Cutting It Straight

The Surpassing Value of Knowing Christ

2009-08-04T11:27:00.002-05:00

What would it take to get you to deny Christ?

If someone offered you $500 million to deny Christ, would you?

If someone threatened to take your life through prolonged and agonizing torture, would you deny Christ?

What if someone threatened to take the life of a loved one if you didn't deny Christ? Would you? What if that loved one didn't know Christ? Would you deny Christ to spare their life so that they could have opportunity to trust in Christ?

These extreme examples serve to illustrate a point. The choice is not between heaven and hell. I assume most people would make the right choice if those were the options. No, the choice is between heaven and the things of this world. And whether its possessions or relations, many would rather have the things of this world than heaven.

Every time we choose something of this world over obedience to Christ, we are saying that the value in knowing Christ really isn't of surpassing value.

So, we must let our minds dwell more on Christ and the things above. We must fill our minds with the truth. And, as parents, we must teach our children that there really is a surpassing value in knowing Christ. That will help them not to get sucked in by the things of this world.

Knowing Christ is of far greater value than possessing the whole world.

From Uganda to Disneyland

2009-05-15T13:40:00.002-05:00

The last few weeks have been some of the busiest and most blessed of my life.

First, I went to Uganda. There I spoke at a pastor's conference to 200 Ugandan pastors. It was a great time and the Lord will surely use it to strengthen the churches in Uganda. If you want to hear the report I gave to the church on this trip, you can listen to it by going to our church web page: bfsatx.org.

I arrived home form Uganda on a Saturday, preached on Sunday, caught up on a bunch of stuff Monday, then, on Tuesday, Roberta and I flew to LA and went straight to ----- Disneyland (well, we stopped at In-N-Out on the way). Talk about a contrast! Uganda and Disneyland are definitely on the far ends of the cultural spectrum. While at Disneyland we got to see Bill and Cory, and Bobby, Christa, Tyler, and Emma. Priceless.

From Disneyland we drove to Santa Barbara to see my dad and we arrived on the night that a growing wildfire was threatening the city. When we got out of the car it felt like we were inside a smoky barbeque joint. Fortunately, the weather changed in time so that while the fire caused considerable damage, it could have been incredibly worse.

Just as a footnote: Going to Uganda was somewhat of a health risk. I had to get 7 shots before I left and I am still taking malaria pills. When I returned, however, I found out about the Swine Flu and that our city was at the epicenter of this outbreak. Then we go to fiery Santa Barbara. It appears I was safer in Uganda than I am at home.

Of course, as nice as it is to go to Disneyland and see Bobby, Billy and their families, and as nice as it is to visit my dad, the reason we were in California was to see Ben graduate from The Master's College. Ben is our youngest so this is it. They are all out of college now. It has been a joy to see Ben go through college and I have never known anyone who enjoyed everything about college as much as Ben did. I am thankful for The Master's College and, most of all, I am thankful for the Master's work in the lives of our children. The above picture is of Ben and me at his baptism last year.

Ben had preceded me in Uganda. He was there last summer for 6 weeks. At the beginning of my visit I was known as Ben's dad and that's okay with me. His being there before me really paved the way for me being so quickly accepted.

Jesus said that in Him we would find abundant life. Our Lord gives us a peace and joy that is full and complete. I am amazed at what He does in my life and the opportunities that He gives to me. For all of this I am profoundly thankful and I don't want to waste my life.

To the Ends of the Earth

2009-04-22T11:27:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow I leave for Uganda, Africa. Next week I will be speaking at a pastor's conference of national pastors. This is an amazing thing to me. This is an incredible opportunity.

Not that I haven't had any reservations about this. I wasn't excited about getting all the shots (7) that were required for me to be able to make this trip safely. I also have to take Malaria pills for 40 days (started 2 days ago). Additionally, I will need to be careful what I eat and drink while I am there and I have been warned that the facilities may not be the greatest. On top of all that, I must travel for about 21 hours to get there.

So why do it? First of all, I was asked to do it. But when I think about ministering to a few hundred pastors as a part of a larger ministry that has the potential to affect a whole country for the gospel, how could I refuse? I believe that the Bible is powerful and that somehow the Lord can use a guy like me - just a guy like me, to proclaim His Word for His glory. What a privilege.

So, I'm looking forward to what the Lord has in store for this trip. I'm sure I'll have some stories to tell when I get back - testimonies to His goodness, grace, and power.

Please pray for me and I 'll give a report when I get back.

I don't want to waste my life.

