Philosophy

I’m fine! No, really, I am. Okay, I’m not.

How are you doing?

No really, How are you doing?

Nearly 100 percent of the time, when asked the first question, we say, “Fine.” Or, some of our more spiritually inclined brethren say, “I’m blessed.”

All too often, when we give those answers, we are not being truthful.

You see, we have been conditioned to think that any sign of distress, any sign of worry or stress is an indication that our faith is faltering. Somehow, by expressing heartbreak over the loss of a loved one, concern over a wayward child, fear over a pending financial disaster, uncertainty over the loss of a job, or anger over being mistreated, we are expressing a character flaw. We’ve “taken our eyes off of Jesus and looked at the waves crashing all around us.” We’ve become Peter trying to walk on the water, but sinking because his faith failed.

Indeed, we don’t want to lose faith in the Lord, and we don’t want to be focused on our problems. However, in the real world, we do have problems. And those problems still exist when we enter the church doors. Therefore, there is no need for the church to become a fantasy world where problems don’t exist. They do. Therefore, one of the ministries of the church should be to help people through their problems.

This is not just a humanitarian position. It’s actually in scripture.

Galatians 6:2 says to “bear one another’s burdens.” While the greater context of that verse deals with restoring a brother who sins, it should be noted that sin is part of the lives of those who live in the real world. We all struggle. We all fail. We should be able to turn to our brothers and sisters in Christ for love, encouragement, and restoration as we repent from that sin.

The Bible also tells those who are afflicted to pray (James 5:13) and to confess our faults one to another (James 5:16). In fact, the church experience was designed so we could gain encouragement from each other while we walk this Christian life together. Hebrews 10:25 says that we should not forsake the assembly of ourselves together, but should exhort one another. That means to encourage each other to stay strong in the faith and to do great things for the Lord.

We cannot be encouraged if we are unwilling to address the things that burden our hearts. We cannot be encouraged if we are not willing to face our problems, and seek help. We cannot help each other with our struggles if we pretend they don’t exist.

The Lord knows we have problems. He knew beforehand that we would. Hence, He gave us the church to help us through those problems. The problem is, the church doesn’t do this because we fear being judged if we admit we have problems.

The Lord understands problems. He had a few of his own. Hebrews 4:15-16 says:

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Do you know what that means? It means that the Lord was tempted… not only to sin by Satan after Christ spent 40 days in the wilderness, but also by the same struggles in life that we face: Not enough money, shortage of food, fatigue, being rejected and betrayed by others, being homesick and missing family, physical pain, emotional pain, bereavement, etc.

Yet, the Lord experienced all of this without sin. Therefore, He was uniquely qualified to pay for our sins on the cross, rise again to conquer the grave, open the gates of Heaven and plead our cases before God every single day.

Furthermore, these verses tell us He is sympathetic to our cause, because He has been through the same struggles we have.

Therefore, you are more than welcome to approach the Lord in prayer regarding the struggles you face. You should also be able to lean on your brothers and sisters in Christ for comfort and encouragement. If that’s not possible, maybe you need to find some other brothers and sisters in Christ.

The Lord understands our struggles, because He’s been here. We should understand each others’ struggles as well, because we’re still here. Love, help and encourage each other. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of God.

Thrice Denied

Matthew 26:69-75 records Peter’s denial of Jesus Christ before two young women and a group of people who stood outside the house where Jesus stood trial before the chief priests and scribes of Israel.

It’s easy to be critical of Peter for this sin against the Lord, and his spiritual weakness in this unimaginable moment. After all, Peter had walked and talked with Jesus for more than three years, had seen first-hand the miracles Christ performed, and had even seen Jesus in His glorified state talking with Moses and Elijah. Jesus had even warned him, and foretold this moment.

Yet, here stood Peter, the only disciple willing to take up arms to defend Jesus, huddling with the masses outside the house where Jesus stood trial, trying to blend in. Here stood Peter, denying that he even knew Jesus.

It’s easy to criticize Peter for this, being 2,000 years removed from the arrest, trials, and crucifixion of Christ. It’s easy to wonder how a man who personally witnessed Jesus do so much could suddenly turn his back to the Lord. It’s easy, because we get to review this incident 2,000 years later, in the comfort of climate controlled offices, studies, living rooms and bedrooms, while looking at the screens of our laptops, smart phones and tablets.

I tend to have compassion on Peter, mainly because I see a lot of myself in Peter. He was rash, prone to sudden decisions and outbursts, and he tended to live in the “here and now.” Peter “lived in the real world” and often placed practicality over spirituality. If I am to be honest, I am guilty of the same things.

