In Memory of Larry Stinnett (1946-2012)

It's been a year since I last posted an entry on this blog.  I guess there are a variety of reasons for my absence, but none of them would be more prominent than the homegoing of my dad.

Dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2007.  Dad had a PSA test that had come back somewhat elevated.  The urologist was so concerned about it that he ordered 12 biopsies to be done.  When all 12 biopsies came back positive for cancer, the urologist moved hastily to remove dad's prostate.

I'll never forget the day we discovered the terminal nature of dad's diagnosis.  The urologist took dad back for surgery and we were told that it shouldn't take long to remove the prostate.  The doctor planned to do the surgery laproscopically - as minimally invasive as possible.  After only an hour in the surgery room, the urologist came back out and gave us the bad news - he was unable to remove the prostate.  When mom asked what that meant, the doctor replied, "It means your husband probably has 1-10 years to live."

Those words were like a punch in the stomach.  We thought dad was going to have a simple procedure, recover at the hospital for a day or two, then be on his way.  Clearly things didn't turn out that way.  The doctor's words were prophetic - dad ended up with five years following his terminal diagnosis.  I wish I could say those five years were always filled with joy, but they were not.  Dad suffered many things before he went on to this eternal reward.  He endured chemo, radiation, hormone shots, and even a an experimental treatment called Provenge.  I'm sure those treatments prolonged life, but none of them could remove the inevitable.

Dad had a great deal of pain he tried to manage everyday, and the pain grew much worse the closer he drew to heaven.  Prostate cancer loves to spread to the bone, and that's exactly what happened to dad.  But there's one thing I can say:  Dad kept a positive attitude all the way unto his death.  He never lost his hope in God or his joy in the Lord.  He rarely ever spoke of his impending death.  He was and is an inspiration to us all.

So dad has been gone for a year.  It's been a hard year.  There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about him.  Thousands of things he said still run through my mind.  They even replay in his voice.  So many times I've wanted to pick up the phone and call him and get his advice.  It's been well-said that you don't know how much you love someone and need someone until they're gone.  Dad was my example.  He was a constant source of wisdom and information.  Now that he's no longer here, there's a void in my life that no one else can replace.

One year after his death, I've decided that it's time for me to memorialize him by letting you know who he was to me.  A blog post is not enough space to tell it all, but I want to give you just a taste of the man he was in my life.

Dad was my provider.  Quite simply, he was one of the hardest working men I ever met.  He would rise early and he would often stay up late.  Short of sin, there's nothing he wouldn't do to make sure his family's needs were met.  I especially began to appreciate dad's work ethic when he and mom started their own business in the early 90s - just as I was beginning high school.  Dad's first work vehicle was an old Subaru hatchback.  His first office was his bedroom and he slowly graduated out to the screen-in porch.  One time he took me to work with him just outside of Nashville.  We worked from sun up to way past sun down for two days.  I didn't have any trouble sleeping when the work was done, and to his credit dad never had any trouble sleeping either.

Dad was my protector.  Not only was he my protector, but he protected my mom and my brother as well.  I'll never forget a beach vacation our family took one summer.  My brother (Brad) got on a float and began to ride out over the ocean waves.  Brad lost track of how far he was from the shoreline - he was too far out to swim back.  When dad noticed the dilemma my brother was in, he took off, swam out to my brother, and brought him back to shore.  He was a man's man for sure.

Dad was my coach.  My dad loved sports, played sports, and taught us to love and play them as well.  He was a baseball coach - from T-ball all the way through little league.  He was also a basketball coach.  My brother and I both played church league basketball during each of our 13 school years.  I can't remember one of those 13 years that dad wasn't coaching me or my brother or both of us.  He even coached RA basketball for Oakwood Baptist Church before I was born.  He was also a softball coach.  He coached the men of Wallace Memorial to a city championship and on to state competition.

