Posted: 11/19/04

Alcohol-related wreck changed future student minister's life

By Leann Callaway

Special to the Baptist Standard

SUGAR LAND–Casey Cease killed a friend nine years ago in an alcohol-related car accident, and guilt left him wanting to kill himself.

Now Cease–a Texas Baptist youth evangelist and student minister–travels around the country speaking to teenagers and young adults, telling them how God took him from complete brokenness and transformed him through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

The summer before his senior year of high school, Cease invited some friends to his house for a July 4 barbecue.

“It was like most other parties I attended where we drank beer, played games and hung out,” he recalled. “I was already struggling with depression during this time, and as the night wore on, things just got worse.”

At about 1 a.m., he and one of his guests got into an argument.

“I ran inside my house, grabbed the keys to my 1995 Z-28 Camaro and jumped into my car,” he said.

Friends surrounded his car and tried to stop him, but they eventually gave up, deciding to give him some time to calm down on his own.

“When they left, I drove over a curb to get around the car that was in front of me, and I sped off,” he said. “As I came to the exit of my neighborhood, I stopped and began sobbing. I finally gathered myself enough to decide that I just wanted to go back home”

He turned onto a main street and began speeding home.

“Going around a curve, I suddenly saw my friend John in the middle of the street with his hands raised in the air as if to stop me,” he said. “I tried to swerve the car, but John jumped in the same direction. His body rolled up on the hood of my car and crashed through my windshield. I lost control of my car and crashed into a tree. I was unconscious, and John was killed instantly.”

After the accident, Cease was placed on suicide watch in a mental hospital. During this time, John's parents came to visit him.

“They told me that they were Christians and that they forgave me,” Cease said. “At the time it was impossible for me to understand this, but now I know that they were being merciful by not giving me what I deserved and extending grace to me. They were a true Christian witness by living out a testimony to the power of Jesus Christ in their family's life.”

Not long after, Cease made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ.

“Over the course of my senior year of high school, I began attending church and reading the student Bible that my mother had bought for me,” he said. “It seemed like everywhere I turned, God was drawing me to himself.”

Following his high school graduation, Cease went to court and pleaded no contest to negligent homicide–a 4th-degree felony.

“I was placed on five years of probation, had 200 hours of community service–of which, part of my service was speaking to students–and I had a breathalyzer in my car,” he explained.

While speaking in schools, Cease developed a passion to share the message of Jesus Christ with students.

“It was during that time when my heart was really for helping students,” he said. “I was a young believer, and the youth minister at the church I was attending offered me an internship in youth ministry. I served for two summers as an intern.”

In 1999, Cease accepted God's call to enter into full-time ministry.

Today, he serves as the student pastor at Crossbridge Community Church, a Texas Baptist congregation in Richmond. In addition, he is a sought-after youth communicator and books more than 100 events each year, including citywide outreach events, revivals, retreats, Disciple Now weekends and youth camps.

“Understandably, I am often asked to share my testimony at ministry events,” he said. “I really try to utilize my story more as an illustration of God's grace extended to man through Christ, rather than allowing my story to be the main topic.”

Over the past year, Cease has distributed more than 5,000 free copies of his testimony CD titled “Tragedy to Truth” throughout the country.

Cease also speaks in school assemblies and presents a program called “Next Choice,” where he shares his life experiences and emphasizes the importance of the choices we make and how they can have lifelong consequences.

“When I speak in schools, I try to have a church in the area or a campus Christian club to sponsor an event where I can share Jesus directly, as well,” he explained.

“One of the main things that I have learned from the students I work with is that they are tired of people sugarcoating everything, and they are hungry for truth. Even lost kids have said that they appreciate me being real and just telling it like it is, rather than spending the entire time trying to make them like me. Students really are starving for the truth and want it presented without fear.

“Another thing that is very apparent in the lives of students today is that their behavior is a symptom of a life that is seeking satisfaction in places and things that were never meant to satisfy them.

“While the expression of their sin may be different and more extreme than older generations, it is still rooted in an existence that is dependent upon culture rather than being dependent and satisfied in Christ. That is why the mission of this ministry is to assist people in shifting their dependency on culture to a dependency on Jesus Christ, and to help people live life with purpose–for the glory of God and his kingdom.”

