tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35003059875450567072024-03-13T12:30:27.464-04:00Out of the BoxJeff Boxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194796840632401998noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500305987545056707.post-75091991340213390392016-06-17T00:35:00.000-04:002016-06-17T06:41:10.425-04:00The Judgment of Perfect ParentsImage this headline in your Facebook feed: Missing Child: “Mother discovers him missing a day later.” You click on the link and read the story. You feel for the parents of this child. He has been missing for quite a while. No one seems to know of his whereabouts and his parents didn't notice he was missing for a whole day. You decide to read the comments to see what others are saying. Of course you already know what you will find there, maybe you have even thought some of those things yourself. It seems most of the folks commenting on the story are perfect parents. They seem to think very highly of themselves as they assure fellow readers that this could have never happened to their child. They criticize the mother, accusing her of all kinds of things, making assumptions about what happened and declaring she should never be a parent. It seems that child would have been better off in your perfect little abode.<br />
<br />
I have seen similar things play out over the last couple of weeks, particularly in three different tragedies. The first was regarding the child who fell into the gorilla exhibit at the zoo in Cincinnati. Almost immediately folks who weren't even there to witness the event and having no idea what actually happened, suddenly became experts in both parenting and gorilla behavior. “What was that mother doing?” “Shame on her for not watching her child!” “I watch my kids and that would have never happened to us.” When I read the story I was thankful the child was ok and I was thankful that my child hadn't climbed into a gorilla exhibit. Either of my children very well could've.<br />
<br />
A second story was of a child that was killed by an alligator at a Walt Disney World property. Same old thing. The comments section was filled with remarks by expert parents decrying what was, obviously in their eyes, negligence of the parents. “How could a parent let that happen?” “How does any mother worth her weight in salt allow that to happen?” A mom and dad had just experienced a horrific tragedy and to make matters worse those who see themselves without sin are throwing stones.<br />
<br />
A third story was closer to home for me. A foster child in our area drowned in a swimming pool. He had apparently gotten out of the house while his foster mom was sleeping. Now, those expert parents are expert foster parents, sitting at home behind a computer screen or staring at their phone typing away venomous words. On a side note, if those expert foster parents would actually become foster parents there wouldn't be such a tremendous shortage of foster homes, but that's another story.<br />
<br />
Any of those things could have happened to me and my children and it could've happened to your home too. Only pride declares otherwise. Instead of throwing stones at the parents when such things happen we should “mourn with those who mourn” (Romans 12:15). Imagine if the time spent commenting venomous and hurtful words on a thread had been spent in prayer for that family who is experiencing unspeakable tragedy. Perhaps instead of rushing to judgment with an air of superiority we should humble ourselves and “be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (James 1:19). This is particularly true of professing Christians. We should be the first to respond with humility. We recognize that we too are fallen human beings who have sinned against God countless times and made more mistakes in every arena of life than we could ever number. We recognize our only hope is in Jesus Christ. We have no stones to throw. We know that we are far from what we ought to be, even as Christ is renewing us day by day. We certainly aren't perfect parents. There is only one perfect parent and He is the Heavenly Father, who sent His Son Jesus Christ into this world on our behalf. He lived a sinless life as our substitute and then went to the cross bearing our punishment. He was buried and raised the third day and this Jesus saves all who come to Him by faith. He saves the lost. He makes us children of God. He mends the broken. He comforts the grieving. He loves with infallible love. He sympathizes with those parents who are receiving condemnation. In fact, Jesus was born to an earthly mother, a mother who lost track of him when he was just a boy and didn't recognize he was missing until the next day (Luke 2). And to those perfect parents who may have commented about her parenting fail, remember this, God chose that young lady to be the mother of His only begotten Son.<br />
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Jeff Boxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194796840632401998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500305987545056707.post-75760086968527968212016-04-25T13:16:00.001-04:002016-04-26T09:43:13.987-04:00A Few Thoughts About The Public Restroom Debate<div class="MsoNormal">
Every once
in a while I find myself addressing topics I never imagined addressing.
For instance, 10 years ago I never imagined having to address the topic gay “marriage.”
However, as our culture continues to deteriorate morally, I find myself in a
position of spiritual leadership that requires addressing things that were once
unimaginable. Os Guinness noted that ours is “an age of advertising and
political correctness that will put up with unbelievable levels of nonsense.” There
is no better picture of that than our current debate over the use of public
restrooms. Specifically, at issue is whether or not one can reject his or her
God-given gender, self-identify as the opposite sex, and then enjoy all of the privileges
publicly afforded to the opposite sex, including use of that gender specific
restroom. Those wishing to do so have
found a cultural environment ready to champion the cause. Even as I type that
out Romans 1 rings in my mind, <i>“For although they knew God, they did not
honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their
thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they
became fools. (Rom 1:21-22, ESV)</i>. </div>
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On the one hand, I am shocked that
we are in this position of having these conversations, but on the other I am
not because I know what the Bible says about moral depravity. The question
becomes how do we, as Bible believing Christians, respond to this? While I
certainly cannot give an exhaustive response in this format, let me give you a
few thoughts. </div>
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First, we should pray for our
culture as well as our response to it. I cannot over emphasize the importance
of this. Prayer is very key. We should pray both for those who consider
themselves transgender, as well as the society that champions that cause. We
should pray in a gospel centered way, recognizing that all are individuals every
bit as in need of Christ as we. We should pray privately concerning these
matters, and we should pray corporately as well. In that, you should make the
church’s corporate prayer gatherings a priority in your life. </div>
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Second, we should stay in the Word
of God. We should not be getting our cues from the culture. The Word of God
should inform and dictate what we believe about these things. Paul said in
Romans 12 that we are to <i>“abhor what is evil and hold fast to what is good</i>.”
Good and evil are defined by God and do not change as the culture changes. The
culture may call “good” that which God has said is “evil,” but it will always
be what God has said. This is one of the reasons we are in constant need of
having our minds renewed by the Word of God, so we can discern what is the will
of God, what is good (Rms 12:2).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Third, use wisdom when in public.
If you are a parent, take your child to the restroom and do not send them there
alone. Lots of public places have family restrooms. Take advantage of those
when possible. If you find yourself in a situation in which someone claiming to
be transgender is in a restroom, make every effort to politely remove yourself
from the situation. </div>
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Fourth, let your voice be heard. As
we have seen, businesses have begun to jump on board with this agenda. It is
good to politely express your concerns. Remember, that while it is fine to
express that to a local branch of a big retailer, the management of such a store,
like Target, receives orders from a corporate office. It may be better to
express your concerns in written form, and again politely. Also, it is good to
express your concerns with your wallet. Thankfully, we are still in a position
to do business elsewhere. </div>
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Finally, remember who we are. We
are ambassadors of Christ. This world is not our home. Our citizenship is in
heaven. We are here on mission for Him, to make disciples of all nations. We are to be a people of great optimism. Why? Because even as the
cultural climate darkens and becomes more hostile towards us, we know Who wins in
the end and we are His! <o:p></o:p></div>
Jeff Boxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194796840632401998noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500305987545056707.post-19037886965035625132015-08-24T12:02:00.000-04:002015-08-24T12:02:11.952-04:00Speak up! On Saturday I participated in the nation wide protest of Planned Parenthood. I was pleased to see around 400-500 people gathered there in Lawrenceville to protest that place of death and its evil practices. I have stood out there several times with so very few that it is hard to express how thankful I am that there seems to be an awakening in our country in regards to the issue of abortion. It was great to see so many people holding signs and praying. And it was great to see our brothers, Bobby McCreery and Alex Burt boldly preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are both pro-life and pro-eternal life.<br />
<br />
Many days Bobby has stood on that sidewalk by himself preaching the gospel and calling attention to what happens in that place. By God’s grace, he has withstood the summer elements and the winter elements, the heat and the cold and the rain. He has also endured the criticism of fellow believers, who even though seem to be absent a lot, find time to assure Bobby that he’s doing it wrong. I have even been criticized for being friends with Bobby and for standing with him there, not by abortion rights advocates, but professing believers and pro-lifers. Yet, as I write this (Monday), tomorrow Planned Parenthood will be open again performing abortions and the 400-500 people will not be there to protest. But Bobby will be there. He will put up his signs, plug in his microphone, pray to our Sovereign Lord, open his Bible and begin speaking. He will talk about the horrors that are happening inside. He will plead with young women and men to not kill their babies, offer them other options, and he will preach the gospel, that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. He will be cussed at, given the middle finger, and probably threatened by pro-abortion folk. And, he maybe even be visited by a professing pro-lifer, not there to protest, but to correct Bobby. And the next time Planned Parenthood is open doing abortions, Bobby will be there again. The other day a lady told me that the Planned Parenthood protest was not the place to preach the gospel. Read that sentence again, slowly. She then told me that we need lots of voters. I told her what we need is Jesus. She then said Bobby was hijacking the event by preaching. I tried to graciously inform her that Bobby is there every time Planned Parenthood is open. I then said, “Maybe you are hijacking his event.” Bobby continued to preach, even as a couple of ladies tried their best to shut him down. Thankfully, his strength comes from the Holy Spirit.<br />
<br />
I pray the Lord would raise up an army of folks like Bobby. I pray that Planned Parenthood would be defunded. I pray that they be prosecuted for their evil practices. I pray that abortion would end. I pray all that work in those places of death would repent and run to Jesus for forgiveness of sin and acceptance by God as one of His children. The Bible says, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.” Proverbs 31:8.<br />
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Jeff Boxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194796840632401998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500305987545056707.post-15818447979628627872015-04-15T18:00:00.002-04:002015-04-15T18:27:19.491-04:00Saying Goodbye to Our Foster Sons<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-20M4KjUeFsg/VS7fLDIk4YI/AAAAAAAAAKc/juLLKJL2xU4/s1600/broken_heart1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-20M4KjUeFsg/VS7fLDIk4YI/AAAAAAAAAKc/juLLKJL2xU4/s1600/broken_heart1.jpg" height="187" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I write
this, my wife and I have been spending our week packing up the belongings of
our foster sons for their big reunification day with their mother. Our hearts
are filled with mixed emotions. On one hand, we are glad that their mom has met
the criteria to have her children back. I mean, this is one of the main reasons
we do foster care. We want our home to be a godly and safe place for kids in
foster care, in hopes that they can be returned to their family. Yet, on the
other hand, we are extremely sad. We have had these kids most of their lives, a
total of 18 months. We love these kids. When I look at them I see them as my
kids. We took them in when they were hurting. We prayed for and with them. We
fed and clothed them. We potty trained them. We cared for them when they were
sick. We picked them up when they fell and kissed their wounds. In reality, I
don’t feel in the least like I am about to deliver over another woman’s kids to
her. I feel very much like I am about to deliver over my kids, kids I love and
whom I may or may not ever see again. My heart aches and my stomach hurts even
as I type that. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yet, I
signed up for this didn’t I? I knew entering into foster care that I was
subjecting myself and my family to <s>possible</s>
probable pain. I know that on that day there will be one family rejoicing as my
family grieves. It will affect all of us. In fact, I watched as my little girl
hugged one of those boys the other day and exclaimed, “I love my brother!”
