Pastor’s Blog, February 2007
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RESPOND

Warring for What?

Wednesday, February 28, 2007, 5:50 p.m. EST
Ezekiel 42

Hello. This is my blog for the day. Oh, I have updated the “Warring for What?” document. God bless.

Tuesday, February 27, 2007, 4:45 p.m. EST
Ezekiel 39

I had a pretty full day today. Since it was a “Faith Ministries” day, I put all the Faith Ministries work at the top of my list, so I have just now gotten to where I can write a bit in here.
    The main news is that we now have somewhat firm dates — as firm as you can realistically make them several months in advance — for folks coming to visit Faith Assembly “from afar.” The Rodriguez family from Conroe, Texas, will come beginning around June 1, staying through June 10 or so. Lord willing, we will see them at meetings on two Sundays and on one Wednesday. We would like to know if others are planning to come at the same time. Some lodging would be available in homes of Faith Assembly people, if you let us know you are coming. As we get closer to the time, we will be making plans for various things we can do together, so people get the most out of coming such a long distance. Keep in mind, this will be getting on toward summer, so things like picnics are quite possible.
    At this point, I am just not sure about having a “seminar.” What I mean by a seminar is where we send out brochures giving the dates and the planned subject, and perhaps even try to arrange for special lodging rates at some local hotel. But, in the past, we have had very little response considering the effort. I am not against the idea, but it would probably be a lot more “low key,” such as having maybe just one extra meeting, and letting people know by word of mouth, and here on the church website. Whatever we decide, our aim is to do all we can to make sure that those who come are blessed! To me, it does not matter any more if anyone stays away because . . . well, I will not finish that . . . for whatever reason. God has blessed us, and we want to bless others. But, if they do not want to come, that is between them and the Lord.
    However, down deep inside me there is a hope, a growing sense, that God is breaking down the walls, and that He will soon begin to restore relationships, to bring reconciliation, to heal His Body, and to restore His work. I do not believe that God’s work is limited to Faith Assembly; but I know we are part of His work, and I believe that works He has established will be able to get along with each other, and even bless one another. I have that hope, which means I am looking forward to it with expectant anticipation of what is going to happen. Praise the Lord!

Monday, February 26, 2007, 12:25 p.m. EST
Ezekiel 37

My next little project for the website will be to make the sermon notes that I posted over the past few months available for download. What I had done was, each time I posted current notes, the previous notes were just replaced, so were no longer available. But, I still have all those notes on my computer. What I will do is convert them to HTML code, instead of PDF, and point the current notes link to a page listing the messages, and you can choose whichever notes you want, and you can easily download them, save them, and print them out. So, pardon me while I work on this project. I will blog more later.

2:45 p.m. EST

Okay. I have finished the project of putting the sermon notes on the website. These are only the notes I condensed and put online at the time I brought the messages. But, they are now in a continually accessible location. Click the link to Sermon Notes on the home page to find them.
    Let me say here, I do not plan to make my notes available every time I teach, but I will if I think there is a good reason. Also, the outlines of Acts through II Corinthians were not put on the web at the time I taught them, and I never did prepare outlines for I Thessalonians or Philemon (I outlined them “on the fly,” when I preached the messages.). I probably will go ahead and condense the ones I outlined, but for now, I am not planning to prepare outlines for the ones I did on the fly.

