I Really Care

Imagine if you were a teacher and the majority of your students failed the class. Imagine if you were a choir director and only a few choir members ever learned their part, rendering each performance before an audience as an utter disaster. Imagine if you were a running a manufacturing company where the machines broke down the majority of the time delaying shipment after shipment. That would get frustrating wouldn’t it?

Think about it. The teacher would be dismayed that her students never studied and failed so often on tests, while the choir director (who sought excellence) would be discouraged because he couldn’t get a good performance, and certainly the manufacturer would be devastated when his company went belly up because he couldn’t count on the machines.

Can I tell you wonderful, faithful readers of this silly little blog something: Sometimes I get a bit dismayed like the people mentioned above. Want to know why? It’s real simple:

I care.

I really do.

I care a lot!

I try my very best to teach and preach the Word of God and to be as faithful to the Scriptures as much as I possibly can. I study, pray, prepare and work hard so that when I stand to teach/preach, I can do my very best. Consequently, I suppose I have high expectations. I suppose I care enough about what I’m teaching and working hard to preach week in and week out that I want people to succeed. I want people to “get it.” I want people to walk with the Lord in a genuine, powerful way. Bottom line: if I’m preaching and teaching month after month and year after year, then I want to see results. Is that expecting too much? I want to see people grow and mature in their faith and walk with Christ.

Is that okay? Is that over the top?

Let’s say you are teaching someone how to hit a baseball. Let’s say you are being paid to teach someone to “lay wood on leather.” Yet, the athlete you are training athlete simply refuses to buy into what you are saying and continually goes zero for four at the plate in games. That would get a bit old, would it not? Sure it would. In fact, you would begin to question if you were making any difference at all.

The truth is I think pastors/elders go through these same questions from time to time. We ask, “Am I making a difference?” We ask, “Are the majority of people really getting it?” Again, this is no different from a teacher desiring for their students to play well in front of an audience or do well on a test. Yet, as a pastor, (believe it or not) I’m sometimes looked at by people who believe that I shouldn’t care so much. But, I’m not alone.

Today, I met with a young pastor in Statesville, NC. He pastors in Charlotte and he’s solid. Real solid. I was very encouraged and it was great to hear his story and to offer insight to him (as he did for me). Yet, he is facing a lot of what most of us “pastors” face in our world today. He is coming to the place where he is realizing that he can prepare, pray, work hard and do everything in his power to pass along the truths of God’s word and it still might not bring a tremendous amount of change in a lot of lives. In other words, he can do everything right as a pastor and still not have a “passing grade” (in his mind). I told him, “Brother, you are going to have to come to terms with that and it’s hard! And let me tell you…it is hard! Real hard! I’m being honest here…this truth is really, really hard to swallow! Especially if you are a “results” guy like me. Why? Because, I want to see everyone “get it.” I want to see everybody growing.

You see, settling for less than the best is like telling the batting coach, “Hey, don’t worry if he strikes out 3 out of every 4 times he steps up to the plate.” That’s like telling the dance teacher, “So what if she doesn’t point her toes…after all, she’s doing most of the dance right.” No, no, no! That’s not acceptable…not if you are seeking excellence. It’s not acceptable for the choir director to allow sloppy “cut-offs.” No sir! She expects you to “cut off” when her middle fingers touch her thumbs and not a nanosecond later. Right? Exactly! Excellence is the goal.

I love what Paul says in Philippians 1. Try to feel the heart of Paul for the believers in Philippi. Try to feel his yearning for them like a father for his children.

Philippians 1:8-11

8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Paul wanted them to “approve what is excellent.” He wanted them to be “pure and blameless.” He wanted them to be “filled with the fruit of righteousness.” Hey!! I know how Paul feels! I really do!

Well, the young pastor and I discussed how it’s hard not to care when you see things that you wish you didn’t see and when you point out these things, you are accused of being the “police of the world.” Perhaps pastors are supposed to preach and not care about the results. Perhaps pastors are supposed to stand in the pulpit week after week and month after month and preach with all they’ve got and not care if there is any growth…any excellence. Wrong! I don’t buy that for a second. You know me better than that.