Posted: 11/19/04

ANOTHER VIEW:
Consider reasons to offer thanks

By Joe Alcorta

Americans will celebrate Thanksgiving Day Nov. 25. Next to Christmas, Thanksgiving is the most popular holiday in our nation. Most businesses and all schools allow their employees to be off that Thursday.

We celebrate Thanksgiving because in October 1789, both houses of Congress requested President George Washington to proclaim a day of thanksgiving.

This year, even before the turkey is sliced, let us stop and give thanks to God and to people for the many things we enjoy.

Sure, we have bills to pay and problems to solve. We have sickness, stress and death in our families. But regardless of circumstances, we Americans have so many things for which to be thankful:

If you are reading this, you are alive. Thank God that you are alive. Regardless of your health condition, thank God for your health. There always are others who are worse off. Thank God for your doctor and medications.

And if you are reading this, you probably have been eating. So, let's take time to thank God for the food we eat daily. It may be hard for you to realize there are hundreds of people who die every day because they have nothing to eat.

Most of us at one time or another have worked or still are working. Let us thank God for our place of employment. Take time to thank your boss, manager or supervisor for providing a job for you. And you bosses, how about saying thank you to those hard-working and faithful employees?

And clothing? Check your closet! Most Americans have an abundance of clothes and shoes in their closets they do not use. Let us thank God for our clothing.

Regardless of how big or small your home is, it is a home. Again, there are thousands of people who are homeless.

Best of all, we have families! At one time or another, we all have had parents and grandparents. And if not parents and grandparents, perhaps an uncle or an aunt who took care of you and provided food, clothing and shelter during your childhood years. Take time to say thank you to Mom and Dad for all they have done for you. Take time to say thanks to Grandma and Grandpa for all the love they have shared with you. Do you have a spouse? Take time to say, “Thank you for what you do for me.”

Also, at one time or another, we have had teachers, men and women who have influenced our lives. Why not take time this Thanksgiving and say a special thank you to that special elementary, middle school, high school or university teacher? Call them, e-mail them, send them a card or, better yet, visit them in person. A kind word from you would mean so much. I challenge you to do that.

And what about that preacher? If you have a little religion, perhaps you attend a church where a minister has blessed you in a special way. Take time to say thank you to them. Don't forget the spouses of these church leaders. They, too, need an encouraging word. Take time to show your appreciation to your children's teachers at church.

Everybody has friends. Well, at least one. There always are people who have come our way. People we know from school, work, church, the grocery store, the doctor's office and Little League. A kind word, a card or a phone call saying, “Thank you for being my friend” certainly will be appreciated. Try it. What do you have to lose?

I personally have much for which to be thankful.

I thank God for the privilege of living in this great country. Our Bill of Rights has given me freedom of speech, religion and the right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” I am thankful for the right and privilege of voting.

I thank the Lord for my good health.

I thank God for great and caring parents who were great role models for me.

My wife of 42, years, Liandra, has done so much for me. She is a great spiritual lady.

Our four children–Cecilia, Joe, Adriel and Andrew–have brought great joy to our lives. I am thankful for what each one has taught me.

And, of course, our seven grandchildren–Roy, Jessica, Michael, Morgan, Caleb, Ashby and Trey–have changed our lives forever.

I am thankful for my eight brothers and sisters. I know without a doubt that they love me and are my great encouragers.

OK, I challenge you to take time this Thanksgiving and say thank you to someone special and see what happens.

Try it. You will like the results.

Joe Alcorta has been professor of Spanish at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene 33 years. He has written numerous books, and lessons from “Speak Spanish in 60 Days” have been published in several newspapers.

Posted: 11/19/04

DOWN HOME:
Decisions await matrimonial path

Seeing as how I'm a guy, my Logically-Anticipated-Consequences radar doesn't always function as it should.

This has been true lately. My L-A-C radar failed me miserably, although my Oh-Yeah-That-Makes-Perfect-Sense hindsight still functions with 20/20 clarity.

A couple of weeks ago, I told you about how Lindsay–our oldest daughter, flesh of our flesh, wellspring of abundant joy and a junior in college–is getting married.

Lindsay and Aaron met their freshman year at Hardin-Simmons University and have fallen indescribably and infinitely in love. So, Aaron has asked Lindsay to marry him, and she has said yes. She even has “the ring” to prove it.

