Megachurch pastors

Not too long ago, I listened to a guy speak about being under fire at his church.  He's a megachurch pastor who has catching flack from several other pastors for his methods and ways of handling situations.

He mentioned the word 'blasphemy', so I looked it up in both the dictionary and when Jesus mentions it in Mark 3.  In the dictionary, "irreverent utterance or action concerning God or sacred things".  In the Greek, "to speak reproachfully, revile, slander, or speak evil of".  Here's a quote by him.

I want to speak to those who would speak of this church and dismiss the whole thing; 'have nothing to do with that place, it's heretics, apostasy', it's whatever.  In the Scriptures, there's a particular word that we have to be very careful of.  There is a chance that the Spirit of God is at work in our community..  Now, when I speak against a community of believers, and I'm not talking about specific talk about issues or doctrines or theology or statements, when I broad stroke a community, there is the chance that the Spirit of God is at work somewhere in that community.  And when I don't have anything to do with that whole church, there is the chance that at the moment I would speaking against something that somewhere in its midst the Spirit of God is at work.  In the Scriptures, when somebody speaks against the work of the Spirit of God, the word for it is blasphemy.  Be very careful about the kinds of discussions you engage in.  The Church of Jesus Christ is a mysterious, beautiful Bride.  Don't mess with It.

I don't say who it is because I think that when some read this, they'll immediately disregard everything the pastor says.  Is this particular pastor unreliable?  I don't believe so.  Is this particular pastor a heretic?  Perhaps, but even God can use a donkey to say something.

Regardless, I heard this quote about a month ago.  In the past couple of weeks, it resurfaced in my memory due to some kind words I listened in on and received.  Last week, I was listening to a conversation between some of  the pastors I know.  As one began to tell about Brother So-and-So not doing his job right, the other chimed in in agreement.  I sat back and just casually observed what they were saying.  It was harsh to hear mighty men of God tear down a brother.  Had I broke apart the conversation, I don't think I would have been able to hear all of their heart on someone who was doing something different than they were.  Then just about two or three days ago, I had a pastor tell me about the leadership in my church not being God ordained.  He began speaking doubt and disbelief over my church.  Just one thing after another, he ripped The Regeneration up one side and down the other.  Did I say anything back?  No.  Why?  What I was feeling was ungodly, so  what would have come from my mouth probably wouldn't have been too godly either.  I forgave him.  I did from the beginning, my mind just had to catch up with my spirit.

Needless to say, I believe everything Pastor Anonymous said up above is correctamundo.  Speaking negativity against anywhere the Spirit of God may at work is perhaps blasphemy.

In Matthew 10, Jesus says, There is nothing that is covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.  Jesus continues in Matthew 12 by saying, Either make the tree good and its fruit good or make the tree corrupt and its fruit corrupt.  Brood of vipers!  How can you being evil, speak good things?  Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

Watch what you say and who you say it about.  What you say is in your heart and what's in your heart comes out.  Speak life and not death over your brothers.

Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. - 2 Corinthians 3:17
Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation - because they said 'He has an unclean spirit'. - Mark 3:28-30

What are people saying?

I'm convinced that there are three types of people in this world:
A. Boys and girls who care what everyone thinks
B. Boys and girls who say they don't care what anyone thinks, yet they do
C. Boys and girls who don't care what anyone thinks

If I were categorized, I think I would fit in the letter A.  Typical, right?

I was on my way to work this morning praying and worshiping with my friends, Pocket Full of Rocks.  To be blunt, it was perhaps the most saturating, tangible experience I've had in a long time.  I would pray in the Spirit, "Abba Father, let me be more and more after Your heart", among other things.  As I did, Holy Spirit brought back to my memory some stuff He dealt with me about last night.

First, Holiness is not optional; second, Being after God's heart is like being pregnant.  You either are or you aren't.  Pretty good stuff if I do say so myself.  And I do.  So it's good.

In 1 Peter 1, the Bible says as He who is called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, for it is written, be holy for I am holy.  Holiness is defined in the dictionary as, "consecrated; devoted; having spiritual purity".  If we believe that God is who He says He is and that He is not mocked, we had better find out quickly that holiness is not optional.  We don't pick and choose when and when not to be holy.  Every second of every minute of every hour of every day, we are to be completely devoted and pure in everything we do, everything we say, and everywhere we go.  Holiness is who we are.  You can't separate it in any matter from the heart of the Father.  Thus, the second thing God spoke to me about.

