'm tired of people telling me we need
bipartisanship. I live in  Illinois , where the "Illinois Combine" of
Democrats has worked to loot the public for years. Not to mention the
tax cheats in Obama's cabinet.

I'm tired of hearing wealthy athletes, entertainers and politicians of
both parties talking about innocent mistakes, stupid mistakes or
youthful mistakes, when we all know they think their only mistake was
getting caught. I'm tired of people with a sense of entitlement, rich or
poor.

Speaking of poor, I'm tired of hearing people with air-conditioned
homes, color TVs and two cars called poor. The majority of Americans
didn't have that in 1970, but we didn't know we were "poor." The poverty
pimps have to keep changing the definition of poor to keep the dollars
flowing.

I'm real tired of people who don't take responsibility for their lives
and actions. I'm tired of hearing them blame the government, or
discrimination or big-whatever for their problems.

Yes, I'm damn tired. But I'm also glad to be 63. Because, mostly, I'm
not going to have to see the world these people are making. I'm just
sorry for my granddaughter.

Robert  A. Hall is a Marine  Vietnam  veteran who served five terms in
the  Massachusetts   State  Senate.

THINKABOUTIT

“A psychologist tells the story of a despairing young woman, spent in an endless round of parties, exhausted by the pursuit of pleasure.  When told she should simply stop, she responded, ‘You mean I don’t have to do what I want to do?’”
Charles W. Colson, “The Enduring Revolution,” 1993 Templeton Address.

Nationals Shots

BQF Quiz Nationals in Pittsburgh seem so long ago! But it's only been a few weeks...here's a trio of shots taken by others of yours truly...After all these years (or rather decades) can't express how much of an honor it is to be involved in Bible quizzing...or how much the students amaze me...Such a valuable tool to get teens into the Word, and thus the Word into students...as of May 7 I am the "national representative" for Bible Quiz Fellowship which, among other things, means I will be traveling to existing and potential local quiz programs to assist in any way possible...pray for that opportunity!

Below: me quizmastering the first championship quiz Saturday nite....the back of my head...a most stressful but enjoyable duty:

Probably texting Jane in between quizzes during two days of round-robin competition:

The Midland Ministries quizzers, staff, coaches:

 
Dazzling (terrorizing?) the students with my air-guitar skills on the 17-hour bus ride home!

Not As We Planned

Sometimes in our discipling (and parenting) efforts, things don't turn out just like we anticipated. Oftentimes this is perfectly okay:

Don't Try to Understand Others

I relate rather well to Snoopy's observation:

Yay for Moms!

Especially for Jane E. Hager...the best wife, partner, friend, mommy in the universe:

Tribute to Hardest Working Humans on the Planet

Scenes From "Korean Kamp" 2009

Last summer was my 21st consecutive opportunity to spend a week at Camp Men-0-Lan in Quakertown, PA with Pioneers for Christ, a Korean-American youth ministry...their WEBSITE just posted more photos from last summer, I share a few:

This is the counseling staff...and some old white dude:

Above is the oldest guys cabin...and the same ancient white guy
And below is the oldest girls cabin; next to me are Donny Cho and Angela Wong...now (as of February, Mr. and Mrs. Cho!)

Nitpicking? I Think Not...

I have already recommended (and told you I'd buy it back if you bought it and didn't like it...as long as you began your Amazon journey from here!) "Marks of the Messenger."

The author (J. Mack Stiles) not only has written an very instructive and corrective work (C. J. Mahaney says, "If you, like me, want to grow in evangelism, I highly recommend Mack's book"), but he has a large dose of guts!

Take this, for instance, in which he talks about "me-centered love" in the chapter "Wordly Love and Its Fruits":

Me-centered love easily bleeds into Christian thinking about God's love. We start thinking God's love is about my world and me. We start treating God as a celestial butler, and singing songs that make it hard to tell if Jesus is a savior or a boyfriend. Take this refrain, for instance: "Like a rose, trampled on the ground/You took the fall and thought of me,/Above all."

