Happy Birthday, Angela!

From the insane Rathbuns….

We’re happy you’re part of our family!

“Just Live it” Series – Being in the World

Do not Hide your Light

On March 1, 2009 I shared my heart in a sermon regarding being in the world, but not of it and what that really means. My premise is that too many Christians have missed that fact that Christ’s mission was to the non-believer and that he was effective because (well other than being God) He engaged people and built relationships.

The church of today is far too content to “play church” on Sunday morning and to turn their nose up against those who don’t believe; forgetting that the only difference in some of us is that we yielding to the call. I am the chief sinner amoung you and I struggle every day with religion. Organized Church has become the land of the Pharisee and not refuge for the broken sinner. We must stop play-acting for our Church friends to the exclusion of the rest of the world. Life-style evanglism is the most effective tool we have go show Christ’s love. Not yelling from street corners, not rebuking young scared girls in front of clients, not “preaching” hatred against our elected officials. We are called to be more Christ like. Read the references in the slide to see how Christ engaged the “sinners’. BTW: We are all sinners….

One of our first steps is to know when to take a stand. This video clip is a great introduction to not being afraid of “man”, but in being a “light to the world”, even when it’s not comfortable.

more about "Video – Unashamed Christain – tangle.com", posted with vodpod

Here are my slides and references from the sermon:

Happy Valentine’s day to my girl…

Upcoming Sermon: January 11, 2009 – Let the Rocks be Silent!

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Once again, on January 11th, 2009 I get the privilage of sharing a message with the church.  I’ll be sharing on the importance of Worship in our Christian walk.  Between now and then, I’d love if you’d comment below on what you think Christian Worship is!

New Meetings on Saturday Evenings – The Tribe

Beginning Saturday February 7, 2009 at 7:00 pm and then every 1st Saturday thereafter, Grace Community Church of Caroline will host a time of ministry open to everyone. We will be meeting in Ladysmith, near I-95. You can get more information HERE.

Sharing the gospel out of love, not guilt

Pastor Cash got me thinking about this a year or so ago, talking about being intentional about sharing the gospel.  But he said it in a new way.  Let me explain.

I was brought up with the thought:  we are to look for chances to show people the Roman Road and lead them to the sinner’s prayer – all in one encounter.  I went to soul-winning workshops, etc.  And I was made to feel guilty if I did not do it.  We even went out from one workshop two-by-two, door-to-door, and forced it down a few folks throats – not from love of others, but from wanting to please our workshop teacher and knowing I would feel guilty if I didn’t do it…. And I turned away from this in disgust for many years.  (On the other hand, the Lord can use encounters in spite of our motives to win new souls into the Kingdom, praise His Name).

The new way I see through Cash’s message is this: as I walk through the day, walk it in His love, being sensitive to His voice, letting Him awaken in my heart an interest in the ones I encounter; to show kindness and willingness to listen to what they say, listening with the heart; asking if I could pray for them if I sense a heaviness or sadness in their demeanor.  And doing things like this: instead of paying for the gasoline at the pump, go in and pay inside and meet the proprietor; also go back to the same place next time to further the budding friendship.  Use local stores to make routine purchases.  Go out of the way (the rut) to meet the neighbors – let Jesus get me over my shyness (pride?) to take the first step at starting a conversation with them.

Anyway, that is the flavor of what I am thinking…

May the Lord bless everyone this week and fill each one with His love so that you may be “a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing;”  II Cor. 2:15

In His love,
Boyd

A comment on Single-Issue-Dominating-Politics

I ran across an excellent dialog about the election coming next week. The conversation, between a professor and two of his students, helps the students to think through the current situation: when neither candidate is attractive, but voting against the one that will lead to the greatest evil is a good thing to do.

It is at Ballot Box Blues

Boyd

Watching the “Last Enemy”

We watched the 3rd episode of the PBS program, “Last Enemy”, last night, and afterwards I was reminded of something I wrote several weeks ago (in response to a blog at http://spurgeon.wordpress.com/2008/10/03/bavinck-man-is-an-enigma/).  I said, in part:

“… I wonder if believers’ consciences would remain clear if they thought about the effect upon the actors, actresses and film crew, of the [nude scenes]… Have they considered the impact upon the participants as the film makers go through the process of the cast acting out sin before the Lord? Or have they even asked the obvious question of what watching and listening to such art does to their own hearts?”

