Choosing to Find Joy in Your Circumstances

In the midst of the world’s chaos, I sensed God’s leading to preach expositionally through the Book of Philippians, also known as the Epistle of Joy.  The title of the sermon series is, “Finding Joy in Your Circumstances.” I have preached through Philippians before; but this time through, the Apostle Paul’s imprisonment and intentional CHOICE to encourage others through his suffering, has been jumping off the pages! Paul made it clear that he desired to go to Rome in...

Acts 19:21 – “…after I have been there (Jerusalem), I must also see Rome.”

Romans 1:15 – “So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.”

BUT when Paul finally arrived in Rome, it was not the way he planned. Paul desired to preach to the Romans, but instead he was there as a prisoner.   

Just imagine if this would have occurred in today’s world and Paul was the average "Christian"... he probably would have tried to solicit sympathy when things did not go his way.  He may have attempted to divide his church by sending a letter to the members or by making phone calls in an effort to win people to his side. No doubt that today, a disgruntled “Christian” would be posting his grievance on social media or publishing a book in an effort to polish his halo, while attempting to tarnish someone else’s.  He may have even started a "gofundme" account to support his cause. Well, those things might happen with today's average “Christian," but never with the Apostle Paul.

Paul’s spiritual maturity and single-minded focus on Christ, gave him a different perspective. Paul loved God and His Church too much to cause division in the Body of Christ... even in the midst of his suffering.  Certainly, Paul suffered far more than most of us ever will and a summary of Paul’s sufferings can be found in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28. In spite of the difficulties, he refused to give place to Satan! Instead, Paul simply summarized all of his sufferings in one sentence, “…the things which happened to me…”

He realized that life was not about him and he trusted that whatever came his way was part of God’s plan. Rather than bellyaching or trashing others, Paul CHOSE to praise God for his circumstances and to minister through them.  The Book of Philippians is a letter written to a church that Paul started just over a decade earlier. Rather than asking those people to feel sorry for him, the Apostle Paul CHOSE to edify and encourage those Philippian believers -- even from his prison cell. He thanked them for their generosity, he encouraged them to endure suffering, he warned them against false teachers who preached heresy, and he told two feuding women to “knock it off.”  Even during his time of suffering, Paul’s CHOICES proved that he trusted God with his circumstances.

Two of my favorite verses are found in Philippians 3:13-14 – “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, ¹⁴ I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Could it be that someone reading this devotion needs to stop looking backwards, forget what happened in the past, and press toward the bright future that God desires?  To look backwards, to blame others, to seek revenge and to allow bitterness -- is a CHOICE -- and not a good one. To thank God for the trials, to trust that HE is working through them, and to seek what God has in store for your future is a much BETTER CHOICE!

So, which CHOICE will you make today? What hurt, offense, or event do you need to forget, to let go of, and to leave it in the past? Maybe a divorce, bankruptcy, job loss, neighborhood squabble, coach that that cut you from the team, best friend who double-crossed you, church quarrel or one of many other possibilities. Looking backward is like making a CHOICE to be locked inside the prison of your own making. Today, CHOOSE JOY – let go of the past, fix your eyes on Jesus and pursue the plans God has for you! 

Let’s CHOOSE joy in spite of our circumstances and let the light of the Gospel shine for all the world to see!

Something's wrong with this picture!

Has anyone noticed how freely our culture throws around terms like intolerant, politically incorrect, and bigoted at those who express their thoughts and opinions on almost anything except Christianity? Don't dare crack a joke about Jews, Muslims, gays, or ethnicity. Sports casters, news anchors, and radio talk show hosts have been fired for such comments; but let a late night talk show host bash Christians and for some reason that is acceptable.

Consider all of the controversy around Tim Tebow. Tebow proved that he can play in the NFL, was kept while Kyle Orton was traded, and Denver's sorry start turned into a run for the playoffs. Rather than praising him, many keep bashing him for his faith. Terms such as "Tebowing" were introduced because of his prayer posture, SNL aired a blasphemous skit, and other professionals were very unprofessional.

