The Dirty Gospel

Leaving the Past Behind

2010-10-11T15:34:00.000-07:00

Every second that ticks is another deposit in the bank of our yesterday. It's a span of time that is forever gone yet it's content can impact a life forever. It's a conglomeration of pleasant and painful memories and yes, we all have one... a past. When you are forced to reflect on your past, what comes to mind? Do you think about the good old days or do you recall circumstances that you wish you could erase for eternity? Whatever your recollection might consist of, there's a reason Paul wrote of his resolve to release the past...

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but [this] one thing [I do], forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before... Phillipians 3:13

Here lies a truth that can and will change the lives of each of those who choose to receive it's message. First of all, Paul was not a man who, at any time, felt as if he'd reached his full potential in Christ. Isn't that what God's will is for each of us... to be all that He would have us to be? He begins by saying, "I count not myself to have apprehended". In other words, "I don't consider for a minute that I've arrived". Take into consideration who we're talking about here! This is PAUL!!! The Apostle who's testimony nearly converted the heart of Agrippa; the man who was left for dead after being stoned for his faith then stood up, dusted off and went on to the next town loudly and boldly proclaiming the good news of the gospel; Paul, who prayed and sang hymns at midnight with Silas resulting in a prison break and ultimately the conversion of the prison guard and all of his family! This same Paul wants to make sure we understand that he is fully aware that he has NOT reached his spiritual potential! Oh, if many of those in the church today could grasp the same truth of themselves.... oh well, moving on.

Nope, Paul says, I don't consider myself to be all I should be but... [this] one thing [I do], forgetting those things which are behind... Yes sir, undoubtedly, this is a key to becoming what God has in mind for us to be; FORGETTING THE PAST! Now if you are like me, there are things in your past that you wish to forget and, according to this scripture, you need to. If there are situations, scenes and circumstances that haunt you and cause you grief, disappointment, despair and regret; decisions that you made that were sinful and harmed your testimony, your name and those whom you love, repent of it, receive God's forgiveness over it and forsake it. Satan will seek to use your sinful mistakes to stop you in your spiritual tracks. Take a look at Paul's sinful history... he held the coats of those who stoned Stephen, a Spirit filled man of God. Paul was on his way to Damascus to wreak havoc on the Christians there having them imprisoned and even put to death if he could. Paul, then Saul, HATED the cause of Christ and sought to put an end to this force called "The Church". Friend, there is nothing that you've ever done that could outweigh the grace of God. Walk in the forgiveness God so sweetly grants you and leave your painful past far behind you!

    Just as you can't live in the defeats of yesterday, I believe, it's just as detrimental to hang on to the victories you've experienced. Our victories are certainly cause for celebration but Satan can use them against us as well. Remember, we have a destiny to fulfill; a goal to reach, and we'll find it hard to advance if we are holding on to the victories of our past. Why? Because complacency, pride and comparable expectations can be the result. The fact that you've experienced a great accomplishment in some area in your life could certainly cause you to be hesitant in regards to striving for greater things. Hanging on to past successes could cause fear to believe that what you do today could never amount to what you've done before. In short, it could stop you from further growth. You may ask yourself, "What if I mess up? I could ruin my track record"... At that point those past accomplishments have birthed pride into your heart. God's word is clear when it says, "God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble". Yep, hanging on to the past is not a good thing under any circumstances!

   I've found myself, at times, thinking about failures in my past and then reaching back further to reminisce on the way things were before the storm. Here's what I've learned; when I come back to earth it is today. If you've made decisions in your past that have resulted in pain, grief and distress I have some advice for you... begin TODAY making a past you can be proud of. Leave your past in the rear view mirror and set your sights on those things which are ahead for you!

Ministry's Meaning

2010-06-20T09:54:00.000-07:00

It amazes me how many, who are a part of the New Testament church, have yet to realize what ministry means. I have spent the better part of my life involved in ministry and this term has never been one to cause confusion for me.

