Spiritual Punches

I was recently re-reading Josh Harris' book, Stop Dating the Church, and came across a phrase that really stood out: "spiritual punch."

A friend of mine was recently telling some of the college students at our church that it seemed they were in need of some spiritual punches. What I think he and Josh Harris meant by this is that many Christians are spiritually lazy and need a good awakening—even a painful one—so that they may be engaged and active in their local body of Christ.

In his short book, What Is A Healthy Church Member?, Thabiti M. Anyabwile lists 8 visible expressions of a committed church member:

1. Attends regularly
   
2. Seeks peace
   
3. Edifies others
   
4. Warns and admonishes others
   
5. Pursues reconciliation
6. Bears with others
   
7. Prepares for the ordinances
   
8. Supports the work of the ministry
   

After looking at this list, what immediately jumps out at me is that the very first item—"attends regularly"—is somehow one of the most difficult duties for many Christians to fulfill. This is troubling to consider.

The regular weekly worship service is not an option for Christians. God sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for the Church, and God expects His people to show their gratefulness and exhibit humble obedience by showing up every Sunday to worship Him. As Anyabwile writes, "Being present, being known, and being active are the only ways to make Christian love possible (Heb. 1:24-25)." But for whatever reason, being not present, unknown, and inactive in church is the way of life for too many Christians.

These Christians need spiritual punches!

Not only is it difficult for some church members to show up for worship regularly, but it is likewise disheartening to see the even more noticeable lack of attendance at Sunday school and evening services. These meetings are also ordained by God for the good of His people. These are great times of teaching, encouragement, and fellowship that too many people miss out on. And they're free! How many Christians are so serious about getting an education or sending their children to get educations, but when it comes to them getting biblical education from Sunday school, so many people opt out? Think how much it would encourage the leaders of your church if Sunday school classrooms were filled and prayer services were expanded to include a majority of the congregation. Think how this would please God. And then think how discouraging it must be for your elders when only a small number of the church members make any effort at all to regularly attend these services that are meant for their benefit.

These Christians need spiritual punches!

Being that today is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, our congregation met tonight to pray on behalf of our brothers and sisters worldwide who are being severely persecuted for their testimony of Christ. It is sobering to know that Christians in other parts of the world are suffering for their faith so intensely that they must meet in secret to worship lest they be found out by their neighbors who would turn them over to the local governments for punishment. Some Christians in China travel many miles by foot to meet with their fellow believers to read God's Word and pray. What a wonderful testimony these foreign Christians provide to us in America; and what a poor example we are to them of fundamental Christian living.

We all have our excuses for our sin (yes, I said "sin"), don't we? Our excuses may include anything from driving distance to poor weather to slight headaches to oversleeping to other "pressing obligations" (work, school, house chores, etc.). But all of these excuses fail to justify the lack of regular attendance at the services of the local church. Corporate worship is just one day out of seven. Even with Sunday school and prayer service, it's only three of four hours out of 168 hours in a week. Usually all it takes is a better time management plan and re-prioritizing of one's life to find the time for God (something that should always be at the top of our "to do" list!).

What every excuse boils down to is this: a lack of desire to meet with God and his people. There is absolutely no other way to spin it—some Christians are just plain lazy.

(Because I can already hear some readers accusing me over over-generalization, I will concede that there are such things as "providential hindrances" and "legitimate reasons" why one might skip a service here and there. But I hope it is obvious that I am not referring to those examples.)

Brother or sister in Christ, if you have fallen away from regular attendance at the established meetings of the church of which you are a member, allow these words from the Lord to convict your hearts and encourage you to do your spiritual duty:

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:24-25

Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.
I Timothy 4:13

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Ephesians 6:18

Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers
in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.
I Timothy 4:12

If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD's holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the LORD.
Isaiah 58:13-14

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
Matthew 22:37

We need to discipline ourselves. We need to form godly habits now. We need to feel the discomfort of carrying the cross of Christ on our backs so that we may experience the joy of walking with Him. And most of all, we're probably all in need of a good spiritual punch!

