"Cheers" Church

Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got.
Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot.

Wouldn't you like to get away?

Sometimes you want to go, where everybody knows your name,
and they're always glad you came.
You wanna be where you can see, our troubles are all the same
You wanna be where everybody knows your name.

You wanna go where people know, people are all the same,
You wanna go where everybody knows your name.

You want to go where people know, people are all the same;
You want to go where everybody knows your name.

Cheers Theme Song Lyrics
Title: Where Everbody Knows Your Name
By: Gary Portnoy and Judy Hart Angelo

This crazy song has been mulling around in my head on and off for a few weeks now. Ever since a lady at work said that she thought this should be the church's theme song. If anyone is young enough not to remember the sit-com "Cheers", bear with me.

She is somewhat discontent with her church. She has had a rough life and I think the church sometimes reminds her of that. Literally. I don't think they want her to forget where she came from. She so much wants to be right with God and stay consistant. I understand what she is looking for with this song. I don't think she gets much love and support from her church family. Recently she has struggled with depression and health problems. She gets hammered on at work all week. She just wants a refuge on the weekends. She tries to stay strong throughout the week; she wants a fill-up on Sunday. We all want to be around real people. People not afraid to admit where we came from. People to encourage us that we are headed in the right direction.

On the other hand, I can see where people would want (and do get) the format of the sit-com for the church. You walk in to see the same, familiar faces. It's a light atmosphere. Instead of people sitting around chugging beer, they all have their triple laté. It's a social club. They want to walk in and everyone in unison yells "NORM!" There's no pressure to conform to anything. You come as you are. You leave as you came. No strings attached. If you want to meet up later and chug the beer, that's fine too. What goes on outside isn't an issue. Which reminds me of a story.

I worked with a guy who had been addicted to pornography. His marriage was falling apart, not because of the porn, but it came out that he had several adulterous affairs...somewhere around a hundred. I was trying to help him piece his marriage and life back together (to no avail). He said that when he was in the midst of all of this dark lifestyle, he was in a pornographic movie store picking out a video. In walked his sons youth minister. They nodded at each other as a recognition that they knew each other and as a representation of an unspoken pact. It appears that these people never speak about who they have seen in these places to another person (not even to the individual). My first response was to ask why he allowed his child to go back under the direction of this youth minister. You don't know what he might be showing or doing to him. Second was what the last statement of the last paragraph made. What goes on outside the church isn't an issue.

I know I got sidetracked. I didn't relay this story to degrade youth ministers. I don't think all youth ministers are porno freaks and I hope I didn't portray that thinking.

Back to the topic. I'm not sure what precisely she's looking for in a church. Maybe she's in the "Cheers" church and she doesn't fit into the clique. Maybe that's the problem. I really don't think she's looking for a "Cheers" church. Maybe she's just discontent in a non-loving, non-benevolent, non-Bible preaching church like a lot of us are. What advice can I give her? Jump churches until you find your ideal church or at least something you can tolerate? Be a Puritan and stick it out hoping you can conform the church from the inside? Unfortunately, alot of people are in this situation and they stop going to church althogether. Some even give up on their faith because of the lack of purity in the church. Granted, their faith may not have been very strong to begin with.

Oh, well. For now I just encourage her when I see her. "Stay strong...Press on...Keep the faith!" I do pray for her when the Lord brings her to my thoughts. I hope she finds what she's looking for. I also hope that she doesn't put too much faith in a material organization. I hope (and I think she does) that she knows that Christ is the only one who will NEVER fail her.

Maybe this song will leave me alone now that I wrote this.

God bless!

“…holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” Heb. 12:14

Faith and Works

I know it's taking me forever to get through James, but I'm really taking my time and trying to soak in what God is telling me. Today, James chapter 2:14-26.

Verse 14 says “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him?” Please note, James does not say “...though a man hath faith, and have not works?” This tells me that the man is declaring to have faith. He doesn't necessarily HAVE faith. His declaration of faith will not save him. Once again, “Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven...” (Matthew 7:21)

This verse in James also strongly hints that a true faith must produce works. You don't force works to prove you have faith. Your faith will automatically produce works. Jumping ahead to verse 18 says “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” James says that you cannot have faith without works. If you claim to have faith and have no works, your faith is dead! Sorry, I'm jumping ahead again. He says that a man may say that he has faith and no works. James says “Prove it!” How can you prove that you have a faith. If you don't put it into practice, how can you prove it? A good speech says nothing compared to seeing. Seeing is believing.

Verse 15: “If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?” Maybe to make this story a little more dramatic (I'm not adding to the scripture here, I'm putting a different spin on it to parallel another passage) he might have said that this naked brother or sister came to your door at the end of the month before payday. Your cupboards are nearly bare. You or your wife has been very creative in the kitchen for the past week just to keep the family fed. You wonder how many ways there are to prepare potatoes. You are faced with a dilemma. You can pray a “faith-filled” prayer that God will bless them and feed them and clothe them before sending them on their way, or you bring them in and share you last few scraps with them, proving that you have faith that God will provide for you and your family, too. The first suggestion would declare your faith. The second would prove your faith.

