The new god...
1 - I’m not trying to say that it is necessarily wrong for children to play organized sports . . . . [but] being a member of an organized traveling baseball squad at age ten doesn’t add a single day to one’s life. In fact, many of these activities get in the way of much loftier pursuits. People turned boys into men and girls into women for most of recorded history without dragging them around town with their tongues hanging out in an effort to keep up with their overachieving, undereducated, theologically illiterate peers as they try to win trophies that will eventually gather dust in a basement somewhere. If I teach my son to keep his eye on the ball but fail to teach him to keep his eyes on Christ, I have failed as a father.
- Voddie Baucham
2- Women who break the unwritten two-child-per-family rule are often greeted with questions like, “Haven’t you guys figured out what causes that?” Fathers who choose to emphasize their sons’ spiritual growth at the expense of their participation in the all-consuming pursuit of sports sometimes find themselves being alienated by other dads. Children who don’t attend the local public high school are often looked down upon because they don’t know the latest catch phrases or wear the latest designs. The pursuit of family driven faith can be costly.
- Voddie Baucham
Some online responses to Voddie:
1- H______
OH, OH, OH, Bro Voddie has hit a nerve now... I’ve seen the sports thing played (excuse the pun) out over and over as a former youth Sunday school teacher and lay worker jack of all trades in the youth department. What would be laughable, if it weren’t so SAD, are the LAME excuses the parent shares for pulling their youngster out of worship, Wednesday night or Sunday school. My favorite was one parent, no less a leader in the congregation that would come in and pull their child out of the class during teaching time to make the next game. Specifically, why would a parent ever enroll their child in AAU baseball or soccer when they know UP front EVERY game is on a Sunday? One parent pulled her youth out of church for hockey week after week — hockey in Florida – go figure. I have watched the spiritual growth (more specifically the lack thereof) of the students that made school or league sports, especially those with games or travel on Sundays a priority. The parents played lip service to nurturing their child’s spiritual growth, but it was pretty obvious to the student and all others that the main emphasis was prepping them for a scholarship or future fame. Enough mischief and carrying on occurred when we went on church road trips. I heard the stories of under-chaperoned free-for-all road trips for athletic tournaments. What a farce. Yes, brother Voddie hit a hot button. There were so many parents that I just wanted to take by the collar and ask “what in the world are you thinking?”
and..
2- Pastor's wife
Several years back we put our two oldest boys on a baseball team and specifically asked if they did any practice or games on a Sunday. They told us "no" so we enrolled them. We told them beforehand that if any games or practice was on Sunday the boys wouldn’t be there. They also said that all games would be finished before 7 on Wednesday night. The games got later and later on Wednesday night so we were pulling the boys out in the middle of the games towards the end. The coach told our oldest son about three quarters of the way through that he was an excellent pitcher and wanted to teach him so he could get better at it. We thought that was great but then found out the practice would be Sunday morning at 10 am. We told the coach that it wouldn’t happen because we were at church at that time. He tried to argue with The Desert Pastor over it but my husband told him that we were not going to do anything different.
By the next game our son was no longer the pitcher but put in outfield and treated as an outcast. He was their best pitcher as well as one of their best hitters. We never took them back to baseball although they called us and told us how good our oldest son was and that they would LOVE to have him back in baseball.
Yes, Voddie Bauchum is right in that sports are not the final all-in-all like many parents like to think. He is also right in that parents, who are true believers and not teaching their children to keep their eyes on the Lord have failed as parents. How sad when parents have the wrong focus for their children!
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So, you see, we can talk all we want about prioritizing. "My children will know that God is first in our family, but there is nothing wrong with sports." Lip service is just that.
Examine how much time parents spend taking children to and from sports (games/practices etc), time talking about those sports over dinner, even at church! Then compare
how much time parents spend in the Word with their own children. How much time praying together as a family (You can even count the 20 second meal prayer).
What do the FACTS say are our priorities? We can rationalize all we want, we prioritize the god of sport. We worship at that altar FAR MORE than at the altar of Jehovah.
What does this reality teach our children? The same thing it taught you and me. Give God some - He is important, but give SPORT even more.