I find myself coming back to the hard-hitting words of the Keith Green song:

"Jesus rose from the dead…
And you—you can't even get out of bed!"

How's THAT for a spiritual punch?!

In the Service of the King

I know it has been a while since I have posted anything substantial and worth reading. The reality of it is this: I have been consumed with work--both secular (how the mortgage gets paid!) and ministerial. Additionally, I think I have between 1 and 2 regular readers, so few people even notice any lapse in time between my posts (which is fine by me--less pressure to be consistent!).

While my occupational endeavors at the University of Phoenix always keep me busy, my work in ministry will wax and wane depending on what tasks the Lord has placed before me. Currently, He has put my hands to the plow in terms of church ministry: between teaching adult Sunday School (we just finished studying The Pilgrim's Progress; now beginning a series on "Church History"), co-leading our young adults group, singing in the choir, leading music on Sunday evenings, and most time-consumingly, coordinating a nation-wide conference for Reformed Baptist young adults (BTC), I am quite busy.

I just returned this week from the annual General Assembly of pastors and leaders from ARBCA churches in East Moline, Illinois. It was a terrific time, and I hope to give another post to this topic. But while I was there, surrounded by full-time church pastors, elders, deacons, missionaries, seminary students, seminary professors, and pastoral interns, I couldn't help but think about how wonderful church ministry truly is. To be honest with you, I wish I could serve Christ and His church full-time. It is a glorious thing (to borrow a now all-to-common expression) to be in the service of the King of kings! In one way, all Christians are to be in His service all the time--living godly lives in pursuit of holiness, encouraging the family of God, evangelizing the lost. But in another, more unique way, those in church leadership positions--pastors and elders--have the higher calling of serving the King by serving His people full time. Spending time with the pastors this last week was an exciting experience for me. Although I was raised in the home of a pastor and thoroughly enjoy learning from my dad, being in the company of dozens of men who have been called to the full-time Gospel ministry is a priviledged opportunity and one where the best thing I find to do is simply listen.

So I thank the Lord for the ministries with which He has blessed me. When I become overwhelmed with the stress of the load, He is gracious in reminding me of Who it is that I serve: a merciful Master, a loving Lord, the King of kings, my Jesus.

Thus I pray for the strength to give Him my all in all He's given me to do.

BTC 2008

“Helping young adults find their place within the body of Christ.”

BUILDING TOMORROW'S CHURCH

Reformed Baptist Young Adults Conference

August 8th - 11th, 2008
Prescott, Arizona

Featuring Pastor Bob Selph
as the keynote speaker

The goal of BTC is to help young people understand
the importance of the local church.
Our hope is that this younger generation of Reformed Baptist believers
will grow in love for Christ and His Church and will pursue
active involvement in the local congregation.

BTC is not a “single’s conference.”
This conference is geared towards all young adults,
18+ yrs old, regardless of marital status.

We hope to see the BTC conference become a regularly anticipated and attended conference
for young adults across the country for many years to come!
Soli Deo Gloria!

REGISTER TODAY
at
www.buildingtomorrowschurch.com

It's Sunday

I love Sundays...

Corporate worship of God.

Fellowship with brothers & sisters.

Opportunity to minister to others.

Chance to be ministered unto.


Someone once said that the Christian life is like breathing:

You inhale God's Word, prayer, and fellowship and exhale love, mercy, and good works.
(loose paraphrase)

Here are two unrelated portions from Spurgeon, each mentioning "Sundays"...

Churches are not made that men of ready speech may stand up on Sundays and talk, and so win daily bread from their admirers. Nay, there is another end and aim from this. These places are not built that you may sit here comfortably, and hear something that shall make you pass away your Sundays with pleasure. A church in London which does not exist to do good in the slums, and dens, and kennels of the city, is a church that has no reason to justify its longer existing. A church that does not exist to reclaim heathenism, to fight with evil, to destroy error, to put down falsehood, a church that does not exist to take the side of the poor, to denounce injustice and to hold up righteousness, is a church that has no right to be. Not for thyself, O church, dost thou exist, any more than Christ existed for himself. His glory was that he laid aside his glory, and the glory of the church is when she lays aside her respectability and her dignity, and counts it to be her glory to gather together the outcast, and her highest honour to seek amid the foulest mire the priceless jewels for which Jesus shed his blood. To rescue souls from hell and lead to God, to hope, to heaven, this is her heavenly occupation. O that the church would always feel this!
Delivered on Sunday Morning, October 24th, 1869, byC. H. SPURGEON

