Head-dibs

Heroes are not what they used to be. The Disney movie “Toy Story” (it’s ok, my Baptist brethren—we can talk about it now) is a great example of shift that is marked in our heroes. As late as the 1970’s the cowboy might have remained a figure of heroism (rugged strength, determination, stamina, etc). Contrast the Lone Ranger with the Marlboro Man, though, you get a much different picture. Enter the Space Ranger. We live in the contrast of Rocket Man against Darth Vader. Back in my day, Luke Skywalker was the hero . . . what happened? Clearly, Lucas did not end up in line from where he began. Who are the heroes? Who are the good guys, and who are the bad? Let’s ask it another way: if you had to run to someone for help, who would it be? Identify someone. Who is it and what do they do? I am curious to know who you identify. I am certain that a good number of my readers would identify someone in the ministry. Let’s kick it up a notch. Who would your neighbor run to for help? Who do they loo...

"If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one go there unwarned and unprayed for." (Spurgeon) I’ve gone without posting a witnessing report for a while now for a few reasons, the foremost is that I’ve not had dedicated time to make a report. I shall endeavor to catch up the news here. One of my daughters has joined me on a few outings and would probably tell you how crazy her dad is. She is quite supportive and I am glad to have her along in this rare father-daughter opportunity. Together we have walked much of downtown and have shared some sights and scenes together, which in its own rite, has been quite enjoyable. I am also glad to have her along to talk to disciple her in this unique way. We spent a time or two on campus at the University of South Carolina and have had some good conversations with folks. Our best conversations are at Finlay Park. This last week I was j...

“The world may never know.” This is the answer to “how many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Tootsie Pop?” You remember the commercial: the kid walks up to the wise old owl and asks the question, to which the owl in his wisdom replies, “let’s find out . . . 1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . **crunch** [ handing the stick back, proclaiming ] . . . 3.” How many sins must one commit to be a sinner? Does the world know? Is it “3”? Think of it this way: “how many pins does it take to pop a balloon . . . ?” “ For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all .” James 2:10

Way of the Master Radio comments on Brian McLaren's view on Hell. Listen here (starts at 10:44 into the program). There is some great stuff about You (yes, YOU!) starting at 6:30 into the program. Have a nice weekend!

Very little can be compared to an upset home (hurricanes and tsunamis come to mind). The last thing anyone wants is to live in a place of strife, where family remain in contention. 1 Samuel opens with this setting. How Elkanah did it is beyond me. He had two wives that did not get along and it can be strongly argued that he made life difficult for himself with the whole polygamy thing. “Polygamy was never God’s intention for humankind, although He tolerated it; in every biblical instance polygamy created domestic problems.” [i] But this is not really about Elkanah. It’s about God’s sovereignty, it’s about leadership and interestingly, it is also about things like depression, anger, jealousy, and other type problems people face individually. As far as the text is concerned, we are able to focus on Elkanah’s wives, namely Hannah, and learn many lessons that touch on all these areas. God closed Hannah’s womb and Peninnah, her rival, would irritate Hannah with the fact of her barrenness. ...

I want to give everyone a crash course in leadership and it won't cost you a dime (donations are appreciated, however): 1. Speak with clearly and with authority; 2. Showcase a talent; 3. Have posture, poise and grace. Do these and you will find yourself as a leader. If you aren't, then at least you are eligible for the next Fru-fru Pageant. The subject of leadership is on the brink of becoming "trite" because the philosophy of self-exaltation puts everyone in the drivers' seat. Everyone wants to be in charge. Leadership is made out to be a right, so leadership is a position everyone qualifies for. But does everyone qualify? What are the character traits of a leader? It can't be eloquence because Moses couldn’t speak so God appointed Aaron as his mouthpiece. If eloquence was required why wasn't Aaron mentioned more than Moses in scripture or all of history? The only times Aaron seems to receive any direct mention, there is trouble. Hitler could sp...

Song: "I am Bound for the Promised Land" Scripture: Gen 2:3 Ex 20:8-11 Ex 31:16-17 "Sabbath" means "rest", the rest day. Does not mean "saturday," or "saturn's day" or "seventh day." Nor does it mean “Sunday” (actually from “deis solis”, or “Day of the Sun”). Note Webster's: 7th day of week observed by Jews and some Christian sects as day of rest; Sunday. Is the Sabbath the first, or last day of the week? Are the disciples breaking commandment by observing the Sabbath in conjunction with Christ's resurrection? Most Christians refer to Lord's Day as the Sabbath. Many still observe Saturday as the Day of Rest. We will agree to disagree, as we may on other issues, as tongues. We can discuss the particular day and a livelier discussion about what practices we should observe on the day of rest. Deep study has brought deep conviction about how I have not observed and the legalistic way I have kept the Sabbath. ...

Now I make known to you, brethren, the  gospel which I preached to you, which also you received,  in which also you stand, by which also you are saved,  if you hold fast  the word which I preached to you,  unless you believed in vain. For  I delivered to you  as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died  for our sins  according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day  according to the Scriptures, and that  He appeared to  Cephas, then  to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some  have fallen asleep; then He appeared to  James, then to  all the apostles; and last of all, as  to one untimely born,  He appeared to me also. For I am  the least of the apostles,  and not fit to be called an apostle, because I  persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain;...

