May 21?? Really?

May i preface this by asking you to go and read my professors blog on this topic? It is a quick read.
http://tinyurl.com/3t3gyg2

First of all, if May 21 is legit, I will be the first to find my professor and my friends up in heaven and punch them in the face because they are in Israel when all of this "will" go down.

But with that said, I believe I won't have this opportunity. Harold Camping, the leader of this Judgement Day movement, has been wrong once before (calling Sept. 6, 1994) and he is likely wrong again.


My reasoning? He pulls one Old Testament scripture (Gen7:4 saying giving a time of destruction of the earth as 7 days) and then a New Testament scripture (2 Peter 3:8 saying 1 day is a thousand years and a thousand years is a day to God) and coming up with some pretty ridiculous math to bring Judgment to May 21, 2011. I have my Math degree...and have had some class that mention "special" numbers in the Bible...but Harold's thought process is ridiculous. and remember, these verses are taken WAYYYYY out of context...so always remember to think about what these authors were going through when these passages were written. As my professors always say, "CONTEXT, CONTEXT, CONTEXT." And when you pull two verses out of the Bible...guess what you have left....A BIBLE!! A recording of peoples lives as they have lived under God and with Jesus in their real lives!!


All of this to say, we have NOTHING to worry about. Do not go sell your house, do not go spend your life savings...because the followers of this movement HAVE!!! The disappointing thing is that they have thousands of followers, but even they say only about 144000 will actually make it to heaven...hmmmmmm.

May we remember some verses of scripture that Jesus himself and his followers taught us from the beginning:

Matthew 24

³⁶"But the exact day and hour? No one knows that, not even heaven's angels, not even the Son. Only the Father knows.

^39-44"The Son of Man's Arrival will be like that: Two men will be working in the field—one will be taken, one left behind; two women will be grinding at the mill—one will be taken, one left behind. So stay awake, alert. You have no idea what day your Master will show up.

As Peter said, "false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction" (2 Peter 2:1). John in Revelation said Jesus was coming but never said when.

And when Timothy’s mentor Paul spoke about this he said: For "evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived" (2 Timothy 3:13), and "the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths" (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

Finally, there are some good things we can take from these people who are looking forward to May 21. Though we might think these people are a little nutty for waiting for May 21 at 6pm (according to you time-zone, that is when it will "happen" for you), I have to pat them on the back for being EAGER to see the face of God and their Savior Jesus!! And let it be known, I am just as eager! We are called to be eager!!

My heart is burdened for these people who have followed this movement with all their heart. What if we see May 22? What happens then? What happens to the hearts of these people. My first thought is that they will fall away from the faith...and that is sad. My heart prays for these people that they may not be discouraged, that they continue to follow Jesus just as hard as ever before. And i have the same prayer for myself and all of you when the light breaks on May 22 and we are brushing our teeth and preparing for worship.

And please know that none of us know when this will happen, not even Jesus. So it could happen May 20, June 30, or nov. 29, 2059. Until it happens, be ready. Live your life for God, doing what Jesus did: Loving God and Loving People.

And these people that follow May 21 show us something else…
Everyone is searching for something…

When we believe Jesus, his death, resurrection and returning, we have the greatest mystery in the world…because it is TRUE!

And whenever the day does come...I can only echo Casting Crowns...OH GLORIOUS DAY.... :)


UNTIL NEXT TIME....

The Monster of Lust

Time to flex the blogger's muscle again...gotta reclaim my voice and drive my journey deeper...
Recently I have fallen away because of some different stressors in my life....but all stressful things come to an end or work themselves out...and the same is true in my own life. Now, as my journal begins, I restart my journey to where I used to be, or maybe where God needs me to go...

And now to share my thoughts on life and God today...

