Can Reality Come Between A Man, and Christ?

"Hi, I'm at Lifeway. Want anything?" My wife asked over the phone after attending one of my oldest daughter's basketball games.

"Absolutely! If they have The Great Good Thing by Andrew Klavan, pick it up!" I replied. She did. And over the past day and a half, I have been in reading heaven.

I first discovered Andrew Klavan by accident. Someone had linked to one of his videos on Facebook. Klavan's most recent incarnation is that of a political pundit on The Daily Wire. His daily podcast mixes satire with politics and current events. Klavan, without being risque or rude, says what we really think, and turns the turmoil of today's political corruption into a daily sitcom. The first video I watched, a rapid fire assault on the ridiculousness of the boycott on North Carolina due to their bathroom law, said essentially everything I thought about the controversy, only in a more entertaining way. 

Andrew Klavan

If I had only known Klavan for his political commentary, I'd have been a fan. However, a few weeks after I discovered him, Klavan released his new book, The Great Good Thing. The book is Klavan's story of growing from a secular Jew to a believer in Jesus Christ. The title, premise and author were enough to sell me on the book, but Klavan's commentary on his book, offered on a series of TV interviews and podcasts I found on YouTube, enticed me even more. 

During those interviews, Klavan discussed his search for the truth, his never-ending self-assessment of his motivations, and ultimately how he came to believe the truth, and to show his conversion via a Protestant baptism. 

So, as soon as Jessica returned home with the book, I opened it to the introduction. Introducing the premise of the book, Klavan discussed his struggle with converting to Christianity. Among other things (doubt as to his motivation, family heritage, etc), Klavan discussed his love for life, his fascination with the things of this world, and his attraction to what is real. 

Klavan discussed how, during his struggle with converting to Christianity, he feared he would lose touch with reality. Already well-known for writing thrillers, murder mysteries, and TV shows, Klavan was concerned that his writing would drift toward softer stories, like a little girl whose bunny turns up missing but miraculously returns. While this may seem silly to some, Klavan understood the gritty nature of the real world around us, and he didn't want to be converted to a fruit-loop with his head in the clouds when he converted to Christianity. (My words, not his). 

To a degree, I can understand his concern. Working in the news business, and political talk radio, I see every day the effects of sin on this world. I read and research news stories about kids who kill their parents, parents who kill or torture their children, politicians who carelessly leave America's finest to die while they plan their next fundraiser, and the devastating effects avarice and lust have on this society. 

Being a minister of God's Word, I've had to counsel with the teenage girl 'abused' by her father, the child who witnessed his/her father nearly murder his/her stepmother, the teenager whose been left homeless, the kid abandoned by both parents, the war veteran living with PTSD, and the family living in extreme poverty.

These experiences propel me to do battle. This is a Spiritual war that can only be won by proclaiming God's word, confronting evil, and honoring your responsibilities. It's the kind of battle that you cannot win by saying "too blessed to be stressed." Such pithy sayings, in my opinion, are a disengagement of the Spiritual battle we face, and constitute living in denial. Sure, God is good all the time. Sure, God holds us in the palm of His hand. Sure, God is in control. However, God not only gave us the capability to join His cause and battle on His behalf, but has also called us to do so. 

As a result, I lack the polished appearance, speech and demeanor many pastors have. (And they use that demeanor as an armor they wear into the Spiritual battle.)

So, when Klavan feared that he would lose his edge, his understanding of reality upon conversion, I understand where he is coming from. Furthermore, I find it interesting that his understanding of the Christian nature was one where reality is denied, and people keep their heads in the clouds. Have we as Christians put forth an image of softness, denial, and rose-colored glasses? If so, that's a shame. 

We have been put on this earth to shine God's light, to spread His Gospel, to visit the orphans and widows, and to feed His sheep. That process involves standing against evil, and from time to time, beating away the wolves. 

