The scripture reference for this is rather long, but is really necessary. Read Judges 1:21-2:23.

What God is saying here in His word is that he told the Israelites to get rid of something completely. He wanted this thing, the religion, world view and life style of the Canaanites, out of His land. He wanted the His people to have absolutely nothing to do with it. There was no single part of it that was acceptable to God. So He told His people to remove it from their lives, and have no part of it.

Unfortunately for the children of Israel, they were not totally committed to and totally obedient to God. They removed some of the Canaanite contamination from the land, but let some of it remain. The Israelites had the idea that the Canaanites were not all bad. And, if they made them their slaves and controlled them it would be alright. In other words, they thought they knew better than God. Where as God had said that even having "a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump." (Galatians 5:9 KJV) And so it came to pass that the Israelites started adopted the Canaanite world view, life style, and religion. The result of that was the anger of God.

In John 3:3 Jesus says, "Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." What he is really saying is that you have to completely and totally cast out of your life everything that was in it before accepting Jesus. You have to get rid of your old world view, life style, and the things that you worshiped or gave prominence to. There is no part of any of it that you can compromise on and try to keep in your new life with Christ. You cannot try to fool yourself into thinking that you can control it; make it your slave. For truly, at some point it will control you, and you will be its slave. You will serve that old idea rather than serving God.

What is needed is a complete confidence that God's wisdom and reasons are far superior to ours. We may think that some element of our old life (the kind of clothes we wore, the things we did for fun, the people we hung out with, the music we listened to, the movies and TV we watched) we be of no harm if we control it. We may think that something is not really bad because other "good" people do it. We may say, "Well, I don't see what could possibly be wrong with that." But in doing so we are making the same mistake the Israelites made. We are not being totally committed and obedient to God. And we are thinking that we know better than He. We are relying on our wisdom and strength rather than His. And, really, who is wiser and stronger than God?

One of the keys to a successful Christian life occurs at the beginning of our walk with Christ. It involves completely and totally removing all of the elements of our old life, and starting new. Becoming a "new born", a "new creation." And then relying on God to populate our new life with the elements He chooses for us. Confidently believing that He will provide for all our needs. He will provide us with new friends, new fun, a new world view, new ideas of fashion and music, all the elements of a brand new life. Once we have completely cast off all of the old and given ourselves completely to Him, He can then create us in the likeness of Christ. At that point he will truly be a member of His kingdom with all of its benefits. This is the promise of God. And it is a promise we can count on Him to keep, if we will do what he commands. That begins with expelling our own person Canaanite contamination.

May the grace of God, the love of Jesus Christ, and the peace of the Holy Spirit be with you. Amen.

The Greek word evangelion comes from the the two Greek words eu- for "good," and angelion for "message." So the word evangelism literally means telling the good message or good news. And what is the good news? It is also know as the Gospel. The gospel is good news because it witnesses a saving message about God from God. The message that He loves all mankind so much, and wants so badly to be reconciled to man, that He presented his only Son to be a substitutionary sacrifice to pay the debt of our sins. It is a message of a full pardon from condemnation and freedom from the sentence of death that accompanies that condemnation. It is a promise of life. And not just the existence of being in this world with all its ugliness and unhappiness; but abundant life filled with a deep abiding joy and an unexplainable peace. A life filled with the Holy Spirit now, and lived with God and His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, for all eternity. It is a message that we do not have to be the slaves of the ruler of this world, the powers and principalities of darkness, Satan. It is a message that we can be freed for enslavement to sin and death; forever set free by the grace of God through the blood of Christ Jesus. This is the good news.