This story is like the story of Elijah and the widow at Zarephath in 1 Kings 17:8-15. She had a handful of meal and a little oil to sustain herself and her son. She knew that this was one of their last meals and Elijah was asking for it. She could have said, “God bless, may He feed and keep you!” and send him away. She didn't. She took him in and fed him. She fed them all for “many days” on enough meal and oil for one or two cakes. Her faith with works saved her and her sons life.

Verse 19: “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” Hmm. James says that there is more to it than believing. Here's where Troy's interpretation comes in.

My thoughts on faith and believing: Believing is good, but believing will not save you in itself. Faith is something acted upon (hence without works it's dead). You might believe that God still heals people. Or that He will provide that last two thousand dollars your brother needs to pay the tax man before he takes his house. It is easy to say that you will stand with them because “I believe”. What about when it comes to you or your children who are sick? What about when it comes to you and your house on the line? Now you say that God COULD heal or provide if He wants. I'm going to play it safe though and take things into my own hands. We will get them to a specialist or borrow the money for the house. What happened to the belief? Faith would have turned to God first. Faith puts things on the line. Faith lets God work. We take things out of Gods hands so often, we don't rely on Him for much anymore. Elijah was fed by ravens. Do you think he ever wondered if his next meal was going to fly in? Most churches will say that God can still heal, but how many practice calling the elders of the church to pray over and anoint with oil (besides charismatics[James 5:14])? This is not about being anti-doctor or pentecostal. We have a family doctor and we love him. And yes, he has prayed over our family members in his office. This is about the difference between saying we believe God can do something and than letting Him do it.

James next talks about Abraham. His faith was made perfect by his works. He believed God. He even put his belief to work. Through this, his son was saved. Because of this, he was called the Friend of God. That would be a nice title to hold.

To sum it all up, he compares faith alone to a dead body (James 2:26). A body without a spirit (see Genesis 2:7 where God formed Adams lifeless or dead body from dust and breathed the breath of life or spirit into him and he became a living soul). Faith (or declaration of) without works is worthless like a dead body. If you can only claim to have faith but have no works or acts to back it up, it is a dead faith. James said it all when he said that he will prove his faith by his works. This is not to be mistaken with the “saved by works” people who just go around doing good works but have no faith. I have said in the past that I know perfectly good heathen people who do good works. They are heathens with morals. No salvation. There are as many of these people in the church as there are out of the church. Don't be confused. A healthy, true faith WILL produce works. Works will not have to be forced. Works is merely a by-product of faith. The two are inseparable. Check your faith today...are there works attached? If not, re-consider where your faith is.

God bless!

“…holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” Heb. 12:14

Hearers and Doers

I started reading through James yesterday. I know that it's only five chapters long and I should have finished it, but two things happened to prevent it. One, my wife got up at about 5:15 or 5:30. When that happens, all my “quiet” time goes out the window. I love her like you wouldn't believe, but when we are up together she talks, asks questions and wants to read to me what she has been reading. I try to explain to her that that's why I get up at 4:30, for some private QUIET time. She explained to me that she couldn't sleep and might as well be up with me. It all worked out. We had fun talking and sharing.

The second thing that prevented me from finishing was that I got stuck on chapter one. Starting at verse 22, James says that we need to be hearers of the word. This word that is able to save you (vs. 21). We need to hear it and receive it. And not only receive (believe, accept) but we need to do what the word says. Be hearers and doers of the word. A lot of people are hearing, but are they listening? I sometimes say that to my children. “Are you listening? I know you can hear me, but are you listening?” It's because I have something important to say to them. It may be something to keep them out of trouble or danger.

This reminds me of King Saul in 1 Samuel chapter 15. God told the prophet Samuel to tell Saul to wipe out the Amalekites; completely. Spare nobody or nothing. Saul heard this. The problem was, he only listened to a portion of it. He obviously heard what Samuel said or else he wouldn't have went to the city of Amalek. He destroyed the people of Amalek, but he spared the King (Agag) and brought him back with him. He also allowed his men to bring back the choicest sheep, oxen, fatlings and lambs. When Saul met Samuel he said “We did what God had said!” Then I think one of the funniest verses of the Bible is what Samuel said in response. Vs. 14 says “And Samuel said, What meaneth this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?” In other words, you certainly did NOT do what the Lord had commanded. He said to destroy everything! Saul says, “We brought back the best of everything to sacrifice to God. You know how much God likes sacrifice!” [Vs. 22&23] “And Samuel said, Hath the Lord a great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.” Saul lost his kingship because he was a hearer and not a doer.

In verses 23&24, James says that a hearer only is like a man that looks into a mirror and turns away. Right after he turns away, he forgets what kind of man he is. Like a man sitting in church hearing a good message. Once again, “Are you listening to me or just hearing me?” He hears a message that might even stir his heart. When he leaves the church, he does not act on what he heard. He was a hearer but no doer. He lives the week out like a devil. When he left the church, because he did not do what he heard, he forgot what he heard. He forgot that he was even a Christian at times. He “...forgetteth what manner of man he was.” When we hear and don't do, we lose what we heard. Someone that has learned Calculus that doesn't use it every day will certainly lose it. I took Calculus in college eight years ago, but I have never used it once in my job. Could I explain to you how sine waves and logarithms work? Not a chance. We need to apply what we hear.

