What Does it Take to Slow Us Down?

What does it take to slow us down?  One word answers do it for me.  Sickness or snow.  I prefer the latter and that’s what I will focus on for a few moments.  If you live in Northwest NC, then you are experiencing (along with me) a “winter to remember.”  We have already received in the little area I live in (Purlear) almost 20″ of snow this winter.  We are expecting more this weekend and even another storm next week.  What does snow do?  It looks beautiful, it’s fantastic to play in with the kids, it has a calming effect on us and bluntly…it brings almost everything to a screeching halt. 

Is that so bad?  I say, “No!”  Aren’t we all going too hard…running in life like a hamster on a wheel?  I mean being stressed because of being “run to death” is almost epidemic.  But, not so in my house this past weekend.  Eight inches of snow made sure of that.  So, what did our family do?  I’ll show you. 

The girls sledding!

Katy and Kandace (two of my children) and Taylor and Leah Church (cousins to my girls) had a blast in the snow.  (You need to click on the picture to get the full view of all the smiles…it’s priceless.)  Did I say they had a blast!  Oh yes I did!  And you know what?  So, did the rest of my family.  I built a bon-fire on Saturday night and we roasted marshmallows and watched it snow lightly as the kids laughed and played.  I strung up lights with drop cords (probably 400 feet of cords) up and down my Dad’s hill, my hill and my sister’s hill (all three are connected to make a minature mountain).  And so everything was lit up like an airport runway…with a big fire blazing to boot!!  It’s hilarious to see.  The girls worked along with my Dad, Craig (my brother-in-law) and me to build a sled run that’s more like an Olympic bobsled run.  It literally runs about  800 feet down the three hills.  I’m telling you…if you get on it in a sled…you better hang on.  It’s fast and a little scarey!!  But, what a joy!

We all got together at my mom’s (again…if you haven’t figured it out…we all live beside of each other) for supper.  It’s kind of like a modern-day Walton’s (remember the old 70’s TV show).  Instead of living under the same roof…we all live on the same hill.  So…we all collectively like pulling some food together and then meet up at mom and dad’s for a meal.  It’s like Christmas without the gifts and you know what…it feels like a vacation!  Isn’t that neat?  Do you have similar stories?  I bet you do.  If you don’t…you don’t know what you are missing! 

Why do I tell you all this?  Simply to get you to smile, relax and to get us to consider slowing down and doing these type of things more often.  Why do we have to wait on the snow?  We don’t!  We can choose to slow down can’t we?  Yes we can!  And honestly, if we will…I’m confident we will have a blast doing it!! 

Oh, did I tell you that it’s supposed to snow again!!  Ha!!

It’s Gonna Snow!

It’s going to be a potentially BIG SNOW for Northwestern NC tonight and tomorrow.  Snow is to begin following around 5-6 pm tonight and pick up in intensity through the evening with heavy snow (one inch an hour rates) by midnight.  We’re looking for 10″ totals.  The only “fly in the ointment” could be the development of thunderstorms along the gulf states.  If that happens, those storms could rob some of the streaming moisture into the state and limit or knock down our snow totals into more of the 5″-8″ totals.  We’ll be able to tell later today as the storm gets ramped up and starts pulling in gulf moisture.  But, either way…expect snow…and plenty enough for the kids to go sledding by late evening and certainly tomorrow. 

Ok…so do I sound like a weatherman?  Yep…anyone that know me knows I’m a weather nut.  When the Blizzard of ‘93 hit…I was taping the Weather Channel Reports and Weatherman Eric Thomas on WBTV-Channel 3.  I knew it was going to be a big storm and it was.  I drove through Hugo in ‘89 and honestly I really am a little “nutty” when it comes to weather.  Currently, I”m a “Weather Watcher” for WXII-12 in Winston-Salem, NC.  It’s a lot of fun.  I have a spreadsheet that I document the high, the low, precipitation, type and wind gusts for each day.  I report that information to WXII each afternoon around 4 pm.  

So, why do you like weather so much?  I’m not sure.  I’ve loved weather watching since I was a kid.  I learned a lot about weather in a class I had at Appalachian State my freshman year.  It was a geography class…but, the professor loved weather…so, we talked a lot about weather, cloud formations, etc.   And I guess as I think about it…weather is intriguing to me because there is absolutely nothing we can do about it.  I mean think about it.  Can man control anything about the weather?  Can we stop this storm coming?  Absolutely not.  All man is to the weather is simply an observer.  There is nothing man can do about the weather.  It’s going to happen no matter what we say or do.  Why?  Because God is in control of the weather.  100% control!

You know this is comforting to me.  And honestly, it comforts me about my own life and my own situation.  If I’ll let Him, God will control me just like He controls the weather.  He will orchestrate what needs to happen in my life if I’ll just relax and let Him do the work as I rest in Him.  You know, “life” is going to happen to us all and there is nothing we can do about it.  So, let’s be like a child…(my children are bouncing off of the walls wanting to go sledding again) and enjoy the storm.  Enjoy the storm?  Yes…enjoy the storm.  The Apostle Paul did in Scripture.  He said in Ephesians 5:20 that we should live “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  

Did you catch that?  We are to ALWAYS give thanks to God for EVERYTHING.  Always and everything.  That pretty much covers it all does it not?  We are to be thankful 100% of the time.  Ouch!  I wish he had said we should give thanks just when we “felt like it.”  Or we should give thanks when everything is going right and all the bills are paid, the cars are all running, the home team is winning, the income tax refund is in the mail.  But, that’s not what he said is it?  He said, “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. “  Whew!  Is that hard for you?  It sure is for me.  I mean who wants to give thanks when the tire on the car is flat in the garage.  But, think about it…it’s better than it being flat in the Wal-Mart parking lot when it’s pouring the rain or it going flat on the freeway.  Right?

We should be thankful even when we don’t have enough money to pay the bills.  Yes…always and in everything the Bible says…”be thankful.”  But, how can we be thankful for having no money?  Well, be thankful for what you do have.  If you have your health…then you have your wealth.  All the money in the world can’t replace your health.  Be thankful that you can work with folks in most cases to get your bills paid on a payment plan or perhaps someone may come along and help you out of a bind.  This has happened to me numerous times and I bet it has for you too.  I mean think about it.  Has God ever let you down?  Ever?  Even just once?  The answer is unequivocally NO.  He doesn’t let us down…we let ourselves down and He comes and picks us back up, dusts us off and puts us back on the right path again.  Amen?  So, we should always be thankful…in everything.

