An Open Letter to Dr. Kenneth J. McMullen

 Dear Dr. Kenneth McMullen,

          There's so much I want to say to you in person right now just to clear the air, but as it stands we are not on speaking terms.  I know this because I've tried to contact you over the years and you have not responded. I still love you like I would love my own father and I have come to understand that you have made the decisions you have made based on what you feel and see to be right before God and everyone else.  I recognize that I have sinned against you on many occasions in the form of direct slander to your face or at least to your email account.  

          I can honestly say that I am sorry for the way I have acted, but if you think with me about it for a moment I believe that somewhere deep inside you will understand.  Having lost custody of Felicity has been a huge disappointment and a huge loss in my life.  Who is to blame?  Is it you and your eldest daughter? Is it me? Is it an unfortunate development of a mental illness?  Maybe it's just bad allergies? Or, maybe it is my sin?  Or, maybe it is some mixture of many different elements?

          I'm sorry, Ken.  And, I'll probably have to apologize again and again. I don't want our lack of communication and bitterness towards one another to cloud my ability to become a member in the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.  I desire to be united to a local church and for this reason I need to make amends with you.  Thanks for all your prayers and love.  Even though I've not heard you pray for me and I've never heard you tell me "I love you".  I know that you do. And the feeling is mutual.

Your True Son in the Faith Among Many,

Tom Wilson

10 Ways to Survive Prison

 1. Probably the most practical advice I could give you is to read the inmate manual that they give you upon arrival.  In there are all the rules and expectations that the facility use to discipline inmates.  In that manual you will find all the do's and don'ts of prison life.  Believe you me that other inmates have already learned the rules and you need to abreast of the situation. Read the inmate manual

2.  Get involved in a prayer group.  Usually, there will be a group of men that gather for prayer at the end of every day before lights out.  If you don't have a group for prayer, then you might be interested in starting one.  It is a great way to communicate with other inmates across the block and find new friends, while also glorifying Christ and getting a read on the prevailing theological impulses in your block. You can learn alot about your fellow inmates by the way they pray.  

3. Go to church.  If there are services available, I encourage you to go to church. It's a great way to get out of the block and stretch your legs, be free, and worship Jesus.  It's probably not a reformed service that you will go to, but it will probably be evangelical.

4. Get a bible and read it.  You will have much time to read the bible. If you're like me, it was very difficult to read while incarcerated.  I had bad headaches and mental health problems that prevented me from enjoying the word in all its fullness, but even still there's a great depth of wisdom in spending time in God's word. Though your flesh may perish, your soul will be revived.  

5. Call your parents.  I cannot stress this enough.  Talk to your parents or your loved ones.  Ask them to pray for you.  Ask them how things are going in their life.  Show interest in them because you are no longer present in their lives to help them except in spirit only.  While I was locked up my mother was going through the beginning stages of Schizophrenia. I talked to her often, probably several times a week just to keep up with how she was doing pray for her and let my family know about my release date, etc.

6. Ask family and friends to send you a letter.  It's good to have commissary money and if they want to give you that kind of gift that is great for you, but there's nothing so good as a letter from the outside.  It is a great way to stay safe and show the guards and others that people have not forgotten you on the outside.  

7. Obey the rules.  If you want a smooth ride from begin to end.  Do what the guards tell you to do.  Make your bed. Follow orders.  Sleep when its time to sleep.  Eat when its time to eat. and respect the staff of your facility.  If you don't obey the rules, your time will be very uncomfortable.  You will be disciplined.  You may suffer solitary confinement.  You may get maced.  You may get assaulted by staff.  Being subject to the governing authorities is always a good way to honor God and stay safe by and large.

8. Be kind to other inmates and they will be kind to you.  Treat others the way you would want to be treated.  Fall on your sword.  Apologize when necessary and share your food and resources.  Learn to make allies with others during your time.  There are ways to do this that involve providing a service for another inmate, sharing your coffee, praying for them, taking a genuine interest in them, and just learning to be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger. 

9. Don't skip meals.  You need all the energy you can get.  I ate almost everything except the Popeye the Sailor Man stuff: collard greens. Yuk!  But, anyways the chow hall is a great place to meet new people and have an opportunity to share food and milk and stuff like that.  

