9/11 and the Church

I asked the question yesterday during our morning service, "do you remember where you were 9/10/01?" A few raised their hands but most could not recall where they were the night before the tragic events that occurred the following day. I do remember where I was. I was at a bar in Florence, SC, where I was every Monday night, watching Monday Night Football, gambling, getting drunk or high, probably both, being the lost person that I was. I had such a "good" time that night that I took that momentous Tuesday off and slept in. I found out about the attacks when my dad called and woke me up to inform me of what was going on.

So why is this meaningful? Well, it's meaningful because I was one of the multitudes who was in church that following Sunday. For me it was the first time in many years. I was there because I had questions to which I had no answers. I was seeking understanding, comfort, a sense of safety. I was turning to where I knew I should, to God and His people, even though I had run from Him most of my life. Tragedy has a way of doing this to people. We turn where we know we should, and I believe instinctually, there is a desire for God in most human hearts.

Most churches saw huge spikes in attendance those first few weeks after 9/11. Our nation had been startled and scared, and we sought out our creator. However, after a few weeks, church attendance lagged and basically has never picked up again in most places. I was also one of those one's who fell away from church again. Why was that?

For me personally, I came seeking something I didn't find. I was not saved, but I was raised in church and had a basic understanding of what the bible says. I knew a person who claimed to be a Christian is supposed to be different. What I found were people who praised God on Sunday, yet lived just like me the rest of the week. Friends, a person who claims to be saved cannot live like a lost person. The world sees this and abhors this. They know blatant hypocrisy when the see it. And it repels them. I believe with all my heart many reacted the same way after a few weeks in church. Ultimately, it's an excuse, but it is a legitimate concern as we look at the nature of the church 10 years after 9/11. If another catastrophic event were to happen today, is the church any better prepared to receive those who are once again seeking answers?

As I survey the landscape of the church, sadly, the conclusion I come to, is no. No, we are not any better prepared than we were 10 years ago. Yesterday the talk was of how much our nation had changed since 9/11, yet I really do not see it where it matters most, in God's house. If any people should be motivated by the events of 9/11it should be the child of God. We know what the bible says of death, of judgment, of hell. We know that eternal souls are in the balance. We know what God expects of us in regards to those souls, we know, yet, even when something none of us could have ever imagines, happens, we remain the same. Content in our little sheltered cocoons, unresponsive to the needs of the world for the gospel. If we don't care of the world's fate now, how will they find us different when the next tragedy strikes?

I'm not claiming to be a prophet peering down the corridor to future events here, but I believe I am a realist. Knowing the hatred and determination of our enemy, they will strike again, and probably with a greater loss of life than occurred 9/11/01. When that happens, will we be ready for the influx of the world that will surely come? If we are not ready today, we won't be then. Friend, Christian! Are you ready? Do your words and life walk hand-in-hand? Is the church you attend actively engaging our culture and world? Do you feel a burden for the lost, hurting, needy? Do the words faithfulness, obedience, thankfulness, joyfulness have a place in your life. If they do not, you're not ready. Now is not the time to wait for the next disaster. Now is the time to get ready. The choice is yours.

Letting God do His Job

John 16:8, "And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment;"

One of the things I have been truly blessed with in my life are Godly men that have been raised up to impart wisdom. God has seen fit at every stop in my ministry to surround me with mature Christians who have fought the battle, and made mistakes, who could impart Godly wisdom unto me. It is always good to seek Godly counsel, and if we can learn from another's mistakes, we can avoid a pitfall and advance the kingdom of God far better than when we make a mistake ourselves.

One of the lessons I am most thankful for seems apparent on the surface, but in reality, may be the one of the most difficult to learn. Whether in preaching, or witnessing, something we all must learn, is this: It is not our job to convict people of their sin, that is God's responsibility. And when we assume that responsibility, we stand in God's way.

Any person who has a passion for God will also have a passion to see lost or backslidden people repent and turn to God. It's very obvious to the Christian grounded in the word when someone is not living as the bible instructs, and thus, is living in sin. With the consequences of an unrepentant lifestyle resulting in an eternity in hell(1 Cor 6:9-11, Gal 5:19-21, Eph 5:1-7, Rev 21:8), it should burden us all when we see someone in this condition. We cannot however, through our efforts, make that person see the sin in their life and repent. That is a work solely of the Holy Spirit, and in spite of our passion and efforts, we can never convict someone of that sin. That is God's job.

In my own ministry I can look back and see times when I tried to do God's job for Him. It was not intentional, it was not because I lacked passion or zeal, but what I lacked was the wisdom of God. This is why I am so thankful for those people God raised up in my life. They imparted this wisdom, and thankfully, I received it.

In the first church I pastored I was confronted right off the bat with biblical issues that I knew needed to be addressed. My heart was pierced as I saw people serving in our church who were living in open, rebellious sin; sexual immorality. I did not pick and choose to preach scripture to these people, as I am an expositor. But when these issues were revealed I was preaching through books of the bible that dealt specifically with this sort of sin, in 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 and Ephesians chapters 4 and 5. In hindsight, I know I was correct to stick to my guns and preach the texts, as I know that is what God would have me do. But I also realized after the fact, that in how I preached some of those messages, I took upon myself to try and convict these people of their sin, and got in God's way.

Now even in my failure here God did produce fruit, as after time one of the couples repented and got right with God. But the other bowed their necks and basically with excusing from many close to them and an unwillingness to hear what the word says, continue in this sin to this day. It still breaks my heart. But I know now that it's not up to me to convict these folks, that is God's job. I can honestly say their is a freedom in this knowledge that allows you to communicate God's word with more love and compassion than if you take upon yourself God's responsibilities.

In the church I currently serve I was once again faced with one of these challenging texts a few weeks ago in 1 Thessalonians 4. On this day it just so happened we had many in our church who also were engaged in sinful behavior the bible clearly identifies. This time however, I came to the text with more wisdom than before. I preached the same message, yet with more compassion and love, and the fruit of allowing God to do His job for Himself was immediate. 1 couple came to me the next week seeking to be married and repent of their sin. Others are still attending, and are opening their hearts to what God has to say. I know full well this has nothing to do with me, but rather, the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. But I rejoice that through me God can bring forth fruit quickly if I just stay out of His way.

This is a difficult thing sometimes. When we see someone we care for, especially a loved one; son, daughter, mother, father, sister, brother, who is in open rebellion against God, it should and does pierce our heart with the desire to see them repent. Friends, even when it's a complete stranger we should feel this burden for conviction of sin and repentance. However, we must let God do His job in their hearts. Whether it's preaching to the masses or engaging someone one-on-one, let us be open to the wisdom of God. He will convict the world of it's sin. When we try to do His job for Him, we hinder His work, we do not help it.

Balancing Holiness and Being Human

My wife caused quite a stir on Facebook last night. Now understand, my wife, loves the Lord. She is a witness to hundreds of lost friends on a forum such as Facebook through persistent spiritual postings and has seen much fruit when lost friends of hers seek Godly counsel in times of crisis. My wife is also a fun loving person, who relates to people on a level they can relate to, especially lost people. This is why so many feel comfortable speaking with her regarding spiritual matters. This fun loving side is what led to the stir she caused last night. You see, my wife; the preachers wife; told a fart joke on Facebook.

How this caused a stir is she was rebuked by a pastor we really do not know. He called her language "guttural." Know also, this pastor has also rebuked her in the past for using words like gosh, golly and gee wiz on Facebook. My wife, a fiery one, did not respond to his rebuke as well as she should have. She reacted emotionally, and although not by name, revealed the private rebuke of the pastor and expressed her opinion of it as only she can. But what I want to focus on is the overflow of this event. How exactly is the Christian to practice a holy life, yet remain relevant to lost people in the world? How can we balance being holy, and being human?

First, let's define some words and concepts here. The bible commands us, "Be holy, for I am holy." So, just what does holy, and practicing holiness mean. Holiness is defined as living a life of purity and integrity in regards to moral character. Moral character is established by the lives we live, as compared to God's word. Are we obedient to the clear commands and expectations of the word of God? Are we living in sin, thus practicing an unholy lifestyle? Many Christians view this command as impossible to fulfil. In a way, it is, because none of us are perfect. But we are called to practice holiness, so what we judge ourselves on is: is the pattern of our lives one that reflects God and His expectations of us, or is it not. When the world looks at us; observes us, hears us, is it evident we are a Christian?

Spouting scripture does not make us a Christian, nor does attending church, or even professing Jesus Christ in word with no works to back it up. The Christian's life will stand in direct contrast to the lost person of the world. We will be seen as honest, truthful, gentle, kind, patient, loving. We will not cast judgment upon the world, as the bible tells us God will do that(1 Cor 5.) We do however judge each other by the standards of the bible so as to hold each other accountable for conducting ourselves in holiness. But if we are to engage the world, yet we are by definition distinctly different from the world. How can we do so without compromising our holiness.

The old adage is we are to be "in the world but not of the world." This means we are to live as everyday people among everyday people yet not be corrupted by the sin that is prevalent in our world. But where do we draw the line on where holiness ends and worldliness begins? May I submit, we allow people to be themselves so long as no clearly defined sin is being committed or overtaking them. You know, the bible is very clear on sin. It has lists of sins throughout, things God identifies as sin. He is the only one who can define what sin is and what it is not. Problem is, sometimes we as Christians, want to place our own ideals and opinions of what is sin where God has not spoken clearly. When this happens, it's called legalism, loosely defined as placing our own beliefs in place of or over God's clearly spelled out word.

