Egypt-Why there?

How much do you really know about Egypt?

If you are anything like me you know very little. You know they have pyramids and hieroglyphics. You have probably heard about King Tut and mummies. For most of us that is the extent of what we know about Egypt.

I think as a Christian we would do well to learn a little bit more about this nation's history. The main reason for this that Egypt plays some very important roles in the Biblical narrative. First, Egypt protect the Israelites as they grew into the nation that God wanted them to be. Second, Egypt was the safe haven for Joseph, Mary and Christ while Herod was still King.

So have you ever thought about why Egypt? Was it her power? Her relative stability? Is there something else about this land that I am missing?

Well just some thoughts to ponder. Let me know what you think.

Pause/Cause for Concern

I do not usually write about the various happenings within the Southern Baptist Convention because I do not wish to take people's eyes off the ball of what is really important in this world. Today, I wish to make an exception to this rule. Today, I would like to share with you some of the thoughts I have regarding the resignation of Wade Burleson as a Trustee for the International Mission Board (IMB).

His resignation from this position is no reason for anyone to rejoice. This is sad day for not only Southern Baptist but for the Body of Christ. From my perspective what I see is that a group of leading Christian men where not able to fully work through their disagreement. This is both sad and scary. I am saddened for the hardships that Wade and his wife have gone through over the past couple of years. I am saddened by how missionaries may have been impacted by all of this. I am saddened that the Name of Christ has been damaged (note: I am not blaming anyone for this).

I firmly believe in the end that God will be glorified and that those who truly follow after Him will be rewarded for their service. I am praying for all who are directly involved in this. I am also praying for our convention. I pray that the Holy Spirit would come and truly guide the hearts and minds of our messengers and leaders.

If you want to know more about this situation please feel free to contact me and I can point you in the right direction.

Love is a Choice not Just a Feeling

Our society maintains that love is some kind of overly excited deep affection that just happens when it is the right person. Their is this implication that there is nothing you can really do about it.

The fact of the matter is that to some extent this is true. You can not choose who is to be the love of your life, that is God's job. However, love is a choice. You must take the time to do those things that express to the other person your love. You must work at the relationship and in so doing you must continue to work on who you are in Christ Jesus.

This is same principle is true of the love within a community of believers. Philippians 2:2 speaks about being of one mind and purpose. It also tells us that part of continue on towards this purpose is by maintaining our love (agape) for each other. The implication here is that we must chose to love others in our church. It is a 2 way street in that we can not simply sit back try to blend in or avoid getting noticed. That is not how we maintain the love with one another. Verses 3 and 4 go on to tell us some ways in which we can help grow the love between us. It all boils down to not worrying about our desires and our wants and focusing on Christ and others. If we all as a community of believers would do this then each of our needs would be meet. That is the way it works in marriage as well. When both spouses focus on the other person then the needs of both will be satisfied.

This is not always an easy task. It is not always easy to get over past hurts and pains. It is not easy to move beyond the superficial and the vain. It is not always easy to trust others enough to let them know your deepest needs. It is not always easy to be so vulnerable. Yet when one of of us fails to do this we weaken the body of Christ. We weaken the unity that we have been called to. When this unity is weakened then our ability to fulfill God's plan is also damaged.

So the question before you and I today is...Are we weakening or strengthening the body of Christ?

Josiah's Vulnerability

If you do not know the story of King Josiah (2 Kings 22-23) I would encourage you to take some time and read through it. It is an amazing story of how the written word of God can truly change people lives and even whole nations. I have known the basics of this story for a number of years now. In fact, most of what I have understood about those events where in the context of the power of God's Word. As I was reading through chapter 23 today I realized something about Josiah and his trust in God.

In 2 Kings 23:11 we read that Josiah destroyed some of the nations horses and chariots because they had been dedicated or given to the sun. This just one of the many steps Josiah took to purify and clean the land of Judah. In some ways though this step may have been the hardest because it weakened Judah's ability to defend herself. In essence Josiah made his Kingdom and ultimately himself more vulnerable. The only explanation for this kind of 'foolish' action would have been a trust and faith in God to fulfill the promise He had made to him. In 2 Kings 22:18-20 we read how God's wrath will be exacted upon Judah but not during Josiah's reign. Josiah believed God at His word. He believed that only through his faithfulness to God would Judah be protected.

He could not build walls high enough or an army big enough to thwart the will of God. The only other King (excluding Christ) to receive the same level of adoration as Josiah was King David. He was a man who turned all of his heart, all of his soul and all of his might towards God and His word. For this Judah was spared for a time. And when Josiah did eventually turn from God he was killed (2 Chronicles 35:20-27).

In the end Josiah had to make a choice. He could either follow God or turn from Him. I believe some days these was an easy choice and some days it was not. The same is true for us. Each day we are presented with many choices. God has granted us free will to follow Him in those choices or to ignore His voice. Which path will you take today?

Gotcha Day Pictures and Commentary

If you would like to see some of the pictures from yesterday's wonderful events (Anthony's Adoption) you can find them here.

Today is the Day

We have finally made it. Today we will be in Lewistown for Anthony's final adoption hearing. This day seems like it has taken forever to get here yet I know it has only been a little over one year since we started this process. Later today I hope to post some pictures and for the first time I will be able to post pictures of Anthony!

Follow Him or Do Not-Your Choice

Each of us has a choice to either follow God and His word or to not. Israel and Judah had the same choice. For the most part Judah chose His plans while Israel did not. The end result was a great period of independence and safety for Judah. The contrast between the two is most clearly seen in 2 Kings 17-19. In these chapters we read about why Israel was captured and sent in to exile. We also read about God delivered Judah from Assyria. King Hezekiah was a man who did right in the sight of the Lord. He asked God to deliver His people and God did.

Some choices are far more important than others. What to have to drink at lunch or diner is a fairly minor choice. There are other choices in life that are not so minor. Your decision to follow God or not will not only have an impact here on Earth but it will have an impact on Eternity. It will also not only impact your eternity but it could impact countless others' forevers. So which do you chose today? Do you chose Him? Or do you simply reject Him?

There is no middle ground in this choice. You either follow or you don't. It is that simple. I pray that today You make the right choice.