Change Of Course

2009-04-01T07:56:00.003-05:00

Actually, I've decided to take to the course, the golf course. For years people have told me I should take my golf game out on tour. Especially, as I approached the age of 50, folks said I was made for the Champions (Senior) Tour. Well, 50 is a few years in the rear view mirror and so I've decided that if I'm going to do it, now is the time.

I was inspired by Tiger's victory over the weekend. If he can come back after eight months off following major knee surgery and win, then who's to say I can't come back after 30+ years away from competitive golf. I haven't had any surgery and I am certainly well rested.

In fact, after some of the ministry situations I've been through and some of the counseling cases I've handled, a three foot putt to win would be like playing on the playground.

So I'm going to put my ministry on hold and pursue my life-long dream of playing professional golf. Oh, I won't be totally leaving the ministry. I'll lead a Bible study out on tour and give my testimony at different events. Also, I'll write John 3:16 underneath my autograph so I'll be faithfully witnessing too.

Yes, I am going to suspend my ministry of following the Son for the time being as I follow the Sun out on the tour. No doubt the popularity I gain by being a golf champion will boost my ministry when I come back to it.

By now you might have guessed that this is an April Fools blog post and you would be right. I have the greatest job in the world. I have the privilege of proclaiming God's Word and I wouldn't give that up for anything. The guys out on the tour can rest easy - I'm staying in the pulpit.

I hope that both of you who might read this post had some fun with me.

Radical Christianity

2009-03-27T21:37:00.002-05:00

This Sunday I will be preaching on the Final Judgment from Revelation 20:11-15.

Do you really believe that there will be a final judgment?

Do you believe that the Lord will sit on a great white throne and that everyone who never believed will stand before Him in judgment?

Do you really believe that those unbelieving people will then be sentenced to eternal judgment in the Lake of Fire?

If you believe this, how did it affect your life today?

I read recently of two young Moravians who sold themselves into slavery in 1732 because that was the only way to evangelize 2,000 to 3,000 slaves on an island then a part of the West Indies.

Those two believed in a final judgment. They also believed in a great Savior who had given His life and could save men in every place and situation. These men acted like they believed these things.

We think we're being radical Christians when we invite someone to a church picnic.

How does a belief in these great, awesome, amazing eternal truths affect our lives?

Would anybody accuse you of being a radical Christian?

God is Amazing...

2009-02-09T14:17:00.003-06:00

A number of great things have happened since I last posted and I want to give you an update.

I spent a week at The Master's Seminary working on my Doctor of Ministry program. 12 preachers and a prof in a room for eight hours a day talking about studying and preaching the Word. It doesn't get much sweeter than that for a preacher.

God is Amazing...

Roberta and I went to California for the celebration of John MacArthur's 40th Anniversary as the pastor of Grace Community Church. It was a great weekend. We got to fellowship with lots of friends. We got to see all our children. We got to hear Iain Murray preach. And we got to thank God for the influence of a godly, faithful man.

God is Amazing...

This past Saturday we received The Call from Bobby telling us that his daughter (our granddaughter) had been born and that she and Christa were doing well. If you want to see some great pictures of Bobby, Christa, Tyler, and Emma Jane then just go to Bill and Cory's link to the right of this post.

God is Amazing..

The title of this post was inspired by a quote from John MacArthur. A couple of years ago he was asked how he stayed motivated to keep producing two sermons a week plus all of his other ministry responsibilities. His answer was, "It's simple. God is amazing and I am amazed."

God is Amazing...

Are you amazed?

Committed to the Word

2009-01-09T11:05:00.000-06:00

Perhaps one of the greatest weaknesses among American church attendees in our day is a lack of discernment. In our complex days when we live in a culture which is so overpowering because of the media capabilities, many who call themselves Christians have a difficult time making wise choices.

No doubt the biggest reason for this is because they are not being trained to think biblically. Churches today want people feel good about themselves and help them in their relationships. Some of this may be practical and beneficial, but people need to be taught what God says from His Word so that they aren’t led astray by a seductive society.

Where are the churches that are seriously training their people from the Scriptures? Where are the John Calvins and Martin Luthers of our day? We need a real return to the Bible or you won’t be able to tell the difference between the church and the world.

At Believers Fellowship we’re committed to the Word.

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Today was the last broadcast of Cutting It Straight on KSLR. I am thankful to Baron Wiley and Kevin Bel for all their help in making these broadcasts possible. It was a joy to work with them and I benefitted personally from putting these messages together. I'm thankful too, for any who were encouraged by these broadcasts.

