Students "Do Something Now"

I got to go to Passion 2012 last week.  It was my 9th or 10th time to take students to a Passion event.  It always inspires with awesome music and the power of God's word.  This year the students were challenged to unite to bring awareness to modern slavery and human trafficking.  This was a feature that CNN did about the movement.  The goal was $1,000,000.  By Thursday, over $3,000,000 had been raised!

Read through the Word in 2012

Since it's the beginning of the new year, many of us commit to read the Bible more intentionally.  There are lots of great Bible reading plans out there.  I have tried several of them.  This year I am going to read through the Discipleship Journal plan.  One reason I like this plan is that the readings are broken down into 25 readings a month so it gives you some extra days to catch up if you fall behind.  If you aren't behind, you can spend the extra days studying some of the passages you read that are meaningful to you. 

I am using a paper copy in my Bible and also YouVersion to track my progress.  If you are signed up on YouVersion, then look me up and be a friend so we can encourage one another and share any notes or insights. YouVersion also has some great apps that you can use on your smart phone to help you keep up. 

Are you reading the word more intentionally this year. 

Best Books of 2011

I love to read whenever I can.  Unfortunately, with the noise and chaos at my house, my reading is usually limited to late at night when everyone is in bed.  I tried to keep up with all the books I read this year and balance out my reading selections to have a very broad base. Here are a few of my favorite books I read this year.

Counterfeit Gods by Tim Keller
I loved Keller's book!  It was the first book by Keller that I have read all the way through.  It is one of the most important books I have read and exposes one of the major problems in the contemporary church.  Tim Keller's insight into idolatry is profound.  This book went a long way to exposing my own idols and has caused me to be more profoundly dependent upon Christ and not my idols.

Decision Points by George Bush
I got this book last year for Christmas and dug into it this Spring.  I love biographies.  I have not been much for presidential memoirs before, but Bush's presidential span was during a large part of my young adult life.  I think Bush served in one of the most critical times in the life of our country and his impact will not be fully measured or appreciated for many years to come.  It was fascinating to look at decisions that he made behind the scenes that the media has wrongly portrayed consistently. I believe Bush to be a brother in Christ with a deep faith that was placed in a role where biblical values are not embraced or tolerated.  This book is a must read for history and presidential buffs.

Gospel by JD Greear
Greear hit a home run with this book.  The word "gospel" has become a buzzword in the contemporary church and much is being preached about it, especially among the young and reformed evangelical types.  As much as it's being talked about, it is also being highly misunderstood.  Greear does a great job showing that gospel centrality has a massive impact on our daily lives.  He shows that the gospel is not just theological language, but the power for personal transformation.  Great book I wish everyone in my church would read!

Gospel Wakefulness by Jared Wilson
I am still reading this book.  I had seen much tweeted and written on it recently.  Wilson's book is also a beautiful work on the majesty and power of the gospel to transform our personal lives.  I am only halfway through and have already worn a highlighter dry.  I will hopefully post some of my favorite quotes from this book later.  However, if I recommend one book for you to read in the next 2 months, this would be the one!

Onward by Howard Schultz
I love business books and behind the scenes looks at great companies.  This is one of those.  It is written by the CEO of Starbucks and chronicles the turnaround that Starbucks did several years ago as he saw some dangerous trends in his company.  Since I love coffee and Starbucks, much of what he wrote about I saw and remembered.

Radical Together by David Platt
This is Platt's follow-up to his first book Radical.  It is written to show more of the corporate implications of a church that commits to radical obedience to the word and the gospel.  It's a small but powerful book.  I believe that church leaders and pastors should pay careful attention to the words of Platt in a day and time where we are losing influence and impact for the gospel in our culture.  I believe David Platt is a prophet for our time and is being used of God in mighty ways.  His writings and sermons have had an impact on several in our church.  

Other books I read this year and really enjoyed were: Don't Call it a Comeback by Kevin DeYoung, Slave by John MacArthur, Pujols by Scott Lamb and Tim Ellsworth, Erasing Hell by Francis Chan, John MacArthur: Servant of the Word and Flock by Iain Murray, Enemies of the Heart by Andy Stanley, The Jesus Mission by Steven Scott, I, Alex Cross by James Patterson, Great by Choice by Jim Collins, and Where Has Oprah Taken Us? by Steven Masfield, and Mint Condition by Dave Jamieson.

