As the Apostle Paul spread the gospel of Jesus Christ, there was a group of religious zealots (scholars call them "Judaizers") who followed him around "correcting" his teachings. These Judaizers contended that true salvation required both faith in Jesus Christ and adherence to the Mosaic Law of the Old Testament, particularly circumcision. Over and over again, Paul had to proclaim and defend the fact that God saves sinners by grace through faith in Christ, plus or minus nothing. I sometimes wonder if these men were sincere guys who just had some of the facts wrong. But one this is for sure. Paul did not view them as harmless believers who just simply needed a little better understanding of the truth. In Philippians 3:2-3, Paul writes, "Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the real circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh" (ESV). Paul used harsh terms to describe those who used to the Old Testament to bind legalistic rules to those those who were seeking God through faith in Christ.
I believe that we need to be just as firm when this error raises its ugly head in our day. And one of the places I think we need to pay careful attention to is our praise and worship. Lately, I have been hearing a lot of "inner court" and "behind the veil" kind of talk, using pictures from the Old Testament tabernacle/temple worship to exhort Christians to praise God. Now, there is anything wrong with using Old Testament terminology in worship. In fact, we regularly read an entire psalm in our corporate worship services on Sundays at Mt. Sinai. Truly, the Old Testament has a lot to teach us about how to worship God. But we must not embrace ideas of worship that ignore, neglect, or downgrade the total sufficiency of the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Maybe we need to read the book of Hebrews again and more carefully. What we have in Christ is far more superior to what the Old Testament saints had, for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. So we do not worship "on the mountain" or "in the temple." We worship in spirit and in truth. We offer acceptable worship to God through the access that we have as those who have been clothed in the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. We worship God through Christ who is a high priest, temple, sacrifice, and altar. Simply put, we worship Jesus Christ - our all-sufficient Prophet, Priest, and King!
Friday, March 31, 2006
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Where Were You this Past Sunday?
This past Sunday I was absent from my pulpit at Mt. Sinai. I preached for another congregation. This is something that rarely happens over the course of the year. And it even more rare that I am absent from my own pulpit to preach somewhere in the Los Angeles area. If there is any place I would be preaching on a Sunday besides Mt. Sinai, it would be Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, where my pastor (Dr. Melvin V. Wade, Sr.) serves. There are very few others places that I would go to on a Sunday morning. But this past Sunday, I had a debt to repay. So I went to preach for Pastor Richard Sanders and the Mt. Pilgrim Baptist Church in Compton (seems like a lot of "Mt." churches in this paragraph, huh).
Some years ago, in the late nineties, I did a message on gambling. And for several years, Pastor Sanders has asked me to either send him that manuscript or come preach that message to his congregation. I think I finally sent him the manuscript. But he told me that he needed me to come and preach it for him. And we had been trying to get our schedules in sync for some time, without much success. But earlier this year, he mentioned it to me again after a meeting. And I felt so guilty about my failure to set a time to come to him, that I told him to just name a time and I would come. And he did. And it was on a Sunday morning. But I felt it was right for me to go. So that's where I was this past Sunday. I was at Mt. Pilgrim Church preaching against gambling. I pray that it was helpful. The congregation is filled with young adults. And the church facilities are located about a mile away from a new casino that has been opened up in Compton.
I first preached for Dr. Sanders when I was fifteen or sixteen years old. And over the years, he has been a consistent friend and helpful mentor. And he is a whale of a preacher. My goodness, that man can flat out preach. I appreciate the fact that he took me under his wings, when I was still just a boy preacher. And he has not changed his mind about me over all these years. Mt. Pilgrim is a great church. And it was a joy to be in worship with them again. God is still doing great things through this local church. And I pray that the Lord continues to use Dr. Sanders and the Mt. Pilgrim Church to be a lighthouse in the Compton area, and beyond.
Some years ago, in the late nineties, I did a message on gambling. And for several years, Pastor Sanders has asked me to either send him that manuscript or come preach that message to his congregation. I think I finally sent him the manuscript. But he told me that he needed me to come and preach it for him. And we had been trying to get our schedules in sync for some time, without much success. But earlier this year, he mentioned it to me again after a meeting. And I felt so guilty about my failure to set a time to come to him, that I told him to just name a time and I would come. And he did. And it was on a Sunday morning. But I felt it was right for me to go. So that's where I was this past Sunday. I was at Mt. Pilgrim Church preaching against gambling. I pray that it was helpful. The congregation is filled with young adults. And the church facilities are located about a mile away from a new casino that has been opened up in Compton.
