BATS IN THE BELLE-FRY

BATS IN THE BELLE-FRY

During the Civil War, Ida Mayfield, a beautiful belle from Louisiana, became the toast of New York society. She was among the most beautiful, well-bred women in the city, and married to Ben Wood, a newspaper magnate and congressman.  She wore the finest gowns and jewels, danced with the Prince of Wales, was presented to Empress Eugenie of Austria, and entertained President Cleveland.  Then, during the financial panic of 1907, she disappeared without a trace.

But Ida Mayfield was a hoax.  You see, Ida Mayfield was really Ellen Walsh, the penniless daughter of an immigrant textile worker, using a borrowed dress, the name of a respected Louisiana family, and her innate charm.  Her husband, Ben Wood, never knew her real identity.

Ida Mayfield, or Ellen Walsh, disappeared from the scene for several years.  In 1931, she was found blind, deaf and shrunken.  She was 94 years old, and living in a dingy New York hotel room, wearing a “dress” made only of two hotel towels pinned together.  Her room was a mess of yellowed newspapers, letters and boxes, all scattered in disarray.  She was judged incompetent and was made a ward of the court.

However, when they opened the boxes, they found securities worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.  A diamond and emerald necklace was hidden in a box of crackers.  And to top it off, fifty $10,000 dollar bills were contained inside a pouch tied around her waist.  When collectors took this from her, she died.

There is a record of a young lady who lived in Babylon that went by the name of Hadassah.  Like Ida Mayfield, Haddasah entertained royalty.  She wore the finest gowns and jewels.  She had seven personal palace maids.  She received private beauty treatments that could be afforded by only the wealthiest of society.  She ate only the most exquisite of meals.  And, like Ida Mayfield, she was not being forthright concerning her true identity.

Like Ida Mayfield, she was not really the daughter of royalty or wealth, but unlike Ida Mayfield, she was not a hoax.  And unlike Ida Mayfield, she did not disappear when things started shaking.  Instead, she understood that she was "come to the kingdom for such a time as this."  She realized it was her time to shine!  So she revealed to her true identity to her husband and saved the lives of her uncle and rest of the Jews in the kingdom.

Like Esther, it is imperative that the church today understand that we have "come to the kingdom for such a time as this."  We don't need to hide our identity.  Ellen Walsh hid her identity because she was ashamed and she was living a lie.  Esther hid her identity at the request of her uncle, who feared she would be turned away at best and killed at worst.  Today, the church needs to boldly proclaim her identity with Jesus Christ.  Our freedom from sin was purchased by His blood.  

PRAISE HIM IN THE STORM

PRAISE HIM IN THE STORM

Several years ago, as I lay down trying to go to sleep, I heard a distinctive rumble in the distance. I listened a little while longer, and then it came: a flash of light, and a few seconds later thunder.

Maybe I’m not like most, but I must admit that I am mesmerized by the awesome power that is exhibited in an electrical storm. I climbed out of bed, put on my robe and went out on the porch to watch with wonder, nature’s most beautiful light show. Not being able to see sufficiently, I went into our back yard and climbed up into my son’s clubhouse to get a better view.

It wasn’t long before the sky lit up and streaks of lightening raced across the sky in numerous directions. One bolt shot vertically, I could hear the unmistakable sound of hundreds of thousands of volts concentrated on one spot on the earth reverberate from a few miles away. In a matter of seconds, the clap of thunder signifying a direct hit exploded in my ears and rattled my brain.

Then the wind began to blow. The trees began to dance violently, as they swirled to the music of the wind. The loose piece of tin on our carport began to bounce up and down and bang loudly against the one next to it. Finally the rain began to fall, slowly at first and then more rapidly as the storm began to pick up velocity. It was time to head back into the house and go to bed.

From childhood, there seems to be a natural fear of storms. When the lightening flashes and the thunder explodes around us, we become gripped with fear and we search for shelter and hope for the best. We hope that the storm will not reach us. We hope that the storm will not hurt us.  We hope that the storm will not destroy our belongings.  And ultimately, we hope the storm will go away.

This fear is a natural fear that is born out of respect for the ferociousness in the power of a storm.

When a child of God is surrounded by a storm of life, we become fearful that the storm will destroy us. Too often, those who are caught in the storm, forget God’s power in the storms of life.

There are two boat stories that deal with storms in the Gospels. In one, Jesus was asleep on a pillow, in the boat, when the storm came. In the other, Jesus had been up on a mountain praying, and then he came along later, walking on the water. If you don’t remember anything else I write, remember this: Whenever you are in a storm of life, Jesus is either:

1.     On the boat with you, just waiting on you to call out to Him, or…

2.     He is going to come walking along, on top of the tempest.

Either way, He is going to calm the storm for you – He’s going to provide peace that passes understanding!

