One of my favorite Theologians, especially in the areas of Bible Prophecy and God & Governement, is Gary DeMar.  If I had the money I could spend $100 a month at the American Vision website and still not get all of the good resources they put out.  Books, videos, MP3 teachings.  Some good stuff.

One of my favorite things to read each week is the Daily News Feature from American Vision.   You can click the link there if you like.  Yesterday’s article was, “First Steps in Interpreting the New Testament”.  It had some great ideas for Bible study and it brought up the idea of Christians having a little knowledge of Greek to help in Bible Study.  I thought to myself in 21st Century America is learning Greek something that Christians would desire or take the time to do?  We’re all so busy with a myriad of activities that “serious” Bible Study is usually not on the top of the list.  Many weeks just reading the Bible more days that not is an accomplishment for Christians.

Why is that?  Why do we not “go the extra mile” so to speak when it comes to Bible study?  I’m not talking about necessarily reading the Greek New Testament fluently but knowing enough to sound out words, use a lexicon, or an interlinear to help in the application of what we read.  As DeMar says in the article we often defer to the experts to explain to us what the Bible says and/or means.  I enjoy reading books by Christian authors but everyone has a Theological bias (i.e. Doctrines they have been taught as true) and apply those blinders to reading God’s Word.

A little Greek can’t hurt.  Why can’t Churches give a 6-8 week course on the Basics of Greek and the basics of Hebrew for that matter.  Give people the tools so that they can study and glean more from God’s Word than just parroting what they have been taught.  The best form of education is not teaching others what to think but teaching them how to learn.  Perhaps this is an overdue lesson the Church today needs to employ.  Bible knowledge is at an all time low.  Will teaching a little Greek change that?  I don’t know but it certainly can’t hurt.

Many times our mega-churches get accused of being shallow.  The idea is that they must have watered down the Gospel to get so many people to attend.  I remember the first time we visited one of our mega churches in Post Falls, ID, Real Life Ministries.  At that time they were running 3-4 thousand on a weekend, now I think they are close to 10 thousand.  We picked up a flyer for what they were doing for Sunday School classes.  As you can imagine being a large church there were several options for Sunday School.  One of them for adults was Hebrew.  Not Hebrews the book but Hebrew the language and I thought to myself a Church in the 21st Century growing by leaps and bounds is teaching Biblical Hebrew in Adult Sunday School, sign me up.  Not shallow by any means.

Take a look at the link in DeMar’s article on learning the Greek alphabet.  I watched the first five minutes and it was great.  I remember when in Bible College that Greek was the most intimidating class I took and I don’t remember all I learned, but it is nice to go to those passages that seem hard to understand or are interpreted different ways and be able to study it out.  To look at what the writers put down and look at the Word of God in a fresh light.

Maybe we need to stop saying, “It’s all Greek to me” and learn more about how we can be better students of the Word.  Greek classes anyone?

A week ago we had a Christian music concert in Riverton City Park.  Several of the Churches came together to bring an evening of music, food and fun.

In that week I’ve reflected a lot about the event.  Many folks have already expressed interest in doing it again next year and building on what we did.  We had between 250-300 people gather.  We had six churches and groups join together financially and volunteer wise to make it a success.

Here are some of the lessons I learned.

Music has a way of drawing people together.  With the various Churches we had supporting it you can imagine the variation in Doctrinal differences.  Yet on July 15th none of that really seemed to matter as we gathered together in Jesus’ name to praise Him and minister to the community.  Isn’t it amazing how music tends to help (yes I know some Churches have music wars but we won’t go there today)?  Each Church has things that make them distinct, values and traditions that are important but it all comes down to Jesus Christ and that He is the only way to Heaven.

The variety of music we enjoyed was amazing.  Different styles and different people all praising God.  And I learned something and was ministered to by each one.

My Son Thomas Smith started out the evening with two songs that he had written.  As any proud father would do I was bursting buttons and admired this young man and his passion for God.  I am reminded how little growing up time I have left with him as he is already a man and will soon be making his own way in the world.

Then we had Ryan Hugus and friends.  Ryan is with the Nazarene Church in Riverton and they played about a half hour.  I was especially ministered to by the song, “Deathbed” by Relient K.  I had never really listened to the whole song before.  I couldn’t get past the morbidness (or so I thought) of the first line, “I can smell the death on the sheets covering me….”  But after hearing the whole story and the story of redemption that was woven into a song about death and life all I can say is Wow!  Powerful testimony to the Gospel of Jesus Christ!  And by the way these young men did this song spot on with the Relient K. original.