I first preached for Dr. Sanders when I was fifteen or sixteen years old. And over the years, he has been a consistent friend and helpful mentor. And he is a whale of a preacher. My goodness, that man can flat out preach. I appreciate the fact that he took me under his wings, when I was still just a boy preacher. And he has not changed his mind about me over all these years. Mt. Pilgrim is a great church. And it was a joy to be in worship with them again. God is still doing great things through this local church. And I pray that the Lord continues to use Dr. Sanders and the Mt. Pilgrim Church to be a lighthouse in the Compton area, and beyond.
An Anniversary, Sort Of
This past weekend, I published my 100th post on this blog. Happy anniversary hblogcharlesjr!!! I don't think this has any deep significance or anything like that. In fact, I only noticed it in passing as I was signing on to the "dashboard" of my blog. But if TV shows can throw a big party after 100 episodes, I can at least note the fact that I have been at this for 100 posts. My first post was on August 15, last year. I simply called it, "I'm a Blogger Now!" It was really just a test post to see if I really know how to work the site. And here we are, seven months and 100 posts later.
Why did you start this blog? I had been reading and reading about blogs for time. I was first introduced to the term during some of the hotly-contested political battles of the past years. These so-called "bloggers" were being given credit for influencing elections, policies, and opinions by the things they wrote in their blogs. So I started checking some of them out. They seemed to me to be mostly written by people who wanted to be journalist, but couldn't get their foot in the door in mainstream publishing. Then, blogs suddenly began to pop up everywhere. And they were being written by all kinds of people on various different subjects. The first pastor with a blog that caught my attention was Dr. Ray Pritchard. He would write on all kinds of subjects, from updates on the life of his church to how many miles he rode on his bicycle to a new fast food joint he had found. I immediately became hooked, and began to check his site daily to keep up with him. But I never thought that I would or could do something like that. But one day I was a reading a magazine article about blogs and how to set them up. This blogger site was mentioned. So I checked it out. It seemed pretty easy to do. So I decided to get it a try. And I have been going at it since then.
What do you expect to accomplish with this blog? At this point, I just kind of write what I write when I write it. I can tell you that, initially, I had no thought that I would be writing about such personal things. I thought I would write articles and comment on current events. I didn't expect to be talking about why personal, family, and work. But at some point, my writing really does become a "online diary," of sorts. Now, I would like to make sure that I write on some serious subject each week. I also want to respond to more biblical questions and doctrinal issues, at times.
specifically, I hope to this blog does two basic things. First, I hope that it will sharpen my writing skills. I don't know if that's actually happening. But I do know that writing these posts have made me more comfortable with writing and crafting my ideas into words. That's a good thing. I'm a frustrated writer trying to break free. This blog is helping me to slowly chisel my way out. Likewise, I want my posts to encourage someone. And I believe that this blogs does that. But in many unexpected ways. There are many people who comment about something I have written that has been helpful to them in some specific way. And, usually, I'm surprised. Sometimes they have been encouraged by a post where I was just kind of venting about something. But praise God that the Lord is using my thoughts to help or encourage someone. I pray that this continues and increases.
What do your family and friends think about your blog? I don't know. I don't think my wife regularly keeps up with my blog. Occasionally, she will mention something that she read. But that's not often. Sometimes, I am talking to friends and they are talking to me about something that has happened in my life. And while they are talking to me, I am wondering, "How did he know that?" Often, it takes me a minute to figure out that they read something I wrong on this blog. So I have some friends who keep up with me through this blog. In fact, some complain that reading my blog is sometimes the only way to catch up with me. That's sad, but true. I am quite a reclusive, who spends most of my time in study during the day, and with my family during the evening, as much as possible. I am not sure what my church leaders and members think of the site. I don't know how many of them read it. I don't think I have publicly made mention of it in any of our corporate settings. And I only occasionally get personal comments about it. I think the jury is still out. I'm not sure. One thing I can say with absolute certainty. My dog, Lido, totally agrees with everything I write on this blog!
Do you read the comments? Absolutely. I have a link to my personal email that alerts me every time comment is posted to my site. I have a "smartphone" that enables me to check my emails wherever I am. And I most often read the comments on my phone, when I am not able to respond to them. And by the time I get back to my computer, I simply forget. But please feel free to comment. There are some days I do not write anything. Sometimes it's because I'm busy. But more often it's because I don't have anything that comes to mind to write about. Really, my life is not that interesting to be detailing much of what goes on with me. I am a rather simple man. I have a pretty quiet home life. And much of my ministry work is nothing spectacular. It's the normal church work of any other pastor-teacher. So feel free to comment with your questions, opinions, or other thoughts. We may be able to get a conversation going. That would be cool. I would love to hear from you. And, by the way, thanks for reading.
