What have YOU done for ME lately?

In today's society not much is thought of faithfulness.  We live in such and instant society that we only consider the short term and not the long term.  The "What have YOU done for ME lately", moto is a montra of society.  It used to be that a man could get a job at eighteen or twenty and work for the some company until retirement.  Now the man nor the company are faithful to the other.  Business will cut the man who has given years of his life to the "machine" for a cheaper hire and men will gladly move on for better pay or greener pastures. 

The same is true in the ministry.  Pastors and associate pastors do not have the longevity in churches as in days gone by with again, both churches (business) and pastors (man) both being at "fault".  While there are exceptions to this, my father in law has been the pastor of the same church for over twenty five years, that is not the norm in society. 

I could go on and on talking about marriages, relationships etc. concerning the decline of faithfulness but I believe you see my point.  The question is, Am I faithful?  Do I demonstrate a spirit and life of faithfulness in every avenue of my life?  (Home, church, business, family, relationships)

The desire of our Savior is that we be found faithful. (I Cor. 4:2, Matt. 25:21)  We are trending away from faithfulness and that is not a good thing.  May we as followers of Christ determine to be faithful in every aspect of our lives.  Be faithful to the Lord because he is faithful to you.  Serve Him from a heart of love. 

"Ask not what your Savior can do for you, but what you can do for your Savior."

Truth or Tradition?

Where do we draw the line as believers and followers of God’s Word and where does the slope that leads to compromise begin? There are some in fundamental circles who “squint at a gnat and swallow a camel” as the old colloquialism goes. The truth of God’s Word is superseded by traditions or traditions are tied into Gods Word. For example, our church observed the Lords Supper this past Sunday night.  Some churches may practice the observance of the Lords Supper every week while some hold to a quarterly or monthly observance. Which one is right? The Bible does not tell us how often to observe the Lords table, it simply says, “…as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.” I Corinthians 10:25.  There would be those who accuse a church who observes this ordinance weekly as overkill or taking it too lightly and others would say it is not taken enough.  Is it observed out of tradition or in obedience to the truth? 

As I mentioned in my last post, there is nothing Biblical about a Sunday night or Wednesday night service but they are good things to have. There is nothing biblical about having a special revival service or conferences, but they are good things for churches to have. When you start canceling church services where is the cut off line? Where do you draw the stopping point and say this is too far? And what group of churches are you following the example of by your change in church structure? I understand there are variances on things such as service time, service structure and so on.  This is not a posting regarding one way being right or one way being wrong, (ie. 6:00 p.m. Sunday night service verses 6:30 p.m. Sunday night service)  My personal concern is that we as Baptist pastors do not trickle slowly down a path of compromise.

I am not an Independent Baptist first, I am a Christian first, but I bear the title Independent Baptist and my church bears the title as well because it separates and declares to the world our doctrine and Biblical position. I am aware that there Independent Baptist that I would not agree with on every subject matter or position and there are IFB pastors and leaders that have sinned and make open shame to the body of Christ. However, I am not going to change my distinctive position based upon man, because it is a position I have come to Biblicaly. Just because a church drops the name Baptist it does not remove them from problems or even being associated with a doctrine, unless the church teaches no doctrine and then it ceases to be a church. The purpose of the church is to declare the doctrine of God’s Word and based on the teaching and doctrine it lines them up with a denomination, there is no way around that.

Every person has tradition; there are good tradition and bad tradition. Truth is our ultimate standard bearer. Truth separates, it declares distinctive, holds our position, and it clarifies. The issue that I am seeing there are some who are mingling tradition and truth and thus throwing both out. Every preacher of the gospel must line up somewhere. One may say, I am a Biblicists if so what mode of baptism do you practice? What gospel do you preach? What distinctive do you hold to? The answer to these questions will declare your denominational position. We have been handed a treasured truth and I do not want to throw it away because of a few in our ranks that sow discord. Mark them, as the Bible admonishes us to do (Rom. 16:17) and move on. Preach Jesus, win souls then fulfill the great commission by, “…Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:” Matt. 28:20. Remember that Jude took pen in hand to write concerning the common salvation but the Holy Spirit moved him to write concerning earnestly contending for the faith. (Jude 2) Read and study this great New Testament book and we will see the standard bearer of Truth declared in a time of open apostasy. May we, those who have been entrusted with the glorious Gospel of Christ fulfill our calling.

Whats wrong with that? Day Three

As we continue with the thought of the question posed on day one, “What’s wrong with that?”.  Lets remember that we are accountable to God, we are accountable to His Word and we are responsible for sharing His love to a lost and dying world. So the final thought is this…

What’s right with it?

