A former parishioner I deeply loved went home to be with the Lord this week. His last few years were difficult. His wife had to be taken from their home due to her health and relocated to a town one hour away. Not long afterward he fell one night in the kitchen. He spent the next years of his life in a care facility. His wife died and he could not attend her funeral. Slowly his body began to waste away and over time so did his mind. When I heard he had died my first thoughts were that he was finally set free from the prison of his body.
He loved Jesus. He followed Him in his days and now is able to see what he had only been able to see by faith for decades. He is free.
Yesterday Brenda and I made the sad trip to visit a beloved friend in the hospital. He is battling cancer and things are not looking good. The doctors say he does not have long. They do not have the last word. God has the last say.
It will take a miracle to restore him but God is in that business. As I watched my friend suffering I thought that whether God heals him or takes him home to heaven he will also be set free. I tossed and turned thinking about him, his wife, and children last night. We served the Lord together and this hit close to home. His kids are my kids' age. He is just a little older than me. He is far too young to battle this horrific disease.
This past year Brenda lost a high school friend to cancer. She battled for nearly a decade but in the end the cancer won. Truthfully all the cancer really did in the end is to set her free to be with Jesus.
I confess that I long to be set free too. Not in a twisted suicidal way. I've lived long enough down here to know the trials will never end. The pains are deep and the sorrows sting. I know that the body wastes away no matter how much time you put in on the treadmill or doing strength training. I face the sad reality that I cannot lift what I could in college. The boys have asked about those days and I wish down deep they could have seen me in my prime but it is not to be. As I get older the outer man is decaying but God is renewing the inner man.
Relationships down here do not last forever. Spouses die. Children are snatched away too soon. Friends graduate to eternity in Jesus before we do often. Some are left to linger behind alone. It is possible to outlive your family, your closest friends, and those who knew you at church. One day you can wake up and come to the sad realization nobody really knows you anymore. Your pastor might have either moved on or died. The new pastor only sees you as a name on the membership roll. Young families active in the church ministry do not know of your former service. They do not know of your labors of love and ceaseless intercessions. They do not see the real you. They only see the grey hair and the wrinkles. They do not know of your deep devotion and love for the Lord. It seems you are forgotten and nobody seems to care anymore. You are imprisoned in your body and mind.
The physical limitations could one day keep us from doing the things we often take for granted. Going grocery shopping. Attending worship services and Bible studies. Reading a the Bible and other good books along listening to inspirational music.
Ultimately this world holds nothing for us. That is why I find myself more and more longing for the true freedom that can only come with Jesus in eternity. Freedom from temptation and sin. Freedom from grief and heart-wrenching sorrow. Freedom from physical pain and chronic disease. Freedom forever.
Until that day Jesus does offer abundant life. Yet even then we are not totally set free. We will not be set free until this mortal puts on immortality and this perishable body is clothed with the imperishable. Then and only then will we truly be set free like my friend Earl was this past week. Life is an endurance race until then but one day all who have trusted Jesus Christ as Savior will be set free. I don't know what the journey will be like until that day but I can't wait.
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Revival Prayer
O Sovereign Lord over every nation,
We plead for you to come and quicken us once again. We have become cold and apathetic in your church. Though we are often busy we are not revived nor effective at expanding your kingdom. Though we study much in your word it is often not applied, not lived out, and not authoritative in our lives. How I plead you would give us a fresh desire for Your word. Not just to read it. To live it. I confess we are hearers of Your word but not doers.
Please strengthen our absolute hatred for every form of sin in our lives, our families, and our churches. I plead with You to search us and try us to see if their be any wicked way in us. Any wicked behavior. Any wicked attitude. Any wicked thoughts. May the meditations of our hearts and minds and the confession of our lips prove honoring to You. Please empower to gain victory over sin and it's mastery over our lives.
I ask You to strengthen conviction in Your church. I pray You would send it with relentless prodding to uncover and uproot every form of evil in us. I ask You to cleanse Your church so we are a spotless bride awaiting You our groom to get us. I ask You to thwart the plans of the enemy to steal, kill, and destroy. I ask You to push back the darkness as we stand as Your light. You said we were to be light. I ask You to stir within Your people all over the nation and the world the desire to expose darkness. May we not cower in the shadows trying not to stick out and seeking to blend in with the culture. May our lives stand in stark contrast to a pagan society just as obvious as the difference between light and darkness.
I pray for power back in the pulpit. I know this will come when Your preachers get on their knees and we give ourselves wholly to prayer. We can preach about prayer. We can study prayer. We teach about it and attend seminars about prayer. We can read extensively on the subject of prayer but what You want us to do is to PRAY! I pray for the echos of prayer to fill the halls of church buildings once again like they did in the Second Great Awakening. I pray You give us the desire to pray more than to eat and more than to sleep. I ask You to wake us anytime of the night to seek You in fervent prayer. I pray for courageous preachers to stand once again behind the pulpit and call their congregations to hold Solemn Assemblies of repentance. I ask You to usher intense conviction. I ask You to break the power of sin strangling Your church from effectiveness.
