Bringing a nation back together

 I think most of us will be glad when this election is over. Each election cycle I think it can't get much worse, but then the next election comes, and I realize I was wrong. Neither candidate has taken the high road. Their comments have enflamed a nation already more divided than we have been since the Civil War. After 9-11 it seemed we came together, but that was short-lived. This election has brought out the worst in many of us. Some of the things that have been said on social media about supporters on both sides are unfair and insulting.

In a few days (hopefully) we will know who our next president will be. Both sides are claiming that if the other party loses there will be widespread rioting by its supporters. I hope not, but past events may support those accusations. America is living in a dangerous time. What can the church do? I think at least two things.

One, we need to remind people that regardless of who sits in the White House, God is still on the throne. It is not the elephant or the donkey that will determine the future of this country but the Lamb. I remind people all the time that our nation's salvation will not come from the White House, the State House, or the courthouse but will come from God's house. As citizens of this nation, Christians have a duty to vote for the candidates that best reflect their values and beliefs, but our focus must always be on God. He has the power to turn the hearts of the kings (Pr. 21: 1).

Secondly, the church must begin to work to bring this nation back together. I realize that some churches have done much to enflame the divisions that exist in this country, but that must cease. It's time the church comes together to preach a message of unity and reconciliation. That begins with people being reconciled to God through Jesus Christ and then to be reconciled with one another. This does not mean that people cannot hold different opinions on issues, but it's past time that we stop screaming at one another and begin to debate our differences seeking guidance from God

For this to happen, the church must admit its own sins that have led to the divisions in our nation. Until the church leads the way in this, our nation will never be healed from its divisions (2 Chr. 7: 14). As this verse says, this will require humility on the part of the church, and such humility can be a rare commodity in some churches. Our nation needs to repent, and such repentance must begin in God's house.

The evangelistic church

 Last night I finished reading I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist. It is, by far, the best book I've read this year. It was fairly heavy reading, and I wanted something perhaps a little lighter. I pulled out a book from my library I had not read in many years titled The Evangelistic Church by John Havlik. It was published in 1976 so I imagine it would not be easy to find a copy. Havlick is a Southern Baptist, and while he expresses his joy in what the churches in his denomination was doing regarding evanglism, he also recognized there were problems. I want to share a paragraph from the introduction. If it was true in 1976, it is even more true today. He wrote

"Some of our churches have settled into a dull routine that is unexciting and unappealing. The joy and celebration over evangelistic victories have been lost in the flat sameness of service after service. Some of our churches (especially in the cities) have not learned how to communicate with a secular society. Some of our churches exist as a well-insulated little pocket of spirituality in the midst of a sea of indifference. The world does not hate us. They do not love us. They do not know we are here."

WOW! I can't say if his words were true in 1976, but they are certainly true in 2024. A few years ago I served as the Transitional Pastor of a church that had served its community for well over 200 years. It had one of the largest buildings in the community. I was amazed at how many people who lived in that community had no idea where the church was located.

I am currently serving a church that will soon celebrate its 175th anniversary. Again, it is one of the largest church buildings in the community and sits just off a major highway in that community. Numerous times I've been asked where the church was located. The community does not know we are here.

I fear that many churches could close their doors tomorrow, and no one in the community could tell the difference. One of the things church leaders should ask is: Is there anything we do that our community could not live without? If the answer is no, that community sees your church as irrelevant, if they even know you exist.

The people in the first century certainly knew the church was there, and this was without large buildings, seminary-trained pastors, professionally-designed ministries, or any of the other things we think are needed today. They saw the church in action, and the Bible tells us the Lord added daily to the church those who were being saved. I don't know about you, but I want to see God add persons being saved daily to the church I serve.

That will require that we take seriously the Great Commission and adopt the attitude that we will do anything except sin to reach unsaved persons for Jesus Christ. This is the mission God has given the church, and if we fail in this mission we will have failed as a church.

The faith that is required to be an atheist

 I don't usually do this, but I have to promote a book I recently promoted:  I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist. When I wrote about it before I was only on the first chapter, but it was so good I had to encourage you to read it. I'm now half-way through the book, and it keeps getting better. It is the best book on apologetics I have read, and I have a number of them in my shelf.

