I Destroyed The World, But The Apple Was Great!

Anyone who has known me for any length of time knows that I have a spotted past. While I was never an "addict," a convicted felon, nor have I any tattoos to show for my wild oats, my younger years were full of sin, decadence and all-round bad decisions. The fact that I didn't wind in prison has more to do with the grace of God than it does with my character.

My testimony is such that, even my boss will discuss my turnaround when he presents me with my Christmas bonus at the company party. There are some things from my college years that I hope everyone has forgotten. Good thing social media didn't exist back then.

On occasion, however, we'll all get to swapping stories at the office, and on occasion, I'll share one from my wilder days. One day, in my office, I shared such a story, to which my boss replied, "I don't think I'd share that one again if I were you."

Driving home that evening, I thought about the day's conversations, the story I shared, and my boss's advice. Indeed he was right. That story was just plain awful and stupid. Sharing a story like that doesn't help my testimony, it hinders it. I'm going to follow my boss's advice, and not share the story. What I will tell you is that no one got hurt, and no laws were broken.

However, on my drive home, the thought occurred to me how silly it is that, as a Christian, I look back on some of the decadence of my youth with a certain sense of humor, and in some weird way, a little nostalgia. The decisions I made back then could have killed me, some destroyed parts of my life, and some consequences I still live with. Yet, here I am, acting like a fool, looking back on it as if it were something by which to be entertained.

Why do we as Christians look back on our lost days as "the good ole days?" Sure, we'd never return to them, but sometimes we find ourselves looking back on them with a certain nostalgia. When you think about it, that makes absolutely no sense.

Think about Adam. He and Eve made the conscious decision to rebel against God by eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. That one decision brought the sin curse upon all men, so that we all face death, and God's wrath if we're not saved, because we are all now sinners. Adam's decision to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil was the single event that sentenced Jesus Christ to die on the cross. Adam's decision to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil was not merely to eat something God said not to, but it was an attempt to get out from beneath God's authority.

That one decision thrust mankind into the darkness that we experience today. Because of that one decision, we have crime, violence, war, starvation, death, disease, cancer. Every bad thing in this world can be traced back to Adam's original sin.

Adam lived several hundred years after God evicted him and Eve from the Garden of Eden. He had several hundred years to look back on that decision, and to see the devastating effects that sin had on the world, namely his descendants.

I wonder if, during those several hundred years, Adam didn't occasionally tell his grandchildren about life in the Garden. I wonder if he explained why they could no longer live in the Garden. What a difficult story that must have been to tell. "Hey kids, we could be living in paradise, but I blew it."

One thing I can almost guarantee Adam never did was describe that fruit, how good it must have tasted, how great the texture must have been, and how juicy it was. For some reason, I cannot imagine Adam sitting back on a Saturday evening, telling the story of eating the forbidden fruit with glee, and punctuating his story with, "I destroyed the world, but hey! The apple was great!"

When we get to looking back on the lost days with nostalgia, and telling stories of our previous decadence with glee, we have forgotten what sin really is, and the effects that it has on our lives, and on those around us. Let us never be guilty of missing this point, and celebrating things from which we seek God's forgiveness. God bless you on your journey.

When I Struggle With Sin...

... I feel like a hypocrite.

Every week, I speak no fewer than five times about the Lord. There's my Sunday School class, the Sunday morning sermon at Grace Pointe, two small group Bible studies, and a radio show. Then, every other Sunday, I preach at the Market Place apartments.

Each sermon includes warnings against sin, encouragement to have faith in the Lord, exhortation to center one's life around the Lord, and a commission to serve the Lord. I am sincere in my belief of these things. I honestly believe that God blesses those who live their lives for Him. But preaching the Word, and practicing what I preach are two completely different things.

