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Jan 13

Regrets

Posted on January 13, 2014 by admin

I read a very interesting article today about a man by the name of Mikhailo Kalashnikov.  For those of you who may not be familiar with that name, he is the creator of the AK-47 gun.  Kalashnikov died recently, but he wrote a very interesting letter shortly before his death.  The letter deals with his regret over creating the gun.  One quote that stood out to me was this, “My soul aches; it is unbearable. I face the same unsolvable question: If my gun killed people, then I, Mikhailo Kalashnikov, 93 years old, a peasant’s son, a Christian and Orthodox believer, is guilty in people’s death, even if they were enemies” (full article can be found here, http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/01/13/my-soul-aches-dying-kalashnikov-felt-guilt-over-blood-spilled-by-ak-47/).  The article says that Mr. Kalashnikov wrote this letter to the leader of the Russian Orthodox church.  It is clear from the article that Mr. Kalashnikov was ridden with guilt over his creation and the purpose it served.  Do you bear a similar hurt or guilt from your past?  You may not have been a mass murderer or even the producer of something that killed many people, but is there something in your past that you are struggling to let go of like Mr. Kalashnikov was?  You past certainly does impact your present, but it doesn’t have to define you or your future.  There is another story of a famous person who had a deep regret in his life for the longest time.  His name is John Newton.  Mr. Newton wrote one of the most beloved hymns of the church, “Amazing Grace.”  Would you be shocked to know that for a time Mr. Newton was actually a slave ship captain at one point in his life?  But what about you, what in your past still haunts you?

I believe many of us harbor some past regrets, some things that if we could go back and change we would, but alas we know that simply can’t happen.  The problem is we have allowed the devil to keep us in that bondage.  We have bought into the lies that no one would love us or want to be around us if they knew what we had done.  We have listened to the devil whisper, how could God love someone like you for far too long.  And so if we are going to move forward from these regrets we are going to have to get the biblical account and set the record straight.  Point number one is all sin is the same in God’s eyes (Rom. 3:23; Jam. 2:10).  The world and sometimes the church may try to say some sin is worse than others, but that is not God’s point of view.  God sees all sin the same.  Point number two is Jesus came and died for what John Newton described as “a wretch like me.”  The truth is that Jesus died for the world, not simply those who seek after Him, but even for those who are running as far as they can in the opposite direction (John 3:16; Rom. 5:8).  Point number three is that we can be forgiven of any and all sins if we turn in faith to Jesus, trusting that His death upon that cross was sufficient to pay for all of our sins.  Salvation, forgiveness, and deliverance have nothing to do with what you and I do or could do, it is based entirely on what Jesus has already done on the cross (Eph. 2:8-9).  The truth is the only sin that we can’t be forgiven for is not accepting Jesus before we die.  The Bible says that when we confess our sins (which means agree with Jesus that what we did is wrong and turn from them to Him), He will forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).  What does God do with our sins when He forgives us?  Psalm 103:12 tells us that He casts them as far as the east is from the west.  The final point is when we accept Jesus, He frees us from our bondage and our baggage (John 8:31-32).  We are no longer slaves to sin.  The Bible says that we are clothed in the righteousness (right standing) of Christ.  No longer will we be judged on our actions, but rather we are released from that judgment through God’s grace.  Only when we have a relationship with Christ can our past be wiped clean.  Only when we know who we are in Christ, can we have peace and reconcile our past.  I may not be what I should be, I’m not yet what I will be, but thank God I’m not who I use to be!  Because of the blood of Jesus Christ, my past is forgiven, I am made new, I have a glorious future.  This is possible when we come to Christ in faith.  Therefore, I can say unequivocally the only way to live and die regret free is to surrender to Jesus Christ, let Him deal with our past and change our future.

