The First Hymnal for Atheists

I think Steve Martin may be one of the most talented and clever comedians of our time and he’s at it again. Here’s a clip of his latest composition, “Atheist Don’t Have No Songs,” performed at the Merlefest 2010, accompanied by the Steep Canyon Rangers…it is hilarious!

Pray!

Tonight Grant Norsworthy will be leading a men’s rally here at Beulah. We are using it as our fall kick-off for the men’s group as they begin meeting after the summer off…but in a larger sense, we have invited men from surrounding churches to come and hear Grant and what God has given him. Please, please pray 1) that the men God wants here will show up…we’ve even enticed them with a meal… 2) that Grant receives an anointing and shares what God wants shared…nothing more, nothing less, and 3) that hearts will be receptive to God’s word delivered thru Grant and it would take root. My personal hope is that for each man here tonight there will be a handful of women praying for him. For far too long the Church has been ineffective, due in part to inactive men who are trying to fit God into their busy lives that are caught up trying to make a living in this crazy world. I am not sure I can even imagine what this community, Church, or world would look like if every man would sell out and fully surrender to Jesus Christ. The impact of these men on their children/families, on their peers, on their businesses would be exponential! I think it would equal the impact Pentecost had on the first century Church! So pray, pray that God’s will for each of these men tonight would be realized. Then continue to pray for these men that the fire kindled tonight would never be extinguished.

Living A Lie

This might just explain why so many young women are living life frustrated and depressed. The world is lying to them! I do not profess to be an expert on beauty or fashion...but to me the saddest part of this video is after this young woman was 'transformed' into a beauty, she wasn't good enough for Madison Avenue, so they chose to photoshop the image. That is a very sad statement on our culture. Every person who thinks models and movie stars are 'real' should watch this.

My (Only) Two Pet Peeves!

Okay, I am really put out by those sports figures who will make the sign of the cross as they prepare to do what they do, depending upon the sport, or those who will point to heaven after performing a great feat. I am sorry, I do not see how that glorifies God and I do not think God is overly supportive of any one athlete or sports team. In fact, I have come to believe that making Christian gestures in public has become the equivalent of wearing Christian jewelry...for many it means absolutely nothing. I have seen men and women dressed in a manner that can only be defined as vulgar wearing a cross around their neck or cross earrings...yeah, that's a great witness. Now, having said that there is one thing that irks me even more. In a conversation today someone quoted the old saying, "I would rather burn out for God than rust out for God." I understand the intent of the phrase, but I've got to say I think that mentality is of satan. Either way the result is the same...you are out! I do not believe God's intent is for us to either wear out or rust out...I think God would much prefer for us to engage in effective ministry every day of our lives. Of course to do that one must take care of self and that begins with the admission to self that I cannot do all things in my own power or timing. As good as serving God is, we must care for self so we can continue to perform that ministry for the glory of God and the advancement of the Kingdom. Remember, too much of a good thing is still too much...and that's a bad thing! Minister well.

Is Faith Without Works Really Faith?

This Wednesday we begin a new Bible study on the book of James. We’ve finished our tour of Israel and now it’s back to the Book…how appropriate since that has been my theme for Anna since school’s started! I know you’re busy, but I wanted to invite you to attend since Bible study is much more than reading the Bible, it’s a great opportunity to grow in one’s faith. In the most recent district newsletter, Mike Jones, Cindy’s husband, offered this definition of Bible study and sermon preparation from How to Read the Bible for All It’s Worth, Third Edition. I thought it was well worth sharing with you.
"The believing scholar insists that the biblical text first of all means what it meant. That is, we believe that God’s word for us today is first of all precisely what his Word was to (the first hearers of it). Thus, we have two tasks: First, our task is to find out what the text originally meant; this is called exegesis. Second, we must learn to hear that same meaning in the variety of new or different contexts of our day; we call this second task hermeneutics… To do both tasks well should be the goal of Bible study."
So, as we begin studying this epistle of straw (Luther’s words, not mine!), read each chapter carefully and repeatedly. Consult your commentaries. Let God speak to you and we’ll decide what it meant to the original hearers and what it means to us today. I am confident God will bless our efforts.

