Mile High Rev Preaching and pondering in Littleton, Colorado REVrant 42.6 - School Field Trip to Teacher's Lesbian Wedding FOXNews.com - School Field Trip to Teacher's Lesbian Wedding Sparks Controversy.FIRST-GRADERS! Yes, some San Francisco first-graders were taken on a “field trip” to their lesbian teacher’s same-sex wedding on Friday. A school official referred to the wedding trip as a “teachable moment.” The students apparently tossed rose petals on their teacher and her “wife.”What was being “taught” in this “teachable moment?” That’s it’s OK for two women to get married to each other. That marriage isn’t just for a man and a woman. That as long as people love each other, their gender doesn’t matter when it comes to being married.A Bible text came to mind as I read this story on the Internet today. Luke 17:2–3a – “It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. So watch yourselves.”I would not want to be the one responsible for taking first-graders to a lesbian wedding. How many times have I heard it – “Why do you care what two consenting adults do?” The answer in this case could not be clearer…two reasons: 1) God’s standards (and I know this is a minority view), and 2) Pliable minds (I guarantee you these kids will never forget attending this twisted event). The teacher and the school recklessly imposed this perverse activity on innocent children in a so-called “teachable moment.” Lord have mercy. Monday, October 13, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0) REVrant 42.5 - Pastors Can Say/Pray the Goofiest Things CNN Political Ticker: All politics, all the time - Blogs from CNN.com.A pastor delivering an invocation for a John McCain rally in Davenport, Iowa prayed the following yesterday:“There are millions of people around this world praying to their god—whether it’s Hindu, Buddha, Allah—that his opponent wins, for a variety of reasons. And Lord, I pray that you will guard your own reputation, because they’re going to think that their God is bigger than you, if that happens!” Arnold Conrad, the former pastor of Grace Evangelical Free Church in Davenport, is the culprit. Pastor, please. It’s episodes like this that make American evangelical pastors look ignorant, backwoods, and desperate. Like God was going to panic when He heard that prayer and make sure He shows He’s the BIGGEST and BEST GOD by having John McCain get elected. Seriously? I know what happened between Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel, but this isn’t that. God’s reputation doesn’t depend on getting a certain candidate into the White House. And it certainly won’t make God a loser if it’s Obama. Sunday, October 12, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0) REVrant 42.4 - "Lovers of Money" in the "Last Days" Let’s start with the Bible. Earlier tonight, while reading what Paul wrote to a young guy named Timothy, I was struck by the way Paul shrewdly diagnoses the current disease in the U.S. Read this:1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. (II Timothy 3:1–5) These are obviously “terrible times.” We all know this is the worst economic time in America since The Great Depression in 1929. The stock market is in a free-fall. No one knows where it’s going to end. Most of us with retirement investments have lost 40% in one year. People everywhere are asking, “How did this happen? And then to rub salt into our wounds, we read about one of the companies the government bailed out – AIG – taking a $440,000 pleasure junket to the posh St. Regis Hotel on the Pacific Coast in California – AFTER getting an economic bailout with OUR tax dollars! Have these people no shame? At the risk of being thought simplistic, I believe that the Bible captures the heart of the cause – we’ve become a nation of “money-lovers!” v. 2 – “lovers of money.” And…”boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy…without self-control…treacherous, rash, conceited, and lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.” (To cite some of the things from the list above!)Yes, I believe our current financial crisis is a symptom of much deeper spiritual problems. The Bible tells us it is going to be this way in the “last days.” Sure seems like “last days” to me when I read the list. I could provide multiple illustrations for every point in the list Paul provides. If Americans don’t stop living like this, they can expect more of the same. It’s time for America to turn back to God and godly living. Nothing else is going to turn things around. Billion dollar bailouts don’t work! (As we’ve seen.) Who moves into the White House isn’t the ultimate answer. (As we will see.) Financial advisors (God love them…) don’t know how to stop this.  I love the way the Psalmist puts it in Psalm 42:11 – “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? PUT YOUR HOPE IN GOD, for I will yet praise Him my Savior and my God.” Thursday, October 09, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0) REVerie - New Photo A couple of people commented on my new photo in the upper right hand corner. Thanks. Last February, while in Michigan celebrating my mother-in-law’s 80th birthday, we had a family photo shoot. The goal was to get some nice family pictures taken by a professional photographer – Dennis Craft of Craft Photographic Gallery in Marshall, Michigan. Near the end of the shoot, my mother-in-law suggested I might have some use for a single photo. At first I hesitated. But then I thought of my blog and a couple other uses and decided to go for it. So, there it is! Wednesday, October 08, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0) REVrant 42.3 - "The Church is as Gray as the Culture"
The Associated Press: Pa. Episcopal diocese OKs split over Bible, gays.
Congratulations to the Biblical conservatives within the U.S. Episcopal church who voted today to split from the church over ordaining homosexuals and redefining the Gospel. You’ll read about a group of church leaders who decided enough is enough. The U.S. Episcopal Church has been teetering on the brink of fracture for some time. Back in 2003, they ordained their first openly homosexual bishop. Since then, they toyed with language that implies that salvation through Christ’s crucifixion alone may not be the only way into heaven.
Here’s a quote from the article that says it all:
The church became as gray as the culture," said Alison McFarland, who voted for the split. "Undefined Christianity became the problem, and now the church is indistinguishable from the world."
“Undefined Christianity” is spreading like wildfire in the U.S. I commend this group of Episcopalians for standing up against it. It’s going to cost them quite a bit, but I’m sure they won’t be sorry. I join them in their passion to make sure Christianity is clearly and biblically defined and that while the church is IN the world, being OF it is the beginning of the end! Saturday, October 04, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0) REVrant 42.2 - Atheists Sue President Over National Prayer Day FOXNews.com - Atheists Sue President Over National Prayer DayTo no one’s surprise, the Freedom FROM Religion Foundation has filed suit against the President and several others for designating a National Day of Prayer.Two quick observations:1. If there was ever a time Americans needed to PRAY, it’s NOW! With all of the issues and crises swirling around in our culture, the idea that someone would use resources to attempt to stop a declaration for prayer is ludicrous.2. The U.S. Constitution does NOT establish “freedom FROM religion,” but freedom FOR religion. These atheists just don’t seem to get it! The annual Presidential proclamation for a Day of Prayer does NOT endorse or establish any religion! Friday, October 03, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0) REVrant 42.1 - Blame for the Credit Crisis & My Idea for a Taxpayer Bailout The number one news story this week is the financial crisis on Wall Street. Bailout or no bailout? I keep hearing and reading that it’s all about the availability (or unavailability) of credit and the existence of bad credit in the form of defaults on loans that has led to a massive amount of foreclosures. People can’t afford to pay back what they borrowed. Admittedly, I’m not an economist and I don’t understand the intricacies of high level financing. But I do understand debt and credit. I gained my understanding of this through taking out loans to go to college, to buy a house, to buy cars over the years, and through the utilization of credit cards. The number one question I always ask is – “Can I afford it?”That’s apparently a question people stopped asking. And near the top of the list of culprits are the credit card companies. Today, BOTH Jan and I received individually mailed credit card offers. You know what those are. You get them too. How can this be? I though credit was frozen. I thought nobody could borrow. I thought the financial industry ground to halt. Yet, we’re still getting those looney credit card offers in the mail. I always shred these. That’s where this one is headed. NO INTEREST UP TO 15 MONTHS. NO BALANCE TRANSFER FEES. NO ANNUAL FEE.Stop it. Stop THIS. THIS…and idiotic mortgage approvals for people who put nothing or next to nothing down on the loan. STOP THIS!AND…you want to bail out the people who really need help? Here’s my plan. For anyone who has taken out a mortgage in the past 5(?) years - the government will “bail YOU out” by providing six months of mortgage relief – they will directly pay your mortgage –> principal and interest - to the lender for six months. That means you will have no mortgage payment for six months. That money can be used to pay down personal debt, for savings, and to stimulate the economy. The goal CANNOT be to get people to borrow more. That’s the wrong direction. The goal is to get them to spend wisely, save prudently, and recover from the greedy policies and practices of lenders that got us into this mess in the first place.Obviously, this is not going to happen. But I remain convinced that 1) foolish presumption regarding credit AND 2) corporate greed, are what got us into this mess. For the financial health of our nation, I pray that we will address those two culprits! I’m off to shred a credit card offer. Wednesday, October 01, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0) REVrant 41.5 - Pulpit politics: Pastors to defy IRS Pulpit politics: Pastors to defy IRS | csmonitor.com.Anyone who attends FBC knows that I would never participate in something like this. I do not publicly endorse political candidates in my role as a pastor. Apparently, a group of 35 pastors across the country decided that during sermons this past Sunday, they would endorse a presidential candidate, by name, in direct defiance of the Federal laws regarding tax-exempt status and limits on making political endorsements. Three words – “Dumb and Dumber!”First, pastors are not called to endorse political candidates, but to endorse “The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.” Whatever the laws of our country may be, trying to get people to vote for one candidate over another doesn’t fit in any way into the pastor’s biblical calling. Encouraging people to vote is one thing. I guess you could probably correlate that with the biblical mandate to be “salt and light.” But telling them for whom to vote is lame at best and ludicrous at worst. I wish Christians (and particularly, pastors!) would get as fired-up over the Great Commission as they are about Election 2008.Second, making the assumption that just because the pastor says it, people are going to do it, is incredibly naive and a touch arrogant. If only it was that simple. “Hey, Pastor ______ said it, and that’s good enough for me.” Seriously. That is just not the way it goes. There are times I wish that was the case. But, people have minds of their own. (And should have!) And as I’m fond of saying, “I’m not 100% right 100% of the time.” Nobody is.Third, it’s much wiser to address moral and ethical issues from the Bible and let people make the correlation. I did something like this over the weekend. I mentioned that if the government came into my church and demanded – by law - that I personally would have to marry men to men and women to women, I would resist. My conscience would not allow me to do this. Obviously, this is a biblically-derived position that is relevant in the 2008 campaign and makes it crystal clear where I stand on the issue of gay marriage. It’s no big leap from there to the political sphere. By the way, I believe I (as a pastor) am called to address relevant moral and ethical issues that surface in our cultural debate. That IS part of my job!Fourth, the idea of pastoral civil disobedience on the issue of candidate endorsement seems childish and reckless to me. I know it’s part of a strategy to force a change in the law. But to do it this way, and to organize a class action among pastors to pull it off, is gratuitous grandstanding! Fellow pastors, this is embarrassing.At FBC, I will continue to endorse Jesus only and leave the political endorsements to others! Tuesday, September 30, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0) REVrant 41.4 - God, Government, and Bailouts One of the reasons I love preaching through books of the Bible is because God has a way of scheduling exactly what we need when we need it. This past weekend was the perfect example. As you know, all last week the country obsessed over the possibility of a financial bail-out by the government. The President made a speech commending what he thought the government should do. Everyone speculated on what the government was going to do. (After today, we’re still wondering!) The hot topic last week was “the government.” Back to preaching – I’ve been preaching sequentially through the book of Romans for over a year and a half. The text this past weekend happened to be Romans 13:1–7:1 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4 For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. 6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. As you can see, the text is all about the “authorities” over us – the GOVERNMENT! Paul presents a stunning paragraph on the nature of the relationship between God’s people and their human government. Remember the CONTEXT – Paul was addressing a group of people under the rule of a repressive and anti-Christian Roman empire! This text was nearly too good to be true for consideration after a week in which all kinds of things were being said about “the government.” I don’t normally provide my sermon outline here, but I want to give you a snapshot of what I said. 1. What Christians can expect from the government. I mentioned two things here: 1) Human government was God’s idea. I’m not talking about the donkey and the elephant! God instituted government. 2) Human government is God’s servant: 1) To do you good, b) To punish the evil-doers.2. What the government can expect from Christians. I challenged my Christian audience to offer their government three things; 1) Submission, 2) Caution, and 3) Cooperation.You can find a podcast of of the sermon at www.4fbc.org My bottom line was – Christians are supposed to make their government glad. With all the failure of the bail-out attempt today, I’m sure there are many who are confused about government. And many in government who are also confused. It might be tempting to whine and gripe about the government today! If Christians will unite in giving respect and honor to government, as “God’s servant,” perhaps we can create a new atmosphere in Washington! Monday, September 29, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) REVrant 41.3 - Root Canal  I had such a productive week planned. My Plan A: Meetings, projects, contacts, calls, emails, preparing for a very busy upcoming weekend, and studying for the sermon on Romans 13:1–7. However, on Tuesday, God permitted Plan B: a cracked tooth over lunch, severe discomfort overnight, dentist visit the next morning, the dreaded term – “root canal,” a lengthy procedure (illustrated above…the little blue-handled file in the third frame is filing out the nerve endings in the roots of the tooth), and a subsequent Ibuprofen induced fog! Thank God for a gentle dentist. And thank God for reminding me that my Plan A is always subject to HIS “Plan A”…which feels like “Plan B,” but is actually not. Thursday, September 25, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0) REVerie - Celebrating Jan's Birthday In August of 1970, I saw a young lady standing in the choir loft of the Cascades Baptist Church, in Jackson Michigan. I was smitten! Who is that? Where did she come from? How can I meet her? (<—Especially since I was sitting with my current girlfriend!) The Lord orchestrated an introduction that morning, and I didn’t stop pursuing her until she said, “Yes,” to my marriage proposal in February of 1973.Obviously, I’m referring to my dear wife of 35 years – Janice Ann. TODAY – September 20 – is her birthday!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAN! Birthday are very important to both of us. I’m not preaching this weekend. l made plans to “get away.” It’s time to celebrate God’s best gift to me. Nobody means more to me than my dear, prayerful, supportive, encouraging, beautiful, talented, warm, and happy wife! I am blessed.Proverbs 18:22 – “He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.”I found the BEST wife in the world! Thank you Lord, and thank you Jan. Saturday, September 20, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBack (0) REVrant 41.2 - Chapel Services at a Christian University 
I had the honor of speaking at the Colorado Christian University Chapel two days this week. (Tues/Thurs) I was invited by Scott Werner, a CCU VP who oversees chapel, and also attends FBC. My text was Romans 12:1–2. I had planned to speak on 12:1–2 on Tuesday and 12:3–8 on Thursday, but I didn’t finish vv. 1–2 the first day. (Time is tight in chapel!) I challenged the students to give God their bodies and their minds in my two-part series.
Candidly, I found the chapel audience a daunting challenge. Chapel is mandatory. It’s held in a field house. The majority of the students sit on bleachers. Acoustics are a nightmare. The lighting was either shadowy (at the start) or fluorescent. The clock ticks exceptionally fast, as lunch is immediately after chapel. It’s not so easy for an old guy like me to establish rapport with a group of students who weren’t even born when I started my ministry at FBC.
I admit it – I was nervous. Today, on the drive over, after Jan read our daily devotional and prayed out loud for me, we listened to Gospel quartet music. I told her I needed to get my heart prepared to face the challenge. Then, of course, I had to drive by the “Spider Church” (Mile High Church –Religious Science) on the way in. I’ve always felt a darkness from that place. (On their current web site, they have a Buddha quote – “What we think, we become.”) I needed the Lord to show up today, or I was sure I would be doomed!
The Lord was good and kind. Today went very well. I felt like I connected with the students, and the feedback was even more encouraging than on Tuesday. Ironically, they were even testing new audio speakers today, and I was the guinea pig. (Huge difference over the first day!)
The whole experience stretched me in some good ways. Here are a few musings as I reflect back on the experience:
1. We need to pray for Christian college students (both at CCU, and at all colleges and universities – religious or secular) – there is a bloody battle being waged for their bodies and their minds.
2. I sensed a resilient spirituality, particularly among the youngest students I met before and after speaking. The worship portion of the chapel was energetic and engaging. SIDEBAR – Music matters to these kids – BIG time! (At one point I inquired about how many students had IPods or any MP3 player – 99.9% raised their hand. We cannot ignore this!)
3. Scott Werner and his wife Ruth could not have been kinder hosts to us. They even prayed for Jan and me publicly before my first talk. Scott in English, and his wife, in Spanish. Powerful. Scott mentioned that I was his pastor and encouraged the students to consider the value of connecting in a church (not solely FBC) while at school.
4. Daniel Sesay and several of our FBC musicians led worship on Tuesday. Daniel is a CCU graduate. I was honored to be able to serve with Daniel and the team and I loved the students getting to meet both of us. Hopefully, their little taste of FBC was positive.