Why did you start this blog? I had been reading and reading about blogs for time. I was first introduced to the term during some of the hotly-contested political battles of the past years. These so-called "bloggers" were being given credit for influencing elections, policies, and opinions by the things they wrote in their blogs. So I started checking some of them out. They seemed to me to be mostly written by people who wanted to be journalist, but couldn't get their foot in the door in mainstream publishing. Then, blogs suddenly began to pop up everywhere. And they were being written by all kinds of people on various different subjects. The first pastor with a blog that caught my attention was Dr. Ray Pritchard. He would write on all kinds of subjects, from updates on the life of his church to how many miles he rode on his bicycle to a new fast food joint he had found. I immediately became hooked, and began to check his site daily to keep up with him. But I never thought that I would or could do something like that. But one day I was a reading a magazine article about blogs and how to set them up. This blogger site was mentioned. So I checked it out. It seemed pretty easy to do. So I decided to get it a try. And I have been going at it since then.
What do you expect to accomplish with this blog? At this point, I just kind of write what I write when I write it. I can tell you that, initially, I had no thought that I would be writing about such personal things. I thought I would write articles and comment on current events. I didn't expect to be talking about why personal, family, and work. But at some point, my writing really does become a "online diary," of sorts. Now, I would like to make sure that I write on some serious subject each week. I also want to respond to more biblical questions and doctrinal issues, at times.
specifically, I hope to this blog does two basic things. First, I hope that it will sharpen my writing skills. I don't know if that's actually happening. But I do know that writing these posts have made me more comfortable with writing and crafting my ideas into words. That's a good thing. I'm a frustrated writer trying to break free. This blog is helping me to slowly chisel my way out. Likewise, I want my posts to encourage someone. And I believe that this blogs does that. But in many unexpected ways. There are many people who comment about something I have written that has been helpful to them in some specific way. And, usually, I'm surprised. Sometimes they have been encouraged by a post where I was just kind of venting about something. But praise God that the Lord is using my thoughts to help or encourage someone. I pray that this continues and increases.
What do your family and friends think about your blog? I don't know. I don't think my wife regularly keeps up with my blog. Occasionally, she will mention something that she read. But that's not often. Sometimes, I am talking to friends and they are talking to me about something that has happened in my life. And while they are talking to me, I am wondering, "How did he know that?" Often, it takes me a minute to figure out that they read something I wrong on this blog. So I have some friends who keep up with me through this blog. In fact, some complain that reading my blog is sometimes the only way to catch up with me. That's sad, but true. I am quite a reclusive, who spends most of my time in study during the day, and with my family during the evening, as much as possible. I am not sure what my church leaders and members think of the site. I don't know how many of them read it. I don't think I have publicly made mention of it in any of our corporate settings. And I only occasionally get personal comments about it. I think the jury is still out. I'm not sure. One thing I can say with absolute certainty. My dog, Lido, totally agrees with everything I write on this blog!
Do you read the comments? Absolutely. I have a link to my personal email that alerts me every time comment is posted to my site. I have a "smartphone" that enables me to check my emails wherever I am. And I most often read the comments on my phone, when I am not able to respond to them. And by the time I get back to my computer, I simply forget. But please feel free to comment. There are some days I do not write anything. Sometimes it's because I'm busy. But more often it's because I don't have anything that comes to mind to write about. Really, my life is not that interesting to be detailing much of what goes on with me. I am a rather simple man. I have a pretty quiet home life. And much of my ministry work is nothing spectacular. It's the normal church work of any other pastor-teacher. So feel free to comment with your questions, opinions, or other thoughts. We may be able to get a conversation going. That would be cool. I would love to hear from you. And, by the way, thanks for reading.
Friday, March 24, 2006
With My Family
I am at Disneyland with Crystal and the kids. I am typing this post on my phone (a first for me). Crystal kept the kids out of school today so that we could spend some time together. Last year, we bought annual passes, so we are able to come to the park without it costing us a kidney each time. I have much work to do this weekend. But I probably would not be able to get much of it done without spending some quality/quantity time with Crystal, H.B., and Natalie. I love them. I miss them. And I am glad to be home with them... momentarily.
Heading Home from San Francisco
Thanks for your prayers. The Lord blessed me to preach both messages yesterday. And he sustained me both physically and spiritually. The host pastors and attending church members were very prayerful, kind, and encouraging. I am very grateful for the privilege of participating in this meeting. I recognize these men could have asked anyone to come to their city to preach to their congregations. I am thankful that the Lord placed me on their hearts and led them to extend this invitation to me for the second time. The citywide meeting officially ends tonight, with a youth emphasis service. I do not know the pastor who will bring the closing message tonight. But I am heading home in a couple of hours. I usually only preach three-day meetings. So these four days feel like an eternity to me. I an looking for to getting home to see my wife and kids. I don't have any meetings today. So, if the Lord allows me to get home safely, I intend to hang out with my family today, before I get ready for another long weekend. Tony Bennett famously left his heart in San Francisco. Oh, well. My heart is with my wife, children, and congregation in Los Angeles. May the Lord bless me to get to them safely.
