The Lighthouse Keeper

“There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.” (John 21:2-3)

In the 21st chapter of John, we find the Chief Shepherd seeking out His wayward under-shepherd. It is an amazing passage, focusing primarily on the restoration of Peter to the ministry (see Luke 22:32).

Back in his old stomping grounds around the Sea of Galilee, Peter began to undo that which had begun in that same place 3 1/2 years before. It was there that he had been working with his brother Andrew as commercial fishermen when the Lord called them to become fishers of men (Mt. 4:18-19). For 3 1/2 years, he had forsaken his trade (and comfort zone), to follow Christ into His ministry. However, when he came back home, and saw the boat there where he had left it, and the nets hanging unused, he suddenly declared, “I go a fishing.” He was not talking about taking his cane pole down to the bank and “drowning a worm.” With six of the ten other apostles, he loaded up his old boat with the old nets and sailed out into the familiar waters of the Sea of Galilee.

It is fascinating to see how the events of John 21 mirror previous events in Peter’s life: Continue reading →

Several months, ago, I received news that hit like lightning out of a clear, blue sky. Only those who have received such news can understand the numb shock of being told that you – or someone you love – has cancer. My mother had gone for her annual check-up and mammogram. The X-rays revealed that in a short twelve month time-span, a cancerous tumor had developed. After several nerve-wracking days, we learned that her situation was the best one possible. She was diagnosed with the most common form of breast cancer for a woman her age (sixties) and could be treated. However, if my mother had not gone in for her annual check-up, this tumor would have gone undetected until it spread throughout the body and passed the point of healing. Because they were able to discover it early on, they were able to quickly schedule a lumpectomy, which removed the tumor.

This was followed by five weeks of radiation treatment. Though we were thankful that chemotherapy was not necessary, the radiation treatment was no walk in the park. We are thankful for the skilled doctors and nurses who ministered to my mother day after day as she underwent her treatments. The radiation center has a special bell that may only be rung on the final day of treatment. This last Tuesday, my mother got to “ring the bell.” Though she still has many tests to go through, she is a CANCER SURVIVOR. Because of the fact that the tumor was discovered early, combined with the great skill of her doctor, and, of course, the grace of God and the prayers of God’s people, she will enjoy many more years of life.

With Mom before her surgery.

Some will ask, “Where does disease come from? Why does God allow people to die from such terrible diseases as cancer?” The Bible’s answer is that disease came because of the sin of Adam:

• Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

God created a perfect world and perfect people – but Adam and Eve sinned against God and brought death into the world. Their human natures became “corruptible” and “mortal.” As their children, we are also “corruptible” and “mortal.” “Corruptible” means “subject to decay.” “Mortal” simply means “destined to die.” We are born into dying bodies. Death Continue reading →

Acts 28:22 But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, we know that every where it is spoken against.

Suppose that a man traveled the country and visited 1000 independent Baptist churches, and carefully picked out and bottled up each one’s idiosyncrasies, human flaws, weaknesses, pet preferences, or hobby horses. He was careful to take only the negatives, ignoring the positives. Then, returning to his mad scientist laboratory, he took all of those negatives, fashioned them together into a Frankenstein monstrosity, gave it life, and turned it loose. Then, suppose he told the world that this hulking, misshapen, caricature of 1000 churches represented all of the independent Baptist churches in America. And he called this creature, “The IFB.”

Every time someone mentions “the IFB,” I wonder, “What is ‘THE IFB?’” We are independent Baptists. By DEFINITION, there is NO “the” in the term. “The IFB” implies that we are part of an organization or denomination; yet if this were so, we would not be INDEPENDENT. When one speaks of “the SBC,” we know Continue reading →

It is difficult for an outsider to understand the dynamics of a preacher’s family – whether that preacher is a pastor, missionary, staff member, or full-time, traveling evangelist. Each presents a unique set of difficulties for the preacher’s marriage and children. Besides the normal difficulties that any marriage must go through, and the complexities that all parents deal with in rearing their children to maturity (while in the “goldfish bowl of ministry”), the preacher’s family lives within a satanic bulls-eye. The devil has enough experience to know that a man’s ministry can be destroyed or severely hindered if he can but get to that preacher’s wife and/or children.

Church folks have a lot of strange and unscriptural notions concerning the pastor’s wife and kids. And it doesn’t matter if those church members are Baptist, Methodist, or Lutheran. Carnal or unsaved church members usually behave the same no matter what the church sign reads. If you doubt it, read “Pastor Abusers: When Sheep Attack Their Shepherd,” which describes the behavior of this small group of people across all denominational lines.

There are more ideas about the responsibilities of the preacher’s wife than legs on a millipede. The so-called “First Lady” is, in practice, the “last lady” – the last to sit down, last to eat, and the last to leave. She is considered “fair game” for the sharp tongues or razor-edged attitudes of a tiny but vocal part of the church, who sometimes turn the pastor’s wife into a bundle of nerves by their ridiculous and unchristian behavior. Continue reading →

There are two types of tradition mentioned in the New Testament:

1. Traditions that keep men from the truth of God’s Word. These traditions are to be avoided (Gal. 1:14; Matthew 15:3; etc).
2. Traditions that keep men in the truth of God’s Word. These traditions are to be advanced (2 Thess 2:15; 3:6).

Times, they are a-changing – but not necessarily for the better.

In recent years, we have seen our Baptist churches break away from their traditional service times. This is simply a statement of fact. Many churches no longer have evening services at all; some now have a “buffet style” of worship service formats (traditional at 5 am for the older folks & their money, blended at 10 for the middle-of-the-roaders, and contemporary/”mainstream” at 11 for the rest) in the morning, but no evening services. Others went to a Saturday evening service – not in addition to Sunday morning, but as a substitute for it.

This is not the point of this brief article, but I will say in passing that the Bible teaches us that in the last days, when the love of many is waxing cold, we should endeavor to have a “so much the more” attitude toward serving God in the church assembly (see Hebrews 10:25). The fact is that the churches that cancelled their evening services did not do so out of a Bible conviction that they were unwarranted – but because of a lack of interest, beginning with the pastor. And I would hate Continue reading →

Proverbs 3:1 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments…

We are quick to forget that which only enters the mind. When I was in High School, I mastered the art of short-term memorization for quizzes and tests. I could cram for several hours and make good grades on the test in algebra, calculus  or English grammar. However, if I had taken those same tests a week later without cramming, I probably would not have done nearly so well. This lack of genuine learning showed itself recently when my teenage daughter was telling me about her algebra class – and I could not remember much of what she was telling me about! Hey, I’m a product of the public school system. Cut me some slack.

Scripture memorization is a very important practice for people of all ages, Continue reading →