Video Friday: "Be Born in Me"

Enjoy!!!

A Recipe for Giving Thanks...

Have you ever read the phrase "when it rains, it pours"?  Often times we use this phrase when negative circumstances seem as if they are flooding our lives and we are in grave danger of being swept away by the torrent waters.  As we approach the end of 2014 and are just a few short weeks away from the Christmas and New Year's holidays, it seems as if its not only raining in the "Altom House;" it's as if one thing after the next is causing the failing drops of water to rise beyond unsafe levels.  Now, don't get me wrong, not ALL of the rain is negative.  Some of it is helpful and positive, but it's rising nonetheless.

Its amazing to me that God knows exactly what I need at just the time I need it.  As I was lying in bed last evening before drifting off to France (France was in my dream last night? LOL), I asked God to point me in the direction that He wanted me to go in my daily Bible reading.  Yesterday, I finished a study in 2 Corinthians and today brought a new beginning in my daily devotions.  After getting my morning "java fix" at Hot Shots, I arrived at the office to begin my day.  After reading a chapter in a devotional book I'm reading (Intimate Moments with the Shepherd), I opened my Bible and once again asked the Lord for direction.  God led me to Psalm 100.

Psalm 100 is ONLY 5 verses in length but it contains the materials needed to build a dam (to continue the metaphor) of protection from the rising waters that are ever increasing.  Because I am a pastor and possess multiple opportunities to preach/teach God's Word, I am always looking to break down scripture in "outline" form.  This helps me accurately process what I am reading and it enables me to "zero in" on specific truths.  Psalm 100 revealed a recipe for what to do when it seems as if life is a monsoon.  Psalm 100 provides a recipe for giving thanks.  Let's take a look.

A Recipe for Giving Thanks

Psalm 100:1-4 (ESV)

#1:  Make a Joyful Noise--verse 1

("joyful noise could also be translated "shout for joy) 

*We are to make a "joyful noise" to the Lord.

*Who is to make a "joyful noise"?  Answer?  ALL THE EARTH!!!

#2:  Serve the Lord with Gladness--verse 2a

#3:  Come into His Presence with Singing--verse 2b

#4:  Know that the Lord, He is God--verse 3

*He made us.

*We are His.

*We are His people.  

*The sheep of His pasture.

#5:  Enter His Gates with Thanksgiving/Enter His Courts with Praise--verses 4a

#6:  Give Thanks to Him--verse 4b

#7:  Bless His Name--verse 4c

 If you are anything like me (if you are, that's scary) you might be wondering the "why" behind this.  If you are anything like me, you might be asking, "Why should I do all this?" You don't have to look any further than verse 5 of Psalm 100 for the answer to this important question.  Read the following words aloud.  Let them sink in.  God wants you and I to understand the depths of these truths.  God wants you and I to understand that no matter how much rain seems to be falling in your life or my life that these words are still true.  Again, read these words aloud:

Psalm 100:5 (ESV):   

For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

The goodness of our God is the reason why.  The steadfast love of our God is the reason why.  The faithfulness of our God is the reason why.  Even if its raining pregnancy, car issues, vacations, holidays, year-end projects, ministry demands, death, health concerns, money issues, family turmoil or disease, God is the reason why we should follow the recipe for giving thanks.  Blessings! 

Video Friday: "House of Their Dreams"

This is an extremely challenging song for a dad and a husband to listen to.  Please listen and watch with an open heart and ask God to allow you to be the type of spouse and parent that God demands you to be.  Blessings!

What's the Old Testament Good For Anyway?

You don't have to be a Christian for any length of time before you here this phrase:  "I'm a New Testament Christian.  What is the Old Testament good for anyway?"  I am sure that you have heard some form of this statement/question before.  Let's be honest.  This is a good question.  It is a question that must be answered.  It is something that is required if one is going to believe in the complete accuracy and complete reliability of the Bible.  Fortunately, God has given us the answer to this question.  We need to look no further than what the Apostle Paul said to his son in the faith, Timothy, in 1 Timothy 1:8-11 (ESV).  Let's take a quick look.

#1:  Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully...-verse 8

Right off the bat, Paul tells that "the law is good."  This is the first truth that we must grasp if we want to answer this question.  However, there is a condition to this truth.  The law is ONLY good "if one uses it lawfully."  The law is ONLY good if we use it in the right way.  This brings to the forefront another question:  "What is the "right way" to use the law?"  Paul does not leave us to wonder.

