According To Pastor Gutty

2021 01 31 Sermon, "I Am the Resurrection and the Life"

2021-01-31T18:04:00.001-05:00

WHAT DO I BELIEVE? Conversely, WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE?

2014-04-30T16:47:00.002-04:00

WHAT DO I BELIEVE? Conversely, WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE?

I believe in God. He is everything and essentially nothing matters but God and His Word.

I believe that all people are separated from God by sin. The essential definition of sin is; the pursuit of and ranking of one’s own will over anything else, most particularly over God’s will.

I believe that people are totally incapable of pleasing God and earning any favor with Him.

I believe that God loves all people. He wants to be with all people and all people to be with Him for all eternity. He has done through Jesus Christ everything that is necessary for any person to be with Him. Sadly, few will receive His offer.

I believe that people are irreparably flawed and incapable of any good. Apart from Jesus Christ the future for mankind is desperately bleak.

I believe that there are many people in this world that will do anything to destroy everything that is good.

I believe that every person born-again of God is responsible to proclaim the good news of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

I believe that most Americans love their families and their country and will do anything to defend both.

I believe that the free enterprise system is a gift from God.

I believe in limited government.

I believe that problems are simply an opportunity to work harder and solve them with God’s guidance.

I believe that the ability to forgive and forget will set you free.

I believe that the harder you work the luckier you get.

I believe in choosing to be happy.

I believe in taking responsibility for my every action. I believe in taking responsibility for everything that happens to me.

I believe that every obstacle is an opportunity to become a better person.

I believe that life is tough and that at the end of the day life is what you make of it.

I believe that no one has the right to take from me and give it to someone else. Generosity is a choice I make in response to God's generosity.

I believe in my family.

I believe that I have a responsibility to care for others.

I believe that evil exists and it is my responsibility to protect all that is good from all that is bad.

I believe in preparing for the worst while expecting the best.

I believe in the natural born and inalienable right to liberty.

I believe that anyone who shirks their responsibility to defend and protect simply does not understand their responsibility as a Christ follower and an American.

I believe in myself as I rely totally upon the power of God indwelling me as Holy Spirit.

This is a working list. I'll add more later.

We Take Ourselves Too Seriously

2013-05-01T15:19:00.000-04:00

Sunday was my birthday! I try not to give much attention to them anymore, but this was a big one. My wife, Paula, and I took our children and grandchildren to Texas Road House for steak and ribs. Paula bought a wonderful chocolate on chocolate cake and asked the restaurant staff to serve it when our meal was complete. We were just finishing up when the excitement began. The staff arrived at our table to sing a Happy Birthday Yee Haw song and put me on the portable saddle for pictures.

My son, who will have a birthday next Sunday (maybe he will want to go to the Texas Roadhouse also, not!), and my grandchildren were mortified as I climbed into the saddle and did a rousing Yee Haw! Things eventually quieted down and I cut the cake and served everyone at our table. I then took hold of the cake tray and reached up to put it on the shelf of the divider between booths. Just as my hand reached the divider the cake plate broke in the middle and I firmly planted the cake on the side of the wooden divider icing side first. Before sliding to the floor it hung for a long moment mocking me. I turned to the two young ladies in the next booth and asked if I had gotten cake on them. "No," they replied, "but we sure have had great entertainment, Happy Birthday!"

What could be better, people all around being entertained at my expense and seeing my grandchildren getting embarrassed? I trust all will look back on this and conclude, it's alright to be a bit silly.

CERTAINLY MY GREATEST BIRTHDAY TO DATE!!!

Gun Control Means Hitting What You are Aiming At

2013-02-02T01:47:00.001-05:00

There is quite a debate raging theses days regarding gun control. Many, with the best intentions believe that stricter gun control will make our country safer. If that is true then Chicago and Washington, D.C. should be safest cities in the U.S. They have the strictest gun controls. The debate rages and no one seems to be really thinking about the real issues, the real problem.

Gun control is a private property issue not an answer to reducing violence. Is it gun control we want or less violence? We want less violence of course. Is anyone really thinking about why we have such a violent society? I would like to suggest some causes for a violent society. In 1973 the Supreme Court of the United States of America legalized abortion. Many at the time suggested we were headed down a long slippery slope that leads where no one wants to go. Since 1973 55 million babies have been aborted in this country. What kind of society allows that to happen? Obviously a society that has lost all respect for the value of human life.

Consider the kinds of movies we watch and the kind of television we watch. It is violent. Gun violence is shown daily. The kind of violence that seldom really happens, but is celebrated as normative on film. We have grown insensitive to such violence and how it indicates our society's devaluing of human life. What kind of video games do your children play. I have watched my grandchildren play some games where the object is to kill as many people as possible before they kill you. Oh, its make-believe we tell ourselves. Yet, I wonder if children are just being numbed to the reality of violence.

School shootings have challenged our culture on a whole new level. Children are bullied until they can take no more and they go on a rampage. Bullies don't just happen. They are produced by other bullies. Those bullies may be a parent, a sibling, a neighbor, or television, movies, and video games to mention a few.

Where are the bullies' parents? Where are the parents of children being bullied? How about teachers, where are they when children are bullied? I remember how bullies were dealt with in my school days. The principle had a big paddle that he displayed prominently in his office. When he used it he kept his door open and the sound echoed down the halls. Oh what needless violence! No one was ever shot by another student in my schools. Interesting.

We have the Affordable Health Care Act that is slowly unfolding in this nation. We are beginning to see that there is simply not enough money to take care of everyone as they want to be cared for. The day will come when a panel will decide who has a valuable life and who does not. Older Americans will ultimately be denied extensive health care because we just cannot justify the cost. Profoundly disabled will also come under scrutiny and will simply be denied costly care because of the expense. Look at who we have become in the guise of personal choice.

Younger people cannot distinguish between make believe violence and real violence. Our urban centers are so violent that children see murders every day. They are so desensitized that they commit violent acts against their own peers and wonder what is wrong with it. Abortion is so commonplace that women are told it is their "right." Forget the "rights" of the baby. Unborn babies are not real people they are just fetuses.

