Warning to Pay Attention

Hebrews 2:1

We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.

As General Conference has concluded – one thing has resonated in my mind – in my spirit. Some are trying to say they know more than the Apostles – more than those who walked with Jesus – and heard straight from Him. The historic truths of Scripture have not changed. For instance – the Biblical truth – without doubt – is that marriage is between one man and one woman. This was God’s design from the beginning and – although humanity strayed from this truth as revealed in Scripture – God continued to call them to this truth. Here’s one example – from the very words of Jesus.

Matthew 19:4–6 – ⁴ “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’  ⁵ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? ⁶ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

The seventh fruit of the Spirit – found in Galatians 5 – is faithfulness. I believe the church is not being faithful to the truth of the Scriptures in regards to marriage (among other things) – instead – as we were warned – they are seeking what their itching ears wish to hear and believe. Here is that warning – as Paul – led by the Holy Spirit – warned a young pastor – Timothy – about the days when truth will be challenged.

Celebrating Easter Every Sunday

Romans 8:1

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,

Easter has come and gone for another year. Churches were packed that Sunday from sunrise services through regular and extra worship services. Some of my colleagues had to hold Easter services off-sight for a variety of reasons. Some wanted to reach the unchurched and thought off-site might be the best way to do this.  Some would have had to hold so many services in their current facilities that it made sense to go off-site to a larger facility. Some for both reasons and maybe some others as well. I imagine that some saw larger crowds than they will see all year until Easter next year – April 20th.

If their attendance was anything like I have experienced over the years – although there were some visitors – like family visiting for the long holiday weekend – folks looking for a church or simply the C&E folks (Christmas and Easter) – mostly the higher attendance is a product of the regular folks all attending on the same Sunday. Sadly – studies show that regular for some means once or twice a month – something less than most every Sunday. When attendance on a regular Sunday is say 75 and on Easter it blossoms to 125 with only 10 visitors – that suggests that if your regulars were more regular – your normal attendance might be closer to 115 than 75.

As pastors we often ask the question – how can I reach the unchurched who attend on Easter? I would like to suggest – too late for this Easter but since they will be around some moving forward – we also ask the question – how can we excite the regulars to be more regular in cooperate worship? I’m not suggesting that those who see once or twice a month as regular worship are not sincere about their faith. For whatever the reason – and that is the key – other things take a priority over cooperate worship two to three Sundays a month. Why and what can the church do about that priority listing – if anything?  Shouldn’t the joy of our salvation – our relationship with Jesus – overcome even the toughest circumstances of life?

What Is Our Christmas Attitude or Mindset?

Philippians 2:5

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

This coming Sunday we will light the 4^th candle on our Advent wreath – it is also Christmas Eve. Christmas is only 5 days away (counting today). Are you excited yet? What do you do to prepare for Christmas? A niece of mine and her married family always bake dozens and dozens of Christmas cookies that their family (and extended family) bake together. It is a family tradition for her husband’s family. They certainly look good and if I could taste them – I imagine they taste good too. I will try to resist cookies this Christmas season – LOL – at least too many of them. Why do I pick the holidays to change my diet? Ugh! Maybe I’ll give in – a little!

What do you do to prepare for Christmas? What do you do in this time of waiting and anticipating (Advent)? Were you active on Cyber Monday shopping online? Now they call the whole time – throughout the week – Cyber Week – – or even Cyber month – so if we missed the one day – we were able to catch up throughout the week (maybe even the whole month). Have any of us hit the Malls yet? I went there one day last week to meet with someone – and – lines were not bad this year – other than at the Apple Store. Have any of us baked any cookies? Have we planned our parties and the ones we will attend? I had three – a full family party – an immediate family party – and a party with the Country Club staff I work with soon. Have we picked out that perfect gift for our loved ones?

Thanksgiving Day 2023

Colossians 2:6-7

⁶ So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, ⁷ rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

I’m looking forward to Thanksgiving Day as I write this. The weather should be sunny and in the 50’s by mid day. It should be a good day so we will be able to get out some and visit family and friends. I will probably work some more in the yard on Thanksgiving morning – blowing some leaves – trimming some branches and maybe even cutting the grass (mulching leaves mainly). I fired up our wood furnace recently and am ready for the cold weather. I’d love a foot of snow (at one time) this winter! How about you? I’d like to be snowed in for a few days.

How will you spend your day today? I have some Christmas music playing right now as I’m at my desk doing my devotions. What does your Thanksgiving morning look like? What will your day include? Will you be spending some time with family? We have some family members sick this year – so we’re trying to come up with a plan to still see each other – if at all possible.

I stumbled onto this passage a few years ago and use it today – it touched my heart. Let’s look at it in partial context. Colossians 2:6-10 – ⁶ So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, ⁷ rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.  ⁸ See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. ⁹ For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, ¹⁰ and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.

Encourage Someone Today

1 Thessalonians 5:11

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Encouragement is very important. There are many persons in the families of our church and community who have known very little encouragement in their lives. They have been raised in families where discouragement was the focus – with very little – if any – love or encouragement. Families where more fuss was made over a grade of B in one class rather than the grades of A in all of the other classes. Families where the small mistake was made to be larger than the overall good job done. A lack of encouragement in many families can impact our lives for a long time – if not forever.

Discouragement in the church is also a tool that the devil uses. Someone does a tremendous job with a program and the first thing someone says is something that didn’t go right. Worship was awesome and a person points out the one thing that didn’t go well – first – like that the service went longer than normal.

It isn’t that we shouldn’t try to improve one another – we’re actually called to do that in Scripture. What I’m questioning is the attitude and timing. Read Revelation where Christ instructs John to write to the seven churches. In those passages – Christ always affirms where He can affirm – encourages them – before He gives corrective instruction.