Christmas 2012

The purpose of Christmas is all about a gift--a heavenly gift. Heaven gave its greatest gift to mankind when God sent Jesus to earth to die for our sins and give us new life.

This year, you can receive and enjoy the best Christmas gift you'll ever be given. It is God's Christmas present to you.

This gift has three qualities that make it unique;

First, it is the most expensive gift you'll ever receive. It's priceless--Jesus paid for it with His life.

Second, it's the only gift you'll ever receive that will last forever.

Finally, it is an extremely practical gift--one you'll use every day for the rest of your life.

This Christmas, Mary Ann and I are especially grateful for the gracious salvation we've received, the loving family we enjoy, and the incredible church we serve. Our family will all be together with the exception of our daughter Ann and her husband, Noah. We won't get to be with them until after the first of the year.

Christmas is all about God reaching His hand from Heaven with a Savior whose blood could redeem us. And it's the story we want to keep telling. It's the story we exist to tell.

Merry Christmas.

GOD IS GOOD

At this time of year, we tend put a lot of emphasis on Christmas. That is because merchants are pushing us in that direction, wanting us to believe that Christmas is all about trimming the tree, buying presents, and so on. In the process of all this, we can very easily forget the beautiful holiday called Thanksgiving.

Originally established as a holiday by President George Washington in 1789, Thanksgiving was initially a religious holiday and, more to the point, a Christian holiday. The first Thanksgiving was different than ours today. It lasted three days, during which the pilgrims feasted with their Indian guests.

Of course, our Thanksgiving is also about gathering with friends and family and having a feast. But sometimes at this particular time of year, we can forget about how thankful we ought to be. We need to never forget that God has blessed us to live in the United States of America, which is, in my opinion, the greatest country on the face of this earth. We have so many privileges here.

We have a lot to give thanks for, and certainly the Bible urges us to give thanks to the Lord. We are told in Psalm 106:1, "Praise the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever."

Sometimes worship and thanksgiving can be a sacrifice, because we are down or depressed or things aren't going all that well for us. Maybe hardship or tragedy has hit our lives in some way and we don't want to thank God. But the Bible doesn't say, "Give thanks to the Lord, because you feel good." It says, "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!"

I was recently asked the difference between persuasive preaching and manipulative preaching. I responded by saying, “The difference lies in the means we use to persuade.” The Word of God is the only legitimate means of persuasion.

Legitimate persuasion is cognitive—stirring the mind with reasonable truth. Attempting to convince people with tear-jerking stories or guilt trips takes an unfair advantage and wrongly muddles their thinking. That does not mean we cannot use all the communication skills available to us, but we should avoid playing on people's emotions. These are artificial and should be avoided because they bypass the reason.

The goal of preaching is to motivate people to choose change because it is reasonable and right before God, not because they have been manipulated into some momentary feeling or action. We persuade them from the Scriptures to choose the right course of action.

In 1 Timothy 4:13, Paul writes to Timothy, "Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching." What he tells Timothy is to read the text, explain the text, and apply the text. That verse is a call to persuasive, expository preaching.

Stories are fine as long as they are true. I don't believe Jesus ever told a lie to teach a truth. I like stories but remember this--we have no promise that the Holy Spirit empowers stories as He does with His Word.

Ultimately, however, our sermons will only be as persuasive as our lives. A traveling speaker who does not remain in one place long enough for people to get to know him may be able to "fake" it without a consistent life to back up his message, (though this is regrettable). Those of us who preach to the same people week after week, however, cannot do that. Our people know us, and our persuasiveness depends on the quality of our lives.

THE MIDDLE EAST

In 2006 I wrote a message regarding the crisis in the Middle East. Here is a portion of what I wrote;

We must be reminded every moment of every day that God is in charge! Nothing that is taking place is taking God by surprise. I have no doubt, in fact I can guarantee that events in the Middle East will have growing and lasting effect on our economy and our conveniences. In other words, our comfort zones are going to be challenged more than they ever have been before. If we think that because we live over here we can’t be touched by all that is going on over there, then we’ve got our heads in the sand, folks. But in the midst of all of that God is still in charge.

