I’m so excited for the new sermon series beginning this Sunday at Westlake. I’ve often said it is a series eight months in the making. Every week the question, who’s your one, has been asked. Now, we as a church are going to embark on a five week journey studying the power of one in the hands of God. We have an aquarium in the foyer that says, who’s your one? We are going to use three different color ping pong balls to fill this aquarium. The ones that we are specifically praying for by name will have their first name written on a white ping pong ball. When we share the Gospel with someone, we will write their first name on a yellow ping pong ball. And when God in His grace saves someone, we will write their first name on a red/pink ping pong ball. It is to be a visual reminder of our responsibility and God’s faithfulness. The white and yellow balls remind us of our responsibility to pray for the lost and to share the Gospel. The red/pink balls are a reminder of God’s grace and His commitment to His plan of redeeming lost sinners to Himself for His glory. I’m grateful to the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention for making this an emphasis, and for producing materials to help churches in this endeavor. But I want to share in the remainder of this post what is really driving this emphasis for me, and why it is at this time that we are going to do it, because again, I have asked this question every week for the last eight months.

The impetus for this comes out of Ezekiel 22:23-31. God in speaking to and through the prophet Ezekiel is explaining why Judah (southern kingdom of Israel) is experiencing the judgment they are. It is a powerful, yet sad indictment against the people. The Lord says that their are false prophets who are lying and taking advantage of the people, the government officials are corrupt by shedding innocent blood and taking advantage of the people, abusing their authority, and the people themselves are living no differently than the other nations around them even though they had been called by God to live a holy life. They are killing innocent people, they are taking advantage of the poor and needy, neglected the widows, neglecting and taking advantage of the foreigners in their nation (what we would call today the immigrants), and they were robbing one another. I have to be honest, as I look at that list, I can’t help but take Judah’s name out of there and put in its place the United States of America. I am not saying that the USA has replaced Israel as God’s chosen people. That is a dangerous and frankly a false teaching that should be condemned from every pulpit in America. However, America has been blessed by God, and our nation was founded upon Judeo-Christian values. Since our nation’s inception, we have enjoyed religious freedom which has allowed the Bible to be taught, and churches to minister freely in the nation. Yet, we are a nation of corrupt government which sheds innocent blood through abortion in the name of choice and convenience. We have a government that has redefined marriage from what God calls holy to something that is not only unholy but condemned by God. We have overlooked the poor, the needy, and the immigrant within our borders. Just yesterday, the United States House of Representatives passed H.R. 5, the so called Equality Act. This is a very dangerous piece of legislation that need to be defeated. It is so dangerous and such an overstep by the government that something I don’t ever think has happened before is happening, feminist groups and Christian groups are aligning to condemn this bill. H.R. 5 will not only redefine our understanding of sex or gender, but it will put the lives of our daughters in danger. I have much more to say on H.R. 5, but that will be another post at another time. The point is, our current government is following in the same footsteps of the government in Israel in Ezekiel’s day. But this isn’t just a government issue. Churches are full of false prophets and false teachers that are tickling the ears of hundreds of thousands of people each week, and lulling them to sleep with self-help, moralistic teaching that will not lead to salvation but rather condemnation of those who hear these messages. In many Christian circles, conspiracy theories about the government are spread faster and more often than the Gospel is shared. We are so busy trying to get the officials we feel should be in office in there, we have completely ignored our calling as the church. While we fight over elections, we are allowing people to go to hell without ever hearing the Gospel. Yes, we need to be involved in politics as Christians. Yes, we need men and women who loves Jesus and use a biblical worldview to make decisions in governing this nation. However, we cannot lose sight of our primary calling, to make disciples of all nations. This includes not just those who have been born in America, but also those who have come to America from other places. While illegal immigration is, well, illegal, it doesn’t mean that those people aren’t image bearers of God who are separated from God by sin, and in need of hearing the Gospel that God in His grace might save them. Hopefully I have been able to prove my point about where our nation is right now, and how it relates to Israel in Ezekiel’s day. But there is more.