By His grace and through His strength may we live for Him

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Jan 07

Actions vs. Intentions

Posted on January 7, 2014 by admin

Have you ever done something, but it turned out differently than you thought it was going to?  You may have meant to help someone, but in the end you actually hurt them?  These sort of things are common, yet they can have long-lasting ramifications.  I read a great quote earlier this week, unfortunately I can’t remember where I read it or who said it (my apologies to that person).  The quote said, “we judge people based on their actions while expecting everyone else to judge us by our intentions.”  I think that is one of the most accurate assessments I have read in a long time.  If you are on Facebook you have seen this time and time again unfortunately.  Someone will say something or do something and then all of the sudden there is a massive backlash against them.  Obviously one recent occurrence of this has been concerning Phil Robertson and Duck Dynasty.  Feelings run very deep on both sides of the controversy.  However, the one thing that is consistent on both sides of the argument is this, each side is judging those on the other side.  Each side is claiming to be tolerant of all people, loving all people, and for equality for all people.  However, neither side is achieving what they are claiming.

Jesus talked about judgment in Matthew 7:1-6.  Now please do not make the mistake to simply quote the first verse of “judge not let ye be judged.”  You need to read the entire context of what is being said.  Jesus is talking about do not judge others when you yourself are doing the same thing.  Hence, “don’t judge a person based on their actions while expecting everyone else to judge you by your intentions.”  One of the most frustrating parts of the Phil Robertson controversy was the blatant hypocrisy on both sides.  For those who want to claim “free speech” you must understand that free speech gives you the right to say what you want, but it doesn’t protect you from the consequences that may come as a result of those you represent not agreeing with you.  For those who claim “tolerance” and “equality” you forfeit the right to say you are “tolerant” or want “equality” when you punish those whom you disagree with.  So that it does not appear as though I am casting stones at those who have voiced their opinion regarding Mr. Robertson’s opinion without giving mine I will say where I stand.  This will not come as a surprise, but I completely agree with what the Bible says about homosexuality.  It is a sin, it is condemned in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.  However, as Mr. Robertson also pointed out, the Bible condemns all forms of sin.  Therefore, the sins that I commit put me under the same condemnation as a homosexual.  That is why Jesus came to earth and gave His life for us.  Without the sacrifice of Christ, we are all in trouble.

The point is this, you must decide are you going to make up your mind based on the actions of a person or the intent behind the actions?  Whichever, you choose you must also be ok with others doing the same to you (good luck with that by the way).  Why not leave the judging up to the only One who sees both the actions and the intentions as we see in Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”  That frees us up to look past the mistakes made and see a person who needs the love of God in their life.  It frees us up to give people the benefit of the doubt when they hurt us (and yes they will still hurt us).  It ultimately frees us up to love our neighbor as our self which is the second greatest commandment (Mt. 22:39).

By His grace and through His strength may we live for Him

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Jan 04

A Hard Part of Being a Parent

Posted on January 4, 2014 by admin

I love being a dad to four beautiful, wonderful children.  Like every parent though, some days are easier than others.  Yesterday had one of those difficult moments.  The good thing about difficult moments is that they can be teaching moments if handled properly.  Here is the scene from yesterday.  Eli, our oldest, has some chapped lips.  He asked for chap stick.  He thought it was out in our van, which is generally a pretty good guess.  So he put his shoes on and ran out to the van.  When he came in he announced, “I used it and put it right back.”  That statement set off some bells in my and my wife’s head.  The question I wanted to ask was, “who are you and what did you do with my Eli?”  However, very calmly Diana asked Eli, “why didn’t you bring it in?”  He then calmly turns around and goes back out to the van.  Just a minute or so later it happened.  Our seven year old son comes back into the house balling his eyes out.  As he burst through the door he made a pronouncement, “mommy, daddy I lied.”  Crying almost uncontrollably at this point, he and Diana went into our bedroom to talk.  After a few moments of discussion, Diana and I had a talk with one question, do we punish him further?  Obviously this little fella was hurting and heart broken over what he did.  I told Diana I didn’t think we had a choice, he needed some further consequences because he did knowingly, willingly lie.  I thought it was great that his conscience bothered him enough to cry about it and tell on himself, but we needed to lovingly demonstrate to him that all of our actions have consequences, and simply feeling sorry over something isn’t enough.  Therefore, Diana and I talked with Eli again and let him know what his consequences were, but we also explained why we were doing it.  I have to admit, that was one of the hardest moments as a parent.  In my head, I know that what we did was right and that it was necessary.  But in my papa heart, I felt heart broken because he was crying, sad, and just so upset.