I ask You to rekindle desire in Your people to worship, to seek You, and to hunger for Your presence as they have never hungered for anything before. You are what we need. You alone satisfy parched hearts and thirsty souls. Please stir in us an insatiable hunger for more of You.
May we grow discontent with mediocre stale, cold, and dead religion. Please send the fire in our souls and let us blaze for You. Please blow across the ashes of our lives and let the embers glow again. Holy Spirit please fan those embers into a flame and may the flame spread from one heart to another.
May we never become distracted by seeking the effects of revival more than we seek You before revival. You are our greatest need. We need to love You, desire You, hunger for You, seek You, and want to fall more in love with You. You alone bring revival. I ask You to do it not because I prayed it, not even because we need it, but because it will bring more glory to Your name and more people into a saving relationship with You. In Jesus name, amen.
We plead for you to come and quicken us once again. We have become cold and apathetic in your church. Though we are often busy we are not revived nor effective at expanding your kingdom. Though we study much in your word it is often not applied, not lived out, and not authoritative in our lives. How I plead you would give us a fresh desire for Your word. Not just to read it. To live it. I confess we are hearers of Your word but not doers.
Please strengthen our absolute hatred for every form of sin in our lives, our families, and our churches. I plead with You to search us and try us to see if their be any wicked way in us. Any wicked behavior. Any wicked attitude. Any wicked thoughts. May the meditations of our hearts and minds and the confession of our lips prove honoring to You. Please empower to gain victory over sin and it's mastery over our lives.
I ask You to strengthen conviction in Your church. I pray You would send it with relentless prodding to uncover and uproot every form of evil in us. I ask You to cleanse Your church so we are a spotless bride awaiting You our groom to get us. I ask You to thwart the plans of the enemy to steal, kill, and destroy. I ask You to push back the darkness as we stand as Your light. You said we were to be light. I ask You to stir within Your people all over the nation and the world the desire to expose darkness. May we not cower in the shadows trying not to stick out and seeking to blend in with the culture. May our lives stand in stark contrast to a pagan society just as obvious as the difference between light and darkness.
I pray for power back in the pulpit. I know this will come when Your preachers get on their knees and we give ourselves wholly to prayer. We can preach about prayer. We can study prayer. We teach about it and attend seminars about prayer. We can read extensively on the subject of prayer but what You want us to do is to PRAY! I pray for the echos of prayer to fill the halls of church buildings once again like they did in the Second Great Awakening. I pray You give us the desire to pray more than to eat and more than to sleep. I ask You to wake us anytime of the night to seek You in fervent prayer. I pray for courageous preachers to stand once again behind the pulpit and call their congregations to hold Solemn Assemblies of repentance. I ask You to usher intense conviction. I ask You to break the power of sin strangling Your church from effectiveness.
I ask You to rekindle desire in Your people to worship, to seek You, and to hunger for Your presence as they have never hungered for anything before. You are what we need. You alone satisfy parched hearts and thirsty souls. Please stir in us an insatiable hunger for more of You.
May we grow discontent with mediocre stale, cold, and dead religion. Please send the fire in our souls and let us blaze for You. Please blow across the ashes of our lives and let the embers glow again. Holy Spirit please fan those embers into a flame and may the flame spread from one heart to another.
May we never become distracted by seeking the effects of revival more than we seek You before revival. You are our greatest need. We need to love You, desire You, hunger for You, seek You, and want to fall more in love with You. You alone bring revival. I ask You to do it not because I prayed it, not even because we need it, but because it will bring more glory to Your name and more people into a saving relationship with You. In Jesus name, amen.
Cleansing
We need a Holy Ghost cleansing in the church today. For far too long we have hid our heads in the sands of our culture in attempt to be more relevant and cutting edge we have lost all concept of holiness. A holy God demands holy lives from His followers.
How many people do you worship with you know are truly set apart and consecrated to God? I bet that will be a pretty short list for most. It ought not be this way. People in the church have lost their appetite for prayer, scripture meditation and application, evangelism, for living lives of purity, and living in full consecration to God for His service.
We need an old fashioned Solemn Assembly where people repent of private sins and the church repents of corporate sins. We need a Holy Ghost cleansing. As long as sin clogs the channel between us and God our power and passion for service will be clogged. We need cleansing so power can flow through our lives and the lives of the church once again.
I start with me and my house. I have repented of sin much over the past several days. I have called my boys into account for the way they are living their lives to see if they take holiness seriously and honoring God as their highest priority. If repentance begins with me it should flow to others. God bring cleansing to our churches and land once again.
How many people do you worship with you know are truly set apart and consecrated to God? I bet that will be a pretty short list for most. It ought not be this way. People in the church have lost their appetite for prayer, scripture meditation and application, evangelism, for living lives of purity, and living in full consecration to God for His service.
