Catch The Vision!

Homer Hickam was a high school student growing up in the small mining town of Coalwood, W.Va. There were few prospects for young men like him except to follow their father's footsteps into the coal mines. Too small to earn a football scholarship, Homer saw no way out of his predetermined life -- until the soviet satellite Sputnik flew over the October sky and changed everything for him. With the encouragement of his teacher, Miss Riley, Homer embarked on a dream to build and launch his own homemade rockets with the help of his loyal friends. Though Homer's father resisted his son's pursuit, Homer persevered and eventually won the State Science Fair. This accomplishment opened the door for him to go to college and to eventually become a NASA engineer. This true story, later turned into a movie called "October Sky," demonstrates poignantly the power of a dream born in a person's heart.

Just like individuals need dreams, so churches must dream, as well. Every congregation should be asking questions like, "How can we more effectively reach people before Christ returns? What can we do to make an eternal difference in our community? What is the best way to connect people to Christ's purpose for their lives? How can we assist people in becoming devoted disciples of Jesus?" While these aren't the only questions they need to ask, they are central questions to their mission as a church.

Our staff and I have been asking these types of questions for the past year, searching the scripture for God's design for His church, and planning how to be instruments in His hands to accomplish His "vision." Our motivation is solely that we want to see God glorified through people coming to Christ who will know Him intimately, follow Him faithfully, and exalt Him passionately. And what has come from these discussions and periods of prayer has led us to adopt as our theme for 2010, "Catch The Vision." We want you to see what God has been showing us as we prepare for this New Year of ministry in the Tri-State.

As you might imagine, whenever you are following a "vision" that is born out of God's design for His church, there is inevitably some change that needs to take place. This will not be "change for change-sake," but it involves prayerfully orchestrated adjustments that we believe will improve our outreach to our community and provide for future growth in our church. In part, this involves minor alterations to our Sunday morning service times that will allow room in our auditorium for new people to attend, multiplying the number of small group Bible studies that will enable us to reach out further into our community, as well as some new ventures in introducing people to Christ through servant evangelism. While this is not the totality of our discussions and planning, we believe that these specific changes are essential to our mission for the New Year.

I recognize that all of us have preferences as to the way we like things to be done at church, but should we allow our preferences (traditions) to keep people out of Heaven? Or should we allow tradition to trump the truth? Someone has poignantly said, "It is one thing to have a preference; it is another to demand that one's preferences be honored above the needs of those without Christ." But that is exactly what too many Christians will do in the quest to remain true to their traditions or preferences.

There's a funny little story that illustrates comically what I'm trying to say and it goes like this...

"God gave the new pastor an idea about their church's future. So, he excitedly presented it at the monthly board meeting. After giving his most impassioned plea and really 'selling' the idea, the board voted down the pastor's proposed changes 12-1. The chairman of the board looked at the pastor and said, 'Well pastor, it looks like you've been out voted and since time is up for the evening, will you please close in prayer.' The pastor, not wanting to give up on what he felt God was leading him to do lifted up his hands to heaven and prayed, 'Lord - I know my brothers here do not have the same vision you have given me. Please help them to see that this is not MY vision, but YOUR vision!' At that exact moment, a lightning bolt struck the meeting room table, splitting it in two and knocking all the board members to the floor. As the dust cleared, the pastor looked at the chairman and said - 'So, what do you think about that?' He responded, dusting himself off, 'Well, I guess that makes it 12 votes to 2!'"

That story would be even funnier if it weren't so close to the experience of too many churches. I, nor any member of my staff, would never be so presumptuous as to say that we have a direct revelation from God about every aspect of our ministry expansion for 2010. However, I do believe that God has directed us to reach this Tri-State with the Gospel of Christ and make disciples of all men. In as much as we oppose change solely on the basis that we don't want our comfort zone disturbed or our tradition altered, then we may well be resisting God's purposes for LMBC.

Ask God to help you "Catch the Vision" of what He wants to do through this fellowship in 2010 and commit yourself to trying new things for the sake of people's lives being changed for His glory.

We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Celebrating Christmas

Just so you will know...

A new Rasmussen Reports^™ national telephone survey found that 66 percent of Americans celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday and another 20 percent celebrate the event as a secular holiday.

Of those who celebrate Christmas, 81 percent believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God sent to earth to die for our sins and 72 percent say Jesus was born to a virgin.

Among all Americans, whether they celebrate Christmas or not, 82 percent say the person known to history as Jesus Christ actually walked the earth 2,000 years ago. Only three percent say he did not and 15 percent aren't sure.

Last year at this time, 64 percent of Americans said they planned to celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday, while 27 percent planned to celebrate in a secular fashion.

Also, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports^™ survey, 81 percent of adults who celebrate Christmas agree that decorating their tree is a fun experience. Just a "Scroogelike" nine percent (9%) say the tradition is an unpleasant chore, while eight percent (8%) rate it somewhere in between. Women enjoy decorating the tree slightly more than men and young adults consider it more fun than their elders.

Who Was Jesus' Grandfather?

Few aspects of the Bible seem less relevant to daily life than genealogies. Yet for Gospel writers Matthew and Luke, they were absolutely essential for understanding Jesus.

Genealogies fulfilled multiple purposes in the ancient world. Society was organized around kinship patterns, so every family needed lists that described their ancestral pedigree. Such family trees determined a person's social relationships. For instance, two families planning the marriage of their children would compare family lines to check kinship ties to ensure the two were "compatible." And rulers used genealogies to justify their power, rank, and status.

So why are the genealogical trees in Matthew and Luke so different? Matthew begins his Gospel with Jesus' genealogy, while Luke places it, strangely, between Jesus' baptism and temptation. Matthew has an ascending list, moving from Abraham up to Jesus, while Luke has a descending list, moving from Jesus down to Adam. Matthew's list is partial; Luke's is complete. And most significantly, while the two lists are virtually identical from Abraham to David, they diverge greatly from David to Jesus.

Several solutions have been proposed to explain the differences. Martin Luther said that Matthew gives Joseph's line and Luke Mary's line. Others, such as Tertullian, reversed this. Yet the explanation fails in both directions, because the Gospels clearly state that they are listing Joseph's line (Matt. 1:16; Luke 3:23). Julius Africanus proposed that Matthew follows Jesus' natural descent and Luke his legal descent. Neither Gospel indicates such an approach, though, and it is best to allow the authors to speak for themselves.

A Closer Look

Examining each genealogy closely reveals the authors' different purposes. Matthew's list resembles those used by rulers to justify their rank and status, and by families to determine connections to a common ancestor. Matthew arranges his genealogy into three groups of 14 names each. In Jewish gematria—a kind of numerology stemming from the fact that letters of the Hebrew alphabet were also numbers—names have numerical value. The three consonants for David add up to 14. So Matthew underscores Jesus' kingly ancestry by working in groups of David, or 14.