In 1 Samuel 16, God is dealing with Samuel about anointing a new king for Israel.  Read the story of Saul and David and you'll find out why David is called a man after God's own heart (Acts 13).  Integrity, respect, genuineness, and so much more.  Anyways, I'm sure if you're a Christian, you want this to be tagged onto your name.  If you're a dude, you want to be a man after God's own heart.  If you're a lady, you want to be a woman after God's own heart.  But what I've figured out is that you are desperate with everything inside of you to satisfy Him or you simply are not.  Remember Revelation 3:16.  Remember Hebrews 12:29.

So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

For our God is a consuming fire.

It's been said that lukewarm is Jesus' vomiting ministry.  What do you think?  Not only that, but if God is a consuming fire, then He doesn't just take up your hands to lay on hands and pray nor your tongue to preach or speak.  Consuming means every part.  Holy Spirit takes over and conquers every part of me - body, soul, and spirit; thoughts, motives, and intentions; hopes, dreams, fears, and failures - every part of me.  Then we go back to being after God's heart goes back to being holy.  Holiness cannot be separated from God's heart if He is holy (1 Peter 1).  If He is holy, we are to be holy and being after His heart is like pregnant.  Either we are or we're not.

Now, back to the original thought.  Three types of people..

Consider what they said about Paul in Acts 26, you are beside yourself and what they said about the apostles in Acts 17 - turning the world upside down.  If people can say otherwise about me, perhaps that I'm lukewarm or not practicing what I preach, I have lost my witness both to unbelievers and believers alike.  I have no ground to speak into or pour out into someone's life.  Understand that the grace of God is a contagious infection.  If we're willing to open up to it, it can burn up our circles of influence like wildfire.

What are people saying about you?  Are you living out holiness and following hard after the heart of God?

Relationship and reason

Did you ever see or know those people who always had to get their point across?  Literally nothing would do except that you knew how they felt about a particular subject?  Did you ever see or know those Christians who lived by that example?  In my younger days, I was one of those Christians.

In junior high, I had to make sure people knew I wasn't ashamed of the gospel.  Whether that meant condemning conversations or cramming it down various throats, it sure enough didn't matter to me.  In retrospect, I probably could have done some things different.  For example, I could've actually shown Jesus's compassion on people.  It's not like I didn't want people to experience the Holy Spirit and I'm sure my intentions were good, but the way I carried myself wasn't the best.  I noticed, too, that it wasn't just me.

My senior year of high school, I had someone tell me about a huge argument that went down in an 11th grade English class.  Questions about faith and the way to heaven were brought up in the class, prompting two girls to talk aloud.  One was a borderline atheist/agnostic (we'll call her X) and the other was a devout Christian (Y).  As the discussion started, Y quickly sent out her view.  "Jesus is the only way to heaven", she said.  Of course she was correct, but how the conversation ended up was brutal.

X: What about all of the other religions?
Y: They're not right.
X: Well, what about --
Y: It doesn't matter.  Jesus is the only way to heaven.
X: But I'm just saying --
Y: Jesus is the only way.
X: What about --
Y: You're wrong.

Needless to say, X was in tears by the end.  After the class, she told the whole school that people like Y is why she didn't go to church.  People like Y is why she didn't want to be a Christian.

Scary, isn't it?

Here in recent days, I think I've figured out the best way to witness..

We live in a very hungry society.  People search and search, trying to find the truths about some sort of absolute.  Too, a majority of people in the United States, especially in the Bible belt of Arkansas, consider themselves to believe in God though perhaps not living it out.  However, pointing that out may not be the best way to go about witnessing, huh?  Regardless, they're still in pursuit of something concrete, something absolute, something visible.  Concrete, Jesus is.  Absolute, Jesus is.  Visible, Jesus is.  "How?" you may ask.  "Through His Church," I reply.  

They have questions about the purpose of humanity, what happens in the afterlife, why there is pain, and why there is suffering.  As a Christian, you and I have the answers they're looking for.  In clarification, we may not have the answers they want, but we do have the answers they're looking for.  Every answer to every question is in the living, Holy Spirit inspired Word of God.

