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Worshipping America?

Posted on Jul 1, 2016 by admin in Pastor's Blog |

Hello blogosphere, I’m back! Happy Fourth of July weekend to all of you! Actually, that’s a topic on which I wanted to share with you today. Most of you know me well enough by now to know that I never seek to be intentionally controversial (yet it often happens inadvertentlyJ), but I fear that this week’s topic might generate some controversy. While I am not seeking controversy and certainly not dissension, if it generates some healthy Christ-centered conversations, then I think that is ultimately a very good thing. I realize that many Christians will head to church this weekend, churches which are decorated with flags, banners, and a wide variety of things red, white, and blue. Their worship leaders and worship bands will likely lead their respective congregations in such patriotic classics as “America the Beautiful”, “My Country Tis of Thee”, and maybe even “God Bless America”. Afterwards, many pastors will likely ask their worshippers to open 2 Chronicles 7:14, where they will likely break down this passage:

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land (NIV)

You might have just read this description and thought to yourself, “Yes, my church will likely do something like this, and I don’t see the problem.” Here’s the problem, as I see it. Simply put, that’s not worship. Now before you get frustrated with me and close out this blog, think with me for just a moment. Let’s first seek to define worship. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines worship as “the act of showing respect and love for a god especially by praying with other people who believe in the same god: the act of worshipping God or a god.” So, in terms of Christian worship, Christians show respect and love to Jesus Christ. Now, I think that this definition actually is somewhat watered down and doesn’t go nearly deep enough. In simplest terms, worship means to ascribe worth. As Christians, we ascribe worth to Jesus Christ. Only Jesus Christ. We bear His name! It is also worth noting that worship is not something we do. Worship is something that we are. We should be worshipful beings not only on Sundays, but on the other six days of the week. Worship is not an event. It is a lifestyle. That being said, there is something profoundly beautiful about gathering with other likeminded believers for the sole purpose of ascribing worth to Jesus Christ and only Jesus Christ through song, prayer, and the preaching of the Word.

Let me be clear. I love America. I am very proud to be an American. I am proud of the liberties and freedoms that I have as an American citizen and am grateful for those that have fought and died to make sure that I am able to enjoy those freedoms, such as the freedom to be able to worship without fear of persecution. The issue comes when, in our desire to be patriotic Americans, our love for America begins to replace our worship of Jesus Christ. My sole responsibility as a follower of Christ is to do all I can to advance the kingdom of God in this world. Lest we forget, let us look back in scripture to see how Jesus defined His kingdom. In John 18:36, He said “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.” In other words, Jesus openly acknowledged that His kingdom was focused on Heaven. Not on Jerusalem. Not in the Jewish people. Heaven. I think we would be wise in remembering that when it comes to our worship, particularly this weekend. Jesus was not an American. Nor is the American church the only Christian church. Let’s not attempt to equate Christianity and worship with American patriotism because Jesus made abundantly clear that the two were separate.

The apostle Paul even discussed this concept in Philippians 3:20 when he said, “But our citizenship is in Heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” In other words, let’s keep the main thing the main thing. And never forget that Jesus is the main thing. When we decorate our places of worship in red, white, and blue, and sing songs that might be inspirational but have nothing to do with Jesus Christ, aren’t we placing our love for our country on a level that should be reserved for Jesus? I think we might be. Let’s remember what Paul said. This world is not our home. We are mere strangers and aliens. While I love America, my love for it has to be separate from my worship of Jesus Christ because ultimately, my citizenship resides in the kingdom of God. And because of that, my ultimate responsibility is advancing that Kingdom, not the kingdom of America. They are not the same.

And just a word for my fellow pastors. I trust that you will be following the Lord’s leading in determining what Scriptural text He would be leading you to preach from this weekend. Should He lead you to preach on the love of country (again, America is not mentioned in Scripture), let’s make sure that we are faithfully breaking down the Word of God in context. For example, earlier in my writing, I mentioned 2 Chronicles 7:14. Now that is indeed a beautiful passage, and one that can certainly lend itself to American patriotism if we allow it, but the fact of the matter is that would be taking God’s word out of context. What God was referring to in this passage was the covenant agreement that God had made with His chosen people, the Israelites, and the fact that His presence would reside in the newly built temple. If God’s people would turn from their wicked ways, He would hear them and heal them. God has never made a covenant with any other nation but Israel, including America. However, since Christian believers today are God’s people and undoubtedly called by His name, we too can claim this promise. But it is not a promise for America. It is a promise for God’s people. Gentlemen, let’s keep it in context this weekend and not add something to the Scriptures that it does not say. God’s Word can do just fine on its own without us adding our own commentaries.

