Eyes Wide Open

Test of Faith

2011-10-05T13:09:00.001-07:00

Jesus taught that if a person truly belongs to God. The can actually hear when God is speaking to them. (John 8:47)

Hour of Power

2011-10-05T12:59:00.001-07:00

Jesus taught his disciples if they had only prayed and exercised caution for only one hour. Then, they would not have fled away during his capture. During times of stress, we can overcome temptation the same way. (Luke 14:37-38)

Little White Lies?

2011-10-05T12:57:00.000-07:00

Jesus taught that all lies are fathered by Satan. (John 8:43D)

Complaining (even in prayer) Makes God Furious

2011-10-04T07:22:00.000-07:00

When we complain in tough situations, it makes God furious (read Numbers 11:10).

Why God Brings Hard Times to You

2011-10-04T07:19:00.000-07:00

God puts you through hard times to humble and test you. He does it to determine if you'll remain obedient to Him even to the point of death. His game plan is to teach you that the key to your survival is by steadfastly obeying his word (read Deut. 8:2-3).

God Punishes Us when we are Unthankful

2011-10-04T07:15:00.000-07:00

If we don't joyfully serve God with genuine thankfulness, he'll punish us for it by bringing difficult people into our lives to oppress us (read Deut. 28:47-48B).

Judgment of God or Man?

2011-10-04T07:09:00.000-07:00

People ruin their lives by their own stupidity, so why does God always get blamed? Proverbs 19:3 (MSG) A lot of the bad stuff is brought upon ourselves by our own bad judgment. If we had only had our spirits tuned into the guiding of the Holy Spirit, we would missed most of it.

Isaiah's Taught that Israel would be Born as a Nation in a Day

2011-10-04T07:04:00.000-07:00

Isaiah knew almost 3,000 years ago that Israel would be (re)born as a nation in a day. (see Isaiah 66:7-9)

Fate and Destiny are Two False Old Testament Gods

2011-10-04T07:01:00.000-07:00

Did you know that Fate and Destiny were two false gods mentioned in the Old Testament? Read isaiah 65:11.

The Bible Taught the Earth was Round 3,000 years Ago

2011-10-04T06:55:00.000-07:00

"God sits above the circle of the earth" (Isaiah 40:22 NLT). God knew that the earth was round and not square almost 3,000 years ago.

Panic Prayers

2011-10-04T06:42:00.000-07:00

People are arrogantly indifferent to God- until, of course, they're in trouble, and then God is indifferent to them. There's nothing behind such prayers except panic; the Almighty pays them no mind. (Job 35:12-13). A panic prayer is not based upon faith in God and His word. A panic prayer is based upon fear. In other words, we are more afraid of our situation's ability to harm us instead of our faith in God to protect us. God ignores such prayers.

Modern Bible Translations

2011-03-10T12:40:00.000-08:00

I think that a lot of translators are afraid to get too far away from the language of the King James Bible because they think that main stream Christians will not purchase and read their newer versions. The problem with that is even a lot of newer versions doesn’t connect with modern readers because they are not really a true update into the current English language and sentence structure. I’m not knocking any version of the Bible, and I personally love the King James Bible; however, we need true word for word translations of the Bible that use modern words and sentence structure, which are still faithful to the original text no matter how it was expressed in an earlier English translation. What's at stake? Christians need to get back into reading the Bible for themselves, and it should be a joy and not drudgery.

The King James Bible Classic

2011-03-10T12:27:00.000-08:00

Recently, I was watching a movie on a classic play written in the 1800s. It was rated as a 4 star movie, and was considered a classic. Yet, I just couldn’t get into it because the language had changed. I concede that it was and is a great movie although I don't want to watch it. To me, the King James Version of the Bible is like that movie. I consider the King James Bible which was published 400 years ago to also be a 4 star version of the Bible; however, as much as I love it, I still have a problem getting into it. Over time many of the words that were used are not currently used today, and don’t connect with today’s readers. In addition, not only have the words changed, but also the way that the sentences are structured have changed. Although I may understand it, it’s hard for me to get into reading it.