There's so much more I could say about dad.  He was my teacher, in every area of life.  My dad even taught me and my brother all about "the birds and the bees."  True story - he checked out an anatomy book from the library and used it to explain to me and my brother what distinguishes a man from a woman.  How many dads would bother to have that discussion with their boys anymore?  Dad taught me how to love my wife and my children though the way he loved my mom and us.  Most important, he taught me to love God, to love His Word, to love His church, and to love the lost.

Dad was truly my example, my friend, and now more than ever he is my hero.  Dad never said this to me or my brother, but he surely could have: "Imitate me, even as I also imitate Christ" (1 Cor. 11:1).  He may be gone, but he will never be forgotten.  I look forward to seeing him again "soon and very soon."

Are Creationists Abusive Morons?

My oldest son loves science.  He's a fan of just about anything that has to do with the natural order.  Thus, it's no surprise that he loves the work of Bill Nye - the "science guy."  Recently, Bill Nye spent time pontificating about creationism and it's affect on children.  You can see the video here.  Take time to watch the short video.  It's mind-boggling stuff.

According to the science guy, "the denial of evolution is unique to the US."  I'm guessing Nye doesn't travel very much - at least not internationally.  If he did, he would know that a vast number of people from every continent on this planet actually deny the theory of evolution.  But that's not the point.  To Nye, "evolution is the fundamental idea in all of life science."

So let me get this right.  The idea of all ideas - I mean the one that everything hinges on - can't even be proven as a scientific fact?  We're going to hang all our hopes and dreams on a theory?  And to think scientists often depict themselves as anti-faith.  It's hard to imagine a supposition that requires more faith than that.

Let's get to the heart of the matter.  Nye is basically saying that raising children within a creationist worldview is a form of child abuse.  To him it's an especially awful form of abuse because it causes children to become like their creationist parents - crazy, scientifically-illiterate fools who can't "build stuff and solve problems."  Creationists tend to "hold everyone else back" by making things "fantastically complicated."

It's a good thing Bill Nye is the science guy because he could never claim to be a history buff.  If he knew anything about the greatest scientists of human history he would know that most of them were creationists.  Perhaps you've heard of some of them - Isaac Newton, Louis Pasteur, Johann Kepler, Leonardo DaVinci, Blaise Pascal - just to name a few.  At least 40 scientific disciplines were established by creationists and many other noteworthy discoveries were made by men (and women) such as this.  Check the list here.  I guess they were all "holding us back."

Bill Nye oozes with pride as he arrogantly repeats that familiar refrain, "In another couple of centuries that worldview (creationism) won't exist."  And why?  Because "there's no evidence for it."  The psalmist would beg to differ:  "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork" (Psalm 19:1).  Paul would agree:  "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead" (Rom. 1:20).

So the science guy thinks that it borders on abuse to teach our kids biblical creationism.  I say that the abuse happens when we withhold the truth of God's Word from our kids and teach them that they've descended from apes.  I say abuse happens when we act as though "God is dead" (Nietzsche), or that even if He is alive He can't be known.

Bill Nye isn't the first quasi-intellectual to predict the soon-coming disappearance of the biblical/creationist worldview.  Rest assured he won't be the last.  I'm not too concerned though.  When he's dead and gone, the truth of God's Word will stand:  "The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the Word of the Lord endures forever" (1 Peter 1:24b-25).  Hitch your wagon to Bill Nye if you want to.  I'm going to stay with the One who was there when everything was created.

Marriage: Blacks Need Not Apply

That was essentially the message sent by First Baptist Church of Crystal Springs, Mississippi to a black couple desiring to get married in their facility about two weeks ago.  Read the story here.  You would think that our culture had moved beyond racism by now.  You would especially think that our churches had moved beyond racism, but sadly even some within our churches are still filled with prejudice.

In this particular case, Charles and Te'Andrea Wilson were forced to move their wedding to an alternate location just one day prior to their wedding.  Why?  According to the pastor, "a black wedding had never been done here before, so it was setting a new precedent, and there were those who reacted because of that."  How many people reacted?  There were five or six church members who objected to the wedding.  A pretty small but vocal minority, considering they threatened to vote the pastor out of the church if he proceeding with the wedding.

