March Madness... or is it Marriage Mangling?

Yes, it is that time of the year in which the NCAA men's basketball tournament is almost upon us. Shazzam! It seems just like yesterday that I watched a fellow-SEC member Florida claim the 2006 National Championship by chomping on the highly regarded Ohio State Buckeyes in football. Those Gators are pretty ferocious. I ought know since I have seen them over the last 35 years chomp on my beloved Auburn Tigers at times. BUT, not this year. We did manage to be their only blunder of their season. Even in basketball, the Gators won the 2006 NCAA championship. I digress for a moment due to my promoting of the supremacy of the SEC in major sports. However, just this week, I heard a giddy brother talk about the basketball tournament and how his 3 TV's would be in the den focused on the games. What?!? 3 TV's...? Sounds like someone is obsessed with the sports disease this week called March Madness.

Just a reminder to all of us that such extreme fanaticism can lead to dire consequences. Namely, consequences that can effect you marriage and family relationships. Don't e-mail me with shouts of the man is the leader and he can do as he pleases. (Yes, that is what one dear brother e-mailed me at one time in the past.) I am confident that God wants the men in our homes to turn of the set and make time for their wives and children, consistently! Remember men, you ARE the leader. Leaders best lead by example. So, I remind us all what God's great Word says when husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church and for fathers not to exasperate their children.

With that in mind, you can watch a few... notice the word "few"and I will one more time wave the banner of the SEC teams by rooting for the highest seeded member, even though my beloved Auburn Tigers are far removed from it, ...

"GO GATORS!"

"I am lucky.... Hmmmm."

Today the interview with one of the survivors of the bus crash containing the students from a Mennonite college in Ohio issued the statement in the title of this blog. For a moment, this writer was quite perplexed that a student from a Mennonite college would make such a statement. Nonetheless, he did. Obviously, one could make unscrupulous statements in the midst of tragedy and disaster without thinking about the serious implications of what they just uttered.

For the last 24 hours, this writer has been on the phone with different individuals within our church fellowship seeking and receiving input as to the best way to help the victims of the storm disasters that have pounded our state on March 1, 2oo7. Families and friends have been interviewed and questioned by reporters that have made their way to the Enterprise area where the most damage was done in terms of lives lost. The visual images portrayed by our media representatives either by television or computer have been horrendous. The reaction by the victim's survivors are remarkable. Death and tragedy brings grief into one's life inevitably. People grieve differently. I can recall vividly on one occasion where I had the unfortunate responsibility to tell a mother that her youngest son, who was 38 years old, collapsed and died due to a massive heart attack a few years ago. Her reaction was very visible. As a matter of fact, this dear lady went into shock and required medical attention. I will never forget that afternoon as I helped her son physically lift her out of my van and into a wheelchair to enter the emergency room of our local hospital. I had never seen this kind of reaction in my entire ministry. What seemed like an eternity for me in that ER room was nothing compared to what her oldest son felt. Subsequently, with the aid of medical help, this church member made it through those next few hours and days, physically. You see this lady lost her husband and this man had lost his father just three months prior to this event. A family loses two of it's members within 3 months of each other. A rare, but a difficult tragedy, had occurred. This dear mother later went on to recover somewhat and the frequent question that she would ask me is "Why did this happen?!?" I did not have a simple answer. Of yes, I could have given her a brief and proper theological and doctrinal discourse as to the why death and tragedy entered earth. However, at the moment I sensed it would not be wise to try to answer the "why" question. I confidently assured her that God is the God of all comfort. His peace that he gives believers is essential in times such as this.

Troublesome is the thought that a student from an evangelical college would make the comment that he was "lucky" to be alive after some of his fellow athletes and students perished in a gruesome bus accident. No! He is not lucky. He is providentially blessed! God is sovereign. That means HE is in control. This student is alive because his earthly journey is not complete. Oh I know. One should not assume that all students of an evangelical college are believers. Therefore, it is possible that this student has not received the precious gift of salvation that is found in Christ Jesus alone. I pray that God will comfort him and the families and friends of those that perished in that bus accident.

