Living by faith?

    The most pressing issue in the current american church mentality is they are walking by sight not by faith! Faith is active obedience to God's word! Yet so many congregations circumvent the word of God in their pursuit of bigness! Look at the teachings of God in regards to money usage....yet churchs are deep, deep in debt justifying the debt by their "expansion". Yet all they wind up doing is coddling more and more dysfunctional church hoppers!
   One more truth to this natural bent is how churches obtain Pastoral leadership. Today we throw away the "elder" for the energy of the younger....is this God's word? Elder means older and they are called to lead the Church!!!
  Some of the greatest leaders ever may not have had "long to live" but boy did they have much to give!
   Until true Followers lead lives by faith, until the Bible is regarded as the inerrant word of God, until  we church leaders truly bow the knee and neck to God the church is going to sputter. It's a difficult road to walk by faith....as our Lord Jesus said "but small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

Crazy times!

    Wow! Everything seems to be "blowing up"! Wars, floods, disease, famine....hate....violence....evil....complacency....I am sure you couldn't exist without realizing we humans are an interesting creation!
  Isn't it sad to see the deep seeded hate expressed by the activities of the terrorists? Isn't it a sad condition when we rely on subjective organizations for our information? Isn't it disappointing to see how money rules things like strings on a puppet?
  It is so much easier to blend in than to stand out....I am afraid that darkness is pushing back the light....yet on little candle can light up an entire room!
  What if true believers would shine? Don't be fooled...God is watching! He hears, sees, and will respond...how do I know? Faith!
  Get ready friend! The greatest day ever is coming!

Sad to see the brutal reality

   The saying war is hell appears to be true as we watch our TV sets. The media shows pictures of the tragedy of war and we hurt and feel sorry for those who are engaged in war. Yet we are all engaged in a war. It's a insidious spiritual battle that extends throughout the globe. Note that the wars overseas are all driven by religious ideology.
   Face the brutal reality friends! Hell is happy when there is war, because war is hell! To see religions, even Atheism is a religion, at odds with one another shows the passion and purpose of the adherents.
   What we see is nothing new....war has been a daily staple ever since the fall of man. It saddens me to see how the enemy is gaining ground and support even in the USA! The enemy of the cross is sly, devious, and deceitful! He has infiltrated our media, schools, governments, and churches.....the god of comfort and complacency, the god of feel good and escape, the god of money and leisure has replaced the Living God.
  There is a great battle coming. The Lord of Lords and Kong of Kings is returning. He wins! It's time for Christians to pray, care, and share the Gospel. It is good news!

What is Truth?

   We as a people sing "His truth goes marching on". What is the truth? Most people live by the truth of the stomach. Hungry? Eat! Thirsty? Drink! And so on....this type of truth comes from wants, needs, and it can be easily warped. It is the truth of self survival, preservation, and exaltation. This is the most common form of truth. We see the truth twisted in our media, and in religion. The twisted truth serves an agenda. This type of truth is very dangerous because it has a form of credence and usually tugs at the emotions.
  When it comes to spiritual truth, wow!, we face a real mess. Preachers preach out of prayer less lives, solely messages driven to hold tithers, scare parishioners, and expand their egos.
  Sad but true....the truth is diverse and skewed in todays world. What if there were truth? Pilate asked Jesus, "What is truth?" Little did he know he was looking right at the truth! I make no apologies; Jesus Christ is the truth! You could learn the truth of life if you want. Maybe you're like me....you tried every "truth" out there and finally in your search you found it! Yessir! There is truth!

Selfie Discipline

    This blog exists for those who want to experience the fullest of life. It is simply a source of wisdom based on the life experience of a simple person. Yet life experience is valuable and has great benefit for those who want to continue in squeezing everything out of their life.
   One thing the complete and full life requires is self discipline. To exist in a state of obesity will cripple your life and cause great difficulty and many roadblocks to attaining the maximum potential. This physical obesity is directly tied to your spiritual self. The inner person...the will.
   Self discipline can be found! It is enlivened by a persons true desire....what drives them? Often people have no drive left in their soul, they are beat down and numb to their will.
  Obesity is often the result of the loss of hope. What to do? Dream! Believe! Let the Living God capture your soul! He will create the newness of life! Your soul can soar and your life will be stirred by a new ambition!
  You'll find self-control! You'll find your fit!

Blatant evil

  If you are my age, (59), you probably remember the Cuban missile crisis. The fear that ran through our neighborhood was evident as people put in storm shelters and gathered in groups to discuss the events of the day. There were shared concerns and even, heaven forbid, prayer meetings!
  In todays world evil now is accepted and coddled. We sit silently by as a very small percentage of persons herald their evil ways and acts and the "kinder gentler" mentality (which really means stay out of my hair) has caused a depletion of good and righteousness and an increase in evil and hate. Simply observe your daily headlines!
   Churches, faith based groups such as "Christian" struggle and fuss and fight...others legalize to keep hold of their numbers....and all the while the great enemy of man sweeps over the world to destroy lives!
  There is only one hope...yet governments are poised to stomp out any comment of Jesus. There is only one King yet our children idolize those we idolize...not God but someone who can perform amazing feats of particular dexterity.
  What do we do? Well again, if your my age you have probably some type of faith background or minimal experience with faith. Maybe we need a new set of eyes? Maybe God is saying this is our time! Evil has come out of hiding and exposed itself! God is greater! Maybe we should inquire of God and ask Him if we should attack!  

