.

I am not against good advice. I try to be a good listener and take in as much as I can to make good and godly decisions. However, there is one thing that turns me completely off. My tuning knob turns you off when you become a know-it-all. These types of people long to be called for their opinion on matters. They wait for the day when they will be called in to give a consultation on their field of expertise. I have experienced many of these types of people but 2 in particular stand out in my mind. Before I describe these “doosies” let me give you a little background into how our church does its “wild game dinner.”

 For 5 years now we have conducted a wild game dinner at our church. The idea of the wild game dinner came out of a study that New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary’s evangelism department conducted for us. In that study they said that the typical male in our area was a blue collar worker who drove vehicles that were self maintained, enjoyed outdoor sports, went on vacation within one day’s drive from home, and would respond to large scale evangelism events and relationship building over door to door efforts. From this study, we formulated a plan to conduct a wild game dinner each year that would be authentic and evangelistic. We serve authentic wild game and we give the speaker 1 assignment, SHARE THE GOSPEL. Because of this mission, we charge nothing for the event. The event has always been well attended because we print out 500 tickets and tell our people to invite as many as they can. This year the strategy almost came back to bite us with 300+ in attendance and seats for only 285. Thankfully, we adjusted and had seats for everyone. We believe the Lord has used this event in a wonderful way and each year we find ways to make it a little better.

Part of my job preparing for the wild game supper is to get the speaker. The Lord has always given us who we needed. I have searched all over for wild game speakers and talked to many people. I remember meeting a “professional hunter” and pastor a few years back at the SBC convention. He said that he was excited about coming to do a wild game event in our church. He told me that I needed to talk to my association and get them to call him to do a “consultation” with the pastors in the area so that he could tell us how to do wild game dinners the “right way.”  He also promised me that he could secure a free TV hunting trip for someone  if we could line him up to speak at the wild game dinner. After talking with him, I gave him my number but felt a little bad about it. A few months later, he called me and said that he was ready to set up the dinner. I told him that I did not think we had the budget for what he had in mind and he told me not to worry that his board had approved him to come for $1000 plus expenses.  I was caught off guard by this and told him that we had decided just to pursue someone local. At that point, he gave me a “deal.” He said, “ I tell you what, if you will let me stay and preach Sunday for a love offering I will fly out on Monday.” He then said, “I will even film you hunting if you want to deer hunt over the weekend.” I was caught off guard by the tasteless car salesman attitude. I told him no and then got the typical lecture that I have heard from others about how I really didn’t know what I was doing with this event.

I had another encounter with a potential speaker who never mentioned money but when he found out that he was booked up decided to lecture me about the time and date that we were holding the event. He asked me why we did the event on Saturday. I explained that we cook 200 lbs. of hash along with other stuff and it takes approximately 18 hours of steady work to pull the event off. I thought that was a good enough reason but he snapped back, “ Well, you need to tell your men to get over themselves and do it during the week. Lost people are drunk or fishing on the weekend and they are not coming to your event.” He then said, “ I tell people all the time how to do these things and they never listen! They always do it on Saturday!” To this I wanted to say, “ Maybe they know something you do not.” I restrained myself however, and just got off the phone.

I am thankful for those who have simply been humble and willing to share the Gospel of Jesus. God is using those individuals to teach us the lesson that if we will submit to the Spirit he can turn our 5 loaves into a huge blessing.  I have learned more from those who are simply willing to serve anywhere than I have ever learned from those who are self-proclaimed experts.

Two Principles that I have learned from this:

1. All “consultants” and “experts” must be willing to share what they know in a humble way or it is useless
2. You can go farther with a servant than you could ever go with those who feel entitled.

“No God, No Problem: Just Be Good for Goodness Sake”

This is being placed on signs, benches, and buses throughout our nation just in time for Christmas. The national society of humanist are pouring their missions monies into telling people that they can enjoy the holidays with God. However, their own catch phrase betrays them. On one hand, they deny the existence of necessity of acknowledging God and then they call for inherent goodness to be practiced. How does the atheist or humanist know what “goodness” is? Who came up with morality, holiness, goodness, or whatever you want to name it. Where do they develop their “values?” Atheist will say that people through evolution just know what “right” looks like. Really? How did these ideas evolve? How did the human race even survive if we had to evolve morality? It seems to me; violence and wickedness would have won out in those battles. If survival of the fittest is how we got here then why did the strong and violent not win out and destroy any vestige of the meek and humble who wanted to do the right things?

The truth that is so obviously ignored by humanist is that we all have an inner witness of truth. We have a conscience that points us to our Creator. Paul eloquently states this in Romans 1 as he describes the lost world.

