Monthly Archives: January 2014

Confessions of a long-time Christian and veteran preacher

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Dear Lord,

I have been a far poorer Christian than You wanted or I intended.  But I am so glad to be a member of the family of Christ, to be saved and to know it as well as I can know anything.

I am honored to be the brother of the rest of Thy redeemed.

I have been a poor example of a preacher for these many years and have not blushed (the way I should) when someone who barely knows me lauds my wonderful Christian life. Nevertheless, I’m so honored to be a pastor and preacher.

I am a sinner and not only in my pre-Christian life. I’ve sinned enough since becoming a believer to disgust my Lord, embarrass my parents, and disqualify me from ever doing anything in the church.  Yet, I love the assurance that my sins were dealt with on Calvary and each day, He forgives me.

If my post-salvation sins had not been dealt with on Calvary along with all the others, I’d be in a heap of trouble.

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Seven things the dying Apostle needed

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(This is a continuation of our series on Second Timothy.)

“Make every effort to come to me soon…. When you come, bring the cloak which I left at Troas with Carpus, and the books, especially the parchments” (Second Timothy 4:9,13)

It’s not that the Apostle Paul was so elderly and infirmed that caused him to anticipate his departure from this life, but rather knowing that the upcoming trial before Caesar was not going to turn out in his favor.  “The time of my departure is at hand,” he said in II Timothy 4:6.

Now, he has not given up and he was not shutting down his ministries.  He had not chosen to sit down and wait for death to catch up to him.

Something else entirely was going on here.

Paul was extremely active from his jail cell, ministering to everyone who came near and sending out letters and other messages as the Lord gave him opportunity. That’s why we have these epistles from his hand.  This one, Second Timothy, is the final one we have. (Note: We’re not necessarily saying it’s the last thing he wrote. No one knows this. But of the epistles we have, this is the latest.)

In the four chapters of Second Timothy, we find seven final concerns of Paul, things he “needs” as his departure draws closer….

1) He needs the company of a few good friends.

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Beware of religious people who do not know God

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“An hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think he is offering service to God” (John 16:2).  “Deceiving and being deceived” (II Timothy 3:13).

I wrote something on an earlier blog calling for transparency and integrity from churches, using as a jumping off point the billboards up and down the Mississippi Gulf Coast which hawk the fun, the shows, the money, the jackpots, etc., they offer without once mentioning the addicted souls, broken lives and destroyed homes that accompany these enticements. In the piece, I was wondering what if the government enforced “truth in advertising” laws that would require them to tell the full story.

That article was directed to the churches. But someone who found it on the internet jumped all over it (and in ALL CAPITALS!) to accuse me of worse things when our churches ask people to give money.

When people cannot see the difference in a church and a casino, forget about trying to reason with them.

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The PR lesson every church must learn

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“So that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world….” (Philippians 2:15)

The largest antebellum plantation home in the country just learned an important lesson:  “How you appear to yourself is not necessarily how the outside world sees you.”  And similarly, “Sometimes it helps to get an outside opinion on how you are being perceived.”

Nottoway Plantation, situated halfway between Baton Rouge and New Orleans on the west (aka, the south) side of the Mississippi River, is said to be the largest plantation home in the country. Built by slaves in 1859, just before the Civil War, it serves today as a tourist attraction, a bed and breakfast, a restaurant, gift shop, and a site for conferences, weddings, and parties.

Recently, Nottoway (it’s actually located at White Castle, LA) was in the news because a singer canceled her retreat/concert there due to its slavery connections.  James Gill, columnist for the New Orleans Advocate, writing in the Sunday January 5, 2014 edition, gives the details.

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There is no fine print in the gospel

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“Indeed, all who desire to live godly  in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (Second Timothy 3:12).

Driving along the interstate from Mobile to New Orleans recently, I was struck by the relentless assault of billboards promoting the numerous casinos along the coast.  One after another shouted about shows and concerts, giveaways, jackpots, winners, great food, and fine hotels.  But not one word was said regarding the massive amounts of money people lose in those places, or the gambling addiction that ruins their lives, or the personal problems resulting from casinos.

Some have even noted that when bettors lose big and take their lives in the casino parking lots, not a word will appear in the local newspapers about it.  Is there a conspiracy of some kind to protect this industry?

The government which requires truth in advertising might want to give attention to the oversights associated with gambling in this country.

Then again, I wonder sometimes what if our churches were required to tell the “full story” in all our advertisements….

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What we must not assume about the godly among us

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“Elijah was a man with a nature like ours….” (James 5:17)

Don’t be mistaken about the godly and mature among the hodge-podge of God’s children.  They’re so much like you and me that we might be surprised.

And possibly disappointed too.

Sorry about that. If you were in the hopes that some among us had achieved a sinless state where every thought was pure and godlike and temptation no longer pestered them, I’m sorry to be the one to let the air out of that balloon.

In fact, these whom we treasure for their Christlikeness and maturity do not know they are the envy of the rest of the congregation. Most would be surprised anyone thinks of them that way.

That’s actually one of the signs that they are.

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A rhapsody on the theme of the Apostle Paul: His final words

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“…the time of my departure has come” (II Timothy 4:6).

This is about the Second Epistle of Paul to Timothy.  These are Paul’s last recorded words.

It’s good to know when your task is complete and that you are about to be recalled home.  It concentrates the mind, as they say.

Paul knew he was on schedule, that his earthly ministry was coming to an end and the bus home was about to arrive.

There is a peace about his pronouncements in Second Timothy, even when he speaks of his coming re-trial before Caesar.  The Lord had been alongside him during the first and will be there during the second, even though Paul does not expect to be set free.  The apostle knows where he is and how things are done in Rome.  But far from growing bitter toward the government–Christians in America might want to take note!–his eyes were on Jesus Christ and the things of God.

There is much to love in this little epistle. It is unlike anything else in Scripture and, in some respects, the most passionate thing we have from the hands of Paul.

Paul is about to die. And, in the words of Dr. Samuel Johnson, nothing concentrates the mind like knowing you’re going to be hanged “in a fortnight.”

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