A Season of Thanksgiving

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Autumn has been my favorite time of the year for a long, long time for many reasons. As I grow older and hopefully wiser, I try to take some time to contemplate as often as I can. I like to think that mostly I’ve usually been a thankful person, but the longer I live, the more I realize I have so much to be thankful for. The obvious things that most of us think of when we count our blessings during this Thanksgiving Season and into the Christmas and New Year usually start with family, home, health and the like. I’m thankful for all of these too, but with every year and certainly with certain life events that pass, I find that I’m thankful for things that some may not even consider.

I’m thankful for the mistakes I’ve made over the years and especially the ones that taught me the hardest but best lessons. I’m thankful for injuries and illnesses that remind me of the frailty of life and the necessity to care for the body that the Lord has blessed me with. Additionally, some of these injuries and illnesses have forced me to slow down or even stop, consider, perhaps rest or redirect in the way the Lord desired that I go. On the other hand, I am thankful for the health and strength that the Lord has blessed me with to allow me to do what He’s called me to do.

I’m thankful for my wife of 23 years and our seven beautiful children. Many have wondered at our large family and even criticized us for various reasons, but I would answer that raising seven children to love Jesus Christ with all their heart, soul, mind and strength is one of the greatest legacies we can leave. I’m incredibly proud of each of them and love seeing them grow in stature and in grace and knowledge of the Lord.

I’m thankful for the opportunity to serve our nation in the armed forces, even though the church has to adapt sometimes when duty calls. I’m thankful that they so enthusiastically support me and my family in my military service. I’m thankful for the perspective that this service has shaped over my years of service in different locations and jobs.

I’m thankful to live in the greatest nation on earth where opportunity is generally available and the next step depends on what I believe is the balance of divine providence and personal responsibility. I’m thankful for the physical and mental strength and stamina the Lord has blessed me with over the years in order to provide for our family while my very capable wife gladly oversees the household in her noblest calling. I’m thankful for godly parents who are enjoying their heavenly reward awaiting the time when we’ll be reunited again.

I’m thankful for teachers, coaches, employers, mentors, supervisors and friends who have helped to shape me into who I have become today, whether those interactions were positive or negative from my perspective at that time. I’m thankful that I’ve mostly done my best to learn from my mistakes and the mistakes of others to improve my life and my walk with the Lord. I’m thankful for the opportunities I’ve had to maximize positive interactions when possible over the years.

I am especially thankful for the opportunity to personally own a copy of God’s word, the Bible without fear of imprisonment or worse. I’m thankful for the time I have each day to read a portion of it, personally and with my family in order to properly prioritize my life.

More than anything else, I am thankful for the gift of salvation only available though Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. I am thankful that even after attempting to live life on my terms, rejecting Him, he still saw fit to cover my sins with his precious blood. I’m thankful that He has provided a plan and a way for me to serve him with the gifts and abilities he has blessed me with.

America Has a Problem (Part 1: The Big Picture)

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It’s more than the recent news headlines, which have been sensationalized by many news outlets that these observations are shared. As a nation, we have more than slid into the ditch morally and in so many other ways. No, we haven’t simply “slid into the ditch” as I just mentioned, we’ve jumped off the cliff after flirting with the crumbling edge for so many years.

Before I go any further, every death, especially of those who do not know Jesus Christ as Savior is tragic. The recent “mass shootings” are absolutely tragic, but for too many people who have been watching the moral fabric of our nation shredded over the last 40 years and more could have and should have warned that this is coming. I read an article this morning, esssentially warning that, no matter what we do at this point, it’s not going to get any better anytime soon. https://www.wnd.com/2019/08/why-the-mass-shootings-will-continue/

Just to get a better idea of some of the things going on in our nation today, though the statistics are as recent as I could find, I did just a little bit of digging. I’m essentially a nobody on anyone’s radar and whether I have a small or large audience matters little to me. With that being said, I’m simply echoing what many have already said over and over, yet no one listens because for too many people, their minds are already made up and “confusing them with the truth,” simply isn’t helpful and certainly not desireable. America does not “have a gun problem.” America does, very much “have a sin problem.”