Some of the events taking place have been orchestrated by God. Other events are those things that are the evil plans of men. But we can be assured that God uses them all in our lives for the purpose of conforming us into the Christians he wants us to be.

God’s got a plan and we are right in the middle of it. His plan is that as the world around us becomes more and more desperate, you and I become more and more available with the solution. We cannot isolate ourselves from what is going on in the world. These things are happening within the plan of Almighty God and our purpose is not just to remain people pursuing the American dream but as Christians who are missionaries to the rest of the world.

And today, seven years later, the players have changed but the situation is the same. And if we're not careful, we will get distracted from what is really happening. God is still in control, things are moving according to His time frame, and it will end exactly...exactly as we read in Scripture. And remember this--if we allow ourselves to view Islam as our enemy we will cease to view them as our mission field.

God help us to remain faithful to Him.

GracePointe and the November Election

One political convention down and one more to go. The race is on to the White House and once again, political pundits are saying, "This is the most important election of our lives."

If this is the most important election of our lives, then that would beg the question to be asked--how involved should pastors and churches be in the political process?

My best answer goes something like this:

I am grateful to be an American. I’m a card-carrying, red-blooded citizen of the United States of America and proud of it. But first and foremost, I’m a citizen of heaven, and let me tell you what that means.

It means—no matter how great or sincere the efforts, we can’t protect or expand the Kingdom of Christ by our political system. We are involved in a spiritual battle against ungodly ideologies aimed directly at God and His people and the only effective weapon we have is His Word.

It means—God has not called us to wage a cultural war that would seek to transform our country into a Christian nation. Instead, He has called the church to bring sinful people to salvation through Jesus Christ. If we do not evangelize the lost and make disciples of new converts, nothing else we do for people—no matter how beneficial it seems—has any eternal consequence.

When the church takes a stance that emphasizes political activism and social moralizing, it always diverts energy and resources away from evangelization. Invariably, believers find themselves feeling hostile, not only to unsaved government leaders with whom they disagree, but also antagonistic toward the unsaved residents of that culture—neighbors and fellow citizens they ought to love, pray for, and share the gospel with.

Focusing on earthly methods to promote change, and resorting to external efforts of lobbying and intimidation to achieve some sort of “Christian morality” in society is not our calling—and has no eternal value. Only the gospel rescues sinners from sin, death, and hell.

Tired of Anger

We live in a world of anger. Biblically speaking,I understand why, but it's just that I get so weary of all the ranting, raving, criticism, cynicism and pompous sarcasm. Especially from believers. I have all but stopped reading many of the blogs I used to read--they never have anything good to say. They're always pointing out the fault in someone else. No one, except for the writer, is right.

So if you're tired of it too, read this one...it will make your day.

Romans 8:31 asks, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Indulge me a moment. Four words in this verse deserve your attention. God is for us.

Say it out loud. GOD IS FOR US!

Repeat it, emphasizing each word. Come on, you’re not in that big of a hurry.

God is for us! GOD IS FOR ME.

Your parents may have forgotten you, your spouse may have neglected you, your siblings may never call you; but within reach of your prayers is the Creator of everything. God!

God is for you! If he had a calendar, your birthday would be circled. If there’s a tree in heaven, he’s carved your name in the bark.

Isaiah 49:16 says, “I have written your name on my hand!” No one can defeat you. You are protected. God is for you!"

Feels a whole lot better to read this, doesn't it? Yep, I thought so.

13 Ways I Know I'm Getting Older

I am celebrating my birthday today. I want to thank the multitude of friends who

posted birthday greetings on my Facebook page today. I am really grateful for every message.

I know that I'm getting older. In fact, I can offer 13 reasons why I'm so convinced that age has dragged me kicking and screaming into my sixth decade.

