It's been far too long since I've said anything of consequence here on my blog. But that doesn't mean that nothing of consequence has been going on in my life. The LORD has been working in me quite a bit, showing me things that I think are important to my ministry. Here's mainly what he's been dealing with me about:
(1) We as a body of believers are not going to agree on everything. There are going to be doctrines within each church that some are going to think aren't as supported by Scripture as others are. And you know what? That's okay. So long as the irreducible minimums are met...that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died on a cross for the sins of the world, that he rose again on the third day as foretold by the Scriptures, and that by grace alone through faith in Him alone, we are saved. So long as those conditions are met, the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit will convict and lead individual members of the body to what Scripture supports, even at different speeds for different members.
(2) We as a body have forgotten one very important element in our growth....we are at war with the powers of darkness. Especially in America, if not solely in America, we have so modernized the Gospel into this feel-good Sunday morning ritual that there is no room in our hearts or minds for God to work and do truly amazing things and for the powers and principalities to be cast out. In the East, demons are cast out, the sick are healed, and people who have never learned a foreign language suddenly speak a foreign dialect perfectly. In America, we have rallys to show how much we hate what the world has. Wow...whoopee. I think I heard it best by missionary I watched on tangle..."I have seen eight year old children die for their faith in Christ in the middle east....and you think you're radical because you wear a t-shirt." When are we going to be real about the battle around us?
The bickering and the lack of power in the modern-day church is what has led to many people leaving the faith and forsaking the body. But if we truly believed in what we say we do, and if we started living it out more, imagine what would happen here. The great revivals that spark up in the underground in India and China would happen here!!! Brothers and sisters, let us strike to that end!!! Let our faith be more than a tradition or a social network. Let it be real!!!!
Feel free to comment or ask questions. I'm always here.
Keep Soaring,
B
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Our normal routine before the Ultimate Judge...
I saw this video on tangle and thought it would be a nice wake-up call to believers that read this. Let's stop being safe, guys. Let's be real.
Feel free to comment or ask questions. I'm always here.
Keep Soaring,
B
Feel free to comment or ask questions. I'm always here.
Keep Soaring,
B
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Texas Superiority Complex...
My friend Sean sent me this email, and now that my side has quit hurting from laughing so hard, I feel the need to share it. I hope it brings you as many smiles as it did me.
After having dug to a depth of 10 feet last year, New York scientists found traces of copper wire dating back 100 years and came to the conclusion, that their ancestors already had a telephone network more than 100 years ago.
Not to be out-done by the New Yorkers, in the weeks that followed, in California an archaeologist dug to a depth of 20 feet, and shortly after, headlines in the LA Times newspaper read: 'California archaeologists have found traces of 200 year old copper wire and have concluded that their ancestors already had an advanced high-tech communications network a hundred years earlier than the New Yorkers.'
One week later, a local newspaper in Texas , reported the following:
After digging as deep as 30 feet in his pasture near Cut-n-Shoot, Montgomery County, Texas, Bubba Rathbone, a self-taught archaeologist, reported that he found absolutely nothing. Bubba has therefore concluded that 300 years ago, Texas had already gone wireless.
Texans are an intelligent bunch...--
Keep soaring,
B
After having dug to a depth of 10 feet last year, New York scientists found traces of copper wire dating back 100 years and came to the conclusion, that their ancestors already had a telephone network more than 100 years ago.
Not to be out-done by the New Yorkers, in the weeks that followed, in California an archaeologist dug to a depth of 20 feet, and shortly after, headlines in the LA Times newspaper read: 'California archaeologists have found traces of 200 year old copper wire and have concluded that their ancestors already had an advanced high-tech communications network a hundred years earlier than the New Yorkers.'
One week later, a local newspaper in Texas , reported the following:
After digging as deep as 30 feet in his pasture near Cut-n-Shoot, Montgomery County, Texas, Bubba Rathbone, a self-taught archaeologist, reported that he found absolutely nothing. Bubba has therefore concluded that 300 years ago, Texas had already gone wireless.
Texans are an intelligent bunch...--
Keep soaring,
B
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Worrying over Nothing....
I've recently signed up for a seminary scholarship that's been offered through the guys that sell the Logos Library System. For a chance to win more money or a credit towards their software, I'm supposed to blog about a seminary experience I've had and why I think the extra money would help me out in school.
I've given thought for nearly a week now as to what I could write. I was burdened by the thought of not having a good enough blog and being ignored when the final decision was made. But now, I find that in the end it really doesn't matter what I write. God called me to be here at Southwestern. He provided my way here, and so far He has provided the means for me to stay. Regardless of whether this blog post is the best written text ever to grace a computer screen or the equivalent of the ground beneath a dung heap, if the LORD has ordained that I be at Seminary, then no amount of winning will make my place here more secure than God has already done, and losing will not remove me from it.