Up next was the Set Free Band from Set Free Church.  Set Free works with those who have be “set free” from addictions.  I didn’t know that Pastor Richard Mills had such a voice.  They did a song by Casting Crowns called “Does Anybody Hear Her?” that was incredible.  It reminded me that we often pass by people around us without even realizing their struggles or offering them what we do have.  Good News!

Then we had Matt Earle and Pastor Ian McFarland.  Matt’s testimony of how God took him through the loss of his two sons.  How he went over the edge and lost his faith and how God brought him back again should not have left a dry eye in the place.  His music, all original, cry out with the love of God.  My only disappointment here was that many of the songs he sang were not on the CD he had for sale.  When can we get the next CD Matt?

Finally, we ended the night with Lybecker a band out of Seattle who was traveling through on their way to Hills Alive.  They sent me an email in June and a month later we had a concert set up.  This new up and coming band has only been together about 7 or 8 months but I look forward to hearing more from them in the future.  I told them that they needed to give a shout out to Riverton, WY at the Dove Awards someday.

It was great to spend a couple of days with these young men who are proclaiming the Gospel through music.  In fact the whole evening was great and when you see all of the talent and abilities and people using it for God you should get a great deal of hope for the future.  We may live in times that are tough in the world and we see a lot of bad things going on.  But there is a lot of good as well.  May we look forward to the future with hope and not fear and trepidation because our God reigns.  He is seated at the right hand of the Father and He will return for His bride the Church.

Take some time this weekend and put on some good music.  Enjoy!

I want to give you a link to a great article on marriage written by a 25 year old single lady.  I know that sounds weird but she captures a lot of the essence of what is wrong concerning marriage in Christian circles today.  Here is the link:  Five Reasons My Generation is Not Getting Married; and What can be done about it.  This article ought to frighten Christians today.  Not only are we dealing with generations being slaughtered in abortions and our prevention of children via contraceptives but within the Church we are not promoting marriage and families like we should.

Revival in America today will not happen overnight.  We need to have a multi-generational viewpoint of Christianity.  We need thousands maybe millions of Christians and families in America who are devoted to turn this nation back to God.  And yet in the meantime we have embraced an almost anti-marriage, anti-children type of attitude.

You might say, I’m not anti-marriage, but in this article we see that Christianity has embraced a singleness as a higher calling than marriage.  And we see a lot of folks waiting and waiting and not getting married until mid-20’s or late 20’s or even later.  If you haven’t listened to Richard “Little Bear” Wheeler’s messages entitled, To Have and To Hold, you need to.  If you are around Riverton and want to borrow them let me know.   The link is an expanded version of what I have (more messages).  Little Bear speaks of couples getting married earlier rather than later.  It is through the early times and trials of life that marriages are often forged and made the most strong.

Another resource I want to share that is not popular in our culture today is a book by Nancy Campbell entitled: Be Fruitful and Multiply, What the Bible Says About Having Children.   This book speaks of how the Biblical mandate to “be fruitful and multiply” has never been rescinded by God.  You may disagree with the concepts of this book but I challenge anyone to find a Biblical argument against it.  I haven’t been able to yet.  All throughout the pages of Scripture God wanted his people to have children.  Children are a heritage.  They are a blessing.  The Bible talks about scary things like having a quiver full of them.  Yet today in Christian circles large families are considered strange.  My wife and I used to get the comments when we had our third and fourth children, “Don’t you know what causes that?”, not from non-Christians but the Christian community.  Many Homeschool speakers we listen to would tell us that four or five children is a nice starter family.

How is it that we take two of the most wonderful blessings of God, marriage and children, and turn them into something that should be avoided or put off or viewed as a burden?  America will never be the Christian nation she once was until we embrace marriage and the family again as our forefathers did.

We are big today on Freedom in Christ.  We don’t want to impose our belief systems on others or appear to be judgmental.  Or the worst of all fears we don’t want to be “legalistic”.  I do admit that we as Christians have been legalistic at times.  But in the desire for freedom in Christ I also wonder if we have swung the pendulum too far the other way.