Legalism was the problem in Jesus's day, as it is a huge problem today. As big, if not bigger, than the liberalism that compromises God's word. The Pharisees placed their traditions over God's word(Mk 7). and in doing so placed restrictions on people that God did not. We still do this today. Ever seen a church with a dress code, or one that would not allow a woman to wear makeup? Us as individual Christians do this even more so. If you smoke cigarettes, you sin. Where is that in the bible? If you drink a beer, you sin. Once again, where in the bible does this doctrine exist that directly prohibits this? If you are overweight you're a glutton. If you bought a lottery ticket? Allow your children to believe in Santa Claus? I'm not condoning these things, but neither do I have the biblical authority to say flat out, you can't do them. Believe me, we Christians can make up more rules that God never spoke clearly on than apparently any people group on the planet. And we do so under the mantra, "Be holy, for I am holy." Just like the Pharisees did.

Friends, we must realize, we do have liberty in Christ. That liberty is not a free ticket to sin. The bible says, "Is grace license to sin? God forbid!" But let's let God define what sin is, and keep our noses out of His business when it comes to our personal opinions. Romans 14 tells us that if it is sin to us, it is sin. If your spirit is convicting you regarding a vice, or something in your life that maybe the bible doesn't speak directly too, then it is sin to you. But this disputable matter may not be considered sin to another believerwho is not under the same conviction.

When we start expecting others to live to our standards, we've crossed a line. The standard we are to strive for is God's, not any human beings. When we somehow expect the world to relate to us without human foibles that we have liberty in Christ to practice, that make us who we are, we've become irrelevant and obvious hypocrites in the eyes of the world. With all do respect to the pastor who rebuked Ashley, your objection falls into that category. When we are rebuking another believer for a sophomoric joke, or using harmless, non offensive words such as gosh and gee wiz, we've ventured in to an absurdity that the world laughs at, and turns from quicker than we can comprehend.

The bible says we are not to be a stumbling block, defined as a sin or action that causes another to fall into sin and away from God. Using the instance of my wife as an example. Is a juvenile joke really going to cause someone to do this? Or a harmless slang word? Friends we do need to take great care that our actions do not lead others into sin and away from Christ. Actions that could do this are normally sin, which is defined by God. Can a tradition we have do so? Yes, just as Paul says eating meat or having a drink of wine may do so? But in these areas not clearly defined by God, we are responsible for our own actions, but not to be judged by another believer as we do have that liberty. It's a fine line, but one that is essential if we are to relate to the world without appearing to be self righteous, rigid, prudish zealots.

The Christian life is not easy, but it is rewarding. God's commands are not burdensome, but our expectations of each other when they are not grounded solidly in God's word are. We must live in holiness, as God commands it. But let's let Him set the standard for what holiness is.

Where is Our Hope?

As I checked the latest on the stock market this morning and found it nosediving once again, the thought came to my mind: Where is our hope? Chances are if your were to ask the average American where the stock market closes and how it affected their 401K later today, or to recite John 3:16, the knowledge of the stock market would far outweigh the knowledge of the bible. This sad state of our spirituality in America today is a testament to our misplaced focus of where our hope is?

Jesus said we should not lay up treasures for ourselves here on earth, but rather we should focus upon the spiritual and lay up treasures in heaven(Matt 6:19-20). This attitude however does not define us as a people. We are placing our hope in our own competence and our own ability to provide for ourselves when God has already promised to provide for all of our needs(Phil 4:19). Our hope does not lie in financial security.

As we concern ourselves with economic meltdown, ongoing wars, riots in Europe, the constant threat of terrorism, instability in the middle east we are asking our politicians to solve the problems and bring about peace. The bible tells us that true peace only comes through Christ. Their will be no "world" peace until He rules and reigns as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We can never know spiritual peace until we first now Him and He knows us as it is a fruit of the Holy Spirit(Gal 5:22-24). Our hope cannot lie in men or politicians.

When we look at what is called God's church and see churches claiming that; church should be fun, entertaining, pleasing to the worshipper and look to so-called spiritual leaders with hope, have we lost sight of what God truly desires from His people. Worship is not about us, it is about God. It is to be reverent, holy, in spirit centered around the truth of God's word. It is not a show! It is not something that pleases us instead of God! If our hope is in a preacher or church, we have misplaced our hope.

Their is only one place our hope can be, and that is with Jesus! Titus 2:13 tells us that we should be "looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ." Is this where we are looking? It seems as though we are looking to everyone and everything but Jesus. Friends, do not place your hope in corruptible things....Look To Christ! He is yours, mine and this worlds only hope!

Do We Approve of God? Polling Shows....

I ran across one of the more comical things I have seen in a while this week. In late July Public Policy Polling, a democratic polling agency, asked 928 respondents what they thought of the job God was doing. 52% of respondents said they thought God was doing a good job. 9% disapproved of the job God was doing. I'm assuming that means 39% have no opinion of how God is doing His job. The poll rejoiced in the fact that God's approval rating was higher than President Obama's and far higher than congress. That's a mighty high standard to hold God to, isn't it?

The polling was even more detailed: 71% approved of God's creation of the universe, while 5% disapproved(they obviously could have done better). 56% approved of God's governance of the animal kingdom, while 11% disapproved(I'm thinking they have a fire ant problem). 26% of those under the age of 65 disapproved of God's handling of natural disasters(I'm assuming they think their should not be any).

A spokesman for Public Policy Polling, PPP, had this to say about the Almighty. "Though not the most popular figure PPP has polled, if God exists, voters are prepared to give it good marks." The margin of error in this poll was 3.2%.

Where to start with this nonsense. The arrogance of this poll is astounding, and you can tell the PPPeople conducting this poll have no concept of who, not what, God really is. God says through His word, that "pride comes before a fall." Who are we to think we can judge God? As God told Job, "where were you when I hung the stars..."

Secondly, I had to at least think the question; What would God's approval rating be of mankind? As I survey the landscape of the world we live in, I cannot see God approving of most of what goes on. I believe God's opinion of the world is best expressed in 2 Timothy 3:1-5, "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self control, brutal, not lovers of God-having a form of godliness but denying it's power. Have nothing to do with them." I wonder what the poll would have shown if the question were; Do you approve of what the bible says?

The thing is, and I pray with all of my heart that the people at PPP, and those who actually thought it was a good idea to judge the Creator of the universe, can somehow comprehend this truth. God does not approve of mankind at this point. "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." "There is none good, no, not one." "All we like sheep have gone astray..." But because He cannot approve of the fact we are all lowly sinners, He sent His Son to die for our sins that through Him, they can be forgiven. The message of God to all mankind is: I love you! I've made the ultimate sacrifice for you in sending My Son Jesus to you. All of you can know Me for eternity if you confess and repent of your sins, and come to Me through Jesus. If you have faith that I am capable of doing what I say I have done; raising Jesus from the dead, and that through My grace I will save you, you will be with Me forever.

I wonder what the polling data would be on that. The arrogance of "it," thinking "it" knows more than us and can tell us what to do.

The State Newspaper and Same Sex Marriage

For the first time this past Sunday The State newspaper of Columbia published the marriage of a same sex couple in their wedding announcements section. The 2 men were married out of state, as clearly South Carolina state laws neither allow nor recognize marriage between same sex couples, but nonetheless The State is now choosing to "honor" in spirit the marriage of 2 men or 2 women. What does this mean for us as a culture and state?

Being a Southern Baptist pastor my understanding of same sex marriage is based upon the principles of the bible. Never in recorded history dating back to the days of Adam and Eve has marriage between same sex couples been recognized, that is, until the last 10 years. Anyone who reads the bible with intellectual honesty understands that God calls this lifestyle sin. Their are many arguments in our society that people are born with a natural inclination to be attracted to someone of the same sex, of this I cannot be sure. What I do know is that like heterosexual carnal relationships, any sexual relationship between 2 consenting adults, is a choice. And God says, just like He does of any hetero encounter outside of marriage, or of stealing, lying, and any number of things, that homosexuality is a sin. It is a choice to enter into this type of relationship. We do have the power to say no.

So what does it say that the largest newspaper in our state is now choosing to honor same sex marriages our state does not legally recognize, and that God calls immoral and sin? Sadly, it is simply another step in the moral decline of our nation. We live in a culture and society that is clearly and undeniably becoming numb and indifferent to the word and ways of God. Things that a generation ago were a scandal and primarily kept private, are now flaunted and paraded before all of us under the banner of equal rights. Whether it be divorce, adultery, fornication, or homosexuality, all of which God calls sin, they are now commonplace.

Now let me go on record, and many may disagree with me on this, but its is my opinion. I do believe some sort of legal transaction should be enacted to give homosexual "partners" rights regarding property, Social Security benefits, health insurance, etc. I do not say this because I condone the lifestyle, but because I do believe equal legal rights are guaranteed under our constitution. But the legal issues are far outweighed by the moral ones when it comes to God and His word.

Whether we wish to acknowledge the truth or not, sin is defined by God, not by us. Because the world says something is permissible, and our culture accepts and often embraces something, does not make it acceptable in God's eyes. God loves the sinner, but hates all sin. And when we practice lifestyles of sin, according to His word(1 Cor. 6:9-11, Gal 5:19-21, Eph. 5:1-7, Rev 21:8) we show ourselves as someone who has not been truly born again; is not a "new creation in Christ;" not someone regenerated and converted; someone who will "not inherit the kingdom of God."

So as we see here in conservative, buckle of the bible belt, South Carolina, one of the leading media outlets in our state now recognize same sex marriage. Let us understand the real battle we face. It's not equal rights, it's salvation and souls. Just like with other national sins like abortion, legal remedies are not the answer. Jesus, and the salvation and power to overcome sin that comes only from Him, is. This is a Spiritual war, not a legal or cultural one. Friends, just as Christ did with all of us, we must love the sinner. But we must be honest with people regarding sin, and the consequences of sin and a failure to repent. Romans 6:23 tells us, "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Friends, we cannot claim Jesus as Savior, and not follow Him as Lord. Jesus, the Word, God; author of the bible through the Holy Spirit, consistently from beginning to end tells us homosexuality is sin. Pray for these 2 men, and any other people you may know, that they realize, in spite of what I'm sure are genuine emotions and feelings for each other this undeniable biblical fact. It is God who says, you cannot live this way. And forgiveness of our sins comes only on His terms, through Jesus.

