Category Uncategorized

Oct 7 2010

Just Say No to the Status Quo!


First, an admission. I am a skeptic. I am one who questions the “Status Quo” in every arena of life. For example, when I receive a forwarded email that makes some claim that doesn’t ring true in my mind, I at once try to find out if my intuition is correct. (It usually is.)

Just because “this is how we have always done it..” does not equate to being right or best. I question public policy, and even contemporary Christianity. I think it is very healthy to read the label before you ingest some substance into your body. And, I think it is profitable to follow the same logic about what you allow into your mind. So, I have questions…

Does it bother anyone but me that not one of the people we read about in the book of Acts would qualify to be a minister in almost all of our churches?

This week I read a want ad from a church seeking a youth minister. One of the first requirements was “a minimum of 5 years experience”. Peter wouldn’t qualify, he only had about 3 years experience in ministry when he preached the powerful sermon where 3,000 were saved. Paul would’t qualify, he had no ministry experience when he began his ministry to the Gentiles.

Most all churches now require a degree from some Bible related school. Paul had about 3 years alone with God. He was schooled in Judaism but wouldn’t qualify on educational grounds. Even Jesus himself wouldn’t pass muster.

Maybe it would be beneficial if we would spend some time thinking about how and why we got so far off track. Could it be that culture has crept into our churches so that we are operating more like business than like a living organism that is solely dependent upon God to exist and function in the world?

Could it be that the reason numbers are shrinking in most evangelical groups is that Jesus is no longer the central message?

Read the book of Acts sometime and you will see a noticeable difference in the message of those early preachers and what comes out of most pulpits today. I am certain that multiplied thousands of regular church goers have never once heard their preacher give a clear presentation of the gospel.

Several months ago I read about a dozen sermons by a fellow whose self description was “Gospel preacher”. Amazingly, not once did this guy explain the gospel. He made reference to the word “gospel” several times but oddly failed to preach the gospel. How can you logically give an invitation to people to become Christians if they haven’t a clue about the gospel?

We would do well to get back to preaching Christ and the good news about what He accomplished for sinners.

Can “Ministry” become an idol?

Think long and hard before you answer. Only each individual can answer from him or her self. I answered the question and was not pleased with the answer… Granted, my feeble ministry pales in comparison to many who will read this post. But, what we do have in common is an ego that keeps fighting for the front of the line. The praise of men too often takes the place the glory of God should occupy in our “ministry”.

Do I first seek God’s approval for what I do? Do you? Or, do I want to hear words of praise from others? Our honesty, or lack of it, about such matters is a measure of who we really are.

Oh that all of our teaching and preaching and ministry models and community activism and charity give Christ glory and honor! If when at the end of the day Jesus is the center of attention, and not us, we will have succeeded.

Manage your ministry well, don’t allow it to manage you.

Dare to be different

Tens of thousands of ministers and other Christians are running about clamoring for attention, rushing to this conference and that one, looking for something new and exciting. We believers are fascinated by new books sometimes at the sacrifice of the Old Book.

Surrender to Jesus is not glamorous. Holiness will not get you invitations to a lot of parties. And, being Christ centered at all costs will not pay off by the world’s standards.

He must increase and I must decrease. His strength is made perfect in my weakness. Only in my brokenness is His wholeness on display to a watching world.

Agape’

Royce


Sep 15 2010

This ‘n That on Wednesday Night


I Felt the Love!

This morning my much better half was carted off to the operating room a bit after 8 a.m. to have a gall bladder removed.

The doctor was a prayin’ man. Dr. Ferguson prayed a simple, humble prayer as he held my wife’s hand and asked for wisdom and healing with thanksgiving.

It was as if God said to me, “OK buddy, relax, I’ve got it covered“. And relax I did, never a worry, just a thankful heart for my God who cares.

Then, a flood of Facebook posts, emails, and texts from all over wishing Carol well and assuring me of their love and prayers. Two of my Wednesday a.m. Bible study guys sent messages, my fishing buddy, and folks who read this blog cared enough to encourage and lighten the day. Thanks all.

Upcoming Posts on Grace Digest.