Was Jesus a Capitalist?

2011-03-02T11:30:00.000-08:00

Wikipedia defines Capitalism as "an economic system in which the means of production are privately owned and operated for profit. Decisions regarding supply, demand, price, distribution, and investment are made within a free market. Profit is sent to owners who invest in businesses, and wages are paid to workers". During the 1,400 years that the Bible was being written, capitalism was the primary economic system in which the world operated.

Jesus taught a parable supporting Capitalism in Matthew 25:14-28. In it, a business owner left the country for a period of time. Before he left, the owner assigned different levels of funds to three different employees. Two of the employees invested the funds wisely and doubled the funds; however, the third did nothing to grow the funds. The first two employees were rewarded accordingly, and the third employee was punished. What’s interesting about Jesus’ position on Capitalism is that all resources belong to God, and we will ultimately be held accountable for how we administer it for God.

Although He was a supporter of Capitalism, Jesus was against what I call materialism. In Matthew 6:24 KJV, Jesus cautioned about a false God in His day named Mammon. Webster's dictionary defines "Mammon" or "Mann" as: 1) the false god of riches and greed. In Matthew 23:25, Jesus expressed His disgust for greed and self indulgence. In addition in Matthew 21:12-13, Jesus retaliated against the temple’s leadership in His day for taking advantage of both the religious pilgrims and the temple itself by allowing trade within the temple. He said that the leadership was making the temple a “den of robber”. In the way, Jesus put boundaries around Capitalism.

Throughout the teaching of Christ, He was really big into personal giving. In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus made personal giving to the poor Christians a key identifier of who actually were His true disciples. In Matthew 6:1-4, Jesus assumed that everyone gives to the poor; however, he cautioned against doing it in an embarrassing way. In Matthew 23:23, Jesus supported the tithe from the Law of Moses, which contained an important social program (for more see http://u-builder.blogspot.com/2011/02/was-jesus-socialist.html . It is indeed troubling that so many people are attempting to redefine Capitalism as Materialism. They are not the same. The truth is that Materialism is bad whether it is manifested in Capitalism, Communism, Socialism, or any other form of Government that can be imagined.

Jesus, Moses, and Socialism

2011-02-23T10:25:00.000-08:00

The Law of Moses took care of those in dire need. In Deut. 26 12 (NIV) , the Bible in the Law of Moses taught "When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied." It is socialistic to the extent that one-tenth of the harvest was taxed by law, redistributed to the dire poor; but the tax was capped at 10% as to not be an undue burden on the nation’s economy. In other words, socialism was both allowed, and controlled by the tithe law.

Another socialistic program in the Law of Moses can be found in Deut. 15:1-2. (NIV) “At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts. 2 This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel any loan they have made to a fellow Israelite. They shall not require payment from anyone among their own people, because the LORD’s time for canceling debts has been proclaimed”. According to the Law of Moses, the affluent had to release the poor from their debts every seven years. Debt cancellation is another form of wealth redistribution and socialism found in the Bible. In this example, socialism was allowed, but could be limited by the affluent in how much they loaned out.

In Deut. 23:19, 24, & 25, we see a couple of more examples of social programs in the Law of Moses. (NIV) “19 Do not charge a fellow Israelite interest, whether on money or food or anything else that may earn interest.” The affluent were not allowed to charge interest on their brother and sister Israelites. 24 “If you enter your neighbor’s vineyard, you may eat all the grapes you want, but do not put any in your basket. 25 If you enter your neighbor’s grain field, you may pick kernels with your hands, but you must not put a sickle to their standing grain.” This form of socialism and wealth redistribution was authorized by the Bible in the Law of Moses in that anyone including the poor had access to anyone else’s field to go and eat; however, they could not harvest it or haul it off. If they did, it would be stealing. Lastly, another example of socialism and wealth distribution can be found in the Bible in Leviticus 23:22 (NIV) 22 “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and for the foreigner residing among you. I am the LORD your God.” The affluent were legally required to not harvest the corners of their field, so that the poor could eat from it.

