Wifer's Birthday on the 24th

Celebrating the life that God has created is usually fun...
Execpt...I didn't do to well this year. I have come to the conclusion that I am not a very good gift giver for birthdays.
Bought her a backrest to put on my motorcycle...oops
Hmm...had a friend get a cake for her that was my favorite, white with chocolate frosting. Come to find out her favorite is white with white frosting. What was I thinking? The things you learn in life.
I did give her a flower. One rose. A first for about 5 years...maybe 7.
May you do better celebrating the life of someone close to you.
Happy Birthday Shanna.

Bullet Proof Vest

I was told to wear one of these bulletproof vests by a Police officer that helps out at the church. He gave me a large...I need a medium.
I guess there is reason for concern. I have been punched on the basketball courts and there was that time one of the gang members in the area pointed his gun at me. Oh the memories...but I still question if I should wear the thing. I beleive I was in more danger hunting with my buddies during High School than on the streets in Clevelenad.
Maybe I have a David complex (1 Samuel 17). I will fight the "Goliaths" with a staff, 5 smooth stones and a slingshot. Or maybe I am unaware of the danger...Either way I ask for protection while the stones of God's Word is tossed in the direction of sin, flesh and the devil.
May the Lord protect us as we trust in Him. When we are not wearing any body armor may He be our fortress and shield as we fight on the front lines for the purpose of eternity that Christ has won for us.

1 Samuel 17:38-40
Then Saul clothed David with his armor. He put a helmet of bronze on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail, 39 and David strapped his sword over his armor. And he tried in vain to go, for he had not tested them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.” So David put them off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the brook and put them in his shepherd’s pouch. His sling was in his hand, and he approached the Philistine.

Shame on You

This Easter Sunday I finished service and I was talking with one of the girls that was baptized about 4 years ago and confirmed a year or so ago. In the conversation she said the other day she went to another church and was pressured into getting baptized...she continued,
"The lady kept bugging me...and I didn't want to do it but she insisted that I needed to be put completely under the water."
I couldn't believe my ears...one of my students was re-baptized...
What about the first baptism? Didn't it do any good? Did God not deliver His gift of forgiveness and new life then?
I guess this insistant lady would say no. She would say that YOU have to be FULLY SUBMURGED under the water and YOU MUST BE at LEAST OLD ENOUGH to UNDERSTAND. And so I say,
"Shame on You insistant lady...hounding a teenager and telling her that her prior baptism was not good enough. Causing this little one to stumble in her faith. Shame on You!"
All I could think was...where did I go wrong in teaching my student not to fall into these temptations...Then my student said,
"Pastor, I know we should only be baptized once...but she insisted." She wanted to please her and maybe just in case the insistant woman was correct, it couldn't hurt, could it?

Come to my side of the city...shoot, go anywhere there are Baptists, and you will see this happening. I have a few adults that have been baptized more times than I have taken a bath. There is a reason for this. False Teaching.
What is so wrong with getting baptized more than once one may ask? It makes a believer start to doubt the validity of their faith.
"Was that baptism so many years ago valid? How do I know if I truly believed then? When will I ever know if I truly have a valid baptism? Was my baptism done correctly?
The problem is putting the focus on man's actions and our worthiness...Get this in your head...WE ARE Never GOING TO BE WORTHY ENOUGH FOR BAPTISM ON OUR OWN. Whether a Baby or the Pope. God is the one doing the good deed. We are the bystander receiving the gift of life and salvation. It is the ultimate welfare check. He is the Giver, we are the receiver. Baptism is a thing God does, not what we do by our intricate actions.
Baptism received in the name of the Holy Trinity is always a baptism, no matter what. The Church of God is part of the "Anabaptist" tradition; the word "Anabaptism" means, "Baptized again." At the time of the Reformation in the 16th century there arose groups that were collectively known as "enthusiasts" or "radical reformers" and eventually known as the "Anabaptists." One of the hallmarks of their theology was the view that infant baptism is of no effect and believers must all be baptized again.
However Scripture teaches that baptism is that one-time wonderful act of God in our lives by which He incorporates us into the life and death of Jesus Christ. It has life-long and ongoing blessings, but is performed only once on a person. Our Lord said, "Go and baptize," not "Go and baptize the same person numerous times." And although it is administered only once, baptism is to be used by Christians throughout their whole life. Nowhere do the Apostles call on Christians to repeat baptisms; however, they frequently recall to their minds the baptism once received (1 Cor.1:13; 6:11; 12:13; Rom. 6:3ff; Eph. 4:5; Col. 2:12; Titus 3:5-6; 1 Pet. 3:21).
So I say again to the well meaning lady..."Shame on You." It is my prayer that this child's faith has not been weakened.
For those of us who have been rebaptized...take heart and always point to the 1st baptism in which the Holy Spirit gave you the gift of faith, life and salvation. Look at the other "baptisms" as a remembrance of the first baptism in which God grasp you in His arms to eternity.
For more info...click "Shame on You" above.