5. For some reason, I felt very burdened for the CCU students. I still can’t shake it. A couple asked about transportation to the church, since they don’t have cars. A couple of freshmen asked for directions to the church. A couple shared some stories of struggle. But beyond the specifics, I have a sense of pastoral concern for this community of young men and women who are at a Christian university. I know they are surrounded by faculty and staff who care for them and who are there to serve them. That’s not my role. However, seeing a whole room full of them and thinking about all the forces and pressures and temptations that are bombarding their bodies and minds, I pondered their vulnerability and the significance of the decisions they are making now that will affect their entire lives. As I drove away this morning, I silently prayed, “Lord, help them.”
Thanks for praying for me as I spoke this week. If you think of it, pray for those students. Pray that the Lord will guide them and deliver them from evil. Pray for the protection of their bodies and their minds. They are “precious in His sight.” Thursday, September 18, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0) REVrant 41.1 - Ray Boltz "Comes Out" of the Closet - "God made me gay."
Washington Blade: Gay and Lesbian News, Entertainment, Politics and Opinion. (Caution: this web site is clearly a gay advocacy site.)
A friend (Thanks AT) emailed me today with a link to another web site announcing the news that Ray Boltz has “come out of the closet” – announcing that he is gay. I’ve done further investigation, and found the link above, which posts an interview with Boltz. Clearly, it’s true. Boltz says he’s gay.
Ray Boltz became famous in Christian circles for his songs – “Thank You,” “Watch The Lamb,” and “I Pledge Allegiance to the Lamb.” This is shocking news in the same vein as the Ted Haggard story (New Life Church Pastor and President of the NAE) and the Paul Barnes story (local mega-church pastor in Denver) in which two high profile pastors “came out” (actually, were “pushed out!”) as gay.
Sadly, Boltz is saying the same thing we’re hearing more and more from professing “Christian homosexuals” – “This is the way God made me.” And predictably, he is expecting backlash from the Christian community. As a side note, the Contemporary Christian Music Association says they do not comment on the “lifestyle choices of their artists.” Boltz is apparently hooking up with The Metropolitan Community Church network - a loose association of churches which welcomes open homosexuals.
The timing of this is intriguing in that Jan and I watched some Gaither videos with her visiting parents last week and on both of the videos, Boltz sang, “Thank You” (…For Giving to the Lord!) Who would have known?
I have some observations:
1) God does not make anyone homosexual. There is no scientific, psychological, or theological evidence to support this. One may have early memories of homosexual urges (for reasons too extensive to pursue in this post), but to twist this into “God made me this way” is simplistic at best, and perverted at worst.
2) God does not condone homosexuality. Romans 1:26–27 makes this crystal clear. God also does not condone envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, evil, greed, arrogance, or disobeying parents. (Romans 1:29–30)
3) My writing these things in #1 and #2 above does not automatically make me homo-phobic, hateful, judgmental, unkind, or un-Christian. There is nothing wrong with having convictions and expressing them. I disagree with Boltz. I know many will disagree with what I wrote in the previous two items. It seems that they are entitled to hold their views in the same way that I am.
4) I’m glad the truth is out regarding Ray Boltz. Lying about his situation (or at least covering it up) served no one but the devil. Perhaps this is a time to call on other “closeted” homosexuals within the Christian community to candor and integrity. If this is how you feel and if this is the way you choose to live, at least be honest about it. Face the music! I am 100% in disagreement with the lifestyle choice Boltz has made, but I am grateful for the end to his deception. I suspect he feels relieved because the truth is out. That’s what the truth does.
5) It’s possible to “love the sinner” and “hate the sin.” (I do that with myself all the time.) I hate the sin that seeps into my life. (By the way, I’m sure someone reading this will accuse me of using an “empty old evangelical cliche” at the beginning of #5.) The statements I’ve made are not meant to convey hatred towards Ray Boltz. I’m simply stating my convictions about homosexuality.
Bottom line – This was very sad news and will further stir debate among Christians regarding the Biblical response to homosexuality. As you’ve read, I don’t think there is anything to debate. Monday, September 15, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (17) | TrackBack (0) REVved - Speaking at CCU This Week Colorado Christian University-About CCU. I’m honored to be speaking at the CCU Chapel this week Tuesday and Thursday. Scott Werner (Assistant VP, Ministry Programs) extended the invitation to address the university’s theme this year – “Upward Spiritual Journey.” I’ll be speaking from Romans 12. Scott attends FBC and told me that the emphasis of my sermon series in Romans would tie in well with CCU’s theme for 2008–2009. I’m looking forward to this opportunity to speak to college kids. College chapel can be a mixed bag for Christian students. (I’ve been there!) I’m trusting God to break through and speak powerfully to these young hearts and minds. If you think of it, I’d be grateful for your prayers tomorrow morning and Thursday morning (10:50 – 11:40 AM). I’ll let you know how it goes. Monday, September 15, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) REVved - Super Sunday Ends With "Salt & Light" For several weeks, I’ve been referring to September 14 as “Super Sunday” at FBC! I knew it was going to be a big day, I just didn’t know how big. I’m writing this a little before midnight on Sunday, basking in the afterglow of an amazing day.
The day started off with special recognition of our Elders & Deacons in our annual “installation” of officers. It was such a delight to be able to thank some of our retiring leaders, and to welcome some new men to the team. Doug Holden, our Elder chairman, led this recognition time, which culminated in the singing of the first verse of “A Mighty Fortress is our God.”
Some of you may recall that Jan’s parents were with us for the past 10 days, visiting from Michigan. After the last service this morning, they left (with Jan’s youngest sister and her husband) for the airport. It was sad to say good-bye, but the time with them was precious.
After saying good-bye, we ran over to McDonalds for a quick bite to eat, before heading back to the church for a baptism service. Today was the day set for our annual OUTDOOR baptisms at Chatfield Reservoir. However, when I got up this morning and saw the weather, I couldn’t imagine doing anything that involved water outside today. It was 45 degrees as we were driving to church. It was also cloudy and overcast – not a day for the beach – OR outdoor baptisms. So, we made the decision to hold the baptism service at the church instead. Inside! This involved major logistical challenges (like filling the baptistry at church), but we pulled it off and actually enjoyed one of the most intimate and moving baptism services I’ve experienced in a long time. I think there were around 35 people baptized. I love baptismal services - they are all about Jesus!
Next, it was a quick trip home to change clothes and catch our breath, before returning to the church for the culmination of the day – Our Salt & Light Project Celebration.
 
At our Men’s Retreat August 22–24, we challenged the guys to go out into the world to spread the “Salt and Light” of Jesus. You can read the fuller story in a previous blog. We divided the guys into 12 groups at the retreat. We gave each group $400. We asked them to find someone with a need – someone outside the church - and then, to give them a gift – of the money, of their time, or of any other resources they could gather in the time we gave them. We also asked them to videotape the giving event, and then, to show it to the group tonight.
I wish you all could have been there. The room was teeming with people 10 minutes before the event. The energy was palpable. Over 500 people showed up to join in the celebration. After a powerful opening worship set, we turned it over to the groups. One by one, the group leaders came to the front, gave a brief introduction of their team and video, and then we all watched the videos. For two hours straight.
As Jan and I wiped away the tears after the first video, I knew we were in for an incredible evening. The guys took our challenge to heart. One by one, the groups touched our hearts, as they told the stories of how God led them to the person or people they were meant to help. I won’t list them all here, but it was stunning to see the diversity of the needs met – an inner city ministry that helps kids, a single mom who had been on the streets as a drug addict and prostitute, several widows in a neighborhood in Lakewood, Children’s Hospital, a home for battered women, Ronald McDonald House, a veteran and his family…the list just went on and on.
To any FBC “Salt & Light” guys reading this – I want to tell you how proud I am of all of you. You definitely LIVED OUT your Christianity. In very powerful ways. I’ll never forget the way you responded to the challenge of our retreat.
Several of the groups said the same thing at some point in their presentation. “We want this to continue” and “we plan to do more together!” This is exactly what I was hoping and praying for.
Every Saturday and Sunday, I stand up at offering time and welcome our visitors. I always hold up a welcome brochure and I point out what’s on the cover – “FBC…a Family…Upward, Inward, and Outward!” It occurred to me tonight that we’ve done “Upward and Inward” pretty well at FBC through the years. I certainly don’t mean to imply that we don’t do, or have never done anything, “Outward”….but tonight’s reports made it clear that we have a core group of men who are passionately committed to helping us live out that final aspirational theme of our church slogan – A Family…OUTWARD! Well done, my brothers!
