A New Beginning! by Ray C. Stedman

by Ray C. Stedman

READ: Job 42:16-17

After this Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. And so he died, old and full of years (Job 42:16-17).

The book of Job ends on a note of contentment and peace. Job was probably about seventy when the book opens, so he is an old man. What a picture of peace, a contented man. God had greatly blessed him.

Before us stretches a new year, a new beginning. The old is past, put away forever. God invites us always to forget about all the distrust and fears, all the anxieties of the past, all the resentments we have been holding against others, all the grudges, all the criticisms–to put them away and begin again.

The question that hovers over us as we close this book (and I feel it deeply in my own heart) is, “On what basis am I going to live in this new year? Will it be on the old basis of it-all-depends-on-me, do-it-yourself goodness before God, trying my best to be pleasing to God and meaning it with all my heart but never realizing the depths of evil with which I have to deal?” Or will I accept the gift of God that is waiting for me every day, fresh from His hand, a gift of forgiveness, of righteousness already mine, of a relationship in which He is my dear Father and I am his cherished, beloved son, and in which I therefore have provided for me all I need, all day long, so that I may say no to evil and yes to truth and right?

Will it be on that basis? If it is, this will be a year in which my life will be characterized by peace, fragrance, and beauty. And so will yours. Or, if we insist on living it on the same old basis, we will find ourselves like these friends of Job, arousing the anger and the wrath of God. Though He is patient and merciful, our only escape will be to repent of our evil and rest upon the righteousness of our perfect substitute and return to God for the blessing that He is waiting to give. That is the choice before us, every one of us. How are we going to live in this new year?

Lord, thank You for this new year that lies before me. I choose You. I choose to depend on You, trust You, and accept from Your hand all that You would give me.

This daily devotion was inspired by one of Ray’s sermons. Please read “A New Beginning” (or listen to the audio file  ) for more on this portion of scripture.

-Scott Bailey 2007

God’s Compassion and Mercy! by Ray C. Stedman

by Ray C. Stedman

READ: Job 42:12-13

The LORD blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first (Job 42:12a).

This is what James calls in the Revised Standard Version “the purpose of the Lord” (James 5:11), revealing God to be compassionate and merciful. God did not suddenly become compassionate and merciful to Job; He had been that way all along. God’s character, unchanging, is compassion and mercy. He is love. Though He puts us through times of trials and pressures and hardships, it is not because He is angry and upset; it is because He is compassionate and merciful. If we wait, He will bring us to the place where we will see that as plainly and clearly as Job did. So the purpose of the Lord is to reveal His own heart of compassion and mercy to this dear old man.

There is a beautiful passage in Jeremiah’s Lamentations that I think we must always remember when we are going through trials and afflictions. I would urge you to memorize it as you face a new year: “For men are not cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men” (Lamentations 3:31-33).

Isn’t that encouraging? He does not willingly afflict or grieve the sons of men. He will bring grief because He loves us and we need it, but He does not do it lightly. He feels our pain with us. As a good parent with His children, He hurts worse than we do at times. He does not willingly do it. I think we need to recall that when we are put through times of pressure and danger.

God moves Job’s relatives and friends to bring him gifts of silver and gold. But perhaps these gifts of silver and gold that friends and relatives brought were God’s way of providing a foundation of the wealth that He will bring Job. At any rate, Job ended up with double everything that he had before.

“Well,” you say, “God doubled everything but his sons and daughters. He ended up with seven sons and three daughters, just like he had at the beginning.” No. You forget he has seven sons and three daughters in heaven, and seven sons and three daughters more on earth, so God indeed gave Job double everything that he had to start with. That is the mercy of God. He does not willingly afflict or grieve the sons of men but longs to give them blessing when they come to the place where they can handle the blessing that He wants to give.

Help us to accept Your tender mercies, Lord, and to see behind them Your loving, compassionate heart. Help us, out of our understanding to bring praise to the glory of our great God.

This daily devotion was inspired by one of Ray’s sermons. Please read “The New Begining” (or listen to the audio file  ) for more on this portion of scripture.

-Scott Bailey (c) 2007

-En Gedi: Place of Rest for Men!

En Gedi!:  A Place of Rest For Dads, Husbands, & Men!