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Strength for a Long Day
Please pray for me today. I am preaching in the citywide revival in San Francisco. I am the day speaker. The evening speaker is Dr. Marvin E. Wiley of the great Rock of Ages Baptist Church in Maywood, Illinois. There was a schedule conflict. And Dr. Wiley had to leave this morning to make it to another meeting. So I will be preaching both the day and evening session today. I have been struggling with voice/throat problems all week long. Last year, I caught a really bad cold here. This time, my voice has just left me. I don't know if I am allergic to San Francisco, or what. But please pray for me today that the Lord will give me both physical strength and spiritual empowerment to preach today. Pray for Dr. Marvin Wiley's travel today to his next preaching assignment. And pray that God will be glorified, the lost will be saved, and the saints will be edified in the worship meetings today.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Citywide Revival in San Francisco
I am coming off a long and busy week right into another one. Last Wednesday through Friday, I preached at the St. Paul Baptist Church in Sacramento, where Dr. Ephraim Williams is the pastor. The congregation was warm, prayerful and encouraging. And it was a blessing to spend time with Pastor Williams, who has so much pastoral wisdom to share. Saturday morning, I flew home, changed clothes, and headed to Mt. Sinai to lead a funeral service for a dear and longtime member of the church. Afterward, I was pretty wiped out. I took a really long nap, and then hung out with Crystal and the kids.
Sunday morning, I took questions in my Sunday School class. As always, they were very good questions. Most of them were about handling anger and our responsibility to help other people in times of need. In our worship service, I continued my series on the Ten Commandments. I preached the seventh commandment, recorded in Exodus 20:14: "You shall not commit adultery." We also had an afternoon service to attend. We joined the Mary Magdalene Baptist Church in celebrating the eighth anniversary of its pastor, Melvin King. I also brought the message in that service.
Yesterday, Crystal took me to the airport about 6 AM. I was scheduled to be on an early flight to San Francisco. But when I tried to check in, I discovered that my flight had been cancelled. I was then booked on a later flight. This gave me a wonderful opportunity to sit in LAX for several extra hours. It was absolutely exhausting. When I arrived in San Francisco, I went straight to the church to preach. I am the noonday speaker. So I had to get there and preach in my jeans and sneakers, to make sure I didn't miss the meeting. After service, I went to my room and took some cold medicine and went to sleep. The last time I was here, I got really sick. This time, I am armed with my medicine, overcoat, and everything else I need to prevent getting sick again. Please pray for me.
The evening speaker for the week is Pastor Marvin Wiley, who leads the Rock of Ages Baptist Church in Maywood, Illinois. Pastor Wiley is a good preacher. When Crystal and I get home in time from midweek service on Wednesday nights, we watch Pastor Wiley on the Word Network. But as good as his TV broadcasts are, they don't do his preaching any justice. Last night, Pastor Wiley preached the house down. Having gone through his own flight mishaps, he was tired. But it sure didn't show up his preaching. He help nothing back. And the Lord really used him to challenge and encourage the saints. It was a good start to the meeting. Please pray for the remainder of this meeting. I have four more messages to preach before I head home Friday morning. Pray that God will give me strength to preach his word. And pray for Pastor Wiley. Also, pray for the pastoral leaders of this citywide effort. And pray that this community of churches will be better and stronger after this week of meeting together.
Sunday morning, I took questions in my Sunday School class. As always, they were very good questions. Most of them were about handling anger and our responsibility to help other people in times of need. In our worship service, I continued my series on the Ten Commandments. I preached the seventh commandment, recorded in Exodus 20:14: "You shall not commit adultery." We also had an afternoon service to attend. We joined the Mary Magdalene Baptist Church in celebrating the eighth anniversary of its pastor, Melvin King. I also brought the message in that service.
Yesterday, Crystal took me to the airport about 6 AM. I was scheduled to be on an early flight to San Francisco. But when I tried to check in, I discovered that my flight had been cancelled. I was then booked on a later flight. This gave me a wonderful opportunity to sit in LAX for several extra hours. It was absolutely exhausting. When I arrived in San Francisco, I went straight to the church to preach. I am the noonday speaker. So I had to get there and preach in my jeans and sneakers, to make sure I didn't miss the meeting. After service, I went to my room and took some cold medicine and went to sleep. The last time I was here, I got really sick. This time, I am armed with my medicine, overcoat, and everything else I need to prevent getting sick again. Please pray for me.
