Saturday, December 26, 2009

The Day After Christmas

Christmas night often finds folks in a bit of a melancholy mood. After weeks of anticipation, the celebrations have flashed by and are suddenly gone, fading into the night.

This is natural, understandable and probably the best teaching moment of the whole season. As long as the beautifully wrapped gifts remain unopened and the celebrations still future, they appear to be the hope we are waiting for. But when all are opened and the merriment past, we sense we are still longing for something more, something lasting.

I had one of those teachable moments with my granddaughter, Hanna, yesterday. After opening gifts and eating a good meal, she was sitting on the stair in a rather pensive mood. I sat next to her to talk about what she was feeling. I’ve learned that children don’t know what is happening to their emotions or why, so I generally don’t ask the “Why?” question but rather explain the “What” to them.

I pointed out to Hanna that she was learning a lessons many grown-ups haven’t yet grasp:

1. Gifts and events can’t fill you soul. They are expressions of generosity but are not designed to satisfy. They’re designed to point us to the Giver.

2. Putting our hopes in gifts will leave us empty inside. We will ask, “Is that all?” because we know deep down that’s not all there is. We are designed to treasure a Person, not His things.

3. It is more blessed to give than receive. What makes you feel richer, getting the presents you wanted or making someone else happy with something you gave to them? A greedy heart lives in a small, lonely world. A generous heart lives in a wide world of love.

I hope she remembers some of grandpa’s sagged advice! I learned it from someone; I pass it along in hopes it helps others as much as it helps me.

It is just the way of God’s grace to let the glitter and flash of celebrations (even in His honor) pass and then even in the melancholic void they leave teach us once again, “It’s not I, but Christ.”

Marantha!

Thursday, December 24, 2009

On Saying, "Merry Christmas!"

I think I've changed my mind. Through most of my adult life I have resisted the “Merry Christmas” club. Not because I have anything against gift giving or having great family times, but the whole thing is born of pagan folly. This year, however, I’ve begun to look at it a bit differently.

“Christmas” is simply “Christ” (our Savior) plus “mas” (a coming together, as in the Catholic “mass”), and originated in the Roman Catholic attempt to assimilate pagans and their culture under the control of their Church. Hence my problem with the term/event.

As an aside, it is important to remember that the real miracle of the coming of Christ was not His birth/nativity (although there were certain miraculous things involved in that too!), but the real miracle took place at His conception. Being born of a virgin makes Him unique, indeed! Luke 1 gives the historical details necessary to locate the time of the conception of Jesus Christ as being in late December. Hence the pagans attempt to commandeer that season for their own corrupted ends.

But now it has become “politically incorrect” to use the “Merry Christmas” greeting. Employees, for example, are told not to mention “Christmas,” but instead to say, “Happy Holidays.” But herein lies a bit of humor: The word “holiday” comes from “holy” (as in, holy is the Lord) plus “day.”

I find it ironically amazing that our language is so rooted in Biblical tradition that even the attempts to root out every reference to the Savior falls so flat on its face. Oh, the worldly wise don’t get it, but I’m sure the God of Heaven finds such things amusing (as should we)!

So I’ve put “merry Christmas” back into my vocabulary—just for the fun of it. Cynthia has been saying it to store employees just to see their reaction! When they respond, “happy holidays,” we just ask if they are believers too! Its made the shopping lots of fun.

Merry Christmas!

Monday, December 21, 2009

The Truth about Oral and Ebeneezer

Famous Pentecostal “faith healer” Oral Roberts died of pneumonia on December 15 at age 91. This act demonstrated with great finality that he was a false teacher. He often said that it is God’s will to heal every sickness, declaring, “Sickness is not part of God’s plan and not devised by God’s will.” When he breathed his last he gave conclusive proof that his teaching was false. No one dies of healthiness!

On another front, I ran across a fascinating article written in defense of the much maligned Ebeneezer Scrooge. Often we forget that great “classic” novels were written with political and social messages in mind. Dickens was such a writer. In The Case for Ebeneezer, Butler Shaffer takes up the defense of Dickens' villain in a most interesting fashion—demonstrating how the classic tail has modern overtones. In part he writes:

“Pay close attention to Mr. Dickens' allegations. His case [against Ebeneezer] down to just two points:

1. my client has managed to become very rich, and,

2. he insists on keeping his money for himself.

That's it! That is the essence of his alleged wrongdoing.”

“Taking my client as the miserable fellow Dickens has presented him, let me be the first to admit that if Ebeneezer's obsession with materialistic pursuits rendered him an unhappy person….But it is not my client's happiness that the prosecution endeavors to obtain, but his money.

“The case against Ebeneezer Scrooge is nothing more than a well-orchestrated, vicious conspiracy to extort from my client as much of his money as can be acquired through terror, threats of his death, and other appeals to fear….

“[P]ay particular attention to the utter contradiction underlying Dickens's case: my client is charged with being a greedy, money-hungry scoundrel, and yet it is the conspirators against him who want nothing more than his money! Scrooge — unlike his antagonists — earned his money in the marketplace by satisfying the demands of customers and clients who continue to do business with him, and did not, as far as we are told, resort to terror or threats of death to get it.

“Charles Dickens — writing at the peak of the Industrial Revolution — missed this essential feature of the period. To those who view wealth in such a limited way, the only question becomes "how is this fixed body of wealth to be most 'fairly' redistributed?" The question of "how can more wealth be created?" — and what conditions would be necessary for accomplishing such ends — never enters their minds, for the pursuit of such conditions would utterly destroy all socialist systems. The beneficiaries of such redistribution are looked upon as passive and dependent recipients of other people's decision making. In this connection, Bob Cratchit is the prototypical "proletarian."


“Like other opportunistic parasites who tell us that they "feel our pain" even as they are causing us more pain, let us have no more of the self-serving guilt-peddling that keeps men and women subservient to those who threaten to cut off their dependencies.”


Hope ya have a great holiday—and just so I don’t sound like a WalMart employee, “Merry Christmas!”


Maranatha!

Monday, December 7, 2009

Great Meetings

I've driven almost four thousand miles over the past three weeks. Hard to believe; hard on the "getting older" body (tomorrow marks another birthday)! But warming to the heart.

Last week I was in Ohio. Wednesday and Thursday we had very interesting meetings in Massillon. Our good friend Edward Yarber is the bishop of Canton Grace Fellowship. He has been teaching right division at the Adult Sunday School Class of Grace Community Church for the past three months. Edward goes there for the class and then hurries to CGF (about 10 minutes away) for their morning service. When he asked about using GCC's church building for meetings, they volunteered to co-sponsor them.

I spoke both evenings on Mid-Acts dispensationalism and the distinctive ministry/message of Paul. Their responsiveness was overwhelming. They actually "cleaned out" most of the material on the Literature Tables I had with me! It is wonderful to see such hunger for spiritual light!

We had a "radio rally" type meeting in Columbus. David Reid heads up the Columbus Bible Church, which sponsors Daily Bible Time on a local radio station. We get good response to the broadcast and wanted to see if some folks would come to a "live" meeting. And they did! One lady, for example, who has been listening for almost two years gave testimony to having her life transformed by the message of grace she has learned. Numerous others were of the same mind. Two ladies actually drove from Indiana to attend, having heard about the meeting via FaceBook! Two other ladies drove about half way across the state to attend. Interest in and hunger for the light on God's Word that right division offers is a great motivator! It was a privilege to help introduce some of our listeners to the local ministry where they can fellowship and grow in grace.

Then we were in Beavercreek at Mid-Acts Grace Fellowship on Saturday and Sunday. The saints there were went overboard in their hospitality and interest. Their response to the six messages on The Gospel Driven Life was refreshing. Matt Hawley is doing a tremendous job leading this assembly. They have weathered numerous storms over the past few years and are a strong, grounded group of determined grace believers who value the work of the ministry they are engaged in. Folks came from as far away as Cincinnati--as well as Indiana and Columbus (as well as wonderful friends from Chillicothe). The happy spirit of these folks was a touching benediction to my weary spirit.

One great privilege for me in trips like this is to get to spend some time in the homes of some really wonderful saints. Ed and Sharrie are by nature a barrel of fun, but more importantly, always active in the ministry. While there I not only spoke both evenings but had a live radio interview and preached in chapel at Heritage Christian School. I also had the opportunity to spend some time with longtime and special friends, Ted and Sue Fellows of nearby Berean Bible Church, Minerva.