Matthew portrays Jesus as the long-awaited Savior whose pedigree demonstrates his claim to be the Son of David and royal Messiah. Another unique feature of his genealogy is the presence of four women—Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba. Each had a scandalous aspect of her life, thus paving the way for Mary as an unwed mother. And all were (or were married to) Gentiles, foreshadowing the Gentile mission so important in Matthew's gospel.

Luke, on the other hand, begins his genealogy with "the son, so it was thought, of Joseph" (3:23), and concludes with "the son of God" (3:38). At Jesus' baptism, God declares Jesus "my Son" (3:22), and Jesus' temptation begins with Satan recognizing him as "the Son of God" (4:3). Placed between Jesus' baptism and temptation, Luke's genealogy is meant to proclaim that Jesus is, indeed, God's only Son.

Luke does not group the names like Matthew does but provides a simple succession of ancestors. The list contains many more common names (some of which we know nothing about) and seems to underscore Jesus' humanity as well as his divine sonship. Moreover, by going all the way back to Adam (the ancestor of all humanity), Luke maintains a universal thrust, emphasizing that Jesus came for all mankind. The list ends with Adam, and then Luke moves into the story of Jesus' encounter with Satan in the wilderness, in which Jesus rises above temptation as Adam did not. The message is clear: In Jesus, all human beings find their sins overcome.

Are there difficulties in reconciling the genealogies? Can they be harmonized? The answer in both cases is yes. Matthew's and Luke's lists stem largely from Old Testament genealogies (see Gen. 10-11 and 1 Chron. 1-3) and Jewish sources, and the differences between the names occur largely because each evangelist was selective in whom he included.

After Nathan in Luke's account and after Zerubbabel in Matthew's, no names adhere to other biblical passages, but few doubt that both lists are following traditional sources. We may never know whether Jesus' paternal grandfather through Joseph was Jacob (Matt. 1:15) or Heli (Luke 3:23b), and it could well be that they were brothers, with Heli the uncle and legal line of Jesus and Jacob the physical line. Either way, each genealogy reveals something about Jesus.

Grant Osborne is professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois.

Passive Parents

I recently read an article by Cary Schmidt about "The Pitfalls of Passive Parents" that he developed from the failures of Eli in raising his sons. It reminded me of how important a parent's involvement is in his/her children's lives and how consistency is absolutely necessary to guide our children toward spiritual maturity. In this blog post I have shared Cary's major points, along with a brief summary of the emphasis he was making in his article. I pray these thoughts will challenge you to take up the role God has given you to parent your children.

1. Passive parents defer parenting and spiritual emphasis to institutions and Christian environments.

• Mere environmental changes--like church, school, or youth group--are no guarantee that our children will live honorably.

2. Passive parents excuse their own sin and their children's.

• Sometimes we tolerate sin in our children's lives because we don't want to deal with our own sin.

3. Passive parents avoid confrontation and responsibility.

• They see everyone else at fault--the teacher, the pastor, the youth pastor, the other kids, the church, the school, etc.

4. Passive parents have the truth but don't apply it.

• They sit in church week after week hearing the preaching without really listening or applying it to their own lives.

5. Passive parents focus on behavior modification rather than heart transformation.

• They are more concerned with minimizing their own embarrassment than with molding their child's heart.

6. Passive parents invest high energy into personal interests/careers, but little energy into parenting.

• They find time for the things they want to do, but save little time for guiding their children in spiritual, social, educational, and other important life matters.

7. Passive parents ultimately resign themselves to "whatever will be..."

• They invest little energy into trying to bring about change when a child is repeatedly recalcitrant.

8. Passive parents will answer to God for their own neglect, not their children's choices.

• At the end of the day, our children have the power to make choices that we cannot control. We are accountable for how we parent our children before, during, and after those choices.

These are important thoughts to consider if we are to maximize our effectiveness in raising our children. The task is ours to guide our children toward the Lord and His priorities. Nobody has greater influence on our children than we do as their parents, unless we are "passive" in the parenting process.

My Dad's Obituary

James David Lemming, 87, went to be with his Lord, Sat, Dec 5, 2009. He is survived by Dot, his wife of 68 years, two daughters - Diane (Harry) and Cheryl (David) and one son David (Mary); four grandchildren, John (Karen), Rebekah (Jeremy), Jon David (Katie), and Cristy; three great grandchildren, Brooke, Grace and Luke; one brother Paul (Estelle), two nieces Paula (Weyman) and Charlene; one aunt and several cousins.

He served the Lord by playing trumpet in the brass band and mandolin in the string band at the Salvation Army Lakewood Church and by teaching young people at Ousley United Methodist Church and then ending his teaching after several years of teaching the Pioneer Class at Ousley, a class that became a part of his family. He was a member at his death of 1st Baptist Church of Ellenwood.

He was drafted October 18, 1942 into the service of his country. He proudly served America in WW II in England and Germany as a Sergeant in the 8th Air Force. He was discharged December 31, 1945.

Dr. Tim Yates (a dear friend of the family) of Lewis Memorial Baptist Church of Huntington, WV will conduct the service, Tues., Dec 8 at 11 AM at Horis Ward’s Funeral Chapel in Stockbridge, Ga.; interment will be at Rest Haven Cemetery in Decatur. Members of the Pioneer Class will serve as honorary pall bearers. Visitation is Mon, Dec 7, from 6 to 8 PM.

My Hero

Today, December, 5, 2009, my dad went to be with his Lord. For 87 years he lived his life seeking to honor Jesus Christ and he brought up his children to do the same. These last two years have been very difficult for him, as he struggled with ever increasing physical problems. Today he no longer struggles or feels the pains of this life. I already miss him more than words can possibly express!

This picture was taken five months ago (July 2009) during our family vacation at the beach. This is our families annual gathering that we have observed for the past thirty-five years. Dad struggled to come, but I'm glad he pushed himself to join us, as the talks we had on our condo deck will go with me the rest of my life.

Dad, welcome home to your "eternal dwelling" with the Savior you loved and honored. Maybe it won't be too long and the rest of us can join you for the greatest family gathering ever on the banks of the crystal flowing river.

I pray these few brief thoughts reflect the heart of a son with the deepest of love and highest of respect for the man he was PROUD to call his father!!

May God show me how to walk in your footsteps, dad...till we meet again. "Even so come, Lord Jesus."

Your Son,

David

We Do Country, Too!

Lest you thought we were only good at disco...watch these country steps, too.

"Bustin-A-Move"

This is one of the videos a church member gave me and I couldn't keep it to myself. As you can see, many of our staff have some really good dance moves. LOL

This is the second installment in this series about our objectives. If you haven't already read the first four of them, then please do so before reading these final three.

Objective #5: To provide practical, biblical messages and Bible study opportunities for God’s people to grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord.

Once a person has trusted Christ as his Savior, a desire is created within him to learn more about God, His will, and His ways. Because this learning process requires understanding the Bible, God wants every believer to commit himself to a local church where he can find assistance in this pursuit. Through the pulpit ministry, Sunday school, small group Bible studies, and other Scripture learning opportunities offered by our church, we seek to communicate, in an understandable fashion, the life-changing principles of His Word, thus enabling His people to “grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord.” We make a concerted effort to present God’s Word in a manner that is both relevant and applicable to modern society, while maintaining our commitment to His eternal and uncompromising Truth.

