Out of the Box

I've Got To Vent

OK, so I've kept my thoughts to myself as long as I can. But I have to speak up for the church. After all, I've given most of my waking hours for the last 21 years thinking about, working at, preparing or praying for the church. Why do I feel compelled to finally speak up? One more article in the local newspaper. It is about another church in our community that is supposed to appeal to those who do not like church. Supposedly, at this place (I'm trying not to use the C word), you can be of any religion and attend. In this place, that is more theatre than sanctuary, there will be no offering taken. All the trademarks of that outdated institution called the local church are not present at this establishment. Well praise the Lord! What a concept! (I hope you get the sarcasm in those statements.) It seems every other new..uh..uh..letmesee... non-religious place where non-religious people gather to practice religion is begun for the poor lost soul who doesn't like church. Well cry me a river. I don't like doctors or hospitals either, but I will go because I know that is where I can get quality medical care. You can call the waiting room an arcade and the operating room a theatre for all I care. It still doesn't make me want to go for the fun of it. I don't go until I know I need help.

(Take a deep breath Ken. Don't lose your witness over this.) [Words in quotes are the calming words of my wife that I hear in my head when she's not here to advise me.] I don't suspect the honest and genuine intentions of my brothers and sisters in Christ who begin these non-church churches. This latest attempt is being undertaken by a fellow I love dearly in the faith. He may have even taken some of his clues from me. No, I don't wear a suit to preach. I believe ties cut off circulation to the brain, and I need all the brainpower I can muster. I have no problem making the church building comfortable. The most uncomfortable seating in the world, besides the backseat of a Yugo, is a pew. I have the same philosophy with pews as I do snakes, "Never had them, never will!" But I hope I never gave the impression that I don't believe in the church.

In the article my friend made the statement that people of all races and colors will be welcomed at his place. Implied in that is they are not welcome in other churches. Except for a very few, and there are plenty reasons not to attend those besides prejudice, churches I know love and welcome people from every race and color. We are all God's creation.

The reason people are turned off from church is not the word "church" nor the physical environment. They are not cold toward the church because we take an offering. I am convinced it is not even the style of worship. They are turned off by the way they see Christians act when they are not at church. They see our judgmental and hypocritical lives. We want to remove the speck in their eye while we disregard the 2 x 4 in our own. They don't believe church can help them, because they don't see an improvement in us. If we would allow God to transform us we would not have to transform the church!

And about the offering. If we eliminate giving of of our finances we fail to teach people to put God first in every area of our lives. Besides, I have never seen the offering taken at gunpoint. People have the right to refuse to give just as they have the right to give abundantly. God doesn't want our money, just our heart. Christ established the church. He called it "My church." People will go to church for the very same reason I go to the hospital. That's where I know I can find help. In the hospital I find physical help. At church, I expect to find help for my spirit. If there's no help there, I won't go. I don't care if you offer diet Coke and Raisinettes! There, I feel better.

Netflix Insight

I am trying to get a grip on why some people attend one church, or another, or none at all. There are few weeks when we either don't enlist people into our fellowship or grant their membership elsewhere. With all the churches there are to choose from, what criteria do people use to choose whether to stay or go on? This is difficult for me since as a pastor I do not have the freedom to shop. My congregation tends to look negatively toward me joining or even attending elsewhere. :)

I am convinced it is not always about worship style. That has been debated since the first upright piano was placed carefully on the church platform where once only the pulpit was allowed. People's tastes will always favor one style over another, but I am convinced it is not the primary reason for people to choose a church. Too many people move from one church to another that has the same style of worship for that to be a major concern.

Sometimes, we preachers of the Word, want to believe it is the skill or passion of the preacher. The problem with that is that I have seen strong growing fellowships with only adequate preachers. I really believe God empowers His Word regardless of the skill of the pastor if his heart is inclined toward truth. Conversely, there are some gifted preachers who are not winning people to Christ, nor serving in growing churches, because of a proud spirit that God will not bless.

This morning I heard a wealthy Christian businessman make a profound statement that helped put my thoughts into proper perspective. Truett Cathy, founder of Chick fil a said; "I do not remember the price I paid the last time I visited a Chick fil a, but I do remember how I was treated."