They plan to get married a year from December, right after Aaron graduates from HSU and one short semester before Lindsay intends to don cap and gown and receive her degree.

Silly me, I thought that was that. At least until next summer sometime. The way I figured it, Lindsay and Joanna, her mother, would start looking at wedding dresses in maybe July. And before school starts next fall, she'd decide on her bridesmaids' dresses and perhaps pick a photographer. During the fall, they'd order flowers and a cake. Eventually, they would tell me when and where to go to get measured for my tuxedo. Then we'd have ourselves a wedding.

But, apparently, wedding planning is like air in a vacuum. It expands to fill every available space.

Exactly eight days after Lindsay announced her engagement, Joanna bought their first wedding magazine. That was on a Friday, the same day Joanna and Molly, Lindsay's younger sister, and I took a road trip.

Along the way, I learned about seven or eight new and incredibly unique possibilities for preparing a bride's bouquet. I also listened to in-depth discussions of appropriate colors for bridesmaids' dresses at Christmas, ways to add color to the bride's dress, the possibility and indeed probability that a red-velvet cake would work at a Christmas wedding and the relative merits of starting the wedding ceremony at 2 or 3 in the afternoon.

All this, and the bride-to-be wasn't even part of the discussion. Yet.

We haven't been this excited at our house since the Lewisville Fighting Farmers won the state football championship. Come to think of it, I was the only one this excited back then.

If anticipation is half the fun of it, I understand why brides and their mothers, sisters and girlfriends enjoy planning weddings so much. For every man and woman who walk an aisle, hundreds, maybe thousands, of delicious decisions wait to be made. Each more intriguing, more ripe with possibilities than the last.

No wonder marriage is a divine institution. The anticipation, apparently, is heavenly.

Posted: 11/19/04

EDITORIAL:
Calculus of lame duckery

My, how time flies. Just three weeks ago, we didn't know who would occupy the White House the next four years. Now, we're hearing “President Bush” and “lame duck” in the same sentence.

Poor guy. He hasn't even lifted his hand to take his second oath of office, and everybody from preachers to pundits is talking about how his effectiveness soon will be limited. He even acknowledged he's got about 18 months to accomplish the major goals of his administration. Then his clout will diminish rapidly, because friends and foes will know they can wait him out if they don't want to follow his lead.

Second-term presidents aren't the only lame ducks. Bosses nearing retirement often exert very little influence. Workers about to transfer are lame ducks, as are coaches with eyes on the next team. Parents can become lame ducks when their children allow others to influence them more than Mom and Dad.

Unfortunately, Christians can become lame ducks, too. When our witness becomes irrelevant, ineffective or even negative, we're lame ducks. At least three variables factor into the calculus of lame duckery:

Hypocrisy. Nothing damages a Christian's testimony worse than when walk does not match talk. We know we're sinful humans, but if Christ's presence in us doesn't distinguish us from the people around us, we're lame.

Zealotry. Some well-meaning Christians become lame ducks because they're unreal. Their judgmentalism sets them apart from the very people they wish to reach with the gospel. Their piousity seems unattainable, and non-Christians don't even want to consider becoming a Christian, because they think they must be perfect first.

Apathy. This is the big one. We become lame ducks when we fail to care for the lives–spiritual and physical–of the people around us. When we adopt a secular mindset and refuse to see their need, we're lame. And practically useless.

The president of the United States may become a lame duck early in his second term, but a Christian should remain active, winsome and influential every day God gives life.
–Marv Knox
E-mail the editor at marvknox@baptiststandard.com

Posted: 11/19/04

EDITORIAL:
Hunger offering: Every penny counts

Baptist tables will creak this week under the burden of Thanksgiving feasts. No wonder Thanksgiving is one of our most popular holidays. We appreciate the Three F's of the day–family, football and food. And even if some folks quibble about how much they enjoy family and football, the appreciation for food is unanimous.

This Thanksgiving, as Texas Baptists dig in to the turkey, green bean casserole, candied sweet potatoes, fresh rolls, pie and other special dishes on our tables, we should remember victims of hunger across our state, throughout the nation and around the world. This is the season we collect the Texas Baptist Offering for World Hunger, which truly is an investment in the people Jesus called “the least of these.” And rather than mere acts of charity, our gifts provide an accurate reflection of our love for and devotion to him (Matthew 25:31-46).