  

Hello Gentlemen, I want to welcome you to the En Gedi site.  A place of rest and also a stronghold for God’s mighty men.  This is a blog site that was designed for men, dads, and husbands as a go to for resources, websites, recommended books, encouragement in our daily lives and walk, or to just rest for a moment to concentrate on God’s vastness. 

The two pictures you see above are actual photos taken at En Gedi (Engedi) in the mountain regions of Israel.  En Gedi was a place that David used high in the mountains to rest, hide from his enemy, and hear from God.  This place is surrounded by The Wilderness of Judah to the west, the Dead Sea to the east and barren rocky terrain and then you come upon this seemingly ”oasis” where waterfalls of fresh water flow and greenery abounds with caves carved out in the side of the mountain.  What a place God had made just for David in his time of need.  So, I called this site Engedi as we men need a place to rest, sometimes hide from our enemies, and above all to hear from God.

Have you ever just sat down and gazed off into a sunrise or sunset or listened to the sound of a mighty waterfall?  Take your thoughts from daily life and place them on the God that created the heavens and the earth and praise Him for it.  Here on this blog a number of topics are covered, recommendations made, tips for daily living, messages from a man, dad of 10 kids, and husband’s heart, etc.  I did not want it to be just a site where you will read constant debates over trivial or sometimes deep issues and subjects…life is far too short to waste it debating all the time and they are plenty of blog sites to do that on…of course there is time and place for debating, I have nothing against that, just not on my site.  If you want to debate that is fine, but this site is designed so you can pour yourselves into topics of theological subjects, gather encouragement from life experiences, resources to do your own research, and so on. 

The Bailey Boys…future soldiers for Christ!

  I encourage each person that has stumbled upon this site to read, go to the other links and read, and pass this site along.  You can simply refer it to other as www.DadsDevoted.com and it will bring them right back here.  I encourage each dad to seek out what he really believes in his heart about God and pass that on to your children.  I encourage each husband to dig into the word of God and challenge your wife to do the same….share your findings, questions, and thoughts with her.  Allow your wife the opportunity to listen to something from your heart  that is more than football, cars, and other secular events…these are important areas of life, but our wive’s would like to see a deeper side of us on occassion.  Grow deeper together glorifying God and furthering His kingdom.  For the man that may not have kids or be married yet you can certainly challenge your walk with Christ and feed that desire to know God deeper.  If this blog can do nothing else, I would hope it at least prompts us all to a facination with God, to grow deeper in our walk with Him, and to discover what life really is all about!  

We have readers from all over the world.  Here is where some of the most recent readers are from:  Novaya, Khanty-Mansiy, Russian Federation/ Denton Cheshire, UK/ Gurgaon, Haryana India/ Dublin, Ireland/ Beijing, China/ Leiden, Netherlands/ Victoria, British Columbia, Canada/ Toronto, Ontario Canada/ Riyahl, Ar Riyah Saudi Arabia/ Brazil/ Romania/ Australia/ Singapore/ Manila, Phillipines/ Johannesburg, Gauteny South Africa & Parow, Western Cape South Africa/ Sesimbra, Setubal Portugal/ Dallas-Katy-Frisco-McKinney-Houston-Irving-Prosper, Texas/ States of Florida, Virginia, California, Massachusets, Florida, Iowa, Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Illinois.  Lots of other cities, countries, and states not mentioned, but the readership is International.  Thanks and keep coming back.  We hope you are blessed and God touches your heart in a mighty way. 

  Enjoy the site and I hope you will stay a while, make comments if you wish and by all means start your own blog.  Writing is great therapy!

 Scott Bailey

**I have found En Gedi or Engedi spelled both ways in the Bible depending on what translation.  Some maps show it both ways as well.  Just to let you know that it is still the same place no matter the spelling of the place.

***If you have a wife, lady friend, or woman in your life that could use encouragement please refer them to www.LivingStones4Moms.com.  My wife is a terrific writer and listener to what God conveys through His holy word.

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How to Pray!

by Ray C. Stedman

READ: 1 Timothy 2:8-15

I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing (1 Timothy 2:8).

When Paul says he “want[s] men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer,” he does not mean that only men should pray. In some churches this verse has been understood that way so that only men are permitted to pray in public or to lead the congregation in prayer. But that is not what the apostle means. He is not saying that only men should pray, but that when men pray in every place they should do so in a twofold way–lifting up holy hands and without anger or quarreling in their hearts. Paul’s concern is not who prays here, but how they pray.