There are a vast number of people in the world who go to church and to chapel, because everybody else does so. It is disreputable to waste your Sundays, not to be found going up to the house of God, therefore they take a pew and attend the services, and they think they have done their duty: they have obtained all that they sought for, when they can hear their neighbors saying, "Such-and-such a man is a very respectable person; he is always very regular at his Church; he is a very reputable person, and exceedingly praiseworthy." Verily, if this be what you seek after in your religion, you shall get it; for the Pharisees who sought the praise of men "had their reward." But when you have gotten it, what a poor reward it is! Is it worth the drudgery? I do not believe that the drudgery to which people submit in order to be called respectable, is at an compensated by what they gain. I am sure, for my own part, I would not care a solitary rap what I was called, or what I was thought; nor would I perform anything that was irksome to myself for the sake of pleasing any man that ever walked beneath the stars, however great or mighty he may be. It is the sign of a fawning, cringing spirit, when people are always seeking to do that which renders them respectable. The esteem of men is not worth the looking after, and sad it is, that this should be the only prize which some men put before them, in the poor religion which they undertake.
Delivered on Friday Afternoon, June 11, 1858, by theREV. C. H. Spurgeon

The Pastor's Wife

The topic of caring for one's pastor is dear to my heart.

I am the son of a pastor and his wife. I am grateful to God for my parents and the environment in which they trained me. Having observed and experienced the finer details of a pastor's personal life, the recent blog by Pastor Erik struck a chord with me.

While the role and responsibilities of a pastor are often many and trying, a married minister does not bear the burden of his calling alone. I firmly believe that when a married man is called into the ministry, so is his wife. God created Eve to be Adam's helper. It is understood from Scriopture than wives are their husband's helpmeets in whatever the husband is called to do. The pastor is called to evangelize, shepherd, disciple, counsel, encourage, correct, and love the parishiners within his church. The pastor's wife, as her husband's helper and co-minister of the love of Christ, should involve herself in similar endeavors. In doing so, the pastor's wife encourages her husband by doing the Lord's work along side of him.

With this in mind, churchmembers should be keen to encouraging and uplifting not only their pastors, but their pastors' wives as well.

Pastor Erik begins his post with these words:

I have commented before on the 'burn out' rate of pastors as being somewhat of a crisis in the church. I truly believe that the neglect of the home and family is a big part of the problem. But, the problem doesn't come only from the pastor's neglect of his family, but also from the church's neglect of the pastors families. Pastor's are reticent to call the church to care for their families- it seems self serving and manipulative. But, it is a necessity- if we take the strain upon pastors and their families seriously.

Please read the rest of this post here, and put into action the practical ways to take care of our pastor's wife.

The church pastor wears a great burden upon his shoulders. Bu let us not forget our pastor's better half--the pastor's wife. May we make opportunities to encourage our pastors and their wives and show our appreciation to them for the persevering love which they continually demonstrate to us.

Songs for the Ages

Music and lyrics have been an essential part of Christianity since it's conception. Even before Christ's bodily existence on earth, the Old Testament people understood the importance of singing in worship. As Paul admonishes the New Testament Christians in Colossae,
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God."

I am thankful that God has placed me within a congregation which seeks to adhere to the idea of worshipping the Lord through the singing of "psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs." I am thankful for our church leaders and their discernment in this area. In a day when music in worship is such a divisive subject for many churchgoers, it is good to know that there are indeed those church bodies which seek to follow God's principles of corporately worshipping Him. Reformed Baptists in particular are well-known for their keen sensitivity to the Word of God in this subject. Growing up in a Reformed Baptist church, I believe that the Bible alone should be our guide for what is acceptable in worship. It only makes sense, doesn't it, that God's own Word should provide the standards for what the way God wants to be worshipped by His people? Of course.

