The Cost of Christmas

Below is the transcript of the Christmas Eve message I brought at FBCH.

What is the cost of Christmas? That cost varies depending on who you ask. For example, to the US economy, the cost of Christmas is $435 billion dollars, because this is what Americans are expected to put into the economy this Christmas season. For Christmas tree growers, the cost of Christmas is $506 million, because that is what they hope we will have spent on Christmas trees. To the average American, the cost of Christmas is $859 dollars, because this is the amount that the average American will spend on Christmas presents. If we could ask your scale at home, what is the cost of Christmas, it would answer about seven pounds, because this is how much weight the average American will gain. There is even an organization that determines the price of the 12 days of Christmas. The PNC Financial Services Group calculates the total price of all of the items included in that well known song as a means of measuring inflation. This year, you would start with the cost to book various musicians and stage performers like twelve percussionists, eleven pipers, ten lords a’ leaping, and nine female dancers. Then you would add in the minimum wage of eight milking maids (not including the price of the actual cows). Then you would add the actual purchase price of seven swans (pool not included), six geese, five golden rings (carats not specified), four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, 1 partridge and 1 pear tree, you final tab would be $19,507.

But I want to propose to you that the cost of Christmas, the real cost of Christmas, is much, much more. In fact, if you want to know how much Christmas costs, you must go back to the very first Christmas and read from the Word of God.

"In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." Luke 2:1-7

If you think Christmas is expensive now, that doesn’t compare to the very first Christmas.

Interestingly enough, the Christmas story in Luke’s gospel begins with an expensive tax. Ceasar Augustus, the ruler of the Roman Empire, issued a decree that a census be taken. Everyone had to return to the city of their heritage. We know from history that this was the first census of its kind ever taken. The purpose was to tax the people in order to fund the expansion of the ever growing Roman Empire.

Swept up in this census were Joseph and Mary, and it could not have come at a worse time. Christmas cost them a long and hard journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, the city of Joseph’s ancestors. Mary being with child, it’s not likely that they were able to travel more than ten miles per day, if that. The easiest parts of the journey were hilly and the hardest parts of the journey were mountainous. Being poor, their diet was likely bread and water and their transportation a donkey. The temperatures were likely freezing at night and possibly during the day. Christmas was very costly.

But the cost did not end there. For Mary, Christmas cost her her reputation. There is an interesting scene in the nativity Story in which Mary has a nightmare in which she is being stoned. As an unwed mother, she ran the risk of being rejected by Joseph and stoned religious zealots. No doubt, Mary endured countless judgmental glances. She was the object of scorn and ridicule and gossip.

Joseph paid a dear price that first Christmas. Joseph was forced to abandon whatever plans he had as a carpenter in exchange for life as an exile in Egypt. When he eventually returned, they had not forgotten about the rumors he’d left behind. Joseph was probably shunned by those with whom he did business. Joseph probably lost whatever standing he had within the community. We don’t know for sure, but it is very possible that Joseph lost any access he had to the synagogue. Joseph was insulted. He was looked upon as less than a man, when in reality he was a man’s man. The birth of Jesus represented a black eye that Joseph would wear for the rest of his life.

Of course, Christmas was costly for the baby that was born, Jesus. Could we even put a price upon the throne he left behind or the chorus of angels whose voice could no longer be heard? Could we put a price upon the glory that no longer shone?

If you want to know the cost of Christmas, ask yourself what it would be worth to you for your child to be born in a cold, exposed barn some winter night, surrounded by noisy cattle and the smell of dung and urine. What would it be worth to endure the humiliation of being stuck with an animal stall for the birthplace of your child? Is there even a price that someone could pay for you to agree to your child being born under these conditions?

The cost of Christmas, for Jesus, did not end the day he was born. The cost of Christmas followed him all the days of his life. The Bible tells us that in John 1, Jesus was referred to as the Son of Joseph. We know that Joseph had no part in the conception of Jesus, but this simply shows us that 30 years after Jesus was born, it was still assumed that Joseph was biological father. Three years later, we read in John 8 that the Pharisees, arguing with Jesus said, “WE are not illegitimate children.” You understand the insinuation, don’t you? What they are saying is “YOU ARE.” It was an insult, one that Jesus had heard way too many times before.

Do you understand that Jesus lived his entire earthly life followed by the rumor that he was an illegitimate child? He was mocked for this.

But the real cost of Christmas cannot be calculated until you reach the cross. You see, you cannot separate the birth of Jesus from the death of Jesus.

Never is this more evident that when you look at the name of the city in which Jesus was born. Bethlehem. In the known world at that time, there were three known continents, Europe, Asia and Africa, and God chose Asia. In Asia, there were many countries, but God chose Palestine. In Palestine, there were three regions, Judea, Samaria and Galilee, and God chose Judea. In Judea, there were many towns and villages, but God chose Bethlehem. God chose Bethlehem for two reasons. First, eight and a half centuries prior, God declared through the prophet Micah that Bethlehem would be the city of the Savior’s birth. Micah 5:2 says, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." With God, a prophesy is not a guess about what might happen, it is a declaration of what will happen.

But there is another reason why Bethlehem was chosen and the very name reveals it. Did you notice that Micah referred to the town not just as Bethlehem, but as Bethlehem Ephrathah? This is very significant. Bethlehem meant “House of Bread.” You see, the baby who would be born in Bethlehem would one day claim to be the bread of life. Jesus said in John 6:51, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."

But notice the second part of the name. Bethlehem Ephrathah. You see, Ephrathah comes from the Hebrew, meaning wine. This same Jesus would said, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” At the last supper he said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood.”

The bread, Jesus said, is a picture of his flesh which would be nailed to the cross for our sins. Wine represents his blood, which would be poured out. Bethlehem. Ephrathah. Bread. Wine. Body. Blood. God ordained that the very name of the town in which Jesus was born would point us to the cross.

Someone wrote a poem once that goes like this…

There was no room in Bethlehem, for him who left his throne.
To seek the lost at countless cost and make their griefs his own.
But there was room on Calvary, upon the cross of shame.
For Him to die, uplifted high, and bear the sinner’s blame.
There was no room in Bethlehem and in the world today
Men will not give him to live but bid him turn away.
But there is room at Calvary and there he stands to give
Welcome to all who heed his call and look to Him to live.
There was no room in Bethlehem for Christ, the prince of heaven.
Come down to earth in human birth that men might be forgiven.
But there is room at Calvary for sinners to abide.
And all who come may find a home in Jesus crucified.

