Is This a Promotion?

If all goes as planned and the Lord continues to bless, in less than one week our family will be moving to Mississippi as I assume my responsibilities as the leader of the state-wide ministry efforts. This is an exciting as well as a sad time for our family as I have been in Florida for almost twenty years and have developed some deep friendships that will never be the same once we move. As we have went through the process of announcing this assignment to our family and friends I have been at times a little perplexed by the response of some and it has caused me to spend a considerable amount of time reflecting on it.
I love the United States of America with all my heart and know that this country is the greatest ever in the history of the world. There are so many things that we do that have made the world what it is today and I have a deep sense of pride to be counted an American. However, there are aspects of our culture that we have allowed to infiltrate the church which have no place what-so-ever and this has been clearly evidenced by the remarks that have become all too common over the last several weeks. This has me wondering who came up with the idea of attempting to quantify every aspect of ministry as if the church were a soul saving factory and our success was simply determined by the numbers we place on the “board” (There is no actual board but we all act as if we have a scorecard that is being kept somewhere to which our worth as a Christian is determined.) and there is no place where this is more evident than in ministry leadership.
May I ask is the pastor of a church that has 35 on a good Sunday less effective than the pastor who speaks to thousands? Is a State Director of ministry doing a more important job than a Good News Club teacher? Do we really believe that we are to climb the “ladder of success” no differently than our CEO counterparts? Is our usefulness determined by the “nickels and noses” that come through the door each week? I’m sure that all of us would collectively recoil at the thought but the reality is that is exactly what we believe.
After being asked to consider applying for the position of State Director for CEF of Mississippi my wife and I never looked at it as a promotion, it is simply a different job that is no less or more important than any other job in this vital work. I believe that this idea that one job is somehow more important than any other has contributed greatly to the lethargy that is far too pervasive within American Christianity as many feel that their part is of no real importance and as such little effort is often exerted in the carrying out the duties assigned to each of us. May I suggest that in the “Organizational Structure” of the kingdom of God, Jesus Christ is the guy on top and everyone else is on the same level beneath Him and any position of supposed prominence is there simply for administrative purposes in the advancement of the kingdom of God and not the exaltation of the individual in question.
What is your job? Where has God called you to serve? May I encourage you to do it heartily as unto the Lord and forget what the other guy is doing?

What is a Christian School?

Recently, I had a conversation with a school official who purported to lead a “Christian School” and during our discussion this person shared with me the philosophy and strategy they used in educating the children who attend and I must say that I walked away from our talk very confused by this school’s definition of a “Christian School.” First, I learned that the curriculum they chose to use is a secular program of study and the question that immediately came to my mind is, “What is the purpose of a Christian school?” Are we simply isolating our children from the boys and girls whose parents do not attend church? It certainly seems that this is the case.
May I be so bold as to ask, what do we hope to accomplish through this? As the courses were outline that this school uses I was told that the science classes that the students were subjected to taught them evolution. Perhaps, I am the only one who believe this but evolution is not a theory, it is chapter and verse from hell. Why do we dismiss and minimize this fact? Is it that we are simply unwilling to even fight anymore? Evolution taught in a Christian school is an oxymoron as the two are diametrically opposed and can find absolutely no common ground on which to fellowship. It is logically impossible for this world to have been created by God and at the same time have evolved from nothing. Are we so afraid of being ridiculed by the likes of people such as Richard Dawkins and the supposed scientists in Ivy League Institutions that we fain belief that their propaganda is anything other than that?
As hard as it was for me to believe the things I was hearing I thought that surely this would be offset to some degree by their commitment to solid biblical exposition and teaching. You may image my utter disbelief to learn that while this “Christian School” does teach evolution, they do not teach the Bible. In fairness I must share that they do have a “devotional time” where the homeroom teacher offers an encouraging and inspirational thought that as best as I can discern is loosely and perhaps obliquely based on some sort of Bible type thing. In fact the response I received when I pressed to gain a clearer understanding as to what sort of Bible teaching took place was, “If you are asking if we do something like systematically go through the Bible, the answer is no.”
So the only thing that will matter for eternity, this “Christian School” has elected to forego, yet the one thing that will most readily secure the hellish destiny of those children i.e. the teaching of evolution they have embraced. The thing that our children need is not more “Christinanish” looking schools but followers of Jesus Christ to take seriously their responsibility to educate boys and girls for eternity. In fact I would submit that it would be better for a child to attend school in the most secular environment imaginable rather than being inoculated in this type of setting. At least there they could more clearly see the contrast.