Click "Don't" Like

As I was scanning the dial for something to watch on the tube tonight I settled on 2 episodes of Carolina Stories on ETV at 8:00 PM. One was about the demise of The Pavilion at Myrtle Beach, and you know what? I don't like that! I don't like that a piece of history and fun for generations will never be again, and think Myrtle Beach is worse off without it. The other episode was about the demise of our shrimping industry here in the South Carolina. How our shrimpers can't compete with cheaper imports and high gas prices. I don't like that! Me and Ashley had some fresh caught S.C. shrimp last week, and they are better than anything you'll put in your mouth from Thailand or China, but you cannot find them much anymore. As I was pondering all of the things I don't like, that have changed about my home state, the list kept growing and growing:

I don't like that Darlington gets only one race in Nascar. 1 race at Darlington is worth 10 in Las Vegas or Kansas. Kansas?

I don't like that it costs a weeks paycheck for a family of 4 to attend a Clemson or South Carolina football game when you figure in tickets, parking, gas and food.

I don't like that I cannot eat more than one serving of fish per week per the state government if I caught it in one of our rivers or lakes because their is to much mercury and PCB's in our water.

I don't like chicken bog without sausage. That's not chicken bog, that's chicken and rice.

I don't like chain restaurants that sell shrimp and grits on the menu yet have no clue of how to prepare them. And they definitely use those nasty, imported shrimp.

I don't like that here in South Carolina, the heart of the bible belt, only 1 in 5, 20% of our population, will attend church somewhere this Sunday.

I don't like that curfews are now needed for our young people because they cannot help shooting at each other.

I don't like orange barrels on seemingly every major road signalling more construction ahead. They appear to now be our state symbol.

I don't like that developers have taken over our coastline and mountains.

I don't like that their is hardly any farmland left in the whole state.

I don't like the lottery, and waiting to pay for a diet Mountain Dew for 10 minutes while someone decides which 2 dollar ticket they want.

I don't like seeing roadside views destroyed by loggers clear cutting hundreds or thousands of acres.

I don't like, well, you get it. And that's just some random thoughts about South Carolina. If we were to go national or worldwide, well; I don't like politicians, 4 hour baseball games, millionaires on strike, gas prices, 100 degree days, the value of the dollar, unemployment rates at 10%, Oprah's TV network, Oprah, Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz, wimpy preachers seeking to please man, the Yankees or Steelers, people who dis our military, Canada, Georgia, soccer, telemarketers, health insurance costs, country music that ain't country, Rascal Flats, arghhhhhhh! Maybe I'm just growing old and cranky. Ya know, I don't like that either! To be continued...

Beginning of a New Adventure

As I write my first blog in quite a while, I am no longer a small town preacher. Call me a medium sized city preacher. God has called me and Ash to a new ministry in the capital city of South Carolina, Columbia. Being a huge Clemson fan I have been jokingly telling my Clemson and Carolina friends that God has moved us to the "gates of hell," being that the University of South Carolina is located here. In all seriousness though, we are very excited as we begin a new pastorate at Woodfield Park Baptist Church.

Our 3 1/2 years in Chesterfield, SC at Oakland Baptist Church were a true blessing. We made so many good friends and saw alot of spiritual growth in many of our people. Their were battles and mountain tops, hard times and good ones, but we would not trade the years there for anything. Oakland was the first church I was pastor at, and it was a learning experience I thank God for.

Our new church will be a challenge, but then again, what church out there is not a challenge anymore. Woodfield is typical of so many Southern Baptist churches across our state and nation today. It is filled with really good people, but the congregation is aging and a change of ways is needed to reach out to the community surrounding it.

Woodfield is smack dab in the middle of a neighborhood of 1700 homes and nearly 6000 people. It is near Ft. Jackson and the surrounding neighborhood at one point was filled with army families as many on the base lived here. Over the years Ft. Jackson has built housing on base and the neighborhood is now a diverse community of working class African-Americans, Whites, Hispanics and Asians. It is a true melting pot, and a ripe mission field. We are the only church in the neighborhood, and the neighborhood is being heavily targeted by Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons. Then again, maybe we have moved to the gates of hell.

As I met with the search committee and leadership here at Woodfield beginning in early April, I was impressed with the unity in desire to reach out to this community. Everyone I spoke with was of the same heart, "we must find a way to reach these people." I didn't say it at the time, but that was exactly what I needed to hear from them. If that can be our heart here, then God can do great things!

Leaving Oakland was difficult. This was my first time leaving a pastorate for another. It is a difficult process. But I can confidently say I am 100% certain that Woodfield is where God wants me and Ash. He has opened, better said, flung open every door is this transition, and He has blessed us beyond measure as we have made the move. All of our needs have been met and exceeded, including God granting us a beautiful home to live in.

So now the mission begins in earnest. I must say I'm excited. I see what God can do here, and it thrills my heart. In all that we do let Him be the power and to Him be the glory. May the name of Christ ring out and true disciples be made. In God's timing may this community look at this church and say, "only God could have done that!" You know what the bible says, "with God, ALL things are possible." Amen! Hallelujah!

Good Friday

John 19:30, "So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, 'It is finished!' And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit."

While the date changes every year, the meaning of the day does not. Friday, April 22, 2011. Good Friday. The day when you and I received the opportunity to have our sins forgiven and regain our fellowship with God. Over 6 hours, one Friday, nearly 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ became the sacrifice "once and for all," so that through the shedding of His blood, atonement was made for all who believe in and follow Him. Amen! Hallelujah!

The meaning of the day is incomprehensible to most. God the Father chose to send God the Son to earth in human form to die so that we could be forgiven and have eternal life with Him. God the Son freely chose to obey God the Father even "unto death." The requirement of God for the "shedding of blood" for "remission of sin" is met at Calvary.

The innocent sacrificed for the guilty. The sinless for the sinner. "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." The bible tells us that there is "no greater love than one who is willing to die for his friend." But while we were sinners, we were no friend to God. Romans 8:7 tells us that due to our "carnal" minds, our sin nature, we were indeed God's enemy. Yet Christ, still chose, the cross for us.

Set up and betrayed by one who He called a disciple, Judas. Denied by the disciples leader 3 times, Peter. Falsely charged, and convicted by lies, by the religious leader, Caiaphas. Presented to the people with a murderer to be freed, yet the crowd chose the murderer, Barabbas. A man in whom the civil governor could find no wrong, yet still sent to the cross, Pilate. Beaten by guards with a "cat o' nine tales," a whip with bone shards attached to the sinews. Crowned with thorns. Forced to carry His own death instrument, a cross. Stripped naked. Nailed, pierced, through His hands and His feet. Abandoned by the eleven closest to Him, the disciples. Forsaken by God the Father for our sin placed upon Him. Yet all of this is called good.

Good? You better believe it! Good for you and for me! Good! For just as God said through His prophets, Messiah had come! Good! For "unto us a child" was given. The Son, the only begotten of God! Good! For everything that needed to be done for us to be saved had been accomplished on the cross. God's plan for the restoration of mankind by our faith, through His grace, was completed. "It," was finished.

So all of mankind now stands at the foot of the cross. And how you view Jesus is your witness as to whether this is a good day or not. If you know Christ as Savior, and follow Him as Lord, it is indeed a "Good Friday." Your sins are gone, as far as the "east from the west." In God's eyes they "exist no more." Washed away by the blood of the Lamb, who came, "to take away the sins of the world."

But, if you do not know Jesus as your Savior, nor follow Him as Lord, this day is not a good day. You see, on Sunday, believers in Christ will celebrate the resurrection of Christ from the dead. For you see, He is not dead, but alive! Seated at the right hand of the Father, set to return one day. But not as a Lamb, but rather, a Lion. He will come as Judge, Holy and True. And He will have just one question for you: What did you do with Me? He gave His all for us. Will you do the same for Him, and be saved today?

Preaching to the Religious Crowd

In Acts chapters 6 and 7 we see the set-up and presentation of one of the great sermons in the bible. Stephen, whom the Holy Spirit describes as a man "full of faith and power(Acts 6:8)," is confronted in Acts 6 by a group of religious folk called the Synagogue of the Freedmen(Acts 6:9). These religious folk accused Stephen of blasphemy against God and stirred up opposition behind closed doors(Acts 6:11-12), brought false witnesses with lies against him(Acts 6:13), so that he could be brought before the Jewish high council. How would Stephen respond to this persecution? The Old Testament penalty for blasphemy was death. This was the charge brought against Jesus at His trial before this same high council, who also produced false witnesses bearing lies against Him before He was crucified. His life is on the line and Stephen knows it. What will he say?

Beginning in Acts 7:2 and extending through Acts 7:53 Stephen gives his response. In this sermon to the religious crowd Stephen clearly preaches of the fulfilled promises of God, and how His people had turned from Him. He points them to Jesus from the Old Testament scriptures. Point by point Stephen recounts the Jews history of blessing when they followed God and of their rebellion against God, closing with these words in Acts 7:51-53: "You stiff necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit: as your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it."

Acts 7:54 tells us that this religious crowd was "cut to the heart." But true to form they resisted the Holy Spirit, and welled up with prideful anger. A message that should have brought conviction and Godly repentance, instead led them to once again accuse the messenger, instead of heeding the message. In Acts 7:58-60 Stephen is cast out of town and stoned to death. Why? He told them the truth. A truth they were unwilling to hear and accept.

