Why go to "Church?"

 Growing up in a home where we went to “church” every time the doors were open was a blessing and a curse.  It was the belief of my parents that we must attend every church gathering without hesitation.  No arguments could be made as to why we can’t go.  It was a must.  So, we put on our leisure suits, polished dress shoes and a dab of dippity do hair styling gel for the right hair look and off all eight of us went to “church.”

The blessing of going to “church” as a little boy was hanging out with my friends and playing out in churchyard after church.  As a teen, the blessings were going on youth group trips, canoeing, church camp, and other fun stuff. 

The curse as a boy was that I had to take a Saturday bath and get all dressed up on Sunday in a suit I hated to wear.  It was a powder blue leisure suit that made me look a bit like a smurf.  As a teen, the curse was no kind of sport could be played on a Wednesday night…PERIOD!  My parents did not waiver.  While all my friends were playing ball, I was sitting in a bible class thinking about how I wanted to be playing baseball. 

After growing up a bit, I can look back and see the value of attending church gatherings.  However, I really do not remember one moment in my young life a time when I was blown away emotionally by a sermon or a bible class that brought me to my knees before God.  It was the “hell fire and damnation” style of preaching.  It was guilt preaching.  It was God is the all seeing-eye type of preaching.  It was the kind of preaching that made you afraid of God.  No grace.  No mercy.  No love.  No forgiveness.  No Spirit.  It was dogmatic with a heavy dose of guilt trip. 

Years later, I am still asking the same questions:  What is the purpose of our church gatherings?  Why do we put so much emphasis on attending them?  What is the relevancy of the worship gathering on a Sunday morning? 

According to Barna Group, 40% of unchurched Americans say the reason they do not attend a church is because they can find God elsewhere, while 35% says that the church is not relevant to them personally.  The survey also states that churchgoers have decreased from 43% in 2004 to 36% in 2014.  Millennial’s give three reasons why they do not attend a church:  1. The church's irrelevance.  2. Hypocrisy.  3. The moral failures of its leaders

These are alarming stats.  If God isn’t present in the worship gathering, then why do we have them?  Worship must be experiential, meaning, helping each one connect to God and the community of people who are in attendance.  Psalm 100 the Psalmist says to shout for joy, he calls us to worship with gladness and to come before God with a joyful song.  He impresses on us the value of being thankful for God and to give him the praise. 

When God is the centerpiece of our gatherings, then and only then will others see the relevancy in gathering with a community whose desire is making it about God rather than all the traditions we have created over the centuries. 

Remember, Be God Controlled!

Brian

The Rhythm of Heaven

 When I was a little boy, I had a dream that I died and went to heaven.  The place was magical and fun.  For a kid, it was a dream of all dreams!  Unlimited rides and candy.  Clowns.  Music.  Baseball. And, a host of other fun things to do for a kid.  Sounds crazy, right? 

In most church hymnals, there is a song called, “Mansion over the Hilltop.”  It isn’t my favorite song by far.  Personally, it is a selfish song about wanting to be in a city of gold, lined with silver and one who is searching for a mansion, robe and crown.  Am I off base?

Revelation 21 gives a description of the “New Jerusalem” or as Scripture refers to it as the “new heaven”.  In John’s vision, he sees a city made of gold, as pure as glass, the foundation of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone, the gates were made of pearl and the great street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

John’s vision is so different than my dream.  It was a bubble buster when I was told that my dream wasn’t the right description of what the “real” heaven would be like.  As a kid I wanted that heaven.  It was fun.  It had all that a kid could ever want and “needed!”  I was disappointed and bummed out. 

Almost everyday, I talk to someone about their salvation and what they want from God.  Most everyone says they want God to accept them into heaven when they die. 

Why? 

What is so special about heaven?  What does heaven offer that we do not have already?  Is there an alternative to heaven that drives everyone to want to go there?  

The alternative to heaven is hell.  It isn’t a happy or fun place.  As a matter of fact, Jesus describes hell as a future place of fire, darkness and a terrible reality of separation from God and some of the writings of the Apostle Paul deal with the impending doom of hell and the book of Revelation depicts hell as a place of torment forever (Revelation 20:10) I can see why people do not want to go to hell, including myself.

Heaven is a special place.   It is a place where we get a placard with our named inscribed on it according to Luke 10:20 and Jesus describes heaven as his father’s personal home in John 14.  Also in John 14 Jesus reassures his disciples that his father’s house has lots of room just for them.  It was Jesus’ way of saying to his closes friends not to worry, you will get to hang out at my dads house with me for all of eternity. 

