Halloweeeeen

We used to have a lot of good, clean, scary fun around this time of the year. I remember we always had a spook house in the basement of the church that I grew up in. Maybe that's why we had all those feuds in the church, all those "bad spirits" that we invited into the church every October 31st. No wonder we had so much fighting! Maybe I'm being a little sarcastic here, but there are times we probably give way too much credit to the enemy's camp.
Don't misunderstand what I am saying, I do believe that there are more blatant attempts by the powers of darkness in the context of society today than ever before. But, I also see that we in the Church have sometimes over-spiritualized a lot of things. Remember, the Bible says that our adversary is like a "roaring" lion, not a "biting" lion. Maybe we have become such alarmists that we are afraid of the forces that really are not a threat, and friendly with some forces that could do real harm. If we were as aware of some of the things that flow through the airways and fiber-optics as we are of a carved pumpkin, then there would probably be more trashed monitors and TV's laying around the dumps. Don't be afraid of all the spooks and goblins that might be lurking around on Halloween night. But, BEWARE of all the 'tricks and treats' that might show up on any given night! Fight the fight, and Keep the Faith!...and to all the ghosts and monsters out there on Halloween...I Say....BOOOOO!!!

"Streaking"...

I don't know how many of you are old enough to remember a cultural phenomenon that occurred back in the 60's and 70's, called "streaking". The 'hippy' generation of that day was known for disrobing, many times leaving nothing on except a pair of Converse sneakers, and running through a crowd at a sports event or some public arena. Many times their actions were motivated by a sense of protest to something that was taking place in the government or political scene of that day. I'm sure that for the greatest part, you probably never had any dealings with such a crazy idea. I can't say that I am totally oblivious to this mad trend that swept through our nations youth in that era, being one of them. I owned a pair or two of Converse tennis shoes in my time. Being a mischievous little boy at the time, we would have a try at this notion every now and then, just to keep up with the teenagers in our neighborhood. It's scary now to think of some of the things that we participated in, really not realizing the dangers many times. I realize this may be a silly way of doing it, but there's a point I'm trying to make. There were a couple of streakers in the Bible. One was Isaiah, who was ordered to prophesy for three years, with not even a fig leaf. The other is found in a story that is a little more popular with most of us. It comes from the book of II Samuel. In chapter six we read the story of David and his returning of the Ark of the covenant to the city of Jerusalem. The story tells us that David uncovered himself as he danced before the ark, which represented the presence of God. He literally danced with such vigor that he lost his clothes. David "streaked"! His praise to God was so passionate that he was stripped of his royal robes. All of his pride, dignity, and his clothes were lost. I wonder how often we "streak" before the Lord. No, I'm not advocating stripping as a new form of praise! But, it would probably bring a fresh approach in our worship if we would lose the pride and dignity that we clothe ourselves with. Let's grab our spiritual tennis shoes and go "streaking"...for Jesus!

LOST!!!

Most Christians come in contact with hundreds of people every day that are lost and on their way to hell; and, for the most part, those Christians really don't give a #&#?@! What bothers me the most about this, is that most of you are bothered by the second statement that I made more than you are by the first statement. It would really bother you if I would have pecked out an expletive. I hope this is of some "shock value" to some of the people that are reading this blog. The sad truth is that many Christians are more interested in self preservation than they are with the lost that they cross paths with every day. We live in a day that people are inundated with more information than ever before. Yet, with all of the information, people have more questions than answers concerning the issues of life and its meaning. The answers that they find are many times the wrong answers, propagated by vain philosophies and teaching. Jesus said those are like blind people being led around by the blind. They are Lost and have no knowledge as to where to turn to find direction. Those are the people that we, as believers, have been called to reach out to.
But, Do you care? Do you care enough to be the life of Jesus Christ to a Lost, hell-bound world? Or, does your Christianity consist of a life that focuses simply on survival? Save yourself while everybody else goes to hell! If that's the case, you're probably a little aggravated with me right now.
I hope this post has ignited some emotions within your life. You may think it is unnecessary to use a ploy like the one used to start this post. I hope that you do get a little 'rattled' with these thoughts. But, more than anything, I hope you are upset over one thing - The Lost!

By The Numbers...

Most everybody knows something about the life of David, the giant-killer, who became the second king over the Kingdom of Israel. He's the one who had a real heart for God, but got himself in hot water more than one time with the true sovereign over Israel. One of my favorite stories about someone else's trouble is found in I Chronicles 21. Now don't pretend that you never indulge yourself in another's misery every once-in-a-while. You know it makes you feel better about your own short-comings!
The story tells us about David and his big idea of taking a census of all of Israel. The scripture actually alludes to this being a seductive move that Satan pulled over on David. Either way, David failed in his decision. The taking of a census does not seem to be a big deal on the surface. Yet God saw this as an evil act on David's part. Why???
(1)David had a need to know his empire's strength. Any time you begin to guage your ability to accomplish God's purpose through human strength, you've began to think more highly of self than you should. David's act was like a man standing in front of a mirror and flexing his muscles, all the time thinking to himself, "Boy, you look GOOOOD!".
(2)David had begun to derive his confidence from the size of his army rather than God. It was not neccessary for David to know the number of fighting men that were in Israel. Just ask Gideon!
You see, any time we begin to adjust our faith by the numbers, we limit what God can do. Our success is never determined by the size of our army, our church, our denomination, or our pocketbook, but rather by the size of our God. You can live life by FAITH in him, or you can live it by the numbers.