The first instruction is that men should “lift up holy hands.” That was the usual posture of prayer, derived largely from the Jewish synagogues, where the Jews prayed while standing with their arms lifted up and led the congregation that way. All Paul is saying is that when men pray that way, there ought to he two things that are characteristic of them.

First, the hands lifted up should be holy. That does not mean that something religious has to be done to them–that they should he sprinkled with holy water or something like that. Rather, this is a figure of speech that means that these men’s actions, symbolized by the hands, should be right actions. These are men who ought to have a record of rightful behavior, who are recognized as honest, whose actions reflect their faith.

Second, their attitudes toward one another must be “without anger or disputing.” Their relationships have to be right. They must not be bitter or resentful against somebody, angry about something that has never been brought into the open or discussed.

When I was growing up as a boy in Montana, we used to have services for a particular denomination only once a month because there was no church of that type in town. Each month when the service was held, you could count on the fact that a lean, tall man would always lead in prayer. His prayer was anywhere from ten to fifteen minutes in length, and almost everyone had fallen asleep by the time he finished. But what made it worse was that he was widely known in the community as the biggest rascal in town. His questionable business practices had turned everybody off, so that his prayer was hypocrisy, and he was despised in that community. What the apostle is saying here in this verse is that when men pray in public, they must live in private what they pray.

Lord, teach me to pray, not just with the right posture but also with the right heart. Forgive me for those times I have gone through the motions of prayer yet harbored bitterness and resentment in my heart.

-Scott Bailey 2007

-From A Dad: Saving the Boys! Proverbs 2:1-11

  To save our boys we need to give them excellent role models to immolate.  Once they are given the proper role models they will then know how to have a good marriage and how to be a good father.  These are the fathers of tomorrow we are raising, guys.  As a dad I need to be a strong biblical role model for them.  My boys need to see me as their dad reading his bible, praying, serious at times, laughing at other times, helping other people, serving, living according to the bible, doing what is right even if it is a hard choice, and so on.  I deal with speed, stops signs, seat belts and red lights all the time when the kids are in the car with me….this is an area I am working on….ha…ha…ha!

“My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.”           -Proverbs 2:1-5 NIV

We as dads have such a short time with these boys.  To bring them up to be strong respectable men.  My oldest son is 14 years old.  He thinks himself to be a man and ready to make manly decisions.  As much as I would like to think he is ready I know he is not.  So, with the 4 years I have left I have alot of training sessions to work on with him.  As his dad I must instruct him in the ways of the Lord even if he does not seem to listen.  I cannot beat it into him, but God’s word must be presented to him every chance God gives me.  I found the other day five goals to saving our boys by Steve Farrar as their father it is my job to model for them the importance of:

*knowing and obeying Jesus Christ

*knowig and displaying godly character

*knowing and love my wife

*knowing and loving my children

*knowing my gifts and abilities, so I can work hard and effectively in an area of strength, rather than weakness and contribute effectively to the lives of others and have a little fun at the same time.

“For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”           -Proverbs 2:6 NIV

If I as these boys dad will be faithful to God’s word and fill my boys up on His word I can rest assured it will not return void when they are adults and have families.  He guards the path of the righteous and protects the trail of those faithful to Him.  Our boys need to hear this often.  We need to remind these boys of God’s divine hand upon their lives and that He is working His plan in their lives.  For most boys now days they never hear that God even cares for them much less that He has a plan for their lives.  Proverbs 2:10 tells us that “wisdom will enter your heart and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.”  It is this “pleasantness in God” that us dads need to desire for our boys to understand and experience.  If they can have a deep loving relationship with Christ early on, they will have a fighting chance as a successful father and husband in their adult years.  Without the Lord in the very center of their being they have no chance.  Success is defined here as raising upstanding kids and staying married to the same gal for all their lives….does not matter about the money, homes, cars, or retirement accounts.  All that matters is that when we enter heaven and our sons and daughters enter heaven God can say of us “Well done my good and faithful servant, enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”  If that is not our goal for ourselves and our kids, then what other goal could we have?

-Scott Bailey (c) 2007

 

-One Dads Encouragement to Single Moms!

        

I have reflected on the single parenting issues and I am constantly reminded in the paper, news, email, Internet and our neighborhood about a third of our homes out there have children raised by brave single moms.  This is not an easy venture to undertake.  Different events have lead these moms to raise their kids while being single.  No matter what the cause of their “singleness” they are still undertaking the role of mom and dad to these children and have been appointed by God to do so.  I do not have to speak from experience to say this is a daunting task.

