If you ask Howard Thompson why he wears cowboy boots with his suit, he’ll tell you about growing up in Stigler, Okla. But if you ask him about his passion in life, he will tell you about being a pastor. On Jan. 26, Howard Thompson will preach his last sermon as pastor of Burlington Assembly, where he has served for 42 years. On his watch, the church has grown in number and influence, and their outreach to the community now includes the Caring Kitchen (which serves the homeless and hungry on the weekends), the Assembly Oaks Retirement Community, and Burlington Christian Academy. Pastor Thompson also achieved the rank of colonel as the long-time chaplain for the Burlington Police Department. Many would regard him as “Burlington’s pastor.”

When Howard Thompson was called into the ministry as a senior in high school, his pastor gave him a chance to preach his first sermon. “I was very shy, and not much of a public speaker,” Thompson recalls. “So, the first time I tried to preach, I fainted.” Undeterred, he enrolled in Bible College in Springfield, Mo. after graduation. It was there that Howard Thompson realized his call to be a pastor. A group of students cleaned up an abandoned building and started a ministry which soon became a church, and in his second year as a student, Howard became the pastor. “Just imagine having a teenager as your pastor,” Howard said. “They put up with a lot. But I realized that I loved every bit of pastoral ministry: visiting the people, going to the hospitals, preaching and teaching.” In many ways he has embodied Peter’s advice to those in ministry to “shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight.”

One of the most gratifying things for Pastor Thompson has been watching families grow in the Lord through the years. “To marry two young people, then dedicate their children, watch those children grow up in the Lord and then to be able to participate in their weddings. What a blessing. To see that come full circle has given me great fulfillment. I know many fine pastors who haven’t been able to stay long enough to see that. They have missed a great blessing.”

I often think back 25 years to a time in my own ministry when I met with Howard Thompson every week for lunch. He was a mentor to me early on, and I am forever grateful. I asked Pastor Thompson what advice he would give to young pastors today. He said, “First, be sure of the call. Ministry is not a profession; it is a calling. Second, remember that your relationship with the Lord is your first priority. Third, endeavor to do what the Lord wants you to do. Be faithful.”

Howard remembers a time as a young pastor when he was working to set some trusses on a new church building. A freak wind came up and blew him and the trusses to the ground. Howard was not hurt, but he was heartbroken about it, and went back to his little office and cried out to God: “I thought you cared about churches. You could have stopped that wind. I thought you called me to plant a church. Don’t you care?” When Howard ran out of steam, he said he heard the Lord speak to his heart. “Son, I did call you. And I care about building churches. But right now, I’m trying to build Myself a man.”

I believe the Lord built a fine one in Howard Thompson. Thank you, Pastor, for your faithful ministry.

You can hear the interview Mark did with Pastor Thompson at www.healthychurchradio.com.

Have you ever wondered about the particulars of Christ’s birth, and why God did it this way? I have. Caesar Augustus decreed that the world should be registered, so every household had to travel to the city of his ancestry. That meant Joseph had to leave Nazareth with his betrothed, Mary, who was pregnant, and travel 90 miles to Bethlehem, for he was “of the house and the lineage of David.” Here are some of my questions.

Why Bethlehem? Well, the big reason is that God keeps His promises. He had spoken to the prophet Micah about this 700 years earlier, saying, “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah … from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.”

Why Nazareth? I mean, why didn’t God just choose a woman in Bethlehem to be the mother of Jesus? And if it was Mary whom God wanted, why didn’t God have Mary born and raised in Bethlehem? Why Nazareth? You can look for yourself, but there is no prophecy about Nazareth in the Old Testament. And when Philip told Nathanael years later that he had found the Messiah and where he had grown up, Nathanael spewed his coffee and said, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

Why a census? Why a decree from the Roman emperor that everybody in the whole Roman world would have to go to the city of his or her ancestry? Yes, God had to get the mother to Bethlehem, but why make the whole Roman empire get up and go somewhere? Why not just have Joseph and Mary go home to be “close to family” for the baby’s birth?

Why a “no vacancy” sign? Why was there no place to stay in Bethlehem when they arrived? John Piper wrote, “Now you would think that if God so rules the world as to use an empire-wide census to bring Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, he surely could have seen to it that a room was available in the inn. Yes, he could have. And Jesus could have been born into a wealthy family. He could have turned stone into bread in the wilderness. He could have called 10,000 angels to his aid in Gethsemane. He could have come down from the cross and saved himself. The question is not what God could do, but what he willed to do.”