Observe what Paul did in Acts 17.

Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.  Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ. - Acts 17:1-3

The word reason means: to mingle thought with thought; to ponder; to provoke thought.

When Paul reasoned with them do you think he made them feel stupid or challenged?  Do you think he screamed at them or spoke softly?  Do you think he cut them off in mid sentence or let them have their say?

I think he challenged them, spoke calmly with them, and let them stay what they wanted all while asking questions (not intrusively, but interestedly).  Interested in what?  Them - their thoughts, opinions, and feelings.  I know first hand that making people feel like idiots is a horrible witnessing tool.  Understand that Paul didn't condone what the nonbelievers were doing, he just didn't condemn it.  The best way to reach out to somebody is to to be all things to all men through provoking thoughts in their minds.  Notice that the Bible says Paul reasoned from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating.  When people figure out that you're desiring to build a relationship with them, they'll have questions of their own to ask you.  People ask sincere questions when they realize we're sincere people.  Thus, you will have opportunity to explain and demonstrate.  Also, recognize that Jesus and the disciples both build ministries off of relationships with people.   Following, Acts 17 says that Paul for three Sabbaths reasoned.  Acts 18 tells us that Paul was a tent maker.  The Sabbath was only one day a week.  He stayed for 3 Sabbaths.  What do you think Paul was doing for the other days of the week?  I think he was probably making tents and building relationships with people of the community.  People are more willing to hear us when we invest in them.

I've actually put this into practice recently.

There's a guy I've been getting to know for the past year or so.  He knows I'm a believer and he used to be a believer as well (or not saved at all, depending on your view).  Anyways, in the past two days God has really opened up the door for me to share with him.  I think that's because I had to build a relationship with the guy first.  Now that I have, more opportunities are becoming available for me to reason with him.  I'm incredibly stoked to see God give the increase.

Going back to the younger days, I could've cared less about building a relationship with the people I tried to witness to.  I was just making sure they knew I was unashamed .  Now that I understand that relationship and reason are probably the best ways to witness, I'm going to use them more and more.

Also, I'm pretty sure Y has too.

Debating and dissecting

Sometimes people argue about the dumbest things..

Among Pentecostals, it's about Oneness vs. Trinitarian or whether Holy Spirit baptism is essential for heaven. Among Christians in general, it's about "once saved, always saved" vs. backsliding/loss of salvation or whether the gifts of the Holy Spirit are still in operation.

I then wonder to myself how Jesus likes the division. What do you think?

There are times where I want to pull my hair out. Other times I want to give my two cents. Even with the first, why do I worry? With the latter, how Godly is that anyway? Regardless, what would either choices solve? Would my opponent (I use that word purposely, yet lightly) change his mind? Perhaps, but that's highly unlikely. If my opponent already believes that Christ is the resurrected Son of the living God and lives it out, why do we debate? We have more things in common than not. What's the point in trying to convert another believer? Moreover, why would I call a brother or sister an "opponent"?

Imagine what could happen in the Body of Christ if we were able to get our eyes off of each other and onto Jesus. The gospel would be preached and salvation would move and flow throughout the earth. Salvation, God's heartbeat, would take back sinners from the flames of hell.

Only and only if we get our eyes focused on the King's glory.

Reverend Billy Graham put it this way, "The Word of God is not meant to be debated or dissected. It is meant to be done."

Not only that, but Jesus said in Matthew 12, every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city of house divided against itself will not stand..

Paul talks in Philippians 1 and says that we are to stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.

Noticing the Acts church, before the Holy Spirit was poured out in chapter 2, they were in one mind and one accord. Acts 4 tells us that they were together in one heart and one spirit.

Psalm 133 says that it is good and pleasant for brothers who dwell in unity.

Unity in the Church is how things are accomplished. Unity is how the grace of God is shown and the heart of God is made known. Unity is turning an audience into army for the glory of God alone. Unity is showing and sharing the love we've received with the whole world. Unity is not showing partiality. Unity is giving more and more for the Kingdom to be fulfilled.

Only and only if we get our eyes focused on the King's glory.

Trees and what not

How often do you look at trees?  Or when you see them, whether dead or alive, what do you think of?  When I see a dead tree, it makes me think, "man..  where's the fruit that used to be there?  Where are the leaves?  Where's the green stuff?"

