Tag: Belton Journal

What me worry?

I was told my good bud Chris Allman was quite deep this morning when coming into the office. And no, its not the normal “Chris is in deep trouble.”
Chris actually said something deep.
At least we can be certain that he didn’t write it in his column.
Anyways, when asked how his day was going, Chris responded, “Everyday you come to work and you have things you worry about. And everyday you have things you just don’t worry about anymore.”
Things have been quite hectic all around me and I see people running around with their heads cut off. But why? Don’t they realize that at any moment something else can come along and will change everything?
What was so important yesterday has lost all it’s relevance today.
This past weekend I took part in a Disciple Now in Murphy, Texas.
My friend, the youth pastor, began to describe the group to us before the weekend began — I thought I was listening to the latest WWE storyline or daytime Emmy nominee.
So many hurts and frustrations over losing a boyfriend or a girlfriend in Jr. High. Who cares?!
OK. Maybe that wasn’t the best way to minister to a group of lost and confused Jr. Highers and High Schoolers, but seriously, how many of us are still dating our Jr. High sweetheart?
What was important to me in college really doesn’t even matter today. The things that I worried about yesterday, are really not a concern for me today either.
A computer crash at 2 in the morning, a server crash at 3. Today that’s all history. What good did worrying and stressing out about it do me yesterday?
Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these… So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’… Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

My King

A few weeks ago I wrote about church marketing and how it’s really quite ineffective for today’s audience.
Over the last few weeks I’ve been blessed over and abundantly by my church, my parent’s church and my sister Amy’s church and more importantly by God.
If there was only some way to bottle up those blessings and sell them on the open market — we would make a fortune.
We do have the greatest message and product known to man, but I still don’t know how to share it with the rest of the world.
This past weekend I heard a sermon again for the first time.
It thrilled me to hear it again and thought, ‘This is how we should market Christianity. If people get this, they’ll get the greatest message ever told.”
It’s a simple message that needs to be shared with the entire world.
So, while reading the transcript is no where near as powerful as actually hearing it read by its author, I hope that you will begin to understand how great a message Christians really have.
My King
My King was born King. The Bible says He’s a Seven Way King.
He’s the King of the Jews – that’s a racial King.
He’s the King of Israel – that’s a National King.
He’s the King of righteousness.
He’s the King of the ages.
He’s the King of Heaven.
He’s the King of glory.
He’s the King of kings and He is the Lord of lords.
Now that’s my King. Well I wonder if you know Him. Do you know Him? Don’t try to mislead me. Do you know my King?
David said the Heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork.
My King is the only one whom there are no means of measure can define His limitless love.
No far seeing telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of His shore of supplies.
No barriers can hinder Him from pouring out His blessing.
Well, well, He’s enduringly strong.
He’s entirely sincere.
He’s eternally steadfast. He’s immortally graceful.
He’s imperially powerful. He’s impartially merciful. That’s my King.
He’s God’s Son. He’s the sinner’s savior. He’s the centerpiece of civilization.
He stands alone in Himself. He’s honest. He’s unique. He’s unparalleled. He’s unprecedented. He’s supreme. He’s pre-eminent.
Well, He’s the grandest idea in literature.
He’s the highest personality in philosophy.
He’s the supreme problem in high criticism.
He’s the fundamental doctrine of proved theology.
He’s the carnal necessity of spiritual religion. That’s my King.
He’s the miracle of the age. He’s the superlative of everything good that you choose to call Him.
Well, He’s the only one able to supply all of our needs simultaneously.
He supplies strength for the weak.
He’s available for the tempted and the tried.
He sympathizes and He saves.
He’s strong God and He guides. He heals the sick. He cleanses the lepers.
He forgives sinners. He discharged debtors.
He delivers the captives. He defends the feeble.
He blesses the young. He serves the unfortunate. He regards the aged.
He rewards the diligent and He beautifies the meek. Do you know Him?
Well, my King is a King of knowledge. He’s the wellspring of wisdom. He’s the doorway of deliverance. He’s the pathway of peace. He’s the roadway of righteousness.
He’s the highway of holiness. He’s the gateway of glory. He’s the master of the mighty. He’s the captain of the conquerors.
He’s the head of the heroes. He’s the leader of the legislatures. He’s the overseer of the overcomers.
He’s the governor of governors. He’s the prince of princes. He’s the King of kings and He’s the Lord of lords. That’s my King.
Yeah. Yeah. That’s my King. My King, yeah.
His office is manifold. His promise is sure. His light is matchless.
His goodness is limitless. His mercy is everlasting.
His love never changes. His Word is enough. His grace is sufficient. His reign is righteous. His yoke is easy and His burden is light.
Well. I wish I could describe Him to you, but He’s indescribable.
He’s indescribable. Yes. He’s incomprehensible. He’s invincible. He’s irresistible. I’m coming to tell you, the heavens of heavens cannot contain Him, let alone a man explaining Him.
You can’t get Him out of your mind. You can’t get Him off of your hands. You can’t outlive Him and you can’t live without Him.
Well, Pharisees couldn’t stand Him, but they found out they couldn’t stop Him. Pilot couldn’t find any fault in Him. The witnesses couldn’t get their testimonies to agree.
Herod couldn’t kill Him. Death couldn’t handle Him and the grave couldn’t hold Him. That’s my King. Yeah.
He always has been and He always will be. I’m talking about He had no predecessor and He’ll have no successor.
There’s nobody before Him and there’ll be nobody after Him. You can’t impeach Him and He’s not going to resign. That’s my King! That’s my King!
Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory. Well, all the power belongs to my King.
We’re around here talking about black power and white power and green power, but it’s God’s power.
Thine is the power. Yeah. And the glory. We try to get prestige and honor and glory for ourselves, but the glory is all His. Yes.
Thine is the Kingdom and the power and glory, forever and ever and ever and ever. How long is that? And ever and ever and ever and ever. And when you get through with all of the forevers, then, Amen.
—Dr. S. M. Lockridge
Dr. Lockridge was the Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, San Diego from 1953 – 1993. He entered heaven in 2000.
For an audio version of this transcript visit: http://www.theiowaharvest.com/harvestholler/archives/000085.html