Life is a gift. It's wonderful, fun and interesting. It's also hard, gritty, dirty, and deadly. We need to engage the reality around us, and rescue those who are perishing. The lost around us need to know that we can help, and that we can speak true wisdom into their lives, not just quote "God's Little Instruction Book."

May God bless you as you do the Lord's work. 

Let Us Not Do Evil, So That Good May Come

There's an old saying that "the ends justifies the means." Basically, if you get a good result, it does not matter how you arrived at your destination. Therefore, you can freely justify any behavior so long as your intentions were for a good result. This line of thinking has caused thousands of good Christians to sacrifice their integrity and surrender their testimonies, all for the sake of pursuing a goal, whether that goal was a legislative or electoral victory, or whether that goal was effecting change in their local churches or communities.

History is full of churches that died as a result of splits caused by members pursuing a Godly goal through unGodly means. Maybe the preacher did deserve to be fired. Maybe the church needed to launch a youth ministry or transition its worship style. Maybe the red carpet was the best choice... however in many cases, those changes were pursued using the unGodly means of gossiping, backbiting, slander, and vote stuffing. The results of this behavior have been devastating each time this strategy has been employed.

This morning on News/Talk 102.3 KXYL in Brownwood, TX, I once again drew fire from listeners for not defending Donald Trump's candidacy for President. Particularly, I said he was as deplorable as Hillary Clinton, and when asked about his Christianity, I expressed my doubts.

(1) He has never made a public profession of faith. Trump has never publicly stated that he has had a conversion experience.

(2) He has publicly stated that he hasn't had to ask forgiveness for anything, because he hasn't done anything wrong. (I'm referring to the statements he made back during the primary, not during a recent Presidential debate.)

What we do know about Donald Trump is there is a line of women accusing him of sexual harassment. There is audio tape of him describing his tendency to grope women (statements that mirrored a 1997 sexual harassment suit against him). There are questions about his business practices, and just a few years ago, he was pro-abortion, and pro-government healthcare. There are serious questions about his character.

Now, this is the part of the discussion where people ask me, "What about Hillary Clinton?" She's deplorable, and could possibly be the most despicable person to be elected President. However, Clinton does not claim to represent my values. Clinton does not claim to speak for my Lord, and Clinton is not trying to court my vote. Clinton represents the other side of the political aisle. It is not my job as a conservative, evangelical Republican to hold the Democratic Party accountable for its values and nominees. It is my responsibility to make sure my own house is clean. Before I should seek to remove the speck from the Democrats eyes, I must first make sure my own are clear.

While I understand that a Hillary presidency would be disastrous, I have no obligation to endorse anyone who opposes her. At the same time, I have to keep in mind that when I sign my name to a candidate, I am also putting my credibility and testimony on the line. While a Trump victory would give Republicans the White House, I would also have to explain why it's okay for Trump to commit adultery, but not Bill Clinton. I would have to explain why Trump is inherently innocent of all accusations brought against him, but why Hillary is automatically guilty.

Furthermore, I have to look at the girls in my youth group and tell them why we should support Trump, in spite of his "locker room" talk, while at the same time teaching them about living in holiness. For those reasons alone, I cannot bring myself to endorse Donald Trump. That's before we even delve into the issue of his changing positions on conservative issues.

Donald Trump may win the 2016 election. He may lose. Regardless, the Republican Party, and the evangelicals that supported Trump's nomination and campaign, are about to learn a hard lesson. Compromising the means to achieve a desired end leads to devastation each and every time. Perhaps we should have actually consulted our Bibles during the primaries, and remembered Romans 3:8, which says (paraphrased) let us not do evil so that good may come.

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.

Some People Change

I was fairly useless when I was younger.

When I was about 12 years old, the pastor of the church I attended preached a sermon on Hell, which scared me. I was nervous, restless, and couldn't get any peace. So, I approached this pastor, asking how to be saved. He explained salvation to me the best he could, and I went through the motions of asking Jesus into my heart.