Monday rolls around, and I tend to fall back into the same routines as everyone else. My life becomes about making a living, paying bills, and being frustrated that my wildest dreams have yet to come true. When your focus drifts from the Lord and into the day-to-day routine, you lose that Spiritual connection to the Lord, and He begins to seem distant. When this happens, we become susceptible to temptation. Such is the case with me.

I'm not going into a confessional here, but there are times that I misrepresent Christ. There are times that I fall short of the Biblical mandate to let my light shine. There are times that I betray my faith, and my Lord. And when my eyes are opened to my fall, I begin to wonder if all this is a facade, and if I am really a rotten human being. You may have experienced the same.

How can we reconcile our salvation and our lives in Christ with the sin that "so easily besets us?" (Hebrews 12:1).

We begin by recognizing that we are not alone in this struggle. Romans 3:23 says "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." We are all sinners, we all fall short. We all fail. Romans 3:9 says we are all under sin.

Scripture also lists examples of the great heroes of the faith who fell short of God's glory. From the depiction of David's adultery with Bathsheba, to the acknowledgement in James 5:17 that "Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are." Yet, David and Elijah did great things for the Lord. Romans 7:15-17 describes the same struggle that the Apostle Paul had.

The lesson we take here is that our struggle neither defines us, nor limits us.

We continue by recognizing what this struggle reveals in us. There are times that you overcome, and there are times that you fail. Through each time of temptation, you learn more about your Spiritual maturity, and where you stand with the Lord. However, failure is not as devastating as you think.

Romans 7:15-17 says:

For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. 16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.  17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

In Romans 7, the Apostle Paul confessed that he knew what he should be doing, and what he shouldn't be doing. He then confessed that he found himself doing the things he shouldn't (For that which I do I allow not.) He found himself doing the very things he preached against. He also confessed that he found himself not doing the things he should. (For what I would, that do I not).

Despite the disconnect between what he believed and what he preached, and what he actually did, Paul steered the conversation back to God's word. He didn't justify what he did. Rather, he promoted God's law, and declared its truth despite his failure. (I consent unto the law that it is good.)

So, if Paul knew God's law, agreed with God's law, and promoted God's law, why was he sinning? Simple. Paul understood that he was still infected with the sin nature. (Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.) This is not an excuse. He's not saying that he can continue in sin, as it's just in his nature. He is merely explaining his failure.

When we struggle with sin, we are reminded that we still have the sin nature. It's the flesh within us that desires sin, that desires the things that are forbidden. It's the same nature that wants to abdicate personal responsibility and live for the pleasure of the moment.

When we recognize the role that the sin nature plays in our struggle, we are able to move away from the notion that somehow we are just flawed, and not as good as everyone else, and we see our struggle as part of the human experience. When we understand this is a struggle everyone faces, this helps us see the struggle that others endure, and it helps us to be graceful to others when they sin.

The other thing that recognizing the role of the sin nature accomplishes is that it reminds us that conquering sin is not something we can do on our own. We need the Lord. Which brings us to our next point.

We return to our roots of faith in Christ.  In Romans 7:24-25, Paul exclaimed, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord."

In verse 24, Paul declares his inability to overcome sin, and turns to the Lord for deliverance. In verse 25, Paul trusts the Lord for that deliverance.

If you know Jesus Christ as your savior, there was a time that you surrendered, and called out to Him for salvation. At that point, you were exactly where Christ wanted you. In the days and weeks that followed, the Lord was able to lead you through a time of exponential Spiritual growth because you had total faith in Him. But, as time moves along, we drift away, and we wind up in the boat we're in today.

When you struggle with sin, and you recognize that it's part of life, and that you cannot overcome it yourself, the proper course of action is to surrender, ask God for deliverance, and trust the Lord to deliver you from that struggle. When you reach that point of surrender and faith, you are right where Christ wants you. When you reach that point of surrender and faith, God is then able to do great things in your life.