The unclothing is this case does not show “R rated” stuff, but it is clear that the actors are in the buff in front of each other and the camera crews.

The cultural shift is so subtle.  I would have thought nothing about it except for the previous discussion on the blog referred to above.  But the media and Hollywood has so degraded our standards to make out-of-wedlock sex seem almost normal, even to Christians.  How can that be?  How could we have drifted so far away from God’s design for marriage?  And of course, that is just one example – the easiest sin to identify.

As Cash said a year ago or so, he found himself watching a series on TV that emphasized the right of “getting revenge”.  And he quit watching because he realized it created within him unwelcome thoughts – those thoughts that are the antithesis of Phil. 4:8(ESV): “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

So, bottom line, as for me and Leslie, we will not be watching the final parts of this series.  I am not suggesting that others follow suit.  But I am suggesting that we think about the implications of these type productions and ask the Lord what we should do.

In His love,
Boyd

Suggestion to Parents/Warning for Young People

This morning I picked up an old book by Francis Schaeffer and was really moved by something he wrote.  I think it is a great warning to a young Christian before he or she falls in love for the first time (or for subsequent times):

“Two great drives are built into man.  The first is his need for a relationship to God, and the second his need for a relationship to the opposite sex.  A special temptation is bound up with this sexual drive.  How many young women are there who are faithful as Christians until they come to a certain age and feel with their whole being, without ever analyzing it, the need for marriage and are then swept over into marrying a non-Christian man?  

“And how many men are there who are faithful until they feel  the masculine drive and give up their faithfulness to God by marrying a woman who carries them into spiritual problems for the rest of their life?

“I look upon such young men and young women as I see them going through this, and I cry for them, because in a way there is no greater agony than suddenly to fall in love and then to realize that one must say no to this natural drive becuase it leads in that particular case to a severing of our greater relationship- our relationship to God.

“While what happened in the Garden of Eden was a space-time historic event, the man-woman relationship and force of temptation it must have presented to Adam is universal.” 

(Genesis in space and time, Francis A. Schaeffer, (1972) Hodder and Stoughton, Toronto, p. 86)  Link to book at Amazon

This really needs to be said to our young people in a clear, understandable way, don’t you think?

Boyd

The Focus

Asking the Right Question

I’ve referenced before while preaching, that Jennifer and I have been trained by Christian friends to make sure that we are “asking the right question.” This means that when we’re praying or talking to other believers we need to make sure that the “right” questions are asked. For example, when asking for God to show you what company will be best for you; perhaps you are asking the wrong questions and you should ask ‘what company do You want me to work at?’ The focus is very important.

Luke 7:36-39; 44-49

36 Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. 37 And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, 38 and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”

44 Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. 45 You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. 46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. 47 Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”
48 Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

Traditional View

Traditionally I see Pastors talking about this scripture reference from the aspect of the woman’s convictions and faith saving her. But what if the focus is wrong, and the focus is not on the relationship of Christ and the woman?

We’ve seen over and over the “marketable” Christ. The Christ where it’s easy for everyone to accept, the Christ that is easy to approach as a buddy and runs about blessing the little children. However, we miss the ubiquitous instances where Christ is stressing his masculinity and authority.

The Authority

See, when I read this scripture, I see Christ standing boldly before the religious leaders of the time, the rulers who can and will eventually kill Christ – but only in His time – and only because He ordained it. I see Christ standing and telling this religious leaders “You say that only God can forgive sins – I say that I am God and this woman’s sins are forgiven.”

Imagine the scene! Do you think that this was a soft spoken cowering man, that whispered these words? These words were His death penalty! No, I see a strong man, with an ability to command an audience just by His presence. I see Him looking each Pharisee in the eye; ensuring that He had their direct attention and then with the same voice that commanded the creation of the earth, speaking forgiveness to a prostitute; and using that instant to stand in for her penalty. Understand, that in order for Him to forgive that sin; He would have to go to the cross and die. His blood washed those sins away.

We glance through this scripture with an almost casual respect for what we believe to be a predictable story. We get shivers with the rousing speeches of man; yet when we read the actual words of God we scan over them. Why!?! Because the focus is on us and not Him.

I pray that our focus will be on Him, I pray that our vision of Christ is refelctive of who He is and now who we want Him to be.