A wise old preacher once said, "If you are going to preach repentance, you had better be prepared to pledge your head to heaven." Today, in our churches, we need men of God who are willing to stand tall in the face of the religious crowd, with their head pledged to heaven. We need to heed the example of Stephen, and if necessary, suffer the consequences of proclaiming the truth. We must perform our "reasonable service" and be the "living sacrifice" He has said we should be. Are we willing to do so?

In this age of man-centered Christianity, what is desperately needed in our pulpits is courage and the expression of God's love in the face of a lost world on the outside and a religious crowd on the inside. Whether they will accept the message or not, they need to hear the truth. The prophet's message has never been popular. The Old Testament prophets were rarely heard, and often killed. Jesus was rejected by His own and nailed to the cross. The apostles with the exception of John all were brutally put to death, for the same reason as Stephen. They refused to change the message. They preached the truth.

This message initially will not lead one to have a mega-church. The religious crowd will reject it, and the messenger will be persecuted, just as they did with Stephen. This message will "prune the vine." But this is the only message that will truly grow the kingdom of God. In this age of church growth strategies and methods to woo the world, of tolerance of sin and worldly ways, what we really need is old fashioned, gospel preaching. Preaching the truth that lifestyles of sin are not the mark of a Christian, but a lost heathen. That repentance is the badge of true salvation. That holiness on our part is the expectation of God. That agape, Godly, love, not what the world calls love, is the thing that proclaims to the world we are of Jesus.

We cannot just tell people they need Jesus, we must show them why. That the "wages of sin is death," and forgiveness and remission of sin is received when we repent of that sin(Acts 2:38,3:19, 8:22, 26:20). We must reveal the truth that Christ and His ways are the only way to the Father(John 14:6), and take the message of repentance as commanded by Jesus to the whole world(Luke 24:46-47). We must be willing to lay our head on the chopping block, knowing our treasure is in heaven, not here on earth.

Stephen knew this. In Acts 7:56 we see a remarkable thing occur. Scripture tells us that right now Jesus is seated at the right hand of God. But in Acts 7:56, just as Stephen has completed this magnificent sermon, and right before the crowd will take him and kill him, we see our Lord STANDING in heaven, in appreciation of His servant. We all must conclude in our own hearts, what do we desire more? Glory and honor here on earth? The love of man? Or do we desire glory and honor in His kingdom. The message we proclaim will determine this.

Stephen didn't win a single convert on earth at the time of this message, but He won the appreciation of Jesus. And he planted a seed. Acts 7:58 tells us the crowd did not honor Stephen, or God. They honored a young Pharisee named Saul. Saul would later be convicted of his sin and repent. Jesus would change his name. We know him as Paul, the one who would give his head from jail in Rome for proclaiming this same, absolute truth. Paul was initially jailed by the religious crowd in Jerusalem. Preacher! Are you willing to pledge your head?

God's Plan for Leadership

Venture in to any Christian or secular bookstore and you will find multitudes of books dealing with leadership. We live in a world that craves true leaders and suffers due to a lack of them. The church is no different. Throughout the visible body of Christ many churches have adopted a corporate, board of directors, mentality that has muddled God's plan for how His church is to be structured. Throughout the Old and New Testament we see God's plan for leadership clearly displayed. We find an excellent example of this in Joshua chapter 3.

In this chapter of God's holy word we see the children of Israel entering the promised land. It's happening 40 years late because God's people had not followed God's plan for leadership when delivered from bondage in Egypt. God had given the land of Canaan to the Israelites. Moses was God's anointed leader and had led this deliverance by listening to and following God. The people, sometimes with much murmuring and complaining, had followed Moses, that is, until faced with the choice of entering a land God had already given them. When faced with this final act of obedience, God's people listened to the murmurers and refused to enter the land. They were judged for this.

Joshua is the God anointed leader who followed Moses. At this point in history God's people numbered about 3.5 million people. But Joshua, one man, was the clear leader. He is the one God communicated with and gave His message for the people to. Joshua didn't lead alone however. In verse 2 we see that Joshua had officers who he delegated authority to. These leaders were accountable and submissive to Joshua as he was God's chosen man. In verse 6 however we see that God's anointed leader also was a follower. Joshua instructs the priests that the ark of the covenant will lead the whole nation across the Jordan. The ark, of course, is a picture of Christ.

The ark is the vessel upon which rested the mercy seat. On the day of atonement the high priest would enter the holy of holies in the tabernacle and offer the sacrifice of blood for the nations forgiveness of sin. Inside of the ark we find the law, the ten commandments, representing His holy word and the guide which we are to follow. We find the jar of manna representing His provision for His people. And we find Aaron's rod that budded, representing our hope of future resurrection, of which Christ was the firstfruits.

We see here God's plan for leadership. In the church, Christ is the head, He is the true leader. Represented in Joshua by the ark. He communicates His instruction to us through His word. God has anointed a leader for His people, to shepherd them here on earth. This is the pastor who is represented by Joshua. He is Christ's undershepherd held accountable for leading God's people. The pastor is accountable to Christ for how he leads the people, as Joshua was to Jehovah God. The pastor has men who assist him in leading the people. In the church today these men would be the deacons. These men are most surely accountable to God, but also to the pastor, as the officers were to Joshua. The congregation is to submit to and follow the Godly leadership of these men. God's leadership model is clear. Christ is the head and true shepherd. The pastor the undershepherd, the deacons the servants and ministers to the congregation and the congregation is to follow the Godly leadership.

Moses had also adopted this leadership structure(Exodus 18). His father in law Jethro had advised Moses to select men to help him in judging the ever growing nation of Israel. These men were leaders, they had authority, yet they were accountable to Moses, who was ultimately the one whom God had chosen and accountable personally to God. God was the true leader, Moses was His chosen man, Moses delegated to other leaders and the nation of Israel, the congregation, followed.

We see this structure in Acts chapter 6 as well. The apostles, who pastored the church at Jerusalem, could not minister to the congregation and tend to their duties as teachers and preachers of the word effectively. So they called for the congregation to "choose from among" them 7 men full of wisdom and the Holy Spirit to assist them in leading and ministering to the congregation. The congregation embraced this structure and followed the God anointed leadership. But Christ was always the true leader.

When Paul, or Timothy, or John pastored the church at Ephesus, their is no doubt they were the leaders of the church. But we also know from Acts 20:17-38 that these God anointed leaders had other leaders that assisted them and had authority in the local body. When Paul wrote to Titus is his pastoral letter to the young pastor at the church in Crete, he instructed Titus to choose elders to assist him in the ministry there. God has a structure for His people he wishes us to follow.

We must understand that in scripture, their are different positions in leadership. In the bible, the words translated as pastor, elder, bishop and overseer are all interchangeable. These were the chosen leaders of the local assemblies. We also know their is a biblical office of deacon. These men were leaders in the ministry, servants of the people, but they were accountable to the chosen leaders who were accountable to God. Hebrews 13:17 tells us, "Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not grief, for that would be unprofitable to you." Those who will give account to God for their handling of the flock are the shepherds, which is literally what the word pastor means. The shepherd leads the flock, cares for the flock, corrects the flock and nurtures the flock. In the church, God leads the pastor through His word who delegates authority to other leaders so that the flock is cared for as God intended. Sadly though, many pastors do so with more grief than joy.

In times past God's people numbered in the millions, yet one man, be it Moses, or Joshua, or David, or Solomon was the leader of the people. Today, most local churches have multiple leaders of equal or misplaced authority to lead even small congregations. Friends, God has not changed. We have. By embracing a corporate model and a board of directors mentality that can be found no where in the bible, we have usurped God's plan for leadership. Christ, the head of the church, has called out men to shepherd His flock and preach and teach His word. This is the pastor. The pastor needs help in leading the flock, so deacons are identified by the congregation to assist the pastor with his shepherding and leadership of the flock. A congregation submitted to God will submit to His leaders and follow. This structure is present all throughout the bible.

God's leadership plan is not about power, or control, or influence, it is about obedience to Him. Christ is the leader and we all are to submit to Him, but he has given us the structure of the church. He has called pastors as His shepherds and has asked His people to identify those who are to assist the pastors as servants to the people, deacons. A church that exercises this leadership structure is most surely going to be blessed by God. God's way is always the right way. Yet few of our churches today are being blessed openly by God, in fact, most are dying. Could it be by abandoning God's plan for leadership, we taken away the authority from the only one who truly has it, Jesus Himself. The church is not a business, it's a body. A body, where if the head, shoulders, waist and legs are not in the correct order, is a mutated body. God's plan for leadership is one of the first places we need to begin for the church to thrive as Christ intends. Until we recognize the way God wants things done, we will never get done to the fullest of our potential what Christ has intended for us.

The Southern Baptist Convention and Evangelism

Recently as I've traveled in my car I've found myself listening again to sermons delivered at the 1965 South Carolina State Evangelism Conference. Our Director of Missions, Robert Dickard, transferred copies of old reel-to-reel tapes to CD for us pastors as our Christmas gift this past year. I must say it is a gift that keeps on giving. What I am struck by is the difference in emphasis regarding evangelism in 1965 and what we see today. These messages delivered by giants from our SBC past; Vance Havner, R.G. Lee and W.A. Criswell strike a decidedly different tone in what is needed to effectively evangelize the world than what we are hearing from our leadership today. I was particularly taken by Vance Havner's first message, "The Sequence of Evangelism." A few quotes from this message:

"The last words of our Lord to the church were not the "Great Commission," the last words of our Lord to the church were "repent." This is about the last thing the average church is willing to do."

"We're not ready to evangelize until we are right with God, and right with men, and that is revival."

