Don't wear basketball shorts!

(actual photo of game at this Christian School)
This is a story on a school that requires it's boys basketball teams to wear long pants in the name of modesty. I found it very interesting that when the reporter asked if there was a verse in Scripture that addresses wearing long pants, this was the principals response:

There is, but I'd have to look it up -- I don't have it handy, but it's definitely in Scripture. And I don't know if you know this, but our girls' basketball team dresses in skirts. [And the school's cheerleading squad wears long skirts.]

Seems like if you were the principal you would be prepared to answer a question like that. But, I am guessing that the real problem is that this prohibition is found in the Bible right next to the laws of riding a unicorn and how to evangelize a leprechaun.

You have to read this post, I just don't get it.

We all know basketball pants have gotten longer and longer in recent years. But you probably have never seen them as long as this.

The team in the long pants is Gate City Christian, a tiny Pentecostal high school in southwestern Virginia. No, the players didn't forget their game shorts, and they aren't wearing their warm-up pants -- the Warriors, as the team is called, always wear long pants, due to the school's religious tenets.

The boy's basketball team has to wear pants and the girl's team has to wear skirts!
Where is this in the Bible? It is ok if it is the school's conviction but where is it in the Bible?


(HT:Contend Earnestly)

Chuck Swidoll on Legalism

Here is some really really good advice from Chuck Swidoll on dealing with legalist:

In interview with Howard Hendricks, Chuck Swindoll defined the legalism problem as:

...when we get into areas that are not set forth in Scripture, either in precept or even in principle. These may be such things as length of hair, tattoos and other body piercings, skirts or pants for women, makeup or no makeup. Those are not scriptural issues. Sometimes these issues are cultural, and you do have to address them when you are in that particular culture. But I think legalism begins when you do or refrain from doing what I want you to do or not do because it's on my list and it's something that I am uncomfortable with.

Then, Chuck gives his blunt advice:

The problem with legalists is that not enough people have confronted them and told them to get lost. Those are strong words, but I don't mess with legalism anymore. I'm 72 years old; what have I got to lose? Seriously, I used to kowtow to legalists, but they're dangerous. They are grace-killers. They'll drive off every new Christian you bring to church. They are enemies of the faith. Other than that, I don't have any opinion!

So, if I am trying to force my personal list of no-no's on you and make you feel guilty if you don't join me, then I'm out of line and I need to be told that.

And everybody said: AMEN!

The Charlotte Observer the day after!

The Charlotte Observer the day after 2009 and 2010 NCAA Championships! LOL. Way to go Charlotte Observer!

Driscoll on How to become a legalist.

How to Become a Legalist:

From Luke 6: 1-11
1One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels. 2Some of the Pharisees asked, "Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?"
3Jesus answered them, "Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions." 5Then Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."

6On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. 7The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. 8But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Get up and stand in front of everyone." So he got up and stood there.

9Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?"

10He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He did so, and his hand was completely restored. 11But they were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.

1.Make rules outside the Bible.

2.Push yourself to try and keep your rules.

3.Castigate yourself when you don't keep your rules.

4.Become proud when you do keep your rules.

5.Appoint yourself as judge over other people.

6.Get angry with people who break your rules or have different rules.

7."Beat" the losers.

John MacArthur's Definition of legalism. “In many cases when you’re talking about legalism, you’re not talking really about works-salvation. You’re talking, I assume, about an approach to the Christian life that is needlessly restrictive and narrow and artificially constructed around certain behaviors that aren’t even biblical issues.”

"Strange" Things are going on at ETBC!

Strange things going on at ETBC

This past Sunday the Lord blessed in a tremendous way. I had the privilege of baptizing 8 people! All 8 publicly professed their faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior through believer’s baptism. That never gets old!

We also saw 20 people join our church. At ETBC, in order to join, you must go through CLASS 101. This class is a requirement. Someone can’t just walk down the aisle and join any time they want to at ETBC. As a matter of fact, no one can. This has worked great for ETBC. In this class we explain, in detail, our beliefs about Jesus, the Bible, salvation, worship, our goals and our expectations of members. At the end of the class we tell people how they can join. We never beg or proselyte other church members. We encourage families to attend for a while before joining to make sure God has called them to ETBC. So, I thank God for the families and individuals who joined this Sunday. Because of demand we will be having another CLASS 101 next Sunday April 11.