We need an old fashioned Solemn Assembly where people repent of private sins and the church repents of corporate sins. We need a Holy Ghost cleansing. As long as sin clogs the channel between us and God our power and passion for service will be clogged. We need cleansing so power can flow through our lives and the lives of the church once again.
I start with me and my house. I have repented of sin much over the past several days. I have called my boys into account for the way they are living their lives to see if they take holiness seriously and honoring God as their highest priority. If repentance begins with me it should flow to others. God bring cleansing to our churches and land once again.
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Hypocrisy Is Killing The Church
Churches are not perfect. Churches are made up of sinners saved by grace. Only some times that grace is cheapened by those who live in blatant hypocrisy. They pretend to honor and serve God on Sunday but use every other day as sinful fun days.
Sexual immorality, adultery, profanity, lustful imaginations, gossip, lying and slander are just a few of the sins named in the church. Some surveys report there is no difference in the lifestyles of many who attend church and pagans outside the faith and the church.
The characters are different but the stories are the same. Someone in the church fails morally. Sometimes it is a pastor or youth pastor. Sometimes it is a deacon. There are other times when sexual sin is found among people in the choir as well as teens in the youth ministry.
The language among those who attend church can be just as foul as the language among those who have no regard for God. The vile talk, crude jokes, and coarse jesting flow from the lips of church people just like those with no relationship with Christ.
There are liars sitting in the pew. They lie to bosses, spouses, parents, and friends. They lie about their own sin, other people, and about their spiritual condition. Hypocrisy is pretending or play acting. People pretend to be followers of Jesus when it suits them but the truth is their behavior testifies to a lifestyle offensive to God.
Hypocrisy is killing the church. It makes the pastor's job that much harder. People outside the church are skeptical. The name of Jesus is shamed and seen as powerless to bring about lasting change. Hypocrisy grieves and quenches the Holy Spirit. Hypocrisy confuses young believers leading them astray off the path of righteousness. Hypocrisy hardens people to the gospel message. Hypocrisy weakens the witness and testimony of the church. Hypocrisy is killing the church but so little is being done about it. It is killing me on the inside.
Church people spend God's money on all sorts of vile entertainment without giving any consideration about how a Holy God feels about the nudity, graphic violence, demonic influence, or the constant stream of profanity. We are exhorted to avoid every appearance of evil. [I Thess 5:22] Church going teenagers and young adults are constantly pushing the envelope about fornication. Girls are just as brazen sexually as guys. One young man recently told a girl to meet him privately after school for a make out session and told what type of underwear she have on. A young lady took nude photos of herself with her cell phone and sent them to a young man who shared that photo with all who wanted to look in the locker room. After a strong message one Sunday a pastor asked a young man if Jesus was real to him. The young man replied indeed He was. The pastor became disheartened to learn one day later of the young man's hypocritical life.
God's word is not taken seriously. Proof? Try these.
As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of the former ignorance but, as the One who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; for it is written, "Be holy, because I am holy." [I Pet 1:14-16]
You have heard it said do not commit adultery, but I tell you, everyone who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with his heart. [Matt 5:27] Lust leads to fantasies. Fantasies lead to plans. Those plans lead to actions.
Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things should not be this way. [James 3:10]
I could go on and on. People gather at the cathedrals of kids basketball gymnasiums and ball diamonds on the Lord's day to bow at the idol of sports. All in an attempt to get their kid noticed for a scholarship to play at the next level. Yet these same people say Jesus is Lord and claim God as their Master. Hypocrisy. Why do they call Jesus Lord when they do not do what He says. Precious kingdom dollars are wasted on temporary games that have no eternal value. Thousands of dollars that could be given to the church or missions are wasted on private coaches, uniforms, hotels, gas, meals, and tournament entry fees. The Sabbath day is no longer remembered or set aside as a holy day. [Ex 20:8]
So called Christian people do not demonstrate love for others. [John 13:34-35] Some piously sit in the pews looking down on others forgetting their own sin and need of a Savior.
Hypocrisy is killing the church. Books are seldom written about it and preaches are strangely silent on this topic. Not heard Joel Osteen say or write anything on this topic. It might effect attendance figures or book sales.
It is time for judgment to begin in the house of God. [I Pet 4:17] Shame on preachers who will not preach against sin and call people to holiness. Shame on Christians who wink at the sin in their own lives as well as in the lives of others. Shame on church members who live double standard lives. Shame on church leadership who seldom call people to give an accounting for the way they live and the testimony they are living.
REPENTANCE IS IN ORDER. HYPOCRITES FALL TO YOUR KNEES IN AGONIZING REPENTANCE PLEADING FOR GOD'S MERCY POURED OUT ON YOUR SOUL. Hypocrisy is killing the church and I can't stand it anymore.
Sexual immorality, adultery, profanity, lustful imaginations, gossip, lying and slander are just a few of the sins named in the church. Some surveys report there is no difference in the lifestyles of many who attend church and pagans outside the faith and the church.
The characters are different but the stories are the same. Someone in the church fails morally. Sometimes it is a pastor or youth pastor. Sometimes it is a deacon. There are other times when sexual sin is found among people in the choir as well as teens in the youth ministry.