Last evening I stood behind our (Greater Vision's) product table at a venue in Missouri as a gentleman began to ask me about how I came to be a part of this trio. He asked me what I had been doing with my life for the past years. When I mentioned that I had pastored a church for the past seven years his comment to me was, "So now you've left the ministry to sing?" SAY WHAT???!!! Left the ministry? How has the definition of ministry escaped the body of Christ? Somehow the vast majority of those who make up the church have bought into and believe the idea that only those who stand behind the pulpit and preach the Word of God can be considered "In the ministry".

Here lies the answer to why the church is in decline.... and yes it is in decline. That is not a derogatory statement meant to challenge Christ's words that Hell would never prevail against the church. In order for Hell to prevail over the church would mean that Satan would seize Christ's position and therefore serve as the governing power. Those reigns are in the hands of God.. that will never happen. However the influence, power and effectiveness that we have in this world has begun to decline. WHY? Because God's people have failed to realize that they have been commanded to serve in positions of ministry and are therefore considered ministers. Ephesians 4:12 clearly states that God gave Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers... For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: How much more clear could it be that every man, woman, boy and girl who has accepted Christ have therefore been called to the ministry?

Pastors preach this message until they are blue in the face but it's as if blinders have been applied to most of those in the congregation. Pastors have to beg people to keep the nursery. Sunday and Wednesday evenings find the church pews vacant. It's hard to get a commitment out of anyone regarding ministry work. Why? Obviously it's because the meaning of ministry has yet to hit home with most of the church.

I am a minister. I have been mandated to carry the gospel into a sin-stricken world with the faith that it will change those who hear it's message. My vocational position does not determine this truth; my position in Christ does... as does yours. Own the title of minister and wear it proudly! Be ye therefore CHANGED by the renewing of your minds!!! The ignorance of this simple truth and the shirking of it's responsibility has gone on long enough!

The Cancer of Complacency

2010-05-10T08:56:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been three weeks now since I served my final day as a pastor but I still carry a burden for the direction the church seems to be taking. Times have rapidly changed but there's something that we all need to recognize has stayed the same; Christ's call on the church to serve. Sure... we've had to change some of our tactics regarding the delivery of the precious gospel but there is absolutely no justification for lethargy. What do I mean by that? I'm thankful that you asked. Slothfulness has reared it's head among the congregation and behind the pulpit on so many levels.

I'll begin with what is obvious among the people. For some reason the better part of the church has bought into a myth that says we come to church to be served. If that's what you believe I defy you to find evidence in God's word that would support your case. When one is searching for a place to consider his church home the question that seems to be asked is... "What can this church offer me". You know what I mean... "What kind of program does this church offer for my children? What kind of music do they sing? What is the attire? Does the pastor visit you when you're sick? ETC..." Instead the question ought to be... "God, is this the place you would have me to serve"! PERIOD!!! The result is a complacent, lazy, dissatisfied body and instead of it being a concern it has evolved into being the norm among the church.

Along with this the weight of expectation that lays upon the shoulders of the pastor has become heavier than ever. With that said, I'm sure the pastor would shout "AMEN" but let's not get ahead of ourselves. The average pastor in America has enabled the behavior spoken of. Here are some "For instances"...

(1) Sunday evening church has become a rarity. Pastors justify this by saying things such as, "We consider this family time". REALLY? Well let's take a look at that one! Families are being ripped apart at the seams now more than ever! Pastor, do you really believe your members gather in the family room in the solitude of their homes from 6:00 - 7:00 to spend quality "Family time" together? AND if they do, how much would you like to wager that the time consists of watching television? You might say, "I'm not a gambling man", but the truth is, by closing the doors on Sunday evening, you've thrown the dice and the odds are against the church! One more thing before we move on... I also believe this has promoted laziness among our pastors. When the man of God ought to be studying more and being more prepared the opposite is the outcome.
(2) Wednesday evening church has become a rarity. All of the above applies!
(3) Tactics verses Truth. I once heard of a wise preacher who said, "If you can lead them in with a hotdog I can lure them out with a hamburger". It's undeniably clear that the covered dish supper has the power to draw a crowd but it's just as clear that the same crowd will not be present for an hour of prayer. I'm not saying that we should discontinue these opportunities for fellowship but I am saying that they should not be what we employ as a means to grow the church. I've been behind the closed doors of leadership meetings as we pulled our ideas together in regards to growing the church and while prayer and fasting IS THE ANSWER, get-togethers and eating was the consensus. Pastor... stand firm on what Christ had to say, "My house shall be called a house of PRAYER". It's the pastor's call to give the people what they need for their souls. Folks might leave because they're not getting what they want but your obligation is not to feed the flesh. Preach the word and exhort them to pull up to a table that nourishes the spirit!