In order for it to be a tree, there had to have been some sort of apple or orange at least once.  If not something so defined, maybe even an incredibly small flower.  There had to have been some pretty vibrant leaves.  There had to have been some redonkulous greenery..  I mean, if all the other trees around it are green, surely that tree should be green.

I was driving from my parents' house once when I noticed all of the trees on my left hand side.  Some were alive, but most were dead.  After all, we were at the end of winter, going into spring.
I just thought it was so weird how through the seasons, some trees stayed alive and others died.

 

This tree is in the back yard of my parents' house.  Ironically, this picture was taken sometime in April.  I remember because it was just about a month before I got married.  But I can remember being at home and looking into the back yard and noticing that this particular tree was always green.  It stayed green throughout the year.  It was always alive and even though a branch or two died occasionally, the tree remained steady.

If you can't tell by the picture, this thing's HUGE!  Just for a little perspective, you can see our old dog on the left of the tree trunk.

Trees get that big because they are able to stay alive year-round, they have a root system that goes deeper than just the surface, and they are in open sun light.

As Christians, we need to learn how to be the trees that stay alive all the time (2 Tim. 4:2).  We need to learn how to be the trees that produce fruit all the time (Psa. 1:2).  We need to learn how to get deeper rooted than just beyond the surface (Luke 6:48), and we need to become more and more open to the Sun of righteousness (Mal. 4:2).

Why, O, why?

Have you ever wondered about the average routine of your life?  Why do we do what we do?  Why do we go where we go?  Why do we have the job that we have?  Why, O, why?

Some of have asked themselves these questions and dangerously went off the deep end to find meaning in their lives.  Others, on the other hand, have never even had the thoughts cross their mind.

For me, I wake up in the mornings around 8.  I eat my bowl of Raisin Bran, watch a little Yes, Dear, and get in the shower.  From there, it's work for anywhere from 4 to 8 hours depending on the day.  Monday nights, I'm taking a Chi Alpha class.  Tuesday nights and Wednesday nights both go from week to week.  Thursday night is Thursday Night, starting at 7:14PM.  Friday and Saturday nights vary from week to week as well.  Sundays, my wife and I spend most of the day at The Regeneration.  This is an average schedule for me.

I suppose the question one would ask me is, "why?"  To answer that, "I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I'm where I'm supposed to be."  "How can you be so sure?" they would reply.  "This is what God has given me to do." I say back.

My routine's pretty lax, yet quite specific.  While I'm at work, we're rarely busy.  Thus, I have a lot of time to study out the Scriptures, to Facebook people and build relationships, to play guitar, keep up phone calls and texts - basically anything I want to do.  The quite specific part - just in one hour of being at work, I've had a guy ask me to pray with him about his girlfriend that he feels like he's supposed to marry, I've had a co-worker ask me to pray about a family in their church who is going through some problems, and I've had a conversation with a guy who's seeking the will of God in his life.

This is my life.  I do what I do because I know that God has placed me where I'm at for a purpose and reason.  When I leave from this season in my life, a door will be opened and everything will prove itself to be God.  It's the same with everyone who loves Jesus with all they have.

See, I've had people ask me a lot, "what's the will of God for my life?" and I tell them to read 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.  Rejoice evermore.  Pray without ceasing.  In all things, giving thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.  When you live out your life for His glory, the Father works His will out for you.  All we need to do is rely on Him to be who He is faithful to be.  After all, Psalm 37 says that ..the footsteps of the righteous are ordered by the Lord.

If you are God's then He is Your's.  Trust Him to work all things for your good.

Life.

I used to have a blog called "living life as a son".  In it, I wrote some incredible principles about literally living my life as a son of God.  There were days it was easy, others when it was hard, but I kept on mentioning just how faithful the love of the Father is and was.

I'll probably do the same in this one, but it may have hints of being a little different.  I'm not sure how yet, but just stay tuned to it if you'd like.

Regardless, life is what it is.  More than that, though, it is what we make it.  Every morning we wake up is a new opportunity to change our circumstances.

Ever heard the expression, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade"?  Does anyone else know how hard that can be?  No matter how difficult it seems, you can always make lemonade if you want to.

We'll dive into this soon enough.