God gives us things he expects us to act on; give away (or share); or use them. He may give us a message to share. If we don't share it, it's worthless. God gave Lot a message. He acted on it and it saved his life. God blesses us with finances. He expects us to bless others in return. God gives us faith. If we don't act on this faith, it's worthless. James, a little later, talks about faith without works...he says it's DEAD. Read the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30. How does God feel about those that don't use what He gives to them (vs. 30)?

These are just a few things that God held me up in James for yesterday. I've never been one to teach or preach verse by verse, but I think I could with James. It is one of my favorite books. I have probably read it more than any other book of the Bible. If I can get my thoughts together and organized on this passage, I'll probably preach it this weekend. Anyways, have a great day today!

God Bless!

“…holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” Heb. 12:14

Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God

I read the sermon “Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God” this weekend. It was written by Jonathan Edwards in 1741. Talk about putting the fear of God into someone. The condensed version:

Text: “...Their foot shall slide in due time...” Deut. 32:35

God is talking about the Israelites who have turned away. In the preceding and following texts, you come to the conclusion that God is pretty unhappy with them. The text for the message suggests that their doom is eminent. It will happen in due time (God's time). Mr. Edwards is describing the scene he sees (almost like recording the scene of an accident).

These people are already condemned to hell. They are actually hanging over the very pit of hell, perhaps by a tiny thread. Great tongues of fire are licking all around their feet. Satan and his devils are waiting, ready to fall upon them when they plunge. They appear to be blind to this predicament. The reason they do not fall is because they are being suspended or held; held in the hands of God. Their condemnation is sure. The timing is held by God.

They have chosen this destiny for themselves. They have mocked God. They feel that they have evaded death thus far in their own power. It has been something they have done to dodge the sting of death. They think that because they have avoided death and damnation to date, they are free and in the clear. They don't realize that it is only in God's timing. By His mercy they hang.

They feel they can escape hell by their own schemes. They hear that only a few are saved from hell, but they are certain they will be in that number. They have a plan plotted out. This plot is certainly more creative than those that have plotted and schemed before them. Those that schemed, but failed in saving themselves. Certainly their plans are better thought out. God is under no obligation to hold onto this people.

God is not happy about dropping these people into hell, but God will not be mocked. His anger is kindled against these people. “His wrath is like great waters that are dammed for the present; they increase more and more, and rise higher and higher, till an outlet is given; and the longer the stream is topped, the more rapid and mighty is it's course, when once it is let loose. It is true, that judgment against your evil works has not been executed hitherto; the flood of God's vengeance have been withheld; but your guilt in the mean time is constantly increasing, and you are every day treasuring up more wrath; the waters are constantly rising, and waxing more and more mighty; and there is nothing but the mere pleasure of God that holds the waters back, that are unwilling to be stopped, and press hard to go forward. If God should only withdraw his hand from the flood-gate, it would immediately fly open, and the fiery floods of the fierceness and wrath of God, would rush forth with inconceivable fury, and would come upon you with omnipotent power; and if your strength were ten thousand times greater than it is, yea, ten thousand times greater than the strength of the stoutest, sturdiest devil in hell, it would be nothing to withstand or endure it.”

Today, you live in a day of mercy. God has given you an opportunity to stay in the shelter of His hand forever. Christ is knocking...calling....crying for your salvation. But He is a gentleman. He will not force you to do anything. If you deny Him once again, you will wish you had never heard this message. Your stay in hell for eternity will be plagued with this message of urgent warning. There will be no better time than now.

“Therefore, let every one that is out of Christ, now awake and fly from the wrath to come. The wrath of Almighty God is now undoubtedly hanging over a great part of this congregation: Let every one fly out of Sodom: 'Haste and escape for your lives, look not behind you, escape to the mountain, lest you be consumed.'”

*Italicized words are quoted form his sermon.

Pretty intense. For me to preach a sermon like that, I would want to make for sure that this message came from the Lord. Once again, this has been greatly paraphrased. The real sermon printed out was 9 ½ pages long.

At first, I didn't really know how to take this writing. It seemed harsh. I've never been one to try to convince someone of anything using fear. The Bible does say that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom...” (Psalm 111:10 and Proverbs 9:10). This, like I said, would put the fear of the Lord into a person. But then I thought, how many people truly realize the state of their soul? This is actually a very merciful sermon. It wakes you up to a very real picture. Certainly a picture you don't get from many pulpits. It definitely lays out the fact that everyone has to make a choice: live your life like the devil and spend eternity in hell, or give your life to Christ and spend eternity with Him. It also reminded me of one of my favorite verses. Matthew 21:44 says “And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind Him to powder.” Allowing the Lord to break you is not a bad thing. It is a sign of weakness; realizing that we can do nothing without Christ. That is how we can sacrifice to God today. In Psalm 51:17 it says “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”

If you are out of Christ today, make it right today. Don't wait. God's love endures forever, but His mercy runs out in His time.

God Bless!