Today in America there is virtually no difference in the lifestyle of a Christian vs a non-Christian.  We live the same way.  We act the same way.  We watch the same movies and TV shows and read the same books.  Is this “freedom” or has the Gospel been watered down?  In China today thousands are converted to Christ every day.  In America you can hear crickets chirp when a preacher gives an altar call.  Most Churches are lucky to see 1 or 2 converts in a single year.  The question becomes if we act just like them, what are we converting them to?

I want to list a couple of links to a couple of interesting articles.  I have never really understood the need or desire for body piercings or tatoos.  And as I have seen Christians engage in this behavior I have not been one to say anything because after all we are free in Christ.  However the author of these two articles makes some good arguments that we ought to all consider as food for thought.  The first article is:  Body Modification: The Return to Paganism and the second is:  A Christ Rejecting Culture and Body Modification.

Now, one tiny disclaimer.  You don’t have to agree with every one of the author’s premises to see that we as Christians try awfully hard to fit in.  We don’t want to stand out from the crowd.  We want the freedom to dress, and eat and act like the rest of the world.  And yet in our freedom I wonder at times if we are leaving others in slavery to sin that will lead to an eternity in Hell?

I ordered a book today.  It is titled, “Passing the Torch of Liberty to a New Generation“.  I’ve linked it so you can get your copy.  Here is what sold me on the book:  “We’ve titled this book Passing the Torch of Liberty to a New Generation. Most ministers would be afraid to preach these messages today. The men who witnessed the birth of our nation understood that even civil magistrates - politicians - are obligated to place themselves under the sovereign hand of God. Can you imagine how atheists will respond if this book gets out to millions of Americans who begin reading and applying the principles found in these powerful messages?…… Joseph Strong stated in 1802 that “our fathers adhered to the principle that none ought to be elevated to public office except those whose opinions and behavior were strictly Christian” and that “righteousness exalts a nation.” When is the last time you heard anything like that?”

This book contains 20 sermons delivered between the years of 1799 and 1802, right after the ratifying of our Constitution.  For far too long we have been uninvolved.  For far too long we have failed to do our duty.  We have a duty to pray for our elected officials.  We have a duty to stand against ungodliness and wickedness where ever it crops up from the White House down to City Hall and the School Board.  And to do our duty it takes sacrifice.  It will take a great sacrifice of time and money in order for us to return to the place where our public “servants” realize that they are under the sovereign hand of God and they serve the people in order to promote freedom and what is right and true.

I know all the excuses.  We’re too busy.  We shouldn’t mix politics and religion.  I for one am glad the founders weren’t too busy or thought God shouldn’t be involved in Government or we would still be bowing down to King George’s heir today.  It’s time for Christians to stand up and do their duty.  It’s time for Christians to re-engage in the process of godly leadership.  We need Christians to run for office.  We need Christians to rise up.  Who knows that God has not put you here for such a time as this.  This is a call to war.  This is a spiritual battle for the heart and soul of America and our State and our cities.  We’re all busy.  But I pray we are not too busy to sit back and watch the final days of America play out before us.

At the signing of the Constitution there is a story concerning Benjamin Franklin, “As the representatives signed the Constitution, Franklin watched. The president’s chair was at the front of the hall, and a sun was painted on the back of the chair. Franklin told some of the members near him that it was always difficult for painters to show the difference between the rising sun and the setting sun. He said that during the convention he had often looked at the painted sun and wondered “…whether it was rising or setting. But now at length I have the happiness to know that it is a rising and not a setting sun.”

The question to be decided by us today is whether or not we will view the rising or setting sun in our day.  I applaud the efforts of a friend of mine in West Virginia, Bruce Barilla, who has risen to run for the U.S. House of Representatives.  Let us pray that there is a groundswell of more godly leaders who are willing to be “public servants”.  Those who are not in it for the money, the glory or the status, but who want to serve because of a conviction to help turn America back to its roots.

Here in Wyoming we could start with 35 godly people standing up to run for the State Legislature.  Last year at about this time a bill that would have allowed the Wyoming citizens to vote on the issue of Marriage in Wyoming failed in the House of Representatives.  35 individuals in the House said, no the citizens don’t get to vote on this important issue, we say they can’t.  Those 35, at that point stopped serving the people and gave up their right to lead us.