A Calvin Christmas

I loved Calvin and Hobbes comic strips.  This is one of the Christmas strips.  Having 4 boys of my own, this one hits close to home.

Around the Internet

Here are a few links to some website articles and blogs I have recently found of interest.

What's the perception of Southern Baptists? This is some vitally important information about the perception of many of the unchurched about the denomination I belong to and deeply love.  I am so thankful for Ed's research eye and the important questions he asks.  These are prophetic words that need to be heeded.

The Year in Pictures (Part 1 and Part 2) - These are fascinating pictures of events that happened this year in the world.  A very powerful way to look back at the year 2011.

Who Was Saint Nicholas? This is a good post on the real Saint Nick by Mark Driscoll.  This will help you to better understand the man behind the myth and what to tell your kids about Santa Claus. 

Journey of the Wests - This is a blog started by my friend and church member Myron West about his family's recent journey to Uganda and God's calling of them to serve in missions on a full-time basis.  Myron is a deacon in my church and God has used him and his family to ignite a missions movement in our church.  Pray for them as they continue being obedient to God.

Don't give to the Cooperative Program - This is a great blog article by Micah Fries about the difference between giving "to" the Cooperative Program and "through" the CP.  I think it's a good word for SBC leaders to hear and for members of SBC churches to read and understand how the Cooperative Program works and why it's vitally important.  I agree with Micah's assessment that we need to be very careful about projecting an image that appears we are holding up an organizational structure more than advancing a heavenly kingdom. 

Return to Middle Earth

I never read the books, but I loved the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the work that Peter Jackson did with those movies.  Now, he's doing The Hobbit, the prequel to the LOTR.  It looks to be pretty good.  The announcement trailer recently came out.  Enjoy.  Let the countdown to December 14th begin...

Hello Again...

Sorry it's been a month since I posted anything.  It's not because there hasn't been anything on my mind.  Too much happening to have any productive time to blog.  In the last month, Nathan and I got back from our mission trip to the Dominican Republic; we celebrated Thanksgiving with my family in Mississippi;  my church has hired a new staff member to do youth ministry and discipleship; we had a party for my music minister who is retiring; I've had several surgeries and a couple of funerals; I've read a couple of really good books; and we've got a cat.  Never a dull moment.

Hope to have some things to put up here in the next few days.  Until then, I thought I would give you a little video to humor you. 

More from Juan Dolio

We've wrapped up our last full day here at the Dominican Republic.  It's been a great day of ministry and encouragement.  The morning started with our devotional time at 7:30 AM.  We were led in worship by Jeremy Camp.  He was here last night to lead in the crusade we went to in San Pedro de Marcoris.  It was a refreshing time of worship by one of Christian music's most talented artists.

Our team went to do a clinic this morning at a Marine base in Santo Domingo.  We had about 150 kids that we sent through four stations.  Nathan and I moved from infield to work in the hitting clinic today with former major league player and collegiate All-American Chris Burke.  He's been on our squad all week.  It's been fun listening to him share his baseball stories and also about living his faith in the big leagues.  Steven Welcher spent time leading the pitching clinic today and had kids all over him all afternoon.  Our squad leader is Kevin Malone.  Kevin is the former General Manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers and has spent many years on the West Coast.  I have enjoyed getting to know this brother in Christ and hear about the transformation that Christ has done in his heart in the last few years.  He is now working in ministry for the Dream Center in Los Angeles and has has a great joy in his heart.

After the clinic, we shared the gospel and I gave an invitation to the kids and adults there.  Many publically indicated that they had trusted Christ as Savior.  It was a good morning.  Then we returned to the hotel for lunch and the afternoon.  Steven went out to an orphanage while Nathan and I stayed at the hotel to rest.  I did some sermon work and Nathan swam in the pool.  Then we spent some time playing catch by the pool before dinner and the evening worship.

Our evening worship started with a special blessing of being led in music by a group of Dominican teenagers with a local ministry.  This ministry takes mostly teens who come in off the street to hear about the love of Christ and learn music and praise songs.  They rocked the house!  We heard some great testimonies and had another awesome message by Pastor Ken Whitten. 

Many of our team are leaving out early in the morning to fly home.  The rest of us are going to lead a final clinic at the Rawlings baseball complex outside Santo Domingo tomorrow morning before heading to the airport to fly home.  It's been a great week.  We have made some good friends here.  We have been touched by the opportunity to minister to the Dominican people.  God is doing some great things on this island.  However, as we drove to the crusade last night, I watched out the window at thousands of people who were walking the streets and lined up in bars.  Although we have touched many here for Christ, there are multitudes more here that live in spiritual darkness.  We have barely made a drop in the bucket of the spiritual needs that exist here.  Pray for SCORE International and for the other strong Christian ministries that are trying to reach this island for Christ.

