Fact and Opinion, BT Article, May 27, 2012

Fact and Opinion:  the following is designed to make us think.  There is more to any issue than a simple statement.

 

Fact:  Hardeeville is seeking to bring a casino to the Hilton Head Lakes property.

Opinion:  There needs to be something other than construction and tourism to promote growth in the area.  I don’t think a casino is the answer.

 

Fact:  The Christian right is worried about a casino.

Opinion:  We don’t seem to be united on the lack of jobs, substandard pay, and too high drop out rates.  These have just as much if not more of a chance to degrade our community as a casino.

 

Fact:  The current trend is for churches to be a place of entertainment in order to keep the consumers happy.

Opinion:  Jesus sure didn’t entertain.  He touched needy people.

 

Fact:  I have heard of the abundance of church street signs commenting on “same-sex marriage.”  Note:  haven’t seen too many in the Lowcountry.

Opinion:  Ban church street signs…too much opinion and not enough truth.

 

Fact:  Most parents want a “safe” youth group where their kids are happy.

Opinion:  I wonder if that would have worked for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.

 

Fact:  Same-sex marriage is the “hot” issue of our time.

Opinion:  It is the political “abortion” issue of the 2000 teens.  When politics and faith are combined, unity is seldom if ever achieved.

 

Fact:  Church attendance is waning in America.

Opinion:  We don’t need to look outside of the church to find the answer.

 

Fact:  In times of tragedy the church has risen to answer the call throughout history.

Opinion:  Why do we have to wait for a tragedy?

 

Fact:  Other countries are now sending Christian missionaries to the United States

Opinion:  Do we even understand the concept that we now live in a “Post-Christian” culture and what that means to the church and focus of ministry?

 

Fact:  There are a lot of Christian books out there these days.

Opinion:  There is only one main book worth reading.  It is an all time best seller.  It has mystery, intrigue, sex, murder, redemption and one crazy ending.  The Bible is better than any 10-step approach to life.

 

Fact:  There are now cyber-churches on line for the stay at home Christian.

Opinion:  I Corinthians 12

 

Fact:   Pornography is the number 1 on-line business.

Opinion:  If Christians stopped looking at porn the industry would suffer greatly.

 

Fact:  I have never heard a Sunday sermon on The Song of Solomon.

Opinion:  I understand that rabbis would not let Jewish boys under the age of 13 study it.  Their 13 years old is our 10 years old.

 

Fact:  Evolution is no longer being taught as a theory.

Opinion:  What did I miss?  Was there some sort of irrefutable proof provided that I missed?  Did the scientists forget the scientific method?  Somebody fill me in.

 

Fact:  I like writing like this once a year.

Opinion:  It drives the reader crazy.

 

Johnring.wordpress.com

 

 

Incognito, BT Article, May 20, 2012

I am a NASCAR fan.  No use trying to hide it.  Yes, I love the smell of hydrocarbons and burnt rubber.  I don’t care if all they do is make left turns.  The speed amazes.   I simply enjoy stock car racing.  I was at Darlington last Saturday night.  It was so good.

 

It was also quite entertaining to see what a few too many beers do to a person.  The two guys 3 rows ahead of us to the left will not want their mom to see what a fool they were.  When we left one had his head in his hands and did not seem to be functioning.  The funny thing is his family or friends were nowhere to be seen.  I wonder what time he made it home Sunday morning.

 

Going to the race at Darlington allowed me to do something I haven’t done for a while.  I had the opportunity to take the jacket and tie off and go to church as a worshipper.  I went to my own church.  The elders gave me a break. So I finally got going by the third service and lumbered in.

 

It is amazing how different the seat in the audience is compared to the seat behind the pulpit.

 

I paid attention to things from a different perspective.  It was an opportunity to ask some important questions.  I put together a small list.  Here they go:

 

1.  Did the songs relate to the sermon and did the sermon relate to the songs?

2.  As a novice would I have any idea what was going on?

3.  Was there a sense that all parts of the worship service were

important?  What needs more explanation?

4.  What got my attention?  What did not get my attention?

5.  Why would I come back?

6.  Did I hear the gospel?

 

A dear friend of mine asked me years ago to ask question #6 at every church service I ever attend or lead.  It makes all the other questions dependent upon that one.  Sure it would be good to have a coordinated and purpose directed service.  But…is the gospel evident?  Is it clear?  Don’t get me wrong.  It’s not gospel for the unbeliever.  It is the gospel also for the believer.