So, I say this to anyone who thinks that I should be like a second grade teacher who teaches 1 +1 = 2, and yet not care if the student says 3 on the test. Look the other way! Don’t worry if they get it wrong. Just teach. Don’t worry about the results. I’m sorry, that’s 100% wrong and it must be pointed out to the student that it’s wrong or they will never learn the truth. The school principal would expect as much, correct?

Does God expect any less of me? I think not.

Therefore, if I see that something is way out of line in a person’s life (who professes to be a believer), then I’m obligated as a shepherd (someone who really and truly cares for his flock) to check on them and see what’s wrong. I’m obligated (if I really care) to say, “Hey, is everything okay?” And if that happens to be you someday, don’t think I’m trying to get “all up in your business” or I’m trying to be the “police” of your life, or that I’m trying to “look down my pastoral nose” at you. I’m not. I promise. It’s just that I care. I really do. I care about you. I care about what happens to you and I care about your life.

Isn’t that what a shepherd is supposed to do for his flock? So, I ask you now to pardon me if I am too passionate or if I expect too much. I promise you…and I really mean this…I promise you I don’t expect any more out of you than I do out of myself. I promise you that if I were your baseball coach and you had the ability to bat .500, then I won’t be happy with .250. I promise you, if I were your guitar teacher and you have the ability to play a difficult song, but you refuse to try…then I’m going to tell you to “step it up.” I promos you, if I’m running a manufacturing company and you always show up late, then I’m going to say, “Get here on time, or else.” Is that too much to ask? If it is…then, I guess I care too much. And if I care too much, then I humbly ask you to forgive me. But, my plan is to continue to preach and teach and give the Lord everything I’ve got and I hope and pray (with all my heart) that will be okay, and that we’ll all continue to grow and mature together…striving for excellence.

Speaking of growing… Something blew my mind last week.

I read this on one of my favorite weather blogs (you know I’m a weather geek):

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

A Final Notice To The Viewers

By Andrew at 4:00 PM

This is quite likely the most difficult post I’ve had to write in the last five years of running The Weather Centre, and I can assure you it wasn’t easy actually sitting down to hammer it out, either. After all, this has been my livelihood for so long, I can’t really remember what occupied the majority of my time before this. That’s why it makes me sad to announce that The Weather Centre blog will close permanently on our five-year anniversary: April 26th, 2015.

I couldn’t believe what I was reading! I read this guys posts every week. He’s brilliant. He’s weather forecasting was fantastic. In fact, he was probably one of the most accurate forecasters for last year’s winter (cold/snow) of anyone on the net. I thought to myself, “Why in the world is he quitting.” I continued to read:

When I started The Weather Centre on April 26th, 2010, I wasn’t much of a forecaster. At the time, I made the blog solely because I had an interest in weather, and because there happened to be a severe weather event on the way on April 30th of that year. My initial posts, if you dive back to look at them (example here, here, and here), were simply maps with some crude MS Paint drawings on them if even that, describing the upcoming pattern for that late April set-up.

As a matter of fact, I wasn’t even much of a person yet. I started The Weather Centre blog when I was 12 years old, just rounding out 7th grade. In case you’re wondering, yes, you’ve been receiving the musings of a teenage aspiring meteorologist for the last five years… 

Over the past five years, I’ve had more than a few people ask me how old I am, or what my credentials are in the forecasting world. To be quite frank, I never answered those questions, because I’ve grown to learn that it really does not matter. I see degreed meteorologists publicly shaking their heads on Twitter, Facebook, or on other public social media at something a kid just like me may have done…

Isn’t that marvelous? Oh the power of a teenager. They can do so much! Mary was a teenage girl who gave birth to God. Jesus had a rag-tag bunch of teenagers following Him around as a Rabbi. Amazing! Just remember, our teenagers will strive to our level of expectations.

Here’s a few more comments from this young man, Andrew, on his final blog post:

Before I close up shop here, I want to go over the achievements we as a community have accomplished. 

– In five years, The Weather Centre has accumulated over 5,650,000 page views. I can safely say I would never have dreamed that so many people would have wanted to read my weather discussions, and it is such an incredible honor to have run such a successful blog.

– The Weather Centre was featured and/or mentioned on the Toronto Star, the New York Times, the Huffington Post, NPR, Yahoo, and countless other meteorological and news entities. Every one of them made me more proud to do what I do.