Think about Mary.  Mary broke the expensive perfume bottle and poured it all over Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair.  Why? Just to lavish thanksgiving and praise upon our Lord.  The “gift” of thanksgiving through her action filled the house with such a sweet smell.  Funny how that works.  When we pour out a perfume of kind encouragement in our homes to our wives and children, in our workplaces, ball fields, etc…boy that gratitude really “fills the house,” so to speak, with a sweet fragrance doesn’t it?  So we can be thankful at all times and “perfume” the air around us…or we can “stink it up” with our negative…complaining attitudes.

So, the storm is coming…cold, snow, wind.  Yes…it will mean shoveling…clearing the driveway…cold mornings.  But, think about it…it also means…seeing the beauty of a landscape draped in white…reminding me that my sins have been washed away by the blood of Jesus and I’m whiter than snow.  As you watch the snow fall later this evening and tonight.  Be thankful!  Be grateful for a Heavenly Father that is in 100% control.  He’s got the weather and He’s got you.  “For I will give rest to the weary and satisfy the faint.”  Jeremiah 31:25 

So, enjoy!!  It’s Gonna SNOW!!!

“Homegrown” Pastor

When Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church was searching for and seeking God’s leadership on a Senior Pastor five years ago, they made an exhaustive search for their future pastor.  A church deserves an exhaustive search after all, because they are after all seeking “God’s man.”  In so doing, the pastor search committee at obtained dozens of resumes, including mine.  I sensed God was calling me to become the pastor, but would the church even consider “one of their own” and someone that did not have a seminary degree?  The church had resumes from men from all over the country and some who even had their Doctorate, I was later told.

However, after many months of prayer and deliberation, the committee and ultimately the church ended up choosing me…someone that quite interestingly and (almost unheard of) had grown up in the church and had served in all capacities as a Deacon, Sunday School teacher and having served on every committee in the church numerous times.  In essence what they had with me was someone who grew up and was “raised” in the church by the very people I would now pastor.  Therefore, I knew the people, the families, the community at large and had lived in the community for many years, (basically all of my life).   Bottom line…the committee and ultimately the church decided to take a chance that someone from within their own ranks could “shepherd” them.

I’m still amazed that I’m a pastor at the church I grew up in as a child.  And when I think about the committee of men and women who was willing to take the “heat” for me…because God had spoken to them…it still amazes me.  Why do I say this…because when you consider a person from within the ranks of your “own” you may have the desire to immediately dismiss that man from consideration or if you do consider him, you may take “heat” from some for doing so, because it seems “easy” or too “convenient.”  However, if the Lord is in it…then (as was the case with me and MPBC) He will take care of the questions with open and honest communication by the committee to the people as to what the Holy Spirit was doing in the search process.

Interestingly in Scripture, as was pointed out to me by Dr. David Black, professor of New Testament and Greek at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (whom I travel with annually to Ethiopia to do mission work), pastors or “elders” as they are more commonly called in the New Testament were chosen from “within” the body of believers.  In fact, as Dr. Black pointed out, if you read the book of Acts you will find the Apostle Paul went from church to church appointing elders from men already serving within the church.  In essence, they were not parachuted in from another town or region.  They were already known by the people and trusted by them and proven to be desirous to serve in that church and community.  What we have today in many of our Baptist churches according to the SBC (Southern Baptist Convention) is a situation where pastors are staying on average only about 3.5 years in each pastorate.  Why?  Because they have no roots in the community.  I had never thought about this…but, Dr. Black shared with me from his perspective as a professor for many at a prominent seminary, that most churches have it backwards…instead of looking from within for their pastors (elders) as we see in Scripture…they go for the best resume, degree and educational backward and after a few interviews and a potluck supper or two later…voila, they have a new pastor.  One that is often gone within 3-5 years when they receive or find a bigger or better offer from a bigger or “better” church dangling a higher salary before their eyes.

I must say that I am so excited about what God is doing and I have no plans to go after the money or the title or the bigger city or bigger pastorate.  I’m excited about what God is doing at MPBC in Wilkesboro, a lovely little town nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina.  I’m excited that we have seen over 75 people join the church in the last year.  Amazing!  I’m excited to see that we are growing not only numerically, but more important spiritually.  We are mentoring, discipling and reaching out to our community.  I serve with an excellent pastor, Brad Cordray and his gifts and talents are fantastically being used to equip or people for the glory of God.

Oh…enough already…yes…I know…it seems I’m bragging and that’s certainly not spiritual and I don’t mean to give that impression.  I’m just ecstatic and overwhelmed to be serving and training and equipping folks and seeing lives changed and brought to Christ right in my own back yard and amazingly, with folks, of whom, some used to change my diaper.  Ha!!  Amazing indeed!   To God be the glory…great things He has done!

“How to be in the World, but not of the World”

I am posting my notes for our upcoming Iron Men meeting.  What is Iron Men?  It’s a group of men in our church that meet once per week on Wednesdays at lunch (12 noon) to “sharpen” one another.  The Bible says in Proverbs, “As iron sharpens iron, one man sharpens another.”  So, we come together to push one another to be better men.  Currently we are studying Ephesians chapter 5 in detail.  We are actually working on memorizing it.  Some have memorized up to 12 verses so far.  This week we are working on verses 13-14 and the reason I’m posting this, is because I believe many of us struggle with how to be in the world and not “of it” or “immersed” in it.  Take a look…

Iron Men-December 30, 2009

Ephesians 5:13-14

¹³But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”  Ephesians 5:13-14

Here are three great quotes that relate to our verses of study this week:

• “The most powerful sin in your life is the one you haven’t confessed yet.”
• “The actions of men are the best interpreters of their thoughts.”
• “Christianity has not been tried and found wanting.  It’s been found difficult and left untried.”

Paul is teaching us that we are to expose sin by casting it in the light.  Yet…I find that it’s often easy to compromise.  There are many ways of compromising or taking part in the sins of others; by dabbling in sin on the edge or without going “whole hog.”  Yet, if we share with others in their sins even from “a distance,” we must expect to share in their plagues.  If we do not reprove or expose the sins of others, we have “fellowship” with them.  We must see that sin is a breach of God’s holy law.

To review briefly…we are to “Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness.”  The Greek verb koinoneo means “fellowship.”  But in verse 11 Paul uses an intensified form of the verb: sunkoinoneo, which means “intimate fellowship.”  We are not to be intimately involved with “the unfruitful works of darkness”–the ignorance and immorality of the world.  However that doesn’t mean we can’t talk with unsaved people. (More on this in a minute.)  We have been commissioned to reach them with the gospel, but we must not participate in their sin. Some people have suggested that our witness would be more effective if we got involved in their sin. That’s not true–it will destroy our testimony. The best way to witness to them is to avoid their evil deeds and show them a Christ-centered life.