10.  Workout.  Sleeping all day is unacceptable.  You must get up and exercise.  Do some pushups and walk around the yard.  There will likely be equipment available for you to use, so take advantage of the time you have to build muscle mass.  A wise man builds strength.  It's also a great way to make friends in Prison.  Lots of people workout in prison and it can be beneficial for your safety, for your mental health, and for your comradery with other inmates.

10 Ways to Serve Jesus

 I want to serve Jesus with my life for the rest of my life.  But, what does this mean?  How am I to serve Jesus in the day to day.  What does that look like?  Well, that is what I would like to explore in this post.  

1. Studying Scripture. Psalm 1 makes it clear that the man who meditates on the law of the Lord is blessed.  One of the ways that we serve Jesus is with scripture memorization and meditating on scripture.  In Romans Paul teaches us that we are to be renewed in minds.  We have to fill our minds with scripture if we are to combat the onslaught of debauchery in our own day.

2. Engaging in apologetics. Paul at the Areopagus is a prime example of how we are to be a Christians. We should interact with the religious and philosophical leaders of our day and challenge them in the basic tenets of their worldview. 

3. Engaging in evangelism.  The great commission is for everybody.  This can only happen in the context of a church because the great commission is all about building churches, planting churches, revitalizing churches.  The way we go about evangelism may differ, but ultimately whether we leave brochures at the doctor's office or we start a church in a blue's bar we need to be telling people about Jesus and what He has done.

4. Attending Worship. Do not forsake the assembling of the saints is the basic jist of that all important passage in Hebrews.  If I weren't so lazy I'd look it up for you :)  I've been told by pastors that just your presence in worship encourages him and helps the church.  It's good for you and its good for the ministries of the church. Furthermore, Sunday is the Sabbath day and we are required to come to worship unless there be some great illness or emergency in our home.

5. Praying Diligently. Pray without ceasing is what Paul tells us.  We serve Jesus by adoring Him in prayer, by supplicating for the needs of others, and by confessing our sins.  Simply put, prayer works.  And, if you want to be a part of the Kingdom of God prayer is something you will need to offer up.  Prayer changes things, not because we prayed, but because the object of our prayers is a Sovereign God who does as He pleases and believe me when I say He pleases to answer our prayers.

6. Our Jobs. Work as unto the Lord.  It's easy to get away with stuff at work. You know this and I know this.  We may think that our boss will never see us lazily misplace this item or not thoroughly stock that item, but God is watching. He sees when we fail and do not put all our might into our work.  We should work in such a way as to please the Lord and pleasing the Lord will involve good ole fashioned hard work.

7. Loving our families, friends, neighbors, and enemies. Love your neighbor as yourself.  What is love?  Love is patient, kind, and love builds others up.  Love does not tear others down.  We do no service to Jesus when we tear people down.  It is a popular notion to tear someone down and then rebuild them back better, but we should never do this.  We should always and only build people up. 

8. Obedience.  If we truly want to serve Christ we will make it our aim to obey Him in all the many ways he calls to do so.  If we fail at one point, He will forgive us, but we must not think we can go on in disobedience.  No, no.  He does not forgive the impenitent, but we must instead confess our failures to him and obey Him.  We should study what Sinclair Ferguson calls the big 10, that is, the ten commandments.  We should study them and obey them both in letter and spirit.

9. Sexual Purity.  Flee youthful lusts. That's another way we serve Jesus.  The bible is replete with commands to avoid sexual immorality because it is such a snare.  Whether it be homosexuality or bare fornication or adultery or pornography, God calls us to put these things aside and follow after Him.  As the Psalmist says we must "turn away from evil". 

10. Stepping Out in Faith.  We walk by faith and not by sight. We must as Charles Stanley says obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.  When you perceive that God is calling you into this or that ministry by the testimony of scripture, the manifest gifts in your life, and the approval of a gospel believing session you should step out in faith and go do the work of that ministry.  