Sunday, February 25, 2007, 9:20 a.m. EST
Ezekiel 35

Ezekiel 34 is the chapter about the false shepherds, and it should make every pastor shake in his shoes. I can only say that it is my heart to be a faithful shepherd (pastor). I feel in many ways that I just have not succeeded. Certainly, if success is measured by sheep coming back to the fold, I don’t have much to show for my efforts. But, who are the sheep? How do I determine who are God’s flock, or who are not? The only thing I know to do is keep preparing and serving the food. God can bring the sheep in as it pleases Him; but, if I am to go out and fetch them, He will have to supernaturally show me the ones who are truly His sheep. So, I can certainly say, I’m not left to feel smug at my success in being a faithful shepherd.
    Now, there is another side to this. Ezekiel 34 certainly is a pattern against which to examine a ministry; but it was about Israel, God’s flock, and the unfaithfulness of the religious leaders at that time. By comparison, who would be considered God’s flock today? Any particular church? I would hardly think it would be so exclusive. Going around and trying to draw back to Faith Assembly the people who once were part of the body is not even realistic. But, I can keep preaching God’s Word for those who are here, and God can move people’s hearts to bring them here, as it pleases Him. I know very well that success in God’s eyes is not measured in numbers. Church growth is not the proof of God’s blessing on a ministry. I can also believe for God to bring in more brothers with the ministry gifts. I take no great pride in being the pastor. If God wanted to raise up someone else, I would have no problem with that. Of course, God would make that clear to me, and it would not be some kind of power struggle.
    My call is actually quite simple: be the pastor for this body, whatever size God wants it to be, and keep Faith Ministries and Publications going, to continue to make the materials we have available to others. There are other aspects, to be sure; but those are the main elements, and by His grace, I will keep fulfilling that call.

Saturday, February 24, 2007, 4:25 p.m. EST
Ezekiel 33

The Word is true and unchanging, no matter who may dispute it. We can know the truth. In fact, there is no way the truth can set us free if we do not know it.
    God reigns in heaven, and woe be to anyone on earth who defies Him or His will. In the chapters I have just completed in Ezekiel, the watchman on the wall is delivered from bloodguiltiness, so long as he has been faithful to blow the trumpet. Those who refuse to heed will perish, but he has delivered his own soul.
    While I believe in household salvation, the same principle applies to my own family. If I do not warn them, and they go the wrong way, it will be on my head. They will surely perish, but God will hold me responsible for their blood. My only hope, for them and for myself, is to continue to teach them and warn them. How else can they know when they are going the wrong way? But if I have warned them, and they insist on going the wrong way, they will not be able to say I did not warn them. I will surely suffer my own anguish if they perish; but I will not have to face bloodguiltiness because of failing to warn them. The question is, when I see things happen, is it because I have failed to warn sufficiently? How much more could I say? Oh, the agony!
    I surely can understand God’s heart, as He pled with Israel, His children! I plead, and I plead. I know I am not God, but I am utterly convinced the ways I’m teaching my children are God’s ways, in line with His Word. So, if they choose to go other directions, it will only be to their own hurt! Oh, God! Have mercy on my children!
    But, nevertheless, I do believe in household salvation. I do warn my children, and I trust God will use it to bring them into His will. Israel was stiffnecked, rebellious, and stubborn. But they were still God’s children, and He loved them, and He never ceased sending His servants the prophets to warn them and invite them to repent of their sins and be forgiven.
    I also know there is nothing to be gained by struggling against something that is established reality. And the answer is not just to cope, but to deal with things redemptively; to overcome; to find ways to overcome evil with good. If I am overcome by a contrary situation, how can I set an example for my children as to how to deal with things when it is their turn?
    One thing in which I have complete confidence: God will use even foolish decisions of any of us as a means of teaching us and correcting us. I can believe for God to have mercy, even if it is for situations I never got into myself. But, suppose this were a theoretical situation: one person owes money because he borrowed from the bank; another person has avoided debt by means of an income from a source that is contrary to principles in God's Word. But wait a minute! The borrowing from the bank was also contrary to principles in God’s Word. Each one wanted to make ends meet. But, how can the one judge the other? Two wrongs don’t make a right; they're both wrong; they both need God’s mercy; but, certainly, one can hardly condemn the other. Obviously, in both cases they did what they thought was the best thing at the time. Wrong thing, perhaps, according to God's Word. But one who judges another will be judged on the same bar of justice by God. So, one who wants mercy concerning his own failure will only ask God to have mercy for the other person.

