The Presidential election is about one year away. I don’t know about you, but I’m already sick and tired of all the politicking! When all is said and done, one of those 3,345,879 who are running will finally get elected and the rest of us will get back to pre-election living again…for at least four years, until the whole thing starts up once more!
I’m not the most politically savvy person in Illinois, but after digesting all the stuff on TV, the pamphlets in my mailbox and numerous email tidbits, I’ve decided to throw my personal support behind Mike Huckabee. He’s a conservative, a Christian, AND a former pastor! How can we possibly go wrong? I believe he’s the only true, genuinely authentic person running (he doesn’t have enough money to hide behind marketing gurus.) It really is a clear cut case of “what you see is what you get.”
I hope he gets elected (even though Pat Robertson and some others still think he’s unelectable) and I hope he straightens Washington up a little- God knows it could use it! My only other wish is that the election were THIS WEEK so we wouldn’t have to put up with one more political commercial OR a mailbox overflowing with stuff fit only for the bottom of the birdcage. Here’s to ya, Mike!
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Monday, November 19, 2007
Discern or be deceived
If you’ve been in our church for any length of time, you’ve heard me often say that the most necessary “spiritual” gift today is discernment. One of the definitions of the word “discern” is, “to detect with senses other than vision.” Those of us who are Christians know how appropriate that definition is when it comes to spiritual matters. As believers, the “sense” with which we detect is, of course, the Holy Spirit.
It’s been said that common sense isn’t all that common anymore. Unfortunately, the same thing can be said for spiritual discernment. Admittedly, some are gifted with an unusual sense of discernment, but I believe the way scripture encourages it’s use, ALL BELIEVERS have the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit AND SHOULD be able to discern what’s going on around them.
I am constantly amazed at the ignorance that is so prevalent in the Body of Christ. It seems we accept most any book or teaching that has ANYTHING to do with spiritual matters, even though many of them speak NOT of the Holy Spirit we're supposed to possess. A perfect case in point are all the books dealing with angels (that we gobble up like candy), as well as those that seem to recount graphic, exciting, ear-tickling sojourns into either heaven or hell. Come on people, for heaven’s sake! Does God need to depend on cheap paperback books to get His truth across?
I suppose one of the things that holds us back from practicing discernment is the fear of being guilty of judging others. If that is our problem, then we misunderstand the discernment Scripture speaks of. When we discern, we’re not “judging” the person, rather, we’re discerning (or judging) the spirit behind the person. When Jesus said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men…" He was not chastising Peter, but the Satanic spirit that motivated Peter.
We need to understand that hypocritical judgment IS warned against in the Bible, but spiritual discernment is greatly encouraged. Unless we start practicing it soon, the future of the Church of Christ is bleak indeed.
It’s been said that common sense isn’t all that common anymore. Unfortunately, the same thing can be said for spiritual discernment. Admittedly, some are gifted with an unusual sense of discernment, but I believe the way scripture encourages it’s use, ALL BELIEVERS have the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit AND SHOULD be able to discern what’s going on around them.
I am constantly amazed at the ignorance that is so prevalent in the Body of Christ. It seems we accept most any book or teaching that has ANYTHING to do with spiritual matters, even though many of them speak NOT of the Holy Spirit we're supposed to possess. A perfect case in point are all the books dealing with angels (that we gobble up like candy), as well as those that seem to recount graphic, exciting, ear-tickling sojourns into either heaven or hell. Come on people, for heaven’s sake! Does God need to depend on cheap paperback books to get His truth across?
I suppose one of the things that holds us back from practicing discernment is the fear of being guilty of judging others. If that is our problem, then we misunderstand the discernment Scripture speaks of. When we discern, we’re not “judging” the person, rather, we’re discerning (or judging) the spirit behind the person. When Jesus said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men…" He was not chastising Peter, but the Satanic spirit that motivated Peter.
We need to understand that hypocritical judgment IS warned against in the Bible, but spiritual discernment is greatly encouraged. Unless we start practicing it soon, the future of the Church of Christ is bleak indeed.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
I gotta tell you, if my name were Creflo "Dollar" I might think twice about preaching a health, wealth and prosperity gospel (or at least consider changing my name)!
I wonder how Jesus would feel if He attended some of our churches where all we preach is positive, feel good stuff? I think he might feel a little out of place, since the BULK of His ministry was about sacrificing, serving and selflessness. I find it hard to believe that new cars, fancy homes and expensive clothes meant very much to Him. If you don't believe me, remember what He said to those who brazenly declared they would follow Him before they considered the cost- "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has NO PLACE to lay His head." (Matt. 8:20)
How sad that the only way we can build churches these days is by promising people that which we cannot deliver! Is it any wonder so many start the walk of faith and then peter out before our eyes? If we're preaching lies, (and believing them) we deserve exactly what we get!
Rev. Dollar, proclaimer of a distorted, ego-centric gospel, finds himself under investigation by some in the U.S. Senate. What have we come to, when the church has to depend on the government to police her, instead of us policing ourselves?