One of Satan’s greatest ploys is to shut Jesus out of a man's world and lock Him up in the church. God is as powerful in the world as He is in His Church! He is as powerful in your home as He is in Heaven. He’s as powerful in your storm as He is in a power-packed church service! If Satan can retire God in our minds, he then can run the world and ruin our lives!

In Matthew 14:22, Jesus sent His disciples off “to go before Him”, and then He went up on the mountain alone to pray.  He fully intended to come along later, and He let them know that.  It is interesting to note, however, that He left Himself with no provision to get to the other side.  He had no boat; so, how did He plan to get there?  How did His disciples think He was going to get there?  I noticed that none of them offered to stay and float Him over later.

Ah, but when you then as Creator, you don’t worry about insignificant stuff like that!

We are talking about One whose vest was buttoned with the stars.  He wears the earth like a tiny diamond in Creation’s crown.  He brought all of His authority and power to earth. 

Are you getting a picture of the power of our Savior?  Can you see why one shouldn’t live in fear during a storm? 

This same One who created the winds and the rain...

     This same One who created the storms’ wonder and power...

          This same One walks with me, and He talks with me...

               And He tells me that I am His own!

Listen: Jesus has the power and ability to walk on top of your raging problems!  He walks on the Sea of Life and He calms the storms of life! He can be present without Jacobs being aware, but hell and storms take notice! 

A perfect match becomes a perfect mess, and your marriage suddenly needs a better homemaker than any mere man or woman can possibly be.  There is One who walks on top of the problem! Sadly, there are literally thousands who drown daily in the flood of alcoholism and drug addiction, and no one notices the national disaster.  Homes are broken apart by issues that come in with the fury of a tornado, twisting the very life out of a marriage.

          Financial problems...

               Infidelity problems...

                    In-law problems...

                         Child problems...

                              Priority problems...

Minds are going to pieces like tin barns hit by hurricane-force winds.  Lives are crushed beneath the pressure of hopes and ambitions that have been crushed by the flattening force of problems of prodigious proportions.  A moral storm rages within and without.

Too many people are in the dark, and they can’t see the landmarks anymore.  And suddenly, we realize that we cannot deal with the storm without the Master of the storm! 

If at creation He pinched up the mountains and pinned up the stars to suit Himself, He can walk across any problem we have and bring us a calm and a peace that passes all understanding!  If you are a blood-bought, born-again child of God, you are made of the right stuff, and there ain’t no storm gonna be able to take you down!  God ahead and praise Him in the storm.

Holy Ground

In Exodus 3:5, when God told Moses to take his shoes off his feet, "for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground," He was not saying so because of the particular geographical location whereon Moses stood, but because God's very presence was there.  The principle is no different today in our modern churches.

When we come to church we are standing on Holy Ground.  The ground is holy, NOT because of it's geographical location, and not because the sign outside indicates it's a church.  The place is Holy Ground because the presence of God is there.

While it is not necessary for us to take off our shoes when we enter into the sanctuary, it IS necessary that we take some things off.  We must "cast off the works of darkness," according to Paul in Romans 13:12.  It is also necessary that we "put off and discard [our] old, unrenewed self," (Ephesians 4:22, AMP).  And Paul informs us in Colossians 2:11 that it is necessary that we put off "the sins of the flesh", and then he identified them in Colossians 3:8 - "anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth and lying."

Every time I come to church, it is imperative that I understand I am entering a holy place and standing on holy ground.  And, recognizing this, it is equally important that I "take off" the things in my life that disqualify me in His presence.  

Moses shoes were contaminated with the grime and filth of the earth, and had to be removed; and, because I live and walk in this world, I am contaminated by the sins of this world, and that which contaminates me must be removed.  Just as Moses knelt down to remove his shoes, so must I kneel down; but when I kneel down, it is to repent.  

The act of repentance is accomplished when I have stripped myself of my former nature.  My old self is discarded, and I am renewed in the spirit of my mind.  However, it is not enough just to put off some things.  If I am to obtain the right to stand in the presence of God, I must put something on...

I am to "put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness," (Ephesians 4:24).  I am to "put on the armor of light," (Romans 13:12).  But most importantly, I am (or WE are) to put on "the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof," (Romans 13:14).

It is important to remember that our part is repentance, which, in this context, is the act of "putting off" those things that are not pleasing to the Lord and the "putting on" of those things that are.  However, the rest is up to God.  "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast," (Ephesians 2:8-9).

As the beneficiaries of grace, not only am I allowed to stand on holy ground, but because I am in Christ, I am "a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new," (II Corinthians 5:17)!