On Monday, July 4, our church family will gather together and watch the fireworks. We’ll have a great time together with people that we love in a country that we love. But on Sunday, the people of University Baptist Church will worship Jesus Christ alone as the Bride of Christ. We won’t be singing “patriotic” songs, but we sure will be worshipping. It doesn’t mean that we don’t love America. It simply means that we love Jesus more. It is my prayer that God’s people would all love Jesus more and that we would all keep the main thing the main thing.

I Love You,

A Lasting Lesson

Posted on Jun 2, 2016 by admin in Pastor's Blog |

Tragedy has rocked our church family this week. Last Saturday, we lost Luke Storey, an eighteen year old with a passion for fixing things; a kid with a bright future ahead of him. Our church family has spent the past several days trying to come to grips with this sudden and most heartbreaking loss, shedding countless tears and trying to make sense of a situation that is unexplainable. I too have had to process this loss. Luke was one of our brightest. He was, in many ways, a future leader in our church. I had the privilege of baptizing Luke, and at that time, I knew that God was going to do great things through him. And He did. And He still is.

As strange as it might sound, Luke is having just as big of an impact on people in death as he did in life. Our students are coming together in a way that they never have before. Our church family is leaning on each other in an entirely different way. People are communicating in fresh ways. I have a deeper appreciation for God’s people. I attribute all of this to Luke and the life that he lived. His death was not in vain, and I am comforted by the fact that the apostle Paul’s words in Romans 8:28 are being lived out:

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (NIV)

While we certainly wish that there was a different way, we cling to the cross and to the fact that God is using this situation to bring good to His people. I am reminded that God never wastes the tears of His suffering saints, and so our responsibility is simply to point people to Christ through our tears and to look for the good in the bad.

When tragedy strikes, it seems that everyone automatically feels like they have to find just the right words to say to the family in order to bring them comfort. We put so much pressure on ourselves to say the right things and do the right things that oftentimes, we inadvertently end up making the situation worse. The sad reality of the situation is that there really are no words that we can say that will make things better. We can’t do anything of our own power to take pain away. But, I have been reminded of the fact that Jesus words can bring peace and comfort simply because of the fact that He won the victory over death. In Mark 5:35-43, Jesus shares three statements with Jairus, a synagogue ruler whose twelve year old daughter had just died. And those three statements made a dramatic difference in Jairus’ life.

The first words that Jesus gives Jairus are words of faith. Jairus’ friends had just reported the news to him that his daughter had died. As a result, there was no longer any reason to bother Jesus. After all, now that she was dead, what could Jesus do? But in verse 36, Jesus says to Jairus, “don’t be afraid; just believe”. In the literal Greek, this phrase is translated as “go on believing”. In other words, Jesus is telling Jairus, “You believed before when you first came to me to heal your daughter. Don’t stop believing in me now that she has died.” That is the same thing that Jesus says to us as well. It is a lot easier to believe in the promises of Christ in life than it is in the midst of death. But we have called to be people of faith, even as we walk through the valley of death.

The second statement that Jesus tells Jairus is a statement of hope. As they return to Jairus’ home, they see the mourners wailing loudly. In verse 39, Jesus looks at them and says, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” As you can imagine, everyone else in the room laughed at him. What an absurd statement! Of course the girl was dead. But the reality of the situation is this. For all that hope and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, death is just sleep for the body until the physical resurrection, and the spirit experiences instant unification with Christ. Luke is rejoicing and worshipping at the feet of Christ today. What a comforting thought!

The final words Christ said in this story are words of love and power and are recorded in verse 41. “Talitha koum!” That is Aramaic for “little girl, I say to you, get up!” Of course, the little girl physically rose. We can take comfort in the fact that Jesus says to all believers that have died, “get up!” I think this is also a good reminder for us who are left behind to grieve. Yes, we should grieve, but at some point we need to get up and continue to do what the Lord is calling us to do.

May we remember Christ’s words of faith. May we remember Christ’s words of hope. May we remember Christ’s words of love and power. Christ will provide everything we need to get through this hour of grief. Let us also remember to remember and celebrate, even through our grief, a life well lived. Luke lived well. He loved and served Jesus, and through that love, he was able to love and serve others. We are all better for having had Luke in our lives, even if it was all too brief.