This song about Christ's crucifixion is wildly popular. But constrast the words of Christ as He approached His crucifixion: "Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name! (John 12.27-28)

Jesus above all desired for the Father to be glorified. He was not thinking of me above the Father. He was not thinking of me more than another person, for that matter. Doesn't this song point to our Western privatized selfishness? Yet Christians by the thousands sing this song and never realize its message is more culture than Bible. Unfortunately this son reinforces a worldly concept that the love of God is focused on me."

(to be fair, the author points out that he does, in fact, like most of Michael W. Smith's other stuff!)

Just in case you're not familiar with the song (which I've always thought was a little, well, odd...) here it is:

A Face Rather Than A Statistic

A friend of a friend (John Carl) put this two minute video together that fleshes out the horrible statistics from the Nashville flood...

Hard to Get Found if You Don't Know You're Lost

J. Gresham Machen:

"A new and more powerful proclamation of law is perhaps the most pressing need of the hour; men would have little difficulty with the gospel if they had only learned the lesson of the law. As it is, they are turning aside from the Christian pathway; they are turning to the village of Morality, and to the house of Mr. Legality, who is reported to be very skillful in relieving men of their burdens… ‘Making Christ Master’ in the life, putting into practice ‘the principles of Christ’ by one’s own efforts-these are merely new ways of earning salvation by one’s obedience to God’s commands."

Amazing...Stunning...

This doesn't rock, isn't snappy, but watch and listen carefully:

The Disinvitation of Franklin Graham

Two things must preface this article - I am ambivalent about the "National Day of Prayer." It may create venues for Christians to get together to pray, much like "See You At The Pole." But....to get all hot and bothered because someone doesn't like it maketh no sense to me...It's, to me, like when someone gives me a petition to sign about getting the 10 Commandments back on the walls of schools etc. I say, "Sure, I'll sign your petition if you can tell me the ten." I've not had to sign a petition yet...

Do we really need a National Day of Prayer? And, if so, do "we" care if the Muslims, the Jehoveh's Witnesses, Native Americans, etc piggy back on it?

I also got barked at a bit by a couple who thought I stressed too much the narrow-minded opinion that Jesus is the only way to heaven at a meeting that was attended by a couple Muslims...not by the Muslims, but by professing Christians...

Yet, as ALBERT MOHLER writes, the reneging of Franklin Graham's invitation to pray is important:

Evangelical Christians in the United States had better see a big challenge staring us in the face. Franklin Graham was disinvited by the Pentagon for making statements that are required by faithfulness to the gospel of Christ.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Marking the National Day of Prayer, evangelist Franklin Graham led in prayer this morning at the Pentagon. Not inside the Pentagon, mind you, but outside, where he led a handful of other Christians in silent prayer.

The recent controversy about Franklin Graham is a sign of things to come. The prominent evangelist, son of Billy Graham, is known for his plain-spoken Christian testimony. He is also an internationally known figure as founder and head of Samaritan’s Purse, a highly respected Christian relief agency. He had been scheduled to speak at the Pentagon today for an official National Day of Prayer event. But, just two weeks ago, he was disinvited by Pentagon officials after complaints were made about his statements concerning Islam.

In the words of the official Pentagon spokesperson, Franklin Graham’s statements about Islam were “not appropriate.” Oddly enough, most in the media seem to have forgotten that the Pentagon faced a similar controversy over Franklin Graham and the very same comments in 2003, when he was invited to speak at an official Pentagon Good Friday service. At that time, the Pentagon stalwartly refused to disinvite Graham. Indeed, the official Pentagon spokesperson said at that time: “While I, personally, would not agree with some of Rev. Graham’s comments and observations, I would defend his right to have his religious views as part of the freedom we have as Americans.”

Someone’s mind clearly changed between 2003 and 2010 — and that someone wasn’t Franklin Graham. News reports about the disinvitation this year indicate that the Army acted after criticism came from activist Mikey Weinstein, who opposes virtually all Christian influence in the armed forces.
Graham, who also serves as this year’s honorary chairman of the National Day of Prayer Task Force, complained that his disinvitation represents intolerance toward biblical Christianity and a violation of his religious liberty.