You see. You cannot be lucky. No one can be.
It is written:

"Then Job replied to the Lord: 'I know that you can do all

things; no plan of yours can be thwarted.' "

Job 42: 1-2

The Fires That Burn

Today, Wednesday, March 8, 2006, we were comforted by the news that the perpetrators of the recent church fires in Alabama were apprehended and arrested. Knowing that these young men will hopefully be served with justice assures us that their acts will cease while they are incarcerated. While I may sit at my computer and blog about this news, my mind wonders to something related to these young men. My heart grieves for their families. No, that doesn't mean I do not care about the physical campuses of the churches that were burned. My heart is stirred with sympathy for these young men's families.

I am not a parent. Never have been and at this stage in my life, at the middle age of 51, it is very likely, I will never be a parent. Nonetheless, I have my parents who are still alive and functioning as a retired couple. I thought about their reaction if one of their two boys, or one of their two grandchildren, whom they love just as much, had committed crimes like this. I am convinced it would do irreparable harm to them personally! So... what about the families of these youg men? They may be so grieved and embarassed that presently, they can't function at all. Then on top of this is the fact that two of the young men are students at Birmingham Southern College. A fine college with United Methodist Church foundings. This school has a chapel service every week in an elegant, beautiful chapel on campus. I don't believe chapel service attendance is required. On Birmingham Southern's website is this information:

"Service projects, Bible studies, small group discussions and retreats are all a part of the religious life at the college, which encourages the development of a mature faith and an understanding of the varieties of the religious experience."

Ooops... seems that a couple of students have not even started the process of the development of a mature faith. I do not fault the college for this. A college student is of age to do that for themselves. Therefore, I do wonder about the spiritual foundations that these young men had or the lack of.

Shockingly, we are told that this was done as a joke. Even one of the perpetrator's attorney was quick on his feet to declare that... "These were not crimes of hate. There is not a religious motive involved." (Let me interject here and say that I blogged just a few weeks ago about the concept of "hate crimes". The biblical, and rational reason... even if you don't expouse to the authority of the Bible, is that all crimes are crimes of hate!) Then we were told a few days later that alcohol is involved. Now we must believe the demon of liquor is to be entirely blamed for these arsons! I am sick at my stomach for this attorney to even give this so-called excuse for his client. Why, don't be so quick to rush to judgement. This was just a joke.

I have a quick proposal for the young men, especially the two who were students at the United Methodist Church funded Birmingham Southern College. These students should read Jonathan Edwards classis sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God!" and then be sentenced to rebuild all of the churches who were destroyed or damaged by their actions. Then spend the rest of their life in prison lecturing to college students about the dangers of joking and the consequences that can happen from being inebriated.

You see, the fire that burns in the hearts of men these days is from their own totally depraved nature! We can't stand before a just God and one day say to Him... "Well Lord, I meant it as a joke. Besides, the alcohol made me do it! Surely we can receive a reprieve for these reasons?!"

The Word of God says:

"For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God." Deuteronomy 4:24

My hearts cry is that men will call upon the Lord and repent! Where are the old time pastors of another generation who would boldly stand in their pulpits and proclaim the whole counsel of God? Men who will stand with their Bibles open and preach the precious Word of God with great courage and passion. May God is His sovereign mercy grant us this day in our land a revival that comes from hearts regenerated by the Holy Spirit! Just as John the Baptist proclaimed in his day...

"He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire." Matthew 4:11c-12.

"Lord, Help Us... Please?!?"

Just in the last week, I heard that phrase uttered by a family in distress. It was a logical plea for intervention by Almighty God. When times of distress, crisis, or persecution come, this may be someones' cry for immediate action by God. Often times, the help that we need doesn't come in the form or fashion that we want. Today's comments in this blog is not to offer a theological discourse of why unhappy occasions take place, but rather to offer some encouragement to those who are going through a momentous crisis in their life.