Looking forward to getting back on U.S. soil!

Greetings from Juan Dolio and more...

As I type this, I am in a hotel lobby during day 2 of our Dominican Baseball Outreach.  I am here with my oldest son, Nathan, and one of our high school students, Steven Welcher, doing baseball clinics and ministry projects to the children of the Dominican Republic.  We are here with an organization called SCORE International which does this outreach each November.  This week is designed to give guys who love baseball, high school coaches, college coaches, major league scouts, and professional players a chance to do ministry together using the vehicle of baseball.  We do baseball clinics each day in the mornings.  We have about 7 squads that go out each day to a different town and do a clinic with anywhere between 150-300 kids.  We split them up into squads and teach fundamentals of infield, outfield, hitting, and pitching.  At the end, we gather everyone up and one of the players will share his testimony.  Then one of the team members will present the gospel and ask kids to surrender to Christ as Savior and Lord. 

Yesterday we did a clinic at the Air Force Base in Santo Domingo and then went to a village called Ramon Santana to hand out bags of groceries.  For about $10 each, we bought rice, beans, oil, salt, tuna, and spaghetti that will feed a family for about a week.  It was a funny sight seeing 22 white gringo's in the local supermarket buying groceries together. 

This morning we went to San Pedro de Marcoris to do a baseball clinic.  San Pedro has produced many professional baseball players like Sammy Sosa, Alfonso Soriano, and others.  Every kid in San Pedro believes that baseball is their ticket off the island and the way to provide for their family.  It was a fun day of clinics.  Our team has two former major leaguers - Andy Pettite and Chris Burke.  Pettite was swarmed afterwards for autographs and was gracious to sign hundreds. 

Keep praying for us while we are hear to show and speak the love of Christ to the children of this island.  SCORE has a great ministry and is doing many very effective things for the kingdom here.

On a separate note, I got word on Facebook yesterday that our two-man team that is in Guinea is having some inroads with the Kakabe people.  Evidently, many of the Kakabe religious leaders have engaged them with questions and they are open to hearing more about Jesus.  The Kakabe are a small unreached people group of about 4,000 people in a country of millions.  Their tribal identity has been swallowed up by the Fulbe in the region.  This is the second team from our church that has gone.  Prayers are being answered and we may see some Kakabe turn to Christ.  When they do, they face large amounts of persecution and possible isolation from their family.  We will have to send teams to continue to share the stories and to disciple any new believers.  Keep praying saints.

Glory to God!

Redeeming Halloween, Osteen Does It Again, and more links...

Here are some interesting links you might want to read. 

Halloween on Mission - Awesome post by David Mathis from Desiring God on redeeming Halloween for the gospel.  Too often we live in hiding and seclusion instead of living boldly on mission.  The effect of this is that we create an isolationist mentality which makes us inaccessible to the lost and ineffective in evangelism.  You don't have to agree with this post, but it does make some great points. 

Does Joel Osteen not know, or does he not care? -Smiling Joel was asked once again to make a stand on a controversial topic and once again he chose the path of popular opinion than that of biblical authority.  By his own admission, he "hasn't studied" the issues of Momonism and Christianity.  My advice: Don't make a statement then Joel. 

Reformation Day: What in the world happened? - Great post by my friend and seminary classmate Dr. Jason Lee about the impact of Martin Luther and the Reformation started by his 95 theses.  Great information that most lay people in the church have no knowledge of.

How to articulate a Christian worldview in four easy steps - Kevin DeYoung is a very smart young pastor who does a great job keeping people grounded in biblical theology and practical living.  Every Christian should be able to articulate a Christian worldview, but so often cannot.  This post will help.

Seven reasons Halloween Judgment Houses often miss the mark - I have been on record before that I am not a big fan of the Judgment House mentality in churches.  I think the motives are pure and the churches that do them really do want to see people come to faith in Christ.  I also think that some people are genuinely saved in them.  However, I don't think they accurately convey the gospel and are just a 21st century answer to hellfire and brimstone revivalism.

Be gospel-centered and don't neglect...