Appreciated...

This past Sunday was Pastor Appreciation Day at Beech Springs. As always, this day was a very humbling yet rewarding day all in one. There were so many of the folks that showered my family with gifts and notes, that it really becomes overwhelming at times. I guess we all have to wonder at times if we are really making a difference in any one's life. Because the reality is, that is what life is really all about. Our greatest discovery on this journey called life, is when we find that niche that brings purpose and meaning to this time that we are granted on earth. Purpose is realized when you make a difference for someone else. Jesus is the epitome of this life. He came to give his life away for others. We now have great appreciation for what he has done for us. I hope I show appreciation to him by the way I live my life, the way I give my worship, and the way I follow his example. "God, help me to live my life like him!" Live life for others, like Jesus has. Live for your spouse, your children, your neighbors, your fellow-workers, etc.. One man asked the question, "If you were not here, who would miss you the most?" Those are the people that you are living your life for. You may spend your time, money, energy, and love on those people. But, don't feel like you are "spending" your LIFE on them, you are "investing" your life in them; and as undeserving of it as we may feel sometime, you will find your life appreciated!

Born With "it"...

Another day, another headline, another lead-story, and so-on and so-on... . Everywhere you turn there is another case of someone with the 'I can't help-its'. "I was, born 'that way' - I was born with 'it'." The 'it' is the source and cause that, "makes me what I am and gives me the right and excuse to do whatever I have to do. Besides I really don't have a choice because 'it' came with the package people, and regardless of the damage that 'it' may cause to me, my family, or anyone else as far as that matters, that's the way 'it' is."
As ridiculous as this argument seems, this argument is "winning out" throughout our world today in the mindset of people, if not in the courts of our land. We have labeled 'it' with a lot of nice apologetic terms like addiction, sexual origin, chemical imbalance, etc.. It's the peel of the reason as to why people act or live in a particular manner. It's the excuse that people use for the lifestyle that they choose. My question is, what is the limit? Where do we draw the line and say, "now let's just be responsible"? I mean come'on, Michael Vick may have just been born with 'it' - "pitbullia" (Defin. - The uncontrollable urge to watch pitbull dogs fight until death, with the euphoria of making great profits from the money wagered if your dog wins.). I was born with
'it' - "roadragia"(Defin. - The uncontrollable need to drag you out of the car and beat the devil out of you for tailgating me, especially when my kids are in the car with me.) You see the reality is that everybody was born with 'it'. 'It' may hide in darker corners for some more than others. But if the light ever exposes that corner, we will all discover that there are urges and temptations that must be kept under restraint by everyone. We are all victims of 'it'. Another name for 'it' that's not nearly as popular these days is SIN. We were all born with 'it'. Thank God that he loved us even when we were born with 'it' and he's done something about 'it'.
There is great remedy for 'it' of the humankind. There is a pill that you can take to help you with the uncontrollable urges that are caused by 'it'. I'm not sure of the pharmaceutical name for it, but here is the generic name: it's spelled -
"R-E-S-P-O-N-S-I-B-I-L-I-T-Y".
Take Some when the urge hits you!!

Are You Scared...?

Today's American Christian culture is one that in many ways taught us that we are here to stay safe, and preserve ourselves in this wicked world that we live in. We are frightened by the aggressiveness of our counterparts in religion, lifestyle, and values. Let me ask YOU,... ARE YOU SCARED??? Are you scared that they may find out that you are one of those fanatics that believe Jesus really is the only way? Are you scared of the thoughts, philosophies, and ideals that may challenge what you 'say' that you believe? Are you scared of the people that are engulfed in a society of intellect and greed? Let me encourage you, don't be a "Scaredy-Cat"! God never intended for Christianity to become a sub-culture within the culture. His intention was that we become a counter-culture that would stand face to face with the sources of intimidation within our society. Look at the Christian leaders in the book of Acts! They stood up with boldness in the midst of aggressive opposition. Opposition that had crucified their "ring-leader" just a few weeks prior.
We back down too easily in a day that the world desperately searches for what's in you! I've often asked the question recently, "Do you really believe that what you believe is really real?". If you do believe that Jesus is who he says he is, then stop allowing the world around you to back you into a corner as if you are facing a grade-school "bully". Hey, I'm not advocating going out and looking for a fight, but... "I ain't scared!"

Blogging...

Who would have ever "thunk" it? Boggs blogging! In an effort to keep up with the "techno" age that we live in, I have decided to start a blogg that will simply add a personal touch to the ministry here at BST. I hope to be able to share small insights that I gather along this journey that we know as life. The blogs may consists of simple life's events, devotional thoughts, or even contraversial subjects, as we try to discover all that God has prepared for us along this journey. I want to share from my life as a Husband who is madly in love with his wife of 21 years, a Father who feels that fatherhood is my greatest responsibility, and as a Godly Man who faces the challenges of a very complex society. Some of my blogs may seem silly or oversimplistic,
but hey, that's me! As you visit, hopefully there will be those days that you leave scratching your butt(whoops...I meant head), or feeling really challenged, or even angry if nothing else. I'll try to post 2 or 3 blogs per week, maybe more as I become more technologically advanced. There will be guests bloggers fom time to time as well. The grammer won't be great, but it will be better than most of yours.HA! So Let's Do This thang. Boggsblogs are on their way!