I’m exhausted tonight…but a very good exhausted. “Super Sunday” met and exceeded all my expectations. Sunday, September 14, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0) REView - "The Shack" by William P. Young - Challies.Com I found this review of The Shack at a website I view from time-to-time. The book is not only a bestseller, it’s become very controversial. I’m asked about it nearly every week. I think this review (it’s rather long) is the best I’ve seen. Tim Challies is respectful to William P. Young, while being thorough in raising theological concerns about the book. I disagree with Challies on his idea that “forgiveness requires repentance,” but beyond that, I believe the concerns he raises are legitimate."The Shack" by William P. Young - Challies Dot Com. Thursday, September 11, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0) REVered - "9-11" - 7 Year Anniversary  None of us will ever forget this terrifying image. 9.11.2001 Commercial airplanes were used in the most brazen attack on American soil in the history of our country. In addition, the Pentagon attack and the crash of Flight 93 in a Pennsylvania field shook us to the core. 9–11 was a defining moment for us. Our cherished hope of safety in the homeland was destroyed that day. And ever since, we’ve lived with the fear of terrorist attacks. Thankfully, there has not been another attack. Not that people haven’t tried. But the nation developed a new sense of vigilance that met the challenge. I think of it every time I go through airport security. 19 evil men changed the course of history for 300 million Americans…and the rest of the world.As we pause on this day, let’s pray for the families of the 3,000 victims of the 9–11 tragedy. Let’s also pray for those in authority over us. Let’s pray that God will bless them, and that God will bless America! Thursday, September 11, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) REVved - Great News on a Great Sunday As I mentioned in my last blog, we had a surprise announcement for the church family today. A couple of you have asked what it was, so I wanted to post it tonight before going to bed!When we moved to our current church site in Littleton, we purchased 38 acres for $360,000. We only planned to use a portion of the land, so we sub-divided a section on the north property line and listed four separate lots for sale. We prayed that God would allow us to sell the lots in His time. About 5 years ago, we sold a lot to the Primrose School that is now the site for their day-care center and preschool. That sale was just under $300,000.The special announcement for today is that we have closed on the sale of a second site – just over 1 acre for the sale price of $485,000. Our former elder chairman presented me with the check this weekend in all three services! Our people were thrilled to learn this news. Our Elders have decided that this money will used to reduce the debt on our current facility, thus saving the church hundreds of thousands of dollars of interest over the life of our loan. It was a weekend of great rejoicing! In God’s time, He arranged this sale. The purchaser is Murray Shoes, and I think it’s their plan to build a retail store there in the near future. Great neighbors to have in addition to the Primrose School.In addition to celebrating this wonderful news, we were also able to report that at the end of our fiscal year (Sept. 1, 2007–August 31, 2008) we had received 100.7% of our projected budget for the year! What a blessing. In these troubling economic times, the Lord’s people gave sacrificially and we met our budget. More good news – we under-spent our budget by around $200,000. The bottom line – FBC is in excellent financial condition – ALL GLORY TO THE LORD! God is so good.The atmosphere in our services this weekend was spiritually electric – full of joy, enthusiasm, and a sense of gratitude for God’s blessing. The music was inspiring. The time around the Lord’s Table was sweet. The fellowship was heavenly. This was a great day…a reminder that we serve a GREAT GOD! Sunday, September 07, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0) REVving Back Up... “Life is not blogging and blogging is not life.” – Bill Oudemolen
Now you know what I’ve been doing the past 9 days – living life! Blogging is a luxury in my schedule and life has squeezed out the luxury for a week and a half. Thanks to many of you who have been checking in on me from time to time. I can tell how many hits I get per day, and when I don’t blog, the number shrinks…predictably.
So much is going on. The Olympics ended (I watched way more of it than I planned!). The Democrats came to Denver (We made one trip downtown while they were here – what an amazing experience in social research!). The Republicans are in St. Paul (Sarah Palin’s speech tonight was stirring – she certainly came out of nowhere.). Hurricane Gustav hit the Gulf coast. And three other storms – Hanna, Ike, and Josephine are lined up right behind it. (I read tonight that Ike is a Cat 4.)
Life at FBC races on. We had a fantastic weekend over Labor Day. Great attendance and high energy. I met five new (to FBC) families before and after services. Our Salt & Light Project Celebration is Sunday night, 9/14. We’ll also have installation of Elders & Deacons that morning, and baptisms at Chatfield that afternoon. Meanwhile, we’re heavily involved in staff searches for several positions (a constant in church life, it seems…). I’m going to introduce our newest pastoral family this weekend – Jeff Baxter, our newest pastor, arrived in May, but his family didn’t join him until July. I want the church to see them all together! We have another special announcement this weekend – but I’m going to keep that one a secret. It’s VERY good news!
Sadly, I also have to report that we received news last Sunday afternoon that the 32 year old son of one of our Elders died. His name is Artie and his parents are Art & Sandy Waskey. We’ve known the family for 23 years and have been walking alongside them this week in preparation for a Graveside and Memorial Service tomorrow (Thursday). The Graveside is private and at a separate time, and the Memorial Service will be at FBC at 4:00 pm tomorrow afternoon. If you know the Waskeys and hadn’t yet heard, please pray for comfort and peace. The Memorial Service is open to friends and the church family, of course, and there will be a reception after the service. Watching parents grieve the loss of a child is something Jan and I have done far too often in our pastoral role. It’s excruciating.
On a lighter note, Jan’s parents arrive for a visit on Friday morning. They will be accompanied by her sister and husband (Sandy & Greg) from Michigan. They’re heading to Vail for a week of vacation, and we’ll be spending the time with the folks. This will be a very special time. I love my in-laws. I wasn’t sure they would be making trips to Denver in this life season. That they are is wonderful! They will definitely be our priority next week, so you know what might happen to blogging! Wednesday, September 03, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0) REVved - "Living It" in the High Country - MEN'S RETREAT 2008  What a weekend! Yesterday I drove back over Berthoud Pass from Snow Mountain Ranch where I spent the weekend with 175 guys from FBC at our Annual Men’s Retreat. Our theme was “Living It!” (Longer version – “Living Out Your Christianity.”) It was one of those experiences that is “better felt than telt?” Getting that many guys together for a concentrated time of worship, Bible time, and connecting in small groups is no small challenge. Once again, our retreat point man – Todd Swank – did an amazing job (thanks RT), along with all the members of his team. The worship time was anointed (and I don’t use that word very often!) Greg Eslinger and Daniel Sesay tag teamed with the music, and I was often speechless (which was tough because I was there to SPEAK) after the worship sessions. God gave us an amazing weekend in every way. For our sessions, I addressed the guys with the following four themes:Men, You are SPIRITUAL & MASCULINEI reminded the guys that we need to claim our spirituality and re-claim our masculinity. And of course, this is not going to be EASY, it’s going to be a FIGHT! Here’s the two objects I used to help them visualize it. Men, You are SALT & LIGHTNext I challenged the guys from Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:13–16 that we are to be SALT & LIGHT! We seem to be very good at maintaining our “distinction” but what are we doing to “influence” the culture? I announced this year’s project during this session. I’ll mention it below. The physical objects I used didn’t take much creativity! Men, You are SHAPED & FOCUSEDThis was the SPIRITUAL GIFTS talk! We launched from I Corinthians 12 where Paul makes it clear that every believer receives at least one spiritual gift. I had some fun in planning this session, because while Todd Swank and I were discussing it months ago, he mentioned Max Lucado’s book about “sweet spot” - and he was so passionate about it, I asked him to do the middle part of the talk. He did…and did a wonderful job, using a tennis racket, baseball bat, and golf club to remind the guys that as sport implements have a “sweet spot,” so do each of us! Men, You are SAFE & in DANGERThe final session was a reminder that although God gives guys a “map” for our lives (His Word), it’s possible to return to the “old map!” I used an intense NT text from Acts 5 about Ananias and Saphirra…they used the “old map” and it cost them their lives! A highlight of this session (for me) was having Todd Swank hold a map of Boulder (representing the old map) while I used my samurai sword to