The Power of the Tongue...for Good!

On his first day as a new clerk in the green goods department of his local grocery store, a young man found himself face-to-face with a customer who had a rather unusual request: she wanted to buy half a head of lettuce. He gently tried to steer her away from this idea, but she was adamant about what she wanted.

Eventually, he sighed, "Alright, let me check with the manager."

He started to head towards the back of the store, oblivious to the fact that the customer was following him. As soon as he reached the manager, he blurted out, "We've got a bit of an oddball out there who wants to buy half a head of lettuce. What do I tell her?"

Catching the manager's shocked expression, he quickly turned around and noticed the woman. Swiftly, he added, "And this lovely lady here wants to buy the other half. Is that okay?"

Visibly relieved, the manager agreed, "Of course, that would be fine."

Later that day, the manager commended the young man for his quick thinking. Curious, he asked, "Where do you hail from, son?"

The boy replied with a grin, "I'm from Toronto, Canada, home to fabulous hockey players and, well, not-so-fabulous looking women."

Upon hearing this, the manager raised an eyebrow and said, "My wife's from Toronto."

Without missing a beat, the young man asked, "Oh really, which team did she play for?"

Because what we say can get us into so much trouble, I want you to take a spiritual journey with me into the heart of the book of James. We specifically want to spend our time in the third chapter, where we learn about an incredibly powerful element of our being: the human tongue. 

James utilizes language in a purposefully vivid and striking manner to communicate the significance of the words we use. Although they may seem to be fleeting whispers that punctuate the air and then disappear, our words actually have the ability to leave a lasting impression, either positive or negative, on the world around us.

Take a moment to visualize a majestic stallion in all its splendor, roaming free across vast plains. This magnificent creature is the epitome of raw power and untamed spirit, a true force of nature that commands our admiration. As awe-inspiring as this beautiful animal might be, it still requires a rider, someone who can provide direction and channel the abundant energy of this creature in a meaningful and useful manner.

James uses a horse and its bridle as a metaphor for how we use our tongues (James 3:3). They are reservoirs of immense potential and power. They can construct bridges of love and mutual understanding, using heartfelt words of encouragement and praise. They can provide solace to a troubled soul with soothing whispers of consolation. They can even ignite a burning fire of passion within others through inspiring words.

However, just like the untamed stallion, our tongues are also prone to loss of control or careless comments. They can release venomous words in the form of harsh criticism and malicious gossip. They can trample upon relationships with reckless and thoughtless words of anger. They can set a path of destruction ablaze with negativity and deceit.

This is where we all encounter a profound challenge. Unlike the stallion, which can be tamed to a certain extent, James says that our tongues are restless entities, always on the verge of erupting. However, the fact that we can't completely tame them doesn't mean that we are helpless in controlling them.

Consider a horse’s bridle. It doesn't rob the stallion of its inherent strength, but rather, it gives the rider the ability to direct that power in a positive and beneficial manner. Similarly, all of us require a metaphorical "bridle" for our tongues.

So what does this bridle consist of? It is a collection of several elements:

• Thoughtful reflection: Before we let our words loose into the world, it's crucial to take a moment to reflect on their potential ramifications. Are they building up or tearing down? Are they spreading love or fostering negativity?

• Guarded hearts: The Scripture says, "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks." This means that if our hearts are filled with love, kindness, and forgiveness, our words will naturally reflect these attributes.

• Seeking wisdom: The Bible enlightens us that wisdom is characterized by gentleness, peace, and mercy (James 3:17). By actively seeking wisdom, we learn to harness the power of our words for positive ends.

By effectively employing these tools, we can gain better control over our tongues, directing them toward a path of love, encouragement, and positive influence. Always remember, our words hold the power to either bless or curse. Let us make the conscious decision to use them for the glory of God and for the uplifting of our fellow human beings.

A More Vibrant Prayer Life

Prayer is an incredibly powerful privilege that allows us to communicate with God, the Almighty Creator of our vast universe. It is a privilege that we should wholeheartedly embrace and take full advantage of as believers in Christ. Through prayer, we have the amazing opportunity to pour out our hearts, express our deepest desires, seek divine guidance, find solace and comfort, and tangibly experience the presence of God in every aspect of our lives.

However, I too often catch myself offering prayers that are more self-centered or focused mostly on temporary matters. I tend to spend more time asking for things that are important in the present moment rather than seeking the things that hold eternal significance. I believe many of us fall into this pattern, where our prayers revolve around our immediate needs and desires rather than eternal ones.

