Easter Pictures...

These are a few pictures from our Easter Celebration at the Windsor High School. This first one is of the whole group--500 of us!

This one is of me in action...not sure what I'm saying...

These are the vocalists with the worship choir standing behind them on the risers. If you look really close you can see Tina sitting at the keyboard on the far side of the stage

Children as God's Greatest...

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these" (Matthew 19:14). The Kingdom may belong to the children but do they have the right to vote in a church business session?

I would expect that if children have very little to contribute to the church because of their underdeveloped intellect and their lack of experience with the world's ways, that God would pass them by in order to find more qualified candidates for service. I would expect that there would be few if any examples of God using these "weak" ones.

Allow me to share with you seven biblical examples of God speaking to and working through children:

• Mary who conceived by the Holy Spirit and brought Jesus into the world (Luke 1:26-38).


• King Josiah who took the throne of Israel at age 8 (2 Kings 22:1-2).


• David who through the power of God slew a giant (1 Samuel 16:7-13; 17:33, 42, 55-56).


• Joseph who received prophetic dreams (Genesis 37:1-11).


• Samuel who heard the voice of God (1 Samuel 2:18; 3:1-19).


• John the Baptist who recognized Jesus in the womb while in the womb himself (Luke 1:41-45).


• Jesus who taught the teachers at age 12 (Luke 2:40-52).

So, if God has used children in the past--why couldn't he also use children in the present and in the future? Is it possible that a church could cut itself off from the influence of these "kingdom owners" by denying them the ability to fully participate in church decisions? Isn't the "eye" guilty of saying to the "hand", "I don't need you" by closing our ears to the voices of our children? (1 Corinthians 12:21).

"I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me" (Matthew 18:1-5).

Children as Spirituals...

The question is, "Should children under 18 be allowed to vote in church business sessions?" I believe that the answer to the question has more to do with the Holy Spirit's indwelling power than anything else. Adults will logically come to different conclusions on any given subject including this one. That explains why such a thing as a "church fight" exists. Minds will often differ and and as a result will produce division . . . but the Holy Spirit will always be united!

Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 12 that though there is diversity in the Body of Christ, there is "the same Spirit" (v4), "the same Lord" (v5), and "the same God" (v6). "For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jew or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:12-13). Note that all Christians are baptized into the same body through the same Spirit regardless of race or heritage. All Christians are indwelt with the same Holy Spirit of God regardless of anything else including age. In fact, Jesus went so far as to say that the greatest occupants of Heaven are the children! (Matthew 18:1-5). Look at what Paul says in verse 24 of 1 Corinthians 12, "But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked (honor)". The children who appear to be the weakest members of the Body of Christ are in fact the greatest members and therefore are worthy of the greater honor! Are believers who happen to be children indwelt with the same Holy Spirit that lives in adult believers? Absolutely Yes! Are children then, under the Holy Spirit's leadership, able to make spiritual decisions along with the rest of the Body? Again, absolutely yes!

"When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. And she cried out with a loud voice and said, 'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And how has it happend to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy" (Luke 1:41-44). Is it possible that John the Baptist while in the womb recognized the Lord Jesus while he also was in the womb? Apparently, yes! Now tell me, if a yet-to-be-born baby can recognize the work of God--why couldn't a young adult believer who is 17? or 16? or 6? It's not about mental ability . . . it is about Spirit-ability!

Children as Church...

We are in the process of reworking our Constitution and Bylaws at Cornerstone and have bumped into a previously held rule that prohibits children under the age of 18 from voting in congregational business sessions. I have not previously seen this prohibition in any Southern Baptist Church of which I have been associated.

The rationale for not allowing children to vote seems to run in two primary streams of argument:

• #1--Children do not have the mental development or maturity to cast a vote.


• #2--Large families would have increased influence in church decisions through their children.

I can appreciate both of these arguments as rational and reasonable. However, we must ask some other questions in order to make a sound spiritual decision based upon the biblical record.

Question #1--Does the Holy Spirit indwell all believers including children?

Question #2--Are there biblical examples of God speaking to and through children?

Question #3--Should we be concerned with mental development or spiritual development?

Question #4--What would Jesus do?

I'll be posting over the next several days the answers that I am finding to these important questions.

Baseball has been very very good to me...

