Home for Christmas

 

This was taken yesterday afternoon prior to our church's Christmas Eve service. What a difference a year can make. As I reflect over the past year I reminisced back to Christmas Eve 2012. I was deployed to Egypt where I led the South Camp Christmas Eve service at the O'Deuce Theater on the banks of the Red Sea. Our military praise band performed 5 different Christmas songs, complete with the bass guitar, keyboard, drums, and three singers. I remember it becoming increasingly windy as the night went on to the point I had to put on my jacket. Although I would have rather been home, Christmas 2012 was a Christmas I will never forget. No one came to Christ that evening, but Christ was made known and glorified on the shores of the Red Sea. I am immensely thankful to be home this Christmas with my family. Life moves by at such a rapid pace and moments with family must be cherished.

 

Please pray for our troops deployed over all over the world and most importantly pray for the salvation of the thousands of soldiers who are without Christ this Christmas. Hearts can be changed when the only place a soldier has to turn is to their Creator.



Why Santa Is Safe for Christian Families

During this time of year we will hear rumblings among Christians that letting children believe in Santa is wrong. That giving children a myth implies that the Nativity story is insufficient. That letting them believe that good behavior earns gifts makes them greedy or legalistic. That belief in Santa means bowing to materialism and all things plastic.

I found this article well written and right on point concerning what Christians should believe concerning Santa Claus.


http://www.christianitytoday.com/women/2011/december/why-santa-belongs-in-your-kids-christmas.html

Culture War Victory....Military Religious Expression

Great news for our troops and their military religious freedoms! The Senate has approved the Defense Authorization Bill for 2014 and it is awaiting Obama's approval. Having been persecuted myself as an Army Chaplain for my religious expression this comes as sweet news and as an answer to prayer. Military service members need to feel assured they can openly and freely be genuine to their faith and share their faith as Christ commanded, while serving their country, defending our constitution, and wearing the uniform. Praise God for His protection and providence.

Here is the article from the Family Research Council:

Long before "Duck Dynasty," other camouflaged Americans were being persecuted for their beliefs: U.S. service members. Now, thanks to Congress, our brave men and women will finally have the legislative armor they need. It took until almost midnight, but when the Senate passed the Defense Authorization bill, it was worth the wait. After a year-long struggle against the forces of political correctness, leaders stood together in defense of our troops' right to speak and act openly on their faith.

With overwhelming bipartisan support (84-15), the Senate approved the legislation with Sen. Mike Lee's (R-Utah) military conscience language -- handing FRC and its supporters one of the biggest victories yet in the battle for religious liberty. Under the bill (which still awaits the President's signature), Congress moves the current law from protecting religious beliefs to also protecting the expressions of those beliefs. For service members who've become increasingly afraid to even share their faith, this language is a game-changer. It frees our troops from the fear of retaliation, which so many have experienced under this administration.

In the last year, Americans have watched in horror as service members were harassed, reprimanded, or relieved of their duties just for practicing their faith in a real and tangible way. Some, like Master Sgt. Phillip Monk (whose story you can watch here), were punished -- not because they were outspoken about their values -- but because they refused to embrace the administration's. On issues like marriage, where there's still a very real divide, Obama's Pentagon came down even harder. Men and women who embraced the majority opinion on marriage were even bigger targets.

Under this bill, those service members can breathe a sigh of relief that their careers will no longer be threatened for exercising the rights that they've dedicated their lives to defend. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), one of the conservative champions behind Lee's amendment, said he "feel[s] strongly that we have a good bill." Like Lee and others, he was committed to bringing the full weight of Congress to bear on the Obama Defense Department, which had refused to issue a guidance on this very topic -- leaving troops vulnerable and victimized.

