Leaving

The Church sometimes is a word used by those who are Christians to talk about the building that we meet in. But the Church is really a body of believers that have been brought together by God to serve in the advancement of the Kingdom. I don't think that we have taught or emphasized this enough in the past or present. I say this because recently we have lost a couple at our Church that lives right in our community. They attended for a while and the woman was even a part of my Sunday School class. She connected well with others in the class and enjoyed our worship very much. But her husband had a different outlook.

The husband of this couple did not like the intimacy of our medium size Church. So one of my leaders told me in passing that Kyle (not his real name) decided that he and his wife would drive 20 miles one way to go and worship at another Church. Even though we have many new faces of all different age groups coming to the Church right now this still disturbed me. It bothered me because Kyle, his wife, and their child are a part of our community in many significant ways. It bothered me because I firmly believe that you should learn to connect with other Christians in your community and help the Kingdom to grow right where you are. Kyle decided that he would attend an up and coming mega-church where its easy to get lost and you don't have to connect with others as intimately. The old saying is true; "the Church has the thinking of the world in its pews!"

In a world that is increasingly closed off we need to be developing intimate relationships with others. We need this because life is usually overwhelming. We need this because it is God's plan for His people! In Ephesians 4:1-3 the Apostle Paul says "Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to live a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love. Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with peace (NLT)." This should be a simple task, but for many it is not. In our life with others and our life with God we only get back what we are willing to put in.

No matter where you live you need to be connecting with others in one of the nearest churches that believes the word of God to be true. You might have to travel 20 miles or you might just be 5 minutes from a body of believers that God wants to use you in. Those who shop for the Church that they want will probably never know true connection with others and with God. Those who give their best to Churches in their communities will know the love from God and others just like them.

Healed

This past week my wife and I finished doing our taxes. This is the first time in 2 years that we didn't leave the tax office upset. One of the W2's that I turned in is from a former ministry from the Youngstown Ohio area. Doing our taxes this year and seeing the W2 took me back in time to my 2 years of ministry at the Ohio Church. I wish I could say that this was a great experience, but it was not. It was a time of turmoil and frustration. It was a time of learning how people want their own way in the Church and are determined to get it at any cost. Even though the Church frustrated me I still loved many from that body of believers. Even though I probably frustrated some I am still thankful for the experience.

When my wife and I left Ohio we had to pack everything by ourselves. Little did we know until we came back to Illinois (our native land) that we also packed some emotional baggage from our former ministry as well. For some reason we spent the first 2 months still complaining about this former ministry. I suppose that would make us human. But since we are now closing in on a year at our current ministry I have noticed that the pain we had experienced at our former ministry is almost completely gone. Jesus has healed much of our pain and frustration. We had the choice of letting him do that! We had to hand him the box that we packed which was full of our bitterness and anger from the last ministry. We had to make a decision to lay it at his feet and to let him take it away from us. We should have done that in the first month we were back in Illinois, but we did not. Another lesson learned I suppose. But the greatest thing about this bad experience is that it has made us both wiser and it has given us a greater outlook on God's Church.

In Matthew 11:28 Jesus says "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Those are powerful words. Jesus wants me to bring all of my emotional baggage to him on a regular basis. He gives me the choice to do so. When I do I can experience healing. When I do not I will continue to walk in bitterness and anger. I will choose the road less traveled and let Jesus continue to heal me.

Homophob?

I am a routine kind of person. Every morning I get up around 5:15 a.m. and get some coffee and plop down on the couch and watch ESPN. This has been my ritual for about 3 years. This is a quiet time that allows me to catch up on sports and wake up a little before I begin my morning run. This past week I did something that I usually don't do. I switched from ESPN to ESPN2 for a few seconds where the morning show on that channel is one called "MIKE & MIKE IN THE MORNING." One of the Mike's is former NFL star Mike Golic who was an outstanding football player and the other is Mike Greenberg who is a wonderful sports radio personality. The 2 Mike's offer a great mixture of entertainment, analysis, and interviews with this program.

When I flipped the channel last week there was a controversy over former NBA player Time Hardaway who last played for the Miami Heat. The controversy was over some remarks that Hardaway made concerning former NBA player Amaechi and how he felt about homosexual men being in the NBA. It seems that Mike Greenberg was a little upset with Hardaway for stating that he would have never wanted to play with a homosexual player. Greenberg seemed a little upset by these comments by Hardaway and even called him a "homophob." Hardaway readily admitted that he was a homophob and wanted nothing to do with homosexuals in any area of life.

I personally commend Hardaway for being who he really is in a world of Political Correctness, and a world that seems to be submitting to Homosexual Militant tactics for acceptance of their lifestyle. While I enjoy listening to MIKE & MIKE IN THE MORNING I certainly did not want to listen to Mike Greenberg's comments and judgmentalism toward Hardaway when looking to get my morning fill of sports news. Why is it that our culture can bash Christians, but when someone else speaks out about a subject that is slightly sensitive there is turmoil?

The Word of God is clear about Homosexuals and their practices. In the 1st chapter of Romans we find the Apostle Paul making an interesting statement after he plainly calls homosexual practices a sin. "They (homosexuals) are fully aware of God's death penalty for those who do these things, yet they go right ahead and do them anyway. And, worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too." (Romans 1:32, NLT) I personally would never turn a homosexual away from the Church and want to minister to them, but I would not hesitate to tell them that their lifestyle is completely against God's Will for mankind. This is what I teach and preach. I do so out of love because our world wants to have life on its terms instead of submitting to the one who Created them.

As for Mike Greeenberg I wonder why this troubled him so much? I can only think that it is because he is sold out to the Political Correctness attitude of our day. The Old Testament and the New Testament are clear about homosexual practices. Those who engage in them "will not inherit the Kingdom of God!" We should not be unloving or mean when we say this, but we still must say it. As a Pastor I am under the authority of God to preach every facet of His Word. That includes the parts that disturb the culture that I live in. If God did not want us to live by a set of standards then He would not have left us the written word.

Suited For Church

I wear a suit just about every week to Preach in. To tell you the truth I am getting tired of it after only 5 years of ministry. Several months ago I decided that I wanted a change so I decided to wear a new sweater my wife picked out for me with some dockers. What I didn't realize is that one of the oldest women in our congregation was constantly bragging to one of her friends that her Preacher always wore a suit every Sunday Morning. That particular Sunday morning wear I wore my new sweater instead was the Sunday morning that the woman's friend came to church. She mentioned this to me after the service. I didn't even blink when she told me about this, but I sure did laugh all the way home. My wife and I even laughed about it over lunch that afternoon. What is wrong with people in the Church?

The Church is now in the 21st Century and many people have not realized this. Some people dress up just to be noticed. Some because this is what was instilled in them growing up in the Church. Perhaps it's my Gen-X attitude or perhaps it's my years of theological training, but I have come to realize that God does not care about what clothes I am wearing on Sunday morning, He cares about my heart being ready to worship Him!

Isaiah 66:2b states "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word." Throughout the Old Testament and into the New Testament God is more concerned with a persons heart (the interior life) than with any other aspect. Somewhere along the way we have gotten off track with this truth. While I do think that everyone should look presentable on Sunday Mornings I do not think that those who dress up the best are closer to God.

I have decided that within the next year or so I am going to gradually get away from wearing a suit all of the time. I am doing this becuase I don't like to wear a suit every week and also because I want newcomers to feel more relaxed. The Church of the 21st Century needs to be a warm and inviting place. We are hear to preach and teach the Gospel, and the way we dress should be as welcoming as the words of Jesus.