I’m not positive yet but I’m thinking of a series with the title
“Spiritual Boot Camp” . Or, “Just say no to Christian Humanism“. Or, more likely “Walking in the Spirit or Crawling in the Gutter“.

I’m always thinking about God, what His Word teaches. Most of us are missing His best because we don’t trust Him as much as we trust ourselves. Humanism (Trying to solve personal problems without acknowledging God) only provides a temporary remedy. Christian Humanism (Acknowledging God but operating as if He didn’t exist) is just as bad. Neither offers a cure, only God can cure us and make us whole.

Viva Las Vegas Mr. Grim!

Now Waveland, Mississippi is on the map for something other than being the place the eye of Hurricane Katrina hit. Waveland is so small you can drive through it and not know it.

Michael Grim’s last performance on America’s Got Talent was his rendition of
When a Man Loves a Woman, originally recorded by Percy Sledge. Grim wailed it out in style and now is one million dollars richer and will
headline his own Las Vegas show.

Way to Go Michal Grim!

The Tea Party Express is Building Up Steam!

When will the political insiders get it? American voters who tend conservative have had it with business as usual and they are saying it loud and proud at the polling place.

One more Republican liberal is defeated by a nobody Republican. The establishment Republicans, including Karl Rove, whom I like, were infuriated that their guy was soundly defeated in Delaware.

Maybe it’s time to listen to the common man! Duh Huh!
Unless you are an incumbent who has a record of voting  consistent with conservative values (Low taxes, smaller government, less entitlement programs, strong defense, tight borders, right to life, etc.) you might
start looking for another career now.

The working stiff will only take so much. There is a tipping point contrary to popular beltway wisdom. We have had enough of President Obama’s globalism, socialism, and we aren’t going to take it any more.

I have never attended a Tea Party meeting and likely will not.
But I do vote! I will not vote for a liberal no matter
what party he is aligned with.

That’s all for tonight folks. Time for bed and some good reading for an hour or so if the old peepers will cooperate.

Royce

Sep 13 2010

Can you help raise the dead?


What is your/my church doing in the community, or around the world, that could not be done just as well by a good civic club made up of non-Christians?

I was first challenged by such a question perhaps 30 years ago by the late Dr. J. Vernon McGee, a pastor and radio preacher. The question he asked was something like this. “What is your church doing that could not be done if God was dead?”

Wow! What a question! Questions like those make me a bit uncomfortable, how about you? I believe that for far to many churches the answer would be “Not much”.

For about 14 1/2 years I lived in a small north Texas town. There was one place in town to eat breakfast on Saturday morning, a post office, hardware store, grocery store, police office, and a couple of gas stations. It was one of those little communities where you knew the mayor and the chief of police and most everyone else on a first name basis. Our little town also had Baptist churches, a church of Christ, a Methodist church, a Catholic church, and a Pentecostal church. (There might have been others but I remember those)

We also had an American Legion Post and a VFW club. To be fair, some of the members of those churches were also active in either the VFW or the American Legion. The truth is that those beer guzzling old veterans and their wives did far more benevolent works in our community than all the churches combined. That was true for at least the first 10 years I lived there.

If someone’s house burned it was them, not the church folks who would show up to pitch in and help rebuild and give money for new appliances, furniture and bedding. Those two clubs simply put the churches to shame when it came to actually doing something tangible in the community. Thankfully, because one new pastor came to town who actually loved the people, that changed quickly, first in his church and then it spread to the others.

There is great value in giving a cup of water to a thirsty man in Jesus’ stead. We must do those sorts of things to be right and on track with God. His command is that we remember the down trodden, widows, orphans, and prisoners. Those acts of love are not options.

What then can the church do that a civic club can’t?

Christians, as God’s agents in the world, can offer dead men life!

You see, those men and women who are not Christians have one great need and that need is LIFE! A person who does not have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ does not need better morals, or even to become a regular attender at church on Sunday. No, his needs are far greater than improvement, he a problem only the gospel of Christ can solve.

Non-Christians are spiritually dead.

There is only one remedy for death and that is life. The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Ephesians said this of those Christians before they trusted Christ and were saved.

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins. (Ephesians 2:1)

But God, being rich in mercy,because of the great love with which he loved us,even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. (Ephesians 2:4,5)

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him. (Colossians 2:13)

In response to the gospel God makes the dead live.

