Your upgrade is now available.

In this new book, I outline the behaviors and mindsets of immature faith and explain how God equips and empowers us to enjoy the Christ-filled life promised to us in the Epistles. It’s a challenge to accept the “upgrade” offered in Scripture to all Christians-not just an elite few-through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Don’t miss out on God’s best!

“You can settle for mediocrity, trying to muddle through on your own strength, or you can claim your upgrade and start living up to your potential in Christ. The choice is yours.”

Purchase your copy through our bookstore or at your local Christian retailer.

For some reason, God’s people think when  they stand before the judgment seat of Christ  they are going to be able to blame their parents,  the church,  their pastor,  or their circumstances for their lack of maturity. By the life-styles, choices and actions of most believers, I am convinced that people think they will be able to pass the buck when it comes to personal responsibility.

What percentage of responsibility for my spiritual development is the Holy Spirit’s and what part is mine? The Scriptures say, “Apart from me, you can do nothing.” If that’s true, do I do anything? If the Christian life is about living “in Christ”, does that relieve me from personal responsibility?

One of the  key  principles  in  developing doctrine is  to remember  that  the doctrines and teachings of Scripture balance each other. For instance, you have grace and judgment. You have election and the free will of man. They are two sides of the same coin. You can’t have one without the other. In knowing this, we avoid extremes (and even heresy).

The people  who figured  out  the balance between my personal responsibility and God’s did not own a bigger Bible than I own; they just studied it. They also applied it. In Second Peter, chapter one and verse three, we read, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness” (NIV).  Paul says that God has freely given us all things.  We have limitless resources available to us through the Holy Spirit. Paul said we overwhelmingly conquer through Jesus Christ.  That being the case, why are so many believers failing in the Christian life? Why are we settling for less than God’s best? Is it that God is not working as hard for some as He is for others?  Are the missionaries taking up all His time and energy? I don’t think so. Every indication, implication, and instruction in Scripture says just the opposite. God has given us, through His Son, victory over the world, flesh and the devil. I don’t have to walk in defeat. I can walk in victory by abiding in Christ’s victory.

Okay, but there’s still a problem.  What am I supposed to do besides abide? That seems like I’m just supposed to sit in a hammock and wait on God to overwhelm me. Not at all. With the commandment to abide you also discover the commandments to act. Again, two sides of the same coin. The Master’s commandments regarding obedience and discipline are not optional. They are imperatives.

Jude said, “But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.  Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life” (emphases mine). Paul told us to put on the whole armor of God. God isn’t going to dress us every morning. We’re old enough to get dressed ourselves. He provides the armor, but we have to put it on.

James said,  “Submit to God,  resist the devil and he will flee from you.” I have to submit    and resist. The devil is not going to run because I go to church, or even because I’m sincere. He won’t run because I’m a Bible toting Baptist. He runs when I submit and when I resist.  I have to do something. Jesus conquered the devil, but I have to act on what has been done on my behalf.

In Philippians, chapter three, beginning with   verse  twelve,  we  read, “Not  that  I  have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that  for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (NIV).  Christ took hold.  I take hold. I am to strain toward and press on. For what? For what is mine in Christ Jesus. The work of Christ is a finished work, but I have to appropriate it, apply it, and abide in it. I don’t get it by osmosis. It comes through discipline and obedience. It comes from standing in and standing on the promises.

Many churches still have altars. In the old   days and in days of revival) the altars were filled with people and with tears.  In times when God’s Spirit moves in, we realize there’s something we need to do.  Now there’s nothing magical about a trip to the altar. In fact, it’s easier to go to the altar than to put yourself on the cross.   You don’t grow by walking to the altar, but it’s a step in the right direction. It’s what you do after you leave the altar that counts. You can wear a path out to the altar, but if you don’t change your mind and your lifestyle through obedience and discipline, it won’t mean much.

Read Hebrews 11, the Hall of Fame of Faith. Those poor people. They didn’t have Bibles, cassette tapes, religious TV, contemporary Christian music, no radio Bible teachers, no study helps, none of the “advantages” we have. But they had something we don’t have. They had power with God. They were able to subdue kingdoms, work righteousness, obtain promises, and shut the mouths of lions. They lived in a supernatural realm that makes our Christian experience look anemic. What worked for them will work for us.   Faith  acts on the promises of God.  Faith obeys God.  Surrender to the purpose of God.  There’s nothing new –only the need for a new generation to walk in the old truth.