"Our Lord said in the sermon on the mount, that if you bring your offering to the altar, and remember that your brother is at odds with you, don't make your offering until you are right with your brother. Now that might wreck alot of offerings on Sunday mornings, but it's what the Lord said to do. I do not believe that any church member is ready to do church visiting, or teach Sunday school, or sing in the choir, until they get right with God and right with people. It's just as simple as that. Evangelism, my brother, is not revival. Evangelism is the preaching of the gospel in order to win the lost, but revival is a work of the Spirit of God among God's own people whereby they get right with God, and with each other. What would you think of an orchestra that spent all it's time trying to recruit new members when the crowd it had wouldn't come out to practice. And those who did come wouldn't tune their instruments."

"D.L. Moody once said, I believe it may be time we gave up preaching to the ungodly and began to preach to professing Christians. I'd rather wake up a slumbering church than arouse a sleeping world."

"Gypsy Smith said I'm here to help the church get right with God. That would be revival and conversions will be the fruit of revival. He also said the world knows the condition of the church and listens to the man who is frank and honest about it. He wins the outsider by preaching to the church."

"I'd rather wake up 500 church members than 500 sinners. Because if you wake up 500 church members they will go after 500 sinners. We must begin at Jerusalem."

"'I heard of a woman who was running for office in politics who came home one day, and the house had been sort of neglected, and turned to her husband and said we're going to sweep the state! He said good, why don't you start in the living room.' I believe in the gospel sweeping the world, I believe in it sweeping the state, but I think we oughta start in the living room. It's an inside job."

"R.A. Torrey once said I've preached in many a church that says it is praying for a revival, but it really does not want a revival. For to many revival means an increase in membership, an increase in income, and an increase in reputation among the churches. But if they knew what a real revival meant, what a searching of hearts on behalf of professing Christians would be involved, what a radical transformation of individual, domestic and social life would be brought about, and many other things that would come to pass if the Spirit of God was poured out in reality and power, if all this were known, the real cry of that church would be 'Oh Lord keep us from having revival'"

"When the church membership grows but the church members don't grow, you may have a statistical but not a spiritual growth. And unless the extensive is matched by the intensive, and unless while we lengthen our chords we strengthen our stakes, and unless while we increase the size we improve the sort, we are going to discover that we've stretched the tent pegs out so far in every direction that the center pole wobbles."

"Revival is not mentioned in the New Testament, it is an Old Testament word. The message of the New Testament is repent. But it is repentance that brings about revival."

"Joseph Parker said, the man whose sermon is repent, sets himself against the age and will be battered mercilessly by the age of the moral tone he challenges. Their is but one end for such a man, off with his head. You had better not preach repentance until you have pledged your head to heaven. That's good advice from a great preacher."

"Before we can evangelize we must confess and repent of our sin, we must follow the Lord, we must be filled with the Holy Spirit, our worship and our preaching should aim therefore at revival."

"David prayed restore unto me the joy of thou salvation, and uphold me with thy free Spirit, and then will I teach transgressors thou ways and sinners will be converted to You. There I believe you have the proper sequence of revival and evangelism, and they are literally distinct, one from the other."

"I have done my best and I must confess that I get a little discouraged sometimes that we have a blind spot in our eye generally among our people today, we somehow do not see, that the proper sequence of evangelism is after revival."

"The greatest hindrance to a real work of God in America today is Sunday morning Christianity."

Believe me, Havner goes on, and on, and on. As do Dr. Lee and Dr. Criswell. The message is the same. Revival must precede effective evangelism, as the only effective evangelism is done in the power and the Spirit of God. Yet today, and for most of the recent past, we hear of the need to reach the world, which is a genuine need. Yet we live in Jerusalem where 80% of the people in South Carolina are nowhere near a church on any given Sunday. Jerusalem is dying and going to hell more than ever before, but our whole convention's focus is now the "Great Commission Resurgence," to change our methods in taking the gospel more effectively to the whole world.

But if we are to believe, I believe, the very sound biblical preaching of these giants from our denominations past, we can never effectively take the gospel to the whole world until we are first right in Jerusalem. I've been saying for a year now that we as Southern Baptists will never fulfil the "Great Commission" until we first recover the "Greatest Commandment."

If we practice the "Greatest Commandment," that is essentially the genesis of revival. What would our denomination look like if instead of squabbling about our methods, the cooperative program, styles of worship, what we wear? What if instead of chasing non-essentials, we instead dwelt upon the most essential; Loving God with all that we are and our neighbors as ourselves? What if we as a denomination resolved that in our pulpits we would preach repentance, holiness, being a living sacrifice? What if our message resounded week after week that we must deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow Him, and in doing so we regain our "first love" above all else?

If this were to happen, if this would be our heart, our denomination would surely shrink in number as Jesus pruned the vine for real growth. The casual Christian would want no part of convicting preaching or the expectation of Godly living. We'd lose political influence. But how would our fruit, our influence with the lost be transformed, if we became a true "holy priesthood." As I write this according to our own statistics, 87% of Southern Baptist Churches are plateaued(stagnant) or in decline. Of the 13% that are adding members only 3% are doing so through winning the lost rather than swapping sheep. Where should our focus be, on the church, or on the lost, first and foremost?

As Havner said, "Jesus said you will know mine by their fruit. If their is something wrong with your fruitfulness, their is something wrong with your faith. If their is something wrong with your faithfulness, their is something wrong with your fellowship. If their's something wrong with your fellowship you'd better even check your faith. Worship maintains the faith, and the fellowship, and the faithfulness, and the fruitfulness is the consequence. As we abide, we abound...for he that abideth in Me and I in him bringeth forth much fruit, for without Me you can do nothing. Beloved, this is the note that has been uppermost on my heart for these 25 years on the road and 50 years in the ministry, that before we can see the evangelism that needs to occur, their must be a revival within the church."

For those who have an ear, let them hear! Sadly though, I'm reminded of the words of the prophet, "Who has believed our report?" As long as the cart is before the horse, the wagon will never steer straight. Luke 24:47 says the spreading of the gospel across the world will begin in Jerusalem. If we want the GCR, or any plan, to work; revival must occur among God's people first. Reaching the world will supernaturally flow from a Jerusalem on fire for God.

Dog Day Afternoon

Yesterday as news choppers circled overhead of our little town of Chesterfield many of us were wondering what was going on. Had a prisoner escaped? A tragic wreck on a local road? A fire? What had happened is the local animal control center had put to death in a very disturbing way over 20 dogs and had dumped them at the local landfill. This was certainly an unfortunate incident that should have been handled far better. Their is much outrage in our small town. This was a main story on the Charlotte news broadcasts Friday evening. Their is no defense of what happened. But a little perspective is required.

The late baptist preacher R.G. Lee once said this; "One day Christians will be more affected by the death of a dog that is run over than by the death of Christ on the cross." Now I state very clearly here I believe the mistreatment of animals is evil. Me and my wife have 5 pets, 3 dogs and 2 cats, and they are valued and loved parts of our lives. They bring us much joy. I do not say this in a condescending manner, but this is the truth. They are just animals. This does not mean that the death of one is not felt. It does not mean we cannot have strong affection for them. They are most definitely part of God's creation and deserving of our respect and kindness. But it is man who was made in God's image, not nature. However, is our outrage at the mistreatment and cruel death of animals more important than our regard for human life?

Since 1973 nearly 60 million unborn babies have had their lives terminated by abortion. This shelter that put to death these dogs is county government operated and funded. But every day our nations government funds the abortion of thousands of unborn babies and hardly a peep is heard anymore. After 37 years of the massacre of the unborn, apparently we have become numb to the destruction of lives the bible says are known by God, formed by God, and in the image of God.

A friend on Facebook rightly said while tragic, the death of these animals is not the Holocaust. It is not genocide like we are seeing in Africa, and have seen repeatedly across the world throughout history. It is not terrorism. It is not mass murder. It is evil, but how much more so is the unrighteous death of the one's Christ died for, mankind?

At our courthouse today many are gathered to show there anger and to protest the death of these innocent animals. I have absolutely no problem with this. But my prayer is that one day, among the Christians that are in this nation, we will truly unite and say enough is enough when it comes to the unrighteous death of the unborn. I can without hesitation say I love my pets. But the bible says I am to love God and my neighbors more, with all of my heart. While I was "still a sinner," Christ died for me.

Have we reached the point where we regard "creation" more than the "creator?" This does not mean we cannot be upset at the cruel treatment of animals. But when will we regard each other more? I hope the guilty are identified and equitable punishment is handed out regarding the death of these dogs. But I pray, one day, our nation that was founded upon the principles of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" will recognize these rights have been denied to the unborn for nearly 4 decades now. This will only happen when our view of Christ on the cross is more important than anything else.

SBC and the GCR: Direction Chosen, Course Still Uncharted

Recently a pastor friend of mine signed me up for a group on Facebook called Pastor-To-Pastor. It's a group for Southern Baptist pastors in South Carolina to discuss issues affecting our churches and denomination and to encourage each other in the faith. I've seen many topics discussed yet their is still one hot-button topic that is permeating much of the talk: GCR-The Great Commission Resurgence that passed at last years annual Southern Baptist Convention in Orlando.

This new initiative will result in a complete restructuring of our convention over the next 5 years or so. The restructuring has already begun with NAMB(North American Mission Board) laying off many long time employees and many missionaries here in the United States having their funding cut to the point where they can no longer serve in their mission fields. The focus in our nation is to move as swiftly as possible in planting churches in or around 10 major cities from the northeast to the northwest where our convention has a negligible presence and large segments of the population are lost.

