Discipling or Distorting?

Posted on May 6, 2013 by bibleteacherorg

As I looked at the “Great Commission” that our Lord Jesus Christ left us as His Church I began to ponder …. are we making disciples as Jesus commanded, or are we distorting the truth? You remember the Great Commission, don’t you? If you’re a Southern Baptist most of you have heard it when a local missionary wants to increase “Cooperative Program” giving. The Commission states:

Matthew 28:18-20 ….  All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. (19) Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: (20) Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Note first of all that the Great Commission starts and ends with Christ. He begins “All power is given unto Me in Heaven and in earth”. Jesus Christ alone has the power. I have no ability to save anyone, nor should I ever seek to save anyone. The power of salvation is in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is His Holy Spirit that convicts the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment (John 16:8). It is the Gospel of salvation that is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes – to the Jew as well as the Gentile (Romans 1:16). A person is not saved by “getting their life straight”, but by recognizing they need Jesus like a sick man needs a doctor. A person is saved not by works of righteousness, but according to God’s mercy, which He abundantly sheds on everyone who will through Christ Jesus (Titus 3:5-8). The power to save is not invested in mere mortals, but in the Person and work of Christ. We who are His merely present His person to the lost. God does the rest. 

The Great Commission tells us to understand that the works is Christ’s – then to GO. “Go ye there”. We go to work. Go to our homes. Go to our neighbors and our friends. We go to those we are around daily. We start in our families, then move outward to our communities. What do we do? We save no one – Jesus didn’t ask that of us. We “teach all nations”. We teach what we know. We teach people of all colors. We are not prejudice in our teaching, but share what we know with all people. What do we teach? Do we teach Deepak Copra and the New Age “There are many ways to God” nonsense of Oprah Winfrey? No. We teach them to OBSERVE – to DO – all things that Jesus taught us. We do not compromise – we teach. We do not teach our opinions, but the message of Christ. We teach the truths of the Holy Scripture without shame. Those who hear and make a sincere choice to be saved become followers of Christ. Those we baptize in water and continue to teach them. Soon they, too, GO and TEACH.

In our world today I believe the Church in most instances has dropped the ball. In some Churches the Christians give so that others GO, but never do they tell others the things of Christ. This is not what Jesus commanded. In some Churches the Christians GO – taking people to Christian Concerts, Festivals, Feeds – entertaining goats but never TEACHING THEM TO OBSERVE as sheep should do. This is not what Jesus commanded. In some Churches that which Christ commanded and taught has been so watered down that there is little difference between a Christian Church and a Secular Clubhouse. This is not what Jesus commanded.

When people are baptized in the NAME of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit in many Churches today this is little more than a public bath. “In the Name” doesn’t mean just to say “Jesus”. The phrase “In The Name” speaks of authority. It is like the policeman who shouts, “Stop in the name of the Law”. This is authority, and water baptism a willing surrender to authority. Whose authority? The Pastor? No! The Church? No! To Jesus. Until we as Christ’s Church understand that the Great Commission begins, continues, and ends with Jesus, we will not see America restored. Until the average Christian in America understands that all power is given unto Jesus, our nation will continue to rot from within like a bruised banana.

Christ is Lord, and to Him  every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess to Him (Romans 14:11). He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords (1 Timothy 6:14-15). We as Christians need to start Discipling and stop Distorting.

For America’s sake.

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The Old Paths

Posted on April 25, 2013 by bibleteacherorg

Jeremiah 6:16 Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.

I was visiting with someone the other day when we got to talking about technology and how fast it has grown just in my lifetime.

When I married Sherry 34 years ago the Piggly Wiggly store near our house had a vacuum tube tester. Many of you don’t know what that is. Our first TV set had vacuum tubes, not transistors. When the set stopped working you could look in the back and the tube that wasn’t glowing was probably bad. You’d pop that tube out, take it to the test center at Piggly Wiggly, and check the tube. If it tested bad you bought another, took it home, and put it in your set. When I entered the Air Force a lot of our equipment used tubes, not transistors. Transistors came later, replacing tubes. Semi-conductors and microprocessors replaced transistors. No longer can you look at a broke TV and look for the missing glow. In fact, we no longer fix electronic stuff, but we carry it off to landfills and contribute to pollution.

When I was a child we had record players and records. Records were replaced with compact disks, compact disks are being replaced with digital video disks, and all are being replaced with smart phones. My first computer was a TRS 80 Model 3, which had a green screen with greenish words on it. The thing weighed 80 pounds, and had a 100 million byte hard drive on it. Today’s smart phones have more storage – but we throw away 150 million of them every year because they cannot be repaired.

We can’t repair the miniaturized, flat screen, portable made in China technology stuff that is filling our landfills. But we need to repair what all this stuff is doing to our society. We need to return to the old paths.

I walked in a restaurant the other day and saw a family of five sitting at a table ignoring one another. There was mom and dad, an older brother and sister, and a baby at the table. Everyone at the table except the baby was texting somebody else. They stopped long enough to order something to eat, then went back to ignoring one another. They are interacting with machines while ignoring what matters most.

A machine cannot take the place of relationships and community. We need to return to the old paths. We need to spend quality time with God and with other humans, face to face, touch to touch. Our nation is not dying because of the economy. Our nation is dying because of a lack of civility, a lack of old timey decency toward one another. We are forgetting that God made us relational.