That is the true cost of Christmas.

Another Sign that America Needs Revival

"Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless. What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar? To whom will you run for help? Where will you leave your riches? Nothing will remain but to cringe among the captives or fall among the slain. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised." Isaiah 10:1-4

Today, 17 year old Nataline Sarkisyan is dead. She was scheduled to receive a liver transplant. This was approved by her insurance company, Cigna. However, she got a lung infection and Cigna suddenly decided that it was "too experimental." The doctors were willing to perform the surgery and urged the insurance company to approve it. They did not, however, perform the surgery without payment. As a result, time ran out and Sarkisyan died.

The way I see it, you have an insurance company ignoring the doctors and allowing a teenager to die rather than pay for life saving surgery. On the other hand, you have doctors waiting on the promise of payment, thus allowing a teenager to die. This situation has Isaiah chapter ten written all over it. Whatever your views on the health care system in America, we should all agree that this story is the definition of injustice. And if I'm reading my Bible correctly, America cannot expect to continue receiving God's blessings while turning its back upon what Jesus called "the least of these." The God who judged Israel for allowing this same kind of activity will not hesitate to judge us. Political solutions will not solve it. We need revival.

Interpretive Dance, FBCH Style

The staff of First Baptist Church of Homestead has worked hard on what will be our very first attempt at interpretive dance, this Sunday, December 23 at the 8:30 and 11:00 AM services. To see a clip from our most recent practice and get a taste for what's in store, CLICK HERE.

Merry Christmas from Mike

I'm trying to think if I've ever seen a presidential election in which there was a candidate who refused to throw mud. Is Mike Huckabee the first or can you think of others? One thing's for sure: We're going to find out, once and for all, if Americans really want to see clean campaigning. How will Americans respond when a major candidate is slandered and smeared and refuses to respond in kind? I know I'm still (kinda) young, but I've never seen anyone even attempt this kind of campaign. And how's this for a change of pace election ad the week of Christmas?

Hazardous to Your Health

Missionary work can be hazardous to your health. The International Missions Board of the Southern Baptist Convention has 500 missionaries serving in the region of Central, Eastern and Southern Africa. Last year, just those missionaries, together with members of their families:

* Spent 395 days in the hospital.
* Visited the emergency room 34 times.
* Needed five medevac flights.
* Made 669 visits to doctors.
* Made 325 visits to dentists.
* Made 211 visits to pediatricians.
* Made 128 visits to OB-GYNs.
* Made 98 visits to optometrists.
* Made 90 visits dermatologists.
* Made 11 visits to oncologists.
* Required lab work 524 times.
* Required radiologic exams 426 times.
* Underwent 96 cardiac procedures.
* Underwent 72 surgeries.
* Underwent 67 mammograms.
* Underwent 50 colonoscopies/gastroscopies.

This is why we give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. This is why we give to the cooperative program. This is why we should sacrifice to give the largest offering ever this year. The missionaries who are called and sent accept tremendous risks to their well being. It's our job to support them.

Let's Get Ready to Rumble

It's official. There will be an amendment protecting traditional marriage on the November 2008 ballot.

Here's the wording: "Inasmuch as marriage is the legal union of only one man and one woman as husband and wife, no other legal union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent thereof shall be valid or recognized."

I'll blog more in the upcoming year as to why such a definition should be codified into law. Until then, expect opponents to use baseless scare tactics like those used in Arizona last year, namely that an amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman will somehow cause seniors to lose benefits. Yeah, and Huckabee is considering me as his running mate.

It's Official

Brenda and Jesse have endorsed Mike Huckabee for president. I cannot confirm nor deny that they were bribed with cookies before making this endorsement.

Do the Hustle

Man, this is so funny. No, this isn't me.

glumbert - (How to) Do the Hustle

The Golden Compass: How should Christians respond?

HERE is an informative article about the new movie "The Golden Compass" by Al Mohler. Read this before spending your money to see this movie.

The Danger of Self-Promotion

Here is the link to the first message in a new series called "After God's Own Heart" from the book of 2 Samuel. It is titled "The Danger of Self-Promotion." We live in a world which constantly tells us to promote ourselves. This, of course, runs counter to the call of Christ to deny self and follow him.

Don't forget to click on the "Sermon Notes" button to the left after you go to THIS LINK.

The Martyr's Oath

The Martyr's Oath is a foreign concept to American Christians, since we don't tend to die martyr's deaths. However, in other parts of the world where severe persecution is a fact of life, the Martyr's Oath is common. You'll find various versions, different but similar. Students at one Bible Institute in India must take this vow before graduation. Here is a copy of one version, shared by former Muslim and seminary president, Ergun Caner.

"Today, I stand as a dead man. I declare that in Jesus Christ, I am saved by his blood, and thus I am dead to sin, and no longer dead in my sin. Today, I stand and declare that I surrender my will and my life to His will and His life. I shall go where He sends me, without asking questions. I shall go to whomever He sends me, without seeking fame. I shall preach to everyone, even if they hate me. I am an Ambassador of the cross, and must deliver the message. I shall pour my life out to reach my family, my friends, my neighbors and my city. I embrace the shame of the cross, and I fear nothing but God. I welcome suffering, shame, persecution, beatings, imprisonment and death, but I will not be silenced. If I am killed, I pray that my blood should be a harvest for souls."

I think we'd do well to commit this oath to memory and make it a regular statement of devotion to God.

The Offensive Gospel

I think I've figured out how to stream my sermons. Go to this link to hear "The Offensive Gospel", preached on November 18, 2007 at 8:30 and 11:00 AM. Let me know if you try to listen but have problems doing so.

NOTE: Click on "Sermon Notes" on the left for the stream.

You Should Always Say Grace, Just Not Like This!

Fear Chuck Norris

In light of the new Chuck Norris/Mike Huckabee ad below, here are some other well known and well documented facts about the great Kung Fu master.

* * * * * * * * * * *

In Pamplona, Spain, the people may be running from the bulls, but the bulls are running from Chuck Norris.

If you ask Chuck Norris what time it is, he always says, "Two seconds 'til." After you ask, "Two seconds 'til what?" he roundhouse kicks you in the face.

There is no theory of evolution, just a list of creatures Chuck Norris allows to live.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool Chuck Norris once and he will roundhouse you in the face.

Chuck Norris ordered a Big Mac at Burger King, and got one.