“The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow…”

-Psalm 146:9 NLT

I have been researching online, books on the fatherless, and the scriptures.  Everyone seems to come up with a cause, but only God’s word speaks of how to cope as a single mother.  In one story we don’t hear much about Jesus’ earthly dad, Joseph, beyond about the time Jesus was 12 years old.  He relied on His heavenly Father from that point on.  This is a great lesson for all of us parents.  It is only by the grace of our heavenly Father that any of our kids turn out good.  For the most part, as parents, we will fail in comparison over and over again.  As hard as we try we will fail as parents many times.  Yet in the end, God’s graciousness shines through and these kids make us proud parents. 

  God has a plan for each of our kids.  These plans were created long before the earth was spoken into existence.  Our kids will be something when they grow up all for the glory of God.  We usually never have an idea until they are about 40 years old as to what that really is…I can say that since I am about to turn 40!  We do know that God has placed these kids with us to help mold and shape their future.  He put these kids into our homes so that we would give them everything we can from what God has created in us to be.  Our experiences are from God.  These experiences can be shared with our kids in order to instruct them.  Now, the plan that God has for our kids could mean that they are raised in a home with both the biological father and mother.  This could mean they are raised in a home with one step-parent and one biological parent.  This could also mean they are raised in a home with only a mom or a dad….otherwise known as the single parent.

 “This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

-Joshua 1:9 NLT

For the single mom, in the beginning I am sure it will be overwhelming to think about raising these kids alone.  The range of emotions that will fill your life at the moment of realizing you are going to raise these kids alone can only be imagined by someone that has experienced the same range of emotions.  TO help cope with this reality would be to find any moment of quietness in your day to just be still…don’t read anything, say anything, don’t have a radio or tv on, just be quiet and clear your mind as best you can to prepare to listen for God’s hope, encouragement, and light.  In this quietness which may only be a minute or two, you may experience His breath upon your head, the fragrance of His spirit being near you, or simply just a calm, but reassuring  silence that He is near.  After a moment of stillness you can begin to meditate or read from the Bible whatever you are studying.  If you do not have a place to start, go to Psalm 1:1 and begin there…you will find peace and inspiration for the road ahead in Psalm.  Try not to move too quickly through the passages.  Chew on every word.  Smell each page as you read.  Imagine with your mind the words that are taking place in each verse.  Meditate on this for a long while.  Now, you are ready to pray to God.  Your prayer may not vocalize as you thought it would, but your heart will be in much better shape to go before your heavenly Father.  You will find a new strength about raising these kids by yourself.  Now, begin to introduce each child to their heavenly Father.  Involve them in reading about the attributes of God.  Help them along to experience and get to know their heavenly Father in a way that most kids do not know God.  I cannot stress enough the need for your kids to know God above all else. 

The kids strength will rely on their belief in God and what they believe about Him.  The kids character will be shaped by what they read about concerning God, what they observe in your life about Him,  what the Bible says about God, how the church you attend worships God, and how they pray to Him.  For kids being raised by single moms the pursuit of holiness is crucial to their purity and security in the future.  Place into their life a confidence in God’s strength not their own strength.  Remember, you do not have to involve them in every event that the schools and churches put on the calendar.  Do not bend to the kids pier’s pressure as to sports, birthday parties, and other events.  If you do not guard this area of your families life it will only further frustrate you in your quest to raise these kids as best you can.  You only do what you can do and not disrupt your family unit.

  The boys will want to play organized football someday.  Please, moms, listen to what I am telling you on this.  LET THEM PLAY FOOTBALL!  Not until they are about 13 years old though….I believe this to be the best age to start a boy playing football.  Yes, they may get hurt.  It’s alright to let them get hurt.  I know that it is a mothers tendency to want to protect your kids and not let them get hurt, but this is a right of passage for a boy.  The scars on their arms and legs become trophies down the road with their friends.  Raise these boys as you would want them to be as young men.  A young man that has never experienced pain and hurt will not step up and protect his family.  They will not step in front of that on coming car to save their girl friend, wife and/or children.  They will not be willing to fight over seas or in the country to protect our freedoms.  They will not want to take any chances that might injure them in the future.  The decisions you make now on this subject will be huge in determining the kind of young man your son(s) will be in the future.  Since about one third of families today are single family homes, then we need moms to be tough in this area.  This is the role a father would take, but since you are the mom and dad, you must put aside the mothering instincts in this area and like a dad would do which is to embrace their yearning to play a rough sport and slap them on the back enthusiastically to say “YES” they can play.  Again, it is important how you tell them they can play as well.