Although there are still some lingering issues with the overall bill, the Senate will work out the kinks when it returns to D.C. in January. Until then, we commend our coalition partners and Senators Lee, Inhofe, U.S. Reps. John Fleming (R-La.), Randy Forbes (R-Va.), Chairman Buck McKeon (R-Calif.), and other leaders who worked so hard to defend the religious liberties of America's men and women in uniform. To our supporters, who funded our efforts, called their members, signed petitions, and helped raise awareness on the threat, thank you for partnering with us!

http://www.frc.org/washingtonupdate/fa-la-la-la-law-to-protect-our-troops

 

Do Not Judge...What Did Jesus Really Mean?

Whenever there is a confrontation about morality, disobedience, or beliefs, whether its with a Christian or non-Christian, the typical response is "How dare you judge me?" Then they proceed to label all Christians as hypocrites or judgmental and reference Matthew 7:1-6 (which they read or heard somewhere). I would like to clarify exactly what Jesus meant in this scripture. First, Jesus didn't mean we were not to judge beliefs and behavior as true or false, because He did it all the time. Nor did He mean for us not to judge a person's character, He had plenty to say about the Pharisees. What Jesus meant was that we were not to judge a person's eternal destiny. He will do that. Jesus has made it clear that He will separate the sheep and goats (Matthew 25:32), so final judgment belongs to the Son. When Jesus came upon the woman at the well, He judged her, but he never condemned her. This woman had been married five times and the man she lived with was not her husband. She was engaging in sexual relations outside of marriage and Jesus knew it, He knew everything she had ever done! In fact Jesus commanded His followers to identify the fruit (actions) (Matthew 7:15-20) in a person's life. What Jesus condemned is hypocrisy and criticism that is focused on tearing down a person. Elsewhere in scripture, Jesus instructs His followers to confront sinful conduct in the life of a Christian brother or sister (Matthew 18:15-20). What Jesus doesn't want His followers to do is use a harsh standard of judgment (legalism, etc..) because that is what will be used  to evaluate them when they face judgment. I have personally found it more difficult to have discussions about truth and morality because of the relative nature of society and its impact upon a person's mind. Moral behavior has essentially become a private individual matter; desire, emotion, and personal experience have become the hallmarks of determining right and wrong. This has become a challenging obstacle (initiated by Satan) for discussions. So when a Christian attempts to rebuke or correct a person, especially a person who identifies himself/herself as a believer....they throw out the "your judging me."
So in summary, judging is not wrong if done the way Christ modeled and instructed. James closes his letter with these instructions "My brothers, if any among you strays from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his life from death and cover a multitude of sins" (James 5:19, 20). In order to "turn someone back" judging will be necessary through observation and spiritual discretion.

 

It's necessary to confront a person, but eternal condemnation of a person has no place in the life of a Christian.  Confront and judge lukewarm believers, cult members, and sinners with the same kind of grace God has shown you. His grace is sufficient and is available to those who turn from their sins

 

Operation Christmas Child: Reaching the World

On Friday, six Coca-Cola employees and myself volunteered at the Operation Christmas Child distribution center in Charlotte (Operation Christmas Child is a ministry of Samaritan's Purse). It's truly amazing the volume of boxes sorted and packed each year at this warehouse and others across America. If you are concerned about the proclamation of the Gospel, then I would encourage you to get involved with Operation Christmas Child. Some might have the belief its simply just another outreach to children or a program to provide poor children with Christmas gifts, but it is so much more. In fact it might be one of the largest outreaches in the world. OCC has the potential to reach upwards of 70 million people with the Gospel each year. OCC will send out between 8.5 and 9 million shoeboxes. The shoeboxes will be delivered to partnering pastors in over 130 different countries, who will invite children and their families to their churches. The pastors will then have the opportunity to present the Gospel to these children and their families. Over 100 million shoe boxes have been delivered since 1993, the first year of OCC.
It's not too late to pack a box!

All the information you need to know can be found at the website below:
https://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/follow-your-box-iframe/

Also check out the videos on the website, they will break your heart and bring a tear to your eye.

Jesus is Unconstitutional?

Controversy has erupted at Shaw Air Force base located in Sumter, SC over the removal of a nativity scene. A group called the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, called the base stating that this scene was in direct violation of the “Department of Defense Directives, Instructions, and Regulations, the United States Constitution, and Air Force Instruction 1-1, specifically, section 2.11.”