When I was a child I remember going to granddaddy’s house on Saturday. I’d play with my cousins and brother all day then, at night, we’d get in the tub and wash off the black soil from our skin. We’d gather around the supper table and as we ate we talked to one another. The next day we went to Church as a family. We believed what the preacher said, because what he preached was out of the Book. After Church we sat down again at the table, ate, and loved one another. If visitors came by at the dinner hour they were made to sit at the table and eat with the family. Afterward we went out to the front porch and, as we kids played quietly, the adults shared the news of the community with one another. We loved. We shared. We communicated. We cared for God and for one another.

In our country today the Republicans blame the Democrats, the Democrats the Republicans, and the Libertarians blame them both. Yet neither party will talk to the other. We’re so busy being right that we don’t care that the country is burning down. We need to go back to the old paths in our families, in our churches, in our communities, and especially in our nation. It’s time we stopped the blame game.

Every person has value, and every person should be at least listened to and considered in the light of God’s love. We must move back to community. Love is the answer. We must move back to family. Love is the solution to our problems. We must turn off the technology and turn to the old paths of Church and Family and Community, sharing and loving one another and our God.

Christ has shown us the way.

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Running With Jesus or Running For Nothing?

Posted on March 12, 2013 by bibleteacherorg

Hebrews 12:1-3 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, {2} Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. {3} For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

When I was growing up I had a favorite Aunt that was – for lack of a better description – a “Health Food Enthusiast”. She was a great woman and she was a Christian. My dad has her Bible, and a note in it in her handwriting that she was saved on a certain date. But Aunt Dot wasn’t defined so much by her faith as she was by being a “Health Food Enthusiast”. When I went to her house to eat one time she had something sprinkled on top of the green beans. I asked “Aunt Dot, what is that?” and she said “Wheat Germ”. Wheat Germ? What is that? “It’s the husk that comes off the grain of wheat before you can use the grain”. Oh, wheat germ is like the shell on a pecan or a peanut. It has no calories, no taste – but I’m told it’s good for you. Aunt Dot learned about wheat germ while reading Prevention magazine, the Health Food Enthusiast’s Bible. Every year for my birthday Aunt Dot gave me a subscription to Prevention magazine.

On June 8, 1971 the founder and publisher of Prevention magazine Jerome Rodale was being interviewed on the Dick Cavett Television Show. Rodale stated “I’ve never felt better in my life. I’ve decided to live to be a hundred years old!” When the next guest came in, Rodale moved to the end of the couch so that person could be interviewed. Rodale’s head leaned forward like he was asleep. A good host, Cavett ignored the “sleeping man” and kept on track with his interview. It was discovered during a commercial break, however, that Rodale had passed away from what would later be determined to be a heart attack. The professed healthiest man on the planet went to meet his maker.

In 1977 a man named Jim Fixx wrote the bestselling book The Complete Book of Running and, with it, started a fitness revolution. He popularized the sport of running. When Fixx was interviewed on television he promoted how running had changed his life, and how he believed that physical exercise would increase everyone’s life expectancy. On July 20, 1984 Fixx died from a heart attack brought on by hardening of the arteries. He went to meet his maker at 52 years of age.

Now I’m not trying to say that we shouldn’t eat healthy and that we shouldn’t exercise. These things are very important. If you eat poorly your health will be poor. If you never exercise or work at all you get sluggish and lazy. Exercise is important – but exercise should not define you. Healthy eating is important, but healthy eating should not define you. The Bible says:

1 Timothy 4:7-8  But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. (8) For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

It’s good to exercise – but most important to exercise your faith. If you are alive you are in a race toward a goal. Each day you get closer toward that goal. What is it? Some people run their race for money, scraps of paper that will not go with you past this life. Others run for power, preeminence, prestige. Once they have it, what then?

Once Alexander the Great conquered the world it is said that he wept, for he had no other worlds to conquer. The beauty queen, Miss America, will in 40 years be a wrinkled old lady, her crown gathering dust. The Superbowl Champion will one day be fat and slow or thin and wobbly, a few ounces of gold on his hand to remind him of the glory days. The Medal of Honor winner or Bronze Star hero will one day be abandoned. The ticker tape parade is past – no one remembers. The proud Marine or Air Force medal winner now has a folded flag on a wall, forgotten commendations gathering dust from a time long forgotten.

Is that what you’re running for? Is that what you’re struggling for? Why waste your life?

The life lived for God is never wasted. He never forgets your work and labor of love. The life that invests itself in lifting up others is remembered forever. One day your earthly life will end, and your body will be placed under a rock on some lonely plot of land. Will Christ receive your soul in eternity? Will those who look at your rock, your tombstone, remember you fondly, or spit when they read it?

Not too long ago a man I know passed into eternity. While he lived, he lived for himself. He treated his wife badly. He was selfish. When he came to Church, let’s just say he didn’t play well with others. It’s sad to say, when he died I was relieved I was no longer his Pastor. When I heard he died, I called his wife to console her. She was actually happy, freed from the bondage of years of living with a selfish man. Is he in Heaven or hell? I can’t and won’t say – that is up to God. But I do know this …

I don’t want anyone remembering my life that way. I won’t trust a salvation to carry me into Heaven that doesn’t at least motivate me to imitate the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you?

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Getting Used To The Dark

Posted on March 12, 2013 by bibleteacherorg

When I was a little boy I remember being afraid of the dark. I remember the fear of the monster under the bed, and the bogey man in the closet. Though today I know these monsters to be but an overactive imagination, to a child these were very real fears. Many children go to bed with a night light burning to keep back the imagined monsters. As we get older we realize the creaks we hear in the night are the house settling. There is no gremlin under the bed waiting to “get” us once the lights go out.