The Reid boys were great entertainment for me, demonstrating their Lego and Wii talents. Mom and Dad are ok too, but being the dad of three boys myself I always have a soft spot for others in that category!

It was my first time to spend time with the Hawley family and I quickly discovered that they could make me feel quite at home. It is important for a man in the ministry to be backed up by a godly wife and Matt is blessed in this area. Their three young children (well, one has four legs so they might claim only two as their actual prodigy) were great company.

The icing on the cake, sort of speaking, for the weekend was calling home Saturday evening and having Cynthia tell me how Alabama won their football game with Florida. My precious wife is an enthusiastic Bama fan; well, that's too mild of a description. Hard as it is to picture, I must admit she is a fanatical fan. And a happy one too! So I drove home Sunday afternoon knowing I'd find her in good spirits!

The Women's Fellowship of Shorewood had an evangelistic luncheon Sunday. They had a good number of visitors to hear some outstanding testimonies and a good gospel message. When I arrived at the church building Sunday evening they had already finished resetting the fellowship area for the upcoming children's program scheduled for next Saturday. So, they'd been busy while I was gone--and with Alex to preach, don't really miss me anyway! There lots for me to be thankful for these days.

I'll turn another year on the calendar tomorrow. Today (December 7) is Pearl Harbor Day. We must never forget. I fly to Detroit in the morning to do five more TV programs. I can't think of anything I'd rather do on my birthday than "preach the Word."

Maranatha!

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Let Me Count the Ways

In marriage, the importance of speaking well of each other, of praising each other, is crucial. In fact, the presence or absence of public praise is one of the clearest signs of marital harmony or marital discord. So here’s a list you and your spouse can use as an example/exercise for saying things to each other. Go ahead and give it a try. We think this is one marriage exercise that will make you smile. Ladies first!

You look great tonight.
That was a wonderful meal.
Thank you for not getting mad at me.
You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.
You’re a super listener.
I really appreciate the way you spend time with my parents.
Thanks for being honest with me.
That’s a great idea.
I enjoy spending time with you.
Congratulations! I’m taking you out to dinner to celebrate.
Before I met you, my life was boring.
So what if they didn’t like your idea? I thought it was great.
You’re the best husband in the whole world.
I hope our boys marry girls just like their mother.
I bought this just for you. I hope you like it.
Thanks for laughing at my corny jokes.
You’re a big help around the house.
I’m looking forward to growing old with you.
You deserve a kiss. I’m so proud of you.
You’ve got a great sense of humor.
You are the reason I’m excited about the future.
That’s a great idea. How did you think of it?
I’m glad you were right about that.
Thank you for working so hard for our family.
I’m the luckiest man in the whole world.
When I think of you, I can’t help smiling.
I’m glad I said, “I do.”
Somebody ought to make a movie of our marriage. It would make a great romantic comedy. You’re more beautiful today than you were the day we got married.
I’m so glad God brought us together.
Have I told you lately how much I love you?
I still believe in you.

Maranatha!

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Home Again

Cynthia and I arrived back home yesterday afternoon. We had a delightful time in Arizona enjoying our kids and the saints of Southwest Bible Fellowship. Their second annual conference went off without a hitch, all their work paying real dividends.

The messages are available at www.ButNow.org. I'd recommend at least listening to John Verstegen's study on prayer; its outstanding. The attendance was actually larger than expected (a high-grade problem) and the Saturday afternoon Q&A demonstrated folks are really studying the Word! The sessions covers several "grace alternative" topics--practical instructions indeed.

Sunday afternoon I had to opportunity to preach at the Maricopa County jail. "Sheriff Joe" bills himself as "America's toughest sheriff." Upon entering the jail, I was immediately impressed with how clean and efficient it is. The staff is professional and no-nonsense, yet very helpful. Sheriff Joe considers the volunteers his "secret weapon," so Calvin and Rick have good access to the inmates. I've preached in a lot of jails and prisons but don't recall one of this caliber. My hats off to Sheriff Joe and his deputies. The inmates may be criminals, but they are clearly treated with respect and dignity--unless they prove themselves otherwise (this is the sheriff who puts rule offenders in pink shorts to identify them).

We were announced and a group of over 20 gathered in the meeting room. I taught for the whole hour, going over the gospel and basic right division. There were several first timers, but most meet weekly with Calvin Wright and have a good grasp of the gospel and issues of grace.

It is a benediction for a dad to be able to labor with his son in the work of the ministry and I praise God for the work in Mesa--September marked their 10th anniversary. Rick is clearly his own man and the men who are working with him seem to have a genuine appreciation for his leadership and vision. That too blesses a dad's heart. When you have mature men (and women!) to do the work of ministry with you, you are blessed indeed. My son is, indeed, so blessed--and his ministry is a blessing.

I have another follow-up check up with my urologist this week. So far the cancer seems to be well into remission. Although I'm still enjoying a few lingering symptoms they are nothing I can't deal with--they keep me mindful of my "age & stage" as I progress through life. Just "bumps in the road," as the saying goes. Thanks to so many who keep asking about my progress. I do appreciate your interest and prayers.

Tomorrow I'll be doing radio--4 half hour programs and 20 quarter hour ones. Next week I go to Detroit to do TV. Also trying to finish the next Grace Journal and getting ready to teach John 3 tomorrow night. I love being a preacher of the message of grace!

Maranatha!

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Wrestling

I believe it was George Bernard Shaw who opined, "I learned long ago never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it."

That is sound advice! And since our "flesh" is a real pig (e.g., Eph. 4:19), we need to remember Ephesians 6:12 and walk in Galatians 2:20.

I know, that sort of sounds like "code words"--unless you meditate on those verses a bit!

Maranatha!


Wednesday, October 14, 2009

A Note from China

We are in PA enjoying time with the Leaches. The fall colors have been beautiful and today we are actually going to site see a bit. Don't get many days off, so hope to make the most of it. Allen has a BIG collection of old movies, so we have been laughing to Laurel and Hardy!

I got a note from our friend in China this morning that I thought was most insightful--and timely. Pray for the saints in that distant land and take the following to heart:

"Last night I went to a 'revival' meeting. We were out walking and stumbled
upon an outdoor meeting where there was a three hundred voice
choir - almost every hand raised in praise. The loud speaker system was
blaring away and tears were in almost every eye. It looked like one of the religious
TV programs from the USA.

"Then my eye caught the nearly seventy five young
Buddhists priests at the back. Momentarily I was shocked. It seems that the
emotional deceit of the Devil's plan has worked so well in the West in the
'personal revelations' people receive from God that he has duplicated the "show business"
aspect of it here in the far east. Wow! what a shocker! I could have sworn it was
a 'christian' charismatic meeting."

Maranatha!

Sunday, October 11, 2009

On the Road Again

We finished the conference in Concord, NC this morning. Brother Perry Lemmons and the saints of Royal Grace Bible Church did a great job of hosting this time in the Word. It was good to meet a number of folks who are new to right division and see their joy at the clarity it brings to the Scriptures.

This afternoon Cynthia and I traveled to Winston-Salem to visit my niece--my only brother's middle daughter, Nichole. She is a grad from Salem College and has decided to make this beautiful and genuinely southern city her home. After Nic gave us a tour of the historic college campus area, we had supper together and a good time catching up on life. She is on FaceBook and had added me as a friend by the time I got online this evening. She has 100 more friends than I do, so she thinks she's out doing me!

We are spending the night somewhere in Virginia and will be going on to the Leaches in PA tomorrow. Frankly, this is far too beautiful an area to travel through in the dark. I want Cynthia to see it again as it has been a long time since we traveled up I-81 together (last time was in the mid-80's!).

I've had several good reports from home so know that they had an outstanding day at Shorewood. My heart is always there and folks know it, so they send me notes on what's going on. It is wonderful to have such a "home" to return to. There's no place like home, even when your away doing important and valuable things. Having "hearts knit together" in "the household of faith" is a blessing beyond my ability to describe--so I just enjoy it!

Maranatha!