God has given me everything I need to live   the abundant Christian life, but I have to want it. There must be in my heart a hunger and thirsting for righteousness. There must be an appetite for the things of God. There must be a passion to obey. Hudson Taylor, when asked why God used him, said, “God had looked long for a man weak enough, and He found me.”  God’s looking for people He can use – but they have to be looking for God.

Does anyone remember when Jimmy Carter announced that he was “born again” and created a stir during the 1976 Presidential Campaign?  Some say that the Christian community was so desperate for a believer in office that they were the deciding factor in Carter’s win over Gerald Ford.  Today, Carter is viewed with more respect than he was as a President.   Apparently, being a born again doesn’t necessarily make you one of history’s greatest Presidents.

Now we are swamped with questions like “Does God belong in politics?”   When George Bush said during the primaries that he believed in Jesus Christ, you would have thought the Anti-Christ had taken over the East Coast.  Today’s media (always claiming to be objective and open minded) blasted his declaration of faith.

Apparently, there is a difference between Bush and Joseph Lieberman, the Jewish Democratic candidate for Vice President. While Hollywood and the liberal media balked at Bush and his faith, many of these same people have applauded Lieberman for standing by his faith. Do I sense a double standard here?

For years, candidates have spoken in churches and no one has screamed for the separation of church and state. The African- American church still holds great influence over its membership when it comes to politics.

In September of 2000, Joseph Lieberman stood in an African-American church and said, “I hope (his candidacy) will enable all people…to talk about their faith and about their religion, and I hope it will reinforce a belief that I feel as strongly as anything else – that there must be a place for faith in America”s public life.” Shortly afterwards, he was rebuked by the Anti-Defamation League of the B’nai B’irth, saying his statements were contrary to the First Amendment. This Jewish “watchdog group” attacked one of their own for expressing his convictions – and by the way, exercising freedom of speech.

In that same speech, Lieberman said, “morality cannot be maintained without religion.”  The ADL was concerned that atheists might feel inferior, or left out, of the political process.  I like what Adrian Rogers said; “Atheists have a holiday; April Fools Day. The fool has said in his heart there is no God.”

According to a NEWSWEEK poll, 51% of Americans believe that religion should play a bigger role in public life. Apparently, the majority of Americans believe it is okay for people of faith to come out of the closet.

If you study history objectively – that is, if you don’t make history politically correct or believe in revisionist history – you will see religion and politics together on most of the pages of the American story.  The signers of the Declaration of Independence were not all Christians; some were deist, but they did not separate church and state.  They only said there shouldn’t be a national religion like the Church of England.

Lieberman is a Jew. John Kennedy was a Catholic (although not a very good one).   Religion was an issue in the 1960′s and apparently still is.  How about when Lyndon Johnson appealed to Americans to seek “God’s will” regarding the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Act; was he crossing the line?  I don’t think so.  When Ronald Reagan professed faith in Christ, did that make him incapable of serving the best interest of the country?  Martin Marty says, “Those who are shocked by the open discussion of religion by this year’s four national candidates have short memories.”

Kenneth L. Woodward, writing in the September 11, 2000 issue of NEWSWEEK, stated, “Religion has always played an important public role.  Not only churches, synagogues and mosques, but hospitals, schools, and other voluntary religious associations have proved indispensable in sustaining civic life and virtue.  More important, when religion is denied a voice in public debate – as some strict church-state separationists would have it – democracy itself suffers.  The United States is the most religious of Western democracies, and believers who feel excluded from the political process either withdraw or find a way to polarize the parties.  Highly secularized and nonreligious Americans are more apt to vote Democrat, and the highly religious Republican.”

Listen to these quotes from the candidates: Al Gore says, “I turn to my faith as the bedrock of my approach to any important question in my life.”  Gore favors the separation of church and state. Joseph Lieberman says, “My family adheres to a lot of the…values and the laws that come right out of the Old Testament.”   Lieberman voted against school prayer.  Ralph Nader says, “When it comes to politics and elections, religion should be a private, separate matter.”  In 1994 Nader said he believes there is some “universal force.”  George Bush says, “I’ve sought redemption and believe I’ve found it. I get great strength from the Bible.”  Bush wants a White House Office of Faith-Based Action.  Dick Cheney says, “I also, as a matter of course throughout my career, have not talked a lot about my faith.”  Pat Buchanan says, “I believe Jesus Christ was the son of God and I believe Christianity is the true faith.”  He wants to make America a “godly nation again.”