swing and slice it in half! A very masculine moment! SALT & LIGHT PROJECTOne of the most exciting parts of the weekend was announcing the “Salt & Light Project!” Last year I asked the guys to each make a slingshot to symbolize male “movement!” This year, we decided to have the guys do something as a group. So…we divided them into 12 groups. We gave each group $400 cash. (It came mostly out of registration money…so it’s giving some of their money back!) Each group has three weeks to identify a “worthy cause.” To find someone – preferably a non-believer/non-believing family, and definitely not someone related to anyone in the group – who has a need. The $400 is “seed money” and what the guys do for the needy person doesn’t have to be limited just to money. They can raise more money if they wish, but NOT from the members of the group. They can ask others to participate. We’re not running it through a fund in the church for tax deduction. We cautioned them not to stop at Blackhawk on their way home too! ;-) This is just a pristine “salt & light” giving event. For accountability, we are asking the guys to videotape the act of giving. Then, on Sunday night, September 14 at 7:00 pm, we are having a “Salt & Light Project Celebration!” We’ll start with high energy worship. We’ll then ask each group to come up one by one to tell us what they did and then to show us their video. No more than 5–8 minutes each.I’m so excited. We’ve all seen the spate of TV reality shows in recent years and many are focused on “giving” (Oprah’s Big Give, Extreme Makeover:Home Edition), but none of them have captured the essence of why we – as Christian men – are called to be “Salt & Light!” To “give a cup of cold water” in His name. “To do it for one of the least of these…” My hope and prayer is that our entire FBC family will come alive with the final part of our mission statement (A Family…”Upward, Inward, and Outward”) as a result of this Men’s Retreat Project! If any FBC Retreat guys are reading this – GO FOR IT! For the rest of you who are in the Denver metro area - please join us on September 14 at 7:00 pm at the church. This is going to be a very “salty” and “shiny” evening! Monday, August 25, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) REVrant 40.6 - "Thinking More Highly of Yourself Than You Should" Last weekend, my sermon text was Romans 12:3–8. In v. 2, Paul writes, “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought.” I began the sermon with a brief video clip of a guy sitting at a grand piano, wearing a white tuxedo jacket, singing a series of revised Christian songs. His voice wouldn’t survive the American Idol judges, by the way. He sings edited versions of well-known praise songs like; “It’s All about Me,” “Lord, I Lift My Name on High,” “I Exalt Me,” “”I Am Why I Sing,” and a short Christmas segment in which he sings the first line of – “O Come Let Us Adore Me!” It’s run like one of those album-selling advertisements that includes an 800 number (1–800–ME-ME-ME) to call, lists the web site, and offers “all this for only $19.95!” The point was obvious – we are living in a culture that believe this. That it IS all about ME! I wish I could say that’s only people outside the church. But the “me” disease has infected the church as well. And we all know the consequences. As NBA Coach Pat Riley put it regarding his team, “The disease of me leads to the destruction of us.”I read something about a church situation yesterday that reminded me that preaching a sermon about stuff like this doesn’t necessarily solve the problem. Lord, please help us get over ourselves! I fear that “thinking too highly of ourselves” has become an epidemic! Friday, August 22, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) REVved - Men's Retreat 2008 I head out tomorrow for our FBC Men’s Retreat at Snow Mountain Ranch outside of Winter Park, Colorado. Though I’ll miss my little Janice, I’m looking forward to connecting with 175 of our guys up in the high country for a weekend of worship and the Word! It looks like the weather is going to be great Thankfully, it wasn’t scheduled for last weekend! Pole Creek Golf course near Snow Mt. RanchI’m speaking on “Living It” – Living Out Your Christianity – in four sessions. Just got my final work done on the talks tonight. Last year we had all the guys make a slingshot to symbolize our need to “move” as men. This year, we have a much different project planned. We will organize the guys in teams. It’s a surprise so I can’t say any more about it. I’ll tell you more when I get back.If you think to pray for us, I’d appreciate it. Every year, the retreat draws a range of guys, some of whom are in deep despair and trouble of all kinds – emotional, spiritual, or physical. It’s a great opportunity to minister. As I was putting the finishing touches on the talks the past two days, I sensed a real oppression and resistance. Clearly, the adversary is not interested in seeing guys connect with the Word and one another. I’m expecting major spiritual movement, in view of the opposition I felt the past 48 hours.Something wonderful often happens at retreats and camps that doesn’t occur in normal settings of church life. I go with the hope that this weekend is no exception! I’ll file my report sometime after Sunday night. Thursday, August 21, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) REVved - "Made to Swim" I wasn’t even planning to watch the Olympics, but I got caught up in the excitement, like millions around the world. Michael Phelps was clearly “made to swim,” as our Worship Director put it last weekend. None of us will ever forget what we saw at the Beijing Olympics!  Tuesday, August 19, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0) REVrant 40.5 - "Above My Pay Grade" - Obama's Quote Some of you probably saw the Saddleback Showdown last Saturday night. Rick Warren invited both presidential candidates to sit with him for an hour each in a televised discussion at his church. They called it a “Civil Forum.” Candidly, it seemed strange that this event was held in a place designated for worship, and led by a pastor. I believe it sent out some disturbing mixed messages. I can’t imagine Jesus interviewing Caesar, or Paul interviewing Agrippa. That aside, I was fascinated by one of the answers from Obama. When Warren asked Obama “at what point does a human being get rights” (the abortion question), Obama stumbled a bit and then made his well-reported reply – that is “above my pay grade.” McCain’s reply to the same question was – “at conception.” In the interest of full disclosure, I agree with McCain. (And that is not a formal endorsement of his candidacy, because I DON’T endorse candidates!)Wherever you are in the debate, doesn’t it make you wonder why Obama refused to answer a question he had to know was coming? Why not own what he believes? Why not say, “at birth,” if that is what he believes? I don’t know what he believes. Clearly, he did not state his conviction. Why not?I found a great quote this week that might apply. It does apply to many within our culture. It’s from G.K. Chesterton in his monumental, Orthodoxy – “What we suffer from today is humility in the wrong place. Modesty has settled on the organ of conviction; where it was never meant to be. Man was meant to be doubtful about himself but un-doubting about the truth. This has been exactly reversed.”This is the new modesty. We are modest about saying, “This is the truth.” My concern within some streams of the emergent conversation is exactly this. They don’t want to say, “This is the truth…” – about the Virgin Birth, the resurrection, substitutionary atonement, biblical inerrancy, or the deity of Christ! As Chesterton would put it, it’s “humility in the wrong place.” Tuesday, August 19, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0) REVrant 40.4 - Ellen DeGeneres and Fiancee Portia de Rossi to Wed This Weekend Usmagazine.com | EXCLUSIVE: Ellen DeGeneres and Fiancee Portia de Rossi to Wed This Weekend. Lord, have mercy!Romans 1:26 – “Because of this God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones.”Romans 1:32b – “…they not only continue to do these very things, but also approve of those who practice them.”The photo in the article makes it look like one of the ladies is assuming the male role and the other the female role. Is this how it works? How do they decide that? And to equate the issue of homosexual marriage with women not being able to vote or with segregation is the height of stupidity.I wonder how many of us are willing to speak out on matters like this, or will instead choose to be silent out of fear and the desire to not offend people.I read a great Os Guinness quote today – “We believe in others rights to hold different views but that does not mean that we believe all views are right.” Friday, August 15, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) REVrant 40.3 - Focus on the Family pulls plea for rain at Obama speech : Local News : The Rocky Mountain News VIDEO: Focus on the Family pulls plea for rain at Obama speech.It’s stuff like this that makes Christians look like goofballs! Glad Focus pulled it from their website, but clearly, it’s too little too late. So is the lame semi-apology in the linked article.Christians, we can do better. Tuesday, August 12, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0) REVrant 40.2 - John Edwards Admits to Affair, Denies He's Father of Lover's Child FOXNews.com - John Edwards Admits to Affair, Denies He's Father of Lover's Child.Sad, sad, sad….This revelation of an extra-marital affair by former presidential candidate, John Edwards, defies logic and rationality. How could Senator Edwards think that this kind of moral lapse would remain a secret? Particularly, while he was running for president. Media and tabloid journalists work 24/7 on digging up stuff like this on candidates. And it’s not done yet. Now that he’s admitted the sexual part of the relationship, he’s going to have to go through with a paternity test to satisfy the sharks who are circling around him – it’s a feeding-frenzy! His word is simply not good enough at this point. He needs science to prove it.What a sad turn of events. It reminds me of a saying I heard from a friend of mine about two years ago: “Truth and time walk hand in hand.” I imagine there is some relief for Edwards since he doesn’t have to lie about it anymore. But…the damage this has done to him, his wife, his children, his friends, and his career, and his political party is inestimable.  