The evening speaker for the week is Pastor Marvin Wiley, who leads the Rock of Ages Baptist Church in Maywood, Illinois. Pastor Wiley is a good preacher. When Crystal and I get home in time from midweek service on Wednesday nights, we watch Pastor Wiley on the Word Network. But as good as his TV broadcasts are, they don't do his preaching any justice. Last night, Pastor Wiley preached the house down. Having gone through his own flight mishaps, he was tired. But it sure didn't show up his preaching. He help nothing back. And the Lord really used him to challenge and encourage the saints. It was a good start to the meeting. Please pray for the remainder of this meeting. I have four more messages to preach before I head home Friday morning. Pray that God will give me strength to preach his word. And pray for Pastor Wiley. Also, pray for the pastoral leaders of this citywide effort. And pray that this community of churches will be better and stronger after this week of meeting together.
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Revival in Sacramento
I am in Sacramento. Tonight was the first of three nights I am preaching for Dr. Ephraim Williams and the St. Paul Baptist Church. These three nights are the pre-celebration of the church's 58th anniversary. Dr. Williams is a remarkable pastor and St. Paul is a remarkable church. This afternoon, I was given a tour of the church campus. I can't describe what a faith building experience that was. The auditorium holds about 2,800. There are more than 40 classrooms and an admistrative wing. There is a large dining hall, a wedding chapel, and much more. And when my tour-guide finished showing me the main campus, he showed me their new family life center, which is about a month or so from completion. It will house a gym with 4-6 basketball rims, conference area, administrative wing, day care center, arobics area, youth recreational area, stage, weight room, racket ball court, stage, bookstore, and classrooms. I am not easily impressed. But I couldn't hide how impressed I was with what the Lord has blessed this congregation to accomplish.
Dr. Williams is truly a visionary leader. He is a very kind, godly, and humble man. Being around him is so refreshing and encouraging. In May, he will celebrate 35 years as the pastor of St. Paul. And his passion for ministry is still strong. This congregation is truly a lighthouse in the Sacramento area. I am so honored to have been invited here to speak. I hope and pray that God will use the ministry of the word to be a blessing to this congregation this week.
Dr. Williams is truly a visionary leader. He is a very kind, godly, and humble man. Being around him is so refreshing and encouraging. In May, he will celebrate 35 years as the pastor of St. Paul. And his passion for ministry is still strong. This congregation is truly a lighthouse in the Sacramento area. I am so honored to have been invited here to speak. I hope and pray that God will use the ministry of the word to be a blessing to this congregation this week.
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Do you believe in Acts 2:38?
Last week, someone asked this question in the comment section of my blog: "Do you believe in Acts 2:38?" In the English Standard Version, that verse reads: "And Peter said, to them, 'Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." If this person asked me this question in person, I would ask, "Could you ask that another way?" I am not sure what the specific question about this verse is. So answering it is kind of like shooting in the dark. But I'll take a shot at it anyway.
1. Yes, I believe all scripture is inspired by God (2 Tim. 3:16-17). So I trust every verse of the Bible to be the infallible word of the living God.
2. Yes, I believe that repentance is a part of saving faith (Acts 20:21).
3. Yes, I believe that baptism is the identifying mark of a true disciple of Jesus Christ (Matt. 28:18-20). No, I do not believe baptism saves. God saves sinners by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone (Eph. 2:8-9).
4. Yes, I believe that every person automatically and fully receives the gift of the Holy Spirit at the moment of conversion. No, I do not believe that believers receive the Holy Spirit in any way after conversion (Rom. 8:9). In the course of your Christian journey, the Spirit should get more and more of you (Eph. 5:18). But you don't get more of the Spirit.
I hope this helps.
1. Yes, I believe all scripture is inspired by God (2 Tim. 3:16-17). So I trust every verse of the Bible to be the infallible word of the living God.
2. Yes, I believe that repentance is a part of saving faith (Acts 20:21).
3. Yes, I believe that baptism is the identifying mark of a true disciple of Jesus Christ (Matt. 28:18-20). No, I do not believe baptism saves. God saves sinners by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone (Eph. 2:8-9).
4. Yes, I believe that every person automatically and fully receives the gift of the Holy Spirit at the moment of conversion. No, I do not believe that believers receive the Holy Spirit in any way after conversion (Rom. 8:9). In the course of your Christian journey, the Spirit should get more and more of you (Eph. 5:18). But you don't get more of the Spirit.
I hope this helps.
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
The Church and the Family
This Wednesday, we will continue our Guest Lecture Series at MSMBC. Irvin Busenitz, Vice President for Academic Administration and Professor of Bible Exposition and Old Testamfrom at The Master's Seminary, is teaching on "A Biblical Approach to Christian Parenting." His opening lecture, last Wednesday, was a great blessing. On the many helpful, challenging, and encouraging things he said, there is one statement that I have been chewing on every since last Wednesday: "A strong family can survice a weak church. But a strong church cannot survive weak families."