Am I the only one who is sick of this?

It goes without saying that we have come to a place in our world in which it is increasingly difficult to trust the information available and as such I like to check a variety of sources for news. Today I read an article entitled, “Alabama immigration fight recalls civil rights era” and no matter who may agree or disagree I am going to take a side on this. I have become disgusted with every lawbreaker and deviant group in our country wrapping themselves in the struggles of the civil rights era and likening their problem to that of darker skinned Americans more than 40 years ago.
First I will preface my remarks by saying that I despise racism! It is not only the most ridiculous idea ever created, it also just shows the abject laziness of people in general to not like someone based on the color of their skin. Really; is this the best you can come up with to dislike someone based on the melanin content in a person’s skin? I do not want to be unkind but it really does not take a lot of effort to come up with a far more defensible reason to dislike someone than something a silly as that. To pick this as the position you will take is very slothful; certainly you could make better use of your God given cognitive faculties than that. The period in our nation’s history in which people were discriminated against is so antithetical to the foundation of our nation that the only way the concept can even be grasped is in the context of satanic influence. I praise God that this abomination has been stripped from our culture thanks to Him working through the efforts of several brave and honorable men and women who stood up against it. Their work should always remain a source of great pride to all Americans.
Sadly, however, the significance of their work is greatly diminished when we allow ne’er-do-wells to commandeer their sacrifice appropriating it in the name of any one of a variety of abhorrent causes. The one in question is this idea of illegal immigration. May I be so bold as to redirect your attention to the operative word, illegal? Immigration is wonderful when it is done legally; however, coming into this country illegally is a crime and is one of the pieces to the puzzle that make up the picture identifying why we are in the state we are in at this point. Alabama, along with a host of other states are attempting to, as part of a broad strategy to get our country back on track, address an important issue and I commend them for it.
Here again, however, we see the effects of the dumbing down of our country when we base our opinions on how we feel rather than any sort of well reasoned set of ideas. Public opinion is based solely on the outcomes of an effective marketing strategy and not due to truth or reality. Rather than dealing with the facts we are bombarded with heart-wrenching stories offered for no other reason than to elicit an emotional response irrespective of the fact that behind this tender story is a person or group that broke the law to get where they are. Then in an effort to not only punctuate the validity of their claim and to draw attention away from the facts it is wrapped up in the civil rights struggle almost as if to dare anyone to speak out against it.
I for one will not be shackled by this type of chicanery, illegal immigration has nothing to do with any sort of civil rights struggle and a mockery should be made of anyone attempting to join together these two diametrically opposed ideas.

Before Its Too Late

The work with the children here in east central Florida is flourishing and each day more and more children are being reached with the good news as we’re seeing God do some amazing things in the Good News Clubs. Just yesterday we started a club at Coronado Beach Elementary in New Smyrna and I was staggered by the event. Typically we average about 7% of the student population attending the Good News Club. Coronado Beach has about 300 students so we were eagerly expecting about 20 – 25 children, you can imagine my amazement when 47 boys and girls showed up the first day! May I ask you to stop for a moment and reflect on that number? That means that 12% of the student population showed up the first day to a club they never heard of. As I stood in that room watching the team interact with the children my attention was drawn to one particular volunteer, Shirley Howell. Shirley has been teaching for 25 years and we were actually in her classroom for Good News Club and the expression on her face as she watched the club unfold was incredible. It was clear to see that she was lost in the moment, overwhelmed with what was taking place. Right there in her classroom, boys and girls that she has given her life to educate were being taught about the Lord Jesus Christ. At the front of the room where day after day she has stood to teach math, science, reading, and more, in that very spot the Bible was open and the eternal truths of God’s Word were flowing into the ears of that children. After the club we spoke about it and with tears in her eyes she gave us a glimpse into the depth of her feelings about what was going on.
I have given my life to seeing that the children are reached with the gospel and many Sunday’s my family and I are unable to attend our church as we travel to other churches and I share God’s heart concerning the ministry to the children and the unprecedented opportunity that exists through the After school Good News Club. Please don’t misunderstand, there is great joy in the sacrifice, however, the powers of Hell are threatening the children and I MUST speak. Today I received and email from our CEF Vice President of USA ministries and I would like to share it with you. I would like to ask you to read this before I comment further, there are two links to other brief articles, please follow the link and read that as well.
“In June, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the New York City Board of Education has a legal right to block churches from using public school buildings for worship services. The ruling by this federal appeals court overturned a previous decision by a federal district court which upheld the right of churches to use the public schools on the same basis as any other community group. This decision affects about 60 churches in New York City, but clearly has broader implications for the entire nation since it was a decision made by a federal court.