First of all, for the Christian, it is a given. You will have moments of unhappy occasions to take place in this earthly journey. That is a given. I am quite distressed at the pastors, preachers, evangelists, and so-called teachers who will quickly proclaim that those events are unnecessary and are "of the Devil!" First and foremost, GOD is sovereign. Even in the midst of our unhappy times, he is still sovereign. No, Satan is not sovereign. Satan is not the one in control. I refuse to give the Devil any credit. That does not mean that I do not acknowledge his existence, I just simply believe, yes I am confident, that he has to submit to God's authority! Read the book of Job... God's written revelation declares it so. ONLY, Almighty, Holy, Gracious, God is sovereign. This simply means that God is in control and HE is still on His throne. He is not the least bit distressed about the occasion wrecking havoc on His plans for our lives. He cares for his children, but He is not unnerved about the occasion. So first of all, take comfort in the fact that GOD IS SOVEREIGN! He has not abandoned his place of authority... neither has He let Satan take over in authority in the heavenly realms!

Secondly, God is not surprised by these unexpected moments in your life. You see, God is not surprised by anything! He is omniscient! He knows everything that will take place. Therefore, He is not caught off-guard like man at times. I personally despise the open theism view that is taught is certain pseudo-theological circles. This open theism view means that God is not all-knowing and some of these events on earth catch Him off-guard. He didn't know they were going to happen! I have a great Old Testament word for that... ICHABOD!! Ichabod means the "glory of the Lord has departed."

Finally, I can take comfort in my times of trouble and distress because God is omnipresent! God is everywhere! There is nothing that can take place that can remove me from the presence of my loving Heavenly Father! Hear the Word of the Lord:

"Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from you presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. Psalm 139:7-9

So beloved brothers and sisters, take comfort. These indisputable facts about God should give us great hope and encouragement in times of trouble and distress. Going through a tough time? Don't despair! The Lord... HE is GOD!!

A Proud Baptist' call to Humility

My personal experience in the church has always been from that as a Baptist, specifically, Southern Baptist. There were times in my pre-school years in which my maternal grandmother would take me to church because my father was not a Christian and church attendance was secondary to my immediate family. Nonetheless, my grandmother, affectionately called "Granny", would take me to the Cherry Street Baptist Church in Attalla, Alabama. In accordance to God's sovereign will, His divine mercy, and marvelous grace, my father was saved! I vividly remember this wonderful occasion because my father, who was up until that time a chronic alcoholic, suddenly, without any 12-step program or recovery group assistance stopped drinking alcohol. Period. I was totally aware that I had a sober father to influence my life from then on. Dad, Mom, along with my brother who was a young toddler, became involved in the life of that Southern Baptist church in a little town of Etowah County in northeast Alabama. I quickly was immersed into the typical church program for school age children in the 1960's. I became a sunbeam, as I grew older, I was introduced to the Royal Ambassador program for teenage boys. I attended every Vacation Bible School as a child and young teenager. I attended every Youth Camp that was offered in the summer. I can actually recall a time in my life as an older child when I wanted to be a medical missionary. Ambitious as that may seem, it was those inspiring stories I heard in Vacation Bible School (VBS) and Royal Ambassadors (RA's) that stirred my heart. Stories about missionaries like Lottie Moon, Adoniram Judson, William Carey, Jim Eliot and many others helped in the spiritual foundations that were laid in my life. I owe a great debt of significant magnitude to the heritage that I received from the missionary fervor of the Southern Baptist Convention through that little church called Cherry Street Baptist. My lessons in the Cooperative Program at VBS strengthened the bonds of missionary service that I highly esteem to this day. I am grateful for the pastors in that church and others that held a high view with regards to the authority and inspiration of the Bible. Reminiscing about some of those years bring tears of joy and chuckles of laughter. Tears of joy over recalling the time that my maternal grandfather was saved after 40 plus years of my Granny's prayers for him. No, prayers do not save a person. That statement is not to belittle the discipline of prayer, but to put it in proper perspective. Granny was disciplined in her Bible reading and prayer. God is the author and initiater of salvation. HE, and HE alone saved my grandfather out of his glorious grace. My grandmother just obeyed God in His exhortation to pray. I am quite annoyed at the popular theological notion today that is so prevalent in evangelical churches, yes, even some Southern Baptist Churches, that GOD has to and will answer our prayer as if He is some cosmic push-button grandfatherly figure just waiting to jump at our commands! ... UGH!!