For a while, I did alright. I became the president of the Galileans club at the church, even holding statewide office in that organization (I was state historian), but as high school came along, my interest in the Lord, and the church quickly faded. By the time I graduated high school, I had already amassed a collection of memories I now wish I could forget. I was drawn to rebellion, bad decisions, and things that would freak people out.

Then, I moved off to college. Going to college meant no more parental presence... no one to make sure I was in by curfew, no one to check on where I was, no one to hold me accountable. As you can imagine, I began to make worse choices.

Senior year at Stephen F. Austin, I met Jessica. I instantly knew I liked her, and I also knew she was way out of my league. So, with those two things in mind, I took a different approach with her than I did other girls I chased. First, I cleaned up my act a little. Second, I didn't try to put up a front when I was around her. I would just be myself. After all, I really didn't stand a chance.

Except I did. I am not sure why, but she liked me, too. In the early years of our marriage, I was still incapable of making a good decision. I wrecked my radio career, trashed our finances, and totally neglected my family's needs.

All the while this is happening, all throughout my teenage rebellion and sin, people were there for me. They were teachers, coaches, youth ministers and volunteers, college professors (believe it or not), team mates, room mates, and friends. Then, there was Jessica. Each of these people ministered to me, were patient with me, forgiving toward me, and I believe praying for me.

I really had no excuse. I was raised in a Godly home, was taught the Bible at a young age, and taught to worship the Lord. I rejected that. This cycle continued until one night, November 2002, I broke. The Godly raising of my childhood came back to me, and the fact that I had spent the first 24 years of my life as useless sludge just sort of hit me in the face. This is what preachers refer to as "conviction." I was hit with an overwhelming sense of guilt over my sin, and a sorrow for the things that I had done, especially to my young family. It was that night, I asked God to forgive me of my sins, and I turned to Jesus Christ as my Savior.

I announced my salvation to my church the following morning, where Bro. Jim Slocumb informed me that my life would be forever changed. I didn't know how right he was. In the years that followed, the bad habits that I had embraced as an adolescent faded away, one by one. I struggled with some, and I lost my desire for others. In the years following my acceptance of Jesus Christ as my Savior, God reformed my life. He changed me, from the inside out.

Psalm 51:10 says "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." I was changed, my life was changed, and things were getting better... and it was God that was doing the changing. Today, I am a completely different person than I was then... and those who knew me then, or who have even seen pictures of me then, know that is the truth.

I can't help but wonder if those people who were there for me all those years know the positive impact they have had on my life, or how much I appreciate the fact, that, while I was bent on self-destruction, they never let me cross that line. They were there for me, they prayed for me, and they allowed God to change me.

Perhaps there is someone you know that is making bad choices, that is in rebellion against God, that is bent on self-destruction. Be there for them, minister to them, pray for them, and trust God to change them. God works in people's lives. He changes them, in their hearts and in all facets of their lives.

So, have a little faith, and don't be afraid to invest in someone you care about, even if it seems futile at the time. Who knows? Maybe one day, a preacher will be writing a blog about how you played a big part in turning his life around.

Faith gives us testimony

Hebrews 11:2 - For by it (faith) the elders obtained a good report.

What made the Old Testament heroes so pleasing to God? Was it their awesome deeds? Their ability to gain wealth (Abraham), their ability to climb the corporate ladder and find success for themselves and their countries (Joseph)? Perhaps it was their leadership abilities (Moses), or their piety (Enoch)?

No. What made the Old Testament heroes (and the New Testament heroes for that matter) pleasing to God was their faith. It was by faith they obtained a good report.

Now faith, remember, is a deep-rooted trust or conviction of the truth of anything. In regard to God, it is a deep-rooted trust or conviction that God exists, that He saves and condemns. In regard to Christ, which is necessary to having a proper faith in God, it is the deep-rooted trust or conviction that He lived a sinless life, is God in the flesh, and that He paid the penalty for the sin of the world when He died on the cross. A proper faith in God involves also having a deep-rooted trust or conviction that God raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 10:9-13).