There’s not one of us who will escape hurting. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It has been
attributed to Queen Elizabeth II as saying, “Grief is the price we pay for
love.” Grief is exactly what I feel, very deeply. Sure, I will do my pastoral
duty of putting on my smile and masking my hurt, but reality is I (we) have
been cut very deeply. Know that we are not ok, even as we try to assure you we
are. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Perhaps, as
you are reading this you are thinking, “That is why I could never do that!” The
idea is that we should avoid pain at all costs. Reality is, that is very
selfish and unlike Christ. Doesn’t the Gospel compel us to run towards the
hurting, even at great cost to ourselves? Did Christ look down upon the earth
and exclaim, “Well, I could redeem them, but it will hurt so I won’t?” Did
Christ run from the pain or did love compel Him to run towards it? This one
passage of Scripture really summarizes it all for me, <i>For the love of Christ compels us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have d</i><i>ied; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised” (2 Cor. 5:14-15). </i>The fact is, God never called us to play it safe. He has called each and every one of us, as believers, to deny ourselves and carry a cross.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And so, we
will pack up those boys and we will drive them home. We will hug them and kiss
them and say goodbye. We will watch a happy mom and grandmother and try to be
happy with them. We will pray with them. And then, we will get in our car and
we will drive away, looking back in the mirror and aching. And if God so wills,
we will do it all over again. Why? The Gospel! You see, when we were down and
out and lost in our sins, Jesus Christ ran towards pain and rescued us,
bringing us into his family as his own children. Yep, that’s why. </div>
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Jeff Boxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194796840632401998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500305987545056707.post-41239440594823385932014-08-26T20:36:00.000-04:002014-08-26T22:26:34.604-04:00You Probably Don't Know!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
The couple pushed their shopping cart full of goods to the
front of the store and began to look for a cashier that appeared the least
busy. They began to lay out their items on the belt in groups. Inevitably,
others began to get in line behind them. The young lady reaches into her diaper
bag and pulls out a booklet of coupons. Each group of items represented a
different coupon in her booklet. It was clear that those who had followed her
into the line were not pleased when they discovered that the young lady was
getting WIC for what appeared to be multiple children. Their looks of disgust
could only have been more obvious had they expressed with their lips what they
were thinking. One might argue that they were simply in a hurry and suddenly
realized the couple’s groceries were going to take some time. However, the
looks communicated a certain disdain. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As the
cashier began checking out the goods, she stated that the couple had gotten the
wrong juice. The husband told the cashier that the coupon simply noted that he
was to get a certain amount of juice and did not specify a brand. The cashier
told him it was to be a certain name brand. He told her that he got the generic
because it was cheaper and thought that would be fine. Instead, the cashier
called in customer service to exchange the juice. As they waited for him to
return, the air was getting thicker around them as the tension grew. </div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After
the customer service representative returned with the correct juice, the
cashier noted that the couple had also gotten the wrong bread. The wife
explained that she looked at the bread for about ten minutes trying to make
sure she got the right loaf. The cashier called customer service once again to
exchange the bread. As they waited the husband pulled out his Iphone and began
checking his messages. Suddenly, he hears whispers about the fact that he both
has an Iphone and is standing in line getting WIC. He tries to ignore the folks
as the tension grows and grows. Finally, he looks at them and apologizes that
it is taking so long. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Finally,
the bread is exchanged and the couple is ready to head out the door. They walk
out of the store and get into a new car. It is quite a site, a man with an
Iphone loading WIC into his new car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Perhaps some think, “Why does he not get a job?” “It must be nice to
have Obama use our money to pay for his groceries so he can have a new car and
an Iphone.” “Maybe they should stop having children if they cannot afford to
take care of them.” “Don’t they know what causes that?”</div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If only they knew that the couple
was very uncomfortable getting WIC in the first place. If only they knew that
the wife went through a very uncomfortable experience at the WIC office. If
only they knew that they dreaded going to the store. If only they knew that the
couple went to the store, away from their town, in order to keep people from
talking about them. If only they knew that the couple really does have several
kids (6 to be exact). If only they knew that the couple knows EXACTLY “what
caused that.” If only they knew that only two of their kids are biological. If
only they knew that two of their kids came to them by adoption and two others
are foster kids. If only they knew that the WIC was given to them in order to
provide for their foster children. If only they knew me and my wife, that we are a ministry family, seeking by God's grace to love the least of these. If only all of us wouldn’t be so quick to assume that we
know. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"> I would love to say that I am exempt from such poor assumptions. But the fact is, because of remaining sin in my heart, I am not. I too often come to quick and wrong conclusions.The fact is, I am reminded that like those in the check-out line, I am constantly in need of Jesus. Like the hymn writer said, "</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">I need Thee, O I need Thee; Every hour I need Thee; O bless me now, my Savior, I come to Thee." </span><br />
Jeff Boxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194796840632401998noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500305987545056707.post-3217298378158270432014-02-11T21:40:00.004-05:002014-02-12T08:14:59.437-05:00Dear Parent(s) of My Foster Child<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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About a week ago I was compelled
to write this blog in which I plan to address some things that foster parents
would say in a heart to heart conversation with their foster child’s parents. I
surveyed several foster parents and compiled a short list of things that I will
elaborate on here. I wanted to say before I begin that these statements are
very general and not directed towards any one individual. Also, the things
reflected upon will be my own thoughts, and since I am a Christian that will
play a central role in what I write. This will be written as a Christian foster
parent to the child’s parent(s). I understand that situations vary and not
everything that I write can be applied to every case. With that said, here goes
. . .</div>
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Dear Parent(s) of my foster child,</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Until recently, you and I did not
know one another. Now, our paths have not only crossed, but we have a new and
very awkward relationship. Your children, whom I will assume you love very
deeply, now live in my home and you don’t even know me. Because you love them, I
am sure this is something that has caused you to lose sleep. I wanted to take a
little time to say a few things that I pray will comfort you and be helpful to
you as well. </div>
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<br /></div>
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1. <u>The love of Christ compels
me</u>. I do what I do motivated by this one great thing. The Bible says, “<span class="selected">For the love of Christ </span>compels us, because we
have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he
died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for
him who for their sake died and was raised” (2 Cor. 5:14-15). </div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
do not do this for the money. In fact, there is not really much money involved.
Depending upon the age of the child, foster parents receive a small per diem
which averages out to between sixty to eighty cents per hour. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
do not do this for the accolades. In fact, there really aren’t any. In many
ways foster care is a pretty thankless job. In fact, many people think we are
crazy for doing this and some of them even tell us we are. It is also not
uncommon for the parents of a foster child to show no appreciation, and to even
treat the foster parent as an enemy. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
have countless social workers make visits to my home. Your child’s case manager
comes to my home, sometimes scheduled and sometimes by surprise. In addition,
we are visited by your child’s CASA worker and the director makes occasional visits
as well to inspect our home. We do not enjoy all of that. I mean, who really
enjoys having government social workers in their home regularly? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Again,
the love of Jesus for us and my love for him is what compels me to take
children I do not know into my home for foster care. It reminds me of the
Gospel. When I was down and out and lost in my sin, Jesus Christ rescued me and
brought me into his family as his own child. He will do the same for you if you
will turn towards him by faith, acknowledging Him as lord and receiving Him as
Savior. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
2. <u>I am not your enemy</u>. In
fact, I hope you will consider me both a friend and a partner. I am not trying
to replace you. In fact, I talk about you often to your child and when I do I
speak positively.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Chances
are you are angry at several people. Whether your anger is justified or not I
do not know, but it is not justified towards me. You see, I am a
volunteer. Because of the love of Christ, I went through the burdensome process
of becoming a foster parent. I did not select your child. I was called to see
if I could take your child in and I agreed to do so. When the social worker called
and gave me a brief description of your child, I was torn between the knowledge
of the extra responsibility that I would be taking on and the reality that this
child needed someone to love him during this time in which his world has been
torn apart. So, I decided to let that someone be me. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
3. <u>I love your child and you</u>.
I really try my best, by God’s grace, to love your child as my own. Because of
the love of Jesus, I loved your child before I ever met him. At first, he was
skeptical of me. He did not know who I was, but found himself suddenly in the
home of a stranger. But, just as my love for him has increased more and more,
he has discovered that I really care about him and he loves me too. I have
tried to make life as normal as possible for him. In addition to making sure
that all of his physical needs are met, I try to make sure that he knows he is
safe and loved. Over time, we have become pretty good friends. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Because
of the love of Christ, I also love you. I hope that even through the awkwardness
of our relationship we can become friends. It would be nice to be able to have
such a relationship that you could trust that I am going to provide the best
care possible to your child and I could trust that you are going to respect
the position which I have been placed into as a foster parent. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
4. <u>Foster care is not my life</u>.