A firearm is an inanimate object. Fully loaded, regardless of its size, appearance, round capacity, caliber or any other characteristic it does not “kill people” unless it is acted upon by some outside force. I have considerable experience with firearms of all types, though that is not the point of my comments. As I stated earlier, I did a little bit of research to get just a sliver of the picture of many of the problems that contribute to the overall sin problem in our nation today. The statistics all come from a single source to eliminate any possible bias. My source of information is the Centers for Disease Control website. All figures include the latest data available from the website, which may not all be from the same year, but all the most recent available.

According to the CDC, there were 14,542 firearm homicides in the United States in 2017, which translates to nearly 40 per day. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/homicide.htm Taking into consideration ALL firearm related deaths, accidents and suicides, that number jumps to 28,663 for the year 2000 or about 79 per day. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5214a2.htm

Alcohol usage in America has directly led to even greater problems in our country, but there is no public forum anywhere calling for a ban on alcohol. According to the CDC, ” Drinking too much can harm your health. Excessive alcohol use led to approximately 88,000 deaths and 2.5 million years of potential life lost (YPLL) each year in the United States from 2006 – 2010, shortening the lives of those who died by an average of 30 years.1,2 Further, excessive drinking was responsible for 1 in 10 deaths among working-age adults aged 20-64 years. The economic costs of excessive alcohol consumption in 2010 were estimated at $249 billion, or $2.05 a drink.3” https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/alcohol-use.htm . Alcohol related deaths are at 88,000 deaths annually or an average of just over 241 per day.

Where firearm control or an outright ban is the ideal of many, and unrestricted access is the other side of the coin, the same can be said about abortion. According to the CDC, there have were 638,169 “legal abortions” performed in 2015 or over 1,748 per day. https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/data_stats/abortion.htm.

These statistics do not even take into account other actions that the Bible calls sin. There are things that we have turned a blind eye to as a church, collectively and as a nation. Regardless of garbage “revisionist history,” the truth is that our nation was indeed founded on morality and religion. For the most part, based on our own founding documents and the writings of our own founding fathers, we were established on a Judeo-Christian foundation. The first article that was referenced is profound and, I believe, right on target, unfortunately.

Let me sum up my thoughts here by some succinct comparisons of three of the statistics offered. Go search it yourself, by the way. The links are there. For the years available for the most current results there were 14,542 firearm homicides or nearly 40 per day in 2017. Alcohol use gives us 88,000 deaths on average or just over 241 per day. Abortion accounted for 638,169 innocent deaths or over 1,748 per day in 2015. Just a little more perspective here: for every single firearm homicide in the statistics available from the CDC, there were almost 44 innocent babies slaughtered per day.

Firearms, alcohol, abortion and more. America has a sin problem. To be continued…

Pastor Joe

Who are You to Say??

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There have been a lot of things going on in the news lately as well as in daily conversation, social media and generally on a lot of people’s minds, it seems. I’m sure my observations and comments won’t be exhaustive, but I have been involved with reading, hearing, discussing, watching and considering many of these “social issues” in everyday life. If you have different thoughts, I’d love to hear about them.

The purpose of this post isn’t to completely hash out the social issues in the news, including abortion, homosexuality/transgenderism, immigration, gun control, welfare and well, I’m sure you get the picture. If I feel it’s necessary in the future, perhaps if it’s requested, or depending on where the news (social, mainstream or otherwise) may go, some individual topics may be adressed in the future. In considering these issues, whether in discussion or news reporting, of course everyone has an opinion. The more important consideration is in all aspects is the “final say,” if you will.

Since everyone has an opinion on these issues, are there any absolutes to be considered? Is every opinion valid or is there a truth to be known in all the jumble? As many may say we either “need to keep ‘religion’ out of the discussion.” Or, “religion defines or at least guides the answers.” I would submit that “religion” is sometimes a part of the problem if “religion” is simply to be defined as a “belief system.” For some people who are passionately involved in the discussion, or interested observers with strong opinions, “religion” may be a big part of the discussion, but I would contend they are missing the forest for the trees.