 

When the word “gospel” is used it is not some fix-it plan to make my life go easier.  It is not a play on words to make the sermon stick in the brain.  It is not trite sayings to conform someone to an easy system of belief.  It is not a self-help program.

 

The gospel is the clear portrayal of man in need.  Man needs a redeemer.  His name is Jesus.  That gospel tells of a risen Lord who didn’t stamp my ticket to heaven but did all the work so I could be in the kingdom of God.  It is a kingdom that is here already.  If that is the case…how does the gospel on that one-day impact my life and change my heart?

 

So…we went to church Sunday.  Did we hear the gospel?  Or did we run in circles like the Darlington NASCAR race?

 

Pastors…come incognito some Sundays.  You might be surprised.

Fear BT Article, May 13, 2012

Have you ever felt like you are standing in the middle of Route 278 and the world is rushing by you without any let up?  Or, have you been sitting forever on Route 278 (Saturday during tourist season) and felt like you are never going to get where you want?  Either which way, it seems like we are all in the trap of having life either go too fast or we can’t catch up.

When life gets this way (some are saying, when is it never this way) we get so busy we stop asking good questions.  One of the main sources of family conflict is a lack of good communication.  It is the same way in our relationship with God.  We get so busy we stop communicating with Him as well.  That is until we are in trouble.  It is amazing how fast we can communicate when we are in a pinch.

A lack of communication with God and our family includes a lack of introspection.  Jesus was constantly calling those around him to look inside.  Take the time to look not so much at our behavior but at our heart.

Recently sitting and talking with a few friends one of the guys asked a question that stopped us in our tracks.  It was a question that brought us together and at the same time we tried to avoid. It was a question of great love.  The words “what do you fear?” interrupted our musing and avoidance.

Those words brought us together as we looked inside of us.

Americans have grown accustomed to being busy.  However, busy may actually be what hinders our growth in Christ.  Maybe we are busy to avoid our fears.  Somebody said they were busy making a living.  So…what might be their fear?  Losing what they have achieved.

Fear drives us to do things we never thought we would do.  Staying busy is a way to avoid the deep fears of the heart.  Avoidance only keeps us from being honest with our God and ourselves.  In the end we put on a mask, hope and pray nobody discovers my fears.

We fear being found out for multiple reasons.  One of the main ones is being taken advantage by others (including Christians) who somehow and someway have a habit of attacking our fears.  They take the opportunity to strike.  Maybe the reason they strike is their inability to face their own fears.

Jesus said he came to give us peace.  At the same time he also said he came to free us.  He came to free us not only from our sin but from our prisons we make to enslave our hearts and the hearts of others.

We imprison others and ourselves by refusing to answer the question of fear.

Jesus said, “Come unto me all you who are weary and heavy laden.”  He didn’t mean those who are simply tired and work too hard.  He meant for those who have the weight of their own sin and fears.

He promised to “give rest.”

Answer the question.  Take the fear and place it where it needs to be…at the cross, not on our backs.  As Steve Brown said, “God’s grace is a scandalous freedom.”

Looking for a Summer Read – BT Article, April 6, 2012

There are 15 books on the desk that are my personal favorite books regarding God, the work of redemption, grace, and the Christian.  In the struggle to write this week (writer’s block is clearly here) I glanced over at the stack for some inspiration.  Well, they didn’t scream at me but as I looked at the books I wondered if there was any rhyme or reason to their selection.

 

There seems to be.  I think they alone are the message of God’s grace to us this week.  Let’s give it a try.  Here is the order that reveals the gospel:

 

1.  NOT the Way It’s Supposed to Be, A Breviary of Sin by Plantinga – to grasp the good news (gospel) we have to grasp the bad news.  Plantinga not only reveals clearly the problem but the depth of it in every man and woman’s heart.  One will hear the famous line from Apollo 13, “Houston, we have a problem.”

 

2.  What’s So Amazing About Grace?  By Yancey – We have a problem and we need a solution.  The Scriptures reveal that it is not how good we can be or our works.  It is by grace.  God’s Grace.  No one explains it better than Yancey.

 

3. and 4.  Transforming Grace by Bridges and A Scandalous Freedom by Brown are 2 books with the same premise only from two different perspectives.  They both announce with boldness the power and purpose of God’s grace in our lives.  It is to free us from the enslavement of sin and transform us to desire Christ.  Both strike a dagger in the Christianity of “have to.”

 

5.  Blue Like Jazz by Miller is a personal story of his journey searching for the real God.  It is a story of where Jesus and our cultural (life) meet.  It is about seeing Jesus and the redemption story around every corner of life and our own hearts.