As an adult I’m not afraid of the monster under the bed, but I am afraid of the dark. Dr. Vance Havner, an evangelist who is now with the Lord, preached a sermon called Getting Used to the Dark. In it he talked about how he walked into a dark dining room at a famous restaurant. He said he nearly killed himself as he stumbled over a chair. Muttering “I’ll need a flashlight to read the menu”, he ordered his food, and then ate it “by faith and not by sight”. As he sat there his eyes slowly got used to the darkness. As he remarked, “Funny, isn’t it, how we can get used to the dark”?

America has gradually become like that dimly lit restaurant that Vance talked about. Like Las Vegas, we have the technical knowledge to light a desert city at night so brightly that the sun is not needed. Spiritually, however, we live in the deepest of caves. Our nation – once called “Christian” – proudly promotes sexual sin, drugs, alcohol, and every form of degradation imaginable in print, in video, and on the Internet. What we used to do in the dark now seems normal. Just the other day a “conservative” running for office sent me a letter saying that she has changed her mind on Biblical marriage. Well known preachers go on television and endorse everything but Jesus Christ and His Bible. Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny are welcome everywhere, but Jesus Christ, His birth, death, and resurrection are mocked and legislated against. Why is this?

1. Christians don’t complain. When you burn a Koran accidentally half of the Muslim population charges your military base and kills people. When you draw a cartoon mocking Mohammed the Muslim leadership puts out a hit on you. When you as an artist urinate in a glass, drop a Crucifix in it and call the “artwork” – I’m not making this up – “Piss Christ” – that artist gets $75,000.00 from the National Endowment for the arts and no one of note in Christianity says a thing.  Now I’m not saying that Christians should riot and kill – we don’t do that. But we can speak up. We can write our local papers. We can hand our flyers at stop lights. We can tell our friends we were offended when Saturday Night Live made a sketch called “Jesus Uncrossed” where they mocked Christ. And when our friends say “toughen up, get over it” we could remind them if we were Muslims our complaint would be much harsher. Jesus told us to turn the other cheek, and to expect hatred. But He never said we didn’t have the right to speak up. If I remember correctly, when the early Church was told to sit down and shut up the disciples replied “We had better obey God than man”. Get over it, sissy – I’m speaking up.

2. Christians don’t shine. Rappers and gangsta music thugs wear gold crosses around their necks while dancing in droopy drawers and holding parts of their bodies they ought not to hold. Muslims have a call to prayer, and if it’s time to pray will drop down in the middle of the street, holding up traffic till they are done. Christian ministers are told “You can pray at this event, but don’t mention the name Jesus Christ – that is, unless you’re a comedian and that name is being mocked or used as a curse.” And these ministers comply. Are you kidding me? I pray out loud in restaurants over my food, just as I do at home, and pray the name of Jesus. We’ve got to quit compromising, Christians, or we’re going to lose all of our freedom. You need more than a fish symbol on your the bumper of your car. You need to shine for Jesus. Let others seem Him in you and through you. Do good, and glow for God.

3. Christians only shine in the light. There are believers who don’t mind being in the choir at Church or behind the pulpit on Sunday – but go undercover when they leave the Church.  You can tell a Muslim by how he dresses and lives his life. Be true to your faith when you walk outside the door of the Church. Stand up for Jesus! Jesus said:

Matthew 16:24-26 “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

If you are saved by faith in Him, you are called to live for Him. Find a good Church and get active in it. Find a Pastor that will teach you God’s Word. Grow in your faith. If it’s wrong according to God’s Word, believe it and back it with your words. Refuse to go along with the dark ….

or you’ll fall down like the rest of those in it.

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Keep Your Word and Keep Your Heart

Posted on February 26, 2013 by bibleteacherorg

Matthew 5:34-37 KJV But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: (35) Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. (36) Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. (37) But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

I’m sure everyone has heard the story of the little boy who cried “Wolf”. He did that several times until he was no longer believed. His reputation was that he told untruths, and as such when it mattered most and he cried “Wolf” no one would listen. I saw the same thing on an old “I Love Lucy” episode. She wasn’t convinced that Ricky loved her, so she made up a story that some man broke in the apartment. Of course, Ricky came home in a panic. When he found out Lucy was lying – and she refused to admit the lie – he was furious. Later on that night Ricky, Ethel, and Fred were playing cards with Lucy when she got mad and stepped outside of the apartment. This time two men grabbed her and gagged her, tying her up. But as Ricky and the gang heard the sounds inside the apartment they thought Lucy was crying wolf and, as such, just ignored the sounds. When she later hopped back into the apartment all tied up no one would believe her. She had ruined her reputation and her integrity! She had a heart problem.

Nothing bothers me more than to have someone tell me they want to meet with me – then stand me up without calling! That is the sign of immaturity, and sure sign of a heart problem. There was one deacon I know at a past Church who promised me he was going to prepare the ground of the Church for a new sign we had coming. I waited and waited, then when nothing materialized about 4 days before the expected delivery I asked another man to do the work. When the first man heard this he got upset, brought a witness into my office, and even charged me with meanness. I explained to him that this sign was very heavy and needed the ground prepared and the concrete poured and cured now so we could put the sign up when it arrived. Having worked in the sign industry I know that a sign not properly mounted is quickly damaged and destroyed – and this was a $13,000.00 sign! I apologized for hurting his feelings. He then promised that he and several of his employees would be at Church the day of the sign delivery to help unload and install the sign.

On the day the truck pulled up I was at Church by myself. Where were the promised workers? Neither the deacon nor his employees were anywhere to be seen! The agrrement with the sign company was that we would unload the truck ourselves – and the driver was under no obligation to help. I called the deacon’s secretary who said “He’s in a meeting and can’t be reached”. I called around frantically and finally got up enough men to offload the 600 pound church sign. Once the final bolt was tightened my heart went from a rapid rat-a-tat-tat to a more normal beat. It was only by the Grace of God that we got the sign installed.