Gary Indiana

Gary, Indiana...I'll be at the Trump Motel this Friday and Saturday learning how to do ministry successfully in the City.
Hmmmm...I suppose I might learn something...Or not. Either way, at least I finally get to go to the City I sang about in High School during the Musical "The Music Man" Why don't we all sing along.
Everybody...

Gary Indiana Song Link

Gary, Indiana!
What a wonderful name,
Named for Elbert Gary of judiciary fame.
Gary, Indiana, as a Shakespeare would say,
Trips along softly on the tongue this way--
Gary, Indiana, Gary Indiana, Gary, Indiana,
Let me say it once again.
Gary, Indiana, Gary, Indiana, Gary, Indiana,
That's the town that "knew me when."
If you'd like to have a logical explanation
How I happened on this elegant syncopation,
I will say without a moment of hesitation
There is just one place
That can light my face.
Gary, Indiana,
Gary Indiana,
Not Louisiana, Paris, France, New York, or Rome, but--
Gary, Indiana,
Gary, Indiana,
Gary Indiana,
My home sweet home.

Headin' to Haiti

Decided to hitch a plane with some fellow Clevelanders and go on a mission trip to Haiti. Someone dropped out and I slipped into her spot. Most of the trip is social ministry, like pulling teeth, ESL, building a roof, building a basketball court. But where there is social ministry, there is the chance to connect the Gospel. Should be a great trip.
Now I am off to the doctor to get the needle. Don't want to bring any disease back to the USA.
Peace in Christ

Talking Battery

A talking battery! Wouldn't that be nice? You push a button on the side and it says, "Charged and ready to Go!" On the other hand if is says nothing you pitch it in the trash.
I've been looking at 2 Corinthians 5 and in it is says,
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come" (5:17).
Are we just old, quiet, dead batteries waiting to be pitched in the trash?
Or are we renewed talking batteries speaking that "today is the day of salvation" (6:2).
Tired of it all? Let Christ renew you. Let His Word make you new for today is the day of salvation. Recharched with God's Word we cannot help but be that annoying pink bunny that keeps goin' pointing others to the Savior.

Unstoppable

I have always assumed Jesus was unstoppable. This is evident throughout the Bible. This coming Sunday I am playing around with Luke 13 and our reality of what unstoppable means. Is it T-Mac going in for a dunk?
Opposite of what the world may think, the unstoppable Jesus is the one who would not be stopped to die. His glory was not slamming a ball through a hoop, or becoming Mr./Mrs. President. His glory is shown through the cross in which the sin, death and the devil were defeated. It is amazing to think that this unstoppable Jesus continues to Work through the Holy Spirit. It is this guy who breaks through all our barriers and roadblocks that we put up to stop the benefits of Christ's love to be delivered to us. Unstoppable grace delivered for You...and yet that Grace accomplished at the Cross must still be delivered to you. Often we stop the gift from being delivered to us. Many "greive the Holy Spirit". It is as if some turn the channel micro-seconds before the smashing dunk is delivered.
At times my job would be a lot easier if the gift was not rejectable...
I thank my Lord that His Word worked into my heart the miracle of repentance and the gift of salvation...
The gift which gives us the DNA of our UNSTOPPABLE Lord. And so we play with the Unstoppable.

Under the Weather

I'm Not really "Under the Weather"...but I believe to an extent we all are.
It is interesting that every barbar shop I went to the first words were usually about the weather. "Sure is a hot one today." or " "Close the door...old man winter is tryin' to get in."
Our day to day activities seem to be affected by the weather.
"Should we plan for an outdoors carnival? It might rain."
"Sorry kids, we are not going to Six Flags, it is raining." and the latest one I heard,
"Pastor, you can't come over and visit me. I am snowed in."

Schools out, the pool is open, golf season begins, laid off, catch a cold, overheat, buying an air condition, etc...
It seems as If the weather has a lot to say in anything we do...
I wonder if God works the same way in a person's life?
I think it'd be nice if we had a 5 minute time slot during the evening news for the One who runs all things.

