You can pick your friends, you can pick your neighbors and you can even pick your spouse, but the holidays are a vivid reminder that you can’t pick your relatives. If you are like me, you often wonder how so many different kinds of people could originate from the same gene pool. Somehow, drumsticks and pumpkin pie have a way of bringing even the most diverse people together.
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There are just some people who love to hate. If you are not like them, then don’t expect any favors. Being different triggers the release of their venom. They often operate under the radar. They are subtle, sly and deliberate. They are kind and smile with warm regards in your presence, but the moment your back is turned, they hiss like a snake in the grass.
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It happened again recently. Another minister bit the dust. It seems a day doesn’t pass without news that a minister somewhere has experienced a moral failure.
Despite being disappointed, angry, scared and utterly shocked, I wonder. I wonder what went wrong. Who will be next? Will I know them? Were there any tell-tale signs? Before I start looking for a stone to throw, I am reminded that but for the grace of God, so go I.
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Who would have thought that asking candidates simple straight forward questions about a variety of important issues would cause some folks to decide they need to blast the inquirer for daring to ask such meaningful and probing questions?
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I had the recent privilege of being one of more than 3,000 people to experience an afternoon at Falls Creek listening and laughing to the funny stories and songs of Mark Lowry. Without question, it was one of the highlights of my Falls Creek adventures. And believe me, I’ve had many.
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I’ve met a lot of politicians in my day, but I have never met former New Jersey Gov. James E. McGreevey. I knew very little about him until his recent book tour put him on nearly every radio and TV talk show on the planet. Why all the fuss? The former governor is a practicing homosexual, and has gone out of his way to confess the details of his sinful lifestyle in his new book.
McGreevey had been publicly silent about his sexual desires for men until he announced two years ago that he was gay and was resigning as governor of New Jersey. Ultimately, he divorced his wife, left her to be the single parent of their baby and moved in with his male partner!
This is our world. Forget political platforms. In our culture, sin is placed on a platform all its own. Want to write a bestseller? Great, just confess the vulgar, nasty details of your perverted lifestyle in a book for the entire world to read. The media are sure to pick up on it and make you a national icon.
Stop right there. Before you categorize me as a gay basher, let me inform you that I believe God loves homosexuals. I have friends who are homosexuals. I have relatives who are homosexuals. Homosexuals are everywhere! Surprised? You shouldn’t be. Homosexuality is like every other sin. Sin abounds. Last time I checked, God hates sin, but still loves sinners. God doesn’t ask us to accept sin, but He does call on us to love. It appears to me that McGreevey has yet to find true love.
Throughout his interviews, McGreevey spoke of how his book was a confession that freed him to be whom his God created him to be naturally. For him, being gay is a natural expression of who he is as a person. Key word–natural. It may be “natural” for him, but it is neither acceptable, nor tolerated by God. As fallen beings, it is our natural desires that got us in this mess. Our natural desires lead us into trouble. Homosexuality, adultery, stealing, gossip and slander are just a few of the natural desires that put Jesus on the cross. Need I go on?
The devil has dealt James E. McGreevey a terrible lie. Can you imagine someone confessing to you that they are stealing from you and then turning right around and continuing to pick your pocket? Confession alone falls short. It is not enough to simply confess your sins. Like all of us, Mr. McGreevey needs to not only confess his sins, he needs to repent. He needs to turn from his wicked ways and run to the arms of a loving God who will radically change his life and free him from the bondage of his sinful lifestyle.
Jesus paid the price to free us from our ugly, natural selves. But we have to accept Him as our Savior, making Him the Governor of our life. Will you join me in praying for James E. McGreevey? I pray his confession will some day lead him to repentance at the feet of Christ. His joy will never be complete until he discovers God’s plan for his life. The same is true for you and me.
Sooner football fans are furious, and the Oregon Ducks are quacking out loud about their recent 34-33 win over Oklahoma. Questionable officiating during the final 72 seconds of the game has sports broadcasters, university presidents, coaches, players and loyal sports fanatics in an uproar and hungry for blood!