What's more disturbing is this statement from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation: "MRFF wants to congratulate the Air Force on acting so swiftly to reverse this egregious violation and hopes that in the future they will ensure that no such violations continue to occur." You can read the entire statement from the MRFF at http://www.militaryreligiousfreedom.org/press-releases/2013/DailyKos_Loebe_12-6-13.html

Allow me to rephrase, the MRFF wants to congratulate the Air Force for removing, Immanuel, baby Jesus, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Almighty, God in the flesh, the Creator and sustainer of life, etc... from Shaw Air Force Base? How times are changing. This is almost a declaration of war in America. Even though the little plastic baby laying in the crib is not really Jesus, the Air Force is saying we are ashamed of God and His Son Jesus Christ. I'm not sure this is something I would want to be congratulated on.
Why is the Air Force and the military so afraid of the MRFF? I have no idea. But by bowing down to this organization they are alienating 2/3 of Americans who are Christians. The psalmist wrote that "Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord" (Psalm 33:12) and he also wrote "Let the whole earth tremble before the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him" (Psalm 33:8). Since God is the Creator of all mankind, everyone should fear Him, to include Air Force leadership. The military was founded on Judeo-Christian values, in fact George Washington (our 1st President and the greatest General of all time) stated "While we are zealously performing the duties of good citizens and soldiers, we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of religion. To the distinguished character of Patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of Christian."
If General Washington was still alive he would probably declare war on those who removed the nativity scene and organize a posse to track down these individuals who are seeking to wage war against Christianity. It wouldn't be pretty.

Anyway, here is the rest of the article:

American Atheists Military Director Paul Loebe writes:

“To the Air Force’s credit it agreed with MRFF’s arguments to remove the nativity scene swiftly and apparently found this scene to be as much a violation of all the pertinent regulations and the United States Constitution as MRFF did. Within 2 hours and 15 minutes of initially being contacted by MRFF, the nativity scene had been promptly removed. MRFF wants to congratulate the Air Force on acting so swiftly to reverse this egregious violation and hopes that in the future they will ensure that no such violations continue to occur.”

Fox News contributor Sarah Palin told Todd Starnes, ”What happened at Shaw Air Force base is not surprising.”

“The War on Christmas is just the top of the spear in a larger battle to marginalize expressions of faith and make true religious freedom a thing of the past,” said Palin.

Activists across the state are now planning to protest the base’s decision on December 15.

Full Surrender: Peace Is Found Nowhere Else

Someone once said that total surrender goes beyond natural devotion and obedience and Peter knew this first hand. In Mark 10:28, Peter said "...Look, we have left everything and followed You." In our modern day world very few will abandon all to follow Christ, but it begs the question, what is Christ asking His followers to do? In the context of this passage (v.17-31) Christ is dealing with the issue of possessions and wealth. Personally, as I have grown in Christ I have less desire for possessions and a greater desire for Christ. I have found that possessions are not always an advantage and can often become a hindrance to knowing Christ. Possessions are given to believers to serve, assist, and build up the kingdom of God, but often have the power to turn a follower's heart cold and distance towards God and kingdom work. The desire for possessions or anything more than Christ is idolatry and is extremely problematic for the body of Christ in America. The pursuit of possessions hinders outreach, relationships, evangelism, and the Christian witness. It becomes a heart issue where the heart is drawn away from deep devotion to the Lord. Our enemy (Satan) hates Christ, he hates the Bible, he hates prayer, and he hates genuine Christian fellowship. The enemy hates when we exercise faith and he hates when we let go of insecurities and selfishness and place our trust in Christ. Satan wants us to hold on to temporal things and is doing what he can to prevent Christians from walking by faith, by enticing them to walk by sight. If we will only give up; give up our desire for possessions, give up our desire for serving self, give up our desire to have our will done, and give up our lives to Him, God will add to us in ways we can't imagine. Our needs were created by God to be surrendered.