When Peter stood outside as they put Jesus on trial, no doubt he was scared, disillusioned, and confused. So, as he tried to make sense of things, people inquired about Jesus, and in order to buy peace so he could return to his thoughts, he denied Christ.

Peter could’ve spoke up, could’ve preached the Gospel, could’ve told the people that what they were about to witness would be their salvation, but he didn’t. Out of convenience and fear, he remained silent, and denied Christ.

Are we ever guilty of the same thing? Do we ever fail to speak up for Christ out of convenience or fear? Do we ever give blessing to things the Lord wouldn’t bless, all to buy peace or favor? Do we ever deny Christ by our words or actions?

The good news for us, and for Peter, is that the Lord forgives and offers redemption. Just as Peter denied Christ three times, Jesus offered Peter three opportunities to proclaim his love for the Lord in John 21. Just as we often fail to speak up for the Lord, or to represent Him well, He often gives us second and third chances to do just that- to speak and to represent for Him.

Sunday, we’ll study this passage during morning worship. Sunday School at 10, morning worship at 11, and we meet at the Early Chamber of Commerce, 104 E. Industrial, Early, TX 76802.

If There Is No Resurrection, Then Why Bother?

That is the point of 1 Corinthians 15, as written by the Apostle Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Paul wrote:

But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. (1 Corinthians 15:13-20)

The Apostle Paul was addressing a skeptical doctrine that was infiltrating the Corinthian church that there is no resurrection of the dead. In essence, the doctrine taught that, once you are dead, then you return to dust, never to rise again.

Paul’s objection to this heresy addressed the following key points:

  1. If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. This leads to the logical conclusion…
  2. If Christ is not risen, then Christianity is pointless. (Paul used the word, “vain,” meaning empty.) The premise of the Christian faith is that Christ rescued us from the judgment of God by taking that judgment upon Himself, dying on the cross, and then rising again to new life, conquering the grave and making eternal salvation possible to all those who believe.
    1. If there is no resurrection, then there’s no judgment of God, hence no need for Christ to die.
    2. If there is no resurrection, then Christ did not rise again, thus the grave still holds the final victory over us, and we have no hope for an eternity in Heaven beyond this life.
    3. If that’s the case, then we are stuck in the here and now, with no hope for deliverance. This is as good as it gets. That being the case, “We are men most miserable.”
  3. But, Paul reminds us that Christ did rise from the grave, so there is deliverance from God’s judgment, deliverance from death, and the hope of eternal life in His perfect Kingdom for all who believe.

The importance of the resurrection to the Christian faith is so paramount, that the Apostle Paul tied belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ to the salvation of the believers (Romans 10:9-10).

This Sunday, we commemorate and celebrate the single most important event in Christian, and world, history. We celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The Community Sunrise Service will be held at 7 am Sunday morning at the Depot Pavilion in downtown Brownwood. Come worship with us, and be a part of a truly moving experience.

The Resurrection: That DID Happen

Those who reject Christianity do so for a number of reasons. Some believe that to accept the Christian faith is to reject logic and intellect. Others reject the Christian faith due to perceived hypocrisies among Christians. One of the biggest reasons for rejecting Christianity is a disbelief in the miraculous events recorded in scripture.

Such was the stumblingblock for Lee Strobel, an investigative reporter for the Chicago Tribune. A self-described atheist, Strobel rejected Christian beliefs as superstition, fairy tales, and logic defying crutches that served as emotional supports for unstable people.

Stobel’s assessment of Christianity was challenged, however, when his wife, Leslie, professed her faith in Christ during a service at the Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago. Troubled by his wife’s new adherence to what he thought was a superstition, Strobel set out to disprove the most important doctrine of Christianity, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Strobel chronicled this journey in his book, The Case for Christ, now a motion picture that has been released on 1,200 screens nationwide.

Instead of disproving Christianity, Strobel stumbled upon a mountain of evidence that supported the fact that the resurrection of Jesus Christ really existed. Such evidence included thousands of manuscripts of the New Testament, eye-witness accounts of the resurrection of Christ, historical documentation, and medical evidence of the cruelty of the beatings Christ endured, and the cruelty of crucifixion.

When standard journalistic investigation, historical research, and logical processes were employed, the resurrection stood on its merit. It really happened. Confronted with this truth, Strobel was forced to face the fact that, in this instance, he was wrong. He repented and accepted Jesus Christ as His personal savior.

