Category: Article

An Important Response to the Election

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It is November 5, 2008. The election is behind us and the results are in. What now? Whether the candidate you supported won or lost, whether your party of choice did well or poorly, the fact is, it is now time for us to live our lives in the world around us.

I want to allow the scripture to speak to us as we look to how we ought to respond, and I will make a couple of important comments. But first, let us hear from God.

Romans 13:1-10

1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Titus 3:1-2

1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.

1 Timothy 2:1-4

1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Let us learn a few important truths from the verses above. First, let us realize that no election result came apart from the sovereignty of God. God’s word clearly says, “For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” (Romans 13:1b). So let us be sure of this: God was not defeated in our election. God is accomplishing his will. Whether you understand how he is working this out is not relevant. God has done what God has done. Let us recognize this fact, and live under the sovereign rule of our God and under the government he has placed over us.

Second, let us recognize our responsibility. We as the people of God have a requirement given us by God to pray for our leadership. God says through Paul, “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (1 Timothy 2:1-2). It is our job as believers to pray for all in leadership and authority over us. This includes our president elect. And our prayers have a focus. We want to ask God to be glorified, of course, but look at the text. We are to pray for our leaders that we who are believers might live a peaceful and quiet life. We are to pray that we can live dignified and God-honoring lives under the rulers who are over us. So let us remember what God has called us to do and do our duty.

Third, look at what the Bible says about our speech. God commands us, “Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed” (Romans 13:7). God also says in a discussion of our response to leaders that we are “to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people” (Titus 3:2). So let me say this with all biblical authority: We as Christians must speak with respect, courtesy, and kindness toward our leadership. It is inappropriate for Christians to take part in the venomous speech that so often characterizes those whose political party is not in power. We must not make nasty jokes that disrespect our leadership. WE must not take part in throwing about wild accusations and unfair character assessments. WE have no right to say that we understand the heart of a particular politician simply because we disagree with him or her on issues, regardless of how important those issues are. No, as believers, we must speak with dignity, respect, love, and courtesy.

Am I saying that we must not stand for important moral issues such as the sanctity of human life? Of course I am not saying that. We should continue to pray that God will protect human life and put an end to the barbaric practices which are now legal in our society. What I am saying is that, at this point, the leadership of our nation is set, and we must not be evil and disrespectful toward that leadership. Instead, we should pray for our leadership. It would be wise for us to pray that our leadership will be led by God to protect human life, to govern as will most honor him, and to change views that they hold that do damage to people who are made in God’s image. We should pray for the leaders of our nation that we will continue to be able to live peacefully, quietly, and with dignity as believers in the United States. We should pray for our leaders that they will govern well, and that they will do justice as God has called them to do.

We also can pray, thanking God that some important changes have occurred in our nation. We can thank God that we see evidence of the fall of racism in our culture. That we would elect the nation’s first African-American president is a testimony to the grace of God in at least one sense. God has allowed our people to recognize that the color of a man’s skin is not a factor that either qualifies or disqualifies him for any position in our land. Racism is evil. Anyone who would say that we should not have a president of a particular skin color simply because of that skin color is wrong, and such a person ought to repent of their sinful attitude. Christians can disagree on a candidate’s qualifications, but no believer should judge a man as more or less worthy to serve in office based on skin color. So, in at least this area, we as believers should thank God that our nation has made such dramatic progress in tearing down the ungodly walls of racism which have been such a part of our past.

Christians, it is November 5. The world has changed. Yet, with all the changes and all the celebration and all the sorrow and all the money spent, God is still on his throne. And our duty as believers is to pray for our leadership, respect our leadership, and live as Christians in our society. Why is this our duty? Paul says, “This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3-4). It pleases God that we pray for our leaders and live peacefully under them, because our mission is not about the nation or the economy or a political party. Our mission is to take the message of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world. The Great Commission is our responsibility just as much today as it was yesterday. So, let us live as God commands, and let’s please him by making our lives about spreading a passion for his glory to all peoples all over the world.

Hard Questions PT 2

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Click above to get the MP3 of part 2 of the “Hard Questions” panel discussion.

Here is what is included:

0:09:15- What should Christians believe about the Creation/Evolution debate?

0:17:40- How does God judge those who have never heard about Jesus? Can they be saved?