The blog will continue but not with the same frequency which we have had in the past year.

May God Bless you with a fruitful 2009 to the glory of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

A Dying Breed

2009-01-08T11:03:00.000-06:00

In a few weeks John MacArthur and the rest of Grace Church will be celebrating his 40th anniversary as pastor. Think about that, for the past 40 years John MacArthur has been faithfully preaching God’s Word week in and week out at Grace Church.

I first attended Grace Church in 1974 and there isn’t any question that John MacArthur is the one person that the Lord has used the most in helping me in my understanding of the Scripture.

One of the highlights of my ministry was last year when John came and preached here at Believers Fellowship.

Unfortunately, men like John MacArthur seems to be a dying breed in our day. Not many are as faithful to preach God’s Word nor are many as faithful to the church.

At Believers Fellowship we desire to follow in the faithful footsteps of men like Dr. MacArthur and see the Word clearly proclaimed.

Spiritual Malpractice

2009-01-07T11:00:00.000-06:00

Today I am at The Master's Seminary as I continue to work on my doctorate in expository preaching.

Preaching is hard work and it requires intense study and preparation. When I was working on my masters degree there was another student who was a medical doctor. He told me that seminary was harder than medical school.

It should be. Ddoctors perform the important function of dealing with the physical body and we are all thankful for them. But the pastor deals with the eternal part of the person – his soul. Therefore, the pastor’s training should be more intense.

Now, you don’t have to go to seminary in order to be an effective and fruitful pastor, but the tragedy of our day is that there are so many unskilled pastors standing in the pulpit and committing spiritual malpractice.

Presenting Every Man Complete in Christ

2009-01-06T10:57:00.000-06:00

At Believers Fellowship we are committed to presenting everyman complete in Christ. We want to see people come to know Christ as Lord and then grow to maturity in their faith.

The primary way we do this is by teaching the Word of God and focusing on the person and work of Christ. We want to teach about the cross and Christ’s work there on our behalf. We want to listen to the Words of Christ and look carefully at the works of Christ.

Many ministries focus on people and teach for the purpose of making people feel good. Rather than starting with Christ, these ministries begin with man. Churches today are organized around what people want rather than what Christ, the Lord of the Church, wants.

As times get more difficult in our country, people will discover that a man-centered ministry won’t really help.

At Believers Fellowship we want to keep the focus on Jesus Christ, the Lord.

What's the Difference?

2009-01-05T10:53:00.000-06:00

Expository preaching is committed to explaining what the text of Scripture means and giving an exhortation to a proper application.

There is a lot of preaching which is not expository. Preachers may say they do exposition but they are not careful to define what is meant by expository preaching.

You might say, “What’s the difference? As long as the sermon helps me, then that’s all that matters.” Not really. If you don’t get the explanation right then you can’t make a right and helpful application.

And, when things get hard in life, unless you can turn to the Scripture with a confidence that you understand what it means then your faith will suffer. Weak explanation leads to weak living.

At Believers Fellowship we are committed to expository preaching. We want to know what God said.

I Don't Understand

2009-01-02T12:54:00.000-06:00

I have the great privilege of serving at Believers Fellowship. As we start another year I am looking forward to the privilege of ministering God’s Word as often as possible to as many as possible.

Our goal is to present every man complete in Christ. The only way to do that is through the ministry of the Word of God. The Bible is inspired, inerrant, powerful, relevant, and completely sufficient to minister to any person in any condition of life.

I don’t understand why other churches don’t demonstrate a higher commitment to the Scripture. I am concerned when I hear of churches that rely more on something else whether it be music or children’s programs or whatever.

Also, many churches don’t want in-depth teaching of the Bible. They are more into stories or testimonies than serious study of the Bible.

I’m thankful for a congregation that expects to hear what God says in His Word.

This Could Be The Year

2009-01-01T11:14:00.000-06:00

The Book of Revelation tells us that Christ’s return must shortly take place. That means it is something that could happen without any necessary delay.

We are also told that Christ’s coming is near. That means it is imminent. Christ’s return is ready to take place. Christ’s coming is on the verge of happening and could possibly occur at any moment.

Perhaps 2009 will be the year that Christ comes back. When you look at the world you can point to many things that would make you think that everything is lining up and getting ready for the return of the Lord. Not only do current conditions appear to be lining up but you realize that changes in our modern world can happen very quickly.

We should be warning people to be prepared for Christ’s return. We must preach the gospel and encourage people to trust Christ.