Why Bethlehem, why Nazareth, why a census, why a stable? He did it first for His glory.

What did the angels say about this birth? “Glory to God in the highest!” That’s what Christmas is about. The glory of God! That’s why He sent His Son to earth. The glory of God! That’s why He moved a Roman emperor to decree a census. The glory of God! That’s why He sent wise men from the east to worship Him and lowly shepherds to be the first eyewitnesses. The glory of God! That’s why He is giving us another Christmas, another season to celebrate the greatest gift the world has ever received: the glory of God!

The second reason? “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” He came as He did for your sake and mine, because we are sinners who desperately need a Savior.

“Why lies He in such mean estate, where ox and cattle are feeding? Good Christian, fear; for sinners here, the silent Word is pleading.”

This is what the angel said who appeared to the shepherds on a Bethlehem hillside many years ago: “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” The good news was that the Savior had been born.

What’s the best news you have ever heard? Was it when the doctor said, “Good news. You don’t have cancer”? Or was it when the HR department called and said, “Good news. You’ve got the job”? Maybe it was when your future father-in-law said, “Good news. You can marry my daughter.” I know that last one seems like an anachronism, but I know for a fact that there are still young men even in this day and age who would rather ask than tell. So, what’s your best news ever? Was it when the call came that you had qualified for your dream house?

Those are all good news. But they dwell in the lower regions of what we want or don’t want, rather than in the upper region of what we desperately need. They are also temporary good news. Cancer or not, one day we are still going to die. Whether we love it or loathe it, the job will end. Marriage is wonderful, but even if you live happily, it will not be for “ever after.” The house will fall down either before or after you do.

That’s what makes Christmas different. The Savior who was born in Bethlehem was Christ the Lord. He came to give us what we need, not just what we want. He came to satisfy the longing that we are all born with, which He created in us. We long for the eternal. We know in our hearts, because He put it there, that this world is not all there is. In fact, we even know in our hearts that we were created for a relationship that goes beyond what a husband and wife have together, or even a parent and a child. He who made us made us for Himself.

Jesus’ birth was good news of great joy. Not just for the shepherds, but for all the people. The Savior was born for people all over the world who would come and adore Him. However, His coming is great joy for “all the people,” but not for every person. That’s why the heavenly host of angels also said, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased.” There is a somber message here, mingled with good news of great joy. The coming of the Messiah would bring peace only to those with whom God is pleased. Who does that include?

The Bible says, “Without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.” The message of Christmas is only good news of great joy to those who believe the promises of God and the testimony of His Word.

It has puzzled many that this time of the year can be the most joyful for many, and the bluest for many others. However, it is no wonder that the season of hope fails to satisfy the heart that is consumed only with what it wants and doesn’t even acknowledge what it desperately needs. It is no wonder that “good news of great joy” eludes the one who lives for the moment and never even considers eternity.

What’s the best news of all time? The Savior, Christ the Lord, has come!

Many of us were given nicknames by siblings or friends when we were young, most of which were not complimentary. “Bucky” comes to mind from my pre-orthodontic days. We still tend to identify people by their flaws or failures, but not always. You will find the remarkable story of a man in the Bible whose name was changed by the leaders of the first church. His given name was Joseph. The church called him Barnabas, which means “son of encouragement.” We don’t know what led to his new name, but I will tell you what anyone who is a leader already knows: encouragers are rare jewels. They are grease to the wheels. Salve to the wounds. When the right fielder boots a fly ball and lets three runs come in, “Barnabas” is the one who meets him halfway to the dugout, puts his arm around his shoulder, and says, “Hey man, forget about it. You’ll get the next one.” Then the rest of us clowns on the bench who are not even close to being nicknamed Barnabas are shamed into saying, “Yeah, forget about it. No big deal,” as we grind our teeth and pound our gloves. I thank God for sons and daughters of encouragement. They are in the top 10 of the best Christmas gifts a church could ever receive. Let me tell you why.