 

6.  Dangerous Wonder by Yaconelli is one of my personal favorites.  It takes adults on a path to see Jesus as a child.  We confuse the redemption story.  A child-like faith is needed.

 

7.  The Screwtape Letters  by Lewis let’s us know that while Christ has made us a new person the battle is not over.  The battle may not be to drive us into unthinkable sin but rather to melancholy and dullness.

 

8.  Idols of the Heart  by Fitzpatrick is a compassionate but straight forward look at the Christian life that often in it’s dullness reverts to idol worship with a little Jesus attached.  Those idols are often “good” things that replace the real Jesus.

 

9. and 10.  Jesus + Nothing = Everything  by Tchividjian and The Cost of Discipleship  by Bonhoeffer might be the hardest reads in this group.  They explain sometimes aggressively that following Jesus is no joke.  It costs and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

 

11.  Broken Down House by Tripp takes our lives and compares them to a dilapidated house in need of restoration.  Sound familiar!

 

12.  and 13. The Jesus of Suburbia  by Erre and Opie Doesn’t Live Here Anymore by Mueller confronts how we have allowed culture to mold Jesus and us instead of the creation (us) being molded by the creator (God).  It gets close to home in our comfort driven world.  We need the challenge.

 

14.  Counterfeit Gods by Keller is a “man” book in my opinion.  It hits us close to our hearts.  It is needed in every male Bible Study.  It should be read once a year.

 

15. Last but not least…The Prodigal God by Keller reminds us that no matter where we have gone, how hard we have fallen, how dark we may be…Our God always welcomes us home.  He is the prodigal (wild and crazy).

 

Looking to grow in God’s grace and looking for a good read at the same time.  Try these…they helped me in my walk with our Lord.

 

What are we doing? BT Article, April 29, 2012

A recent burst of material has been written debating the direction of youth ministry in Christianity.  Many of the materials point to the emphasis of youth ministry to entertain and provide safe fun environments for teens.  It seems that the more we place an emphasis on the “fun” Jesus, the less our kids are staying in the faith past the age of 18.

 

Recent statistics say that regardless of denomination, upwards now to 80% of our own children are totally abandoning the faith.  In the past, teens entering adulthood journeyed beyond the faith only to return around the birth of their first child.  There are strong statistical indications that this is no longer true.  They are leaving and they are not coming back.

 

The statistics are not saying they are leaving our particular expression or denomination of the faith.  They are saying they are leaving the faith of their fathers, Christianity, all together.

 

Stop by the nursery or any Sunday school class at your church.  Pick one that has your child in it.  Point out 10 children and include your own in the count.  Now, blindfold yourself and after the children move around go and pick 2 of them.  That represents the ones who will remain faithful to Christ and continue the next generation of the faith.  Get that number in your mind and in your heart.  The number is “2.”  Oh, and by the way, was your child one of them?

 

The rush away from not just Christianity but Christ is no longer being predicted.  It is here.

 

So…why?

 

Personally, I am an ardent believer that the “entertain” me culture of most youth ministries is on the wrong track.  I once was a youth director and I know many who used to be.  Basically, they burn out.  One by one over time, they loose it.  Why?  It takes a lot of time to entertain.  It takes more time to disciple.  Even the best youth director cannot be efficient at both.  On top of it all, entertainment is an unending attempt to be better than either the competition (movies, tv, etc.) or the last “production.”  Does it draw kids?  Yes.  Does it keep them?  Strong indication is  “no.”

 

But…

 

Is there a deeper issue than the style of youth ministry?  The resounding answer is “Yes.”

 

The problem we face crosses denominations, styles and types of youth ministry.  A youth director no matter how good he is, nor, a ministry no matter how good it is at any level is the primary influence of God to any generation.  The primary influence in any child through to about the age of 16 is the parents.

 

Based on the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in Daniel 3, what does it take for a combined effort of parents and church to grow our children to choose the way of God in a culture that is very appetizing?  How can we transfer our faith to our children in a way that builds character for Christ even if it costs them their lives?

 

Maybe the problem lies in that we are transferring our faith.  We are seeing the result of the type of faith we are transferring.

Who are You? BT Article, April 22, 2012

From time to time there are concepts, words, and themes that seem to be repeated as we go through life.  It is not uncommon to be talking with someone and have them quickly say something to the effect like “I was just talking to so and so about the very same thing.”   Funny how that works.  Maybe God wants us to focus on something so he has to repeat it from many angles for us to pay attention.