The language among those who attend church can be just as foul as the language among those who have no regard for God. The vile talk, crude jokes, and coarse jesting flow from the lips of church people just like those with no relationship with Christ.
There are liars sitting in the pew. They lie to bosses, spouses, parents, and friends. They lie about their own sin, other people, and about their spiritual condition. Hypocrisy is pretending or play acting. People pretend to be followers of Jesus when it suits them but the truth is their behavior testifies to a lifestyle offensive to God.
Hypocrisy is killing the church. It makes the pastor's job that much harder. People outside the church are skeptical. The name of Jesus is shamed and seen as powerless to bring about lasting change. Hypocrisy grieves and quenches the Holy Spirit. Hypocrisy confuses young believers leading them astray off the path of righteousness. Hypocrisy hardens people to the gospel message. Hypocrisy weakens the witness and testimony of the church. Hypocrisy is killing the church but so little is being done about it. It is killing me on the inside.
Church people spend God's money on all sorts of vile entertainment without giving any consideration about how a Holy God feels about the nudity, graphic violence, demonic influence, or the constant stream of profanity. We are exhorted to avoid every appearance of evil. [I Thess 5:22] Church going teenagers and young adults are constantly pushing the envelope about fornication. Girls are just as brazen sexually as guys. One young man recently told a girl to meet him privately after school for a make out session and told what type of underwear she have on. A young lady took nude photos of herself with her cell phone and sent them to a young man who shared that photo with all who wanted to look in the locker room. After a strong message one Sunday a pastor asked a young man if Jesus was real to him. The young man replied indeed He was. The pastor became disheartened to learn one day later of the young man's hypocritical life.
God's word is not taken seriously. Proof? Try these.
As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of the former ignorance but, as the One who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; for it is written, "Be holy, because I am holy." [I Pet 1:14-16]
You have heard it said do not commit adultery, but I tell you, everyone who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with his heart. [Matt 5:27] Lust leads to fantasies. Fantasies lead to plans. Those plans lead to actions.
Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things should not be this way. [James 3:10]
I could go on and on. People gather at the cathedrals of kids basketball gymnasiums and ball diamonds on the Lord's day to bow at the idol of sports. All in an attempt to get their kid noticed for a scholarship to play at the next level. Yet these same people say Jesus is Lord and claim God as their Master. Hypocrisy. Why do they call Jesus Lord when they do not do what He says. Precious kingdom dollars are wasted on temporary games that have no eternal value. Thousands of dollars that could be given to the church or missions are wasted on private coaches, uniforms, hotels, gas, meals, and tournament entry fees. The Sabbath day is no longer remembered or set aside as a holy day. [Ex 20:8]
So called Christian people do not demonstrate love for others. [John 13:34-35] Some piously sit in the pews looking down on others forgetting their own sin and need of a Savior.
Hypocrisy is killing the church. Books are seldom written about it and preaches are strangely silent on this topic. Not heard Joel Osteen say or write anything on this topic. It might effect attendance figures or book sales.
It is time for judgment to begin in the house of God. [I Pet 4:17] Shame on preachers who will not preach against sin and call people to holiness. Shame on Christians who wink at the sin in their own lives as well as in the lives of others. Shame on church members who live double standard lives. Shame on church leadership who seldom call people to give an accounting for the way they live and the testimony they are living.
REPENTANCE IS IN ORDER. HYPOCRITES FALL TO YOUR KNEES IN AGONIZING REPENTANCE PLEADING FOR GOD'S MERCY POURED OUT ON YOUR SOUL. Hypocrisy is killing the church and I can't stand it anymore.
Friday, April 11, 2014
The GIft Of Sight
I spent the last few hours at the eye doctor having more tests done on my eyes. The doctors are all now convinced I lived with Diabetes for a long time without it being diagnosed. The damage to my eyes is irreversible unless God chooses to do a miracle. I became increasingly concerned this week when early one morning I had trouble reading my Bible and seeing my computer screen. This prompted an early visit to my retina doctor. The good news is things are not getting worse. The bad news is that what damage has been done cannot be undone apart from God's intervention and there is a chance this will impair my vision increasingly as I grow older. Though it is not something we are considering now but the thought lingers periodically in the back of my mind that one day I could lose my sight.
That caused me to do a lot of soul searching about the gift of sight. With the gift of sight I can behold my wife and kids. With these eyes I witnessed my beautiful bride walking down the aisle of FBC Hurst on June 29, 1991. With these eyes I gave sight to the gift of not one but four boys on the days they were born. With the gift of sight I have been able to watch the boys play ball, golf, power lift, and run track. With my eyes I have enjoyed majestic mountains, deep blue oceans, desert plains, dense Pine thickets, and rolling hills of pasture land. With these eyes I have been moved and inspired by movies, been able to get an education, write some books, and prepare sermons.