– We formed a community of over 3,700 Facebook fans, and close to 1,300 Twitter followers. I have found that you all are the best group of weather enthusiasts I have come across on the Internet, and it is an immense privilege to say that. I am forever grateful to have had the opportunity to converse with all of you.

So, for the last time, I want to extend a thank you. I want to thank you, the viewer, reading this right now, for supporting not only this blog, but me for the last five years. Thanks in large part to The Weather Centre, I have grown into a person I never thought I would become, and I’m incredibly excited to see where my life takes me next. I’m leaving not out of selfishness, but because this chapter of my life is naturally coming to a close. In the next several months, I’m going off to college to start my studies to become a degreed meteorologist, my life’s dream. In addition, research projects that I began this past winter are quickly showing signs of verification. One of them, forecasting the EF-strength of tornadoes before they form, is looking very promising, and I’ll need to devote a significant amount of time to improving my research, my studies, and everything else that makes life worth living. The one thing I ask of you is that you do what I’ve done. Go out and teach others about the weather; there are so many people that want to understand the weather but find everything too complicated. This blog provides a great resource for you to continue on.

Once again, thank you for these last five years. They’ve been the best five years I’ve ever experienced, and I’m incredibly proud to say we’ve accomplished the goal that’s been in place since I first started The Weather Centre: to show others that weather can be easy to understand, to learn, and to share with others.

The last couple of weeks before April 26th will be mainly cleaning up some things, probably issuing some sort of winter prediction for 2015-2016 (it’s only fitting, given our preliminary winter forecasts used to be issued in early June), and enjoying the ride. You’ll still find me tweeting about the weather even after we close, and perhaps an occasional post on the Facebook page as well; you can follow the Twitter account at https://twitter.com/TheWxCentre, and our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TheWeatherCentre

Sincerely,

Andrew Racki

Way to go Andrew! Here’s his picture:

I’m sure going to miss reading your excellent blog and gleaning from your excellent forecasts. I can’t wait to see you on TV one day. Who knows, you might even be Jim Cantore’s (The Weather Channel) replacement!

You know, I think Andrew really cares about the weather. I think he really cared about offering phenomenal weather forecasts and I can truly relate to that. Because I really care too! wink, wink 🙂

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Rest

Last week was a great week! It was certainly good to catch a break. Several months ago, I saw that there was an excellent conference in Orlando, Florida and it hit me that there was an opportunity to “kill two birds with one stone.” Catch a great conference and get some R & R with my family. Super!

So, I scheduled it and I’m so glad I did. I needed the break and I realized that a few days into the week. Pam or one of the kids (I can’t remember) looked at me one day and said, “You actually look relaxed.” Woohoo! I thought, “That’s great!” And the truth is…our family can tell the quickest about our emotional and spiritual barometer.

Let me give you a brief recap to catch you up…

On the way down, we stopped in Georgia to see some dear friends that we met 9 years ago when we adopted Clara from China. The Windsor family is phenomenal! Frank and Robin have two biological children and have adopted 6 children from China. That’s right, I said, “6 children” from China! They love the Lord Jesus and have a heart and compassion for children. We got to hang out one night at their home and the kids played in the pool.

What a crew!!

That’s Clara and Dottie (adopted at the same time…9 years ago) with two of Dottie’s sisters, Naomi and Grace. Thank you Frank and Robin for the wonderful hospitality and for you allowing us to crash in on you guys for a superb evening!

The conference really recharged my batteries. I was greatly encouraged by all the young people who were there. There is a growing fervor among the young people who are sick and tired of the stale traditions of the church and desire to teach, preach and most importantly “live” the Gospel.

I got to hear this man…

That’s John Piper. He was outstanding. I was overwhelmed with all the books. You know I love books…

There were over 6,000 people at the conference. Here’s the main hall before we were released to go in…

Here’s the breakdown (notice the ages) by percentage of attendees:

<19, 11% 20-29, 23% 30-39, 34% 40-49, 18% > 60, 8%

That’s 68% under the age of 40. Makes me feel old, but encouraged! People came from all over the world. 24 from Denmark, 300 from Canada, 17 from China, 63 Dominican Republic, 5 Cuba, 40 Brazil and others from Israel, Turkey, Nigeria, South Africa and Ghana (and I didn’t get them all written down). Amazing!

I’ll say it again. I was exceedingly encouraged and refreshed by the vigor of the preaching and teaching and the commitment to global missions and spreading the Gospel by this “younger” generation of Christ-followers. There is hope!