Our Cat Died

Have you ever had a cat die in your washing machine?
I have. Zoe our kitten of about 3 months decided to go for a ride in the Kenmore. It ended in death.
Funny...Yes, but still...hard to believe.

Zero

The score at the beginning of the game
The temperature on the bank sign
The candy bar
Your account Balance
How many friends you have
What your co-workers call you
The time left on the shot clock
The time left in the game...

What Jesus became to make you blessed and holy.

Rain

It is still snowing. But "Rain" was the title of my bible study tonight.

For a few seconds think of one moment you would never want to forget. A moment that might change everything...Like seeing your child be born...or getting married...or hitting the hole in one...or laying in the middle of a field with the warmth of the sun on your face...The first day of school.
Got it? Do you have your moment? OK.

Now it rains. It always seems to rain.
Its like dreaming the greatest dream and getting woke up. You try to go back to sleep and dream it again, but it doesn't work.
Rain. Pounding Rain. Drenched hair rain. Walking like you wet yourself rain.

That's life...isn't it? And it's the rain in our lives that makes us ask questions like. Why God? I thought you loved me. I can't believe in a God who would allow such things to happen.

Tonight's Bible Study we watched a video about a father taking his 1 year old son for a walk around a lake. It started off great. It was "the moment". Then it began to rain. It began to pour. The child began to scream his head off. The child's reality was only the storm. And yet the Father was still there. He was there holding the child whispering in his ear.
"I love you...We will get through this...We are almost there...I love you."

As Christians we often expect to receive blessings like TV preachers talk about. "You will be blessed with earthy wealth as long as you follow the words of scripture."
The reality however, is not blessings that the world considers, but the reality is rain.
The blessing of rain...of storms...of life shattering events...The Cross.
Jesus the cross bearer says,
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me" (Luke 9:23) and again he stresses "Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:27).

The Christian Life has to do with rain. It has to do with suffering, defeat and weakness - not simply the experience of “glory” as we might like.
Therefore we cling to the Cross - Trusting Christ to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. This is saving Faith.
In ordinary life we still have our problems…yet our crosses are connected to His cross and our resurrections are connected to His Resurrection.

We live life clinging to our loving Father who sent His Son Jesus to endure the storm of sin death and the devil. These are rain showers we do not have to endure for they have been defeated. And the day will come that all rain will cease and we will have "the moment". "The moment" of remembering the rain storm and how our Creator God grasped us close to Him during the storm whispered in our ear.
"I love you...We will get through this...We are almost there...I love you."

It's Snowing

“Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.

I drive nearby this factory in Cleveland. Early in the morning there is a bright blue and red flame shooting from the largest smokestack that penetrates the darkness of the early morning.
The contrast of dark to white has always baffled me. I am amazed at how something so dark can become so bright.
I am not so amazed at how something so white can become muttled. Muttling is pretty easy to do...But from dark to white...that baffles me.
Pureness and whiteness penetrating into a dark and dreary world. The Word made Flesh (John 1:14). That is amazing.
Daniel 7:9 As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire.
Matthew 28:3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow.
Revelation 1:14 The hairs of his head were white like wool, as white as snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire,

Predestination

It's the New Year. My mom is 49. She got 49 hats for her birthday. Today is not about hats, but about telling the future.
The New Year brings along thoughts about the future.
"Will I lose 50 lbs? Will I run in that marathon? Will I get that new job? Will I finish school?" Fun questions to be sure. One question I received recently was a question about telling the future. There is only One who can tell the future and knows the future. That would be God...So this leads us into predestination. The topic where God predestines or chooses us to be saved. It is in this discussion of God knowing all that begs the question, "Does God choose or predestine us to Hell?"
Tough question. To answer, we turn to the Bible. This is what it says,
– Isaiah 44:4 For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen, I CALL you by your name, I name you, though you do not know me.
– John 15:16 You did not CHOOSE me, but I CHOSE you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
– Ephesians 1:4-5 even as he (God) CHOSE us in him (Jesus) before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,
– Acts 2:38-39 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. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God CALLS to himself.”