"For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." (Eph. 3:14-19)

In this enlightening passage, the apostle Paul, known for his godly wisdom, beautifully writes about the unifying and reconciling work of Jesus Christ. It is through His boundless grace and love that Jews and Gentiles are brought together as one unified body, known as the Church, a testament to the remarkable power of His redemptive work. This noteworthy unity not only serves as a testament to God’s limitless grace but also as a reminder that our relationship with Him has the potential to bring us blessings that exceed our human understanding. Let take a few moments and immerse ourselves in the richness of this transformative relationship and continue to explore the profound power of prayer in our lives. 

Paul’s prayer for the Ephesian believers contains three key requests. Each request builds upon the previous one, creating a magnificent progression towards the ultimate goal. The fulfillment of Paul’s third request is closely tied to the fulfillment of his second request, and the fulfillment of his second request is dependent on the fulfillment of his first request. Therefore, the most profound and significant aspect that Paul desires for these believers, as stated in his first prayer request, is to be “strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man.”

By referring to the “inner man,” Paul is alluding to the part of our being that is spiritually awakened and intimately connected to God. It represents our regenerated nature, which we receive as a glorious gift when we place our faith in Christ, thus experiencing the miracle of salvation. This inner man delights in God’s commandments and undergoes continuous renewal day by day. The strengthening that Paul fervently desires for the Ephesians is a direct result of the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit within us, and it is in complete harmony with the immeasurable richness of God’s glory.

When believers are fortified and empowered by the indwelling presence of God’s Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ Himself is resident in their hearts. This signifies the idea that Christ should be “at home” in our hearts, having unrestricted access to every area of our lives to scrutinize our motives, thoughts, and actions. It is a profound call for each of us to surrender ourselves entirely to Christ and allow Him to effect a radical transformation within us, starting from the very core of our being.

Paul’s second request is for believers to grasp the immeasurable love that God has lavished upon us—an incomprehensible love that surpasses all human understanding. Paul skillfully employs directional words to vividly illustrate God’s vast and boundless love. While each direction individually emphasizes a specific facet of God’s love, Paul’s intention is to skillfully weave these words into one resounding statement, showcasing the all-encompassing nature of God’s love.

God’s love is wide enough to embrace every human being, long enough to span from eternity to eternity, deep enough to reach the unfathomable depths of hell, and high enough to elevate us into the very presence of God. The ultimate demonstration of this extraordinary love is beautifully manifested in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross, where He willingly laid down His life to atone for our sins. Despite Paul’s repeated references to the Ephesian believers as being “in Christ,” he acknowledges that their comprehension of the depth of God’s love for them may be incomplete. Consequently, Paul ardently desires for them to fully grasp and comprehend the magnitude of the love that the Creator of the universe has lavished upon them.

Before concluding his majestic prayer with a resounding doxology of praise to God, Paul presents one final request. He fervently prays that these believers may be filled with the “fullness of God.” While only Jesus Himself is capable of being filled with the complete fullness of God, Paul’s prayer is an impassioned plea for these believers to walk in an increasingly spiritual maturity and experience a deeper intimacy with God. It is a profound call for us to relentlessly pursue a heightened understanding and encounter of God’s tangible presence in every facet of our lives.

As we deeply reflect on these three remarkable requests made by Paul, we come to the realization that he is asking for exceedingly incredible things on behalf of the Ephesian believers. But can God truly fulfill these requests? In a manner that is difficult for our finite minds to fully comprehend, Paul confidently and emphatically declares, “YES!”

Ephesians 1:20 can be paraphrased and resoundingly proclaimed as follows:

• “Now to Him who is immeasurably capable.”
• “Now to Him who is immeasurably capable of doing.”
• “Now to Him who is immeasurably capable of doing exceedingly.”
• “Now to Him who is immeasurably capable of doing exceedingly abundant.”
• “Now to Him who is immeasurably capable of doing exceedingly abundant beyond measure.”
• “Now to Him who is immeasurably capable of doing exceedingly abundant beyond measure, far surpassing anything we could ever ask or even imagine.”
• “Now to Him who is immeasurably capable of doing exceedingly abundant beyond measure, far surpassing anything we could ever ask or even imagine, and surpassing the boundaries of human imagination.”

These awe-inspiring words powerfully convey the boundless power and limitless ability of God. There are absolutely no restrictions or limitations on what God can accomplish. He is immeasurably capable of bringing to fruition far more than we could ever begin to ask or even conceive within the confines of our finite minds.

Then, Paul concludes his prayer and resounding doxology by reminding us that praise and adoration are to be offered through Christ to God by the unified body of believers known as the Church.