  Another reality about boys is the fact that especially when they are smaller they like dirt, worms, snakes, mice, anything that creeps and crawls upon the ground.  They will fill their pockets with these varmints…please enjoy these moments with a grimly smile…they love to be “earthy”.  This is just how boys are.  Don’t forget that boys like to go fishing.  Either take them or find a man that you trust to take them fishing…this is important.  I refer you to read more on the things Dads want Moms to know about boys article.  Click on About Boys here to go directly to it.  This has some great short quips about boys.  You can also click on Encouragement and read from a mother of 10 children perspective on raising boys…my wife Dana!  

Finally, moms, I want you to know that you are up to this task with God’s strength upon your life.  You may need to pull in grandpa, uncles, brothers, men in the church, neighbors, or whomever you can trust as a man to assist in raising your son(s).  It is great to have a manly figure in your child’s life on occasion.  This can help reinforce your parenting as well.  You are the parent, but it does not hurt to ask for help as God prompts you to do so.  Point these boys to read and study on great men in history.  Point them to great men of today they can read on.  Use videos as well to help these boys establish a mentor role model male.  Some great men I would recommend your boys getting to know are Theodore Roosevelt, George Mueller , Charles Spurgeon, Ronald Reagan , Sir Winston Churchill, Chuck Swindoll, John Piper, Steve Farrar, Tony Evans, Dr. E.V. Hill, and John Wayne .  Books and movies to see are End of the Spear, Tombstone, True Grit, Tucker, Miracle, Seabiscuit, Its A Wonderful Life, and many others that show true masculine heroes and sacrifice.  Your influence on these boys growing into young men will depend on you as a mother not “feminizing” your boys at all.  Treat them different than your girls.  Girls should be feminized, but boys need to be rough, dirty at times, tough, smelly, and anything else that separates them from the girls…the tender moments will come and those are good to.  Books (other than the Bible) for you to read that can give you ideas for your boys and their raising are Standing Tall by Steve Farrar, King Me by Steve Farrar , How to Ruin Your Life by 40 by Steve Farrar , Man to Man by Chuck Swindoll, Talking with My Father by Ray C. Stedman, The Letters of Theodore Roosevelt For His Sons, The Bible Lessons of John Quincy Adams For His Son, What’s the Difference by John Piper, George Mueller on Answered Prayers, and many others.  A great book for you to read along with your younger boys is The Dangerous Book for Boys by Iggulden.  

Moms you have been singled out (no pun intended) by God for a wonderful task.  Your singleness is not by chance or for your destruction.  It is by design that you are single raising these boys.  God has a special adventure for you with these boys.  This adventure called life will be one of the most rewarding times in your life if you will embrace this challenge head on.  God is now in the role as the true Father of these kids…make sure they are brought up understanding this.  Point them to His sacrifices, His plan for them, His fresh mercies each day, His unfailing love for them, His creation in everything they can see and hear, and point them to His word in the Bible.  Keep plugging on…it will not be easy, but you can raise godly sons that will glorify God.

Look for resources online to help you through these years as a single parent.

-Scott Bailey (c) 2007

-Spurgeon: Recovering a Bold Vision for Biblical Preaching by Al Mohler Jr.

From a Dying Man to Dying Men — Recovering a Bold Vision for Biblical Preaching

Posted: Friday, October 12, 2007 at 4:01 am ET

And how will they hear without a preacher?  Romans 10:14

Is preaching still central to Christian worship? This question is asked again and again as contemporary evangelicalism is observed. How can this be up for question?

In some circles, preaching has fallen on hard times. An open debate is now being waged over the character and centrality of preaching in the church. At stake is nothing less than the integrity of Christian worship and proclamation.

How did this happen? Given the central place of preaching in the New Testament church, it would seem that the priority of biblical preaching should be uncontested. After all, as John A. Broadus–one of Southern Seminary’s founding faculty–famously remarked, “Preaching is characteristic of Christianity. No other religion has made the regular and frequent assembling of groups of people, to hear religious instruction and exhortation, an integral part of Christian worship.”