Middle-class Baptists sometimes have a hard time comprehending poverty and the depths of hunger. But the Baptist General Convention of Texas' Christian Life Commission has created a paint-by-numbers portrait of hunger. See:

Twenty percent of the world's 6.3 billion people (one out of five) live on less than $1 per day. Half get by on less than $2 per day.

A variety of causes prevent many of the world's nations from growing enough food to feed their citizens. The causes range from soil erosion and depletion, to water shortages and pollution, to destructive farming methods, to war, ethnic rivalry, greed, and political corruption and oppression.

Every day, more than 30,000 children in the developing world die from diseases that can be prevented or treated. Seventy percent of all childhood deaths stem from malnutrition and preventable disease.

Every year, 12 million people die because of polluted water.

In America, “the land of plenty,” 34 million people, including nearly 13 million children, are exposed to hunger regularly.

The U.S. child poverty rate is twice that of any other industrialized nation.

Requests for emergency food assistance have increased by 19 percent in the past year, according to the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

In 2001, 23.3 million people received emergency hunger relief from America's Second Harvest. That's equal to the combined population of the nation's 10 largest cities.

Texas has the second-highest incidence of food insecurity and hunger in the nation.

One-third of inhabitants of the Texas-Mexico border live in poverty.

One in 10 Texas children is hungry.

Most poor people are in working families. More than 80 percent of poor Texas families with children had at least one adult who worked.

The Texas Baptist Offering for World Hunger will help alleviate this kind of suffering from Texas to Thailand and more than 60 points in-between. The goal is just $750,000. If all Texas Baptists would contribute only what we spend on our own Thanksgiving meal, we could eclipse that amount many times over, and never feel the pinch.

As you eat that turkey, ponder the poor and hungry. And send your check to Offering for World Hunger, c/o Baptist General Convention of Texas, 333 N. Washington, Dallas 75246-1798.
–Marv Knox
E-mail the editor at marvknox@baptiststandard.com

Posted: 11/19/04

LifeWay Explore the Bible Series for Nov. 28

Following Christ is about relationship, not ritual

Luke 13:1-35

By Pakon Chan

Chinese Baptist Church, Arlington

The synagogue ruler is the person who takes care of the building and the services. He also assigns the readers and determines the order in which readers are called to the reading desk to read Scripture. A man in such a position usually will care more about the system and order than people. A dilemma developed between Jesus' ministry and the existing religious system, since Jesus cared about personal needs so much.

The Sabbath originally was installed for people to focus on their relationship with the Creator by refraining from work (Exodus 31:13). It started from the spiritual need of humanity to the later development of a formal religious rite. Once a spiritual act or personal piety turns into a religious rite, it will lose its personal flavor to become a formality of religious duty.

A fruitless fig tree

No one is more evil than the other (13:5); we all are sinners and will perish. Jesus looks for the fruit of repentance in us. If he cannot find any fruit in us, we will not be able to sustain in God's judgment. In the parable, Jesus makes a plea for us. We may have wasted a lot of time before, but if we are serious about our lives, we still have some time to make it up (vv. 8-9). Make the choice now to accept Jesus to be our personal Savior, and we will be saved and allowed into God's kingdom.

What do we care?

While Jesus was teaching in the synagogue on the Sabbath, he encountered a woman who for 18 years had not been able to straighten her bent body. Jesus immediately spotted the need of the woman and responded to her need by laying hands upon her to heal her (vv. 12-13). Unfortunately, the synagogue ruler did not see the need of the woman and did not appreciate Jesus' good deed. He cared more about his religion and its rituals than people. Ritual to him had become its ends and people its means. People were used by religious leaders to fulfill their religious duties.

Sometimes we invite people to church just because we want to have a bigger church. In some cases, churches increase their membership by transferring members and not by baptizing new believers. It is a tragedy for God's kingdom if we are satisfied with this situation. From time to time, we have heard complaints from non-believers that they were used by Christians to fill up their churches. They did not feel any genuine friendship from Christians. It is very sad if we care more about our religious duty or church attendance than people.

The Sabbath not only is a religious rite; it also is the blessing of God to those who want to find rest in him. Jesus wanted to set the woman free from Satan's bondage and give her rest in God (v. 16).