I imagine that our Heavenly Father feels much the same if not a deeper burden when we sin against Him.  If sin is so terrible that it took the blood of a sinless Savior for us to be forgiven, yet God loved us so much that He was willing to pay that price, I can’t imagine He enjoys watching the poor choices of all mankind.  The verse that we used with Eli and have with our other boys, the verses I have even preached on were Proverbs 3:11-12, “My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.”  God disciplines us not out of anger, but rather out of love.  He wants us to remember what it felt like to have these consequences, in hopes that the next time we are tempted to sin against Him, we would remember and turn away.  Discipline is never fun, but it is necessary.  I would love to have the knowledge that Eli nor any of the other children will ever mess up again, because of the consequences, but then again I know better than that.  It still doesn’t change my love for Eli, Noah, Caleb, or Cataleyah.  I may not always like what they choose to do, but I do always love them.  Where did I learn that?  My Heavenly Father taught me and continues to teach me (1 John 4:9, 18-20).

By His grace and through His strength may we live for Him

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Jan 02

This Problem Is Not For You

Posted on January 2, 2014 by admin

Last night we as a church began a study on the book of James.  The first part of chapter one deals with Christians and trials in life.  So part of last night was spent on discussing why Christians go through difficulties and suffering in this life.  A quick overview is that sometimes it is because of sin in our life, sometimes it is to strengthen our faith, other times it is to prove our faith in genuine, and the last reason we discussed last night was that sometimes difficulties in life might not be for us, even though we are the ones going through them.  Sometimes God uses suffering in the life of His children to bring others to faith in Him.  I have many times said “God has a sense of humor.”  I have also made the comment that before a preacher or teacher can properly teach something, they have to experience it.  Well both of those statements are true for my family right now.  We are going through a difficult trial right now, but I am convinced that this trial isn’t as much about us as it is about those around us.  Not to say that I am not learning and growing through this trial, because by God’s grace I have and I am.  And for some reasons I can’t really figure out and others that I am keenly aware of, I truly sense that God’s purpose for this trial is bigger than just me or my family.  There are stories like this throughout the Bible (ever read the Gospels and what Jesus went through and who He went through it for).  But there is one in particular that came to my mind today.

There was this young boy in the Old Testament.  The Bible says that this boy’s greatest desire was to please God.  He and some of his friends were taken captive when they were young and taken to a foreign land.  This boy and three of his friends loved God so much that they actually refused to eat the king’s food because the king sacrificed animals to other gods, and they didn’t want any part of that.  In fact for 10 days they ate nothing but vegetables and drank water, and they were healthier than those who ate the king’s food and drank his wine.  This particular boy actually rose through the ranks of the king’s kingdom.  Many years later when this boy was a man, another country came in and over threw the nation this man had been serving in for 70 years.  So there was a new king, but this new king that a lot about this man as well.  However, there were people who were jealous of this man and actually wanted to get rid of him.  They tricked the new king into signing a law saying that it was illegal to ask any other person for help other than the king.  Again this particular man knew that wasn’t right, and so the Bible tells us he went, opened his windows, got on his knees facing Jerusalem, and prayed just as he had always done.  When the men caught him they took him to the king and said he must die.  The king didn’t want to, but he had no other choice because this man had broken the law.  This man’s sentence was that he would be thrown into the lion’s den.  Of course this boy who grew into this man was named Daniel.  Daniel had done what was right in God’s eyes, but he now faced a difficult and what many thought would be a deadly trial.  We read in Daniel 6:16 that Darius, although he didn’t believe in Daniel’s God at this point, he thought God would deliver him.  The king had Daniel threw into the lion’s den, and then he couldn’t sleep all night.  When the morning came, king Darius went to the lion’s den.  When he arrived he yelled down into the den, Daniel, did your God save you?  I imagine that was probably one of the most agonizing times of waiting to see if Daniel would answer.  Sure enough Daniel yells back, “long live the king, God sent His angel to shut the mouth of the lion’s and I am not hurt.”  Most of us have heard up until this point, but I would submit to you that the main point of this passage is not Daniel’s obedience.  He had already proven that.  So let’s look at what Paul Harvey referred to as “the rest of the story.”  Daniel 6:26 says, “I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end.”  God used Daniel to reach Darius!  Darius declares “the God of Daniel: for He is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and His dominion shall be even unto the end.”  That my friends is a deep theological statement.  So what can we learn from this?