An experience today may have helped me further determine at least a contributing factor why people choose one church over another. I cancelled my subscription to Netflix. I expected the hassle I had from AOL several years ago. Instead, they had a button to push on their customer service page to cancel my membership. The only delay was an additional button that would allow me to pause my subscription instead of cancel it. I chose to cancel by hitting the next button and was promptly sent to a page declaring my membership had been canceled. They said they hoped I would reconsider someday, but for now our relationship had been terminated. That was it. I wasn't told what a bad person I was for depriving my family of quality movies. They did not make me wait for another billing cycle. They were just as prompt to let me go as when I had joined. It was actually a pleasant experience.

Now what if we treated people at church with the same kind of dignity? What if we treated them as nicely after they were there for a year as we did the first week they came. At Dallas Bay you get a letter from me the first week you visit and then again the first week you join. You will also receive a phone call from another staff person on each of these two occassions. After that we encourage you to pick up a newsletter to hear what is going on around here. We encourage you from the pulpit to get involved in a small group, but we have no way of knowing if you ever did. We encourage you to support the church financially, but we rarely ever tell how that money is being used to help the Kingdom.

Personal touch is not easy in a big church, but is often the reason the church grew large in the first place. I don't want to become a victim of our own success. I'm not sure how I'm going to fix these things, but I am committed to meet them head on. I have some ideas, but they are pretty radical. Let's just see where the Lord leads on this one. I'll keep you informed. Hey, even if I haven't talked to you personally lately, please know that I love you and am praying for you. God bless, Pastor Ken.

Who Will Deliver Us?

I am a people watcher by nature and observing our society is becoming more painful every day. The city of New York established a "clergy free" zone at the World Trade Center site during the memorial service, while evangelical Christian leaders were not allowed to address the crowd at the National Cathedral in Washington. But on that same platform a Muslim cleric was asked to speak.

Locally, men of God are falling into temptation at an alarming rate.

Nationally, the most notable Christian leaders are being investigated for their luxurious lifestyles leading to government regulations that will make it difficult for humble ministers and churches that barely make ends meet to just survive.

Recently an influential newspaper compared a candidate's belief in God to believing in aliens.

Does anyone feel like I do? Our country is going to hell in a handbasket!

We have sought out material wealth and the pursuit of pleasure so long that we have neglected the righteous pursuit of God. Now God is allowing us to turn to them for our deliverance. He allowed the ancient Israelites to do the same.

Judges 10:11-14 (NKJV)
¹¹ So the Lord said to the children of Israel, "Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites and from the people of Ammon and from the Philistines?
¹² Also the Sidonians and Amalekites and Maonites oppressed you; and you cried out to Me, and I delivered you from their hand.
¹³ Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods. Therefore I will deliver you no more.
¹⁴ Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in your time of distress."

God's character is consistent throughout the ages. If this was His word to the Israelites when they turned their back on Him, why would we believe He will not do the same to us.

Will Washington deliver us?

Will Wall Street deliver us?

Will Hollywood deliver us?

To turn to any of these human institutions is to turn our back on the only One who can truly deliver America. The solution is to turn back to the Lord and admit our sin. If we come together and admit our sins, stop turning to the institutions of this world for deliverance and call on the God of heaven for help, perhaps He will grieve with us over our fallen condition.

Judges 10:15-16 (NKJV)
¹⁵ And the children of Israel said to the Lord, "We have sinned! Do to us whatever seems best to You; only deliver us this day, we pray."
¹⁶ So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord. And His soul could no longer endure the misery of Israel.

It is not too late to put away the foreign gods among us, but the time is growing short. May God hear the cry of the remnant who would turn America's heart back to God!

The Pin Wasn't the Problem

A couple of days ago my wife and I stood waiting for a table in a local restaurant. I am accustomed to people staring, because a lot of people have seen me while visiting Dallas Bay, but never up close and personal. But this time I heard them talking before I saw them stare. I heard a fellow at the booth say, "That's the pastor down there at Dallas Bay Baptist." (In the south, everything is down there.) I didn't want to immediately turn around, because I don't want to ever make people feel uncomfortable. In a few seconds I heard him say my name and just a part of a statement to the girl across from him that began, "He's the one that..." With that I couldn't help to turn towards them. When I did he was looking me square in the face. "Hey, how are you?', is all I could think to say to avoid a silent and awkward moment. Then the terrible words I dread to hear. "You remember me don't you?" I usually come up with a lame statement like, "No, I'm sorry. I can't remember my children's names half the time."