Books on apologetics are sometimes written for academics and can be difficult for the average person to follow. This book is not like that. It's not a simple, quick read, but it is highly readable. The authors, Norman Geisler and Frank Turek, have written a book that is readable for almost any person. Both are highly respected Christian philosophers who have debated numerous atheists during their careers. The arguments they present in this book are sound and will help anyone defend their faith against the most strident nonbeliever. They also will help answer any questions Christians may have about their faith.

The chapter I am currently reading is discussing miracles. They are specifically addressing David Humes' arguments against the possibility of miracles. With simple logic they are able to shoot holes in his argument and prove the existence of miracles and how those miracles point to the existence of God.

Throughout the book they correctly point out that the arguments nonbelievers have against the existence of God is not based on sound reasoning or logic but on the determination to discount His existence so they can live their lives without any moral restraints. They have to reject all the obvious evidence that God does exist in order to hold on to their belief (hope?) that He does not. There will come a time when they will realize how wrong they were. Of course, the saddest part of their of their refusal to believe in the existence of God will be the multitudes of people they were able to convince their worldview was right.

I plan to do a series of messages in 2025 that will speak to the evidences of the existence of God. This book will be one of my resources for these messages. I wish I had read this book earlier in my ministry, but I'm thankful I found it now. I will say again, I cannot recommend this book more highly.

Church 2024

For decades now some have predicted the end of the church. Such people have evidently never read Jesus' words that the gates of hell will not destroy the church. The church will never die, but we will admit that the church is struggling right now. It is going through a transition that is bringing about changes that many find frightening. These changes threaten how people view the church and have understood it for many years. It is a transition that the church needs and will weed out the pretenders from the true believers.

The Baptist preacher, Vance Havner, once said that many churches start at 11:00 sharp and end at 12:00 dull. Truer words have never been spoken. Worship in too many churches consist of singing a few songs to our hymnbooks and following an order that precludes the Holy Spirit from doing anything. Songs, a couple of prayers and listening to a talking head is not worship. There is little recognition of Almighty God in many of our services. Everything is designed to get everyone out in an hour so as not to interfere with their plans for the remainder of the day. For many church members, attending the service allows them to mark that off their to-do list so they can get on with the important things on their schedules.

Worship is changing in many churches. Hymnbooks are being replaced by more modern music. Organs are being replaced by guitars, drums and other instruments. Worship is becoming more lively. Even traditional Baptists are sometimes seen with their hands in the air worshiping God. (Shocking, I know!) The Holy Spirit is given time and space to move in people's lives, and, as a result, people's lives are being changed. 

Sermons are changing as well. As a younger person I sat in services where a red-faced, sweating preacher stomped and snorted from one side of the pulpit area to the other. I don't remember that he ever said anything especially worthwhile, but he was sincere. Today, as I preach, I tell stories that illustrate what the Bible text is teaching. I'm more of a teacher in the pulpit. I want my listeners to have a better understanding of what the Bible teaches is the way to a rewarding life now and eternal life in the future.

The church is changing in the way it does discipleship as well. While Sunday school classes can still be found, many churches offer small groups and short-term Bible studies in addition to their traditional Sunday school classes. People who attend these additional studies tend to grow more as disciples than those who simply attend whatever is offered on Sunday morning.

I have to admit that I do not know how these changes will eventually impact the church. I wish I was a younger person because I doubt that I will live long enough to see the final result of these changes, but I am excited about the future of the church. The changes will drive out many of the make-believers sitting in our pews today, or it will convert them to true Christianity. Rather than the church dying out, these changes will strengthen it and make it a much more formidable force in the world drawing people into the Kingdom of God.

To those who love the Lord, I say to you, hold on. You're about to have quite a ride, but when you get to the other side you are going to realize it was worth it!