“…holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” Heb. 12:14

Church Growth

In my post yesterday, I mis-quoted a fellow blogger. To be honest, I couldn't remember what blog I had taken my information from, so I couldn't check it (I know, bad journalism). Regan commented on my post yesterday and claimed the information (thanks Regan). I went back to double check the info and found it to be inaccurate. The conservative Church of Christ/Christian Church was the second fastest growing church in the United States from 1990-2000. Second only to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The C of C is not the focus of this post. The Mormon church is.

It first struck me that this cult is lulling so many people into it's numbers. Then I remembered that two years ago we were living in another part of the country (Indiana). We had two young Mormon men come to our door. Nice looking, clean cut, well dressed Mormon men. I've always had a hard time turning anyone away from my door. Especially a group that wanted to talk about religion. I think the Bible says not to fellowship with people like this, but I let them in. I have a hard time turning vacuum sweeper sales-people away. At any rate, they came in. They told us where they were from and tried to start in with their outlined speech. That didn't get very far. I interrupted them with “can I ask you guys a question?” Their faces lit up. “Sure”, they said in unison. I didn't unload on them. We asked a few questions, then I think my wife said “You guys are Mormons!” They agreed. I asked why the church changed it's name. They said it was the reputation they were gaining from some of the fundamentalists in Utah, so they tried to disassociate the “true” church from the fundamentalists. I believe this is one reason they have experienced such growth. I know in this area, Mormons have a terrible reputation. Mainly because of the whole polygamy thing. I really don't think they would ever have experienced such a growth in numbers at that time if people really knew they were Mormons. I remember a lot of commercials on TV through the '90's for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Possibly another factor in their boom. One more thing is their door-to-door ministry. How many hurting people go out and seek a minister to talk to? I know very few people that bold. If you are hurting and someone comes to your door and expresses that they care, they've got you sold. These young men interacted great with our kids. They built Lego's with them and talked with them. They even offered to help “with anything we needed help with.” Doing dishes, vacuuming the floor. Whatever we needed! Boy, we could have had fun with them, but we didn't. We finished up talking with them. They never did finish with their outlined speech, but we found out a lot of information from them (mostly personal). They did tell us about Joseph Smith and his ministry and prophesies. They left us some literature. Some very nicely illustrated books (which could have very easily hooked the children had we let it). Then they asked us to pray about what we heard. If it was true, God would give us this burning sensation in our hearts. Seriously, that's what they said. I asked them if I could close our meeting in prayer. They agreed. I prayed that God would reveal His truth to both parties. He did to me in a dream that night (I'll talk about that in a bit). We ended up inviting them back for a meal a few weeks later. They were pretty excited about this.

The dream: The whole time they were at our place, I felt kind of guilty for letting them in. It is my duty to protect my family. I didn't want seeds of false doctrine planted in my family. That's why we did most of the talking. Anyway, I told you about the prayer and the burning in the chest we were supposed to experience. Well, obviously we didn't experience that. We continued to pray for them, though; as a family and I know I did personally. I fell asleep that night and I had a dream I believe to be from God. Somehow, skunks had gotten into the house. They began to spray everything. They sprayed our legs. They sprayed the couch and the rest of the furniture. They sprayed everything. If anyone knows anything about skunk spray, it's very difficult if not impossible to get the stink out. You have to understand, I hardly ever remember my dreams. Maybe twice a year I will remember a dream that I had. I remembered this one very vividly. The next morning it kept running through my head. Then it hit me. The Mormon men were dressed in black pants, white shirts and black ties (one had a black jacket). The same colors of a skunk! I believe that God was telling me that the same way the skunks were soiling our furniture, these men, if given the time, could soil our faith (I believe the reason we are not to associate ourselves with those with a different gospel).

After some rescheduling (due to us having a baby) we let them back in. This time I was more prepared. We had a friend who loaned us a book from a man who was very high up in the Mormon church (I believe he was a deacon). They have an Amway type of pyramid in their church. Everyone answers to a higher up, all the way to the top. This man came to his senses and left. He wrote a very disturbing book about the religion. Very disturbing! This time, we ate our supper and started right into it. We didn't give them a chance this time. We started asking deeper questions about the religion. We caught them in lies. I asked a question that anyone in the church should have known the obvious answer to, and they both gave a different answer. One “Yes” and one “No” at the same time. They were kind of taken off guard. We didn't do this to mock or ridicule. We were quoting scripture to try to get them to see the error in their thinking. The only problem is that they think our scriptures are incomplete. They have several other books that they teach from. We knew we were getting no-where, so we said it was time for them to leave. The one actually asked if they could come back and finish the outline that they had barely started. I said that as long as they were bringing a different gospel, they were not welcome (Galatians 1:8,9). I said that if they had spiritual questions that we could help with, they were welcome to come back. They knew that we would do the talking. They declined. We cntinued to pray for them for a while. I wonder where they are now. One was from Utah and one was from California.

I can see how an unsuspecting person can fall into their trap. Like I said, if they show up at the right door at the right time, it's almost a given. Why don't normal churches use this strategy? I guess maybe some do, but not in this area. We've only had one group come to our door since living in Antwerp. That was the Jehovah's Witnesses. In Warsaw, Indiana we had two. The Mormon's and a wacky Baptist group. The people visiting from the Baptist group were fine. The minister was wacky. That was the first time I had to restrain myself from walking out of a church service. Now, I wish I had.