Barnabas was not just a nice guy who had a good personality and said kind things to people. He had an incredible ministry that helped two men become powerful leaders and influencers in the church. He is the one who welcomed Saul when no one else in the church in Jerusalem wanted to have anything to do with him. Then, years later, Barnabas went to enlist Saul’s help for the growing church in Antioch. That launched the ministry of Saul of Tarsus who became known as the Apostle Paul. The old saying, “It’s amazing how much can be accomplished if no one cares who gets the credit” clearly applies to Barnabas. He also stood up for his cousin, John Mark, after the young man had bailed on the first missionary journey. Barnabas wanted to give him another chance; Paul was having none of it. So, they went their separate ways, and I am convinced that had it not been for Barnabas, we would never have heard from John Mark again. As it turned out, Mark became the assistant to Peter, and later wrote the Gospel of Mark.

I believe God used Barnabas, the son of encouragement, to help produce two powerful leaders in the church because of these characteristics. First, he cared more about people than he did about things. Read about that in Acts 4. Second, he was fearless. Barnabas was not afraid to come alongside Saul when no one else would. He was also not afraid to disagree with Paul about John Mark. He took a risk in each case, and in each case, that risk was greatly rewarded. Fear is one of our greatest enemies.

That’s why you can be sure that almost any decision you make out of fear will be the wrong one. Third, he was humble. Barnabas didn’t mind taking a back seat. The first business card may have said, “Barnabas and Paul: Missionaries.” Just a month or so later, they had them reprinted, and Paul was named first. Hey, here’s an idea for Christmas: Look around for the sons and daughters of encouragement in your church, and tell them thanks. Even better, let’s ask the Lord to make us more like Barnabas, too.

J. Mark Fox is the author of “A Faithful Man” and the pastor of Antioch Community Church on Power Line Road in Elon. You can Tweet him @jmarkfox and can find all of Mark’s books on Amazon or other online sellers. Email Mark at markfox@antiochchurch.cc

I have asked my college students this question for several years, sometimes for extra credit in a quiz, sometimes just in conversation:

“When the Pilgrims celebrated the first Thanksgiving in 1621, to whom were they giving thanks?” The answers I get never cease to amaze me. Of course, the No. 1 answer every year is, “the Indians.” More than 60 percent of the students believe the Pilgrims gave thanks to the Indians or the “king.” One student a few years ago said, “Columbus.” Really? Just under 40 percent know the right answer. I always explain to the students that they are not necessarily at fault because they have been taught in the public schools using “new and improved” textbooks. Call me crazy, but I trust the history books written before the 1950s more than the ones today. For one thing, the older history books tell us that the Pilgrims had their first Thanksgiving celebration to give thanks to … God.

Dr. Paul Vitz, a professor of psychology at New York University, has studied the bias against religious references in public school texts. He reported, for example, the second grade text by Riverside (formerly Rand Mc-Nally) has 31 pages on the Pilgrims, but it describes them entirely without reference to religion.

One mother in an upper-middle class New York City suburb complained to the principal when her first grade son was told by his teacher that the Pilgrims gave thanks to the Indians. The mother said it was simply a historical fact that Thanksgiving was a time when the Pilgrims gave thanks to God, but the principal replied that the mother’s position “was just opinion and not documented fact,” and therefore the school could not teach it. The principal said, “they could only teach what was contained in the history books.”

This is what William Bradford, governor of the Plymouth Colony, said:

“… I, your magistrate, do proclaim that all ye Pilgrims, with your wives and little ones, do gather at ye meeting house, on ye hill, between the hours of 9 and 12 in the day time, on Thursday, November ye 29th of the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and twenty-three, and the third year since ye Pilgrims landed on ye Pilgrim Rock, there to listen to ye pastor, and render thanksgiving to ye Almighty God for all His blessings.”

I have an idea. No matter what the schoolbooks say now, why don’t we as parents start teaching our children the truth? Each year, spend some time the week before (or after) reading selections from William Bradford’s book, “Of Plymouth Plantation.” Or if you have younger children and you need something more on their level, read “Stories of the Pilgrims,” by Margaret Pumphrey. We have loved reading the chapters every year that lead up to and describe that first Thanksgiving. We want our children to know who the Pilgrims were and how God led them to America.

One more idea, if I may: Let’s keep Thanksgiving as a day of gathering with family, enjoying a meal and fellowship, and mostly, giving thanks to God for his many blessings. I can remember a day when you were hard-pressed to find anything open Thanksgiving Day, except for the occasional convenience store or gas station. Not anymore. Black Friday now starts Thursday evening with many major retailers. Or even earlier. A few holdouts, like Costco, Nordstrom and Lowe’s, refused to give in to the pressure, and kept their doors closed, and their employees at home with their families on Thanksgiving. For that, and so much more, I am thankful.