Heaven has so much more to offer that we do not have right now.

Heaven offers total rest for all those who die in the Lord. (Revelation 14:13). 

Heaven will be a trouble free place.  No crying.  No death.  No mourning.  No pain. (Revelation  21:4)

Heaven will have an unlimited supply of crops for everyone living in the house.  Can you imagine opening up the pantry and never being out of food? 

Revelation 22:1-2 says that we will be furnished with all the amenities to sustain us. 

I love the lyrics to “Heaven is a Wonderful place”:  Heaven is a wonderful place,
Filled with glory and grace, I want to see my Savior's face, Heaven is a wonderful place.

Heaven is a wonderful place.  It probably want have carnival rides, clowns and baseball, but it will have an unlimited supply of resources to sustain us for all of eternity. 

None of us have been given the job to pick who gets into heaven or who doesn’t.  That responsibility has been reserved for Jesus (Matthew 25) No one Christian church  group has been selected as the straight to heaven group.  The bible says that those whom Jesus has chosen will get eternal life. 

The question I will leave you with is this:  What eternal home has your name placard on it right now?  God is grace and doesn’t want anyone to be lost.  Today you have an opportunity to look at where your life is headed and if you don’t like it, you can readjust and turn it around.  I would love to chat with you about heaven some more if you would like.  You can email me at thegreatestcommandislove@gmail.com or call me on my cell phone at 931-545-7543.

Remember, Be God Controlled!!

Brian

Run Jonah, Run!

Have you ever been asked or even told to do something but you were reluctant to do it?  If yes, why?  It might be that we are reluctant for fear that we will fail.  Maybe we lack confidence.  Or, maybe we don’t want to work with certain people because of past issues.  There are a variety of reasons why we are reluctant to take on a new job, begin a new relationship, start a conversation, teach a class, share our faith, say no, say yes, go on a date, ride in an airplane.  Whatever the reason, being reluctant is crippling.

There is this guy by the name of Jonah in the Old Testament who had to deal with his own reluctant issues.  Jonah was given a task by God to go to a city called Nineveh to deal with the issues and down right wickedness. (Jonah 1:1-2) 

Just who are these people God is sending Jonah to talk to about their wicked behavior? They weren’t your monastery kind of people; rather, they were thugs, liars, haters, and rejecters of God and murders!  It was their policy to never keep their prisoner of war alive.  While holding the victim down, they would pull out their tongue.  For some, they would skin their victims alive.  They would take the human skulls of their prisoners and build pyramids outside of the conquered city. 

I can’t say emphatically that I would be jumping for joy to get the assignment to go and talk to a group of people with a reputation of ruthless murders and terror tactics that gave the Ninevite regime a name to be feared.  I can see why Jonah was so reluctant; his life is in jeopardy.

As crazy as the people were about ruthless living, God was as crazy about his people and if they would turn away from their wicked ways, God would demonstrate his grace and mercy and love on them and embrace them as if there was never a problem in the first place.  God has crazy love for his people and desires to have a close-knit relationship with each of us.  Part of Jonas issue about going to Nineveh was the fact that he knows how God would respond to a people who would turn away from their sins and accept God’s ways. Jonah did not want Nineveh to get one ounce of God’s grace and mercy.  They didn’t deserve it.

 Because of Jonah’s reluctance, the Scripture says, “Jonah ran away from the Lord….”  (Jonah 1:3)   One of the key strategies of a reluctant person is to run away from the problem, issue, relationship, or whatever the circumstances are in order to avoid facing the problem that has a grip on them. 

For many believers in Christ, there is a reluctance to teach for fear they do not know enough.  There is a fear to share their faith, for fear they will get rejected. There is a fear to speak in a public gathering for fear they will not know what to say or forget what they want to say.  There are a variety of reluctant reasons people have for not getting more involved in the different aspects of the church ministries. 

I am reluctant to climb a ladder because I am afraid of heights.  However, in order for me to over come my fear, I have to face it head on. The more we do, the less reluctant we are about doing it and the more confident we become in our relationships, speaking, teaching, sharing our faith, or whatever we have been reluctant about. 

Remember, Be God Controlled!

Brian  

A Walk with God

The Apostle Paul in 1^st Timothy 4:7&8 tells the young preacher,“…train yourself to be godly. Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”  (NLT)

What does it mean to be godly? 

Often I’ve heard it said at funerals of the one being remembered, “she was a godly lady.”  What made her a godly lady?  Was it because she attended church gatherings or read her bible?  Was it because she never cursed?  Maybe it was the kindness she had showed toward others?  Or, could it have been that she was a person who truly followed God and allowed him to lead her life in every way?