Well... I'm tired of "Christian bashing" being acceptable. America was founded as a Christian nation, we have a rich Christian heritage, our judicial system is based on Judeo-Christian ethic, American schools taught children to read using the New England Primer (which contained Bible verses), and the list goes on! This nation is great, because "In God We Trust!" So, as a Christian and as an American, I want someone to explain the picture below:

Hey Terrell, the Ravens could have used God's help!

On January 4, Terrell Suggs showed his ignorance with the following statement: “With all due respect, we don’t need God on our sidelines. Once again God had to save Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos. He couldn’t even give them two drives. Seven to three?” That comment sparked a lot of debate, drew much negative attention toward Suggs, and he also lost a lot of respect that day. Hall of Fame QB, Terry Bradshaw, said this: “You can take shots at Tim, but when you go messing with God, that’s a different story. Suggs is obviously an idiot; he has no clue what he’s talking about. He better be careful; if I were him I’d be on my hands and knees tonight asking for forgiveness because that’s totally unacceptable." I've always admired Terry Bradshaw, but that day his stock rose tremendously in my book.

Here we are just a few weeks later as the Baltimore Ravens are battling for their chance to go to the Super Bowl. The Ravens have a chance to take the lead and sure-handed Lee Evans drops a ball that was already nestled in his arms for a touchdown. Then the Ravens are down by only 3 and a simple chip shot field goal will tie their chance to stay alive. A very consistent kicker pulls the kick! This isn't the Ravens team we are used to seeing.

Funny, as these mishaps occur, I've got the movie "Angels in the Outfield" playing in my head. Strange and unusual things are happening in this game. The tape rewinds and you can almost hear Terrell Suggs saying, "We can do this on our own... we don't need God on our sidelines." I wonder if after the game, he wishes he would have kept his mouth shut, because... they COULDN'T DO IT ON THEIR OWN!

As the entire Ravens team now sits at home "watching" the Super Bowl, I wonder how many of them will hear Suggs' comment about God playing back in their head and remember such things as "...God is not mocked...," "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain," and "Don't tempt the Lord thy God..." Could it be that through a strange series of events surrounding Tim Tebow and Terrell Suggs, that a renewed interest in spiritual things may cause some to turn to Christ?

Sports fans can teach the Church about unity

My wife and I ate at Longhorn's in Florence last night, along with 5-6 other families from Hartsville that we saw there. During our meal, a man at the table next to us yelled out "Hey Buddy" as he waved his hat in the air and pointed. He was pointing to the Green Bay Packer logo on his hat and yelling to another man wearing a Packer's hat. They waved, gave each other the thumbs-up, and smiled.

After my initial response of that was REALLY rude to yell out like that in a restaurant, I was enamoured with the unity that being on a team brings. These two men didn't even know each other, but pulling for the same team got them excited. Carolina fans celebrated together and Clemson fans had a joint time of mourning following their recent Bowl games. My fellow Dolphans and "U" fans have grieved together for quite some time, but we still faithfully follow. In fact, I remember meeting my first Dolphan in Hartsville, SC. As the new pastor at EBC, I was invited to the Williamson' home for fish stew (a new experience). As I walked in, I saw a man wearing a Miami Dolphin jacket. Well... I immediately went over and introduced myself and had an instant bond with Jim Irby! How about that... a Dolphin fan in Hartsville!

As my wife and I discussed the Packer fan's elated outburst last night, it dawned on me that those on the same team should be pulling together and enjoying a sense of unity. So, why is it that those on God's team focus on their differences and try to divide the team? Could it be that the Church of Jesus Christ could learn a lesson from the fans of various sports and teams? Shouldn't our loyalty to our Savior cause us to put our differences aside and pull together? I truly believe it should.

I look forward to the day that someone yells out in a restaurant, "Hey Buddy" and points to a cross on his hat. Wouldn't it be something if several people immediately jumped up, waved at each other, gave a thumbs-up, and smiled! Hey... maybe we could practice such a response at church tomorrow.