Monetary redistribution is a large part of the GCR. The stated goal is to view our mission strategy from a new angle, targeting where most of the lost people live. While as a Southern Baptist I am taking a wait and see attitude to find out how these major changes will affect our convention, as with any huge undertaking, their are always unintended consequences which I warned about in blogs last spring concerning the GCR. The concern of most who are wary of these changes is how they will affect the Cooperative Program, for 86 years how Southern Baptist churches have pulled together to fund missions both locally and across the world.

At our state convention this past November we voted to have a committee review the demands of the GCR and recommend a strategy for how we will deal with them in our state. Through the requirements of the GCR funds that were reallocated back to the state from the Cooperative Program will be cut substantially over the next few years. This will drastically affect missions organizations and church planting here in South Carolina in deference to the goal of spreading the gospel in these "less churched" areas of our nation. Our next national convention is fast approaching and their is still no concise plan for implementing much of what GCR will demand of us.

We are in perilous times as Southern Baptists. Some feel we have made a terrible mistake with this new direction. Others feel without radical change our denomination is dying a slow death. Is their a middle ground or have we drawn a line in the sand that is going to lead to imminent division? While I am willing to "wait and see," I still have the same questions I had last year, and no answers have been provided.

Recently through this new Facebook forum and from personal friendships I've seen firsthand missionaries with fruitful ministries forced to return home as they no longer had support for their ministries. While their is a dire need to reach the major metropolitan areas of our nation where we are not prominent, is the best way to do that to eliminate ministries that are currently and effectively leading people to Christ? The change argument holds plenty of truth when it states that we have plenty of churches and plenty of people already present in these areas where Southern Baptists are prevalent that can fund and reinforce through manpower these local missions. The million dollar question is....still: Will this happen? Are souls in one part of the country more important than souls in another part?

Over the next 6 months to a year we will get the recommendations of our state and national denominational leaders on just how we will begin to implement the changes that GCR mandates. Some will follow and some won't. This is an unavoidable truth. Can a house divided still stand? Not according to scripture. Those who follow will do so with zeal and we will see an increase in our presence in the northern spheres of our nation. Those who won't will decrease Cooperative Program giving in favor of funding fruitful, local ministries either through direct contribution or through local associations. What will be the end result? Hard logic dictates while we'll see an increase in church plants in the north, their will not be enough to make a significant impact, while in more established areas which while they are in areas we should have great influence in due to numbers. we'll see a decrease in our effectiveness. So what is the solution?

Last year I proposed that our focus as a denomination was putting the cart before the horse. While I know of no church or pastor that in word does not support the Great Commission, what is truly necessary in order for us to fulfil the command of Jesus to "Go" into all of the world, and our home areas? The only biblical answer is true, heaven sent revival in our churches and denomination. And in order for that to occur, we must first recover the "Greatest Commandment" in order to fulfil the "Great Commission." How can we take the gospel throughout the world unless we first love God with all of our heart, soul mind and strength? How can we influence those around us both locally and throughout the world, unless we first love our neighbors as ourselves?

While methods are useful they will not bring about revival. While strategies are needed, they will not pierce peoples hearts. If GCR or any plan to further the gospel is going to work, it is our hearts, not our plan, that needs changing. In short, will we love God to the point that we obey without question as Jesus has commanded us(John 14:15,23). The only way that we will ever see the gospel truly go where we all want it to go is for our love of God to be the greatest motivation in our lives. When we love each other as Jesus loved us; when we practice holiness in our personal lives; when faithfulness is the norm; when prayer is continually practiced; when Godly repentance occurs; when God's people return to Him, and He sends revival; only then will we see God move in a mighty way.

Sounds simple doesn't it? So why do we not see these things occurring in the body of Christ? Why are 87% of Southern Baptist churches plateaued(stagnant) or in decline? Why do we not see Christ's church, in spite of exponentially greater numbers than the first century church, impacting the world as they did? Our love of God has waxed cold. Sadly, we must admit, we worship God with our lips but our hearts are far from Him. Unless we change, our world will not. Friends it begins with me, and with you. Unless we are revived, no plan will work. It really is quite simple. We cannot make revival happen. We cannot effectively go to them, until we first, with all of our hearts, return to Him. If we truly want to see the GCR or any other future plan work, we need a new heart. A heart that comes only from God, for God.

If GCR is to work, it must be God that does it. If we are to fulfil this vision, God must do it through us. How can He do this, unless our love for Him is the most important thing in our lives? God says to His people, "Be holy, for I am holy." "If you Love Me, obey My commands." "Pray without ceasing." "Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand." A simple answer to a complex question.

Evangelist Ken Carter Now In Glory

I met Dr. Ken Carter for the first time in 2003. Ken received an honorary doctorate from Southeastern Baptist Seminary. Ken was an evangelist with ministries across the world and also here at home in the United States. He came to the church where I was called into the ministry, Peniel Baptist Church in Timmonsville, SC, to lead our congregation to seek a deeper prayer life. This was one of Ken's passions as he knew the church first and foremost needed to seek the power of God through sincere prayer. Ken's instruction was wonderful and greatly influenced my view of ministry.

Ken returned to Peniel a year later to preach a revival. It was at this point in my life I was feeling the call into ministry but struggling mightily to surrender and obey. Ken was planning a trip to Cuba the following fall and I signed up for this mission trip. Even though I had never preached a sermon Ken said he would allow me to do so on the trip. He embraced my calling and took me under his wing, teaching me many things in the process. Among them were:

1) THE POWER OF PRAYER: Everything Ken did began and ended with prayer. Prayer was a burden that God had placed upon his heart and he preached the message of the power of prayer everywhere he went. He led churches to seek God's face and never wavered in his commitment to taking everything to God's throne of grace.

2) THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: It's rare a person's first public message is through an interpreter, but that was the case for me. Before I preached, as I watched others precede me, I wondered to myself how God could use such an awkward forum. You don't even know if the interpreter is communicating what God has laid upon your heart. But as I watched and actually preached myself I realized an essential lesson. The power of preaching does not rest in the preacher, but rather in the Holy Spirit. God's word will not return to Him void. I was simply amazed at the power of God's word to change lives and save people. And I realized that it was all about Him, and not me.

3) STREET EVANGELISM WORKS: In our crusade in Cuba we saw many accept Christ as their Savior. But we saw far more come to Christ through one-on-one witnessing in the streets of the small Cuban villages we witnessed in. Though their were army guards that should have stopped us per government law, they did not. The people were eager to hear the truth and embrace it. Of the nearly 500 people who prayed to receive Christ, 90% or more were won one-on-one or in small groups on the streets. It is still a burden to me as to why we are so eager to practice this method in foreign countries yet when we return home we seem to put it away. Show me a church that is out and about telling people of Christ, and I will show you one that is seeing God save people.

4) DIFFERING DENOMINATIONS SHOULD WORK TOGETHER: On this trip we had Baptists, Pentacostals, Presbyterians and non-denominational church members. While we disagreed on some theology, were were united around the person of Christ and that only He can save. We put aside the minor things to focus upon the most important thing; Jesus. And God provided fruit for these efforts.

Over the years I kept in touch with Ken. I had lunch with him a few times and would run into him at different conferences. He always remembered me and encouraged me. While I'm saddened by the earthly loss of him, I am rejoicing that he is now with his blessed Savior whom he loved so much. I'll always remember Ken Carter, and the things he taught me. He embraced a confused young preacher and without hesitation gave me the opportunity to fully enter the ministry. Thanks brother Ken, and our most heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.

Observations from a Sunday Morning at Home

While still sweating as my fever recurs and breaks, at least the nausea is gone and I can eat. I'm thankful for all the prayers that have been ushered to God on my behalf the last few days, and the Lord is surely healing, but I was unable to preach this morning. This has only happened a few times in my 6+ years of preaching, and every time it has it feels so weird not to be proclaiming God's word. Because I love God, I love to preach His word. I miss it when I cannot do so. Even on weeks where Ashley and I are on vacation we are in church somewhere, so a Sunday morning at home is a rare thing indeed.

I love to listen to and watch preaching. Part of my normal Sunday morning routine before I head to church for prayer is to watch Jonathan Falwell, Jack Graham and James Merritt. This morning in addition to those I also caught some of Charles Stanley, David Jeremiah and D. James Kennedy. All of these men of God feed my desire to learn and grow in God's word.

However, as we all know, most of religious television is dominated by questionable if not heretical teachers that pollute our airwaves. This morning out of curiosity I also caught part of Creflo Dollar, Gregory Dickow, Kenneth Hagin, Jr., Kenneth Copeland, Ron Carpenter(of Greenville's Redemption World Outreach), Joel O'Steen, Frederick Price and, gulp, Robert Schuler. My goodness the heresy that passes for the gospel these days.

It is sad and disturbing to me that so many have been deceived by these wolves in sheep's clothing. They are men who preach to itching ears and felt needs, propagating "name it and claim it" and that material wealth is a part of the Christian faith. I've never felt as though God owed me anything, but rather, I owed God everything. But to listen to this rabble you'd think the Almighty was in our debt, and subject to our command, rather than what the bible teaches that we are to be under his control and to be obedient to Him.

I must say most of them started out soundly, but after about 5 minutes of decent biblical exegesis, they all drifted into a "what's in it for me" mentality. Worshipping God in not about me, it is about Him, but vast numbers of churches today have made church about man's needs, instead of God's desires. Name it and claim it; prosperity now; be a better you; you are pleasing to God just as you are. So this is why Jesus died?

Through my faith in Jesus Christ God is not required to give me anything other than eternal life as He has promised. And that is by His grace and mercy, and by nothing on my account. His word tells me my "treasures are in heaven," not here on earth. I should want nothing in my life that is not the will of God; whether it be riches, or health, or comfort, or peace. His word tells me I will suffer, be persecuted, hated by the world. It does not say I will show Myself, God Almighty, by how wealthy or prosperous I will make you. But you'd find that hard to tell by watching TV this morning.