We could go on and on but I believe this is enough to get the idea across. Get mad if you like... I'm just another layman! The truth is the truth and it will stand when all else fails. I pray that a handful of believers would share this burden and begin to lead by example... there will be plenty of time to rest on the other side!!!

Called to Service

2010-02-24T09:13:00.000-08:00

I know that it's a sore spot but the truth remains that Christ has called us to service. Each of you who would read this blog, take the time to ask yourself, "What am I doing to actively serve Christ?"

The Lord, believe it or not, has concocted a pretty wonderful plan to make serving the body of Christ an easy task. To all who have trusted Him as their Savior, He has given gifts. These gifts were given so that we might use them to edify the church (I Cor. 14:12). My gift is that of a pastor. I have been gifted to teach the Word of God and to exhort others in the ways of the Lord. However I am not gifted in the area of organization. Here's where others come into play. You see, contrary to popular belief, God has not laid the whole responsibility of church business on the shoulders of the pastor. As I said before, God has given us a plan that would come off without a hitch if we would ALL sign on. When 80% of the church decides not to serve it puts enormous and undue pressure on those who are serving.

Often church service seems to become rigorous. I hear of folks becoming weary in service all of the time and the reason is, such a small percentage of the body is doing all of the work. We have folks who are being spread entirely too thin as they not only operate within their gifts but have to operate outside of the confines of their gifts to take up the slack of those who refuse to be used. That a man of God has to use valuable time in the pulpit begging God's redeemed to do something for their Redeemer is shameful.

Can you imagine the day when every single self-proclaimed Christian actually understood the need to actively serve? You would hear sighs of relief from those who have labored to the extent of exhaustion and you would hear shouts of joy from those who never knew serving the Lord could bring such fulfillment and joy.

From this pastor's heart, I'm challenging the body of Christ to find out what part of the body they are. Are you an eye? We need more eyes watching. Are you an ear? We need more listening. Are you a finger, a toe, an arm or a leg? We need folks reaching and going! Make it easy on the rest of the body... do your part. God will be glorified, the body will be relieved and you will be blessed!

A Little Clearing Up

2010-01-26T10:20:00.001-08:00

In my post... "This is not a rant", I made a statement that someone took the time to ask me about and I want to clear it up. First of all... kudos to the one who asked! It's generally protocol to read, form an opinion (Right or wrong) and then act accordingly. When one asks, that one will usually find that their conclusions were off base.

I spoke of the demands that are placed on Pastors by other humans. I actually shared an instance when an actual man told me that every Pastor should be on call 24/7. My precise purpose was to educate the church on the differences between God's demands verses the demands of people. Biblical demands placed on a Pastor and the church's demands on a Pastor are at two different ends of the spectrum. The Bible mandates that a Pastor give himself continually to prayer and the ministry of the word (Acts 6:4). People mandate that a Pastor do that as well as... visit every person who is sick, make it to the annual Birthday party for cousin Sully, remember everybody' name, see to it that the bulletin is printed, make sure the prayer list is up to date, etc... Why do the people demand that of a Pastor? Because they aren't obedient to the Biblical demands on their own lives regarding the ministry. If the body of Christ was as busy finding God's place for them as they were showing the Pastor what they expected, there would be nothing left for the Pastor to do other than pray and minister the word!

Now, if you go to my church... Hear me well... I visit those whom I know are sick, I lay out and print the bulletin every week, I built the church web site and keep it up to date, I gladly celebrate annual occasions with those who invite me to be a part BUT I do not do those things because my job mandates it, I do it because I love the church and I love people. If you call me at midnight and need me... I'll be there. Why? Not because I get paid to be there but because I want to be there. I love my people.

Thanks to the one who asked the question and allowed me the opportunity to make the matter clear. I would invite anyone who has any question regarding anything I say to take the time to contact me. You may find out that you were right about your assumption but you'll probably find out that you were wrong.