Before we jump on any bandwagon, let’s be quick to remember that Bill Clinton is a “born again” Southern Baptist.  His actions embarrassed our Lord, his family, his denomination, and his country.  My advice would be that even if all the candidates are religious, you need to examine their policies, compare their speeches before different groups, see if – and when – they have backtracked or “changed their views” on issues like abortion, the influence of music and the media, campaign finance reform and other pertinent issues.  Most of all, don’t trust the national media to tell you the truth.  Do your homework.  Find out for yourself.

Who you vote for is your business.  Who I vote for is mine.  But I’m not going to vote for someone just because they make a statement about God.  The Democrats and Republicans will not bring revival to America.  That’s the role of the church, not the President.  Let’s vote, let’s pray, and let’s remember judgment begins at the house of God, not the White House.  I pray our next President has respect for God and will respect and uphold the Judeo-Christian ethic.  But if he doesn’t, my King is still on the throne and He still has the last word.

I’ve never been great at the game. I’m not a student of it. I’m not constantly working on a swing technique. The lowest handicap I’ve had in my adult life (outside of my swing) is a 10. My goal is to one day, at least for one day, get it to single digits. When that happens, it will be one more confirmation, “There is a God.”

There’s a saying in golf – “Drive for show, putt for dough,” meaning, a long drive (tee shot) impresses the gallery, but the guys who usually win the money are those who putt well that week. Anyone who has ever played golf with me recognizes that I am not a “long hitter.” The only lessons I’ve ever taken were in high school. The pro spent some time with me working on my short game. He put this “strategy thought” in my head. From 150 yards out, I need to be able to get “up and down” in three. In other words, it doesn’t matter how long you hit the ball; if you can’t chip and putt you will never be a good golfer.

I own a “little chipper,” a club I purchased from the MacGregor Golf Outlet nearly ten years ago. When my game is “on” that chipper can be deadly. It’s saved me from many a bogey or double bogey in my life. While I’ve changed putters a few times, I’ve never thought about getting a new chipper. It’s basic issue equipment for me.

The American church, and particularly our worship services, have a lot in common with “drive for show, putt for dough.” While a growing number of congregations boast thousands on Sunday morning, Sunday evening attendance in evangelical America is all but ancient history.

Sunday morning worship is “drive for show.” It’s the big event – the “pull out all the stops” service for most churches. There is often more emphasis on production and performance than on worship. Most television ministries broadcast nothing short of a Broadway production. Lights, action, camera – we’re on a roll today.

In the latter part of the 20th century, while Sunday Schools are dying and discipleship groups struggle to find their niche, Sunday morning rolls on, full speed ahead. It seems even the preachers are putting all their effort into Sunday morning.

Morning services are now hip. It’s cool to come to church. There’s upbeat music, the latest in sound technology, great “effect” lighting, powerful dramas that will tug at your heart and a brief “felt-need” message.

I’m not being critical of the success of Sunday morning. I do think we have to weigh it in light of what might be happening, or not happening, on Sunday night. In the overwhelming majority of churches, Sunday nights are either (a) an endangered species, or (b) an extinct life form. Jack Hayford has classified the problem as “they come for show, but refuse to grow.” In other words, the church in America seems to be content with “driving for show.” While Sunday Morning attendance may be growing, a church committed to worship, discipleship, and prayer would have to ask the question, “What is the real impact of this ministry?”

One minister got it right when he said, “Our people are converted in every way except in their mind-set, life-style, and values.” Apparently, Jesus is worth only one hour a week. That’s not worship, nor is it a good indication of conversion.

Keith Drury calls them “the unconverted converted” or “the secular Christian.” These folks claim to be saved, but don’t let religion cramp their style. They are consumers breezing through churches as they would a salad bar, picking and choosing what appeals to them, leaving the rest alone. They generally select the positive, helpful, pleasant benefits of the gospel and leave behind any painful, sacrificial, cross-carrying judgment aspects.

We have a problem with worship in America. New praise choruses have given us the ability to express ourselves to God, but the issue is, is this worship more than lip service? Is the truth down deep in our hearts? Are we willing to come for “the show” yet at the same time, make excuses about Sunday night or intercessory prayer, because that doesn’t push our “hot button?”