Chuck Norris played Russian Roulette with a fully loaded gun and won.

Some people wear Superman pajamas. Superman wears Chuck Norris pajamas.

Chuck Norris roundhouse kicks don't really kill people. They wipe out their entire existence from the space-time continuum.

Chuck Norris can slam a revolving door.

Along with his black belt, Chuck Norris often chooses to wear brown shoes. No one has DARED call him on it. Ever.

Ninjas want to grow up to be just like Chuck Norris. But usually they grow up just to be killed by Chuck Norris.

According to Einstein's theory of relativity, Chuck Norris can actually roundhouse kick you yesterday.

If at first you don't succeed, you're not Chuck Norris.

Fear is not the only emotion Chuck Norris can smell. He can also detect hope, as in "I hope I don't get a roundhouse kick from Chuck Norris."

Behind every successful man, there is a woman. Behind every dead man, there is Chuck Norris.

When Bruce Banner gets mad, he turns into the Hulk. When the Hulk gets mad, he turns into Chuck Norris.

Chuck Norris never goes to the dentist because his teeth are unbreakable. His enemies never go to the dentist because they have no teeth.

Chuck Norris doesn't see dead people. He makes people dead.

Those aren't credits that roll after Walker Texas Ranger. It is actually a list of fatalities that occurred during the making of the episode.

Rules of fighting: 1) Don't bring a knife to a gun fight. 2) Don't bring a gun to a Chuck Norris fight.

Funniest Political Ad Ever

Hungering for the Word

Liu Zhenying is an exiled house church planter from China. I recently read part his autobiography. He is known by friends as Broter Yun. Brother Yun accepted Christ after hearing his mother tell him the gospel story. He had never seen a Bible. After his conversion, he began to pray for a copy of God's word. Here's what happened in his words:

"I went home, and every morning and afternoon I ate and drank nothing. Every evening I ate just one small bowl of steamed rice. I cried like a hungry child to his heavenly Father, wanting to be filled with his word. For the next one hundred days I prayed for a Bible, until I could bear it no more. My parents were sure I was losing my mind." (The Heavenly Man, page 28)

He goes on to describe how there was another man who owned a Bible but out of fear of persecution, had buried it in his back yard. God put it on this person's heart to dig it up and send it to Liu's home and thus, his prayer was answered.

I can't help but be challenged by the thought of a man fasting for one hundred days, praying for a copy of the Bible, when most American Christians own several copies and never read them. May our hunger for God's Word be just as great as Brother Yun's!

"Teach Us to Pray"

It's a real blessing to teach your children how to pray. But I encountered a new blessing last night: Listening to one of your children teach another one how to pray! As Brenda and Jesse were hanging out last night, Brenda told Jesse just what to say and he repeated after her word for word! He thanked God for mommy, daddy and the baby in mommy's belly. He also thanked God for missionaries, which he had no chance whatsoever of pronouncing, but he tried anyway. He wrapped it up with "In Jesus' name, Amen." There's a very real possibility that Brenda will grow up and make it her aim to lead her siblings to the Lord before Mommy or Daddy do! Of course, neither of them understand yet what they are saying, but if the habit is there now, the deeper meaning will come later. Hopefully, everything Brenda teaches her younger siblings will be equally beneficial!

Is Fred Thompson Pro-Life?

After reading his comments on meet the press, I'd have to say no. You can't claim that abortion should be legal in some states but not others and call yourself pro-life.

It is my heart-felt prayer that there would be such a revival in America that a respect for the sanctity of life would become the norm in both parties. Whatever your thoughts on the 2006 elections, we saw a definite increase in the number of democratic pro-lifers and that is a good thing!

90 days out, 13,000 to go

Florida For Marriage is an ongoing attempt to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot in the state of Florida defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman. For such a vote to take place, 611,009 signatures are needed. We're currently 13,000 short. If you have not signed a petition, now's the time. We're ninety days away from the deadline if it's to be on the 2008 ballot.

Get a petition by clicking here.

Happy Reformation Day!

Exactly 490 years ago today, the reformation was begun. As Christians, October 31 is a day to celebrate. We may not agree with everything Luther believed, but we acknowledge the spiritual debt we owe to Luther and how we have benefitted from him. To learn more, click here.

From the Court to the Pulpit

Let's be in prayer for the members of our Supreme Court. Yesterday they heard arguments regarding the ban on child pornography. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals already struck this law down, so pray that the Supreme Court will reinstate it.

Those who wish to toss the child porn ban cited their concern that free speech would be eroded or that people not engaging in or circulating child pornography would be charged. They argued that the movie "Titanic" could fall under the category of child porn. Some claimed that grandparents could be imprisoned for emailing pictures of toddlers wearing pajamas while sitting in bed. These, of course, are sham arguments made by people who care nothing about the safety of children. Congress did not pass this law to go after Leonardo Dicraprio. If this ban remains overturned, the message will be loud and clear: No attempt to prohibit the sexual exploitation of children will be respected by our courts. The implications are far reaching. If we raise a generation of children brought up exposed to smut, we'll reap what we've sown. Expect to see steep rises in rape and other sexual crimes. All because a handful of people and a few judges care more about the "rights" of online predators than they do the well being of children.

Few cases that our court addresses are as big as this one, in my opinion. Pray. Pray. Pray.

Here is the story about the case.

PS - I find it interesting that on the same day that this is going on, a transgendered "clergyman" is allowed to remain in his/her pulpit. See any connection here?

Disaster Relief in Southern California

For those of you who don't already know, the Southern Baptist Convention is the nation's third largest disaster relief organization. Teams are currently meeting vital needs of those impacted by fires in southern California. Here's the Baptist Press article below. If you want to donate to the southern California efforts, you can do so by clicking here.

Baptist relief units already serving victims of devastating wildfires burning in So. California

Oct. 23, 2007

By Mickey Noah
Baptist Press

SAN DIEGO, CALIF. (BP) – North American Mission Board missionary Dan Cookson’s San Diego home is safe for now, but the out-of-control wildfires blackening Southern California came too close for comfort.

“We’re fine for now and our home is okay,” said Cookson, the day after he, wife Tammy and two children were forced to evacuate the home they’ve shared since 2002. They spent Monday (Oct. 22) night in the local Vision San Diego office.

Cookson is a church starting strategist at Vision San Diego, where his wife also works.