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Just So

Just so you know that we haven't gone out of business, I thought I should get an update posted. Its been awhile! Actually the "10 Second Kiss" post got such a large response--both in my email box and on FaceBook but for some reason not on the comments here--that I just left it as the top article for a bit longer than usual. Ted suggested we should market the idea--something to consider if he ever masters the technique!

Anyway, I have been busy. Traveled to southern Illinois, Detroit twice, Grand Rapids, Oregon, Washington and Cynthia and I will be leaving for Concord, NC tomorrow and then on the Hamlin, PA next week. Seems like I'm missing some place, but my mind isn't working great at the moment. I'm in the Detroit airport hoping for an on-time departure (something I haven't had the past two months).

Shorewood is into its regular school-year-routine now, so things are really busy there. We have broken into the 100+ hookups for the live Internet broadcasts of our services. Another milestone! Alex is teaching an eight week Friday night evangelistic seminar on "Where Is God?" and we've had really great response from folks outside our normal group. Exciting (and humbling)to see people coming to faith in Christ and growing in grace. We also started a new Sunday morning class for the post-high-school-but-under-30 group. We're calling Cuppa G.r.a.c.e. (i.e., "Grace Rightly Applied Changes Everything"--an anachronism someone came up with that we all like!). I'm actually teaching the class the first three months.

I am blown away with all the folks I'm meeting who are watching Forgotten Truths! The enthusiastic interest for the message of grace is a joy to behold. In Oregon, a 94 year old husband and his 91 year old wife had his 84 year old sister drive them some 9 hours to attend the conference! They simply "had to be there," and are fruit from FT. We are also beginning to enroll a significant number of students in GSB from the FT audience. At first I wondered if they really understood what they were "getting into," but have discovered they not only do they understand they are fast becoming some of our most determined students!

As we watch the culture about us disintegrating before our eyes, it is both comforting and challenging to have the solid rock of God's preserved Word to rest our confidence on, knowing that Psalm 138:2 is still true. The next two decades will be the most important decades of our lives--no matter what your age is at the moment. The Winter season for America is here; we need to be busy about the work of the ministry during this fertile time for spiritual impact. This is not season to be weary in well doing! Lets get on with the program!

Maranatha!

Monday, August 17, 2009

The 10 Second Kiss

I was watching Oprah—well, not really. Her program comes on after the evening news and I had simply let the TV continue to run. Cynthia was asleep on the couch while I worked on my lap top. Oprah was running in the background. At one point it caught my attention, as some woman something-or-other was speaking about the need for husbands and wives to “connect” (or some-such-mush). Her suggestion? A ten-second-kiss. Not a peck; but a real, moment engulfing kiss. It got me to thinking.

Over four decades of married life Cynthia and I have had a habit of not allowing one of us to leave home without a kiss goodbye. We started the tradition, actually, before we married—but that’s another story.

But those who have been married for a while know it is easy to get into the “little peck” mode. It isn’t that we don’t love each other; we just have gotten used to the ritual and its sort of like a little-peck-will-do-ya effort. So…

I decided to take the lady’s advice. The next day I introduced my wife to our daily 10 Second Kiss ritual. I can say (gratefully) that it has been well received. After the first couple of times I didn’t have to count in my head any more to be sure we met our time requirement. And it is amazing how those extra seconds can focus you on the one who is in reality the other-half-of-you.

Since Paul exhorts husbands to “love your wives,” I decided I would be the one to take the initiative. I vary the timing so as not to allow this special moment to become encrusted with ritual. My only rule of thumb is that it is to take place after we are up and going in the morning and before we begin to retire in the evening. This helps to make it a memory that lasts through the day! I’m not going to beat myself up if I miss a day—neither will Cynthia, since I didn’t tell her I planned this as a daily thing (and since she does't read my blog or do facebook she won’t know about this unless some of you spill the beans). I’ll just be looking for a moment each day to make “special.”

Anyway, its something I’ll be recommending to married couples. In fact, I’ll be doing a wedding this weekend and plan to give the new husband some instructions along these lines while we await the ceremony. Of course, newlyweds don’t need too much encouragement in this area, but there’s really not that much to talk about in the “green room” just before the ceremony and maybe he’ll remember it in the years ahead. He’s a really neat, smart guy—marrying a beautiful, talented gal.

Try it; you’ll like it! By the way, Oprah’s response to the suggestion was something like, “Forget 10 seconds, how about the 27 second one!” Not a bad idea either!

Maranatha!

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Frankenstein #3

On the trip back to Chicago I read Dean Koontz's final installment in his Frankenstein trilogy. This mesmerizing rework of one of the classic stories of all time offers an unsettling view of the current state of "scientism," the politicizing of science which has changed its primary goal from knowledge to power.

I was struck by his inclusion, just before the title page, of the following quote from C. S. Lewis' The Abolition of Man. Struck, first by the fact Koontz's is reading Lewis on this issue, but more so by the insight of the quote itself:

"I am very doubtful whether history shows us one example of a man who, having stepped outside traditional morality and attained power, has used that power benevolently."

Maranatha!

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Going For A Swim

After a great time at camp in California, Cynthia and I have enjoyed a couple of days with our Arizona grandkids (and Rick and Linda, too!). This is definitely not the time of year to visit Arizona! Triple digit temps each day are brutal. This morning about 6:30 it was 92 on the back patio!

We return to Chicago tomorrow afternoon to get back to life there. Cynthia is at Costco at the moment with the kids for a last shopping expedition to get their last school supplies. It is 111 degrees here at the moment; pool temp is 96. I am going for one last swim!

Maranatha!

Saturday, August 1, 2009

In the Mountains

We are having a wonderful time of spiritual refreshing and also physical relaxation in the San Jacinta mountains. Tahquitz Pines conference center is a beautiful site for a week in the Word! It is quiet--and really dark at night! Stars shine brightly through the soring pine trees at 6K+ feet.

Dan Cobb has the session on PalTalk and there is a good group of P-Ters here. Some are meeting for the first time, putting faces to "names."

John Verstegen indicates he is feeling a bit better but still doesn't know exactly what his problem is. He still suffers the ongoing symptoms but is a testimony that II Cor. 4:7-18 is real in life. His preaching hasn't been adversely affected!

One interesting addition to camp this year is that we are sharing the facilities with a high school football camp from East L.A. Most of these young men have never been outside of the city environment and are having an exciting time. They are part of a ministry that works with teens and have a Christ-focused program. We interact with them mostly during meal times. They are noticeable by their politeness and orderliness. I've talked with their coach and the ministry leader several times and am impressed by what they are doing with these young men. Many of them have trusted Christ, several have shared clear testimonies with me, and have an interest in studying God's Word. We will share a camp-fire with them tonight (if the Forest Service allows the fire) and look forward to pointing them more fully toward grace. It is touching to see that God has His people even in a hot bed environment of inner city turmoil.

I'm only preaching once a day, which is like a vacation for me! Rick and John are doing some really good ministry. It is a wonderful expereince to be taking notes while my own son--and also my "beloved son in the faith"--are teaching! Good to know I'm not too far along to still learn somethings.

Maranatha!

Monday, July 27, 2009

Conference To Conference

We had an outstanding Bible conference and the new location was excellent. Attendance was actually greater than we had expected given the economic conditions. One unusual thing: the last night's attendance was actually larger that the night before! No matter when you end a meeting like this, some folks feel it necessary to leave early. This year was no exception--the exception was that others took their place! Having the meeting more local helped.

Matt Walker, Rick Jordan and Randy Davis graduated from GSB at this conference. It made Monday evening a very special time. We also had good reports through the week from Bob Barlow about the exciting things happening in China, as well as from Des Strydom about Africa, Johny Varghese about India and Tom Bruscha about our Forgotten Truths television program. From the preaching/teaching this week, I'd say the grace message is alive, well and moving forward!

We always have a large group of friends/relatives staying with us before and after the conference. It is a special treat to enjoy the "after conference" fun times--late night conversations, lots and lots of laughs, etc. Today we took a large group of teens (21 in all) to do downtown Chicago. They are making friends--grace friends--that will last a life time.

David, Stacy and their boys left this afternoon. Cynthia and I leave tomorrow to take our AZ grandkids home and then we'll all drive from Mesa to the conference in California in Rick and Linda's big van. I don't look forward to the long road trip, but more time with my grand kids always keeps things interesting.

