Leader's Lens

Wednesday: The Memorial Service

2008-07-09T22:12:00.004-05:00

Each year at the International Conference of Police Chaplains Annual Training Seminar, a memorial service is conducted for all law enforcement officers who died in the last 12 months. The Memorial Service was held this afternoon. Below is a picture of part of the crowd.

The Mobile Police Department's Honor Guard after the service.

The local Sheriff's Honor Guard also participated.

The Bagpipes are part of the memorial tradition. Here, the piper is still playing after leaving the auditorium.

The Bugler, part of Mobile PD's Honor Guard, prepares to play Taps.

Wednesday: The Classes

2008-07-09T18:00:00.001-05:00

Today's classes covered improving your relations with the department you serve, and how to respond to terrorism and disasters. Lighting is poor in the classrooms, so I don't have many photos of the sessions.

Wednesday: The Press Conference

2008-07-09T17:23:00.000-05:00

Our hotel is next door to the Mobile Government Building. On my way back to the hotel for lunch, I noticed several television trucks surrounding the building, so I went inside to check things out. You can see three of the antennas in this photo.

Inside, I discovered that Mobile's mayor was scheduled to comment on the recent Department of Defense decision regarding the new KC 45 Tanker airplane project that was supposed to come to south Alabama. A small crowd was waiting in the inside courtyard for the major to appear.

While they were waiting for the mayor, the news teams interviewed the chairman of their county commission. He is talking with one of the reporters below.

The mayor appears. One of the reporters is helping him get 'wired' up.

The reporters waiting for the Mayor to finish so they can ask questions.

Mobile's Mayor making his remarks. Note the model airplane over his shoulder.

After it became obvious that no one was going to ask for my reaction, I decided to go to lunch. The Reuben sandwich was pretty good.

Flowers in Mobile

2008-07-09T10:00:00.001-05:00

More flowers for Anita.

Tuesday Classes

2008-07-08T20:43:00.003-05:00

Chaplain Terry Morgan from Placer County, California, led a session on how chaplains can work with special law enforcement groups such as SWAT teams, bike patrols, etc. He is a full-time chaplain and serves all the law enforcement agencies in his county.

Jennifer Thacker is the National President of C.O.P.S. (Concerns Of Police Survivors). Her husband was killed while on duty ten years ago. She taught how chaplains can assist families of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. She is an excellent presenter.

Mindi Russell is a chaplain from Sacramento, California, who has worked with over 140 families who have lost loved ones in the line of duty. Her class discussed how to provide services, funerals, and aftercare for surviving family members.

Glenn Archer, Ed. D., lives in Mobile. He taught a class on how chaplains can help police officers prepare for retirement. Since recent studies show that many former officers die within five years after retiring, they need more than just good financial planning. He presented points on a ten-year plan that will help turn those statistics around.

ICPC President, Wesley McDuffie, behind his computer at the registration desk.

Mobile Training Continued: Monday Night...Still

2008-07-08T20:32:00.002-05:00

Along with the good food on Monday night, the Mobile folks lined the streets with antique cars and police equipment.

Mobile Training Continued: Monday Night

2008-07-08T20:14:00.002-05:00

Sean Libby, a chaplain with the Montgomery County Maryland Sheriff's Department, and I braved the huge line of chaplains gathering in the Government Building Courtyard for an evening meal that was billed as a shrimp boil. There was more chicken served than shrimp, but it was all very good - and was provided by the ICPC folks in Mobile. Thank you!

A jazz band let the group as they marched down the street from their hotel to the Government Courtyard. We only had to walk across the street, but we still enjoyed the music.

The starting line at the 'shrimp boil'.

Mobile Training Continued: Our Hotel

2008-07-08T20:00:00.002-05:00

The convention hotel was full by the time I registered, so a few dozen of us were sent a couple of blocks down the street to the Admiral Semmes Hotel.

The Admiral Semmes is right next to the Government Building in Mobile. Lots of old trees line the street.

Inside the lobby, a chandelier hangs inside a circle of mirrors.

And for Anita, this is the flower arrangement that sits directly under the chandelier in the center of the lobby.

Police Chaplains - Mobile, Alabama

2008-07-07T16:52:00.006-05:00

I am attending the International Conference of Police Chaplains (ICPC) 35th Annual Training Seminar in Mobile, Alabama, this week. This is truly an international event: I've met chaplains from Bulgaria, South Africa, and Saipan.

Only my children will understand - but this is a picture of the drapes in the hotel. (I have just justified the cost of this trip in my wife's eyes).

A 'real' Southern Belle in downtown Mobile.

Part of the police vehicles on display - this one courtesy of the Mobile Police.

I attended two classes today. My morning session was led by a chaplain from the Honolulu Police Department and discussed how chaplains should be involved in working with new police recruits.

In the afternoon, I attended a class dealing with school violence. The Pennsylvania State Police Chaplain who responded to the shooting at the Amish School shared his experiences. He is pictured below.

I'll add more photos later.

America, God, and Politics

2008-01-31T12:22:00.000-06:00

Those who whine that God has no place in American politics are publicizing their own ignorance of American history.

God was there in the beginning. Our founding fathers unashamedly proclaimed their dependance upon His Providence, and without hesitation sought His blessings upon every act and venture.

It is impossible to read of the lives or to peruse the writings of any of the patriots who established this nation without noticing their solemn and frequent references to God and the Bible.

Indeed, two scholars studied the writings of America’s forefathers. They reviewed over 17,200 books and articles written by colonial leaders between the years 1760 - 1805. These two men discovered that 34% of all supporting references listed in these documents came directly from the Bible.

Our fathers not only accepted God’s existence, but humbly sought His blessing.

Despite what your television or newspaper tells you, America was founded upon Christian principles.

In 1642, Harvard University told its students: “Let every Student be plainly instructed, and earnestly pressed to consider well, the main end of his life and studies is, to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life.”

John Witherspoon was a preacher who signed the Declaration of Independence. As president of what is now Princeton University, He saw 114 of his graduates become ministers, 13 governors, 3 US Supreme Court judges, 20 United States Senators, 33 US Congressmen, and 1 President and Vice President. 9 of the 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention were graduates of his college. In his sermon on May 17, 1776, he said, “He is the best friend of American liberty who is most sincere and active in promoting true and undefiled religion and who sets himself with the greatest firmness to bear down profanity and immorality of every kind.”

God and character mattered back then.

George Mason was the richest man in Virginia in 1776. But more important than the 95,000 acres that he owned was the Virginia Bill of Rights which he authored. In one article of that Bill, George Mason said, “...the duty we owe our Creator, and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and convictions...it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian forbearance, love and charity towards each other.”

His fellow Virginian and The Father of Our Country, George Washington, in his 1789 Inaugural Address said, “The ...smiles of heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which heaven itself has ordained.”

McGuffey’s Reader first appeared in 1836 and was the most widely used reading text in American public schools until 1920. The forward of that book declares, “The Christian religion is the religion of our country. From it are derived our prevalent notions of the character of God, the great moral governor of the universe. On its doctrines are founded the peculiarities of our free institutions.”

During the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln overheard someone say that he hoped the Lord was on the Union’s side. President Lincoln replied, “I am not at all concerned about that, for I know that the Lord is always on the side of the right. But it is my constant anxiety and prayer that I and this nation should be on the Lord’s side.”

It is fitting that the last act of Congress signed by Abraham Lincoln before he was killed was the one requiring that the motto “In God We Trust” be inscribed upon all our nation’s coins.

Less than 50 years ago, our United States Supreme Court decided that it is unamerican to allow public school teachers to lead their students in prayer. But the United States Supreme Court in 1892 stated that “Our laws and our institutions must necessarily be based upon and embody the teachings of the Redeemer of mankind. It is impossible that it should be otherwise; and in this sense and to this extent our civilization and our institutions are emphatically Christian.”

William McKinley became president in 1897. Speaking of the Bible President McKinley said, “The more profoundly we study this wonderful Book, and the more closely we observe its divine precepts, the better citizens we will become and the higher will be our destiny as a nation.”

In his Inaugural Address on March 4, 1925, President Calvin Coolidge said, “America seeks no empires built on blood and forces...she cherishes no purpose save to merit the favor of Almighty God.”

In September 1946 the Dallas Public Schools allowed high school students to earn ½ credit toward graduation for attending Bible classes taught at their church or Sunday School.

Harry Truman became president in 1949 and stated in his first address to Congress, “At this moment I have in my heart a prayer. As I have assumed my heavy duties, I humbly pray to Almighty God in the words of King Solomon, ‘Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people that I may discern between good and bad’...I ask only to be a good and faithful servant of my Lord and my people.”

On December 5, 1974, President Gerald Ford remarked that, “Without God there could be no American form of government, nor an American way of life. Recognition of the Supreme Being is the first and most basic expression of Americanism. Thus the founding fathers of America saw it, and thus with God’s help, it will continue to be.”

In the 1980's President Ronald Reagan warned us that "if we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a Nation gone under.”

But not too long ago, a motion in the US House of Representatives calling for a national day of prayer and fasting failed to garner enough votes to pass. I suppose that these days some are too sophisticated and too well learned to waste time in prayer. Fortunately for us all, the 55 men gathered at the Constitutional Convention did not think so highly of themselves and approved Ben Franklin’s motion to begin each day’s discussion with prayer.

The only hope for America today is the same hope that encouraged men to risk their lives and fortunes to break the chains of tyranny and forge a new government, of the people, by the people, and for the people. That hope was the assurance that they were following the beckoning light shining from the hand of God.

As they were committed to pursue liberty to the death if necessary, let us resolve to hold God and His word high until all, from sea to shining sea, recognize that the same God who inspired and protected our forefathers by His providence stands ready to provide that same service to us.

The only hope for America is for America to return to God who made her strong.

©2008 Doug Ellingsworth

Fine Dining In Sikeston

2007-12-14T23:09:00.000-06:00

Our friends from Sikeston, Missouri, the Whitmans, visited us in Dyersburg last week. Unfortunately, no one remembered to bring a camera. So I dug into the files and found a couple of photos from one of our visits to Sikeston a few months ago. We enjoyed a fine meal together, without bread flying through the air, then toured the church where they serve as pastors.

The Whitman Family

The Ellingsworth and Whitman fathers and sons.

The ladies. Observing their expressions, they must be discussing their husbands.

This is how they look when they know we are watching.

I look forward to more times shared with the Whitmans. The older I grow the more I share the sentiments of Abraham Lincoln. "The better part of one's life consists of his friendships."

Approved Crisis Intervention Instructor

2007-12-14T22:44:00.000-06:00

I recently attended a training seminar in Myrtle Beach and qualified to be an Approved Instructor through the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation. I have put together a training series to help churches prepare for crisis, and this ICISF course adds another important component. Most churches are not prepared to deal with the serious events that will, at some point, strike their congregations. I am hoping to help many churches become better prepared.

Beautiful Myrtle Beach - the view from the hotel. Even though it was cool in November, it was a wonderful time to visit. No crowds!

A partial view of the class. Only 26 people were in the class, but at least five countries were represented.

A look at some of those from foreign countries. Japan...Hong Kong...Rhode Island. :)

D-Day World War II Museum

2007-11-19T23:25:00.000-06:00

My son, Jonathan, and I celebrated his 15th birthday by visiting the D-Day Museum in New Orleans a few weeks ago.