Where did all of this begin and when will it end? It began with "the fall" recorded in Genesis 3, the first book of the Bible, and will end when Jesus returns, the final promise of the Bible. In the meantime maybe some common sense can be applied.

The Exasperation of Job Hunting

2012-01-31T14:18:00.000-05:00

I have always fancied myself as one with an entrepreneurial spirit. I concert with my wife, Paula, we have started two successful businesses; founded together a religious not for profit ministry, Living Christ Ministries, Inc.; and co-hosted a widely heard Christian live phone-in counseling and teaching radio program. I left the business world for seminary when our children were young and Paula went back to college. Neither of us has ever been shy of about hard work and risk taking.

Sadly, over the years I have become comfortable in the institution of the church. I have 15 years experience as a solo pastor and a Senior Pastor (Head of Staff) coupled with another 15 years of experience as an interim pastor. All of this time was in the Presbyterian Church (USA). My previous interim ended successfully January 15, 2012. I have not landed another interim contract just yet though I have made multiple applications.

I am not quite ready for retirement and still need full-time employment. As a result, I have been thrust into the secular job market. Wow, what an eye opener. We hear so much in the media about the high unemployment rate. We do not hear about how difficult it is to navigate the job search waters. Job searching is difficult enough for someone with advanced education, marketable skills, and computer/internet experience. I cannot imagine how daunting it is for those that have very little education, limited skills, and no computer/internet access and/or experience.

The day of going business to business and completing hand-written job applications is nearly gone. Nearly every business I have visited has told me to go on-line and apply. They will call if interested. I am now just an application among thousands without my personality and charm (sic) to highlight my skills and experience. It is easy to become discouraged in this environment. I spend quality time with the Lord every day and study His Word. I could not survive this season without Him.

Are you in this same boat? Are you seeking a job or a better job with limited success? Turn to the Lord Jesus Christ and His word. I suggest concentrating on the Psalms. They are filled with shared thoughts and feelings of saints with similar experiences. It is good to be reminded of God’s faithfulness over and over. It is good to know you are not alone. Seek His face, meditate on His word, and He will lift you up!

Why You Must Read God's Word

2012-01-25T12:28:00.001-05:00

God loves the world and its people so much that He gave us an owner's manual, the Bible. People normally view the world through the prism of their own lives, own needs, own wants, own desires, and own capabilities. The world revolves around the individual. Seldom do people consider they are players in a much larger story.

It is a story not written by us, but by God. Reading the Bible helps one see that God is not some distant capricious despot that cares little for His creation. Rather, He loves people and takes a very active personal role in their lives. He instructs people through the Bible by telling true-life stories about how He relates with people, how people relate with Him, and how people relate with each other. The uniqueness of His story, He is not trying to convince us of anything. He does not sugar-coat the stories or embellish them with only successes. When one reads through the Bible one discovers that even God's favorite people are deeply flawed. He chooses to love them, forgive them, bless them, and use them regardless of their flaws, misbehavior, and failures.

Reading through the Bible is not like reading a dry instruction manual, but it is more like reading a great epic adventure. The best part is that each reader discovers they have a unique role in this adventure. A good story causes the reader to identify with one of the characters in the story. A simple study of the Bible shows us that we can identify with many of the characters in the story, but more important, it is an ongoing story in which we play a vital role.

The great God-man epic is not complete. One needs to study the Bible and discover their part in God's great story. Every person deep down longs to be part of something bigger than themselves. Most feel trapped in a life they did not chose and one they feel they cannot escape. Why else would television, movies, and novels be so wildly popular. They provide a constant stream of stories that allows one to escape the mundane of life if only for a few minutes. While one is engaged in the show, movie, or book they are involved in something bigger than themselves. Alas, it is all “make-believe” and ultimately one must abandon the story and re-enter real life.

Suppose it were possible to be part of something really big? Imagine an adventure greater than any one person, something bigger than anything one can even imagine. Now, that is something to capture the imagination! If it were possible to be part of something bigger than one ever imagined, most would want to know HOW?! Reading the Bible and studying the Bible quickly catches one up in the living story or epic God is authoring. One first identifies with a character or with several characters. Additional study shows us that we have a role in this epic as well. This is not a make-believe story, but a real-life adventure and each person has his or her role to play. Interestingly, the end has already been written. The greatest of adventure is discovering how each role plays a vital part in leading to the conclusion of God’s epic live adventure.

Do you want to know your role in God’s epic? Read and study the Bible. Now do it again and again. Hang around others that are on the same quest. Talk about God’s Word and this extraordinary living adventure in which you live. God talk is always more exciting and more fulfilling than any other conversation. Are you a protagonist or an antagonist? Are you a hero? You can be of course. Ask Him and He will show you your role and how to play it. Remember, wherever you go, God is sending you. Wherever you are, God has put you there; He has a purpose in your being there. Jesus Christ who indwells you has something He wants to do through you right there. Believe this and live confidently in His grace, love, power, and ever developing epic adventure.

The Church's Real Problem

2011-06-24T11:19:00.000-04:00

1Co 2:14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

This verse should be a wake-up call to all believers. The person without the influence of the Holy Spirit cannot understand the things of God’s mercy and grace shown in Jesus Christ. This may tell us something about our efforts at church growth, evangelism programs, etc.

1Co 3:6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.
1Co 3:7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.

Somewhere along the way we developed the notion that if we just have the right program our churches will grow. I doubt that Paul or Apollos had any program to follow. Before anything else they were men of prayer. They communed with God. God then prompted them to pray for people. Once they had prayed sufficiently God then dispatched them to do His bidding. They simply told people about Jesus Christ and Him crucified. God, through the influence of His Holy Spirit then caused people to hear and understand His amazing grace and mercy shown in Jesus Christ. They willingly gave themselves over to this great gospel.