Nothing is more precious to me than God's gift of sight to read scripture. That is what bothered me the most last week when I got up to have my time with the Lord and I could not see clearly enought to make out one word of one verse of scripture. This alarmed me. I could not imagine a life where I could not see to read scripture. That is a gift I do not want to take for granted.
There is one thing I am looking to more. That is the day when my eyes will be perfectly healed and I give sight to my Lord Jesus. In that moment all the trials, all the sufferings, all the sorrows, all the set backs, all the heartaches, and all the frustrations will be worth it a thousand times when I can see Jesus. So whether God chooses to heal my sight and preserve it through the length of my days or He wills me to endure life without sight I know one day I will be perfectly healed. It could be down here but most certainly it will be in eternity and there I will see the most beautiful sight these eyes will have ever beheld in the glorified Jesus. That is a gift I cannot wait to see.
That caused me to do a lot of soul searching about the gift of sight. With the gift of sight I can behold my wife and kids. With these eyes I witnessed my beautiful bride walking down the aisle of FBC Hurst on June 29, 1991. With these eyes I gave sight to the gift of not one but four boys on the days they were born. With the gift of sight I have been able to watch the boys play ball, golf, power lift, and run track. With my eyes I have enjoyed majestic mountains, deep blue oceans, desert plains, dense Pine thickets, and rolling hills of pasture land. With these eyes I have been moved and inspired by movies, been able to get an education, write some books, and prepare sermons.
Nothing is more precious to me than God's gift of sight to read scripture. That is what bothered me the most last week when I got up to have my time with the Lord and I could not see clearly enought to make out one word of one verse of scripture. This alarmed me. I could not imagine a life where I could not see to read scripture. That is a gift I do not want to take for granted.
There is one thing I am looking to more. That is the day when my eyes will be perfectly healed and I give sight to my Lord Jesus. In that moment all the trials, all the sufferings, all the sorrows, all the set backs, all the heartaches, and all the frustrations will be worth it a thousand times when I can see Jesus. So whether God chooses to heal my sight and preserve it through the length of my days or He wills me to endure life without sight I know one day I will be perfectly healed. It could be down here but most certainly it will be in eternity and there I will see the most beautiful sight these eyes will have ever beheld in the glorified Jesus. That is a gift I cannot wait to see.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Climbing Out Of The Pit
As you walk with the Lord you go through seasons of intense intimacy as well as other seasons of distance and discouragement. God is Lord over both seasons. There are times when you win victory after victory as you scale the summit of your circumstances. There are those other times when you find yourself in the pit of destruction bogged down by the miry clay.
I suspect there are many reading this who find themselves in the pit. For some you have been there for a long time. Other attempts to get out have not been fruitful. Though you are weary of the pit you are growing more comfortable there. The effort to climb out seems too much to try again and fail and the walls seem impossible to scale.
If you are one those people I have a scripture for you. I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay; and He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. [Ps 40:1-2]
In this passage there are things we are supposed to do diligently. First, we are to wait on the Lord. More than that we are to wait on the Lord patiently. That means to look expectantly toward the future. But what if you have been in the pit of destruction for as long as you can remember. In the past you did wait looking with expectation for God to help you out and He did not rescue you. After awhile it became easier not to expect deliverance and you learned to cope with life in the pit of destruction. You made the best of your misery. That became easier to cope with than the constant disappointment of God not rescuing you.
God challenges those in the pit to not only wait but to wait patiently. This will require endurance and perseverance. A person has to stay spiritually and mentally strong to wait patiently. The only way to do this is to transform your mind with the word of God as you meditate on it day in and day out. I think of Joseph enduring years in slavery and imprisoned in a dungeon. I think of faithful servants like John Bunyan in prison and writing the classic book Pilgrim's Progress. I am reminded of Bonhoeffer, also imprisoned, in Nazi Germany but using that time to write books that still touch and challenge people. .
The next thing we are called to do is to cry out to God. We unload the anguish in our hearts. We cast our burdens on the Lord in fervent faith filled praying. [Ps 55:22] Even when we have already done that more times than we can count. We ask. We seek. We knock. We keep asking. We keep seeking. We keep knocking. We cry out to God in faith over and over again. We keep waiting and believing God will bring us out of the pit eventually. He will enable us to climb out one day. It might not be this day or tomorrow but one day we will grip the edge and climb out to a new beginning. We look to that day.
Now what does God promise to do for us. First, He inclines to hear those anguished cries. That means He the superior stoops down to pay attention to us the inferior. Some of you might reason, "If He is listening why doesn't He do something? Why doesn't He bring me out like I have pleaded repeatedly?"
While I may not be able to give a satisfactory answer to those questions, I do trust that while God may be silent that does not mean that He is absent. He listens. He pays attention. In His perfect time He will act. In God's timing David was delivered from the pit of destruction. God brought Him out. A new day dawned. He was set free. David lived to see better days.
From the pit all you can see are the walls around you. You lose perspective. Inside the pit there is pain, depression, hopelessness, frustration, and doubt. Outside the pit there is joy, hope, peace, and faith. We are not meant to live in the pit forever.