In 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 Paul tells us that we shouldn’t associate with fornicators, covetors, and idolaters who claim to be Christians. But he didn’t forbid us from ministering to the people in the world characterized by those sins–they need us to reach out and love them. We only are commanded not to participate in their sin.

John MacArthur shares more on this by way of commentary on verses 13-14:

“The Lord Jesus plainly stated the biblical balance in His prayer (John 17:15-18): ‘I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.’ So we are to be in the world as Jesus was in the world, yet also not to be of the world, even as Jesus was not of the world. The way to keep this fine balance is to be sanctified (set apart) by God’s Word of truth. In our text, the apostle Paul is dealing with this issue as it concerned a church in a very pagan environment. How do we relate to our godless culture without becoming tainted by it? His answer is: We are to walk as children of light in this dark world, exposing the deeds of darkness.”

Do you remember the darkness you once walked in before knowing Christ?  Here’s an interesting perspective as described by Stephen Cole:

“Paul says that we formerly were darkness. We were spiritually blind. We not only didn’t see God’s glory and truth, we didn’t have the ability or desire to see such things. We didn’t sense our need for the Savior, because we thought we were good enough to go to heaven and we didn’t understand the absolute holiness and justice of God. So we lived entirely for ourselves and our own pleasure, avoiding the thought of death and eternity. But, when God saved us, He opened the eyes of our understanding so that we saw ‘the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ’ (2 Cor. 4:6). We saw our true condition as guilty sinners, but we also saw the all sufficiency of Jesus and His death on the cross to cover all our sins. We had a new understanding of God’s Word and a new desire to know God and His truth more and more. We now hate the sin that we formerly lived in and we long to be like our Savior, holy in all our ways. We now walk in the light, rather than in darkness, because God has made us light in the Lord.”

Is this description by Mr. Cole true of us?

“But rather expose (reprove) them.” (v. 13)

The Greek word translated “reprove” in the King James means “to expose.” Rather than doing what people in the world do, we’re to expose their evil. You could call us the spiritual CIA: our job is to expose the crimes of darkness. Our tool is the Word of God: “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16, NASB, emphasis added). We’re to expose evil by our life and by our words.

Our commission is to expose sin in the world because we are the light. If we don’t do it, it won’t be exposed. No one is ever saved unless he comes to God and repents of his sin. But unbelievers won’t know what sin is unless someone exposes it to them. Fewer and fewer lost people are going to church.  We must remember loving people while tolerating their sin is not evangelism. True evangelism makes people face the fact of their sin. Only we can do that because we are the light of the world.  But, if we are living like the sinners, then they will never be changed because the sin will never be exposed to them.  We must live differently from the world.

We expose the deeds of darkness by our godly lives as we maintain proper separation from the world. If we’re no different in our thinking, attitudes, words, and behavior than those that do not know Christ, we have no message to give them. If we profess to know Christ, but we’re not walking in the light, conforming our lives to His Word, then we would be better off not to let people know that we claim to be a Christian.  We hurt the cause of the Gospel to do so.  We shouldn’t link the holy name of the Lord with a disobedient lifestyle (2 Sam. 12:14). But, if we’re truly walking in the light, we can no longer join in the lifestyle of unbelievers.

We must be on our guard—bad company corrupts good character. We should not be best friends with an unbeliever once we have come to Christ. Our deepest friendships must be with those that share in common a love for Jesus Christ and the things of God. If we do not distance ourselves from our former friendships, those godless friends will pull us back into our old way of life. But, what about our witness you may ask? We must witness.  Yes! We must be alert to our purpose—to win the lost to Christ. Jesus was known as a “friend of sinners,” but He did not “hang out” with them to have a good time. He came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). He said that He didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance (Luke 5:32). He kept a fine “balance” that is difficult to imitate. He maintained His holiness and yet He put sinners enough at ease so that they listened to His message. Jesus said (Matt. 5:16), “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

We must be bold to identify verbally with Christ when we are pressured to compromise our convictions. This gets back to how we respond to dirty jokes or to someone who wants us to view pornography. Here’s the principle: Be as bold in your witness for Christ as the other person is in his solicitation to evil. If they are bold for Satan, why shouldn’t you be just as bold for the Savior? Smile and say firmly, “That offends my Lord,” or, “I can’t do that.” If he presses the matter, say, “I used to love that sort of thing, but now I belong to Jesus Christ and I want to please Him.” And share your concern for him, that without God (just as we were), we are in fear of facing God’s judgment, but Jesus offers a full and free pardon if he will repent and believe in Christ.

After all, we are commissioned by God to verbally expose the evil of the world. We must diagnose it, confront it, and then offer the solution. Sin is a cancer that must be removed. You aren’t helping anyone by ignoring it. We can’t politely live in the world and love people without ever acknowledging sin. That’s not evangelism. People need to be convicted about their sin before they’ll ever see the need for a Savior. One problem we have is that we don’t see the contrast between light and darkness as dramatically as God sees it. So instead of avoiding the deeds of darkness, we may be tempted to play around with them. We should be mature enough spiritually that we search out evil and expose it, and then offer the diagnosis and cure. Unfortunately many Christians are barely able to keep themselves from darkness, let alone help others out of it. As believers we need to expose evil, and when we do, it will have an impact on our lives.

The evil deeds of the world desperately need to be reproved (exposed). The things they do are unspeakably evil. We are drowning in a sea of evil as heavily promoted by the media. The danger is we can get caught up in sin. But we must not compromise–don’t ever entertain evil. Yet by watching certain television programs or movies or music in our homes or cars, we teach our children to tolerate the very things we shouldn’t even talk about. We must get beyond struggling over our sin. We must grow strong in the Word so we can reprove others and expose evil.

“Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead and Christ will shine on you.”  (v.. 14)

This verse refers to what the prophet Isaiah said in Isaiah 60:1: “Arise, shine, for the light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.” That verse looked forward to the Messiah, and Paul’s interpretation looks back to what Christ has done. Many Bible commentators believe that Ephesians 5:14 is a line from an Easter hymn sung by the early church. They see it as an invitation–a gospel presentation. The sinner is the one who sleeps, the invitation is to awake and arise, and the Savior is Christ, who will give light. Like Rip Van Winkle, so many men and women are sleeping and are blind to their sin.  They must awake and arise from the dead and we must help them by showing them the light of Christ.

As a pastor I offer this concluding comment from that perspective.  The church “growth” movement of today tells us pastors that we should make the church a place where unbelievers feel “comfortable.” So, we’re told to avoid subjects like sin, righteous living, and the coming judgment. Instead, we’re told to focus on how to have a happy family, how to do well in business, how to overcome your addictions, and other “upbeat, self-help” topics. In other words, we’re not supposed to expose the unfruitful deeds of darkness, so that we don’t offend anyone. Just tell them how much God loves them! But Jesus said that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to convict (same Greek word as “expose”) the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. Without that conviction, unbelievers will not see their need and flee to the Savior. Forgiven little, they will love Jesus little. Paul’s strategy is better: Walk as a child of light, maintaining proper separation from the world and proper contact with the world. As we do, our godly lives and words will expose the deeds of darkness and some will awaken from the dead and Christ will shine on them, just as He has on us.