Objective #6: To train and involve every member in using his/her abilities and gifts to do the work of the ministry through the local church.

Most everything in life requires teamwork to be successful and the church is no exception. Wonderfully, God has gifted each of His children with talents, abilities, and spiritual gifts that, when blended together with those of other Christians, cause the ministry of the church to flourish and bring fulfillment to the believer’s life. This partnership in ministry is portrayed through a vivid word picture in Scripture used to describe the functioning of the church: a body. As a body has many different members, each working to fulfill its responsibility for the good of the whole, so the church has many members working together for the glory of God. No member is unimportant or insignificant and each plays a key role in enabling the church to do God’s work successfully. It is our desire to see every member working with the leadership of our fellowship to find and hone their gifts, talents, and abilities and then to utilize the same as valuable members of God’s team. Serving God through the local church with the gifts and abilities He has given is a satisfying and beneficial way to live.

Objective #7: To build and utilize a church facility that can be used to minister to the total person -- spiritually, physically, and socially.

People are multi-dimensional creatures with many different needs spanning the full spectrum of life. For many years churches primarily concerned themselves with only the spiritual aspects of believers and directed the membership to look elsewhere to meet their other needs. Because we believe the church should be actively involved in ministering to the total person, it is our desire to develop and maintain a broad range of programs that provide the Christian community an alternative to secular programs. To accomplish this we must utilize our existing facilities for activities that are in addition to the regular worship services and plan all new facilities with these expanding opportunities in mind. It is our desire to see a growing number of Christians build their lives around the church and the ministries of the church.

Our Church Objectives

Over the next two weeks I will outline our church objectives. These seven statements (with the accompanying explanations) are the framework of what I believe God has called us to do, with the specific details coming as we continue moving forward into the future. I first wrote these about twelve years ago and they have been the guiding principles we have followed. I hope you will not only read them with interest...I pray you will join us in the work God has given us to do for His glory.

Objective #1: To have 1,200 active members in services, glorifying the Savior together through worship.

Worship is the heart of the Christian life and the fundamental purpose for our very existence. So important is this part of the spiritual life, that the Bible says God is “seeking” those who will worship Him. The reason is that when Christians begin to understand God and His majesty, which is the goal of true biblical worship, submission to His will and His Word is the result. While worship should take place privately in each individual’s life, it is also to be something that we do corporately as the body of Christ. Heaven is the perfect example of this kind of worship, when we are all together around the throne of God glorifying Him. In anticipation of that day, we meet together weekly as God’s people to lift up our Savior and believe that God is honored when all of the members are present and active in this most holy vocation. It is our desire to fill our worship center to capacity with adults, teens, and children, blending their voices and hearts together in song, praise, prayer, and preaching that recognize and exalt our great God.

Objective #2: To share the Gospel of Christ with every resident of the Tri-State area in a persuasive and understandable manner.

There is no greater responsibility given to a New Testament church than to communicate the Gospel of Christ to the lost. The importance of this task rests upon the fact that a person who dies without receiving God’s salvation (made possible through the death, burial and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ), will spend eternity separated from Him in eternal torment. For the sake of men’s souls, we take very seriously our duty to reach Tri-State residents with the only message that can change a person’s eternal destiny. Because of the great diversity of people and backgrounds, it is extremely important that we present this message in a manner that can be clearly understood by all people and that we use the most effective means available to influence as many for Christ as possible. Some of the ways that we are presently spreading the Good News from our church are: personal visits, television broadcasts, Gospel literature, evangelistic services, holiday programs, friendship evangelism, etc. We are always looking for better and more persuasive ways to spread God’s love to everyone. Our methods may change for the sake of effectiveness, but our message must never change!

Objective #3: To be the kind of New Testament fellowship where God’s people can find love, acceptance, guidance, encouragement, and discipline in their pursuit of a godly life.

Godliness is not something that simply happens apart from the proper nurturing of a believer’s spiritual life. Therefore, our church exists to provide the atmosphere necessary for each individual to reach his fullest potential in Christ Jesus. We believe that this includes a balance between the following spiritual factors: love, acceptance, guidance, encouragement, and discipline. Love and acceptance produce the environment in which a believer can feel safe to open up to what God wants to do in his life, without fear of rejection. Guidance and encouragement come through the Word of God and concerned saints whose interest is to assist others in maturing in their faith. Discipline is simply the means of helping a person stay on course through compassionate, non-condemning accountability. The presence of these qualities, working together in unison, provides the spiritual framework in which the Lord can best perform His work of making a person like Himself. Each of us must be involved in maintaining these attributes in order for them to be fully realized in our fellowship.

Objective #4: To reach every country of the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to send out career missionaries and pastors from our membership.

As difficult as it is to believe, there are millions of people around the world who have never once heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ and of His power to save. Our desire is to do all we can to place within the reach of every person the opportunity to know Christ as we know Him through faith in His death, burial, and resurrection. But, the question must be asked, “...How shall they hear without a preacher?” They can’t, so for this reason we are asking God to reach into our fellowship and choose from among us those whom He can use in the States and in foreign lands to preach His glorious Gospel. Coupled with this is a willingness to financially and prayerfully assist these chosen servants as well as believers from other churches who are called of God for this purpose. We need members to seek God concerning His will for their lives, to pray faithfully for those who have been called, and to give generously to our world missionary outreach.

Next week I'll share the final three objectives...

Catch the Vision: 2010

"Maximum effectiveness with minimal change" is an oxymoron and a goal usually unattainable, but we believe that God has shown us a way to reach both of these objectives at the same time.

For the past two years our church has been completely full in most of our Sunday morning Bible study classes and our second morning worship service has consistently been over 80% full. Whenever a church's facilities reach this percentage of saturation, it is inevitable that attendance will soon become stagnant or even begin to decline. In an effort to avoid this outcome, our leadership team and I have been on a mission the last few months to find the best way to create additional space in our facilities without "upsetting the apple cart."

One piece of the puzzle necessary for us to reach our goals has already been implemented and your response to it has been phenomenal. On Wednesday nights we now have Bible studies going on all across our campus and on other days of the week, as well. When we began decentralizing the Wednesday night service a little over a year ago, we were overwhelmed with the receptivity of our people to the idea. Our goal now is to continue multiplying these studies on Wednesday evenings and on other nights of the week. We'd even like to eventually offer a few studies in local neighborhood homes. This is something revolutionary for an independent Baptist church to try, but it is something that God is using in our fellowship in spectacular ways. It is also something I firmly believe we must do if we are going to reach our community with the Gospel of Christ.

Now comes the implementation of the second part of the plan involving Sunday morning Bible studies and our Sunday worship services. Let me first alleviate any fears that we are canceling Sunday morning Sunday school classes. This is not part of the plan and there are several reasons we cannot do this:

1. There are senior adults who cannot attend on Wednesday nights because it is difficult for them to see after dark to drive to church.
   