I remember Luke’s last words to me. He was teaching me, and neither one of us even knew it. I was lamenting to him how difficult it was to talk to someone, and he looked at me and simply said, “Have you actually tried talking to them?” I said to him, “Luke, I know how to talk to people. I’m a pastor”, to which he responded, “Well then, just talk.” What a lesson for me. What a lesson for all of us. Just talk. Talk to people. Talk to them about Jesus. Be good to each other. I think that’s Luke’s legacy. He was good to us because he loved Jesus. I think that is a legacy worth emulating. Please keep Luke’s family in your prayers.

I love you,

A Cedar of Lebanon

Posted on May 4, 2016 by admin in Pastor's Blog |

The past week has been a difficult one for the members of University Baptist Church. Last Friday, we eulogized Curtis Kinchen, one of our charter members and one of the Godliest men that I have ever met. For those of you that never had the privilege of meeting him, Curtis was one of those rare souls who talked the talk AND walked the walk. He practiced what he preached and in a world full of counterfeits, Curtis was the genuine article. He had this unique knack for making you feel like you were the most important person in the room whenever he was speaking to you, no matter if there were 10 or 100 other people around you. He loved his Lord and served Him well. He loved Marie. He loved his family. He loved his church. For those of us that had the distinct honor of knowing him, we are all the better for it. University Baptist Church is stronger because Curtis Kinchen was a part of it, and I am a better pastor for having him in my life. As I said at his funeral, the life of a man is often measured in part by the impact that he had on the lives of others. There is no doubt that Curtis left an impact the size of a crater on those around him. Leaving people better than you found them. Leaving them thinking of Christ. That was Curtis’ legacy. That is a legacy worth following.

As I’ve been thinking about Curtis and his legacy, the Lord led me to a passage of scripture which I think describes Curtis to a tee. It is found in Psalm 92:12-15:

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, “The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.” (NIV)

The word flourish, as used in this passage, means “to be vigorous, to flourish richly.” Both the stately date palm and cedar trees were highly valued by people in the Near East, the palm for its fruit and the cedar for its wood. Both were appreciated for their beauty, and both trees can survive for many years. While not all godly people live long, generally speaking, those who obey God often avoid a great deal of the danger and disease that can cause an early death. This was certainly true of Curtis, who lived one day shy of his 94th

birthday and who was still “bearing fruit” until his very last breath. I can’t begin to describe the ways that he poured into me whenever I would visit him. It’s just who he was. He loved his pastor, and he was a continual source of encouragement in my life. Many of you likely have countless stories of how he poured into you as well. We often change as we grow older, as Curtis did, but we can be assured that the Lord never changed. He is our Rock, and what He wills for us is perfect, so we should not complain. That’s one thing that always amazed me about Curtis. He never complained, even as he grew more frail. He would always tell me the same thing, “Just don’t rush me.”

Well, no one is rushing Curtis today. He is finally in the presence of the One that he served so well for the better part of nearly 94 years. There is no more pain. There are no tears. There is only joy for him. Sure, we grieve. But we do not grieve as those who do not have hope. We have hope. And we have our memories. Memories of someone who was like a giant cedar that flourished and lived to a good old age. Because of his love for Jesus, he made everyone around him better. That was his legacy.

What’s your legacy? What will people remember when you leave this earth? Are you pouring into people now and leaving their lives better than when you found them? Will people remember you as a cedar of Lebanon that flourished? Curtis flourished because he made the Lord his Rock, the foundation of his life. Are you doing that too?

As I said at his funeral, I’m thankful that there are no goodbyes for Christians. Only “see you laters”. See you later, my friend. I miss you, but I am so eternally thankful that the Lord saw fit to place you in my life.

I Love You,

Curtis Kinchen Teaching

Praying with Boldness

Posted on Apr 7, 2016 by admin in Pastor's Blog |

Have you ever had one of those weeks that are just filled with sadness? If your answer to that question is yes, then welcome to my week. It has been one that has been filled with multiple funerals as well as counseling people through a variety of difficult situations. Don’t get me wrong. I fully understand that these situations go with the territory of being a pastor, so I am certainly not trying to acquire sympathy from anyone. I am simply trying to be transparent in letting you know that when people hurt, I hurt. And the fact of the matter is that I know that there are a lot of people that are hurting right now. As I was processing my own feelings of heartache and sadness, I began to search scripture, and it wasn’t long before the Lord brought me to one of my favorite passages. Exodus 33:12-23 is well known by many believers as the passage in which Moses asks the Lord to reveal His glory to him. I had also read it countless times, but this time was different, as the Lord revealed to me some new truths that I think could be of benefit to us all as we deal with discouragement, despair, heartache, and just plain sadness.