The kingdom of God

After Jesus had healed the woman, he changed the subject to the issue of the kingdom of God. Again Jesus told them that God's kingdom was the place people could find rest. The gospel message of Jesus is just like the mustard seed. If we plant it into people's heart, it will grow into a big tree they will find rest in (v. 19).

The kingdom of God also is a life-changing power–once we receive it, it will change our whole life to make us a new being (2 Corinthians 5:17). It is like the yeast in the flour to “work all through the dough” (Luke 13:21). Yeast will grow and spread. We, as Christians, should be like yeast to reach out to our neighbors and lead them to Christ.

Someone in the crowd asked Jesus as he was approaching Jerusalem, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” (v. 23). Jesus answered and encouraged them to keep on striving to enter God's kingdom (v. 24). Jews think they are in God's good graces since they are descendants of Abraham. They expect the door to God's kingdom to be wide open for them. But Jesus said the door is narrow, and they should “make every effort to enter through the narrow door” (v. 24).

No one can take anyone into the kingdom of God except Jesus. Nationality, church membership or family tradition cannot bring a person into God's kingdom. Each person must make his or her own choice to enter God's kingdom through Jesus. It does not matter if they are coming from the east or west, north or south, they all will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God (v. 29) if they have faith in Jesus.

The Jews may think they have first priority or the first place in God's kingdom. On the contrary, Jesus said, “Indeed, there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last” (v. 30).

Discussion question

What do you care about most?

What have you learned from this chapter about the kingdom of God?

Posted: 11/19/04

LifeWay Explore the Bible Series for Dec. 5

Meals can be times of eternal significance

Luke 14:1, 7-15

By Pakon Chan

Chinese Baptist Church, Arlington

Baptists and Chinese are alike in that if we meet, we eat. Meals in the Bible and the Jewish tradition are used not only for social purposes or for satisfying physical needs, but also are expressions of fellowship between people, and and individual and God.

Meal fellowship

Inviting people to have a meal at your home is a good opportunity for building friendships and sharing the gospel. Our church always encourages Christians to invite people for a meal at their home in order to open a door for sharing the gospel and for encouraging people to go to church. This type of hospitality will cause a guest to feel respected and honored.

Many times, Jesus used meal fellowships to minister to people. The larger part of chapter 14 is about meals or meal fellowships. Jesus was invited to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee in the beginning of this chapter. But Luke tells us their invitation to Jesus was not out of love or respect. They watched Jesus very carefully during the meal to find fault so they could accuse him (14:1).

Jesus was watched all the time, and so are we (1 Corinthians 4:9). Some watch us to find fault, while others want to see Jesus in our lives. It is good if people see Christ in us and feel the love of God in a Christian home. Many international students are so impressed by such love and hospitality offered by Christians that their perceptions and misunderstandings of the Christian faith are changed.

Humility as a virtue

Humility in today's society is becoming obsolete. Boasting is a basic survival skill in the commercial world. Everybody wants to be treated as an important person. Schools and mass media teach people to focus on their own value in a very egotistical way. Individualism is the social norm and the typical American mentality. Aiming at an important seat is the goal for many people's entire lives. Recognition becomes one of the most important motivations besides money in work and ministry. How to teach Christian humility is one of the issues needed in a discipleship training course.

The Christian virtue, humility, is not just self-denial or lack of worth. Humility should come from a right attitude and healthy self-esteem. The right attitude toward praise and honor is to understand that they are gifts given by others. When we do things, we don't do it to receive praise and honor in return. If people praise us or give us honor, we should receive it with gratitude. If no one recognizes our work, we should still work diligently and happily.

God gives us talents and abilities to use to serve him and people, and they are not meant for boosting our ego and seeking honor. So, Jesus told the guests to pick the lowest place. If they were asked to move to a better place, then they were honored (v. 10). But if they were not asked to move, they should be happy with where they were seated.

Unselfish service

Jesus then turned to the host to remind him to serve with an unselfish motive. Luke told us there are two types of rewards– the reward given by man and the reward given by God.

Jesus did not say we should not be paid for our work in an ordinary sense. We work to earn our living and support our family. There is nothing wrong in working for pay. What Jesus wanted to say here is our service is rendered in fellowship. In Christian fellowship, we should give generously and unconditionally, for that will show our Christian love.