I have heard many good brothers and sisters of mine tell me that they too are a part of a reformed church. In hearing this, I always get excited for there are relatively few truly "reformed" churches out there. And yet I have come to the point where I no longer get my hopes up. Too often when people say they are reformed, what they really mean is "Calvinistic."
There IS a difference.

We have friends who call themselves "Charismatic Calvinists." Without going into much detail in this post, let me just say that it is oxymoronic to be both Reformed and Charismatic. Simply put, Reformed theology involves full subscription to a confession of faith which also puts forth the Regulative Principle of Worship. The Regulative Principle of Worship (RPW) is contrary to a belief in modern revelatory gifts such as speaking in tongues and ongoing prophesy. Additionally, the RPW goes against the modern methods of individual church congregations deciding what is right in worship.

Here is an exerpt from the Association of Reformed Baptist Churches of America's (ARBCA) position paper on the RPW:

The regulative principle emphasizes the instituted elements of worship as the priority. Scripture reading, significant exposition of Scripture, prayers, congregational singing, the sacraments, etc., mark the priority of worship according to the regulative principle. Worship according to the regulative principle examines the order, elements, priorities, and musical selections from a regulated biblical perspective. It does not reject an old hymn simply because it is old nor does it reject new hymns and songs simply because they are new. Reformed hymnology was “new” when it was instituted. Worship according to the regulative principle does not jump on the bandwagon of high church liturgy, exclusive Psalmody, contemporary music, or normative additions of any kind from the motive of personal tastes. It examines the order, elements, priorities, and musical selections from a regulated biblical perspective. God regulates his worship. Worship is prescribed and commanded, and the elements of his worship are revealed. . . .

In determining what music is acceptable in worship, we must acknowledge that the words that we sing ought to be as biblical as the prayers that we pray and the words that we preach. As we study the psalms we generally note that they possess certain qualities: God-centeredness, dignity, biblical ideas, theme, order, resolution, etc. The hymns and songs we sing should follow that pattern.

Our church regularly uses the Trinity Hymnal (Baptist Edition) in worship. This hymnal also includes many psalms. To add to our wealth of music resources, we have also embraced a good handful of modern hymns (1900's--present day) and Scripture songs.

In conclusion, music is an important part of worship to God. Therefore, it should be an important part of worship to us as well. There are so many good resources out there to highlight reformed hymnody. I hope to post more on this topic in the future. But for now, check out this short slideshow of Christians around the world singing to the Lord from their hymnals. Keep on singing!

If We Are the Body...

I recently heard a song by the band Casting Crowns which really hit home to me. The words speak about Christ’s church. "If We Are the Body" alludes to I Corinthians 12 where Paul writes in verse 12, "The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.” Here’s the song:

If We Are The Body

It's crowded in worship today

As she slips in trying to fade into the faces

The girl's teasing laughter is carrying farther than they know

Farther than they know

But if we are the body

Why aren't His arms reaching?

Why aren't His hands healing?

Why aren't His words teaching?

And if we are the body

Why aren't His feet going?

Why is His love not showing them there is a way?

There is a way

A traveler is far away from home

He sheds his coat and quietly sinks into the back row

The weight of their judgmental glances

Tells him that his chances are better out on the road

Jesus paid much too high a price

For us to pick and choose who should come

And we are the body of Christ

Jesus is the way

Therefore, if we are the body…
“…Why aren't His arms reaching?”
Are we using our arms to reach out and pull people into our churches on Sunday mornings? Are we embracing them in love when they come, especially when they probably feel out of place and uncomfortable? Are we doing our part to welcome them? Are we being like Christ and truly loving the sinner?

Too often I observe even in my own congregation on Sunday mornings at least a few people who continually keep to themselves and their own small group of confidants. These professing believers fail to get out of their circles of familiarity and extend hospitality to newcomers. Thus, these individuals are hindered in the greater fellowship of believers and hamper the outward demonstration of love that Christ desires within His body, the church.

Lord, let my arms reach far, faithfully, and lovingly.