All of the above was written with all of the love I have in my heart. I truly long to see a body operating in obedience and therefore harmony!

Are You Aware of the Cost?

2010-01-25T12:35:00.000-08:00

Jesus made a pretty hard statement in the book of Matthew 8:22... "Follow Me and let the dead bury their dead". Do you think Jesus was serious about our commitment to Him? Sounds to me like Jesus don't play! So let me ask you this... why do we?

Ask the congregation corporately if they want to follow, learn and receive all Christ has to give and the overwhelming response will be... "Amen", "Yes sir preacher", "You can count on me"! Can I? Can Jesus?

When one disciple told Jesus that he would follow Him anywhere and everywhere Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." In other words... this ain't no easy road! He might have asked the disciple, "Do you know what you're signing up for"? I believe the honest answer to that question, for the better part of the body of Christ, would have to be, "No, I don't have a clue what the demands of discipleship are".

On another occasion a gentleman said that he just wanted to go home and bid farewell to his family before he committed to discipleship and to that Jesus replied... "No one who puts his hand to the plow and then looks back is fit for the Kingdom"!

One might read the replies of Christ and consider Him uncompassionate but nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus knew the heart of each individual. As a pastor, I can't see the intent of the heart but I've been around the block a couple of times. When that one told Jesus that he would like to go home and bury his father first, Jesus knew that as he walked off and faded into the distance... that's the last he'd ever see of him. So often folks use excuses as to why the aren't able to serve and generally they are excuses that one would find hard to argue with. The bottom line is, there is no valid excuse for not committing 100% to Christ! If there's one thing I've learned it's this; people WILL do exactly what they WANT to do! Every hard luck excuse for not enlisting in service for the King is nothing but a cover up for the fact that you don't want to!

Your salvation was bought at the expense of Christ Himself... along with that purchase came the requirement of service. If you're too busy to serve the Lord you're just too plain busy.

The Mirror of Conviction

2010-01-20T11:23:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday as I approached the pulpit and unfolded my sermon notes, I no more than spoke the title of the message God had laid on my heart when the Spirit prodded me to go down an unexpected trail. It wasn't written in my notes nor had it even been planned. However it was a word the church needed to receive. I won't go into what was said because it was an intimate word for those who were present but I do want to share something interesting about how folks choose to handle truth.

God's word speaks of itself as a mirror. I believe, when we take the time to gaze into the scripture, that it has the power to make us see us as we really are. It has the power to convict us and help us recognize where we are lacking in our own spiritual lives. Sadly enough, most of the body never takes the time to pick up a Bible much less read and study it and therefore God uses the spoken word to hurl those arrows of reproof.

Now that I've set it up... here's what I'm wanting to say. When we hear a word that causes conviction we can choose to handle it in one of two ways; we'll either admit that we've been pegged and take our medicine or we'll get mad at the one who spoke the truth. When I went down, what some would call, a rabbit trail on Sunday morning there was no particular person in mind... honestly. God laid it on my heart and I laid it on the table. When I write a blog and speak truth from which I feel the body could benefit if it were received... I'm not writing about any one individual. Are there church people in my life who willingly make themselves the poster children for how not to live the Christian life? Absolutely, but I'm not so ignorant as to think they are the only ones who behave in such a way.

To conclude let me say... in the event that you read or hear words that dot you between the eyes and make you mad but cannot Biblically refute them... don't get upset at anybody except the one you're looking at in the mirror. If you feel it's been said or written with only you in mind you are obviously guilty. You know the old saying... If you throw a rock into a pack of dogs, the only one who yelps is the dog who got hit!

This is Not a Rant

2010-01-15T07:23:00.000-08:00

NO... this is not me just spewing in order to get some bad taste out of my mouth. The following in not a rant but is instead the truth.

Why is the church as a whole not marching forward in a steadier, unified and fortified effort? Because most march to the beat of their own drummer! Too many church folks tend to form their own opinion as to how the church ought to operate and mistake it for the gospel. Just in case anyone is wondering the gospel can be found between the table of contents and the maps; it has been summed up in the 66 books that were breathed into the heart of man by the Holy Spirit of God. In the event that you would wonder if your outlook on truth is valid, I would invite you to peruse the scriptures!

