Scott's Scratchin's

Elvis Presley, Bigfoot, and Global Warming.

2010-02-02T06:27:00.000-08:00

One of the men of my church has an interesting hobby. He loves to "people watch", as he calls it. While his wife shops at Wal-Mart he just takes a seat on the bench and watches. He observes people's habits, their personalities, and their mannerisms. I have recently discovered that he is not the only one who finds "people watching" much more satisfying than "bird watching". I ,too, now enjoy watching folks. There are some people who have brought the practice into the 21st century. They love to "people watch" online. I must confess that I am a Facebook "stalker". I do not post many things, but I sure do love reading what other people are up to.

During my 19 plus years in ministry I have discovered that it is all about people. I, essentially, am in the people business. Isn't that what Jesus was all about? He was not so concerned about systems, formality, and tradition. He was concerned about people and their desperate predicament. I always preach that Jesus had a clear job description. It is found in Luke 19:10: "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost". If you are not in the people business, ministry is not for you.

What have I discovered in my observation of people? Many things. However, one has begun to haunt me. It is this: mankind desperately wants to believe in something. In every culture and in every age man has sought out something to believe in.

I once knew a woman who was convinced that Elvis was alive. There was no swaying her opinion on the matter. She was passionate about "The King". You and I have both witnessed the throngs of people that flock from all over the world to Graceland on the anniversaries of his birth as well as his death. They weep and mourn and they celebrate and they fellowship. They are as devoted as any disciple could ever be. Their homes are decorated with Elvis memorabilia. Their vanity plates spell out a tribute to the king. Some wear their hair like Presley and even name their children after him. They believe.

Others have similar obsessions. For some it is celebrities, Bigfoot, or the Loch Ness Monster. For others it is a sports franchise. I think a study should be made of rabid sports fans. How many people would show up for church and sit there for hours on a hard seat in the sleet and the rain? Yet millions do that every weekend to support "their" team. Be it Sasquatch, Area 51, Michael Jackson, the Bulldogs, or the rebels: everybody believes in something.

I had the chance to sit down with an atheist a few months ago. We had a spirited debate. In the course of the discussion I discovered that he did have faith, a very deep faith. He had faith in science. He is a very brilliant young man. He is well versed in physics and genetics and philosophy. I was impressed to say the least. At the end of the meeting I complimented him on his faith. He asked what I meant. I explained to him that I admired his faith in science. I conveyed there are moments when my faith in God is not as strong as his faith in science. You see, he believes that stuff. He has bought in completely. I did not try to sway him. Only the Holy Spirit can do that. However, I did ask some pointed questions about his "faith". First, I asked him where he learned all of this. The obvious answer was "books" I went on to ask, "Has the science ever changed? Have there ever been any revisions?" Again, the obvious and honest answer is "yes". Yet, he still believes. Now that's faith! I respected his beliefs and he respected mine. I choose the inerrant word of God that has never changed and he chooses the last edition of the science book. He chooses to believe that you and me and all we see is the result of evolution. I choose to believe that if there is design, there must be a Designer. If this is a creation, there must be a Creator.

The fastest growing religion in the world is not Islam or Christianity. It is the cult of "global warming". It is astounding how many people, with a need to believe swallowed this lie. When the high priest (Al Gore) spoke, they listened. We now find a lot of people in an embarrassing situation. However, I don't hear anybody saying, "Oops, I was wrong." Recent leaks reveal that the data was doctored, the photos were photo-shopped, and the satellite imagery forged. In a nutshell "we got hoodwinked". The government and the labor unions bought the car industry with the provision that they must produce "green cars". The hopes and dreams of the people of North Mississippi are crushed by a monstrous empty Toyota plant at Blue Springs. This plant was to produce the Toyota Prius. A car that nobody wants and dealers can't give away. Our school children are being brainwashed every day with the notion of "mother earth". We celebrate "earth day". The Bible said this would happen. Romans 1:25 says "Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever". It all goes back to a need to believe in something.

Now, don't misunderstand me. I proclaim that Christians should be the original environmentalists. God gave man the earth to subdue and to care for. We are to be good stewards of all that God trusts us with. However, we also need to know that this is not our home. We cannot create heaven on earth. That's the problem with most of these "tree huggers". Their hearts' compass is set on this place. They have no hope of heaven, so they attempt to create a utopia in the here and now. Man, if they think it's hot now....well you know.

Blaise Pascal wrote “There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus” In other words, we can try everything but only one thing will fit. Jesus said in John 14:6 , "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me".

Try people watching. It is awesome. Notice what excites them. Notice what they cheer for. Take notice of what they hate. One of our great modern day prophets, Robert Zimmerman, (you may know him as Bob Dylan) put it this way: "It might be the Devil, or it might be the Lord but you gotta serve somebody". Thanks Bob (evidently a fellow people watcher).

The Only Story Ever Told

2009-12-16T07:33:00.000-08:00

Some call the "Christmas Story "The Greatest story ever told". Some declare the "Christmas story" as one of their favorite stories of the Bible. We say, "I am going to read my kids the Christmas story". Well, there is no such thing as the Christmas story. The account of Christmas is part of the story that God has been telling for all eternity. It is not "The Greatest Story Ever Told" it is "The Only Story That Has Ever Been told.

We have a distorted view of God’s Word. We look at it as a series of unrelated stories. We see the garden as separate from the flood. We see Creation and Christmas as two different books in two different parts of the library. The passover is a Jewish high holy day while the passion is a movie by Mel Gibson.