“Why aren’t His words teaching?”
What sort of words are being preached from pulpits? What kind of words are being taught in small groups? Are they words of truth? Are they Biblical words? Are they words like “sin” and “conviction” and “repentance” and “justification through faith alone”?

Too many pastors fail to teach their congregations using the right words, the Bible’s words. Sin has become “mistakes;” conviction is just a strong feeling about something; repentance, if referred to at all, is no more than “saying sorry;” and justification through faith alone is almost an unused expression outside of reformed circles. Because of these watered-down vocabulary and definitions, churchgoers have a false view of biblical reality. It is time that each of us do our part in teaching ourselves and each other with the words of God:

“There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rm. 3:22-23)

“…Unless you repent, you too will all perish."(Lk. 13:5)

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out.” (Acts 3:19)

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Heb.10:23-25)

Lord, let my words boldly teach your Truth always.

“Why aren’t his feet going?”
Are we a missions-minded people? Do we heed the Great Commission and actively participate in evangelism? What are we doing to advance the Kingdom of Christ? Are we even praying about the global reach of Christ’s Church? Are we asking God to use us as instruments of evangelism for His glory and the expansion of His kingdom? And then are we using the opportunities He is daily giving us to talk to others about Him?

I don’t think that there is any Christian in the world who could say that he or she is doing the best they can do to tell others about Jesus. This is an area that everyone can do better in. I know that I am lacking in my zeal for missions. I may often talk highly about the subject, but when it comes to converting my thoughts and words into physical actions, I fall very short. I think the same goes for most Christians in the church. Thus, the church’s feet are standing motionless. May this be not so.

Lord, let my feet carry me to share the Gospel with those who don’t know You.

Authentic Christianity, Part I

I have long contemplated the idea “reality.” It is indeed an intriguing concept to ponder: What is really real?

Within the Church, the Body of Christ, there continually exists the question of reality, or as J.C. Ryle (1816-1900) calls it, “authenticity.” Ryle confronts this question in his writings on “Authentic Religion” in which he begins,

What do I mean when I use the word "authentic?" I mean that which is genuine, and sincere, and honest, and thorough. I mean that which is not inferior, and hollow, and formal, and false, and counterfeit, and sham, and nominal. "Authentic" religion is not mere show, and pretense, and skin-deep feeling, and temporary profession, and works only on the outside. It is something inward, solid, substantial, intrinsic, living, lasting. We know the difference between counterfeit and authentic money--between solid gold and tinsel--between plated metal and silver--between authentic stone and plaster imitation. Let us think of these things as we consider the subject of this paper. What is the character of our religion? Is it authentic? It may be weak, and feeble, and mingled with many defects. That is not the point before us today. Is our religion authentic? Is it true?

I believe that there is far too much “benefit of the doubt” passed around within churches today. Apparently, Ryle thought the same of the churches of his day:

They call us unchristian, and harsh, and censorious, if we doubt anybody's goodness of heart. In short, they destroy the value of authenticity by regarding it as a thing, which almost every one has.This widespread delusion is precisely one of the causes why I take up this subject. I want men to understand that "authenticity" is a far more rare and uncommon thing than is commonly supposed. I want men to see that "unreality" is one of the great dangers of which Christians ought to beware.

I wish that I could say that we are far too kind within our churches to doubt another’s relationship with Christ, but I’m afraid the matter is worse. I think that in actuality we are far too unconcerned about others. The issue is apathy, not graciousness. Week after week we sit next to someone in our Sunday morning worship services. When was the last time any of us felt any amount of concern for the state of their souls? When was the last time we said to another, “How’s your walk?” Do we just pass them off as genuine believers without even asking them? [I will admit at this point that more than one issue needs to be addressed in this situation, such as the problem of believers being disconnected to the people and ministries of their churches. However, the issue at hand is “authenticity.”]

Anyone who has spent much time in the church or around professing Christians can attest to this sad but true fact: there are “fake Christians” among the true believers. They are identified in Scripture by a variety of names: “Hypocrites;” “Wolves;” “Pharisees;” “Snakes;” “Brood of vipers;” “Liars;” “White-washed sepulchers;” “Bad trees;” “Rocky soil.” As J.C. Ryle points out, Christ devoted more than a few parables to contrasting the true convert and the nominal disciple.

