Why Am I Doing This?

Do you ever ask yourself that question? I do. I have even asked myself why I am a pastor – especially if I'm trying to get a point across and no matter how hard I try I can't seem to communicate in a way that changes people... Of course, I forget all about the fact that God is the One who gets the point across thru us... So I blame other people, blame a lack of support, blame a lack of resources, you name it. And after I walk around a while with my head down, and an attitude like, “Nobody ever listens to me… nobody loves me… guess I’ll go eat worms…” I ask myself – “Why do you put yourself thru this junk Kevin? Why are you doing this?”
Maybe you feel that way sometimes as well… maybe something has happened in your life to make you skip out on the things you know you need most in your life… Someone has said a hurtful word to you, or given you a harsh reminder of a weakness you already know you have, and in your frustration you drop out. You ask yourself, "Why am I doing this anyway?"
You might feel good about yourself for a while thinking, "That will show them... they should have treated me better!" Then, somewhere down the line you come to your senses and realize you’re the one who is suffering. You're away from the church, away from your Christian brothers and sisters, away from accountability, away from the Word, and away from your times of prayer. And in the midst of all that ‘away time’, you’re starting to slip into some of the same sinful habits and choices you used to struggle against. All of a sudden, like a jolt of electricity, it hits you hard – “Man! Why am I doing this?” I have been reading about the struggles Paul had with doing the things he knew he shouldn’t do and not doing the things he knew he should be doing. Man, do I ever find myself in that same situation! I realize that I am probably the only person who has this issue, but it hammers me to the ground whenever I find myself struggling with it. I get these feelings of guilt and failure – totally disgusted with myself.
Sometimes it’s like I go on automatic pilot… I let my temper and emotions get the best of me and instead of take a step back, counting to 10 and waiting before I say anything, I blow it… I fire off that angry email… I leave that ‘not so friendly’ voicemail… I choose to react in the flesh instead of according to the Spirit. Then I’ll spend a whole day beating myself up with questions like, “Why did I react to that person in anger? I knew they were going to push my buttons! Why did I let it happen? Now I’ve hurt them and I’ll have to apologize. They’ve probably called 19 people by now who are calling their 15 friends, telling everybody how Kevin is a horrible pastor and a fake. Lord, I’ll never be able to preach about anger and controlling your temper again… what a miserable failure I am…” You might struggle with different issues. Maybe it’s with an addiction, foul language or an unhealthy relationship. But no matter what the trouble may be, there is only one answer. Whether you’re the pastor or a brand new Christian, you’ve got to fill you mind with the things of God… “Whatever things are good, noble, lovely, reputable, etc… dwell on these things...” You’ve heard it said before – “Idle minds are the devil’s playground.” As many of you know, I have a mild case of A.D.D. Therefore, if I don’t intentionally plan to spend time reading, learning, praying, writing, praising, and continually keeping my mind focused on the goodness and grace of our Savior, I’ll wander off into something I shouldn’t be doing. Remember – Satan’s ploy is to “steal, kill and destroy”. He wants to hit you in your weak spots and render you ineffective as a believer. The way He does that is by ambush… lying in wait… looking for an opportunity to strike you at your most vulnerable moment. Learn to recognize those vulnerabilities and intentionally pray for strength and protection from the Holy Spirit. Take control of your thoughts and begin to devise strategies for countering the attacks of temptation. Surrender to the Lord and sing praises to Him. You’ll find it is difficult to engage in sinful behavior if you’re singing praise and worship to God.
And one last thing: If you do succumb to the temptation, don’t stay in the ‘mud pit’ of self pity and defeat. Get up. Realize your sin. Confess your failure and accept the forgiveness that has already been provided by Jesus. Get back into the Word and prayer. Reject the notion that you’re a hypocrite and a failure. The truth is, in our humanity, all of us are hypocrites and failures. But in Christ, the Bible says we’re more than conquerors and over comers. Be who you are – an imperfect person who needs a fresh dose of God’s grace and strength each and every day.

