On this wet Saturday morning I will be traveling to the Beckley area. This will be two Saturday's in a row that I have been in Beckley. I was there last week to officiate a wedding ceremony. This week I will be there to participate on the ordination council of the Youth Pastor at Daniels Bible Church. Mike Manney was one of the teens at Limerick Chapel when I worked as an assistant pastor there.
Mike and his wife Melissa are both from Limerick and I had the privilege of providing them with premarital counseling when they were finishing up as students at Appalachian Bible College. They both love the Lord and are eager to reach this generation for Jesus. It will be a joy to be a part of this special day in their lives.
For Melissa, the day should be rather smooth. She will be asked to share her testimony and whether or not she stands with her husband in vocational Christian service. Mike on the other hand will probably have a longer day. He will be asked to relate his theological and biblical knowledge to practical ministry in today's world. He will be asked by the council (which is made up of several pastors and the elders of his church) questions which will require more than a pat Bible answer. The question and answer time of the council will last for about 5 to 6 hours in total.
It is not the job of the council to "call" Mike into ministry--God does that. It is our job to recognize that call and to evaluate whether or not he is properly equipped with the biblical understanding needed to serve the Lord in today's world. We will not be seeking the answers to theological questions we have not been able to answer. This is not the time to play "stump the young guy." We want to prayerfully be used of God to help Daniels Bible Church evaluate his preparedness for ministry and encourage Mike to be the best servant for Christ he can be.
Usually, ordination councils remind me of my own ordination and how incredible it is that God uses me in ministry for His glory. What a joy it is to serve Christ!
Saturday, April 30, 2005
Monday, April 04, 2005
Have You Heard?
Have you heard the news? Pope John Paul II died Saturday. The 24 hour news channels have covered little else in the world. The eyes of not only Roman Catholics but people everywhere are fixed on what is taking place in Rome. Why has all of this attention gone to the death of one man?
For Catholics everywhere their earthly shepherd of the last quarter of a century is gone. For others a powerful voice in the world is gone. Billy Graham referred to John Paul II as "a great moral voice of a generation." Even for those that are not Catholic, there is an admiration of his ability to take strong stands for morality, while at the same time doing it with a tone of graciousness. He is the one who coined the phrase "a culture of life" when addressing the issue of the sanctity of human life. He has been the voice that has transcended cultures and crossed national borders in support of a biblical perspective on the family. He added greatly to the moral and philosophical discourse of our modern times. The world has suffered the loss of a leader who often repeated a view of morality from a biblical point of view.
His passing gives God's people a great opportunity to point to the one true mediator between God and man—Christ Jesus. With the deaths of Pope John Paul II and the Terry Schiavo, people all around us are asking life and death questions in light of eternity. Folks are wondering what exactly provides the bridge from a life marred by sin to eternal life with God. They are wondering what it takes to know that they are at peace with God. They question how they can experience the complete and total forgiveness of God. Jesus is the answer. He is the mediator and has finalized the mediation in His death, burial, and resurrection. God's grace saves a person as he or she express faith in Who Christ is and what He has done. Each person must choose to accept Jesus as the mediator between himself or herself and God.
Now, as the world faces life and death issues, is a wonderful time for us to share the incredible hope found in Jesus Christ and in Him alone. People are pondering the basic questions of eternity. Are you ready to answer their questions with the Good News of Jesus Christ?
For Catholics everywhere their earthly shepherd of the last quarter of a century is gone. For others a powerful voice in the world is gone. Billy Graham referred to John Paul II as "a great moral voice of a generation." Even for those that are not Catholic, there is an admiration of his ability to take strong stands for morality, while at the same time doing it with a tone of graciousness. He is the one who coined the phrase "a culture of life" when addressing the issue of the sanctity of human life. He has been the voice that has transcended cultures and crossed national borders in support of a biblical perspective on the family. He added greatly to the moral and philosophical discourse of our modern times. The world has suffered the loss of a leader who often repeated a view of morality from a biblical point of view.
His passing gives God's people a great opportunity to point to the one true mediator between God and man—Christ Jesus. With the deaths of Pope John Paul II and the Terry Schiavo, people all around us are asking life and death questions in light of eternity. Folks are wondering what exactly provides the bridge from a life marred by sin to eternal life with God. They are wondering what it takes to know that they are at peace with God. They question how they can experience the complete and total forgiveness of God. Jesus is the answer. He is the mediator and has finalized the mediation in His death, burial, and resurrection. God's grace saves a person as he or she express faith in Who Christ is and what He has done. Each person must choose to accept Jesus as the mediator between himself or herself and God.