Here is a sad truth. Some of us are in the pit of destruction due to consequences of our own choosing. We sinned. We decided. We walked down the path God forbid. We sowed to the wind and we reaped the whirlwind in the pit of destruction. If you are in the pit for that reason I thank God His grace is sufficient. His grace is greater than our sin. There is forgiveness. There are second chances.
Others are in the pit because of the sinful choices of others. God can be trusted to be a very present help for us in those times. He does not abandon us even when we are in the pit we did not choose but someone chose for us. He is our strength and refuge.
There are other times we find ourselves in the pit for testing and character development. I praise God those painful lessons do not last forever. Once we have learned what we need for God's next assignment He will bring us out of the pit.
For those in the pit you will not remain there forever. Take hope in that truth. The day will come when after painful sobbing prayers have been lifted you will feel the hand of God grip you firmly and pull you out. He will put your feet on firm ground once again. That is the day we look for. Some of us may not feel and experience that until God lifts us from this life into eternity. One moment in eternity will make us forget the long days in the pit. For most of us the deliverance from the pit will come sooner. Both will be a day of celebration. Either celebration in eternity or celebration in the here and now. That will be a day of rejoicing. One day God will help us climb out of the pit. Let us wait patiently for that day.
I suspect there are many reading this who find themselves in the pit. For some you have been there for a long time. Other attempts to get out have not been fruitful. Though you are weary of the pit you are growing more comfortable there. The effort to climb out seems too much to try again and fail and the walls seem impossible to scale.
If you are one those people I have a scripture for you. I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay; and He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. [Ps 40:1-2]
In this passage there are things we are supposed to do diligently. First, we are to wait on the Lord. More than that we are to wait on the Lord patiently. That means to look expectantly toward the future. But what if you have been in the pit of destruction for as long as you can remember. In the past you did wait looking with expectation for God to help you out and He did not rescue you. After awhile it became easier not to expect deliverance and you learned to cope with life in the pit of destruction. You made the best of your misery. That became easier to cope with than the constant disappointment of God not rescuing you.
God challenges those in the pit to not only wait but to wait patiently. This will require endurance and perseverance. A person has to stay spiritually and mentally strong to wait patiently. The only way to do this is to transform your mind with the word of God as you meditate on it day in and day out. I think of Joseph enduring years in slavery and imprisoned in a dungeon. I think of faithful servants like John Bunyan in prison and writing the classic book Pilgrim's Progress. I am reminded of Bonhoeffer, also imprisoned, in Nazi Germany but using that time to write books that still touch and challenge people. .
The next thing we are called to do is to cry out to God. We unload the anguish in our hearts. We cast our burdens on the Lord in fervent faith filled praying. [Ps 55:22] Even when we have already done that more times than we can count. We ask. We seek. We knock. We keep asking. We keep seeking. We keep knocking. We cry out to God in faith over and over again. We keep waiting and believing God will bring us out of the pit eventually. He will enable us to climb out one day. It might not be this day or tomorrow but one day we will grip the edge and climb out to a new beginning. We look to that day.
Now what does God promise to do for us. First, He inclines to hear those anguished cries. That means He the superior stoops down to pay attention to us the inferior. Some of you might reason, "If He is listening why doesn't He do something? Why doesn't He bring me out like I have pleaded repeatedly?"
While I may not be able to give a satisfactory answer to those questions, I do trust that while God may be silent that does not mean that He is absent. He listens. He pays attention. In His perfect time He will act. In God's timing David was delivered from the pit of destruction. God brought Him out. A new day dawned. He was set free. David lived to see better days.
From the pit all you can see are the walls around you. You lose perspective. Inside the pit there is pain, depression, hopelessness, frustration, and doubt. Outside the pit there is joy, hope, peace, and faith. We are not meant to live in the pit forever.
Here is a sad truth. Some of us are in the pit of destruction due to consequences of our own choosing. We sinned. We decided. We walked down the path God forbid. We sowed to the wind and we reaped the whirlwind in the pit of destruction. If you are in the pit for that reason I thank God His grace is sufficient. His grace is greater than our sin. There is forgiveness. There are second chances.
Others are in the pit because of the sinful choices of others. God can be trusted to be a very present help for us in those times. He does not abandon us even when we are in the pit we did not choose but someone chose for us. He is our strength and refuge.
There are other times we find ourselves in the pit for testing and character development. I praise God those painful lessons do not last forever. Once we have learned what we need for God's next assignment He will bring us out of the pit.
For those in the pit you will not remain there forever. Take hope in that truth. The day will come when after painful sobbing prayers have been lifted you will feel the hand of God grip you firmly and pull you out. He will put your feet on firm ground once again. That is the day we look for. Some of us may not feel and experience that until God lifts us from this life into eternity. One moment in eternity will make us forget the long days in the pit. For most of us the deliverance from the pit will come sooner. Both will be a day of celebration. Either celebration in eternity or celebration in the here and now. That will be a day of rejoicing. One day God will help us climb out of the pit. Let us wait patiently for that day.