So, to the men and women who will be reviewing this blog and determining whether or not I am "worthy" of the extra money, I say this to you: the LORD has already decided where I am to be. And I have been obedient in following Him here. If He chooses to use you to provide for me here, then praise be unto His name. If not, then move on to the next contestant and fret over me no more. The LORD has brought me here, and the LORD will keep me here, with or without a seminary scholarship.
Feel free to comment or ask questions. I'm always here.
Keep Soaring,
B
I've given thought for nearly a week now as to what I could write. I was burdened by the thought of not having a good enough blog and being ignored when the final decision was made. But now, I find that in the end it really doesn't matter what I write. God called me to be here at Southwestern. He provided my way here, and so far He has provided the means for me to stay. Regardless of whether this blog post is the best written text ever to grace a computer screen or the equivalent of the ground beneath a dung heap, if the LORD has ordained that I be at Seminary, then no amount of winning will make my place here more secure than God has already done, and losing will not remove me from it.
So, to the men and women who will be reviewing this blog and determining whether or not I am "worthy" of the extra money, I say this to you: the LORD has already decided where I am to be. And I have been obedient in following Him here. If He chooses to use you to provide for me here, then praise be unto His name. If not, then move on to the next contestant and fret over me no more. The LORD has brought me here, and the LORD will keep me here, with or without a seminary scholarship.
Feel free to comment or ask questions. I'm always here.
Keep Soaring,
B
Friday, July 10, 2009
"If God Were Real"
Something has been hammering me a lot lately....
It started when I was having a conversation with some new friends, Ben and Kari Mitchell. Kari told me a story about a friend of hers who, by God's grace, was able to be the instrument in a miraculous healing in the mission field. Her friend said that despite the fact that God was telling her to command a lame man to get up and walk, she at first hesitated, thinking "God doesn't do that anymore. It must be just my head." Thankfully, she listened to God and not herself, and a new brother in Christ has the use of his legs again.
A few minutes ago, I read a note on Facebook where a young woman had been experiencing trial after trial, and through a series of seemingly unconnected events, ended up reading (in someone else's devotion) a verse from the Bible that brought her peace in a time when she needed. She qualified her note by saying, "I know some of you think this is just coincidence, but..."
Recently, my former pastor published a book he has been working on for the past couple of weeks entitled If God Were Real. In this book he makes a simple statement: Christians, especially in America, today don't act like God is real, and if we did, things would be a lot different in our churches.
Of course a lot of us agree with him at face value...we could always improve our faith. But I really wonder just how bad things are. In the Eastern Hemisphere, spiritual warfare is a daily constant struggle. Demons are cast out daily, miracles happen, and entire people groups are led to Christ, even in the midst of persecution from other religions. And yet, here in America, many people don't even believe in the devil, miracles are credited to modern science instead of God, and we have to beg and plead or "be creative" to get just one person to accept Christ on weekly basis, if even that often.
If God is truly God, and not an excercise in heritage or tradition, then why are we so slow to share with others the faith that we claim to have. If God is God, and not just a crutch to believe that sickness and hardship will pass, then why do we fret when things out of our control attack us? If God is God, and His words are not just suggestions about how to live a righteous life, then why do we so easily ignore the lessons that are written in His word for the sake of self-gratification and tolerance?
I've been convicted (and I know I've been using that word a lot lately) of how I view the God I serve. I'd ask that agree with me to start living as though I believed God were real. We all say that we do in word; let us live it out in our lives through action.
Feel free to comment or ask questions. I'm always here.
Keep Soaring,
B
It started when I was having a conversation with some new friends, Ben and Kari Mitchell. Kari told me a story about a friend of hers who, by God's grace, was able to be the instrument in a miraculous healing in the mission field. Her friend said that despite the fact that God was telling her to command a lame man to get up and walk, she at first hesitated, thinking "God doesn't do that anymore. It must be just my head." Thankfully, she listened to God and not herself, and a new brother in Christ has the use of his legs again.
A few minutes ago, I read a note on Facebook where a young woman had been experiencing trial after trial, and through a series of seemingly unconnected events, ended up reading (in someone else's devotion) a verse from the Bible that brought her peace in a time when she needed. She qualified her note by saying, "I know some of you think this is just coincidence, but..."
Recently, my former pastor published a book he has been working on for the past couple of weeks entitled If God Were Real. In this book he makes a simple statement: Christians, especially in America, today don't act like God is real, and if we did, things would be a lot different in our churches.
Of course a lot of us agree with him at face value...we could always improve our faith. But I really wonder just how bad things are. In the Eastern Hemisphere, spiritual warfare is a daily constant struggle. Demons are cast out daily, miracles happen, and entire people groups are led to Christ, even in the midst of persecution from other religions. And yet, here in America, many people don't even believe in the devil, miracles are credited to modern science instead of God, and we have to beg and plead or "be creative" to get just one person to accept Christ on weekly basis, if even that often.
If God is truly God, and not an excercise in heritage or tradition, then why are we so slow to share with others the faith that we claim to have. If God is God, and not just a crutch to believe that sickness and hardship will pass, then why do we fret when things out of our control attack us? If God is God, and His words are not just suggestions about how to live a righteous life, then why do we so easily ignore the lessons that are written in His word for the sake of self-gratification and tolerance?