It is vital to acknowledge two crucial aspects of this passage in relation to the Church.

First, recognizing and comprehending God’s love are magnified and deepened through our profound connection with other believers. Paul emphasizes that through our vibrant and authentic relationships with fellow believers in the Church, we gain a deeper understanding of the immensity of God’s love. By actively participating in the Church and bearing witness to the transformative impact of God’s love on other believers’ lives, we gradually recognize the vast magnitude of God’s love for us.

Second, praise, honor, and adoration to God are to be offered collectively and harmoniously as a unified body of believers rather than solely by individual members of the Church. While individual praise and worship are undoubtedly significant, Paul’s fervent request is for both Jews and Gentiles, who have been graciously adopted as God’s children and united in Christ, to join their voices together in corporate praise. By gathering as a vibrant community of believers, we deepen our understanding and experience of God’s boundless love and amplify our collective voices as we resoundingly offer our praises and worship to Him.

Therefore, let us wholeheartedly embrace the extraordinary privilege of prayer, diligently seeking to align our hearts with God’s perfect will and continually grow in understanding the immeasurable love that He lavishes upon us. May we consistently strive to be strengthened by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, grasp the limitless vastness of God’s love, and passionately pursue spiritual maturity. And as we do so, let us wholeheartedly and harmoniously offer our praises and worship to God, deeply acknowledging and gratefully embracing the immense blessings and love that He has so graciously bestowed upon us.

Imagine the possibilities that await us as we pray, seeking God’s will and guidance for our lives. Don't waste another minute, open your heart to God and let Him hear you pray!

School Shootings in Nashville

The shootings outside of Nashville, TN, this week at the Covenant Presbyterian School by a young woman that identified as a male, have been heartbreaking for everyone who has seen the coverage. None of us can imagine what these six families are feeling or how they can cope with such a tragedy. Nor can we imagine what the surviving children and staff are experiencing in the aftermath. I have been unable to stay away from the news updates about these events as details continue to unfold a little at a time. Some of my interest is to see just what the news media will acknowledge and what they will cover up as the underlying cause for this horrific crime. I obviously don’t have all the details, but there is nothing here to suggest to me that this was anything less than a hate crime against Christians and the church.

Whether you recognize it or not, the enemy of our souls is after your children to destroy them whether with guns, indoctrination, perversion, drugs and many other things children should never have to sort through. The abandonment of biblical truth, moral absolutes, the breakdown of the family, and the compromise of many churches is at the center of much of what is happening in our society. The significance of gathering with believers on the Lord’s Day to worship God and learn His Word has been replaced with every other imaginable secular activity preventing children from fully knowing the truth that can set them free. Add to that the addiction problem that is rampant in our society and you see how the devil is working overtime to destroy the minds and lives of a generation that has so much promise. They talk about the exploding increase in mental illness among the young today, but is it any wonder when so much of what keeps a person’s life stable, anchors them in life’s storms, and gives them a foundation upon which to build their future has been undermined, ignored, mocked and dismissed.

Twenty children were killed at a school in Newtown, CT, in 2012. Nineteen were killed in 2022 at a school in Uvalde, TX.  We can all recall other school shootings in recent years where children were killed or injured. I still remember that horrible day the children were killed in the Columbine shooting in 1999. Regardless of your position on gun control (and this post is not a platform for opinion on gun control), it is undeniable that the enemy is aiming for our children and coming after them full force. 

In what sane world could it ever be thought acceptable to push the bizarre (evil) idea of exposing our children to drag queens, drag queen shows and drag queen story-hours in childcare centers, libraries, etc. To hear the present administration defending such ideas is evil in itself! If you’re unaware of what this is that they do, it’s where men dress up as scantily clad women and Vegas showgirls, put on make-up, and perform sexual dances for elementary children, including lap dances and even crawling across the floor all to “entertain” elementary aged children.  

The Bible specifically told us that there would be a day when people would “give heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons” (1 Ti. 4:1) and these are unmistakably present in our world today. Transgender ideology is demonic and is an attack against God’s design of male and female. It is evidence of a warped and deluded mind that needs counseling and mental health assistance. Those who suffer from it need therapy and the freedom the Gospel can bring, not the freedom to live out their false identities.  Only harm is done when the rest of us are expected to bear “false witness” by referring to them with pronouns of the opposite gender. We certainly want to be loving, but it isn’t loving to let people go on believing a lie that will damn their souls eternally.

