THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT

Recently I have been made aware once again about a great
failing on the part of some church leaders. Somewhere along the line some have
forgotten our purpose. Some have forgotten that worship is about God and not
about those who worship him. Now, I'm not saying that people aren’t important,
but I am saying that just perhaps we need to re-evaluate the focus of why we
gather together.

There is a great small book titled, "Showtime! Worship
in the Age of show Business", by Dan Chambers. Mr. Chambers takes a look
at some of the modern worship practices in comparison to what God's Word
indicates worship should be. You might be surprised at the extent to which some
churches will go to "pack the pews".

I guess in itself that's not new, people in general have
short attention spans. Many today need something to keep them in their seats
for the 30 to 60 minutes they sit together with the crowd in their church
buildings. We see this in our modern "entertainment" mentality is
Television programming. They have to change the image every second of so or
people get bored. They have to push the envelope of what is accepted or
outrageous to keep people tuned in to their programs. Sadly, this has
influenced some who plan worship assemblies.

Again this is not new. Several years ago while we were in
Michigan I saw a church advertising in the News Paper that they would be having
"Belly Dancers for Jesus" at their church, urging everyone to come. I
can't question the motivation of the Belly Dancers themselves, but it sure
seemed to me that the church was focusing on the dancing rather than Jesus.
What have our churches come to when we have to bribe, promise entertainment or
trick people to come and worship with us? What does that say for us as a people
when we need those things?

There is an
old, old song titled, "Give me that Old Time Religion," what has
happened to that concept in our world. What does that say about our society
when just worshipping God is not enough? Jesus said in John 4:23-24: "But
the time is coming, indeed it's here now, when true worshipers will worship the
Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship
Him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship Him must worship in
spirit and in truth."

"True Worshipers," worshiping in Spirit and Truth
indicates it is something we need to do, not have done to us! The idea of
Worship carries with it the concept of bowing down before the one being
worshiped. It is not about us it is about offering ourselves to Him. Our songs
or prayers; our messages should center on God and our love for and service to
him.

If you are "going to church" (as the accepted
concept is used), with hopes that it will "be interesting enough to keep
you awake," or "exciting enough to make you feel good," then
just perhaps you are going about it wrong.

Russ Lawson

SATISFACTION

Back in the 60's one of the big hit songs was, "I can’t
get no satisfaction," by the group called "The Rolling Stones".
It spoke to the constant battle and failure in life to find satisfaction by
doing what society expects you to do. Many of us "baby boomers" grew
up listening to this music. Many embraced the philosophy of rejecting social
norms or socially accepted concepts of right behavior. Today we live in a world
where the accepted thing is to just "do your own thing," or
"just do whatever makes you happy".

Sadly, this idea has penetrated the minds of many of those
who are trying to "find God" or "worship God in their own
way". The problem is that though our society may have been bent enough to
allow folks to do pretty much whatever they want and still be accepted, God
doesn't.

You might be inclined to ask, "What gives you the right
to make such a statement?" "Who made you the judge of the
world?" My answer is that no one made me the judge of you, it always has
been and always will be God that judges. Jesus himself said, (if you accept
Jesus as authority in religious matters), in John 12:47-52, "If anyone hears my words but does not keep
them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to
save the world. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept
my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. For I
did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all
that I have spoken. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever
I say is just what the Father has told me to say." (NIV)

You see somewhere in life many have been convinced that
"as long as you love God, you can pretty much do whatever you want and
still be acceptable to him". Yet, Jesus said, "If you don't do what I
have said you will be condemned". The apostle John shared these words with
us in 1 John 5:3, "Loving
God means keeping His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome".

So, are you looking for satisfaction? Have you tried looking
more closely at what God asks of you? Read the Psalms and see what the writers
equate with joy and happiness. You'll find it is having a real relationship
with God, not just a nodding acquaintance.

What About The Future?

I don't know about you, but I sometimes get concerned about
the future. I don't know if I actually worry about it, but sometimes it is
close to that. I am concerned about the state of our world; I am concerned
about the financial condition of our country; I am concerned about what the
government will or won't do to the stability of our country; I am concerned
about what kind of world our children and grandchildren will have to live in; I
am concerned with how things will turn out in our lives as we grow older.

Again, I am concerned, but don't worry about it. Every day,
just as perhaps you do, I strive to turn my future over to God. Sometimes I
successful, sometimes I'm not.

I recently read a quote from Corrie Ten Boom that said,
"Never be afraid to trust the future you don't know, to a God you do
know". I don't know about you, but from time to time I need to be
reminded of that fact! Don't most of the issues in our lives have a direct
relationship to our reliance upon God or our relationship to him? Who is it we
turn to in times of trouble, is it our friends and family, our co-workers, or
do we first think of God. Your answer to that question may explain your success
or failure in some of your struggles.