Also, as I know in my heart, there is a reason for everything. Why did I get sick this week. Well, early this morning, a young couple in our church suffered a terrible tragedy. They suffered a miscarriage. I found this out on Facebook when I normally would not have been home. They did not call as they thought I'd be at church. Though unable to be with them due to illness, I was able to minister with them over the phone, and will surely be with them when I'm no longer contagious. Pray for the Riggan's as they undergo this trail. I'm very proud of Brian and Lauren and with the faith in which they are dealing with this.

What else this Sunday holds I do not know. But Adrian Rogers is on in 10 minutes. While I did not have the privilege of feeding the sheep this morning, this sheep still wants to be fed. Thankfully interspersed between the false teachers and money grabbers, we do find gems from time to time. Everyone have a blessed day! For this is the day "the Lord has made."

The Implications of a Democratic Middle East

Genesis 3:6, "So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of it's fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate."

As the news footage of the uprising in Egypt and all across the middle east continues to roll in, a fundamental question has arisen regarding the future of this most unstable of all regions of the earth: Do not all people have the right to self determination? It is a question that goes to the heart of the human condition. Should we all not have the right to the free will God gave us as creatures made in His image? As a matter of public policy since the United States military involvement in the region escalated to full fledged war after 9/11, the official government position has been we are aiming to stoke the fires of democracy across this region known for totalitarian governments and despots as rulers. Israel is the only true democracy in the Middle East, even Iraq has not made that transition fully. So what are the ramifications of self determination, of freedom of choice, in a region ruled by extremist points of view?

In theory, democracy is the most noble form of human government. The people hold the power to install the type of leadership they desire. But whether it be a representative democratic republic, like the United States, or a true democracy where the people make the decisions for themselves, this form of government rule is wholly dependent upon the belief that mankind is basically good; and will choose what is best for himself and his kindred. Is this faith in our fellow man well placed however?

Genesis 3:6 clearly teaches us man will not always, and in many cases, almost never choose what is best for himself, no matter how clear the choice seems to be. Adam and Eve were the most fortunate people ever to walk the earth. Other than Christ, they were the only one's who ever managed to live a portion of their lives in the perfect will of God. They lived in the paradise the bible calls Eden. They "walked and talked" with God Himself. They had been given clear instruction that both understood completely regarding the eating of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Yet when confronted with the devious devices of evil, they rejected all that was good, and chose evil. They chose disobedience and sin. As a result of their choice, all of mankind since has been born into sin. We pay the price for their rebellion, and are sinners from the moment of our first breath.

You do not have to teach a child to lie, it comes naturally. You do not have to teach a child to rebel, it is instinctive. You do not have to teach a child to become angry, or lust, or covet. These things are born into them as part of the sin nature. When faced with the choice between good and evil, the natural man, quite naturally, chooses evil. So what should we expect from all of this chaos in the middle east?

The United States is supposed to be the model. A bastion of liberty on which we hope the whole world will model itself. But liberty is a two-edged sword. While the desire for freedom is also a an inalienable, God given right. The consequences of liberty are both good and bad. The United States claims to recognize the rights of all of it's citizens, but bloody wars and civil uprising had to occur to insure this for blacks and minorities. These rights have been taken away from the most vulnerable among us, the unborn child, and nearly 60 million abortions/murders have occurred since 1973 in the name of freedom of choice. We have the liberty to serve God and others, or to serve ourselves and our desire for pleasure. Which occurs more frequently today? We have the liberty to choose our own representatives, yet most Americans vote blindly, failing to educate themselves on even the smallest of details regarding whom they cast their votes for. So why should we expect those in the middle east to choose any more wisely than we have?

On Monday I opined in my blog that the United States is in a no win situation with what is occurring in the middle east today. Oppose the desire for self determination and support despots who rule as though they were God and oppress individual liberty, and we turn our backs on our own self declared beliefs. Support the protesters and the right of self determination, and we risk most assuredly the rise of radical elements that most surely will be more evil and dangerous than those who currently rule. Once again God has shown us, only He is sovereign. And only in choosing Him can we insure personal liberty is a positive force, and not one that brings both great good but potentially even greater evil.

What is happening in the middle east today is the same thing that happened in the garden at Eden years and years ago. Mankind is faced with a choice. A choice, most assuredly, that God has given them, but nonetheless, a choice. Is our faith in mankind and our desire for personal liberty, bringing both the pros and cons of those decisions, well placed? Not if the history of man is any indication.

You see, it is only faith in God, in Jesus Christ, that brings about wisdom and wise decisions. And even then, as Adam and Eve proved, the reality of being deceived and choosing evil is ever present. God's word indicated the strife now occurring in the middle east is a continuation of God's eternal plan. Israel, Jerusalem and the middle east region are ground zero for the battle between good and evil. Everything that is happening will serve God's already written story for the fate of His most beloved creation, us.

If Egypt, and the other nations now or soon to be embroiled in this battle for personal freedom choose wisely and choose God's way, the region could enjoy a new found peace. Not only in terms of human rights and bondage, but in the open door that personal freedom would provide for the spread of the gospel, religious freedom, and the peace only Christ can provide. If as Adam and Eve, the devil deceives, and the wrong choices are made, all forms of peace, both between nations and with God, will disintegrate before our very eyes.

The bible tells us that the "heart of man is deceitfully wicked."(Jeremiah 17:9) The word of God declares that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."(Romans 3:23) Their is only one path to true liberty and freedom, Jesus Christ. "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."(John 8:36) Unless His way is chosen, mankind's record of self determination is filled with the choice of evil over good, even in it's best intentions, like the United States. The implications of a democratic middle east are self evident in the economy of God. Choose Him, or "the wages of sin is death."(Romans 6:23) Faith in mankind is a misplaced hope. Only faith in God can bring about true freedom. Do we really believe this is the choice that will be made?

The U.S. and Middle East Turmoil

Daniel 2:21, "And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to those who have understanding."

For the last several weeks national news has been more and more filled with protests and turmoil from the middle east. What started in Tunisia in mid-December and then moved to Yemen has come to crisis level in Egypt this last week. While most of the secular media seems eager to portray this as political unrest, their is no denying that all of the turmoil we see in the middle east right now stems from the desire of Islamic fundamentalists to gain political power and install regimes that would be anti-American and even more anti-Israel. It places the United States in basically an un-winnable position: support authoritarian regimes that are secular yet repress people, or allow an Islamic revolution to occur that would empower radical elements who repress people and would be clear enemies of the U.S. Either way, whether in the short term through these governments being fully overthrown, or in the long term, by further stoking Islamic opposition and radicalism, the U.S. and Israel will lose.

This may seem quite defeatist. Surely a nation as powerful as the United States can apply influence to calm these fires of rebellion and maintain the precarious peace, lack of all out war, that exists in the middle east, can't we? Not if history and the scriptures are any indication. The fires of revolution are erupting all across the Islamic world, not just in these countries that are getting the headlines right now. Turkey, once a secular ally of the U.S. and Israel, has been taken over through peaceful means and now boasts a fundamentalist Islamic regime. Lebanon just this month became a state completely controlled by the terrorist group Hezbollah. Pakistan is in the midst of an Islamic revolt fueled by the Al-Queda elements hiding from our troops in Afghanistan where this battle has been raging for 10 years. The Palestinian conflict is nowhere near resolution. Iraq since the withdraw of most of our troops, is sliding toward a more radical Islamic attitude. Iran is the gas that's igniting these fires. Jordan, along with Egypt, the strongest ally of the U.S. and Israel in the middle east is experiencing the embers of this same sort of uprising. Across the globe, radical enemies of the U.S. and Israel are ascending to power, and we appear powerless to stop it.

In Egypt, where a peace treaty with Israel has been effective for 30 years, the transfer of power appears imminent. President(dictator) Hasni Mubarak, who has maintained the peace with Israel and been an ally of the U.S. in the middle east, will not remain in power. Unlike the armies that it brought against Israel in the 1967 war, Egypt has a military establishment now that has been reinforced by the United States for these last 30 years and is now at least technologically close with that of Israel, and has far more manpower. The one who appears to be poised to eventually take power, Muhammad el Baradai, is the same former U.N. representative who shielded and denied Iran's nuclear program for years. He has stated publicly that when he ascends to power he will formally recognize the terrorist group Hamas in Gaza on Israel's southern border. Egypt will once again become an active, instead of a passive enemy of Israel and the U.S. even if it begins behind the scenes. Jordan, the only other middle eastern nation with a peace agreement with Israel, is poised to follow this same path to Islamic extremism. If, when, Egypt and Jordan fall, Israel will be fully surrounded by publicly declared enemies.

The consequences for Israel in all of this turmoil are obvious. They face an enemy whose stated goal is to drive the nation into the sea and eliminate the state of Israel and as much as possible, the Jewish people. This is a doctrine straight from the pits of hell, as Satan has tried this many times in the past. But what are the consequences for the U.S., and what will we do?

As I stated earlier, I believe this is a no win situation. If Egypt falls, and the Suez canal is affected impacting the flow of oil from Saudi Arabia, the immediate impact could be a huge spike in oil and gas prices. While the devastation on our economy this would cause would be serious, it is not remotely the worst that could come of this. The current administration has already shown a pattern of backing away from Israel as a staunch ally. What would the consequences be if for economic stability we fully withdrew support from Israel to keep the oil flowing? Israel, armed with it's own nuclear arsenal, could be placed in a position where it is largely outnumbered and may have no other choice than to tactically defend itself with weapons of mass destruction. Basically, we're talking World War III. For those who believe the bible as God's inerrant word, the promise of God in Genesis 12:3 would be tested. Here God promises to bless those who bless the chosen descendants of Abraham, through Issac and Jacob. Those descendants are the Jewish people. He also promises to curse those who curse those descendants. As one who believes this, I contend the wrath of God, through natural and supernatural means would be turned upon our nation.

