Foundation Work

David declared in Psalms 11:3, “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”

Isaiah gives an answer: “And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in.” (Isa 58:12)

I first saw these two Scriptures put together in such a way through some pictures from the Answers In Genesis ministry.  I was so impacted, they made it into my book, The Playbook.

I realized that our church had been called to rebuild foundations…to recover and restore critical truths…to actually attack the spiritual “black gates” that keep so many families and communities bound!

But there is a problem.  This sort of work is HARD.  It’s unglamorous.  In fact, if one isn’t really paying attention, one could almost think nothing is happening!

Such is the process of building or repairing foundations.

It’s like watching a house being built.  My wife and I had such an experience over 20 years ago.  First, there was the joy of the purchase.  “We just bought a house!”  But since our home was new construction, all we initially saw was a grass lot and dirt!

So week after week after the purchase, we’d drive from our apartment in Hampton to Chesapeake to look at that lot.  "Still dirt! C'mon!!" And then one day, we saw that DIRT HAD BEEN MOVED!   The joy we had!  LOL!  So we anxiously came back the next week…and footings had been dug!  Party time!!!!  And then...time.........stood.............still.  Week after week after week we thought, “Is this all they have done?  Where is our house?”

Thankfully, bricks eventually showed up…then the foundation SLOWLY was completed.  Then more waiting and visits.  For what seemed like FOREVER, it continued to look like NOTHING much was happening.

Then one Saturday, on yet another visit to our newly purchased home….BOOM!  Walls!  Then the next week: Doors and windows!  Then a roof!  Then the next week: Siding!  

Before you know it we could walk inside and imagine raising our family.  What joy that was!

But hear me…foundation work is SLOW.  And if you think about it, it needs to be.  On it the whole house rests...

"Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it." (Matthew 7:24-27)

To all who are laboring to preach the Gospel, rebuild family, restore fathers, and make disciples…things that truly change communities (not just for awhile, but generationally), BE ENCOURAGED.  

God is working.  You just may not see it yet!

Worldview Matters! One Race, One Blood...

"...And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us..." (Acts 17:26-27)

So much pain, confusion, hate, and death for something that isn't even true.  Christ's Word has the answers as always.  Forgive us oh Lord.  May we look therein, be transformed, and be healed.

For more on this important subject, click HERE.  Really appreciate the ministry of Answers in Genesis.

Sinner saved by Grace, 

CCM

Family Worship Conviction

Have you ever read a passage of Scripture, and you immediately saw that you are totally out of alignment with what God was saying?

That was me this morning.  During family worship, we read this Text:

So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

I just sat there.  Then I stared at it.  Then I started reading it over and over.  My wife looked at me with a puzzled look…then she smiled.  She knew those verses had grabbed me.

I thought to myself:

• I feel like God has given me some revelation at times…
• But I despise the price.  Satan needs to get behind me.  I’ll handle my own conceit.
• I’m grateful for grace but rarely see it as sufficient.  I want the circumstances to change!  NOW!
• I do not boast in my weaknesses; I whine about them.
• So then am I forfeiting available power from Christ because of my attitude?
• I’m not only NOT content with my weaknesses; I despise them!
• I’m not only NOT content with insults…I’m insulted! LOL
• Hardships, persecutions, and calamities?  The devil is a lie! (Or liar, depending on the church you grew up in. :))
• When I’m weak, I’m weak.  I feel weak, I pray weakly, and I hate weakness.

I’m a big mess apparently.  Muuuuuuch work to do.

Thank you Lord for mercy.

Controversy...but NEEDED!

So I'm sitting with a dear friend recently, a good pastor, with my heart breaking as he told me of a massive exodus in his church by women, who according to him, "Took their husbands and left."  My friend was hurting.  Badly.  I so get that, because I've been there.

His crime?  Seeking to teach and apply God's directions for the order of home and church.

Scripture lays out CLEARLY the distinct and complementary roles of men and women in the home and church.  CLEARLY.  Think about the number of clear precepts: 1 Tim 2, 1 Tim 3, Titus 1, Titus 2, 1 Cor 11, 1 Cor 14, Eph 5, Col 3, 1 Pet 3, etc. 

What else would Christ have to say to convince us?

Yet we have a better plan.  And our plan is terrible.  People are getting hurt.  Churches are getting hurt.  Marriages are getting hurt.  Culture has lost the light of the church.  We have blatanly disobeyed God's order for HIS church and we are paying a terrible price.

Below is the most controversial sermon I've ever preached in my nearly 20 years of pastoring our church, and the most watched.  It cost me members and friends (literally), but also gained me some as well, by the mercy of God.  People are still calling, emailing, and even visiting our church from other states (two years later!) because we were bold enough to actually preach this sermon.  Just yesterday, I met another brother in Christ from another state, who found this sermon, and now gets his family up early every Sunday to watch what God is doing in our church before he goes to his.  I'm amazed because this just keeps happening.  God has sense of humor! :)

In it, some of these issues are touched upon.  May the Lord give us the strength to obey His Holy Word.