Life is Good

    Yes it is! Everyday is a special opportunity we have been given. An opportunity to be kind, compassionate, truthful, prayerful, and graceful!
  What if people viewed each day as a special gift? What if we made each day a special project? No doubt life would be good! The spillover effect would be taking place everywhere! I think I'll try it.....

The Monday morning hangover~!

   Pastors in this country find great discouragement based on the reality of attendance and giving in todays church.
  The reality is that a very small percentage of people are faithful! Most American "Christians" are no longer faithful or reliable. You just never know when "Joe or Jane" is gonna blow in the door!
  Oh, and when they do...you'd better make a big deal out of it! Sad reality....Jesus is being forsaken unless there is a need or problem.
  I see this reality as a Pastor....the message we have has no value....I see the Facebook posts.....people are on the web instead of in worship. Unbelief is the standard today.
  This will change! As evil rises so will realization. Realization of the fact that the Devil is a real enemy and deceitful, destructive, and devoted to his cause!
  There's the rub! What if we were truly devoted to the cause of Christ? There is a remnant....very small but a remnant...enough when they are with Christ! Take heart Pastor! Jesus is with you!

The facts are in....

   Yes, it cannot be denied....evil is raging in this world! Even in the so called Bible belt we are seeing an escalation of murder and blatant ethical and moral depravity.
  The standards of human civility have eroded to such a level that even evil is no longer recognized as evil!
   Why has this happened? Well when you let your guard down you are susceptible to taking a punch. People are living unguarded and unconscious! In the grand order of things there is only one thing that can defeat evil; that is Jesus Christ! Let us not forsake Him!

Cell-fie

  I see the daily, weekly battle unfold for peoples time, money, and attention. Just last week as we were greeting one another at church  I went to shake someone's hand and they had failed to take their cell phone out of their hand! Thus I shook their cellphone!
   Man alive! I thought that was such an illustration of our lives today! Cell-fie!
  I think the reason we are so wrapped up in social media is because we can hide out but still relate with others but on our own terms. Hypocrisy is soaring to new heights in our world today! It is the proverbial head in the sand mentality!
  So many of us are living lives that lose! Lose opportunity to influence, bless, lead, attain to dreams and goals and desires. We lose time because of our cell-fie, we lose relationships because of our cell-fie, that which we extend to others is our little electronic device in which our sense of worth is wrapped up in!
  Yet there are some who are winning in life! They have an innate sense of what they are to do, and how they are to do it.....a few; yet a few is enough.
  The hardest thing you will ever do is be true....true to yourself, true to others, and true to God. The cell-fie runs on a battery and it will fail! God runs on reality and it will prevail!

Dis-Courage

   One of the great problems plaguing the "church" today is lack of vision. People have no clue what they are doing, why they do it, or where they are going....the church has this problem and it leads to division. Division creates dissension, confusion, and decline.
   Why does this problem exist? Fear. Leaders fear speaking the Gospel truth. The fear is they will be seen as radical, asking too much, and they (the leaders) fear they will lose the "nickels and noses", (money and people).
   In our Americanized gospel we are independent minded and self-service driven. The idea of devotion to another, complete and utter surrender to an unseen entity is preposterous!
  Thus discouragement raises its ugly head and leaders fall by the wayside, flee the battlefield, and fuel the apostasy.
   So what is the vision? Oh my! It's so simple! It is laid out with crystal clear clarity in the Bible.....you have to search no more! No more discouragement! Victory can be found! Spiritual success can be yours! Simple decide to be true to the Word and the way will open up.....what's the vision? Matthew 28:16-20! Go!!!

The Demise of the Church in America

    I am no expert in anything! I am only barely mediocre at best. However, I am able to make a right judgment and observation based on evidence and reality. It's not hard to see truth....yet often we dread facing truth or even visiting truth for a brief stay...it can be too confronting!
  I see very plainly the demise of the "church" in America. Primarily the vast majority of people do not give a flying flip about Jesus! They have only one concern....self. Of course this is not a new phenomenon! Self preservation, exaltation, and relaxation are instinctive to our nature.
  These natural forces, coupled with the love of money form a powerful force against the faith that once was prevalent and prominent in our culture, homes, and churches for that matter!
   People are afraid today! The chief terrorist has blinded and bound people with fear. Even so called Christians give no money to the advancement of the Kingdom! No wonder more churches close than are started each year! Money is their source of comfort! We are all guilty of this problem!
   Attendance is sporadic at best even among the most faithful. How do we expect to "Make-Disciples" when we do not take time to build a real relationship. Can't be done when we go to church, small group, Bible study, once every three weeks!
  Church has become an entertainment hour spiced up with a motivational lecture. Not what Jesus did!
  What will happen? If you believe what the Bible teaches, and the forsaking of God continues, we will see a continuing demise of the Gospel, a persecution of true Christians, a calling from God to repent, some will.....some won't, a continued decline in morality and ethics; integrity will be an antiquated word with little understanding....the selfie attitude will continue to escalate and the spiritual battle will become very clear!
   I see this demise, but I also see real faith in action. God is capturing the hearts of many people! One thing we must hold onto.....Hope! The power of the Gospel! Do not despair! Even as the demise unfolds God is working! He will never leave nor forsake those that have truly followed Him! Therefore we will recall the famous words of the writer in 2 Corinthians 4:7-12!