“A friend called about 10 p.m. last night to say he was looking at our house and it was still standing,” Cookson said. “He was traveling around taking pictures for Baptist Press and sneaked into our neighborhood to see if our house was okay.

“We’ll try to go back this morning to change clothes, take showers and see about the air quality. If it all seems okay, then I guess we’ll stay at home. We’ll have to see if they will even let us back in or not.”

Cookson said he feels confident that his home will survive the fires because it is constructed of stucco and cement roofing tiles. Wood structures with cedar shake roofs are far more vulnerable, he explained.

North American Mission Board president Geoff Hammond pledged the agency’s assistance and asked Southern Baptists to be in prayer.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the residents of California as they endure this tragic fire and the devastation it’s caused,” Hammond said. “Please be in prayer as well for the local churches as they minister and the Southern Baptist disaster relief volunteers who are being activated.”

Don Hargis, men’s ministry specialist for the California Southern Baptist Convention and state disaster relief coordinator, said three kitchen units have been set up at First Baptist Church, Newhall, Calif., in north Los Angeles County, and cooking is already under way there.

Two feeding units at Bethel Southern Baptist Church in Escondido, and First Baptist Church of Mira Mesa -- close to an evacuation center at Mira Mesa High School – have also been deployed. A shower unit is also headed to the Escondido site.

“But both of these sites may have to be evacuated, so now we’re in a state of flux,” Hargis said. “We’re looking for a new place to deploy them.”

Working with Mickey Caison, NAMB’s director for disaster relief and adult volunteer mobilization, Hargis said plans call for an “incident command center” to be established in the Riverside area, located in the center of the 25 fires which have torched about 270,000 acres between the 130-mile stretch from Malibu south to San Diego, and 70 miles eastward into the California mountains.

“Four years ago, we had another fire that destroyed a million acres and 3,000 homes,” Hargis said. “That took six months to clean up, so we expect the same length of time for these fires.”

About 100 disaster relief volunteers have been mobilized so far, primarily to cook and serve food to firefighters and victims.

“We’ll be mobilizing a lot more volunteers before we’re through,” Hargis said.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the wind-fueled fires had destroyed about 900 homes and businesses in Southern California by the end of the second day. More than 500,000 people in San Diego County alone – like the Cooksons -- were told to evacuate.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called the fires “a tragic time for California,” and has declared a state of emergency in seven counties.

Sermon Podcast: "Marriage: Contract or Covenant"

Here is the link to a message I recently preached at FBCH on the Sanctity of Marriage Sunday, which we observe once a year.

How we understand marriage will not only shape our attitude towards it, but it will greatly determine the success or failure of a marriage. This message looks in Hosea 1-3 and illustrates the difference between seeing marriage as a contract and seeing it as a covenant.

By the way, this is also my first ever podcast sermon. Since it's an experiment, let me know if you have any problems. You have three options on the right, which include itunes, downloading it or establishing an RSS feed. Thanks to Joe for showing me how this is done.

Be Fruitful and Multiply

Here's some good news for those who worry about the declining influence of Christians upon the culture. A recent article by Chuck Colson indicates that Christians in America have far more babies than non-christians. The Christian birthrate is 41% higher than the non-christian birth rate and Christians have 78% more babies than "secular liberals."

It's no accident that "God-haters" also hate large families. But in an upcoming generation there will be a "boom" of Christians who vote, work, pay taxes and hopefully, evangelize.

Two observations: First, God wants us to grow by regeneration, not just generation. We don't have to wait for all these babies to grow up in Christian homes to have an impact. We can grow God's kingdom by bringing the lost to Christ. Secondly, the above impact depends upon Christians reaching their own children for Christ. We allow way too much of the world into our homes and many college freshmen raised in Christian homes quickly abandon the church.

Overall, I think it can be said that Christians often thrive in history by being faithful to the command to "be fruitful and multiply." Children are not only a gift from the Lord, but they are arrows (Psalm 127:3) to be shot as weapons into the spiritual darkness.

I Like Mike

Mike Huckabee is the man. He's the accomplished former Governor of Arkansas, and like another US president, is from a town called Hope. ("All I ask is, give us one more chance.") He is also running for president.

I want to encourage everyone to seriously consider voting for Gov. Huckabee in the upcoming primaries. This is an endorsement from me, not from the First Baptist Church of Homestead, which does not endorse candidates, of course. Let me tell you why I like Mike.

* Mike Huckabee does what's right, not what's convenient or popular.
* Mike Huckabee epitomizes "compassionate conservatism," much more so than the guy who first coined the phrase.
* Mike Huckabee has the smarts and eloquence to compete on the national stage.
* Mike Huckabee is strongly pro-life, but unlike some, he doesn't stop caring about children once they're out of the womb.
* Mike Huckabee addresses issues like the environment, corporate greed and social injuctice in a manner that reminds me of the boldness of Old Testament prophets.
* Mile Huckabee has some great ideas on taxes and health care.

Here is a sample of Huckabee's quotes. Note in particular his response to the evolution question during a republican presidential debate. Here is his web site.

American Idol, Eat Your Heart Out!

VACATION!

I'll be leaving tomorrow for two weeks of R & R. The first week we'll mainly be seeing family. The second week we'll mainly be camping at the beach. It will all culminate with me and three friends at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium on September 9 to see the Jacksonville Jaguars take on the evil Tennessee Titans. I'll blog more when I get back, but don't assume I'll be posting before then.

Before we go, let me recommend another book. I just finished up Irresistible to God by Steve Gallagher. I've had this book on my shelf for some time and finally got to it. WOW. The topic of the book is pride and Steve mines that topic more than any other book I've read. God used it to show me a lot of things in my life and I can't imagine anyone reading it and not be challenged in a great way. Pick up a copy here.

Will Missouri voters make an about face on human cloning?

Lost in all of the discussion amid last fall's election cycle is the fact that voters in Missouri, by a 51-49% majority, passed a state amendment allowing for stem cell research that destroys human life. This is bad enough, but what made it worse is that the bill also legalized one particular form of human cloning. Supporters of "Amendment Two", as it was known, claimed that it actually banned cloning. The summary of the amendment that voters read in the voting booth claimed that it banned cloning. However, the bill itself was about 2,000 words long. Hidden in the amendment was an exception for "Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer" which is the particular type of cloning that was used to clone "Dolly the Sheep."