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Christian Fellowship and Internet Technology
Over the past week or two, I have received emails that reported the (alleged) scandalous sin of a high-profile pastor/Gospel Music artist (or is that Gospel Music artist/pastor?). Then, other emails began to come in, retracting the news reports. I have not searched out to the matter to see which story is true - the report or the retractions. And I don't intend to. But there is a larger lesson that I think we, as Christians, should consider as a result of this incident. Christian leaders (I'm not sure if that ought to be in quotation marks, in this case) are public figures. However, as brothers in Christ, we have a responsibility to handle news about them in Christian love. If these reports about this brother are false, then his reputation has been injured greatly and many people have been unnecessarily hurt by lies. And, of course, if this news is false, there will not be the same energy put into publishing the retraction that is was in putting out the lies. I believe Christ is dishonored and that our fellowship with one another is despised by such actions. And, even if it is true (and I pray that it is not), I don't understand how it would edify anyone to receive the emails that link people to such news. I don't have a alternative to recommend about how to handle news about public Christian figures. But spreading reports of their downfall across the internet doesn't seem to be the way. Christians should not be doing "tabloid" journalism.
And while I'm on this rant, let me beg us one again: stop making celebrities out of Christian leaders. We are called to be famous celebrities. We are called to be servant-leaders. We are to lead with willing hearts, humble spirits, and God-glorifying motives. The Lord has not called us to make us famous! We who preach, teach, write, sing, lead, etc. should resist any attempt to put too much attention on us and what we do. If people are really blessed by what you do, it's not because of you. It's because we are trophies of God's amazing grace. Give the glory to God. Stop "plagiarism against the Holy Spirit" (I got this phrase from Manuel Scott, Jr.), taking credit for things that only the Lord can perform. And those of you who are blessed by the ministries of others, thank God for the, encourage them, and pray for them. But don't treat them like celebrities. The fact that I am called to preach does not make me inherently more special than the rest of the saints in the church. We are humans. We are sinners. And we are all unworthy vessels that God sovereignly chooses to use for his glory. So stop treating men and women in the church like we are more than we are. This way, we the news of one's failures come to light, it won't be so devestating to people's faith and the mission of the church. In Christ there is no failure. Let's make sure that he is the only celebrity in the church (Col. 1:18)!
And while I'm on this rant, let me beg us one again: stop making celebrities out of Christian leaders. We are called to be famous celebrities. We are called to be servant-leaders. We are to lead with willing hearts, humble spirits, and God-glorifying motives. The Lord has not called us to make us famous! We who preach, teach, write, sing, lead, etc. should resist any attempt to put too much attention on us and what we do. If people are really blessed by what you do, it's not because of you. It's because we are trophies of God's amazing grace. Give the glory to God. Stop "plagiarism against the Holy Spirit" (I got this phrase from Manuel Scott, Jr.), taking credit for things that only the Lord can perform. And those of you who are blessed by the ministries of others, thank God for the, encourage them, and pray for them. But don't treat them like celebrities. The fact that I am called to preach does not make me inherently more special than the rest of the saints in the church. We are humans. We are sinners. And we are all unworthy vessels that God sovereignly chooses to use for his glory. So stop treating men and women in the church like we are more than we are. This way, we the news of one's failures come to light, it won't be so devestating to people's faith and the mission of the church. In Christ there is no failure. Let's make sure that he is the only celebrity in the church (Col. 1:18)!
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
It's not About the Dollar!!!
Lately, several people have made statements to me about the fact that we upload my weekly messages onto our website for free. The concern is that we ought to be selling those messages, rather than letting people listen to them for nothing. Why do you we it? Well, let me be clear that we do not do it because I feel that I am such an outstanding preaching. I am an average preacher who is striving to get better. I have some good weeks and some bad weeks, like every other preacher. Honestly, it is somewhat difficult to have my messages put out there each week. Sometimes I leave the pulpit and I feel really good about the message I just preached. Other weeks I leave the pulpit wishing that I would have been too sick to preach that day! Either way, the message is placed on the sight unedited. In fact, some weeks when I finish shaking hands and head toward my study, I pass by George's office and he is already uploading the sermon. It's a little unnerving. But it keeps me on my game. So why do we do it? We do it because we want to use every method possible to publish the word of God. And the technology of this age we are blessed to live in allows us to go into all the world without actually going anywhere. What a blessing! Our motives are as simple as that. Please, pray for us that we will take advantage of even more strategic opportunities to promote the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I bring this seemingly irrelevant subject up to make a point: It's not about the dollar! I hope that people will find it refreshing to have access to our ministry resources without having a price attached to everything. I must admit, it bothers me that it seems everything in the church today is connected to money. I'm a fairly active web surfer. And it disappoints me that so many churches and preachers put connect everything they do to money. Unfortunately, this seems to be especially true among high-profile ministries that are predominantly African-American. Last week, I attended the Shepherds' Conference here in Los Angeles, hosted by Dr. John MacArthur and the Grace Community Church. There were some 3,500 people in attendance. And they gave all of the registered attendees some 20 different books from major authors and publishers. Now, I don't go to many other the big conferences. But of the ones I have been to, this is something totally foreign to me. Each week, as I have studied Psalm 119, I have benefited from the audio messages of Steve Lawson that I have been able to download onto my iPod. And also benefit from reading the sermon manuscripts of men like John Piper, Ray Pritchard, who place the manuscripts on the web for free. And consider that much of these men's preaching becomes the material from which they write their books. You would think that this would be a good reason not to post their material. Apparently, it's not. In fact, John Piper's Desiring God Ministries encourages you to make copies of Piper's messages, only asking that you do not make more than 1,000 copies at a time. And they even have a "whatever you can afford" policy, which allows you to get their resources even if you don't have anything to pay.
