Father's Day Sadness

Father’s Day is always a highlight for me. I am overwhelmed with the reality that God is so gracious as to allow me to shepherd the hearts of five precious souls. And to think that they actually enjoy being my kids is something that never ceases to amaze me. I am sure I’m not the only father that feels this way.

But as wonderful as my Father’s Day was on yesterday, it was sprinkled with a bit of sadness. Interestingly, the sadness snuck up on me as I was driving with my kids in route to pick up my father for an afternoon of pizza and bowling. The cause of my sadness was the visible silence that spoke so clearly of the state of fatherhood, particularly in the African-American community.

As I drove down Crenshaw Blvd. I became acutely aware of the absence of any corner vendors selling gifts for fathers. Why did that make me sad? Because just a month ago that same stretch of road was strewn with hundreds of vendors selling various gifts for Mother’s Day, and folks were crowded around them like bees on honey. But nothing for fathers! Absolutely nothing! Now, granted there are far more gifts that are appropriate for mothers; but no vendors at all? Not even someone selling ties, hats or socks. Surely some of us fathers like coffee mugs and T-shirts that say #1 Dad. But nothing! And that made me sad.

But it made me sad at a deeper level – a level that pains me to talk about. For what I saw, or did not see, was simply a metaphor in my mind for the horrid state of fatherhood in my community. It said to me that fathers don’t really matter. The absence of the vendors on the corner signified to me the absence of fathers in the home. To our own demise, we have learned how to live without fathers, which is not living at all. For God designed the home to have a head, and that head is the father (Eph. 6:4). But if the father is not there, with all do respect to God-fearing praying mothers, that family is headless. And headless things can’t survive for long, if at all.

So my Father’s Day was good, but it reminded me of the great need of the gospel of Jesus Christ for my community, particularly in the area of family life. For only Jesus Christ can “restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers” (Mal. 3:6). I pray that if the Lord tarries and I live to see another Father’s Day that Crenshaw Blvd. will be filled with corner vendors selling their goods in recognition of the essential nature and role of fathers.

My God is in Charge!

The sovereignty of God is one of the most precious of doctrines in the Bible. I confess that this is becoming more of a reality in my life on what seems to be a daily basis. Whether it be the annoyance to my schedule caused by a hit and run driver, or the lack of sleep produced by a defective home alarm system that goes off at 2am, or the unforeseen seizure that appears to almost take my 3 year old daughter's life -- in all of this, if it were not for the truth of the sovereignty of God, I would be hopelessly despairing at this point. Don't get me wrong, I'm not just now discovering the doctrine of the sovereignty of God, for it is unmistakeably clear in Scripture. How could anyone ever argue with texts like:

"All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, But He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; And no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, 'What have You done?'" (Dan. 4:36)

"I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted" (Job 42:2)

"But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases" (Ps. 115:3)

"The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the Lord" (Prov. 16:33)

" . . . according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will" (Eph. 1:11)

"For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things . . . " (Rom. 11:36)

No, no, I've affirmed this doctrine for years, but its reality and sweetness is gripping my heart with a freshness for which I am deeply thankful and humbled. Let me explain. I know that God's hand is on His people for good and only for good, which means that whatever He sovereignly allows to come into our lives (the bad and the good), it must be for our good. Therefore, even the things that are unjust, or inconvenient, or painfully scary are expressions of God's gracious love for us as He works in and through them for our good. Even what men & devils mean for evil, He means it for good (Gen. 50:20). Hallelujah, what a God!

So, when I read in Matthew 10:29, that not even a sparrow "will fall to the ground apart from your Father", surely our Lord is teaching me that God's sovereign will covers everything, even the falling to the ground of insignificant birds. And if that be the case, how much more does it cover my precious little girl's seizure? And since it does, He must then mean it for her good, my good, and most importantly, His glory; and that is enough for me. Yea, I love the doctrine of the sovereignty of God. Where would I be with out it?

And So It Begins!