Jonathan standing beside a Higgins boat. These boats were built in New Orleans and were used throughout WWII - but most famously to transport hundreds of thousands of soldiers into Normandy on D-Day.

Two members of the 101st Airborne, their stories made famous by the HBO series developed from Stephen Ambrose's book Band of Brothers, were there that day. These men were signing copies of their newly released book.

Jonathan visiting with "Babe" Heffron and "Wild Bill" Guarnere.
Bill parachuted into France the night before D-Day. He was later injured at Bastogne.
Babe joined Easy Company as a replacement and was among the first US troops to enter Hilter's mountain retreat in Berchtesgaden.

Fellowship In Tulsa

2007-10-06T20:03:00.000-05:00

Tulsa - January 2007

Pointing to changes made at the just-concluded General Conference, some self-described 'conservative' apostolic ministers have secured a 2,000 seat convention center in Tulsa for a "where-do-we-go-from-here?" meeting in January 2008. Apparently somebody thinks that hundreds of ministers are ready to ditch the UPCI in favor of a new and improved network of fellowship.

I have no issue with men coming and going, moving from this organization to another. A commitment to God's Word is the essential pledge, not an affiliation with some organization. But this shuffling of membership cards provides one who is staying an opportunity to make a couple of observations as I watch from the sidelines.

I hope that those leaving realize that they will take a huge dose of human nature with them when they go. Complaints about weak leadership, disagreements on standards, musical preferences, and a thousand other issues will arise within hours of the new alliances being forged. Even among conservatives there are conservatives. Once the honeymoon is over the same thing they've complained about here will show up there. Weakness in the pulpit. Worldliness in the pew. Weird behavior at youth conventions. That's just the way it is. Those things show up wherever humans gather. Even Holy Ghost-filled humans.

What is the value of organization - or whatever you choose to label your ministerial alliances? For many, it seems that friendship and common ideals are the basis for fellowship agreements. Missing from most discussions I've heard recently is what I consider to be the most significant reason to seek or abandon an organization: obedience to the Great Commission. I am grateful that I've found friends within my fellowship, but God did not promise me that I'd be popular when He called me to preach. I am glad that I know some ministers who agree with my personal standards, but God did not ask my opinion regarding His Word. But He did, quite clearly and distinctly, demand that I do my part in reaching the lost world with His Gospel. I hear a lot of talk these days about aligning with those who embrace my standards, but I don't hear much being said about how can we do a better job of delivering the apostolic message to a vastly underevangelised world. And for me, that is the major reason for alliances.

Which leads to observation number three. Is it possible that I can make decisions based on my personal standards that set me at odds with the Word of God? For instance, if I know that withdrawing my support from a truth-proclaiming fellowship may force them to pull missionaries off the field or will severely cripple ministries recently put in place, am I violating a higher law if my exit is based solely on a decision made that I THINK may have harmful consequences? At just what point do my personal convictions take precedent over specific scriptural commands? When does the bad that I think might occur in the future become more important than the good that is happening now? At what point am I justified in taking action that I know will negatively affect another's ministry? After all, God's church is just that - HIS, not mine.

Some will read these few lines and say I'm being unkind to those whose convictions compel them to depart. Not so. Not any more than those who are leaving insinuate that those of us who stay are Hollywood-loving compromisers. I write with no malice, and hope that every person finds whatever it is he seeks. But whether you stay or go, there will be other battles. More lines drawn in the sand. And when that day dawns, I pray that maintaining my personal convictions has not become more important to me than obeying His Word.

©2007 Doug Ellingsworth

The Unfun Task of Being Salt

2007-08-28T12:08:00.000-05:00

"Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men."

Matthew 5:13

Salt seasons your food, freezes your ice cream, and keeps your car from sliding on an icy street. It soothes your sore throat, counteracts the bitterness of acidic foods, and makes water boil faster.

And it makes you really thirsty.

Jesus said, “Ye are the salt of the earth.”

Salt is pinched, tossed, passed, and shaken. It's kept in boxes, tins, shakers, and bags. It is thrown in water, sprinkled on raw meat, spun around and around inside ice cream freezers, and dumped on highways.

Jesus said, “Ye are the salt of the earth.”

Salt is versatile. Its use depends upon the need. And Jesus said, “Ye are the salt of the earth.”

Salt is applied in various ways. Its application depends upon the need. And Jesus said, “Ye are the salt of the earth.”

It is interesting to note in the Sermon on the Mount just where Jesus slipped in the comment about His people being the salt of the earth. He had just finished reminding them that they will be persecuted for righteousness. And right after He tells them that they are the salt of the earth, He launches into a lengthy discussion about how important it is for them to obey the law - but not just the rules of the law, but the principles and spirit behind those rules.

Very little of the world's vast quanities of salt is resting quietly inside cut crystal shakers on marble-topped tables in five star restaurants. Most is being used to help something else become better and will be unnoticed in the process. No fun. No flamboyance.

The Christian life is a great one, but it was never designed to be a life of luxurious leisure. The call is not to line up for an earthly coronation, but to present yourself for the Master's service. Wherever and however He chooses. It's about righteousness and obedience.

Jesus said, “Ye are the salt of the earth.”

Live righteously. Obey God’s word.

Be what He needs. When He needs it. Where He needs it. To be applied as He prescribes.

You are the salt of the earth.

©2007 Doug Ellingsworth

A Pastor's Vision

2007-08-15T11:49:00.000-05:00

Apostolic revival and church growth will never be achieved by a cold-hearted application of business principles. Before any business method will spur a church forward, there must first be a spiritual hunger that drives a pastor to be possessed and led of the Spirit. A fire must burn in his soul. Passion must beat in his heart. He has got to know where he is going. He must know that he is following the direction of the Holy Ghost in pursuing the goals that he has set. That assurance will only come in concentrated and intense prayer that is part of a consistent walk with God.

Being committed to working for God is not enough. The Holy Ghost must be the pastor’s motivator. In his leadership lectures, Nathaniel J. Wilson, pastor of The Rock Church in Sacramento, California, points out that Saul of Tarsus was a man with a mission, but until he had a spiritual encounter and received a vision from the Lord, he was killing instead of building. A man’s burden and desire to please God must be strong enough to drive him to pray and fast until he can see the vision that God has for his ministry and the church that he leads.

The spirit does a work that cannot be accomplished by any other method. No book or lecture, no pilgrimage to any holy shrine, can have the profound impact upon a man that compares to a holy encounter with God. It not only empowers the person, but, if given free course, will change the way he thinks and will adjust his values and expectations.

There is no way that a preacher can be equipped to deal with the myriad of issues that this mach-paced, out-of-control society spawns unless he has a fervent and close relationship with the God who watches over it. This mind-affecting work of the spirit is essential. Gordon Sullivan, in his book Hope Is Not A Method, says that “without the tough up-front work of intellectual change, physical change will be unfocused, random, and unlikely to succeed.”

Our vision must flow from a mind that has been transformed by the Holy Ghost. That doesn't come by reading books. It only comes when we spend time in His presence.

©2007 Doug Ellingsworth (From a series on strategic planning)

Why Should I Be Thankful?

2007-08-13T12:11:00.000-05:00

Ask Matthew Henry who was robbed of all the money he had. In his diary that day, he wrote: “Let me be thankful first, because I was never robbed before; second, because although they took my purse, they did not take my life; third, because, although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed”.

The Heart of Leadership

2007-08-11T11:17:00.001-05:00

The heart of leadership is integrity.

Let that simmer in your mind for a moment.

Dishonesty may hide behind talent and skill for a while, but the rotten fibers will eventually corrupt the whole cloth, and what lies beneath will be exposed. It is simply a matter of time.

God pointed this out when He mediated a dispute within the very first human family. Cain was mad at his brother. The Lord tried to reason with him, but Cain refused to listen. God’s short statement to him remains a warning to us. If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door (Genesis 4:7).

Purposely choose to do something other than right and sin will ultimately be your ruin. It is only a matter of time. Cain’s lack of integrity - his refusal to be honest with himself - drove a wedge between him and his brother, his parents, and his God.

No integrity? No leader.

An old banker told me that being honest is like being pregnant. You either are or you ain’t.

It is big news when a Christian leader is caught in sin. Bigger yet if his sin involves sex or money. Watch out if it includes both sex and money. The media will dance with glee for months. Another hypocrite exposed! One more shyster revealed!

If it were possible to rewind the years and review choices made by those who have fallen, we would find that most of them did not have a sex or money problem. Yes, those two were ultimately their downfall, but the real issue, the silent killer, was a lack of integrity. Adultery and greed get all the headlines, but the fellow who determines whether you succeed or fail is always integrity. Somewhere in the history of the fallen they willingly made a decision that compromised their integrity. It may have seemed to be a small matter at the time, but corruption is like a cat. It will slip through the smallest of openings. Give it no chance.

Work to improve your talents, strive to increase your knowledge, but let integrity always be your first, and highest, priority.

©2007 Doug Ellingsworth

The Wonder Of Being Called

2007-05-21T14:07:00.001-05:00

Luke 1:26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
Luke 1:27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
Luke 1:28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
Luke 1:29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
Luke 1:30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

Luke 1:46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
Luke 1:47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
Luke 1:48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
Luke 1:49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.

Mary was in awe of God's call. The cost of fulfilling that call was not an issue with her. It's as if none of that mattered. That God would even consider using her was amazing - and she rejoiced.

Are you still amazed that God would call you? Or have you become so busy and accomplished that walking with Him has become commonplace?

Are you so focused on your own things that you have never sensed the wonder of the call?

Have you gotten so busy seeking your own fortune that you have missed the wonder of His call?

Lord, may I never lose the excitement and wonder of being called.

The wonder is not that I am wise enough to recognize that serving God is the best way to live. The wonder is that He would welcome me in and open my understanding to His wisdom.

The wonder is not that I came fully equipped to lead, but that He took one the crowd would most likely ignore and changed him into a vessel that He wanted and desired.

The wonder is not I am good enough to meet God’s qualifications. The wonder is that He would choose me to equip.

The wonder is not that I was pure and clean and a perfect fit for His holiness. The wonder is that He took an unclean human and wrapped me in His own righteousness so that I might enter His presence.

Psalm 8:3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
Psalm 8:4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
Psalm 8:5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

May I never become so successful...or in demand...or accomplished...or carnal...or mechanical...or busy...or satisfied - that I no longer stand in awe and sense the wonder of His call.

©2007 Doug Ellingsworth

Why I Stay

2007-01-10T21:33:00.000-06:00

As my 30th anniversary as a ‘card-carrying’ preacher looms just beyond the horizon, two haunting questions keep replaying in my mind. Where did the years go? is the first one. All the old timers told me that I’d ask myself this question someday. I guess someday finally got here, but it didn’t take nearly as long as I thought it would. No sense wasting time talking to you about this question. You are either asking yourself the same question, or are wondering why people keep telling you that you one day will. If you are there, you already understand. If you aren’t, nothing I say will make much sense. So I guess I’ll move on to question number two.

Why do some preachers take their organizational affiliation so lightly? No, I don’t think that only those who join up with me are the only ones going to heaven, so let’s set that aside right up front. But for the life of me, I can’t understand how some use their affiliation like it was a poker chip in some high stakes stand-off. I’ve heard statements like, “If that passes, I’ll toss my card on the floor and walk out!” Not long ago I heard someone say, “This card is just that: a card. I can preach with it and I can preach without it. Makes no difference to me.”