Great video featuring three young gospel saturated pastors - Trevin Wax, J.D. Greear, and Greg Gilbert.  Good words that we need to hear.

Don't Be More Gospel-Centered Than Jesus from The Gospel Coalition on Vimeo.

Where Has Oprah Taken Us? - A Book Review

Recently I received a copy of Stephen Mansfield's new book "Where Has Oprah Taken Us? The Religious Influence of the World's Most Famous Woman."  I was excited about the opportunity to read this book.  For a long time, I have been very concerned about the deep influence that Oprah has had in our culture and her dangerous spiritual beliefs.  I was not a regular watcher of Oprah's show.  However, the few times I did watch it, I could see why she was so popular.  She has an engaging personality that draws you in.  She is a rags-to-riches story.  She is not afraid to tell you about her baggage and how she's working through it.  At the same time, she has made no apologies for her religious beliefs.  She has stated more than once that she thinks it's arrogant for Christians to believe that Jesus is the only way to God.  She has held some very troubling New Age religious beliefs under a veil of the appearance of Christianity.

Mansfield's book is a timely read.  It will probably trouble many who call themselves Christians who have given Oprah a pass for a long time.  However, Mansfield is very fair in his portrayal and crituque of Oprah and her religious beliefs.  He praises her for her benevolent work around the world.  He vividly paints a good picture of the painful situation that Oprah was raised in.  He has done his homework both on Oprah's biographical past and on the troubling religious transformation she went through before her audience's eyes.  He has shown how, through shifting cultural influences and timing, Oprah rose from media personnel to someone who has had religious influence in our culture that closely resembles that of Billy Graham, the Pope, and Rick Warren.  It's a telling and troubling fact that someone who holds no formal religious study has in many ways become a religious guru for millions of people, especially women.

While painting a detailed expression of Oprah's widely diverse religious influences, Mansfield also does a good job bringing solid, biblical truth to counteract those beliefs.  He leads the reader to understand the implications of Oprah's beliefs on society and how those same beliefs diverge from Scripture and orthodox Christian teaching.  He also asks serious questions that force the reader to see beyond the surface of Oprah's beliefs into the deeper ramifications.  In each chapter he also has an aside where he interjects his own personal beliefs and critique.  In doing so, he keeps most of his opinions out of the regular material and maintains the fair, impartial, and helpful reporting of an author of his stature.

I would highly recommend this read to most Christians, especially laypeople.  There are millions of people in the church who have been poisoned by Oprah's deadly religious mix and need to step back and see through a biblical lens what she really believes.  This is not a character assassination on Oprah - far from it.  It is a book that shows the powerful and helpful influence she has had while questioning the religious dogma she has espoused for the last two decades.  If you're an Oprah fan, give this book a fair reading and see where you may have been influenced.  If you are not an Oprah fan, read it and equip yourself to have an honest, helpful dialogue with those who are.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Power of an Unexpected Blessing

A few weeks ago I had the unique privilege of being invited to take part in a small pastor's retreat with Bob Russell.  Bob (we're on a first name basis now) was the pastor of Southeast Christian Church for over 40 years.  When he went there as a young man in his 20's the church was just a few hundred.  When he retired a few years ago, it was one of the largest churches in America, averaging over 18,000 people each weekend.  When Bob retired, he had some people who wanted to fund his ministry dreams and goals.  One of those was to hold private retreats for pastors where he could minister and pour into a small group of pastors at a time.

I had applied over a year ago and was extremely excited when I got the invitation to go.  What an honor and privilege to be invited to spend three days with a faithful servant of the Lord who did it the right way for over 40 years.  God used Bob's ministry and preaching to literally change the lives of thousands of people.  However, he was an extremely humble and joyful man who seemed to be loving getting to spend time with 8 pastors that for the most part no one has ever heard of.  He shared some painful moments in his ministry and valuable lessons he learned.  It was truly a once-in-a lifetime experience.  Here are a few takeaways I had from the week:

