The preacher and the fire inspector.

Had a visit from the fire inspector this AM.  Real nice guy.  I told him from the start that we both had one thing in common—we want people protected from fire.

After he left; got to thinking that the fire inspector and the preacher have a lot in common.

·         He wanted me to listen for the good of the church…and so do I (2 Tim. 4:1-2; Rom. 10:14).  “…woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel (1 Cor. 9:16).

·         He had guidelines to go by…and so do I (2 Tim. 3:16-17; Jn. 12:48-50; 1 Pet. 4:11).  God’s word is always, without exception, THE standard…not a creed book, manual, thoughts or feelings.

·         He wants people safe from fire…and so do I (2 Thess. 1:7-9; 2 Cor. 5:10-11; Rev. 20:12-15).  Heaven is a FAR better option.

·         He wants people continuously safe…and so do I (1 John 1:7-10; Rev. 2:10).  Little things can be done to insure safety, for we never know when a fire might happen.  Never know when judgment is coming; got to stay ready (Mt. 24:36).

·         He wants people to know correction is a good thing to make us better… and so do I (2 Tim. 3:16; Gal. 4:16; 1 Cor. 11:22c).  Not once did I get mad or angry at the objections he brought forth; I told him to write them down.  Can’t fix it unless we know it’s broken.  I know these things are for our good.

·         He wants things prepared in case of danger…and so do I (Amos 4:12; Mt. 25:1-12).  A few things and adjustments will make us ready in case of fire; we must always be updated and prepared and the same is true spiritually.

·         He wants carbon monoxide detectors installed; it’s odorless and tasteless and can get us quickly…and doctrinally, so do I (Mt. 15:9).  Faithful brethren rooted in the word can detect false teaching.

·         He was gracious and his expression of policy…and I need that reminder (Eph. 4:16).  Thanks, fire inspector for reminding me that a lot of times it’s not the words, but the way it’s said.  (Had to pause and pray about that one).

·         He’s coming back to see if we’ve complied…and so will the Lord (Mt. 25).  Will we be ready for the fire inspector’s return?  I say so.

Are we ready for the Lord’s return and judgment?

Just some random thoughts fresh on the mind after the fire inspector left…from the Wildwood.

Remembering our Lord...thank you Max Pelley

Upon the first day of the week at the East Side church of Christ we partake of the Lord's Supper as did the Christians in the New Testament (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 11:23-29).  As we assemble remembering our Lord's death in this avenue and action of worship, a dear brother will stand and make a few Biblical remarks reminding us of the wonderful sacrifice Christ gave for us.

 

Max Pelley is one of our members at East Side; a wonderful Christian man, song leader and my Sunday morning Bible class teacher (yes, preachers go to class, too :-) ).  Last Lord's Day morning he read the following.  Well done and I thought you would want to read it just like he read it...at the Wildwood.

 

BETHLEHEM, HIS PLACE OF BIRTH

WHEN GOD SENT HIS SON TO EARTH.
ANGELS HERALD THE NEW BORN KING,
GLORY TO GOD THEY ALL DID SING.

EGYPT WAS WHERE HE FLED,

AND STAYED UNTIL KING HEROD WAS DEAD.
NAZARETH WHERE HE LIVED FOR THIRTY YEARS,
HELPING JOSEPH MAKE TABLES AND CHAIRS.

FOR THREE YEARS HE PREACHED ACROSS THE LAND,

PREACHING THAT THE KINGDOM IS AT HAND,
HE PREACHED THE IMPORTANCE OF CONVICTION
AND ABOUT HIS SOON TO BE CRUCIFIXION.

GETHSEMANE WAS WHERE HE PRAYED,

ALSO WHERE HE WAS BETRAYED.
CALVARY WAS WHERE HE DIED
AFTER A FAIR TRIAL HE WAS DENIED.

HE HAD TO BEAR HIS OWN CROSS,

AFTER SEVERE BEATINGS, AND THE BLOOD HE LOST.
A CROWN OF THORNS DONNED HIS HEAD,
A SPEAR PIERCED SIDE WHERE HIS BLOOD WAS SHED.
 
ALL THIS HAPPENED TO GOD'S OWN SON.
BUT HE LET IT HAPPEN FOR EVERY ONE.
ON THE CROSS HE SUFFERED IN AGONY,
HIS LIFE HE GAVE FOR YOU AND ME.