That simply means that I have a life that extends well beyond foster care. In
fact, I have my own family. We are often very busy just doing life. As a part
of my family, temporarily, your child will also be included in our family
activities and will be living according to our schedule. I believe that
constant communication with you is very important as it keeps you informed
about what is going on in your child’s life. But please do not abuse that. I have
to put boundaries in place to protect my family and our time. I do ask that you
respect those boundaries.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
5. <u>I want you to succeed</u>. I
believe that the best place for a child to be is with his parents. I want your
child to be reunited to you. I do hope that can happen. It is not my goal to
keep your child permanently. You have some things to accomplish before
reunification will be possible. I want to see you succeed at that. I do hope
that you will work towards fulfilling the goals of the case plan laid out for
you. By God’s grace, you can do it. You have been told what you need to do to
get your child back. It is up to you to get it done. I know that some of it
will not be easy. Some of it you might even consider to be unfair, but when I look
into your child’s sweet eyes I know that he is worth your best effort. I will
be in your corner cheering for you and hoping that you make it to the finish
line. I will pray for you, that God give you strength to make it and that ultimately,
you find in Christ the true victory you need.<br />
<br />
Sincerely,<br />
Your child's foster parent </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Jeff Boxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194796840632401998noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500305987545056707.post-26029628110119903282014-01-30T11:40:00.001-05:002014-01-30T11:58:59.976-05:00Pain, Snow, & a Ladybug<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GJMwRkMIDQ4/Uup_3UNDb4I/AAAAAAAAAJM/ppaZfKPGWho/s1600/Ladybug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GJMwRkMIDQ4/Uup_3UNDb4I/AAAAAAAAAJM/ppaZfKPGWho/s1600/Ladybug.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Some
of the sweetest fellowship we have with our Lord comes in times when we are
hurting the most. Our Father is loving and compassionate and certainly does not
leave nor forsake us when we hurt. Instead, He is right there to hold us and
comfort us. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A
couple of years ago, my wife and I experienced a particularly rough season. We
were praying about whether or not we should adopt again. It was then that my
wife became pregnant. We were excited and began to make appointments with a
doctor. Shortly into the pregnancy my wife miscarried. That was tremendously
painful. It was very deep and very personal. We had suffered the loss of a
baby. I cannot remember ever watching my wife grieve so deeply. We had a ton of
questions for God. We did not understand why. God seemed distant. Since we
could not, in that moment, sense God’s presence we began to recall what we knew
to be true about Him. We knew that he promised to never leave nor forsake us.
We knew that He promised nothing could separate us from His love and that He
causes all things to work together for the good of conforming us to be more
like Jesus. Reminding ourselves of who He is, through His Word, helped us in
those moments when the pain created a fog around our hearts and we could not sense
Him. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We
healed a bit and shortly thereafter my wife became pregnant again. Again, we
made appointments with a doctor. We were certainly a lot more fearful with this
pregnancy. Only a couple of months had passed since the miscarriage. However,
we started making plans, thinking about names, a boy name and a girl name. We
couldn’t help but walk through the baby section of stores and talk about what
we liked. Then, it happened! Another miscarriage! Again, we were wading through
what seemed to be an abyss of hurt and confusion. All of the pain from losing
the first baby was so fresh and now it was compounded with grief of losing a
second baby. These were our children, and though we had not seen them we loved
them. Again, even though some days we did not want to, we reminded ourselves of
who God is and of His promises. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On
one of those days, it was snowing outside, a rare Georgia snow storm. My grieving
wife was looking out the window at the snow. Suddenly, a bug landed on her. My
wife would normally scream and swat a bug. But this was a lady bug, a lone lady
bug. I guess all of her friends and taken cover for the winter. This one was
certainly out of place. It was then that my wife heard from God. He reminded
her again that He was there, that He had not gone anywhere. He reminded her
afresh of His unfailing love for her. He reminded her that he wants her to run
to Him, to draw near to Him. Like that little lady bug, he had not left but was
right there in the storm. God sending that little lady bug was the beginning of
tremendous healing for my wife and I.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
thought about that this week during our recent snow storm. Especially, as I
stood outside and watched my wife play with our little girl (our youngest child by adoption). Lydia’s name is
filled with significance. Her middle name is Hope. It is a reminder that the
Lord Himself is our hope, even when we feel hopeless. Her first name, of
course, came from the Bible. Most of the time, however, we don’t call her Lydia. We call
her Lydie-Bug. Yep, she is our lady bug. She reminds us of God’s faithfulness
during the storms. And it was a glorious moment with the Father this week as I
watched my wife and our Lydie-Bug laugh as they sled down the hill in our yard.
He is good, folks!</div>
Jeff Boxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194796840632401998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500305987545056707.post-33157510338242671632013-10-09T10:36:00.001-04:002013-10-09T10:36:56.169-04:00Because He First Loved Me<div class="_kso fsm direction_ltr _55r0" data-jsid="message">
<span class="null">I
was sitting on the porch one cool morning, drinking coffee and reading
my Bible, when my wife came to the door holding Lydia. Lydia saw me and
smiled. When I went over to grab her and get a hug, I realized she
wanted to go for a ride in her car. After mom put on some warm clothes,
she and i set out. She loves her little car. It is a Step 2 car with a
long handle that I push. This particular car once belonged to Colby. As I
pushed her around I reminisced of times pushing Colby around. We use to
bring that same car to church and push him around in the hallways, as
he liked it better than a stroller.</span></div>
<div class="_kso fsm direction_ltr _55r0" data-jsid="message">
<span class="null"> </span></div>
<div class="_kso fsm direction_ltr _55r0" data-jsid="message">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v2RdJwYxS1o/UlVmoTL09yI/AAAAAAAAAIs/yZOFpdK1GL4/s1600/Car.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v2RdJwYxS1o/UlVmoTL09yI/AAAAAAAAAIs/yZOFpdK1GL4/s320/Car.jpg" width="304" /></a><span class="null">As
I took Lydia on her stroll this morning, I looked down at her. It was
pretty funny. She thinks she is in total control. To her, she is making
the car move along. She has no idea that at that moment, her daddy is in
complete control. Her hands are on a small steering wheel, but her
daddy is directing every move of the car. She is also oblivious to
potential dangers that are all around, but her daddy is watching over
her and protecting her.</span></div>
<div class="_kso fsm direction_ltr _55r0" data-jsid="message">
<span class="null"> </span></div>
<div class="_kso fsm direction_ltr _55r0" data-jsid="message">
<div class="_kso fsm direction_ltr _55r0" data-jsid="message">
<span class="null">At
that moment, I thought about how I want what is good for her. I want her
to love the Lord with all her heart. I want her to learn the lessons
she needs to learn for her good, even though some of those lessons are
going to be painful. I want her to know that I will always be there when
she stumbles and falls. I want her to be assured of my love for her,
though I know at times of discipline she will question that love. I want her to know that my love for her will be expressed in thousands and thousands of yeses. It will also be expressed in a whole bunch of noes. In fact, there will be many times when the decisions I make, for her good, will make absolutely no sense to her. But reality is, my love for her will not be in question. </span></div>
<div class="_kso fsm direction_ltr _55r0" data-jsid="message">
<span class="null"> </span></div>
<div class="_kso fsm direction_ltr _55r0" data-jsid="message">
<span class="null">I
want her to love me. But, I want her to love me as her daddy, not as the
giver of stuff. When I come home from trips, I want her to care more about me than what I may potentially bring to her as an expression of my love. I want her to love me because, well, I first loved
her...and I love her with all that is within me.</span></div>
<div class="_kso fsm direction_ltr _55r0" data-jsid="message">
<span class="null"> </span></div>
<div class="_kso fsm direction_ltr _55r0" data-jsid="message">
<span class="null">As
I turned the car around to head back to our house, she looked up at me
and smiled. I said, "Let's go home baby girl!" And as I escorted her
home, my hand guiding her path, I saw that our Father had just given me a
glimpse of His love for us. It seems that I too am in my own little car or sorts,
and He is guiding my path, all the way home.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v2RdJwYxS1o/UlVmoTL09yI/AAAAAAAAAIo/Ymxr_wotUqk/s1600/Car.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
</span></div>
<span class="null"> </span></div>
Jeff Boxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194796840632401998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500305987545056707.post-87948971759689653962013-09-16T12:58:00.001-04:002013-09-16T12:58:45.951-04:00Yep, He is Good!I was sitting in my living room watching LSU play Kent State when I heard my wife yell, “You have got to come see this!” I went in and there was my baby girl taking her first steps. We were all excited. I sat down on the floor and she walked back and forth from me to my wife. Each time, we celebrated. She loved the attention and wanted to keep on going. This event is played out over and over again in homes all over the world. In fact, we sat in the same positions and did the same celebrations when our other three children began to walk. What made this so special is that she is not suppose to be walking, at least not according to the medical experts.<br />
<br />
Our daughter had a difficult birth. During the process she was without oxygen for an unspecified amount of time and had to be fully resuscitated. She was immediately transferred to a children’s hospital and tests showed some damage to her brain. In addition, she was fragile due to some prenatal neglect and abuse. She would spend the first two months of her life in the NICU. Her first Christmas was not spent with her mommy, it was spent with hospital staff.<br />
<br />
When we were called to adopt our little girl, we were given the whole medical report and outlook. As my wife sat and listened to two doctors, on a conference call, tell us of her condition, we were both saddened and frightened. Just the other day, I listened again to the recording of the conversation and am still shaken to the core when I think of all she went through. We were told that she may be delayed or have trouble with motor skills. We were told that she may never function “normally.” We were told that she may have cerebral palsy. We were told she may never walk.<br />
<br />
In spite of all that we were told, God chose to do otherwise. According to His great mercy and grace, He chose to work in a different way than the medical professionals had predicted. So that, there we were sitting on the floor while our 9 month old (7 ½ months adjusted) took her first steps. That’s just one example of many of the things she is doing. Her pediatrician cannot explain it. Her neurologist cannot explain it. The folks from Babies Can’t Wait can’t believe it. Virtually everything that we were told about her has proven to not be the case.<br />
<br />
It is here that I am tempted to go into praise as to the goodness of God. That is certainly appropriate. He is absolutely good. But, He would still be good if the doctors had been right. He would still be good through cerebral palsy. He would still be good if she had never taken a step. He would still be good if she were to never dance (she does). He would still be good if she never functioned “normally.” He is always good. He is always good because He is always God.<br />
<br />
One of my favorite songs is titled, “As Long As You Are Glorified.” In the song, the writer expresses the nature of God’s goodness with these words:<br />
Are You good only when I prosper<br />
And true only when I’m filled<br />
Are You King only when I’m carefree<br />
And God only when I’m well<br />
You are good when I’m poor and needy<br />
You are true when I’m parched and dry<br />
You still reign in the deepest valley<br />
You’re still God in the darkest night<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Oh let Your will be done in me<br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>In Your love I
will abide<br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Oh I long for
nothing else as long<br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>As You are
glorified</span>Jeff Boxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194796840632401998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500305987545056707.post-68701608637001180092013-08-26T14:15:00.004-04:002013-08-26T14:15:59.594-04:00Praying and Pleading For The Unborn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FtsrdkK5Dxk/Uhua8hENpiI/AAAAAAAAAIU/wRt5mWZbA4Y/s1600/Abortion+Clinic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FtsrdkK5Dxk/Uhua8hENpiI/AAAAAAAAAIU/wRt5mWZbA4Y/s200/Abortion+Clinic.jpg" /></a></div>
It was an unusually cool August afternoon here in GA. I was standing on a Lawrenceville sidewalk waiting for the next car to arrive, holding a large sign that showed a beautiful baby inside his mother’s womb. When the next car pulled into the lot, I watched to see where the young lady, and the man who accompanied her, would park. The parking lot is for a small strip mall. Would the couple park to go into Sears, Five Guys Burgers, the hair salon, or the abortion clinic? Even as I write this, I am still stunned by the casual nature of this tragedy. Only in America can one purchase a lawn mower, a burger, a hair cut, and kill a baby all on one small strip mall.