Questions from the Audience-

0:22:57- If the first chapter of Genesis is allegorical, how do we know when it becomes historical?

0:24:08- Do you believe that the Bible teaches that the role of a woman is to be a homemaker?

0:25:20- What should a father’s priority be?

0:26:09- What kind of resistance should Christians have to homosexuality in our culture?

0:30:12- Since humans are cursed and fallen, how can we trust our interpretation of the Bible?

0:32:05- How should Christians think about the death penalty?

Hard Questions Panel Part 1

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The audio is available for part 1 (the first hour) of our “Hard Questions” panel discussion from the campus of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. This discussion includes answers from Phil Nelson, pastor of Lakeland Baptist Church in Carbondale, IL, Jonathon Peters and Mark Warnock, pastors at First Baptist Church of Columbia, IL, and yours truely.

If the title of this post will not work, visit www.lakelandchurch.org to find the audio yourself.

Here are the questions you will hear us try to tackle:

0:03:09- How did you become a Christian? What was your college experience like?

0:17:14- What makes you qualified to answer questions about God? Why should we care what you think?

0:20:00- How can we be sure that the Bible is the word of God?

0:28:45- How can we be sure that the Bible contains the right books?

0:36:55- If God is all powerful and all good, why does He allow suffering to exist?

0:49:13- Would it be hypocritical for a Christian to support a female candidate for elected office if they wouldn’t also support a woman as pastor of their church? What does the Bible say about feminism?

1:03:55- What does the Bible say about homosexuality? How should Christians think about the legalization of homosexual marriage in areas of our country?

Bible Interpretation and Little Bo Peep

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One of the most dangerous things that Christian teachers can do is to force symbolic meanings onto biblical passages. Forcing allegorical meanings onto texts that are not supposed to be allegory is simply taking license to make the text say whatever the interpreter wants.

John MacArthur illustrates this idea with a few laughs by offering an exegesis of Little Bo Peep.

http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil//sounds/bopeep.mp3

An Amazing Account of Judson’s Conversion

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John Piper. Don’t Waste Your Life. pp155-157.
How God Caught Adoniram Judson for Burma

That’s the way it was with Adoniram Judson, the first overseas
missionary from America, who sailed with his wife at age twentythree
on February 17, 1812. They had been married twelve days.
He spent the rest of his life, until 1850, “suffering yet always
rejoicing” to bring Burma under the sway of Christ and make the
people glad in God forever. But first God had to turn him around,
and he did it in a way that so stunned Judson, he never forgot
the providence of God in his conversion.
The son of a pastor, he was a brilliant boy. His mother taught
him to read in one week when he was three to surprise his father
when he came home from a trip.1 When he was sixteen he
entered Rhode Island College (later Brown University) as a
sophomore and graduated at the top of his class three years later
in 1807.

The Detour from God

What his godly parents did not know was that Adoniram was
being lured away from the faith by a fellow student named Jacob
Eames who was a Deist.2 By the time Judson’s college career was
finished, he had no Christian faith. He kept this concealed from
his parents until his twentieth birthday, August 9, 1808, when he
broke their hearts with his announcement that he had no faith
and that he wanted to write for the theater and intended to go to
New York, which he did six days later on a horse his father gave
him as part of his inheritance.
It did not prove to be the life of his dreams. He attached
himself to some strolling players and, as he said later, lived “a
reckless, vagabond life, finding lodgings where he could, and
bilking the landlord where he found opportunity.”3 The disgust
with what he found there was the beginning of several
remarkable providences. God was closing in on Adoniram
Judson.
He went to visit his Uncle Ephraim in Sheffield but found
there instead “a pious young man” who amazed him by being
firm in his Christian convictions without being “austere and dictatorial.”
4 Strange that he should find this young man there
instead of the uncle he sought.