First and foremost, we as Christians need to live right before God even when everything seems to be going wrong.  You and I may never realize who is watching us, but know that God can use us to bring glory to Him and draw others into a relationship with Him.  My mentor told me several times, “once you enter into ministry, you forfeit the right to lose your cool in public.”  I really believe he is right, but not just for ministers.  I think that is a principle that applies to all Christians.  When we lose our cool in public, it never seems to fail that a non-believer is right there to see our meltdown that makes the grand finale of Macy’s 4th of July fireworks display in New York look like a sparkler.  Second, realize that trials and suffering are a part of life.  If the Son of God went through them, why do we think we should be or deserve to be any different?  Finally, always remember that God is working it out.  It may be behind the scenes, you may not always feel or sense His presence, but He is there and He is working, simply trust His Person and His promises.  Here is an awesome thought, God may use you to draw and save many people around you, and one day you will see them in heaven.

By His grace and through His strength may we live for Him

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Dec 31

2014….WOW, really?

Posted on December 31, 2013 by admin

We have arrived once again.  It is the last day of the current year and when we wake up tomorrow morning a new year will have begun.  As usual there are many festivities planned all around the world to ring in the new year.  My mind can’t help but go back a few years, 13 almost 14 to be exact.  The year was 1999.  A new millennium was about to begin.  There was a lot of excitement, but there was also a lot of fear.  There was the “crisis” of what would happen to computers when the year reset to “00?”  Microsoft had to come out with a patch to make sure their computers would register a four digit year, because if it simply rolled to “00” the computer would think it was the year 1900, the computer would crash, and you would have lost everything.  I’ll save my sarcastic jabs on that on and just enjoy a good laugh to myself.  Then you had the “big one.”  Many religious people and others predicted that the world would end.  There was wild speculation on what would happen, would there be a world war that broke out, would nuclear bombs be dropped, would the world just mysteriously blow up, etc.  The vast majority of people simply laughed it off and went about life.  Others on the other hand, took it very seriously and prepared.  I looked back through some news reports and doomsday bunkers were being built, people were stock piling supplies, and many other things to prepare for what they were convinced was the end of the world.  It is in many ways hard to believe that 14 new year’s eves have happened (counting today).  Even in the years since the predictions have flown hot and heavy and people continue to prepare physically for the end of the world.  This gets me to thinking, if people really feel the world is going to come to an end one day (a view I agree with by the way because it is taught in the Bible), then why aren’t they preparing for what happens the moment after the world ends?

There are at least three main viewpoints concerning that question.  The first is people don’t believe the world will really end.  This group rejects any and all religious teachings on the subject of the end of times.  They simply believe that life will continue on as it always has.  The second view is that when the world ends all civilization will cease to exist.  This group rejects any belief on an afterlife.  They simply view this life as all there is, and once it is over it is over.  The final viewpoint is that there is an afterlife, an eternal life that will begin immediately after one leaves this present life.  This is the position of the Bible.  Many well-intentioned, well-meaning people will disagree on the timing of this, however, I have no intention of diving into that right now (maybe another post).  There are two important texts concerning this issue.  The first is Matthew 24:36, “But of that day and hour knows no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”  Therefore, any prediction on when Jesus will return or the end of the world is simply foolishness.  The second verse is Hebrews 9:27, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, then comes the judgment.”  As the saying goes “10 out of 10 people die.”  We also see that judgment is a certainty for all mankind in that verse.

Therefore, my question now becomes, how can we be prepared?  If we cannot know when it is going to happen, then shouldn’t we prepare as though it is going to happen today?  If we are honest with ourselves, many of us are procrastinators, but I’ll talk about that later :).  As we barrel towards another stroke of midnight and another new year, I want to ask you, are you prepared for when your life’s clock runs out?  The Bible teaches there is only one way to know that for sure, and that is to trust Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord.  Being a Christian isn’t about what you have done or will do, being a Christian is about trusting in what Jesus did.  The fact is that Jesus left heaven to come to earth ultimately to lay down His life on the cross as payment for the sins of the world.  It is only by trusting in His death that we can be forgiven, have a right standing with God, and know that heaven will be our eternal home.  I want to encourage you today, that if you are trusting in anyone, anything, or even nothing other than Jesus to turn and trust Jesus today.  Only when you do that can you face every day with confidence and security.  You will experience what my grandfather use to always say, “I’m a winner either way.  If I wake up tomorrow I win, but if I die tonight I win.”  If you need more information about how to make this life changing decision, please contact us at westlakebc@gmail.com or the office phone which is 540-721-8784.