 

Recently while discussing various issues of life three words have been repeated.  They are words that are often lost in our culture.  We admire that the military engrains them in our faithful and dedicated soldiers.  But in our everyday life, they are a far off.

 

The three words are:  Character, Courage and Commitment.  Dr. Laura Schlesinger  (note:  I do not agree with her in certain areas) in her book How Could You Do That? basically brings many social issues into an absence of one or more of these human traits.

 

So I wondered?  Is she right?   Do the Scriptures support her?  Are these three words lost to us and are they important?  Let’s take a quick look at the three.

 

Character.  Abraham Lincoln said, “Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.”   It has been said that character is who we are when no one is looking.

 

Paul, the apostle wrote “endurance produces character” and “character produces hope.”  What does this say to our desire to be fixed and to be fixed immediately?  What does this say in regards to our lack of suffering with and for our Lord Jesus Christ?

 

Character is what defines the heart (integrity) of a man.

 

Courage:  Winston Churchill belted out “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.”  Courage can be defined as the desire to do what is right even though the odds are against us.

 

Our God spoke to Joshua and us when he said “I will not leave you or forsake you…be strong and courageous.”  Later, Jesus said, “do not fear those who kill the body…rather fear him (God) who can kill both the soul and the body.”

 

Courage is what drives a man.

 

Commitment:  John-Paul Sartre, philosopher, once said, “Commitment is an act, not a word.”  Commitment is the time when character and courage come together when it is dark and seemingly hopeless with as much fervor as when the sun is shinning and the world is right side up.

 

David, a man after God’s own heart, sang “Commit your way to the Lord, trust in him and he will act.”  Solomon, David’s son wrote, “trust in him (God) with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.”

 

Commitment is what gives life its purpose.

 

Lot’s of questions can be asked.  Let’s sum it up quickly.

 

What will people say at your funeral after the wake?  Character

What will people say you stand for when the chips down?  Courage

What will people define as the one thing you will not bend on?  Commitment

 

Let’s us discover these truths in the person of Jesus, the Christ.

 

 

Unfriended Once Again, BT Article, April 15, 2012

Unfriend” is not a word.  It is an action.  Facebook gives each of us to include people as “friends” but it also gives us the ability to “unfriend” someone.  Well, I have been unfriended once again.  It is not the first time.  I desire it to be the last.

 

Now that I am heading to “Sun City” age, you would think I have learned by now.  The tongue (via typing) is a small spark that can cause a forest fire.  James the half-brother of Jesus tells us that.  My own inability to control it is living proof.  He also says no man can tame it.

 

We are all plagued with “tongue” issues.  It is like trying to have a nice little fire to warm us at night only to add gasoline and wind and next thing we know, the whole backyard is ablaze.  You can tell I am a closet pyromaniac.    I got in trouble more than once setting the back yard on fire when I was a young boy exploring flame.  Little did I know I would continue to set backyards on fire.  Only now it is with my pyrotechnic tongue.

 

The issue with the tongue is not always what we say.  It is how we say it.  Sounds like your mother doesn’t it.  Hate to say it…she was right.

 

Just because we possess truth does not mean we have the right to destroy someone with it.  Our timing is usually done to promote our own knowledge, understanding and prestige.   Oh, we have the knack of wrapping it in nice undertones and spiritual overtones.

 

Proverbs has a lot to say about the tongue.  Most of it we don’t want to read.  Why?  We know it already.

 

So, what can we do?  On the one hand…nothing.  Seriously.  There is not a human being that is not plagued with tongue issues.  We need just enough stress to let it rip.  Going to self-help training might calm the moment but give it time.  The heart will win out.  The tongue not the eyes is the gateway to our heart.

 

Our words express our heart.  When we become offensive our heart desires the praise of man.  When do we become offensive?  When we don’t ask about the other person and take the opportunity to stake our claim into someone’s life.

 

This past week we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus.  It was the affirmation that he indeed is the Way, the Truth and the Life.   Our hearts need His transformation.  When our hearts change…our tongue will as well.

 

Just when we think we got the jump on spiritual matters, tape your conversations for a day and listen to them.  Count how many times we tell instead of ask.  Count how many times we use the word “I”, “me” and “Mine.”  Count how many times your opinion overrides someone else’s words.

 

When the light bulb goes on…pray.  Don’t stop then.  Remember the need tomorrow.  We can’t change our hearts on our own.  We need God’s help.  If we can’t communicate (listen and speak) to others with His love, we need to be talking to Him.  Thank you Jesus…you don’t unfriend us.