It's easy for me to sit here and say what I would have done as pastor.  I hope I would've said, "Then you'll just have to take your vote and run me off because there's no way I'm going to allow an ungodly bunch of racists to distract me from doing God's will."  My heart genuinely goes out to this pastor because those kinds of stands are easier said than done.  I don't know his personal situation, but perhaps he's trying to support a wife and children just like I am.  

The biggest thing I've taken from this ugly episode is that I need to be willing to stand for God's truth - no matter what the cost.  I hope all pastors will learn the same lesson as well.  God has not called us to do what is convenient.  He's called us to do what is right.  The fact is that God knows exactly where we are and precisely what we need.  If we lose something as a result of standing for Him, that doesn't change the fact He's promised to provide all our needs.  "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matt. 6:33).

I hope our church members will also learn some lessons from this.  The first one is obvious - there is no place for racism within the Body of Christ.  The Scripture says that "God is no respecter of persons" (Acts 10:34). When Peter was tempted to withhold the Gospel from a Gentile (non-Jewish) man, God showed him that His love and salvation are for everyone - regardless of their skin color.  When we allow hate and prejudice to fill our hearts, it is proof that we are either extremely backslidden or that we were never children of God to begin with.

I also hope that our church members will learn that it's never right to sit by and allow the carnally-minded to dictate the direction of our churches.  As pastor, far too often I have watched as a silent majority have allowed a vocal (and usually ungodly) minority to run the show.  I don't think the silent majority intends to harm the church, but that's exactly what they do when they choose to remain silent.  My guess is that the pastor of First Baptist would've been much more likely to take a stand had he felt that people were going to "have his back."

If your pastor is a man of God who loves the Word and preaches its truth, by all means support him and stand with him against those who would seek to do harm to the cause of Christ.  That may go against the "go along to get along" mentality that we've sometimes grown accustomed to, but who are we trying to please?  "Do I now persuade men or God?  Or do I seek to please men?  For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ" (Gal. 1:10).  When it's time to stand, I pray we'll all be found pleasing to Christ.

A New Hotel with a Permanent Check-Out

First it was drive-thru weddings.  Now it's divorce hotels.  That's right folks - you and your beloved can check-in married on Friday and check-out divorced on Sunday.  You can find the story at this link.  As if our culture had not already trivialized marriage enough, we've now made divorce more convenient than it's ever been.  And we wonder why our world is in the shape it's in.

Rather than talking about the tragedy of these divorce hotels any further, I'd rather use this as an opportunity to share what God's Word has to say about marriage.  The foundation for marriage is found in Genesis 2:24 - "A man shall leave his father and mother, be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."  God's plan is that a man and woman should join their lives unto one another "until death do us part."

Why is that?  First, because God has made it very clear that divorce is not His plan.  In fact, the Bible says  "He hates divorce" (Mal. 2:16).  Of course, that's not to say that God hates divorced people.  He loves every man, woman, and child in this world.  But God hates divorce because "it covers one's garment with violence" (Mal. 2:16) and it often has very negative consequences for the children affected by it (Mal. 2:15).

Furthermore, Jesus very clearly preached against divorce.  After quoting Gen. 2:24 in one of His sermons, Jesus said, "What God has joined together, let not man separate" (Matt. 19:6).  I'm convinced the reason divorce runs rampant is because we think marriage is something we've created.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Marriage always has and always will be the creation of God.

Some of you are probably asking, "Is it ever permissible for a man to divorce his wife, or vice versa?"  The Bible provides only two grounds for divorce - adultery (Matt. 5:32, 19:9) and abandonment (1 Cor. 7:15).  But even in those cases, God desires that we do all we can to salvage and strengthen our marriages, for "God has called us to peace" (1 Cor. 7:15).

How many divorces are really the product of adultery or abandonment, and how many come as a result of "irreconcilable differences?"  Let's face it - most couples choose to divorce simply because they're no longer willing to honor the vows they took before God and witnesses on their wedding day.  By the way, what did we say when we got married?  Probably something like this:  I take you to be my spouse, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part.