There are many many more passages that have to do with the election of grace, or the predestination of our being saved. But does God call or predestine those to damnation?
The simple answer is NO.
No man is lost because God has predestined him to eternal damnation. -- Eternal election is a cause why the elect are brought to faith in time, Acts 13:48; but election is not a cause why people remain unbelievers when they hear the Word of God. The reason assigned by Scripture for this sad fact is that these people judge themselves unworthy of everlasting life, putting the Word of God from them, rejecting and resisting the Holy Spirit, whose earnest will it is to bring also them to repentance and faith by means of the Word, Act 13:46; 7:51; Matt. 23:37. It is not God's fault that we are sinners. It only in our nature to reject Him, but it is the Work of the Holy Spirit, (AKA God) that brings us to that eternal paradise.

Luther, the rascal, once was asked what God was doing before He made the world. And he replied, "cutting sticks to beat people who ask that question". That's funny, because it implies Mystery....
Predestination... there is a large sense of mystery to it. And that is why no one will be completely satisfied with an answer. But this is what statifies me to questions about Predestination. I keep it simple...
God wishes all to be saved (1 Timothy 2:3). This is His will. In order to be saved a person must receive GodÂ’s call through the Word of God (John 15:16). It is this call which we either cling to or reject. God knows whether or not we are going to cling to the call or reject. God therefore predestines those whom he calls to be saved. The others reject this call and fall into eternal damnation which God knew was going to happen beforehand.
Happy Birthday Mom! You're a called child of God.

"Show'em th' Heat"

Some Nuns were in the movie theater today watching "The Nativity". I thought this would be an appropriate picture for the day.
Things get a little crazy in the neighborhood this time of year. Christmas brings out the best and the worst.
For example today...I was taking a stroll past the "Projects" picking up some kids to go to the movies. (Some people donated monies to see "The Nativity".) So as I was strolling an older teen wearing an oversized camo jacket and scars on his face comes up to me smoking a cheap stogie and says, "do you have any money." I say, "No." I keep walking. A little faster now. He says, "Empty all your pockets." I keep walking looking back at him over my right shoulder. At this point I am getting close to a public building. I say, "No."
He says, "Ah, No. I ain't playin' fool. Empty your damn pockets." At this point I turn around and face him. I am in front of the ghetto library. I say something like, "I'm not giving you any money." (By the way these are not the things you are to do or say.) As I am memorizing what he looks like, he starts pacing back and forth. His friend is with him at this point wearing a black oversized coat and sporting a white headband. The guy with the scars says to the other brother, "This guy thinks we're playin'. Show'em th' Heat." The heat came out. A black handgun. I chuckle a little. (I don't know why. Maybe because it looked like a black plastic gun. I hear glue guns get pretty hot.) Anyways,
I'm thinking, "Great, I'm going to miss the movie. So I say something cute and walk into the library.
Called the cops and left a description of the idiots with the library security guard. The security guard at the library saw the boys also. So I left the library after about 10 minutes and picked up the kids.
It was a good movie. Enjoyed sitting with Selah and explaining the Birth of our Savior. Glad I didn't miss it. Hopefully those boys will get some money so they can go and see it.
Always something it seems.

Merry Christmas

The Quest for Veritas

I've been reading this book by Kelly Kullberg called, "Finding God beyond Harvard". In it the author describes her search for God on campuses around the United States. Needless to say, you must search hard. College is opposite of my world in the city, and yet we are all searching for the same thing. Truth.
How often do you search for Veritas?
At Kansas State University I remember many guys searching for veritas. Searching for truth through many different means. But for many of us truth was relative. We'd ask like Pontius Pilate, "What is truth?" Or "Who cares?" The questions would run deeper, "What story is real? Evolution? Creation? To whom do I belong? If there is a God, where is He for me? If God is love, why do we suffer?" The questions would continue to fly in the echoing hallway. We were searching. I did a lot of searching myself. Some of us still search. We are post-modern skeptics. We search...trying to fill a void. We fill the void with irrationality and self pleasure. I believe we try to fill the void because our hearts do not know God's love. We cannot grasp onto the fact that the "Author loves us so much that He has entered the game to play. The game of life.
Here is a journal entry from Ms. Kullberg's book,
"In the Yard, posters and papers are often about the politics of diversity for rights with no mention of responsibilities. Posters advocate the use of embryos for research. Notices about hooking up with strangers (the only rule is no names are asked) next to date rape counseling, next to info on rallies for continued abortion rights, next to info on depression, AIDS, and drug and alcohol support groups.
But we can't say "the J word" Does anyone sense a loss of perspective here? That we're rejecting the very One we most desperately need?"