Hypocrisy fatigue

   Hypocrisy is an integral part of human nature. Isn't it true we often hide the truth? A lie is an accepted form of interpersonal communication these days!
  We put on the mask of happiness, joy, satisfaction, when truly, deep down we are different.
  What about the young adult that thinks because they are getting older they need to be married? So they meet someone and marriage takes place. Yet even though they made vows they were lying. Even as they gave themselves to the other, they were lying. Too often we get in a hurry in life. This hurry and conform to the culture mentality is creating a weak and impotent society. Nothing has staying power! People are quitters, the one true source of success is how much money you have....
  Oh I weary with the hypocrisy! Even in faith based communities hypocrisy runs rampant. People "say" they've meet Jesus yet deep down they know that concept is very foreign and foggy. Religion is rife with hypocrisy! Man alive look at the various belief systems, dig into the "why do they do this" and discover it is because of pride, politics, and power. It's not because Jesus said!
  As a Pastor I weary from hypocrisy fatigue. Even Pastors put on a false front....everything is beautiful and joyful we say, yet deep down we weary over the shallow church hopping, the brazen chest puffing of other Pastors, the lack of courage on our part to truly trust God.
   The reality of apostasy always comes from hypocrisy! There is no easy solution except that I would make one Disciple and that I would be solely responsible for my personal integrity. I believe God is willing to do His part. Now will I be true to my part?

Observation

  I am a Patriot! I love this land and I am thankful for the liberties and freedoms I enjoy. After my trip to Cuba I realize the freedoms even more. So today in many churches and congregations we will celebrate the birth of our great nation. I always enjoy these services! Yet we must watch out! Look at how we celebrate the 4th of July. Fireworks and family and fun! Oh what wonderful memories I have of 4th's gone by!
  Often the reason for celebration was completely left out of the festivities. Unless someone intentionally mentioned the reason for our celebration. Watch out! Even today we get wrapped up in the festivity and forget the faith in our congregations!
  We have all the fireworks in the church but unless someone is intentional about the reason for our celebration we will continue on this pathway of forgetting and forsaking. The Good News is there is liberty in Jesus Christ! Let the celebration begin!

Negative attitude-

   Thinking in the negative tends to be a commonplace attribute of people these days....all we have to do is listen!
   People complain, gossip, nag, belly ache, and all the other words that characterize the incessant negativity that seems to be sweeping the world.
  Yes there are wars, natural disasters, famines, etc...and these seemingly eternal realities produce a subliminal fear; yet there is a mysterious strength in mankind!?
  A strength that comes from hope. The vision of a brighter day? The mental picture of happiness or fulfillment? These visions carry us on....yet too many hopes are fallacious and selfish thus pushing people into despair and addictions.
  That's the problem today! Too many people making a living on drumming hope...a hope that sounds good but produces nothing but debt! Too many liars, false prophets, and hypocrites! It is hard to find the hope that doesn't disappoint!
  Even religion has ventured into the realm of offering false hope! The venturing away from the clear and explicit teachings of God is happening in our faith based communities today....all because of negative thinking and fear!
  It's time for someone, or a group of someone's to start believing in the hope that doesn't disappoint! Then maybe, just maybe, in this sea of negativity an island of hope will appear!

The trouble with truth

  I am a Pastor....59 years old now....I like to think I've seen it all but I am continually surprised! As I step back and try to look with objective and grace filled eyes I can't help but be saddened by the trends that are digging deep nearly inescapable ruts in the present culture both secular and sacred. These cultures seem entwined and inseparable.
    At times I find I struggle with walking by faith or sight! We are conditioned to exist by sight and faith is often left up to personal opinion.
  I know that God cannot fail, He cannot lie, and He will prevail. Sadly the malady of walking by sight still dogs us and leads us into the traps and snares of the Devil.
  How do churches select pastors, staff, or even decide on ministry adventures? It's all done by sight! Godly character and God's command often are second tier priorities.
  Bring this up and trouble erupts! Opinions flare and positions are defended. There is trouble with truth. This is why it's easier to walk by sight....what do we do? Pray, go and don't ever give up! Truly decide to walk by faith....if you choose this path you'll have to face your fears! Thus faith has to be exerted and glory is won for God!