Emmanuel Bible Insitute

Emmanuel Baptist Church brings another first to Hartsville, as it launches the Emmanuel Bible Institute. In 1963, Emmanuel Baptist Christian Day School was birthed. Forty-eight years later, ECS is still going strong and remains an academic leader in Darlington County. This fall, Emmanuel started a new arm of its educational ministry as it opened the Emmanuel Bible Institute in an effort to help Christians grow in their relationship with God by gaining biblical knowledge.

Emmanuel Bible Institute (EBI) will focus on teaching the Bible, not denominationalism, so it will be a great educational tool for any individual believer, lay leader, or pastor. Since EBI is web based, the church hopes it will not only benefit people locally, but will also benefit missionaries and national pastors world-wide through the online resources and training. EBI is a professionally-planned, state-of-the-art, online Biblical program that will allow Christ-followers around the world to learn biblical truths at a college level from the comfort of their own home. Each student will be able to study at his personal computer, on his own schedule, and at his own pace using online video, integrated presentations, online and printed curriculum, printable student workbooks, quizzes that are auto-graded online, unit tests, and will eventually include an online bookstore.

The EBI program will consist of three courses of study: Old Testament Survey, New Testament Survey, and Systematic Theology. Each of the courses will consist of forty-five lessons, broken down into three semesters of fifteen lessons in each. The fee for each semester is $105 or just $7 per lesson. Upon completing all three courses, the student will receive a Certificate in Biblical Studies. After earning the certificate, the student will have the opportunity to take an Institutional Challenge Exam (ICE Exam) at Liberty University or another participating college and may receive up to twenty-four college credits. In addition, accreditation will be pursued through the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACCS).

Mr. Robert Johnson, who will soon complete his Ed.D from Liberty University, will serve as the Dean of EBI. Mr. Johnson also teaches Bible classes at Emmanuel Christian School, and will implement the EBI curriculum into the ECS Bible classes in 2012-13. This will mean that ECS students who complete all three EBI courses, could attend a participating Christian college, take an I.C.E. exam and receive up to twenty-four college credits toward Bible or electives.

Those interested in more information, may call the church at (843)332-2271 or visit the EBI website at www.emmanuelbibleinstitute.com.

Sunday Summary 10.2.11

God's Spirit was certainly moving this morning at Emmanuel! People were tired from Judgement House and that is often a recipe for problems; but this morning was awesome. We had several families visiting, the spirit was sweet, and the altar was full.

Our choir did an arrangement that powerfully listed the names of God and brought people to a spontaneous standing ovation. Rob shared a testimony of how EBC included and embraced his family, as no other church they've ever been part of. Justin gave a report of the decisions from Judgement House. People were honest in their response and many tears were shed.

This morning's message was entitled, "Learning to Trust, Brings Peace to Life's Storms." I've really been moved lately with the number of people in our congregation that have been affected by cancer, other health issues, death of a spouse, job loss, wayward children, poor decision making, etc. My heart is breaking for them and God brought Psalm 22 to my mind this week. The Psalmist felt that God had forsaken him in those difficult days, only to realize that God had revealed Himself in those dark times as He never could have without them.

Two thirds of our congregation was honest enough to say they had felt that God was distant during their difficulties, but the sermon reminded them that God is faithful. He is our Shelter, our Deliverer, our Protector, our Provider, our Strength, and so much more! In our darkest days, we must keep your eyes on Jesus. In addition, remember the old cliche; "It's always darkest before the dawn."

Studying Bible Doctrine is Essential

I am amazed by how many Christians (pastors and church members) don't understand even basic Bible doctrines. It is no wonder today's churches are shallow and struggling! Well, I'm excited to tell you that we've had to "cap" our Bible Doctrine 101 class at Emmanuel. We now have over 40 adults enrolled in the class, which meets every Sunday morning for one year. Over the past three weeks, I've been teaching on how we got the Bible, who wrote it, where it was written, in what languages, how it was translated, which version is the best, whether our copies are reliable, why only 66 books were included, how to understand the Bible and find things in it, and more. Future weeks will include the doctrines of God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, Salvation, Angels, Heaven/Hell, Last things, etc.

