Ten Flaws of Legalism

I mentioned in my sermon yesterday that legalism was the cause of making the people of Israel feel harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Here are ten flaws related to a legalistic approach to the Christian faith and Bible:
(1) New laws continually need to be invented for new situations. (2) Accountability to God is replaced by accountability to men. (3) It reduces a person's ability to personally discern. (4) It creates a judgmental spirit. (5) The Pharisees confused personal preferences with divine law. (6) It produces inconsistencies. (7) It created a false standard of righteousness. (8) It became a burden to the Jews. (9) It was strictly external. (10) It was rejected by Christ. Outlined from Fan The Flame, J. Stowell, Moody, 1986, p. 52.
I would challenge each of us not to fall into the legalism trap. At times we can do that if rules become more important than relationships, if we live on tradition rather than out of tradition. Legalism is a major factor for the lack of church involvement from young folks who seek spiritual guidance today. Too many on the outside seeus as hard, cold, fixed and closed-minded. That is not true of all of us, but is true for some of us. It is time for us to repent and not let the legalists ruin the Chritian faith or church. We must remain steadfast in our absolute commitment to love of God and love of neighbor.
Dr. Fitzgerald

Softening the harsh impact

Jesus came to absorb the harsh impact of a sinful and broken world on us. He took the burden of our sin, and its painful consequences, in order to bring us into communion with God, God's love, grace and salvation in body, mind and soul. We are to follow Christ in word and deed. How do you soften the impact of others as they journey through this harsh world, those close to you and those you don't even know? Click here to link to one web-story of Robert Cook (far left in picture), who harnessed himself to a first time jumper in order to soften her impact through the use of his body as he realized their plane was crashing. What Scriptures come to your mind as you consider this awesome story and act of personal self-sacrifice?

Bicentennial Kick-off

We had a great start to our Bicentennial kick-off. Dr. Roy Smith (his wonderful wife, Charlotte Cook Smith was here with him) preached and gave us a wonderful historical message with the utmost contemporary relevance. He spoke of the heritage of our church with regard to pursuing religious freedom, the desire for an educated clergy and congregation, and the desire to participate in local and global missions. These have all been sustaining goals of First Baptist New Bern throughout the years. It is no less evident today with four full-time ministers, all of which are par-excellence. As senior pastor, I consider it the greatest blessing to serve with three godly men and women who are second to none in our country, Richard, Sharon and Barry. All of us are committed to religious freedom, theological depth and the sharing of the Good News of the Gospel with a hurting and hungry world.

As we wind our way through the coming year with multiple events, ask yourself how you promote religious freedom for all people. Ask yourself how committed you are to growing in theological depth. Ask yourself how you are participating in the mandate Christ gave us all to share the Good News of Jesus' saving love and grace with the entire world around us. This is not just a time to celebrate the past, but to live out of the rich tradition that a great cloud of witnesses left for us to carry on and enhance.

God be with you as you respond to the great task set before you by Jesus and His church.

Dr. Fitz

My cup runneth over?

Ps. 23:5; Acts 6:3,5,8; 7:55-60

Lord, it is only when we are "full" that our lives can be totally transformed. When I invite you into my mind, body and spirit each morning I do so with the faith that Your Word and Love will fill me to the point that my thoughts, worries and concerns and even worldly desires will be lifted higher and higher into your presence until finally they spill out of my cognition. This only happens when they are replaced by your glory, your presence, your agape/unconditional love for me.

This is clearly possible, surely desirable, and greatly beneficial, not just to me, but to those who will be around me during the course of a day (my wife can tell you if I've had my Quiet Time with God or not by my disposition during the day). As your glory fills my mind, body and spirit, I have your glory to share with all the world around me, primarily by my mere presence, surely by my actions, and occasionally with my words which have been bathed in the glory of Your Word. As Stephen discovered, your glory spilling out of our lives will either bless those around us or horrify them. This depends on their relationship with you.