1.  When you cultivate a generous heart you are able to be a blessing and be blessed at the same time.  Bob Russell gave us dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, set up a private time with the CEO of Louisville Slugger, and even gave our wives a generous gift.  What a refreshment to see someone who wants to give away to make others feel appreciated and valuable.
2.  There is no substitute for cultivating a servant spirit in your church.  Southeast Christian Church is a very unique place.  My sanctuary can fit under their driveway.  The lobby is big enough to play a football game in.  The worship center can seat 9,000 people.  However, all of their landscaping is done by volunteers in the church.  Much of their setup for events is handled by volunteers.  The people of the church who helped Bob with the retreat were some of the most gracious servants I have ever encountered.  They really thought it a blessing to be able to serve pastors by carrying our luggage or by driving us to events.
3.  There is no substitute for godly lay leadership.  We had the opportunity to spend time with three elders of Southeast who talked about pastor/elder relationships.  These three men have been elders at Southeast for a long time.  Each of them were very successful businessmen and entreprenuers.  However, they also were men of great spiritual wisdom and the Word.  They showed the power that can happen in a church where men step up to be students of the word and lead the church spiritually.  This is no doubt one of the biggest reasons for the success that Southeast Christian has had in reaching people. 
4.  Preach the Bible and let God do the work.  This was one of the statements that Bob Russell made and perfectly sums up his preaching and ministry philosophy.  Russell's ministry shows the lasting impact that can be made when a preacher believes in the authority and sufficiency of God's word and chooses to rely on the power of the word preached over slick ministry strategies.  It was a great encouragement to me.  There is no guarantee of large numerical success in preaching biblically, but there is assurance of its power to change lives and build a healthy foundation for a church.
5.  Multiply your ministry effectiveness by investing in future ministers.  This is where Bob Russell is now.  As a faithful pastor for decades, he's earned the right to spend his days playing golf, going on occasional mission trips, speaking at conferences, and writing books.  However, Bob has chosen to spend some of that time pouring into guys that are in the trenches.  It doesn't matter where at or what size church.  In our group, we had churches ranging from 200 to 3500.  We had pastors from the Christian Church movement, a Wesleyan, Church of Christ, and one SBC (me).  A couple of guys were in their 50's, a couple in their 40's, and a couple in their 30's.  We were all much the richer for spending time with Bob and with each other.

All in all, my heart was blessed and I was impacted beyond measure for my time with Bob Russell.  It gave me a renewed vision for what could be possible at my church and a renewed passion to preach God's word with passion and application oto God's people.

Why God Won't Go Away - Book Review

The "New Atheism" characterized by the writings of Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens has put the debate about God in a new arena during the last decade.  Men such as Dawkins have taken the dialogue to a much more aggressive level by comparing Christianity with radical Islam.  Into this mix, theologian and preacher Alister McGrath launches the book, "Why God Won't Go Away".  McGrath is a former athiest who now holds the chair of theology at King's College in London.  He occasionally holds debates with Hitchens, Dawkins, and Daniel Dennett about atheism and the existence of God.  If you have ever had the privilege of hearing McGrath speak, you are struck by both his incredible intellect as well as his ability to make complicated truths more easily understandable.

Overall, I was impressed with McGrath's book.  I have not read much of Dawkins or Hitchens.  In my current ministry context, I am not actively dialoging with people who have been influenced by the new athiests.  However, I have been watching these issues gaining more attention in the media.  Dawkins and Hitchens books have been phenominal best-sellers.  They take the attack on belief in God to a whole new level.  They are extremely intellectual and their ideas are progressing rapidly in the academic world.  McGrath's background and careful analysis of the issues make him a great ally for the Christian side of the debate.  This book is a great introduction to the personalities, history, and overview of some of the issues that the New Atheism brings to the table.  McGrath does and excellent job of pointing out some of the flaws in the arguements of the New Atheists without being offensive or demeaning.  He also does an excellent job showing that a belief in faith and deity does not mean that someone has to commit intellectual suicide with regard to reason and science.  This book packs a lot into a smaller, easy-to-read format.  Do not pick up this book thinking that it will provide a comprehensive answer that will equip you to win a debate with an atheist.  However, for the pastor and normal church member who wants to see what New Atheism is and how to deal with it, this book is a great start.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Left Everything

I was enjoying some time in God's word this morning with a cup of coffee on my front porch.  Reading through my Bible plan, I journeyed through Luke 5 this morning.  This is Luke's account of Jesus' early ministry.  It includes the calling of his first disciples.  It was a powerful reminder of Jesus' authority and his transformative power.  In both the calling of Peter, Andrew, James and John in verse 11 and the calling of Levi in verse 28 the common denominator is that they "left everything and followed him."  That's just amazing!  These men saw something in Jesus so awesome that they turned their backs on what they had devoted their whole life to and walked with him into an uncertain future.  Peter and the boys had just experienced a haul of fish like no other.  They had been doing this for years, and had never had a day like this.  It was so miraculous that Peter trembled in fear before the Lord and asked him to leave because he was scared of his own sinfulness before the Messiah.  At the moment of their greatest prosperity, they left it all and walked away.  They left the secure and familiar for the unknown.  They decided that they would rather be with Jesus than have a secure future.  Jesus would make it very clear soon that there would be no personal gain.  When Jesus would turn away the Rich Young Ruler because of his unwillingness to do the same, Peter would remind Jesus that "we have left everything and followed you.  What then will we have?"

