Sunday, May 18, 2008

Embracing Accusation

Tonight I saw Shane & Shane in concert for the first time. I highly recommend their live show! It was a true worship experience. The "Shanes" (Barnard and Everett) led worship for Breakaway Ministries at Texas A & M and then began touring and recording.

The video below includes a song with a powerful message. Embracing Accusation is deeply rooted in the theology of the gospel. Christ took our sin and became accursed for us. Although the devil, who is the accuser of those who believe, will remind us of the curse, he only shares half the story! What is the rest of that story? JESUS SAVES!

The whole theme of the song is that the devil haunts and tanunts us with part of the gospel story... but leaves out the emphasis of Scripture that Christ saves.

The song is based on Galatians 3:10 where Paul quotes Deuteronomy 27:26:
“Cursed is the man who does not uphold the words of this law by carrying them out.”

But Paul goes on to say in verse 13 that…
“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us”

The gospel offers great hope because the work of salvation is completed in the work of Christ.
We offer nothing to that work! We are saved by grace through faith in Him!

Don't let the enemy discourage you...if you are redeemed, don't embrace accusations!

Here are the lyrics to Embracing Accusations…


The father of lies
Coming to stealKill and destroy
All my hopes of being good enough
I hear him saying cursed are the ones
Who can’t abide
He’s right Alleluia he’s right!
The devil is preaching
The song of the redeemed
That I am cursed and gone astray
I cannot gain salvation
Embracing accusation
Could the father of lies
Be telling the truth
Of God to me tonight?
If the penalty of sin is death
Then death is mine
I hear him saying cursed are the ones
Who can’t abide
He’s right
Alleluia he’s right!
Oh the devil’s singing over me
An age old song
That I am cursed and gone astray
Singing the first verse so conveniently
He’s forgotten the refrain
Jesus saves!

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

SAYING "FAREWELL FOR NOW" TO MAMAW
This past week I took an emotional journey home with my wife and kids. We went back to Hattiesburg, Mississippi upon the death of my 94-year-old grandmother, Gladys Hanberry. (Mamaw)

Over the next few days, I'd like to share some things from her life! She was simply AMAZING!

SUMRALL - Services will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at Hulett-Winstead Funeral Home in Sumrall for Gladys Herrin Hanberry, 94, of Sumrall, who died May 5, 2008, at Forrest General Hospital. Burial will be in Oral Cemetery. Mrs. Hanberry was a homemaker and member of First Baptist Church of Sumrall. She was preceded in death by her husband, James Hanberry; a son, Billy Hanberry; and two grandchildren. Survivors include two sons, Robert Hanberry and Jerry Hanberry, both of Sumrall; three daughters, Elizabeth Ross of Wiggins, Nadine McManus and Joan Terrell, both of Sumrall; two sisters, Inez Aultman of Sumrall and Ruth Herring of Gulfport; 13 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church of Sumrall building fund, First Baptist Church of Hattiesburg building fund, Temple Baptist Church, Bellevue Baptist Church of Hattiesburg or Big Level Baptist Church of Wiggins. Visitation will be from 5:30-9 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.

Friday, May 02, 2008

EXPELLED:No Intelligence Allowed


Watch this trailer...SEE THIS MOVIE!



Insightful Interview...







ENGAGING CULTURE...INTELLIGENTLY!
I had the opportunity to see Ben Stein's new documentary Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed last night. In the next few days I will add a review of the movie, but for now here are a couple of thoughts:

1) This is a great opportunity for you to begin dialog with your friends and neighbors about your faith. The movie opens the door for conversation about the origin of life and the empty explanations offered by darwinian scientiests about beginnings!

2)This is a great opportunity for churches to engage their community. I would love for our church to rent out a theater and offer free tickets to all of the science teachers in our county's school district.
3) The film had a wonderfully successful opening weekend with a VERY limited opening. Many theaters were reluctant (even opposed) to showing this movie. Public outcry (measured best by TICKET SALES) is the best way to convince other theaters to join in. But word of mouth can also help spread influence. Here’s what you can do right now to ensure that hundreds of additional theaters not only show the film, but keep it running for several weeks:

Call or go to your local movie theater and ask the manager to show the film. If you are not sure where/who to call in your area, then use this toll-free number in the U.S. and someone will share that local information with you: 800-705-0485.

Go to your church leadership and encourage them to buy out a local theater so that Expelled could be shown there—and then make sure as many people from that church attend as possible.
Send the following email link about the film to your email contact list:
You can print out Expelled flyers (http://www.expelledthemovie.com/freedownloads.php) and then pass them out.

These actions are key to a successful promotion of this heroic film, especially since a backlash is already building against it by the evolutionist community.

We also encourage you to spend time browsing the interactive Expelled website: http://www.answersingenesis.org/link.asp?http://www.ExpelledTheMovie.com.

RUNNING FROM GOODNESS & MERCY

This is the final blog entry regarding Psalm 23...


David has given us thoughts about how God relates to His own as a shepherd. David has sat on the hillsides...given the flock protection, direction, comfort, rest, and provision for their every need.


David recognizes that all of those things are easily seen in his relationship to God as well! God, the GREAT SHEPHERD, leads, guides, protects, nurtures, and loves His flock.


And so we come to the final line of what is now perhaps the most "Famous" Psalm.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life...


THE BIBLE SAYS THAT WE WILL BE FOLLOWED BY GOODNESS AND MERCY!

FOLLOWED... It seems serene and peaceful. The goodness and mercy of God tagging along behind. For most of my life I read those words and pictured images of Andy and Opie strolling along, heading down to the fishin' hole with cane poles in tow. The daydream also included a little lop-eared beagle trailing along and bringing up the rear. NOT SO!!!
David chose his words carefully...the word "follow" in Psalm 23:6 is best translated "pursue". It expresses a cheetah giving chase to its next meal. It is the word for the advancing Israelite army giving chase to the fleeing Phillistines.
Quite literally, the Bible is saying to us that God's goodness and mercy are hunting us down! His goodness and mercy are chasing/pursuing/stalking.
God also uses the Psalmist to tell us to "BE STILL and KNOW that I am God".
Link those thoughts:
God's love and mercy and goodness and grace are giving chase. If we will be still, they will catch up. God is pursuing a love relationship with you and with me. He wants to bless us. He wants to lavish His goodness upon us, and if we still ourselves they will overtake us.
Rev. S.M. Lockridge called "goodness" and "mercy" the shepherd's watchdogs...always in pursuit. I like that. This loving, benevolent, gracious, shepherding God is looking for ways to pursue us with His goodness and mercy. Stop Running Away Today!!!