By Charles S. (Chuck) Kelley Jr. NEW ORLEANS (BP) - My childhood was different than most. I grew up in the home of a funeral director. For the first years of my life, we literally lived in the funeral home itself in an apartment above the family rooms, casket room and chapel. Far earlier than most, I learned an essential truth about life: Death is inevitable for all. My father handled funerals for the elderly and the young, the healthy and the sick, the wealthy and the poor, the unknown and the famous, including a service for the Big Bopper, whose huge hit "Chantilly Lace" made him a household name until a plane crash ended his life. Some deaths were expected and natural; others were shocking and tragic. The causes of death varied widely, and the timing of death was often unpredictable. But whatever the cause or whenever the timing, death was, is, and ever will be the experience of all who live, whether we like it or not. Many seek to avoid this truth, but none can avoid its reality. I walked into the back of the funeral home very early one Saturday morning during high school and saw the name Walter Portius on the board listing those who passed away overnight. We were in class together on Friday morning, but he died … [Read more...]
The ironies of the trial and crucifixion of Jesus
By Waylon Bailey Everyone who has been a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ for any length of time is well acquainted with the trial and crucifixion of our Lord. Jesus gave Himself freely and voluntarily to atone for our sins. While we know this wonderful fact, there are other areas that are striking in their truthfulness and ironic in the way it was carried out. What are these ironic situations? First, notice the irony of Simon of Cyrene carrying the cross of Jesus when the other Simon (Peter) had proclaimed so loudly that he would never forsake Jesus. Second, notice the irony of God using the words of skeptics and mockers for good. Pilate put a plack on the cross of Jesus saying, “This is the king of the Jews.” The leaders of the people mocked Jesus saying, “He saved others, let him come down from the cross and save himself.” Could God have used these statements as a way to convict the criminal that Jesus was indeed the Messiah and that He could save him as He had saved others? Third, notice how all creation mourned as the light of the world gave Himself for the sins of lost humanity. The three hours of darkness pointed to the darkness of the people of Jerusalem and the Roman soldiers who had God with them In … [Read more...]
Emergency responders
By David Jeremiah EL CAJON, Calif. (BP) - I have endless respect for emergency responders, those trained to deploy when time is of the essence. In most search-and-rescue missions, conditions are unpredictable and every second can make the difference between survival and disaster. Whether it's a mountain rescue team in a barren wilderness, a combat search-and-rescue operation or an air/sea rescue team, these are true heroes -- men and women who use all available means to locate those in distress, provide for their initial medical needs and deliver them to a place of safety. What a calling! And what a reflection of the Lord Himself! History's ultimate search-and-rescue mission was the one launched by Jesus Christ in the fullness of time. In Luke 19:10, Jesus said, "The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." In John 17:3, He said, "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." One dark Bethlehem night, our Savior rappelled into human history, descending from the heights of heaven into the cold of this world. He was determined to search for and rescue the lost, even at the cost of His own life. He once likened Himself to a one-man … [Read more...]
How to select your ‘life verse’
By Joe McKeever “Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). Your life verse is not just a cute, catchy line that looks good on a bumper sticker. Your life verse understands you. It sums up a lot about your life. It has your number. Your life verse knows your deep, dark secrets. When you were young, you were still finding out who you were and had yet to encounter life’s bruises and hurts. You could not have found a verse that “fit” since you didn’t know “what size you were,” to stay with the metaphor. But by this time, you have lived enough to carry scars from disappointments and battles. You have failed and sometimes failed bigtime. You have hurt and cried and cried out to God. And now you are ready to find your life verse. Your life verse won’t necessarily make you happy. It may be a reminder of the scars you wear and a few you have inflicted. Here’s mine. Job 4:4. The odd thing is that I remember it in a way that I cannot find in any version of the Scripture. The way I recall it is: Your words have stood men on their feet. The NKJV reads: “Your words have upheld him who is stumbling; You have strengthened the feeble knees.” Most translations have a … [Read more...]
Living out a ‘friendly faith’ can lead others to Jesus
By Jeff Ginn You’re probably familiar with the tragedy of “friendly fire,” but have you thought about the potential of “friendly faith”? Let me unpack the difference. Friendly fire refers to incidents when, in the fog of war, a soldier will accidentally fire upon his own forces. The history of warfare is replete with examples. Perhaps the best known is the case of Pat Tillman. He was a gifted athlete who played in the NFL. After 9-11 he voluntarily gave up that lucrative career and became an Army Ranger. He died in the mountains of Afghanistan as a result of “friendly fire.” Friends can hurt friends (and not just on the battlefield!). But, it is equally true that friends can help friends. Your faith in the Lord can encourage and transform the lives of your friends. That’s what I mean by “friendly faith.” A great illustration of this is the biblical account of four friends who brought their paralyzed friend to Jesus. There he found healing and, more importantly, forgiveness for sins. God wants to use our lives and, particularly, our faith to influence others for Christ. Whom can you pray for or encourage today? Whom can you “bring” to Jesus? A kind deed, a quick email or note, a word of witness, an invitation - all … [Read more...]