Consider the image of the new Kohler overflowing bathtub. This is a new item that you can have in your luxurious bathroom. The cost of one of these begins around $6,000 to $10,000. They sure are beautiful, but I guarantee this overflowing tub will not give you the results that you can get from inviting God into your life each morning and allowing God's loving Spirit and Word to fill you completely up, even until your own agendas spill out and are replaced with God's glory!

Steve

Desperation!

I was awakened this morning at 6:30 a.m. by a collect call. The person on the other end of the phone was desperate. He mentioned the fact that Rev. Barry Templeton introduced him to me a few weeks ago when he visited our church. He had now been through West Virginia with his wife and children for a family funeral when his car broke down (likely story, but I just got through spending close to $5,000 on car repairs in the past few months, so I know it can happen with a used car).
He indicated that he was stuck in a tiny little town, Roseville, WV where a man, Mr. White, repaired his car. He needed less than $100 for repair fees that were over and beyond what had been estimated and Mr. White wouldn't accept payment by credit or debit cards (little mom & pop shop). This man, I'll call him the "traveler," indicated that from the beginning he and his family were called "colored people." Very soon thereafter, they were being called, "niggers." Finally, as he was trying to secure his car and get his family on the road he had supposedly been surrounded by 40 to 50 people calling them the "n" word and he had called the sheriff's department for protection. I supposedly talked to a sheriff this morning and wired the man $90 (cost me a bit more). The story gets a bit more bizarre, but here's my reflection and question:
Legitimate or not, the traveler sounded sober and desperate. I have only heard that kind of desperation a few times. He sure sold me (or scammed me). Whether or not it was 100% legitimate I don't know, but I know he was desperate for money for something.
Question: Should I have helped this man, that I don't know?
Does it matter what his desperation was, or just that he was INCREDIBLY desperate to call and go through what he went through trying to get less than $100 for assistance?
What is the most desperate you have ever been?
Desperation for what? Money? Housing? Grades? Job? Love? Friendship?
Could there be any greater desperation than that shared by my two acquaintances who were unbelievers, died, and then had hell-like experiences with pain beyond belief & they cried out to God -- and God rescued them, delivered them, answered their prayers. Could I have done otherwise? What do you think?

In the Father's Hands...

A friend of mine, Janet Hauser, is an artist and poet. Recently she had a friend who gave birth to a new little girl. The friend had a picture of her father (grandfather of the newborn) holding her new baby. She discussed with Janet the possibility of painting her newborn, but could not decide on an appropriate pose. Within the past few months the grandfather developed colon cancer and Janet decided to surprise paint the baby in her grandfather's hands -- the hands of love, protection, nurture and promise. Consider these hands and how we are graciously caressed by the hands of God, our heavenly Father. What words come to mind in the best of nourishment that you received from your parents or grandparents? How has God shown to you true love, protection, nurture and promise?

Vindictiveness

How sad it is when little children demand that they get their way, or else!!! Such has been the actions of the new fundamentalist regime in leadership of our Baptist State Convention here in North Carolina. When the WMU of NC (Women's Missionary Union of North Carolina) decided NOT to allow the new regime to change the rules and decide who the WMU could or could not hire, they kicked them out of their building. Now the regime at the convention level has told Ruby Fulbright, Executive Director of WMU of NC, that they will not publish on the State Convention website any mention of WMU NC, in spite of the fact that national WMU has a standing relationship with the International Mission Board and North American Mission Board to be THE supplier of missions information regarding Lottie Moon and Annie Armstrong offerings. How childish, manipulative and mean-spirited, just because they could not change the rules and manipulate the women with their size and manhood.

Easter season gives us reason to move beyond fear and to define ourselves as above the silly childish games of our youth. "When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways." (1 Cor. 13:11). Evidently, some enjoy childish behavior, speech and actions. However, for others it became time to grow up and be concerned with the health and wholeness of a lost world rather than being consumed with self and ego.

Pray for the WMU of NC and efforts to stay on track as being a missions agency that educates and supports both national and global missions in the name of Jesus Christ -- for all Baptists in this North Carolina.