Common sense tells you that not every denominational interpretation of doctrine can be right, and so many people don't know what to believe today. Just consider a few common discrepancies:

· Bible (Is the Word of God vs. Contains the Word of God)

· Eternal security (Can’t lose salvation vs. Can lose salvation)

· Hell (Is literal vs. Is not literal)

· Baptism (Symbolic vs. Washes away original sin)

· Lord’s Supper (Symbolic vs. Literally becomes the body & blood of Christ)

· Creation (Intelligent design vs. Evolution / Literal days vs. figurative days)

· Salvation (Faith vs. Works)

· Holy Spirit (Fully indwelled at salvation vs. Saved then later filled with the Spirit)

A common practice in too many pulpits today is to read the Scriptures and explain what we "think" a passage means. The problem is that we don't have that right or liberty. Our responsibility is to study the passage, do our research, and then interpret what the passage meant in the original context. Doctrine must be studied in the context of the writer's intent, not the reader's interpretation. I encourage you to follow the instructions of Matt 28:19-20 as you study, teach, and make disciples who are fully devoted followers of Christ and rightly divide the Word of Truth.

Real Cost of Discipleship

I've been reading the book "Radical" by David Platt and it has really challenged my thinking. It has made me ask some deep questions and to wonder what God thinks when He looks at modern Christianity. Does today's religious scene make God want to vomit when he hears televangelists selling miracle water... when preachers are hyping the think and grow rich mentality... when terms like "fun" and "exciting" are used to describe the church for which Christ died... when people argue over worship styles... when preachers use gimmicks to draw crowds... when programs like TBN (The Big hair Network) cause unsaved people to poke fun and Christianity... and the list goes on.

I wonder if it breaks God's heart to hear people make comments like, "I'll participate in worship, if... it doesn't interfere with my tee time, my child's softball tournament, dance recital, work schedule, or any other personal conflict. Rather than putting Jesus first and following Him, we seem to want a Jesus Who doesn't expect too much... One who accepts us where we are, will understand when we choose things before Him, is okay with our pursuit of materialism, is okay with casual commitment... you get the picture.

Modern Christianity seems so different from what Jesus described. In Luke 9, Jesus said that if you want to be my disciple you must deny yourself (not indulge yourself), and take up your cross. He said that you may end up homeless, that He expects you to love Him more than family, and that He expects you to be willing to give up everything for Him. He wants full and exclusive commitment. When Jesus said "Follow Me," those chosen got up, left it all, and followed Him.

In all honesty, I guess the religious scene hasn't changed much since Jesus' day. The multitudes back then gathered when there was "excitement" or something in if for them, but then scattered when Jesus preached on commitment. He ended up with twelve that were sold out, committed followers (actually only 11). Jesus didn't sugar coat the gospel for fear of offending anyone, instead He explained the cost of discipleship and let people decide. The expectation hasn't changed and the question remains, ARE YOU WILLING TO FULLY COMMIT TO FOLLOWING CHRIST?

Is Your Spiritual Vision 20/20?

Comedian Dennis Swanberg tells the story of his trip to the Super Bowl with his teenage son, Dusty. Their favorite team made it to the Super Bowl, so they planned a father-son road trip. They made the hotel reservations, mapped out the directions, packed the car and left; but they had a problem…they forgot to purchase tickets. Upon arriving, they found the game was sold-out. Dennis saw only one option; he had to purchase tickets from a scalper. The scalper sold Dennis two tickets for $800 and they entered the stadium. Finding their section, they climbed higher and higher… all the way to the very top! By the time they got to their seats, Dennis’ blood was boiling to think he paid $800 to sit on the top row of the stadium. Dusty, on the other hand, has ADD and was already getting into the pre-game festivities and cheering loudly. Dennis’ blood pressure continued to rise, until Dusty spoke something to this effect: Dad, these are great seats! We can see everything the blimp sees!” At that very moment, Dennis realized the depth of Dusty’s statement and began to look at things in a whole new way.