You're probably wondering, "How is it possible for voters to pass an amendment "banning cloning" but then that same amendment actually turns out to make cloning legal? How is it that an entire state could be so duped? In essence, they changed the definition of cloning. It's not cloning, they figure, if they destroy the human life before it has a chance to be born. It's only cloning, they figure, if a birth certificate is involved. They can claim that they are banning cloning, even though they are cloning humans all the day long and destroying the evidence, as if it never happened.

Make no mistake about it: Human cloning is currently legal in Missouri. Concerned citizens in every state should keep an eye on this case. "Cures Without Cloning" is an initiative in Missouri which aims to place an amendment on the ballot next fall making all human cloning illegal. Let's pray they are successful and let's remember that if human cloning can be sneaked into the Missouri constitution, it can be sneaked into the constitution of any state. Human cloning supporters lack the courage to come through the front door of the law. Expect them to always try to use the back.

Here is the web site for "Cures Without Cloning." Check it out and see for yourself.

I'm Rated "R"?

My youth pastor showed me a Christian web site the other day that had this blog "Rated R." Naturally, this was a surprise to me. How could my blog be rated "R" when there is no vulgarity or profanity whatsoever? Well, it turns out that my blog contains the word "suicide" (see the article on the so called "Right to Die" below) and the word "sex" (see the article on the treatment of homosexuality below). For that, I'm rated "R!" Who would have thunk it?

The Treatment of Homosexuality

Tim Wilkins is a good friend of mine who lives in Wake Forest, North Carolina. He is a happily married father of three. He is also a former homosexual. Tim spoke at my church a few years ago and shared his testimony. The media got ahold of it and before you knew it, Tim was fired from his secular job, even though his travels to FBC Homestead took place during personal, not company, time. Fortunately, God is sovereign and his job's termination wound up springing him into full time ministry. He wrote an interesting article about the efforts of the American Psychological Association to ban any counseling with the goal of helping those out of homosexuality who have unwanted same sex attractions. Here it is (reprinted with permission!)...

The Church, the APA and Homosexuality

By Tim Wilkins

The American Psychological Association (APA) recently met and a task force of that organization is to determine if forms of counseling that steer interested individuals away from homosexuality should be banned.

Recently a letter was sent to the APA’s Board of Directors- representing scores of religious leaders from various denominations, churches, organizations and universities. In brief, the letter asked that the task force take into consideration the religious beliefs of counselees who have unwanted same-sex attractions. It is believed by many that the APA is left-leaning and anti-religious, particularly when the religious views support the belief that homosexual behavior is sin.

At this writing, conservative spokespersons are offering a running commentary on the task force- which is expected to present a preliminary report to the APA’s Board of Directors in December.

Before I launch in a different, though I would argue, biblical direction, let me say I added my name to that letter. While I believe it crucial that counselors maintain the right to assist persons with unwanted same-sex attractions, I must remind my Christian brothers and sisters that God has not empowered the APA to deal with homosexuality; that righteous responsibility belongs to the Church.

Many Americans have long lamented the outsourcing of labor to other countries. Why? Of the reasons given, one is ‘cheap labor’. Another reason is that some people from foreign countries gladly accept ‘menial work’ while many Americans detest it.

It may be that outsourcing is legitimate in today’s global climate, but the work of God can never be outsourced.

I believe evangelicals long to see God work; we want to see a miracle, but few of us want to be a miracle. Being a miracle means investing oneself in another person who needs to know Christ and experience forgiveness. Jesus called this process “making disciples” and evangelicals have, for all time, labeled Jesus’ pronouncement “The Great Commission.”

In its May 2003 edition, Christianity Today featured Larry Crabb. Crabb has a Ph. D. in clinical psychology and yet he eventually “turned his back on diagnostic counseling methods in order to care for people’s souls in an unpredictable, unprofessional, fickle, and, in his opinion, most useful context: caring relationships.”

Crabb believes healing of non-organic disorders “should not be in the hands of specialists-it should be in the hands of the church.” People needing relational healing have had to turn to psychotherapists. “The therapeutic revolution has been an indictment of the church” said Crabb. “The deepest longings for significance and security going on inside my clients are needs that God actually intended to meet through the community of believers.” “I believe that God has ordained the local church to be his primary instrument to his people’s aches and pains.”

You may agree with Crabb as he addressed hurting people in general, but question whether the Church has a biblical precedent as it relates to homosexuals in particular. Indeed, it does!

This precedent is based on a simple reading of 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (Emphasis added)

Individuals who were previously homosexual were no longer homosexual according to this text. We should ask “what was the dynamic of this church in which people were finding freedom from homosexuality?” Was this a perfect congregation? Was it characterized by unity? Did this church model Christ flawlessly? The answer is “No - on all counts.”

The “First Church of Corinth” exhibited factions and gossip. Believers were suing each other in court. A man was having an affair with his step-mother. Members argued over who had the “prestigious” spiritual gifts.

The Corinthian church, like most churches today, was similar to Noah's ark. “If it weren't for the storm outside, you couldn't stand the smell inside.” And yet something powerful was at work in this church. The APA did not exist. Cross Ministry, which this writer directs, had not been established. Cognitive therapy had not yet been fashioned.

The Corinthian church had something most current churches apparently do not have—a “hands-on/no outsourcing” attitude to sin. If we attempt to rationalize “that was then, this is now” we make ourselves to be cessasionists on this issue and in so doing, imply “once a homosexual - always a homosexual.”

Two churches which appear to have caught what the Corinthian congregation was doing (or being) are Brooklyn Tabernacle in Brooklyn, NY and First Baptist in Woodstock, GA. I am sure there are others.

Maybe the remedy to today’s plateaued and declining churches is a more “hands-on approach.” Such an approach, if taken seriously and steadfastly, could rejuvenate churches across the country - and while ‘farming out’ menial labor may be appropriate in the secular world, helping people out of sin is neither “menial” nor contrary to the work of the body of Christ.

However, such an approach must be motivated, not by as one church member groaned “we need more members”, but by the fact that people need the Lord.

In a 2004 article on homosexuality the passionate and compassionate Dr. R. Al Mohler wrote “Evangelical Christians must ask ourselves some very hard questions, but the hardest may be this: Why is it that we have been so ineffective in reaching persons trapped in this particular pattern of sin?”

It may be that the Church’s real or perceived lean toward outsourcing is one answer to Mohler’s piercing question.

A Disturbing Trend

OK, I've got to get this off my chest. Technology both helps and hurts us as the church to accomplish our mission. It hurts us when church members use the internet to broadcast their complaints about the church before the world.

