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Friday, August 31, 2007

Friday Fun: Does Your Cell Have Crime Deterrent?

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posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 8/31/2007 08:41:00 AM 0 comments links to this post |  

Thursday, August 30, 2007

I Love Coffee. Don't You?


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posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 8/30/2007 07:12:00 PM 0 comments links to this post |  

Truth Stranger Than Fiction.

You just can't make this stuff up: Mrs. Tennessee Bitten by Rattlesnake...Saved By Mrs. Idaho.

Go figure.

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posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 8/30/2007 02:04:00 PM 0 comments links to this post |  

Dean: What Do You Believe, and Why?

I haven't specifically written on worldview issues in a while, but I do want to commend an article to you by Dr. Paul Dean. Here is an excerpt:
What do you believe and why do you believe it? Such a question is basic to our very existence and all people must answer it in some way whether consciously or unconsciously. To answer the question unconsciously is both to answer it and to ignore it at the same time. To ignore the question is to answer it along these lines, "I only believe what I feel like believing at any given moment." In other words, this individual has no coherent philosophical grid by which he approaches life in general except that he acts merely upon circumstantial feelings. This individual will live with philosophical inconsistencies and contradictions within his own mind without really caring or perhaps even knowing such to be the case.
I encourage you to read this article in its entirety here.

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posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 8/30/2007 09:59:00 AM 0 comments links to this post |  

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Bang, bang, bang! Man, have I got a headache.

Do you ever have those days where things seem to be going so well...life is on cruise control and it seems like the engines are firing on all pistons when all of a sudden you feel like that same engine just threw a rod? That was today.

I'm amazed at how quickly discouragements can come and from the most unlikely places. I'd rather not go into details except to say that I found myself really mad today...at myself, primarily. I allowed something that should have been so trivial to totally trainwreck my day to the point that I feel like it negatively affected my teaching tonight and continues on to this moment. I'm hoping that spitting it out here will be therapuetic. So you may want to click away at this point.

Actually, I've noticed that the times those kinds of discouragements happen tend to be on days I have to teach. Hmmm. Even more interestingly is that they happen right when things at church are going well and we feel as though we're getting some good momentum going. One word is said and, psssssssst, the air is let out of my balloon and I feel the weight of the world on my shoulders...or so it seems.

Scripture says that we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against evil forces in heavenly places. I know that to be very true, but it's often difficult to separate the source from the "messenger" (or should I say carrier, like the host that carries a germ from one location to another). I find myself developing hard feelings which come so quickly and so intensely that it is difficult to sort it out before they become deep-seeded. It seems at those moments when I need to pray most fervently are the most difficult times to do it. I just want to stew. Am I alone in that? Probably not.

Actually, this whole issue isn't really that earth-shattering and tomorrow will probably bring a much better perspective (I hope!). It's just that sometime when you feel you're running up against a brick wall, you strangely feel the urge to stand there and bang your head up against it awhile. You ever feel that way?


Uh.....yeah...me, neither.

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posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 8/29/2007 10:03:00 PM 3 comments links to this post |  

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

A Fresh Brew: Burning Bright or Burning Out?

Every so often, I may write something here I'm calling A Fresh Brew (just because it's just so catchy with the whole coffee theme thing). Really, it is nothing more than a devotional thought or reflection God has used to minister to me and that may be an encouragement to you, too. At least, that is my hope.

Over the past months that I have been at Memorial, I have paid special attention to various churches and ministries around the country. It has been my task to re-design the ministry here in order to more effectively carry out the mission that God has given us and so I have looked at others who seem to be effective and those that do not. I am certainly not interested in mimicking them, but rather in learning from their successes as well as their mistakes. What is interesting is to see that some of the "successes" really may not be successes when looked at in the proper light.

It is certainly no secret that big numbers do not necessarily equate real growth. As a matter of fact, it is often the big numbers that make real growth very difficult. When one looks closely at some of the larger churches, there is often the absence of real depth of discipleship. Certainly that is getting better as larger churches are getting a handle on this through small group life and such, but the problems is still very real.

I think part of the problem is in the type of thinking that anything that leads to numeric growth is acceptable, as though the end really does justify the means. I'm speaking of practices such as paying people to attend (as I've really heard of churches that have done that), to employing whatever the latest church-growth fad is at the time, to offering the biggest song and dance number for the purposes of entertainment, to what I consider the worst of all: removing all references to sin and death, sacrifice and commitment, to the point that the Gospel is no longer the Gospel in order to keep from offending prospective members (which a very prominent church in the southwest openly confesses to). All of these practices and hundreds more like them can lead to "church growth." If, though, at the end of the day, there really is no Church, what's the point?