The Unforgettable Night

The next night he stayed in a small village inn where he had never
been before. The innkeeper apologized that his sleep might be
interrupted because there was a man critically ill in the next room.
Through the night Judson heard comings and goings and low
voices and groans and gasps. It bothered him to think that the
man next to him may not be prepared to die. He wondered about
himself and had terrible thoughts of his own dying. He felt foolish
because good Deists weren’t supposed to have these struggles.
When he was leaving in the morning he asked if the man next
door was better. “He is dead,” said the innkeeper. Judson was
struck with the finality of it all. On his way out he asked, “Do
you know who he was?” “Oh yes. Young man from the college
in Providence. Name was Eames, Jacob Eames.”5
Judson could hardly move. He stayed there for hours pondering
death and eternity. If his friend Eames were right, then this
was a meaningless event. But Judson could not believe it: “That
hell should open in that country inn and snatch Jacob Eames, his
dearest friend and guide, from the next bed—this could not, simply
could not, be pure coincidence.”6 God was real. And he was
pursuing Adoniram Judson. God knew the man he wanted to
reach the Burmese people.

Back Up Your Files!

pastortravislv

I heard the crack of thunder so clearly that I jumped while in bed. The storm had been present for a few minutes, but the sound I heard on Tuesday night of last week was so loud, so close, I knew that something had to have been hit. Indeed it was. Some part of the church building, just across the creek from our home, had been struck by lightning.

ON Wednesday, my family and I decided to head south to be with my mom and dad for a few days. I ran by the office, picked up my laptop from my desk, and jumped in the van. As we drove past the city limits of our tiny town, I opened up my lovely little Dell XPS 1330, and pressed the power button. Nothing happened. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Nothing whatsoever.

After a few different methods of trying to get something out of my laptop, and several minutes on the phone with tech support, I found that Dell was going to send a techie by my house to install a new motherboard in my laptop. And so I sat, from Wednesday evening through Tuesday morning of the next week, hoping and praying that God would have spared the data on my hard drive, as I had been lax in backing up my computer.

Praise be to God, on Tuesday, a nice man came to my home at 7:30 AM, installed the new motherboard, and had my computer up and running by 9:00. All my data is safe. Since then, my wife and I have carefully made sure that all of my data is safely stored on burnable CDs, a very simple way to backup any PC.

God’s word tells us that the companion of wise people will himself grow wise. Part of being wise is to learn from the mistakes and foibles of others. So, as one computer user to another, I offer this counsel from my newly found wisdom. Backup your PC! You must not allow yourself to ever wonder, should anything ever get to your computer, should the surge protector fail, are your files OK. It takes little time and effort, but the peace of mind is worthwhile. Backup your files.

Spotting a False Teacher

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I came across the following while studying for a message on 2 Peter 2:

Three main features have always characterized the ministry style of false teachers. First, they are authoritarian (Jer. 5:31), invariably ruling over their churches in a domineering fashion (cf. 3 John 9–10), and strongly denouncing any who question their authority. To make matters worse, they almost always lack formal training or reputable ordination, operating beyond any legitimate biblical or theological accountability.

Second, false teachers minister in a man-centered way (Jer. 23:16, 26; Ezek. 13:2), pandering to what they think people want to hear and accept (cf. Isa. 30:10; 2 Tim. 4:3–4). As a result, they preach their own visions (Lam. 2:14; Ezek. 13:9; Zech. 10:2; Col. 2:18) of health, wealth, prosperity, and false peace (Jer. 6:14; 23:17; Ezek. 13:10, 16). The true teacher emphasizes God’s holiness, man’s sinfulness, and the desperate condition that results. But false teachers prefer messages of their own making—syrupy deceptions that appeal to the carnal appetites of their listeners.

Third, they treat the historic, Scripture-based doctrines of the church with contempt (cf. Jer. 6:16). Instead of proclaiming biblical orthodoxy, they promote their own self-styled novelties, methods, and doctrines. They purposefully distance themselves from the past, arrogantly endorsing some new-fangled approach to ministry, and often claiming private revelation from God in its defense.

John MacArthur, 2 Peter and Jude, Includes Index. (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2005), 103.

John Piper, Baptism, and Church Membership

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I love John Piper. His ministry is one that truly encourages me, challenges me, and calls me to a greater love of God and his glory. Piper is older than me, wiser than me, brighter than me, and better than me at just about anything I can think of related to ministry (I may have him beat on knowledge of sports).

Because I have such a deep love and respect for Piper, I find it difficult to write a post in which I voice my disagreement with something that he teaches. Let me say that this disagreement is not something that comes from an arrogant heart or out of a lack of love for Piper and his ministry. However, since I do recommend John Piper and his resources at www.desiringgod.org to people regularly, it is also important for me to make clear when I find something I consider to be inappropriate in the teaching to be found there.