At the moment Cynthia is doing some last minute office work. I did radio for the next two weeks yesterday afternoon (Des Strydom preached for us at Shorewood) and caught up on GSB paper work. Now we just have to pack so we can be at the airport at 8:00 in the morning.

Oh, yea. Cynthia still has to cut my hair, too. And, yes, she also cuts hair!

Maranatha!

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Getting Ready

As our family conference approaches (starts next Saturday), we are getting all the run-up preparations cared for. Yesterday was my day to do things around the house. We'll have some 17 guests (friends and family) staying with us beginning Thursday. It will also be the first time all of our grand children have been together with us in a year--that makes all the work/aggravation more than worth it! One special treat for me will be to meet Mr. Noah (our newest grandson) for the first time.

I started yesterday with a hospital visit and then moved on to my "honey-do" list. Most of the day I cleaned, repaired (installed a new sink and storage shelving in the garage!) and moved things out of the house. Cynthia is in her "Ms Clean" mode, so the dust is flying!

Our summer conference is always a special time. Largely the fruit of our efforts through Grace School of the Bible, it allows us to gather folks from across the country (but mainly the midwest--we have meetings in other regions throughout the year, too) who fit the KJB, mid-Acts, grace-life believer mode. I have always said that we are not all there is to the so-called grace movement, but we are!

Our fellowship and associations have been a very lively endeavor through the years. We haven't looked backward, or even side-ward at what others are doing/saying, but have focused on the future and applying Paul's message and ministry model to the world we live in and the world we are moving toward. The fruit speaks for itself.

We intend to put the messages live on the Internet--assuming the wireless service at the hotel cooperates. We'll also have DVD/CDs available. I'm working today on final preparations for the afternoon seminar on Welcome To Winter!

Maranatha!

Monday, July 6, 2009

Toxic Fame

Several folks asked me to weigh in on Michael Jackson. Frankly, I’ve not been one of his greatest fans. Don’t get me wrong, no one could deny his unique talent. Michael Jackson will always be the undisputed king of pop. His later years were fraught with strangeness and not even the most ardent fan could deny his shortcomings.

It will be a while before the dust settles on Jackson’s passing, but for me he is a parable on the toxicity of fame. The trouble with fame is that it brings with it the imposition of worship. Like it or not, men are not made to receive worship; we are made to give it. The fact is there is a really good reason why only God should be worshipped and that is that He is the only one who is unaffected by it, one way or another.

As we've seen in the case of Michael Jackson, strange things happen in and to men when we worship at their feet, and even stranger things happen in and to them when we withdraw that worship. Michael, and all those who drink from the toxic-cup-of-fame, fall victim to the fact that men are made to worship, not be worshipped. When we don't worship God, it's not that we worship nothing, it's that we worship anything (Rom. 1:19-25).

Interestingly, Philippians 2:5-11 fits this point. Because God the Son personally chose to "humble Himself" in eternity (vs. 6), in incarnation (v. 7) and in death (v. 8), God the Fathers has “highly exalted Him” to the place of supreme worship before the whole of the universe. But this exaltation is not something “new,” rather it is simply the restoration of “the glory which [He] had with [the Father] before the world was” (John 17:5). In plainer words, Jesus Christ was not seeking personal enhancement but rather was fully dedicated to “esteem other better than [Himself]” (Phil.2:3). Thus worshipping Him has no toxic potential!

His Most Telling Admission

In a recent article in The Jerusalem Post, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach wrote the following words about Michael Jackson:

I will never forget what he said when we sat down to record 40 hours of conversations where he would finally reveal himself for a book I authored. He turned to me and said these haunting words: "I am going to say something I have never said before and this is the truth. I have no reason to lie to you and God knows I am telling the truth. I think all my success and fame, and I have wanted it, I have wanted it because I wanted to be loved. That's all. That's the real truth. I wanted people to love me, truly love me, because I never really felt loved. I said I know I have an ability. Maybe if I sharpened my craft, maybe people will love me more. I just wanted to be loved because I think it is very important to be loved and to tell people that you love them and to look in their eyes and say it."

The above quote from Michael Jackson may be the most important admission of his life. He was a man in a frantic search for love—but, sadly, “looking for love in all the wrong places,” as the song goes. There are many others like him among those who are famous, those who are infamous and those who fit neither category.

What does that say to of us? It surely reminds us of the opportunity we have to love people with the authentic love of Jesus Christ.

There's a line in the sand with religion on one side and Jesus Christ on the other. I want to spend my life being on the right side of the line, don't you? Who knows what difference you will make in somebodies life if you do.

Like Michael, we often look for achievement to bring us love. When we don't get it from that, we look for comfort from substances (food and work), etc., etc. The truth is that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only source that really satisfies.

Maranatha!

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Surprised Crooks

A story from Perth, Australia sent along by a friend is comically instructional. Seems that someone stole a python from a wildlife center in Perth. The thieves no doubt thought they had made a clean job of it, but the snake did not cooperate. The six-foot long python swallowed a woylie, which turns out to be an endangered marsupial.

Turns out that the woylie had been fitted with a tracking device by the wildlife conservation department. So the police simply used the signals from that device to find the python with the woylie still inside. No doubt the crooks were shocked when the police stormed into the house where they were keeping the snake.

There is a good illustration here. Remember what the Bible says. “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23).

Friday, June 12, 2009

Happy Birthday!

Today is Cynthia's birthday. We are celebrating by going to a wedding rehearsal for a wedding tomorrow of a young couple at church. Good opportunity to share the gospel with a lot of lost relatives.

Next Saturday, the 20th, is our 40th anniversary. We gave ourselves the new kitchen as an anniversary gift. Glad it was finished in time!

Haven't had a moment to spare in the last two weeks. If the ministry gets any busier I don't know what we will do. The fruit from it all has been overwhelming. Such an honor to represent such a wonderful Savior and Lord. I'll try to share some of it next time I have a moment.

Just wanted to say happy birthday to my bride and let you know I haven't forgotten about you folks that read this either.

Maranatha!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

A Word From A Dad

I have been struck with the number of young people, young couples and young families that attend our various conferences and meetings. Frankly, each time I hear some leader from various parts of the grace establishment lament the "aging" of their networks, it sounds strange to me. Oh, I understand; the older networks versus the newer life/growth we represent is obvious. When they invited us to not be a part of their endeavors decades ago, we realized that the future was ours. We embraced it. We have grown with it and into it as only "new growth" can. We are glad for the past; but we have looked to the future--and it is now!

One illustration of this came from an email forwarded to me by Edward Yarber, a key coordinator of last weekend's Ohio Grace Conference. Perhaps it will give you a dad's perspective--and encourage you, too.

"As a Dad, I often find myself measuring the success of my parenting abilities by the feedback and reactions I get from my kids. I know that is not always the barometer to use, but in some instances, I just can't help but smile and know that "We done good". In this case, both my daughters expressed a hardy "Great Weekend" when I asked them about their thoughts/impressions about the trip to the conference. That then, is a true testament to the work you, David, Ted, and all the rest (especially the wives) did to pull off yet again another fantastic weekend around God's word.

"As a parent, I am always encouraged when I see young children willing to learn and grow in God's Grace. I know that will set the foundation for the rest of their lives. It is not always easy for youngsters to embrace the desires of the parents, and in this case, when that desire is to be among Saints for three days spending most of that time in Bible Study hearing preaching and teaching, and to realize that there were quite a few young adults willing to participate in the conference, must have brought a smile to our Heavenly Father for sure!

"Please be sure to pass on the thanks of my two daughters (as well as from me and Linda!!) to all involved in this conference, and we all look forward to attending again next year.... Cathy with her new husband as well!!"

To that I can only add: Amen!

Maranatha!

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Just A Thought

I thought when the new flooring was finished we would be able to reoccupy our up stairs, but it hasn't happened yet. The floor is beautiful and so is the kitchen. Its our 40 Anniversary present to ourselves (June 20th, so its a bit early!). Going to Ohio this weekend, so maybe next week we will be able to get moved back in. Just a thought!

Charlie McQuillan will be spending the night with us Thursday. He'll have to sleep on the couch in the family room since our guest rooms are still full of kitchen stuff. Cynthia ain't happy about that! She is so determined to offer only the best in hospitality, its a good things he's still young enough to think a couch is better than the floor!