A “blimp-size” vision! That’s what Christians need… the ability to see the big picture, and to gain a new perspective on life’s challenges. So, what would keep a believer from seeing life this way? Some have blurred-vision and they’ve lost focus of what is really important. Some have double vision and want to live for Christ while enjoying the pleasures of sin. Some are nearsighted and they can’t see beyond themselves. Some are farsighted missing the importance of doctrine. Some have sin cataracts blocking their spiritual vision. Some have Glaucoma and the pressure of bitterness is building inside them, because they refuse to reconcile. But, others have experienced corrective surgery, and their spiritual eyes are fixed on Jesus! He restored their sight and they clearly see His love, forgiveness, acceptance, and grace.

During an eye exam, the optometrist measures our vision against the standard of 20/20. We measure spiritual vision against the standard of God’s Word. Since the two great commandments are to love God and to love people, it would seem that those with healthy spiritual vision should be exhibiting love for both. Other diagnostic tools might include looking for the presence of spiritual fruit as described in Gal. 5:22, examining the way a person views the church, treats his family, and shares his faith. These tools and others can help us to determine the health of one’s spiritual vision.

No doubt, that during your eye exam, the optometrist asked you, “Which is better, A or B?” The spiritual diagnostician might ask, “Are you looking backward or forward?” Looking in the rearview mirror focuses on the past mistakes and failures, instead of future possibilities. The Apostle Paul states in Phil. 3:13, “…Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.” Accept God’s forgiveness and believe the cliché, “The best is yet to come!"

Finally, the size of the vision is also very important. The Bible states in Phil 2:4 that “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” If we are going to have a God-size vision, we must look beyond ourselves. One songwriter said it this way, "Let me see this world, dear Lord, as though I were looking through Your eyes." Think about it, if Dusty Swanberg got excited about seeing what the blimp saw, Christ-followers should get even more excited abut seeing things from a heavenly perspective! Let’s try to see this world through the eyes of Christ and reach it with the love of Christ. Now that’s a God-size vision!

Sunday Summary 8.7.11

God continues to bless at EBC. We started this morning's service with two baptisms! Kim and her daughter, Haley followed the Lord in believer's baptism. Pastor David shared that in talking to Haley, she praised her Sunday School teacher for talking to her and helping her to understand salvation clearly. Thank God for people who invest their lives in others!

It was good to have Heather leading this morning. The band and most of the choir were back from vacation, and our attendance was beginning to climb back up. God blessed us with many guests and we look forward to getting to know them and sharing the vision and blessings of what God is doing at EBC.

Today, I continued the "Peacemaker" series with the topic of Church Discipline. So many churches are afraid to intervene when a friend and family member engages in sin. They fear the fallout and don't trust God to bless "His" plan. Church discipline is God's plan for loving the wanderers back to Himself. Consider these Scriptures:
Heb. 12:6a NIV - … the Lord disciplines those He loves…
Ps 94:12a NIV - Blessed is the man you discipline, O LORD…
Rev 3:19a NIV - Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline…

Church discipline is about love... forgiveness... restoration... and reconciliation! It is a wonderful thing and would make a difference if more churches practiced it. It flies in the face of the "crowd" mentality, but it is a required part of the true "church" mentality. It calls sinners to repentance and deters discord and division in the church.

Churches, families, work places, teams, and more; would be different if God's people would just implement God's plan for conflict resolution. Consider the steps of Matthew 18:15.
1) Correct if a person is in sin --- get over issues of preference or policy.
2) God to the person individually.
3) Take 2-3 witnesses (Friends who also care about this person.)
4) Take it to the church (Only if necessary.)

If at any time during the process a person humbly admits their fault and repents, they are to be reconciled to the individual and to the church. I'll write more about this in the coming days, as it is a topic that is rarely taught and/or implemented.

Peacemaker Series

Yesterday was another amazing day at Emmanuel Baptist Church. I'm continuing the sermon series entitled the "Peacemaker" and based on the biblical concepts taught in Ken Sande's book by the same title. This series is one that I would encourage EVERY pastor to teach to their congregation, and one that is essential based on all of the strife we see in today's churches.