I asked the deacon later where he was. He thought he had done nothing wrong. “Well, I’m a busy man”. His action not only showed a polluted heart – but it hurt my heart as well – for I no longer trusted him to do anything from that day forward. I forgave him but could not use him. He was untrustworthy. That he was untrustworthy proved out later when he did dishonorable  things in the Church, and was instrumental in destroying the progress and health of that precious group of people.

We all struggle with keeping our word at times. I have made promises in the past that I could not keep, and have regretted it in the long run. Everyone has missed appointments. I have, too, and I feel bad when I do. More than this, though, when I fail to keep an appointment I apologize to the one I offended – then do my best to not do it again. I strive to do everything I say that I am going to do. And one thing I’ve learned as I get older – I’ve learned to say NO.  I can’t be everywhere and do everything. Sometimes my calendar is just too full. I am only human – though a Son of God.

Lord, help me to be honorable and to do all that honors You.

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Where Are The Old Lions?

Posted on February 26, 2013 by bibleteacherorg

Proverbs 20:29 The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the gray head.

It is said that each morning in Africa a gazelle wakes up and says to himself, “If I cannot outrun the fastest lion on these plains today, I will be devoured.” And somewhere on that same morning, a young lion wakes up and says, “If I cannot outrun the slowest gazelle today, I will starve.” But the old lion, seasoned and wise, scarred from many past battles – some won and some lost – is different. He thinks “If I want to eat today I must out think every gazelle”. Rather than run and waste his energy chasing that which is much faster than he the old lion will lay in wait at the right place until the right time. Though his belly growl and the sun beat down he will wait. He knows. He’s been here before. He will eat today.

America is dying. It’s not dying for lack of technology. We have “I pads” and “I tunes” and we’re up to our “I Balls” in digital toys. We’re not dying for lack of prosperity. Try and get into a restaurant on Sunday following a Church service (if you are still attending, that is). You can barely park, and will have to wait your turn while your fellow Americans, like hogs, gather to the trough. We’re not dying for lack of transportation, nor because of the price of gasoline. Every time the gas goes up a few cents Americans howl like Jack Nicholson did in the movie “Wolf” years ago. Yet I know for a fact that Europeans have been paying $8.00 a gallon in many of their nations since 1988. If gas is too expensive, why are there so many cars with but one person in them – and that the driver? Why aren’t we car pooling? No, that’s not why America is dying.

America is dying because there are few old lions.

There are many old people – baby boomers my age. But many of them spend their days sitting in front of a television or a computer screen. Few read books of any worth. Most play games on Facebook or on the ‘net. Very few – though there are a few – are doing anything constructive with their lives. I meet many of them in the hospitals, trying to share the love of Christ with them. They tell me “When I get out of here I’m going to visit you at your Church”. I smile because I know that only one out of 99 will ever visit – and usually that one will only come once. Worshiping Christ is an adult pleasure. Many prefer Nintendo to Jesus.

There are lots of young people in America. What do they do with their lives? If you feed them, they will come to Church. But are they being taught as our Lord taught “It is more blessed to give than to receive”? (Acts 20:35) Are they being taught to give, not just money, but of themselves? Are they visiting the widow in her affliction, ministering to the fatherless, and keeping themselves unspotted from the world (James 1:27)? Or are they being taught that Church is a place where “I come to be served”, a religious Wal-Mart where the greeters are ushers. Most young people are entertained in Church until they turn 18. They then leave Church, and few ever return. Why? Because they were taught that “Church is all about ME and what I can get”. Now grown, there are better places to be entertained than the Church.

Beloved, we are missing the mark!

The modern Church today attracts few people if it doesn’t “offer” certain amenities. Popularized in Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Church many congregations focus on attracting “seekers” with music and dance.   Yet I see no where in the Book of Acts where the early Church had to offer meals, music, and merriment in order to attract “customers”.  Without nursery and without a live stage the early Church added 3000 souls in a day. How? They listened to an old lion named Peter preach a good old Gospel message. They repented of their sins, and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and were saved, though the government itself was against them.  The Church today too often enjoys a diet of cotton candy. It may still attract large crowds – but are these crowds serving the Lord? Are they reaching out as salt and light to the darkness of America?

Our government is dying because, dear friends, children are users and not doers. That’s the nature of the child.  Children think “we don’t have enough, so let’s just go get more. Let’s raid the cookie jar. Take from the haves, for we have not.” So they spend and they spend. When they begin to fall short and times get tough, they takes from others who have more. They rob the old lions so they can play games. In prison, they blame the warden. Out of prison, they blame the economy. Living on food stamps, they blame the rich. No child ever broke a lamp. It’s always somebody else did it – brudda did it – big bruvver, that mean old Gov-mint did it. It’s not my fault I’m living in my car or on the street. Let’s cry until the other children gather, and get together with the other children pleading until that someone else fixes my problem.

May I be brutally honest for just a moment more?

I’ve raised three children, one of whom is with Jesus. If you are in jail, dear friend, you are there because of the choices you made. If you are on the street, you are there because of the choices you made. If your family is in disarray, it is so because of the choices you made. You ran when you should have waited. You ignored the advice of an old lion, whether it was your parent, grandparent, or a pastor. You leaped when you should have waited. You have made bad decisions to get you where you are. Do you want things to get better. Here’s how.

Stop it.

Listen to me. I am an old lion. Pay attention to what I say. I’ve missed many a gazelle in my younger days, and foolishly fought many battles I should have never fought. My soul and my body is scarred. But I have learned from life and my Lord. Stop doing the bad and follow the Lord.