The Bible in the Law of Moses itself recognizes that an involuntary wealth tax of 10% does not go far enough. In Deut. 15:11, the Bible in the Law of Moses recognizes the need for the general public to voluntarily give to those in need. (NIV) “There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.” Jesus fully supported the Law of Moses and the tithe in Luke 11:42; therefore, Jesus would have to be socialistic in His thinking as far as the Law of Moses goes. (NIV) “Woe to you Pharisees (religious leaders) because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.” In other words, Jesus taught that the Jews had fulfilled the involuntary tithe law; however, they had not practiced justice by voluntarily open handed giving as instructed in the Bible in the Law of Moses by giving to their poor brothers and sisters like instructed to do in Deut. 15:11.

Throughout the ministry of Christ, Jesus emphasized voluntary giving to the poor which the Jewish establishment of His day was overlooking. In Matthew 25:42-46 Jesus said 42 "For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ 44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ 45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ 46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” Jesus taught that to voluntarily give to our poor brothers and sisters is Christ is a true test of those who really belong to Him.

Poverty or Prosperity. That is the Question?

2011-02-14T14:01:00.000-08:00

I went to a Church that laughed at the Prosperity message, but most everyone was affluent. Then, I went to a Church who preached Prosperity, but all of those people to me appeared to be poor. What's up with that? If you're going to a Church that laughs at the Prosperity message, make sure that they are also teaching the importance of practicing personal giving to their poor brothers and sisters in Christ. On the other hand if your Church is ignoring the probably that you and maybe a lot of your brothers and sisters in Christ may be going without. I suggest that you find a Church with integrity. Notice in these passages below there will be both affluent and poor Christians and if you attend a sound Church they will be preaching the importance of personal giving to the poor.

(NIV)Matthew 6:3 "But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing".

(NIV) James 3:14 "What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead".

(NIV) I John 3:17 "If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth."

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Church of Mammon?

2011-02-14T13:43:00.000-08:00

I think that some Churches are being influenced by how affluent members are, and are advancing them over others to teach and lead. In this way, they can attract and retain more affluent members. Then, those affluent leaders are being intimated by the more spiritually mature. When the spiritual mature attempt to speak up, the affluent leaders attempt to embarrass them into being quiet, and eventually might even make attempts to run them off. This is particularly obvious in small groups where the leaders struggle to understand even basic spiritual truths. Hopefully, this is not happening in your Church; however, it might explain what you are experiencing in your Church. The problem may be your Church may be worshipping the God of Wealth (Mammon) instead of the one true God, and it’s causing a lot of tension. If they are attempting to shut you up, I suggest that you just look for a Church where the people have integrity.

Matthew 6:24 "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."

Cherry Picking Preachers

2011-02-14T12:26:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of strange doctrines out there bouncing throughout the Church because the teachers are cherry picking Scriptures out of context. Some Prosperity teachers say that it is God's will for all believers to be rich, and they use Paul's own words to support their position. After all, didn't Paul say in 2 Cor. 9:8 (NIV) "And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." Therefore, they teach that it is God's will is for us to be well off. Yes, it does appear from that one verse that we're suppose to have plenty of stuff to take care of ourselves and others.

On the other hand, Paul also taught in Romans 8:35 (NIV) "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?" In that passage, Paul taught that we as Christians might sometimes go hungry, naked, and even might be murdered. Therefore, those who preach a poverty Gospel say that it's God will for us to be poor. However, which of the two positions is right?

It is a teachers responsibility to teach the whole truth, and not just one aspect of it. If he or she doesn't, they are wandering off from the truth into error. Let me take a moment and attempt to balance out these two truths. Jesus said in Matthew (NIV) 25:42 "For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me." Here we see both aspects of prosperity and poverty truth.