The couple parked in front of the abortion clinic. I knew that the moment the lady stepped out of the car that I had about 30 seconds to say something, in an attempt to persuade her away from the murder that awaited on the other side of those doors. At that moment my job could be likened to trying to stop a run-away train. As she exited her car, I grabbed a microphone which was attached to a speaker. The microphone was so that we could be heard from the required distance we had to stand away from the premises. I called out to the woman, pleading with her to not go into the building. I told her that if she was there for an abortion that we had help available for her. I told her that she did not have to kill the baby. Then, as she was reaching for the door, I cried out, “Please, I beg you, let me adopt your baby! My wife and I will adopt your baby!” Tragically, she continued on into the clinic. I turned my attention to the young man and I pleaded with him. I told him that if the girl was there for an abortion we had help available for her, for them. I told him that we would adopt the baby and I begged him to go get her out of the clinic. He turned up the radio in his car in an attempt to drown out my voice. What followed, as you can imagine, was yet another life lost to the horror that is America’s holocaust.
I wish I could say that this was an unusual encounter. But, we saw several ladies continue on into the clinic. Hopefully, some were impacted by our pleas. We will continue to go on Tuesdays, to pray and to plead, because life is too important to not. I cannot stop women from walking through those doors. But, by God’s grace, I can make sure they only do so while hearing a pleading voice, offering them help and begging them away from the clinic.
My passion for the cause of the unborn is birthed out of my love for Jesus Christ and His love for all of us. Jesus loves and cares for the unborn and for the mothers who walk through the doors of those clinics. This is why I go and invite you to join me. It is why I encourage our church to support the Walton County Right to Life and the Pregnancy Resource Center of Walton. We stand together with these two great organizations for the cause of the unborn. I am thankful for our brother, Terry Queen, and his passion for this great cause. In light of that, I want to encourage you to attend, with me, the semi-annual meeting of the Walton County Right to Life on Thursday, September 19 at 7:00 p.m. The meeting will be held at The Praise Center on Hwy 78 West. We will enjoy a time of worship together, hear a wonderful testimony, and a great message from Dr. Jody Hice.
When the history of these days is recorded and the question has been asked about how the Church responded to the tragedy of the American holocaust, may it be said about us that we stood together, praying and pleading, for the end of this national tragedy that has claimed the lives of over 53 million babies.
Jeff Boxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194796840632401998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500305987545056707.post-18560471595602773862012-08-01T17:34:00.001-04:002012-08-01T17:39:09.195-04:00Loving People and Chicken!Today, I went to Chick-fil-a. I did not go out of hatred for anyone. I went because I support both Dan Cathy’s stated beliefs and his right to express those beliefs. Of course, I also went because they make a really great chicken sandwich.
There are so many ways to talk about the recent controversy surrounding Chick-fil-a. However, there is one that is really burning in my heart. I want to spend a few minutes talking about our responsibility to those who struggle with the sin of homosexuality. I submit to you that in many ways we have failed these individuals. We have failed them by allowing this particular sin to be elevated into its own class of sin, while forgetting that all of us are sinners.
Like all who struggle with homosexuality, I was born that way. I was born with a sin nature I inherited from our original parents, Adam and Eve. As I aged, I expressed that sin nature in all sorts of ways, even sexual immorality. While, I did not express my sin nature with homosexuality, I was every bit as guilty of unrepentant sexual sin and many other expressions of sin. I had desires and cravings which I selfishly fed. Paul put it well in Ephesians. He wrote, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind” (Eph 2:1-3, ESV). You and I stood before God no less guilty than anyone who struggles with homosexuality. In fact, Jesus said that to even look with lust is to be guilty in the heart (Matt 5:28). I was born with a sin nature, as were you and everyone else.
I believe we have also failed these people by insufficiently communicating the Gospel. You and I were born with a sin nature, and we need to be born again in Jesus Christ. Paul continued in Ephesians, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved” (Eph 2:4-5, ESV). That is glorious truth! Yet, being saved does not mean that one will cease to battle temptation. We struggle with various temptations everyday. Satan is a master at knowing our temptations. And he will tempt us in the areas he perceives we are weakest. Thus, a man who gives his life to Jesus Christ may struggle with homosexuality the rest of his life. That individual, like the rest of us, needs to understand that we need Christ to get us through every struggle, every temptation. That individual needs to know that we are all a bunch of messy individuals, all with various sorts of struggles; redeemed and pursuing holiness by the grace of God.
Too often, we try to make people think we have it altogether, when the fact is we don’t. We are constantly in need of our Lord and His strength. That is the whole point of the Gospel. God knew that we were a mess. So, He sent His Son to redeem us. He also knew that after we were saved, we would be messy and in constant need of His empowering grace in order to have victory in a world of sin. Collectively, we as Christians, are a people who have been saved by grace and brought together into His family, the Church. We need one another in our daily battles. We also need to be more transparent about our struggles. We need to quit pretending we have it all together. And we need to lovingly communicate the Gospel in its fullness.
Does God love the individual who struggles with the sin of homosexuality? Absolutely! Just like He loves the person who struggles with the sins of pornography, promiscuity, and adultery. The entire point of the cross was to demonstrate God’s loving, viscous, and relentless pursuit of fallen people. Jesus did not come to save people who were good and well (there aren’t any). He came to save people who are messed up! He came to save people who have broken His law and deserve judgment. Thankfully, He poured that judgment out on Jesus Christ, who willingly served as our substitute. He is our ever-present help in time of need. Only in Him can we have victory over our daily temptations with sin. And when we fail, He wants us to run to Him and not from Him.
So, yes I went to Chick-fil-a today. And I plan to go again and again. But, its not because I hate anyone. I will spend the rest of my life here in this world, and all of eternity in the next, perpetually aware that I am only saved by His grace. I was a wretched mess when He saved me, and I will be messy until He brings me home. Until then, I will rest in His gracious hand and pursue holiness by His loving grace. And I will seek to love all people and tell them how they can also have victory in Jesus. And I will do so as I "eat mor chikin."Jeff Boxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194796840632401998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500305987545056707.post-13118487272000427452012-02-28T11:56:00.003-05:002012-02-28T12:21:34.318-05:00Rescued!<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iomfQp5GkAU/T00H4dxrp_I/AAAAAAAAAHM/qSiDDWEg7NQ/s1600/hunger2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 193px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iomfQp5GkAU/T00H4dxrp_I/AAAAAAAAAHM/qSiDDWEg7NQ/s320/hunger2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714232168850106354" /></a><br /> It is a scene forever etched in my mind. It haunts me. No matter how hard I try I cannot escape the sight. The scene is of a little orphan boy, bent down, and digging through the trash. He is dirty, not just playing in the sandbox dirty, but filthy. His clothing barely qualifies as sufficient covering and yet he is among the few that even have rags to drape over himself. He is dangerously skinny due to malnutrition. His body if filled with infected sores that remain unattended to. He is lonely, but cannot cry, his tears have basically dried up. When he did cry, no one came to his rescue anyway. So, he continues day after day, rummaging through trash looking for something that he can eat. At night he cuddles in a dark corner of lonesomeness, and there he goes to sleep. I cannot see his face. I only see the boy. His story one of multitudes.<br /> <br /> I begin to wonder, “Why don’t somebody do something! Why does God not provide something for him?” Unfortunately, I bought into the lie of the American dream. My thought has always been that I am suppose to be successful, have a big house, drive nice cars, take regular vacations, maybe even have a vacation home, wear nice clothes, eat at nice restaurants, have huge, enormous flat screen televisions, iphones, ipads, and have lots of other super nice things. I could even be real spiritual about it and talk about how greatly God has blessed me with all my stuff. I could talk about how God has provided for me and how He desires for me to live a good life, which includes all my stuff. I could talk about how God had given me so much because He loves me so much. Surely, God wants me to have, have, have---you know---live the good life!<br /><br /> But, there he is bent down rummaging through the trash for something to eat. And there I am wondering why God doesn’t do something. Then it dawns on me that God has done something, and He has provided for him. God rescued, saved, redeemed the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ to be His hands and feet in the world. God cares for the poor and needy and imprisoned and stranger and widow and orphan. His plan for caring for them is for His Church to be His ambassadors, to do His work in the world. God has provided for these dear people. The problem is, he has given the resources to me and to you. While we continue to drink $4.00 lattes and make sure we keep our hair or golf appointments, there he sits digging through that trash.<br /> <br /> Then God does something amazing. He brings that little dirty, smelly, diseased, orphan boy into a more clear view. Its almost as if someone is pushing the zoom button on a video recorder or camera. The little boy is still rummaging. Then a voice calls out, “I love you, come to me, I am here for you!” A hand reaches out toward the little boy. Finally, he turns so that I can see his face. And I am floored. Its my face! I am the little boy! The voice calling me is the Good Shepherd! He takes my hand, cleans me up, dresses me, and calls me His! No longer an orphan am I. He tells me that He is my everything, not stuff. And He supplies me, not so that I can live the American dream, not so that I can have, have, have. Rather, He desires for me to give, give, give. He desires that I do unto others, as He has done unto me. And so, I begin to think what a difference God could make through me if I began planning to live on less. What if I did not need a newer car, but drive an older one? What if I did not need to take regular exotic vacations? What if I did not need to eat at nice restaurants regularly? What if I did not need all of those clothes? What if I did not need a larger television, or even one at all? What if I really began to live as one that God has blessed so that I can be a blessing to others in His name. What if I intentionally lived lower so that others could live. That is what He did for us, is it not? (2 Cor 8:9<br />For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich), ESV.Jeff Boxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194796840632401998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500305987545056707.post-35182526346767143642012-02-20T13:34:00.003-05:002012-02-20T15:37:03.306-05:00FastingIn this post I will lay out a few basics of fasting. This is, by no means, exhaustive. It is very basic. For a very good and exhaustive study on fasting I highly recommend John Piper’s book "A Hunger For God." It can be downloaded for free here: http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/online-books/a-hunger-for-god. <br /><br />Let me begin with a few things fasting is not. First of all, fasting is not a means for manipulating God. Some folks believe that if they just fast, it will force God to take notice. But that is not fasting, it is really nothing more than a hunger strike. God is not interested in our hunger strikes. He will not be manipulated. Secondly, fasting is not to be a means for validating our righteousness. This is exactly the idea Jesus addressed in the Sermon on The Mount concerning the Pharisees. They would fast in public so that people could see how “godly” they were. But Christ informed them, and us, that they were displaying pseudo-piety that could be summed up with the word hypocrisy. Third, fasting is not a weight-loss routine, which is one of the only times fasting mentioned in our times. So what is fasting with the proper motive? Let me sum it up in three basic ideas.