This has been a disturbing trend as of late. Some of the finest and largest churches in the SBC have recently been in the news because a handful of disgruntled members started web sites for the purpose of attacking their own church or its leaders. Three "flagship" churches in the SBC are currently dealing with this issue. I will not name them, but most of you will know these churches and their pastors well.

Personally, I believe that members who use the internet to voice complaints rather than voice them internally are subject to church discipline. When Jesus prayed for future believers prior to the cross, his one prayer was for our unity. He said that the world will know that we are his disciples by our love. It is unbiblical, divisive and unnecessary to use the internet in this way. That being said, our churches had better have ways to allow members to voice their concerns so they don't think they have to do this. But perhaps we should also be more proactive in communicating what a serious offense this is...before it ever happens. Fortunately, our church has never had to deal with this problem. I pray we never do.

What's Wrong with the "Right to Die?"

Albert Mohler wrote a great article about the "Right to Die" movement and why, as Christians, we should oppose it. While he makes many excellent points, perhaps the best is that history has shown us that the "Right to Die" is always followed by the "Duty to Die."

Here is the article...

The state of Oregon legalized a form of assisted suicide in 1994, but its neighbor to the south, the nation's most populous state, has no such provision. Efforts in California to pass legislation allowing assisted suicide have failed five times over the past fifteen years. California has adopted liberal legislation on any number of controversial issues, but not this one. Why? Assisted suicide proposals have been thwarted by disability rights activists.

The logic of the disability rights movement is easy to understand. Once a society adopts a right to die as a matter of policy, a duty to die cannot be far behind. This logic is already evident when it comes to babies born with Down syndrome. Among many doctors and ethicists, the question has shifted from the right of parents to abort a baby diagnosed with Down syndrome to a duty to abort.

These doctors and ethicists frame the question this way: What right do you have to bring such a child into this world when we already face huge social costs of health care and face scarce resources? This is the logic of the Culture of Death, but it is a logic now argued rather openly.

Disability rights activists understand that this same logic threatens persons with disabilities. When does the argument for a right to die morph into an argument for a duty to die? The question is not merely a matter of intellectual interest. It is a question of life or death.

"Many disability rights activists contend that the increasingly cost-conscious healthcare system, especially health maintenance organizations, inevitably would respond to legalized suicide by withholding expensive care from the disabled and terminally ill until they chose to end their lives."

Paul Longmore, a history professor at San Francisco State University, argued that assisted suicide would lead to inequities and would not be limited to those with a terminal illness. "Our concern is not just how this will affect us. Given the way the U.S. healthcare system is getting increasingly unjust and even savage, I don't think this system could be trusted to implement such a system equitably, or confine it to people who are immediately terminally ill."

His concerns are clearly justified. These patterns are already clear in countries such as the Netherlands, where the so-called "Dutch cure" now includes policies for infanticide when a baby is born with severe abnormalities. Professor Longmore is also right when he asserts that the grounds for assisted suicide will be broadened beyond what is sold to the public when the legislation is adopted. A look just to the north will be sufficient to prove that point.

Even if legislation could protect those with disabilities from the threat of involuntary elimination, how long will it be before the disabled, the elderly, and others requiring extra care begin to wonder if their loved ones would not be better off with them gone?

Calls for assisted suicide arise at the intersection of human despair and political opportunity. The absence of a Christian worldview leaves personal autonomy as the foundation of ethical choice. Death becomes, of all things, a matter of individual rights.

The only real alternative to this logic is the framework of the biblical worldview -- a worldview that understands every single human life to be sacred, every individual to possess full human dignity, all life to be a stewardship, and death to be a matter for God, not we ourselves, to decide.

Make no mistake. When death is claimed as a right, it will soon become a duty. You don't have to be in a wheelchair to see where that leads.

Did Dan curse the Jaguars?

January 15, 2000 is a day that will live in infamy for Dolphins fans. On that day, Dan Marino played in his final professional football game in the divisional round of the playoffs against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The result? A 62-7 shellacking. Not the way a hall of fame quarterback ought to go out. It was such a bad day, the Jags were leading 41-0 in the second quarter when Marino hit Orande Gadsden for his final TD and only score of the game.

But the question has since been asked...Did Marino put a curse on the Jags in repayment for such a disgraceful exit? Consider the facts:

* The worst defeat in the history of the Jaguars franchise, the one that to this day causes Jag fans like myself to awaken at night screaming in cold sweats, was the FOLLOWING weekend when the evil Tennessee Titans won the AFC title game on our turf and went on to the super bowl.

* The 62-7 victory spun the Jaguars into a tailspin of defeat. In the four years following they went 24-40. (They went 45-19 during the 4 years before Marino's last game!)

* The Jaguars have not won a playoff game since emasculating Dan.

* Dan's number was #13, which of course is an unlucky number. Thus, one could argue that his bad luck was being transferred to the Jaguars on that January day, cleverly disguised as good fortune.

* Perhaps here is the most convincing evidence that the Jaguars have been cursed by Dan: Marino rhymes with Bambino.

There you have it, folks. If the Jags have any hopes of winning the Super Bowl, they must find a way to get back in Dan's good graces. Offer him a job. Pay him off. Buy him a new Jaguar. Whatever it takes. He must be pacified.

Who wins when a 200 pound Jaguar fights a 300 pound Anaconda?

It's time for the annual Jags/Dolphins game. Although the game itself is meaningless (preseason), I have to hype it up somehow. So for all you Dolphin fans who think you're tough, check out the link below and watch what happens when a black Jaguar takes on an anaconda. You might wanna remember that when my Jags take the field at Dolphins stadium this Saturday night.

http://www.maniacworld.com/Jaguar-vs-Anaconda.html

Big news from Brenda and Jesse

We need names! We had a girl name (Brenda Ellen) but used it. We had a boy name (Jesse William) but used it. Now we don't know what to do! So send us your suggestions or we're gonna wind up with a Belshazzar Elaine on our hands.

Can we please stop beating up Calvinists?

Every Southern Baptist pastor in the state of Florida recently got a four part video series preached by Jerry Vines called "Baptist Battles." In one of those messages, he preached against the "danger" of Calvinism. The Florida Baptist Convention sent this out, using I presume, Cooperative Program dollars. As a result, a number of pastors raised the necessary $20,000 to mail a rebuttal DVD called "Amazing Grace: The History and Theology of Calvinism" to every SBC pastor in Florida.