"Lust is a poor, weak, whimpering, whispering thing, compared with that richness and energy of desire which will arise when lust has been KILLED!"
-C.S. Lewis from Red Lizard of Lust

Lust is a pretty crucial topic in the life of men and women alike. [So if you see me just focus on the men, please know it is not a gender issue. Ladies, all the ladies, this is for you too :) ] Our eyes can wander before we can think twice and often the second thought is about what we just saw. Often this is about looking at women (or men) and seeing them as an object instead of a child of God. We often get trapped in this lust and their seems to be no way out. The words of John Piper give us a starting point in overcoming lust, "We must swallow up the little flicker of lust's pleasure in the [all consuming fire] of holy satisfaction."
Our hearts should be so in tune with God that we no longer feel any form or need of lust. God can be that satisfaction for out lives if we let it. If Easter means anything, it reminds us that we can be made brand new, given a new life. A life where we have this holy satisfaction that centers on God and what He is doing in us and around the world. In this life, we are counted as righteous for our faith in God and His promises through a relationship in Jesus, our Savior. (Romans 4)

We are reminded to clothe ourselves, or surround ourselves on every side, with this new life of holy satisfaction and people/things that will support it. In this way, we may be tempted, but we never fall into the trap of lust. Why? Because, as John Piper writes, "Our aim is [no longer to] avoid something erotic [or tempting], but to gain something excellent."


Live to gain something excellent in a life that is completely dependent on God and the business He wants you to take a part in!!!

Until Next Time...

A day at the bank!

Maybe one of the greatest things about my calling as a minister is having to answer the hard questions of life. So I am always talking with people in stores, schools, and banks. Today….it was in a bank! It was any other visit to the bank to deposit my WEALTHY paycheck (please notice sarcasm). I was filling out my slip and I overheard a conversation at the teller-counter…

“You wouldn’t believe what happens at my business on Sundays. The people from churches come to eat at my restaurant and they are drinking and cussing like they don’t care where they were just 20 minutes ago. And people wonder why I don’t go to church.”

This man complaining about church people, whom I have seen before, told me to go ahead of him. He leaves the room. My friend, the bank teller, told me to come forward. I slip my check over to her and tell her it is just a deposit. What you all have to know is that my church treasurer lady writes my name REV. David Gaddy. Maybe you already see where this is going! She looks down at the check, giggles, and looks up to me. Here it comes: “What do you think about all of this?”

All of a sudden a song popped into my head: “This is what it is, This is who I am, This is where I finally take my stand.”

What an awesome opportunity to have. To be able to share a little bit of truth and faith with other people.

I know what other people would say to these folks: “Well Christians are hypocrites…” or “These people just aren’t getting it…”

If you have said that, then you have to say that about yourself. I’ll be honest as Paul in the Bible was with us: I am the worst of all the hypocrites and often times I don’t do it right and don’t get it.

Here are my thoughts, because introducing this situation and not giving my thoughts or conclusion to the story would be mean. I answered:

“One thing you can count on is that people are going to be people. We all have many choices. We are not going to be perfect. Specifically for the issue of drinking, it is all about responsibility. Being out of control and drunk is the sin and stupid choice. Me personally, I choose not to drink so I am not tempted to do that. But having a drink is okay. Cussing is a matter of opinion, but I think our words should build up and not tear down. They can encourage someone or destroy someone. So we should be careful about what we say. However, I will say I cuss when I stub my toe…that is probably the worst pain ever. When I am extremely angry and by myself, I cuss. When I have a conversation with God, I have cussed. I'm not proud of these, but it even happens with me.

But thank God that God loves me despite me! He loves me just the way I am, but He also loves me too much to leave me there. It is the same for all of us. God is calling us into a new life and new relationship with him because of what Jesus did for us. When Jesus died on the cross, He died so we would not be slaves to the sins and screw-ups anymore, those temptations, and that pain. He does not call us to be perfect, but to be different. He wants us to be honest and open in our communication with him and become mirrors in this world of his love, healing and peace.”

I probably did not answer this in the best way and probably left some strings of thought left untied. But that is okay. I helped them to see God’s love and healing and hopefully left enough unsaid that they go and search out faith on their own.