The “morning glories”, as Vance Havner called them, may enjoy church like a golfer enjoys hitting the ball 250 yards down a fairway. But when it comes to lining up a breaking, downhill 2 foot putt for par, they ask for a “gimme” (meaning you don’t have to putt it; just pick up and move on). When the church asks the “show” crowd to serve, give, and commit, they start looking for someone to tell them it’s okay to “pick it up” and move on somewhere else where it’s not as tough to be a member.

Worship is all of life. If you are a true worshiper, you learn that at every level God is calling us to a deeper obedience. He’s calling you to worship Him in the rough, when you feel like you don’t have a shot. He’s calling you to worship Him when you are “plugged” in the lip of a sand trap – so deep, you need a shovel, not a wedge.

There are no “gimmes” in real worship. Real worship means I run the race, finish the course, fight the fight…and learn to make the short putts. For starters, it might help you to show up for more than the morning tee time.

Golfers are notorious for making excuses when they hit a bad shot. They blame something or someone for distracting them. It’s never their fault they played poorly. The casual worshiper is like that, always blaming the kids, the job, the length of the service — something or someone for their lack of commitment to assemble for worship, growth, and fellowship. When you show your score card to the Lord one day, will He disqualify you for a rules violation? “Why do you call me Lord, Lord and do not the things I say?

According to Proverbs 12:15, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel.” Closely tied to this train of thought, Proverbs 14:7 teaches us, “Leave the presence of a fool, or you will not discern words of knowledge.”

Fools are arrogant and careless (Proverbs 14:16). To me, one verse that rises above the rest is Proverbs 18:2, “A fool does not delight in understanding, but only in revealing his own mind.” If you don’t believe the truth of this verse, you have never watched talk shows on television.

Aristotle said, “There is a foolish corner in the brain of the wisest man.” Today, we have numerous tests to evaluate our intellectual knowledge. We test students from grade school through high school to evaluate if they are “college material.” We require everyone from doctors, accountants, pharmacists and realtors to take tests. In many professions, tests are required to maintain your credentials and license.

We would be foolish if we entrusted our medicine, health, or finances to a person who wasn’t qualified. Typically, we look to someone who is seasoned and tested for advice and help.

We live in a world where our kids are learn- ing at a rapid pace. Knowledge is doubling every seventeen months. What once took centuries, now takes only a matter of months. Preschoolers are learning to work computers. Courses that were once reserved for college are now being taught in middle school. Learning and comprehension are exploding all around us. Even the most well read can’t keep up. It’s overwhelming. Parents are intimidated by their kid’s knowledge and awareness of facts.

However, knowledge without discernment is dangerous. You can be intellectually advanced and be morally depraved or emotionally immature. As our kids grow up too fast and too soon, they have more “knowledge” than their grandparents, but lack the maturity they need. While they can decipher math problems, they still struggle with insecurities. They can solve various scenarios in the classroom, but don’t have a clue how to manage their allowance.

It is foolish to think that knowing facts makes one wise. It is foolish to conclude that, because you know more than someone in a particular area, you are wiser than they. It is equally foolish to think that you can get something for nothing. Yet, this country is filled with people who foolishly pursue this philosophy.

One of the most obvious signs of the foolish person is the belief that he or she can get something for nothing. This kind of foolishness is revealed in every lottery ticket and at every slot machine. People who live at the poverty level spend money on lottery tickets hoping to become millionaires. The whole lottery and gambling industry is built on the foolish concept that everyone can get something for little or nothing.

The numbers are a little dated, but the point is still valid. A few years ago, a Seattle, Washington newspaper published an article entitled, “The Cost of Nothing Index.” The writer concluded that one could spend over $30.00 a month and get nothing in return for the money.

The writer concluded the minimum charge on a homeowner’s water bill was $2.10, even if you never turned on the faucet. The electric company charged $1.50 on each bill for bookkeeping purposes, even if your power was off. You pay for the privilege of having electricity in your house. There was a monthly $5.45 charge for sewer service, even if you never flush the toilet. The phone company billed each customer $8.25 a month even if they never made or received a call. The cable company charges $10.00 a month whether you turn the television on or not. All this could fall under the category of getting nothing for something.

Have you ever gone to church and wanted something for nothing? Do you enjoy the music, preaching, Bible study, childcare, ministry for your students and expect that it should be provided for you for nothing? Are you taking in and never giving out? Do you want the church to invest in your life while you refuse to invest your gifts, resources, and time in the church? That’s foolish.