When the Rains Come

This past Sunday I shared a video with my Sunday school class about a father and son caught in a rain storm.
The father told the story of a hike he took with his young 16-month old son riding in a pack on his back.
As they neared the half-way-point of the hike the skies opened up and a soaking rain poured down on them.
The father mentioned that for his son, the storm became his reality.
He knew nothing else – and it scared him.
How often do storms in our life become our reality?
How often do we feel like there is nothing else left but the soaking rain that is drenching us at that very moment?
I’ve been in that situation too many times.
It’s easy to get caught up in the moment and forget that “This too will pass.”
It’s easy to think all hope is lost.
Think about Jesus’ disciples on the Sea of Galilee. They were certain of their pending death.
But luckily they remembered who was sound asleep in the boat with them.
The same man who said, “Cry out to me and I will hear your cry and will answer you,” was laying in the boat with them.
So what did they do? The only thing left for them to do. They cried out to Jesus.
And like any other time people cry out to Jesus – He hears and responds.
He calms the storm. He protects us from the waves and holds us close.
The father in the story said that as his son screamed in stereo, he pulled his son off of his back and held him close in his arms.
He leaned over as he held him and whispered to him, “I love you buddy. It’s OK. We’re gonna make it. I know the way home.”
He continued holding his son and whispering the same thing to him as they continued the on the way home.
Whatever your cry is, Jesus is reaching out and saying, “I love you buddy. It’s OK. We’re gonna make it. I know the way home.”

Church Marketing Sucks

I must tell you — I love technology.

As I write this, I’m sitting on my back porch, enjoying a gorgeous first night of spring, while listening to a radio station beamed directly to me via a satellite from New York City and surfing the Internet via a wireless hub one of my neighbors apparently set up.

Amazing.

Now if I could just get my dogs to quit trying to lick my face, life would be grand.

And what’s even better, with Belton’s new Wi-Fi network sprouting up, I could be sitting anywhere in the city doing this same thing in the near future.