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
The Ugly Side Of Church
Once you get past the stained glass windows, the padded pews, the grand pianos, the ornate decorations, and the hand crafted furniture, there is often an ugly side of church. You may not see it when you walk into the building but stick around long enough and you will see it. Few talk about it. I have seen the damage done. I have also felt the crushing effects of church gone wrong. I have not only shed a few tears myself but, more heart wrenchingly, watched fellow brothers and sisters be devastated and abused by wicked churches.
In the ugly side of church you have power mongering people who will lie, manipulate, gossip, and stir up division to gain control and to have their own way. They use bullying tactics to run off preachers, youth ministers, and worship pastors. They are quick to scrutinize the faults of ministers but are seldom held accountable for their ungodly tactics. These men and women will stop at nothing to have their own way. How many pastors and their families were wined and dined to come to a church only to be brutally attacked and forced to resign a few years later. We in the ministry refer to this as the honeymoon being over. In the beginning everybody loves you and wants you. In the end in some cancerous congregations they cannot get rid of you fast enough.
These broken servants of God are becoming more and more disillusioned with the church. It is the same story over and over again no matter the name out front, the city or state, or how impressive the facilities. LADIES AND GENTLEMAN. IT IS NOT ALWAYS THE PASTOR'S FAULT. Some churches are dead. Some churches have horrible reputations in their communities because of how they treat pastors and fuss and fight with one another all the time. Some churches are known for their hypocrisy in the community. A new pastor cannot fix problems that have been around for decades. You might as well write ICHABOD [I Sam 4:21] over the doors post of some sanctuaries. Yes, the glory of God has certainly departed from some congregations.
I recently talked with a friend from many years ago in a church I used to serve. That church fought with one another and split I don't know how many times. When I served there the attendance was strong. Things were exciting. Then the fussing and fighting started. In a sanctuary that can hold over 400 people how sad that on a good Sunday now they have about 40 and on low Sundays drop down to 15.
How can God bless churches where men and women fight to maintain control never surrendering to His leadership. God is not welcome to lead or to move in His very own house! In so many of these churches the bullies are really cowards. They do their dirty work in secret meetings, through private telephone calls, and evil emails. Does it ever cross anyone's mind that God hates the sin of stirring up division among the brothers? [Prov 6:16-19] Where is the reality of Jesus words being demonstrated in some churches when He said, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples if you have love for one another." [Jn 13:34-35]
Some of the meanest and most hateful people I have even known have been church members. I hesitate to call them Christians because there is very little spiritual fruit evident in their lives. The fruit of the flesh is on full display in these people in many churches. Nobody ever says a word to oppose them or confront them for their sinful actions. No matter how much hurt and damage they do people remain tight lipped. No matter how many lives they destroy, how much division they stir up, and how they bring shame on the name of Christ and the church nobody does anything about it.
A youth pastor friend of mine recently received an anonymous letter in the mail. It simply said, "You would be wise to resign." What a coward to write such a letter and not have the guts to sign their name. Two weeks later my friend was forced to resign over "personality conflicts." WHAT? This recent development comes after three other similar experiences in other hell churches. He has nowhere to go and is now forced to finish out the school year with his family in a community that has ripped his heart to shreds. He is contemplating leaving the ministry. Do you blame him. Over two years ago this same church made promises to my friend to get him to come. Promises they did not keep by the way. Now they force him to resign or he gets fired. Ironically I preached in that same church some time ago. I have seldom walked into more beautiful church facilities. O but there is an ugly side to that church lurking in the shadows.
Yes, there is an ugly side of church. A side where lives are crushed. Where grace is never extended. Where ungodly people connive to get power and are put in powerful positions and never called to account for attitudes and actions that do not honor Christ. It is much easier to attack the pastor or other staff members and run them off. There is an ugly side to church. A side where Satan rules and steals, kills, and destroys. There is an ugly side of church where intimidation and bullying take place that would never be tolerated in public schools.
Yet Sunday after Sunday people gather in these places to put on the facade of worship. They will dress in their Sunday best while shooting daggers at the pastor or other staff members from their perch in the pew. They strut around in God's presence seeking the glory for themselves. What a sham.
I thank God I have known some good churches. I thank God I have been blessed to serve in a couple of them. I have also been in some bad churches where the people are fickle and hatred supplanted love in those congregations. When will the people of God say enough? When will we take Matthew 18:15-17 seriously? When will the ungodly be held accountable and disciplined by the people in the pews.
To be fair I know there are some wicked pastors and staff just like there are some wicked church members. That is another topic for another day.
There is an ugly side to church and it is a foul stench in the nostrils of the communities they supposedly serve. REPENTANCE IS IN ORDER STARING WITH THE HOUSE OF GOD. If you are a part of such a church and you do not stand for truth and honor God shame on you. Many are leaving the ministry because they have experienced the ugly side of church over and over again. Ironic that the place where love, grace, mercy, and compassion are supposed to be championed in local churches these things are often hard to find. REPENTANCE IS THE NEED OF THE DAY. Repentance for the damage done to preachers and their families. Repentance for the damage done in the community. Repentance for division and for putting ungodly people in places of leadership.