It seems that before we talk about new structures, new programs, etc. we need to pray. We need to pray without ceasing. We need to discuss with God (pray) what He wants us to do about the lost people in our communities. He will direct us and we then will beseech Him to soften the peoples’ hearts that they may be open to hear and respond to the good news of Jesus Christ.

1Co 2:2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

Things are then very simple. We go and tell people about Jesus Christ and Him crucified and invite these people into a relationship with Him and us.
Here is the rub, we just hate to go and tell people. Therefore, in the name of church growth we spend all our time developing programs that do not work because we do not want to go and tell people. How sad?

Chuck’s Eleventh Hour Fifty Nine Minute Conversion

2011-03-24T21:09:00.000-04:00

Thursday morning, May 21, 1998 during our Church’s, Ten Days of Prayer, I experienced the strangest sensation in my upper chest. It seemed like an adrenaline rush similar to when one is startled. I took my pulse and discovered my heart was skipping a beat every fourth beat. This continued all day and through the night. Friday morning my wife, Paula, took me to the doctor. A thorough examination and an EKG confirmed that there was nothing wrong with my heart. The doctor assumed that I must have been having anxiety-related symptoms. I had just spent eight days in prayer; anxiety was my last problem. I returned to the church and took a nap. That evening we had a Praise and Worship service. During the first several songs I found I was too weak to stand. When I sat down I was too exhausted to hold my shoulders up. I folded my arms and leaned forward to the back of the next pew and laid my head on my arms. Then one of the songs reminded me of my Dad and I prayed for him, his health and his salvation. In just a few moments I sensed something had broken through in the Spirit realm. I turned to Paula and said, “I think Dad has died.” She responded that she thought he had also. Within moments my strength had returned and I felt just fine.

Little did we know that same Thursday in Kissimmee, Florida my Dad, Chuck Gutridge, went for his normal dialysis treatment. The nurse thought she heard a new sound around his heart and reported it to the doctor. The doctor admitted him to the hospital for a tune-up. In the wee hours of Friday morning he had a massive coronary and died. He was resuscitated with electric shock. Had he been at home he would have died.

Saturday my brother, Scott, drove from his home in Coral Springs, Florida to Kissimmee. When he arrived Dad told him of his experience the previous morning. He said that he had died and that it was a frightening experience. It was nothing like he expected. It was total darkness, a total void, yet, with complete consciousness. He was terrified and grasped desperately at my brother’s arm, “I can’t go back there!”

Scott called me, he called his pastor, and everyone else he could think would pray. He wanted every scripture regarding utter darkness and terror. In a subsequent discussion with Dad that afternoon they talked about spiritual matters. Scott told him that he had a rare privilege afforded to few men. He glimpsed the reality of Hell and was given a second chance. Dad said he believed in Jesus. (Paula notes, “Yes and the demons believe in Jesus also.”) Scott advised that was not enough, one must admit his need (confess his sin) and invite Jesus into his heart and receive Him as Lord and Savior. There in that hospital room Dad accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior and received the gift of eternal life with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Tuesday, June 9, 1998 at about 6:20AM, Dad quietly went home to be with his Lord and Savior.

This was the culmination of years of prayer and effort. He was a very difficult subject for evangelism. His resistance to things of Christ was legend. He believed that when you died, it was like turning off a light, you just didn’t exist anymore. His view was that only weaklings needed a crutch like God. He believed that he had overcome every obstacle in life on his own strength and initiative and he would overcome the spiritual barriers as well. Over many years I beat him with the Bible, tried to guilt him into receiving Christ, got angry with him and even held him at arm’s length. We treated him as if he were a follower of Christ. We treated as a reprobate. It seemed nothing would pierce his resistance. Finally we resigned to love him unconditionally and pray without ceasing.

God was faithful to answer our prayers and show Dad the error of his thinking. Jesus says, “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.” (John 14:13 NIV) “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.” (John 10:10 NIV) In this situation we had prayed for 23 years for his conversion. The method was extreme, but finally Holy Spirit did pierce his fierce resistance.

As for my heart symptoms, I believe that I was given the brief experience of an intercessor. Throughout history we know that those given the gift of intercession often experience the symptoms of those for which they are praying. This seems to be a gift of the Holy Spirit to focus one’s prayers very sharply. My symptoms drew my attention to my Dad and forced me to my knees when he needed it the most. The experience was quite a gift!

What can we learn from this? Hell is real! Prayer works! It’s not over till it’s over! The thief on the cross confirms God’s mercy even in the eleventh hour.

Doing Theology from the Top Down not from the Bottom Up

2011-03-15T22:36:00.000-04:00

A number of Christians today are arguing that there is no such thing as Hell. They insist that God is Love and as a result He would not send anyone to eternal punishment. Many would argue that one religion is as good as another if the adherents are genuine and sincere in their beliefs. This kind of understanding is known as "Universalism." It is not a new theology. People have been making similar arguments for centuries. It is a belief system that creates a god in the believer's own image.

This is not unlike the human sexuality and ordination issue that has the Presbyterian Church (USA) totally consumed. The same issue is being wrestled with in most main line denominations.

Here is the real issue for both of these arguments. We look around at our experience and find that many people are very good yet not Christian, would a loving God send them to Hell? The gracious human conclusion, "certainly not!" Look at all the wonderful talented people around us that just happen to be Gay, would God give them extraordinary gifts and then deny them rights in the church? Again, gracious loving well intentioned people say, "Certainly not!"

When I was about ten years old I joined in a lighthearted corncob fight with a number of other boys in the area. As you might imagine, our lighthearted play soon took on a near vicious tone as each of us was determined to destroy the other. Near the end my enthusiasm was nearly out of control and I struck a much younger boy with a corncob (dry corn still attached) squarely in the back. It was a great throw and I was very proud of myself. The younger boy was really hurt and went running home crying. His father soon appeared and took me to task. I insolently defended my actions as part of the game and boldly stated that, "if his son couldn't take the heat he should stay out of the kitchen." The grown man slapped me across the face. I was stunned. Child abuse! I went straight home to tell my Dad, knowing that he would come and beat this man up. My Dad did no such thing. In fact, he scolded me on getting involved in a serious game with unpleasant consequences. I was so disappointed and hurt. I wanted my Dad to stand up for me. He did not, he saw that the situation had gotten far out of control and he did not need to pour any more fuel on the fire.