You are not my child. It is not my responsibility to send you to school, nor to feed you. The life you are living is YOUR responsibility. Don’t lay a guilt trip on me. I’ve never owned a slave, and wouldn’t own one. You say you were held down? Me too. I was held down in school because I should have tried harder. That was my fault. Own up to your own faults.  It’s not my fault you are in a bad way. It’s not my fault you’re pregnant and unmarried. It’s your fault. It is time that you stop playing games, particularly the blame game. Hang up the cell phone. Quit texting to your BFF (Bestie Friend Forever). If you’re in school, do what you’re supposed to do. Study. Learn. Apply. If you’re out of school, go check out a library every now and then. Even a homeless person can get a library card. Read. Learn. Apply. If you have a job, even if it’s just flipping burgers or sweeping floors, do what you do as if you were doing it for God Almighty. The Bible says:

Colossians 3:23-25 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; (24) Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. (25) But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.

If you work hard and work well, you will be promoted. I worked hard and was promoted throughout my Air Force career. On retirement I worked hard as a factory laborer, and was promoted to foreman. Do the right thing, work hard, and you will be promoted. Turn off the TV. Get off the couch and off of my back.  America didn’t get great by carrying baby making people on a welfare roll. America didn’t get great by slaughtering babies so that babies could have more babies. America got great by people working hard, by excelling, by education. Get up off your backside – make something of your life. Quit waiting for the government or the Church to do it for you. Live! Quit playing the blame game. Quit playing the race card. It’s your life – do something with it. You were bullied in school? So what – I was too! Quit whining, and move on. If you’ve done wrong, repent. Quit. Stop. Turn to the Lord Jesus. Open your Bible and read it daily. Begin a rapport with the Creator, and do as He says.

No where in the Scripture does the Lord say “Sit on your backside and whine until some sugar daddy bails you out”. The Bible says “if you will not work, you will not eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10). The Bible says “in quietness work and eat your own bread” (2 Thessalonians 3:12). I’ve raised three kids, and you don’t look like any of them. I’m not raising any more children – don’t ask me to raise you. Get in Church. Listen to your Pastor. No, I mean LISTEN. If you do, one day you will be an old lion like me.

If so, I hope someone listens to you.

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Don’t Waste Your Life

Posted on February 14, 2013 by bibleteacherorg

Ecclesiastes 1:1-2 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. [2] Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. [14] For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

A young boy had been out fishing all day – and he had a great day! The temperature was just right. It was a spring day, a light breeze blew through the trees, and just enough sunlight to make it beautiful. The young boy stumbled on a great fishing spot, a spot that Andy Griffith might have said “was where all the fish kind of came to socialize”. He caught a beautiful string of fish. Running home, he found his daddy so he could show what he’s done. His daddy admired the fish, congratulated his boy, and then said “That’s a wonderful job, son. But was it worth what you paid for it?” They boy said “Yes daddy. The bait wasn’t much, and I reused the same hook with each fish I caught. I didn’t pay hardly anything at all.” His daddy said, “Son, you paid more than that. You paid a day of life for those fish. Was the price worth what you paid?”

Life is precious, and God only gives us so many days to live our lives on this earth. Don’t waste your life!

The Bible tells us that Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived. He was wise because he loved the Lord:

1 Kings 3:3 And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father…

Solomon wrote under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit three books of our Bible. When he was a young man in love he wrote the Song of Solomon, one of the most beautiful books you can read on marriage. While he was wise, he wrote the Book of Proverbs. But as Solomon aged he began to make bad decisions. He let pride and arrogance rule in his heart, and he departed from following the Lord Who saved him. At the end of his life Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes, a book that looked back over a promising life that was wasted by following the wrong things. King David, Solomon’s daddy prayed to the Lord …

Psalms 90:12 (KJV) So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

If Solomon had listened to his daddy and prayed the same prayer, he would not have come to the end of his life, an old man looking back, saying

Ecclesiastes 1:2 … Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

The word “vanity” in the Hebrew is even more dramatic than in the English. The word means “smoke, emptiness”, and it is repeated frequently throughout the book. It is the word hebel, and it sounds like a sigh. Say it with me – HEBELL! Doesn’t it sound like oh, well! This is the sound of a wasted life. This is the sound of what might have been, the sigh of the soul. Solomon warns us all – Don’t Waste Your Life!

I wish I had back all the life I’ve wasted. I’ve wasted a lot of my life trying to please others rather than living for the Lord. What a terrible trap that is! I wrote a comment on a certain website today and, as is usual, someone with the “Politically Correct Police” wrote me to say “You can’t say that!” I started the argue back when I realized – what a waste of my life! Why argue with a barking dog? Why yell at a butterfly? So today I choose to say what I mean, to speak freely as an American, and to back my words with God’s Word – and if you don’t like it then go away. I’m not wasting my life arguing what God has said is true. His Word stands – and I stand with it.

People waste their lives with anger. The Bible says “Be angry, but don’t sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger.” (Ephesians 4:26).

People waste their lives with alcohol and drugs, buzzing away the moments when they could be loving others and loving God. God didn’t save us to sit around HIGH. He saved us to be the Light of the world. Dr. Alan Leshner, Director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) said, “The most immediate, extensive, and long-lasting problems caused by drug abuse, both for individuals and for society, are often medical in nature. For example, known drug-abuse-related health problems and resulting lost productivity alone cost our society more than $33 billion each year. Illicit drugs directly cause many medical problems. Stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine increase the heart rate while constricting the blood vessels. In susceptible individuals, these two actions together set the stage for cardiac arrhythmias and strokes. NIDA research has shown that almost every drug of abuse harms some tissue or organ.”  Even Marijuana, which many claim to be safe, can lead to lung cancer, emphysema, and other forms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). While marijuana can be ingested without smoking it, thereby eliminating these risks, there is still the danger of damage to the reproductive system, the immune system, and loss of cognitive ability.