Please be safe tonight.  Remember, God is not obligated to make up for or protect us from our bad choices!  On behalf of the Westlake Baptist staff and church family, Happy New Year to you and your family.

By His grace and through His strength may we live for Him

 

 

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Dec 28

Goal Setting/New Year’s Resolutions

Posted on December 28, 2013 by admin

It is hard to believe that Christmas is over and that in less than a week we will say good-bye to 2013.  Many people, groups, and organizations are setting various goals for next year.  Let me say at the outset that I believe that goal setting is good for people, families, and organizations.  The late motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar, had a great quote that said “if you aim at nothing you will hit it every time.”  Therefore, it is important to set specific, attainable, and time sensitive goals.  Setting goals is also very helpful for a team or organization, because it provides a lens with which to look at everything through.  If doing something will help reach or progress towards a stated goal, the team or organization should press forward.  However, if doing something doesn’t push you towards a goal, then it may be a good thing, but not the right thing to do for that team or organization.  The problem comes in when people, groups, teams, or organizations write down or say goals and then stop.  To use another famous quote, “people don’t plan to fail, they fail to plan.”  It is one thing to know where you are going, but if you don’t know how you are going to get there, then you are in trouble.

Every year at Westlake Baptist on the last Wednesday night of the year, I give what others have called the State of the Church.  It is the time in which we look back at the previous year, but then through a Bible study we look forward to the next year.  This year was no different.  There were four goals for the church laid out in 2014.  Knowing that Westlake Baptist exists to reach Franklin County for Christ, one person at a time, I began to pray towards where God desired us to move in 2014.  The result was right there in Scripture (Acts 2:42-47 for those who care), but then the real work began of laying out how to get there.  It was great that we could say we would launch Community Bible Groups (a small group strategy for WBC), or that we would do three outreach events, then to say we are going to do at least three community service projects, or finally that we would ask every family to give a little more sacrificially.  Those four goals are attainable, they are specific, and they have a time frame attached to them.  But then came the real work, how would we reach these goals?  Countless numbers of hours and meetings have already happened and will continue to happen as we progress into the beginning of 2014.  Everything we do as a church will be measured by our purpose statement of, “Westlake Baptist is reaching Franklin County for Christ, one person at a time.”  We will measure things against the Scripture that we examined that night (referenced earlier in the post).  This will make my life, the leadership, and our committees lives much simpler because we not only have goals, but we have the track to travel on that will get us there.

As I end this post, I want to encourage you to set some goals for 2014 and then sit down and write out how you are going to get there.  As for me I have several goals for 2o14.  Some are personal, some are family, some apply to my marriage, others apply to the church.  One goal I will share is that I want to write here more.  So many people have contacted me throughout the year and said how much they enjoy the blog.  The truth is, I love to write about it.  However, I need to be more disciplined at it.  Although it may take a while, I plan on writing here a minimum of three times per week.  Stay tuned and check back during the weeks ahead.  Good luck to all of you in 2014 in achieving what you feel called to do.  If you feel inclined to, I would encourage you to share your goals here in a comment, let’s hold each other accountable, and see where God leads us in 2014.

By His grace and through His strength may we live for Him

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Dec 03

Moving Beyond Our Comfort Zone

Posted on December 3, 2013 by admin

We all have it, some of us more than others, some better at dealing with it, and yet others able to hide it pretty well.  “It” is our comfort zone.  It is the place where we feel the most confident and the most secure.  The problems come when we venture outside of our comfort zone.  Those of you who frequently read the blog or have attended one of our services at Westlake know my comfort zone extends from breaking down biblical passages, getting the privilege of teaching the Bible, sharing with others about how awesome of a God we serve, and sports.  Anything outside of those things and I’m not real comfortable.  So when the battery on our car died, I was going to have to leave my comfort zone in order to get it running again.  Now at the risk of losing some cool points as a man, I must admit I am not a mechanic.  I can do basic maintenance such as change the oil, rotate the tires, change most air filters, and that is about it.  Since fortunately you don’t have to put new batteries in often, I haven’t had to do it in a long time.  Unlike changing the batteries out on the Nintendo Wii because our boys have gone through another set, changing a car battery was going to take time and work.