Being in the wrong place

 I can remember as a child watching the Republican national convention when Eisenhower was nominated as their candidate for president. I've been interested in politics ever since. In high school I entertained the idea of going to college to be an attorney which may well have led me into politics. Of course, I never pursued either becoming an attorney or a politician, but I remain interested in the political process. Over the years I have voted for both Democrats and Republicans. I am much more interested in what the person stands for than I am what political party he or she may belong to. With this background, I believe I have earned the right to say that neither of the candidates for president in this election cycle impress me. Both have an amazing capacity to say really stupid things. It's hard for me to believe that neither party has anyone better to represent them, and our country, than these two.

While both have made comments that bother me, no statement concerns me more than Kamala Harris' comment to the individual who shouted out at her meeting, "Jesus is Lord." She responded that they were at the wrong rally in a very flippant manner. She has been under a great deal of criticism for her comment, and some suggest it indicates what her attitude towards Christianity will be if she is elected president.

On the one hand, it is one of the stupidest comments I've ever heard from a candidate of either party. To tell Christians they should not be at a political rally is saying that they and their Christians views are not welcome there. On the other hand, it is possible that this shows the potential attitude that they will have towards Christians if elected to the highest political office in the land. Either way, it sends a message to a large voting block that their beliefs and values do not matter. This is not the way to win election

Of course, she may feel safe in insulting Christians. We are told that a majority of Christians will not vote in this election. If that is true, then insulting Christians may not bother either candidate. But if it is true, this shows a serious disconnect between our responsibilities as citizens of this country. We have a responsibility to vote for those who best reflect our moral values and beliefs.

I will never tell anyone who to vote for in any political race. As a pastor I will only say that we should vote for the persons who best reflect our Christian values and beliefs. As I said earlier, I have voted for both Democrats and Republicans in the past, and I will split my ballot again this year. If you are legally registered to vote, I encourage you to vote this year.  Much depends on it.

Anniversary

 Last week my wife, Faye, and I celebrated our 58th wedding anniversary. Normally, we go to Florida for about 10 days for our anniversary, but with all the problems there this year we decided to stay home. I did miss the ocean and the wonderful, fresh seafood, but we had a good anniversary anyway.

In 58 years you sure get to experience a lot of life. There have been peaks and valleys like all couples have, but the peaks have far outnumbered the valleys. The good news is that during both the peaks and valleys, we were there for each other. There were times we stood alone, but we stood together.

I recently read that the average age for males today who get married is around 30 years of age. For women it is 28. I was 18 and Faye was 19 when we married. By the time we reached today's average age of marriage we had two kids, I had served a tour of duty in the Navy, and we had a decade of marriage behind us. Some said we were too young to get married, and maybe we were, but we loved each other and were committed to each other, so why wait? I'm glad we didn't.

There is no woman I would have wanted for my wife besides Faye. I cannot say enough good things about her, but she has been a constant source of encouragement, support, and dedication throughout our marriage. The crowns she has earned in heaven will lay heavy on her head. I can almost hear God saying to her, "I don't know how you put up with him!"

Our walk with God didn't begin until we had been married for a few years, but it strengthened our marriage even more. I truly do not understand how marriages survive without God at the center of that relationship. I thank God every night for bringing her into my life and for the years we've been together.

We've been blessed with a daughter and a son and several grandchildren. The grandchildren are getting older now which makes me feel even older! What a blessing our children and grandchildren have been! We love them more every day.

We both are looking forward to more years together.

Holding onto things loosely

The Bible does not condemn having material possessions nor does it speak against having wealth. It's OK to possess things as long as we do not allow them to possess us. In Matthew 6 Jesus warns against having all our treasures here on earth where moth, rust and thieves can take them away. It is much better, He tells us, that our treasures are found in heaven where they can never be taken from us. This tells me that, while it's OK to possess things, we need to hold onto them loosely.

As most of you know, I have an auction business. There are few things worse that having an estate auction where family members are fighting over the things that their loved ones left behind. I have witnessed some very ugly behavior between family members over items that two or more of them wanted. At a time when family should be coming together, they are bitterly divided over who should get Mom's cakepan.