What did Franklin Graham say that caused such a controversy? In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks, Graham said that Islam is “wicked, violent and not of the same God.” In his book, The Name, Graham said that Christianity and Islam are locked in “a classic struggle that will end with the second coming of Christ.”

In interview after interview, Franklin Graham has repeated his message that salvation is found in Jesus Christ alone, that the gospel of Christ is the only message that offers salvation, and that any belief system that leads persons away from that gospel is false and empty. He has also pressed his case when asked about Islam, arguing that Islam is prone to violence and mistreats women — arguments he says are validated by his experience with relief efforts led by Samaritan’s Purse.

In a recent conversation with Jon Meacham and Lisa Miller of Newsweek, Franklin Graham made these points clearly. In the most important statement of that interview, Graham said this: “I am who I am. I don’t believe that you can get to heaven through being a Buddhist or Hindu. I think Muhammad only leads to the grave. Now, that’s what I believe, and I don’t apologize for my faith. And if it’s divisive, I’m sorry.”
Clearly, for Christians the most important issue here is the exclusivity of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Faced with mounting criticism from secularist and Islamic organizations, the Department of the Army and the Pentagon faced a hard public test — and they failed that test miserably. They caved into activist pressure and withdrew the invitation.

Even on its face, this was not a smart move. An estimated 80 percent of those enlisted in the U.S. armed forces identify as Christians. Put bluntly, citizens with conservative Christian commitments are far more likely to support and enlist in the armed forces than liberal secularists — and recruiters know that fact very well.
Where would you rather serve as an Army recruiter — Cambridge, Massachusetts or College Station, Texas? The Army sent a clear message by disinviting Franklin Graham, and that message will be both heard and remembered.

Adding insult to injury, the spokesman for the Pentagon made a direct reference to Franklin Graham’s statements about Islam, calling them “not appropriate.”  What is clearly “not appropriate” is for a Pentagon spokesperson to render a theological judgment about the statements of Franklin Graham.

When the controversy about Franklin Graham’s statements hit the first round of public controversy, I was asked to appear on Fox News’ The O’Reilly Factor to discuss the controversy. I did, pointing out that what Franklin Graham said about the exclusivity of the gospel is nothing other than classic Christianity.
Evangelical Christians in the United States had better see a big challenge staring us in the face. Franklin Graham was disinvited by the Pentagon for making statements that are required by faithfulness to the gospel of Christ. As reports make clear, it is not just his statements about Islam being prone to violence that cause offense, it is his statements that Islam is wicked because it does not lead to salvation in Christ that cause the greatest offense.

The Pentagon failed its test, but many more tests will follow.

Evangelical Christians in the United States had better see a big challenge staring us in the face. Franklin Graham was disinvited by the Pentagon for making statements that are required by faithfulness to the gospel of Christ.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Marking the National Day of Prayer, evangelist Franklin Graham led in prayer this morning at the Pentagon. Not inside the Pentagon, mind you, but outside, where he led a handful of other Christians in silent prayer.
The recent controversy about Franklin Graham is a sign of things to come. The prominent evangelist, son of Billy Graham, is known for his plain-spoken Christian testimony. He is also an internationally known figure as founder and head of Samaritan’s Purse, a highly respected Christian relief agency. He had been scheduled to speak at the Pentagon today for an official National Day of Prayer event. But, just two weeks ago, he was disinvited by Pentagon officials after complaints were made about his statements concerning Islam.
In the words of the official Pentagon spokesperson, Franklin Graham’s statements about Islam were “not appropriate.” Oddly enough, most in the media seem to have forgotten that the Pentagon faced a similar controversy over Franklin Graham and the very same comments in 2003, when he was invited to speak at an official Pentagon Good Friday service. At that time, the Pentagon stalwartly refused to disinvite Graham. Indeed, the official Pentagon spokesperson said at that time: “While I, personally, would not agree with some of Rev. Graham’s comments and observations, I would defend his right to have his religious views as part of the freedom we have as Americans.”