Practice football, practice baseball, practice basketball, practice gymnastics, practice... fill in your sport. When do we practice our spiritual lives? When do we intentionally model a quiet time to our children? When do we sit with our children and go through God's word as we are commanded to do? When do we require, and help, and model Scripture memorization?
Sound weird? Unusual? Yes, it does. But how often do dad's teach kids to throw? To catch? Shoot the ball? Hit the ball? Put on shin guards?
Which priority is SCREAMING "I AM number one!!"?
These are things no one ever taught or modeled to us, so we do not do it either. Why??? Our parents gave the lip service, but silently taught us... "sports, sports, sports!"
Even pastors talk more about sports while walking/sitting around the church than anything else. We wonder why our congregations and society place God so far down on the list of real life priorities while placing sports so high on the list.
I heard the following this week. "The family is God's primary kingdom training ground. When our children focus on any event outside the family more than on anything inside the family, there is a serious misunderstanding of kingdom principles. When the family's schedule is centered around things outside growing and building the family for kingdom work - like mom driving kids all over for different schedules - we are far away from understanding and accomplishing the task for which God placed children under the care and nurture of their parents." Our lives are to be taken with kingdom work, yet we live as if our purpose as parents is to fill our children with as many activities away from and not a part of the family as we can.
Why is the family decaying????
We can rationalize and explain away so much, but the fact is we are lying to ourselves and ultimately to our children.
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Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
Why Dem’s NEED a poor class.
Really it is just like Yasser Arafat and the Palestinians… Yassar needed a whipping horse to give him a platform and something to “lead.” He needed the homeless, downtrodden in those refugee camps, else what would he have to say? If he ever really helped them, or if any other nation- that claimed to care- had taken them in and really helped them, where would his “prestige,” platform and money come from? Who could they hate? Who could they blame... for anything? Yassar would have to move on to say… live a real life.
The Dem’s need a victim in much the same way. They cannot afford to really help anyone. Imagine people getting off welfare and out of government (see it right there!) housing. Where is the Dem’s constituency? Where are the teeming masses yearning to be led?
Rather than help them, Dem’s must create a helpless class. First they must convince “them” they need someone to pick up the mantle for them. They must create victims who need the government. After all if the people realize their future is in their own hands, not in the government’s, they kill the golden goose! But… if you can keep a people emotionally and financially tied to you, you can ride this donkey for generations. The Dem’s never want to see people “Free at last, free at last.” That would mean the end for all of dem.
However, Conservatives NEED the government, as well. They need the government to stay out of the way. They NEED the government to allow the free enterprise system to work so Americans can go about their business and actually pay taxes. Should this ever happen, these taxes can then be put to use for things this nation actually needs, like an improved infrastructure.
However, Conservatives need the government in another way, as well. Conservatives need the government to keep America safe from “all enemies both foreign and domestic” so they can continue making the money that fuels the economy. Therefore, conservatives need the government to maintain a strong military.
Dem’s want to give a man a fish and feed him for a day. This way the man will need to come back to the government day after day after year after generation (Note generational government housing) to get his food. All the while, of course, taking these fish from those who caught them.
Conservatives want to teach the man to fish, how to clean his own fish, how to sell his fish at market price, and how to buy more fishing poles so he can catch even more fish. This way the man (or woman) can teach his children “fishing” is not a dirty word. “You were not born to live off another man’s fish.”
The Dem’s need a victim in much the same way. They cannot afford to really help anyone. Imagine people getting off welfare and out of government (see it right there!) housing. Where is the Dem’s constituency? Where are the teeming masses yearning to be led?
Rather than help them, Dem’s must create a helpless class. First they must convince “them” they need someone to pick up the mantle for them. They must create victims who need the government. After all if the people realize their future is in their own hands, not in the government’s, they kill the golden goose! But… if you can keep a people emotionally and financially tied to you, you can ride this donkey for generations. The Dem’s never want to see people “Free at last, free at last.” That would mean the end for all of dem.
However, Conservatives NEED the government, as well. They need the government to stay out of the way. They NEED the government to allow the free enterprise system to work so Americans can go about their business and actually pay taxes. Should this ever happen, these taxes can then be put to use for things this nation actually needs, like an improved infrastructure.