In Genesis 5:21-24, Moses describes a guy by the name of Enoch as one who walked with God.  The bible says that he lived 365 years and then God took him away.  The statement, “walked with God” is a powerful one.  How does one walk with God?

When I joined the Army, I had to attend basic training.  It was intense in every aspect.  Though it was basic, it taught us the fundamentals of walking in step with the values of the United States Army.  To veer off of those values meant disciplinary action or a dishonorable discharge.  The training was valuable to every soldier serving the United States.  If one could not be trusted to carrying out the values of the Army, then it puts the entire nation in jeopardy.  Training in loyalty, honor, duty, integrity, respect, selfless service, and personal courage are vital in walking in step with the Army values.

Walking with God is key to developing the godliness God desires.  Without the walk, there are no training opportunities to know how God wants us to live.  Enoch’s walk made headlines in the faith chapter of Hebrews 11.  The Scripture says, “By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away.  For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.”  Hebrews 11:5 (NIV)

Enoch did two things:  He walked with God and He pleased God.  Godliness is walking and pleasing God.  God wants to walk with us and he desires for each of us to live in his ways, not the worlds.  Paul said in his own defense in Galatians 1:10, “Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.” (NLT)  Paul’s values were God’s values.  He wasn’t concerned about being politically correct or ensuring his popularity was intact, rather he was concerned that the gospel of Jesus was being lived out in his life daily and others were able to see it in him God’s values in his walk and in his messages.   

The Apostle Paul writes another message to a younger generation preacher by saying, “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.”  Godly living is saying YES to a self-controlled life and modeling a spiritual character that conveys to the world that God values are leading our lives, not the latest fads of what is socially accepted.

The Apostle Peter declares that Jesus is coming without warning and the earth will be destroyed. Peter then asked a question in 1^st Peter 3:11, “What kind of people ought you be?  He answers his own questions by saying, “to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God.” Peter is saying that godly living means prepping oneself for the day of the Lord.  The way one does that is by walking, pleasing and living out God’s values that the Spirit enables us to do in Galatians 5:22-24, “But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely… Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified.” (The Message)

Walking, pleasing and living out God’s values are key to being godly.  In the pursuit of being godly, here are five ways each of us can be successful in godly living: 

Train your mind to be godly; not worldly:  Colossians 3:1-10, "...set your minds on things above...."  What areas in your life needs to be spiritually worked out?

Keep focused on Jesus, not on self:  Hebrews 12:1-2, "...throw off everything that hinders us...fix our eyes on Jesus...."  How does focus help keep you spiritually fit?

Prayer and positive thinking will help during the long walks:  Philippians 4:4-9, "...in everything, by prayer...think about such things...." Are you more negative or positive?  Why?

Kick the bad habits:  Galatians 2:17-21, "...I no longer live, but Christ lives in me...."  How does Jesus and Spirit help keep the bad habits from coming back?

Be around motivators, not grouches:  Hebrews 10:23-25, "...let us consider how we may spur one another...let us encourage one another...."  On a scale of 1(low)-10 (high) how much does encouragement help you in your life?  Spiritual life?

Remember, Be God Controlled!

Brian

Tips for a Godly Lifestyle

First Thessalonians five gives practical principles for living the Jesus life.  No one can live effectively without values to guide them.  The following are key elements in the believer’s life that demonstrate a godly life and the ability to build relationships with others more effectively.

Be an encourager (5:11)  “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up….” Nehemiah was a great example of building on the positive qualities in a person’s life.  In Nehemiah 3:20, “Baruch was noted for his zealous work.”  It is vital to praise and recognize the hard work and the committed lifestyle of all believers. 

Respect the leaders (5:12 & 13)  “Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you.”  It is one thing to disagree with a leader, but it is another to blatantly disregard or criticize the leadership of the church.  Paul says in I Timothy 5:17 that the “elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor….” 

Warn the idle (5:14)  “And we urge you, brother, warn those who are idle….” Statistically, the work of the church is done by 10% of the entire church family.    Proverbs 19:15 says that “laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless man goes hungry.”  Without the help of every believer, the work of the church takes longer to do, more souls are lost because we do not have the time to evangelize them, and those who are working get tired and become very discouraged.   Take Paul’s warning and get involved.