How different is this call from Jesus for immediate and costly obedience than the attitude of most in the church today that want Jesus AND everything else?  How different is this from the promise that you can have "your best life now"?  How do we reconcile this call with the fact that the average church goer gives less than 3% of his income to kingdom related causes?  How do we reconcile this call for costly abandonment with church-goers who are over-mortgaged and parking $40,000 vehicles in church parking lot?  I am not advocating that having resources is an evil or sinful thing.  I know that God does allow for financial prosperity in some of his children.  However, he does this so that after we have abandoned their hold on us we can use them to multiply his kingdom.  This fact that the majority of disciples will not leave everything to only have Jesus is shown in my own denomination where we are bringing missionaries home and cannot send people ready to go because churches and members are not giving enough to meet budgetary needs.  However, just last week, I took myself and my oldest three boys to a college football game.  I was in a stadium with 87,000 people where the average ticket was at least $70 face value and the average person probably spent close to $40 or more on concessions.  All this for a three-hour game.  Is it a sin to enjoy football and go experience it? No.  I had a great time!  It was a much needed break for me and a memory for my children.  However, I also know that I need to do a much better job of modeling for them the "abandonment attitude" of the gospel.  My heart and theirs are battling the idol of materialism way too much.

I wonder if Jesus walked into our worship service tomorrow and said to the assembled worshipers, "Follow Me" if we would have the same response Peter, James, Andrew, John, and Levi did?  Or, would we go consult our financial advisor to make sure we had enough already stored in our 401k first?  Would we model "immediate abandonment" or would we be like the man in Luke 9 who said "First, let me go and bury my father."  What do you think?

Courageous

I will admit that most of the time "Christian" movies are known for cheesy acting and predictable story lines.  However, the guys at Sherwood Church know how to do it.  They did a really good job showing the difficulties of marriage in Fireproof.  Now, they are releasing "Courageous" in a couple of weeks.  This trailer is awesome!  I believe this movie will have a huge impact on men and families.  Much needed in this culture.  Guys, get some male friends together and get them to this movie!

Are "Near-Death" and "Post-Death" Experiences Really Necessary?

Time to get something that's bothering me a little bit off my chest.  I was at home today for lunch and my wife was watching Pat Robertson's 700 Club.  I am not really a big fan of Robertson or his ministry. I think he sticks his foot in his mouth way too much, but I have had that said about me more than once.  700 Club does have some very inspiring stories, they pray for people, and overall I think his ministry is much more harmless than Paul Crouch, Benny Hinn, and many others.  Anyway, towards the end of the program they did their usual appeal to "become a member of the 700 Club" for a monthly donation.  As a "thank-you gift" they would send to me "this powerful video full of stories of people who have experienced near-death experiences - some to heaven and some to hell."  This really is beginning to bother me some.

This video is the latest in the line of many resources that are now beginning to proliferate the church market about people who claim to have died and what they saw and experienced right after.  The market is currently flooded with these types of books and videos - (Heaven is for Real, 90 Minutes in Heaven, 23 Minutes in Hell, The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven, My Time in Heaven, and several more).  These type resources are creating a frenzy among people who want to hear these "amazing stories" of what life is like "on the other side."  I think this is mostly due to our innate fear of dying and many people's uncertainty of whether there is something else or what it's like.  I think it's also because in our media-driven age we are drawn into fascinating stories.  I personally met and heard Don Piper share his experience of Heaven and listened with rapt attention.  I believe Piper to be a very humble, sincere, and fascinating brother-in-Christ.  As far as I can discern, his story seems very real and his accounts of Heaven didn't appear to contradict what I have studied personally from God's word. 