When I struggle with sin, I feel like a hypocrite, but I am not. I am a child of God, redeemed by the blood of Christ, who has not finished his race here on earth. I remember that I stand on the shoulders of giants, that others have faced these same struggles, and that the struggle with sin comes as a result of my sin nature.

The only answer is to ask God for forgiveness, and trust Him to deliver me from these temptations. When I reach that point, God brings a revival in my life. He will yours as well. Keep the faith, God is on your side.

Worlds Aren't Changed By Radical Crusaders, But By Those Who Quietly Live Their Lives

Before the beard... Jessica and I enjoying a day our with family

This morning, immediately following my radio show, I was asked, "What have you done today to make the world a better place?" My answer, "I woke up!" (Actually, God allowed me to wake up. I did get out of bed, though). 

Now, my answer may sound entirely arrogant, self-centered and curt. However, it comes from the realization that at the end of the day, there is actually very little I can do to make the world a better place. This realization comes after pastoring a new church plant for 8 years, which, despite my best efforts and the support of my state and local associations, continues to struggle to build attendance. It comes as I have invested countless hours, tears and prayers into seeing lives changed, only to see those people that I care for continue to make self-destructive life decisions. 

It comes as I look back on a life advocating for pro-liberty, pro-life, and pro-America policies, only for our elected leaders to continue to expand the influence government has in our lives, continue to see abortion-limiting legislation die in committee or in the federal courts, and continue to see our leaders surrender our national sovereignty while abandoning our troops on the battlefield. (We send them to fight, they come back wounded, and then we drag our feet on their medical care and benefits). I'm sorry, I drifted back into politics. 

My realization of how little I can actually do to make the world a better place comes as I watch those who once stood for truth surrender in resignation, discouraged because they haven't made a big impact either. Or at least they think they haven't. They inspired me. But, I guess that makes me all the more self-centered. And yet, I don't think it really does. 

When we talk about making the world a better place, I think we should have a better perspective of how that works. I am really blessed right now. I get to do a morning talk show. I get to pastor a great group of people at Grace Pointe MBC. Both of those opportunities provide for my family's needs... my family which includes 3 biological kids, and 4 adoptive kids, which, if I could have negotiated with God in the beginning, I would have taken as biological. I have an understanding of the world around me, which, regardless of my circumstances, gives me a feeling of freedom. And these blessings, while poured out upon me by God, were given through the self-less efforts of those who raised me. 

My grandfather did not set out in life to be a world changer. He wanted to educate, and he wanted to support his family. The only time he was the talk of the town is when he corrected injustice, and he was criticized, not praised, for doing so. He desegregated Dawson ISD in Dawson, TX, and he enlisted the help of drug dogs to halt the drug trafficking in Latexo ISD. I grew up during the latter part of his career, where he served as an administrator at the Windham School District, the school system which serves the Texas prison system. As I grew up, my grandfather never ceased to remind me of the need to get an education, to make something of myself, and to support my family. He instilled in me the notion that it is my responsibility to provide for my family, and mine alone. 

Where my grandfather taught me book smarts and responsibility, my father taught me street smarts. He was the one who taught me how, once I get a job, to keep the job, to advance in the job, and how to interact with co-workers. My father was a business manager, so he also taught me about how to manage expenses and income. Both of those men taught me. On occasion, they'd teach me these lessons verbally, but mostly, they taught by example. 

Which brings me to how I am making the world a better place. God has blessed me with 7 wonderful children. My goal is to give them the same upbringing that I had, so that when they are grown and have families, they will pass that upbringing down to their children. I believe if we all did this, the world would be a better place. 

I also teach and encourage my church, and hopefully my friends, extended family, and Facebook friends. I plan on keeping my ministry public, so I can encourage as many people as possible. Ecclesiastes 12:13 says, "Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." Live your life the way God designed it. Raise your family, teach them about the Lord, worship at church on Sunday, represent God well when you go to work or conduct business. That's all God requires. If you feel led to do more, GREAT! I'll pray for you and help, if I can. But don't ever let anyone denigrate you because you don't do missions in the Congo. May God bless you.