The following comes from Tim Duduit of PreachingNow.com. I found it interesting and well-said, therefore, I am sharing it here for your perusal.

Thank you for taking the time to stop by. May God richly bless you!

Tim Kelley

PREACHING WITH PURPOSE

by Tim Duduit

"The purpose of preaching is not to occupy time during the worship service. It is not to offer a little moral lesson or to suggest some interesting ideas for further thought. The purpose of preaching, at the crux of it, is to transform lives. The purpose of preaching is to make a difference -- in the life of the preacher, as well as the lives of the listeners.

"A preacher without a purpose is like an architect who sits down at the drafting table to design a structure, but doesn't know whether it will be a single-family home or a commercial warehouse. A preacher without a purpose is like an archer with no target. A preacher without a purpose is like a runner with no finish line. A preacher without a purpose is a waste of the congregation's time and the preacher's calling.

"As we explore the place of purpose in preaching, it is important that one truth is paramount: It is God's purpose that drives us, not our own. Proverbs 19:21 points out, 'Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." Preaching that focuses on human goals and purposes are destined for failure, though they may even appear successful for a season. The most important thing a preacher can do is identify God's purpose in His Word, and effectively communicate that truth under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. That is preaching with purpose."

THE CELEBRATION OF NOTHING

THE CELEBRATION OF NOTHING

He was hit by a car in Colorado, attacked by a crocodile in Australia, detained as a suspected spy in Egypt and survived illness and periods of despair.

His name is Jason Lewis, and on Saturday, October 6, 2007 this British adventurer finally came home, completing a 13-year, 46,000-mile human-powered circumnavigation of the globe. The 40-year-old carried his 26-foot yellow pedal craft the last few miles up the River Thames, pushing it across the Meridian Line at Greenwich, where his expedition began in 1994, according to the AP Press Release from London.

The press release went on to say that Mr. Lewis struggled for words as he described his feelings at the close of an odyssey that took him around the globe, power only by his arms and legs – on a bicycle, a pedal boat, a kayak and inline skates.

“I’m overwhelmed,” he told Sky News television after arriving. “It’s been my life, for 13 years I’ve put everything into this.”

The adventure, which was originally believed would take three and a half years, was met with a plethora of problems. After two years of planning and fundraising, Jason Lewis set out with fellow adventurer Steve Smith, who first dreamed up the idea of going around the globe using only human power in 1991. On the very first leg of their trip they became “horribly lost” while traveling to the English coastal town of Rye, where they had a pedal boat waiting.

The pair crossed the English Channel to France, cycled to Portugal, and then took shifts pedaling their boat across the Atlantic Ocean, reaching Miami in February 1995. On their trip across the Atlantic they survived close encounters with a shrimping trawler, a whale and a giant wave that swept Smith overboard.

Lewis and Smith spent 111 days cooped up in their broom closet-sized pedal boat, causing their relationship to deteriorate. They parted ways in Miami, where Lewis strapped on his inline skates for the 3,500-mile trip to San Francisco. In Pueblo, Colorado, Jason Lewis was hit by a car, causing him to suffer having both of his legs broken and costing him nine months for recuperation.

In San Francisco the two were reunited, and together they pedaled from the Golden Gate Bridge to Hawaii, where they split for good. Smith wrote a book titled “Pedaling to Hawaii,” while Lewis journeyed on to Australia.

He biked across the Australian outback, dodged supertankers in Singapore straits and hiked the Himalayas. From Mumbai, India, he pedaled his boat across the Indian Ocean to Djibouti and made his way north by bicycle through Sudan and Egypt.

Lewis was dogged by accidents and sickness during the trip; but local authorities were a problem, too. In Alabama, Mr. Lewis logged some “interesting experiences” with policemen. He cycled through Tibet at night in order to avoid detection by Chinese roadblocks; and when he crossed into Egypt from Sudan, Lewis was thrown in jail by the military on suspicion of being a spy.

Following his release from prison, he biked through the Sinai desert and across Jordan, Syria, and Turkey. He then powered through Europse over the summer, arriving in Greenwich, in southeast London, to cheers from family, supporters and the Duke of Gloucester, the expedition’s British patron.

As I read the account of Jason Lewis’ adventure, I could not help but be struck by how society seems to have fallen into the celebration of NOTHING.

This man completed a journey, but for what purpose? He has invented no medicinal cure for any ill, and, in fact, has invented nothing at all, much less something that could enhance our quality of life.

His trip took 13 years to complete, time in which he contributed absolutely NOTHING to society in relation to labor or service. He bore no message to world leaders, nor did he present a means by which one’s life could be forever changed for the better. Yet, he will be celebrated throughout the world simply because he traveled the globe.