2. Some of our people who are involved in other ministries on Wednesday nights cannot attend one of these Bible studies and need to attend a Sunday morning Bible study.
3. Many church guests will not know our Wednesday night Bible study schedule and will need a class for their children and themselves to attend on Sunday morning.
4. This has been the traditional time for Sunday school classes and some people just need to maintain this tradition.
   

The only real changes to these Sunday morning Bible studies will concern the times they meet and potentially their room assignments. Beyond that, if you want to attend a Sunday morning study it is still available for you.

To accomplish the overall changes to Sunday school classes, we need to alter the times of our services on Sunday morning to 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. We believe that this slightly later service of 9 a.m. will result in some people attending the early service who had normally been attending the later service. It is also possible that some guests will opt for the early service simply because it is slightly later. In addition, the second service congregation will also benefit because they will be out earlier than in previous years.

While each of these services are going on in the Worship Center, there will be Sunday morning Bible study classes happening downstairs at the same time. What are the benefits of this adjustment? Well consider these:

1. It opens up seats in Sunday school classes and worship services for guests to attend.
   
2. It gives us the potential of using our classroom space twice allowing new classes to be added.
3. It gives our Sunday morning Bible study teachers a greater amount of time to teach his/her lesson.
4. It gives each teacher and class participant time for discussion and interaction.
   
5. It provides opportunities for fellowship in each class, something that is virtually non-existent because of the limited class time.
6. It provides more than one time slot for people to get involved in small group Bible studies making it easier for more/new people to participate.
   
7. It opens up parking spaces for guests when those attending Wednesday Bible studies (instead of Sunday morning studies) leave the campus after a worship service.
8. It facilitates a more equal division between the two morning worship services opening seats for new attenders.
9. It potentially allows the choir to sing in both of our morning worship services.
   
10. It eliminates one full nursery block that has to be staffed each Sunday, thus easing the burden on these wonderful servants of God who care for the littlest among us.

Here are the most important things to ask ourselves. Did God leave us here to reach people? Do we stop reaching people simply because we have run out of room? Does this mean we must be willing to make adjustments to continue our mission? You know the answers to these questions!

If our mission is to make our church members comfortable and provide for their convenience, then we don't need to change anything. But, if our mission is to reach new people with Christ's love, then we have to be willing to do what is necessary to make that happen. None of these changes will come until early next year (2010), but I'm asking you to begin praying that God will give us clarity of explanation and unity of hearts as we prepare for the future God wants to give our church.

Pop at Hilton Head

Pop at Hilton Head
Originally uploaded by jdlemming

This is a picture of my dad that my son made while we were at Hilton Head Island this year (2009). He is 87 years old and still uses his computer, but hasn't been feeling too well this fall. Please keep him in your prayers as he recovers and returns to himself. He and my mother are the two finest Christians I know. Not everyone was blessed to have Christian parents, but my two sisters and I were taught God's ways from our birth. Thanks for your prayers.

The Intolerance of Tolerance

Please take a few moments to listen to what Dr. Carson has to say. It's interesting to me that many people demand tolerance from Christians, but fail to be tolerant of them. The very definition of tolerance has been so skewed that it no longer means what it's always meant. Actually, the only ones toward whom many people are intolerant are Christians. It's a strange world we live in and it really shouldn't surprise us that the level of persecution is growing towards Christ-followers. The kind of tolerance our world commonly espouses is actually totalitarianism. Dr. Carson says it well...

Follow the text of what he is saying while you listen:

The intolerance of tolerance… And it’s important to understand that the notion of tolerance within this framework has a certain intellectual heritage that has been transmuted by postmodernism.

Under the modernist paradigm, tolerance looked something like this: I may disagree with you, but I insist on your right to articulate your opinion, however stupid and ignorant I think it is.

That’s tolerance.

In other words, this means there is tolerance for the individual to say things with which I disagree. The tolerance is directed toward individuals. But, there is robust debate at the level of content and substance.

So, I may disagree profoundly with Marxist historiography; but, if I’m a tolerant person under a modernist regime, I insist on the right of the Marxist historiographer to articulate their views. But, likewise, under the Western vision of tolerance and under a modernist camp, I insist on the right of Capitalists to articulate their views, or Theists to articulate their views, or whatever—however right or wrong I think they are. So that unless there is something deeply, deeply damaging to public well-being, as for someone coming along and vociferously advocating pedophilia… then the notion of tolerance allows you to defend almost anybody teaching almost anything.

Because you see, under the modernist paradigm, the assumption is that in the marketplace of disputed ideas, the truth will come out.

There is a truth to be searched out. There is a truth to be pursued.

Truth, ultimately, is desirable and attainable.

So in other words, this view of tolerance is itself tied to a certain kind of vision of truth. A certain kind of epistemology.

But once you change that epistemology, and lose that vision of truth—tolerance itself is redefined.

Now, tolerance means that you must not say anybody is wrong. That’s the one wrong thing to say. But, now notice, under this view of tolerance, you are tolerant, not of individuals, you are tolerant of all positions. The tolerance is now directed toward all views that are articulated because you are not in a position to say that any view is wrong.

The one thing that is not tolerated is the view that this view of tolerance is wrong.

And thus you have the intolerance of tolerance.

Worse, if somebody comes along and says this view of tolerance is wrong, under this view of tolerance that person is not tolerant and therefore should not be tolerated.

That person is a bigot.

And because there is no understanding of tolerance directed toward the individual, but only toward all views—except that view that says this view of tolerance is wrong—the university campus can become a very scary place toward anybody who says that there may be an absolute right and wrong after all. Or there may be an absolute truth.

I would argue that this new view of tolerance is in fact, logically incoherent. I don’t simply mean that it is inconsistent; that is, it proves intolerant. I don’t mean that. It is inconsistent, but I mean something worse than that. I think that it is incoherent. Because the very notion of tolerance, under whatever regime, presupposes that you have to disagree with someone or something before you tolerate it. You see, if I say, “On my university campus I will tolerate those who propagate Islam, or Marxism, or whatever… ” It doesn’t matter. I have to disagree with them before I can use the word tolerate.

But if I say, “Well, y’know, you’re no more right or wrong than I am. I may agree with you. I tolerate you…”

It’s incoherent. That doesn’t even make sense. To be able to tolerate something, you’ve got to disagree with it in the first place. But if, in fact, you’re not in a position to say that any position is wrong, how can you speak of tolerating it?

Thus, I would argue that the new definition of tolerance is not only inconsistent, but incoherent. And it proves, in fact, to be less tolerant than the brand of tolerance that was around under modernism. Because at the very point where it comes up with that which disagrees with it most, it has to dismiss all opponents as intolerant and bigoted, and therefore becomes, in fact, totalitarian.

A Dying Church

Thomas Rainer has identified five warning signs that a church is unhealthy and in trouble. Just as we have to monitor our physical health we must also constantly monitor the health of our own church. Inevitably, there are signs that point to trouble ahead, if we aren't too preoccupied to notice them.