Encourage the timid (5:14) The Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary defines timid as one who lacks courage or self-confidence.  Elijah was a prophet for God who stood up against 450 prophets of the idol Baal.  It was that confidence, determination, and faith that gave him victory.  For Elijah, his victory was short lived, his confidence was shattered, and his determination to proclaim God’s message was quenched because of his fear of Queen Jezebel.  The queen was enraged at Elijah for killing her prophets because she relied on them.  The Bible says in I Kings 19:3 that “Elijah was afraid (timid) and ran for his life….” Elijah looked at his circumstances rather than keeping his faith in God.  It is vitally important that when we face the Jezebel’s in our life, we remember that God will never leave us.  He is at our side and pouring on the courage to stand firm.  

Help the weak (5:14) We all have weak moments at some point in our lives.  This is not the time to criticize our spiritual family when they are having a weak moment. Rather, it is a time we rally around them to give support and prayers. 

Be Patient (5:14) Patience is a Spirit fruit that is produce in those who allow the Spirit to do what that Spirit is supposed to do, indwell and produce.  I know folks who have a short “fuse” life.  If it is not right, or they move too slowly, they blow their inner fuse.  Paul is saying to have a long fuse mentality.  Allow some time to cool off.  Be patient!

Don’t be revengeful (5:15) Don’t be scheming up some plan to get even with those who do you wrong; rather, try to find ways of doing good.  This is not an easy task.  It takes patience, prayer, and determination to do good when bad had been done. 

Be joyful always (5:16) James 1:2 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds.”  Paul and James are giving practical advice on how our attitudes should be in the mist of difficult circumstances.  A positive outlook puts a negative situation into a learning opportunity.  Joy happens because the trial didn’t defeat us; rather it strengthened our resolve to stay focused and God-led.

Pray always (5:17) Someone once said, “Seven prayer-less days makes one WEAK!” It has also been said, “A home that prays together, stays together.”  Prayer is the resource that everyone needs to tap into more and more each day.  Jeremiah 33:3 says, “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”  All Jeremiah had to do was call God.  No long-distance to worry about.  No busy signal to deal with.  No lost connection to hinder the call.  All we have to do is call.  Prayer is the key to handling problems, hardships, and/or sufferings.  Without prayer, our life is hopelessly lost.  Go ahead, pick up the phone and dial J-E-R-3-3-3 today and receive your free conversation with God.  God is standing by! Make that call right now!

Remember, Be God Controlled!

Really, Who is a Christian?

I have listened to a plethora of preachers, teachers, and commentators describe how one becomes a Christian.  It seems we have complicated the process.  Also, based on what “Christian group” one is affiliated with, arguments and debates have ensued over “the how” one becomes a Christian and “who is” a Christian.  The Christian community has created more division and caused more non-believers to be turned off by our bad behavior and our self-righteous attitudes that they want nothing to do with Christianity at all. 

Being a Christian simply means that one is a follower of Christ.   Being a Christian isn’t always easy.  It can be demanding.  And, it can cost a person his or her life.  However, the benefits of choosing to be a Christian far outweigh the negatives. 

Here are a couple of beneficial reasons to become a Christian:

Acts 2:38 says that we get the gift of the Spirit.  Imagine buying a brand new car.  You go to drive it off the lot, but it does not have a steering wheel.  Crazy, right?  You’ve got to have a steering wheel in order to maneuver the car where you need it to go.  The Spirit is much like the steering wheel.  John 16:13 says, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.” (NLT)  The Spirit steered the Apostles to truth.  Without the Spirit, the Apostles would have had trouble getting to where they needed to go and teaching the people whom God would send them to teach.  For the Christian, the Spirit guides us out of trouble.  Galatians 5:16 says, “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.” (NLT) The benefit of being a Christians is the steering of the Spirit. 

Another benefit of being a Christian is being added to Christ church.  Colossians 1:18 says, “Christ is also the head of the church….” (NLT)  Notice it says, Christ is the head.  All churches must ensure that Jesus is the head, not anyone else.  Acts 2:41 says that about 3,000 people were added.  The reason they were added was because they accepted a message to turn their lives around.  They were willing to surrender their lives to Jesus by being baptized.  The baptism demonstrated their full submission and it made way for them to be added to Christ church. 

Baptism is important, but it one of many things that marks a Christian.  Another defining mark of a Christian is when one totally acknowledges that Jesus is Lord and is willing to surrendering their life to Jesus, by denying oneself of things that are not Christ-like and by living out the truths of Jesus’ message found in Matthew 5 where he calls all of us to be poor in spirit, mourn over sinfulness, demonstrate a meek lifestyle by submitting to God, hunger and thirst for right living, show mercy to everyone, keep our hearts pure, and be a peacemaker, not a rebel.