In Ezekiel 22:30 it says, “And I (God) sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me, that I should not destroy it, but I found none” (bold for emphasis). God sought someone, anyone, who would stand up and stand in that gap. Someone who would take to God on behalf of men, and then go talk to people on behalf of God. Someone who would stand up and say ,”This isn’t right, we are going in the wrong direction.” And that last phrase is so painful to read, “but I found none.” In verse 31 God says that is why He destroyed the land and sent the people into captivity. This is the impetus for the series, Who’s Your One, now. Our nation is in a dangerous place. While we as Christians might often blame the lost for where we are as a nation, I believe that is wrong of us. I believe it is something we should confess and repent of immediately. We are in the position we are in, because we as Christians and churches have not stood in that gap. We have not prayed for our government enough. We have misplaced priorities which has led to misaligned worship. Instead of seeking to please God by making disciples and living holy lives, we have been too busy trying to live a comfortable life. We do everything we can to protect religious freedom, yet we do nothing with it while we have it. We act as though as Christians we must have freedom to do the Lord’s work. Yet, I would challenge you to go and study the Bible, especially the New Testament, and tell me where you see freedom of religion in there. Find that passage that says Christians will have an easy time while on earth. I will save you some trouble, you won’t find those concepts. What we will find is Jesus repeatedly telling His disciples to expect persecution, to expect living in danger, and expect to lose freedom and in some cases even your life for the sake of the Gospel. Maybe what we have been protecting is what is actually keeping us from fulfilling God’s mission for our lives.

I have been very bold and blunt in this post. Maybe too bold and blunt. If so, I sincerely and humbly ask for your forgiveness. My heart and I know the hearts of others are breaking for this nation, for this world, and for the condition of the church. This seems like such a monumental and insurmountable task. Yet, God has given us the Holy Spirit to live inside of us and to work through us. In the power of the Holy Spirit, we have everything we need. He will give us the grace, the power, the mercy, the love, and the grace to fulfill His calling on our lives and on our churches. The only question that remains is this, will be make ourselves available to God so that He can accomplish His plan in us and through us? A clergyman by the name of Edward Hale, who I do not agree with His theology, said, “I am only one; but still I am one. I cannot do everything; but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.” It starts where you are. It starts right now. Will you start today?

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Justin

James 3:2 says, “For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.” He then goes on to talk even more about our tongue. He says it is like a rudder of a ship, and that it is like a small spark that blazes a forrest fire. I think we can all agree that we have seen the truth of these words play out on our television screens and in our social media feeds over the last several weeks. Whether you believe the former President incited a mob or not, that really isn’t the point. The point is, our words carry meaning and power. As James says, our words can bless or curse, but they shouldn’t do both. But this isn’t just about a politician, this is about your words and my words. No, we may not have a podium with a seal and a national audience, but there are still people who listen to us, and that we influence. We have to know that there is a time for fiery rhetoric or exaggeration, and there is a time to be measured and straightforward. I will admit, that I sometimes forget that line, and I step across the line. Sometimes, I allow the events of the day to shape my interactions with my family when I get home. Then, there are times in which I feel like I need to say something, when in fact it would be best if I just stayed silent. I try to remind myself of Proverbs 10:19, “When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.” Solomon there is reminding us that the more we talk, the more likely we are to sin. However, when we show restraint and don’t constantly keep our mouth open, we are less likely to do lasting damage. I think of the parent who constantly yells at their child or is constantly critical of them. While they may believe they are helping the child, they are in fact doing the exact opposite. There are times in which someone has hurt us, and in our hurt we want to lash back at them. In those times may we remember Proverbs 15:1, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” I forget where I read it, but I saw something that said, “when the heart is hurting it is best to keep the mouth closed.” There is a lot of wisdom in that. Of course, one thing that has been very prevalent over the last couple of weeks are conspiracy theories. Again, Scripture has something to say to this, “The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour our folly” (Prov. 15:2). There are other verses that speak of not telling and re-telling “fables and wives tales.” It doesn’t mean don’t read stories, it means to watch what you accept as fact and repeat as fact. This has greatly concerned me the most in the church. I have watched with a saddened heart over the last couple of weeks, people of a strong faith spouting off various conspiracy theories or repeating predictions from a supposed “prophet.” What happens when we give in to this is we weaken our witness to a lost world. When we follow a false prophet or repeat their dubious claims, we call into question the truthfulness of Scripture in people’s minds. When we spend more time debating politics on social media than we do praying for and looking for ways to share the Gospel with people in person or on social media, we are allowing Satan to distract us from our mission. It’s not wrong to speak up when politics intersects the Bible and our faith. However, we must ask ourselves, do people know who we are for or just what we are against? Have they heard the truth about their eternal reality without Jesus, or have they just heard my thoughts on the politics of the day? The truth is, we only have so much time in our life to speak truth into people’s lives, and we can’t afford to waste that time. A person can go to heaven if they disagree with us politically, but they have truly surrendered to King Jesus. However, they can’t go to heaven if they haven’t surrendered to King Jesus. Therefore, which do you think is more important for us to share?