Now, I am not suggesting that churches and ministries should give away all of their material for free. And I don't think we should expect that or desire that. We ought to be willing to share and make an investment into the ministries that God uses to bless us. But I don't like that so much of emphasis is placed on money. Now, we are in the works to make some of our material for sale on our site. But we will not be a church that has great big pictures of me on every thing we do. And we will not be a church that puts a price tag on everything. And we will not be a church that causes people to ask, "What is it going to cost me?" before we minister to them. I want us to be a church that is known for what we give, not for what we sell. And I hope that more preachers and churches will remember that we are to glorify God, preach Christ, and reach people. It's not about the dollar!
I bring this seemingly irrelevant subject up to make a point: It's not about the dollar! I hope that people will find it refreshing to have access to our ministry resources without having a price attached to everything. I must admit, it bothers me that it seems everything in the church today is connected to money. I'm a fairly active web surfer. And it disappoints me that so many churches and preachers put connect everything they do to money. Unfortunately, this seems to be especially true among high-profile ministries that are predominantly African-American. Last week, I attended the Shepherds' Conference here in Los Angeles, hosted by Dr. John MacArthur and the Grace Community Church. There were some 3,500 people in attendance. And they gave all of the registered attendees some 20 different books from major authors and publishers. Now, I don't go to many other the big conferences. But of the ones I have been to, this is something totally foreign to me. Each week, as I have studied Psalm 119, I have benefited from the audio messages of Steve Lawson that I have been able to download onto my iPod. And also benefit from reading the sermon manuscripts of men like John Piper, Ray Pritchard, who place the manuscripts on the web for free. And consider that much of these men's preaching becomes the material from which they write their books. You would think that this would be a good reason not to post their material. Apparently, it's not. In fact, John Piper's Desiring God Ministries encourages you to make copies of Piper's messages, only asking that you do not make more than 1,000 copies at a time. And they even have a "whatever you can afford" policy, which allows you to get their resources even if you don't have anything to pay.
Now, I am not suggesting that churches and ministries should give away all of their material for free. And I don't think we should expect that or desire that. We ought to be willing to share and make an investment into the ministries that God uses to bless us. But I don't like that so much of emphasis is placed on money. Now, we are in the works to make some of our material for sale on our site. But we will not be a church that has great big pictures of me on every thing we do. And we will not be a church that puts a price tag on everything. And we will not be a church that causes people to ask, "What is it going to cost me?" before we minister to them. I want us to be a church that is known for what we give, not for what we sell. And I hope that more preachers and churches will remember that we are to glorify God, preach Christ, and reach people. It's not about the dollar!
Saturday, March 04, 2006
Happy Birthday, Baby Girl!!!
Today is my daughter's birthday. Natalie Marie Charles is four-years-old today. Praise God! I was preaching in Atlanta the night my son, H.B. III., was born. But I was blessed to be right there with Crystal when Natalie was born. Crystal wasn't feeling well. And we didn't take any chances. She had gone into premature labor with our son. And the doctor tried to delay my son's birth as long as possible. But after about a week, he was born six weeks premature. So when Crystal started feeling pains, we went straight to the hospital. They ran all kinds of tests on her. And they concluded that the baby was doing fine. But Crystal was in more and more pain. I will never forget the doctor coming to me saying, "We have to get the baby out of there." I was stunned. Something was going on with Crystal that they couldn't figure out. And they wanted to get the baby out, just in case. We prayed as they prepared her for surgery. And I remember that all those thoughts I had about how scary it would be to be in the room while she gave birth never crossed my mind. I was just prayerfully concerned about my wife and my daughter (I knew I was having a girl the before Crystal even became pregnant!).