Our greatest weapons against this onslaught of evil that is destroying our children are prayer and the TRUTH. We should be doing everything humanly possible to safeguard our children when they are at school by using every means possible to protect them. Whatever it takes to keep killers out of these schools is what should be done and there is no more time to postpone making these changes. But, if you protect the physical lives of the children and then feed them the lies of our demonic enemy, we have still failed at protecting our children. 

We are now living in a time when genders are confused, men are viewed as oppressors, women want to be men, men want to be women, and children are being murdered while attending school.  Actually, these kinds of attacks on children go all the way back to Baal worship when babies were thrown into fires to appease the demons. The attack on TRUTH goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden when Satan challenged and twisted what God had clearly said. His Word is still being twisted by many today.  We are being duped into thinking all of this is a political battle. It isn’t!!!  It’s a spiritual battle and many are falling into the enemy’s hands.  

All of us had better start bowing our heads, closing our eyes, as we cry out to the One, True, and Holy God.  Christians should be gathering WEEKLY for worship at the local church where God’s word is taught without compromise.  We are to bring up our children in the “nurture and admonition of the Lord.” We are to stand for TRUTH in an ever compromising culture, even in the public school where our children attend. We are to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us, but that doesn’t mean we sacrifice our children on the altar of our culture or to killers that try to enter our schools.   

Make no mistake about it, the enemy is coming for our children. This is the reason we at LMBC place great emphasis on our children’s and youth ministries. We want to teach them that there is a God who created them, loves them, and knows what is best for them.  We also teach that there is evil in this world, but that Jesus Christ has overcome the enemy.  We want them to trust Christ as their Savior and live for Him all their days. This is why we teach the Bible from the pulpit rather than give little homilies that placate the excessively time conscious Christians.

Because the enemy is coming after our children we have to put up a fight for them to protect them from his evil grasp. Violence is never the answer (though we will defend our children, if they are physically attacked), but prayer, church attendance, Bible reading, godly love, loving parents, stable families and other similar virtues will save them from the destruction of this present world.

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” (Eph. 6:10-13)

A Long Obedience

Eugene Peterson wrote a book in 1980 that is as relevant today as it was the year it was first published. Actually, it may be more relevant than it was 40 years ago. I think it would help all Christians to take the time to read it for themselves. But, I know that many people won’t or can’t do that, so let me quote a brief section from his introduction that he expounds throughout the book using the Psalms of Ascent (Ps. 120-134) as his text. 

Dr. Peterson writes, “One aspect of our world that I have been able to identify as harmful to Christians is the assumption that anything worthwhile can be acquired at once. We assume that if something can be done at all, it can be done quickly and efficiently. Our attention spans have been conditioned by thirty-second commercials. Our sense of reality has been flattened by thirty-page abridgments. It is not difficult in such a world to get a person interested in the message of the gospel; it is terrifically difficult to sustain the interest. Millions of people in our culture make decisions for Christ, but there is a dreadful attrition rate. Many claim to have been born again, but the evidence for mature Christian discipleship is slim. In our kind of culture anything, even news about God, can be sold if it is packaged freshly; but when it loses its novelty, it goes on the garbage heap. There is a great market for religious experience in our world; there is little enthusiasm for the patient acquisition of virtue, little inclination to sign up for a long apprenticeship in what earlier generations of Christians called holiness.

“Religion in our time has been captured by the tourist mindset. Religion is understood as a visit to an attractive site to be made when we have adequate leisure. For some it is a weekly jaunt to church; for others, occasional visits to special services. Some, with a bent for religious entertainment and sacred diversion, plan their lives around special events like retreats, rallies and conferences. We go to see a new personality, to hear a new truth, to get a new experience and so somehow expand our otherwise humdrum lives. The religious life is defined as the latest and the newest: Zen, faith healing, human potential, parapsychology, successful living, choreography in the chancel, Armageddon. We’ll try anything—until something else comes along. 

“I don’t know what it has been like for pastors in other cultures and previous centuries, but I am quite sure that for a pastor in Western culture at the dawn of the twenty-first century, the aspect of our world that makes the work of leading Christians in the way of faith most difficult is what Gore Vidal has analyzed as ‘today’s passion for the immediate and the casual.’ Everyone is in a hurry. The persons whom I lead in worship, among whom I counsel, visit, pray, preach and teach, want shortcuts. They want me to help them fill out the form that will get them instant credit (in eternity). They are impatient for results. They have adopted the lifestyle of a tourist and only want the high points. But a pastor is not a tour guide. [emphasis mine] I have no interest in telling apocryphal religious stories at and around dubiously identified sacred sites. The Christian life cannot mature under such conditions and in such ways.” —Peterson, Eugene H.; A Long Obedience in the Same Direction (The IVP Signature Collection) (pp. 9-11). InterVarsity Press. Kindle Edition. 