Disney was a blast. We loved our hotel room. It was near a pool…

We took Andrew to his favorite place…

Then it was Disney…

Let me tell you something. Those folks have customer service down to a science. Being a former businessman, I am always analyzing service. Disney treats their customers like none other. Everything is pristine and clean. The people are super friendly and it’s 100% safe. People park their strollers with all their stuff still in them and stroller stops and nobody steals anything. It’s crazy! At the bus stop I looked at the shelter and there wasn’t a cobweb anywhere. The walls of the bus stop look like they had been wiped down daily.

I even saw a man with a sidewalk buffer, who was cleaning the sidewalks. It’s an amazing thing to see!

But, I must tell you I saw some things that were different than our last trip down about 5 or 6 years ago. Scooters. They were everywhere. The population today is in great need of scooters. I also saw black panty hose everywhere. You know that stretchy stuff that women and ladies wear now that looks like panty hose. I used to work for a panty hose company (Ithaca Industries) and I never thought I’d see the day that panty hose would be worn as “outerwear.” Yikes! Please wear a large T-shirt to cover you, please, please! 🙂

The kids looked great in these hats they tried on…

One the kids’ favorite places was the Brown Derby, where Lucille Ball had one of her funniest episodes filmed… (I missed that one because I was at the conference… Boohoo!)

Of course, the roller coasters were a big hit. Check out Pam and Kandace on this massive roller coaster called, “Everest.”

My personal favorite… Before and after…

This was the big hill!!!!

Had to have a shot with Mickey…

Selfie at Epcot…

The fireworks were the bomb (pardon the pun) 🙂

On our way back home, we stopped by where Pam grew up (until she was 4 years old). Yes, she was born in Orlando, Florida!

How cool is that! It’s a cinderblock house. Most of them are in that area. That’s her street…

I’m really, really glad that George and Mary moved back to Wilkes County so that I could meet Pam at a Bible Study I was teaching in 1988 at Appalachian State University!

Well, it was a great time had by all! It’s good to rest. In fact, I love what Dr. David Black said a while back on on his blog:

Thursday, March 12 

8:04 AM A wise old preacher once said, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (Eccl. 3:1). Without doubt that includes a time for rest. Jesus once told His disciples, “Come away by yourselves to a lonely place and rest for a while” (Mark 6:31). Notice the “when” of His command – while “many were coming and going.” When do we need to recharge our batteries the most? It is while we are surrounded by people in great physical and spiritual need. Vance Havner once told the story about two men who discovered their home towns were fairly close to each other. One of them said, “You know, I used to visit your town once a week when I drove a horse and buggy. It took me a while day to get there and back, but I enjoyed it. Now I can get there in half an hour by car, but I don’t have the time.” Are we using our time wisely? All of it? We all have exactly the same amount of time – 24 hours in every day. The important thing is how we use it. And we should consider leisure time as part of our stewardship responsibility before God. 

Are we good stewards of our time when we spend night after night allowing a one-eyed god bathe our minds from 7:00 till 11:00? The Internet can become no less a subtle dictator, giving us so little of what is truly worthwhile and beneficial in return. If we sit at a desk all day it would be less than wise to do nothing more than sink into an armchair during our time off. “Rest” in that circumstance might mean a little physical activity. Nor is there anything wrong with enjoying a “day off” that includes a time for sensible change. For example, all around us in America are many famous places (and some not so famous) that help us step back and remember that history is “His story.” To stand at the base of Mount Rushmore, or under the shadow of the “Clump of Trees” at Gettysburg, or at the spot in Texas where the defenders of the Alamo made their last stand, always fills me with a tingling knowledge that my own life is something more than a disconnected accident. I urge us to look on leisure as something the Lord God gives us to enrich our lives. Plan it sensibly – then enjoy it! By any reckoning, hyper-activity is pseudo-Christianity. That being so, our Lord’s words to His disciples need to be heard loud and clear, and heeded here and now: 

“Come away … and rest for a while.”

We’re back now with Katy and Charlotte.

As you know, she’s been staying with us while Josh is finishing up his deployment in Key West, Florida. Lord willing, Josh (after three delays) is finally supposed to be boarding a C-130 this afternoon and come home late tonight (Cherry Point, NC). Lord willing, he’ll be able to come home (Wilkes County) after working till noon tomorrow. We’ll see. The Marines are notorious for changing “the plan.”