All are welcome, open to men only. Newlyweds , sign up early ! Note: due to the complexity and level of difficulty each course will accept a maximum of eight partcipants . The course covers two days, and topics include: DAY ONE : "How to fill ice cube trays." Step by step guide with slide presentation. "Toilet rolls: Do they grow on the holders?" Roundtable discussion. "Laundry Basket and Floor: a Study in Contrast." With graphic presentation. Team try-outs at Hamper Practice (Shirts and Skins). "Dishes and Silverware. Do they levitate, fly? How do they Really get to the Sink or Dishwasher?" Panel Debate during lunch. "Loss of Virility." Losing the remote control to your significant other. Resources, Help-line and Support Groups. "Learning How to Find Things." Step-by-step demonstration starting with looking in the right place instead of turning the house upside down while shouting, "It's not there!" or ...

Lord I'm tired, So tired from walking; And Lord I'm so alone. And Lord the dark Is creeping in Creeping up to swallow me. I think I'll stop, Rest here a while. And this is all that I can say right now; And this is all that I can give. And didn't You see me cry'n? And didn't You hear me call Your name? Wasn't it You I gave my heart to? I wish You'd remember Where you sat it down. And this is all that I can say right now; And this is all that I can give. I didn't notice You were standing here. I didn't know that that was You holding me. I didn't notice You were cry'n too. I didn't know that that was You washing my feet. [David Crowder Band]

"Bibles read without prayer, sermons heard without prayer, engagements to marriage without prayer, travel undertaken without prayer, homes chosen without prayer, friendships formed without prayer, the daily act of private prayer itself hurried over or gone through without heart--these are the kind of downward steps by which many a Christian descends to a condition of spiritual paralysis, or reaches the point where God allows him to have a tremendous fall." J.C. Ryle (1816-1900) Wednesday, April 12 we are observing Prayer Day on the campus of Columbia International University . This is a day we suspend all regular activities and devote our heart, mind and strength to worship and commune as a body with our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Will you set aside a portion of time to observe your own Prayer Day with us? Be encouraged to participate with us in your own setting. Please find below some simple suggestions to strengthen, enlarge and enrich your prayer life. Every ...

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“ By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, was vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory ." “ By common confession ,” is sometimes translated “without controversy.” These words are a line in the sand. These are defining words of Christianity, being the very foundation for agreement and unity. That upon which we agree center on Christ Himself, not ideas. We gather our being around a person not a concept, a tangible, historical individual who existed in time and space as opposed to an intangible mythological figure who represents grandiose ideas. If there is controversy with the following statements, if there is nothing we share in common based on what follows, friends, we have no unity. One of us is clearly not of the faith. A few verses previous Paul says these things are written that we may know how to conduct ourselves in the household of God, the church of...

Walking through the park last night I came upon the strangest sight. Tied to the fence rail was one of those little kite string holders and a line of clear string, probably fishing line, extended straight up into the sky. I would not have noticed it except from the direction I was walking, my eye caught the shimmer of sunlight off the clear string like the sun gets caught in a spider’s web, invisible unless the light strikes it just right. I enjoy kite flying. I think I get it from my dad, who often makes long driving trips for business. A while back he got into the habit of packing a kite in the car and when road-weary, would pull over for a rest-stop and fly the kite for a while. Great stuff. Curiosity getting the best of me, I wanted to see what was “up there”, so I turned around and saw . . . nothing. Absolutely nothing. I saw a plane fly by, it’s cotton-candy contrail billowing out, but no kite. I looked back to the fence . . . handle, string . . . sky. Someone tied the s...

Barney Fife was wrong. No, I mean really wrong. Wronger than regular. Barney was the person Shakepeare thought of when penning the phrase, “Comedy of Errors.” But Barney was really wrong this time. You can’t just “nip it in the bud.” You know what I mean. Fife meant that whatever was going on had to immediately stop, but it is more fun to bug out the eyeballs, strain the neck and clip out, “nip it!” But here is where the Deputy went wrong. If you want to stop something, you can’t “nip it.” You gotta dig out the roots. This is where that ancient axiom comes in, “If the big things don’t get you, the little ones will kill you.” I am putting in another flowerbed for my darling, beautiful, sweet, lovely bride and came across some bulbs left over from someone else’s garden. I could have just waited for them to come up and clip them off . . . but to get them out of the way, they have to be dug out and disposed of wholly. What happens if you “nip it” and don’t get rid of it? A prime example is...

This last Sunday night a friend accompanied me down to Finlay Park. There were hundreds of people there and I actually got nervous about witnessing in a crowd! But that's why we go in the power of the Holy Spirit and not the flesh, right? I remember a number of years ago three of us went down on the street one night and had not been down there 15 minutes when we were approached with man with no legs. When we started sharing the gospel with him, he stuck out what legs he did have and hissed at us, "heal me, Jesus. Heal me." I cannot fully relay to you what we experienced, which was just about down-right horror. See, we left that night without praying about the evening, for the conversations and the people we would meet. We just picked up our stuff and left. That night we were chased off the street by a man with no legs. We went in the flesh. Each time I've gone witnessing (and I don't say this lightly), I pray. I pray for clear communication, for prepared hearts an...

"You know what's great about dogs? When the world is falling apart, they just lay down and go to sleep." "What you draw people with is what you keep them with. If you give them a circus, a bigger one will always come to town."