10 Things I've Learned About Church Discipline

1. Church discipline is usually needed when you least want it.  When I was first placed under discipline in 2019, I had no desire to participate in the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church anymore.  After resigning from my job as pastor and losing my wife and child to divorce, I was burned out with it all.  I also at this time broke some laws and was facing a lengthy probationary period of 3 years or prison time.  I can tell you that although I didn't want it, church discipline is exactly what I needed at that time.

2. Church discipline is a means of grace.  One of the ways that Christ communicates His grace to us is through church discipline.  It is not just a body of believers disciplining their brother, but Christ the Lord Himself from His heavenly court who is disciplining that man or woman. I take great comfort in knowing that since the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church is a gospel believing denomination that their discipline is as I like to say "Kosher".

3. Church discipline cleanses the church of the unholy leaven.  The unholy leaven of unrepentance, pride, sexual immorality, etc.  All these things are a danger to the purity of the church and once revealed they must be dealt with by the proper authorities.

4. Church discipline is not for the faint of heart.  Being excommunicated is not fun and it is not something I wish for my fellow Christians to experience.  As the last step in church discipline it is so severe that it has a lasting effect on the mind and heart of the individual.

5. Church discipline drives you to repentance in Christ.  I think that being excommunicated when you understand that it is a denial by a church court of your profession of faith can really do a number on your soul.  I have always had unquestioned confidence that I was a true believer (as far as I remember), but when I was excommunicated I began to doubt my salvation.  This has lead to much soul searching and although I don't really know all the reasons I was excommunicated, it has driven me to seek repentance in those areas of my life where I see that I need improvement

6. Church discipline is complicated.  When I was in seminary the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church was in the midst of revising its book of Discipline, so I had to learn to different documents in Seminary.  Honestly, I had no idea what was going on in when I was disciplined.  This is partly because it was a different book of discipline and secondly because I simply couldn't remember what all the steps were.  Now, in the aftermath of excommunication there is still unclarity about the process of reconciliation.  I believe the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church should have better rules/clearer rules about how one is to reconcile after excommunication.  It seems to me that church courts have great levity in how they choose to proceed in the case of reconciliation

7. Church discipline is not always done well.  Even with the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, which is a wonderful little denomination with very talented and scrupulous office-bearers, there are still things that I think could be done better.  If you want more details on this, I'd be willing to share them with you in person.

8. Church discipline can only be administered by lawful authorities.  Who are the lawful authorities?  Well, I would argue that not just anybody can discipline you.  It has to be a gospel believing court which has jurisdiction.  

9. Church discipline is necessary.  The best way to keep the church pure and bring a brother to repentance is to enact church discipline.  This is God's tool for sanctifying His church and his children.  We are all disciplined by the Lord if we are his children and this is necessary because we need to bare the fruit of righteousness in our lives to the glory of God.

10. Church discipline glorifies Christ.  Church discipline makes Jesus look good and confirms the gospel message that is the most inclusive-exclusive message on earth.  When someone is cast out of the church it teaches those who know about the incident that there are boundaries.  You can't believe just anything to be a member of the body and you can't just act any ole way to be a Christian.  There's an in and an out and there are biblical standards of behavior that are to be adhered to.  

Things To Consider Before Adopting a Dog

 It's been a year now since we adopted a little tuxedo black pit bull named Phoenix. He's quite alot to handle in and of himself and I can say that there have been many bumps along the way to training him and owning him.  I want to give you a peek at what problems, fun and benefits we've had owning a dog and things you should consider before adopting one.

1. You must count the cost.  Are you willing to spend around 250$ on puppy shots, 50$ on a kennel, and 50$ a month on heartworm medication.  Are you willing to pay up to 200$ to get your animal spaded or neutered. There's also the play toys and the food.  We spend probably 55$ a month on dog food.  So, in the first year you're looking at spending over a 1000$ just for a free dog.  

2. Other things you might want to consider is whether or not you want an outdoor kennel or just and indoor kennel. Will your puppy be an indoor dog or and outside dog.  Are you willing to train your puppy not to poop and pee all over the house.  It's a major job to get a little puppy to stop pooping in the house.  Are you willing to clean up after them?  These are questions and cconcern you have to handle when you first consider adopting a dog.