However, Conservatives need the government in another way, as well. Conservatives need the government to keep America safe from “all enemies both foreign and domestic” so they can continue making the money that fuels the economy. Therefore, conservatives need the government to maintain a strong military.
Dem’s want to give a man a fish and feed him for a day. This way the man will need to come back to the government day after day after year after generation (Note generational government housing) to get his food. All the while, of course, taking these fish from those who caught them.
Conservatives want to teach the man to fish, how to clean his own fish, how to sell his fish at market price, and how to buy more fishing poles so he can catch even more fish. This way the man (or woman) can teach his children “fishing” is not a dirty word. “You were not born to live off another man’s fish.”
Saturday, July 18, 2009
How to Understand the Bible
John 7:17 - "If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself." (NASB)
Do you struggle with reading and understanding Scripture?
Do you struggle with which book or author to trust? (Is The Shack good for a Christian to read?) Which TV / radio preacher is preaching truth?
Jesus tells us the first step to understanding is the willingness TO DO HIS WILL. Are you Willing?
Why would God shed light of understanding on a person who has no desire to obey?
Not being willing to obey is having no desire to KNOW truth.
We know that Jesus says, “the Truth will make you free.” Jn 8:32
Is there a danger in living with the attitude “I just can’t understand”? Yes!
What is the danger? We WILL drift from what we know or think we know.
What is the danger? We can slowly begin to live w/o religion at all.
We will drift from a growing Christian into a legalistic, stuffed shirt, or we will start to make up our own religious rules – which will always be wrong! We will drift from a Christ-centered life and instruction.
So what is the opposite of being set free by truth? Bondage. Slavery! Slavery to ignorance and lies, and disobedience!
Could it be many are enslaved to sin, and constantly making poor decisions because they do not seek to know or obey Scripture? This really is a key to all of life.
This is the key to completely changing your whole life!!
You will never be the same once you humble yourself and say, “I will obey Scripture!”
Are you willing to have your life completely rearranged by simply being willing to DO HIS WILL? Are you?
Truth is light. God’s Word is light and truth, yet by refusing to seek it or know it we choose the darkness of slavery, sin, and rebellion.
The Key to growing in understanding and knowledge is to honestly practice what we DO know.
We cannot know the deep things of God until we practice the plain things!
Let us not forget – God is not mocked. We cannot think we can put on a good face, yet live in sin and refuse to know and obey His word and expect He is pleased with us. He will NOT bless such a life.
The first thing to do is to approach God’s Word as something different from any other writing in the world!
We must think of it as special, anointed, extraordinary, unique, matchless, and holy!
v. 17 - "If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching,..."
Psalm 25:9 - He leads the humble in justice, and He teaches the humble His way.
Psalm 25:14 - The secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him, and He will make them know His covenant.
Proverbs 3:32- For the devious are an abomination to the LORD; but He is intimate with the upright.
John 8:43- "Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word.
It all starts with obedience.
Are you willing to obey what you do know – regardless.?
Do you struggle with reading and understanding Scripture?
Do you struggle with which book or author to trust? (Is The Shack good for a Christian to read?) Which TV / radio preacher is preaching truth?
Jesus tells us the first step to understanding is the willingness TO DO HIS WILL. Are you Willing?
Why would God shed light of understanding on a person who has no desire to obey?
Not being willing to obey is having no desire to KNOW truth.
We know that Jesus says, “the Truth will make you free.” Jn 8:32
Is there a danger in living with the attitude “I just can’t understand”? Yes!
What is the danger? We WILL drift from what we know or think we know.
What is the danger? We can slowly begin to live w/o religion at all.
We will drift from a growing Christian into a legalistic, stuffed shirt, or we will start to make up our own religious rules – which will always be wrong! We will drift from a Christ-centered life and instruction.
So what is the opposite of being set free by truth? Bondage. Slavery! Slavery to ignorance and lies, and disobedience!
Could it be many are enslaved to sin, and constantly making poor decisions because they do not seek to know or obey Scripture? This really is a key to all of life.
This is the key to completely changing your whole life!!
You will never be the same once you humble yourself and say, “I will obey Scripture!”
Are you willing to have your life completely rearranged by simply being willing to DO HIS WILL? Are you?