Religion is not the Enemy

The historic sanctuary of Ebenezer Baptist Church,
where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., preached. It is now
part of the Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historic
Site, owned and operated by the National Park Service.

The 20th century saw the rise and fall of many evangelical leaders, men of renown who preached the Gospel to worldwide prominence, then were destroyed by personal sin and moral failures. Those instances damaged the brand of Christianity, and the church. That damage was also furthered by the personal hypocrisy of many church going Americans. The rubble of 20th century Christianity's failures has given rise to a new breed of Christian, the post-modern Christian.

The post-modern Christian's favorite slogan is "It's about relationship, not religion." The post-modern Christian sees his disdain for traditional Christianity, and in particular, the traditional church, as the same disdain Christ had for the Pharisees and the Sadducees. In post-modern Christianity, the church is de-emphasized, and the individual's feeling of connection toward God is over-emphasized. That dynamic makes discipleship almost impossible, because loving correction is all but forbidden. One is no longer allowed to warn a brother who is drifting into a lifestyle of sin. One is no longer allowed to take firm stances for, or against, anything, for doing so is seen as being judgmental, which is the post-modern's only unforgivable sin. 

It is good for Christians to inspect themselves to see if they are living as Christ wants them to live. It is good for churches to examine themselves to see if they are operating within the will and mission of the Lord. If all Christians and churches did this, Christianity in America would go through a very healthy introspection. Such would be a good thing, given the failures we've seen over the past century. Still, to discard traditional Christianity, and the church, in favor of a more isolated, socially open and acceptable creed is a grievous error. The church is still God's institution, organized on the shores of Galilee, and commissioned on the Mount of Olives to represent the Lord and spread the Gospel throughout the entire world. Jesus made it clear in Matthew 28:20 that this would be the case until He returned. So, let's not fall for the error of turning our backs on the church.

None-the-less, post-modern objections to the church need to be addressed. The church is still a key part of the Christian faith. The failures of its leaders and members do not change that. The church has been a light in the world, despite those failures, and God wants us to be a part of a church.

The failures of the leaders and the members of the church do not discredit it's role in God's mission. Indeed, it is easy to take anecdotal evidence of the failures of an evangelical leader, a pastor, a church member, or even the stance of some churches, and say that the church has lost its purpose and is therefore no longer relevant. This approach to discrediting one's opponents is not new. If you want to discredit liberalism, find the craziest self-described liberal and parade them in public. Breitbart does this on a daily basis. If you want to discredit conservatism, find the most redneck'ed racist individual out there, and parade him around in public. The Huffington Post does that quite often. And, if you want to discredit traditional Christianity, make sure to draw as much attention as possible to the most hypocritical leaders and followers of the Christian faith. 

However, just as political liberalism and conservatism cannot be defined by the most extreme individuals in their camps, Christianity is not defined by the failures of a few. In fact, it's not defined by the failures of the majority. It's not even defined by the failures of the greatest missionary in history. The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 3:7, "For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner?"

The Apostle Paul knew he was a sinner. He failed God often, and he chronicled that in Romans 7:15-25. Following Romans 3:7, he made the case that we are all sinners, and we all fall short of God's glory. Those failures did not discredit God, they proved His point. We, as Christians, are human, and therefore we sin. We fall short. We make bad decisions, and we do bad things. So does everyone else.

Yet the message of Christianity is that in spite of that sin, in spite of those failures, God loves us, and redeemed us anyway. So, if one thinks that he is going to be able to discard the church and traditional Christianity in favor of a more perfect, holy and righteous system, he is going to be disappointed. The purity of the religion goes out the window as soon as people become involved. So, if we're going to deal with sinful people, we might as well do so in the context of the local church, which is the way God designed it.