Jesus taught that there would be some believers among us without food, clothes, SICK, without housing, and even in prison. In other words, there will be needy believers. At the same time, there will be believers among us who have plenty of food, clothes, health, housing, and are out of prison. In other words, there will be well-to-do believers, too. It is the responsibility of those who are experiencing prosperity to help others who are experiencing lack. If they don't, they are exposed as not being true believers after all in the judgment.

It is the leader's responsibility to quote verses consistent with the Bible context, and the learners responsibility to verify they do. The leaders should teach us to be self feeders, and not to be lead astray by those with hidden agendas. After all, Paul said in Philipians (NIV) 4:12 "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength." Paul himself said that he personally had experienced both Biblical prosperity and poverty truths. As for me, I'll stand with Paul.

Church Not Simple?

2011-02-13T16:44:00.000-08:00

Last year, I read the "The Simple Church" by Thom Rainer, and it has opened my eyes. Although I love my Church, I discovered that I'm a little out of sync with it. My passion is to reach as many people as possible for Christ and disciple them up. Not only am I passionate about it, but I want to push the gas, and make it happen.

We meet at the High School across the street on Easter, and a couple of years ago we filled up the auditorium of 1,000 seats. Therefore, about six weeks before Easter last year, I began to talk to the Church's leadership about our need to add a second service; however, they didn't. On Easter of last year, we walked over 200 people.

Then, I began to talk to them about the lack of parking and the need to add a service so that first timers will be more likely to find a parking space and a seat. Still, I'm making no headway. Every Sunday our parking lot is jammed packed making it highly unlikely that new prospects will attempt to come in.

Another problem that I'm having is the low percentage of people attending small groups. In my Church, it is very uncommon for the importance of Small Groups to even be mentioned. I'm concerned that people will dropped through the cracks, they will begin to miss, and no will will know. Still week after week my Church doesn't mention their small groups, and the need to park across the street at the High School parking lot to create room for visitors. It makes me frustrated.

This morning was Sunday, and I watched the people both working and just attending our Church. I noticed that everyone was happy, and were looking forward to the worship service, and that was really cool. What's bothering me. It must only be bothering me, so I must be a little out of alignment with my Church as Thom Rainer in "The Simple Church" says. I've been saying over and over what I see as the problem for years, but I'm making little to no headway. I talked myself blue in the face.

Maybe, I shouldn't try to change them at all, and let them be what they must be. Maybe, I should be looking for a Church that I'm more aligned. If so, I love them, leaving them will be sad. Going to Church there is fun. I'm still not sure. I haven't made up my mind.

Why Join & Change Churches?

2011-02-13T15:37:00.000-08:00

I attend a Men's Bible Study on Friday morning, which our Church elders and pastors usually attend. All the men in our Church are invited to attend. One morning a man asked this question "why should I join a Church?" "What's in it for me?" Immediately, the Pastor said "if you ever want to teach or lead, you must be a Church member." The man responded I don't care anything about teaching or leading, so why should I join?" At that point, the Pastor seemed stumped, so he just said "I'll talk about that with you off line." I would have liked to hear the whole conversation.

My parents began to struggle with the question of Church membership around 1980, and they visited the same Baptist Church for almost 30 years. They attended every Sunday, and my father faithfully attended small group and tithed all of those years. After he had visited for 10 years, they eventually asked him to teach. In fact, he backfilled taught for an Assistant Pastor's Sunday School class for at least 10 years after that. All the while, he was and still is a visitor.

I personally have continued to join Churches for those 30 years as my parents continued to attend that Church as guest. I think that it is because I want the Church to know that I am committed to them. Although I've been committed to my Church, I've observed that some Churches have been less commited to me. I've seen some of them prefer visitors over members, which has made me ask "why?" I suspect that some Churches are more attracted to affluent visitors over spiritually mature, but less affluent members, and they try to secure and retain the affluent with leadership positions.