Of 'course, we could sum all of this up by quoting Hebrews 11:6, "but without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he that cometh to God must first believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him."

It is interesting that the first two individuals mentioned in Hebrews 11 are Abel and Enoch. The scriptures record that it was Abel's faith, his deep-rooted trust in God that led him to offer a more proper sacrifice. It was Enoch's trust in God that led him to walk with God 300 years before being raptured (i.e. translated). Very little is written about either one in Genesis, but they are the first pointed out in the hall of faith. (Of course, they are also some of the first people living).

The rest of the men and women mentioned in Hebrews 11 are honored for their faith, not their deeds. It was their faith that led them to perform their deeds. Each one had something that happened in their life that gave them the testimony that God was pleased with them.

If we are to have a testimony that will help us to reach the lost world, we have to please God. In order to please God, we have to have faith. The absence of faith leads to the absence of a testimony, which renders our evangelical work fruitless.

So trust God. If you do, you will have no trouble answering God when He calls you to do something extra-ordinary. Who knows, maybe you'll even get inducted into a future hall of faith by hearing, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

My Deliverer is coming!

I was lost in 2000, but my wife listened to Christian radio (back then, it was 102.3 KLJT in Jacksonville) a lot. This song was played on that station frequently, along with various "Reasons to Believe" features. It, along with some other things going on in my life, slowly turned my attention toward my spiritual condition.

The video is a nice touch.

Why are we losing the younger generation?

This question has been discussed over and over again on blogs from several ABA ministers, as well as SBC experts, as well as church planting/growth gurus on CNN.

Some who examine this question are close to nailing the issue, while others miss the point altogether.

If you really want to know why we lose so many young people when they leave for college, it would help to think like an 18-year old. Such is not too difficult, as most of us have been 18 at one time in our lives.

In May 1996, I graduated high school. I spent the summer working for my grandfather who maintained a cemetery. I also attended summer classes at Jacksonville College. (I had actually been attending Jacksonville College since the summer prior to my senior year in high school. I graduated from high school as a college sophomore).

I eagerly anticipated the arrival of August, as I had landed a full scholarship to join Kilgore College's nationally ranked debate team. August rolled around, and I packed my stuff into my 1983 Ford F-150, and took off down State Highway 135 from Jacksonville to Kilgore.

All I kept thinking was "Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty, I'm free at last."

I arrived at Kilgore College, checked in with the dorm supervisor, registered for classes and unpacked. I sat in my room, taking it all in, then I hit the town. I had money, freedom, no curfew, no accounting for where I had been, and I took full advantage of that freedom that night (No innuendos intended... I stayed out late going to restaurants and hanging out at the mall).

I quickly made friends with some of the other guys at the dorm. I had a chance ot reinvent myself from the awkward Leland of Jacksonville to super cool Leland of Kilgore.

I missed church that Wednesday... then again Sunday. Wednesday, I was out with my new friends. Sunday, I slept in.

This behavior continued on through that year at Kilgore. Why would I want to go to church? I wanted to be with my friends. I wanted to be cool. Not that going to church wasn't cool... it's just my friends were not at church.

I graduated Kilgore after that year and transferred to Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX. While I continued to "reinvent" myself, and my lifestyle had gotten worse, I managed to stay in contact with God's people through the Association of Baptist Students (ABS).

The ABS was the Baptist Missionary Association's student ministry, much like our MBSF (Missionary Baptist Student Fellowship). It was a beautiful thing. I made friends there, some who were quirkier than me.

Church attendance was still almost non-existant... as I had other things to do. Wednesdays, I was out with my non-Christian friends. Sundays, I had taken an airshift at a local radio station. (Church was good, but I had a career to build).