People waste their lives with pornography and illicit and unbiblical sexual activity, destroying the gift of God for a moment’s pleasure. They should instead consider Joseph in the Old Testament who, when tempted by the King of Egypt’s wife, ran away and suffered 13 years in prison rather than compromising his integrity. Better to be put in prison for your faith than to imprison yourself by your actions. The wage of sin is always death. You may kill yourself by disease, your marriage, or your future God designed love. Don’t waste your life by sexual sin. 

Don’t let your peers waste your life. I can’t number the number of times I did something stupid because of peer pressure. I pastored a wonderful Church and left that Church at the height of my ministry there because of peer pressure. Preachers that I considered friends “recommended” that I take an assignment at another Church in a nearby state and, though everything in my heart seemed to tell me “Don’t go” I went anyway. Why did these fellow Pastors do this? I don’t know. I do know, however, that God saved me from a bad mistake, and brought me to a great Church called Riverview Baptist in Columbia, Tennessee. All things do indeed work together for good to those who love the Lord. I will love this congregation with all my heart, but I will also preach and teach the Word of God with all boldness, rebuking when necessary, fulfilling my calling.  I will not waste my life again, nor allow anyone else to talk me into anything that God has not thoroughly endorsed. 

Don’t waste your life!

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Another Day Without Jesus Will Not Fix Poverty

Posted on February 4, 2013 by bibleteacherorg

I awakened this morning to the constant ring of my telephone. It stopped ringing before I got to it, and someone left a voice mail. Before I could hear the message the same number called again. “This is the Pastor – can I help you?” A woman I’ve never met nor ever talked to began to tell me her life story. After about five minutes she came to the point – one of the local Churches in town had been helping her pay her electric bill the last three months, and they no longer would help. Would I and my Church like to be her sponsor? By the way, her name is “Kim”.

I asked “Kim” what I always ask. “Where do you go to Church, Kim? Where do you worship Jesus every week?”. Well, I really don’t go to Church. When I do go, I go to ___, but no, I don;t do that. I proceed to tell Kim about the Lord Jesus Christ, to share the glorious Gospel with her. Kim doesn’t want to hear this, but begins to play “Let’s Make a Deal” with me. “Can you pay my electric bill”? I explain to Kim that I am a Pastor, and that we are a Church. I explain that the Lord gives us money not to pay electric bills, but to use it to lead others to know Him. “Can we get groceries?” Yes, Kim, I can get you up to fifty dollars in groceries – but I need to talk with your pastor – or at least get your commitment to come to Church with us. “What about gas for the car?” I can give you up to fifty dollars in gas for your car – and I’ll pump it – but again you must be in Church and under the Gospel. Kim ends by saying “Well, I’ll think about it and call you back”.  I  suspect I’ll never hear from Kim again. She’s on the line, dialing from her cell phone while watching cable TV, looking for another Church to carry her for three or four months.

Don’t get me wrong: I don’t mind helping the poor. I have driven miles to carry food to widows who love the Lord. Five times I’ve been overseas in Central America on medical relief missions as a chaplain, carry groceries and the Gospel to people dying from lack of soap. My policy while on mission is the same policy I have in this great state of Tennessee – if you get help from our Church, you also commit to Christ and hear the Word preached. Preachers of the “Social Gospel” believe that Christianity is all about feeding the poor. That’s wrong, and I can prove it from the Scripture. Let me ask you this – How many times do you see Jesus feeding the “poor” in His ministry? Did Jesus go from person to person making sure everybody had a biscuit? Show me where He did that. 

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with taking care of the poor – but we must always share the Gospel and lift up Jesus as we do so. The Church is not a welfare agency, but a lighthouse, shiningly pointing to the Lord Jesus Christ! You will find no evidence in Scripture where Jesus ever fed the poor without first preaching the Gospel to them. In fact, when John the Baptist was in prison he sent his disciples to Jesus asking “Are You the Messiah, or should we seek Him still”? Jesus replied:

Matthew 11:4-5 (KJV) Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: 5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the GOSPEL preached to them.

Jesus didn’t say “we’re feeding sandwiches to the poor”. No! He said “the poor have the Gospel preached to them”. There’s nothing wrong with giving to the poor – but they must be GIVEN THE GOSPEL too. Jesus told the rich man “sell all you have and give it to the poor, and you’ll have treasure in Heaven” (Matthew 19:21), but He also said:

Luke 4:18-19 (KJV) The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon me, because he hath anointed me to PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Poverty may be caused by riotous living, by making bad life decisions that had nothing to do with Jesus. In Luke chapter 15:11-21 Jesus told the story of a young wandering son who pursued sin and not God. What caused that young man to repent and return to God? POVERTY. The Bible says that:

Luke 15:16-19 (KJV) And he would have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. 17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

Thank God for the poverty that leads to Christ! I heard a preacher say once “If someone had given that boy a sandwich he would have never gone home”.