So what say you? What do you think? How many people are mad at me now? HAHA!

Be Stiil and Know...

Genesis 26 records a story of Isaac moving away from his home town and finding rest in Beersheba. In his home town, he had been tormented! He was involved in several stupid arguments. There is nothing like little worries, especially when there are many of them. Because of his worries, even after the arguments were over, his home town held bad memories for Isaac. Therefore, Isaac need a change of scenery. So he went far away and set up his new home. That night, God came to him, when there was no inner storm. God could not speak to Isaac when his mind was troubled. God's voice demands silence of the soul. Only in the quiet and stillness of the spirit could Isaac hear the garments of his God brush by him.

"My soul, have you pondered these words: "Be still and know" (Psalm 46:10)? In the hour of distress, you cannot hear the answer to your prayers. How often has the seemed to come much later! The heart heard no reply during the moment of its crying, its thunder, its earthquake, and its fire. But once the crying stopped, once the stillness came, once concern for other lives broke through the tragedy of your own life, the long-awaited reply appeared. You must rest, O soul to receive your heart's desire. Slow the beating of your heart over concerns for your personal care. Place the storm of your individual troubles on God's altar of everyday trials, and the same night, the Lord will appear to you."
-L.B. Cowman

GET REAL!

Question: How do you think the disciples felt when Jesus arose from the dead?

Matthew 28:1-20

Would it surprise you that some of them were flat-out freaked out, to the point of doubting what they were seeing when they looked at Jesus? We never really talk about it much, but we should. It is the second principle of our MUTINY:
Get Real!

The thing we need to get real about is our spiritual condition. The writer Matthew did not white-wash the spiritual conditions of some of the disciples.
No, he just came right out and wrote it in permanent ink: “some doubted.”

But the great part to see here is that in spite of their doubts, they obeyed the commission of Jesus to “Go and make disciples of all nations.” And in spite of their doubts, Jesus used them. Jesus took their little bit of faith and did something big with it. He can do the same with our tiny faith as long as we continue to trust enough to obey Him. Jesus talked once about when we have faith as small as a mustard seed, we can move mountains!

But maybe Jesus was not so focused on the size of our faith, but more about God being the object of our faith. We all need to GET REAL about the faith and doubts we all have. They are very different because we all have encountered different situations and problems and temptations. In what scholars call our “post-modern world,” a person does not know if they can be sure about anything. As we continue to walk in our faith, we need to know that it is okay and healthy for us to wrestle through our doubts to our faith, just as the very early disciples did.

I mean think about it. It is really tough not to doubt our faith. Think about some of the major points of Christianity. We believe in a God that we cannot explain, trust in a Savior we’ve never met, and look forward to a heaven that we’ve never seen. It sounds UNBELIVABLE! But that is why it is called Amazing Grace! If it was totally easy to understand, it would be average grace!

So are you wrestling with and doubting your faith? Then I say great! It is okay! But just know this: in the midst of your doubt and wrestling, Jesus can still use you if you continue to trust and obey God in your life.

Whispers of God

If God whispered, what would it sound like? Would you recognize His voice if He was trying to speak to you? I think for most of us, the answer would be NO! This is a shame, because we can hear God’s voice if our lives are in tune with Him. The question then is where are you seeking to find Him? Are you looking in all the wrong channels and places? Let us see what my boy Rob has to say about this!

Follow the link!!! It only takes 10 minutes, but it is pretty powerful!

http://vimeo.com/11397470

You see, God is moving in powerful ways in our lives and the lives of those around us. But most of us are too busy, stubborn, or arrogant to hear it. So instead we choose the big, the loud, lightening, wind, and earthquakes. As a result, we cant hear the whisper.

Think about it. What do we do as soon as we get home and it is really quiet? We crank the radio, the mp3, and the TV. Meanwhile God is whispering. He is moving quietly in and around us, but we cant hear him over the noise of life. We miss God’s subtle movements.

