Choose Your Expert

A new study done by Duke University finds that spanking a child may have "detrimental effects on behavior and mental development." The research focused on 2,500 children from low-income families and concluded that children spanked at age 1 tended to behave more aggressively at age 2. Agreeing with these findings, Susan Newman, the author of "Little Things Long Remembered: Making Your Children Feel Special Every Day," said that spanking reinforces negative memories and parents should aim to build "prominent, happy memories." Many other experts agree that parents should never "resort to violence." This study's leader, Lisa Berlin, said, "This is definitely the direction in which American culture is going." (And we all know how well-behaved the typical American child is.)

There is at least one expert who disagrees with the findings, though. His exhaustive knowledge of humanity has lead him to the opposite conclusion. He says, "Don't withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die. If you strike him with a rod, you will save his soul from Hell." This expert goes on to say, "The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother." The expert, whose name is the Great I AM, leaves no doubt where he stands on the spanking issue. He couldn't disagree more with Duke University and all it's child-rearing professionals. The bottom line for God is, "whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him" - no matter what the 'experts' say.

I guess the issue for parents is choosing which expert to believe: the ones who study children or the One who creates children. As for me and my house, we choose the latter.

Education...Indoctrination

President Obama used his rhetorical skills today to deliver a back-to-school speech to the children in our public school system. I read the speech, and it seemed pretty standard. Personally, I think it's good for a president to give a motivational speech to students as they begin a new school year, and I commend Mr. Obama for doing so.

I'm in the minority among conservatives, though.

The news reports that many parents complained about the Obama speech, claiming it is the president's attempt to indoctrinate their children. A few parents I spoke with said, "We don't know what he's going to be telling our kids." Parents feared our nation's leader speaking to their children. Is that not a tell-tale sign of where we are, America? Even still, all their fears turned out to be much ado about nothing because today's speech was just your typical stay in school, work hard message... no indoctrination as far as I could tell.

But it's a fair question for a parent to have, isn't it? What exactly is my young, impressionable child going to hear at school? That seems fair to me. At the same time, it's quite confusing to me. Why complain about a fifteen minute speech but say nothing when your kids sit under someone else's influence 7 hours a day, 5 days a week, 10 months a year? With all due respect, conservatives, that makes no sense to me. I understand that you disagree with Obama. I understand that you fear government take-over of everything. But think it through. Who runs the school system? The government. Who decides what your child is learning? The government. Who influences your child's life from 8:00am to 3:00pm Monday through Friday? The government. Long before they took over GM, the government took over education!

Indoctrination didn't happen in the president's speech today, but it happens in classrooms everyday as evolution is taught as truth, homosexuality is normalized, feminism is propagated, and tolerance is exalted as the greatest virtue. The fifteen minute back-to-school speech was a good thing. It's the fifteen years (ages 3-18) of government indoctrination that concern me.

NPBC, You Got Mail!

New Prospect, we got a letter in the mail today from the International Mission Board of the SBC. According to their calculations, the average member of our church family gave $54.30 to the Lottie Moon (LM) Christmas offering last year. To put that in perspective, we're in the top 4% for missions giving! Out of 45,000 SBC churches, only 1,867 gave as much as we did last year. That's incredible for a couple of reasons.

1) God is at work among us! Generosity is an evidence of grace, which means God the Holy Spirit is doing things in our hearts.
2) People are hearing the Gospel! Through our LM giving, people from every tribe, tongue & nation have access to the good news. Let all the peoples praise Him!
3) People are being sent! How will they hear unless someone tells them? The LM offering is the primary means of supporting thousands of SBC missionaries.
4) We're positioning ourselves for blessings! God blesses those who are serious about blessing the nations. He's not going to bless selfish churches. Thank God for this, and beg Him to let us keep our eyes on the nations and not on ourselves. (And get ready to be blessed!)
2) We're making Christ supreme -- here & around the world. And that's what it's all about.

I say we bump it up to $75 per person this year! What do you think?

Good Quote

This past Lord's Day we looked at John 10:1-21, Jesus is the Good/Model Shepherd. That is something we've probably heard before... though the joy of it never gets old. What may have been surprising - it was for me at least - was the contrast made between Jesus (Good Shepherd) and Pharisees (bad shepherds). We usually quote John 10:10, "The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy" in reference to Satan. But in context, it's actually in reference to bad religious leaders!

