So I haven't posted in almost a year. And what I'm going to post today isn't original, but it's pretty cool. Something I received in my Liberty University email. Enjoy.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
CONCERNING DOCTRINAL DIFFERENCES
I recently had the privilege of conducting a weekend Bible conference for a Liberty Home Bible Institute graduate, Pastor Kyle Clements. Last year, his church was torched and burned to the ground in a senseless act of vandalism. Shortly after, the culprits — two very young men — were caught, tried, and sent to prison. However, Clements felt led to visit the two men in prison, assuring them of his forgiveness and desire to help them in any way possible. It wasn’t long before one of the young men had accepted Christ, and the other seemed close behind him.
What seemed to be a devastating loss for the church was rectified as an incredible opportunity for the love of Christ to be shared — through Pastor Clements and through the surrounding community.
So then, case closed — right? Not even close! You really need to hear, as the late Paul Harvey might have phrased it, “the rest of the story.” And what a story it was, involving the incredible outpouring of love upon the stricken church by the surrounding community.
Here are but a few instances:
A Pentecostal pastor handed Clements a $1,500 check from his church. But when he politely attempted to return it, pointing out the insurance company had agreed to cover all costs (which they did, to the tune of $812,000), the check bearer responded: “Brother Kyle, you don’t understand...you might not need this, but my people needed to do it!”
A Roman Catholic priest called, offering to make his church building available right after the 8 a.m. Sunday mass for as long as needed.
Another pastor (whom Clements had never met) drove into the parking lot of the burned-out church and handed him an envelope containing a sizeable amount of money, saying he had seen the news report on TV and wanted to help. With those words, he quickly drove away, without even giving his name.
When all was said and done, over $30,000 came in from a number of sources in that little community.
Does all this support the claim that only by abandoning personal beliefs can one individual help another? Absolutely not! I can assure you these four men, each coming from a totally different theological viewpoint will definitely not soon be seen standing around a campfire, clasping hands and singing kumbaya. It’s just not going to happen.
But I also think it can be said that not one of those four men felt that somehow through this experience of giving and receiving he had compromised one inch of conviction, but rather had enjoyed a mile of compassion.
After Clements relayed this story, I sat there thinking that our doctrinal differences should never be considered unimportant; however, very few are all-important.
A famous evangelist in the 1930s and 40s, known for his hard shell, “my way or the highway” biblical convictions, also tempered them with this statement: “If an old hound dog would come trotting into my little town barking for Jesus, I’d fetch a pan of water for him, give him a part of my lunch, and pat him on the head!” Hopefully, my reaction would be the same, and if it turned out he was a Baptist dog, I’d probably share some of my dessert!
Some 30 centuries ago, King Solomon closed the final of his three books as follows: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter..." (Ecclesiastes 12:12). And what might that be? In our present confused and cruel world, I believe we can become involved in two ways:
Involved in the Word of God — “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (II Timothy 2:15).
And involved in the world of men — “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10).
God bless,
Dr. H. L. Willmington
Founder & Dean
Willmington School of the Bible
--
Matt
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Steve Jobs
I am particularly sobered today following the death of Steve Jobs last night. And I don’t really know why.
I guess I am sobered because Westboro is going to picket his funeral. I have no idea where that kind of mindset comes from.
I guess I am sobered because Apple will likely never produce at the same level without him. He was one-of-a-kind.
I guess I am sobered because he was so young—just in his fifties. His wife, kids, family, friends, and co-workers were not ready for him to go—they have some difficult days ahead.
I guess I am sobered because Steve Jobs, in all likelihood, did not have a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Even great men succumb to the result of our human condition, the consequences of our sin: death.
In this life, we have a choice to make, whether we realize it or not—to follow Christ, or follow ourselves. Both lead towards an eternal destination—one with God and one separated from Him.
Hopefully Steve had a relationship with Christ that no one knew about. One way or the other, it is too late to worry about his eternity now.
But your eternity is still at stake. Choose to follow Christ today.