1) When I’m asleep Mary Ann checks to see if I’m still breathing
2) My back goes out more than I do
3) I’ve stopped holding my stomach in when I go into a room
4) I’m proud of my lawncare equipment
5) My arms are too short to read the newspaper
5) I sing along with elevator music
6) I enjoy hearing about other people’s operations
7) If someone calls our house after 8:00 PM, they say, “Did I wake you?”
8) I have sent money to PBS
9) I take a metal detector to the beach
10) I can’t remember the last time I lay on my stomach on the floor to watch TV
11) My ears have more hair than my head
12) I got Direct TV so I can watch the Weather Channel
13) When we go out to eat, we go between 4-6PM to get the senior specials

You're probably wondering how old I am? Maybe this will help--do you remember the Beatles song with the lyric "Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm...?"

I'm An Olympic Junkie

Ok, I confess, I'm an olympic junkie. When the games begin, I announce to the family that I'm interested only in track and field. But by the end of the first day, I'm hooked. I'm watching competition in sports that aren't even sports. Rafting? Really? I'm still mourning the loss of women's softball. Now that is a real sport!

Out of the olympics come some of the greatest stories. I especially like and have used as an sermon illustration, the story about Derek Redmond.

The 1992 Olympics in Barcelona featured memorable moments of sports history. Derek Redmond of Great Britain was on the way to fulfilling a lifetime dream, that of winning a gold medal in the Olympics. He had earned a spot in the semifinals of the 400 meter race, and as the gun sounded to start the race, Derek got off to a great start. He was running the race of his life, and the finish line was in sight, when suddenly he felt a stab of pain in his right leg. He fell face first to the track with a torn hamstring. The race was over for him.

He struggled to his feet before the medical team could reach him. Though every runner had passed him, he began hopping forward, tears of pain and disappointment streaking his face, determined to finish the race. Suddenly, a man plowed through the security guards on the sidelines and ran onto the track.

He raced up to Derek and hugged him, "You don;t have to do this," Jim Redmond told his weeping son.
"Yes I do," Derek answered.
"Well, then," his father said, "we’re going to finish the race together."

Derek’s father gripped his son around the shoulders, and they faced the finish line, resolutely waving off the security men who hovered around them. They limped and hopped together, Derek’s head sometimes buried in his father’s shoulder, and stayed in Derek’s lane all the way to the end.

The watching crowd gasped at first at the unusual scene. Then one by one, they rose to their feet, and began cheering and crying at the son’s determination and the father’s support.

I suspect every father watching this event had tears running down his cheeks. I know I did.

Perhaps you're now waiting for me to suggest a spiritual analogy here. There are a dozen or so analogies I could suggest to you--all biblically supported. But nope, not going to do it. I'll let you come up with your on.

I'm going back to the tube to watch olympics.

WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME?

I’ve been using a term recently—Christian consumerism. I’m not using it to describe what Christians buy; rather, it describes the attitude of many of today’s believers in what they want both from Jesus and His church. To be sure, well-meaning church leaders have contributed to this mindset by championing the cause of a seeker-driven philosophy; say what you need to say, do what you need to do, offer what you need to offer to reach seekers. Along the way, followers of Christ have taken note and decided “I want to get in on that.” One of the things this has resulted in is what I refer to as “church shopping.” Instead of seeking a church on the basis of "Where does God want me to be?" it has become “What can this church do for me?”

Larger churches are more capable of dealing with this mindset because of a greater treasure of resources. Smaller churches are often left feeling insignificant and even guilty because often they hear guests (and church members) say, “My kids need more or deserve more than what you can give, we’ve got to go to a bigger church.” Have you heard that?

What’s more, it doesn’t stop with shopping for a church; the mindset is even applied to God. Jesus said in Matthew 22 that we are to “Love the Lord with all your heart, your soul, your mind and your strength. This is the first and greatest commandment.” Every preacher proclaims, “We are to love God!” However, it’s what follows that violates the implied meaning of the Scripture. When a so-called preacher says, “We are to love God AND God wants you to be healthy, God wants you to be wealthy, God wants you to be happy, God’s want you to be successful,” and listeners buy in to this message, the result is someone who does not truly love God—they lust God. When you love God, He is the object of your affection. When you lust God, you are the object of your affection.

When you love God, it doesn’t make any different whether you’re happy, healthy, wealthy, successful, or your kids have playmates at church—you get the point? All that matters is knowing God’s will for you life and doing it every day. Remember, it’s all about God and not about you and me.

