PUT THEM IN A CORNER?

A word this morning for pastors and teachers and church leaders. I know people are people whether they're in church or not. Pastors and teachers and leaders in our local churches first responsibility is to be spiritually qualified. So much is placed on what a person looks like dresses like which Bible translation he reads. The number one qualification to be a leader preacher, teacher, Deacon, trustee, whatever you are in church or even leading people in music in church... Is are you born again are you sure of it is your faith only in Christ and not in man? Do you obey God and not man whenever there's a conflict between the two. In America more than one out of every two marriages end in divorce. So much debate has been ignored about the meaning of the Apostle Paul's words about marriage and how many times or whatever you can be married. I do not read one single word anywhere in the scripture that says that being divorced makes you unqualified to preach teach sing be a deacon or anything. The custom of the day when the Holy scriptures were being written.... Was that many men had many wives at one time. Yet in our society today which seems to be getting more evil, more disrespectful of God, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.... I would say thousands upon thousands of divorced people who have realized that sin in their life not just a marriage Sin hinders them from worshipping and serving the lord. So let's just get a corner of our church to take a vote, on how many people been married divorced and then if you want to,even how many times, and let's cordon off a certain section of the church and make him sit there like they had the leprosy. Let's let him listen to the singing, drive Church vans, take out the trash... But by all means never ever let them be a deacon and trustee or anything of any importance in the church. Now I'm being sarcastic, but everyone reading this Blog,that has ever been to church knows exactly what I'm talking about. I have just got the jewels and the nerve to bring the subject up. Of course I'm not advocating divorce because the Bible said God hates it. But the Bible also says that the Lord allows it. It also says he allows it because of the hardness of our hearts. You cannot get any plainer than that. I am totally convinced that if the Apostle Paul... And many of the disciples and followers of Jesus in the New Testament scripture, if they were alive in the local church today in the United States of America they would not be accepted. Are we as guilty as some of those who feared the Apostle Paul? Why he was a murderer. Murderer of who? Christians members of the first church. I can see why people didn't trust him but he kept preaching the gospel and he was hated by many. Run out of town for his own safety and when in the book of 2nd Timothy he was in prison, many of his followers deserted him. You know I'm telling the truth and I'm also probably making you angry. The Bible says a Workman is worthy of his hire.Preachers, you deserve a raise and many of you need to be fired and run out of town. You don't like to think about the scripture that reminds us ,to remember before you point your finger , that you were once people like that. Yes these aren't Kumbaya words, let's all have a group hug words! But if we don't read the scripture and put it in our heart like King David did... You know the guy who lusted after Bathsheba made sure her husband was killed so he could have her yet repented of his sin and made good on his repentance cried out to God for forgiveness and mercy and he received it. I venture to the Say many people today would not listen to David they would not listen to Solomon ,they would not listen to Paul ,and oh my goodness those nasty foul mouth fisherman who repented of their sin felt unworthy, knew that mankind felt that way about them but yet they heard the gospel and they heard the call to preach the gospel to teach the gospel start Church. Why? Because Christ accepted them he did not reject them. He told them that it was them that he had come to save. So what's my point I think I made it pretty clear. Not advocating divorce. I'm not advocating being married to more than one person at a time... But if those of you who are more about control than mercy, you need to search your heart and search your reason for why you do what you do. Stop fighting over who has a key to the back door who's going to put up the sign at the church, who's going to sing What song, who's going to teach what Sunday school class. I've been a Christian for almost 51 years and I have seen these type things for 51 years. In my studies of the church,from the past several hundred years.... fighting and control of the business of the church has been going on since the beginning of the New Testament Church. Most likely it will continue. But like Paul in the book of Galatians when he had already been to galatia started a church and left, came back to find it practicing some real ding-a-ling activities. Read it in the book of Galatians. Paul had to rebuke them and even at one point he starts off by saying who has Bewitched you. "I know you heard our preaching to you when we first started your church, now you have invoked rules that are not scriptural that we did not teach you that we didn't say or practice. So we want to know what in the world happened. So then he embarked on teaching them dicipling them Again! You know Church I think it's high time that we start dicipling ourselves again. And yes it starts with salvation that you must have. You have to offer something totally different