And be sobered at the reality of the lostness of our world, of your friends and neighbors. Living in constant reality of that lostness is the motivation we need to share the Gospel.
Steve Jobs impacted a lot of people with his products, ingenuity, and personality. And today, wherever he is, I know that he would want you to impact your world for the Kingdom of God today.
This life is short. Dream Big, take risks, and never give up.
I guess I am sobered because Westboro is going to picket his funeral. I have no idea where that kind of mindset comes from.
I guess I am sobered because Apple will likely never produce at the same level without him. He was one-of-a-kind.
I guess I am sobered because he was so young—just in his fifties. His wife, kids, family, friends, and co-workers were not ready for him to go—they have some difficult days ahead.
I guess I am sobered because Steve Jobs, in all likelihood, did not have a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Even great men succumb to the result of our human condition, the consequences of our sin: death.
In this life, we have a choice to make, whether we realize it or not—to follow Christ, or follow ourselves. Both lead towards an eternal destination—one with God and one separated from Him.
Hopefully Steve had a relationship with Christ that no one knew about. One way or the other, it is too late to worry about his eternity now.
But your eternity is still at stake. Choose to follow Christ today.
And be sobered at the reality of the lostness of our world, of your friends and neighbors. Living in constant reality of that lostness is the motivation we need to share the Gospel.
Steve Jobs impacted a lot of people with his products, ingenuity, and personality. And today, wherever he is, I know that he would want you to impact your world for the Kingdom of God today.
This life is short. Dream Big, take risks, and never give up.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Talent & Technology
Some get miffed by the color of the carpet.
Some are disappointed that the piano is on the left side of the sanctuary.
Some winced because I just called it “the sanctuary.”
Many dislike many, many things.
But the newest thing people have begun to lose their mind about is technology and performance, or the combination thereof, in worship services and churches. They think this is a new argument or trend or bandwagon to get on. They think that it’s cool to want a “simpler” church where the music is dull, the sound system shrieks, and the TVs are absent. Which personally, I think is hilarious for innumerable reasons, here’s a few:
1.They are usually whining about it on Twitter, Facebook, or their blog. Which they do from their smart phone or Mac Book. They own the latest technology, but the church should not.
2.They watch their favorite famous preachers get fired up about it on their 50” flat-screen, L.E.D. TV. They have 4-5 TVs in their 2,500 square foot house, but the church should not have 25 in a building ten times that size.
3.They don’t have any music in their iTunes library that makes them cringe. Yet, when a church service is done with excellence and talent, they call it a performance and dismiss its validity.
4.They don’t really care about their “cause” because the only place they stand up for it is on the internet, where they can hide behind the anonymity.
So in summary: they can pursue the latest technology, buy the biggest TVs, trick out their cars with the loudest stereo systems, buy lots of quality mainstream music—but the church, who is trying to reach the lost of this culture, this culture that is pursuing those same things, cannot spend any money to do so. In my mind this is so hypocritical. They expect every movie they see, all the music they listen to, all of the experiences they have outside of the church building to be done with excellence and pride, and ridicule it when it doesn’t live up to that standard. Yet, when they step inside the church building, they want no technology or talent, because that is trying to “add something to the Gospel.”
The reality is guys, that there are churches that pursue technology for the wrong reasons—not to reach the lost, but to puff themselves up. I understand the problem there. There are churches that waste money. I understand the problem there. And there are churches that perform instead of worship on Sunday mornings.(By the way, Elevation Church may not do everything right , but that Easter Sunday they donated 18,000 items to help out needy in their community and had a large number of genuine salvations). However, just because some fail doesn’t mean all do.
So before you soapbox about technology and talent in a church, take a look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself what’s really bothering you. Because really, our own lives water down the Gospel way more than any church with any amount of talent or technology has. Blaming church leaders for spending money isn’t going to make us feel better.