Sadder still is the lack of discernment among so-called followers of Christ! They sit week after week in these services OR they stay glued to their TV sets, hoping that some of the gold and glitter will come their way! I think the thing that REALLY rankles me is when these guys and gals claim that their big homes, numerous cars and private jets are the blessings of the Lord! Nothing could be further from the truth! Those aren't the blessings of the Lord- they were paid for by silly, easily-duped, naive, wanna-be's who will go without food so their favorite TV evangelist can make the next payment on his jet!
Dollar claims that his lavish lifestyle is funded NOT by the church, but by his investments. Creflo, where did the money come from in the first place to fund those investments? I love his response to questions about his lifestyle- "It may be excessive, but that doesn't mean its wrong!" I wonder how Jesus would respond to that answer? (remember- the guy who didn't own a home, depended on others for food, slept out in the open, and the fanciest transportation He ever had was a donkey?)
Forgive me for sounding irritated, BUT I AM! When throngs of women (and some men) will sit with mouths agape for hours on end- soaking up every word Joyce Meyer says, without employing any kind of Biblical hermaneutic to determine if what she's saying is scriptural or not, is it any wonder our Christianity in America is so incredibly shallow? I guess when you sit on a $23,000 toilet you can most anything and get away with it.
I've been in foreign countries where people live in cardboard boxes, and do their business in a hole in the ground. I wonder how the promise of a new car or fancy house would play in those places- where just getting food for their next meal is their greatest challenge. Oh, I forgot- the only reason they live that way is because, "They don't have enough faith!"
Scripture declares "it is time for judgment to begin with the Family of God." While I'm not a proponent of the Senate interferring in church business, this may be one of those times when Washington REALLY IS being directed by the Hand of God!
I wonder how Jesus would feel if He attended some of our churches where all we preach is positive, feel good stuff? I think he might feel a little out of place, since the BULK of His ministry was about sacrificing, serving and selflessness. I find it hard to believe that new cars, fancy homes and expensive clothes meant very much to Him. If you don't believe me, remember what He said to those who brazenly declared they would follow Him before they considered the cost- "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has NO PLACE to lay His head." (Matt. 8:20)
How sad that the only way we can build churches these days is by promising people that which we cannot deliver! Is it any wonder so many start the walk of faith and then peter out before our eyes? If we're preaching lies, (and believing them) we deserve exactly what we get!
Rev. Dollar, proclaimer of a distorted, ego-centric gospel, finds himself under investigation by some in the U.S. Senate. What have we come to, when the church has to depend on the government to police her, instead of us policing ourselves?
Sadder still is the lack of discernment among so-called followers of Christ! They sit week after week in these services OR they stay glued to their TV sets, hoping that some of the gold and glitter will come their way! I think the thing that REALLY rankles me is when these guys and gals claim that their big homes, numerous cars and private jets are the blessings of the Lord! Nothing could be further from the truth! Those aren't the blessings of the Lord- they were paid for by silly, easily-duped, naive, wanna-be's who will go without food so their favorite TV evangelist can make the next payment on his jet!
Dollar claims that his lavish lifestyle is funded NOT by the church, but by his investments. Creflo, where did the money come from in the first place to fund those investments? I love his response to questions about his lifestyle- "It may be excessive, but that doesn't mean its wrong!" I wonder how Jesus would respond to that answer? (remember- the guy who didn't own a home, depended on others for food, slept out in the open, and the fanciest transportation He ever had was a donkey?)
Forgive me for sounding irritated, BUT I AM! When throngs of women (and some men) will sit with mouths agape for hours on end- soaking up every word Joyce Meyer says, without employing any kind of Biblical hermaneutic to determine if what she's saying is scriptural or not, is it any wonder our Christianity in America is so incredibly shallow? I guess when you sit on a $23,000 toilet you can most anything and get away with it.
I've been in foreign countries where people live in cardboard boxes, and do their business in a hole in the ground. I wonder how the promise of a new car or fancy house would play in those places- where just getting food for their next meal is their greatest challenge. Oh, I forgot- the only reason they live that way is because, "They don't have enough faith!"
Scripture declares "it is time for judgment to begin with the Family of God." While I'm not a proponent of the Senate interferring in church business, this may be one of those times when Washington REALLY IS being directed by the Hand of God!
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
The musings of an old church-observer
Getting older alters your perspective on life, especially church life. For example, I've done this "pastoring" thing long enough to know that change is inevitable, no matter how secure we think the present might be. The wheel, somehow, always turns full circle.
Case in point is the revelation by the leaders of Willowcreek Community Church that many of their methods have not produced the fruit they were hoping for. While the same thing can be said for every ministry, one with the reputation of Willowcreek deserves paying attention to. As the old commercial reminded us- "When E. F. Hutton speaks (in this case, Hybels) people listen!"
I remember when the Seeker-Sensitive approach was all the rage in the church! Because of our desire to build bigger churches, so many of us hopped on board this latest spiritual "fad," hoping to replicate the success of Willowcreek. To their credit, Willow's leaders never guaranteed that their methods were for everyone or that they would work in every situation. Nonetheless, traditions, styles, programs that had been in place for decades, were tossed overboard overnight, in an attempt to recreate what seemingly had worked in South Barrington, Illinois.