Friday, February 23, 2007, 7:50 a.m. EST
Ezekiel 31

I just spent my blogging time answering an email. I need to get busy with Faith Ministries work.

Thursday, February 22, 2007, 4:45 p.m. EST
Ezekiel 28

For those who have been following our meetings on PalTalk {DEAD obsolete link to our Paltalk Room}, you know that the Lord has been moving us into more active spiritual warfare concerning the unique place and call of this particular assembly. I've decided to make the “Warring for What?” list (yes, that’s a link) more easily available, in HTML format, so your browser doesn't have to launch a separate program to display it. Click the link to see the list. I may adjust it from time to time, so it is worth checking now and then to keep up to date. It is a list, but not your typical “prayer list,” I assure you.
    We will have a time of prayer Friday night, and I may make this a regular thing, unless there is a youth meeting planned for a particular Friday night. Our desire is for anyone seeking a personal revival, or just wanting to come closer to the Lord, to join us, even if they are not part of our church. We will not broadcast these prayer meetings on PalTalk, since there will be no specific program, and no prepared sermon.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007, 8:00 a.m. EST
Ezekiel 22

Well, I have decided each time I blog to include how far I have come in reading through the Bible. By the way, I advocate reading through the Bible, in addition to studying it. The two are not the same. If you really want to understand the big picture of the Bible, you need to read right through it, and when you get done, start over and do it again . . . and again . . . and again. Then, in addition, you can study out passages in greater detail. But, if you have to make a choice, I strongly believe the more important thing is reading clear through. So, in addition to preparing for teachings, I am reading through the Bible. Under the date and time of my blog, the entry will indicate how far I have finished. So, today’s entry means that I have finished reading through Ezekiel 22, not that Ezekiel 22 is the next chapter I am ready to read.
    Just a comment on Ezekiel. The prophets are heavy reading. Without going into interpreting the meaning of the symbolic acts, or mysterious revelations, and who is this or that talking about, or when will this or that be fulfilled, plenty is clear enough that any child can understand it: God hates sin, and sinners who do not repent will incur the wrath of God. Yet, God pleads, over and over again, giving man more than ample opportunity to repent, before the judgment falls. Even in the midst of judgment, if people will only repent, God will actually stop the judgment. We see this again and again. But we also see that, in the end, those who ignore the call to repentance will face God's judgment for all eternity. As you read through the entire Bible, you will see that this really is the message of the Bible. But, the prophets focus on the sins, the people's resistance to repentance, and God’s judgment of sin, so the books of the prophets, as I said, are heavy reading.
    But, I also have to read, not just post where I am in my reading, or it will be the same place every time! So, excuse me for now, and I may post a little more later on.

Tuesday, February 20, 2007, 9:15 p.m. EST

Good evening. I have had quite a busy day, so I didn't really have time to blog seriously. I shall spend a bit more time tomorrow. I am actually blogging from home, and I need to let someone else on the computer now. God bless. 

Monday, February 19, 2007, 7:30 a.m. EST

Sunday, February 18, 2007, 6:30 p.m. EST

Praise the Lord! This is the day that the Lord has made.
    I have decided to begin "blogging" here on the church web site, since most of the things I would blog about are related to church and the Christian life in general. The problem with the church news page is that I do not see a web site as an appropriate place to share all the things going on in a local assembly of believers. Good things might sound like boasting, and you just would not want to share negative things. But, I believe I can share concerns from my heart in a way that can edify the reader.
    Occasionally (or, in some cases, quite regularly), individuals write me emails, asking questions about the Christian life, or about the faith message, or the deeper life walk, In answering them, I have the opportunity to share things that I think would be good for a wider audience to read. A blog may just be the ticket! I can enter the question and then give the response in a simple Q and A format. People can respond back to me if they like, and we can have somewhat of a dialogue, as time permits. I can't promise to answer every email, but I am willing to give it a try and see how it goes.
    Each time I add to the blog, I will push the previous entry down the page, and enter the new date at the top, so the response link is always at the top.