As I was surfing the web last week I came across a website that has captivated my attention: www.churchmarketingsucks.com.

If the name doesn’t catch your attention, many of the entries or blogs should.

I think I’ve spent three or four hours over the last several days reading through the site.

Now there’s probably many of you who are immediately turned off by the title of the site, and for you there’s the alternative, www.churchmarketingstinks.com.

And there may be more of you who are offended by the subject matter, for you — sorry, but I think the site developers are on to something.

The writers on the site raise some very interesting questions.

Why is it that Christianity has the greatest message ever, but we have the hardest time sharing it with the masses, or even our neighbors?

“We love the Church,” said Brad Abare, founder and regular contributor to the site. “But when it comes to communicating with an increasingly savvy world, the church is being left behind.”

I think the church in America has had a spark lit under it recently with The Passion of the Christ, but how many people are still sitting in a theater wondering about Christianity because no one has stepped up to explain their faith in a real way?

“This is a conversation, an idea — not a business,” said writer Kevin Hendricks. “We’re in this to see the Church become more authentic and effective, to see not simply butts in pews, but Christ in hearts.”

In December Wired Magazine reported a story about a high school computer teacher who made a complete advertisement on his computer for Apple’s iPod.

The commercial made by high school teacher George Masters has all the makings of a prime-time quality advertisement.

And his 60-second commercial has been getting a lot of attention from bloggers, e-mail, advertising reps and now Wired Magazine.

Gary Stein, an online advertising analyst with Jupiter Research, was struck by the quality of the ad.

“It shows great advertising principles,” Stein told Wired Magazine. “He’s computer-literate, but he’s also literate in the language of advertising…. You could take this thing and put it on MTV this afternoon. It’s not only good, it’s good advertising. People go to college to learn this. He just gets it.”

“Why would a school teacher spend a good chunk of his free time, for five months, crafting a really slick ad for no money? For no real recognition other than a, ‘Hey, that’s cool,’ from a few friends? Because he really, really likes his iPod,” wrote Andy Havens. “Masters frankly admits that he partly worked on the project as a way of teaching himself some computer animation basics, and to be part of a portfolio. That being said, why pick the iPod mini as his subject? Because he’s a huge fan. And let’s remember that ‘fan’ is short for ‘fanatic.'”

I think every pastor or lay-leader would love members of their congregation to be that fanatical about church events or activities.

I know I would be.

Why is it that people will spend hours creating a commercial for a small music gadget, paint their entire bodies and lose their voice while screaming for their favorite football team, but can’t spend an extra hour volunteering at their church?

The Church Marketing Sucks staff would say it’s all about marketing.

We haven’t marketed our message properly to our own members, yet alone the rest of the world.

Have you ever witnessed the excitement a new convert has? They’re willing to do anything and tell everyone about what Christ has done for them.

When I met with WWE Superstar Shawn Michaels last week, he said that when he came to know Christ, he told his pastor he wanted to do anything needed at the church, including janitor work, if that’s what was needed.

But somewhere along the road the message gets lost.

Christ just isn’t as cool as the first day we met him.

We lose track of what He’s really done for us.

My dad’s told me several times, “It’s just easy for me to talk about everything God has done for me.”

We get so caught up in our daily rituals that we don’t really realize the cost Christ paid on Calvary 2000 years ago. It takes a holy day like Easter to get us back on track — for at least one Sunday out of the year.

Marketing is way more than just advertising.

Marketing is finding ways to make things run smoother and making people feel apart of your company, organization or group.

Apple Computer owners are some of the most loyal customers in the world, I know because I work for one of them.

It’s because Apple makes each customer feel apart of the company.

They make products that customers can truly take ownership in and work in their lives.

McDonald’s is another marketing giant.

It doesn’t matter what country you’re in, when you see those golden arches, you think Big Mac or Quarter-Pounder with Cheese.

Both companies are have strongly branded their message to their audience.

But think about the church, we’re sending one giant mixed signal to the world.

Don’t do this, you can do this, but not that. Don’t attend that church, our church is better.