3.  Have you considered the cost of mental health care and of dog-dog insurance.  Really, animals have mental health problems too and you need to be aware that these services are available for your Dog should they begin to exhibit behaviors that indicate a mental illness

4. How active are you and how much activity does your dog need?  If you have a highly active dog they are going to need outdoor time and time to go for a walk.  That means that you're going to have to carry the load.

5.  Are you willing to sacrifice going to church on Sunday morning to care for a very young puppy that really should not be left alone for more than a couple hours?  We ran into this problem when we adopted Phoenix.  You have to balance the command to remember the Sabbath day and also remember that the way you treat your animal reflects on your Christian testimony.  

6.   Vacations will never be the same.  When you leave for an extended time you need to have  a doggie sitter or you're going to have to take puppy along with you.   When you get an animal you are adding boundaries to your life because you are adding responsibility.  If you have people you can rely on to feed and walk your dog while you are on vacation this is another option.  

7.  Dogs can be super fun even though they are a big responsibility.  Phoenix loves to cuddle and play with his ball.  He barks at strangers and strange noises, which is a natural protection for us when we sleep at night or when we're home during the day.  

Civil Disobedience and Submission to the Governing Authorities

 Today I'm going to look briefly at a passage that teaches us to submit to the ordained governments that God has put in place.  My objective today is not to teach you to go out and willy nilly disobey the government, but to be aware that when government become oppressive and cruel (i.e. Tyranny) you have the option to disobey, but there will be consequences.

The book of Romans teaches us that we are to "submit to the governing authorities".  Honestly, this is one of my favorite verses of the bible because it points to the constant reality that God gave government for our good and we are obliged to submit to it.

There are many laws that are on the books that are designed to protect us and others.  For instance, texting and driving, speeding, and coming to a complete stop at stop signs are all laws designed to keep us and our communities safe.  To disobey one of these laws if foolish and can result in the injury and death of innocent people. We are probably all guilty of speeding at some point in our lives, but we shouldn't do it.  As one judge told me, "slow down!".  I think that is good advice no matter when you're driving or where you're driving.  

But, are there laws that we shouldn't obey?  Well, some would argue that the Jim Crow laws in the South were oppressive and cruel and should not be obeyed.  If the government suddenly decided to tell you that you have to go to mass at a Catholic church or that you must bow down to this or that idol, we have an obligation as a Christian people to disobey the governing authorities because by their tyranny and injustice they cease to be an ordained government instituted by God.  So, if you lived in North Korea, friend, you don't have to do what they say, but it would be wise for you to escape and remember that there are consequences to disobedience.  

Now, you have to understand that what I'm about to say has undergone a lot of thought and personal research.  There are also grey areas.  I can tell you from my own life that when the family court of Lancaster County disallowed me from contact with my daughter, I immediately considered them unworthy of obedience.  Now, I should have been wiser.  I shouldn't have been so brash, but I didn't understand the consequences that would ensue.  All I knew is that they took my baby girl away for no good reason and it was time to resist the authorities.  Yes, there were threats, but there were threats because my relationship with my daughter was being attacked by my first wife, her father, and the courts.

From personal experience I can tell you that I honestly did nothing wrong!  Now, I did break the law, but the laws were so unjust that no one should have enforced them.  I was ready to go to war and lay down my life for my child.  Thankfully, God has preserved me to this day.  

My advice is this: before you go breaking any laws you need to count the cost.  You need to be sure that those laws are actually oppressive and cruel (i.e. tyrannical) or unjust.  You need a lawyer.  You need a job.  And, you need to avoid going to jail as often as you can.  My advice is to be wise about your decisions and don't die on every hill.  Breaking the law is usually unacceptable, but there are times when you should because tyranny is not God's way of governing us. 

Generosity and Hard Work: A Key Theme in Proverbs

Anyone who has taken the time to read the book of Proverbs has come to terms with the incredible amount of ancient data on the power and necessity of generosity and hard work.  I want to take a moment and look at two of these verses and talk about their implications. 

    Proverbs 11:25, "Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered".

    Proverbs 12:27, "Whoever is slothful will not roast his game, but the diligent man will get precious wealth".

