Confessions of a Recovering Pharisee

[Christian Post]

So what really makes someone between the ages of 13 and 24 happy? It’s not what most parents or even MTV might think. According to an extensive survey, spending time with family makes the young cohort happiest. Next was spending time with friends and then a significant other.

While parents worry over a sexualized culture, sex was one of the least mentioned things that make America’s young people most happy. Being sexually active actually leads to less happiness among 13-17 year olds, according to the survey. For those 18 to 24, sex might lead to more happiness in the moment, but not in general.

Read about it here.

[From me]

I didn’t need a poll to tell me this. Isn’t it interesting how the Bible addresses the real issues that make people happy?

What do you think?

Yesterday started off like most days that I have. I enjoyed spending the weekend alone with my wife. My parents spoke at our church’s Father-son and Mother-daughter lunch on Saturday and took Jacob and Hope home to Columbia, SC. Cassandra was scheduled to pick them up yesterday morning @ 11:00 AM half-way between Columbia and Charlotte.

I’m a planner and live by my Franklin-Covey Software on my Palm Treo. But I learned years ago at their seminar to expect interruptions. Of course the Bible tells me that in James 1:2-4:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

That was one of the first passages of Scripture I memorized as a child. It has been my life. In fact, I know that if I’m not having opposition of some sort I’m not serving God to the fullest. I’m convinced that Satan doesn’t need to bother those who aren’t living for him.

Anyway, While I was studying Cassandra called and asked me if I would go pick up Jacob and Hope because her back was acting up again and she couldn’t drive. I said sure because I knew I could study on the way down and get them back home and be in the office by 12:30 at the latest to prepare for Sunday’s message.

I drove down to Exit #65 in SC and was waiting for my Dad, Jacob and Hope to meet me at McDonalds (not to eat!) when a man and his girlfriend hit me up for $$. They made me feel very uncomfortable so I went inside the McDonalds because I was afraid they might try to rob me. A half-hour later my dad arrived with my kids and we packed up and I was right on schedule. I decided to stop and get gas in Rock Hill, SC because they have cheap gas ( can you believe that I am considering $2.83 a gallon cheap?). Right before I pulled off I ran over something on I-77. I didn’t think much about it until a lady at the Raceway gas station told me my front tire was flat. It wasn’t just flat it was to the rim.

I put some air in it but heard air oozing out so I drove to the Pep Boys across the street to get it fixed. They said it would be 45 minutes so Jacob, Hope and I went to the Pizza Hut across the street and ate from the Buffet. I don’t like Buffets because I always feel I have to get my money’s worth but after speaking on Gluttony Sunday I was good and ate a salad.
After eating we went back to Pep Boys and my car was still not ready. We ended up waiting 2 hours total. Thankfully I didn’t have to buy a new tire. I drove the kids home and drove back to the church to get some studying done. I stayed much later than normal to make up for lost study time.

I’m convinced of this–God must be planning something big this week in my life or the church. Anytime I have Murphy’s Law days I know that Satan doesn’t want me to do something for God’s glory. We are passing out ice cold water bottles this Saturday and I’m speaking from Colossians 3 this Sunday about work. I’m not sure what is going to happen but I look forward to seeing God move!

What about you? When you experience opposition do you see God in those time?

[UPDATE]

I guess there is a lot of spiritual warfare going on this week. I just got off the phone with Wells Fargo regarding the leased van I turned in 2 months ago that was 10,000 miles under the allowed miles and I had to settle with them for “excessive” wear for money I don’t have. Do not lease from Wells Fargo!!!!

God must really love me!

[From Victoria Advocate]

A man arrested Saturday night after a routine traffic stop in Texas told deputies that the cocaine found in his vehicle was a graduation present for his son in Houston.

Read about it here.

[From me]

What happened to just getting laundered $$?

I used to be an ostrich. I would bury my head in the sand when I didn’t want to deal with something. I admit I lived a pretty sheltered life until high school. Growing up in the biggest party town of all universities has a way of opening your eyes. I found ways of ignoring sin or just acting like I lived in another planet.

But God has a way of hitting me across the head. It began when my best friend got his girlfriend pregnant. Then I fell in love with a young woman who had a different upbringing than me. I began to deal with people in my ministry who have gone through unspeakable horrors. Just this week I had people (not in my church) share with me things that were done to them as children.