<br /><br />1. To Draw Closer To God.<br /><br />In his book Hunger For God John Piper wrote, “The birthplace of Christian fasting is homesickness for God.” Fasting is ultimately about God. This is the heart of fasting, not making sure that people see us fast, not to validate our righteousness. Fasting is all about drawing closer to God. It is about whole-heartedly seeking His will. In fasting we seek to draw close to the heart of God. It always centers on God. Luke spoke of the elderly woman Anna in Luke chapter 2 saying that “She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.” The key word in regards to fasting in that verse is the term worshiped. Fasting is an act of worship. Theologian John Wesley said of fasting, “First let it be done unto the Lord with our eye singly fixed in Him. Let our intention herein be this, and this alone, to glorify our Father which is in heaven.”<br /><br />2. To Increase Our Sense of Dependance upon God.<br /><br />In our affluent society we often forget just how dependent we are on God. When we are hungry, we rarely ask God to give us food, we get in the car and go get it. Jesus says that we are to pray for our daily bread. Bread not only represents food but is symbolic of all of our needs. Fasting reveals to us just how weak we really are, and that without God’s constant provision in our lives, we would not hold together. Fasting forces us to rid ourselves of the things we crave and appropriate our craving toward God. In the Sermon of the Mount, Christ said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled” (Matt 5:6). Jesus said in John 6:48-51, “I am the bread of life. 49 Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. 50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread , he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." Jesus basically said, “Hunger for me for I am the bread of life.”<br /> <br />He also told us to thirst for Righteousness. In John 4:10 Jesus told the woman at the well, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water ." Then pointing toward the drinking water he said, in verses13-14, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." Jesus basically said, “Thirst for me for I am the living water and in me you shall never thirst again.”<br /> <br />Fasting causes us to abstain temporarily from the things that temporarily sustain us and points us to the One who ultimately sustains us, and that One is our Father in Heaven. Fasting points us to our desperate need for God. <br /> <br />That is why you see folks in the Bible fasting during some of the most trying times in their lives. Here are a few instances: David fasted when God caused his child born to Bathsheba to become ill. The Bible says in 2 Sam 12:16 "David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and went into his house and spent the nights lying on the ground." When Nehemiah heard of the desolation of Jerusalem, he knew that this was a problem that only God could fix and the Bible says in Neh 1:4 "When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven." When Daniel contemplated from the Scriptures that Judgement was coming upon Jerusalem the Bible says, Dan 9:2-3, "I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes." Then perhaps the best known fasting passage in the New Testament occurred as Jesus went in the wilderness to prepare for his time of tempting by Satan. The Bible tells us, in essence, that he readied himself for that temptation by fasting. It says, "Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, 'If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.' 4 Jesus answered, 'It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’" (Matt 4:1-4). Now, if fasting was an important part of Jesus’ relationship with the Father, demonstrating his reliance upon the Father, how much more are we dependent upon the Father and in need of practicing this spiritual discipline? <br /><br />3. To Give More Attention To Prayer With God. <br /><br />We can pray without fasting, but we cannot fast, biblically, without praying. In every biblical account of fasting, it is always accompanied with prayer. In fasting we devote special concentrated time to prayer. We pray when we would normally eat, as we seek the Lord’s heart and will. All of the great heroes of the faith have been folks who fasted and prayed with a great deal of intensity and determination as they sought the Lord’s will. Prayer was indeed their lifeline. Communication with the Lord is nourishment for the soul. Fasting expresses a special hunger for God, calling upon Him to be our nourishment.Jeff Boxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194796840632401998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500305987545056707.post-60856319744340268982011-11-21T15:03:00.004-05:002011-11-21T15:58:09.433-05:00Christ CrucifiedIn 1 Cor 1:22-25, Paul wrote, 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.<br /> <br />I love this simple declaration of Paul the Apostle. The Apostle held to a strong belief in the sufficiency of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He believed that in the Gospel was the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes (Romans 1:16). The proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ was his consuming passion. He told the Corinthians in 1 Cor 2:1-2, 1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. <br /> <br />Paul knew something that we, in our generation, are apt to forget: the sufficiency of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Nothing else can transform lives. Yet, we tend to underestimate this gospel at the very least, or worse, we tend to deny its power by our actions. <br /> <br />I read a story this week of a small English village that had a small chapel. The chapel was made of stone and had ivy covered walls. Over the arch when the chapel was originally built were inscribed the words "We Preach Christ Crucified" so that everybody whoever entered would know what they were there for. And there was a generation of Godly men that did precisely that. They preached Christ crucified. But times changed and the ivy grew and pretty soon it covered the last word and the sign said "We Preach Christ." And the Godly men changed. And there were other men who came and they preached Christ: Christ the example, Christ the humanitarian, Christ the ideal teacher. The years passed and the ivy grew covering the name of Christ and finally it said "We Preach." And they did, they preached politics, economics, social gospel, and whatever.<br /> <br />That sounds like a parable of our day and time. Today there is much preaching of Christ the republican, Christ the democrat, Christ the capitalist, Christ the socialist, Christ the humanitarian, Christ the giver of stuff, or no Christ at all. In many places it is more subtle than others. For instance, it may be that the preaching of Christ crucified has been so clouded with smoke machines and other gadgets that its lost in the chaos. For others, there is a desire to attempt to soften the sting that comes with the preaching of the gospel. Still others fall into the trap of giving the people what they want to hear. Yet Paul said, " For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles." Why would Paul make such a determination to preach Christ crucified in a cultural setting that was so opposed to the Gospel? Because Paul knew that it was the Gospel he had been commanded to preach and the Gospel was their only hope. Besides, the preaching of anything else would be to declare that the Gospel is not enough. The great preacher Charles Spurgeon put it well when he said, "I do believe that we slander Christ when we think that we are to draw the people by something else but the preaching of Christ crucified"Jeff Boxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194796840632401998noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500305987545056707.post-18705941329861285432011-09-20T21:20:00.002-04:002011-09-20T21:30:45.081-04:00Don't Ask, Don't Tell<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n9kCYdBuzOY/Tnk97y9gqTI/AAAAAAAAAHE/YFvK6xampU0/s1600/DADT.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 259px; height: 194px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n9kCYdBuzOY/Tnk97y9gqTI/AAAAAAAAAHE/YFvK6xampU0/s320/DADT.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5654618904641710386" /></a><br />Today (Sept. 20), marked the official end of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT), a policy implemented in 1993 as a compromise between those who wanted to allow open service by homosexuals in the military and those opposed to it. The end of DADT marked a significant victory for the Obama administration as the fulfillment of a campaign promise made by the Senator in 2008.<br /><br />I guess I could spend my time here lamenting this event. Certainly it troubles me. I could spend time pointing out the biblical mandate of the one man/one woman marriage relationship and the sinfulness of homosexuality. But, as I am well aware, I am preaching (actually writing) to the choir. Therefore, let me focus on something the choir (including myself) needs to hear.<br /><br />I fully support the end of a "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. Now that i have your attention, let me explain. I am certainly not talking about the military policy, but another, more sinister DADT policy. The one I speak of is an unwritten policy, practiced not by the government, but by the local church. I am referring to the DADT policy in regards to evangelism, lovingly sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with a lost and dying world.<br /><br />You see, such things as the end of the military's DADT policy are simply symptoms of a larger problem, the ever increasing spiritual lostness of American culture. Homosexuality is just one among a mulititude of sins for which Christ died. The answer to lostness is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But this Gospel must be proclaimed in order for the spiritual lostness to be impacted. In Romans 10, Paul wrote, (13 For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." 14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?...ESV). We must understand this truth, unless we preach, they will not hear. If they do not hear, they will not believe. If they do not believe, they will not call on His name. If they do not call on Christ, they will not be saved. The eternal destiny of millions is at stake. So, lets put an end to the church's DADT policy and proclaim Christ, that His name will be glorified among the nations, and multitudes will join us in praising Him for eternity. (Rev. 7:9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen").Jeff Boxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194796840632401998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500305987545056707.post-90111274654505561012011-08-23T15:08:00.004-04:002011-08-23T15:11:32.258-04:00Earthquakes, Soccer balls, and Crutches<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LvZ50gBrwEI/TlP7FbjaLfI/AAAAAAAAAGc/gZZXMMb7F9M/s1600/eball-soccer09_ns__15497_zoom.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 297px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LvZ50gBrwEI/TlP7FbjaLfI/AAAAAAAAAGc/gZZXMMb7F9M/s320/eball-soccer09_ns__15497_zoom.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644130828739554802" border="0" /></a><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--><span style="mso-tab-count: 1"></span> Bounce, bounce, bounce! That is a sound I will never forget. It was a sound I heard often in Haiti. It was the sound of a young teenage boy playing soccer by himself. That doesn’t sound too extraordinary, kids often play ball by themselves. I remember as a child throwing a tennis ball on the roof of our home and waiting for it to roll back down so I could catch it. What made this scene in Haiti different? This young man lost one of his legs in the 2010 earthquake. <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>I have thought about that young man’s experience many times since I first saw him. I can imagine him, in his home, on an average, ordinary day in Leogane. It was just like any other day, nothing special. That would all change at 16:53 local time as Leogane was at the epicenter of a major catastrophe. When the dust cleared, many of this young man’s friends and fellow citizens were dead, his home severely damaged, and he himself badly hurt. I can imagine the days following the quake, as it became clear that he would live the rest of his life with only one leg. Life for him would never return to normal, at least not the normal he knew. Instead, he would have to establish a new normal. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>One of the things the young man loved more than anything was soccer. I can imagine him wondering if he would ever play the game again. Fast forward and there I am, along with some others, fascinated at the sight of this young man, on crutches kicking his ball. The ball was an e-ball, a soccer ball with various colors on it, each color representing a different point in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Someone, on a previous mission team, had given the young man the ball. Everyday, there he would be kicking that ball against the wall. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>As I watched the young man, day after day, I was reminded of some great Gospel truths. First of all, we often face affliction in this fallen world. Life can be very difficult and we often find ourselves flat on our face. Our circumstances can even seem impossible. But, glory to God, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">greater is He who is in us, than he who is in the world </i>(1 John 4:4). Our God is a God who specializes in demonstrating His sovereign power over things that appear impossible to us. In fact, those situations can even serve as Gospel reminders that we can’t, but God can and will and already has in Jesus Christ!! </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>Second, I was reminded that by the grace of God, I will be lifted up when knocked down. I cannot do it on my own strength, but by the strength that God provides. It may take a while, as God may have some lessons I need to learn while on the ground, but eventually He lifts me up. My job is to simply trust Him by faith. Tozer wrote, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">"What we need very badly these days is a company of Christians who are prepared to trust God as completely now as they know they must do at the last day. For each of us the time is coming when we shall have nothing but God. Health and wealth and friends and hiding places will be swept away and we shall have only God. To the man of pseudo faith that is a terrifying thought, but to real faith it is one of the most comforting thoughts the heart can entertain." </i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>Third, the sight of the young man reminded me that I too am on crutches. Thankfully, my crutches are not physical, but certainly in the spiritual sense. Greg Koukl wrote, “When people ask me, ‘Isn’t Christ just a crutch?’ I have a simple reply.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I tell them, ‘You’re right. Christ is a crutch. But you’ve asked the wrong question.’ The real question is, ‘Am I lame; am I crippled?’ because crippled people need crutches. The fact is, everybody leans on something. As a Christian I lean on Jesus, because He’s a crutch that can hold me. What about you?”</p>
<br />Jeff Boxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194796840632401998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500305987545056707.post-73661755237210355142011-07-11T13:33:00.002-04:002011-07-11T13:37:29.330-04:00Just Some Thoughts on The Journey<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tK5Gap5eZUE/Ths0ywR-IiI/AAAAAAAAAGU/XJ1XzYb5HMo/s1600/Praying-over-Bible.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tK5Gap5eZUE/Ths0ywR-IiI/AAAAAAAAAGU/XJ1XzYb5HMo/s320/Praying-over-Bible.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628150205887947298" border="0" /></a><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>I am a blessed man. God has blessed me so very greatly. He has blessed me first of all by saving me by His loving grace. I have the best pastor’s wife any man could ever pray for. Together, Kristie and I have been blessed with three awesome boys and have opened our hearts and our home for another child at God’s leading. On top of that, we have been blessed with the privilege to serve the Lord at a most awesome church, Walker Baptist Church.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>The last several months have been especially trying. Being a pastor is one of the most fulfilling and yet painful jobs a person can have. As believers, we are commanded to love one another (John 15:12). In our Box family devotion time, we have been reading 1 John and one of the themes we have been looking at is how our love for one another, as believers, is directly connected to our love for Him. In fact, our love for one another is actually a witness to a watching world. Jesus Himself said, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35, ESV).</i> <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Love for God and love for one another are inseparable. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>Over these past several months, God has been doing some great things in my heart and has even used the unkind and unloving expressions of others in this process of purifying my heart. For instance, my love for people has been tested. Thankfully, through prayer, I can honestly say, by God’s grace, I love everybody, even those who are not loving toward me. In fact, I can honestly say I would get up right now and go to the aid of any person, regardless of their love for me, or lack thereof. It is quite easy to have compassion on individuals who are kind and loving toward you, but what about those who are not? Jesus said, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven” (Matt 5:43-45, ESV).</i> So, its not just our love for one another as believers that demonstrates our love for God, but also our love for our enemies. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>Our Lord has also been gracious to show me issues of pride in my heart. I believe C.J. Mahaney described it best when he said, “I am a prideful man, seeking to be humble by the grace of God.” I am not sure that I would have seen those things had it not been for the circumstances I have endured recently. Its not easy to have individuals tear you down and at the same time point to something or someone else they declare to be superior to you. Perhaps, as you read this, you know something of this feeling. Perhaps, you have people tell you or make you feel as if you are not good enough. We can either respond to such things with anger, or we can allow those cruel and painful things to be used by God to bring humility in our lives. Only God can take such things that are intended for evil and bring good out of it. Thankfully, He has reminded me that He didn’t call me to be anybody other than who He makes me by His Sovereign Grace. That is why Paul wrote, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain” (1 Cor 15:10, ESV).</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>Finally, the Lord has taught me a lesson in patience. I have been reminded to wait on Him and to trust Him, not only with my situations, but also with the outcomes. He will take care of me. In the mean time, I will cling to Him. I will stay in His Word. The Psalmist wrote, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">“If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have given me life. I am yours; save me, for I have sought your precepts” (Ps 119:92-94, ESV).</i> I will not return evil for evil, but will give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all (Romans 12:14-21). I will seek to love everyone, to be kind, compassionate, and forgiving. I do this to bring glory to my Father, who saved me by His loving grace. And I do this in the hope that the world might see the love of Christ in me and they too would glorify the Father. I love you all. God bless each of you. </p>Jeff Boxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194796840632401998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500305987545056707.post-47800756549211951492011-07-11T12:40:00.004-04:002011-07-11T13:38:46.528-04:00Finishing The Great Commission<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OpwK1vOPLXI/ThsoAlpdgxI/AAAAAAAAAGM/OiboZSP36Qk/s1600/missions_med.jpeg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 187px; height: 253px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OpwK1vOPLXI/ThsoAlpdgxI/AAAAAAAAAGM/OiboZSP36Qk/s320/missions_med.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628136149900690194" border="0" /></a><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>Imagine for a moment that you are in a room filled with people who are, you included, starving to death. Suddenly, by no merit of your own, you are chosen out of the crowd, given food to eat and then commanded to begin distributing food to all the others who are starving. Immediately, you go to work. You take a basket filled with bread and you go to the first row of people and give them bread, some take it, some refuse it. You keep distributing the bread regardless of the response. After some time, you have offered bread to the first ten rows of people and yet ten rows of people remain. So, you get more bread and instead of going to the back ten rows, you return to the first ten rows and begin to distribute bread again. After you have completed a second distribution of the first ten rows, you do it again. You begin to think of what a great job you have done in distributing bread to the first ten rows and how you have been faithful to offer the bread even when refused. Yet, what you are missing is that among the back ten rows, there are people dying of starvation, and as the bread distributor, you have neglected the commander’s orders to distribute bread to all of the people. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>Prior to our Lord’s ascension, he said that we are to be his witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). He said that we are to make disciples of ALL nations (Matthew 28:19). That means we are to spread the gospel here in our town and state, but we are also to spread this gospel to the ends of the earth, that the glory of God may be known among all the nations of the world.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>Our International Mission Board has identified 3800 people groups remaining in the world that have been classified as untouched and unreached, meaning they have never heard the name of Christ, have no current access to the Gospel, and there is no current strategy to reach them. Left alone they will die in their sins apart from Christ. I don’t know about you, but I cannot be satisfied with continuing to give bread to the first ten rows while neglecting the back ten who are starving. And the reality is, this is a problem for which we cannot hire enough missionaries. This will take every church getting involved. As the pastor of Walker Baptist Church, I do not plan to stand around and do nothing. My plan is for our church to be involved. The goal of the Southern Baptist Convention is to have at least 3800 churches adopt one of these people groups. I am asking you to join me now in prayer as we seek God’s plan for our involvement. I will also be attending a conference on September 7 in Marietta. I would invite as many of you as would like to go with me. The conference will better inform us of ways we can be involved in this global effort. Let me know as soon as possible if you will join me for this event. The cost is $20. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>Brothers and sisters, this is a very serious matter. We have been commanded by our Lord to spread the gospel. Will you join me and the rest of our fellow SBC churches as we together embrace the ends of the earth and do our part to finish the Great Commission. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">“And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”</i> (Matt 24:14, ESV). I love you all.</p>Jeff Boxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194796840632401998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500305987545056707.post-1220380996905308832011-03-30T11:24:00.002-04:002011-03-30T11:28:02.915-04:00Love Your Enemies<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OwqdqnmBtjE/TZNL8971vGI/AAAAAAAAAGA/wUSbPefJBLU/s1600/Love%2BEnemies.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 168px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OwqdqnmBtjE/TZNL8971vGI/AAAAAAAAAGA/wUSbPefJBLU/s320/Love%2BEnemies.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589895073286700130" border="0" /></a><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus made a very challenging statement. He said, <i style="">"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven” </i>(Matthew 5:43-45a <i style="">ESV</i>). Let those words sink in for a moment. Read it again. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">For the most part, we do not have a problem loving our family, friends, and our neighbors who are kind to us. But, what about the folks who are not kind to us? What about folks who choose to be rude and even malicious? Jesus gives us two things here that we are to do. Let’s take a moment and examine those things. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">First of all, He says that we are to love them. We are to love even those who are unloving to us. That act is essentially living out the Gospel. God loved us, even while we were sinners, enemies of God. Thus Christ essentially tells us to live out the Gospel toward our enemies. This is not a suggestion. It is a mandate. As followers of Christ, we are to live out the love that was demonstrated at the cross and is extravagantly poured out on us every moment by our Loving Father. It is not easy. In fact, sometimes it is very hard. But, by His grace we love anyway. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Secondly, Jesus said that we are to pray for them. Prayer is powerful. One of the powerful outcomes of prayer is the work that is done in your own heart as you pray for those who are not being loving towards you. It is hard to hold hard feelings toward someone you are honestly taking before the throne of grace in prayer. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Jesus modeled both of these great principles ultimately at the cross. He loved His enemies so much that he died for them (us) at the cross. Furthermore, on the cross he prayed for those persecuting Him as He cried out, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do!” While He was on the cross they were mocking and ridiculing Him (imagine if they had had a facebook)....and yet He loved and prayed for them. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">But the most challenging words of Christ come after those two challenging actions. Notice that after He commanded us to love our enemies and pray for our persecutors He said, ‘<i style="">so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.’ </i>The fact is, those who have been saved by grace will also be those who demonstrate forgiveness and grace toward others. How can one who has been the recipient of so great a love, be himself unforgiving and unloving? It is unheard of in Scripture. John MacArthur wrote, “If love is the greatest thing, then loving your enemies is the greatest thing that love can do.” I love you ALL.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Pastor Jeff<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>Jeff Boxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194796840632401998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500305987545056707.post-7428685052341963212011-02-10T12:06:00.003-05:002011-02-10T12:16:56.619-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IfJ0qdOYNSY/TVQdJEeo1MI/AAAAAAAAAF4/cTubfIpfKag/s1600/Helping_Hand.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IfJ0qdOYNSY/TVQdJEeo1MI/AAAAAAAAAF4/cTubfIpfKag/s320/Helping_Hand.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572110680622421186" border="0" /></a><br />This morning I was reading Psalm 138 and from that I would like to share an encouraging word with you. This is a Psalm of David, written when he was surrounded by enemies. Yet, in the midst of trouble he wrote, <span style="font-style: italic;">“6 Though the Lord is on high, he looks upon the lowly, but the proud he knows from afar. 7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes, with your right hand you save me. 8 The Lord will fulfill [his purpose] for me; your love, O Lord, endures forever — do not abandon the works of your hands” (Ps 138:6-8).</span><br /><br />David knew that God was the Almighty, Sovereign Ruler of the universe. He described God as being on high. And when he saw Himself in light of who God is, David saw himself as he really was, lowly. Yet, David knew that it is the lowly, to whom God looks upon and showers with grace. Therefore, in his trouble he had confidence, not in himself, but in God who promises to be our shelter in times of trouble.<br /> <br />David thus began to look at his trouble in light of his heavenly Father’s sovereign grace. Suddenly his trouble took on a new appearance. Once he began looking at his trouble in light of God’s omnipotence, he knew he had nothing to fear, nothing to worry about. So instead of despair, he erupted in worship! He began praising God for glorious reality that even though he walked in the midst of trouble, God would preserve his life. One definition of the Hebrew word that is translated “preserve” is <span style="font-style: italic;">to sustain life</span>. Certainly David knew that God would sustain him through the trouble and would ultimately rescue Him. He was certain of this because he knew that God’s love endures forever.<br /> <br />For you, who are reading this, whatever is going on in your life, you can have this same confidence as David. If you have given your life to Jesus Christ, you can rest in the calm assurance that, though you walk in the midst of trouble, God will preserve you and will ultimately save you. It may not be in your timing, and it may not be the outcome you would ask for, but God will work in His perfect timing, and the result He brings about will be for your good and for His glory, as He even uses your trouble as part of the process of conforming you into the image of Jesus Christ. So, take heart and rest in His sovereign care. God bless you.Jeff Boxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194796840632401998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500305987545056707.post-64236516772902506172011-01-24T13:40:00.003-05:002011-01-24T13:51:30.578-05:00My Journey From Crazy to Pro-Life (and still a little crazy)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1M9b8UnkJbE/TT3IGIJ0a_I/AAAAAAAAAFs/OL4amWLH9ho/s1600/ultrasound12weeks.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 256px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1M9b8UnkJbE/TT3IGIJ0a_I/AAAAAAAAAFs/OL4amWLH9ho/s320/ultrasound12weeks.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565824722093239282" border="0" /></a>I will never forget that day in the Dr.’s office. It was the day I saw the first image of my son<br />on an ultrasound machine. There he was, as clear as could be, a baby. He was not a blob of tissue<br />nor some sub–human cluster of insignificant cells. The Dr. did not say, “There is the fetus.” Instead,<br />he said, “There’s the baby.” He then carefully showed us every possible angle.<br /><br />The previous months had been life–changing. Kristie and I were both lost and in need of<br />Jesus Christ. We were unmarried and now she was pregnant. We were both young, misled, and<br />uninformed, me more so on the uninformed part. The thought of having a baby at that stage of my<br />life seemed quite inconvenient. I could think of a million reasons why it would not be a good thing. I was too young and so was Kristie. We both had our whole lives in front of us. We both had dreams and desires and plans. Add to this, according to the world, this was an “unplanned” or “unintended” pregnancy.<br /><br />I approached Kristie one day and suggested that we should consider an alternative route. I<br />suggested we consider having an abortion. After all, this seemed to me, to be the most logical way to go. It seemed, to me, best for everyone involved. Kristie looked at me like I was absolutely nuts. Looking back she was right. Abortion was never an option for her, even though it had been suggested by more people than me. I conceded to Kristie’s adamant conclusion that abortion was not an option.<br /><br />And so, there I was now looking at an ultrasound screen weeks later. It was a day that I can<br />pinpoint as a moment when God began to change my heart. I knew the moment I saw that image on the screen (Kristie even before then) that I loved that child with all of my heart. It was amazing how one image destroyed all of the lies I had believed about the status of a child in the womb.<br /><br />That child was born on May 10, 1994. I will never forget the first time I heard that cry or<br />when Dr. Beckam said, “It’s a boy.” I will never forget refusing to cut the umbilical cord because,<br />though excited over the baby, I was extremely nauseous over the blood and stuff. I will never forget holding him the first time, after a cleaning, of course. I will never forget looking into those eyes and wondering how in the world I could have been so ignorant as to even think of an abortion.<br /><br />A couple of years later Jesus Christ radically changed my life. He used that little boy to get<br />my attention and to point me to my need of a Savior. Yesterday, I watched that little boy, along with his friends and fellow DV8 folks, as they led our church in worship. I am completely overwhelmed by the goodness and grace of God. I am thankful for my son and I am thankful to God for capturing me by His sovereign grace. I am thankful that part of God’s gracious work in capturing me was an ultrasound image that allowed me to my son for the first time.<br /><br />Statistics show that a woman (and a man) who sees an ultrasound of her baby is most likely<br />to be convinced of the personhood of her child, and not follow through with an abortion. I can<br />certainly understand why. It is the same change of heart I had, along with Abby Johnson, a former director of a Planned Parenthood clinic, who walked away from her career as an abortion provider after witnessing an ultrasound guided abortion (<a href="http://www.abbyjohnson.org/">http://www.abbyjohnson.org</a>).<br /><br />Last week, Yvone Genest of the Pregnancy Resource Center of Walton was here with us.<br />She told about the clinic’s current process of being converted from a resources center to a medical clinic which will provide free ultrasounds to expecting mothers. I believe this will further aid the center in its goal to help save lives for the glory of God. Will you join me in praying for and financially supporting this great work. Many of you picked up a baby bottle for the “Baby Bottle Boomerang.” Please prayerfully consider the amount God would have you to give and return those to the church. Also, you can visit the center’s website at <a href="http://prcwalton.com/home/tabid/1136/Default.aspx">prcwalton.com</a> to make a contribution and to see other ways to be involved. God bless each of you.Jeff Boxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194796840632401998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500305987545056707.post-474183878594112502010-12-24T01:47:00.002-05:002010-12-24T01:58:18.828-05:00Sharing The Love of Jesus at Christmas<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1M9b8UnkJbE/TRRCb_NT4CI/AAAAAAAAAFk/0UKqGajPV30/s1600/christmas-tree.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554137289045827618" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1M9b8UnkJbE/TRRCb_NT4CI/AAAAAAAAAFk/0UKqGajPV30/s320/christmas-tree.jpg" /></a><br /><div>The Christmas tree was beautiful with the multi–colored lights and ornaments. It was countdown time. The big day was approaching. But underneath the tree there were only a few gifts. They were gifts the children (me and my little sister) had wrapped up, planning to give some of our personal items as presents.<br /><br />Dad was out of work. It was becoming clear that purchasing Christmas gifts was to be a very difficult task. Like most children, we had a list of things we desired. But, as the clock ticked toward Christmas, the tree remained bare.<br /><br />One day a car drove up. A young couple got out of the car and knocked on the door. They told us they were from First Baptist Church (Greenville, MS). I thought it sort of odd they were at our house. We did not attend FBC. In fact, we didn’t attend church at all. They told us they had some gifts for us. I am not sure how they knew of our situation. They may have told my parents how they learned of us, but all I heard was the word gifts.<br /><br />They began unloading the car and bringing packages into the house. I do not remember the couple’s names. I do remember the man’s name was Jeff (hard one to forget). I remember as he brought gifts into the house, he made it a point to show me my name on some of those gifts. Once all of the gifts were in the house and under the tree, there were more gifts than I had ever seen under our tree. I remember wondering what could be in all of those packages. I also remember the couple talking about God and telling us those gifts were to let us know that Jesus loves us and cares for us.<br /><br />Several years later I gave my life to Jesus Christ. It did not happen at FBC Greenville, but I never forgot that act of kindness. In fact, those people showing up at our door with gifts was permanently etched into my mind. It was one piece of a beautiful collage of events God used to draw me to Himself and save me by His grace.<br /><br />I do not remember seeing that couple again. But, I have thought about them through the years. In fact, I thought about them today as my wife and I were delivering gifts from our church to a poor family who lost everything they had in a house fire. I am thankful God is allowing me to be a part of blessing families as I was blessed as a child.<br /><br />Today, my wife and I were the couple who drove up with gifts. There was a little boy who reminded me of myself. I handed him a gift bag full of stuff. It was cold outside, so I told him there was a warm shirt in the bag. He immediately pulled it out and put it on, along with the beanie. I told him to keep looking. Inside the bag was a game like the one he had lost in the fire. When he saw it, he was shocked. He sat the bag back down (without pulling the gift out) and in amazement said, “No way! No Way!” His mom had some joyful tears in her eyes. Then the young man said, “I thought this was going to be a crummy Christmas. But, this is awesome!”