Then I get the chuckles when I recall the evangelistic like fervor recalling the screams to hold to the King James Version of scripture! Sigh... that soap box plea is continuing to this day in some churches. Oh well. Then there was the time of the turbulent 70's when I began to rebel against authority. First of all... I loved to dance. Now that was listed high on the sin list of certain pastors, evangelists, and preachers in the 70's. Mercy... I was a hard core sinner on that one. Then there was the long hair evil. Quilty on that one as well. I soon began to feel like a hopeless case with all the endless legalistic barbs thrown my way. Thankfully, I believe we have left that mode for a long time now. Now, there is another danger on the horizon.

Recently, I heard a good preacher proclaim with great confidence that "Baptists have always believed in the Bible"! I believe this good man meant to say that "The majority of Baptists have always believed in the Bible!" I can remember reading a commentary published by our denomination in the 60's in which a former president of one of our Cooperative Program seminaries wrote that the ax head in the prophet Elijah's life really didn't float as the scripture says. This former president held to the Higher Critical view of scripture that cast doubt on many of the miraculous narratives contained in the Word of God. That my friend doesn't sound like someone who has always believed in the Bible. Furthermore, if Baptists have always believed in the Bible, then why did we have to have the conservative resurgence in the denomination that started with the election of Dr. Adrian Rogers in 1979? Clearly, Southern Baptists have come full-circle with regards to having our Convention seminaries staffed with teachers and professors who believe in the inerrancy and the absolute authority of the Word of God. God, in His sovereign mercy, enabled men and women to get to our annual session of the Southern Baptist Convention and see to it that we elect officers who hold to a proper view of Scripture. Thereby, nominations and elections of men and women to the boards of these seminaries and Convention agencies that are committed to the authority of Scripture is currently taking place.

The subtle danger I see on the horizon is going beyond the boundaries of the Baptist Faith and Message Statement that was adopted at the 2000 convention session. The recent policy making decisions of our International Mission Board (IMB) causes great concern for me. The prayer language policy was instituted out of concern for what? When the policy was first announced, the web site of the IMB had this explantion. "... because the majority of Southern Baptists do not practice speaking in tongues or have a prayer language..." thus the issue is forbidden. The mode of "not being the common practice of the majority of Southern Baptists" was heavily implied for the ecclesiastical reason. Now, I can just see it. First of all, I know of some dedicated Southern Baptist churches that practice church discipline to wayward members when they violate God's standards set forth in scripture. These churches are so small in number that I can count them on one hand. So therefore, since the majority of Southern Baptist churches do not practice church discipline does that mean this small number of churches are out of the norm and they should be listed in the forbidden category? Last fall, I recall a Baptist Press picture taken of Mrs. Kelley, the wife of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS) president, with her hands lifted up in prayer during a chapel service at the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Bless her heart! Doesn't she know that the majority of Southern Baptists do not lift their hands publicly in prayer, much less, in praise and adoration to God?!? I can also recall the picture from Baptist Press of what took place at Bellevue Baptist Church in Cordova, TN last year. Dr. Adrian Rogers washed the feet of Steve Gaines, the former pastor ministering an act of service to the new pastor. What?!? Didn't Dr. Rogers know that the majority of Southern Baptists do not practice the act of washing feet, publicly?