A wise man, according to Proverbs, listens to counsel. Therefore, the person who goes to church, attends Bible conferences and yet never changes or grows, is foolish. A person who listens to the sermon but refuses to respond when the altar is open is foolish. The one who hears without doing is foolish. The foolish person is changing – but for the worse. The heart is becoming hard while the head is being puffed up with knowledge. You can know the Bible, and miss God. That’s foolish. The Scripture says, “They draw near to me with their words. They honor me with their lips. But their hearts are far removed from me.”

To know God, about God, and to not really know Him, is the ultimate foolishness. To settle for anything less than God’s best for your life is foolishness. Jesus came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly. Why would His children want anything less than the best? The only answer is, we’re foolish.

It’s time for God’s children to listen to the counsel of the Word. It’s time for us to move on to maturity. There’s no secret or mystery to it. It comes through obedience to the Word of God and the will of God. The one who does so, is wise, mature, and blessed. The one who refuses, is a fool.

First of all, he should remember that preaching is a divine calling. It is not a job. It’s not something you do because you are too stupid to do anything else. H. D. McDonald wrote that “a godly preacher is not the organ of a human fraternity, but the oracle of a divine gospel.”

The great expositor, G. Campbell Morgan said, “The only way in which a man can possibly enter the ministry is when the Holy Spirit of God bestows upon him a gift from the Head of the church. By that gift he is made a minister of Jesus Christ.” Paul makes it clear that pastor-teachers are one of God’s gifts to the church. I’ve seen some churches treat pastors like hired hands and pay them like slave labor. It’s obvious by the way many congregations and deacon bodies treat their pastor that they have no clue that he is a man with a sovereign commission from God.

If a young pastor forgets his divine call, he will soon drop out of seminary discouraged and disillusioned. If a pastor going through mid-life forgets his call, he will leave his wife and kids, his ministry, or both. Anytime the preacher forgets who he is really serving and who he ultimately answers to, he is on the road to ruin and despair.

It is a true statement – preachers don’t get paid for what they do, they get paid for what they put up with. If a farmer had a stubborn mule, he’d kick it, sell it, or kill it. If a preacher has a stubborn church member, he’s supposed to listen every time the donkey opens his mouth. Farmers can separate sheep and goats; pastors can’t. More than one preacher has been run off from a country church by an old goat that thought he was a sheep.

Another factor for the preacher to consider is his doctrine and exposition. Preach the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. He cannot chase every whim that comes along. He must not surrender to preaching to felt needs. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Faith doesn’t come by making people feel better about their depravity. Discipleship doesn’t come in cherry flavored, bite sized drops. Preaching is not a mixture of truth, pop psychology, human reasoning, humor, Dear Abby, and a devotional thought. Preaching is the exposition of Scripture.

The Word of God is given to break hearts, not tickle ears. Preaching is to be an exhibition of truth. Preaching is telling folks how things really are, not how they want it to be. Pity the church that wants their preacher to be politically correct and Biblically corrupt. The power of the preaching moment is in the content – not the personality.

I once asked Ron Dunn how long a man can stay at a church as pastor? When do people get tired of hearing the same voice? His response was simple. “If you stay fresh, you can last.” Henry C. Fish put it this way, “Preachers who saturate their sermons with the Word of God never wear out.” A. W. Pink said, “The man who preaches the Word of God has an inexhaustible supply to draw from.”

I have preacher friends who blatantly preach other people’s sermons. They download sermons from a web site and walk into the pulpit with a word from their favorite preacher — but not a word from God. The man who does not spend time with God, wrestling with what his people need from God’s Word for this time in the life of the church is a discredit to the pulpit.

I once served a pastor who announced that he was preaching on Ephesians. Because I had organized his library, I knew what he had on his shelves. He had been at the church almost a year and had yet to unpack his library – meaning he was preaching old sermons. At that time I had eight or ten commentaries on Ephesians. I offered to let him borrow some of mine. His response? “No, I like to stick with one commentary when I preach through a book.” To be interpreted as, I don’t study, I don’t think, I don’t compare interpretations, I don’t dig in the Word for myself. I just mouth the words of others. During the series he preached through that commentary, almost word for word. Trust me; there was no power!