Was my Dad right or wrong? Now, speaking from an adult perspective, I would say, yes he was right. Although the little boy inside of me still winces. The problem was that I began with my perspective; struck by an adult while being a participant in a game where it was every boy for himself. Why was I singled out and not everyone else? Particularly his older son who was a vicious player. Beginning with my perspective I projected onto my own Dad my conclusions and what course of action I felt was appropriate for him to take. It never occurred to me that he would have a different perspective than mine. After all, I was there and I was right! I made every attempt to impose my view of what a dad should do on my own Dad. I was doing my "Dadology" upside-down. I did not make every effort to know my Dad and then know what he would do based on my knowledge of who he was.

We make the same mistake when doing Theology. We begin with the human perspective and then impose it upon God. It never occurs to us that He might think differently. After all, we are in the situation, we know the facts, and we know He is a God of love. He must respond the way we want. I didn't know my Dad so well when I was ten. I knew he loved me and that I was always safe with him. That was not the whole picture. My Dad was a prudent thoughtful man and he acted correctly. A ten year old does not know his Dad so well, but we do know God very well. Or at the very least we can know Him through His Word.

I would argue that many well-meaning people are doing their Theology upside-down. They are beginning with the human perspective and then imposing it upon God and His Word. the same problem exists in the human sexuality debate. I believe that the proper and time-tested way of doing theology is from God down. Let's make every effort to understand who God is and how He deals with human issues through His written Word. Let Him speak to us from His perspective. Let's do our theology from the top-down and not from the bottom-up.

Another View

2011-02-18T18:57:00.000-05:00

I was in Israel January 28, 2011 to February 3, 2011. It was very interesting watching the Egypt uprising on international television. There are many television broadcasts in Israel that are broadcast in American English. Yet, even those that were in Arabic or Hebrew were pretty easy to understand. The news broadcasts lacked much of the political interpretation we always see in American news media. There was no fear mongering or Israeli or Arabic posturing.

We were able to talk to so many people in Israel to whom this news really mattered. Palestinians were nervous and interested in the news, but there was no panic or wild projections as to what all this meant. We found that Israeli’s were the same. This unrest was very close; it is only 264 miles from Jerusalem to Cairo. Yet, the people did not seem to speculate about overflow to their own neighborhoods. All were concerned about human life and human rights, but made no real political statements. My own experience was that the locals in Israel are first more concerned for earning a living and did not seem to look for things to worry about.

It was rather refreshing to see such an upheaval through the eyes of non-Americans.

"Sam's New Best Friend," A Short Story

2010-10-13T13:49:00.000-04:00

Winter is a difficult time when you’re alone on Yellow Mountain. It is bitterly cold and there is plenty of snow. The days are short and the nights are so long.

Sam was new to the mountain and this loneliness felt strangely sad. He had a thin beard coming in that became easily frosted in the bitter cold. His wool shirts, buckskin coat, and pants did not always keep the cold and wet out and his boots were not high enough to fend off the drifting snow. Snowshoes were the first thing on his “to do” list.

He had many chores to keep himself busy. Each day he carried water from the creek. It was always an adventure to see if the swiftly, running water would be covered with a thick or thin ice coat. He was bewildered that he could dip cold, clear, clean water from a stream that flowed over a rocky, dirty, creek bed. Sam worked at the woodpile for hours each day. He loved the sound of a descending axe and smell of freshly chopped wood. He was careful to keep his axe as sharp as a razor, clean, and rust free. He carefully cut each wood piece to fit the small wood stove in the cabin. He didn’t run to cook, as he did to chop wood, but he was learning the basics, and he had gained a few pounds.

Late one night Sam heard a noise. There was a storm raging and he thought, at first, it was the wind swirling against the cabin or the woodpile.

What…? There it was again.

He set aside his book and coffee mug and got up from his soft, comfy, chair by the fire and peered into every corner. He didn’t find a thing. It was so dark and the wind was howling. He looked at the window and finally cracked the door open just slightly to look outside. Disappointed, he returned to his comfy, warm, chair and settled back into the incessant quiet.

“Why did I ever leave home and do something so foolish as come to this remote lonely place? What was I thinking? That you, God of all creation, called me to this place? I’m not meant to be alone like this. I need people, animals, living things, around me…”

What…? There it was again. A faint scratching, growing softer by the moment. Sam went to the door again. This time he threw it open wide and looked down. There, on the ground, was the smallest puppy he had ever seen. The poor thing was nearly invisible and frozen in the blowing drifting snow. It was too weak to even stand.

Sam bent down and gently scooped up the little treasure. He carried the puppy to the fire and cuddled him in his shirt near his heart. “Oh God! This little thing is so cold and so sick. Have mercy. Please don’t let him die. Not tonight, not in this place. Warm his tiny body and revive him, please.”

It was a very long time before the puppy showed any sign of life. Sam began to rise to put the puppy down near the fire when the puppy raised his head, licked Sam’s cheek, and tried to bark. He was far too sick and all that came out was a scratchy rasp. Sam knew then that he would call this fellow “Rastus.”

Where did he come from? They were seventeen miles from the nearest neighbor and it was impossible for a little puppy to get to Sam’s door all alone, at night, in such severe, cold, and snow.

Slowly the crushing silence lifted as Sam embraced Rastus, his new friend and tiny family. This wiggly bundle of encouragement strengthened him.