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Monday Musings

As I prepared for the sermon I will be preaching at Pole Creek's Spring Revival, I ran across an illustration that struck me. It's a satirical article that was published in a magazine entitled Newslark. It's so true, I thought I'd summarize it for you.
"Julie & Bob Clark were stunned to receive a letter from their church asking them to "participate in the life of the church"—or worship elsewhere. "
They basically called us freeloaders," says Julie. "We were freeloaders," says Bob.
In a trend that may signal rough times for wallflower Christians, Faith Community of Winston-Salem has asked "non-participating members" to stop attending. "
No more Mr. Nice Church," says the executive pastor. "Bigger is not always better. Providing free services indefinitely to complacent Christians is not our mission."
"Freeloading" Christians were straining the church's nursery and facility resources, and harming the church's ability to reach the lost, says the pastor. "
When your bottom line is saving souls, you get impatient with people who interfere with that goal."
Faith Community sent polite but firm letters to families who attend church services and "freebie events," but never volunteer, never tithe, & don’t belong to a small group.
The church says that, of its attendees, only half volunteered in the past 3 years, and a third have never given to the church.
"Before now, we made people feel comfortable and welcome, and tried to coax them to give a little something in return," says a staff member. "That's changed. We're done being the community nanny.""
I have to confess that the letter this couple received is often the way I feel. I swear (well, not really), but I do declare that there have been times I've wanted to fire off a letter like to this... I wonder why I don't? Isn't it true? Our mission is the exalt Christ, which means we set an example of Christ-likeness in our behavior both in the world and in the church. The second half of our mission is to share Christ's love. That means we evangelize. We tell the world that Jesus offers hope. Our priority is the Great Commission. Anything that keeps us from that goal should be eliminated from our lives...
Think about it... What is our bottom line?
Many of the folks in churches today wouldn't even be missed if they stopped showing up for Sunday Meetings... Well, not in the ministry sense anyway. The budget wouldn't suffer; the ministries wouldn't suffer; the outreach would suffer; the fellowship, prayer and worship ministries wouldn't suffer. And certainly we wouldn't miss them in discipleship training. If you notice, I've just listed our six core principles. That's what we're supposed to concentrate our efforts doing. Why do we continue to allow that percentage of people who never plug into any of these things, tie up all of our time, energy, and resources? Those not involved and not contributing are always the ones moaning and complaining the most. They're the ones hypercritical of everything they don't like. So what do we do? Interesting, huh? Doesn't it seem reasonable that if we concentrated our efforts on those who were plugged in and actively participating as part of the body, we'd get more outreach done? We'd spend our time harvesting the crop instead of keeping the tractor's bursted tires inflated... What do you think? Not an easy subject is it? But I wonder how many farmers would keep their crop workers around if they never did anything but eat the fruit everybody else brought in? I'd like to hear from you... drop me an email... let me hear your take. ps - I feel like this usually on Mondays... :-/