While the cheap side of me can appreciate someone sending me free CD's/DVD's, I fail to see the benefit of this kind of infighting. Calvinism/predestination does not fall in what Baptists would call the "essentials" of the faith. This is a secondary issue. We can agree to disagree. I'm not a 5 point Calvinist. However, I pastor alongside my Spanish pastor who is. We have often shared the gospel together with a lost person, side by side. We have gone on mission trips together. There has never been an issue. He has preached in my pulpit.

Actually, I believe that both "Baptist Battles" and "Amazing Grace" are well done and make for a good summary of both positions on this issue. I recommend them both. I just hate that money is being spent by Baptists in order to fight one another when that money could have gone to evangelism or missions.

What would revival look like in America?

I listened to a great message by Voddie Baucham recently which he preached at the Founders Fellowship Breakfast at the Southern Baptist Convention. In it, he talked about what revival would look like and what it would not look like if it oocurred in our churches across America. Ask most people about revival and they say it involves full church buildings filled weekly with passion and excitement. However, all of these things are true of a typical football game. Yet, we wouldn't call that revival. Voddie's message got me re-thinking about revival. I began to consider the possibility that revival would initially result in a decline in our churches across the SBC.

Initially...

1. SBC denominational numers would plummet because we'd eliminate the millions of so-called "members" who couldn't be found by the FBI.
2. We might practice church discipline, causing our numbers to decline even further.
3. In some churches, revival would result in the whole counsel of the Word of God being taught, including the parts that are not popular. Preaching would be more than a self help pep talk. Those who come to hear those pep talks would leave and our numbers would decline even further.
4. Worship would become something more than a weekly concert that precedes weekly theater. This would result in the entertainment seekers leaving and thus, our numbers would decline even further.

But in the long run...

1. We’d be filled with new power and victory to live the Christian life. The world would see our walk matching our talk and it would be convicted.
2. Homes would be restored as men, women and children fulfill their Biblical roles.
3. Evangelism would come naturally to our people. You wouldn’t need to take a class to tell someone about Jesus.
4. The Sunday night attendance might rival the Sunday morning attendance, even when “just another sermon” is on the schedule.
5. Our denomination would have no problem sending out those 2,800 missionaries they’ve been praying for. They’d be flooded with prospects offering to serve and the churches would send all the money they needed since everyone would be tithing!
6. Teenagers wouldn’t abandon the faith as soon as they leave for college because they would be trained by Godly Dads and Moms who take the initiative to teach their children the Word of God. Thus we'd stop losing the next generation to the world.

I think you could argue that short term loss would probably result if revival took place, but long term growth would then follow. Feel free to share your thoughts on this matter and be sure to check out the above sermon if you have time. Either way, "Lord, send a revival!"

Responding to Criticisms

I found the following humorous tid bit on a church growth blog and thought it was worth passing along. Do any of the following criticisms sound familiar? (Not at FBCH, of course, but you know..other churches!)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

We, the deacons of your church, have listed the top ten criticisms we have received and have decided upon the following solutions for these complaints:

1. “I want more depth in the sermons”: For all sermons we will read the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts, therefore everyone in the congregation will be required to take Hebrew and Greek classes. Since these languages require constant study and usage, each member will be required to take these classes until they die.

2. “Nobody noticed when I was gone for three weeks”: From now on, each member of the congregation will be required to have placed on their ankle a tracking device so that we will know where they are at all times, including when they are at the lake, at the golf course, hunting, etc. Also, each member will be required to bring a doctor’s note stating that the member was actually sick and had an excuse for being out of church. The church will also start to use the phone tree system to give everyone a wake-up call on Sunday mornings so that they can get to church on time.

3. “Nobody cares about how I feel”: From now on, we will have a psychiatrist/psychologist/Christian counselor (the member will choose) available on Sunday mornings to help each member understand more about their feeling that no one cares about them. In addition, each member will be required to start caring for others in the congregation.

4. “I don’t know everybody anymore”: From now on each member of the congregation will be required to memorize the names and faces of each member of the congregation, including each new member that joins hereafter. Also, each member will be required wear a photo i.d. for identification purposes.

5. “The choir doesn’t sing my kind of music”: From now on, there will be no more choir or congregational singing but each seat in the sanctuary will be equipped with an IPOD and headphones to listen to your favorite type of Christian music during the worship service.

6. “We shouldn’t let those kinds of people into the church”: Beginning next week, each member will be required to have an “extreme makeover” so that everyone will look the same. Said makeover cost will be the responsibility of each member.

7. “All the church talks about is for me to give more money”: Beginning immediately, there will be no more offerings taken up during the worship services and each member will be required to tithe ten percent of their income by enrolling in a payroll deduction plan from their place of employment or enrolling in an automatic draft of their tithe from their bank. This way we will not have to ask for money again.

8. “The preacher talks too much about sacrifice”: Beginning next week, each member of the congregation will be required to play on a church softball team and advance at least one runner per game to another base by sacrifice bunt or a sacrifice fly so that each person can say they sacrificed something during the week.

9. “The worship services are boring”: Beginning next Sunday, the baptismal pool will have a wave machine installed to make the baptisms more fun. Also, Barnum and Bailey Circus will provide us with clowns to perform during the welcome time and the Harlem Globetrotters will provide us with a demonstration of their basketball skills during the invitation.

10. “The church is not going in the right direction”: Beginning next Sunday, we will no longer have a pastor to preach and lead the church but instead each member of the congregation will be required to go before the church and “share” their feelings about which direction the church ought to going. This should work out extremely well because so many in the congregation seem to know which direction we ought to be going because they have suddenly become experts in the field of church growth and church vision.

The Autobiography of George Mueller

Although I had read it some time ago, I found myself pulling the autobiography of George Mueller off my shelf while preparing for Sunday's message. For those of you who have never read it, it's one you don't want to miss. It's one of the best manuals on prayer you'll ever read.

For those of you who don't know, George Mueller was a nineteenth century pastor who wrote down thousands upon thousands of prayer requests and documented how God answered them. Many times the responses are nothing less than amazing.

A few favorite passages of mine...

June 25, 1834: "These last few days I have had very little real communion with God, and have therefore been irritable and weak spiritually."

June 26, 1834: "I rose early this morning and spent nearly two hours in prayer before breakfast. I now feel more comfortable."