Thankfully, I was reared in a denomination that taught me to be biblical in life and in death! Mrs. Kelley was exhibiting a viable biblical posture of prayer and praise. The devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina had ceased the main operations of the physical campus at NOBTS, but it did not cease the main ministry! Mrs. Kelley, no doubt, had many emotions captured in the deep recesses of her heart over the last few weeks and months. The same could be said of Dr. Rogers before his departure to his heavenly home. I am mightily convinced that both of these saints were acting under the leadership of the Holy Spririt in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. These saints, along with Dr. Jerry Rankin, the head of the IMB, are to be commmended for demonstrating the virtue of humility in their Christian witness. I really convinced that if more of our denominational leaders would practice the same virtue, less misunderstandings and misconceptions would happen. Dr. Rankin encouraged me greatly with his candid answers and they way he answered those questions in his time with state Baptist newpaper editors recently. He is a dear brother worthy of our admiration and emulation. He would be the first one to tell us all... emulate Jesus, not me!

That is exactly my final thought. I would like to see our denominational leaders confine themselves within the parameters of the Baptist Faith and Messsage statement adopted by our denomination in 2000. Let's focus on the Lord Jesus. I do not want people telling me how to act reinacting the legalistic days of our American church historys' past! I personally smell the "polecat" of Landmarkism creeping into our denomination. Hmmm... for those of you who are not "cultured" enough in southern colloquilism, a "polecat" is another word for skunk. Some of these peripheral policies smack of proudful, legalistic, landmarkism! Hear the word of the Lord:

"... I hate pride and arrogance..." Proverbs 8:13

Let us all... that includes me as well... humble ourselves before a gracious, Holy, Almighty God!

"What's Love Got to Do With It?"

No, this is not a blog concerning the movie about the life of the rock diva Tina Turner and the subsequent abuse she suffered at the hands of her rock band member and husband, Ike Turner. The subject matter for this blog is motivated by that loathsome, (yes, loathsome for some of us more mature, never-has-been-married members of this society) holiday that always occurs every February, Valentine's Day. However, if you are a corporate stock holder of Hallmark, Wal-Mart, and every nursery that grows flowers year round, the "ka-ching" of the cash registers at this time of the year is indeed music to your ears.

The evangelical can find some interesting spiritual-historical perspectives on the origin of this holiday. One of the joys in this earthly ministry of mine is to teach first graders in our Sunday School for the Children's Ministry of our church. Every Sunday at 8 a.m., I have anywhere from 7-10 abounding little ones of this age group. We had our annual Valentine's Breakfast after we had our Bible story time this past Sunday. I used this valuable teaching time to tell them about one of the spiritual-historical perspectives on this holiday. According to one tradition, there was a priest in Rome, named Valentine who was incarcerated for his faith and subsequently martryed. Before he died he wrote a letter to the daughter of one of the jailer's and signed it with an affection of love. Another view is that a priest named Valentine helped many Christians escape prison and death during the Roman Empire's persecution of Christians. I am well aware that there are some of the Christian faith who hold a negative view of the holidays that are observed on the calendar. These well-intentioned believers advocate a "purist" view of the calendar. In other words, they avoid the celebration and mentioning of the holiday in order to portray a more spiritual message to the culture they engage. I am not quite sure what that message is, but nonetheless, they do insist that their abstaining from observance is a valid spiritual quest. Anyways... I observe because many of my first graders are engaged in the culture through interactions with their neighborhood kids. God commands us to love our neighbors as ourselves. I want my first graders to understand that we are to obey the whole counsel of God, not just the heart-pleasing exhortations. All evangelicals who were reared in the church heard the familiar, "... God is love" passage from the epistle of I John. My first grade class members know that as well. But what about this...

"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." Luke 6:27-28

Sometimes, I wish that Jesus had not said that. But, He did. Oh, I pray for those who mistreat me... but those prayers are not in accordance with the Sovereign will of God. Lately, if you listen to some of the prayers of Evangelical leaders who are trying to make inroads on this culture, they sound like me when I'm praying for those who mistreat me. Wow! (and I didn't proclaim "AMEN!" either.)

So during this Valentines Holiday extravaganza, let's do something really radical like Jesus taught. Show and demonstrate love toward one or more of your enemies. That will really show what love's got to do with it!