#2:  ...understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the...-verses 9ff

The law is NOT given for those who are just.   The law is NOT given for those who are morally upright and good.  Beginning with the last part of verse 9, Paul lists for us who the law was given for.  Trust me, you won't have to look very far through this list to see that the law was given for you.  Prayerfully read through this list.

• The lawless and disobedient-verse 9
• The ungodly and sinners-verse 9
• The unholy and profane-verse 9
• Those who strike their fathers and mothers-verse 9
• Murderers-verse 9
• The sexually immoral-verse 10
• Men who practice homosexuality-verse 10
• Enslavers-verse 10
• Liars-verse 10
• Perjurers-verse 10

Question:  Do you see yourself in that list?  I do.  The sad reality is that I see myself in that list to frequently.  For those of you out there who hold the position that you DON'T see yourself in that list (notice liars is on there), Paul gives on more phrase that WILL include you.

...and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted."-verses 10b-11

What did Paul just say?  Paul just said that if you don't find yourself in the above list, then you WILL find yourself in that last statement.  Paul just said that the law was given for those individuals who are guilty of breaking anything that is "contrary" to what the gospel teaches.  This includes you.  This includes me.  This includes everyone because ...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...(Romans 3:23, ESV).  

Getting back to our initial question.  What is the Old Testament (the law) good for anyway?  The answer is quite simple.  The Old Testament is good for pointing out that we are ALL sinners and in need of a Savior.  We are ALL sinners and in need of a perfect, once and for all sacrifice to bring us into a right standing with God.  Therefore, in my mind and in the mind of the Apostle Paul, the law has immense value.  The law points us to Jesus Christ! 

My Response to "Heaven is for Real"

I am not one that loves to stir up controversy, but in this particular blog post the "pot might get stirred."  There has recently been a huge whirlwind of press surrounding the book, and the movie by the same name, Heaven is for Real.

I will admit something upfront in this post:  I have NOT read the book or seen the movie.  However, I do think that one can look at the premise of a book/movie (i.e., read about its main themes, storyline, etc.) and filter that information through what Scripture teaches and come to a conclusion. 

Fortunately, there are other out there in "media land" who have already done this.  I am not going to take the time here to re-hash what they have already done for us.  With that said, I am going to leave you with several links to several articles that were produced by Dr. John MacArthur and Grace to You.

I will advice you on something:  please read these articles with an open-mind and an open-heart.  Put your preconceived ideas about the book/movie aside and listen to what God has already told us about such things in His Word.  At the end of the day, what God has already told us in His Word trumps what any other book or movie might have to say.  I hope that you genuinely believe that last statement.

Without any further commentary from me, here are the links.

The Burpo-Malarkey Doctrine by Phil Johnson (October 2012)
http://www.gty.org/blog/B121018?term=The%20Burpo-Malarkey%20Doctrine

Heaven is Real; Hallucinations Are Not by John MacArthur (April 2014)
http://www.gty.org/Blog/B140428

Dead Men Tell No Tale by John MacArthur (April 2014)
http://www.gty.org/Blog/B140429

When Preschoolers Speak Ex Cathedra by John MacArthur (May 2014)
http://www.gty.org/Blog/B140501

The Idolatry of Experience by John MacArthur (May 2014)
 http://www.gty.org/Blog/B140502

Without being a raving crazy person, fill free to comment on this post and let me know what you think. 

We Must Be Ready!!!

I was recently surfing through Facebook and I cam across this article (CLICK HERE to read it).  I would suggest that you stop and read the article RIGHT NOW. 

I recently concluded a series of sermons from the book of 1 Peter entitled Stand Firm.  You can go to our churches website and listen to most of the sermons.  If we have ever lived in a culture where Christian people needed to "Stand Firm" it is today.  I am not saying that people in previous generations or centuries had it easy.  In fact, they had it rough.  Think about the audience that the Apostle Peter was writing to in this letter.  He was writing to a group of believers who HAD to scatter because the persecution of Christians was getting hot.  They were literally "running for their lives."