If at the end of the day, after you have dealt with your own junk, you still feel convinced that they are wasting money, go talk to them about it. As ministers of the Gospel, your church leadership would be open to listen to your concerns and take them to heart, and explain to you why things are done the way they are. And after you do that, if you still feel unsettled about the way your church does things, find a new place to worship and stop publicly whining about the former one. Because no matter how angry or upset you are, or how wrong they may really be, there is no excuse for judgmentally bashing Christ’s bride in any medium.
Some are disappointed that the piano is on the left side of the sanctuary.
Some winced because I just called it “the sanctuary.”
Many dislike many, many things.
But the newest thing people have begun to lose their mind about is technology and performance, or the combination thereof, in worship services and churches. They think this is a new argument or trend or bandwagon to get on. They think that it’s cool to want a “simpler” church where the music is dull, the sound system shrieks, and the TVs are absent. Which personally, I think is hilarious for innumerable reasons, here’s a few:
1.They are usually whining about it on Twitter, Facebook, or their blog. Which they do from their smart phone or Mac Book. They own the latest technology, but the church should not.
2.They watch their favorite famous preachers get fired up about it on their 50” flat-screen, L.E.D. TV. They have 4-5 TVs in their 2,500 square foot house, but the church should not have 25 in a building ten times that size.
3.They don’t have any music in their iTunes library that makes them cringe. Yet, when a church service is done with excellence and talent, they call it a performance and dismiss its validity.
4.They don’t really care about their “cause” because the only place they stand up for it is on the internet, where they can hide behind the anonymity.
So in summary: they can pursue the latest technology, buy the biggest TVs, trick out their cars with the loudest stereo systems, buy lots of quality mainstream music—but the church, who is trying to reach the lost of this culture, this culture that is pursuing those same things, cannot spend any money to do so. In my mind this is so hypocritical. They expect every movie they see, all the music they listen to, all of the experiences they have outside of the church building to be done with excellence and pride, and ridicule it when it doesn’t live up to that standard. Yet, when they step inside the church building, they want no technology or talent, because that is trying to “add something to the Gospel.”
The reality is guys, that there are churches that pursue technology for the wrong reasons—not to reach the lost, but to puff themselves up. I understand the problem there. There are churches that waste money. I understand the problem there. And there are churches that perform instead of worship on Sunday mornings.(By the way, Elevation Church may not do everything right , but that Easter Sunday they donated 18,000 items to help out needy in their community and had a large number of genuine salvations). However, just because some fail doesn’t mean all do.
So before you soapbox about technology and talent in a church, take a look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself what’s really bothering you. Because really, our own lives water down the Gospel way more than any church with any amount of talent or technology has. Blaming church leaders for spending money isn’t going to make us feel better.
If at the end of the day, after you have dealt with your own junk, you still feel convinced that they are wasting money, go talk to them about it. As ministers of the Gospel, your church leadership would be open to listen to your concerns and take them to heart, and explain to you why things are done the way they are. And after you do that, if you still feel unsettled about the way your church does things, find a new place to worship and stop publicly whining about the former one. Because no matter how angry or upset you are, or how wrong they may really be, there is no excuse for judgmentally bashing Christ’s bride in any medium.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Trade Rumors
“Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can fully share its joy.”—Prov. 14:10
Bitterness creeps into life easily. It happens when we allow the things that happen to us that seem unfair or wrong to control us, when we let those things hold onto our heart. But, when we release those things and our hearts to a loving Savior who already bore the burden for us, the joy is overwhelming and unexplainable. Trade your bitterness for unspeakable joy.
--Matt
Bitterness creeps into life easily. It happens when we allow the things that happen to us that seem unfair or wrong to control us, when we let those things hold onto our heart. But, when we release those things and our hearts to a loving Savior who already bore the burden for us, the joy is overwhelming and unexplainable. Trade your bitterness for unspeakable joy.
--Matt
Monday, March 22, 2010
Perfect Love
You aren’t scared of people you love.
That’s a profound truth that I’ve never really thought about.