In his July 13, 2008 message (http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/TopicIndex/70_Baptism_and_Church_Membership/), John Piper began a series explaining his position on the issue of church membership and believer’s baptism. As many of you may or may not know, Piper was the center of a blogosphere storm when he made public his belief that it may not be necessary for a person to be baptized as a believer in order for them to be accepted as a member at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis. You can search the site to find all of his statements regarding this issue, including his July 13 sermon entitled “How Important Is Church Membership.” And, let me also say that much of that sermon is very helpful, especially Piper’s 5 strands of biblical evidence for church membership.

My concern is that Piper is about to again make an argument that goes something like this:

All who are believers in Christ are part of the church universal.

Baptism as a believer is not required to be a member of the church universal.

Membership in a local church should not be more restrictive than membership in the church universal.

Therefore, believer’s Baptism ought not necessarily be required for membership in a local church.

Let me also add that Piper’s goal here is not to do away with the teaching of believer’s baptism. He believes, biblically so, that the only valid baptism that the church should recognize is the immersion in water of a believer in Jesus Christ as an act of obedience to the commands of Jesus Christ to declare one’s commitment to Jesus Christ. Or, as Piper said himself:

“We believe that baptism is an ordinance of the Lord by which those who have repented and come to faith express their union with Christ in His death and resurrection, by being immersed in water in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. It is a sign of belonging to the new people of God, the true Israel, and an emblem of burial and cleansing, signifying death to the old life of unbelief, and purification from the pollution of sin.. . That is what we believe the Bible teaches. That is the main reason we are called Baptists. We only baptize professing believers.”

So, my struggle with Piper’s argument is not a belief that he is rejecting believer’s baptism. My struggle is with his logic when it is applied to those who have not been baptized as believers. Piper believes that, to exclude from membership a believing person who has not been biblically baptized but who thinks he or she has been biblically baptized is inappropriate, more serious an offense than the person’s lack of biblical baptism.

Perhaps you are wondering why this matters. It is because the issues at stake are real ones. In many instances, a local Baptist church may have a person come to them desiring membership. We believe that membership is a very good thing, and affirm their desire to unite with us. However, this person was “baptized” as an infant (perhaps in a Methodist or Presbyterian context). And, though the leadership of the church attempts to convince this believer in Christ that they have not truly been baptized since they were not baptized as a believer, the person is still unconvinced. Should the church then not allow him or her to join since they are not attempting to be rebellious but honestly believe that they are following Jesus? Piper is arguing that such a person be accepted into membership. I disagree.

Why would I disagree with Piper’s logic?

I’ll do my best, in brief, to list a few reasons why I disagree with what Piper is presenting to his congregation:

Piper’s sermon asked the question, “How Important is Church Membership?” This is a fine question; but let me ask a similar few: How important is baptism? How important is obedience? And, is unintentionally failing to obey not disobedience?

As a Baptist, I believe baptism to be of high importance (not to save you, but as an act of obedience). Men in times past have been persecuted, tortured, put to death struggling for the doctrine of a believer’s only baptism. This was to preserve the biblical concept of a regenerate church membership. Our forefathers understood that baptism had a direct connection to acceptance into the local body. They also understood that, to fail to require believer’s baptism was to fail to uphold biblical standards of church membership.

Is baptism really that important? It is, without question, a church ordinance. This means that it was ordained, commanded, by Jesus. It was set apart as something special he called his followers to do (MT. 28:18-20). Jesus’ command and his language was crystal clear. He was calling for us to make disciples, and part of that disciple-making included baptizing those who profess faith in Christ. Baptism is, simply by placement in the Great Commission, as important as teaching obedience. And, the fact is, there is no concept in the New Testament of a person being welcomed into the church who had not already submitted himself or herself to the command of Jesus to be baptized.

Under no circumstances would we, if we are doing our jobs as pastors, allow a Christian to continue in disobedience to Christ while under our pastoral care. Galatians 6:1 enjoins us to restore a brother or sister in sin. Christ himself calls us to progressively and systematically confront disobedient fellow believers in Matthew 18:15-ff. And, yes, the final step of Christ’s command in Matthew 18 is to remove from fellowship any believer who refuses to turn from his disobedience.