J. Mark Fox is the author of “A Faithful Man” and the pastor of Antioch Community Church on Power Line Road in Elon. You can Tweet him @jmarkfox and can find all of Mark’s books on Amazon or other online sellers. Email Mark at markfox@antiochchurch.cc

Twenty years ago, The New York Times ran a full-page ad for Columbia University. It advertised seven fields of study in which a person can get a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies: American, Ancient, East Asian, Islamic, Jewish, Medieval and South Asian Studies. Richard John Neuhaus spotted this ad and wrote an editorial about it, asking, “Where is Christian Studies?” He pondered four possible reasons and then settled with this one:

“Nervousness is caused by the awareness that there are an awful lot of people who really believe in Christianity. The university is a cosmopolitan space where ‘religious traditions’ can be subjected to critical examination but are not to be taught as though they might be, well, you know, true. Even in religious studies departments, faculty members who are Hindus, Buddhists, and believers in Mystical Crystals can quite openly profess their faith. Muslims and, usually, Jews can, too. Nobody raises a question about their ‘proselytizing.’ Not so with Christians. The fear is that Christianity might be taken altogether too seriously. The absence of Christian Studies in the Columbia program, it turns out, is not an insult to Christianity. Those of the other faiths, however might have reason to be offended.”

I think Neuhaus was right. We see his theory working itself out in universities everywhere whose religious life groups are being told by administrators that proselytizing at an event cannot be done unless the people who are being proselytized have come to the event knowing that there will be an attempt to convert them. Just wondering … which religious groups are they concerned about?

At the same time, we see that even atheists are hungering for something deeper, though they would not agree that the “what” they are seeking is actually a Who. Some of you may have seen the article in the Times-News recently about Atheist Mega-Churches on the rise. Here’s an excerpt: “It looked like a typical Sunday morning at any megachurch. Several hundred people, including families with small children, packed in for more than an hour of rousing music, an inspirational sermon, a reading and some quiet reflection. The only thing missing was God.” One of the founders, Sanderson Jones, “got the inkling for the idea while leaving a Christmas carol concert six years ago. “There was so much about it that I loved, but it’s a shame because at the heart of it, it’s something I don’t believe in,” Jones said. “If you think about church, there’s very little that’s bad. It’s singing awesome songs, hearing interesting talks, thinking about improving yourself and helping other people — and doing that in a community with wonderful relationships. What part of that is not to like?’”

A man named Saul in the first century made it his aim to destroy the church, to put an end to the Christians’ proselytizing once and for all. Let me ask you something. Why was Saul persecuting the church? Was it because the church sang awesome songs, heard interesting talks, and got together to think about how to improve themselves and help others? No. Saul knew the church perhaps better than we did. He knew that if they were right, and that Jesus really was the Messiah and that salvation comes not through works of righteousness but by grace through faith, then his whole life was a pile of rubbish. That’s what he wrote later, after his conversion to Christianity: “Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”

Be aware of the dangers of Christianity. You might find that it is, well, you know, true!

J. Mark Fox is the author of “A Faithful Man” and the pastor of Antioch Community Church on Power Line Road in Elon. You can Tweet him @jmarkfox and can find all of Mark’s books on Amazon or other online sellers. Email Mark at markfox@antiochchurch.cc

In his book, “Love Does,” Bob Goff writes, “I get paid as a lawyer to collect information and memorize facts, and I’ve gotten really good at it.” What I realized about my faith is that I was doing just that, collecting information and memorizing things about God. I collected pictures and gathered artifacts and bumper stickers about Christianity, and I talked about knowing Jesus like we were best friends, when actually, we hardly knew each other at all. At some point I had to confess that I was stalking Jesus. I was actually creeping myself out a little and I realized I was probably creeping God out, too. So I decided I’d stop. The first thing I did was quit going to what Christians call Bible Study. Sounds wholesome. But at the ones I went to, I (just) learned a bunch of facts and information about Jesus … So, I started getting together with the same guys each weeks for a “Bible doing.” We read what God has to say and then focus all of our attention on what we are going to do about it. Just agreeing isn’t enough. I can’t think of a single time when Jesus asked His friends to just agree with Him.

I believe Philip must have been a part of a group like that in the first century. When the story opened in Acts 8, he was in Samaria. He’d been preaching Jesus to the Samaritans, with great success. Many had been baptized and there was much joy there. Then God told Philip to leave the city, where many were hearing the Gospel and being saved, and go to a desert place. To the middle of nowhere. On the face of it, it just didn’t make sense. But God’s ways are higher than our ways. God, who cared about the many in Samaria, cared also about the one in the desert.