Maybe I was born in the wrong era, but I thought you signed up with a specific denomination for a reason. When God called me to preach, He seemed mighty serious about it. So when I felt it was time to launch out, I took a serious look at all my options. I could go it alone and build my own church and fellowship group. I liked the idea of having the whole world gathered around my pulpit without me having to jump through all the organizational hoops or upsetting another pastor who thought I was getting on his turf. But the longer I pondered things, the more I realized that there was a better way. So here is why, after almost 30 years, I am still carrying a card and I can’t use it as a bargaining chip.

1. I choose this denomination because it best represents what I believe the New Testament church should be. Namely,believers committed both to the message the Apostles preached and to making disciples on every square inch of the Earth. I didn’t join because it’s a family tradition or because all my friends gather here. I didn’t sign up to become an organizational lackey hoping someday to inherit a position. I got on board because I sincerely believe that this machine, though slow and awkward it may be, is the best option available to reach the world with this message.

2. "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners;" (1 Timothy 1:15). Jesus did not come so that I might have a group of buddies to preach for and pal around with. He came to save sinners. Jesus did not come so that a congregation would form and pool their tithes to support me. He came to save sinners. Jesus did not come so that I would have conferences to attend to keep me stirred and anointed. He came to save sinners. Jesus did not come so that I could find some measure of fame as a preacher or orator. He came to save sinners.

If He came to save sinners and I say I am called to continue His work, how can I treat my organizational affiliation with casual indifference? Either we are aggressively trying to save sinners or we aren't. If we are, then everything else is secondary and we can work our differences out. If we aren't, then nothing else matters and we need to get with a group who is.

My choice to stay or leave will effect how successful I am at accomplishing what He has called me to do. How can I shrug my shoulders and say it's no big deal?

***More To Come***

©2007 Doug Ellingsworth

On Preaching

2007-01-09T00:02:00.000-06:00

Stan Cook, of the McGruders and Tupelo Children's Mansion fame, spoke at a banquet I recently attended. As he described what people deserve from preachers, I combined a couple of his points about preaching and came up with the following statement on the process of preaching.

"People know if you are delivering the mail or just picking up a check."

Resolutions

2007-01-05T12:34:00.000-06:00

Some folks plan to remodel their lives every December 31st. All that's wrong will be made right, all that's bad will, in a few short days, become good.

I don't object to New Year's Resolutions, but most are not resolutions at all. They are wishes and cravings; things desired, but not required. If we can acquire them without too much personal effort, we will embrace them and rejoice. But if the pursuit turns into work, we'll let them go, content with what we have. Until next December 31 when we'll start the process all over.

This year I've resolved to read the Bible through again. I laid out my plan and I'm off and running. (Waddling is more like it.) And wouldn't you know it? Right at the start, the very first verse, I got a lesson on resolutions.

"In the beginning God" is how the Bible begins. May everything that we resolve to do originate with God. Earning more money, starting a new career, becoming a better father - all of these are are splendid decisions, but unless the motivation comes from God's Word and call, next December will find us, perhaps with a new job and more money, but, still dissatisfied.

At the beginning of creation, the earth was a lifeless and shapeless mass. But when God spoke, His Word brought light, form, and purpose. The potential had always existed, but it took the spirit and word of God to give it life.

Those resolutions that spring from the principles of God's word and are molded in a soul full of God's spirit have the potential to expand far beyond the resolver's initial intent. "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us," (Ephesians 3:20).

It important to have God at the beginning and in the middle of all that we do.

But what about the end?

I haven't finished reading the Bible through this year, but I cheated and skipped to the back. Remember what it says? "Surely I come quickly" (Revelation 22:20).

If we resolve to keep Him at the beginning of every decision and allow His spirit and word to shape and define our lives, we will not be caught by surprise at His quick return.

If we keep Him at the beginning and in the middle, He will take care of the ending.

He said He would keep that which was committed to Him (2 Timothy 1:12). And He keeps His resolutions.

©2007 Doug Ellingsworth

The Best Gifts

2006-12-24T16:29:00.000-06:00

God's best gifts are family and friends.

We decided to break-up our annual Christmas journey to Oklahoma by spending one night in Branson, Missouri. We checked into the motel and discovered that some old friends had chosen to stay at the same place - David and Royce Henderson and their sons, Shane and Todd. The Henderson family were members of the church my grandfather pastored in Sacramento, California, way back in the 1960's. Dave now pastors Calvary Apostolic Church in Kennett, Missouri.

Here are the kids. Shane and Todd Henderson on the left, next to Kayla, Jana, and Jonathan Ellingsworth.

Serious discussion while waiting on the main course.

We enjoyed the unexpected pleasure of their company.

Our church's Christmas banquet was held at the Dyer County Fairgrounds this year. We have outgrown our Fellowship Hall and are in the process of building a new Family Life Center. (More about that later.)

We had a great meal, catered by Randy Vinson from Tupelo, Mississippi, and first-class entertainment.

Tyler Wilbourn, in the photo above, liked the decorations, but was undecided about a kiss from his cousin, Jana.

I wish you all a merry and blessed Christmas, and hope you especially enjoy God's best gifts this holiday season!

Merry Christmas

2006-12-15T13:42:00.000-06:00

The Family

Thanks to all who have stopped by the past several days - and found only the same 'ol thing. I'll try to remedy that soon....

My wife had emergency surgery Thanksgiving weekend, so we have been experiencing a lifestyle change. Those used to being waited on are now trying to figure out how things work around the house. Thank the Lord for three children big enough to look after themselves - and who enjoy antagonizing their, at least for the moment, helpless mother. God help them when she gets well!

I'll have new things posted soon, but in the meantime, here are some other blogs to check out.

www.principledriven.org

www.barnabas14blog.blogspot.com

www.donryan.typepad.com

Lord, Bid Me Come!

2006-11-30T13:47:00.001-06:00

I'd like to know what Peter was thinking as he clung to the sides of the boat and stared at the dark form moving toward him on the waves. Was he remembering something Jesus had said or done earlier? Did he experience a sudden rush of faith? Was he scared out of his wits? Whatever it was moved him to call out, "Lord, bid me come!"

Bid me come.

"God, this storm is so strong that I can't keep my boat on course, but tell me to leave the only security I have and face it head-on."

"God, the waves are rising higher than my boat, but tell me to get out and walk on them."

"God, the night is so black and I am more than a little disoriented, but tell me to leave my friends and march into the darkness alone."

"God, the howling wind is mocking me, but tell me to get up and walk to meet it."

What in the world was he thinking?

While I don't know what ran through Peter's head on that dreadful evening, I have learned that relationships are strengthened during storms. Soldiers sharing a foxhole in battle. Neighbors huddled in a basement riding out a tornado. Teenagers crammed in a dormitory during their first semester in college. Tough times forge unbreakable bonds.

Bad times build good relationships - and strong people. Peter may not have known exactly why he said what he did that stormy night, but his cry to the Lord is a sermon for you and me.

Dark nights provide opportunities to draw closer to Jesus. Resisting contrary winds builds spiritual stamina. Facing storms develops courage. Walking on waves lifts faith. Hearing His voice above the wind says He is near.

So in the storm, ask Him to call you closer. In the process of enduring the hard times, you get all you need - and He gets a disciple He knows He can trust and depend on.

I love the way Edgar Lee Masters says it.
"I have studied many times the marble which was chiseled for me. A boat with a furled sail at rest in a harbor. In truth, it pictures not my destination, but my life. For love was offered me and I shrank from its disillusionment; sorrow knocked at my door, but I was afraid; ambition called to me, but I dreaded the chances. Yet all the while, I hungered for meaning in my life. And now I know that we must lift the sail and catch the winds of destiny wherever they drive the boat. To put meaning in one's life may end in madness, but life without meaning is the torture of restless and vague desire. It is a boat longing for the sea and yet afraid."

(This post is taken from a book I am writing called When The Last Leaf Falls. You may read other chapters at my website.

©2006 Doug Ellingsworth

When The Preacher Is Finished

2006-11-28T14:24:00.000-06:00

This past Thanksgiving, I spoke at our community's annual Thanksgiving service. Here is the rough draft I prepared. It is unedited and sloppy, but I wanted to share the thought.
--------

We gather tonight to celebrate another year of God’s blessings upon our families and our community. I realize that much of our blessings are the result of a direct and consistent application of hard work, yet I know that the good sense to appreciate the value of work, the knowledge to know how to work, the skill to apply that knowledge, and the health to accomplish it all comes from the Lord.

As I ponder His goodness, I eventually get to the thought ‘How do I make sure that God’s blessings continue in the years to come?” How do I insure that my children enjoy His benefits even when I am gone?

I found some help in a sermon Moses preached.

Deu 5:33 Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.

Knowing a good bit of the story, I remember that Israel didn’t always follow Moses’ advice. The writer of the book of Hebrews also noticed.

Heb 4:2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

They had the good news preached to them, but because they only heard it but did not live it, they never experienced it.

The same opportunity is presented to us.

I realized that my blessings, and my children’s blessings, are not sealed and delivered by the preacher’s words. My blessing is determined by what I do once the preacher is finished.

What makes our country great and our families blessed is not the endless supply of good sermons that are preached every week. But the fate of nations and the quality of lives are determined by what we do when the preacher is finished.

I want to establish at the very beginning that a preacher is necessary.
Rom 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

I am not saved because I heard a preacher tell of Jesus and His cross. What I did when the preacher was finished will determine my eternal future.

I am not a Christian because I hear my pastor preach twice each week. What I do when the preacher is finished is what makes me whatever I am.

I am not a good father just because I take my family to church. What I do when church is over is what identifies what kind of man I am.

I am not a good citizen because I’ve heard sermons about praying for governors and paying my taxes. What I do when the sermon is concluded defines what kind of citizen I am.

I am not honest just because I said amen when the preacher said we should always tell the truth. What I do after the preacher sits down reveals the depth of my integrity.

Your relationship with God is not defined by how well you listen to the sermon; your relationship with God is determined by what you do when the preacher is finished.

In hindsight, we criticize the Israelites for not listening to Moses and refusing to accept his leadership, yet with all that history to enlighten us, we forget what our preacher said before Deacon Willet has said the closing prayer. And by the time we hit the food bar at Ryan’s, we’ve already decided that his opinion is really no better than anybody else’s, and so we’ll just keep on doing like we’ve always done.

Let me remind you again of what the writer of Hebrews was trying to tell us. If we ignore the Word of the Lord like Israel did, we will wind up like they did. Always wandering, but never finding their place. God supplied all their needs, but they were never content. They never found that rest, the peace their soul desired.

In the morning service this past Sunday, we set aside a few minutes to allow anyone who wanted to stand and state what they were thankful for. For most of us, the list went like this: Salvation, Family, Country, Friends, and Things.

Preserving these blessing depends on what we do when the preacher is finished.

Salvation
The Book of Acts is the only book in the Bible that contains sermons preached to those outside the church telling them how to get in. But in each instance, what the preacher said was not the deciding factor. It was what those listening did after the preacher was finished. From Jerusalem to Samaria, to Ephesus and beyond, churches were established when men and women responded when the preacher was finished.

Beginning with the book of Romans, the apostles sent letters to those who responded to their preaching telling them how to transition from a law-based to a faith-based relationship with God.

Your salvation depends upon you taking action after the preacher is finished.

Family
Just because the preachers says “till death do you part” does not mean it will automatically happen. The success and happiness of your marriage, and ultimately your family, depends on what you do once the preacher is finished.