Let’s use our words to encourage and to build one another up. Let’s use our words to speak truth into people’s lives. Let’s use our words to tell them about the Gospel and King Jesus. As Paul said in Ephesians 5, “let us redeem the time, because the days are evil.”

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Justin

Tomorrow something major is happening in our nation’s capital. The transition of power will officially take place as the 46th President of the United States of America will be sworn in. I will not get into a political debate, I do not want to listen to or argue over conspiracy theories, or any of those things. For the last 10 days I have to admit that I have been worn out mentally and emotionally with everything going on in our nation. My heart is broken for our nation. However you feel about the incoming administration, the reality is, there will be a new administration by lunchtime tomorrow. I will say that I do have hesitations and reservations about this incoming administration. Not because of who they are, but rather what they stand for. I will also admit that the current Republican Party has its own demons, and is far from perfect. I am a Christian first and an American citizen second. My allegiance is first and foremost to the Lord Jesus Christ and His kingdom. Because of this, I can face uncertain days and times with absolute confidence that it is going to be ok. It doesn’t meant that it will be easy, but I know that in the end it will all work out for God’s glory and my good. I know this because Jesus settled the outcome and my eternity long ago, when He died on the cross for my sins, and rose from the dead three days later. To my brothers and sisters in Christ who are panicking right now about the incoming administration, I want to say two things to you. First, I understand your apprehension. As I said, I have some angst over some policies that will be enacted. However, and this is the biggest one for me, do not be afraid; instead, let this be a time in which our faith and trust in Jesus Christ shines through. Jesus in talking to His disciples said this in Luke 12:4-5, “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!”

Jesus is telling us some important truths in these verses. First, Jesus is warning His disciples that they will face persecution. Let there be no doubt that if we are to live for the glory of God and the kingdom of God, we will be aliens in this world. Regardless of who is in the White House, Christians will stand out and be opposed by all who are against King Jesus. Second, Jesus is telling us that man’s judgment is temporary. Yes, they could beat us. Yes, they could imprison us. Yes, they could take our life from us. They can do all of that only if Jesus allows them to do that. But when they have done it to us, then it is over. They can harm our body, but they cannot touch our soul because that belongs to God. Which leads to the last, and most important truth as we face uncertain days, Jesus is calling on us to be ready to die for Him and to trust that He has it all under control. For a Christian, death is not to be feared. Death for a Christian isn’t the absence of life, instead it is the beginning of experiencing true, eternal life. We should not be afraid of what man could temporarily do to us. Rather, we should be in awe of what an eternal God could do, and will do to those who die having rejected Him. Therefore, the question we must answer is this, are we prepared to meet Jesus? If we are, then we have no reason to fear what may or may not happen in this life. Therefore, let us pray for this incoming President, whether we agree with him or not. Let us pray that God would graciously convict his heart, and save him. Let us pray that God would give him wisdom in how to govern. Let us pray that we as Christians will not ruin our testimony by spewing hatred towards those we disagree with. Let us be faithful to share the Gospel with those we encounter in life. And let us praise God, that by His grace we are ready to stand before Him whenever that day comes.