It's the day after, and everyone appears to still be reveling in the afterglow of the historical inauguration of the first African-American president. For all who witnessed this event, I'm sure its impressions will last for a long time. The pagentry, the symbolism, the significance, the sense of unity are all worthy of note, and to the extent that President Barak Obama was the reason for it, he is to be commended.

But now for the reality check. All of the fanfare is over, all of the parades past and the music has stopped playing. And what does President Barak Obama do? He makes known his plan to honor the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade by reversing the ban on the use of federal dollars by non-governmental organizations around the globe that discuss or provide abortions. (http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/01/21/obama-lift-ban-funding-groups-providing-abortions-overseas/)

In other words, President Obama is committing our money to the destruction of innocent life around the world. Boy, isn't it interesting that so many people were up-in-arms over President Bush's use of our money to "destroy innocent lives" in his wars. I wonder if people will be just as outraged about President's Obama's use of our money to destroy innocent life in the war against unborn babies? Ah, probably not! Yea, I know he isn't directly killing innocent unborn babies, but does anyone believe that he doesn't know that these dollars will be used for abortions?

And so it has begun. The agenda is unfolding. God only knows what will be next.

Thanksgiving Day Gratitude

On this Thursday millions will gather together to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. For many, it will be a time for food, family visits, laughter, and entertainment. Folks will have a good time giving thanks for what they find important in their lives.

As I think about what I'm going to do this Thursday, I'm reminded of what really makes this holiday a holy-day for me. It is the fact that my sins have been forgiven by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. That's what I am supremely grateful for. It is the reality that on Calvary Jesus Christ took on Himself my sins and bore the wrath of God in my place. I'm thankful for that. I'm thankful that the perfect life that Jesus lived made Him an acceptable and perfect sacrifice which was received by God making atonement for me. I am so grateful.

In Christ I now have everything -- everything pertaining to life and godliness, and for that I am thankful. O' what a Savior. He has brought me to God by sealing my pardon, healing my diseases, rescuing me from the pit, lavishing me with covenant love and tender mercies, and satisfying my soul with His own presence. Jesus will be the centerpiece of the table upon which I dine tomorrow. For it is His sweet sacrificial love for me that makes me so thankful.

So yes, I'm certainly going to enjoy food, my family, and some football, but all of that will pale in comparison of my enjoyment of being right with God through my Savior Jesus Christ. And I hope that as Christians we will all be reminded of the blessed benefits of our great salvation.

A New Day: Musings from Election Night

Well, it's official. Barack Obama is in fact the new President of the United States of America. He is the first African-American to be such, and as Americans, we should cherish this profound moment in our Nation's history.

As I watched Obama's acceptance speech with my family, I was filled with a mixture of emotions. I was experiencing joy, concern, pride, and a sense of sorrow as well. My joy was due to the triumph of the human spirit as Barack Obama accomplished something that I'm sure he was told he could never do. And as I watched him I rejoiced that God has set in the human spirit an ability to strive and endure and persevere beyond one's own imagination, and that brought me great joy as I was reminded of the strength of the human spirit. I was concerned as well; partly because of Obama's political left-wing leanings, but more acutely, because of the apparent shift in the American view of the world. It seems clear to me that the conservative values that held sway in this country for so long have now been abandoned and defeated. The culture war is over. Conservatism is dying a slow death, and there is indeed "change" in the air.

Pride welled up in my heart for obvious reasons. I'm African-American and so is Barack Obama. To see that black man walk across that stage stimulated something deep down within my heart that cried out, "Yes!" That ol' glass ceiling has finally fallen, and thank God I lived long enough to see it along with my children, especially with my sons. Dare I say, "Yes we can." And finally, my sense of sorrow was due to the memory of the recent death of some old saints who would have loved to see a black man become president. It would have been nice to share this moment with them.

So, it has begun. The new day. The new era. We are indeed living in interesting times. My prayer is that President Barack Obama will carry the weight of history with dignity, integrity and strength. For as I'm sure he must be aware of, just as he has opened a door for generations to come, he could also shut that door if he fails.