We also saw 502 people in Sunday School. I want to thank Associate Pastors Mark Marshall and Kevin White for doing such a great job in this area. ETBC has always had a strong Sunday School but never like this. God is really blessing in this area. We are in great need of Sunday School space.

910 people worshiped with us Sunday! The House was packed. I want to thank all of our members who think enough of their friends and family members to invite them to church. Studies show that at least 90% of people saved in America were the direct result of a close friend or family member.

God was exalted in worship. Gary Pierce is doing a great job at ETBC. I am thankful for his friendship and leadership in this area. I’m so glad our choir has practice and tries to sing with excellence. Also I am so thankful we sing more than Hymns from the red Hymn Book. Even though, we do sing from this great collection of songs every Sunday that is not all we do. There are some great God honoring songs in America today that some churches will never hear because they were written before 1950. Thanks Gary for obeying the Lord in this Area.

Strange things are happening at ETBC. To God be the Glory! And everyone said AMEN!

It's Sunday!

"If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you." Romans 8:11

Bad Bad Bad Hermeneutics!

I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! 2 Timothy 4

Watch out for Bad Hermeneutics.

Paul told Timothy to “Preach the Word”. Not his opinions or preferences. Boy, some preachers need to heed this warning from Paul. Paul was a man of the Word. He died for his faith and his commitment to God’s inspired inerrant Word. Paul preached the Word and never strayed from it. We preachers need to heed his advice.

Sadly many today search out scriptures to “prove a point” about a certain worship style or whether or not the pulpit should be removed out of the sanctuary. If this is their preference so be it. But to manipulate and obliterate God’s Word, to prove a point, is just wrong. To take a section of scripture and make it say what it was never intended to say is borderline blasphemy. Who gave you the right to do that? God doesn’t’ change and neither does His Word. Pastors just preach the Word.

John MacArthur said this:

“There are silly and foolish ways to approach the study of the Bible. Perhaps you've heard the familiar story of the man who wanted guidance about a major decision. Started to close his eyes and not knowing where to look, wanted God to answer him. In the dilemma, he opened his Bible, put his finger down to get guidance from whatever verse his finger happened to land on. His first try brought him to Matthew 27:5, "Judas went out and hanged himself." Thinking that verse was really not much help, he determined to try again. This time his finger landed on Luke 10:37, "Go thou and do likewise." Still undeterred and not ready to give up, he tried it a third time and his finger landed on John 13:27, "What thou doest, do quickly."

Now, I certainly don't want to vouch for the authenticity of that particular account, but it does make an important point. Looking for meaning in Scripture through some mystical process is a way to get an ill-gotten theology. Looking for meaning in Scripture beyond the historical, grammatical, logical understanding of the context is unwise and dangerous. It's possible, of course, to substantiate almost any idea or any teaching from Scripture if you take it out of its context and twist it around. I remember hearing about the preacher who didn't think women should have their hair up on their head because a woman's hair should be down, so he preached against what used to be called bobbed hair, women having their hair up on their heads. His text was top not come down, taken from Matthew 24 where it says, "Let those on the housetop not come down." So, if you just pull out, if you just pull out exactly what you want, you can probably get it. We laugh at that because it sounds so bizarre, but that is precisely the process that many are using to substantiate their experiences or to invent their theology.

Now the task of hermeneutics is to realize, first of all, that there is a God given meaning in Scripture, apart from you or me or anybody else. Scripture means something if means nothing to me, understood? It means something if it means nothing to you. It means something if it means nothing to anybody. It means something in itself, and that meaning is determined by God, the Author, not by one who is going through some kind of mystical experience. The interpreter's task then is to discern that meaning. To discover the meaning of the text in its proper setting, to draw the meaning out of the Scripture, rather than to read one's meaning into it.

Well, what good does it do to believe that the Bible is God's final and complete word if you misinterpret it? Either way you miss the truth, right? It is equally serious along with disbelieving the Bible to misinterpret it. Interpreting Scripture to make it say what it was never intended to say is a sure road to division, to error, to heresy and to apostasy.” END QUOTE

Did you get that? Hope so. Study the Word in context and preach it. We have too much “strange preaching” going on these days. God help us we are in a mess!

Would love to hear your comments!

That's My King

I know you have seen it a thousand times but it is worth seeing again.
Romans 1:4 “Jesus was authenticated with power to be the Son of God by His Resurrection from the dead.”