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Justin

Happy New Year! After a small break and recovery from writing so much in 2020, we are back and excited for 2021. Since I last posted here there has been a lot going on in the world, and certainly here in our nation. I am going to refrain from talking about what is going on in America for the most part. There are several reasons, but one of the biggest is why I am writing this post today, the danger of distractions. One thing that the devil loves to do is to distract Christians from our calling. He is a good sleight of hand magician. He wants you looking over here while he does something with the other hand over there. What the world needs now is an undivided, unafraid church boldly living and proclaiming the Gospel. In Luke 9, Jesus tells His disciples about counting the cost of being a disciple. Towards the end of the chapter, Jesus says something that seems harsh and something that sounds weird to the modern-day reader. Jesus says in Luke 9:60-62, “And Jesus said to him, ‘Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’ Yet another said, ‘I will follow You, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.’ Jesus said to him, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.'”

At first glance, it seems as though Jesus is trying to talk people out of following Him. Is He really doing that? Well, yes and no. No, Jesus doesn’t want someone to not be saved. But, yes, He doesn’t want them being half-hearted in their commitment to Him and the kingdom. He wants them to understand what it means to be His disciple. My guess is you have a friend or maybe even a boss who says they will do something, but then seldom actually follows through with it. That is incredibly frustrating isn’t it? Not only does it seem like Jesus is trying to talk people out of following Him, but it also seems as though Jesus is uncaring. He tells one guy who wants to bury his father, “Let the dead bury their own dead.” However, this man wasn’t asking to attend his father’s funeral or to have a time of mourning for his father. Instead, he is wanting to delay his obedience to Jesus’ call. If Jesus is truly the Lord of our life, when He tells us something, the only appropriate response is “Yes, Lord.” Jesus was telling this man that to be His disciple means that his commitment to Jesus is deeper and more important in his life than all other relationships and commitments. What about the last one who said he would follow Jesus? What is Jesus getting at when He talks about “looking back” and “not being fit for the kingdom of God”? It is similar to the previous one. Jesus knew that if this man delayed in obedience, he would never obey. The pull of our old life would be too strong. While we all know that things change, the reality is that we like the way things are. They are comfortable, and we like comfort. We will even admit that things are not ideal, and that things need to change. So, why don’t they change? Because we like comfort, and there is comfort in the familiar. Jesus uses an agricultural illustration, because this would have made sense to His audience. Jesus is saying that when someone is plowing a garden to get ready to plant crops, they need to plow straight lines. However, if they are holding on to the plow, and they look back, they won’t plow straight lines. Try this, and you will see Jesus’ point, put a straight line down on the floor, start walking, and then look back and try to keep walking a straight line. I’ll save you the time, you won’t be able to to do it. Jesus is saying, if we allow our old, familiar, and comfortable life to continue to influence us, we will never follow Jesus as His disciple. There has to be a break from the old, and a commitment to the new. By the way, this same illustration is applied to marriage back in Genesis 2, Matthew 19, and Ephesians 5. But what does this have to do with our situation today?

