Spoken Through the Son

According to national surveys many people feel they have faith and consider themselves to be spiritual. However, they do not belong to a church, nor do they have any need for Bible study, or fellowship with others of like faith. I’m really not sure how Jesus, the son of God, communicates with these folks. The writer of Hebrews said, “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs” (Heb 1:1-4 NIV).

Nothing is Hidden From God’s Sight

When I attend meetings as a reporter it is not unusual for boards and committees to be evasive and less than forthcoming with their reports. Most organizations, including the church, do not want their actions exposed, their decisions questioned, or their constituents to hold them accountable. The writer of Hebrews reminds believers, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double–edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Heb 4:12-13 NIV).

Accusation or Observation

People of faith are hesitant to critique church leadership (preachers, elders and deacons) and I suppose the hesitancy comes from Paul’s admonition, “Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses” (1 Tim 5:19 NIV). There is a huge difference between accusation and observation and I can’t help but wish that Paul would have given us a better understanding of what he means by accusation.

Be On Your Guard

This week I attended a board of directors meeting and one agenda item was for the board to appoint a member of the community to a committee. When the chair called for a motion, one board member said, “Does anyone know who she is?” Another said, “I don’t know how crucial it is that we know a lot about the person.” In order to move the motion along, and also cover-up the lack of information on the candidate, the CEO said to the board, “You are also taking the recommendation of the committee.” When the appointment was approved unanimously it became obvious that the board gave little thought to making appointments in their organization. Although Paul was speaking to the Ephesian elders, his caution to believers about the importance of vetting cannot be overlooked. Paul said, “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard” (Acts 21-28-31a NIV)!

When the Wind is Against Us

There are occasions when, rather than feeling joy, our ministry feels like a burden. It’s as though we are overloaded and the Lord doesn’t see the load we are carrying. When evening came Jesus was alone on land, but his disciples were in a boat in the middle of the lake, “He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down” (Mark 6:48-51a NIV). A perfect time to look for Jesus is when we are straining at the oars and the wind is against us.   

Fan Into Flame

Some people seem naturally more gifted than others, but they too must work to improve their God given gifts and abilities. Unfortunately, few of us display real passion when it comes to maturing and improving spiritual gifts. Paul, in recalling the sincere faith of young Timothy, said, “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self–discipline” (2 Tim 1:6-7 NIV).

Paul’s Charge

My current church, which was planted in 2008, was established with seasoned believers. We began with an average attendance of about 100 and over the years continued to grow both numerically and spiritually. It was pure joy to worship when surrounded by such pillars of faith. However, the last couple of years changes in leadership and pastors caused a decline in attendance and we are once again averaging a little over 100. Even more disheartening is the fact that the spiritual maturity of the church is also declining. Paul said, “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry” (2 Tim 4:1-5 NIV).

Protecting the Lord’s Table

Many churches, including my own, have fellowship over coffee and doughnuts prior to worship services. In some churches this fellowship time is allowed to extend into the worship service. While the communion meditation is being given, some adults and children are still sipping coffee and hot chocolate, or going back for one more morsel of doughnut. Paul is very protective of the Lord’s Supper. He said, “When you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk. Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you for this? Certainly not! For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord” (1 Cor 11:20-27 NIV).

Outward Appearances

Over the weekend a huge thunderstorm with strong winds, heavy rain and lightning hit our community. After the storm passed, I ventured out to take photos and found about a third of a large cottonwood tree crashed into the entryway of a duplex. Although shaken, no one in the house was injured. The renter, who was surveying the damage, invited me to look into the center of the other two-thirds of the tree that was still standing. The tree, which had a circumference of more than 8 feet, looked normal and healthy on the outside, but it was completely hollow on the inside all the way down to the ground. Jesus warns us about outward appearances. He said, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness” (Matt 23:27-28 NIV).

Best Seller

I do not yet have data on how book sales are going for The Church Down the Street; however, it’s not lost on me that the Bible did not become a best seller until all the contributing authors had died. The psalmist wrote, “Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the LORD” (Psalm 102:18 NIV).

Where’s the Beef

Because I’ve visited all the churches in my community a few people have ask me for a church recommendation. I no longer make a pitch for my own congregation, but rather ask people what they are looking for in a church. Don’t get me wrong, my denomination is modeled after the New Testament church found in the Book of Acts and, in the past, I would have recommended it without hesitation. However, the congregation is currently receiving spiritual milk, rather than the meat of the Word. The writer of Hebrews said, “Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil” (Heb 5:13-14 NIV).

Tested by Praise

My non-fiction book, The Church Down the Street, was recently released on Amazon. In critiquing the book, a former worship leader said, “I imagine that it may have been challenging from time to time experiencing the variety of doctrinal beliefs, subcultural practices, leadership/governance hierarchies, and teaching ability/styles.  I think I might have been afraid of your frank assessment of my own worship leading and teaching styles had I been under the microscope.” I compare my reporting on various churches to dining at a five-star restaurant and going into the kitchen after the meal to talk to the chef. If I told him my meal was lukewarm, under-seasoned and lacked presentation he would be defensive. After all, he went to culinary school, he is credentialed and he is accustomed to praise. Similarly, today’s preachers become defensive to honest critique from laity. Proverbs said, “The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but man is tested by the praise he receives” (Proverbs 27:21 NIV).