Merry Christmas!

What a joy!  It’s Christmas again!  My mind is drawn to the “little ones” and the joy they have when opening presents…

Andrew and Clara…Oh how children enjoy Christmas

…but, may we not neglect to teach them the real meaning of Christmas and the greatest GIFT ever given (and the reason we give gifts during this season)…Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.

 

Merry Christmas to all!!

What happens when you die?

 

As a Pastor I get asked quite often “What happens when you die?”   I have taught on this subject for many years and what I have included in this post are my teaching notes.  Please understand that what has been given to us via Scripture is somewhat limited on the subject of Heaven particularly, but I hope that what is included below will be helpful as you consider what happens when you die.  These are complicated subjects and you will have to read through this post several times and study the passages noted to understand these concepts.  Be patient as you study.  You will be blessed!  Here goes!

Heaven

Heaven is the abode of God (Gen. 28:17, Matt. 5:34), where angels live and serve him (Gen. 28:12, Matt 22:30, Rev. 5:11).  Heaven is also the destination of the souls of people who have believed in and accepted Jesus Christ on Earth (John 3:3).  Heaven today is not the final or new Heaven.  (“Then I saw a new Heaven and a new earth, for the first Heaven and the first earth had passed away.”  Rev. 21:1).  My grandfather died in 1985 and I believe he is in heaven…but this is not the final heaven that the Apostle John told us about in the book of Revelation that I just quoted.  Here’s how this will work according to Scripture.  After the second coming of Jesus (at the Rapture), the spirits of people in the first Heaven will be reunited with their new, glorified bodies.  There are Bible scholars who believe we will have intermediate or “in-between” bodies while residing in the first Heaven.

“Given the consistent physical descriptions of the intermediate (first) Heaven and those who dwell there, it seems possible—though this is certainly debatable—that between our earthly life and our bodily resurrection, God may grant us some physical form that will allow us to function as human beings while in that unnatural state “between bodies,” awaiting our bodily resurrection after the rapture.  Just as the intermediate state in the first Heaven is a bridge between life on the old or first Earth and the New Earth and New Heaven, perhaps intermediate bodies, or at least a physical form of some sort, serve as bridges between our present bodies and our resurrected bodies.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Heaven, Randy Alcorn

Alcorn goes on to say, “There is evidence that suggests this position could be correct.  For instance, the martyrs in the first or “old” Heaven are described as wearing clothes in Revelation 6:9-11.”  Remember, Jesus has not ushered in “eternity” at this point.  This passage in Scripture refers to the Tribulation period after the Rapture of the church.  It also appears the apostle John had a body when he visited the first Heaven, because he is said to have grasped, held, eaten and tasted things there (e.g., Rev. 10:9-10).  Some say that John simply had a vision when he was given the Revelation of Jesus Christ…so this is debatable as well.

Perhaps explaining it this way will help.  Today, when an unbeliever dies, his spirit (not his earthly body) goes to Hades, which means “the unseen world” or the realm of the dead.  When believers die, they go immediately into the presence of the Lord.  The apostle Paul said, “To be absent from the body, is to be present with the Lord.” (2 Cor. 5:6-8)  Paul also said, “I desire to depart and be with Christ.”  (Phil. 1:19-26).  One day Hades itself will be emptied of it’s dead (Rev. 20:13).  These people will then be cast into the Lake of Fire (Hell) to join Satan and his demons (Rev. 20:14-15).

It seems that human souls were not permitted into the first Heaven until Jesus took away sin by His death on the cross and ascended into Heaven.  When Jesus was on earth, He said in John 14:6 “…no man comes to the Father except through me.”  He also said that no one had yet entered heaven (John 3:13).  We also know that even the righteous people of the Old Testament went to this place called “Sheol” or “Hades” (a.k.a. “the grave”)—where they would not be left (abandoned) eternally, but would be taken to God (Psalm 16:10; 49:15; 73:24).

Many Bible authorities believe that the spirits of the Old Testament righteous (Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Esther, Daniel, Isaiah, Ruth, etc.) were taken to the first Heaven by Jesus AFTER the crucifixion.  Many scholars believe Jesus Himself descended to Hades before His resurrection after His death on the cross to lead those righteous people to the first Heaven (Ephesians 4:7-10; 1 Peter 3:18-20; 4:6).  The Bible teaches that the faith of these Old Testament saints was counted unto them as righteousness.  (Galatians 3:6-9)  Romans 4:5-8 covers this as well.  Verse 9 in Romans 4 says, “Consider Abraham: ‘He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’”  (Also see Gen. 15:6, Rom. 4:3, 22).

Sheol or Hades

 

Sheol or Hades is a temporary place for the souls of people who have NOT accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  This doesn’t mean they are all “lost.”  (Remember, the Old Testament saints didn’t have the opportunity to accept Jesus as their “Lord and Savior.”  They were looking forward to the cross, as now, we look backward to the cross.) Many Bible Scholars believe these Old Testament saints went to Sheol or Hades as well as those that didn’t believe in God.  But, this place was separated between the righteous and the unrighteous.  “Sheol” is the Hebrew Old Testament term, which is the same place as “Hades” (which is the Greek New Testament term).

Sheol literally means “the place of the dead.”  Specifically today, it is a “prison” where souls await the final judgment at the White Throne (Rev. 20:11).  This is not Purgatory, a teaching of the Roman Catholic Church that baptized souls who fall short of immediate entrance to Heaven at their death and who are not evil enough to go to Hell are sent to Purgatory.  Roman Catholics believe, in Purgatory, souls are punished for insufficient penitence of sins committed after baptism.  They also believe when the debt has been fully paid, these souls will have then been completely “purged” or purified and released to Heaven.  The Bible, however, does not teach this in any form or fashion and there is absolutely no Biblical basis for it.