Lately, I have found myself retreating to the sanctuary of my 12-year-old son's baseball games. It's a great two-hour escape! "Let's see...constitution and by-laws committee meeting?...or baseball? Hmmmmm....BASEBALL!!!" I'm not much of a "meeting-kind-of-guy". I'm not intellectually challenged by debating how old one should be before being allowed to vote in a church business meeting. I weary of debating the intricate nuances of joining the church by letter versus by statement. I would rather watch my son steal second! I am "honored" to chair our state convention's executive board. The title comes with its fair share of meetings. How easy it is to let my mind wander out into the green pastures of left field as we discuss disengaging pastors and their disengaged churches. Tomorrow I will meet for lunch with other pastors in our association. In the midst of our meeting, I'm sure that I will find a way to share of the pounding that my son's team gave to the Johnstown Riders tonight. I will passionately share of his 4 for 4 night at the plate while trying to show interest in the stories that others will tell of stewardship campaigns and parish politics. Even now the smile on my face has turned to despair as I have realized that I have unintentionally allowed a wedding to be scheduled in the midst of the Longmont Tournament this weekend. Perhaps, I'll phone my wife at the baseball field during the wedding's musical interludes in order to keep up with the game's highlights. Yep, I'll be able to make it for the second game if I don't take the time to change first. I'll be the one in the stands in a black suit sporting a lovely red carnation on my jacket's left lapel. Yes indeed...baseball is a wonderful escape! Earlier today, I met with one of our college students from Hawaii who was led to Christ in a campus Bible study by another one of our college students. We talked about the life-changing salvation that Jesus has brought, about the symbol of baptism, and how this student should invite as many friends as possible to come witness the baptism that will take place on Sunday morning. The college student who led this person to Christ will have the honor of conducting the baptism. Funny thing is....I didn't think of baseball even once...

Fellowships' Five Facts...

Dr. Ken Hemphill keyed in on "Nurturing Biblical Fellowship" in April's SBC Life. You can access the entire article here.

I had the priviledge of attending Southwestern Seminary during Dr. Hemphill's tenure as president and studied the book of 1 Corinthians under his teaching. He is an excellent communicator with a depth of knowledge in the area of spiritual gifts.

I've come to the conclusion after 20+ years of church-related ministry that the church's fellowship is one of the most critical aspects of church health. Unity within in a local body is absolutely essential in order to see Holy Spirit empowerment. With that in mind, Dr. Hemphill's thoughts on biblical fellowship are very timely for our denomination and our individual churches.

Dr. Hemphill identifies five undeniable truths of fellowship within the church:

• Truth #1: Fellowship is not optional to biblical Christianity! Jesus said, "I give you a new commandment: love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34, 15:12, 17). Dr. Hemphill says, "It is an inescapable truth--we cannot belong to Christ without belonging to a community of believers".
  
• Truth #2: Fellowship with other believers is essential to personal spiritual growth! "And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge" (Ephesians 3:17-19). The love of Christ surpasses knowledge! Paul says in 1 Corinthians 8:1, "But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church.".
  
• Truth #3: Fellowship is essential to ministry since the unified body is the platform for the proper functioning of the spiritual gifts! According to Ken Hemphill, "In every passage where spiritual gifts are mentioned the issue of unity of the body and the common good are always preeminent".
  
• Truth #4: Authentic fellowship can only be found in Christ! Dr Hemphill stresses, "For the early church koinonia was a group of believers who were bound together by their common loyalty to Christ. Our fellowship crosses racial, cultural, gender, and other artificial boundaries to find its basis in Christ alone."
  
• Truth #5: Fellowship is essential to Kingdom expansion! According to Hemphill, "The church that practices biblical fellowship will function like a magnet to the fellowship-hungry world".

The Joy of Life Change...

Philippians 1:27-30

"Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ . . ." (v27). Christians are to live their lives in a way that affirms Christ's gospel--in a way that makes it valuable. Since the centerpiece of the gospel is gracious life-change, the best way in which we can demonstrate it's worth is by allowing Christ to completely change our lives.

"standing firm" (v27). We are to stand our ground! We must put on the spiritual armor that God has provided for our protection. Take a look at Ephesians 6:10-18.

"one spirit" (v27). There is only one Holy Spirit who indwells all Christ-followers. There is an amazing unity that can exist among believers when we are all following and listening to the unified Spirit of God.

"one mind" (v27). The gospel is evidenced when the church is able to come together with one will--one purpose! If each of us is submitted to the Holy Spirit's leadership, then we will be united in mind. The Holy Spirit is not divided and He is not dividing Christians. We are divided by our own rebellion to the promptings of the Holy Spirit of God.

"striving together for the faith of the gospel" (v27). "Faith" is confident belief in what remains unseen. The "faith of the gospel" then is the confident belief that the gospel will be effective in the lives of those who receive it. The church comes to together to struggle for ongoing life-change in it's members.

"in no way alarmed by your opponents" (v28). Lives that are being transformed by the power of the gospel have nothing to fear. Christ's transforming power is evidenced by fear being replaced with love in the lives of those who know Christ.

"but also to suffer for His sake" (v29). We not only have been given the ability to believe but also the ability to suffer for the sake of Christ. The manner in which we may endure suffering gives evidence of Christ's transforming power. It's not culturally popular to speak of our need to suffer but it is biblical!