As I have been teaching the book of John--and thus reading it over and over, most of the time at one setting--I am reminded of its parallel with the Tabernacle. Since John presents the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us--and since the purpose of the Tab was for God to dwell among Israel--that isn't a surprise. Just a blessing! The more you study the details, the more you see the wonder of it. And most of all, that the One who gave the pattern for the Tab knew what was going to happen when He became flesh and dwelt among us. Only God Himself could be the author of the Book!

We have reworked some of the artwork on our Rightly Dividing the Word chart and it is at the printer. Doing 100,000 this time. We thank God for the generous help in making this possible. It is all paid for! That in itself is a wonderful blessing.

I've been on FaceBook and doing a bit of Twittering. FaceBook has turned out to be interesting. Twitter is useless--can't say much in 140 characters! and who needs to know every detail of your day anyway?! Ain't that much that interesting going on. But it is nice to hear from folks directly. Amazing how much hunger there is for fellowship among grace folks there is out there. That is a great thing! Don't worry, however. I don't spend but a very few minutes on either. I check email four or five times a day (I average about 60 per day--plus spam) and look at fb once or twice when I'm doing this. Cynthia watches to see if I pray as much as I'm on it! If you want to say hi via fb, my handle is RJordanGSB.

Maranatha!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

A Good Report

I just got back from the doctor and my PSA numbers have gone down again--they went up on the last check up. They now at their lowest level since the cancer was detected. So, that is very good news and we are very grateful.

Just a reminder: If you are a male (or have one you care about) who is over 50 years old, make it a habit to have an annual PSA test. It is a simple blood test--only takes a few minutes. I have had them since I was 50 and it was that annual habit that allowed us to catch the Prostrate Cancer at an early stage. Prostrate cancer is deadly, but it usually is slow acting (generally takes 10-12 years to be fatal if undetected/untreated). You have no symptoms until it has progressed into the really dangerous stages, and that's why you need the annual tests. So, get 'r done!

Maranatha!

Saturday, May 9, 2009

A Really Great Time

We spent last night at the Holiday Inn in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. This will be the site of our summer family Bible conference, July 18-23. We were giving it a break-in visit.

Mike and Joe Wolke stained our floors Friday and this meant we were unable to stay in the house over night due to the strong fumes from the sealer. We had Hanna and Kayla with us so we took off to the hotel. The girls worn themselves out swimming in the pool (till almost 11:00 p.m.!) and got in another hour and a half this morning before we checked out! The hotel is a really nice place. It will be a great locaton for the conference.

This afternoon we attended a musical recital for several young people from our church family. They were excellent! It is a special blessing to see young couples raising their families in such a way that their children trust Christ at a early age, learn the grace message as a natural part of their spiritual growth and focus on godliness and excellence in their lives.

One of my personal goals has been to lead one local church for a long time--to be able to see godly generations developed. It has been my privilege to lead our assembly for three decades and I rejoice that, by the grace of God, this goal has been achieved.

Today we had a really great time. Tomorrow is Mother's Day (thanks to Hallmark!), so it will be even better!

Maranatha!

P. S. The recital was held in the chapel of Judson College, Elgin, Illinois--where we held our summer conferences during the late 80s and early 90s. We had lots of wonderful and interesting experiences there! It was the site where a fella threw a fire bomb at me while I was preaching (sort of broke up the meeting!). It was also where a number of folks got saved, some of our men dedicated their lives to preach, several couples met their life mates (including one of my sons), scores of folks came to understand the message of grace and lots of turly great teaching/preaching took place. For those who remember, you'll be interested to know the chapel is now airconditioned! There were lots of memories of Cynthia and me as we enjoyed to recital.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Odd Day Today

Today is one of those "odd date days:" 05-07-09. Such sequences don't happen often and when they do folks like to make a lot of them. So, today is another odd one!

But then it was a good one too! I did radio for Sunday this morning. Did the school programs earlier in the week for next month. I do the Chicago program each week (unless I'm going to be gone) so as to keep it fresh and up-to-date. We then "recycle" it about two months later for the out of town stations. Lots of work, but its is a tremendous ministry opportunity.

It was good to see Alex back in the office. He has been down with the flu (missed last Sunday and Wednesday) but looked like he is on the mend.

Cynthia is spending the night with our grand daughters at their house tonight so she can get them off to school in the morning--their dad is out of town today through Sunday and mom has to be at work at 5:30 a.m. She'll bring the girls home tomorrow and they'll be with us till Sunday. Our kitchen isn't finished, so their bedroom is still full of furniture, et al, which means they will have to sleep in our bedroom closet again. They seem to think it is a great adventure. Oh, yea. It means I'm home alone again. I should write a song!

Living in the land of Lincoln (at least that's what our car tags say), we are often reminded about things he did/said. During the Civil War Lincoln often drew on his faith--sometimes to comfort, sometimes to challenge his countrymen.

I've read that during the early days of the war, at a moment when there was no news from the front and many feared the worst, Lincoln reassured a fearful nation that even when things seemed to be going badly:

"Sometimes it seems necessary that we should be confronted with perils which threaten us with disaster in order that we may not get puffed up and forget Him who has much work for us yet to do."

"Much work for us yet to do"--I like that! Makes even an odd day worth the effort!

Maranatha!

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Over the Top!

We went over the top on the chart challenge yesterday. The offer to match gifts up to $1K has actually been exceeded already. It's amazing to realize that over 600,000 of the Rightly Dividing the Word charts are in circulation. And that just the number we have a record of--there were several printings that we don't have the actually number of copies printed in our files.

Interestingly I had two unrelated emails today from two different people--in two different parts of the world--telling how they came to see right division through the chart and the booklet, The Key To Understanding the Bible (which teaches the chart in short-hand style). So it will soon be back on the shelf--another 100,000 strong!

Life goes on: this morning Cynthia got a call from Nathan (our 4 year old grandson in FL) telling her he wants to move to Chicago and marry grandma. Sort of leaves me out in the cold! She has been longing to go back to Florida to see the boys, but is shut up to enduring life with me. We look forward to seeing the FL and AZ kids in July. Their parents are optional.

I made school radio today and prepared for the trip to Detroit tomorrow to do five TV programs. Cynthia spent most of the day filling CD & DVD orders. She left another 25 copies of second year GSB DVDs on the duplicator when she left for home. Now she is finishing up my mail. Someone told me they notice by my posting times that we work late into the evening. Hey, what else is new!

I had the opportunity to introduce a 37 year old man to Christ this afternoon. It was thrilling to see the scales fall from his eyes as he heard the gospel for what he said was the first time. He said he had thought "Christians had two brains: one lost and the other out looking for it!" After he gave me permission to share the gospel with him, he listened intently and when asked if he would like to trust Christ, he simply said, "Yes." Now to see him grow!

What a benediction to be able to use our time in even small ways to honor the One Who loved us and gave Himself for us!

Maranatha!

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

$1,000 Challenge

We need to have the Rightly Dividing the Word chart reprinted. In fact, it is at the printer now. The cost for such a project is always an issue and due to the fact we get such better "per piece" pricing the more we order, we usually order 50,000. This time that comes to just at $4,000. By the way, a 50K supply of charts lasts from 12 to 18 months. There are literally multiple hundreds of thousands of them in circulation.

A friend who was at the recent STS conference offered a challenge: He is willing to match any and all donations up to $1,000 in order to print that many more charts. We don't yet know how many more $2,000 will print, but it should be at least half again the original number. So, here's how it works: For every dollar donated over the next three weeks for the chart printing, it will be matched with another dollar. So your one dollar becomes two, ten becomes twenty, one hundred becomes two hundred, etc.!

Are you up to the challenge? There are three ways to donate: the easiest is to call the office at (888)535-2300 and use your charge card; you can mail a check to P.O.Box 97, Bloomingdale, IL 60108; or you can go to ShorewoodBibleChurch.org and use the donate icon (be sure to designate it for "charts").

Thanks for helping get the message out!

Marantha!

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Congratulations, Danielle!


We just learned that our oldest grand daughter, Danielle, was accepted into the National Junior Honor Society--she is 13 years old. Congratulations, kiddo! We are proud of you. Not only is she growing up to be a lovely young lady, she is smart--at least, for a blonde (that's an "inside" joke). Now, if only her twin brother can catch up.