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Tragedy At Virginia Tech

As I watched with horror the events that unfolded this morning on the campus of Virginia Tech, my feelings can best be described in the words of one young lady who said, “My heart dropped to my toes.” How could such a tragedy happen on one of our university campuses? What possible motive could this killer have for taking the lives of 30+ innocent victims and then take his own life? What must the parents of Virginia Tech students be going through, worrying if their child could be among the wounded or dead? What an awful tragedy. It’s at moments like this that we start to wonder, “Where was God during this time? Why didn’t He stop this crazed mad man? Was He there at all to hear the prayers that must have been offered up by those affected?”
‘Where is God when things go wrong?’ People have been asking that question I guess since the beginning of time. The results of such questions often lead to the following conclusions:
1. Senseless Evil Is A Reality Of Our World.
2. If God is Truly All-powerful, He could prevent Evil.
3. And If He is All-loving, He Would Want to Prevent Evil.
4. If An All-powerful, All-loving God, Exists, There Would be no Evil in The World.
5. So Therefore, God is Either Powerless, Loveless or Non-existent.
It’s easy to come to these conclusions when you take things at face value, especially considering what the Bible says about God. If He truly is the ‘God of gods and Lord of lords’ and ‘mighty and awesome’ as He is described in Deuteronomy…
And if it’s true that He is ‘compassion and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love’ the way David described Him in Psalms…
And if Paul was correct in his letter to the Roman church that ‘He works all things together for the good of those who love Him…’ why do these things happen?
It seems like a joke to believe these things when we see senseless shootings like the ones at Virginia Tech today as well as all the other evil, pain, suffering and disease that exists in our world. And so, the logical conclusion for some is to resolve to believe that there is no God… But is this a logical conclusion?
Sadly, this is a terrible place to arrive. I agree with John Blanchard who wrote, “Getting rid of God does not solve the problem of evil and suffering; it merely leaves us trapped in what someone has called ‘that hopeless encounter between human questioning and the silence of the universe’ Asking and answering these questions points us to what some will find the strangest of conclusions: the existence of evil points towards the existence of God, not away from it!”
When you read through the Bible, you find a great deal about pain and suffering, but there is no easy answer to all of our questions. The Apostle Paul probably best described our state when he said in 1 Corinthians 13:12, ‘now we see but a dimly lit reflection’. We don’t understand all there is to know. Some folks will surmise that’s just the Christian answer to slide around the issue, but that is not the case.
Don't misunderstand me to say that God caused this terrible event to happen, that's not my point at all... But why would He allow it to happen? There is no way we can understand the things of God if He truly is the transcendent God He claims to be. If we did, He would cease to be God. And if He is God, what right do we have to demand an explanation from Him for all that happens in the world? Besides, if God were to reveal to us everything that is going on in our world, we couldn’t understand it all. In Isaiah He said, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts”.
He has given us the Bible for encouragement, strength, understanding and a guide for living. And just because we may not be able to find suitable answers to everything we want to understand doesn’t mean it’s a worthless document, does it? Being left with doubts doesn’t mean we’re left alone to suffer in ignorance in the dark. For you see, ‘while the Bible may not tell us all we want to know, it does tell us all we need to know…’ And what it tells us is that the world is a fallen planet, filled with a people who have chosen a way separate from God. As a result, events of evil are allowed to exist on our earth. God gave us a choice and we chose against Him. Well, actually, the first choosers were Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. And like one writer said, “Like poison dumped at the source of a river, Adam’s polluted and depraved nature has flowed on to every succeeding generation.” We are sinners – both by birth and by choice.
The skeptic and critic will respond with “But why should God have taken such an obvious risk in giving man such moral freedom in the first place? Wouldn’t it have been better if Adam and Even would have never been given the choice in the Garden of Eden?”
But as John Blanchard says, “…it seems clear that not even an all-powerful God could give man freedom while guaranteeing that he would use it wisely. A person who is free and yet not free is a contradiction in terms... not even God could bestow and withhold freedom at one and the same time... How can we possibly prove that God was wrong to give man freedom of moral choice? Would creating robots have been wiser? Are we qualified to make this kind of judgment? How can we know God’s reasons and purposes unless we know everything he knows?"
Yet in His infinite mercy and grace, regardless of whatever calamity that might come our way, God offers us hope – hope beyond the turmoil and disaster of this life – hope that springs eternal from a relationship with Him through His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus came to earth, endured the most horrific evil, and gave His life so we would not have to suffer the evil of sin eternally.
So when we are faced with disasters like this shooting at Virginia Tech, or any other senseless tragedy, grieve, pray for those who are affected, offer help in any way you can. But at the same time know that you have cause to praise God in your suffering and grief for if you have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, you have a hope beyond the reality of this present moment. One day God will exact perfect justice and all things will be right again. There will no longer be evil. The good will no longer suffer and the evil will no longer prosper. All things will be settled beyond doubt or dispute. When that time comes, we will understand all things for we will have come face to face with God. The Apostle Paul was blessed to be able to come to an understanding of that fact while still on earth. That’s why he was able to call the horrible suffering and tribulation he faced, “momentary, light afflictions”, and to write in Romans 8:18, “…the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us…” The existence of evil and suffering does not eliminate the possibility of God, but the existence of God does guarantee for his people that one day there will be an elimination of evil and suffering.”
So where was God during this tragedy? He was right there… in the midst of the horror… in the midst of the struggle… in the death and chaos. Reaching out to those who were reaching out to Him, receiving the souls of those who knew Him into His presence, there to be forevermore – free from evil and suffering. For as He promises in the Bible, "When we go through the fire and the flood, He will be with us." "He will never leave us nor forsake us but will be with us until the end."
Here's what we can do for the victims and their families as a family of faith: First of all, pray for the families of the victims and pray for healing of the wounded. You might even take the opportunity to donate blood at the Red Cross in honor of the victims. We can assist by encouraging one another with the hope we have in Jesus. And we can keep our faith and trust in the Lord, our Preserver, our Savior, our Deliverer, and our Lord.