Charlotte is now “talking” her head off (jabbering). Here’s an example…

Yes, life moves on and it’s back to the land of the living. And that includes replacing shower heads…

But, I’m grateful for the rest. God is good!

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Drinking the Kool-Aid

Have you ever heard the statement, “Don’t drink the Kool-Aid?”

Do you know where that statement comes from?

“Drinking the Kool-Aid” is a figure of speech we use to refer to a group of people who are holding an unquestioned belief or philosophy without really examining why. The phrase is often used by people who are knowingly going along with a doomed or dangerous idea because of peer pressure or to be politically correct.

The phrase is actually derived from the November 1978 “Jonestown deaths” that occurred in Guyana, South America.

Jonestown was the name of the community that cult leader Jim Jones established. On November 18, 1978 a total of 909 members (1/3 of which were children) of what was called the “People’s Temple” committed suicide by drinking Kool-Aid laced with cyanide poisoning.

Why did they do it? They believed Jones when he said that all who would go with him to Guyana would start a utopian (peaceful) society and they’d live together in a commune and it would be paradise. Obviously he lied and because of declining health (lung cancer) and mounting pressure from the US government, he demanded (at gun point) that his followers drink the Kool-Aid.

The youngest children were the first to die, as parents used syringes to drop the poison-powdered fruit juice down their children’s throats. Adults then lined up to drink the Kool-Aid while armed guards surrounded them. When Guyanese officials arrived at the Jonestown compound the next day, they found it covered with hundreds of bodies. Many people died with their arms around each other.

A memorial service was held in 2011 for those who died in the mass suicide…

Amazing! How could this happen? Well, let’s go back to our definition from earlier…

Drinking the Kool-Aid: a group of people who are holding an unquestioned belief or philosophy without really examining why. This rings so familiar to me today in our nation. People today are “drinking the Kool-Aid” when it comes to the definition of marriage, the sanctity of human life, “climate change,” etc., etc. Whatever is reported in the media via TV or the internet is received as the “Gospel” and is seldom questioned.

Hence the “Rolling Stones Magazine” article about the supposed gang rapes that occurred at the University of Virginia, which ended up being a hoax. Hence the idea that all gay people are “born that way” and they are like black people in that a gay person can no more change their sexual identity than a black man can change his color. Folks, we’re drinking the Kool-Aid. The Bible is clear that a person can be redeemed and delivered from their homosexual tendencies just as much as an adulterer, drunk and thief can (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). Yet, we’re not interested in really researching what the Bible says. We’ll just go with what our favorite actor, athlete or politician has to say about the subject. We won’t use the Word of God as our “…lamp unto our feet and light unto our path” Psalm 119:105. No, we’ll just go with CNN, Huffington Post and our favorite politician or sports figure.

When we do this…we’re drinking the Kool-Aid. You know this don’t you? What will be your guide? What will be your grid from which your brain makes decisions? Will you go with the current “cultural thinking?” Well you not question what you are seeing and hearing and just gulp down the Kool-Aid? Most are and that includes “Christians.”

It’s particularly happening with the situation in Indiana and the pizzeria that said they’d rather not cater a gay wedding (it was a hypothetical question). They had never been asked the question. But, an ABC news agency saw crosses in the business and thought, “Aha…got one!” Well, let’s turn the tables (and it’s being done). What about a Christian who goes to a gay baker and says, “Bake me a cake that says, ‘I support what the Bible says about marriage: One man for one woman, for life.'” If the gay baker says, “That goes against my convictions and my beliefs,” will he/she be forced (like the Christian bakers) to make the cake anyway? Will he/she be forced against his/her convictions to condone this type of thing?

As I said, this very thing is being “tested” as we speak and yet, no major news agency will pick it up. Because the agenda is not “Free speech,” the agenda is “You believe what I tell you to believe.” The agenda is, “When I want your opinion…I’ll give it to you.” The agenda is only “tolerance” for the position I tolerate and you “Christians,” no way…no can-do on your position. You can no longer point to the Bible as your guide. You must go with the cultural norms (mores) of the day.