The thing that sticks out to me first and foremost in this passage is Moses’ boldness in his communication with God. He is brutally honest and direct in his conversation with the Lord, to the point where some of us reading the exchange might cringe at the way Moses is speaking to God. However, as I think more of it, it seems to me that we should be that bold in our prayer lives. The entire reason that Moses could be so bold is that he walked intimately with God. God even told him “I know you by name.” That connotes an intimate relationship built on consistent faithfulness. Perhaps if we were as consistent in our walk with God as Moses was, then the boldness would come easier. God wants our honesty. He wants our raw emotions. He wants everything, both good and bad. What we see in this passage is a frustrated Moses that is clearly expressing his frustration to God. The frustration stems from the fact that Moses feels overwhelmed in the task of leading God’s chosen people, the Israelites, and he wants to know who will be going with him, because the task is too great for him to carry out by himself. Earlier in chapter 33, God tells Moses that He will send an angel to go with him. This is where verse 12 of the chapter picks up. Moses is objecting to the presence of an angel. He doesn’t want an angel. He just wants the Lord. This leads to three specific requests or prayers that Moses makes of God.

“Teach me your ways” (v.13). Moses basically tells God, “If I have truly found favor with you, if you know me like you say you do, then teach me your ways so that I may know you. You know me, but I don’t know you!” Wow! I’d say that was a pretty bold petition. But isn’t that what we should be asking of the Lord every day, even through our tears? “Lord, teach me something new today, something that helps me to know you better, more intimately”. It seems to me that asking the Lord to teach us is a sure fire way to get through our sadness. Moses ends this request by telling God “remember that this nation is your people”. In other words, Moses knew very well what set the Israelites apart from any other people group on earth. That was the fact that the Lord walked with the Israelites. No other people could say that. Moses was reminding God of the fact that he still desperately needed His presence. We see in verse 14 that God grants Moses’ request in telling Him that His presence would go with him and would give him rest. A brief study in Hebrew culture will tell you that at that time, the Lord’s presence was manifested in the Ark of the Covenant by sitting between the two cherubim that were on the lid of the ark. In other words, the Lord telling Moses that His presence would go with him was the equivalent of His saying “the ark of the covenant will go with you, since my presence is manifested through that object.” This leads to Moses’ second prayer.
“Give me your presence” (v.16). Moses asks the Lord, “How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and your people unless you go with us?” In other words, Moses is telling God “No! I don’t want the angel. I don’t want the ark. I just want you!” In the midst of our sadness, what we really need more than anything else is the Lord’s presence. That is what will truly give us comfort and peace. It doesn’t mean that the pain and heartache goes away. What it does mean is that we have someone to share it with. We will find true rest in the presence of the Great Comforter. We see in verse 17, that God continues to grant Moses’ requests, telling him “I will do this very thing you asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.” When you have the intimate relationship with God that Moses had with Him, you will find yourself praying with boldness and passion, and don’t be surprised if the Lord answers you. God’s affirmative answer to this request led to Moses’ third and final and without a doubt boldest prayer.
“Show me your glory” (v.18). Moses just decides to go for it in his third prayer. He desires to see the Lord in all His fullness. He doesn’t want the Lord to hold anything back. Now you will remember that the Lord had already shown His glory to Moses and the Israelites on a number of occasions. He had revealed His glory in the cloud of fire and even on Mount Sinai. So why does Moses request it again? Because during the previous times, God had revealed His glory corporately. Now Moses wants it on an individual basis. He wants it personally. The Lord tells Moses that “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live”. To see the Lord’s glory is the equivalent of looking upon His face. When you look upon someone’s face, you can see almost everything about a person. You can see their happiness, their sadness, their anger. Why? Because the face holds the feelings of the heart. If the Lord allowed Moses to see Him in all of His glory, the last vestige of mystery would be lifted. The veil would be pulled back. The Lord knew that Moses could not handle that, but He eventually compromises and tells Moses that He will permit him to see His back as He passes by. In other words, He gives Moses a small glimpse of who He really is, but at the end of the day God is a God of the beyond. It is a good reminder for us at well. God is a God of the beyond, and as such, we will never know all there is to know about Him this side of Heaven. But it still seems to me that the best remedy for a broken heart is a new vision for the glory of God.