Weakening the Church

Today’s worship service does not resemble that of the early church at Corinth. In describing orderly worship Paul said, “What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church” (1 Cor 14:26 NIV). I’m wondering if today’s church has been weakened due to the fact that, rather than having group participation, we have turned worship over to just the preacher and the praise team.   

Causing the Church to Stumble

In the early church Paul identified eating meat sacrificed to idols as a possible stumbling block to others. However, he then expanded his thought to encompass everything we do. Paul said, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved” (1 Cor 10:31-33 NIV). We normally think in terms of causing an individual to stumble, but it should give us pause to think that a person, or persons, could cause the church to stumble.  

New Life in Christ

The last few years a number of my family members have passed away. With a couple of them, their relationship with the Lord was not evident; however, in death each one was freed from sin. Unfortunately, some people never understand that they can be freed from sin while they are still living. Paul said, “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been freed from sin” (Ro 6:1-7 NIV).

The Lying Pen

All too often today’s liberal media gives readers spin, misdirection and half-truths.  Believers naively assume such things would not, or could not, happen on the religious landscape and in the church. Jeremiah warns about misinterpreting and manipulating the word of the Lord. He said, “‘How can you say, “We are wise, for we have the law of the LORD,” when actually the lying pen of the scribes has handled it falsely? The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and trapped. Since they have rejected the word of the LORD, what kind of wisdom do they have” (Jeremiah 8:8-9 NIV)?

Anemic

I’ve listened to many sermons that I can only describe as anemic…lacking the power that comes through the blood of Christ. The message, rather than being built on a Scriptural foundation, is developed from man’s thoughts, opinion and experience. However, Paul said, “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ” (Ro 10:17 NIV).

The Unprepared

For the last few years our church leadership and staff have relied mostly on DVDs for the adult Sunday school class. It has come to light, by their own admission, that the rotating teachers sometimes play the videos in class without ever having previewed the video. In other words, the teacher has done nothing to prepare for the class prior to viewing the video in class. Paul said, “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages” (1 Tim 5:18 NIV). Certainly, the paid staff member who has invested time in preparing a lesson deserves his wages; however, the same cannot be said for those who fail to prepare.

Forsaking Wisdom

 Those of us who go to the gym everyday often strike up casual conversations with one another. I ask one gent, who is in his mid-80’s, what he had planned for the 4^th of July. He said, “I just finished building a tree house. It has a mini-bar. From up there I can see all the valley landmarks and watch the fireworks with nothing to obstruct my view.” I couldn’t collect my thoughts enough to ask the size of the tree house, how many people it would accommodate, what type of tree it was built in, or what type of ladder he had for access. All I could do was imagine an 80-plus-year-old climbing down from of a tree house after having a glass of wine. Proverbs said, “Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you” (Proverbs 4:6 NIV).

The Price of Freedom

On the 4^th of July we celebrate American Independence and we are reminded of the price that was paid for our freedom. Likewise, Jesus paid a price for every believer. Paul said, “Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when God called him. Were you a slave when you were called? Don’t let it trouble you—although if you can gain your freedom, do so. For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord’s freedman; similarly, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ’s slave. You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. Brothers, each man, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation God called him to” (1 Cor 7:21 NIV).

Executive Sessions

As a reporter I attended my local electric co-op meeting and found the nine-member board of directors and the staff were less than forthcoming. There was only one item on the executive session agenda, but more than half a dozen times those giving reports said, “I’ll give you details in executive session.” Or, “I’ll save my report for executive session.” It became obvious that the board members were using the executive session as a cover to keep their discussion from public view. Luke wrote, “Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs” (Luke 12:1-3 NIV).

Turn Over the Responsibility

In my church the focus on missions is almost non-existent. Although a few people have approached the leadership hoping to revitalize the mission’s committee, the leaders continue to drag their feet, make excuses and put up road blocks. This seems to be a developing pattern of members not being allowed to serve and it’s my sense that the leaders fear losing control if they let others take the ball and run with it. Today’s church would be much better served if they would go back to the example of the early church. When the Grecian Jews felt their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food they complained to the Apostles, “So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:2-4 NIV).

God Made it Grow

In a couple months we'll be moving into a new house so I’ve started packing things I don’t need right now. I packed the baking dishes, but when I realized I forgot to save out a 13 X 9 pan, I had to go to the Dollar Store and buy a disposable pan. It was only when I had the dish in the oven that I remembered I also packed all the oven mitts. So too, I inadvertently boxed up the Bible I normally use and I’m now forced to use a less familiar version.  I’ve been known to do something similar on the spiritual level. I pack my spiritual bags because I’m ready to move onto the next maturity level and then the Lord stops me in my tracks. On more than one occasion I’ve had to unpack and repack before Holy Spirit decides it’s time for me to move on. Paul said, “Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere men? What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow” (1 Cor 3:1-6 NIV).