By the way, her younger sister, Emily, is developing into quite a writer. I have often declared the old maximum to be true: Grandchildren are God's reward for not killing your kids. The older they get, the more truth there is to that statement.

This morning our "Florida boys" called to talk to grandma (she gets all the attention, and deservedly so). Since I answered the phone, I got to talk to Nathan a bit before grandma got to the phone. She wants to go back to Florida soon to see Noah, now that he is a couple of months old. You can guess how all my airline travel miles get used! At least Bryant said, "Hi grandpa!"
They called to say they were going to start swimming lessons.

Cynthia will be babysitting for Hanna and Kayla later this week. It is nice to have at least a couple of the grans close by! Hard to believe they just turned seven last month!

At the moment I'm editing DVDs from last weekend's school conference. Mike Taylor is on my screen just now. His grandfather, Marvin Taylor, thinks he is something very special. I agree! Marvin is the only one I know who brags about his grandkids more than me!....well, there are others, too, but he is up there at the top of the list!

Just think: all this, and heaven too! No wonder my heart stays so full of thanksgiving. Just wanted ya'll to know.

Maranatha!

Monday, April 27, 2009

Tired and Happy

Another Soldiers Training for Service conference is history. We had a bit smaller crowd this year (about 200) but it was one of the more enthusiastic ones! At least 40% had never attended an STS meeting and many of them are new students. It was wonderful to enjoy the outstanding spirit, commitment and excitement on display over the message of grace from the rightly divided Word!

The economy is beginning to more and more take a toll on folks. A good number of our regulars, some who have not missed a conference in years, were unable to be here due to hardships brought on because of the times. We need to stand together during these difficult days and encourage oneanother in every way possible.

Cynthia and I have been sick for over a week with really bad chest colds. I was able to teach five sessions on Saturday but there were times I didn't think my voice was going to hold out--not to mention my mind and legs! She had wonderful help from the ladies of Shorewood and they even made her go home Friday and Saturday nights before everyone else--my wife thinks she should be the last one out the door! It is wonderful to have friends who not only help with the work but look out for your best interests too.

This week will be filled with getting things back in order and caught up. I'll be in Detroit next week so have to get things done for that. Our kitchen is still not functional, so we continue to live out of one room (our bedroom). I'm actually getting used to it!

Maranatha!

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Busy and Blessed

We are in the midst of a busy week as we prepare for next weekend's Soldiers Training for Service conference. This is an annual get together of students, graduates and friends of Grace School of the Bible. We've been doing this for over 25 years!

The purpose of the weekend is to give our students and grads the opportunity to spend some time together--and for me to be able to have some "in person" time with them. The studies are focused on ministry issues--this year I'll be updating a study I did in '97 about the cultural shift currently upon us (what we termed "winter" based on Gen. 8's information about the seasonal cycles of a nation)--along with preaching through some of Paul's ministry charges in I & II Timothy. It'll be a really busy weekend.

My vision for this meeting has always been to provide it as a "gift" to our men. They are on the front lines of the spiritual battle, whether they are working through their own personal edification process or already in "the work of the ministry," and the opportunity to "come apart and rest awhile" is a needed refreshment. We all need to be "recharged" occasionally!

We provide a room for the two nights and enough for them to eat so they don't starve--actually, the ladies of Shorewood go all out in this department! They are working all this week getting things ready. So the men (and now, ladies too) only have to "get here."

This is a special weekend for me, personally. Of all the many things I am privileged to do, none is more dear to me or important to what I am doing than training men for the ministry. I have been committed to doing the work of the ministry Paul's way. That is why I will always be committed to local-church-based-edification and training. Everything we do, from the literature, audio/video media, radio, television, conferences to GSB, is designed in such a way as to enhance local ministries.

So it is a blessing to my heart to see our own local church so willingly and thoroughly involved in helping make this weekend a reality. It is our gift to these soldiers who are on the front lines of carrying the message of grace into the market places of the world!

In the midst of all this, we are also having a funeral. One of the last of our "old timers" went to be with the Lord last Saturday. Bob and Marge Price have been a faithful part of our assembly since the 1930's. Bob is the last of our men who served on the church board with J. C. O'Hair. He was 91 when he moved to heaven and active almost till the end. In fact, we had a men's fellowship Saturday morning and our fellows were asking "Where's Bob?" He hardly missed! We got the call during our time together that he had graduated to glory--so he was enjoying an ever better fellowship time!!

The memorial service will be Wednesday. "If you have never been to a grace believer's funeral, you haven't lived!" was the comment of a gentleman who has only known the grace message for a short time, after attending a memorial service. They are times of great rejoicing! So we'll have a Graduation Service for Bob's promotion to glory on Wednesday. Then we'll have a Graduation Service for GSB students on Satuday. PTL!

By the way, the conference will be broadcast live at ShorewoodBibleChurch.org. We begin Friday about 7:00 p.m. Saturday will be from 8:30 a.m. thru 10:00 p.m. and Sunday at 9:00 & 10:30 a.m and 6:00 p.m. Ya'll come!

Maranatha!

Friday, April 17, 2009

A Father's Love

A friend sent me this link to a beautiful hymn, "How Deep the Father's Love," wonderfully done by Sarah Sadler. Its on YouTube. Here is the link. This will make your day!

Pay attention to the words--we need to absorb them. We can't begin to understand the Father's love until we begin to comprehend that the fists that struck our Saviour were more than those of some distant Roman soldier or Jewish leader, but they were ours too.

Maranatha!

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

GSB Channel

Here is a link to the new Grace School of the Bible channel on YouTube. The videos are from our TV program--I look much younger on them! Hope you enjoy this access to some of the teaching ministry. Go to GSBChannel here. Audio studies--both radio programs and Shorewood pulpit ministry--are also available at GraceImpact.org.

One of the facinating things about this type of Internet site is that I don't actually have to do these things. In fact, I'm wasn't even aware of this particular YouTube channel until someone sent me an invite to join it! It is exciting to see the grace message get a grip on folks and then watch them getting busy putting the message out! You can never fully measure the ingenuity of grace believers! Its amazing!

I finished my taxes yesterday...bummer. This was a welcome "cheer-up"!

Maranatha!

Monday, April 13, 2009

A Busy Day

We had a busy day yesterday. Our morning meetings were planned for our folks to bring friends/family to hear the gospel. We had a number of lost folks in attendance and I had the opportunity to share the gospel not only in the message but also personally with three adults, one of whom indicated they trusted Christ. PTL!

Afterward, we took Jody, Heather and the girls to lunch and enjoyed a great meal together at a restaurant Cynthia really likes. Then it was back to the church building for me to finish up our taxes and her to fill cd/dvd orders. The evening meeting was well attended too. We needed to sleep in today--but didn't! They are coming today to put in our kitchen counter top! Maybe we'll have a kitchen again by the end of the month! Patience is a virtue. Romans 5:3-5 is true.

Maranatha!

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Told ya!


Told ya he was a cutie! Took a grand kid's picture for me to figure out some of this techy stuff! Motivation!!

The "no shirt, no shoes" thing comes from his other grandpa.

Maranatha!

No Hole

We got great news yesterday: Our newest grandson, Noah, was released by the heart doctors because the hole in his heart has completely closed. He was born with a heart murmur and the day after his birth it began to worsen. He has responded to the treatment and is now fine! PTL!!

Today is Noah's dad's birthday. David is now 32 years old. Hardly seems possible. He is the same age I was when we moved to Chicago and also has three sons--his brothers both had twins, so he and Stacy did something different! He wanted a riding lawn mower for his birthday--a sure sign he is over the hill! He's a great dad and if I could figure out how to download pictures to this site I could show you!

Happy birthday, David, even if you don't have time to read this!

Maranatha!

Monday, April 6, 2009

Snow, Birthdays and Bikes

Well, for the second time in a week we awoke to snow! Three inches, no less. About the same as last Sunday.

Actually it started last night. When we left church the ground was already covered. A group of a dozen or so went to a local restaurant for a time of "food and fellowship" and by the time we left there (about 10 p.m.) it was torturous driving. Heavy, clinging snow everywhere. It is a beautiful winter wonderland (BUT it ain't winter)! Since we're on the spring time side of winter, I don't think I'll shovel it. It should melt off by tomorrow. Hey, it gives us something to talk about!