Sources cited – “Where is God when things go wrong?” John Blanchard, UK ISBN - 0 85234 590 9

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Part Of A Priesthood

Part Of A Priesthood
One area I believe I have been negligent in leading the church to our fullest potential is in more of us being more actively involved in ministering. As believers, the Bible says we are part of a “royal priesthood”. We all have a part to play in God’s purpose and plan for the faith family. I’m not saying that all of us are called to vocationally pursue ministry, but there is certainly a long list of opportunities to plug in as a ministry volunteer. Most of us probably think of being a volunteer as a way to fill in the gap or to respond to a ministry shortage in the nursery. That might be true in some cases, but it’s certainly more than that. The church’s ministries can only function when we are partnering together to accomplish the vision God has given us as a family of faith. There are no unimportant members. Each one of you matter and you are an invaluable part of what God is doing in this place. In fact, I believe He sent each of you here to “pick up the ball and hit the field.” To get engaged in the area that He uniquely created you to do.
Some people think the staff is totally responsible for planning, organizing, directing, implementing and following through with all the support, follow up and clean up of every event that takes place. That’s not the way things are supposed to happen. The staff’s job is to do a specific part of each ministry effort, but their primary role is to coach, equip and empower the saints of God for the ministry. A healthy church functions within the parameters of a God given vision and includes as many members as will respond in the areas they are most passionate about or that line up with their purpose in life. That’s the way our vision and mission is accomplished. But in order for this to happen, we have to volunteer. We have to get plugged in to the ministries that really get us excited and see our part in the overall picture of what God is doing at Mountain View.
One of the classes our new members and new believers take is called PLACE. In that class, you have the opportunity to discover your spiritual giftedness, unique personality and ministry passion, as well as the available ministry opportunities at Mountain View. That’s an important part of the process. Beginning this summer, we will be conducting additional PLACE classes on Sunday evenings for the congregation at large. If you haven’t had the privilege of going thru that study, I strongly encourage you to enroll.
As we begin to intentionally build the church’s volunteer ministry, you will start seeing lists of volunteer opportunities on bulletin boards as well as on the website – http://www.mountainviewbaptist.net. My prayer and goal is to have at least 40% of our active membership involved in some area of ministry before the end of 2007. Keep in mind that volunteering can be off campus as well. Volunteering for a short term missions trip to Nicaragua, for a disaster relief event or for one of the off campus ministries we support is also included. It’s a proven fact that the best way to get people to volunteer is thru shoulder-tapping. I know some people say they feel that if a person is interested in helping they’ll join in without being asked, but I disagree. I believe Jesus asked us to come and follow Him, didn't He? How can we come to Him unless He calls us? Let’s follow His example and invite others to participate in the privilege of ministry volunteerism. I have found that most people – both inside and outside the church – will volunteer because somebody personally invited them to join them. Ministry and team leaders are responsible for inviting people to help on their teams. When a person invites you to serve in ministry with them, it’s a personal invitation. Who can you invite today? I am issuing this open invitation to all of you to get involved… reap the blessing of ministry, you won’t regret it!
Exalting Christ & Sharing His Love,
Pastor Kevin

