Overheard At The Conference

On Monday and Tuesday of this week, I was at the 2009 Louisiana Baptist Convention Evangelism Conference. I enjoyed the diversity of speakers and their approach to the topic- information as well as presentation.

Here are a few memorable quotes I penned:

"If you have not been saved, you don't need revival; you need resurrection."

What is revival? Revival is when...

"Jesus comes in sits down, manifests his presence, and brings all into the presence of the Lord."

Billy Sunday to a lady who said to him, "Don't you know that revival doesn't last?: "Lady, neither does a bath, but it helps."

The above quotes come from a firebrand preacher named Herb Reavis. There aren't many like him anymore.

Sigh.

For Those Hard Of Hearing

 

Upcoming Podcast

BTW, I will soon be posting an interview I did with Gerald Williams. He's been on the gospel music circuit for 60 years, starting out with five guys in a DeSoto to a MCI bus today. He had some interesting reflections to share.

Don't forget you can go to iTunes to subscribe. Search "Conversations With Dr. Dave."

Until then, stay tuned.

Passing Away?

I attended and hosted a Southern Gospel music concert last night with the Melody Boys from Little Rock, AR. Unfortunately, the crowd was quite sparse. Was it the weather? (It had turned cold.) Was it the cost of tickets? (We are in a recession.) Or was it something else?

Clue: I noticed that most all of the audience had gray hair. This includes the host- me.

Even Gerald Williams, venerated bass singer of the group and member of the Southern Gospel Hall of Fame referred to the phenomena. He stated that if we wanted to see the music carry on to another generation, we should take our grandchildren to a Southern Gospel music concert.

I recall asking a question of a famous SG artist a few months back about the mostly grayhairs in the audience. He stated that this was nothing new. When he started out, the audience then- in the 1950's -was mostly grayhairs as well. I asked Gerald about this. He said that it was true, but he also noted that "That was the only kind of Christian music we had back then." There was the music of worship in the churches, and then there was the quartet style, camp-meeting singing.

No "contemporary Christian," no "Christian rock," no "Christian country." Just gospel.

We have so many choices today. Nothing wrong with that.

But I am concerned that the old quartet style of gospel singing is passing away. Some quartets today are moving toward a more contemporary "Praise and Worship" style, or a country style.

In quartet singing the music, you can hear the message above the music. The music is a servant to the message.

Not the other way around.

May that never change!

I'm On iTunes

You have likely noticed the "Conversations With Dr. Dave" icon on this blog site. As of today, you can go to iTunes and subscribe to the podcast through iTunes.

I am always open to suggestions for guest interviews. This way, I can be a radio talk show host without ever going on the radio.

Go to the iTunes store and search on "Conversations With Dr. Dave," or use this link. This way, you will be subscribed to my podcast (assuming you use iTunes) and will have the latest episodes delivered to you automatically.

I will be updating the interviews at least monthly, so stay tuned.

There's more to come!

Congratulations, Mr. President

Today the new 44th president took office in what must be the most orderly transfer of power under the sun. One president took to the exits and another made his entrance.

The reports have noted the unparalleled excitement, crowds, and fanfare over this inauguration. Perhaps that is as it should be. Regardless of how anyone voted, Barack Obama is the president of our country. It is good to see people feeling good about their government and chief executive.

But tomorrow, it is off with the tuxedo and on with the work clothes. The new president faces domestic financial problems, wars, and the fulfillment of all the the promises he made.

What is not being widely reported is that minutes after he was sworn in, the new president began to fulfill his promise to lift abortion restrictions and support the "LGBT Community" (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender). The positions of George W. Bush, often called the most prolife, pro-traditional family president in American history have been quickly and efficiently replaced by those of the new president.

It is indeed a new era.

A Conversation With Ryan Loveing

If you click on the icon to the right, you can go to my "Conversations With Dr. Dave" website. I have posted an interview I did this week with Ryan Loveing, who is a revival conference speaker with Life Action Ministries.

