Evangelism...yes! Conditional Salvation...No!

Yesterday I saw an interesting site which I wish I could have taken a picture of.

As I was driving on Highway 20 headed home, I passed a van pulled off the side of the road. The van was in the driveway of a business and was angled so the side of the van was facing traffic. There was a banner hanging on the side of the van...which I don't know what it said. There was a man sitting in a chair next to the van holding a sign. The sign said "Christ Acceptance Center" and had an arrow pointing to an abandoned business building.  (I passed this guy during rush hour on a Friday evening and the road was packed.)

My first thoughts were "I didn't just see that...and I must have read that sign wrong". My next thought was "quick...where is the camera?" which I realized was out of reach in the truck. As I sat in traffic pondering that site many thoughts ran through my head. I am all for evangelism, but I am against conditional salvation like this scene implied. The Bible tells us that God expects us to share our faith in a way that makes a positive difference in the lives of others. He tells us to go out into all the world and make disciples. Making disciples is a process and requires a relationship. Its modeling a life that earns the right to share. What I saw this Friday was an image that said a person needed to go to this little building to accept Christ. How far from the truth that is.

We all have tremendous opportunities to share the life changing truth of Christ with others. The most powerful message is through our life...some may call this lifestyle evangelism. The testimony of our life lived out should clearly shout "I was once...______, but now I'm _______". You fill in the blanks. You know who you were without Christ and you know who you are today if you have an authentic relationship with Christ...and the two should be different!

We also worship and proclaim Christ through giving our best in all we do. I  have to stop and ask myself if I am worshiping and proclaiming Christ in:

• my family life...the way I encourage, support and lead my family
• my work life...the way I conduct business with my customers, vendors, co-workers and employees
• my social life...the way I act, talk and live everyday...even when I think nobody is watching
• my church life...the way I serve and share

Through all these things...let them be done with excellence.

Let me close with one of my favorite songs which sum it all up...All Because of Jesus by Steve Fee.

A Place to Remember

I have had the privilege to spend the night at a camp in the mountains of North Carolina. It's the same camp I attended as a teenager 25 years ago. Much has changed...but much has not. But as I have spent time on the property the clearest memory of this place is that this is where I first REALLY connected with God. It was here that I got far enough away from the garbage of life and began to learn about God in a real way. To this day you might say I carry a core ember from the fire that was lit during my time at The Wilds.

Yes, I realize all of the different connotations you might have of this place, but for me, this is where God began to work in my heart and show me that he loves me and wanted to use me for a purpose. It was where I first began to learn that He wants to connect with me on a personal level. Study, quiet time, a type of praise and worship were all modeled for me and gave me a starting point.

It's good to take time out and visit the places of our past where we encountered God. Throughout the Bible you find that God's people created an altar or monument to remember their encounter with God. When we look back at all He has done for us...its exciting to see where He has brought us to. The journey becomes clearer as we visit and remember the times of encounter. It also sets a pattern for us to learn from and strive to build into our lives daily.

May You Be Honored Today...

For days now I have been trying to figure out a way to honor those who have served to defend and protect our country. I have come to the conclusion that there is no way I can adequately do that. For all of you who have served and given your lives for us I thank you! I realize that many were never given their life back but rather laid it down...I salute you and thank your family. To those who were given your life back and are now serving our country by just being a great friend, great parent, great teacher, a great business person...I salute and thank you as well!May you be honored this day as we remember your sacrifice for us.

Speaking of sacrifices...though much different...I would like to honor and thank my wife Cindy who has stood by my for 18 years of marriage as of today. You have been my best friend for 20 years and I love you with all of my heart!
Thank you...and may you be honored today as well.

What's Your Cardboard Testimony?

Thank you Tommy Politz and the authentic people at Hillside Christian Church in Amarillo, Tx.
The message of changed lives is powerful...and because of it we are to go and make a difference in the lives of others!

Are You Ready...

The question comes, the opportunity presents itself, the attention is now focused on you…

New International Version (NIV)
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,1 Peter 3:14-16

Yesterday I was faced with a choice. It unfolded like this…

I was returning from a business trip and had landed back in Atlanta at Hartsfield. I proceeded to get my luggage and head to the shuttle bus which would take me to my car. This is the same thing I always to, but this day was different. As I approached the shuttle I was the only one there besides the driver. I boarded the shuttle and the driver immediately headed toward the off site parking lot where I had parked. As we started on our way, the driver asked me if he could talk to me...uhh, sure. The driver proceeded to tell me about how his marriage of 20 years had fallen apart. His wife had left him and taken his 14 year old daughter as well. It was clear that this man still was dealing with a lot of pain, confusion and anger. I tried to encourage him by telling him that his daughter still needed a daddy. He proceeded to tell me about how he was falling for a long time friend of his as well but that some of his friends were encouraging him to reconcile with his wife. At this point he began to ask how he could ever take back a person who had turned her back on him, how he could ever forgive her for leaving, how could he ever lie down next to her and trust her. At this point we had already been sitting at my vehicle for a couple of minutes...and I was faced with a choice. The voice in side of me was saying "tell him the truth in love" and another voice said "get off the bus and go home". I turned to the man and told him that he needed to forgive no matter if he was ever going to get back with his wife or if he was going to move on with his life without her. I also said that this is the same dilemma that our God is faced with because each of us has turned our back on Him...but He loves us, forgives us and takes us back when we will come to Him and ask for forgiveness.
My answer seemed to shock the man but you could see him soften as I shared a few words with him.