Love is not the rush you get when you see that cute new girl at work. Love is the responsibility that makes you get in your truck and drive home to your wife and kids when you know that you could have made it with that sweet young thing.

Don’t pat yourself on the back because you finally got the courage to shake loose from the restraints of your dull old life and are now chasing your dreams. It might not be too many mornings before you wake up and realize you are living a nightmare.

True meaning and self-esteem flows from your relationship with Christ. Without that in place, everything else will eventually disappoint.

We seldom come to church…the name of Jesus is only spoken in our homes when we are either scared or mad…and then we wonder why our families are fractured.

We won’t miss a ball game, school dinner, turkey shoot, or square dance, but think nothing of skipping church. When the fair is in town, some will rush to the fairgrounds every evening as soon as they get off work and will stay until the gates are locked that night. Every night they’ll throw their money down for the same old hot dogs and cotton candy, they will ride the same old carnival rides, listen to the same old blaring music, and throw a ball and miss the same old target.

But come to church three times in one week? I’ve heard the lesson on tithing 36 times. I can recite the 23rd Psalm and I know all the pieces of the Great Commission. Why do I need to hear it again?

"Tell me, again, Brother Graves, why do you come to church? You can’t distinguish the words of the sounds or enjoy the music, and you can’t quite make out what the preacher says. Why do you come?"

“I come because I want the devil to know what side I’m on.”

Your family’s future depends on what you do when the preacher is finished.

Country
The prophet said if we would turn from our wicked ways and pray that God would heal our land.
2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Just listening to the preacher describe it will not make it happen. Bowing your head reverently while the pastor prays the Sunday before Election Day is not enough. You need to find your own quiet place and ask God’s blessing on our nation and commit your ways to Him.

Friends
Luk 6:27 -35 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also.
Luk 6:30 Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
Luk 6:32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

You may have wished I’d have talked about something different, but when we gather this time next year I want to be still enjoying the blessings of salvation, family, country, friends, and things. But whether we do or not all depends on the choices we each make. And all those choices take place after the preacher has finished.

Your future hinges on your response to God’s Word.

©2006 Doug Ellingsworth

90 & 9 Article

2006-11-17T09:25:00.000-06:00

For those who have been confused by the comments left on my Chaplains For Preachers post, I wrote a companion piece on 90 & 9, but instead of writing a straight-forward article, I used satire: "a literary composition, in verse or prose, in which human folly and vice are held up to scorn, derision, or ridicule." I have gotten some very interesting responses from folks who have never been exposed to satire. Instead of carrying on a lengthy discussion via the comments section, I'll address them here.

First, I want to thank those went to the trouble to write. I have read and appreciate each comment. If any of you come back to read this, visit my website and look over the books offered there. I'll send you one - free. You don't have to identify which position you took in our little discussion. Just tell me which book you want and give me a shipping address. And don't worry. None of the four listed there use satire.

Now, back to the 90 & 9 article.

Do we toss out writing techniques just because some folks aren't comfortable with them? No. They are all essential to effective communication. I understand that certain elements appeal to different audiences, but if people aren't familiar with them, we need to educate them.

How can anyone understand the Bible if they are not familiar with figures of speech and methods of literary expression? If you know nothing about Point of View, for instance, how do you teach from the book of Job? How do you explain Jesus saying that we should hate our parents (Luke 14), or Amos calling women cows (Amos 4)? If this generation doesn't understand figures of speech, how do you explain to them that when the Bible says "you will go to your fathers" it means you will die - not go home for the holidays?

As for satire, Paul may have used a little himself in Galatians 5:11-12. Elijah used elements of it when he taunted the prophets of Baal. So let me use my little piece, though poorly written it may be, to discuss the basics of satire.

1. When the message you are getting is opposed to what you know the source (in this case, 90&9) believes, the messenger is probably being sarcastic or using satire. I think I am correct in assuming that 90 & 9, while encouraging open expression, does not engage in people bashing.

2. When the title is a lie ("It Doesn't Happen Here!"), look out! The author may be using satire.

3. When the first line of the article is "It's good to see you all again" realize that the writer is creating a setting. He is transporting you to another place. That is a big clue that he wants to show you something.

4. When the writer uses abnormal expressions like "thankfully, we still had time to get together and kick him around a bit," he is probably giving you an important hint.

5. When he makes absurd comparisons, such as "(these preachers) are all alike. Start a church in their basement, work hard at it for years, build the weekly attendance up above 10,000..." there is a real good chance that the author is trying to illustrate how ridiculous some critics can be. (Do you know any preacher, other than Ted Haggard, who started a church in his basement and grew it to a congregation of more than 10,000?)

6. When the writer tosses in something that doesn't fit, such as "We've got to keep our shoulders back, faces grim, suits black, and lips stiff," a caution light should begin to flash.

7. When concluding the article, if the author says "I hate to leave so soon," he is probably reminding you that you have been transported from this real world into a make-believe one and that the journey is ending and you are about to be booted out of the travel machine.

There are a few more clues we could consider, but you didn't sign up for an english composition lecture and I'm not John Grisham.

I understand that the letters section of 90&9 will be interesting come next Monday.

Does anybody remember what we were talking about?

He's Been There

2006-11-14T20:03:00.000-06:00

We trust Jesus' sacrifice on Calvary. We rejoice that He rose from the grave. These events bring us into His presence and into a thriving relationship with Him.

But He did more during His 33 years on Earth than just become the sacrifice for our sins. His life, though short by our standards, was filled with experiences that make Him familiar with the paths we often trod.

Follow Him through the book of Matthew.

In chapter one, He leaves heaven and comes to Earth.

In chapter two, He is born in Bethlehem, then moves to Eygpt.

Chapter three finds Him in the wilderness of Judaea being baptized by John.

In chapter four, the Spirit leads Him into the wilderness, and then along the coast of Galilee.

Chapter five, He heads to the mountains to escape the crowds.

Eight, He ministers in the town of Capernaum, then takes a ship across the sea.

In chapter nine, He boards another vessel to return to His hometown, and ministers in villages.

He ministers in various cities in chapter eleven.

In chapter twelve, He goes through the corn.

Chapter thirteen finds Him sitting by the sea shore.

Chapter fourteen, He goes to a desert place, then walks on the water.

Chapter fifteen, He goes to Jerusalem, then to the sea, then to a mountain.

In chapter seventeen, He leads Peter, James, and John to an even higher mountain.

In chapter nineteen He crosses the Jordan River.

In chapter twenty-one, He visits the Mount of Olives, then throws the moneychangers out of the temple.

In chapter twenty-six we find Him back in Bethany, at the home of a friend, then to a special place for the Passover, then on to Gethsemane.

He's in court before Pilate in chapter twenty-seven. He is led to Calvary, then buried in the sepulchre.

But chapter twenty-eight finds Him back in Galilee and on yet another mountain!

And then, for the benefit of any one who still thinks he walks alone, Jesus closes Matthew's account with the promise "I am with you always. Even unto the end of the world."

No matter where you've been or where you are going, He's already there. You'll travel no new roads. He's already been there.

©2006 Doug Ellingsworth

Chaplains For Preachers

2006-11-08T13:49:00.000-06:00

If you are one who preaches so that afterward you can boast of how well you laid it out, then you won’t be interested in what follows. If, on the other hand, you preach to effect change, read on and see what you think. You macho guys who have it all together won’t agree, but here it goes anyway.

It is time for the UPCI to do something about failing ministries and ministers besides conducting last rites. Our policies mirror the child abuse laws our various states so proudly enforce. It looks good on paper, but the practical application results in unlimited resources being available to tear a family apart, while precious little-to-nothing is expended to put the pieces back together once the investigation is concluded. Our manual tells us precisely how to obliterate those who commit sin, but all we do about prevention is a local license seminar every spring and an occasional message from an organizational official reminding us of how cold it is outside the fellowship and how hot it is in hell.

I concede that we all should be strong and invincible, standing in the full power of the Holy Ghost 24/7/365.25. The sad truth is – we aren’t. Even some of those macho types have been found grazing in pastures that didn’t belong to them.

What happened? Were they rotten to begin with? I don’t think so.

The thing that Paul feared would get him kicked out of the church was his own lustful flesh (1 Cor. 9:27), about which he spent a good bit of time writing to the church at Rome. Other New Testament instructions warn of the flesh’s ability to thwart the work of the Spirit even to point of suggesting that we remove those body parts that we cannot, by the Spirit, control.

James says that we should confess our faults to one another and pray for each other so that we can be healed (James 5:16). Preachers have used this verse to promote public confession, but I don’t believe that is what James intended.

Since I’m running out of room, let me cut to the chase.

1. Ministers seldom have anyone to whom they can admit that they have a problem. Because ours is such a macho environment where only the weak fail, in some circles admitting a weakness is committing ministerial suicide. Because our organizational officials are charged with defending and protecting the fellowship, a struggling preacher will not feel comfortable seeking one out. So, where does he go?

Most of the time – no where. In his mind, there is no place where he will not be judged and sentenced.

2. For that reason, each of our districts should establish a council of proven and trustworthy elders who will act as chaplains and coaches to struggling ministers. Ministers would be able to contact one of these elders and the entire conversation and plan kept confidential. (Remember: this is a preventive measure. It is not about correction or restoration. This is not a confession service that trumps the judicial procedure.)

3. Ministers who seek help must agree to full disclosure with the elder (which he will keep confidential). They cannot remain anonymous or hide behind a telephone hotline.

4. The minister must agree to follow the plan of action prescribed by the elder. He must cooperate with the accountability the elder will demand.

There is more, but you get the idea. I realize there are holes in this plan and issues that I haven’t even considered, but I haven’t heard anything else being offered, so I decided to toss it out. It just makes more sense to me to stand with my brother while he is struggling than to wave goodbye when he leaves in disgrace.

“Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”
1 Corinthians 10:12

©2006 Doug Ellingsworth

Do You Really Know Him?

2006-11-01T15:41:00.000-06:00

Is it just me or does everyone equate sacrifice with getting to know God? All I hear lately is how tough it is to walk with God and to be a disciple of Jesus and how you have to give up so much to walk in His Word.

How different this sounds from Christ's invitation. "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30

Jesus seems to be saying the opposite of what I'm hearing. He promises rest and an approachable Savior and Friend. Not weariness and conflict.

The ancient rabbis' doctrine was called their yoke. Jesus said that His yoke is easy.

We learn of Him by taking on His yoke (His Word). And when we really get to know Him, we will understand that living by His Word is not a sacrifice at all, but is the gateway to peace and contentment.

**If you've got an extra ten bucks, go to www.nooma.com and buy Rob Bell's DUST project. It will change the way you think about being a disciple.**

The Strait Gate

2006-10-23T21:54:00.000-05:00

Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat; because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Matthew 7:13-14

"I have seen these strait gates and narrow ways, with here and there a traveler. They are in retired corners, and must be sought for, and are opened only to those who knock; and when the sun goes down and the night comes on, they are shut and locked. It is then too late."

Dr. Thomson

The Land and the Book

volume i

page 32

Blue Like Jazz - Take Three

2006-10-20T09:02:00.000-05:00

Okay, here is the best point that Donald Miller makes in this book. You will find it on page 238. "...I realized, after reading those gospels, that Jesus didn't just love me out of principle." The rest of this paragraph is what makes me like Donald Miller without ever meeting him. While he and I are probably poles apart on most issues, I appreciate the way he paints this scene.