This series is being developed for the purpose of teaching our people how to resolve conflict based on biblical principles. We see so much relationship trouble in the church, on the job, and even at home. We see people leaving churches, employees quitting jobs, and divorces even among professing Christians. What if "we" the "Church" would take the lead in teaching people how to handle conflict?

This series has been difficult and has broached subject such as "Judging," "Finding real peace," "How to hand criticism," "Forgiveness," "Confession," "Church discipline," and various other such topics. It is challenging our people to be Christ-like, rather than self-serving. It is encouraging them to please God, rather than defend self.

The best part of each Sunday is to watch people walk across aisles and embrace each other, to watch them come weeping and kneeling humbly at the altar, to watch people staying around 30 minutes after the service to talk with each other. I've received notes, e-mails, and heard personal testimonies of relationships that have been restored! Praise God for what He is doing at Emmanuel.

Ken Sande, thanks for listening to God and writing this series. Steve G., thank you for introducing me to it. God, thank you for using it in the Emmanuel church family!

Bible Doctrine Class

I started a new Life Group 2 weeks ago and it has been amazing! The class is "Bible Doctrine 101." While doctrine doesn't sound very exciting, the crowd is growing and those present are excited about having a "safe place" to ask those Bible questions that have bewildered them for years.

The class consists of various age groups, new believers, not-so-new believers, regular church-goers, occasional church-goers, and more. We started by introducing the basics of the Bible (sections, divisions, Library mentality, authors, etc.) It appears the simplicity of the subject matter has been well received, and I think the excitement will only grow as we begin to study the doctrines and watch the lights come on for new believers.

The purpose of the class is to help people gain a firm foundation for their faith. CNN recently had a survey of religious questions on their website. Sadly, atheists and agnostics answered the questions about religion more accurately than those who claimed to be "religious." Even more sadly, the survey revealed that Southerners (specifically in the Bible belt), knew the LEAST about religion.

Maybe if preachers would preach more Bible and less opinion, people would know more about the Bible. Can you imagine what the church would be like if people actually knew their Bibles, lived its teachings, and had a foundation upon which to build a biblical worldview! I CAN, so I'm teaching a class on Bible doctrine; since you can't live what you believe, until you know what you believe.

Book Recommendation

I came across a good book recently that I'm recommending to our church, and thought you might be interested. It is, "Christian Atheist - Believing in God, but living as though He doesn't exist," by Craig Groeshel. Don't read it if desire to continue living a mediocre Christian life.

Sunday Summary 5.16.10

Yesterday, I started preaching through some things that our staff and deacons began discussing during our recent retreat. I started by laying some ground work for measuring success in the local church. Too many simply look at numbers to gauge success, but I've found that drawing a crowd and building a church are usualy two different things and each decade had its own "bag of tricks." In the 70's & 80's, churches swallowed goldfish, cut off ties, and ran busses. In the 90's, the seeker driven mentality told us to camouflage Christ, until we had them hooked. In this new millenium, we focus on music and the concert mentality. Nothing wrong with drawing crowds and anything alive and healthy should be growing. In June, we will be removing our attendance numbers from the Sunday bulletin and move away from the numbers equal success mentality.

Based on Matt 28:19-20, we've determined that the measure of success in a church is whether or not the church is making disciples. Are people being saved, connected, serving, and learning to disciple others? If not, then a crowd of 20,000 is a large crowd, but it's not a successful church. We've developed a process for producing disciples and that will be the focus of my sermon series in the days ahead.

Last night, I focused on the topic of divorce and remarriage. Statistics now tell us that "Christian" homes are experiencing more divorces than those outside the church. My focus passage was 1 Cor. 7, but I also used many others. Bottom-line... unless your spouse died, was unfaithful, or deserted you because of your Christian faith; you should remain married and work out your differences. Scripture is clear that God hates divorce!