At Believers Fellowship we are looking for the return of the Lord.

Are You Ready?

2008-12-31T13:21:00.000-06:00

This is the end of another year. This was a significant year in many respects. We witnessed an historic election. We watched an historic Olympics from China.

We also have experienced a significant economic downturn. Stock and real estate values dropped at record rates across the country. Many people lost their jobs as many big companies either went belly up or had to make major cut backs.

This was also another year in which Jesus Christ did not return to the earth. All that means is that we are one year closer to His return. When Christ came the first time, He came to suffer and die in the place of sinners.

When Christ comes back He will come as a conquering King to rule over the whole earth. That day is drawing closer and closer and the Bible exhorts us to be ready.

Are you ready? Jesus is coming soon.

Jesus is a Great Savior

2008-12-30T16:55:00.000-06:00

Last week we celebrated Jesus coming in to the world. This was a glorious event that was anticipated by believing people for centuries. Christ’s coming was the fulfillment of a great promise made by God.

Do you know why Christ came into the world? The Bible says that Christ came to die for sinners. Christ came to give His life as a ransom for many. Christ came to seek and to save sinners. Christ came to destroy the works of the devil. Christ came to make the Father known.

While many people, if not most people, in the world acknowledge that Christ came, many do not know Him as their Lord and Savior. He died for sinners but sinners must repent and confess Christ as Lord or they will die in their sin.

It is pointless to celebrate Christmas and not know Christ. I encourage you to trust Him with all your heart. He is a great Savior.

Jesus the King

2008-12-29T10:55:00.000-06:00

The Bible tells us of some Magi who came looking for the One who was born as the King of the Jews. Jesus is the King of the Jews. He is the descendant of David who would rule over Israel. But Jesus is more than the King of the Jews. Jesus is the King of kings.

Jesus rules over all. He is a King who is the Judge of the world. Every single person is accountable to Jesus the King.

Those who fail to submit to the King will eventually experience His wrath and judgment. This is what we all deserve because of sin.

However, Jesus is a merciful King who will pardon all who confess Him as Lord. He can do this because He Himself paid the penalty that we deserve.

So, do you acknowledge Christ as King? He is whether or not you ever confess Him, but every knee will eventually bow to the King of kings.

The Indescribable Gift

2008-12-26T10:15:00.000-06:00

Today is the day after Christmas and, traditionally, this is a big shopping day and, especially, a day for returning Christmas gifts. Maybe the gift was not the right color. Perhaps the gift wasn’t the right size. Perhaps the gift just wasn’t any good. Whatever the reason, you might have received something as a gift that just wasn’t very special to you.

Well, the good news is that God gave us the perfect gift on that first Christmas. He sent His own Son into the world to be the Savior that we so desperately need. We are dead and hopeless in our sin. Christ is the One who can set people free.

But, a gift is no good unless it is received. Have you received Him? Have you committed yourself to following Christ? Have you confessed Him as Lord?

God sent the best. 2 Corinthians 9:15 says, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.”

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T10:27:00.000-06:00

I wish all of you a Merry Christmas. I trust that you and your family are enjoying a day that is similar to what happened to those shepherds on that first Christmas day.

You’ll remember those shepherds were out tending their sheep in the fields around Bethlehem when and angel appeared to them to tell them that the Savior was born. After hearing this announcement and seeing the glory of God shining all around them and hearing an angelic choir give glory to God, these shepherds ran to town to see this baby.

They told everyone what they had been told and after seeing the child they returned to their sheep glorifying and praising God.

These men who had to return to their job of tending those smelly and stupid sheep, but their lives had been changed by the coming of a Savior.

Whatever your circumstance today, I trust that you are praising and glorifying the Savior.

Christmas Superficiality

2008-12-24T10:56:00.000-06:00

When the magi came to Jerusalem the chief priests and scribes told them that the king they were looking for could be found in Bethlehem according to the Bible.

What’s amazing about this is that these men knew this information but they would not walk the few miles from Jerusalem to Bethlehem to see the Savior who had been born.

They were very superficial. They knew the truth but they didn’t care about the Savior. Sadly, there are many today who know Christmas truth, but they don’t know Christ. They know Christ was miraculously born in Bethlehem and they are content just with knowing this information.

At Believers Fellowship we want to worship Christ in spirit and truth. You are welcome to join us tonight as we will be having a Christmas Eve service at 7 o’clock. We will rejoice in the reality of a Savior – One that our sin sick world desperately needs.

We encourage you to trust in Christ as Savior.

