Lies Lies Lies YEAH!!!

7 Oct

Not that I am in favor of lies … in fact, quite the opposite.  That is just the catchy title from a Thompson Twins song from a lifetime ago …  But the topic is very relevant, and has been rolling around in my head for a while.

Like many of you, I really don’t like it when someone chooses to lie to me.  When we lie, we are usually doing it to “protect” ourselves in some way:  Maybe to make us look better in the eyes of others; maybe to cover up other lies or inappropriate things we’ve said or done;  sometimes we just do it to do it.  A lifetime ago I knew a guy who was about 5’3″ when he would tell us “I could dunk a basketball if I had my jumping shoes on.”  Hmmmmmm ……..

God said in the Ten Commandments that it is WRONG FOR US TO LIE.  Period.  Last night in a couple of Psalms we read in Bible study, David used the illustration of those who dig holes eventually seeing the holes cave in on themselves.  That the EXACT result of lies.

Self-Centered

6 Oct

Are YOU self-centered??  Does the world revolve around you (or, at least, do you expect it to)???  Is life all about your happiness and fulfillment, regardless of what it does to those around you??

If so, there are several facts of which you need to be aware:

1.  Your friends have picked up on this.  And, whether or not they are brave enough to say it, they don’t like it.

2.  You are probably hurting far more people than you know.

3.  If you are worshiping yourself, you probably are violating that commandment God gave that said “Have no other gods before Me.”  (That is in the first recorded top-ten list in Exodus 20)

4.  If you are following yourself, let’s face it, that really does mean you worship at the altar of an imperfect “god.”

5.  Since you are imperfect, you cannot possibly have a plan for your life as perfect as the one God has for you.

6.  Rest assured that one day you WILL stand before the judgment seat of Christ, just as all of us will, and answer for how you’ve lived your life.

The good news is there IS a solution to this and it’s NOT too late!!!  YOU can live for GOD starting RIGHT NOW!!!  YOU can make this choice EVERYDAY!  YOU can shift your “center,” your focus, to GOD!!!

Make the right choice!

Finding the Sweet Spot

5 Oct

There is NO FEELING like hitting a ball with the sweet spot of the bat.  It just seems to jump right off the bat, fly farther, and you barely even feel it!!  IT’S AWESOME!!

What if we lived our lives for Christ the same way?  What if we sought to find the sweet spot in our giftset and USE THEM for Him??  THE SAME FEELING OCCURS!!!  AND IT IS GREAT!!!

That is one of our goals in deacon ministry this year … finding the sweet spot in our gift set AND USING IT!!  Finding the areas where God gifted us and using them to the fullest!!  What if the entire church decided to serve that way??

It takes discipline … it takes LISTENING to the Holy Spirit … it takes FOLLOWING THROUGH … FINISHING … RUNNING THE RACE WELL.  You know, all of the things Paul wrote about often.  Paul believed in the sweet spot …  He found his and look what God did with him!!!

Focus on the positive today and find your sweet spot!!

Choices

4 Oct

We all make them … Everyday.  And we are EACH RESPONSIBLE for our own choices.

Sometimes I really get tired of folks who don’t want to take responsibility for their choices.  They blame everyone else all over the world for their mistakes and bad moves.  Even parents believe their children could never go wrong … WOW!  There must be something in the water!!!  I don’t know about you, but I do know my children are as imperfect as I am.  (GASP!!!  NEITHER THE PASTOR NOR HIS CHILDREN ARE PERFECT?????)

Truth is, we will ALL stand before God one day and each of us will be judged.  EVERY ONE OF US will be held accountable for the things we’ve said and done on this earth.  That, my friends, is where our choices will come back to roost.

Why not seek God and ask HIM for help with our choices everyday??

You KNOW you watch too much TV when …

3 Oct

~ you’ve removed the power button from the remote.

~ you know the names of the top 10 lawn bowlers.

– you recite the lines word for word with the actors on TV Land.

~ you start recording soap operas so you don’t miss any of the plot.

~ your kids grow up thinking the only thing you can say is “shh, be quiet!”

~ you don’t think Bart Simpson is bad, just misunderstood.

~ commercials become more important than going to the bathroom.

~ you start recognizing extras in movies.

~ you continue to watch TV when the cable goes out.

~ you enjoy other climates by watching the snow on TV.

~ you send fan mail to cartoon characters.

~ your monthly cable/satellite bill is larger than your house payment.

~ you send fan mail to infomercial stars.

today’sTHOT============================

Anyone who says “Easy as taking candy from a baby” has never tried it.

 

(This was recently posted by http://www.mikeysfunnies.com)

Is there anything funny about growing old??

28 Sep

(Today’s post from http://www.mikeysfunnies.com)

You know you’re growing old when…

~ You’ve come to the annoying realization that your parents were right about almost everything.

~ The bag boy volunteers to help load groceries into your car-in the “ten items or less” lane.

~ You’ve stopped supporting your children and started supporting your parents.

~ You buy “age-defying” makeup and “anti-wrinkle” creams and believe they work.

~ You’ve realized that all those geeky people in Bermuda shorts walking around Disney World include you.

~ You’ve had three opportunities to buy every single Disney Animated Classic … “for the last time in a generation”

today’sTHOT============================

My short-term memory is not as sharp as it used to be. Also, my short-term memory’s not as sharp as it used to be.

Knowing God’s Will

27 Sep

Many people who are MUCH SMARTER in THEOLOGICAL realms have written many books, papers, and articles about knowing God’s will for our lives.  So why tackle this on a rainy Monday morning in the FloSC??  Because IT’S MY TURN!!  We touched a little on this yesterday in worship and I want to deal with it a little more today …

In Jeremiah 29, God assured the Children of Israel He WOULD bring them back from captivity in Babylon.  Even though life seemed hopeless, there was still hope for them!!

In verses 11-13, God said these words:  “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

I believe these words hold true to us as well!!  Even though this was specifically directed to these in captivity, God’s nature rings through loud and clear in this passage:  He has a plan for YOU!!  A GOOD PLAN!!  God desires that you KNOW HOPE and KNOW that He has plans for YOUR FUTURE!!

The discovery of this plan can be as much of a journey as YOU desire it to be … In Pee Dee-speak, you can really BOG DOWN IN THE MUD on this one if you are not careful!!  Finding God’s will for your life is not as difficult as you might imagine!  Sure, there are times when we need a specific answer and God requires us to wait … His timing is ALWAYS PERFECT!

But Jesus gave us a very specific starting place with this, which you will find in Matthew 28 and in Acts 1.  We are called to be IMPERFECT VESSELS carrying the GOOD NEWS of JESUS CHRIST to all the world!!!  We are called to GO MAKE DISCIPLES, to BAPTIZE THEM, TO TEACH THEM EVERYTHING HE HAS TAUGHT US.  And we go with HIS POWER and HIS PRESENCE to do it!!

When it comes to specifics of God’s will for our lives, the real question is HOW does He want me to share and WHERE does He want me to share??  Everything else is pretty clear!

Before I get a million contradictory comments, YES, I KNOW GOD CALLS EACH OF US TO SPECIFIC ROLES AND GIFTS IN THE KINGDOM!!  But you have to admit that it all BEGINS with the GREAT COMMISSION!!

The GC is the first step to knowing God’s specific will for your life!!  Until you take that step and begin to tell others, you will be bogged down in the mud!!

Pulling together

23 Sep

I am thankful … Thankful to see God’s people pulling together!!  God’s kingdom, working together to build HIS name, not ours!!

This week, I’ve seen this in two powerful ways.  The first was a luncheon I attended yesterday for the Florence School District One Faith Based Initiative.  I was gathered with other pastors and school administrators all across our school district as we discussed ways for our churches to make a difference.  I have much respect for Dr. Brooks as an educator and a Godly man … we are fortunate to have him at the helm right now.  I am encouraged as I see God at work and churches bridging gaps to make a difference.  I look forward to the work EBC will do at Sneed and at Royall.

Another powerful way I see this is in the testimonies of God’s power at work in the lives of EBC members.  PLEASE KEEP SHARING WITH ME!!!  I LOVE IT and it fuels me to press on!  God is doing so much in the lives of EBC folks and when I see Him at work, it really does infuse a shot of much needed power in me!!

On the tv show “The A-Team,” one of my favorite parts of the show was always at the end when Hannibal would light his cigar and say “I love it when a plan comes together.”  Today I am starting to know what that feels like!!!!  (Quick … somebody get me a cigar!)

Staff Solution

21 Sep

From time to time there are small complaints about our church staff. In an effort to appease everyone, we are firing our entire ministry staff and replacing them with the Ernest_AngleBot 3.0, designed by Robbie Roof and Paul D. Frazier.  We are thankful that the firmware was totally donated by ACS Technologies of Florence, provided Ernest wear an ACS polo shirt autographed by the one and only L. Dean Lisenby.

The AngleBot 3.0 will be equipped with 4G data and full cellular coverage. Will always be available for phone or video consultations. An internal fuse will prevent Ernest from preaching over 22.5 minutes. Multiple Bluetooth connections will allow Ernest to broadcast every type of worship music for the discerning listener. His holographic function will allow him to serve sanctuary, youth, and children’s worship simultaneously. He is the ultimate organizer and doesn’t need volunteers to serve, because he does everything!! No more need for an offering or fundraising … The AngleBot 3.0 is equipped with the latest and greatest printing technology, enabling him to print any needed funds!!

And the best part is he doesn’t even require a salary!! Just plug him into the wall and give him a quart of your finest synthetic oil once a month!!’

Ahhh, the joys of technology!

A Turning Point??

20 Sep

Yesterday was a tough day for me at Ebenezer.  It’s never easy to take a message like that into the pulpit.  But deep down in my heart I KNOW it was the right thing to do!!

If you want to go check it out, hit this link: http://www.truthcasting.com/player.aspx#showChannel=100000030

My prayer is this will be a turning point in our hearts and lives.  A time when we realize that WORSHIP REALLY IS NOT ALL ABOUT US, OUR LIKES, OUR WANTS, OUR COMFORT, OUR CONVENIENCE.  WORSHIP IS ALL ABOUT GOD!!!  So, why don’t we concern ourselves with HIS WANTS???

Seriously … And Jesus Himself TOLD US what God expects:  TRUE WORSHIP happens when we worship Him in spirit and in truth.  When we love Him with all of our hearts, minds, bodies, souls, and all of our strength.  When we love each other MORE than we love ourselves.  When we stop judging each other … Wait, when we stop doing ALL OF THE THINGS that are God’s job!! When we allow Him to be God and we accept that we are His people!!!

I could go on and on, but I hope you get it by now!  We’ve got to get back to all of this being ABOUT HIM and NOT ABOUT US!  We need to WAKE UP and REALIZE that we cannot do this on our own … WE NEED GOD!!  When we start trusting Him THAT WAY, things will start happening for the Kingdom of God that we cannot explain except to KNOW that it is GOD!!

So … is this a turning point?

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