I will admit that I have personally never read any of these books and really don't feel the need to.  I do not know any of the other people, other than Don Piper, that have written these books or told their stories.  I am not so cynical as to think that these people had to have made these stories up and are doing so for personal gain.  I don't think they are greedy.  I also admit that in most of the cases that I have heard of there is medical evidence that these people died and later came back to life.  I don't even question that.  I am not questioning whether these "experiences" are real.  I cannot know, prove, or disprove that at all.  My question is "Are these stories and experiences necessary?"  I am not questioning the validity of these stories, just their necessity.  Are we now to assume that we are living in an age where God, because of the technology and interconnectedness of the world, has now chosen to reveal truths about heaven, hell, and the afterlife through new stories?  Are we to assume just because some of these people claim personal faith in Jesus Christ that these are experiences sent by God to tell us something?  There are other questions I think these books raise as well:

1. If God really is behind these experiences and revelations, why is he choosing to do this now and seemingly so often?  These are not the first people to have near-death experiences and talk about them.  However, is it just because we have more media that we are aware of them or is God up to something.
2. If God is not really behind these experiences, then where are they generating from and could some of them possibly have a demonic origin designed to confuse and distract Christ-followers?  Scripture says that Satan masquerades himself as an angel of light.  I am not suggesting these this is the case, just asking the question.
3. Does the Bible not provide enough sufficient explanation about Heaven and Hell?  I think one of the tragedies of these resources is that we are relying on these accounts to "understand what Heaven and Hell are like" instead of the sufficiency of what God has already said about them in the Bible.  The result of this is people propagating ideas about heaven that have no scriptural basis.  I know several good books about Heaven that have been written that are completely based on Scriptural revelation and not second-hand sources.  (Heaven by Randy Alcorn, The Glory of Heaven by John MacArthur, One Minute After You Die by Erwin Lutzer)  I would recommend reading these as a substitute or at worse as a supplement for these other books.
4. If there are things in these books that contradict or confuse what is revealed in Scripture, how do we handle that?  The problem for most people who buy these books is that they haven't carefully evaluated everything that is revealed in God's word about these subjects, so they don't know error when they read it.  
5. Can these type resources eventually become a substitute for Scripture?  I have seen people who will voraciously read these books but if you ask them about their personal time in God's word they will say that they find it hard to "make time for the Bible".  What does that say about us?
6. How do we discern "legitimate" experiences from "illegitimate" ones?  By what standard do we have to decide which stories are real and which are not?  Are we to assume all of them are real?  Are we to assume all of them are false?
7. ?  The rich man in hell pleaded with Abraham to let him or someone else go back and warn his family.   And he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' He said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.'"  Did Jesus change his mind now from that story and now think that people rising from the dead is a legitimate way to evangelize?

I don't want in any way to stir up emotions and controversy with these thoughts and questions.  Again, in this post, I don't question whether any of these were valid experiences or not.  I don't know if I have researched the subject or these books enough to make a declaration of their validity or not.  I just question whether they are necessary for us at this time to advance the truth of the gospel or not.  Or, are they just some kind of TMZ for Christians?  


If you want to read one of these books and find them to be inspirational and informative, I am glad.  I hope they can be a true blessing and hope they verify what is revealed in Scripture.  Maybe after reading them you can help me answer the question of this post more clearly.  I would like to know if these are necessary and why.  I would simply request that you at least take time beforehand to research carefully all the richness that Scripture already reveals about this subject so that you can be better armed to see truth from error.  If you can, pick up one of the other books on the subject I recommended earlier to help.  Not everyone will agree with my thoughts and I do not mean to offend.  I am just questioning and am concerned how many more of these we will have to see before we drive ourselves back to the already sufficient revelation of God given to us in the word.

Remembering 9/11

Like many of you, I spent a lot of time this weekend watching 9/11 memorials and tributes.  Auburn University and the band did a fantastic job yesterday morning honoring the victims of 9/11 in it's pregame program. It has been difficult to see the images and hear some of the stories.  It's also been refreshing to hear some of the stories of heroism at Ground Zero and the Pentagon again that remind us that as Americans we have a kindred spirit to help our neighbors.  That's one of the beautiful thing about being an American.  Most of us are very patriotic and when you hurt one of us, all are affected.