Truth is light. God’s Word is light and truth, yet by refusing to seek it or know it we choose the darkness of slavery, sin, and rebellion.
The Key to growing in understanding and knowledge is to honestly practice what we DO know.
We cannot know the deep things of God until we practice the plain things!
Let us not forget – God is not mocked. We cannot think we can put on a good face, yet live in sin and refuse to know and obey His word and expect He is pleased with us. He will NOT bless such a life.
The first thing to do is to approach God’s Word as something different from any other writing in the world!
We must think of it as special, anointed, extraordinary, unique, matchless, and holy!
v. 17 - "If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching,..."
Psalm 25:9 - He leads the humble in justice, and He teaches the humble His way.
Psalm 25:14 - The secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him, and He will make them know His covenant.
Proverbs 3:32- For the devious are an abomination to the LORD; but He is intimate with the upright.
John 8:43- "Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word.
It all starts with obedience.
Are you willing to obey what you do know – regardless.?
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Work...
What Jesus commands. “work for the food which endures to eternal life.” John 6:27b
How many things do you own that will last for eternity? Of the things that will last, how are you caring for them? We must care for and feed the only thing that matters… the only thing that lasts is our soul.
We must read our bibles like a miner searches for gold or silver – dig for it, sift through it looking for nuggets, prize it!
We must wrestle in prayer like a man fighting for his life. Have we taught ourselves, and our children what it means to wrestle in prayer?
We must attend worship services with our whole heart, not casually. The Bible is God’s last will and testament. Each time we come we should be attentive as if we were listening to the reading of a will!
We must fight daily against sin and this world. We must fight or be conquered by spiritual laziness.
We must want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection!
We must work at FINDING Christ and being found in Him!
We will be called fanatics! We will be called extreme! We must want this!
I Want To Know Christ (song performed by Larnelle Harris)
I know that I know that my life is redeemed
I know I have found what some only have dreamed
I hold in my heart the pearl of great price
Dear God, hear my cry
I want to know Christ
I want to know Christ
I keep Him before me
I lift up my eyes
I drink in His glory
I press toward the goal
His goodness unfolds
March on, oh my soul
I want to know Christ
This world will tell you not to spend too much time, energy, or effort on “religion.” They will label you a fanatic, maybe even a freak. We all carry labels. Who do you want to please?
Acknowledgment to J.C. Ryle's Thoughts on the Gospel's.
How many things do you own that will last for eternity? Of the things that will last, how are you caring for them? We must care for and feed the only thing that matters… the only thing that lasts is our soul.
We must read our bibles like a miner searches for gold or silver – dig for it, sift through it looking for nuggets, prize it!
We must wrestle in prayer like a man fighting for his life. Have we taught ourselves, and our children what it means to wrestle in prayer?
We must attend worship services with our whole heart, not casually. The Bible is God’s last will and testament. Each time we come we should be attentive as if we were listening to the reading of a will!
We must fight daily against sin and this world. We must fight or be conquered by spiritual laziness.
We must want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection!
We must work at FINDING Christ and being found in Him!
We will be called fanatics! We will be called extreme! We must want this!
I Want To Know Christ (song performed by Larnelle Harris)
I know that I know that my life is redeemed
I know I have found what some only have dreamed
I hold in my heart the pearl of great price
Dear God, hear my cry
I want to know Christ
I want to know Christ
I keep Him before me
I lift up my eyes
I drink in His glory
I press toward the goal
His goodness unfolds
March on, oh my soul
I want to know Christ
This world will tell you not to spend too much time, energy, or effort on “religion.” They will label you a fanatic, maybe even a freak. We all carry labels. Who do you want to please?
Acknowledgment to J.C. Ryle's Thoughts on the Gospel's.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Secret meals make fat bodies
(Thomas Brooks, "The Privy Key of Heaven" 1665)
"But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret." Mat. 6:6
Secret duties are the most soul-enriching duties. Look! as secret meals make fat bodies—so secret duties make fat souls! And as secret trades brings in great earthly riches, so secret prayers makes many rich in spiritual blessings and in heavenly riches. Private prayer is that secret key of heaven which unlocks all the treasures of glory to the soul. The best riches and the sweetest mercies, God usually gives to His people—when they are in their closets upon their knees.