This got me thinking about our comfort zone as a Christian.  There are areas in which most of us, if not all of us, are uncomfortable in the Christian life.  For some it is praying in public, others it may be reading in public, some struggle with knowing how to pray or study their Bible at all.  Probably the biggest area of the Christian life that is out of most people’s comfort zones is evangelizing, sharing the Gospel with people.  There are a lot of fears that get in our way when it comes to sharing the Good News.  There is a story in Scripture that has always fascinated me.  In fact it the first sermon I ever preached was on this text.  It is found in Matthew 14:22-33.  This passage records Jesus and Peter walking on the water.  I’ll do my best to summarize the story.  Jesus had just finished feeding 5,000 men (probably a crowd of 10-20,000 total), He sends everyone away, and He goes up into the mountain to pray.  As night falls the disciples get into the boat and begin rowing to the other shore.  Remember several of the disciples were experienced fishermen and so when a storm came up, they should have been able to navigate it without too many problems.  However, the Bible records the fact that they struggled and were only about half way across the sea when all of the sudden they see a figure walking on the water towards them.  The disciples cried out in fear (duh) at seeing this, but then the familiar voice of Jesus says “Be of good cheer; it is I; do not be afraid” (v. 27).  Peter calls out to Jesus and though in English it looks at though Peter is questioning if it is really Jesus, the Greek tense shows us that Peter is confident that it is Jesus, and Peter asks to come out of the boat and go to Jesus.  For the many times Peter messed up, this time he got it right.  You see Peter did something that the other disciples wouldn’t do, he stepped out of his comfort zone.  The boat was safe for them, but to get out of it would have been seen as crazy.  First, you have a storm that is able to whip experienced fishermen.  Secondly, people don’t exactly walk on water every day.  However, Peter trusted Jesus and he wanted to get to Him so desperately that Peter stepped out of his comfort zone.  None of the other disciples that.  Yes it is true that the story also records how Peter started paying attention to the waves instead of Jesus and began to sink (vv. 29-30), but at least Peter had enough faith and courage to step out in the first place.  When Peter began to fail, he knew where to turn and Jesus was right there to rescue him (v. 31).

I can hear myself and probably a lot of you saying, “But stepping out of our comfort zone is scary and it is difficult.”  I agree, but the question is do we have the faith in Jesus that we say we do?  If we really believe that Jesus is who He says He is and that He can do what He says He can do, then what’s the problem?  The problem truthfully is we value safety over growth.  Society is breeding generation after generation of people who play it safe, who are afraid to take risks.  It seems like everyday there is a new report coming out about something that we have done practically all of our life, and now we are told to stop it because it will kill us.  I don’t mean to be a gloomy gus but statistics shows that 10 out of 10 people die.  And if we are doing what God has told us to do, is it really a risk to step out of our comfort zone?  Stepping out of our comfort zone is not a question of our ability, it is really a question of our faith and our desire.  Yes, you and I are going to fail from time to time when we step out of our comfort zone for Christ, but at least we will be striving to become the man or woman God has created us and desires us to be.  When we fail we will be in good company just consider people such as Abraham, Moses, Peter, Paul, John, and others.  Always remember this, God has promised to never leave you or forsake you (Josh. 1:5; Heb. 13:5).  If you want to grow as a Christian, you need to step out of your comfort zone and start walking towards Christ.  By the way, for those of you who care, I did get the car battery changed with no problems.  I may not be a mechanic, but I learned how to do something new to a car.  I may not and you may not be the Christian we should be, but God isn’t done with us yet (Phil. 1:6).  Now, let’s get out of our boats and start walking towards Jesus, you’ll be glad you did!