It really does make a difference what we do and how we do it. It is imperative that church leaders, in particular, and all of the members, in general, cleanse ourselves before the Lord and seek the guidance of our Senior Pastor...Jesus, Himself.

In speaking of our methods and motives, I was challenged just this morning by Charles Spurgeon's devotional thought related to a single phrase in what seems an insignificant passage in Exodus. God is telling Moses in chapter 25 to have the people give a contribution to Him. One of the things that is specified to be given is "oil for the lamps." Spurgeon points out not only the importance of having lamps filled with oil, which he speaks of, allegorically, as being the indwelling Holy Spirit, but what kind of oil.

Now, I know I have just said that the Holy Spirit is the oil, so what could be meant by the kind of oil? Are there different types of Holy Spirit? Of course not, but there are many different things that can replace the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Look at what he says here:
It was not every oil that might be used in the Lord's service; neither the petroleum which exudes so plentifully from the earth, nor the produce of fishes, nor that extracted from nuts would be accepted; one oil only was selected, and that the best olive oil. Pretended grace from natural goodness, fancied grace from priestly hands, or imaginary grace from outward ceremonies will never serve the true saint of God; he knows that the Lord would not be pleased with rivers of such oil. He goes to the olive-press of Gethsemane, and draws his supplies from him who was crushed therein. The oil of gospel grace is pure and free from lees and dregs, and hence the light which is fed thereon is clear and bright. Our churches are the Saviour's golden candelabra, and if they are to be lights in this dark world, they must have much holy oil.
A focus on personal holiness (being set apart from the "sin that so easily ensnares us" - Hebrews 12:1) is often found lacking in church leadership and church members, at large, in my opinion. I know in my life, I am much too tolerant of my own sin nature than is appropriate for one who has been given so much. Let me be careful here to say that working harder to achieve some level of perfection or acceptance is nowhere on the radar of what I'm speaking of. I'm talking here about absolute daily surrender to the in-workings of the Holy Spirit so that I will be made holy by Him, thereby giving me the proper perspectives, motivations, and tools I need to lead the church and my family and then, and only then, be pleasing to Christ.

We have to ask ourselves the question of what kind of oil we're using in order to try and please Christ. Anything short of Christ, Himself, may burn brightly for a time, but it will burn dirty until it eventually runs out, ruining the very lamp it was supposed to provide energy and light for.

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posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 8/28/2007 09:45:00 AM 0 comments links to this post |  

Fillmore: Education in America



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posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 8/28/2007 07:11:00 AM 0 comments links to this post |  

Monday, August 27, 2007

Is It Cool To Call God 'Allah'?

I don't know if you read the story a couple of weeks ago or not, but there is a Catholic Bishop who thinks that all Christians should adopt the term "Allah" in referring to God. His argument is that it would serve to build relationships among Muslims which he says would be a good thing, especially since God doesn't concern Himself with such petty things like what He is called. Is this true? Does God not care? Is calling God "Allah" just another way of saying the same thing? Does calling God "Allah" not bring harm to orthodox Christianity?

When I read this I was deeply troubled by the implications of the statement made by this bishop. It was a topic on which I was going to write, arguing that it matters greatly what God is called, especially the term "Allah." However, I kept putting it off and, as it turns out, Dr. Albert Mohler has covered the subject extensively and more thoroughly than I would have been able to.

Especially if you have read the above synopsis and aren't clear what the big deal is, I would highly encourage you to read this post by Dr. Mohler.

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posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 8/27/2007 02:07:00 PM 0 comments links to this post |  

Friday, August 24, 2007

Friday Fun: Want to Fall in Style? Here´s Your Model.


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posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 8/24/2007 11:09:00 AM 0 comments links to this post |  

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Espresso Retro: A Post About Fatherhood in the U.S.A.

Every now and again, posts from the past will resurface here that I think were important when they were written and believe they're still relevent. I hope you enjoy them. The first retro post is from August 19, 2005:

Father Knows Best: This Ain't the 50's Anymore

The American father continues to be the target of attacks, making him appear and to be perceived as completely inept and out-of-touch. It can be argued (successfully, I believe) that males, in general, have been under attack for some time. Certainly, we do live in a male-bashing society, but the entertainment industry's portrayals of fathers continues to erode the standing that fathers have in their children's lives, thereby eroding the foundation upon which families should be established.

Take Fox Entertainment as a good case in point. 7-10 PM on Sunday night is Fox's father-bashing prime-time starting with "Malcom in the Middle" in which Malcom's says of his dad, "My father is always thinking about something. We just have no idea what it is. At least it keeps him busy." Following that family show is "King of the Hill." This is, arguably, the show that offers the most positive portrayal of fatherhood (as far as it goes) as Bobby claims his Dad is his hero. Nevertheless, I don't think this show will win any awards for it's positive example of home life.

Next up is "The Simpsons" (Do I really need to comment on Homer Simpson?) followed by a full hour of "The Family Guy" which is anything but. Finally, rounding off the evening is "American Dad."

These shows illustrate clearly the fact that fatherhood is continuously being devalued in the eye of the American public, which I believe is being played out in society in a number of ways including the idea that fathers are expendable in a family. Whether it be voluntary single motherhood (take a look at the number of Hollywood starlets that have either adopted solo or have enlisted men to "stud" their children), or dual "mommies," fathers have gotten such a bad rap in society that it is often difficult for even good fathers of teen-agers to get the respect they deserve and have the influence their kids so badly need.

It's time fathers stand up and take back the ground that has been stolen from us, not by demanding "men's rights," but by lovingly being the examples our kids need; by taking responsibility in our communities to demonstrate what it means to be a responsible, loving father and husband, and to make sure we don't silently and sub-consciously buy into the male-bashing mentality. Sure, the jokes about dead-beat dads can be funny, but in the end, our families will learn that the joke was on all of us.

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posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 8/23/2007 06:48:00 AM 0 comments links to this post |  

What a Game! Rangers Destroy Orioles

Get a look at this scoreboard...and it's no mistake.


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posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 8/23/2007 06:39:00 AM 2 comments links to this post |  

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Sanctification: What a Dirty Little Word

I haven't written here in quite some time, so there may not be anybody left who will take the time to read this, but I'm going to write anyway. As a matter of fact, things have been so busy and overwhelming that I really needed to step away and rest and evaluate.

Well, I'm back and still not certain what is going here at the ol' blog, but I'm not ready to throw the towel yet and may even expand it. We'll see. Either way, if I continue there will be different emphases. As a pastor, I would like to develop something here that could be a benefit to those with whom I serve at MBC. Beyond that, I'd love to be an encouragement to those who have, for some reason, continued stopping by on a regular basis for the last few years. All that to say you may see some changes here...hopefully for the better.

I picked up my old copy of Oswald Chambers' My Utmost For His Highest this morning and looked up the entry for today. It concluded with an eye-catching statement:
Am I prepared to let God grip me by His power and do a work in me that is worthy of Himself? Sanctification is not my idea of what I want God to do for me; sanctification is God's idea of what He wants to do for me, and He has to get me into the attitude of mind and spirit where at any cost I will let Him sanctify me wholly.
Let me repeat one phrase there for emphasis: "Sanctification is not my idea of what I want God to do for me; sanctification is God's idea of what He wants to do for me."

In other words, sanctification is the process of God doing in me whatever it takes to make me look more like Jesus. Sounds good, doesn't it? I mean, I want to look, act, and think more like Jesus. But let's think about that a minute and break that down into what it really looks like; what it really means. In reality, sanctification can be a really painful process where my sinful ways are put to death in order that the life of Christ can become manifest in me. Even that may not sound too bad. But then I must ask the question, how does it happen?

When my son misbehaves, it is my job to help him work out that bad behavior and, more importantly, the attitude which led to the behavior, and into a mindset that is repentant and desiring to do and be better. How does that happen? Discipline. That could be read punishment. What a dirty little word that is. So I punish my son in order to teach him that what he did was wrong. My son cries...often very loudly and prolonged...because he doesn't like it (his punishment usually involves nice, long runs on a treadmill. I figure I might as well build his body while I'm breaking his attitude!). Quickly, though, it becomes fatiguing and painful and he doesn't like it. You know what, though? It works. He eventually gets to the point of brokenness and with that comes a change in attitude and a desire to make things right. It can be a very beautiful thing to see happen.

The bottom line is that sanctification is often very painful and most certainly no fun. Yet, the writer of Hebrews reveals to us this truth in chapter 12 (as Chambers points out):

“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him.
For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”

It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Man, be encouraged today. If you are a Christ-follower and, therefore, a child of God and are going through some tough stuff, be encouraged that God will not leave you alone to your own devices for very long. Perhaps He'll let you dine with the swine for awhile until you realize your own condition of rebellion. In the end, though, He'll give you a good spanking (which will hurt!) and bring you back in line with His will.

Sanctification might be a dirty little word when we think of the pain it inflicts on our lives, but it is a beautiful doctrine when we think of the grace being shown us and the joy that will come as we look more and more like Jesus.

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posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 8/14/2007 10:15:00 AM 3 comments links to this post |  

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