Nothing is as Easy as it Seems

2010-09-13T21:48:00.005-04:00

August 1, 2010 I decided that I would build a personal website that could help in finding a new pastoral position. (I can only stay here at Stewartstown Presbyterian Church until June 30, 2011)

First task, find a web hosting company that will host my website, spgutridge.com, for low or no cost. Solution, 1and1.com. I posted my picture, wrote a Statement of Faith, and listed my contact email. Then I wanted to post some videos of sermons. Well, they don't offer that feature. I looked for another company that would host my website and videos for little or no cost. I found a business site but I have been unable to format my videos in a usable form. (Oh, the trials of trying to do professional web stuff with standard Micro Soft software.)

I prepared two short videos that are now on YouTube and linked from my website. I'm sure that a professional, with expensive software, and lots of experience could have done this faster. Yet, I learned so much and am proud of my accomplishment. Check it out! www.spgutridge.com

The Joy of Housecleaning

2010-05-05T22:33:00.000-04:00

At one time my wife and I owned two Merry Maids franchises. Merry Maids is a home cleaning service. I have spent hours cleaning homes and training others to clean homes thoroughly and efficiently including changing all beds. I can clean the typical four-bedroom, two and one-half bath home with a family room in less than two hours. I have traveled the MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) circuit with a twenty minute lecture on how to clean your home in less than two hours. Most people are overwhelmed by housecleaning because they do not have a plan. The secret is to maintain focus, stay on task, be organized, and have all cleaning equipment in a handy cleaning kit. We must keep the main thing the main thing. We are cleaning the house, not organizing drawers, not sorting laundry, not arranging magazines. Cleaning day is just that, it is cleaning. We must focus on cleaning, dusting, and vacuuming in all dry rooms. We must clean, sanitize, deodorize and wash the floors in the bathrooms. Finally, we must wash the counters, cabinet fronts, range top and front, refrigerator front and top and wash the floor. I can do it in less than two hour and so can you.

When You Pray, for What Do You Pray?

2010-03-10T12:44:00.001-05:00

This past Saturday morning I had the great privilege of leading someone in a prayer to receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. I was flying so high the rest of the day that nothing could bring me down.

I have had great experiences in my life; my Salvation, my wedding, to Paula, the birth of my children, my Ordination as Minister of Word and Sacrament, my oldest son's wedding, and the birth of my grandchildren just to name a few. I would suggest, no experience comes close to the joy of seeing someone into God's Kingdom. I have been permitted to lead many people into a faith commitment over the years. The Holy Spirit has graciously allowed me to participate in these many rebirths. It is the ultimate human experience.

This week I have been challenged in how I pray and for what I pray. I pray for my family, for my church, for health, for healing, for financial blessings, etc. Sadly, I seldom pray for souls. There are individuals that I pray for and have consistently done so for some time. If, as I have suggested, the greatest human experience is seeing a soul into God's Kingdom then it seems that that would be my primary prayer.

"If you would win souls, you must seek them. The sportsman knows that his game will not come to the window of his house to be shot. The fisherman knows that the fish will not come swimming up to his house. Do they not go abroad and seek their prey? And so must you and I." Charles H. Spurgeon from E-Word Today for February 27, 2010.

My challenge today and the days to come is that my heart would break for lost people. My only interest is that Jesus lead me to the paths of lost sinners. I ask that He give me sensitivity to see their need and the grace and wisdom to answer their questions and most importantly, ask if they would like to enter God's Kingdom.

Will you also make this your prayer?

Why Do We Meet for Corporate Worship?

2010-03-09T14:04:00.001-05:00

The mainline church today is often victim to the great sin of needless formality and tradition. We get locked into the seven deadliest words in the church, “We have always done it this way.” Congregations and Corporate worship services so often starve for variety and for true Biblical purpose. We are consumed with meeting our own needs and we fail to be relevant to our culture. When a brave pastor or worship leader does add a new twist they are often crucified for it. “We don’t do that here.”

I remember my very first pastorate. The church sanctuary was beautiful, long, with a center aisle, and huge central pulpit elevated about ten feet above the sanctuary floor. There was space in front of the pulpit for the communion table and then adequate room for all the elders to gather for communion service. No one ever sat in the first eight rows of pews. (We were Presbyterians after all.) I felt as though I was in another room given the distance between me, up in the pulpit, and the first parishioners in row nine.

I came up with a brilliant solution. Early one Sunday morning I entered church and used the Ushers’ Ropes to block off the back eight pews. These were the rows that contained the greatest number of congregants on any given Sunday. I assumed everyone would just move forward eight pews and all would be happy. I would not feel so distant from the people and they would be closer to the front. Later, when visitors did arrive they would find seats handy at the rear, problem solved.

Time for worship arrived and the commotion was deafening. How could anyone worship God seated anywhere other than their own pews? I stood my ground and the ropes remained. They stood their ground and there was virtually no worship that day. Even worse, no one listened to my expertly crafted sermon. Later that afternoon I sheepishly removed the Ushers’ Ropes.

Seems a silly example, I know. Yet we are so petty and picky about our own comforts and peculiar wants and needs that as a group we become very unfriendly and unwelcoming to strangers.

There is an old story about the First Baptist Church in a wonderful city in the south. It was the preeminent church in that town and in the entire region. The church was filled to standing room only every Sunday. The Head Usher, Deacon Brown, ran a tight ship. He and his fellow ushers handled coat hanging and seating with expert precision. The offering was received every Sunday with the kind of formality reserved for the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery.

One warm Sunday following the Call to Worship and during the first hymn a young man entered the sanctuary. He was dressed in old clothes, needed a bath, a haircut, and above all else he was barefooted. The contrast with the white shirts, suits, conservative ties, dresses and fur wraps was over-the -top. He then proceeded to march down the center aisle looking for a seat. No one budged an inch. Not finding a pew seat he sat down right in the middle of the aisle cross-legged on the floor.

The hymn ended and all were seated. You could cut the tension with a knife as murmurs wafted over the entire sanctuary. Finally, Deacon Brown, with the erect posture of a Marine on Parade proceeded down the aisle toward the young man. You could hear the chorus of thoughts, “Deacon Brown will handle this disgrace.” When the old Deacon reached the young man he carefully bent low with creaking joints and assumed a position cross-legged right next to him on the floor. Deacon Brown never lost sight of the purpose of the gospel, “to save lost people.” Nor did he lose sight of the purpose of the church, “be a vessel for that message.”