However, one statistic that I read while I was preaching through 1 Peter was this:  the 20th century was the bloodiest century for the persecution of believers.  It was more bloody than the first 19 centuries combine!  I am not a "gloom and doom" type of person, but I think that it is only going to get worse. 

In this great country in which we live (USA) we may not EVER face what believers face in other parts of the world where Christianity is illegal.  However, the attacks that we face in this country on absolute truth, marriage standards, abortion, conservatism, and the like is a non-violent form of persecution and we MUST BE READY!!!  Now is NOT a time for Christians to take a "laid back" approach in regards to their faith in Jesus Christ.  We must not use Christianity as an excuse for being "stupid."  We must search the scriptures and find out what we believe (according to what the Bible teaches) and then "live out" that belief.  Why should we do this?  Let me give you one example.  When you have so called "Christian" publishing houses promoting books by so called "bold, young, evangelical writer[s]" that condone homosexual relationships, WE MUST BE READY!!!  

Matthew Vines is NOT an evangelical.  I don't mean to sound judgmental, but fruit is fruit.  I am NOT saying that I hate Matthew Vines.  I don't even know him.  In fact, I love him as a person created in the image of God.  However, there is no such thing as a "gay Christian."  Those two ideas and/or lifestyles are opposites according to what Scripture teaches.  Matthew's book, God and the Gay Christian:  The Biblical Case in Support of Same-Sex Relationships, is FALSE TEACHING!  There is no way to use the Bible to justify and support this type of lifestyle without taking Scripture out of context.  Church, WE MUST BE READY to defend biblical truth when false teaching like this is so prevalent in our culture today.

I don't want you to leave this blog post thinking that I hate homosexuals!  This IS NOT the case. What I am seeking to do is prepare myself and others for the fight that we are facing.  At the end of 1 Peter, Peter leaves his readers with some greetings and one main exhortation.  Verse 12 (ESV) reads:

By Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God.  STAND FIRM IN IT.

Did you catch it?  Peter is telling his readers (which includes you and I) that all that he has written in this letter to his fellow believers in Jesus Christ is "the true grace of God."  What should we do with it?  We MUST "stand firm in it."  Church, WE MUST BE READY!!!

Blessings!

What on Earth Am I Here For?

Click on the picture for information about purchasing this book.

Today, actually tonight, I started a 40-day journey.  I recently purchased a book by Pastor Rick Warren entitled What on Earth Am I Here For?.  Many of you will know this book by a different title.  What on Earth Am I Here For? is an expanded edition of a previously released book by Pastor Rick.  I think you MIGHT have heard of the other name for the book.  Its title was/is The Purpose Driven Life.  Have you heard of it?  I thought so.

I know some of you out there are not HUGE fans of Rick Warren.  To be honest, I have my reservations about him too.  I don't think that he and I would land on the same side of various theological issues.  I don't think that I would be comfortable with some of the things that Pastor Rick does at Saddleback Church.  I don't think I would practice some of them at Ada First.  However, I DO think that there is some value in the premise of this book. 

Let's be honest.  "What on earth am I here for?" is a valid question that we ALL have asked ourselves at some point in our lives.  "What on earth am I here for?" is a valid question that we ALL have asked God at some point in our lives.  At the age of 31 (almost 32), I am STILL pondering this question during certain seasons of my life.

During this 40-day journey, I am looking forward to discovering several things about my purpose on this earth.  Day #1, which I read this evening, reminded me of something that many individuals need to be reminded of.  Some need to discover the truth of Day #1 for the first time.  This is how the book begins:  "It's not about you."

Do I really believe this?  I live my life like "it's all about me."  The decisions I make, the places I go, the words that I speak, the actions I commit all SCREAM to others and to God that "it's all about me."  I believe that it is human nature to live this way.  I believe that it is human nature to live life on this earth like this life is ALL there is.  However, at the close of Day #1, Pastor Rick used a verse from the book of Colossians that scatters this mentality.  Listen to the words of the Apostle Paul:

 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--ALL THINGS WERE CREATED THROUGH HIM AND FOR HIM.--Colossians 1:16 (ESV, emphasis added)

This verse perfectly proves who it's all about.  It's not about us.  It's about Jesus Christ.  All things were created through Him and all things were created for Him.  Where do we come into the picture?  We are to live our lives and enjoy the things that God created for us.  We are to live our lives glorifying God through the use of the things that He created.  