Now, as the world faces life and death issues, is a wonderful time for us to share the incredible hope found in Jesus Christ and in Him alone. People are pondering the basic questions of eternity. Are you ready to answer their questions with the Good News of Jesus Christ?
Sunday, April 03, 2005
Disoriented by Time
I grew up near South Bend, Indiana. We did not change our clocks according to Daylight Savings Time (DST). We never sprung ahead or fell back at all. We never lost an hour of sleep or gained an hour of sleep. We did notice that Primetime on the TV changed an hour twice a year. That was the only disruption to our lives regarding DST.
I will never forget the first time I adjusted my clock back an hour. It was in the fall of 1985 as a freshman at Appalachian Bible College. The Head Resident of the dormitory posted a sign telling us to fall back an hour that night; how weird it was to actually "lose an hour" by adjusting my clock. It seemed like we were messing with what God had built into creation. We were playing with the universe itself.
Since that time, I have changed my clocks twice a year. I don't suppose I will ever get over this awkward and disorienting process. Today, I have struggled to figure out if I am on time or if I am late. My body feels the loss of an hour and longs for the fall when I will gain it back. Changing the clock for DST may give us longer summer days, but it sure confuses me each time we do it.
I have been reminded by today's change of the clock, that God is the one who has set the entire universe in motion. He is the one who keeps it running on schedule. He is the sustainer of all that He has made. Even when we must move our clocks, God is still aware of all that is happening and is still in control. While I get a little disoriented in life with simple things like DST, God never gets disoriented. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
I will never forget the first time I adjusted my clock back an hour. It was in the fall of 1985 as a freshman at Appalachian Bible College. The Head Resident of the dormitory posted a sign telling us to fall back an hour that night; how weird it was to actually "lose an hour" by adjusting my clock. It seemed like we were messing with what God had built into creation. We were playing with the universe itself.
Since that time, I have changed my clocks twice a year. I don't suppose I will ever get over this awkward and disorienting process. Today, I have struggled to figure out if I am on time or if I am late. My body feels the loss of an hour and longs for the fall when I will gain it back. Changing the clock for DST may give us longer summer days, but it sure confuses me each time we do it.
I have been reminded by today's change of the clock, that God is the one who has set the entire universe in motion. He is the one who keeps it running on schedule. He is the sustainer of all that He has made. Even when we must move our clocks, God is still aware of all that is happening and is still in control. While I get a little disoriented in life with simple things like DST, God never gets disoriented. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Saturday, April 02, 2005
Terri Schiavo - Death and Life
Over the past several weeks, I have been asked many questions regarding the Terri Schiavo situation. The whole thing has been an unpleasant mess for us as a nation. Some have concluded that the husband wanted her to die so that he could selfishly continue life as he wants it—free from any responsibility for her. Some have concluded that the parents have been selfishly delusional about her recovery and that their attempts to keep her alive are all about them rather than about her.
Through our media resources, it is hard to get an accurate picture of people on the surface let alone try to determine at a distance what their motivations are. I have made it clear in my conversations with folks inside and outside the Bible Center family as well as in interviews with the local media that I believe in difficult life and death issues we must always as a culture and in our laws err on the side of life. Providing food and water to a living being is basic to decent humanity. My purpose in this blog today is not to address the biblical foundations for this perspective, but to point out that all of the life and death issues we face (including the Schiavo case) are the result of man's sin.
It was in the paradise of the Garden of Eden that it all started. When Adam and Eve believed a lie from Satan and then acted on that lie by disobeying God, part of the curse was death. Death began its ugly and dark reign in humanity. From the point sin entered the human race, death has lingered like a thick dark, damp cloud chilling and shrouding lives ever since. God said it would be this way, but God also has provided Christ as the way in which the curse was lifted. His passion for us in His death, burial and resurrection has conquered the grip of death. Through faith in Christ the sting of death is removed for the individual and the hope of eternal life with Christ is granted.