Before you and your spouse check-in to a divorce hotel, think about those last words.  Marriage is not always easy, but if we love God and our spouses we'll honor our vows "until death do us part."  Let's start a marriage revolution and put the divorce hotels out of business!

Has Magic Mike Cast His Spell on the Church?

$73 million.  That's the amount of money Magic Mike has generated following its 6/29 release less than two weeks ago.  Over half that amount ($40 million) was collected during the movie's opening weekend.  I imagine the movie's creators have must have a big smile on their faces right now.  The movie's total production budget was only $7 million.  Oh yeah - they're laughing all the way to the bank.

It's not surprising that a movie about a male stripper and his friends would do so well in our culture.  After all, the Bible says that "the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one" (1 John 5:19).  One of Satan's best weapons is sexual perversion/lust, or as the Apostle John called it "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life" (1 John 2:16).

What is somewhat surprising to me is that many professing Christians have lined movie box offices in search of their own Magic Mike ticket.  It's as if his spell has been cast over members of our churches.  I've even heard stories of some of the "church ladies" planning a girl's night out to go see Mr. Mike.  Is that a little unusual?  Magic Mike on Saturday night with the girls, worship on Sunday morning with the family?  Something's not right with this picture.

I anticipate there might be some Christian objectors out there, though I doubt they'd be willing to admit their objections.  They might say, "I just like Channing Tatum.  I think he's a wonderful actor."  Isn't that like the guy who says he only goes to Hooters for the wings.  Give me a break!  Guys don't go to Hooters for the wings, and girls don't go to Magic Mike to watch Tatum's amazing acting prowess.

There's one main reason guys go to Hooters and girls go to Magic Mike.  Lust - plain and simple.  We would expect rampant lust in the world, but God has called His children to a higher standard.  "The lamp of the body is the eye.  If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.  But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness" (Matt. 6:22-23).  It's for good reason that God has commanded us to set our minds "on things above" (Col. 3:2).

One of my great concerns for Christians is that going to see a movie like Magic Mike could be a first step towards unfaithfulness to a spouse.  Satan has already wrecked enough of our homes.  We don't need to provide him with more opportunities to tear others apart.  You might say, "I'm not married.  That doesn't affect me."  Think again.  Jesus said "whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matt. 5:28).  That applies to men and women.

There's nothing wrong with a few ladies from the church getting together for a night out on the town.  But as you make your plans, consider this:  Would Jesus feel comfortable with where you're going and what you're doing?  If not, it's time for a change of plans.

Should Your Church Have an Address? (Part 1)

We live in an electronic age.  More and more things are being done online.  We pay our bills online.  Customer service is handled online.  More folks are starting to watch their favorite TV shows, sporting events, and movies online.  Email did a lot to expand the electronic influence, but social media has taken things to an entirely different level.  We've grown accustomed to electronic human interaction.  These days it seems that people would prefer to have online relationships rather than face to face.

It was just a matter of time until the electronic influence made an impact on the future of the local church.  Here's what I mean:  For generations church-going Christians have attempted to reach the lost with the Gospel of Christ.  Many of those attempts were done in person - door-to-door visitation, servanthood evangelism projects, etc.  Those same Christians have compelled folks from all walks of life to come and unite themselves with Christ's body - the local church.

Apparently, the invitation to come and assemble with the church is no longer necessary.  Some churches are now encouraging their members and guests to stay at home and become a part of their "internet campus."  I acknowledge that the idea of an internet campus is nothing new.  Colleges and universities have rolled out the virtual red carpet quite a bit over the last decade.  But online churches?  That's a new one on me.

One church following this trend says that "our internet campus is a place where people can gather online to worship God and invite their friends and family to join them."  The idea is that you no longer need to wake up early, put on your "Sunday best," and drive to God's house to worship in person with other believers.  Now you can sleep in, pull out your laptop, and worship in your pajamas.  You can worship online thru streaming video, you can give online thru secure websites, and you can even fellowship online thru live chats.  All this from the comfort of your own bed.  What a bargain!