Listen to Dr. Rainer's conclusions from his research and thank God our church is not exhibiting these trends. Then, let's ask God to do His work in us so that we NEVER become a congregation that is inward focused rather than outward focused.

The leading indicators of a church that is dying are...

1. The church has few outwardly focused ministries. Most of the budget dollars in the church are spent on the desires and comforts of church members. The ministry staff spends most of its time taking care of members, with little time to reach out and minister to the community the church is supposed to serve.
2. The dropout rate is increasing. Members are leaving for other churches in the community, or they are leaving the local church completely. A common exit interview theme we heard was a lack of deep biblical teaching and preaching in the church.
3. The church is experiencing conflict over issues of budgets and buildings. When the focus of church members becomes how the facilities and money can meet their preferences, church health is clearly on the wane.
4. Corporate prayer is minimized. If the church makes prayer a low priority, it makes God a low priority.
5. The pastor has become a chaplain. The church members view the pastor as their personal chaplain, expecting him to be on call for their needs and preferences. When he doesn't make a visit at the expected time, or when he doesn't show up for the Bible class fellowship, he receives criticism. In not a few cases, the pastor has lost his job at that church because he was not omnipresent for the church members.

May God keep us focused on His purposes and His priorities!!

This is Luke, his daddy, and little sister having some fun!!!

Thought I'd post a video or two about our grandson having fun and walking. They grow up so fast.

LMBC Missions Celebration 2009 Videos - part #3: The Rescue

This is the third video in the series of three. These were done for our "Great Adventure" missions celebration before introducing our missionary guests each evening. After each video we "deputized" our missionary guests. They were a GREAT success.

LMBC Missions Celebration 2009 Videos - part #2: The Search

This is the second video in the series of three. These were done for our "Great Adventure" missions celebration before introducing our missionary guests each evening. After each video we "deputized" our missionary guests. Part three will come on Saturday. Stay tuned for the conclusion.

LMBC Missions Celebration 2009 Videos - part #1: The Kidnapping

This is the first video in the series of three. These were done for our "Great Adventure" missions celebration before introducing our missionary guests each evening. After each video we "deputized" our missionary guests. Parts one and two are on here now and part three will come on Saturday. Stay tuned for the conclusion.

Closing thoughts about Sunday (October 4, 2009)

1. Today's message was so important and central to what it means to be a disciple of Christ. Too many Christians are casually following Jesus when He calls us to be devoted followers.
2. Being a disciple requires that we count the cost and acknowledge that we cannot succeed in following Him without His divine enablement.
3. We began preparing our hearts for this year's Missions celebration, which begins this Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. It ought to be a "Great Adventure" as we consider what God is doing around the world.
   
4. Nothing is closer to the heart of God than reaching people with the Gospel (locally and internationally), which is a truth we are trying to instill in the lives of all God's people.
5. We have a large number of our people that are fighting illness and our prayers are with them for a quick recovery.
6. We missed from services today 30 of our senior adults who were traveling home from a New England trip, but I know their hearts were with us. You were missed.
   
7. Our local outreach to the Pumpkin Festival was a huge success with more than 4000 bottles of water given away, along with 2000 balloons and Gospel literature. Thank you to all that worked the booth for three hour segments over the four day event. One couple came to church this morning because of the outreach effort. Maybe only Heaven will reveal the positive impact we made this weekend for eternity.
   
8. We need to continue praying for those who were affected by the natural disasters in Indonesia, Samoa, and American Samoa. What we started in the services this morning should go on privately in our homes.
9. Our deepest sympathies are extended to the family of the 14 year old that died from swine flu. Such a tragic outcome and one that should make us all more cautions about this dangerous illness.
10. Now to begin the final preparations for our Missions Celebration. This week should be one that we will long remember. See you there Wednesday through Friday at 6:30 p.m. each evening and on Sunday for our three worship services.
    

Chick-fil-A

This might not be so funny if it weren't so true. My family loves Chick-fil-a and eat there often. Thought I'd share it on my blog so all of you could see this creative rendition. Hope it makes you laugh a little. Just tell them "the cows" recommended you watch it.

Self Control in a Wired World

This video is so important for all of us who utilize the internet to better our lives. It is convicting, but I felt we could all benefit from hearing this as we don't want to miss hearing from the Lord. I am asking God to show me where I have wasted too much time. Maybe you will want to do the same.

I read this blog post this morning by Perry Noble and thought more people could benefit from his look at things "Jesus DIDN'T say." Some of you who are leaders may wish to follow him at his web page for yourselves. Anyway, below are his thoughts that I bring to you.

Perry Noble -- We get things messed up from time to time…especially the words of Jesus…here is what He did NOT say…

1. “They will know you are my disciples by your theology, and the arrogance that accompanies it.” (John 13:35)
2. “Dream really small dreams and make sure you never ask for anything big!” (John 14:12-14, Psalm 2:8)
3. “If someone doesn’t believe just like you believe…make sure to do all you can to attack, criticize and beat them down as much as possible.” (Mark 9:38-41)
4. “Be tolerant of everyone…I am one of the many ways to God.” (John 14:6)
5. “Make sure you make the church about you…that you are served well…please, don’t do anything that might cause you any type of inconvenience. My goal is for you to be happy!” (Matthew 20:28, Luke 9:23-24)
6. “Please, whatever you do, DO NOT tell people the good news…keep it to yourself! The reason I died on the cross is so that you could get into really small groups of people and talk about ‘deep things’ that aren’t going to help anyone when it comes to eternity.” (Matthew 28:20, Mark 16:15, Luke 24:48, John 20:21, Acts 1:8, Romans 10:14, Romans 10:17)
7. “Don’t EVER try anything new…don’t ever take a risk…don’t ever take a step of faith. Be AVERAGE!” (Isaiah 43:18-19, Hebrews 11:1, Hebrews 11:6)
8. “You can follow me and it will not impact your money at all!” (Matthew 6:19-24)
9. “Pray a prayer to get out of hell…and then live however you want.” (John 14:15, John 14:21)
10. “You can do it without me!” (John 15:5)
11. “I don’t expect you OR your church to be fruitful in any way.” (John 15:4)
12. “Isolate yourself from the world!” (John 17:15)
13. “Make sure there is a time when you question my word because it will one day be no longer relevant.” (Luke 21:33)
14. “Stop crying out to me in desperation…can’t you see I’m busy.” (Mark 10:46-52)

David Lemming -- Pretty good thoughts and some that many of us definitely need to consider.

Missions Celebration

Closing thoughts on this Lord's Day (9/27/09):

1. What a beautiful day to meet with God's people and the Lord did meet with us in a wonderful way.
2. We are having great attendance this fall and will be topping the 1000 mark in Sunday morning church attendance very soon. Who can you invite to God's house next Sunday to hear His Word? Start early this week planting the thoughts about coming with you next week.
   