Related Posts

• Who Will Be Tested Next? — The Dilemma of Franklin Graham (Audio)
• How Should We Speak of Islam? (Audio)
• On The O’Reilly Factor Tonight
• R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Should Christians “Respect” Other Religions? (Audio)
• “The Year of Our Lord” — Diploma Trouble in Texas (Audio)

Someone’s mind clearly changed between 2003 and 2010 — and that someone wasn’t Franklin Graham. News reports about the disinvitation this year indicate that the Army acted after criticism came from activist Mikey Weinstein, who opposes virtually all Christian influence in the armed forces.
Graham, who also serves as this year’s honorary chairman of the National Day of Prayer Task Force, complained that his disinvitation represents intolerance toward biblical Christianity and a violation of his religious liberty.

What did Franklin Graham say that caused such a controversy? In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks, Graham said that Islam is “wicked, violent and not of the same God.” In his book, The Name, Graham said that Christianity and Islam are locked in “a classic struggle that will end with the second coming of Christ.”

In interview after interview, Franklin Graham has repeated his message that salvation is found in Jesus Christ alone, that the gospel of Christ is the only message that offers salvation, and that any belief system that leads persons away from that gospel is false and empty. He has also pressed his case when asked about Islam, arguing that Islam is prone to violence and mistreats women — arguments he says are validated by his experience with relief efforts led by Samaritan’s Purse.

In a recent conversation with Jon Meacham and Lisa Miller of Newsweek, Franklin Graham made these points clearly. In the most important statement of that interview, Graham said this: “I am who I am. I don’t believe that you can get to heaven through being a Buddhist or Hindu. I think Muhammad only leads to the grave. Now, that’s what I believe, and I don’t apologize for my faith. And if it’s divisive, I’m sorry.”

Clearly, for Christians the most important issue here is the exclusivity of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Faced with mounting criticism from secularist and Islamic organizations, the Department of the Army and the Pentagon faced a hard public test — and they failed that test miserably. They caved into activist pressure and withdrew the invitation.

Even on its face, this was not a smart move. An estimated 80 percent of those enlisted in the U.S. armed forces identify as Christians. Put bluntly, citizens with conservative Christian commitments are far more likely to support and enlist in the armed forces than liberal secularists — and recruiters know that fact very well.
Where would you rather serve as an Army recruiter — Cambridge, Massachusetts or College Station, Texas? The Army sent a clear message by disinviting Franklin Graham, and that message will be both heard and remembered.

Adding insult to injury, the spokesman for the Pentagon made a direct reference to Franklin Graham’s statements about Islam, calling them “not appropriate.”  What is clearly “not appropriate” is for a Pentagon spokesperson to render a theological judgment about the statements of Franklin Graham.

When the controversy about Franklin Graham’s statements hit the first round of public controversy, I was asked to appear on Fox News’ The O’Reilly Factor to discuss the controversy. I did, pointing out that what Franklin Graham said about the exclusivity of the gospel is nothing other than classic Christianity.
Evangelical Christians in the United States had better see a big challenge staring us in the face. Franklin Graham was disinvited by the Pentagon for making statements that are required by faithfulness to the gospel of Christ. As reports make clear, it is not just his statements about Islam being prone to violence that cause offense, it is his statements that Islam is wicked because it does not lead to salvation in Christ that cause the greatest offense.

The Pentagon failed its test, but many more tests will follow. Faithful witness to Christ requires an honest statement about what any false system of belief represents — a form of idolatry and false teaching that leads to eternal damnation. There may be more and less offensive ways of saying that, but there is no way to remove the basic offense to the current cultural mind. (and this I, Jack, need to focus on !)
In reality, every evangelical preacher and every individual Christian will face this question — and probably sooner rather than later.
Franklin Graham will not be the last to be tested. Who will be tested next?
to eternal damnation. There may be more and less offensive ways of saying that, but there is no way to remove the basic offense to the current cultural mind.

In reality, every evangelical preacher and every individual Christian will face this question — and probably sooner rather than later.

Franklin Graham will not be the last to be tested. Who will be tested next?