What matters in prayer
By Waylon Bailey When we pray, we please God. God’s Word tells us to pray in all times and in all things. Paul said that prayer is the antidote for anxiety. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). What matters in prayer? First, it’s not your eloquence in prayer and certainly not the length of your prayers. Prayers are often awkward or feeble. At least that is the way I view many of my prayers. Jesus taught us to pray in profound ways, but the amazing part of the prayer is the sincerity and heart’s desire. He taught us to pray “thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” The words of devotion and the attitude of submission matter in prayer. Second, what matters most is the One to whom we pray. It is not prayer that changes things (although I understand the meaning and sentiment behind those words); it is the God to whom we pray that makes all the difference. Remember, God tells us to pray fervently, believing, and in faith, but those are not transactional words. It is not … [Read more...]
Embrace your suffering
By Steve Horn I learned a long time of ago that I never lack for an audience when I preach on the subject of suffering. And yet, a question that every Christian must wrestle with is how to reconcile a loving God to the presence of suffering. Ravi Zacharias has said that it is the greatest obstacle to belief in God. Yesterday, I preached on the subject of suffering, and I did not lack for an audience. My sermon was based on selected texts in 1 Peter that deal with the subject. Now, in 1 Peter, the context is a suffering attached to persecution, but I think the principles apply to any kind of suffering. I encourage you to get your Bibles and read these texts. I think you will discover at least these eiight reasons that we can embrace our suffering. Suffering connects us to Jesus. (3:18) Suffering changes or sanctifies us. (4:1-2, 12) Suffering creates in us a yearning for Heaven. (4:13) Suffering causes us to see the blessing of the grace and glory of God resting on us. (4:14) Suffering creates the opportunity to glorify God in our suffering. (4:16) Suffering causes us to trust God. (4:19) Suffering causes us to be more sensitive to the suffering of others. (5:9) Suffering causes us to see that God is … [Read more...]
Kennedy: It’s up to us to fight for all life created in God’s image
By U.S. Sen. John Kennedy From Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s endorsement of infanticide to New York’s new law promoting late-term abortions, the left continues to lead us down a crazy, morally bankrupt path. They want to deny what we know is undeniably true: Human life is precious from the moment it’s created in the hands of God. I voted for the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act in the U.S. Senate a few weeks ago because it offered a basic level of medical care to newborns who survive abortions. Compassion and caring are the pillars of a Christian life but also of basic human decency. If you’re hungry, we feed you. If you’re cold, we clothe you. If you’re an innocent baby who survives a botched abortion, then we should tend to you instead of abandoning you. As appalling as it is to acknowledge, failed abortions aren’t an anomaly. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that between 2003 and 2014 at least 143 babies died after being born alive during attempted abortions. The CDC also says this number is likely underestimated. These survivors’ lives shouldn’t end at the abortion clinic because medical treatment is denied to them. Melissa Ohden survived an abortion and today is a … [Read more...]
Why we envy bi-vocational pastors
By Joe McKeever “Because (Paul) was of the same trade, he stayed with (Aquila and Priscilla) and worked; for by occupation they were tentmakers” (Acts 18:3). “I had a right to be supported by the churches,” said the Apostle Paul. “But I did not exercise that right, but supported myself.” (I Corinthians 9) Some churches pay their ministers enough to allow them to quit their “day jobs,” as we call them, and devote their full time to the service of the church and the work of the Kingdom. Other churches cannot afford that privilege. And some churches and pastors choose the dual arrangement for reasons of their own. I remember the day when my church began paying me full time. It was like dying and going to Heaven, I thought. For the first three years of our marriage, while pastoring a small church and then attending seminary, I worked in the production office of a cast iron pipe factory, worked in the office of a trucking line, and worked in the office of a soft-drink bottling company. Suddenly, all that went away when a church called me as pastor and paid enough to live one. I loved the idea of being able to serve the Lord and His church 24/7. All around us, however, are ministers–pastors and other positions … [Read more...]
Are you an enemy of the cross of Christ?
By Kelvin Cochran ATLANTA (BP) - "For I have told you often before, and now I say it again with tears in my eyes, there are many who walk along the Christian road who are really enemies of the cross of Christ," the apostle Paul lamented. "Their future is eternal loss," Paul continued in Philippians 3:18-19, "for their god is their appetite; they are proud of what they should be ashamed of; and all they think about is this life here on earth." I have been blessed to share my testimony at many churches, conferences and Christ-centered events around the country over the last few years. It has been quite inspiring to see pastors and congregations, faith-based organizations and Christian elected officials fighting to uphold laws which preserve our freedom to live out our faith and the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Sadly, I have also witnessed those who have been on the battlefield for years who have turned away from the boldness of faith under pressure to conform to a culture that diminishes the authority of God and His Word. As I write this article with a heavy heart and "with tears in my eyes," I bear witness there are those who profess to be Christians but have become enemies of the cross of Christ. They were … [Read more...]
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