September 29, 1835: " Last evening when I said goodbye to the family, I wanted to go to sleep at once. The weakness of my body and the coldness of the night tempted me to pray no longer. However, the Lord helped me to kneel before Him. No sooner had I begun to pray than His Spirit shone into my soul and gave me such a spirit of prayer as I had not enjoyed for many weeks. He graciously revived His work in my heart. I enjoyed that nearness to God and fervency in prayer for more than an hour. My soul had been panting for many weeks for this sweet experience."

On one occasion, George Mueller rebuked a member of his congregation for working all of the time, claiming that it was to "feed his family." Mr. Mueller replied, "My dear brother, it is not your work which supports your family, but the Lord. He has fed you and your family when you could not work at all because of illness. He would surely provide for you and yours, if, for the sake of obtaining food for your inner man, you worked fewer hours a day to give you proper time for rest."

Do yourself a favor and order a copy.

The Prayers of a Three Year Old

Not too long ago, something clicked during family devotion time. Brenda, my three year old daughter, suddenly decided she really likes to pray. Sure, she enjoyed it before, but only with lots of help focusing from Mom and Dad. Then suddenly, one night while sitting in my lap, she just started thanking God...for everything!

Thank you God for my pink blankie. Thank you God for my white blankie. Thank you God for my yellow blankie. Thank you God for Daddy's silver car and Mommy's blue van. Thank you God for this finger and this finger and this finger...(followed by a prayer for each of her toes). Thank you God for...hey Daddy, what's this? ("That's your wrist," Daddy supplied.) Thank you God for my wrist. Thank you God for Mommy, Daddy, Jesse-monster and Brenda. (She never fails to thank God for herself.) Thank you God for color red and purple. Thank you God for head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes. (Just like the song.) Thank you God for missiaries (missionaries). Thank you God for Osiel, Ramon, Jorge, Mario, Raffy and Lori (the six missionaries our church has "adopted."). Thank you God for Daddy loves Mommy. Thank you God for air (meaning air conditioning). Thank you God for lions. Thank you God for ducks. Thank you God for tv, moonies (movies), mukick (music) and dancing. Thank you God for church. Thank you God for Jesus and the boat (her favorite Bible story). Thank you God for Grandma and Grandpa.

At some point as the prayer went on (and on), Mommy suggested that she pray for her friends. Brenda replied, "Hush Mommy, I'm praying!"

I'm probably forgetting a good bit of what she thanked God for that night. But what a blessing to be reminded that we can thank God for everything that comes into our lives.

Why Nebo-Sarsekim Is Actually Important to Your Life

Jeremiah 39:3
"Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came and took seats in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officials of the king of Babylon."

Let's be really honest here. Some verses in the Bible are tough to digest. Sometimes, it's hard to read the minute details of God's Word and see how they apply to your life. If you've read the book of Jeremiah, you've read the above verse. If you gave it any thought, you probably wondered what was the big deal? Why did God decide to tell us that there was an officer in Babylon named Nebo-Sarsekim? How does that help me get through my day?

Well, it turns out that Nebo-Sarsekim was a pretty important guy. Yesterday, a report came out stating that the British Museum has obtained a 2,500 year old cuneiform tablet containing the name of Nebo-Sarsekim. It was a receipt for a financial transaction that took place involving this individual. What's the point? Nebo-Sarsekim is only mentioned in Jeremiah 39:3, almost as an afterthought. His name is about the most inconsequential detail anywhere in the Bible. And now we have archeological evidence that he was an officer in Babylon, just as the Bible says! It is proof that even when recording the most inconsequential tidbits of information, the Bible records it accurately!

Now let me ask you a question: If we can trust the Bible when it tells us about the officers in Babylon, can we not also trust it when it comes to weightier matters involving my life, my marriage, my decisions and my eternity? If the Bible is right about Nebo-Sarsekim, is it not also right about sin, forgiveness, heaven and hell?

I propose that God decided to include Nebo-Sarsekim in the pages of Scripture so that thousands of years later we'd have one more piece of evidence that the Bible is, in fact, the inspired, inerrant, infallible Word of God. And that's why Nebo-Sarsekim is important to my life and to yours!

2800

There is a number that is taking on increasing importance among Southern Baptists. That number is 2,800. Why is this number so special? No, it doesn't refer to 2,800 pot luck dinners, 2,800 baptist business meetings or 2,800 committees serving in every church!

This number represents the number of new missionaries needed by the International Mission Board of the SBC in order to appoint one missionary for every unreached people group left in the world. For those of you who pay attention when your pastor preaches on missions, there are a lot of people groups, most consisting of thousands upon thousands of people, that have no evangelical church or missionary presence of any kind. You may also know that not too long ago, this number was a lot bigger. That fact that it is now only 2,800 is proof that God is working.

Out of 45,000 churches, 2,800 missionaries might not seem like a great task. But it is when you consider that we currently only have around 5,200 missionaries and that adding 2,800 more represents $115 million more that our churches will need to give every year.

I really hope our churches will step up to the plate and accept this challenge. FBCH is gonna hear a lot about the number "2,800" in the next few years. Unfortunately, many of our fellow Baptist churches have decided that it's better to do missions on their own. They've decided that cooperation is no longer a good idea. Some of these churches choose to spend the money on themselves and they have big staffs, buildings and programs to show for it. So they must be on to something, right? Not so fast. For every SBC missionary we support, we see 91 baptisms per year. That's right, 91! There is not an SBC church out there that does missions individually that can compare with that. If you care more about the kingdom of God than you do your own local church, the best thing you can do is support missions through the IMB. I'll be praying about how my family can increase our giving to make 2,800 a reality. Would you do the same?

Up and runing!

To blog or not to blog? That is the question!

I've been debating about having a blog for some time now. After having breakfast with a friend who posed questions from a teenager in our church, I decided the time is now. We'll link this baby up with the First Baptist web site (www.fbchomestead.org) and hopefully we can get a tiny bit of the world wide web's attention focused here.

The main purpose of this blog is to provide an opportunity for members of First Baptist Church of Homestead to post questions that I will answer. These may be questions about a hard passage in the Bible or questions about how to handle a difficult situation. Of course, I imagine that sooner or later, people from outside our congregation will participate and that will be fine. I'll also post what I think is useful information from time to time. I'll be at the Southern Baptist Convention in San Antonio next week, for example, and I'll blog on that when I get back.

So, if you have any questions, send them this way. Comments are welcome, but any content that is offensive will be deleted faster than you can say "Sam I Am."

Because He Lives,
Pastor Howard