So tell me, how do we go about hearing God’s voice?

Some of you may suggest a daily quiet time with God. And to that I say NO!

A daily quiet time is something we should be doing anyways if we call ourselves faithful and/or Jesus Freaks. However, this time can become mechanical.

But, if by quiet time you mean taking time to read God’s Word, thinking through what God’s Spirit is trying to say, and spending time in silence reflecting on how that applies to your life at that very moment, then my answer is YES!

It is during this kind of time that we can hear the whispers of God.

The first way to begin hearing this whisper though, is to begin in a life long journey with God through Jesus Christ. This is not a call for you to be perfect, Jesus did that for you. This is a call to live a life of progress, reaching to God for your strength and guidance, and changing the world around you because of what God is doing: loving, moving, whispering…

DEC. 26 sermon---Back in the Box Jesus

JESUS CHRIST birth has once again been celebrated. Excitement has built over a period of weeks. Persons have been more expressive of love, joy, good will, and peace than at any time of the year.

You know, we did “A Faircloth Christmas”…and that was great and good for that family. Colby received many toys and clothing items, the parents received gas, Walmart, JCPenny and Visa gift cards. Many of you were amazed by the outpouring of love the youth and some of the church had over this event, which confuses me! Should this not have been a natural response? I mean, this family is part of this congregation, a part of our family and our community…should we not have immediately responded the way we did without question or objection? This act and acts like them should be AUTOMATIC if we call ourselves Christians!! Amen or did I step on too many toes?

But then again, for a lot of us, that was yesterday.

Once more Christmas has come and gone. Nothing is as over as Christmas, when it is over. I was listening to the country music station on the way down from high point and their aint nothing better than hearing Alabama sing “Christmas in Dixie.” But then later that night…regular music!! In the span of SIX hours, we threw Christmas out with all that wrapping paper and bows!!

Before Christmas, up goes expectations…and the day after, down comes the decorations. My wife permits me the pleasure in participating in re-decorating the house. I get to go around packing up the tree and nativity we put out for the celebration.

There goes Mary and Joseph followed by sheep and wise men.

The last figure to be put away is Jesus.

The moment inevitably comes when it is time: "Back in the box Jesus."
He too is packed and put away. Somehow that seems symbolical of what really happens. As soon as Christmas day is passed we put away Jesus and return to our daily lives.

There is a Peanuts cartoon in which Lucy says to Charlie Brown.

"'Tis the season of peace on earth good will toward men. I suppose we ought to be a little kinder to each other." The ever hopeful Charlie responds, "It's a shame we can't make it last all year." To which Lucy retorts, "What are you, some kind of religious fanatic?"

The letter to Titus has something great to say to us about what we have just celebrated and witnessed in Jesus being born in a poop-filled manger!

Titus 2:11-14

^11-14God's readiness to give and forgive is now public. Salvation's available for everyone! We're being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life, and how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life. This new life is starting right now, and is increasing our appetites for the glorious day when our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, appears. He offered himself as a sacrifice to free us from a dark, rebellious life into this good, pure life, making us a people he can be proud of, energetic in goodness.

Did you know there were many birth and life stories that sound similar to the story of Jesus? Why did our story survive?

LOVE! LOVE is the most essential part of the faith!! It is one of our candles in the Advent Wreath! It is the essence behind the Christ candle!!

But unfortunately, many of us have forgotten that the Bible is Gods love letter to us!

Why do we put Jesus back into the box? Because we forget that this time of year helps us remember the beginning of a love story. It is about God, it is about us.

This love story has changed lives, and will continue to change lives if we take Jesus back out of the box and dive back into Gods love letter and love the people God loves the most, EVERYONE.

We have enjoyed giving and receiving gifts this Christmas. Now that the season is over, dare we quit giving, loving, sacrificing, living?

Are we going to put Jesus back in the box or let Him be the object of our worship to Whom we give ourselves?