I did seem to remember this guy's face from the not too distant past though. He told me his name and the name of his parents. He had attended the church where I used to belong and was first called to preach. That was more years ago than I like to remember. He introduced me to his wife and said they had been thinking about attending Dallas Bay. I told him that was great, but I didn't want to take him from his church. He said they don't go to church very often and had tried a few places when they had gone. He then looked at his wife and said, "He's the one who caused mom to take the pin off my shirt one night after church." Do what? He went on to recall how I had preached a message against rock-and-roll and got him in trouble with his mom. It seems he had worn a Rolling Stones pin on his shirt to church that night. You may remember the one he was talking about. You know the one with the lips and the dangling tongue. She yanked it off and told him he could never wear it again. I remember that sermon. It attacked everyone from Ozzie to Alice. (Osborne and Cooper for those of you not of my generation.) I talked about the Satanic beat of Santana and the back tracked words of Led Zeppelin. The parents loved it and the kids wouldn't speak to me afterwards.

I assured the young man that I was sorry. I told him that if you walk into my office today you might find me listening to Eric Clapton while working on Sunday's message. Music is just as bad today as it was then, but I don't find myself being led to write messages condemning music anymore. I have come to realize music is a symptom, not an illness. It is easy to criticize things you can see when they are not the problem at all. I have also come to believe real problems are deep not as easy to detect as song lyrics. They lie deep inside where they can be hidden from public view. Kids rebelled with music when I was a teen for the same reason they do today. They are looking for things with eternal meaning and value and can't find them in the things of this world. Illicit sex and the use of drugs were popular themes of music then and still are today. We just tried to mask it with clever words and today's music is more direct. The problem was, and is, a sin problem and not a music problem at all. Jesus referred to the hypocisy of only condemning the outside while the inside was really the problem as He confronted the Pharisees. I'm sure they preached against music too while they were rotten to the core on the inside. Probably closet Molly Hatchet fans!

I have changed the way I preach since I caused that young man to lose his rock-and-roll pin. I still think a lot of music is just nasty. It is trashy and vulgar. It was when I was a kid, and it is today, but there is a deeper problem to deal with. When we just verbally assault songs and singers, or movies and actors, or writers and their stories, we do not come near solving the problem. People need Jesus. I know that is cliche, but it has never been more true. They, like many Christians, are just using the gifts God gave them in an unwise fashion. The answer is to offer the same grace to these folks as God offered to us. Grace that can forgive and transform. When they come to Christ they won't need me, or you, to tell them what kind of music to listen to. His Spirit will lead them into making positive entertainment choices. The conviction of the Spirit is more powerful than the loudest preacher. I'm not saying the pin was a good thing to wear to church. It probably wasn't, given the messages in that album. I'm just saying it wasn't the problem.

God's Breadcrumbs

I am very interested in Biblical archaeology. I'm kind of a nerd when it comes to old scrolls, pieces of pottery and ancient ruins. While in Israel I am often left standing alone in front of a dig while others are heading to the bus or souvenir shop. I love what these old artifacts tell us about the world of Moses, Isaiah or Jesus.

One of the most fascinating relics to me is the ossuary (bone box) with the inscription of the occupying bones as "James, Son of Joseph, Brother of Jesus." This 2,000 year old burial box is a possible link to our Savior. Of course we cannot prove it is the "Jesus" of our Bible. It was a popular name in those days. But the fact that he was also the son of Joseph is fascinating. That coupled with the fact that the brother is mentioned at all is compelling. Usually, siblings were not mentioned, especially if there were several and only one is mentioned. In that case, the brother mentioned would have to be important.

Recently I came across another great find. About 10 years ago an oil lamp dated in the 1st century surfaced that is just now being published for the public to see. It is unusual in several respects. First, it is carved from stone and not molded from clay. This is very rare and uually indicates it is for ritual use since clay is given to impurities. You might remember that we are regarded as clay in the potters hands and that Jesus is the "rock" that the builders rejected. Simon was renamed Peter, that is rock, by Jesus when he showed signs that he was becoming sensitive to the voice of God. Second, it is large. It is about 9 inches acrosses and weighs 4 pounds. That is huge for an ancient artifact. Thirdly, and I find this the most fascinating, it has seven spouts where flames would be lit. Most oil lamps have one. Rare lamps have two. This is incredibly rare.