Lord, am I a thief among your sheep? As I was examining my own heart as a pastor, I read this by David Wells:

"Far too many leaders and churches are out for the quick kill, the instant success, the enviable numbers, the bulging auditoria, the numbers to be boasted about -- 'my church went from ten to ten thousand once I arrived!' -- the filled parking lots, the success story all dolled up for the pages of Christianity Today or Leadership. All of this is about the short-term interest of the pastor, not the long-term health of the church."

Sheep, beware the many thieves posing as shepherds! And shepherds, be careful with the flock of God!

8 Minus Jon & Kate

Much has been made recently of the marital problems of Jon & Kate Gosselin, famous parents of 8-year-old twins and 5-year-old sextuplets. In tonight's episode of Jon & Kate Plus 8, the couple announced the tragic news that they are separating. I've never followed this show closely, but because of its popularity (especially among evangelical Christians), I feel a pastoral need to speak about it. Before you argue that it's none of our business, be reminded that it was their choice to make their lives public... particularly this sad part of their lives, which I believe God, in His providence, has given us as an example/warning. So let's learn a few things to help us make Christ supreme in our own marriages.

I watched part of the show tonight, and the thing I kept hearing was "it's all for the kids," "we want what's best for the kids," "this is the kids' house, not ours," "I'll do anything for the kids to have peace." Marriages fail when couples put their children before each other. Granted, it must be extremely difficult to raise sextuplets and twins, but it is never impossible to obey God. Christians, learn from this that the most important relationship in your home is not parent-child; it's husband-wife. The best thing you can do for your children is love your spouse!

Another sad reality with this couple is that their relationship, even in the good times, was never obedient to the biblical roles for husband and wife (Eph. 5:22-30). Kate is not a submissive wife. Jon is not a leader. Please understand I'm not throwing stones. If I invited (key word) a TV crew into my house, I'm sure it would reveal my lack of leadership. But it doesn't seem like the Gosselins were even trying to obey God's Word in this area. When those male/female roles are reversed, Satan wins and disaster strikes. Christians, learn from this that God's good design is for men to be the servant-leaders of their homes and women to be helpmates to their husbands.

For Christians, divorce just isn't an option. It cannot be on the table. Yes, God allows two scenarios for divorce (it seems): Adultery (Matt. 19:9) and desertion of an unbelieving spouse (1 Co. 7:15). Yet even in those situations, forgiveness trumps adultery, and, in the case of desertion, it's the unbelieving spouse calling for the divorce, not the believing spouse! Christians, learn that divorce isn't an option for us. Take that choice off the table! No way can that happen! You're in this for life... for better or for worse, remember? You vowed to God that you would work it out no matter what. Keep your word.

The situation for Jon and Kate is awful. That they're putting it on TV for all to see is shameful and defaming the name of Christ. Even still, let it serve as a warning/example for us. Pray for the Gosselin's marriage. Pray for your marriage. Pray for each others' marriages. And as you do, remember that marriage is given, ultimately, to point us to Christ's passionate pursuit of His bride...

... and He never gives up.

Vacation from God?

School lets out Wednesday here in Laurens, unofficially marking the beginning of summer! The weather is great and everybody needs a break by now. My "pastoral advice" to everyone is GO ON VACATION! Plan a trip... get away... have some fun... be refreshed! It will do you and your family a world of good.

Let me give you another pastoral encouragement, though. Don't take a vacation from God. That's so easy to do isn't it? Summertime is busy. The weather is nice. The lake is inviting. It would be so easy to skip worship and spend the Lord's Day having fun in the sun. But remember, it's the Lord's Day, not Our day! You're going to miss worship in your local church this summer. You'll be on family trips, scout camps, etc. As your pastor, I understand that you'll be out of town. And I say go! It's good to get out of town from time to time. But don't skip worship when you're in town! Don't put summer fun before Christ. Don't let Satan deceive you into thinking that the lake brings more joy than Jesus or that a day by the pool is more satisfying than hearing the Word of God. The truth is your greatest happiness and enjoyment comes from a close walk with the Lord. Don't let summer steal that from you!