So, to be an evangelical means quite literally "one who tells or proclaims the good news." The "good news." Not the "bad news." Not, "Hey, you disgusting person, you're going to Hell." But instead, "Hey, you sad, hurting, lonely, lost person, God loves you." That is the "good news." And that is what all of us who call ourselves Christians should be known for. Constantly telling those poor, sad, hurting, lonely, lost people around us in our daily lives that God loves them. Making it clear to them that His saving love is a free gift which they do not have to pay for or earn. For the price of the gift has already been paid for by Jesus Christ. All anyone has to do to receive the gift of salvation is accept the fact that the existence they now experience it not life, is not something they are satisfied with and really want; be willing and wanting to give up that existence completely and totally; admit that they do indeed have a heavy debt of sin they cannot pay for; and accept in their heart and confess with their tongue that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and the one who can give them a new life. Once they make that decision and ask Jesus to take their old life away and give them a new one, they will be born again, and become a new creation. And that is really good news.

So, be bold. Be brave. Go forth and tell the world (your neighborhood, your work place, your school) the good news of Jesus Christ.

Yesterday the International Missions Board of the Southern Baptist Church announced the appointment of 92 missionaries. All are foreign missionaries being assigned to places like Africa. It seems Africa is the "mission field du jour." It is the mission filed of choice among people who talk about mission work. I just heard two women yesterday morning talking longingly of how wonderful it would be to be able to be a missionary to Africa.

I am going to make a lot of people mad, but I am sick and tired of hearing Christians talk about Africa. I am sincerely convinced that most of the interest in Africa is the result of nothing other than ego and a desire to feel special among the general public. It is not motivated by a sincere desire to serve God, and spread the teachings of Christ; but is the result of a personal desire for the exotic, and the arrogance of proclaiming a superior religiousosity. Quite frankly, it makes me sick. I am not at all impressed.

In the first two chapters of Nehemiah, and in Acts 1:8 God makes it perfectly clear that our very first objective when it comes to serving God and spreading the teachings of Christ is our home. Nehemiah cried for the plight of his fellow countrymen left in a broken down Jerusalem. It broke his heart when he learned of the conditions they were living with. And Jesus told his disciples that, after they received the Holy Spirit, they were to witness in Jerusalem and then Judea. In both cases, the true servants of God were to serve Him in their home community among their brethren.

I have an online friend named Cam. He is a Canadian missionary serving in the Appalachian region of Eastern Kentucky. That's right; a Canadian Christian missionary serving in America. Why? Well apparently Appalachia isn't exotic. Is does not have the glamorous image of service in Africa. It doesn't appeal to an ego wanting to be seen as special and spiritually superior. So when fellow Americans living in Appalachia asked, "Where have all the American Christians gone?" I guess the response came back, "Gone to Africa." So their cry for help sent up to God was transmitted to Christians in Canada. They heard the cry and call of God, and responded where Americans would not.

In addition to serving in Kentucky, Cam has spent time serving victims of hurricane Katrina. He has pictures on his Facebook site of the work that still needs to be done in that region. Work that is not being done by American Christians. Why? Gone to Africa. So poor Americans continue to live in wrecked and devastated conditions, crying out to God for help. He hears, but does any one in America hear? Or are their ears tuned only to cries from Africa?

Every Christian has a duty to serve others in the name of Jesus Christ, and spread His love and teachings. The thing is, you can do that right where you live. In your neighborhood, your city, your state, and your country. Whether it is volunteering at a local hospital or children's clinic, working with an organization like Christian Senior Services here in San Antonio, or spending a week in Appalachia or Louisiana repairing homes, there are enough needs right here in America to keep every American Christian busy for quite some time. There are the sorrowful to be comforted, the sick to be attended to, the imprisoned to be visited, the hungry to be fed, the naked to be clothed, and the lost to be found.

So, if you are interested in doing mission work, just stick your head out your door and look around. Your mission field is right there. And if you cannot identify the immediate need on your own, contact a local church or Christian service organization. You may be surprised by the long list of needs and opportunities your are presented with right there in your own home town.

Be bold. Be brave. Go forth in your home, and let His love shine out to all. Amen.