Nobody is original. If a preacher says he is, he’s deluded. We all glean and borrow. That’s why God gave us commentaries. But the message has to have permeated and penetrated our heart, soul, and mind or else we are giving our people leftovers from someone else’s table. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote, “Preaching is theology coming through a man who is on fire.”

Finally, I would say preach without fear. Deal with sin as sin. Speak of grace, but don’t be afraid to talk about divine judgement and holy wrath. A preacher will never be at peace with himself if he doesn’t speak the Word. Let the chips fall where they may. You are speaking for the Lord God of heaven and eternity. There are bigger things at stake than what “Sister Stick in the Mud” thinks. Don’t let the cold water committee douse the fire from heaven. Ask God for a holy unction and anointing from on high. You may get fired, but you’ll hear the applause of heaven. Vance Havner said, “Better be a free preacher who can walk into any pulpit responsible only to God, immune to praise or blame, than a ventriloquist’s dummy.”

Let me leave you with this thought, from Augustus H. Strong, “The preacher who talks lightly of sin and punishment does a work strikingly analogous to Satan, when he told Eve, ‘You will not surely die.’ “

The Theme for the two days is “You Can’t Have A Vision if Your Head is in a Box.” Since when did the world have a corner on creativity? I’ll be sharing insights on how to discover and unleash God-given, Spirit-inspired creativity that can transform your ministry and impact your community for Christ. Come learn how embracing positive change and unleashing the creative gifting of a renewed mind can lead to new ways of thinking and doing ministry, without compromising the timeless, unchanging truth of the gospel. See how to give yourself and your staff the freedom to think creatively and act in visionary, innovative ways to jump start your ministry and attempt the impossible for God.

The Cove is an incredible place and provides the perfect venue for a staff getaway! I’d love for you and your team to join us…or pass the word along to your pastor. You can register or get more info by clicking here.

In case you were unaware, this is an election year. During the last presidential election, I wrote an article that I think still applies to this election…

This is a year of change. There will be a new President, perhaps a new party in the White House beginning in 2009. In the next few months, we will elect a new leader of the free world. Whether he or she is able to do the job is yet to be seen. There will be changes in the White House, in Congress, in cabinet positions. Washington is already gearing up for a change.

But how much will really change? The wheels of government grind slowly. Every politician I can remember has promised change. Few have actually brought change. Most governors, senators, and presidents at the end of the day haven’t fulfilled many of their promises to bring fresh air, a fresh face, a fresh perspective to the situation. Normally, we get the same old stuff with just the pictures changing on the walls.

All the candidates for the White House are promising change. I was reading an article in NEWSWEEK, February 18, 2008, by Richard Wolffe, Karen Breslau and Evan Thomas. In this article they pointed out that every President in recent memory has promised change. Think about it.

• Eisenhower promised to clean up the mess that Truman had left. Now, we view Truman through different eyes. He is considered a better president today than he was when he left office.
• When John Kennedy spoke at the Democratic Convention he said he would change Eisenhower’s Washington. “Dry rot, beginning in Washington, is seeping into every corner of America. It’s time for change.” Camelot brought failure with the Bay of Pigs, new furniture to the White House, and rumors of Kennedy’s adulterous romps. Little changed.
• When Jimmy Carter ran for office he said he would sweep Washington clean after the Nixon- Ford era. Four years later, he was swept out of office.
• When Ronald Reagan ran, he promised to fix what Carter had been unable to fix. He did change the paradigm from liberal to conservative and was able to cross party lines to win two terms.
• Bill Clinton made promises when he ran… and so the wheels on the bus go round and round, but we don’t seem to get anywhere. The Clintons tried to change health care before the boxes were even unpacked and almost got run out of town.
• President Bush has tried to change Social Security with little success.
• Today the frontrunners and potential nominees all make promises that they will change things in Washington. In reality, most of them are Washington insiders and have made their living by being insiders and by going with the flow.

The writers of the article noted, “…change rarely has much to do with campaign promises, and everything to do with unexpected events, from Pearl Harbor to 9/11.”

There are some things that shouldn’t change. Truth never changes, and we shouldn’t try to change truth. Nothing important has changed. The cross is still the cross. John 3:16 is still John 3:16. The Spirit still enables. Prayer is still the key. In fact, if we can’t do the basics well, why are we trying to change the secondary and incidental?