And I’ll pick on my own church for a moment; we’ve been advertising an event coming up with two different times.

How confusing is that for our members, let alone someone driving by or surfing on the web.

Our website says one thing and our marquee says something different. I have no idea what our bulletin says, because quite frankly I don’t read it. I use the internet to get my information.

But according to the church marquee, I’d be showing up 30 minutes late if I went by the time posted on the internet.

Even last week I had posted the time for one of the events in our singles department on the internet, but someone else gave a later time to be published in the bulletin.

I’m still trying to figure out where the church’s phone number, address, service times or even a statement of what we believe are posted on our website.
We need better communication within our churches — not only between our members, but to those outside our doors.

Why don’t we come together as a body of Christ — for our common goal — to bring people to Christ and show His love to them all?

Why can’t First Baptist, First Methodist, First Pentecostal, First Whoever, join together and say, “Hey, we’re were all a bunch of lost people, just like you, before we met Christ?”

Quit fighting for the largest congregations, quit arguing over theological issues in public that the world will never understand — it’s foolishness to them.

It’s amazing that a number of churches continue to grow, but yet they’re not growing from new converts, they’re simply stealing from other churches.

We must first recognize the power of Christ in our lives and then market it to everyone around us.

We need to each become fanatics in our faith. Live a life that Christ lived and share His love with everyone.

Well it’s getting chilly and I’m sure my neighbors are getting tired of my great rock music blaring into the night air.

So, while I could go on for several more pages, I’ll end with this quote: “The church exists for mission, and — a church that is only inward looking is not truly the church.” -Samuel Escobar, The New Global Mission (via CT)

Watch the full ad now on YouTube:

May His Wonders Never Cease

I wish I had a real concise way to tell you everything that I’ve witnessed in the last few weeks, but I’m pretty sure the best way to explain it all is, “May His wonders never cease.”
I’ve often heard, that illness, pain and sickness all stems from a lack of faith.
Bull.
Someone please show me an example in scripture where a person was sick or in pain because they had a lack of faith.
I’m going to step on some toes here, but the entire “Health and Wealth Doctrine” makes me sick. Try preaching the health and wealth doctrine to believers in Tsunami stricken Asia or AIDS stricken Africa.
Try and preach that if they just believe in God, He will take away their sickness and give them a Cadillac in their garage.
Now I’m not going to doubt that people were and are healed because they had great faith — but don’t try to tell me that a person is lying in a hospital bed because they don’t have any faith.
I thought a lot about this as I received updates on one of my sisters, who was lying in a hospital bed in Dallas over the last few weeks, after suffering from several migraines and eventually a seizure.
I thought about it as I heard an update on a friend, 36 years old, who is lying in a nursing home, virtually unconscious, after several strokes.
I thought about it as I read more updates on the tragic sickness and poverty that plagues Africa and Asia.
The thoughts were even stronger as I sat in my sister’s hospital room, watching and praying, as she asked for my family members to read scripture to comfort her.
And believe me, I prayed for her miraculous recovery. I prayed that she would walk out of the hospital that very day – but God had other plans.
If I were to believe that her illness was a result of her lack of faith, I would have no choice but to curse God right now because she wasn’t able to miraculously walk out of a hospital room.
Why would God ignore her and her lifelong faith in Him as the great physician, comforter and provider?
Instead of cursing the God of Isaac, Jacob and Abraham, I know that God’s ways are unknowable and His healing power is not dependent upon my faith or Amy’s faith.
Thank goodness — because in the midst of it all, while Amy might remain strong, my faith will waiver.
My feet have a tendency to slip from the rock of my salvation, but His hand is always there, reaching out to me and pulling me back to Him.
And while Amy didn’t get up and walk out of the hospital because someone prayed the “magic words” or had “unbelievable faith,” His wonders never cease.
Knowing me, if Amy had sat up and walked out of the hospital that day, I might have gotten a big head and thought it was my faith or my prayer that healed her, rather than looking to Jehovah-Rophe (the Lord who heals).
Amy’s condition was eventually diagnosed by one of the nation’s top neuro-specialists, hours before she was scheduled to check out.
If she had walked out of the hospital Saturday afternoon, we would still be questioning the cause of her migraines and her seizure.
But because His wonders never cease, Amy has been put to the front of the line for follow-ups and appointments with a doctor whose group sees over 30,000 patients and who flew from Atlanta to Dallas to visit with Amy and look over her tests. His wonders never cease.
—–
This past weekend I saw His wonders continue to amaze me. But neither time nor space will allow to describe all the wonders I saw.
I had the privilege to sit as a fly on a wall in a van with four wrestlers last weekend on a road trip to Knoxville, Tenn.
On a trip that lasted slightly more than 40 hours, five guys in a van grew closer than ever to each other as well as closer than ever to an amazing, wondrous God.
The five of us traveled to Knoxville, Tenn., where we joined 26,000 students to get our praise on.
We left Rockwall at 8 p.m. Thursday night, arrived in Knoxville at 10 a.m. EST, Friday and pulled out of Knoxville around midnight Friday night amazed and stunned at all we had seen.
We had sat for several hours with one of the greats in the wrestling business, Shawn Michaels — and rather than talking about wrestling, we sat and talked about God.
We met one of the most genuine and humble players in the National Football League, Justin Griffith.
We had seen God worshiped far out of the box we try and put Him in week to week.
We got our worship on with Israel Houghton in a way that made Sunday morning seem like decaf compared to a triple espresso.
We saw hundreds, if not several thousands stand and walk to the front of an arena for an alter call.
We felt an even stronger renewal of the CWF and its ministry.
We saw God’s wonders at work 24-7. He is truly worthy of all praise.
I don’t know where God will lead me tomorrow or next week, but I continue to pray each day, “May Your wonders never cease.”