3. These messages on Sunday morning about the meaning of discipleship are so important for our church family. God didn't just call us to make a decision that allows us to escape hell. He called us to be His disciples...sold out wholly to Him.
4. The message Sunday night (concerning our church staff) was one of the hardest messages for me to bring. I pray that people saw my heart and are committed to making our pastors feel appreciated and loved. Our pastoral staff are some of the finest men I have ever been privileged to know.
5. Also, don't forget our pastor's wives. You have no idea the sacrifice these godly ladies make every week. They are gifts to our fellowship.
6. We move to within a week of our life-changing Missions Celebration, October 7-11, 2009. This celebration is the very heartbeat of our fellowship and we need everyone to be there to show our missionaries our love for them. It's going to be fun, but nothing could be more serious than our commitment to taking the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

Please, pray for our church and for God to do a special work in this place. I believe that His imprints are all over our church family. May that always be true...

Fall Semester Small Group Studies

By tomorrow evening (Wednesday) all 20 of our weekday small-group studies will be underway in this new semester. These studies cover a variety of topics and they are all Bible centered. It is INCREDIBLE the number of people that have already been involved through the summer and this fall semester there are even MORE people signed-up than ever before.

It's not too late for you to get into one of these groups that meet all across our campus on Wednesday evenings. People say that these are some of the most effective, life-changing studies they have ever taken. If you don't know which Bible study to attend then ask us for information about all of the studies by calling the church office (304-736-7676). Don't miss out on a MOVE OF GOD that's changing people's lives.

See you there tomorrow evening!!

Things I'm Excited About This Fall

I'm Excited About...

1. The next two weeks we will be doing several things to celebrate our 10th year anniversary in our worship center. When we built the facility we thought it was large enough for us to have one morning service for many years to come. But within 2 years we were bursting at the seams and had to return to a two service schedule. I'm really looking forward to celebrating God's provision and blessing these next two weeks. There's some video of our transition into the worship center 10 years ago that you've just got to see.
   
2. This Sunday evening, September 13, 2009, we will have as a guest musician...David Musselman. David has been here before, but it's been several years since his last performance at LMBC. He is a pianist extraordinaire and will be providing special music Sunday morning in both services and performing a concert on Sunday evening.
3. I can hardly wait for this semester of new Bible studies to begin Wednesday, September, 16th. We continue to have a record number of people in attendance for our small group Bible studies and this semester will be no different. People are connecting with God and with one another. If you're not signed up...you need to do so this Sunday.
4. I'm so grateful for the incredible summer we have enjoyed in 2009. We have experienced the best summer attendance of any year in recent memory. We have seen more people come to Christ and had many who have been baptized/joined the church. Our last membership class was PACKED!! PTL
5. Through the summer months we paid down approximately $225,000 of our principal on the Student Ministry Building. Only God could do that for us!!

These are some of the best days we have ever experienced. I hope you'll join me in the excitement and in giving thanks to God for HIS provision to us.

--Pastor

Encourage Me!

He walked right past me as we entered the church last Sunday. We smiled at each other and exchanged a few pleasantries before taking our places in the sanctuary. I didn’t notice anything unusual and he participated in the service along with the rest of us. It looked like he was even enjoying himself, so how was I suppose to know that his pain was so deep? If he had said something to me or looked like he needed me I would have done anything to help him, but I just didn’t know. It’s not my fault!

Though this account is fictional, it is true that too often we are so wrapped up in our own worlds that we fail to realize that people all around us are in the midst of great struggles. Neither is it uncommon for those struggles to be hidden behind smiles that mask the depth of pain they really feel. The well known author/preacher, Warren Wiersbe quoting an old British preacher, said, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle.” How true are those words! Many of the people you meet today, whether you recognize it or not, will be in the throes of agony and in need of an encouraging word. Hasn’t God called all of us to be encouragers? (Hebrews 10:25) Some people just need a kind word, a listening ear, a helping hand, or a pat on the back, but in so doing all of us can become instruments of God’s peace. Let’s intentionally set out to encourage someone today. Even if they don't "look" like they need any encouragement...go ahead and encourage them anyway. It might surprise you what people are facing. It'll make you feel better, too.

Show & Tell

It’s been a long time since I was in elementary school but I can still remember that in the first and second grades, we would sometimes have a class period called “show and tell.” Each student would bring something to class that was unique to him or her to show fellow students and tell them about it. Truthfully, the only “show and tell” moments I actually remember were the ones that happened after our summer breaks when students would “show and tell” about their vacation trips. It was usually fun to hear where others had traveled and what they had done during our absence from one another. I even remember daydreaming at times about the places they described and thinking that maybe I’d go there myself some day.

It may seem elementary to use this childhood concept with today’s Internet savvy culture, but it really is one of the most important aspects of having a spiritually significant impact on our communities.

For much of our Christian lives, we have been told that we need to present the Gospel to our friends/neighbors before it is too late for them to believe on Christ, and I passionately agree with that assessment. You and I should know unequivocally the importance of placing the message of the Gospel within the reach of everyone who is without Christ, especially those closest to us. The problem is that people are less familiar today with biblical truth and much more pluralistic in their thinking about religion. It’s not uncommon for me to hear someone respond with something like, “I’m glad that works for you (meaning my religious experience), but it just doesn’t work for me.” If the facts be known, most of these people have never even seriously considered the true claims of Christ, let alone heard a clear Gospel presentation. Consequently, this is little more than a brush-off to keep from hearing the message that changes lives and eternal destinies. But I think most would agree that people are far more skeptical than ever about many things, and religion is certainly one of them. Then how do we break through these tough exteriors to get to the heart of the matter?

I believe that one of the most effective means is in showing the Gospel, not just telling people the Gospel. The old saying goes, “People don’t care how much you know (or whom you know), until they know how much you care.” In other words, random acts of kindness and deeds of Christ-like love have an incredible way of opening doors when other approaches fall short.

Thankfully, many of us have been well-schooled in telling the Gospel, but not nearly as many of us have been well-prepared for showing the Gospel in practical ways. This is a way of life that involves having a Christ-like testimony and holding closely our Christian values, but it involves many other practical things, as well. Things like getting involved in our community by doing projects that are beneficial to others, building authentic relationships with unbelievers who we can influence for eternity, and making ourselves a blessing to non-believers in literally hundreds of simple, but profound ways.

A little kindness and concern is able to build bridges over which you or someone else may cross and take the message of Christ's salvation. These simple acts of love are a means of gaining a hearing for the Gospel by showing others how Christ makes a difference in your life. Being a witness for Christ certainly involves telling the Gospel story, but it is so much more than that alone. It is the many good things we do that prepare the soil of a person’s heart to make him or her receptive to the implanting of the “seed” of the Gospel. In today’s culture, you have to earn the right to be heard before some people will listen.

So, class, it’s “show and tell” time. How many people are you presently and practically showing the love of Christ? Please don’t neglect to TELL them the Gospel, but you may need to SHOW them the Gospel first. Notice the word order carefully. It is called “show and tell.”