People make bad decisions and bring poverty many times on themselves. God may use that to break them – preach the Gospel to them. Fill their hearts with Christ before you pack their bellies with food. In John chapter 6 Jesus was preaching to a great multitude of people when He proposed that they be fed. The disciples produced five barley loaves and two small fishes (John 6:8) that was part of a young boy’s lunch. Our Lord prayed over and multiplied this food, feeding well above five thousand people with it. Following that great miracle He and His disciples headed toward Capernaum. When He got there Jesus found the same crowd that was at His last preaching session, all sitting there licking their lips, waiting to be fed once more. Notice what Jesus told them:

John 6:26-35 (KJV)  Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. 27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. 28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. 30 They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? 31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. 32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. 35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

Jesus didn’t fill their bellies that day – there was no miracle of multiplied food. Jesus told them “Fill your bellies by BELIEVING ON ME. Except you eat My flesh and drink My blood, you have no life in you (John 6:53). Your love for Jesus must transcend your love for food. He must be first – not filling your belly. The Bible says 

John 6:66 (KJV)  From that [time] many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

Like “Kim” they couldn’t use Jesus nor the Church to gratify a welfare mentality. God takes care of His Children. I am convinced in my heart of hearts that no person who loves the Lord ever goes hungry. Jesus can make stones into bread if need be. In fact, it is part of the calling of the Church to feed the poor SAINTS.  

1 Corinthians 16:1-2 (KJV)  Now concerning the COLLECTION FOR THE SAINTS, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. 2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.

Collections were made for the SAINTS, Christians who loved the Lord. You do not see collections made for those who were without Christ. In the early Church we see that 

Acts 2:44-45 (KJV)  And ALL THAT BELIEVED WERE TOGETHER, and had all things common; 45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.

No one suffered want as Christians – they took care of one another. Widows were fed at a common table (see Acts 6). But be aware that there were qualifications established as to who were widows and who were NOT. The Bible says:

1 Timothy 5:9-10 (KJV) Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man, 10 Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints’ feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work.

A widow was allowed at the widow’s table if she was over 60 years old, and had been the wife of only one man. She had to have a reputation of doing good works, taking care of her children, showing hospitality, washing the saints feet , relieving others who suffered, doing good works. There were no “welfare widows” who hopped from husband to husband having babies, depending on state and Church to support them. And here’s another thing – to be considered a “widow” you had to have no living family. The Bible says:

1 Timothy 5:16 (KJV)  If any man or woman that believeth have widows, let them relieve them, and let not the church be charged; that it may relieve them that are widows indeed.

Now I’m sure that many will argue with these things, but your argument is with God, not I. We have in America fostered two attitudes toward money. We have sought it and worshiped it until we have become spoiled idolaters. We have also offered so much welfare to those who could have gotten jobs that they have developed welfare mentalities. They call the Church wanting not Christ but cash. They call the Pastor not to receive direction to eternal life but temporal funds so they can abide in a baby-like state, allowed to vote but never working, sitting and soaking while watching Oprah, blaming government for their problems but never standing up to their responsibilities as adults.

And in many cases, the Social Gospel and the deceived who preach it aggravate the problem.

As God’s Church we are to be light, to point to Christ, to believe His Word and promote it with all our hearts. If we do not put the Gospel first we have no right to be considered Church nor Christian. Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life – no man comes to the Father but by Him (John 14:6).

May God touch your hearts with His Word!

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What Is Our Priority As Christians?

Posted on October 17, 2012 by bibleteacherorg

I’m working on a new sermon for Pearce’s Baptist Church this Sunday called “Is Christ At Home In Your Hearts”. The Text comes from

Ephesians 3:14-17 (KJV)  For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith …

What is our priority as Christians? The big news from the Southern Baptist Convention seems to be an ongoing argument between Calvinism and non-Calvinism. If you’re not a Calvinist (and I’m not) and not a theologian preacher graduated from Seminary (and I’m not) you probably don’t know what a “Calvinist” is. Rather than go into great detail I’ll see if I can summarize it. Calvinists believe that God has pre-chosen certain people to be saved, and only these chosen people will be saved. Calvinists further believe that Christ only died for these “pre-chosen” or “elect” people. Non-Calvinists believe that God offers salvation freely to everyone, and that Christ died for the whole world.

Let me be clear: I am not a Calvinist. I believe that Jesus Christ died for the whole world. I believe John 3:16 when it states “God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life”. The Scripture further teaches that Christ died for all (1 Timothy 2:6; Isaiah 53:6), for every man (Hebrews 2:9), for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2), for the ungodly (Romans 5:6), for false teachers (2 Peter 2:1), for many (Matthew 20:28), for Israel (John 11:50-51), for the Church (Ephesians 5:25), and wonderfully for me (Galatians 2:20). I believe that Calvinism misses the mark when it speaks of Christ dying for just the elect, something they call Limited Atonement. I am not a Calvinist. Having said this, however, I must ask …

Why all the fussing between Calvinists and non-Calvinists? Why did the Southern Baptist Convention waste it’s time drafting a “Resolution on Sinner’s Prayer“? Why are we arguing at all?

Though I am not a Calvinist, my favorite preacher – often called the Prince of Preachers – was C.H. Spurgeon. Spurgeon was a Calvinist. I’ve read a number of books written by John Piper – great books that glorify God. Piper is a Calvinist. Other great preachers, teachers, or pastors who were Calvinists were George Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards, John Gill, James P Boyce, B.H. Carroll, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Donald Barnhouse, BB Warfield, Alexander Maclaren, J. Greshan Machen, John Murray, Francis Schaeffer, G.Campbell Morgan, John Knox, M.R. DeHaan, Charles E. Fuller,  and in more modern times D. James Kennedy, and John MacArthur. Non-Calvinists argue that Calvinists are not evangelical nor mission minded, which is untrue. Spurgeon pastored one of the largest Churches in his day, Edwards preached the Gospel during the First Great Awakening,  D. James Kennedy founded Evangelism Explosion to teach Gospel Witnessing Techniques to God’s people, John McArthur shares the Gospel through his Grace To You radio and television broadcasts. Paul Washer is an in your face evangelist – and a Calvinist.  R.C. Sproul is a Calvinist.  Apologist and Preacher Voddie Baucham is Calvinist. Jerry Bridges of the Navigators is Calvinist. Writer and producer of Joni and Friends Joni Eareckson-Tada is Calvinist. Francis Chan is Calvinist – at least, the Bible College he founded is.  I could go on and on. If I burned every book from my pastoral library written by Calvinists I daresay I wouldn’t have much left – and neither would my self righteous non-Calvinist brethren.