Lord, may the words You gave me to share, make a difference in this mans life.

"Divisions Among You..."

In 1 Corinthians 11:17-22 I found an interesting statement…

17 In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. 18 In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. 19 No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval. 20 So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat, 21 for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. 22 Don't you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter!

God knows that there will be divisions among us and He expects it. That is a pretty bold statement and even more so in our pacifist and accommodating society. We are not so different from the church of Paul's day. But at the core of that controversial statement there is a question begging to be asked...what is the purpose of the divisions? Yes, many of our churches are divided by our own selfish stuff, but there is more to this since Paul says that some have God's approval. Are the differences among you (us) because God approves of some and not of others? That's what it says.

Okay...what is that approval? Is it a position/authority approval? For example, God has called some to be pastors and has set His approval on their position. Maybe...I don't doubt His calling and blessing on those lives.

Or...is the division or differences to separate out the truth? Today more than ever...we need the truth to shine.

Thought to ponder...

This was the devotional from Ransomed Heart Ministries on May 8th, 2008 and its worth sharing again!

We Are Being Lied to All the Time

"The devil no doubt has a place in our theology, but is he a category we even think about in the daily events of our lives? Has it ever crossed your mind that not every thought that crosses your mind comes from you? We are being lied to all the time. Yet we never stop to say, “Wait a minute . . . who else is speaking here? Where are those ideas coming from? Where are those feelings coming from?” If you read the saints from every age before the Modern Era—that pride-filled age of reason, science, and technology we all were thoroughly educated in—you’ll find that they take the devil very seriously indeed. As Paul says, “We are not unaware of his schemes” (2 Cor. 2:11). But we, the enlightened, have a much more commonsense approach to things. We look for a psychological or physical or even political explanation for every trouble we meet.

Who caused the Chaldeans to steal Job’s herds and kill his servants? Satan, clearly (Job 1:12, 17). Yet do we even give him a passing thought when we hear of terrorism today? Who kept that poor woman bent over for eighteen years, the one Jesus healed on the Sabbath? Satan, clearly (Luke 13:16). But do we consider him when we are having a headache that keeps us from praying or reading Scripture? Who moved Ananias and Sapphira to lie to the apostles? Satan again (Acts 5:3). But do we really see his hand behind a fallout or schism in ministry? Who was behind that brutal assault on your own strength, those wounds you’ve taken? As William Gurnall said, “It is the image of God reflected in you that so enrages hell; it is this at which the demons hurl their mightiest weapons.”

There is a whole lot more going on behind the scenes of our lives than most of us have been led to believe. (Wild at Heart , 152–53)

(To subscribe to Ransomed Heart daily devotional email, create a profile at www.ransomedheart.com/myprofile )

Choosing to Cheat?

Okay...that's a loaded statement, and I realize that.

I finished reading the book "Choosing to Cheat" by Andy Stanley this week. My initial response is "what is this guy thinking...nobody has the right to jack my life up like this". Its a small book with a powerful message.

The premise of the book is that everybody chooses to cheat with their time but the choice is who or where are you going to cheat. There are only so many hours in a day (24 to be exact) and our schedules are overloaded. We have way more in our life than we have time for and because of this we end up shorting someone or something. As a husband, dad, small business owner, church member, student tech guy, small group member, son, son-in-law, grandson, brother, friend (and the list goes on) I get overwhelmed at times. Many of you have a dozen more things to add to the list.
The question at the end of the day becomes, who or what am I cheating with my time and attention? At the core of my values who or what is most important? Who or what is irreplaceable? Don't think you have a problem? Ask each person in your house what they would change about your schedule if they could. Honestly ask God what He would like to change in your schedule...and then listen.

Now, when I do my part to put life back into a proper perspective it is God's responsibility to take care of the rest. May I keep the relationship with my God and my family before all else.

Waiting and Longing

Ever been separated from a loved one?
Distance and time apart awaken a pain deep within that nothing can really explain. Its a strange feeling. An empty hole as some describe it? A longing to be together again. To laugh and talk together. To feel the touch of their hand.
It seems like forever since I have been able to just give my two beautiful girls a hug. I miss them and long to be with them. I cherish the moments we can talk on the phone or just to IM each other.

Is this what my Heavenly Father feels?

He longs for time with me...and He longs for time with you.