Michael's Blog

Judgment Attitudes of Christians (Follow-up)

So yesterday I am in church and someone brought up this old blog post… http://www.walters-team.net/?p=84

Apparently I made some waves with it. GOOD!  Seriously, I wanted to make some waves with it!  The problem?  Apparently, some people just did not get it.  They said things like, if I was friendly, it would have been like flirting or something.  Really, the only way to be friendly is to flirt?  That is ridiculous.  Saying hey, asking how someone is doing, small talk (weather, how school going for your family, etc) can go a long way in building bridges and making people feel included.  I am sorry, there is no excuse for a cold shoulder by anyone who is a Christian.  We are called to love God with all our heart and then love our neighbor.  This means that we have to show the same kind of Love that Christ extended to us.  You did not see him giving the cold shoulder to people as he did his journey.  I am sorry, Christians today have a problem with love and kindness.  You get shown more love at a restaurant by a waiter nowadays than is shown by most believers.

In order to understand this tirade, you will have to go read the original post at http://www.walters-team.net/?p=84

Peace!

Random Thoughts

So this morning I got into the office, but I am having a hard time working.  I am thinking too much perhaps.  I am looking through pictures of people, editing video, and just thinking.  I am thinking about how easy people have started turning their backs on God and their churches.  I am thinking about adults. college students, teens, and children, who can simply stay away from church for any reason now.  I am thinking about how it used to be and how it is now.  I am thinking about who has failed.  Is it us in church leadership, the church entirely, or the individuals who decide to abandon all of this.  I am not talking about the Bedouin church members (those who migrate from church to church as the “feeling” strikes them or when they become disenfranchised).   No, I am talking about the sheer number of people who basically feel no need to worship with the body of Christ and put their faith on a shelf to pick up another day.  Those who feel a day at the lake or by the pool is more important than worship.  Those who will go out to dinner with friends rather than be in the house of the Lord.  I do not know what to think about this anymore.  I am frustrated, dismayed, and virtually depressed about this.  I know that my responsibility lies in preaching the truth and the rest is between the believer and the spirit.  No minister, no matter how dynamic, can force the truth down a persons through and institute digestion.

I guess the reason I am sitting on my blog asking these questions this morning is because I am fearful of the future of the church (universal), particularly here in the south.  Now don’t a bunch of you go jumping down my through saying, you can’t live in fear (yadda yadda yadda).  I am perfectly aware of this.  That frankly won’t help me today.  I am sad.  The place that for so long has been the hotbed of Christianity has turned their backs on Christ.  A good tan or a full stomach is more important than the bread of life.

I guess maybe I am a church nerd.  When I was growing up, we were in church every time the doors were open, even on vacation.  Yes, I said on vacation.  I had perfect attendance in Sunday School for 5 years straight!  When we would go on vacation, I would go to church where we are and get the pastor to sign a bulletin saying I was in church so that I would get my perfect attendance pin once again.  I went overboard, but my heart was in the right place.  I absolutely loved and still love gathering with the body of believers.  I loved talking to them, worshipping with them, praying with them, and knowing that I was being prayed for.  My question…how can people not want this, this fellowship, this connection, this chance to dive deeper with God?  It is so overwhelming….

I know that we are in the end times, but to see believers throwing it all away during this time, not wanting any connection with other believers is so sad.  Here are some of the things that I hear from people as reasons for being out and they all relate to time.   I want to go out with __________, we are spending family time, homework, going to a movie/event.  Sure, leisure time is important, but that used to be what Friday or Saturday nights were for.  Would we dare tell our employer, coach, or teacher the same excuses that we give God for not showing up?

I am not trying to be dogmatic, but when are we going to realize that God and our relationship with Him and his people is more important than the petty things in life.  Our churches in the South seem to be very much like the church described in Ephesus in Revelation 2.  We have a great dislike of immorailty, but very little commitment to God.   We need to repent and do the things we did at first…

Revelation 2

1″To the angel[a] of the church in Ephesus write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: 2I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. 4Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. 5Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

Word or Deed

It seems that as a minister, one of the problems in our churches & youth groups, most prevalent/yet most glossed over in the church is gossip/group talk.   We often will have conflicts arise in the church (and this is all churches) and people will gather in small groups to talk it out in hopes of making themselves feel better, but the problem is that this talking it out only amounts to gossip, because the person with whom the conflict exists is not even present in the discussion.  Most often this person is oblivious that there is even a problem, because everyone puts on their Christian faces in front of this person.

From Col 3  … “¹⁵Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. ¹⁷And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

As you can see in this passage, God did not intend for so much drama to exist in His body, the church.  He intended peace to exist in the body.  When we gripe, fuss, gossip, and such; we are introducing cancer into the body.  We are causing sickness to settle on the masses.  The Bible says that our job in the church is to teach each other, admonish each other, and worship together.  Nowhere does it says to tear down one another.  When we have conflict with each other, it gives us instruction on this as well.

The biggest problem though is that we wear a mask of unity.  We pretend all is well when we are around people that we have a problem with and then as they leave, we stab them in the back with our words to others who may have the same problem with a person.  What does that accomplish?