Whether you realize it or not, we’ve answered my first two questions. Baptism is important. Disobedience is serious. Now, is unintentional disobedience still disobedience? Certainly. It may not be disobedience out of evil intent; but still to fail to obey is to fail to obey. And even if I am not convinced by a brother or sister in Christ that I ought to obey a command, if it is a legitimate command of the scriptures that I refuse to obey, I am in sin. My intent may help my sin to be less presumptuous, but my failure to obey is still a failure to honor God.

So, is believer’s baptism a command? I believe it is. Therefore, as a pastor, I am convinced at present that it would be improper for me to admit a non-baptized believer to church membership. It would certainly be a shame to admit them to membership, and then immediately begin the process of confronting them with their need to obey this command. What must follow if they refuse to obey the command to be baptized but church discipline which could end in their removal from the fellowship?

Piper argues that to forbid church membership to a person is tantamount to calling them a non-Christian. I completely disagree. There are many people who I understand to be believers, but I could not comfortably be a member of their local churches. This is not to say that I do not love them or think them in Christ. However, there are issues of doctrine that must separate us until they are resolved. I will not, for the sake of political correctness or a falsely constructed ecumenical unity pretend that doctrinal issues cannot (or even should not) divide well-meaning and thoroughly-convinced Christians. I would here recommend Albert Mohler’s article on issues of theological triage at http://www.albertmohler.com/commentary_read.php?cdate=2004-05-20. Unless we believe baptism to be a question of conscience instead of a command of Christ, we must make it an issue of church membership.

Let me make one other simple observation. Local Churches have always had requirements for membership, and those are often more narrow than simply being part of the church universal. We require membership classes. We sometimes require a person to publicly share their testimony, agree to abide by a code of conduct, or to teach in accord with our statement of faith. None of those are required for salvation, but is a church out of line to set such entrance requirements? I think not.

A Final Disclaimer

I recognize that this post could be read by someone who is not Baptist by persuasion or doctrine. I pray that you will grant me grace in what you have read, as I understand that it may sound quite harsh. I wrote here to address a particular issue from a Baptist perspective; and part of a Baptist perspective is a belief that the only true baptism is that of someone who has professed genuine faith in Jesus Christ alone for their salvation. I am not attempting to sound in any way superior to any other individual or group. However, I believe this doctrine to be taught by God in scripture, and thus must believe that the Baptist view here is correct. In believing my position to be correct, by default I must also believe a contrary position to be incorrect. This is not to say that I do not love and respect those with whom I disagree; but, in order to have integrity, I must disagree.

Super Summer Highlights

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Super Summer is an intensive discipleship training week that happens every year in Illinois. I was privileged to be a part this year, teaching about 15 times if I add everything together correctly. Here are some of my own personal highlights. No, I don’t expect these all to be meaningful to all who read it. But, if you are a Super Summer person, you might find these worthwhile.

Spiritually Significant

Super Summer 2008 had some major elements to it that I found tremendously encouraging. First, there was a constant reminder of the profoundly simple truth of the gospel. In session after session, I heard students challenged to remember the glory of God, the ugliness of sin, and the saving grace of Jesus Christ. I know that in our blue school (soon to be ninth graders), the gospel was central in many sessions.

Also, the entire week was saturated with a love of the scriptures. Time and time again, the staff held high the glory and perfection of the word of God for students. Phil Nelson particularly challenged students to love the perfect word of God in his message on Psalm 19. And, though this is not generally common in “youth” events, the students regularly sat under and thrived in expository (verse by verse) Bible teaching.

Mark Warnock did an excellent job wrapping up the week for students. He reminded them of their identity in Christ, including a great picture of God’s grace. He also taught them that the Christian life is not always a mountain top experience. Students will still struggle when they get home. Students will fail when they get home. Super Summer highs will wear off. What must remain is the truth of who and whose we are in Christ.

Students were constantly challenged to get out of their comfort zones, to do hard things, and to be missionaries. It was beautiful to see students grasp the fact that, if you are a Christian, you are called to be a missionary. Such service is not optional, it is expected.

And, though I could go on forever, the worship team was simply outstanding. This group of guys put their whole hearts into leading worship. They did not act the part of the big-time rock band, because they’re not. They are a group of young men who are growing in Christ and playing loud music to help others follow them in glorifying God.