In a lot of ways, I view Church membership like a Department Store Credit Card. Everytime that I make a purchase there, they try to make me sign up. I already have all the credit that I want with my master card; however, they are trying to get me committed with their credit card, direct mail, and e-mails. I think that Church membership is far more in it for the Church than the members. It helps them to reduce turnover, secure tithes, and improve attendence, so I think that it is more about them than me. Actually, I'm okay with that. I understand. I get it.

I think that you've got to discern if your Church's leadership are Godly people and are people of integrity. I've noticed that some of the same people who laugh at the prosperity Gospel are the same ones who are strangely drawn to and run after affluent visitors. Ask "are your Pastors partial to affluent people, people of statis, and the highly educated." If so, I suggest that you run!

Before you join a Church, ask yourself, "is this Church fully committed to reaching people for Jesus no matter what their socio-economic statis is, and are they committed to offering an excellent program for discipling them up in Jesus afterwards?" Ask, "Do they choose teachers based upon their walk with Jesus or their socio-economic statis?" If they are not making disciples out of everyone no matter what their socio-economic statis is, I suggest that you leave even if you are a Church member.

I personally like to join Churches to let them know that I am committed to them. After all, they need to know to plan their budgets, and I'm alright with this. However, I'm also okay to be quick to leave if it becomes apparent that I've made a mistake and the Church is run by people who lack integrity. My suggestion is to join the Church carefully and look for this problem; however, leave if God makes you aware of a problem afterwards that you've made a mistake.

Multi-Churching

2011-02-13T14:48:00.000-08:00

I moved back to Alabama in 1990, and began visiting a Bible Church. I really like the indepth teaching, and the worship experience in their Singles's Group; however, it was a little small. It only averaged about 20 Singles. However, there was a large Baptist Church nearby, and my parents encouraged me to attend their Singles Group that meet a 11:00 AM.

What I decided to do was attend the Bible Church's worship service at 8:00 AM, and the Bible Church's Singles Class at 9:30 AM, and then run over to the large Baptist Church's Singles Group at 11:00 AM. I had the best of both worlds. I got the worship and indepth teaching at the Bible Church's Singles, and the fellowship of the Baptist Church's Singles which averaged about 100 to 200 people. I actually meet my futher wife after 2 or 3 Sundays at the Baptist Church, so I later joined the Baptist Church and eventually went their exclusively.

Recently, my son has been begging to visit the Student ministry at a nearby Church. Not that our Church's Student ministry doesn't have a great ministry, but he just likes the worship experience better at the other Church. Kinda like I used to perfer the Singles worship at the Bible Church over the Baptist Church when I was younger.

Because the other Church believes a little different than the way that we believe, I explained to my son the differences. I wanted to attend the Student's service with my son to feel things out; however, he didn't want me to embarrass him. I decided to attend the service for the adults. To me, the adult Church wasn't fun, and it didn't appeal to me. Because the adults let out a little earlier than the Students, I snuck into the back of the Student's service, and listened for about 10 minutes.

In contrast, the Student's service was a blast, fun, and worshipful, so I can see why my son wanted to attend. When I was a teen, I was forced into attending Church functions that I hated, so I want my son to want to go to Church. I'm okay if he wants to go to Church on Wednesday night elsewhere even if it is at someone else's church.

What I'm all about is following hard after God, and my covenant is first with Him and not with a certain Church. Sure, it is easier to attend just one Church, and it's great if you can do it. However, if another nearby Church may have something that better meets your needs, I say do 2 or even 3 Churches if you have too. Find out what Church does the best at what, and attend whatever best meets your needs, and follow hard after God.

Is your Church a Business or a Ministry?

2011-02-08T09:13:00.000-08:00

Have you ever sat in the pew, and wondered how in the world did my Church come up with that decision? If some strange decisions are being made in your Church, maybe your Church is being run more like a business than a ministry. As in any organization, there are a limited number of resources such as seats, meeting space, and parking. Could it be that your Church is trying to improve their average earnings per member through the decisions that they are making? Did you know that if their earnings per member goes up then they can afford more attractive buildings and staff increases, so they can attract even more affluent members. On and on it goes. I hope and pray that this does not describe your Church.