Sometimes, problems do not arise between family members but occur because someone has a sentimental value attached to something that is far above market value. An individual once asked me about conducting an auction for her as she was moving to a smaller place in another state after the death of her husband. She took me on a tour of the home and told me the history of every item that would be sold. I knew she felt that each piece was worth far more than what she would get at auction. Finally, after telling me that a chest had belonged to her husband's grandmother, I knew I needed to speak up. I explained that it was a beautiful antique chest, but the fact is that the antique market for furniture is severely depressed. While she had sentimental value to that chest, it did not belong to anyone's else's grandmother and would be sold for a fraction of what she believed it's value was. She decided to use another auctioneer. I was told by someone who attended that auction that her items brought good money, but that she was very upset at the prices.

I tell people that what they sell at auction  may be treasures to them, but to those attending the auction, most of it is simply "stuff." Those attending the auction are looking for bargains. Pieces that are truly valuable will bring good money, but common pieces will not. If I am attending someone's auction and an item goes for more than I think it is worth, I don't buy it because there's a good chance that a similar piece will likely be found at the next auction I attend.

Don't let "stuff" destroy your relationships with family members. Don't hold on too tightly to "stuff." Don't allow "stuff" to come between you and God. I like nice things as much as anyone, but it's all "stuff." I won't take any of it with me when I enter eternity. It's far better to have laid up our true treasures in heaven where we can enjoy them forever.

Do you have enough faith to be an atheist?

 I seldom recommend books before I read the entire book, but I'm going to make an exception. I have started reading I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be An Atheist by Norman Geisler and Frank Turek. If you enjoy apologetics as much as I do, you need to read this book! The information found in this book makes it a must read for anyone who wants to be able to defend their faith when challenged or who have their own doubts about some aspects of Christianity.

The authors begin the book by examining the importance of truth and how absolute truth has taken a hit in our postmodern world. They address some of the early writings of skeptics who deny that absolute truth exists and show why their  beliefs were wrong. In our pluralistic society the demand of many is that we be tolerant of everyone's beliefs. The authors point out how intolerant these people are, especially towards anyone expressing Christian beliefs. For me, that one chapter was worth the cost of the book.

As they go into the next chapter, the authors begin to look at the beginning of our universe. The material they present here is incredible. I have many apologetical books in my library, but this is adding to my knowledge of the cosmological argument for the existence of God more than I would have imagined. The book points out that even many agnostic scientists now acknowledge that the beginning of the universe is more closely related to the biblical account than any other theory that has been advanced.

This is as far as I have read. Future chapters will examine the reality of miracles, the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the problem of evil in the world and much more. I am excited to read what the authors say about these things.

One of the things I appreciate about this book is that, while it covers very important subjects, it is written so that anyone can follow along. Some books written by philosophers and theologians are so academic that they are not very readable to the average person. This book is not like that. At the same time, it is not so simplistic that it offers no meat to the reader. 

If you want a book that will help you defend your faith when challenged, I can not recommend a better book. If you want a book that may help answer some questions you have, this may be the book for you. In case you haven't figured it out yet, I'm pretty excited about this book! I think it should be in every Christian's library.

Has God let you down?

 Some of the saddest people I've met in life believe that God let them down in their time of need. Perhaps they prayed for a loved one to be healed, but no healing took place. Maybe a child of theirs fought addictions, and, despite many prayers, never overcame that addiction. Some who felt they were in a wonderful relationship suddenly learned their spouse was involved in an affair and planning on leaving. How could God let that happen? Others suffered financial reverses making it difficult to enjoy their old age. They had done nothing wrong, but their finances were lost due to the misdeeds of others. In all of these cases it's easy to question God. Where was He? Didn't He care? Why didn't He answer my prayers? It's not fair. The end result of all this is that these people believe God, if He even exists, cannot be trusted.

I've never got that far in my thinking, but there have been times I wondered why God didn't seem to respond as quickly or in the way I thought He should. What I've learned is that God never fails us. Sometimes we are unable to see His working in our lives. Certainly, there are many times He does things differently than we might have preferred. It's easy to forget that in His perfect wisdom He sees things in our future we are unable to see, He doesn't always give us the answer we might want right now because He knows of a better way to respond that will serve us better in the future.