If we give because we want to be given to in return, it is not fellowship; it is business. Jesus obviously told us that we should intentionally avoid getting repaid in what we do in fellowship. What we give or serve in fellowship should be out of genuine love. We should not see people as a means to satisfy our selfish needs.

Instead, God will repay what we have done for him at the time of Christ's return. God is watching us, and he knows how hard we work for him and others to keep the fellowship. The Apostle Paul tells us: “You will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 4:24).

This passage also encourages us to have fellowship with people without discrimination. Jesus died for all people, and he redeemed us into fellowship with him and all Christians. It is very easy for people to invite others with the same social status and educational background for fellowship. That is always one of the major obstacles to hinder fellowship ministry in church.

Jesus urges us, if we give a banquet, “invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind and you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous” (v. 14).

Discussion questions

Can you give some practical ways to practice Christian humility in your daily life?

How can your fellowship include more people with different social status or cultural backgrounds?

Posted: 11/19/04

LifeWay Family Bible Series for Nov. 28

Tell everyone the good news–God is great

Psalm 145:3-5, 8-9, 11-21

By Angela Hamm

First Baptist Church, Lewisville

Psalm 145 shows us David's heart as he praised God for his mighty acts, which are told from one generation to another, for his gracious provision of an everlasting kingdom and for the gracious manner in which he responds to those who love him.

This psalm is the last psalm with David's name associated with it. The title of the psalm is a psalm of praise. It praises God's attributes and deeds. The psalm also contains tones of individual thanksgiving. One author writes, “It is magnificent in its beauty and almost breathtaking in its grandeur.”

An interesting thing to note in this psalm is an alphabetical acrostic. David begins each verse with a different letter from the Hebrew alphabet. Long ago, before the invention of printing, texts had to be handwritten. Books were extremely expensive and rare. Acrostic psalms made memorization easier. Many Hebrew prayers and songs are acrostics.

Psalm 145:3-5

When we contemplate the greatness of God we find ourselves surrounded by mystery because the works of God can cause us to stand in awe. Romans 11:33 reads, “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out.”

The greatness of God is seen in his mighty works. We can see God's works in creation, in nature and in salvation. When we meditate on God's word and his works, we are able to think about what God is like, to think about what he has said and to remember what he has done. God has done great works in the past that will be passed on from generation to generation. A wonderful truth to embrace is knowing God continues to do great things for us, in us and through us that we need to share with others.

One of the important obligations of the older generation is to pass on to the younger generation the truth about God. God is so great we cannot explain him; however, we can love him and tell others how great he is. God's character and works give us enough material to share with others for a lifetime.

Psalm 145:8-9

While God is extremely powerful and awesome, he also is tender and attentive to the needs of his people. David reminds his readers of God's wonderful nature–kindness, mercy, slow to get angry, unfailing love, compassionate. These attributes show us the kind of God we serve and how he responds to us. God manifests himself in grace. God's tenderness is manifested through his works. Since God shows us his gracious nature, it should motivate us to show kindness, mercy, patience, unconditional love and compassion to others.

Psalm 145:11-21

God is God. He has no rivals, and we should live in light of this fact. David is telling us there is a direct link between our heart and our mouth. We speak what is in our own heart. If our hearts are full of the things of God, then we will not be able to stop talking about him to others.

A friend of mine says we should be so full of God that when we bump into others, our words will flow and our hearts will spill over with his love and grace. Our words are important. We have the opportunity to tell others about God, or we can be careless and do more harm than good by keeping silent.

God does not withhold any good thing from his children. David praises God for satisfying the hunger and thirst of every living thing. God's hands are overflowing with good things for us. When God supplies our needs, we must praise him. How can we keep silent in sharing these truths with others?

Think about it

Our God is great in everything he does. There is not a single area in which he does not excel. There is not a single thing in which he is not head and shoulders over the crowd. Our God is so great, so strong and so mighty! Our God is an awesome God.

During an earthquake some years ago, the people of a small village were scared and anxious, but at the same time they were surprised by the calmness and joy of a woman they all knew. A man asked the woman, “Are you not afraid?” “No,” the woman answered, “I rejoice to know that my God can shake the world.” Who in your life needs to know that you belong to a God who can shake the world?