Even if I were affluent, I wouldn’t want to be favored because I had money. My hope would be that I was being loved and appreciated by authentic people, and not loved because they perceived me to be an affluent giver. Look at the decisions that your Church’s leadership is making through a revenue perspective, and then think through what they are doing. Then, those decisions that they’re making might make some sense. I'm not saying that it's happening in your Church, but it might. In some cases, a revenue perspective is the only thing that might make sense. Is your Church a Business or a Ministry? Look through revenue glasses.

To help clear things up, ask…

1. Does your Church’s leadership favor the affluent over others?
2. Does your Church’s leadership rush the new members who are affluent into leadership roles?
3. Does your Church pursue affluent prospects over everyone else?
4. Does your Church have a good representation of the less fortunate in your Church?
5. Does your Church rush to help the Church members who are in crisis, including job loss?
6. Does your Church encourage personal giving to the poor especially to your brothers and sisters in Christ?
7. Are the affluent in your Church taught to be caring with those in your fellowship and elsewhere who are less fortunate?
8. Does your Church encourage their members to cross socio-economic barriers?
9. Does your Church separate the affluent from the less fortunate even in worship?

My hope is that your Church is a ministry and not a business. If not, seek the Lord’s leading in what He’d have you to do.

Matthew 6:24 (CEB) “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be loyal to the one and have contempt for the other. You cannot serve God and wealth”.

Dan Dehaan on www.Youtube.com, Please!

2009-02-24T10:17:00.000-08:00

When I was in College in 1977, I attended a Bible Study in Atlanta, Georgia at Griffin Middle School. It was called the Metro Bible Study. Charles “Dad” Ellis had started this Bible Study in his basement, and it had grown to be over a thousand people. A Christian Band called the Pat Terry Group lead the music http://www.patterryonline.com/ . When I found out that the Pat Terry Group played there at that Bible Study, I began to attend.

Here is Pat Terry on http://www.youtube.com/.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibvArggcjtQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WZzsz55WHk&feature=related

The teacher, Dan Dehaan, whom I didn’t know beforehand, was in his early thirties. As I attended the Bible Study, Dan made a friendship with a linebacker on the Atlanta Falcons named Greg Brezina. Dan was later asked to be the team chaplain for the Atlanta Falcons through his relationship with Greg. The starting quarterback at the time was Steve Bartkowski, who was the first overall NFL draft pick in 1975. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Bartkowski

During the time that Dan Dehaan was the Champlain of the Atlanta Falcons, Quarterback; Steve Bartkowski had a difficult year, and was benched in favor of Quarterback, June Jones. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_Jones. June who was a Christian told Steve that he was going to start until Steve got right with the Lord. Shortly thereafter, Steve became a Christian, and eventually retook his starting position. After Steve came to the Lord, there was a revival on the Atlanta Falcons, and the Falcons began to win. In 1980, the Falcons made it all the way to the NFC Title Game where they lost to the Dallas Cowboys.

While Dan taught the Metro Bible Study at Griffin Middle School, it eventually overgrew their auditorium. At that time, the Bible Study was moved to the First Baptist Church of Smyrna, Georgia. Then, Dan began to take pilot’s lessons, and planned to teach a second Metro Bible Study in Tupelo, Mississippi. During the summer of 1982, Dan crashed his airplane right off Highway 72 near Paint Rock just east of Huntsville, Alabama. When Dan came up missing, Dad Ellis and some of the guys from the Metro Bible Study drove up to North Alabama, and searched until they found Dan’s body.

Dan had made arrangements to take the summer of 1982 off with John Riley http://www.johnsriley.com/ teaching for him. After Dan’s death, John Riley taught the Bible Study for several years. Under John, It eventually outgrew the First Baptist Church of Smyrna and was then moved to Mt. Paran Church of God. Later, it was moved again to Mt. Paran’s North campus where it could seat several thousand people. Before Dan’s death at 33 years of age, Dan wrote a biography of Steve Bartkowski called “Intercepted by Christ”. Dan was a gifted speaker, and had a passion for the Lord.