The resurrection indeed happened. It is proven by the empty tomb, the multiple eye-witnesses to seeing a resurrected Christ (including the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the testimony of the disciples, the fact that the Apostle Paul was confronted on the road to Damascus by the resurrected Christ, the testimony of the 500 mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15, and the fact that resurrection is the only logical explanation for sightings of Christ post-crucifixion.)

The resurrection is central to the Christian faith, because it is through the resurrection that Christ conquered the grave so that we can all be resurrected when the Lord establishes His Kingdom on this earth. It is through the resurrection that Christ rose to be at the right hand of the throne of God, where He secures our salvation through his intercession (advocacy) on our behalf. It is through the resurrection that we have assurance that we have eternal life through Jesus Christ.

Sunday morning, we will celebrate the resurrection of Christ during our Easter Sunrise Service, which will be held at 7 am Sunday at the Depot Pavilion in downtown Brownwood. Come worship with us.

God’s Will for Man (The Point Ep. 2)

In Episode 2 of the “Through the Bible Series” on the Point, we discuss how God created us in His image, and we discuss what that means. We also discuss how He created us with a purpose. He created us to create, to cultivate, to develop, and most of all to worship. He also created us for fellowship. We also briefly discuss the concept of the Sabbath Day. Check out our second episode of “The Point” podcast, posted above.

Motorless Mustangs Are No Fun

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In the back of every red-blooded American’s mind is a dream to take a classic car from America’s golden days, restore it, and hit the open road. Very few actually undertake this project, because restoring a classic car to its former glory is an involved process. You have to disassemble the car, all the way to the frame, and rebuild it from the ground up, replacing worn out and broken parts with new parts, and making sure all parts fit properly together.

To me, the most exciting part of restoring a classic would be the finishing paint and chrome. At that point, the final product takes shape, and that newly restored car sits in its full glory in your garage. However, if that car doesn’t run, it’s no fun. Worse, it has little value. So, the true car enthusiast will begin his restoration project by restoring the mechanical components of the car. After all of that is complete, then comes the body and paint.

If the one doing the restoration is successful, he will roll out of his garage in a car that has been restored to its former glory. That awesome moment comes only after the car has been rebuilt from the inside out.

This process is time consuming and intense to perform on a car. It’s even more intense to perform on one’s life. All too often, we get to a point in our lives where we see the need to rebuild, to start over. We look for redemption in our lives, but we don’t think about Spiritual redemption. We merely want to fix our current physical situation, whether we’ve wrecked our careers or marriage, or whether we’ve lost everything to drugs and alcohol.

The fact is, if we only try to fix the problems in our lives, our restoration will be just as shallow as putting a coat of paint on a car with no engine. We have to get to the root of the problem, and that’s our Spirituality.

In Luke 24:13-27, we meet two disciples who were disenchanted after the death of Christ. They had believed that Christ would come in and restore the Kingdom of Israel. However, when Christ died on the cross, and rose again, it appeared that the restoration of the Kingdom would never happen. So, these two disciples, disillusioned and disappointed, left town.

The mistake these two disciples made was desiring a surface-level restoration of the Kingdom while overlooking the deep restoration that would come through redemption and salvation.

However, Christ met these two disciples along the road, and began to preach to them all things concerning Himself in the scriptures. The plan wasn’t thwarted. The plan was carried out beautifully. Christ paid for the sins of man so that man could dwell with Christ eternally in that restored Kingdom. The most important thing Christ had done for them, and us, was paying for their sin, thus giving them eternal life. Once that issue was settled, then the Kingdom on earth could be addressed.

You may be struggling right now. Perhaps your life has fallen apart. Perhaps you’ve seen destruction in your life. Perhaps you’ve lost everything. Or, perhaps your setback is relatively minor. If you simply try to solve your own problem, and restore your own life, any progress you make will be temporary and superficial.

However, if you repent and trust the Lord, He will rebuild you from the inside out. He will turn your sorrow into joy and form you into the person He intended on you being. That restoration runs deep, and is eternal. The question is, will you trust Him?

See you at church Sunday. Sunday School at 10 a.m., Morning Worship at 11 a.m., at the Early Chamber of Commerce building, 104 E. Industrial Drive, Early, TX 76802.

Why Is She Buying Her Stairway to Heaven?

Back when I was a rocker, one of my favorite bands was Led Zeppelin, whose most famous song was “Stairway to Heaven.” The song, which was really a series of pieced-together lyrics designed to follow a set of pieced-together guitar riffs and melodies, portrayed a woman who was getting everything she wanted, and had no regard for anyone or anything else. The one lyric that almost anyone can quote from the song is “There’s a lady is sure, all that glitters is gold, and she’s buying her stairway to heaven.”