If we love only out of principle, because God says we have to, is it no wonder that our churches are often empty? If God is love, shouldn't love be part of our nature and not something we do out of obligation?

I read once where pastor D.G. Hargrove committed to giving something away every day. An idea like that is not born out of principle, but springs from a heart that wants to love - not one that feels like it has to. Can people tell the difference? I think so.

If love is only an obligation to a principle, then it lasts only until the conscience is soothed. But love that flows from the nature of its source continues past the point of obligation. That love suffers long and is kind, does not envy, seeks not its own, is not puffed up, does not promote itself, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil; but it beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Loving out of principle won't last that long. True Christians will love because they have been born again and it is part of their nature. Not because the Bible says they must.

Blue Like Jazz - Again

2006-10-12T22:04:00.000-05:00

Okay, back to Blue Like Jazz, a bestseller by Donald Miller.

Miller hides his theology inside clever vignettes which he creates from his own life experiences. Once the story has you hooked, he pulls his hands from behind his back and shows you another piece of his religious puzzle. When each piece is finally in place, you find a nice liberal Democrat who has little use for Republican policies or conservative Christianity. He has little respect for the way evangelical Christians live out their faith, preferring the love demonstrated by the free-loving hippies he once lived in the woods with for a few weeks. But he is really nice about it - at least in the book. He is both entertaining and provocative.

As I read, I was reminded of a statement Mike Williams made at a men's conference. He said that many people try to take the Father to the pigstye instead of bringing the Prodigal to the Father. While Miller makes a sincere person examine his own intentions and values, it seems to me that he almost glories in living close to the pig pen.

But Miller does point out a few things that no honest Christian can deny. For many, their relationship with God has been reduced to a church membership and they no longer have an individual responsibility to love or serve. The 'church' does all that. They are comfortable with their traditions and get real nervous if they think their comfort zone is being threatened.

I like Blue Like Jazz because it makes you take a hard look at your own relationship with Christ and your personal responsibility to minister to the world. Some won't like reading it because Miller writes about drinking beer and enjoying his pipe and hippie friends. (If that's you, why don't you surf over to my website and buy one of my books.)

I still haven't gotten to the point that Miller makes best. I'll get that next. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe next week. Thanks for coming back to find out.

Unresolved Resolution

2006-10-05T12:34:00.000-05:00

Donald Miller, in the introduction to his book Blue Like Jazz, says he never liked jazz music because it doesn't 'resolve'.

I guess UPCI ministers and television advertising doesn't resolve either. The Ohio-sponsored Resolution Six was referred to a committee which is supposed to discover whether or not our churches really want to advertise on television. The issue is supposed to be back for a vote at the 2007 General Conference in Tampa, Florida.

Our time and money would be better spent studying how we can effectively use the internet and emerging media instead of asking each other what we think about television and if we plan to use it. Any UPCI minister who doesn't already know how his colleagues feel about those questions has probably spent the last three months picking blueberries on the Alaskan tundra.

So, what are your plans for the next 12 months? Rally the troops to support your position on the resolution? Divert your SFC offering so you can charter a bus filled with voters to Tampa? I think a good idea would be to form a huge picket line at WEC during the next General Board meeting. We could march up and down the frontage road carrying signs and yelling at cars while the Board deliberates. That way everybody would know that we are really serious about this.

Or, in the meantime, we could invite a friend to lunch, or mow our neighbor's lawn, or have a night of prayer for all the public school teachers, or deliver coffee and donuts to the police station at 1:00 a.m. Or, we could cancel our cable and send that amount to a metro missionary every month. Or, we could host a Moms' Night Out for everybody on our block and watch all the kids at our house for a couple of hours while the moms take a break.

I realize this isn't pretty and sophisticated and I am certainly not suggesting that we make things like this a habit. God knows we are far too busy for a lifestyle like this! No, no. This is just until we can get this little resolution resolved and then we can get back to taking the whole gospel to the whole world.

Oh, never mind. This is too distracting. Besides, it's almost time for that big conference in Indianapolis and then there's Fresno in November and, before you know it, it will be time to reserve our seats for BOTT. Let's just go back to Denny's and talk about television some more.

Isn't it your turn to buy?

©2006 Doug Ellingsworth

Foreign Missions Service at GC

2006-09-30T23:22:00.000-05:00

Since the church I pastor is the one Brother Steve Willoughby grew up in, we streamed the service via the internet (www.upci.org) to the screen in our sanctuary. Unfortunately, the passing of our oldest member forced us to modify our plans and kept many from being able to attend. Sister Grace Anderson, 101 years old, would be delighted to know that she upstaged the little preacher boy on her way to glory.

It was neat to watch the service with Brother Steve's mom and dad and sisters. He will be impressed when he learns that his sister drove all the way from Nashville to share the moment with us.

I post this short note to say thanks to the UPCI IT team for providing this service and for a job well done. (For the record, we paid $100 for the highest speed available and it was superb).

Better Than Resolution Six

2006-09-28T22:29:00.000-05:00

The much discussed Resolution Six is scheduled to meet its fate tomorrow morning. What can your church do to get your community's attention - regardless of what happens to ol' Number Six?

1. Instead of buying an ad, become the story. Figure out a first-class way to meet some need in your community. Promote it well and, chances are, your local news media will notice. Some outlets even have hotlines so they can be informed of these newsworthy events. Matt Maddix (www.myhouseofprayer.com) is one metro pastor who has capitalized on this concept. Many TV stations archive their local news stories on their web sites. That means your church can be in the news for several days. And you never have to buy a camera or pay for an ad!

2. Some churches, both rural and metro, have used sidewalk Sunday schools as an outreach into their communities - and as an effective promotional tool. It won't work for the "anyone needing God will come to our church on Sunday or Wednesday" crowd. But those willing to sacrifice the time and effort required to deliver a quality program will touch lives who will never forget the name of their church. David and Kim Ramsey tell how they do it in their book - available here www.pentecostalpublishing.com.

3. For those living in metro areas that do not permit house-to-house evangelism - remember David Yonggi Cho? The church he pastored in South Korea, back in the 1980's, was considered to be the largest in the world. (His name then was PAUL Yonggi Cho, but never mind that). Anyway, in one of his books he told about a woman who lived in a high rise complex that prohibited any door-to-door solicitation. According to his story, this lady spent every Saturday riding up and down the elevators of that complex helping all the residents carry their just purchased groceries into their apartments. She sacrificed her day off every week, but gradually gained the trust of her neighbors and eventually built a huge home fellowship church in a complex that did not allow door-to-door visitation. She could have bought an ad on television. If she could have afforded it. I wonder if it would have worked as well?

The fact that advertising is an effective tool is undeniable. But advertising can become an easy out because it requires nothing personal from us. We can buy an ad in the Sunday paper or a spot on the radio and nobody gets their hands or clothes dirty. We carefully craft the image we want them to see, usually omitting our human side, freeze it in a photo or sound bite and proudly wave it around chanting, "Don't you want to be like us?" Our personal evangelism efforts should drive our advertising - not the other way around.

We all want to be "cutting-edge" with our buildings and technology, but what about spending some of that creativity to generate evangelism opportunities? Something like what that little lady in South Korea did.

©2006 Doug Ellingsworth

Blue Like Jazz

2006-09-18T09:49:00.001-05:00

I heard several folks talking about this book, so I picked it up a few months ago. I'll share a few of my comments over the next few days.

Donald Miller(www.bluelikejazz.com) is a good communicator, but he makes me tired. His writing reminds me of a dear sister who used to take forever to get to the point when she had a prayer request. She would start out by reminding a couple of folks in the audience about the time their parents took them to the rodeo in Stillwater back in 1966 where a girl they knew turned her ankle climbing to her seat on her way back from the concession stand. When that same girl was in high school, she broke that same ankle while cheerleading at a football game. Well, that lady's granddaughter was climbing to her seat at the football stadium last Friday night, on her way back from the concession stand, and she turned her ankle on her right leg - just like her grandma did at the rodeo back in 1966. "So let's pray for her." Mr. Miller often takes the long way around to get to the point. I may be acting my age or perhaps I am subconsciously reacting to all those times people have screamed, "Get to the point!" while I was preaching. But, anyway, I could only read a chapter or two at a time.

Mr. Miller breaks all the rules they teach at writing seminars, but he has managed to connect with those who share his point of view and has produced a book that continues to sell. I've written a few books, but none that have sold as successfully as his. Is it because no one shares my point of view, my writing stinks, or because my marketing is pathetic?

If you love me, buy a book!

Next time I'll talk about the one point that Miller makes that we all should pay attention to. And if he can end his sentences with prepositions, so can I.

Kayla's Art

2006-09-16T23:15:00.000-05:00

My youngest daughter is a senior in high school - and a self-taught artist. Last Christmas, Luke got into my wife's decorations and had fun with the beads, hat, and horn. Kayla drew this from a photo she took of him.

Here is another - a picture of actress Jennifer Garner.

She has some of her work posted online in case you want to look around. www.katyboo.photosite.com

Resolution Six

2006-09-13T10:23:00.000-05:00

With General Conference looming on the horizon, the debate about advertising and ministering on television is becoming a roar. A rather boring and monotonous roar, but, still, a roar. Since I won't be attending the conference, and since none of our leaders have sought my counsel, I figured I'd just share my opinions with myself. It won't resolve the issue, I know, and I hope I don't lose any friends, but maybe I will feel better having vented.

There are essentially two positions on this issue. The proponents say that we should use television to reach the masses, to preach the gospel and advertise our churches. The opponents say that doing so will open the door to a host of troubles: devaluing personal standards, becoming motivated by money, one church creating a negative image for all others - and on the list goes.

Other than providing an opportunity for some to rehash decades-old arguments and for others to repeat their well-rehearsed threats to leave, this resolution is all but worthless.

We've rallied the troops and we've dug our foxholes...one hundred miles behind the frontlines. The two sides are lobbing hand grenades at each other while the real battle is being fought far beyond the little bean patch they have grown comfortable defending.

Television changed our culture. However, it was not the preaching of Billy Graham or Jerry Falwell or Pat Roberson or Jimmy Swaggart or Tommy Tenney or Mark Hanby or T.D. Jakes that our culture embraced. It was, rather, the principles taught by wily crafted characters who entertained America for eight hours every day. While you and I sat in the living room and listened to Bible story records, the rest of America was homogenized into a self-centered hedonistic culture by television programing. Now we deal with the results. What my mother wouldn't let me watch on television my son now sees every time we go to the grocery store. What your parents sheltered you from, your kids now deal with every day at school. The cultural battle between the church and television is over. TV won. It affected our culture more than our churches did.

But that was only one battle. The war is not over. But the war is no longer centered around television.

Network televison viewers have been dwindling for the past several years. The success of many cable channels is owed to 'niche' marketing. It is no secret that while television continues to be the dominant medium, it is fast losing ground to new technology. Television, as the world knows it, is being swallowed by the much more powerful internet technology which is being embraced by this young and savvy generation. They aren't going back. Eventually, all media will be seamlessly delivered on order. The days of a captive network audience is over.

The real movers and shakers who are going to shape our culture in this century are no longer fighting for television air time. They are building websites and creating age and issue relevent programing that can be viewed online any time, downloaded into an Ipod, or streamed right to a cell phone. In other words, the battle has moved into areas that apostolics have already embraced. Computers. Telephones. Sound and video.