While Edwards will go on to future enterprises, his credibility has been permanently tarnished. A few moments of illicit sensual pleasure cost way more than they were worth. A good reminder for all men. Here’s a couple of Proverbs that sum up the danger of hooking up with an adulteress:Proverbs 9:17–18 – “Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious! But little do they know that the dead are there, and that her guests are in the depths of the grave.”Proverbs 7:25–27 – “Do not let your hearts turn to her ways or stray into her paths. Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng. Her house is a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death.” Friday, August 08, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0) REVrant 40.1 - China On The Rise...Sign of the End? ABC News: Is a Powerful China Good for the U.S.?. Earlier tonight, I watched a PrimeTime ABC Special on China (click on link above for more information), hosted by reporter Bob Woodruff. As an aside, Woodruff is the ABC reporter who was critically injured while in Iraq, and the fact that he is back to reporting is miraculous. He was enlisted in the service of ABC while in China during the Tiananmen Square stand-off 19 years ago, and was a mainstay on the ABC news team until his tragic injury. His report tonight was phenomenal. Tiananmen Square 1989 WoodruffThis was strategic timing by ABC as the Olympics Opening Ceremony will be aired from Beijing on Friday night. China is definitely on the rise. I was mesmerized by Woodruff’s report. He made it clear that the Chinese are forging relationships where the US is not. Specifically, he reported on the relationship between China and Angola (huge amounts of oil are being exported by Angola to China for repayment of 4 billion dollars in loans from the Chinese), Brazil (<—number one exporter of soybeans - China is the number one consumer of soybeans), Cambodia, and of course, the U.S. With 1.3 billion people, China is the largest and fastest growing developing nation in the world. There is nothing else like it. I was particularly moved by the description of the symbiotic relationship between China and the U.S. Woodruff implied that both countries are dependent upon one another, and in particular, that the Chinese presence in our financial markets seems to be our only hope at the present. We need the money the Chinese can provide, and they need us to consume the products they export! I got a chill when I heard this comment during the show: "The rise of China is the single most important geopolitical event of the 21st century," said John Thornton, professor and director of Global Leadership at Tsingua University in Beijing. "And the implications of that rise are enormous." Beyond the obvious global and financial significance of China today, I could not help but think in eschatological terms. End times! I’ve always believed that the Biblical references in Revelation 9:13–21 and 16:12–16 referred to the Chinese. I want to be cautious, lest I suggest I know exactly what is going to happen, exactly when! Because I don’t, in this case. But the whole time I was watching the TV program about China tonight, I kept thinking that the stage is set for China to be a major player in any global event, particularly one that would threaten the stability of her massive 1.3 billion person economy. Incidentally, the show mentioned that China now has strategic alliances with 48 of 53 African nations. China is up to something that the U.S. is not.  Most importantly, God is up to something. I found that the most encouraging truth tonight as I pondered the dramatic rise of China in the 21st Century. Wednesday, August 06, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0) REVered - A.W. Gets It Last month, a wonderful friend of mine (Thanks, Ed) forwarded me a daily devotional for July 19 from one of my heroes – A. W. Tozer. I thought of it today since I used a Tozer quote in the sermon over the weekend. Tozer was an Alliance pastor with a prophetic voice and amazing gift of clear thinking. I’ll never forget my first reading of his book, Knowledge of The Holy! (1978) Stunning. Anyway, the devotional is a perfect complement to the fact that I’ve been preaching through the Book of Romans for the past year and a half. I’ve been pounding away on the need to declare and defend sound doctrine. Sometimes I feel like a very lonely voice. When I read what Tozer said about the temptation that eventually comes to every church, I said “Amen” out loud! It’s so good, I wanted to copy it here for you. Take the time to read it. It will give you a glimpse into the reason why I believe more than ever that it is time to boldly and fearlessly preach the truth.July 19 The Church: The Major DecisionHold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, infaith and love which are in Christ Jesus. That good thing which wascommitted to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.--2 Timothy 1:13,14There is a great decision that every denomination has to make sometimein the development of its history. Every church also has to make it eitherat its beginning or a little later--usually a little later. Eventually every boardis faced with the decision and has to keep making it, not by one greatdecision made once for all, but by a series of little decisions adding upto one great big one. Every pastor has to face it and keep renewing hisdecision on his knees before God. Finally, every church member, everyevangelist, every Christian has to make this decision. It is a matter ofjudgment upon that denomination, that church, that board, that pastor,that leader and upon their descendants and spiritual children. The question is this: Shall we modify the truth in doctrine or practice togain more adherents? Or shall we preserve the truth in doctrine and practiceand take the consequences? A commitment to preserving the truth and practice of the church is whatseparates me from a great many people who are perhaps far greater thanI am in ability. This is my conviction, long held and deeply confirmed bya knowledge of the fact that modern gospel churches, almost withoutexception, have decided to modify the truth and practice a little in orderto have more adherents and get along better. “We're under constant pressure to have more adherents, more members,more numbers, Lord. The emphasis today is on growth, bigness, size,and success. God help me never to modify or compromise to achievethat, but to tenaciously hold fast to my core beliefs and priorities. Amen." Monday, August 04, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0) REVealed - Green Mountain Fire The smoke plume could be seen for miles. And you could smell the fire from across town. Today a lightning strike ignited a dry patch of Green Mountain – less than 10 miles from our house. The 300(?) acre fire came near several homes, but thankfully, none were lost, and no one was harmed. Here’s a photo that shows how close the fire got to the residential areas in the vicinity. It’s been so dry here for so long. And we’ve had a succession of 24 days of 90+ temperatures. All it took was one lightning strike. The dry grass and weeds provided perfect fuel.Tonight, there are many residents in our region thanking God for His protection and for the courageous efforts of the West Metro Fire Department! Monday, August 04, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0) REVved - "Back in the Saddle Again" After a delightful and refreshing summer break during the month of July, I’m “back in the saddle again!”
While we thoroughly enjoyed our month off, it felt fantastic to return to my calling in my home church family. Despite the summer heat (Denver has had 22 days in a row of 90+ temperatures), people eagerly showed up for all three services (Sat PM and Sun AM) and we had a blast pondering Paul’s great doxology at the end of Romans 11 (vv. 33–36). Our Worship Director, Daniel Sesay, wrote a song that correlated with the text, and it provided a wonderful opening to our consideration of this powerful Bible text.
I used a line from A.W. Tozer’s Knowledge of the Holy (1978), in which he insists that the greatest challenge to the church is to “elevate our concept of God.” Based on the text, I suggested that if we are going to elevate our concept of God, we will have to 1) Admit Our Limits, 2) Stay in Our Place, and 3) Embrace Our Purpose – which is to “elevate God forever!”
We concluded the service by celebrating The Lord’s Supper. Then, at the very end, we sang the traditional “Doxology” for the first time in a very long time. I grew up in a church where we sang it every Sunday. Kind of lost it’s meaning. But this weekend, it seemed unusually powerful, and the perfect way to end the service.
As I sit here tonight musing over the weekend, a few thoughts stand out:
1. Preaching the same sermon three times in a row in less than 24 hours is quite a physical, emotional, and spiritual work-out! I’m exhausted.