Recognizing what a horrible mistake the officials made of the game, the Pac-10 Conference suspended the referees and instant replay officials for their bad decisions. Some have accused the officials of using a duck call rather than a whistle. They blew it all right; they blew the game in a big way.
For whatever reason, whether it was peer pressure, short sightedness, money under the table or just plain old stupidity, the officials ended up looking like bumbling idiots on national TV. Their lack of discretion has been broadcast over and over again for millions to hear and see. If they thought they were pulling a fast one, boy were they ever wrong.
Before you gloat with satisfaction and justify your blood shot eyes, stop for a minute and ask yourself whether you’ve ever blown it. I know I have. Can you imagine what it would be like to have some of your decisions subject to instant replay? Yikes! There will come a day that all of us will stand before a righteous and holy God to give an account for the plays we called in the game of life. The devil will stand ready to roll the instant replay. But praise be to God, we have a coach on our team who will pull the plug on the tape machine. “Not so fast buster,” I can hear Jesus say. “I paid the price for this one’s bad decisions. He made me Lord of his life and accepted me as his Savior. Sorry, this one is on my team. We reviewed the tape, and it appears a blood stain has made your accusations inconclusive.” And with that, the final judge declares our innocence.
Just like in life, there are no do overs for the Sooners or the refs. I’m sad about the game, but as a Christian, I’m so thankful I don’t get what I deserve. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound (not from a whistle or a duck call) that saved a wretch like me.
Whether or not you thought Steve Irwin was courageous or crazy; one thing is for sure, TV’s “Crocodile Hunter” was not immortal. Television has a way of making everyday people seem larger than life.
Week after week, Irwin tempted fate by dancing like bait before some of nature’s most dangerous animals. His playful antics and outback adventures made him a favorite TV personality. Unfortun-ately, Irwin was killed recently during the taping of a TV special featuring his interaction with some of the ocean’s most deadly animals.
According to eyewitnesses, Irwin swam too close to a large stingray. Before he knew it, the normally calm sea creature stabbed him in the heart with its poison stinger. The affectionate adventurer was dead within a matter of minutes. His companions and crew were shocked to learn the man who had escaped danger so many times before had finally met his match at sea.
In some ways, there is a little bit of Steve Irwin in all of us. Somehow we fail to see how dangerous our lives have become. At first we play with sin from a distance. Like Irwin, we tease and flirt with disaster. We survive a few near misses and gradually grow more and more comfortable with the risks we take.
For Irwin, it was crocodiles, snakes and stingrays. For others it is a quick glance at Internet pornography, a quarter in a slot machine or a sip from a bottle of beer that leads them down a path that ultimately brings them too close to the fire. Eventually, they get burned.
Sin has a way of drawing us into its trap. Slowly but surely, like bugs drawn to the light, we are mesmerized by the lure of the bait. When we least expect it, sin delivers its poison barb straight to the heart. In an instant, a life is ruined, and what we call “life as normal” is no more. Our family and friends are stunned. How could it happen? What went wrong? Heaven weeps as Satan and his cronies get the last laugh.
Such doesn’t have to be the case. Paul encouraged Timothy to flee sin and to hunt down righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Those who fail to do so will wander from the faith and pierce themselves with grief.
Steve Irwin was known as the “Crocodile Hunter.” What kind of hunter are you? Are you playing with sin or is sin playing you? The book of I Peter says the devil is like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. Beware that the hunter doesn’t become the hunted.
If you are looking for a creative, entertaining and inspiring approach to share your faith, look no more. “The Rock and the Rabbi,” a nationally recognized musical, is coming to six venues throughout Oklahoma Sept. 17 through Oct. 1.
When was the last time you attended a Broadway caliber show that shares the Gospel in a powerful and innovative way? When describing the musical, Josh McDowell said, “I was blown away by it . . . you don’t see this, you don’t hear it, you experience it.”
“The Rock and the Rabbi” is the story of a fisherman named Peter and the Rabbi who changes his life. Sound familiar? Remind you of a life-changing encounter you might have had with a Jewish Rabbi named Jesus? You guessed it. It is His story.