Before Jesus came to the earth EVERYONE went to Sheol (Hades) at death.  Jesus plainly said in John 14:6 that “no one can come to the Father except through Him.”  In the story of the rich man and the beggar Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), Jesus described Lazarus as being comforted at Abraham’s side (“Abraham’s bosom”—called “paradise” by the Jews of Jesus’ time), and the evil, rich man as being in a “place of torment”—and indicated that their destination was determined by their actions on earth.  (As it is described by Jesus it is a place that is split in two sections that is separated by a chasm or gulf with “Paradise” on top and “Tartarus” or “Hades” on the bottom.  Tartarus is the place in Sheol where the wicked go and are punished after death known as a “sunless abyss.”)  Remember when Jesus told the thief on the cross that believed that he would be with Him (Jesus) that day in Paradise (Luke 23:43)?  Many scholars believe that Jesus, after His death, went to Hades (where Paradise was) and retrieved these souls and took them to the first or old Heaven (taking the captives and setting them free).  (See: Ephesians 4:7-10)

The New Heaven, New Earth and New Jerusalem

 

The current Heaven and earth will pass away (Matt 24:35; 2 Peter 3:7, 12, 13) and will be replaced with a new Heaven and new earth (Rev. 21:1).  Why will God do this?  Consider that God created the first Heaven and earth as part of His desire to have fellowship with human beings (Gen. 3:8-24).  Human beings chose to disobey God instead of keeping a relationship with Him.  Thus sin separated human beings from God.  Therefore, the earth was corrupted and must be purified by fire (2 Peter 3:5-7, 10-13) for Christ’s return for the Millennial reign (Rev. 20).  God’s infinite wisdom and love prompted the provision of a Savior (Jesus Christ, His own Son) to allow human beings to choose and receive Him by faith into their lives so they can be forgiven.  The acceptance of Jesus as Lord and Savior allows human beings to exist eternally with God again.  The earth as it exists today is greatly stained by sin.  The new earth—free from sin—is necessary to perfect God’s intentions.  He originally created the Garden of Eden to be lived in by Adam and Eve and their descendants sinless and perfect for all time.  The Bible states, God will interact with humans in the new earth, just as He intended to originally in the Garden of Eden (Rev. 21:3, 22:3-5).

The holy city, the New Jerusalem, is described in glorious terms.  It will shine in the brilliance of the light emanating from God himself (Rev. 21:11).  It will have walls of jasper—diamond (21:18), streets of pure gold (transparent), and gates of pearl (21:21).  It will contain the “tree of life” mentioned at the beginning at the time of the great separation of mankind from God (Gen. 3:22-23).  There will no longer be any curse against man or upon the earth (Rev. 22:3) and the throne of God will be the throne of both God and Jesus, the Lamb (the remover of the curse through His sacrifice on the cross—see 22:1).

Lake of Fire (Hell) or Gehenna

 

Lake of Fire (Gehenna) is Hell—the place of eternal torment for those whose names are not recorded in God’s “Book of Life” (those not “saved”).  The Lake of Fire or Hell (Gehenna) differs from “Hades” in that “Hades” is temporary, for souls only, while The Lake of Fire or Hell (Gehenna) is a place of eternal condemnation after the soul has been reunited with the body (John 5:28, 29; Rev. 20:10-15).  Jesus used the word “Gehenna” when referring to the eternal Hell.  Gehenna was a horrifying garbage dump near Jerusalem, (outside the city walls), where human flesh—that of the vilest criminals—was burned in continual flames; a foul odor permeated the area.  Gehenna is an actual place in the Hinnom Valley just southwest of Jerusalem.  Solomon, in his later years, turned the valley from a natural paradise into a place where the idols of his wives’ pagan gods were worshipped.  Infants were sacrificed into the flames.  The valley later became a cesspool where garbage, waste, dead animals and bodies of criminals were dumped and burned.  Worms ate into the dead flesh until they were consumed by the blaze.  The fire never ceased (it was kept burning) so the stench would not overtake folks living in or near Jerusalem.  The apostle Judas, whom betrayed Jesus, hung himself here and his body burst open and spilled out (Acts 1:18-20).  To the Jews, Gehenna was considered absolute Hell.

The Bible teaches Hell is a place where the “fire never ceases” (Mark 9:43), where a lake of fire burns with sulfur (Rev. 19:20) and where the worm never dies (Mark 9:47, 48).  The “Lake of Fire” (or Hell as we call it) is also totally dark.  The flames will give off no light.  Since the only light at the end of time will be Jesus and He is in the New Heaven (Rev. 21: 23-25; 22:5), Hell will be eternally dark—a place where everyone and everything is separated from God forever (Matt 8:12; 22:13; 25:30; Jude 7,13; 2 Peter 2:17).  It is a place of horror described by Jesus where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matt. 8:12; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30).  Oh may we warn people of this awful place and let them know that through Christ that Heaven can be theirs for all eternity.

“The Dangers of Teens and ‘Hooking Up’”

Please forgive me for leading into this post with such a staggering chart…with no warning…no preface…no “buckle-up,” but, I believe we at times need to be shaken.  Shaken?  About what?  I believe about a serious subject that concerns our teens (young adults) and their sexual behavior.  I am currently reading a book by Dr. Joe McIkhaney, Jr and Dr. Freda M. Bush entitled “Hooked-New Science on How Casual Sex is Affecting Our Children.”  It’s a fascinating and very enlightening book because it is written from a neuroscience perspective.   Here’s the upshot of the book:

Scientific research shows how sexual activity releases brain chemicals that trigger emotional bonding and a powerful desire to repeat the activity. Todayʹs young adults have discovered that ʺhooking upʺ is easy and addictive. Offering a Christian ʺphilosophy of sexuality,ʺ Drs. McIlhaney and Bush help parents and singles understand why ʺsafe sexʺ isnʹt safe at all.

There is a quote on the back of the book that says, “I had no idea having sex as a teenager could affect the rest of my life.”  Wow!  What a statement.  Another quote in the book from a 19-year old girl, Cheryl is heart breaking to me.  Cheryl says:

“When we broke up I just ached all over.  I didn’t miss having sex, but I missed having him so much more than I ever thought I would.  I still don’t understand what happened to me.” 

The book helps explain what happened to Cheryl as it dives into the mind and the impact having sex has on the developing brains of young adults.  The book details the following:

• Sexual activity releases chemicals in the brain, creating emotional bonds between partners
• Breaking these bonds can cause depression and make it harder to bond with your spouse in the future
• Chemicals released in the brain during sex can become addictive
• The human brain is not fully developed until a person reaches their mid-twenties.  Until then, it is harder to make wise relationship decisions

Take a look at this interview with the two doctors who wrote the book that is very enlightening.  It’s a little over 3 minutes long.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-OJ792VNzo

As I continue to work my way through the book, it has served to galvanize in my heart again the idea that the “Westernized” invention of “dating” or ”recreational romance” is seriously causing major issues with our young adults as they play “revolving door” with relationships and then find they are not being able to “settle down” with one spouse for life after marriage.  

I want to cite a fairly lengthy section from the website “Bold Christian Living” from Jonathan Lindvall that helps explain why.