His title for the book comes from the proposition that following Christ is “a long obedience in the same direction.” (This quote has its roots in a 19th century statement from a German philosopher.) I don’t think I know of a better way to describe the Christian life than what this title proposes. We have to stop commercializing Christianity so that it fits in with the consumer mentality of the 21st Century. Following Jesus means more than finding a quick fix, a simple solution, an emotional high, instant spirituality, or gaining a few “brownie points” with God for eternity! It is about pressing on methodically, daily, patiently, thoughtfully, committedly, diligently, faithfully, unreservedly…taking time to get to know Christ in the ups and downs of our lives. It means obeying Him no matter what comes our way or how difficult it may be to do so. You can’t buy a seven day prescription of discipleship pills that will resolve all of your life problems. Neither can you pull through a spiritual drive-through and order “fast-food” spiritual maturity. I guess that’s why some professing Christians become disillusioned or distracted along this journey of spiritual growth. Following Christ as His child truly does require “a long obedience in the same direction.” It’s the reason we always encourage you to read your Bible consistently, gather with other believers at church weekly, share your faith with others faithfully, and keep praying earnestly! Let’s stop looking for a quick-fix spirituality that brings nothing but emotional highs. Let’s start living a faithful Christlike life that says, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him…” (Job 13:15)! 

Church Is Essential

What I'm about to say doesn't necessarily apply to everyone, but it needs to be said in a general fashion so everyone can think about it. Church ministry teams are hurting and missing opportunities to care for people and meet spiritual needs because people are "holed-up" in their "basements" and not willing to come out and help. Some people have conditions and/or are of an age that they should stay in awhile longer (though it's the aging folks that often show up in spite of the virus because they know the importance of the church). But, I'm pained by otherwise healthy people misusing the command to "love your neighbor," as if it means we can stay locked up in our "cocoons" until all the trouble passes over. (Of course, it's OK to go to work, school, grocery store, big box stores, restaurants, vacation, etc.) "Loving your neighbor" SHOULD mean we get out of our "basements" to help people and meet them in SAFE ways...like we do at our church. The command Jesus gave was an active one, not a passive one. The Good Samaritan was the example Jesus used about how to obey that specific command. The Samaritan got OUT OF (!!) his comfort zone, did something that was dangerous, sacrificed himself for someone else, offered his own resources to help...etc. etc. (It's a good thing Jesus didn't take the approach that some believe is the "spiritual" thing to do. Had He done so, we'd still be lost in our sin!) People should wear their masks, socially distance, wash their hands, but people are hurting and dying right now that don't have COVID-19! There are too many that have died from the virus and my heart is sad/broken for their families. We have had a dear lady die from our church with the virus and my heart aches every...single...day for that sweet, godly family! Having said that, there are more people dying from other things than the virus that are going into eternity without any hope...while we say we are protecting "them" from contracting the virus. It feels very much like we've become focused on saving our own lives rather than helping to save the "eternal lives" of others. God isn't going to make an exemption to Heaven for those that needed the Gospel or His loving care but didn't receive it because of a pandemic. I don't think He's going to say, "Well, you lived during 2020 and those circumstances will allow you special entry into Heaven." God's church can't wait till the pandemic fully ends to go back to active ministry. If the past 10 months have reminded me of anything, it is that the church is ESSENTIAL to people's lives. If it isn't "essential" to some Christians and they can be content staying home in their jammies, that speaks volumes about where churches are spiritually. Every Christian needs the gathering of believers, even in a pandemic! Besides, a lot of people aren't going to take the vaccine, so I guess they'll just stay home forever. We have people coming to services and struggle to fully care for them because we only have a skeleton crew showing up to serve. How about "loving your neighbor" by serving alongside others at church and lending them some help? Why do we use the command of scripture and just apply it to the spread of the virus. A lot of really good people are giving everything right now and are hurting because they don't have enough hands or hearts to love the people that are coming to be loved with the love of Jesus! It's time we take reasonable precautionary measures and then get to work. Lives are depending on it and their eternal destinies hang in the balance. 

There is much to be thankful for on this 2020 Thanksgiving Day. It seems that too often we're only thankful when life feels good and everything seems to be working perfectly. However, if we look deeply enough, we can find reasons to be grateful even if there are challenges we have to endure. Actually, behind almost every problem we face is an opportunity to see God's goodness, His provision and/or His plan being worked out for us. 

So, on this holiday, instead of giving thanks for only the things we think are thank-worthy, let's look at everything in our lives and find reasons to give praise to God! Think differently about your life and see how God is blessing you, even if the blessings come with challenges. Let me show you what I mean... 