The musical combines storytelling with sounds of acoustic strings and percussion. The audience is swept away on a journey with Peter and Jesus. The story highlights friendship, betrayal, forgiveness and ultimate reconciliation, all while being entertaining and delivering the redemptive message of the greatest story ever told.
The Baptist Messenger is providing tickets to “The Rock and the Rabbi” for any pastor and a guest who wants to attend the musical. Pastors are encouraged to call 800/869-1451, ext. 220, to secure their free tickets. Be sure to mention the Baptist Messenger and your position as a pastor. Seating is limited and based on availability. Group rates are also available by calling the same number. Groups receive five free tickets when 10 are purchased.
“The Rock and the Rabbi” is coming to Oklahoma City, Sept. 17-24, (proceeds for the 24th matinee benefit the Falls Creek Campaign), Shawnee, Sept. 26, (proceeds benefit OBU scholarships), McAlester, Sept. 27-28, Tahlequah, Sept. 29, Muskogee, Sept. 30, Miami, Oct. 1. Call 800/869-1451 for details and tickets.
Special kudos go out to Larry and Kay Payton, members of Tulsa, Parkview, for bringing “The Rock and the Rabbi” to Oklahoma. Their vision for using the arts to reach the world for Christ is admirable and deserves our unwavering support. Now, as they say in theater, “go break a leg!”
Killing babies just got easier, thanks to the “Food and Death Administration” (FDA). You might recognize the FDA as the Food and Drug Administration, or as the government agency that recently approved the over-the-counter use of a pill with abortion-causing qualities, known as Plan B. It is the FDA’s duty to administer drugs suitable for consumer consumption. By approving the “kill pill,” they are now administering death to millions of innocent children who will never be given a chance at life outside their mother’s womb! Some will argue Plan B is simply a powerful contraceptive. They can dress it up however they want, but Plan B is the medically-induced ending of an innocent human life because it attacks a baby in the earliest stages of its development. Ultimately, only God knows whether conception would have occurred. In reality, there isn’t a right way to do a wrong thing. Two wrongs don’t make a right.
The product warning label should read: Attention all women 18 years of age or older. Do you regret having intimate relationships with someone last night? Struggling with being personally responsible for your actions? Worried your actions might result in one of the greatest blessings on Earth? Abortion advocates say, “Don’t worry, just pop a pill and don’t give your baby a chance.”
You might not regret your actions until the morning after, but trust me, there will be mourning after. Take advantage of this terrible, over-the-counter drug, and you are sure to regret your decision, even more every time you see a mother holding a precious little baby in her arms. Your decision will haunt you as you wonder if you will face your little angel in Heaven some day.
We all have regrets. No one is perfect. Having a baby is a tremendous responsibility. We all make mistakes. I am a living and breathing example of what it means to be a mistake. Thank God my mother took responsibility for her actions and gave her baby the right to life that every child deserves. If my mother had swallowed a “kill pill,” you wouldn’t be reading this editorial. In fact, I may have written it, but if your mother had taken the advice of the Planned Parenthood crowd, you wouldn’t be here to read it, either. My mother gave me some great advice years ago, and it is advice I would like to share with any woman who might be considering swallowing the abortion pill, “Keep your mouth closed!” Don’t do it. There are thousands of loving and compassionate people who are willing to walk with you in your journey to bring new life into the world.
I pray you will never be tempted to swallow the lie that the pro-choice deceivers propagate. Don’t join the millions of women who have lived to regret murdering their babies. Wake up each morning proud of the fact that despite the challenges, despite the sacrifices and despite the odds being against you, you made the RIGHT CHOICE. Give your baby the opportunity to live life to the fullest. When you do, there will be no hard pills to swallow and no mourning after. But rather, a little girl or boy, like me, who may have been a mistake, but will spend the rest of their life proving you were right for not going with Plan B!
If you are a woman considering taking the life of your unborn baby, please contact the Hope Pregnancy Center’s toll-free, confidential hotline at 877/276-6242.