2. Having a home church family is important, comforting, and Biblical.
3. Sometimes Christian people say the strangest things at the strangest times. (You don’t want to know!)
4. In every church there are always people in pain.
5. I can’t imagine my life without having regular opportunities to preach the Bible.
6. I wash my hands more on Sundays than any other day of the week! Sunday, August 03, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0) REVrant 39.1 - Zondervan faces $60M federal lawsuit over Bible, homosexuality Grand Rapids news - Zondervan faces $60M federal lawsuit over Bible, homosexuality.If you don’t have time to read the link, the short story is that a guy named Bradley Fowler is suing Zondervan - a Christian publisher – because he claims that their translation of the biblical word – “homosexual” in I Corinthians 6:9 has caused him suffering. His family’s pastor used that Zondervan Bible and because of it, his family “considered him a sinner and he suffered.” He is asking for an apology and $60 million. Why? “20 years of emotional duress and mental instability,” according to Fowler.Zondervan is passing the buck to the translators. Fowler needs to sue the translators, says Zondervan, because the publishers simply rely on the “scholarly judgment of credible translation committees.”A while back, I read about an “emergent” writer who made the comment that perhaps “we should declare a five year moratorium on saying anything about homosexuality until we figure out what the Bible really says about it!” Perhaps this lawsuit makes sense to him? NOT to me!I suppose we should anticipate actions like this. People have been trying to justify sinful behaviors since the beginning of time. Remember Adam blaming Eve in Eden?Mr. Fowler needs to read Romans 1:24–27 – “Therefore God gave the over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator – who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.” Lawsuit or not, this is the Word of the Lord! Thursday, July 17, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0) REVerie - 35th Wedding Anniversary On July 14, 1973, I made the best decision of my life – I pledged my love to Janice Ann Nicholson in the Cascades Baptist Church in Jackson, Michigan. We dated for nearly three years. I can still remember the first time I saw her standing in the choir at the church on a Sunday morning in August of 1970. She was wearing a sleeveless yellow dress, was tanned from a summer in the sun, and had cute blond hair. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. I didn’t think there were Christian girls who looked that great! After church I met her, and immediately fell in love with her smile and vibrant personality.  (Don’t laugh…it was the 70’s!)Later in the month, we met again at college (Grand Rapids Baptist College), and I started pursuing her relentlessly. I asked her out the first night. We sat and talked for three hours. I couldn’t get enough of her. It took me a while to talk her into marrying me, but on February 12, 1973, she finally said yes. My family loved her. In fact, I’ve said through the years that I think they liked her better than me! I understand why. Clearly, I “married up!” She is not only gorgeous on the outside, she radiates internal beauty the Bible talks about. I’ve never met anyone like her. She is the perfect fit for me!Today, as I look back on our 35 years, the memories flood my heart. We’ve loved and lived and served and suffered and played and prayed. Jan has always been right at my side. She’s never wavered in her encouragement and support of me. We’ve both been through some deep valleys with health struggles. At certain points, both of us have ended up at Mayo Clinic, seeking answers to health riddles. Our inability to have children has been, and remains, a heavy burden. When we vowed, “in sickness and in health…” I’m sure we both anticipated more health than sickness. But God has carried us every step of the way. I believe we’re closer because of what we’ve faced.Ministering together in two churches (7 years in Michigan, and 23 years in Colorado) has been a profound blessing. It’s not easy to be a pastor’s wife. Expectations can be stifling. Jan isn’t a “take-over” kind of person. She’s a kind, humble, supportive woman who loves to be in the background, praying and encouraging. She’s also very gifted in music. Piano, violin, and voice! Her health challenges have kept her from significant involvement in church music for a while, but I benefit from her gifts in our home. We actually love singing together, and haven’t stopped doing that in 35 years!Serving the Lord is a blessing, but it can also be a tough calling. We both know what it’s like to be in a deep pit, but we’ve also found (in the words of Corrie Ten Boom) that “there is not pit so deep but that God is deeper still!” We absolutely love serving together. Jan particularly loves moving into the lives of people in crisis to provide comfort, love, and hope. In my view, she’s an angel in hospitals, nursing homes, and hospices. We’ve been there hundreds of times…together.On this, our 35th anniversary, I want to publicly declare my love for the “wife of my youth!” Other than my salvation, Janice Ann is the greatest gift God has ever given me. In fact, that’s what her name – JANICE – means – “God’s gracious gift!” I love her…TODAY…and ALWAYS! Happy Anniversary, my little wife! Monday, July 14, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0) REVved - Mount Hermon Afterglow Amazing! Stupendous! Glorious! Wondrous! Heavenly!  We’re home after a week “on the mountain!” Mount Hermon Camp exceeded all of my expectations. From the time we arrived until the time we left we were convinced that this was a Divine Appointment! As we said our final good-byes yesterday morning, I felt like a kid at camp who didn’t want to leave all of my new friends. This was an amazing spiritual adventure. One of the best parts of the week for Jan and me was the opportunity to once again minister with my friend, Dave Burns. (photo above) Dave and I served together at FBC for just over 6 years, and since his return to California he got married to Leslie (after the death of his first wife, Terri) and joined the Mount Hermon Staff. He is the reason why this opportunity came to me. Thanks Dave! Dave’s band led the worship in each session. I found myself regularly “lost in wonder, love, and praise!” To reconnect and serve with Dave was simply too good to be true. To top it off, I also had the honor of teaching the Bible alongside international evangelist, Luis Palau. I taught in the morning sessions – a series from the Book of Job – and Luis handled the evening sessions - a study in Joshua. Luis is not only a powerful teacher of the Word, he is hilariously funny! We had fun playing off each other’s talks (if you were there, remember -> “wafting incense!”) and by the end of the week, it felt like we were life-time friends. No pretense or pomposity with this amazing man of God. He’s spoken in 72 countries to over 25 million and has seen over 1 million people respond to faith in Christ – and is one of the most humble men I’ve ever met. He and his wife, Pat, accepted us and warmly welcomed us into the Mount Hermon family – and we’re forever grateful. Their whole family was there and as an extra blessing, we got to meet all four sons and their families. (Kevin, Keith, Andrew, and Steve.)Mount Hermon is situated among the towering California redwood trees. The camp has created a one of a kind zip-line canopy course in the forest on their property. It’s not open to the public yet, but to my surprise I was given an opportunity to try it out on Friday afternoon, with seven other people. 140 ft. high narrow platforms, speedy “zip lines” (the longest was 440 ft.), and stunning views of the redwoods from the “canopy” section was a life-time adventure. The adrenaline was pumping like mad as we walked across a bridge and stood on that first platform. Pictures don’t do it justice. (I’ll include a few below to give perspective.) My speaking was done by this point, so if I had become a fatality, it would have been OK, and Luis agreed to do my funeral if it was necessary! (Ha!) I can’t imagine I’ll ever again do something with a higher thrill factor than this! (Bridge) (Platform) (Me, arriving at end of course)I’ve got so much more to write, but I need to keep this short. Here’s a quick summary of some other highlights of the week: 1) The way the campers engaged with Jan and me – we had so many great conversations, 2) The fun connection with several Mt. Hermon staff, 3) The Opening Night “David Betterman Show,” 4) The piano/organ concert by Dave Talbott, 5) Visits by some of our FBC friends and some friends from our first church in Michigan, 6) blueberry scones, 7) Purell and plastic gloves – after a couple of cases of sickness early in the week, all campers were met at the door of the dining hall with Purell and required to wear plastic gloves in the buffet line at EVERY meal! YES!, 8) Joking with Chris about “zip-zip” (<—you had to be there!), 9) Cotton candy on Friday night, 10) Capitola, Santa Cruz, and Monterey, and 11) Frogs! Every night outside our room, we were serenaded by bass notes of the loudest frogs I’ve heard in my life! (A parting gift from one of the campers!)You can probably tell, Jan and I had the “time of our lives” at Mount Hermon, Although we arrived home tired, it’s a “good tired” - the sense that we were able to serve the Lord with all of our strength. God stirred us all in some amazing ways. Thank you Lord, and thank you Mount Hermon! Sunday, July 13, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0) REVved - 4th of July 2008 As I hung my huge American flag off the deck this morning, I got a little lump in my throat. I am an unabashed patriot and feel blessed to have been born in America.  