All this begs the question:  Should our churches have an address?  I'm not talking about a web address - I'm talking about a physical address where people are encouraged to come and assemble together.  How does the Bible answer that question?  Heb. 10:25 commands us to "forsake not the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some."  The verse also says that we are to be "encouraging one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."  Physically gathering together as the local church is a direct command from God.  Failure to do so is nothing short of sin in His sight.

Consider also that when Christ addressed the church in the Book of the Revelation, He addressed the local churches scattered throughout Asia Minor - the churches at Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, etc.  Clearly they were in the habit of meeting together.  Nearly all the New Testament letters were addressed to local churches.  And how often did the early church assemble together?  Paul implies that  the church at Corinth met together on each Lord's Day (Sunday - 1 Cor. 16:2).  Church history confirms that the early church came together for worship on each Lord's Day in honor of Christ's resurrection.  The Book of Acts even tells us that the early Christians met together "daily with one accord in the temple" (Acts 2:46).  Most preachers I know would be happy to get their folks in God's house just one time a week!

So, should your church have an address?  If we believe the Bible, then the answer has to be yes.  I know there will be those who object to what I've written.  Already I have anticipated some of those objections and will attempt to answer them in a follow-up post.  Here's the question I think we really need to answer:  What is motivating the existence of an "online church?"  I'm sure there are a variety of answers, but in my estimation the primary motivator is selfishness.  We have become so consumed with our own comforts and desires that frankly we're not interested in how God says church should be done.  More to come on this final thought very soon.

Religious Liberty is Vanishing Before Our Very Eyes

Recently I was saddened by a story I read in Baptist Press.  The story mentions the plight of several privately-owned American businesses that have either been forced or probably will be forced to extend their services to homosexuals, regardless of their religious convictions.  It's worthy to note that the businesses are all located in states where homosexual "marriage"/civil unions have been legalized.  Also worthy of note is that the businesses are not just confined to one geographical area of our country.  You can find these businesses all the way from New England to the Pacific Ocean.

What's troubling is that privately-owned, Christian businesses are being forced to do things that are clearly against their religious convictions.  The last time I checked the Constitution, the first Amendment still says, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."  In siding with the plaintiffs in these cases, the courts have basically denied these business owners the freedom to exercise their religious convictions.

There are a couple of other things I've noticed about this story.  First, none of the states who have homosexual "marriage"/civil unions laws on the books have allowed their citizens to vote on the issue.  In every case, the courts have dictated to its citizens what the law will be.  That is not government of the people, by the people, and for the people.  It's actually called oligarchy - the rule of a few over many.  In this case, it is the rule of the courts over the citizens.  The plight of these businesses should remind us that it is not the place of the courts to create our laws.  It is the place of the courts to interpret the laws that have been created by the citizenry and our elected officials.

Furthermore, did you notice how groups like the ACLU have taken up the cause of the plaintiffs in all these cases.  What does ACLU stand for anyway?  American Civil Liberties Union.  Why is it that the ACLU never argues that the civil liberties of the Bible-believing Christians have been infringed upon when they are unable to practice their religion as they see fit?  The ACLU always takes up the cause of the most radical left-wing groups among us.  Pardon me if I think something smells a little fishy.

America is still the land of the free and the home of the brave.  It is still a nation that was set aside for the free exercise of one's religious convictions.  And in American's case, those religious convictions have always been Judeo-Christian in nature.  Yet, the beautiful thing about this country is that no one has to practice either Judaism or Christianity.  Our citizens have always been free to worship whom or what they will in whatever way they see fit.

If homosexuals want to worship their own gods or no god at all, that is entirely up to them.  Many American citizens have fought and died for their right to do so.  But what is not acceptable is that unelected officials are now forcing us to accept the homosexual lifestyle.  Not only is that unconstitutional, it is ungodly.  I would hope that every red-blooded American would rise up and stand against the erosion of our most fundamental religious rights.  Even more, I pray that every blood-washed Christian will continue to speak the truth in love and ask God to send revival to the spiritual wasteland that our country has become.