If you were the victim of the items mentioned above, you are free to remarry. If you were the offender, you are to remain unmarried or be reconciled. True repentance will lead you to restore your marriage... if your former spouse is still alive, and has not remarried. There are many different views on this, but I believe mine is biblical. Too bad there isn't room to expound in a blog. Remember, some of the best counseling comes by sitting under good preaching.... so be faithful in the services.

How does a church measure success?

We recently surveyed our congregation regarding how they defined success in a church. The question received a wide variety of responses. Most of our members gave the same responses I would expect to hear in most churches. Most gage their success by attendance numbers. So, consider the following:

- If a church grows from 200 to 1,000; but all their growth comes by members transferring from other churches... are they successful?

- If the church attendance drops by hundreds in one week, but on that Sunday someone is saved... is that success?

- If a church doesn't grow at all for 10 years, but during that time 2 dozen people commit their lives to serve God in a vocational capacity... is that success?

There are a thousand scenarios and just as many opinions; BUT there is a very simple way to measure success. Stop and ask, "Is your church making disciples?" Are people being saved, baptized, growing, and going? Is the church developing fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ? Simply seeing people saved, but never growing any further, is certainly NOT success; neither is growth by stealing people from other congregations. Success is developing disciples who can disciple others.

EBC will soon be implementing a new process for developing disciples. It includes the following four steps: Share, Connect, Serve, and Disciple. We realize that every member is at one of these stages and their needs differ at each stage. At the first stage, the person needs Christ for salvation or needs to return to a right relationship with the Lord. At the second stage, they need to connect with the church and other believers by attending services, Sunday School, special classes, building friendships, etc. At the third stage, members begin to minister to others. Level three people no longer hold the mentality of "what's in it for me," but instead ask, "what can I do for others?" Finally, those in stage four will begin to reproduce themselves in others by making disciples.

So, success can be measured by moving people through the process of developing disciples, resulting in -- disciples of Jesus Christ, who are discipling others. So, which one of the four levels are you at in the process? ... Okay... now go back and answer that question honestly. :-)

Religion and Politics...

Christians SHOULD be involved in politics! Seems too many people have believed the lie, "Separation of Church and State" as it has been fed to us over the past several decades. The original intent was NOT to keep the church out of the government, but rather to keep the government out of the church!

I don't care if you are Democrat, Republican, Tea Party, coffee drinker, or sand bagger --if you are a Christian, your worldview and biblical beliefs should override all party lines! Christ-followers should be voting according to biblical truths and values, not according to a political party. Some say Christians have no place in politics -- I DISAGREE! The Constitution, our legal system, the inscriptions in Washington, and more -- ALL prove that America was founded as a Christian nation! So, Christians should be actively involved in politics, running for office, and exercising their right to vote.

Too many professing Christians are worried about being "politically correct." Others are just ignorant on the issues. The recent health care issue was a great example. There was no question that health care needed to be fixed, but how could ANY believer vote for health care reform that opened the door for abortion? The Bible teaches that God hates murder and specifically in Prov. 6, it mentions "those who shed innocent blood." During the Health Care vote, the United Methodist Church was listed in support of the bill. How could any Christian, much less an entire denomination, offer support to a political issue that stands in contradiction to biblical instruction?

In the early 1980's, the Moral Majority brought Bible believing people together (across denominational lines), and encouraged people to vote in line with biblical teachings. That movement made an impact on our nation! Who will rise up to unite the body of Christ on political matters now that Jerry Falwell, D. James Kennedy, and other godly men have passed off the scene? If God did raise someone up, I wonder how many "professing" Christians would attack that person because he or she is not of their denomination, they worship differently, they use a different Bible version, has read books by authors they don't approve of, or attended a church growth conference they think is "satanic." We can't even get along with each other... how are we supposed to stand united against our common adversary? (1 Peter 5:8)

I encourage true Christ-followers to put God first, put your differences aside, and start working to make America once again, "One Nation Under God."