My mind immediately raced to the opening chapters of Revelation. Jesus is said to be in the midst of seven golden lampstands. You may note that the opening where the oil would be placed in this ancient lamp is in the middle of the lamp between the seven spouts. Oil in the Bible stands for the presence of God's Holy Spirit. In Revelation 1:14 John declares "His eyes were like a flame of fire." Flames of fire would have surrounded this oil lamp when lit. The text goes on to emphasize the importance of the number 7. There are seven stars, seven churches, seven seals, seven trumpets, seven bowls and seven angels.

Could it be that this rare and ancient article, most probably used in Temple worship in Jerusalem, was the basis for the symbolism of God's revelations to John. Could it be that it has been found in the last days to remind us that He is coming soon? I believe God leaves us breadcrumbs so that we may not lose our way. Maybe, these two recent finds in Israel are God's breadcrumbs!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sooner than Later

I had to respond to an article I just read on my iPad Fox News app. Iran has moved some of its nuclear centrifuge machines to an underground mountain location in Fordo. They claim the centrifuges are being used to produce radioisotopes for cancer patients.

Iran has openly declared their intentions to destroy Israel. The enriched uranium not only can be used for medical purposes, but it is also the key ingredient to producing a powerful nuclear weapon. The President of Iran has indicated in previous speeches that he feels it is his mission to see both Israel and the United States defeated. Sooner than later is his declared time frame.

The cavernous facility near the holy city of Qom is nearing completion. For believers it is clear that God's intentions are nearing completion as well. Soon we will hear the trump of God and the voice of the archangel. I believe it is sooner than later. Look up for our redempion draws near.

Maybe It's the Heat

Maybe it's the heat. Maybe it's because I am about 10 days out from summer vacation with the family. Or maybe it's because I'm on edge about a doctor's appointment on Friday. But I'm in a sorry mood. The staff are keeping their distance. The family waits for me to speak first when I get home and the dogs run the other way when I pull into the driveway. You know what's ticking me off now. Some religious group, who appears to speak for all of us evangelicals, is telling people to not participate in a call to prayer this Saturday in Texas.

It seems Governor Perry of Texas is calling for people of faith to come together this weekend.  He is going to lead out in prayer for this country. There are no T-shirts being sold. No concession stands. Just prayer and reading from God's Word. So why is this religious group opposed. Here are a few of the headlines they have sent to me. "Texas Governor's August 6th Prayer Event Includes Cult Members",   "How the Church of Rome, Protestants, Hindus, and All the World’s Religions Are Becoming One", and "God Cannot and Will Not Bless this Event or Our Nation for being Unequally Yoked with Unbelievers." It seems some of the group are not of the same denomonation as the fundamentalist group reporting these headlines. Thus they are unbelivers.

Do you think that God might be wise enough to discern whether a prayer is coming from an unbeliever or one of His children? Would it be better to boycott an event because not everyone is of our faith, or by being a part bring the presence of the Holy Spirit with us? Come on. Can't we just applaud a politician for standing up for his faith? Do we have to alienate every unbeliever on the planet because we are so isolated we cannot speak without our face turning blood red with indignation and self righteousness. Here me well. I believe Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father. I believe the Bible is true from cover to cover. There is a real heaven and a real hell. But I do not believe any one group of Christians has exclusive rights nor have the right to condemn other believers who are not as right or as left as they are. Being a Southern Baptist I can attest to the truth of that. When we secured our seminaries from the hands of liberal professors and adminisrtators, we then proceeded to hunt down those who were not conservative enough. It has led to a decline in our denomination and baptisms. We need to get over ourselves. (I told you I was in a sorry mood!)

Thank you Governor Perry for calling your state to prayer. I wish we had faithful national leaders who would do the same. I am praying for you and your event. I would encourage you to do the same.

  

Wouldn't You Like to be a Picker Too?

Have you noticed how TV is becoming bloated with reality shows. It began with Survivor, Amazing Race, The Bachelor and so on. Now, the airwaves are dominated by another form of reality. I don't know the technical term, if there is one, for this new breed of programming. I will just refer to them as vocational reality television. VRT's include Pawn Stars, L.A. Ink, Selling New York, Cake Boss, Say Yes to the Dress and many others. These shows follow people around with camera crews and microphones as they do their jobs. There is a new one beginning soon about a family run truck stop. My favorite of the new VRT genre is "American Pickers." Of all the occupations out there besides what I am doing now, the one I would most want to do is their job. Here is why:

    They never stay in one place very long. They are constantly on the move and meeting people.