But even when you're out of town, don't leave God at home. Take Him with you. Here are a few ways to walk with God even on your vacation:

1) Take your Bible with you... don't dare leave home without it!

2) Locate a Bible-believing church in the city you'll be visiting. Why not go to church if you're away on a Sunday? This website and this website will help you locate a good church.

3) If you can't locate a church, then spend time on the Lord's Day in family worship. Read the Bible, pray and sing together. Find a good Bible-preacher on TV (NOT Joel Osteen!) and watch together.

The point is don't allow the summer to stall your relationship with God. He's blessed you with the finances to take that vacation. He created the beautiful beaches and mountains and the nice weather we enjoy. He loves you and invites you to find your greatest enjoyment in Him... even in the summertime.

The Wages of Skin

Miss California, Carrie Prejean, came to fame for an answer she gave at the 2009 Miss USA Pageant. When asked about gay marriage, she responded that her personal belief was that marriage should be between a man and a woman. She was clear about her opinion and respectful of those who disagree. Good answer, right? Well, not everyone thought so. Since the pageant, she has been attacked for her position, and gay rights activists have been seeking a way to strip her of her title.

As of Monday, it looks like they might have found their solution.

Apparently, when Prejean was a teenager she posed semi-nude in hopes to become a Victoria's Secret model. An internet gossip site found and recently published that photograph. She's in trouble because she kept this picture a secret, which breaches her contract with the Miss California officials.

I don't care if she remains Miss California or not. I thought her answer at the pageant took courage, and I commend her for that. I even cited the incident in a sermon recently. But my concern is that she has become a new 'celebrity' for evangelical Christians. She goes to a Christian college. She attends an evangelical church. She is out front talking about her Christian faith. She recently signed with a Christian publicity agency. All that is fine. But read one of her comments in response to this photograph controversy:

"I am a Christian, and I am a model. Models pose for pictures, including lingerie and swimwear photos."

Yes, models pose for those pictures, Ms. Prejean. But my question is, do Christians pose for those kinds pictures... especially the kind that would require one to be semi-nude? The obvious answer to that is, "No!" or at least they shouldn't. Rather than defending this, Ms. Prejean should repent of it. And rather than blindly rallying to her support, the people of God should not accept this casual attitude toward immodesty (at best) and soft core pornography (at worst).

Please don't misunderstand me. I sin every day... every day. My point here is not that Christians never mess up. We do; I do. Carrie Prejean may be a dedicated follower of Christ. I don't know; I've never met her and I'm certainly not against her. But when a physically beautiful woman allows herself to be photographed in a way that exposes much of her body (even in swimwear), knowing that photograph will be seen by countless men, that is sinful.

1 Timothy 2:9 says, "Women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control." Modeling lingerie and swimwear is in direct disobedience to God's Word. And if being a model requires doing those things, then Christians should not model.

You may think this view to be puritanical and irrelevant. But if we're going to affirm what the Bible says about homosexuality, then we've also got to strive to live by what the Bible says about modesty... and everything else. Otherwise, the wages of evangelicals' sin might be complete irrelevance in the culture.

Do Something for Your Marriage

I'm easily distracted. I can be in the middle of something important, see a bird out the window, and before I know it, I've wasted a full five minutes just staring at it... don't act like you don't do it, too! It is so easy to get busy with the non-essential things in life that we neglect the most important things... like our marriages.

Dianna and I just got back from FamilyLife Today's Weekend to Remember. This was such a blessing for us as a couple. It was a reminder that marriages don't typically fail because of huge problems. They fail because we neglect the little, daily things, which grows into a huge problem.

So here's what I'd challenge you with: Do something for your marriage. Take one weekend every year and get away... just you and your spouse. You don't have to attend a conference (though I'm not sure why you wouldn't want to!), but make plans today to spend some time together, giving your spouse the time he/she needs. And, husbands, you should take the initiative here. Grab your calendar, choose a weekend and write: "Marriage Weekend." No hunting, no shopping, no kids, no TV. Just the two of you getting away from the distractions of life, focusing only on loving, honoring, and cherishing each other.

And here's the cool part... doing something for your marriage will do something for your kids, for your church, and even for your community. Your kids will thrive when they sense mom and dad are totally committed to each other. Your church will be healthier when marriage (which is a picture of Christ and His Church) is held in honor. And your community will be stronger since the building block of society is the family.