In the ugly side of church you have power mongering people who will lie, manipulate, gossip, and stir up division to gain control and to have their own way. They use bullying tactics to run off preachers, youth ministers, and worship pastors. They are quick to scrutinize the faults of ministers but are seldom held accountable for their ungodly tactics. These men and women will stop at nothing to have their own way. How many pastors and their families were wined and dined to come to a church only to be brutally attacked and forced to resign a few years later. We in the ministry refer to this as the honeymoon being over. In the beginning everybody loves you and wants you. In the end in some cancerous congregations they cannot get rid of you fast enough.
These broken servants of God are becoming more and more disillusioned with the church. It is the same story over and over again no matter the name out front, the city or state, or how impressive the facilities. LADIES AND GENTLEMAN. IT IS NOT ALWAYS THE PASTOR'S FAULT. Some churches are dead. Some churches have horrible reputations in their communities because of how they treat pastors and fuss and fight with one another all the time. Some churches are known for their hypocrisy in the community. A new pastor cannot fix problems that have been around for decades. You might as well write ICHABOD [I Sam 4:21] over the doors post of some sanctuaries. Yes, the glory of God has certainly departed from some congregations.
I recently talked with a friend from many years ago in a church I used to serve. That church fought with one another and split I don't know how many times. When I served there the attendance was strong. Things were exciting. Then the fussing and fighting started. In a sanctuary that can hold over 400 people how sad that on a good Sunday now they have about 40 and on low Sundays drop down to 15.
How can God bless churches where men and women fight to maintain control never surrendering to His leadership. God is not welcome to lead or to move in His very own house! In so many of these churches the bullies are really cowards. They do their dirty work in secret meetings, through private telephone calls, and evil emails. Does it ever cross anyone's mind that God hates the sin of stirring up division among the brothers? [Prov 6:16-19] Where is the reality of Jesus words being demonstrated in some churches when He said, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples if you have love for one another." [Jn 13:34-35]
Some of the meanest and most hateful people I have even known have been church members. I hesitate to call them Christians because there is very little spiritual fruit evident in their lives. The fruit of the flesh is on full display in these people in many churches. Nobody ever says a word to oppose them or confront them for their sinful actions. No matter how much hurt and damage they do people remain tight lipped. No matter how many lives they destroy, how much division they stir up, and how they bring shame on the name of Christ and the church nobody does anything about it.
A youth pastor friend of mine recently received an anonymous letter in the mail. It simply said, "You would be wise to resign." What a coward to write such a letter and not have the guts to sign their name. Two weeks later my friend was forced to resign over "personality conflicts." WHAT? This recent development comes after three other similar experiences in other hell churches. He has nowhere to go and is now forced to finish out the school year with his family in a community that has ripped his heart to shreds. He is contemplating leaving the ministry. Do you blame him. Over two years ago this same church made promises to my friend to get him to come. Promises they did not keep by the way. Now they force him to resign or he gets fired. Ironically I preached in that same church some time ago. I have seldom walked into more beautiful church facilities. O but there is an ugly side to that church lurking in the shadows.
Yes, there is an ugly side of church. A side where lives are crushed. Where grace is never extended. Where ungodly people connive to get power and are put in powerful positions and never called to account for attitudes and actions that do not honor Christ. It is much easier to attack the pastor or other staff members and run them off. There is an ugly side to church. A side where Satan rules and steals, kills, and destroys. There is an ugly side of church where intimidation and bullying take place that would never be tolerated in public schools.
Yet Sunday after Sunday people gather in these places to put on the facade of worship. They will dress in their Sunday best while shooting daggers at the pastor or other staff members from their perch in the pew. They strut around in God's presence seeking the glory for themselves. What a sham.
I thank God I have known some good churches. I thank God I have been blessed to serve in a couple of them. I have also been in some bad churches where the people are fickle and hatred supplanted love in those congregations. When will the people of God say enough? When will we take Matthew 18:15-17 seriously? When will the ungodly be held accountable and disciplined by the people in the pews.
To be fair I know there are some wicked pastors and staff just like there are some wicked church members. That is another topic for another day.
There is an ugly side to church and it is a foul stench in the nostrils of the communities they supposedly serve. REPENTANCE IS IN ORDER STARING WITH THE HOUSE OF GOD. If you are a part of such a church and you do not stand for truth and honor God shame on you. Many are leaving the ministry because they have experienced the ugly side of church over and over again. Ironic that the place where love, grace, mercy, and compassion are supposed to be championed in local churches these things are often hard to find. REPENTANCE IS THE NEED OF THE DAY. Repentance for the damage done to preachers and their families. Repentance for the damage done in the community. Repentance for division and for putting ungodly people in places of leadership.
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