Follow the sometimes-unintelligible lyrics, and you’ll learn that Heaven for this lady is all the gifts and gold she’s buying. For many people, Heaven is just that… the goodies you can accumulate during this lifetime. How disappointing it will be when we all realize how temporary the things of this world really are.

But, once again, that lyric goes through our heads… “and she’s buying her stairway to Heaven.” How desperately we want to see things go better in our lives. We need a breakthrough. We need a situation resolved. We need a hurt or a brokenness fixed. So, after all else has failed, we turn to the Lord in prayer, and we look to the scriptures for encouragement.

Anyone who is coping with a recent tragedy, a layoff, a loss of income, a foreclosure or repossession, or a missed promotion, will inevitably come to Romans 8:28, which says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” While this verse definitely applies to the struggles we face, we often draw the wrong conclusion from it.

“All things work together for my good,” is often understood as, “So, I didn’t get the promotion. God must be working up a better job for me.” “So, the offer I made on this house was rejected, God must be reserving a mansion in the hills for me.” “So, I just got fired, maybe this lottery ticket is a winner.”

When we take the promises of God and apply them to temporal things like jobs, houses, finances and worldly opportunities, we do two things. (1) We miss the big picture, and (2) we set ourselves up for disappointment and disenchantment, because God is not always lining up a windfall for us.

“All things work together for my good, but I didn’t get the promotion.”

“All things work together for my good, but I’m still unemployed six months later.”

“All things work together for my good, but this lottery ticket was a loser.”

There is no worse place to be in life than to think that God’s promises apply to everyone else, but somehow exclude you. This leads to disenchantment, depression and loss of faith. It was caused by a misunderstanding of what otherwise is a glorious verse.

Romans 8 is not talking about material blessings, earthly wealth, or added prestige. Romans 8 is previewing Heaven for us. When Romans 8:28 says “All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose,” it is saying that God is working everything in your life to bring you into His eternal glory. Romans 8:28 tells us that God is working to strengthen us Spiritually, is working to set us up for eternal rewards, and is working to form us into the person he intended on us being.

God didn’t allow you to be laid off so He can get you hired as the CEO of DuPont. He allowed you to be laid off so He can build your faith, so that regardless of your employment situation, you feel confident and secure. He wants to give you the tools to face life’s challenges, the opportunities to glorify him, and to enter his Kingdom hearing “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

The comfort of Romans 8:28 is not that there’s a bigger house around the corner. It’s that God’s hand is still on us, even though a storm of life is raging.

All of this is a sub-point to the greater truth that God is pulling out all the stops to bring you into His Kingdom. Romans 8:29-30 say that whom God foreknew, he predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, and whom He predestined, He called, justified and glorified. Romans 8:31-39 go on to say that there is no force in Heaven or Earth that can derail God’s love and plan for you. This truth builds our faith because we are reminded once again that salvation is God’s work, not ours. He bought our salvation, He worked our salvation, and He’ll maintain our salvation. All He asks is our repentance and faith.

So, with that in mind, “Why is she buying her stairway to Heaven?” And why are you trying to buy yours? God has already paid for it. Just trust Him as your ascend those golden steps into His Kingdom.

Buying a New Life

WP_20150406_001Have you ever been burnt out? Tired of the same ole struggle, the same day-to-day routine? Need a change of scenery?

We all get burnt out. We all get tired, and we all want a new life. Why else would one of the top-selling singles from the Rock band “Everclear” be named “I will buy you a new life?”

There comes a time in everyone’s life where they want to hit the “Reset” button. Many actually ruin their lives in search of that reset button. They leave their families, file for divorce, leave a steady job and lose opportunities as a result. Many a regret were born out of restlessness.

The secret, however, is that new starts, restarts and resets do not come from the afore mentioned options. All those options do is add problems to your current struggles. That said, is it possible to hit the reset button on life? Is it possible to buy a new life?

The short answer is yes, it is possible to hit the reset button, and it is possible to get a new life, but Art Alexakis of Everclear is not the one who is going to buy it for you. Your new life was already paid for, 2,000 years ago, by Jesus Christ.

Now before you roll your eyes and click away, hear me out. You cannot get a new life simply by running from the one you are in. You get a new life by changing the one you are in. That change comes through Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:17 says “If any man be in Christ, He is a new creature. Old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new.” The first key to a new life is to change yourself. Become someone greater. Become something more. Become the great individual that God intended on you being. It’s a change that no one can make on their own. It comes by turning from sin, trusting Jesus Christ as your savior, and by allowing Him to work in your life to form you into the person He intended on you being.