• Let's give thanks for the taxes we pay...because it means we are employed.
  
• Let's give thanks for the clothes that fit a bit too snugly...because it means we have had plenty to eat.
  
• Let's be thankful for a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and gutters that need fixing...because it means we have a home.
  
• Let's be thankful for the parking spot we find at the far end of the lot...because it means we're capable of walking. 
  
• Let's be thankful for our huge heating/cooling bill...because it means we are comfortable at home.
  
• Let's be thankful for all the complaining we hear about our government...because it means we have freedom of speech.
  
• Let's be thankful for the person behind us in church who sings off key...because it means that we can hear.
  
• Let's be thankful for the piles of laundry...because it means our loved ones are nearby.
  
• Let's be thankful for the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours...because it means we have a job.
  
• Let's be thankful for weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day...because it means we are alive.
  

And, the list could go on!! In all we do we can find reason to give thanks today and everyday for the goodness of God to us, if we only take the time to look beyond the surface struggles to see what most other people totally miss! 

"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his faithful love endures forever." (Psalm 107:1)

 

Being Vulnerable During Covid-19

These past 24 weeks have been filled with so many ups and downs that it’s hard for me to keep my equilibrium. After a wonderful beginning to 2020 in January and February we were met with the lockdowns due to the covid-19 virus. For ten long weeks, beginning March 22nd, we had one virtual service each Sunday morning with some additional virtual content we provided daily and weekly. Not until May 31st were we able to reopen our church buildings and then only with many precautions that were required and are still being required. After preaching online for those several weeks, it didn’t matter to me how many adjustments we had to make to be together again. All of the effort to gather as the church was well worth the hard work in order to be under one roof to worship God as a church family. The ensuing  weeks since May 31st,  through the summer and early fall, have also been filled with many emotional ups and downs. Those early weeks of the regathering started slowly, but we seemed to build a little each week, even if the numbers in attendance didn’t always reflect it. There was a feeling that we could gather as the church safely and we were becoming adjusted to our new “safe” routine. Of course, we had people taking vacations and getting away after being kept home except for essential activities and work. And, as the fall arrived, I had great hopes that we would begin to regain our momentum that was lost earlier in March and start seeing more people show up again to worship on the weekends. But, though our numbers grew some, we still didn’t see the return that I hoped we might see. We are averaging about half (or a little more) of the attendance we had prior to the pandemic, but I don’t think we are going to get back anywhere near 90% or 95% of what we had prior to the shutdown anytime soon. I have mixed emotions about what we are going through. On the one hand I understand that some people should definitely not come out until this virus is more under control. On the other hand, I am disappointed that others haven’t begun to re-join us weekly. Is it their concern for catching the virus that is keeping them away? Or, is it a whole lot of “convenience”  wrapped in a little bit of “fear” that is preventing them from venturing out to the gatherings? I see people that aren’t quarantining from other places like stores, malls, restaurants, games, etc., but who won’t venture out to be a part of their local church. In some ways I think the last several months of pushing our online services has increased the desire in some people for the church to primarily meet online.  However, that isn’t what a church does or how the Bible defines the role of the church. Meeting together is central to how a church functions in scripture and we are even commanded not to forsake the assembling of believers. When much of the church is not gathering together, it feels a little like having half your physical body not showing up for work on any given day. It cripples you or, at least, handicaps you for an extended period of time. We have been operating with a skeleton staff compared to the number that were helping prior to the pandemic. The pressure is on a few serving when we need to spread out the responsibility because “many hands make for light work.” Add to these things the fact that we are dealing with the wrangling over masks or no masks. Some won’t come because a few (very, very few) don’t wear a mask and others won’t come because we ask them to wear a mask. It all sounds so crazy to me and there is no way any pastor or church could have ever expected to be battling these kinds of issues a year ago. Christians disagreeing with one another over a piece of cloth or paper covering their nose and mouth? I fully understand why some are staying home, if they are sick or have underlying health issues. But, otherwise healthy individuals quarantining from the church when they aren’t doing so elsewhere is painful and hard to understand. I believe that as a pastor I should be eternally optimistic and filled with faith! I am both of these things. I believe that God’s purpose is being worked out even in difficult circumstances and I know that His church will survive (and thrive), no matter how long this pandemic lasts. But, my concern is what this is doing right now to Christians and their children as I watch some drifting away from the faith and excusing it (maybe not even recognizing it) while using the covid-19 virus as their cover. What is God showing us right now? What is He doing in His church during these days? Is He shaking the “boat” to loosen the grip of those just “hanging on” so that we can eventually sail powerfully into the days ahead? Is He growing us and teaching us that our confidence can’t be in people, but only in Him? These are just a few of the many questions that have been floating around in my head for weeks now. I pray every day for strength and wisdom to maneuver through this maze of challenges to lead His church into the future. I know He is hearing me and I pray we will soon see His answers. All I want is to see people saved and growing in devotion to Jesus Christ.