By His grace and through His strength may we live for Him

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Nov 25

A Book and Its Cover

Posted on November 25, 2013 by admin

Last night my oldest son and I started reading a book about Jackie Robinson.  He like me loves history and baseball, and so this book was a perfect read.  Of course being seven years old he didn’t understand why some people didn’t want Jackie Robinson to play baseball with them.  Not wanting to get into a full blown race conversation with my seven year old, we talked about how some people thought those people who weren’t like them weren’t as important as they were.  You could see that it wasn’t making a lot of sense to Eli.  That is partly because he is seven, but also partly due to the fact that as a family we have a baby girl who is biracial.  Therefore, the thought of people being treated differently just because they look different never really crossed Eli’s mind.  As a family we have always called Cataleyah part of our family, because to us she is.  And so after Eli went to bed, I sat up thinking and just watching some YouTube videos.  I have always enjoyed the “diamond in the rough” type stories.  So I watched some of the auditions of people from American Idol, America’s Got Talent, Britain’s Got Talent, and The X Factor (sleep was a problem last night).  There were several times when a person would walk out on stage of the various shows and the audience would begin to laugh, point, mock, and even the judges would have a look about them or say a sarcastic remark.  And then it happened, they began to sing and suddenly the judges and crowd that were laughing and mocking them just moments before begin to cheer, because they realized that past the outer appearance of the person, this person was uniquely gifted.  What changed about those performing?  The answer is absolutely nothing.  The only thing that changed was the crowd’s and judge’s perception of the person once they got to see them as they truly are.

We have all heard the saying “you can’t judge a book by its cover” yet it seems as if we are ALL guilty of doing it at various times and in various situations.  This shows us our fallenness as a human race.  It shows that we don’t appreciate the similarities as well as the differences between us.  The fact of the matter is that the Bible teaches that all people are made in the image of God (Gen. 1:26) and therefore deserve to be treated with dignity, respect, and even love. When we judge a person based solely on their appearance, that is an indictment against us on the fact that we are too lazy to take the time to get to know the person.  1 Samuel 16:7 says, “But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.”  As Christians especially, we are to strive to follow God’s example.  Can we ever truly know what is in a person’s heart?  Probably not!  But we can take the time to learn what they are willing to share about themselves.  Every person has a story, we have all walked different paths to get where we are, and it is incumbent on me as a Christian to care enough about them to get to know them.  The last video I watch was about a 10 year old little boy who was blind and who had an incredible voice for his age.  The last thought that ran through my head before finally drifting off to sleep is maybe our problem isn’t that we are too blind to appreciate differences in people, maybe our problem is that we can see and we trust our sight.  Take time to get to know people and their story, they were created by Almighty God, and only when we get to know them can we care about them.  And only when we care about them can we love them enough to share the Gospel with them.  God sees everything, but is blind to the differences, He only sees the heart of a person and whether or not they have accepted His gift of salvation.  May we be blind so that we can see the true worth and need of all people.

By His grace and through His strength may we live for Him

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Nov 21

The Need for Forgiveness

Posted on November 21, 2013 by admin

The issue of forgiveness is all through the Bible.  If you asked people, do you think it is right to forgive those who hurt you, I imagine that most everyone will say yes (some may say it grudgingly).  Therefore, we know we should do it, but I believe that giving true forgiveness is one of the most difficult things for many of us to do.

Before we get too far into this I believe we need to define what forgiveness is and what it isn’t.  Forgiveness is not a process whereby we do some mental gymnastics and completely forget what someone has done to us.  I have heard many people say “you need to forgive and forget.”  It has been my experience in life that I as well as most people I know are more like elephants when it comes to being hurt.  We have all grown-up hearing that elephants never forget, and I believe most humans don’t either.  Forgiveness is not forgetfulness.  Rather, to forgive someone is to do two things.  First it is to release them from your debt.  You are choosing to no longer hold them guilty of hurting you.  Secondly, to forgive someone is to not hold their past of hurting you against them in the present or the future.  Now onto the rest of the issue of forgiveness now that we have defined it.