So be a good neighbor! Be a good parent! Be a good Christ-follower, and do something for your marriage.

The Peak of Perversion

According to a report on Oprah.com, there is a new trend of women leaving their husbands or boyfriends for other women. These women, most married with grown children, aren't necessarily "gay" though. Some of the women interviewed just wanted to see what a same-sex relationship was like. Others stayed with a female partner for awhile and then went back to a male. They call this "sexual fluidity." The days of straight or gay have been replaced with a plethora of sexuality options: transgender, transexual, heteroflexible, intersex, etc.

To put it plainly, America is at the peak of perversion. Women are casually forsaking their husbands & children and entering intimate relationships with other women. Female teachers are preying on young students in schools. And I'm afraid Melissa Huckaby will be but the first in a line of female rapists/child abusers. As Pastor John MacArthur said of cultural decline, "The women are the last to go."

Romans 1:18-32, a passage that speaks of God's wrath toward unrighteousness, says, "God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature." This is the peak of perversion, and America reached it quickly.

Reaching this 'summit' of casual lesbianism has long been the goal of feminist philosophy. For proof, look no further than the article on Oprah.com:

"Feminist theorists were among the first to begin to uncouple sex from gender. In 1949 French philosopher Simone de Beauvoir published her groundbreaking book The Second Sex, with the famous line, "One is not born, but becomes a woman," suggesting that classic female characteristics—passivity, shyness, nurturing—aren't just biological but are embedded by parents and culture. Today, after the women's liberation movement's crusade for equality between the sexes, thinkers are challenging the very definition of gender roles."

The goal of feminism is a woman without a man, and men without masculinity. When we remove all of the God-given gender distinctions, the obvious next step is homosexuality. It is no accident that the churches who accepted female pastors in the 1970-80's are now lining up to accept homosexual pastors. A gender-neutral world is the dream-come-true for feminism.

The saddest line in the entire Oprah article came from a woman who recently 'married' another woman. She said, "We've been through hell, but now we're in heaven." She and her partner are now in 'heaven.' They have fulfilled the 'dream,' reached the 'summit.' It sends chills up my spine to realize that one woman's summit was her family's rock bottom; feminism's dream is our nation's nightmare; that lesbian couple's heaven will usher them to their hell.

Pray that the women in our society would see through the demonic lies of feminism. Pray that God would protect our families against this evil. Pray that the church would be a pure, powerful, compassionate witness in the midst of such perversion. Pray.

A Christian Muslim?

Episcopal minister Ann Holmes Redding claims to be both a Christian and a Muslim. Her 'conversion' happened while attending an inter-faith gathering where a Muslim imam led in prayer. She was struck by his humility and decided that she wanted what he had.

Reddings says that her Muslim faith doesn't conflict with her Christian faith or with her being a minister. In fact, she says that being a Muslim makes her a better Christian. She acknowledges that most people don't see how she can be both religions but says, "It simply hasn't been my experience that I have to make a choice between the two."

A few thoughts on this...

1. Christianity is the only True Religion. Christian, you have the real deal, the best deal, the only deal! Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." God the Father testified to Jesus' authenticity at many points (His baptism -Matt. 3:17, The Transfiguration -Matt. 17:5, and ultimately at the Resurrection -Phil. 2:9-11).

2. Both Christianity and Islam are exclusive religions. Thus, claiming to be both is ridiculous and evidence that Ms. Redding truly believes neither religion. The Bible teaches that there is no other name under heaven by which men can be saved. The Koran teaches that infidels (non-Muslims) should either convert or be killed. Neither religion embraces the other.

3. Liberalism's absurdity is limitless. The Episcopal church is in a mess, and this is just another sign of it. I'm glad that they actually put their foot down by not allowing one of their ministers to adhere to another religion. But judging by their history, I was surprised.

They are a denomination that has completely deconstructed God's Word. God doesn't allow women to serve as pastors; Episcopals do. God calls homosexuality a sin; Episcopals don't.

When you strip the Word of God of its authority, the possibilities of beliefs and practices are endless. Without the Word, we are left to our own imaginations and experiences, which can lead to some crazy stuff... like ministers who are Christian Muslims.