One Pastor's Perspective...

Just one pastor’s perspective (mine): This lengthy process of dealing with Covid-19 has been the most challenging period I have had to maneuver in 42 years of ministry. Ministry always presents obstacles and opportunities you have to overcome and navigate. But, there has never been anything like this present challenge. Everything in you says that the work of the church must move forward, but daily the resistance to making progress in that direction becomes increasingly more difficult and hard to overcome. So little is known about this virus and the regularly changing mandates are frustrating, to say the least. And, that’s not to mention the differing viewpoints from equally qualified scientists that only lead to people’s differing viewpoints about the virus. There is no way to completely fulfill the mission of His church when we are unable to meet regularly. Add to that the understandable fact that so few feel confident to venture out to services and you find yourself challenged with how to stay connected with them, as well as how to do what the New Testament commands us to do as a church body. “Forsake not the assembling of ourselves together” isn’t a suggestion, it’s a command. Being together accomplishes things that can never be fully realized through online services. I’m thankful for the opportunity to be able to continue sharing Biblical teaching and encouragement online, but the accountability needed for developing deep spiritual life is missing. Discipleship best takes place in person, not online. A drift is already taking place as some people become adjusted to “worship” at home and it becomes increasingly more commonplace. It’s too easy to tune in the service and tune out what God is really saying (i.e., we become consumers of "spiritual goods").  Add to these things the way some Christians have turned on each other over masks, six feet distancing, dismissal from services by sections, separate entrance/exit patterns, and dozens of other similar matters, there is a growing disunity that can sometimes be palpably felt among segments of church communities everywhere. Too often we look at others as if they are unloving for not doing exactly what is requested by the church to protect those in attendance. Or, we feel disconcerted, thinking others are being duped by the government into surrendering their constitutional rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Add to all this the growing number of conspiracy theories about our current situation and you sometimes feel like you are sinking deeper into a quagmire of complete irrationality. None of these aforementioned matters take into account other types of things such as the difficulty of singing with a mask (singing is a mandate in worship), feeling close to people you can’t touch or get within six feet (fellowship/relationship), being able to baptize new believers (a church ordinance), etc., etc. Just so you know, preaching to a camera is one kind of difficult, but preaching to faces you can barely see is another kind of difficult altogether. And, when you are in a service where the pews are nearly full and when they are barely full, there is a totally different experience to the worship services (For you sports fans, it is the difference between a stadium full for the game and one that is almost empty. The game gets played, but there is a completely different experience in the two different settings.). My observation is that some people are already drifting spiritually as they are kept from worship services by the legitimate concerns about the virus. New patterns of life on Sunday are being developed that will affect a lot of Christians for more than just the time we have to deal with this virus. Some of these things may not be rectified even when a vaccine is developed. And, there will be a host of people that won’t take the vaccine for a variety of reasons...some legitimate and others not so much. If these challenges only lasted for a few weeks then the impact would be somewhat limited, but we are looking at the end of the year or longer before the vaccine or therapeutics are developed. This whole situation is having significant temporal impact on businesses, schooling and personal lives that will last for years to come. It is also having a significant impact on the spiritual lives of people that will have long term ETERNAL consequences. Just consider the children and the worship patterns they are developing during these difficult times. I could go on like this... My desire in writing is to say we need God’s help! Those of us in ministry need your prayers as we try to keep the mission of Christ in the forefront and keep people growing in grace. Unity among believers isn’t a suggestion, it’s a matter of obedience! Our churches need your support financially to maintain the work that has been done so that when the day comes that we are together again as the “whole” church we don’t have to dig out of a financial hole that further hinders us from getting up to ministry/mission speed quickly. Hang in there with me, church. We are doing all we can to reach you, love you and lead you. We are trying hard to get the Gospel out as best we can while we wait on the Lord for His help. Our culture is in decline as the darkness engulfs our communities. The church is to be the light in the darkness, even if we can’t meet together as freely as we’d like! Don’t lose faith! Don’t leave the straight and narrow path of following Jesus! Don’t neglect your church family! Don’t be divisive, but love one another. This will pass and we WILL REBUILD!  God still has a plan for all of this we face right now!!

x

A Word From The Wise (i.e., Solomon)...