Today is our oldest son's birthday. Hard to believe but Rick turns 39 today! Bob Hope used to say he was the "space age"--39 and holding! "You don't want to get older than that," Hope said. You do begin to be conscious of your own limitations when you pass 39, so Cynthia and I want him to have a great day today while he can still feel young! He is a wonderful son, dad and family man, who makes us very happy--and doing an outstanding job in the ministry there in Mesa. We thank God for you, son.

Also, we just learned that Little Rick (our oldest grandson; Rick's son) had his bike stolen on Saturday. It was his prize and joy. He had picked it out after a long search, earned the money to purchase it and was enjoying the excitement of riding in various bike parks. To loose such a prized possession is a bummer for a thirteen year old--his first real experience with a bad happening.

After the incident, he got a ride home from the responding police officer. Now he is the talk of his neighborhood, having arrived home in the back seat of a police cruiser! Inquiring minds (and nosy neighbors!) want to know!! He is handled the experience well, it seems, even though now he is walking again. Double bummer.

I go to Detroit for TV taping tomorrow so today is a busy day getting ready for that as well as catching up on some things left from yesterday. Forgotten Truths moved to 9:00 p.m. on Saturdays over DirectTV (Ch: 367) and the response to the earlier time has been very good. What an opportunity! It has been amazing to see how the Lord has used this program--and how He has used His people to supply its needs. This has proven to be the "little program that could" and we thank God for those who are helping to make it a reality!

Maranatha!

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Losing To Win

Losing is not a popular idea. It's definitely not an American concept. As General Patton famously remarked, "Americans love a winner. America will not tolerate a loser." That's no doubt one reason the current economic/political confusion is so perplexing. We seem to be losing--losing something tangible and intangible at the same time.

But God's grace teaches us that it is in our weakness that His strength is made perfect. In fact, II Cor. 13:4 declares that Jesus Christ "was crucified through weakness"--but not that He couldn't take care of Himself!

He did not die because He could not help it, He did not suffer because He could not escape. All the soldiers of Pilate's army could not have taken him, if he had not been willing to be taken. They could not have hurt a hair of His head, if he had not given them permission.

Truth be told--and what a blessed truth it is--He didn't want to be rescued. What seems to be the cluttered rush of events turns out to be the plan of god unfolding to bring salvation to the world. When evil seems to be winning, Christ calmly submits, knowing that in the end, God's will must be done.

And thus grace teaches us that in losing our power, our significance, our place in the lights, our fame and fortune and all that we hold dear, especially our reputation in the world, in giving all that up, our "losing with God" (as an old hymn puts it) wins for us a blessing the world can't match and does not understand.

Paul describes our ministry when he says of his own, "as unknown, and yet well known...as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing and yet possessing all things" (II Cor. 6:9, 10). I have often said that our influence far out weighs our apparent size!

Maranatha!


Wednesday, April 1, 2009

A Full Day

Yesterday Cynthia and I were in downtown Chicago so I took her to one of her favorite hangouts for lunch. Ed Debevic's has great American style food and even greater circuses. I won't say much about the latter because if you come visit us we'll probably take you on our "Chicago tour" which definitely includes Ed's. Don't want to spoil the surprise(s). We had a real nice lunch together. You can see her picture here. Mine is here.

Last evening I attended the graduation ceremony for one of our friends who graduated from the Greenawalt Learning Center and Master's Touch Program sponsored by Wayside Christian Ministries. It is a program for men whose lives have "gone over the cliff," as Brother Reynolds used to say. What a exciting time to see 19 men whose lives have been rescued and transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ. They gave testimony to the victory that is available only in Him.

For me it was like a throw back to my early years in inner city mission work. How I loved those days! Sharing the gospel with dozens each day, preaching on the street, in bars and pool halls, teaching converts the message of grace and seeing the truth take root in their lives. Those were formative days in my young life--their impact still with me.

One interesting thing also happened last evening: at least half a dozen people asked me if i was on television! They see our programs, listen to our radio broadcast and through Don have been studying some of our DVDs. Never know where things go--or who is watching! The good news is that the Body of Christ belongs to Him! He takes care of His own. We just labor in our small part of the field.

So, yesterday was a full day. Today promises to be the same. Praise the Lord!

Maranatha!

Monday, March 30, 2009

Home Again, again!

We had a rather weird day yesterday. Our (hopefully) last big snow of the season arrived Saturday night and lasted into mid-day Sunday. It cut into our a.m. attendance a bit but was actually rather beautiful. Although it was pretty heavy, it was melted by the time we got home Sunday night.

Our regular "snow plow" man is currently on a cruise with his family enjoying the sun. What a time to be away! Our backup guy was in Colorado on a ski trip with his family. Alex did get him on the phone and he was able to have one of his crew do the parking lot--we love cell phones! At least most folks didn't have to walk through the snow to get into the building.

I got home from Tennessee Friday afternoon. Cynthia picked me up at the airport and we were home before dark. Our kitchen is still not functional so we are living in/out of our bedroom. No way to cook, so eating has been something of a challenge. Didn't seem to be such a big deal while Cynthia was gone--the Alabama, Florida and Arizona kitchens were working! Now that she's home again, she isn't so happy about the lack of facilities. Jody is doing a great job, it just takes so much time. She purchases the appliances last week and they were delivered today. The cabinets are in, so now we have only one major item left--counter tops. Well, the floor still needs to be finished but that will be the last thing we do. We should be ready for company by the April school meeting.

Hanna and Kayla had their 7th birthday party Saturday. It was quite an event! 36 kids (27 girls!) at the Enchanted Castle for the afternoon. Watching them attack the rides/games quickly made it clear that my best option was to guard the presents! So I stayed out of harms way at the the present-table. Actually it turned out well, as there were several others doing the same thing for other parties. I had the opportunity to share the gospel with two of them as we huddled in the safe corner!

Something interesting happened in Tennessee along this line: A large group of us ate lunch at a Golden Coral buffet. Because of the size of the group we had several waitresses. Turned out that all of them had clear testimonies of salvation--six in all! I don't remember ever having that happen! A time of rejoicing and Bible study broke out in that end of the restaurant.

Lots of work got done while I was gone. The Tape of the Month mailing went out, TV and radio programs were shipped, all the orders are filled, the mail and office work is up to date, and this morning I finished paying the school bills. Makes me tired to think of it all! No time for a day off, however, since today began another week!

By the way, I'm still trying to figure my way around FaceBook. I'd be happy to be your Friend!

Maranatha!

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Wednesday in the Smoky Mountains

Its Wednesday morning in the Smokey Mountains; rain is falling and the air is cool. I had expected a bit more warmth, so didn't bring heavier clothing. Brrrrrr. But the meetings are inside and it isn't really necessary to go outdoors. Yesterday was beautiful--just right in every way. So, as the song we learned as kids goes,

As a rule man's a fool,
When its hot he wants it cool;
When its cool he wants it hot,
Always wanting what is not!

I have met several of my Facebook "friends" in person this week. Nice to put a person to their picture. By the way, I haven't figured out yet how to put a picture in my FB profile! Need to talk to a teenager!

A number of younger men are preaching during the morning messages and it is a joy to see them doing such outstanding jobs. There has certainly developed a good "down line" of men coming along behind us older guys who are taking up the baton and carrying it with vigor.

One thing David does that is rather unique is to have a Grace School of the Bible Day. The school is featured during the day, especially by having different students and grads give testimonies as to its impact on their lives and ministries. One special thing this year has been reports on what is going on in China.

Bob Barlow was able to attend this conference and he has been explaining some things happening in China. He originally went there to teach in a university as a means to share the gospel with students. Interestingly, students cannot attend university in China unless they speak English! So they are a great mission field.

After seeing a number of student trust Christ and also meeting many Chinese Christians in the "underground" church, Bob has had the opportunity to introduce the message of grace to an eager audience. It has caught on like wild-fire and now there are mid-Acts grace believing assemblies in every Provence of China--even the Muslim areas!

One of the things they have done is take the GSB classes (we provided Bob with the whole school curriculum) and duplicate them. Some 7,000 copies of the Romans DVDs have been distributed! Now they are working on the Ephesians class DVDs. We can't even imaging what the outcome of such an effort will possible be.

