What Scares You?

It is Halloween. This got me to thinking: What scares you?
When I was younger the dark scared me, Micheal Myers scared me, snakes scared me (still do), staying at home alone scared me, preachers that yelled scared me, bluegrass music scared me (still does), encyclopedia salesmen scared me, KISS scared me, Hell scared me, poverty scared me, the Cold War scared me, the Sky Lab falling scared me (remember that), mullets scared me, Tornadoes scared me, plaid pants scared me, Family Dollar scared me (i always got shoes from Family "D"- i didn't know this wasn't cool until 4Th grade Sugar Loaf) , Mom with a switch scared me, the aggressive, humanoid creatures called Sleestaks on Land of the Lost scared me.

It wasn't that I was scared at everything just some things are scary.

Now only a few things scare me.. Here they are:

This really scares me:



(just looks mean and scary)













Mark Marshall playing Basketball scares me:


(he never passes the ball and thinks he is very good-- this is scary!)





Also, failing my heavenly Father, my wife and my children scares me. But with God's grace we will prevail.

Remember:
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2Timothy 1:7

Is Heaven a Real Place?

As many of you know, on Sunday nights I have started a 4 part series on Heaven. I love to read and study this subject. Jesus and the Bible have a lot to say about it. How could someone who claims to be a pastor and a Christian not believe in Heaven? Well it is easy if you are the "new breed of pastors" in the emergent movement.

Guys like Brian McLaren, Rob Bell and Doug Pagitt struggle with Heaven and Hell being actual places... They also struggle with the "virgin birth, salvation, the atonement, Jesus and the authority of the Bible." Most emergents like these men are universalist, they believe everyone is "gonna be in Heaven" wherever that is to them. They really can't explain it in good terms. I recently heard an interview with Doug talking about Heaven and he said it isn't a place per say and rambled on about something (he sounded like a drunk talking about seeing pink elephants).. But so goes the emergent church...




Rob Bell in his book "Velvet Elvis" said this and I quote: If the gospel isn't good news for everybody, then it isn't good news for anybody.
And this is because the most powerful things happen when the church surrenders its desire to convert people and convince them to join. It is when the church gives itself away in radical acts of service and compassion, expecting nothing in return, that the way of Jesus is most vividly put on display.To do this, the church must stop thinking about everybody primarily in categories of in or out, saved or not, believer or nonbeliever...

I am thankful Rob was not the person who shared the gospel with me. Because it wouldn't really matter about my spiritual state before God, just pat me on the back and tell me I am basically a good person. No need to repent and believe Jesus.

To most emergents, God is nothing more than a glorified welfare system: helping the homeless and hugging each other. I strongly believe we should try to help everyone we can but just giving a man a dollar or building him a house will not help his present state spiritually. Eventhough, at times, this can lead to a person coming to Christ, most of the time it doesn't. The problem with emergents is this: it doesn't matter if they come to Christ or not.


These are not my words but the words of my Lord:
25When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?" 26Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you.


--41So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven." 42They said, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, 'I have come down from heaven'?" 43Jesus answered them, "Do not grumble among yourselves. 44No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.

-47Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.

60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?" 61But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, "Do you take offense at this? 62Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64But there are some of you who do not believe." (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65And he said, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father."

Maybe the emergents should read the red letters in this passage. Jesus did a great humanitarian work by feeding the multitude (20,000 people maybe). Then He said he wasn't about just feeding people because that is temporary. He is about eternal life thru belief in Him....
--Jesus also makes it pretty plain that not everyone will follow.

John 6:66 says After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.

And guess what --Jesus let them walk... He even offered the 12 the opportunity to walk, as well: So Jesus said to the Twelve, "Do you want to go away as well?"

Jesus said that unless you have been drawn by the Father you can't come (more on this in another post).... Jesus would not make a very good emergent like Doug, Brian and Rob.

It is easy to stand over the Bible and make assumptions, but God has called us to stand under the Word and accept it as written...