If we are going to celebrate someone’s journey across the waters, why don’t we consider the Apostle Paul – his many “adventures” helped to spread the glorious gospel of Christ across the then known world.

Or, consider with me the idea of celebrating a man whose name we will likely never know, but without whom, Paul may not have been met with his Gospel-spreading success. That man’s contribution to the spreading of God’s Gospel was his talent in making ropes. Whoever this man was, it was his rope that was used to let Paul down a wall in a basket.

In this world that is so caught up in the celebration of nothing, I would like to take a moment and celebrate an unknown rope-maker who contributed to the spreading of the Gospel to the entire world.

FANTASY CHURCH

FANTASY CHURCH

We live in a world of fantasy. One can play in fantasy sports leagues – fantasy football, fantasy baseball, and fantasy basketball are among the most popular. One can even go on a fantasy vacation; and if a person enjoys taking a cruise for vacation, there is even a ship called Fantasy.

Fantasy sports are the rage, right now, and perhaps the most popular among them is Fantasy Football. The Fantasy Football League, The Bishops, held its 2007 draft on August 21, 2007. This is a league whose owners are made up primarily of ministers. It is a wonderful way to enjoy some pleasant competition and amusing bantering between friends.

The primary premise is that the team with the most points wins, and at the end of the season, the team with the most wins is the champion. Scoring is based on yards gained and points scored on the offensive side; fumbles, yards advanced and points scored on the defensive side. It is common for teams to score in the triple digits; and, of course, high scoring games and winning teams possess all bragging rights.

Considering this, it seems that another category of fantasy has emerged in our society: that of Fantasy Church.

In this Fantasy League, “points” are scored based on the number of members they claim, on the talents of the worship leader and his team, on the facilities, and on the marketability of the ministry staff. Of course, the greatest “scoring” factor here is the number of members claimed by a local assembly. The church with the largest number is crowned as champion and anything that pastor says or does must be copied should another desire to compete in the league.

The issue here is NOT large churches, not even mega-churches. Most men who are at the helm of these large congregations are incredible men of principle and conviction. They have used the talents God has given them to grow their churches into evangelism centers that offer hope for the hopeless and healing for the hurting. These churches are like an oasis in the desert of an unloving, uncaring and cruel world.

The focus of this article, rather, is on those select few churches, ranging in size from below 100 to over 20,000, who have foregone the teaching of sound doctrine for that of the more palatable pop-psychology. The leaders of these Fantasy Churches are the men of Colossians 2:8 who, “through philosophy and vain deceit,” take people captive, enslaving them with men’s ideas of the material rather than the spiritual. The congregations these men preach to are made up of those who “will not endure sound doctrine;” and, who, because of their itching ears and their lack of stomach for solid, biblical teaching, will gladly fill up on the spiritual junk food these men prolifically produce.

In these last days, where carnal people in the pew have rendered the pulpit powerless, and where unqualified men occupy positions of spiritual authority, sound doctrine has been traded for the pleasant sound of humanistic philosophy with just a dash of scriptural spice to give sermons the appearance biblical theology. The preachers who are at the helm of these Fantasy Churches have foregone the idea of changing lives through the power of the Holy Ghost and sound doctrine. Instead, they avoid preaching on doctrine, social issues, and sin altogether with the hope that people, regardless of their spiritual status, will be comfortable enough to support the local church with their attendance and finances.

It is the opinion of this writer that we cannot focus on numbers to the detriment of doctrine and call it church growth. Numbers are an indicator of growth and, to some degree, success. However, if those numbers come at the expense of teaching sound Christian doctrine and principles, all one is experiencing is Fantasy Church.

A sinner can never be forgiven of sins he or she has not repented of. And those sins can never be remitted unless and until the sinner has been buried with Christ in baptism (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:1-7). Having obeyed the command of Scripture by repenting and being baptized in Jesus’ name, that person will then receive or receive the Promise of Holy Spirit baptism, which, according to the incidents recorded in the Book of Acts, is evidenced by speaking in an unknown tongue (Acts 2; Acts 10; Acts 19, etc.).

The church ought to be a place where lives are changed, where hope is found, where healing takes place, and where spiritual direction is attained; and that’s the least of it.

Fantasy Football is a blast! I understand from those who play other fantasy sports that they are equally as much fun. That should be the sum total of our involvement in the fantasy realm, though. When it comes to church, we need the kind of church that “turns (our) world upside down” through sound doctrine, anointed preaching, and the power and demonstration of the Holy Ghost.

Once again, thank you for sharing your time with me. I wish you the best.
Blessings,
Tim Kelley

Tim's Musings: Ministerial Ethics

Tim's Musings: Ministerial Ethics