When Did it all Change

I’ve been giving a lot of thought lately to life, the meaning of life and my ultimate purpose. Sounds pretty deep, I know. Now if only I was a deep thinker, I might be able to figure this all out.
I began wondering this week how much impact I have on the world around me and how much impact the world has on me. Am I impacting my world in a good positive way, or is the world impacting me in its own way?
This feels like another quarter-life crises (just like last year), I hope I don’t go through this every year around my birthday.
Sunday our class talked about sin and its impact on the Israelites and Hosea.
And of course it’s easy to talk about how things “used to be.” And we had numerous rabbit trails we chased, talking about the good ole’ times.
Everyone remembers the good things that happened in the past and how kids used to respect their elders and T.V. was good and wholesome.
Everyone remembers when Ricky and Lucy slept in separate beds on T.V., and I think everyone has their own idea of where they’ve placed blame for the destruction of society as we know it.
I told the class, as I sat their teaching with a polo shirt and jeans on, how growing up I was never allowed to wear jeans or shorts to church. Jeans could only be considered for the evening service (something that has become almost as rare as unanimous vote on the Belton City Council).
And now I go home for the weekend and see that my dad rarely wears his suit to Sunday morning services.
I have to question, where did the change come about and was it for the better or for the worse?
Did my family and our churches loose respect for God, or did we come to a greater understanding — that God accepts us for who we are and we don’t have to impress him with a suit and tie? Or maybe, we are trying to impress those outside the church with our blue jean services and rock and roll worship circus.
As my class talked, we agreed that many things that were taboo when our parents grew up are now common place for us.
Even things that were taboo for me 20 years ago, I have come to accept and often embraced.
I have to wonder what I will come to accept and embrace 20 years from now.
What will my children think when they read and hear stories about my growing up? Will I be an ultra-conservative to them? Will my morals be obsolete?
I read a great book Monday night, based on the brother of a close friend who has cerebral palsy. In the book, he dreams he meets Jesus and walks him through the history of mankind, all the way up to the point of Christ dying on the cross.
It struck me as I read it, that the Israelites continued to let more and more slide as they got further and further away from the Garden of Eden. And every time God would reveal Himself and show His power, they would remember for a short while, before going back to their old ways. How long will it be before we too loose sight of God completely?