In all fairness, many of those programs DESERVED to be thrown overboard- they were more of a liability than an asset. Quite frankly a lot of the methods we'd employed for years were NOT working. If nothing else, the Seeker-Sensitive style forced us to do some necessary housecleaning- much to the chagrin of many, dusty, stuck-in a-rut, "I Shall NOT be Moved" old timers.
Being somewhat stubborn, I was one of those who refused to hop on board the Willowcreek bandwagon. Not that their passion- to reach the lost- was wrong, but I seriously questioned some of their methods. I just can't remember anywhere in scripture where we're told to let the audience determine what we do and how we do it. I believe the Bible is clear that only GOD has that prerogative. Yes, we need to be relevant, but merely being relevant without pressing home the truth, and making disciples, misses the mark by a wide margin.
Now we hear that Willow's leadership has come to the realization that perhaps their methods weren't all they were cracked up to be. Hearing that DOES bring with it a certain sense of vindication to those of us who stubbornly refused to go along with the program, but at the same time, it fills me with sadness. Sadness over the many churches and lives that were turned upside down by what happened so quickly to so many. Sadness over the fact that quality programs and ministries- those that really DID work- were tossed aside in favor of something that, apparently, has failed to produce long-term results. And sadness over the realization that once again, the church has to recover from a setback of this magnitude. I understand many of the national secular magazines have already done articles on Willowcreek's revelation.
I realize that some of my thoughts are, indeed, gross generalizations. And I also realize that MUCH GOOD has, and will continue to come, out of the Seeker Sensitive approach to ministry. But I also realize that some of us, in ministry positions, must feel a little like the kid who was promised a fabulous Schwinn Performance Bike for Christmas and ended up getting a cheap tricycle! But then again, maybe “dad” only promised us a tricycle, and we "heard" what we wanted to hear instead.
A. W. Tozer once wrote, "We who preach the gospel must not think of ourselves as public relations agents sent to establish good will between Christ and the world. We must not imagine ourselves commissioned to make Christ acceptable to big business, the press, the world of sports or modern education. We are not diplomats but prophets, and our message is not a compromise but an ultimatum."
Apparently, some of us have forgotten that. I'd appreciate your comments.
Case in point is the revelation by the leaders of Willowcreek Community Church that many of their methods have not produced the fruit they were hoping for. While the same thing can be said for every ministry, one with the reputation of Willowcreek deserves paying attention to. As the old commercial reminded us- "When E. F. Hutton speaks (in this case, Hybels) people listen!"
I remember when the Seeker-Sensitive approach was all the rage in the church! Because of our desire to build bigger churches, so many of us hopped on board this latest spiritual "fad," hoping to replicate the success of Willowcreek. To their credit, Willow's leaders never guaranteed that their methods were for everyone or that they would work in every situation. Nonetheless, traditions, styles, programs that had been in place for decades, were tossed overboard overnight, in an attempt to recreate what seemingly had worked in South Barrington, Illinois.
In all fairness, many of those programs DESERVED to be thrown overboard- they were more of a liability than an asset. Quite frankly a lot of the methods we'd employed for years were NOT working. If nothing else, the Seeker-Sensitive style forced us to do some necessary housecleaning- much to the chagrin of many, dusty, stuck-in a-rut, "I Shall NOT be Moved" old timers.
Being somewhat stubborn, I was one of those who refused to hop on board the Willowcreek bandwagon. Not that their passion- to reach the lost- was wrong, but I seriously questioned some of their methods. I just can't remember anywhere in scripture where we're told to let the audience determine what we do and how we do it. I believe the Bible is clear that only GOD has that prerogative. Yes, we need to be relevant, but merely being relevant without pressing home the truth, and making disciples, misses the mark by a wide margin.
Now we hear that Willow's leadership has come to the realization that perhaps their methods weren't all they were cracked up to be. Hearing that DOES bring with it a certain sense of vindication to those of us who stubbornly refused to go along with the program, but at the same time, it fills me with sadness. Sadness over the many churches and lives that were turned upside down by what happened so quickly to so many. Sadness over the fact that quality programs and ministries- those that really DID work- were tossed aside in favor of something that, apparently, has failed to produce long-term results. And sadness over the realization that once again, the church has to recover from a setback of this magnitude. I understand many of the national secular magazines have already done articles on Willowcreek's revelation.
I realize that some of my thoughts are, indeed, gross generalizations. And I also realize that MUCH GOOD has, and will continue to come, out of the Seeker Sensitive approach to ministry. But I also realize that some of us, in ministry positions, must feel a little like the kid who was promised a fabulous Schwinn Performance Bike for Christmas and ended up getting a cheap tricycle! But then again, maybe “dad” only promised us a tricycle, and we "heard" what we wanted to hear instead.
A. W. Tozer once wrote, "We who preach the gospel must not think of ourselves as public relations agents sent to establish good will between Christ and the world. We must not imagine ourselves commissioned to make Christ acceptable to big business, the press, the world of sports or modern education. We are not diplomats but prophets, and our message is not a compromise but an ultimatum."
Apparently, some of us have forgotten that. I'd appreciate your comments.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)