TODAY WE REMEMBER THAT AWFUL DEED,

SILENCE AND REVERENCE IS WHAT WE NEED,
AS WE PARTAKE OF THE BREAD AND WINE,
UNLEAVENED BREAD AND FRUIT OF THE VINE.

AND FOR HIS SHED BLOOD TO SAVE

HE HAD TO RISE FROM THE GRAVE.
AFTER HE AROSE HE WENT TO HEAVEN,
THROUGH FAITH AND OBEDIENCE SINS ARE FORGIVEN.

                                                              Max Pelley

Children, Arrows In Our Hands

Rob Whitacre is one of the best young daddies I will ever know.  He is a dear friend, brother and encourager and I want the world to know of his good work especially with the following.  A little lengthy for a blog post, but, then again, it is my blog. :-)  From the hills to the Wildwood and to you, "Children, Arrows In Our Hands."

The Psalmist penned, “Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate” (127:3-5). According to Wilson’s Old Testament Word Studies, heritage means “a possession or inheritance.” Therefore, children are God’s entrusted possessions given as a re-ward for man to guide and to provide him joy and blessedness.

The Psalmist describes children as “arrows in the hand of a mighty man…” Just think for a moment, what would the future of the Kingdom look like if all children from Christian families became faithful Christians? Instead of losing more than half of our children to the world, what if we were able to keep a vast majority? An arrow can be deadly accurate when put into the hands of an archer. Who holds the arrows? The psalmist said, “Happy is the man that has his quiver full…” The Bible teaches us that children are arrows and man is the archer. Where do children go when they are fired by an archer? Wherever the archer aims! What happens if we aim at the Kingdom? They will hit the Kingdom (notwithstanding, the free moral agency of man which at times allows for an errant arrow)! It begs the question if so many children are leaving the church, then where are some aiming their arrows? In this short article let’s examine three vital targets that every parent must aim for as they pull back the bow strings of life.
 
First, and foremost there is the target of Heaven. When an archer misses his target the Greeks would cry out, “hamartia.” This is the word for sin found in the Greek New Testament. Children need to learn about sin from God’s entrusted guardians (parents) and not from a callused and cold world. Studying about sin from the Bible is a godly way of learning about it. Once they understand sin we must help them see Jesus as THEIR Savior who died for THEIR sins. When children understand the consequences of sin we can point them towards the cross of Christ, where they will see the blood of Christ, and therefore want to be baptized into the death of Christ. Beware, a miss of this target area can be deadly to their souls.

Second, there is the target of the Heart. Solomon told his son, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23). The tenderness of a child is a key to entering the Kingdom (Matthew 18:2-3). We are living in a saturated culture of sin that is bombarding our children with wickedness in every form. We need to aim them away from vulgar music, evil companionships, the lures of lust, and the dangers of atheism/evolution. Fleeing from and not flocking to sin is the Biblical aim. “You have to try it once to know it’s wrong” is a lethal target for the souls of our children. Parents who allow the world to have free and unfettered access into their children’s hearts will be held accountable before God.

Third, there is the target of the Home. We must teach our sons how to become men despite the role reversals and gender confusion of the American society. God wants us to teach our sons how to be sound in faith (Titus 2:2), loving husbands (Ephesians 5:23), strong fathers (Genesis 18:19), dedicated providers (I Timothy 5:8), examples of faith (I Timothy 4:12), servants of the church, teachers of the Gospel (Matthew 28:19), and future leaders in the church. We need to aim our daughters to be teaches of the Gospel (Matthew 28:19), virtuous (Proverbs 31:10), chaste, keepers at home, wives who will love and obey their husbands, and mothers who will love their children (Titus 2:3-5). Pointing our daughters to be career minded first and foremost is not a primary target given by God! If the family God created is going to survive in the way God made it, we must aim our sons and daughters for their targeted roles.

The Psalmist said, “Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.” In contrast a child left to himself will bring shame to his mother (Proverbs 29:15). Where are we aiming our children? Academics, athletics, and arts are admirable but Heaven, the home, and the heart are Preeminent. I would rather have a son or daughter who was a sub-par student academically, but a warrior for God’s Kingdom spiritually. Children are precious in the sight of God and can be powerful in the hands of those who aim their arrows at the right targets.

