Quotable

One of my favorite Baptists is Andrew Fuller (d. 1815). The following is taken from a letter dated April 2, 1795 that he wrote to his dear friend John Ryland. These are good words for us as we seek personal holiness and spiritual growth.

"...Sin is to be overcome, not so much by maintaining a direct opposition to it, as by cultivating opposite principles. Would you kill the weeds in your garden, plant it with good seed; if the ground be well occupied, there will be less need of the labour of the hoe. If a man wished to quench fire, he might fight it with his hands till he was burnt to death; the only way is to apply an opposite element." (Emphasis added)

Source: The armies of the Lamb: The spirituality of Andrew Fuller, Edited by Michael A. G. Haykin

Nineteen Years Ago

Today is Chasity's birthday. She is my oldest daughter. It seems like only a short time has passed since I was visiting with her in the NICU at Charleston Memorial hospital. Could it really be 19 years?

She was born two months early, an emergency c-section. She only weighed 2 lbs. 13 oz. I could nearly hold her in the palm of my hand.

It is amazing and wonderful how the Lord has used this little girl in my life. The things I have learned and the joys I have known. All three of my girls are wonderful to me and I love them dearly. They are all beautiful, unique and so special to their "old Dad." Today however, I rejoice for my firstborn and I celebrate the anniversary of the day Chasity Dawn came into my world.

The Envelope Please...

Not surprising that "Facing the Giants" didn't get any awards from the Hollywood crowd. It would have been sluffed off as too religious, too narrow or too predictable. That's okay. I'm certain the folks that made this film could care less about mainstream awards. Here's the truth, if you can handle it:

"Facing the Giants" is a movie about life (and football). However, it presents each situation from a Christian worldview, not a secular one. In addition, it shares the truth about fear, weakness and ultimate victory. Things most Hollywood types know nothing about. Oh, they experience fear and all the rest, they have just not learned about the victory part. This movie is simply offensive to those who do not know Christ. No surprise there.

Our church showed this film before a small group of our members on Friday night, after we devoured about 8 or 10 Papa John's pizzas. It was great. Many tears, a few laughs and everyone "got it." This is not the best movie I have ever seen. However, the message is solid, encouraging and a refreshing departure from the norm.

Movie Night at FBC

Tomorrow night our church will be showing the film "Facing the Giants." It is a very good movie that was produced by a church in Georgia. It is clearly low budget, which will be distracting to some die hard moviegoers, but overall the message far outweighs any weakness in the acting. All of the cast members are volunteers that are connected to the church or its community. The director/lead actor is a church staffer. I read that the budget was around $1 million. The sound and cinematography are very good quality. But, what sets this movie apart is the very bold presentation of the gospel. Apparently upon release it was shown in over 600 theaters nationwide. Now it is out on DVD. Think about it. How many people have been exposed to the gospel because of this film? A pastor friend of mine said he saw it in the theater. He watched one couple walk out of the theater during the movie complaining that there was "too much God" in the film. Poor souls.

Certainly our culture is driven by media and entertainment. This fact is usually a real point of contention for evangelicals. However, if the product is good, and solid theologically, ministries should take full advantage of the resources available to share the message of Jesus Christ.

I don't know how many folks will join us for the movie here at First Baptist Church. I do know that God is able to use a non-traditional venue to reach those outside of Christ. I pray that he will use this event for His glory and the furtherance of the gospel.

Coffee Church

Today I took time to visit my local Starbucks. I worked there for 3 years and it is a place I see a lot of folks in our community. It was late afternoon so a bit slow. Good time to drink a Chai latte and get some reading done. [By the way, I am reading Living the Cross Centered Life by C. J. Mahaney...I highly recommend it!] During my time there I had a chance to talk theology and doctrine with a couple of friends. We talked openly and often quite loudly about some fairly interesting topics. It was good and thought provoking. A year or so back there was a group of folks that would meet at this same Starbucks on Sunday morning...they called it "coffee church." Mostly it was a big gossip session. Since I'm busy elsewhere most Sunday mornings, I think I will start "coffee church" on Tuesday afternoons. Kind of my own little church plant. Nice building, plenty of coffee and pastries. I think I will dispense with the singing and go straight to the message, not sure about the offering just yet. I'll keep you posted on the attendance. Pray that the Lord will bless this new work.

Chopsticks...not the song

Today I ate at the Chinese buffet with my friend. He picked up some chopsticks and proceeded to use them. I was content to use the fork and spoon neatly wrapped and placed on our table. However, I decided to try the chopsticks...(when in Beijing I suppose). Two bites of rice later I reverted back to the standard fork that have used so successfully for the past 40 years. I would still be sitting there trying to get the food into my mouth. (Has anyone patented the chopstick diet? You stop eating because you are frustrated with the utensils...lose 10 lbs in the first week!) It's 2007, why would we still eat with two skinny pieces of wood when there are perfectly good forks available. Things like this baffle me. As another friend would say, "madness!"

[It's a slow news day and I'm too lazy to find anything meaningful to post.]