“Contemporary American dating practices preclude self-denial in young people. The essence of dating is flirting. Dating is recreational romance in which each party intentionally endeavors to cultivate the other’s desire, while recognizing the relationship is most likely temporary. Even in the church today most cannot imagine proceeding from singleness to marriage without the institutional flirting of dating. Most Christians have assumed that it is normal and healthy for young people to experience several dating relationships prior to selecting a spouse. These recreational romances are assumed to be emotional preparation for marriage. Let’s ponder this assumption, though. Are temporary romantic relationships really God’s ideal? As a young couple become romantically involved with one another they begin to bond emotionally. They increasingly share their hearts with one another. Their thoughts and imaginations are focused on their partner. They begin the God-designed process of becoming “one” even if there is virtually no physical relationship. They become one heart long before they become “one flesh.” They both understand, however, that the dating relationship does not involve any permanent commitments and that either party is free to break up the romance at any time, for any reason. They likely both dread the prospect of breaking up and hope that perhaps this is the relationship that will stick. In most cases, however, even Christian young people proceed through a number of serial romances before their marriage. So in breaking up these two hearts that have begun bonding are ripped apart. They each leave the relationship with at least some degree of heart-break. They might either display varying degrees of emotional devastation or simply toughen their feelings. Either way they leave the relationship emotionally wounded or scarred. But soon the pain of breaking up is forgotten as they develop a new romance with a different partner. In time, however, this relationship results in another heart-break and more emotional wounds that leave scars. Over a period of several years a young person will experience a number of such emotional bonds being severed. Some of the romances are serious and others admittedly so casual that breaking up is hardly painful at all. Yet the cumulative effect is that the young people’s hearts are becoming increasingly calloused. Some young people respond to this sequence by developing strategies to play the game in such a way as to always be the heart-breaker rather than the heart-broken. Even for Christian youth such flirtatious manipulation of others’ emotions sometimes becomes a source of increasing arrogance with each conquest. Finally the young person finds the one they will eventually marry. But the memories of past romances, the pattern of jilting partners when they lose their initial intense appeal or to avoid being vulnerable to being left oneself, the insecurity from fear of being dropped again, and the callouses cultivated to protect from further pain all become barriers to emotional (and later physical) unity. Yet we still insist that dating is somehow healthy preparation for marriage. Isn’t such emotional promiscuity more likely preparation for divorce than for marriage?”

For more of Lindvall’s article see:  http://boldchristianliving.com/articles/youthful-romance/the-dangers-of-dating-scriptural-romance—part-1.html

Should we wonder why there is so much divorce in our culture when we have so many dating relationships and then just because a preacher tells us to slide a ring on our finger that all of a sudden that “switching of partners” should stop?  Is it any wonder we have an almost 55% divorce rate in the Church.  That’s right!  I said the Church.  Barna Research Group reports that divorce is higher in evangelical churches today than in the culture at large.   (www.barna.org)  

I hope that we as parents and grandparents and even young adults reading this post will seriously think about the dating culture and the “hook up” scene that so permeates our society.  The Bible tells us plainly in Ephesians 5:3

But among you there should not be even a hint of sexual immorality or of any impurity or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.

My God help us to truly desire to be His holy people.  May we go the way of Scripture and not the culture, because as crazy as it sounds, even the scientific community is now jumping on the bandwagon of what Scripture has taught all along.

If interested, you can order the book (around $13) from Amazon.  Click here:  http://www.amazon.com/Hooked-Science-Casual-Affecting-Children/dp/0802450601/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260470408&sr=1-1

400,000 vs 6,000…Who’s winning the battle for our minds?

Did you know there are over 400,000 churches in America?  Did you also know there are about 6,000 movie theaters in America?   Can I ask a sobering question?  Which one (the church or the movie theater) is having the most influence on American Christians?  Now think about that.  You know for me…I don’t have to think about it long.  I know which one I believe is having the most influence on us.  I believe it’s the movie theaters and what the stars of the screen are doing.  Why? 

Simple.  We love our entertainment.  Now don’t get me wrong.  I’m not saying all movies are bad…and I don’t want to be legalistic…I’m simply trying to make a point about the majority of our “entertainment.”  We just can’t seem to get enough of it.  Now again…don’t get me wrong…we love Jesus…oh yes we do…but, we REALLY love our movie stars, our music stars, our entertainment idols.  We have an appetite for entertainment that is almost insatiable. 

You don’t believe it.  Have you been watching the news lately?  Do you think the lead story over the last few days has been about Afghanistan or the economy or lost jobs in America?  Oh no!!  Not even close!  It’s been about Tiger Woods and his crash in his luxury SUV just outside his mansion in Florida.  It’s everywhere!  It’s NBC, ABC, CBS, MSNBC, CNN…you name it…in blogs…online…there it is…it’s everywhere.  Everybody wants to know.  What happened?  Was Tiger’s wife chasing him with a golf club to beat him up after a domestic fight?  Was he trying to escape?  What about all the scratches on his face and lips?  Why won’t he talk to the police?  Can I be very bold here? 

WHO CARES!!  Why is this so important to the existence of us as a people and to our future as a nation?  Why is this the lead story for our national news networks?  Why is it that balloon boy is covered like he and his family were a few weeks ago?  Why is it that we know more about the “party-crashers” in Washington that shook hands with Obama than we do about how our troops are doing that are defending our nation?  Why is it that Jon and Kate plus 8 grabs the national headlines for weeks on end?  I’ll tell you why…because WE…that means you and me…WE want to know…we just have to know…we vicariously want to live through the lives of these “stars” and we just can’t get enough!  How sad.  How deplorable.  How shallow.  We are Christians aren’t we?  Oh yes we are!  We’ll be in our 400,000 churches on Sunday…but, please…oh please…give us a front row seat to the “juicy stuff,” the latest hunk in the latest movie, how much weight somebody has lost or gained…you name it…just let us “in on it.” 

But are Christians really following this stuff.  You bet ya!  How do I know?  Because I’ve got ears and I’ve got eyes.  I can hear and see what “Christians” are attracted to today.  I am amazed at how we come and sit in our churches and listen to the Word of God on Sunday and the night before we’ve been in a folding theater seat watching “who knows what” in a darkened room with all our buddies.  Fast forward a few hours and there we are…we’re singing praises to the King of Kings with lifted voices and hands. 

Now I know what’s happening.  I’ve got some of you locked in and I’ve got your attention.  In fact, some of you reading this are getting mad.  You say, “You don’t know what I’m watching!”  “I’m not watching anything bad!”  “It’s not rated-R you know!”  “Who do you think you are?”  Well, I’m glad you asked…

I’m a Christian that believes the Word of God gives us guidance in how we are to live our lives and what we are to be about.  Can I share some Scripture with you?  It’s found in Ephesians 5:1-4:

¹Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children ²and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. ³But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. ⁴Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.