    They see value in the things and lives of others that the public deems as trash.

    They appreciate the simple things in life and are able to discern original from fake.

    They like what they do and enjoy each other's company.

It seems to me Mike and Frank are living the way God has intended for all of His children to live. I'm not making a judgment on their religious or moral views, but I do believe they could teach Christians a thing or two about how to live life to its fullest. I think VRT shows are so attractive because the viewer can live vicariously through the characters on their screen without leaving the safety or the comfort of their couch. Why live through someone else when God has given all of us the same opportunities to live an abundant life? Who knows, if you did, maybe a film crew will be following you around someday.       

Observations from an Avid Observer

I am an observer of people. It gets me in trouble with my wife. While in public together she often redirects my gaze back to her as we talk. Any movement...any movement at all draws my eyes in that direction. I find that people are amazing and infinitely interesting.

I am observer of culture. Everything from fasion trends (its fashionable again to roll up the pants legs on your jeans) to the political climate where absolute ideology is supreme. (To compromise, a basic necessity for a bicameral two party system, is now a sign of weakness. The result is gridlock.)

However, given my calling, I am an acute observer of faith. The trend now is to be open-minded and tolerant. This is different from the compromise of politics in America where at least two parties exist simultaneously. There is but one God. We do not get to decide His fate through our opinion or input. He decides ours. Faith is is not a democracy. It is a benevolent dictatorship with God being Supreme. Therefore, we cannot choose to melt faiths into one that suits our opinion about who God is and what He does. When different faiths stand as polar opposites as to the identify of God, one of them must be wrong.

As much as I would want all people to be saved, and I really do, it is not possible. As long as the paths lead in different directions they cannot end at the same location.  So, what is the basic difference between Christianity and the other religions of the world. It is simply the direction they travel. Other religions in the world are following paths they have determined lead to God. They differ in what direction that is, but essentially that is the purpose of each journey. With only finite wisdom and limited spiritual sensitivity it is not possible for man alone to find God, especially when there are so many who would purposefully lead them astray. The direction of Christianity is just the opposite of all other religions of the world. While the desire is the same, to meet, be loved, accepted and forgiven by God, only Christianity understands it is humanly impossible. No, the direction of the journey is not from man to God, but from God to man. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son..." This faith principle causes Christianity to stand alone among all other well meaning faiths of the world. So while it is not fashionable Christians must continue to declare:

 Acts 4:12 (NLT)
¹² There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” That name is Jesus!

I hope to see you Sunday!!!! 

 

     

Politically Speaking

When I accepted the calling to be a pastor I decided to keep my politics to myself. So for years I have remained silent. I am still following my principle to remain neutral, in public at least, as to any party affiliation. But I do think it is about time I spoke to the circus that our federal government has become. Neither side wanting or willing to give an inch to promote the fiscal well being of our country. Instead they are constantly running for office. They are not representing their constituents. They are only representing the financial contributors to their campaigns. Their willingness to send our country into further financial ruin so they may please a select few borders on insanity. God help us, and I mean that literally. The Sovereign of the Universe has provided us with sound financial and social advice to not only get out of the mess we are in, but counsel that  will keep us out in the future as well.

 1 Timothy 5:8 (NKJV)
⁸ But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

Our God puts a premium on personal responsibility. He does not intend for those who are able to work to look to the government for aid. We are to work and work hard. If  you want more, then work  harder, smarter and create wealth so you may fulfill your God given responsibility to take care of your family.

1 Timothy 6:17-19 (NKJV)
¹⁷ Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.
¹⁸ Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share,
¹⁹ storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

God does not condemn those who have achieved riches. They are to recognize their prosperity comes from the Lord. It is not to be used as leverage for this life, but as an investment for eternity. The well healed are to remember the needs of others. They should not withdraw from the poor, but willingly share with the truly poor what God has given to them. God  has blessed them with riches for that very purpose.

If we continue on the self serving political path both parties are taking, I am afraid we will soon reap what we have sown.

Mark 3:24-25 (NKJV)
²⁴ If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
²⁵ And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.