One other thing about the Church of Christ. I wonder if the number recorded was including the International Church of Christ. They are very big into evangelism of this style. And nothing like the Churches of Christ I know in this area. Another pyramid-style church. I had some concerns there, also.

Anyway, thanks for enduring my rambling today. Don't know if this will help anyone spiritually, but now it's off my chest!

God Bless!

“…holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” Heb. 12:14

Brick Walls, Picket Fences, I'm Right and You're Not

Once again, the Lord is shaking up my thinking. I have so much rattling around in my head. He has challenged me quite a bit, even just this weekend. I will try to get it put into words here through this week. Who knows if that will happen.

First, a friend sent an article for me to read. It was written by a Baptist minister name David Miller. It is about how we handle other doctrines and theologies. Quite interesting and much needed here. He laid it out plain and simple. He says (much paraphrased) that there are four levels in which to deal with other peoples doctrines. First was the brick wall doctrines. These are the doctrines that we must contend for. The ones that make up our core. The doctrines that Jesus was born, lived a sinless life, died a death on a cross to redeem us of our sins, was buried and rose again (obviously not a complete list). These are what we have to believe. These are what all Christians have to believe. There is no room for modification. No taking away from. These are the doctrines that we build a brick wall around. These are what we hold firm to. If two people can't agree on these doctrines, a division must take place. To quote Mr. Miller....“Salvation by grace through faith alone -- the exclusivity of salvation through Christ -- is essential doctrine. The fact of Christ's return to judge the world is necessary. Around these doctrines we must erect a brick wall -- tall and thick. Those who deny these truths are not brothers in Christ. They are wolves among the sheep. We do not fellowship with them, we contend with them. “

Next is the picket fence doctrine. These are things you can discuss with those who don't believe or worship the way you do, but obviously have the same core. After you discuss them, you are free to turn away from the picket fence and go back to your home. These are built within the brick walls. Baptists and Pentecostals have many of the same core doctrinal beliefs, but they have different views on worship (among other things). They can have conversations on their foundational beliefs and lovingly try to convince each other on the lesser beliefs. After that, they shake hands and go back to their respective worship services. Picket fences separate (not divide as brick walls do) and make pleasant boundaries.

Next is the back yard doctrine. These are things that people within your congregation or even within your home don't agree on, but are certainly not enough to divide on. Not even really enough to keep people out of your yard over. He mentions topics such as; who wrote the book of Hebrews, the pre-trib/post-trib, pre-mil/post-mil discussions. He states that these are important issues, but they are issues you can sit on your back deck and discuss.

A summery so far would be: “If a doctrine affects salvation, erect a brick wall. If it affects the fellowship or functioning of the church, erect a friendly picket fence. But if the doctrine affects neither, then sit in the backyard talking about it, but never let it become a point of division.”

Lastly is the closet doctrine. Some things should just be kept to ourselves. He brings up in the early church, people eating meat sacrificed to an idol. Paul said to let our conscience lead us in these thing. Also, how we deal with (or when) the Sabbath. “I should follow the Lordship of Christ and permit other Christians to do the same.“ To me it's been: if God called me to this, than it must be right for everyone else. I understand that I need to shake this thinking, but it's been hard.

I know there are a lot who throw up the brick wall for everything. This is actually how I was brought up. That might be why I have such a hard time with it. I read on another blog the other day that the Church of Christ/Christian Church was one of the or the fastest growing churches in the country (I hope I got that right – please correct me if I didn't). Maybe it's because they have thrown up a brick wall for everything. The churches continue to split because of trivial differences, thus the boom.

Then there are those who only put up picket fences where brick walls should be. They accept everything they hear. These people are tossed back and forth. I've heard it said that if I can talk you into something, someone else can and will talk you out of it.

Like I said, this has been a struggle with me. I have always felt that God's way for me must be the best way for everyone. Sounds arrogant, I know. I know this sounds so first-grade-ish. This should be elementary teaching, but obviously if this guy has to write an article about it, I must be the only one with this problem. God is working on me though. I will still hold to my convictions. You hold to yours.

God Bless!

“…holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” Heb. 12:14

Why We Worship

We received a letter from a man in prison the other day. We've been corresponding with him for a few years now. My wife knew him when she was younger. Anyways, he got mixed up in society and ended up in prison for the decisions he made. He was introduced to the Lord in prison and he jumped on board. He wrote something in his last letter that made me stop and think.

First, some background. We like to order him books now and then to encourage him. I ordered a book that I had been reading. It was Experiencing the Presence of God by Charles Finney. Anybody that has read much Finney knows that while reading Finney, a few things may happen. One, you might get irate in thinking that humans should have to live at that level of holiness that he describes. Two, it might make you wonder about your own commitment to the Lord. Three, it will deeply convict you. His was a reaction mixed with two and three.

This is what he wrote (though not verbatim because I can't locate his original letter). He had to reexamine his life. He said that he came to the Lord, seeking His forgiveness, because he was afraid of going to hell. He noted that this belief would have led him straight to hell. He said that he had no remorse for insulting God and His sovereignty through the sins he committed. That is why we should be sorrowful for our sins. Because we insult God. Not because we are bound for hell.