Did you catch what is being described by the Apostle Paul here?  He tells us we are to be “imitators of God.”  That means we are to be like God.   We are to live “different” from the world.  We are not to watch anything that has even a hint…a trace…a smidgen of sexual immorality.  That means that you can just about put a blanket on most movies shown in the 6,000 theaters across this nation.  You can do the same with most of the shows on any night of any network on TV.  That means that the jokes we send, the things we laugh about that are “off color” are improper for GOD’S HOLY PEOPLE.  Did you catch that?  We are to be HOLY people.  HOLY!  Do you know what that word means?  It means there is to be absolutely nothing impure in our lives. 

But, we rationalize what we watch, listen to and talk about and say…”Oh, it’s not so bad.”  Oh my.  How this must crush the Father’s heart in Heaven.  Aren’t we to be different?  As Christians…aren’t we to be “in the world, but not of the world?”  But are we?  Are we truly a “peculiar” people?  I’ll tell you…I’ve struggled with this in my life, because no one wants to be “strange.”  We just want to fit in don’t we?  I mean everybody is talking about Tiger Woods and his wife right?  I mean, we’ve got to keep up and be “educated,” “in the know,” right?  We don’t want to look stupid do we?  Well, let me ask you…what would happen if someone asked us, “Hey, what do you think about Tiger and his wife…do you think he’s hiding something?”  And you said, “I don’t know, but I’m really not that interested in it.”  They say, “Why?”  And you say, “Well, I think there are more important and worthwhile things to think about and I just don’t want to get bogged down in that stuff.” 

Now I know what some of you are thinking…you are thinking…hey…that’s being a snob or some kind of “no-it-all.”  But, I would say, no it’s not…not if you say what you say in love and use it as an opportunity to share what is really important in your life…maybe you share about that person that you sung praises to on Sunday…in one of our 400,000 churches…maybe we talk about that person that you lifted hands to in worship a few days before.  You know…Christ.  The one that we are to love with all of our hearts, soul and strength.  The one we’ve supposedly given our lives to.  The one we say we have surrendered our lives to in submission and honor as our Lord.  Or is it that we really have a stronger allegiance to what we just “gotta see” at the movie theater…or on the tube?  Is it that we are more comfortable seeing the “latest/greatest” movie or video (that we wouldn’t honestly sit side by side with Christ beside of us, because we’d be too embarrassed or uncomfortable if we are honest) versus letting Jesus truly control our thoughts, desires and ambitions?

Christian…what are you (and what am I) allowing to occupy our minds?  Paul tells us: 

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”  Philippians 4:8

My prayer is that those of us who occupy seats in the 400,000 churches across this land will occupy our minds with those things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy instead of allowing the stuff of this world and the majority of what comes out of the 6,000 theaters and across the TV screens to suck us into the world.  The choice is ours.  Who’s winning the battle for your mind?

What are you supposed to “feel” at church?

We live in a day and age within the “church” that when we go to church we want to “get something out of the service.”  What are we hoping to get?  Are we just consumers of the gospel?  I hope not.  Yet, often I believe that’s what we’re looking for…a “feeling.”  Why is that?  Is that what it means to be a Christian and go to church?  Is it just to “feel” something?  Now, please don’t get me wrong.  I’m firmly convinced we can feel and sense the presence of the Lord in a tangible and real way when we worship, but is that the goal?  Just to feel something? 

I recently read a blog by Dan Burrell that really got me thinking about this.  Here’s an excerpt:

“Is it that we go to church to experience the service…the emotion of it above the teaching of the gospel and the accuracy and fact of Scripture? In other words, are people more interested in feelings than facts?  Is it that we want to ‘experience’ a spiritual feeling even if that feeling comes at the expense of neglecting orthodox and doctrinal instruction?  We want a God that makes us feel better about us more than we want a God Who helps us to see us for who we really are and what we genuinely need. Thus, our churches spend great energy and resources on creating an experience in ‘worship’ rather than the presentation of the ‘Word.’  Doctrine is downplayed as divisive, boring and even transitional.  What matters is the pragmatic effect of shared experiences, emotional movement and a sloppy form of self-affirmation that emphasizes style and sincerity and a nebulous form of spirituality. 

In this world, Oprah is as much a spiritual leader as Billy Graham; Joel Osteen and Robert Schuller outshine more studious prophets as John MacArthur or Warren Wiersbe. There is a danger in a cold orthodoxy that never touches the heart.  We can’t be so afraid of emotion and compassion and expression that it makes our faith impotent or simply a matter of intellectual assent.  The practical effect of the gospel is a changed life, rearranged priorities and a passion for the things of God demonstrated in daily living.  But one has to wonder if the typical Western church today spends as much time in exegeting (teaching verse by verse) the Word as it does in creating an ‘atmosphere.’  Does the average preacher plan the feel of the service with as great precision as he studies the content and context of the Gospel he preaches?  Have we sacrificed our sound doctrine for a social activism which leaves us with a false sense of accomplishment that lasts only as long as the adrenaline rush of self-congratulatory emotion that follows a pseudo-spiritual exercise?”

Strong words indeed from Mr. Burrell.  But, I believe he’s right and as a Pastor…the goal of any service must be to lift up Jesus in the totality of what we do.  We work hard to do so at Mt. Pleasant.  Are we perfect at it…no way.  But, here’s what I know.   I know that Pastor Brad and I work very hard to magnify the name of Jesus in song and in the Word.  We work diligently to present the gospel in a way that is understandable, uplifting, at times convicting and even “hard,” and encouraging.  The Holy Spirit does the work.  Ultimately the goal is NOT just an “experience,” but an “encounter” with the Living God of the universe.  When one experiences God in this way one will experience Him on all levels…emotionally, intellectually and beyond.

Burrell goes on to point out:

“I want us to consider how our culture gets caught up in experiences and emotions -from the way we exalt athletics, to the ads we will have pummel us as Christmas approaches, to what passes as worship these days in a typical evangelical church.  Even we as believers tend to get swept up in catastrophe or tragedy and almost become paralyzed in an irrational frenzy of grief or morbid curiosity such as when a celebrity dies like Princess Diana, Michael Jackson or Anna Nicole Smith. Why is that Kanye West and Taylor Swift are followed more enthusiastically than the nine men and women who interpret our very constitution? It’s time we ask ourselves if we are chasing fool’s gold.  In our personal lives, our homes, our businesses and yes…. in our churches.  Today’s evangelical believer is more offended by someone who speaks with authoritative passion and a sense of absolute truth than they are about the carnal and sensual messages of today’s entertainment industry.  As a result, our churches are filled with ’show’, our sermons are filled with ‘fluff’ and our hearts are filled with ‘darkness.’ Believers must be careful to search for truth.  Preachers must be careful to preach the Word.  And all of us must take care to keep from chasing ‘fool’s gold.’”

