I got a new phone today. I haven’t had time to really play with it but it looks like it’s going to be a lot of fun. Check it out!

…and here’s a few more!

Philippians 3:10-11
I want to know God. That has been the desire of my heart for a very long time. Or at least that’s what I’ve thought was what I wanted. As I study this passage out of Philippians I must give pause to reflect on the weight of being a follower of Christ. As I was driving through a town this past week I noticed a local Christian youth center that had a banner out front with brilliant graphics that had this verse reference on it and the phrase, “I want to know Christ and {His} power!” As I saw this I’ll be honest that I was disappointed. It is unfortunately another example of the salvation process being unfairly described to those who do and those who do not know Christ. It is necessary, in my opinion, that people understand the words of this text that in order to know Christ’s power, you must also join with Him in the fellowship of His sufferings!

Vs. 10
The thing that strikes me the most out of this verse is not the reality that we can experience God’s power, it’s not even the fact that we need to join in the fellowship of His sufferings. The most striking statement in this verse, to me, is that we must “become like Him in His death.” It’s not enough to simply follow Him; we must follow Him anywhere and everywhere that He would go. It is not surprising to me that in the year 2001 the two countries that had the most remarkable growth of any churches in the world were China and Cuba. I believe it was Tertullian who said, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” That statement rings closely with Paul’s sentiment from chapter 3 verse 10.

Vs. 11
The last verse says that by accomplishing the statements of verse 10 the end result would possibly be, “somehow to attain to the resurrection from the dead.” It strikes me in reference to this verse, that there must be many people who are in the church and yet are not in the faith. Billy Graham has said that he believes that at least 50% of evangelical church members are unconverted. It appears to me that what the church needs most is a dramatic cleansing process.

I’ve found some of my journal entries recently that I thought were interesting. I thought that occasionally I might post one or two and hopefully they will be helpful to you!

It has come to my attention that there was a post on my blog that had a bad word or two in it. It has also come to my attention that some children from our week at Children’s Camp have been reading this blog. So, I have removed that post and I would ask that you would please accept my apologies both kids, parents and friends. I certainly shouldn’t have allowed that post to be on the site. I am genuinely sorry guys!

IF YOU READ THIS, even if we DO SPEAK OR DON’T SPEAK OFTEN,comment with one memory of me and you.it can be anything you want. GOOD OR BAD.just as long as it HAPPENED.THEN, post this on your blog.see what other people remember about YOU.

I’ve been having a blast for the past four days as Tracy and I have been hanging out with 260 4th-6th graders at our associational Children’s Camp! I never thought I’d enjoy a children’s camp but I couldn’t believe how much fun it was. We were camp missionaries for the week and it was exciting to see the kids respond to us. We’ve been invited back next year to be the camp pastor and I’m pumped about that!

…America, that is.

That’s right, American people are the single most ethnocentric people in the world today. We may say that we don’t like the French because they are stuck on themselves but in reality there is no group of people more stuck on themselves than we are. Don’t get me wrong, America is a fantastic country. I’m thankful that I’m from here but I do not believe that America is “the best country in the world.” I’m at the point where I don’t know of any country that can say that. Sure, you might say that the US has wealth and freedom but let’s also remember that as a result of that we have rampant immorality, general disregard for the things of God and a horribly lethargic church. Sure other countries, like China and Cuba, may have tyranny and communism but they also have the fastest growing churches in the world today. We have pushed our culture and our way of life on so many countries for so long now that they’ve even begun to see themselves as 2nd class citizens unless they’re just like us. I am convinced that a God who relishes diversity must be disgusted when we strip that [i.e. diversity] from the world by imposing our way of life on others. Too many countries want to be like us and they have become so. They have horrible divorce rates, unfortunate abortion rates, blatant disregard for God, and the list could go on.

In this same vein I need to comment on my disdain for patriotic “worship services.” There may be nothing I despise more in evangelical churches than these services. First of all, the vast majority of the time we end up worshipping the country much more than God. I still remember sitting in a service in a large, conservative SBC church during a 4th of July service and watching as they concluded the choir special by raising a giant American flag and covering up the cross in the process. I literally felt my stomach turn over. Secondly, since when did our Sunday morning worship time become a pat on the back session for our military? Now, don’t get me wrong, I value their sacrifice for our freedom immensly. It’s tough growing up on military bases without appreciating our military. I do however, have a problem when we elevate this extremely secular institution at the expense of worship. If we are going to recognize anyone in an annual service why would it not be the persecuted church who are experiencing their martyrdom at a faster rate than ever before in history (and are also recognized as little as at any other time in history)? Or how about our pastors that serve for little pay and labor for long hours in order to honor God? Or what about our missionaries who serve fearlessly in dangerous places without the benefit of military personnel or weapons to protect them and occasionally forfeit their lives as a result?

Maybe we need to rethink our priorities?