Presbyterians and the Absence of Faith

2010-03-04T14:41:00.000-05:00

Fall 2008 I received a survey from the Presbyterian Church (USA) Research Panel. The Presbyterian Panel is a representative sample of 5,000 Presbyterians (members, elders, pastors, and specialized clergy) serve on the Presbyterian Panel for a three-year period and responds to mailed questionnaires four times a year. The Panel provides a way to listen to and collect information about the practices, beliefs, and opinions from both clergy and laity. The initial questionnaire was sent to more than 5,000 Presbyterians in late 2008, with response rates ranging from 59 to 70 percent from the various groups. The stated average margin of error is around 3 to 5 percent, according to the report, but in some cases can go as high as 7 to 10 percent.

The survey was filled with many questions. We were asked to respond on a scale of 1 to 5. From “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.” I am a theological conservative and support traditional Christian Orthodoxy and I thought most others did as well. I believe I thought better of my colleagues and fellow Presbyterians than I ought.

The report entitled “Religious and Demographic Profile of Presbyterians” has outlined the findings of the survey I responded to. The survey was sent to Presbyterian Church members, Presbyterian Elders, Presbyterian Church Pastors, and Specialized Clergy. The report defines “specialized clergy” as ministers serving full-time in a school or seminary, as a hospital or military chaplain, as PCUSA middle governing body staff, in an ecumenical agency or any other job or position. The category also includes part-time and temporary ministries.

The results of the survey are frightening. Nearly half of PCUSA pastors (45 percent) and a majority of “specialized clergy” (60 percent) surveyed disagree that “only followers of Jesus Christ can be saved.” Approximately 1 in 5 in both categories answered “neutral” or “not sure,” making the totals that do not “agree” with the statement as 65 percent for pastors and 78 percent for specialized clergy.

More than half of “members” and “elders” surveyed answered similarly. Approximately 1 in 3 members (36 percent) and elders (31 percent) either disagree or strongly disagree that “only followers of Jesus can be saved.” In both categories, approximately 1 in 5 is “neutral” or “not sure.” Those who “strongly agree” or “agree” with the statement are: 39 percent of members; 45 percent of elders; 35 percent of pastors and 22 percent of specialized clergy. If you would like to read more of the report it can be found at http://www.pcusa.org/research/panel/index.htm.

I wonder why people who do not believe, “Jesus is the way the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father but by Him”, remain in the church? All ordained people in the PC (USA) respond in the affirmative to the following questions when ordained.

1. Do you trust in Jesus Christ your Savior, acknowledge him Lord of all and Head of the Church, and through him believe in one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?
2. Do you accept the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be, by the Holy Spirit, the unique and authoritative witness to Jesus Christ in the Church universal, and God’s Word to you?
3. Do you sincerely receive and adopt the essential tenets of the Reformed faith as expressed in the confessions of our church as authentic and reliable expositions of what Scripture leads us to believe and do, and will you be instructed and led by those confessions as you lead the people of God?
4. Will you fulfill your office in obedience to Jesus Christ, under the authority of Scripture, and be continually guided by our confessions?
5. Will you be governed by our church’s polity, and will you abide by its discipline? Will you be a friend among your colleagues in ministry, working with them, subject to the ordering of God’s Word and Spirit?
6. Will you in your own life seek to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, love your neighbors, and work for the reconciliation of the world?
7. Do you promise to further the peace, unity, and purity of the church?
8. Will you seek to serve the people with energy, intelligence, imagination, and love?
9. (1) (For elder) Will you be a faithful elder, watching over the people, providing for
their worship, nurture, and service? Will you share in government and discipline, serving in governing bodies of the church, and in your ministry will you try to show the love and justice of Jesus Christ?
9. (2) (For deacon) Will you be a faithful deacon, teaching charity, urging concern, and
directing the people’s help to the friendless and those in need, and in your ministry will you try to show the love and justice of Jesus Christ?
9. (3) (For minister of the Word and Sacrament) Will you be a faithful minister, proclaiming the good news in Word and Sacrament, teaching faith and caring for people? Will you be active in government and discipline, serving in the governing bodies of the church; and in your ministry will you try to show the love and justice of Jesus Christ?

Did they not mean it when they answered these questions in the affirmative? If people have changed their minds the honorable thing to do is resign from the PC (USA) and the Church of Jesus Christ. Why remain in a Christian church when one is not a Christian? Why remain in an organization that has Jesus Christ as its Head and believes the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the authoritative Word of God? Why do I say this? Jesus Himself says, “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.” (John 10:9 NIV) “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6 NIV) The Bible goes on to speak of the exclusive nature of salvation, “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:21-24 NIV) “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23 NIV)

There is small wonder why the PC (USA) is hemorrhaging members year after year. Half the church is populated by people that are not Christians. That kind of witness is useless in a lost and dying world.

It has been some time!

2010-03-02T15:42:00.001-05:00

I was surprised when I opened my blog to find how long it has been since I made a post. It is not that I have had nothing to say, it simply is that I talk too much on Facebook. My apologies to those that would occasionally turn to this blog and find it wanting.

Charity and Poor Performance

2010-01-22T23:32:00.000-05:00

There seems to be a strong aversion in our culture to criticism, unless of course it is the mainline media criticizing Conservatives or Christians. In many places little league baseball is played without keeping score. Apparently the parents want the children to enjoy playing the game without the disappointment of losing. They certainly do not want to bruise the children's delicate egos. Some schools do not give children grades. Their egos and confidence could be damaged by achieving a low mark or a failing mark.

Who decided it was better to protect children from failure than allow them to experience real life? Is losing a game or earning a low grade such a bad thing? Is it unloving to keep score and to give real grades in proportion to performance? Of course not! Games are won and lost because of the performance and preparation of the competing teams and players. Poor grades represent poor effort and poor preparation. Children will never be challenged to excel if they are protected from the truth. Good preparation and good performance must be rewarded and poor efforts must not be ignored.