Well said Mr. Burrell and a message that this preacher will take to heart as I seek the Lord weekly on how we are to preach and teach the gospel of our precious Lord!  All of us need to look deep within and sincerely ask ourselves: Am I a student of the Word of God with an appetite to hear the Word and to fellowship with other believers so as to be equipped to do the work of the gospel, or am I at church just to be entertained?  God help us to sincerely have a desire for Him that translates into our desire for His Word and then practicing in the world what we’ve learned from Holy Writ.

How Much is Enough for Christmas?

You know I’ve been thinking as I see all the Christmas ads beginning on TV and even hearing Christmas music in some stores and on some radio stations…just what will this Christmas season be like?  You may ask, “What do you mean…are you talking economically…better or worse than last year’s disasterous season or something different?”  The answer is something quite different.  Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t wish any “bad” on our national retailers, but I have a question that keeps nagging me in my own mind over the last few days…”Just how much is enough?” 

You know, 100 years ago, if you got a piece of candy and an apple for Christmas along with a pair of socks, you were “rich!”  But what about today?  Are you kidding?  Would any good, loving, and gracious parent even think of “giving” such pathetic gifts to their children?  As you ponder that thought (Can you detect my sarcasm? I hope you can!), I want to throw out the thought, “What would Jesus give at Christmas?”  If He had such a holiday, (I’m not trying to be silly here…just kind of going with the “What Would Jesus Do” mantra from a few years ago), what gifts would He give?  I bet this is starting to put some things in perspective, if you really think about that.

Would Jesus be spending tons on money on presents and toys that will be discarded in a matter of months, nay weeks or days?  Would he run up credit cards that will keep those who do so in financial bondage for many months to follow?  Would He seek to find His self-worth or identity in the gifts He bought or received?  Would he try to impress with his “outlay” of cash during this most “wonderful time” of year?  I think not.  Do you know what I believe Jesus would do with any money He had, (which He basically had none…but go with me here), assuming He did have a little, I believe He’d spend it on the needy, the downtrodden, the homeless, the orphan or the widow with nothing.  Can you see that playing out?  I can!  What did He instruct us to do?  To “love our neighbors as ourselves.”  Right?

Now I know what you may be thinking at this point.  “Kevin, are you crazy?  Are you advocating not giving Christmas presents?”  Well, not at this point…even though the merit in that is worth considering…but, at this point I’m simply asking…how much is enough?  Parents, how much is enough for your children?  Do you have a budget for Christmas presents or an amount that you will spend per child?  Will you stick to it?  How much is enough?  Is it $150 or $250 per child?  $500?  How about $750?  What is the amount?  The more kids you have the less the amount right?  My family has four children…so I can promise you the amount is around $150-$200 range per child (and that’s probably too much).  Now you must know that I have two older children (15 and soon to be 12), and to young ones…both are 4.  So, there will be a difference in the amounts for each because of the age.  But overall…we’ve decided to keep the total to $600.  I’m not trying to be “legalistic” here.  Just being forthright and telling you that we are trying to be frugal and prudent. 

Do you know what we’ve decided to do as a family?  We’ve decided to buy the children what they NEED, versus just what they WANT.  For some reason, we believe that we “owe” it to our kids to give them anything they want and to go into debt to do it, because the world pushes this kind of thinking on us.  It’s not to say that our little guys won’t get a toy or two…but, come on…you know that those toys will be “old hat” in just a few days.  So, why waste the money?  You know what we’ve decided to do?  We’ve decided to put money in shoeboxes…the Operation Christmas Child project of Samaritan’s Purse in Boone, NC that helps children around the world that would otherwise have nothing for Christmas.  We’ve chosen to make one shoebox per each of our children.  In fact, the children know that some of “their” Christmas money is going toward others…instead of them.  They WILL have LESS because they are choosing to give!  It is more blessed to give than receive and they see this.   Katy, my 15 year old, went with me to Ethiopia this past summer and a few weeks later, she and Kandace (my soon to be 12 year old) went to Mexico.  They saw poverty like they’ve never seen before.

My family and I have a different perspective on Christmas now.  I believe the Lord Jesus calls us to consider those that have nothing or at least much less than we do.  Jesus called them, “the least of these.”  In fact, I personally know some folks that take all the money they would otherwise spend on Christmas gifts for each other and give it all to missions (reaching people with the Gospel). 

What a thought!  Giving the money to help spread the gospel throughout the world?  Sounds nuts doesn’t it?  Not really!  Not if you think about it and truly contemplate what it means to “love your neighbor as yourself.” 

Would you honestly and carefully consider what you are going to spend on Christmas this year and ask the Lord God “how much is enough?”  If you and I do this…I believe we will get a different answer than what we’ve gotten in the past, as we make the futile attempt to try to “keep up with the Joneses” and impress our kids or our kids friends, or even our own extended family at the Christmas dinner table at Grandma’s.  May we this year see that the one we celebrate at Christmas…the Christ…born in a manger in the most meager conditions imaginable would desire for us to give…not to ourselves…not just to our own families…our own pleasures…our own comforts…but, to reaching those that He ultimately came to die for with His glorious gospel.

The singer/song writer Matthew West says it best in the song he sings with Amy Grant, “Give This Christmas Away:”

What if I told you
You have the power
To give someone hope
Beyond their wildest dreams
What if I told you
It’s right there in your hands
In your hands

It’s hard to imagine
How something so small
Can make all the difference
Take down the tallest wall
What if December
Looked different this year
What if we all just

Give this Christmas away
If there’s love in your heart
Don’t let it stay there
Give this Christmas away
And your life will be changed
By the gifts you receive
When you give this Christmas away

It’s feeding the hungry
Serving the poor
It’s telling the orphan
You’re not forgotten anymore
It’s doing what love does
Even when no one’s watching you

Give this Christmas away
If there’s love in your heart
Don’t let it stay there
Give this Christmas away
And your life will be changed
By the gifts you receive
When you give this Christmas away
For God so loved the world
That He gave His only Son
So we could be
His hands, His feet, His love
His love

What if I told you
You have the power
To give someone hope
Far beyond their wildest dreams
What if December
Looked different this year
Yah what if we all just

Give this Christmas away
If there’s love in your heart
Don’t let it stay there
Give this Christmas away
And your life will be changed
By the gift you receive
When you give this Christmas away

Give this Christmas away
You have the power
Just give it away
Give it away
Give it away
This Christmas
Give it away
Give Christmas away
Give it away