Satan is distracting many Christians with politics, and it is diverting our attention away from the kingdom of God. Regardless of your political persuasion, you want what you want. You are convinced that your political party’s platform and plans are the best for everyone. You believe that if your party is in power, then everything will be better. It is a belief that the good of the world rises and falls with America. It is what is referred to as nationalism, a term you have probably heard many, many times over the past year. For what it is worth, it is not just a one party issue, both parties suffer from it. Here is the danger for Christians, when we are more concerned with the well-being of America, temporary politics overpower our allegiance to the kingdom of God. The world, including America, rises and falls according to the plan and purposes of God. Neither political party will save this nation, nor will one party destroy this nation. Why do I say this? Because, no one can save themselves, let alone a political party. And both parties are made up of fallen, sinful people in need of a Savior. Do Christians need to be a part of the political process? Absolutely! They should pray for the nation and its leaders every day (1 Tim. 2:1-2), we should seek the good of the nation (Jer. 29:7), and we should participate in the process every four years. However, our allegiance must be solely to the kingdom of God, and neither political party has the market cornered on that. Christians must not lose our voice in the public square by pandering to either party. We must call sin out on both sides, and we must boldly, and unapologetically proclaim the Gospel as the only hope for politics, the nation, and the world. Satan is ok if we continue to play partisan politics and get caught up in crazy conspiracy theories. And is Satan is ok with it, that should tell you something right there. It should tell you that God is not ok with it. Christians, the world is in a dark place right now. There are many problems. The world does not need a distracted church. The world needs a Gospel living and Gospel declaring church. So, let’s be that!

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Justin

As I sit here and write this, it is Christmas Eve. The night before the “big”day. I can’t help but try and think of what it must have been like the night before Mary gave birth to Jesus. Yes, I am aware that Jesus more than likely wasn’t born on December 25th. Yes, I am aware of why December 25th was chosen to be the day we celebrate Jesus’ birth. So, I’m not talking about December 24th as the day before, I’m talking about the actual night before His birth. I wonder if Mary knew that the next day would be the day she would give birth? My guess is probably not. I can clearly remember the days leading up to the birth of our oldest son, Andrew. Diana and I had excitement and anticipation, but we had no idea when it was going to happen. She would go through an entire day heading to Bethlehem, and before the night was over, she would experience the pain of childbirth and the joy of motherhood. Not only would that night change Mary and Joseph’s life, it would change the world.

I can’t help but think about some parallels to that night and 2020. As we were celebrating Christmas in 2019, many people were talking about how they couldn’t wait until 2020. 2020 came in normal enough. But no one knew what was coming in March of 2020, except God of course. While we certainly didn’t have anticipation of a pandemic, COVID-19 took our nation by surprise just as the labor pains took Mary by surprise. Just like the pain Mary went through the night she birthed Jesus, our nation and the world has suffered great pain during this pandemic. Yet, once Mary delivered Jesus, the pain seemingly disappeared and it was replaced by joy. This is why the Bible speaks of how a woman is in pain during childbirth, but as soon as the child is delivered forgets the pain because the child has been born. Yes, we have suffered as a nation. Yes, we have experienced great loss over the last nine months. But it is also true that some good has come out of this pandemic. Families have been around the table more having meals together, schedules have been cleared up to allow margin in our lives, and at least for a while there was a desire in people to understand what was going on and how God is a part of it. Over the past couple of days, a church in Tennessee, Long Hollow Baptist, has seen over 100 people baptized. Long Hollow’s pastor, Robby Gallaty, has described it as something he has never seen, and that it is clear that God is answering the prayers that have been prayed. Mary was pregnant for nine months before delivering Jesus. We have been in this pandemic for nine months. Is there a clearing of the pain and joy coming soon? I don’t know. But what I do know is that no matter what comes in the end of 2020 and into 2021, God is fully in control. There is a plan and a purpose behind all of this. As Psalm 30:5 says, “There may be weeping for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”

On behalf of Westlake Baptist Church, Diana, our children, and myself, Merry Christmas. May God bless you and your family not only during this Christmas season, but in the days, weeks, months, and years ahead as you seek Him. One final “programming” note, I will write the final entry for our series, Blogging Through The Bible in 2020 on Monday, December 28th. I hope you will read it, and I hope that this yearlong series has been a blessing and encouragement to you. Merry Christmas and God bless.

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Justin