Hate Crimes... or has one ever witnessed a crime done in love?

Recently the media has been inundated with reports of the young man who embarked on an unexpected rampage at a gay bar in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Subsequently, a few days later, the suspect was apprehended in Arkansas after being stopped for a routine traffic violation. The routine stop turned into another violent rampage after the suspect, Jason Robido shot the officers, turned the gun on his female traveling companion and killed her as well as one of the law enforcement officers. Robido died from injuries sustained in that altercation, later, at a Missouri hospital. Associated Press reported that the mood was that of relief and disappointment at the bar in New Bedford. One man named Mr. Dan Sheterom, age 51, a regular at the bar who lived in an apartment upstairs was quoted as saying,

"I wished he would have lived an gone on trial. I would have liked to have seen if the commonwealth here would have taken it up to the federal government as a hate crime."

The media reports of the church arsons here in my home state of Alabama have awakened people regarding the security of their church campuses. Just a few days ago though, Mr. John Giles of the Alabama Christian Coalition was quoted as saying that

"... these church fires at the hands of these arsonists are nothing more than hate crimes."

As I began to ponder these two unrelated events in our country, I am unimpressed with the mindset of our culture. First of all, I want to clarify my own values. I am well aware of the dark side of our American history in which slavery and racism existed. My childhood memories of traveling to the state farmer's market in Birmingham, Alabama in the 1960's with my maternal grandfather brings stark reminders of the time in our land when African-American people were treated harshly and had to use restrooms and water fountains labeled "Colored Only". I personally cringe at those memories while my grandfather and I had access to the facilities labeled "Whites Only". It was in the fall of 1966 that I entered junior high to began school with African-American students in my class for the very first time. The values I learned at home was instilled in my life by god-fearing, hardworking parents. One of those values was the principle of the golden rule found in Matthew 7:12. In those days we learned that principle as "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". I was expected to treat my fellow classmates with respect and dignity regardless of the color of their skin. That was a biblical prinicple that superceded the mindset of the culture of that era. Fast-foward, 40 years later. That principle still stands! Racism is still wrong.

Secondly, the notion of a crime being done with hate as its' motive is not exactly innovative. ALL crime is done with hate as its' motive! Have you ever witnessed a crime done by modern man with love as its' motive? The pseudo-intellectual who seeks to dismantle the effectiveness of the Word of God will soon find themselves in a lesson of utter futility. The Ten Commandments are a good rule to live by... PERIOD! These exhortations from the Word of God guide depraved man to exhibit love and concern for his neighbor. If I truly love and share concern for my neighbor.... I will NOT murder him. If I truly love and share concern for my neighbor... I will NOT covet his wife or his property. If I truly love and share concern for my neighbor... I will NOT tell lies about him or her. If I truly love and share concern for my neighbor... I will NOT steal from him or her. Who is my neighbor? Well, that term means more than those who live in proximity to you. My neighbor is my fellow man that I encounter every day in my life. That includes the rich, poor, red, yellow, black, white, mixed raced, and those that don't even share the same values I cherish. In case you don't get the point... If you hate your neighbor... then you CAN and WILL do the things the Word of God forbids in the Ten Commandments.

Thirdly, I can just see two of my favorite high school English teachers, Mrs. Pruett and Mrs. McAlpine, who was the first African-American role model to influence my life in great way, scratching their heads and possibly saying, "The phrase 'hate crime' tends to lean toward being a double-negative." Like saying... "I don't neither!". I was quilty of speaking and writing double-negatives. Those two saints were quick to correct me!


Mr Robido killed people because he hated them. The arsonists who set the fires to the churches in Alabama did so because they hated the people who used these campuses for their corporate worship. The Ten Commandments are still effective even though society may not deem them vogue. The Apostle Paul proclaimed it this way,

"The entire law is summed up in a single command, 'Love your neighbor as yourself' ". Galatian 5:14

Amen and Amen! Let's get off the hate crime soapbox.