9/11 will probably go down as the major defining moment of my generation.  My grandfather's generation had Pearl Harbor that ushered in a patriotic fervor and involved them in a global war against tyranny.  This will be our "Pearl Harbor" with a few major exceptions.  For one, the technology and media coverage that ensued immediately following the first attack will preserve forever the images of people jumping to their death, of the gaping holes in the tower, and of the horrors of watching them fall floor by floor in front of our eyes.  Just like Pearl Harbor in my grandparent's generation, everyone in this generation will remember vividly where they were and how they felt on September 11th.  My family and I were in Hilton Head, South Carolina on a beach vacation.  Our oldest son was just shy of 2 years old and our second son was seven months old.  My wife and Nathan were in the pool for an early morning swim and I was surfing the Internet for information about MSU football when someone posted on a message board that an airplane had hit the World Trade Center.  I turned on the TV and became entranced by the moment.

9/11 is a moment that still invokes fear.  It is a moment that brings us face-to-face with our own frailty.  It is a reminder that as much as we like to believe we have sovereignty of our lives, we are ultimately in the hands of someone else.  Here are some other lessons I have learned in the wake of 9/11.

1.  This world and the United States of America is not my "home" - Don't mistake this for anti-patriotism.  I am as proud to be an American as Lee Greenwood.  I cry every time I hear that song played at the laser show at Stone Mountain.  However, earth and the US are just a temporary residence for me while inhabiting an earthly body.  Scripture says that the believer is an "alien and stranger" here on earth.  While I love baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Ford (ok, I know it's supposed to be Chevrolet, but I'm a Ford man), I also hold loosely to my allegiance to any earthly kingdom.  For me, there is one "king" and he is "King of Kings".  I enjoy the earthly benefits of a democracy while I live in the reality of a theocracy.  One day I will enjoy for eternity the benefits of my heavenly citizenship.  In the meantime, I had the privilege of living in a great country and enjoying the benefits of religious freedom.

2. Our fears and vulnerabilities are not enough to motivate us towards true repentance - Think about the weeks after September 11.  Every church was filled with people looking for answers.  I don't think most churches were ready to deal from a biblical standpoint with what was happening.  Most churches I know of were still very much entrenched in the "felt-needs" and "seeker-sensitive" models that tried to comfort fears, but didn't hold out the hope of the gospel and how 9/11 should drive us to our need and dependency on the gospel.  Most of us saw the numerical influx as great for business, but it didn't last.  Why?  Because fear is a bad motivator for true repentance.  This is why I don't believe the Judgment House mentality works all that well.  I understand and embrace showing people the realities of sin and judgment, but scare tactics into heaven, in my experience, don't last.  True repentance has to start with the gospel by showing that our sin is a violation of God's character and not just a ticket into hell.  When people are afraid, that is a great time to take them not to the realities of hell, but to the sufficiency of God our refuge. 

3.  Despite our attempts in America at pluralism, 9/11 is a sure indicator that all religious faiths are not equally valid - I have no beef with Muslims except that I think their faith claim is false.  It breaks my heart that millions of people around the world believe a religious ideology that claims an exclusive path into Paradise apart from Jesus Christ.  I certainly don't think all or most Muslims are terrorist extremists who want to kill Americans.  I think the terrorists that planned and executed the 9/11 attacks were motivated more by political ideology than true religious ideology.  I also don't even come close to thinking that America is a "Christian nation" and that makes us a target for religious extremists.  However, at it's core, the September 11 attacks come from centuries of conflict that date back to a very unwise move by Abraham thousands of years ago.  The disaster of 9/11 should show us that while we may try to build a more loving, unified world, opposing truth claims will eventually come into conflict, sometimes with violent ends.

In closing, as an American, my heart breaks and righteous indignation wells up inside me every time I see the images of 9/11.  I am proud and grateful for the thousands of men and women who have fought for our independence and freedom in Afghanistan and Iraq over the last ten years.  I know many who have paid a heavy price to ensure that we are a free nation, that freedom is extended to others, and that crimes like those of 9/11 will be justly punished.  I am so grateful for the men who risked their lives to take down Osama Bin Laden and am glad that his regime is over.  I am thankful that the brutal dictatorship of Saddam Hussein has ended.  However, I know that my ultimate aim is not to see America as the worldwide great hope, but to see Jesus Christ rightly enthroned on this earth as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  When he returns, all justice will be meted out and the righteous will finally proper.

Laughter Is Good Medicine

This one hits really close to home - both in the way I was raised and some of the things I do with my kids.

Laughter Is Good Medicine

Bill Cosby's stand-up routine in "Himself" is still one of the funniest things I have ever seen.  Now that I have kids, it's even funnier and more truthful than when I first saw it.  If you want proof of this, come to my house anytime. Enjoy!