As a pastor I have come to notice that no other institution in the world even compares in regards to revolving doors! I see people come and then I watch them leave. The reasons are more numerous than you can imagine; everything from you didn't put my sister on the prayer list to I don't like the kind of toilet paper they use! Every now and then you'll get the spiritual answer... "God is leading us somewhere else". Now let's be honest... is He? It's a funny thing how God always starts leading folks away after something has happened to upset their apple cart. Hey, and if that offends you... take a step back and take a long look at you.

Pastors have had demands placed upon them that no human should have to bear. Here is precisely what I mean in regards to opinion verses truth. In the book of Acts 6:1-4, it is made clear that the man of God is mandated to do one thing... 4. but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word. Why did they have to arrive at that conclusion? Because there were a bunch of church folks griping about one group getting more attention than another group! Here was their direct reply... "It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. 3 Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. SO... the Deacons were put in place! When was the last time somebody left the church because the Deacon didn't come running when they had a stumped toe? I had one gentleman tell me that a pastor should be on call 24/7 and that the pastor should even be willing to come to his house and have personal Bible study with his family! Hey... and for just $2.00 more I'll tuck you all in and sing you to sleep while my family does without a husband and a father!

In Jesus name it's about time the body of Christ gets a clue about the way things are supposed to be and step out of their Disney World mentality in regards to church! I know it's not good grammar but... this ain't no Country Club! This is not even a place that was designed to serve the believer. The church was established to win the lost and disciple those into mature Christians that in turn would serve the Church.

So Christian... if you are at odds with the Church, your pastor or any other part of the body because you haven't had your way... keep in mind that Jesus didn't die and therefore establish the Church to serve as your pacifier, in fact you need to count yourself blessed, humbled and privileged to even be considered a part of it!

Christ out of Xmas?

2009-11-27T12:22:00.000-08:00

In recent years there has been a war between the church and the world regarding the sacred day that represents the birth of our Lord. When you see the word Xmas in place of the word Christmas, does it upset you? Do you see it as the world's attempt to subtract Christ from Christmas? If so, take a deep breath. Indeed the world is seeking to make little of our Messiah but we ought not give them credit where it isn't due.

The letter X is a Greek abreviation for the name of Christ. This form of abreviation has been used for the past 1,000 years in the English language. The Oxford English Dictionary cites the words Xtian and Xtianity from 1845 to 1966.

This is one thing less to be concerned over this XMAS! By the way... even though the world may try with all it's might, it will never remove Christ from Christmas. He is it's very definition!

What Does Thanksgiving Mean to You?

2009-11-25T08:12:00.000-08:00

So... it's Thanksgiving morning and the daylight peers through the shade. What do you do? Turn over and thank God that it wasn't an alarm clock that woke you up; catch another hour's worth of zzzzzz's; jump up quickly and turn on the parades; make a b-line to the kitchen to start the feast; go look for a neighborhood game of two hand tag? The possibilities are endless!

All of those things sound like viable options but let me encourage you to do one thing before you actually make your choice... praise the Lord for the chance you've been given to make the choice.

If you turn over to sleep a bit more it's because we live in a country that is free and there are those who are fighting today to make you feel safe. If you spring out of bed for anything it's because God has given you health. If your destination is the kitchen it's because there is food in the cupboards to prepare (Many will go hungry over Thanksgiving). Whatever you are able to do today, tomorrow and every other day... make sure you never take for granted how blessed you are to have the opportunity to do it.

Take the time and leave your comments about Thanksgiving! Let the world know what you're thankful for.

Our Source of Joy

2009-11-24T11:28:00.000-08:00

Be honest... what do you tend to depend on for your happiness? Take a snapshot of the last few years of your life. When you were at your highest high, what was the cause? When you were at your lowest low, what caused the decline? Sadly, the church's telemetry screen looks much like the world's. Those things that make the sinner's heart beat faster with excitement causes ours to thump the same way! Those circumstances that make the sinner's heart murmur in defeat have the same affect on the blood bought child of God.