“It’s easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”   ~~Fredrick Douglas~~

Youth Day is coming

I recall one of the first "youth rallies" I attended.  I was excited...didn't know what it was all about.  We did not have a "youth minister" where I grew up, ut some of the older guys went off to college at Lipscomb (one of them my cousin, Don) and sent word back about a youth rally in McMinnville.  Loved it.  As years went by, I found myself organizing youth days and youth rallies.  Still love them.  And I am REALLY going to love this one because it is at my home congregation where I've labored for ten years.  Chris Clevenger is one of my favorite young gospel preachers.  Not only will he be the speaker at our yoth day, but he will also be the preacher for our revival gospel meeting the next day. 

So, if you would, pass this on...bring a group...go to our webpage at www.eastsidecoc.org and get directions.  We'd love to have you...in the Wildwood.

God made a preacher

My beloved bride, Renita knew what I needed and send the following to me.  Thanks to Laura Boyd for the original post and glad to forward it...from the Wildwood. 

Inspired by the popularity of Ram's "God Made a Farmer" Super Bowl commercial...

God Made a Preacher

God looked down on the earth he created and said, "Man has left me with his sin and I need to bring him back"; and so,

... God Made a Preacher...

God said. “I need a man who will talk with Me, starting each day and every day in prayer and will not cease to pray about anything and everything, then having spent all day serving Me, will stay up past midnight listening to Me through my word.”;

So God Made a Preacher...

"I need someone with tough skin, tough enough to handle the harshest critics without retaliating, and gentle enough to comfort those who have been wrongly treated; Somebody to call on the sick, listen to the hurting, help with other’s problems and come home hungry and tired, only to put his own needs aside, and hurry right back out to share with someone the good news of Jesus.”

So God Made a Preacher...

God said, “I need someone to sit up all night with parents whose teenager has run away or whose child is sick to death. I need someone who each week can prepare two sermons from scratch; teach Bible class on a moment’s notice; write a bulletin article worth reading, that few will read; study diligently to understand every word of God’s word so that he can communicate it effectively to others; follow-up with visitors; conduct regular Bible studies; one who will typically finish his 40 hour week by Tuesday noon, then put in another 72 before Sunday comes.”

So God Made a Preacher...

God had to have someone to calm the angry, encourage the faith-hearted, motivate the lazy, strengthen the faithful, promote evangelism, squelch gossip, all without failing; yet, ready to stop at any point and help with some members ‘crisis;

So God Made a Preacher...

God said, “I need somebody strong enough to never show weakness, and yet weak enough to show patience. One who can be an example in word, thoughts, deeds, study, prayer and service; and who will stop his most important work to help with someone else’s simple task.

So God Made a Preacher....

It had to be someone who would dig deep in scripture, prepare messages and not cut corners; somebody to seed, weed and feed the souls of men. To teach and preach and reach those who are lost; to show the light everywhere and go spread the light anywhere; to work with everyone and to work when no one will. Someone whose invests in the family of God as he invests in his own family, giving neither preference over the other. A man who will rejoice with those rejoicing and cry with those who are weeping; he will show humility, wisdom, patience and strength in every situation. Then with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye, get up tomorrow, ready to do it again.

So God Made a Preacher.

Remembering Mama and Daddy

I remember when...you COULD take a gun to school and show it to a friend.  You didn't hide it from the teacher, not did you take it for a weapon.  Used to trade knives, too.  Didn't use those as weapons, either. 

See, if you did, you were called a sissy...and you did not want to be a sissy.  If you got in a tussle or a fight, you didn't use a weapon.  If you got whipped, so be it...the other guy gained your respect and you probably became best friends.  If you won, that settled it, too.

Side note...Mama and Daddy knew if you took them to school, too, but you also knew IF you used them or even thought about it, neither would have left the house...due to Mama and Daddy.

Boy, when Mama and Daddy ran our lives, it sure was safer...sure wish they were sitting in my office chatting with me and you...from the Wildwood.

Superbowl Sunday and the Spiritual

             Several years ago, a good brother in Christ and I penned some things concerning the Super Bowl.  Blending the “then” with the “now,” we find once again that this Sunday evening will contain one of the most watched sporting events of the year.  Companies spend millions upon millions of dollars for 30 seconds to advertise their product(s) during this televised event.  People will travel to New Orleans from almost every state in our nation via cars and planes. 