Another charge often leveled against traditional Christianity is that the church has failed in its role to be a light in the world. After all, Jesus said in Matthew 5:14-16, "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." A post-modern looks at these verses, and complains that the church has failed to be a light. It has failed to make the world a better place. It has failed to help the poor.

Those who say the church has failed to be a light in the world evidently missed the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. The civil disobedience that led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act was not born of the efforts of community organizers, socialists, or liberal politicians. It was executed by African American pastors in the south, who, knowing God's demand for justice, sought to put an end to the racial injustices of the day.

The Freedom Riders, and the Congress on Racial Equality, were born out of Wiley College in Marshall, TX, a Methodist college which served African American students in East Texas. Wiley College was home to a national champion debate team in 1935, a member of which was a young James Farmer, Jr,, who co-founded the Congress on Racial Equality. Farmer's father was a Methodist minister who served as president of Wiley College. During his study at Wiley, the younger farmer learned about civil disobedience from his debate coach.

The face of the Civil Rights Movement, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was a Baptist pastor, serving at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, and Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. King worked with other ministers in carrying out his demonstrations to bring not only racial justice, but also racial reconciliation and healing.

As a result, racial segregation was outlawed, and the Civil Rights Movement was successful. That's not to say that racism no longer exists, but the institutional hurdles that African Americans faced have been removed. There are still hurdles, but they tend to be social and economic.

Those who claim the church has failed to be a light in the world have also overlooked the many charitable organizations that have been founded for the sole purpose of helping the poor, needy, and those affected by tragedy. These organizations were founded by churches and Christians. Samaritan's Purse, the American Red Cross, and the Salvation Army are all well known charitable organizations whose roots are embedded in the American church. Additionally, there are the numerous missionary efforts to preach the Gospel and offer relief to the poor worldwide.

So, despite the failures of many of its leaders and followers, the Christian church has been a light in the world.

Finally, we should not abandon the church because God wants us to be a part of a church. In Hebrews 10:25, the Bible says, "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."

The purpose of church involvement is three-old.

(1) It is to encourage you as you walk with the Lord. As Christians, we should be encouraging each other as we face life's challenges, and we should remind each other to have faith in the Lord, even when we are going through the dark valleys of life.

(2) It is to build your faith and knowledge. Discipleship is a key part of the Christian life. God wants us to study His word, learn more about Him, and apply that knowledge to our lives. In order to do that, we need mentors. We need to be taught by those who are more mature in the faith, who have been where we are, and have seen God work. Church membership is key to our Spiritual growth, and to our being grounded in the truth. Without it, we tend to drift, without learning, and we tend to develop our own beliefs apart from the Bible. We need church involvement to keep us grounded.

And finally, (3) church involvement gives us an avenue to serve the Lord. Churches are supposed to be in the business of spreading the Gospel. It's a team effort. God never intended on us serving alone. He wants us serving in teams, with groups, our Christian brothers and sisters who encourage us on our way. Sure, there were men in the Bible who served alone, but remember, Elijah suffered from severe depression.

I understand that people in the church have fallen short. I also understand that you may have been betrayed or hurt by people in the church. My plea to you is that you do not let the sins of others deter you from living in God's will. Find a church that preaches the truth, and that loves you, and get involved. You will find the Christian walk is a whole lot more meaningful if you do. May God bless you and keep you will be my prayer. 

The Saga of Lee Harvey Oswald

He was a madman, a nut job, or a patsy. Those are the three most popular explanations on why Lee Harvey Oswald shot (or attempted to shoot according to conspiracy theorists) President John F. Kennedy. Indeed, Oswald's behavior indicated some degree of mental instability, but why? What was it that drove him to attempt to assassinate General Walker, and then to assassinate John F. Kennedy?

And, just to clarify my position, I believe Oswald acted alone, more on that some other time.