<br /><br />As we unloaded all of the gifts, food, and clothes provided by God through his faithful servants at Walker Baptist Church, I kept looking over at that young man digging through his gift bag. He had a joyful look in his eye. It was a look that I must have had that day the couple from FBC brought gifts to my family. I do not know if that young man will grow up and become a preacher. But, I do know this, he will never forget the day that couple from the church drove up and helped his family in their time of need. And perhaps he will look back one day and see that event as one of the many things God used in a great collage of events that led to surrendering his life to Jesus Christ. And perhaps, one day, as he is driving over to demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ to a family in need, he will remember the day he put on that warm shirt and received that game, all as an expression of the marvelous love of Jesus Christ. Merry Christmas everybody. </div>Jeff Boxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194796840632401998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500305987545056707.post-69170829939802093562010-11-30T12:26:00.002-05:002010-11-30T12:34:08.867-05:00Plastic Baby Jesus<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1M9b8UnkJbE/TPU1bMIbsyI/AAAAAAAAAFY/NzOPXGuJCYw/s1600/Nativity.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 286px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1M9b8UnkJbE/TPU1bMIbsyI/AAAAAAAAAFY/NzOPXGuJCYw/s320/Nativity.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545397257405969186" border="0" /></a><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]-->1629 Bay Street in Greenville, MS. That was my grandparents address for much of my childhood. I remember that address because we lived at 1631, right next door. This gave me one gigantic yard to play in. Grandma’s yard was my yard too. <p class="MsoNormal">I will never forget Christmas time in that neighborhood. Some of my greatest Christmas memories with my family took place on good ‘ole Bay Street. We would all meet at Grandma’s house on Christmas Eve. There would be so many people that the house would get really crowded. It was fun, but sometimes you just had to walk outside for fresh air, or to escape the crowd for a moment.</p><p class="MsoNormal">One of my favorite places of escape was to Grandma’s nativity set on the front lawn. We were not allowed to touch it. But when everyone was crowded in the house, it made for a great time to sneak out there and pick up that plastic baby, with a light bulb stuck in his back. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">I was sure that plastic baby represented something great. The only thing I knew about him was that his name was Jesus, and he came to save us from something, and he obviously wasn’t born at Delta Regional Medical Center. One of my cousins told me once that we probably shouldn’t pick him up and play with him anymore because she had heard he was God. That was a scary thought. I certainly didn’t want to get God mad at me. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Over time, I began to learn the truth that this little plastic baby represented God’s love. God the Son physically came to earth and took the form of a man. He came because God is holy and man is not, because of sin. He came because sin had separated man from God. He came because sin had to be punished. He came to take our punishment for us on a cross. And even greater than being able to touch a plastic baby image of Him, He desired to touch me and hold me and call me His. This Jesus wanted to not simply be a figure on our lawn for one season each year, but to be the very real constant companion of our lives. He desires to save us by His grace and to walk with us and talk with us and to declare that we belong to Him. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">One day all of that penetrated my heart. I repented of my sin and put my trust in Jesus Christ, not the plastic figure, but the real life Savior. He saved me by His grace and transformed my entire outlook on life. Suddenly, I was no longer Jeff Box, living a meaningless existence. In one saving act, I was now Jeff Box, redeemed and treasured son of the Most High God. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Christmas is wonderful!! It’s not wonderful because of extravagant gifts that eventually end up in the trash. It’s not wonderful because of decorations that all go back in storage shortly after Dec 25, including plastic baby Jesus figures. Christmas is wonderful because that plastic baby Jesus figure represents a real baby Jesus who came to be the Savior of the world. John said, “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).<br /></p>Jeff Boxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194796840632401998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500305987545056707.post-59908483212357943752010-03-23T11:35:00.005-04:002010-03-23T13:18:44.820-04:00The Health Care Distraction<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1M9b8UnkJbE/S6j1nU7K8cI/AAAAAAAAAFI/2bzYPvlkJ1A/s1600-h/healthcare.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451877404912579010" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1M9b8UnkJbE/S6j1nU7K8cI/AAAAAAAAAFI/2bzYPvlkJ1A/s200/healthcare.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Congress recently passed a very controversial health care bill that President Obama signed into law. As with many of you, I have very strong feelings about this issue. However, we must avoid the temptation of losing perspective. It is so easy to get distracted by such events and lose sight of what really matters, eternal things. I know, because I have been guilty many times. </div><br /><br /><div>Let me preface by saying that I am not suggesting we disengage from the political process. We should be involved. However, Christians must remain focused on the main issue, the Gospel. As Christians, we know God is Sovereign and that we have victory in Jesus. With that knowledge, we must not walk around as defeated and frightened American citizens.....but as Citizens of Heaven, eagerly awaiting our Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who possesses the omnipotent power to bring everything under His control (Philippians 3:20-21).</div><br /><br /><div>As Christians, we are to be the most optimistic people in the world. We know how all of this ends. Our mission, in the meantime, is to be Gospel busy. Multitudes of people are in need of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He is the only hope for America and the world. Imagine if all of us were as willing to share our faith as we are to share our disgust over health care. Imagine if we used even the same amount of energy lifting up Christ as we do voicing our disagreement with politicians. </div><br /><br /><div>The things we see shaping America are not the real problem. Abortion is not the problem! Homosexuality is not the problem! Pornography is not the problem! Socialism is not the problem! Should we take a stand and speak the truth about these things? Yes! But let us remember, as someone once said, "The heart of the problem is the problem of the heart!" The things I just listed, as well as multitudes of others, are merely the symptoms of the real issue. The real issue is sin! The only cure is Jesus Christ! If we spend all of our energy fighting the symptoms, while ignoring the real issue, we accomplish little. As Dr. Adrian Rogers once said, at best we make the world a better place from which to go to hell. </div><br /><br /><div>In the opening chapters of Romans, Paul painted a very accurate and vivid picture of the world. In his description, he listed many of the symptoms of a sinful society. It is a picture that clearly resembles modern day America (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%201:18-32&version=NIV">Romans 1:18-31</a>). Paul went on in the following two chapters making it clear that all of humanity suffers from the same disease...sin. Then in <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%203:21-26&version=NIV">3:21-26</a>, he pointed to the only hope, Jesus Christ. My friends, that is the same task you and I have been commissioned by our Lord to fulfill, the proclamation of the Gospel to all people. Without Christ, our neighbors are going to hell even if they agree with us over health care. </div><br /><br /><div>My prayer is that each of us see the real issue, and that all of our worldly frustrations would become burdened hearts for the lost in need of the Gospel. Don't miss the opportunities all around you. </div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div>Jeff Boxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194796840632401998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500305987545056707.post-62163353034539112782010-02-16T13:55:00.004-05:002010-02-16T15:16:00.298-05:00When Life Just Hurts<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1M9b8UnkJbE/S3r6u4PAZOI/AAAAAAAAAFA/ZJDruh97Heo/s1600-h/Tear.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 146px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438935183279547618" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1M9b8UnkJbE/S3r6u4PAZOI/AAAAAAAAAFA/ZJDruh97Heo/s200/Tear.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Every once in a while, as we are going along about our everyday business, enjoying life, something happens that puts us flat on our face. A crisis happens that is sometimes life changing in nature. The pain from such events runs deep, crushing the heart, and robbing us of whatever false sense of self-security we possessed. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I have faced such events. I was living in New Orleans in 2005, carrying out life as usual when in early August my grandmother died from brain cancer. A few short weeks later, Hurricane Katrina knocked me to my knees. Following that event, my family lived in devastated New Orleans East (including time in a tent and a fema trailor) helping to rebuild. Nine months later, my grandfather died with cancer. Seven months later, my other grandfather died with cancer. Six months later, God relocated us to another state (a great move, but a life change nonetheless). Seven months later, my dad died with cancer.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Trials come. As I write this, my wife recently had a miscarriage. She was pregnant with our fourth child. This was a crushing blow. Yes, sometimes life hurts bad!!!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>One of the most challenging passages in Scripture is found in James 1:2-4, <em>"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." <strong>Consider it pure joy?</strong> </em>That is a phrase that must sound like complete ignorance to the unspiritual mind!! But then again, the joy that James refers to is supernatural. This joy is not circumstantial, but flows from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. James MacDonald wrote concerning this joy, <em>"A supernatural delight in the purposes of God means you know there is something bigger than yourself going on here. There's something unfolding that is so far beyond the here and now. God has a purpose. Joy in trials says, 'I'm going to find a way to trust Him even though I'm not seeing Him.'"</em></div><br /><div><em></em></div><br /><div>Life in Christ is the superior life. As Christians, we face the trials and difficulties of this fallen world like others. The difference is we understand and trust that God is doing something that our minds cannot comprehend in the moment. We trust that somehow, someway, He, in His Sovereignty, will work this thing out for our good and His glory (Romans 8). </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Every trial gives us the opportunity to display the supremancy of life lived in Christ. Although everything in this life may fail, Christ remains!! The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 73, <em>"Whom have I in Heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart</em> <strong>(and everything else)</strong><em> may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever"</em> (Bold in parenthesis mine). Horatio Spafford said it well in the great old hymn <em>IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL</em>, "Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, let this blest assurance control, that Christ has regarded my helpless estate, and hath shed His own blood for my soul."</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>As you read this, maybe you are experiencing some trials. If you have not given your life to Christ, I do pray that you will repent of sin and place your trust in Christ alone for salvation. Until you do that, you will never experience the joy through trials mentioned above. That joy is reserved only for Christians. If you are a Christian, hang on! Don't give up! In the words of Charles Spurgeon, <em>"There is One who careth for you. His eye is fixed on you, His heart beats with pity for your woe, and His hand omnipotent shall yet bring you the needed help."</em> AMEN!!</div><br /><div></div>Jeff Boxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194796840632401998noreply@blogger.com1