Men's Breakfast

This morning, our men truly encouraged the heart of their pastor. We have a monthly men's prayer breakfast for the purposes of provoking thought, fellowship, sharing, and prayer. Last month we opened the discussion to the topic of what keeps men from sharing their faith. Today, we discussed the major issues that Christian men are facing. Breakfast was good and the conversation was excellent. We had 20 men participating!

It's also been exciting to see small accountability groups springing up within our church family. Men are gathering in groups of 4, meeting for breakfast, studying, sharing, praying, and holding one another accountable in their daily lives. You can drive through Hartsville and see small groups of men sitting in restaurants at 6:00 - 6:30am. Another group meets in the evenings. I encourage all of our men to be part of an accountability group. Prov. 27:17 says, "As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend."

Forgiveness & New Members (3.14.10)

Yesterday was a good day at EBC. Attendance was strong, many guests were present, and the altar response was good. I started a new series pertaining to "The Last Words of Christ." Today we examined His statement, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." We looked at mankind's need for God's forgiveness, and also man's need to forgive one another. Sadly there is a growing trend of unforgiveness in today's churches. Professing Christians say they believe the Bible, but tend to ignore the passages they don't like. For instance, Matt 6:14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." If we really believed the Bible, we would be practicing forgiveness.

We also started a new members class today. Believing that over 50% of professing church-goers are not true believers, I am committed to making sure we guard the door of the church. We had 14 people present and talked about our church's history, core values, salvation, baptism, and communion. We're condensing 4 weeks of material into just 3. It will be a challenge, but the folks seem very eager.

Vision Sunday Revelations

Prov. 29:18 states, "Where there is no vision, the people perish." I've also heard it said that "Where there is no vision, the people will find another parrish." Vision is the ability to see what God wants to do through our church. It is our mission possible, should we choose to accept it. If we decline, we simply become another dead church satisfied with status quo.

In preparing the message for our Vision Sunday, several truths were revealed to me:

• The economy has hit us HARD! In 2008-2009, we lost 170 people due mostly to deaths, out of state relocations. That was 28% of our church and we are in a small community.
• God brought us 130 new members in the past two years and we have gained over 100 of the 170 that we lost.
• Over 200 people were saved through EBC's efforts last year!
• Our offerings have remained strong.
• God blessed us beyond what we can humanly explain. Our debt has decreased by $800,000, our missions giving has increased annually, and our school enrollment continues to grow -- even during a recession!

So, what does all of that have to do with "vision?" EVERYTHING! It was as though God said look what I've been doing while you were worrying about a few disgruntled people. (If they leave... I'll replace them.) Look what I've been doing while you've been worrying about the budget. (I've given you more than you even realized.) Look what I've been doing while you were worrying about the school enrollment. (I've been bringing new students in monthly.) Look what I (God) have been doing! Remember, it's My church and I promised to build it.

WOW! I felt as though God was telling me to go refill my squirt guns and resume my position in the assault against hell! I hadn't had that feeling in quite a while. It was as though God said, "Here's My vision... Catch it!" I caught it... He's working... and I've joined Him!

What about you? Are you ready to refill your squirt guns? God is working... let's join Him!

Are you what you claim to be?

If I stood in my garage and said I was a car, would I be one? The obvious answer is "no." If a person stands in the church and says he is a Christian, does that mean he is one? Again, "no." Claiming to be and actually being are two different things.

I regularly hear people who attend churches say they are Christians, but their lifestyle and/or habits suggest otherwise. If a group of people gathers in a sanctuary on a Sunday morning, does that make them a church? A church (ekklesia) is a called out assembly as well as the redeemed of all ages, set apart unto God, and following Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. So, again I ask, if a group of people gather in sanctuary and "say" they are a church, does that make them one? The answer is "no."

Following this line of thinking would cause us to make the deduction that every Sunday, churches are filled with people who call themselves Christians, but they are not. Billy Graham once said, "The American church is the greatest mission field in all the world." Listen to the words of Matt 7:21-23 NIV, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!"

As we begin this New Year, I challenge those who claim to know Christ to evaluate your walk and see if it bears witness to your claim. The Bible says in 1 John 2:44, "The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him." An honest evaluation could save your life -- for eternity!