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,19 ¶  because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.20  For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,

The Humanist Society are condemned by their own words. They claim to have freed themselves of God in one breath and then they show that their conscience drives them toward him in the next breath. If there is no God then there is no truth, goodness, holiness, or standard of morality in the world. If God did not make me and save me then why would I even want to be good for goodness sake? You may say, “ In order to live at peace with humanity.” Alright, who taught us to love one another and be at peace with humanity?  This is the perennial doughnut hole in the argument. God created every man with an inner witness of truth. This truth is that there is a God that created all and that he will hold us accountable. With all of their efforts, the humanist is without excuse because they cannot throw of their conscience. They still feel a necessity to “be good” or be true to their “values” even though they deny there are absolutes in the world. The atheist in all their intellectual arguments cannot explain why people have a burning desire throughout the world to worship something and live according to moral standards. With all of their efforts to free themselves of God they are still are chained to an inner desire to be “good for goodness sake.” The irony is obvious.

I had to memorize this verse when I was a child in elementary school. I am writing this today as much for myself than anyone that may read this. We all need to understand that nothing short of the power of God, His word, and His Spirit can keep us from falling. Mark Sanford was one of the few politicians that I would have considered voting for. He seemed to be a fighter and clean of corruption. Now his life represents someone who thought he could live a lie but was exposed by the truth of Numbers 32:33. Tiger Woods has everything going for him. For all practical purposes, the world is at his finger tips. However, he now stands for someone who gained the whole world and is losing his soul. He said in his public statement today, “I have gone against my values.” Power and money does not guarantee happiness, joy, or success spiritually, psychologically, or emotionally. There is a misery and temptation that comes to those who have it all but cannot have enough. There is a self-deception that comes from thinking that earthly resources can hide something from the Almighty. The Lord will not allow sin to go unexposed. I am not judging either of these men or seeking to slander them. I am gleaning wisdom from their apparent sinful actions. God is not mocked and we should understand that we will reap what we sow. These examples serve as a warning. If the most powerful among us cannot hide their sin, then who among humanity can? God ask Adam as he was hiding, “ Adam, where are you?” God knew the answer, but it was a terrifying moment for Adam. May we have the healthy fear of God that drives us to a sanctifying spirit of holiness.

1. You cannot imaging having money sitting in the bank
2. When you have nothing to do you think about spending money
3. You spend money to make yourself feel better
4. You spend money on stuff because you see it as a God given right
5. If someone has something bigger then you think you have to have it.
6. You borrow money to pay for coffee

I realize that this is characteristic of much of the public in the U.S , but I challenge you to stop and apply this to our Congress and the Obama Administration. I will grant the argument that the Bush administration played this game as well.

1. Do you think Congress would allow a budget surplus?
2. Can they think about anything but spending more money?
3. They spend money to make themselves feel better about social ills even though they know it will not work.
4. They preach that health care is a constitutional right.
5. If a company is making money then their money must become our money in order to redistribute wealth.
6. They borrow money on everything.

China owns us and now we know it. They are selling T-shirts in China of Obama in a red army uniform. They know they have us and they know they can do anything they want now. Gone is the political power of the U.S. to sway China on civil rights, etc… Now they lecture us.

11  But Achish’s servants said to him, “Isn’t this David, the king of the land? Don’t they sing about him during their dances:

   Saul has killed his thousands,

   but David his tens of thousands?”

12  David took this to heart and became very afraid of King Achish of Gath,

13  so he pretended to be insane in their presence. He acted like a madman around them, scribbling on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard.

14  “Look! You can see the man is crazy,” Achish said to his servants. “Why did you bring him to me?

15  Do I have such a shortage of crazy people that you brought this one to act crazy around me? Is this one going to come into my house?” ( HCSB)

This account in David’s life reflects our actions many times before a lost world. He walks into enemy territory, Goliath’s Hometown, with Goliath’s sword, where he had made many widows seeking refuge from Saul. This no doubt caused a stir. Achish was obviously afraid of him or he would have attacked him immediately. What did the people of Gath think about him?

1. They regarded him as a king
2. They remembered his victory over them

David did not consider both of these truths that were readily conceded by the enemy. He saw himself as a hunted man and he was in survival mode. Instead of walking by faith and victory, he chose to seek his own solution to the problem. He pretended to be insane.

When we walk into enemy territory each day, how do we choose to live? They will concede that we have something they do not. They see the victory we have that they cannot have without Christ. They know the work of God in our lives. Will we choose to express our faith and victory through Christ or stare blankly through them as if our brain and our faith is dead? Will we stand for the truth when we are called upon to do so? Will we choose to participate in the Insanity of the world? Like Achish said, the world is full of insanity. The world does not need one more person who will pretend something is true that is not. The world does not need the drool of political correctness; the world needs a Savior and His Word. This brings to mind the recent firing of a Christian in Mass. After being provoked by a lesbian co-worker to share his opinion about her gay marriage, the man stated that he believed she was wrong. He was promptly fired. Will you stand for the truth like this man did even if it cost your job? The alternative is to face the wall and look crazy in Gath.