Bob has largely spent his time teaching the English speaking teachers and leaders, who in turn teach the other leaders and so forth on down the "house church" network. They have been translating the school classes, too! Bob, by the way, is originally from south Georgia....imagine learning/listening to south Georgian English and south Alabama lingo and putting that into Chinese! You have to have a real hunger for the Word just to get that far!

If you would like to have a part in helping with the financial needs of this effort, let me know and I can give you the details. There is a need to maintain a low profile due to the Chinese government's many restrictions and constant monitoring.

As the conference hits mid-week folks begin to go home. Some have actually stayed longer than really convenient due to job and life obligations. We had a tearful parting with several last evening, but we carry on! He that endureth to the end gets all the blessings!

Maranatha!

Sunday, March 22, 2009

TN Update

In just a few minutes we'll begin the Sunday evening Singspiration. After that I'll be speaking again. We have had a great time this weekend with some really wonderful preaching. This afternoon we ordained two brothers into the ministry, another treat for a meeting like this. I think this is the third time in four years we've done this! The work of the ministry is growing as a result of the fellowship enjoyed during these weeks.

I had lunch with Steve Hamilton, leader of the grace church in Lena, Wisconsin, and our old friend Don Cote (also a cheese-head)--did I mention there are a number of cheese-heads here? Don's health has been improving and it is wonderful to see his happy spirit. We had a happy time sharing experiences and insight as we enjoyed our soup 'n salad.

Talked to Cynthia too. She's home and working this afternoon in the production department. Had a good a.m. at Shorewood she said and she and Debbie are filling orders--they also had a "mailing party" after church to get the registrations for the April conference ready. So she's home and busy!

Maranatha!

Friday, March 20, 2009

Smokin' In the Smoky Mountains

Got to O'Hair about 6:00 a.m. to discover the place was a zoo. Spring Break!! This is the first time in a long time the "two hour" window to get to the airport before a flight seemed like a good idea. But things went ok. O'Hair is a big place but it is also amazingly efficient when it needs to be. Got through security (it does help to know where the least used points are) and on the plane (sat next to the mother from hell--but that's another story) and to Knoxville in good order.

Hanna Dowell and Roger picked me up and we arrived in Pigeon Forge like clock work. The hotel has been completely renovated and is very nice. The meeting hall is a great upgrade from the past. It seats about 300 (could go to 1,200) with tables and chairs and plenty of room to move around. We just had an "Ice Cream Welcome," and the first meetings start at 6:00 p.m. It's great to see so many friends from around the eastern part of the country. Gona be a good week of fellowship and study.

Cynthia will get back home tomorrow. She has had a good week with the Arizona gang. They are growing up into fine young people and are an encouragement to us both--although they still think having grandma around is more fun than you-know-who. It has been refreshing for her, and that is good.

Our theme here in Tennessee this week is "Rescue the Perishing." I'll be speaking nightly on "The Destiny of Man." I'm settled into my room and set up to work in the afternoons but look forward to the fortification my spirit receives from hearing God's Word taught rightly divided and with the passion of conviction.

If you have never been to a conference like this, you should plan on joining us next year--or in Chicago this coming July 18-23!

By the way, the Indian family I think I mentioned who attended Shorewood last Sunday night came back Wednesday evening. Johny Varghese was able to visit with them then. Turns out they have an understanding of right division and were excited to find a group in Chicago that did too. Their uncle in India teaches Pauline Dispensationalism and has a ministry there! God has His people everywhere--just because we don't know about them doesn't mean they aren't there! It is a benediction to know that the Body of Christ belongs to Him--and that He really doesn't need us. He just chooses to use us by His grace for His glory.

Maranatha!

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

O'Hair, Spencer and the Collapse of Evangelicalism

There is currently a buzz of discussion about the future of "evangelicalism" due to a blog written by Michael Spencer, entitled The Coming Evangelical Collapse. You can read his three posts here. A condensed magazine version is here. I actually heard him interviewed on two Christian radio programs last week. The article is an interesting appraisal of what is going on in the American Evangelical scene.

Some of what he says is spot and all of it offers rather compelling insight. But the article also illustrates one of the fundamental flaws of this type of effort. There is, in fact, under all these issues a more core problem. Spencer seems to sense this; he even seems to be searching for is; ultimately he is himself a victim of evangelicalism's core failure and hence misses it. Let me explain.

He is doubtless correct when he states that "Charismatic-Pentecostal Christianity will become the majority report in evangelicalism." It actually already is. Look at any representative Evangelical Church and even if it doesn't do the "charismatic-spiritual-gift-displays," it will still be dominated by the charismatic movement's music/worship style, atmosphere, programs, etc.

This is exactly what J. C. O'Hair predicted in the 1940! O'Hair was a champion of the distinctive ministry and message of the Apostle Paul. He heralded this truth as he pioneered in Christian radio, through literature, foreign missions, aiding in establishing educational institutions and fellowships of grace believers and preachers, all the while leading an aggressively evangelistic/Bible teaching church in Chicago.

As the tide of Fundamentalism began to shift toward rejection of a clear stand for the distintive ministry commited to the Apostle Paul (the cost simply became too high when traditions like water baptism were threatened), O'Hair issued a warning to his brethren. I don't have the exact quote in front of me, but the gist of it went something like this:

"If fundamentalism continues to refuse to embrace the importance of the distinctive ministry of the Apostle Paul the church will be scourged with the rod of Pentecostal fanaticism."

I have a few more things to say about Spencer's article, but this is the core problem--the eight hundred pound gorilla in the room no one wants to talk about (too often, even those who know/embrace it). The answer will not be found in the dust; the answer is in the cause of the dust swirling so thickly in the air.

Marantha!

Five Things I Do Every Day

There are five things I do every day. I know it isn't a good idea to ever say "every" or "never" for there are always going to be exceptions--but they actually "prove the rule" (if the rule is general enough!). For the past four decades, however, the days in which these things were not present are so few as to be unrememberable.

What are these things? Actually they are just the fundamental flow of a happy life. I discovered them long after doing them, that is, I one day realize what I was already doing that filled my life with joy. They are: get up in the morning, eat, spend time with the Lord (via His Word and prayer), spend time with my wife (i.e., have some meaningful communication together) and then go to bed. There, that's it! Everything else I do (and there's plenty of that!) simply fits around those five verities.

Now I know this doesn't sound profound. But life isn't make up of the profound, its made up of the little things that matter. At least a happy, joyful life is. When I conclude the day, I think back over its events and if these things are in good order I rejoice. If I have allowed one to be crowded out, I feel the loss and repent!

One thing I've learned is to look for and at core issues. The "simplicity that is in Christ" is a guiding standard for me. This, for me, is my deliverance from "the bareness of business."

Maranatha!

Monday, March 16, 2009

She's Gone Again!

Cynthia left for AZ this morning. She called a few minutes ago to say she had landed and was being picked up. It is touching to me to see how our grandkids refresh her so. She loves children; they love her. Her ministry with them is remarkable--as is true for all our children's workers. But there is something so very special about grandkids!

I'll be leaving for Pigeon Forge, TN on Friday. The conference there runs through the end of next week. It looks to be a grand time. The hotel has been completely renovated and there is a new meeting hall. Reports are that the reservations are already ahead of last year, so even in the current economy folks are looking for a time of renewal around the message of grace. Since I preach nightly, I'll be finishing my messages tomorrow. Also make radio for the next two weeks. Wednesday is packing day, Thursday I have two business meetings (one with our Chicago radio station and the other with an Internet company). So got to get lots done today and tomorrow.

After the extra busy time yesterday, I've been dragging today. I've come to realize that I am more limited physically than my "ego" wants to admit. My stamina this long after the radiation treatment is probably what it is going to be. I actually watched a video of me preaching a month or so ago and couldn't believe how slow I was talking! Not that anyone complained!! As I watched it I was struck by how tired I looked. As I thought back, I was tired! I suppose that it is a "man thing" not to want to embrace such limits. I guess I'll have to cut back to a 60-hour week.

Being "home alone" this evening I am going to reread Dent's latest book, The Great Depression Ahead. It contains a wealth of information that can help focus ministry for the days ahead. I am going to teach through the cycles or seasons of nationalism at the April school meeting. I did some of this a decade ago; this will be an update. So....I got some more studying to do.

Maranatha!