I will contend that God and His word are the ultimate and absolute authority and He will have the “final say” in these issues. I also will contend that anyone who uses God’s Word, the Bible as their foundation and absolute authority when discussing these issues is right. Unfortunately, I’ve experienced “Christians” who have strong opinions about this one way or the other, who don’t seem to even consider what the Bible has to say. The other aspect of this is that some will attempt to use what they THINK scripture SEEMS to say to support their strong opinions one way or the other.

I’m not exactly sure what happens, but in many cases to me it seems that “Christians” use some kind of a digital search tool to find a verse of scripture which seems to support their preconceived ideas regarding some issue. They find what they think supports their position, but don’t take the care or the time to read the surrounding verses or similar passages of scripture to get the context. Then when anyone counters their position with proper biblical exposition, the true student of scripture is called all sorts of names or derided as being “hateful, judgemental, narrow-minded” or worse.

Some of the people involved in these heated discussons are everyday people but some are well-known in some way. Ministry, politics, business and such. I get the popularity game often played by businessmen and especially politicians (where have all the ‘statesmen’ gone?), but it’s the ‘ministry leaders’ that are especially troubling to me. I don’t get how some appear to feel the need to be popular to be able to get the message out. The true message of the Bible is that Jesus Christ came in to the world to save sinners, as the Apostle Paul stated in 1 Timothy 2:15. A huge part of that message is that sin separates people from God and left to itself the separation will be eternal (Hebrews 9:27).

Regardless of whether the person discussing the issue is an ‘everyday’ Christian or some well-known ministry leader, can we just get back to the sufficiency, inerrency and infallibility of scripture? God’s word cannot contradict itself and remain valid. God does not and will not contradict himself. Essentially, he said what he meant and meant what he said. Your thoughts and feelings hold no weight against the very word of the Creator of the Universe. When disagreements come, attempting to argue feelings or out of context verses of scripture as your proof-text simply won’t work. In that vein, the ‘arguments’ are not with me, but with God and His word.

So, considering the thought of the title, “I” am not saying anything that God has not already said. While I don’t always say it perfectly, God does. I do try to explain my position as standing on God’s word as patiently, carefully and lovingly as possible, but there are times when I certainly don’t do it as well as I could or should. I do try to employ the spirit of Colossians 4:6 in these discussions to the best of my ability by the grace and power of God’s indwelling Holy Spirit. (“Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. ~ Colossians 4:6)

The bottom line is that God is who he said he is and what he said will stand forever. Overall, the answer is only found in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Once that’s settled, the continuing effort should be to know and understand His word by regular, continuous and diligent study (2 Timothy 2:15). The follow-up to that is consistent obedience and then boldly standing firm on His word, regardless of the opinions or actions of a sinful world.

A Few Things

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Unfortunately, it’s been a while since I’ve been able to post here. Recently through a dear friend and my wife, along with some serious soul-searching (as many call it) and some intensive Bible Study, the Lord, Jesus Christ impressed upon me that I was getting off track and needed to get back to where He wanted me to be. I have to confess that I allowed some (perhaps many) of my priorities to overtake and even replace the Lord’s plan for my life, my family and even my ministry. As I would simply put it, I had to hit the ‘reset’ button and return control of my priorities to the Lord.

There have been a lot of things happening, certainly not only with me, but with everything around us. Not only my immediate family, community and church, but our nation and the world as a whole. In addition to an increased diet of God’s word, the Bible, I’ve decided that in place of electronic sources of information I needed to get back to reading some good, old-fashioned books. Some books that I’ve had for some time, but never seemed to have the time to read. Between reading the scriptures, good books, more time to reflect and refocus on my family and other things, I’ve been wondering, where do I start after the ‘reset’?

I do my best to heed the admonition in Colossians 4:6, “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye ought to know how ye ought to answer every man.” With that thought in mind, I believe the most loving thing we can do as Christians is to loudly and boldy proclaim the truth. Whether that is the truth about the family, church, government (the three main institutions of society established by God) or the truth about ‘social’ or ‘political’ issues of our day. Abortion, homosexuality, now transgenderism, divorce, debt, euthanasia, the list goes on and on.