The parables of the sower, of the weeds, of the net, of the two sons, of the wedding garment, of the ten virgins, of the talents, of the great banquet, of the ten minas, of the two builders, all have one great point in common. They all bring out in striking colors the difference between authenticity and unreality in religion. They all show the uselessness and danger of any Christianity which is not authentic, thorough, and true.

Ryle continues by illustrating the breeding ground for hypocrites: the church.

How much religion among some members of the Church consists of "nothing but churchmanship!" They belong to the Established Church. They are baptized in her baptistery, married in her sanctuary, preached to on Sundays by her ministers. But the great doctrines and truths preached from her pulpits have no place in their hearts, and no influence on their lives. They neither think, nor feel, nor care, nor know anything about them. And is the religion of these people authentic Christianity? It is nothing of the kind. It is a cheap imitation. It is not the Christianity of Peter, and James, and John, and Paul. It is "Churchianity," and no more.

A perfect example of a good churchman, but not at all a Christian, is Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve original disciples of Christ. Judas was so good at playing the part of “disciple of Christ” that not even the eleven other disciples had any clue it was he who would betray their Lord. Judas healed the sick and drove out demons and performed many miracles all in the name of Jesus Christ, and yet on that Last Day, he will receive no reward, no mercy, no second chance when he hears the word of the just Judge saying to him, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' So it will also be for all those who profess to love Christ, but in their hearts deny and betray Him.

Jesus warned his disciples to beware of fake Christians who dress like Christians, talk like Christians, morally walk like Christians (Matthew 7:15-20). These individuals are nothing more than wolves who will harm the fold of Christ, His Church. As an aside, I also find it appropriate that Christ speaks about these fraudulent people in the context of the Narrow Way in Matthew 7:13-14. “For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Thus, even within our own congregations are found “the many” and “the few.” Those that will last, however, as we know, are the few who entered in at the gate, which is Christ, and continue on the narrow road that leads to the Celestial City.

All of this begs the question, “How can we know the wolves from the sheep?”

The answer is simple: “By their fruit you will recognize them.”

[Stay tuned for Part II...Coming Soon!]

Ryle quotes taken from http://www.biblebb.com/files/ryle/PRACT3.TXT

It Isn't the Church, It's You!

If you want to have the kind of a church
Like the kind of a church you like,
You needn't slip your clothes in a grip
And start on a long, long hike.
You'll only find what you left behind,
For there's nothing really new.
It's a knock at yourself when you knock your church;
It isn't the church--it's you.

When everything seems to be going wrong,
And trouble seems everywhere brewing;
Just take a look at yourself and say,
"What's the use of being blue?"
Are you doing your "bit" to make things "hit"?
It isn't the church--it's you.

It's really strange sometimes, don't you know,
That things go as well as they do,
When we think of the little--the very small mite--
We add to the work of the few.
We sit, and stand round, and complain of what's done,
And do very little but fuss.
Are we bearing our share of the burdens to bear?
It isn't the church--it's us.

So, if you want to have the kind of church
Like the kind of a church you like,
Put off your guile, and put on your best smile,
And hike, my brother, just hike,
To the work in hand that has to be done--
The work of saving a few.
It isn't the church that is wrong, my boy;
It isn't the church--it's you.

--Anonymous

Fearing God

My wife Paige has an uncle and aunt--Bill and Naomi Hayes--who are traveling ministers/evangelists. We were blessed last year to have been able to spend some time with them while they were here ministering to churches in the Valley of the Sun. While Bill preaches mostly within Assembly of God and Pentecostal circles, he is the first to admit that his message is not typical among many Pentecostal preachers. He preaches themes like "Sin," "Repentance," and "Fearing God." He cuts away the fat to get to the meat and preaches the raw truths of Scripture to people, many of whom are used to having their ears tickled with positive, self-esteem-building words.

The following is an email I received last week from Bill on the topic of Fearing God.