But where are the apostolics? They're still at Denny's arguing about television.

A few of our churches now stream their services on the internet. That's a start, but probably in the wrong direction. Remember, it was not the church services on television that changed our culture. It was what Americans watched those eight hours every day. As millions of Americans seek entertainment, knowledge, and friendship via the internet, what are we doing to capture their attention?

www.ninetyandnine.com is probably at the head of the line when it comes to apostolics who are trying to get a foothold in the new media. Their writers and designers all donate their time. No big church or organization supports them. Yet, in just one week in August over 22,000 readers came to their website. I wonder how we could influence our culture if apostolics like these had the financial resources to create podcasts, produce video, and develop other media that an old guy like me would never even think of?

Nothing can ever take the place of preaching and one-on-one witnessing. However, if we can anticipate where people are going to gather and get there early with a well-designed and targeted plan, we will have a golden opportunity to influence our culture and, in the process, create new venues to preach this apostolic message.

We must couple our preaching with an intelligent plan to shape our culture. We can't conclude our preaching on Sunday and think we have fulfilled the will of God just because Acts 2:38 was our text. We've got to find out where our neighbors gather and be there to influence them. Didn't someone once say something about salt and light?

Or we could stay home and argue about a medium that is dying a slow death.

©2006 Doug Ellingsworth

Going To Columbus?

2006-09-13T10:11:00.000-05:00

If you attend General Conference, be sure and stop by the Altars of Promise booth in the Convention Center Exhibit Hall C. They build custom personal altars. I have one in my office. Can't say that I pray as much as I should, but I find myself using this prayer bench quite often. These are great reminders of the need for prayer and are quite practical to use. Would make a great gift for a pastor or friend.

They are also on the web. www.altarsofpromise.com

September 11

2006-09-13T10:04:00.000-05:00

I was given the honor of addressing our county's legislative body as they met for the first session of this four-year term. I was asked to include a tribute to the people and events of September 11, 2001, in my remarks. Here is what I said.

Thank you Mr. Chairman and Mayor for inviting me to this evening’s activities.

It is interesting and ironic how some events coincide. You, the members of the Dyer County legislative body, have gathered for your first official meeting on the very day that just five years ago men and women gave their lives in the frantic hope of saving others. Tonight we remember our innocent fellows who were minding their own business on the morning of September 11, 2001. Some rushing to work, others on the telephone giving last minute instructions to their children, still more performing the routine tasks just as they did every Tuesday morning - none of them anticipating nor deserving the horrible fate forced upon them. We honor those police officers, firefighters, and other first responders who gave their lives while working to save others. We stand in awe recallling the courage of those passengers who forced Flight 93 into the ground so that their plane would not become another weapon of mass destruction. Tonight, at least in our minds, we wrap our arms around their families and comfort them the best we can with our thoughts and prayers.

Congratulations to each of you as you begin this term of service to which you have been elected. Thank you for willingly stepping into the bulls eye of public critique. Your words and decisions may not always be understood or appreciated by those who don’t see the big picture or by those who can’t be bothered with learning all the facts, but rest assured, your integrity, diligence, and sincere fulfilling of your sworn duties will be appreciated by those who call Dyer County home.

Albert Schweitzer, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952, said, “I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.”

The secret to finding success in this work is not in simply holding the office, but in making life as good as it can possibly be for those who have chosen you.

You will often face difficult and troublesome decisions. May you always be more concerned about the next generation than you are about the next election. May you face each of those coming storms with the same hope that John Adams felt when he told his wife about the signing of the Declaration of Independence. In his letter to her John wrote, "I am well aware of the toil and blood and treasure it will cost us to maintain this declaration, and support and defend these states. Yet through all the gloom I see the rays of ravishing light and glory. I can see that the end is worth all the means."

May God grant you wisdom, courage, and a sense of justice as you fulfill your duties – and may you always see those rays of ravishing light and glory that remind you always that the end is worth all the means.

©2006 Doug Ellingsworth

Nashville Men's Conference

2006-09-06T09:56:00.000-05:00

The First United Pentecostal Church of Nashville hosted their annual Men's Conference the weekend of August 18-19. As usual, the church did a fabulous job of hosting hundreds of men and providing fun, exciting, and challenging sessions.

The host church's men's worship team is superb. They really don't need to bring in outside talent for this event.

Every speaker was dynamic and every message pointed and relevant. Every man needs to hear Brother Mike Williams' Friday night message, the general session conducted by Dr. Ray Kloepper, and the closing sermon delivered by Pastor Jerry Dean.

The church's website is www.firstchurchnashville.org.

Intellectual Honesty

2006-08-17T19:56:00.000-05:00

Is it possible to experience and observe nature - the miracle and wonder of life - and conclude that there is no God, and be intellectually honest?

Thanks For Reading!

2006-07-23T16:41:00.000-05:00

Thanks for reading my blog.

I've been busy with youth camp and camp meeting events, so the blog has been quiet lately.

New posts will be coming soon.

Thanks, again, for stopping by.

Who Are You Following?

2006-06-29T14:25:00.000-05:00

Everybody imitates somebody. When I was a kid, I had a friend who adapted the mannerisms and expressions of Colonel Hogan from the tv series Hogan's Heroes.

After whom do you pattern your life?

Elisha patterned his after Elijah's. Elisha did not just practice Elijah's preaching style or memorize his best lines, but he walked the same roads Elijah walked, he slept in the same houses, ate the same fare, braved the same elements, confronted the same crowds. He stood behind him as the prophet spoke, carried water when he was thirsty, delivered messages when asked. Elisha was covered by the dust Elijah's feet stirred up.

It worked. Elisha received what he asked for. A double-portion of Elijah's anointing came upon him.

Admiring someone does not make you like them. Doing what they do is what changes you. You can't act like Madonna and become Mother Teresa.

Who you admire is important, but who you imitate is critical, because they are what you are becoming.

©2006 Doug Ellingsworth

Seeing The Spiritual Dimension

2006-06-18T18:30:00.000-05:00

Exodus 24:17 "And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel."

People miss the spiritual dimension because they frame everything in physical terms. While Moses basked in the presence of God, those looking on saw nothing but frightening flames. Because they could not grasp the spiritual dimension of God's visit with Moses, they made and worshipped their own god within sight of the fire that marked God's presence.

Those who view everything in physical terms are not comfortable with a dynamic God and frequently wind up creating their own god - a god they make out of familiar stuff and who can't move once they put him where they want him to stay.

Submission, obedience, and love are all spiritual acts that are performed in the physical realm. Many won't conform to God's Word so they miss the wonder of His presence because submission, obedience, and love look as appealing as a - well, as a forest fire. They see and experience only the physical and never enjoy the fulness of what a relationship with God offers.

If you never see the spiritual dimension of your life, the physical will always frustrate you. God rides on stormy waves, wraps Himself in dark clouds, and rests behind badger skin walls. Don't let your problems or your hang-ups keep you from His company.

©2006 Doug Ellingsworth

Why Preachers Fail

2006-06-11T01:07:00.000-05:00

Speaking at the Jackson College of Ministries graduation in 2004, Arless Glass listed five reasons why preachers fail.

1. Like Cain, they think their own works will save them.
2. Like Lot, they think they can have both the world and God.
3. Like Korah, they become a law unto themselves, and are unteachable.
4. Like Saul, they operate out of their place, seeking people to serve them, forgetting that we will only be kings in heaven.
5. Like Judas, they think they can dictate their own way to God.

What Is Your Price?

2006-06-08T23:27:00.000-05:00

The value of a thing is determined by the price one is willing to pay to possess it.

"Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us:..." 1 John 3:16

What is the price God placed on His relationship with you?

He had several offers to 'sell-out.'

The Pharisees suggested that He adjust His theology. He said no.
The citizens of Jerusalem offered Him a throne. He said no.
Satan promised Him control of all that He could see. He refused to sell.

The scribes, lawyers, and rabbis tried to coerce and intimidate Him into a trade. They failed to find anything that Jesus valued more than His love for you.

What is your price?

He loved you more than He loved Himself.
He sought your love more than He sought popularity.
He wanted you more than He wanted an earthly throne.
He desired your fellowship more than He valued admission into the inner circle of society's elite.

What is your price?

We judge how much a person values a thing by noting what they will trade it for.

What price have you put on your relationship with God?

Balaam traded Him for the approval of a few regional dictators.
Annanias and Sapphira traded Him for the hope of a little public recognition.
Demas loved the pleasures of his culture more than He loved serving Jesus.
Judas sold Him for 30 pieces of silver.

What is your price?

Would you give away your relationship with God to gain the approval of your friends?
Would you renege on your commitment to God in exchange for a promising career?
Would you trade your eternal relationship with God for a temporary one with some man or woman?

What is your price?

Acceptance by your friends? That’s what the pharisees offered Jesus.
To be honored and cheered by your community? That’s what the multitude offered Jesus.
Admission into society's upper crust? That’s what the Sanhedrin offered Jesus.
Great wealth and power? That's what Satan offered Jesus.

What is your price?

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it."

Matthew 13:44-46

What It Is Not

2006-06-03T01:06:00.000-05:00

We often talk about what living for God is, but we sometimes miss what it isn't.

It isn't a horserace.
"Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him." James 1:12
"And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved." Matthew 10:22

It isn't a walk in the park.
"I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: but I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." 1 Corinthians 9:26-27

It isn't a beauty review.
"He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquaninted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted." Isaiah 53:3-4
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." Romans 12:1

It isn't a life of leisure.
"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."
1 Corinthians 15:58

©2006 Doug Ellingsworth

An Answer To Prayer?

2006-05-25T00:32:00.000-05:00

Could Hannah's distress, described in the first two chapters of First Samuel, be the answer to the prayers of the rest of the nation?

The priests stood between the sincere worshipper and God. Every sacrifice and ordinance required a priest's assistance. The sons of Eli were wicked and used their position as priests to satisfy their own carnal lusts, causing those dependant upon their services to view the sacred rituals as a vile and profane scam.

The text hints, and common sense begs to affirm, that many prayers rose from the lips of sincere worshippers, begging God to return respect and reverence to the house of God.

Enter the barren wife, Hannah. Troubled by her condition, she promised God that if He would answer her prayer that she would use the answer for His glory. The answer, her son Samuel, became the priest who brough revival and holiness back to the Temple.

Could it be that as you seek God's favor in your current distress that you might be the answer to the prayers that many are lifting to heaven? Could it be that your problems are not just about you?

Having problems? Take them to God. Not in a hasty, obligatory moment, but in earnest and fervent intercession. Yes, it will take time and it will be hard work and others may not understand. But you just might be the answer to the prayers of a whole nation.

©2006 Doug Ellingsworth

Am I Going To Church With You?

2006-05-19T22:10:00.000-05:00

You want to know if I am going to church with you on Sunday?

I don't think so.

You've invited me to your church lots of times, but the way you've talked about everybody there, it sounds as if they are a bunch of jerks. I'm not sure I could smile and pretend I like them. You seem to do that easily enough, but I can't.

Every Monday you have a headache because the choir blasted their newest worship chorus loud enough to drown out a NASCAR race. I get chills just hearing you describe how cold it is in the Sanctuary. I'm sorry, but spending my Sundays being miserable with you isn't the way I want to waste my precious weekends.