If something is true, it’s because it has stood the test of time. Study the word, not the winds of the times. Seek the Lord, not the newest hottest leadership seminar. Pray to the Lord, don’t look for the newest program in a magazine “guaranteed to double your attendance in 48 hours.” Humble yourself. Seek God’s timing. Don’t make promises like a politician. They can’t be trusted, and if you try to be a politician, they won’t trust you.

What America needs is also what the church needs—a prophet for our time that will call us back to what matters. If you get your people praying, they will change what needs to be changed. If you try to convince them in your flesh or with an impressive brochure or power point, they might point you toward the door. It’s still true, “ALL is vain unless the Spirit of the Holy One come down.”

We are a society driven by consumerism and marketing. There are millions of ho-hum products out there. Many are being sold on shopping channels by people who are obviously on amphetamines. They peddle products that will eventually end up in our next yard sale.

We are spenders and consumers. This is the reason Americans are in personal debt up to their eyeballs. Living from paycheck to paycheck, we pay minimum payments. We clip coupons to save a few dollars at the grocery store and look for bargains in every store. Few of us have the resources to get what we want when we want it. Therefore, it is imperative that we pay double-digit interest to insure that we keep up with the Joneses—whoever they are.

Technology (including computers, televisions, stereos, etc.) is designed to be out of date from the moment you take it out of the store. Just around the corner is a computer with a faster processor and bigger hard drive. Coming soon will be something better than even high definition TV. Consumers drive the economy. Consumers consume “stuff” with a voracious appetite. We shop till we drop, charge until we max out the card, and pray for one more “0% interest until 2015” deal on furniture.

We want, we take, we consume. We expect the next purchase to satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts. We hope the new car smell will last past the first payment. We want the house that others long to have. We want, we want…but are we ever satisfied?

Take a walk through your house, closets, storage room, and garage for a moment. Really. Do it right now. This article will be here when you are finished. Trust me, I’m not leaving you hanging here.

Now that you are back, did you see anything that made you think, “Why did I buy that?” or “What was I thinking when I charged that?” Did you find any clothes you just had to have that are now out of style? You are probably still paying for that stuff if you put it on a credit card and are paying minimum payments.

Be honest, did you find anything there that makes you so content that you don’t need anything else? Solomon thought he could get to the point where he had everything he wanted. He never did. He did get to the point where he realized that having everything wasn’t all there was to life.

Solomon had it all, but it didn’t satisfy him. He didn’t have to use a credit card; he paid on gold. Solomon called it all “chasing the wind.” Funny thought, really. If man were evolving as some say he is, you would think he would have learned the lesson of Solomon by now. After all, on our middle income level, how could we ever get it all? And if we did, would we be happy? NO! Just ask Solomon.

Let me suggest an alternative lifestyle—the biblical alternative. Read carefully these words of Paul found in Philippians 4, from the Message translation, “I’m glad in God, far happier than you would ever guess—happy that you’re again showing such strong concern for me. Not that you ever quit praying and thinking about me. You just had no chance to show it. Actually, I don’t have a sense of needing anything personally. I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am“ (vv. 10-13).

It was obvious there was wise counsel in the writing. The “feminine touch” in the writing added a powerful dimension to the script. This is a heart movie. It pulls at your heart. Theresa Preston, who co-wrote the script, did an excellent job. Jon and Andrew are to be commended for how they have crafted all this into a cinematic benchmark. Every movie dealing with the issue of adoption and abortion will have to look back on “October Baby” as the standard.

This is the kind of movie our culture desperately needs. It is honest and deals with a painful and often divisive issue in a graceful way. I cannot imagine anyone, regardless of the budget or cast, doing a better job. Let me be clear, the movie is enlightening, encouraging, and edifying. I would consider it a must see movie for every teenager and parent. It should be recommended by every pastor and priest in our land. There is power in this movie that can only be explained by the hand of God upon it.

From a purely movie making standpoint, it is stunning in its cinematography. It is well shot, well edited, and well written, and the acting is superior. The characters are believable. It’s as powerful a movie as any I’ve ever seen. There was humor, but, more importantly, the movie touched a deep chord in my heart. I found myself wiping away tears during much of the movie.

The message hits close to home. If you don’t know my story, you may not understand. Without going into all the details, the young lady in the movie found out she was adopted when she was a teenager. I found out I was adopted when I was 39. She was angry at her parents for not telling her. I can still remember the anger I felt with my parents for not telling me. I found out in a bizarre way that caused me to go into the tank and to be filled with anger. It took me a long time to come to grips with all of this and to find victory in it.