than what the world offers. The rock band explosions and drama that you want in your church ,it's not a lasting activity. I visited a church in a Revival this past week ,and I saw a choir full of young people singing... Some of them raising their hands in praise... No rock bands are fancy strobe lights... Just singing a wonderful song about the blood of Jesus Christ. It sent chill bumps all over my body and stirred my heart. I think we need to get back to the basics. Young people need to be discipled on what's appropriate and respectful in God's house. But stubborn old folks need to be re discipled again. I was once Young and now I'm old... And I still have to read the scripture and let it re disciple me. Everything I say ,I say because I love people. The Almighty God has set down in His Holy Bible all the things we need to know. If we needed to know anything else he would have let us know. I'm looking forward to that day when I see him and I don't have to worry or fret over the Sin in my life or anyone else's. I don't think everyone's evil of course, but church goers like me, Need to remember to tell the truth when we're witnessing to lost people who bash the church and refuse to repent and turn to Christ. They will attack us ,it's all our fault they won't no responsibility, for their own soul, but the Bible clearly teaches that they will give an account to God. We cannot lie, water everything down, just stand in our pulpits and ignore the problems we are looking at, being more concerned over whether we are liked or not liked or if someone is getting offended. It's time to let the Lord lead... The local church attendance is dropping and you wonder why? Hey I even know some preachers that are satisfied with their small attendance. They say Many things negative about anyone who wants their Church to actually grow. They're Evangelical churches around them that are growing while they are not. Well let me say this. That's not the number one priority... Or is it? Jesus said go out in the highways and byways and every ways... And compel people to come in. Now either some of these preachers are not studying as much as they say they are, or there's something very spiritually wrong with them. Awh... (judge) come on now use that word again. LOL. You know that famous excuse that lost people give for not repenting of their sins that they love or people that are satisfied with the status quo. Or people who make rules so strict in their Church ,that sinners can have no part because they're not seen as good enough or dressed good enough. Anyway I hope that I have touched a nerve. And don't let me get started on the business of preaching... Because I could tell you a lot that I know and I could even call names but I will not. I have to be real careful, cuz I'm one step away from sounding like John the Baptist... Oh God forbid! You know I'm not worthy to tie the shoelaces on the shoes of Christ. I'm not worthy just spend one second in eternity. But you know Christ in my heart... Sanctifies me justifies me. Let's rethink and get serious in our praying! You don't have to always pray for something for yourself. Pray for your friends pray for your family pray for your pastor your teacher Your music director the young people going to your church. But it may cost you. I think one of the saddest stories but most Glorious stories... is in the book of 1st and 2nd Timothy. Visualizing the Apostle Paul sitting and writing a letter in prison knowing he was about to die but looking forward to being with Christ in glory. Also knowing that most of his friends and comrades had deserted him. But this man had a Damascus Road experience where he actually met Christ, the resurrected Christ. Are you a deacon, preacher, Pastor teacher music director trustee and not actually had a Damascus Road experience? Then you need one. Read 1st and 2nd Timothy and you will see the results of following Jesus. I think many people, leaders in churches, may not have had such an experience. Otherwise they would bring more into God's house then just their business experience or there bad Music Experience or there bad philosophy experience, or their home problem,their physical ailments only. Make it all about Jesus so he can make it all about others. Just placing a cross or some kind of saying about Jesus is not good enough. You cannot wait till church to read the Bible and pray. You need to make time for it every day every night. Open up Bible and let the Lord talk to you. Then go teach your Sunday school class, then go do the music ,then go preach your sermon. Watch the difference... the Holy Spirit makes. Now be instant in season and out of season. It's not all about feelings. More about perseverance. Well I could go on and on and on, but we seriously need to rethink how to involve the people, Christ called into our fellowship and our assembling together. If the righteous scarcely be saved... The Holy Bible says, then where shell the sinner and the ungodly appear. I did not know where these scriptures came from, the Holy Spirit burned them in my heart many years passed and bingo here they are again. A prayer: Lord You Came to the world as an act of pure love offering true life that starts now and lasts forever. You did not come to condemn me but to rescue me from my evil actions. Amen and God bless each one of you for reading my blog.FOOTNOTE: do not confuse the sinner with a sin. It is biblical... That God accepts the sinner but not his sin. Those that reject Christ are the way they are ,because they want God to agree with them not them agree with God. Thanks again for reading my blog.