Confusing Truth

There was a young preacher who was trying to impress a congregation where he was candidating to become their pastor. As he opened his message he thought he would reference several of the parables to show that he had a good grasp of the scriptures. This is how he began...

“A man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves; and the thorns grew up and choked the man. After he recovered he met the Queen of Sheba, and she gave that man, a thousand talents of silver, and a hundred changes of raiment. And he got in his chariot and drove furiously, and as he was driving along under a big tree, his hair got caught in a limb and left him hanging here! And he hung there many days and many nights. The ravens brought him food to eat and water to drink. And one night while he was hanging there asleep, his wife Delilah came along and cut off his hair, and he fell on stony ground. And it began to rain, and rained forty days and forty nights. And he hid himself in a cave. Later he went on and met a man who said, ‘Come in and take supper with me.’ But he said, ‘I can't come in, for I have married a wife.’ And the man went out into the highways and hedges and compelled him to come in! He then came to Jerusalem, and saw Queen Jezebel sitting high and lifted up in a window of the wall. When she saw him she laughed, and he said, ‘Throw her down out of there,’ and they threw her down. And he said ‘Throw her down again,’ and they threw her down seventy-times-seven. And the fragments which they picked up filled twelve baskets full! Now, whose wife will she be in the day of the Judgment?'"

That introduction to the young preacher's sermon would be especially funny if it weren’t for the fact that too often God’s Word is horribly bungled by those who claim to be students of it. And many times it’s not a matter of misunderstanding or accidental misspeaking, which we are all prone to do at times. Rather, it’s a clear misrepresentation of the text because the person either failed to rightly divide the Word of Truth or has brought to it his own preconceived ideas. This kind of proclamation might sometimes be entertaining or even inspiring to the audience, but it is inexcusable before God and potentially identifies the speaker as a "false prophet."

Listen to the words of Jesus and consider how He says we are to determine the true prophet from the one who isn't.

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.” (Matthew 7:15-20)

Notice carefully that it’s NOT the conduct or even the character of the one who is teaching that primarily reveals whether a preacher/teacher is of God or not. Jesus said it is by his “fruits” you will know him. Clearly, this isn’t a reference to the way he conducts his life, since outwardly he looks like one of the “sheep,” though inwardly he is a “ravenous” wolf. Then what is it by which we may determine if a person is worthy of being heard or whether we should turn a deaf ear? The answer is found in something else Jesus said in Matthew.

“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:33-35)

When we compare this with the aforementioned text we can see that Jesus is telling us that the "fruits" by which a person is identified as a true or false prophet are his "words" (i.e., the doctrine he teaches, cf. Isaiah 8:19-20). Through careful examination of his words (the content of his teaching) and comparing them to the Scripture, we learn the truth about his true identity. If his teaching matches the Scripture and represents it correctly, then we may safely conclude that the person is worthy to be heard. But if his words contradict the truth, intentionally misrepresent it, and/or simply bypass it altogether, then that person may well be classified a "false prophet." (cf. 1 John 4:1-3)

In fairness, there will always be some areas where good men disagree when it comes to biblical interpretation, but the core doctrines of the faith are absolutes that cannot be compromised. It is in these areas we especially need to evaluate the teaching of those we hear in order to discern if they are speaking the truth. Never be afraid to examine the words of the preacher/teacher in light of the Scriptures. If he is speaking the truth he will welcome the examination gladly. That’s what the Bereans were commended for doing (Acts 17:10-12) and what God desires from each of us. This means that all of us must have a working knowledge of the Scripture in order to discern the truth. You don’t have to be a Bible scholar, but you do have to be a man or woman of the Word.

I don’t believe that this exhortation from Scripture has ever been more necessary than it is today because there are so many opportunities for people to hear preaching/teaching from such a diverse number of speakers. Being mislead, even by someone that is genuinely sincere, can have eternal consequences for you and your family.

Sunday School: Who Needs It?

If it seems like there has always been a Sunday school. Well, that's not far from the truth, in America, anyway.

The Sunday school movement really had its beginning in England in the late 1700's and early 1800's through the efforts of a man named Robert Raikes. Its original purpose was to educate children who lived in tough circumstances and who would have little or no education apart from these schools. Their textbook was the Bible and the subjects included in their curriculum were reading, writing, and moral values. The Sunday school was the forerunner of our modern-day public schools. (Just think how far the public education system has drifted from its original purpose and textbook!) One of the most well-known Sunday schools ever started in America was begun in the slums of Chicago in 1858 by D.L. Moody. Although there had been other Sunday schools in the States since 1785, Mr. Moody's Sunday school quickly gained recognition because he was one of America's greatest and most loved revivalists.

During the 1800's, with the rise of public education, Sunday school began to change. It became the primary means of evangelizing a population which was disinterested in church attendance, so that, by the late 1800's, nearly eighty percent of all people coming into the church, were doing so through the Sunday school. The purpose of the Sunday school ceased to be about reading/writing and primarily focused on evangelism and instruction in the Scriptures. It was a boom time for the Sunday school that lasted well into the late 20th century.

But, times are changing again and with the beginning of the 21st century, an ever-increasing number of Sunday school classes are being supplemented with small group Bible studies that may meet on Sunday morning, but are just as likely to meet on other days of the week, as well. This new trend reflects some of the changes in how society interacts with one another and in the desire of Christ's disciples to be the church in their community and not just go to church. Today, in many parts of the country, small group Bible studies have become one of the most effective means for Christians to reach their unbelieving friends, especially when the group meets in the immediate neighborhood of a Christian's residence. Instead of trying to get people to come to church first, it becomes a matter of the church coming to the people. You walk across the street and invite your friends to attend a study of the Scriptures during which time they are making new friends and being introduced to Jesus. Much of the same effect is happening when the Bible study remains on the campus of the local church, since guests feel less intimidated with their initial contact at church being in a smaller setting. With changing times we sometimes have to adjust our methods (without changing our message) in order to reach people more effectively.

Every Christian needs to be plugged into a small group Bible study and actively working to get friends and neighbors to attend with him/her. You will no longer sit passively in a classroom while listening to a lecture on the Scriptures, but you will become an active participant, learning how to apply the truth to your life circumstances. It also means you will become closer to those who are studying along with you as you share together in the spiritual growth process. Actually, small group studies have the potential to make us more like the early church than any other method I've seen in recent years. Obviously, nothing will EVER replace the corporate gathering of God's people for Sunday worship, celebration, and instruction in the Word of God. However, I believe the small group Bible study is quickly becoming the most effective tool to bring about real life-change in those who truly desire to be Christ-followers.

We have small group studies on Sunday morning, Wednesday night, and on several other days of the week, as well. Why not find out how you can get involved today by calling the church office to ask for more information about our upcoming small group studies? You won't regret the in-depth look into God's word, the lifelong friendships you will make, or the closeness that will grow between you and your God.

Feeling Overhelmed?

Has someone ever told you when you were going through a tough time, “God will never put on you (trials/tribulations) more than you can bear”? It sounds right and some people even quote scripture to support their argument, but the Bible never makes such a statement nor implies it, either. Rather, God may well put you through trials that are tougher than you can humanly bear, but if He does, there is always a purpose that is involved.