Sure, we have our problems. Yes, I’ve seen decades of moral decay in my 58 years. It’s not too difficult to identify things about the U.S. that concern and disappoint me (like California judges passing the gay marriage law recently…). But despite the obvious challenges we have, I still believe that being an American citizen is a tremendous privilege. One that I don’t take lightly. On this Independence Day 2008, I declare my gratitude for this great nation. I also thank the Lord for men and women who have been willing to fight to guarantee the freedoms I enjoy every day. This makes me want to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner!” (Unlike the woman who was invited to do so at the Denver State of the City gathering led by Mayor Hickenlooper this week – she chose instead to sing a song referred to as the “black national anthem,” to the tune of the National Anthem. She is defiant and said she would do it again. Apparently, she doesn’t “feel like an American.”) Click on this link if you want to read more. http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_9758376I hope this is a day we can all set aside what we think is wrong with America in order to celebrate what we know is right! Friday, July 04, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0) REVved - 2008 Summer Break Obviously, blogging has once again slipped to the bottom half of the priority list…July 1 launched our annual “summer break” month. Jan and I are embracing the gracious gift our church leaders provided about five years ago. For us, the month of July is a “mini-sabbatical” month. We usually spend the month catching up on life and relaxation that eludes us for most of the rest of the year. We rarely have two days in a row off. “Weekends off” are scarce, due to our Saturday PM and Sunday AM schedule. It is amazing how different it feels to have two days in a row, much less, a week or two.I know this is going to strike some of you as odd, but one of the things I wanted to do in July was to “deep-vacuum” the house. Yes, I’m a clean freak! And, to top it off, we’ve been saving for a Dyson(www.dyson.com). Get this – we found a clearance price on a Dyson DC18, had a 20% off coupon, had quite a bit of change we had saved in a jar over several months, and had a couple of gift checks from Christmas, that added up to the most reasonable price on a Dyson (VERY expensive cyclonic – never looses suction – vacuum!) that you could imagine. Call me crazy, but I find vacuuming a spiritual experience! Dyson DC18We leave on Saturday for a week at Mt. Hermon(www.mounthermon.org), in Northern California. As I blogged a while back we will be teaming with Luis Palau (www.palau.org), July 6–12. There are wildfires everywhere in N. Cal, but Mt. Hermon has been spared so far. We fly into San Jose – saw a news item where they were telling people to stay inside in San Jose, due to the “particulate matter” in the air. Maybe I will preach with a gas mask? I’ll let you know how the week goes later. Appreciate your prayers.I just put a vacation notice on my email, since I’m not sure how “cyber-active” I’ll be during the month. I may post from time to time, and I certainly hope to post your comments in a timely fashion, but I may be sporadic. There’s still plenty of “blog-worthy” events occurring on a daily basis. I hope to get to some of it, but plan to default to rest and relaxation! Thursday, July 03, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0) REVrant 38.10 - Do They Think Jesus Was a Liar? Do They Think Jesus Was a Liar? « FOX Forum.Cal Thomas gets it right in this linked column. Jesus wasn’t cryptic or confusing when He told His disciples HE was “the way, truth, and the life; no man comes to the Father, but through me.” He didn’t leave room for other options. There is only ONE way.  But this idea is under attack WITHIN the church, as the Pew Forum study shows. 57% of evangelicals believe there is more than one way to heaven. That’s scary!Here’s how Cal Thomas puts it – “If there are many paths to heaven, Jesus suffered and died for nothing. He could have stayed in heaven, sent down a book of sayings and avoided crucifixion. Orthodox Christians have always believed – and their Bible teaches them — there is only one path to heaven and it is through Jesus Christ and him alone. One can believe whatever one wishes, but you can’t be considered a Christian without believing in this fundamental doctrine.”I agree with all of this, but particularly, the final sentence. If Jesus isn’t the only way, then in the words of Cal Thomas, “Jesus was a liar.”In our post-modern world, “one way,” seems to convey something more like this… Wednesday, June 25, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0) REVved - Summer VBS at FBC  Yesterday, our DVBS (Daily Vacation Bible School) team launched our VBS 2008 with over 600 kids! The theme is “Outrigger Island: Living God’s Unshakeable Truth!” During services over the weekend, we commissioned our workers for this week of ministry to kids. Tomorrow morning I will be sharing a brief devotional with all of our volunteers around the theme — “Wave 3 Truth” – Jesus is the Only Way! I’ll also be praying during elementary and preschool rallies at 9 and 10 am, respectively. I can’t tell you how excited I am that FBC has such a powerful summer ministry to kids. It seems to get better every year.Pray that God will touch these precious kids with the simple truth that Jesus is THE only way! We’re hoping to see scores of kids respond with faith in Christ this week. Tuesday, June 24, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0) REVrant 38.9 - Americans Believe "In Everything" Survey Shows U.S. Religious Tolerance - NYTimes.com.I’ve received several emails today directing my attention to the recently released U.S Religious Landscape Survey conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. Get this; although a majority of Americans say religion is “very important” to them, nearly three-quarters of them say they believe that many faiths besides their own can lead to salvation. 70% of Americans affiliated with a religion or denomination say they agree that, ”Many religions can lead to eternal life.” And this statistic shook me to the core – 57% of EVANGELICALS agreed with the statement!“It’s not that Americans don’t believe in anything,” said Michael Lindsay, assistant director of the Center on Race, Religion and Urban Life at Rice University. “It’s that we believe in everything. We aren’t religious purists or dogmatists.”I’ve been warning our church family that this is the direction of our culture for the past few years. John 14:6 not withstanding, the idea that Jesus is the “only way,” is quickly fading as a majority view, even among evangelicals! This is shocking. I used to wonder about the provocative Biblical question regarding the return of Jesus – “Will He find faith when He comes?” The more I see and hear, the more I’m convinced that the number of true believers is shrinking…rapidly!Matthew 24:10–11 – a great text on signs of the “end of the age” – came to mind as I read the linked article; “At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.” We’re seeing it! Monday, June 23, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0) REVrant 38.8 - Obama Should Stick to Politics...Handling the Bible Doesn't Seem to be His Forte My Way News - Dobson accuses Obama of 'distorting' Bible. (Barack Obama)As you’ll read in the linked article, presidential candidate Barack Obama is trying to show how sections of the Bible cannot be applied to contemporary life. Using OT texts about slavery and eating restrictions regarding shellfish, he seems very confused about Biblical interpretation and application. He does the same thing when he suggests that The Defense Department could not “survive the application” of the Sermon on the Mount.Regulars at FBC will recall that I often say, “You can make the Bible say almost anything you want it to say.” Obama seems to have succumbed to that temptation. He cherry-picked a few texts out of their context and mocked the potential contrasting versions of Christianity that would be espoused by James Dobson or Al Sharpton. His simplistically adds that, “Folks haven’t been reading their Bibles.” In the words of Dobson, “He is dragging biblical understanding through the gutter.”  (James Dobson)I have been reading my Bible. In fact, I’ve been studying the Bible for over 50 years, both formally in two Christian colleges, and three seminaries, as a Bible college professor for two years, and as a vocational pastor who has preached from the Bible nearly every weekend for 30 years. I don’t do politics. But, I “do Bible.” That said, I think that Mr. Obama needs to rethink his remarks. He’s ignoring the historical and cultural setting of the texts he mentioned, in addition to ignoring the genre (type of literature) of the Bible books from which he is quoting. God never mandated slavery. He addressed a cultural institution (that often facilitated the literal physical survival of the poor) that was dissimilar in massive ways to the abusive and brutal slavery of blacks in America in our history. (I do not endorse in any way the history of slavery in America!) In fact, in the New Testament, God called for a higher standard in the treatment of slaves (employees) than was practiced by the pagan anti-Christian Romans and Greeks. Additionally, while God did restrict OT Jews from eating shellfish for sanitary reasons, in the NT, He calls Paul to minister to the Gentiles and as He does, He declares that what were previously classified as “unclean” animals, were declared by God as “clean.” Finally, Obama falls prey to ignoring the wider Biblical context when he intimates that the Sermon on the Mount suggests that there be no war. (See his reference to the Defense Department.) He needs to read the OT calls God issues for “just wars” against the enemies of God and then consult Romans 13 for Paul’s description of the “authorities” as “agents of God’s wrath” to bring punishment on the wrong-doers.Senator Obama, it’s probably best if you stick to politics. Handling the Bible doesn’t seem to be your forte! Monday, June 23, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0) »  Blog powered by TypePad Member since 04/2005 Personal SiteThis site is not formally affiliated with, approved by, officially representative of, advertised at, or paid for by Foothills Bible Church. October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 DisclosureIn light of the inclination of some to utilize the comment section inappropriately, I moderate all comments prior to publishing them. MHR Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 REVrant 42.6 - School Field Trip to Teacher's Lesbian Wedding REVrant 42.5 - Pastors Can Say/Pray the Goofiest Things REVrant 42.4 - "Lovers of Money" in the "Last Days" REVerie - New Photo REVrant 42.3 - "The Church is as Gray as the Culture" REVrant 42.2 - Atheists Sue President Over National Prayer Day REVrant 42.1 - Blame for the Credit Crisis & My Idea for a Taxpayer Bailout REVrant 41.5 - Pulpit politics: Pastors to defy IRS REVrant 41.4 - God, Government, and Bailouts REVrant 41.3 - Root Canal _qoptions = { tags:"typepad.core" }; _qacct="p-fcYWUmj5YbYKM"; quantserve(); |
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