I'd like my kids to see all the puppet shows and classroom decorations you've told me about, but you have to confront the teachers for mistreating your children so often that I'd be afraid to let mine out of my sight.

Your pastor sounds like a nice guy, but the way he keeps pushing you to give more money really bothers me. Especially after all you told me about going to their house for that Christmas party. I'm sorry, but all the time he would be preaching I'd be thinking about how he drives that new SUV while you are driving that old car that you borrowed from your dad.

If you were still leading that ladies group I'd probably come to one of your meetings. But, hey, if they couldn't work with my schedule and if they didn't like the ideas I suggested, I'd have told them off and walked out just like you did.

We were getting dressed to go to your Christmas drama until you called. We didn't want to sit by ourselves so, when you said your family wasn't going, we decided to stay home. My daughter was looking forward to it, but when I explained that your little girl was upset because she had to be a sheep instead of an angel, she understood. At least she said she did. She had a funny look on her face, but she didn't say anything else, so I guess she understood.

I've thought about just biting the bullet and showing up one Wednesday for Bible study night. But as sure as I do, it will be one of those nights when the pastor ignores the clock and goes on and on and on. Like you say, he can sleep all day if he wants, but things get going pretty early around our house.

Wouldn't it be great if we could all be pastors?

Well, anyway, you wanted to know why I haven't visited your church yet. There's a lot more that I could say. After all, we've been working together for six months now, and church is all you talk about. But I think I've said enough to let you know where I'm coming from.

Even though I probably won't come to your church, I want you to know that you can still count on me to be your friend. When you need to vent again, I'll be here. After all, isn't that what you said friends are for?

©2006 Doug Ellingsworth

Radical Motherhood

2006-05-14T17:15:00.000-05:00

Have you ever noticed how many extraordinary men were produced by radical mothers?

Moses's mom risked her own life on the outside chance that she might save his. Crafting a waterproof basket, she tried something that had never been done before. Her plan was a success and, although deprived of her son's companionship, she trained him in the ways of her God right under the nose of the Pharoah. The very ruler who demanded Moses's death became his protector and provider. Jochebed did not have Moses long, but she poured her life into him.

Samuel's mom poured out her soul to God in the Temple. Instead of fighting with the woman who ridiculed her, Hannah brought her anguish to the house of the Lord. In her sorrow, she promised to dedicate her son to God's service. In the joy that followed his birth, she remembered the vow she had made and brought her little boy to the priest. Like Jochebed, she too was deprived of her son's companionship, yet she remained faithful to the God who had heard her prayer. She saw Samuel just once a year, but between visits she made him new clothes so that her growing boy would always be warmly dressed. He was out of her sight, but never off of her mind.

And what about Mary? This young woman gleefully embraced God's call to be the mother of His Son. The angel did not announce her commission to the whole community, so most of them refused to buy Mary's story of the immaculate conception. The hardship and want of a poor family was hers to endure while she carried and cared for the One who made and owned everything, but instead of wallowing in self-pity, she considered her lot to be the envy of every woman. You find her faithful...at Bethleham...in the Temple...traveling to Eygpt...in Cana...at Calvary...in the Upper Room.

These radical moms produced visionary sons who lived radical lives, possessed radical faith, embraced radical ideals, preached radical sermons, demanded radical commitment, and made a radical impact on their world.

O God, send America a revival of Radical Motherhood!

©2006 Doug Ellingsworth

If The Altar Could Talk

2006-05-09T16:42:00.000-05:00

If the altar could talk, what stories it could tell!

Like the time the old sinner, full of hate and resentment, poured his heart out to God as he felt His tender touch for the very first time.

How would the altar describe the tears that spilled from the eyes of a little boy who had just heard a missionary tell about the millions of people, living without all the toys and the home like he was blessed to have, who had never heard of Jesus?

What would it say about the drug-addicted hippie who in his 1960's flower child slang apologized to God for a life of careless rebellion?

What words would the altar use to portray the faces of the radiant bride and proud groom as they pledged to each other their undying love?

What would it say about the mother pleading with God to keep watch over her wayward child?

How many solemn promises has it heard from too many generations of mothers who offered their own lives in exchange for those of their soldier-sons fighting in some far away country?

Would the altar’s lips quiver as it recalled a brand-new mom and dad laying their sleeping infant on its smooth plank and dedicating it to the Lord?

Would the altar boast of the times it has borne the coffin of a faithful child of God?

If the altar could hear, what stories it must have collected! If it could talk, what scenes it could describe!

If the altar could keep up with the news and the changing times, it would be interesting to hear it tell us about the people it had watched come and go.

Maybe that hateful old man is now the loving grandfather that all the children in the church rush to hug before every service.

Perhaps that little Sunday school boy who cried when he heard the missionary’s stories is the man who preached last Sunday.

The bride and groom who stood here years ago may now be introducing other families to the God they still meet with at the altar.

But what about the momma whose boy came back safely from the army, but she forgot all about the promises she made at the altar?

Where is the teenager that God kept from getting killed in an auto accident, who, in the excitement of life, forgot all he had told God at the altar?

What happened to the father who the altar heard say that he wanted his son to grow up to serve God, but found himself too busy to bother with church?

What would it say about the marriages that didn’t last and the commitments that were broken?

If the altar could talk, what would it say about how well you have lived up to the bargains you’ve made with God around that special place?

If the altar could talk, what would it say about me?

©2006 Doug Ellingsworth

The Truth About Abortion

2006-05-04T13:34:00.000-05:00

I was surprised by the news, but then, I wasn’t surprised. I was traveling somewhere when I got the call that she had died. I’ve never been able to decide what a good age for dying is, but she was close to my age and I know that is too young.

I couldn’t say that we were friends or that I knew her very well. Why she chose me I’ve never figured out, but every once in a while she would call. I still don’t know why she felt she could trust me. Maybe it was because I didn’t know her very well and that we seldom saw each other. She could call me when she wanted, but didn’t have to mess with me, or what I knew, unless it was her idea.

The calls always came from out of the blue, but they were all alike. She had had an abortion 30 years ago, and regardless of how the conversation began it eventually moved to “will God ever forgive me?” I assured her each time that when Jesus died on Calvary He paid the price for every sin – including all of hers. For some reason, she was never able to translate that intangible fact into a personal experience. How do you convince a woman who has carried a burden for 30 years that it is okay to lay it down? What do you say to a mother who has grieved for 30 years for a child she never held? After every call I would be numb for hours.

Some say that abortion is a quick and easy fix. I know better. I wonder how many women are living in a private hell, suffering just like this lady did, stepping out of the darkness only with the help of a chemical fix, hoping to find help in the counsel of some stranger, afraid that those she loves would hate her if they knew the truth?

It is time that the truth is told.

Want to know the truth?

The last I checked, both male and female participation was required to produce a child.

If men waited until they were married and remained faithful to their wives and honored their marriage vows, the demand for abortion would be severely lessened.

If men would stop being cowards and would take responsibility for their decisions and back their promises with real action, the demand for abortion would be reduced.

If men would consider the emotional needs of a woman rather than seeking gratification of their own physical desires, fewer women would be emotional basket cases because of the choices they are left to deal with alone.

And if both men and women would realize that the time to consider whether or not they want a child, can afford a child, or are fit to raise a child is before they become intimate NOT after, the need for abortion would disappear.

The truth is that men can lower the abortion rate by really being MEN!

©2006 Doug Ellingsworth

Leaving With A Dream

2006-05-03T12:08:00.000-05:00

It seems that it took me 100 years to reach the magical age of 21 – then three months later I turned 45. Why couldn’t I have had all this work to do when I was wishing the years would hurry up and pass? The harder and faster I work, the more I see that ought to be done. For every task that I check off, seven new ones appear at the bottom of the list.

When I hold my list of things to do beside the number of years I have left to work, it gets downright depressing. But then I read about David. Remember how he wanted to build a house for God? God refused his offer, but told David that his son could build Him one. So in the waning years of his life, David established the plans and gathered the materials for a magnificent temple. He died before it was completed, but David left with a dream. No bitterness, no whining, no criticism of the younger generation. Just an incomplete To Do List.

Moses died still believing that God was going to lead Israel to the promise land.

Caleb was eager to fight for his mountain even though he had already celebrated 85 birthdays.

Simeon kept looking for the promised Christ as he served in the temple in his old age.

Anna refused to wallow in a widow’s self-pity, giving her energy instead to ministering in the temple well past her 80th year.

The Apostle Paul was active well into his 60's, preaching and writing right up to the time they chopped off his head.

These died in the faith, but with an unfinished task list. They were working steadily, dreaming about what God might do tomorrow. Their relationship with God was not a musty memory of victories past, but a vibrant hope of things yet to come that kept them looking forward to the future. They left with a dream.

How is your planning coming along? Are you hoping to find some spot where you can sit back and relax and let the young bucks take over while you spend the rest of your days watching and reminiscing? That sounds tempting, but no thanks. I don’t want to become an old timer whose life is tethered to the past. When my time comes, I want to leave here with a To Do List loaded with unfinished tasks.

I want to leave with the fire of a dream still burning in my soul.

©2006 Doug Ellingsworth

Heroes

2006-05-02T16:11:00.000-05:00

The story appeared in the Houston Chronicle one weekend. The headline said “Memo To A Stranger."

“Mrs. Roy Alvarez didn’t have a chance to thank you," the article began. “Of course, being a father of seven (she did recall hearing you mention that) you understand. You know the paralyzing terror that can grip a parent when they see one of their children dying. And Mrs. Alvarez saw her son, Roy Jr., age 10, being swept to his death by a vicious riptide at Rollover Pass near Gilchrist Thursday.

The boy had walked out into the surf and was doomed. He could not swim. A teenaged boy ran out and grabbed Roy, trying to hold his head above water, but the young man himself was in danger of drowning. Then you sped into the surf, fully clothed. You took Roy from the other fellow who, exhausted, made his way back to shore. You held on to Roy while the riptide rolled you both under and into jagged rocks under the water. Then you brought him back to his hysterical mother on shore - who brought him back home to Houston.

Mrs. Alvarez was calmer on Friday. She called the Chronicle and told them the story. She said that you were hurt, but that she didn’t even get your name.

"Will you please," she asked, "tell him how grateful we are? Will you thank him for us? The last we saw of him, he was limping along the beach, trailing blood.”

I couldn't read this story without seeing a picture of another man limping along trailing blood. But this man was not walking along a beach in sunny south Texas. He was struggling up a dusty road outside Jerusalem carrying a rough and heavy cross. The blood he shed did not save just one young boy from drowning in water, but it dragged all of mankind out of the riptide of sin. All of us who were hopelessly being tugged into hell were freed by the selfless sacrifice of Jesus Christ who shed his blood for us.

We know His name. Let us be especially careful to express our gratitude to Him for all that His sacrifice has given us.

©2006 Doug Ellingsworth

Managing The New Technology

2006-04-25T17:30:00.000-05:00

New technology, the internet and cell phones in particular, has dumped a whole world of opportunity and challenge into our laps. The opportunities are incredible and unlimited, but so are the accompanying challenges. And whether we like it or not, whether we acknowledge it or not, the challenges demand that we respond.

Cell phones and text messaging allow children to quickly and easily communicate, forcing parents to scramble to become familiar with technology that their children have mastered. In this new era, those who are supposed to be in charge are too frequently at the mercy of those they are supposed to be supervising. Photos taken with cell phones at home or at school can be emailed to friends or uploaded to the internet without parents even knowing they exist. Most sales packages offer free long distance and unlimited messaging, and parents seldom review their 13-page cellular bill to see who their kids are talking to.