That made me wonder how much of our spiritual actions are for the right reason. Although I think some should have a good healthy fear of hell, is this why we should come to Christ?

Let me quote from another book that I have been reading that kind of shook my thinking.

“The Holy Scripture teaches that there is ONE God who has revealed Himself in three different Persons – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. God, who is a spirit, became a son for the purpose of dying to redeem fallen man. When this occurred, God also remained in heaven becoming a Father as He had “begotten” (imparted life) a son.

The most important single issue regarding Jesus is - Who is He – not what He did! Even though what He accomplished in His finished work of redeeming fallen man through His blood atonement for man's sin and sins was of major and majestic significance, it is secondary when compared to His person. What we are saying is, that the Church has proclaimed that men should give their hearts and lives to Christ – that we should faithfully fallow adore and worship Him – because He gave His life for our sins. Wrong! We should do all of these – first and foremost because of WHO HE IS, God Almighty – the Creator! Because He is God we should worship Him and Him only should we serve, not because He did something for us. He is worthy of worship for Himself! For His own personal worth He deserves man's total being and allegiance. Then, secondarily, out of gratitude for His voluntarily humbling Himself on our behalf – we should give Him all our loyalty, all our love and obedience.”

This really struck a chord with me. Never had I heard of such a thing. While it is important to love and appreciate what Christ did for us, our first priority is to love and worship Him because He is God. We were created for the glory of God (Isa. 43:7 and many more vs.). What is the primary commandment? Love the Lord God! We were created to worship and love Him. To put it into human perspective. It feels good to be appreciated for something that we did. It feels great to be appreciated because of who we are. If my wife just told me she loved me after I did something good (take the trash out, buy her flowers, check the oil in her van) it would not be nearly as convincing than if she told me out of the blue.

Don't let this take away from your appreciation for what Christ did for you. Just let it be a reminder of why we worship. Why we come to the Lord. Appreciate what He did...love Him for who He is!

God Bless!

“…holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” Heb. 12:14

Revelation Letter to the Church of America

To the angel of the church of America write; These things saith he that is the Creator, yet forgotten; he that provides your every need and loves and cherishes you, but am your last resort.

You get so weary so quickly with the race before you because you are a lazy and impatient generation. Your temples are beautiful but are costly. The price is the souls of men; the sick, the weary, the poor and needy are neglected because you are bound by them. What goes on in the temples is an abomination. It is idolatry that belongs in the synagogue of Satan. To keep people coming, they must be entertained. Men and children need movies and sports to keep their interest. Women need pampered or pitied. You are luke-warm. You desire to have one foot in the world and one foot in my kingdom. It cannot be so. You will be numbered with the goats on that final day.

You have kept me in a box and taken away my power by your lack of faith. Your interest in me is so small that you don't even seek signs and wonders any longer. Your doctors and lawyers and educators are getting fat from you. Come unto me for your health and protection and learning. I dare not chasten or rebuke you lest you turn on me or abandon your faith completely. You have been drinking the milk of your religion for too long; you have no desire for meat. The meat you do receive sits heavy in your stomach until you spew it out and reject it completely. Little or none of it has been digested.

Your leaders are like old king David who was concerned with numbering his flock. For this he was punished. Repent and turn back to the young shepherd David who was more concerned with the state of his flock. For this he was blessed. You no longer speak my words in the hearing of the congregation. If you do speak my words, they are so watered down they are barely recognizable. They don't bring conviction. They don't bring repentance. They don't bring self-examination. I will judge those who don't judge themselves.

You too have lost your first love; for me and your brothers and sisters. Your families are falling apart because I am not welcome there. You are not patient with your children, your neighbors, yourselves and especially not with me. You put your trust in yourself. Trust me and my timing. The cross you have been called to bear is not a heavy one. Uncomfortable at times; yes, but not heavy.

There are a few among you who have continued the race faithfully. Those that have not grown comfortable or complacent in the journey. You will be mocked. You will be tried. You will be rebuked and chastised. I chasten and rebuke those that I love. Be faithful and overcome and you will eat with me at my table. Your name will remain as clean in my book as the day it was written. The goats will be blotted out. Their zeal has been forgotten. So too will their names be forgotten.

He that hath an ear. Let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

The Devaluing of Conception, Children and the Elderly

Object 1:

I read in the January ‘05 issue of Discover magazine that covers the “100 Top Science Stories of 2004” that the “FDA Rejects Over-the-counter Sales of Morning-After Pills” called Plan B (page 55). Good news, right? Not according to health care professionals.

“It is morally repugnant, a tragedy for American women, and a stain on the reputation of an agency that calls itself ‘evidence based,’” says Vivian Dickerson, president of American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. “Accidents happen, coercion happens, and there is a public health imperative not to hold women hostage by hampering them from timely access to postcoital contraception.”

If taken “the morning after”, these pills prevent the fertilized egg (life) from implanting to the uterine wall. The fertilized egg is then discharged or aborted.

David Grimes, vice president of biomedical affairs at Family Health International in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina charged that the FDA action was influenced by the efforts of anti-choice Republicans who preach sexual abstinence to prevent pregnancy.