Without the cross, I can see how and why we do this. If not for the fullness of Christ, it would be easy, even practical to see the Bible and even our lives as a series of events and accounts that stand alone as testimonies to the daily grind of living.
However, when we look at the totality of God’s Word through the glasses of Calvary, it all links together. It all makes sense to those who have been to the cross. There is a common theme and purpose to every paragraph and page. Also, our daily lives take on new meaning and understanding.
We are used to seeing modern writers release their works in series like Harry Potter, Twilight, and The Left Behind series. And while these have common threads among the volumes, they very well can stand alone. Also we see writers who release multiple novels where each one is different from the last, but that is not the case here. God's Word is neither a series nor a collection of varying works from one author. No, these sixty six books are not a series. They are but chapters in one story, one continuous story. And without the climax of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, the reader will be left with the sinking feeling that "something's missing".

The Story of the first Adam is a type of the second Adam, Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:45-50)Genesis 3:14-15 is called the Proto Evangelium, or the first Gospel.

14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Gen 3:14-15 (KJV)

Here in the shadow of creation we See a crystal clear picture of Christ's victory over death, hell, and the grave at the cross. After Adam and Eve succumbed to temptation, an even clearer picture of the atoning death of Christ is portrayed as the first blood was shed. God's precious creatures were slain to produce skins to cover the first couple's sins. The picture of sacrifice. The picture of atonement. The picture of the innocent for the guilty.

It doesn't matter where you look. The cross is on every page. The Ark of Noah is the ark of deliverance. An ark on which God closed the door sealing the fate of those inside as well as those outside. Jesus is the ark of safety for mankind. Soon God will close the door sealing the fate of those in Christ and those outside of Christ, (Matthew 24:38-39). From the bronze serpent, to the manna, from the tabernacle to the temple, from the prophets to the priests: It is all about Jesus.

Why can't everyone see this? It is because most people have on the wrong glasses. The majority of the world's population are skeptical if not scofful of the Bible. They see fables and fairy tales, poetry and prose. They see no unity and they see no truth. Why? Because they wear the glasses of sin and darkness. They trust the professor over the preacher. They trust their senses and not a Savior. Therefore they see the Bible as a disjointed collection of superstition and stories.

Even the Christian has fallen into this mode of thinking. The church has become so infected by humanism and worldliness that people who claim to know the Christ, fail to see God's story. In a word, our modern churches are packed full of illiterates. Biblical illiterates. We know the latest box scores, movie listings and political maneuverings, but we don't know God's story.

John Eldredge wrote a book a few years ago called "Epic: The Story God is Telling and Your Part In It". If we would begin to see not only God's Word, but our lives as this epic story God is weaving, things will certainly begin to make more sense to us. When we see people who have obtained everything this world has to offer, (ex. Tiger Woods), yet still are turning over every rock to find pleasure and peace and fulfillment, the point I'm making is clear. When man fails to see the story of God and his place in it, confusion, destruction, sorrow, and pain are not too far away.

As we celebrate Christmas this year, please do not surgically remove the miracle at Bethlehem from the Bible. Let's not leave out the best parts. Paul Harvey used to say, "And here is the rest of the story". Christmas is not Christmas without the old rugged cross of Good Friday and the empty tomb of Easter. And don't think for a moment about closing this book. The story is not over. It is unfolding as you read this page. Do you know your part? Do you know how it all ends? Most importantly, do you know the author and the finsiher,(Hebrews 12:2).

Merry Christmas

from

Scott, Jennifer, Sarah Anne and Grace

ROGERS

The Thanksgiving Poem

2009-11-21T11:11:00.000-08:00

I have had a few requests for last years poem. Well, here it is.

THE THANKSGIVING POEM

Thanksgiving is here

Like it or not

Dust off the china

And the big crock pot

Turkey and dressing

Sweet pumpkin pie

Family and friends

(Hey, who's that guy?)

Cakes and pies

With meringue that is wavy

Does anybody really know

What's in giblet gravy?

Brothers and sisters

Uncles and aunts

Men with full bellies

Who unbutton their pants

Thanksgiving is great

But why all the fuss?

Here's a message

From all of us

Salvation and mercy

Lovin' and livin'

Everyday is Thanksgiving

When you've been forgiven!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

FROM

Scott, Jennifer, Sarah Anne and Grace Rogers

8-Tracks, Dinosaurs and The Blogosphere

2009-11-02T18:40:00.000-08:00

We sure have come a long way. I miss the days of walking into a record store and carrying out an album. The smell of new vinyl and the sound of analog recordings. I miss holding something in my hands with pictures and liner notes.
Those days are gone. Today you get nothing. You make a couple of clicks on the computer and your music comes to you one song at a time from outer space. We have a decision to make. You and I can either sit and mourn the good ole days, or we can step into the digital age.
Welcome to my first blog. I want to use this as an extension of http://www.wyattebaptist.com/. As we become a paperless society, we must adapt and find new ways to communicate. We continue to fail to get a newsletter out on time, (if we get it out at all). So, I would like to be able to communicate with you through this medium. Bookmark this site or add it to your favorites: http://www.scottsscratchins.blogspot.com/. Sometimes I will be offering devotional thoughts. I will address doctrines of the faith. I will discuss my views and theories on church growth and church health. From time to time I will express my political and social views. I may even break off into a looney rant on whatever has recently gotten under my skin. I really don't know what it will be, but there is one thing you can count on. It will not be boring.
I also want you to become friends with me and the rest of the Wyatte family at http://www.facebook.com/. This is a great way for the church to keep in touch in times of crisis as well as times of joy.
Spread the word. The devil has had the internet too long. Let's hi-jack this thing! So, power up the old system, pop in that Journey 8-track, and join the rest of us dinosaurs in cyber-space!