Still, there was the ABS... Fellowship night on Tuesday where we went putt-putting, bowling, or even better, out to eat... and Bible study on Thursday.

Over time, I drew closer to my Christian friends at the ABS. They even provided me with refuge when I needed it. Slowly but surely, I began to clean up my life and began to think about my relationship with God (which unbeknownst to me at the time, was non-existant.) I still messed up, but the ABS was always there to welcome me back, rebuke me, encourage me, teach me and nurture me.

It was through the ABS that I eventually went to University Baptist Church in Nacogdoches. It was there I met Jessica, my southern Californian beauty.

It was through her loving patience that I came to know Christ as my Savior.

Where would I be without the patient ministering of the ABS director and the students he worked with? Only God knows.

Why are we losing the younger generations? Two reasons.

1. We have lost the ability to think like them. I've heard it said if you want to catch fish, you have to think like a fish. To catch the youth, we have to think like the youth. Young people (18-24) have a newly found freedom. They don't want to come to church (like their parents may have made them). Church dampens their freedom. They have to get up Sunday morning, miss time with friends Wednesday evening, and there are rules to follow, expectations to be met (you know, don't drink, smoke, party, etc). I'm not saying that the way we do church is wrong... University didn't alter its Sunday morning worship schedule or format to accomodate me. We just have to realize what is important to young people and work within that.

Young people want their freedom and friends. The thing that drew me to ABS was not the praise band (they didn't have one), it was the friendships. We should find ways to minister to young people to foster this level of fellowship.

2. We aren't where they are! More young people go to college now than ever before... almost to the point that college is being referred to in some circles as the new high school. Some students go to four-year institutions right out of high school. Some go to community college. Some go to vocational schools. Right now, in Texas, I think there are four or five MBSF's on college campuses. There is West Texas A&M in Canyon, Texas A&M in College Station, Texas Tech in Lubbock... that's all I can name off the top of my head.

I'm told there is one at SFA, but it must be dormant because when I went to school there (1997-99) and when I have since visited, there is no evidence of such an organization on campus.

I have heard the one at UT-Tyler is no longer in existence... but it may just be that they don't have a director.

Why are we losing young people? Because when they go to college, they are no longer required to go to an ABA church. Their parents aren't there to make them go, and we're not there to minister to them.

If a church decides to rectify this and start an MBSF, they'll wind up going it alone as many churches and pastors in our associated work see little value in supporting a college ministry. After-all, their thinking is that it won't produce a self-supporting New Testament church, therefore it isn't mission work.

What they fail to see is the number of students answer the call to preach while in college and attending an MBSF, how many go on to be missionaries, and how many are saved. You want to send the Gospel into all the world? Send it to college, where the people are there for a few years being equipped so they can go into all the world.

(The guy who first invited me to ABS is now teaching English in South Korea. That was after he starred in some independent films in San Jose, California. Nothing bad, I assure you.)

I'm not trying to be the expert here, nor am I trying to revolutionize the ministries of the ABA. I certainly don't have all the answers. My goal here was to share my story (as I was a youth who fell out of church in college), and share some thoughts on possible solutions.

I also wanted to advocate the idea of supporting and starting new MBSF works in Texas. Starting an MBSF is simple... usually you need three students to be recognized as an official campus organization. Some campuses require the student leadership to attend a training seminar, some require that the organization have a university employee designated as a sponsor.

You will probably be able to find three students on any given campus in Texas with Missionary Baptist backgrounds. (University of Texas, enrollment 150,000; SFA, enrollment 12,000).

Getting the official campus organization designation opens university facilities for meetings and functions, and opens the door to advertise on campus.

The benefits to an MBSF are immeasureable. MBSFs in Arkansas are thriving, sending their students on missions trips to the Navajo reservation, as well as some going overseas. Many of these students surrender to the ministry and go on to be pastors and missionaries. We'll never know the benefit of that.

These are just some thoughts that I have. I welcome any discussion, and won't be offended if there isn't any.