They drugged Crystal up pretty good and then began the surgery. But she would scream every time they went in, which shouldn't have been happening. So they kept giving her more drugs, determined to get the baby out as quickly as possible. By God's grace, it was a safe delivery and a healthy baby. But as they sat Natalie down, something was still not right with Crystal. They kept looking and found a large cyst, which they removed. It was a remarkable thing to experience; concern for my wife, joy for my daughter. As Crystal rested, I cut the umbilical cord and gave Natalie her first bath. It was quite an experience. But we have been blessed by God to have a wonderful daughter who is beautiful, quite smart for her age, and full of personality. And I praise God for her.
Most of our time together is spent singing. Our favorite song is very simple. Natalie sings, "Daddy, daddy." Then I sing in response, "Natalie, Natalie." We can sing this for half an hour without interruption, if Crystal doesn't stop us. There is another little song I used to sing to her when she was a baby:You're daddy's little girl, and I love you
You always make me smile, when I see you
You always pick me up, when I'm near you
I love you, you're daddy's little girl
And you always will be!!! Happy Birthday, baby girl.
Friday, March 03, 2006
The Shepherds' Conference
The Shepherds' Conference is meeting here this week at the Grace Community Church, where Dr. John F. MacArthur, Jr. serves as pastor-teacher. This conference is an annual meeting held for pastors, church leaders, etc. And it is always a great blessing. In the providence of God, John MacArthur has been one of the greatest influences for expository preaching in my life. I have learned much from his teaching and writing. His commitment to sound doctrine and Bible exposition has been a model that I have tried to follow. Likewise, the congregation he serves in many ways reflects the the message he preaches. That, also, is a great encouragement and challenge for me.
The keynote speakers this week are John MacArthur, Mark Dever, R.C. Sproul, Al Mohler, Steve Lawson, and Ligon Duncan. These men are all evangelical heavyweights. There are also various session each day on expository preaching, pastoral issues, and current issues. There was no way that I could get to them all. So I ordered the tapes of the ones that I was eager to hear or had not already heard. Various publishers are also present for the conference. And each year they give away books. This year some 20 books were given to each attendee. I really praise God for this. Most conferences get you there and then try to sell as much product to you as they can, in order to fatten the pockets of the high profile leader. But this one of the few conferences consistently gives its attendees. May their tribe increase! And may God's continued blessings be on John MacArthur, Grace Church, and The Master's College and Seminary.
The keynote speakers this week are John MacArthur, Mark Dever, R.C. Sproul, Al Mohler, Steve Lawson, and Ligon Duncan. These men are all evangelical heavyweights. There are also various session each day on expository preaching, pastoral issues, and current issues. There was no way that I could get to them all. So I ordered the tapes of the ones that I was eager to hear or had not already heard. Various publishers are also present for the conference. And each year they give away books. This year some 20 books were given to each attendee. I really praise God for this. Most conferences get you there and then try to sell as much product to you as they can, in order to fatten the pockets of the high profile leader. But this one of the few conferences consistently gives its attendees. May their tribe increase! And may God's continued blessings be on John MacArthur, Grace Church, and The Master's College and Seminary.
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Becoming a Faithful Witness
Here is my sermon skeleton from my midweek message:
Title: “Becoming a Faithful Witness of Scripture”
Text: Psalm 119:41-48
Theme: Becoming a faithful witness of God’s word
Point: Devotion to God’s word is marked by a growing commitment to personal witnessing.
Outline:
I. The Prayer of a Faithful Witness (119:41-43)
A. You need God to strengthen your witness (vv. 41-42).
B. You need God to sustain your witness (v. 43).
II. The Pledge of a Faithful Witness (119:44-48)
A. Be a obedient witness (vv. 44-45)
1. The life of obedience (v. 44)
2. The liberty of obedience (v. 45)
B. Be a courageous witness (vv. 46-47)
1. You ought to be a bold witness for God’s word (v. 46)
2. You can be a bold witness for God’s word (v. 47)
C. Be a devoted witness (v. 48)
Title: “Becoming a Faithful Witness of Scripture”
Text: Psalm 119:41-48
Theme: Becoming a faithful witness of God’s word
Point: Devotion to God’s word is marked by a growing commitment to personal witnessing.
Outline:
I. The Prayer of a Faithful Witness (119:41-43)
A. You need God to strengthen your witness (vv. 41-42).
B. You need God to sustain your witness (v. 43).
II. The Pledge of a Faithful Witness (119:44-48)
A. Be a obedient witness (vv. 44-45)
1. The life of obedience (v. 44)
2. The liberty of obedience (v. 45)
B. Be a courageous witness (vv. 46-47)
1. You ought to be a bold witness for God’s word (v. 46)
2. You can be a bold witness for God’s word (v. 47)
C. Be a devoted witness (v. 48)
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