I am endeavoring every day to rely more upon God regarding
my future. Shouldn't we really be able to trust the future to our God we know?
In the scripture we read: "God has said, "Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you." (Hebrews
13:5) So, if we know this promise and know the one who made the promise,
how can we not trust our future to his hands? David said of God in Psalm 31:15, "My future is in Your hands".

We have read the words, we know the promise; we know the one
who made the promise, now it is time for us to live like we believe the
promise. Stop worrying about that which you can't change or can't direct
yourself and turn it over to God.

Politics and Religion

(Houston, TX,
October 2014) "The battle over a controversial equal rights ordinance is
heating up in Houston, Texas, with revelations that the city has subpoenaed
church sermons, among other documentation, from five local faith leaders.

Officials have requested that these preachers deliver communications
that have focused on homosexuality or the contentious equal rights ordinance,
which these individuals have fervently opposed.

The subpoenas,
which were issued last month, seek, “all speeches, presentations, or sermons
related to the Petition, Mayor Annise Parker, homosexuality, or gender identity
prepared by, delivered by, revised by, or approved by you or in your
possession,” according to the Houston Chronicle." (Theblaze.com)

This is Satan
continuing to chip away at our Christian Freedoms. Just a couple of years ago I
urged the members of our church to contact the leaders in government regarding
the "Hate Speech" bill that was being proposed. This bill was passed
and can be used against ministers who choose to speak out against the sins of
our nation practiced by many. Sadly; many in world and our churches ridiculed
the idea as foolish to think that the government would try to hinder what
teaching takes place in our churches. They were wrong! I believe the following
quote describes the problem well:

"Our society
is still trying to answer the question, do politics and religion mix? The first
amendment of the United States Constitution reads, "Congress shall make no law
respecting an establishment of religion nor prohibit the free exercise thereof."
What the first amendment is saying is that government should stay out of
religion, but religious people can exercise their faith in the influence of
public policy.



Over the past fifty years, lawmakers have misinterpreted the Constitution.
We've majored in the first part of the amendment while abandoning the second
part, and in doing so, we have disenfranchised the gospel, politically,
socially, judicially, and culturally. Like a sponge with the water squeezed
out, ours is a society with Jesus squeezed out, and we are living in a
fifty-year experiment of building a nation without God. No prayer. No Ten
Commandments. No sermon at graduation. No Sabbath. No respect for marriage.

Those things may
be contributing to factors to some of today's problems: We have massive teen
drug abuse, school shooting sprees, and an adolescent suicide rate up 350
percent since 1960. It's time to ask, cannot politics and religion mix?" (Stephen
M. Crotts)

It's time that we
understand the importance of God's Word once again. It's time for us to stand
and be counted and call into account those who govern us. Jesus said this in John 12:47-50   "If anyone hears my words but does not keep
them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to
save the world. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept
my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. For I
did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all
that I have spoken. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever
I say is just what the Father has told me to say."

THE BLOOD MOON AND THE CURMUDGEON

 

Last night we had a total Lunar eclipse which is a wonderful
event to behold, however in our area it was visible at 4 O'clock in the
morning. There has been some discussion about the event being "a sign from
God," which I think shows a great lack of understanding for biblical
prophecy and events. So, No I definitely don't think it was a sign from God,
other that to show how wonderful the universe he created works.

Now my wife is into those kinds of events and enjoys them
more that I. She talked about getting up to watch the Lunar Eclipse and I told
her, "Well, don't wake me; I'm going to be a bit of a Curmudgeon about
it."

Now the dictionary defines "Curmudgeon," as a person (especially an old man) who is easily
annoyed, sometimes easily angered and who often complains or grumbles."
I don't know if I fit into all of those areas of description, but if you wake
me up at 4 A.M. I do tend to be a bit annoyed and grumble about it. The funny
thing is; that I'm often up at 4 A.M. working in my office, but if I happen to
be asleep I like to stay that way.

As things would happen, I woke up at 3:50 A.M. and thought
seriously about trying to go back to sleep. I know that once I wake up, it is
very difficult for me to shut down my brain and go back to sleep. However, I
also thought about how happy seeing these events makes my wife of 47 years (who
just happened to be sound asleep). I thought you have a choice; you can be a
curmudgeon or be a blessing to her. So, as gently as I could, woke her up and
asked if she would like to go out and look at the moon with me.

We pulled on some warm clothes and went out and stood in our
front yard watching the moon and as we watched we saw a shooting star flash
across the sky in front of the moon (another one of her favorite things). We
watched for a few minutes and went in, hugged and kissed and she went to bed
and I went to my office.