The Schiavo situation has raised practical and philosophical issues that must be addressed, but the issues are even more complex than we see on the surface. While our nation grapples with the societal and scientific implications of the life and death issues, as God's children we must proclaim that this is all linked to the curse of sin, but that Jesus Christ came to remove its sting. We must be faithful in not just standing for the sanctity of physical life, but we must be the promoters of the deepest need--spiritual life through Jesus Christ. Whenever you discuss the crucial questions of life and death with others, always share the vital hope you have in Jesus Christ as the giver of real and lasting life!
Through our media resources, it is hard to get an accurate picture of people on the surface let alone try to determine at a distance what their motivations are. I have made it clear in my conversations with folks inside and outside the Bible Center family as well as in interviews with the local media that I believe in difficult life and death issues we must always as a culture and in our laws err on the side of life. Providing food and water to a living being is basic to decent humanity. My purpose in this blog today is not to address the biblical foundations for this perspective, but to point out that all of the life and death issues we face (including the Schiavo case) are the result of man's sin.
It was in the paradise of the Garden of Eden that it all started. When Adam and Eve believed a lie from Satan and then acted on that lie by disobeying God, part of the curse was death. Death began its ugly and dark reign in humanity. From the point sin entered the human race, death has lingered like a thick dark, damp cloud chilling and shrouding lives ever since. God said it would be this way, but God also has provided Christ as the way in which the curse was lifted. His passion for us in His death, burial and resurrection has conquered the grip of death. Through faith in Christ the sting of death is removed for the individual and the hope of eternal life with Christ is granted.
The Schiavo situation has raised practical and philosophical issues that must be addressed, but the issues are even more complex than we see on the surface. While our nation grapples with the societal and scientific implications of the life and death issues, as God's children we must proclaim that this is all linked to the curse of sin, but that Jesus Christ came to remove its sting. We must be faithful in not just standing for the sanctity of physical life, but we must be the promoters of the deepest need--spiritual life through Jesus Christ. Whenever you discuss the crucial questions of life and death with others, always share the vital hope you have in Jesus Christ as the giver of real and lasting life!
Friday, April 01, 2005
Destination without Direction
As a family, we traveled to Charlotte to get away for a few days this week. Our kids are out of school for Spring Break and it is hard for us to get quality time as a family in the Charleston area. We got away to a hotel with an indoor pool.
I made the arrangements online before we left home. We got in the car and headed down I-77 toward Charlotte. Then, I realized that I knew what hotel for which I had made the reservation, but I had not looked at how to get there once we arrived in the greater Charlotte area. We had a problem. We had a destination, but we lacked direction. I had to call and get directions.
Churches can do the same thing. It is easy to know the new programs, expanded ministries, additional staff members, and relocation site, but not know how to get there. Knowing our Christ-given mission is critical, having a shared vision of the future is vital, but without direction, execution of the plan is futile.
Praise the Lord that as a church family we are working on master planning for the new site. We are seeking God's guidance in laying out a plan for the land. To help us do the best job possible, we have hired a local architectural firm and they have partnered with an architectural firm out of Atlanta that specializes in building churches.
We don't want to have a sign out on the new property for years that says "Future Home of Bible Center Church." Without clear direction that is what will happen.
We not only have a destination that God has provided us for the relocation of this ministry, but we are seeking God's direction in how and what to build on the land to best represent Jesus Christ in the Kanawha Valley.
I made the arrangements online before we left home. We got in the car and headed down I-77 toward Charlotte. Then, I realized that I knew what hotel for which I had made the reservation, but I had not looked at how to get there once we arrived in the greater Charlotte area. We had a problem. We had a destination, but we lacked direction. I had to call and get directions.
Churches can do the same thing. It is easy to know the new programs, expanded ministries, additional staff members, and relocation site, but not know how to get there. Knowing our Christ-given mission is critical, having a shared vision of the future is vital, but without direction, execution of the plan is futile.
Praise the Lord that as a church family we are working on master planning for the new site. We are seeking God's guidance in laying out a plan for the land. To help us do the best job possible, we have hired a local architectural firm and they have partnered with an architectural firm out of Atlanta that specializes in building churches.
We don't want to have a sign out on the new property for years that says "Future Home of Bible Center Church." Without clear direction that is what will happen.
We not only have a destination that God has provided us for the relocation of this ministry, but we are seeking God's direction in how and what to build on the land to best represent Jesus Christ in the Kanawha Valley.
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