1. With the measure you use it will be measured back to you pressed down and overflowing.  Recently, I had an experience that taught me the truth of scripture that him who waters will himself be watered.  I was sitting in Sunday School and as the teacher talked he began to cough and say something like, "I wish I had some water".  Now, I don't really like to put myself in a positive light here because there have been many times that I was not considerate, but on this day I thought about my Sunday School teacher and knew I had to go get him some water.  So, I briefly departed the classroom, went down to the common area, and reached in the church refrigerator for a cool bottle of water.  I promptly brought it back and gave it to the teacher and was not surprised to find that I also was watered. The topic that Sunday was on intermarriage in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah.  The men were to put away their foreign wives from the land and to forsake them because they had abandoned the covenant of their God.  It was a reminder to me as a single/divorced man that I have a duty to marry only in the Lord if I so desire.  I got watered that day and my Sunday school teacher got watered that day because we followed the principle here stated, "whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered".  

 

     Think with me for a moment of the Samaritan woman at the Jacob's well in John chapter 4.  Jesus is there sitting at the well, fatigued and thirsty and a Samaritan woman comes up to him and he asks her to give him something to drink.  In exchange for this little bit of water that only quinches Jesus' physical thirst, Jesus in return promises to give her living water.  The principle exists that she watered the Lord of Glory and He in return brought salvation not only to her, but to a multitude of Samaritans.  Jesus argues elsewhere that he who gives one of the "little ones" even a cup of water will by no means lose his reward for what you have done unto the least person you have also done unto Christ.  

     This is a great encouragement for us to give to the poor and needy, even just a cool glass of water.  Even a wealthy man broken down on the side of the road and thus separated from his riches is for a time a poor and beggarly creature in need of the succor of a stranger and a drink of water.  How much more the homeless man who shows up at your church function or calls upon you in the street?  God is giving you an opportunity not only to water and bless the homeless man, but an opportunity for you yourself to be blessed.  We should never miss out on an opportunity to be generous with our time, talents, and resources because we never know when God will show up and as they say "show out".  

     2.  When I worked at Bojangles there were many days that I found myself doing drudgery work.  I would pray on my way into work at 3:45 am., "Lord, one more day to Heaven".  It was such a difficult job.  There were days that I went in and the night shift had not done their due diligence.  One morning in particular I remember showing up to work and the dishes had not been washed and I couldn't even begin to get my shift started until all the dishes were cleaned.  On top of that no one showed up for the morning shift that day, but me.  I tried to call all the other managers, but no one answered me that early in the morning.  So, I packed my things and went home until I got word from the district manager what else I was to do.  To make a long story short, there many such occasions I got stuck doing other people's work.  Now, understand, that I was promoted to shift leader at Bojangles because I implemented the most basic of principles in my work: "the hand of the diligent will rule".  I prayed that God would help me to worship Him in the midst of a chaotic environment and lo and behold I was promoted.  My supervisor told me "you now have superiority" and the district manager called me his, "armor bearer".  How did I get promoted and be given these honors of superiority and preeminence?  It was through careful hard work.  Now, where ever I go I can put on my resume that I was truly in a managerial position because I had to earn it. 

         Along with this proverb of ruling is also a similar proverb about wealth: "the diligent man will get precious wealth".  Now, granted that just because you are hardworking does not mean that you will automatically be rich, but I do have to point out that for most of us in the West our lifestyles are far more wealthy than the global standard.  Even someone like me who works part time and doesn't own a car, I do have a nice phone, a nice theological library, a nice computer, nice clothes and plenty of food to eat.  Much of this is simply the grace of God, but I would not have these things if I did not work in some capacity. 

           For example, at one time I owned a precious Italian sterling silver figaro chain that costs me around 200$.  Believe me when I say that it was a precious piece of wealth to me because I washed cars that summer and earned a beautiful piece of jewelry.  The proverbs teach us a slack hand 'tends towards poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich".  If we want to be about the business of generosity, having something to give and we want to have nice things in life we're going to have to apply some amount of hard work to the situation.  God wants to bless us!  He wants us to be generous, so He can be generous with us!  He wants us to work hard, so we don't have to live in abject poverty needlessly!