OK, what's my point? It is that we have a choice in how we
act and how we relate to other people. After 47 years we still do the things
Newly Weds do. We hold hands, hug and kiss often, fix one another's tea and
coffee, massage sore muscles, go shopping for cloths together and in general do
the things that love demands… even getting up at 4 O'clock in the morning to watch
the moon.

Notice
this interesting modern translation of 1
Corinthians 13:4-7, "Love is never tired of waiting; love is
kind; love has no envy; love has no high opinion of itself, love has no pride;
Love's ways are ever fair, it takes no thought for itself; it is not quickly
made angry, it takes no account of evil; It takes no pleasure in wrongdoing,
but has joy in what is true; Love has the power of undergoing all things,
having faith in all things, hoping all things." (BBE)

How about you, have you been a bit of a curmudgeon
lately? Maybe it's time to turn things around and remember what love is all
about

LIFE IS SOMETIMES DIFFICULT

 

How much do you trust God? I really
mean this, how much do you trust God? Do you believe that he cares for you? Do
you believe that no matter what happens in your life that he is right there
beside you? Do you believe that if you live faithfully he will someday take you
home to heaven? As Christians we must believe these things, because that is the
hope we have in life; that is what our faith is about!

 

Philip Yancey, in his book REACHING
FOR THE INVISIBLE GOD, tells of his father‑in‑law, a Bible teacher and
committed Christian. The older man’s faith troubled him in his final years. A
degenerative nerve disease confined him to bed, preventing him from sharing in
most of the activities he enjoyed. In addition to his own illness, his daughter
battled a debilitating form of diabetes.

 

During the most severe crisis, he
composed a Christmas letter and mailed it to family members and friends. He
expressed his uneasy feelings about many things he had once taught. What could
he believe with certainty? The old Bible teacher staked his faith on three
realities. Here is his list: “(1) Life
is difficult, (2) God is merciful,
(3) Heaven is sure.”

 

Is life difficult? Yes! It is
rarely any other way, but God's word assures us that we have a loving God who
is merciful to his children and that the promise of heaven is sure. We believe
it, because he said.

 

Jesus encouraged his disciples with
these words found in John 14:1-3:
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in
me. My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told
you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a
place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be
where I am."

 

Has that promise ever changed? No,
God's promise to us remains the same no matter what difficulties come into our
lives. The writer of Hebrews encourages us with these words. "Because God wanted to make the
unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised,
he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things
in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the
hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor
for the soul, firm and secure." (Hebrews 6:17-19).

 

What is the anchor for your soul during difficult times,
what is your hope? It must be the "unchangeable" promises of God,
because those are the only ones that really last!

What do you do with Father's Day?

Father's Day is traditionally a day on which we recognize
the efforts of our fathers to provide for and care for their families. Many
make this a special day with a special breakfast, phone calls to those who are
separated by miles or visits if you are near. Perhaps taking them out to eat
and even gifts to recognize them. That's great and I am thrilled that so many
are able to do that, it is as it should be. Deuteronomy 5:16  told the
Israelites (and the example travels on to us) "Honor your father and your
mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and
that it may go well with you in the land the LORD your God is giving you.”

 

There are inherent in this day some problems, the first of
which is that there are those of us whose fathers have passed from this life
and we can no longer let them know how much they were appreciated. That brings with
it another set of problems, as we sometimes get buried under a load of guilt
called, "I wish I had". "I wish I had been a better
son/daughter". "I wish I had told them…" We can honor them by
simply remembering them and living a life that would show honor in our own
lives.

 

Then there are some whose fathers are abusive, non-caring,
unloving or have even deserted their families. It's hard to show love to
someone like that. How do you love the unlovable?

 

And then there are some who never knew their father at all,
perhaps they died or departed or refused to accept the responsibility for them
before they were ever born. That brings about a position of choosing in our
lives. Choosing whether to love them (or at least not hate them). The Greek
word used most in the scripture for love is "agape" which literally
means to desire the best for someone. It doesn't have the meaning of embracing
or even desiring to be with someone, but to truly hope that all things work out
to their good, which of course would be for them to have their life right with
God, no matter what their situation.

 

So, sometimes even our fathers are unlovable, they are not
perfect, in fact sometimes they mess up big time and then what are we to do?
Maybe we should ask ourselves, "What would Jesus do?" You see, God
loves the unlovable; ("But God has made clear his love to us, in
that, when we were still sinners, Christ gave his life for us." Romans
5:8  BBE) Would you think then that
he would expect you and I to do anything less, not just on Father's Day, but
all days.

 

Whatever your situation, I pray that you will honor your
father while you have him with you. If you can't do that, then love them with a
love that hopes for the best for them in their relationship to God.