Only a few really know what it means to "leave everything and follow Him." Don't just visualize what this would mean, come and experience it.

Full surrender is where peace is found and it's what changes our communities and our world.

 

Feelings Versus Faith

In our postmodern world its obvious people stand upon their feelings and emotions rather than absolute truth found only in God, many of which identify themselves as Christians. This is sadly the predominate worldview of college professors all across America and the worldview that students are walking way with after graduation. In fact, of the 215 million Americans who claim to be Christian, only 7 million have a biblical worldview and many Christians don't even know what a biblical worldview is. In a postmodern world, the highest goal of an individual is a comfortable existence and self-satisfaction. For most Americans life is viewed as a series of random experiences with no ultimate purpose. Even Christians who claim to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ still pursue the American dream and place God in second or third place, well behind their personal goals. Ultimately, the postmodern feelings replace reason, experience replaces logic, and contradictions replace consistency. What we see happening in our world today is a direct result of relativism, naturalistic, and postmodern thinking. For those who are Christians, please understand this, you can be redeemed and saved by God's grace and still not fully think or act like a Christian. The apostle Paul spoke to believers about taking every thought into captivity in 2 Corinthians 10:5 and I love what he says in Colossians 2:8, "Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world and not according to Christ."  What a powerful warning from Paul. False beliefs and worldviews such as postmodernism have evolved from "empty deceit" and from the enemy himself (Satan). In Colosse, there was a heresy that claimed to help people obtain a higher power of knowledge, much like a higher education does in our culture today. However it was based upon false theories and doctrines about God. Paul warns the church at Colosse and he warns us today, beware of human philosophies that can take your mind captive.
My friends, take every thought captive and examine human philosophies against God's unchanging Word.
Jesus is clear in scripture, a biblical worldview does not make life easy, it makes life pleasing to God and personally rewarding. A life of obedience to God will not be understood or appreciated by a selfish and sinful world.
Don't live based upon feelings, but live with an eternal perspective that Jesus is coming back.

Perverting the Gospel

The pure gospel cannot be compromised and that is exactly why Paul confronted Peter about his motives and backtracking concerning the essential gospel. In Galatians 2:11-21, Paul confronts none other than Peter about his contradictory actions. I have always found this text to be profound because of who Paul is confronting, the disciple of disciples himself, Peter.  There is some great learning for every follower of Christ in this passage, primarily how we should confront false teachers when they pervert the gospel. In my day to day ministry work I have discovered there is a desperate misunderstanding of  the gospel. There are so many groups that have perverted the gospel, many of which began during the 1800s. Groups (cults) such as Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Unitarians, and the New Covenant Congregation of Yisrael-Tabernacle Elohim (located in Matthews, NC). This is not about judging, its about right versus wrong. Paul called the Galatians "foolish" and wrote "who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth" (Galatians 3:1). During the last 150 years, these groups I mentioned above have "bewitched" millions. A false religion or cult's doctrine can be determined as right or wrong because the Bible has provided clear doctrinal standards. This is not about opinions, but about truth. If cults are not exposed then they will continue to lead thousands and millions of people to Hell. Cults and false religions deny the deity of Christ, (the Trinity and that Christ was God incarnate) and salvation by grace alone, thus adding works to salvation. Here are some lessons learned from this passage (Galatians 2:11-21). Here is what happened in Antioch convicting Paul to confront Peter. Peter, Barnabas, and other Jewish believers compromised grace for the sake of avoiding possible persecution for themselves and others. They were encouraging a legalistic form of Christianity and this was not what they affirmed months ago during a previous meeting with Paul and Titus. So Paul had to confront.

Paul boldly reminded Peter that we are all declared righteous (justified) by God through faith in Christ, not by keeping the Law. The Law and works do not save anyone.

If anyone or any group claims that "you" must contribute to your salvation by doing good works or meeting Christ halfway, they have denied the work of Christ on the cross. They are saying that Jesus left things incomplete and partially done. If you are a part of a group teaching this...get away!

God's grace is sufficient!