The command that came to Philip was simple: “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” The road that ran south out of Gaza ran all the way into Egypt, and the continent of Africa. It wasn’t Gaza that God was after that day. It was Africa. Starting with one Ethiopian, whom Philip was about to meet. But the command was simple: Rise and go.

May I suggest to you that God’s greatest works start with a simple command? Abraham, rise up and go, leave this place and go to the place that I will show you. Moses, rise up and go, tell Pharaoh to let My people go. Peter, rise up and go, feed My sheep. I believe the foundation of the church is Jesus Christ, who is the cornerstone, and the men and women who have responded to God’s simple commands. Where would the church be if Peter had not obeyed? Or if Paul had refused to take the Gospel to the Gentiles? Which brings up an all-important question, especially for the fathers. God has given you a simple command as well. Fathers, rise up and go, disciple your children. To do that properly, you have to make sure that you are a disciple yourself, and that you are not just a stalker, always looking at the church or the Bible or even Jesus himself from a distance, not daring to get too close.

I love the way the story ends. God gave a simple command. Philip chose a simple response: “… he rose and went.” Philip wasn’t just interested in Bible Study. He was also into Bible doing.

How about you?

J. Mark Fox is the author of “A Faithful Man” and the pastor of Antioch Community Church on Power Line Road in Elon. You can Tweet him @jmarkfox and can find all of Mark’s books on Amazon or other online sellers. Email Mark at markfox@antiochchurch.cc

He’s had a tough day at work, with deadlines to meet, the boss on his case, clients unhappy about anything and everything. On top of all that, he’s not sleeping well because of stress, and he’s gained 15 pounds in three months because, well, he just owes it to himself to eat what he likes. And lots of it. He is driving home, fuming about his day and cannot wait to put his feet up and watch the big game, while ignoring everything else that seems to be spinning out of control.

Meanwhile, she has had it with the kids. The toddler has been throwing up, the 5-year-old won’t clean his room and keeps sneaking into the den and playing Xbox, no matter how many times she tells him no. The baby has not slept all day, and the neighbor called, again, to yell about how “you people just can’t seem to keep your stupid dog in your own yard!” She can’t wait until her husband gets home so he can:

1. Clean up the mess in the bathroom (“Hey, I cleaned up the first four projectile vomits!”) 2. Spank the toddler and put the Xbox in the attic, or better, on eBay. 3. Call the neighbor about the dog and then tell her, his wife, how he is going to make sure it does not happen again. 4. Take care of the baby so she can go for a walk or get a cup of coffee and have some “me time.”

You don’t need me to draw a picture for you of what it’s going to look like when those two meet at the front door, right? But unless one or both yield, lay down expectations, put aside their own needs to serve the other, there’s a mountain of resentment about to move into each heart.

It’s a well-known saying: “Expectation is premeditated resentment.” One of the biggest changes in my marriage happened years ago when Cindy and I both learned to lay down our expectations for each other. Another way of putting it? To give each other the same grace that God has given us. In other words, to put Phil. 4:8 into practice: “If there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” So, I decide I will not think about the fact that Cindy may have been critical and complaining toward me recently, but will think about what is good and true about her. And she will decide that she will not think about the fact that I am harsh and impatient at times, but will choose to think about what is good and true about me. We will choose to respect one another rather than try to change one another, because we know respect builds trust and honor.

In his book, “Sacred Marriage,” Gary Thomas writes about a tree in the Cascade Mountains that is 700 years old. This tree was 200 years old when Martin Luther was born. One of the reasons the trees on the western slope of the Cascades survive so long is simple, Thomas says: the forests there are so wet that lightning strikes cause relatively few fires. Marriages that are based on the Gospel and mutual respect will still be struck by lightning: sexual temptations, communication problems, frustrations, unrealized expectations — but if those same marriages are heavily watered with the grace of the Gospel, with an unwavering commitment in each spouse to please God and forgive one another just as Christ forgave us, then fires that normally destroy a marriage will not have a chance with ours.

J. Mark Fox is the author of “A Faithful Man” and the pastor of Antioch Community Church on Power Line Road in Elon. You can Tweet him @jmarkfox and can find all of Mark’s books on Amazon or other online sellers. Email Mark at markfox@antiochchurch.cc