Happy New Year

30. December 2009 kris

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Using our time wisely this year is important to us all. Charles Stanley once said that every night before falling asleep, he’d write down his goals for the following day. Upon waking, he’d read through the list in order to focus his energy on what was most important. He’d prayerfully consider his agenda in order to utilize effectively the hours of his day.

The Bible clearly teaches us to use our days wisely. Time is a gift. Almighty God has given each person a span of days to live on earth. But our life is fleeting and uncertain—James compares it to a vapor that “appears for a little while and then vanishes away” (James 4:14). Time is also irrevocable—we cannot hit “rewind” and undo anything.

Considering this, it is foolish to waste such a precious resource. But so often, we do. Be alert to avoid these hindrances to living each moment fully and purposefully:

-Misplaced priorities result in wasted opportunities. Our values will determine the emphasis we place on each activity and the amount of time we allot to it.

-Procrastination and perfectionism soak up valuable time that could have been used to benefit the kingdom.

-Lack of concentration drains time of its potential. For example, we have to train ourselves to focus on reading God’s Word and not to get sidetracked.

What values drive the way you utilize your time? Is there something that keeps you from living each moment in a way that pleases the Lord? You will never have a chance to live today again. Therefore, ask God for guidance and direction so that you can live each day with intention.

At THBC our intention is to be what God wants us to be and to do, as he wants us to do. God’s Word gives us a clear commission and I want us to memorize it and remain true to our call. Here is our purpose encapsuled in five words: CONNECT-GROW-SERVE-GO. You will hear more about the significance these words over the next few weeks and my hope is that God will bless us as we seek to stay true to HIS MISSION THE GREAT COMISSION.