Grimes argues that the policy is detrimental to at-risk teenagers with limited access to medical care. “The irony is that the FDA approved over-the-counter sales of home defibrillators,” he adds. “So a 14-year-old can buy a device to deliver an electric shock to another person, yet she cannot buy 1.5 milligrams of levonorgestrel (the synthetic hormone that prevents the implantation of the fertilized egg) for herself.”

(All italicized words were quotes from the article.)

According to Ms. Dickerson, conception is a mistake. Maybe for the “women…held hostage” by an unwanted pregnancy, but not for God. God is the creator of life. God is the one knitting us together in our mothers’ womb.

Mr. Grimes thinks the “anti-choice Republicans” strong-armed the FDA. And shame on them for preaching abstinence.

These are just two of many that want their cake and want to eat it too. They want to have no ties to their sexual promiscuity. Since when do we not lie in the bed that we make for ourselves? This is not about birth-control, this is about the value of human life (or their lack of). These people would be very happy to put these pills into the hands of every high-schooler. Not only have the “family-friendly” clinics been pushing for high-school girls to gain health-care services (abortions) without having to notify the families, now they want the children to be able to have complete control of aborting the babies at home. When will this stop?

We are in a race to clone humans…but we can’t appreciate the miracles that God performs for us. We are so eager to see our manufactured babies, but God’s babies we throw away. Shame on us.

Object 2:

A couple weeks ago, the guy I work next to says “Troy, come here. You need to see this commercial!” I went over to his computer where he had a video clip ready. The commercial starts out with a nice looking, trendy young man in a grocery store with his young (4-6 year old) son. The son picks up a large bag of candy and throws it into the cart. The man picks it up and puts it back onto the shelf. Not to be defeated, the boy picks it up once again and puts it into the cart. The man puts it back onto the shelf. The boy erupts. He screams…and screams…and screams, and runs through the aisles screaming and throwing things off of shelves. People are staring. He is on the floor kicking and screaming. It shows the disturbed dad. The child seemed to go on forever. At first, I almost got sucked into the sales of the commercial. “What is the problem with this kid…shut him up! That poor dad…” went through my mind. The child’s role in the commercial was meant to grate your very last nerve. It was getting there with me. Just when you thought the kid would never shut up, it showed the dad once more and then it showed the product and sales pitch…Use Condoms.

At that point my heart sank. Once again, this is not an anti-birth control post. What this commercial did was de-valued this young boys life. This commercial was saying that this boys life was a mistake. He was never meant to be in this world. Now look at him. He is a menace. The dad is stuck with a bratty rotten kid for the rest of his life…all because he didn’t use a condom. I think a part of selling of the commercial was feeling sorry for the dad. When will we take responsibility for our selfish actions?

One of the European countries now allows the destruction of a child…a birthed child, up to a certain age if the parents don’t deem it’s life worthy to be lived. More like if it’s going to be an inconvenience to the parents. It starts with pre-birth abortion. Then on to post birth destruction. We are passing our children through the fire to Molech (Lev. 18:21).

Object 3:

On a recent post, my brother commented on a newspaper article he had seen. He got the article for me and I did a bit of research on my own. It appears that a church in Michigan (St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Battle Creek) is selling calendars to raise money for repairs that they need done on the church due to a lightening strike in May. They will also be donating a portion of the money to breast cancer research. The calendar depicts 14 women who attend church there posing nude in the pews as well as various other locations in the church. These women are between the ages of 54 to 82. It says that the ladies’ more socially sensitive spots are obstructed from view. In the research I did, there is a lady and her family who is leaving the church because of this. BRAVO! I pray that she finds a God fearing church. This is the same church who ordained an openly gay man as bishop. People don’t understand why this lady and her family are leaving the church. She is being called narrow-minded and prudish. Why? Because she believes the word of God? Because she knows what’s right and what’s wrong? That she chooses to flee from evil? What slippery slope have we jumped onto? Do these people not have any more sense than this? One lady quoted her grandchild as saying “Not my grandma. Another woman’s grand-daughter would not look at the calendar.” It is unfortunate that their grandchildren have more respect for their bodies than what they do. They have more conviction than what their grandparents do. This is the type of moral decay that you expect in the world…but a church (not THE Church)? I can’t understand the thinking of the leadership or congregation. How can they think that God could be pleased with this?

Who would have ever thought that I might be at a loss for words. I can’t find words that describe what I feel. This is so infuriating, yet so sorrowful. This is (thanks to the media such as the newspaper that this was found in) what the public, secular world sees as the church. What a shame. There is certainly a gap between God and the churches that need to be stood in. Why would people who are truly seeking a relationship with the Lord, something different go to a place so much like the world. So much in and of the world. THE Church should be a refuge. I just don’t understand. Forgive me if this sounds choppy and not thought through. Like I said, I can’t find words that express my emotions. Shame on us, and God forgive us!

God Bless!