The initial change happens at the point of salvation. The continued change happens as you live out that new life. Romans 6:4 says “that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” So, if you are a recovering alcoholic who has repented and given his life to Christ, don’t live the rest of your life the way an alcoholic would. Live your life with your new dream and your new purpose. It’s a conscientious choice you must make daily.

The continued change happens as you allow the Lord to work in your life. Romans 8:28 says “We know that all things work together for good to them who love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” Accepting Jesus Christ as your savior does not mean that you will no longer have problems. It simply means that your problems are no longer pointless. They now serve a purpose, whether it be resolving an ongoing conflict, strengthening you for the journey ahead, building your testimony to reach others, or placing you in a position where God will later bless you. All of it will set you up to hear the Lord say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

So, at this point, God has changed the core of who you really are, and He has forged a hope and faith within you through the circumstances in life. But chances are, when you signed up for a new life, you weren’t looking for conditioning, but rather, a new adventure.

May I welcome you to your new life. If you center your life around the Lord as He forges your faith and your character, new opportunities that once seemed impossible will open themselves to you.

When I was saved, a retired pastor told me that my life would never be the same. I doubted him. After all, I still had a job, I still had bills, and I still expected to go to work at the same place and continue to do so until I die.

Today, I still have a job, and I still have bills. However, God has opened the door for me to play a part in the planting of a new church, and this opportunity has opened doors of which I have never dreamed… from the people I meet, to the radio talk show that I do, to the places I have traveled along the way. Back in November 2002, God literally blessed me with a new life. I am a new person, in a new place, with a new mission. The same can happen for you.

Do you want a new life? Repent and trust Jesus Christ as your Savior. Have you been saved, but a new life never materialized? Rededicate yourself to the Lord, center your life around Him, live out your faith, and watch what happens. May God bless you along this journey.

The House That Fell Off The Hill

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A few years ago, while house shopping, my wife and I found what we thought would be our dream home. The house was two-story, four bedroom, two bath, and situated on the side of a hill overlooking town. Asking price? $89,000. Well within our range.

What a find! I had never dreamed I’d live in anything nicer than a double-wide on a quarter-acre subdivided lot. Yet, here sat this four bedroom dream home overlooking town, and I could afford it! Quickly, we drove to the real estate office to see about touring the home, and to make an offer.

“Leland, you do not want that house,” the agent told me. “It has foundation issues. The house is literally sliding down the side of the hill, and it will need tens of thousands of dollars invested to properly repair it.” In all honesty, I do well to keep the yard mowed, so, I had to bid farewell to the dream house. (God later blessed me with a nice home in which I am able to raise my family of nine.)

None the less, I was disappointed at the time. How could such a beautiful structure be in danger of falling off the hill? Who would overlook the important step of making sure there was a solid foundation?

The image of the house was brilliant. The stability of the house was in critical condition.

Such was also the case on the original Palm Sunday. You had the brilliant, glorious moment of multitudes of people lining the road into Jerusalem, proclaiming “Hosanna, Hosanna! Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord!” The people were celebrating the arrival of their King, the promised Messiah, the One whom God promised in Zechariah 9:9, the one and only Jesus Christ!

The roar of the crowd was huge, and if the people would have held their peace, Jesus said the rocks would cry out (Luke 19:40). Israel had their King. They had their deliverer.

Yet, as Jesus approached Jerusalem, he began to weep, and lamented that Jerusalem did not recognize that this was their day. Indeed, Jesus knew that in just a few days, the same people celebrating his arrival would cry out to Pilate, “Crucify Him, Crucify Him!” With His foreknowledge, Jesus knew that the splendor of the people’s praise was merely surface beauty.

How could the same crowds that celebrated the arrival of their King one day, deny Him and call for His crucifixion another day? Simple. Their emotional response on Palm Sunday was not held up by the foundation of faith.

Serving and worshiping the Lord is an emotional experience. However, if one does not have a solid foundation of faith, that’s all it is… an emotional experience. Emotions without faith can leave one empty. Even worse, emotions without faith can lead one to Hell.

Do you have a solid foundation of faith? Do you know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior? Do you trust Him and follow Him daily?

Palm Sunday is about celebrating the arrival of Christ, and evaluating our own faith in Him. Let us all examine our own faith, and make our calling and election sure. May God bless you and keep you.

-Note: The owners of the house went on to repair the foundation, and sell the home. To this day, the house still sits on the side of the hill, proving that you can repair your foundation even after the downward slide has begun.