I suspect I’m going to preach on this…a lot. I know it’s countercultural and not at all popular. But I’m right and you know it.

Those Things We Don't Understand

I just finished watching tonight’s Dateline coverage of the senseless shooting in Aurora, Colorado. James Holmes will join an infamous list of murderers who have committed senseless and incomprehensible crimes against humanity. In the coming days we’re going to hear, “Is there something someone could have done to stop this?” Or perhaps gun enthusiasts will say “If concealed weapons were legal, then the shooter would have been stopped much sooner.” Or the other side will blame the atrocity on the freedom to own guns. Surely, someone will blame the theater or the local police, or…it can go on and on.

Grief, desperation and blame are going to be common emotions after such a tragedy as this. It is a common expression of sorrow to look for someone to blame. Unfortunately, some people will blame God. I have already read such words of anger on several websites. Today I was asked this question, "Why did God allow such a terrible thing to happen?" I’m not sure my answer satisfied his sorrow, but I do know my answer is correct.

Here is what I said. “Over three thousand years ago, there was a man named Job who struggled with the same question. He asked why. He was a good man, and yet disaster struck him suddenly. He lost seven sons and three daughters. He lost all his possessions. He lost his health. Even his friends turned against him. His wife suggested that he, ‘Curse God and die.’ In the midst of his suffering he asked God why he was ever born. I want to tell you that God understands those feelings.”

Further, I said, “I have to confess that I never fully understand, even for my own satisfaction. I have to accept by faith that God is a God of love and mercy even in suffering. Times like this will do one of two things: either make us hard and bitter and angry at God, or make us tender and open and help us to reach out in trust and faith.”

My prayer today is that you will not let bitterness and poison creep into your soul, but that you will turn in faith and trust to God even if we cannot understand. It is better to face something like this with God than without him.

STOP IT!

If you constantly worry about what other people think, then you’re caught in an emotional trap. You don't have to please everybody any more than you can please everybody. It's a myth to think that in order to be happy, you must be liked and approved of by everyone you meet. It's just not true. So I have two words of advice, "STOP IT!"

I've been pastoring for forty-one years and I've spent most of it trying to keep everyone happy. Do you know what I discovered? As talented as I am, I couldn't do it. However, I'm in good company. Even God can't please everybody, and only a fool would try to do what even God can't do. Jesus said he only focused on pleasing God (John 8:29).

A while back, I left a church where I pastored for almost 15 years. One of the first people I baptized ultimately became the hardest to be pleased. What made it most difficult is that this person gave a large sum of money to the church. At first, no strings attached. But that all changed. I am ashamed to admit that I gave in to the pressure and did my best to keep this person happy. Want to know what ultimately happened, this person lost all respect for me as a leader. That's the way it works.

So how do you handle hard-to-please people? One thing you don't do is cave in. Just because you're a Christian doesn't mean you're supposed to submit and let others manipulate you. Romans 12:2 says, "Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold" (Phillips).

The truth is, no one can pressure you without your permission. If you feel pressured by someone, you're allowing yourself to feel pressured by that person. If you feel controlled or manipulated, you're allowing yourself to be controlled or manipulated.

You don't have to do that! It's OK to stand up for what's right. It's OK to be assertive. Many Christians are afraid to speak up. Many think it's more spiritual to just be quiet and put up with it all. But God doesn't expect you to be a doormat — and he didn't make you to be a wimp.

I learned that lesson the hard way.

“It is dangerous to be concerned with what others think of you.”
(Proverbs 29:25a TEV)

The Declaration of Dependence

Today, we celebrate our twelfth Independence Day of the 21st-century. As you know, our founding fathers framed a document that we call the Declaration of Independence, authored by Thomas Jefferson and signed in 1776:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

We often forget that, in declaring independence from an earthly power, our forefathers made a direct declaration of dependence upon God almighty.

The closing words of this document declare:

“With firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives,our fortunes,and our sacred honor.”

So it’s really not only the Declaration of Independence from foreign tyranny. It’s also the “Declaration of Dependence” on God almighty.