Christmas Hypocrisy

2008-12-23T14:12:00.000-06:00

You are probably aware of the magi who came to Jerusalem looking for the King who had been born. Herod, the king of Judah was quite disturbed by this news. Herod was a very jealous man and was threatened by this news.

Herod called together the Bible scholars to find out where this promised king was to be born. They told Herod that He would be born in Bethlehem. So, Herod sends the magi on their way with these amazing words, “When you find the King let me know so I can come and worship Him.”

That statement is the height of hypocrisy. Herod did not want to worship this king, he wanted to kill him. But the hypocrisy of Herod is very common.

There are many today who will worship Christ with their lips. They will sing the Christmas songs and go to Christmas services, but their hearts are far from Christ.

Trampling Down Christmas Truth

2008-12-22T12:38:00.000-06:00

You probably heard about the tragedy that occurred at a Walmart on Long Island the day after Thanksgiving. This day has come to be known as Black Friday because that is the day retailers go in to the black as they kick-off the official first day of Christmas shopping.

This particular Walmart was set to open at 5 am that morning and by that time 2,000 people had gathered outside and were chanting “push the doors in.” That’s pretty much what happened and sadly, almost unbelievably, one employee was trampled to death by the frenzied crowd.

What happened at that Walmart provides a real picture of what has happened to the truth about Christmas. The truth has been trampled in the mad rush to materialism. People will give lip service to Christ – they’ll sing Christmas songs, but they’re more interested in other stuff than they are the Savior.

Join us as we rejoice in the truth about the Christ of Christmas.

You Can Trust the Savior

2008-12-19T14:14:00.000-06:00

Jesus Christ came into the world as the result of a divine act –a divine working. Quite simply, God did a miracle in having a virgin named Mary conceive this child.

Miracles are not any more difficult for God than anything else that He does. In fact, nothing is impossible with God. God had said hundreds of years earlier, through Isaiah that a virgin would give birth to a baby who would be called Immanuel, which means God with us. The virgin birth of Jesus was the fulfillment of that prophecy.

Because of God’s infinite power, He can back up what He says. No word of God must be incredible to us as long as no work of God is impossible to Him.

You can trust God’s Word and you can trust the Savior that He sent into the world. Jesus is the only Savior. It is only through Him that anyone can truly know God.

Jesus is Savior, God, and King!

2008-12-18T14:43:00.000-06:00

God sent the angel Gabriel to Mary to tell her that she would conceive and give birth to a very special child. Gabriel carefully described this child to Mary.

The child’s name would be Jesus. He was given this name because He would save His people from their sins and Jesus means, “The Lord is salvation.” Mary would give birth to the Savior.

Gabriel also told Mary that her son would be great and called the Son of the Most High – the Son of God. This child would not only be the Savior, but He would be God in the flesh.

Not only would this child be the Savior and God incarnate, but He would also be the eternal king who had been promised to David. This child’s kingdom will have no end.

Jesus is Savior, God, and King. The birth of this Son shows that nothing is impossible with God.

Grace Does The Impossible

2008-12-17T15:07:00.000-06:00

God sent a might angel named Gabriel to announce the coming birth of the Savior. He sent him to the very unlikely city of Nazareth to make this announcement to a very unlikely woman.

You would have thought that this announcement would have been delivered to a Queen or, at least, a Princess. However, Gabriel was sent to a woman named Mary. Despite what Roman Catholic tradition says, there was nothing special about Mary. She was very simple, very humble, and probably very poor. She was engaged to a man who was a carpenter, nothing special about that.

But we are told that Mary was favored or shown grace by God. She was the one that He had chosen to give birth to the Savior. To this very unlikely woman comes a special demonstration of God’s grace. The choice of Mary, this unlikely woman just gives proof that nothing is impossible with God.

Can Any Good Thing Come Out of Nazareth?

2008-12-16T14:39:00.001-06:00

One day the Lord dispatched an angel named Gabriel with a very important message. He was sent to announce the coming birth of the Savior. God sent Gabriel because he was a very special angel. His name means “Mighty One of God.”

So God made a very likely choice for the messenger of this very important announcement. But God sent Gabriel to a very unlikely city. He did not send him to Rome, the political capital of the world. He did not send him to Athens, the cultural center of the world. He didn’t even send him to Jerusalem, the Jewish capital.

No, the Lord sent this mighty angel with this most important message to the little village of Nazareth. Many thought that it was impossible for any good thing to come out of Nazareth. But this unlikely city proves that nothing is impossible with God.