Here we are in the Bahamas, more precisely Nassau, where all the hoopla of the Anna Nicole Smith saga is being acted out. I can hardly get any other news on TV than endless reporting of the body and the baby. Who has the jurisdiction of the body and who is the father? It was reported on one of the cable networks that this is what the people want to see and hear in the news; in fact it has doubled some of the stations’ ratings. One network said 80% of Americans are deeply interested in this story. Does that tell us something about our culture today in America?

A repeated statement by news outlets, “Let her be buried next to her son in the Bahamas, so she will find that rest and peace in death that alluded her in life.” What a pagan way of looking at life and death. Jesus gives no such comfort! In Luke 12:18-21 Christ gives us a glimpse of the result of a wrong connotation placed on prosperity,

“And he told them this parable…a certain rich man said, this is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I'll say to myself, 'You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.' 20 But God said to him, 'you fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' 21 This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God." (NIV)

Here is another example from Luke 16:19ff-- "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day… 22 the rich man also died and was buried. 23 In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away.” Rest in peace! How is it possible? Too late! As the writer of Hebrews states in Heb 9:27 “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” (KJV)

Is it surprising how easy we have made it for men to enter the kingdom of God in modern times? No need for a radical new birth, “Except a man be born again he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” No need for “REPENTANCE.” Jesus said, “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand.” The first word of the Gospel! What we have today is a new version of “Cheap grace,” a phrase used by Dietrich Bonhoeffer in describing the German evangelical posture during the rise of Hitler. Here is a quote from Bonhoeffer:

“The only man who has the right to say that he is justified by grace alone is the man who has left all to follow Christ. Such a man knows that the call to discipleship is a gift of grace, and that the call is inseparable from the grace. But those who try to use this grace as a dispensation from following Christ are simply deceiving themselves.”

Here in the Bahamas the church, the nation, and even the schools are very religious, “evangelical religious.” They can even pray and read the Bible in the public schools and do! But what do they have to show for it? A nation where crime is even higher then America, the murder rate nearly four times higher then the U.S. Sunday morning a pastor of a Baptist church, four robbers kicked open his door, took everything he had, shot him through the heart while his wife and twin daughters watched. Here is a country where STD’s are rampant and HIV is one of the highest in the west. Where single parented families are the norm, the fathers are not deadbeat dads but “Millstone men,” and yes “Millstone women” too. (Read what Jesus said a millstone man is in Matt. 18:5 & 10.) We in America are embracing a similar “cheap grace” Christianity. The most popular preaching centers in, “Your Best Life Now.” Barbara Walters, in a recent interview with a pastor who proclaims this narcissist Christianity stated, “Your gospel has no sin, suffering or sacrifice in it.” And I might add “And we Christians now love to have it so!” Self-help Christianity centers in, “It’s all about me.”

This book and minister are not the only offenders (he merely sits at the top). Leading Pentecostal magazines have almost nothing about a God who is to be greatly feared by his people and the inhabitants of planet earth, – nothing!! Am I being too hard? I tell the congregations where I minister, “I’m not the hard one; it is you that have no fear of God in your message and life; that is hard!” Then I quote Proverbs 28:14, “Happy is the man who fears the Lord always but he who hardens his heart shall fall into trouble.” Isn’t that where we in the evangelical church find ourselves these days: “IN TROUBLE.” Our families disintegrating, divorce higher among people of faith than those with no faith at all, drugs and alcoholic addictions, STD’s spreading like wild fire and every dilemma of a postmodern era has found itself in the heart of the church. Why? Where is the “Keeping power of His Grace?" Where is the power of the cross?

THE CAUSE FOR THIS TRAGEDY IS...
“The way of peace they have not known, (why?) there is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Rom. 3) Paul the Apostle says this of the world. Today it is characteristic of the church. I am not the only one who is saying this! Henry Blackaby states “The distinguishing characteristic of the church today in America is no fear of God.”

THE CURE...
A revival of the fear of the Lord; God showing up in our churches. A cry from our hearts, “Restore unto us a holy fear of the Lord,” but for that to happen we must have a change of thinking, a realization that indeed God is to be greatly feared.