Ephesians 4:32 says, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”  Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit has given us a command to forgive.  Jesus in Matthew 7 also gave the command to forgive.  In helping us learn to forgive I believe there are two principles we should remember.  First, we need to forgive others because Christ has forgiven us.  That is right there in Ephesians 4:32.  The next time you or I have a hard time forgiving someone, we should remember all the things God has forgiven us for.  A good exercise that will deal with your pride and stubbornness to forgive is to next time you are struggling to forgive someone, take out a piece of paper and write down all the things that God has forgiven you for.  That should put things into perspective pretty quickly.  So remember how much God has forgiven you for.  Secondly, remember that you have most likely hurt others in the past as well.  You or I being hurt does not make us unique as though we are the only ones in the world to have been hurt or wronged by someone.  Remember growing up and hearing about the Golden Rule, “do unto others as you would have others do unto you?”  If you want others to forgive you, then you need to forgive others who hurt you.  At the end of the day, holding on to a grudge or not forgiving someone only hurts you.  You are the one who can’t sleep, you are the one stressed out, not them.   Jesus said the two greatest commands were to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind and to love others as yourself.  Let’s be honest, we are a whole lot easier on ourselves than we are on others.  For the sake of your relationship with God, your relationship with others, and your own personal well-being, let it go!

By His grace and through His strength may we live for Him

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Oct 31

Question Your Beliefs

Posted on October 31, 2013 by admin

I am blessed and privileged to serve in a church where people have questions about the Bible and they are not afraid to ask them.  This is a wonderful blessing from God, but it can also be a terrifying proposition for the pastor to answer the questions.  We re-tooled our Wednesday night study about a month ago now.  I can honestly say it was probably one of the best changes we have made.  There is excitement for a mid-week Bible study now that frankly wasn’t there, and I take that as my fault.  I believe it is a sin not to teach the Bible in a way that excites people, gets them studying their Bibles more, and ultimately questioning their faith.  That may seem odd that I believe people should question their faith, but let me explain.  I don’t mean should they question, is the Bible true, does God exist, etc.  I believe we should examine what we believe to make sure that we have the biblical answer, and not our opinion.  That is a little of what we do on Wednesday night.  Within the context of the book we are studying, I throw out a question generally on Sunday, and we work through it on Wednesday.  Of course the one question spurs 10 more.  But I believe this is a good thing.

I like many grew up in church.  From my earliest recollections my family and I went to church.  I can’t tell you the number of Sunday school classes I sat through or the number of sermons I have heard in my life, but suffice to say in my 34 years of living I have heard a few.  And like most church-goers I soaked it all in, filed it away in my mind as the truth, and that was that.  I became what I rail against today, a consumer Christian.  I would go to church, listen, trust it, and that was the end of the story.  I rarely opened my Bible and asked, “is what I am being taught and believing the truth?”  2 Timothy 2:15 tells us to “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”  Notice that to be approved by God I need to study His word.  Also if I don’t want to be ashamed of my beliefs, I need to rightly divide the word of truth.  These two statement require more than a simple come into church, listen, nod in agreement or say Amen, and go home.  False teachers prey on consumer Christians.  Unfortunately the church is responsible for creating an environment where false teachers can thrive.  I don’t know about your church, and so I will simply speak on churches I have grown up in as well as the ones I have served in.  On Sunday mornings you come in, and at some point the preacher is going to get up and start preaching.  The overwhelming majority of people will not open their Bibles, they will look up on a screen where the Bible verses are displayed, and they will sit there and listen to the sermon.  Very few take notes and write down other references mentioned to go back and study them to make sure the pastor is teaching them the Bible and rightly dividing the word of truth.  It is called consumer Christianity.  We take in what we are given, we are expected to give back very little if anything, and if we don’t like what we are getting at this church we can go to another church and find it.  And this is the breeding ground for false teachers.  Paul warns us that in the last days there will be false teachers who are lifted up because the people have itching ears (they want to hear what they want not what God wants) and they will not endure sound doctrine.

I encourage our church and I want to encourage each of you to take at least three things to church with you every week.  First, take your Bible whether it be in print or a digital version.  Look at what your pastor is preaching on and read it along with him.  Secondly take a note book.  We try to make it a little easier here at Westlake. I  give the church (by way of our secretary) an outline of the message for the morning and plenty of space to take additional notes.  Finally take a pen/pencil to write your notes down or your questions, and to underline key phrases or verses in your Bible.  Be active in your learning of the word of God.  If you have questions about something, write it down so that you can talk about it with your pastor.  The only way you will ever know if you are being taught the truth or that you believe biblical teachings is if you study the Word for yourself.  Go ahead, question what you believe and even what your pastor preaches.  Make sure you are hearing and learning the word of God, and if there is a question go to him and ask.  In so doing you will be approved by God, and you will make your pastors day!

By His grace and through His strength may we live for Him

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