For the Christian who enjoys watching football the problem is the time of the game.  Each year the Super Bowl interrupts the evening worship hour of God’s people.

            For some this conflict poses no problem.  They don’t come regularly anyway so no one will think anything about their Sunday evening idolatry in front of the television set.  Some “churches” will change or even cancel their entire serve to accommodate this secular event as they bring in the big screen television and watch the game in the name of “fellowship” (may I say “funship”).  I recall several years ago an article in the Nashville Tennessean where a minister was mulling over whether to attend the Super Bowl or “miss church” because he had won tickets.  The congregation where he preached moved its evening worship service from 6:00 to 4:00 PM for a large Super Bowl party.  His quote… “We just decided this is a phenomenon we want to embrace.”  Physical prioritizing for spiritual compromising…yep, that’s sacrificing, all right.  Yes, you can guarantee I wrote that preacher.

I knew of another congregation that would watch the game until halftime, have a “short devotional service” then watch the rest of the game.  I wonder what would have happened had someone responded to the invitation to be baptized.  Could you imagine?!?!  I can hear it now, “Humph, missed two minutes of the third quarter!”

            Now, before I continue onward…I am not dealing or discussing the good genuine wisdom of elderships or of “brethren meetings” in deciding the best meeting times for a congregation.  For example…

1)      Several years ago, an eldership in Tennessee decided to assist the brethren who drove several miles to worship as gas prices eased upwards.  So, they selected the first Sunday of each month to meet Sunday morning as usual, have a meal and then a 1:00 service to help.  Nothing wrong with that…an honest decision for care and concern (Heb. 13:7, 17).  I recall one of the elders telling me, “And, now, they moved the Super Bowl to the first Sunday, but we know why we made this decision and our members know why we made the change and the Super Bowl had nothing to do with it.”

2)      There are congregations of the churches of Christ who have always met on Sunday mornings due to the distances some members drive, especially in the Midwest and Northeast.  Again, an honest and good decision and they still meet upon the first day of the week (Acts 20:7).

3)      There are congregations of the churches of Christ that change their evening worship times to assist with the time change for elderly members.  Again, not dealing with that.

4)      Not dealing with weather conditions…sometimes it is quite dangerous and again, a conscience decision is made for safety and concern of the flock over which an eldership has the charge to oversee (Acts 20:28ff).

But, the issue for thought is when the decision is made, if you will, to cancel or alter a service solely because of an athletic event.  May I ask, where does it stop?  Should we then cancel certain nights of VBS because of little Johnny’s ball game?  Gospel meeting night for little Suzie’s soccer match?  Why not back up the starting times for Sunday morning for the Daytona 500?

            I am 50 years of age…I’ve watched the Super Bowl evolve into a HUGE event.  It used to never, ever be an issue with the church and it really doesn’t have to become one now.

            For Christians the Super Bowl is viewed as nothing more than another test of their faith.  Beloved, who do we love more?  What is more important?  What would Jesus have us to do?  For those that “seek first the kingdom of God” and have their “minds on things above and not on the things of the earth” there is no choice.  They will meet faithfully Sunday evening and pray, sing and study from the Word of God.

            I recall when the Titans made the Super Bowl, one of the guys at the church where I preached had two VCR’s ready at this house.  He recorded the game as we all were at worship.  When we arrived at his house, he pulled the first tape and popped in the next one and kept recording.  We watched the first one, never missed a play and fast forwarded through all the other stuff.  Nowadays, DVR’s are perfect…same effect (but no tapes).  TiVo is great as well.  Have brethren over that night to watch it but don’t lower spiritual standards and place a secular game with only temporary enjoyment before your spiritual obligations that have eternal rewards and consequence.  Is the Super Bowl really worth Heaven?

            I am thankful to labor at a congregation that our evening attendance is some of the strongest for “Super bowl Sunday” evening.  Afterwards, I have had the blessing of joining brethren to watch the game and have a wonderful time together.

            Enjoying the Super Bowl can be done without a change in our spiritual priorities.  I mean, come on…when you really get down to it, it is nothing but a football game.

            And, well, it’s just not “super” unless my Titans are in it...loyal fan I am...from the Wildwood.

           

Special thanks to my co-author, Rob Whitacre for the article, idea and permission for adaptation.