Ryan's story is quite intriguing. He is a Jew whose father was involved in mob activities. Ryan tells how his family came to know Christ as savior, his early married life as a businessman living the good life, and how he later became involved in Life Action Ministries.

Then, for good measure, he discusses what genuine revival is and why he spends 10 months on the road with his family traveling across the country.

Enjoy!

A Completed Jew (I Love Stories Like This!)

Tonight at our church during a Revival Conference led by a Life Action ministry team, a man named Kevin made public his profession of faith in Jesus Christ.

It was a Hallelujah! moment for us all.

Kevin had been attending our church with his wife for some time. He was active in a men's Sunday School class. For some time, the men and others had been praying for Kevin. There were issues for him concerning his Jewish heritage and if he became a Christian, whether he have to give up his Jewishness.

Then we had a revival team from Life Action Ministries visit our church.

Approximately 30 people, families, adults, college age workers, and children swarmed in on our church for a Thirst! revival conference. Honestly, I knew very little about Life Action Ministries. Last year as I was considering revival plans for this year, I recalled a friend of mine in Texas having a Life Action team in his church years ago. I also receive theLife Action magazine at my office. I called them and scheduled a conference in early January.

That's something I've never done. Ever. I have always scheduled revival meetings in the Spring or Fall. Not in the winter. Not right after Christmas.

I'm so glad I did. Or rather, that the Lord led me to do it.

Back to Kevin. Kevin was away on business last week. He drove all night last Saturday night to come home. He arrived at 4 am and just "happened" to wake up in time for Sunday School. Only this week, we met in the auditorium with the Life Action team.

And Kevin met and heard from a brother- a Jewish Christian preacher.

His name is Ryan Loveing. Ryan is the main speaker for the team which came to our church. Ryan just happens to be Jewish. Kevin came, heard and heard Ryan's message of his growing up the son of a gangster father who was converted to Christ later in life, who owned three Jewelry stores, and who later gave it all up to go on the road and raise his own financial support to preach and speak with the Life Action Team.

Oh, and Ryan is still Jewish.

This caused the last domino to fall in Kevin's life. His testimony tonight as he stood before the congregation was that he had given his life to Jesus Christ. Following his testimony, Ryan baptized Kevin. We had church!

Through a series of events, God brought together a Jewish evangelist (how many of them are there?) to our church, with this team, at this time, and a Jewish man struggling with questions about faith in Messiah.

As someone said, "Who'd a thunk it?"

Now Kevin is completed Jew and my brother in Christ.

That's Revival!

Prolife And Proud Of It

Over the years in my preaching and writing, I have made no bones about my prolife stance. I have examined the arguments, pro and con, of the prolife position and looked at them from a biblical stance.

My conclusion then, as now, is that abortion involves the taking of a distinctly human life. A proabortion stance ultimately involves utilitarian arguments, which, by themselves, do not discredit the position, but weaken the case when the moral implications are considered.

Now, having said that, the strongest argument I can make for being prolife is my youngest son, Caleb.

Caleb is my adopted son. My wife and I, after many disappointing efforts to have a child, including three miscarriages, had all but given up in the effort. We were blessed to have our one and oldest son, and began to believe that he would be only son.

Then my wife heard about a 14 year old girl, pregnant, and in a home for unwed mothers. She had been counseled by some to abort her baby and go about her life. But because of her convictions, decided to have her baby and give it up for adoption.

Long story short, that is how my youngest, Caleb, came to live with us. It, to me, is a miracle of serendipitous and unexpected events that brought us, him and his mother, together. Truly an Unseen Hand guided us and oversaw this stream of events.

Now, 12 years later, I am as strongly passionate about life in the womb being protected as ever.

One of the biggest reasons lives with me.

This is why I join with others in asking our church to pray that President-elect Obama will repent his of intention to sign the Freedom of Choice Act.