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Apostle Peter's Account of Easter

If the Apostle Peter were to Post a Blog concerning Easter, I believe it would go something like this... "I traveled with Jesus of Nazareth for three years… We walked together, talked together, fished together…We used to go sailing… One time on the sea of Galilee, a terrible storm blew up… the waves were huge and we were afraid our boat would sink… Everyone was scared half to death… except for Jesus. He was in the bottom of the boat fast asleep! When I woke Him, He stood and said, “PEACE! BE STILL!” and the wind and waves obeyed His voice.It was amazing how He could speak and people would stop whatever they were doing and listen… Even better than EF Hutton. I'll never forget the time we were on the sea at night fishing, and the waves began to get very choppy. It was sometimes eerie out on Galilee after dark. Some people believed that spirits would appear out there in the shadows. I looked out and saw what appeared to be an apparition - a ghost walking on the waves… We were terrified!As I more closely looked, however, I noticed it was a person… a person that looked just like Jesus!I said, “Lord! IF that’s you, command me to come to you!” And Jesus said, “Come Peter!” So by faith, I stepped out of the boat and walked on the water to Him! It was the most amazing thing!What a man! What a Friend! What a Lord! He taught me so many things. He loved me when I was unlovable. He knew me better than I knew myself.I thought I would die for Him… that I would be the first one to give my life protecting Him…But when He needed me the most, I denied Him… He knew that I would do it. And just like He said, the night before He was crucified I denied Him 3 times. The next time I saw Jesus, He was on his way to be crucified. We had been in the garden praying when the guards, the Pharisees & Judas took Him away.I tried to fight them… I even cut one of the guard’s ears off… But Jesus told me to stop… He then healed the guard’s ear – can you believe that?I followed from a distance… I couldn’t believe what was happening… I was truly convinced that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God.After hearing Him preach and teach… watching Him perform miracles… heal the sick, raise the dead, causing the blind to see again… Yet now… I was having a hard time reconciling what I believed with what I was seeing… I was having a hard time with everything… I had already denied Him & now I was feeling guilty and confused all at the same time…Jesus stood before Pilate and the trumped up charges were read. What a crock of nonsense…And those same people that yelled Hosanna a week ago were yelling Crucify Him! Crucify Him! When Pilate offered them a choice in the crucifixion, they chose a murderer over Jesus. They led Jesus down the road to Calvary… He was forced to carry the beam of His cross as He was kicked, laughed at and spit upon by the crowd…When they reached a rock hill called Golgotha, or the place of the Skull, He was nailed to a tree between two thieves. Just before He died, He yelled out, IT IS FINISHED!" And the sky grew dark and the earth began to shake. The foundation of the temple was shaken and a huge veil tapestry that hung in the inner court was ripped from top to bottom… Jesus death created a door for all of us to be able to come directly into God’s presence… a pathway of freedom for those who put their faith & trust in Him.Freedom like you have never known, but you have to first walk thru the door. How do you walk thru the door? By faith - the same way I stepped out of the boat on the sea of Galilee. I didn't understand everything, but I reached out to Jesus and He enabled me to walk above the angry waves. You don't have to understand everything. Just reach out to Jesus and in faith accept the truth that He is the Son of God - the resurrected Savior. He said, "I am the way, the truth and the life." He is the gate to freedom. Freedom from what? Freedom from the pain of your past, freedom from the pressure of your present and freedom from fear for your future. He also gives you freedom from the penalty of sin... but you have to first receive Him. Don't make the same mistake I made... Don't deny Him. Invite Him into your life today.

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