So there you have the three bold prayers of Moses. I think we can take these three prayers of boldness and apply them to our lives each and every day, but particularly in times of heartbreak and sadness. Let me encourage you in your prayer life with the Lord to communicate with Him boldly. Do not be afraid to ask Him to teach you His ways, to give you His presence, and to show you His glory. As far as I’m concerned, that is a better solution for what ails us than any medicine money can buy.

I love you,

Defeating Doubt

Posted on Mar 24, 2016 by admin in Pastor's Blog |

Hello world! Well, unless you’ve been living in a cave with no access to media or a calendar, you know that in just three days we will be celebrating the Easter season that culminates in Resurrection Sunday. For the Christian, Easter Sunday is at the heart of organized worship, for without the empty tomb, Christianity would be no different than other world religions that claim to have a martyr as the central figure of their faith. The fact that Christ rose from the dead, something that no other martyr could do, was and remains to this day, a game changer. Christ did what is considered to be impossible. He defeated death, and through that victory, He gave us victory over doubt, despair, and darkness!!!! Hallelujah!!!!

However, it seems to me that for many people, Easter is just another day. For these people, it carries no celebration or message of victory. These people continue to live with doubts and continue to dwell in despair and darkness. The doubts are like an albatross around their neck, weighing them down at every available opportunity. Christianity is just like every other religion to these folks, full of empty promises that deliver no real change in their life.

This mindset is more prevalent than you might imagine, and it reminds me of Jesus’s post-resurrection appearance to His disciple Thomas, as recorded in John 20: 24-31. Let me give you a synopsis of what takes places in this account. Several of the disciples run to Thomas, who for some unknown reason was not with them, claiming that they have seen Jesus alive. What glorious news! But Thomas was not convinced. He says in verse 25, “’Unless I see the nail marks in His hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe it’”. It’s interesting to me that Thomas would be so quick to doubt, as he no doubt spent countless hours praying, teaching, walking and talking with Christ as one of His twelve chosen disciples. Thomas represents a large group of people who require visual verification in order to believe in someone or something. Like most people during that time period, Thomas had two names” “Thomas” is Aramaic, “Didymus” is Greek, and they both mean “twin”. Now who Thomas’ twin was, we don’t know, but I wonder if his name was meant to refer to centuries of people after Thomas as his twin. How often have we refused to believe and have instead insisted that God prove Himself to us?

After a week passes, the disciples were again together behind a locked door when Jesus came and stood among them. The effort that John takes to describe the fact that the door was locked tells me that Jesus did not attempt to come through the door but rather suddenly appeared in the room. He immediately approaches Thomas, which is who He was there for in the first place, and command him to “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe”. What grace Jesus shows us to stoop to our level of experience in order to lift us to where we need to be! Jesus’ words literally translate in this verse “stop becoming faithless but become a believer”. What an indictment upon Thomas, someone that had actually walked and served alongside Christ!!!

I wonder though if this isn’t an indictment upon us as well. Many of us have seen Christ actively work in our lives, but yet we still doubt. We continue to demand proof. What more proof can Christ provide after the cross and the empty tomb??? Through the cross and the empty tomb, Christ defeated all doubt! He is who He said He was! He did what He said He was going to do! He is faithful, even as Thomas is not. Even as we are not. Yet, what an encouragement it is to see that the Lord had enough concern for “Doubting Thomas” that He went straight to him, even in the face of his ridiculous demands.

I don’t know what you are currently dealing with in your life, but I am sure that some of you are facing a crisis of doubt. Perhaps you have always doubted and never, like Thomas, placed your hands in the nail-scarred hands of Jesus. What love they hold. Let me encourage you as we approach the culmination of this Easter season to stop doubting and place all of your faith, trust, and hope in Christ. Christ, through the power of His resurrection, defeated doubt, and can do so in your life if you allow Him to. Remember that this Easter season, and let me also remind you that everybody lives by faith. The difference is in the object of that faith. Christians put their faith in God and His word, while unsaved people put their faith in themselves. Where is your faith?

I hope to see you Sunday at our Sunrise Celebration at 7:00 a.m. at Peltier Park in Thibodaux or at our 10:45 service at 904 Menard St., also in Thibodaux.

I Love You,