I found myself, twenty years after learning of my adoption, reliving those emotions as I watched the movie. Not the anger, but identifying with the anger. I had “been there, done that.” I knew exactly what the girl was going through because I had felt the same thing. I knew the struggle because I had the same struggles.

For the longest time, I was angry with my parents for not telling me. Then, to top it off, a woman who knew my birth mother refused to tell me who she was or where she lived. I tried to write my birth mother a letter and tell her who I was, tell her I was grateful she didn’t abort me, and tell her about her two grandchildren, Erin and Hayley. I didn’t get that chance. The letter was returned to me, unopened.

I never got to resolve the issue with my parents. Of course, I was born and adopted at a time when you didn’t talk about adoption. Although it seemed everyone in my home church knew I was adopted except me, I was never told. Through an amazing and bizarre, set of circumstances, my wife found out and had the painful responsibility of telling me one night.

When I discovered the extent to which my parents had gone to hide the facts from me, I was at a loss for how to ever talk to them. The details are boring, but suffice it to say it was, at some level, deceptive.  I’ve often asked myself, “Why? What harm would it have done to tell me?” Then I thought about the line in the movie when the adoptive dad said, “I wanted to tell you, but days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months and years…” I guess that’s what happened to my folks too…but they never told me.

I don’t think their failure to tell me was malice, but more out of fear. So, for lack of honesty, my parents lived their days in fear. Fear that I would find out. Fear that I would reject them. Fear that I would discover who my birth mom really was. How many parents have lived with fear because of a failure to be honest?

I was born in Jackson County Hospital in Pascagoula, Mississippi, just 29 miles from Mobile, Alabama, where part of October Baby was filmed. The birth records are long gone. The chances I’ll ever know all the facts are slim to none.

I was born on December 25, although my birth certificate has been revised so I doubt if that was my actual birthday. I think my parents saw me as a Christmas gift to them, since they were unable to have children, and had the official date of birth changed by a judge.

My middle name is the name of the doctor who delivered me. He was our family doctor. He’s been dead for a long time and all his records are gone. Believe me, we’ve explored all possible avenues. About all I know about my birth mom is that she was an airline stewardess and that our daughter Erin (according to some who know what my birth mom looked like) looks just like her.

I would love to have the opportunity to say to the woman who gave birth to me, “Thanks for not having a back alley abortion. Thanks for giving me up for adoption. God worked it all for good. I love you for giving me life, and I thank you for loving me enough to give me up for adoption.” I truly love a woman I’ve never met.

I wish I had the opportunity to have the resolution with my parents on this issue. Both died rather suddenly, and I was never able to get release from the Lord to talk to them about it in their declining years. The scene at the end where the daughter and dad get it right is something I’ll not be able to do this side of heaven. I am grateful for being placed in a Christian home. I am grateful for parents who wanted me when my birth mom didn’t, or couldn’t.

Only my wife and Jesus know the pain I have felt through the years. The movie is about an October baby. I was a December baby. For the first time in my life, I do feel like someone captured on film much of what I’ve wrestled with deep in my soul over these years. While the stories are not identical, there were so many reminders in this film of where I’ve been.

Like the young girl at the end of the film, I continue to walk forward, but glance over my shoulder tonight with gratitude for a heavenly Father who has guided my path and loved me unconditionally. I look back and thank God for parents who loved me, even though they often didn’t know how to tell me. I’m grateful for people who loved me and prayed me through the process of dealing with my pain. I’m grateful for a wife who listened to me and was patient with me as I wrestled with my emotions. I’m grateful that God blessed me with two incredible daughters.

Finally, I’m more committed than ever to our Alpha Crisis Pregnancy Center and our ministry to unwed mothers. I’m more committed than ever to the unborn. As the nurse in the movie says to the young girl, “They told me it was just unviable tissue.” And then she says something like, “but when you heard the sounds I heard and saw what I saw…” As one who was spared from abortion, I hear the cries of the unborn. As long as God gives me breath, I will not be silent for those who never had an opportunity to speak for themselves.

I am more than viable tissue. Jeremiah says, that God knew me before I was in my mother’s womb. Mom, wherever you are, if you ever read this, I was no accident. God had a plan for you and for me. Thank you for not having an abortion. Thank you for loving me enough to give me breath. I hope that one day you will see and know how God has used all this for His glory.