To me the question is faulty for the Christian.  Why are we looking for an out when we should be looking to honor the Lord in all we do. 1Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. The world sees enough hypocrisy in Christendom as a whole.  Comics make a living mocking religion and religious inconsistency; whole movies have been made regarding the false gospel preachers of the day. (See Wednesday blog for further detail.)  Yet we are called to be salt and light in this world. 

In our ranks today there is a mentality to step away from the clear teachings of God’s Word and move from the crystal clear commands that He has given us.  I realize that we do not find Sunday night church in the Bible but is having church on Sunday night a bad thing?  How many people are saved on a Sunday night service?  I know that Wednesday night service is not in the Bible, but is having a mid week service a bad thing?  We have come to the place as Christians where we can excuse anything.  Too busy for Sunday night church, too much to do to go soul winning, after all shouldn’t we be home with our family? 

So let me end with this thought, the next time you ask the question, “What’s wrong with doing this or that?” switch it around, look and see if it is pleasing the God that saved you.  Check and see if it lines up with God’s Word and the doctrine of the Bible.  Then ask “What’s right with this or that?”  I believe if all of us as followers of Christ would live by this simple thought then we will become the Salt and Light that we should be in our world. 

Whats wrong with that? Day two

Second thought on the question, “What’s wrong with that?” bids me to pose the question,

What is your moral guide in life?

 Everyone has a guiding compass in their life.  God created all mankind with a conscience.  Paul writing to his son in the Faith describes it this way. 1Timothy 4:1 “ Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron”.  In other words coming to the place to where they are numb to the fact that they are not only speaking lies to others in the name of God but they feel no remorse for leading people to a false holiness or false worship of God.  While the context of this scripture is speaking primarily to preachers of the gospel it also declares unto us that God created us with a conscience or knowledge of good and evil.  Mankind as a whole understands this but there are those who come to the place where they cannot fully grasp the fact that they are accountable to God. 

So as a preacher, am I declaring the Word of God to those who hear me as their moral guide in life?  Am I sharing His standards, His teachings, His doctrine or am I combining it with my personal preferences and personal position on certain subjects.  The Bible is mankind’s moral guide.  Whether a person is a believer or not, the Bible is our guide and by it we are held accountable.  But for the Christian more so, James 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

In conclusion, who is your governor in life? Who do you allow to control your thoughts your actions, who are you accountable to?  Yourself…no man lives unto himself; we are all accountable to God.  And what is your moral guide in life?  Your conscience…that’s good but does it line up with God’s word?  Your preacher or some spiritual mentor, that’s good but do their teachings line up with God’s Word?  The Bible is our ultimate authority and litmus test for the question, “What’s wrong with that?”

Whats wrong with that?

How many times have we heard this question asked?  How many times have we asked this question?  For the Christan there is a governor of our life, it is not just a mere conscience (Rom. 1&2) but it is the person of the Holy Spirit that indwells each believer from the moment of salvation. (Eph. 2:1; I Peter 3:18)  In recent days I have been asked this question by believers and non believers alike. 

It has been concerning a number of issues so I will generalize for the sake of the reader because it all comes down to one resounding answer.   So I thought I would begin a series on the Pastors Pen to respond and hopefully help some who may be asking or someone who is asked this question. 

Today let me answer the question, with a question...

Who is the Governor of your Life?

Everyone is accountable to God.  No man lives unto himself we are all held responsible by a Holy and just God.  My life is not dictated by a series of laws that I feel I must keep in order to gain the approval or love of the Lord.  I live my life in obedience to his word based upon a love I have for Him because of His demonstrated love toward me on the cross of Calvary.  I have placed myself under Him- a bond slave as Paul called it time and again in scripture- having the ability to go free but choosing to be submissive to the will and way of the master.  (Rom. 1:1) 

So if you are a Christian who is the governor of your life?  Who do you allow to control your mind, your actions, your thoughts, your decisions.  Do you compare them with the Word of God or do you simply reason them away with the "free" thinking of society today?  This world would say that they are free thinkers, open minded and on their own.  But each one is a carbon copy of the other...there are no true "liberal" thinkers or true "open" minded individuals because they all say the same thing.  So the question "Whats wrong with that?"- bids the question "Who is the governor of my life?".  Who will I allow to help me make this decision?  God and His word or the god of this world? 

Check back tomorrow as we will continue this thought.  Your opinions or thoughts on this are always welcome. 