Let me explain. The Scripture that supposedly supports this idea is 1 Corinthians 10:13.

“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” (NKJV)

Notice carefully that the verse says, “no temptation...” and NOT “no trial or test.” The Greek word that is used for “temptation” can be used for “trials or tests,” but the context leaves no ambiguity about which meaning God intended. Read the entire passage from 10:1-14 and it becomes clear that God was not talking in this context about “trials, tests, or tribulation,” but rather, about “temptation to evil.” If there remains any question in your mind about it, 10:6 should clear it up for you because the indictment is that the Israelites lusted after “evil things.”

What God has promised is NOT that He will never put on us (trials/tribulations) more than we can humanly bear, but that He will not allow us to be TEMPTED above what we can bear. Whenever we are being enticed to evil, there is ALWAYS a way of escape.

Now that you know this verse doesn’t support the popular opinion that gets shared as Biblical truth, what do we say to those who are enduring difficult trials in life? Paul gives us, from an incident in his own life, the reason God sometimes allows us to be overwhelmed in the midst of trying circumstances (2 Corinthians 1:8-9):

“For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead..” (NKJV)

Did you notice that God HAD allowed something in Paul’s life that was MORE than he could bear (“beyond measure, above strength”)? The reason He allowed it was so Paul would come to the end of himself and find God’s resurrection power that could sustain him. Sometimes God allows our difficult circumstances to turn us to Him so that we will trust Him and nothing else. In other words, He brings us to the end of ourselves to help us find that He is all we need. This idea is born out in other passages from Paul’s writings, as well. Take a moment and read 2 Corinthians 11:21-30 and 12:6-10.

Here are some things to consider when you are feeling overwhelmed.

1. Maybe you need to put something down. (Luke 10:41-42)

On one occasion, when Mary and Martha were at the house with Jesus, Mary chose to sit at His feet and worship, while Martha was overwhelmed in preparing the meal. What Martha needed to do was “put down” her pots, pans, etc., so she could worship, too. Sometimes we feel like we’ve been “thrown under the bus” because we haven’t prioritized what is really important in life. When you don’t know what’s most important and can’t let go of what’s less important, you get overwhelmed. Put down the things that are secondary and focus on what is primary.

2. Possibly you need to hand something off. (Exodus 18:17-22)

Moses was trying to judge all of the people of Israel and decide every case himself. When his father-in-law saw it, he recommended that Moses “hand off” some of the responsibility to others so that he could give himself to the things that ONLY he could do. When we feel overwhelmed, it might be that we need to ask ourselves, “is there something I should delegate to another person?” If you think you have to do it all or that you are the only one who can do it right, you end up hurting others, as well as yourself. Many times, it’s our pride that says, “my way is the only (or even best) way.” Maybe someone else won’t do it exactly the way you would, but by allowing them to do it, you are helping them grow and become a part of the greater purpose. In the process you are relieving yourself of responsibility God didn’t intend for you to carry.

3. Certainly, you need to give something up. (Psalm 55:22; cf. 1 Peter 5:6-7)

By this, I don’t mean that you should run up the white flag of surrender and quit living life. Rather, I mean that you need to “give up” to God (in prayer and seeking Him) the things that are overwhelming you. This is the time to ask Him for His resurrection strength to enable you to do what you humanly cannot do yourself. Actually, this is the most important thing you can do and one that should be a constant in all of our lives. This is where you are truly learning to live by faith and depend on Him for everything that you need and this is the reason God has allowed your situation to push you beyond yourself. You need God’s help, but we often won’t recognize it until we are outside our comfort zone.

Feeling overwhelmed today? God is trying to get you to stop trusting yourself and start trusting Him!

Serving Others-The Highest Calling

Recent statistics show that among those who attend churches with 2,000 members or more, forty-five percent never volunteer to serve in their church and thirty-two percent give little or no money to the work of their church. This directly contradicts the common thinking among many Christians that large congregations have more than sufficient numbers volunteering to serve and who give to the advancement of the Gospel. These commonly held beliefs simply are not true and are not borne out in any of the studies that have been done in these areas of religious life. Even more striking is the fact that the smaller the congregation the percentage of those refusing/neglecting to serve in the church grows even higher. The old 80/20 principle that was discovered many years ago is still applicable in most of our churches. Twenty percent of the people in a congregation carry eighty percent of the load, while eighty percent carry twenty percent of the load.

No matter the size of a church’s membership, what we have today are too many of us who are contented to just sit on the sidelines of God’s work and do little more than cheer on the faithful few. Obviously, encouraging one another is an important part of what we need to be doing, but being a part of a church fellowship means so much more. It means you believe that God is at work in His church and that He intends for you to be a cooperating agent with Him. It means that you invest your abilities and gifts in fulfilling the Great Commission throughout the local area and around the world. It means that you are fully committed to serving others as a means of serving Jesus because that is part of what it means to be Christ-like. How quickly we forget that Jesus didn’t come to be served, but to serve others. It’s only reasonable to assume that following Christ should inevitably result in our willingness to don the towel of service and wash the disciple’s feet, if necessary. Nothing will be beneath us and every opportunity will be viewed as a privilege to care for others as God cares for us. I can’t personally think of anything more honorable than being an instrument in His hands, functioning as His representative while bringing God’s love and help to those He died to save.

The lure of this world in our lives is constantly drawing us to pleasure, comfort, and ease. People are readily willing to set aside their service to God for things they want to do, but hardly ever consider doing the same for the cause of Christ when it comes to their travel, recreation, or rest. This matter of failing to prioritize our Christian service must certainly be classified as a form of idolatry, because it means that something in our lives is more important to us than God and His work. I’m not suggesting that we don’t need recreation, travel, or rest, but stop and ask yourself how many times you have already missed, postponed, or rescheduled your responsibilities of service among God’s people. How many worship services have you already missed in 2009 because you were doing something other than earning a living or dealing with a providential hindrance? If you missed as many days at work or shifted your responsibilities as often each year as you do at church, how would your secular employment fare? Does your level of commitment and dedication to God’s work demonstrate that you believe the work you do for Him is of greater importance than any other work?

Isn’t it interesting that we expect good service when we come to church (or for that matter, anywhere we go), but too often we aren’t willing to be good servants. Great service requires great servants. Consistent service requires committed servants. The excellence a local church achieves will always be dependent on God’s servants recognizing that there is no higher work on earth than the work of His church.

Years ago, the Salvation Army was holding an international convention and their founder, Gen. William Booth, could not attend because of physical weakness. He cabled his convention message to them, which was one word: "OTHERS." That should be the heart’s cry of all who are truly seeking to serve Jesus Christ through His church. It should be that we are devotedly committed to doing God’s work in caring for “OTHERS” as we serve them in the humble fashion Christ taught us by His word and works.

Where are you actively, passionately, devotedly, and sacrificially serving “OTHERS”?