Repentance: God's Bailout Plan for His People

700 billion dollars. Can you say wow? Yep, that's what it's costing taxpayers in order for our government to bail "us" out of this economic mess. And make no mistake about it, we are in an economic mess--rising unemployment, failing financial institutions, plummeting stock market, historic number of foreclosures, and the list goes on. So, the best that Washington can do is to take our hard earned money and rescue "us" from the brink of economic disaster, the likes of which we have not seen since the 1930's.

As these events unfold, our national attention has been glued to the various proceedings concerning this issue. It is the proverbial talk of the town, and rightfully so. Everyone is being affected, either directly or indirectly, so it's understandable that people are consumed with what's happening. But, as I told my congregation this past Lord's Day, there is a greater crisis occurring which has dire consequences which affects God's people far more than any economic crisis we might ever experience. And that crisis is sin! More specific, it is the sin of neglecting God.

As I am preaching through the book of Haggai, our congregation is being especially challenged to "consider our ways" (1:5, 7) in relation to our commitment to God and His kingdom. In chapter 1, God chides His people for busying themselves with their own plans; all the while God's house lies desolate. As a result, God rebukes them for investing in their own "paneled houses" (1:4) rather than investing in the work of the Lord. And as a result of their negligence, they were experiencing their own economic crisis, which unlike America's, theirs was directly related to their own sin of neglecting the Lord. But just as Americans are working harder for less, so too were the people of God; they were "earning wages to put into a purse with holes" (1:6). All of their efforts, all of their energies, and all of their pursuits were yielding little, if anything at all. They were unfulfilled, dissatisfied, and discontented, and yet dreadfully tired because they were giving their best to themselves instead of to the Lord. O' how we as God's people need to hear this word.

But what about us in terms of a bailout plan. Can the Church's true spiritual maladies be fixed by a 700 billion dollar buyout? Of course not. Our problem requires something much more profound, something spiritual, something which God alone can offer. And He does. God's bailout plan is Repentance. That has always been God's plan to bailout His people when they lose their way. It was true in Haggai's day and it is just as true today. So the people in Haggai's day heard the rebuke of the Lord and they repented -- the Lord graciously "stirred up their spirits," (1:12) they then "showed reverence for the Lord their God," (1:12) and consequently they "obeyed" (1:12) and "worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God" (1:14).

Do you see it there? God does bailout His people. He grants us repentance so that we might share in His priorities, and thus, walk in the fullness of His blessings. That's what we need today! Enough with looking to Washington to solve the Church's woes. Our woes are spiritual, and we need to return to the Lord. We need to "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, [trusting that] all these [other] things will be added . . ."

So I call the Church to repent! Repent of your negligence. Repent of using your time, talents, and treasures on yourself, instead of investing in God's Kingdom. And as you do, remember to thank the Lord for His sufficient bailout plan. Which by the way, He did not have to take anyone else's capital to provide, and yet it did cost Him. In fact, it cost Him something that makes 700 billion dollars look like pennies. It cost Him His own dear Son. For it was Christ who bore our sins on the Cross as His Father poured out His wrath on Him as our substitute so that we might be bailed out of spiritual recession. Yes, it cost God the life of His eternal Son. Now that's some bailout plan. Will you take it? Repent, and return to the Lord!

Shout out for Family Life Today

Listen up folks. Pastor Bobby Scott, general editor of Secret Sex Wars, and Professor Paul Felix, president of The Los Angeles Bible Training School are featured guests on the national radio program Family Life Today. For the next 2 days, Oct. 2-3, these brothers will be discussing the contents of one of the most important books available on the subject of sexual purity. Tell all your friends to listen in at 8:30 am on KKLA if you're in Los Angeles. If you're outside of L.A., please check your local listings. You do not want to miss this. Listen in, be blessed, and then go out and get your copy of Secret Sex Wars -- A Battle Cry for Purity.