Christianity Today published an online article about this recent ruling, which you can read here.

The federal district court which ruled in favor of churches using the public school buildings relied on the 2001 U.S. Supreme Court Good News Club® case for its decision. The appeals court, which overturned this decision, claimed that the Good News Club case did not apply because there is a difference between worship and religious speech. While teaching Bible lessons, singing, and memorizing verses (and other activities of a Good News Club) are all forms of allowed religious expression, a church worship service is religious activity which is not protected by the U.S Constitution, the court said.

This decision is expected to be appealed and could end up with the U.S. Supreme Court.

How should we respond to this situation?

First, we need to pray. Please pray with me that this decision will be overturned. Please pray that this case will not be used to infringe upon the equal access that we have to hold Good News Clubs in public schools in all 50 states.

Second, we need to continue the focus we have on after-school Good News Clubs. We have enjoyed full freedom to hold clubs in public schools throughout the U.S. for the past 10 years. This court case is a reminder that we should not take this freedom for granted. We need to do all we can, in God's strength, to reach into as many schools and reach as many children as possible while the door is still open.

I also want to make you aware of a book that is scheduled to be released this coming January. It is called The Good News Club: The Christian Right's Stealth Assault on America's Children. Here is an excerpt from the book's description on Amazon.com:
In 2009, the Good News Club came to the public elementary school where journalist Katherine Stewart sent her children. The Club, which is sponsored by the Child Evangelism Fellowship, bills itself as an after-school program of "Bible study." But Stewart soon discovered that the Club's real mission is to convert children to fundamentalist Christianity and encourage them to proselytize to their "unchurched" peers, all the while promoting the natural but false impression among the children that its activities are endorsed by the school.


You can read the full product description on Amazon.com here.

Please pray with me that God will use this book, written by someone who opposes our work, for good. Pray that the book will make Christians across America aware of the great freedom we have to hold Good News Clubs in public schools and that many clubs will be started as a result. Please also pray for the author of this book, Katherine Stewart, that God will draw her to Himself.”
I realize that some would read this and while they don’t like what’s happening they will do nothing about it. May I humbly share with you that the reason that our country is in the shape that it is in is because most Christians are content to stay on the sidelines and do little or nothing while Satan destroys the lives of most people and helps to ensure their place in Hell. Little by little our enemy has been chipping away at the foundations of this country and over and over Christians have been all too happy to turn over control of God honoring institutions and opportunities to demonic influence. Please Allow me to illustrate this:

“Most of the colleges in the United States that started over 300 years ago were Bible-proclaiming schools originally. Harvard and Yale (originally Puritan) and Princeton (originally Presbyterian) once had rich Christian histories. Harvard was named after a Christian minister. Yale was started by clergymen, and Princeton’s first year of class was taught by Reverend Jonathan Dickinson. Princeton’s crest still says “Dei sub numine viget,” which is Latin for “Under God she flourishes.””

With all due respect to the alumni of these schools, I have specifically told my children that I would weep if they ever tried to attend one of these schools and I would do all that is within my power to stop them because as the first president of Princeton once declared, “"cursed be all that learning that is contrary to the cross of Christ" And what they now teach is most assuredly cursed. These schools have went from institutions founded to glorify God as is stated in Harvard University’s rules for students in 1636, “Let every student be plainly instructed and earnestly pressed to consider well, the main end of his life and studies is, to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life, (John 17:3), and therefore to lay Christ in the bottom, as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and learning."