It is not unloving to say that someone did a poor job.

I Am A Relic, But Not for Long

2009-12-26T22:08:00.000-05:00

I fear my brain is old. No, I'm not making a comment on my physical age. I fear my brain is old because I can't seem to grasp the so-called post-modern age. I am locked into the old institutional thinking of the past. I watch NFL Football on Sunday afternoon and I hate that the NFL season is soon to be over. Yet, I find fewer and fewer other football fans with whom to banter. There are still those that wear their team image on their jackets or in the front window of their small business, but I can't seem to find anyone to watch a game with other than my wife. I have two adult sons and neither one is a football fan. They never played the game and they could care less about it. My oldest son was never interested in team sports. He skied, snow-boarded, rock climbed, and hiked. I am a sport watcher, he is a sport doer. Fortunately we do hunt together. My second son participated in team sports until injuries ended his athletic career. He no longer participates or watches.

I did participate. I played three sports in high school and did well. I went to college on a full athletic scholarship. Since then I watch more than I participate. I need to rediscover how to participate.

I don't understand reality television. It has no appeal to me. Yet, literally millions watch and participate. I have a Blackberry. To me it is a telephone with a huge directory of names and numbers. I get email on my Blackberry and even send some now and then. Occasionally someone sends me a text and I can answer it (very slowly). I even have a Facebook page, but hardly appreciate its full potential.

When my Dad died my Mom did two things immediately. She bought a new car with leather seats. Dad would have none of that foolishness. She also bought a computer and got an email account. She could not stand it that life was passing her by. She was not happy being a relic.

I don't do self-learning easily. I prefer that someone show me. Well, no-longer. I am not happy being a relic either. I do know some people that understand the post-modern age and I need to go to school on them. I am on a mission, "understand and participate fully in the post-modern age."

2009-01-18T13:41:00.001-05:00

Life is an interesting adventure. It does not always go as we plan or hope, yet it moves forward at a constant pace. How we deal with the events that we cannot control measures our character and our level of happiness. Many rail against the events of life. Crying, "Its not fair!" Life is never a matter of fairness, life is neutral. There is no "fair" or "unfair" it just is. Our response is everything.

Many people are positive thinkers and respond to life at its best and worst with grace and joy. Others are negative thinkers and find fault with every event in life. They are constant victims. Who are you? it is your choice. Abraham Lincoln said that most people are just about as happy as the choose to be. Are you happy? Happy is not something that you strive for, it is a state of being during the trials of life. "Happy" is who you are during the journey.

Recently I spent some time in Palm Beach Gardens and Jupiter Florida. We were in the midst of a family health crisis and it was stressful. Yet, we were able to maintain a level of joy and happiness regardless of the circumstances. As we went about our days I noticed how unhappy so many people were. We were in the most beautiful place in the country with extraordinary weather and people were grumpy. It didn't matter where we were, the grocery, a restaurant, or Starbucks. People were grumpy.

Grumpy is a hard way to go through life. Are you grumpy? Sad? Angry? Aggressive? Happy? Polite? Pleasant? It is your choice. As for me, I choose Happy!

Christmas 2008

2008-12-27T21:41:00.000-05:00

Christmas is an amazing time. I was in charge of gift giving, etc. this year. I worked out no gift giving with anybody but the grandchildren. I was blessed by the total absence of pressure. We went to our son's home for Christmas Day after presents were opened. The focus was on the people that are most important and not on stuff. I loved it.

I got a real lesson in technology this Christmas. My son, Charlie, introduced me to "Facebook." I have had the most wonderful time writing my profile and adding photo albums. It has made me think about what is really important. The only thing I want people to know about me is what is important to me; family and Jesus.

There was a time when I would have populated my Facebook with professional accomplishments, etc. Not now. My Lord and my family, that's it.

Reflection on the Election

2008-11-06T15:04:00.000-05:00

I could not watch the news last evening November 4, 2008. I am on political overload. I awoke at about 2:00 AM November 5 and turned on the news to learn of our new President. Admittedly, I was sad and it took a few moments to realize that God is in control. He did not fall off His throne, but has brought us to just such a time as this. I immediately went into prayer for U.S. President-elect Barack H. Obama. I pray that the Lord will protect him physically and guide him with Godly wisdom in the days ahead.

I watched the speeches of both Barack Obama and John McCain. John McCain is such a class act. He may not have run the best campaign in the world, but he is a true man of character. During the speeches I watched as the cameras panned the audiences. Obama's audience was filled with young enthusiastic people of all colors. McCain’s audience looked like me, older and very white.

I could not understand why people did not understand Obama's Marxist views until I saw those crowds. The majority of his supporters have no real life memories of communism or socialism. Karl Marx is an obscure historic figure. The Soviet Union, the Cold War, The Peoples Republic of China, and Mao Tse-tung are only distant historic footnotes. Most were not alive or were very young when Ronald Reagan demanded, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall."

Obama has appealed to a populace that either is too young or too ill-informed to really understand what his socialist political philosophy really means. They have no knowledge of or experience of communism, socialism or the terrible conditions these political philosophies foster in any populace. It might be helpful if we got a good look into Cuba now after 49 years of communist rule under Fidel Castro. The current conditions in Cuba are Marxism at its very best.

If ever there was the possibility of the "Perfect Storm" Barack Obama discovered it; a young multi-racial populace that was very unhappy with the current President and the state of affairs in the U.S. I commend Senator Obama for understanding his constituency and speaking their language. He is a shrewd politician. Now let's pray that he has the stuff to back it up.

I can't help but wonder if John McCain didn't get up this morning and say, "Thank you Lord that I'm not President."