Two things need to be done in order to handle conflict (1) we need to be reconcliled to God… 2 Cor 5:18-21 “¹⁸All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. ²¹God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”  (2) We need to be reconciled to the the person we have a problem with, not the congregation or friends at large.  Too often we air our grievances under the pretense of “VENTING”.  The problem is our grievances continue going around with those we vented too and a posse of sorts gathers in opposition to the party who we have a problem with and they have not been given a chance to correct their ways, share their side, or reconcile.  How sad, Christ continually forgives us we yet we are too good to forgive our brother/sister in Christ even just a few times.   The Biblical model for handling your problem with your borhter or sister in Christ is found in Matt 18, “15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.”   How much better for 2 people to work out their problems and to bury them than to bring a whole group into a problem and kill the community of the church!

Is it any wonder that the church has not experienced revival in this generation?  We are so busy building alliances like a bad episode of survivor that we are killing the whole purpose of the church.  A body of believers united for worship and to reach the world for Christ.   Well that is my 2 cents for today!

Great information on conflict resolution can be found at http://www.christianitytoday.com/holidays/labor/features/conflict.html

Satan is a Punk

So last night I get a call from Mary at about 8 pm telling me that security paged her over the intercom to come to their office.  As a co-worker was leaving last night they discovered that he window had been smashed in her car and looked liek the car had been ransacked.  Their goal, our GPS.  So Mary is upset and I leave to take a shop-vac to vacuum out her car and then trade vehicles so that she does not have to drive home in the cold (no window).  After getting her squared away and scoring some hot krispy kreme, I begin the journey home by myself.  I am listening to the radio and just begin praising God.  Yes, I seriously had a time of worship in my car as I headed down the highway at 55 mph with no window in the cold.   God made it abundantly clear in the moment, that no matter what trials I go through, HE IS STILL GOD.  He is still in control and no matter what Satan attempts to cause me to stumble and fall, he can and does bless me more than Satan can harm me.

We have been through alot over the last 6 months and this kind of stuff can drive people crazy, but I am madly in love with God and my family.   Satan is working he stinkin tail off to drive a wedge between us and God, but what he is really doing is driving me into the arms of my heavenly father.

A friend e-mailed me a few minutes ago and wrote me a letter of encouragement and the words are very true.  Satan’s time is getting short on this earth and the end is drawing near.  He is cranking up the heat and trying to discourage believers and render us useless.  He is desperate, but our God is still on HIS throne!   Well, that is all today, but in closing, let me share with you some verses that my friend shared with me this morning…

God Bless,  Michael

1 Peter 4:12-19 (New International Version)  ”12Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. 13But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 17For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18And,    “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved,  what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”  19So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.”

1 Peter 5:6-11 (New International Version) “6Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.  8Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 10And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.”

Forgot to post … Sorry … Mel singing “At Last”

Sorry that it took so long to post this.  Here is Melanie Dickerson singing At Last at Chris and Whitney’s Wedding.

At Last

Laying it all down for the kingdom

One of the things that I taught on last night was martyrdom.  When the time comes for our faith tires to hit the road, are we ready to face any and all of life’s circumstances.  Martyrdom in it’s most literal sense is facing death for one’s faith.  I think martyrdom for many of us can be emotional as well.  Are we ready to face death in a emotional sense for the kingdom?  Are we ready to face death in a popularity sense for the kingdom?  Are we ready to face death even of life’s wealth and riches and status for the kingdom?  Many of us quickly say that we would not betray our faith even if we face a knife, gun, spear, or whatever when the trying of our faith could mean the end of our life… The problem comes though when it comes to other forms of martyrdom… Death of riches, fame, popularity, emotions, or other things.  Sacrificing these for the kingdom seems much harder!

Here is the nuts and bolts of this though.  We need to be ready to lay it all down.  All we have on this earth for the one who has saved us!   We need words of comfort to be ready to do this though.  This psalm has meant alot to me this week as I have struggled through our recent trials.  The prospect of losing it all is hard, but we must remember, “He alone is my rock and my salvation!”

Psalm 62

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.

1      My soul finds rest in God alone;

my salvation comes from him.

2      He alone is my rock and my salvation;

he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

3      How long will you assault a man?

Would all of you throw him down—

this leaning wall, this tottering fence?

4      They fully intend to topple him

from his lofty place;

they take delight in lies.

With their mouths they bless,

but in their hearts they curse.

Selah

5      Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;

my hope comes from him.

6      He alone is my rock and my salvation;

he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

7      My salvation and my honor depend on God ◙ ;

he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

8      Trust in him at all times, O people;

pour out your hearts to him,

for God is our refuge.

Selah

9      Lowborn men are but a breath,

the highborn are but a lie;

if weighed on a balance, they are nothing;

together they are only a breath.

10      Do not trust in extortion

or take pride in stolen goods;

though your riches increase,

do not set your heart on them.

11      One thing God has spoken,

two things have I heard:

that you, O God, are strong,

12and that you, O Lord, are loving.

Surely you will reward each person

according to what he has done.