This blog is written as an observation of these events. As a Christian, I believe their is only one solution to these problems, and it is not a political or military one. I do not believe their is a human means of resolution to these issues. The world scoffs at this point of view, but it is what the bible teaches. One day Antichrist will bring a false peace that lasts 3 1/2 years, but that is merely a prelude to the one solution that will triumph. That solution is Jesus. The only problem for the unbelieving world with that point of view is that the bible clearly states that these problems will not be resolved until Christ Himself returns to establish His kingdom. That is a truth I rejoice in and look forward to. But for those who do not know Christ, it is a day of judgment.

So how should we take solace in these events that almost surely will lead to eventual global chaos? The verses in Daniel that begin this blog are where we should rest. Whatever we see happening, we must have faith, that even though the forces that appear to be coming to more and more power clearly oppose the God of the bible and do not represent His holy will, these events are being allowed to occur through His permissive will. They will further the march toward His kingdom. Our God is sovereign and in control, even when it appears He is not. "All things work to the good for those who love God." Even things which appear to be throwing our world into a time of crisis we have never seen, where nuclear conflict will be a major threat and player. As ludicrous as this may sound to those who read it and do not believe the words of scripture, the holy bible has foretold all of the coming conflict. The only way to truly have peace is to come to faith in Jesus Christ. Do you know Him? Have you been "born again" in Christ? Do you have peace even in the midst of the fiery furnace? If you do not, I implore you to receive Jesus into your heart; confess, repent and ask forgiveness for your sins; and follow the one true "King of Kings," and "Lord of Lords." Jesus told us that in this world, we would have "tribulations." But He has overcome the world. The only way we can overcome, is through Jesus.

Joel Osteen's Moment of Truth

Anyone who knows me also knows I am not a fan of Joel Osteen. Osteen, the handsome, ever smiling purveyor of a self help, get rich, be the best you can be gospel has been the poster boy for what is wrong with God's church today. Osteen, who refuses to preach on sin, or hell, or anything that the world could perceive as negative, has built his own earthly kingdom by tickling ears and avoiding the true gospel message. As a result of his man-pleasing message Osteen currently "pastor's" the largest "church" in the United States in Houston, Texas and has amassed a huge fortune for himself. But recently, this master of telling people what they want to hear, was cornered into stating a doctrinal truth that offends the sensibilities of the world. Osteen declared on CNN's "Piers Morgan Tonight" that he believes, according to the Scriptures, that homosexuality is sin.

While this truth is plainly evident to anyone who reads the bible and accepts it for what it actually says, for Osteen to actually say this is pleasantly surprising. Osteen avoids doctrinal stands like politicians avoid the truth, but when cornered by Morgan on this CNN show, Osteen turned to scripture for his answer. Osteen's adamant and scriptural response was, "Yes, I've always believed, Peirs, the scriptures show that homosexuality is a sin." Now this is something I never thought I would say, but AMEN! Joel Osteen!

Morgan pressed Osteen, truly attacking his position, and while Osteen did not boldly turn to the Scriptures for proof, he did not however back away from his position. CNN later made this into a huge story that almost surely will continue, as other than Rick Warren, Osteen is the most prominent religious figure in our country right now.

Now I could look to the past and ask why it has taken Osteen this long to state a clear truth, to take a stand on the word of God. I could rightfully and accurately point to his sermons, books, lectures, and previous TV interviews and decry his lack of speaking with biblical authority. I'm not going to do that though. I want to look forward to what the future may hold for Osteen, for this was his moment of truth.

The way I see it, Osteen has 2 options. He can either stand on the word of God, and in doing so, be forced to take other stands that will surely displease his followers and the media that has elevated him to his prominent position, or; he can back track and claim some new revelation like so many other "pastors" today and claim he was wrong. In this moment of truth, we will see just what Osteen is made of.

If he takes this biblical stand, and the others that will surely follow, he will lose church members, TV ratings, media exposure and money. If he backtracks, he can become even more popular in the world he so often seeks to please. At this moment we need to be in sincere prayer for Joel Osteen. He is a man with a large audience and an opportunity that few others have to proclaim the true gospel of Jesus Christ. While finally taking this stand will cost him here on earth, it could mean millions of people hearing the gospel truth. But anyone who truly follows Christ knows their will be a cost here on earth.

Osteen is in a transformational moment. For all of the damage he has done, he has a true chance to repent and return to the God he claims to serve. Is he willing to suffer the cost of doing this? I certainly pray he is. Through the medium of the media that has so promoted Osteen, he is now trapped and must make a choice: Jesus or the world; treasures in heaven or treasures here on earth. If he chooses to truly serve God, oh what an influence he could have.

Paul once persecuted the church. Peter denied Christ 3 times. Many men of God have faced this sort of choice when confronted with the truth. Which direction will Osteen choose? Will he choose to begin calling sin what the bible calls sin? Or will he seek a way out from under this mountain of negativity? As critical as I personally have been of Joel Osteen for what I perceive as his abandonment of the truth, I am with all of my soul praying he takes this stand, and the others that will surely come.

We must acknowledge the truth of the bible, and boldly proclaim it. It is through the "foolishness" of preaching that God has chosen for souls to be converted. We must understand that Christ has not come "to bring peace," but rather to "divide," and God's word is the dividing line. As much as we in our sin may seek to avoid the truth, God has already identified what sin is and the consequences of living in it. It is the kingdom of God that is at stake for the people who reject God's truth. Mr. Osteen, I pray that this moment of truth is your transformational encounter with Christ. In the near future the whole world will know who you serve; the True and Living God, or the world and yourself. My prayers are with you Joel.

The Study of Prophecy

At the beginning of January we began a study of the book of Daniel at Oakland Baptist Church. Daniel is a remarkable book, teaching doctrine and aspects of Godly, sacrificial living that have excellent application to us today. But Daniel is best known for it's prophecies regarding "latter days," as it paints an allegorical picture of things that will yet unfold on planet earth. But the teaching of prophecy can be a confusing thing. So how should we best go about it?

Their are many so-called prophecy teachers in Christendom today. Many are out and out charlatans. They apply personal opinion and and the world to the bible, instead of applying the bible to their opinion and the world. The result is an amalgamation of views that can be thoroughly misleading. But their are basic principles in interpreting prophecy that can help us avoid all of the confusion.

Allegory is when God uses symbols to communicate a message. Some famous symbols in prophecy are a "woman" riding a "beast" from Revelation 17 and in the book of Daniel, the image that appears to King Nebuchadnezzar in a dream in Daniel chapter 2. So how are we to know what these symbols represent? Well, in many cases God will interpret the symbolism for us. In Daniel 2 Daniel reveals to the king that he is the head of gold on the image, representing the kingdom of Babylon. The kingdoms that are represented by the rest of the image are revealed to us by history, except for the feet of iron and clay which has yet to come. God also gives us the interpretation of Revelation 17 in the text of that chapter. This is an important lesson. Their is only one tool that is essential to interpreting biblical prophecy, and that is the bible. We must let the bible interpret itself for us.

The bible will do this as the symbols will remain consistent. If a certain symbol means one thing in one place of scripture, it will mean the same thing in another place in scripture. Leaven is always a picture of sin and false doctrine when used in allegory. Birds, other than eagles and doves, are a picture of evil and Satan. A woman is a picture of a religious system. If we use this consistent mode of interpretation it reveals exactly what God is trying to reveal to us through the word pictures He is giving us.

One of the best examples of this occurs in Revelation 12 and Genesis 37. In Revelation 12 we see a woman cloaked in the sun, the moon and the stars. Some claim that this woman represents Mary, mother of Jesus. Some cult leaders have claimed that it has represented themselves. But what does the bible say? Well we see the image of the sun, moon and stars in only one other place in scripture, Genesis 37:9. And in Genesis 37 it is Jacob himself who interprets this for us in verse 10, where he says the sun represents Rachel, the moon himself and the stars the brothers of Joseph, which will later become the tribes of Israel. Since we know a woman represents a religious system, and in Revelation 12 she is giving birth to a child(Messiah), this picture in Revelation 12 can only be Israel, who as a nation Jesus comes forth from.

Only the bible can interpret the bible accurately, and we must allow God to tell us what certain symbols mean instead of trying to make them mean what we desire them to mean. Many prophecy teachers are guilty of teaching on things that have yet to occur dogmatically, stating that such things as the European Union is the reformed Roman empire we see pictured by the feet and toes of Daniel chapter 2 and Nebuchadnezzar's dream. Could the EU be this? Yes, it could. But until it happens we cannot be sure. And to state as fact a minute detail that has yet to occur is yet another way some prophecy teachers mislead people. God gives us a general outline in prophecy of things that will occur. He does not go in to minute detail. This is why it is so important to allow Him to tell us what He has chosen too, and not state as fact an opinion we may hold that at the moment may fit the prophecy. We can state it as opinion, but not as fact. Only God truly knows exactly how His plan will eventually take shape.

The study of prophecy is a much needed thing in the church today. It reveals to us through fulfilled prophecy that the bible is the only true word of God, as only God can predict the future without error. It allows us to share with others the fate that awaits those who do not know Jesus Christ as Savior. But we must stay true to what the bible tells us, and not engage in rampant speculation stated as fact. If we will honor God's word and let it tell it's story, we'll find the study of prophecy an exciting journey in our faith. If we do not, we'll wind up confused and disappointed when things we may have heard or believed simply do not transpire. When studying prophecy, let God tell us what He will; apply the bible to the world and not vice versa; and when stating opinion make sure it's known as opinion. If we do that, God's word will speak to us in a revealing and amazing way!