Where am I going? Really simple... a raise at work makes anybody and everybody smile; the purchase of a new shiny car makes the sun shine brighter; when a dream home is completed, the owner swells with pride. All of these things are well and good but they have one thing in common... they are passing away. You can take it to the bank; if you depend on these types of things for your joy, that joy will be just as passing. The church sports a defeated persona because, for the most part, we haven't recognized that along with our conversion came a new set of standards; a new book of rules. If we desire for our mood to be consistent, the object of our joy has to be something that never changes and that object is the risen Son of God! We have to find ourselves steeped in His word and loyal to His commands. If we abide in His word we'll continue in His love and the Bible says that we will experience His joy in it's fullness.

You want real joy? Stop investing in those things of earth that let you down and are passing away. Lay your treasures up on the other side... for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also!

Do Wounding Friends Wind You Up?

2009-11-23T06:53:00.000-08:00

Are you the type whose skin crawls when someone points out those things about you that could stand attention? For instance, if a friend of yours came to you and told you that you tend to talk more than you listen... how would you take it? What if you were questioned by a fellow Christian about your lack of ministry participation? Listen to what the wisest man who ever lived said...

Proverbs 27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend, BUT the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

I'll be the first to admit it... when somebody tells me something about me that needs to be changed I tend to get defensive at first but usually, as I think about it and the truth of it sets in, I see that the change would benefit me and those around me as well. Those words that shock us and even cause wounds are indeed faithful. The ones you need to watch out for are those who want to remain in denial about the need for change in life. One who only tells you how great you are all of the time surely seems like a good friend but in reality their kisses can prove deceitful.

Real friends blow kisses of encouragement but along with the kisses they shoot arrows of reproof.

What kind of friend are you? What kind of friends do you have? Are you helping them be what they need to be? Are they encouraging you in the right ways? Who knows... it may be time for a change.

Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

Investment Tip!

2009-11-21T08:09:00.000-08:00

Yes indeed!!! I have a tip for each of you that is 100% reliable and the return on investment is literally out of this world!!! Let's face it... what does any of us have to lose?

Now here are some things you need to have in place before you can take advantage of this financial opportunity. First of all you need to believe that Jesus is who He says He is. Jesus is either one of two things. He's either the only begotten, virgin born Son of God who came to redeem the world from sin or He's the biggest liar who ever walked. There is no in between. To not believe His claim of deity yet revere Him as a good teacher is absolute foolishness. There are no gray areas with Christ! If you believe Him to be the second person of the Trinity the next thing you need to have is faith to step out on His direction.... and last of all you'll need to take action on that faith.

Now, just to set this up... it is made extremely clear that everything that we aquire on earth shall indeed pass away. If you profit $100,000,000.00 in earthly investments over your lifetime every last dollar will be burned up along with the rest of this world. So, why spend a multitude of effort trying to build a kingdom here that will result in rubbish? Christ spoke of a better way to invest and here's where we're tested on our faith. Hear the words of the Lord...

Luke 12:33 "Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys.

You read it right... forget making a ton of money here, send it ahead where you'll be able to enjoy it for eternity. We all have such an earthbound mentality because this is where all our stuff is! Jesus goes on in the next verse to say... "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also". It's no wonder we give no more thought to the things of God than we do, most of us have yet to begin a Heavenly savings account! If you invest in GM, every time the news mentions their name you turn up the TV. If you give a great amount of money to bless AIDS children in Africa, every time you hear a report on AIDS research you perk up.

So, how much time do you have left down here... 35... 40 years? Does that even compare to the neverending span of time Heaven offers us all? With that considered... what's the smart investment; a possible return in a blue chip stock that yields you treasure for a few more years (or not) or a sure thing that yields an infinity of return for an infinity of time? Don't take it from me, take it from Jesus! Lay your treasure on the other side... you'll be glad you did.

Is Church a Necessity?

2009-11-20T07:38:00.000-08:00

There's an age old question... "Does one have to go to church in order to be a Christian?" The answer is without question... NO. One does not have to go to church to be a Christian. The word of God is very clear that one thing and one thing only makes one a Christian... the blood that Jesus shed on the cross. The fact is, there are many who go to church on a regular basis who have never surrendered their lives to Christ. Yes indeed, you can go to church every time the doors are opened and still spend eternity in Hell apart from God. Church attendance doesn't make one a Christian anymore than going to a steak house makes one a steak!