God has blessed this great nation of ours over these past 200-plus years. We rightly sing “America, America, God shed His grace on thee . . . ”

If you're in the Phoenix area this coming weekend, join us for worship on Sunday at 8:30 AM in the Pebble Creek Tuscany Sienna Room. And if you've never visited the GracePointe Church website, give it a try.

Have a blessed Fourth!

So enjoy the Fourth! Grill those burgers and dogs, and celebrate with friends and family. Watch a great fireworks show, but remember . . .

God has given us this liberty. Let’s not take it for granted!

My Hero

Sunday is Father's Day. I don't think I've ever written a tribute to my Dad. So this year, I will do my best to honor him.

As a boy growing up in a variety of places, I often wondered how my Dad held our family together. We weren't a family rich in material possessions, but we were a family rich in love and we always stood together in both good time and bad. What held our family together was the unmistakable impact that my father had on each one of us. Now that I am grown and a father myself, I’m confident that it was my Dad’s consistent faith in Christ and his strong belief in the power of prayer. His whole adult life focused on Jesus Christ and his family. He believed in God first and family second. Thirty-four years after his death, I can still envision him on his knees in prayer. It was a powerful lesson for all of us.

He surely asked God for wisdom, for all three of us boys would continuously call on him for advice. We all trusted that what he told us would be right. I can’t remember a time when his counsel steered me in the wrong direction.

Dad grew up in Depression days—a valid member of the Greatest Generation. He was a member of the US Army during WWII. Although he never served overseas, his management skills were quckly recognized. He was an excellent marksman and was assigned as a prison guard for the duration of his tour of duty. After he was discharged, he continued to provide for Mom, my brother and his cancer-ridden mother. He managed to do all of that on what was surely a minimum wage income.

The Army identified his I.Q. as borderline genius; however, he never had the opportunity for a formal education. He was a self-taught musician and guitarist. He taught himself music theory and became an accomplished composer. He was also a self-taught mathematician who never received training in algebra, geometry, trigonometry, calculus, or statistics and yet he mastered those disciplines because, it just made sense to him. His English skills were impeccable. If we misused any part of speech, he would correct us immediately. He was known to say, “When people suspect you’re ignorant, why open your mouth and remove all doubt?” I still use that one today.

His greatest and most profitable accomplishment was his knowledge of Scripture. Dad was an authentic theologian. He was a conservative who believed the Bible was not only inerrent but was his authority for life. Dad's teaching skills were legendary. I still meet people who will say, “Your Dad taught me the Bible and led me to Christ.”

His work ethic was amazing. I’m pretty sure that he worked really hard six days a week—every week, for most of his life. He was a salesman who earned a living by commission. He would spend days and days and days making cold calls. Because of his tenacity, he would often be recognized as top salesman of the month. In my keepsakes, I have several dozen certificates citing his sales skills. In today’s expectation of entitlement, few people have that kind of ethic.

My favorite memory of Dad was the way he taught me to memorize Bible verses. He was an early riser who went to bed by 10:00 PM. When I was little boy, he would say, “I’m going to hit the sack. C’mon Tommy and I’ll teach you a new song.” Once in bed, he would sing the words of a song and we would then sing them together. Or, he would teach me a Bible verse until I could recite it back to him. As I grew older, I would sing in a variety of venues and Dad would always accompany me on his guitar. At 13, when I took up the guitar, it was Dad who taught me to play.

He was a no-nonsense kind of man. One of his favorite sayings was “face the facts.” He was not a pessimist, instead, a realist. He was also a problem solver. I don’t think I ever heard him say, “I don’t know.” And I really do think he knew…well, everything.

His death came much too soon; he was only 62. His last day of life was Thanksgiving 1978. Not to sound spooky, but I had a premonition that day—and I think he did too. Strokes strike so quickly; we had no warning. I did my best to give him CPR but it was not enough; and so he died that day. The next few weeks were so surreal. Mom decided to leave Phoenix and go to live with brother and his family. With her furniture packed, she left the day after Christmas assigning to me the responsibility to secure the house before I left. I remember standing in the den, with tears in my eyes, thinking that everything was gone and I would never go home again. If I close my eyes and try really hard, I can still hear his voice in my mind. I can hear him say, “Hey Bub,” one of his favorite nicknames for me.