Living Revival

I’ve been reading books lately that deal with people experiencing revival…about how we commonly experience the Holy Spirit and the outpouring of the Spirit in our lives. While God works and moves in many different ways and I routinely caution people about putting God in our boxes, Michael Brown in From Holy Laughter to Holy Fire says there are at least six things the Holy Spirit will commonly do in times of revival (p. 246): “The Spirit will sanctify (Hebrews 9:13-14); convict (John 16:8-11); glorify Jesus (John 16:14); deliver and heal (Acts 10:38); empower (Acts 1:8); and refresh (Acts 3:19)” (sorry, just too many Scripture references to include the passages…now you have something to look up). Now if this is a true statement and I would generally concur it is, then I must make another observation. Revival is not something that happens at a single church service or at a particular time or season in one’s life. Revivals are more of a lifestyle than an event…revivals are lived! Revivals do not fade or become passé. They are a continuing work of the Holy Spirit. Jonathan Edwards, the great theologian and preacher of the early 18th Century whose preaching is credited with sparking the Great Awakening in 1733, while I do not agree with all he said or taught, I do think he got this right. “God’s purpose in sending revival is to make men holy.” Remember, that doesn't mean one is perfect, but holy...set apart. Revivals are not to glorify a preacher or church, a denomination or community…they are to make men holy. And men are made holy by a process (sanctification) which often takes a lifetime, not a weekend or a single service to accomplish.

Here I Am Lord, Hug Me!

I’ve been trying to catch up (again) and in the rush of life I wanted to share something with you from last Sunday’s district youth rally which was held at Epworth Campgrounds in Louisville. As Harvest was playing songs for the youth, encouraging them to jump and perform all the motions, Tim paused just a moment between songs and told the kids, “God has a hard time hugging you when you’re bouncing off the walls!” He was encouraging the youth to start the discipline of quiet time with God. As he spoke my mind raced to my life of “bouncing off the walls.” I may not have the energy I had when I was 16, but I can still bounce pretty high…and I still need my quiet time with God. Each of us adults need it perhaps even more than the kids! Over the years we’ve developed…and some of us have perfected…that “I can do it” attitude. In a society that prizes self-sufficiency, we’ve left no room for the interaction and power of God thru the Holy Spirit in our lives. Sadly, it shows in many, many lives…even the lives of believers. People are stressed, frazzled, burnt out, and exhausted. Why? Well for some it’s the pre-schoolers living in their homes…but for too many it is a lack of that one-on-one time with God. That time to praise Him, cry out to Him, and to listen to Him. We all need it…desperately. Without it, we’ll miss His hugs!

Keeping Your Edge...

Early last evening, as I was sweating, working my rear off mowing the grass that will not stop growing…near the end of my chore I noticed something. My mower was doing a terrible job of cutting the grass. In the taller grass, it just ripped through the grass and didn’t cut it at all. When I checked, the blade was dull…very dull. In fact, it would make a butter knife look razor sharp! Now, in addition to being hot and sweaty, I was frustrated because upon a closer examination, the grass looked terrible. I hadn’t invested the time to sharpen the blade and now my efforts did not yield the results I had intended. It was then God spoke to me and shared his frustration with me. Because I am not ‘sharp,’ my witness is not what it should be. O yeah, I do a good job compared to some people…at least I get out there and try…but because I do not invest proper time in the Word or in His presence sharpening my witness, it does not yield the results it could/should…the results God intends. Because my witness, upon close examination, is sloppy and ineffective, God is frustrated with me. Two things I want to life up…first of all, God does not want me to compare my witness efforts to others…that is like comparing apples to oranges. God has called us to witness, not to compare witnesses. Secondly, if I do not continually ‘sharpen’ or spiritually mature, my witness and even my faith will become dull and ineffective. Without the proper maintenance, it might even become like a broken mower stranded among the tallest of weeds. When’s the last time your blade was sharpened?

Revive Us, O Lord!

In speaking with friends recently I posed the question, "What is revival?" It seems to me that too many people think all their church needs (but not them mind you) is a good old fashioned revival. In fact, some will say that if we just scheduled revival services each fall (or spring, or summer, or winter) the way we used to, the church would once again thrive in the community. I see that thinking as a lie of satan! First of all, by its very nature, revival needs to be experienced only once. If you are truly revived it will last a lifetime. And if you are truly revived, you will not wait a year to engage or invite others to your church and Savior…you’ll do it today! Michael Brown, in From Holy Laughter to Holy Fire, defines revival as a time of visitation by the Holy Spirit. “If it is confined to one church, it is not revival. If it is confined to the meetings themselves, it is not revival. If it can all be traced to the efforts of man, it is not revival. If it does not ultimately affect the society, it is not revival” (pg. 235). How arrogant of us to think God would send revival to those at our church alone! True revival does not stay in the church, the Spirit moves from there into the homes and schools and businesses and places of sin to convict and convert (although it would seem there are certainly some churches where conviction is needed!). Study the Reformation, the Puritan and Methodist revivals, the Great Awakening or the Pentecostal outpouring…that is how God works and moves...still today! So throw away your little box (God will not be contained) and get on your knees if you truly want to experience revival, but be careful what you pray for, God just might answer your prayer!