Is Heaven a real Place? Yes! Will everybody get in? No, unfortunately not.

27But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life. Revelation 21:27

Does this mean God is cruel and un-loving? No, it just means He is loving, holy and just.

Running

I am seriously thinking about running the half marathon in Myrtle Beach in Feb. I am out of shape right now. 3 weeks ago I ran 10miles in 1hr 50mins. Since, I have only run once or twice. Its not that I am lazy or just don't have time. Every time I run I have the same problem. It has been a secret until now. This person has come forward to help me with my problem. He has given me the courage to come out and tell the world why I don't run as much anymore. Watch this video and see if you can identify "our problem"..





I scare people when I run!!! Is it my Carolina Blue Superman T-shirt, is it my military/state trooper haircut, or could it be my 5'8" 190lbs muscular build. Maybe it is my extreme heavy breathing (like a person with sleep apnea). Or could it be my singing. I run with an ipod shuffle and I just sing as loud as I can when I Run. For whatever reason, when I sing, this always happens: Dogs howl (i mean like they are in pain) the cows just run and don't look back, cars on Alspaugh Dam Rd. do U-turns and go the opposite direction, my neighbors cover their ears and throw things in my direction. But all this could be just coincidence, I mean people threw things at Elvis when he "sang". Micheal Jr. I feel your pain.

God Bless and yall pray fer us!

Basketball Season is around the corner!

I just love the Tar Heels… Who wouldn’t.. They win almost all of the their games, have won 5 National Championships (Duke 3, State 2 , and Wake 0), have the single greatest Coach in all of college Basketball. We also have won 4 of the last 5 against Duke. Duke coach Mike CRYzewski (I think that is how you spell it) is now 31-32 against North Carolina. Duke as a team is now 96-127 all-time against the Tar Heels.




By the way that is a losing record for all you Duke fans; you have a hard time admitting facts. So here is the question I would love to have answered: Why are you not a Tar Heel fan? I just don’t understand why every person on the planet isn’t a Tar Heel fan.




For those who are not fans. What is it like? How do you approach basketball season realizing you are not a Tar Heel fan? It must be depressing. I feel sorry for you. Do you envy the greatness of UNC?

Rentz Johnson Update

As many of you know, Rentz has been battling a very serious life threatening illness for the past few months. I personally want to Thank You for the prayers and support you have showered on this family. Rentz and Amy are very good friends of mine and it hurts me to see them go thru this, but (and there is always a but with God) God is so much bigger than our circumstances and He will and has used this for good. Rentz is at home and doing better. He said he really misses the Church and wants to Thank you all for everything.

I wanted to show some pictures of Rentz in the Philippines doing "Mission Work"-
-These are from 2005 trip (they are the only ones i have)




(Rentz is sharing his testimony on "The Isalnd"- with June translating)





I call this picture "Job Done"- This was taken after we did a medical clinic and played the locals in Basketball (110% at least) -- we lost but I think they cheated!
It was so Hot Satan was seated in the stands with a Duke T-shirt on (he is a Duke fan you know) fanning himself!!


Lifeguards on duty!! (We have both lost 100's of pounds since this picture!) They said many sharks were in the water but Rentz and I are so secure in our salvation and the sovereignty of God we just floated above them!
This Mission Trip was life-changing for me and I will do a few post about it later but as you can see, nothing is better than serving the Lord across the World with Friends.

Rentz, I love you buddy and I am praying for you to get better so we can fight more sharks together.

Joel's Gospel

6Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 (ESV)

Joel must have forgotten that verse and this one:
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12 (ESV)

and this one:

"The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me." Luke 10:16(ESV)

and this one:

And someone said to him, "Lord, will those who are saved be few?" And he said to them,"Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying,'Lord, open to us,' then he will answer you, 'I do not know where you come from.' 26Then you will begin to say,'We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.' 27But he will say, 'I tell you,I do not know where you come from. Depart from me.."
Luke 13:23-27 (ESV)

But Joel says this according to one article:
Although Osteen says he believes in hell and the afterlife, he doesn't preach "fire and brimstone" and his messages often leave out the traditional Christian teachings of sacrifice, the cross of Jesus Christ, and the word "sinners."