It's not about me!  It's ALL about Christ!  If I can live my life in such away where this all important truth is the focus of my life, I will be WELL on my way to living a purpose driven life and answering the question, "What on earth am I here for?" Blessings!

Let's Be Ready...

If you would like to purchase a copy of this book

,

 click here.

I have recently began reading "I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist."  This is a book by Norman Geisler and Frank Turek. 

During the introduction of the book, the author posed a very thought provoking question regarding belief by those who say they don't.  In the paraphrased words of this author, here is the question:

If someone was able to provide you (unbelievers) with enough evidence to prove without a reasonable doubt that all of the claims concerning God were true, would you then believe?

In my estimation, most would not and here is why.  I think most individuals who claim unbelief do not really believe in the claim that there is no God.  I know that this is not a popular opinion to hold with most skeptics, but it is just that, MY OPINION.  

I am not overly concerned if this is offensive to skeptics because it is simply an opinion.  Where my opinion becomes offensive is if I move from the realm of opinion to the realm of persecution.  But here is reality:  Most skeptics don't view this as an opinion.  They view it as persecution.  One would think that "know-it-all" skeptics would be able to determine the difference between opinion and persecution.  The sad reality is that most of the skeptics that I have encounter CANNOT do this.  

Here is what I believe at the day of the end.   At the end of day, I believe that most skeptics believe that there is a God.  They simply don't want to submit to His authority and lordship.  Getting back to my initial question, I think most skeptics would say no.  They simply don't want to believe.  

Here is the journey that I am on as of late.  I am on a journey to know what I believe and why.  I want to know what scientist say about creation.  I want to know about absolute truth.  I want to know about the reliability of the Bible and so forth.  Don't get me wrong.  I believe in  all of these things, but I want to go deeper.  Faith in God is no excuse for Christians to be stupid.  Let's be on a mission together to find out all we can about the great and mighty God that we say that we believe in.  Let's give our words some legs.  Let's be ready at all times "to give an answer for the hope that is within (1 Peter 3:15).  

2013 Reading List...

Here is the list of books that I read in 2013.  I am extremely thankful for the gift of reading.  I am praying the God will give me more opportunities in 2014 to strengthen my mind through reading His Word and other resources that will aid in my understanding of His Word.  Without further delay, here is the list.

1. Found:  God's Will by John MacArthur 
2. The Purpose and Power of the Average Church by Jack Eldred
3. Preaching and Preachers by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
4. The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni
5. Visionary Marriage by Rob and Amy Rienow
6. Twice Adopted by Michael Reagan
7. Follow Me by David Platt
8. When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert
9. Family Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham
10. 10 Questions Every Christian Must Answer by Alex McFarland and Elmer Towns 
11. Teamwork Makes the Dream Work by John Maxwell
12. The Explicit Gospel by Matt Chandler
13. Simplify Your Spiritual Life by Donald Whitney
14. Altar Ego by Craig Groeschel
15. What They Didn't Teach You in Seminary by James Emery White
16. Barefoot Church by Brandon Hatmaker
17. Stuck in a Funk:  How to Get Your Church Moving Forward by Tony Morgan
18. It Starts at Home by Kurt Bruner and Steve Stroope
19. The Supremacy of God in Preaching by John Piper
20. Limited Church, Unlimited Kingdom by Rob Rienow
21. Seven Letters to Seven Churches by Dwight M. Gunter II
22. Forgotten God by Francis Chan
23. Family Shepherds by Voddie Baucham
24. Breakout Churches by Thom Rainer
25. The Renegade Pastor by Nelson Searcy
26. Simple by Robert J. Morgan
27. What's So Amazing About Grace by Philip Yancey
28. The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson
29. The Purpose Driven Church by Rick Warren
30. Twelve Unlikely Heroes by John MacArthur 
31. Preach by Mark Dever and Greg Gilbert
32. To Live is Christ, To Die is Gain by Matt Chandler
33. Erasing Hell by Francis Chan
34. Real World Parents by Mark Matlock
35. From Embers to a Flame by Harry Reeder
36. Blood Work by Anthony Carter 

I want to challenge you to READ!!!  I am amazed how the Lord has used the simplicity of reading to engage my mind and my heart towards Him.  Anytime you need a book suggestion, I am an open book.