“…holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” Heb. 12:14

The Reason for the "Reason for the Season"

I can’t really explain it, but Christmas has kind of lost it’s luster. I don’t view myself as a Scrooge. I can’t exactly put my finger on it. I love to give gifts to my children. They have a great time. Part of it might come from the over-commercialization we’ve done to Christmas (as a nation). I don’t feel we can expect anything less from the un-saved. I don’t (and can’t) fault them. They are completely lost. They will do anything to bring some joy and maybe a bit of religion into their lives once or twice a year. Another part that has been weighing on my mind is the way we remember the “reason for the season”. How we remember when Jesus was born to the virgin Mary. How the wise men and the shepherds came to worship. All very nice things. Those that focus on this are at least making an attempt at bringing the holiday closer to having a Christian theme. Don’t worry, I’m not going to go off on a rant about not celebrating a holiday that has pagan origins. I’m not going to say that we shouldn’t have a tree in our house (although I do think it’s silly to cut down a perfectly fine fur tree to bring it into our house to die for a few weeks). And the only thing I will say about Santa Clause is what a fellow worker (who is quite heathen) of mine said to me. He knows about my faith in God. He also knows that I know he is a heathen. He claims nothing more than that. He came into my work area a couple weeks ago and sat down. “So, Troy…do you lie to your kids about Santa Clause?” That really made me stop and think about two things. First, is he trying to trap me knowing that I believe lying is wrong (which every moral person should believe) but seeing if I would try to justify it and admitting that I do lie to my children in this one small area? And second, here is a man who makes no claims to have any sort of religion, and he knows that “encouraging” your children to believe in Santa is nothing short of lying to your children. It made me think of all of the Christian folk I know who don’t see the harm in telling their children that there is a Santa or Easter Bunny. They tell their children that they shouldn’t lie, but they lie to them in these things. I am a firm believer that if it’s not good for the children, it’s more times than not, not good for the parents. We take a stand on not watching movies that we wouldn’t allow our children to watch. We don’t listen to music that we wouldn’t want our children to listen to. Why is it okay for us to watch a vulgar, violent or sexual movie and not our children? Or listen to music filled with sex, drugs, alcohol and Satanism? Why than is it okay to tell our children that telling a lie will send them to hell only to turn around and say that a fat man in a red suit with flying reindeer flies around the world and delivers presents to every house by slipping down the chimney and slipping back up? I will say once again, the world is watching what we do and say. They are always ready to catch us in hypocrisy. Our children likewise. This is something that has bothered me for a long time. This is not why I’m posting this, though. That was an extra.

The point that I was getting to was leaving Jesus as a baby at this time of year. Keeping Him in the manger. We (for some reason) don’t like to think of Jesus grown up. Then we have to think of the real reason the baby was born into this world. Because we are sinners. Because He gave up His life for us. Because His death makes us feel uncomfortable and unworthy. And I’m an American. Nobody makes me feel unworthy. Everything is fine and dandy, and I want it to stay this way. How dare you bring sorrow into my life. Especially at this time of year. A time of joy and happiness. I think a lot of the problem is that we don’t know the freedom that His death brought. I’m really trying to choose my words wisely. I don’t want anyone to misunderstand what I’m trying to say. I don’t think we know how to handle His death. (Here’s where I might venture out on thin ice.) That is a big problem I had with the Passion of the Christ movie. I did not see it. I had no desire to see it. It’s not that I have a weak stomach (if only some of you knew what I do for a living). When a big production comes out mainstream like that, everyone is on board for it. I think a lot of people came away from the movie with the thought that “this totally innocent man went through a lot of torture….” This is where the thought stops. Yes they had great emotions welling up in their inner beings, but seeing a man brutally beaten will do that to you. Especially if you know the man committed no crime. Did they come away from the movie with the solid realization that He went through that for them? That it was their life and lifestyle that put Him through that? Did they grasp that reality? Or did they say “man, that guy could really take a beating! What a shame.”? I am not condemning or judging anyone that saw the movie. I did not need to. I already had an appreciation for what He did for me without seeing it on a 60 ft. wide screen. I am a visual person. I have pictured what He went through in my mind time and time again. It may not be as graphic as what the movie showed. Like I said, I already have an appreciation for what He did. And I’m sure that Mr. Gibson was well intended when making this movie.

I think these issues have a parallel dilemma. On the one hand, we think we are doing good by sharing the nativity but we are not sharing the reason He came to the earth. It just feels special to have Jesus there in the manger. I like Christmas music. The traditional ones are very sweet. Away in the Manger. Little Drummer Boy. Silent Night. The ones that I especially like are the ones that take Him from the manger through His life, onto His purpose. Read all of the verses of We Three Kings. Just like what I said about the Passion. We shared His brutal death, but we failed to share why He went through that death. And maybe the movie went into more detail than what I was let on to. Feel free to correct me. If a person with no knowledge of Christ at all was to view this film, would they have enough insight after this movie to understand why He went through this and for who? I would hope so. If not, what an opportunity missed.

The next time you are encouraged to remember the “reason for the season”, feel free to think of Jesus in the manger. But don’t ever forget why He came to be in that manger. Never forget the reason for the “reason for the season”.

I know that most of you will not read this before Christmas, but I hope that each one of you has been blessed this holiday season by sharing with friends and family, and most of all blessed by your thoughts and sharing about Jesus. If you might read this on Christmas day, think about and share why Jesus came to the manger to sleep. Why God came to earth. Who He did this for. Feel blessed and know that He loves you!

God Bless!

“…holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” Heb. 12:14