One of the lessons we learn from the letters of Paul is the importance of supporting, encouraging, and exhorting a new convert so that they will continue in their faith after the initial bright burning fire of conversion has settled down to a glow of coals. Paul's letter's to the churches he had established always demonstrate his concern for their perseverance, his joy with their progress, and his disappointment with any back-sliding. Paul knew that he had "run in vain" if his converts became weary from persecution, were lead astray by faulty teaching, or returned to old lifestyles out of a desire for comfort or worldly lusts. He was always very concerned that they would be able to present themselves as worthy brides of Christ on the day of His return. If that were not to occur, Paul would have considered himself a failure in fulfilling the mission Christ had given to him personally.

There are three stories in the Gospels of Christ bringing someone back from the dead. I believe each story is completely true. At the same time, each story can serve as an allegory of how we should treat a new convert. Jesus shows in each one of the events that those in the lives of the person quickened have the responsibility for caring for that person. And , although the instructions given have a physical connection, they also have spiritual symbolism that should not be ignored.

In the first incidence a twelve year old girl is quickened. Afterwards, her parents are told to give her something to eat. They are to feed the child. Of course they are to feed her in a physical way; but this instruction also indicates that a young convert needs to be spiritually feed. They need to be provided with regular healthy doses of the bread of life, the Word of God.

In the second case a young man is brought back from the dead. Jesus then instructs that the young man is to be returned to the care of his mother. This demonstrates that new converts need to be watched over and cared for the way a mother hen does her young chicks.

The last episode is perhaps the most famous. An older man who has been dead so long he stinks is called out of the tomb of death. And when he emerges from his place of burial, Jesus tells those around him to unwrap the burial clothes which bind him. This is symbolic of how those who have been spiritually dead for a life time can be entangled with the trappings of their sinful lives. There may be debts, a criminal record, an unattractive employment history, a troubled or broken home life, and a collection of unhealthy friends and acquaintances. If left on his own to deal with all these entanglements of his previous life, the new convert might not be able to persevere in his new found faith. He will need the help, encouragement, and fellowship of the church to successfully become free of his past.

The lessons Jesus teaches us in all of these accounts of individuals being quickened is clear. He does the first part of the job, giving life were there was death. Then it is our job to see to it that gift of life which Jesus bought with His blood is maintained. It must be fed, watched over, and helped along. Jesus does his job. We must do ours.

May the Grace of God, the love of Jesus Christ, and the peace of the Holy Spirit be with you. Amen.

The King James Version of the Bible translates Genesis 1:2b as, "And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." If we begin with the word translated as waters and work our way backwards through this verse, we end up with a less worldly and more spiritual interpretation.

The word translated as waters is the ancient Hebrew word mayim. Now some of you gentlemen may be familiar with the practice of saying you have to "go make water" when you need to relieve your bladder. This may have been the motivation for the scholars translating a word that means urine, semen, piss, or waste water as waters. However, the term liquid waste or a fluid waste is actually more accurate.

Now let us look at the word translated as face. This word, the ancient Hebrew paniym, is not easily translated, and can have a wide variety of implied meanings and applications. Interestingly, it can mean form, regard and was purposed. In the context of this verse, it would not be out of line to translate this word as meaning what He purposed, or the form He purposed.

Finally we need to examine the word translated as moved. The ancient Hebrew word rachaph means brood or, by implication to be relaxed. For this context brood is probably the best interpretation.

So, what is the thought we should see presented by this verse? It could read like this: "And the Spirit of God brooded upon the form He purposed, a vast liquid waste."

When you consider the picture presented by science of a planet in a formless, molten state before the creation of the solid world we know, this translation makes sense. It also bridges the apparent gap between science and the Biblical story of Creation.

What I hope you will receive from this is a desire to have a closer relationship with the Holy Spirit, and a reliance on Him in discerning the true message of the Holy, inerrant Word of God. Rely on the spirit to guide you with an open mind to His teaching, and you will gain His wisdom. That is what the Bible says we should seek.

May the blessing of God the Father, the Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit be with you. Amen.