We need people to stand up and serve in all areas of government.  We’ve all been sitting around for far too long.  Now is the time.  Pray and ask the Lord, where you need to stand.  “Here I am Lord, send me.”

I guess I should start a book of the week club or some such thing.  I have another “must read” for you.  This is one that should be read by anyone Jr. High on up.  Especially our Jr. and Sr. High kids.  I guess I am going to have to invest a lot in books this year as well.  Not only do I want to give away many copies of “Family Driven Faith” by Voddie Baucham this year, I also want to give out copies of this (new to me) one, “The Law” by Frederic Bastiat.  This French author writing in the 1800’s has hit the nail on the head for what ails America as we race towards Socialism.  According to Bastiat we are already there.  At $4 or $5 a copy this is one that needs to go in the hands of every legislator, from the Federal Level all the way down to the City Council and School Board.  We need to change our thinking.  Here are a couple of quotes from Bastiat to whet your appitite….

“You say: “There are persons who have no money,” and you turn to the law.  But the law is not a breast that fills itself with milk.  Nor are the lacteal veins of the law supplied with milk from a source outside the society.  Nothing can enter the public treasury for the benefit of one citizen or one class unless other citizens and other classes have been forced to send it in.  If every person draws from the treasury the amount that he has put in it, it is true that the law then plunders nobody.  But this procedure does nothing for the persons who have no money.  It does not promote equality of income.  The law can be an instrument of equalization only as it takes from some persons and gives to other persons.  When the law does this, it is an instrument of plunder.  With this in mind, examine the protective tariffs, subsidies, guaranteed profits, guaranteed jobs, relief and welfare schemes, public education, progressive taxation, free credit, and public works.  You will find they are always based on legal plunder, organized injustice.”

“Have the people ever been known to rise against the Court of Appeals, or mob a Justice of the Peace, in order to get higher wages, free credit, tools of production, favorable tariffs, or government-created jobs?  Everyone knows perfectly well that such matters are not within the jurisdiction of the Court of Appeals or a Justice of the Peace.  And if government were limited to its proper functions, everyone would soon learn that these matters are not within the jurisdiction of the law itself.”

Wow, maybe if we got back to the Laws of God and realize that Government’s jurisdiction ends with the Biblical admonition to Protect the Innocent and Punish the Evildoer then we wouldn’t have all this “legalized plunder”.  When did we stop viewing most everything Government does today as what it really is — theft!  Legalized plunder is still plunder.  Taking from another person by force what belongs to them and giving it to others is theft.  That makes Social Security, Welfare, Public Education, Minimum Wage Laws, etc. theft.  The sad thing is we have gotten so far away from this truth of legalized plunder that most reading this are thinking I am the one who is off my rocker and by writing this I am inciting radicalism.

After reading Bastiat I am able to form the reasons why I have been opposed to the 1 cent sales tax proposals that have come and gone in Fremont County in the ten years I have been here.  The last one that passed the ballot was for some good projects, to fund Hospice and an expansion on the Lander Library.  Both great and worthwhile projects.  Both were probably needed.  But in voting in a tax increase to fund them we entered into “legalized plunder” again.  Taking from one person by force to give to another.  They should have been privately funded.  Those who wanted to contribute could have and should have.  I probably would have felt a lot better about making a donation to one of both of these projects if I were not forced to give every time I went to the store.  The last election we faced several different proposals to add the 1 cent sales tax back on.  Many were good projects, but none of them should come to pass by “forced plunder”.

I think you get the idea.  And I also want to pass on wisdom from another wise man, my father, Terry Smith who says, “The man who votes himself a tax increase is an idiot.”  How true, how true!

For the last several months I have been toying with an idea of writing a book.  In fact, I do this every couple of years.  I think of a good title or idea and then don’t take the time to really flesh it out and work on it diligently.  This new idea I thought would be great.  My title was, “I Pledge Allegiance To Myself:  The Fatal Flaw of the American Church”.  I even had a subtitle:  “Church in America will either make you better or bitter.”  Actually it was probably two books.  One focusing on our selfishness as we bounce around from Church to Church never putting down roots.  (This probably was taught to congregation by their leaders as we have developed Pastors in America that have an average stay at a Church of less than 3 years.  What the leaders do the flock will do at well.)  We don’t see this type of activity in other countries like America.  America is all about “me”.  So I thought I’d write this book on our (myself included) selfishness.  I thought I had pinpointed the problem.  I was wrong.