For that reason I can’t be an ostrich anymore. I am proudly a Southern Baptist and have been since I can remember. I was baptized in an SBC church, went to and SBC University and have SBC Seminary degree. I have served on staff in SBC churches since 1992. God has done some amazing things through the Southern Baptist Convention. But what better way to ruin God’s work than for Satan to discredit God’s mouthpieces –pastors and ministerial staff. If Satan can make the clergy look like they are hypocrites and even worse criminals he can do more harm to God’s church than anything else.

There is no question in my mind that 99% of Southern Baptist ministers are in the ministry to serve God. But after watching ABC’s 20/20 on Friday night it is obvious that there are some bad apples too. Christa Brown, Debbie Vasquez and others have exposed that there are predators in some SBC churches. You look at Christa’s site and you will see dozens of convicted ministers just within the last few months. We can’t possibly know about all of them but what about those who have already been arrested or caught? Why is it that some churches want to just be ostriches and bury their heads in the sand?

The argument that some give is that Southern Baptist Churches are “autonomous” which means they are independent and no outside group can tell them what to do. That is one of the things that makes SBC churches unique. We aren’t bound by any hierarchy. Our churches voluntarily cooperate with other churches to do missions around the world. That is why I am a Southern Baptist.

But when Christa Brown’s organization and SNAP began to call for a SBC predator database some say the SBC doesn’t need any kind of database because every church is autonomous. Well in my opinion that is a lame excuse. There are others who are worried about false accusations. This is a valid concern but shouldn’t we trust that God will protect those who are innocent. If by some horrible chance someone has a “JOSEPH” experience–that is tragic. But what is more tragic is there are predators being swapped from church to church because people don’t have the guts to do something about it. This has to stop.

I mentioned before that we had a young man who joined our church in Atlanta. Thankfully his home church in Tennessee was more concerned about children than a lawsuit. The pastor called me and said don’t let him work with children. He had already asked our children’s minister that week. We tried to get him help but he eventually moved on. A year later I was called to the emergency room at Northside Hospital where he was guarded by 2 police officers. The police went to arrest him that day for being a predator and he tried to commit suicide with a chainsaw on his neck. This is a real story.

It is time the SBC quits burying it’s head in the sand and playing the “autonomous” church card. The SBC has kicked out churches for homosexual ministers. The SBC has boycotted Disney. It is time the SBC started defrocking minister credentials from those ministers who have been convicted of sexual abuse. Especially those who have hurt innocent children. I know that ordination is done at the local church level. But somehow we need to make sure convicted predators are removed from church leadership. Our children are too important. Our testimony to the world is too important.

Wade Burleson and Ben Cole have stepped up to the plate and are trying to do something about this. Are their plans perfect? No but they are better than no plan at all. Thanks Ben and Wade. I’m not passing blame on anyone. This is a complicated issue. But now that these horrible events have been exposed, we must do something.

What do you think?

I was a blessed child–I know that. I lived I guess in a fantasy world. My parents have been married to each other for over 45 years. They are still serving God in fact their ministry is probably stronger today than it ever has been. In fact last week they did a marriage seminar in Virginia and 23 people made decisions to follow Christ. Over 50 couples recommitted their marriages.

When I was growing up in Tuscaloosa, AL in the 1970’s all of my friends liked coming over to my house. We weren’t rich in terms of money by any means but we were rich in love. I don’t mean that to sound corny but it is true. Many of my friends lived in highly dysfunctional homes and coming over to our house was a safe harbor. Many of my friends referred to my mom and dad as Mama Bussey and Papa Bussey.

I never realized how blessed I was. My father came from a highly dysfunctional home. His dad was an alcoholic. I found out recently that my mom’s family was not what I had grown up to believe. It is amazing that we grew up in a “Brady Bunch” world.

I didn’t really start understanding dysfunction until I got married. My wife grew up in a single parent home. Her dad was an alcoholic and lets just say she grew up in a verbally abusive home. Don’t ever think that children just get over the pain of their childhood. I don’t think it ever goes away.

In my ministry I encounter dysfunction on a regular basis. I think my life was the exception rather than the rule. I have been reading books and conversing with people in recent months that give me a picture of childhood I could never imagine.

What happened to my Brady Bunch world?

I really don’t think it ever existed. I was just blessed. But why me? Why didn’t I encounter the pain that Cassandra and my friends did? Why was I spared the pain of divorce? Why was I not abused? I realize I was blessed and I am thankful But when I hear stories of pain and heartache I don’t know what to day. It is sobering. It is disheartening. It is discouraging. But it is life!

I don’t think it is the way God planned it. I think it all went downhill in the Garden of Eden. But I also think it can be better. I know it was for me. There is hope. I believe God wants us to strive for more. I don’t have all of the answers. In fact I have a lot of questions.

What do you think?