Everything I know about being a godly husband and father I learned from my Dad. He was my mentor, my teacher, my example and most certainly, my hero.

Thank you, Lord, for allowing me to be one of the sons of Cliff Holland.

God Bless the USA

Tomorrow is Memorial Day. So play or relax; as we gather with family and friends, let’s not forget the courageous patriots who have died in service for the greatest country on earth, the United States of America! Despite our failures and flaws, I still believe that because of our Christian roots, we are the greatest nation in the world. Our greatness comes from our belief in God’s Word, which gives us the moral compass we need, so we can know right from wrong and good from evil. God has been gracious to this nation, and I pray that we will turn back to Him like never before. I pray it does not take a national crisis to get our attention. So today, remember the sacrifices that have been made by the men and women who have given their lives for the freedom we cherish. And remember the Lord who has blessed this nation in an extraordinary way

THE BIRTHDAY BOY

Tomorrow is my brother’s birthday. He’ll be 71. He’s not supposed to be here, you know. Several years ago, he was diagnosed with lung cancer and given a short time to live. But God had different plans and this kind and godly man has been granted longevity for the purposes of God. I don’t presume to know what those purposes are but I suspect they are related to the relationships he treasures most. He is a loving, protective, faithful and supportive husband—so unusual today. His daughters will tell you that he’s the best dad who ever lived. The legacy he is leaving for his grandchildren is one of honesty, generosity, forgiveness and a devout love for the Lord.

And as far as I’m concerned, he’s the best brother one could have. When we were kids, he was my defender against bullies in our neighborhood. He taught me how to play baseball, football, basketball, golf, chess, a myriad of card games, archery, fishing—and I’m sure there’s more. But most of all, he taught me how to be there when someone needs you.

Over the years, there has been more than once that I have called him and said, “I need you” and he was on his way. When he arrived, I knew everything would be alright—because my big brother was there.

Several years ago, I asked the Lord to let me live close to my brother and because God does give us the desires of our heart, last August He moved us less than two miles from Charles and Sandra. Now, I get to see him as much as I wish. We can play golf whenever we want. On Friday, he’ll come by my house at 1:00 PM (in his golf cart) and pick me up for an afternoon of golf.

"Lord, thank you for Charles. I thank you for the brother he has been, the example that he is, and the love that we share. Amen."

P.S. "And oh yes, Lord, give me the skill to beat him in golf at least once in my life."

WHY I DO WHAT I DO

Recently a friend said, "Tom, you've been doing this for more than 40 years. When are you going to hang it up and enjoy life?" The occasion was my 63rd birthday. Don't get me wrong, it isn't that I haven't thought about it. But will Mary Ann and I ever 'hang it up?' Never.

Here's why. One thousand years from now, the GracePointe Church facilities will be no more. Even the materials used to build the structures will have returned to dust. But GracePointe will live on...in heaven. The people we've won to Christ, baptized and discipled will be there along with all of the others from previous churches we've served.

So why not rest with the knowledge of that in our hearts? Because God has planned for more to cross our paths and He intends to use us for their salvation experiences.

Get weary? Maybe. Faint? I think not.

BONDO BELIEVERS

Have you ever bought a used car? One thing you have to beware of is a car that has been in an accident and bondo was used to repair it. Bondo is a resin product that is used in the place of proper body work.

In forty years of ministry, I have known my share of bondo-believers. By that, I mean people who appear to be Christians on the outside but inwardly were something quite different.

The apostle Paul wrote what his prayer was for the believers living in Philippi. “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ” (Philippians 1:9-10).

Without Wax

A definition of the word sincere that Paul uses would be “without wax.” The origin of this goes back to ancient Rome, when they would make fine pottery, which was relatively thin, and fragile cracks would develop after firing.

So, rather than remake the piece, unscrupulous potters would fill the cracks with hard, dark wax (first-century bondo). This would be revealed when the object purchased was placed in bright sunlight, as the wax would melt.

So Paul uses this phrase “without wax” to speak of genuine believers, not fake believers. As we wait for Christ’s return, let’s pray that we are not bondo-believers, but rather genuine followers.