Unfortunately, the ‘church’ is silent or intimidated by these very real issues clearly addressed in scripture. I’ve had one person write to me anonymously telling me, “Let’s not mix religion and politics!” I won’t dive into some of these issues today, but rather, I really wanted to address the ‘Church’ in America as a whole and especially those who claim the name of Christ, calling themselves ‘Christians.’ I have two questions and/or challenges for you. 1. Who are you following? and 2. What is your foundation?

In the Apostle Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian Church, he adressed this idea of dedication to who we follow. In 1 Corinthians 1:12, even though some claimed to follow Christ, the problem even of these is their apparent attitude of superiority and divisions based on who they followed. “Now this I say, that every one of you saith, ‘I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas (Peter); and I of Christ’. He emphasizes his point in chapter 3 and verse 4 again. “For while one saith, ‘I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos;’ are ye not yet carnal?”

The point I am trying to make is that there are too many ‘Christians’ today who have set up speakers, whether pastors, evangelists, radio, television or You Tube personalities who they blindly follow regardless of any errors in doctrine or moral failures. Listening to them or watching them while they properly expound the Word of God is great and to be commended, but even the greatest of these are subject to failure. The question is, when they say or do something contrary to God’s Word, are they corrected? Do you know they have erred? What is their response when another Christian Brother or Sister gently and lovingly attempts to point out the biblical error, especially using clear scripture and scriptural principles? We ought to revere people who diligently preach and teach the Word of God, but understand that they are merely human and subject to failure. Everything they say ought to be filtered through the pages of scripture.

The Apostle Paul addressed this concept in the book of Acts, chapter 17, verses 10-11. To paraphrase, he praised the church at Berea as being more dedicated than the church in Thessalonica because the Bereans, “searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”

Here’s what I’m trying to say in both questions, ‘What’s your bottom line?’ In asking, ‘what is your foundation,’ I’m trying to emphasise that the Word of God ought to be our foundation in all that we hear, read, say, think and do. Whether we listen to a speaker and think, “I’m not sure that’s biblical,” then go to look up their scripture references, compare our notes on what was said, and if necessary, dismiss their teaching as unbiblical. Along those same lines, when ‘social issues’ come up in the news, in discussion at work or school, potential laws or judicial rulings, it is not hateful, unloving, judgemental or discriminitory to declare what God’s word has to say about these things. God’s word MUST be our foundation in all things, whether we are at church, at home, at school, at work, the library, grocery store, or anywhere.

Let me conclude by sharing just a couple of things. I began studying the Bible in earnest LONG before I became a pastor, as I should have. I truly believe the Lord was preparing me for where I am today. In the course of time when He was preparing me, I developed my theology and understanding of scripture. In some cases, I was challenged by things I had heard growing up, some books or articles I had read or people I had listened to. In other cases, I was challenged in my theology by people who had studied more intently or longer than I and had a better understanding. As a pastor, even today, I am adamant that people who know me, whether they attend Bible Baptist Church or not check me out against scripture. Challenge me (in love, I would hope) to defend or clarify, and when necessary correct what I’ve said or written.

What you think of and do with God’s word, the Bible and Jesus Christ is far more important than following anyone teaching or being socially or politically correct.

A Special Call to Prayer

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“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” ~ 2 Chronicles 7:14

This well-known passage of scripture was a challenge given to Solomon by God at the dedication of the temple in Jerusalem. It has been rightly used by many in our nation to remind the church of the necessity and our duty to seek the Lord in prayer.

With the state of the church in our nation and worldwide, the designation of the month of November as the month of prayer for the persecuted church and especially for the mid-term election coming Tuesday, November 6, we ought to seek the Lord in prayer all the more earnestly.

The biblical discipline of fasting coupled with prayer has nearly been lost from the spiritual practice of many, if not most Christians in our country today. I believe that there are times where earnest prayer, without distraction if at all possible is greatly needed.

I personally believe that our last major election was God’s “one last chance” for our nation and especially the churches of our nation to wake up, turn in humility and repentance back to Him, boldly contend for the faith and dedicate ourselves to prayer, righteous living and service for our King.

If you are able, would you consider fasting and praying with me, especially on election day?

Pastor Joe