Sometimes I don’t do things God has asked me to do because I’m scared of people: what they think, what they can do to me.
A real love for others will chase those worries away. The thought of being punished is what makes us afraid. It shows that we have not really learned to love. 1 John 4:18 (CEV)
Let’s learn to love and stop being afraid.
--Matt
That’s a profound truth that I’ve never really thought about.
Sometimes I don’t do things God has asked me to do because I’m scared of people: what they think, what they can do to me.
A real love for others will chase those worries away. The thought of being punished is what makes us afraid. It shows that we have not really learned to love. 1 John 4:18 (CEV)
Let’s learn to love and stop being afraid.
--Matt
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Half of My Heart
I believe there comes a point where you really have to trust God.
And I don’t mean trust Him with your mind.
I don’t mean trust Him with your words.
I mean trust Him in the deepest parts of who you are.
Trust Him with your heart, because to know something in your heart, is something all together different that knowing something in your head.
I can know that I should trust God all day long. I can know that He’s got a great plan and knows what’s best for me. But until I take that knowledge and really transfer it to my heart, it means nothing. God has a huge plan for you. Take it one step at a time, let Him lead you. He knows the path infinitely better than you or I do.
There will be steps you WANT to take.
Steps that seem to make sense.
Steps that WE think are the best for us.
But walk in His steps. Trust in His wonderful love, power, grace, and plan.
Because He knows best anyway.
We all know that.
Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart
Psalm 37:4
--Matt
And I don’t mean trust Him with your mind.
I don’t mean trust Him with your words.
I mean trust Him in the deepest parts of who you are.
Trust Him with your heart, because to know something in your heart, is something all together different that knowing something in your head.
I can know that I should trust God all day long. I can know that He’s got a great plan and knows what’s best for me. But until I take that knowledge and really transfer it to my heart, it means nothing. God has a huge plan for you. Take it one step at a time, let Him lead you. He knows the path infinitely better than you or I do.
There will be steps you WANT to take.
Steps that seem to make sense.
Steps that WE think are the best for us.
But walk in His steps. Trust in His wonderful love, power, grace, and plan.
Because He knows best anyway.
We all know that.
Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart
Psalm 37:4
--Matt
Monday, October 5, 2009
Change Your Heart, Not Your Clothes
Joel 2: 12-13
That is why the LORD says, “Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.” Return to the LORD your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish.
God wants us to come back to Him. But he doesn’t want our outward expressions of grief and repentance, our mere words. He wants our hearts torn with grief—grief for our sin.
2 Corinthians 7:10
For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.
It doesn’t do us ANY good to just say we’re sorry for the things we’ve done wrong. It doesn't do ANY good to just wallow around in our guilt and shame. We have to truly see our sin as God does and let it break our hearts, like David did.
Psalm 51: 1-4a
Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight.
David realized the gravity of his sin, acknowledging that he had sinned against God, and God alone. Our sins are against the Father. Period. The sooner you and I realize this, the sooner we move towards Biblical repentance. That means living a lifestyle of continually asking God to show us our shortcomings and a striving for all things that will make us more like Him.
Isaiah 55:7
Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the LORD that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.
--Matt
That is why the LORD says, “Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.” Return to the LORD your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish.
God wants us to come back to Him. But he doesn’t want our outward expressions of grief and repentance, our mere words. He wants our hearts torn with grief—grief for our sin.
2 Corinthians 7:10
For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.
It doesn’t do us ANY good to just say we’re sorry for the things we’ve done wrong. It doesn't do ANY good to just wallow around in our guilt and shame. We have to truly see our sin as God does and let it break our hearts, like David did.
Psalm 51: 1-4a
Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight.
David realized the gravity of his sin, acknowledging that he had sinned against God, and God alone. Our sins are against the Father. Period. The sooner you and I realize this, the sooner we move towards Biblical repentance. That means living a lifestyle of continually asking God to show us our shortcomings and a striving for all things that will make us more like Him.
Isaiah 55:7
Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the LORD that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.
--Matt
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