I've been convicted (and I know I've been using that word a lot lately) of how I view the God I serve. I'd ask that agree with me to start living as though I believed God were real. We all say that we do in word; let us live it out in our lives through action.
Feel free to comment or ask questions. I'm always here.
Keep Soaring,
B
Friday, July 3, 2009
It's all just stuff....
Something has just happened that deeply bothers me and convicts me greatly....
For those of you who don't know, I'm an avid comic book collector. I've got five active collections going right now, not to mention a Rubbermaid box full of miscellaneous comic books I've collected over the years. It's something that I've always enjoyed, and it's even been an inspiration for some ministry ideas that I've had.
But even good things can be harmful...
Moving to Fort Worth involved a lot of changes, the least of which is my address. Unfortunately, because this is the most obvious change, when it came to my ebay account, it was a change that was overlooked. So, somewhere around 10 comic books, some of them extremely rare, three of them gifts from my wife, are on their way to my old address in West Monroe, and may or may not be forwarded to my new address depending on the mail type. Needless to say, I became extremely worried. I've spent the past half hour pacing the hallway of my rent house, frantically calling the West Monroe Post Office and my old landlord to ensure that these mis-mailed items would be sent to me. Thankfully, everything seems to be set up so that they will arrive at the right place, albeit a little later than expected.
Now this is what bothers me. When I found out my comic books were going to the wrong address, my heart raced and I was overcome with worry. And yet, to this day I have yet to determine the spiritual status of my new neighbors here, and the thought of them dying without Christ barely raises my blood pressure. I have bags and boards and a special place in a banker's box waiting for these comic books, if and when they arrive. And my own Bible that I use for personal Bible study sits forgotten for days on a shelf, and when I think to read it, I usually have to spend several minutes trying to remember where I put it. I've spent over $50 on comic books in the past few weeks. And yet, even though I'm still in the process of visiting churches, 10% of my income hasn't yet found its way to any ministry of the Lord whatsoever.
Jesus asked, "For what does it benefit a person if he gains the whole world but forfeits his life?" (Matthew 16:26) I would ask this: what does it benefit me if I gain every comic book I have ever desired but forfeit my relationship with Christ? What does it benefit me if I possess every material thing I've ever wanted and forfeit a life lived in service to the Lord?
I am broken for the materialism I've allowed myself to fall into. I ask that God would forgive me, and that He can use my experiences today to convict and draw you away from the trap I fell in. And may we all remember and take to heart the words of this classic hymn:
"Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise.
Thou mine inheritance, now and always.
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart.
High King of Heaven, my treasure thou art."
Feel free to comment or ask questions. I'm always here.
Keep Soaring,
B
For those of you who don't know, I'm an avid comic book collector. I've got five active collections going right now, not to mention a Rubbermaid box full of miscellaneous comic books I've collected over the years. It's something that I've always enjoyed, and it's even been an inspiration for some ministry ideas that I've had.
But even good things can be harmful...
Moving to Fort Worth involved a lot of changes, the least of which is my address. Unfortunately, because this is the most obvious change, when it came to my ebay account, it was a change that was overlooked. So, somewhere around 10 comic books, some of them extremely rare, three of them gifts from my wife, are on their way to my old address in West Monroe, and may or may not be forwarded to my new address depending on the mail type. Needless to say, I became extremely worried. I've spent the past half hour pacing the hallway of my rent house, frantically calling the West Monroe Post Office and my old landlord to ensure that these mis-mailed items would be sent to me. Thankfully, everything seems to be set up so that they will arrive at the right place, albeit a little later than expected.
Now this is what bothers me. When I found out my comic books were going to the wrong address, my heart raced and I was overcome with worry. And yet, to this day I have yet to determine the spiritual status of my new neighbors here, and the thought of them dying without Christ barely raises my blood pressure. I have bags and boards and a special place in a banker's box waiting for these comic books, if and when they arrive. And my own Bible that I use for personal Bible study sits forgotten for days on a shelf, and when I think to read it, I usually have to spend several minutes trying to remember where I put it. I've spent over $50 on comic books in the past few weeks. And yet, even though I'm still in the process of visiting churches, 10% of my income hasn't yet found its way to any ministry of the Lord whatsoever.
Jesus asked, "For what does it benefit a person if he gains the whole world but forfeits his life?" (Matthew 16:26) I would ask this: what does it benefit me if I gain every comic book I have ever desired but forfeit my relationship with Christ? What does it benefit me if I possess every material thing I've ever wanted and forfeit a life lived in service to the Lord?
I am broken for the materialism I've allowed myself to fall into. I ask that God would forgive me, and that He can use my experiences today to convict and draw you away from the trap I fell in. And may we all remember and take to heart the words of this classic hymn:
"Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise.
Thou mine inheritance, now and always.
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart.
High King of Heaven, my treasure thou art."
Feel free to comment or ask questions. I'm always here.
Keep Soaring,
B
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