Backing Osteen, Young acknowledged that not everyone agrees with Osteen's style, but said the megapastor encourages people to live better lives through faith in God and following Biblical principles.

"Few individuals have been as successful as Joel in spreading God's word," stated Young. "Joel understands today's culture and that messages of damnation and of a vengeful God no longer resonate with an overstressed society that already believes they are living in Hell daily.

"Instead, Joel tells people that if they draw closer to God that their lives will be better. This is a message that our society is eager to embrace. Who doesn't seek a fuller life on earth?"

Charles Spurgeon said this about the Gospel:

"Never lose heart in the power of the gospel. Do not believe that there exists any man, much less any race of men, for whom the gospel is not fitted."

"If God does not save men by truth, he certainly will not save them by lies. And if the old gospel is not competent to work a revival, then we will do without the revival."

"When we preach Christ crucified, we have no reason to stammer, or stutter, or hesitate, or apologize; there is nothing in the gospel of which we have any cause to be ashamed."

"The hearing of the gospel involves the hearer in responsibility. It is a great privilege to hear the gospel. You may smile and think there is nothing very great in it. The damned in hell know. Oh, what would they give if they could hear the gospel now? If they could come back and entertain but the shadow of a hope that they might escape from the wrath to come? The saved in heaven estimate this privilege at a high rate, for, having obtained salvation through the preaching of this gospel, they can never cease to bless their God for calling them by his word of truth. O that you knew it! On your dying beds the listening to a gospel sermon will seem another thing than it seems now."

I'll take Spurgeon's Gospel over Joel's Gospel anytime.

To bad Spurgeon didn't get a chance to read Joel's New Book!

Paul said, "8But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. Galatians 1:8-9 (ESV)

John Piper on the prosperity gospel

Become a Better You

Hope you will read Joel's new Book "Becoming a Better You".

Joel offers 7 Keys to help you Discover the Champion in U! Here they are:

1. Keep pressing forward.
2. Be positive toward yourself.
3. Develop better relationships.
4. Form better habits.
5. Embrace the place where you are.
6. Develop your inner life.
7. Stay passionate about life.

Word on the street is: 3 million in first print. What does that say for Christianity in America?

From Emergents like Brian Mclaren and Rob Bell to prosperity preachers like Joel and Benny; No wonder Christians in other countries laugh or cry at our spiritual state in America

I wonder if John Piper will buy the Book!

PS: Joel can bench press 300lbs hope he doesn't read my BLOG!!!!

"Here is my first blog from the other page"

Hello! This is a trial run at blogging. I would like to know who is out there.

I want to comment on the Jason Ray story on ESPN. He was the mascot for the UNC athletic program, who died after being hit by a car in New Jersey during the Elite Eight this past March while the Heels were playing in the NCAA Tourney.Here is a great web adress detailing his life and death: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=rayofhope

Jason in death gave life to others. Can anything be more Christ-like. In all, about 80 people have received an organ or tissue from Ray. He loved the Lord in Life and Death....
How is your life impacting others? What type of leagcy are you going to leave? In an age of me first Christianity it is great to see a young man who thought of others.


His story made me think of how I will be remembered and what difference is my life making for the Kingdom. As Christians we have the ability, with God's help, to not just improve lives but change eternities... No sacrifice is to great to make for Jesus.

"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." John 12:24

My First Blog on New page

Hello! This is my other first blog.. My other blog is at http://www.etbconline.org/

I Just wanted to say how much I love being the Pastor of East Taylorsville Baptist Church.
Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine being a Pastor much less at this wonderful place.

This past year I have seen our church truly respond like the hands of Christ. When people have needed help with finances, transportation, encouragement, or just the basics, you guys have shown out.

I am truly greatful.

Hope to see you Sunday!