While Dan Dehaan taught the Metro Bible Study, Andy Stanley http://www.northpoint.com/ occasionally attended. I believe that Dan’s teaching had and still has a great influence upon Andy Stanley’s teaching and approach. If anyone out there still has any of Dan Dehaan’s teaching tapes. Please put them on Youtube.com. Dan should not be forgotten, and I’d like to listen in.

Here is Dan Dehaan's replacement, John Riley speaking years later on http://www.godtube.com/.
http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=JMJJFCNU (Part 1)
http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=D6LW6GNX (Part 2)

W.A. Criswell's Last Words

2009-02-11T10:27:00.000-08:00

Between 1970 and 1971, my family attended First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas, which was Pastored by W.A. Criswell. W.A. Criswell's church was really amazing and fun. At the time, W.A. Criswell's church attendance fluctuated between 6,000 and 8,000 people each Sunday morning with about 150 kids in my grade. W. A. Criswell's youth building had 12 floors. On one floor, there was a skating ring with a restaurant, and on another floor there was a bowling alley, a weight room, and a Gym.

That year at W.A. Criswell's First Baptist Church of Dallas sent their High School choir to Japan, and the Junior High Choir went to Mexico. Going to W.A. Criswell's church was like going to church heaven. On one occasion, W. A. Criswell's First Baptist of Dallas even rented out the Six Flags over Texas amusement park for one night. It was a blast.

I really loved W. A. Criswell. W. A. Criswell was very well known around that time frame. As a twelve year old boy, I watched W. A. Criswell, and observed that he was loving and kind. It was as though his face radiated light. W. A. Criswell would preach exclusively about Jesus each Sunday night. When W A. Criswell spoke, I felt the presence of God. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W.A._Criswell)

At one time, my mother briefly spoke to W. A. Criswell about something. I don’t remember what it was about, but I still do remember what W. A. Criswell said to her. He said, “Young lady, every time I see you always tell me who you are all over again because I want to remember you”. Even with the thousands upon thousands of people that attended W. A. Criswell’s church. W. A. Criswell still wanted to remember her. In 1971, my family moved away from Dallas to another state.

In 1976, I went to college at a school in Texas at a time when my family lived in Roanoke, VA. I heard several of W. A. Criswell’s church members at that college saying that W. A. Criswell was old and senile. I always defended him. Those comments made me mad. While in college, I worked out in the weight room with a son of a minister who worked for W. A. Criswell. At one point, I told him that he didn’t know what a great privilege he had to grow up in W. A. Criswell's church. He paused for a second and cried. Then, he said, I had forgotten how blessed I was.

I can still remember what W. A. Criswell said to us when my family first joined First Baptist Church of Dallas. W. A. Criswell told my parents that they needed to put a book on my brother’s head because he was getting way too tall. In 1978 or 9, the Southern Baptist Convention was held in Atlanta, and I took the opportunity to speak to W. A. Criswell about going to Seminary. W. A. Criswell said, “Come to mine in Dallas!” I wish that I had listened to him.

Before W. A. Criswell's death in 2002, I heard W. A. Criswell speak for one last time when he was still in his early 90s. It was at Highland Baptist Church in Huntsville, Alabama. As I listened as he spoke, W. A. Criswell's mind was still crisp, clear, and his face still shown like a light bulb. In the crowd, there were only about 50 people, and I thought about the thousands upon thousands of people that W. A. Criswell had spoken to throughout his life. Even, with only 50 people, W.A. Criswell still radiated love. Just as he had to me when I was 12. W. A. Criswell loved people. Young or old. Rich or poor. Many or few. It didn't matter.

Here is W. A. Criswell's last sermon on Youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5Z1nlPoS3U (Part 1)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vRoMBG4SWg (Part 2)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rstXjUI95xk (Part 3)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeEDwmqg5zg (Part 4)

(Hear W. A. Criswell at http://www.wacriswell.org/)