Yet, numerous influential voices within evangelicalism suggest that the age of the expository sermon is now past. In its place, some contemporary preachers now substitute messages intentionally designed to reach secular or superficial congregations–messages which avoid preaching a biblical text, and thus avoid a potentially embarrassing confrontation with biblical truth.

A subtle shift visible at the onset of the twentieth century has become a great divide as the century ends. The shift from expository preaching to more topical and human-centered approaches has grown into a debate over the place of Scripture in preaching, and the nature of preaching itself.

Two famous statements about preaching illustrate this growing divide. Reflecting poetically on the urgency and centrality of preaching, the Puritan pastor Richard Baxter once remarked, “I preach as never sure to preach again, and as a dying man to dying men.” With vivid expression and a sense of gospel gravity, Baxter understood that preaching is literally a life or death affair. Eternity hangs in the balance as the preacher proclaims the Word.

Contrast that statement to the words of Harry Emerson Fosdick, perhaps the most famous (or infamous) preacher of this century’s early decades. Fosdick, pastor of the Riverside Church in New York City, provides an instructive contrast to the venerable Baxter. “Preaching,” he explained, “is personal counseling on a group basis.”

These two statements about preaching reveal the contours of the contemporary debate. For Baxter, the promise of heaven and the horrors of hell frame the preacher’s consuming burden. For Fosdick, the preacher is a kindly counselor offering helpful advice and encouragement.

The current debate over preaching is most commonly explained as an argument about the focus and shape of the sermon. Should the preacher seek to preach a biblical text through an expository sermon? Or, should the preacher direct the sermon to the “felt needs” and perceived concerns of the hearers?

Clearly, many evangelicals now favor the second approach. Urged on by devotees of “needs-based preaching,” many evangelicals have abandoned the text without recognizing that they have done so. These preachers may eventually get to the text in the course of the sermon, but the text does not set the agenda or establish the shape of the message.

Focusing on so-called “perceived needs” and allowing these needs to set the preaching agenda inevitably leads to a loss of biblical authority and biblical content in the sermon. Yet, this pattern is increasingly the norm in many evangelical pulpits. Fosdick must be smiling from the grave.

Earlier evangelicals recognized Fosdick’s approach as a rejection of biblical preaching. An out-of-the-closet theological liberal, Fosdick paraded his rejection of biblical inspiration, inerrancy, and infallibility–and rejected other doctrines central to the Christian faith. Enamored with trends in psychological theory, Fosdick became liberal Protestantism’s happy pulpit therapist. The goal of his preaching was well captured by the title of one of his many books, On Being a Real Person.

Shockingly, this is now the approach evident in many evangelical pulpits. The sacred desk has become an advice center and the pew has become the therapist’s couch. Psychological and practical concerns have displaced theological exegesis and the preacher directs his sermon to the congregation’s perceived needs.

The problem is, of course, that the sinner does not know what his most urgent need is. She is blind to her need for redemption and reconciliation with God, and focuses on potentially real but temporal needs such as personal fulfillment, financial security, family peace, and career advancement. Too many sermons settle for answering these expressed needs and concerns, and fail to proclaim the Word of Truth.

Without doubt, few preachers following this popular trend intend to depart from the Bible. But under the guise of an intention to reach modern secular men and women “where they are,” the sermon has been transformed into a success seminar. Some verses of Scripture may be added to the mix, but for a sermon to be genuinely biblical, the text must set the agenda as the foundation of the message–not as an authority cited for spiritual footnoting.

Charles Spurgeon confronted the very same pattern of wavering pulpits in his own day. Some of the most fashionable and well-attended London churches featured pulpiteers who were the precursors to modern needs-based preachers. Spurgeon–who managed to draw a few hearers despite his insistence on biblical preaching–confessed that “The true ambassador for Christ feels that he himself stands before God and has to deal with souls in God’s stead as God’s servant, and stands in a solemn place–a place in which unfaithfulness is inhumanity to man as well as treason to God.”

Spurgeon and Baxter understood the dangerous mandate of the preacher, and were therefore driven to the Bible as their only authority and message. They left their pulpits trembling with urgent concern for the souls of their hearers and fully aware of their accountability to God for preaching His Word, and His Word alone. Their sermons were measured by power; Fosdick’s by popularity.