As Christians – if we are Christians – we have much more to concern us than Calvinism. Romans 14:1 tells us to avoid doubtful disputations – arguing about things for which there is no clear Biblical answer. The Bible teaches predestination and the Bible teaches free will. The Bible teaches that God knows all things, and yet at times God seems to regret certain actions He took (Genesis 6:6). There are many things in the Bible that I cannot understand, but I accept them on faith because the God Who loves me and saved me asks that I accept it. One of the things that I can understand is that God expects every Christian to love every Christian. Jesus said:

John 13:35 … “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

The world knows that we are Christians because we who are Christian love other Christians. That’s not hard to understand, is it? If I love you but don’t agree with you, I can disagree in a kind and Christian way. I don’t have to get together with a bunch of people and draft a resolution against what you believe. If we are Christians the Holy Spirit of God will guide us into all truth (John 16:13). When I hear something that doesn’t match what God has said in His Word, then He speaks to my heart – and I move on. As D.L. Moody once said “When I eat fish, I eat the meat but leave the bones”. I can read a book by anyone and, comparing what I read to the Book can determine right from wrong because God tells me. Jesus also said

Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

If I am a Christian I need to be light in darkness. We are so busy being righteous and doctrinally pure that we can’t seem to be right about what matters. As Christians we are to be like Christ. We are to reach out to those who are suffering and lonely. We are to minister to the sick and the infirm. We are to give people a hand up, while pointing upward to Christ.

Just this week I read the tragic story of Amanda Michelle Todd, a 15 year old child who took her own life on October 10, 2012. This poor child posted a video online. In the video she never spoke, but held up flash cards to tell why she took her life. She was, in essence, bullied to death. Cruel bullies posted evil pictures of her online, and the children she went to school with mocked and degraded her. In despair she eventually took her own life.

Where were the Christians?

Were there no Christians in her school when a gang surrounded her and beat on her? Were their no Christians in her family who would sit down and talk with her, be a willing ear, show love? Did no Christian see the self inflicted cut marks on her arms and tell her that she is a beautiful girl that need not harm herself in this way? Where was the Light of the world? Oh, I’m sorry. We were out back arguing about Calvinism vs non-Calvinism, Pentecostal vs non-Pentecostal, Liberal vs Conservative, Baptist vs Presbyterian vs Methodist vs Lutheran vs ……

Dear God, please help us to wake up and be the light You have called us to be. Amen!

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God is not Crom

Posted on October 15, 2012 by bibleteacherorg

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” Titus 2:13, 14

When I was younger I used to read comic books, and one of my favorites was about Conan the Barbarian. Conan was always facing down demons, saving maidens, and squashing the enemy – a perfect hero for a pimply faced four eyed introverted child. I dreamed of being like Conan – packed with muscles and desired by the ladies. I liked Superman, but I couldn’t really be him. Superman was actually an alien who came to our world. But Conan was a scrawny pimply faced child until evil people kidnapped him and forced him into slavery. It was as a slave that Conan became powerful, able to defeat any enemy. He eventually destroyed those who enslaved him in the first place.

One of Conan’s favorite sayings was “Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”.  When I heard that saying I didn’t realize at the time that it wasn’t Conan who first said this, but the German Philosopher Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche.  Nietzsche believed in nihilism, the belief that nothing has any inherent importance and that life lacks purpose. He wrote in several of his texts that “God is dead”. Life just happens. We are on this earth for no reason other than to live out our lives as best we can, then we cease to be while our bodies lay rotting without purpose in boxes.

If runners in a marathon were told that there was no finish line, no winner, no ultimate goal, then there would be no runners nor marathon. If life has no purpose other than this moment then why live? Even Conan had a purpose. When he went out on an adventure he sought to save the maiden, to gain riches, to beat the bad guys.

As I outgrew the comic books I tried living – or should I say dying – Nihilism. I tried living for myself, purposeless, without goals. I drank hard on Friday and Saturday, slept in on Sunday, lived for the moment. All the while my soul grew more and more empty, and I felt more and more useless.

Then God found me. He wasn’t the god of Nihilism, the god of Conan, the god called Crom. When Conan was asked about his god one day he painted Crom as grim and gloomy, gazing unconcerned at humanity from atop his mountain perch. Crom is ready to judge, but never to help. The God Who found me saw my flaws, but offered to save me from them. The God Who found me gave Himself for me, paying for my failures and my sins. The God Who found me purchased me from nothingness so He could raise me up to be something.  The God Who found me starting working in my life from the day we met, and has not ceased working to make me better than I was. The God Who found me gave me purpose. He stands with me no matter where I go and no matter what I do. Even when I fail He reaches out and lifts me up.

This God is not Crom, but Jesus Christ.  Those who love Him are “zealous of good works”, people of purpose, people with a goal. Our goal is to tell others about the God Who is not Crom, to tell others how much He loves us, and how He proved that love by giving Himself for us.

That same Lord and Savior calls to you today. Come away my Beloved. Come away from purposelessness. Come away, and soar on eagle’s wings with me.

Come.

He Loves You!

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