Discussion questions

Name an individual who told you about God's greatness.

With whom have you recently shared God's greatness?

Posted: 11/19/04

LifeWay Family Bible Series for Dec. 5

Proclaim Christ Lord with the way you live life

John 1:19-34

By Leroy Fenton

Baptist Standard, Dallas

John the Baptist was a visual oddball and a bold one at that. When he preached, curious crowds gathered to see and hear.

Clearly and courageously, he began the debate of the ages as a voice “crying in the wilderness.” The issue was: “Who is Jesus?”

Today, this question engages people in holy places and in Hollywood, stirs discussion by brilliant scholars in universities and the uneducated in backward villages and is debated in statehouses and in simple homes. Who is Jesus supposed to be? What is the meaning of his life? Did Jesus consider himself both God and man? Was he an itinerate sage, a social cynic, an apocalyptic prophet, an inspiring rabbi, or is he truly God?

John the Baptist introduced the question, saying, “but among you stands one you do not know” (1:26). Jesus offered the question to his disciples, “Who do people say I am?” (Mark 8:27; Luke 9:18).

Few question the existence of the historical Jesus, but many debate the divinity of Christ. The aim of John's Gospel is to prove the true nature and character of Christ through the testimony of witnesses. John the Baptist was the first to confess and testify (1:19-21) of the divine identity and uniqueness of the man, Jesus from Nazareth.

He is Lord

“Make straight the way of the Lord” (v. 23). John, the writer-apostle, in the poetry of the prologue declares Jesus to be Christ, the incredible Word (vv. 1-18). He then presents his first witness, John the Baptist, respected by the Jews as a prophet, to corroborate his own belief.

The first announcement the Baptist made was that Jesus is Lord. This title affirms and validates Christ's absolute power and absolute authority. All people, in their personal freedom, are to submit in spiritual worship and obedience. Christ stands above all, in all authority, with a special measure of holiness, grace and love.

He is worthy

“I am not worthy to untie” his sandals (v. 27). Christ deserves his power and authority and because of his power and authority is worthy of our confession and praise. It is one thing to declare Christ as Lord and another to accept him as Lord. This is the crucial step in understanding the nature of salvation. Genuine faith believes with the heart as well as the mind.

John the Baptist personally accepts the lordship of Christ in humility, praising him by describing his own unworthiness. Tending to shoes and feet is the menial work of a servant, but he considered himself unworthy of that. Rather than seek notoriety for himself, he prepared the way for the Lamb of God.

He is Savior

“The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” (v. 29). John is the intermediary who knows the past and sees the future (v. 17). Isaac asked Abraham, “Where is the lamb?” (Genesis 22:7). Isaiah spoke of “a lamb to the slaughter” (53:7). John also could see the new revelation in the old symbolism that Christ was the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (1:29).

The lamb is a symbol of Christ's character without blemish, the perfect sacrifice offered for the sin of the world. The lamb also is a symbol of suffering, laying down his life willingly for others (the Passover lamb, Exodus 12:7-12). Jesus, the Lamb of God, sacrificed himself on Calvary as our substitute and became our Redeemer. “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:18-19).

He is knowable

He is the one on “whom you see the Spirit come down and remain” (v. 33). He voiced before the crowd, “… among you stands one you do not know” (1:26, 31).

How does one recognize Jesus as the Christ, the expected Messiah? The Vatican has a document written by a Roman proconsul of Judea, describing the physical appearance of Jesus. John the Baptist did not identify Christ by his appearance. Two things convinced the Baptist that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah. The first was a spoken word or revelation from the Father, the “one who sent” him. The second was the fulfillment of that revelation when the Spirit came down upon Jesus and remained as had been told to him (v. 33).

This same principle is in effect today. Christ went away and left his Holy Spirit with us (John 14:15-27). As the presence of the Holy Spirit proved Jesus was God in human flesh, the presence of the Spirit attests to the validity of the Christian church and the Christian experience of faith. Christ is knowable through Scripture, the Holy Spirit and the testimony of other believers.

He is God

“This is the Son of God” (v. 34). John the Baptist confessedJesus' superiority, his redemptive work and his deity, progressing to the ultimate conclusion that Jesus, Lord and the Lamb of God, was the divine Son of God. The chain of proof included a prediction or revelation from God, the fulfillment of that prediction and the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Discussion questions

How does the way you live your life proclaim who you believe Jesus to be? Do your actions and your beliefs match?