This past week I finished reading Voddie Baucham Jr.’s book, “Family Driven Faith”.  I don’t need to write my book for the Church because this book has already been written.  It is now my new favorite book next to the Bible.  I believe that Baucham has hit the nail on the head of the great problem of the American Church.  We are not passing on our faith to the next generation.  And unlike the book I was going to write, Baucham’s book is the solution to the problem.  Mine would have been a complaint and nobody needs another complaint.  This is a book that every Christian should read.  If we were to begin to implement the thoughts in this book the Church in America could be transformed and once again be the powerful force in the culture it used to be.

To be continued…………………………………………….

There’s a headline you won’t read in the newspapers today or much of the Internet.  If it were actually put out there in those terms people would rise up and wonder who was murdered and why and what we could do about it.  Today marks the 37th Anniversary of Roe vs. Wade the legalization of the killing of unborn babies.

Let us not quibble with using the term abortion, although the word means to stop or to kill something.  Let’s not even use pro-choice or pro-life as if there is a choice to be had.  Basically we in America have legalized murder.  And because it is legal we are forced to consider it an option for people, a la choice.

I don’t think murder is an option that should be offered and I imagine most of you agree with me.  In the early years of the fight to save the innocents you had those who were willing to stand up and say this is wrong and even be thrown in jail for their beliefs.  (Remember Operation Rescue?)  But of course the “unbiased” media portrayed those folks willing to put their comfort and security on the line for defenseless babies as “kooks” or “mentally unstable” so we who felt it was wrong went along.

Today as worked up as we are willing to get over the slaughter of the innocents is to be vocal once in a while, but not too vocal lest we be “intolerant” or be labeled as “kooks” ourselves.  And we can try to vote in a candidate who may share our “dismay” at this loss of life.

Did I say “dismay”, I meant “horror” at the blatant disrespect of life that God gave to us.  That begins at conception and continues throughout eternity.  Almost 50 million of our citizens have been brutally murdered, slaughtered, disregarded and other than reading a “kooky” Pastor’s blog for a few minutes we’ll go back to thinking TGIF.  Can’t wait for the weekend?  Where will I go out to eat?  Which new movie is out?   And the killing continues every single day.

How ironic that those most liberal among us who believe that Government should provide for us all may end up bringing the downfall of that Government which was to provide.  Social Security is bankrupt.  Medicare is not far behind.  And really when we really think about it rationally no government can withstand 14 Trillion dollars in debt for very long before the whole house of cards crumbles.  50 millions extra citizens sure may have contributed financially to help sustain the illusion in wealth in America for a few more years but as the old saying goes, “your sin will find you out”.  Murder and corruption will not last forever, justice must be served!

I know some of you reading are not Wyoming Citizens, but most of you are.  Wyomingites, I want to ask you to join my family and I in Cheyenne on February 6th at 1:30PM for the first annual Legislative Prayer Rally.  We are going to Cheyenne to pray for our legislators at the Capitol Building before they start their session on Monday Feb. 8th.

With winter in Wyoming I know this is a sacrifice.  I am not asking you to drive through a blizzard but if the weather is nice please take the time to join us.  If you want to Caravan from Riverton we are leaving the Christian Church of Riverton at 7AM sharp.  We will then head toward Casper and down to Cheyenne.  We should arrive around noon and we are planning a sack lunch for our family (keeping costs down) so we can be there a little early.  The event lasts 1 to 1 1/2 hrs and then we should be on the road for home by 4PM at the latest  (another sack dinner for the way home) and then back in Riverton by 9 or 10PM.

I know that sounds like a long day.  Drive 10 hours for an hour event.  Yes people can pray from home but there is something about praying on site where decisions are made for all Wyoming citizens.  And wouldn’t it be great to see the Capitol lawn filled not with protestors but with Christians who are praying that God’s will be done.  May we be a part of the solution instead of adding to the problems in our world today.

Can’t you sacrifice a couple tanks of gas and some time to pray with us?  If you are planning on attending please leave a comment and let me know you’ll be there and what community you are from.  I have 14 from Riverton committed so far, it would be nice to have around 100.  Will you join me?