Becoming a Christian isn’t hard to do, but it is a hard decision to make; especially when so many of us are teaching different ways on how one actually becomes one.  The most essential way to ensure one becomes a Christian the right way is to study what the bible teaches.  Compare what everyone else is saying with the Scripture, not with what every denomination teaches to be right or wrong.  In the end, it is each of our responsibility to come to our own conclusion. 

The bible does teach that baptism is essential.  The bible also teaches that living a godly lifestyle is important, too.  Just because someone is baptized doesn’t mean they are going to live the lifestyle of a Christian.  One becomes a Christian because they desire to go to heaven, serve God, be a witness for Jesus, and live a spiritual lifestyle.  Being baptized does not make one any one more of a Christian; rather it is an outward act that demonstrates our commitment to living the values of Scripture and allowing the Spirit to lead us. 

What makes a committed Christians isn’t what our church doctrines say, but what Scripture says. It is also living for Jesus and following him only.  Not what is on our church marquees, but Jesus.  Jesus only.  Jesus alone.   If you want to know more about being a Christian and the awesome benefits of being one, I would love to chat with you about it.  Please call me at 836-2874 or email me at thegreatestcommandislove@gmail.com

Remember, Be God Controlled!

Brian

Perseverance Strong

Difficulties.  Hardships.  Trials.  Financial woes.  Marital problems.  Family issues.  Health concerns.  And on we could go.  All of these zap our spirit and can cause depression, loss of sleep, anxiety, and/or sorrow.  How can I overcome adversity?  How can I persevere when life seems to be crashing down and there is no end in sight?  What can I do when it is hard to get out of the bed and face another day of turmoil and shame?  

Any relief in sight?  

Any solutions to heartache, marital problems, or financial crisis?  

Help!  

There’s a guy in the New Testament that says to “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” (NIV) James 1:2-3

James was one of the half brothers to Jesus.  Although Jesus and James grew up under the same roof, James, along with his other siblings did not believe in what Jesus was teaching to be true.  It took the brutal punishment and the resurrection of Jesus before James and his siblings to come around and finally believe that Jesus was truly the Son of God.  That being said, if there ever was a person who witnessed adversity in a person’s life, it was James.  He witnessed the horrendous, bloody and gut-wrenching murder of his brother. James saw first hand the brutality of godless people.  He heard the laughter, insults and blasphemy of the barbaric and so-called religious people of his day that were hurled toward his sibling.  

Not only did James witness the details of a brother who was murdered, he witnessed a brother who persevered under extreme and intense pain.  James not only heard the insults of the mob, but he heard the forgiveness of the man who claimed to be the Son of God toward a people who murdered him for that very claim.  

James came to understand that in all trials it isn’t the pain and suffering that is the most important part to focus on, rather, it is the life-lessons, experiences, and what we take away for each trial and testing when it is all over that is the most important.  A person who is filled with the Spirit of God will experience the full measure of joy when they see what the end results of the trials and testing ultimately give them – PERSEVERANCE!     

Perseverance is the ability to keep moving and not give up in spite of trials in ones life.  Helen Keller said, “The marvelous richness of human experience would lose something of rewarding joy if there were no limitations to overcome.  The hilltop hour would not be half so wonderful if there were no dark valleys to traverse.”

When Keller was one and a half years old, she developed a fever that would eventually take her eyesight and hearing.  Eventually, her determination to persevere catapulted her to learn.  She was able to communicate in five ways:  Touch-lip reading, braille, speaking, typing, and finger spelling.  Keller went on to write her first book called, “Story of My life” and graduated cum laude from Radcliff College, which is now, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study-Harvard University.  Keller’s ability to get past what she didn’t have and persevere under extreme difficulty; inspired a nation.

To be perseverance strong, each of us has to see what can be, rather than, what isn’t.  We have to be a determined people who are bent on allowing the Spirit of God to lead through every difficulty, trial, financial woe, martial problem, family issue, and health concern.  Traveling the road of hardship by ourselves will only create animosity towards God and those around us who we feel don’t know what it is like to suffer. 

To be perseverance strong each of us must allow God to hold us and give us the needed rest along the journey.  Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”  (MSG)

To be perseverance strong each of us must trust God.  God told Joshua when he got the job to lead a few million people into the promise land in Deuteronomy 31:6, “So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” (NLT)

God is in the business of ensuring we have all the tools to develop within each of us a perseverance strong mentality; all we have to do is trust him.  Philippians 4:13 says that we can do anything because of Christ.  You can!  Trials and hardships are temporary, but God’s love and resources are limitless.  

Remember, Be God Controlled!

Brian