IN CHRIST ALONE,

Bro Kris Chenier

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EXCESSIVE CELEBRATION

28. October 2009 kris

Excessive Celebrations
Georgia fans have a right to complain over the penalty their football team was given last Saturday afternoon as their guy scored with about a minute left in the game with our LSU Tigers.
Following the Georgia TD, the fans were ecstatic and the players were jubilant, running around hugging one another.
That’s when the referee threw the flag and penalized Georgia for a weird infraction (only added to the football rules in recent years) known as “excessive celebration.”
This meant the ensuing kickoff to LSU would take place from deep in Georgia territory (can’t recall the exact numbers here, but that’s irrelevant) and would give LSU an extra advantage. If you watched the game, you know what happened: a few plays later, LSU crossed the goal line with a TD of their own, and ended up winning the game.
Incidentally, the LSU team was likewise flagged for excessive celebration. By then, however, the clock had almost wound down, making it meaningless.
Now, LSU fans–responding to their Georgia friends’ complaint that that penalty might have turned the game around–respond that when running back Charles Scott made the final 20 (or so) yard TD run, he could have just as easily have trotted another 20 or 30 yards. It appears no one could have stopped him and he could easily have still been running a week later.
But that does not ease Georgia’s pain. To its credit, the Southeast Conference has issued apologies this week. The commissioner promises to caution their referees not to be over-zealous in enforcing a rule intended to stop taunting.
Some of us had a little fun with the “excessive celebration” thing. On Facebook, I wrote something like: “I think I’ve figured out what happened with that penalty. After all, who are the most phobic on the subject of ‘excessive celebrations?’ Clearly, the referees were Episcopalians! (Or maybe members of some First Baptist churches we know.)” I added, “Anyone smiling?” in an attempt to keep anyone from taking it all too seriously.
Among the interesting comments was this: “We know the referees were not Baptists because in the end zone they were raising both hands.”
Raising both hands. Saying ‘amen’ or ‘praise the Lord.’ Applauding. Hugging.
What goes under the label of ‘excessive celebration’ in worship depends entirely on the particular church.
To many liturgical churches, if you brought your own Bible and actually sing the hymns, you’re edging uncomfortably close to that dreaded line.
To some churches with unstructured services and high noise levels, one would have to go pretty far to even find the line into excessive celebration, let alone cross it. Maybe handle snakes? Shoot off a firearm? Hoist the preacher onto their shoulders and carry him around the room? Do the wave? (anyone smiling yet?)
I’m thinking of a church in our city that is about as mainline Southern Baptist as they come. By that, I mean I can point you to a dozen local SBC congregations that go in for more shouting, dancing, clapping, hand-raising, and such visible demonstrations than it does. Likewise, I can take you to an equal number that are more traditional and less lively, shall we say.
For good or bad, this particular church seems to be spaced at equal distances from each pole. Now, if you’re familiar with SBC polity, you know the shepherd in a Southern Baptist church pretty well establishes the norm he desires.
Someone told me recently that they had seen the pastor of that church “raising both hands” during a chorus the congregation was singing. I smiled. “So?” The individual thought it was just fine for the isolated member of the congregation to do that, but “when the pastor does it, it establishes that as how the rest of the church should be worshiping.”
To me, it was about as silly a complaint as I had heard in years of hearing complaints. To the one speaking, it was serious. So, I bit my tongue and didn’t laugh. I said, “Why does this bother you?”
To her credit, she said, “I’m not sure. It just does.”
I said something like, “Could I suggest you relax and let him worship however he pleases? After all, the matter of raising one’s hands is something just between him and the Lord.”
“Do you do it?” she asked.
I admitted, “I have a few times, but I don’t any more.”
“Why?”
“Because it was completely meaningless to me. It felt no different than if I had held my arms out horizontally or stood on tiptoes. Clearly, it means something special to those who do it, and I’m glad for them.”
“So why did you do it?” she persisted.
“I was trying it out. I want everything in worship I can get, and I want to give the Lord all of me. The one thing I definitely did not want was to say to my Lord, ‘I refuse to get emotional in my worship.’ I wanted to say to Him that I’m willing to humble myself in any way and every way to give Him all the praise He is due.”
“Okay,” she said. “I suppose that’s what the pastor is doing.”
I said, “I don’t know what his hand-raising means to him. But it doesn’t matter. He doesn’t do it for me or for you either.”
“Here’s how the Apostle Paul put it: ‘Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls.’ That’s Romans 14:4.”
She said, “So you don’t think it’s possible for people to go overboard in the way they worship?”
I said, “Oh, I do think that. I just don’t know what it is. You’d have to know their hearts to make that determination and I’m not able to do that.”
Later, reflecting on my friend’s concern over her pastor’s worship, it occurred to me that Heaven is going to be such a mold-busting (mind-blowing?) experience for so many of God’s children who have insisted that all worship conform to a rigid little set of rules.
In Heaven, the millions of redeemed from African countries will show the rest of the celestial host what true joy means. I can hear their kettle drums (we’re talking steel drums now!) and rhythmic singing, I can see their dancing and clapping and hugging, I can feel the pulsating and throbbing of the beat.
We expect that. But something else will go on in Heaven completely unexpected to most of us….
The Episcopalians and strait-laced Baptists will be joining the celebration. They too will be singing and shouting and dancing and, yes, raising arms and clapping hands and hugging.
They will be loving and crying and singing.
“We shall be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye….”
My question to all my brothers and sisters in the Lord is a simple one: why wait?
Quit throwing flags on your friends for excessive celebrating. Instead, go to the Father and ask Him to help you get what they have. (By Joe McKeever)

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What would Jesus Twitter?

21. September 2009 kris

Facebook and Twitter.
What is a preacher to do? Does using social networking tools put the gospel message at risk? Can anything of real and lasting value come from technology that limits information to a mere 140 characters?
We regularly see examples of how social media can play a constructive role in society. Last year when a hotel in Mumbai, India, was attacked and held for a time by terrorists, the world first found out not via Fox News, CNN or any other mainstream media outlet. Instead, someone sent a Twitter message (called a tweet): “Mumbai is in chaos. 18 dead, 40 held hostage at Oberoi, a five-star hotel, firing going on at a JW Marriott.” That message was 107 characters long, and it got the word out about the emerging and ongoing story several hours before any traditional news organization went on the air with it.
More recently, as thousands of Iranians took to the streets in Tehran and elsewhere to protest a clearly corrupt election process, the preponderance of any news we were getting here in the west came via Twitter as courageous people sent messages all over the world.
What would Jesus twitter? Would Jesus have a facebook account? Jesus connected to people, brought hope and goodness throughout His earthly ministry. I believe strongly that using the information highway to share Christ is wise and doing whatever it takes to bring The hope of Christ to this lost world is what we ought to be about.

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