“Interfering in someone else’s argument is as foolish as yanking a dog’s ears.” (Proverbs 26:17 NLT) 

I've come to the last of my thirty-one thoughts for thirty-one days from the thirty-one chapters of Proverbs.There is so much more in this book to be discovered, so keep reading it and pondering it's wisdom from yourself. It is precisely the kind of proverb we are considering today that is the primary reason I love reading the book regularly. 

I’ve never pulled a dog’s ears, but I assume it wouldn’t have a good outcome. Of course, the obvious response of the dog is the reason he uses this analogy. Dogs in the ancient world were not as domesticated as today. They were mostly wild, more like jackals. Consequently, you were making trouble for yourself when you aggravated a dog and it was your fault if you got bitten (like getting stung because you poked the hornet's nest). It could even be deadly, if the dog had rabies. This proverb basically says that we should stay out of other people’s arguments and you won’t get hurt. Interfere in other people’s fights and you might get "punched"! I’d go a step further and say, stay out of everybody’s “business” in general (whatever it is) unless they invite you in to help them. As an example of what I’m saying, I have a love/hate relationship with social media and this proverb expresses some of my reasoning. Why does everybody have to know everybody else’s business? It only invites people into things where they really don't need to be. Of course, there are times when it can be a positive influence, but I’ve seen so many negatives, as well. I love it when people post pictures of their families or travels online. Or, they use social media to encourage, edify and spread the truth of God's Word! Anyway, it’s usually best to “mind your own business” and pay attention to the things going on in your own world. (Please read Prov. 20:3!) Paul put it this way, “Make it your goal to live a quiet life, MINDING YOUR OWN BUSINESS and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. Then people who are not believers will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others.” (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12) There is a world full of busybodies that think they have a right to "get all up in everybody's business." You’ve probably met him/her...always asking probing questions about private matters, sharing an opinion about something that's not even their concern, or telling you something “juicy” about another person. I can’t help but scratch my head sometimes wondering how they know the things they are passing along. As we know, what a lot of people pass along is usually something less than edifying and mostly gossip. People seem to love prying into other people’s business and occasionally I’ve had to ask someone to politely “butt out!” I have never thought it was a good idea to "yank" a "dog's ears" and Solomon agrees!  

A Word From The Wise (i.e., Solomon)...

“As the beating of cream yields butter and striking the nose causes bleeding, so stirring up anger causes quarrels.” (Proverbs 30:33 NLT)  

This proverb actually advises people to strive for peace and harmony through humility and righteousness. I know it doesn’t say it that way, but that’s the essence of the proverb. It does this by reminding us that when you agitate people, you end up “stirring up [their] anger” and that only leads to “quarrels." The first two illustrations in this verse show how “beating” and “striking” both get specific responses. So, irritating and/or provoking someone is going to make that person mad and bring on the responses of "quarrels" and contentions. Again, it’s sort of back to a another proverb that says, “A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.” (Prov. 15:1) Being able to avoid an argument or keep from making it worse is the mark of a mature believer. Sure, there are times when you have to confront problems and get unpleasant matters resolved. However, most of the time when you force the conversation or pursue it at the wrong times it only amplifies the problems that already exist. If someone is pushing (“stirring”) you and you feel your temper rising, the best thing you can do is to ask them to wait until a later, set time to discuss the matter. Then, get away and gain your composure and prepare to talk about the “problem” and not attack the person. Anger will almost always make us attack the person rather than the problem. Nothing constructive ever comes from doing so and it usually degenerates into something even worse than the original problem. Another way to say it is, “Don’t push the other person’s proverbial buttons.” I see this a lot in relationships where couples know that certain things they say or do are going to “get under the skin" of the other person. Sometimes it’s intentional and they want to “stir up anger.”  At other times it’s accidental and completely unintended. Again, we have to be able to sit down and resolve issues in a mature fashion. For instance, in a relationship, one person can’t always have his/her way to the exclusion of the other person. A marriage relationship is a partnership that requires two adults being able to learn each others strengths and weaknesses so they can help the other person become better. Sometimes there are things that have to be resolved in a manner that accommodates all persons involved, but it will almost never happen when you are “stirring up anger” rather than maintaining a calm, cool composure. Things to remember:

• You are responsible for how “YOU treat” others.
• You are also responsible for how “YOU react” to others who mistreat you.

Responding in an appropriate fashion takes growing in Christ and with it, you get better with proper actions/responses over time. We all have to work at this because it doesn’t come naturally. It takes God’s help!