Ten Funnies

Laughs are a big part of the Super Summer experience. If you weren’t there, you won’t get these for the most part, but hey, those who were there will only get some. Here are a few things worth remembering:

· The video which taught a piercing lesson by rewording worship songs to make them into worship of self rather than worship of God—“I exalt me”, “Lord I lift my name on high”, etc. (Was the video funnier, or just the fact that Chase kept singing those songs to me as we passed?)

· “Arr, go get me brown pants.”

· “Hey, what ya got there? Yum, my favorite.”

· “I threw down my notes and just wung it.” (never parsed a verb like that before)

· “It’s like youth ministry—totally entertaining while completely missing the point.”

· “I didn’t’ notice anything strange about the way Zaxxson was playing.”

· Travis: “Phil, I think you’re sitting on my cane.” Phil: “No, it’s in the crack of the pew.” (Ironic choice of words)

· Crazy Naked Guy (not actually present at Super Summer for those who are worried).

· “This year safety is going to be priority #1 at rec time.” (1st day we have a student with staples in his head)

· A dean (dean I say) came to SS and forgot to pack underwear. (The problem was remedied without grossness)

Profound Thoughts

Mark Warnock taught me that coffee is an adult drink. I must simply learn to embrace the bitterness. (And I drank mine black for the rest of the week so as not to be a child)

Phil Nelson taught me that, if I let him give answers to questions too quickly, he’ll get one, both, or all of us kicked out of the denomination.

My Blue School students taught me that “I Don’t Love You Since You Ate My Dog” is still a funny song.

Shawn Key taught me that the best way to respond to a student saying, “Hey, I just drank a whole bottle of hot sauce” is to say “Yeah, I just drank a whole Diet Coke. Now, let’s talk about God.”

I taught the group: If you come up behind someone, placing one arm under their arm with a hand behind their head to force them down, that is a half nelson. If you do the same with two arms, that is a full nelson. If you tell the person to get saved while in the process, that is a Phil Nelson.

Results

As we shared with our students on how to evangelize, we had between 5 and 7 (reports vary) students pray to receive Christ. We had several students who were convicted of sin and who committed to go home and make things right with parents and others. And many of our students learned for the first time how to share the gospel from start to finish.

The following is what Lonnie Trembly wrote to me detailing the response of his youth group:

Just a short note to let you know: Feedback from last week: Since Friday in my youth group, one boyfriend witnessed to and dumped as he did not want to go with a religious fanatic, gospel shared 8+ times, 3 additions to the kingdom, 3 parent student confession times on sin, one girls accountability group formed, one boys accountability group formed, one student rejected by his friends as a religious nut, more than doubled the Monday night student led study of “The Pursuit of Holiness” by Jerry Bridges, girls day Bible study doubled in size, and the Lord knows what else has happened that I am not aware of. It has been spontaneous expression of the Lord in their lives.

and it continues!!!!!

A Rare Political Post

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*** Disclaimer ***

This blog is my own personal blog. Yes, I am a Christian. Yes, I am a pastor. As a pastor, I will not endorse any candidate for president, nor will I tell any person how they should vote. Therefore, what follows are not thoughts written under the direction of the church at which I serve. Nor are the thoughts below in any way an official position or direction from that church. ***

I’m not often a political animal. I do not believe that Christians will change the world by changing governments. The only way we will truly see a changed world is when people are deeply impacted by the gospel of Jesus Christ.

However, when a political candidate makes very clear his or her intent regarding issues of morality, I do believe that Christians should take time to listen and think biblically.

Below is a link to a speech delivered by Barak Obama on 7/17/2007 to a group from Planned Parenthood. In this speech, Obama continually says that a woman’s right to have an abortion is what is “at stake” in this election. Clearly, Senator Obama is making a supposed right to take the lives of babies something that is central to his campaign.

Yes, I understand that this issue may not be as simple as some believe. Yes, I realize that Senator Obama has in his heart the health and welfare of women as he makes his comments.

But let me say this: As a believer, I cannot in good conscience ever imagine supporting a man who makes the support of abortion a central issue for his political campaign. And, yes, I say that knowing that there may be other areas in which that candidate is excellent. Life, its value and protection, is far too important an issue to be trumped by economics or other political concerns.

To watch the Senator’s speech, a telling speech since the Senator is speaking to a very pro-abortion crowd, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUl99id2SvM.