God Moments

2008-10-16T21:02:00.000-04:00

This morning I took my wife to the orthopaedic surgeon to schedule arthroscopic surgery for her knee. We then went to McDonald's for soda and a time of talking and devotions. I asked Paula's input about what I should preach about in several weeks. We talked about it, Old Testament, New Testament, etc. All the while there was a precious older woman sitting at the neighboring booth quietly eating her breakfast. Occasionally she would say something about breakfast or McDonald's verses Cracker Barrel.

Then it happened. She revealed that her husband had recently died. Paula politely asked, "I'm so sorry, when did this happen?" Her reply, "Yesterday at 5:00 a.m."

We went into instant ministry mode. We learned that he had been sick for some time and that his death was not totally unexpected. Her daughter was with her when he died. Her family was now gathered at her home and she escaped to get her hair done and then quietly slipped into the McDonald's booth across from us to have her Egg McMuffin.

We had a wonderful time of prayer with her standing between the two booths and then she was off to her very busy day.

Here we were immersed in our own issues when along came someone with needs that made ours pale by comparison. Thank you Lord that we did not miss this important ministry moment.

Orthodoxy Verses Tolerance

2008-07-21T20:04:00.000-04:00

Tolerance is the acceptance of the thoughts, reasonings, and actions of another as equally valid as your own. The ever watchful and highly critical "politically correct" culture today misinterprets this understanding by insisting that we must tolerate the thoughts, reasonings, and actions of others as equally valid as our own. This insistance extends to things that are clearly illegal, immoral, and or sinful. Failure to "tolerate" brands one as "intolerant" and therefore unAmerican and unacceptable.

Followers of Jesus Christ must be willing to tolerate the thoughts, reasonings, and actions of others as far as they do not violate the clear teachings of the Bible as derived through careful orthodox theological reasoning. Followers of Jesus Christ cannot accept as good thoughts, reasonings, and actions that clearly God clearly calls sin.

The Holy Spirit acts directly or through others to reveal that which is contrary to God's word. Repentance is the turning away from falsehood and/or sin as an individual or group when such has been clearly revealed. Many insist that their own reasonong is superior to the Bible and others and therfore insist that others agree with them. If others do not agree they are branded as "intolerant."

God's purpose is to continually refine followers until their holiness is like that of Jesus Christ. When Christ followers accept or tolerate from other Christ followers that which God calls sin we thwart the work of the Holy Spirit in illiciting repentance and increased holiness.

To Live is Christ

2008-02-23T11:44:00.000-05:00

Do you remember your first “crush”? Think about the first time you fell in love. Do you remember the exhilaration, the joy, the pleasure? Your thoughts were consumed with that certain someone. You thought about that person day and night. You wanted to be with that person all the time. It was difficult to go to work or to class. You laid awake at night thinking about them. Do you remember doodling their name? Do you remember linking it with your own? Sit back right now and remember.

There is a time in most people’s lives when they make the move from thinking about self only to thinking about self coupled with that special other person. It is a subtle transition, but you begin to consider their needs and wants and adjust your thinking to accommodate them. This is normal human maturing process. There comes a time when we link ourselves to the other permanently through marriage. Everything changes. You now live for another. It is exciting and terrifying all at the same time. Very often this leads to the addition of children and your thinking broadens still further.

We are always at risk. The lines between the other and self get cloudy and even disappear. This is normal. Yet it does present the opportunity for problems. Few of us are always good at sharing our lives, our desires and our wishes. We tend to self-interests and if our partners are not good at sharing we feel taken advantage at times. Relationships are messy. We don’t always play well with others nor do they with us. Yet, the rewards of a shared relationship with another are so rich that it is worth the risk. We keep at it, trying to find that perfect balance.

Have you ever spent time with someone or with a couple that have been married more than 50 years? They are so calm and peaceful. They even tend toward the giddy at times. It is a real pleasure just being around them. They have worked out this dance we call relationship and have found a balance. Self-identity is almost impossible without the other. Often when one dies, the partner follows soon thereafter simply because they cannot conceive of life nor perceive self without the other.

There are no mysteries here. God is a relational being. His self identity is the Trinity. God by His very identity is relational. He made human beings in His own image. He made us relational. Remember when He said, “it is not good for the man to be alone…” (Genesis 2:18) He then made a woman for the man, the perfect picture of the “image of God,” relationship.

Jesus came in the flesh to reveal God to us in terms we could understand. He lived His earthly life not in marital relationship with a woman, but in relationship with His heavenly Father. Marital relationship is great, but it is only a picture of something much better. The apostle Paul found the real truth. Rather than marriage, he discovered that a relationship with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords was far superior. “Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: it is good for them to stay unmarried as I am…” (1 Corinthians 7:8) I am not dismissing the great blessing of marriage. It is the normal human relationship and I love being married.

Jesus taught this. "Don't you know me… even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me…” (John 14:9-11)

Jesus often spent the entire night praying to the Father. He had done so the night before he chose the twelve disciples and designated them apostles. He did not act on His own, but He did what the Father instructed. This teaches us a great truth. A life lived in relationship with God through Jesus is one of total fulfillment. Marriage is the greatest of all human relationships, but it is only a picture of a relationship with Jesus. That is why He identifies Himself as the bridegroom and the church as His bride.

My goal is to live every moment in the awareness of the presence of Jesus Christ. In reality He is with us in the person of Holy Spirit. My task is to live in conscious awareness of His presence every moment. I talk with Him and listen to Him. I share my thoughts and my fears. I share my joys and my sorrows, my dreams and my disappointments. My goal is to surrender my self-consciousness to Him and only pick up His will. I want to disappear in Him that He only is visible. I want to be so much in Him that when my physical body dies there is no transition for me consciously. I want to so live in Him in this life that the spirit life is no different.

I have officiated at many funerals during my career as a minister of Jesus Christ. As I grow older and more mature in Jesus Christ I have often found myself feeling a bit envious of those deceased saints that have graduated to heaven. They have made it into the presence of the King. I am stuck here in this life. I no longer feel that way. I believe that we can attain the presence of the King right here in this life. The apostle Paul said it best, “…to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21) I ask you to join me in the Holy pursuit, To Live is Christ.