Follow me on twitter @pastorhearn or email pastorhearn@msn.com

How to Have a Good Day!

This morning, as we were rushing out the door to make it to school and the office, stress took hold of our family.  Like a black cloud overshadows a sunny day the constraints of time, looking for socks and shoes, little brothers fighting and lack of coffee intake, brought our happy home to a point of reckoning. 
On the way to school my youngest daughter sat quietly in the back looking somberly out the window.  When I asked her what was her trouble, she simply replied, "I am going to have a bad day.  Because when I start a day bad, it always all goes bad, so today is going to be a bad day."  I assured her that was not the case and gave her some reassuring words, had prayer with her and then off she was to a day of school. 

This got me thinking about our day, a twenty four hour period of which we can never get back.  In the US the average lifespan is 78.06 years x 365 days x 24 hours = 683,806 hours in an average lifespan.  That may seem like a lot but at the age of 34 I am close to halfway done with life on this earth.  Do I really want to waste valuable, precious time on a "bad day"?  I think not! 

The Bible tells us in I Peter 3:10-11 "For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that the speak no guile; Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace and ensue it."

I.  Life is meant to be Loved! 

God gave us this life to enjoy, not endure.  I know so many people that seem to just drudge through a day and not enjoy the time they have at hand.  Now we are all going to have difficulty and dark times in our life.  But I am speaking of daily drudging through our day with no hope or joy in our heart. 

We live in a day when happiness is equated with possessions.  In a recent survey of children 8 to 18, 66% of kids said that they would be happy to stay home and spend time with their family as apposed to spending a night out on the town.  You may think, "They sure didn't ask my kid", but when is the last time you planned a family game night, or spent time together around the dinner table, or the Word of God, or just sat down on your sons or daughters bed and asked how there day went?  Love the Life you have! 

II.  Life is filled with Language!

Day in and day out we are filled with frustrations of life.  Mundane tasks seem to at times overwhelm us.  Work schedules, ball schedules, special events for the parents, kids, pets - you name it the average American family is under the gun.  Many times what happens in these stress filled times?  Tempers flare and words are spoken out of anger and not kindness. 

"Tongue" is found 136 times in the Bible, but no verse is greater on the tongue that James 3:5 "Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!"
Peter also deals in our text with the control of our speech.  James states it this way in chapter one verse nineteen, " Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:".  Our speech can have an adverse effect on our surrounding circumstances.  How did the smartest man who ever lived say to deal with controversy or stressful situations?  Lash out, give them a piece of our mind, let them have it!- No to the contrary Solomon said this, "A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger."  You see, according the the Bible, many times our own speech adds to the Laboriousness of our "bad" days, but we can see "bad" days turn into "good" days when we use a pattern of sound words throughout our day!

In conclusion, let us all determine to have a zest and love for life that truly only Christians can and should have.  We allow the cares and affairs of this sin sick world to pull us down and destroy our days.  They are destroying our homes or churches and our way of life all because we are letting them. 

III.  Life is filled with Labor! 

I am not talking about work, I am speaking of what Peter declares our real fight and labor should be "eshewing evil, doing good, seeking peace and ensuing it".  When is the last time we thought about these three things consuming our day?  Before we speak, do we consider these three things.  Before we head into a meeting with coworkers or our boss do we consider these three things?  Before we go to lunch with some of our friends from work, do we consider these things.  Before we sit down to eat with our family do we consider these things?  Life is a fight, a daily struggle with our old nature that is seeking to hurt our spiritual new nature. 

This may seem like a lot to think about, but are our families worth our labor?  If they are worth working a job for, providing for monetarily, are they not worth working for spiritually? 

I don't know yet how my little girls day will go today, only the hours will tell.  But I am going to do my part, as her dad to ensure that I am having a good day.  No matter my circumstance or problems- I am going to seek to have good days.

When you pillow your head tonight and subtract 24 hours from your allotted 683,806 - how will you have spent yours?  Good or Bad? 

I hope you have a Good Day!

By His Spirit

Many times in our Christian life we think, "How can I accomplish the will of God for my life?"    The will of God and the work of God go hand in hand.  In our church this year is a year of remembrance.  We are looking back on the thirty year history of Maranatha Baptist church and seeing the hand of Gods blessing on our ministry.  This year as we look back on our past, may we remember our need of the Spirit of God and His guidance in everything that we do.  Many times we live under the impression that God needs us, but to the contrary; He does not need us, we need Him.  Let us all remember Zechariah 4:6 "Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts."