The Monster That We Have Created

"I will build My church, and the gates of Hell 
shall not prevail against it."
Matthew 16:18b

In the classic novel written by Mary Shelley, Victor Frankenstein decided that his ultimate purpose was to recreate life following the horrible sting of death. He assembled a corpse and subsequently brought his creation back across the abyss of eternity. He discovered, however, that what he had done was to create what he called a “fiend;” a “demon;” a “monster.” In the remaining years of his life, Dr. Frankenstein worked to destroy the beast that he had so foolishly and wickedly created.

Jesus was enjoying an intimate conversation with His disciples as they traveled to the tourist area of Caesarea Philippi. They were discussing the religious talk of that day and what others were saying of Him. Listening carefully to His men, He eventually asked them the big question: “But who do you say that I am?” The heart of Peter, that rugged fisherman that we all love and many of us can identify with, was supernaturally moved to answer: “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” he boldly proclaimed.

“Oh, friend, you did not come up with that answer on your own,” Jesus replied (my translation), “that kind of response is a word from my Father in Heaven.”

The following statements from the lips of Jesus are those that everyone in ministry should know and love. He spoke of this great confession from Peter as being our foundation for biblical power. He certainly was not naming Simon Peter as the first Pope, nor was He establishing some order of apostolic authority. Jesus was simply saying that the great truth of who He was and is, gives us the empowerment to conquer spiritual enemies in His mighty name. And within this dialogue concerning our possessing authority, Jesus said, “I will build My church.” Thank God that He did not say Peter would build His church. And praise His wonderful name that He did not say that you and I would shoulder the responsibility of building His church. With boldlness and clarity, and without any type of elaborate explanation, he said, “I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH!”

Have it Your Way

  

Over the years, I have become increasingly burdened with the mindset of church leaders that disregard this teaching of Christ. As a result, they labor tirelessly in a vain effort to see their churches grow. When I was in seminary in the early 1990's, church growth was the hot topic on campus, in conferences, and at our annual conventions. This emphasis became so dominant among evangelicals, that a polluted form of humanistic reasoning slowly entered the recesses of our conservative decision-making and now dominates much of what we do at the local church level. And what is this polluted form of humanistic reasoning? Pragmatism.

Now, you might be asking: “What is pragmatism?” It is the philosophy that believes the end justifies the means. In other words, whatever your particular goal is in life, anything and everything is considered acceptable behavior in the pursuit of accomplishing that stated goal. Taken in context of church work, specifically within the emphasis of numerical growth, pragmatism allows us to embrace questionable methods and ministry ideas, all in the name of reaching our target audience and successfully achieving our set goals.

This philosophy introduces the Burger King mentality into the body of Christ, which entices church attendees to come and have it their way. You remember the little jingle, don't you? "Hold the pickle, hold the lettuce; special orders don't upset us, all we ask is that you let us serve it your way!" In order to be successful, churches today build interest by pampering to the fleshly demands of carnal members. Entertainment is often the primary focus, not true biblical worship. Key words like atonement, and phrases like the blood of Christ are purposely ignored. After all, such terminology is considered old-fashioned, divisive, and unimportant to the modern thinker. With entertainment and fresh methodology driving the engine to reach the goal, converts know very little about the ugliness of sin, the necessity of repentance, and the demands of discipleship. As one faith hero of mine once stated in a sermon, “We now have redemption without regeneration, salvation without repentance, justification without sanctification, and Christianity without a cross!” To put it quite bluntly, friend, there is no such animal.

Now this kind of thinking is not entirely new to the church. I remember the stupidity of yesterday, and addressed it already in a previous post, when pastors would display their God-fearing attitudes by swallowing live goldfish on Sunday mornings when some attendance goal was successfully reached, or preaching from the roof, or kissing a pig, or having the deacons throw pies in their faces, etc. (Pulpit Truth: Play Stupid Games; Win Stupid Prizes) Today, however, we have taken pragmatism to a whole new level of absurdity. And why? Because we no longer believe that the “gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God unto salvation.” Like Abraham and Sarah in the Old Testament, we have lost our confidence in the word and promises of God. Therefore, the logical thing to do is to realize that God needs our help, and then invite that cute, little Egyptian handmaiden to move into the tent with us.

Someone might be tempted to say: "Yes, Jesus said what He said all those years ago. But this world today is a different place with a post-modern worldview. We live among a society that no longer views truth as our grandparents did." (I would whole-heartedly agree with that last statement, but at least our grandparents knew what a woman was!) But pragmatists would argue that we need to do things differently to help Jesus grow His church. They would state that people no longer want a Bible sermon from an authoritative pulpit. (Think of Adrian Rogers at this point, as he was called a "dinosaur" by an instructor at a church planting seminar that I was attending several years ago.) Pragmatists see nothing wrong with incorporating secular songs, dramatic dance, appealing aromas, and cute PowerPoint presentations to be the highlight of their fifteen-minute spiritual dialogues. And the sad reality is that we have multitudes of worldly pastors who will be more than happy to oblige the reasoning of pragmatism. After all, success is giving the consumers what they want, when they want it, and how they want it. Therefore, we absolutely must bring cute Egyptian handmaidens into our tents to appeal to those without a biblical worldview, to keep them coming back, and to maybe one day have the privilege of sneaking the gospel to them through the back door when their defenses are down.

I remember a few years ago being in a service at a large church in North Carolina. Following a few simple introductions, the lights went down, the praise team mounted the stage, multiple strobe lights began flashing, incredibly loud music began playing, and then slowly moving down from the ceiling in the darkness was the largest “disco ball” that I had ever seen. I’m not sure we worshiped, but the people went wild with excitement. Another church I know about had several weeks devoted to using the “American Idol” theme in their services, with the platform converted to look like the highly successful FOX television program. Each service opened with a song voted on and selected by the congregation via social media. One of these was Garth Brook’s wonderful hymn, “I Got Friends in Low Places.” One acquaintance with extensive experience in church planting told me how they played Led Zeppelin, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and the Beatles, among others, as their prelude to worship. Now please don’t judge me when I confess I might crank up “Sweet Home Alabama” a little too loud whenever I hear it while scanning my radio, but it doesn’t prepare me to see Jesus in the beauty of His holiness. When a man discovered years ago that I was involved in a church plant intentionally targeting our collegiate population, he testified how their church had implemented elaborate activities to keep this age group continuing to attend. When I asked for an explanation, he said, “Fun and games, man, it’s got to be fun and games!” Another experience I had was observing the antics of overgrown, muscled-bound men who were using incredible feats of strength to do the work of evangelism. I don't believe that they practiced the spiritual discipline of fasting while praying, as they were all too powerfully built to miss many meals. They held everyone's attention while trying to perform certain antics with their huge muscles that normal men could never do, while one of them quoted a verse of scripture entirely out of context. You know the one: "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." It was somewhat like trying to learn spiritual truth from Hulk Hogan. The more I watched, the more sick I felt in my stomach. It was such an unholy carnival of flesh on parade, all done in the name of Jesus, that the Holy Spirit within me wanted to throw up.

Is this the way of Christ? I don’t think so. The Bible says, "Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth." (Psalm 96:9) And the Bible also says, “Whatever is not of faith is sin.” (Romans 14:23) When Jesus was once questioned “what should we do so that we might accomplish the work of God?” He responded, “This is the work of God, that you should believe on Him whom He has sent.” The Bible is our guidebook for both our faith AND our practice. I rejected years ago the pragmatic mindset that was often repeated in conservative circles: "We should never change the message in the church, but we must always be changing the methods of the church!" Hogwash was my response then, and it still is today. Reading His word reminds me (therein might be the problem, church leaders who never read His word) that He alone is the architect and builder, the designer and the contractor, and the only eternal head of the church! In this age in which we live we do not need worldly, stupid gimmicks; cute and novel ideas from some social influencer; nor do we need soulish methods implemented by prayerless leaders in hopes of accomplishing some strategic, measurable goal. Away with that kind of carnal foolishness! Today, more than ever, we need Godly leaders who display the love of Christ, who have gained the mind of Christ, who have acquired the courage of Christ, and who now possess the power of Christ to charge forward against the gates of Hell with the gospel of Christ! AMEN! Then, and only then, will we see individual lives, families, and communities touched and transformed for the glory of God.

Welcome to McDonalds

Now before some of you begin to gloat and say, “Yeah, get ‘em Brother Charles! These new seminary boys with soul patches, long hair, and flip-flops need to get right!” YOU need to know something: The monster I see that we have created is a two-headed beast. Not only have we missed the mark by embracing the Burger King philosophy (pragmatism), we have also missed the mark by seeking to implement the McDonalds mindset. Let me explain…

It was during those awkward early teen years that I was foolish enough to order food from Mickey D’s the way I wanted it. I still remember those hateful stares coming from across the counter. Others stepped from the kitchen area to see who would dare suggest something could be ordered differently than designed or approved by Ray Kroc. Everyone seemed upset, including family and friends, because this unheard-of tactic snatched the fast right out of fast food. Through this experience, I learned that McDonalds built its empire on consistency. Everything is the same no matter where a restaurant might be located. A Big Mac made in Alabama will taste just like a Big Mac made in Alaska, which will taste just like a Big Mac made in Arizona, which will taste… Well, you get the picture. 

“What in the world does this have to do with the church?” you might be asking. Well, friend, just as Burger King promotes pragmatism, McDonalds markets traditionalism. Keep it the same, make no changes, don’t rock the boat! Traditionalism is just as much of a monster as pragmatism, and both create confusion and chaos in the church of Jesus Christ. I’ve heard some dumb things in my life coming from the lips of church leaders. Here are four off the top of my head: 

• “Boys, when you get in the pulpit, make sure you have your 1611, or it ain’t God’s word.”

Now I do not want to fire bullets at the most enduring English version of the Bible, the King James Version, but I always wanted to comment to those with this mentality that they themselves are not preaching from the 1611 version, but from the revised 1769 edition. 

• “If it’s not a piano or an organ, it will not be in this church.”

Okay, please show me in the Bible where these two musical instruments are the only ones ordained of God for His glory. By the way, I can show you multiple verses where singers were accompanied by many varied instruments to support and enhance their worship experience.

• “These contemporary Christian songs are of the Devil.”

Oh my, must I even comment on this one? If you do not have access to great contemporary, Christian music, you are missing out on wonderful songs that will touch your heart and lift you into the presence of God Almighty! Don't believe me? Click on this one: https://youtu.be/dhU-Omwg2rU?si=isfdWUEmfWhNLYgM

• “My Brother, you must put on the tie before speaking to the body of Christ.”

I admit, I did not hear this one with my own ears. I learned of this statement from a friend on the mission field in Africa. Men who were to address the church were not to do so without proper attire, which in this case, was a necktie. The missionary laughed and told me about an old, grimy clip-on tie hanging off the pulpit in case someone needed it. Do you wonder where this teaching came from? It probably is based upon the British and American mindset of being properly dressed in order to experience proper worship. The emphasis, therefore, is placed on man’s outward appearance. Is it just me, or do you remember God Himself having to remind one of His men that He does not see as a man sees, for man is impressed by outward appearances, while God looks deep inside at the heart?

Oh, how foolish we are when we embrace tradition to the degree that we miss the activity of God! I well remember the deep, passionate arguments that unfolded when I suggested that the best way to ensure our finishing the worship service by the noon hour on Sunday would be to start earlier. The way some people responded with such misguided zeal, you would think the Bible says: “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God at eleven o’clock on Sunday morning, and only at eleven o’clock on Sunday morning shalt thou worship Him!” 

Please read the following quote carefully. It is worth your attention:

Most of us are familiar with Washington Irving’s intriguing little tale, Rip Van Winkle. Though written years ago, it has a startling relevance for the church today. You will remember that Rip had been slumbering away on a grassy knoll in the Catskill Mountains for twenty years, during which time the thirteen British colonies had become the thirteen, newly formed United States of America. Poor old Rip had slept through the Revolution – and there is the story’s relevance for us today.

The fact that the church is living and attempting to minister in a revolutionary atmosphere should be obvious to all. Everything seems to be in a state of radical change. All aspects of society are in a flux. Foundations long accepted as valid are being shaken. No segment of the so-called establishment escapes questioning. The only certainty appears that nothing will ever quite be the same again. But the most disquieting element of this sociological revolution is that often the “sleeping Rip Van Winkle” of the hour is none other than the church. Christians, who should be on the cutting edge of this changing scene and moving society towards God, are often found slumbering away on some grassy knoll of irrelevance or unrealistic traditionalism while the world all but explodes and fragments around them.

In the light of such a situation, it is vital for the church to come alive to the contemporary social atmosphere and address itself to the problems this revolution precipitates. I do not believe that the church is absolutely dead and in need of a decent burial, as some critics advocate. Rather, it more or less finds itself, at least in some of its institutionalized forms, in the grip of irrelevancy and needs to be awakened and updated. And if God’s people can be shaken from their slumbers and made to see the tremendous evangelistic challenge of this turbulent hour, great things can be done. Moreover, it may just be that the disturbing voices being heard in our world today will be used to awaken the sleepers.

That quote sounds very much like what is being said today in numerous circles in an attempt to awaken the church to relevancy. But those words were written when I was ten years old, having been published in 1972 by Dr. Lewis Drummond while he was teaching at Spurgeon’s College in London. He was moved by the lack of spiritual power and the unwillingness to implement changes in the evangelical churches of Great Britain. Today, that once-great missional church that was used of God to exalt Christ around the world is nearly a spiritual wasteland.

What is God’s word to the church today? It is a very simple one: “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore, be zealous and repent… He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” The philosophies of pragmatism and traditionalism both lead to empty, vain religious activity. Jesus said that He would build His church. Trust Him to do just that, and then be amazed at what He can accomplish. Amen!

The Assembly of the Dead

"Why do you seek the living among the dead?" Luke 24:5

 

Two angelic messengers asked this powerful question to those fearful women who had made their way to the tomb on Sunday morning in order to ensure that Jesus had a more proper burial. But the One they believed needed appropriate spices added to His grave clothes, had already walked out of His borrowed tomb. The sting of death had been swallowed up in victory, and His glorious gospel was about to embark on a global tour that continues to change lives around the world - Amen!

I remember several years ago, while traveling in itinerant ministry, how the Lord led me to only speak on these weighty subjects of biblical revival: a continual lifestyle of repentance, personal humility revealed through brokenness, and the need to be emptied of self and filled with the Spirit in order to accomplish the eternal work of God. As I was obedient to what I believed was His will, I noticed how few church members wanted to hear these truths. Although He gave me great liberty and fresh anointing to preach His word, the responses during these meetings were always the same: personal indifference and corporate unconcern.

Knowing that I was doing what He required of me, I began asking for a demonstration of His mighty power at work in and among His people. There were times when I wept at how callous the hearts of church members were to God's truth. Easter season was approaching at that time, and I was re-reading the gospel accounts of this most blessed event, when I saw Luke 24:5 in a whole different light. As I had been burdened to pray for a work among God's people, desiring to see church members repent of their sin and renew their love for Jesus in order to experience abundant life in His grace, God seemed to ask me: "Charles, why do you seek the living among the dead?" In other words, why are you looking for a demonstration of the abiding life of Christ in those people who might be considered religious, who wear a Baptist label, yet remain spiritually dead?

Alarming statistics are once again moving me when I read that we have some 13.5 million Southern Baptists on our church rolls, but on any given Sunday just 3.6 million of those members will be actively involved in the life of their church. This means that only about 25% of members actually attend, while the other 75% rarely see the need for worship, fellowship and discipleship. Now I understand that some certainly have legitimate reasons for non-participation, but this would only represent a very small minority. Most are absent because of illegitimate excuses! They are not enthusiastically involved in the life of the church because they don't want to be. Which reminds me of another verse: "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that they were not of us." 1 John 2:19

We need to experience an awakening among the membership rolls of our Southern Baptist, as well as other evangelical, Bible-believing churches. The lost in our communities will not be interested in the gospel of Jesus Christ until they see a demonstration of His life in those who name His name, and especially in those who proclaim His name! In October of 1740, the great evangelist George Whitefield said, "The reason why many congregations have been so dead, is because dead men preach to them. Oh, that the Lord may quicken and revive them for His own name's sake! For how can dead men beget living children?" I was stirred recently when reading this testimony by a devotional writer concerning a man named Brett: "It was a natural step for Brett to attend a Christian college and study the Bible. After all, he’d been around people who knew Jesus his whole life - at home, at school, at church. He was even using his college studies to prepare himself for a career in Christian work and ministry. But at the age of twenty-one, as he sat with the small congregation in an old country church and listened to a pastor preach from 1 John, he made a startling discovery. He realized that he was depending upon his own understanding and the trappings of his religious traditions, and that he’d never truly received salvation in Jesus Christ. He felt the Lord tugging at his heart that day with a sobering message: “You don’t know Me!” That very day, Brett repented of his sin and placed his faith in Christ alone. Today, his deep passion for Jesus and His marvelous salvation is no secret. It comes through loud and clear every time he steps behind the pulpit and preaches the word of God."

Please join me in praying for a heart breaking, sin killing, life changing move of God's Spirit within our convention, and in our churches, beginning in our pulpits! AMEN!!

"A man who wanders from the way of understanding,

will rest in the assembly of the dead." Proverbs 21:16

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have 

forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children." Hosea 4:6

Progressive Salvation

"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith
into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."
Romans 5:1-2

The word 'progressive' used today in a cultural, educational, or political setting is not looked upon favorably by a conservative like me. So, when you look at the title of this Bible study, you might question my sanity. No, beloved, I am not talking about some liberal type of religious experience that has no saving merit. But I do want us to consider this important subject using the historical meaning of the word progressive.

Before this word was hijacked by certain radical elements of our society, the word simply meant to move in a forward, methodical motion; or to proceed in steps, continuing steadily by measurable increments. Embracing this definition and thinking biblically about salvation, one might believe that nothing about gaining a right standing with God through the Lord Jesus Christ would be considered progressive. And that belief would be mostly correct, but not entirely. Let me explain using theological terms that you should be familiar with...

• REGENERATION, or the new birth, is a work of God’s grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It might take years, or only a few moments, for a person to fully experience this unique and divine activity of grace. As the work of conviction leads a person to a saving knowledge and relationship with Jesus Christ, they are wonderfully, supernaturally, personally, instantaneously, and eternally saved. HALLELUJAH!
• JUSTIFICATION is a legal term found in the scriptures whereby God, in His gracious and full acquittal upon principles of His righteousness, declares all sinners who repent and believe in Christ as being perfectly righteous, completely holy, and eternally pure. This work of grace brings the believer unto a relationship of overwhelming peace with God, as justification means that God looks upon those who have been saved and He sees the sinlessness and righteousness of His Son. Therefore, the holy eyes of God look upon us just as if we never sinned.  HALLELUJAH!
• SANCTIFICATION is the experience, beginning in regeneration, by which the believer is set apart to God’s purposes, and is enabled to progress toward moral and spiritual maturity through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in him. Growth in grace should continue throughout the regenerate person’s life. Sanctification is related to personal holiness. Abiding, learning, obeying, and maturing in holiness as a believer is another aspect of God's amazing work of grace. It is His will that we bear fruit, which speaks of our inner character being displayed through our outer conduct in a way that brings glory to the One Who has saved us and is transforming us. HALLELUJAH!
• GLORIFICATION is the culmination of our salvation and is the final blessed and abiding state of the redeemed. The Bible clearly states that one day all of those who have experienced regeneration, or the new birth, will enter into the presence of the God Almighty forever. Amen! For most of the saved throughout the ages, that entrance has been realized via the doors of death. In the future, a wonderful event will unfold that will usher countless believers into His presence at one glorious moment of time, which is called the rapture. No matter the details concerning the process of our glorification, it is a promise of God that will one day be fulfilled to all of the redeemed. HALLELUJAH!

Now, let's look at those important terms that are firmly associated with regeneration in a little different light...

• Justification: This is my POSITION in Christ - because of His sacrificial death on the cross and my oneness in Him, I am saved from the PENALTY of sin!
• Sanctification: This is my CONDITON of becoming like Christ - because of the Holy Spirit living and working in me, I am being saved from the POWER of sin!
• Glorification: This is my EXPECTATION of being like Christ - because of His promise to one day take me where He is, I will be saved from the very PRESENCE of sin!

Great and marvelous truth, is it not? It certainly is, yet the reason for this devotional and its title is based upon the reality of personal experience with vast numbers of unregenerate church members. Who are these people? They are the ones who claim a type of salvation experience that dismisses God's work of sanctification. They claim to be saved and on the way to Heaven, but they give no evidence to support their claims. Therefore, they embrace the principles of justification and glorification (though they would never use these terms because they have no idea that they exist or what they mean) while denying the reality of sanctification. Listen friend, if someone testifies of being saved and on their way to Heaven, they should consistently display a 'progressive' salvation that reveals a sustained spiritual growth in measurable ways. This does not mean that we reach a place of sinless perfection in this life, but it does mean that others should be able to observe spiritual fruit in our lives, which proves the reality of the inner working of the Holy Spirit within us. Jesus said, "You will know them by their fruits... Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit... Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them."

"Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, 'I know Him,' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked." 1 John 2:3-6

Where's the Desire for Revival?

 

"So continuing DAILY with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread
from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity
of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord
added to the church DAILY those who were being saved."
Acts 2:46-47

I have been re-reading several classic books on the subject of revival over the summer, as well as some that have been recently published concerning this very important issue regarding the people of God.  Any committed and compassionate follower of Christ realizes that the current political climate, along with the hateful rhetoric of unbelievers toward anyone with a conservative viewpoint, is a sign of God's judgments being fulfilled. I believe that if we do not experience a Heaven-sent revival among the body of Christ, we are only beginning to see the tip of the iceberg of what awaits us in the days, months and years to come, as vile and vicious God-haters strengthen their grip on our nation. Church history, however, reveals that when God moves in mighty power among His people in revival, it culminates in an incredible awakening that ushers multitudes into His kingdom. The result is a dramatic change in the spiritual and moral condition of a people, and the intensifying judgment of God is postponed as multitudes begin to seek Him and His saving grace.

The Book of Acts is looked upon as the pinnacle of truth concerning the experience of revival and awakening in and through the body of Christ. No blood washed believer should be able to read this book without a tear in their eye, a longing in their heart, and a cry in their voice that says, "Do it again, Lord, do it again!" The breathtaking testimony of what God was doing begins to avalanche on the great Day of Pentecost. Thousands were brought to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, and they quickly identified with His death, burial, and resurrection through their obedience of baptism. As God worked, the city of Jerusalem was shaken with His presence. These new believers had such an appetite for God's word and a longing for His presence, that the Bible says they gathered DAILY to worship and fellowship with one another. The testimony also reveals that as the body of Christ was filled with His Spirit, God was awakening and saving men and women on a DAILY basis. Wow! What an awesome revelation of God working in an incredible way! Praise His Name!

It was about twenty years ago that I was privileged to preach at a First Baptist Church in one our most notable towns in north Mississippi. The pastor had previously served in the ministry of evangelism for several years while living in another state. He and his wife were so gracious in their inviting Tammy to join me for this special Sunday evangelistic event. As they treated us to lunch, he shared a deep burden on his heart. "Charles," he said, "please give me your opinion on a matter. I have shared many testimonies of my experiences as an evangelist and have dropped occasional hints that we should set aside a special time to seek the Lord in an old-fashioned revival meeting. Whenever I approach this subject, however, many of my key leaders voice their opposition to such an idea. 'Bro. Tom,' they say, 'we love you, but please don't ask us to come to church several nights in a row. We are an extremely busy people, and we just don't have time today for those kinds of services that were so prominent just a few years ago.' What do you think, Bro. Charles?"

I immediately opened my Bible and read these verses from the Book of Acts. "Pastor, here's what I believe: The early church so longed to encounter the presence of God corporately, that they could not endure a twenty-four-hour period without assembling together. They desired to worship Christ and to share a witness of His love and grace with those who might join them in this special season of divine blessing. And their desire was to experience this TOGETHER!" I believe the key word is desire. This is something that they wanted to do; they were not forced to gather daily. i know that coming together every day to fulfill an obligation of attendance is not going to mature someone to become a super-saint. However, when church members display their desire to AVOID coming together on a DAILY basis, even if for a brief period of time, that shows a very real and deep problem of their own spiritually immature condition.

It has amazed me over the years how many churches never utilize those who have been called into the ministry of evangelism. Some choose to neglect this gift because of an unfortunate experience in the past with someone who was not a man after God's own heart. Others, however, simply do not consider using those with special gifts of revival and evangelism because they believe less is more. In other words, those events placed on the calendars of the past will not be considered today, because our folks are very busy people with very demanding schedules. I believe that we as church leaders have simply coddled to the demands of mostly carnal members. Not only do we not dare suggest some type of revival campaign, but now the trend is to eliminate Sunday evening services as well. After all, families today rush to and fro from school and work to fulfill important obligations all over the community, so let's help them out by asking less and less of their time, focus, and energy when it comes to the things of God. Amen? Or, oh my?

We cannot force the Spirit of God to work, and putting an event on the church calendar does not guarantee His presence and power. However, if the heart of our churches does not look something like the heart of the church revealed in the Book of Acts, longing to be together in order to experience Him, something is terribly wrong. And the heart of the problem is the problem of the heart.

"Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him;
And to our God, for He will abundantly pardon."
Isaiah 55:6-7

Play Stupid Games; Win Stupid Prizes

"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ."

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

I will never forget the morning that I received wonderful, scriptural advice from an older pastor and dear friend. It was not only good advice, but a loving rebuke as well, one that I desperately needed. For some reason, he and I were the only ones in our carpool on that Tuesday morning headed to the Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary campus in Memphis, Tenn. As I was unusually quiet, Bro. Mike asked me if I was feeling alright. When I assured him that I was fine, he asked about my family, and I told him that everyone was feeling well. 

"Bro. Charles," he said, "if you and your family are all doing good, how about the church? I can tell that something is bothering you. Is everything okay at the church?"

"Well, to be totally honest, I'm very disappointed in what happened at the church. I had challenged our church to break a numerical goal of having 100 in Sunday School for three consecutive Sundays, and I would preach the morning sermon off of the roof. We had over 100 in the previous two Sundays, but this past Sunday, we fell just short." (Just to give some context, when I first arrived at this church, we ran around twenty in Sunday School. Within eighteen months, we were averaging 80-85, but had seemed to hit an invisible ceiling that I desperately wanted to break through. I had seen a pastor's photo preaching from the roof of his church when his congregation succeeded in hitting a numerical goal in our state paper several weeks before, and I thought that would be good challenge with an unforgettable result. Not only could I get my photo in the Mississippi Baptist Record, but I could also submit it to the New Albany Gazette as well. Then everyone would know that New Oak Grove Baptist Church in Union County, Mississippi was led by a real man of God! LOL)

After a few moments of thoughtful silence, my friend replied, "Bro. Charles, quit pouting about not preaching from the roof, and get in God's pulpit and preach the truth." As I heard these words, I began to feel my face flush with anger. In my mind I thought, "You say one more word to me, Mike Sledge, and I'll grab your steering wheel, jerk this car over to the shoulder of the road, and whip your butt in this highway ditch!" That's what I thought, I'm very ashamed to admit, but the words never came out of my mouth. We were both silent for the rest of the commute.

Arriving on campus, I was so frustrated that I skipped my eight o'clock class and went to the prayer chapel. It was in this little room that God broke my heart. He broke my heart over my inner response of intense anger at my friend, and He broke my heart over the ridiculous challenge that I proposed to my people, as it was nothing more than a vain attempt to have a spotlight shining on me because our church accomplished some numerical goal.

Since this idea didn't originate with me, I'm sure that many others have performed similar, stupid stunts. Let's gather a big crowd, or collect a big offering, and I'll preach from the roof; or I'll swallow live goldfish; or I'll eat a habanero pepper; or I'll let the children throw pies in my face; or we'll rent a dunking tank and the deacons, the staff, and I will take turns being dunked in water. Hallelujah - God most certainly will be impressed with us! Don't you think so?

Now let's be honest, too many times we focus upon the trivial and foolish when we vainly attempt to perform the assignments that God has given us. As He has placed upon my heart a renewed vision of countless souls around the world, across our nation, and in our communities hurting, suffering, and dying, He has also renewed my burden over the reality of so many of our churches playing stupid games. I recently posted via social media about one of our larger churches in America beginning their worship service with their husband-and-wife pastoral team coming out on the platform dressed as Woody the Sheriff and Bo-Peep from the Toy Story movies. She tried to sound as if she had a southern accent. It was hellish. As I attempted to continue to watch it, my heart seethed. Why the shenanigans? Why the foolishness? Why display such childish stupidity in the name of Jesus? WHAT'S WRONG WITH US? People are going to HELL, people, wake up already and let's be THE CHURCH!! The Bible says that we "are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light, who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation." (1 Peter 2:9-12)

I've had enough of the pie throwing, roof preaching, goldfish swallowing, pepper eating, water dunking, and prancing around on stage like cartoon characters church services. Where are the displays of personal and corporate HUMILITY, BROKENESS, REPENTANCE, and CRYING OUT in utter desperation unto the Lord for REVIVAL and AWAKENING? Where is the true man of God who will "Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins"? (Isaiah 58:1) Oh how we need MEN of God to lead the CHURCH of God to walk the HOLY PATHWAYS of God in order to experience the FULLNESS of God! A-MEN!!

In closing, allow me to return to my seminary days for a moment. A cassette tape was being passed around of a message that the late evangelist/revivalist Vance Havner had preached in a chapel service at a Bible college in Kentucky. I was blessed to listen to the message several times before giving it to a fellow student. I certainly wish I would have thought about making a copy for myself, but I didn't do it. Bro. Havner was preaching on accomplishing God's ministry through the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit. He ended his message with this personal testimony: "I was recently at a church and with a pastor that I had never met before. It was a large imposing edifice that was abuzz with excitement for our opening service of a revival campaign. The pastor escorted me to a chair on the platform and whispered in my ear that he had to exit for a moment in order to fulfill a promise to his people. As everyone was finding a seat, one of the staff members finally approached the pulpit, welcomed everyone in attendance, then happily announced that a numerical goal had been met that morning. And as promised, the pastor and deacons were prepared to celebrate in a way that few would ever forget. As he said those words, the doors opened up in the rear of that large auditorium and the deacons began coming down the aisles throwing confetti into the excited crowd. As they made their way toward the front, another deacon stepped out of the middle doors with a rope, leading a donkey into the building with a clown upon it's back. The clown had a candy bag with him in order to throw sweet treats to the standing and cheering worshippers. As they got closer to me, I was finally able to recognize the face of the pastor. But being of such advanced age and dim of eyesight, I had trouble determining if the pastor was the clown, or the jackass."

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

1983

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;

old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."

2 Corinthians 5:17

Forty years. Forty incredible years. The year 1983, for me, slowly evolved into a very good year. A life changing year. A year that altered my dreams, my destiny, my desires, and my devotion. It was the year that I would meet a beautiful young lady who would gently, yet firmly, share the truth of Jesus Christ with me. It was the year that I would hear her witness, and eventually pray for God's grace to be real in my own despicable life. Forty years. Forty incredible years of walking with Jesus. Forty years...

 

In June of 1983, I had no idea that I would soon be a student at Mississippi State University. My life began to unravel during my final year of high school. This unraveling spun totally out of control as a freshman seeking to find my way at the first university that I attended. I say that I was a freshman, but I actually began my experience of higher education as a Sophomore, as I had received advanced credit for all of my core Freshman courses based upon my ACT score. I accepted an academic scholarship that covered all of my tuition, books, room and board, along with a meal plan for dining in the school cafeteria. This university had very high expectations for me as a student, and I was about to royally disappoint them. My first semester was more or less uneventful as I was trying to adjust to my new surroundings. By the time classes resumed in January, I realized there was much more to college life than classes, homework, tests and term papers. I decided I should make a few corrections to my lifestyle as the semester ended very poorly, but changes externally didn't produce any internal adjustments. My second year would not be finalized, as I was given an ultimatum during the spring semester by the Dean of Students to either withdraw from all my classes and leave the school voluntarily or be expelled and escorted away by campus police. He said that I had twenty-four hours to make up my mind, but I decided before leaving the building to sign the necessary documents, gather my belongings, and head for home.

To be perfectly honest, I do not have any recall as to the reaction of my family. They knew the circumstances, and I'm sure their hearts were broken over my foolish choices and decisions. But it was the spring of the year - an extremely busy season in the Mississippi Delta - and I resumed my position on the farm. I began to work again for my two uncles, which I had been doing since I was about age twelve. Returning home and working didn't solve my problems, however, as they just intensified with a steady paycheck. Now I had those finances that at one time hindered me from fulfilling much of my wicked desires. With money in my pockets, I could expand my horizons when it came to searching for new adventures, usually entailing wild parties, loud music, ample liquor, illegal drugs, and plenty of loose women. It was also amazing how many friends I amassed with my ability of foot the bill. Like the prodigal in Luke 15, I hand plenty of friends, as long as I had plenty of money.

It seems that with each decision that I would make, circumstances did not get any better, they only got worse. Uncomfortable encounters with family, as well as with the law, would cause me to make promises that I could not keep. The book of Proverbs says, "As a dog returns to his own vomit, so a fool returns to his folly." My life was a perfect example of that eternal truth. In the first few weeks of 1983, I befriended a man several years older than I, and he quickly introduced me to new companions that carried me deeper into the darkness. There were times when we struck out on the trail for new experiences with the wrong crowd, that would have me absent from my family and from my job for days at a time. Funny how working with family always keeps the door of employment open for you, when you really should have been fired. Some of these adventures I can barely remember. I vaguely recall where we planned to go, but I cannot recollect if we ever made it to our destination, what happened while we were there, and how we made it back home. Life during that time was like a dense fog, and how I lived through it is a testimony of God's mercy.

June, 1983, as far as I can remember, is when my precious Mom finally had enough of me and my ways. I had broken her heart too many times. She confronted me in the garage with anger, fear, love and rage all mixed together. With her hands on my shoulders, she shook me as best she could, crying and saying, "I don't know where you'll go and what you'll do, but you've got six weeks to get out of my house! I can't take this anymore!" I looked at her beautiful face, all red with emotion and covered in tears, jerked her hands off of me, and walked inside. To be totally honest, I wanted to hit her. As I pondered this encounter, I knew I had to make plans, but I couldn't think of anything. I didn't know it then, but Mom was practicing tough love on me before James Dobson ever wrote a book about it.

Before the dust settled from this episode, I came home from work one day to find out that a dear friend from high school was going to be home for a few days from Mississippi State, and she wanted to see me. Lisa had done quite well at MSU. Good grades, really popular, school beauty, Homecoming Queen, etc., and this girl wanted to see me while she was home. I got ready as fast as possible and drove at breakneck speed to Scott, Mississippi. In the midst of my excitement, I had forgotten that Lisa was a Jesus girl, and as soon as I got reacquainted with her, she began preaching to me about my lifestyle. The audacity of that girl, for if there was one thing I really despised, it was anyone meddling in my life and preaching to me! Oh well, as beautiful as she was, I could endure her sermons for the opportunity to just look at her.

In the midst of those few visits with Lisa, she talked at length about me trying to get back in school and making a fresh start at MSU. Since I had the ultimatum from my Mom, with a time frame of getting out of her house, I decided to take Lisa's advice and call the number that she gave me about transferring to State. The lady on the phone had a nice voice and was very kind. When I told her the reason for my call, she informed me that I had just missed the deadline for applying as a transfer student. My heart sank, but then she said, "I tell you what, I will mail you an application today, but promise me to fill it out and mail it back the same day that you receive it. That means that you need to secure a copy of your transcript from your previous college, so that you can be ready to send it back to me on the very same day. You promise me that you'll do this?" I assured her that I would, and she bid me a pleasant farewell. When I got off the phone, I immediately began to wonder what kind of response she would have to my transcript. I thought surely she would burst out laughing and show everyone in the office what kind of idiot I was for trying to enroll at MSU. But since I promised her I would do it, I thought, oh well, it won't hurt anything to try.

July 1983. To my utter amazement, I received a positive letter from MSU not long after I mailed the requested material to the Office of Enrollment. I had failed to meet the deadline, my transcript was atrocious, and yet I was reading an acceptance letter that opened with this word in all caps: CONGRATULATIONS! As I continued reading, my heart sank. Yes, I had been accepted, but it was on a probationary status, and only about twelve hours of course work would be accepted. Plus, all of the advanced credit for the core freshman courses were deemed unacceptable. As I read the letter, I thought, "Well this is just dandy, I'm 21 years old and will have to sit in classrooms alongside immature teenagers with zits and fake ID's." But at least I had the problem solved as to where I'd go, and what I'd be doing, even before my Mom's tearful deadline had come to pass.

August 1983 was moving time. I was fortunate to be able to secure a room at Arbor Acres Apartments, a university owned housing complex on the south edge of campus. Friends from the Delta had their names on a waiting list to get into this brand-new facility, and they had enough space for me to join them. Life was good as I tried to adjust to my new surroundings. I was living with old friends, learning the layout of campus, and beginning to understand that there were some extremely popular establishments near Mayhew and Columbus that existed to make sure college students had enjoyable experiences outside of their educational demands.

During the second week of classes, my roommate asked me if I had purchased the necessary books for each of my courses. "No," I responded, "I really haven't thought much about that." He encouraged me to get some books, so that if I decided to attend a class, at least I would look like I belonged in the building. When I finally located a list of all the books that I needed, he said that he would go with me to the bookstore to help me gather all my supplies. The place wasn't very crowded, since most of the other students had already gotten what they needed. When I mentioned that I didn't know where anything was located, he asked for my list, and told me to stay where I was until he found everything for me. He quickly disappeared, and I as I turned around to see what else might be interesting to find, my eyes landed on the most beautiful young lady that I had ever seen. She was tall, trim, tan, and TERRIFIC! You've heard of love at first sight? Well, it was something like that, but rather than love, it was lust at first sight! Holding a book just a few feet from me, her eyes were looking at a list somewhat like mine, then glancing at a shelf filled with additional material. I walked up to her with a smile and said, "Hey there, can I help you find anything?" Believing that I was one of the student workers, she responded, "Yes, I've already gotten most of my books, but I came back for just a couple more and can't seem to find this one," as she handed me her booklist. Not having any idea how I might help this beauty, my friend returned with his arms loaded down with what I needed. "Hey, thank you, perfect timing." I said. "Now I need you to find this book for this young lady." When he returned with her book, we headed to the register, where I stood behind her and recorded her name and phone number as she completed her transaction with a personal check. Sort of creepy? Yes, but a man's got to do what a man's got to do!

Needless to say, she was somewhat surprised when I called her later that day. We agreed to meet at a high school football game the following evening, as I learned that she had just graduated from a local private school, and she already had plans to attend the game. The next week, we saw each other on campus quite often, and I decided that starting anew at MSU as a Freshman wasn't all that bad. We didn't have any classes together, but we were often in the same buildings, and could enjoy brief conversations in the hallways or outside near the entrances.

I tried my best to get her to enjoy the dark side of life, but that was to no avail, as she had her guard up against my kind of pleasures. I would back off for a while, and we would simply take in an occasional movie, have a milkshake date, ride around in my sports car, or attend a MSU football game. A few weeks into our relationship, I pulled up outside of a very nice duplex in a quiet, older neighborhood in Starkville, and asked her: "You see that little place? Doesn't it look nice and quiet? I'm beginning to get tired of the constant noise at Arbor Acres, and thought a place like this would be perfect, if you would agree to move in with me. What do you say?" Since she didn't say anything, I thought that she didn't understand the great proposition that I was making, so I repeated myself. Following more awkward silence, I asked her, "Tell me something, what do think about me? Be totally honest, what do you think about me?"

"Do you really want to know?" she finally said.

"Yes, certainly, I wouldn't ask if I didn't want to know." I replied.

"Well, for one, I despise your smoking cigarettes. They make your car stink, and they make you stink. They make my clothes stink, they make my hair stink, they make me stink, and I don't like to stink."

"Anything else?"

"Yes, every time that I'm around you, you are drinking some kind of alcoholic beverage. You keep whiskey under the seat, or you have a small cooler of beer with you in your car all the time. At your apartment, that's all you ever have to drink. And even on campus, as you walk around with that stadium cup going to class, I know that you've got some kind of alcohol in there. Drinking is all you do, and I don't like it."

"Anything else?"

"Yes, your language is atrocious. I have never heard someone with such a vile tongue. If you get mad, it is unbelievable what comes out of your mouth. But even in normal conversations, you use filthy curse words. It's horrible, and I can't stand it."

By now, my feelings were quite bruised, but what could I say, it was all true. "Anything else?" I mumbled.

"Yes," she said. "I am very tired of the constant pressure you put on me to go to nightclubs, pool halls, and these off campus parties that you always seem to know about. I don't like those kinds of places, I'm not comfortable in those environments, I don't want to go, and I don't want to be pressured to go. In fact, I refuse to go, and if you and I are going to continue to have any kind of relationship, on or off campus, then you need to go to places that I like to go!"

"Okay, so where do you like to go?"

"I like to go to church."

With that response, I felt like reaching over, opening the door, putting her out, and saying, "See you later." But there was something about her beautiful smile, those big, brown eyes, and that silky, shiny, dark hair. This awesome young lady was slowly melting my calloused heart. Pulling away from the curb, I asked, "Uh, where do you go to church?"

"Friendship Baptist Church, it's right behind my house, and you need to go with me."

"So you're a Baptist? That's wonderful! So am I!" I exclaimed. She didn't seem to be very impressed at my compelling statement of religious identity. I'm sure that she realized there's a huge difference between being a saved Baptist, and a lost one.

The time frame is a little foggy after this encounter. I continued to speak to this young lady on campus whenever I saw her, but I was uncertain of my next move. I realized that I wasn't going to convince her to embrace my lifestyle, yet I was helplessly drawn to her honesty, sincerity, and to her breathtaking beauty. She was so different from the party girls that I was accustomed to spending time with. They were usually loud, crude, foul-mouthed, and aggressively seductive, especially when they were all overly intoxicated. Even as I attempted to immerse myself in my usual routines when the sun went down, I could not help but think of her, and what she might be doing. I was still drinking heavily, swearing profusely, smoking constantly, partying nightly, and fighting occasionally, whenever I felt my manhood was clearly challenged. My schedule was full, but my heart was empty.

I finally decided that I should approach her about coming out for a Sunday service. I'd been to church services before, many of them. I had joined the Baptist church in my Delta hometown when I was ten years old. Church activity and attendance had at one time been a very important part of my young life. Besides, I had even prayed publicly to close out our services on several occasions. Sometimes I'd still be drunk from the previous night's party, or about to vomit with an intense hangover, but I could offer a few religious words with the best of any hypocrite. She told me what time to arrive to pick her up, that I was welcome to come to her home after the service for Sunday dinner, and we could spend the afternoon together. It sounded appealing, but I didn't make an immediate commitment to join her. Thinking about her invitation brought a few thoughts into my mind. One, she is knock-out gorgeous every time that I see her, but I felt that she would really set a high standard for a church service. Two, a home-cooked meal for a guy in college would be priceless. And three, if I didn't come out to sit with her through the service, some other dude might get the privilege. Well, those thoughts sealed the deal, and I told her that I'd come on out and go to church with her.

The little building had a nice crowd of people when we arrived. We took a seat almost at the very back. I didn't bring a Bible, I didn't help them sing, and I sure didn't bring money for an offering. My goal was to endure the service, enjoy the lunch, establish a better relationship with this young lady, if at all possible, and get back to Starkville before she tried to get me to stay for the evening service. I already knew that she attended all of the functions of the church, including those on Wednesday nights. I really thought that was strange. Why would a beautiful young lady go to some kind of prayer meeting, when there were so many other things to do that would be fun?  I really enjoyed the idea of having a dazzling girlfriend with Baptist convictions, but I didn't like the idea of her being a religious fanatic!

What I did not know, however, was that in that little building on that particular Sunday morning, God was going to call my name. Her pastor did not know anything about me, yet as he preached with passion and zeal, he made a statement that shook me deep on the inside. It was as if there was no one else in the building, and that he was speaking directly to me. At some point in the midst of his sermon, he said rather authoritatively, "It makes no difference how good your mother is, if you die without Jesus, you'll be in Hell forever!" Judging his delivery as far as being seeker sensitive was concerned, it was awful. In today's world, it would make the snowflakes need coloring books, smiley stickers, and a few puppies to pet in a designated safe space. But judging his statement based upon what I needed to hear that day, he hit a grand slam! My Mom's prayers, I believe, had secured a wall of protection around me as I lived such a self-centered and foolish life. Some of my friends lived the same kind of lifestyle, and it took them to an early grave. In drunken stupors, I had bragged how that my Mom was praying for me, and that God would not allow anything to happen to me that would break her heart. To me, this was just a way to validate my destructive habits with a false sense of security. But now this preacher man had just nailed my sorry hide to the wall.

I could not escape this sobering experience. I didn't say anything to anyone, but my heart was deeply touched, and my mind was securely engaged to consider eternal thoughts. The following week was filled with a thorough self-inspection and spiritual evaluation. I was thinking about what my life had become, compared to the loving expectation of those who watched me grow up in my tiny hometown. I began to consider all of the biblical truth that I had learned as a child at the Duncan Baptist Church. Memories of Sunday School, worship services, revival meetings, Vacation Bible School, and youth events and activities danced in my head. At that time, although I had been patiently and lovingly taught the word of God, the only truth that I remembered from the Bible, was that someone, somewhere, said, "You must be born again." I didn't know who said it, and I didn't know where I could find it, but I remembered it. As I pondered this biblical truth, I asked myself, "Is this what happened to me when I joined the church at the age of ten? I remember the revival meeting, and I remember some of the details of my coming forward. Is this what happened to me? Was I born again?" Immediately, I could sense the Lord powerfully intervene, as He answered this question in my heart, "NO!"

Walking to and fro on campus was an unbelievable experience of God consciousness. As I spoke pleasant greetings with other students, faculty and staff, it seemed as if everyone responded, "You must be born again." Sitting in class and preparing to write notes, I experienced the same phenomenon. It seemed as if all my professors were writing on their white boards, or their overhead projectors: "You must be born again." I know this was not being said or written, but this is what I heard and saw. God's Spirit had me in a corner, and He would not allow me to escape. During this time, I lost my taste for alcohol, parties didn't appeal to me, and going out to night clubs was pointless. I didn't know it then, but this is what's called Holy Spirit conviction: To wrestle with God over His supreme right to control your life; to be allowed the privilege of having blinded eyes partially opened to His glorious light; and to have deaf ears beginning to hear His voice calling you from spiritual death to everlasting life. It is one of the most troubling encounters you will ever have, and one of the most wonderful. I've heard people say, "Well, I've never experienced anything like that. Holy Spirit conviction? My soul, I don't have the foggiest notion what you're talking about!" My only reply can be, "I'm so sorry, it's a terrible tragedy to be spiritually dead, and not even know it." You see, beloved friend, the only way that you can be converted, is to first be convicted. No conviction? No conversion!

I knew that it was time to be totally transparent with my beautiful young friend. She invited me to come have supper with her at her sister's house not too far from Starkville on a Thursday evening. When I arrived, I entertained her little nephew, who had just celebrated his first birthday a couple of months earlier. After supper, we sat alone on the couch together watching television, when she asked me, "Is anything the matter? I have never seen you so quiet." Several days without alcohol had my mind working deeply, and my mouth staying shut, which was a rarity. As soon as I tried to answer her question, I was deeply overcome with emotion. I began to cry uncontrollably, which was horribly embarrassing.

"What's the matter? Are you okay? What's going on?" she asked.

"I'm lost! I'm lost!" I cried, "If I died tonight, I'd go straight to Hell!"

"But you told me you were saved, that you were a Baptist," she responded.

"I lied! I lied! It's all been a lie!" I said, continuing to weep.

When my eyes first saw this young lady, and my heart was filled with lust, I approached her with the calm confidence that she would be my next "trophy" to conquer. Little did I know that just a few weeks later, I'd be confessing my sin to her, crying profusely like a baby, as she held me in her arms and whispered over and over again into my ear, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!" I spent several hours in that home as she told me how I could be saved. I tried to refute everything she told me as I recounted my sordid, pathetic life, and declared that God couldn't love someone like me, because of my open, rebellious, sinful lifestyle. Every excuse I offered; she had a counteroffer: Jesus! On two or three occasions, I would go out to my car to leave, then she would begin to cry and say, "Please don't go until you get saved." Her tears would bring me back inside, where she would again whisper His name, and share with me Bible verses concerning forgiveness of sin and the promise of salvation.

It was nearly two in the morning when I finally told her that I had to go. This episode was surely keeping her sister's family up, and for the first time I thought about a young lady with honor and chivalry. The guys in my apartment knew that I was going to see my special friend, and I did not wish to mar her pure image by dragging home in the wee hours of the morning like an old tom cat. She held me at the door, saying again, "Please trust Jesus!"

"I will; I will. I promise you that I'll settle this when I get back to my apartment."

With that statement, I climbed into my little sports car and headed back to Starkville. The highway was nearly empty at that time of the morning, which was a good thing as my eyes were still filled with tears from such an emotional evening. I distinctly remember meeting two approaching vehicles on the way to town, immediately feeling overwhelmed by the stirring fear of what would happen to me should one of these cars come over the center line and hit me head on. My heart rate soared, holy fear paralyzed me, and I gripped the steering wheel with all my might until the cars passed on by. I was still overwhelmed by the Spirit's convicting presence, but then another presence invaded my life, or at least another voice, I should say. When those two vehicles passed by, I seemed to hear someone say to me, "Now, now, you're alright. Everything is going to be fine. Quit worrying. Calm down. You're okay."

With those two encounters, the tears flooded my eyes again. Wiping the tears away, I felt my car leave the security of the pavement as I veered off to the right side of the road. Terrified, I jerked the car back on the highway, and thought about what those pine and hardwood trees would do to me should I hit them. And again, that voice, "Now, now, you're alright. Everything is going to be fine. Quit worrying. Calm down. You're okay." Hearing these words, I immediately began to relax. This had been quite a roller coaster of an evening for me. I realized that I had gone five days without a drink, and my emotions were shot. We sometimes didn't have enough food in our apartment, but we always had an abundance of liquor. I just need a good, stiff drink, then a cold beer, or two, out on the back porch. Such thoughts filled me with confidence, especially when I looked up and could see the streetlights of Starkville. I was almost in town. The two-lane highway was about to widen into a five-lane road, campus was only a few minutes away, and Arbor Acres and my alcohol were almost in reach. Oh man, I could nearly taste it.

Then it happened. As I approached the sign designating the city limits of Starkville, and just before the road widens to multi-lanes, my eyes were riveted on an eighteen-wheeler coming out of town. My heart pounded again, my blood pressure shot up, sweat poured out on my forehead as I gripped the wheel. Then I saw it, on the trailer above the cab were large letters that said: U S MAIL. It was just a few months ago that a friend died on his way home after enjoying a few beers with the boys. He was just a few minutes from home, but he did not make the soft curve in the road and veered over into the path of a mail truck. It all happened at the sign along the road that designated the city limits of his hometown.

Now I'm meeting a mail truck at the city limits of Starkville. I could envision this rig coming over the line and demolishing me in my sports car. When the dust settled and the fuel is washed off the highway, I thought, someone will have to use a shovel to get me off the pavement and into a body bag. I remember screaming at the top of my lungs as the truck roared passed, barely able to see because of the tears that were blinding me. Then immediately, that voice, "Now, now, you're alright. Everything is going to be fine. Quit worrying. Calm down. You're okay. You need that drink that you've been thinking about. Everything will be just fine."

This time, however, it was different. Wiping the tears, trying to catch my breath and get my emotions in check, it happened. Before I could even contemplate what the voice was telling me, I felt it. I was safely in Starkville, but I sensed something else, or someone else, was in the car with me. The only way to describe is to go back in time to when I was a boy. Dad had bought my sister and me a couple of horses. Whenever I rode them, I only had one speed: wide open. Dad had taught me that when I brought one in hot, take everything off of it, then lead the horse around with a halter and rope until it had cooled off. On many occasions, I walked a hot horse while it had its nostrils flared, breathing in massive amounts of fresh air, and blowing out huge quantities of hot air. I could feel hot breath blowing on my neck as I made my way into Starkville. It seemed as if something, or someone, was in the back seat trying to get me, and this little car didn't even have a backseat!

I was too scared to turn around and look, so I just cried out, "Oh, please, help me, help me!" My heart pounded and the tears flowed all the way across town until I pulled into the parking lot of Arbor Acres. No one was in sight, I found a parking spot, got out as fast as possible, and refused to look back toward the rear of my car. Walking towards our apartment, all I could think about was that I've got to talk to God. Everyone was asleep when I arrived, so I quietly slipped up to my room and into my bed, heart still pounding, tears still flowing, body still shaking. The window to my room was just above my head, and a security light outside provided a soft glow to my room. Lying motionless, still under deep conviction, and thinking about all of the activities of the previous hours, I finally whispered a prayer, "Dear God, please don't let me die and go to Hell. Please, Jesus, I know that you died for me, and if you'll save me, I won't have to go to Hell. Please, Jesus, please save me. I'll do what you want me to do, I'll go where you want me to go, and I'll say what you want me to say. Please don't let me go to Hell, please save me."

As those words left my lips and approached the throne room of Heaven, God did a work of amazing grace in my life. No fireworks went off that night in my room, no flashes of lightening nor peels of thunder, and there were no visiting angels coming up and down a shining ladder thrust through that little window. Something more spectacular, however, took place. The Spirit of Christ stepped out of Heaven and into my heart, cleansing me of my sin, transforming me, and giving me new, abundant, and eternal life!

As Friday dawned, I decided to skip my eight o'clock class so that I could be waiting on my lovely friend to arrive at nine o'clock in Carpenter Hall. I remember sitting on the big concrete steps awaiting her arrival, and how I felt when I finally saw her walking across the Drill Field. Something was much different now. She was still so knock-out gorgeous, but this time my heart was filled with something other than lust. Looking at her as she got closer, I sensed the voice of God speaking to me, "Son, you're going to marry that girl." Coming up close to me, she didn't even ask if I had prayed to be saved (she later said that it was quite evident on my face). As our eyes locked, I said, "I believe God just spoke to me."

"Really?" she replied, "What did He say?"

"He said that I'm going to marry you!"

"Well, He hasn't told me that," was her less than enthusiastic reply, as we walked into the building and up to her classroom.

Forty years. Forty incredible years. You might be wondering: "What happened to that young lady? The one that you dreamed of spending a few nights with - what happened to her?" Well, we exchanged vows and rings the following year as we stood before a congregation of witnesses in our wedding ceremony at Friendship Baptist Church, and I've been blessed to spend thousands of nights with her! When those who knew me well heard about my salvation experience, they said it would last no more than six months. They were wrong. And when word began to spread that I was planning on getting married, those same voices said it wouldn't last two years. They were wrong, as well. "Let God be true, but every man a liar!" (Romans 3:4)

These past forty years have not been perfect, because we live in a fallen, sin-cursed world. And it's not been perfect because I still must renounce the demands of my Adamic flesh, take up my cross daily, and follow Jesus. I have often disappointed Tammy, Apryl, Laurie, Micah and Eli, as well as many other folks that we have known over the years. Yet through it all, God has been so good to me! Surrendering to preach His word a few years after my conversion, it has been almost like a fairy tale of activity. The places to which I have traveled, the people that I have met, and the precious opportunities that have been given to me to exalt Christ are, at times, difficult to describe. How could a boy from Duncan, Mississippi grow up to experience what I've experienced? How could a teenager who worked in the flooded rice fields of his family farm in the Delta wind up traveling to places in Africa, Europe, Asia, Central and South America, as well as all across the United States to proclaim God's word? How could a young man with his own landscaping and lawn maintenance business, along with his young family, pack up and leave behind a profitable future for the great unknown of church ministry and seminary training? And how could that same young man follow the leadership of the Lord to leave seminary without a degree, and eventually find himself leading and conducting preaching, evangelism and missions, prayer, and church leadership conferences all over the world? The only explanation to my life and ministry is the amazing grace of God.

Forty years. Forty incredible years. To God be the glory - Amen!