You say, “Why does this matter?” I’ll tell you why it matters, because if taken to the extreme, one day they will come to me and say, “Kevin, if you preach that homosexuality is a sin and that it can be healed and forgiven, then your church is going to lose it’s tax-exempt status.” What happens then? How many people still write checks to a church where they can no longer receive a tax deduction. Think about that as you prepare for April 15th.

I read this on a blog the other day about the issue that I thought was excellent. It comes from http://thesidos.blogspot.com/2015/03/around-web-on-rfra.html:

Rod Dreher, writing for the American Conservative has a very comprehensive piece, Indiana: A Religious Liberty Bellwether.

It seems to me that the media/elite freakout over the Indiana law is a moral panic analogous to the freakout over the UVA rape case. People rushed like lemmings to endorse as true something that turned out to be a hoax because it confirmed their prejudices about Bad Classes of People. This is why so many in the media are making no pretense to be fair in their reporting and commentary on the Indiana law. As Mollie Hemingway avers, the most interesting — and most worrying — aspect of all this is that religious liberty is not considered to be important at all to very many people in this country, especially the most powerful people.

Notre Dame’s Pat Deneen wrote this weekend on Facebook that law school friends tell him of plans underway now by progressive law profs to “Bob Jones” churches and religious institutions that have policies they consider discriminatory against LGBT people. That is, they want to campaign to take away tax exempt status from all religious entities that have traditional views and practices related to homosexuality. This is the next frontier. Many churches and religious entities operate so close to the margins, budget-wise, that they will not be able to survive this.

I saw this on Twitter…

Patrick Deneen @PatrickDeneen · Mar 29

Any cause with the active support of Apple, NCAA, Wal-Mart and the Kochs is not a beleaguered minority, but the ruling elite. 

As the blogger noted: “The groups he lists have a lot in common, namely that they want nothing to rock the boat and interfere with the money flow that is the lifeblood of the government, the academy, the entertainment world and the massive corporations. Ironically the American Left has placed itself firmly on the side of the most privileged and white organizations in the world.”

In essence, the American Left and the Progressive Liberals hope Americans will continue to______???

Yep…you guessed it…

DRINK THE KOOL-AID

Let me give you an example of drinking the Kool-Aid by way of a couple of videos. First is a David Cameron the British Prime Minister. Below is his “Easter Message.” It’s just over 2 minutes long.

Okay, no watch President Obama’s “Easter Message.” It starts out okay, but in the middle to the end, you can tell that our President has been drinking the Kool-Aid.

So, what did you think? He gave away the farm with: “Whether faith in God shapes our lives completely or not at all…” Amazing. He just made “as equal” on the celebration of Easter (the  resurrection of Jesus) those who celebrate faith and God and those who don’t. Oh my goodness! Come on Mr. President. You just said that you were a Christian. Stand up and say it. Stand up and believe it. David Cameron did. You didn’t! Why? Because you, Mr. President, have been drinking the Kool-Aid. In fact, I’m convinced he’s now pouring the Kool-Aid.

I posted this on Facebook the other day:

This country is changing so fast. The reason we are here is because we left England seeking a place of refuge that we might be able to worship God freely and without oppression from the government. Well friends, welcome to 2015. Oppression is back. As a Christian, you are no longer allowed to believe what the Bible teaches if it contradicts the “new thinking” on a subject such as marriage. Today in America if you are a Christian and you hold to the Bible as THE ONLY source of authority for making all decisions, then you are a bigot and a hater. So sad. The issue before us is will we stand on the principles of Scripture, the timeless Word of God, or will we cave to the changing winds of culture and the whims of the “created” instead of the Words of the “Creator.”

Another Christian nailed me for it and said that (my words) I need to lighten up. Well, folks, I’m not drinking the Kool-Aid. I’m doing my dead-level best as a pastor and simply as a Christian to allow the living water of the Word of God to quench my thirst, because it’s the truth.

Christian, we have got to get back to the knowing what the Bible says and not being afraid to follow it. We’ve got to stand (lovingly, but firmly) on the teachings of Jesus.

Paul said:

9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:9-11

Did you catch the part about “knowledge and discernment?” How about the part about what is “excellent…pure…blameless…righteousness?” You see that’s the truth and Jesus said it best when He said:

“If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.” John 7:37

Hey…I’ll take Jesus any day over Kool-Aid…won’t you? 🙂

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