Now, with that said let's pose another question. Should a Christian go to church? Well, understanding that Jesus left the comforts of Heaven to walk among those who would hate, persecute and ultimately hang Him on the cross so that we might experience freedom from our sins and become joint heirs to all He owns... how could church involvement even be considerd optional? The word of God instructs those of us who have taken advantage of Christ's sacrifice not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together but to exhort one another as Sunday approaches (Hebrews 10:25)! Church was the vision of Jesus. With the empowering of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the New Testament church was established. It was Christ who said, "Upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it" (Matt. 16:18). For us to believe that church is not an important piece of the equation for every Christian is to believe that Jesus' passion is unimportant!

NO... you don't have to go to church to be a Christian but if you are a Christian you should have a deep desire to, not only attend but, be as active as you can possibly be. One who considers himself a Christian but has no time for the church... I question his or her conversion.

I know it's not pretty but that's why we call it... The Dirty Gospel!

Perception is Reality is Questionable

2009-11-10T10:09:00.000-08:00

There is an old saying that demands our perception of things is reality to us but that doesn't mean that our perception is sincerely reality. I have surmized that Satan operates within our perceptions. We live in a day and age where communication has drastically changed. Instead of a heartfelt handwritten note we send our thoughts electronically via E-mail. Instead of picking up the phone and calling a friend with a question we shoot it their way in a text. Instead of taking the time to ask someone what a statement, look or gesture meant... we allow Satan access to our minds by seeking to figure it out on our own. Before we know it, we have imagined the worse possible scenario and have accepted it as the truth therefore causing division.

How do we combat this dillema? It's very simple, go to the one you have a question with and ask them to clarify the situation. Nine times out of ten you will see that there was nothing to be at odds about. Confrontation is never fun but nearly always ends in peace!

Trials

2009-10-26T06:35:00.000-07:00

Nobody likes them, they are not fun, they bring us down and they cause confusion. SO... why does God allow them? I mean He does love us right? Is He trying to get us so sick of this life that we fall more in love with the next one? Is it one of His ways of keeping us humble? I mean, His word does say that He resists the proud but gives grace to those who are humble... right?

I have my very own thoughts about the trials that are allowed to invade our lives and I believe, if we stop and try to understand their purposes, that we will begin to walk above the trials instead of being tread upon by them. Now I said that these thoughts are my very own but the truth is... these thoughts were written ages ago.

2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. James 1:2-3 (NKJV)

Your trial will demand a reaction from you and you and you alone can control what it will be. You can throw your hands in the air and quit or lower your head and trudge forward with excitement trusting that God's word is valid. You can despise your trial or embrace it knowing that God has given you the opportunity to come forth as pure gold...

But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. James 1:4

Here's the truth... too often we fix our eyes on others and the way they are reacting in regards to trial and we follow suit. My advice would be to fix your eyes upon Jesus and go with His plan.

God's up to something in the life of His children. If we believe it and watch for it we won't miss it. If we keep our eyes on self the train of blessing will just pass us by!

Selfishness

2009-10-22T09:11:00.000-07:00

Is it any wonder that the church can't be any more effective than it is? The church body is plagued with a stout case of self! When Christians decide not to tell others about Christ is because of selfishness. When Christians don't give as the Lord has commanded it's because of selfishness. When Christians refuse to submit themselves for use in the ministry it's because of selfishness. When Christians who are serving complain about service it's because of selfishness. When Christians don't come back on Wednesdays or Sunday evenings (If their reason is other than emergencey, work or sickness) it's because of selfishness. Let's face it... when we get mad at someone else it's because we're being selfish! If this has made you mad it's because you're selfish; your pride has been attacked! Just try to go one hour refusing to say the words I or me. The world would be a much better place if the Christians in it would get this right. Jesus would have never made it all the way to Calvary if His mind would have been on self. As He prayed in the garden He prayed, "Not My will BUT Thine Lord". This is a challenge for each of you to do your own part. As the word instructs...

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Phil 2:2-3 (NKJV)

Pastor Chris Allman
www.tcatb.com