Lee Harvey Oswald's issues likely began in early childhood as he was being raised by a single mother who was devastated after the death of his father. (Oswald's father died before he was born.) In an interview with PBS, Oswald's brother, Robert Oswald, said that their mother felt that she had been dealt a bad hand, and that the world owed her a living. He said some of this attitude was passed down to Lee. Robert went on to say that Oswald had a vivid imagination, and believed he could do anything he wanted. He was also a loner. Robert said Lee "planned by himself, executed by himself, and failed by himself." He also dreamed of being a writer, and writing about his experiences of serving in the Marine Corp., defecting to Russia, and then returning to America.

In a New York Times column, Paul Gregory (to whom Marina Oswald taught Russian,) said that Lee felt under-estimated by the world, and longed for a celebrity status, which he sort of enjoyed while living in Russia.

That side of Oswald was depicted in two episodes of the TV show "Quantum Leap" and in Stephen King's 11.22.63. Oswald was depicted as a frustrated individual, who wanted to make a huge impact in the world. He wanted to be a celebrity, a leader, a revolutionary, a philosopher, or a champion. He felt he was awesome, and couldn't understand why the rest of the world didn't see it. Given my recent research, I believe those depictions were accurate.

What you have in Lee Harvey Oswald is the tragedy of self-worship. He felt he was God's gift to anyone with whom he came into contact. He thought he was helping the Russians by defecting, and was shocked when they denied him university admission, relegating him to a common-man's job. He was surprised that he got no media attention when he returned home. He was dejected after a failed attempt to defect to Cuba. He looked for, and failed to find, any way to be significant. Even his failed assassination attempt on General Edwin Walker went virtually unnoticed. This self-worship and lack of self-actualization consumed Oswald, until it culminated in the tragic events of November 22, 1963. When things built to a head, and then blew, the whole world felt it.

It's easy to think "conspiracy theory." It's easy to dismiss Oswald as a patsy. It's easy to imagine that the real gunman was a sophisticated marksman who fired from any one of the other 100 prime locations to pull off the shot that killed Kennedy. Imagining a CIA plot, or a Russian plot, or a mob hit, is easier to deal with psychologically than to come to grips that one man's demons can create such devastation. The truth is, pride and self worship are just that destructive.

Throughout the history of the world, 99 percent of man's problems have been caused by pride and self-worship. It was pride and self-worship that led Adam and Eve to sin in the Garden of Eden. They believed they could throw off God's authority and be gods to themselves by eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The result has been a sin curse on man from that time forward.

You see pride and self-worship in all the kings and emperors who went on world conquests. Those qualities were present with the Roman Caesars (who actually regarded themselves as sons of the gods), Alexander the Great, Napoleon, Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Benito Mussolini, and Adolf Hitler. Pride and self-worship has killed millions, and destroyed nations. But that's all ancient history, so it's not to be worried about, Right? Wrong!

Pride and self-worship are seeds planted in one's heart, that, if allowed to grow, can develop such destructive behavior that any individual is capable of imploding. Oswald's pride cost him his life. If that pride and self-worship can grow to that level of destruction in him, how far can it grow in us? That is a frightening question. That's why we'd rather believe that Kennedy's death was the result of a vast, sophisticated conspiracy rather than the result of one man's personal implosion. We don't want to think that we could ever find ourselves in a sixth-floor window. And, in 99.9 percent of cases, we won't. However, that does not mean that pride doesn't cause destruction.

The Bible says "Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18)" Pride and self-worship will destroy you, whether it makes the news or not. So, don't be destroyed. The Bible also says "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up (James 4:10)."

The best way to avoid the pride and self-worship that destroys is to keep your focus on the Lord, and worship directed toward God. This means to spend time in God's word, in prayer, and to seek God's will in your life. It means to put yourself second, to put God first, and to be aware of the plight of others as well as yourself. If you live a God-focused life, you will not live a self-centered life. That recipe will prevent a self-inflicted implosion that will destroy your life.

Trust the Lord, and obey Him. The answer is really that simple. May God bless you as you follow Him.