So how did these schools go from this wonderful beginning to little more than humanistic training grounds that damn to hell the souls of thousands? As the CEF song says, “Little by Little.” The slow steady erosion of biblical principles coupled with the dereliction of duty on the part of those charged with their care. Little by little the shift occurred because people simply did nothing!
Certainly this isn’t the only example, may I share one more? This one as it relates to our government”
“Like virtually all the state constitutions, the Delaware constitution of 1776 established a Christian State by requiring: Art. 22. Every person who shall be chosen a member of either house, or appointed to any office or place of trust . . . shall . . . make and subscribe the following declaration, to wit: "I ________, do profess faith in God the Father, and in Jesus Christ His only Son, and in the Holy Ghost, one God, Blessed for evermore; and I do acknowledge the holy scripture of the Old and New Testaments to be given by divine inspiration."[1]
Imagine if every one of the members of congress and the senate at both the state and local lever were held to this standard, what would our country look like right now? That was the case when our country was founded, however, again Little by little this too was eroded away until we are in the mess that we are in.
Right now we have an open door to go into the public elementary schools and teach these children what they need to know so that they can make a decision to receive Christ and get off the road to Hell and the only thing stopping us is the need for people. What will it take? Will this window of opportunity in the public elementary schools close and we will be left to do nothing but sit in Starbucks and reminisce over a $5 cup of coffee about the time that we could have gone into the schools to reach the children and instead we had other things to do? I beg you in the name of Jesus, please help children are going to hell and please don’t comfort yourself with the thought that God’s will is going to be done and the gates of hell will not overcome it. God’s will is for us to not be just hearers of the Word we Must do something.
1. Please pray for the children and pray that God will forbid this court decision from impacting our work with the children.
2. No matter how busy your life is please chose to be involved, the children need you.
3. Tell others. Realize that some may think you are strange for sounding the alarm but it is only because they like to stay where it’s comfortable.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this.

Would you like to be a human cannon ball?

Bob Kuechenberg, a former Miami Dolphins football player, once explained what motivated him to go to college. He said his father and uncle were human cannonballs in carnivals. My father told me, "go to college or be a cannonball." Then one day my uncle came out of the cannon, missed the net and hit the Ferris wheel, I decided to go to college.
There’s nothing like seeing a family member hurling headlong into a piece of carnival equipment to motivate a change in your career path. What is it that motivates you? All of us have something that moves us or sometimes keeps us from moving as the case may be. In Mark 10 we read about a man who had his motivations challenged by Jesus. It seems that this man understood, at least to a degree, who Jesus was and came to Him one day to ask what he needed to do to receive eternal life. The Lord began to share with him a number of the commandments that centered around his relationships to others, “Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud , Honor thy father and mother.”
His reply to this astounds me as he piously said in verse 20, “Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up.” You can almost see the slight smile break across Jesus’ face as he then puts His finger right on this mans heart when He says, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
His expression must have changed to that of utter amazement. He was so sure that all that outward stuff he did would hide his hearts real motivation. For all the pretense he displayed to the world, his real God was his stuff. The accumulation of things was what motivated this man.
As you honestly examine your life this morning do you own your things or do your treasures own you? To differing degrees I think this is something that holds most of us. Our culture has an infatuation with stuff, and believers are as caught in it as the rest of the world. Accumulating property and possessions is our national pastime and it doesn’t always have to be worldly things either. I have a friend who jokes about his compulsion with buying Bibles. He just can’t resist the urge to buy a new Bible with a different translation, different size, various study helps just wanting something new is what it comes down to.
Do you find yourself in this trap? Luke 12:15 says that, “a man's life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possess.” Being a slave to possessions can become such a subtle trap that you become ensnared and not even realize it.
The man that Jesus spoke with probably felt that holding on to things he owned only made sense. After all, why trade off my pleasure and security for God stuff? Think about where all the things he was so unwilling to let go of are today. Even worse, consider where he is today if he held this course. Is it worth it now? Was it worth it then? I once read a comment from Christina Onassis, daughter of the wealthy Aristotle Onassis in which she said, “Happiness is not based on money. And the best proof of this is our family."
May I challenge you to do something very difficult? Will you allow God to examine your life and determine if there is something you’ve put before Him? It doesn’t necessarily have to be money. It could be a job, a possession, even a relationship. Whatever it is that is creating distance in your relationship, will you confess it before God and ask Him to help you forsake it. Allow the Lord Jesus to be the motivation of your life. And if you find yourself struggling with whether you should be a human cannon ball or going to college, I’d say “Go Gators”
God Bless and be sure to live out your faith today.