The picture included with this post is from the Mississippi Baptist Convention. In preparation for Right to Life Sunday, which is this January 18, they have built a memorial to remind us of how many children have been aborted since the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973. Each penny in the glass house represents 1 aborted baby. With over 50 million abortions performed since then, the reminder is quite graphic and heart breaking.

Another interesting sidelight that Al Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, has pointed out on his blog is that that Sen. Edward Kennedy, Jesse Jackson, and former Vice President Al Gore were all once solidly anti-abortion advocates. If you follow the money trail, you can discover why they have changed their positions.

Our next generation of Americans have been sold for a mess of pottage- done in the name of convenience and expediency.

God help us!

Bad News Is Good News

A recent article in our local newspaper serves as a reminder of how good news can masquerade as bad news. It's all in what gets emphasized.

It noted that Louisiana's sugar cane crop this year was significantly smaller due to the Hurricanes Gustave and Ike, which last year wreaked havoc across our state. Bad news.

Good news: Because of the storms, the sugar content of the cane is significantly increased. So while there may be a smaller sugar cane crop this year, what is available is far superior in quality.

There is less, but it is better.

Contrast both sides of this story with what usually gets reported on the 24 hour talking head news networks. They have to fill time and they have to get ratings. They know that bad news sells. When did you last hear someone on Fox, CNN, or MSNBC spend an hour telling us how good things were? Someone died in an auto accident today. That's sad. But on the other hand, millions of other drivers arrived safely to countless destinations today. That side rarely gets told, because frankly, it just isn't news.

No wonder there such a sense of foreboding in our society.

And that's today's slice of life in southwest Louisiana- sunny side up.

Offended By A Name

A friend of mine was asked to pray at the Independence Bowl held in Shreveport, LA. Apparently someone was offended by his prayer, and offered a critique and suggestions for its improvement in a letter to the Shreveport newspaper.

I find it interesting that this writer wants prayer to "be clear of such highly specific religious references." Given that he objects the mention of the name of Jesus Christ, I conclude he finds objectionable the making of prayer in the name of Jesus.

This is precisely the issue being debated now about Rick Warren being invited to pray at President-elect Obama's inauguration. Some people are just waiting for him to dare to pray in the name of Jesus so they can fire up their word processors and protest. Others want him to pray a generic prayer that includes virtually all known faith traditions.

I learned a long time ago that trying to make everyone happy makes no one happy. Trying to cover all the bases usually means no bases get covered. What is the purpose of prayer? Why even bother to pray if one prays to a pantheon of gods, each with competing theologies?

Let's be clear: as inclusive as most major world religions appear on the surface, at some point they all claim exclusivity. Christianity is just more up front about it. (John 14:6)

Two things:

I would not expect a Christian, nor any other person, Christian or not, to pray in any other way than the way their faith teaches. To do less is to sacrifice one's own faith. I would expect a Muslim to pray to Allah, and a Jew to pray to G_D. Any other faith tradition I would expect to pray to their God. I may not agree with their theology, but I would expect them to be consistent with it.

Second, the real issue with the prayer the writer has is mentioning the name of Jesus. In effect he is saying, "You can pray any way you want to whomever you want. Just don't mention THAT name!" Jesus promised that others would be offended by it. Isn't it interesting that this is still the issue today. I could pray to Zeus and I don't think it would cause all the rabble that praying in the name of Jesus causes.

One could debate the merits of praying before sporting events as another issue. That too, is an issue he has. It is a bit ironic that we pray for the safety of those about to deliberately try to tear others' heads off.

I have had occasion to pray before sporting events. One I remember in particular is my being asked to pray just before a church softball game. I was new to the public prayer thing, so after I rambled about, I said, "And Lord, may the best team win!" I felt like I had asked to favor one team over the other. Some Dallas Cowboys fans make this claim as they explain that the hole in the Texas Stadium roof (May it rest in peace!) is so "God can look down and see His team."

Texans. It always has to be bigger and better for them.

As long I am asked to pray, in private or in public, I will pray in the name of Jesus. I can do no less, so help me God.