The tender dew which falls in the silent night makes the grass and herbs and flowers to flourish and grow more abundantly—than great showers of rain which fall in the day.
Just so, secret prayer will more abundantly cause the sweet flowers of grace and holiness to grow and flourish in the soul, than all those more open, public, and visible duties of religion,
which too, too often, are mingled and mixed with the sun and wind of pride and hypocrisy.
"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful."
Colossians 4:2
from http://www.gracegems.org
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Saturday, March 21, 2009
Consider Jesus– in Communion with God
"And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed." –Mark 1:35
"To whom can this impressive picture of high devotion properly apply but to Him whose life was one continuous act of prayer; whose vital and all-pervading atmosphere was communion with God? Jesus literally "walked with God." As man, He was deeply conscious of the spiritual necessities of man; and as the God-man Mediator, He felt the need of looking up to the Strong One for strength, to the Wise One for wisdom, to the Loving One for sympathy--in a word, to His Father in Heaven for the constant replenishing of His daily need from the boundless resources of His own Infinite Being, for the great work His Father had given Him to do.
Wise will it be for us to consider Jesus touching the article of prayer. If He, the sinless One, He the mighty One, He the divine One felt, the need of drawing from above by the breath of prayer those supplies needful for the accomplishment of His work and for the glorifying of His Father, oh, how much more have we need that prayer should precede, accompany, and follow every step we take; that communion with God should prompt, aid, and sanctify every act of our lives.
My soul! consider this precious privilege! Is there a holier, sweeter, or more needful one? Consider Jesus in this matter, and form your prayerful life upon the model of His. He always approached God in prayer as His Father.
The prayer of Jesus was REAL COMMUNION with God. So let yours be, O my soul! Rest not content with the form of prayer, the duty of prayer, the act of prayer. Be not satisfied unless conscious of the listening ear of God..."(from CONSIDER JESUS. Thoughts for Daily Duty, Service, and Suffering by Octavius Winslow, 1870)
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO HELL
J.C. Ryle
A sure way to go to hell is by living and dying without any religion at all. You may live like a beast, prayerless, godless, graceless and faithless. This is a sure way to go to hell.
Another way to go to hell is by taking up some kind of useless religion. You can live and die contenting yourself with a false christianity and rest on a groundless hope. This is probably the most common way to hell that there is today. There are many ways to hell, but only one way to heaven.
A religion is useless in which Jesus Christ is not the principle object. Most people today know nothing about Christ. Their religion is a few vague notions and empty expressions. They say, "I am no worse than others. I go to church when it is convenient. I really don't do anybody any harm. I hope God will be merciful to me." But He won't! God shows no mercy apart from His Son.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
The two lives of...
Have you ever been in a conversation about church doctrinal things .... along the lines of salvation, Trinity, God - nothing like church gossip, etc... When someone says, "We're not in church. Why do we have to talk about religious stuff?"
All that to say... why do believers spend so much time dividing our lives into spiritual / non-spiritual. God never does this. Everything for the Christian is spiritual. Every decision... job, food, vacation, conversation at work, disciplining our children, houses we buy, cars we drive, money we spend - all spiritual. American Christianity is in the shape it is in because we live two lives: Spiritual life, "regular" life.
I have learned God does not place us where we are just to get a job and "live." We are to be deeply involved in people's lives.
Point? We are not to live asking, "God, what is your will for my life, my family?" Rather we need to say, "Father, you have placed me HERE. What is your will for this world and how can I be a part of fulfilling your will?"
All that to say... why do believers spend so much time dividing our lives into spiritual / non-spiritual. God never does this. Everything for the Christian is spiritual. Every decision... job, food, vacation, conversation at work, disciplining our children, houses we buy, cars we drive, money we spend - all spiritual. American Christianity is in the shape it is in because we live two lives: Spiritual life, "regular" life.
I have learned God does not place us where we are just to get a job and "live." We are to be deeply involved in people's lives.
Point? We are not to live asking, "God, what is your will for my life, my family?" Rather we need to say, "Father, you have placed me HERE. What is your will for this world and how can I be a part of fulfilling your will?"
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