The internet offers similar communication possibilities, but a greater potential for harm exists in its easy access to pornography. I was slapped in the face by this reality several years ago when a co-worker showed me the online gateways he had seen at a seminar that illustrated how children could easily access this information. I was surprised, not only by the content, but by my own reaction to it. I’ve discussed my experience with other men and I am convinced that the studies that say that pornography is an evil that will trap any man who plays around with it is absolutely on target. In the past we have avoided addressing issues with sexual connotations. While I prefer living in that safe zone, I fear what will happen to a generation of young men who are forced to deal with this issue alone because we are too embarrassed or too concerned about what others will think or say about us if we dare broach the subject. For the sake of an innocent generation, we must have the courage to face these new challenges.

Here is what I recommend to those I try to help.
1. Realize you are vulnerable, because whether you realize it or not, you are.
2. Use an online internet filter. A good one will keep out most questionable material.
3. Use your computer where someone can see over your shoulder.
4. Give someone else unlimited access to your computer. If you are married, your wife is the logical one. At work, a supervisor or coworker might fit the bill.
5. Let your children know that their computer activity will be monitored. Set the browser history to record at least 10 days of history, and make sure that you are the only one who can delete it.

These are just a few suggestions to get you thinking. If someone is intent upon viewing pornography these guidelines will not stop him, but they will build a wall to protect those who are aware of the danger of getting sucked into that smutty swamp.

New technology is a wonderful thing, but we cannot manage it using our old concepts. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that’s the cold hard facts.

©2006 Doug Ellingsworth

2004 National Peace Officers Memorial

2006-04-22T16:45:00.000-05:00

(I serve as a police chaplain, and in 2004 was drafted to give the memorial speech when the scheduled speaker had to cancel at the last moment. My remarks follow.)

Chaplain Brooks, our scheduled speaker, is today with a family who is suffering the untimely and unexpected death of a loved one. He called late yesterday afternoon to let us know that his ministry and duty would not allow him to be here.

How ironic, yet fitting, that the person chosen to honor peace officers whose family and personal plans are frequently interrupted by a call to duty, is himself called away to help someone in need.

“Helping someone in need” is often how we think of law enforcement officers. There to help when needed. But our peace officers play a much more vital role in our country and in our community than simply providing help to citizens in need.

Thomas Jefferson summarized the basic rights of all men in the Declaration of Independence when he wrote that among the unalienable rights of men are the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Governments, he went on, are established to secure those precious and basic rights. The duty our peace officers fulfill, then, is much more than simply helping people in distress, but they are in fact the first line of defense in insuring our basic God-given rights.

Your right to life is preserved by the men and woman who work diligently, night and day, to track down those individuals known to harm others, to keep drunk drivers off the street, to stop the use of illegal drugs.

Your right to liberty is protected by badge-wearing men and women whose presence guarantees the freedom to go where you want and do what you want without fear.

The pursuit of happiness is insured by peace officers who patrol your neighborhood while you sleep, who track down thieves and return stolen goods to their rightful owner.

Police officers stand daily on the front lines as defenders of democracy. That vigilance does not come without a price. More than 51,000 peace officers are assaulted annually in the line of duty. 16,000 of them will be injured. More than 160 will die. That is why we are gathered here this morning, joining hundreds of communities around our great nation in honoring those officers who have given their lives in the defense of our freedom.

Last Thursday evening, 362 more names were engraved on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington D.C. 362 more men and women who gave their lives to preserve those basic rights Thomas Jefferson defined. They join the more than 16,000 - including our own Officer Maynard - already listed. Engraved near the entrance to that memorial is a statement that reflects our appreciation for their commitment. “It is not how these officers died that made them heroes. It is how they lived.”

Since our peace officers are the first-line of defense of our freedom, it is fitting, then, to borrow the words of Abraham Lincoln to remind us we cannot simply acknowledge the sacrifice these have made and walk away. But as he told that gathering at Gettysburg so long ago, “Le us here be dedicated to the great task remaining before us--that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion--that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth."

With gratitude and resolve we say thank you to the family of Officer Maynard, and to those families whose fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers, proudly serve with integrity behind the badge that represents the very best on Earth.

May God bless you all.

Motivating Change

2006-04-22T15:37:00.000-05:00

How well do you handle change?

How good are you at motivating change?

There are two basic reasons why people do not change.

1. They don’t believe what they are being told or shown. Our decisions reflect what we believe. We say a whole lot of stuff, but most of it is just that – stuff. Actions identify beliefs. Nothing else does.

2. They don’t change because they value what they presently possess more than what is being offered. What you present may be wonderful, but it must not only be better than what they currently have, but the gain promised must be significant enough to convince them to shatter their personal comfort zone and begin work on another.

©2006 Doug Ellingsworth

No Corked Bats!

2006-04-22T15:15:00.000-05:00

I’ve always loved baseball. I mean REAL baseball. Not the fat-free version featuring designated hitters, wild cards, set-up men, closers, and free agents designed for this media-driven, sound-bite generation, but the game played like God meant for it to be with pitchers who bat, champions who are the best team over the whole 162 game season, not just the team who got hot in late September, and men who loved the game enough to play a few double-headers every summer. I still follow this game played by millionaires I’ve never heard of, but I’d take the old game back in a heartbeat.

Sammy Sosa would probably turn the game back a couple of years, too, but not for the same reason I would. You know Sammy. The hard-hitting outfielder with the wide smile. Sammy has hit more than 500 home runs, a feat that fewer than 20 men have been able to accomplish. Sammy did it with such ease and grace that he was admired by baseball fans everywhere. At least he was until June 3, 2003, when a routine ground ball to second base became more famous than any home run Sammy ever hit. The bat Sammy used to hit that grounder broke on impact, and revealed that it had been hollowed out and filled with cork. It was a bat on steroids. Sammy, the home run slammer, was using an illegal bat.

Sammy quickly apologized and said he grabbed this bat by mistake. Because baseballs hit with corked bats fly farther, Sammy kept this one to entertain the crowds who came to watch him hit before the game. Anyway, that is what he said. Most baseball fans were wondering how many other times he had mistakenly carried a corked bat to the plate in a real game?

I don’t know Sammy so I can neither convict nor acquit him. He may have told us the truth, but his reputation sure took a beating. Regardless of what the real story is, lots of folks will always think that Sammy cheated.

I used to feel sorry for Sammy, but he brought it on himself. Wanting to impress those sitting in the grandstands, he stepped over the line. Ultimately, he lost any admiration he might have gained and tarnished his own image in the process. A new Sammy Sosa was born on June 3, 2003. The new one will be remembered long after the old Sammy is forgotten. And it’s his own fault.

It is fun to sneer when the rich and famous make fools of themselves, but what if you were exposed to the same media scrutiny as Sammy? What if your job was performed before 40,000 jeering spectators? How would you fare?

Be genuine. Don’t risk your integrity for a few more cheers from the cheap seats. It isn’t worth it. By the end of the 2005 season, Slammin’ Sammy had batted 8,401 times as a professional player, but the one swing that the crowd will always remember is the one with the cork exposed.

You must value integrity more than you cherish the adulation of others.

No corked bats. Not even in practice.

©2006 Doug Ellingsworth

I Made Sure My Children Failed

2006-04-22T04:17:00.000-05:00

A sure-fire way of setting your kids up for failure, as demonstrated by the wandering Israelites.

1. I Did Not Have Faith. When God desired to lead us into the Promise Land, I sided with the majority who felt that we had neither the resources nor the ability to accomplish such a huge mission. After all, there is safety in numbers and the majority should rule. That's the only fair way.

2. When Things Didn’t Please Me, I Longed For The Past. I valued the confinement of the familiar past more than I anticipated the joys of a free future.

3. When Nobody Was There To Make Me Live For God, I Became An Idolater. Serving God was…well, serving. Work. Effort. It never became a relationship.

4. I Blamed My Leaders When Things Got Tough. I refused to take responsibility for my own choices and actions. I didn’t ask to be born, and this little trek in the desert was hardly my idea, so why shouldn’t I put the blame where it belongs?

5. I Made An Issue of What I Perceived As My Leader’s Mistakes. I made sure he (and everyone else) knew when I disagreed with him. The fact that one can never destroy their leader’s authority without compromising their own wasn’t important to me.

6. I Always Saw The Bad Side of Things. When so many experiences are bad, how can you not notice?

7. I Didn’t Take God’s Word Seriously. You’ve got to admit, some of it just doesn’t make sense. Come on! Killing your best lamb? Isn’t blood blood? And isn’t blood the whole point of the sacrifice? So if the lamb only has three legs, what’s the big deal? It still has plenty of blood. And why does our tribe have to set up camp in the exact position relative to the tabernacle every cotton-pickin’ time? What difference does it make? I really don't need some preacher telling me what God means. I can read and think for myself. Duh! You shouldn’t have gotten me started….

8. I Expected Success To Always Come Easily. I don’t see a God who can create a universe in six days needing forty years to get me to the Promise Land. He can create the Earth by speaking words, yet expects me to walk all the way to my new home? Please!

9. I Made Sure My Leader Knew When I Wasn’t Happy. Hey, he is the one who said God was going to tell him how to get us all to this wonderful land that flows with milk and honey. The good time he promised isn’t exactly what I am currently experiencing, so don’t blame me for talking about it. He is the one you ought to be complaining about.

10. I Didn’t Have The Guts To Stand Up and Speak Out For God. I’m not a preacher. God never spoke to me out of a burning bush. Sure, I saw a few amazing things like water coming out of a rock, quail covering the ground every evening, rivers parting so a couple million people could cross on dry land, but does that mean I am now God’s attorney? There are other people who are better at that sort of thing. Anyway, I can’t take a chance on offending some of these guys. I’ve got to live with them, you know.

11. I Valued The Familiar More Than I Treasured The Future. With the familiar, at least you know what you’ve got. The future is uncertain and there are no guarantees. A bird in the hand is better than two in some bush that exists only in your (or some preacher's!) imagination.

12. I Preferred Earthly Things Over Heavenly Things. They called it angels’ food, but after a while you grow tired of that light and fluffy stuff. We may not have had a lot in Egypt, but the onion and garlic certainly livened up the cuisine a bit.

But what's it to you? Get off my back, okay? You never had to live my life, so stop judging me!

©2006 Doug Ellingsworth

Planting Choices

2006-04-22T02:24:00.000-05:00

Have you ever noticed that some people do not know, or do not care, that personal choices, once put in motion by some action, reverberate far beyond the intended point of impact, like the ripples that result when a stone is tossed into the water? Is it possible that they do not realize that, since our lives are not our own, it is impossible for us to completely control them?

You and I are not in charge of our lives. We aim them in a general direction, good or bad, but the daily events that define us are beyond our control. Our choices and decisions set systems and cycles into motion. Those actions ignite a series of repeating events, like one domino falling onto another, the results of which impact us and cause us to make yet another choice, which sets yet another cycle spinning.

Life involves a lot of reacting to events that we did not plan. Some of those events we did not create, but some were designed by choices we made earlier.

Making decisions is like planting seeds. You are in complete control until you scatter the seed, but once the seed is spread, you relinquish all control. God's laws then take over and you must deal with the crop your choices produce.

What harvest are you about to reap?

©2006 Doug Ellingsworth