Our Humble Example

Tonight (Wednesday) we spent our time together as believers focusing our attention specifically on the work of God the Son, Jesus Christ. There's no better mid-week boost to your faith than that! We looked at Christ's humiliation (birth, life and death) and His exaltation (resurrection, ascension, second coming, etc.).

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There's a spiritual "law" that is visible in Christ's humiliation and exaltation. It's found in 1 Peter 5:6 "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you." Christ humbled Himself therefore God has highly exalted Him (Philippians 2:9). Likewise, those who will humble themselves here and now will be highly exalted by God on the Last Day. Following Christ is all about humility.

So how do I need to humble myself? Here's three things for starters:

1. Admit the wickedness of my sin and my desperate need for Christ. And do this daily!

2. Acknowledge that my ideas and opinions are marred by my sin, and turn to God's Word for answers.

3. Serve someone. Begin in your home (do the dishes, surrender the remote!). Then look for ways to serve your church family (visit a widow, keep the nursery). Then look around to those who do not know Christ and serve them (bake them cookies, fix their sink). Look for ways to put other's need before your own... just like Jesus did for you!
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"The meek shall inherit the earth." Matthew 5:5

"The first shall be last." Matthew 19:30

The humble will be exalted.

Is Jesus God?

We've been studying the Gospel of John, and I hope you're getting the point: Jesus is God!

John 1:1 - "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

John 1:18 - "No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known."

John 5:18 - "This is why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because... he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God."

John 20:28 - "My Lord and my God!"

Plus plenty of other verses...

Now if you were asked, "Is Jesus God?" you'd probably say, "Yea... of course." But if someone looked at your life would they be able to see that Jesus is God? Believing that Jesus is God means that you're living as though He is. For instance, if you believed your house was on fire you would try to get out, right? If you believed you had a terrible disease you would seek treatment, right? What we believe (really believe) changes how we live. And that's precisely the kind of believing spoken of in John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

So let me throw the question at you again: Is Jesus God?

Is He God of your attitude? Is He Lord of your thoughts/opinions? Is He Master of your finances? Is He Boss of your language? Is He Ruler of your relationships?

Despite what you might have been told in the past, this is what it means to be a real Christian. Jesus Christ is the boss of your thoughts, words, and deeds. Anything less than this isn't really believing.

And, by the way, embracing Jesus as Lord is in no way a restrictive kill-joy kind of thing. He is gracious, generous, loving, enjoyable, patient, truthful, powerful, purposeful! Who better to rule my life?! Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Live It!

One of the legendary excuses people give for not coming to church has to do with the number of hypocrites who attend church. A hypocrite (biblically speaking) is someone who claims to have a relationship with God, but does not live like it.

Know anyone like that? Yea... me, too.

That's why I agree with the folks who point out all the hypocrites at church. They're right. Sadly, Southern Baptist churches (I'll just speak for my own denomination) are filled with hypocrites. Men who are cruel to their wives and then teach Sunday School. Women who curse and slander others and then join the prayer chain. Business people who rip others off and then help count the offering. Young couples who party on Friday and 'worship' on Sunday. Preachers who neglect their families and then try to lead God's family. Gag!

Unbelievers hate hypocrites. I hate hypocrisy (especially when I see it in my own life). But that's nothing compared to how Jesus feels about it. He says, "Woe to you hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleaness. (Matt. 23:27)" You look good on the outside... you go through all the outward rituals, but nothing has changed in your heart!

Get it -- Real Christianity is Living Faith! It changes your life. It changes your business practices, changes your marriage, changes your work ethic, changes your attitude. Jesus says real faith/saving faith is a living faith. He won't have it any other way.

So, as a pastor, here's where I hope this blog can help. I cannot live my faith by myself. I need other Christians around encouraging, correcting, & shaping me. That's why Jesus put us together in local churches. And I want this blog, as a part of our local church, to exist in order to:

(1) Wake up "so-called Christians" (i.e. hypocrites) to see they are NOT okay. They need a life-chaning encounter with Jesus Christ.
(2) Encourage true Christians to live it out. Fight the good fight... don't back down... pursue Christ with everything you've got!
(3) Show non-Christians that Jesus is real. Jesus is alive. Jesus is forgiving & changing sinners like me. And He will do it for you, too!

Join me on this journey of Living Faith!