What Dads Need to Do More...

Oh my…we had decided to make today a family day and take Anna & Bella to Holiday World. Fortunately for me, level heads prevailed and we because of the heat changed our plans to a day in Evansville. Eating, visiting the children’s museum, eating, movie, shopping, eating…it was a tough day (but I remain thankful!). The lesson I re-learned today was that the kids really didn’t care where we went, they just wanted to spend the time with Jill and me. It’s kind of like your child unwrapping an expensive present and then you catch them playing with the box (and enjoying it more than the present!). It’s really too bad, but many parents today have bought into Madison Avenue’s philosophy that kids need the biggest and the best if they are going to be normal, and they need even more of it to thrive. All they need is mom and dad’s guidance, care, love and attention. Unfortunately those are the very things many kids lack. Why? It’s hard work! My feet are killing me, but my heart rejoices! Scripture tells us to “train up a child in the way he should grow and when he is old he will not turn from it” (Proverbs 22:6). People quote that text as a reason to teach their kids Scripture, but that is not what it is speaking of. Sure we need to teach children Scripture, but these verses speak of humility, generosity, a good name, and wickedness. It speaks of training them for life, and an important aspect of life is relationships. We also need to be modeling relationships for them, not the least of which is that of parent and child. How else will our children grow to be effective parents?

Are You Thankful?

I have had one of "those" days...you know the ones. Everything went wrong, I accomplished very little, in fact it seems like I lost ground today, but I am thankful. Thankful for so many things and one is that I saw this video of Nick last week and wanted to post it for you today. (Let me apologize to those I told to watch for the blog today and then I didn't post this until now...but part of my struggle today was the lack of internet service after about 9:30 this morning.) I do not know what church Nick goes to, but I have no doubt of his faith! You can search You Tube for more of his inspiring videos...grab a tissue and enjoy.

All Of You!

Well, didn’t that video cool things off??? Wish I could take credit for the cooler weather…but then I would have to take responsibility for the heat we’ve had and that which is still to come! But to something I can control (and I am held accountable for)…in a conversation I was involved in recently, the question was raised, “What does God want from you?” Now this was asked by a full-time Christian worker to other full-time Christian workers (which may be the ultimate oxymoron since God sees us all as full-time Christian workers). I was amazed with the answers that were given. As I understand the Christian life, God does not want your gifts. God does not want your time. God does not even want your ministry. God wants YOU! His claim upon you is total. God’s claim goes beyond ‘ministry’ (although too many ‘Christian workers’ try to separate life and ministry). God’s claim upon you goes deeper than your public life. God is even looking for something more than your private life. God wants YOU…He wants your life, your heart, your desires, your ambitions, your motivations, your thoughts…God longs to be involved with you…in an intimate relationship with you. Holiness is God in me and I in Him. It is a life lost in His love. Holiness is being wholly His. Should we desire anything less? If we do, we are binding the hands of God to work in, around, and thru us. We need to seek God with all of our hearts. We should cry out to Him with tears and praise Him with all that is in us. What does God want from you? All of You!

Hot! Hot! Hot!

Hot enough for you? Hope so, but don't wish it away just yet. I have a video for you that will hopefully cool you off just a bit and offer incentive for everyone to stop complaining about the heat...unless of course you are one of those people who love the winter. Enjoy!

Why We Doing This?

So I’ve blinked and suddenly it is now August…school will be starting soon and the days have begun to grow shorter. Now I am just waiting for the temps to cool…and yes, I will be the one complaining about the cold weather in January! Still, I have been seeking relief from the heat inside and reading. Specifically reading again about an amazing man, Smith Wigglesworth. Reading about Smith, I came across this quote in Wigglesworth: A Man Who Walked With God by George Stormont. “Before visiting door to door was popular in England, Wigglesworth did it. He did not wait for his church to develop a visitation program. He was the program! With a burning heart and unflagging zeal, he sought out people in their homes. He had what has been called ‘20/20 spiritual vision’—Acts 20.20.” Now, as many of us here at Beulah seek direction concerning outreach into our community, it occurred to me that what we really need is not a new or better program, what we need are people who will become the program…people with a desire to see others brought to Christ. We might try many things, programs that are successful elsewhere, but if we do not have in our hearts the desire to see folks come to profess Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord…if we are doing it because the pastor or someone else wants it...it will never be successful and we will never be a successful church.