The current debate over preaching may well shake congregations, denominations, and the evangelical movement. But know this: The recovery and renewal of the church in this generation will come only when from pulpit to pulpit the herald preaches as never sure to preach again, and as a dying man to dying men.

This was from Al Mohler Jr. blog site.  He is a renowned radio personality on the Salem Radio Network and the ninth President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.  You can visit his site at www.AlbertMohler.com for more of his topics, commentaries, and discussions. 

 -Scott Bailey 2007

-Is Christianity A Turnoff to You…Part One?

My guess is that the majority of folks would answer “Yes” to this question.  This was not Christ intentions in the beginning at all.  Nor was it the Apostles goal either.  For people to be turned off by Christianity is not a great success.  So, let’s explore for a moment what authentic or true Christianity should be in part one.

As 2 Corinthians 2:14 tells us:

“Thanks be to God, Who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.”

Ray Stedman has said in his classic bestselling book, Authentic Christianity,

“One unmistakable evidence of radical Christianity is a spirit of thankfulness, even amid trial and difficulty.  It is a kind of unquenchable optimism.”

If we are authentic in our Christian life a few characteristics are visible to people.

•1.     Belief in God’s full sovereign control of all things, His unfailing grace, and constant love for His people.

•2.     The kind of optimism Ray describes is rooted in reality not fantasy or dreams.

•3.     Authentic Christianity can feel every pain, every hurt, every poke and realize that we do not find it fun at all or easy to experience.

•4.     The real Christian, however, can see through all this pain and turmoil to a more gloriously final result.  A true Christian is able to visualize what this pain is accomplishing in us.  It is all for God’s greater glory.

•5.     It exudes a tremendous amount of confidence in our Lord to the point that one can be thankful to Him even in the midst of turmoil and pain that feels as though our insides will explode.  A real Christian understands that nothing happens to us by chance or accident.  God is in full control of it all and has a purpose for the pain and turmoil.

A record of such confidence is in Acts 16 where Paul and Silas are imprisoned, bound by chains.  Their backs ripped apart from a beating and bruises swell into knots on their heads and limbs.  As they sat in the dark smelly cold jail cell they broke out into a worshipful song.  They are praising their God for this opportunity to suffer for Him.  Out of the darkness and quiet of the night something amazing happens.  This amazing turn of events was not known by these two men as they broke out in song, but their confidence was upheld by a massive earthquake that tore down walls, opened their cell door and loosened their chains.  How many Christians today would see being chained, flogged and in jail something to worship about?  How many could truthfully rejoice about an earthquake that rocks their home or family?  Real joy must have filled their hearts at the moment they realized they were safe and free. 

One thing we can conclude from this is that Christianity has changed over the years to look more like an unfaithful, non-trusting, scarred, stale, mundane, lifeless, and weak institution of a religion that seemingly offers nothing for a non-believer or the world at large.  The worlds view of our God is by what they see in our lives.

As Ray Stedman has poetically put it, “…the most subtle stratagem ever devised by satan to deceive and mislead people is that of causing genuine Christians to practice a sham Christianity before the world.”

 Christ example would be a group of people filled with real love and joy even in the midst of troubles.  This does not mean “dumbing” down the truth of God’s word or going against any biblical truth.  But if people cannot see an authentic love from us for them our Christianity means nothing. An authentic love that does not look at their outward actions, appearance, or words, but shows loving eyes that peers deep into their heart and deep into their inward responses.  Let God be the judge of their sins and our sins and allow Christ to love them through us.  Remember the only real distinction between a non-believer and a believer is that we have Christ.  We are not any better or worse.  We can point them in the right direction and can have a great influence on them, but not unless we are able to get them to listen to us.  How will they listen to us you might say….by shutting our mouths and listening to them first.  They need to see our actions from our heart as genuine and real.  Wrathful, hatefield words from us is not attractive.  It will not open their hearts in order to receive the truth of God’s holy word.  Our political conscience should not get in the way of the love we should have for them or how we respond to those that do not know Christ.  Put the judgmental, high toned, prideful speech aside.   We need to look no further than Jesus Himself to see what we as Christians are to look like. 

“…move beyond religion, beyond doctrines, beyond rules, beyond rituals, and into that life-changing experience of being intimately connected with Christ at the very core of your being-for that is authentic Christianity!”

–Ray C. Stedman

–Scott Bailey 2007 ©