While God will never fail us, others will. The church has failed many people. The church fails us, and we want to blame God. It's not God who failed us; it's the imperfect people who make up the church. I hate to admit that people have left the church because I failed to serve them as I should have. Sometimes I didn't meet their expectations, whether fair or not, and they chose to walk away. Sometimes the church lets people fall through the cracks. We become so busy with "church" things that we fail to see people when they are hurting. Failing to have their hurts recognized, some will decide the church has nothing for them and leave. And, let's admit it, the church doesn't always respond well to folks who don't meet their expectations. I'll never forget the church that fired their pastor, while he was in a hospital bed, because his unwed daughter became pregnant. Yes, churches can be that insensitive, and then they wonder why people leave.

Pastors can also fail you. It seems there have been so many pastors this year removed from ministry because of sexual misconduct. Others fail their congregations by their emotional immaturity or by failing to preach sound doctrine, Some fail due to pure laziness. The list goes on.

God will never fail you, but His church and His church leaders sometimes will. The good news is that for every toxic church and minister there are many who are faithful to serve and to preach the Good News. If a church or minister hurts you, don't lump all churches and ministers together. Find a good one and serve and worship God there.

Pete Rose and the MLB Hall of Fame

 "Charley Hustle" was one of the most exciting players to watch in baseball. He played with a passion not often seen today. He ran out every hit. His head first slides were legendary. It was amazing to see him watch every pitch into the catcher's mitt. He was an integral part of the Cincinnati Reds Big Red Machine. It is unlikely that his record of 4,256 hits will ever be matched. Despite his record achievements in baseball he was banned from the Baseball Hall of Fame for betting on baseball while a player and manager.

He accepted a permanent ban from the Hall in a plea agreement with MLB probably thinking that in time they would reverse the ban. He was wrong. He died without his name being included with the other great baseball players. Since it was a lifetime ban, and he passed away this week, perhaps it is time that he is inducted into the Hall. After all, a lifetime ban should end when a person's life ends, shouldn't it? Perhaps Pete Rose as a person doesn't deserve to be in the Hall of Fame, but his accomplishments certainly do. I doubt there are many saints in the Baseball Hall of Fame. I would imagine that at least a few included in that hall lived questionable personal lives. They are there because of their accomplishments in baseball, not because of their moral purity. Few achieved more than Pete Rose.

I am not for one minute condoning or approving his betting on baseball. I am saying I wish the MLB had seen fit to allow him to be inducted into the Hall of Fame while he was still alive. He gave so much to baseball as a player and manager. He holds so many records and won so many awards, and yet his accomplishments are not recognized in the HOF. I hope MLB will see fit to rectify that now that Pete is gone. How long do you punish a person for a mistake?

Actually, this post is not really about Pete Rose. It's about loving people while they are alive. Having conducted many funerals over the years I am always amazed at the number of people who send flowers to a funeral. How much better might it have been if they had given their flowers to their loved ones while they were still living. People say so many kind and loving words about the deceased; I'm sure they would have loved to have heard those comments while they were living.

I want to kiss my wife every morning and before we go to bed at night. I want to tell her I love her every time I leave the house and many times during the day. I want to tell my children and grandchildren how much I love them. I want to give them special memories that will outlast me. I want those people who are special to me to know how special they are while we both are alive. I want to give my flowers while we are alive.

Do you need to give some flowers this week to someone special in your life? Is there someone you need to show how much you appreciate them? Give those flowers. Speak those words of appreciation, Show them how much you love them.

Worship leader needed

North Madison Baptist Church in Madison, IN is in need of a worship leader. This person needs to be familiar with both traditional and contemporary music, be able to plan and lead worship and have a vital relationship with Jesus Christ. This person will also need to be able to play a musical instrument such as piano or guitar. Due to health reasons we do not have a regular pianist.

The church will celebrate its 175th anniversary in November of this year, but we are basically in a restart mode. Like many churches, our attendance has not recovered since Covid. I served as the Transitional Pastor of the church for about a year before accepting the position as pastor about two months ago. I am convinced that God has great things in store for this church so this is an opportunity for someone to be part of building something great for the Kingdom of God.

If you believe God is leading you to serve as our worship leader, please respond to this post. I would be glad to meet you and share my dreams and thoughts about the future of this church.