[bold & italics mine]

"I'll Love You on Sundays"

I’ll love you on Sundays
But tomorrow is Monday
And Mondays are rough days
And love is the last thing on my mind during football.

I’ll love you on Sundays
But Tuesday’s still early
In the week and at work:
I’m so tired and stressed out I don’t have love to give.

I’ll love you on Sundays
But it’s hard when it’s Hump-day
And my spouse calls from home
Wanting my love when I’m feeling out of love already.

I’ll love you on Sundays
If Thursday is easy
But if the house keeps falling down
I still may not be loving by the time it is Sunday.

I’ll love you on Sundays
And maybe Fridays and holidays
When my spirits are happy
And I’m not thinkin’ about my job, my boss, or yard.

I’ll love you on Sundays
If Saturday’s a good day,
But if Saturday’s a dump-day
It will be awfully hard to show much love at church.

I’ll love you on Sundays
At most, but that’s it!
Because the week’s full of work
And there’s so little time to love, but I’ll try to be nice.

© David J. Giarrizzo
January 30, 2005

Pastors

"Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor...." I Timothy 5:17a

I just came across another great post from FIDE-O: How Much Is Your Pastor Worth?

As the son of a pastor, I think I may have a better idea than most of what is truly required of a pastor. I remember my dad telling the story of one young boy in our congregation who excitedly told my dad, "Pastor John, when I grow up I want to be a pastor like you!" With a smile on his face, my dad replied, "Well that's great! But why do you want to be a pastor?" The child was quick to respond with "Because I'll only have to work one day a week!"

All joking aside, I think that a lot of people in the church today are much like this young boy: ignorant to what the role and responsibilities of a pastor are.

A pastor is a shepherd--an under-shepherd of Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd--whose duty it is to watch over, protect, and feed Christ's sheep, the Church. A pastor's job isn't preaching; it's shepherding the flock. Yes, while that does involve the corporate proclamation of God's Word ("feeding the sheep"), standing in the pulpit is but a part of the many duties of a pastor. It is the personal interaction that truly makes a man a shepherd. I mean, there are a great many preachers in the Church, but I would guess that only a portion of them are shepherds. A pastor who truly shepherds his flock is one that knows his members by name; who meets with church families in their homes and has families over to his; who teaches and disciples the members with love and truth. Sometimes a shepherd must use the curved crook in his staff to discipline the sheep and bring them back to the fold. Other times the shepherd must warn the sheep of impending danger. And other times the shepherd must simply comfort and calm the sheep.

I've met men in my life who have referred to themselves as pastors and yet were extremely unfriendly and did very little to reach out to the flock. Instead, it was if their goal was to wow their listeners with their big words and "deep thoughts" from the pulpit. But once they stepped down from the pulpit, the magic was gone and they were just ordinary men with no right to be calling themselves pastors.

The job of a pastor is unlike any other occupation in life. It is not one that is sought after or applied for. A man who intends to be an under-shepherd of Christ does so only after receiving a divine calling from God to the pastoral ministry. A certain pastor once told a inquiring young man, "If you are having a difficult time deciding whether to pursue the ministry or some other occupation--choose the other!"

The role of a pastor is serious and his responsibilities difficult. It is not something to be considered lightly. (And for those of you still wondering, a pastor does in fact work more than just on Sundays!!)

I think that if church members were truly in tune with their pastor as a person and what exactly he does--(for them)--local church bodies would be generally healthier. I wish I had the time and energy to conduct some sort of survey of church members across the country to find out how many actually know their pastors. I would ask 2 questions: 1.) What do you believe to be your pastor's responsibilities? and 2.) How well would you say you know your pastor personally? (Go ahead and take a moment to ask yourself these questions.)

In conclusion, I know first-hand how difficult the job of a pastor is at times (in fact, a lot of times!). With this in mind, allow me to list just 2 things that each of us can do to help make our pastor's job easier:

First, as Hebrews 13:17 says, "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you."

And second, let us regularly lift up our pastors in prayer. Pray that the Lord would be gracious to our pastors, keeping them from sin and giving them wisdom and discernment as they seek to guide and feed and protect us, the flock!

I welcome your comments.