God’s greatest work is not to make bad men good enough for heaven but to make dead men live. Ephesians 2 above says “God…made us alive together with Christ“. There is no other cure for death. Just as certainly as Jesus called Lazareth from the tomb he calls ungodly men to life today. Jesus said of himself, “I am the resurrection and the life..” and “I am the way, the truth, and the life”.

Jesus himself is eternal life.

Eternal life is not something Jesus gives to repentant sinners outside of himself. There is no spiritual (eternal) life outside of Him. What He gives is Himself. He is LIFE!

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. (1 John 5:20)

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. (Romans 5:10)

To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27

Feed the poor? YES! Care for the needy? YES! Visit and care for widows, orphans, and prisoners? YES! But we must also be saying to the dead in our communities “LIVE!”.

The gospel of Christ is good news because it announces that Christ has died for you, that God’s righteousness can be yours, and that your body will be changed from mortal to immortality, and you will forever be God’s own dear child. No civic club can do this work. It is reserved for those who by relationship and sonship have become ambassadors for a heavenly kingdom whose orders is to herald the good news “Jesus Saves, Jesus Saves, come and live forever with Him”.

Royce

Sep 8 2010

Tom Thumb


A guest post from my friend and gospel singer extraordinaire Janet Paschal.

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It was defined by slabs of wood laid across cinderblocks. These makeshift shelves were stocked with cans long emptied of vegetables, but still brandishing a decipherable sticker price from our local A&P.  Atop one of the shelves was my bright blue Tom Thumb cash register, filled with Monopoly money and loose change. I first played consumer, selecting various items for purchase, then I became the cashier, a role which made it all worthwhile. I would mentally tally the items then accept cash payment. When I pressed the register’s ‘Total’ button, a bell would ring and the cash drawer spring open. I spent hours upon pleasurable hours playing ‘store’ in the pine trees. I also received more tick bites and reprimands for staying too long outdoors than for any other single trespass.
When mom summoned us for supper, it was fairly predictable. We sat at the four seat, yellow formica table with chrome edges. Someone prayed, then we began passing the food. My mom talked to dad about whatever things were happening at her job and he did the same. My sister and I knew about the cutbacks, expansions, and daily routines of both our parents because most of their communication happened at the dinner table. We also knew about world events, local economies, and the rising cost of heating fuel. My sister talked about her day at school in her inimitable fashion, aiding and abetting where necessary. I think I learned more about home economics from her vivid descriptions at the dinner table than from the class I attended three years later. I have come to understand how fortunate we were to share that time together every day. I have come to understand that I was gleaning life lessons over fried chicken and homemade biscuits. I did not then realize that I was learning about character, as my dad would relate an event at work where someone had proven untrustworthy or less than completely honest. I had no idea that I was learning about compassion, as my mom spoke of the dire needs of the people with whom she worked. (None of us wondered why she sometimes packed extra lunches.) I did not know that I was learning to embrace friendship from my sister who assumed everyone on the planet was a friend she had yet to meet.
Perhaps this is why that one of the most poignant moments of Jesus’ 33 years on earth was, for me, during the Bible’s most familiar meal. The Passover supper was so important that Jesus gave specific instructions regarding the location and told his apostles that he had ‘eagerly desired’ to eat the meal with them. It was here that Jesus shared His upcoming betrayal. Knowing that His time was quickly coming to an end, He gave them a Reader’s Digest version of the things that really matter: the greatest should be the least, the ruler should be the servant, and then the payoff. Because they had been faithful to follow Him, they would eat and drink at His table and occupy thrones in the kingdom. He singled out Simon Peter (a preacher once said that perhaps Jesus took his chin in His hand) when he said, “Satan has desired to sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for you.”
So, when you next share a meal with family or friends, remember to lean in and pay close attention. Try to listen between the lines and hear the past, as well as the present. Don’t forget that this is a great opportunity to affect those with whom you break bread. And if your children are like me, fascinated with the outdoors, give them a break.
They may have customers waiting.
Have a blessed September…Janet

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Janet blesses her friends at Janet Paschal and Friends at Facebook and Twitter and her website,  www.janetpaschal.com.