The Quest for Truth..."I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no one comes to the Father except through Me." (The J word)

Blessings In Jesus

Martyr

What is a Martyr? I asked this question to myself the other day after an intense meeting about spreading the great news of Christ to the "pre-Christian"” in our neighborhood. I read the definition and it basically says that a martyr is recognized as such because they preferred to die than to renounce their faith.
Jokingly I thought it would at times be much easier to be killed for the true faith than to put up with the baggage of living out that faith from day to day with people who call themselves Christians, yet want no part or worse yet get in the way of carrying out the call of a Christian. And yet it is the martyrs who get noticed for their strong faith.
Now that I have complained, I did some looking, and have concluded that the martyrs of the past and today have gone through much more than I ever will...…And They Die! At least at this point I am getting to reflect.

Here are some famous martyrs of the past.
Jesus…A given.
Stephen…looked at by the church as the 1st martyr. You can find his story in Acts 7.
Peter…as the picture above shows and as tradition proclaims died on a cross by crucifixion upsidedown.
Ignatius of Antioch... died as a martyr in the an Olympic like arena by the mouths of lions. The Roman authorities hoped to make an example of him and thus discourage Christianity from spreading. It didn't work.
There are many many more. A good magazine of modern day martyrs is called "The Voice of the Martyrs".
Sometimes we'’d much rather die. And yet we who are living must agree with St. Paul in Philippians 1:21-26.
"For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again."
Blessings in Christ!

Last Sunday of the Church Year

HAPPY NEW YEAR...Not many people know, but the new year for the church usually starts around the beginning of December. This Sunday is the Last Sunday of the Church Year. The following Sunday is the 1st Sunday of Advent. We begin the "New Year" of the church by remembering the story of the promised Messiah. Many call it the story of Christmas. The church callS it the season of Advent. It is the advent of the coming of our Lord.
Either way, it is something new, something exciting. Exciting, for it is this time of advent, this celebration of Jesus' birth that tells my story. The story of my salvation through the babe lying in a manger. Maybe this week I will start my New Year Resolution a little early as a response to the Story of the Messiah who came for me! What a New Year celebration!
Have a blessed Advent Season!

Go Kats!

45-42 Enough Said...well almost.
The Cats came out on top against the much despised Texas Longhorns. It was the 1st game of the Wildcats that I was able to watch in Ohio. We do not have cable and boy am I glad that ABC aired the game over here in Ohio State land.
I sounded like a little school girl every time the Cats scored and I covered my eyes every time Texas threatened. It was a good game and a good time. If you missed it...too bad. This was almost as good as a win against Nebraska.
The other amazing thing about the game was that I had the chance to see my cousin Richard Hageman escort coach Ron Prince off the field. Rich is a highway patrolman who must of had this assignment. I can't imagine how Rich felt when he had to make sure Ron Prince was protected by the stampeding crowd. Wow!

Blessings in Christ

PALS

Today my family and I get to travel to the southern part of Ohio to attend a PALS meeting. PALS stands for Post-Seminary Applied Learning and Support. I am required for 3 years to attend these meetings. The purpose of these meetings are to make sure pastors and their families get off to a right start in their ministries. The bottom line is so that the church does not lose new pastors due to problems in the pastor's new congregation. Many seminary guys are sent out to unhealthy congregations that devour a pastor and his family and the result is that the new pastor quits and the church at large suffers. So there has been an attempt to rectify this problem. The solution is to work with the new pastors. So, the family and I travel about 3 hours and talk about church stuff like how there are sinners in the church and how mean they are to the pastor and his family. We also talk a little about some of the good things about ministry. If it wasn't for a free night in a motel and a reason to get away, we would stay home. I'm sure everyone asks the question, "Why do I do this?" I have no answer at this time. "A waste of time?" I'll let you answer.
Blessings

Change

Change...A scary word for many. For others, it is the only word that brings comfort. I am somewhere in between.
A book would never be finished if the page didn't get turned, a sentence never written...so on and so forth. Change is necessary to move forward and change is going to happen even if you sit around and do nothing. I'd be an engineer (or still in college) if I didn't change my mind about which profession to pursue. I'd still be praying to God for a girlfriend if I didn't walk across the room and act like a fool in front of my wife. We all change; look in the mirror.
This day I thank God for change. The change from being single to being married. The change from being childless to having children. The change from being a lost and condemned person to being a child of God.
The Holy Bible says that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever...Wow, and I have this guy as my Savior who promised yesterday that He is with me always...who promised me today that I am forgiven...who says forever you are mine.
Thank God I've been changed and brought into the unchanging presence of Christ.
Blessings