Posted: 11/19/04

Florida court rules school voucher program unconstitutional

By Robert Marus

Associated Baptist Press

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (ABP)– A Florida state appeals court ruled the state's school-voucher program is unconstitutional because it provides funding to religious schools.

The Florida First District Court of Appeals ruled 8-5 that the state's Opportunity Scholarship Program, first created in 1999, violates the Florida Constitution.

The ruling upheld a similar 2-1 opinion handed down in August by a panel of the same court. Then, as in the new ruling, the majority judges said the Florida Opportunity Scholarship Program is unconstitutional because it allows government-funded scholarships to be spent at religious schools.

The Florida Constitution states that no state money “shall ever be taken from the public treasury directly or indirectly in aid … of any sectarian institution.”

Attorneys for Republican Gov. Jeb Bush and other Florida officials had argued the program is constitutional because the provision in question does not impose any greater restriction on funding of religious schools than does the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.

In 2002, the U.S. Supreme Court said a similar Ohio voucher program did not violate the clause of the First Amendment that forbids government from making a law “respecting an establishment of religion.”

But Judge William Van Nortwick, writing the majority's opinion, rejected that argument, saying a plain reading of the “no aid” provision of the Florida Constitution is required by a more recent Supreme Court decision.

Earlier this year, the justices ruled in Locke vs. Davey that Washington state could be allowed, under the federal Constitution, to provide indirect funding to religious schools but could not be forced to if the state chose not to do so.

“For a court to interpret the no-aid provision as adding nothing substantive to article I, section 3 of the Florida Constitution would require that court to ignore the clear meaning of the text of the provision and its formative history,” Van Nortwick wrote.

But Judge Ricky Polston, writing for the minority, dissented, saying the Florida provision shouldn't be interpreted as being any more restrictive than the First Amendment. He also said the state government already provides indirect funding to religiously affiliated groups and shouldn't treat schools any differently.

“There is no distinction between this Opportunity Scholarship Program and the state Medicaid program that funds religiously affiliated or operated health-care institutions providing free or subsidized medical care,” he said.

“Other examples are legislative programs providing public funds to any public or private person or organization for preservation of historic structures, rent paid to churches for use of their facilities as polling places, and government-subsidized pre-K or child-care programs operated by churches or faith-based organizations.”

The case, Bush vs. Holmes, began when a collection of civil-rights and educational organizations sued the state on behalf of a group of Florida parents who believed it was unconstitutional. In 2002, a trial judge agreed with them and ordered the program halted. Bush and other state officials appealed that ruling.

In the most recent decision, the appeals court asked the Florida Supreme Court to review the case.

Posted: 11/19/04

Posted: 11/19/04

At 86, Billy Graham says he's feeling his age
but stays committed to preaching the gospel

By Marshall Allen

Religion News Service

PASADENA, Calif. (RNS)– In Southern California for yet another evangelistic crusade, 86-year-old Billy Graham says he feels his age but isn't about to stop preaching the gospel.

Graham's son Franklin, who now runs the day-to-day operations of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, said his father now preaches every sermon as if it might be his last.

The famous evangelist held a four-day crusade this month at the Rose Bowl and is scheduled to hold another crusade in June in New York.

Graham's health has been poor in the past year.

He suffers from Parkinson's disease and spent almost the entire year in bed after breaking his hip and pelvis in two separate incidents.

He uses a walker to get from place to place and preaches from a specially designed podium that allows him to sit down if necessary.

When asked how he's feeling, Graham laughs and says: “I'm 86, and that's all I need to say. I'm 86.”

Graham's health problems and aging do not make him reflect on his life or death. He said he already thought about his mortality when he committed his life to Jesus Christ in 1934, when he was 16.

“I'm ready to go. I'm happy to go. I'm looking forward to it,” he said.

Graham said that although he missed his wife, Ruth Bell Graham, who was unable to make the trip to Pasadena due to health reasons, he felt God called him to come to California one more time.

In his 55 years of ministry, Graham has preached in person to more than 210 million people. He has led hundreds of thousands of people to commit their lives to Christ.

More than 300,000 people were estimated to attend the four-day event at the Rose Bowl.